Does dollar general sell water hoses
Valkyria Chronicles - (The Good, The Bad, The Ugly)
2023.06.03 03:17 Zehnpae Valkyria Chronicles - (The Good, The Bad, The Ugly)
Valkyria Chronicles is a tactical RPG developed by Sega. Released in 2008, it answered the burning question of how different WW2 would have been had the Japanese been a part of it. Wait...that doesn't sound right.
We play as Squad 7, a group of misfits thrown into the military effort against the invading army of the East Europan Imperial Alliance. Thanks to our tank, the Edelweiss, and our superior tactics we soon begin to make headway into defending our home and driving back the enemy.
Gameplay is similar to most TRPG's. You'll command several troops on a battlefield. The view will be from slightly behind the unit you're currently controlling in a 3rd person view. Differing from most other TRPG's, the action is in a semi-real time/semi-turn based fashion. You'll have an AP bar that controls how much you can do during your turn, but enemies will fire in you in real time as you move about. Switching to firing mode does pause the action so that you can take time to line up your shots.
The Good
The combat is loads of fun. The variety of characters, weapons and strategies you can use is impressive. The hybrid action/turn based combat works quite well. You have to be mindful of where you're going, where enemies are. Choosing between trying to take out an enemy at range and risk missing/wasting actions, or moving close to potentially sustaining fire in the meantime.
The story is...surprisingly good. I wasn't expecting much from anime Axis and Allies but there's a severity to war that's expressed. Bad things happen and sometimes it feels generally hopeless, something I appreciate in games that are simulating a war. Many of the characters grow and change as the game progresses. Normally when I play JRPGs I spend most of the story rolling my eyes but here I only sighed a handful of times.
The PC port is well done. There's some "this was a console game originally" jank such as having to use WASD to navigate menus but nothing that really hurt my feelings. The art style is gorgeous. The voice acting is on point. The music is really good. It's honestly a treat to play.
The Bad
The rewards you get for completing missions is almost entirely based on how quickly you beat a level. Nothing else matters. Full clearing, damageless, etc...pointless. If you want to get the best reward you want to rush whatever the mission goal is. As such the game actively encourages you to not engage in most of what makes combat fun. Just take your most OP scout and race to the objective. Strikes me as a bit ironic that taking your time, keeping your soldiers safe, getting them experience in battle is the worst thing you can do if you want to power them up.
The Ugly
There's some fan service, which you may or may not appreciate depending on your admiration for JRPGs. The "Let's all go to the beach!" scene is a bit much. It's not the worst though so you can mostly just sigh and move on.
You can't fast forward cutscene dialog or enemy turns. Given the clunky UI on the PC port and how often the game wants to confirm you want to do what you said you want to do, there's a lot of sitting around and waiting.
Final Thoughts
Once I stopped trying to get max rank on every mission, the game got significantly more fun. Getting B-rank on most missions with the occasional C-rank meant I never fell too far behind. Doing the occasional skirmish helped. It was a relatively short game but it was one of those 'it ended before I could get bored of it' things which I appreciated. An easy recommend for TRPG fans looking for something a little different than the typical Xcom format.
Thank you for reading!
Interesting Game Fact!
Remasters, re-releases and second runs of the game have sold significantly better than the original release. The original US release sold less than 40k units. The PC release managed to (for a few days at least) out-sell games like Call of Duty Advanced Warfare and Assassins Creed Unity.
100 reviews in 100 days (Day 81)
submitted by Zehnpae to patientgamers [link] [comments]
We play as Squad 7, a group of misfits thrown into the military effort against the invading army of the East Europan Imperial Alliance. Thanks to our tank, the Edelweiss, and our superior tactics we soon begin to make headway into defending our home and driving back the enemy.
Gameplay is similar to most TRPG's. You'll command several troops on a battlefield. The view will be from slightly behind the unit you're currently controlling in a 3rd person view. Differing from most other TRPG's, the action is in a semi-real time/semi-turn based fashion. You'll have an AP bar that controls how much you can do during your turn, but enemies will fire in you in real time as you move about. Switching to firing mode does pause the action so that you can take time to line up your shots.
The combat is loads of fun. The variety of characters, weapons and strategies you can use is impressive. The hybrid action/turn based combat works quite well. You have to be mindful of where you're going, where enemies are. Choosing between trying to take out an enemy at range and risk missing/wasting actions, or moving close to potentially sustaining fire in the meantime.
The story is...surprisingly good. I wasn't expecting much from anime Axis and Allies but there's a severity to war that's expressed. Bad things happen and sometimes it feels generally hopeless, something I appreciate in games that are simulating a war. Many of the characters grow and change as the game progresses. Normally when I play JRPGs I spend most of the story rolling my eyes but here I only sighed a handful of times.
The PC port is well done. There's some "this was a console game originally" jank such as having to use WASD to navigate menus but nothing that really hurt my feelings. The art style is gorgeous. The voice acting is on point. The music is really good. It's honestly a treat to play.
The rewards you get for completing missions is almost entirely based on how quickly you beat a level. Nothing else matters. Full clearing, damageless, etc...pointless. If you want to get the best reward you want to rush whatever the mission goal is. As such the game actively encourages you to not engage in most of what makes combat fun. Just take your most OP scout and race to the objective. Strikes me as a bit ironic that taking your time, keeping your soldiers safe, getting them experience in battle is the worst thing you can do if you want to power them up.
There's some fan service, which you may or may not appreciate depending on your admiration for JRPGs. The "Let's all go to the beach!" scene is a bit much. It's not the worst though so you can mostly just sigh and move on.
You can't fast forward cutscene dialog or enemy turns. Given the clunky UI on the PC port and how often the game wants to confirm you want to do what you said you want to do, there's a lot of sitting around and waiting.
Once I stopped trying to get max rank on every mission, the game got significantly more fun. Getting B-rank on most missions with the occasional C-rank meant I never fell too far behind. Doing the occasional skirmish helped. It was a relatively short game but it was one of those 'it ended before I could get bored of it' things which I appreciated. An easy recommend for TRPG fans looking for something a little different than the typical Xcom format.
Thank you for reading!
Remasters, re-releases and second runs of the game have sold significantly better than the original release. The original US release sold less than 40k units. The PC release managed to (for a few days at least) out-sell games like Call of Duty Advanced Warfare and Assassins Creed Unity.
2023.06.03 03:16 gshaw34 BKC TK122
Hi all new here. I am looking to getting into kayak fishing with my son. We have a campsite with a lake that is about 300 feet away down a path. A person locally is selling a BKC122 tandem kayak for 700 dollar with the paddles, seats, and a rack to keep it off the ground. Seems like a pretty decent deal. Any here have this kayak and can give me some recommendations. This will be my first kayak ever. I have canoed but never kayaked.
The one thing wonders is if I or my son goes out solo does that make a difference. I would take it it would make sense if solo to sit in the rear. My son is 12 By the way.
The other thing I considered was getting maybe 2 kayaks one for each but that would take up room at the camp site. If we go this route I was looking at rhe lifetime tamarack kayak. Thanks everyone. Can’t wait
submitted by gshaw34 to kayakfishing [link] [comments]
The one thing wonders is if I or my son goes out solo does that make a difference. I would take it it would make sense if solo to sit in the rear. My son is 12 By the way.
The other thing I considered was getting maybe 2 kayaks one for each but that would take up room at the camp site. If we go this route I was looking at rhe lifetime tamarack kayak. Thanks everyone. Can’t wait
2023.06.03 02:48 zyocuh Alice Fiction Start Up Guide 6-2-2023 thru 6-13-2023
First make sure to check out the Alice Fiction Useful Links and Re-roll suggestion thread as for the most part that is still accurate.
If you are just starting the game and want to know who too pull on and why then this is for you.
Now if you are joining because the Re:Zero collab, both of those units are very good units, if that is your main reason to join get them both as you wont be disappointed. If Re:Zero isn't the main reason you are joining, then I would suggest you pull on the step up banner.
For the Step up banner these are the units I personally rate in terms of importance. The ones with Limited by their name cannot be pulled randomly off other banners, they only appear in specific banners. The other 3 are in the general pool so you have a chance to get them at any time. A few of the units in the list have other units that fill a similar role as that unit.
submitted by zyocuh to AliceFictionEN [link] [comments]
If you are just starting the game and want to know who too pull on and why then this is for you.
Now if you are joining because the Re:Zero collab, both of those units are very good units, if that is your main reason to join get them both as you wont be disappointed. If Re:Zero isn't the main reason you are joining, then I would suggest you pull on the step up banner.
For the Step up banner these are the units I personally rate in terms of importance. The ones with Limited by their name cannot be pulled randomly off other banners, they only appear in specific banners. The other 3 are in the general pool so you have a chance to get them at any time. A few of the units in the list have other units that fill a similar role as that unit.
- 3★ Hanayaka Musashi (Limited) - She is arguably the best unit in the game. For special teams she is the best buffer. The amount she can increase the damage for your DPS is unrivaled. Aim for her hands down.
- ★ Konohana Sakuya (limited) - She is a very strong Special Defense Debuffer meaning she reduces the enemies armor. This played a huge role in the later stages when enemy armor can cause your damage to plumet. She is also particularly strong because she deals burn damage. Burn damage does a set amount of damage every turn regardless of enemy defense or attribute. If you dont get her you could use Merlin as a sub.
- 3★ Enkidu - She is a Physical Defense Debuffer. Her Defense debuff is on her passive which allows its up time to be 100%. Her only weakness is that she requires a specific team set up in order to proc her passive. You need Herself + 1 Wood unit + 1 Fire unit + 1 Flex unit. The flex unit can be of any attribute but you must have an additional wood and fire unit to utilize her properly. If you dont get her you could use QSH or Walprugis as a sub.
- 3★ The Director - She is Special Buffer allowing your special units to deal more damage. One of the best parts of The Director is that she fits in the popular team comp known as "Wang gang" that also requires a specific team comp to proc Wang's passive.
- 3★ Thor - She is a Physical buffer and she is the 2nd best physical buffer in the game with Gawain being the best buffer. If you dont get her you could use Gawain as a sub.
- 3★ Rem - She is a Physical Buffer that allows your DPS to deal a LOT more damage to enemies of a weaker attribute. She is generally used as a "secondary" buffer meaning you normally use another buffer along side her for best effect. She is more universal than Emilia because she can fit in most physical teams. Her issue for a new player is that you wont own DPS types that are strong vs all attributes when you first start out. But I wouldnt worry about that because eventually you can get most of them.
- 3★ Emilia - She is a Special Attacker and the first attacker on this list. Being a water type she is strong vs fire. If you just use her as a normal DPS in a team she is in the top 3 Special attackers BUT Emilia is unique in that she also does burn damage, and a lot of it. In the right team comp you can pair Emilia with Sakuya above to deal 1.5 million damage every turn. With investment in Anima and some World Memories you can bump that up to over 2 million damage. That is just burn damage and it doesn't matter what attribute the enemy is. With that unique ability she is a VERY strong choice if you decide to build around her.
2023.06.03 02:44 Zen-Paladin How do you guys tell your ASD/ADHD symptoms apart?
Ever since finding out I had untreated ADHD all my life until now, my mom and even myself tended to put all my problems as being cause by my autism or just me in general. Looking back it seems abit more of my life was affected by ADHD, and mostly is in early adulthood(though impact of ASD in childhood/adolescence was still substantial). This is what I think they breakdown of traits are for me
ASD traits:
-Poor social/communication skills: I would maybe walk up to others and try to talk about something out of the blue or related to a special interest. I talked more at people than to them without. It isn't an exaggeration to say I sometimes came off literally like one of those talk-to-text softwares.
-Hyperfixation/special interests: When I did try to talk to people, I would either maybe be able to have a conversation depending on the topic(Star Wars or anime) but didn't know how to progress beyond that. I definitely pissed/irritated some people off by going on and on about certain subjects. This creeped out/irritated a few people when it came to religion, anti-SJW/feminism stuff, and creepypastas.
-Stimming(?): I tend to think out loud. Like literally just saying what I am thinking. I am not talking to people/voices no one else can see or hear at all. I moreso tend to do this in private personally.
-Rigid thinking: Definitely. With getting hyperfixated on things I tend to really think about certain things WAY more than I should or need to.
ADHD traits:
-Sense of restlessness: Described as ''hyperkinetic'' in my medical records. I actually had a teacher snap at me for doing TKD moves instead of work in curriculum support(and not wanting anyone to get hit). Sitting down during school for a long time was also hard.
-Difficulty focusing:Looking around the room during work or tests(not at other students of their papers), and just not being able to get things like other kids did. Even getting distracted even outside of school, like how grocery shopping could take longer than it should before meds/having a solid shopping list. Even when just browsing/watching Youtube/sending an email I end up looking up random things and opening up so many browsers.
-Poor time management/procrastination: was common in middle school including lots of last minute work during lunch or break, even taping assignments to some teachers doors so it was till on time. While I wouldn't say I had mean teachers, there was varying levels of tolerance for this. To be fair they and myself didn't know about my ADHD. Also have been tardy to work several times for every job I had, even if planning to be one time.
-Forgetfulness: This always pissed my mom off, to the point of her making ''duh'' noises to me or telling me not to be a la la land. Even if I just want to go somewhere losing my wallet, phone or keys can lead to a long time searching and stress as a result.
-Disorganization: Messy room, laundry pile up, dishes or other chores not done as soon as they should. Plus if you were a classroom aid, dealing with me often meant sorting through tons of old papers, notes and current assignments stuffed haphazardly into my folders/binders that were falling apart minus Scotch tape. This also applied to my thinking: Lots of decision paralysis which also affected my personal goals, like style hopping in martial arts and not making progress over literal years.
-Impatience/constant stimulation: Until taking meds never realized my ADHD was why I ate out so often or snacked alot despite wanting to get in shape(am a skinny fat, but still). I once blew through literal thousands of dollars of some trust money due to Doordash(not all at once but definitely regret it). Even when eating more protein, drinking water and other typical types to crave hunger only meds really helped and leave me feeling I can fulfill my glow up phase.
Where the two overlap:
-Some social problems could be due to the H/I aspect of ADHD. Interrupting people or intruding on a conversation. I was also quite clingy in elementary which ironically was why certain kids I was attached to didn't want to be friends. That said the main root was definitely autism, especially when starting adolescence.
-The pacing/verbal stimming could also be amplified by the hyperactivity, but even with having been on meds for a few months I still do it. I did however stop having those times where my mind felt it was racing and I grabbed my head begging it to slow down.
-Both conditions have hyperfixation tendencies. However I did feel that even if I had a same general interests it might dilute and I would switch to something else. This is basically what happened with martial arts, aside from some rigid thoughts that caused conflict with an instructor.
-Rejection sensitivity/withdrawal: This isn't a specific symptom, but something that from what I see those with either condition feel. Scenes of a character experiencing embarassment or a serious argument causes me to physically wince.
Thoughts? What's the split like for you guys?
submitted by Zen-Paladin to AutisticWithADHD [link] [comments]
ASD traits:
-Poor social/communication skills: I would maybe walk up to others and try to talk about something out of the blue or related to a special interest. I talked more at people than to them without. It isn't an exaggeration to say I sometimes came off literally like one of those talk-to-text softwares.
-Hyperfixation/special interests: When I did try to talk to people, I would either maybe be able to have a conversation depending on the topic(Star Wars or anime) but didn't know how to progress beyond that. I definitely pissed/irritated some people off by going on and on about certain subjects. This creeped out/irritated a few people when it came to religion, anti-SJW/feminism stuff, and creepypastas.
-Stimming(?): I tend to think out loud. Like literally just saying what I am thinking. I am not talking to people/voices no one else can see or hear at all. I moreso tend to do this in private personally.
-Rigid thinking: Definitely. With getting hyperfixated on things I tend to really think about certain things WAY more than I should or need to.
ADHD traits:
-Sense of restlessness: Described as ''hyperkinetic'' in my medical records. I actually had a teacher snap at me for doing TKD moves instead of work in curriculum support(and not wanting anyone to get hit). Sitting down during school for a long time was also hard.
-Difficulty focusing:Looking around the room during work or tests(not at other students of their papers), and just not being able to get things like other kids did. Even getting distracted even outside of school, like how grocery shopping could take longer than it should before meds/having a solid shopping list. Even when just browsing/watching Youtube/sending an email I end up looking up random things and opening up so many browsers.
-Poor time management/procrastination: was common in middle school including lots of last minute work during lunch or break, even taping assignments to some teachers doors so it was till on time. While I wouldn't say I had mean teachers, there was varying levels of tolerance for this. To be fair they and myself didn't know about my ADHD. Also have been tardy to work several times for every job I had, even if planning to be one time.
-Forgetfulness: This always pissed my mom off, to the point of her making ''duh'' noises to me or telling me not to be a la la land. Even if I just want to go somewhere losing my wallet, phone or keys can lead to a long time searching and stress as a result.
-Disorganization: Messy room, laundry pile up, dishes or other chores not done as soon as they should. Plus if you were a classroom aid, dealing with me often meant sorting through tons of old papers, notes and current assignments stuffed haphazardly into my folders/binders that were falling apart minus Scotch tape. This also applied to my thinking: Lots of decision paralysis which also affected my personal goals, like style hopping in martial arts and not making progress over literal years.
-Impatience/constant stimulation: Until taking meds never realized my ADHD was why I ate out so often or snacked alot despite wanting to get in shape(am a skinny fat, but still). I once blew through literal thousands of dollars of some trust money due to Doordash(not all at once but definitely regret it). Even when eating more protein, drinking water and other typical types to crave hunger only meds really helped and leave me feeling I can fulfill my glow up phase.
Where the two overlap:
-Some social problems could be due to the H/I aspect of ADHD. Interrupting people or intruding on a conversation. I was also quite clingy in elementary which ironically was why certain kids I was attached to didn't want to be friends. That said the main root was definitely autism, especially when starting adolescence.
-The pacing/verbal stimming could also be amplified by the hyperactivity, but even with having been on meds for a few months I still do it. I did however stop having those times where my mind felt it was racing and I grabbed my head begging it to slow down.
-Both conditions have hyperfixation tendencies. However I did feel that even if I had a same general interests it might dilute and I would switch to something else. This is basically what happened with martial arts, aside from some rigid thoughts that caused conflict with an instructor.
-Rejection sensitivity/withdrawal: This isn't a specific symptom, but something that from what I see those with either condition feel. Scenes of a character experiencing embarassment or a serious argument causes me to physically wince.
Thoughts? What's the split like for you guys?
2023.06.03 02:12 migeek LG Washer Filled with Water and blew the door open: a repair story
Earlier this week our LG Front Load Washer (WM4270HVA), which we like quite a bit, overfilled with water to the point that the door was forced open and 20-30 gallons of water spilled onto our second floor. Other than some sheetrock damage, it's fine.
The issue is the repair process. Finding a competent repair person is surprisingly difficult. Armchair diagnosis and common sense told me that the washer did not know it was full for some reason. Even googling "LG washer continues to fill with water" yields the somewhat helpful guidance: "The reason your washer will not stop filling could be because the hose has either clogged,>! fallen off!<, or gotten a hole in it. If there is a hole in the hose, it will reduce the pressure and cause the water level switch not to shut off power to the water inlet valve."
I don't usually get into things that I don't know, and I didn't really have the time to troubleshoot. So the repair guy shows up, open the top, looks inside the machine, runs the factory troubleshooting, verifies the valves are working, and can't find anything out of sorts. Concludes it's the main control board and estimates the repair to be $485.40. Yipe. I asked how he determined that, and he said by process of elimination: Valves work. Panel works. Must be the control board. Uh, ok? I paid his trip charge ($69) and said I would need to think about that. Maybe I'll replace the whole thing instead.
Decided to call another repair place, zero help and argumentative about the symptoms. Called a third repair place where a lovely gentleman (the owner) picked up on the third ring and after briefly describing the symptoms he said, "sounds like the pressure hose is disconnected or the switch is bad." Sure does, doesn't it?? Long story short, he couldn't come out today and didn't want to come without the right part, so I re-opened the top to confirm that I was ordering the right part (OEM LG Washer Machine Water Level Pressure Switch) for overnight delivery... and low and behold... the damn hose is not even connected to the switch.
Reattached the hose to the water pressure switch. Trivial repair. Works perfectly.
The guy on the phone provided his guesswork for nothing, and once I confirmed the fix, I insisted on his Venmo/Zelle info and gratefully sent him his regular trip fee of $80. The first trip fee was refunded.
submitted by migeek to appliancerepair [link] [comments]
The issue is the repair process. Finding a competent repair person is surprisingly difficult. Armchair diagnosis and common sense told me that the washer did not know it was full for some reason. Even googling "LG washer continues to fill with water" yields the somewhat helpful guidance: "The reason your washer will not stop filling could be because the hose has either clogged,>! fallen off!<, or gotten a hole in it. If there is a hole in the hose, it will reduce the pressure and cause the water level switch not to shut off power to the water inlet valve."
I don't usually get into things that I don't know, and I didn't really have the time to troubleshoot. So the repair guy shows up, open the top, looks inside the machine, runs the factory troubleshooting, verifies the valves are working, and can't find anything out of sorts. Concludes it's the main control board and estimates the repair to be $485.40. Yipe. I asked how he determined that, and he said by process of elimination: Valves work. Panel works. Must be the control board. Uh, ok? I paid his trip charge ($69) and said I would need to think about that. Maybe I'll replace the whole thing instead.
Decided to call another repair place, zero help and argumentative about the symptoms. Called a third repair place where a lovely gentleman (the owner) picked up on the third ring and after briefly describing the symptoms he said, "sounds like the pressure hose is disconnected or the switch is bad." Sure does, doesn't it?? Long story short, he couldn't come out today and didn't want to come without the right part, so I re-opened the top to confirm that I was ordering the right part (OEM LG Washer Machine Water Level Pressure Switch) for overnight delivery... and low and behold... the damn hose is not even connected to the switch.
Reattached the hose to the water pressure switch. Trivial repair. Works perfectly.
The guy on the phone provided his guesswork for nothing, and once I confirmed the fix, I insisted on his Venmo/Zelle info and gratefully sent him his regular trip fee of $80. The first trip fee was refunded.
2023.06.03 02:12 Omansurver The second part of the fourth section of a certain super well-made-like-oh-my-god-this-is-so-good literary piece of media that was inspired by a animated piece of media, or the second part of the fourth chapter.
So yeah, second part. I forgot to say the page count last time of this chapter last time, so I'll say it now. Chapter four is about fifty pages long, so it fits the bill when it comes to these things. Not much else to say, so enjoy.
* * *
Jacob pondered.
On what exactly? Oh fine, I’ll tell you.
Jacob had just received what was, hopefully, a relatively unfiltered version of the recent events and situation on the planet. After about an hour of explanation, A had finished on the arrival of the disassembly drones, and the subsequent widespread assault on the worker drones. When Jacob had asked for the specific story of A’s squad, A had skirted around it, only lightly touching upon the subject. It was slightly suspicious, but Jacob didn’t plan on doing anything about it.
However, if it was the truth, it only raised more questions than answers. The fact that a company was willing to exterminate the entirety of what was probably a massive investment was just baffling. Jacob could only come up with two explanations, one of which was rather worrying to think about. The first was that of changing times; perhaps the company was so rich, and technology so advanced, that the worker drones could be replaced with the ease of buying another shipload of tissues. If you threw away an entire box of tissues, it would be annoying to say the least, but it wouldn’t cost a lot to just get another one.
But, it just didn’t make sense to Jacob that that would be the case. The United States military in the time of Jacob had heaps, thousands of missiles, and could afford to replace them as they were used. But if they all disappeared at once? It would take lots of time, money, and effort to replace each and every single last one of the lost payloads, and not to mention the logistical nightmare it would be.
So, that led Jacob to his other solution, one that insinuated a scenario far more confusing and sinister. If the company decided to just annihilate every worker drone, which is a very radical and illogical decision by a galaxy-spanning megacorporation, then it would line up with certain other decisions made by other people in the past.
During the Second World War, the U.S. government was fearful of a potential Japanese invasion. They believed that, if they did land boots on American soil, that the Japanese-Americans would rise up, taking the side of the invaders. And so, Roosevelt made the Executive Order 9066, ordering over one hundred and twenty thousand Japanese-Americans to be interned in concentration camps, where they would remain until near the end of the war.
This was an apt example for how even the most level-headed of individuals could make bad decisions under the influence of fear. If Jacob assumed that the same was true for this day and age, then perhaps the administration at the company had sent machines to kill the entire worker drone populace due some or maybe even all of them being much more dangerous than what was being let on. It was a bit far-fetched, but was the one of the only viable solutions at the moment, aside from his theory that nothing was real and they were all figments of the imagination of a being so complex they were nothing but fiction to it, but the chances of that were little to none.
Right?
Jacob’s pondering was interrupted by someone waving their hand in front of his face.
“Ugh, hello?” A snapped his fingers twice. “You there?”
Jacob blinked, refocusing on his present company. “Uh yeah, just processing.”
A scoffed. “Processing what? I thought humans were superior or something?”
Jacob smacked A’s hand out of his face. “Me too.”
A raised an LED eyebrow.
“Doesn’t matter.” Jacob waved hand in a dismissive way. “What now?”
“I dunno. That's all I had.” A shrugged.
“Nothing else you’re hiding?” Jacob questioned.
“No. There isn’t.” A glared at Jacob. “Now drop it.”
Jacob held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, jeez man, calm down. I just don’t wanna be bored for however long I’m stuck here.”
“Yeah well, that's not really my problem.” A stated.
Jacob didn’t reply, only sighing, before standing and getting up out of his seat.
A startled. “Wait, where are you going?”
“Out.” Jacob simply replied.
“Why?” A inquired.
Jacob shrugged. “Bored.”
A got to his feet as well. “Fine then. I guess I’m going as well.”
“You’re coming with?” Jacob asked incredulously.
“Yeah. I can’t have you running off and getting yourself killed.” A reasoned.
“They kept saying that too.” Jacob grumbled.
“Who said that?” A tilted his head.
“K and X.” Jacob answered. “Also, why don’t y’all have normal names? Why just letters?”
“I dunno.” A non-committedly replied.
“Huh.” Jacob took that as a cue to leave, turning to the ladder.
A followed closely behind, waiting until Jacob had gone through the small exit to ascend himself.
Jacob didn’t bother to use the ladder on the way down, buckling his knees and dropping the last few feet, hearing the snow crunch beneath him. He had been prepared to absorb the impact, but it seemed like whatever advanced mechanics his suit possessed had done the job all by itself, which was pretty nice. He made a mental note to test out the capabilities later on, just to get a general sense of the limits and what would be a danger to him.
Jacob heard a similar crunching noise behind him, causing him to look backwards, seeing A just awkwardly standing there.
“Just gonna follow me? Really?” Jacob was slightly annoyed.
“Yeah. I’ve gotta keep you safe until someone else takes you off my hands, or else I’ll-” A cut himself off.
Jacob took note of that, inferring what he might have been about to say. It only served to confirm his notion that he was sort of a VIP on the planet. He was to be protected at all costs, which was pretty nice for Jacob.
“So, you gonna do anything?” A asked.
* * *
The sound of snow crunching filled the empty room as the pair walked into it.
“Can we go back already?” X complained.
“No, and be quiet.” K scolded him. “It’s too echoey in this room, it’s annoying.”
X scoffed. “Pff, it’s fine. Nobody’s around for miles, we’re all good. Now when can we go back?”
K rolled her eyes. “We can go back when we find something, You heard what he said.”
“What who said?” X inquired.
“You idiot, our squad leader!? Our boss that we’ve spent who knows how long with!?” K cried out.
“Calm down, just messing around.” X leaned against the wall.
“Whatever, you know what A said. We can’t come back until we’ve found water.” K reminded X.
“Why do we even need it? I’m sure he’ll be fine.” X waved off the issue.
“He’ll die.” K deadpanned.
“He can walk it off.” X waved off the issue again.
“I don’t care, just get off the wall, we’ve gotta search every building.” K gestured for X to follow.
“How can we even find anything in here? Everywhere else we’ve checked has been empty.” X took his place next to K.
“You never know, now get to it.” K kicked over a rock, exposing a small marble.
X trotted over to a dented metal counter on one side of the room, peering underneath it.
“Nothing here, this is useless.” X whined.
“Shut up.” K called out.
X surprisingly obliged, kneeling down and searching the small cabinets that were connected to the counter. After finding nothing but a small skeleton huddled inside one of them, X sighed heavily, before making his way over to a large metal box. It might’ve been taller than him if it wasn’t tipped over on its side, with an assortment of power cords snaking out from an outlet on the back of it. Seeing a small handle on the front, X tugged on it, the slight rust giving way to superior strength.
However, X’s eyes went wide with shock, which changed to glee.
“Hey, look what I’ve found!” X called out to K.
K’s head whipped up, staring at the prize that X was brandishing. “You found- what is that?”
If the two had any idea what warm food was, they would’ve recognized the lumpy frozen good that X had in his hands as a perfectly preserved rotisserie chicken. If they had any sort of reheating device, and if they had proper taste buds, they might have been able to enjoy the sweet experience of a Thanksgiving dinner. However, they were ignorant robots who were about as smart as a middle schooler, so the only reaction that they, or at least one of them had, was confusion.
“I dunno, but it says chicken on the side!” X proudly exclaimed.
“What’s chicken?” K questioned.
“I’m . . . not sure . . . but I’m pretty sure it's food.” X’s LED eyebrows furrowed in thought.
“How do you know that?” K asked.
“Uh, I don't?” X seemed more confused than ecstatic now.
K shook her head. “Did you find anything useful?”
“Well I found this clear thing, but it only says something called ‘Dasani’ on the side.” X held up a clear plastic bottle, putting his finger in quotation marks when he said it.
“Give me that!” K dashed across the room, snatching the item out of X’s hands.
“Wha- hey!” X tried to grab at it, but K held it out of his reach.
“Back up!” K swatted X in the face, inciting a squawk of surprise.
“I found it first, give it back!” X shot back, tackling K, causing the bottle to roll across the ground.
The two began slugging at each other, scrabbling across the ground for dominance over a goddamn bottle, like a gang of the aforementioned middle schoolers. Nearly crushing the contested item multiple times, the two spent a good thirty seconds duking it out. And after K finally managed to curl into a ball around the bottle, X tried to no avail to recapture his former possession.
“You motherfu-” X was cut off by a noise from the door that led deeper into the building
The two highly professional disassembly drones shot to their feet, their gazes snapping to the origin of the sound. Standing there was a figure, about the same height as K and X, with familiar black plating and armor, kneeling down to grab a small blue marble that was on the floor. It appears as though the idiot had been trying to be sneaky to avoid capturing the attention of the killer robots, which clearly didn’t go as planned.
“Uh, hi.” The drone said after a moment of silence.
Even more silence.
The military drone took that as a cue to scoop up the marble, before dashing out of the room.
K and X instantly took chase, with K pocketing the small bottle for later. The military drone wasn’t quite fast, but it did make use of its head start well. The unnamed drone disappeared behind the corner, with the pair of disassembly drones right on his heels. However, when K turned around the edge, a bullet tore through the air, finding its home in her head. Completely unprepared, she fell to the ground.
X, contrary to what some might do, didn’t stop to assist her, instead just simply vaulting over her body, speeding onward. He was rapidly closing the distance between him and the military drone, when his prey suddenly whipped around with a pistol in its hand. X, unlike his comrade, was prepared for this inevitability, turning to the side and out of the path of the trio of bullets as they flew by him. X followed up on this by diving down onto the hapless drone, trying to skewer it on gleaming metal claws.
The drone didn’t have a chance to fight, but unknown to X, he did have time to press the small panic button on its jawline, or where the jawline would be if it was a human. If anyone on this planet was familiar with standard police or even military practice, they would recognize the small button as the useful yet annoying panic button.
For a bit of context, the panic button is usually represented as a small and easy-to-access device that, when activated, sends out an emergency distress signal that would notify the proper authorities of the panic button’s location and a dire situation. The panic button is common in the military, police personnel, elderly homes, schools, corporate buildings, apartment buildings, and basically everywhere else that isn’t a ghetto.
The drone, however, proved to be much smarter than his predecessors, much to the dismay of X. It dove to the side, dropping down and through a weakened rusty grate. As X’s claws scraped against the wall, the fleeing drone tossed a metal panel that was blocking the way out to his side, before dashing through the door. X jumped down to the lower floor, before continuing his chase.
A flurry of bullets ripped towards him, but X brought his arm up, letting his forearm absorb the projectiles that hit, and most missed. The drone ran down a comically long flight of stairs, taking three steps at a time. The stairs continued downward, eventually opening up to a basement with a gaping hole in the wall, which led straight into darkness. The drone nearly fell into the hole from the momentum of jumping down the stairs. But, it just managed to skid to a stop at the edge.
X landed at the foot of the stairs, crouching to absorb the impact. X’s gaze focused on the drone that was pointing the pistol at X, sights drawing a solid bead on his head. However, when it pulled the trigger, it was only met with a slight clicking sound. The drone gaze jerked down to the pistol, then straight back up to X, who was now diving towards it, claws outstretched.
The drone jumped backwards, losing his balance. Its foot slipped off the edge, and while the sudden space between it and X saved its life for the time being, it did have to contend with gravity, which was now pulling on the drone by a considerable amount.
X watched as the drone tumbled down the pit, hitting the sides. However, the sides of the pit were both sloped and slick with a thin sheet of ice, causing the drone to slide down to the bottom. The drone slammed against a large rusty metal pipe, which was a solid indicator of the pit’s identity as a sewer.
The drone scrambled to its feet, caving the skull in of a skeleton that appeared to have been a former inspector when one took into account the corpse’s clipboard and tattered clothes. X slammed down onto the large pipe, causing it to resonate like a gong. The drone snatched up a small length of rusty metal rebar that had impaled itself on the ground, the edge of the steel surprisingly sharp. The drone adopted a fighting stance, pointing the business end towards X.
The robotic predator didn’t care, however, just simply stabbing his prey with his own pointy stick, the sharp end of his nanite acid tail. The sharp tool stuck itself in the drone’s shoulder, causing it to drop the bar and curse. X took the opportunity to grip the drone by the head, while digging the claws of his other hand in its chest. X then looked into the opaque black visor of the military drone, before pulling in two opposite directions.
The effects were made known quickly, with the head of the military drone migrating away from its home connected to the body. Oil splashed down onto X, who took the opportunity to feed. X dropped the head, letting it hit the ground with a clang, dropping the body as well.
X stood over the fallen corpse, claws gleaming with oil. K landed next to him, retracting her wings.
“So you got it?” K asked.
“No I didn’t, he got away. This body right here is just a random pigeon, and you’re just hallucinating.” X replied sarcastically. “Also, how the hell did you get here so fast?”
K rolled her eyes. “Oh, be quiet. I’m just making sure, because knowing you, you would probably let him go for the funny.” She ignored his latter question.
“Well now that you mention it . . .” X looked sorrowfully at the body.
K punched him in the arm. “Whatever, we gotta go. I seriously doubt that he was alone-”
She was cut off yet again by a loud crash that originated from the hole up on the wall. The duo whipped around, only to see several guns pointed straight at them.
“Sup.” X nodded at the intruders.
* * *
The sound of conversation could be audibly heard from the lit tent.
The tent had been designated as the de facto headquarters for the former facility personnel, with a smaller offshoot serving as a meeting room for the leadership. The offshoot tent in question was currently being used for its purpose, with an emergency meeting being called. Not because of the discovery of a dead body, but for a different matter entirely.
“Can anyone at least tell me how this happened?” The Lead Engineer leaned on the table.
One of the data officers stepped forward. “We believe that when we were evacuating the facility, an error occurred that declassified the file.” They answered.
“An error did this.” The General wasn’t convinced.
“Well, yes. The computers had been degrading for a while now, and we had noticed that several of our autonomous programs were misbehaving, or just outright not working at all.” The data officer replied.
“And we did nothing about this?” The General glared at the trio of data officers that had joined them.
“We actually were doing all we could, but we didn’t have the materials to make a complete fix.” The Lead Engineer interjected.
“Why didn’t you tell me then!?” The General exclaimed.
“I did. You probably just forgot again.” The Lead Engineer suggested.
“What? I have the best memory here.” The General puffed out his chest proudly.
“Alright then, what were we just talking about?” The Lead Engineer inquired.
The General frowned. “We were talking?”
The Lead Engineer facepalmed. “Goddamn idiot.”
One of the data officers stepped up. “Uh, sir? There is still the matter of the ones who discovered the information.”
“Oh yeah, uh, dump them off the eastern bridge.” The Lead Engineer waved off the issue.
With a simple nod, the data officers left, accompanied by a few guards as well. The Lead Engineer sat back in his chair, before steepling his fingers on the desk. He looked back and forth between the assembled leadership, before the General spoke up.
“So, are we gonna continue or what?” He crossed his arms.
“Yes, sorry.” The Lead Engineer motioned to one of his ministers. “You take the lead, Kane.”
Kane got up, walking to the front of the tent, dragging a projector on a cart with him. When he arrived, he pulled down the white screen, securing the hook on a latch on the bottom. He then adjusted the cart, facing the lens towards the screen. He then attached a laptop to the projector, pressing a few buttons and fiddling with a few switches, cursing once. Finally, the projector flickered to life, shining an image onto the screen.
Kane cleared his throat. “Ahem, so. What you are seeing here is the first page of the document in question. As you can see here, it appears to be warning against a drone viewing whatever the contents of this file is.” Kane flicked to the next slide. “It continues to vehemently express this multiple times, not really differing in its warning at all.”
One of the military ministers, Alicia, raised her hand. “Uh, question?”
Kane paused. “What is it?”
“Its warning against drones? She asked.
“Yes, it is. I’ll explain this later on, so save your questions for the end please.” Kane looked back to the projection, skipping through the slides until he landed on the first one without a warning.
“Ah, here we go. So, as you can see here, this appears to be a logo for JCJenson-'' Kane was interrupted by a faint, “In Spaaaaacee!” from an unknown source. “Uh, anyway, as all of you know, JCJenson was the company that owned this planet, and the one that provided the drones that the government were using in their facility, which was us.” Kane flicked to the next slide.
“Here we can see a title for a project, along with several bits of accompanying information, like locations, associates, page number, references, you get the picture.” Kane then produced a long ruler from what seemed like thin air, before pointing the end at one of the words. “Pay attention to this one here ‘AbsoSolv’ as it’ll come up several times later on.” Going to the next slide, Kane cleared his throat yet again.
“This page is more confusing, as it appears to be mentioning several unit serial numbers that don’t match up with standard format, which are mixed in with several other ones that are in different format, like this one here,” Kane pointed his stick at a random one from the line. “This one says, S-010011X01, which I believe has a main identifying letter instead of a string of numbers based on time of construction.”
“Additionally, while some of these feature the normal serial numbers that worker drones use, they have another identifier after it, separated by a dash.” Kane flipped to the next slide.
“This one is more straightforward, as it appears to be featuring a set of technical designs of a modified worker drone with the serial number and other associated information listed at the top. The notes on the side are observations on the modifications that can be seen in the designs. Some of the original worker drone parts can be seen, but a majority of the inner and outer mass seem to have been altered or replaced with a substance that is described as ‘fleshy’. You can see at the very bottom a signature of an unknown human administrator, and a notice that marks the drone for ‘disassembly’ as an addendum can be seen that marks whatever this is as a failure, and a recommendation to request more data from their source.”
Kane took a breath, before going to the next slide. “This is essentially the same as the last one, and this continues for a few slides. Nothing of note can be found in them, save for a few different serial numbers that were listed in one of the prior slides.”
Kane flicked to the next slide. “This one has two addendums, which I will say in a moment. The image is different as well, with noticeably less random mutations and more of a form taking place. This one was supposedly much more successful than the others, and while it was still marked as a failure, the first addendum said that the team working on the project should strip the data from the drone in as best a condition as they could. The second one simply noted they were naming the specific strain of code they were using to ‘Absolute Solver’. The addendum does not mention any reason or motive behind the name, only noting the fact that their shareholders would be pleased.”
“The next one is the first apparent success in the line of experiments that JCJenson seemed to be doing. A single growth can be seen protruding from the back of the spinal transmitter, and several other growths have sprouted inside. However, it is noted that the drone survived the process, and remained somewhat coherent for a period of time afterwards, which seems to be an outlier when considering the others. There isn’t an addendum on this one, only a request from the team for more extensive data from their source to compare to this experiment.”
“This trend continues for a good while, so I’ll just summarize the important bits for all of you.” Kane stated. “Each version continued to show more and more productive attributes and traits, as is par the standard course. Throughout the notes, requests, and addendums, whoever was typing up the document repeatedly noted some things that I will review later, such as Absolute Solver, the ‘source’, Camp 98.7, Cabin Fever Labs, and disassembly drones.”
Kane flicked to the final slide. “This is the final page, with some items to note. It appears to be a reiteration of the specifics of the agreement between the government and JCJenson, with a few additional key things. It includes the standard formalities and the usual junk that we all know, but something else as well. When mentioning the exchange of data that came from the asset-” Kane paused as the room underwent an uncomfortable shuffle in their seats. “They mention a clear correlation between this project that JCJenson is, or was, working on, and the asset. They also instructed the government contacts that any unauthorized personnel, which included government agents, were now barred from entering Camp 98.7 due to ‘hazardous environmental conditions’ and that this was nonnegotiable.”
Kane turned away from the projector, clasping his hands in front of himself. “And now to explain.”
“From what me and the team I assigned could gather, we deduced the meanings and purposes behind several items that were mentioned in this file. The first and most obvious, the ‘source’ that is mentioned. They are receiving data from this source, which seems to be essential to the development of what they were working on. Based on their words, we figured that the source is likely the asset, and yes, the same asset that we are all familiar with.” Kane paused, seemingly to let his words sink in.
“Continuing on, we began to dissect what Camp 98.7 was. It was very clearly a location of sorts, but where it was and what it was used for was more complicated. While we never arrived at a solid conclusion, we believed that the most likely avenue was that Camp 98.7 might have been an outpost of sorts, perhaps used in conjunction with these Cabin Fever Labs.”
“On the matter of the Cabin Fever Labs, we can clearly assume that research and development of this Absolute Solver was being conducted there, and perhaps Camp 98.7 was a sort of staging ground or other type of location related to the lab. We believe that the location of one or both of these sites are hidden within another file.”
“And perhaps the most intriguing and complex matter of them all, Absolute Solver. We figured that it was likely that this Absolute Solver was instrumental in whatever experiments they were doing, or even being one of the subjects of the experiments themselves. From what we gather, Absolute Solver is something, maybe a piece of alien machinery, some sort of unknown lifeform, an experimental strain of cutting-edge code, one of those things, but whatever it is, it is not something that is ‘normal’. It appears to have a unique effect on those it hosts or comes into contact with, rapidly generating new organic material, with sometimes uncontrolled effects. While the file only shows the experiments that used drones, we don’t know if any humans or other organic lifeforms were included either. Likely not, considering the legality of the situation, but it's open to discussion.”
Kane took a large breath, before continuing.
“And finally, the disassembly drones. They seem simple, but my team believed it to be heavily related to our current situation. They aren’t mentioned very often, but they appear to be a direct result of their experiments or related to one. From what we could gather, they are meant to, well, disassemble. Drones on par with military-grade ones that are capable of a variety of things, like bullet fire, rocket launching, melee combat, flight, digital warfare, and regeneration.” Kane watched as his words dawned upon his audience, expressions filling with shock.
“Yes, those drones. The disassembly drones that we read about are likely some variant of the unknown assailants that attacked the facility, and stole the asset in the process.”
The General sputtered. “B-but that would be a severe political incident! If those drones were under the command of JCJenson, and they stole GOVERNMENT property, then they would be liable for retaliation!”
Kane tried to calm the room. “Now, hold on, I’m not done-”
The Lead Engineer also appeared to be shocked. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier!?”
“You told me to wait for the meeting!” Kane exclaimed.
The room erupted into disarray.
“We need to mobilize, hunt down those damn traitors!”
“What's their last known location!?”
“Where is the nearest transmitter, send out a request for retaliatory action!”
Suddenly, a drone burst into the room, knocking over the projector cart in the process. Everyone turned to look at him, ceasing the chaos for a moment.
“Er, uh, sirs?” The drone asked.
“Yes?” The General and the Lead Engineer stood up at the same time.
“I, uh,” The drone looked back and forth between the two administrators. “Well, we received a panic signal from one of our scouts.”
The General scoffed. “Why would that be enough to warrant our intervention? He probably just tripped on a conveniently placed banana peel.”
The messenger fidgeted nervously. “Well, his partner reported moments before the signal came in that he heard gunshots.”
The administrative drones shared a collective uneasy look.
“What did you do?” The General asked slowly.
“The officers who received the signal first sent in two of the patrol squads that were nearby at the time.” The messenger answered.
The drones in assembly all either looked down in disappointment or facepalmed.
The General spoke up after a moment. “Send in a squad as fast as you can to their last known location. Only veterans, and outfit them with heavy weaponry and explosive ordnance.” The General paused, before adding an afterthought. “And give them some cutting equipment too.”
The messenger blinked in surprise. “Wait, sir, are you sure-”
“Just tell the officers already!” The General slammed his fist down onto the cheap plastic table, which formed a crack.
The messenger saluted quickly, before dashing out of the room.
The Lead Engineer took a cursory look at the assembled drones, before he sighed.
“We’re screwed.”
* * *
“Are you going back anytime soon?”
Jacob looked back at his unwanted companion.
“No.” He answered simply, before resuming his casual trot.
“We’re getting too far away from the spire, and the sun is coming up in an hour or two. I for one don’t want to get caught out.” A insisted.
“Well I don’t die from a bit of sunlight, so too bad.” Jacob stepped over a tire rim.
“I’m not sure that’s your choice.” A stated.
Jacob paused and looked backward. “Oh, so you’re bossing me around now?”
“Maybe, if you keep on making dumb decisions like this.” A stopped as well.
“Pff, I’ll be fine.” Jacob waved his hand in the air to emphasize his point.
“You won’t last ten minutes.” A dead-panned.
“Nah, I’ll speedrun this stuff, I’ll be off-planet in an hour.” Jacob proudly said.
A shook his head and sighed. “Whatever you say.”
Jacob didn’t answer.
Jacob then looked around. “Wait, where are we? I wasn’t keeping track.”
“And you said that you would- whatever, we’re like, three miles away from the base.” A replied.
“Huh, went that far?” Jacob asked.
A frowned. “Three miles isn’t that far-”
A was interrupted by a rather loud crack that resonated through the landscape.
Jacob blinked. “Uh, ok then-”
Jacob was also interrupted by a trio of cracks and bangs, sounding slightly familiar.
“Are those-” Jacob was, yet again, interrupted by even more bangs.
“-gunshots?” He finished.
“I wouldn’t worry, those idiots are probably either messing around, or they found a worker drone to kill.” A nonchalantly answered.
“Shouldn’t we go check it out though?” Jacob inquired.
“It isn’t a problem.” A said, annoyed.
“Well it would give me something to do.” Jacob insisted.
A checked the time, before looking at the horizon for signs of sunlight.
“Eh, fine. Wouldn’t hurt, I guess.” A shrugged.
“Nice.” Jacob grinned underneath his ballistic visor.
* * *
K sliced through the head of the last desperate drone, before spitting out a bullet.
“You done?” K called out to X.
“Yeah, I guess. By the way, do you still have my Dasani thing?” X looked at K hopefully.
“Yes, I do. And besides, it isn’t yours, it's for Jacob.” K answered.
“What? Why is he getting it? Why not me?” X exclaimed.
“Because it's water, idiot. An uncontaminated source, like A told us, remember?” K glared at X.
“I guess, but that's water?” X asked.
“Yes, it is. It matches the description.” K replied
“Description?” X questioned.
“Yeah, the description. You know what description means, right?” K seemed even more annoyed.
“I know what it means.” X snapped. “But how do you know what water looks like?”
K just shrugged, before turning towards the exit.
“Come on, we gotta get back soon.” She flew upwards, landing on the ledge.
X followed suit, tracing their steps back through the building. X looked back up at the rusty grate that the drone had fallen through, which he now identified as being part of a weirdly placed catwalk. Scanning the environment, X found that the only entrance to the small alcove would be the hole in the catwalk. The basement that the small room was connected to didn’t have an entrance either, only having the gaping hole in the side of the room, which likely wasn't intended. That would mean that a person would have to chop through the sewer wall to get into the basement and adjoining alcove, or jump off the catwalk. Both of those options didn’t make any sort of sense at all. In fact, the catwalk wasn’t even needed, someone could have just removed the entire basement-and-alcove plan entirely, which also removed the necessity for a catwalk. All in all, whoever designed the building was either high off of some crazy drugs, an idiot, or both.
But, none of these thoughts went through X’s head, as he was only thinking about the devastating loss of his cool plastic bottle.
K hefted herself up onto the rusty catwalk, with X following close behind. K went through the doorway, only for a rather eventful event to stop her momentarily.
A rocket screamed through the air, smacking K straight in the chest. The resulting explosion blew X backwards and K apart, with oil splashing onto the ground in the process. With a clatter, X hit the ground, slightly dazed. He looked to his left to see what looked like the arm of K, twitching slightly. X tried to get up, only to fall again, after he put his weight on a hand that wasn’t there.
X, seeing the failure of Operation: GTFU, adjusted his position so that he could get up with his other hand only, which was thankfully still there. Investigating his left arm, he could see that everything down from the elbow had been separated from himself in the blast. He didn’t have time to look for it or go get it, so he simply let the matter go.
Standing up, X stared through the smoke, before diving back down onto the ground when another rocket came streaking past him. It scratched his face, sending small sparks up, before heading down the other hallway. X pointed his own rocket launcher into the fog, before firing off a flurry of shots. He heard explosions, but wasn’t rewarded with screams or grunts of pain. Problematic, to say the least.
X took the opportunity to kick K’s assorted dismembered body parts down into the lower alcove, where she should eventually reassemble herself. She was really taking a beating recently, and she would probably be frustrated about that when X was all done, but that wasn’t his problem-
X nearly met the same fate as K when another rocket flew from the open doorway, the fog starting to clear up. X jumped up and over the RPG, letting it fly into the unexplored depths of the building. He couldn’t do this dance forever, so he made the executive decision to charge into the unknown.
* * *
Anyway, I'll be posting the next part tomorrow, so hang on tight for the singular person that made it to the end. No need to like, this is purely for my own benefit. See ya.
submitted by Omansurver to MurderDrones [link] [comments]
* * *
Jacob pondered.
On what exactly? Oh fine, I’ll tell you.
Jacob had just received what was, hopefully, a relatively unfiltered version of the recent events and situation on the planet. After about an hour of explanation, A had finished on the arrival of the disassembly drones, and the subsequent widespread assault on the worker drones. When Jacob had asked for the specific story of A’s squad, A had skirted around it, only lightly touching upon the subject. It was slightly suspicious, but Jacob didn’t plan on doing anything about it.
However, if it was the truth, it only raised more questions than answers. The fact that a company was willing to exterminate the entirety of what was probably a massive investment was just baffling. Jacob could only come up with two explanations, one of which was rather worrying to think about. The first was that of changing times; perhaps the company was so rich, and technology so advanced, that the worker drones could be replaced with the ease of buying another shipload of tissues. If you threw away an entire box of tissues, it would be annoying to say the least, but it wouldn’t cost a lot to just get another one.
But, it just didn’t make sense to Jacob that that would be the case. The United States military in the time of Jacob had heaps, thousands of missiles, and could afford to replace them as they were used. But if they all disappeared at once? It would take lots of time, money, and effort to replace each and every single last one of the lost payloads, and not to mention the logistical nightmare it would be.
So, that led Jacob to his other solution, one that insinuated a scenario far more confusing and sinister. If the company decided to just annihilate every worker drone, which is a very radical and illogical decision by a galaxy-spanning megacorporation, then it would line up with certain other decisions made by other people in the past.
During the Second World War, the U.S. government was fearful of a potential Japanese invasion. They believed that, if they did land boots on American soil, that the Japanese-Americans would rise up, taking the side of the invaders. And so, Roosevelt made the Executive Order 9066, ordering over one hundred and twenty thousand Japanese-Americans to be interned in concentration camps, where they would remain until near the end of the war.
This was an apt example for how even the most level-headed of individuals could make bad decisions under the influence of fear. If Jacob assumed that the same was true for this day and age, then perhaps the administration at the company had sent machines to kill the entire worker drone populace due some or maybe even all of them being much more dangerous than what was being let on. It was a bit far-fetched, but was the one of the only viable solutions at the moment, aside from his theory that nothing was real and they were all figments of the imagination of a being so complex they were nothing but fiction to it, but the chances of that were little to none.
Right?
Jacob’s pondering was interrupted by someone waving their hand in front of his face.
“Ugh, hello?” A snapped his fingers twice. “You there?”
Jacob blinked, refocusing on his present company. “Uh yeah, just processing.”
A scoffed. “Processing what? I thought humans were superior or something?”
Jacob smacked A’s hand out of his face. “Me too.”
A raised an LED eyebrow.
“Doesn’t matter.” Jacob waved hand in a dismissive way. “What now?”
“I dunno. That's all I had.” A shrugged.
“Nothing else you’re hiding?” Jacob questioned.
“No. There isn’t.” A glared at Jacob. “Now drop it.”
Jacob held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, jeez man, calm down. I just don’t wanna be bored for however long I’m stuck here.”
“Yeah well, that's not really my problem.” A stated.
Jacob didn’t reply, only sighing, before standing and getting up out of his seat.
A startled. “Wait, where are you going?”
“Out.” Jacob simply replied.
“Why?” A inquired.
Jacob shrugged. “Bored.”
A got to his feet as well. “Fine then. I guess I’m going as well.”
“You’re coming with?” Jacob asked incredulously.
“Yeah. I can’t have you running off and getting yourself killed.” A reasoned.
“They kept saying that too.” Jacob grumbled.
“Who said that?” A tilted his head.
“K and X.” Jacob answered. “Also, why don’t y’all have normal names? Why just letters?”
“I dunno.” A non-committedly replied.
“Huh.” Jacob took that as a cue to leave, turning to the ladder.
A followed closely behind, waiting until Jacob had gone through the small exit to ascend himself.
Jacob didn’t bother to use the ladder on the way down, buckling his knees and dropping the last few feet, hearing the snow crunch beneath him. He had been prepared to absorb the impact, but it seemed like whatever advanced mechanics his suit possessed had done the job all by itself, which was pretty nice. He made a mental note to test out the capabilities later on, just to get a general sense of the limits and what would be a danger to him.
Jacob heard a similar crunching noise behind him, causing him to look backwards, seeing A just awkwardly standing there.
“Just gonna follow me? Really?” Jacob was slightly annoyed.
“Yeah. I’ve gotta keep you safe until someone else takes you off my hands, or else I’ll-” A cut himself off.
Jacob took note of that, inferring what he might have been about to say. It only served to confirm his notion that he was sort of a VIP on the planet. He was to be protected at all costs, which was pretty nice for Jacob.
“So, you gonna do anything?” A asked.
* * *
The sound of snow crunching filled the empty room as the pair walked into it.
“Can we go back already?” X complained.
“No, and be quiet.” K scolded him. “It’s too echoey in this room, it’s annoying.”
X scoffed. “Pff, it’s fine. Nobody’s around for miles, we’re all good. Now when can we go back?”
K rolled her eyes. “We can go back when we find something, You heard what he said.”
“What who said?” X inquired.
“You idiot, our squad leader!? Our boss that we’ve spent who knows how long with!?” K cried out.
“Calm down, just messing around.” X leaned against the wall.
“Whatever, you know what A said. We can’t come back until we’ve found water.” K reminded X.
“Why do we even need it? I’m sure he’ll be fine.” X waved off the issue.
“He’ll die.” K deadpanned.
“He can walk it off.” X waved off the issue again.
“I don’t care, just get off the wall, we’ve gotta search every building.” K gestured for X to follow.
“How can we even find anything in here? Everywhere else we’ve checked has been empty.” X took his place next to K.
“You never know, now get to it.” K kicked over a rock, exposing a small marble.
X trotted over to a dented metal counter on one side of the room, peering underneath it.
“Nothing here, this is useless.” X whined.
“Shut up.” K called out.
X surprisingly obliged, kneeling down and searching the small cabinets that were connected to the counter. After finding nothing but a small skeleton huddled inside one of them, X sighed heavily, before making his way over to a large metal box. It might’ve been taller than him if it wasn’t tipped over on its side, with an assortment of power cords snaking out from an outlet on the back of it. Seeing a small handle on the front, X tugged on it, the slight rust giving way to superior strength.
However, X’s eyes went wide with shock, which changed to glee.
“Hey, look what I’ve found!” X called out to K.
K’s head whipped up, staring at the prize that X was brandishing. “You found- what is that?”
If the two had any idea what warm food was, they would’ve recognized the lumpy frozen good that X had in his hands as a perfectly preserved rotisserie chicken. If they had any sort of reheating device, and if they had proper taste buds, they might have been able to enjoy the sweet experience of a Thanksgiving dinner. However, they were ignorant robots who were about as smart as a middle schooler, so the only reaction that they, or at least one of them had, was confusion.
“I dunno, but it says chicken on the side!” X proudly exclaimed.
“What’s chicken?” K questioned.
“I’m . . . not sure . . . but I’m pretty sure it's food.” X’s LED eyebrows furrowed in thought.
“How do you know that?” K asked.
“Uh, I don't?” X seemed more confused than ecstatic now.
K shook her head. “Did you find anything useful?”
“Well I found this clear thing, but it only says something called ‘Dasani’ on the side.” X held up a clear plastic bottle, putting his finger in quotation marks when he said it.
“Give me that!” K dashed across the room, snatching the item out of X’s hands.
“Wha- hey!” X tried to grab at it, but K held it out of his reach.
“Back up!” K swatted X in the face, inciting a squawk of surprise.
“I found it first, give it back!” X shot back, tackling K, causing the bottle to roll across the ground.
The two began slugging at each other, scrabbling across the ground for dominance over a goddamn bottle, like a gang of the aforementioned middle schoolers. Nearly crushing the contested item multiple times, the two spent a good thirty seconds duking it out. And after K finally managed to curl into a ball around the bottle, X tried to no avail to recapture his former possession.
“You motherfu-” X was cut off by a noise from the door that led deeper into the building
The two highly professional disassembly drones shot to their feet, their gazes snapping to the origin of the sound. Standing there was a figure, about the same height as K and X, with familiar black plating and armor, kneeling down to grab a small blue marble that was on the floor. It appears as though the idiot had been trying to be sneaky to avoid capturing the attention of the killer robots, which clearly didn’t go as planned.
“Uh, hi.” The drone said after a moment of silence.
Even more silence.
The military drone took that as a cue to scoop up the marble, before dashing out of the room.
K and X instantly took chase, with K pocketing the small bottle for later. The military drone wasn’t quite fast, but it did make use of its head start well. The unnamed drone disappeared behind the corner, with the pair of disassembly drones right on his heels. However, when K turned around the edge, a bullet tore through the air, finding its home in her head. Completely unprepared, she fell to the ground.
X, contrary to what some might do, didn’t stop to assist her, instead just simply vaulting over her body, speeding onward. He was rapidly closing the distance between him and the military drone, when his prey suddenly whipped around with a pistol in its hand. X, unlike his comrade, was prepared for this inevitability, turning to the side and out of the path of the trio of bullets as they flew by him. X followed up on this by diving down onto the hapless drone, trying to skewer it on gleaming metal claws.
The drone didn’t have a chance to fight, but unknown to X, he did have time to press the small panic button on its jawline, or where the jawline would be if it was a human. If anyone on this planet was familiar with standard police or even military practice, they would recognize the small button as the useful yet annoying panic button.
For a bit of context, the panic button is usually represented as a small and easy-to-access device that, when activated, sends out an emergency distress signal that would notify the proper authorities of the panic button’s location and a dire situation. The panic button is common in the military, police personnel, elderly homes, schools, corporate buildings, apartment buildings, and basically everywhere else that isn’t a ghetto.
The drone, however, proved to be much smarter than his predecessors, much to the dismay of X. It dove to the side, dropping down and through a weakened rusty grate. As X’s claws scraped against the wall, the fleeing drone tossed a metal panel that was blocking the way out to his side, before dashing through the door. X jumped down to the lower floor, before continuing his chase.
A flurry of bullets ripped towards him, but X brought his arm up, letting his forearm absorb the projectiles that hit, and most missed. The drone ran down a comically long flight of stairs, taking three steps at a time. The stairs continued downward, eventually opening up to a basement with a gaping hole in the wall, which led straight into darkness. The drone nearly fell into the hole from the momentum of jumping down the stairs. But, it just managed to skid to a stop at the edge.
X landed at the foot of the stairs, crouching to absorb the impact. X’s gaze focused on the drone that was pointing the pistol at X, sights drawing a solid bead on his head. However, when it pulled the trigger, it was only met with a slight clicking sound. The drone gaze jerked down to the pistol, then straight back up to X, who was now diving towards it, claws outstretched.
The drone jumped backwards, losing his balance. Its foot slipped off the edge, and while the sudden space between it and X saved its life for the time being, it did have to contend with gravity, which was now pulling on the drone by a considerable amount.
X watched as the drone tumbled down the pit, hitting the sides. However, the sides of the pit were both sloped and slick with a thin sheet of ice, causing the drone to slide down to the bottom. The drone slammed against a large rusty metal pipe, which was a solid indicator of the pit’s identity as a sewer.
The drone scrambled to its feet, caving the skull in of a skeleton that appeared to have been a former inspector when one took into account the corpse’s clipboard and tattered clothes. X slammed down onto the large pipe, causing it to resonate like a gong. The drone snatched up a small length of rusty metal rebar that had impaled itself on the ground, the edge of the steel surprisingly sharp. The drone adopted a fighting stance, pointing the business end towards X.
The robotic predator didn’t care, however, just simply stabbing his prey with his own pointy stick, the sharp end of his nanite acid tail. The sharp tool stuck itself in the drone’s shoulder, causing it to drop the bar and curse. X took the opportunity to grip the drone by the head, while digging the claws of his other hand in its chest. X then looked into the opaque black visor of the military drone, before pulling in two opposite directions.
The effects were made known quickly, with the head of the military drone migrating away from its home connected to the body. Oil splashed down onto X, who took the opportunity to feed. X dropped the head, letting it hit the ground with a clang, dropping the body as well.
X stood over the fallen corpse, claws gleaming with oil. K landed next to him, retracting her wings.
“So you got it?” K asked.
“No I didn’t, he got away. This body right here is just a random pigeon, and you’re just hallucinating.” X replied sarcastically. “Also, how the hell did you get here so fast?”
K rolled her eyes. “Oh, be quiet. I’m just making sure, because knowing you, you would probably let him go for the funny.” She ignored his latter question.
“Well now that you mention it . . .” X looked sorrowfully at the body.
K punched him in the arm. “Whatever, we gotta go. I seriously doubt that he was alone-”
She was cut off yet again by a loud crash that originated from the hole up on the wall. The duo whipped around, only to see several guns pointed straight at them.
“Sup.” X nodded at the intruders.
* * *
The sound of conversation could be audibly heard from the lit tent.
The tent had been designated as the de facto headquarters for the former facility personnel, with a smaller offshoot serving as a meeting room for the leadership. The offshoot tent in question was currently being used for its purpose, with an emergency meeting being called. Not because of the discovery of a dead body, but for a different matter entirely.
“Can anyone at least tell me how this happened?” The Lead Engineer leaned on the table.
One of the data officers stepped forward. “We believe that when we were evacuating the facility, an error occurred that declassified the file.” They answered.
“An error did this.” The General wasn’t convinced.
“Well, yes. The computers had been degrading for a while now, and we had noticed that several of our autonomous programs were misbehaving, or just outright not working at all.” The data officer replied.
“And we did nothing about this?” The General glared at the trio of data officers that had joined them.
“We actually were doing all we could, but we didn’t have the materials to make a complete fix.” The Lead Engineer interjected.
“Why didn’t you tell me then!?” The General exclaimed.
“I did. You probably just forgot again.” The Lead Engineer suggested.
“What? I have the best memory here.” The General puffed out his chest proudly.
“Alright then, what were we just talking about?” The Lead Engineer inquired.
The General frowned. “We were talking?”
The Lead Engineer facepalmed. “Goddamn idiot.”
One of the data officers stepped up. “Uh, sir? There is still the matter of the ones who discovered the information.”
“Oh yeah, uh, dump them off the eastern bridge.” The Lead Engineer waved off the issue.
With a simple nod, the data officers left, accompanied by a few guards as well. The Lead Engineer sat back in his chair, before steepling his fingers on the desk. He looked back and forth between the assembled leadership, before the General spoke up.
“So, are we gonna continue or what?” He crossed his arms.
“Yes, sorry.” The Lead Engineer motioned to one of his ministers. “You take the lead, Kane.”
Kane got up, walking to the front of the tent, dragging a projector on a cart with him. When he arrived, he pulled down the white screen, securing the hook on a latch on the bottom. He then adjusted the cart, facing the lens towards the screen. He then attached a laptop to the projector, pressing a few buttons and fiddling with a few switches, cursing once. Finally, the projector flickered to life, shining an image onto the screen.
Kane cleared his throat. “Ahem, so. What you are seeing here is the first page of the document in question. As you can see here, it appears to be warning against a drone viewing whatever the contents of this file is.” Kane flicked to the next slide. “It continues to vehemently express this multiple times, not really differing in its warning at all.”
One of the military ministers, Alicia, raised her hand. “Uh, question?”
Kane paused. “What is it?”
“Its warning against drones? She asked.
“Yes, it is. I’ll explain this later on, so save your questions for the end please.” Kane looked back to the projection, skipping through the slides until he landed on the first one without a warning.
“Ah, here we go. So, as you can see here, this appears to be a logo for JCJenson-'' Kane was interrupted by a faint, “In Spaaaaacee!” from an unknown source. “Uh, anyway, as all of you know, JCJenson was the company that owned this planet, and the one that provided the drones that the government were using in their facility, which was us.” Kane flicked to the next slide.
“Here we can see a title for a project, along with several bits of accompanying information, like locations, associates, page number, references, you get the picture.” Kane then produced a long ruler from what seemed like thin air, before pointing the end at one of the words. “Pay attention to this one here ‘AbsoSolv’ as it’ll come up several times later on.” Going to the next slide, Kane cleared his throat yet again.
“This page is more confusing, as it appears to be mentioning several unit serial numbers that don’t match up with standard format, which are mixed in with several other ones that are in different format, like this one here,” Kane pointed his stick at a random one from the line. “This one says, S-010011X01, which I believe has a main identifying letter instead of a string of numbers based on time of construction.”
“Additionally, while some of these feature the normal serial numbers that worker drones use, they have another identifier after it, separated by a dash.” Kane flipped to the next slide.
“This one is more straightforward, as it appears to be featuring a set of technical designs of a modified worker drone with the serial number and other associated information listed at the top. The notes on the side are observations on the modifications that can be seen in the designs. Some of the original worker drone parts can be seen, but a majority of the inner and outer mass seem to have been altered or replaced with a substance that is described as ‘fleshy’. You can see at the very bottom a signature of an unknown human administrator, and a notice that marks the drone for ‘disassembly’ as an addendum can be seen that marks whatever this is as a failure, and a recommendation to request more data from their source.”
Kane took a breath, before going to the next slide. “This is essentially the same as the last one, and this continues for a few slides. Nothing of note can be found in them, save for a few different serial numbers that were listed in one of the prior slides.”
Kane flicked to the next slide. “This one has two addendums, which I will say in a moment. The image is different as well, with noticeably less random mutations and more of a form taking place. This one was supposedly much more successful than the others, and while it was still marked as a failure, the first addendum said that the team working on the project should strip the data from the drone in as best a condition as they could. The second one simply noted they were naming the specific strain of code they were using to ‘Absolute Solver’. The addendum does not mention any reason or motive behind the name, only noting the fact that their shareholders would be pleased.”
“The next one is the first apparent success in the line of experiments that JCJenson seemed to be doing. A single growth can be seen protruding from the back of the spinal transmitter, and several other growths have sprouted inside. However, it is noted that the drone survived the process, and remained somewhat coherent for a period of time afterwards, which seems to be an outlier when considering the others. There isn’t an addendum on this one, only a request from the team for more extensive data from their source to compare to this experiment.”
“This trend continues for a good while, so I’ll just summarize the important bits for all of you.” Kane stated. “Each version continued to show more and more productive attributes and traits, as is par the standard course. Throughout the notes, requests, and addendums, whoever was typing up the document repeatedly noted some things that I will review later, such as Absolute Solver, the ‘source’, Camp 98.7, Cabin Fever Labs, and disassembly drones.”
Kane flicked to the final slide. “This is the final page, with some items to note. It appears to be a reiteration of the specifics of the agreement between the government and JCJenson, with a few additional key things. It includes the standard formalities and the usual junk that we all know, but something else as well. When mentioning the exchange of data that came from the asset-” Kane paused as the room underwent an uncomfortable shuffle in their seats. “They mention a clear correlation between this project that JCJenson is, or was, working on, and the asset. They also instructed the government contacts that any unauthorized personnel, which included government agents, were now barred from entering Camp 98.7 due to ‘hazardous environmental conditions’ and that this was nonnegotiable.”
Kane turned away from the projector, clasping his hands in front of himself. “And now to explain.”
“From what me and the team I assigned could gather, we deduced the meanings and purposes behind several items that were mentioned in this file. The first and most obvious, the ‘source’ that is mentioned. They are receiving data from this source, which seems to be essential to the development of what they were working on. Based on their words, we figured that the source is likely the asset, and yes, the same asset that we are all familiar with.” Kane paused, seemingly to let his words sink in.
“Continuing on, we began to dissect what Camp 98.7 was. It was very clearly a location of sorts, but where it was and what it was used for was more complicated. While we never arrived at a solid conclusion, we believed that the most likely avenue was that Camp 98.7 might have been an outpost of sorts, perhaps used in conjunction with these Cabin Fever Labs.”
“On the matter of the Cabin Fever Labs, we can clearly assume that research and development of this Absolute Solver was being conducted there, and perhaps Camp 98.7 was a sort of staging ground or other type of location related to the lab. We believe that the location of one or both of these sites are hidden within another file.”
“And perhaps the most intriguing and complex matter of them all, Absolute Solver. We figured that it was likely that this Absolute Solver was instrumental in whatever experiments they were doing, or even being one of the subjects of the experiments themselves. From what we gather, Absolute Solver is something, maybe a piece of alien machinery, some sort of unknown lifeform, an experimental strain of cutting-edge code, one of those things, but whatever it is, it is not something that is ‘normal’. It appears to have a unique effect on those it hosts or comes into contact with, rapidly generating new organic material, with sometimes uncontrolled effects. While the file only shows the experiments that used drones, we don’t know if any humans or other organic lifeforms were included either. Likely not, considering the legality of the situation, but it's open to discussion.”
Kane took a large breath, before continuing.
“And finally, the disassembly drones. They seem simple, but my team believed it to be heavily related to our current situation. They aren’t mentioned very often, but they appear to be a direct result of their experiments or related to one. From what we could gather, they are meant to, well, disassemble. Drones on par with military-grade ones that are capable of a variety of things, like bullet fire, rocket launching, melee combat, flight, digital warfare, and regeneration.” Kane watched as his words dawned upon his audience, expressions filling with shock.
“Yes, those drones. The disassembly drones that we read about are likely some variant of the unknown assailants that attacked the facility, and stole the asset in the process.”
The General sputtered. “B-but that would be a severe political incident! If those drones were under the command of JCJenson, and they stole GOVERNMENT property, then they would be liable for retaliation!”
Kane tried to calm the room. “Now, hold on, I’m not done-”
The Lead Engineer also appeared to be shocked. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier!?”
“You told me to wait for the meeting!” Kane exclaimed.
The room erupted into disarray.
“We need to mobilize, hunt down those damn traitors!”
“What's their last known location!?”
“Where is the nearest transmitter, send out a request for retaliatory action!”
Suddenly, a drone burst into the room, knocking over the projector cart in the process. Everyone turned to look at him, ceasing the chaos for a moment.
“Er, uh, sirs?” The drone asked.
“Yes?” The General and the Lead Engineer stood up at the same time.
“I, uh,” The drone looked back and forth between the two administrators. “Well, we received a panic signal from one of our scouts.”
The General scoffed. “Why would that be enough to warrant our intervention? He probably just tripped on a conveniently placed banana peel.”
The messenger fidgeted nervously. “Well, his partner reported moments before the signal came in that he heard gunshots.”
The administrative drones shared a collective uneasy look.
“What did you do?” The General asked slowly.
“The officers who received the signal first sent in two of the patrol squads that were nearby at the time.” The messenger answered.
The drones in assembly all either looked down in disappointment or facepalmed.
The General spoke up after a moment. “Send in a squad as fast as you can to their last known location. Only veterans, and outfit them with heavy weaponry and explosive ordnance.” The General paused, before adding an afterthought. “And give them some cutting equipment too.”
The messenger blinked in surprise. “Wait, sir, are you sure-”
“Just tell the officers already!” The General slammed his fist down onto the cheap plastic table, which formed a crack.
The messenger saluted quickly, before dashing out of the room.
The Lead Engineer took a cursory look at the assembled drones, before he sighed.
“We’re screwed.”
* * *
“Are you going back anytime soon?”
Jacob looked back at his unwanted companion.
“No.” He answered simply, before resuming his casual trot.
“We’re getting too far away from the spire, and the sun is coming up in an hour or two. I for one don’t want to get caught out.” A insisted.
“Well I don’t die from a bit of sunlight, so too bad.” Jacob stepped over a tire rim.
“I’m not sure that’s your choice.” A stated.
Jacob paused and looked backward. “Oh, so you’re bossing me around now?”
“Maybe, if you keep on making dumb decisions like this.” A stopped as well.
“Pff, I’ll be fine.” Jacob waved his hand in the air to emphasize his point.
“You won’t last ten minutes.” A dead-panned.
“Nah, I’ll speedrun this stuff, I’ll be off-planet in an hour.” Jacob proudly said.
A shook his head and sighed. “Whatever you say.”
Jacob didn’t answer.
Jacob then looked around. “Wait, where are we? I wasn’t keeping track.”
“And you said that you would- whatever, we’re like, three miles away from the base.” A replied.
“Huh, went that far?” Jacob asked.
A frowned. “Three miles isn’t that far-”
A was interrupted by a rather loud crack that resonated through the landscape.
Jacob blinked. “Uh, ok then-”
Jacob was also interrupted by a trio of cracks and bangs, sounding slightly familiar.
“Are those-” Jacob was, yet again, interrupted by even more bangs.
“-gunshots?” He finished.
“I wouldn’t worry, those idiots are probably either messing around, or they found a worker drone to kill.” A nonchalantly answered.
“Shouldn’t we go check it out though?” Jacob inquired.
“It isn’t a problem.” A said, annoyed.
“Well it would give me something to do.” Jacob insisted.
A checked the time, before looking at the horizon for signs of sunlight.
“Eh, fine. Wouldn’t hurt, I guess.” A shrugged.
“Nice.” Jacob grinned underneath his ballistic visor.
* * *
K sliced through the head of the last desperate drone, before spitting out a bullet.
“You done?” K called out to X.
“Yeah, I guess. By the way, do you still have my Dasani thing?” X looked at K hopefully.
“Yes, I do. And besides, it isn’t yours, it's for Jacob.” K answered.
“What? Why is he getting it? Why not me?” X exclaimed.
“Because it's water, idiot. An uncontaminated source, like A told us, remember?” K glared at X.
“I guess, but that's water?” X asked.
“Yes, it is. It matches the description.” K replied
“Description?” X questioned.
“Yeah, the description. You know what description means, right?” K seemed even more annoyed.
“I know what it means.” X snapped. “But how do you know what water looks like?”
K just shrugged, before turning towards the exit.
“Come on, we gotta get back soon.” She flew upwards, landing on the ledge.
X followed suit, tracing their steps back through the building. X looked back up at the rusty grate that the drone had fallen through, which he now identified as being part of a weirdly placed catwalk. Scanning the environment, X found that the only entrance to the small alcove would be the hole in the catwalk. The basement that the small room was connected to didn’t have an entrance either, only having the gaping hole in the side of the room, which likely wasn't intended. That would mean that a person would have to chop through the sewer wall to get into the basement and adjoining alcove, or jump off the catwalk. Both of those options didn’t make any sort of sense at all. In fact, the catwalk wasn’t even needed, someone could have just removed the entire basement-and-alcove plan entirely, which also removed the necessity for a catwalk. All in all, whoever designed the building was either high off of some crazy drugs, an idiot, or both.
But, none of these thoughts went through X’s head, as he was only thinking about the devastating loss of his cool plastic bottle.
K hefted herself up onto the rusty catwalk, with X following close behind. K went through the doorway, only for a rather eventful event to stop her momentarily.
A rocket screamed through the air, smacking K straight in the chest. The resulting explosion blew X backwards and K apart, with oil splashing onto the ground in the process. With a clatter, X hit the ground, slightly dazed. He looked to his left to see what looked like the arm of K, twitching slightly. X tried to get up, only to fall again, after he put his weight on a hand that wasn’t there.
X, seeing the failure of Operation: GTFU, adjusted his position so that he could get up with his other hand only, which was thankfully still there. Investigating his left arm, he could see that everything down from the elbow had been separated from himself in the blast. He didn’t have time to look for it or go get it, so he simply let the matter go.
Standing up, X stared through the smoke, before diving back down onto the ground when another rocket came streaking past him. It scratched his face, sending small sparks up, before heading down the other hallway. X pointed his own rocket launcher into the fog, before firing off a flurry of shots. He heard explosions, but wasn’t rewarded with screams or grunts of pain. Problematic, to say the least.
X took the opportunity to kick K’s assorted dismembered body parts down into the lower alcove, where she should eventually reassemble herself. She was really taking a beating recently, and she would probably be frustrated about that when X was all done, but that wasn’t his problem-
X nearly met the same fate as K when another rocket flew from the open doorway, the fog starting to clear up. X jumped up and over the RPG, letting it fly into the unexplored depths of the building. He couldn’t do this dance forever, so he made the executive decision to charge into the unknown.
* * *
Anyway, I'll be posting the next part tomorrow, so hang on tight for the singular person that made it to the end. No need to like, this is purely for my own benefit. See ya.
2023.06.03 02:07 TwoStonksPlease Stumbled upon a very informative article about short sale FTDs, share locates, etc. Definitely worth a read!
Pasting the full text here in case the source gets taken down.
https://www.securitieslawyer101.com/2013/short-sale-delivery/
https://archive.is/L8ZVJ
What Are Short Sale Failures to Deliver?
In recent weeks, it has been claimed that microcap issuers are the target of rumor mongering by stock bashers working in collusion with market makers and notorious short sellers. It is sometimes difficult to differentiate between legitimate short selling and unlawful manipulative short selling, and to determine whether a stock’s price has declined as the result of dilution or short sales, particularly in the penny markets. Regulation SHO addressed failures-to-deliver in short sales by imposing obligations on broker-dealers and attaching liability for non-compliance.
Rule 10b-21 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) provides liability for the short seller who fails to deliver under certain circumstances.
Market Manipulation l Section 10(b) and 10(b)5
Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act prohibits the use of “any manipulative or deceptive device or contrivance” in connection with the purchase or sale of a security. Manipulative conduct could be engaged in to distort the truth about a stock’s price, value or demand. Examples include dissemination of false or misleading information about a public company, wash sales, matched orders, or rigged prices to increase or decrease a stock’s price or volume. Buys or sales made to create trading activity, prevent price declines or price increases for the purpose of causing others to purchase or sell a security distorts the true activities of buyers and sellers of securities in the public markets.
Market Manipulation l Liability of Short Sellers l Failures to Deliver
A short sale is considered a sale of securities for the purposes of the federal securities laws, including the antifraud provisions of Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Thus a short seller must consider whether he possesses material, nonpublic information about the issuer before effecting a short sale.
Rule 10b-21 of the Exchange Act is the naked short selling antifraud rule. Rule 10b-21 assigns liability to the short seller for certain failures to deliver. Rule 10b-21 provides that a person who submits a sell order for an equity security violates the antifraud provisions of the Exchange Act if he knowingly or recklessly deceives a broker-dealer about his intention or ability to deliver the shorted security on or before the settlement date (T+3 Settlement), AND fails to deliver the security on or before the settlement date (T+3 Settlement).
Rule 10b-21 stipulates that short sellers who make misrepresentations about their intent and ability to deliver equity securities in compliance with the T+3 Settlement requirements violate the securities laws if they fail to deliver a shorted security as represented. By adopting the rule, the SEC has clearly determined that a short seller can be held liable for undermining the ability of its broker-dealer to comply with Regulation SHO.
Compliance with Regulation SHO
Rule 200(g) of Regulation SHO requires that broker-dealers mark all sell orders as “long,” “short,” or “short-exempt.”
Short-Exempt
Orders can be short-exempt if the stock is at a price above the current national best bid at the time of the order and submission, and falls within an exception under Rule 201.
Long-Orders
Orders can be marked as long if the seller owns the security to be sold for purposes of Rule 200, and the broker-dealer has, or reasonably expects to have physical possession or control of the security before settlement. Unless both of these conditions are met, the broker-dealer must mark the order as short or short-exempt.
Share-Borrowing (Locate Obligation)
Rule 203(b)(1) of Regulation SHO requires a broker-dealer to identify, or locate, borrowable securities before executing a trade when an order has been marked as short. The broker-dealer must either borrow or arrange to borrow the security in time for delivery at settlement or have reasonable grounds to believe that the security can, if necessary, be borrowed for delivery at settlement. In its release explaining the adoption of Regulation SHO, the SEC indicated that the broker-dealer can rely on its customer’s representations in determining that shares are available for borrowing.
The Alternative Uptick Rule l Circuit Breaker
Rule 201 is known as the “Alternative Uptick Rule” and it applies only when a stock has had a price decline of at least 10% in one day, an event that triggers a “circuit breaker.” Rule 201 prevents short sellers from further driving down a stock’s price when it has experienced a 10% decrease from the prior days trading price. It applies to orders for the security for the remainder of the day the decrease occurred as well as the following session. Originally, Regulation SHO applied only to “covered securities,” which are equity securities that are listed on a national securities exchange. In 2006, the omission of stocks trading over-the-counter was rectified by FINRA Rule 3210, which was superseded in 2010 by Rule 4320.
Short Selling l Manipulative Conduct by Market Makers l Specific Examples
Courts have held that short selling in legitimate transactions to real buyers does not artificially affect prices and therefore cannot be manipulative trading. There must be deceptive or manipulative conduct by the short seller, such as the release of false or fraudulent information concerning the issuer, or the creation of a false impression of the supply and demand for trading activity.
In SEC v. Badian, the SEC charged that the defendants had engaged in short selling to manipulate the price of Sedona Corporation’s securities, so that their dilution funder client would receive a larger number of shares when it exercised conversion rights under a debenture it held. The conversion price of the debenture was based upon the market price of Sedona’s shares, so if the price declined the client would receive more shares. Short sales were conducted in the client’s account and covered with shares issued upon conversion of the debenture. The debenture agreement prohibited the investor from short selling Sedona’s shares. In order to conceal the short sales, the defendants engaged in wash trading and matched orders, and fraudulently marked the short sale orders as long on the broker’s records. The court held that the covenant against short sales in the debenture had been disclosed to investors, and the sellers had created the false appearance of massive selling by individual investors to conceal their activities. They were found to have engaged in manipulative trading.
For further information about this securities law blog post, please contact Brenda Hamilton, Securities Attorney at 101 Plaza Real S, Suite 202 N, Boca Raton, Florida, (561) 416-8956, by email at [email protected] or visit www.securitieslawyer101.com. This securities law blog post is provided as a general informational service to clients and friends of Hamilton & Associates Law Group and should not be construed as, and does not constitute, legal and compliance advice on any specific matter, nor does this message create an attorney-client relationship. Please note that the prior results discussed herein do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Hamilton & Associates Securities Lawyers Brenda Hamilton, Securities Attorney 101 Plaza Real South, Suite 202 North Boca Raton, Florida 33432 Telephone: (561) 416-8956 Facsimile: (561) 416-2855 www.SecuritiesLawyer101.com
submitted by TwoStonksPlease to amcstock [link] [comments]
https://www.securitieslawyer101.com/2013/short-sale-delivery/
https://archive.is/L8ZVJ
In recent weeks, it has been claimed that microcap issuers are the target of rumor mongering by stock bashers working in collusion with market makers and notorious short sellers. It is sometimes difficult to differentiate between legitimate short selling and unlawful manipulative short selling, and to determine whether a stock’s price has declined as the result of dilution or short sales, particularly in the penny markets. Regulation SHO addressed failures-to-deliver in short sales by imposing obligations on broker-dealers and attaching liability for non-compliance.
Rule 10b-21 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) provides liability for the short seller who fails to deliver under certain circumstances.
Market Manipulation l Section 10(b) and 10(b)5
Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act prohibits the use of “any manipulative or deceptive device or contrivance” in connection with the purchase or sale of a security. Manipulative conduct could be engaged in to distort the truth about a stock’s price, value or demand. Examples include dissemination of false or misleading information about a public company, wash sales, matched orders, or rigged prices to increase or decrease a stock’s price or volume. Buys or sales made to create trading activity, prevent price declines or price increases for the purpose of causing others to purchase or sell a security distorts the true activities of buyers and sellers of securities in the public markets.
Market Manipulation l Liability of Short Sellers l Failures to Deliver
A short sale is considered a sale of securities for the purposes of the federal securities laws, including the antifraud provisions of Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Thus a short seller must consider whether he possesses material, nonpublic information about the issuer before effecting a short sale.
Rule 10b-21 of the Exchange Act is the naked short selling antifraud rule. Rule 10b-21 assigns liability to the short seller for certain failures to deliver. Rule 10b-21 provides that a person who submits a sell order for an equity security violates the antifraud provisions of the Exchange Act if he knowingly or recklessly deceives a broker-dealer about his intention or ability to deliver the shorted security on or before the settlement date (T+3 Settlement), AND fails to deliver the security on or before the settlement date (T+3 Settlement).
Rule 10b-21 stipulates that short sellers who make misrepresentations about their intent and ability to deliver equity securities in compliance with the T+3 Settlement requirements violate the securities laws if they fail to deliver a shorted security as represented. By adopting the rule, the SEC has clearly determined that a short seller can be held liable for undermining the ability of its broker-dealer to comply with Regulation SHO.
Compliance with Regulation SHO
Rule 200(g) of Regulation SHO requires that broker-dealers mark all sell orders as “long,” “short,” or “short-exempt.”
Short-Exempt
Orders can be short-exempt if the stock is at a price above the current national best bid at the time of the order and submission, and falls within an exception under Rule 201.
Long-Orders
Orders can be marked as long if the seller owns the security to be sold for purposes of Rule 200, and the broker-dealer has, or reasonably expects to have physical possession or control of the security before settlement. Unless both of these conditions are met, the broker-dealer must mark the order as short or short-exempt.
Share-Borrowing (Locate Obligation)
Rule 203(b)(1) of Regulation SHO requires a broker-dealer to identify, or locate, borrowable securities before executing a trade when an order has been marked as short. The broker-dealer must either borrow or arrange to borrow the security in time for delivery at settlement or have reasonable grounds to believe that the security can, if necessary, be borrowed for delivery at settlement. In its release explaining the adoption of Regulation SHO, the SEC indicated that the broker-dealer can rely on its customer’s representations in determining that shares are available for borrowing.
The Alternative Uptick Rule l Circuit Breaker
Rule 201 is known as the “Alternative Uptick Rule” and it applies only when a stock has had a price decline of at least 10% in one day, an event that triggers a “circuit breaker.” Rule 201 prevents short sellers from further driving down a stock’s price when it has experienced a 10% decrease from the prior days trading price. It applies to orders for the security for the remainder of the day the decrease occurred as well as the following session. Originally, Regulation SHO applied only to “covered securities,” which are equity securities that are listed on a national securities exchange. In 2006, the omission of stocks trading over-the-counter was rectified by FINRA Rule 3210, which was superseded in 2010 by Rule 4320.
Short Selling l Manipulative Conduct by Market Makers l Specific Examples
Courts have held that short selling in legitimate transactions to real buyers does not artificially affect prices and therefore cannot be manipulative trading. There must be deceptive or manipulative conduct by the short seller, such as the release of false or fraudulent information concerning the issuer, or the creation of a false impression of the supply and demand for trading activity.
In SEC v. Badian, the SEC charged that the defendants had engaged in short selling to manipulate the price of Sedona Corporation’s securities, so that their dilution funder client would receive a larger number of shares when it exercised conversion rights under a debenture it held. The conversion price of the debenture was based upon the market price of Sedona’s shares, so if the price declined the client would receive more shares. Short sales were conducted in the client’s account and covered with shares issued upon conversion of the debenture. The debenture agreement prohibited the investor from short selling Sedona’s shares. In order to conceal the short sales, the defendants engaged in wash trading and matched orders, and fraudulently marked the short sale orders as long on the broker’s records. The court held that the covenant against short sales in the debenture had been disclosed to investors, and the sellers had created the false appearance of massive selling by individual investors to conceal their activities. They were found to have engaged in manipulative trading.
For further information about this securities law blog post, please contact Brenda Hamilton, Securities Attorney at 101 Plaza Real S, Suite 202 N, Boca Raton, Florida, (561) 416-8956, by email at [email protected] or visit www.securitieslawyer101.com. This securities law blog post is provided as a general informational service to clients and friends of Hamilton & Associates Law Group and should not be construed as, and does not constitute, legal and compliance advice on any specific matter, nor does this message create an attorney-client relationship. Please note that the prior results discussed herein do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Hamilton & Associates Securities Lawyers Brenda Hamilton, Securities Attorney 101 Plaza Real South, Suite 202 North Boca Raton, Florida 33432 Telephone: (561) 416-8956 Facsimile: (561) 416-2855 www.SecuritiesLawyer101.com
2023.06.03 02:05 TwoStonksPlease Stumbled upon a very informative article about short sale FTDs, share locates, etc. Definitely worth a read.
Pasting the full text here in case the source gets taken down.
https://www.securitieslawyer101.com/2013/short-sale-delivery/
https://archive.is/L8ZVJ
What Are Short Sale Failures to Deliver?
In recent weeks, it has been claimed that microcap issuers are the target of rumor mongering by stock bashers working in collusion with market makers and notorious short sellers. It is sometimes difficult to differentiate between legitimate short selling and unlawful manipulative short selling, and to determine whether a stock’s price has declined as the result of dilution or short sales, particularly in the penny markets. Regulation SHO addressed failures-to-deliver in short sales by imposing obligations on broker-dealers and attaching liability for non-compliance.
Rule 10b-21 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) provides liability for the short seller who fails to deliver under certain circumstances.
Market Manipulation l Section 10(b) and 10(b)5
Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act prohibits the use of “any manipulative or deceptive device or contrivance” in connection with the purchase or sale of a security. Manipulative conduct could be engaged in to distort the truth about a stock’s price, value or demand. Examples include dissemination of false or misleading information about a public company, wash sales, matched orders, or rigged prices to increase or decrease a stock’s price or volume. Buys or sales made to create trading activity, prevent price declines or price increases for the purpose of causing others to purchase or sell a security distorts the true activities of buyers and sellers of securities in the public markets.
Market Manipulation l Liability of Short Sellers l Failures to Deliver
A short sale is considered a sale of securities for the purposes of the federal securities laws, including the antifraud provisions of Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Thus a short seller must consider whether he possesses material, nonpublic information about the issuer before effecting a short sale.
Rule 10b-21 of the Exchange Act is the naked short selling antifraud rule. Rule 10b-21 assigns liability to the short seller for certain failures to deliver. Rule 10b-21 provides that a person who submits a sell order for an equity security violates the antifraud provisions of the Exchange Act if he knowingly or recklessly deceives a broker-dealer about his intention or ability to deliver the shorted security on or before the settlement date (T+3 Settlement), AND fails to deliver the security on or before the settlement date (T+3 Settlement).
Rule 10b-21 stipulates that short sellers who make misrepresentations about their intent and ability to deliver equity securities in compliance with the T+3 Settlement requirements violate the securities laws if they fail to deliver a shorted security as represented. By adopting the rule, the SEC has clearly determined that a short seller can be held liable for undermining the ability of its broker-dealer to comply with Regulation SHO.
Compliance with Regulation SHO
Rule 200(g) of Regulation SHO requires that broker-dealers mark all sell orders as “long,” “short,” or “short-exempt.”
Short-Exempt
Orders can be short-exempt if the stock is at a price above the current national best bid at the time of the order and submission, and falls within an exception under Rule 201.
Long-Orders
Orders can be marked as long if the seller owns the security to be sold for purposes of Rule 200, and the broker-dealer has, or reasonably expects to have physical possession or control of the security before settlement. Unless both of these conditions are met, the broker-dealer must mark the order as short or short-exempt.
Share-Borrowing (Locate Obligation)
Rule 203(b)(1) of Regulation SHO requires a broker-dealer to identify, or locate, borrowable securities before executing a trade when an order has been marked as short. The broker-dealer must either borrow or arrange to borrow the security in time for delivery at settlement or have reasonable grounds to believe that the security can, if necessary, be borrowed for delivery at settlement. In its release explaining the adoption of Regulation SHO, the SEC indicated that the broker-dealer can rely on its customer’s representations in determining that shares are available for borrowing.
The Alternative Uptick Rule l Circuit Breaker
Rule 201 is known as the “Alternative Uptick Rule” and it applies only when a stock has had a price decline of at least 10% in one day, an event that triggers a “circuit breaker.” Rule 201 prevents short sellers from further driving down a stock’s price when it has experienced a 10% decrease from the prior days trading price. It applies to orders for the security for the remainder of the day the decrease occurred as well as the following session. Originally, Regulation SHO applied only to “covered securities,” which are equity securities that are listed on a national securities exchange. In 2006, the omission of stocks trading over-the-counter was rectified by FINRA Rule 3210, which was superseded in 2010 by Rule 4320.
Short Selling l Manipulative Conduct by Market Makers l Specific Examples
Courts have held that short selling in legitimate transactions to real buyers does not artificially affect prices and therefore cannot be manipulative trading. There must be deceptive or manipulative conduct by the short seller, such as the release of false or fraudulent information concerning the issuer, or the creation of a false impression of the supply and demand for trading activity.
In SEC v. Badian, the SEC charged that the defendants had engaged in short selling to manipulate the price of Sedona Corporation’s securities, so that their dilution funder client would receive a larger number of shares when it exercised conversion rights under a debenture it held. The conversion price of the debenture was based upon the market price of Sedona’s shares, so if the price declined the client would receive more shares. Short sales were conducted in the client’s account and covered with shares issued upon conversion of the debenture. The debenture agreement prohibited the investor from short selling Sedona’s shares. In order to conceal the short sales, the defendants engaged in wash trading and matched orders, and fraudulently marked the short sale orders as long on the broker’s records. The court held that the covenant against short sales in the debenture had been disclosed to investors, and the sellers had created the false appearance of massive selling by individual investors to conceal their activities. They were found to have engaged in manipulative trading.
For further information about this securities law blog post, please contact Brenda Hamilton, Securities Attorney at 101 Plaza Real S, Suite 202 N, Boca Raton, Florida, (561) 416-8956, by email at [email protected] or visit www.securitieslawyer101.com. This securities law blog post is provided as a general informational service to clients and friends of Hamilton & Associates Law Group and should not be construed as, and does not constitute, legal and compliance advice on any specific matter, nor does this message create an attorney-client relationship. Please note that the prior results discussed herein do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Hamilton & Associates Securities Lawyers Brenda Hamilton, Securities Attorney 101 Plaza Real South, Suite 202 North Boca Raton, Florida 33432 Telephone: (561) 416-8956 Facsimile: (561) 416-2855 www.SecuritiesLawyer101.com
submitted by TwoStonksPlease to Superstonk [link] [comments]
https://www.securitieslawyer101.com/2013/short-sale-delivery/
https://archive.is/L8ZVJ
In recent weeks, it has been claimed that microcap issuers are the target of rumor mongering by stock bashers working in collusion with market makers and notorious short sellers. It is sometimes difficult to differentiate between legitimate short selling and unlawful manipulative short selling, and to determine whether a stock’s price has declined as the result of dilution or short sales, particularly in the penny markets. Regulation SHO addressed failures-to-deliver in short sales by imposing obligations on broker-dealers and attaching liability for non-compliance.
Rule 10b-21 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) provides liability for the short seller who fails to deliver under certain circumstances.
Market Manipulation l Section 10(b) and 10(b)5
Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act prohibits the use of “any manipulative or deceptive device or contrivance” in connection with the purchase or sale of a security. Manipulative conduct could be engaged in to distort the truth about a stock’s price, value or demand. Examples include dissemination of false or misleading information about a public company, wash sales, matched orders, or rigged prices to increase or decrease a stock’s price or volume. Buys or sales made to create trading activity, prevent price declines or price increases for the purpose of causing others to purchase or sell a security distorts the true activities of buyers and sellers of securities in the public markets.
Market Manipulation l Liability of Short Sellers l Failures to Deliver
A short sale is considered a sale of securities for the purposes of the federal securities laws, including the antifraud provisions of Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Thus a short seller must consider whether he possesses material, nonpublic information about the issuer before effecting a short sale.
Rule 10b-21 of the Exchange Act is the naked short selling antifraud rule. Rule 10b-21 assigns liability to the short seller for certain failures to deliver. Rule 10b-21 provides that a person who submits a sell order for an equity security violates the antifraud provisions of the Exchange Act if he knowingly or recklessly deceives a broker-dealer about his intention or ability to deliver the shorted security on or before the settlement date (T+3 Settlement), AND fails to deliver the security on or before the settlement date (T+3 Settlement).
Rule 10b-21 stipulates that short sellers who make misrepresentations about their intent and ability to deliver equity securities in compliance with the T+3 Settlement requirements violate the securities laws if they fail to deliver a shorted security as represented. By adopting the rule, the SEC has clearly determined that a short seller can be held liable for undermining the ability of its broker-dealer to comply with Regulation SHO.
Compliance with Regulation SHO
Rule 200(g) of Regulation SHO requires that broker-dealers mark all sell orders as “long,” “short,” or “short-exempt.”
Short-Exempt
Orders can be short-exempt if the stock is at a price above the current national best bid at the time of the order and submission, and falls within an exception under Rule 201.
Long-Orders
Orders can be marked as long if the seller owns the security to be sold for purposes of Rule 200, and the broker-dealer has, or reasonably expects to have physical possession or control of the security before settlement. Unless both of these conditions are met, the broker-dealer must mark the order as short or short-exempt.
Share-Borrowing (Locate Obligation)
Rule 203(b)(1) of Regulation SHO requires a broker-dealer to identify, or locate, borrowable securities before executing a trade when an order has been marked as short. The broker-dealer must either borrow or arrange to borrow the security in time for delivery at settlement or have reasonable grounds to believe that the security can, if necessary, be borrowed for delivery at settlement. In its release explaining the adoption of Regulation SHO, the SEC indicated that the broker-dealer can rely on its customer’s representations in determining that shares are available for borrowing.
The Alternative Uptick Rule l Circuit Breaker
Rule 201 is known as the “Alternative Uptick Rule” and it applies only when a stock has had a price decline of at least 10% in one day, an event that triggers a “circuit breaker.” Rule 201 prevents short sellers from further driving down a stock’s price when it has experienced a 10% decrease from the prior days trading price. It applies to orders for the security for the remainder of the day the decrease occurred as well as the following session. Originally, Regulation SHO applied only to “covered securities,” which are equity securities that are listed on a national securities exchange. In 2006, the omission of stocks trading over-the-counter was rectified by FINRA Rule 3210, which was superseded in 2010 by Rule 4320.
Short Selling l Manipulative Conduct by Market Makers l Specific Examples
Courts have held that short selling in legitimate transactions to real buyers does not artificially affect prices and therefore cannot be manipulative trading. There must be deceptive or manipulative conduct by the short seller, such as the release of false or fraudulent information concerning the issuer, or the creation of a false impression of the supply and demand for trading activity.
In SEC v. Badian, the SEC charged that the defendants had engaged in short selling to manipulate the price of Sedona Corporation’s securities, so that their dilution funder client would receive a larger number of shares when it exercised conversion rights under a debenture it held. The conversion price of the debenture was based upon the market price of Sedona’s shares, so if the price declined the client would receive more shares. Short sales were conducted in the client’s account and covered with shares issued upon conversion of the debenture. The debenture agreement prohibited the investor from short selling Sedona’s shares. In order to conceal the short sales, the defendants engaged in wash trading and matched orders, and fraudulently marked the short sale orders as long on the broker’s records. The court held that the covenant against short sales in the debenture had been disclosed to investors, and the sellers had created the false appearance of massive selling by individual investors to conceal their activities. They were found to have engaged in manipulative trading.
For further information about this securities law blog post, please contact Brenda Hamilton, Securities Attorney at 101 Plaza Real S, Suite 202 N, Boca Raton, Florida, (561) 416-8956, by email at [email protected] or visit www.securitieslawyer101.com. This securities law blog post is provided as a general informational service to clients and friends of Hamilton & Associates Law Group and should not be construed as, and does not constitute, legal and compliance advice on any specific matter, nor does this message create an attorney-client relationship. Please note that the prior results discussed herein do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Hamilton & Associates Securities Lawyers Brenda Hamilton, Securities Attorney 101 Plaza Real South, Suite 202 North Boca Raton, Florida 33432 Telephone: (561) 416-8956 Facsimile: (561) 416-2855 www.SecuritiesLawyer101.com
2023.06.03 01:17 Titanium-Legman Recommended Parties and Strategies For Each Lair Boss
Hello y'all, I've been playing a TON of DD2 since its full release, and I've spent a lot of that time fighting the lair bosses to figure out what works well against them, and what doesn't. I wanted to share what my experience has been so that anyone who's been struggling against a particular boss (like the Leviathan, damn its soul if it has one) might be able to glean some extra info to help them. Bosses are broken up by section for ease of reading, and I've also made two videos outlining the same points if you prefer to listen rather than read. They're linked below. Spoilers for boss mechanics and whatnot of course follow. Also apologies if formatting gets messed up, this is a long one.
- Dreaming General + Librarian
- Leviathan + Harvest Child
DREAMING GENERAL
Tangle boss. Takes up the first three rows of his arena, with the fourth row taken up by a targetable, but indestructible, Taproot.
Cadaver Type. Size three enemy, front three rows.
Taproot. Indestructible, size 1 back row.
205 HP
ATTACKS AND MECHANICS
The only mechanic in this fight revolves around the Taproot, which will slowly try to constrict your party over the course of the battle. Upon entering the fight, it’ll add a “Growth” token to each member of the party. Every round, it’ll add another to two random party members, maxing out at three total tokens per character. Once they reach three, the character will be bound, gaining a “Strangle” token and having their actions restricted to using the encounter specific “Whispering Darkness.” This attack inflicts stress on the rest of the party, and must be used whenever a bound hero takes their turn.
Every time an attack hits the Taproot, one stack of Growth is removed from a random hero. This means, to remove all the growth the root creates each turn, you have to hit it twice a turn. You can use damaging attacks, debuffs like Blinding Gas, combat items, whatever. The issue is that hitting the root twice triggers a new attack, “The Soil Stirs.” This marks two ranks of your formation to be attacked on the following turn, causing massive damage to the heroes it hits. This is the case even if you hit the Root once over multiple turns; the second hit it takes will trigger the attack if it didn’t already have it prepared, regardless. If all heroes wind up bound "Nightmare" is used, hitting the party for big damage and releasing them.
General also uses "Unsettling Whispers" to inflict damage and stress on the target.
Waking Dead and Nightmare ignore Stealth, Dodge, Blind and Taunt.
PARTY AND STRATEGY
Plague Doctor, Flagellant, Grave Robber, Occultist and Runaway are all good for DOTs, debuffs, and hitting the Taproot.
Hellion is good for boss damage and hitting the Taproot via Iron Swan. Highwayman also works for this
Vestal is good for healing and Consecrations since this is a longer fight.
Minimizing the "Waking Dead" triggers the boss gets is vital. Start the fight by applying DOTs to the boss, buffing, dealing damage, etc. hit the Taproot ONCE on Round 2. Now the next attack will trigger "Waking Dead." Continue dealing damage and prepping. Round 3, go wild on the Taproot. multi rank DOT attacks, combat items, single target attacks, all that. You'll remove the max amount of growth without triggering multiple Waking Dead multiple times. Repeat until death.
LIBRARIAN
Sprawl boss. When you enter the fight, The Librarian will be hiding in rank 4 behind three stacks of books of varying health values.
Fanatic type. Size 1 enemy, starts in back row.
116 HP
ATTACKS AND MECHANICS
The major mechanic to look out for here is the Librarian’s Page BurneBurning Bright combo. Each turn, he will burn one of the stacks of books he’s hiding behind using Page Burner, taking off a chunk of its HP. When he destroys one this way, his next attack will be Burning Bright, a party wide AOE attack that deals big damage, potentially inflicting Burn on everyone hit, AND giving the boss a dodge token. If all books are destroyed boss will Ignite, gaining HP and Speed and proceeding to use Burning Bright THREE TIME A TURN, which will kill the party in short order.
“Mandatory Reading,” a single target health damage attack that burns and causes stress as well.
“Categorize” that shuffles the party.
“Burnout” which will push the boss back behind his books if you pull him forward, dealing damage and burning the front row and giving him two dodge tokens
“Smokestack” which gives a single target 2 blind tokens, a vulnerable token, and grants the boss a dodge token.
PARTY AND STRATEGY
Plague Doctor for DOTs and burn removal, Grave Robber and Flagg for more Blight, Highwayman for damage and Dodge removal, all of whom have rank flexible damage.
Jester and Man-at-Arms for repositioning after Categorize.
LEPER BAD, BIG SAD.
Healing is low priority since the fight is on a timer, bring blind removal with skills and milk soaked linens to keep damage up.
THE HARVEST CHILD
Boss of the Foetor. A disgusting cornucopia child who makes my skin crawl. Enters the fight with two Fetid meat piles
Plague Eater type. Size two enemy, back two rows.
120 HP
Fetid Meat, front two rows.
ATTACKS AND MECHANICS
The signature mechanic of this fight is the “Hunger” token, a debuff that can be applied to your heroes when they’re attacked by the meat piles that accompany the Child. If they do not resist, an afflicted hero will receive a hunger token, and on their next turn they will be forced to move a rank forward before they can act. If a hero is under the influence of one of these tokens when they move to the front line, they will be forced to use the “Feed the Hunger” skill. Not only does this use the heroes' turn, it also causes them to lose a chunk of max HP for the rest of the combat! Probably because they contract like 5 different diseases and 8 different parasites from eating this.
The Child will move forward through the fight using two attacks.
"Sapid Drippings" to blight your backline.
"Tantalizing Tidbit" to inflict stress.
Uses "Maws of Life" when in the front, inflicting huge damage to your front two heroes, applying bleed to them, and then moving it to the back row to start all over again.
PARTY AND STRATEGY
Movement effects are key here. Jester, Grave Robber, Man-at-Arms and Hellion all work for this. Can move hungry characters back, and some characters like MaA and Hellion can immobilize themselves to prevent others from moving forward and using "Feed the Hunger." Relevant skills are "Hold the Line" and "Toe to Toe" respectively. Hunger token is also a debuff, so high debuff resist characters like Poet Leper can be good here.
So long as you can handle all the in-battle movement, there’s no real specific heroes or attacks you need to worry about using for damage. Pretty much anything goes, although packing some bleed attacks can be nice as the Child’s bleed resist is quite low. Jester is the best for all of this, but Highwayman's dodges and ripostes, as well as Leper's Chops are good for damage phases as well.
For healing, there's plenty of bleed and blight as as always Plague Doctor is quite solid. Vestal's dot removal isn't AS good IMO, but there's something to be said for consecrations effecting the front rank over multiple turns, potentially buffing squishies who get pulled to the front by hunger.
As far as the Child is concerned, any attacks that can anchor it or the meat piles will prevent it from nibbling on your gibblets; after all, if it can’t get in bitin’ range, what’s it supposed to do? I’m a particular fan of the bear trap item to immobilize a member of the enemy party, but any such effect can get the job done. Just don't kill the meat, as if the Child is in the frontline it will ALWAYS use "Maws of Life" afaik.
Really, the Child is a more intimidating fight than it is challenging. Once you have a grasp of the mechanics it’s quite manageable, so long as you come prepared to deal with party shuffles. That’s probably why I always hated it in the Early Access period; I was far less accepting of such strategies in the past, and didn’t often account for them in my builds.
THE LEVIATHAN
Shroud boss. Here it is, the biggest boi himself, the Leviathan. This is the one I've struggled with by far the most. Takes up the front two rows at first, until it summons its hand, which takes the front two rows and moves the boss to the back two rows.
Fisherfolk type. Size two enemy. Shifts between front and back two rows.
155 HP
Hand. First two rows.
24 HP
ATTACKS AND MECHANICS
The main mechanic of this battle revolves around the Leviathans hand. While not present at the start of the battle, it will quickly be summoned by the boss when it uses its “Deep Rising” attack. While the hand can be killed, it will return the next time the boss uses "Deep Rising."
“Eyes of the Storm” Boss will damage and mark two heroes, causing the hand to attempt to grab one of them on its next action with its "Undertow" attacks, holding them under the water. This causes damage to HP and Stress until it is destroyed.
"Batter" causes the hand to pummel a marked hero, dealing moderate damage and potentially shuffling them while inflicting stress.
"Breath of the Sea." Used at the start of any round when the hand isn’t on the field, this attack blinds, inflicts vulnerable tokens, and stresses the whole party. Debuffs as always can be resisted.
"Tidal Surge" damages the entire party, inflicts stress, can apply barnacles that inflict bleed when moving ranks, and has a chance to inflict the "Algan Bloom" disease as a little parting gift. Because WHY NOT RIGHT?
"Deep Rising" will be used to re-summon the hand shortly after it has been destroyed.
There’s a lot going on here, to be sure, more than any other Lair boss in the game.
PARTY AND STRATEGY
Ripping this section wholesale from my script because it's important
"Mitigating the Grab"
The absolute key factor at play here, is maximizing your move resist, and being able to burst down the Hand. The “Undertow” attack which it will use to abduct a hero can be avoided with move resist; once you hit 100%, it literally can’t grab you even though it will try. To make use of this, the Sergeant Path Man at Arms and the Poet Path Leper are excellent candidates. As front line tanks, they can take the punishment that they’re likely to receive from the Leviathan’s various attacks, and they largely mitigate the scariest part of the battle.
Each of these lads has their own advantages and disadvantages; the Man at Arms can use defender to cover the second hero to get marked, making it impossible for the Hand to grab anyone. However, his damage is low, and he requires outside support for healing and stress reduction. On the flip side, the Leper has good damage, and phenomenal self healing and stress reduction, freeing up the rest of the party to deal boss damage. However, he can’t cover the other marked hero as Undertow ignores taunt, so you’ll likely need to spend some time beating the Hand down and rescuing your allies. Poet also doesn’t give an automatic +100% move resist, so you’ll need to rely on outside buffs and the bonus from Withstand to get you there. With these factors in mind, I feel the Sergeant MaA slightly edges out Poet Leper here since he completely negates the grab mechanic, but the choice is yours. Keep in mind as well, that even if you DO prevent the grab, it can still be worth it to kill the Hand periodically to keep it from hammering on marked heroes.
"Damage and Healing"
As for the rest of the party, your options are pretty open so long as you’re keeping the Hand under control. The Leviathan is susceptible to DOTs, as are most bosses, although its bleed resist is higher than the others. You will be suffering a lot of damage in this fight, so a strong healer is a must; I like the Vestal here, as she can buff the frontline tank with her consecrations, slap the hand or the boss with Judgement, and throw out big heals when needed. There also aren’t any major DOTs to worry about clearing off your party so the PD isn’t as useful for healing, tho her Blight is good for the boss. Runaway can also be a nice pick thanks to rank flexible burns and Cauterize healing when you’re made to bleed by barnacles. Jester is a good pickup thanks to his stress heals, ability to move shuffled heroes back into position if they get Battered, and Slice Off can actually inflict good bleed with Jester’s resist piercing and Vulnerability application when upgraded. Finally, the Occultist deserves a mention with his potential for big heals, and his hexes also weakening and applying Vulnerable to the boss.
I still haven't beaten this boss without my party in shambles, but something I’m going to try on my next attempt is this; Sergeant Man at Arms, Poet Leper, Virtuoso Jester and Seraph Vestal. With this, you’ll have two maxed out move resist heroes to nullify the Hand, bleed DOTs and Vulnerability to chip the boss down, plenty of healing across the whole party, buffs, stress reduction, the works. Will it work? Who knows, but it’s worth a shot.
Which Lair to Clear?
This is a tough question. While yes, I would say that The Dreaming General is by far the easiest of these bosses to take down in general, the Leviathan is by far the hardest, and the Librarian and Harvest Child lie somewhere in the middle, the real issue lies with the boss of the confession that you’re on, and what team comp you’re planning on running to get to it. A team could be great at dealing with The Leviathan but be terrible at fighting the Seething Sigh, for example. So this is a decision you’ll have to make for yourself. I'm still working on Confession 3, so my Leviathan or Harvest Child teams may be the way to go for movement, but more testing is warranted.
Thanks for reading/watching y'all. I hope my thoughts and observations are helpful to someone out there. I'm totally open to feedback as well, if there's something I'm missing about a fight or a hero that's good/bad for something that I got wrong let me know. I'm still learning myself.
Be good to each other!
submitted by Titanium-Legman to darkestdungeon [link] [comments]
- Dreaming General + Librarian
- Leviathan + Harvest Child
DREAMING GENERAL
Tangle boss. Takes up the first three rows of his arena, with the fourth row taken up by a targetable, but indestructible, Taproot.
Cadaver Type. Size three enemy, front three rows.
Taproot. Indestructible, size 1 back row.
205 HP
ATTACKS AND MECHANICS
The only mechanic in this fight revolves around the Taproot, which will slowly try to constrict your party over the course of the battle. Upon entering the fight, it’ll add a “Growth” token to each member of the party. Every round, it’ll add another to two random party members, maxing out at three total tokens per character. Once they reach three, the character will be bound, gaining a “Strangle” token and having their actions restricted to using the encounter specific “Whispering Darkness.” This attack inflicts stress on the rest of the party, and must be used whenever a bound hero takes their turn.
Every time an attack hits the Taproot, one stack of Growth is removed from a random hero. This means, to remove all the growth the root creates each turn, you have to hit it twice a turn. You can use damaging attacks, debuffs like Blinding Gas, combat items, whatever. The issue is that hitting the root twice triggers a new attack, “The Soil Stirs.” This marks two ranks of your formation to be attacked on the following turn, causing massive damage to the heroes it hits. This is the case even if you hit the Root once over multiple turns; the second hit it takes will trigger the attack if it didn’t already have it prepared, regardless. If all heroes wind up bound "Nightmare" is used, hitting the party for big damage and releasing them.
General also uses "Unsettling Whispers" to inflict damage and stress on the target.
Waking Dead and Nightmare ignore Stealth, Dodge, Blind and Taunt.
PARTY AND STRATEGY
Plague Doctor, Flagellant, Grave Robber, Occultist and Runaway are all good for DOTs, debuffs, and hitting the Taproot.
Hellion is good for boss damage and hitting the Taproot via Iron Swan. Highwayman also works for this
Vestal is good for healing and Consecrations since this is a longer fight.
Minimizing the "Waking Dead" triggers the boss gets is vital. Start the fight by applying DOTs to the boss, buffing, dealing damage, etc. hit the Taproot ONCE on Round 2. Now the next attack will trigger "Waking Dead." Continue dealing damage and prepping. Round 3, go wild on the Taproot. multi rank DOT attacks, combat items, single target attacks, all that. You'll remove the max amount of growth without triggering multiple Waking Dead multiple times. Repeat until death.
LIBRARIAN
Sprawl boss. When you enter the fight, The Librarian will be hiding in rank 4 behind three stacks of books of varying health values.
Fanatic type. Size 1 enemy, starts in back row.
116 HP
ATTACKS AND MECHANICS
The major mechanic to look out for here is the Librarian’s Page BurneBurning Bright combo. Each turn, he will burn one of the stacks of books he’s hiding behind using Page Burner, taking off a chunk of its HP. When he destroys one this way, his next attack will be Burning Bright, a party wide AOE attack that deals big damage, potentially inflicting Burn on everyone hit, AND giving the boss a dodge token. If all books are destroyed boss will Ignite, gaining HP and Speed and proceeding to use Burning Bright THREE TIME A TURN, which will kill the party in short order.
“Mandatory Reading,” a single target health damage attack that burns and causes stress as well.
“Categorize” that shuffles the party.
“Burnout” which will push the boss back behind his books if you pull him forward, dealing damage and burning the front row and giving him two dodge tokens
“Smokestack” which gives a single target 2 blind tokens, a vulnerable token, and grants the boss a dodge token.
PARTY AND STRATEGY
Plague Doctor for DOTs and burn removal, Grave Robber and Flagg for more Blight, Highwayman for damage and Dodge removal, all of whom have rank flexible damage.
Jester and Man-at-Arms for repositioning after Categorize.
LEPER BAD, BIG SAD.
Healing is low priority since the fight is on a timer, bring blind removal with skills and milk soaked linens to keep damage up.
THE HARVEST CHILD
Boss of the Foetor. A disgusting cornucopia child who makes my skin crawl. Enters the fight with two Fetid meat piles
Plague Eater type. Size two enemy, back two rows.
120 HP
Fetid Meat, front two rows.
ATTACKS AND MECHANICS
The signature mechanic of this fight is the “Hunger” token, a debuff that can be applied to your heroes when they’re attacked by the meat piles that accompany the Child. If they do not resist, an afflicted hero will receive a hunger token, and on their next turn they will be forced to move a rank forward before they can act. If a hero is under the influence of one of these tokens when they move to the front line, they will be forced to use the “Feed the Hunger” skill. Not only does this use the heroes' turn, it also causes them to lose a chunk of max HP for the rest of the combat! Probably because they contract like 5 different diseases and 8 different parasites from eating this.
The Child will move forward through the fight using two attacks.
"Sapid Drippings" to blight your backline.
"Tantalizing Tidbit" to inflict stress.
Uses "Maws of Life" when in the front, inflicting huge damage to your front two heroes, applying bleed to them, and then moving it to the back row to start all over again.
PARTY AND STRATEGY
Movement effects are key here. Jester, Grave Robber, Man-at-Arms and Hellion all work for this. Can move hungry characters back, and some characters like MaA and Hellion can immobilize themselves to prevent others from moving forward and using "Feed the Hunger." Relevant skills are "Hold the Line" and "Toe to Toe" respectively. Hunger token is also a debuff, so high debuff resist characters like Poet Leper can be good here.
So long as you can handle all the in-battle movement, there’s no real specific heroes or attacks you need to worry about using for damage. Pretty much anything goes, although packing some bleed attacks can be nice as the Child’s bleed resist is quite low. Jester is the best for all of this, but Highwayman's dodges and ripostes, as well as Leper's Chops are good for damage phases as well.
For healing, there's plenty of bleed and blight as as always Plague Doctor is quite solid. Vestal's dot removal isn't AS good IMO, but there's something to be said for consecrations effecting the front rank over multiple turns, potentially buffing squishies who get pulled to the front by hunger.
As far as the Child is concerned, any attacks that can anchor it or the meat piles will prevent it from nibbling on your gibblets; after all, if it can’t get in bitin’ range, what’s it supposed to do? I’m a particular fan of the bear trap item to immobilize a member of the enemy party, but any such effect can get the job done. Just don't kill the meat, as if the Child is in the frontline it will ALWAYS use "Maws of Life" afaik.
Really, the Child is a more intimidating fight than it is challenging. Once you have a grasp of the mechanics it’s quite manageable, so long as you come prepared to deal with party shuffles. That’s probably why I always hated it in the Early Access period; I was far less accepting of such strategies in the past, and didn’t often account for them in my builds.
THE LEVIATHAN
Shroud boss. Here it is, the biggest boi himself, the Leviathan. This is the one I've struggled with by far the most. Takes up the front two rows at first, until it summons its hand, which takes the front two rows and moves the boss to the back two rows.
Fisherfolk type. Size two enemy. Shifts between front and back two rows.
155 HP
Hand. First two rows.
24 HP
ATTACKS AND MECHANICS
The main mechanic of this battle revolves around the Leviathans hand. While not present at the start of the battle, it will quickly be summoned by the boss when it uses its “Deep Rising” attack. While the hand can be killed, it will return the next time the boss uses "Deep Rising."
“Eyes of the Storm” Boss will damage and mark two heroes, causing the hand to attempt to grab one of them on its next action with its "Undertow" attacks, holding them under the water. This causes damage to HP and Stress until it is destroyed.
"Batter" causes the hand to pummel a marked hero, dealing moderate damage and potentially shuffling them while inflicting stress.
"Breath of the Sea." Used at the start of any round when the hand isn’t on the field, this attack blinds, inflicts vulnerable tokens, and stresses the whole party. Debuffs as always can be resisted.
"Tidal Surge" damages the entire party, inflicts stress, can apply barnacles that inflict bleed when moving ranks, and has a chance to inflict the "Algan Bloom" disease as a little parting gift. Because WHY NOT RIGHT?
"Deep Rising" will be used to re-summon the hand shortly after it has been destroyed.
There’s a lot going on here, to be sure, more than any other Lair boss in the game.
PARTY AND STRATEGY
Ripping this section wholesale from my script because it's important
"Mitigating the Grab"
The absolute key factor at play here, is maximizing your move resist, and being able to burst down the Hand. The “Undertow” attack which it will use to abduct a hero can be avoided with move resist; once you hit 100%, it literally can’t grab you even though it will try. To make use of this, the Sergeant Path Man at Arms and the Poet Path Leper are excellent candidates. As front line tanks, they can take the punishment that they’re likely to receive from the Leviathan’s various attacks, and they largely mitigate the scariest part of the battle.
Each of these lads has their own advantages and disadvantages; the Man at Arms can use defender to cover the second hero to get marked, making it impossible for the Hand to grab anyone. However, his damage is low, and he requires outside support for healing and stress reduction. On the flip side, the Leper has good damage, and phenomenal self healing and stress reduction, freeing up the rest of the party to deal boss damage. However, he can’t cover the other marked hero as Undertow ignores taunt, so you’ll likely need to spend some time beating the Hand down and rescuing your allies. Poet also doesn’t give an automatic +100% move resist, so you’ll need to rely on outside buffs and the bonus from Withstand to get you there. With these factors in mind, I feel the Sergeant MaA slightly edges out Poet Leper here since he completely negates the grab mechanic, but the choice is yours. Keep in mind as well, that even if you DO prevent the grab, it can still be worth it to kill the Hand periodically to keep it from hammering on marked heroes.
"Damage and Healing"
As for the rest of the party, your options are pretty open so long as you’re keeping the Hand under control. The Leviathan is susceptible to DOTs, as are most bosses, although its bleed resist is higher than the others. You will be suffering a lot of damage in this fight, so a strong healer is a must; I like the Vestal here, as she can buff the frontline tank with her consecrations, slap the hand or the boss with Judgement, and throw out big heals when needed. There also aren’t any major DOTs to worry about clearing off your party so the PD isn’t as useful for healing, tho her Blight is good for the boss. Runaway can also be a nice pick thanks to rank flexible burns and Cauterize healing when you’re made to bleed by barnacles. Jester is a good pickup thanks to his stress heals, ability to move shuffled heroes back into position if they get Battered, and Slice Off can actually inflict good bleed with Jester’s resist piercing and Vulnerability application when upgraded. Finally, the Occultist deserves a mention with his potential for big heals, and his hexes also weakening and applying Vulnerable to the boss.
I still haven't beaten this boss without my party in shambles, but something I’m going to try on my next attempt is this; Sergeant Man at Arms, Poet Leper, Virtuoso Jester and Seraph Vestal. With this, you’ll have two maxed out move resist heroes to nullify the Hand, bleed DOTs and Vulnerability to chip the boss down, plenty of healing across the whole party, buffs, stress reduction, the works. Will it work? Who knows, but it’s worth a shot.
Which Lair to Clear?
This is a tough question. While yes, I would say that The Dreaming General is by far the easiest of these bosses to take down in general, the Leviathan is by far the hardest, and the Librarian and Harvest Child lie somewhere in the middle, the real issue lies with the boss of the confession that you’re on, and what team comp you’re planning on running to get to it. A team could be great at dealing with The Leviathan but be terrible at fighting the Seething Sigh, for example. So this is a decision you’ll have to make for yourself. I'm still working on Confession 3, so my Leviathan or Harvest Child teams may be the way to go for movement, but more testing is warranted.
Thanks for reading/watching y'all. I hope my thoughts and observations are helpful to someone out there. I'm totally open to feedback as well, if there's something I'm missing about a fight or a hero that's good/bad for something that I got wrong let me know. I'm still learning myself.
Be good to each other!
2023.06.03 00:46 littlebetenoire Stadium Cups???
This might be a super niche question but last year people were going wild on TikTok over the “stadium cups” that Walmart was selling that had the bowl attached to the top for snacks. I really wanted to buy one for my friend and I but it appears they don’t sell them anymore!
Does anyone know of any other stores that might sell something similar? I’ll be staying around Times Square kind of area for the next week and was hoping there might be like a dollar store or something that I could have a look in.
submitted by littlebetenoire to AskNYC [link] [comments]
Does anyone know of any other stores that might sell something similar? I’ll be staying around Times Square kind of area for the next week and was hoping there might be like a dollar store or something that I could have a look in.
2023.06.03 00:26 Internal_Prune_5108 contracting 101
Residential Contracting 101
With over 20 years of building experience, I would like to share with you my insights in navigating becoming a successful contractor. With many different avenues of the building world its key to understand what problems will arise on any given day. A man once told a saying that stuck-the 6 p’s in life- Piss Poor Preparation leads to Piss Poor Performance. Preparation builds everything in construction, without preparation the jobsite will not run correctly. The best advice I was ever given was to learn a little about every trade giving you the ability to understand trade lingo and secrets. An example would be painters use the terminology flash; this means when the sub structure bleads through the paint. Subcontractors will give the best pricing if they respect your knowledge of the industry. If the subcontractor feels they will have to hold your hand through the job they will charge an extra fee…i.e. I call it the aggravation fee. In this blog I will explain the key elements in finding success in all aspects of the industry. Contracting is a physically and emotionally demanding job which requires planning and foresight to complete projects on time within budget. Picking your customer is just as important as picking your employees or subcontractors. I have worked for some of the most demanding customers leading me to question at the end if the job was even worth it. Sleepless nights, constant changes, lack of payment, lawsuit threats, adding work that was in the contract are just a few things you could face with a tough customer. With so many moving parts at all times it is critical to be able to adapt to changes within a short time frame. Materials will come in damaged, subcontractors will be late, employees will get sick, but the deadline you set does not change. The stress can be overwhelming at times keeping your mind in a good place is key to navigating all that is thrown at you. Choosing your client picking the right jobs-Keep these questions in mind The first question to be asked is what the time frame is to start the job to see if it fits within the timeframe for your business. If the time frame doesn’t work then move on from the project or let them know when you would be available to start. If the client really wants to use, they will wait until you are available. Taking on too much work will only lead to problems. Construction is a serviced based business, staying on top of the project and client will eliminate an unhappy customer and construction issues that will be over seen. With online presence if details are missed and customer service lacks it will only be a matter of time the phone will not ring. The second question to be asked to the client is do they have a budget in mind for the project. If they answer yes this is good, follow through with what the budget is. If the budget seems low let them know, this will eliminate a tire kicker, educate them on what the price range could be. If the budget seems reasonable then continue the discussion to the next question. If they answer no let them know that you can give them an estimate to see if the project is feasible with their finical capabilities. Taking on a job that is not correctly budgeted will lead to an unsatisfied customer due to non-transparency of the construction cost. The third question to be asked is anyone else bidding on the job, if the answer is yes, understand you might just be number check for the contractor doing the job. Dig a little deeper and find out how many numbers they are getting and why. If your business model is to be competitive be completely transparent with customer, this will gain trust with them. Let them know you get what you pay for and if you they choose the lowest bid it could lead into lack of quality of work.
The fourth question I will ask is there any specific subcontractors they wanted to use. If the answer is yes then I would explain to them you only use the subcontractors you have a working relationship with. Otherwise, this could backfire as the subcontractor might not show, do subpar work, talk behind your back to the homeowner. In my experience I would stay away from using any homeowner to alleviate problems down the road. A quick conversation now can save headaches down the road. The fifth question I will ask are planning on getting the job permitted, this needs to be known it takes more time for the permitting process. Plans will have to drawn submitted and approved to the city before work can commence. The sixth question I will ask if a residential remodel is are you going to be living through the remodel if yes understand this will take more time to navigate the project due to answering questions and cleaning the house on a daily occurrence. I would recommend seeing if the customer would be willing to move into an Airbnb or friends for at least the demo portion of the project. If they do plan on living through the remodel add a couple hours a day to accommodate the extra time that will be required. The seventh question I would ask in a residential remodel is how old the house is to see if there is asbestos that would need to removed by a proper company. A home built before 1979 will most likely have some asbestos in the house, use a licensed company with proper insurance to dispose of the materials. If everything looks good to this point find out a little more about the client personality. If the client seems reasonable, I would bid the job. Unreasonable people can cause you more stress than its worth. These are some red flags I would look out for. Some jobs are not worth the money. Very demanding in the way you are going to perform your job- I.e., tell you how you are going to do your job- You’re the professional not them! Give you a hard time about your price- haggle with price you estimated- The price is the price! If they are a family with little money and you want to help them out is one thing, if they are trying to beat you down is another. Mention they have a lawyer-there is no need for them to bring up that they have a lawyer - Run for the hills as if the job goes south, you will be the one losing out! Tell you what the payment terms are. It’s your business you get paid how it works for your company. If you want to get paid every Friday, put it into your contract-If the clients do not agree move on it will save you frustrations If they talk bad about the last contractor, chances are they will talk bad about you. There is a reason why the contractor does not work for them anymore, unless he did subpar work this a red flag Clients are using an interior decorator that will purchasing all of the materials- The materials could be ordered incorrectly by the interior designer your company will not make the mark-up it deserves. Interior decorators usually add time to the job as well as act like your boss. Charging a little extra for the time and stress that it will entail is only fair. Clients want to purchase the materials- You are using your knowledge to buy the correct materials-The mark up on the materials keeps the doors open working for wages only pays the bills The husband and wife do not get along-You will become the mediator between the couple it will lead to taking sides a losing proposition- A drama free work place is always best! Dangling carrot-if you do this job the next one will be better-Only look at what there offering at the present moment, if its not a good fit do not take the job for a job down the road…Its not worth chasing a job that might not happen! The Art of the Sale First things first selling your company is all about presentation. In meeting your clients for the first time show up with a collared golf shirt tucked in, belt, nice jeans, and newer shoes. Have a truck that a clean, no dents scratches, preferably washed the day you are going into your meeting. Have a leather note pad that is clean no dirt or paint visible. Show up 5 minutes early, if you’re running a little late shoot them a text to let them know. Treat the situation as if were going on a first date, best foot forward. As you introduce yourself give them a warm greeting, letting them know you are very interested in the work. Find out a little about them, hobbies, where they lived, etc etc. You are going to be working with them on a daily basis its nice to know what makes them tick. Having a good working relationship from the start is key forming a solid relationship. As the conversation progresses find out who wears the pants in the family…ie who’s the final decision maker. If its fits the wife, chances it is…..then kindly let the husband know happy wife happy life when their in a stall mate on an issue. As your looking at the project throw in some suggestions of what you think would look good from past experiences, this will get their attention that you have knowledge and want what’s best for them. If you see ways to save them money in their project let them know, money is a large point of the sale keep that in mind. Mention that you’re not the least expensive contractor but you’re not the most expensive either. Your customer satisfaction is your number one goal which leads to more time spent on keeping them happy. One happy customer will lead to another, one unsatisfied customer leads to work in the future. Bring up the fact the finishing the job on time is key goal to your business, many contractors run several jobs at once causing the jobs to be finished way behind schedule. You must stand out as having integrity, good morals, and the ability to problem solve to get the job. The clients will be testing you to see if you’re a good fit as well. Keep in mind as you take your notes that you must not forget anything they mention as it will come back before the job is completed…i.e. we mentioned that to you before we started the job! Take pictures of the proposed area for work, that way you can use it to better right your estimate. Let them know you will give them a detailed outline of when the job will be completed letting them see how long each phase will take and correlate it with your payment schedule. Before you leave their house let them know when the estimate will be sent to them. MAKE SURE YOU HIT THAT DEADLINE! Once you sent the email over with estimate make sure you get confirmation that they received it. Wait at least 2 days before checking with them, hopefully they contact you first! If they want negotiate the price, let them know that it is the best price that you can manage, its not worth losing money before you start. I closed 80% of the work I estimated by being very transparent and friendly. If you come off with an attitude charge double what the going rates are you might only land 1 out of 10 jobs as well as getting the reputation of being expensive. Bidding the job Looking up industry standards on pricing is what I would go buy for pricing. If you google the coat of any installation there will be a cost range for everything. Looking at the cost ranging from high to low I would tend to be in the middle. Some items might be low on the internet if this is the case use your best judgment not to lose money. Closing sales is key to success and keep the doors open for business. Being in the middle on pricing is key as most customers shy away from contractors that are extremely low or high on the price range. I tend not bid out hourly as wages do not pay for retirement. Bidding is better as customers no the exact price of the cost of construction. It also keeps the job moving quicker as time and material contractors take longer to complete projects…Thus costing the client more money and valuable time they could spend in their house. Using a Contract Using a detailed estimate tied to a contract covers your butt in 99% of the time. Having a piece of mind that every aspect of the job is covered in the estimate and contract protects both your company and the client. Key terms to include in your estimate/contract are. Have a schedule on excel showing the start dates and dates of each trade this will show the customer you are organized with time lines. If not written in the detailed in the estimate the item is excluded- This ensures if its not written down its not included. TBD- To be Determined- A phrase on a line item that has yet to had final decision of products or service needed. -The pricing will follow the decisions to be finalized Give out what your written warranty will be for parts and labor this changes state to state. If the homeowner provides the product than no warranty will be given on that particular item. In the contract have a start date and end date with the verbiage subject to change due to weather, product delivery, change orders Have a progress payment schedule to ensure the client understands when funding will be expected-Including if not payment is rendered service to the project will stop. Have written terms of how change orders will be charged-cost plus 20% or a set fee Make sure in your contract that arbitration is required versus going to court- This will save lawyer fees and going to court Many contracts can be found online and each state requires different contracts
Finding leads Finding leads is easy with the right network of people. I personally do not find working for friends or family members a good fit. Relationships get strained when money is involved, causing undue stress for both parties. I have listed a couple of ways to build a network or find work using the internet. Get in contact with realtor’s- Realtors have a big client base of homeowners who need work done Contact local Architects to see if they are working with any general contractors Leave some business cards at your local materials suppliers-Doowindow/lumber-many times clients will ask salesman for a referral. Join a business networking group- BNI is one of many Join a internet website lead generation company- Houzz, Angie’s List, Home Advisor, thumbtack, Yelp run an ad on craigslist Use a marketing company to market your website-This could become costly with little results Create a Facebook business page Create a Yelp business page
Building your subcontractor base Having 2 subcontractors for every trade, gives you the flexibility of completing jobs on time if the one the subcontractors is too busy at the time you need their service. Your subcontractors are the face of your business, choose owner run companies that are professional. Check to make sure there license are up to date..ie workman’s comp, liability insurance, state license. Choosing subcontractors with lettered vans, logoed t-shirts is s key to looking professional in the clients’ eyes. In the past I have gotten a lot of subcontractors for material supply shops, stopping by jobsites, researching the internet using Yelp, Home Advisor, etc etc. Once you get one good subcontractor ask them if they know any other trades they would recommend. One good subcontractor leads to another in most cases. The key to having a good group of subcontractors is to let them know that you are there to get help them get the job done. They do work for you but without them you are nothing…keep that in mind! Make them aware a clean jobsite is required at the end of everyday to ensure the proper safety for all parties including theirs! Over the years I have referred a lot of companies work when there is only 1 trade needed. Referring work to subcontractors is a good way to get top priority when you have work that needs to be completed ASAP. Timing is everything in times of emergency having a good group of subcontractors will make your business run smoothly. Pay your subcontractors immediately after performing work, this will make them feel appreciated! A happy subcontractor is one that will gladly go the extra mile for you knowing that there not just a number to your business! Buying lunch once a week for the jobsite is always a good token of appreciation!
Supervising In supervising any jobsite its key to monitor everything from materials on hand, weather, vehicle parking (if applicable), jobsite safety, and subcontractors’ workmanship. If you hired a professional there should be little supervision in the work being performed, on rare occasions a new hire might need some mentoring to get the results completed correctly. If you see a problem with there work address it with the worker directly, no need to call his boss…. building repour with the worker letting him know you got his back goes miles down the road! Checking in on the job first in the morning to answer any questions or changes that need to be conveyed and once in the afternoon to make sure all work be completed is done per construction industry standards. A job that is run blindly will have many more issues than one that is watched over. I have seen many jobs with no site supervision, leading to subpar quality work as well as safety hazards. Its better to be like an eagle than cluck like a turkey!
Working with the City/Inspectors On permitted jobs the city and site inspector will be a large part of how smoothly the job runs. Each phase of construction has an inspection allowing for the project to continue. Make sure your subcontractors are aware that the project is inspected before starting the job. The best way to stay on his good side is to provide a clean jobsite and having the job built to the highest standards possible. When having the site inspected be courteous to the inspector asking any questions or concerns you have with the work during the job. Being completely transparent will save you aggravation of problems down the road. The more he trust you the better if you seem sneaky or rude he will make your life a living nightmare! Many inspectors will have an attitude towards you….I suggest keeping quiet and doing what ever he wants….he’s the boss no need to get in a pissing match you will not win at. How to deal with irate customer Stay calm during any argument with an irate customer. Never raise your voice or show that you are bothered by their disgruntled behavior. If the customer is trying to get more from you than agreed upon stand your ground. Worst case scenario is you walk from the job, which in the long run be more of a loss for the client. I have only run into a couple of these clients; they are unreasonable and not worth losing sleep over a few dollars. Its best to terminate the relationship as it would be my best guess that a referral from this customer would not be one you wanted anyway. If you feel it was just a miscommunication on your end, take reasonability and remedy the problem. Taking accountability for your mistake will go a far way in their eyes and on future issues that arise. Prepping the homeowner pre-construction Before starting the job, it very important to give the homeowners a warning of what will happen during the construction process.
submitted by Internal_Prune_5108 to Contracting [link] [comments]
With over 20 years of building experience, I would like to share with you my insights in navigating becoming a successful contractor. With many different avenues of the building world its key to understand what problems will arise on any given day. A man once told a saying that stuck-the 6 p’s in life- Piss Poor Preparation leads to Piss Poor Performance. Preparation builds everything in construction, without preparation the jobsite will not run correctly. The best advice I was ever given was to learn a little about every trade giving you the ability to understand trade lingo and secrets. An example would be painters use the terminology flash; this means when the sub structure bleads through the paint. Subcontractors will give the best pricing if they respect your knowledge of the industry. If the subcontractor feels they will have to hold your hand through the job they will charge an extra fee…i.e. I call it the aggravation fee. In this blog I will explain the key elements in finding success in all aspects of the industry. Contracting is a physically and emotionally demanding job which requires planning and foresight to complete projects on time within budget. Picking your customer is just as important as picking your employees or subcontractors. I have worked for some of the most demanding customers leading me to question at the end if the job was even worth it. Sleepless nights, constant changes, lack of payment, lawsuit threats, adding work that was in the contract are just a few things you could face with a tough customer. With so many moving parts at all times it is critical to be able to adapt to changes within a short time frame. Materials will come in damaged, subcontractors will be late, employees will get sick, but the deadline you set does not change. The stress can be overwhelming at times keeping your mind in a good place is key to navigating all that is thrown at you. Choosing your client picking the right jobs-Keep these questions in mind The first question to be asked is what the time frame is to start the job to see if it fits within the timeframe for your business. If the time frame doesn’t work then move on from the project or let them know when you would be available to start. If the client really wants to use, they will wait until you are available. Taking on too much work will only lead to problems. Construction is a serviced based business, staying on top of the project and client will eliminate an unhappy customer and construction issues that will be over seen. With online presence if details are missed and customer service lacks it will only be a matter of time the phone will not ring. The second question to be asked to the client is do they have a budget in mind for the project. If they answer yes this is good, follow through with what the budget is. If the budget seems low let them know, this will eliminate a tire kicker, educate them on what the price range could be. If the budget seems reasonable then continue the discussion to the next question. If they answer no let them know that you can give them an estimate to see if the project is feasible with their finical capabilities. Taking on a job that is not correctly budgeted will lead to an unsatisfied customer due to non-transparency of the construction cost. The third question to be asked is anyone else bidding on the job, if the answer is yes, understand you might just be number check for the contractor doing the job. Dig a little deeper and find out how many numbers they are getting and why. If your business model is to be competitive be completely transparent with customer, this will gain trust with them. Let them know you get what you pay for and if you they choose the lowest bid it could lead into lack of quality of work.
The fourth question I will ask is there any specific subcontractors they wanted to use. If the answer is yes then I would explain to them you only use the subcontractors you have a working relationship with. Otherwise, this could backfire as the subcontractor might not show, do subpar work, talk behind your back to the homeowner. In my experience I would stay away from using any homeowner to alleviate problems down the road. A quick conversation now can save headaches down the road. The fifth question I will ask are planning on getting the job permitted, this needs to be known it takes more time for the permitting process. Plans will have to drawn submitted and approved to the city before work can commence. The sixth question I will ask if a residential remodel is are you going to be living through the remodel if yes understand this will take more time to navigate the project due to answering questions and cleaning the house on a daily occurrence. I would recommend seeing if the customer would be willing to move into an Airbnb or friends for at least the demo portion of the project. If they do plan on living through the remodel add a couple hours a day to accommodate the extra time that will be required. The seventh question I would ask in a residential remodel is how old the house is to see if there is asbestos that would need to removed by a proper company. A home built before 1979 will most likely have some asbestos in the house, use a licensed company with proper insurance to dispose of the materials. If everything looks good to this point find out a little more about the client personality. If the client seems reasonable, I would bid the job. Unreasonable people can cause you more stress than its worth. These are some red flags I would look out for. Some jobs are not worth the money. Very demanding in the way you are going to perform your job- I.e., tell you how you are going to do your job- You’re the professional not them! Give you a hard time about your price- haggle with price you estimated- The price is the price! If they are a family with little money and you want to help them out is one thing, if they are trying to beat you down is another. Mention they have a lawyer-there is no need for them to bring up that they have a lawyer - Run for the hills as if the job goes south, you will be the one losing out! Tell you what the payment terms are. It’s your business you get paid how it works for your company. If you want to get paid every Friday, put it into your contract-If the clients do not agree move on it will save you frustrations If they talk bad about the last contractor, chances are they will talk bad about you. There is a reason why the contractor does not work for them anymore, unless he did subpar work this a red flag Clients are using an interior decorator that will purchasing all of the materials- The materials could be ordered incorrectly by the interior designer your company will not make the mark-up it deserves. Interior decorators usually add time to the job as well as act like your boss. Charging a little extra for the time and stress that it will entail is only fair. Clients want to purchase the materials- You are using your knowledge to buy the correct materials-The mark up on the materials keeps the doors open working for wages only pays the bills The husband and wife do not get along-You will become the mediator between the couple it will lead to taking sides a losing proposition- A drama free work place is always best! Dangling carrot-if you do this job the next one will be better-Only look at what there offering at the present moment, if its not a good fit do not take the job for a job down the road…Its not worth chasing a job that might not happen! The Art of the Sale First things first selling your company is all about presentation. In meeting your clients for the first time show up with a collared golf shirt tucked in, belt, nice jeans, and newer shoes. Have a truck that a clean, no dents scratches, preferably washed the day you are going into your meeting. Have a leather note pad that is clean no dirt or paint visible. Show up 5 minutes early, if you’re running a little late shoot them a text to let them know. Treat the situation as if were going on a first date, best foot forward. As you introduce yourself give them a warm greeting, letting them know you are very interested in the work. Find out a little about them, hobbies, where they lived, etc etc. You are going to be working with them on a daily basis its nice to know what makes them tick. Having a good working relationship from the start is key forming a solid relationship. As the conversation progresses find out who wears the pants in the family…ie who’s the final decision maker. If its fits the wife, chances it is…..then kindly let the husband know happy wife happy life when their in a stall mate on an issue. As your looking at the project throw in some suggestions of what you think would look good from past experiences, this will get their attention that you have knowledge and want what’s best for them. If you see ways to save them money in their project let them know, money is a large point of the sale keep that in mind. Mention that you’re not the least expensive contractor but you’re not the most expensive either. Your customer satisfaction is your number one goal which leads to more time spent on keeping them happy. One happy customer will lead to another, one unsatisfied customer leads to work in the future. Bring up the fact the finishing the job on time is key goal to your business, many contractors run several jobs at once causing the jobs to be finished way behind schedule. You must stand out as having integrity, good morals, and the ability to problem solve to get the job. The clients will be testing you to see if you’re a good fit as well. Keep in mind as you take your notes that you must not forget anything they mention as it will come back before the job is completed…i.e. we mentioned that to you before we started the job! Take pictures of the proposed area for work, that way you can use it to better right your estimate. Let them know you will give them a detailed outline of when the job will be completed letting them see how long each phase will take and correlate it with your payment schedule. Before you leave their house let them know when the estimate will be sent to them. MAKE SURE YOU HIT THAT DEADLINE! Once you sent the email over with estimate make sure you get confirmation that they received it. Wait at least 2 days before checking with them, hopefully they contact you first! If they want negotiate the price, let them know that it is the best price that you can manage, its not worth losing money before you start. I closed 80% of the work I estimated by being very transparent and friendly. If you come off with an attitude charge double what the going rates are you might only land 1 out of 10 jobs as well as getting the reputation of being expensive. Bidding the job Looking up industry standards on pricing is what I would go buy for pricing. If you google the coat of any installation there will be a cost range for everything. Looking at the cost ranging from high to low I would tend to be in the middle. Some items might be low on the internet if this is the case use your best judgment not to lose money. Closing sales is key to success and keep the doors open for business. Being in the middle on pricing is key as most customers shy away from contractors that are extremely low or high on the price range. I tend not bid out hourly as wages do not pay for retirement. Bidding is better as customers no the exact price of the cost of construction. It also keeps the job moving quicker as time and material contractors take longer to complete projects…Thus costing the client more money and valuable time they could spend in their house. Using a Contract Using a detailed estimate tied to a contract covers your butt in 99% of the time. Having a piece of mind that every aspect of the job is covered in the estimate and contract protects both your company and the client. Key terms to include in your estimate/contract are. Have a schedule on excel showing the start dates and dates of each trade this will show the customer you are organized with time lines. If not written in the detailed in the estimate the item is excluded- This ensures if its not written down its not included. TBD- To be Determined- A phrase on a line item that has yet to had final decision of products or service needed. -The pricing will follow the decisions to be finalized Give out what your written warranty will be for parts and labor this changes state to state. If the homeowner provides the product than no warranty will be given on that particular item. In the contract have a start date and end date with the verbiage subject to change due to weather, product delivery, change orders Have a progress payment schedule to ensure the client understands when funding will be expected-Including if not payment is rendered service to the project will stop. Have written terms of how change orders will be charged-cost plus 20% or a set fee Make sure in your contract that arbitration is required versus going to court- This will save lawyer fees and going to court Many contracts can be found online and each state requires different contracts
Finding leads Finding leads is easy with the right network of people. I personally do not find working for friends or family members a good fit. Relationships get strained when money is involved, causing undue stress for both parties. I have listed a couple of ways to build a network or find work using the internet. Get in contact with realtor’s- Realtors have a big client base of homeowners who need work done Contact local Architects to see if they are working with any general contractors Leave some business cards at your local materials suppliers-Doowindow/lumber-many times clients will ask salesman for a referral. Join a business networking group- BNI is one of many Join a internet website lead generation company- Houzz, Angie’s List, Home Advisor, thumbtack, Yelp run an ad on craigslist Use a marketing company to market your website-This could become costly with little results Create a Facebook business page Create a Yelp business page
Building your subcontractor base Having 2 subcontractors for every trade, gives you the flexibility of completing jobs on time if the one the subcontractors is too busy at the time you need their service. Your subcontractors are the face of your business, choose owner run companies that are professional. Check to make sure there license are up to date..ie workman’s comp, liability insurance, state license. Choosing subcontractors with lettered vans, logoed t-shirts is s key to looking professional in the clients’ eyes. In the past I have gotten a lot of subcontractors for material supply shops, stopping by jobsites, researching the internet using Yelp, Home Advisor, etc etc. Once you get one good subcontractor ask them if they know any other trades they would recommend. One good subcontractor leads to another in most cases. The key to having a good group of subcontractors is to let them know that you are there to get help them get the job done. They do work for you but without them you are nothing…keep that in mind! Make them aware a clean jobsite is required at the end of everyday to ensure the proper safety for all parties including theirs! Over the years I have referred a lot of companies work when there is only 1 trade needed. Referring work to subcontractors is a good way to get top priority when you have work that needs to be completed ASAP. Timing is everything in times of emergency having a good group of subcontractors will make your business run smoothly. Pay your subcontractors immediately after performing work, this will make them feel appreciated! A happy subcontractor is one that will gladly go the extra mile for you knowing that there not just a number to your business! Buying lunch once a week for the jobsite is always a good token of appreciation!
Supervising In supervising any jobsite its key to monitor everything from materials on hand, weather, vehicle parking (if applicable), jobsite safety, and subcontractors’ workmanship. If you hired a professional there should be little supervision in the work being performed, on rare occasions a new hire might need some mentoring to get the results completed correctly. If you see a problem with there work address it with the worker directly, no need to call his boss…. building repour with the worker letting him know you got his back goes miles down the road! Checking in on the job first in the morning to answer any questions or changes that need to be conveyed and once in the afternoon to make sure all work be completed is done per construction industry standards. A job that is run blindly will have many more issues than one that is watched over. I have seen many jobs with no site supervision, leading to subpar quality work as well as safety hazards. Its better to be like an eagle than cluck like a turkey!
Working with the City/Inspectors On permitted jobs the city and site inspector will be a large part of how smoothly the job runs. Each phase of construction has an inspection allowing for the project to continue. Make sure your subcontractors are aware that the project is inspected before starting the job. The best way to stay on his good side is to provide a clean jobsite and having the job built to the highest standards possible. When having the site inspected be courteous to the inspector asking any questions or concerns you have with the work during the job. Being completely transparent will save you aggravation of problems down the road. The more he trust you the better if you seem sneaky or rude he will make your life a living nightmare! Many inspectors will have an attitude towards you….I suggest keeping quiet and doing what ever he wants….he’s the boss no need to get in a pissing match you will not win at. How to deal with irate customer Stay calm during any argument with an irate customer. Never raise your voice or show that you are bothered by their disgruntled behavior. If the customer is trying to get more from you than agreed upon stand your ground. Worst case scenario is you walk from the job, which in the long run be more of a loss for the client. I have only run into a couple of these clients; they are unreasonable and not worth losing sleep over a few dollars. Its best to terminate the relationship as it would be my best guess that a referral from this customer would not be one you wanted anyway. If you feel it was just a miscommunication on your end, take reasonability and remedy the problem. Taking accountability for your mistake will go a far way in their eyes and on future issues that arise. Prepping the homeowner pre-construction Before starting the job, it very important to give the homeowners a warning of what will happen during the construction process.
- All furniture in the proposed working area must be moved- I would recommend having the clients take care of this to limit the risk of damage to their belongings.
- There will be dust that will be in the house up to 3 months after construction-I would recommend hiring a construction cleaning company at the end of the job even so after it is cleaned dust will be present months after words.
- There will be conflicts between you in the homeowner at some course of the job. - You will do your best to eliminate them as quickly as they arise-i.e. material damages, miscommunication, job delays
- All decisions on materials must be made before the start of the job- this will eliminate job stoppage due to materials not being on site.
- All materials will be on site before commencement of job-
- Payment structures must be made per contract otherwise job will stop until payment rendered
- Cars are to be moved out of the driveway- Ensures ease of loading and unloading of materials/tools
- Give the specific hours that workers will be present- i.e. 7-3:30
- Determine what areas are allowed to be used as staging for tools/materials
- If animals are present in the home that they put outside or in a room during the day
- All valuables in the house are locked in safe
- Ask if using client’s household bathroom is okay or to bring in Porter Potty
- Being transparent as possible is key to keeping a great relationship with your client!
2023.06.03 00:24 OdeToRocket Why you underperform the market - how to put it all together.
EDIT - I can't share the video so I guess I can't show how Portfolio managers quantify risk so wtf ever on that part; but I'm going to suggest from experience that this isn't really how money works through the system and how risk is actually managed.
Rather I'm going to suggest that there's a much simpler way to see what trading firms and clearing houses are actually doing to make a market.
I'm going to argue that because Market Makers buy the bid and sell the asking price, that if you buy the bid of the front month and sell the ask of the back month you get a P/L curve that looks like this:
http://opcalc.com/Sjn
I would then argue that if you adjust volatility you'll see how that P/L curve changes: example thus
http://opcalc.com/Sjt
Eventually you see this behavior pretty plainly in the charts and you don't really care anymore about doing the calculations and finding the curves.
For instance I expect the VIX to increase because of this:
https://www.tradingview.com/x/TnAHD6Y2/
I expect a ~16% or so increase. But in the above example the market makers roughly see a 9% increase.
This is more accurate because that is where they are neutral for the entirety of the time as they trace price across the curve.
If you go back to the previous link that showed the +16% volatility result, you see that we still have only about a limited downside of $420 on the SPY, but an upside of about $436.50; I adjusted this when I had more time to 9% which is more accurate and gets a topside target of about $435.50. It won't change the results below if you just run the numbers for $435.50 you'll see how the market maker derives the bid ask spread. Further proving the point that price is in response to market maker liquidity.
Mapping the curve onto the SPY we see this purple curve here:
https://www.tradingview.com/x/w3SXexdL/
Notice that the bottom of the curve is the prior support level around 423 which was the previous highs that broke out above.
You tell me...do you think it's a coincidence that I derive that price level from the method above?
Notice the $436 level is the past sticky spot (support that failed) of April 2022 which is now resistance.
https://www.tradingview.com/x/EA5HjP1g/
Do you think that is a coincidence? If you do, then stop trading you're just going to hurt yourself and you might as well go get a government pension.
Of course it's not a coincidence.
Generally speaking the Market Makers who want a breakeven price (that P/L curve where the profit/loss is $0), set those levels BASED on these targets.
They offer the market these prices and that's why price behaves as it does, generally, through its random walk.
Let's use July 21st as the example:
Here's what the market maker is offering to take the short side. You short, they buy and offer your to sell to you if price keeps going higher.
http://opcalc.com/Sjq
Here's what the market maker is taking:
http://opcalc.com/Sjs
Offering $135 profit vs Taking $144. A spread of $9.
The point so far is that you can map out where the MARKET MAKER'S LIQUIDITY is.
That's where price will seek. Market makers want to be market neutral. Price seeks their liquidity zones. These zones are identifiable in price and time, price action.
They are easily visible in Technical Analysis which only losers think big money trading firms don't use Technical Analysis....
These things are HIDDEN to you.
Obvious to me.
And it's why YOU underperform the markets. I would love to explain more. feel free to discuss.
PS. This also is not a coincidence:
https://www.tradingview.com/x/L1U4kyfB/
submitted by OdeToRocket to StockMarket [link] [comments]
Rather I'm going to suggest that there's a much simpler way to see what trading firms and clearing houses are actually doing to make a market.
I'm going to argue that because Market Makers buy the bid and sell the asking price, that if you buy the bid of the front month and sell the ask of the back month you get a P/L curve that looks like this:
http://opcalc.com/Sjn
I would then argue that if you adjust volatility you'll see how that P/L curve changes: example thus
http://opcalc.com/Sjt
Eventually you see this behavior pretty plainly in the charts and you don't really care anymore about doing the calculations and finding the curves.
For instance I expect the VIX to increase because of this:
https://www.tradingview.com/x/TnAHD6Y2/
I expect a ~16% or so increase. But in the above example the market makers roughly see a 9% increase.
This is more accurate because that is where they are neutral for the entirety of the time as they trace price across the curve.
If you go back to the previous link that showed the +16% volatility result, you see that we still have only about a limited downside of $420 on the SPY, but an upside of about $436.50; I adjusted this when I had more time to 9% which is more accurate and gets a topside target of about $435.50. It won't change the results below if you just run the numbers for $435.50 you'll see how the market maker derives the bid ask spread. Further proving the point that price is in response to market maker liquidity.
Mapping the curve onto the SPY we see this purple curve here:
https://www.tradingview.com/x/w3SXexdL/
Notice that the bottom of the curve is the prior support level around 423 which was the previous highs that broke out above.
You tell me...do you think it's a coincidence that I derive that price level from the method above?
Notice the $436 level is the past sticky spot (support that failed) of April 2022 which is now resistance.
https://www.tradingview.com/x/EA5HjP1g/
Do you think that is a coincidence? If you do, then stop trading you're just going to hurt yourself and you might as well go get a government pension.
Of course it's not a coincidence.
Generally speaking the Market Makers who want a breakeven price (that P/L curve where the profit/loss is $0), set those levels BASED on these targets.
They offer the market these prices and that's why price behaves as it does, generally, through its random walk.
Let's use July 21st as the example:
Here's what the market maker is offering to take the short side. You short, they buy and offer your to sell to you if price keeps going higher.
http://opcalc.com/Sjq
Here's what the market maker is taking:
http://opcalc.com/Sjs
Offering $135 profit vs Taking $144. A spread of $9.
The point so far is that you can map out where the MARKET MAKER'S LIQUIDITY is.
That's where price will seek. Market makers want to be market neutral. Price seeks their liquidity zones. These zones are identifiable in price and time, price action.
They are easily visible in Technical Analysis which only losers think big money trading firms don't use Technical Analysis....
These things are HIDDEN to you.
Obvious to me.
And it's why YOU underperform the markets. I would love to explain more. feel free to discuss.
PS. This also is not a coincidence:
https://www.tradingview.com/x/L1U4kyfB/
2023.06.03 00:21 themasterpodcaster Water Shielding Complete Enclosure
This post is part two of my plan for a enclosure of basalt rock and water shielding combined. You can use water alone but in general at least its much more effective to use basalt and water together as far as I know.
Part one is here
Basalt Shielding Complete Enclosure
https://www.reddit.com/TargetedEnergyWeapons/comments/13yrfez/basalt_shielding_complete_enclosure_and_frame/
Method One
Sea water is best and Im assuming if you cant get sea water then salt water must be better then normal. Try to make the water as similar to sea water as you can Im guessing.
This uses 1.25 wide 2.33ft tall 15 gallon cylindrical water containers. I'm thinking I need two layers so that I can offset the first with the second layer on the outside. Each container on the outside has its center blocking the spot where the two containers on the inside layer
meet. This makes a wall of water without weakness I hope. The wall needs to be 3.25f so it needs to be taller. On top of these containers on the inside layer of them is a single row of collapsible 5.3 gallons water containers.
I'm thinking Ill put a plywood between them and the containers underneath them so they can be pushed together and fit closely together and so the different diameter doesn't cause them to go off.
The top of the 15 gallon containers has a spot at the top where there's a gap thats a weakness. Im thinking Ill put 1 gallon water bag there perhaps partially empty to make it more malleable and the weight of
the 5 gallon container will hopefully mush it down so it fills in the uneven gaps in the top of the 15 gallon container. In front of the row of 5 gallon containers on top of the 15 gallon containers Ill put a pool tube to help block the weakness on top of the 15 gallon containers.
Ill overlap these pool tubes at the end in order to create a totally unbroken wall of water. Because the wall needs to be little taller Ill add large fomentek water bags at the top. The large fomentek bag has its top 6 inches lying on top of the 5 gallon container
and its held in place by a couple bricks wrapped in tarp or something temporarily. The bags hang down on the inside and overlap hopefully by 6 inches from bag to bag. Then you put 4 3x6x1.25 giant 140 gallon water bags on top of the structure lying perpendicular
to it. They overlap all the water walls by a foot. Then the pool tubes are put over the gaps between them. When there full you slide your hand under and remove the bricks from the water bags if possible. Or the top could be made of water bags.
Method 2
You use 6 or possibly 8 140 gallon water bags for the main wall of water. There 3ft wide, 6ft long and 1.25ft thick. First you position and fill the 15 gallon containers. You put 4 on the outside of every water bag. They weigh 120lb each and the water bag weighs
1100lb. So with 4 on one side weighing almost half as much as the water bag and the basalt and frame wall on the other side it might keep them standing up well enough. They 15 gallons are 2.33ft high and the water bags are 3ft tall standing on there side so tall
enough to hold them up. Putting another 500lb of sandbags on top of the 4 containers might work well if the water containers arnt enough. You position a 15 gallon in front of the spot where two water bags meet and then put a 5.3 gallon container on top so its
as tall as the water bag. You can also put fomenteck water bags over the crack as well if you can make them stay in place. You could two to shield one end and then two each side. The two on the end extend way outside of the actual area your shielding.
The ones on both sides form a tight wall along with the two on the end but then extend of the other side somewhat. The width of the basalt structure is 4.25ft and the length of the water bag is 6ft. So you could push the two that extend from the side of the end over
.85ft each to make room to fit the final end water bag between them. You might be able to overlap the where the waterbags meet on the lengthwise sides as well. There are different sizes you might be able to use to make it fit better. The roof of the water shielding might
bend down .25ft to meet the wall or you could put fomenteck waterbags on top perhaps. Like with the first method you might need to put something light weight on top of the structure to help prop up the water ceiling that the top of the basalt structure is roughly
level with the top of the water wall. This is a nice method in that you be able to set it up quickly because there you dont have to postion a bunch of things carefully. They just start in the position and it will only take a small number of hours for a garden hose to fill all
the containers from what I read. Its also nice because you can keep better track of the small amount of cracks. You could also use 4 inch fence posts and fence post foam or concrete possibly to hold up the water bladders. You could dig it with a 3 inch auger attached
to a well powered drill instead of using a fence post digger, shovel or a real auger. To protect the fomenteck water bags and the 5.3 gallon constrainers the more delicate ones you could use 1 or two layers of heavy cheap moving blankets.
Hopefully this would block pretty decent air guns and stuff that gang stalkers might try to shoot at them and you could protect it with plywood from the most vulnerable direction. Can also protect them from any natural damage. Then you can put a heavy tarp
to help protect them from the sun. Poly tubing might also work for water shielding especially for the roof where there isnt much pressure on it or for shielding cracks but I dont know about how you close them so no idea if it works.
The water shielding can act as an automatic sound barrior as you build I think and while you test the structure.
HOW MANY 15 GALLON WATER CONTAINERS FOR A DOUBLE LAYER AROUND A 9XFT LONG 5FT WIDE BASALT STRUCTURE 6o of them about $10000
9 containers long is 11.25ft nearly long enough to the length of the structure 9 plus 2 containers which is 11.5
18 for first layer on sides
8 for first layer on ends since it takes exactly 4 to equal 5ft and fill in the space
26 for first layer
sides second layer is 22
ends second layer is 12
second layer is 34
total is 60 for double layer 1 height containers costs $1000
15 gallon containers
https://www.thecarycompany.com/15-gallon-natural-tight-head-plastic-drum-reconditioned?utm_source=google_shopping&gclid=CjwKCAjw04yjBhApEiwAJcvNoT17vQCNe5vGlbW7CsZwLvpR_zIfcWKd_kqJI9DiGmnCwOBDVTTwOxoCj9YQAvD_BwE#specifications
140 gallon water bags and other sizes
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BL29YQKB/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A1UJFOP8HLWSUN&psc=1
large fomentek water bag
https://www.amazon.com/Large-Fomentek-Hot-Cold-Watedp/B00WVPNWZC/ref=sr_1_9?crid=336IIOOXN93R&keywords=fomenteck%2Bwater%2Btherapy%2Bbags&qid=1685220594&sprefix=fomenteck%2Bwater%2Btherapy%2Bbags%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-9&th=1
large fomentek water bags in bulk cheaper
https://www.backbenimble.com/fomentek-hot-water-bottles.htm?msclkid=6459c66592211766d702a217101d5398
1.3 gallon containers
36 Pcs 1.3 Gallon Collapsible Water Storage Bag Water Container Bag Emergency Jug Clear Plastic Storage Pouch Freezable Water Carrier Tank Foldable Bottle for Outdoor Sport Camping Hiking Backpack
5.3 gallon collapsible containers not quite as big as they say for the ones I measured that i got from walmart after I filled them up to the absolute top. It was 10 inches wide 12 inches deep and 10 inches high or something.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MVNJG17/ref=ox_sc_act_title_46?smid=AFACUH7IM17NK&psc=1
pool water bag 10ft long and is it 1ft wide? $9 and free shipping
https://intheswim.com/p/10-single-water-bag-blue/72909.html#description-btn-div
HIDING THE STRUCTURE
You could use a pop up gazebo or a more quickly set up greenhouse or possibly a soft storage shed wich is similar if there big enough. You set up the pop up gazebo and then build it inside of it. The gazebo is more respectable and accepted by
landlords and stuff then a big tent or tarp. Put a heavy tarp over the gazebo possibly to protect it from weather and other damage. If the amount of steel or aluminum in it is too much in the gazebo and messes up the shielding you might be able move it off of the
structure with a person or 4 wheeled doly on each leg ( just a random idea).
IMPORTANT TO MOVE WITH URGENCY
The economy will get worse as far as I know and will possibly collapse. Gas prices will rise during the summer at least. Basalt and other materials and items might become less available.
The warm weather will end eventually making it a lot harder to complete a large structure. I certainly feel texteme urgency because of my rapid mental and physical decline and also these reasons.
Also as far as I understand it which is quite limited the world is getting worse and more controling, gang stalking will probably get more alot more empowered and there technology is getting better.
But the best way to move effectively is still to be smart and deliberate to test things as far as I know. It takes time to be smart so you should get started on it.
QUESTIONS
I didnt condense my questions enough i just tried to cover everything mostly even though I must have missed alot of things. I leave it to you to judge what information I need the most and to answer the questions and give other information
in the most helpful way you have time for. What I need urgently is to order my basalt and my water containers and I can figure out the other details as the stuffs on the way. So I need to be able to decide on a rough plan and on a type of basalt so I can order my
basalt. I need to know if water shielding is going to helpful for me and how much water I need.
So I'm trying to block RNM because sinking up there attacks with my thoughts is an incredibly important part of the attacks. I want to block the mental attacks themselves but blocking the RNM will probably be enough to make that stop
by itself. I also need to block them making me feel emotionally numb, low energy, extremely depressed lack a void of happiness chemicals or something and making extremely unintelligent and cant form thoughts. These symptoms all vary at the
same time and seem parts of the same attack. Sometimes when its bad its also very hard to move and I can perceive my body as heavy and stuck and strange. My consciousness is compressed and receads as if I dont exist and I become dethatched
Also reduces anxiety. Happened when I was writing this because speaking about it is a trigger for them and I had to wait for find the words. Other TIs talk about similar symptoms.
These symptoms can all change
an extreme amount in just a second since its artificial and they change based on triggers that hold an emotional charge and significance to my attackers.
So i'm only trying to block them attacking my brain.
How should the basalt be around my body compared to around my head?
How thick should it be around my feet compared to my body?
I think you said that you need it double thick above your head and behind it but in the pictures of your set up it showed 1 full crate above and 1 full crate behind the same as the full crate on either side.
Is it true that you need it double thick above and double thick protection behind while in a prone position?
Why is that? Is above more important just because of the angle of attack or that part of the brain?
Is this also going to be true with me whos not trying to block physical attacks? Will my forehead or face or top of head or both be more vulnerable?
Since all im trying to block are the RNM, mental attacks and perhaps nervous system influence ( just totally guessing about that last comment )
In your photos you have pillowcases with basalt on top of the side crates and back crate covering the crack where they meet the top crate. The pillowcases only give you like 3 inches of protection. How does that actually work to block the crack?
Why dont you need basalt to block the vertical cracks between the crates?
I cant get a good handle on why you dont need 2 crates high 2 crates deep and 3 crates wide with one removed for your head to get the protection.
Why dont you need basalt to block the vertical cracks between the crates?
How much do you think the protection varies by thickness? If you double it or half it how much does the protection multiply or divide?
What's the highest amount you think youve divided the attacks by and what was the weakness that stopped you from dividing it further?
Could I divide it more than that and how?
Do you think RNM and mental attacks will require more or less basalt then physical attacks. They seem to be able to intrude on my mind for reading or attacking to a
very unusual degree and none of my shielding tests have effected it at all for many years although I've done some which might be very strong ones.
WATER SHIELDING QUSTIONS
Do you think I need water with my basalt since it will cost me $1000 or $1500 to $2500? I think i've seen you say it blocks DC heavy pressure. Is that a single type of physical attack or an important aspect of electromagnetism?
What are the chances they could use DC heavy pressure in a mental?
Will all types of attacks be blocked with the combination of basalt and water if you have enough?
is that the magic combination for everyone or just for your physical attacks.
Whats the ratio in thickness of water to basalt for a full shield of water?
How much do you think the amount of time I spend inside it will affect how well it works. Like will spending only 2 hours in it be a lot inferior then being able to spend 24 hours or a week.
What do you think about how to build it?
Do you think it would be ok to use small nail gun nails in the frame since the mainstay bags that you have metal on them?
What are angles of attack and how does it make sense to set up my thicker protection
I need any kind of help you can give me with this project. Iv been working on this plan and this post for 6 to 12 days where the majority of my work everyday was on it. Then other weeks and months
on similar plans and research on making basalt shielding happen. So it takes me forever to do anything even though I labor all day during the time im not recovering from it. It doesnt seem like I'm capable of
taking in the information on what basalt shields and on the measurements and to figure out how to classify my attacks. I had to make a simple summary of the most simple aspects of using basalt and water
to understand it and that must have taken me a day or more of work to piece together different posts and to organize.
submitted by themasterpodcaster to TargetedEnergyWeapons [link] [comments]
Part one is here
Basalt Shielding Complete Enclosure
https://www.reddit.com/TargetedEnergyWeapons/comments/13yrfez/basalt_shielding_complete_enclosure_and_frame/
Method One
Sea water is best and Im assuming if you cant get sea water then salt water must be better then normal. Try to make the water as similar to sea water as you can Im guessing.
This uses 1.25 wide 2.33ft tall 15 gallon cylindrical water containers. I'm thinking I need two layers so that I can offset the first with the second layer on the outside. Each container on the outside has its center blocking the spot where the two containers on the inside layer
meet. This makes a wall of water without weakness I hope. The wall needs to be 3.25f so it needs to be taller. On top of these containers on the inside layer of them is a single row of collapsible 5.3 gallons water containers.
I'm thinking Ill put a plywood between them and the containers underneath them so they can be pushed together and fit closely together and so the different diameter doesn't cause them to go off.
The top of the 15 gallon containers has a spot at the top where there's a gap thats a weakness. Im thinking Ill put 1 gallon water bag there perhaps partially empty to make it more malleable and the weight of
the 5 gallon container will hopefully mush it down so it fills in the uneven gaps in the top of the 15 gallon container. In front of the row of 5 gallon containers on top of the 15 gallon containers Ill put a pool tube to help block the weakness on top of the 15 gallon containers.
Ill overlap these pool tubes at the end in order to create a totally unbroken wall of water. Because the wall needs to be little taller Ill add large fomentek water bags at the top. The large fomentek bag has its top 6 inches lying on top of the 5 gallon container
and its held in place by a couple bricks wrapped in tarp or something temporarily. The bags hang down on the inside and overlap hopefully by 6 inches from bag to bag. Then you put 4 3x6x1.25 giant 140 gallon water bags on top of the structure lying perpendicular
to it. They overlap all the water walls by a foot. Then the pool tubes are put over the gaps between them. When there full you slide your hand under and remove the bricks from the water bags if possible. Or the top could be made of water bags.
Method 2
You use 6 or possibly 8 140 gallon water bags for the main wall of water. There 3ft wide, 6ft long and 1.25ft thick. First you position and fill the 15 gallon containers. You put 4 on the outside of every water bag. They weigh 120lb each and the water bag weighs
1100lb. So with 4 on one side weighing almost half as much as the water bag and the basalt and frame wall on the other side it might keep them standing up well enough. They 15 gallons are 2.33ft high and the water bags are 3ft tall standing on there side so tall
enough to hold them up. Putting another 500lb of sandbags on top of the 4 containers might work well if the water containers arnt enough. You position a 15 gallon in front of the spot where two water bags meet and then put a 5.3 gallon container on top so its
as tall as the water bag. You can also put fomenteck water bags over the crack as well if you can make them stay in place. You could two to shield one end and then two each side. The two on the end extend way outside of the actual area your shielding.
The ones on both sides form a tight wall along with the two on the end but then extend of the other side somewhat. The width of the basalt structure is 4.25ft and the length of the water bag is 6ft. So you could push the two that extend from the side of the end over
.85ft each to make room to fit the final end water bag between them. You might be able to overlap the where the waterbags meet on the lengthwise sides as well. There are different sizes you might be able to use to make it fit better. The roof of the water shielding might
bend down .25ft to meet the wall or you could put fomenteck waterbags on top perhaps. Like with the first method you might need to put something light weight on top of the structure to help prop up the water ceiling that the top of the basalt structure is roughly
level with the top of the water wall. This is a nice method in that you be able to set it up quickly because there you dont have to postion a bunch of things carefully. They just start in the position and it will only take a small number of hours for a garden hose to fill all
the containers from what I read. Its also nice because you can keep better track of the small amount of cracks. You could also use 4 inch fence posts and fence post foam or concrete possibly to hold up the water bladders. You could dig it with a 3 inch auger attached
to a well powered drill instead of using a fence post digger, shovel or a real auger. To protect the fomenteck water bags and the 5.3 gallon constrainers the more delicate ones you could use 1 or two layers of heavy cheap moving blankets.
Hopefully this would block pretty decent air guns and stuff that gang stalkers might try to shoot at them and you could protect it with plywood from the most vulnerable direction. Can also protect them from any natural damage. Then you can put a heavy tarp
to help protect them from the sun. Poly tubing might also work for water shielding especially for the roof where there isnt much pressure on it or for shielding cracks but I dont know about how you close them so no idea if it works.
The water shielding can act as an automatic sound barrior as you build I think and while you test the structure.
HOW MANY 15 GALLON WATER CONTAINERS FOR A DOUBLE LAYER AROUND A 9XFT LONG 5FT WIDE BASALT STRUCTURE 6o of them about $10000
9 containers long is 11.25ft nearly long enough to the length of the structure 9 plus 2 containers which is 11.5
18 for first layer on sides
8 for first layer on ends since it takes exactly 4 to equal 5ft and fill in the space
26 for first layer
sides second layer is 22
ends second layer is 12
second layer is 34
total is 60 for double layer 1 height containers costs $1000
15 gallon containers
https://www.thecarycompany.com/15-gallon-natural-tight-head-plastic-drum-reconditioned?utm_source=google_shopping&gclid=CjwKCAjw04yjBhApEiwAJcvNoT17vQCNe5vGlbW7CsZwLvpR_zIfcWKd_kqJI9DiGmnCwOBDVTTwOxoCj9YQAvD_BwE#specifications
140 gallon water bags and other sizes
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BL29YQKB/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A1UJFOP8HLWSUN&psc=1
large fomentek water bag
https://www.amazon.com/Large-Fomentek-Hot-Cold-Watedp/B00WVPNWZC/ref=sr_1_9?crid=336IIOOXN93R&keywords=fomenteck%2Bwater%2Btherapy%2Bbags&qid=1685220594&sprefix=fomenteck%2Bwater%2Btherapy%2Bbags%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-9&th=1
large fomentek water bags in bulk cheaper
https://www.backbenimble.com/fomentek-hot-water-bottles.htm?msclkid=6459c66592211766d702a217101d5398
1.3 gallon containers
36 Pcs 1.3 Gallon Collapsible Water Storage Bag Water Container Bag Emergency Jug Clear Plastic Storage Pouch Freezable Water Carrier Tank Foldable Bottle for Outdoor Sport Camping Hiking Backpack
5.3 gallon collapsible containers not quite as big as they say for the ones I measured that i got from walmart after I filled them up to the absolute top. It was 10 inches wide 12 inches deep and 10 inches high or something.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MVNJG17/ref=ox_sc_act_title_46?smid=AFACUH7IM17NK&psc=1
pool water bag 10ft long and is it 1ft wide? $9 and free shipping
https://intheswim.com/p/10-single-water-bag-blue/72909.html#description-btn-div
HIDING THE STRUCTURE
You could use a pop up gazebo or a more quickly set up greenhouse or possibly a soft storage shed wich is similar if there big enough. You set up the pop up gazebo and then build it inside of it. The gazebo is more respectable and accepted by
landlords and stuff then a big tent or tarp. Put a heavy tarp over the gazebo possibly to protect it from weather and other damage. If the amount of steel or aluminum in it is too much in the gazebo and messes up the shielding you might be able move it off of the
structure with a person or 4 wheeled doly on each leg ( just a random idea).
IMPORTANT TO MOVE WITH URGENCY
The economy will get worse as far as I know and will possibly collapse. Gas prices will rise during the summer at least. Basalt and other materials and items might become less available.
The warm weather will end eventually making it a lot harder to complete a large structure. I certainly feel texteme urgency because of my rapid mental and physical decline and also these reasons.
Also as far as I understand it which is quite limited the world is getting worse and more controling, gang stalking will probably get more alot more empowered and there technology is getting better.
But the best way to move effectively is still to be smart and deliberate to test things as far as I know. It takes time to be smart so you should get started on it.
QUESTIONS
I didnt condense my questions enough i just tried to cover everything mostly even though I must have missed alot of things. I leave it to you to judge what information I need the most and to answer the questions and give other information
in the most helpful way you have time for. What I need urgently is to order my basalt and my water containers and I can figure out the other details as the stuffs on the way. So I need to be able to decide on a rough plan and on a type of basalt so I can order my
basalt. I need to know if water shielding is going to helpful for me and how much water I need.
So I'm trying to block RNM because sinking up there attacks with my thoughts is an incredibly important part of the attacks. I want to block the mental attacks themselves but blocking the RNM will probably be enough to make that stop
by itself. I also need to block them making me feel emotionally numb, low energy, extremely depressed lack a void of happiness chemicals or something and making extremely unintelligent and cant form thoughts. These symptoms all vary at the
same time and seem parts of the same attack. Sometimes when its bad its also very hard to move and I can perceive my body as heavy and stuck and strange. My consciousness is compressed and receads as if I dont exist and I become dethatched
Also reduces anxiety. Happened when I was writing this because speaking about it is a trigger for them and I had to wait for find the words. Other TIs talk about similar symptoms.
These symptoms can all change
an extreme amount in just a second since its artificial and they change based on triggers that hold an emotional charge and significance to my attackers.
So i'm only trying to block them attacking my brain.
How should the basalt be around my body compared to around my head?
How thick should it be around my feet compared to my body?
I think you said that you need it double thick above your head and behind it but in the pictures of your set up it showed 1 full crate above and 1 full crate behind the same as the full crate on either side.
Is it true that you need it double thick above and double thick protection behind while in a prone position?
Why is that? Is above more important just because of the angle of attack or that part of the brain?
Is this also going to be true with me whos not trying to block physical attacks? Will my forehead or face or top of head or both be more vulnerable?
Since all im trying to block are the RNM, mental attacks and perhaps nervous system influence ( just totally guessing about that last comment )
In your photos you have pillowcases with basalt on top of the side crates and back crate covering the crack where they meet the top crate. The pillowcases only give you like 3 inches of protection. How does that actually work to block the crack?
Why dont you need basalt to block the vertical cracks between the crates?
I cant get a good handle on why you dont need 2 crates high 2 crates deep and 3 crates wide with one removed for your head to get the protection.
Why dont you need basalt to block the vertical cracks between the crates?
How much do you think the protection varies by thickness? If you double it or half it how much does the protection multiply or divide?
What's the highest amount you think youve divided the attacks by and what was the weakness that stopped you from dividing it further?
Could I divide it more than that and how?
Do you think RNM and mental attacks will require more or less basalt then physical attacks. They seem to be able to intrude on my mind for reading or attacking to a
very unusual degree and none of my shielding tests have effected it at all for many years although I've done some which might be very strong ones.
WATER SHIELDING QUSTIONS
Do you think I need water with my basalt since it will cost me $1000 or $1500 to $2500? I think i've seen you say it blocks DC heavy pressure. Is that a single type of physical attack or an important aspect of electromagnetism?
What are the chances they could use DC heavy pressure in a mental?
Will all types of attacks be blocked with the combination of basalt and water if you have enough?
is that the magic combination for everyone or just for your physical attacks.
Whats the ratio in thickness of water to basalt for a full shield of water?
How much do you think the amount of time I spend inside it will affect how well it works. Like will spending only 2 hours in it be a lot inferior then being able to spend 24 hours or a week.
What do you think about how to build it?
Do you think it would be ok to use small nail gun nails in the frame since the mainstay bags that you have metal on them?
What are angles of attack and how does it make sense to set up my thicker protection
I need any kind of help you can give me with this project. Iv been working on this plan and this post for 6 to 12 days where the majority of my work everyday was on it. Then other weeks and months
on similar plans and research on making basalt shielding happen. So it takes me forever to do anything even though I labor all day during the time im not recovering from it. It doesnt seem like I'm capable of
taking in the information on what basalt shields and on the measurements and to figure out how to classify my attacks. I had to make a simple summary of the most simple aspects of using basalt and water
to understand it and that must have taken me a day or more of work to piece together different posts and to organize.
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There are a few ways to watch Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. online in the U.S. You can use a streaming service such as Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video. You can also rent or buy the movie on iTunes or Google Play. You can also watch it on-demand or on a streaming app available on your TV or streaming device if you have cable.
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Cast and Characters
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. was written by Judy Blume and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig. It stars the following actors:
Rachel McAdams as Barbara Simon
Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon
Elle Graham as Nancy Wheeler
Benny Safdie as Herb Simon
Kathy Bates as Sylvia Simon
What is Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. About?
A beloved and best-selling classic comes to the big screen with Lionsgate’s adaptation of Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Starring Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, and Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret, this timeless, coming-of-age story has transcended decades and spoken to generations. At 11, Margaret is moving to a new town and beginning to contemplate everything about life, friendship, and adolescence. She relies on her mother (McAdams), who offers loving support but is herself finding her own footing in a new place, and her grandmother Sylvia (Bates), who is coming to terms with finding happiness in the next phase of her life. For all three, questions of identity, one’s place in the world, and what brings meaning to a life will draw them closer together than ever before. From writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig (The Edge of Seventeen) and Gracie Films’ Academy Award®-winning producer James L. Brooks. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. is the theatrical event for everyone who has ever wondered where they fit in.
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Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Movie! Here are options for downloading or watching Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.streaming the full movie online for free on 123movies & Reddit, including where to watch Judy Blume’s coming-of-age period comedy drama at home. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret 2023 available to stream? Is watching Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret on HBO Max, Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime or Peacock? Yes, we have found an authentic streaming option/service.....
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Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. is the big-screen adaptation of the middle-grade novel by Judy Blume and much has been announced regarding the release date, cast, story, trailer, and more. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. is the first time the iconic novel has been adapted for film. Blume is a renowned author of children's, young adult, and adult fiction, and her focus often deals with more mature themes, uncommon in middle-grade fiction. Topics such as puberty, divorce, sexuality, and bullying all feature prominently in her books.
For over fifty years, Judy Blume's classic and groundbreaking novel Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. has impacted generations with its timeless coming of age story, insightful humor, and candid exploration of life's biggest questions. In Lionsgate's big-screen adaptation, 11-year-old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) is uprooted from her life in New York City for the suburbs of New Jersey, going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends in a new school. She relies on her mother, Barbara (Rachel McAdams), who is also struggling to adjust to life outside the big city, and her adoring grandmother, Sylvia (Kathy Bates), who isn't happy they moved away and likes to remind them every chance she gets.
Over 50 years since her novel Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret was published, author Judy Blume is now serving as a producer on the feature film adaptation. In an interview with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff, Blume opens up about why writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig was the creative that inspired her to finally say yes to Margaret’s silver screen debut
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret is a coming-of-age story about Margaret Simon played by Abby Ryder Fortson. With the support of her mother (Rachel McAdams) and grandmother (Kathy Bates), who are on coming-of-age journeys of their own, Margaret tackles scary pre-teen challenges like getting her first bra, exploring religion, and putting on her very first maxi pad.
Blume has won over 90 literary awards; her most notable work is arguably Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., first published in 1970. The plot follows Margaret Simon, a sixth-grade girl confronting her pre-adolescence. The novel has been named to many “best-of” lists including Time's list of top 100 books produced since 1923. It’s been both lauded and vilified for its frank discussion of sexual issues, and as such, has become an important text for anyone who has had similar questions at a young age. And if all the announcements are anything to go by, the Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. movie will be just as important.
So where can you watch Are You There God? Is it on Netflix? What about HBO Max? Here's your guide to everything you need to know about how to watch the comedy drama Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. where to watch it.
When Is the Release Date of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret?
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. had its world premiere at the San Francisco International Film Festival on April 23, 2023, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on April 28, 2023, by Lionsgate Films.
It will not be available on any streaming platform, nor will it be available to rent or buy via any digital or VOD service.
Where To Watch Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret:
As of now, the only way to watch Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret is to head out to a movie theater when it releases on Friday, April 28. You can find a local showing on Fandango.
Watch Now: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Online Free
Otherwise, you’ll just have to wait for it to become available to rent or purchase on digital platforms like Amazon, Vudu, YouTube and Apple, or become available to stream on Peacock.
How to Watch and Stream Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret Online
If you’re wondering if you can stream Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.e online at home, it’s not currently an option. At the moment, the only way to watch the comedy drama film is by heading over to your local movie theater and purchasing a ticket.
When Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Streaming Online?
There's been no official announcement regarding Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. movie streaming release. However, given it's a Lionsgate film, Are You There God? It's Me, Margare movie will eventually be released on Peacock rather than Netflix, HBO Max, or Disney+.
Will Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Be On HBO Max?
No, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret is not on HBO Max since it’s not a Warner Bros. movie. Last year, the company released its films in theaters and on the streamer on the same day. However, they now allow a 45-day window between the theatrical release and the streaming release.
While we don't yet have a confirmed streaming release date for Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, we can look at other Universal releases in 2023 to get a sense of when it might be available to watch at home.
Will Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Be On Netflix?
No, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. will likely not be on Netflix any time soon, seeing as it will go directly to Amazon Prime Video after its theatrical run.
A similar timeline would put the rental release date for Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. in the UK in early May, but it'll then be another month or two until you can buy and own a copy of the movie.
When Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Be On Disney+?
While a streaming release date for Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret has not yet been announced, Disney typically sends their movies to Disney+ around 45 days after the theatrical release — and more specifically, on the Friday after that mark. With this strategy, we could be watching Avatar: The Way of Water from the comfort of our homes by early April 2023.
Is Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Available On Hulu?
Viewers are saying that they want to view the new comedy movie Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. on Hulu. Unfortunately, this is not possible since Hulu currently does not offer any of the free episodes of this series streaming at this time. It will be exclusive to the MTV channel, which you get by subscribing to cable or satellite TV services. You will not be able to watch it on Hulu or any other free streaming service.
How to Watch Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Online For Free?
Most Viewed, Most Favorite, Top Rating, Top IMDb movies online. Here we can download and watch 123movies movies offline. 123Movies website is the best alternative to Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (2023) free online. We will recommend 123Movies is the best Solarmovie alternatives.
There are a few ways to watch Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. online in the U.S. You can use a streaming service such as Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video. You can also rent or buy the movie on iTunes or Google Play. You can also watch it on-demand or on a streaming app available on your TV or streaming device if you have cable.
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Cast and Characters
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. was written by Judy Blume and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig. It stars the following actors:
Rachel McAdams as Barbara Simon
Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon
Elle Graham as Nancy Wheeler
Benny Safdie as Herb Simon
Kathy Bates as Sylvia Simon
What is Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. About?
A beloved and best-selling classic comes to the big screen with Lionsgate’s adaptation of Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Starring Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, and Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret, this timeless, coming-of-age story has transcended decades and spoken to generations. At 11, Margaret is moving to a new town and beginning to contemplate everything about life, friendship, and adolescence. She relies on her mother (McAdams), who offers loving support but is herself finding her own footing in a new place, and her grandmother Sylvia (Bates), who is coming to terms with finding happiness in the next phase of her life. For all three, questions of identity, one’s place in the world, and what brings meaning to a life will draw them closer together than ever before. From writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig (The Edge of Seventeen) and Gracie Films’ Academy Award®-winning producer James L. Brooks. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. is the theatrical event for everyone who has ever wondered where they fit in.
2023.06.03 00:01 ralo_ramone An Otherworldly Scholar [LitRPG, Isekai] - Chapter 9
On today’s episode of ‘Things I never thought would happen to me’, two human-snake hybrids with long snouts and colorful scales cried in my arms. Despite the unsettling texture of their scales, I instinctively hugged them in a vain attempt to comfort them. It took me half a minute to process what was happening.
Elincia worked at an orphanage.
[Awareness]: Of course she does.
I ignored the System prompt and focused on the kids crying against my chest. Elincia seemed to be too busy dealing with the seven or eight bawling kids at the same time.
“What happened, sweetie?” I asked, trying to sound reassuring.
The snake girl with shining blue and white scales tried to hold back the tears, and she made it for a brief second, but then she wrapped her arms around my neck and burst into tears again. By the way she trembled, I could tell she was scared.
“Hey, hey. It's okay. Elincia is already here. There is nothing to worry about.” I said, softly patting her back.
My words, as I should have expected, caused the kids to cry even harder. This wasn’t my first rodeo with teary small kids, however, it was my first time holding two snake-human hybrids. I wonder what had happened for the kids to be this distressed, a quick inspection told me they weren’t hurt.
The door opened again and a thin elven kid with fair blonde hair and dark circles around his eyes appeared in the doorway. Just as the rest of the orphans, he was dressed with well-worn oversized clothes. The elven kid was older than the rest of the kids but couldn’t be more than twelve or thirteen years old.
I wondered if he was Elincia’s kid but I quickly discarded that theory, there was no trace of human blood in his appearance. The boy seemed to be a pureblood elf.
“What’s happening, Zaon?” Elincia asked over the generalized bawling and I noticed a trembling in her voice, as if she was also about to burst into tears.
The elven kid walked down the flight of stairs and raised his voice to be heard over the generalized bawling.
“M-m-mister Holst left the orphanage f-five days ago. Ilya and I tried to keep things under control but the small ones were nervous without you around. They thought you were going to be gone forever.” Zaon stuttered.
My heart clenched at hearing the kids had been on their own for a whole week. I understood now why the small ones were so scared. Elincia’s angered voice caught my attention.
“Mister Holst did what?!” Elincia exclaimed and the weeping sound of the kids suddenly died, leaving an awkward silence behind.
“Mister Holst had an imp-p-portant Class breakthrough so he left the orphanage to go to the imperial capital. That was five days ago.” Zaon repeated, stuttering the same syllables. “We took care of the cooking and the bedtime of the small ones. I couldn’t get them to shower, I’m sorry.”
My heart shrunk even further.
“You did well, Zaon. Please take the kids inside, I need to talk to Elincia for a moment.” I said, gently putting the snake-children down. “We’ll be joining you in a moment.” I added seeing the kids didn’t let Elincia go.
Zaon nodded and led the way followed by a dozen reluctant small kids who casted anxious glances at Elincia as they entered the manor. After a moment, we were left alone in the front yard.
“I’m going to fucking kill him, that weasel.” Elincia turned around and walked towards the iron gate.
I grabbed her wrist, she tugged but I didn’t let go.
Elincia’s face was red from anger and her knuckles turned white as she clenched her fists. She had done well hiding her anger from the kids. Adult problems should be dealt with by adults.
“I should’ve known something like this was going to happen. I’m so stupid for trusting Holst.” Elincia covered her face with both hands.
“Who’s Holst?”
“Holst is a Scholar who comes to the orphanage a couple times a week to teach the kids. He had a temper but I thought learning under the guidance of a high level Scholar would help the kids.” Elincia replied. “I was so blind. Of course he didn't care about the kids, he was just cultivating his class!”
I understood the general contempt Elincia showed towards the Scholar class now. Holst sounded like a despicable person.
“The kids are safe and that’s what matters the most.” I said, grabbing Elincia by the shoulders and forcing her to look at me. “You should be proud of yourself, Elincia, your kids faced an emergency and managed to get by. You raised them well.”
Elincia dropped her shoulders and took a deep breath with her eyes closed. When she opened her eyes again, she seemed to have regained her composure.
“You are right… but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to kill Holst if he puts a foot in this orphanage ever again.” She grinned with a wicked smile and I knew she was being serious.
“I’ll lend you my shotgun if you don’t mind cleaning up the aftermath.” I grinned back.
“Gross. I love it.” Elincia laughed, leaving behind the bad feelings and walking to the entrance of the manor. She signaled to follow her. “Welcome to Lowell’s Orphanage. You should call me Miss Elincia while the kids are around.”
I followed her.
The reception room was a spacious area with faded white walls and a tall ceiling, adorned solely with an old couch and a couple of worn out chairs. Square areas of less weathered white paint on the walls showed the places where old paintings had hung long ago. On the opposing wall, a great window overlooked the inner courtyard. I caught a glimpse of a small farm plot, a well, and a small groove.
The whole manor seemed to have seen better days but it felt cozy and welcoming.
“This is our home. And these orphaned children are my family.” Elincia said with a mix of pride and embarrassment. She opened her arms in a gesture that encompassed the entire room.
We left the receiving room behind and Elincia led me to the west wing of the manor into a corridor filled with sunlight. To the right there was the backyard and to the left a row of closed doors. Behind the only open door there was a classroom with rows of small worn-out desks lined up facing a worn-out chalkboard. Over each desk there was an old small wax tablet with their respective styluses.
“That is our schoolroom. It ain’t much but it’s quite handy during cold and rainy days. I try to teach the kids to read and write before they leave the orphanage.” Elincia said as she caught me looking inside.
My brain connected the dots and a sense of sadness got a sudden hold on me.
The Kingdom was at war and those who served as fodder were the least fortunate ones. I wondered how many of Elincia’s orphans ended up in the king’s army fighting in the Farlands to never come back home. But my sadness wasn’t solely aimed at the orphans, Elincia was rowing against a storm in a ship that was sailing to nowhere.
“It looks cozy.” I said.
We turned at the corner and found the harpy girl with the white pillowcase dress slowly walking down the corridor. The wooden floor clacked as she tried to catch up with the rest of the orphans but her talons were too big for her small body, making her steps slow and clumsy. She was more than ten meters behind but seemed unfazed by the matter.
The diminutive harpy saw us walking in her direction and stopped. It was my first time seeing a harpy. Her face was human but a pair of wings covered by golden feathers protruded from her pillowcase dress. She waited patiently for us, blocking the path.
“I haven’t peed myself in five days.” The harpy girl proudly declared, putting her hands on her hips and adopting a defiant pose I had seen in Elincia before.
“Shu, you don’t just…” Elincia looked at me, horrified, and I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
I squatted to Shu’s height and smiled. “You were so brave! I’m sure Miss Rosebud is happy to hear that.”
The harpy girl chuckled.
“You used the forbidden word. You are going to get scolded by Miss Elincia.” Shu hid her face beneath a wing. Before I could say anything else, Elincia grabbed her by the armpits and lifted her, interrupting our conversation.
Was ‘Rosebud’ a forbidden word?
“I’m going to prepare something to eat for the kids, you can wait in the classroom. I’m going to send Zaon over with a water basin.” Elincia said before Shu could add any extra outrageous comment.
Elincia and Shu followed the rest of the orphans and I came back to the classroom. Once alone, I punched the wall with full force, provoking a throbbing pain in my hand. My sadness had turned into anger. Holst was lucky to be away from Farcrest, otherwise I would be tempted to use one of my two remaining shells on him. I didn’t have a drop of sympathy for people who abandoned children.
I entertained myself with macabre fantasies until the left door opened again and Zaon entered the room carrying a large water basin.
“Miss Elincia says you can use her study to wash up. Then you can throw the water to the plants under the window.” Zaon said as he walked back to the corridor.
I followed him until we reached a closed door just by the corner of the corridor.
“This is the living quarters. The small kids sleep in the common room. We, the older ones, have our own rooms.” Zaon explained pointing with the head at the doors further down the living quarters. “This is Miss Elincia’s study.”
As I stepped into Elincia’s study, a floral smell filled my nostrils. The air was thick, as if I had walked into a greenhouse and I couldn’t help but take a deep breath, enjoying the fragrance.
The room was immaculately tiddy. A large bookshelf covered one of the walls and a wide writing desk was situated just under the window. A shabby bed was tucked in a corner with a knitted quilt neatly folded at the foot. On the night table there was a flower vase and a small diary.
[Awareness]: You have entered the forbidden dungeon: Elincia’s Bedroom.
The prompt made me stop dead in my tracks but no hidden traps were triggered by my presence.
The lack of knives and hunting trophies hanging from the walls made me think this belonged to the Governess and not the adventure junkie I had met in the woods. A sense of serenity emanated from the room and I understood that, for the orphans, this was a place of peace and safety.
Zaon put the water basin in the corner over a dresser and rummaged through the desk’s drawer. He pulled out a pearlescent soap bar, a threadbare towel, and a change of men's clothes from the chest at the foot of the bed. I wondered who the previous owner was.
“Thank you, Zaon.” I thanked the kid as I sat in a small stool by the water basin and washed my hands and forearms. I had a hundred questions to ask him but I didn’t want to entertain him, Elincia probably needed Zaon’s help to deal with the smaller kids.
Zaon nodded and looked at me with curiosity.
“Speak your mind.” I said, realizing I wasn’t going to get privacy until I answered some questions.
Zaon was startled for a moment but he quickly made up his mind.
“C-c-can I? Really? Who are you? Your accent is strange.” He inquired.
“I am Robert Clarke, a Scholar from a faraway land.” I introduced myself, wondering how much information I should disclose to the kids. Or how much information I could get from them. “I met Miss Rosebud in the Farlands and tagged along on the way back here.”
“Are you here to replace Mister Holst… sir?” Zaon got tangled up in his words, unable to figure out the right amount of deference required to address me. I smiled, trying to seem reassuring.
“This is my first time here in Farcrest so I have to meet the Marquis first. I don’t even know if I could stay.” I replied, deciding to tell Zaon the truth. “Miss Rosebud told me about the Imperial Library, so I’m tempted to go to the capital to cultivate my class.”
The kid nodded in awe. For someone from a backwater town like Farcrest, the imperial capital must be a place of wonder and mystery.
“Miss Elincia doesn’t like to be called that.” Zaon pointed out.
“Rosebud?”
“Yes.”
“I think it's a charming name.” I shrugged my shoulders thinking it was too much of a cute name for someone as tough as Elincia.
I waited for a moment, expecting a sassy System prompt to slap me on the face but none appeared. Good. The last thing I needed was more titles about my politically incorrect thoughts. Zaon looked around, as if there were spies somewhere between the walls, before continuing talking.
“I think that too, sir. A truly charming elven name.” Zaon muttered full of pride but suddenly he seemed to realize he had overextended his stay. “I’m not taking more of your time, sir.” He politely added as he left the room at a quick pace.
Finding the key inside the hole, I locked the door before taking my shirt off, and started scrubbing my body. The soap was the size of a small stack of coins and it didn’t produce much foam but it was more than enough after all those days trekking through the Farlands. It felt good to be clean once again. My old shirt was ruined after my adventure in the forest so the new one felt nice even if it was a bit oversized and the fabric coarser.
When I was finished, I opened the window and discarded the dirty water on the clump of bushes and flowers that adorned the mansion’s exterior. Then I unlocked the door and returned to the classroom feeling like a new man.
As I was sitting in the classroom, I saw a group of kids spying on me from the corridor’s windows. I acted like I hadn't seen them. Instead, I let them quench their curiosity while I mindlessly drew doodles on a wax tablet. Zaon probably already informed the rest of the orphans about my identity.
“Here you are.” Elincia said with a tired voice as she stood on the doorway. She carried a tray with a wooden bowl filled with steamy soup. “Scared of being alone in a girl’s bedroom?”
I was about to make a snarky remark when I remembered the kids spying on us. Elincia seemed to notice too because she quickly added. “Shall we discuss our deal in my study?”
I followed Elincia into her bedroom and she invited me to sit at the timeworn desk. Then, she handed me a bowl of soup and a piece of old bread. The soup had a few pieces of vegetables floating on the surface similar to carrots and potatoes. I did what any logical person would’ve done.
Elincia’s Vegetable Soup. [Identify] Edible. A watery, bland, and unseasoned soup made from various donated ingredients. It’s warm.
Luckily enough, Elincia didn’t realize I was using [Identify] on her soup. I put the spoon in my mouth. The flavor was indeed watery and bland but it was the first warm food I had since I arrived in this world, and it felt great. As I dipped the bread into the soup, Elincia untied her padded jacket, revealing a white blouse and a washed out light blue bodice that adhered to her figure.
I wasn’t completely ready for some Renaissance Fair action but I managed to keep my eyes glued to the bowl of soup. Elincia stretched her back and rotated her shoulders with feline grace before settling on the chair.
“You look good disguised as a governess, I almost bought it.” I said, fighting to keep my eyes away from Elincia’s delicate yet strong shoulders. If I didn’t know better, I would swear Elincia had a twin sister that looked after the orphanage while she explored the Farlands.
Elincia looked around as if there were spies in the walls before replying.
“Fuck off, Robert Clarke.” The woman whispered, rolling her eyes. “And thank you for helping me with the kids. You navigated the situation pretty well.” She added in an almost shy tone.
“Didn’t I say I was a teaching focused Scholar?” I replied with a smug voice.
“Yeah, I remember hearing an excuse like that for your lack of level.” Elincia grinned. “Now, show me the goods, I have a sick kid waiting for a potion.”
I brought my backpack I had left forgotten in the corner and started lining the bundles of herbs and roots over Elincia’s working desk.
“When you told me you had a sick kid I thought you meant your son or daughter.” I pointed out.
“Yeah, no. I already have enough kids around.” Elincia laughed as her eyes greedily pried over my alchemical loot.
I wondered if one of her skills allowed her to measure the herb’s magic concentration. Something like [Identify] but for Alchemists.
“Not to mention I’d need a man for that. A good one for that matter.” Elincia added.
“You don't have an army of volunteers lining up at the orphanage’s doors?” I jokingly asked. With her looks, she could have a fan club following her everywhere back on Earth.
Suddenly, Elincia forgot about the ingredients and locked her eyes with mine.
“Oh? Mister Scholar is interested in my relationship status now?” She gave me the biggest shit-eating grin I had seen in my life. And that was a lot to say considering Elincia’s mischievous personality.
“Dream on.” I quickly replied. Elincia’s big mouth made it difficult to feel bad for her.
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Elincia worked at an orphanage.
[Awareness]: Of course she does.
I ignored the System prompt and focused on the kids crying against my chest. Elincia seemed to be too busy dealing with the seven or eight bawling kids at the same time.
“What happened, sweetie?” I asked, trying to sound reassuring.
The snake girl with shining blue and white scales tried to hold back the tears, and she made it for a brief second, but then she wrapped her arms around my neck and burst into tears again. By the way she trembled, I could tell she was scared.
“Hey, hey. It's okay. Elincia is already here. There is nothing to worry about.” I said, softly patting her back.
My words, as I should have expected, caused the kids to cry even harder. This wasn’t my first rodeo with teary small kids, however, it was my first time holding two snake-human hybrids. I wonder what had happened for the kids to be this distressed, a quick inspection told me they weren’t hurt.
The door opened again and a thin elven kid with fair blonde hair and dark circles around his eyes appeared in the doorway. Just as the rest of the orphans, he was dressed with well-worn oversized clothes. The elven kid was older than the rest of the kids but couldn’t be more than twelve or thirteen years old.
I wondered if he was Elincia’s kid but I quickly discarded that theory, there was no trace of human blood in his appearance. The boy seemed to be a pureblood elf.
“What’s happening, Zaon?” Elincia asked over the generalized bawling and I noticed a trembling in her voice, as if she was also about to burst into tears.
The elven kid walked down the flight of stairs and raised his voice to be heard over the generalized bawling.
“M-m-mister Holst left the orphanage f-five days ago. Ilya and I tried to keep things under control but the small ones were nervous without you around. They thought you were going to be gone forever.” Zaon stuttered.
My heart clenched at hearing the kids had been on their own for a whole week. I understood now why the small ones were so scared. Elincia’s angered voice caught my attention.
“Mister Holst did what?!” Elincia exclaimed and the weeping sound of the kids suddenly died, leaving an awkward silence behind.
“Mister Holst had an imp-p-portant Class breakthrough so he left the orphanage to go to the imperial capital. That was five days ago.” Zaon repeated, stuttering the same syllables. “We took care of the cooking and the bedtime of the small ones. I couldn’t get them to shower, I’m sorry.”
My heart shrunk even further.
“You did well, Zaon. Please take the kids inside, I need to talk to Elincia for a moment.” I said, gently putting the snake-children down. “We’ll be joining you in a moment.” I added seeing the kids didn’t let Elincia go.
Zaon nodded and led the way followed by a dozen reluctant small kids who casted anxious glances at Elincia as they entered the manor. After a moment, we were left alone in the front yard.
“I’m going to fucking kill him, that weasel.” Elincia turned around and walked towards the iron gate.
I grabbed her wrist, she tugged but I didn’t let go.
Elincia’s face was red from anger and her knuckles turned white as she clenched her fists. She had done well hiding her anger from the kids. Adult problems should be dealt with by adults.
“I should’ve known something like this was going to happen. I’m so stupid for trusting Holst.” Elincia covered her face with both hands.
“Who’s Holst?”
“Holst is a Scholar who comes to the orphanage a couple times a week to teach the kids. He had a temper but I thought learning under the guidance of a high level Scholar would help the kids.” Elincia replied. “I was so blind. Of course he didn't care about the kids, he was just cultivating his class!”
I understood the general contempt Elincia showed towards the Scholar class now. Holst sounded like a despicable person.
“The kids are safe and that’s what matters the most.” I said, grabbing Elincia by the shoulders and forcing her to look at me. “You should be proud of yourself, Elincia, your kids faced an emergency and managed to get by. You raised them well.”
Elincia dropped her shoulders and took a deep breath with her eyes closed. When she opened her eyes again, she seemed to have regained her composure.
“You are right… but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to kill Holst if he puts a foot in this orphanage ever again.” She grinned with a wicked smile and I knew she was being serious.
“I’ll lend you my shotgun if you don’t mind cleaning up the aftermath.” I grinned back.
“Gross. I love it.” Elincia laughed, leaving behind the bad feelings and walking to the entrance of the manor. She signaled to follow her. “Welcome to Lowell’s Orphanage. You should call me Miss Elincia while the kids are around.”
I followed her.
The reception room was a spacious area with faded white walls and a tall ceiling, adorned solely with an old couch and a couple of worn out chairs. Square areas of less weathered white paint on the walls showed the places where old paintings had hung long ago. On the opposing wall, a great window overlooked the inner courtyard. I caught a glimpse of a small farm plot, a well, and a small groove.
The whole manor seemed to have seen better days but it felt cozy and welcoming.
“This is our home. And these orphaned children are my family.” Elincia said with a mix of pride and embarrassment. She opened her arms in a gesture that encompassed the entire room.
We left the receiving room behind and Elincia led me to the west wing of the manor into a corridor filled with sunlight. To the right there was the backyard and to the left a row of closed doors. Behind the only open door there was a classroom with rows of small worn-out desks lined up facing a worn-out chalkboard. Over each desk there was an old small wax tablet with their respective styluses.
“That is our schoolroom. It ain’t much but it’s quite handy during cold and rainy days. I try to teach the kids to read and write before they leave the orphanage.” Elincia said as she caught me looking inside.
My brain connected the dots and a sense of sadness got a sudden hold on me.
The Kingdom was at war and those who served as fodder were the least fortunate ones. I wondered how many of Elincia’s orphans ended up in the king’s army fighting in the Farlands to never come back home. But my sadness wasn’t solely aimed at the orphans, Elincia was rowing against a storm in a ship that was sailing to nowhere.
“It looks cozy.” I said.
We turned at the corner and found the harpy girl with the white pillowcase dress slowly walking down the corridor. The wooden floor clacked as she tried to catch up with the rest of the orphans but her talons were too big for her small body, making her steps slow and clumsy. She was more than ten meters behind but seemed unfazed by the matter.
The diminutive harpy saw us walking in her direction and stopped. It was my first time seeing a harpy. Her face was human but a pair of wings covered by golden feathers protruded from her pillowcase dress. She waited patiently for us, blocking the path.
“I haven’t peed myself in five days.” The harpy girl proudly declared, putting her hands on her hips and adopting a defiant pose I had seen in Elincia before.
“Shu, you don’t just…” Elincia looked at me, horrified, and I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
I squatted to Shu’s height and smiled. “You were so brave! I’m sure Miss Rosebud is happy to hear that.”
The harpy girl chuckled.
“You used the forbidden word. You are going to get scolded by Miss Elincia.” Shu hid her face beneath a wing. Before I could say anything else, Elincia grabbed her by the armpits and lifted her, interrupting our conversation.
Was ‘Rosebud’ a forbidden word?
“I’m going to prepare something to eat for the kids, you can wait in the classroom. I’m going to send Zaon over with a water basin.” Elincia said before Shu could add any extra outrageous comment.
Elincia and Shu followed the rest of the orphans and I came back to the classroom. Once alone, I punched the wall with full force, provoking a throbbing pain in my hand. My sadness had turned into anger. Holst was lucky to be away from Farcrest, otherwise I would be tempted to use one of my two remaining shells on him. I didn’t have a drop of sympathy for people who abandoned children.
I entertained myself with macabre fantasies until the left door opened again and Zaon entered the room carrying a large water basin.
“Miss Elincia says you can use her study to wash up. Then you can throw the water to the plants under the window.” Zaon said as he walked back to the corridor.
I followed him until we reached a closed door just by the corner of the corridor.
“This is the living quarters. The small kids sleep in the common room. We, the older ones, have our own rooms.” Zaon explained pointing with the head at the doors further down the living quarters. “This is Miss Elincia’s study.”
As I stepped into Elincia’s study, a floral smell filled my nostrils. The air was thick, as if I had walked into a greenhouse and I couldn’t help but take a deep breath, enjoying the fragrance.
The room was immaculately tiddy. A large bookshelf covered one of the walls and a wide writing desk was situated just under the window. A shabby bed was tucked in a corner with a knitted quilt neatly folded at the foot. On the night table there was a flower vase and a small diary.
[Awareness]: You have entered the forbidden dungeon: Elincia’s Bedroom.
The prompt made me stop dead in my tracks but no hidden traps were triggered by my presence.
The lack of knives and hunting trophies hanging from the walls made me think this belonged to the Governess and not the adventure junkie I had met in the woods. A sense of serenity emanated from the room and I understood that, for the orphans, this was a place of peace and safety.
Zaon put the water basin in the corner over a dresser and rummaged through the desk’s drawer. He pulled out a pearlescent soap bar, a threadbare towel, and a change of men's clothes from the chest at the foot of the bed. I wondered who the previous owner was.
“Thank you, Zaon.” I thanked the kid as I sat in a small stool by the water basin and washed my hands and forearms. I had a hundred questions to ask him but I didn’t want to entertain him, Elincia probably needed Zaon’s help to deal with the smaller kids.
Zaon nodded and looked at me with curiosity.
“Speak your mind.” I said, realizing I wasn’t going to get privacy until I answered some questions.
Zaon was startled for a moment but he quickly made up his mind.
“C-c-can I? Really? Who are you? Your accent is strange.” He inquired.
“I am Robert Clarke, a Scholar from a faraway land.” I introduced myself, wondering how much information I should disclose to the kids. Or how much information I could get from them. “I met Miss Rosebud in the Farlands and tagged along on the way back here.”
“Are you here to replace Mister Holst… sir?” Zaon got tangled up in his words, unable to figure out the right amount of deference required to address me. I smiled, trying to seem reassuring.
“This is my first time here in Farcrest so I have to meet the Marquis first. I don’t even know if I could stay.” I replied, deciding to tell Zaon the truth. “Miss Rosebud told me about the Imperial Library, so I’m tempted to go to the capital to cultivate my class.”
The kid nodded in awe. For someone from a backwater town like Farcrest, the imperial capital must be a place of wonder and mystery.
“Miss Elincia doesn’t like to be called that.” Zaon pointed out.
“Rosebud?”
“Yes.”
“I think it's a charming name.” I shrugged my shoulders thinking it was too much of a cute name for someone as tough as Elincia.
I waited for a moment, expecting a sassy System prompt to slap me on the face but none appeared. Good. The last thing I needed was more titles about my politically incorrect thoughts. Zaon looked around, as if there were spies somewhere between the walls, before continuing talking.
“I think that too, sir. A truly charming elven name.” Zaon muttered full of pride but suddenly he seemed to realize he had overextended his stay. “I’m not taking more of your time, sir.” He politely added as he left the room at a quick pace.
Finding the key inside the hole, I locked the door before taking my shirt off, and started scrubbing my body. The soap was the size of a small stack of coins and it didn’t produce much foam but it was more than enough after all those days trekking through the Farlands. It felt good to be clean once again. My old shirt was ruined after my adventure in the forest so the new one felt nice even if it was a bit oversized and the fabric coarser.
When I was finished, I opened the window and discarded the dirty water on the clump of bushes and flowers that adorned the mansion’s exterior. Then I unlocked the door and returned to the classroom feeling like a new man.
As I was sitting in the classroom, I saw a group of kids spying on me from the corridor’s windows. I acted like I hadn't seen them. Instead, I let them quench their curiosity while I mindlessly drew doodles on a wax tablet. Zaon probably already informed the rest of the orphans about my identity.
“Here you are.” Elincia said with a tired voice as she stood on the doorway. She carried a tray with a wooden bowl filled with steamy soup. “Scared of being alone in a girl’s bedroom?”
I was about to make a snarky remark when I remembered the kids spying on us. Elincia seemed to notice too because she quickly added. “Shall we discuss our deal in my study?”
I followed Elincia into her bedroom and she invited me to sit at the timeworn desk. Then, she handed me a bowl of soup and a piece of old bread. The soup had a few pieces of vegetables floating on the surface similar to carrots and potatoes. I did what any logical person would’ve done.
Elincia’s Vegetable Soup. [Identify] Edible. A watery, bland, and unseasoned soup made from various donated ingredients. It’s warm.
Luckily enough, Elincia didn’t realize I was using [Identify] on her soup. I put the spoon in my mouth. The flavor was indeed watery and bland but it was the first warm food I had since I arrived in this world, and it felt great. As I dipped the bread into the soup, Elincia untied her padded jacket, revealing a white blouse and a washed out light blue bodice that adhered to her figure.
I wasn’t completely ready for some Renaissance Fair action but I managed to keep my eyes glued to the bowl of soup. Elincia stretched her back and rotated her shoulders with feline grace before settling on the chair.
“You look good disguised as a governess, I almost bought it.” I said, fighting to keep my eyes away from Elincia’s delicate yet strong shoulders. If I didn’t know better, I would swear Elincia had a twin sister that looked after the orphanage while she explored the Farlands.
Elincia looked around as if there were spies in the walls before replying.
“Fuck off, Robert Clarke.” The woman whispered, rolling her eyes. “And thank you for helping me with the kids. You navigated the situation pretty well.” She added in an almost shy tone.
“Didn’t I say I was a teaching focused Scholar?” I replied with a smug voice.
“Yeah, I remember hearing an excuse like that for your lack of level.” Elincia grinned. “Now, show me the goods, I have a sick kid waiting for a potion.”
I brought my backpack I had left forgotten in the corner and started lining the bundles of herbs and roots over Elincia’s working desk.
“When you told me you had a sick kid I thought you meant your son or daughter.” I pointed out.
“Yeah, no. I already have enough kids around.” Elincia laughed as her eyes greedily pried over my alchemical loot.
I wondered if one of her skills allowed her to measure the herb’s magic concentration. Something like [Identify] but for Alchemists.
“Not to mention I’d need a man for that. A good one for that matter.” Elincia added.
“You don't have an army of volunteers lining up at the orphanage’s doors?” I jokingly asked. With her looks, she could have a fan club following her everywhere back on Earth.
Suddenly, Elincia forgot about the ingredients and locked her eyes with mine.
“Oh? Mister Scholar is interested in my relationship status now?” She gave me the biggest shit-eating grin I had seen in my life. And that was a lot to say considering Elincia’s mischievous personality.
“Dream on.” I quickly replied. Elincia’s big mouth made it difficult to feel bad for her.
You have obtained Denial Lv.3. Temporary.
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2023.06.03 00:00 FappidyDat [H] TF2 Keys & PayPal [W] Humble Bundle Games (Also Games From Past Bundles)
Notes:
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I pay with the following:
TF2 & PayPal
| I BUY HB Games | with TF2 | with PayPal | Currently Active Humble Bundle? |
|---|---|---|---|
| - Ratz Instagib - | 0.9 TF2 | $1.72 PP | - |
| 20XX | 0.4 TF2 | $0.88 PP | - |
| 5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel | 2.6 TF2 | $5.19 PP | - |
| 60 Parsecs! | 0.8 TF2 | $1.5 PP | - |
| 7 Billion Humans | 1.5 TF2 | $2.91 PP | - |
| 7 Days to Die | 1.1 TF2 | $2.16 PP | - |
| A Game of Thrones: The Board Game - Digital Edition | 1.4 TF2 | $2.78 PP | - |
| A Hat in Time | 4.5 TF2 | $8.98 PP | - |
| A Juggler's Tale | 0.5 TF2 | $1.07 PP | - |
| A Plague Tale: Innocence | 1.9 TF2 | $3.81 PP | - |
| AMID EVIL | 0.6 TF2 | $1.18 PP | - |
| AO Tennis 2 | 0.7 TF2 | $1.3 PP | - |
| Absolver | 1.8 TF2 | $3.51 PP | - |
| Aeterna Noctis | 1.6 TF2 | $3.15 PP | - |
| Age of Empires Definitive Edition | 1.2 TF2 | $2.46 PP | - |
| Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition | 1.3 TF2 | $2.6 PP | - |
| Age of Wonders III Collection | 0.9 TF2 | $1.86 PP | - |
| Age of Wonders: Planetfall - Deluxe Edition | 0.4 TF2 | $0.88 PP | - |
| Age of Wonders: Planetfall | 0.8 TF2 | $1.6 PP | - |
| Airport CEO | 2.8 TF2 | $5.62 PP | - |
| Alan Wake Collector's Edition | 0.8 TF2 | $1.68 PP | - |
| Alien: Isolation | 1.8 TF2 | $3.52 PP | - |
| Aliens: Colonial Marines Collection | 1.2 TF2 | $2.45 PP | - |
| Aliens: Fireteam Elite | 1.0 TF2 | $1.99 PP | - |
| Amnesia: The Dark Descent | 1.1 TF2 | $2.25 PP | - |
| Among Us | 1.2 TF2 | $2.42 PP | - |
| Ancestors Legacy | 0.6 TF2 | $1.24 PP | - |
| Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey | 2.1 TF2 | $4.07 PP | - |
| Aragami | 0.5 TF2 | $0.9 PP | - |
| Arizona Sunshine | 2.1 TF2 | $4.21 PP | - |
| Arma 3 Apex Edition | 1.6 TF2 | $3.24 PP | - |
| Arma 3 Contact Edition | 2.4 TF2 | $4.84 PP | - |
| Arma 3 Jets | 0.9 TF2 | $1.77 PP | - |
| Arma 3 Marksmen | 0.9 TF2 | $1.74 PP | - |
| Arma 3 | 1.9 TF2 | $3.78 PP | - |
| Assetto Corsa Competizione | 2.9 TF2 | $5.83 PP | - |
| Assetto Corsa Ultimate Edition | 5.0 TF2 | $9.93 PP | - |
| BATTLETECH - Mercenary Collection | 2.4 TF2 | $4.79 PP | - |
| BIOMUTANT | 1.6 TF2 | $3.12 PP | - |
| BPM: BULLETS PER MINUTE | 0.9 TF2 | $1.75 PP | - |
| BROFORCE | 1.1 TF2 | $2.17 PP | - |
| Baba Is You | 1.5 TF2 | $3.01 PP | - |
| Back 4 Blood | 3.0 TF2 | $5.96 PP | - |
| Bad North: Jotunn Edition | 0.9 TF2 | $1.77 PP | - |
| Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition | 0.5 TF2 | $1.01 PP | - |
| Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition | 0.4 TF2 | $0.83 PP | - |
| Bang-On Balls: Chronicles | 2.6 TF2 | $5.14 PP | - |
| Banished | 2.2 TF2 | $4.34 PP | - |
| Barotrauma | 6.5 TF2 | $12.95 PP | - |
| Batman - The Telltale Series | 1.0 TF2 | $1.9 PP | - |
| Batman Arkham Collection | 1.2 TF2 | $2.44 PP | - |
| Batman: Arkham Knight | 0.4 TF2 | $0.85 PP | - |
| Batman: The Enemy Within - The Telltale Series | 1.1 TF2 | $2.18 PP | - |
| Batman™: Arkham Knight Premium Edition | 1.3 TF2 | $2.55 PP | - |
| Batman™: Arkham Origins Blackgate - Deluxe Edition | 0.4 TF2 | $0.85 PP | - |
| Batman™: Arkham Origins | 0.8 TF2 | $1.67 PP | - |
| Batman™: Arkham VR | 0.8 TF2 | $1.5 PP | - |
| Battle Chasers: Nightwar | 0.6 TF2 | $1.21 PP | - |
| Battlefleet Gothic: Armada II | 2.1 TF2 | $4.17 PP | - |
| Battlefleet Gothic: Armada | 0.9 TF2 | $1.72 PP | - |
| Battlezone Gold Edition | 2.2 TF2 | $4.3 PP | - |
| Bendy and the Dark Revival | Humble Choice (May 2023) | ||
| Besiege | 1.5 TF2 | $2.92 PP | - |
| Beyond Blue | 2.5 TF2 | $4.94 PP | - |
| Beyond Two Souls | 1.9 TF2 | $3.83 PP | - |
| BioShock Infinite | 0.9 TF2 | $1.78 PP | - |
| BioShock Remastered | 0.9 TF2 | $1.78 PP | - |
| Bioshock Infinite: Season Pass | 0.7 TF2 | $1.34 PP | - |
| Blade of Darkness | 1.2 TF2 | $2.47 PP | - |
| Blair Witch | 1.2 TF2 | $2.3 PP | - |
| Blasphemous | Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle | ||
| Blood Bowl 2 - Legendary Edition | 0.7 TF2 | $1.48 PP | - |
| Blood: Fresh Supply | 0.4 TF2 | $0.78 PP | - |
| Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle | ||
| Boomerang Fu | 0.6 TF2 | $1.2 PP | - |
| Borderlands 2 VR | 5.5 TF2 | $10.93 PP | - |
| Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe Edition | May Multiplayer Bundle | ||
| Borderlands 3 | 1.6 TF2 | $3.23 PP | - |
| Borderlands 3: Director's Cut | 1.3 TF2 | $2.51 PP | - |
| Borderlands: The Handsome Collection | 3.4 TF2 | $6.76 PP | - |
| Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel | 0.6 TF2 | $1.18 PP | - |
| Brutal Legend | 0.8 TF2 | $1.51 PP | - |
| Bus Simulator 18 | 2.1 TF2 | $4.18 PP | - |
| CHUCHEL Cherry Edition | 0.5 TF2 | $0.97 PP | - |
| Call of Cthulhu | 1.1 TF2 | $2.25 PP | - |
| Call of Juarez: Gunslinger | 0.5 TF2 | $0.96 PP | - |
| Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront | 9.3 TF2 | $18.38 PP | - |
| Car Mechanic Simulator 2018 | 0.7 TF2 | $1.36 PP | - |
| Carcassonne - Tiles & Tactics | 0.6 TF2 | $1.22 PP | - |
| Celeste | 1.8 TF2 | $3.6 PP | - |
| Chess Ultra | 0.6 TF2 | $1.25 PP | - |
| Children of Morta | 0.7 TF2 | $1.43 PP | - |
| Chivalry 2 | 3.8 TF2 | $7.45 PP | - |
| Chivalry: Medieval Warfare | 0.7 TF2 | $1.37 PP | - |
| Cities: Skylines Deluxe Edition | 1.6 TF2 | $3.18 PP | - |
| Cities: Skylines | 1.4 TF2 | $2.73 PP | - |
| Clone Drone in the Danger Zone | 4.2 TF2 | $8.32 PP | - |
| Cloudpunk | 1.0 TF2 | $2.02 PP | - |
| Code Vein | 1.7 TF2 | $3.3 PP | - |
| Coffee Talk | 2.5 TF2 | $4.98 PP | - |
| Company of Heroes 2 - The Western Front Armies | 1.0 TF2 | $1.94 PP | - |
| Company of Heroes 2 | 0.5 TF2 | $1.0 PP | - |
| Company of Heroes | 1.9 TF2 | $3.79 PP | - |
| Conan Exiles | 1.6 TF2 | $3.26 PP | - |
| Construction Simulator 2015 | 1.3 TF2 | $2.48 PP | - |
| Contagion | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Control Ultimate Edition | 2.0 TF2 | $3.93 PP | - |
| Crash Bandicoot™ N. Sane Trilogy | 9.6 TF2 | $19.06 PP | - |
| Creed: Rise to Glory™ | 2.3 TF2 | $4.47 PP | - |
| Crusader Kings II: Imperial Collection | 10.0 TF2 | $19.73 PP | - |
| Crusader Kings III | 5.9 TF2 | $11.73 PP | - |
| CryoFall | 0.5 TF2 | $0.92 PP | - |
| Cultist Simulator Anthology Edition | 1.4 TF2 | $2.79 PP | - |
| Cultist Simulator | 0.6 TF2 | $1.22 PP | - |
| DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT | 2.6 TF2 | $5.21 PP | - |
| DEATHLOOP | 2.8 TF2 | $5.47 PP | - |
| DIRT 5 | 4.3 TF2 | $8.44 PP | - |
| DMC - Devil May Cry | 1.0 TF2 | $1.93 PP | - |
| DRAGON BALL FIGHTERZ - Ultimate Edition | 10.0 TF2 | $19.74 PP | - |
| DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2 | 1.9 TF2 | $3.81 PP | - |
| DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE | 0.6 TF2 | $1.18 PP | - |
| DRAGONBALL XENOVERSE Bundle Edition | 1.1 TF2 | $2.16 PP | - |
| DRIFT21 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.12 PP | - |
| Dark Deity | 0.4 TF2 | $0.85 PP | - |
| Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin | 8.7 TF2 | $17.31 PP | - |
| Dark Souls III | 12.6 TF2 | $24.91 PP | - |
| Darkest Dungeon | 0.7 TF2 | $1.37 PP | - |
| Darksiders Genesis | 1.3 TF2 | $2.67 PP | - |
| Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition | 1.1 TF2 | $2.17 PP | - |
| Darksiders III | 0.6 TF2 | $1.26 PP | - |
| Darkwood | 0.6 TF2 | $1.16 PP | - |
| Day of the Tentacle Remastered | 0.4 TF2 | $0.88 PP | - |
| DayZ | 7.6 TF2 | $15.03 PP | - |
| Daymare: 1998 | 0.4 TF2 | $0.79 PP | - |
| Dead Estate | 1.0 TF2 | $1.99 PP | - |
| Dead Island - Definitive Edition | 0.8 TF2 | $1.66 PP | - |
| Dead Island Definitive Collection | 1.7 TF2 | $3.3 PP | - |
| Dead Rising 2: Off the Record | 1.2 TF2 | $2.42 PP | - |
| Dead Rising 3 Apocalypse Edition | 1.9 TF2 | $3.7 PP | - |
| Dead Rising 4 Frank’s Big Package | 2.5 TF2 | $4.96 PP | - |
| Dead Rising 4 | 0.9 TF2 | $1.73 PP | - |
| Dead Rising | 1.0 TF2 | $1.96 PP | - |
| Death Road to Canada | 2.4 TF2 | $4.84 PP | - |
| Death's Gambit | 0.6 TF2 | $1.15 PP | - |
| Deep Rock Galactic | 3.3 TF2 | $6.63 PP | - |
| Descenders | 0.6 TF2 | $1.15 PP | - |
| Desperados III | 1.0 TF2 | $1.93 PP | - |
| Destroy All Humans | 0.7 TF2 | $1.41 PP | - |
| Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut | 1.1 TF2 | $2.25 PP | - |
| Deus Ex: Mankind Divided | 1.1 TF2 | $2.16 PP | - |
| Devil May Cry HD Collection | 1.8 TF2 | $3.5 PP | - |
| Devil May Cry® 4 Special Edition | 1.6 TF2 | $3.13 PP | - |
| DiRT Rally 2.0 | 5.1 TF2 | $10.11 PP | - |
| Dinosaur Fossil Hunter | 0.5 TF2 | $0.9 PP | - |
| Distant Worlds: Universe | 0.7 TF2 | $1.29 PP | - |
| Doom Eternal | 2.5 TF2 | $4.94 PP | - |
| Door Kickers | 1.9 TF2 | $3.84 PP | - |
| Dorfromantik | 2.0 TF2 | $3.93 PP | - |
| Dragons Dogma - Dark Arisen | 0.8 TF2 | $1.57 PP | - |
| Drake Hollow | 0.5 TF2 | $0.91 PP | - |
| Drone Swarm | 0.4 TF2 | $0.81 PP | - |
| Dungeon Defenders | 2.8 TF2 | $5.47 PP | - |
| Dungeon Defenders: Awakened | 2.8 TF2 | $5.59 PP | - |
| Dungreed | 0.9 TF2 | $1.81 PP | - |
| Dusk | 2.0 TF2 | $3.91 PP | - |
| EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair | 2.2 TF2 | $4.28 PP | - |
| ELEX | 1.1 TF2 | $2.18 PP | - |
| EVERSPACE™ | 1.6 TF2 | $3.16 PP | - |
| Elite: Dangerous | 1.3 TF2 | $2.67 PP | - |
| Empire of Sin | 1.3 TF2 | $2.55 PP | - |
| Endzone - A World Apart | 0.5 TF2 | $1.04 PP | - |
| Euro Truck Simulator 2 | 1.1 TF2 | $2.19 PP | - |
| Exanima | 2.6 TF2 | $5.24 PP | - |
| FTL: Faster Than Light | 1.0 TF2 | $1.92 PP | - |
| Fable Anniversary | 3.7 TF2 | $7.32 PP | - |
| Fallout 76 | 2.1 TF2 | $4.22 PP | - |
| Fantasy General II | 0.6 TF2 | $1.25 PP | - |
| Farming Simulator 17 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.13 PP | - |
| Firefighting Simulator - The Squad | 3.8 TF2 | $7.47 PP | - |
| First Class Trouble | 0.6 TF2 | $1.12 PP | - |
| For The King | 1.0 TF2 | $1.92 PP | - |
| Forager | 1.3 TF2 | $2.6 PP | - |
| Forts | 2.3 TF2 | $4.52 PP | - |
| Friday the 13th: The Game | 3.0 TF2 | $5.86 PP | - |
| Frostpunk | 1.0 TF2 | $2.07 PP | - |
| Full Metal Furies | 0.6 TF2 | $1.15 PP | - |
| Furi | 0.8 TF2 | $1.62 PP | - |
| GRID - Ultimate | 2.0 TF2 | $3.97 PP | - |
| GRID | 0.9 TF2 | $1.81 PP | - |
| GRIS | 0.5 TF2 | $0.92 PP | - |
| Gang Beasts | 3.0 TF2 | $5.89 PP | - |
| Garden Paws | 1.0 TF2 | $2.05 PP | - |
| Gas Station Simulator | 1.9 TF2 | $3.68 PP | - |
| Gears 5 | 11.7 TF2 | $23.1 PP | - |
| Gears Tactics | 4.5 TF2 | $8.93 PP | - |
| Generation Zero® | May Multiplayer Bundle | ||
| Goat Simulator | 0.4 TF2 | $0.88 PP | - |
| Godlike Burger | 1.1 TF2 | $2.1 PP | - |
| Golf With Your Friends | 0.9 TF2 | $1.69 PP | - |
| Gordian Quest | 1.8 TF2 | $3.58 PP | - |
| Gotham Knights | 5.5 TF2 | $10.83 PP | - |
| GreedFall | 0.8 TF2 | $1.54 PP | - |
| Grim Dawn | 5.2 TF2 | $10.28 PP | - |
| Grim Fandango Remastered | 0.6 TF2 | $1.09 PP | - |
| Guacamelee! 2 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.19 PP | - |
| HITMAN™2 Gold Edition | 3.1 TF2 | $6.16 PP | - |
| HIVESWAP: Act 2 | 2.1 TF2 | $4.18 PP | - |
| HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED™ | 1.8 TF2 | $3.66 PP | - |
| HROT | 1.9 TF2 | $3.7 PP | - |
| Haiku, the Robot | Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle | ||
| Hard Bullet | 1.2 TF2 | $2.38 PP | - |
| Hearts of Iron IV: Battle for the Bosporus | 1.8 TF2 | $3.53 PP | - |
| Hearts of Iron IV: Cadet Edition | 2.7 TF2 | $5.3 PP | - |
| Hearts of Iron IV: Death or Dishonor | 0.9 TF2 | $1.74 PP | - |
| Hearts of Iron IV: Waking the Tiger | 1.9 TF2 | $3.68 PP | - |
| Heave Ho | 0.6 TF2 | $1.1 PP | - |
| Heavy Rain | 2.1 TF2 | $4.15 PP | - |
| Hell Let Loose | 5.2 TF2 | $10.32 PP | - |
| Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice | 1.1 TF2 | $2.26 PP | - |
| Hello, Neighbor! | 0.5 TF2 | $0.91 PP | - |
| Hellpoint | 0.4 TF2 | $0.75 PP | - |
| Hero's Hour | 0.5 TF2 | $0.92 PP | - |
| Heroes of Hammerwatch | 0.6 TF2 | $1.13 PP | - |
| Hitman Absolution | 0.4 TF2 | $0.79 PP | - |
| Hitman Game of the Year Edition | 1.3 TF2 | $2.61 PP | - |
| Hollow Knight | Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle | ||
| Homefront: The Revolution | 0.8 TF2 | $1.68 PP | - |
| Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak | 0.4 TF2 | $0.77 PP | - |
| Horizon Chase Turbo | 0.4 TF2 | $0.72 PP | - |
| Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Digital Special Edition | 0.7 TF2 | $1.46 PP | - |
| Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number | 0.6 TF2 | $1.15 PP | - |
| Hotline Miami | 0.8 TF2 | $1.56 PP | - |
| House Flipper VR | 0.9 TF2 | $1.73 PP | - |
| House Flipper | 2.8 TF2 | $5.5 PP | - |
| Human: Fall Flat | 0.9 TF2 | $1.88 PP | - |
| HuniePop | 0.4 TF2 | $0.89 PP | - |
| Huntdown | 1.3 TF2 | $2.6 PP | - |
| Hurtworld | 2.1 TF2 | $4.07 PP | - |
| Hyper Light Drifter | 1.6 TF2 | $3.11 PP | - |
| Hypnospace Outlaw | 0.8 TF2 | $1.55 PP | - |
| I Expect You To Die | 1.4 TF2 | $2.68 PP | - |
| I-NFECTED | 6.3 TF2 | $12.5 PP | - |
| INSURGENCY | 1.6 TF2 | $3.16 PP | - |
| Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition | 0.4 TF2 | $0.73 PP | - |
| Imperator: Rome Deluxe Edition | 1.1 TF2 | $2.09 PP | - |
| Imperator: Rome | 0.8 TF2 | $1.6 PP | - |
| Injustice 2 Legendary Edition | 0.9 TF2 | $1.76 PP | - |
| Injustice 2 | 0.7 TF2 | $1.46 PP | - |
| Injustice: Gods Among Us - Ultimate Edition | 0.7 TF2 | $1.32 PP | - |
| Into the Breach | 1.5 TF2 | $2.93 PP | - |
| Into the Radius VR | 2.9 TF2 | $5.84 PP | - |
| Ion Fury | 1.6 TF2 | $3.12 PP | - |
| Iron Harvest | 1.4 TF2 | $2.74 PP | - |
| Jalopy | 0.9 TF2 | $1.87 PP | - |
| Job Simulator | 6.6 TF2 | $13.01 PP | - |
| Jurassic World Evolution 2 | 2.4 TF2 | $4.81 PP | - |
| Jurassic World Evolution | 0.7 TF2 | $1.43 PP | - |
| Just Cause 2 | 0.5 TF2 | $1.06 PP | - |
| Just Cause 3 XXL Edition | 1.3 TF2 | $2.63 PP | - |
| Just Cause 4: Complete Edition | 2.0 TF2 | $3.97 PP | - |
| KartKraft | 3.2 TF2 | $6.3 PP | - |
| Katamari Damacy REROLL | 1.1 TF2 | $2.24 PP | - |
| Katana ZERO | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes | 2.7 TF2 | $5.42 PP | - |
| Kerbal Space Program | 0.8 TF2 | $1.6 PP | - |
| Killer Instinct | 8.8 TF2 | $17.49 PP | - |
| Killing Floor 2 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.2 PP | - |
| Killing Floor | 0.9 TF2 | $1.69 PP | - |
| Kingdom Come: Deliverance | 1.5 TF2 | $2.93 PP | - |
| Kingdom: Two Crowns | 1.0 TF2 | $1.95 PP | - |
| LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Premium Edition | 0.5 TF2 | $0.9 PP | - |
| LEGO Batman Trilogy | 1.6 TF2 | $3.07 PP | - |
| LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 | 0.4 TF2 | $0.79 PP | - |
| LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| LEGO Lord of the Rings | 0.4 TF2 | $0.83 PP | - |
| LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars | 0.5 TF2 | $1.05 PP | - |
| LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga | 0.6 TF2 | $1.13 PP | - |
| LEGO® City Undercover | 0.7 TF2 | $1.34 PP | - |
| LEGO® DC Super-Villains Deluxe Edition | 1.7 TF2 | $3.28 PP | - |
| LEGO® DC Super-Villains | 0.4 TF2 | $0.78 PP | - |
| LEGO® Jurassic World™ | 0.4 TF2 | $0.71 PP | - |
| LEGO® MARVEL's Avengers | 0.4 TF2 | $0.78 PP | - |
| LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2 Deluxe Edition | 0.9 TF2 | $1.83 PP | - |
| LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2 | 0.7 TF2 | $1.34 PP | - |
| LEGO® Star Wars™: The Force Awakens - Deluxe Edition | 1.1 TF2 | $2.25 PP | - |
| LEGO® Star Wars™: The Force Awakens | 0.6 TF2 | $1.15 PP | - |
| LEGO® Worlds | 1.1 TF2 | $2.12 PP | - |
| LIMBO | 0.4 TF2 | $0.71 PP | - |
| Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective | 0.7 TF2 | $1.47 PP | - |
| Labyrinthine | 1.9 TF2 | $3.76 PP | - |
| Lake | 0.8 TF2 | $1.51 PP | - |
| Last Oasis | 1.6 TF2 | $3.11 PP | - |
| Layers of Fear 2 | 6.3 TF2 | $12.52 PP | - |
| Layers of Fear | 0.6 TF2 | $1.12 PP | - |
| Legion TD 2 | 1.7 TF2 | $3.33 PP | - |
| Len's Island | 4.2 TF2 | $8.26 PP | - |
| Lethal League Blaze | 1.5 TF2 | $3.06 PP | - |
| Lethal League | 0.8 TF2 | $1.58 PP | - |
| Library Of Ruina | 3.2 TF2 | $6.42 PP | - |
| Life is Feudal: Your Own | 0.7 TF2 | $1.39 PP | - |
| Life is Strange 2 Complete Season | 0.7 TF2 | $1.33 PP | - |
| Life is Strange Complete Season (Episodes 1-5) | 4.5 TF2 | $8.95 PP | - |
| Little Misfortune | 2.3 TF2 | $4.47 PP | - |
| Little Nightmares Complete Edition | 1.6 TF2 | $3.22 PP | - |
| Little Nightmares | 1.0 TF2 | $2.06 PP | - |
| Lobotomy Corporation Monster Management Simulation | 5.0 TF2 | $9.99 PP | - |
| Loot River | 3.3 TF2 | $6.47 PP | - |
| Lost Ember | 1.4 TF2 | $2.76 PP | - |
| Luck be a Landlord | Luck of the Draw: Roguelike Deckbuilders Bundle | ||
| METAL GEAR SOLID V: The Definitive Experience | 1.5 TF2 | $2.89 PP | - |
| MONSTER HUNTER RISE | 4.1 TF2 | $8.09 PP | - |
| MORTAL KOMBAT 11 | 1.8 TF2 | $3.53 PP | - |
| MX vs ATV Reflex | 0.4 TF2 | $0.71 PP | - |
| Mad Max | 1.2 TF2 | $2.32 PP | - |
| Mafia II: Definitive Edition | 3.6 TF2 | $7.11 PP | - |
| Mafia III: Definitive Edition | 2.1 TF2 | $4.21 PP | - |
| Mafia: Definitive Edition | 2.2 TF2 | $4.36 PP | - |
| Magicka 2 - Deluxe Edition | 0.9 TF2 | $1.69 PP | - |
| Magicka 2 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.18 PP | - |
| Maneater | 0.8 TF2 | $1.63 PP | - |
| Manhunt | 1.1 TF2 | $2.18 PP | - |
| Mars Horizon | 0.8 TF2 | $1.53 PP | - |
| Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition | 7.8 TF2 | $15.36 PP | - |
| Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne | 0.6 TF2 | $1.22 PP | - |
| Max Payne | 1.0 TF2 | $2.06 PP | - |
| MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries | 2.5 TF2 | $5.02 PP | - |
| Medal of Honor | 2.1 TF2 | $4.24 PP | - |
| Mega Man Legacy Collection | 0.5 TF2 | $0.9 PP | - |
| Men of War: Assault Squad 2 - Deluxe Edition | 0.9 TF2 | $1.69 PP | - |
| Men of War: Assault Squad 2 War Chest Edition | 0.8 TF2 | $1.6 PP | - |
| Men of War: Assault Squad 2 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.6 PP | - |
| Metro 2033 Redux | 0.5 TF2 | $1.05 PP | - |
| Metro Exodus | 1.4 TF2 | $2.79 PP | - |
| Metro Redux Bundle | 1.1 TF2 | $2.17 PP | - |
| Metro: Last Light Redux | 1.1 TF2 | $2.26 PP | - |
| Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition | 0.9 TF2 | $1.71 PP | - |
| Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ | 0.9 TF2 | $1.8 PP | - |
| Middleearth Shadow of War Definitive Edition | 1.2 TF2 | $2.37 PP | - |
| Midnight Ghost Hunt | May Multiplayer Bundle | ||
| Mini Ninjas | 0.5 TF2 | $1.05 PP | - |
| Mirror's Edge | 2.2 TF2 | $4.36 PP | - |
| Miscreated | 1.4 TF2 | $2.87 PP | - |
| Monster Hunter: World | 3.5 TF2 | $6.89 PP | - |
| Monster Sanctuary | 0.6 TF2 | $1.26 PP | - |
| Monster Train | 0.5 TF2 | $0.92 PP | - |
| Moonlighter | 0.4 TF2 | $0.85 PP | - |
| Moons of Madness | 1.8 TF2 | $3.48 PP | - |
| Mordhau | 1.7 TF2 | $3.32 PP | - |
| Mortal Shell | 1.4 TF2 | $2.77 PP | - |
| Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator 2021 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.58 PP | - |
| Motorsport Manager | 1.3 TF2 | $2.55 PP | - |
| Move or Die | 0.7 TF2 | $1.46 PP | - |
| Moving Out | 1.4 TF2 | $2.82 PP | - |
| Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden - Deluxe Edition | 1.5 TF2 | $3.01 PP | - |
| My Friend Pedro | 1.0 TF2 | $1.91 PP | - |
| My Time At Portia | 0.7 TF2 | $1.43 PP | - |
| NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM 4 Road to Boruto | 2.6 TF2 | $5.23 PP | - |
| NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM Revolution | 0.8 TF2 | $1.5 PP | - |
| NASCAR Heat 5 - Ultimate Edition | 0.6 TF2 | $1.1 PP | - |
| NBA 2K13 | 4.8 TF2 | $9.52 PP | - |
| Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 | 1.6 TF2 | $3.14 PP | - |
| Naruto to Boruto Shinobi Striker - Deluxe Edition | 1.6 TF2 | $3.13 PP | - |
| Naruto to Boruto Shinobi Striker | 0.4 TF2 | $0.83 PP | - |
| Necromunda: Hired Gun | 0.7 TF2 | $1.45 PP | - |
| Neon Abyss | 0.5 TF2 | $1.01 PP | - |
| Neverwinter Nights: Complete Adventures | 3.7 TF2 | $7.33 PP | - |
| Nine Parchments | 2.2 TF2 | $4.27 PP | - |
| No Time to Relax | 2.9 TF2 | $5.75 PP | - |
| Northgard | May Multiplayer Bundle | ||
| Not For Broadcast | 0.7 TF2 | $1.36 PP | - |
| ONE PIECE BURNING BLOOD GOLD EDITION | 2.0 TF2 | $3.91 PP | - |
| ONE PIECE BURNING BLOOD | 0.7 TF2 | $1.46 PP | - |
| ONE PIECE PIRATE WARRIORS 3 Gold Edition | 1.2 TF2 | $2.38 PP | - |
| Observer | 0.4 TF2 | $0.74 PP | - |
| Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty | 0.4 TF2 | $0.72 PP | - |
| One Step From Eden | 0.5 TF2 | $1.03 PP | - |
| Operation: Tango | Humble Choice (May 2023) | ||
| Opus Magnum | 1.1 TF2 | $2.13 PP | - |
| Orcs Must Die! 3 | 1.9 TF2 | $3.69 PP | - |
| Outlast 2 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.17 PP | - |
| Outlast | 0.5 TF2 | $1.06 PP | - |
| Outward | 1.5 TF2 | $2.94 PP | - |
| Overcooked | 1.0 TF2 | $2.02 PP | - |
| Overcooked! 2 | 1.3 TF2 | $2.59 PP | - |
| Overgrowth | 0.8 TF2 | $1.53 PP | - |
| Overlord II | 0.4 TF2 | $0.85 PP | - |
| Owlboy | 1.0 TF2 | $2.04 PP | - |
| PAYDAY 2 | 0.4 TF2 | $0.82 PP | - |
| PC Building Simulator | 0.7 TF2 | $1.32 PP | - |
| PGA TOUR 2K21 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.24 PP | - |
| Paint the Town Red | 2.4 TF2 | $4.73 PP | - |
| Parkitect | 5.5 TF2 | $10.98 PP | - |
| Party Hard 2 | 0.4 TF2 | $0.71 PP | - |
| Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Enhanced Plus Edition | 0.6 TF2 | $1.25 PP | - |
| Pathologic 2 | 0.5 TF2 | $1.04 PP | - |
| Pathologic Classic HD | 0.4 TF2 | $0.85 PP | - |
| Per Aspera | 0.7 TF2 | $1.39 PP | - |
| Phantom Doctrine | 0.4 TF2 | $0.85 PP | - |
| Pillars of Eternity Definitive Edition | 1.3 TF2 | $2.66 PP | - |
| Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire | 1.0 TF2 | $2.07 PP | - |
| Pistol Whip | 6.2 TF2 | $12.33 PP | - |
| Plague Inc: Evolved | 1.6 TF2 | $3.23 PP | - |
| Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition | 0.4 TF2 | $0.78 PP | - |
| Planet Coaster | 1.8 TF2 | $3.55 PP | - |
| Planet Zoo | 2.0 TF2 | $3.93 PP | - |
| Planetary Annihilation: TITANS | 6.0 TF2 | $11.91 PP | - |
| Portal Knights | 1.3 TF2 | $2.62 PP | - |
| Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid | 2.8 TF2 | $5.48 PP | - |
| PowerBeatsVR | 1.0 TF2 | $1.99 PP | - |
| PowerSlave Exhumed | 1.4 TF2 | $2.79 PP | - |
| Praey for the Gods | 0.6 TF2 | $1.16 PP | - |
| Prehistoric Kingdom | 1.5 TF2 | $2.93 PP | - |
| Prison Architect | 0.4 TF2 | $0.76 PP | - |
| Pro Cycling Manager 2019 | 1.3 TF2 | $2.61 PP | - |
| Project Hospital | 2.4 TF2 | $4.82 PP | - |
| Project Wingman | 2.6 TF2 | $5.21 PP | - |
| Project Winter | 1.1 TF2 | $2.17 PP | - |
| Propnight | 0.7 TF2 | $1.32 PP | - |
| Pumpkin Jack | 0.4 TF2 | $0.84 PP | - |
| Quantum Break | 2.0 TF2 | $4.0 PP | - |
| RESIDENT EVIL 3 | 2.3 TF2 | $4.49 PP | - |
| RUGBY 20 | 1.3 TF2 | $2.58 PP | - |
| RWBY: Grimm Eclipse | 3.3 TF2 | $6.62 PP | - |
| Ragnaröck | 3.5 TF2 | $6.93 PP | - |
| Rain World | Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle | ||
| Raw Data | 1.1 TF2 | $2.17 PP | - |
| Re:Legend | 1.1 TF2 | $2.13 PP | - |
| Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered | 0.5 TF2 | $0.95 PP | - |
| Red Matter | 4.5 TF2 | $8.95 PP | - |
| Resident Evil / biohazard HD REMASTER | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| Resident Evil 0 / biohazard 0 HD Remaster | 1.2 TF2 | $2.35 PP | - |
| Resident Evil 5 GOLD Edition | 1.8 TF2 | $3.53 PP | - |
| Resident Evil 5 | 1.1 TF2 | $2.16 PP | - |
| Resident Evil 6 | 1.4 TF2 | $2.81 PP | - |
| Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Deluxe Edition | 2.5 TF2 | $4.88 PP | - |
| Resident Evil: Revelations | 0.8 TF2 | $1.5 PP | - |
| Retro Machina | 0.5 TF2 | $1.02 PP | - |
| Risen 2: Dark Waters Gold Edition | 1.5 TF2 | $2.88 PP | - |
| Risen 3 - Complete Edition | 1.0 TF2 | $2.07 PP | - |
| Risen | 0.9 TF2 | $1.82 PP | - |
| Rising Storm 2: Vietnam | 0.7 TF2 | $1.34 PP | - |
| River City Girls | 1.4 TF2 | $2.87 PP | - |
| Roboquest | 0.5 TF2 | $1.06 PP | - |
| RollerCoaster Tycoon Deluxe | 1.1 TF2 | $2.09 PP | - |
| Rollercoaster Tycoon 2: Triple Thrill Pack | 1.7 TF2 | $3.28 PP | - |
| Rubber Bandits | 0.8 TF2 | $1.52 PP | - |
| Ryse: Son of Rome | 1.7 TF2 | $3.38 PP | - |
| SCP: Pandemic | 2.2 TF2 | $4.28 PP | - |
| SCUM | 3.0 TF2 | $5.96 PP | - |
| SOMA | 2.4 TF2 | $4.8 PP | - |
| SONG OF HORROR Complete Edition | 0.7 TF2 | $1.42 PP | - |
| STAR WARS® THE FORCE UNLEASHED II | 0.8 TF2 | $1.62 PP | - |
| STAR WARS™: Squadrons | 1.6 TF2 | $3.23 PP | - |
| SUPERHOT VR | 2.3 TF2 | $4.51 PP | - |
| SUPERHOT | 0.8 TF2 | $1.59 PP | - |
| SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE | 0.5 TF2 | $1.02 PP | - |
| Saint's Row The Third Remastered | 2.3 TF2 | $4.5 PP | - |
| Saints Row 2 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.16 PP | - |
| Saints Row IV Game of the Century Edition | 1.1 TF2 | $2.25 PP | - |
| Saints Row IV | 1.0 TF2 | $2.05 PP | - |
| Saints Row the Third - The Full Package | 1.0 TF2 | $1.93 PP | - |
| Saints Row: The Third | 0.6 TF2 | $1.27 PP | - |
| Salt and Sanctuary | 1.1 TF2 | $2.15 PP | - |
| Sanctum 2 | 0.5 TF2 | $1.06 PP | - |
| Satisfactory | 6.6 TF2 | $13.01 PP | - |
| Second Extinction | 2.1 TF2 | $4.11 PP | - |
| Secret Neighbor | 0.9 TF2 | $1.85 PP | - |
| Serious Sam 2 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.58 PP | - |
| Serious Sam 3: BFE | 1.0 TF2 | $1.99 PP | - |
| Serious Sam 4 | 4.0 TF2 | $7.94 PP | - |
| Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem | 2.3 TF2 | $4.51 PP | - |
| Shadow Man Remastered | 1.0 TF2 | $2.0 PP | - |
| Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun | 0.4 TF2 | $0.85 PP | - |
| Shadow Warrior 2 | 0.9 TF2 | $1.76 PP | - |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 3.2 TF2 | $6.37 PP | - |
| Shenmue 3 | 1.3 TF2 | $2.58 PP | - |
| Shenmue I & II | 1.3 TF2 | $2.58 PP | - |
| Shining Resonance Refrain | 0.5 TF2 | $0.96 PP | - |
| Sid Meier's Civilization VI : Platinum Edition | 3.0 TF2 | $6.03 PP | - |
| Sid Meier's Civilization VI | 0.7 TF2 | $1.47 PP | - |
| Sid Meier's Civilization® V: The Complete Edition | 1.9 TF2 | $3.76 PP | - |
| Sid Meiers Civilization IV: The Complete Edition | 0.8 TF2 | $1.6 PP | - |
| Siege of Centauri | 0.6 TF2 | $1.16 PP | - |
| SimCasino | 1.3 TF2 | $2.56 PP | - |
| SimplePlanes | 1.9 TF2 | $3.78 PP | - |
| Skullgirls 2nd Encore | 1.2 TF2 | $2.47 PP | - |
| Slap City | 1.1 TF2 | $2.25 PP | - |
| Slay the Spire | 3.6 TF2 | $7.17 PP | - |
| Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition | 1.0 TF2 | $1.93 PP | - |
| Slime Rancher | 1.7 TF2 | $3.32 PP | - |
| Sniper Elite 3 | 1.1 TF2 | $2.14 PP | - |
| Sniper Elite 4 | 1.3 TF2 | $2.53 PP | - |
| Sniper Elite V2 Remastered | 1.3 TF2 | $2.5 PP | - |
| Sniper Elite V2 | 1.0 TF2 | $2.05 PP | - |
| Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.58 PP | - |
| Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts | 0.9 TF2 | $1.88 PP | - |
| Sonic Adventure DX | 0.5 TF2 | $0.92 PP | - |
| Sonic Adventure 2 | 0.9 TF2 | $1.86 PP | - |
| Sonic Mania | 1.3 TF2 | $2.6 PP | - |
| Soul Calibur VI | 1.6 TF2 | $3.24 PP | - |
| Source of Madness | 0.6 TF2 | $1.13 PP | - |
| Space Engineers | 2.7 TF2 | $5.3 PP | - |
| Space Haven | 0.6 TF2 | $1.15 PP | - |
| Spec Ops: The Line | 0.9 TF2 | $1.81 PP | - |
| SpeedRunners | 0.5 TF2 | $1.04 PP | - |
| Spellcaster University | 0.5 TF2 | $0.9 PP | - |
| Spelunky | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| Spirit Of The Island | 1.3 TF2 | $2.59 PP | - |
| Spiritfarer | Humble Choice (May 2023) | ||
| SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated | 1.3 TF2 | $2.51 PP | - |
| Spyro™ Reignited Trilogy | 4.9 TF2 | $9.65 PP | - |
| Star Renegades | 3.0 TF2 | $5.94 PP | - |
| Star Trek: Bridge Crew | 4.4 TF2 | $8.62 PP | - |
| Star Wars Republic Commando™ | 0.4 TF2 | $0.71 PP | - |
| Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (Classic, 2005) | 1.4 TF2 | $2.7 PP | - |
| Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic | 0.4 TF2 | $0.85 PP | - |
| Star Wars® Empire at War™: Gold Pack | 1.2 TF2 | $2.39 PP | - |
| Starbound | 1.1 TF2 | $2.24 PP | - |
| Starpoint Gemini Warlords | 1.8 TF2 | $3.48 PP | - |
| State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition | 3.0 TF2 | $5.92 PP | - |
| Staxel | 0.6 TF2 | $1.15 PP | - |
| SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech | 0.9 TF2 | $1.83 PP | - |
| Steel Division: Normandy 44 | 1.5 TF2 | $2.91 PP | - |
| Stellaris Galaxy Edition | 1.8 TF2 | $3.56 PP | - |
| Stellaris: Lithoids Species Pack | 0.8 TF2 | $1.49 PP | - |
| Stick Fight: The Game | 0.6 TF2 | $1.1 PP | - |
| Strategic Command WWII: World at War | 2.2 TF2 | $4.26 PP | - |
| Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection | 1.5 TF2 | $2.94 PP | - |
| Streets of Rogue | 0.6 TF2 | $1.24 PP | - |
| Stronghold 2: Steam Edition | 2.0 TF2 | $4.0 PP | - |
| Stronghold Crusader 2 | 0.9 TF2 | $1.84 PP | - |
| Stronghold Crusader HD | 0.6 TF2 | $1.24 PP | - |
| Stronghold Legends: Steam Edition | 0.9 TF2 | $1.76 PP | - |
| Styx: Shards Of Darkness | 0.9 TF2 | $1.76 PP | - |
| Subnautica | 3.6 TF2 | $7.15 PP | - |
| Summer in Mara | 0.6 TF2 | $1.09 PP | - |
| Sunless Sea | 0.4 TF2 | $0.76 PP | - |
| Sunless Skies | 0.7 TF2 | $1.34 PP | - |
| Sunset Overdrive | 1.0 TF2 | $2.01 PP | - |
| Super Meat Boy | 0.5 TF2 | $1.08 PP | - |
| Superliminal | 1.9 TF2 | $3.84 PP | - |
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2023.06.02 23:59 CazOnReddit Alright, Let's Talk About the 3rd Pick & a Potential Siakam Trade With Portland
 | So have you heard that the Blazers are looking to shop around the 3rd pick and Anfernee Simons for a star forward? Yeah, let's finally get into this. submitted by CazOnReddit to torontoraptors [link] [comments] The Blazers lucked themselves into a rather unique position, both with the pick they got - having jumped from 5th to 3rd in the draft - and with the team who managed to get the 2nd pick being the Charlotte Hornets who are likely to draft forward Brandon Miller over G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson, with Scoot seemingly falling to 3. This would make Scoot the 2nd young guard the Blazers recently drafted and their 3rd under 25 guard to play next to Dame...if they weren't trying to shop the pick around. They have a perfect opportunity to finally do a rebuild...and yet, here we are with yet another rumor about the Blazers trying to build around Dame and get him the help they've left him without for...what, 8 seasons and counting? Like the Rockets who are alleged to be interested in moving the 4th pick, I don't think the Blazers really should be trying to do a two timelines, pseudo rebuild while contending around Lillard. I also don't think the package they can put together is as great as it's often hyped up to be. As we'll get into, a package around Anfernee and the 3rd pick plus a player or pick or two is quite decent in a vacuum but it certainly isn't good enough to get to get you that Top 10-15 player in the league who can singlehandedly win you a series - if not, a championship. It certainly isn't enough to outbid the likes of the Jazz or, more significantly, the Thunder who may opt for a splash in the offseason as their core develops into a young, hungry playoff team with some greater veteran presence around them. I'm just going to say it: If Portland really is saying "time's up" and putting together one last effort to compete against Dame, they need to do more than get Siakam, O.G., Karl-Anthony Towns or whichever star's name pops up in rumors leading up to the draft. Not to say those players won't improve the team, but none of them - and yes i'm including Siakam - are good enough to elevate a former lottery team like the Blazers over the past 2 seasons to a Top 3 seed, let alone guarantee a championship. A duo of Siakam and Dame, Dame and KAT, etc. can be part of one's core championship team but they need the right supporting pieces around them in order to win. To put it mildly, the Blazers...do not have that. Jusuf Nurkic has seen significant regression as a defender and the bench is one of the few to make the Raptors bench look like a bastion of basketball greatness. It shows on the floor and statistically, and it's a large reason why the Blazers have been one of the worst defensive teams in the league over the past, one of the worst when it comes to rebounding and in general being near the bottom of the Western Conference before they pulled the plug on their most recent season in an attempt to tank for a Top 4 pick. If the Blazers are actually going to commit to Dame, they need to engage in a paradigm shift this offseason. Rework the starting 5, the bench and go all-in getting Loyalty McLoyal the team he should have had around him for years instead of endlessly running it back with minor tweaks to who his #2 is. That means either getting your pick back from the Bulls and shopping the 4 firsts/3 swaps you can or removing the protections and dealing out the 3/3 you would have to improve the roster. Don't just get Siakam, KAT or whoever and set them up to fail with Damian because it's not fair to either player to put them in that situation. Go after Buddy Hield, see if Myles Turner or Clint Capela are going to be available, or if the Wolves are desperate enough to sign and trade Naz Reid to recoup some assets after the costly Gobert trade - if not, try signing him with the full MLE. And you don't stop there! However they plan to shake up the roster in this hypothetical scenario, they need to significantly improve the center position/rotation and their bench to give Dame an actual chance of winning a ring with what few years left they have in his prime. Also fire Chauncey Billups, he's a bottom 3 coach and the only reason I can't say he is not the worst is because I can't say the Raptors coach will be objectively worse/better without knowing who will head either team. He isn't 3rd, that's for sure. But anyway that's the Blazers prerogative. What exactly could the Raptors see in a potential pick that, presumably, revolves around Pascal Siakam? Since I can be a bit of a wordy writer, i'm going to add some TL;DR sections for each playepick discussed in this little piece for those that want a quick breakdown. Note: This is not a trade proposal; this is a compilation of the assets and players who could be included in a trade for Pascal Siakam. Additionally, this is not an endorsement of trading Pascal Siakam, etc. in a deal with the Portland Trailblazers. Anfernee Simons https://preview.redd.it/eon5unll7d3b1.png?width=640&format=png&auto=webp&s=2873b3d89092d0e0c221ee9817335918489f2e7e The main player who's been the subject of a contentious discussion between Blazers fans and Raptors fans. Whether you think he's overrated, underrated or somewhere inbetween, it is undeniable that Anfernee Simons would have to be included in the trade at minimum. I can't speak for the Blazers and I won't pretend to speak for all Raptors fans so let me just say this: I like Anfernee Simons. He's one of the more exciting players in the league under 25 even if he doesn't have the same ceiling as a guy like Zion or fellow player nicknamed "Ant" Anthony Edwards. A borderline All-Star guard with a combination of shooting prowess and explosiveness, he had a breakout season in 2021/22 when Dame went down due to an injury and thus became the Blazers lead point guard in his absence. He's a genuine 3-level scorer who can splash from outside, pressure the rim for a high-flying dunk and he's effective in the midrange too. If nothing else, it cannot be overstated how nice it would be for this team to have another player who's a reliable, 38.7% from 3 volume shooter on a roster so thoroughly lacking in outside shooting And before you say it, yes, Anfernee Simons is a point guard. This isn't a case like CJ where his skillset is that of a 2 who can do some playmaking but shouldn't run your offense, Simons does have some issues with dribbling the air out of the ball before making a pass, but he is a point guard. He isn't a typical point, operating more as a shoot-first point like Lillard, but he's still capable of cracking out a notable number of assists while getting buckets; he dished out 6 dimes a game with nearly 28 points in the games he's played without Dame as the lead point. All 11 of them last year. https://preview.redd.it/nwhosg3d8d3b1.png?width=1945&format=png&auto=webp&s=8d01cd6a71d032cf5e3bab941c00fc942148991c Yeah, you might have seen some posts or stats online of what Simons has done without Damian Lillard; in his breakout season of 2021/22, the Anferno was putting up a similar number of assists and cracked 20 points per game, albeit over a more significant sample size of 30 games. And in 2022/23, Anfernee Simons put up 27.9/2.9/5.7 (2.4 turnovers so an AST/TO of 2.38:1 which is solid) while shooting a staggering 41% from 3 on 11 3s. Those numbers are impressive in a vacuum; his true shooting of 62% is especially notable. However, they require some context and should be taken with an enormous grain of salt. For one, it's a very small sample size over a lengthy period of the season where teams haven't had to plan for Simons to be the main guard to focus their defense on. He's still the 2nd option so it's not like there's no film watching or the like, but if Anfernee Simons permanently becomes the lead point guard of a team, opposing teams will gameplan around him and his weaknesses more significantly than the very few times where he's asked to be the lead ballhandler in Dame's absence. His 2021/22 stats, while still a limited overall sample size, do suggest he'll be able to dish out a similar number of dimes as the lead guard (Dame had been ruled out due to injury during the season so teams did have to gameplan around the Ant for a large portion of the season instead of a handful of games scattered throughout the season) and he still has room to grow as a playmaker but once again, it was only a sample size of 30 games so it is hard to draw much out from the games he played. Speaking of drawing conclusions from said sample size: Yes the Blazers went 4-7 within that 11 game sample size - and bear in mind this sample included games where the Blazers were still trying to contend while facing a variety of teams i.e. not every team was a playoff or contender. That isn't great, however, Ant was generally not the main reason they lost since the 2022/23 Blazers as a whole were pretty terrible all year, even before they blatantly tanked. The same is also true of his breakout year when the Blazers lost Lillard due to injury, they just weren't a good team. If there is a point of contention around Simons that one can draw from his past 2 seasons, it's his defense which...it's bad. It's really bad. He's improved this season on that end to the point where i'd say he's a better defender than Dame - even if his overall defensive rating doesn't support this, the eye test does - but that's like saying Spencer Dinwiddie is a better defender than Trae Young. While Chauncey Billups hasn't been doing either one of Portland's guard any favors, it doesn't change the fact that being better than one of the worst defenders in the league is not an accomplishment to be proud of. All coaching issues aside, Simons is still a notable negative on that end of the floor. He has a propensity for losing his man via ball watching, he's not great at closing out on the perimeter and he's not a lane disruptor by any means. It's not impossible for him to improve as a defender - he's 6'3 with a 6'9 wingspan and much of his defensive weaknesses come from a lack of discipline - but as of right now when his shots aren't falling he's a major liability on the court and his flaws on defense were not well hidden when paired next to another notably poor defender in Dame. There are a couple of other habits that Simons needs to address - he could stand to be less trigger happy as a scorer and work more on his playmaking given all the promise he's shown in that area - but that's the main issue with Simons. He's a very skilled guard with a similar approach to the game as Dame on both ends of the floor. And we all know Dame isn't locking down the opposing team's point. Does Anfernee Simons seem like he'll become a guard on the level of Dame? No but that's a ridiculously high bar to hold him to, especially with the limited opportunities he had and will continue to have when he's behind Dame in the guard pecking order. Anfernee is a good player who often shows glimmers of true greatness on offense but whose defense (or lack thereof) is going to require very careful teambuilding to limit exploiting said defense in the playoffs. Perhaps he'll need to be the full-time point to fully achieve his potential as a playmaker but while he doesn't scream All-NBA caliber, he's someone you can easily see eking out a couple of All-Star nods at his peak and is, at worst, a staring-caliber guard. As for whether he can be the lead of a championship contender...we'll get to that when we talk about the pick he'd come with. TL;DR - Anfernee Simons is an intriguing young player with upside as an explosive, shoot-first PG but one whose poor defense does mean the team's starting lineup/bench has to be built around carefully to account for his current (and likely ongoing throughout his career) weaknesses. 3rd Pick https://preview.redd.it/96pocramhi3b1.png?width=1000&format=png&auto=webp&s=3ee450641a298a5b1dee0da9fce0c7f652c60665 It's whomever is left from Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller. Maybe you trade down to 4 for some more assets if you're a believer in Amen Thompson, maybe you take Amen if you think he's the best player available and the Rockets won't negotiate for Scoot/Miller but yeah, it's one of those three via the 3rd overall pick. Before we get into the players, I do want to briefly mention that I actually did a post a while ago on a different sub going over trades involving the 3rd pick and to put it bluntly: The 3rd pick has good value but it doesn't have as much value on its own and trades involving the 3rd pick for an All-Star or even All-NBA caliber player are very rare. The closest trade to what the Blazers would want in return was in 2000 where the Atlanta Hawks traded the 3rd overall pick to the Vancouver Grizzlies along with Brevin Knight and Lorenzen Wright for Shareef Abdur-Rahim and the 27th overall pick. That 3rd pick turned out to be future HoFer Pau Gasol but no one knew he'd become that at the time. As for what the Grizzlies gave up for the pick, Shareef Abdur-Rahim was not a perennial All-Star nor was he an All-NBA level player. He was a solid player that became an All-Star in his debut season for the Hawks...and that was his only All-Star appearance. With that in mind, it is a bit wild that it's so commonly suggested that Simons and the 3rd pick alone should be enough to acquire an All-NBA talent like Siakam, especially with how much inflation we've seen in trades for players of that caliber of late or even players who are a step below. Concerns about his contract expiring lowering his value are baffling, as if a team's front office wouldn't talk to him about an extension before making such a trade. Moreover, it's not like the Raptors need to deal him out when they can simply re-sign him in 2024. Now this year, when Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller could be up for grabs, the 3rd pick has a lot more value given how highly praised those players are, so let's put aside the debate on what is fair for Siakam for a moment and talk about the presumed 3rd overall pick, Scoot Henderson. The 2nd best player in a draft class containing the best prospect since LeBron James. He's projected to go 3rd because Charlotte is allegedly interested in taking Brandon Miller at 2nd but we'll touch on that later. For now, let's talk Scoot:
Losing Siakam would obviously hurt the team in the short term but as far as what Scoot brings, there is a lot of upside to him that would raise the ceiling of the team in the long run. His ability to get to the rim, combined with his athleticism would make him the perfect guard for a team that thrives in transition like the Raptors. He would also have chemistry with another player the Raptors have been rumored to be interested in/may take at 13 in Leonard Miller as they played on the same team but we'll talk about the 13th pick's potential prospects another time. For now, let's go over one of the problems with trading for Scoot Henderson if he is still on the board, besides the obvious hypothetical of "he might never become a player as good as the one you're giving up" or "what do you do with Fred when you brought in Scoot and Simons" because what you're really asking is this: Is a backcourt of Scoot/Simons the team's guard duo of the future? This brings me to my big problem with a “trade for Simons + 3” trade if the 3rd pick does end up being Scoot: A backcourt of two undersized guards, one of whom is unproven against NBA competition on defense and the other of whom has been one of the worst guard defenders in the league is not a duo of guards you can build a contender around in the long-term unless both of them become significantly improved defenders. Or at the very least, it's a duo that has historically not led to notable championship contention. Blazers fans would know this well given their team has only had one year where they weren’t the in the NBA’s basement as far as defensive ratings go, be it with CJ or Anfernee as Lillard’s sidekick; the furthest they ever got with either was the Western Conference Finals and the best their defense has even been was 10th. Every other season, the Trailblazers defense has been amongst the worst in the NBA. Part of those Blazers teams' failures can be attributed to bad coaching, but a more significant portion of the blame be laid at the feet of Dame being a bad defender and undersized who has been paired with bad, undersized guards throughout much of his career. You can get away with one bad defender or a starter who’s undersized for their position on a championship-caliber team which, if you’re rebuilding by trading away Siakam, that is what you’re hoping to take a step back for. As an example, Dirk Nowitzki wasn’t known for being a lockdown defender and yet the Mavericks won their first and only championship to date with Dirk as the weak link on defense. He was also a phenomenal offensive talent whose weaknesses on defense were mitigated by how much momentum he was able to generate for his team but I digress. You can get away with running several smaller players for a limited time to force mismatches on offense with the right lineup. The Warriors dynasty comes to mind, where Golden State would close games using their “Death Lineup”. However, that lineup revolved around 4 Hall of Famers (Klay, Dray, Steph, Igoudala) where Steph is the lineup’s weakest link on defense, and this is before we acknowledge that they were able to include yet another HoFer in Kevin Durant to replace Harrison Barnes in a different incarnation of the Death Lineup from 2017 onward. For that matter, it's not wholly impossible to win a championship with a duo of small guards - the Pistons repeated in the 89/90-90/91 with 6'3 Joe Dumars and 6'1 Isiah Thomas and the Bad Boy Pistons were contenders throughout the 90s - but it is damn near impossible if your lead guards are bad defenders. Whatever can be said about Thomas' various off-court controversies, notably with him being found liable for sexual misconduct during his stint heading a woman's basketball team a la the New York Liberty, he was a phenomenal defender, as was Dumars. Hell, the Raptors won in 2019 while having Fred VanVleet and Kyle Lowry share the floor a fair amount of time in the Finals though it is once again worth noting that both were terrific defenders at the time. Even if one wouldn't call their efforts All-Defense caliber, they were both positives on that end of the floor. Historically speaking, you cannot be a championship-caliber team with two of your starters being undersized negatives on the defensive end barring them being surrounded by generational defenders or said starters being generational offensive players who can make up for how many points you’re giving up on the other end of the floor. Simons is a gifted scorer with good playmaking but is a truly sorry defender. Scoot Henderson is a talented passer but is undersized for the position and how he fares defensively with teams hunting him as the smallest player on the court will remain to be seen. But with neither of them likely to be a Dumars/Thomas-level defender and the offensive capabilities for one of them being the main question mark as to how good a player they could become, having both of them as the foundation to your team's backcourt seems to cement the duo's future as a non-contending entity. Let's put this into perspective with some statistics: Of the past 40 years, the only championship to ever be won by a team with what could be considered a bad regular season defensive rating was the 2000/01 Lakers. That team had two generational talents in Shaq and Kobe, and that season is itself an outlier when compared to the rest of the Shaq/Kobe Lakers era that it shouldn't even count. All other championship teams were at least 12th or higher for their season with most championship teams being in the Top 5 in defensive rating. By the by, in case you're wondering: That team who had 12th in defensive rating was the 1995 Rockets led by the generational talent in Hakeem Olajuwon and said rating had a lot to do with untimely injuries to the 95 Rockets core. That team they still managed to have the 7th best offensive rating in the league despite Drexler's absence for much of the season is a testament to Future Raptors Retiree Hakeem's skills as the best big man of the late 80s, early-to-mid 90s. Are we noticing a pattern here? Even if we ignore the question about what to do with Fred, the question of what the Raptors backcourt looks like is far more pertinent if it is going to involve some combination of Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons with, presumably, Gary Trent Jr. and another guard coming off the bench for relief. Is a backcourt of Anfernee Simons and Scoot going to turn this team into a Top 3-6 offense for the season without plummeting this team's defense off of a cliff? And if you don't think so, when do you move one of them to open up the 1 or the 2 for another player? This is a question the team will likely have to answer once they've seen how Simons and Scoot fit togethefit with the rest of the roster; I don't see a 3-team draft day deal where Simons or the 3rd pick are moved elsewhere barring that aforementioned moving down to 4th and I don't see this team without Siakam/with Scoot and Simons being a serious contender for several years even if they do pan out. But it is a question that has me concerned in regards to how this team will function when it's developing a dynamic duo of players who will be picked apart in the playoffs barring one of them turning into a terrific defender. Whatever else one can say about Point Scottie or even Scottie Barnes when he was crammed into the starting Shooting Guard position for much of the year, it is hard to argue that having either Scottie or Trent & Simons/Scoot as your backcourt makes way more sense defensively even if having both Scottie and Scoot complicates matters on the offensive end since neither are great shooters and Trent's defense is a touch overrated at time due to is propensity to gamble for steals. All this being said, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Henderson becomes an All-Defense-caliber player or for Simons to a climb out from the deep hole he's dug for himself as one of the worst defenders in the league, and Scoot is still a phenomenal talent. These concerns should be noted, but they shouldn't serve to deter from selecting him 3rd if such a trade were to go down. As a prospect, there's very few players in this draft class who could serve to singlehandedly raise the floor and the ceiling of this team in the long run. Speaking of other players, however, it should be acknowledged that Scoot isn't the only potentially available player at 3; while all accounts suggest the Hornets prefer Brandon Miller at 3, Scoot is the best player available at 2 and there's no guarantee the Hornets draft for fit. So here's a quick rundown of Miller and a player the Blazers have recently worked out, Amen Thompson:
TL;DR - Scoot is an amazing prospect but his pairing with Simons could be a major problem in the future if both don't improve defensively. Ironically, the 3rd pick becomes simultaneously more valuable for other teams/less valuable for the Raptors if it's Scoot and vice-versa if it's Miller due to those concerns. Thompson is a wildcard at 3 depending on who has the pick/how willing the Rockets are to trade up to 3rd. Nassir Little Portland is reluctant to deal out Sharpe. We can debate on whether or not it's fair value for an All-NBA caliber player like Siakam, how much his contract being expiring should affect a deal (we'll ignore the fact that he can be extended by Portland and that any front office making a trade like this should be doing their due diligence by speaking to Pascal Siakam beforehand) or how good Sharpe actually was as a rookie overall instead of solely focusing on that stretch where the Blazers let him do whatever because they were tanking but regardless, the Blazers seem intent on keeping him. Fair enough, Masai is likely aiming for more than Anfernee and 3 - especially for the reasons listed above if it is Scoot Henderson - but Sharpe is likely a hard sell for the front office even if they are going all-in i.e. they want to keep at least one young guy on the roster for the long-term. That being said, there's still the matter of salary matching, and that's where one of Nassir Little or Sharpe has to come in (They're not going to move Nurkic in the deal for Siakam unless they have something lined up for their center situation i.e. tampering for Naz Reid); the only way for the Blazers to neatly absorb Siakam into their cap with just Simons is by renouncing their rights to Jerami Grant and they need to re-sign him/move him to the 3 (Grant is a really bad rebounder for a PF; the man is a career 4 RPG) if they are serious about competing with Dame. So...yeah, Nassir Little. Little is what people think O.G. is: A good defender who is often injured, Little is a solid 3 & D wing who, unlike Anunoby, has never played more than 55 games for a given season. Granted, 2019/20 and 2020/21 were shorted to 72 seasons but regardless, injuries have hampered the 23 year-old in the same way that Otto Porter Jr.'s potential was sapped due to a career-long battle with injuries. Still, when considering his age and production, his newest contract ($28M/4 years) is amazing value when he's healthy. But much like Otto (who I think technically could be sent in such a deal due to the rules around incoming/outgoing salaries), the question of when he's available is a common one. Little is a good young player but one whom you shouldn't get your hopes up about changing the team's direction. TL;DR - A little salary (sorry) is needed for the deal to happen on draft night & Nassir would be a decent choice for forward depth off the bench. One will have to carefully factor in injury concerns when evaluating the team's depth. Keon Johnson So like I said, Sharpe is likely to be ruled out. I debated if I should cover him at all but i'm honestly not sold on Shaedon as a prospect and we've already met the quota for rants with the "Simons/Scoot frontcourt will be exploited" talks. That said, I don't think the Raptors would settle for just Simons and the 3rd pick or the 3rd pick plus assets from a 3rd team were Anfernee moved due to the aforementioned backcourt issues with Simons and Scoot. For now we have Keon Johnson. Fun fact: When the Raptors were expected to draft 7th in the 2021 draft, Johnson was a common player mocked for the 7th pick. He wound up going in the 20 to the Clippers (via the Knicks in a trade) who eventually fleeced the Blazers in a deal including him for Norman Powell. Keon Johnson...hasn't really done a whole lot thus far. He was noted for having an impressive vertical of 48" at the 2021 combine which broke a previous record, he's a terrific athlete and he's about the same age as Scottie so he lines up with a rebuild or retool around Barnes... ...and that's where the positives end. Like I said, Keon hasn't demonstrated all that much on either team he's been on. For a guard, he's not a great ball handler, he isn't a good shooter, he's got decent size and the speed to be a good defender from 1-3 but his potential on that end does not All-Defense caliber. He'd be a throw-in that you'd hope can develop over time, likely spending a lot of time in the G-League because as of right now, he isn't going to be a significant contributor on either end. TL;DR - Keon is on a rookie deal so you'd be taking a flier on him/betting on your development bringing out the best in him if he were included. Other pick(s): As far as immediate draft capital goes, the Blazers have the 23rd pick in this draft, which is around the range where players the Raptors have been rumored to be interested in/interviewed (Bilal Couliby, GG Jackson) would likely be available. There's been some speculation that the Blazers could send this pick to the Bulls so they can get their owed pick back from Chicago but nothing concrete has come out regarding whether the Bulls would settle for that vs. hoping the Blazers make the 1st round and lose so they can get a pick in the 16-20 range. That said, the future pick owed to the Bulls is where things get tricky if the Raptors did want a future 1st: The Blazers pick is protected until 2028. It is technically possible for them to offer a swap in 2029 but without the protections being removed on the Bulls-bound 2024 1st (The 2029 pick cannot be moved due to the Stepien Rule), any future draft capital would need to come in the form of the 2023 trade deadline's currency of choice: Second round picks. Some of the notable 2nds include:
TL;DR - There is some interesting draft capital here beyond their own 1sts, especially if the 23rd pick is available in a deep draft like this, but ideally one would want a future 1st from the Blazers rather than a handful of 2nds given Dame's limited window. Conclusion I was originally going to talk about the 4th overall pick too but this got a bit lengthy so I made that into a separate post. As far as the 3rd pick package, in some ways it's better than one surrounding the 4th pick because Simons is a flatout better player than any one the Rockets would send back but it's also worse when you factor in Simons or Scoot's respective ceilings vs some of the potential prospects that could come in a 4th pick package? You're getting significant depth at the guard position if it is Scoot/Simons but there's a huge question mark as to how good the defense will hold up with two undersized guards, one of whom is a bad defender, will hold up in the playoffs. |
2023.06.02 23:59 ChibiChrista Need ideas for sustainable packaging
Sorry if this is the wrong sub for this. I'm starting a small organic suburban farming operation, with a focus on sustainability and eco-friendliness. I've got a lot of ideas but the one thing that has me stumped is packaging. I'm going to focus exclusively at local farmers markets and I want my produce to last as long as possible. Some of what I'm going to be selling are spices and jarred preserves from fruits and herbs I harvest. It seems for these two items, the best I can do is glass. I was thinking if I can offer a promotion where they bring back the glass jars with lids, I can give them $1 off or something.
I was also looking into vaccuum sealing fresh fruits and veggies, however the commercially compostable vaccuum sealer bags don't do any good unless my customers specifically have a commercial compost company and drop it off there. Otherwise it isn't recycled and does just as much harm. Most fruits and veggies last long enough, except lettuce is where I'm having problems mostly. Last week when I stopped by the market, I saw someone just had the roots of the lettuce in a jar of water, however that would be hard to carry and get to the market.
Tldr; starting sustainable suburban farming business looking for packaging ideas.
submitted by ChibiChrista to Anticonsumption [link] [comments]
I was also looking into vaccuum sealing fresh fruits and veggies, however the commercially compostable vaccuum sealer bags don't do any good unless my customers specifically have a commercial compost company and drop it off there. Otherwise it isn't recycled and does just as much harm. Most fruits and veggies last long enough, except lettuce is where I'm having problems mostly. Last week when I stopped by the market, I saw someone just had the roots of the lettuce in a jar of water, however that would be hard to carry and get to the market.
Tldr; starting sustainable suburban farming business looking for packaging ideas.
2023.06.02 23:46 The_Sportsologist Taking a look at the Bucks' cap situation
Hello friends, today I thought it would be fun to take a look at the Milwaukee Bucks' cap sheet and make some general observations about what to expect from them this offseason and moving forward. It's another big offseason for them as they no doubt are looking to improve their core, or at the least keep it together for another run. Let's see what that might look like.
Here is the Bucks' cap sheet heading into the 2023 offseason:
PLAYER2023-20242024-20252025-2026
:----:--:--:
Giannis Antetokounmpo$45,640,084$48,787,676*$51,935,268*
Khris Middleton*$40,396,552*
Jrue Holiday$36,861,707*$39,403,893*
Bobby Portis$11,710,818$12,578,286
Pat Connaughton$9,423,869$9,423,869$9,423,869
Grayson Allen$8,925,000
MarJon Beauchamp$2,609,400$2,733,720$4,781,276
Jevon Carter*$2,239,943*
total$157,807,373$112,927,444$66,140,413
italics indicate player option
So as of right now, the Bucks have over 157.8 million committed to 8 players, including Middleton and Carter who have player options. With the luxury tax line expected to fall around 162 million, re-signing their key free agents could get very expensive for ownership if Middleton does opt into the final year of his contract. The new second apron and its dreaded penalties aren't set to kick in until next season so management doesn't have to worry about that for now, but of course that doesn't mean there isn't a limit put on them for what they can spend.
Milwaukee's free agents include Lopez, Ingles, Crowder, Thanasis, Matthews, Dragic, and Meyers Leonard. Lopez is obviously the priority, but he has value on the open market and will expect fair compensation if he does decide to return. The purpose of this exercise is not to debate the value of certain free agents and how much they'll get this summer, but we need to make some estimates. Let's say Lopez re-signs with the Bucks for 3 years, 15 million per season. In a scenario where Middleton and Carter pick up their 2023-2024 options, Milwaukee's total salary would be at around 10.8 million over the luxury cap this summer with 6 roster spots to fill out.
The ownership has shown willingness to pay luxury tax in the past, but there's always going to be a limit. And now there are new complications with paying the tax bill thanks to the new CBA. The already infamous 2nd apron is staring down teams, daring them not to cross. Furthermore, the Bucks are set to pay the luxury tax for a fourth consecutive season, triggering the repeater tax, which is even more brutal under the new CBA. The tax increase is reportedly not set to take effect until next year, but teams will still have to plan accordingly. And even without the increase, the repeater tax is pretty brutal as it stands. Ownership dug into their pockets last season and paid out about 84 million in luxury tax after the team's payroll went almost 30 million over the line. However, if we assume that ownership is willing to pay the same amount this year, which isn't a given, then management can only allow the payroll to go about 24 million over the line for 2023-2024. While this is possible in a scenario where Middleton picks up his option and they pay Lopez around 15 million, it will involve a lot of veteran minimums and it's hard to see Milwaukee being able to use the taxpayer MLE to add a fresh face.
If management's desire is to bring back the core of the team and see how they perform under a new coaching staff, then I imagine they will look to negotiate a new deal with Middleton. Considering that he has 40.4 million sitting on the table, we shouldn't expect Khris to accept anything less than a large, long-term deal to replace it. Middleton opting out to sign a 4-year deal worth 28 million per year could make sense for both sides. From Khris's perspective it would be like adding 3 years for 72 million onto his current 40 million dollar deal, which is a fair extension for someone with his age and injury history. From the Bucks' perspective, they free up 12.4 million this season which they can use to comfortably re-sign Lopez and maybe even bring back Crowder or use the MLE in free agency.
Let's say that both Ingles and Thanasis re-sign to veteran minimum deals. Since it's probably an underpay, let's also say that Carter turns down his player option and re-signs for 2 years, 5 million annually. Here is what the Buck's cap sheet could *theoretically* look like after using the full taxpayer MLE, re-signing Middleton and Lopez, and filling out the roster with a couple vets and a rookie:
PLAYER2023-20242024-20252025-20262026-2027
:----::--:--:--
Giannis Antetokounmpo$45,640,084$48,787,676*$51,935,268*
Jrue Holiday$36,861,707*$39,403,893*
Khris Middleton$28,000,000$28,000,000$28,000,000$28,000,000
Brook Lopez$15,000,000$15,000,000$15,000,000
Bobby Portis$11,710,818$12,578,286
Pat Connaughton$9,423,869$9,423,869$9,423,869
Grayson Allen$8,925,000
2023-2024 MLE$7,021,033
Jevon Carter$5,000,000*$5,000,000*
MarJon Beauchamp$2,609,400$2,733,720$4,781,276
Joe Ingles$1,989,697
Thanasis Antetokounmpo$1,989,697
13th man$1,989,697
14th man$1,989,697
15th man$1,102,928$1,774,998$1,989,697
total$179,253,627
cap line$162,000,000
over$17,253,627
total tax to pay$53,327,915.34
Under this configuration, the Bucks can keep their choice of free agents and also utilize the taxpayer MLE to add a new player to help them on their mission to win another championship. Of course, I don't expect their front office to end up with this cap sheet exactly as there are many different paths that they can go this summer. However, the Middleton decision is absolutely a domino for them as it could mean the difference between being able to run it back with a new free agent addition or struggling to re-sign Lopez.
So what do you think friends? Do you expect the Bucks to run it back next year? Should they try to sign Middleton to a new deal? Did you get any interesting observations from this exercise? DO your best Jon Horst impression and let me know!
submitted by The_Sportsologist to u/The_Sportsologist [link] [comments]
Here is the Bucks' cap sheet heading into the 2023 offseason:
PLAYER2023-20242024-20252025-2026
:----:--:--:
Giannis Antetokounmpo$45,640,084$48,787,676*$51,935,268*
Khris Middleton*$40,396,552*
Jrue Holiday$36,861,707*$39,403,893*
Bobby Portis$11,710,818$12,578,286
Pat Connaughton$9,423,869$9,423,869$9,423,869
Grayson Allen$8,925,000
MarJon Beauchamp$2,609,400$2,733,720$4,781,276
Jevon Carter*$2,239,943*
total$157,807,373$112,927,444$66,140,413
italics indicate player option
So as of right now, the Bucks have over 157.8 million committed to 8 players, including Middleton and Carter who have player options. With the luxury tax line expected to fall around 162 million, re-signing their key free agents could get very expensive for ownership if Middleton does opt into the final year of his contract. The new second apron and its dreaded penalties aren't set to kick in until next season so management doesn't have to worry about that for now, but of course that doesn't mean there isn't a limit put on them for what they can spend.
Milwaukee's free agents include Lopez, Ingles, Crowder, Thanasis, Matthews, Dragic, and Meyers Leonard. Lopez is obviously the priority, but he has value on the open market and will expect fair compensation if he does decide to return. The purpose of this exercise is not to debate the value of certain free agents and how much they'll get this summer, but we need to make some estimates. Let's say Lopez re-signs with the Bucks for 3 years, 15 million per season. In a scenario where Middleton and Carter pick up their 2023-2024 options, Milwaukee's total salary would be at around 10.8 million over the luxury cap this summer with 6 roster spots to fill out.
The ownership has shown willingness to pay luxury tax in the past, but there's always going to be a limit. And now there are new complications with paying the tax bill thanks to the new CBA. The already infamous 2nd apron is staring down teams, daring them not to cross. Furthermore, the Bucks are set to pay the luxury tax for a fourth consecutive season, triggering the repeater tax, which is even more brutal under the new CBA. The tax increase is reportedly not set to take effect until next year, but teams will still have to plan accordingly. And even without the increase, the repeater tax is pretty brutal as it stands. Ownership dug into their pockets last season and paid out about 84 million in luxury tax after the team's payroll went almost 30 million over the line. However, if we assume that ownership is willing to pay the same amount this year, which isn't a given, then management can only allow the payroll to go about 24 million over the line for 2023-2024. While this is possible in a scenario where Middleton picks up his option and they pay Lopez around 15 million, it will involve a lot of veteran minimums and it's hard to see Milwaukee being able to use the taxpayer MLE to add a fresh face.
If management's desire is to bring back the core of the team and see how they perform under a new coaching staff, then I imagine they will look to negotiate a new deal with Middleton. Considering that he has 40.4 million sitting on the table, we shouldn't expect Khris to accept anything less than a large, long-term deal to replace it. Middleton opting out to sign a 4-year deal worth 28 million per year could make sense for both sides. From Khris's perspective it would be like adding 3 years for 72 million onto his current 40 million dollar deal, which is a fair extension for someone with his age and injury history. From the Bucks' perspective, they free up 12.4 million this season which they can use to comfortably re-sign Lopez and maybe even bring back Crowder or use the MLE in free agency.
Let's say that both Ingles and Thanasis re-sign to veteran minimum deals. Since it's probably an underpay, let's also say that Carter turns down his player option and re-signs for 2 years, 5 million annually. Here is what the Buck's cap sheet could *theoretically* look like after using the full taxpayer MLE, re-signing Middleton and Lopez, and filling out the roster with a couple vets and a rookie:
PLAYER2023-20242024-20252025-20262026-2027
:----::--:--:--
Giannis Antetokounmpo$45,640,084$48,787,676*$51,935,268*
Jrue Holiday$36,861,707*$39,403,893*
Khris Middleton$28,000,000$28,000,000$28,000,000$28,000,000
Brook Lopez$15,000,000$15,000,000$15,000,000
Bobby Portis$11,710,818$12,578,286
Pat Connaughton$9,423,869$9,423,869$9,423,869
Grayson Allen$8,925,000
2023-2024 MLE$7,021,033
Jevon Carter$5,000,000*$5,000,000*
MarJon Beauchamp$2,609,400$2,733,720$4,781,276
Joe Ingles$1,989,697
Thanasis Antetokounmpo$1,989,697
13th man$1,989,697
14th man$1,989,697
15th man$1,102,928$1,774,998$1,989,697
total$179,253,627
cap line$162,000,000
over$17,253,627
total tax to pay$53,327,915.34
Under this configuration, the Bucks can keep their choice of free agents and also utilize the taxpayer MLE to add a new player to help them on their mission to win another championship. Of course, I don't expect their front office to end up with this cap sheet exactly as there are many different paths that they can go this summer. However, the Middleton decision is absolutely a domino for them as it could mean the difference between being able to run it back with a new free agent addition or struggling to re-sign Lopez.
So what do you think friends? Do you expect the Bucks to run it back next year? Should they try to sign Middleton to a new deal? Did you get any interesting observations from this exercise? DO your best Jon Horst impression and let me know!
2023.06.02 23:45 Positive-Mentality Refund policy?
Does anyone know if they accept refunds? I was able to secure a ticket for myself but my friend missed out on it, and if all of the passes are truly sold out then I'm not going anymore.
EDIT: I'm going to wait until there is a clear update regarding the general sale, at which point I will sell my ticket at retail if there are no more passes available.
submitted by Positive-Mentality to tylerthecreator [link] [comments]
EDIT: I'm going to wait until there is a clear update regarding the general sale, at which point I will sell my ticket at retail if there are no more passes available.
2023.06.02 23:43 OneCuriousCat_ Recommending (better) products PetSmart doesn’t sell?
Hi all!
As a new pet care employee I was curious what this subreddit thought about this…
I understand the job role is to take care of the pets while also selling PetSmart products to go along with a pet parent’s new pet. However, it’s really not a surprise to us that PetSmart does not carry a lot of adequate stuff for the pets they sell (cage-wise, I’m pretty sure their other products are good, not so much the enclosures though).
Do you find yourself recommending different cages from online or other stores?
For example, would it be generally advised against to recommend guinea pig pet parents to buy grids and coroplast to use as a cage instead of the tiny ones that we sell?
Thanks in advance! I’m open to all opinions— just trying to learn the best avenue while still keeping the pet’s very best interest in mind
submitted by OneCuriousCat_ to petsmart [link] [comments]
As a new pet care employee I was curious what this subreddit thought about this…
I understand the job role is to take care of the pets while also selling PetSmart products to go along with a pet parent’s new pet. However, it’s really not a surprise to us that PetSmart does not carry a lot of adequate stuff for the pets they sell (cage-wise, I’m pretty sure their other products are good, not so much the enclosures though).
Do you find yourself recommending different cages from online or other stores?
For example, would it be generally advised against to recommend guinea pig pet parents to buy grids and coroplast to use as a cage instead of the tiny ones that we sell?
Thanks in advance! I’m open to all opinions— just trying to learn the best avenue while still keeping the pet’s very best interest in mind
2023.06.02 23:37 DaLeAtaB Where to best register a cryptocurrency business
 | submitted by DaLeAtaB to CryptoUpvotesAgency [link] [comments] Where to best register a cryptocurrency business Crypto Upvotes experts told which jurisdictions are comfortable for cryptocurrency to live and work in. And also told what factors determine the choice to register a crypto project in the chosen regionThe regulation of cryptocurrencies around the world ranges from a complete ban on digital tokens to their recognition as legal tender. From time to time, governments pass laws that force crypto-businesses to migrate.For example, China’s 2021 ban on cryptocurrency mining caused a mass exodus of miners from China. In 2023, due to stricter regulation in Canada and the U.S., many exchanges stop operating there. And now they are moving to countries in Asia and Europe. Binance and Bybit have already announced their departure from the Canadian market, Coinbase plans to open an office in Dublin. On the other hand, certain regions are adopting clear regulatory rules for the crypto industry. And this also attracts cryptocurrencies. Hong Kong has allowed retail trading of digital assets since June 1. Huobi, Gate.io, OKX and many other exchanges are already entering the local market. Gemini and Bybit are opening offices in Dubai, while Binance has been operating there since last spring. Most projects choose two simple rules simply and cheaplyAny cryptocurrency startup wants to cut costs as much as possible at the initial stage. This includes legalization of their activities.For a cryptocurrency company, registration and licenses are primarily needed to interact with the outside world. For example, to place their applications in the App Store or Google Play. Or opening corporate accounts on major exchanges, our expert explains. The most important criteria for selection are three parameters: – Ease of opening a legal entity (ideally distant registration). – Speed (ideally a few days) – Price, which does not exceed a few thousand dollars. As a bonus may be the presence in the company’s charter of the prescribed cryptocurrency activity. And especially in jurisdictions where obtaining a cryptolicense is impossible or not required. Because this process usually requires much more time and expenses than the registration itself. Popular jurisdictions for crypto business registrationIt is because of the speed, simplicity and low-cost of doing business that regions such as Georgia or the Seychelles are popular. Because these countries win in comparison with, for example, Dubai or Hong Kong. So there everything is a little bit more complicated, longer and more expensive.The most favorable jurisdictions are the ones that support the crypto market. And they have special regulation and, in addition, they provide preferential tax treatment for such businesses. The most obvious example of such a region is Dubai. In addition, the Arab Emirates is relatively neutral in the international financial market in terms of various geopolitical aspects. Our experts point out that Hong Kong, Switzerland and the Netherlands also have a positive attitude to cryptocurrency business. And they have regulation, but their taxation regime is not as favorable. There are countries that are not against cryptocurrency. But at the level of regulators they warn both businesses and consumers about the high risks of such assets (e.g., Georgia). Such jurisdictions, as a rule, are against the use of cryptocurrency on their territory. And especially use as a means of payment. Some cryptocurrency exchanges choose Ireland’s capital Dublin for the fact that the country is part of the EU. And has an established reputation as a financial and technological center. It also provides a favorable tax regime for its residents. Our experts note that Dubai, Hong Kong and Georgia are increasingly in the news as cryptocurrency-friendly regions. But not just because they are somehow particularly favorable to cryptocurrencies. Rather, it is because they are generally friendly to relocating businesses, including cryptocurrency businesses. There are no special preferences for cryptocurrency projects. As well as there are no prohibitions preventing the activities of cryptocurrency companies. Practice shows that the absence of bans is enough. To attract a significant number of companies in the current situation. Who are looking for their new place to work. / |