Wesker terror radius build
[Text-Based-Meme/Advice]Remember to lock your Zonaite Hoverbike with a dragon part fused to it or the Yiga will steal it when you get too far away, even in broad daylight!
2023.06.06 08:37 Solrex [Text-Based-Meme/Advice]Remember to lock your Zonaite Hoverbike with a dragon part fused to it or the Yiga will steal it when you get too far away, even in broad daylight!
This has been a public service announcement to remind you to lock your bikes before leaving them.
Explaining the joke: So dragon parts have a very long despawn distance probably because the game doesn't expect you to always be riding the dragon to get the part. Due to this, their despawn range is massively further than anything else in the game. When things are superhand glued together, the piece with the furthest despawn radius will count for the entire build. Hence, the joke that locking your bike with a dragon part before leaving it will stop the Yiga from stealing it AKA it despawning. Also, if it's in the blueprint, instead of costing a dragon part it should just cost some zonaite, probably 3 but might be more.
Also Tips and tricks flair because I don't want to make this into an image and I don't want automoderator to see this and be like "this isn't a meme (although it is just text based) so I'm gonna remove it!" Also technically is a tip disguised in a cute memorable coat so you laugh and make connections so you remember it better. Yay useful humor.
Also another post note, I had wanted to make this post, went to go grab my phone, got on Reddit, forgot, went back in game, saw my hoverbike, and managed to remember what I was doing. Before that I just remembered I needed my phone for something. Ha, take that stupid gloom infected ADHD memory of mine! (Note this statement is a joke based on the fact that I have ADHD and disclaimer I am not infected by gloom, although if I was, all I would have to do is go outside. I know, I know, touching grass is like the endgame stage of irl, but just sneak in there and grab what you need and leave, just like Gannon's castle (both BotW and TotK), and it should be good to go.
I'm gonna go get the zonaite helmet now, end rant.
submitted by Solrex to TOTK [link] [comments]
Explaining the joke: So dragon parts have a very long despawn distance probably because the game doesn't expect you to always be riding the dragon to get the part. Due to this, their despawn range is massively further than anything else in the game. When things are superhand glued together, the piece with the furthest despawn radius will count for the entire build. Hence, the joke that locking your bike with a dragon part before leaving it will stop the Yiga from stealing it AKA it despawning. Also, if it's in the blueprint, instead of costing a dragon part it should just cost some zonaite, probably 3 but might be more.
Also Tips and tricks flair because I don't want to make this into an image and I don't want automoderator to see this and be like "this isn't a meme (although it is just text based) so I'm gonna remove it!" Also technically is a tip disguised in a cute memorable coat so you laugh and make connections so you remember it better. Yay useful humor.
Also another post note, I had wanted to make this post, went to go grab my phone, got on Reddit, forgot, went back in game, saw my hoverbike, and managed to remember what I was doing. Before that I just remembered I needed my phone for something. Ha, take that stupid gloom infected ADHD memory of mine! (Note this statement is a joke based on the fact that I have ADHD and disclaimer I am not infected by gloom, although if I was, all I would have to do is go outside. I know, I know, touching grass is like the endgame stage of irl, but just sneak in there and grab what you need and leave, just like Gannon's castle (both BotW and TotK), and it should be good to go.
I'm gonna go get the zonaite helmet now, end rant.
2023.06.06 08:15 saltypeanut54 Tisas 1911A1 Service Special
I ordered a Tisas 1911A1 Service Special from Bud’s Guns. I have several other 1911s, from Springfield, Colt, and mil-surplus, and have build two on Caspian frames, and rebuilt several. I have gone completely through this pistol, and will be as objective as possible.
This is a full size 1911 with a 5 inch barrel. The pistol has a cerakote or similar finish. I wonder if it is applied electrostatically, as their are no brush or spray strokes. The finish is consistent throughout the pistol, and even the barrel and interior are finished with the same attention to detail. It is a fine looking pistol. The cosmetics are equal to any other maker’s finish, for this type of finish, which is a surface coating.
The radius of the slide top and ball cuts is perfect. I am sure that this is a CNC gun, milled from forging. There are no sharp edges on the end of the slide or frame, yet the bevel cuts are very discrete, almost non-discernible. The machining has a light “soft” appearance, which is very understated but makes the pistol more comfortable to hold.
The ejection port is slightly lower than GI and has a bevel. The ejector is slightly extended. I have not shot this pistol yet, but these should help ejection. The feed ramp is bare metal, and the barrel breach is beveled and sits back from the ramp an appropriate distance.
The sights are very similar to the form of sights on a Springfield Mil-Spec (Defender) or a Colt Series 80. They are solid black, without dots. They are sturdier and more pronounced than GI sights. This is what makes this model different from the GI pistol. They look very serviceable and durable. I do not plan to change them out.
The pistol has a rowel hammer, rather than a spur hammer. The rowel is higher on the hammer than on the Colt Commander hammer, and the top of the grip safety is rounded down a little. This is so the rowel does not strike the grip safety spur when the slide recoils. The grip safety is not a “commander” hammer safety with the cutout, but resembles the GI grip safety This works, though I have never seen it before. I have no plans to change the hammer or grip safety.
The slide release is the standard 1911 slide release. I have replaced it with the Ed Brown slide release, simply because I like the flat shelf of the EB piece. The thumb safety is a standard Colt Series 70 style, a little beefier.There is over-travel downward on the thumb safety. No practical effect, but I will replace it with an Ed Brown “carry” extended safety.
The slide-frame fit has some horizontal and vertical play. I removed most of the verticals play by changing the bushing to a stainless one - a little tighter - from the parts box. (Helps in cleaning anyway.) The barrel hood has a tiny bit of vertical play. This is less than my Springfield GI clone, and less than one of my Colts. It is less than most entry level pistols, but there is some play in the frame-barrel slide fit. But very little, and the fit is much better than I have found on more expensive guns. There are no marks on the slide from rubbing against the dust cover, due to a slight bevel on the slide below the ball cuts. Some people feel that a less than tight fit is best on a 1911. All I know is that this amount of play will not effect practical accuracy.
The trigger is a short GI trigger. There is a bit of travel against the leaf spring, but the sear and trigger engagement is fairly crisp. I am guessing about 4 lb trigger. I may replace it with a Harrison Design mid-length trigger. That is what I have on my other 1911’s. But I want to shoot this for a while before changing the trigger.
The cycling springs are definitely full power. I am guessing about a 22 lb main spring and 16 on recoil spring. The z safety spring seems stiff enough, but the safety seems a little mushy. I think it is the angle of the safety against the spring. I am replacing the thumb safety anyway, so not worried.
It has a flat mainspring housing. The sides sit a little proud of the frame and the grip safety, but that is normal for an entry level 1911 - it makes drop-in parts easier to use. I may file the edges to soften the feel. I put a checkered MSH in my friend’s service model and it was a perfect fit, blush with the sides of the frame.
The grips are imitation GI grips of brown plastic. There is also a black set in the case. Both sets have fairly weak checkering - much less aggressive than the brown GI grips. They really should have done a better job on the grips. I replaced the grips with a set of $8.00 GI grips off of eBay which feel much better. Those are in the picture. The factory grips are not worth saving.
The fitting of the grip safety is poor. The frame is prouder than the grip safety when the grip safety is fully depressed. This was the case on my friend’s service model Tisas as well. I swapped my friend’s factory grip safety for a parkerized NOS GI Colt grip safety, which corrected the problem for his pistol. A GI safety did clear the rowel hammer, but did was below the edge of the frame cut when depressed, in this pistol. I VERY LIGHTLY filed the edge of the frame where the grip safety sits until the inside walls of the frame were below the level of the grip safety when fully depressed. I touched it up with cold blue, and I can live with it. A little holster wear and I won’t notice it. This defect is common on entry level guns. It bugs me, and I do not know why manufacturers do not correct it at the prototype level. Also, the gap between the grip safety and extension of the frame where is thumb safety sits is cosmetically unacceptable. Oh, and the grip safety rattles in the frame…. The short answer, they REALLY need to fix the fit of the grip safety to the frame to get 10/10. I think these errors are more than cosmetic, and should have been caught at the prototype phase. If it was a $1200 pistol I would send it back.
Summary. This a a fine pistol for $329.00. It would also be a fine pistol at $629.00. It has similar quality control as a Springfield Mil-Spec. I have not shot it. But there is nothing in the pistol that indicates that it will be less accurate than a comparable entry level Springfield. There are some things I will correct in the fitting of the thumb safety. The only major issue is that the grip safety is poorly fit to the frame in both samples of Tisas pistols. I really have no other complaints. I would recommend this model for a first 1911.
https://i.imgur.com/P8LFhg8.jpg
submitted by saltypeanut54 to 1911 [link] [comments]
This is a full size 1911 with a 5 inch barrel. The pistol has a cerakote or similar finish. I wonder if it is applied electrostatically, as their are no brush or spray strokes. The finish is consistent throughout the pistol, and even the barrel and interior are finished with the same attention to detail. It is a fine looking pistol. The cosmetics are equal to any other maker’s finish, for this type of finish, which is a surface coating.
The radius of the slide top and ball cuts is perfect. I am sure that this is a CNC gun, milled from forging. There are no sharp edges on the end of the slide or frame, yet the bevel cuts are very discrete, almost non-discernible. The machining has a light “soft” appearance, which is very understated but makes the pistol more comfortable to hold.
The ejection port is slightly lower than GI and has a bevel. The ejector is slightly extended. I have not shot this pistol yet, but these should help ejection. The feed ramp is bare metal, and the barrel breach is beveled and sits back from the ramp an appropriate distance.
The sights are very similar to the form of sights on a Springfield Mil-Spec (Defender) or a Colt Series 80. They are solid black, without dots. They are sturdier and more pronounced than GI sights. This is what makes this model different from the GI pistol. They look very serviceable and durable. I do not plan to change them out.
The pistol has a rowel hammer, rather than a spur hammer. The rowel is higher on the hammer than on the Colt Commander hammer, and the top of the grip safety is rounded down a little. This is so the rowel does not strike the grip safety spur when the slide recoils. The grip safety is not a “commander” hammer safety with the cutout, but resembles the GI grip safety This works, though I have never seen it before. I have no plans to change the hammer or grip safety.
The slide release is the standard 1911 slide release. I have replaced it with the Ed Brown slide release, simply because I like the flat shelf of the EB piece. The thumb safety is a standard Colt Series 70 style, a little beefier.There is over-travel downward on the thumb safety. No practical effect, but I will replace it with an Ed Brown “carry” extended safety.
The slide-frame fit has some horizontal and vertical play. I removed most of the verticals play by changing the bushing to a stainless one - a little tighter - from the parts box. (Helps in cleaning anyway.) The barrel hood has a tiny bit of vertical play. This is less than my Springfield GI clone, and less than one of my Colts. It is less than most entry level pistols, but there is some play in the frame-barrel slide fit. But very little, and the fit is much better than I have found on more expensive guns. There are no marks on the slide from rubbing against the dust cover, due to a slight bevel on the slide below the ball cuts. Some people feel that a less than tight fit is best on a 1911. All I know is that this amount of play will not effect practical accuracy.
The trigger is a short GI trigger. There is a bit of travel against the leaf spring, but the sear and trigger engagement is fairly crisp. I am guessing about 4 lb trigger. I may replace it with a Harrison Design mid-length trigger. That is what I have on my other 1911’s. But I want to shoot this for a while before changing the trigger.
The cycling springs are definitely full power. I am guessing about a 22 lb main spring and 16 on recoil spring. The z safety spring seems stiff enough, but the safety seems a little mushy. I think it is the angle of the safety against the spring. I am replacing the thumb safety anyway, so not worried.
It has a flat mainspring housing. The sides sit a little proud of the frame and the grip safety, but that is normal for an entry level 1911 - it makes drop-in parts easier to use. I may file the edges to soften the feel. I put a checkered MSH in my friend’s service model and it was a perfect fit, blush with the sides of the frame.
The grips are imitation GI grips of brown plastic. There is also a black set in the case. Both sets have fairly weak checkering - much less aggressive than the brown GI grips. They really should have done a better job on the grips. I replaced the grips with a set of $8.00 GI grips off of eBay which feel much better. Those are in the picture. The factory grips are not worth saving.
The fitting of the grip safety is poor. The frame is prouder than the grip safety when the grip safety is fully depressed. This was the case on my friend’s service model Tisas as well. I swapped my friend’s factory grip safety for a parkerized NOS GI Colt grip safety, which corrected the problem for his pistol. A GI safety did clear the rowel hammer, but did was below the edge of the frame cut when depressed, in this pistol. I VERY LIGHTLY filed the edge of the frame where the grip safety sits until the inside walls of the frame were below the level of the grip safety when fully depressed. I touched it up with cold blue, and I can live with it. A little holster wear and I won’t notice it. This defect is common on entry level guns. It bugs me, and I do not know why manufacturers do not correct it at the prototype level. Also, the gap between the grip safety and extension of the frame where is thumb safety sits is cosmetically unacceptable. Oh, and the grip safety rattles in the frame…. The short answer, they REALLY need to fix the fit of the grip safety to the frame to get 10/10. I think these errors are more than cosmetic, and should have been caught at the prototype phase. If it was a $1200 pistol I would send it back.
Summary. This a a fine pistol for $329.00. It would also be a fine pistol at $629.00. It has similar quality control as a Springfield Mil-Spec. I have not shot it. But there is nothing in the pistol that indicates that it will be less accurate than a comparable entry level Springfield. There are some things I will correct in the fitting of the thumb safety. The only major issue is that the grip safety is poorly fit to the frame in both samples of Tisas pistols. I really have no other complaints. I would recommend this model for a first 1911.
https://i.imgur.com/P8LFhg8.jpg
2023.06.06 07:46 _Triple_ [STORE] 900+ KNIVES/GLOVES/SKINS, 50.000$+ INVENTORY. M9 Fade, M4 Poseidon, BFK Freehand, Crimson Kimono, Nomad Fade, Skeleton, Kara Lore, Bayo Autotronic, AWP Fade, Kara Damas, BFK Ultra, Kara Freehand, Kara Bright, M9 Damas, Omega, Tiger Strike, Flip MF, Bayo Tiger, Deagle Blaze, Talon & More
Everything in my inventory is up for trade. The most valuable items are listed here, the rest you can find in My Inventory
Feel free to Add Me or even better send a Trade Offer. Open for any suggestions: upgrades, downgrades / knives, gloves, skins / stickers, patterns, floats.
All Buyouts are listed in cash value.
KNIVES
★ Butterfly Knife Freehand FN #1, B/O: $2500
★ Butterfly Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $822
★ Butterfly Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $616
⎯★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW #1, B/O: $1300
★ Bayonet Autotronic FN, B/O: $1050
★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW, B/O: $629
★ Bayonet Bright Water FT, B/O: $326
★ Bayonet Safari Mesh BS, B/O: $233
⎯★ Karambit Lore FT, B/O: $1110
★ Karambit Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $840
★ Karambit Freehand MW, B/O: $784
★ Karambit Bright Water MW, B/O: $759
⎯★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $751
⎯★ Nomad Knife Fade FN, B/O: $1156
★ Nomad Knife Slaughter MW, B/O: $544
★ Nomad Knife Blue Steel WW, B/O: $318
⎯★ Flip Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $646
★ Flip Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $574
★ Flip Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) MW, B/O: $552
★ Flip Knife Case Hardened FT, B/O: $257
★ Flip Knife Freehand FT, B/O: $255
★ StatTrak™ Flip Knife Bright Water FN, B/O: $287
⎯★ Huntsman Knife Lore FN, B/O: $461
★ Huntsman Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $436
★ Huntsman Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $353
★ Huntsman Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $212
★ Huntsman Knife Bright Water FT, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT MW, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT BS, B/O: $123
★ StatTrak™ Huntsman Knife Rust Coat BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $375
★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $363
★ Bowie Knife Tiger Tooth FN, B/O: $269
★ Bowie Knife Crimson Web WW, B/O: $192
★ Bowie Knife Bright Water FN, B/O: $159
★ Bowie Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $126
⎯★ Stiletto Knife Slaughter FN, B/O: $616
★ Stiletto Knife Crimson Web FT, B/O: $412
★ StatTrak™ Stiletto Knife Night Stripe FT, B/O: $227
⎯★ Falchion Knife Lore FT, B/O: $214
★ Falchion Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $192
★ Falchion Knife Scorched WW, B/O: $105
⎯★ Survival Knife Crimson Web BS, B/O: $216
★ Survival Knife Case Hardened FT, B/O: $198
★ Survival Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $111
⎯★ Shadow Daggers Fade FN, B/O: $368
★ Shadow Daggers Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $228
★ Shadow Daggers, B/O: $201
★ Shadow Daggers Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $108
★ Shadow Daggers Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $105
★ Shadow Daggers Black Laminate FT, B/O: $99
★ Shadow Daggers Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $85
⎯★ Gut Knife Doppler (Sapphire) MW #1, B/O: $1700
★ Gut Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $223
★ Gut Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $203
★ Gut Knife Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $191
★ Gut Knife Case Hardened BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife, B/O: $138
★ Navaja Knife Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $111
⎯★ Classic Knife Urban Masked FT, B/O: $146
★ StatTrak™ Classic Knife Stained BS, B/O: $168
⎯★ Ursus Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $476
★ Ursus Knife, B/O: $375
⎯★ Skeleton Knife, B/O: $1137
★ Talon Knife, B/O: $608
★ Paracord Knife, B/O: $305
★ Survival Knife Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $97
GLOVES
★ Moto Gloves Transport MW, B/O: $204
★ Moto Gloves Polygon BS, B/O: $142
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
⎯★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Kimono WW, B/O: $1215
★ Specialist Gloves Tiger Strike FT, B/O: $672
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander FT, B/O: $305
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander BS, B/O: $140
★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Web BS, B/O: $137
★ Specialist Gloves Buckshot FT, B/O: $75
⎯★ Driver Gloves Crimson Weave FT, B/O: $359
★ Driver Gloves Imperial Plaid BS, B/O: $229
★ Driver Gloves Overtake BS, B/O: $77
★ Driver Gloves Racing Green FT, B/O: $48
⎯★ Sport Gloves Omega FT, B/O: $739
★ Sport Gloves Amphibious BS #2, B/O: $733
★ Sport Gloves Arid BS, B/O: $292
⎯★ Hand Wraps Giraffe MW, B/O: $212
★ Hand Wraps Leather FT, B/O: $160
★ Hand Wraps Desert Shamagh MW, B/O: $101
⎯★ Broken Fang Gloves Yellow-banded MW, B/O: $185
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point FT, B/O: $67
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point WW, B/O: $59
⎯★ Hydra Gloves Case Hardened BS, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald FT, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald BS, B/O: $62
WEAPONS
AK-47 Case Hardened BS, B/O: $130
AK-47 Bloodsport MW, B/O: $79
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Bloodsport FT, B/O: $70
AK-47 Neon Rider MW, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AK-47 Aquamarine Revenge FT, B/O: $72
⎯AWP Fade FN, B/O: $1039
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Wildfire MW, B/O: $95
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP Duality FN, B/O: $81
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Chromatic Aberration FN, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Electric Hive FT, B/O: $55
⎯Desert Eagle Blaze FN, B/O: $623
Desert Eagle Emerald Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $241
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Printstream FT, B/O: $54
⎯M4A1-S Blue Phosphor FN, B/O: $434
StatTrak™ M4A1-S Bright Water MW, B/O: $55
⎯M4A4 Poseidon FN, B/O: $1465
M4A4 Asiimov BS, B/O: $55
M4A4 Hellfire MW, B/O: $50
⎯USP-S Kill Confirmed MW, B/O: $72
USP-S Printstream FT, B/O: $69
StatTrak™ USP-S Kill Confirmed FT, B/O: $139
⎯AUG Flame Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $234
P90 Run and Hide FT, B/O: $147
Five-SeveN Candy Apple FN, B/O: $61
Trade Offer Link - Steam Profile Link - My Inventory
Some items on the list may no longer be available or are still locked, visit My Inventory for more details.
Send a Trade Offer for fastest response. I consider all offers.
Add me for discuss if there is a serious offer that needs to be discussed.
2023.06.06 07:33 TRAE-is-Alastor Designation: Death(chapter 8, part 3)
Doll was quick to get up and counter her tricks, by creating 3 knives, which she each split into two.
She fired 3 knives at R, and 3 at X.
X was only hit by one, he was very agile and quick, throwing one of them back and forcing Doll to leap backward.
X was able to close the distance while she dodged, and feinted a claw swipe at her head, in order to actually get a slash at her back, cutting into it.
Doll however cut his arm off with the knife he threw back and then telekinetically threw it into his gut and plastered him to the wall next to R.
R had gotten hit by all 3 of the knives Doll threw at her, and she narrowly dodged before Doll could slam a desk into her ribcage.
X managed to rip the knife out of his stomach, and R began firing bullets at Doll, but they were easily redirected and hit her directly in the gut.
X ran forward and attempted to stab Doll with her own knife, but it shattered against Doll’s forcefield, before the tiny pieces were enhanced by Doll and sent flying into his skull hard enough to pierce it.
“This is over, Doll!”
X shouted as R’s chest cavity opened up and out of it popped a small cylindrical piece of metal, which she threw at Doll.
This piece of metal exploded into a storm of shrapnel and nanite acid, which just barely managed to pierce Doll’s forcefield, and hit her.
Only the shrapnel however actually worked, the nanites weren’t numerous enough to affect her.
Doll suddenly realized something… She wasn’t getting any Solver readings from R, even though she seemed to have the Solver.
Normally, AbsoluteSolver users were non-interactive and therefore couldn’t directly be harmed by the Solver, and yet…
Doll decided to test her theory, and began crushing R telekinetically.
That proved it, R for some reason wasn’t considered to be an AbsoluteSolver user despite having it.
Suddenly; X got up and once again managed to stab her in the back, but this time he also slammed her against the wall and threw her backwards over his head, firing a rocket at her as well.
Doll survived the explosion, but was winded and took a second to get up.
X began firing at Doll with a concealed sniper in his arm, but only one bullet hit her, and it wasn’t enough to stop her.
Doll sent every other bullet back, hitting X in the wrist and radius in particular.
X and R quickly began to flee, knowing that they couldn’t win.
However as X and R both ran down the corridor, they saw a cleaver fly past them, only to suddenly loop around and slash into R’s skull.
X quickly hacked the blade in half however, and brought it up to one of his wounds, allowing it to be absorbed into the wound.
Doll was still making chase, and so they still ran. X and R narrowly turned a corner, allowing them to dodge two small knives from Doll.
However, as soon as they turned the corner, Doll was somehow right there in front of them, and cut X’s arm off on the spot.
R thought that they were dead, but X’s arm had a built in shotgun that blasted out, hitting Doll’s leg and staggering her.
X roundhouse kicked her a good 20 feet, before picking up his arm and running again.
Eventually, X and R had lost her, and had a moment to breathe.
“That was close. Be careful, R. I’ll set you free, on one condition.” X spoke with a detached voice.
R was shocked and relieved about what she just heard, and was immediately ready. “The condition is that you don’t fight Uzi, and try to help us out. I’m aware that this little alliance we all have is shaky and strained… but we have to try and make this work so that survival is possible.”
R looked at him, shocked yet again. She knew that this was as good as she could get, and that it was her ticket to become free.
“I’ll let you leave, right after we meet back up with Uzi.”
They began running through the corridor again, their dread building with every dark corner they turned.
They had to be careful, Doll could be around any corner. They moved with the fearful caution of lives who directly encountered death.
They walked as silently as they could, to avoid being tracked, but they still heard footsteps.
Those footsteps could only belong to Doll, which meant that she was still close. The halls seemed to be like a labyrinth, they always took weird turns, just hoping that they led away from Doll and closer to Uzi.
There was something grim about the air itself, and suddenly it felt as if the walls were moving closer to them.
It would turn out however, that they were. Doll had located them, and was crushing the walls around them.
X’s program, translator.exe, activated to translate a Russian voice, and the translation read: “I’ve found you. Goodbye.”
Suddenly the corridor walls glowed red and starting closing in on them even faster, as fleshy tendrils of organic matter seemed to sprout through the wall in little cracks, splintering the ground and chunks of the wall as they reached out to crush X and R.
X and R began to run, trying to escape before they were trapped and killed by Doll.
X was sure that he could make it normally, but the tendrils led to some complications. One of them hit him in the side of the jaw, and grabbed his neck, slamming him against the wall.
The wind was knocked out of him and he could have died right there, however R quickly saved him by cutting the tendril off.
They kept running, but they wouldn’t make it if these obstructions continued.
Suddenly, fleshy organic hands sprouted out of the floor, grabbing R right as X managed to get out.
X didn’t look back, he didn’t realize the hands sprouting out of the ground and therefore thought R was right behind him.
One of these hands ripped part of R’s kneecaps off, then another scratched at her leg and several held her in place.
The walls were closing in, she needed to act fast.
“Godmind_String_Overdrive.” R whispered, and the protocol activated that physically renewed her vigor and temporarily made her tougher and quicker.
She cut the hands in half, and created a forcefield around her and kept running forward through the corridor.
The wall had reached her, and her forcefield was crumbling around her. However; the moment it crushed and her arms were shattered under the force of the walls, she managed to squeeze out.
submitted by TRAE-is-Alastor to MurderDrones [link] [comments]
She fired 3 knives at R, and 3 at X.
X was only hit by one, he was very agile and quick, throwing one of them back and forcing Doll to leap backward.
X was able to close the distance while she dodged, and feinted a claw swipe at her head, in order to actually get a slash at her back, cutting into it.
Doll however cut his arm off with the knife he threw back and then telekinetically threw it into his gut and plastered him to the wall next to R.
R had gotten hit by all 3 of the knives Doll threw at her, and she narrowly dodged before Doll could slam a desk into her ribcage.
X managed to rip the knife out of his stomach, and R began firing bullets at Doll, but they were easily redirected and hit her directly in the gut.
X ran forward and attempted to stab Doll with her own knife, but it shattered against Doll’s forcefield, before the tiny pieces were enhanced by Doll and sent flying into his skull hard enough to pierce it.
“This is over, Doll!”
X shouted as R’s chest cavity opened up and out of it popped a small cylindrical piece of metal, which she threw at Doll.
This piece of metal exploded into a storm of shrapnel and nanite acid, which just barely managed to pierce Doll’s forcefield, and hit her.
Only the shrapnel however actually worked, the nanites weren’t numerous enough to affect her.
Doll suddenly realized something… She wasn’t getting any Solver readings from R, even though she seemed to have the Solver.
Normally, AbsoluteSolver users were non-interactive and therefore couldn’t directly be harmed by the Solver, and yet…
Doll decided to test her theory, and began crushing R telekinetically.
That proved it, R for some reason wasn’t considered to be an AbsoluteSolver user despite having it.
Suddenly; X got up and once again managed to stab her in the back, but this time he also slammed her against the wall and threw her backwards over his head, firing a rocket at her as well.
Doll survived the explosion, but was winded and took a second to get up.
X began firing at Doll with a concealed sniper in his arm, but only one bullet hit her, and it wasn’t enough to stop her.
Doll sent every other bullet back, hitting X in the wrist and radius in particular.
X and R quickly began to flee, knowing that they couldn’t win.
However as X and R both ran down the corridor, they saw a cleaver fly past them, only to suddenly loop around and slash into R’s skull.
X quickly hacked the blade in half however, and brought it up to one of his wounds, allowing it to be absorbed into the wound.
Doll was still making chase, and so they still ran. X and R narrowly turned a corner, allowing them to dodge two small knives from Doll.
However, as soon as they turned the corner, Doll was somehow right there in front of them, and cut X’s arm off on the spot.
R thought that they were dead, but X’s arm had a built in shotgun that blasted out, hitting Doll’s leg and staggering her.
X roundhouse kicked her a good 20 feet, before picking up his arm and running again.
Eventually, X and R had lost her, and had a moment to breathe.
“That was close. Be careful, R. I’ll set you free, on one condition.” X spoke with a detached voice.
R was shocked and relieved about what she just heard, and was immediately ready. “The condition is that you don’t fight Uzi, and try to help us out. I’m aware that this little alliance we all have is shaky and strained… but we have to try and make this work so that survival is possible.”
R looked at him, shocked yet again. She knew that this was as good as she could get, and that it was her ticket to become free.
“I’ll let you leave, right after we meet back up with Uzi.”
They began running through the corridor again, their dread building with every dark corner they turned.
They had to be careful, Doll could be around any corner. They moved with the fearful caution of lives who directly encountered death.
They walked as silently as they could, to avoid being tracked, but they still heard footsteps.
Those footsteps could only belong to Doll, which meant that she was still close. The halls seemed to be like a labyrinth, they always took weird turns, just hoping that they led away from Doll and closer to Uzi.
There was something grim about the air itself, and suddenly it felt as if the walls were moving closer to them.
It would turn out however, that they were. Doll had located them, and was crushing the walls around them.
X’s program, translator.exe, activated to translate a Russian voice, and the translation read: “I’ve found you. Goodbye.”
Suddenly the corridor walls glowed red and starting closing in on them even faster, as fleshy tendrils of organic matter seemed to sprout through the wall in little cracks, splintering the ground and chunks of the wall as they reached out to crush X and R.
X and R began to run, trying to escape before they were trapped and killed by Doll.
X was sure that he could make it normally, but the tendrils led to some complications. One of them hit him in the side of the jaw, and grabbed his neck, slamming him against the wall.
The wind was knocked out of him and he could have died right there, however R quickly saved him by cutting the tendril off.
They kept running, but they wouldn’t make it if these obstructions continued.
Suddenly, fleshy organic hands sprouted out of the floor, grabbing R right as X managed to get out.
X didn’t look back, he didn’t realize the hands sprouting out of the ground and therefore thought R was right behind him.
One of these hands ripped part of R’s kneecaps off, then another scratched at her leg and several held her in place.
The walls were closing in, she needed to act fast.
“Godmind_String_Overdrive.” R whispered, and the protocol activated that physically renewed her vigor and temporarily made her tougher and quicker.
She cut the hands in half, and created a forcefield around her and kept running forward through the corridor.
The wall had reached her, and her forcefield was crumbling around her. However; the moment it crushed and her arms were shattered under the force of the walls, she managed to squeeze out.
2023.06.06 07:21 Kianhuatmetalbl When And Where Would You Use Expanded Metal Mesh?
Introduction:
The material is forced through a die with a specific cross-sectional profile in aluminum extrusion. A heavy ram forces the metal through the die and emerges from the die's hole. When this occurs, it appears in the dice shape and is transported down a runout table.
When broken down into its core components, the process is easily understood. The force exerted is analogous to squeezing a bottle of toothpaste. When you press a tube of toothpaste, the paste comes out in the shape of the tube's opening. Opening a toothpaste line serves the same function as an extrusion die.
📷
📷
submitted by Kianhuatmetalbl to u/Kianhuatmetalbl [link] [comments]
The material is forced through a die with a specific cross-sectional profile in aluminum extrusion. A heavy ram forces the metal through the die and emerges from the die's hole. When this occurs, it appears in the dice shape and is transported down a runout table.
When broken down into its core components, the process is easily understood. The force exerted is analogous to squeezing a bottle of toothpaste. When you press a tube of toothpaste, the paste comes out in the shape of the tube's opening. Opening a toothpaste line serves the same function as an extrusion die.
- Aluminum Extrusion:
📷
- Expanded metal mesh:
- Slotted angle bar:
📷
- Lip channel:
- Unistrut:
2023.06.06 07:20 Seamoose_Art NoP 2177: In the Shadow of the Valley [11]
Credit for the original story goes to u/spacepaladin15. This is the final chapter of NoP 2177, although I personally consider it more of an epilogue. Either way, I hope you enjoy!
[First] [Previous]
---
Memory transcript subject: Tressa, Venlil outlaw
Date [Standardized Human Time]: January 5th, 2178
Location: USS Washington, dark side of Venlil Prime
A bloodcurdling shriek echoed through the hall, followed by the sound of claws scrabbling against the metal floor. A frantic chase ensued, a blur of fur and scales flying down the corridor at breakneck pace. But it was over before it began. A connecting door slid shut with a quiet hiss which silenced all hope of escape, leaving the terrified predator at the mercy of an increasingly impatient prey.
“Hy, we’ve been over this. You need to take baths, or your scales will get all yucky and stop growing. You don’t want that, do you?”
Hyacii was still frantically searching over the door for some way to open it. Her lovely gray coat, matted in oil from some ill-advised exploration through the ship, left streaks of iridescent sludge across the polished floor which would need to be cleaned up. But that could wait.
“Hy…”
Finding no escape from her grim fate, the young Arxur finally turned around to face her captor. “N-no! I don’t wanna!”
“Hyacii, I’m giving you ‘till the count of five. If you don’t come with me when I hit zero, I’ll go get Sasha and she’ll bathe you instead. Fiiiiiive…”
“NO!”
“Fourrrrrrr…”
“I’ll tell Mama! I’ll tell her you’re being mean to me!”
“We’ve talked about this with her, remember? Little Arxur need to keep their scales clean to grow up big and strong. You want to grow up all big and strong like she is, right?”
“She wouldn’t say that! I want to see! I want to see what she said!”
“Sweetie… you’re just stalling. You can’t read big Venlang words yet like she uses.”
She cast her head to the side in a pout. “Yes. I. could! I’ve been practicing with Trish, this much!” To emphasize her point, she stretched her little arms out as far as they’d go.
“Threeeeeee…”
Hyacii swept her tail across the floor in frustration, further smearing oil everywhere.
“Twoooooo…”
With time running out, she employed her final weapon, an expression which Sasha referred to as ‘Puppy dog eyes’. While normally adorable, it now only served to highlight the dark smears across her face.
“One and a half…”
Her full arsenal depleted, Hyacii finally capitulated and stormed over to Tressa’s side with exaggerated stomps. She allowed herself to be picked up, trying and failing to suppress an adorable noise of comfort as Tressa rubbed the scales around her shoulders. He’d need to shower later anyway, so the sludge staining his ragged fur was hardly a concern.
—
The little Arxur squirmed playfully in his arms, kicking up splashes which cut through the layer of bubbles to soak his bedraggled wool as he tried to dislodge more of the thick oil.
“Are you enjoying your bath, sweetie?”
“Yes!”
“I thought you hated baths.” He took a moment to stop scrubbing, and stretched his arms out wide. “This much, right? Isn't that what you said?”
“N— Yes! I do, they take so long, and they’re so… I hate them!”
“That so? What are you doing enjoying one, then?”
Hyacii had no response, which he took as his cue to get back to washing. He carefully cleansed the iridescent sludge, revealing a dense pattern of gray scales which shimmered like a rippling pond. She giggled as he washed around her snout, swishing her tail in a motion which was normally adorable but now only served to push more water out of the bathtub and onto the floor.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you earlier…” He started, pointedly ignoring the irritating feeling of water soaking into his fur and pooling at his ankles, “...but James’ll be out for the next couple paws. He took Beast with him, so no checking on the garden for a little while, OK?”
She grumbled for a moment, before a curious look flickered past her eyes. “Why does he and Sassa keep leaving?”
“Why do he and Sasha keep leaving, not ‘does’. Anyway… you know how we can’t eat the same food you eat?”
“Right! That’s why you’re build— uh, growing the garden!”
“Yeah, but the garden isn’t all grown yet. Until then, we still need to get food from the city. Once our garden grows, we can stay here all the time for you. Remember how we talked about patience?”
“But I don’t wanna be patient! I want him to be back now!”
“So do I, but everybody needs to wait for things. If you keep busy, he’ll be back before you know it!”
Hyacii pouted. “You’re just trying to trick me into practicing more words, aren’t you?”
“I might be. But you want to talk to your mom all on your own, right? If you keep learning with Trish, you can tell her all about the horrible baths we make you take. Speaking of… here, ready?”
After getting a human-like nod of affirmation, Tressa lifted her from the tub and onto a towel. They weren’t sure if the heat of an air dryer would harm her scales, so getting her dry was almost as laborious as getting her clean. It was worth it, though; she enjoyed the feeling of being towel-dried almost as much as she enjoyed tearing around the halls at Mach two. A muffled peal of delight issued from the heap of towel that used to be an Arxur, as he set to work wiping the water from her scales.
—
The USS Washington was once a proud human starship, one of several hundred which had so briefly encircled Venlil Prime to act as defense. Sasha talked about that brief period sometimes, usually when she was drunk; though it lasted only months, enough history was made in that span that it felt like a full decade.
Long, beautiful months for some; the ones who talked reverently about Tarva as though she was still Governor, who made dumb jokes about the Venlil’s behavior on first contact when they still regarded humanity as violent and strange creatures. Sasha, naturally, was one of these people. She’d go on and on about what a magical time it was when they realized the universe was far bigger than they ever knew, and how incredible it was to make friends among aliens. Her closed-lipped smile, a habitual remnant of a time when most Venlil froze in terror at a human’s teeth, spoke of how much humanity was willing to give up for the chance at intergalactic acceptance.
Miserable, chaotic months for others; those who talked about it as a time of strife and mistrust, when Venlil lived in fear of predation and humans suffered the agony of constant rejection and hate. Only following the first bombing of Earth did things begin to change in earnest, and even then it was hardly a clean transition. Refugee shelters and human-friendly businesses went up in flames in a grim foreshadowing of the fate that would befall Venlil Prime as a whole, the planet condemned to burn for sheltering uncured and unpacified humans. Of course, the fact that they were sheltered instead of willingly led to slaughter painted a somewhat softer view of the time period than many would admit.
Both narratives ended the same way. There was no debate over the justice of the Federation’s rule for the generation that remembered a time before; those city-scorching flames still burned fresh in everyone’s mind. Nor was there any debate over the trustworthiness of humanity, not among the Venlil who remembered the invasion.
When an exterminator fleet descended upon Venlil Prime, the UN pulled back the resources it desperately needed elsewhere to defend the planet. Earth itself was left all but unguarded in the effort to save a species that humanity had been allied with for less than a year, a task they set to with a desperate fury that hinged on madness. Hundreds of ships flung themselves at the enemy in suicidal charges once vital systems were crippled, targeting bombers and ensuring that the Venlil could not simply be annihilated from orbit.
The USS Washington was not one of those brave kamikaze vessels. It was one of the ships in orbit as a passive defense, knocked out of the fight with relatively minimal damage and able to make a hasty emergency landing on the dark side of Venlil Prime.
In the time Tressa had spent getting systems up and running, he’d never come across a single skeleton; the ship had been thoroughly picked clean by shadestalkers, or perhaps the crew had managed to evacuate without casualties. Or at least had the time and people needed to move the dead off the ship and hold proper burials. Whatever the reason, it made the difficult work of repairing the ship much less gruesome.
They’d fried any records for obvious security reasons, but left the backup power operational. They’d left a number of vital systems operational; if they had evacuated, they’d done so in a rush. Or perhaps they expected victory, and didn’t anticipate the need to scuttle the ship. Either way, Tressa’s job was a hell of a lot easier for it.
Restoring water had been a far simpler job than he anticipated. He’d been dreading the prospect of digging a well, but equipment scavenged from the ship itself had made that process far easier, and the onboard supply alone was enough to last months. With this abundance, they could even afford such extravagant luxuries as baths. Hyacii really didn’t know how good she had it.
—
Once he’d gotten the little Arxur all cleaned up and given her a stern talk about not crawling around the ship’s filthier corners, she was free to ignore his advice and go straight back to sprinting around the labyrinthian behemoth they called home.
He often wondered, watching her stalk around the ship, if this exploration of territory and practice sneaking through shadows was as vital to her development as physical contact was for Venlil children. Sometimes he wondered if so much affection was even natural for her species, or if they were smothering her every time they pulled her in for a hug.
She did enjoy it, but… not everything enjoyable was good for her. When she was younger and had no concept of restraint, they’d have to physically hold her back from gorging herself on berries which would make her violently ill, which she’d keep eating anyway because she loved the taste too much. Maybe it was the same thing with their parental love. Maybe they’d have to teach her how to be more independent for her own good, however difficult that change would be for all of them.
Ultimately, the idea was speculation. Depriving her of warmth would be cruel unless they were absolutely certain it would aid in her development. And the fact was, they had no idea. Despite their best search efforts, records concerning Arxur child rearing were nonexistent.
The Dominion actively suppressed any behavior seen as ‘weak’, so growing up under their reign was a harsh and loveless process; at least, that was what they’d been told by an Arxur who lived through the process, and they had no reason to doubt her. There wasn’t a way they could verify the fact, though. The Federation didn’t want anyone thinking of predators as people, so any records that might’ve existed were long since turned to ash.
As cruel as the Dominion could be, they had an interest in keeping their subjects healthy enough to fight. Without those records, and with only someone else’s faint memories to go by, they were largely on their own in regards to physical development.
Was their little Hyacii eating right? They’d been feeding her using an organ printer they’d managed to repair, but perhaps there were nutrients in bones and skin that she wasn’t getting. Her scales were getting slowly lighter; maybe malnutrition, or maybe that was a natural part of her development. Was she sleeping right? Lately, she’d been complaining about grogginess, though it didn’t seem to stop her from tearing around the halls.
And psychologically? There, they were completely in the dark. All species had different needs, especially at a young age. Venlil cubs needed a level of attention that most humans would find smothering. Human children required forms of play that reflected long-obsolete hunting instincts, games which involved chasing and manipulating projectiles. What types of play did a growing Arxur need? They played hide-and-seek with her (as best they could, though it was rapidly approaching the point where she could neither be caught nor hidden from), but that was hardly a replacement for hunting. Was she languishing without prey to chase?
A hundred different worries, a thousand different questions, and not a single easy, reassuring answer. On that fateful night, Tressa had assumed that living alongside a “true predator” would be the hardest part. In fact, that had come easy; how could anyone feel threatened by such a sweet little star?
No, the most difficult part was coming to terms with the fact that they would make mistakes. In their lack of knowledge, trial and error was the only way to gain ground. And “error” meant hurting Hyacii. No matter how much they loved her, they couldn’t help but hurt her. It was a difficult truth to swallow.
But it was a truth they had to accept. Ultimately, all they could do was try. Try, and love her, and hope that was enough to cover for their failures. Hope that one day, someone else would be insane enough to learn from their mistakes. Hope that their little Hyacii wouldn’t be both the first and last Arxur of her generation. Hope that one day, they wouldn’t have to hide. She wouldn’t have to hide.
In the cold shadow of Venlil Prime, it wasn’t enough to have power and heat. Plenty had fled to the frigid wasteland in search of respite, only to die cold and alone despite their physical needs being met. They’d simply lay in bed with no will to survive, waiting as their body gave up on life. It was once believed that the dark side was haunted by vengeful spirits, though modern science put the blame on Herdless Depressive Disorder combined with the harsh physical toll of living in such an inhospitable environment.
Someone with a herd could stave off death’s embrace for quite a while longer, up to months. Many on the twilight edge lived this way, dipping in and out of the darkness as their job demanded. However, they knew not to stay for too long; even with the warmth of companionship, the dark side of Venlil prime claimed all eventually. Life was impossible without light.
How fortunate then, that the USS Washington was flooded with light. A light like a ghostly lantern, darting through the hallways and crawling through obscure corners of the ship to come back covered in sludge. A light like a burning star, which filled their hearts with warmth every time it closed in for an embrace. The light of hope; what a strange twist of fate that it would take the form of an Arxur.
---
[First] [Previous]
submitted by Seamoose_Art to NatureofPredators [link] [comments]
[First] [Previous]
---
Memory transcript subject: Tressa, Venlil outlaw
Date [Standardized Human Time]: January 5th, 2178
Location: USS Washington, dark side of Venlil Prime
A bloodcurdling shriek echoed through the hall, followed by the sound of claws scrabbling against the metal floor. A frantic chase ensued, a blur of fur and scales flying down the corridor at breakneck pace. But it was over before it began. A connecting door slid shut with a quiet hiss which silenced all hope of escape, leaving the terrified predator at the mercy of an increasingly impatient prey.
“Hy, we’ve been over this. You need to take baths, or your scales will get all yucky and stop growing. You don’t want that, do you?”
Hyacii was still frantically searching over the door for some way to open it. Her lovely gray coat, matted in oil from some ill-advised exploration through the ship, left streaks of iridescent sludge across the polished floor which would need to be cleaned up. But that could wait.
“Hy…”
Finding no escape from her grim fate, the young Arxur finally turned around to face her captor. “N-no! I don’t wanna!”
“Hyacii, I’m giving you ‘till the count of five. If you don’t come with me when I hit zero, I’ll go get Sasha and she’ll bathe you instead. Fiiiiiive…”
“NO!”
“Fourrrrrrr…”
“I’ll tell Mama! I’ll tell her you’re being mean to me!”
“We’ve talked about this with her, remember? Little Arxur need to keep their scales clean to grow up big and strong. You want to grow up all big and strong like she is, right?”
“She wouldn’t say that! I want to see! I want to see what she said!”
“Sweetie… you’re just stalling. You can’t read big Venlang words yet like she uses.”
She cast her head to the side in a pout. “Yes. I. could! I’ve been practicing with Trish, this much!” To emphasize her point, she stretched her little arms out as far as they’d go.
“Threeeeeee…”
Hyacii swept her tail across the floor in frustration, further smearing oil everywhere.
“Twoooooo…”
With time running out, she employed her final weapon, an expression which Sasha referred to as ‘Puppy dog eyes’. While normally adorable, it now only served to highlight the dark smears across her face.
“One and a half…”
Her full arsenal depleted, Hyacii finally capitulated and stormed over to Tressa’s side with exaggerated stomps. She allowed herself to be picked up, trying and failing to suppress an adorable noise of comfort as Tressa rubbed the scales around her shoulders. He’d need to shower later anyway, so the sludge staining his ragged fur was hardly a concern.
—
The little Arxur squirmed playfully in his arms, kicking up splashes which cut through the layer of bubbles to soak his bedraggled wool as he tried to dislodge more of the thick oil.
“Are you enjoying your bath, sweetie?”
“Yes!”
“I thought you hated baths.” He took a moment to stop scrubbing, and stretched his arms out wide. “This much, right? Isn't that what you said?”
“N— Yes! I do, they take so long, and they’re so… I hate them!”
“That so? What are you doing enjoying one, then?”
Hyacii had no response, which he took as his cue to get back to washing. He carefully cleansed the iridescent sludge, revealing a dense pattern of gray scales which shimmered like a rippling pond. She giggled as he washed around her snout, swishing her tail in a motion which was normally adorable but now only served to push more water out of the bathtub and onto the floor.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you earlier…” He started, pointedly ignoring the irritating feeling of water soaking into his fur and pooling at his ankles, “...but James’ll be out for the next couple paws. He took Beast with him, so no checking on the garden for a little while, OK?”
She grumbled for a moment, before a curious look flickered past her eyes. “Why does he and Sassa keep leaving?”
“Why do he and Sasha keep leaving, not ‘does’. Anyway… you know how we can’t eat the same food you eat?”
“Right! That’s why you’re build— uh, growing the garden!”
“Yeah, but the garden isn’t all grown yet. Until then, we still need to get food from the city. Once our garden grows, we can stay here all the time for you. Remember how we talked about patience?”
“But I don’t wanna be patient! I want him to be back now!”
“So do I, but everybody needs to wait for things. If you keep busy, he’ll be back before you know it!”
Hyacii pouted. “You’re just trying to trick me into practicing more words, aren’t you?”
“I might be. But you want to talk to your mom all on your own, right? If you keep learning with Trish, you can tell her all about the horrible baths we make you take. Speaking of… here, ready?”
After getting a human-like nod of affirmation, Tressa lifted her from the tub and onto a towel. They weren’t sure if the heat of an air dryer would harm her scales, so getting her dry was almost as laborious as getting her clean. It was worth it, though; she enjoyed the feeling of being towel-dried almost as much as she enjoyed tearing around the halls at Mach two. A muffled peal of delight issued from the heap of towel that used to be an Arxur, as he set to work wiping the water from her scales.
—
The USS Washington was once a proud human starship, one of several hundred which had so briefly encircled Venlil Prime to act as defense. Sasha talked about that brief period sometimes, usually when she was drunk; though it lasted only months, enough history was made in that span that it felt like a full decade.
Long, beautiful months for some; the ones who talked reverently about Tarva as though she was still Governor, who made dumb jokes about the Venlil’s behavior on first contact when they still regarded humanity as violent and strange creatures. Sasha, naturally, was one of these people. She’d go on and on about what a magical time it was when they realized the universe was far bigger than they ever knew, and how incredible it was to make friends among aliens. Her closed-lipped smile, a habitual remnant of a time when most Venlil froze in terror at a human’s teeth, spoke of how much humanity was willing to give up for the chance at intergalactic acceptance.
Miserable, chaotic months for others; those who talked about it as a time of strife and mistrust, when Venlil lived in fear of predation and humans suffered the agony of constant rejection and hate. Only following the first bombing of Earth did things begin to change in earnest, and even then it was hardly a clean transition. Refugee shelters and human-friendly businesses went up in flames in a grim foreshadowing of the fate that would befall Venlil Prime as a whole, the planet condemned to burn for sheltering uncured and unpacified humans. Of course, the fact that they were sheltered instead of willingly led to slaughter painted a somewhat softer view of the time period than many would admit.
Both narratives ended the same way. There was no debate over the justice of the Federation’s rule for the generation that remembered a time before; those city-scorching flames still burned fresh in everyone’s mind. Nor was there any debate over the trustworthiness of humanity, not among the Venlil who remembered the invasion.
When an exterminator fleet descended upon Venlil Prime, the UN pulled back the resources it desperately needed elsewhere to defend the planet. Earth itself was left all but unguarded in the effort to save a species that humanity had been allied with for less than a year, a task they set to with a desperate fury that hinged on madness. Hundreds of ships flung themselves at the enemy in suicidal charges once vital systems were crippled, targeting bombers and ensuring that the Venlil could not simply be annihilated from orbit.
The USS Washington was not one of those brave kamikaze vessels. It was one of the ships in orbit as a passive defense, knocked out of the fight with relatively minimal damage and able to make a hasty emergency landing on the dark side of Venlil Prime.
In the time Tressa had spent getting systems up and running, he’d never come across a single skeleton; the ship had been thoroughly picked clean by shadestalkers, or perhaps the crew had managed to evacuate without casualties. Or at least had the time and people needed to move the dead off the ship and hold proper burials. Whatever the reason, it made the difficult work of repairing the ship much less gruesome.
They’d fried any records for obvious security reasons, but left the backup power operational. They’d left a number of vital systems operational; if they had evacuated, they’d done so in a rush. Or perhaps they expected victory, and didn’t anticipate the need to scuttle the ship. Either way, Tressa’s job was a hell of a lot easier for it.
Restoring water had been a far simpler job than he anticipated. He’d been dreading the prospect of digging a well, but equipment scavenged from the ship itself had made that process far easier, and the onboard supply alone was enough to last months. With this abundance, they could even afford such extravagant luxuries as baths. Hyacii really didn’t know how good she had it.
—
Once he’d gotten the little Arxur all cleaned up and given her a stern talk about not crawling around the ship’s filthier corners, she was free to ignore his advice and go straight back to sprinting around the labyrinthian behemoth they called home.
He often wondered, watching her stalk around the ship, if this exploration of territory and practice sneaking through shadows was as vital to her development as physical contact was for Venlil children. Sometimes he wondered if so much affection was even natural for her species, or if they were smothering her every time they pulled her in for a hug.
She did enjoy it, but… not everything enjoyable was good for her. When she was younger and had no concept of restraint, they’d have to physically hold her back from gorging herself on berries which would make her violently ill, which she’d keep eating anyway because she loved the taste too much. Maybe it was the same thing with their parental love. Maybe they’d have to teach her how to be more independent for her own good, however difficult that change would be for all of them.
Ultimately, the idea was speculation. Depriving her of warmth would be cruel unless they were absolutely certain it would aid in her development. And the fact was, they had no idea. Despite their best search efforts, records concerning Arxur child rearing were nonexistent.
The Dominion actively suppressed any behavior seen as ‘weak’, so growing up under their reign was a harsh and loveless process; at least, that was what they’d been told by an Arxur who lived through the process, and they had no reason to doubt her. There wasn’t a way they could verify the fact, though. The Federation didn’t want anyone thinking of predators as people, so any records that might’ve existed were long since turned to ash.
As cruel as the Dominion could be, they had an interest in keeping their subjects healthy enough to fight. Without those records, and with only someone else’s faint memories to go by, they were largely on their own in regards to physical development.
Was their little Hyacii eating right? They’d been feeding her using an organ printer they’d managed to repair, but perhaps there were nutrients in bones and skin that she wasn’t getting. Her scales were getting slowly lighter; maybe malnutrition, or maybe that was a natural part of her development. Was she sleeping right? Lately, she’d been complaining about grogginess, though it didn’t seem to stop her from tearing around the halls.
And psychologically? There, they were completely in the dark. All species had different needs, especially at a young age. Venlil cubs needed a level of attention that most humans would find smothering. Human children required forms of play that reflected long-obsolete hunting instincts, games which involved chasing and manipulating projectiles. What types of play did a growing Arxur need? They played hide-and-seek with her (as best they could, though it was rapidly approaching the point where she could neither be caught nor hidden from), but that was hardly a replacement for hunting. Was she languishing without prey to chase?
A hundred different worries, a thousand different questions, and not a single easy, reassuring answer. On that fateful night, Tressa had assumed that living alongside a “true predator” would be the hardest part. In fact, that had come easy; how could anyone feel threatened by such a sweet little star?
No, the most difficult part was coming to terms with the fact that they would make mistakes. In their lack of knowledge, trial and error was the only way to gain ground. And “error” meant hurting Hyacii. No matter how much they loved her, they couldn’t help but hurt her. It was a difficult truth to swallow.
But it was a truth they had to accept. Ultimately, all they could do was try. Try, and love her, and hope that was enough to cover for their failures. Hope that one day, someone else would be insane enough to learn from their mistakes. Hope that their little Hyacii wouldn’t be both the first and last Arxur of her generation. Hope that one day, they wouldn’t have to hide. She wouldn’t have to hide.
In the cold shadow of Venlil Prime, it wasn’t enough to have power and heat. Plenty had fled to the frigid wasteland in search of respite, only to die cold and alone despite their physical needs being met. They’d simply lay in bed with no will to survive, waiting as their body gave up on life. It was once believed that the dark side was haunted by vengeful spirits, though modern science put the blame on Herdless Depressive Disorder combined with the harsh physical toll of living in such an inhospitable environment.
Someone with a herd could stave off death’s embrace for quite a while longer, up to months. Many on the twilight edge lived this way, dipping in and out of the darkness as their job demanded. However, they knew not to stay for too long; even with the warmth of companionship, the dark side of Venlil prime claimed all eventually. Life was impossible without light.
How fortunate then, that the USS Washington was flooded with light. A light like a ghostly lantern, darting through the hallways and crawling through obscure corners of the ship to come back covered in sludge. A light like a burning star, which filled their hearts with warmth every time it closed in for an embrace. The light of hope; what a strange twist of fate that it would take the form of an Arxur.
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2023.06.06 06:55 Evening-Ease-7088 Bandit challenge 3 in under 4 minutes
Hey rdr2 fans. There's a ridiculously easy way to do the bandit challenge (3? Rob 4 registers in a day). 1) go to Wallace station with the store. Rob it (threw the mask on each time and parked my horse next to the station). Entered from the trackside of the store, run out and mount. Mount up and run up the train track to the north and sit behind the small isolated building next to the track. Lawmen won't come up there (it's 10 seconds away small one room wooden building) and you're never in the radius of that red circle. 2) run back after the wanted notice vanishes. (sometimes the wanted level is gone but a law npc may be there leaving the zone so look out for them). If so ride back up the track. Rob again. If the npc is missing it still counts. He can respawn and just glitches through you to report you. 3)rinse and repeat. Tricky challenge done in a few minutes. Managed it in 3 minutes 48 seconds which I'm sure someone can get even quicker. Beats the ride to different towns stuff. Note: the challenge reads "any 4 registers" "NOT 4 different ones". hope it helps someone. P.s thanks redditers for your help with other stuff I was stumped on 😁
submitted by Evening-Ease-7088 to reddeadredemption2 [link] [comments]
2023.06.06 06:37 Goose_jpg Do not swim down to Ravenser Odd. If you do, make sure you never return.
My name is Oliver Stubbs. My whole life and identity are all inextricably entwined with my camera, and to say that I make a living behind the lens would be a monumental understatement. Ever since I was a child, I've been fascinated by the power of photography, the ability to freeze time - to immortalise a moment. At an early age, I discovered a knack for capturing more than just images but stories, emotions, and life itself, though looking back, my pictures weren't all too impressive as a child. But, as I grew older, my fascination turned into a burning passion. I studied photography at the prestigious University of Arts London and became prominent for my evocative storytelling through images. I had the unique ability to capture the unseen, the unheard, the unspoken - the soul of a scene. My distinctive style was hailed as revolutionary.
My work spans a range of genres, but my underwater photography has become particularly renowned. The unseen world beneath the waves, teeming with life, captivated me, and I devoted myself to capturing it in all its vibrancy and mystery. My photos were acclaimed for their vivid detail and uncanny ability to transport viewers beneath the surface into the heart of the underwater world. My images graced the covers of National Geographic and Time magazines, and my exhibits were frequented by photography enthusiasts worldwide. And at the age of 30, I was awaiting the dreaded 'burnout' my friends had all complained about.
I was a natural choice when the renowned historical and marine research organisation, the Sea Past Society, decided to take on the ambitious task of finding and documenting Ravenser Odd, Britain's own Atlantis. They needed someone who could document the submerged ruins in a way that showcased their historical significance and captured the mystique of a town long lost to the sea. A challenge that I knew was perfect for me.Dr Katherine Howard, the head of the Sea Past Society and a well-respected marine historian, contacted me personally. She believed in my unique talent for visual storytelling and thought I could bring the sunken town's story to life. She felt my photos could inspire a global audience, stir their imagination, and allow them to connect with a past submerged beneath the cold waters of the North Sea. Naturally, I was thrilled and honoured to be selected for such a significant project. The chance to dive into the mysterious depths and uncover the secrets of a lost town was a dream come true, and although I had done similar projects - something just felt... Different.
My flat in London soon became a frenzy of activity, cluttered with new high-tech underwater cameras, powerful lights for illuminating the dark ocean depths, and all manner of equipment for preserving my gear against the corrosive effects of saltwater, all funded by the Sea Past Society. But amid the chaos, there was an undercurrent of palpable excitement. Beneath the exhilaration was a thin layer of anxiety, like a dusting of frost on an otherwise warm window pane. It lingered there, never once stepping into the light but ominously hovering in the room's dark corners. The task ahead was daunting. This was not a recreational dive into a well-explored reef but an expedition into a town lost to the depths six centuries ago. Unease did not overshadow my enthusiasm; it fueled it. The chance to tell the story of Ravenser Odd, to breathe life into its submerged and silent streets, was a thrill like no other. I relished the challenge. Before long, it was time to travel to Yorkshire. I was introduced to my dive buddy, a man named Callum, a burly Scotsman with a twinkle in his eye and a jovial demeanour. But beneath his light-hearted exterior was an individual of impressive expertise and meticulous attention to detail. Dr Howard had assembled a unique team of historians, marine archaeologists, and technical experts. Most of them were to say above the sea and watch through another camera broadcasting to the boat.
Callum was the Sea Past Society's Health and Safety Coordinator, a veteran diver with an impeccable track record. His task was to ensure the safety of the divers as they explored the undersea ruins, and I was to be his primary responsibility. Callum was hired not just for his expertise in dive safety but also for his ability to remain calm in a crisis. His warm personality put me at ease, making me feel safer about the dive.
In the days leading up to the dive, Callum and I worked closely together. We conducted practice dives, tested our equipment, and developed a dive plan. His attention to detail and uncompromising approach to safety impressed me. He was careful and cautious - but also open to the spirit of adventure that this exploration held. The excitement and nerves within me swirled like a tempest. The idea I was soon to explore a piece of history untouched for centuries, about to uncover stories that had been silenced by the sea, kept me tossing and turning in my bed at night.The day finally arrived. Our vessel was a massive, state-of-the-art boat stocked with all the equipment necessary for the dive, including cutting-edge sonar systems, robotic submersibles, and a plethora of diving gear. There was an undercurrent of tension in the air, a static charge that prickled the skin and raised the hair on the back of your neck. I noticed hushed conversations among the crew, quick, sidelong glances that hinted at concern. Was it the enormity of the task that caused this? Or perhaps they were wary of a new face? I shook it off; I had a talent for overthinking things, especially while stressed.
Callum meticulously checked my gear, ensuring every piece was functioning correctly. His diligent inspection was comforting, a touch of solidity amid a sea of anticipation. We ran through our final checklist - emergency signals, the navigation route, and ascent and descent points. As we finished our preparations, the moment we'd been waiting for was finally upon us. With one last nod of reassurance from Callum, we plunged into the icy embrace of the North Sea. The sudden chill was a shock, biting through the thick neoprene of my diving suit, but it did nothing to dampen my spirits. If anything, it heightened my senses, focusing my mind on the world we were about to enter.
As we descended, the remnants of Ravenser Odd slowly emerged from the gloom. The water had eroded much, but what remained bore a spectral reminder of the bustling town it once was. Buildings, streets, the outlines of what might have been a town square, all blanketed in a shroud of decay and encrusted with marine life. Intricate stonework, long worn away by the constant current, was now home to vibrant corals and anemones, creating an eerie fusion of man-made and natural beauty. The coral had claimed these structures, using them as foundations for their colonies, transforming them into organic, living artworks that swayed gently with the ocean's rhythm. It was a haunting sight, a tableau of life abruptly halted and preserved beneath the waves.
Statues stood guard over their underwater realm, their features softened by centuries under the sea, their stony gaze meeting mine through a veil of tiny bubbles that streamed from my regulator. A fish darted past, a flash of iridescent colour that stood out against the grey stone and green-blue water. I was caught between two worlds, the ancient human past and the teeming marine life of the present. It was simultaneously humbling and thrilling, a testament to nature's uncanny ability to reclaim and repurpose. With my camera at the ready, I eagerly started documenting this hauntingly beautiful underwater world. Callum and I navigated through the labyrinth of sunken streets. Each building was a monument to the past, offering a unique glimpse into the lives of those who once called Ravenser Odd home. While I concentrated on capturing the visual essence of these ancient structures, other team members avoided us and engaged in their own tasks. They meticulously scraped away at the encrusted stone walls, collecting samples to further understand how the sea had affected the material over the centuries. Though this underwater world was extraordinary, it wasn't entirely alien. I'd spent years exploring and documenting similar sites. Yet, each site had its own unique character, a singular atmosphere that made every dive a new adventure.
My previous major project had been an exploration of the underwater ruins of a Second World War shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea. That was a poignant journey, a testament to a grim period of human history. But despite the historical significance and the eerie beauty of the coral-clad wreckage, the experience was different, perhaps because it lacked the element of human life that Ravenser Odd held. Once a mighty symbol of naval power, the decaying hull now lay silent and broken on the ocean floor. Ravenser Odd was not merely a relic of an ancient era, but a snapshot of everyday life frozen in time and lost to the ocean depths. It had once been filled with people, their hopes and dreams, their daily routines. This tangible human element made this dive so much more thrilling. I felt like an interloper peering into a time capsule of lives lived centuries ago.
I was careful to capture every significant structure, every suggestive detail that hinted at the lives once lived here. I photographed the decay, the rich marine life, and the profound contrasts between human architecture and natural adaptations. Each click of my shutter felt like a tribute, a way to immortalise the town and its untold stories for posterity
.The underwater world has a curious way of warping one's sense of time. Minutes stretch into hours, and each moment is amplified in the silent stillness of the ocean depths. Before I knew it, our dive time was up, and the team began their gradual ascent back to the surface. As I started to swim upwards, I felt an unaccountable tug, like an unseen current pulling me back towards the sunken town. It was as if Ravenser Odd was reluctant to let us go, whispering silent pleas for us to stay and listen to its muted stories a while longer. Mistaking it for my thirst for excitement was a mistake.
A few days later, I found myself in the Sea Past Society's dedicated photography lab, surrounded by the familiar hum of high-end development equipment and the sharp, comforting scent of photographic chemicals. Developing photos was always a ritual of anticipation and discovery for me. The way an image gradually emerged on the paper felt almost like magic, a portal opening up to a frozen moment in time. As the first of the underwater images began to materialise, I was thrilled to see the haunting beauty of the sunken town coming to life once more. But as I went through the developing photos, unease started to creep in. I first noticed it in one of the shots of the town square. There was a shadow that didn't align with the underwater light refraction, a blur that felt out of place. I thought it might be a technical glitch, perhaps an equipment malfunction or an error in the development process.
But as more photos developed, the anomalies kept appearing. Patches of darkness seemed to move across sequential shots, undefined shapes lurking in the corners of the frame, and odd distortions that seemed to warp the scenery. They were subtle and could easily be dismissed as flaws or artefacts of the photographic process, but something about them made me feel uneasy. I reviewed the images over and over, trying to find a logical explanation, but the more I looked, the more the inconsistencies gnawed at me. It felt as though the images were hiding something, something that lurked just beyond the edges of perception. It was as if the quiet town of Ravenser Odd had secrets it was reluctant to reveal, secrets that I had inadvertently brought back with me to the surface.
In some sort of sicking denial, I laid out the images before me, my mind teetered between disbelief and fear. Something was wrong, but I couldn't discern whether it was a simple mistake on my part or something more profound. This was my work, and the anomalies, however bizarre, had emerged from my own camera. I wanted it to be my error. It had to be... Right?
Doubt seeped into my thoughts, creating a whirlpool of uncertainty. Had I overlooked something in the underwater conditions? Had I mishandled the equipment? Was there something wrong with my camera? I was well-respected in my field and known for my precision and attention to detail. A mistake like this felt uncharacteristic, but I couldn't ignore the possibility. And then, there was the question of whether to reveal these anomalies to my superiors. I found myself wrestling with the implications.
I was not one to be easily intimidated, but the thought of jeopardising my position unsettled me. Despite my accomplishments, the all too familiar feeling of imposter syndrome set in, and I found myself questioning my abilities and whether I really belonged here. Despite this, deep within me, a quiet resolve began to form. As much as the prospect of uncertainty unnerved me, the idea of not pursuing this anomaly felt even worse. I've always been driven by a hunger for truth and understanding. I had to find out if I had messed up; if not, what was causing the distortions? Ravenser Odd had presented me with a puzzle, and I could not resist the pull to delve deeper.
I approached Dr Howard with a carefully considered proposal. I had crafted an excuse, one that was rooted in genuine scientific curiosity and made to cover my arse if it turned out to be my fault the entire time. I suggested we needed a more detailed visual record of the site, a series of panoramic images that could be digitally stitched together to provide a 360-degree view of the underwater town.
"This could enhance our understanding of the spatial layout of the town, Doctor," I argued, maintaining an air of professional concern. "Imagine being able to virtually navigate through the streets of Ravenser Odd. It could reveal architectural patterns, structural relationships, aspects that we may have missed during the first dive."I had chosen my words carefully, knowing that the proposal would appeal to Dr Howard's keen interest in experimental archaeological techniques. The prospect of contributing a unique method of documentation to the field was too enticing for her to disregard. To my relief, she agreed.
"That sounds like an excellent idea, Oliver," she nodded, a spark of excitement in her eyes. "Prepare for another dive. And make sure this time, we document every inch of that town."
With the go-ahead secured, a new wave of anticipation swept over me. I was going back. I found myself relieved, yet something still sat deep inside of me.
In the days leading up to the dive, I found myself spending more time with Callum. Our shared passion for ocean exploration had naturally drawn us together, but our contrasting personalities solidified our bond. With his infectious enthusiasm and easy-going nature, Callum was the perfect counterbalance to my more focused and often intense demeanour. Callum had a knack for putting people at ease. He was full of stories about his adventures from all around the world - from wild encounters with marine creatures to the time he got lost in a coral maze off the coast of Australia. His tales were always told with a broad grin and a glint of mischief in his eyes, leaving anyone within earshot in fits of laughter. One evening, as the sunset bathed the sea in hues of orange and red, Callum and I found ourselves sitting on the company dock, just minutes from our temporary accommodations. He had brought two hot cocoa mugs, a comforting drink perfect for the cold evening. Callum turned to me as we sipped the sweet beverage and watched the sun sink below the horizon.
"You know, Ollie, diving isn't just about the adrenaline rush or the sense of adventure," he said, his eyes reflecting the dying light of the setting sun. "It's about connection. It's about understanding our place in the grand scheme of things and how we, as humans, interact with the world around us," he spoke, his words rich with his accent.
His words resonated with me. It was comforting to know that someone else understood and shared this sentiment. It was this shared sense of connection, this shared appreciation of the ocean's magnitude and mystery, that had drawn me to this profession in the first place.
As the night deepened and the stars shone brightly above, I hesitated, weighing my words carefully before speaking.
"Callum," I began, my voice barely above a whisper, "there's something about the last dive I haven't told anyone."
Callum turned to look at me, his usually cheerful expression giving way to concern.
"What is it, Ollie?"
"The photographs from the dive, there are... anomalies," I confessed, watching his face nervously for any sign of ridicule or disbelief."Anomalies?" He echoed, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms."Yeah," I nodded, "Shadows that don't make sense, blurs that seem to... move. It's as if something was there with us."A silence stretched between us, filled only by the distant lapping of waves against the boat's hull. Callum's face was thoughtful; momentarily, I feared I had crossed a line.
Finally, he broke the silence.
"Ollie, we were diving into a sunken town. A place that held life, history, probably secrets too," he began, his tone measured. "And let's not forget we were deep underwater, where light behaves strangely, and visibility can play tricks on your eyes and the camera."I nodded, knowing his rationale made sense - but also knowing that my concerns weren't mere illusions.
"It's more than that. The photos, they... they feel wrong. I can't explain it, but it's like the town was trying to tell us something. Or warn us."Callum regarded me for a long moment, the lines on his face deepening as he processed what I'd just shared. Then, with a firm nod, he clapped a hand on my shoulder."Ollie, you're one of the best underwater photographers out there. If you say something was off, then it was off. We'll keep our eyes open on the next dive. Together."His reassurance brought a wave of relief, and I found myself smiling at his words. His support and willingness to believe in my concerns made me feel better about the upcoming dive.
There was a moment of silence as Callum finished speaking."Thank you, Callum," I finally said, my voice filled with gratitude. "I know it sounds...odd. I just needed someone to know. Just in case."
"In case of what?" he asked, his eyes searching mine for answers. I paused for a moment, staring out at the endless expanse of the sea.
"I'm not sure," I admitted. "But whatever it is, I have a feeling it's tied to Ravenser Odd. This is different from my other dives. It feels like something more than just a sunken town."
Callum continued to look at me, his eyes reflecting concern and curiosity. It was clear that part of him didn't believe me, but he remained silent.
"Well," he said, after a considerable pause, "we'll face it. As you said, this is about more than just the town. Whatever it is."I nodded, feeling a sense of camaraderie in his words.
"Yeah." I agreed, taking a deep breath as I turned to face the sea again.
The following morning dawned bright and clear, the crisp blue sky starkly contrasting the enigma that awaited us beneath the surface. As we prepared for the dive, I couldn't help but feel a mix of anticipation and unease. There was a silent tension in the air, like the stillness before a storm. Callum, once again, meticulously checked over our equipment, his attention to detail a welcome source of comfort amidst my apprehension. Every buckle, valve, and gauge was inspected; every aspect of our gear was scrutinised to ensure maximum safety.
As we began our descent, the familiar coolness of the water enveloped us, and my senses heightened. This time, however, the thrill of the dive was tinged with an undercurrent of uncertainty. As the town of Ravenser Odd came into view, an odd sensation settled over me. It was as though the town was somehow aware of our presence. There was a whisper at the edge of my consciousness, a sense of being observed from the shadows. The closer we got, the more palpable this feeling became. It felt like we were intruders in this lost town, disturbing the peace of its long-forgotten inhabitants.
As we began our exploration, I continued to notice fleeting shadows at the edge of my vision. Faint movements caught in the corners of my eyes, seemingly disappearing as soon as I turned to look. My heart pounded in my chest as a chill ran down my spine, but I forced myself to stay composed and focused on the task. Determined to fulfil my promise to Dr Howard, I set about capturing the panoramic images of Ravenser Odd. I methodically swam from one building to the next, with Callum following close behind. I captured every detail of the sunken town. The remains of the harbour, the ancient sea wall, and the collapsed roofs of houses are all immortalised in my camera. Yet, with each shutter click, the sense of unease grew. It was as though the very act of photographing the town was disrupting something. And with each disruption, the uncanny sensation that we were not alone intensified.
It felt like the sea had a heartbeat, a thrumming rhythm that pulsed around me, seeping into my bones. The feeling of being watched became stronger as we swam through the main square, where a towering statue, ravaged by time and water, stood as a testament to the town's lost glory. As my flash illuminated the worn stone, I could swear the statue's gaze was locked onto us, the cold eyes of stone holding a cold glare. I shook my head, trying to dismiss it as a trick of the light, but Callum had noticed too.
The murkiness of the water seemed to thicken around us as we continued to the outskirts of the town, the once vibrant coral that adorned the buildings appearing pallid and ghostly under our torchlight. Occasionally, a fish would dart away, its silvery scales shimmering briefly before disappearing into the blue abyss, leaving us in solitude once more.
Examining the town more, I noticed each structure held its own tale of decay. Houses, once filled with the hum of life, now stood desolate, their skeletal remains encrusted with marine life. The town's church, with its toppled spire, lay half-buried under the sand. I captured the eerie beauty of the forsaken town etched in each frame.
As we neared the end of our exploration, the sensation of being watched peaked. The water around us seemed to ripple with an unseen presence. Suddenly, a gust of underwater current swept past us, an inexplicable chill that froze my blood. A dark form darted in the corner of my eye, but when I turned, there was nothing but the ancient ruins and the haunting darkness beyond. My heart pounded in my chest as I watched Callum signal our ascent, his eyes wide with fear.
A dark shadow darted towards him from the corner of my eye. A surge of adrenaline rushed through me as I turned to look, but it was too late. An unseen force struck Callum, pushing him with a violent current into the decrepit wall of a nearby building below. His regulator was knocked free, bubbles bursting from his mouth in a panicked rush, yet his training prevented him from breathing in water."Callum!" I screamed into my regulator, my voice muffled and carried away by the water. Frantically, I swam towards him, my heart pounding in my chest. His eyes were wide in shock, and his hands desperately grappled for the regulator as he struggled against the new, unusual current. I grabbed him, anchoring myself and fighting the force battering us. I swam down and, holding onto Callum with one hand, I grabbed his backup regulator and shoved it towards him. He took it, jamming it into his mouth. He purged the water out of the piece, and his panicked eyes softened slightly as the life-giving air flowed once more.
I turned to face the town, a sense of anger burning inside me. Whatever was lurking in the forgotten depths of Ravenser Odd had shown itself not just as an uncanny presence but as a threatening force. The water seemed to pulsate with sinister energy, the town's ruins casting ominous shadows in our torchlight. I could feel it watching us, pressing against us, making its displeasure known.
I signalled an ascent to Callum, who nodded, his eyes wide but resolute. We kicked upwards, each stroke taking us further from the menacing depths of Ravenser Odd. As we rose, the water grew lighter, the pressure eased, and the sense of dread began to dissipate.
Just as we thought we were clear, a sudden force pulled us back down, even stronger than before. It was as if the entire ocean had become an invisible hand dragging us back towards the malevolent town.
I screamed into my regulator again as I saw him get pulled away from me, his form disappearing into the murkiness. Desperate, I tried to swim towards him but the force was too strong. Then, suddenly, my grip on my camera slipped, and it began to sink, its attached lights flickering like a falling star into the watery void. I watched, horror-stricken, as it fell into a crack and deeper into the abyss.
I cried out, my voice lost in the aquatic emptiness. That camera was my lifeline, not just for my profession, but now it seemed, for our survival. It sank rapidly, swallowed up by the eternal darkness of the ocean
.Whatever was targetting us was weak, as if it needed us to be closer to the town to fully overpower us. As I was about to dive after it, I felt a hand grip my arm. I turned to see Callum, his eyes wide with fear and confusion, but alive. He shook his head. He was right. Going after it spelt more danger than either of us could imagine.
We ascended again with nothing else to do, hoping the loss of our evidence calmed the town.The effort was physically taxing, the cold seawater churning around us as we battled to ascend. Each kick and each push felt like we were fighting against a relentless tide. My muscles screamed in protest, but I forced myself to keep going, pushing past the pain and exhaustion. Callum was ahead of me, every sinew in his body straining as he, too, fought against the pull. Determination was etched on his face, yet he kept his eye on me.
Slowly, painstakingly, we began to gain distance, the pull of the town lessening. I could see the lighter waters above us, the sun's rays penetrating the deep blue, beckoning us towards safety.
We broke to the surface and found ourselves clinging to the side of the boat, our breaths ragged and our bodies exhausted. Our crew helped our heavy bodies aboard, their faces masks of concern and confusion. We exchanged no words. The terror of our experience had left us momentarily speechless.
As we docked back at the mainland, Dr Howard was there to meet us. She looked troubled, eyes scanning Callum and me, noting our bruised and battered bodies. We were a far cry from the enthusiastic team that had embarked on a journey to chronicle the sunken town.
"Oliver, Callum," she began, her voice a mixture of concern and something else, something I couldn't quite place. "What happened out there?"I
exchanged a glance with Callum before turning back to her. Taking a deep breath, I recounted the inexplicable experiences, the unseen force, the threatening shadows, and the attack.
Dr Howard listened, her face paling as we described our encounter. As I mentioned the loss of the camera, I saw a flicker of disappointment cross her face. But it was quickly replaced by a serious expression as I continued.
"I know this may sound... impossible," I concluded, bracing myself for her reaction. "But something is down there, Dr Howard. Something that doesn't want us there."
For a moment, there was silence. Dr Howard seemed to be processing what we'd told her, her gaze distant. Then, to my surprise, she nodded.
"I believe you, Oliver," she said quietly. "In fact, I owe you both an apology."She took a deep breath, and then began to explain. Teams before us had reported the same strange feelings, the same sense of being watched. But it was more than that. After their third dive, members started returning with inexplicable injuries. Those who were brave enough to attempt a fourth dive... they never returned at all. "I had hoped... foolishly perhaps... that capturing photographic evidence would help us understand what was happening," Dr Howard confessed, her voice wavering slightly. "I... I didn't want to believe that the town itself could be dangerous."While we were gone,
Dr Howard admitted she had examined the photos from our first dive. She also admitted to noticing the same strange phenomena I had. Ghostly figures, inexplicable shadows... things that didn't make sense. But she'd dismissed them, attributing them to lighting or damage to the camera. "But now, hearing your account... I understand that there's something more at play here," she admitted, her eyes reflecting a deep remorse. "I should have warned you, should have stopped the dives. But my desire for discovery overrode my caution."
Her confession left us shocked. The realisation that she had known, at least partially, of the potential danger but had not shared it... it stung. Yet, looking at her, seeing her genuine remorse, I could only feel a deep sense of sadness. I shook it all away. As Dr Howard's confession hung in the air, a deep sense of betrayal began to coil in the pit of my stomach. Anger, hot and quick, started to rise within me, searing away the icy dread that had gripped me since the dive.
I stared at Dr Howard, my mind a whirlwind of disbelief. My chest tightened, and my heart pounded in my ears. The woman who had entrusted us with an assignment of a lifetime, a woman we respected and admired, had knowingly led us into a trap. A trap that could have cost us our lives. We had trusted her, relied on her, and she had betrayed us. The pressure built inside me, a physical weight pressing against my chest, the corners of my vision growing red with rage. The sting of betrayal cut deep.
A flash of memory— the cold, unforgiving waters, the threatening shadows in the deep, Callum's terrified eyes, the invisible force that had almost claimed us— all came crashing down, feeding the fire of my anger.
"You knew?" My voice was low and harsh, carrying the weight of my brewing anger. "You knew, and you still sent us down there?"
Dr Howard tried to respond, her voice placating, but the words were lost on me. The anger was all-consuming now, blotting out any reason. "We could have died, Howard... Callum could have died!" the words tore from my throat, raw and furious.
At that moment, I felt a sudden urge to leave, to put as much distance between myself and Dr Howard as possible. To escape from the bitter taste of betrayal. But instead, I stood there, my fists clenched, my body trembling with unspent rage. My career, my love for the ocean, and the trust I had in those I worked with all felt like they were sinking. A shiver ran through me, a mix of anger and something else: a deep, echoing sadness as profound as the ocean itself.
I walked out after that. In a rush of adrenaline, I packed away my belongings, leaving behind the new equipment tainted by the darkness of the project, and left.
I hope whatever inhabits that town, stays there.
submitted by Goose_jpg to nosleep [link] [comments]
My work spans a range of genres, but my underwater photography has become particularly renowned. The unseen world beneath the waves, teeming with life, captivated me, and I devoted myself to capturing it in all its vibrancy and mystery. My photos were acclaimed for their vivid detail and uncanny ability to transport viewers beneath the surface into the heart of the underwater world. My images graced the covers of National Geographic and Time magazines, and my exhibits were frequented by photography enthusiasts worldwide. And at the age of 30, I was awaiting the dreaded 'burnout' my friends had all complained about.
I was a natural choice when the renowned historical and marine research organisation, the Sea Past Society, decided to take on the ambitious task of finding and documenting Ravenser Odd, Britain's own Atlantis. They needed someone who could document the submerged ruins in a way that showcased their historical significance and captured the mystique of a town long lost to the sea. A challenge that I knew was perfect for me.Dr Katherine Howard, the head of the Sea Past Society and a well-respected marine historian, contacted me personally. She believed in my unique talent for visual storytelling and thought I could bring the sunken town's story to life. She felt my photos could inspire a global audience, stir their imagination, and allow them to connect with a past submerged beneath the cold waters of the North Sea. Naturally, I was thrilled and honoured to be selected for such a significant project. The chance to dive into the mysterious depths and uncover the secrets of a lost town was a dream come true, and although I had done similar projects - something just felt... Different.
My flat in London soon became a frenzy of activity, cluttered with new high-tech underwater cameras, powerful lights for illuminating the dark ocean depths, and all manner of equipment for preserving my gear against the corrosive effects of saltwater, all funded by the Sea Past Society. But amid the chaos, there was an undercurrent of palpable excitement. Beneath the exhilaration was a thin layer of anxiety, like a dusting of frost on an otherwise warm window pane. It lingered there, never once stepping into the light but ominously hovering in the room's dark corners. The task ahead was daunting. This was not a recreational dive into a well-explored reef but an expedition into a town lost to the depths six centuries ago. Unease did not overshadow my enthusiasm; it fueled it. The chance to tell the story of Ravenser Odd, to breathe life into its submerged and silent streets, was a thrill like no other. I relished the challenge. Before long, it was time to travel to Yorkshire. I was introduced to my dive buddy, a man named Callum, a burly Scotsman with a twinkle in his eye and a jovial demeanour. But beneath his light-hearted exterior was an individual of impressive expertise and meticulous attention to detail. Dr Howard had assembled a unique team of historians, marine archaeologists, and technical experts. Most of them were to say above the sea and watch through another camera broadcasting to the boat.
Callum was the Sea Past Society's Health and Safety Coordinator, a veteran diver with an impeccable track record. His task was to ensure the safety of the divers as they explored the undersea ruins, and I was to be his primary responsibility. Callum was hired not just for his expertise in dive safety but also for his ability to remain calm in a crisis. His warm personality put me at ease, making me feel safer about the dive.
In the days leading up to the dive, Callum and I worked closely together. We conducted practice dives, tested our equipment, and developed a dive plan. His attention to detail and uncompromising approach to safety impressed me. He was careful and cautious - but also open to the spirit of adventure that this exploration held. The excitement and nerves within me swirled like a tempest. The idea I was soon to explore a piece of history untouched for centuries, about to uncover stories that had been silenced by the sea, kept me tossing and turning in my bed at night.The day finally arrived. Our vessel was a massive, state-of-the-art boat stocked with all the equipment necessary for the dive, including cutting-edge sonar systems, robotic submersibles, and a plethora of diving gear. There was an undercurrent of tension in the air, a static charge that prickled the skin and raised the hair on the back of your neck. I noticed hushed conversations among the crew, quick, sidelong glances that hinted at concern. Was it the enormity of the task that caused this? Or perhaps they were wary of a new face? I shook it off; I had a talent for overthinking things, especially while stressed.
Callum meticulously checked my gear, ensuring every piece was functioning correctly. His diligent inspection was comforting, a touch of solidity amid a sea of anticipation. We ran through our final checklist - emergency signals, the navigation route, and ascent and descent points. As we finished our preparations, the moment we'd been waiting for was finally upon us. With one last nod of reassurance from Callum, we plunged into the icy embrace of the North Sea. The sudden chill was a shock, biting through the thick neoprene of my diving suit, but it did nothing to dampen my spirits. If anything, it heightened my senses, focusing my mind on the world we were about to enter.
As we descended, the remnants of Ravenser Odd slowly emerged from the gloom. The water had eroded much, but what remained bore a spectral reminder of the bustling town it once was. Buildings, streets, the outlines of what might have been a town square, all blanketed in a shroud of decay and encrusted with marine life. Intricate stonework, long worn away by the constant current, was now home to vibrant corals and anemones, creating an eerie fusion of man-made and natural beauty. The coral had claimed these structures, using them as foundations for their colonies, transforming them into organic, living artworks that swayed gently with the ocean's rhythm. It was a haunting sight, a tableau of life abruptly halted and preserved beneath the waves.
Statues stood guard over their underwater realm, their features softened by centuries under the sea, their stony gaze meeting mine through a veil of tiny bubbles that streamed from my regulator. A fish darted past, a flash of iridescent colour that stood out against the grey stone and green-blue water. I was caught between two worlds, the ancient human past and the teeming marine life of the present. It was simultaneously humbling and thrilling, a testament to nature's uncanny ability to reclaim and repurpose. With my camera at the ready, I eagerly started documenting this hauntingly beautiful underwater world. Callum and I navigated through the labyrinth of sunken streets. Each building was a monument to the past, offering a unique glimpse into the lives of those who once called Ravenser Odd home. While I concentrated on capturing the visual essence of these ancient structures, other team members avoided us and engaged in their own tasks. They meticulously scraped away at the encrusted stone walls, collecting samples to further understand how the sea had affected the material over the centuries. Though this underwater world was extraordinary, it wasn't entirely alien. I'd spent years exploring and documenting similar sites. Yet, each site had its own unique character, a singular atmosphere that made every dive a new adventure.
My previous major project had been an exploration of the underwater ruins of a Second World War shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea. That was a poignant journey, a testament to a grim period of human history. But despite the historical significance and the eerie beauty of the coral-clad wreckage, the experience was different, perhaps because it lacked the element of human life that Ravenser Odd held. Once a mighty symbol of naval power, the decaying hull now lay silent and broken on the ocean floor. Ravenser Odd was not merely a relic of an ancient era, but a snapshot of everyday life frozen in time and lost to the ocean depths. It had once been filled with people, their hopes and dreams, their daily routines. This tangible human element made this dive so much more thrilling. I felt like an interloper peering into a time capsule of lives lived centuries ago.
I was careful to capture every significant structure, every suggestive detail that hinted at the lives once lived here. I photographed the decay, the rich marine life, and the profound contrasts between human architecture and natural adaptations. Each click of my shutter felt like a tribute, a way to immortalise the town and its untold stories for posterity
.The underwater world has a curious way of warping one's sense of time. Minutes stretch into hours, and each moment is amplified in the silent stillness of the ocean depths. Before I knew it, our dive time was up, and the team began their gradual ascent back to the surface. As I started to swim upwards, I felt an unaccountable tug, like an unseen current pulling me back towards the sunken town. It was as if Ravenser Odd was reluctant to let us go, whispering silent pleas for us to stay and listen to its muted stories a while longer. Mistaking it for my thirst for excitement was a mistake.
A few days later, I found myself in the Sea Past Society's dedicated photography lab, surrounded by the familiar hum of high-end development equipment and the sharp, comforting scent of photographic chemicals. Developing photos was always a ritual of anticipation and discovery for me. The way an image gradually emerged on the paper felt almost like magic, a portal opening up to a frozen moment in time. As the first of the underwater images began to materialise, I was thrilled to see the haunting beauty of the sunken town coming to life once more. But as I went through the developing photos, unease started to creep in. I first noticed it in one of the shots of the town square. There was a shadow that didn't align with the underwater light refraction, a blur that felt out of place. I thought it might be a technical glitch, perhaps an equipment malfunction or an error in the development process.
But as more photos developed, the anomalies kept appearing. Patches of darkness seemed to move across sequential shots, undefined shapes lurking in the corners of the frame, and odd distortions that seemed to warp the scenery. They were subtle and could easily be dismissed as flaws or artefacts of the photographic process, but something about them made me feel uneasy. I reviewed the images over and over, trying to find a logical explanation, but the more I looked, the more the inconsistencies gnawed at me. It felt as though the images were hiding something, something that lurked just beyond the edges of perception. It was as if the quiet town of Ravenser Odd had secrets it was reluctant to reveal, secrets that I had inadvertently brought back with me to the surface.
In some sort of sicking denial, I laid out the images before me, my mind teetered between disbelief and fear. Something was wrong, but I couldn't discern whether it was a simple mistake on my part or something more profound. This was my work, and the anomalies, however bizarre, had emerged from my own camera. I wanted it to be my error. It had to be... Right?
Doubt seeped into my thoughts, creating a whirlpool of uncertainty. Had I overlooked something in the underwater conditions? Had I mishandled the equipment? Was there something wrong with my camera? I was well-respected in my field and known for my precision and attention to detail. A mistake like this felt uncharacteristic, but I couldn't ignore the possibility. And then, there was the question of whether to reveal these anomalies to my superiors. I found myself wrestling with the implications.
I was not one to be easily intimidated, but the thought of jeopardising my position unsettled me. Despite my accomplishments, the all too familiar feeling of imposter syndrome set in, and I found myself questioning my abilities and whether I really belonged here. Despite this, deep within me, a quiet resolve began to form. As much as the prospect of uncertainty unnerved me, the idea of not pursuing this anomaly felt even worse. I've always been driven by a hunger for truth and understanding. I had to find out if I had messed up; if not, what was causing the distortions? Ravenser Odd had presented me with a puzzle, and I could not resist the pull to delve deeper.
I approached Dr Howard with a carefully considered proposal. I had crafted an excuse, one that was rooted in genuine scientific curiosity and made to cover my arse if it turned out to be my fault the entire time. I suggested we needed a more detailed visual record of the site, a series of panoramic images that could be digitally stitched together to provide a 360-degree view of the underwater town.
"This could enhance our understanding of the spatial layout of the town, Doctor," I argued, maintaining an air of professional concern. "Imagine being able to virtually navigate through the streets of Ravenser Odd. It could reveal architectural patterns, structural relationships, aspects that we may have missed during the first dive."I had chosen my words carefully, knowing that the proposal would appeal to Dr Howard's keen interest in experimental archaeological techniques. The prospect of contributing a unique method of documentation to the field was too enticing for her to disregard. To my relief, she agreed.
"That sounds like an excellent idea, Oliver," she nodded, a spark of excitement in her eyes. "Prepare for another dive. And make sure this time, we document every inch of that town."
With the go-ahead secured, a new wave of anticipation swept over me. I was going back. I found myself relieved, yet something still sat deep inside of me.
In the days leading up to the dive, I found myself spending more time with Callum. Our shared passion for ocean exploration had naturally drawn us together, but our contrasting personalities solidified our bond. With his infectious enthusiasm and easy-going nature, Callum was the perfect counterbalance to my more focused and often intense demeanour. Callum had a knack for putting people at ease. He was full of stories about his adventures from all around the world - from wild encounters with marine creatures to the time he got lost in a coral maze off the coast of Australia. His tales were always told with a broad grin and a glint of mischief in his eyes, leaving anyone within earshot in fits of laughter. One evening, as the sunset bathed the sea in hues of orange and red, Callum and I found ourselves sitting on the company dock, just minutes from our temporary accommodations. He had brought two hot cocoa mugs, a comforting drink perfect for the cold evening. Callum turned to me as we sipped the sweet beverage and watched the sun sink below the horizon.
"You know, Ollie, diving isn't just about the adrenaline rush or the sense of adventure," he said, his eyes reflecting the dying light of the setting sun. "It's about connection. It's about understanding our place in the grand scheme of things and how we, as humans, interact with the world around us," he spoke, his words rich with his accent.
His words resonated with me. It was comforting to know that someone else understood and shared this sentiment. It was this shared sense of connection, this shared appreciation of the ocean's magnitude and mystery, that had drawn me to this profession in the first place.
As the night deepened and the stars shone brightly above, I hesitated, weighing my words carefully before speaking.
"Callum," I began, my voice barely above a whisper, "there's something about the last dive I haven't told anyone."
Callum turned to look at me, his usually cheerful expression giving way to concern.
"What is it, Ollie?"
"The photographs from the dive, there are... anomalies," I confessed, watching his face nervously for any sign of ridicule or disbelief."Anomalies?" He echoed, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms."Yeah," I nodded, "Shadows that don't make sense, blurs that seem to... move. It's as if something was there with us."A silence stretched between us, filled only by the distant lapping of waves against the boat's hull. Callum's face was thoughtful; momentarily, I feared I had crossed a line.
Finally, he broke the silence.
"Ollie, we were diving into a sunken town. A place that held life, history, probably secrets too," he began, his tone measured. "And let's not forget we were deep underwater, where light behaves strangely, and visibility can play tricks on your eyes and the camera."I nodded, knowing his rationale made sense - but also knowing that my concerns weren't mere illusions.
"It's more than that. The photos, they... they feel wrong. I can't explain it, but it's like the town was trying to tell us something. Or warn us."Callum regarded me for a long moment, the lines on his face deepening as he processed what I'd just shared. Then, with a firm nod, he clapped a hand on my shoulder."Ollie, you're one of the best underwater photographers out there. If you say something was off, then it was off. We'll keep our eyes open on the next dive. Together."His reassurance brought a wave of relief, and I found myself smiling at his words. His support and willingness to believe in my concerns made me feel better about the upcoming dive.
There was a moment of silence as Callum finished speaking."Thank you, Callum," I finally said, my voice filled with gratitude. "I know it sounds...odd. I just needed someone to know. Just in case."
"In case of what?" he asked, his eyes searching mine for answers. I paused for a moment, staring out at the endless expanse of the sea.
"I'm not sure," I admitted. "But whatever it is, I have a feeling it's tied to Ravenser Odd. This is different from my other dives. It feels like something more than just a sunken town."
Callum continued to look at me, his eyes reflecting concern and curiosity. It was clear that part of him didn't believe me, but he remained silent.
"Well," he said, after a considerable pause, "we'll face it. As you said, this is about more than just the town. Whatever it is."I nodded, feeling a sense of camaraderie in his words.
"Yeah." I agreed, taking a deep breath as I turned to face the sea again.
The following morning dawned bright and clear, the crisp blue sky starkly contrasting the enigma that awaited us beneath the surface. As we prepared for the dive, I couldn't help but feel a mix of anticipation and unease. There was a silent tension in the air, like the stillness before a storm. Callum, once again, meticulously checked over our equipment, his attention to detail a welcome source of comfort amidst my apprehension. Every buckle, valve, and gauge was inspected; every aspect of our gear was scrutinised to ensure maximum safety.
As we began our descent, the familiar coolness of the water enveloped us, and my senses heightened. This time, however, the thrill of the dive was tinged with an undercurrent of uncertainty. As the town of Ravenser Odd came into view, an odd sensation settled over me. It was as though the town was somehow aware of our presence. There was a whisper at the edge of my consciousness, a sense of being observed from the shadows. The closer we got, the more palpable this feeling became. It felt like we were intruders in this lost town, disturbing the peace of its long-forgotten inhabitants.
As we began our exploration, I continued to notice fleeting shadows at the edge of my vision. Faint movements caught in the corners of my eyes, seemingly disappearing as soon as I turned to look. My heart pounded in my chest as a chill ran down my spine, but I forced myself to stay composed and focused on the task. Determined to fulfil my promise to Dr Howard, I set about capturing the panoramic images of Ravenser Odd. I methodically swam from one building to the next, with Callum following close behind. I captured every detail of the sunken town. The remains of the harbour, the ancient sea wall, and the collapsed roofs of houses are all immortalised in my camera. Yet, with each shutter click, the sense of unease grew. It was as though the very act of photographing the town was disrupting something. And with each disruption, the uncanny sensation that we were not alone intensified.
It felt like the sea had a heartbeat, a thrumming rhythm that pulsed around me, seeping into my bones. The feeling of being watched became stronger as we swam through the main square, where a towering statue, ravaged by time and water, stood as a testament to the town's lost glory. As my flash illuminated the worn stone, I could swear the statue's gaze was locked onto us, the cold eyes of stone holding a cold glare. I shook my head, trying to dismiss it as a trick of the light, but Callum had noticed too.
The murkiness of the water seemed to thicken around us as we continued to the outskirts of the town, the once vibrant coral that adorned the buildings appearing pallid and ghostly under our torchlight. Occasionally, a fish would dart away, its silvery scales shimmering briefly before disappearing into the blue abyss, leaving us in solitude once more.
Examining the town more, I noticed each structure held its own tale of decay. Houses, once filled with the hum of life, now stood desolate, their skeletal remains encrusted with marine life. The town's church, with its toppled spire, lay half-buried under the sand. I captured the eerie beauty of the forsaken town etched in each frame.
As we neared the end of our exploration, the sensation of being watched peaked. The water around us seemed to ripple with an unseen presence. Suddenly, a gust of underwater current swept past us, an inexplicable chill that froze my blood. A dark form darted in the corner of my eye, but when I turned, there was nothing but the ancient ruins and the haunting darkness beyond. My heart pounded in my chest as I watched Callum signal our ascent, his eyes wide with fear.
A dark shadow darted towards him from the corner of my eye. A surge of adrenaline rushed through me as I turned to look, but it was too late. An unseen force struck Callum, pushing him with a violent current into the decrepit wall of a nearby building below. His regulator was knocked free, bubbles bursting from his mouth in a panicked rush, yet his training prevented him from breathing in water."Callum!" I screamed into my regulator, my voice muffled and carried away by the water. Frantically, I swam towards him, my heart pounding in my chest. His eyes were wide in shock, and his hands desperately grappled for the regulator as he struggled against the new, unusual current. I grabbed him, anchoring myself and fighting the force battering us. I swam down and, holding onto Callum with one hand, I grabbed his backup regulator and shoved it towards him. He took it, jamming it into his mouth. He purged the water out of the piece, and his panicked eyes softened slightly as the life-giving air flowed once more.
I turned to face the town, a sense of anger burning inside me. Whatever was lurking in the forgotten depths of Ravenser Odd had shown itself not just as an uncanny presence but as a threatening force. The water seemed to pulsate with sinister energy, the town's ruins casting ominous shadows in our torchlight. I could feel it watching us, pressing against us, making its displeasure known.
I signalled an ascent to Callum, who nodded, his eyes wide but resolute. We kicked upwards, each stroke taking us further from the menacing depths of Ravenser Odd. As we rose, the water grew lighter, the pressure eased, and the sense of dread began to dissipate.
Just as we thought we were clear, a sudden force pulled us back down, even stronger than before. It was as if the entire ocean had become an invisible hand dragging us back towards the malevolent town.
I screamed into my regulator again as I saw him get pulled away from me, his form disappearing into the murkiness. Desperate, I tried to swim towards him but the force was too strong. Then, suddenly, my grip on my camera slipped, and it began to sink, its attached lights flickering like a falling star into the watery void. I watched, horror-stricken, as it fell into a crack and deeper into the abyss.
I cried out, my voice lost in the aquatic emptiness. That camera was my lifeline, not just for my profession, but now it seemed, for our survival. It sank rapidly, swallowed up by the eternal darkness of the ocean
.Whatever was targetting us was weak, as if it needed us to be closer to the town to fully overpower us. As I was about to dive after it, I felt a hand grip my arm. I turned to see Callum, his eyes wide with fear and confusion, but alive. He shook his head. He was right. Going after it spelt more danger than either of us could imagine.
We ascended again with nothing else to do, hoping the loss of our evidence calmed the town.The effort was physically taxing, the cold seawater churning around us as we battled to ascend. Each kick and each push felt like we were fighting against a relentless tide. My muscles screamed in protest, but I forced myself to keep going, pushing past the pain and exhaustion. Callum was ahead of me, every sinew in his body straining as he, too, fought against the pull. Determination was etched on his face, yet he kept his eye on me.
Slowly, painstakingly, we began to gain distance, the pull of the town lessening. I could see the lighter waters above us, the sun's rays penetrating the deep blue, beckoning us towards safety.
We broke to the surface and found ourselves clinging to the side of the boat, our breaths ragged and our bodies exhausted. Our crew helped our heavy bodies aboard, their faces masks of concern and confusion. We exchanged no words. The terror of our experience had left us momentarily speechless.
As we docked back at the mainland, Dr Howard was there to meet us. She looked troubled, eyes scanning Callum and me, noting our bruised and battered bodies. We were a far cry from the enthusiastic team that had embarked on a journey to chronicle the sunken town.
"Oliver, Callum," she began, her voice a mixture of concern and something else, something I couldn't quite place. "What happened out there?"I
exchanged a glance with Callum before turning back to her. Taking a deep breath, I recounted the inexplicable experiences, the unseen force, the threatening shadows, and the attack.
Dr Howard listened, her face paling as we described our encounter. As I mentioned the loss of the camera, I saw a flicker of disappointment cross her face. But it was quickly replaced by a serious expression as I continued.
"I know this may sound... impossible," I concluded, bracing myself for her reaction. "But something is down there, Dr Howard. Something that doesn't want us there."
For a moment, there was silence. Dr Howard seemed to be processing what we'd told her, her gaze distant. Then, to my surprise, she nodded.
"I believe you, Oliver," she said quietly. "In fact, I owe you both an apology."She took a deep breath, and then began to explain. Teams before us had reported the same strange feelings, the same sense of being watched. But it was more than that. After their third dive, members started returning with inexplicable injuries. Those who were brave enough to attempt a fourth dive... they never returned at all. "I had hoped... foolishly perhaps... that capturing photographic evidence would help us understand what was happening," Dr Howard confessed, her voice wavering slightly. "I... I didn't want to believe that the town itself could be dangerous."While we were gone,
Dr Howard admitted she had examined the photos from our first dive. She also admitted to noticing the same strange phenomena I had. Ghostly figures, inexplicable shadows... things that didn't make sense. But she'd dismissed them, attributing them to lighting or damage to the camera. "But now, hearing your account... I understand that there's something more at play here," she admitted, her eyes reflecting a deep remorse. "I should have warned you, should have stopped the dives. But my desire for discovery overrode my caution."
Her confession left us shocked. The realisation that she had known, at least partially, of the potential danger but had not shared it... it stung. Yet, looking at her, seeing her genuine remorse, I could only feel a deep sense of sadness. I shook it all away. As Dr Howard's confession hung in the air, a deep sense of betrayal began to coil in the pit of my stomach. Anger, hot and quick, started to rise within me, searing away the icy dread that had gripped me since the dive.
I stared at Dr Howard, my mind a whirlwind of disbelief. My chest tightened, and my heart pounded in my ears. The woman who had entrusted us with an assignment of a lifetime, a woman we respected and admired, had knowingly led us into a trap. A trap that could have cost us our lives. We had trusted her, relied on her, and she had betrayed us. The pressure built inside me, a physical weight pressing against my chest, the corners of my vision growing red with rage. The sting of betrayal cut deep.
A flash of memory— the cold, unforgiving waters, the threatening shadows in the deep, Callum's terrified eyes, the invisible force that had almost claimed us— all came crashing down, feeding the fire of my anger.
"You knew?" My voice was low and harsh, carrying the weight of my brewing anger. "You knew, and you still sent us down there?"
Dr Howard tried to respond, her voice placating, but the words were lost on me. The anger was all-consuming now, blotting out any reason. "We could have died, Howard... Callum could have died!" the words tore from my throat, raw and furious.
At that moment, I felt a sudden urge to leave, to put as much distance between myself and Dr Howard as possible. To escape from the bitter taste of betrayal. But instead, I stood there, my fists clenched, my body trembling with unspent rage. My career, my love for the ocean, and the trust I had in those I worked with all felt like they were sinking. A shiver ran through me, a mix of anger and something else: a deep, echoing sadness as profound as the ocean itself.
I walked out after that. In a rush of adrenaline, I packed away my belongings, leaving behind the new equipment tainted by the darkness of the project, and left.
I hope whatever inhabits that town, stays there.
2023.06.06 06:21 Mr-Ideasman Alien X Dbd Survivor: Amanda Ripely
Boon: Lockdown You need to contain this monster for the others won’t get hurt, even if you yourself will have to stay with it. When the killer is in the boon’s radius, you will get a sound cue. When you go within six meters of your boon, pallets, vaults, lockers and the boon will be blocked for both you and the killer for 30 seconds. The killer will get oblivious for the duration too, this makes the sounds from gens quiet and makes scratch marks disappear.”I had no choice. No choice at all. You saw what it could do!”-Waits
Survivalist You Learned that being quiet is helps not get unwanted attention. When crouching in the killer’s terror radius, your crouch speed is 3% faster and have quicker unlocking and slow vault speed. Additionally, hiding in a locker will make your breathing even quieter and hides the notification. This effect has a 35 second cooldown.”This is about survival! Do you understand?”-Axel
Access Tuner A quick way to get the job done, great with your experience. Each time you hit a great skill check, gain a token. Each token makes the good hit zone bigger and gives more bloodpoints by 1%. Additionally, using a toolbox will make the repair speed increase and the skill checks to be slower. You lose 2 tokens when hit and hooked.” circuits are fried. Easy fix.”- Amanda Ripley
submitted by Mr-Ideasman to PerkByDaylight [link] [comments]
Survivalist You Learned that being quiet is helps not get unwanted attention. When crouching in the killer’s terror radius, your crouch speed is 3% faster and have quicker unlocking and slow vault speed. Additionally, hiding in a locker will make your breathing even quieter and hides the notification. This effect has a 35 second cooldown.”This is about survival! Do you understand?”-Axel
Access Tuner A quick way to get the job done, great with your experience. Each time you hit a great skill check, gain a token. Each token makes the good hit zone bigger and gives more bloodpoints by 1%. Additionally, using a toolbox will make the repair speed increase and the skill checks to be slower. You lose 2 tokens when hit and hooked.” circuits are fried. Easy fix.”- Amanda Ripley
2023.06.06 05:26 Useful_Passenger2121 JUST ADDED NEW CONTENT and UPDATED MODS! Lethe servers for Savage Wilds and Exiled Lands!! [PC] [PvE] [US Midwest]- custom content, lightly-modded, friendly and collaborative. No Drop on Death!
![JUST ADDED NEW CONTENT and UPDATED MODS! Lethe servers for Savage Wilds and Exiled Lands!! [PC] [PvE] [US Midwest]- custom content, lightly-modded, friendly and collaborative. No Drop on Death!](https://external-preview.redd.it/VW9Jvx9qGAc70_0tVdXLp8z5m_ZvAouLg9h2GMgG7DA.jpg?width=216&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=4b226bf02073ea30fe7f33e608b34832e27cdda0 "JUST ADDED NEW CONTENT and UPDATED MODS! Lethe servers for Savage Wilds and Exiled Lands!! [PC] [PvE] [US Midwest]- custom content, lightly-modded, friendly and collaborative. No Drop on Death!") | Updated Mods! JUST ADDED Tir-na-Nog and the Underdark of Acheron to the server Mods for Exiled Lands! submitted by Useful_Passenger2121 to ConanExilesServers [link] [comments] COME JOIN US! Lethe Savage Wilds and Exiled Lands servers are looking for new members to come and play! Plenty of room to build. Light mods, great quality of life improvements. Come join us and build our community! We welcome all, new or experienced, to join us. We have FREE warps to certain areas and short nights. Server restarts twice per day at 4am/4pm ET. https://preview.redd.it/v3icu7e5gb4b1.jpg?width=1367&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b0fb732718dbf9dba88f8ed493a55d917474d4d8 Our Exiled Lands server is open and full of custom content!! Completely new lands to build, and all the same perks that we have for Savage Wilds. New Exiled Lands Content Added!!! -Added Tir-na-Nog and the Underdark of Acheron to Exiled Lands! -World Events on both servers including a Thrall Revolt in Seperemu!! -Added an Ambush quest allowing players to choose their own starter gear from the Fighting Pit where they are taken. - Sandstorm Arena with NPC Spawners for players to fight Tier 1 fights. - New Mazes on Exiled Lands with an NPC in Conan's Tavern in Sepermeru that sends you to one of 10 random mazes. -Marketplaces where players can place vendors to sell their goods. - Added Crafting Specializations from Mathilda the Crone that teaches you from her new little shop in Sepermeru near the Temporary Market. Mathilda is also found on Savage Wilds in Murun. Come and check out our Twitch stream with Cel! Twitch drops are enabled, so let the Shenanigans commence! Cel can be found here: https://www.twitch.tv/celosia23 Direct Connect: Savage Wilds: 45.35.167.98:30000 Direct Connect Exiled Lands: 45.35.136.238:28900 Discord: https://discord.gg/dhHKQ7eRpk The server settings are mildly boosted. Current settings (shown above) include:
https://preview.redd.it/3yh99747gb4b1.jpg?width=1102&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f3f41a455fc940099a8cc03c0e2f5fc25407660 We have a new Battle Pass Arena outside Murun! Use this feature to quickly spawn in creatures you need to complete your Battle Pass Challenges. It is a work in progress, so it may not have all the creatures yet, but admins are quickly updating so you can complete all your challenges! With the new update to Age of Sorcery, we have an NPC in Murun that teaches you how to make Golems. He can be found in by the Money Changers, right around the corner from Tommy the Dank. You should really stop by and see Tommy and his friend Cheech in Murun. Just follow the haze... https://preview.redd.it/zapdu70jgb4b1.png?width=1102&format=png&auto=webp&s=8fae0d4e115615d25bd5a8cfbb7bfed5e061bef9 NEW Mod list:
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2023.06.06 04:54 HeadOfSpectre The Silver Baron - 5
July 7th Excerpt From the Journal of Violet Stone
I don’t remember much. Just the scenery flying by me as I ran from the train station. I didn’t see anyone chasing me. But I felt chased. I didn’t know what to think, what to feel, or even where the hell I was going. The only thing I felt was fear.
When I finally stopped, it was because I just couldn’t run any further. My lungs burned, begging me for air. So I ducked into an alley, trying to catch my breath, and organize my thoughts. The rain pounding down around me was too loud. The street was too quiet and every car that passed by sent another fresh jolt of terror through me as I replayed what had happened at the train station over and over again in my mind. The way that he’d fallen, the look on his face in the instant before he’d gone under the train. Oh God… I couldn’t get it out of my head! I couldn’t stop seeing it in my mind!
I wanted to go home, but was that even an option? How the hell does someone just go home after something like that? I couldn’t just waltz through the door like nothing was wrong! If Sam and Lisa didn’t notice, Rose sure as hell would and that assuming that the police weren’t already there. Someone could have recognized me! That Marilyn Monroe looking girl on the platform had gotten a good look at me. What if she told someone? It didn’t matter whether I’d meant to push the guy or not! It didn’t matter how much I’d fucking hated him at the time. He was dead. I was responsible. I’d pushed him. It was my fault.
‘I’ve just fucking killed a man!’
That thought… that reality didn’t feel real. It hadn’t truly hit me yet.
‘I’ve just fucking killed a man!’
I felt sick. If I actually had anything in my stomach, I might have even thrown up. Moving made me feel even worse, so I just stood there, letting the rain soak me to the bone, shaking from the horror and the cold while I tried to figure out what the hell I was going to do next. But all I could think about was the way he looked as the train went over him, and wondering if anything would have changed if I’d at least tried to grab him. Could I have caught him? Could I have saved him? What then? What would happen next? As far as I knew that motherfucker had murdered my goddamn parents! Should I really have even bothered trying to save him? Maybe I should have felt vindicated by all of this? Maybe this was some kind of justice, right? It sure as hell didn’t feel like justice. It’s not like I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this had been the guy! There were doubts! There were a lot of fucking doubts!
I heard the sirens in the distance. But nobody came for me. I saw a police cruiser pass my alley. It didn’t stop for me, but it did make me think about my sweater. The goddamn sweater… it would probably be enough to identify me, right?
For a moment, I thought about turning myself in to the police. I mean, maybe once I told them that it was an accident, then maybe they’d be cool with it and let me go? I mean, the police are just known for being trustworthy and reasonable, right? What did I possibly have to worry about with them? I could just turn myself in and everything would be hunky fucking dory! ‘Oh, you just threw a man in front of a fucking subway train! Yeah, no big. Go home! Take a load off! Get some coffee! Try not to think about the man you just threw under a fucking subway train!’ Yes! Go to the police Violet! Great idea! And while you’re at it why don’t you do it in the fucking nude too? GREAT IDEA VIOLET! ALMOST AS GREAT AS THE TIME YOU THREW A MAN IN FRONT OF A FUCKING SUBWAY TRAIN! REMEMBER THAT?
I took off the sweater and abandoned it in the nearest dumpster. I hid it under some trash bags and hoped to God that nobody would ever find it, then, after standing in the rain like an idiot for several minutes with no idea on where to go next, I started walking home.
Nobody noticed me.
Nobody followed me.
The city was just… quiet. Not quiet, quiet. But nothing felt out of place. The world around me almost felt normal, and it was my own fault that the normalcy felt wrong somehow.
I entered my old bedroom through the fire escape, just like I used to back in high school when sneaking out at night to drink was the worst thing I’d ever done. I could hear people in the apartment, and I listened to see if any of the voices were unfamiliar. I heard Sam and Lisa talking over breakfast, and I could hear the TV. Nothing out of the ordinary. It satisfied me enough that I was safe. I locked my bedroom door and crawled into bed, pulling the covers over my head and listening to the rain and the voices outside. But I heard nothing out of the ordinary. It was like nothing had happened. Like it was all just a bad dream. Eventually, I fell asleep.
I stayed in bed until well after noon, staring up at the ceiling when I couldn’t sleep anymore. Sam and Lisa both left for work. I could hear Rose going around the house. She’d said that she had the day off, save for classes in the evening. She only bothered me once, though. Knocking on my door to check on me. I told her I was sick, and she didn’t pry. She didn’t sound suspicious. Just concerned.
I kept replaying what had happened at the subway station over and over again in my head. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and I couldn’t stop hating the quiet around me.
Sometimes, I wondered if it was just a bad dream. If maybe I’d never even left my room at all. Maybe I just wanted to believe that. It was better than thinking I’d just killed someone. There was a part of me that didn’t really seem to care. It still hadn’t fully hit me yet. After all, no one had come for me. So maybe it really was just a bad dream? Even if it hadn’t been, how had that man known who my Mom was? What about the things he’d said? Was it just a weird coincidence, or a horrible mistake? Maybe it was both.
I checked my phone when the afternoon began to slip into evening. The whole event was getting hazier in my mind. I was starting to convince myself it hadn’t happened. Lisa had messaged me, asking how I was feeling. Rose must’ve told her I was sick. I lied and said I was feeling a bit better, then I checked the news.
When I read the story I felt sick all over again. No name for my victim, no information at all. The man who’d gone under the train was just identified as ‘a man.’ That was it. Nothing else. There wasn’t even a picture of him.
There was however a picture of me… kinda.
It was blurry as hell. I tried to make out my own face amongst the black and white pixels but I couldn’t. It might have been me as I entered the station, although my hood was over my head, my hair was covered, and the only thing I could sort of identify was my lips, which aren’t exactly that distinct. Really, it could have been anyone in that picture. Anyone at all.
‘An unknown possible suspect’ It said under the picture. Followed by: ‘The suspect is believed to be male, approximately 6’2 and was last seen wearing a grey hoodie and jeans.’
They got the outfit right, and were only a little off with the height by two inches.
All in all… I can’t say that any of this really seemed damning to me. Although the idea that the police (or at least the news) had no idea who I was didn’t do a whole hell of a lot to calm me down. The idea of ‘getting away with it’ seemed just as bad as being caught.
For the second time that evening, I wondered about turning myself in to the police. I mean, this wasn’t exactly first degree murder. It was an accident! That had to be at least manslaughter, right? I mean, it was still a crime but it wasn’t first degree murder, right?
Christ… I was probably committing an even bigger crime by not coming forward! Why wasn’t I going to the nearest police station? What the hell was stopping me? Fear? Fear of what, consequences? You don’t fucking kill a man and not suffer any consequences! Even if it was an accident, there had to be some kind of consequence, right?
Was it justice? Assuming that this guy really had been the one who’d killed my parents all those years ago, did he really deserve to die like that? Thrown screaming under a train and… and…
God I didn’t even know if it was really the guy or not! It could have been anyone! He could’ve just randomly known my Mom and just so happened to look like her killer! It wasn’t even a perfect resemblance! I mean, fuck, how many fucking people in New York have blond hair, blue eyes and glasses? Thousands at least! Justice wasn’t a valid excuse! It just wasn’t!
I wanted to continue to lie there and stew, but I don’t know if that was really an option anymore. Slowly, I forced myself to get out of bed and head into the kitchen. I’d eaten nothing all day, which wasn’t all that healthy of a diet. As a further fuck you to my digestive system, I rummaged through the cupboard. There was a box of off brand pop tarts that I jammed them in the toaster for breakfast, if you could still call it that at five in the evening.
While I waited for my sugar enriched breakfast to ‘cook’ I raided the fridge for a drink. I found some OJ, and wandered into the living room. Rose had already left for class, but I knew Sam and Lisa would have been home soon.
When they did come home, they found me in the living room, under a blanket and finishing my shitty off brand pastries. Lisa fussed over me, like I knew she would. Sam just took over the TV and changed the channel to something other than the news.
I went to bed early last night, checking the news stories again on my phone before lying awake in bed. I might have slept a little. I couldn’t really say. I was just alone with my thoughts.
I’m not supposed to go back to Toronto for another day or so. But maybe I could leave early? Fuck off, leave all of this behind me and try to move on with my life? Sam and Lisa wouldn’t question it… much. That sounded like a horrible idea though. Just… fucking off, forgetting, pretending that this didn’t happen. It sounded like a mistake. Running away seemed like the exact kind of thing that would come back to bite me in the ass… and then what would I do? Was I supposed to just keep running from it? I knew in my gut that this would only ever make things worse. What would that do to Sam and Lisa? What would it do to Rose? I didn’t want to find out. I didn’t want to put them through that!
As I lay in bed a quiet resignation settled over me… and oddly enough, with it came a bit of peace. I guess even if no one else ever found out about what had happened at Prince Street, even if I took that secret to my grave, it would still gnaw at me. I’d still be looking over my shoulder, waiting for the day to come when it caught up with me. I didn’t want to deal with that. I didn’t want to put my family through that!
So I made a decision.
I don’t know if this will be my final entry or not.. I might not be coming back after this. Sam, Lisa, Rose… if any of you are reading this, I’m sorry. I swear to God, I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.
I’m going to go to the police in the morning and I’m going to turn myself in. So if this is it… well… goodbye.
I hope you don’t hate me too much.
***
Okay, so what the fuck?
I did the right thing! I turned myself in to the police! I was ready to go to jail over this!
Instead, I’m back in my old bedroom at Sam and Lisa’s and I’m 99.9% sure that I’m off the hook.
I went to the police station. I told them that I was there to confess and up until that point, things went as expected. They took me to an interrogation room and I waited for someone to come and talk to me. I was in there for about an hour, fidgeting aimlessly with my hands and waiting for some kind of judgment before someone finally bothered to show up.
The guy who walked through the door had a sort of ex military look to him. His eyes were intense and he had a muscular physique with a neatly trimmed goatee. He didn’t say a word to me as he came in. He just looked down at the file in his hands before sitting down at the desk.
“Violet Stone, right?” He asked. Straight to business. I always thought that Detectives were supposed to come off as friendly at first. This guy seemed like he’d come in with the express purpose of kicking my ass.
“Yeah, I’m Violet.” I said.
He looked up at me, sizing me up for a moment before huffing.
“Alright… well Violet, well my name is Vincent Bennett. I’m the Detective assigned to the Arthur White case. I understand you’re here with information, correct?”
Arthur White? Was that the name of the guy I’d killed?
“Yeah… I was… I was the one on the subway platform with him.”
“The one who pushed him?” Bennett asked.
I hesitated for a moment before nodding.
“It… it was an accident!” I said, “He’d grabbed my arm, I was just trying to get him off of me!”
“Right… tell you what Violet, why don’t you walk me through what happened yesterday morning, okay? Tell me everything that you remember.”
I did just that. I told him about how I’d run into Arthur and his daughter while I’d been out on a jog, I told him about how he’d mentioned my mother and how I’d followed him, and finally I told him about what had happened on the subway platform.
The whole time, Bennett just took notes and nodded quietly, only pausing a few times to ask a question.
“So - you attest that it was an accident, that Mr. White fell into the path of the oncoming train?” He asked.
“Yeah… yeah, it was.” I said.
“Okay. You mind if I ask why it took so long for you to come forward?” He asked, “I mean… this happened yesterday morning. It’s been at least twenty four hours.”
“I was panicking!” I said, “Look, I didn’t know what to do or if I should come forward or what!”
“A man was killed,” Bennett replied. “And you fled the crime scene. You also took a while to come forward. Forgive me if I find any of that suspicious.”
“Well, I’m trying to do the right thing now!” I argued although Bennett’s stony expression didn’t seem to change much.
“Miss Stone… are you aware of who Arthur White is?” He asked. “Do you know much about the White family?”
That question of his seemed awfully loaded.
“No, why are they important?” I asked.
“Depends on which circles you run in,” Bennett replied. “I’m gonna be honest with you… Arthur White was a real piece of shit. I wouldn’t really call him the worst member of the White family. Arguably he made the rest of them look saintly in comparison. But he was still a man with a… history. You say he resembled the man who you believed killed your parents… was that your only motivation for following him to the Prince Street station?”
“He mentioned my Mother by name!” I said, “He said he knew Diana Stone!”
Bennett paused, before looking up at me again.
“You’re Diana Stone’s daughter?” He asked.
My brow furrowed.
“What, you knew her too?” I asked.
“I’ve… heard the name before.”
My heart skipped a beat.
“So he did kill them…” I said softly, “You’re telling me that he did kill them?”
“Arthur White was not a suspect in the Diana Stone murder, no. His-”
Bennett’s phone started to ring before he could finish whatever it was that he was trying to say. His ringtone was the opening riff of ‘Phantom of the Opera’ by Iron Maiden.
He paused, tensing up a little at the sound of the ringtone. Then he quietly reached into his pocket to take his phone out. He stared at the screen, which depicted a big red X on it, before quietly standing up.
“Excuse me,” He said softly as he left the room, and for a few minutes, I sat there in the uneasy silence, waiting for him to come back. I found myself fidgeting with my hands again as I looked over at the mirror that dominated the wall to my left. I figured that there had to be someone behind it, watching me. Maybe it was Bennett? I squinted, trying to see if I could see him behind the glass, but there was no luck.
The only thing I saw was my own reflection, squinting back at me like an idiot and the security camera in the corner behind me. I looked back up at the camera, staring into it for a moment. I wondered if maybe Bennett was watching me through there. Maybe nobody was watching me? It was hard to say. I stared back into the iris of the camera for a moment, before the door opened again and Detective Bennett came back in. I saw him stuffing his phone back into his pocket.
Something about his demeanor had changed, but it was hard to say exactly what. When he spoke to me again, his tone was much quieter.
“Thank you for your time, Miss Stone. We have all we need. You’re free to go.”
Free to go?
“Wait, what?” I asked. “I… I just killed a guy! What do you mean I’m free to go!”
“You indicated that Mr. White’s death was an accident, correct?” Bennett asked. “That’s all we need. Go home, kid.”
I stared at him in disbelief. He was just letting me go? I’d fucking killed a man and they were just letting me go? That didn’t make any sense!
“So that’s it?” I asked, “You’re not going to arrest me or… or press charges or…?”
“No. We’re not,” He said. “You’re free to go.”
He picked up his folder and headed for the door again, pausing before looking up at the camera and then back to me. He held the door open for me, and after a moment, I got up and followed him.
“Do I need to get a lawyer?” I asked.
“That won’t be necessary,” He replied as he led me back through the police station. Once we were back at the front door, he pushed through and gestured for me to follow.
Once we were outside, I watched him take out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
“So that’s just it, then?” I asked. This whole thing still confused me.
Detective Bennett still didn’t reply. He just looked up toward the building, before taking a drag on his cigarette.
“Take my advice, kid… don’t ever look a gift horse in the mouth. It might not always be so pretty on the inside,” He didn’t look at me as he said that. He started down the steps of the police station, before pausing. “And do yourself a favor, keep your head down for the next little while.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, but Detective Bennett was already walking away from me.
I’m not an idiot.
Something isn’t right here. I just don’t know what.
I keep thinking back to the phone call Bennett got. I’ve got a feeling that it had something to do with my sudden release. What I don’t know is what or why and to be honest, I’m not sure that I want to find out.
Bennett told me to keep my head down, and I’m smart enough to take his advice.
I’m leaving tonight.
I’m going to let Sam, Lisa, and Rose know over dinner. I’ll think of some bullshit excuse. Maybe I’ll say that it’s a work thing, or something. They’re not going to check. I’m supposed to be heading home in a couple of days anyway, so they’re not going to think too much of it if I leave early.
Either way, whatever the hell I’ve gotten myself into, I want to get out of it sooner rather than later.
submitted by HeadOfSpectre to HeadOfSpectre [link] [comments]
I don’t remember much. Just the scenery flying by me as I ran from the train station. I didn’t see anyone chasing me. But I felt chased. I didn’t know what to think, what to feel, or even where the hell I was going. The only thing I felt was fear.
When I finally stopped, it was because I just couldn’t run any further. My lungs burned, begging me for air. So I ducked into an alley, trying to catch my breath, and organize my thoughts. The rain pounding down around me was too loud. The street was too quiet and every car that passed by sent another fresh jolt of terror through me as I replayed what had happened at the train station over and over again in my mind. The way that he’d fallen, the look on his face in the instant before he’d gone under the train. Oh God… I couldn’t get it out of my head! I couldn’t stop seeing it in my mind!
I wanted to go home, but was that even an option? How the hell does someone just go home after something like that? I couldn’t just waltz through the door like nothing was wrong! If Sam and Lisa didn’t notice, Rose sure as hell would and that assuming that the police weren’t already there. Someone could have recognized me! That Marilyn Monroe looking girl on the platform had gotten a good look at me. What if she told someone? It didn’t matter whether I’d meant to push the guy or not! It didn’t matter how much I’d fucking hated him at the time. He was dead. I was responsible. I’d pushed him. It was my fault.
‘I’ve just fucking killed a man!’
That thought… that reality didn’t feel real. It hadn’t truly hit me yet.
‘I’ve just fucking killed a man!’
I felt sick. If I actually had anything in my stomach, I might have even thrown up. Moving made me feel even worse, so I just stood there, letting the rain soak me to the bone, shaking from the horror and the cold while I tried to figure out what the hell I was going to do next. But all I could think about was the way he looked as the train went over him, and wondering if anything would have changed if I’d at least tried to grab him. Could I have caught him? Could I have saved him? What then? What would happen next? As far as I knew that motherfucker had murdered my goddamn parents! Should I really have even bothered trying to save him? Maybe I should have felt vindicated by all of this? Maybe this was some kind of justice, right? It sure as hell didn’t feel like justice. It’s not like I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this had been the guy! There were doubts! There were a lot of fucking doubts!
I heard the sirens in the distance. But nobody came for me. I saw a police cruiser pass my alley. It didn’t stop for me, but it did make me think about my sweater. The goddamn sweater… it would probably be enough to identify me, right?
For a moment, I thought about turning myself in to the police. I mean, maybe once I told them that it was an accident, then maybe they’d be cool with it and let me go? I mean, the police are just known for being trustworthy and reasonable, right? What did I possibly have to worry about with them? I could just turn myself in and everything would be hunky fucking dory! ‘Oh, you just threw a man in front of a fucking subway train! Yeah, no big. Go home! Take a load off! Get some coffee! Try not to think about the man you just threw under a fucking subway train!’ Yes! Go to the police Violet! Great idea! And while you’re at it why don’t you do it in the fucking nude too? GREAT IDEA VIOLET! ALMOST AS GREAT AS THE TIME YOU THREW A MAN IN FRONT OF A FUCKING SUBWAY TRAIN! REMEMBER THAT?
I took off the sweater and abandoned it in the nearest dumpster. I hid it under some trash bags and hoped to God that nobody would ever find it, then, after standing in the rain like an idiot for several minutes with no idea on where to go next, I started walking home.
Nobody noticed me.
Nobody followed me.
The city was just… quiet. Not quiet, quiet. But nothing felt out of place. The world around me almost felt normal, and it was my own fault that the normalcy felt wrong somehow.
I entered my old bedroom through the fire escape, just like I used to back in high school when sneaking out at night to drink was the worst thing I’d ever done. I could hear people in the apartment, and I listened to see if any of the voices were unfamiliar. I heard Sam and Lisa talking over breakfast, and I could hear the TV. Nothing out of the ordinary. It satisfied me enough that I was safe. I locked my bedroom door and crawled into bed, pulling the covers over my head and listening to the rain and the voices outside. But I heard nothing out of the ordinary. It was like nothing had happened. Like it was all just a bad dream. Eventually, I fell asleep.
I stayed in bed until well after noon, staring up at the ceiling when I couldn’t sleep anymore. Sam and Lisa both left for work. I could hear Rose going around the house. She’d said that she had the day off, save for classes in the evening. She only bothered me once, though. Knocking on my door to check on me. I told her I was sick, and she didn’t pry. She didn’t sound suspicious. Just concerned.
I kept replaying what had happened at the subway station over and over again in my head. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and I couldn’t stop hating the quiet around me.
Sometimes, I wondered if it was just a bad dream. If maybe I’d never even left my room at all. Maybe I just wanted to believe that. It was better than thinking I’d just killed someone. There was a part of me that didn’t really seem to care. It still hadn’t fully hit me yet. After all, no one had come for me. So maybe it really was just a bad dream? Even if it hadn’t been, how had that man known who my Mom was? What about the things he’d said? Was it just a weird coincidence, or a horrible mistake? Maybe it was both.
I checked my phone when the afternoon began to slip into evening. The whole event was getting hazier in my mind. I was starting to convince myself it hadn’t happened. Lisa had messaged me, asking how I was feeling. Rose must’ve told her I was sick. I lied and said I was feeling a bit better, then I checked the news.
When I read the story I felt sick all over again. No name for my victim, no information at all. The man who’d gone under the train was just identified as ‘a man.’ That was it. Nothing else. There wasn’t even a picture of him.
There was however a picture of me… kinda.
It was blurry as hell. I tried to make out my own face amongst the black and white pixels but I couldn’t. It might have been me as I entered the station, although my hood was over my head, my hair was covered, and the only thing I could sort of identify was my lips, which aren’t exactly that distinct. Really, it could have been anyone in that picture. Anyone at all.
‘An unknown possible suspect’ It said under the picture. Followed by: ‘The suspect is believed to be male, approximately 6’2 and was last seen wearing a grey hoodie and jeans.’
They got the outfit right, and were only a little off with the height by two inches.
All in all… I can’t say that any of this really seemed damning to me. Although the idea that the police (or at least the news) had no idea who I was didn’t do a whole hell of a lot to calm me down. The idea of ‘getting away with it’ seemed just as bad as being caught.
For the second time that evening, I wondered about turning myself in to the police. I mean, this wasn’t exactly first degree murder. It was an accident! That had to be at least manslaughter, right? I mean, it was still a crime but it wasn’t first degree murder, right?
Christ… I was probably committing an even bigger crime by not coming forward! Why wasn’t I going to the nearest police station? What the hell was stopping me? Fear? Fear of what, consequences? You don’t fucking kill a man and not suffer any consequences! Even if it was an accident, there had to be some kind of consequence, right?
Was it justice? Assuming that this guy really had been the one who’d killed my parents all those years ago, did he really deserve to die like that? Thrown screaming under a train and… and…
God I didn’t even know if it was really the guy or not! It could have been anyone! He could’ve just randomly known my Mom and just so happened to look like her killer! It wasn’t even a perfect resemblance! I mean, fuck, how many fucking people in New York have blond hair, blue eyes and glasses? Thousands at least! Justice wasn’t a valid excuse! It just wasn’t!
I wanted to continue to lie there and stew, but I don’t know if that was really an option anymore. Slowly, I forced myself to get out of bed and head into the kitchen. I’d eaten nothing all day, which wasn’t all that healthy of a diet. As a further fuck you to my digestive system, I rummaged through the cupboard. There was a box of off brand pop tarts that I jammed them in the toaster for breakfast, if you could still call it that at five in the evening.
While I waited for my sugar enriched breakfast to ‘cook’ I raided the fridge for a drink. I found some OJ, and wandered into the living room. Rose had already left for class, but I knew Sam and Lisa would have been home soon.
When they did come home, they found me in the living room, under a blanket and finishing my shitty off brand pastries. Lisa fussed over me, like I knew she would. Sam just took over the TV and changed the channel to something other than the news.
I went to bed early last night, checking the news stories again on my phone before lying awake in bed. I might have slept a little. I couldn’t really say. I was just alone with my thoughts.
I’m not supposed to go back to Toronto for another day or so. But maybe I could leave early? Fuck off, leave all of this behind me and try to move on with my life? Sam and Lisa wouldn’t question it… much. That sounded like a horrible idea though. Just… fucking off, forgetting, pretending that this didn’t happen. It sounded like a mistake. Running away seemed like the exact kind of thing that would come back to bite me in the ass… and then what would I do? Was I supposed to just keep running from it? I knew in my gut that this would only ever make things worse. What would that do to Sam and Lisa? What would it do to Rose? I didn’t want to find out. I didn’t want to put them through that!
As I lay in bed a quiet resignation settled over me… and oddly enough, with it came a bit of peace. I guess even if no one else ever found out about what had happened at Prince Street, even if I took that secret to my grave, it would still gnaw at me. I’d still be looking over my shoulder, waiting for the day to come when it caught up with me. I didn’t want to deal with that. I didn’t want to put my family through that!
So I made a decision.
I don’t know if this will be my final entry or not.. I might not be coming back after this. Sam, Lisa, Rose… if any of you are reading this, I’m sorry. I swear to God, I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.
I’m going to go to the police in the morning and I’m going to turn myself in. So if this is it… well… goodbye.
I hope you don’t hate me too much.
***
Okay, so what the fuck?
I did the right thing! I turned myself in to the police! I was ready to go to jail over this!
Instead, I’m back in my old bedroom at Sam and Lisa’s and I’m 99.9% sure that I’m off the hook.
I went to the police station. I told them that I was there to confess and up until that point, things went as expected. They took me to an interrogation room and I waited for someone to come and talk to me. I was in there for about an hour, fidgeting aimlessly with my hands and waiting for some kind of judgment before someone finally bothered to show up.
The guy who walked through the door had a sort of ex military look to him. His eyes were intense and he had a muscular physique with a neatly trimmed goatee. He didn’t say a word to me as he came in. He just looked down at the file in his hands before sitting down at the desk.
“Violet Stone, right?” He asked. Straight to business. I always thought that Detectives were supposed to come off as friendly at first. This guy seemed like he’d come in with the express purpose of kicking my ass.
“Yeah, I’m Violet.” I said.
He looked up at me, sizing me up for a moment before huffing.
“Alright… well Violet, well my name is Vincent Bennett. I’m the Detective assigned to the Arthur White case. I understand you’re here with information, correct?”
Arthur White? Was that the name of the guy I’d killed?
“Yeah… I was… I was the one on the subway platform with him.”
“The one who pushed him?” Bennett asked.
I hesitated for a moment before nodding.
“It… it was an accident!” I said, “He’d grabbed my arm, I was just trying to get him off of me!”
“Right… tell you what Violet, why don’t you walk me through what happened yesterday morning, okay? Tell me everything that you remember.”
I did just that. I told him about how I’d run into Arthur and his daughter while I’d been out on a jog, I told him about how he’d mentioned my mother and how I’d followed him, and finally I told him about what had happened on the subway platform.
The whole time, Bennett just took notes and nodded quietly, only pausing a few times to ask a question.
“So - you attest that it was an accident, that Mr. White fell into the path of the oncoming train?” He asked.
“Yeah… yeah, it was.” I said.
“Okay. You mind if I ask why it took so long for you to come forward?” He asked, “I mean… this happened yesterday morning. It’s been at least twenty four hours.”
“I was panicking!” I said, “Look, I didn’t know what to do or if I should come forward or what!”
“A man was killed,” Bennett replied. “And you fled the crime scene. You also took a while to come forward. Forgive me if I find any of that suspicious.”
“Well, I’m trying to do the right thing now!” I argued although Bennett’s stony expression didn’t seem to change much.
“Miss Stone… are you aware of who Arthur White is?” He asked. “Do you know much about the White family?”
That question of his seemed awfully loaded.
“No, why are they important?” I asked.
“Depends on which circles you run in,” Bennett replied. “I’m gonna be honest with you… Arthur White was a real piece of shit. I wouldn’t really call him the worst member of the White family. Arguably he made the rest of them look saintly in comparison. But he was still a man with a… history. You say he resembled the man who you believed killed your parents… was that your only motivation for following him to the Prince Street station?”
“He mentioned my Mother by name!” I said, “He said he knew Diana Stone!”
Bennett paused, before looking up at me again.
“You’re Diana Stone’s daughter?” He asked.
My brow furrowed.
“What, you knew her too?” I asked.
“I’ve… heard the name before.”
My heart skipped a beat.
“So he did kill them…” I said softly, “You’re telling me that he did kill them?”
“Arthur White was not a suspect in the Diana Stone murder, no. His-”
Bennett’s phone started to ring before he could finish whatever it was that he was trying to say. His ringtone was the opening riff of ‘Phantom of the Opera’ by Iron Maiden.
He paused, tensing up a little at the sound of the ringtone. Then he quietly reached into his pocket to take his phone out. He stared at the screen, which depicted a big red X on it, before quietly standing up.
“Excuse me,” He said softly as he left the room, and for a few minutes, I sat there in the uneasy silence, waiting for him to come back. I found myself fidgeting with my hands again as I looked over at the mirror that dominated the wall to my left. I figured that there had to be someone behind it, watching me. Maybe it was Bennett? I squinted, trying to see if I could see him behind the glass, but there was no luck.
The only thing I saw was my own reflection, squinting back at me like an idiot and the security camera in the corner behind me. I looked back up at the camera, staring into it for a moment. I wondered if maybe Bennett was watching me through there. Maybe nobody was watching me? It was hard to say. I stared back into the iris of the camera for a moment, before the door opened again and Detective Bennett came back in. I saw him stuffing his phone back into his pocket.
Something about his demeanor had changed, but it was hard to say exactly what. When he spoke to me again, his tone was much quieter.
“Thank you for your time, Miss Stone. We have all we need. You’re free to go.”
Free to go?
“Wait, what?” I asked. “I… I just killed a guy! What do you mean I’m free to go!”
“You indicated that Mr. White’s death was an accident, correct?” Bennett asked. “That’s all we need. Go home, kid.”
I stared at him in disbelief. He was just letting me go? I’d fucking killed a man and they were just letting me go? That didn’t make any sense!
“So that’s it?” I asked, “You’re not going to arrest me or… or press charges or…?”
“No. We’re not,” He said. “You’re free to go.”
He picked up his folder and headed for the door again, pausing before looking up at the camera and then back to me. He held the door open for me, and after a moment, I got up and followed him.
“Do I need to get a lawyer?” I asked.
“That won’t be necessary,” He replied as he led me back through the police station. Once we were back at the front door, he pushed through and gestured for me to follow.
Once we were outside, I watched him take out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
“So that’s just it, then?” I asked. This whole thing still confused me.
Detective Bennett still didn’t reply. He just looked up toward the building, before taking a drag on his cigarette.
“Take my advice, kid… don’t ever look a gift horse in the mouth. It might not always be so pretty on the inside,” He didn’t look at me as he said that. He started down the steps of the police station, before pausing. “And do yourself a favor, keep your head down for the next little while.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, but Detective Bennett was already walking away from me.
I’m not an idiot.
Something isn’t right here. I just don’t know what.
I keep thinking back to the phone call Bennett got. I’ve got a feeling that it had something to do with my sudden release. What I don’t know is what or why and to be honest, I’m not sure that I want to find out.
Bennett told me to keep my head down, and I’m smart enough to take his advice.
I’m leaving tonight.
I’m going to let Sam, Lisa, and Rose know over dinner. I’ll think of some bullshit excuse. Maybe I’ll say that it’s a work thing, or something. They’re not going to check. I’m supposed to be heading home in a couple of days anyway, so they’re not going to think too much of it if I leave early.
Either way, whatever the hell I’ve gotten myself into, I want to get out of it sooner rather than later.
2023.06.06 03:52 goodkareem They need to somehow have a simpler version of the talent trees to pvp for OW3. Hear me out
Add the talent trees to OW3. Tie the point system to an upgrade system. Make a buy phase when the points unlock where u can enter a store like area without pausing the game or when you're dead that allows you to buy a new talent. New talents will either upgrade an existing ability and diminish another or add a new ability.
Example: Offensive zarya. increases Zarya primary fire range by twice as much but decreases the damage and radius of right click.
Other example: defensive zarya. Adds a third bubble. Bubbles only give 15 energy generation and tank 120 damage but the cool down is 6 seconds.
Offensive rein: rein charge is twice as fast and leaves a fire trail when an enemy is in pin and causes and explosion upon impact. Fire strike is a four round magazine but does 50 damage. Shield is 1/3 the size and only absorbs 300 damage.
Defensive dreadnought rein: barrier deflects damage back the first second it's up. Can only happen once per 8 seconds. Barrier can also empower shots fired through it from behind adding a burn effect to targets damaged dealing 3% additional damage. Rein suffers no movement penalty with shield up but shield absorbs 3k damage. Rein can no longer fire strike and charge can no longer pin.
The final tier you could unlock would modify your ultimate. One that makes high noon work faster based on distance. One that makes high noon do less damage but you can combat roll while doing it and it builds twice as fast.
One that makes shatter deal less damage but does a full circle stun in all directions.
Something that makes wrecking ball drop a line of mines for ten seconds.
One that makes graviton surge leave a posutive or negative charge dot that pushes enemies apart and the farther away they are they deal electric damage to each other until they touch in order to clear the debuff.
submitted by goodkareem to Overwatch [link] [comments]
Example: Offensive zarya. increases Zarya primary fire range by twice as much but decreases the damage and radius of right click.
Other example: defensive zarya. Adds a third bubble. Bubbles only give 15 energy generation and tank 120 damage but the cool down is 6 seconds.
Offensive rein: rein charge is twice as fast and leaves a fire trail when an enemy is in pin and causes and explosion upon impact. Fire strike is a four round magazine but does 50 damage. Shield is 1/3 the size and only absorbs 300 damage.
Defensive dreadnought rein: barrier deflects damage back the first second it's up. Can only happen once per 8 seconds. Barrier can also empower shots fired through it from behind adding a burn effect to targets damaged dealing 3% additional damage. Rein suffers no movement penalty with shield up but shield absorbs 3k damage. Rein can no longer fire strike and charge can no longer pin.
The final tier you could unlock would modify your ultimate. One that makes high noon work faster based on distance. One that makes high noon do less damage but you can combat roll while doing it and it builds twice as fast.
One that makes shatter deal less damage but does a full circle stun in all directions.
Something that makes wrecking ball drop a line of mines for ten seconds.
One that makes graviton surge leave a posutive or negative charge dot that pushes enemies apart and the farther away they are they deal electric damage to each other until they touch in order to clear the debuff.
2023.06.06 03:47 CryptoMinerL3 Kiev denies reports intel chief is dead
 | Officials in Kiev have dismissed recent media reports about the alleged death of Kirill Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian military’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), as a Russian “disinformation” attempt. The Ukrainian spymaster has not made any public appearances for around a week. submitted by CryptoMinerL3 to RussianWarFootage [link] [comments] The last time Budanov appeared in public was in video published by the GUR on May 29, a day before a Russian missile strike on Ukrainian “decision-making centers.” Since then, the GUR has only published a written statement by Budanov on June 4 but has not posted any official videos of him. Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed in late May that the GUR headquarters was one of the targets of the Russian strike. The Russian Defense Ministry said that all of the “designated targets” had been successfully hit. The strikes came in response to a Ukrainian drone attack targeting Moscow earlier the same day. Several residential buildings were damaged in the attack, with two people suffering minor injuries. The Defense Ministry described the drone raid as a terrorist attack staged by the “Kiev regime.” The ‘Center for Countering Disinformation’ run by the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council said that all the reports about Budanov’s alleged death are “fakes” aimed at “sowing panic” among Ukrainians. It did not provide any evidence to disprove the reports or make any statements about Budanov’s whereabouts. In May, Budanov vowed to “keep killing Russians anywhere on the face of the earth until the complete victory of Ukraine.” He also claimed responsibility for supposedly assassinating “many” Russian public figures, without giving any names though. The Kremlin subsequently said that Budanov’s words only prove that Russian President Vladimir Putin was right when he launched the Russian military operation in Ukraine. “We are essentially talking about a nation that is a de-facto sponsor of terrorism,” the presidential spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told Russian media in mid-May in response to Budanov’s words. RIA Novosti reported earlier that Ukraine’s top general, Valery Zaluzhny, had sustained a severe injury to his head in another Russian strike. The general has not made any public appearances since mid-May. Kiev also branded those reports as fake. Zaluzhny’s Telegram channel has since said he held two phone conversations with top US officials but has posted no new videos of him. |
2023.06.06 03:46 MarcCurry Let's talk about the real-life benefits of VR gaming
I was discussing the benefits of VR gaming with one of my best friends last night. We slipped into this topic after gaming for a while and downing a couple of beers, so you can only imagine how far we went into our scientifically-philosophical analysis. In our delicately enlightened minds, VR gaming seemed like one of the most beneficial hobbies because of many factors, and I'm here to list the most important of them so sit back and enjoy.
Improving health & body
Some of you remember my story of losing 63 lbs (29 kgs) in less than a year, mainly "exercising" by playing VR games. I know I'm not alone in this, since a couple of YouTubers (LazyPeon turned out not to be that lazy) and fellow gaming colleagues managed to achieve outstanding results by including VR gaming sessions in their sedentary lifestyles. The modern, technologically advanced society brought the sedentary lifestyle to the wide masses, and with it some inevitable health issues. Spine problems, hypertension, obesity, muscle atrophy, etc. are all relatively acute issues that are the repercussions of spending the majority of the day in front of the screen. VR gaming is excellent for maintaining baseline bodily health for people who cannot or don't want to spend time in gyms. Playing physically challenging VR games for just an hour a day can get rid of so many issues - I had a mild case of sciatica before starting my weight loss journey, and VR games like Clash of Chefs and Beat Saber helped me strengthen my back muscles and completely recover my spine.
Hand-eye coordination
It's old news that video games improve eye-to-hand coordination. However, VR games take that to a completely new level since they almost identically replicate the way we naturally move our hands and eyes.
My job requires me to sometimes do detailed, manual work, and I remember how easier and faster I used to finish it after playing some shooters (like Apex, Warzone). However, VR games played a significant role in this because, during that period, I also used to play Clash of Chefs and Beat Saber a lot as a part of my weight loss journey. Imagine preparing meal after meal in Clash of Chefs, battling with other cooks, and sometimes just throwing the knives and plates around to work up your body harder - then jumping into Beat Saber to cut through the notes for an hour or two. I felt like I could be a professional samurai at one point :)
Stress relief
This one is quite obvious, but it shouldn't be left unmentioned. Modern life is so clustered with all kinds of information - not only the informative ones, in fact, "empty" information constitutes probably more than 70% of our daily intake. In fact, some studies suggest that an average person in this day and age goes through more information in a day than a 19th-century person used to go through in their entire lifetime. Since our brains didn't evolve much (if any) over the last 150 years, they cannot follow the technological advancement we've come to - meaning that our brains have come to be overwhelmed with so much extra information we receive on a daily basis. This causes micro-stresses that build up over time and, in combination with bigger stresses (the real estate market, inflation, etc.) lead to mental health issues.
Well, VR gaming can serve as an incredible medium for relieving extra stress by immersing yourself in VR games and forgetting about real-world problems at least for a little while. Into the Radius, cyubeVR, and Clash of Chefs - the three most immersive VR games I played helped me refill my batteries and recover from bad days (or weeks) so much
Conclusion
VR gaming is definitely something that, if utilized correctly, can change the lives of many. These are only some examples of real-life benefits resulting from VR gaming mentioned in this post, so, if you have any other to add, please do so. If you have any examples of certain VR gaming changing your life for the better, as Clash of Chefs and Beat Saber did for me, make sure to recommend them so others can learn about them.
Let's discuss the positive and beneficial sides of VR gaming :)
submitted by MarcCurry to OculusQuest [link] [comments]
Improving health & body
Some of you remember my story of losing 63 lbs (29 kgs) in less than a year, mainly "exercising" by playing VR games. I know I'm not alone in this, since a couple of YouTubers (LazyPeon turned out not to be that lazy) and fellow gaming colleagues managed to achieve outstanding results by including VR gaming sessions in their sedentary lifestyles. The modern, technologically advanced society brought the sedentary lifestyle to the wide masses, and with it some inevitable health issues. Spine problems, hypertension, obesity, muscle atrophy, etc. are all relatively acute issues that are the repercussions of spending the majority of the day in front of the screen. VR gaming is excellent for maintaining baseline bodily health for people who cannot or don't want to spend time in gyms. Playing physically challenging VR games for just an hour a day can get rid of so many issues - I had a mild case of sciatica before starting my weight loss journey, and VR games like Clash of Chefs and Beat Saber helped me strengthen my back muscles and completely recover my spine.
Hand-eye coordination
It's old news that video games improve eye-to-hand coordination. However, VR games take that to a completely new level since they almost identically replicate the way we naturally move our hands and eyes.
My job requires me to sometimes do detailed, manual work, and I remember how easier and faster I used to finish it after playing some shooters (like Apex, Warzone). However, VR games played a significant role in this because, during that period, I also used to play Clash of Chefs and Beat Saber a lot as a part of my weight loss journey. Imagine preparing meal after meal in Clash of Chefs, battling with other cooks, and sometimes just throwing the knives and plates around to work up your body harder - then jumping into Beat Saber to cut through the notes for an hour or two. I felt like I could be a professional samurai at one point :)
Stress relief
This one is quite obvious, but it shouldn't be left unmentioned. Modern life is so clustered with all kinds of information - not only the informative ones, in fact, "empty" information constitutes probably more than 70% of our daily intake. In fact, some studies suggest that an average person in this day and age goes through more information in a day than a 19th-century person used to go through in their entire lifetime. Since our brains didn't evolve much (if any) over the last 150 years, they cannot follow the technological advancement we've come to - meaning that our brains have come to be overwhelmed with so much extra information we receive on a daily basis. This causes micro-stresses that build up over time and, in combination with bigger stresses (the real estate market, inflation, etc.) lead to mental health issues.
Well, VR gaming can serve as an incredible medium for relieving extra stress by immersing yourself in VR games and forgetting about real-world problems at least for a little while. Into the Radius, cyubeVR, and Clash of Chefs - the three most immersive VR games I played helped me refill my batteries and recover from bad days (or weeks) so much
Conclusion
VR gaming is definitely something that, if utilized correctly, can change the lives of many. These are only some examples of real-life benefits resulting from VR gaming mentioned in this post, so, if you have any other to add, please do so. If you have any examples of certain VR gaming changing your life for the better, as Clash of Chefs and Beat Saber did for me, make sure to recommend them so others can learn about them.
Let's discuss the positive and beneficial sides of VR gaming :)
2023.06.06 03:28 MarcCurry Let's talk about the real-life benefits of VR gaming
I was discussing the benefits of VR gaming with one of my best friends last night. We slipped into this topic after gaming for a while and downing a couple of beers, so you can only imagine how far we went into our scientifically-philosophical analysis. In our delicately enlightened minds, VR gaming seemed like one of the most beneficial hobbies because of many factors, and I'm here to list the most important of them so sit back and enjoy.
Improving health & body
Some of you remember my story of losing 63 lbs (29 kgs) in less than a year, mainly "exercising" by playing VR games. I know I'm not alone in this, since a couple of YouTubers (LazyPeon turned out not to be that lazy) and fellow gaming colleagues managed to achieve outstanding results by including VR gaming sessions in their sedentary lifestyles. The modern, technologically advanced society brought the sedentary lifestyle to the wide masses, and with it some inevitable health issues. Spine problems, hypertension, obesity, muscle atrophy, etc. are all relatively acute issues that are the repercussions of spending the majority of the day in front of the screen. VR gaming is excellent for maintaining baseline bodily health for people who cannot or don't want to spend time in gyms. Playing physically challenging VR games for just an hour a day can get rid of so many issues - I had a mild case of sciatica before starting my weight loss journey, and VR games like Clash of Chefs and Beat Saber helped me strengthen my back muscles and completely recover my spine.
Hand-eye coordination
It's old news that video games improve eye-to-hand coordination. However, VR games take that to a completely new level since they almost identically replicate the way we naturally move our hands and eyes.
My job requires me to sometimes do detailed, manual work, and I remember how easier and faster I used to finish it after playing some shooters (like Apex, Warzone). However, VR games played a significant role in this because, during that period, I also used to play Clash of Chefs and Beat Saber a lot as a part of my weight loss journey. Imagine preparing meal after meal in Clash of Chefs, battling with other cooks, and sometimes just throwing the knives and plates around to work up your body harder - then jumping into Beat Saber to cut through the notes for an hour or two. I felt like I could be a professional samurai at one point :)
Stress relief
This one is quite obvious, but it shouldn't be left unmentioned. Modern life is so clustered with all kinds of information - not only the informative ones, in fact, "empty" information constitutes probably more than 70% of our daily intake. In fact, some studies suggest that an average person in this day and age goes through more information in a day than a 19th-century person used to go through in their entire lifetime. Since our brains didn't evolve much (if any) over the last 150 years, they cannot follow the technological advancement we've come to - meaning that our brains have come to be overwhelmed with so much extra information we receive on a daily basis. This causes micro-stresses that build up over time and, in combination with bigger stresses (the real estate market, inflation, etc.) lead to mental health issues.
Well, VR gaming can serve as an incredible medium for relieving extra stress by immersing yourself in VR games and forgetting about real-world problems at least for a little while. Into the Radius, cyubeVR, and Clash of Chefs - the three most immersive VR games I played helped me refill my batteries and recover from bad days (or weeks) so much
Conclusion
VR gaming is definitely something that, if utilized correctly, can change the lives of many. These are only some examples of real-life benefits resulting from VR gaming mentioned in this post, so, if you have any other to add, please do so. If you have any examples of certain VR gaming changing your life for the better, as Clash of Chefs and Beat Saber did for me, make sure to recommend them so others can see them.
Let's discuss the positive and beneficial sides of VR gaming :)
submitted by MarcCurry to VRGaming [link] [comments]
Improving health & body
Some of you remember my story of losing 63 lbs (29 kgs) in less than a year, mainly "exercising" by playing VR games. I know I'm not alone in this, since a couple of YouTubers (LazyPeon turned out not to be that lazy) and fellow gaming colleagues managed to achieve outstanding results by including VR gaming sessions in their sedentary lifestyles. The modern, technologically advanced society brought the sedentary lifestyle to the wide masses, and with it some inevitable health issues. Spine problems, hypertension, obesity, muscle atrophy, etc. are all relatively acute issues that are the repercussions of spending the majority of the day in front of the screen. VR gaming is excellent for maintaining baseline bodily health for people who cannot or don't want to spend time in gyms. Playing physically challenging VR games for just an hour a day can get rid of so many issues - I had a mild case of sciatica before starting my weight loss journey, and VR games like Clash of Chefs and Beat Saber helped me strengthen my back muscles and completely recover my spine.
Hand-eye coordination
It's old news that video games improve eye-to-hand coordination. However, VR games take that to a completely new level since they almost identically replicate the way we naturally move our hands and eyes.
My job requires me to sometimes do detailed, manual work, and I remember how easier and faster I used to finish it after playing some shooters (like Apex, Warzone). However, VR games played a significant role in this because, during that period, I also used to play Clash of Chefs and Beat Saber a lot as a part of my weight loss journey. Imagine preparing meal after meal in Clash of Chefs, battling with other cooks, and sometimes just throwing the knives and plates around to work up your body harder - then jumping into Beat Saber to cut through the notes for an hour or two. I felt like I could be a professional samurai at one point :)
Stress relief
This one is quite obvious, but it shouldn't be left unmentioned. Modern life is so clustered with all kinds of information - not only the informative ones, in fact, "empty" information constitutes probably more than 70% of our daily intake. In fact, some studies suggest that an average person in this day and age goes through more information in a day than a 19th-century person used to go through in their entire lifetime. Since our brains didn't evolve much (if any) over the last 150 years, they cannot follow the technological advancement we've come to - meaning that our brains have come to be overwhelmed with so much extra information we receive on a daily basis. This causes micro-stresses that build up over time and, in combination with bigger stresses (the real estate market, inflation, etc.) lead to mental health issues.
Well, VR gaming can serve as an incredible medium for relieving extra stress by immersing yourself in VR games and forgetting about real-world problems at least for a little while. Into the Radius, cyubeVR, and Clash of Chefs - the three most immersive VR games I played helped me refill my batteries and recover from bad days (or weeks) so much
Conclusion
VR gaming is definitely something that, if utilized correctly, can change the lives of many. These are only some examples of real-life benefits resulting from VR gaming mentioned in this post, so, if you have any other to add, please do so. If you have any examples of certain VR gaming changing your life for the better, as Clash of Chefs and Beat Saber did for me, make sure to recommend them so others can see them.
Let's discuss the positive and beneficial sides of VR gaming :)
2023.06.06 03:06 Dr4k3L0rd This is Eleni, a snow elf pirate.
 | This is another build of mine I started a few days ago. submitted by Dr4k3L0rd to SkyrimBuilds [link] [comments] She specialises in battleaxes and one handed swords (having a preference for basket hilt broadswords), and she isn't afraid to use either. She has magical abilities in both destruction and restoration, focusing on ice to eat away at stamina, lightning to tackle mages, and water to prevent regeneration of magicka and stamina. She wields the beast blood, sewing terror on unsuspecting victims in the depths of the night. She has the ability to get under people's skin, smooth talk them and scare them into submission, even bribing guards. Eleni also specialises in crossbows, albeit very rarely, as she prefers to be up close, hacking her enemies to bits. She's a thief and a murderer, not afraid to get her hands dirty, and can pull both stealthy and noisy robberies. While she prefers to plunder without violence, it won't stop her from knocking someone out or killing them if they fight back. She aims to join the Imperial legion, masking as a privateer, using her talants to ensure stable trade and further lining her and her crew's pockets by not only robbing and murdering stormcloaks, but also by sneaking goods quietly from the empire as goods become more available. Backstory, although probably not super lore friendly: Eleni hails from a colony of snow elves, living in secrecy. She one day had enough and decided to explore Skyrim, despite the protests, even the threats of exile from the elders. She took a boat from High Rock to Windhelm, however, the gods must've had other plans, as her boat crashed north or Dawnstar. The bite of the ice cold northern waters inspired her as she struggled to survive the swim to shore. It inspired her to become the north's most feared pirate. All she needed was some coin and a ship.... |
2023.06.06 02:50 _Triple_ [STORE] 900+ KNIVES/GLOVES/SKINS, 50.000$+ INVENTORY. M9 Fade, M4 Poseidon, BFK Freehand, Crimson Kimono, Nomad Fade, Skeleton, Kara Lore, Bayo Autotronic, AWP Fade, Kara Damas, BFK Ultra, Kara Freehand, Kara Bright, M9 Damas, Omega, Tiger Strike, Flip MF, Bayo Tiger, Deagle Blaze, Talon & More
Everything in my inventory is up for trade. The most valuable items are listed here, the rest you can find in My Inventory
Feel free to Add Me or even better send a Trade Offer. Open for any suggestions: upgrades, downgrades / knives, gloves, skins / stickers, patterns, floats.
All Buyouts are listed in cash value.
KNIVES
★ Butterfly Knife Freehand FN #1, B/O: $2500
★ Butterfly Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $822
★ Butterfly Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $616
⎯★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW #1, B/O: $1300
★ Bayonet Autotronic FN, B/O: $1050
★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW, B/O: $629
★ Bayonet Bright Water FT, B/O: $326
★ Bayonet Safari Mesh BS, B/O: $233
⎯★ Karambit Lore FT, B/O: $1110
★ Karambit Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $840
★ Karambit Freehand MW, B/O: $784
★ Karambit Bright Water MW, B/O: $759
⎯★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $751
⎯★ Nomad Knife Fade FN, B/O: $1156
★ Nomad Knife Slaughter MW, B/O: $544
★ Nomad Knife Blue Steel WW, B/O: $318
⎯★ Flip Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $646
★ Flip Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $574
★ Flip Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) MW, B/O: $552
★ Flip Knife Case Hardened FT, B/O: $257
★ Flip Knife Freehand FT, B/O: $255
★ StatTrak™ Flip Knife Bright Water FN, B/O: $287
⎯★ Huntsman Knife Lore FN, B/O: $461
★ Huntsman Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $436
★ Huntsman Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $353
★ Huntsman Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $212
★ Huntsman Knife Bright Water FT, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT MW, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT BS, B/O: $123
★ StatTrak™ Huntsman Knife Rust Coat BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $375
★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $363
★ Bowie Knife Tiger Tooth FN, B/O: $269
★ Bowie Knife Crimson Web WW, B/O: $192
★ Bowie Knife Bright Water FN, B/O: $159
★ Bowie Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $126
⎯★ Stiletto Knife Slaughter FN, B/O: $616
★ Stiletto Knife Crimson Web FT, B/O: $412
★ StatTrak™ Stiletto Knife Night Stripe FT, B/O: $227
⎯★ Falchion Knife Lore FT, B/O: $214
★ Falchion Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $192
★ Falchion Knife Scorched WW, B/O: $105
⎯★ Survival Knife Crimson Web BS, B/O: $216
★ Survival Knife Case Hardened FT, B/O: $198
★ Survival Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $111
⎯★ Shadow Daggers Fade FN, B/O: $368
★ Shadow Daggers Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $228
★ Shadow Daggers, B/O: $201
★ Shadow Daggers Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $108
★ Shadow Daggers Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $105
★ Shadow Daggers Black Laminate FT, B/O: $99
★ Shadow Daggers Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $85
⎯★ Gut Knife Doppler (Sapphire) MW #1, B/O: $1700
★ Gut Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $223
★ Gut Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $203
★ Gut Knife Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $191
★ Gut Knife Case Hardened BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife, B/O: $138
★ Navaja Knife Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $111
⎯★ Classic Knife Urban Masked FT, B/O: $146
★ StatTrak™ Classic Knife Stained BS, B/O: $168
⎯★ Ursus Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $476
★ Ursus Knife, B/O: $375
⎯★ Skeleton Knife, B/O: $1137
★ Talon Knife, B/O: $608
★ Paracord Knife, B/O: $305
★ Survival Knife Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $97
GLOVES
★ Moto Gloves Transport MW, B/O: $204
★ Moto Gloves Polygon BS, B/O: $142
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
⎯★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Kimono WW, B/O: $1215
★ Specialist Gloves Tiger Strike FT, B/O: $672
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander FT, B/O: $305
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander BS, B/O: $140
★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Web BS, B/O: $137
★ Specialist Gloves Buckshot FT, B/O: $75
⎯★ Driver Gloves Crimson Weave FT, B/O: $359
★ Driver Gloves Imperial Plaid BS, B/O: $229
★ Driver Gloves Overtake BS, B/O: $77
★ Driver Gloves Racing Green FT, B/O: $48
⎯★ Sport Gloves Omega FT, B/O: $739
★ Sport Gloves Amphibious BS #2, B/O: $733
★ Sport Gloves Arid BS, B/O: $292
⎯★ Hand Wraps Giraffe MW, B/O: $212
★ Hand Wraps Leather FT, B/O: $160
★ Hand Wraps Desert Shamagh MW, B/O: $101
⎯★ Broken Fang Gloves Yellow-banded MW, B/O: $185
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point FT, B/O: $67
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point WW, B/O: $59
⎯★ Hydra Gloves Case Hardened BS, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald FT, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald BS, B/O: $62
WEAPONS
AK-47 Case Hardened BS, B/O: $130
AK-47 Bloodsport MW, B/O: $79
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Bloodsport FT, B/O: $70
AK-47 Neon Rider MW, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AK-47 Aquamarine Revenge FT, B/O: $72
⎯AWP Fade FN, B/O: $1039
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Wildfire MW, B/O: $95
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP Duality FN, B/O: $81
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Chromatic Aberration FN, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Electric Hive FT, B/O: $55
⎯Desert Eagle Blaze FN, B/O: $623
Desert Eagle Emerald Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $241
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Printstream FT, B/O: $54
⎯M4A1-S Blue Phosphor FN, B/O: $434
StatTrak™ M4A1-S Bright Water MW, B/O: $55
⎯M4A4 Poseidon FN, B/O: $1465
M4A4 Asiimov BS, B/O: $55
M4A4 Hellfire MW, B/O: $50
⎯USP-S Kill Confirmed MW, B/O: $72
USP-S Printstream FT, B/O: $69
StatTrak™ USP-S Kill Confirmed FT, B/O: $139
⎯AUG Flame Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $234
P90 Run and Hide FT, B/O: $147
Five-SeveN Candy Apple FN, B/O: $61
Trade Offer Link - Steam Profile Link - My Inventory
Some items on the list may no longer be available or are still locked, visit My Inventory for more details.
Send a Trade Offer for fastest response. I consider all offers.
Add me for discuss if there is a serious offer that needs to be discussed.
2023.06.06 01:41 avidbanana Just annoying or enmeshed?
The background information here is that I’m starting a new job in the end of the month, my fiancé and I are closing on a house this week with our move-in date in August and we’re also getting married in August. So, we’re a little busy. I also fully acknowledge I’m complaining while in position of incredible privilege.
My fiancé’s parents have laid on some mild guilt trips in the past about not seeing them enough, but nothing extreme. Can’t hold it against them since my parents have done the same thing. For reference, my parents, his parents and us all live within a one-mile radius, though we will be in the next town over in our new home. My parents are also BONKERS, so for the most part I’ve taken a kind of hands off approach with my in-laws, because I’m dealing with enough crazy.
Sunday night, my mom, my MIL, their book club friends and me were supposed to get together for a wedding attire fashion show. My mom and I have had a strained relationship but we’re working on it. I’m also the first child in our family to get married. She’s excited. MIL cancels to my mom, no reason given. Okay, whatever, I could tell my mom was a little disappointed but not a huge deal. Fiancé picks me up from my parents so we can go grocery shopping and gives me the lowdown. MIL canceled because she felt “ignored” by fiancé and like he’s not making time for her. What this has to do with my mom and me, I don’t know. But MIL’s whole rant, complete with text messages, is that he’s neglecting MIL and FIL.
We saw them Saturday night. Fiancé then invited them out to a bar where we were meeting my parents. MIL and FIL declined. Last week, I invited them to go with my fiancé and I to check out the wedding venue. I thought that would be the right thing to do, and the nice thing, since we went out a couple weeks ago with my parents. MIL and FIL declined. NINE times out of ten, if we invite them somewhere, even over to my parents, they decline. But as lovely as my in-laws’ back porch is, I don’t want to spend every Saturday night there!
I tried to bring this up with my fiancé this morning, wanting to express my line in the sand (if MIL is pulling this BS when we have a baby, the BS is going to hit the fan real quick) while also acknowledging, hey, this is annoying me but I want to get this off my chest and then back off, your thing to deal with. This did not go well. I know I sprung it on my fiancé, and it’s really not my business, but he basically did the whole “yeah but your family is bad too!”
True. But I have a). done a LOT more therapy to unpack and recognize the abuse and b). the willingness to cut my family off if they jeopardize the family I’m trying to build. Which, my fiancé doesn’t believe I’m willing to cut my family off, I think because he can’t picture doing that to his family. But that’s another subject. So our discussion this morning did not go well. No hard feelings but I’m frustrated!
His parents have also now decided not to pay anything toward the wedding because they gave us money for the house. Which, whatever, they have every right to whatever they want with their money! But they already told us they would give us X amount of money for the house and Y amount for the wedding. Now my parents feel guilty because they can’t pay for everything and weren’t expecting to. So now my father is going on a self-flagellation trip because my fiancé and I are paying for part of our own wedding.
To be fair, my fiancé did tell MIL off. But feel like whatever he said is falling on deaf ears (obviously) in a vacuum, because he can’t acknowledge the larger mess. Especially because my fiancé has admitted MULTIPLE TIMES he moved back to our hometown because MIL and FIL completely guilt tripped him.
But my family is a mess, so maybe I’m looking at his family through a jaded lens. Then again, in my defense, after the first overnight I had with my fiancé while his parents were out of town (we both moved back to our hometown at the start of COVID and were living with our parents until last winter), she went through the trash until she found our used condom and then TEXTED ME about it. So our relationship maybe had a rough start.
I don’t want to deal with this BS. We have too much going on! I’m trying to get married! But am I overthinking all of this? Is this dynamic actually weird, or just garden variety weird?
submitted by avidbanana to JUSTNOMIL [link] [comments]
My fiancé’s parents have laid on some mild guilt trips in the past about not seeing them enough, but nothing extreme. Can’t hold it against them since my parents have done the same thing. For reference, my parents, his parents and us all live within a one-mile radius, though we will be in the next town over in our new home. My parents are also BONKERS, so for the most part I’ve taken a kind of hands off approach with my in-laws, because I’m dealing with enough crazy.
Sunday night, my mom, my MIL, their book club friends and me were supposed to get together for a wedding attire fashion show. My mom and I have had a strained relationship but we’re working on it. I’m also the first child in our family to get married. She’s excited. MIL cancels to my mom, no reason given. Okay, whatever, I could tell my mom was a little disappointed but not a huge deal. Fiancé picks me up from my parents so we can go grocery shopping and gives me the lowdown. MIL canceled because she felt “ignored” by fiancé and like he’s not making time for her. What this has to do with my mom and me, I don’t know. But MIL’s whole rant, complete with text messages, is that he’s neglecting MIL and FIL.
We saw them Saturday night. Fiancé then invited them out to a bar where we were meeting my parents. MIL and FIL declined. Last week, I invited them to go with my fiancé and I to check out the wedding venue. I thought that would be the right thing to do, and the nice thing, since we went out a couple weeks ago with my parents. MIL and FIL declined. NINE times out of ten, if we invite them somewhere, even over to my parents, they decline. But as lovely as my in-laws’ back porch is, I don’t want to spend every Saturday night there!
I tried to bring this up with my fiancé this morning, wanting to express my line in the sand (if MIL is pulling this BS when we have a baby, the BS is going to hit the fan real quick) while also acknowledging, hey, this is annoying me but I want to get this off my chest and then back off, your thing to deal with. This did not go well. I know I sprung it on my fiancé, and it’s really not my business, but he basically did the whole “yeah but your family is bad too!”
True. But I have a). done a LOT more therapy to unpack and recognize the abuse and b). the willingness to cut my family off if they jeopardize the family I’m trying to build. Which, my fiancé doesn’t believe I’m willing to cut my family off, I think because he can’t picture doing that to his family. But that’s another subject. So our discussion this morning did not go well. No hard feelings but I’m frustrated!
His parents have also now decided not to pay anything toward the wedding because they gave us money for the house. Which, whatever, they have every right to whatever they want with their money! But they already told us they would give us X amount of money for the house and Y amount for the wedding. Now my parents feel guilty because they can’t pay for everything and weren’t expecting to. So now my father is going on a self-flagellation trip because my fiancé and I are paying for part of our own wedding.
To be fair, my fiancé did tell MIL off. But feel like whatever he said is falling on deaf ears (obviously) in a vacuum, because he can’t acknowledge the larger mess. Especially because my fiancé has admitted MULTIPLE TIMES he moved back to our hometown because MIL and FIL completely guilt tripped him.
But my family is a mess, so maybe I’m looking at his family through a jaded lens. Then again, in my defense, after the first overnight I had with my fiancé while his parents were out of town (we both moved back to our hometown at the start of COVID and were living with our parents until last winter), she went through the trash until she found our used condom and then TEXTED ME about it. So our relationship maybe had a rough start.
I don’t want to deal with this BS. We have too much going on! I’m trying to get married! But am I overthinking all of this? Is this dynamic actually weird, or just garden variety weird?
2023.06.06 01:31 Frostdraken Preserver -Part 1-
Amid a galaxy of brutal chaos there are stories to be told, tales of valor and justice, of fear and despair. But amid these stories are the guttering flames of adventures untold, the potential for a universe of entertainment and savage joyous fun. The Oblivion Cycle embodies just this kind of crafted chaos, creating the potential for creative exploits and raucous tales. If you are new to the TOC setting feel free to join the community at TheOblivionCycle to check out some of the background lore or to discuss themes with other readers. I thank you all for your support and continued willingness to read, as always, Please Enjoy!
+ Next Part +
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A dark planet turned slowly in the void bathed in the light of an old yellow star far past its prime. The planet was old, unlike the countless beings that scurried across its blasted surface. From the vantage point of space far above, the gigantic craters that covered its surface were painfully apparent. Some terrible bombardment had nearly torn the planet in two sometime in its ancient history.
These were the thoughts foremost on the mind of the vast entity that observed the world from the depths of a large misshapen ship of truly gargantuan proportions. The ship orbited the planet far enough away to be unseen, a truly difficult task due to its almost moon-like size.
Deep in the ship’s core, a consciousness woke fully. This being had slumbered for millennia as they waited for the ship’s more automated systems to bring them to something interesting. As they awoke this entity checked the ships logs, two thousand years of reports were absorbed and compiled in mere millincrements such was the being’s incredible processing power.
They stretched mentally, running their consciousness throughout every lesser ten of the ship's millions of greater tens of circuits and wires. It had been centuries since they had last woken for more than a few increments, it was a good feeling.
The ship’s computer communicated with them. “Master Neel, It is good to have you with us.” the computer said nonverbally. The communication happening instead as a base impression across his many connections to the system all at once.
Neel observed the planet remotely using some of the vast worldship's many external sensors. After a few moments of observation Neel inquired the computer. “Have we traveled to this planet before?”
The computer replied quickly “I do not believe so, it bears passing resemblance to a planet we visited in the far past. But it can't be the same planet.” the computer concluded.
Neel frowned and then decided to exit his stasis chamber. The heavily shielded inner sanctum of the ship was a mess of electrical conduits and databanks that held his vast intellect when the ship was underway. Using faster than light means of propulsion could damage many of the curiosities in his vast collection and so for many tens of millions of greater increments he had traveled the cosmos slower than the speed of light.
While slow it was a deliberate action to protect him from the watchful eyes of the obliterators. The destroyers commonly kept watch over the cosmos and were known to eliminate those they could not contain or control. Neel had no wish to be destroyed and so took their time getting around for the sake of stealth. Even the destroyers would be unlikely to detect a single ship not breaking the natural laws in a vast and ever expanding universe.
Disengaging their mental locks, Neel disconnected from the artificial sanctuary and into their physical vessel. Their vessel was an artificial body of sorts, fashioned in a form that Neel found pleasing.
Their vessel was very tall with six manipulating tentacle-like metal arms and a multitude of pointed insect-like legs. Their face was a mess of tubes and wires with no discernible features other than the five bright green glowing eyes that stared out at the world around them intensely.
Neel’s consciousness settled down into the large body like it was a comfortable bed, an electronic sigh passing through them as they disconnected from the ship.
Neel started their vessel’s internal vacuum generators. Devices of their own design that drew electrical power directly from the quantum fluctuations of the universe. Quite a simple thing really, they must seem remarkable to those not nearly as versed as them in the nature of the universe. But Neel was well versed indeed, they knew the purpose of it all, and the dark knowledge often made them wish they had never discovered it.
Turning their attention back to their muted surroundings Neel activated the bridge’s lights with a thought. The ship was a part of them, though simultaneously separate. Together they made a complete entity, though Neel admitted that it was sometimes less distracting to be on their own instead of bonded to the Preserver. That was the name he had chosen for his worldship upon its completion. He had no memories of the event, or of how it had been built. Neither did the Preserver, instead Neel’s earliest coherent memory was that of light. Blinding light.
A star exploding and the ship jumping into emergency compression drive to escape the blast. They had arrived many light years away damaged and broken from the violent energies that had lashed the ship. But they had survived.
Neel scuttled across the deck and to one of the automated steering consoles. They double checked the ship’s course for accuracy and were satisfied to see no inherent issues.
Next they walked though the ship for a time to get to the records hall. They could have zipped there almost instantly with a thought, but they had always enjoyed the action of taking their time. They had a nearly infinite amount of it after all.
The Preserver chimed at them as they walked. “If you are going to the records hall to check the data I can give you access here and save you the trouble Master Neel.” The disembodied voice said in a modulated tone and frequency.
Neel waved a series of arms towards one of the many wall mounted sensors that the ship used to see and replied “Why? What would be the purpose of walking if not to enjoy the walk. I know you could have forwarded the data to me directly on the bridge, but there is a simplistic pleasure to taking one’s time. How many times have I told you that old friend.”
The ship was silent for a few increments as Neel scuttled down dimly lit metal passageways and through dusty hatches. They shook their head in a strange yet familiar motion as they took in the state of the ship. It was dirty, grimy almost.
Neel paused by a strange bundle of filaments and tested them with a single flexible manipulator digit. Plucking them curiously Neel found they seemed to be organic. In fact as they touched them they noticed a small and curious creature skuttle out of the dark in the direction of the disturbance. Delighted at this new and fascinating discovery they coaxed the small creature out into the light.
They observed it closely, zooming in on its features while scanning it in multiple electromagnetic spectrums. Neel found that the creature seemed to fluoresce in the ultraviolet spectrum, its small body covered in swirling organic patterns. It must be able to see into the ultraviolet spectrum Neel mused, otherwise what possible purpose could such patterning serve?
Reaching into a recess in their body they produced a specimen stasis capsule. Carefully scooping up the creature, they activated the micro stasis field generator and the small curiosity seemed to freeze in place. Replacing the container they then turned and continued along the corridor making a mental note to return and analyze the filaments more closely at a future time.
It took a little longer than Neel remembered to reach the great library, which made sense as the Preserver was constantly in flux. They entered the room and slowed to a halt. It always hit them when they entered into the massive space for the first time after a lengthy hibernation. The room was lit with bright yellowish lights high in the cavernous ceiling. The walls were covered in shelves and databanks, not a single square length was bare of some form of data storage medium.
Neel walked in amongst the towering shelves and ran their fingers along the uncountable thousands of books, manuscripts, scrolls and data crystals stored within small stasis cabinets. Hidden inside this sanctum was Neel’s life’s work, the compiled data of tens of thousands of worlds, millions of species and a billion years of searching the universe for something more.
Sometimes when the ship was traveling the void between stars Neel would come and spend years here, just absorbing the ancient knowledge. But today they were looking for something specific. Moving along to one of the many wall mounted dataports, they inserted a spike like digit from the end of a flexible tendril. The full enormity of the vast library exploded into their conscious mind, only their prodigious intelligence keeping them from being overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of data.
Searching for a while they found the folder they were looking for and accessed its location. Neel was in luck, it was remote accessible meaning they wouldn't have to traverse kilometers of this labyrinth to find the data. While that was usually an enjoyable experience, Neel found that their curiosity was overwhelming their patience.
The data filled their mind and Neel saw a planet spinning tranquilly in their mind's eye. The planet that bore a striking similarity to the one they now orbited, in fact, comparing the star logs and accounting for drift, the constellations were the same too. That proved it, they were in fact in the orbit of Ixninth, the evolutionary homeworld of the peaceful humbub.
Neel cocked their head, that was odd. The last time they had been in contact with the humbub their planet was nearing a full scale type one civilization. Full planetary control was theirs and they had taken the first tentative steps out into their solar system with a few far flung colonies and outposts in the orbit of the outer planets.
Now there was nothing, no evidence of the star realm they had once ruled. Something must have happened while Neel had been traveling through the cosmos. Something no doubt related to the strange crater-like formations on the planet’s surface.
Neel scanned the other planets in the system and found that most bore evidence of similar impacts, a few of the smaller moons seemed to have been obliterated entirely. Just the drifting charred remains in orbit of their scarred planets.
They addressed the computer once more verbally. “Preserver, we have indeed visited this system before. It is the humbub’s home system.”
The ship spoke through their implant, the disembodied voice cool and calm while it discussed topics of annihilation. “It would seem some sort of natural cataclysm must have befallen them then. There is evidence of incredible kinetic bombardment. Perhaps a rogue black hole disrupted the outer debris fields?’ the computer speculated blandly.
Neel looked back to the images of the systems battered planets. “I believe something terrible has happened here, are you sure there is no evidence of foul play? No signs of void conflict?”
They began to walk out of the library and towards the main atrium. The Preserver asked “Are you telling me to scan for debris or asking if I had already done so?”
Neel paused and apologised “Yes, I am sorry old friend. You have of course anticipated my question and scanned the area for wreckage. I can postulate based on your silence that you did not find any evidence to support the claim?”
Neel started walking again as the ship confirmed their observation. “I will of course continue to scan the area in case of potential hostile threats, but I do not expect to find anything of note. It looks like the act of a hostile universe, not the acts of barbaric lifeforms.”
Neel nodded again, this time entirely for their own benefit. That is about what they had been expecting anyways, if the growing theory in their mind was correct then they would likely find no evidence of foul play at all. At least, not in the conventional sense.
Perking up a little their green eyes shone bright as a new idea struck them. “Preserver, scan the main planet. Look for any signs of technology or ruins of technology. I will get to the bottom of this situation one way or another.”
The computer replied “Already started when it became clear to me you were set on this investigative action. I can report with ninety five percent certainty that there are no technological ruins on the planet. There is a large and well preserved ruin in the upper hemisphere. Would you like a scope on it?”
Neel waved at the air and replied “Yes, yes of course. Let me see what you have found.”
In their mind they saw the feed from one of the massive ship’s many outward facing telescopes. On the current one they saw it swivel towards the planet. Enhancing the image it zoomed in until Neel could almost count each blade of grass on the ground. In front of their very eyes was a large collection of half buried structures. While they did not look technological in origin, any clue to a history undiscovered was a good clue.
“Good work my friend, I will have to make sure we pull a flyby on a blue hypergiant giant so you can recharge your entanglement drives. You earned it.” They spoke to the Preserver in fondness.
The ship answered in a much more subdued manner “That would be appreciated Neel. My compression generators have been a bit chilly of late. I assume you will want to venture to the surface personally? May I suggest an assortment of weapons?”
Neel waved a hand as they entered the vast and colorful main atrium. It was only a few kilometers from the bridge, but it was a sight well worth the walk. That coupled with the fact that it connected directly to the small hangar bay where the many parasite ships were stored.
Neel walked across the room to the hangar and entered one of the small single occupant shuttles. The Preserver spoke once more in their mind. “If you are intent on going down to the surface would you at least let me launch an orbital observation platform to assist you?”
Neel paused at the controls and then said “Yes, might as well. You never know what’s going to happen in the future, that's what makes living in the present so exciting.”
***********
Jrax woke with a satisfied stretch, today was the day. He had been busy excavating the ruins of the forbidden zone in secret for almost a full year now. Only Zieve knew he was here, and the young man was unlikely to turn him in as he was just as interested in the mysteries of the ancients as he was.
Jrax stood to his feet and twisted at the waist in a futile attempt to crack his lower back. Unsuccessful he looked around, he couldn't see Zieve anywhere, usually the young man was out here before he had even had a chance for his morning zalv. The comforting warmth of a fresh cup of the dark orange liquid was a better wake up than anything else he had yet to discover. He had shown the benefits of drinking fresh zalv to a few of his colleges but it had yet to fully take off. Something about the dried and powdered fruit gave him a zest for life and alertness that was addictive in its effectiveness, and a little addictive in general.
But that was not the important reason he was here. He put a small pot of the mixture on the boil as he pulled his notebook out of his waist pouch. The small leather bound manuscript contained everything he knew of the ancients and their strange ways of life.
According to the few tablets and inscriptions he had so far recovered, the ancients lived in the void and traveled this strange realm of nonexistence in vast ships of solid metal. Why they would have needed to be made of metal made no sense to him. Surely wood would have been much lighter and cheaper? Maybe it was a style thing, from what he could gather the ancients made almost everything out of metal. Such was their vast power and wealth they were able to extract metal from the void itself.
This had always sat ill with him, everyone knew of the void, the space outside of reality. But surely they couldn't do such things as the void was empty, wasn't it? Perhaps the great teachings warning of the demons that lurked in the void were false after all. It was said that the void used to be full of life, an infinite world to build upon. One day the demons had come from beyond the realms of the humbub and devoured all that existed without till at last they rained fire and death upon Ixninth. The celestial realms of the humbub had been reduced to ashes and the survivors fled their metal cities in terror as they were consumed by the angry earth.
He shook his head. The mythos of their people was a fractured thing, handed down largely through word of mouth by millennia of terrified priests who had no real understanding of what they should be so afraid of.
He knew, it had been a hard truth to swallow but in his studies of the forbidden ruins he had made discoveries. Discoveries like the identity of their ancient destroyers.
They were not demons at all, they just looked like them, their bodies twisted and monstrous, their hunger for destruction nearly insatiable. They killed for fun and destroyed the remains, the fact that they hadn't killed all of the ancients was a miracle likely attributed to the paranoia of certain individuals. Places like these ruins had been ancient refuges to them, structures buried far into the guts of the mother earth called bunkers. An affront on nature, but necessary for the survival of their race.
It had taken thousands of years from what he had been able to gather before the planet was once more survivable on the surface. They left their ancient bunkers and found that all that once had been was no more. They had begun again.
Jrax was happy to be alive, especially knowing some of the struggle that his ancestors must have gone through just to survive. He put thoughts of such things out of mind and busied himself combing his fur. It wouldn't do to get mangey knots from a lack of self attention, he was a respectable scholar afterall.
His snout crinkled in a small snarl as he thought of Primo Haxix, the premiere leader of the Church of Brox in his home city of Broxix. The man was a devout follower of Brox’s teachings, and his most severe hurtle to spreading the truth of things. The closeminded man refused to see reason.
Done with his morning grooming he pulled on his open fronted work shirt, the rough fabric a little itchy against his fur but necessary to protect him from biting insects and the sun. It was hot near the ruins, the lack of vegetation one of the reasons the Primo called the land cursed. From what he had found it was no more cursed than any other piece of land, it had something to do with things called water concentrators he had discovered. He didn't understand the concept fully, but it seemed that the area was perpetually dry like the Neeix Desert to the south. A strange concept but it certainly explained why nothing would grow there.
Putting on his sandals and grabbing his excavation kit he slung the bag over his shoulder and started out of camp. He dodged around and through a thick copse of trees, his camp hidden from view in order to protect it from fanatics and the church’s spies. The area around the ruins was constantly under surveillance, he had been spotted a few times and chased but luckily his identity had never been uncovered.
He checked that the coast was clear and then made a quick transition to the bushes a few dozen feet away. Sighing as he didnt hear the telltale sounds of pursuit he continued on. The pack was heavy but he was undeterred.
Normally traveling alone into the wilderness would be tantamount to suicide, the many ferocious predators of their homeworld converging on a lone individual, but he was unafraid. The ruins protected him, some sort of aura seemed to surround the area that deterred the predators from approaching. He had read of it on the inscriptions, it was called a protection grid in the ancient texts that adorned the walls of the ruin, but he had yet to truly parse what it meant.
Whatever it was he was grateful for it as it allowed him to work in peace without constantly having to watch his back against attack from the abominations the demons had left behind.
He walked along the narrow and hidden path he had forged through the dense undergrowth towards the ruins. He shook his furred head, Zeive was probably already there. The young man was always excited to help him make some new discovery or ancient find. Yes, there was nothing to worry about.
Almost as soon as he told himself that he had nothing to worry about he tripped and landed hard on the soft sandy soil. Crawling to his feet he heard the unmistakable sounds of clanking armour plates and was soon surrounded by church soldiers. Resplendent in their brown leather greatcoats and shining steel breastplates.
“Oh..” Was all he said, a plethora of steel spear points at his throat.
Another sound met his ears and he looked behind him. From the path he watched a magnificently maned man stroll towards him, crimson cloak over his brushed leather overcoat covered in fine gold buckles. It was Primo Haxix, his biggest detractor and the most powerful person in all of Broxix.
Primo Haxix strode to him and laughed, a thoroughly nasty sound, devoid of mirth or joy. “Wow, I knew it had to have been an ignorant son of a demon to have crossed into the forbidden zone. But you? You have got to be the dumbest intellectual I have ever met. Clap him in irons, bring him to the fortress of Brox.” The ostentatious humbub then strode away regally as if they cared no more for his welfare, and they likely didn't. Jrax heard the unmistakable sound of a frourn drawn carriage, likely to carry the Primo’s lazy ass back to the capital.
One of the soldiers produced a set of iron clamps which they applied to his wrists, the metal pinching his arm hair painfully and he chirped in discomfort.
“Follow me or I will make you follow.” The man said gruffly.
Jrax did as he was told. No reason to get a beating on top of his arrest.
The soldiers led him through the brush and out to the main roadway. The road was simple hard packed earth, but it served its purpose. Leading right to the edge of the forbidden zone.
He snorted as they led him back along the road towards Broxix. It was a large city, almost fifty thousand inhabitants lived and died within an afternoon’s hike of the ruins and yet they knew nothing of their own history. The Church taught that the demons had destroyed their ancestors and all they had built before Brox took them into the belly of Ixninth for their protection. But that wasn't entirely true. It wasn't the whole truth in any event, and in Jrax’s opinion that was tantamount to lying.
They marched for an hour before the leader of the troop called a halt near a small roadside inn that catered to pilgrims. He looked at Jrax and said gruffly “We are stooping for refreshment, would you like some water?”
Jrax nodded suspiciously and the man gestured to a few of the others to go into the building.
Jrax watched as the trio of so-called holy soldiers kicked the door open and rushed in, swords drawn. Screaming and the sound of crashing furniture could be heard and Jrax chirped angrily but was kept from remarking by a threatening glare from the troop leader.
After a few more minutes of this the sounds ceased and the three soldiers exited carrying food and wine as well as a small bladder of water.
The wine and dried meat morsels were shared about as the troop leader approached with the water and stopped. Staring at Jrax, the man proceeded to unstop the bladder and pour its contents into the dirt as his feet.
When the skin had been completely emptied the troop leader laughed curly and gestured at the small mud puddle. There you go blasphemer, drink up.
A chorus of nasty chuckles sounded from all about as Jrax just stood his ground.
The leader stopped laughing, his face turning from savage mirth to rage as he drew his sword and pointed it at Jrax’s throat.
“I said drink! Do it now or so help me Brox I’ll…” the large armoured man started to say but Jrax cut him off smugly.
“Or you will what? You can’t kill me or you would have already. No, Primo Haxix wants my punishment to be public.” Jrax spat. “He wouldn't let a little pissant like you take his triumph away from him, so no. I will not drink, nor will I eat unless it is something tasty and nutritious. I would rather starve than allow such ignorant fools to debase me.” he said with a smug chortle.
The now enraged troop leader drew his sword in a threatening manner and Jrax felt his knees shake slightly in fear. But he stood tall and firm, not allowing his terror to show on his face. He would show these zealous assholes what it meant to truly serve a higher purpose, even if it meant he would die anyways.
The leader lowered his weapon and sneered. “Let's see how smug you are when we take you to the chamber of repentance. We will see who gets the last laugh.” the man said angrily. “Okay, form up and move out you lazy sons of snurlg. We need to reach the Fortress of Broxix by mid afternoon.”
Jrax was shoved by one of the soldiers behind him who growled “Get moving scum.”
He shook his head sadly, the road was long and the sun was high. But he would walk with shoulders straight and head held high, for he knew his cause was just.
End of Part 1
==End of Transmission==
submitted by Frostdraken to HFY [link] [comments]
+ Next Part +
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A dark planet turned slowly in the void bathed in the light of an old yellow star far past its prime. The planet was old, unlike the countless beings that scurried across its blasted surface. From the vantage point of space far above, the gigantic craters that covered its surface were painfully apparent. Some terrible bombardment had nearly torn the planet in two sometime in its ancient history.
These were the thoughts foremost on the mind of the vast entity that observed the world from the depths of a large misshapen ship of truly gargantuan proportions. The ship orbited the planet far enough away to be unseen, a truly difficult task due to its almost moon-like size.
Deep in the ship’s core, a consciousness woke fully. This being had slumbered for millennia as they waited for the ship’s more automated systems to bring them to something interesting. As they awoke this entity checked the ships logs, two thousand years of reports were absorbed and compiled in mere millincrements such was the being’s incredible processing power.
They stretched mentally, running their consciousness throughout every lesser ten of the ship's millions of greater tens of circuits and wires. It had been centuries since they had last woken for more than a few increments, it was a good feeling.
The ship’s computer communicated with them. “Master Neel, It is good to have you with us.” the computer said nonverbally. The communication happening instead as a base impression across his many connections to the system all at once.
Neel observed the planet remotely using some of the vast worldship's many external sensors. After a few moments of observation Neel inquired the computer. “Have we traveled to this planet before?”
The computer replied quickly “I do not believe so, it bears passing resemblance to a planet we visited in the far past. But it can't be the same planet.” the computer concluded.
Neel frowned and then decided to exit his stasis chamber. The heavily shielded inner sanctum of the ship was a mess of electrical conduits and databanks that held his vast intellect when the ship was underway. Using faster than light means of propulsion could damage many of the curiosities in his vast collection and so for many tens of millions of greater increments he had traveled the cosmos slower than the speed of light.
While slow it was a deliberate action to protect him from the watchful eyes of the obliterators. The destroyers commonly kept watch over the cosmos and were known to eliminate those they could not contain or control. Neel had no wish to be destroyed and so took their time getting around for the sake of stealth. Even the destroyers would be unlikely to detect a single ship not breaking the natural laws in a vast and ever expanding universe.
Disengaging their mental locks, Neel disconnected from the artificial sanctuary and into their physical vessel. Their vessel was an artificial body of sorts, fashioned in a form that Neel found pleasing.
Their vessel was very tall with six manipulating tentacle-like metal arms and a multitude of pointed insect-like legs. Their face was a mess of tubes and wires with no discernible features other than the five bright green glowing eyes that stared out at the world around them intensely.
Neel’s consciousness settled down into the large body like it was a comfortable bed, an electronic sigh passing through them as they disconnected from the ship.
Neel started their vessel’s internal vacuum generators. Devices of their own design that drew electrical power directly from the quantum fluctuations of the universe. Quite a simple thing really, they must seem remarkable to those not nearly as versed as them in the nature of the universe. But Neel was well versed indeed, they knew the purpose of it all, and the dark knowledge often made them wish they had never discovered it.
Turning their attention back to their muted surroundings Neel activated the bridge’s lights with a thought. The ship was a part of them, though simultaneously separate. Together they made a complete entity, though Neel admitted that it was sometimes less distracting to be on their own instead of bonded to the Preserver. That was the name he had chosen for his worldship upon its completion. He had no memories of the event, or of how it had been built. Neither did the Preserver, instead Neel’s earliest coherent memory was that of light. Blinding light.
A star exploding and the ship jumping into emergency compression drive to escape the blast. They had arrived many light years away damaged and broken from the violent energies that had lashed the ship. But they had survived.
Neel scuttled across the deck and to one of the automated steering consoles. They double checked the ship’s course for accuracy and were satisfied to see no inherent issues.
Next they walked though the ship for a time to get to the records hall. They could have zipped there almost instantly with a thought, but they had always enjoyed the action of taking their time. They had a nearly infinite amount of it after all.
The Preserver chimed at them as they walked. “If you are going to the records hall to check the data I can give you access here and save you the trouble Master Neel.” The disembodied voice said in a modulated tone and frequency.
Neel waved a series of arms towards one of the many wall mounted sensors that the ship used to see and replied “Why? What would be the purpose of walking if not to enjoy the walk. I know you could have forwarded the data to me directly on the bridge, but there is a simplistic pleasure to taking one’s time. How many times have I told you that old friend.”
The ship was silent for a few increments as Neel scuttled down dimly lit metal passageways and through dusty hatches. They shook their head in a strange yet familiar motion as they took in the state of the ship. It was dirty, grimy almost.
Neel paused by a strange bundle of filaments and tested them with a single flexible manipulator digit. Plucking them curiously Neel found they seemed to be organic. In fact as they touched them they noticed a small and curious creature skuttle out of the dark in the direction of the disturbance. Delighted at this new and fascinating discovery they coaxed the small creature out into the light.
They observed it closely, zooming in on its features while scanning it in multiple electromagnetic spectrums. Neel found that the creature seemed to fluoresce in the ultraviolet spectrum, its small body covered in swirling organic patterns. It must be able to see into the ultraviolet spectrum Neel mused, otherwise what possible purpose could such patterning serve?
Reaching into a recess in their body they produced a specimen stasis capsule. Carefully scooping up the creature, they activated the micro stasis field generator and the small curiosity seemed to freeze in place. Replacing the container they then turned and continued along the corridor making a mental note to return and analyze the filaments more closely at a future time.
It took a little longer than Neel remembered to reach the great library, which made sense as the Preserver was constantly in flux. They entered the room and slowed to a halt. It always hit them when they entered into the massive space for the first time after a lengthy hibernation. The room was lit with bright yellowish lights high in the cavernous ceiling. The walls were covered in shelves and databanks, not a single square length was bare of some form of data storage medium.
Neel walked in amongst the towering shelves and ran their fingers along the uncountable thousands of books, manuscripts, scrolls and data crystals stored within small stasis cabinets. Hidden inside this sanctum was Neel’s life’s work, the compiled data of tens of thousands of worlds, millions of species and a billion years of searching the universe for something more.
Sometimes when the ship was traveling the void between stars Neel would come and spend years here, just absorbing the ancient knowledge. But today they were looking for something specific. Moving along to one of the many wall mounted dataports, they inserted a spike like digit from the end of a flexible tendril. The full enormity of the vast library exploded into their conscious mind, only their prodigious intelligence keeping them from being overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of data.
Searching for a while they found the folder they were looking for and accessed its location. Neel was in luck, it was remote accessible meaning they wouldn't have to traverse kilometers of this labyrinth to find the data. While that was usually an enjoyable experience, Neel found that their curiosity was overwhelming their patience.
The data filled their mind and Neel saw a planet spinning tranquilly in their mind's eye. The planet that bore a striking similarity to the one they now orbited, in fact, comparing the star logs and accounting for drift, the constellations were the same too. That proved it, they were in fact in the orbit of Ixninth, the evolutionary homeworld of the peaceful humbub.
Neel cocked their head, that was odd. The last time they had been in contact with the humbub their planet was nearing a full scale type one civilization. Full planetary control was theirs and they had taken the first tentative steps out into their solar system with a few far flung colonies and outposts in the orbit of the outer planets.
Now there was nothing, no evidence of the star realm they had once ruled. Something must have happened while Neel had been traveling through the cosmos. Something no doubt related to the strange crater-like formations on the planet’s surface.
Neel scanned the other planets in the system and found that most bore evidence of similar impacts, a few of the smaller moons seemed to have been obliterated entirely. Just the drifting charred remains in orbit of their scarred planets.
They addressed the computer once more verbally. “Preserver, we have indeed visited this system before. It is the humbub’s home system.”
The ship spoke through their implant, the disembodied voice cool and calm while it discussed topics of annihilation. “It would seem some sort of natural cataclysm must have befallen them then. There is evidence of incredible kinetic bombardment. Perhaps a rogue black hole disrupted the outer debris fields?’ the computer speculated blandly.
Neel looked back to the images of the systems battered planets. “I believe something terrible has happened here, are you sure there is no evidence of foul play? No signs of void conflict?”
They began to walk out of the library and towards the main atrium. The Preserver asked “Are you telling me to scan for debris or asking if I had already done so?”
Neel paused and apologised “Yes, I am sorry old friend. You have of course anticipated my question and scanned the area for wreckage. I can postulate based on your silence that you did not find any evidence to support the claim?”
Neel started walking again as the ship confirmed their observation. “I will of course continue to scan the area in case of potential hostile threats, but I do not expect to find anything of note. It looks like the act of a hostile universe, not the acts of barbaric lifeforms.”
Neel nodded again, this time entirely for their own benefit. That is about what they had been expecting anyways, if the growing theory in their mind was correct then they would likely find no evidence of foul play at all. At least, not in the conventional sense.
Perking up a little their green eyes shone bright as a new idea struck them. “Preserver, scan the main planet. Look for any signs of technology or ruins of technology. I will get to the bottom of this situation one way or another.”
The computer replied “Already started when it became clear to me you were set on this investigative action. I can report with ninety five percent certainty that there are no technological ruins on the planet. There is a large and well preserved ruin in the upper hemisphere. Would you like a scope on it?”
Neel waved at the air and replied “Yes, yes of course. Let me see what you have found.”
In their mind they saw the feed from one of the massive ship’s many outward facing telescopes. On the current one they saw it swivel towards the planet. Enhancing the image it zoomed in until Neel could almost count each blade of grass on the ground. In front of their very eyes was a large collection of half buried structures. While they did not look technological in origin, any clue to a history undiscovered was a good clue.
“Good work my friend, I will have to make sure we pull a flyby on a blue hypergiant giant so you can recharge your entanglement drives. You earned it.” They spoke to the Preserver in fondness.
The ship answered in a much more subdued manner “That would be appreciated Neel. My compression generators have been a bit chilly of late. I assume you will want to venture to the surface personally? May I suggest an assortment of weapons?”
Neel waved a hand as they entered the vast and colorful main atrium. It was only a few kilometers from the bridge, but it was a sight well worth the walk. That coupled with the fact that it connected directly to the small hangar bay where the many parasite ships were stored.
Neel walked across the room to the hangar and entered one of the small single occupant shuttles. The Preserver spoke once more in their mind. “If you are intent on going down to the surface would you at least let me launch an orbital observation platform to assist you?”
Neel paused at the controls and then said “Yes, might as well. You never know what’s going to happen in the future, that's what makes living in the present so exciting.”
***********
Jrax woke with a satisfied stretch, today was the day. He had been busy excavating the ruins of the forbidden zone in secret for almost a full year now. Only Zieve knew he was here, and the young man was unlikely to turn him in as he was just as interested in the mysteries of the ancients as he was.
Jrax stood to his feet and twisted at the waist in a futile attempt to crack his lower back. Unsuccessful he looked around, he couldn't see Zieve anywhere, usually the young man was out here before he had even had a chance for his morning zalv. The comforting warmth of a fresh cup of the dark orange liquid was a better wake up than anything else he had yet to discover. He had shown the benefits of drinking fresh zalv to a few of his colleges but it had yet to fully take off. Something about the dried and powdered fruit gave him a zest for life and alertness that was addictive in its effectiveness, and a little addictive in general.
But that was not the important reason he was here. He put a small pot of the mixture on the boil as he pulled his notebook out of his waist pouch. The small leather bound manuscript contained everything he knew of the ancients and their strange ways of life.
According to the few tablets and inscriptions he had so far recovered, the ancients lived in the void and traveled this strange realm of nonexistence in vast ships of solid metal. Why they would have needed to be made of metal made no sense to him. Surely wood would have been much lighter and cheaper? Maybe it was a style thing, from what he could gather the ancients made almost everything out of metal. Such was their vast power and wealth they were able to extract metal from the void itself.
This had always sat ill with him, everyone knew of the void, the space outside of reality. But surely they couldn't do such things as the void was empty, wasn't it? Perhaps the great teachings warning of the demons that lurked in the void were false after all. It was said that the void used to be full of life, an infinite world to build upon. One day the demons had come from beyond the realms of the humbub and devoured all that existed without till at last they rained fire and death upon Ixninth. The celestial realms of the humbub had been reduced to ashes and the survivors fled their metal cities in terror as they were consumed by the angry earth.
He shook his head. The mythos of their people was a fractured thing, handed down largely through word of mouth by millennia of terrified priests who had no real understanding of what they should be so afraid of.
He knew, it had been a hard truth to swallow but in his studies of the forbidden ruins he had made discoveries. Discoveries like the identity of their ancient destroyers.
They were not demons at all, they just looked like them, their bodies twisted and monstrous, their hunger for destruction nearly insatiable. They killed for fun and destroyed the remains, the fact that they hadn't killed all of the ancients was a miracle likely attributed to the paranoia of certain individuals. Places like these ruins had been ancient refuges to them, structures buried far into the guts of the mother earth called bunkers. An affront on nature, but necessary for the survival of their race.
It had taken thousands of years from what he had been able to gather before the planet was once more survivable on the surface. They left their ancient bunkers and found that all that once had been was no more. They had begun again.
Jrax was happy to be alive, especially knowing some of the struggle that his ancestors must have gone through just to survive. He put thoughts of such things out of mind and busied himself combing his fur. It wouldn't do to get mangey knots from a lack of self attention, he was a respectable scholar afterall.
His snout crinkled in a small snarl as he thought of Primo Haxix, the premiere leader of the Church of Brox in his home city of Broxix. The man was a devout follower of Brox’s teachings, and his most severe hurtle to spreading the truth of things. The closeminded man refused to see reason.
Done with his morning grooming he pulled on his open fronted work shirt, the rough fabric a little itchy against his fur but necessary to protect him from biting insects and the sun. It was hot near the ruins, the lack of vegetation one of the reasons the Primo called the land cursed. From what he had found it was no more cursed than any other piece of land, it had something to do with things called water concentrators he had discovered. He didn't understand the concept fully, but it seemed that the area was perpetually dry like the Neeix Desert to the south. A strange concept but it certainly explained why nothing would grow there.
Putting on his sandals and grabbing his excavation kit he slung the bag over his shoulder and started out of camp. He dodged around and through a thick copse of trees, his camp hidden from view in order to protect it from fanatics and the church’s spies. The area around the ruins was constantly under surveillance, he had been spotted a few times and chased but luckily his identity had never been uncovered.
He checked that the coast was clear and then made a quick transition to the bushes a few dozen feet away. Sighing as he didnt hear the telltale sounds of pursuit he continued on. The pack was heavy but he was undeterred.
Normally traveling alone into the wilderness would be tantamount to suicide, the many ferocious predators of their homeworld converging on a lone individual, but he was unafraid. The ruins protected him, some sort of aura seemed to surround the area that deterred the predators from approaching. He had read of it on the inscriptions, it was called a protection grid in the ancient texts that adorned the walls of the ruin, but he had yet to truly parse what it meant.
Whatever it was he was grateful for it as it allowed him to work in peace without constantly having to watch his back against attack from the abominations the demons had left behind.
He walked along the narrow and hidden path he had forged through the dense undergrowth towards the ruins. He shook his furred head, Zeive was probably already there. The young man was always excited to help him make some new discovery or ancient find. Yes, there was nothing to worry about.
Almost as soon as he told himself that he had nothing to worry about he tripped and landed hard on the soft sandy soil. Crawling to his feet he heard the unmistakable sounds of clanking armour plates and was soon surrounded by church soldiers. Resplendent in their brown leather greatcoats and shining steel breastplates.
“Oh..” Was all he said, a plethora of steel spear points at his throat.
Another sound met his ears and he looked behind him. From the path he watched a magnificently maned man stroll towards him, crimson cloak over his brushed leather overcoat covered in fine gold buckles. It was Primo Haxix, his biggest detractor and the most powerful person in all of Broxix.
Primo Haxix strode to him and laughed, a thoroughly nasty sound, devoid of mirth or joy. “Wow, I knew it had to have been an ignorant son of a demon to have crossed into the forbidden zone. But you? You have got to be the dumbest intellectual I have ever met. Clap him in irons, bring him to the fortress of Brox.” The ostentatious humbub then strode away regally as if they cared no more for his welfare, and they likely didn't. Jrax heard the unmistakable sound of a frourn drawn carriage, likely to carry the Primo’s lazy ass back to the capital.
One of the soldiers produced a set of iron clamps which they applied to his wrists, the metal pinching his arm hair painfully and he chirped in discomfort.
“Follow me or I will make you follow.” The man said gruffly.
Jrax did as he was told. No reason to get a beating on top of his arrest.
The soldiers led him through the brush and out to the main roadway. The road was simple hard packed earth, but it served its purpose. Leading right to the edge of the forbidden zone.
He snorted as they led him back along the road towards Broxix. It was a large city, almost fifty thousand inhabitants lived and died within an afternoon’s hike of the ruins and yet they knew nothing of their own history. The Church taught that the demons had destroyed their ancestors and all they had built before Brox took them into the belly of Ixninth for their protection. But that wasn't entirely true. It wasn't the whole truth in any event, and in Jrax’s opinion that was tantamount to lying.
They marched for an hour before the leader of the troop called a halt near a small roadside inn that catered to pilgrims. He looked at Jrax and said gruffly “We are stooping for refreshment, would you like some water?”
Jrax nodded suspiciously and the man gestured to a few of the others to go into the building.
Jrax watched as the trio of so-called holy soldiers kicked the door open and rushed in, swords drawn. Screaming and the sound of crashing furniture could be heard and Jrax chirped angrily but was kept from remarking by a threatening glare from the troop leader.
After a few more minutes of this the sounds ceased and the three soldiers exited carrying food and wine as well as a small bladder of water.
The wine and dried meat morsels were shared about as the troop leader approached with the water and stopped. Staring at Jrax, the man proceeded to unstop the bladder and pour its contents into the dirt as his feet.
When the skin had been completely emptied the troop leader laughed curly and gestured at the small mud puddle. There you go blasphemer, drink up.
A chorus of nasty chuckles sounded from all about as Jrax just stood his ground.
The leader stopped laughing, his face turning from savage mirth to rage as he drew his sword and pointed it at Jrax’s throat.
“I said drink! Do it now or so help me Brox I’ll…” the large armoured man started to say but Jrax cut him off smugly.
“Or you will what? You can’t kill me or you would have already. No, Primo Haxix wants my punishment to be public.” Jrax spat. “He wouldn't let a little pissant like you take his triumph away from him, so no. I will not drink, nor will I eat unless it is something tasty and nutritious. I would rather starve than allow such ignorant fools to debase me.” he said with a smug chortle.
The now enraged troop leader drew his sword in a threatening manner and Jrax felt his knees shake slightly in fear. But he stood tall and firm, not allowing his terror to show on his face. He would show these zealous assholes what it meant to truly serve a higher purpose, even if it meant he would die anyways.
The leader lowered his weapon and sneered. “Let's see how smug you are when we take you to the chamber of repentance. We will see who gets the last laugh.” the man said angrily. “Okay, form up and move out you lazy sons of snurlg. We need to reach the Fortress of Broxix by mid afternoon.”
Jrax was shoved by one of the soldiers behind him who growled “Get moving scum.”
He shook his head sadly, the road was long and the sun was high. But he would walk with shoulders straight and head held high, for he knew his cause was just.
End of Part 1
==End of Transmission==
2023.06.06 00:49 AvgEverydayNormalGuy Report from dealing with NFH
Report from dealing with NFH
Hi guys, long time lurker and lifetime victim of NFH.
Long story short, I was falling apart at one moment bc of NFH. Context: Wife and me are in newish building with 12 flats and 6 floors (2 per floor), horrible sound insulation to the point you can hear upstairs neighbors flipping the light switch. Our building is located around 15min from capital and it's like middle class neighborhood. I'm really trying not to be grumpy dickhead neighbor but here are my challenges so far:
1st challenge: Neighbors kids climbing trees and looking directly into our bedroom since we are on 1st floor. I let it go too far in hindsight. So at one point I'm sleeping and the little fuckers in the trees are screaming and wake me up; Waking up furious ready to strangle little shits but I find strength to open the blinds and ask them to stop politely. Surprised faces, they shit themsalves; closing blinds, going back to sleep and after 20min I hear them plotting to get into my apartment through window. I assume they thought I left since my wife opened the door few times. (Note to self: 12yos talk like 40yo perverts)
Resolution: Talked to father of one of the "normal" kid in the tree, told him to tell other parents to talk to their kids to stop climbing the trees and lurking in our bedroom - we have 3 playgrounds in 500m radius. (Didn't mention the plot or disgusting things those little fuckers talk about)
2nd challenge: Downstairs neighbors teenage daughter blasting music (Imagine gypsy music with trumpets and moaning). So our living room balcony is right above their window. At first we started to close balcony doors which didn't really help bc music was so loud. It was tolerable in the summer when we turned AC on, but it doesn't solve the problem in the long run; Autumn came and the music didn't stop.
Resolution: Since the mother of demon child also cleaned common area of the building I invited her to take a break and come to my apartment to have a drink and listen to hellish sounds we have to listen every day.
3rd challenge: Upstairs neighbors (apart from playing loud music here an there which we also do sometimes on weekends), trying to play fucking guitar for months, renovating every week which was fine since it was temporary. So they went from somewhat tolerable to step-dancing every day for few hours randomly. Sometimes it would last an hour or two at 8 in the morning, afternoon, midnight or combined. So we figured it was their kid since it was winter and bad weather. Few months forward, it went from few hours to almost any time of day for random duration to the point that we couldn't get any sleep. Pissed off I'm ready to go upstairs to have a polite talk with neighbors but my wife feels that we should let it go tho she is pissed off all the time and can't get any sleep herself. We are so frustrated at this point that any noise from upstairs makes us angry. Last straw was when they woke me up on Sunday morning jumping right above my head like crazy (they remodeled their apartment so now part of their living room is right above our bedroom)
Resolution: Pissed off I tried to calm myself and sent message to upstairs neighbor to tell their kid not to jump like he is trying to break the ceiling.. It was the wife doing crossfit or some crap but it stopped.
Lesson learned - Talk to them early on if they repeat the same thing that annoys you instead of exploding with rage over something that seems "normal" but hellish to you after few months. If they don't know that something they do annoys you - nothing will change.
Edit - Reading over my story seems like it was a breeze to work out those problems compared to usual stories on NFH. I firmly believe people are reasonsble if you talk to them calmly and to the point. If you have bad luck and have a total lunatic for NFH it goes beyond of my scope of expertise.
submitted by AvgEverydayNormalGuy to neighborsfromhell [link] [comments]
Hi guys, long time lurker and lifetime victim of NFH.
Long story short, I was falling apart at one moment bc of NFH. Context: Wife and me are in newish building with 12 flats and 6 floors (2 per floor), horrible sound insulation to the point you can hear upstairs neighbors flipping the light switch. Our building is located around 15min from capital and it's like middle class neighborhood. I'm really trying not to be grumpy dickhead neighbor but here are my challenges so far:
1st challenge: Neighbors kids climbing trees and looking directly into our bedroom since we are on 1st floor. I let it go too far in hindsight. So at one point I'm sleeping and the little fuckers in the trees are screaming and wake me up; Waking up furious ready to strangle little shits but I find strength to open the blinds and ask them to stop politely. Surprised faces, they shit themsalves; closing blinds, going back to sleep and after 20min I hear them plotting to get into my apartment through window. I assume they thought I left since my wife opened the door few times. (Note to self: 12yos talk like 40yo perverts)
Resolution: Talked to father of one of the "normal" kid in the tree, told him to tell other parents to talk to their kids to stop climbing the trees and lurking in our bedroom - we have 3 playgrounds in 500m radius. (Didn't mention the plot or disgusting things those little fuckers talk about)
2nd challenge: Downstairs neighbors teenage daughter blasting music (Imagine gypsy music with trumpets and moaning). So our living room balcony is right above their window. At first we started to close balcony doors which didn't really help bc music was so loud. It was tolerable in the summer when we turned AC on, but it doesn't solve the problem in the long run; Autumn came and the music didn't stop.
Resolution: Since the mother of demon child also cleaned common area of the building I invited her to take a break and come to my apartment to have a drink and listen to hellish sounds we have to listen every day.
3rd challenge: Upstairs neighbors (apart from playing loud music here an there which we also do sometimes on weekends), trying to play fucking guitar for months, renovating every week which was fine since it was temporary. So they went from somewhat tolerable to step-dancing every day for few hours randomly. Sometimes it would last an hour or two at 8 in the morning, afternoon, midnight or combined. So we figured it was their kid since it was winter and bad weather. Few months forward, it went from few hours to almost any time of day for random duration to the point that we couldn't get any sleep. Pissed off I'm ready to go upstairs to have a polite talk with neighbors but my wife feels that we should let it go tho she is pissed off all the time and can't get any sleep herself. We are so frustrated at this point that any noise from upstairs makes us angry. Last straw was when they woke me up on Sunday morning jumping right above my head like crazy (they remodeled their apartment so now part of their living room is right above our bedroom)
Resolution: Pissed off I tried to calm myself and sent message to upstairs neighbor to tell their kid not to jump like he is trying to break the ceiling.. It was the wife doing crossfit or some crap but it stopped.
Lesson learned - Talk to them early on if they repeat the same thing that annoys you instead of exploding with rage over something that seems "normal" but hellish to you after few months. If they don't know that something they do annoys you - nothing will change.
Edit - Reading over my story seems like it was a breeze to work out those problems compared to usual stories on NFH. I firmly believe people are reasonsble if you talk to them calmly and to the point. If you have bad luck and have a total lunatic for NFH it goes beyond of my scope of expertise.
2023.06.06 00:14 yerbamategoat Long time loather of Tower of Terror -> Guardians transformation finally rode it yesterday and its now my favorite ride in the park
So yea, as the title goes, to say I was disappointed when Disney announced that Tower of Terror would be transformed to be themed after Guardians would be a gross understatement. Tower of Terror was my favorite ride at the Disneyland Resort(which is funny because it wasn’t even the best version of it, which is in florida). The overall look of the hotel, the incredible queue, creepy and dedicated cast members, and the fact that I love horror and the original tv show all contributed to me feeling it was a masterpiece and something that Walt would never want to be changed. Deciding to change it to a newer Marvel film just felt insulting, especially when you see how bad and cheap the rest of Avengers campus is.
I have only been able to get back to Disneyland 4 times since it reopened as Mission Breakout. 3 of those times I didn’t bother riding it because 1) the line was absurdly long at the time and 2) because I didn’t see the value in waiting that long for something I never wanted there in the first place and wouldn’t enjoy nearly as much as the original ToT.
Yesterday I went and finally decided to wait for it. To say it blew me away is an understatement. I ended up riding it 2 more times and using a lightning lane on it. This might be the most overall fun ride Disney has created, riding this with a group of friends is the hardest I’ve laughed in quite some time.
The music and new drop sequences are incredible and paced so well. I was completely caught off guard by how quickly it started, as I was used to the slow build up of ToT. Rocket is hilarious too and one of my favorite animatronics Disney has made.
So yea, I know this isn’t new news to anyone here who has ridden it, but damn what a worthy replacement for one of Disney’s masterpieces. Absolutely worth the hype and praise that people give it. I still miss Tower of Terror and hope it stays the same in its still-existing versions, but I’m so happy Mission Breakout exists.
submitted by yerbamategoat to Disneyland [link] [comments]
I have only been able to get back to Disneyland 4 times since it reopened as Mission Breakout. 3 of those times I didn’t bother riding it because 1) the line was absurdly long at the time and 2) because I didn’t see the value in waiting that long for something I never wanted there in the first place and wouldn’t enjoy nearly as much as the original ToT.
Yesterday I went and finally decided to wait for it. To say it blew me away is an understatement. I ended up riding it 2 more times and using a lightning lane on it. This might be the most overall fun ride Disney has created, riding this with a group of friends is the hardest I’ve laughed in quite some time.
The music and new drop sequences are incredible and paced so well. I was completely caught off guard by how quickly it started, as I was used to the slow build up of ToT. Rocket is hilarious too and one of my favorite animatronics Disney has made.
So yea, I know this isn’t new news to anyone here who has ridden it, but damn what a worthy replacement for one of Disney’s masterpieces. Absolutely worth the hype and praise that people give it. I still miss Tower of Terror and hope it stays the same in its still-existing versions, but I’m so happy Mission Breakout exists.
2023.06.06 00:00 FappidyDat [H] TF2 Keys & PayPal [W] Must-Play Metroidvanias
Notes:
I pay with the following:
TF2 & PayPal
IGS Rep Page:
https://www.reddit.com/IGSRep/comments/ggsaik/fappidydats_igs_rep_page/
SteamTrades Rep Page (1000+):
https://www.steamtrades.com/use76561198097671494
GameTrade Rep Page:
https://www.reddit.com/GameTradeRep/comments/ggrz1y/fappidydats_gametrade_rep_page/?
SGSFlair Rep Page:
https://www.reddit.com/sgsflaicomments/ggag04/flair_profile_ufappidydat/
submitted by FappidyDat to SteamGameSwap [link] [comments]
- I am EXTREMELY busy, but I check my messages and DMs at least ONCE per day. Please be patient and wait at least 24 hours for my response if I don't get back to you immediately.
- I buy only in Unrevealed Key Link Format or Plain Steam Keys. No gift links.
- For PayPal, I am in the US region and I only send via G&S. Please note there will be PayPal fees (including international/conversion and purchasing fees) to consider.
- All games that you sell to me should ideally be REGION-FREE. Please ensure the games are not region-locked/bound to a specific country.
- You must be willing to fill a spreadsheet with steam keys.
I pay with the following:
TF2 & PayPal
| I Buy Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Blasphemous | ||
| Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | ||
| Haiku, the Robot | ||
| Hollow Knight | ||
| Rain World | ||
| All Games Above (Special) | ||
| Full Bundle (Special) | 8.25 TF2 | $16.5 PP |
| I Buy Luck of the Draw: Roguelike Deckbuilders Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Dicey Dungeons | 1.0 TF2 | $1.95 PayPal |
| Luck be a Landlord | 0.9 TF2 | $1.89 PayPal |
| Alina of the Arena | 2.1 TF2 | $4.23 PayPal |
| Chrono Ark | 2.8 TF2 | $5.56 PayPal |
| Tainted Grail: Conquest | 3.8 TF2 | $7.56 PayPal |
| Fights in Tight Spaces | 5.9 TF2 | $11.88 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 12.4 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $24.81 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 12.51 TF2 | $25.01 PP |
| I Buy May Multiplayer Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Generation Zero® | 0.7 TF2 | $1.4 PayPal |
| Northgard | 1.2 TF2 | $2.42 PayPal |
| Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe Edition | 2.4 TF2 | $4.88 PayPal |
| Destiny 2: Beyond Light | 1.2 TF2 | $2.4 PayPal |
| Gloria Victis | 0.4 TF2 | $0.86 PayPal |
| PULSAR: Lost Colony | 0.3 TF2 | $0.64 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 7.2 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $14.4 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 7.3 TF2 | $14.6 PP |
| I Buy Humble Choice (May 2023) | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Bendy and the Dark Revival | 0.3 TF2 | $0.53 PayPal |
| Builder Simulator | 0.3 TF2 | $0.55 PayPal |
| Operation: Tango | 0.3 TF2 | $0.68 PayPal |
| Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters | 1.6 TF2 | $3.22 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 2.8 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $5.69 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy Capcom Heroic Collection Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Mega Man Legacy Collection | 0.4 TF2 | $0.78 PayPal |
| Dragons Dogma - Dark Arisen | 1.1 TF2 | $2.11 PayPal |
| Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.25 PayPal |
| MONSTER HUNTER RISE | 4.2 TF2 | $8.48 PayPal |
| Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection | 2.5 TF2 | $5.04 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 10.1 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $20.18 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy Easy-Going Games: White Thorn Games Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| APICO | 2.3 TF2 | $4.61 PayPal |
| Lake | 0.7 TF2 | $1.41 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 3.4 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $6.88 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy Feel The Rhythm Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| No Straight Roads: Encore Edition | 1.4 TF2 | $2.7 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 1.5 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $3.09 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy Striking Soulslikes Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Salt and Sanctuary | 1.1 TF2 | $2.1 PayPal |
| Blade of Darkness | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PayPal |
| Mortal Shell | 1.4 TF2 | $2.74 PayPal |
| Aeterna Noctis | 1.5 TF2 | $2.91 PayPal |
| Loot River | 2.9 TF2 | $5.76 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 9.0 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $17.99 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy Fight 4 Your Friends Co-Op Shooters Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Warhammer: Vermintide 2 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.51 PayPal |
| Zombie Army Trilogy | 0.5 TF2 | $0.97 PayPal |
| Back 4 Blood | 2.8 TF2 | $5.56 PayPal |
| Zombie Army 4: Dead War | 1.8 TF2 | $3.65 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 6.7 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $13.36 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 8.25 TF2 | $16.5 PP |
| I Buy In Your Face VR Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Vertigo Remastered | 0.4 TF2 | $0.8 PayPal |
| Into the Radius VR | 3.3 TF2 | $6.6 PayPal |
| Wanderer | 1.1 TF2 | $2.16 PayPal |
| Zenith MMO | 2.2 TF2 | $4.32 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 7.9 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $15.86 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy Humble Choice (Apr 2023) | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Aliens: Fireteam Elite | 1.0 TF2 | $1.94 PayPal |
| DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT | 2.9 TF2 | $5.87 PayPal |
| Life is Strange 2 Complete Season | 0.7 TF2 | $1.43 PayPal |
| Rollerdrome | 0.3 TF2 | $0.58 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 5.6 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $11.22 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 6.75 TF2 | $13.5 PP |
| I Buy Best of Boomer Shooters: Bigger and Boomier Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Forgive me Father | 0.2 TF2 | $0.39 PayPal |
| WRATH: Aeon of Ruin | 0.2 TF2 | $0.5 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 0.5 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $1.02 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy Scary Games to Play in the Dark Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Labyrinthine | 1.8 TF2 | $3.55 PayPal |
| Propnight | 0.7 TF2 | $1.37 PayPal |
| The Blackout Club | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PayPal |
| The Mortuary Assistant | 2.4 TF2 | $4.74 PayPal |
| SCP: Pandemic | 2.4 TF2 | $4.85 PayPal |
| Visage | 2.9 TF2 | $5.83 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 11.1 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $22.23 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 11.21 TF2 | $22.43 PP |
| I Buy Humble Heroines: Warriors, Dreamers, and God Slayers | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Control Ultimate Edition | 1.9 TF2 | $3.84 PayPal |
| Dreamscaper | 0.2 TF2 | $0.46 PayPal |
| Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice | 1.4 TF2 | $2.88 PayPal |
| Praey for the Gods | 0.5 TF2 | $0.9 PayPal |
| Sable | 0.3 TF2 | $0.61 PayPal |
| Syberia: The World Before | 1.1 TF2 | $2.24 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 6.2 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $12.49 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 8.25 TF2 | $16.5 PP |
| I Buy Humble Choice (Mar 2023) | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| BIOMUTANT | 1.6 TF2 | $3.16 PayPal |
| Edge Of Eternity | 0.2 TF2 | $0.36 PayPal |
| Hero's Hour | 0.3 TF2 | $0.65 PayPal |
| Jurassic World Evolution 2 | 2.2 TF2 | $4.39 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 4.9 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $9.78 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 6.75 TF2 | $13.5 PP |
| I Buy Türkiye-Syria Earthquake Relief Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| PAYDAY 2 | 0.5 TF2 | $0.92 PayPal |
| Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Enhanced Plus Edition | 0.6 TF2 | $1.24 PayPal |
| Mount & Blade: Warband | 0.8 TF2 | $1.5 PayPal |
| XCOM 2 | 0.4 TF2 | $0.76 PayPal |
| Strange Brigade | 0.5 TF2 | $0.9 PayPal |
| Stick Fight: The Game | 0.6 TF2 | $1.24 PayPal |
| Farming Simulator 17 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PayPal |
| Euro Truck Simulator 2 | 1.6 TF2 | $3.19 PayPal |
| Armello | 0.3 TF2 | $0.69 PayPal |
| Gotham Knights | 5.4 TF2 | $10.84 PayPal |
| Ghostrunner | 1.8 TF2 | $3.51 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 14.8 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $29.6 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy Unparalleled Puzzlers Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Baba Is You | 1.5 TF2 | $3.07 PayPal |
| Creaks | 0.2 TF2 | $0.46 PayPal |
| DARQ: Complete Edition | 0.2 TF2 | $0.43 PayPal |
| Dorfromantik | 1.9 TF2 | $3.88 PayPal |
| The Last Campfire | 0.3 TF2 | $0.7 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 4.9 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $9.76 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 5.75 TF2 | $11.5 PP |
| I Buy Humble Choice (Feb 2023) | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Fallout 76 | 2.2 TF2 | $4.37 PayPal |
| Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous | 1.4 TF2 | $2.8 PayPal |
| Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales | 0.3 TF2 | $0.56 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 4.4 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $8.83 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy Sim-ple Life Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Garden Paws | 1.0 TF2 | $2.0 PayPal |
| Lake | 0.7 TF2 | $1.41 PayPal |
| Staxel | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PayPal |
| Summer in Mara | 0.5 TF2 | $1.04 PayPal |
| Townscaper | 0.6 TF2 | $1.17 PayPal |
| Winkeltje: The Little Shop | 1.0 TF2 | $2.07 PayPal |
| Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles | 1.3 TF2 | $2.66 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 6.0 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $11.9 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 6.05 TF2 | $12.1 PP |
| I Buy Survival Instinct Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Chernobylite Enhanced Edition | 1.0 TF2 | $1.92 PayPal |
| The Long Dark: Survival Edition | 0.5 TF2 | $0.9 PayPal |
| SCUM | 3.4 TF2 | $6.86 PayPal |
| State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition | 3.1 TF2 | $6.21 PayPal |
| Volcanoids | 1.4 TF2 | $2.81 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 9.2 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $18.35 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 9.38 TF2 | $18.75 PP |
| I Buy In Case You Missed It: Gems of 2022 Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Haiku, the Robot | 0.8 TF2 | $1.58 PayPal |
| PowerSlave Exhumed | 1.4 TF2 | $2.74 PayPal |
| Source of Madness | 0.6 TF2 | $1.12 PayPal |
| Supraland Six Inches Under | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PayPal |
| ZERO Sievert | 5.0 TF2 | $10.09 PayPal |
| Prehistoric Kingdom | 1.3 TF2 | $2.51 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 11.6 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $23.17 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy Fighting Farmers Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Forager | 1.1 TF2 | $2.16 PayPal |
| Kitaria Fables | 0.4 TF2 | $0.75 PayPal |
| Stranded Sails - Explorers of the Cursed Islands | 0.3 TF2 | $0.58 PayPal |
| Len's Island | 4.1 TF2 | $8.16 PayPal |
| Re:Legend | 1.0 TF2 | $1.94 PayPal |
| Spirit Of The Island | 1.4 TF2 | $2.88 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 8.5 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $17.06 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 8.63 TF2 | $17.26 PP |
| I Buy Humble Choice (Jan 2023) | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Doom Eternal | 2.6 TF2 | $5.18 PayPal |
| OlliOlli World Rad Edition | 0.3 TF2 | $0.52 PayPal |
| Tribes of Midgard | 0.8 TF2 | $1.57 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 4.2 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $8.31 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy Best of Boomer Shooters Bundle - Holiday Encore | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| AMID EVIL | 0.6 TF2 | $1.15 PayPal |
| Dusk | 2.0 TF2 | $4.07 PayPal |
| Forgive me Father | 0.2 TF2 | $0.39 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 3.2 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $6.41 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy Fantastic Journeys: Middle Earth & Beyond - Holiday Encore | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Gauntlet™ Slayer Edition | 0.2 TF2 | $0.49 PayPal |
| LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 | 0.3 TF2 | $0.57 PayPal |
| LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.2 PayPal |
| LEGO® The Hobbit™ | 0.4 TF2 | $0.88 PayPal |
| LEGO Lord of the Rings | 0.3 TF2 | $0.57 PayPal |
| Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition | 0.9 TF2 | $1.74 PayPal |
| Middleearth Shadow of War Definitive Edition | 1.2 TF2 | $2.46 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 4.5 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $9.04 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 5.75 TF2 | $11.5 PP |
| I Buy LEGO at the Movies Bundle: Holiday Encore | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| LEGO® DC Super-Villains | 0.5 TF2 | $0.95 PayPal |
| LEGO® Jurassic World™ | 0.5 TF2 | $0.92 PayPal |
| LEGO® MARVEL's Avengers | 0.4 TF2 | $0.77 PayPal |
| LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2 | 0.7 TF2 | $1.32 PayPal |
| The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame | 0.4 TF2 | $0.79 PayPal |
| The LEGO Movie: Videogame | 0.3 TF2 | $0.53 PayPal |
| LEGO® Ninjago® Movie Video Game | 0.2 TF2 | $0.48 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 3.3 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $6.58 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy Best of Stealth Bundle: Holiday Encore | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Aragami | 0.4 TF2 | $0.89 PayPal |
| Hitman Game of the Year Edition | 1.3 TF2 | $2.58 PayPal |
| HITMAN™2 Gold Edition | 3.0 TF2 | $6.1 PayPal |
| Styx: Shards Of Darkness | 0.9 TF2 | $1.73 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 6.5 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $12.91 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 6.75 TF2 | $13.51 PP |
| I Buy Ultimate Racing Sim Bundle: Holiday Encore | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Assetto Corsa Competizione | 3.1 TF2 | $6.21 PayPal |
| Assetto Corsa Ultimate Edition | 6.6 TF2 | $13.11 PayPal |
| Automobilista 2 | 9.4 TF2 | $18.71 PayPal |
| DRIFT21 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PayPal |
| NASCAR Heat 5 - Ultimate Edition | 0.5 TF2 | $1.08 PayPal |
| rFactor 2 | 4.8 TF2 | $9.55 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 7.9 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $15.77 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 7.99 TF2 | $15.97 PP |
| I Buy 2k Megahits Holiday Encore Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Sid Meier's Civilization VI | 0.7 TF2 | $1.42 PayPal |
| XCOM: Ultimate Collection | 1.3 TF2 | $2.56 PayPal |
| Mafia: Definitive Edition | 2.1 TF2 | $4.3 PayPal |
| Duke Nukem Forever Collection | 0.2 TF2 | $0.5 PayPal |
| Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe | 2.4 TF2 | $4.88 PayPal |
| BioShock Collection | 1.1 TF2 | $2.21 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 9.1 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $18.14 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 9.57 TF2 | $19.14 PP |
| I Buy The Tactician's Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus | 0.2 TF2 | $0.41 PayPal |
| Dark Deity | 0.4 TF2 | $0.83 PayPal |
| Gears Tactics | 4.8 TF2 | $9.55 PayPal |
| The Red Solstice 2: Survivors | 0.4 TF2 | $0.78 PayPal |
| Star Renegades | 2.9 TF2 | $5.82 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 7.2 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $14.48 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 7.54 TF2 | $15.08 PP |
| I Buy Humble Choice (Dec 2022) | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| First Class Trouble | 0.6 TF2 | $1.1 PayPal |
| GreedFall | 0.8 TF2 | $1.52 PayPal |
| Wasteland 3 | 1.3 TF2 | $2.6 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 3.0 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $5.97 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy Premiere VR Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Sunshine | 2.1 TF2 | $4.19 PayPal |
| After the Fall® - Launch Edition | 5.0 TF2 | $10.02 PayPal |
| Vox Machinae | 3.4 TF2 | $6.7 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 11.9 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $23.9 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy Black Friday VR Voyager's Pack Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Car Mechanic Simulator VR | 0.6 TF2 | $1.13 PayPal |
| Cook-Out | 0.2 TF2 | $0.49 PayPal |
| I Expect You To Die | 1.3 TF2 | $2.67 PayPal |
| Sairento VR | 0.2 TF2 | $0.43 PayPal |
| SUPERHOT VR | 2.2 TF2 | $4.47 PayPal |
| Until You Fall | 0.7 TF2 | $1.39 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 6.0 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $12.09 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 6.75 TF2 | $13.5 PP |
| I Buy Complete Your Twin Sails Collection Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Small World | 0.3 TF2 | $0.61 PayPal |
| A Game of Thrones: The Board Game - Digital Edition | 1.4 TF2 | $2.74 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 1.9 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $3.83 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy 11 Bit Studios: The Complete Collection Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| This War of Mine: Complete Edition | 0.7 TF2 | $1.41 PayPal |
| Children of Morta | 0.6 TF2 | $1.25 PayPal |
| Frostpunk | 1.0 TF2 | $2.04 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 2.7 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $5.37 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy Humble Choice (Nov 2022) | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Eldest Souls | 0.3 TF2 | $0.52 PayPal |
| Hell Let Loose | 6.1 TF2 | $12.26 PayPal |
| Roboquest | 0.5 TF2 | $1.05 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 7.2 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $14.48 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 7.74 TF2 | $15.48 PP |
| I Buy Day of the Devs Bundle (2022) | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Brutal Legend | 1.0 TF2 | $2.03 PayPal |
| Gang Beasts | 3.0 TF2 | $5.94 PayPal |
| Psychonauts | 0.3 TF2 | $0.51 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 4.8 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $9.69 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 5.75 TF2 | $11.5 PP |
| I Buy Melee Mayhem Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Mordhau | 1.8 TF2 | $3.54 PayPal |
| MORTAL KOMBAT 11 | 1.6 TF2 | $3.23 PayPal |
| Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl | 0.2 TF2 | $0.46 PayPal |
| River City Girls | 1.4 TF2 | $2.83 PayPal |
| Chivalry 2 | 3.5 TF2 | $6.9 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 9.7 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $19.38 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy Humble Choice (Oct 2022) | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope | 2.1 TF2 | $4.21 PayPal |
| DEATHLOOP | 2.7 TF2 | $5.35 PayPal |
| Disciples: Liberation | 0.3 TF2 | $0.52 PayPal |
| Monster Train | 0.5 TF2 | $0.99 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 6.3 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $12.65 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 6.75 TF2 | $13.5 PP |
| I Buy Serious Sam Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Serious Sam 3: BFE | 1.0 TF2 | $1.97 PayPal |
| Serious Sam 2 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.57 PayPal |
| Serious Sam 4 | 4.8 TF2 | $9.53 PayPal |
| Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem | 2.2 TF2 | $4.47 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 10.0 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $20.05 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy TinyBuild x Versus Evil Smashup Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Hello, Neighbor! | 0.5 TF2 | $1.01 PayPal |
| Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire | 1.0 TF2 | $2.02 PayPal |
| Totally Reliable Delivery Service | 0.6 TF2 | $1.25 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 2.4 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $4.89 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | TBD | TBD |
| I Buy Starlight Children's Foundation Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic | 0.5 TF2 | $0.9 PayPal |
| Star Wars®: Jedi Knight®: Jedi Academy | 0.4 TF2 | $0.75 PayPal |
| Aliens: Colonial Marines Collection | 1.2 TF2 | $2.42 PayPal |
| Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast | 0.3 TF2 | $0.59 PayPal |
| Day of the Tentacle Remastered | 0.4 TF2 | $0.88 PayPal |
| Grim Fandango Remastered | 0.6 TF2 | $1.1 PayPal |
| LEGO® Star Wars™: The Force Awakens | 0.5 TF2 | $0.91 PayPal |
| LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga | 0.6 TF2 | $1.17 PayPal |
| Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition | 0.9 TF2 | $1.74 PayPal |
| LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars | 0.5 TF2 | $1.04 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 6.0 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $11.9 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 6.45 TF2 | $12.9 PP |
| I Buy 2K Megahits Bundle | with TF2 | with PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Duke Nukem Forever Collection | 0.2 TF2 | $0.5 PayPal |
| PGA TOUR 2K21 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.2 PayPal |
| XCOM: Ultimate Collection | 1.3 TF2 | $2.56 PayPal |
| Sid Meier's Civilization VI | 0.7 TF2 | $1.42 PayPal |
| Mafia: Definitive Edition | 2.1 TF2 | $4.3 PayPal |
| Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe Edition | 2.4 TF2 | $4.88 PayPal |
| BioShock Collection | 1.1 TF2 | $2.21 PayPal |
| All Games Above (Special) | 9.8 TF2 + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games | $19.51 PP + You Keep Any Remaining Bundle Games |
| Full Bundle (Special) | 10.26 TF2 | $20.51 PP |
https://www.reddit.com/IGSRep/comments/ggsaik/fappidydats_igs_rep_page/
SteamTrades Rep Page (1000+):
https://www.steamtrades.com/use76561198097671494
GameTrade Rep Page:
https://www.reddit.com/GameTradeRep/comments/ggrz1y/fappidydats_gametrade_rep_page/?
SGSFlair Rep Page:
https://www.reddit.com/sgsflaicomments/ggag04/flair_profile_ufappidydat/