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WaveOfWire Edits :D
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Harrison’s vision was still foggy from waking up, several blinks failing to clear the tears from his drawn-out yawn. He just escaped the encompassing embrace of his four-armed guardian, leaving their shared bed for the bathroom, where he would have to say goodbye to his beard. If he was going to travel out of the settlement, a proper seal on his gas mask was a must.
It was a shame. The slow buildup of the hair over the last month or so was a representation of his growth in a way, building up alongside his experiences in this hellhole, be they life-threatening or informative. It was almost like wiping the slate clean, even if cutting some chin scruff didn’t really change anything at all—he’d never be able to forget anything he had seen here for as long as he lived.
And there was no telling how long that’d be.
The engineer sighed, splashing the lukewarm barracks water into his face from one of the many wall-attached sinks, allowing him to fully open his eyes and size up the damage done to his favorite black blood-and-sweat-stained t-shirt. It always stayed in good condition with washing and fabricator repairs, but somehow Shar’s talons always found a way to make small holes in it. She wasn’t trying to, but with the way she fully wrapped her arms around him, the tips of her sharp fingers sometimes ended up poking into the fabric and causing some cuts.
It was such a small issue that he never considered bringing it up to her. Plus, she’d probably do her whole guilty talon-tapping thing with puppy eyes and all… He shook his head, letting the stray beads of water on his face drip into the sink.
His palm ran across his beard while his other hand reached for the razor. There wasn’t any shaving cream or the like, but he’d make do. At least he had one of the proper tools for the job. He went into the task, the blade driving through his scruff, slopping off wide areas of his hair from jaw to chin for a few seconds before it was interrupted.
A short ‘woosh’ of the entrance caught his attention.
“Aww, you’re shavin’ it off?” Tracy commented dejectedly through a yawn, the lazy drawl reinforcing the fact that she just woke up. “Th’ beard was sorta growin’ on me.”
He eyed her through the mirror, his voice coming out in a dull tone. “Yeah. I feel the same.”
She squinted under the bright bathroom lights, rubbing an eye with her wrist as she walked up to the sink beside him and started her own morning routine. “Mmm… Womp womp. Why though?”
“Need it to get a gas mask seal,” he stated flatly, focusing on the task at hand.
The technician stopped momentarily, the gears turning in her head before she gave him a downcast frown. “You’re still set on going for the vehicle bay? You know we can just send some long-range drones out there, right?”
His short exhale echoed throughout the tiled room. The engineer closed his eyes, already mentally withdrawn from the conversation. They've had this discussion twice now. “It’s to be better prepared for any chemical, biological, or radiological surprises that might come up—not just for the excursion. Even more importantly, there’s no guarantee the module is in perfect shape. If I’m there in person, I’ll have the means to get through anything for those blueprints. Plus, it should only be four days, so the only issues we have are my beard and finding a way to protect the Malkrin from the radiation while we’re out.”
Tracy looked like she wanted to say something back, but bit her lip and cast her eyes down at the sink in front of her, twisting the knob before mumbling a quiet response. “I don’t think you need to protect them from radiation at all…”
“Hmm?”
She stared at him meekly, his dismissal of her worries having clearly dampened her mood. Guilt tugged at the back of his mind before her words further caught his interest. “I think they’re immune… or resistant or something. Radiation immunity is the whole reason they were sent here. You’ve added up the pieces together too, right?”
He stared down at her, running a hand through his hair with tired exasperation depressing his voice. “Tracy, I’ve been trying my hardest to just make it another day on this God-forsaken planet, not dig into their religion. So, no. I have not spent the time to add up the pieces. Enlighten me, please.”
“…S-Sorry. I just, you know, get a lot of time to think when working on drones, and Cera has been drawing all kinds of representations of these things.” Tracy paused, gesturing toward the engineer. “Okay, so you remember the whole backstory for why the Malkrin are on the mainland in the first place?”
“Pseudo-eugenics?” he commented dryly.
“Yeah.” She nodded, a sense of excitement leaking into her voice. “And what were the parameters of banishing someone?”
“Not getting sick from a rock.”
She eyed him feverishly, brows raised with a sudden zeal. “Aaaaand that rock represented the Sky Goddess’ wrath, which did what?”
“Uhhh…” He looked upward in thought, recalling his conversation with the paladin. “I think Shar mentioned nausea, vomiting, blisters, skin melting… off…” He froze, the pieces forming. “Wait, you don’t think…”
“I do. Those symptoms could mean a lot of things, but the anomaly field was the real kicker. You know that Shar just straight up didn’t have any lingering radiation effects or anything while you were nearly put… six feet under…” Her voice quieted momentarily, the speed of her speech outpacing her train of thought. “Sorry. Um… so, I was gonna say that she, uh, I mean the scanner mentioned she had damage from ‘alpha particles’ on her skin, but nothing else happened to her organs or anything.”
Harrison squinted at her for a moment, mouth slightly opened and prepared to give some alternative reasoning besides ‘immunity.’ Maybe her armor protected her from it? No… she didn’t even have full protection, radiation would have certainly gotten around her eyes or snout. What about her height? What if… No.
He didn’t just want to believe that somehow the Malkrin could just evade a force of nature, but he didn’t have any way of proving or disproving it on hand… Well, no humane way of testing it.
“I… guess?” the engineer grumbled, rubbing his eyes. “Even then, they still need armor and gas masks. The worst part of the radiation isn’t even the ionizing part. It’s the trace elements that get into your lungs and decay there. So it doesn’t hurt to use some CBRN filters.”
“Fair… but it’s interesting, isn’t it?” Tracy beamed. “Like, what kind of evolutionary factors lead to radiation immunity? Why do only some of the Malkrin have it and others don’t?”
The only real cause of radiation he could think of would be a massive nuclear proliferation of some sort. Maybe the anomalies? He ran a hand through his hair, pushing the lingering thoughts away. “I wouldn’t know. You could always ask Sebas to bring up some papers about it or generate some theories when you get the chance.”
“I probably will at some point… Maybe while I’m working.” She poked him in the bicep. “You’re still helping me with the mule, right?”
He bobbed his head, loose beard hairs itching up his chin. “Sure am. Gimme a bit to shave and test the fifty-cal ammo, then I’ll be free to assist.”
“Kay Kay.” The tradeswoman smiled and returned to the sink, washing her face.
- - - - -
“What the hell did you do to your shield?” a stunned Harrison asked the paladin, his face scrunching up in concern… and confusion.
Sharky proudly held up her once grungy orange shield with a smile, looking at its new… paint job? “Artificer Tracy has s—n to imbue my bulwark with the crest of the Sky Goddess herself! Observe the b—utiful wings that cover it!”
The engineer had just got back from setting up and overseeing the automated mule’s first excursion to the mine and back. It was a grueling task, requiring him to reset its pathing several times before it was able to make a round trip without input. Now, the maroon-skinned Malkrin in front of him had apparently gotten her massive aegis laser imprinted with crossing wings in the two hours or so he’d been gone. The areas between the black feather decals were colored with white and blue paints, contrasting with the new dark gray background.
A small weight was placed on his shoulder, Tracy’s forearm suddenly appearing atop it despite her being nearly a foot shorter than him. She beamed, staring up at him with all-too-proud eyes. “The scout regiment symbol looks good on it, right? Cera helped me with the laser engraving.”
“I…” His brows raised in perplexity. “The scout regiment?”
She shrugged, watching the paladin observe her shield from all sorts of different angles underneath the workshop’s light fixtures. “From an anime I used to watch. Men and women who were sent out to battle against massive titans for the greater good of the last settlement of humanity. Somewhat fitting, and fuckin’ awesome on her big-ass shield! Matches the bird’s wings on her armor too.”
He loudly sighed. “You wasted materials on imprinting wings on Shar’s shield? Really?”
“Hey!” Her brows furrowed into faux-annoyance, a smug grin betraying it. “It’s not a waste if you were never gonna use the paint we had on hand. Plus, we’ve got energy to spare with all the wind turbines and power cells you’ve been printing out.”
“Those paints probably could have been used for important designations… or something…” he grumbled.
“Doesn’t matter.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “Anyway, want me to put some scary teeth or something on that big ‘ol fist-sized muzzle break on your shotgun?”
“No?” he took an incredulous step away from her, letting her arm fall off his shoulder and to her side.
“It’s okay to admit you’re jealous of Shar’s awesome decals, bro,” Tracy teased, her smugness growing tenfold. “No need to get defensive.”
He groaned, figuring there wasn’t a point in staying to bicker with the tradeswoman, leaving the two vanity-focused females to their devices. He still had to figure out how to fabricate armor and gas masks for the Malkrin and himself.
“Hey! Where ya goin?” the technician called out, clearly disappointed that he hadn’t indulged in her taunts.
“Work.”
Short taps against the hard floor sounded out as she caught up to him. She leaned forward and curiously looked up at him as she walked, holding her hands behind the small of her back. “What kind? Can I help?”
“Just need to take some measurements and compare options. Right… Speaking of which.” He turned around and cupped his palms around his mouth. “Hey Shar! Get over here, I need your help!”
The addressed Malkrin perked up, snapping out of the small haze of admiring her new shield and happily making her way toward him. She stood at attention, her tail oscillating side to side. “What n—d do you have of me?”
“Just a quick task,” he briefed her, grabbing some measuring tape from his desk… that Tracy had decided was her new chair. He sighed and turned his attention back to the paladin. “Can I bother you to lean down for a few seconds while I take some measurements?”
“Of course. Pl—se, take your time.” She stepped forward and kneeled, her head brought down to his height. Her face wore that simple content look he was growing all too accustomed to by now—slightly vibrating frills, a little curl upward of her lips, and warmly glowing eyes.
He wasted no time getting to work, noting down the various distances around her jaws, snout, eyes, and ears, already piecing together how he could cobble together some gas mask designs to fit the dimensions. She sat there quietly, sometimes leaning into the accidental head scratches adorably. It contrasted heavily with the cold-sweat-inducing layers of razor-sharp teeth within her muzzle as he measured the angle her maw opened at, bringing an idle curiosity prodded his mind.
“Say, Shar, do your teeth grow back if they fall out?” he poked, absently observing the dozens of triangular bone protrusions in her mouth as he held the underside of her jaw.
“They do,” she confirmed, the way she was able to speak despite not moving her mouth still messing with his head. “Do y—rs not?”
“Nope. Only once.”
She attempted to tilt her head, but quickly returned it when it left the embrace of his palm. “Only once?”
He nodded. “Yeah, sometime a few years after birth. They’re replaced with the teeth I have now. Don’t get any new ones, so we gotta take care of ‘em.”
“Birth?” The Malkrin’s eyes widened. “You were not cr—ted as you are now?”
A shock of stress poured down his spine like a bucket of ice water, raising the hairs on his back. Fuck. How did he let that slip? He was supposed to have just appeared from the sky to her, right…? He was doing so well for so long in keeping that in. God, had he really gotten so comfortable with the paladin that he simply forgot what he was to her? His teeth clenched, a huff of air escaping his nostrils as he lightly shook his head. It was a bit too late to backtrack. It could be explained vaguely and brushed off, right?
“Yeah. I was born,” he affirmed flatly. His hand dropped away from Shar’s muzzle, her head falling an inch or two before she registered that she couldn’t keep leaning into his touch. “That’s it for measurements, so you’re free to leave.”
A frown carved through her small smile. “I… See… F—give me if I have brought up someth—g improper.”
His exhalation burned through his frustration at himself, his hand running through his hair to wash away the spike of anxiety. “You’re fine. You haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Th-Then I shall take my leave,” the massive alien stated softly.
He nodded, feeling a little regretful for pushing the kindhearted Malkrin away as he shuffled back to his desk. Tracy was still sitting atop it, giving him a disappointed reaction with low brows, forcing a pointed reaction from him. “What?”
The technician took a long inhale before shrugging. “Nothin’.”
“…Alright.”
The rolling chair squeaked lightly as he rested himself, his hands already going through the motions of opening the computer and the blueprint folders. There were plenty of tabs open of sensors and motor assemblies he hadn’t closed from the previous night. That wasn’t even mentioning the pile of notes he had on proper radio-protective methods, their corners bent from his frequent flipping through them.
“Soooo…” The short black-haired woman leaned forward from her perch atop the only clear part of his desk. “Can I help you with your ‘comparing options’ work, mister busyman?”
“Sure…” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, raising a brow. “How much do you know about armor?”
- - - - -
“No way. The back support is a must, so you can have extra plating over your shoulders and chest.” Tracy pointed out from her seat beside Harrison’s, all but forcing him to pause his Malkrin gas mask designing to give her argument his full attention.
He calmly took his hands off the mouse and keyboard. “A back support needs leg assistants, which means I’ll need to have at least a fifteen pound battery pack somewhere. Those kinds of exosuits are either all in or not at all. You can go full armor and engine, or lightweight protection and simple limb support.”
“So you’re just gonna go out there with normal armor? Just run-of-the-mill plates and gear? Those fucking things would go through that shit like butter! I know we can’t make synthetic muscle yet, but at least consider wearing something a bit more. Please. Even Sharky has heavy armor!”
Harrison pinched the bridge of his nose, his brows furrowed. “Do I look like a several-hundred kilogram monster of pure muscle to you? I’m more than willing to put on a few extra kilos for protection, but I’m trying to weigh the pros and cons of putting on more armor rather than more equipment. I’d rather fifty pounds of magazines and ammo than fifty pounds of armor. You know what I mean?”
“Yeah yeah… You and your storage space…” she mumbled, swiping through a few more images on her data pad when a familiar Mars-pattern suit showed up, catching his eye.
“Hey, wait, pull that one up…”
She rotated the tablet for him to see a little better—despite already being shoulder-to-shoulder with him. “This one? What’s so special about it?”
He analyzed the few pieces of equipment on screen, noting the rusty-orange and tan color scheme, the old Martian-American flag attached to its breastplate, and the iconic quad-nod integrated helmet. “Holy shit,” he whispered. “That’s… We have that in our blueprints?”
She raised a brow, clearly confused. “Whaddya mean?”
“That’s an Orbital Drop Ranger’s standard kit,” he stated slowly, a simmering sense of awe bubbling up—why the hell was it in their blueprints folder? “It was used during the Sino-Venusian incursion of southern Mars. It still has the Old Earth American flag embedded into it, so you know it’s pre twenty-two-hundred C.E.”
“Oh shit… Pre-St.Loual’s construction? This is ancient, then, huh? Would it be any good?” She leaned in closer to him, eying the tablet further.
“Does it have the assembly view of the armored pieces?”
“Mmhmm.” She tapped a few icons, showing an isometric, exploded view of all the parts and their individual components.
It was a piece of history alright. The armor was produced just about the time when Mars was connecting their orbital stations and ground colonies to work in tandem, allowing for specialized forces to be trained in space and launched anywhere across the planet from drop pods in mere minutes, leading to common nickname of ‘Minutemen’ given to the troopers. The suits were expertly designed to withstand the harsh environments of Mars and give the soldiers the ability to engage with enemy combatants for several days before extraction, though the adept units usually completed their objectives within twenty-four hours of their landing.
The helmet was very angular and blended in with the expected rocky terrain of Mars, each component taking on a sloped frontal design with rectangular prisms flowing behind—radio, breathing apparatus, and vision modules all sharing a sleek, yet bulky look in their own right. It reminded him of some in-atmosphere ships, with the overhanging visor above the quad-nod viewport being the only non-aerodynamic pieces.
The chest and legs were a bit different, following the design of late twenty-second-century operators with tan lightweight rigs, and ammunition pouches alongside armored plates that ran from the shoulders to wrists in segments. There was a rusty-orange undersuit beneath it all for the purpose of keeping air in, which required some sturdy polymer structures to ensure it didn’t rip. Then, of course, there were the classic shock-absorbing leg supports. They weren’t too far off what Tracy was asking about earlier, but these ones didn’t provide any assistance in moving with any motors—just straight-up structural reinforcements.
Hell, the blueprints on screen even had the mag-grip gloves used to scale domes, buildings, and satellites alike. There was no doubt that the Orbital Drop Rangers had some of the coolest equipment on Mars, especially considering that it was the last to keep the ‘operator’ look… It was such a shame the government decided the orb-like helmets and rounded bubble armors were more effective.
“Hey, you know what?” he asked the technician, a shot of excitement in his voice. “This might actually work out as a suitable armor replacement.”
She perked up, her brows raised. “Oh? Actually?”
He shrugged, trying to play off the smirk plastered on his face. “Wouldn’t need a horrible amount of changes to work for our purposes. Just need to remove the oxygen converter on the back and put a gas mask replacement in the front portion of the helmet. Plus, we could probably get rid of the airtight aspect and just keep the undersuit for scratch protection. And, most importantly, it’s radio-protective.”
“Meets all your criteria, then?” She tapped through some UI interfaces, sending the armor assembly to Harrison’s monitor, which he accepted quickly.
“Sure does.” He readily clicked through the different parts and systems to differentiate what needed to be kept. “We have the resources for it, and all it needs is a layer of cadmium plus a few replacements. Definitely doesn’t need the heads-up display since there’s nothing for it to interact with either, so that’ll save on print time and materials too. Shame I cut up the beard… the Orbital Drop Rangers were allowed to have some cool ones.”
The tradeswoman scooted in even closer, practically resting her chin on his shoulder and watching him sift through the working parts. “Yeah, rest in peace, beard. Still, your armor situation is solved. What about the Malkrin?”
“I’ll be working on their gas masks, then I was thinking I’d use another one of your modeled armors for their protection since they’ve helped Shar a hell of a lot. Do you have any recommendations?”
“Mmmmm…” She looked up in thought, a smile forming along her cheeks. “You know, until we can make them any real power armor, I was thinking just some regular phobos-pattern armor. Could color ‘em based on their skin too.”
“Phobos-pattern armor?” he hummed to himself, clicking through the folder to find it. It was just as bulky as Shar’s armor, except it appeared a good bit smoother, with more rounded edges compared to her horns-and-spike-lined gauntlets and pauldrons. The blue suit Tracy was proposing didn’t have the four-armed protection compared to the chaos version, but it certainly had the same thickness of its metal plates. “Looks like it’d work pretty well. Does it have any electric components or anything?”
“No…” she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Not so good with designing that stuff in the modeling program I did the WarHarberd stuff in. Could add in more sophisticated leg support or whatever if you gave me time, but for now it’s just maneuverable slabs of alloy.”
“I think that’s all we need for the time being.” He shrugged. “I just don’t want the others to be vulnerable to getting cut up by the little spider-crab grunts.”
“As long as it works for what we need, then.” Her elbow poked into his arm. “Here, how about I take care of that armor stuff while you finish up the gas masks? They need the extra arm slots too, yeah?”
“I’d actually appreciate that a lot.” He offered her a back-palm fist bump, to which she eagerly took, taking on a grin that he mirrored. “Thanks, Trace.”
“Don’t mention it. I wish work was always just doing my hobbies like this.”
\= = = = =
A grand pylon of metal construction taller than the mightiest female’s frills stood atop the beach. Blue-scaled surfaces extended near the foot of the tower, gathering the power of the sun itself. The lattice layering upon their sides hid the weaving wires and Goddess-blessed machinery. A staff the same as Shar’khee’s peeked from its top, the glass eye on its side given a wide view of the sandy environment it resided on, the defense it now provided becoming absolute. The aura it exuded as a creature of pure metal was awe-inspiring, its mere presence a showing of Harrison’s might and domain.
No abhorrent would dare step foot upon the meadow’s rolling hills, for such a mistake would ensure their immediate execution for encroaching upon his settlement—the ‘fifty-cal-e-bur’ bullet is not one to rend any beast with only simple injuries, especially with three hundred of them available at once.
The maroon-skinned paladin treaded up the hill, having completed her task of setting up the last turret. The craftsman, the juvenile, and the lumberjack had also assisted with its setup, pulling their weight in both mind and muscles to piece the components together. They completed a few others around the modules already, but this one was done without the star-sents’ oversight. The four Malkrin had practiced and learned enough to be entrusted with such.
The idea of Harrison having enough confidence in them sparked much conviction in the group, each of them more than eager to prove him right—none more so than Shar’khee herself, of course.
She finally returned to the workshop, the sun’s last rays pressing into the back of her head and frills as she crouched beneath the doorway, a small gnawing hunger for dinner digging within her stomach. The cacophony of machines soon reached her ears, the sounds of their efforts almost working in tandem with the strange melodic music playing from an unseen source above her.
Tracy was in her corner, working on new beings of metal as always. The bright lights above were turned off in favor of smaller, warmer emplacements atop her surrounding circle of desks. A hard worker, that star-sent was, though both of them were like that, the paladin supposed. Their kind was certainly intent on keeping their hands busy.
Shar’khee passed through the snakes of machines, finding her way to Harrison’s desk with an increasingly strong sway in her tail. He was working with a black object with light gray accents. It appeared to be partially flexible, yet firm in other places—notably, a large glass fixture on one side of it. There was very little she could make out about its purpose, but with the delicate touches he applied, it appeared to be quite important.
Her tongue clicked twice, garnering the attention of the Creator. He paused his work, swiveling his chair to face her and revealing a long blue-leaf jutting from his mouth. Her male appeared quite tired, but his voice did not show it.
“Oh, Shar, what’s up? Did y’all need any help with the last turret?”
She shook her head. “We do not n—d such, for it is completed. Would you care to join me for din—r? The rest of the settlem—t is enjoying their meals as of now. ”
He raised his brows before looking back at the myriad of notes, tools, and materials atop his cluttered desk. “Well, I’m kinda busy, but…” His jaw rolled around in contemplation. “Here. Let’s just test this thing real quick.”
Her head tilted. “What sh—l we be testing?”
“Your gas mask… er, well, a Malkrin gas mask. Kneel down real quick, I’ll run ya through putting it on.” He stepped off his chair and grabbed the equipment, uncomfortably rotating his shoulders. How long was he sitting on that chair? The male approached her and she did as requested. “I had the sewist help me with some of the design. Never considered you guys would ever wear hats.”
She nodded. “It is unh—lthy for one to have their frills touched by the sun for so long. Adequate shade is a must, and trees are not so p—valent along farm land.”
“Mmhmm. Shame this is just a mask… Alright, this might be a bit uncomfortable, but it’ll do the job.”
He stepped forward and slipped the black apparel onto her snout, pushing it over her face until it pressed against the sides of her head. A cool material rubbed against her skin, locking her into its embrace. It was encapsulating, surrounding her wholly.
Her breaths strengthened as she allowed the mask to cover her, a short shock of nervousness riding down her spine. She was only now registering how vulnerable she was, allowing him to possibly suffocate her… but she stayed put, keeping her four palms rested within her lap as he continued to apply the straps around her ears. She would allow it. She trusted him with her life. She would not falter.
The cords around the back of her head were tight, a few of which went along both sides of her frills, pushing up against their sides. He kept going, ensuring a ‘seal,’ but it was getting much too—
Pop.
A lightning bolt of pain rolled throughout the top of her head, sending her reeling. It stung for the briefest of moments, but its effects rebounded through her entire body, short sparks pulsing from its origin. She felt nothing but its agonizing hold for several more moments as the rest of her body caught up.
When her eyes opened once more, she found herself on the floor and staring at the ceiling. The star-sent rushed to her side, appearing to ask many questions while looking over her head, but all she heard was a piercing ring and the gruff vocalization he made whenever he shared his intent. No words reached her mind, only the now faint phantom pains from where her frills met her skull. It put everything in a haze, her eyes barely settling on her dearest’s, despite how nauseous she had become.
His deft hands quickly worked to loosen the straps, practically ripping them off until his voice suddenly reached her, like breaching the surface of the water. His voice was deep, attempting to be calculating, yet despite his calmly created stoic demeanor… she could feel his panic, his sheer worry almost flooding her senses through practiced medical queries. She slowly sat up on the floor, holding herself with two arms while the other pair quelled the kneeling male, assuring him that she was alright with their weight resting atop his shoulders.
“I am well, dearest Harrison. Do not fret for me. The straps were simply too tight.”
His anxious breaths barely slowed, narrowly allowing for his exclamation. “Too tight? Shar, you practically blacked out!”
“Too tight upon my frills, I mean. There was a pain there for a few moments, but it has passed,” she returned calmly, softly kneading his stiff shoulders with the joints of her digits.
He exhaled sharply, matching her gaze with regret in his eyes. “I’m so sorry, Shar. I should’ve known. I was just trying to see how…” He paused, resting his palm atop her forearm. “Nevermind. I just… Are you alright? Should I get you to the med bay for a quick scan?”
“I do not believe that to be necessary, no.”
His guard finally fell. “If… If you say so. Guess I have to redo the straps then. Definitely gotta make sure they’re not pressing on your frills like that.”
She smiled, appreciating his dedication. “Would you like my assistance?”
“As long as you don’t have anything else to do.” He shrugged, his shoulders barely moving upward against her massaging hands.
“There is no greater wish of mine than to be by your side,” she stated warmly.
He was frozen, the soft ministrations of his digits along her arm slowly stopping in contrast to the red flush growing from his cheeks to his ears. The crack of a smirk on his face finally with a short, heart-warming chuckle brought the statue back to life after a few moments. “You know… that’s probably the sweetest thing I’ve heard for years.”
Her brows raised in subtle surprise at his response. “It… was not intended to be such… However… you are more than welcome. You must understand by now that I am speaking only the truth.”
The two of them sat there in relative silence amongst the desks and machines; her half laying on the ground with her hands on his shoulder, and him on his knees by her side, a singular hand running up and down her comparatively large forearm. She felt… weak, in a way. A vibrating sensation rummaged through her stomach, attempting to pull her muscles and nerves astray.
It was warm, just like his palm, each motion of his hand sending lightning through her skin. The upward curl of her lips into her cheeks was suddenly an insurmountable force, incapable of being put down by a thousand females. There was a tear within her to either look away or… close the distance, and she suddenly found looking anywhere but his curious green eyes to be a waste of her time.
Her talons wrapped further around his shoulders and his back, ever so slightly bringing him into her embrace—
“A-HEM.” A voice cut the moment down to its knees. “The fuck happened here?” Tracy’s swift interjection caused the paladin to flinch backwards, allowing her to see that Harrison’s other hand had been hovering right beneath her snout. The female star-sent wore a furrowed brow and crossed arms, looking down at them. “I heard a crash and came over. Are you two alright?”
Harrison cleared his throat, ever-so-subtly scooting away from the paladin. “Uh, yeah. Shar fell because, um, I tied the gas mask a lil’ too tight.”
The artificer wore an expression that told of her disbelief. “She fell because of the gas mask?”
“It was something with her frills.” The male returned with a shrug, picking himself off the floor before offering the paladin a hand up.
She took it, despite not requiring it, and wiped off some loose dust from her pants. The three of them quickly returned to work soon after, with both her and the black-haired star-sent joining Harrison in his quest to produce the gas mask. She was much less… What did the Creator call it? Bubbly? Yes, that was it. She was much less bubbly than usual, sometimes sending a cold yet emotionless glare toward Shar’khee… Nevertheless, the two females offered input on the design and applied help where they could, eventually creating the final piece of equipment.
Tracy commented on its looks, apparently drawing inspiration from the Leviathan itself, as she believed it to be like that of a ‘Sea Dragon’s.’ The maw-covering portion held two cylindrical canisters on the adjacent sides, the bottom portion being capable of distention, so that the user’s mouth may open somewhat. Its motion created what the female star-sent believed to be ‘the coolest teeth design on a mask’ she’d ever seen with how the separation formed alternating triangles.
The monster-like appearance was furthered by her own frills and horns that peeked out from behind the mask. That was not even mentioning the see-through visor that formed a malicious glare of sharp brows. The paladin looked through a hand-held mirror, finding it difficult to disagree with the look. She could imagine the horror on a fisherwoman’s face as such a terrifying creature approached from the depths.
And yet, despite its nightmarish visage, it was apparel designed to save lives, not take them—much unlike the unassuming metal rods that spewed fire with a mere flick of a lever. Curious indeed. The star-sents were seemingly never out of surprises. They even spoke of grand robots and firearms larger than Shar’khee herself as possible future projects.
Only time could tell what machinations of alloy would be birthed from their hands.
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I used to paper trade two year ago. I was underage that time, but since then I started have affection towards business and I’ve even started and failed businesses (I have a family business too). But there’s a thing in me, that says business is not your kind of thing, I feel and want to be like the big investors their are the real guys in my opinion who earn big money just by investing it in right place.
So, I made a demat account and started trading (currently im doing swing trading). I chose trading before investing because I don’t have money to invest. I’m really inspired by rakesh jhunjhunwala. And including him says many big investors that investing is good and trading is bad.
I’ve learned basics of technical analysis, I chose stocks which have high liquidity (usually nifty stocks). And I see the volume, use dow theory to identify the trend and use macd, rsi, bollinger bands and other indicators just to verify. My main strategy is 10 days volume average, and the volume should be high, using support and resistance lines, and lastly the candle stick pattern. I also use some of the news and I use indicators to as a side thing, even if they don’t verify but satisfy my main strategy I take a long trade and wait for my stoploss or target to be achieved.
I’ve been making notes of the stocks which I believe will benefit and when it reaches my target I tick it, and most the my guesses according to my strategy work, and I only long those I have 100% confidence and confirmation in.

My undergrad was in Psych but I’m kind of changing tracks to Marketing. I’m applying to grad programs right now but my resume only has “psych” relevant experiences (like I was a Behaviour Technician, Clinical Assistant, worked with homeless shelter programs for an internship), so as I’m writing my SoP and I submit my resume in these apps I don’t have much to say for marketing related experience. However, I found a Marketing Research opportunity on Linkedin, applied and got it. I have an app due on the 12th of June and another on the 17th. There are some that are due in July, but this internship doesn’t start till July 14th and it’s really the only marketing opportunity I’ve got so far, other than working with my marketing prof on a research paper she’s working on. For the apps due within the week, how can I (if I can) list this on my resume since it’s a future experience, so I don’t really know what my exact responsibilities will have been? If I don’t list it on my resume, I’m assuming I should definitely mention that I do have a marketing internship lined up in the future in my SoP?

This Keto Cauliflower Crust Pizza is perfect for satisfying your pizza cravings while staying low-carb. It's simple to make and ready in just over an hour. The crust comes together easily with riced cauliflower, cheese, and egg, then bakes to a deliciously crispy base. Top with your favorite keto-friendly sauce and toppings, and bake until bubbly. Customize with your preferred seasonings and ingredients for a tasty, guilt-free pizza experience.
Prep:20 mins Cook:35 mins Additional:10 mins Servings:4

Ingredients

For the Cauliflower Crust:

• 1 medium head of cauliflower (about 4 cups riced)
• 1 cup (100 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp (1.25 g) salt

For the Toppings:

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) sugar-free pizza sauce or marinara sauce
• 1 cup (100 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
• Your favorite keto-friendly toppings (e.g., pepperoni, mushrooms, bell peppers, olives, spinach, etc.)

Directions

Step 1: Preheat the Oven:

• Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet or pizza stone with parchment paper.

Step 2: Prepare the Cauliflower:

• Remove the leaves and stem from the cauliflower. Cut it into florets and place them in a food processor
  
• Pulse until the cauliflower is finely chopped and has a rice-like texture. You should have about 4 cups of cauliflower rice.
  

Step 3: Cook the Cauliflower Rice:

• Place the cauliflower rice in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 5-8 minutes, until the cauliflower is soft.
  
• Allow the cooked cauliflower rice to cool slightly. Then, place it in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. This step is crucial for getting a crispy crust.
  

Step 4: Make the Crust:

• In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower rice, shredded mozzarella cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, egg, dried oregano, garlic powder, and salt. Mix until well combined.
  
• Transfer the cauliflower mixture to the prepared baking sheet or pizza stone. Press it out into a round pizza crust shape, about 1/4-inch thick.
  

Step 5: Bake the Crust:

• Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until it is golden brown and firm.

Step 6: Add the Toppings:

• Remove the crust from the oven. Spread the sugar-free pizza sauce or marinara sauce evenly over the crust.
  
• Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Add your favorite keto-friendly toppings.
  

Step 7: Bake the Pizza:

• Return the pizza to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Step 8: Serve:

• Allow the pizza to cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Step 9: Tips for Beginners:

• Cauliflower Rice: If you don't have a food processor, you can use a box grater to grate the cauliflower into rice-sized pieces.
  
• Removing Moisture: Make sure to squeeze out as much moisture as possible from the cauliflower rice to ensure a crispy crust.
  
• Toppings: Be mindful of the carb content in your toppings. Stick to keto-friendly options like pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, bell peppers, and olives.
  

Step 10: If you want to get more recipes like this. check my e-book that I've created for you: https://waadabuhelalah.aweb.page/Free-Keto-Book

Provide me with the trimming line margin dimension if it's necessary to include while drawing on normal A4 size papers. I not, please tell.

I've had him since 1.2 and got JL in 1.4. I didn't get her to replace him or anything; I'd invested in them both and used them to mostly clear the same content. I actually wanted to use them together and thankfully her siphon doesn't turn off Soulsteel Sync. I've found the gap between their performance to be overall negligible thus far. I'm not saying there are no differences. This is gonna be a little long and the first part of what I'll write prolly could go to the general sub but it kinda explains how I look at things/am approaching this. I'll be using Lv.10 Traces in any skill examples for the sake of simplicity.
Before I go further I want to outline a few things:

• Supports do the heavy lifting regardless of which character is being used. (Not limited to this.)
• "Character A is carried by Support Σ" is contextually a point for consideration; not an invalidation of a character's capability to be useful.
• "Low Investment" and "High Investment" have their place in discussions but I think are misused for topics like this. Often they are brought up to write something off rather than consider the weight of impact various degrees of investment change things.
  • e.g. Boothill has a high floor and can be considered low investment while arguing his ceiling is high investment because of how much he gets boosts from character synergies.
  • Both are valid considerations but the first is likely the main one brought up for example.

With that in mind I'm saying the following to make a few points, not to be a definitive baseline:
Low investment is often a baseline barometer in Live Service games, MMOs, and even some RPGs when it comes to various aspects of community discussion. It's good for early game due to resources being more limited and even beyond that as a way to judge opportunity cost. Some individuals would even opt to do a low investment challenge. All of that is fine but general discussion oftentimes is heavily imbibed with the consideration of "low investment" as a baseline to the point it can and does detract from discussion of a character's kit/utility. It tends to breed a mindset along the lines of "Why invest in U when I have J?" but w/o necessarly considring what "U" brings to the table.

• e.g. Fu Xuan is valued highly as a sustain in part due to role compression. She mitigates damage, has a minor heal, confers debuff resist, and buffs CR (and CD at E1).
• Getting and investing in her w/ that mindset can thus lead to the disinclination to engage w/ other options regardless of what they provide.

Again just stating this to get the ideas across.
About YQ:
I think some of the exaggerated negativity is in part due to March and Gepard not being viewed as highly as other sustains despite their capability to solo sustain even outside of YQ. Aven isn't exactly a FX but the fact he just works w/o too much input adds a level of comfort that makes YQ more appealing to use for some.
March's general build is ~80-100% EHR and ~3000 DEF which allows her to freeze pretty much anything w/o Freeze Resist & a 2470 health shield assuming she has exactly 3000 DEF and isn't on 4p Purity (which would be 2964). I use her as the example b/c her Freeze being on Ult means she's used the same way "Welt Sustain" is while also actually enbling YQ's E1. I admittedly only invested in her beyond lv60 earlier this year because I was using Welt to do her job and get some damage amp at the same time via his Vulnerability debuff & Resolution & don't have YQ's E1 but her FUA was useful for recent Cycle Buffs and a rececnt PF. Still March is a bit easier to use than Welt to some degree due to her FUA giving her extra energy even at E0.
YQ and JL:
Element, role, Base ATK, preferred supports, wanting to stay in a stance, and buffing crit; they are extremely similar with a few caveats. So "Why is their damage so similar in single target?" and "Why does YQ lead by 5-10% in single target?"
This is because they achieve the same-ish endgoal in slightly different ways. I'm using 135+ SPD JL on I Shall Be My Own Sword and 135+ SPD YQ on In the Night for my main comparisons. (127+ from subs lets YQ hit 160 w/ TY E1 + his A1 but SPD boots allow for better substat distribution than getting ~7-9 speed subs.)
Jingliu * At E0 JL's talent can convert siphoned HP to 180% of her Base ATK. * This is 2174.4 with Aeon and 2269.8 with her Signature. * Tends to use Rutilant Arena for the DMG% * 135 SPD JL tends to have ~2200-2400 ATK on the character menu depending on subs. * This means JL has ~4400-4600 ATK for her 250% skill and 300% ult modifier.
Yanqing * Planar Set depends but Galmoth is the angle with ItN usually. * A2 adds a 30% ATK modifier as a bonus hit to any damage he deals to ice weak enemies. * This makes his modifiers effectively 130%, 250%, 380% and 80%. * When his FUA triggers that correlates to 210%, 330%, and 460% from using the basic, skill, or Ult respectvely. * His E1 works the same (afaik) using the frozen status as the conditon check for a hit of 60% ATK. * ~2700-3100 ATK w/ SPD boots
I guess I can't use tables for this? * Attack used E0 non-Ice Weak E0 Ice Weak E1 Frozen E1 Ice Weak + Frozen * Basic 100% 130% 160% 190% * Skill 220% 250% 280% 310% * Ult 350% 380% 410% 440% * FUA 50% 80% 110% 140%
His FUA is slapped on to the end of whatever he does so his E1 is effectively +120% ATK modifier whenever it triggers vs a Frozen enemy. A lot of videos where he is E1+ the people using him didn't even attempt to freeze via Break or Debuff (March) directly before his turn so I had to scrounge around and watch ~8h of gameplay at x0.5 speed to double check this.
A lot of abilities use damage splits so yes I counted hits manually. A2 was fine since I could do it myself. So his A2 and E1 add 1 hit individually and 2 if triggered at the same time.
His E2 on its own seems underwhelming but has very relevant impact.
Tl;dr is TY gives 60 @ E6 so he only needs to provide 90. Ult, 2 Skill, and 1 FUA is (5 + 30 x 2 + 10) or 75. 75 x 1.1 = 82.5 so 2 kills (TY E2 5 x 2) or a second FUA (11) will let him hit 90 energy to get topped off.
The important thing to glean from this is his effective mods being so high closes the gap & his self buff on ult is usually what drags him ahead a little. I've used them with mostly the same combinations of buffers, 2 harmony (often Bronya & TY) with a sustain or Welt/Pela, and running them on their own + each-others gear. While there 100% are differences, like JL's easier SP management w/ Bronya, they aren't anything that actually makes him feel bad. At most he takes some extra thought. And if that's a reason some don't opt to use him I completely understand.
I get some of the frustrations with his kit too. I wish his FUA was 70%+ because the 10% would make a big long term difference for resets & consistent toughness damage but I also kinda understand it's likely not 70%+ b/c thats a 42.9% Freeze roll against 40% RES enemies if Pela is on the team or he otherwise has 10% EHR. Many enemies that aren't ice weak don't resist Freeze so across 3 FUA you statistically have a 78.4% cumulative chance to freeze them 1+ times.

• As a consequence of all his raw mod stackiing his E4 is better than it looks on paper.
• I still wish his E6 was elsewhere in his kit but thinking about it last year led me to the PoV of looking at his Ult like a failsafe & guiding line. If you have 50% CR Soulsteel brings you to 70% CR which is decently consistent. If you lose Soulsteel post Ult and need to basic or whatever you'll be at 100% still b/c getting hit doesn't remove the Ult buff.
• My biggest gripe about him at this point is the fact his "Sig" feels like bait even if you look at it like "it's supposed to offset ult uptime".
• Needing a shield to safely gain energy when he inevitably does get hit is a fair point to raise & a minor annoyance but, again, heavily overblown as a downside imo.

I think the craziest parts of sitting down to get all this out has been the insistence I've seen in various places that March can't solo sustain both in general & for YQ specifically. That YQ is "carried by supports" that get used for the same/similar clears w/ JL or other dpses. JL is straight up more synergystic w/ Bronya than most chars on some level b/c you aren't going -2 sp nearly every time you Bronya skill & like I said at the start supports do the heavy lifting that allow us to push characters further no matter who the character is. So this is an odd form of downplay when we could objectively acknowledge the SP thing as an issue the YQ team will face w/o undermining it.
Aside from that I didn't have Gepard till losing Sparkle's 50/50 & despite being able to hyperbuff YQ w/ triple harmony he's still been a very comfortable to use support in the 4th slot that's allowed me to do ~3-4 cycles just as well. I'm sure he'd feel better if he had more speed and an EHR chest so I could freeze on skill more often even at E0. I don't have RM (failed 50/50), Aven, or Robin (both skipped for now) but I've used YQ w/ everyone else not named Yukong thus far and it's been fine. Some stat tweaking and a few more gamplay considerations than whacking stuff w/ JL but nothing all that frustrting or infuriating.
EDIT: Now I've QCed this I'd like to say this took me a week or so to post b/c I scrapped it 3 times. I know people enjoy these games "casually" but my messing w/ numbers and thinking about stuff like this is my "casual" b/c that's how I engage. So I redid this every 2 days or so b/c I wanted to make it more digestable. I probably didn't do that but hey.
I also made this b/c someone told me a JL w/ the same investment as my YQ would perform better and I hit the moyai emoji irl for reasons I hope are already clear at this point. Unless AoE REALLY matters the diff in clearspeed is negligable.

Hi! This question specifically relates to media consumption habits; I do not imply reading books or course material here.
I read The Hindu daily and do not think I will leave it anytime soon (non-UPSC-aspirant here). In addition, my university's library account allows me to read the Financial Times, which is equally erudite. However, due to workload, I have become more erratic in reading newspapers; though I skim through them, I read them thoroughly only occasionally. For instance, I never skip the editorials/opinion of FT and The Hindu.
I was curious since I may be moving back to India after completing my postgraduate degree here in the UK. Since it was a degree in IR, FT was a must-read, though, once I have shifted back, I understand it may not be so critical for my line of work, and its subscription will come dear. I shall continue to subscribe to TH.
Would you suggest reading a pink paper instead or as a complement to TH? While it is recommended for understanding policy and economy, which will be crucial for my work, I believe the right mix of podcasts can supplant the need for a financial daily. If I am driven to believe by you that a financial daily is paramount, I would place my bets on Mint, which I have read in the past, though I am open to suggestions.
Furthermore, being an avid reader, I appreciate the well-written, incisive, and analytical long-form. My studies necessitated a reading of The Economist daily and whereas I am not loathe to continue it, I have always questioned its editorial stance and Eurocentrism. Having said that, it remains a comprehensive primer on the week's global issues which is not easy to replace. However, in spite of its abiding relevance, would you recommend any other magazine? I read articles from The Caravan but have never picked it up from the news-stand. My TH subscription comes with Frontline for which I used to eagerly wait in my undergrad but now tend to read in a pack of two-three on the rare weekend I get time. I must say Vaishna Roy has vastly improved the tenor and look of the magazine, though its ideological edge has slightly blunted. Nevertheless....
So, what mix do you guys recommend? Consideration of time and the considerable cost of subscription will top my agenda. I do not want to subscribe to a publication and not read it after all. I know, with an element of certainty, that I will not have force myself to read, since I love to read and write, although time and cost will be realistic determinants. I encourage you to discuss your reading and news/opinion consumption habits as well. I may have missed the odd newspaper, so please recommend any daily that does not indulge in disinformation. The only two financial dailies I have read are Mint and ET, so please go ahead and recommend anything else too. Surely, there are numerous quality magazines out there, which I may not be aware of. I won't read showbiz and gossip mags ever but occasionally pick up The New Yorker and The Paris Review, the latter only for its interviews. Literary magazines, in Hindi or English, are not out of consideration. Policy, politics, foreign affairs, and literature are what I may prefer. Magazines are intended for information but also as a hobby.
The ideal mix that I am looking for would be one national daily (TH, convince me otherwise) + one financial daily/podcast (let's discuss) + one magazine.
Thanks!

This wipe i’ve made it my goal to collect all the boss gear. I thought it couldn’t be too hard for a solo player, just gotta play smart and kit up. As you can probably already tell, i was wrong.
(This is a long read, scroll to bottom for TLDR)
This weekend I decided i wanted to start my boss farming with the collector gear, get the hardest boss out of the way and then only slightly less suffering for night Island. What proceeded this decision was probably 50-60ish raids of peak highs and rock bottom lows.
The worst part about the Collector is how rare his spawns are, which i get, rare things wouldn’t be rare if they showed up all the time. But surviving about 12 raids in a row and not seeing him starts to grate on you.
He showed up less times (2) than the amount of purple cards out of random containers i pulled (3) looking for him.
The first time i saw him i was caught with my pants down, i had just come off of a raid where i lost a T5, full kit AK Alpha build I graciously traded from another player for the low price of one grenade.
Some how feeling frustrated about losing a kit that cost me nothing, i jumped into a Matka raid naked, just running around looting, i find another trusty grenade and was able to take out another kitted player at the steps of museum.
As i run over to grab his kit the Collector just materialises, i panic, no armor, and a Glock to my name, i hide behind a car and as the collector isn’t the smartest guy, he cant shoot me, but he does periodically edge closer to my side of the car so i just keep circling away from him.
Obviously this is when some street Fenix decide to see what all the commotion is about, now i have to try take them out while still circling this car, fortunately his goons were nowhere to be seen, i took out the Fenix, now it was just me, an almost empty glock and the collector.
I put the last few shots i had into the collectors head through the car windows. i might as well have been throwing paper balls at him. as i last ditch effort, i opened my mic and pleaded for help, at the same time the collector remembered my comments about him not being very smart and pulled off the cleanest juke around the car and one tapped me.
I was in pain, the one time he decides to show up, im on a naked frustration raid. I decided then and there i will have to go kitted every time, even if i lose a great kit. And that mentality led me to finally get the collector.
Cut to today, I had just lost a fully kitted Scar, T5 Armohelmet, stocked bag, the works, great fight but a shame not to have won it. Normally i would run a naked raid after losing a kit like this but I remembered last time, i went right back into my armoury and made up an almost identical kit and jumped right back in.
the raid started like any other, i made my way to the museum, i was able to take out a player on the way there, my spoils being a Makarov. I get to the museum and see a couple normal street fenix making there rounds, i take them both out and make my way into the museum, nothing out of the ordinary.
At this point i assume the collector isnt here as i haven’t really heard anything, so i don’t even check the stage i just run up the stairs in the corner closest to the stage room. As im going up the stairs i hear tons of footsteps like a stampede in my ears, im thinking "huh", i turn around and i see a collector goon!
I dont engage him, i already know im asking for trouble trying to fight him on the stairs, i run to the top of the stairs and down the hallway to a little indented area that has a tan box, i already know the AI gets a little stupid when you position yourself behind a box. My heart rate is climbing, "This is he moment you've been waiting for" is ringing around my head, i am fully kitted and the collector is here, his goons follow after me first, all in a nice straight line for me. My AP Scar makes short work of them.
Then i see my old friend, the collector.
I fumble with my mags and ready a grenade, i've been waiting to put a grenade right between his legs since the moment we first crossed paths, unfortunately for me the nade fell short, but it still did some work, i aim for his head and dumped a full mag of AP into his noggin.
The Collector dropped, i had finally defeated him, but i wasn't in the clear, my shots were silenced but the amount of shots i fired would have brought in the other players like Hyenas. before i could even look at fruits of my labour another play was already here.
A naked i blessed with full goon gear was coming to take what was mine, unfortunately for him, goon guns dont come filled with AP, we square up, i win the fight barely, with only a few ticks of life left, i reach into my bag and make use of my last stim, just enough to get me back to 2/3 health.
I hear the exfil alarm, there would be more players soon, i swap into the collector gear, grab all the mags, green key card and deagle. I also grab a couple goon pistols too for good measure. Now i just need to get out, i creep my way out of the museum, checking my corners. All clear, i had the corner exfil, please just let me cross this street.
Like any good citizen i looked both ways before crossing. I saw a player, my heart stopped. My instincts took over, i raised my new XM and mowed him down in just a few shots. I successfully cross the road, exfil and make a victory noise i dont believe i ever made before.
TLDR: After around 50-60 raids trying to collect the collector i finally defeated him.

Mera ghar ek ghunta dur hai mere aakash ke centre se, week me 4 days metro me khade hoke jaata tha centre (yellow line). Fir jab syllabus time se nhi hota tha to weekends ko extra classes. Aise bohot bacche the jo rohtak jhajjar se bhi class krne aate the daily
Last ke 2 mahine me itne tests hote the, saans lo nhi ki dusra test aa jata tha, last ke mahine me csts, final test series, aiats sab offline jaake diye hai. Aisi haalat ho rakhi thi ki jaate wakt raat ki neend metro me puri karta tha, aate wakt anki krta tha, again aisa me akela nhi hu bohot bacche hai mere jaise.
Tumhe lagta hai hum logo ke paas ye sab firse krne ki energy hai 2 mahine aur? Ek to drop year tha to waise hi sabke taane suno pure din, suicide jokes bhi frequently sunte hai sab. Upar se iss sab ki aadat itni mushkil se padi, ab wo bhi chale gyi.
Bhagwan na kre re-neet ho jaye, hum nhi perform kar paye, ya counseling me seat nhi mili. Aur us wakt tak baaki courses wale colleges ke sessions bhi already start ho chuke honge. Hum kaha jayenge? Me to gmc bhi education loan se join krunga, ek aur drop year nhi afford kr sakta.
This is just my story, sympathy nhi chahiye, nhi hua to kuch aur krlunga but please dont start a re neet vs re evaluation fight in the comments. Bas agli baar is sab ko bhi sochke demand krna.

So I'd like to start by thanking the development team for this gem. Manor Lords has scratched an itch I wasn't aware of that I realize I've had since I was a child. Does anybody remember the city builder Pharoh? I remember playing that game, loving it, but feeling there were bits missing. This game fills many of those blanks. There's a really fine balance here of a relaxing city builder game and a logistical nightmare if you don't pay attention. As you figure the game out you'll come to realise that it's a lot like trying to balance a scale with rocks of uneven sizes until to much satisfaction you find perfect balance.
As an amateur internet historian and medi-nerd it's really nice to see so many nods to the realism of medieval Europe, I think we can all appreciate how difficult it can be to create a balanced game whilst trying to not alienate us history nerds.
Features I'd like to see;

• I would really like to see cavalry in the game, I'm sure its down the pipeline but at the moment the battles feel a bit like rock, paper, scissors, but paper is ironically weak and the scissors are not present yet. Battles at the moment are indeed bashing two rocks together and whoever's is biggest wins.
• It would be alot of fun to be able to be more involved with the battles whilst controlling the Lord. It'd be nice to be able to suit up in full plate and join in, but honestly I'd be happy if we could simply command our units from the ground.
• It'd be interesting if not only we could fortify our towns, but if enemy lords and bandits did the same, this would pave the way for small scale sieges, raids and the proper defence of your own town.
  
• I'm not sure if I''m reaching here but multiplayer would give the game a massive amount of replayability, I can already picture my friends and I competing for land, expanding, trading with one another or having pitched battles whilst calling eachother rapscallions and knaves.
  

Most of my other ideas I'm sure are already down the line and soon to come. More policies, more politics and more options in terms of managing our town. I'll be sure to leave a positive review on steam, thankyou.

Hi all, I'm actually stuck with my code. I want to do a graph like this one for my paper research and I don't know how to fix these errors in my code. I tried several ways to fix it, but always without results. So today I wonder if one of you could help me fix that. Thank you all!
My code and the error messages:
. * Dessiner le graphique des émissions de CO2 indexées
. twoway line CO2_indexed year if cn == 1, lcolor(red) ///
/ / / is not a twoway plot type
r(198);
. line CO2_indexed year if cn == 2, lcolor(blue) ///
/ / / is not a twoway plot type
r(198);
. line CO2_indexed year if cn == 3, lcolor(green) ///
/ / / is not a twoway plot type
r(198);
. line CO2_indexed year if cn == 4, lcolor(black) ///
/ / / is not a twoway plot type
r(198);
. line CO2_indexed year if cn == 5, lcolor(orange) ///
/ / / is not a twoway plot type
r(198);
. line CO2_indexed year if cn == 6, lcolor(brown) ///
/ / / is not a twoway plot type
r(198);
. line CO2_indexed year if cn == 7, lcolor(purple) ///
/ / / is not a twoway plot type
r(198);
. line CO2_indexed year if cn == 8, lcolor(magenta) ///
/ / / is not a twoway plot type
r(198);
. line CO2_indexed year if cn == 9, lcolor(navy) ///
/ / / is not a twoway plot type
r(198);
. line CO2_indexed year if cn == 10, lcolor(maroon) ///
/ / / is not a twoway plot type
r(198);
. line CO2_indexed year if cn == 11, lcolor(teal) ///
/ / / is not a twoway plot type
r(198);
. line CO2_indexed year if cn == 12, lcolor(olive) ///
/ / / is not a twoway plot type
r(198);
. line CO2_indexed year if cn == 13, lcolor(cyan) ///
/ / / is not a twoway plot type
r(198);
. line CO2_indexed year if cn == 14, lcolor(pink) ///
/ / / is not a twoway plot type
r(198);
. line CO2_indexed year if cn == 15, lcolor(gray) ///
/ / / is not a twoway plot type
r(198);
. line CO2_indexed year if cn == 16, lcolor(yellow), ///
16/ invalid name
r(198);
. legend(order(1 "Australia" 2 "Austria" 3 "Belgium" 4 "Canada" 5 "Chile" 6 "Colombia" 7 "Czechia" 8 "Estonia" 9 "France" 10 "Germany" 11 "Greece" 12 "Hungary" 13 "Israel" 14 "Italy" 15 "Japan" 16 "Lithuania")) ///
command legend is unrecognized
r(199);
. title("Emissions de CO2 per capita (indexé à 1995)") ///
command title is unrecognized
r(199);
. ytitle("Indexé à 1 en 1995") ///
command ytitle is unrecognized
r(199);
. xtitle("Année") ///
command xtitle is unrecognized
r(199);
. xlabel(1995(5)2019) ///
command xlabel is unrecognized
r(199);
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https://preview.redd.it/68d03mtzzi5d1.png?width=772&format=png&auto=webp&s=416ad7038a14154dce161d4cc0aaadbe72e01835

First: https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/14vo5lb/troublemakers_deaths_pity/
*previous:* https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/1d3yvie/troublemakers_parabellum/
......
Go'mon stormed through the castle corridors. He'd sensed something slip beside him during his encounter with the vampire lord. It wasn't just that damned top hat with the thief's prints. No, it was more subtle than that, it was the sound of a gossamer chain rattling against cloth. He scanned every square inch of the hallways as he walked, slowly twirling the Warhammer in his off-hand as he calmly held the pistol muzzle-up towards the ceiling. He'd barely gotten a glimpse of what almost looked like mist as he stomped through the grand halls with paranoia-fueled, seething anger. Abruptly turning a corner he fired the revolver at what he thought was that pesky invisible parasite.
The shimmer shuddered and he switched to the visible spectrum to find out it was just a tapestry in front of a heating vent.
Go'mon let out an enraged scream, tearing the tapestry apart with his bare hands after casting his weapons aside in a fit of rage and impotence. The visage of Monarch D'vinn looking out from the top of a bombed-out hill in battered armor at the shattered remains of the once human-occupied city, being shredded like single-ply latrine paper by go'mon's molecularly edged cybernetic claws. Having spent his rage on the tapestry, he panted dramatically as his heart pounded in its cask. Turning around he let out another furious scream, howling madly as he scanned the hall with thermals. His Hammer and revolver had disappeared without a trace.
The sudden blare of a Klaxon made him pause as he adjusted his armor, forcing himself to calm down as he examined his molecularly edged claws. The main enemy was at the gates, he should go meet them.
...
Cassius' Heart pounded as he took shallow breaths, Go'mon's backplate inches from his own chest as he held onto the Hammer and Pistol for dear life. As the general strutted outside, Cassius moved in perfect synchronization, his left leg rising with the general's before being placed down in sync. He'd been practicing for weeks with the security droids at the mansion, practicing to keep inches from their backs without touching their metal carapace. Now he strutted behind perhaps the second most powerful being he knew like a silent specter. As Go'mon slammed through a door, breaking it into splinters, Cassius lifted his right leg and rotated out of the way just as Go'mon's tail would've brushed against his Calf, giving him away. As the General strutted out into the middle of the courtyard, Cassius used the various straps attached to his gambeson to affix the weapons to his waist before grabbing his Kama and weighted chain from a small pouch at his belt.
Cassius tossed the weighted end of the chain over the wall of the castle after a short run-up, wrapping the gossamer chain around his hands with each rapid step he took up the wall. Reaching the top, he unhooked the weight from the small bar he'd tossed it around quickly disentangling his hands from the chain. He groped the air on the outside of the wall until he touched the enchanted ladder the Top-Hats had left him. Sliding down the ladder, he spotted Drake sitting astride Barney in the middle of the street. The rest were nowhere to be seen but that indeed was part of the plan. Sprinting over, Cassius leaped onto Barney behind Drake and slipped Go'mon's revolver into the empty holster at his belt. Drawing out no reaction save for a few words from Drake, who didn't turn his head lest he give the gambit away.
"Good work Cassius, Fall back and get a gas mask on. We still don't know what's in those canisters because they inked out the labels."
Cassius slipped off of Barney's back and slipped into a nearby building before De-cloaking as he pressed himself against the wall next to a Warmonger who passed him a spare gas mask. He pulled it on and checked the seal before sitting against the wall as his legs jellied beneath him. His mouth was dryer than the scrubland as he accepted a Volunteer's canteen, drinking heavily through a port in the mask as he rode out the adrenaline crash. He glanced over to where their fighters had pried open a sewer access hatch and were dropping in, the smell of sewage souring the air. A few warmongers closest to the opening had comically attached wooden clothesline clips to their noses.
...
Caz lay atop the second-tallest building in Golgatha, trash and debris piled up around her for camouflage ash she drew a bead on the strutting Go'mon. Her god-given eyes were able to see the purple miasma that rose from him like mercury vapors. She didn't even turn her head as she softly asked.
"Distance?"
The man with Heavy cybernetic augmentations pulled casually from a large pouch of grain alcohol, camera-lense eyes extending from his face as he chewed on a bullet thoughtfully. Slowly he stated.
"One thousand five hundred and sixty-seven meters, If you're keeping it under auto-ignition velocity, you should be able to hold it one mil above and..."
The sound of the bullet in his mouth getting chewed filled the air before he stated.
"Two mils right, wind fluctuates between us and the target, expect a half minute of angle deviation."
Caz adjusted her optic, bringing the point of aim directly onto her crosshairs. The man next to her had called himself "an Olympian" an old sect of bionically enhanced warriors from even before the betrayal wars. In the small amount of time she'd gotten to know the man, she'd found him palatable at the very least, soft-spoken with a touch of crazy, it was refreshing. She tried to ignore the artillery-sized rifle he laid behind, the barrel itself bigger around than a drainage pipe, a suppressor of equally massive size almost protruding over the edge of the building. She watched from the corner of his eye as he pulled the breech open to the side and selected a shell thicker and longer than her forearm with a fused tip. He rammed it into the gun with the same ease she loaded her flechettes with.
They both had different jobs despite sitting on the same roof. She'd take care of anything on two legs, and he'd handle anything that had an armored skin. From her vantage point, she watched as the Agri-bots moved into position, planting their artillery pieces against the ground in preparation to fire. They weren't using High explosives much to Remin and Destrier's chagrin, but with their attack plan, they couldn't risk collapsing the sewers. They were instead armed with a chemical weapon known as "CS Smoke" which would obscure visual sightlines for anyone with unaugmented vision. Lucky for her and the Olympian, that wouldn't be an issue with her clear-sight and his advanced optics. She slowly swiveled her focus onto Drake, keeping the center of the crosshair off him as she watched him.
Sitting astride Barney, Drake looked every bit the warrior he was. His dark helmet and armor were almost lost in the dark night. But the red shock of his Helm's mohawk could not be mistaken, glowing brightly against the darkness. As his palm came to rest on the pommel of his sword, she saw something entirely different for a moment.
A warrior in battered, rusty armor, the flesh falling from his bones as a pair of white lights gleamed behind the helmet. A skeletal hand held a rusty sword in its sheath, Its pale, emaciated steed's head hanging low, milky eyes soulless and empty.
But as soon as she saw it, the image faded and she swiveled her crosshairs onto the castle's inner courtyard. A small, dim red light blinked on the side of the Olympian's skull as the Geknosians organized into fighting lines. Hulking Geknosians in overbuilt power armor manned emplaced turrets and the looming Gas generators. A small feed from the Olympian's perspective overlaid itself on her scope before minimizing to one corner. She watched as his crosshair fell onto one of the two Gallicks. The horseshoe-shaped APCs presenting their bulk to the gate as a bulwark. Caz switched her aim to a heavily armored Geknosian, slowly dialing the small wheel on the forend of her rifle to half-power, just under auto-ignition velocity. The geknosian seemed to get uncomfortable as her crosshairs landed on his chest, fidgeting at the controls of their AA plasma Beam-cannon.
The moment the Agri-bots fired their artillery, she'd remove him from the gene pool and take that AA gun out of the fight so Destrier could get into position.
...
Destrier and Remin ran last-minute checks on the small fleet of two-wheeled land vehicles the Top Hats had called "Dirt bikes." The variable electric powerplant produced little to no noise, even now, powered on and ready to roll they didn't even humm. Stepping back, Destrier let the forearms of his power armor clamshell close as he retook the hand controls. Contrary to popular belief, the hands of power armor weren't at all like gloves. A handle with a pressure sensor for each finger was clasped in his hands, allowing him to manipulate the hands of the armor like his own. Destrier turned his head, helmet whirring on its bearing as he watched Remin mount one of the Dirtbikes, the black scimitar strapped to the suspension of the bike within arm's reach. The old man's Mongolian lamellar draped over either side of the bike like fabric, small metal plates clinking and clattering softly as he pulled his fabric-wrapped helmet back on. Destrier clomped over, hardly noticing the backpack with over two hundred rounds of 13x110 mm HEP.
Remin looked up with a grin and met Destrier's arm halfway in a forearm-gripping handshake, their metal hands clanking together as they slid their arms back into a grip around the base of each other's thumbs, then to a normal handshake before waggling their fingers at each other.
Destrier chuckled softly and looked up at the sky, night vision lenses making it appear stuffed to bursting with stars.
"What's on the black samurai's mind?"
Remin asked softly, head tilted back to also look at the stars between the rooftops.
"Well... I'm looking forward to the fighting to finally being over... Maybe I'll finally be able to settle down and invent something with Martha..."
Remin chuckled softly.
"A noble goal... I'd expect nothing less from you Destri... I'm actually hoping to catch a ride back to human-controlled space. I'm too old for this shit, I want to settle down and live out the last years of my life in peace..."
Destrier nodded in agreement, slowly turning his gaze back to the helicopter, blades slowly turning in preparation for takeoff.
"How old are you Remin? I don't think I ever asked."
The old man paused, thinking for a long time.
"Oh... I'd say I've made it past a century at this point. Got a cybernetic heart when I was a kid thanks to a car accident, Ol' things been keeping me going far past when I shoulda dropped."
Destrier nods and laughs softly.
"Damn, and I thought you were only in your fifties."
Remin laughed in agreeance, setting his hands on the handlebars.
"I don't blame ya, I feel like it. Especially now that my legs aren't filled with creaky arthritis."
Destrier sighed softly, gently punching the old man's shoulder as softly as he could in his power armor.
"See you on the other side old man... whether that be the living side or the dead one."
"Here's to hoping it's the former not the latter."
Destrier chuckled his agreement and boarded the helicopter, making the landing gear compress slightly as he put his weight on the flight deck. Unhooking the feed chain from the side of the backpack, he clipped it into the Ma-deuce's feed chute. It whirred as the heavy cartridges were funneled down the chain and into the gun with a click and a clatter.
...
Barney shifted from one leg to the other beneath Drake, Death's chosen reaching down and gently patting his neck fondly as he softly whispered.
"Just a moment longer boy... There's someone I need to talk to."
Drake closed his eyes, letting the Darkness envelop him for a moment before opening them again.
He looked at Death, who was casually swirling a glass of black bourbon thoughtfully.
"You said you wanted to talk to me right before the battle?"
Death nodded and slid the glass of black bourbon his way.
"I did, I want you to drink this before you go into battle."
Drake picked up the glass, inspecting the pitch-black, inky liquid curiously. Before sniffing it and coughing as his eyes water.
"No offense, But I think something died in your liquor bottle."
Death laughed jovially, pouring his own glass from a red crystal decanter.
"That's because this is made from the blood of my predecessor. I thought i might as well get it out of the way."
Drake suspiciously looked at the glass.
"Okay, what happens when I drink it?"
Death paused, slowly swirling his own glass of black bourbon pensively. Then, he slowly knocked his own back, eyes dilating wide before returning to normal.
"Well, It should allow you to control your power, bypassing the decades of training most need."
Drake gave Death a side eye, sniffing the foul drink one more time asking.
"What's the catch?"
Death frowned, then set his glass down.
"Considering that it's going to completely restructure your magical and circulatory pathways. It's going to hurt like nothing you've ever felt before. It also may or may not bind your guardians to your soul."
Drake's head snapped up.
"Guardians... you mean my parents?"
Death nodded softly.
"Guardians, souls that loved someone so much that they remained on after death to watch over them. Your parents loved you... loved you enough to stand by your side even in death... and before you give me some bullshit about this not being what your parents would want... Remember, they'll always be at your side until you die one way or another."
Drake slowly swirled the bourbon before nodding softly, bringing it to his lips, he downed it in a single gulp. It burned on its way down, the tingling feeling intensely spreading throughout his body and to his fingertips in a moment. His nerves burned, and his very being felt as though it was being scalded by burning hot water. But as he set the glass down on Death's desk, he smiled softly. There was a warmth to the pain, like a cold rag against a feverish forehead. The sting of a garlic poultice applied to a fresh whip-wound. It was the crack of his father's wooden sword against his knuckles during their sparring, the sweat that would drip into his eyes on long evenings working the fields. Drake opened his eyes slowly, no longer sitting in Death's office, but his own soulscape, looking at the long-neglected buildings halfway through construction. But he wasn't alone.
Drake smiled at his mother and father. His mother gave him a soft smile as she touched the scar across his face, the wound in his cheek where a gauss slug had torn it open, then, she took his hand to gently touch the scarred wound where Garravan's knife had pierced his hand. His father just sat cross-legged, drinking a stout mug of scrub tree tea with a proud smile on his face. drake looked between them before holding out his hands.
As his parents took them, they dissolved into motes of light that drifted into his chest. His veins burned, and his eyes and nose bled. His entire existence felt like a blistering inferno as the ground of his soulscape rumbled, small, red flowers the color of blood and the shape of gunshot wounds popping up from the ground. But even as the pain grew, and grew, and grew, He found himself simply laughing, grabbing what felt like an invisible pair of chains and pulling up on them as he stood.
The ground erupted in the middle of his soulscape, a massive, gnarled oak tree sprouting from the ground. Its sturdy trunk protecting a small patch of pink carnations interspersed with curly-petaled white Gardenias. Drake felt something form atop his head and reached up, feeling a thorny crown, he gently pulled it off, looking at the black-petaled roses fondly before returning it to his head. The thorny veins grew down from the crown, snaking their way deep into his flesh only to bloom into what felt like new muscles and tendons that weren't attached to his physical strength. Looking at his upturned palms, he curled his fingers, a steady, smokeless pale flame popping into existence in his palm with next to no effort.
As the pain subsided, Drake closed his eyes, relishing its departure before opening them to the shocked and concerned face of Death. Drake gave him a curious look and Death coughed softly as he composed himself before speaking.
"Look, I know I can hide pain well... But that smile you get when you're hurting is capital C Creepy."
Drake touched his grinning face with a soft laugh, wiping a trickle of blood from his nose.
"Well, guess I can add that to my achievements list, Creeping Death out with a smile."
They both chuckled softly at the joke before Death sighed softly.
"You should get back to them, they're almost ready."
Drake nodded and stood, stepping over to the door.
"Wish me luck."
"Good luck, my Champion. Give them hell."
Drake smiled softly and stepped out the door. When he opened his eyes, he was back in the real world, staring up at Go'mon who'd perched himself atop the castle wall, eyeing Drake hungrily.
Giving Go'mon his signature grin, He reached up and depressed a countersunk button on the side of his helmet.
"Hit 'em"
Drake stated, the sound of artillery rocking the city as Go'mon's hungry look quickly turned to rage. There was a loud, screeching whistle as the artillery shells streaked in, blanketing the area in stinging fog. Drake drew his sword, extending thorned vines of power into it as the blade ignited with pale flames. Barney snuffled excitedly and roared as Drake nudged him forward, the Dinosaur leaping over the wall in a single bound. The final battle for Golgatha had begun, after this, they would either be free...
Or they will have died free.
......
Part 112: will be linked here upon completion.

REP: https://www.reddit.com/IGSRep/comments/1bon79d/oatmilk666s_igs_rep_page/\* Barter: https://barter.vga3d6/t/
All are humble bundle codes.
Ill gladly take gifted steam games (a la you buy it to me) instead of paypal.
I dont want to do giftlinks.
Im also willing to trade you codes vs a charity donation
to some reputable charity for example UNWRA or Internet Archive (a nonprofit digital library)
or some of your own choosing against providing me a copy of the receipt.
NEW:
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration
Grindstone
Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries
Revival: Recolonization
Not For Broadcast
Hello Neighbor
Streets of Rogue
Gloomwood
Never Alone + Foxtales DLC
Arcadia Fallen
Monster Camp: Camp Forever Bundle
Monster Camp Character Pack - Colorful Campers
One-armed cook: Gourmet Upgrade
Chef: Full Menu Bundle
Broken Age
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition
Drawful 2
Driftland: The Magic Revival
ΔV: Rings of Saturn
EarthX
Neverout
Orbital Racer
Pixplode
This War of Mine
X-Morph: Defense + European Assault, Survival of the Fittest, and Last Bastion DLC
BioShock Remastered
Crusader Kings Complete
Dwarfs!?
Euro Truck Simulator 2
Stick Fight: The Game
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Memories of Mars
Deep Sky Derelicts
Idle Champions Celeste's Starter Pack
911 Operator
Gift of Parthax
Deadly 30
Doodle Derby
Dub Dash
Safety First!
Kathy Rain
Kingdom
Kingdom: New Lands Royal Edition
One Way Heroics
Armello
Eastside Hockey Manager
Endless Space - Collection
Hyper Light Drifter
Kingdom Classic
No Time To Explain Remastered
StarCrossed
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
Octahedron: Transfixed Edition
MotoGP 15
Train Simulator 2020
Train Simulator: CSX AC6000CW Loco Add-On
Train Simulator: Miami - West Palm Beach Route Add-On
Train Simulator: Riviera Line in the Fifties: Exeter - Kingswear Route Add-On
Train Simulator: Western Hydraulics Pack Add-On
Hacknet
Satellite Reign
Niche
Cities in Motion
Cities in Motion 2
11-11 Memories Retold
Crusader Kings II: Sword of Islam
Crusader Kings II: The Old Gods DLC
Carrier Command: Gaea Mission
SpeedRunners
Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game
140
Galactic Civilizations® I: Ultimate Edition
Galactic Civilizations® II: Ultimate Edition
Beholder
Insurgency
Grey Goo
Tormentor X Punisher
Puzzle Agent 2
Telltale Texas Hold ‘Em
The Walking Dead: 400 Days
Super Mega Baseball: Extra Innings
VR:
Smashbox Arena
Telefrag VR
Slinger VR
Paper Fire Rookie
Expensive & rare / delisted & removed from steam:
Max Payne 3 (Rockstar games store)
Necromonads
Sonic CD
Sonic 3 & Knuckles
Sam & Max: Season 1
Sam & Max: Season 2
Bone Episode 1 & Episode 2 Telltale Out from boneville & The great Cow Race
HITMAN: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON
Jurassic Park: The Game
F1 2011 Clickteam Fusion 2.5
TOOLS/PROGRAMS
GameGuru
GameMaker Studio 2 Creator 12 Months
Intro to Game Development with Unity
PDF-Suite 1 Year License
Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 7
Ashampoo WinOptimizer 18
Ashampoo BackUp Pro 14
GameMaker Studio Pro
Music Maker EDM Edition
Music Maker: Hip Hop Edition
Free with trade:
Crusader Kings II
Crusader Kings II
POSTAL
Liberated (GOG)
Wanderlust: Travel Stories (GOG)
Intro to Game Development with Unity (not sure if valid)
................................
I dont want TF2 keys.
Open to offers & all kinds of games, let me know.

Asking some questions as first time experience of being involved in an accident.
Another car hit my car as it changed lanes without indication and over the solid lines at the traffic light. After hitting, instead of stopping, the other driver continued to switch lanes and turned into a tiny residential street. Despite honking, they didn’t stop and eventually disappeared into distance driving at 70+ in a residential single-lane dark road.
Went to the police station who called the driver and set the time for the driver to come to the station. When the other driver arrived (turned out to be a local female driving a rental car), they initially denied and twisted the story before eventually admitting their responsibility.
The police is asking if I am interested in only the insurance document (green paper) or ‘something else/more’? I am not sure what to make of this, and what does anything further mean anyway.
The police have asked us to think/decide and come back after 8 hours.
Any thoughts?

What is this?

This is a weekly crowdfunding roundup of new projects launched last week and projects that end the coming week.

Google Docs

As an alternative format, the lists are now also available as a Google Docs found here: Weekly Crowdfunding Roundup

Updates

Expect new lists every Sunday between 00:00 and 23:59 CEST on the following platforms:
Mastodon: @danielpervan@mastodon.social
Discord: https://discord.gg/dN4P4PZcU9
Reddit: /boardgames

Selection criteria

The criteria for the lists are as follows:

Ending soon

• Sorted by number of backers
  
• Kickstarter projects ending in the next 7 days, that have at least 100 backers (or marked as "Project we love" by Kickstarter), will have reached more than estimated 95% of their goal by their deadline and passed the filters:
  
  • No DnD books
  • No zines
  • No 3D printing
  • No dice sets
  • No magazines
  • No shirts
  • No playmats
  • No furniture
  • No events
• Gamefound projects ending in the next 7 days, that will have reached more than estimated 95% of their goal by their deadline and passed the above filters.
  
• (beta) Backerkit Crowdfunding projects ending in the next 7 days, that will have reached more than estimated 95% of their goal by their deadline and have a matching BGG page.
  

Newly launched

• Sorted by number of backers
  
• Kickstarter projects launched in the last 7 days, that have had at least average 15 backers per day, have at least 100 backers or is marked as "Project we love" by Kickstarter and passed the filters (see above).
  
• Gamefound projects launched in the last 7 days and passed the filters (see above).
  
• (beta) Backerkit Crowdfunding projects launched in the last 7 days and have a matching BGG page.
  

Notable filtered projects

• Filtered projects from above lists that have more than 1000 backers.

Tags

🎉: Staff pick/featured
💰: Funded
🔥: More than average 200 backers/day
🌱: Creator's first project
🌳: Creator's >5th project
🔄: Money back guarantee (Read more)

FAQ

I live in El SalvadoCanada/Colombia/USA, why are you posting on a Saturday?!
Because I'm writing this from Europe in the future where it's already Sunday. Timezones be crazy.
Why are there a bunch of non-board games in the board game list?
Because the Tabletop games category on Kickstarter includes anything remotely related to board games and sometimes things slip through my filters.
Why is this future award winning board game and literal saviour of humanity missing from your list?
Sometimes my filters get a bit overzealous and discard actually valid projects. If you feel something is missing for this reason, leave a comment and I'll add it (maybe).
Can I donate all my money to you?
No
Can you help me promote my game?
Please no. I make lists. Nothing more.
Your list is full of errors and now I cnat spel amymor!
Indeed, this fine piece of code runs purely on single malt whisky, so anything can happen. Leave a comment and I'll see what I can do.

Ending soon (29)

Name	Description	Backers	Pledged	Ends	Information	Tags	BGG
Rebirth: Limited Edition	A brand new, tile-laying game from Reiner Knizia, set in a lush and hopeful future.	5552	€265,854.00 (1329%) in 19 days	2024-06-12	💸 Kickstarter 👥 2‑4 players 👶 10+ ⏱️ 45-60 min.	🎉💰🔥🌳	BGG
Feudum	Game-of-the-year winner, Feudum is back with the 7th anniversary collector's edition featuring an exclusive clockwork behemoth! Grrrrrrrrrr.	2679	$354,257.05 (1417%) in 26 days	2024-06-14	💸 Gamefound 👥 1‑5 players ⏱️ 150 min. Area Control	💰🌱
Hex Effects: A Spellbinding Card Game	Hex Effects is a “take that” card game that involves beautiful artwork and easy-to-pick-up gameplay. From the makers of Side Effects!	1413	$55,457.00 (462%) in 24 days	2024-06-14	💸 Kickstarter 👥 2‑8 players 👶 10+ ⏱️ 20-40 min.	🎉💰	BGG
How to Save a World	Three desperate plans. One small chance... to save a world.	1216	CA$114,038.00 (190%) in 19 days	2024-06-13	💸 Kickstarter 👥 2‑4 players 👶 10+ ⏱️ 60-90 min.	🎉💰🌳	BGG
Village Pillage: Big Box + New Expansion	Magic makes its way to Village Pillage in the fourth and final expansion to the critically acclaimed game!	1090	$60,172.00 (301%) in 19 days	2024-06-15	💸 Kickstarter 👥 2‑5 players ⏱️ 15-30 min.	💰🌳	BGG
BERSERKERS : Chaos Extension by Alone Editions	Berserkers is Back !	972	€26,872.00 (413%) in 24 days	⚠️ 2024-06-09	💸 Kickstarter	💰🌳
Big Sur, Grand Central Skyport, Sand Art, & Wine Cellar	Mix and match your pledge from four new games across a variety of styles, themes, and player counts to elevate your next game night.	893	$42,936.00 (429%) in 12 days	2024-06-14	💸 Kickstarter	🎉💰🌳
🍁 Masters of Maple Syrup & Downstream 🛶	Manage a maple farm and explore the riverbank in these cozy, pocket-sized games for two!	835	CA$47,616.00 (595%) in 19 days	2024-06-10	💸 Kickstarter	💰
Greenlight	A game for people who will never make it in Hollywood.	829	$45,269.00 (453%) in 33 days	2024-06-10	💸 Kickstarter	💰🌱
Thorgal: The card game	Thorgal: Card Game, where strategy meets destiny in a thrilling card-based adventure	761	€40,864.00 (409%) in 19 days	2024-06-11	💸 Kickstarter 👥 2‑4 players 👶 14+ ⏱️ 45-90 min.	💰	BGG
The Big Bad Wolf	Based on The 3 Little Pigs! Secretly pass the "Big Bad Wolf" then Entice & Persuade players into flipping it, to Blow Down their house!	570	$12,768.00 (365%) in 26 days	2024-06-13	💸 Kickstarter 👥 2‑4 players 👶 10+ ⏱️ 15-35 min.	🎉💰🌱	BGG
Catstronauts: The Board Game	The cooperative boardgame based on the hit graphic novels!	492	$31,506.00 (630%) in 26 days	2024-06-14	💸 Kickstarter 👥 1‑4 players 👶 8+ ⏱️ 30 min.	💰🌳	BGG
TOOTHEAD	Let's Get Ready To Rumble!!! Sneaky moves and a lot of fighting in an innocent setting. A family-friendly game, also great for parties!	448	€29,744.00 (372%) in 33 days	2024-06-10	💸 Kickstarter 👥 2‑8 players 👶 10+ ⏱️ 40-180 min.	🎉💰🌱	BGG
Amsterdam Board Game Design - season 1	Three fun card games by different members of ABGD: Bable, Grachtenpand, & TimeZoo. May this be the first season of many!	419	€11,900.00 (397%) in 27 days	2024-06-13	💸 Kickstarter	💰🌱
Guns of the Old West	Players compete in solo/co-op play or as a team with over 100 campaign paths. Each playthrough is a unique cinematic experience offering endless replayability. Players make strategic decisions and interact with each other to achieve their group and secret individual objectives, some of which involve…	299	£53,400.50 (107%) in 26 days	2024-06-11	💸 Gamefound 👥 1‑8 players 👶 14+ ⏱️ 45-90 min. Card Game Wargame Dice Game Area Control Cooperative	💰🌱	BGG
DVG - Mustang Leader	The WWII Air War Over Europe Solitaire Game!	284	$54,294.00 (271%) in 19 days	2024-06-12	💸 Kickstarter	💰🌳
GotchaCards: a rock-paper-scissors card game!	a thrilling RPS dueling card game for all ages by Pat Casao & pabloKM	278	$15,972.00 (86%) in 31 days	2024-06-15	💸 Kickstarter	🌱
EXPENDABLE EMPLOYEES	A Cooperative Miniature Skirmish-Extraction Game Inspired by Lethal Company, Content Warning & Helldivers 2!	269	CA$6,390.00 (256%) in 24 days	2024-06-15	💸 Kickstarter	💰🌳
Dabba Walla	The famous Dabba Walla invite everyone to join them on their daily journey through Mumbai!	250	$14,400.00 (288%) in 5 days	2024-06-13	💸 Kickstarter 👥 2‑4 players 👶 8+ ⏱️ 30-45 min.	🎉💰🌳	BGG
The Thinning Veil Cormac Mac Airt on the Other Side of Midnight	A solo dungeon crawl now featuring a 2 player mode set in the world of The Thinning Veil, and featuring Cormac Mac Airt, High King of Inis Fael! This game is the first in the Thinning Veil line and the Cormac series.	243	£34,126.74 (1706%) in 26 days	2024-06-11	💸 Gamefound 👥 1‑2 players ⏱️ 90 min. Dice Game	💰
Freak War: A Card Game	A fun and simple pick-up-and-play card game—with unhinged rules and a hidden layer of intense strategy.	227	$15,544.00 (155%) in 26 days	2024-06-13	💸 Kickstarter 👥 2‑4 players 👶 6+ ⏱️ 15-60 min.	🎉💰	BGG
Dice Tales: Knight's Adventures	Become mighty Knight, live exciting adventures in this solo sandbox print and play roll and write board game with a dose of strategy.	226	€3,030.00 (3030%) in 10 days	2024-06-13	💸 Kickstarter 👥 1 player 👶 10+ ⏱️ 20-30 min.	💰🌱	BGG
One Hour World War II	A fast playing game of all of World War II for 2 players. Actions and Reactions drive the game. Plays in....wait for it.....1 hour.	224	$20,955.00 (1080%) in 8 days	2024-06-15	💸 Kickstarter	💰🌳
The 7 Seas: A New Start	Embark on a thrilling adventure in the world of The 7 Seas. Explore, trade, and fight to become a legend!	218	€20,600.20 (206%) in 24 days	⚠️ 2024-06-09	💸 Gamefound 👥 1‑5 players 👶 10+ ⏱️ 30-90 min.	💰	BGG
The Dream of Gods: An Interactive Mystery Game	Speak with gods. Solve puzzles. Uncover secrets. An interactive mystery book with audio, puzzles and visuals.	201	€12,151.00 (608%) in 25 days	2024-06-14	💸 Kickstarter	💰🌱
Of Popes & Plagues	The Game of Plague & Pestilence in the Middle Ages	183	$7,890.00 (158%) in 33 days	⚠️ 2024-06-09	💸 Kickstarter 👥 2‑6 players 👶 10+ ⏱️ 20-60 min.	💰🌱	BGG
Scare BnB - Spooky family fun for all ages!	Help guests flee from a Bed and Breakfast run by monsters!	142	$2,938.00 (94%) in 19 days	2024-06-11	💸 Kickstarter 👥 2‑4 players 👶 5+ ⏱️ 15-30 min.	🌱	BGG
El Camino de Belén (The Journey to Bethlehem)	The game that brings families together. Up to 4 teams, the first to get to Bethlehem wins! The game comes in English and Spanish.	111	$10,384.00 (103%) in 30 days	⚠️ 2024-06-09	💸 Kickstarter	💰
WARLINE x Dragons War	Design the battlefield. Design your army. Design custom tactics. Craft your own path to victory in this sandbox fantasy warfare game. Now, Warline's head-to-head "Strategicraft" gameplay is bolstered with the new solo or cooperative army-versus-dragon expansion—Dragons War.	99	$10,085.15 (81%) in 10 days	2024-06-16	💸 Gamefound 👥 1‑4 players ⏱️ 45 min. Wargame Cooperative

New this week (28)

Name	Description	Backers	Pledged	Ends	Information	Tags	BGG
Grimcoven	Discover our new boss battler game for 1-4 players, set in a dark Victorian universe where only the hunt matters. In the unique tactical gameplay of Grimcoven, you take up the role of a hunter fueled by Lament.	9366	$1,795,810.67 (3592%) in 3 days	2024-06-27	💸 Gamefound 👥 1‑4 players 👶 14+ ⏱️ 90-270 min. Cooperative	💰🔥🌳	BGG
RETURN TO THE 7th CITADEL. Explore, build, YOU are the hero!	Get ready for new adventures in the Collapsing Lands! 1000+ minutes of exploration and adventure for 1 to 4 slave-gardeners.	8031	€837,720.00 (1077%) in 5 days	2024-06-19	💸 Kickstarter	🎉💰🔥
🧁 Apothebakery - The Culinary Alchemists	Forage resources, brew elixirs and bake cakes of salvation to heal adventurers on the brink of doom in this game for 1 – 4 players.	3870	£286,958.00 (820%) in 5 days	2024-06-28	💸 Kickstarter 👥 2‑4 players 👶 14+ ⏱️ 60-90 min.	🎉💰🔥🌱	BGG
Mythic Battles: Isfet	Explore Ancient Egypt or Norse Mythology, commanding gods, heroes, monsters and troops in this 2-4 player skirmish adventure game!	3288	€627,108.00 (314%) in 5 days	2024-06-21	💸 Kickstarter 👥 2‑4 players 👶 14+ ⏱️ 60-90 min.	🎉💰🔥🌳	BGG
Mine Turtle: It’s a blast!	An explosive game of truth or dare.	2655	£98,122.00 (981%) in 6 days	2024-07-03	💸 Kickstarter	🎉💰🔥
Secret Villages & Santa's Workshop (+Related Story Puzzles!)	The first expansion to Merchants of the Dark Road, plus a deluxe edition of Santa's Workshop and our first two story-driven puzzles!	2289	$146,525.00 (488%) in 5 days	2024-06-22	💸 Kickstarter	💰🔥🌳
Agemonia Reprint + New Heroes!	From the publisher of Eclipse, a fully co-operative board game with challenging moral choices, set in an epic campaign for 1-4 players!	1924	€161,398.00 (461%) in 5 days	2024-06-21	💸 Kickstarter 👥 1‑4 players 👶 10+ ⏱️ 60-120 min.	🎉💰🔥	BGG
Yokai Septet Pocket Edition	Fan favorite trick-taking game is back with a smaller footprint and an official inclusion of 2-player mode!	945	$15,535.00 (518%) in 5 days	2024-06-21	💸 Kickstarter	💰🌳
Port Royal	A Miniature Skirmish Game set in the Searover's Caribbean	558	$72,324.00 (482%) in 4 days	2024-07-05	💸 Kickstarter	💰🌳
Pillars of Heracles - Awaken the Legends!	Lead your city-state through a monumental adventure in Ancient Greece in this epic civilization board game for 1-4 players.	517	$42,151.00 (211%) in 5 days	2024-06-24	💸 Kickstarter 👥 1‑4 players 👶 14+ ⏱️ 90-120 min.	💰	BGG
Imperfect Crimes: Pop-Up Escape Book	Solve an immersive, 3D PopUp Book crime escape game. Find clues, solve puzzles and explore each crime scene filled with hidden secrets.	463	€44,896.00 (180%) in 4 days	2024-07-08	💸 Kickstarter	💰🌳
Operation Barclay	Operation Barclay is a two-player game of low/medium complexity about the intelligence war between the Allies and their Abwehr counterparts in the Mediterranean theater in 1942-1943.	461	€15,244.85 (191%) in 3 days	2024-07-04	💸 Gamefound 👥 2 players 👶 10+ ⏱️ 25-40 min. Card Game	💰🌳	BGG
2GM Tactics 🔥 France & Total War	2GM Tactics series expansions. Fight in World War II! And become the best General.	368	€20,878.00 (418%) in 5 days	2024-06-28	💸 Kickstarter	💰🌳
Fluffy Dragons	A bluffing game, where you'll use the force of the elements to fight your Fluffiest enemies to collect the most gems!	357	$16,827.00 (224%) in 5 days	2024-06-29	💸 Kickstarter	💰🌱
Bunny Boom	Bunny Boom is a strategic game of bunny infestation! Manage actions, place cards, and pass the bunnies to your opponents to end the game with the fewest bunnies! 🐰💥	310	CA$28,728.43 (144%) in 5 days	2024-06-27	💸 Gamefound 👥 2‑4 players 👶 12+ ⏱️ 15-45 min. Card Game	💰	BGG
Cyberpunk RED: Combat Zone™ - RePrint and Vehicle MAYHEM	An introduction of vehicles to the Combat Zone featuring the Zetatech Herakles, sleek cyber-bikes, and more!	310	$83,971.00 (280%) in 4 days	2024-06-28	💸 Kickstarter	🎉💰🌳
Clash - D-Day Special edition	Get ready for an immersive World War II experience, during the D-Day landings in Normandy, 1944. 'Clash - D-Day Special edition' is an accessible, turn-based, tile-laying board game for 2 players. You and your opponent will have to fight for every beachhead to win this war. This special 80th commem…	308	€25,105.99 (279%) in 6 days	2024-07-03	💸 Gamefound 👥 2 players ⏱️ 45 min. Wargame Area Control	💰🌱
The Parthenogenesis of Hungry Hollow for Liminal Horror	The Parthenogenesis of Hungry Hollow is a sandbox investigation for Liminal Horror.	285	$12,340.00 (123%) in 5 days	2024-07-05	💸 Backerkit	💰
Dabba Walla	The famous Dabba Walla invite everyone to join them on their daily journey through Mumbai!	250	$14,400.00 (288%) in 5 days	2024-06-13	💸 Kickstarter 👥 2‑4 players 👶 8+ ⏱️ 30-45 min.	🎉💰🌳	BGG
CASSETTE DUNGEONS!	A compact rogue-like dungeon crawl board game through a realm of metal and madness packed in a cassette tape case!	196	$2,955.00 (197%) in 6 days	2024-07-03	💸 Kickstarter 👥 1 player 👶 13+ ⏱️ 5-45 min.	💰🌱	BGG
X: Seekers of Fortune | An Action-Packed Adventure Card Game	Hunt for lost relics and legendary sites while performing heroic feats to outfox your rivals in this tcg-like strategy card game.	191	$12,328.00 (123%) in 5 days	2024-07-01	💸 Kickstarter 👥 2‑4 players 👶 14+ ⏱️ 20-40 min.	🎉💰🌱	BGG
NAWALLI: The Aztec Card Game (Second Edition)	A strategic lane battle game based on Aztec mythology - become a Nawalli Sorcerer summoning Nawals and Spells to dominate the Arena!	129	$8,198.00 (410%) in 3 days	2024-07-06	💸 Kickstarter	💰
Paw of Duty	Command a kitty squad to regain control of a war-torn city.	102	$2,832.00 (189%) in 5 days	2024-07-04	💸 Kickstarter	💰🌱
TomeBound	The Game of Strategic Sorcery	77	$4,686.00 (134%) in 2 days	2024-07-07	💸 Kickstarter	💰🌱
Order of the Day: Normandy	A boardgame of the D-Day invasion, June 6, 1944, playable by inexperienced or veteran boardgamers.	60	$2,744.00 (62%) in 3 days	2024-07-06	💸 Kickstarter 👥 1‑2 players 👶 12+ ⏱️ 45-120 min.	🌳	BGG
Wrestling Cubes	A unique abstract strategy game about pinning your opponent's cubes.	51	$2,102.00 (42%) in 2 days	2024-07-07	💸 Kickstarter
Fantasy Adventure Game LIGHT AND DARKNESS	Embark on a journey full of dangers, random locations, random encounters, watch out for traps, hunt animals, heal the sick, pay for services, trade. Enter the darkness and explore ruins, caves, or undergrounds. Keep your team in mind and meet their basic needs of thirst, craving, and sleep.	19	PLN 5,227.50 (7%) in 6 days	2024-08-03	💸 Gamefound 👥 1‑3 players ⏱️ 180 min.	🌱
Top Line Hockey	A fast paced table top hockey game that fits on a piece of paper.	18	$605.00 (151%) in 1 days	2024-07-08	💸 Kickstarter	💰

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Name	Description	Backers	Pledged	Ends	Information	Tags
DC20	The Next Great Evolution in Fantasy TTRPGs: A Fresh System with Epic Combat, Intuitive Gameplay, and Characters as Unique as Your Group	10643	$1,109,228.00 (5546%) in 5 days	2024-07-02	💸 Kickstarter	🎉💰🔥
Blade Runner RPG: Replicant Rebellion & Asset Pack	Fight back against Replicant oppression in this major expansion to the award-winning BLADE RUNNER RPG from Free League Publishing.	4134	SEK 3,612,769.00 (1445%) in 12 days	2024-06-13	💸 Kickstarter	🎉💰🔥🌳
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Mörk Borg Action Figure w/ Zine by Stockholm Kartell	Dread Risen - A fully articulated Mörk Borg Action Figure w/ Zine by Johan and Pelle of Stockholm Kartell	1199	$104,799.00 (210%) in 40 days	2024-06-11	💸 Kickstarter	🎉💰🌳

Hi everyone,
first of all, this MAY be a bit long. I don't know though, so... i warned you. Also, i am going off memory and cutscenes of youtube (no way i'm replaying the whole story on a warlock/titan) so i may not report what people say verbatim, but bear with me.
I don't know if others made a similar post, but i FELT i had to. The theme of the whole expansion kinda resonated with me and i think bungie executed it perfectly. Also, i though about writing "underlying them", but this word makes me feel like it's something in the background, while it really is front and center. It's a main part of destiny but this time is really prominent. The theme i'm talking about is: life, death and moving forward.
I can already hear you say: duh, of course it's the theme of destiny, we die and keep reanimating! Yeah, but in the other expansions' campaigns there wasn't such a focus on this. For example, Forsaken is obviously about revenge and how it affects us and others (see one of my favorites lore pages, thin line. Chills everytime). Well, onto the main thing.
Of course, the whole life, death and moving forward thing can be seen in the TFS plot: the witness wants to freeze everything in our best moments, we want to live our lives. Let's go by steps anyway.
We start with meeting Cayde. He's been brought back to life by a wish of Crow, expressed through Riven. Now, Cayde himself says that he felt he was in a "peaceful nothing", there was even Sundance, then he was ripped by that. He felt whole while dead and already knew we were inside the traveler. It could be said that the traveler is like a god, when we die we go back to it,at least the guardians and the ghosts. I say this because Zavala in a cutscene while he's despairing says that this afterlife is not good if the people he wants to see aren't there.
There are the scenes of the reunions of Ikora and Zavala with Cayde: to be fair, our guardian's reaction is the only one i felt was "off", the Vanguard acts WAAAY more realistically when meeting a guy thought dead for like five years.
The scene at the campfire, all together, talking about Amanda. This is a great, great moment. Crow talks about her, can't finish the sentences, trembles. He still can't believe she isn't there anymore. And Cayde here acts like a guide, he says: "life isn't about holding on. [...] Eventually, you have to let go". I think he knows he's not staying forever, that he's an anomaly, held together somehow, not really "alive". We don't even know if he can leave the pale heart. After his words, we are given a moment of silence to reflect on them: Zavala feels them more than others because he still has regret about Safiyah and Hakim (hope i wrote them correctly).
This is the fate of all living things and for guardians, it's even worse: they don't age, don't die of sickness, are forced to watch their human friend get old and die. Being able to mourn and moving forward are necessary.
Talking about Zavala, he was tempted by the witness, given the choice to stay together with his wife, frozen in time. His character got a lot of development in the last 3/4 years, starting with stasis, then the lucent hive and the nightmares. Now, his desperation has reached the tipping point: he gives himself to darkness, ends up losing Targe. Another sacrifice in order to defeat the Witness, another loss. Remember what Sundance said? "what comes from the light returns to the light". Targe is back with the traveler, Zavala is human again, forced to come to terms with the perspective of his death. And yet, this time he manages to get back on his feet: he asks Ikora to help him learn Stasis, something he had not used until now. He accepts what happened, moves forward.
Another point is the mission Wild Card where Cayde forgives Uldren for killing him: they were dealt a hand and played as best as they could. Now he has got a new one. Crow becomes the new hunter vanguard, a new generation taking over after the old one is gone.
Cayde didn't want to stay forever i think. He wanted his life to have meaning and to end it on his own terms. In the final cutscenes, when he brings our ghost back to life, he lets us know that. What he does is his choice, the light connects all so he can revive our ghost. He is part of him and Cayde is part of our little light. Our ghost can feel him, Sundance too. We just have to move on, don't stop here. (Props to bungie for giving Cayde the line "nobody makes my fate but me")
The Witness too is a part of this. He sought to give order to the world, to end suffering, to "save" everyone by creating a world that stays still, where we're in our best moments: triumphs for the guardians, a loved one for zavala... And he doesn't understand. He cannot understand why people would oppose this fate (i didn't choose this word randomly). Why would people fight him, choose a life that is imperfect, filled with sadness and death, instead of an eternity of "happiness" (i guess???).
But this is the point of TFS. We're humans (yes, even the guardians). Life and death are part of our life. Those reborn in the light come back to life and die countless times, but have to deal with the passing of their mortal friends. When a guardian, a ghost dies, they go back to the traveler, where we'll find those gone before us. This is a reassuring thought.
And i think this all here is something beautiful.
END OF THE RANT: i know, it's a mess. There were so many things i wanted to say, in my head they all sounded good, but putting them "on paper" is hard. I apologize if i don't make sense but i felt the need to put these thoughts down. Maybe it's just for me, maybe i'll give others a new perspective. Anyway, i'll leave with the two sentences that in my opinion complete this whole post:
"guardians make their own fate"
"eyes up guardian"

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/republic-of-ireland/sinn-fein-will-dust-themselves-down-and-learn-lessons-from-irish-elections/a713240574.html
Sinn Fein are to “dust themselves down” after early indications showed the party has not had the result it had hoped for in Ireland’s local elections. It comes after the public expenditure minister said the expectation that Sinn Fein would be in the next government has been “shattered” by early indications in the local elections.
Ireland’s main opposition party faces a tough local election battle over the weekend, after government parties Fianna Fail and Fine Gael appeared on Saturday to have polled strongly.
A day after voters headed to the polls in three highly anticipated elections, the ballot boxes were opened at 9am on Saturday and counting began in the local elections.
Irish voters will elect almost 1,000 new councillors, 14 members to the European Parliament and, for the first time, one city’s citizens were asked to pick their mayor.
Ballot boxes in Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA) Ballot boxes in Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA)
Tally indications show a surge in the Sinn Fein vote has not materialised in the local elections, while the Government coalition parties are welcoming early results.
Despite winning 24.5% of first preference votes in a historic result in the 2020 general election, and hovering above 30% in opinion polls for a long time, the fate of many of its candidates are now expected to depend on transfers.
Despite this, Sinn Fein is expected to still make some gains on the 2019 election, where it won around 9% of first preference votes and 81 council seats out of 949.
Sinn Fein TD for Donegal Pearse Doherty told RTE’s Six One programme that it will make gains in some counties, but would have to “dust themselves down” and look at “the lessons that can be learned”.
Its Cork North Central TD, Thomas Gould, said that the party still has a chance of increasing its seats across Cork city and county.
“It’s just that we don’t know how much yet,” he said at the Cork City Hall count centre, adding that despite poor turnout in some core areas, “we’re hopeful”.
Ireland’s deputy premier Micheal Martin argued that his Fianna Fail party had performed “far better” than predicted, while public expenditure minister Paschal Donohoe said the results so far showed Fine Gael was not a spent political force.
Finance Minister Michael McGrath said there had been “no massive breakthrough” for the far right in the Irish elections, despite concerns raised during the campaign.
“The early tallies show that there is a large majority of people who are willing to vote in a very different way to how extremists and the far right will make the case for,” Mr Donohoe said.
“I think there is a very compelling narrative to be made – at a very early stage in this – that Fine Gael has been successful in getting out its votes, that our campaign has made a difference, and that the approach of the Government parties has been recognised by voters.”
Despite the strong showing for government parties so far, ministers stuck to the line that the coalition government would “go the full distance” to February or March before a general election is called.
Asked about Fine Gael’s performance compared with Sinn Fein, Mr Donohoe said: “Overall, the portrayal that some have offered of Fine Gael as a tired party – that narrative, that claim, has been shattered by the results that we’re seeing potentially coming through at the moment.
“And the other narrative that there’s anything inevitable about Sinn Fein being in government – that’s been shattered too.”
Mr Martin said the focus would be on putting together a budget for October as his party looked to win an MEP seat in the Midlands-North-West constituency for the first time in 15 years.
Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe (Niall Carson/PA) Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe (Niall Carson/PA)
“The idea that Fianna Fail would be coming in a distant third is completely disproven,” the Tanaiste said.
“I’ve been looking at opinion polls now for the last three years. This ‘internet panel’ polling having Fianna Fail at 14% and 15% – clearly Fianna Fail will be well ahead of that and will be over 20% by the time all of these counts are collated and put together.
“We put up a very robust performance and we’re holding our own compared to our performance in the general election of 2020.”
Michael McGrath speaks to the media at Cork City Hall (Jonathan Brady/PA) Michael McGrath speaks to the media at Cork City Hall (Jonathan Brady/PA)
The full results of the elections will take days to be finalised due to Ireland’s system of proportional representation which allows voters to rank every candidate in each race by order of preference. The process means ballot papers are sorted and counted multiple times by hand.
Counting in the European elections will not begin until Sunday morning and the results of the first tally will not be declared until after 10pm due to ongoing voting in other EU states.
Irish politics is currently dominated by a housing crisis, the cost of living and migration.
The coalition partnership of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party has been battling criticism domestically and on the continent over other issues including climate action, agriculture policy and defence co-operation in the EU.
The polls will provide political parties with evidence of voter sentiment, having had to wait more than four years since the last nationwide elections.
They are also an indicator of how new Fine Gael leader and Irish premier Simon Harris is faring, having assumed the roles around eight weeks ago after the shock resignation of Leo Varadkar.
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan (Cillian Sherlock/PA) Green Party leader Eamon Ryan (Cillian Sherlock/PA)
While the count for the European elections has not officially begun, the segregating of the ballot papers allowed observers to get a sense of which candidates are performing well.
In Dublin, incomplete tallies by noon suggested Fianna Fail’s Barry Andrews and Fine Gael’s Regina Doherty were leading.
Green Party incumbent Ciaran Cuffe, Independent Ireland candidate Niall Boylan, Labour representative Aodhan O Riordain and Sinn Fein hopefuls Daithi Doolan and Lynn Boylan will be fighting over the remaining two seats.
Mr Cuffe was asked if he believed he could stay ahead of Mr O Riordain and Social Democrat Sinead Gibney, the at-risk MEP added: “For the wildebeest, you just have to stay ahead of the lion.”
In the South constituency, Fine Gael’s Sean Kelly and Fianna Fail’s Billy Kelleher are considered to be in contention for re-election.
Sinn Fein will be hoping to regain a seat in the region with Kathleen Funchion, while Independent TD Michael McNamara is predicted to take the fourth seat.
Early voters waiting for a polling station to open (Niall Carson/PA) Early voters waiting for a polling station to open (Niall Carson/PA)
In Midlands-North-West, there were reports of strong support for Fine Gael’s incumbent Maria Walsh and her running mate Nina Carberry.
Fianna Fail’s Barry Cowen, Independent Ireland candidate and former RTE correspondent Ciaran Mullooly and Independent MEP Luke “Ming” Flanagan have also polled well in some regions across the vast constituency.
In the south west, voters in Limerick city and county had the opportunity to directly elect a mayor with executive powers on long-term strategic planning.
A cross-party tally from midday indicated that Independent candidate John Moran, a former secretary general at the Department of Finance, was in the lead with around 25% of the votes, with Independent candidate Helen O’Donnell in second place.

1. Time commitment. People who have succeeded on the SHRM certification exam report investing between 120 to 160 hours in their preparation. (That's a solid month: four weeks at 40 hours a week.) You might spend as little as 60 hours or as much as 180 hours—adjust as needed. But remember that hours alone aren't a guarantee of success; the time needs to be well-spent. Keep this in mind as you build your study plan. Look for moments you can steal—use your lunch break to work online in the SHRM Learning System, go out to your car and read a little, and never be without your flashcards (more on that below). It all adds up.
   
2. Practice questions. The more practice questions you answer, the better prepared you'll be. Some of my students have found non-SHRM resources like study apps Quizlet and Kahoot to be helpful in this area.
   
3. Explanations of answers. The online SHRM Learning System has many practice questions for both the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP practice module exams and finals. After you answer the questions, you'll see explanations for why the correct answers are correct and why the others are wrong. This will help you refine your thinking.
   
4. No shortcuts. A word of warning: While practice exams are helpful, they're not a replacement for studying and learning. Some students become overconfident when they repeatedly take practice exams and see their scores improving—but they aren't learning the content, they're just memorizing those exams! Don't mislead yourself. You've got to do the reading, attend the classes, take notes and study them. On this exam (as in life!), there are no shortcuts to success.
   
5. Flashcards. Become best friends with your flashcards. Whether you choose to print them out and cut them up or download them to an e-reader, always have them with you. That way, you can make good use of small bits of unexpected available time—waiting for a meeting to begin, standing in line at the store, etc. Flashcards help you remember concepts and definitions. If you understand a concept and know a definition, you've got a shot at answering an exam question correctly. (Flashcards are not enough on their own. But if you don't know a concept or definition when you're taking the exam, your chances of answering a question correctly are low.)
   
6. Learning through stories. Throughout history, humanity has always learned through stories, whether sharing ancient lore around a fire or tales from a pulpit. People retain lessons when they can connect to them. Knowing the story behind SHRM exam content can be helpful as well. For example, there are stories behind key employment laws and court cases. What happened to Willie Griggs that made Griggs v. Duke Power a landmark decision? Why is what happened to the namesake of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act relevant today? While the SHRM certification exams won't test you on such stories per se, you might encounter related questions. If knowing the stories helps you retain the knowledge, search online and read all about them.
   
7. Discussions and study groups.SHRM Connect is an online community for SHRM members to discuss all kinds of HR topics. Search for the "SHRM Certification Prep Group." For those of you who like to work in a study group, you might be able to find or start one in your area using this platform. Plus, it's a good networking opportunity—a double payoff.
   
8. Now that you've read some tips on test preparation, here are a few tips for test taking: Trial run. A tutorial available on Prometric's website allows you to try out the test-taking platform before you take the actual test. Do a generic mini-test to use the highlight, strikethrough and flag functions and more. Becoming familiar with the system before the day of the exam will improve your confidence greatly.
   
9. Long questions. It's easy to get distracted by all the information in situational judgment test items or long narrative questions on the exam. Stop to identify what the question truly is. Be sure to pick out the exact question you're being asked to answer.
   
10. Multipart questions. If you encounter a block of text on the exam followed by multiple questions relating to it, different parts of that text will be useful for answering different questions. Use the highlight function to mark what stands out to you—what is relevant to each question—one by one. Erase the highlight when you've answered the question, then highlight the new material that relates to the next question and so on.
    
    1. HR means action!In the modern era of HR, we are expected to get things done and make things happen, to be proactive partners and leaders in our organizations—not sit and wait to be told what to do. The exam reflects this. Look for answers in which you are expected to act.
    2. Use the strikethrough function and other tools that help you focus. Strike through "distractors," which are answers you believe to be incorrect. Eliminating incorrect options improves your focus on the remaining options, which may increase your chances of selecting the correct answer. Learn how to use strikethrough with the tutorial available on Prometric's website (requires Adobe Flash Player version 10.2.0 or later) and practice using the test-taking system before your exam date.
    3. Use the flag function. Not sure what the answer is? Mark the question with a flag so you can return to it later. As you warm up through the exam, you may pick up hints from other questions and answers, or some piece of critical knowledge may get knocked loose from your memory, and you'll be able to come back to the flagged item. (How to use flags is something else you'll learn on the Prometric tutorial.)
    4. Use the calculator. You don't have to do math in your head. There's a built-in calculator, so use it. (Practice using the calculator, too, on the Prometric tutorial.)
    5. Use scratch paper. Scratch paper is provided by the testing center, so use it. Capture things while they are still in your short-term memory. Writing things down helps you see what you're doing, so scratch paper can also be useful for completing math calculations even if you use the calculator.
    6. Know HR math processes. While we're discussing calculations, keep in mind that the four multiple-choice answers offered for a math question will often reflect how the numbers in the question itself are used. For example, if the question involves the numbers 4 and 3, the answers to choose from might be: 7 (4 plus 3); 1 (4 minus 3); 12 (4 multipliedby3); or 1.3 (4 dividedby 3). Learn the processes required for HR math.
    7. Look for differentiator words in the questions. When you see differentiators—"least," "best," "quickest," "most important" and so on—use them to guide your analysis. These words require you to distinguish between a pretty good answer and the best answer.
    8. Approach absolutes in the answers with caution. When you see absolutes—"all," "always," "only," "never" and the like—beware! Absolutes in HR are unlikely and are just as unlikely to be correct answers on the exam. After all, how many things have you encountered in your career that are always or never true?
    9. Answer every question. Not answering is a bad idea: Don't leave questions unanswered. There's no penalty if you answer incorrectly—points are not taken away—so take a guess. It can't hurt, and you might guess correctly. (Of course, if you think you can guess your way through the whole exam, guess again! Refer to the very first test tip in Part 1, which discusses how many hours of preparation time you should plan for.)
    10. Watch your time. Keep your eye on the timer at the top of your screen. Don't dwell on one question for too long; in doing so, you might run out of time, sacrificing your chances of answering other questions correctly later.

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