Free plans on how to build utility trailers

Make it so

2012.10.14 13:04 esbenab Make it so

Sharing woodworking plans.
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2012.06.17 20:13 Algorithmic Trading

A place for redditors to discuss quantitative trading, statistical methods, econometrics, programming, implementation, automated strategies, and bounce ideas off each other for constructive criticism. Feel free to submit papers/links of things you find interesting.
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2009.09.29 20:21 coffeeffoc Tools

This sub is for tool enthusiasts worldwide to talk about tools, professionals and hobbyists alike. We welcome posts about "new tool day", estate sale/car boot sale finds, "what is this" tool, advice about the best tool for a job, homemade tools, 3D printed accessories, toolbox/shop tours. NSFW content will get you banned. Promotions and ads are not permitted on this sub. NO comments/posts related to politics. We welcome visitors/DIYers asking questions about which tools to use.
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2024.05.19 23:04 signint2 Feedback on fast-paced weeklong itinerary?

I come back having done some more research! Not sure why this was not allowed on JPTravel, but let's try this forum.
Here is my tentative itinerary. I intend for it to be relatively fast paced since we are a small group of fairly young individuals. However, this is my first time going and I have no idea how reasonable or unreasonable these timetables are. The time attached is when we depart from each activity.
Please let me know if you have any feedback or tips for traveling to these places. As of yet, I'm also not quite sure which of them need to have pre-arranged tickets or registration, so if anyone would be kind enough to share their opinions I would be very grateful. Thank you so much!
Day 1 - Minato
Day 2 - Shibuya, Shinjuku
Day 3 - Yokohama, Kamakura
Day 4 - Yokohama, Kyoto
Day 5 - Kyoto
Day 6 - Osaka
Day 7 - Ginza, Nikko
Day 8 - Departure to Narita
submitted by signint2 to JapanTravelTips [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 23:04 LordWeaselton Gavicus XXIX: Good Leader or Terrible Tyrant?

This is the story of Gavicus XXIX, the leader of the Aurean Dominate at the beginning of my book series. The Aurean Dominate is a declining empire centered around the Planet Aurea and a few pieces of the surrounding worlds. Despite this, the Aurean Dominate still remains one of the four dominant powers in the South Nebula, competing with the Haxamanian Empire over its southern and eastern worlds. The north is dominated by the Ishga Empire and the west is controlled by the mysterious and brand-new Tatiians. Was Gavicus XXIX a good ruler in your opinion? Why or why not?
INFO ABOUT GAVICUS XXIX:
Gavicus XXIX was a Guant born somewhere in Occidens on Aurea 65 years before the end of Book 1. Not much is known about his early life, but it is known that Gavicus XXIX's birth name was Galerius Decimus Tranio and that he spent most of his young adulthood serving in the army during the war against Beyin Epivoulos and his criminal empire. He eventually became a Senator representing an area of rural Occidens, and after a few terms in the Aurean Senate, was chosen to become the Consigliere of Dominus Theodosius IV after the former Consigliere was ousted in the aftermath of the Great Nicopolitan Scandal. His tenure as Consigliere was short, however, as Theodosius IV died of the Blood Bleaching less than a year later. Galerius ascended the throne in Theodosius's place, and took the name Gavicus XXIX upon doing so. He was 47 years old at the time.
Gavicus inherited a bureaucracy that had just been stripped of the vast majority of its talent, as many of the best officials that had served under Theodosius had been implicated in the Great Nicopolitan Scandal and thus were barred from future office. Syagrios Komnenos, the Exarch of Tifinagh under Theodosius who had helped defeat Majorian IX when he tried to use Tifinagh as a base to usurp the throne, was replaced by Marcus Septimius Massgaba. Massgaba was an incompetent wealthy landowner who had bought his way into the Aurean Senate and would go on to spend his tenure as Exarch raising taxes like a maniac, triggering several small revolts, needlessly prolonging the war with the Haxamanians through his impatience and battlefield incompetence, and dying pathetically in the Battle of Tasfahn. Nassenia Montana, the highly capable Magistra Milita that had served under Theodosius IV was replaced by Gaius Caesonius Theodosius (no relation to Theodosius IV), a somewhat competent general who would go on to serve Gavicus well in the wars in Amorica but utterly fail him in the Battle of Tasfahn. For his Consigliere (2nd-in-command/heir in case of his resignation or death), Gavicus chose Tiverios Theodosiopoulos, the most capable of Theodosius IV's sons, who by this time was serving in the army and Senate as a Legate (Senator in command of a legion). As Gavicus was often away on campaign, Tiverios would go on to amass plenty of political clout and power for himself, as he is who Gavicus always left in charge of governance while out of the capital.
Almost immediately after ascending the throne, Gavicus was forced to deal with a crisis. In Lapum, a working-class satellite city of Aurea's largest city Nicopolis, an ethnic Tangolian civilian named Arslan Yi'it was murdered by Aurean legionaries stationed in the city, causing four days of ethnic violence and chaos known as the Lapum Riots. Large portions of the city were burned and looted. Gavicus personally led a legion into the city to quell the uprising, doing so with only 50 civilian deaths and a few hundred injuries, but this did little to quell the underlying ethnic tensions in the city and elsewhere in Aurea. Despite Gavicus's best attempts to invest in Lapum in the years following the violence, much of Lapum's terrified, ethnically Aurean and Centralian upper and middle class fled the city for Nicopolis and elsewhere, resulting in the beginnings of the urban decay the city is known for today.
Additionally and most importantly, Gavicus had inherited the war with the Haxamanian Empire that had cost the Aureans almost all of their territories on the Planet Awal. Only Tifinagh's islands and a small scrap of the mainland Theodosius IV reconquered just before his death remained under Aurean control. Immediately after dealing with the Lapum Riots, Gavicus traveled to Tifinagh, hoping to cement his legitimacy by reconquering the rest of Tifinagh. Due to the Haxamanians' attention largely being focused elsewhere, Gavicus and Massgaba managed to get significantly further than Theodosius IV did, marching east along mainland Tifinagh's northern coast to little resistance. A small Haxamanian force that tried to stop them outside the city of Dymox was easily defeated, and they took Chera, one of the largest cities on Tifinagh's mainland, with no resistance. However, the city had been emptied by the Haxamanians of its food, its civilians, its water, and its supplies. Immediately knowing this was a trap, Gavicus sent for reinforcements, naval resupply, and a fleet from Carthadasta, Tifinagh's capital. Too impatient to wait for supplies, Massgaba disobeyed Gavicus's orders to stay put and led small bands of cavalry to plunder what they could from the local countryside.
While on one of these raids, they clashed with a small band of Imazi cavalry, previously Aurean subjects who'd switched sides to the Haxamanians after the latter captured their land. The Aureans were victorious and managed to capture some, learning from them that the Haxamanians were amassing a massive army nearby, led personally by the Haxamanian Shahanshah (King of Kings) Bahram VII and his Spahbed (top general) Bacha Hilazai. Only a day later, a Haxamanian fleet appeared from the northwest and parked itself in Chera Bay, blocking reinforcements from reaching the city. However, just as according to Gavicus's plan, the Aurean fleet arrived soon after and defeated it, allowing the simultaneously arriving food and supplies to enter the city. Having lost their advantage in a siege, the Haxamanians instead opted to meet the Aureans in open battle, choosing a nearby site at the edge of the Imazi Desert. Gaius Caesonius Theodosius, who had arrived with the reinforcements, along with Gavicus and Massgaba, led the Aureans to a resounding victory, killing or capturing half the Haxamanian force and routing the rest. The victory at the Battle of the Imazi Desert allowed the Aureans to march much further into mainland Tifinagh, recapturing essentially the entire western half of the Exarchate. Meanwhile, Bahram and Bacha retreated to the fortified port of Vasanos to lick their wounds and await reinforcements. Hoping to return to governance, Gavicus left the situation on Awal to Gaius Caesonius Theodosius and Massgaba for the time being and returned to Aurea proper.
In his early reign, Gavicus focused primarily on strengthening trade relations with the Ishgas, but was soon forced to shift his attention elsewhere. 4 years into his reign, the galactic warlord Tate released a magical cataclysm known as the Iteru Genocide on Iteru, a moon of the Planet Awal with close relations to the Aurean Dominate, as it was a former Aurean possession. With Iteru's Pharaoh Nuterhek, a close personal friend of Gavicus, begging him for help, Gavicus provided what rice and wheat the Aurean Dominate could spare to help with the associated famine. While it wasn't enough to save Iteru, the food aid bought many of Iteru's people the time they needed to flee the doomed moon. Despite the Aurean Dominate's extremely isolationist policies for the past few centuries, Gavicus made an agreement with Nuterhek to resettle some Iteru refugees on Aurea, angering many hardliners in the Aurean Senate. The decision was only able to pass the Aurean Senate when Gavicus agreed to cap the total number of migrants at 60,000 and restrict Iteru settlement to the cities of Astras and Olinthaseia. Most consequential of these arrivals was Taftenkhamun, Nuterhek's 10-year-old son and heir to Iteru's throne, whom Gavicus agreed with Nuterhek to adopt as a son. Despite Gavicus's efforts, however, the Iteru Genocide killed or forced into exile all sentient life on Iteru, taking the life of his friend Nuterhek as well, who chose to die with his people rather than flee to Aurea. Gavicus would live with the guilt of not doing more to help Iteru for the rest of his life.
Gavicus would raise Taftenkhamun, much better known by his Aurean name of Taftus, as the son he never had. He allowed Taftus to live with him in the Palace of the Domini, continued his education, and did his best to balance spending time with him and showing him love and affection with the duties of being the Aurean Dominus. Despite Gavicus trying to push Taftus into going into politics like he did, Taftus was far more interested in the military, and enlisted in the Aurean legions at 17, as soon as he became of age.
After a year of scheming to turn the tide of the war, Bahram sent Bacha undercover to the rebellious Aurean Province of Tangolia, tasked with fomenting a rebellion so they could use the province as a springboard to attack Aurea proper. Many Tangolians, particularly the Otrar and Gazan Tangolians, both felt mistreatment under Aurean rule and had more in common culturally with the Haxamanians than the Aureans, and many flocked to join the revolt, which quickly took control of the north and center of the province. Qajeer, the Tangolian Khan loyal to the Aureans, fought off several attempts by the rebels to capture Tengribalik, the Tangolian Capital. However, once the Haxamanians arrived, led by Bacha Hilazai, their combined strength was too much for Qajeer to deal with and he was forced to abandon the city to the rebels and Haxamanians, fleeing to Tangolia's eastern seaboard, an area much more loyal to the Aureans. With Gaius Caesonius Theodosius tied down in Tifinagh and not trusting Massgaba to defend the Exarchate on his own, Gavicus was forced to rely on what was left of Qajeer's force, border guard units, and regional commanders to stop the ensuing Haxamanian-Tangolian invasion of Argentolia, the Aurean heartland. The border guard units proved to be little more than a speed bump for the combined Haxamanian-Tangolian force, which easily broke through the border wall and crossed the Hsia River, invading Argentolia. As most of eastern Argentolia's regional commanders with any actual talent had been implicated in the Great Nicopolitan Scandal under Gavicus's predecessor and thus were no longer in command, almost all of them were fairly new recruits with little experience leading troops, resulting in disaster after disaster. Daion was the first city to fall to the Haxamanian-Tangolian force, which then followed that up by defeating an Aurean field army near Cannoria. Within three months, both Cannoria and Ferum, the latter being one of the largest and most important cities in the Aurean Dominate, would be in enemy hands. Over the following six months, poorly led field army after poorly led field army would fall to the invaders, with the major cities of Eresus, Cercapese, Ager Capulum, and Sacrini all falling within the next year. For the first time since the Aurean Dominate's founding, the capital of Astras was within striking distance.
Under immense pressure from the Aurean Senate and general public, Gavicus finally recalled Gaius Caesonius Theodosius from Tifinagh after Sacrini fell, as the enemy was nearing Astras, thought for millennia to be untouchable. By the time Gaius Caesonius Theodosius had arrived, the Haxamanian-Tangolian force had seized Artegion, on the doorstep of Astras, and with it, a fleet. With the combined arms of their massive land force and this fleet, the Haxamanian-Tangolian force laid siege to Astras, with Gaius Caesonius Theodosius and Gavicus leading the defense of the city. The city's massive, three-layered walls, combined with its easily defensible location on the sea with only a few land entrances, allowed the Aureans to repel the invaders, marking a turning point in the war. While the Haxamanians under Bacha Hilazai simply sailed back to Awal, the Tangolians, with no such option and trapped thousands of miles deep in Aurean territory, would be dealt with piecemeal over the next three years. Around the same time, Qajeer had managed to reverse his fortunes in Tangolia and recapture Tengribalik and much of the province's center.
By year 6 of Gavicus's reign, the situation with the Tangolians was under enough control for Gavicus to return his military attention to Awal. While Gaius Caesonius Theodosius and Gavicus had been busy fighting off Bacha Hilazai and the Tangolians, Massgaba had lost some ground to Bahram VII in Tifinagh, having been pushed back to the city of Thubiscurum. Taking advantage of low Haxamanian morale after the failed Siege of Astras, the Aureans were able to push the Haxamanians out of Tifinagh entirely when Gavicus and Gaius Caesonius Theodosius returned, restoring the Aurean Exarchate of Tifinagh to full Aurean control for the first time in decades. Other lost Aurean Exarchates in the area - Kilikia, Meroe, Adua, and the Imazi Tribal Lands - were restored to Aurean hands over the next six years, putting the Haxamanians decisively on the back foot. During this time, Bacha Hilazai was killed at the Battle of Taoudenni, greatly weakening the Haxamanians and lowering their morale.
Relations with the Kingdom of Arturia were fraught, with conflict erupting 7 years into Gavicus's reign over the Aurean Exarchate of Amorica, an isolated Aurean territory on the Planet Arturia that the Kingdom of Arturia continued to claim. Paradoxically, these tensions began when Arturia's king, King Arturius, traveled to Aurea to meet with Gavicus to negotiate an end to their millennia-long conflict. While Gavicus was personally in favor of a deal, King Arturius refused to relinquish his claim on Amorica, leading to the Aurean Senate rejecting the deal and forcing Gavicus to continue the conflict. Additionally angering the Aurean Senate, Gavicus made the mistake of insisting that he meet with Arturius in Astras rather than on Arturia. Despite Gavicus's attempt to pitch it as a beginning of the end of Aurea's centuries of isolationism that even many Aureans were starting to regard as self destructive, this was seen as a bridge too far for most. During the failed negotiations, Gavicus briefly met Pompeia, a young disciple of King Arturius who would become of note much later. In order to make up his lost standing in the Aurean Senate, Gavicus was forced to escalate the situation in Arturia immediately after the negotiations broke down, distracting King Arturius with a vacation in Astras while he ordered a massive invasion force to land in Amorica and seize as much Arturian land as possible.
Exceeding even Gavicus's expectations, this force managed to break through the Arturian Alps and put Caerbannog, the Kingdom of Arturia's capital, under siege. Upon his return, however, Arturius managed to break the siege despite being taken completely by surprise, and defeated the Aureans in several battles, pushing them all the way back into Amorica. Eventually, Arturius, livid at Gavicus's betrayal, managed to invade into Amorica itself and fought the Aureans, led personally by Gavicus as he had traveled there by this point, to a stalemate at the Battle of Caerwent. While Gavicus still had enough resources to continue prosecuting the war, he felt that this particular episode proved there was no reason to continue the constant skirmishes with Arturia, and accepted an offer to negotiate peace terms with Arturius again, this time in Amorica.
The ensuing peace deal returned Aurea's and Arturia's borders to status quo antebellum, although Arturius was not happy about Aurea retaining Amorica. However, Aurea had to bite the bullet and recognize the Kingdom of Arturia's independence and normalize relations, as all of Aurea's previous Domini had refused to do this despite it having been fait accompli for millennia at this point. Aurea had previously seen the entire Kingdom of Arturia as little more than a rogue province that had somehow managed to slip from its control long ago. Aurea paid Arturia a hefty war indemnity, but this was paltry compared to the money that new trade relations between Arturia and Aurea brought in for both nations. Although recognizing Arturia's independence was not popular on Aurea at first, Gavicus was able to sell it based on the fact that he had retained Amorica, held the peace negotiations off-planet this time, and most importantly because of all the money that new trade relations with Arturia brought in, as Arturia sat along a key trade route linking Aurea more closely with the wealthy and technologically advanced Ishgas far beyond. This allowed Gavicus to hold lavish games, as well as expand Aurea's existing food dole for the poor to include protoceratops and psittacosaurus meat in addition to wheat, olive oil, rice, pork, and chicken. His popularity spiked, and in the tenth year of his reign, he would go on to sail to reelection against Qajeer Khan, winning 55% of the vote nationwide.
In the ninth year of Gavicus's reign, the last holdouts of the Tangolian revolt had been put down by Qajeer. Qajeer had his uncle Jamukha, who had led the revolt, strangled for doing so. However, Qajeer had his own reasons for helping crush the revolt instead of participating in it himself. While he secretly loathed the Aureans and the way they treated his people, Qajeer instead chose to bide his time, gaining the Aureans' trust and building a robust local power base while he waited for his own opening to revolt. For the entire rest of his life, Gavicus would be none the wiser. Qajeer would eventually revolt under Gavicus's successor, resulting in a multi-year civil war that would leave the already exhausted Aurean Dominate open to the machinations of Tate soon after.
Gavicus tried his best to manage the Blood Bleaching pandemic that circulated on Aurea during the first few years of his reign, but little could be done to spare Aurea from the destruction of that disease, and like most of the rest of the galaxy, Aurea lost a substantial chunk of its population. Thanks largely to Gavicus's enforcement of strict social distancing throughout its duration, however, the Blood Bleaching killed far less of the population on Aurea than it did on the hardest-hit worlds of Arturia and Iteru, each of which lost half or more of their pre-pandemic populations. In total, it is estimated around 10-15% of the Aurean Dominate's pre-pandemic population was killed by the Blood Bleaching, compared to around 50% on Arturia and a whopping 70% on Iteru. Even Aurea's relatively small loss was not without its consequences, however, as this caused a decline in tax revenue for years and a noticeable strain on the military's recruitment pool.
In the first four years after his reelection, Gaius Caesonius Theodosius managed to reconquer all of the lost Exarchates on Awal the Haxamanians had taken from the Aureans during Theodosius IV's reign. Nova Aurea, Caria, and finally Carmania were all finally returned to the Aurean Dominate after decades of Haxamanian occupation, and Gavicus's popularity soared as a result.
Despite having recognized Arturia's independence earlier, 14 years into Gavicus's reign, tensions flared up with Arturia again Amorica again. An Arturian garrison had left a border fort in the Arturian Alps briefly undefended, and a small Aurean force seized it without orders, prompting a small-scale war between Aurea and Arturia. This conflict was over in about two months, with the Kingdom of Arturia suing for peace after the Aureans seized a few more border forts and badly defeated an Arturian field army at the Battle of Allt-Gollau. At the negotiating table, Gavicus agreed to return the border between the Aurean Exarchate of Amorica and the Kingdom of Arturia to status quo antebellum in exchange for the freeing of 500 Aurean hostages Arturia took during the fighting and the Aureans who seized the initial border fort without orders were put on trial. Most notable about this conflict was the brilliance of an Aurean cavalry commander named Gorgo Gualtera at the Battle of Allt-Gollau, resulting in her catching Gavicus's eye. Gavicus promoted her to Exarch of Amorica, giving her full military and civilian control of the territory. Unbeknownst to Gavicus or anyone else, however, Gorgo was both the daughter of the dead Aurean crimelord Beyin Epivoulos (the crimelord whose forces Gavicus had fought in his youth), as well as a deep cover agent for Tate (the architect of the Iteru Genocide and many other atrocities across the galaxy).
The next year, the Haxamanian Empire was engulfed in a civil war, and Gavicus saw the perfect opportunity to strike at the Haxamanian Capital while the area was engulfed in turmoil, finally ending the decades-long war or maybe even conquering the Haxamanians completely in the process. However, things did not at all go according to plan, and all the armies he brought with him got destroyed by the forces of Rukhsana I Shahanzai, a disaffected member of the Haxamanian royal family who had escaped from prison, gotten an army together, annihilated the Aureans in the disastrous Battle of Tasfahn, and took the Haxamanian throne for herself. Several Aurean generals and other military leaders, including Massgaba, were killed, and Gavicus barely escaped the battle with his life. The Aureans had no forces left on Awal after this to protect their holdings there. On the other hand, Taftus, who was also present during the campaign, became a national hero when he used his tactical prowess to save the troops under his command from annihilation by a Haxamanian ambush deep in the mountains.
In the aftermath, Gavicus was forced to enter into peace negotiations. At first, Rukhsana demanded the Aureans cede all their lands on Awal to the Haxamanians, which Gavicus flatly refused (The Exarchate of Tifinagh on Awal was one of Aurea's most valuable regions and ceding it to the Haxamanians would have meant an end to the grain dole and mass starvation across Aurea). Eventually, a deal was reached in which the Aureans would cede all their lands on Awal except the Exarchate of Tifinagh to the Haxamanians, and the Aureans would have to pay a huge war indemnity to the Haxamanians as well. The Aurean Exarchates of Nova Aurea, Kilikia, Meroe, Adua, the Imazi Tribal Lands, Carmania, and Caria were all permanently handed over to the Haxamanians, essentially rendering all of Gavicus's reconquests except those in Tifinagh moot. This was formalized in the humiliating Treaty of Mingora, which Gavicus was forced to sign.
Gavicus's popularity took a nosedive in the aftermath of this event, and he dedicated the rest of his reign to domestic policy, commissioning public works projects, throwing lavish games, and beginning by far his most important legacy: he decided that to keep up with the rest of the galaxy, Aurea needed to end its isolationism and industrialize along the Ishga model. He decided that Aurea's largest city, Nicopolis, would be a good place to test industrialization, and he hired Ishga scientists, architects, engineers, and developers to transform Nicopolis into a modern city. While Gavicus's popularity would never recover to the heights it was at after his victory over the Arturians, this was enough to keep him from being assassinated (at least for a while).
For the rest of Gavicus's life, Taftus would alternate between his extremely promising military career and a middling-to-poor one as an elected politician, helping Gavicus with some of his later projects such as industrialization but turning out to be too scandal-ridden and debauched to be the protege Gavicus wanted. For all his military talent, Taftus had a reputation for extreme abrasiveness and anger issues, and it seemed every other week there was another rumor going around about Taftus having massive orgies involving female politicians and/or prostitutes. While Gavicus would never fully disown Taftus, he had largely abandoned him as a protege by the end of his reign, assigning him military command of the backwater province of Tiorangi where he didn't have to pay much attention to him. The year before Gavicus died, he made Gorgo Gualtera his Magister Equitum, supreme commander of all cavalry forces in the Aurean Dominate after the previous officeholder died suddenly of a stroke. While Gavicus had no way of knowing this at the time, this decision would eventually result in both his own death and Aurea being pulled into the galaxy's broader confrontation with Tate years later that would result in the bloodiest war in galactic history.
Towards the end of his life, Gavicus befriended Pompeia, a young woman of mixed Aurean and Tangolian heritage who had spent much of her life on the Planet Arturia before returning to Aurea by accident. She rose to superstardom as a gladiator, having trained in magic under King Arturius, utilizing magic in combat in ways that hadn't been seen in millennia. He was both shocked and intrigued by Pomepeia's friendship and past brief romantic involvement with Rukhsana I Shahanzai of the Haxamanian Empire. Gavicus saw great potential in Pompeia and reinstated her Aurean citizenship, even allowing her to serve as his Consigliere after Tiverios was indicted on corruption charges. However, there was some tension between the two, as Pompeia was from Lapum, had witnessed the Lapum Riots as a child, and was critical of Gavicus's failure to address the longstanding discrimination against Tangolians that led to them. Less than a year later, Gavicus was assassinated under mysterious circumstances (it would later be discovered that Gorgo Gualtera arranged his murder and covered it up so well that no one even suspected her until she would eventually reveal her true intentions years later), and Pompeia ascended the throne as the first female Dominus (Domina) in history. Gavicus's body was cremated after his death and his urn was placed in the Mausoleum of the Domini in Astras. Decades of constant conflict with the Haxamanians, both under Gavicus and his predecessor Theodosius IV, as well as civil conflict, multiple Tangolian revolts, the Hoc Nostrum conflict, and the Amorican Wars with Arturia would leave Pompeia with an exhausted Aurean Dominate, bereft of manpower, resources, money, and talent that would be completely unprepared to deal with Tate and his machinations only a few years after Gavicus's death.
submitted by LordWeaselton to goodworldbuilding [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 23:04 nota12yo Sundown

A flicker of light started to drain away the darkness I was so used to. The darkness where I felt most comfortable and at peace. The flicker slowly enveloped the entire pitch black room within minutes. I could do nothing but sigh in disappointment and open my eyes.
My adjusting eyes were being harassed by the tiny beam of light that made it through my curtain. Where it's at the precise angle that you swear some higher power is just messing with you.
My groggy eyes focused on the clock, it was 7:00 a. M.
Time for work.
The day was April 14th, 2014. A Monday. I knew I only had about an hour to get up, get ready for work, shower, make breakfast and make sure I get to work a few minutes early so I didn't clock in late.
I was only 28 years old and I hated my sales job. I had gone to college and got my marketing degree but I never thought I'd end up here.. selling bullshit products at incredibly hiked prices to unsuspecting or oblivious customers.
I had been doing this job for 3 years and it felt like everyday was just going to be worse. Just a buildup of hatred for your job overtime is natural I guess. Typically people find ways to cope with the constant 9-5 grind. Like going out with friends or clubbing or whatever...but I had none of those.
When my days ended I would go home and watch Netflix and drink then do it all again. I wish it was different, I wish I had the motivation to change myself. But it's difficult when you have no one to support you in your efforts. My mom died from breast cancer when I was 12. Seeing her on hospice for several months suffering from stage 4 cancer was...something you shouldn't see as a 12 year old. To see your once lovely, athletic, hilarious, loving and caring mother degrade into an 85 pound, drug-induced, horrifyingly thin creature that in no way resembled her from my memories of when she was cancer free.
I remember one morning my dad woke me up and said "come to the living room...your mother is taking her last breathes". As soon as he finished that sentence, my memories flooded back...memories of her taking care of me when I was sick, being at my soccer games cheering me on, asking how my day was when I got back from school, leaning on her shoulder as we sat in church. The memories came and went in an instant and the reality set in. My heart at first skipped a few beats but then accelerated to an unhealthy pace. My head started to spin, tears slowly started swelling up on my eyes.
I had jumped off the bed and sprinted to the living room. She was facing away from me and the first thing I noticed are how purple/ blue her feet are. I walk around the hospice nurse and look at my mother's face. She was place, her breathing was almost non-existent for almost 2 minutes but still there...until it wasn't...she was gone.
I was lost, my dad was bawling. I was crying too but at 12 years old I didn't know how hard the reality would hit as time goes on.
In my lost state, I turned on the TV show "MONK" on the laptop. It was a show my mom and I used to watch, and I figured watching it would make me feel like I'm with her again.
Time went on and I realized how losing a mother truly impacts your younger years. But time still, moved on yet.
I got in my car and left for work. The drive to the office was only about half an hour. I put my sunglasses on as I'm travelling east for almost the entire drive, something I was used to by this point. The drive to work was uneventful other than the usual jackass that cuts you off or is speeding down the road.
I made it to work and stepped out of my car. For some reason, grabbed my backpack and shut the door. For some reason the thought of my mother came across my mind. The sighed, looked down at the ground and stared at the concrete for the few seconds while only thinking of how I missed her. Then the thought vanished and I got on with my life.
The day was incredibly boring, only sold a couple of products, I dealt with people in the east coast of the U.S. and customers there are always so nasty and rude with their comments. It's impossible to build rapport with them. I'm jealous of the employees that have West coast as their territory.
The day ended with my last call but no sales for the day. Hopped in my car and drove back home.
Now I've already told you what I do when I get home. Just drink and watch Netflix. And that's exactly what I did. I can't remember the name of the show( probably because I was already tipsy) but it had to do with strange phenomenons.
I don't even remember passing out but I do remember being there in that dark room again; it was so comfortable and cozy. I sat in the corner of the room with eyes wide closed ...no people, nothing to disturb me, just... nothingness of warmth.
For hours this went on until I heard a woman's voice saying "I'm glad you're here". suddenly realizing that I had overslept my body jolted awake, completely forgetting about that eerie voice. Drinking on a Monday night is not a good idea. Blurry and in a haze trying to concentrate my focus I made out the clock saying 7:00 a.m. April 15th, 2014.
I thought how odd that was. I've been doing the same job with the same schedule for 3 years now and I know when I oversleep. Yet knowing this brought a mental smile to my mind, as my supervisor won't get on my ass for showing up late, again.
I got up lazily and stretched and got on with my morning routine. Finally got dressed and hopped in my car to leave for work. I was only about 5 minutes in when I realized something was off...why was I wearing sunglasses? The sun was behind me, not in front. I took my glasses off and read my car dashboard compass; "EAST".
I have taken this drive for 3 years now every Monday through Friday and I had always worn sunglasses for the drive to the office. I looked behind me and saw the sun rising from the west.
I was still calm, but subconsciously I could tell my panic and anxiety were building with what I was experiencing. I decided to pull over at a gas station, took my phone out and opened my GPS. 'I was still facing east.
I quietly stated "what the fuck". I looked up and asked the person next to me pumping gas " look! The sun! It's rising from the west" with an ecstatic and speedy tone. He looked at me with a smile on his face and said "yeah? Don't ya know it's always rose from the west".
The reality of this was starting to set on, anxiety building, I got back in my car and just sat there... Running my hands through my hair, pulling and stretching my face wondering what the hell was happening? My eyes were staring wide at the brake and gas pedal...trying to find some kind of logical explanation for this while still running my hands over my face and hair.
I decided to take my phone out again and click on trending news hoping to see something explaining or even acknowledging this phenomenon. Nothing. I opened Google search and looked up "sun rising in west" the first thing that popped up said Earth is rotating about its own axis from East to West".
This wasn't right.
I figured I would try to get to work and maybe one of my coworkers would have some answer. My entire body was shaking for the entire drive but I made it".
I got out of the car and the strangest thing came across my mind. A memory. A very unique memory of back when I was 12, in the back yard playing capture the flag with my neighbor that lived behind me. A time which I could go back when.
The memory came and vanished in an instant, but left the overwhelming feeling of nostalgia and sadness.
I walked into the office and started asking around about the sun. Again, none of them knew what I was talking about, but before they answered my question, they would say "oh hey, it's nice to have you here" or "we're glad to have you here" all with a smile on their faces.
Not super weird as my coworkers are typically super energetic happy people. But it did become weird when my east coast clients started answering their phones saying "hey, you're always welcome here"
I couldn't see their faces but I could tell by their tone and attitude that they were smiling. This was not normal. I rushed to the bathroom, opened a stall and sat on the toilet. I started having a panic attack. Nothing was right, the people, the sun, the specific memories... I started to run my hands over my face, stretching and contorting it, trying to calm myself down with feeling my heart bursting out of my chest. I started to whimper, I didn't want anyone outside of the stalls to hear me. None of my coworkers were right, the guy at the gas station wasn't right...nothing. years swelled up in my eyes and a brief memory of my mom came back.
It was me, coming home from school, I walked inside and could smell the pizza she was making. I see and her and asks me hey, how was your day?".
This memory helped calm me down from the wreck I was turning into. I took several deep breaths, tried my very best to compose myself, and stepped out of the stall. I ended up taking some paper towels and wiped away the tears that were caught in my eyes.
I decided that I will just try to finish this day because tomorrow everything would be back to normal...I have to reassure myself that I would be, I just knew it would be....it had to be.
I sat down back at my desk and my phone rang, picked it up and a voice came through. The voice of my mother asking " I am so glad you are here, Luke".
I was frozen, shocking, tingly sensations ran through my entire body. My demeaner instantly changed into fight or flight mode...but I chose the 3rd... freeze.
Phone still up to my ear, I heard her speak again. "Oh honey, Luke my sweet boy, don't you remember?".
I didn't reply verbally, but mentally I was thinking "remember...what the hell is...remember what?"
Then she spoke one last time, "last night, you saw the sun".
Then the memory of the night before races back into my mind. I was on my drive home from work, watching the beautiful sunset over the horizon. With all it's beautiful mixtures of orange, red, purple. I was so just staring at it...in a trance, thinking of how I wanted to go back and just be a kid again, play with my back door neighbor, come home to my mom. Why couldn't I just go back?
I suddenly hear a blaring car horn and then blackness.
I believe I died on April 15th, 2014. And I don't mind it. I like being in this black empty room just sitting in the corner..with nothing but warm emptiness to fill my cold shell. I like feeling the embraces of it's comfort over the tiring lifestyle I was living. My only dream was that I could dream forever...and now it's finally been achieved.
I miss my mother, and I know she misses me, the memories I have of her will keep me warm in this blackened wasteland forever.
submitted by nota12yo to scarystories [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 23:03 wcprice2 I Finished DMing a level 1-20 Campaign today. Here are some reflections feel free to AMA.

Earlier today we had the final session of my first ever level 1-20 campaign (I was the DM but it was my first 1-20 as player or DM). It took almost exactly 18 months. It was the second longest running RPG campaign of my life overall (I played as a PC in a werewolf campaign once that ran longer, I believe ~3 years). I thought I would make a post about the campaign and my high level learnings DMing from 1-20. The entire game was played on Roll20 w/ Discord for voice. Feel free to AMA.

Campaign Overview:

BBEG: Vecna (Canon Vecna based on the Dossier; yes I wrapped a 1-20 Vecna campaign 2 days before the release of Eye of Ruin).
Setting: Faerun with “home point” as Candlekeep.
Official Material Usage: Homebrew but I drew from the following official materials for various dungeons/arcs: Candlekeep Mysteries (The Joy of Extradimensional Spaces), Tales of the Yawning Portal (The Sunless Citadel), Ghost of Saltmarsh (Isle of the Abbey), and Keys from the Golden Vault (Prisoner 13). I also wrote 1 arc based fully on the official Mordent setting in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft.
Plot Overview: I asked the PCs to each submit their own backstory to build a story around. The only requirement was for some reason to be seeking information in Candlekeep. The Joy of Extradimensional Spaces was used to bring the party together. They then used Candlekeep’s resources to progress their individual goals based on the backstories they wrote. I wrote a “piece” of Vecna into every character’s backstory as explained below. As they progressed through their various Arcs it became obvious that Vecna was returning and was going to have to be dealt with.
I also had one of the character’s moms be former adventurers that defeated Vecna ~100 years prior (not known the the character who just knew her moms were a bard and wizard but didn’t know they were level 20). This was mostly to have accessible NPCs that knew about Vecna as things started to unfold.

Player Characters:

Zellie - A Elf Archfey warlock. Who was “chosen” by her patron for greatness. In reality her patron was trying to exploit her (unknown to her at the start of the campaign) heritage to dismantle the fae courts and return the faewild to chaos. Her patron had torn a critical page from the Book of Vile Darkness that he was only willing to give up if Zellie did as he wished (in the end he was the penultimate boss since the party didn’t want to dismantle the fae courts).
Gaz - A goblin exterminator (swarm ranger) from Waterdeep. His brother, dad, and him worked the family business together. Eventually his brother decided he wanted something more and traded his dad’s freedom for entry into Xanathar’s Guild. The leader of the crew within Xanathar’s guild his brother ended up on had The Eye of Vecna.
Synthrin - A Noble dragonborn from Baldur’s Gate (swashbuckler rogue). Their mother and father did not play nice with the Guild. The Hand (a homebrew, not Nine Fingers) sought to have them assassinated but only managed to get their father. The Hand possessed the Hand of Vecna.
Luthien - An half-elf Cleric of Aerdrie Faenya looking for her estranged father. Her father was being held captive by Kas the Bloody Handed who was trying to use his storm sorcerer powers to help him ascend to godhood.
Matteo - A Human Monster Hunter (monster hunter homebrew fighter subclass and kensai monk) whose parents ran a monster hunting dojo/orphanage near The High Moor that protects a town constantly under threat of monsters. Various orphans/fellow monster hunters from his dojo had taken an experimental potion his mother brewed before setting off as adventurers. The potion was met to give them special powers but was known to have risks (they were given the option to drink it). Matteo was the only one who said no and now his friends have not been heard from for 2 years. The potion was tampered with by an evil paladin using information from the Book of Vile Darkness.
At one point (pretty late in the campaign actually) Gaz drew an unlucky card from the deck of many things and got trapped in the Sword of Kas. That led us to Gerrymander who was a gnome artificer just trying to make some gold to send his daughter to college.

Reflections/Learnings:

Overall I had so much fun and am really grateful to my PCs for such a great 1.5 years. Thank you to my players if you see this!

submitted by wcprice2 to DnD [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 23:02 LegionOfInfinity (NA/Xbox) Legion Of Infinity

Hello ! 😀 we are Legion Of Infinity A PVE/Social guild that’s active on The NA Server Of Xbox One
Requirements Our only requirements is that your 18+ and have discord
What do we do ?
We as a guild ensure you always have someone to play with. Our main priority is PVE such as trials,Dungeon Nights,World Boss hunts and more. Social events go from among us to murder mystery and finally raffles. Our secondary priority is Helping newer players by teaching them gameplay and builds as well as helping veteran players with end game content!! And some semi RP!
How is the community ?
We are a adult guild that is family oriented due to us being 18+ and are strict when needed.We are LGBTQ+ Friendly and Woman Gamer friendly! Our community has mainly new and returning players and accept all levels! Come join the family! We are currently restarting and are in need of responsible people for officer roles as well!
Conclusion
If your interested in all of this and wanna learn more feel free to comment any questions or message me also feel free to check out our profile to see more 😁
Discord Code: https://discord.com/invite/MjGmzaad
submitted by LegionOfInfinity to ESOGuilds [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 23:01 ththisbutascratch Almost ready to build, do i really need an anti static mat and/or wrist wrap?

Receiving the last piece of the puzzle, the RAM, tomorrow (hopefully) so friday when ill be free all day im gonna start assembling it all. Watching Linus Tech Tips video on how to build a pc, they say i need these anti static equips in order not to damage the components. Do i though?
submitted by ththisbutascratch to buildapc [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 23:01 SuitableRock [OFFER] I will give you a 60 day 1200, 2000 or 2800 calorie meal plan and a fully personalized training plan for 15$

Before we get to the offer I wish to give you some background about myself - My name is Dominik, I'm a personal trainer and a nutrition consultant, as well as a powerlifter. I have been doing this with joy for over 10 years now and wish to share that knowledge further on with as many as I can. I don't find it appropriate to advertise my pages here, but for those who want proof, feel free to snoop my reddit post history.
There you can also find my previous posts here on slavelabour that were all well received, which hopefully provides some form of assurance and credibility that I respond and deliver to everybody as fast and efficiently as I can.
Now back to the topic! I'm offering three 60 day meal plan variations - a 1200, 2000 and a 2800 calorie version. Each day of the meal plans is unique and has 5 meals, so in total you're getting 300 different meal ideas - no two will be completely the same. There are no supplements in the meal plan, so there's no meals like "1 scoop of protein powder".
These plans are made of natural foods that can be found in every decently equipped grocery store, with a couple of 'cheat-ish' ones to add some extra variety. The meals won't be complicated to make, nor won't take a lot od time to prepare, and only require basic cooking and seasoning skills. Every ingredient as well as meal has its macronutrient values precisely calculated to one decimal and of course listed next to it.
There are more complex, as well as very simple meals, and due to an easy to read design it's also very simple to switch meals up if you don't like certain ones.
If you only decide to only get one of the meal plans, It's yours for 5$, file format is PDF.
I can send you a sample day, so you can get an idea on how the full meal plan will look like and to make it easier for you to decide if you'd like it or find useful.
For an additional 10$ I'll also write you a fully personalized training plan for your physique goals. We'll go through a detailed questionnaire about your current situation, lifestyle, goals, injuries to work around etc. Based on the anwsers I'll write and send you a detailed training plan within 48 hours, including;
I always respond to everyone, if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. I'll try to respond as soon as I can, but if I don't do it right away it most likely means I'm working with my clients or it's night time here.
Cheers!
submitted by SuitableRock to slavelabour [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 23:01 Amazing_Owl_1283 Multithreading within customer accounts

I am looking for advice from someone that has experience multithreading within their SaaS customer base in search of expansion business (upsell of current products, selling new products, selling into a new region or business unit).
My role has changed from a typical Customer Success / Renewal role to also owning all expansion sales so we are being tasked with sourcing new business. I have no SDR experience so this type of flow is new for me.
My biggest challenge with this is making sure that the teams we are currently installed with are not "offended" or "annoyed" if we go around them to contact other teams within their companies. It is not super likely that a customer gets mad at us for this, but it is an option especially when they are used to us being a more strategic partner vs. someone who is trying to sell, if they hear from a peer that I was reaching out to them trying to get their time to demo.
Some of my ideas include leveraging our current contacts to help us with introductions into other teams who are not using our product, since you can build on a positive relationship. The challenge here is that while most people are willing to help, I have to wait to take action until I meet with them and strategize. Another thought is that when I do outreach into other orgs to be sure that I positively reference the current team and share good feedback about them and the work they have done and how successful they are in our platform, so that if it gets back to them, we are at least hyping them up. I am planning to try some video outreach on LinkedIn and maybe share a few stats on how well things are going for their teams so far as a way to do discovery into other teams that may benefit.
Does anyone have experience doing this and have any ideas on what has worked well? Do you feel like it is worth doing cold outreach to people or will I just spin my wheels and I really should be asking for introductions through trusted contacts?
Thank you!
submitted by Amazing_Owl_1283 to techsales [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 23:01 DutyTop8086 What is a Buy Box on Amazon, and How Can I Get It?

When I first started selling on Amazon, I quickly realized that understanding the Buy Box was crucial for maximizing my sales. It was a game-changer for my business, and I want to share what I’ve learned about it and how you can win it too.

What is the Buy Box?

The Buy Box is that prominent white box on the right side of an Amazon product detail page where customers can directly add items to their shopping cart. It’s the spot with the “Add to Cart” button, making it the most convenient option for customers. Because many buyers don't look beyond the Buy Box, winning it can dramatically increase your sales.

Why is the Buy Box Important?

Winning the Buy Box was critical for me because:

How I Won the Buy Box

Getting to that coveted Buy Box took some effort and strategic planning. Here are the key factors I focused on:

1. Competitive Pricing

I quickly learned that price plays a huge role. Amazon favors competitive pricing, and while I didn’t always have to be the cheapest, I needed to offer a competitive total cost, including shipping.

2. Fulfillment Method

Using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) was a game-changer for me. FBA items are preferred because Amazon handles storage, shipping, and customer service, which ensures a high standard of service. This move significantly boosted my chances of winning the Buy Box.

3. Seller Performance Metrics

Maintaining excellent seller performance metrics was essential. I focused on:

4. Inventory Availability

I learned that having sufficient inventory levels was crucial. Products that are frequently out of stock don’t win the Buy Box. Consistent availability made me a reliable option for Amazon and my customers.

5. Shipping Time

Fast and reliable shipping is key. Offering quick delivery times, especially through FBA, helped me stand out. Prime members love fast shipping, and FBA made that possible for me.

6. Product Listings Quality

High-quality product listings made a big difference. I made sure my listings had detailed descriptions, clear images, and relevant keywords. This enhanced the shopping experience and favored my chances of winning the Buy Box.

7. Seller Tenure and Experience

While not the most critical factor, having a longer history of selling on Amazon with consistent performance definitely helped. Building a track record of reliability earned me more trust from Amazon.

Tips for Maintaining the Buy Box

Winning the Buy Box isn’t a one-time achievement; it requires ongoing effort. Here’s how I maintained it:
Winning the Buy Box was a powerful boost for my Amazon sales. By understanding the factors that influence Buy Box eligibility and consistently optimizing my seller performance, I significantly improved my chances of winning and maintaining this valuable spot. It took strategic planning and continuous effort, but the payoff in increased sales and customer trust was well worth it. If you’re looking to succeed on Amazon, aiming for the Buy Box should be a top priority.
submitted by DutyTop8086 to AmazonFBA_USA [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 23:00 Liftforlife88 Steel Rail Marathon Race Report

Race Information

Goals

Goal Description Completed?
A Sub 3:40 Yes
B Sub 3:30 Yes

Splits

Mile Time
1 7:20
2 7:19
3 7:40
4 7:15
5 7:21
6 7:20
7 7:19
8 7:20
9 7:30
10 7:32
11 7:25
12 7:16
13 7:23
14 7:39
15 7:53
16 7:58
17 7:49
18 7:52
19 7:58
20 8:05
21 8:15
22 8:36
23 8:34
24 8:38
25 9:09
26 8:55

This was my first marathon. I've run two half marathons in the past and decided to take the plunge. I went with Pfitzinger 12 week up to 55mpw plan. I had to modify the schedule a bit, but never fell short of the weekly required mileage. I actually averaged 5-10 miles more per week than the plan called for whether that was the right or wrong decision I don't know, but I felt recovered from each week. The plan called for two 20 mile runs, but I opted for an additional 21 mile run instead of the 17. I did the midweek long runs too, but there were some tempo runs that I would consider on the long side that I ended up breaking into two separate workouts for a total of running six times a week. This was mostly because I have kids and couldn't get the time to do more than 2 long runs per week.

The race was an hour away and I've had some bad experiences from day of packet pickups so I opted to pick up the day before which allowed me to "sleep in" on race day. I actually slept really well the night before, I don't know how, but it worked out. I ate an english muffin with peanut butter and a coffee. Drank 12oz Gatorade on way to the race.

Fueling: I trained with SiS isotonic gel. Brought 8 gels for the marathon, but only used 6 (3caff/3reg). I took the gels at 30 minute intervals, I know some have mentioned every 20 minutes, but that would have messed me up. After six I felt a bit queazy so opted to skip the last gel. They had GU Brew at the hydration stations, but I've never tried it so went with water the whole way. Also used salt stick tabs. Gear: Saucony Pro 3, Injinji toe socks (my favorite purchase and godsend after many blisters), Rabbit Speedsters, Flip Belt. Race: This was an out and back marathon. Miles 1-14: I would consider this a smaller race with only 800 participants, 180 in the marathon. Race went out in waves with the marathon first. They grouped us in target times and the gun went off. Immediately the whole front of the pack were out with the lone guy targeting a sub 2:20 time. After about a minute I looked at my watch and dialed it way back. My plan going into this race was to bank early milage below marathon pace and gut out the finish so I settled on a 7:30ish pace early on. I found a guy in the local runners club and ended up chatting with him for the first 4 miles or so to avoid getting caught up going to fast again. In the taper week leading up to the marathon I did something to the tendon on the front of my ankle and rested it the best I could, but knew it would flair up on race day and it did at mile 6. I pushed through and it ended up subsiding or I just forgot about it by the half marathon point. Miles 14-17: This was billed to me as a flat course, but that was not the case. There was a 2.5 to 3 mile continuous up hill climb. With it being an out and back I knew this was coming and planned to dial back my splits to conserve energy, ended up running those 3 miles at 7:50 which was still below my target marathon pace. 17-26: after the long hill I settled in to a slower pace going over 8:00 for the first time in the race, I did my best to keep it close to marathon pace for as long as I could, but the wheels started to come off at mile 24 in which I ran a 9:09! This was the hardest mile I have ever run in my life. I trained without music, but brought headphones as a motivational boost for the tail end of the race, but of course they crapped out and I was left with my thoughts. As I passed fellow marathoners walking down the stretch I wasn't sure I could do this and questioned my choices, but was able to finish out the race in the end.

This was the best part of the race. It was awesome to have family cheering for me at the finish line and a moment I will cherish for all time. I don't normally drink, but the race purchase came with a free tech shirt and beer so I said what the heck. Definitely the best beer I ever had! I already know that I want to try this marathon thing again in the future. Definitely made some mistakes I can improve upon and want to pick a more destination type marathon, but overall I am over the moon with my results. A huge thank you to this community for the amazing tips and tricks you have shared with me. Thanks for reading.

Made with a new race report generator created by herumph.
submitted by Liftforlife88 to Marathon_Training [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 22:59 The--NERD What if Jax CAN escape the Circus, but willingly stays because he enjoys it, and is dragging everyone down with him?

So I watched Game Theory's newest TADC theory I was interested by the points that it made, but I think it ultimately came to the wrong conclusion about Jax being an NPC. Gooseworx could've been simply sizing up Caine as relentlessly tormenting people in the teaser episode to draw more attention, and the actual evidence for Jax being an NPC, can just as easily be concluded as him simply being the foil to Pomni, with greater understanding than he is letting on, as shown with his pin room. The chekov's gun of NPCs still has lots of opportunities for future episodes.
So, as compensation, I came to a different conclusion with Game theory's evidence, and some of my own.
Jax is willingly choosing to stay in the Circus, and preventing the others from catching on to find ways to escape.
Jaz clearly knows more than he let's on, with how he manages to have keys for everything without any explanation, which Ragatha notes as not being normal. He has the means to explore more and peal away at the curtain of the Digital Circus, yet tells Pomni they've all already tried to leave and Failed.
Jax treats people as simple entertainment, but even so, he should be able to work together with the others if he really wants to escape with his prior experience. Remember, he did bring Gangle and Kingar with him to hide from Kaufmo. He is willing to help or work with people out of absolute necessity.
If this is the case, why did he never begrudgingly work with the others on the absolute necessity of ESCAPING?
Simple, he could've already, but he doesn't want to. He prefers the Digital Circus to whatever hedonistic and shallow life he lived before. Gooseworx did comment that he deserves to be trapped there the most.
So instead, he continues living his past life through the others' suffering, a life free from consequences, where he imposes his will on everyone around him and they are forced to put up with him.
In addition to general sadism, he could then be tormenting the others as a means of submission, to be an obstacle that obstructs them from ever focusing on the bigger picture and escaping without his help.
His first response to Pomni's distress isn't to empathize or be blunt but fair, it's to give her the cold reality immediately, reinforce it by saying everyone else already tried to leave, and then mock her continously for the rest of the episode about her desire to escape.
Furthermore, remember that he was also the one to choose who to pair up as teams in the pilot. As noticed by Ragatha, he pairs up the two most unstable and despondent characters. Whilst he is the one who decides to go with Pomni and Ragatha.
If his sadism is a means of creating submission, then it makes perfect sense why he'd choose to go with Pomni and Ragatha. Pomni, because she's still having initial discontent and hoping to escape, and Ragatha, who maintains a positive attitude and tries to still help others with their situation, both are conflicts to his interests of preventing anyone from escaping. He leaves Gangle and Kingar alone because, in his eyes, they're already too far gone, therefore he has no need to accompany them.
He bullies Gangle because she still has enough reason left to suffer, whist largely ignoring Kingar, because, like a sadist, he realizes that Kinger is too innocent and friendly to give him any satisfaction in tormenting him, he wants a reaction.
To add to his influence of submission and blind acceptance, I noticed looking back at episode 2, the only seemingly affable thing he does without an obvious alterior motive is near the beginning. He playfully invities Zooble to come along for the adventure and mess around with the new AI. It's strange on rewarch, he may only want to torment Zooble, but the odd sincerity with which he invites her betrays his own demeanor. He knows Zooble hates him, he's bullied her as well in the pilot, and she hates adventures. He earnestly is attempting to hype her up, to make her interested in going on the adventures.
This small moment takes a dark twist under this new idea of willful misdirection. He wants her to give into the worthless entertainment. If his goal is to prevent the others from finding a way to escape, then Zooble refusing to go on adventures is a direct wrench in his plans, when he has no control or influence over them, they could do whatever they want.
Now, the last part of this puzzle to support this idea. What will this mean thematically? TADC is a story about existentialism and nihilism;questinging the value of your own reality.
Episode two ends on a bittersweet note, Pomni realizes she may still be trapped, but she discovers that she has the others to help her through it. Episode 2 also, as explained by gametheory, highlights the similarities between AI and Humans, but this can be taken in another direction, where the humans' lives aren't much different in the circus either, they both face impending insignificance and the threat of oblivion, so TADC will tell us something about the worth of our lives.
So then, how will this tie to Jax? Jax acts as a sorta foil to Pomni, as supported by Game theory and it's here in this funeral scene we get the first shred of humility from him. Whilst Pomni ends happier after attending Kaufmo's funeral, accepting her own vulnerability, Jax storms off with the tiny hint of emotion in his eyes, but repressing it as he refuses to attend.
This is a noteworthy moment of applying empathy to his character, but we must remember, Gooseworx has directly stated that Jax will be even worse in future episodes, and has nothing heroic in him. Therefore, I find it hard to believe he is feeling genuine sadness for Kaufmo, in a way that is actually selfless.
To reinforce the evidece of Gamethoery that Jax is worse than Caine and the true tormenter in the circus, now that him being an AI isnt the conclusin, him actively conspiring against the others gives more credence to this idea of him being the true villain, as he better fits the role of AM, the main antagonist of I have no Mouth and I must Scream, the primary inspiration for TADC, as he treats people like playthings and forces them to be stuck with him, in an attempt to repress his own suffering.
Now, let me recontextulize the funeral scene;when Ragatha brings up the topic of Funerals he isn't getting emotional over Kaufmo's, he's thinking of his own, and for a tiny moment, he realizes the grim reality that no one is gonna be attending his, but chooses to brush it aside.
He is the antithesis to Pomni, he is the anti role model who reflects horrible ways to cope with your existence, and more importantly, shows how he's hurting himself by choosing to live this way, depriving him of any true purpose. He chooses to stay trapped, so he may live a life without consequences, but under his anger, he's fearful and empty.
submitted by The--NERD to TheDigitalCircus [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 22:59 akbruins Starting a web freelancing business as an ADHD programmer?

Hi guys, lately I've been toying with the idea of starting a company to do freelancing web development/design work and web hosting for local businesses. I am confident that my technicals skills and experience are good enough that I can offer value to potential clients if I price my services right. However, I've never actually freelanced before (I have ~ 5 years experience programming professionally in corporate/SaaS data analysis and devOps settings), so I was hoping to see if anyone one this sub might be willing to share some relevant experiences and tips.
I live in a rural area with a ski/tourism industry people use for marketing, so my general idea is that I want my "company" to be able to build "custom" (which can mean a lot of different things) websites for small businesses in my area and beyond with Tailwind and my favorite CMS. I've even gotten as far as designing a logo. I get kind of apprehensive with some of the next steps in figuring stuff out.
For context, I am currently employed at my family's small IT firm (full situation is long story). I've been doing backend/db work and overhauling various web properties. Importantly, the projects I've been working on recently have been internal, so my (recent) portfolio is basically just app/sites me or my family own. I feel a little weird about that. But anyway, I do have a lot of flexibility (almost too much so) and spare cycles depending on the week... I want to be able to pick up more work in a controlled manner when I want.
One big issue for for me is that I have no clue how to price my services hourly. When I take my meds and I know what I need/want to do, I can be very efficient. But I tend to be a very non-linear person in terms of productivity and creativity, so I think pricing and estimating times will be tough for me (especially since I've never delivered in this context). Any tips on handling this area? It seems like making some choices here might be important in terms of defining my whole business model.
I also don't know how much design work I am trying to do (I'm not really trained classically in that area), but I do see investing in my design skills as worthwhile given that I tend to be a non-linear person anyway. I guess I sort of want to put myself in a position where non-linear creativity is understood and valued instead of punished.
Any tips on preventing scope creep (or at least accounting for it in how you plan projects)? I think this will be important for me.
Are there any other potential pitfalls or traps I should be aware of as a freelancer with adhd?
For those who have done a lot of freelancing work, do you find it more or less "accommodating" (not the right word but I can't think of anything better) of your working style with ADHD than a straight corporate job? It seems like freelancing could be good for my lifestyle, but how do you guys set boundaries?
I have heard of people running "full-service web agencies" and then going back to solo freelance dev work because they like it more, so I was wondering if anyone here had any thoughts about comparing those two work situations from an ADHD perspective. I think I could be cooking with gas if I were working with a frontend person faster than me lol.
Are there any resources for new freelancers/contractors that I should check out?
Anyway, sorry for the wall of text and asking so many questions, but I appreciate any advice here anyone can offer... between ADHD and vision issues, I don't really want to go back to a corporate/office job if I can figure out other options! Thanks y'all!
submitted by akbruins to ADHD_Programmers [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 22:59 Km545404 General Questions From A New Player - Fallout 4

Hello! I recently just finished the Fallout TV Series and loved it and decided to finally try out Fallout 4. I played FO4 when it first released and it wasn’t the game for me so I dropped it an hour or so in, but now I’m hoping back over to try again on the next-gen upgrade.
These questions will be regarding things like gameplay and other basic lore elements that may be useful for new players such as myself.
I have never seen anything else in the Fallout Series except for the show so sorry if this stuff is common knowledge.
1 - Scrapping - So I am in the process of building Sanctuary but don’t know what to scrap. I have read that all junk should be scrapped or sold, is that right? Should I be scraping trees and items like chairs, fences, and toys in houses or keep them for scenery? Is this my main base and should I be building self made houses or putting things in the old run down buildings? Also is there a faster way to scrap items? Ive been dropping all my items in front of a workbench and clicking the scrap button on every single item separately.
2 - Looting - I am currently picking everything up off enemies and from containers to dismantle for parts at workbenches. If this is wrong what specific items should I be looking for? Currently I have the 10mm pistol, Security baton, double barrel shotgun, laser musket, and mini gun (where do i put this?), and am wearing a Vault 111 Utility Jumpsuit for armor.
3 - Exploring - Where am I supposed to go? Do the enemies scale or do they get harder if I go in a certain direction? Im guessing rads are bad and should be avoided. I want to do side missions before advance the main quest, but do I need to get to a certain point to unlock a majority of the side missions?
4 - Quests - What quests should I be doing. Any side quests for some easy good armoweapons? I tried doing The First Step but the raider are like 2 shotting me on normal and I keep randomly blowing up inside the factory.
5 - Random Encounters & Lore - The first encounter I came across was a man and woman who were going to shoot a guy with a beard wearing a blue jacket. I convinced them to let him go and he ran off. He is a synth and from the Institute? What does all that mean or is it spoilers? Was I supposed to follow him after he ran off? The next encounter was at an old diner, a standoff between a woman and Wolfgang. I got it to end peacefully with the woman paying the gang. Is it better to keep people alive? Do you get better rewards for choosing a side in these situations? From the TV show, I know there are factions, is there a set good guy/bad guy? Should I try being friendly to everyone?
Also, is Dogmeat the same one from the show? Is there a general timeline somewhere and do I need to have played the previous games to understand things in this game?
Thanks in advance and feel free to provide any information about topics I didn’t mention here that I may find useful!
submitted by Km545404 to Fallout [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 22:58 PsychologicalPin3836 Summer Old Money, but Casual

Hey everyone, I'm a guy 15 and I'm looking to improve my fashion. I've done my research and I like the look of the old money style, but I want to stick to the more casual outfits in old money. I know it may bother the "purists" of old money, but for me it is hard to jump strait into wearing something as elegant as a sportscoat and trousers every day. Main question is, how can I make a capsule wardrobe that is simple following the style of old money with a slight casual flair?
Issues
  1. Money - being young I still am unsure how much I’m still going to grow so I can’t spend my life savings to just be thrown away in clothes I grew out of. With that being said I am willing to spend a few hundred dollars to buy a nice wardrobe with good quality
  2. Color - I know white goes with everything, but I can’t just have a full white wardrobe. What I do know is that (having blue eyes) I like to wear blue and green colors because they make my eyes pop, but with a capsule wardrobe I need to be efficient.
  3. Not wearing the same outfits every day - right now I wear a red tee-shirt with black shorts, a blue tee-shirt with gray shorts etc. so I tend to wear the same outfit all the time which is boring and because I need to learn how to style my clothes properly
  4. Not looking like a “try hard” - it is not uncommon for someone to be made fun of for overdressing, teenagers are brutal so I don’t want to look over the top (as I said before)
My plan was to try get the following (note this is specifically for the summer because I have a uniform for school so I want to try this for the summer and then I’ll have time to get things I sthink I need after the summer):
Now feel free to critique this as much as you want, all I’m asking for is some guidance on color (for each piece) and sticking a few simple pieces that I can mix and match so I don’t look repetitive.
submitted by PsychologicalPin3836 to mensfashion [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 22:56 LordoftheBoar Need your help and opinion. Was I controlling or the one being controlled/used? Gave it my all

I know there's also her perspective of the situation but I'll try to be as neutral as possible because I want honest opinions.
I (M30) was dumped by my gf (27F). I gave her my all and I'm feeling terrible. We had an on-off relationship for several months. At first when we dated I was able to set boundaries, but this changed. Before forming a relationship she asked me if she should be worried I'm seeing some other girl, I thought it was cute and assured her she didn't have to worry and asked her the same thing to which she responded "of course not". Several weeks later she became cold and distant. I confronted her when she was out drinking with a friend she didn't want to tell me who it was and asked "are you seeing somebody else?" to which she responded that her feelings for me had disappeared and she wants to cut off contact with me to go see other guys. I said "Ok bye."
Post forward a month, my feelings started to rise for her during the time I was away from her and my thoughts started wandering. "What if I wasn't comitted enough?", "did she think I was with her only for the sex?" and so on.. I had to contact her and find out. She agreed to meet me, we met and she said she missed me and so we started dating again. It was all lovey dovey just like before til' she became cold some weeks later again. Until this point I had been acting great towards her, not taken a wrong step at all. She tried to break up with me out of nowhere because she said she had to work on herself and I was shocked, I told her I would offer her unconditional love, support her mental health journey and even spilled the thought I would be ready to move to her city in the future because she had been sending signals she wanted that. This night she cried, told me how much she hated herself, was unlovable and had a history of seeking attention from guys but not anymore. She then wanted to try to make things work and that she would not flee from the situation because she was fearing commitment. I felt I lost self-respect and let go of my pride to save the relationship.
The following week I was hurt and cold towards her thinking I couldn't accept being treated like this, that this cycle will only repeat over and over again, her behaviour wasn't healthy and mine was neither since I'm allowing her to keep doing this. I watched videos on Youtube and stumbled upon a video about how to date someone with Borderline (later on I realized she probably didn't have that diagnosis) and got my hopes up to keep trying because I'm not a quitter and really like her. I thought her sudden changes in feelings and behaviour towards me was a repeating defense mechanism. Since I was now acting colder for the first time because I was hurt and ready to leave her if this behaviour continued she cried out she wanted to have a serious relationship with me and didn't want to lose me. I asked her if she was willing to build love, respect and trust and she said yes. We had a serious talk where I told her I didn't want to be used because I saw the risk of being that and she agreed that would not happen. Prior to our meetup she had planned on seeing her friend who is a guy but she cancelled it to prioritize seeing me and fix things.
At this point I was invested in the relationship and honestly felt a bit traumatized by it all. I had a bad feeling about her snaping and texting with alot of different guy friends. I was worried and reacted bad as soon as I saw a guy's name pop up on her phone screen. She ensured me it was only friends and I had a hard time trusting that at first. It took some time and convincing for me to feel cool with it and then I let go. She met this friend (who has confirmed romantic feelings towards her) of hers alone at his place drinking some wine but I wasn't really worried anymore and trusted her since she said she's feeling guilty he doesn't have alot of friends in the city. I thought maybe you shouldn't do that while in a relationship, but she thought otherwise and I just had to accept that our opinions differed and I was mostly fine with it. I really don't have any right to control her from seeing her longtime friend, but also thought it might have been that she wanted some attention or just talk to her friend.
Time went on and things were mostly really good between us, I still had some issues with trusting her because I always thought the time could come when she turned to this cold, distant version of herself. So I had some insecurities and needed her to ensure me from time to time that she's not about to flip again and that she's still into me and doesn't have interest in other guys. I noticed my behaviour started to annoy her and that my constant anxiety pushed her to distance herself from regular emotional talk. She kept snaping guys, mostly her co-worker several times a day, also while we were hanging out, they had a long snap streak and I asked about it after I reacted disturbed/troubled with my gf. She once again ensured me it's only a co-worker and they only talk about silly stuff with each other. I asked why they talked so frequently and about my worries and fears of stuff like this evolving into potential emotional cheating and maybe later on even physical cheating. That I myself would not text a girl buddy this much out of respect to my partner. She had a different opinion than me, but eventually agreed that you should not do some stuff with the opposite sex out of respect for your partner, but she thinks it would be totally fine going out alone just the two of them and having drinks as long as it's a friend. I didn't really agree it's cool but that it's probably no problem in some cases with very specific friends where there's no romance involved, but we agreed to disagree.
Fast forward to some weeks later when we had a conflict over the phone. I once again didn't really feel she was comitted since she didn't want to spend the whole upcoming weekend with me despite we haven't seen each other for two-three weeks. I just wanted her to want to spend all days of the weekend with me but she wanted to rest by herself one of the days, I reacted badly to this and regret I questioned it at all and didn't respect her need for some alone time. She also told me out of the blue she wanted to move to another city to which I reacted shocked and responded "but what about us and our plans of me moving to your current place?". She then responded that it was just a temporary thought that occurred to her and it wasn't that serious. I told her I was disappointed by this and that I hoped she would have considered my feelings in it all, it was a big step for me just moving to her current place further on. She said "I thought we had a really stable relationship but after this I'm not so sure anymore.."
After this she successively became colder and more distant in her texts. My anxiety increased, I apologized to her for my behaviour and wanted to work things out but she just said "we'll talk about it when we meet, not now". When the weekend came she was all cold towards me and in the evening told me she had to break up with me, she had talked to her colleagues and they all said I tried to control her and was an insecure guy. They said she needs to leave me and if I say I would do better she would just be controlled by me again, so she could never return to me for her own health-safety. Before this they really liked me and said I was such a sweet and nice guy and I've also met most of them too. I was shocked. I'm thinking to myself "that's not me, I'm actually a genuine guy with good moral and traits". Now basically everything I'd say could be considered as manipulative behaviour. She also told me she went to eat lunch alone with her co-worker she had snaped with the day after our fight but was afraid to tell me because of jealousy. Since I was so invested (talking about kids, house etc which is my big dream to do with someone I love) in the relationship and so in love I just couldn't let her go and I did everything I could to convince her to stay with me. She agreed to giving me "another chance" since I had given her another chance before but it really didn't feel like it. She was cold towards me but also gave me glimpses of hope during a whole month and this totally drained me. It was hot n cold and mixed signals all over the place and she also did some mean stuff like sexually teasing me and then saying "nope, no sex for you". I was supposed to go on a trip with her and her family but she said it got cancelled, then they went to another place anyways without inviting me. After this she came to my place, returned my stuff and actually had a long talk about our relationship and how she didn't want to keep working on it. She listened to me for the first time after basically stonewalling me for a month and I was of course very sad since this was the end for us and I tried everything to convince her to stay with me but ultimately was left alone.
After all this I've been depressed and even suicidal most of the days. I'm going to therapy and trying anti-depressants. I do have a history of depression, but it's never been this bad. Trying to take care of myself, seeing friends and family, working out even though it's hard. I tried reaching out to her after NC for 6 weeks but she said she has moved on and that I should too. My self-worth is at the bottom now, way worse than before the relationship. I'm also worried I won't find anyone I love again in my small city to maybe start a family with some day. I feel like a failure and don't have really any other big life goals, it's all dark right now. I'm aware of the codependency and unsecure anxious attachment i developed towards her while she was being avoidant. I've really done reflection and analyzed it all but I just want to hear your opinions about the situation and maybe some support.
submitted by LordoftheBoar to BreakUps [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 22:55 Kiara_Red_VA Moonborn - Aela Expanded A mod project that needs help!

Hello there! I'm KiaraRedVA and I'm a voice actress who's had the pleasure of lending my voice to a handful of mods such as Astara Cosma, Old Blood, Dremora Lines Expansion, Talkative Wispmothers, The Chain of Time, and more! I also have a few upcoming voice roles belonging to mods that haven't been released just yet! Voicing for the modding community has been amazing and it's been one of my strongest passions leading me to begin voice acting in the first place!
Now for the past few months, a mod author & I have been working on a pretty big mod project called Moonborn: Aela Expanded. What this mod aimed to do was add much more to Aela and expand her as a character, including a new VA (pppssst hi it's me), a complete re-voicing of all her vanilla lines, a personal story, and a lot more new custom lines like idles, dungeon idles, comments on certain shops or buildings, comments on player homes, etc. We had much more planned as well like quest-aware dialogue, I wrote a fair bit in this area for side quests & Dragonborn DLC quests planned for a future update.
I think the author was writing for some of the main quest & Daedric quests but I'm not sure where they left off or how much they had started, I can't remember but it was indeed planned to have her comment on main quest/guild quests/Daedric quests as well.
This has been in the works for months, and I had sent in about 1000+ or so lines and spent a good amount of time helping on the writing side in certain areas, I didn't completely take over the writing side of things but I did like helping out and making the workload easier on the author.
Unfortunately, the mod author I was working with decided they no longer wished to work on it due to burnout and other general life reasons. They were kind enough to give me permission to either upload the file as is, or continue where we left off with another author.
Which brings me to why I'm here! I've spent a lot of time working on voicing & writing, and I'd really hate to see all that work be for nothing. I had about one more set of lines I had just recorded before it was going to be considered 'finished' for an initial release, but we also had a lot of other things planned afterward and a good chunk of ideas that I'd hate to see go to waste. While I can just upload the file as is, I would not be able to provide bug fixes or any upkeep/general maintenance as I have no clue how any of that would work, so I'd just be uploading it and leaving it there.
What I'm looking for is help. I am pretty brain-dead when it comes to modding. I can write and scream into a mic but making mods or up-keeping them has never exactly been a strong point. I'm honestly surprised I can even get my Skyrim to launch without crashing on startup, genuinely.
If anybody knows a mod author, or if you're a mod author yourself interested in helping me with this project, or if you can guide me to somewhere I could get help for this sort of thing, please let me know! I'm more than willing to collaborate, re-record any current lines, and I'm open to any changes that may need to be done. This wasn't exactly **my*\* project to begin with as it was a collaborative effort, but I cannot express how much of a pleasure it was to write & voice for her, so I'd really like to continue if at all possible.
Thank you for reading and if anybody could help, please don't hesitate to reach out, I'd love to talk more about this! :)
submitted by Kiara_Red_VA to skyrimmods [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 22:54 CDown01 Eagles Peak pt. 5.5

Previous Part
I grabbed the back pack Bianca had left in the kitchen and waited in the living room. I had no idea what she was packing for but after this morning I wasn’t going up there to check. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to ask Tuck yet. I wanted him to tell me he was a werewolf himself, that seemed like pretty important information just on the basis of trust. But I also wanted to know why he was really out by the mine yesterday. His story didn’t add up and there’s no way he knew we would be up there, I think that was just a coincidence. As I was trying to come up with exactly how I wanted to broach the question to Tuck, Frank put a hand on my shoulder. He was wearing his lab coat so I guessed he just came up from the basement. The hairnet he always seemed to wear when he was working was in its usual spot. I suppose he wore it to protect the memory of hair that was once on his head. He looked solemn and a little sick as he turned to me.
“Keep her out of trouble will you? I know we haven’t always been the best to her and I’m sure Stein and I don’t really give her the help she needs. But she’s like the daughter I never had time to have, I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to her.”
“Frank, you probably do more than you know for her. Did she ever talk about her family with you?”
“Very briefly throughout the years, I don’t know if she’s told you much or anything for that matter. It… it certainly wasn’t easy for her growing up and it never got easier.”
“I’ll do my best to keep her out of trouble. If she does end up following me into… whatever this trial ends up being just promise me you’ll have a way to get her out. Some kind of contingency, I can fend for myself but I’ve seen her just shut down before. Like yesterday in the caves someone grabbed her and she lashed out and just… wasn’t herself. She just froze and I don’t want that to happen anywhere near Shaoni.”
“I’ll work on something but I can’t promise that. Like Stein said we’re scientists, we don’t really do field work like that. If I do come up with something you’ll be the first to know. I’m glad she ran into you when she did Keith, she could really use a friend.”
With that Frank walked away, back towards the kitchen and into the basement.
It wasn’t long after that when I heard Bianca coming down the stairs asking if anyone had seen her toothbrush. At which point Rocco appeared in front of me from god knows where holding a suspicious disassembled toothbrush.
“Not. A. Word. Kid.”
Rocco growled at me as he scampered out the door behind me.
“I have a couple that I packed for the trip here from Wisconsin I can just give you one of those.”
I called to Bianca. Partially because I wanted to get a move on and partially because I wanted no part in whatever Rocco was getting up to. If there was one supernatural thing about this town it was that raccoon’s knack for mischief. I get that’s what raccoons are known for but seriously, Rocco was on another level. Bianca reluctantly agreed to take one of the travel tooth brushes I had back at my house. I wasn’t even going to ask why she packed a duffle bag to go a few hundred feet into town and back again.
“Come on we’ll take the bikes again.”
Bianca said as she made her way behind the house.
“I’m telling you they’re going to give me tetanus one of these days but sure. Lets just stop at my place first, I want to drop off this backpack you took yesterday first.”
Bianca was still wearing the ratty jeans she’d taken from me yesterday and at this point I just figured she could have them. I really wasn’t about to get into an argument as to why she should take my pants off and… ugh even saying it is just… no. Those were hers now as far as I was concerned.
We rode over to my house through the crisp autumn afternoon. The trees along the street were finally being to change color, it looked like a scene from a postcard. One of those one’s of the idyllic towns that could’ve come straight out of a hallmark movie. I had to give it to Eagles Peak, it may by turning into a den of vipers for me minute by minute but it sure could be beautiful, in it’s own isolated kind of way.
“Wow its very… small.”
Bianca commented as she stepped into my house and looked around.
“Yeah not everyone has a blank check from two different governments like Stein.”
“I didn’t mean li…”
“It’s ok I know what you meant, its different.”
I said cutting her off before she had the chance to apologize. I dropped off the backpack in my room and rooted around in the one duffle bag I still hadn’t unpacked from my trip here. I found the toothbrush without to much trouble and walked into the living room to give it to Bianca only to find her unpacking on the couch.
“What’s going on here, are you moving in?”
I joked, not expecting the answer I was about to get.
“Yeah, kind of hard to keep an eye on you from my house. I suppose I could from the top floor but if we’re working against Shaoni that doesn’t seem like a great idea. She’s got that whole thing with lighting and I get the sense her being angry at you while your up in the air isn’t a great combination.”
Bianca said, unpacking a blanket like she wasn’t just inserting herself into my house.
“WHAT?”
I shouted, maybe a little too loud.
“Is there a problem?I thought you wanted me looking out for you, this is me, doing that.”
She said looking up at me with puppy dog eyes. You’ve got to understand, those eyes coming from someone like Bianca, glowing or otherwise, well you just can’t say no to that. When it’s Bianca you really can’t say no. She can just take that option away in an instant but again she didn’t for me, it was still my choice.
“I.. sure but you can have my bed. We’ll get everything set up once we get back from the Roost. You did tell Frank and Stein about this right?”
I gave in, deciding to let her stay.
“I’m a big girl, they doin’t need to know everything I do, and… thanks”
“It’s alright, just let me know next time you’re going to pull something like this ok?”
I added, equal parts excited to actually have someone to talk to besides myself in my own home, and worried what Frank and Stein might think was going on here. I put those thoughts out of my head for the moment as we got back on the bikes.
It was about 3 by the time we made it to Tuck’s bar after the delay Bianca had caused by moving herself out before we left. Just as I expected the sign said closed but the door was unlocked. The bar looked exactly the same as the last time I was there. Stone fireplace roaring and pristine wooden floor looking like it had been polished just this morning. Tuck was sitting behind the bar looking worse for wear. The look on his face said he knew we were coming and he wasn’t to thrilled about it.
“Does he know?”
Tuck asked pointedly, looking straight through me and speaking to Bianca.
“About me or you, because the answer is both of us.”
Tuck shook his head at this and a grim look came over him.
“Ya shouldn’t have pulled him into this.”
“Actually I pulled her into it if anything, going out there was my idea. I’ve got a mark like Robert’s, its actually what brought me to town in the first place.”
I said, hoping my honesty would get the same out of Tuck.
“So that bird called ya out here somehow?”
“More or less, but that’s not what I’m here about. I want to know why exactly you followed us out there yesterday.”
Tuck sighed and gestured to the seats at the bar, beckoning Bianca and I to take a seat.
“When Robert chased ya out the other night some of his friends came by. They all got that mark like him, they were sayin’ something about the thunderbird makin’ an appearance back at the old mine. I wanted to see for myself and make sure they were wrong. I found those bikes and ended up followin’ the trail. By the time I got there some guys were poking around that hole in the wall and a storm had kicked up. I saw them cut that rope and figured they weren’t doin’ no good. I… changed and dealt with them then forced my way into the old mine entrance, the rest ya already know cause I ran into ya not long after.”
This story made more sense to me, Tuck never came out there to find me, I just so happened to be out there. Those boulders I thought were moved had been, by Tuck which made me question just how strong he was. Each of those huge things had to weigh tons and there were three strewn about the entrance.
“Ok that makes more sense than what you told me, but what were you hoping to accomplish up there. If you ran into the thunderbird what would you have done?”
“I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t really up there again but the storm seemed to say otherwise. No storm like that just pops up and goes away, the bird had to be involved with that.”
“Actually she was there, just not as some huge bird. She was down in the caves with us but she looked human, native American to be more precise. That’s how I met her when I got marked and now she’s holding some kind of trial out in those mines.”
“You met the thunderbird, its a person? What does she want with this place now.”
Tuck said his demeanor changing into one full of concern. I didn’t know what else to say cause at the moment I didn’t actually know much more than that. It’s infuriating, this being in the dark thing. I just settled for dodging the question.
“Not to change the topic but are we to early to grab a bite to eat?”
I wish I had a camera handy because the face Tuck made at that whiplash change of topics was priceless. I can’t properly do it justice with words. Suffice it to say one of his eyebrows hit the ceiling while the other hit the floor and a violently confused expression plastered his face.
“Sure I guess, what do the two of ya want!”
Tuck exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air and walking back behind the counter. I ended up ordering some fried chicken sandwich with bacon and pickles, and as I took the first bite my risk of heart attack increased ten fold. Bianca ordered the same thing and was pecking at it inquisitively when I asked,
“So what’s the story with Rocco?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean why, why did Frank and Stein make him in the first place?”
I asked through a mouthful of greasy goodness.
“Well I think it started out as a joke, then Stein actually wanted an assistant and that joke became Rocco. They worked on him for a while, pretty much they took a random raccoon off the street and played around in its head. I know there was some gene splicing involved but if you want to know how they did it ask them.”
“So he was supposed to be an assistant in the lab? I think I’ve seen him doing one thing to help them out this whole time and he was poking through a back alley for old batteries.”
“Yeah, he’s not a great assistant, must be good enough though cause they haven’t tossed him out.”
“Are you kidding me! If they tossed him out he be so much worse! Just think, Rocco left to his own devices without any supervision.”
Both of us shuddered at the thought, if he was bad now he’d be a menace to society without the little control we had over him.
Bianca and I ate and eventually Tuck came out and I told him my story about Imalone. He seemed really concerned at the fact that the thunderbird could be walking around town and he wouldn’t know about it. I assured him that Shaoni was really hard to miss if you just looked at the eyes. It wasn’t like she looked any different either, no matter what she was wearing those tattoos would be a dead giveaway. Tuck assured me he was going to keep an eye out and gave me his number to call if I saw her. I don’t want to talk down on Bianca, but something about having a werewolf looking out for me as well was reassuring. Tuck told us a bit about what he was doing with Frank and Stein too. Apparently he contracted his “disease” as he called it long before he came to work in Eagles Peak. He was originally from Louisiana and moved to New York for a change of scenery and ended up getting a job in the mines here around 1940. I should also mention Tuck ages very slowly due to his “disease” so he looks like he’s in his 50’s or so but he was born in 1900. To his credit you’d never know he was anything other than your friendly middle aged bartender.
Bianca and I were getting ready to leave as it came time to open the bar for real. When Tuck offered us a round of drinks on the house.
“No, no that’s alright Tuck, you’ve done enough for us we’ll see you later.”
Bianca politely declined, pulling me towards the door. After I said my goodbyes and we had gotten back to the bikes I asked Bianca,
“Do you not drink? I’m not judging just… when Tuck offered you seemed kind of jumpy.”
“I just never have, I was kind of bouncing around the country when I turned 21 so I just never started.”
“So your telling me you never had your first drink? Well, we have to fix that then.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, its like a right of passage where I’m from. We’ll pick up a six pack or something on the way back but we don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to.”
I said, trying to convince her. I’m not a huge drinker but I am from Wisconsin, alcohol is a way of life out there and we’re know for our beer. In my family turning 21 and having your first drink is cause to bring the whole family together. I couldn’t do that for her but I could at least give her the experience, maybe give her just one more good thing to remember.
Bianca agreed and we pulled into the Save-A-Lot just outside town. The building was painted white bit it was slowly peeling away revealing a concrete grey underneath. The big glowing sign was missing a few letters now simply reading Sav- -Lo. Despite its decaying state it still had the classic beer cave inside. I took a second to look for something from Wisconsin, call me a snob but we do beer right. I settled on a 12 pack of Leinenkugel, that was close enough to home for me. Bianca trailed behind me in the store, a bit like a scared cat looking for a place to hide. Obviously she didn’t get out much and having people she didn’t really know much about was stressing her out somewhat. We got to the checkout and an older cashier eyed my suspiciously.
“Can I see an ID”
She croaked in a hoarse smokey voice. Now I don’t always look my age but I’m 28 there was no reason to try and ID me. That didn’t really bother me so much as the fact that my wallet was still at home. I’ve been spending the cash Bianca gave me back when I watched her house and I just keep that in my pocket. I also have a bad habit of only brining my wallet when I knew I would need it instead of carrying it on me. Regardless I started to sweat a little as I tried to explain the situation.
“You see I would but I left mine at home and I’m not sure if…”
I was cut off by Bianca reaching out and brushing the cashier’s hand Then looking her straight in the eye. I knew exactly what she was doing.
“Look we don’t have an ID for you right now can you just take it on faith?”
“I understand sweetie, here why don’t I cover it for you, my treat.”
The cashier said, turning a complete 180 on her previous question. I looked from Bianca to the old woman a few times before Bianca finally shrugged.
“What?”
I wondered if it was that easy for her to change my mind back when she manipulated me into watching the house.
“So she just payed for it?”
I asked Bianca as we walked back to the bikes.
“That was her, not that I couldn’t make her do that. As far as I can work out, if I suggest something people tend to do it. Over the years I learned how to control that to the point where I’m only able to do it when I want to. Frank said it has something to do with pheromones in my breath or something like that.”
Bianca explained, hoping onto her bike and keeping pace with me back towards my house. I didn’t ask for an explanation but she gave it. I’m not really sure pheromones were something that could have that profound of an effect on someone but I’d just add it to the list of questions I’d have to ask Frank or Stein at some point.
“Still it was a bit weird seeing it from the outside. Was I that easy to convince before?”
Bianca got a mischievous look in her eye.
“Oh, you were so much easier, I barley needed to try. Just flip my hair and flutter my eyes a few times and that was that.”
She said, smiling devilishly at me. I blushed a little bit, partly because that’s probably all it would’ve taken from someone who looked like her and partly because I was embarrassed that she might not just be poking fun at me.
“No you definitely did something to me, I lost like 6 hours in your kitchen! That was you right…right?!”
I asked a little nervous. Bianca just laughed and pedaled off ahead of me. She did not put my mind at ease with any sort of answer but she did beat me back to the house.
When I got in She was sitting on the couch sorting through a pile of movies she pulled out of her duffle bag. She really had just thrown the entire contents of her room into a bag and brought them over. Bianca seemed to settle on a movie before she realized I’d walked in.
“So you like horror?”
I said, gesturing to the same movies I’d seen lying out earlier when I watched her house.
“Yeah, I just like seeing how people think all these things act. Like Tuck, werewolves are always looked at as these big imposing things in movies but he’s a puppy in comparison.”
“The guy looks like he could tear me apart down the middle with his bare hands buuuut, I see your point.”
Thinking back to every interaction I’d had with the guy so far, he never really was as scary as he looked. I sat down on the couch, dropping the case of beer on the coffee table.
“So, have you picked out a movie yet?”
To which Bianca closed her eyes and poked at a random movie in the pile. “Dog Soldiers”, it was called, actually I think I’ve heard of that movie before. One of those its so bad its entertaining things. I popped the movie into my DVD player and sat back, handing Bianca a beer.
“ Is this how normal people feel?”
She asked as the movie started.
“Depends on what you mean by normal, even then I’m not sure that’s the question I’d be asking. Maybe you just finally have a chance to relax after years of never being able to.”
“Oh sure, I’ll just relax now that I know we have the actual thunderbird looking to force you into some kind of trial.”
Bianca joked sarcastically before suddenly softening and taking a sip of her beer.
“Uggg that’s bitter… but not bad. Maybe your onto something Kieth.”
I don’t remember much from the movie. One scene stuck with me, a guy trying to fist fight a werewolf. It was already campy but the effects on the werewolf were just dated enough to make it that much funnier. Bianca and I couldn’t help but to Imagine Tuck as the werewolf, bewildered as to why this scrawny thing thought it could fight him. At some point the beer ran out, Bianca and I making it through the whole case. I remember getting up to go to my own room and Bianca pulling me back. What I didn’t remember though was letting Shaoni into my house. I was woken up by a tap on my shoulder, coming face to face with her. Shaoni’s hand was on one shoulder and Bianca’s head was on the other. At some point we both feel asleep on the couch together, the TV was still on, illuminating the dark room.
“Well well, I wasn’t expecting you to have guests Keith.”
Shaoni mocked, clicking her tongue at me as she finished. She wore the same white night dress I’d seen her in before. Something in the house was open, a window, a door? I didn’t know but the smells of an autumn rainstorm blew into the house, a storm no doubt caused by Shaoni.
“I… its not what it looks like.”
I stammered out, embarrassed to be caught like this.
“I don’t care what you get up to in your free time Keith. I just came to tell you I’ll expect you at the mine tomorrow, The trials will be starting soon and I want everyone who will be participating to meet each other, you will be participating, won’t you Keith?”
She asked like it was a question but it really wasn’t, wether I liked it or not I was going to be there, I could come willingly or kicking and screaming. She was simply asking which I wanted it to be.
“When do you want me there?”
“Oh don’t worry about that, I’ll send someone to collect you around noon.”
With that she turned to walk away, but I wasn’t done with her yet.
“Wait! What exactly are these trials, what am I going to be doing out there?”
“That would spoil the surprise Keith, be patient, you’ll know in time. That pretty little thing there, her name wouldn’t happen to be Bianca, would it?”
Shaoni asked, pointing at Bianca who was still asleep on my shoulder.
“How did you know that?”
I shot back, immediately jumping to Bianca’s defense. I hadn’t known her all that long true, but I didn’t want her any closer to this than she had to be.
“Oh no reason.”
Shaoni said with a snicker that sounded more like a hiss. With that she disappeared, and I mean she was just gone. One minute she was there the next there was a gust of wind and a brief flash of light and she was gone. The disruption was enough to wake Bianca up finally.
“Ugh, head..still…spinning.”
“Heh, I think you overdid it a bit last night.”
“Ugh maybe.”
She said, holding her head that still rested on my shoulder.
“What’s going on anyway, why’d you wake me up.”
“It’s just… well things are moving a bit faster than I hoped.”
I said, trying to reassure her that it was nothing, most likely failing miserably but she didn’t seem to notice. There was a second there that I thought maybe things could just be normal. This whole thing would just blow over and Shaoni would never come back and get me for these “trials” but I always knew it was wishful thinking. Now Bianca was a part of it to somehow, that had made up my mind. She’d been through enough, now Shaoni seemed interested in her all of a sudden. If putting myself through these trials kept her away from Bianca that’s exactly what I’d do.
submitted by CDown01 to AllureStories [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 22:54 financialwoe2 Can’t say no to family when it comes to money

Sorry in advance for formatting I’m on mobile.
Some background: me, my brothehis gf my sisteher fiancé and my mom and her husband all lived together. We all split rent but my mom got hurt so she left to live with my other sister while she healed. That left the rest of us and we tried to keep the house together. My sister and her fiancé ended up leaving after we planned to stay together for a while longer while we figured out what to do. My brother had a falling out with my sister and her fiancé and ended up losing the job he had with her. they are currently on bad turns. I ended up quitting my job when I got burnt out and went looking for a job maybe a week later. Meanwhile I was driving everyone around while we job searched. I couldn’t keep car payments and my car ended up being in useable anyway.
My brothers childhood best friend moved in with his baby mom and baby but they ended up paying no rent because the best friend didn’t tell his baby mom. A bunch of shit happened and we ended up getting evicted. We had tried to go to court to get time to come up with the rent money but we had to send my moms husband who said that if we didn’t have the money at the court hearing that they wouldn’t give us an extension. So we started packing and cleaning and tryna figure out where to go. My sister offered to take Me and I resisted at first but I had no other choice if I didn’t want to go where my mom was. My sister and his gf ended up in a long stay hotel but they have no means of transport expect ubering and it burns a hole in their wallet.
We’re all working now and making okay money. The issue is my brother and his gf never have enough money for things, they need money to Uber, to make sure they make rent to be able to eat etc. and I under stand this so I tend to help them out but the issue is by doing so I never have money myself. My part of rent takes a decent chunk out of my paycheck and everything left over gets siphoned out by the people around me. My brother needing help and my sister asking me for money or helping them out with non shared bills, or just paying for dinner. I have very rarely been payed back.
I have trouble saying no, and I’ve talked to a friend before who has told me I need to keep better boundaries with my family but I don’t know how. I don’t want my brother to suffer and I feel like shit saying no to my sister and him. But I’m tired of the majority of my money disappearing the second I get it. I work hard at a job I hate to make money but I can’t save a single cent. I’ve had times where a decent paycheck was whittled down to ¢18. I’ve had moments where I’ve literally given my last and I’m still asked.
My brother is very apologetic about it which makes it hard to stay mad but I’m building a resentment.
What should I do? How do I put my foot down and not feel too much like garbage?
submitted by financialwoe2 to Advice [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 22:54 AxstromVinoven Jumper Axstrom - #28A - The Fountain + Biosphere Supplement - Builds

28 - The Fountain Build

Point Summary

Point Total: 1000 CP 1000 (Base)

Jump Details

Document name: 28 - The Fountain Version: 1.1 Author: SJ-Chan Source: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J9PF3AIk-7AcY8Gd2R7CJXaqDZPdxgeO/view

Jump Duration

Years: 10 Months: 0 Days: 0

Perks

Noble Thought (Free)
A noble is a creature of excess, and excess has a way of blinding one to reality. Well, not you. No matter how much you have, you will never forget the value of things, the realities of the lives of people who aren’t you, and truth that the world does not, in fact, revolve around you. You will not forget to treat people with the respect due them, nor will you disregard their suffering simply because it doesn’t affect you.
Noble Deed (Free)
Things you do echo further, have greater impact, are remembered longer. History books never leave you out and, when you visit places you once tread, you will find relics and signs of your passage no matter how much time has passed. You will not be forgotten. But you might not be remembered fondly.
Inventor's Vision (Free)
When you look upon a problem or issue that you understand even a bit, you instantly get a sense for how you might solve that problem, upgrade that item, or improve that situation. The longer you study some situation or item, the greater the insight will be and the more far reaching the solution. You might look at the state of education in your society and within a week have a dozen workable plans for small ways to improve the situation, and within a year of study have a comprehensive and feasible plan for a complete overhaul of the system. While not guaranteed that all your ideas will be good ones, improvement becomes far more likely with time and effort. Unforeseen side effects might still crop up though.
Inventor's Intent (Free)
One of the worst things an inventor can experience is discovering that someone has used their invention in a way they would not approve of... or even worse, that their invention has some horrible side-effect. Now this is much less likely to happen to you. Processes, techniques, and tools invented by you are much harder to abuse in ways you would not approve of, and you’re much better at foreseeing potential problems ahead of time and figuring out ways to head them off or, at least, lessen the fallout that will result from them.
Improved POV (Free)
Somehow, wherever you go, you always seem to be in five closely related locations at the same time. Well, that’s not quite right. Let me try again. When you are anywhere, four versions of you that aren’t quite really there, but could be there if you weren’t there... are there. Does that make any sense? Probably not. But what it boils down to is that for every event you experience, you have not one but five points of view on the event. Maybe one of you was right in the middle of a bar-fight, while another you was in the corner watching, and a third was working a pick-up shift behind the bar, and a fourth was an EMT who responded to the event and the fifth was a bum on the sidewalk outside listening. Only the primary you is the one who was really in the moment, but you can freely remember what all the four... let’s call them shadows... would have seen and experienced from their own unique POVs. You can’t really choose what they were doing, as they are more like echoes of potential you’s, but their experiences will be close enough to what you’d have experienced to be easily internalized and all the details will be as true as anything you actually experienced.
Bystander (Free)
When you don’t want to be involved in the events unfolding around you, be that a war, a fight, or a natural disaster, you may remove yourself from the flow of events almost entirely. As long as no individual or entity involved wants to target you specifically, you may become an all but intangible, unperceivable, untargetable observer. Even area effect things like, say, atomic bomb blasts, will pass harmlessly through you, though you might want to get out of there before the radiation gets to you. All Together Now (Free)
You have grown tired of casting off the memories and emotions each Jump layers over your basic identity. You may now choose to absorb the personality of any self you gain or have ever been into a gestalten whole. While this may dilute your basic youness, it also makes it much harder for anyone but you to make sense of your memories or to use any specific traumatic experience against you. Although there is now more of you, your essential sense of self only grows stronger the more times you do this, as all these facets of yourself serve to reinforce your fundamental identity, and you realize that the more you appear to change, the more you explore the limits of who you are. In layman’s terms, each apparent change is more akin to uncovering further digits of pi. Pi itself never changes even as it grows more complex.
500 Years of Practice - Teaching [100/900 CP]
You have spent five centuries mastering (and beyond mastering) any singular skill or artform. Sure, you might be a bit obsessed with that subject, but that obsession will fade as the jump comes to an end. Your compulsive delving into the limits of this singular area of study has granted you insights that no other living being has ever reached, allowing you to casually compose masterpieces which can profoundly move those who witness them, or create stunning refinements undreamt of by mere masters. A painter could trace a perfect circle in black on a white background and viewers would stare for hours. A dancer could reduce the audience to tears simply by standing still. A sculptor could carve hard stone until it was all but impossible to tell the sculpture from a living being. A poet’s words could touch the hardest heart or sway public opinion like a gale-force wind.
Soothing Presence [200/700 CP]
You have achieved inner calm and can project it at others as long as you are not currently experiencing any strong emotion yourself. Merely being in someone’s presence is enough to calm them dramatically, but physical contact, oratory or song, or simply allowing them to see you can all boost the effect by orders of magnitude. This can sooth mental, emotional, or spiritual suffering, or simply induce a sense of lassitude over the target or targets. This can work on any number of people as long as you can reach them with your presence.
Absolution [300/400 CP]
If you can convince someone to willingly pour out their deepest fears, regrets, or sins to you, you can grant them true absolution, allowing them to forgive themselves and move on. This does absolutely nothing for you as it does not work if you make it conditional. Their repentance must be genuine for this to work and they cannot desire gaining absolution for any immoral or unethical purpose.

Items Stipend: [+200/600 CP]

Meditation Garden (Free)
The Body. The Mind. The Soul. A perfect trinity, working in harmony to reflect the Self. But when one of these is disrupted, balance can be at risk. Balance must be maintained. Upon purchase, your Warehouse gains a small Meditation Garden attachment, that while it cannot be used for storage, it will always fit whatever form you are wearing. Its aesthetics will always change to represent what you interpret as an environment of perfect serenity and 'oneness', and a significant time meditating in this space will help you reach an intrinsic understanding of the self and how your experiences can define you. The past cannot always be changed, but the present can forever be gleaned on... so that the future is always one of your design. You can, if you like, plant a few small plants in your Garden as well. Any plant inside the garden will always be in the full flush of life.
Biosphere [200/400 CP]
The body is but a vessel of the mind, with one changing as the other does, constantly learning from what it experiences and accomplishes. It is only natural then, that the experiences of those around the body will likewise help shape it. To gain the perspective and change you desire, your environment must reflect that. For this meager price, your Warehouse has gained the properties of a Biosphere; self-contained, but controlled. The walls and ceiling can be made 'open', to make it appear as though you were in the middle of an open field in the summer, or a cliffside as the night sky illuminated the plains. While you cannot store anything outside of the Warehouse boundaries, and you will always be aware of these boundaries... the weather and the environment around you shall be in your control, with even simulacrums of wildlife that may fly around. Perhaps by expressing your mind in here, you can begin to understand it. The higher price unlocks the Biosphere Supplement and grants you 800 BP to spend there instead of the default 600.
Tree of Life Sapling [400/0 CP]
You have managed to obtain a fully viable, albeit fairly young Tree of Life. It produces both bark and, once a decade, six fully viable fruits that will (if left on the tree) mature to seeds. Each takes a hundred years to become a sapling, and a thousand years to reach full maturity. The sap is incredibly deadly, so it’s a good thing the flesh of the tree is all but impenetrable to anything short of divine weapons. If you purchased the Meditation Garden, the Sapling will initially be planted there. If you did not, it will be planted in a small reflecting pool attached to your Warehouse. Those who eat the fruit of the tree of life can live forever in the prime of life and free of all disease, gaining the effects of the Perfect Health Perk above.
Note - Perfect Health [Free in the Future, 400 to Keep]: Thanks to the wonders of modern medicine, you have gained perfect health, immunity to all diseases, the ability to heal from any non-lethal wound, and to live, essentially, forever.

28A - Biosphere Supplement Build

Point Summary

Point Total: 800 CP 800 (Base)

Jump Details

Document name: 28A - Biosphere Supplement Version: 1.7 Author: SJ-Chan Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XhaR5HSde1GKV_kbfp2u_YQEYFGqOg2a1GIBOgp8FfQ/edit

Items

Biosphere Basic and Freebies (Free)
Note: Main island is 64km diameter (3217 sqkm area - basically the same size as the county I live in) , 2 islands are 16km diameter, 3 islands are 4km diameter, etc. "World" zone is 25,736 sqkm area (181km diameter)
The Sphere is divided into an inner “Land Space” World and an outer “Air Space” Shell. If the World expands, it does not increase the thickness of the Shell and vis versa. The sphere is always a perfect sphere.
The initial World is 1 km from edge to edge and contains your base island. The Island is 1 km in diameter. It is mostly circular, with an area of 0.785 km2. It is 200-250 meters thick and all jagged on the bottom. The World is a sphere, though the half above “sea level” is likely to be largely full of air. It is exactly as tall as it is wide. Your warehouse is always at the exact center of the World’s horizontal axes, though it can be raised or lowered vertically if you have the means.
The initial Shell is also 1 km. This means it is ½ km give or take, from the edge of your initial island. If you fall off the edge of the island, you will fall to the bottom of the sphere and need to get someone to come and get you if you cannot fly. Building within ½ km of the outer edge of the Shell is prohibited.
Gravity is Earth normal.
Biosphere Day Cycler [Free] - Now you can run your Biosphere through a day night system.
Utilities [Free if you have them from the Warehouse or Housing] - Electricity, Intranet with wifi (will only connect to outside data net if you have that upgrade), Running Water (Fluoridated or not, your choice), Sewage System, AC & Heating to all buildings.
Basic Pollution Scrubber [Free] - This pulls all incidental contamination out of the atmosphere of your Sphere.
Rope Ladders [Free] - Extends off the bottom of all your islands so you can climb up.
Biosphere - The Huge Island [90/710 CP]
Your Island is now 64km in diameter / 3,217 km2 in area. The thickness increases to 1600-2000 meters. Your World expands to contain this respectably sized landmass.
Biosphere - Double Archipeligo [150/560 CP]
You really like land, don’t you? Okay, just for you. You now have 2 Secondary Islands, 3 Tertiary Islands, 4 Quaternary Islands, and so on. You may also have up to 200 smaller islands that may not exceed 4 m across. This doubles the size of your World one last time.
note: each island is 1/4th the diameter of the last. If your main island is 256 km across, your other islands will be 64 km, 16 km, 4 km, 1 km, 250 m, 62.5 m, 15.6 m.
Biosphere - Snowball in Hell [20/540 CP]
The thickness of your Shell is now 4 km in all directions.
Biosphere - The Ocean Not So Deep [50/490 CP]
Instead of just being surrounded by air, your Island is surrounded by water. This water is freshwater and drops down to the bottom of your island, but only has a seafloor for the first 100 meters in all directions. It does not have tides or waves and has no flora or fauna. This ocean extends out to within 1km of the walls of your sphere, including down. Requires at least Snowball in Hell.
Biosphere - The Seafloor [20/470 CP]
The ocean around your islands now has a seafloor that extends out as far as your ocean does. It gets progressively deeper the further from land it is, down to within 200 meters of the bottom of your thickest island. Requires The Ocean Not So Deep.
Biosphere - Ocean Life [20/450 CP]
Your ocean now teams with freshwater plants and fish, shellfish, and bivalves. Nothing poisonous or dangerous exists in this environment naturally, but you could import it if you like. There are no marine mammals, but you could bring those in too if you like. The native species are self replicating, even if fished to extinction. Requires The Seafloor.
Biosphere - Weatherworks [15/435 CP]
Want to do a spot of sailing or just like a breeze? This machine makes the wind blow. There are now heavy updrafts for you hang-gliders. There are now big white fluffy clouds floating around inside your Biosphere. You have complete control over weather if you have the Observation Deck.
Biosphere - Season Simulator [10/425 CP]
Like variation? Now you can set the seasons to cycle anywhere from once a day to once a century. Don’t like Winter? Skip it! Want to make up your own seasons? Cool! Requires Weatherworks & Day Cycler.
Biosphere - Climatology [10/415 CP]
Now you can designate latitudes inside your sphere where the climate varies, either arctic at the center and tropical at the edges or vis versa. Need not be that extreme. Requires Season Simulator.
Biosphere - Terrain Modification Engine [40/375 CP]
All the flat getting to you? This machine can raise hills or create valleys or rivers or any other terrain features you might want within your Biosphere. You could even make mountains that tower up to 30 km high if your Sphere is big enough. Terrain features rise or fall no more than 1 meter per 24 hours. High mountains will develope snow caps if you have the Weatherworks and Oceans.
Biosphere - Floral Universe Creation Kit [20/355 CP]
All the endless grass getting to you? This machine can create forests, jungles, savannahs… you name it. Plants grown with this machine grow 1 meter per day and each machine can create up to 5,000 cubic meters of living plant matter every day. This system can generate 10,000 different species of plant and adding a new one simply requires a genetic sample. Only natural plants can be generated. The machine can be removed from your Biosphere for up to 7 days before needing 28 to recharge.
Biosphere - Small Fauna Generator [25/330 CP]
Want some chipmunks, birds, butterflies, bees? Nothing this machine generates is overly dangerous or a pest species, and the system automatically keeps everything in check, even if you’re a dick to nature. Each Generator can produce and maintain up to 500 species of small (5kg or smaller) animal life, both terrestrial and aquatic. Each machine can create up to 5,000 kg of animal life per day. To add a species to this machine’s databank, you must have at least 50 different genetic samples of that species. Only natural animals can be generated.
Biosphere - Big Fauna Generator [50/280 CP]
Want some more… aggressive or majestic species? Or just some sheep or cows or piggies? This is for you. Each machine can generate and maintain up to 50 species of large (500kg or smaller) animal life, both terrestrial and aquatic. Animals made by this machine will not be hostile, but can be dangerous if provoked. Each machine can create up to 5,000 kg of animal life per day. You will need to acquire at least 50 different genetic samples from the same species for this machine to add it to its databank. Only natural animals can be generated.
Biosphere - Celestial Bodies [5/275 CP]
Suns, Moons, Stars, Rings, Comets, Meteor Showers, Other Planets? You name it, all of them can progress across your fake sky. They’re just images, but comforting ones. You have full control of them.
Biosphere - Transport Disks [20/255 CP]
These disk platforms are all over your Biosphere. Each one can carry a person at 10km/h to anywhere within the sphere and each can carry up to 750kg. THey can be programmed to follow you around and there is even a Transport Disk launch station at the very bottom of the sphere in case someone gets stuck down there. Biosphere - Industrial Disks [10/245 CP]
Removes the weight limits from Transport Disks.
Biosphere - Airport & Marina [20/225 CP]
Not only does this give you a place to store, maintenance, and launch all your watercraft and aircraft, it also allows you to generate a world rift that allows you to bring them into or out of whatever world you happen to be visiting.
Biosphere - Observation Deck [25/200 CP]
This structure is at the top of the Sphere and allows you to look down upon all your creation, like some kind of god. If you have controls, they can be accessed from here instead of from the warehouse. You can even move your bedroom up here. Only you and those you invite can enter.
Biosphere - Restricted Zones [25/175 CP]
You get to set areas of the Biosphere (like the warehouse) off limits to some people. Like keeping kids out of the arsenal… or your friend who’s on a diet out of the fridge.
Biosphere - Hydrogeology [20/155 CP]
Your islands now have a complete hydrogeological cycle, meaning that water, in the form of cold, freshwater springs, will form on all your islands, providing rivers and ponds as appropriate.
Biosphere - Farming Zone x6 [30/125 CP]
Farms for your Farming Needs. Covers 20 hectares initially, but can be purchased multiple times, doubling the farming area each time. The soil is always perfect for whatever crops you plant in it. (total 640 hectares: 1581 acres / 6.4 sqkm)
Biosphere - Freestanding Buildings [10/115 CP]
Each of the various add-ons to your Warehouse now are freestanding, forming a nice compound, or spread out across your entire domain.
Biosphere - Industrial Plant [100/15 CP]
Your Biosphere includes a complete factory system, including advanced Atmospheric and Hydrological Pollution Scrubbing. You'll have to find someone to do the actual production, or find robots. It is the size of Detroit and automatically up to whatever tech-level your science has reached.
Biosphere - X - Spaceport [15/0 CP]
I just made this up, it's not in the doc, but this seems reasonable. Requires Airport & Marina and sufficient space
submitted by AxstromVinoven to u/AxstromVinoven [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 22:51 Emrecof Barrowlands

The barrowlands were a vast expanse, unforgiving and empty. Hills undulated and rolled, carved by the winds and time and the hands of the First Men. Dust that had once been kings’ bones sat in the thousands of slopes that defined the landscape, their blatant artificiality only occasionally marred by collapses and uncontrolled treelines.
It was in one of these barrows that the Locke party had taken shelter. The edges of a spring storm had reached them, darkening the sky before its time and blanketing the land with misty rain.
The barrow was unmarked to their eyes, any runes long since worn away by time. Even Valena did not know to whom the tomb had belonged, and to Harwin’s mind, that meant nobody knew. Now, night had fallen in truth, and a small cookfire crackled fitfully, smoke curling out of the doorframe to be lost in the mist. Their meal was strips of salted venison, the finest gift of the Manderlys’ court, and a small celebration that they had set out on their way.
They had spent two weeks in White Harbour, in the end, and the memory left him glad to be free. Bella Woolfield was a busy woman, distracted and superior in equal measures. Harwin had felt exposed, especially when their hosts toasted the memory of Lord Barthogan and Marlon Locke.
Sylas sat against the far side of the dark barrow, eyes straining at that book he had brought from Oldcastle. He’d so far evaded any questions about it, and the well-worn leather binding gave little clue. The space was crowded by the rest of their retinue, quiet men intent on their food, tired from a day’s travel and disheartened by the weather. Only Valena seemed energised, scanning the roof of the barrow, a sketchbook open on her knees, charcoal staining her fingers as she scraped it across the pages.
“What are you drawing?” Harwin asked, finding her easiest to engage with. The question drew several pairs of eyes. Only three of their number weren’t present. Frenken was out checking on the horses, Jorah had insisted on standing guard, and Benjicot had not yet returned.
“Ceiling,” Valena said, pointing. “See how the way the stones are stacked makes an alternating pattern? Sort of back and forth here by the entrance? Spiralling in the burial chamber?”
Harwin nodded, though in truth it took him a moment to parse what she meant.
“That allows them to stack into an arch without mortar. The weight of the soil on top keeps everything tight, and it’ll more or less stand forever.”
“Why not build castles like that?”
“Because–” Valena flicked the stick of charcoal in that way that meant she had caught herself before giving an inadequate answer. She took a moment.
“They did build fortifications. I guess you wouldn’t call them castles, and honestly this all depends on which maester you read. In any case, though, it doesn’t scale. You couldn’t build something the size of the Wolf’s Den or Oldcastle like this.”
Harwin nodded. There was a fragility in expansion, he knew. He had seen some small glimpse of it in the pulls on Bella Woolfield’s time. So many things that could go wrong. It didn’t discourage him as much as it probably should have.
“Who goes there?” came a voice. In the muffling of the wind and the barrow, it took a moment for Harwin to identify Jorah. The voice that answered was too far away for Harwin to make out the words, but he knew its sound. He was on his feet before he knew it, striding out of the ancient tomb.
“Benji!” he called, grinning unexpectedly. The soaked knight smiled in return. One hand held the reins of his horse, the other rose in greeting. Harwin ran in, clasping a hand to Ser Benjicot’s shoulder.
“My lord, it’s good to see you again,” Benji said.
“And you - I was worried you would pass us by, in truth.” Harwin took the reins from him, and Benjicot hesitated only slightly at the unexpected courtesy.
“I did,” he admitted. “I passed by here, oh, four hours ago, when the storm was worse. I figured I must’ve missed you and turned back.”
“Glad you did, ser.” Harwin brought the horse over to the others, and thanked Frenken when he took a blanket from one of the carriages, throwing it over Benji’s steed and tying it down.
“How was your visit to White Harbour?” Benjicot asked, wiping the rain from his brow uselessly.
“Uneventful, in truth. We didn’t mean to stay so long, but the Woolfield-Manderlys were having a feast to celebrate a nameday. Insisted we stay.”
“Sounds luxurious, my lord.”
Harwin shrugged. “If I ever eat another lamprey pie, it will be too soon.”
Benjicot chuckled, and then made a little oh noise at the back of his throat, and fumbled for the saddlebags of his horse. “That reminds me, my lord. I have something you may enjoy, hold one moment-” Whatever he sought had been packed low, but eventually Benjicot pulled out a small satchel, opening it to reveal what initially seemed like so many mottled bones.
“King crab legs. Salted, from Sweetsister. Care to try one?”
He handed the leg over, and Harwin followed his lead as he split the shell with a press of his thumbs, pulling the pale meat out from within with his teeth. The meat was softer than he expected, sweetness mixing with the salt of its preservation. He made a satisfied grunt as he swallowed.
“Gods, that is good. Sweetsister, you said?”
“Aye, my lord.”
“I must visit some day. Is everything there that delicious?”
Benji chuckled. “I couldn’t say, honestly.”
“And this,” Harwin gestured to the food as Benjicot stowed it again, “should I take it as an indication your visit also went well?”
“I believe so, my lord.” Benjicot pulled a different, familiar satchel from the saddlebag, and gestured ahead of them in a question, shall we step out of earshot for this part? Harwin nodded, and they began walking in a wide orbit around the barrow. Harwin blinked into the mist, trying to clear the rain from his lashes to no avail. Benjicot took a moment before he spoke again.
“I wasn’t perfectly successful, my lord. The captains I spoke to were – I think understandably – mistrustful of an unproven town like Shackleton. Not to say there was no interest, mind. There was one captain from Widow’s Watch who seemed to take pleasure in the idea of undermining the Manderlys.”
Harwin couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Well, it’s one way to make an ally.”
“Indeed, my lord. Once I realised I should emphasise that Shackleton is a lumber town, I got some more interest. The Sisters have a great demand for wood these days, as I understand, and Braavos’ Arsenal is always hungry. In all, I think I convinced seven captains to make some trade, with another four or so on the fence.”
He handed over the satchel, and Harwin opened it. He didn’t bother counting the coins within, merely shifting them from side to side to get an impression. A bit over half remained from the allowance that Harwin had given.
“Thank you,” Harwin said. “I hope you didn’t run into any trouble?”
“Thankfully not. I met a man I had known as a squire, but he did not think to suspect me of anything.”
The near miss sent a small stab of fear through Harwin’s heart, but he tried to put it aside. It was days or weeks past now, and not worth worrying about, especially if Benjicot was discussing it so offhandedly.
“No other news from the New Castle?” Benji asked. “I know you had some concerns about the possibility of a marriage being suggested.”
Harwin laughed. “No, it never came up. Sylas tried to flirt with Bella’s cousin, but I don’t think it went well. He’s been unusually quiet since, though he was quite happy to spend my money to distract himself at the time.”
“My sympathies to him,” Benji grinned. “And your sister?”
“Oh, she spent much of the trip in the Wolf’s Den. I went with her a few times, stopped by the weirwood there. She took notes on the construction of the Den, I’m sure she’ll tell you everything you might want to know about Eyronic columns.”
“I have no doubt, my lord.”
Harwin stopped walking for a moment, looking out into the darkness of the barrowlands. The shadows were impenetrable, the rain oppressive. And yet he felt warmer than he had in weeks.
“I have missed you,” he said, turning to his knight. “More than I had expected to.”
Benjicot’s hair was windswept, auburn darkened to almost brown with the damp, and his beard was growing in stronger than he had let it before. It did not hide the smile that crept up his cheeks.
“And I you, my lord.”
“Thank you, again, for everything. We should probably go inside, get you warm.”
“I would appreciate that, my lord.”
They completed their lap of the barrow, returning to the small room with too many people, and the warmth of their greeting was greater than that of their fire. A plate of venison was pressed into Benjicot’s hands, and an energy filled the space anew as everyone asked after the knight’s health and of his news. Sylas retrieved wine from one of the carriages, and laughter rang through the tomb. The secrecy of Benjicot’s purpose in White Harbour was maintained, but gently mocked by all involved.
Harwin watched them all, trying not to focus too much on Benjicot. One would not think to look at the knight that he had risked his honour and freedom for Harwin. The merchants that he bribed would, Harwin hoped, prove profitable to Shackleton and Oldcastle for years to come. It was impossible to know just yet.
He was just glad to have Benjicot back amongst them. He had almost forgotten how close he had come to rely on the man in their weeks apart. Now, his household felt complete again. And it was his household, after all. The thought warmed him more than it once might have.
Sylas’ voice cut through the din of conversation. “Harwin, what’s our next stop?”
It took Harwin a moment to understand the context of the question, and so he barely avoided stammering when he answered, “Greywater Watch. Wanted to meet with the Reeds.”
Sylas nodded, curiosity satisfied, and returned to his conversation with Frenken. Their destination seemed to be helping him prove some point in a friendly argument. Benjicot was speaking with Jorah and his men, laughing over some dockside tale, pushing crab legs into the protesting guardsmen’s hands. Finally, Valena caught Harwin’s eye, smiling knowingly.
“Are we making friends all over the North?” she asked, half-mocking and half-sincere.
Harwin laughed, and didn’t answer.
Gods, he hoped so.
submitted by Emrecof to GameofThronesRP [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 22:51 MyNerdBias Sanity check: is it normal for people to constantly ask about your baby's clothes?

Marked as rant/rave, but I genuinely want to know if my frustration is justified. Sorry this is long.
Backstory: This may or may not make a difference in the context, but it might explain some of my feelings. My family had a small bin of baby clothes that was passed on through generations, which was sadly lost during a traumatic immigration over two decades ago when we made it to the US. I have been planning on restarting that bin for my future generations since I was a child. I'm a new mom in my 30s, I enjoy fashion and clothes and have a very particular style people often talk about. It is common for me to be slightly "overdressed" and I don't mind, even when it's sometimes weird. I also sew and have a hobby of not only restoring vintage clothes but recreating historical fashions – and I have a community in which we wear those for special events. In the topic of restoring clothes, I often take baby clothes for free on Facebook neighborhood groups, restore them, and give them back to my community. I enjoy doing that work. In my community, I am seen as the "resource mom" who knows where to find and how to fix things. I have made a lot of use of the parent free exchange groups, though not so much at all for clothes – I either buy new or make my daughter's clothes.
With all of that said, my daughter's style inevitably reflects mine. Not as in matchy-matchy, but she is often "the overdressed" baby. I don't even particularly always dress her in exclusively "girl-clothes," though she has plenty of tulle, crochet/knitted, hand-made embroidered and smocked dresses - she also has tons of paperboy, overalls, cute unisex costumes, and little suit outfits.
She is almost a year old now, and there seems to be an influx of babies in my larger community, which is great and awesome – since I was worried most of my friends who had had babies either have elementary schoolers now or finished having kids 3-4 years ago (pandemic, right?).
Finally onto it: out of seven moms in my community who have gotten pregnant in the last year, two have lamented having boys because "they won't get my LO's clothing;" two have politely but somewhat indirectly flat out asked me "if they remember correctly I had some clothes to give away" when I never talked about baby clothes or donations with them; one has asked me if I have given away my clothes yet; one has asked about a specific outfit where I bought it when she knows I made it and looked very wishful at me; and one has excitedly told me recently she is having a girl because she will be able to wear my LO's clothes.
Is this normal?
I feel skeeved but can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe I feel like it is super entitled? I initially took these as a compliment and gave them the benefit of the doubt, but then it started feeling more and more pushy and passive-aggressive, especially when my reaction was to gently let them know LO's clothes were not available. I am good friends with most of these women but not super close with any of them. I tend to be pretty direct usually, but the attitude is that there is no reason for me not to, at least, lend these clothes (which I don't want to, because many require special care to clean and I would be sad if they didn't return to me in the condition I gave them, and I don't want to spend time restoring these items, which sometimes won't be possible, nor do I want that to get into my relationship with these women).
I have given away some clothes as soon as LO outgrew them, but was saving for our next children (we plan on 3) and the rest I was going to restart my family's baby bins.
Am I being unreasonable and overzealous here? How would you handle these situations without being perceived as "stuck up"?
submitted by MyNerdBias to beyondthebump [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 22:50 Trumpet6789 How do you get started?

Hi everyone, I wanted some advice on how to get into Pauper. I started by playing Commander a few years ago and have never touched a modern/standard/legacy/pauper deck in my life. I know the formats are usually 40-60 cards minimum, with 20 life; but I know essentially nothing else.
It has been about 4 years sting i started playing MTG/Commander. I got my Husband into Magic recently, (within the past year) and we only play Commander. He's picked it up quickly, and he enjoys it. However we have a TON of bulk and we thought it may be fun to start pauper using some of our extra bulk. That way they're not just sitting in their organization boxes and can actually be put to use.
But I have no idea how to build a pauper deck or how the gameplay differs from Commander. For example, I love token decks or tribal decks in Commander- but I'm unsure if that would translate into pauper.
Can anyone give me some advice, explain how Pauper works, etc.? We just plan to play between ourselves at home for now, and mostly construct decks using bulk we have in our collection. I thank anyone in advance who can explain it to me!
submitted by Trumpet6789 to Pauper [link] [comments]

http://rodzice.org/