I am A Fisherman. Off the Bering Sea Exists The Fisher of Men.
2023.03.22 15:53 aproyalI am A Fisherman. Off the Bering Sea Exists The Fisher of Men.
I was a fisherman because my father was a fisherman. And his father was a fisherman before him; this is all my family has ever known. I worked on my father’s boat as one of his deckhands for years. We caught crabs in the Bering sea. Essentially, we would dunk massive metal cages into the water, trapping the crustaceans miles below. It's a tough living, and definitely something not for the faint of heart. You wake up to the murky haze of sunrise, the sea breeze chilling your bones, the smell of salt and the fresh guts of fish clinging to your nose like rust to the hull. Ninety percent of greenhorns never make it past their first day. Many of them were drifters, new to our community. The job paid well, so it attracted men who were eager to work. And my father was always willing to give anyone a shot. But the truth of it was, the job just wasn’t for everybody. Something always hurt: whether it was your neck, your back, or your joints. It didn’t matter. If you left the harbor in our boat, you best be prepared for the grueling day or my father would toss you over himself. I watched many a man perish on expeditions, swallowed up by the ravenous sea. Careless or stupid or just plain unlucky. Things had been going smoothly, though, recently. There were a lot fewer casualties and some very nice yields. A few of the older deckhands at the pub had even quoted this as a “legendary” year. We drank to our good fortune. It wasn’t the same story we were hearing from some of the other vessels, but some years were better than others. It was just how the tide turned. As I said, it’s an honest living and all I’ve ever known is Thally. It was renamed after my father’s first love, but he’d said if Mum ever asked it was named after the Greek Goddess of the sea. The ship had seen its fair share of tumultuous expeditions, but it always managed to steer us home with my father at the helm. The day I realized he was in trouble, it was far too late. My father had slipped past the point of no return. In actuality, he had been slipping for months, but he was an incredibly stubborn man, impossible to deal with at times. You would just have soon put a bullet in his head if you kept him off the water. But the signs were there. His now shaky hands had once been the most steady spearfishing hands our town had ever seen. His lungs were once exceptional: many old timers at the bar claimed he could hold his breath for ten minutes. Now, he would cough out a watery tar-like residue from them. He stumbled over his words, occasionally forgetting some of the greenhorns’ and deckhands' names. The signs were all there, and I chose to ignore them. I think it was because he was the strongest man I ever knew; I couldn’t fathom him needing help. He taught me everything—how to fish, how to swim, how to gut and cook them once you were done. And that was everything in our fishing community. But I guess strong men get old too. The only reason I caught him was the fussy latch on the door. He jiggled it in frustration as he left, another project left by the wayside. The wind swung the door open in a violent clap; the howling and whistling traveling through the home. A moment later, my coat was on and I followed him into the cold. The conditions were wretched: the rain fell from the sky in a ruthless downpour. I followed the beacon of light from his lantern. He walked onto the dock and untied the mooring line before entering Thally. The beating of the rain was so intense it drowned out my footsteps and pleas for him to stop. But there was a whistling that could be heard. Its high-pitched tune seemed to float through the conditions, lingering by the dock. I sprinted once the lights turned on, the motor purring. I barely managed to slide on deck before it drifted off to sea. *** I’ve been on the water long enough to know we don’t belong there. This stormy night was no exception. The precarious weather would mean waves as tall as houses. In much milder conditions, it was easy to get tossed off deck, plunged into the depths of the dark unknown. High tide was not to be messed with. My father understood all of this, and yet he steered Thally into the choppy waters. The waves sloshed back and forth, creating slick pools that slid from one end to the other. It was reckless. Unforgivable. Only a fool would steer into the eye of a storm, and my father was far from a foolish man. He was a very superstitious man, that I knew. He believed in many silly things. Most were innocuous and standard to sailor folklore. Try to bring a banana on board (even so much as an item containing artificial flavoring, the kind you’d find in candy that tasted like awful chemicals) and he’d send you packing. Every morning he’d kiss the rosary above the helm and say a prayer before we’d dock. They made me smirk, these superstitions, but it wasn’t my place to say anything. Our best years came under his reign, and when he made money, we all made money—including all of the businesses down the supply chain. The man just seemed to have a knack for it. He knew all the sweet spots and had a feel for where we should be. Lightning sparked above us. I held onto the railing and stumbled my way toward the entrance of the wheelhouse. The thunder that followed made me flinch. It erupted above, sending trails of jagged light zig-zagging across the cluster of ominous clouds. I twisted the handle, but it didn't move. I could see a faint hue of light past the cloudy glass and the steps ascending upwards, but no sign of my father. Banging on the door was useless, the water continued to pummel everything in its wake, drowning out the noise. Except for the whistling. It was steady. Unwavering. The calm song seemed to dance above the water, hovering around the main deck. I threw my hands up in frustration. My father had finally lost it. They always said too much time at sea would do that to you. Searching for something to help me gain access, I held onto the handle for dear life. With a sudden jerk of the ocean, my hand slipped. I rolled across the deck, my back slamming against the railing on the periphery. My cheek felt cold against the soaked wood floors. A gush of water quickly followed, flowing into my face and sneaking into the crevices of my raincoat, invading my wooly sweater and long johns underneath. I moaned in agony, spitting out a sticky gob of salt and blood. The boat continued to teeter violently with the waves in large, helpless dips. I managed to get to my knees, desperately clutching the railing. My back felt like it had been scorched. All the while, I cursed my father. I needed to find shelter or it was a matter of time before I would be underwater. The main deck was largely open. It would be impossible to get to the living quarters or engine room, the water was too treacherous and the distance too far. I needed to go back the way I came and get to my father before it was too late. Amidst the haze of the rain, I spotted the tool bench that housed some basic tools. I waited until the ebb and flow of the waves had mellowed before timing my staggered run. When the deck leveled, I ran. I felt the muggy squish of salt water between my water-logged boots. As the boat began to rise again, I grasped one of the railing barriers wrapped around the metal bench. A wave of water dropped down, chopping at my body. I swayed momentarily before my feet were sent airborne. The arctic chill brought shivers as it whipped my drenched skin. I gasped. The tips of my fingers were numb as I scrambled to my feet. Once the waves settled, I fiddled with the combination. The lock clicked open, and I grabbed the first two objects that looked like they could do damage—an iron mallet and a pair of pliers—and waited for the next sequence of waves to settle. I trudged back toward the stairs. The waves tilted the boat at a harsh angle. I stumbled, losing grip of one of the tools. The pliers skidded away in the darkness, disappearing into the black waters. I clutched the mallet for dear life. The window vibrated with every heavy thud. I brought the mallet down as hard as I could, my arms trembling. After a couple of powerful whacks, tiny spiderweb cracks began to emerge. It eventually shattered, allowing me to reach in and unlock the door. “Father!” I bellowed up the stairs. My hands slid up the guard rail as the cool steel supported my clumsy steps. “Charlie?” he called back. His eyes were full of terror: wide and jittery. “What are you doing here?” “What are you doing here?” I shouted back. “Look outside! We need to turn back!” Someone else stood by my father’s side. He stared blankly out the window, gripping the wheel. His long, ashy-white locks draped down from his head like thick sections of rope. He looked dressed and ready to work: a brown leather apron, and a cracked leather bucket hat, the string browned and weathered around his chin. The man glanced back at me, a grave look on his face. “Who is this?” I asked. “He shouldn’t be here, Ferris,” the man warned. My father's hands shot to his face. The one missing a ring finger caressed his beard in panic. “Oh, Lord. What are we to do now?” he cried. “What do you mean? Have you both gone mad?” I stormed the helm and pulled the wheel in the opposite direction. The older man held firm, battling me for control. “Turn around!” I pleaded. The man roared back, “Ferris, do something!” The waves continued to wobble the boat violently from side to side. “Charlie. Please stop!” my father begged. He gripped the top of my hand and tried to pry my fingers from the wheel. “Are you crazy, Father? We are going to capsize!” The pressure from his hands finally was too much. I shrugged him off of me, and he dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes. He then drifted toward the opposite wall, dragged from one end to the other by the tide. Next, I leaned my weight against the man steering the ship. To my surprise, I fell right through him. I stared helplessly from the floor, my mouth ajar at the ghastly revelation. He barely glanced back, his narrow umber brown stare kept firm on the water. The boat abruptly stopped before I could react. I was launched toward the window, my shoulder colliding with the switchboard. My father was a crumpled heap on the floor. Only the sound of clattering rain filled the air for a moment. The light was undeniable past the foggy wet window. Blinding. A radiant glow of aquamarine encompassed the outside of the ship. The man spoke, walking to the door, “It’s time to go.” The ground felt steady, the rocking ceased. But my father still held the wall as he stepped toward the exit. Seeing him then, he appeared frail and uneasy. “Stop,” I ordered, wagging my hand in the man’s direction. “Not until I know what’s going on.” My father sighed, every word looked exhausting exiting his lips. “It is too much to explain now.” He pointed to the door. “You must come.” “To what exactly? Where are we going?” The older man held the door open. “To meet our destiny.” *** Outside the wheelhouse, the incredible glow illuminated the deck. The old man strode toward the floating being. My father stayed a few steps behind, in apprehension. I could tell the tossing around on the ship had done a number on him: he held his wrist as he hobbled forward at a gingerly pace. I placed my hand against the small of his back, aiding him onward. “Say goodbye,” the man urged. “No need to drag this along, Ferris.” I observed the being, frozen in wonder. She hovered above the deck, her translucent body holding no color, but glimmering in a silky rainbow sheen like a ray of light hitting the surface of glass at an angle. Her body was beautiful: curvaceous, smooth. “F…Father…what is this?” Walls of water surrounded the perimeter of the boat, creating a giant bowl around the ship. The mountainous waves were held in limbo, suspended in the air like swirling blue arcs of impending doom. Schools of fish could be seen swimming in the waves. My father glanced back as he approached the floating entity. His expression had softened, his stare was that of a little boy who had lost his mother. “I would have come for you, Charlie. I would have explained everything…after I gathered the right words.” I walked toward him and held his head at my chest. He began to sob. “You must go now,” the old man ordered. “She grows impatient.” I felt my father trying to peel away, but I held the folds of his neon jacket tighter. “Let him go,” the old man hissed. She drifted nearer. There were too many tentacles to count protruding from the base of her skull. Her lips remained pursed. She did not speak, but there was a vibration coming from her. A cooing. The gentle whistle sang from her reverberating gills. “Tell me what this is, Father,” I cried. “I will not let you go!” He held me close. I had never heard him cry so hard before. The older man spoke for him. “Your father’s time is up. Like all of our times have come to an end,” he explained. “He has served well. Exceptionally well.” My father finally let go. “Okay,” he declared with a deep breath. “I am ready.“ He took one last look up at me. “I love you, Charlie. Tell your mother I love her too.” What happened next happened in rapid succession. He took two steps forward and the tentacles wrapped around his body. A petrified scream escaped his lungs. His limbs jolted uncontrollably, as tiny electric sparks flashed from the tentacles. The smell of singed flesh replaced the salty breeze. His eyes rolled back as the entity’s jaw stretched open to an unsettling length. His head was plunged into the cavernous confines, her teeth as sharp as spearheads. She stared back at me as his body disappeared. Her jaw opened and closed in horrifying crunches. Alligator-like snaps. I wailed helplessly. Was I next? Her glowing eyes had a glint of satisfaction; her pillow lips moist with delight. They smacked together in a disturbing click. All the while, the whistling continued from its flexing gills. In an instant, the waves were released, wooshing down from the perimeter. The tsunami was too much, it swallowed everything whole. I saw a flurry of bubbles as the waves crashed into me; I felt the frigid sting of the water mixed with an intense burning in my lungs. The old man’s voice spoke in the flood: “Good luck, Boy.” Everything washed away. *** I awoke in the wheelhouse, my arms and legs spread out like a starfish. My father was standing over me. “Welcome back, Son,” he smiled. His gold front tooth was gleaming. I sat up to see the bright bleed of sunrise peeking in through the clouds. “How long was I out?” I asked, rubbing my forehead. My head pulsated like I was having a sinister hangover. “A couple of hours?” he guessed. “It’s not important. What matters is that you are here.” The rain had stopped, but the deck still had puddles of water pooled up on the surface. It miraculously looked like the boat survived the night with little to no damage. “You still have time to make it back to work,” he assured me. He appeared content as the pier came into view. “You won’t believe the nightmare I had.” There was a flicker of sadness in his smirk. “It was no nightmare.” I laughed nervously. “Sure.” “I wish it was a joke, Charlie,” he said. He placed his hand at the helm and spun the wheel. A large buoy floated past. “But I am ready to explain.” My father told me that the man from last night was named Hayden. He was my grandfather. He had died at sea before I was ever born. So had his father. And his father before him. This was the pact our family had made. I rubbed my eyes. “We all take, take, take from the ocean. Our family has been chosen to be the ones who give back, to try to breach the gap.” The story left me frozen in my spot. “So, this is to be my fate, as well?” He gazed out the window with an empty stare. The sun was now an orange ring fanning across the skyline. “The way I see it, you have two options.” He turned to look me in my eyes. “You can carry on and captain Thally. Just as you were destined to. It is your responsibility now—the livelihood of the community, the tradition—it all lives with you.” He paused, scratching his chin. “It is a cross to bear, Charlie. The strongest men carry the most weight. You will bring a lot of good men into grave peril. The sea will claim who they see fit, it is not for you to choose. But you must bring them, in plenty.” He cleared his throat. “But you will also protect the community. The sea will reward you so. You will also do much good.” “Or?” I asked. “Or…” he paused. “You dock the ship and walk away from it all. Forever. Start a new life. Change your trajectory.” I contemplated what a new life would look like. “What would happen to Mother?” “She must never know,” he said. “It will be a tough pill for her to swallow. But she is a tough woman, she will make do.” We stood in silence, the squawk of the waterfowls and the rolling waves filling the space. “If you take that path, you must stay away from the ocean. Forever. The sea is unforgiving. A betrayer of covenants, well, you will stand no chance.” He swallowed. “Your children will stand no chance.” The pier slowly approached. The shadows of awaiting crew members were huddled together at the end of the pier, their lit cigarettes shone in the twilight. “We are almost here, Son.” He kissed me on the forehead and walked toward the exit. His lips felt incredibly cold. “Just trust I support you in your decision. Whichever way you choose.” I nodded, tears fleeing from my eyes. I swiftly wiped them away. “Goodbye, Son. I love you.” With that, he walked through the closed door. I gripped the wheel and watched Thally glide toward the pier. When we got close, I tied the ship to the dock. The familiar whistle cooed in from the sea. I began to load the ship and felt a hand clutch my shoulder. Murphy grabbed me playfully, his crooked grin across his face. Chase, the new greenhorn, yawned as he shook my hand. I ribbed him about his uneven mustache. He stomped out his butt. More of the crew began to gather their things and hop on board. We prepared for the daily catch. For this was all I’ve ever known. aproyal
2023.03.22 15:50 fend_x[fan art] How to make a Harrowhark figure
Hello everyone! I know you all want a pair of Gideon and Harrow figures, but I'm making them for myself, so I'm sorry to say they're both not for sale, but I wanted to share the process of making the Harrowhark figure so you can have one for yourself. (Or find someone to make one for you.) There are still some disclaimers before I begin: English is not my native language and I am not good at English, so this post is translated by DeepL and there may be translation errors. For some terms or nouns, I don't know how they are said in English, so if you know, please let me know! I will edit this post to make it easier to understand. https://preview.redd.it/69v63p35rapa1.jpg?width=4102&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=509b7d8f84a41da22a64f47ab9d0a9de2bb2c4a4 Part 1: The Body As I said in my last post https://www.reddit.com/TheNinthHouse/comments/11nnd55/fan_art_how_to_making_a_gideon_nav_figure/ , you'll need to find a suitable body for Harrow, my choice is GSC Nendoroid Skull Trooper , I used to use its face as Gideon's face and I'm sure you've noticed it has skull paint in whole body, perfect for transforming into Harrow. https://preview.redd.it/ngwe8cr8rapa1.png?width=630&format=png&auto=webp&s=5d3e4ff199960652941e6362bafb6fb6af526010 Advantages: + Skeleton face and body paint + Excellent articulation in comparison (it has three arm joints, where regular Nendoroids has only one) + It is black + Relatively easy to get Disadvantages: - Too strong, too "tactical" - The quality of the PVC is too bad, hard to grinding After I got the Skull Trooper, I first removed all the accessories from it, because I already planned to make an exoskeleton for Harrow with epoxy putty, if you don't have this plan, then I suggest you keep the accessories and the body paint. https://preview.redd.it/nhmdoeulsapa1.png?width=483&format=png&auto=webp&s=d24a392e6e6699c60c1e32b10bd703a2ff909b54 I also chipped off the outside of its shoes and part of its legs, because it was really too strong. This step needs to be done carefully, because after cutting it off, it can not be returned, and seriously, the PVC used by the Nendoroid is very difficult to grinding, be careful. https://preview.redd.it/3pymjdl6tapa1.png?width=538&format=png&auto=webp&s=5b0f2ef1f8479c3fd4ca8d4fc6e0d36ae0f29d60 After that I used black speed glue to fill the grooves, and next I wrapped a layer of masking tape around it in preparation for making the exoskeleton. Shaping with epoxy putty is not my strong point, and epoxy putty is very difficult to use, my method is to roll the epoxy putty into long strips, use a knife to intercept the appropriate length of epoxy putty, then stick it to the body, and then use a silicone pen to shape. Because it was too flat at first, I thickened it a bit. I call this sternum augmentation. https://preview.redd.it/jqgq3d46uapa1.png?width=481&format=png&auto=webp&s=4af8092a99ca8dd9297d264f8ea7558091328265 https://preview.redd.it/vddvo0g8uapa1.png?width=467&format=png&auto=webp&s=99073ea7b39f8b1eb5bdb07bcc3220e6534b8f59 https://preview.redd.it/8eo4tqv9uapa1.png?width=520&format=png&auto=webp&s=e9d87a34a53cc8610d0e1991819434491c659272 When the epoxy putty dried and I took it off the body, the whole thing was a pure nightmare because the joint was so weak that it kept breaking off, from the time I took it off, to the sanding, to the detailing, to the coloring, it broke at least 20 times. Later I used speed glue to connect the broken parts and applied a layer of UV glue on the back to increase the strength, but it still broke very easily. If you want to make the same exoskeleton, I suggest you choose another material. Don't use epoxy putty anyway. https://preview.redd.it/rjvb61fkuapa1.png?width=358&format=png&auto=webp&s=60dae32a84359cdfca24f1c6f59a9be34a5fccdd Part 2: Face and hair Suitable for Harrow's hair is a bit difficult to pick, because it needs to match her personality, and finally, on the advice of friends, I chose Nendoroid Yang Wen-li's hair, which feels quite appropriate. For the face I chose Skull Troopers' face, but after placing Harrow and Gideon together, I felt they were a bit like the same person, or twins, anyway not like a couple. So I decided to draw the skull face paint. https://preview.redd.it/7ktse15evapa1.png?width=1029&format=png&auto=webp&s=bc900e8e10e7c5c95c56bd2c82b1daadf1c9e251 My approach was rather rough, I took a replacement face part, removed the original paint, and then sprayed a layer of white paint, and then used a pencil to draft, with reference to the object is the Skull Trooper face as well as the cover of HTN. At first I chose to paint the eyes gold, but the effect was a bit weird, so I redrew them and modified them many times to make sure the eyes were symmetrical on both sides. https://preview.redd.it/thpz0eq0wapa1.png?width=973&format=png&auto=webp&s=09973e2879fd5d543abe5932c1e990962cbe41c7 https://preview.redd.it/er6d0t10wapa1.png?width=1128&format=png&auto=webp&s=d12ec81cdc9f291a9ce255eccefa75c31edae5e1 If you want to keep it simple, just use the Skull Trooper face and change the eyes color; if you want to get more detailed, I offer three options. ① Draw the skull face paint on a blank face part like I did (warning: it's really tedious). ② Find a replacement face part that you think looks like Harrow, paint the eyes with Liquid Mask, wait for it to dry, then spray a layer of white paint and start drawing, wait until you finish drawing the part with the skull pattern, remove the Liquid Mask and start drawing the eyes. This will ensure that the eyes on both sides are symmetrical, and I hate myself for not thinking of this method in the first place. ③ On the computer according to the GSC face parts to build Harrow's face pattern, and use the laser inkjet. Sorry, I don't know exactly how to do this, just providing inspiration. Part 3: Two-hander The sword toy I picked for Harrow is really big, you know, but I think a bigger sword is better for her. For this sword, I sanded the parting line and then draw it black and nothing else. https://preview.redd.it/cmfp2e9ixapa1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1967568ca60a1bcf1303d8f8d71d87328c12d6a4 And, I did find a fabric similar to the novel cover, okay? But I really don't know how to tailor, so I couldn't make a half cape for Harrow. If you're wondering what this fabric is, its name translates to "Laser Iridescent Organza" and that's all I know. Look how well it fits! Part 4: Painting and coloring Pretty simple! For the hair, I used matte black paint to outline it, and then used clear black paint/ transparent paint to create a layered effect. For the main body, I sprayed matte black paint, and for the extremities, I sprayed matte paint to eliminate scratch. For exoskeleton, I draw it with acrylic-colors COLD WHITE.
2023.03.22 15:50 Ok-Muscle4615We Are Fucking Fucked live
I really don't feel like it's getting enough acknowledgement in the subreddit or anywhere at all from what Ive seen. I really don't care for this song AT ALL on the album and this is coming from a giant muse fan. It feels extremely corny with Matt's vocal performance and it comes off really try hard imo to really recapture their heavier essence. But man do they nail that essence in their live performances. Holy shit is this song so so amazing live. The flames in time with chorus opening, the jam towards the end and just the overall energy. It really just feels like they go the fuck off when performing it. Only makes it suck more that I cant get into the studio version.
2023.03.22 15:49 Asleep-Cook-999Best 4way hat under 100$
Searching for a 4way full size trim hat with the best feeling (hard activation/precise feeling) for a diy grip. Don't know how to find Otto Hat strengh and don't know about the other brand
2023.03.22 15:48 diesandjenesIst eine Machete die Lösung des Brombeerproblems?
Moin! Ich laufe bei meiner Arbeit täglich viel durch den Wald und bin es leid mir die Beine an Brombeeren zu zerkratzen. In südlichen Teilen der Erde bin ich immer mit einer Machete durchs Terrain gekraxelt, aber das scheint mir hier irgendwie ein bisschen übertrieben. Gibt es irgendein Sinnvolles Gadget was ein bisschen handlicher ist? Ich bin klein und trage schon Gamaschen, aber falls jemand Geheimtipps für (Damen)hosen hat die vernünftig schützen, dann auch gerne her damit! Ich hoffe ihr habt Ideen und der Post gehört hier rein!
2023.03.22 15:48 endofthemasquerade20F [Friendship] hoping to find new friends who i can talk actively since i don't have many people to talk to
Heyyy! My title pretty much tells what i am looking for but i have few preferences, i hope you are 19+ usually i get along best with people who are bit older than me obviously it's a bonus if you have similar interests than i have so we have something to talk about. I'm quite shy so i appreciate if you are patient to wait me to open up, i'm also really happy person. People often say that i'm really kind, caring, friendly, chill and pretty easy to get along with. I absolutely love talking to people pretty much all the time, i literally always talk to someone except when i'm sleeping haha Few things i love are movies and tv shows, i just started watching texas chainsaw massacre movies. I'm big fan of horror movies but i also like other genres. I absolutely loove animals and my plan is to get to work with them in future so it's important that you like them too :) Huge fan of music! hard to say what's my favorite genre because it totally depends of my mood but i have been into heavier music lately! I'm pretty humorous person even though this post doesn't show it :D i don't use emojis much so that might seem like i'm really serious expect to hear nothing from me if "hi" is best you can do.
2023.03.22 15:41 AlbexmrutahI've noticed that it seems like a group of hardcore 2077 fans carry some resentment for the fact that Edgerunners was more well received by the public than the game was.
I've lurked here for a while, and this is something I've noticed from time to time. Some hard-core 2077 fans seem to hold resentment towards Edgerunners, and almost display some level of animosity towards it. A big part of this I feel is a result of the game being trashed by reviews at launch, and creating a hard-core group of fans who felt the need to defend it against everyone. These same fans then saw an anime released in the same universe, with no marketing or hype, recive universal acclaim and win several awards. These are the same fans, who will go to any post referencing anything edgerunners related, and claim that it's on the wrong sub, despite the mods/rules clarifying that the main sub is for anything in the Cyberpunk universe, and even adding an Edgerunners flair. They'll go out of their ways to claim its overrated at any chance they get. What I really don't understand is that these people don't realize that every award Edgerunners wins or every new person it brings in benefits the Franchise as a whole. The game brings people to the anime, and the anime brings people to the game. When you have two quality products that can appeal to different consumer bases, you should be overjoyed the way CDPR was, because it shows that the franchise has a ton of life in in and the potential for successful expansion. Has anyone else noticed this, or is it something I might be overthinking.
2023.03.22 15:40 DarkPurpleHibiscusYou Don't Need to Disinfect So Much
Our use of antimicrobial cleaners spiked during the pandemic. Given the potential long-term health risks, it might be worth cutting back again. FROM THE PAYWALL:* *The cleaning industry experienced a boom during the first years of the pandemic. Covid-19 cleaning protocols in schools, stores and other public spaces ratcheted up, with a spray and a wipe-down becoming de rigueur on every surface after every use. Fear of the coronavirus also prompted people to use more disinfectant wipes and sprays in their homes, and consumer spending on cleaning products increased 12 percent between 2019 and 2021. (The New York Times admittedly contributed to this disinfecting frenzy.) We now know that the extra cleaning was unlikely to have helped limit the spread of Covid-19, but it did increase people’s exposure to the chemicals used in those products — some of which may be hazardous to health. Experts worry that repeated inhalation or skin contact can be harmful over time. Calls to poison control centers about cleaning chemicals also increased during the pandemic, primarily for accidental or intentional ingestion. In some instances — like the start of a new and mysterious pandemic — the immediate risk of infection is pre-eminent and outweighs any future potential consequences from chemical exposure. But since we now know that disinfecting isn’t likely to protect us from Covid, it’s worth taking stock of whether the risks of using certain cleaning products are greater than the rewards. Crucially, the experts we spoke to for this story said that simple soap and water is sufficient for regular cleaning. Here’s what to know about the safety risks of the most common antimicrobial chemicals and how to reduce your exposure while keeping your home hygienic. Which of my cleaning products are disinfectants? Disinfectants are commonly found in all-purpose surface cleaners marketed for use in kitchens or bathrooms. Think 409, Lysol sprays, Clorox wipes or anything else that says “kills 99.9 percent of germs” on the label. The most prevalent disinfecting chemicals are quaternary ammonium compounds, also known as “quats” or Q.A.C.s. Their chemical names typically end in a variation of “ammonium chloride,” such as alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride or the snappier benzalkonium chloride. The other main types of disinfecting chemicals are chlorine-based products, namely bleach (sometimes labeled sodium hypochlorite); different types of acids, like citric acid, hydrochloric acid or lactic acid; and hydrogen peroxide. Knowing what’s in a cleaning product can be tricky because the federal government does not currently require companies to list chemicals on labels. In 2017, California passed legislation demanding clearer product listings, and the American Cleaning Institute, which represents the U.S. cleaning products industry, told The Times it was lobbying for legislation to regulate labeling nationally. In the meantime, you may have to look up ingredient lists online using brand websites or resources like SmartLabel or the Environmental Working Group’s product guide. What are the concerns with these chemicals? The health risks cleaning chemicals pose are hard to pin down because exposure is difficult to quantify, and many of the commonly attributed conditions — like asthma, cancer and infertility — take years to develop. Some of the research that exists has been done in professional fields to determine whether certain health problems are more prevalent in people who have higher exposure levels, like janitors and nurses. Other studies conducted on mice aim to more directly test whether certain chemicals cause negative health outcomes, but findings in animals don’t always apply to humans. According to the currently available research, the most concerning disinfecting chemicals are the ones used most often: Q.A.C.s and bleach. Quaternary ammonium compounds In professional settings, Q.A.C.s have been linked to skin irritation, asthma and other lung problems. For example, several studies found that nurses who frequently use the chemicals to disinfect surfaces and medical equipment had higher rates of asthma and C.O.P.D., although other research did not find a significant association. A 2021 study found that the presence of Q.A.C.s in human blood was linked to disrupted immune and metabolic functions. In mice, exposure to Q.A.C.s decreased fertility. A series of recent papers found high levels of Q.A.C.s in the dust in people’s homes, in blood samples and even in breast milk. The researchers measured levels of several different Q.A.C.s common in cleaning products and compared the amounts present in 2019 and 2020. Q.A.C.s were detected in a vast majority of samples, and in the dust and blood studies, the levels rose by an average of about 70 percent after the pandemic started. The more often people used disinfecting products in their homes, the higher their Q.A.C. levels were. “When we started seeing them in each and every sample and at high levels, we were really surprised,” said Amina Salamova, an assistant professor of environmental health at Emory University, who led the research. “Exposure to Q.A.C.s is widespread, which was the case before Covid as well, but it definitely has increased since the pandemic.” Whether household Q.A.C. use causes the same problems seen in professional settings is an open question. “We need larger studies to look into potential outcomes in the general population, in nonoccupational settings,” Dr. Salamova said. “That’s a huge gap in the research.” There are also concerns that Q.A.C.s could contribute to antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Partly for this reason, one Q.A.C., benzethonium chloride, was banned by the Food and Drug Administration from being used in hand sanitizers, as was the disinfecting agent triclosan. In light of this mounting evidence, several health and environmental groups have flagged Q.A.C.s as chemicals of concern. A Massachusetts science advisory board recently recommended adding Q.A.C.s to a list of regulated toxic or hazardous substances, and California added them to its biomonitoring program. The E.P.A., which regulates Q.A.C.s as pesticides, classifies the chemicals in its second-highest toxicity category for oral and inhalation exposure. Bleach Bleach is a more familiar disinfectant to many people, but experts have raised concerns about its safety as well. “It’s hard not to talk about it,” said Samara Geller, senior director of cleaning science at the Environmental Working Group. “It’s in every cleaning product, practically.” The chemicals in bleach “are persistent in the environment, and they’re also very corrosive,” she added. Bleach’s corrosive nature means that it can be damaging to skin and eyes if contact occurs. It has also been shown in numerous studies to be linked to asthma, among professional cleaners as well as people who use it frequently in the home. Diana Ceballos, an assistant professor in the department of environmental and occupational health sciences at the University of Washington, said that one of the American Lung Association’s “recommendations on how to avoid asthma or prevent asthma or ameliorate asthma” was to avoid using bleach. A risk unique to bleach is the potential for producing toxic gases, namely chlorine gas, which has been used as a chemical weapon. The reaction occurs when bleach is mixed with ammonia — which is found in many glass cleaners, oven cleaners and some all-purpose cleaners — or acids, including vinegar. In 2020, poison control centers reported more than 5,000 cases of cleaning-related chlorine gas exposures, two of which were fatal. In one case, a woman died after mixing a bleach-based cleaner with an acid-based toilet-cleaning tablet. It’s critical to never mix bleach with another cleaning product unless you’re absolutely positive it doesn’t contain an ammonia or an acid — which, considering products are rarely clearly labeled, is hard to know. So what should I be using to clean? Most of the experts The Times spoke to for this article said that they rarely, if ever, use disinfectants when they clean their homes, instead opting for soap and water. They also advised swaps to safer ingredients, such as disinfecting products that use hydrogen peroxide or citric acid. (Check out the E.P.A.’s Safer Choice program for more alternatives.) “We definitely recommend people substitute with some D.I.Y. recipes instead of buying products off-the-shelf,” Ms. Geller said. “Even a dash of dish soap with a bit of baking soda can help remove that scum off your sink or out of your bathtub, and that can really help you to avoid some of the heavier, harsher chemicals.” There are rare moments when harsher chemicals might be warranted, like if you’re battling an outbreak of norovirus in your home. If you do use a disinfectant, opening a window and turning on a ventilation fan can help to reduce your exposure, as can wearing a mask and gloves when you clean. “Especially since Covid, a lot of people use a lot of products, and sometimes not safely,” Dr. Salamova said. “So I would recommend, no matter what products people use, to follow the guidelines and use them safely.”** https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/21/well/live/cleaning-disinfectant-bleach-risks.html
q. freshly debuted in 2019, you did a photoshoot with magazine. you were 18 at that time, right? you answered “i can’t sleep without plushies” for a question. 🐧 i’m not like that now (laughs). after that moment, i receive an overwhelming amount of dolls as gifts, but lately i think, “isn’t it time to say goodbye…?” (to the dolls)
q. do you remember when you answered “i’m a mass/lump of charm” when asked to ? 🐧 wow, i said that. oh well. i am, a lump of charm (laughs) q. haha. we’ll give you another chance to answer that question. (yourself in one word) 🐧 “a person you can trust”, “a person you’d give your trust to”. 📷 to be honest, (to become) these are my goal. i’m the youngest in our team, but i want to be someone who they can trust.
q. in the interview at that time (2019), you said your goal was ROTY. it’s been 4 years since then and this january you released a mini album which achieved a career high with initial sales of 2.18M copies. 🐧 actually, i still can’t believe this is real. this was an album i worried about the most. this was the first time i didn’t feel sure (of the album). the title track ‘sugar rush ride’ tells the story of a boy who fell into a deadly temptation. when i first heard from the company that the song will have a “refreshing-sexy” mood, i really liked it. because i really liked a refreshing concept. but then after hearing the song, the refreshing, fresh concept was only 5% and the sexy concept takes up 95%. (laughs) and the stage costumes were also really on the bolder side, i was worried if the fans wouldn’t like it. but as expected, my feelings were wrong. i learnt something from this promotions, that you shouldn’t trust my feelings. (laughs)
q. personally, when i saw you expertly devouring the stage, i thought, “this must have been a concept he’s wanted to do for a long time.” 🐧that’s because even if i had my own worries, i have to perform on stage professionally. i had to do my best (for every performance). we just recently spent our 4th year anniversary, and now it feels like any form of sloppiness (on stage) is gone. if we find something that’s lacking or needs fixing while monitoring our first stage, we’ll surely have it fixed by the time we do our second stage. be it expressions or gestures. to be honest, i couldn’t really see what i’ve been lacking in until recently. for our debut song , i only remember smiling a lot on stage while performing. thinking about it now, it would’ve been nicer if i performed it a bit more seriously on the first half of the song then progressively smiled for the second half of the song, following the story of the song. if i perform that song now, i’m sure there will be a difference.
q. you use a lot of facial expressions on stage. i get the feeling that you must understand the song to a certain extent to be able to express the mood well. how do you approach that when you first got the song? 🐧 i think it’s because my mbti is istp, which has a lot of interest in causality and objectivity principles. i’m also the type to do a thorough research on the internet when i prepare things alone and feel stuck. in the case of ‘sugar rush ride’, the big story of it is about how growth becoming an adult is being promised/vowed, but with temptation right in front of their eyes, they keep on wanting to be a young child. it’s like the children’s tale ’s narrative. that is why before this promotion period starts, i looked through and other various cruel fairytales. reading cruel fairytales helped me approach the concept in a new light because it is different from the childhood tales i used to know.
q. is there anything that made you go “ah i can also get inspiration from this!”? 🐧 the expression of when a puma preys on a sloth? (laughs) last year during GBGB promotions i watched a lot of documentaries about pumas. i worried a lot about what expressions i should make on stage as it (GBGB) was a song full of the anger of someone who was hurt by their first love, of loss as well. my dorm roommate taehyun told me to go watch puma documentaries so i got curious and watched it and i think i can say it became quite of help. (laughs)
q. you did stages with a strong rock mood for , the title following the first three parts of which took a fresh approach with a lot of synth pop genre songs with ikily and loser=lover being the representative. as a musician, when/which promotion period made you most satisfied? 🐧 my favorite song is ‘0x1=lovesong’, track of released in 2021; i listened to it in the car on our way to today’s photoshoot location. it’s an energetic song based on pop rock, but i’ve always loved rock music and band sound ever since i was little. i could say this era was my turning point as my understanding of the song was high. your skills improve much more when you do things that you like rather than when you’re forced to do it. so at that time i got excited and i tried a lot of different gestures and vocal tones.
q. you formed a band club back in middle school, right? 🐧 right. there was a pop song festival at school and for some reason i wanted to participate and perform in a band. but there was no band club at school. so one day i went to the teacher’s office. i sang in front of my english teacher and asked them to open a band club. the band members went around different classes and gathered students who knew how to play the instruments. friends at that time all liked ‘fifa online 3’ so we performed that game’s BGM
q. music must’ve been something natural for you since you were young, right? we heard that your father used to be active as a musician. 🐧 that’s right. but it’s not only my father, my family members from generation to generation have always loved music, as so i’ve heard. naturally i grew up learning the piano, drum, and guitar. the sight of singing songs in my father’s home when i was younger was also nothing unusual. sometimes when my father performs on stage, us three siblings would go in front of him and dance. maybe it’s because i’ve been up on stage since i was small, but now i don’t get as nervous when i’m on it. i get excited, yes, but i don’t get nervous.
q. your little huening bahiyyih is also active in the group kep1er, right? being in the same area of work field, you two must’ve share some worries to each other? 🐧 that’s right. especially building up to your little sister huening bahiyyih’s debut. she came to me to ask questions like, “i don’t know which facial expressions i should do on stage,” or “it’s hard finding the camera.” at that moment, as an older brother and a senior, i helped her and gave her the advice she needed. q. then you two (huening kai and hiyyih) must often meet at music shows. 🐧 we do often run into each other. and sometimes we film tiktok challenges together too. at times, hiyyih comes looking for me at the green room and starts nagging at me. “oppa, you should really give mom a call.” (laughs)
q. the song you produced yourself in 2021, “dear sputnik”, made it into the album as a b-side. what kind of song is it? 🐧 it’s a little amateur, but since a while back i’ve been trying to produce songs on my iphone in an app called garage band. since i liked band music, i tried to work on songs that has that kind of mood and it (dear sputnik) turned out pretty good. i made a sketch of the song and sent it over to the company and luckily it became a b-side in the album. i actually made the song with the thought of “wanting to show/give the people a proper feeling of their hearts beating fast (as they listen to dear sputnik)” and with concerts kept in mind.
q. what do you think is an important element in song making? 🐧 songs that are able to be enjoyed by many, songs that are able to bring happiness to people, songs that are able to move people’s hearts. these three are most important to me. q. then is there a song that moved your heart as a listener? 🐧 demi lovato’s ‘this is me’. it’s the soundtrack of the movie . it’s the song that played during the climax of the movie, when the shy heroine performed in front of a large audience, showing their true self. there’s this lyric, “this is me”, “no more hiding who i want to be”. the lyrics spoke to me and stuck in my heart as if it was my own story. and because i have always been a very shy person ever since i was small, i have decided after listening to that song, that “i will show myself” (this is me).
q. when we get the chance to see huening kai’s solo album/mixtape in the future, how do you want it to look like? 🐧 there was a time where i imagined myself in comfortable clothes singing a folk song while having a guitar on one hand. and while doing so, i’d like to deliver the messages i’ve always wanted to say to a lot of people. i’ll probably sing a song that brings hope. because i find joy in seeing everyone happy.
q. starting from the end of march, you will go on a world tour around 13 cities, right? what does a world tour mean to a musician? 🐧 this is our second world tour following our first one that started last july. i’m sure it’s the same for all musicians but a world tour is something i’ve dreamed of and hoped to come true ever since i was a trainee. i still think our lollapalooza festival stage was one of the best moments from our tour in 2022. i was even able to perform with a band session that i’ve really wanted. the five members holding their hand mics, standing on stage, and at the same time the sun was beginning to set— wow… it was really an amazing moment. that moment i looked at the other members’ faces and we were all smiling. since we were all so happy. when i think of that moment now, i still feel amazed and overwhelmed. q. will we see such a performance again in this tour? 🐧 of course. i can also say you can guarantee looking forward to it. we are currently preparing for our tour and everything including the stage production is going to be amazing. there’s probably going to be a song that you will see performed for the first time when you enter the audience seat and there’s probably a song that’ll make you think, “there’s a choreography for this song?!”
q. what are three things that you must bring with during tour? 🐧 headset and earphones are a must. i have a strong tendency to stay indoors so during tours i mostly spend my time at the hotel. it’s like a rule to stay and rest in my room even if i go out for a little bit. because i can always look outside and observe from my windows (laughs). headsets are a must because i always need to listen to music in my hotel room. and also cleansing products (skincare). if i were to give one tmi, i originally use cleansing foams but recently i switched to using cleansing oils (laughs). it’s really good. and lastly… nintendo switch?
q. up until now you’ve released , , and . if you were to name a chapter of your own based on the life of 22 year old huening kai, what would it be? 🐧 the beginning chapter. though we’ve reached our present carrier high with the release of in january, i honestly think starting from this moment, this is the real start. i have this certain determination. “we will strive and go up higher, we will show our everything, this is the beginning of tomorrow x together.”
q. what is your life motto? (a word you believe in) 🐧 i spend my days with a smile and positivity with the thought, “let’s not be unhappy people.” that’s why my way of talking became like “oh, that’s good, though?” i believe that after that word exits my mouth, even if it takes some time, the result (of what i did) will always come back to me as something good.
2023.03.22 15:36 Scared_Artichoke_150Me 23M and friend 20F of 2 years cut contact with me over new boyfriend
Not sure if this is the most accurate place to post this. But I have a friend who I met about 2 years ago. Somewhere in that time we became romantically involved, but never became “official” and at some point realized it wasn’t going to work (distance) and continued our friendship. For the last 7 months, our friendship has been nothing but platonic and supportive. A week ago, she tells me that she has a new boyfriend. She told me like she was delivering bad news, because I suspect she knew I would have some lingering feelings. I did. She also said things like “you probably feel led on” and “being just friends was hard for me”. I took that as an opportunity to open up a bit. I told her while I was happy for her and would like to continue our friendship, I was a bit sad and disappointed, especially because it seemed like she hid it until they were serious with one another. I guess if I knew she was ready for a romantic relationship again, I probably would’ve thrown my hat in the ring. While I thought I came off as understanding, it seemed like a switch flipped in her. She accused me of “breaking our agreement” of just being friends by lying about my intentions and told me she wouldn’t want to continue with anything further before blocking me on all socials. While I can understand some of the complex emotions she must be feeling, I can’t help but feel this was avoidable. Right now I don’t have any plans to contact her. Obviously she doesn’t want to hear from me. And from being her friend for so long and previously being involved with her, I know she is very avoidant with this stuff and isn’t something I can control. I’m more in shock that someone I’ve been very close friends with for 2 years and we’ve been nothing but supportive of each other and platonic for months was so easily able to cut me out. There’s just some hurt involved in that. Did she not care nearly as much as I thought? Is it something else?
2023.03.22 15:34 ScottyD_95Thank You, From a Hurricanes Fan
Hurricanes fan here, I come in peace, and wanted to say thanks to the Rangers and their fans. Thank you for making my mom's first ever NHL experience an amazing one. My mom has been a huge Carolina Hurricanes fan, and hockey fan in general, for a few years now. She's hardly missed a game on TV, and been to many local Charlotte Checkers AHL games. But never an NHL game. This week she got the opportunity to visit some friends in New York who had Rangers Season tickets, so they took her to the game last night. It was her first time seeing some of her favorite players in person, and she got to do it center ice at Madison Square Garden with a sold out crowd. Needless to say she loved it. A lot of that is thanks to the fans around her that welcomed her in, started conversation with her, and were overall very friendly. Going into it, she was a little worried about wearing her Hurricanes/Aho jersey while surrounded by the sea of blue jerseys, but that worry was quickly laid to rest thanks to your kindness. She was amazed by Madison Square Garden and the noise of a sold out crowd, and all that comes with an exciting NHL game. She loved every minute of it, and even left the game with a new Rangers hoodie. So Again, Thank you, From A Hurricanes Fan.
I found the benevolent smarmy lich of Overlord) unbearable; liches should hate all life.
Fans of Overlord objected that Momonga wasn't really isekaid into a lich's phylactery, but instead into his video game character, which then teleported into a real world with LitRPG mechanics. I am aware of this. It breaks my immersion. I'll explain why. Many LitRPG books feature a character whose soul inhabits his own body while he plays a video game. I skip these books due to the lack of dramatic tension from the protagonist having no "skin in the game". Obviously the protagonist's psychology will remain independent of his avatar, because he still has a human body. Other LitRPG books have the character isekaid into a different species. I find these books interesting due to the psychological transition caused by the biological change. Momonga gets isekaid into LitRPG world, losing his real body and inhabiting a lich, which is the most extreme transition possible, except eldritch abomination. However, he shows no psychological effects, except for some convenient emotional suppression to avoid panic and remove empathy. Undead blight is driven to kill everything, and liches are made of it. They should want to kill their own subordinates, if they're alive. They should not be worried about HR teambuilding exercises. I obviously did not finish the series, but I'd be surprised if Momonga ever does anything worse than imperial Japan did. I repeat, the Blight kills every blade of grass and blots out the sun if it can. It is the racial memory of total nuclear and biological warfare. Yet Momonga's first act is to prevent the massacre of villagers which would have furnished him with a wonderful graveyard on his front lawn. There is no plot reason for this. We never learn why his mind is somehow stored outside the lich phylactery, immune to the effects of negative energy. The plot would've been way better if he had to cope with the psychological changes from becoming a lich, and desperately struggle to keep his slipping humanity. Contrast this with Everybody Loves Large Chests, which also addresses the Simulation Hypothesis, yet all the characters have biologically-consistent psychologies, which makes it great. Unfortunately, the mystery of this plot deficiency is quite shallow. Overlord is blatant self-insert fiction, the author's personal wish fulfillment fantasy. He is a lich who travels around as a knight in plate, with a katana maid retainer. I used to read chivalrous romances as a kid, and the knights had to visit the ladies in castles, so clearly this is an improvement. What kind of man is the author? Apparently, he's an introvert who likes loli, pederasty, fawning obeisance, and genocidal atrocities against the Christian Americans who nuked his country twice. Overlord's political plot is contrived to justify Momonga's atrocities, and so is his species. No one questions undead hordes slaughtering civilians, and demons torturing prisoners. However, if the series were called "Emperor," and the monsters were fascist Japanese soldiers, it would be considerably less popular. The mecha angels Momonga defeats in his debut battle represent US nuclear bombers, and are drawn as such. This is not a consistent worldbuilding choice; demons still look like normal demons. The angels are mechanical purely because the USAF nuked Japan. Overlord may have started as a novel, but it is clearly an anime at heart. I prefer my anime more serious, like Princess Mononoke, and my fantasy internally-consistent, like Rinoz' Book of the Dead. DBZ is not for me, and that's fine. However, it is objectively correct to observe that Momonga's character behaved as if he had isekaid into the body of a tengu necromancer, not a lich. Fascism is an avian attitude, which is why it is often represented by eagles. Avians are less sentimental than mammals, and have a pecking order. Evolutionarily, the concept of honor stands between reptilian ego and mammalian love. Birds constantly sing to establish their territory, like jaunty feudal lords, and joust through the skies. Momonga's goal to make the name "Ainz Ooal Gown" world renowned is essentially avian. It is a spectacularly inefficient way to search for fellow imported humans. Spy agencies normally gather intelligence covertly, and max-level isekaid humans are hard to miss. His first move should've been to wait and see whether someone would notice and contact HIM. (An excellent reason to avoid offending anyone, until he knows whether he is a big fish in a little pond, or the reverse.) Anyway, I think tengus are cool, and it irks me when they're overlooked. Try playing one in DCSS. I guess tengus are unpopular due to the misconception that they would need a huge beak, which ruins facial expressions. This is not true, though. A beak is superfluous once an avian evolves hands. An anthropoid form lacks the leverage to make a beak useful. It would recede into a prominent nose and midface, with normal lips and teeth. It's also hard to decide what to do with the wings. Either make them metaphysical, or turn them into arms. Avians do not have 6 physical limbs. Obviously, feathers means no hair, but birds have impressive hairdos anyway. It just looks a little different. Avian humanoid cinematics:
So basically, Sephiroth with facial down. But we want a tengu, not an angel. So change the face to an exaggerated Liam Neeson, and add some black, like Brandon Lee in The Crow. [PIC: Liam Neeson as The Crow] Yes, I'm aware that "race with prominent nose and midface" sounds suspiciously like "white people". It's just a coincidence. Since it would be inconvenient for Momonga to look like the people he's slaughtering, mix it with some less human features, while still retaining facial expressiveness. Here are some examples that preserve more beak and retain the huge avian eyes:
As you can see, Hollywood had trouble distinguishing a tengu from a white guy, and wound up making him look like a burn victim with four nostrils and no ears, which is silly. The big eyes are plausible. The widely spaced eyes are wrong. Prey animals have widely-spaced eyes, whereas predators have binocular vision. Anthropoids are apex predators. If you're under the mistaken impression that the anthropoid form is uniquely human, see convergent evolution and carcinisation. The anthropoid form is optimal for constructing and wielding spears, which are the primordial hunting weapon.
2023.03.22 15:21 EliDwebsterThe Kidd Fans are coping hard with this one and why it doesn't work
Here's a History lesson: Gol D Roger would massacre a crew or a whole island if he hears anybody talk bad about his crew...This was applied thanks to Whitebeard and Squard was a victim of this Same logic applies here that Shanks full crew is precious to him, so of course Shanks would be angry and of course the lore "Don't ever make Shanks angry..." Shanks used Roger's Kamurasari move.....First off, if he's "borrowing" a named attack from his sensei, then most likley its not even his most powerful move And even if you Kidd fans want to Cope and say "Shanks wanted to end the fight quickly!" he made the ultimatum to Kidd.. and the Kidd Pirates thought there were top dogs now now after Wano thanks Kaido and Big Mom and immeditely gave up after a SINGLE ACoC Flying slash ..and speaking of Kaido: Kaido used Thunder Bagua on a Suped up Gear 4th Luffy.... which was a one-shot Apply the logic back in Wano and Kidd got stronger after Wano It makes this one-shot look worse...Massive L, no matter how you slice it, Cause these bums put up the white flag and gave up their poneyglyph rubbings.... Kidd fans, I understand you want to grasp straws to make your hero flame bright, and not even a Shanksbro....But this amount of Cope is so stupid to hear because Its just Zoro tards on another spectrum.
2023.03.22 15:19 Stenv2Daddy lay down that hammer. (A Whitley Schnee Satire)
It was a quiet tense evening at the Schnee Mansion. Weiss had once again finished another concert, yet still acted dismissively, and Jacques had grown impatient, once again Willow was in her room drinking herself away. "What did you say you want to do again?" Jacques asked his voice as razor-sharp as thin ice. "I am going to be a great huntress," Weiss said dismissively. "And I shall do it in Vale." She finished with a smirk. "Okay but..." Whitley began receiving a glare from Weiss, but he kept going. "Why Vale? And why do you wanna be a huntress now of all things? What happened to running the business?" Weiss almost snarled but kept herself composed. "Whitley has an excellent point. Denied." Jacques took some small satisfaction in the look of shock on Weiss' face. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! HEROISM RUNS IN MY VEINS, I HAVE THE FAMILY SEMBLANCE! IT'S MY RIGHT TO BE STRONG!" Weiss screeched at the top of her lungs, only making the vein in Jacques's forehead bulge. "AND SHITLEY THERE ISN'T EVEN CLOSE TO BEING AS STRONG AS I AM! WHY DOES HE GET A SAY?!" Jacques slammed his hand on the table hard! Destroying it in one smash. His aura flickered around him. "ENOUGH! Weiss! You accuse me of ruining this company. Like a petulant brat, when you've never even made the effort to learn how to manage a single aspect of this company. You ask me to still provide you money, when you run away to a far-off kingdom, to practically throw your life away when fighting Grimm. But I have a few brutal truths to unpack." Jacques stood up towering over Weiss. "Your family's bloodline isn't as perfect as you make it out to be, the SDC was already a monopoly that got involved in matters that caused the white fang to hate them, long before I got involved. And Whitley may not possess the family semblance, but he is hardly useless." Jacques finished. "So what?! That means only Winter gets to be strong?!'" Weiss was appalled at the very notion that their reputation would plummet. "No. Whitley though will be going to Beacon." Jacques smirked, openly enjoying the shocked expression on Weiss' face, and Whitley too. "WHAT?! Both siblings shouted and then glared at each other, blaming each other for their respective misery. "It's been no secret that you two have held a bitter rivalry over being the heir. So it's time to put this to an end. Whitley shall go to Beacon, and you shall be given a small portion of the company to command. If Whitley Graduates and you don't make a profit that's successful by that time. He shall be heir, but if he doesn't graduate by that time and you make a profit. You will be the heir. My Say is final." The two knew better than to argue with their dad when he was like this.
Volume One
That conversation had been months ago, Klein had helped Whitley unlock some aura, and given him some old military training to at least get him partially prepared for Beacon Academy, even handing him his old weapon. An old-fashioned trench warfare dust-imbued mining axe that also served as a shovel and shotgun. He was musing in his thoughts when a young girl stumbled into him, and he fell face-first into his suitcases. Whitley: You... His voice trailed off as he took a look at the girl who stumbled to get up, getting her hood out of her face. Gleaming Silver Eyes, pale porcelain skin, dark red hair. She was.Cute. Ruby: I'm so sorry!!! My sis left me in such a hurry that I uh... well... got a little dizzy and Uuu! Is that a Trench Mine Antique axe? He blushed as she got closer, looking at the mining axe. Ruby: Woah! That custom detailing! And huh you even figured out how to replace the single action feature. Nice! Whitley: Well actually it was... my Butler's... he gave it to me. Ruby: Still this is a great weapon! You use it yet? Whitley: I got a little practice in. Ruby got up and took out her weapon which to Whitley's shock was bigger than her! A freaking scythe? That was also a high-impact sniper rifle?! Just how strong was this girl?! Who was she exactly?! Ruby: Uh oh yeah. Ruby Rose! Whitley: Whitley Schnee. For some reason that name didn't seem to ring a bell to the girl. She just seemed relieved that he wasn't freaking out at her weapon, which if Whitley was being honest, did scare him a bit. But he was also taken off guard by how open and honest this girl was. It was different from anything else he had ever known. Blake: Ah yes a Schnee... He and Ruby paused shaking hands, as they looked at the mysterious girl, her face was deadpan of emotion. Yet her words still held a bite. Whitley: What of it? Blake: Your company has done many unsafe dust practices, and enslaved countless Faunus. Yet you wear that name with pride. She then walked away before he could get a word in edgewise. Whitley: I am not my company... Ruby: So either way... should probably get to the gym! She tried to ease things back up again after the tense conversation. --- Ruby: Yes! Whitley: HUH?! The two were in the forest now taking the exam. Ruby: I am glad I am partners with you is all! This is gonna be a great team-up! Whitley: I guess? But we should get the things. Ruby: True but we can be awesome while doing it! Of course he would be stuck with a battle junkie. Whitley: Look I don't doubt you're cool and all that. But I am not you. I want to survive this! Ruby: Huh? Do you think I'm cool? Whitley: I I I I you! He just really wanted to get out of there. Ruby: Well c'mon you got a cool weapon too! So we could get through that swath of Grimm and- Whitley: Okay or we could take the better option. I got a good look at the forest while we were flying in the air. Ruby: Woah.... you mapped out the area just from one look? That's incredible! Whitley: I... Thank you. He blushed... not used to genuine praise. Either way, we can make it there faster on an easier path, get what we need, and go. Ruby: True, we can always save the fun part of missions for later. Whitley: Fun?! But Ruby was already dragging him along into her semblance, his screams gone as they dashed to the old ruins. --- Whitley: I don't get it! Ruby: What?! The two had passed the exam with flying colors, even though much to Whitley's dismay they had to fight a terrifying murder bird. But Ruby still confused him, the girl was extremely talented, skilled even.... yet she didn't take any of the academia seriously. Yet she still rooted for him, who barely knew much about this! Whitley: Why do you slack off in class?! Ruby: Well... I've never really been good at paying attention. She admitted nervously. Like I am good with visual stuff, and acting in the moment. But books and stuff... especially dusty tomes always never really get to me. Whitley: I see. Ruby: But I mean... I know I don't think ahead too much, but you do. Whitley: Huh? Ruby: You're a smart cookie. Whitley: You say that but I could never keep up with you. The way you manage to make up plans on the fly, you make it look so easy. Ruby: Yeah I guess? But I never get beyond that. I just act when it comes. But... huh... We could do a bit of training? You help me study! And I help you unlock a semblance! She leaped on the table boldly, Whitley covering his eyes, so as to not accidentally get a glimpse of her panties. Whitley: I told you! My family has a semblance! That I didn't inherit! Ruby: And?! You're here now, and I bet you will get an awesome semblance! --- Whitley: Blake! Blake: Whitley, I... Whitley: Let me go first, please... Blake: Nn... Whitley: You're not the white fang. I am not my family... I know that doesn't make it better. But we don't have to be who we used to be... You've been on this team with me for months yeah? Blake: Yeah... Whitley: You could've killed me in my sleep at any point and left. But you didn't, and I know I was harsh and accusatory of the White Fang. But... I would be an idiot to claim that you don't have some reason to blame my company. Blake: So what now? Whitley: Well... maybe we can start over now? Blake: Start over? Whitley: I am Whitley, partner to Ruby Rose, a proud member of Team RWBY... and you are? Blake: Blake Belladonna... The two shake hands smiling, as Blake throws away her bow, no longer needing it. Yang: AWW I KNEW YOU TWO WOULD GET ALONG, GROUP HUG EVERYONE!!! Whitley and Blake: NO NO NONO- Yang grabs them both, Ruby yelling excitedly as she gets in on the group hug.
Volume Two
Yang: So why don't you ask her out?~ Whitley: What?! Yang: C'mon now~ I've seen how you look at her. Whitley: Gulps as Yang puts an arm around him. Yang: And you know... You're a good guy Whitley. You don't look at her like a perv. I respect that. Whitley:... Yang: Ruby is.... she's been through a lot... but she's always kind of had her head above it all. Always look forward, but then there you are... you root her in a way I've never seen, but you don't try and tear her down. I'm rooting for ya kid. And if it doesn't work out, that's fine. Because no matter what happens, I know you two will still be great friends. And I already see you as a little bro. Whitley protests as she gives him a noogie. Yang: Besides. it's a dance, have a little fun. We've earned that downtime.
Volume Three
Winter: So you're still around after all this... Whitley: Yeah... Winter: Hmm. She coldly looks the other way. Winter: I will be honest. I expected you to quit after the first week. But you kept in there. Whitley:... Winter: I always thought you would be the most like our father, cruel and cold. But without a spine, and yet... you've proven me wrong in many ways... on the same team as a faunus? Whitley: Her name is Blake. Winter: Yes Belladonna, related to the former leaders of the white fan- Whitley: Yeah I knew that already. It doesn't matter. Winter: Oh? Whitley: Yang is also related to the Branwen. Yet I don't care about that, she's more of a sister to me than you've ever been. Winter: A look of shock crosses her face. Whitley: I used to want to be like you! You were so strong, you forged your path. But you still left me. You chose Weiss over me. That hurt me more than anything Father ever did. And I am done with blaming Dad for everything wrong in my life, with blaming Weiss and you and Mother. I have my own life to live now. And if you want to be part of it, sure, but I have a real family. My team. Winter stares down at her cup of coffee as Whitley leaves. Winter: Heh... I'm proud of you Whitley. She whispers. --- The Paladin loomed over the small group, Whitley's weapon was broken and shattered. But he couldn't, wouldn't give up, and then something happened his aura flared to life, and he could feel it as he clashed against the Paladin, as his aura became a golden color, and then... A identical copy of the Paladiin was made that tore its original counterpart asunder! And started firing on the others. Whitley: She was right... He laughed thinking about Ruby, he had thought he could never attain his semblance but he had done it! --- Ruby awoke with a start, everything had been so horrible, she hadn't arrived in time to save the day. The Tower had still fallen, and Penny was... gone... "Ruby!" She was shocked to see Whitley there in the doorway looking relieved, his hair all messy. "She's awake!" He said with tears of happiness. "Nn!" Blake tackled Ruby, shocking her with such a display of emotion. Yang leaned in the doorway, with a tired but happy look on her face, her arm still freshly bandaged. "You're all still here?" Ruby was crying, relieved, and even more tired despite just waking up. "My father wanted me to come back home," Whitley said quietly. "He tried to tell me I had done more than enough... but... I told him. 'I said I would become a Hunstman, and I meant it. And even if this school falls, that doesn't mean I stop being one. Because'" Whitley paused. "I still have my team, and I am sticking with you all to the bitter end, so you can put up with me a little longer if you will have me." Yang rolled her eyes and wrapped her single arm around him in a headlock. "Love ya too bro." She said as Whitley struggled to get out, and everyone began laughing. "I was scared," Blake admitted. "But... you all never gave up on me, you accepted me for who I was. And even if Adam comes back, I would rather die fighting alongside you all. Then abandoning you." She said with conviction. "I might have lost an arm. But I ain't out of this fight just yet!" Yang said letting go of Whitley. "I just have to get smarter!" Ruby felt so many emotions, but the joy was the most prominent. "Heh... wasn't I supposed to be leading?" She asked sarcastically. "You are!" Whitley shouted, not realizing it was sarcasm, only to blush at the smirk Blake and Yang gave him. "I me- what I meant was.." He stuttered. "That... Ruby if it wasn't for you... I would still be the same selfish kid I was before Beacon. You inspire everyone. But.. let us be there for you." He reached out and took her hand, and Ruby smiled, wiping away her tears. "Well Team RWBY... LET'S DO IT TO IT!" Then everyone winced as they remembered their injuries. "After we heal up yeah?" Everyone nodded.
The Final Moments of Volume Three.
Taiyang: Hugs his two girls. I am so proud of you both. Yang: Thanks, Dad! She looks down at her new arm, it will take some getting used to. but she is ready for the challenge. Ruby: Please be safe. Taiyang: Hey don't worry about me. Qrow might be bad luck, but I've dealt with him enough times. Qrow: Eyyyyy Taiyang: Besides you still have your team, just try not to start any international incidents in Menagerie. Qrow: And don't worry I will keep the old man out of trouble in Mistral as we go to Haven. Taiyang: OLD?! The Family Laughs. --- Blake looked at the ship they would be traveling on, and back at her teammates, she liked this feeling there was uncertainty but also hope for the future. Sun: Well looks like I got here just in time. Blake: Sun?! Sun: Yep figured I could say goodbye at least. Blake: Heh... It's good to see you. Sun: Same here. And you know... I wish things hadn't taken such a dark turn, but for some reason. I get the feeling things are going to be okay, you still got your team, and I still got mine. And who knows maybe after all this... maybe even we will be okay? He asked with a nervous laugh. Blake: Just shut up and kiss me for luck. Sun's eyes lit up in surprise as Blake softly pulled him, and then they shared a brief intense kiss. Blake: Seeya when I get back~ Sun: Ye- ye- YEAH! He was blushing brightly but leaping for joy. --- Back in Atlas, Jacques was quietly looking at an old family portrait, one of the last the whole family had taken together. Jacques: Heh. Winter: I DON'T UNDERSTAND! WHY DID YOU LET HIM STAY BEHIND?! Jacques: Because I'm proud of him. Winter: I don't understand... Jacques: No you don't... but maybe one day. --- Ruby looked on as their ship began sailing, her friends looked happy, and she tried to put on a brave face, but she couldn't help the small doubt and fear inside of her. She had been at her best, and still couldn't save Penny. Her knuckles whitened subtly, hidden by her cape. What if she failed again? What could she do differently? Her team had stuck by her... so she would just have to protect them all... (Thus setting up a character arc for Ruby)
2023.03.22 15:19 endofthemasquerade20, i'm hoping to find friend who i can talk pretty actively since i don't have many people to talk to
Heyyy! My title pretty much tells what i am looking for but i have few preferences, i hope you are 19+ usually i get along best with people who are bit older than me obviously it's a bonus if you have similar interests than i have so we have something to talk about. I'm quite shy so i appreciate if you are patient to wait me to open up, i'm also really happy person. People often say that i'm really kind, caring, friendly, chill and pretty easy to get along with. I absolutely love talking to people pretty much all the time, i literally always talk to someone except when i'm sleeping haha Few things i love are movies and tv shows, i just started watching texas chainsaw massacre movies. I'm big fan of horror movies but i also like other genres. I absolutely loove animals and my plan is to get to work with them in future so it's important that you like them too :) Huge fan of music! hard to say what's my favorite genre because it totally depends of my mood but i have been into heavier music lately! I'm pretty humorous person even though this post doesn't show it :D i don't use emojis much so that might seem like i'm really serious expect to hear nothing from me if "hi" is best you can do.
2023.03.22 15:13 MrLufusWie findet ihr den Subscription/Abo Vertragszwang heutzutage?
Ich erinnere mich noch an eine Zeit zurück, in welcher man sich eine App für das Handy für 1-5€ gekauft hat und dann alles nutzen konnte. Heute ist es ja jenseits von On-Demand Diensten normal geworden für alles ein Abo zu verlangen. Man lädt eine App runter und möchte einen Bildfilter nehmen, kein Problem für nur 7,99€ in der Woche oder 19,99€ im Monat kannst du das gerne tun. Als wäre es nicht schon absurd genug, dass solche noname Mini-Apps so absurd hohe Preise für eine vergleichsweise kleine Funktion erlauben, kann man diese nicht einmal mehr kaufen. Eines meiner aktuellsten Beispiele wäre hier Filmic Pro für das iPhone. Mit Filmic konnte man damals für ca. 20€ die Vollversion kaufen und das ganze Potenzial des Handys voll ausschöpfen um damit cinematische Videos aufzunehmen. Zwar kommt das lange noch nicht an eine Kinokamera ran, war jedoch besser als die Apple eigene Camera App. Tja mittlerweile jedoch, hat man sich entschieden die alte Kaufversion "gratis" zu machen, den ehemaligen Nutzern eine Legacy App angeboten und verlangt nun jährlich 59,99€ für diese App ohne eine Kaufversion aka. Lifetime Vollversion anzubieten. Was vielleicht als nette Idee begann, so im Bereich Musik und Video mit Spotify und Netflix, ist mittlerweile so derart ausgeartet, dass man eigentlich schon glücklich ist, wenn eine App sich noch "kaufen" lässt und nicht nur via "Abo" geleast werden kann. Ein für mich gutes Mittelkonzept ist da das nun langsam aufkommende "Rent to Own" Prinzip, über welches wir nach Beendigung des Abos zumindest die letzte bezahlte Version nutzen dürfen. Wie steht ihr dazu, dass man sich mittlerweile mit App Abos einen Kleinwagen mieten könnte?
2023.03.22 15:07 MephobicBlonde[Let’s Build] a d100 list of ‘Echoes from the Past’
Hello! This is a continuation of my last post here (which is now hidden to follow the sub's rules), so I can separate old answers from new ones. I need some more help brainstorming ideas for my D&D realm known as the Isles of Etherwolfe. From my last post: "Due to a worldbuilding secret I shall not share due to my players definitely spying on my profile, spectral ‘Echoes’ from past worlds have a chance of slipping through the cracks, appearing as cryptic ethereal images that often have no connection to the world. They are simply remnants of previous worlds, other civilizations, “alien” species [and D&D races] like strange other version of elves, etc. These Echoes could even be specific [worldbuilding] references from your world or other D&D worlds, anything! Make them strange, make them mysterious, make them unexplained, and let’s create a cool list of ideas!" Update 1: I've received a ton of interesting 'scenes' for these echoes, but from now on, let's try to make things more stagnant, like strange objects appearing in places they shouldn't, or ruins of old castles, etc. For instance, 11) A lone sailing ship, lilting to the side. The ropes and wheel still gently move despite the lack of any crew. u/HordeOfAngryBees, or 32) a ruined and partially collapsed castle, structured using large brass pipes; once a center of learning and discovery for steam powered technology u/nexorati. Don't forget that these echoes can be specific references to other worlds (I've gotten some cool Eberron and Faerun stuff, but let's keep expanding!). Try to keep them relatively grounded in medieval High Fantasy. I appreciate the modern references, but I think we've collected enough of them in the table! Update 2: Try to keep your responses a bit short, at around 3-ish lines. As I input your responses into my document, I've been trimming some of them down or beefing them up to match the rest, but their primary idea has obviously stayed the same :) Update 3: Thank you all so much for your help, this is turning out great! If I continue to get responses, I may even go over 100 simply because the possibilities are endless and random. Anything can slip through the cracks from these past worlds... Let's get crazy, lets get mysterious, lets get unexplained, lets get... echoey. I don't know. Echoes from the Past: Note: Most, if not all of these Echoes should appear Spectral, as if being seen on the Ethereal Plane. d100. Echo
A cathedral dedicated to an unknown deity (flower symbol) inhabited by strange elves.
A small river flowing north, which suddenly turns upward and floats into the air and disappears
A war-torn battlefield strewn with rusted armor and weapons, still-flaming arrows scatter the ground
Ruins of a cyclopean city emerging from a shifting river-bank. Bodies of petrified giants trapped in poses from everyday life. u/MaxSizeIs
A mana-dense vault filled with thousands of crystalline discs six inches across that shine with a reflective rainbow in the light. u/MaxSizeIs
The ruins of a greek-style bank run by a collection of metallic-skinned halflings.
Various flapping banners staked into the ground representing the different elements.
A row of hundreds of humanoid statues. In fact, they are the same statue expressed over hundreds of years. The ones in the front are broken and weathered, the ones in the middle gleam with paint and polish, and the final ones are uncarved plinths of stone. u/onepostandbye
A stone building can be seen in different eras depending what side you view it from. Entering from the basement entrance allows PCs to interact with a disoriented shopkeeper. u/onepostandbye
The upper slope of this area displays many tilting grave markers. Where the land has eroded, spectral skeletons float as if in repose, their spectral headstones floating six feet above. u/onepostandbye
A lone sailing ship, lilting to the side. The ropes and wheel still gently move despite the lack of any crew. u/HordeOfAngryBees
A massive, thick wall of trees standing in a circle. Inside of the circle is a clearing where snow gently falls around an old cabin. u/HordeOfAngryBees
A colossal warforged titan stands atop a hill, its sadness palpable. It slams its fists down on a column of soldiers, the ground trembling from the force. More soldiers advance, siege weapons primed to fire. u/NecessaryCornflake7
A flying ship with a ring of fire descends over an elegant Victorian city, full of twinkling lights. u/NecessaryCornflake7
A lightning rail stops at a station in a small wilderness town, its energy connecting to the conductor stones in the ground. u/NecessaryCornflake7
On another hill, shrouded in fog, a dilapidated one-story cabin emits a beam of blue light, summoning zombies and skeletons clothed in ruined soldier equipment begin to emerge from the fog. u/NecessaryCornflake7
An echo of a community endlessly replays one hour of mundane village life. The village met some terrible end, and when PCs move close to persons, objects, or buildings, the echo temporarily dissolves to show the current state of the place, which is ugly and sad. u/onepostandbye
The father guided his son, teaching him how to properly aim and bend the bowstring. In the lush forest, a deer suddenly appeared in the clearing. Whispering instructions, the father watched as the boy released the arrow. u/NecessaryCornflake7
The mother watched unamused as her children fought over a toy in the front yard of the tree house. She abruptly stopped the fight by taking away the toy and instructed them on how to treat each other better. The scolding brought tears of sorrow to the children, but the mother was quick to comfort them with a hug and kisses, reassuring them of her love. u/NecessaryCornflake7
A grandpa and their granddaughter ventured deep into the magical forest together to collect wild berries. As they wandered, grandpa spotted something dangerous lurking in the shadows. He quickly drew his granddaughter closer and shielded them with his magical staff, ready to protect her from the unseen danger. u/NecessaryCornflake7
An exhausted salaryman walking from the glass box of their office to their old Geo Metro, while above them looms a planet, of awesome size, lit by no sun. A dark titan, all thick black forests and jagged mountains and deep turbulent oceans. u/MaxSizeIs
Impossibly tall metal towers made of impossibly slender sticks, while lonely red light pulses slowly at it's top. Disturbing black birds hunch menacingly, roosting upon it in great numbers. Hallucinatory, ethereal music in no recognizable style seems to buzz within one's teeth as they draw near to the apparition. u/MaxSizeIs
A strangely dressed man sitting behind a desk while a confusing array of boxers and esoteric instruments sit before him. He talks in an unknown language, fiddles with one of the instruments, placing a black disc upon a sort of spinning table, and suddenly from no discernable location, alien music can be heard. u/MaxSizeIs
A hard sort of road but made of a sort of greyish black stone that seems poured like a river, it is very wide, and seems to go in both directions forever. Several lines of strange metal boxes, somewhat like carriages, go in both directions, countless in number, rolling slowly, occasionally stopping then starting again in waves, making no noise, and with no-one inside. u/MaxSizeIs
A vast canyon, with seemingly infinitely tall towers made of glass on both sides. Every floor of the tower seems to be comfortably furnished in (admittedly alien design), but also appears to have at least one terrified person silently banging on the glass, apparently begging to be let out. Occasionally it rains bodies, they fall from great height from above, then through the ground as if it isn't there, and keep going. u/MaxSizeIs
A person in a strange sort of greyish-white diving suit with a large, bulky looking backpack contraption on their back, wielding a striped flag, and bouncing around as if they were almost floating. u/MaxSizeIs
A giant airship zeppelin, coming in to dock at a tall tower. A large crew of people on the ground pull on lines connected to the ship, pulling it in to dock. u/MaxSizeIs
A large beast-man with horns and cloven feet, wearing a long coat and a strange set of mirrored lenses upon their face, scowls, crosses their arms and pantomimes, seeming to deny you entry. u/MaxSizeIs
A labyrinthine maze with walls higher than a person, extends to the horizon. u/MaxSizeIs
A friendly red dog, the size of a large house, with fangs the size of a grown person, and a mouth that could swallow you in one go. It wants to play. u/MaxSizeIs
A school of ornamental goldfish, each the size of a blue-whale, just swimming as if the air were water. u/MaxSizeIs
a ruined and partially collapsed castle, structured using large brass pipes; once a center of learning and discovery for steam powered technology u/nexorati
A caveman sizes up a lightning-struck, burning log, pokes it, and runs away howling in pain. u/RealRamessesII
A little girl points toward the entrance of a dark forest, as the unsuspecting farmers walk hesitantly within. Smiling deviously, the girl stays a distance back. Suddenly, large red, illuminated eyes appear from the forest darkness, causing the farmers to scream in terror. u/NecessaryCornflake7
A priest, a nobleman, and a guard pass by an old beggar on the street without offering help, but a mixed adventuring party of a tiefling, halfling, dragonborn, and humans stop to give the beggar assistance. In gratitude, the beggar hugs one of them. u/NecessaryCornflake7
An exhausted alchemist conducts a complicated experiment with various colored liquids, beakers, and pipes. Upon the completion of the experiment, the gnome jumps with joy, holding the main vial as if it were a new precious child, as the color of the vial has shifted to a solid red, welcoming the new discovery. u/NecessaryCornflake7
A young king, resplendent in his finest garments, strode confidently with his entourage of attendants into the city gates. The inhabitants of the city, who lined the streets, remained expressionless and unmoved, their supposed welcome a mere pretense. As they marched on, the imposing silhouette of the castle loomed into view, its grey stone walls shrouded in the morning mist. The king's heart raced with anticipation as he imagined the throne room within, and the destiny that awaited him. u/NecessaryCornflake7
A river of liquid copper, gold, or quicksilver. u/MaxSizeIs
A giant eye, peering into reality from a crack in the sky. u/MaxSizeIs
A carousel, moving, but with no passengers or people around. u/MaxSizeIs
An abandoned ice-cream truck, moldering away in a primeval forest, music still playing. u/MaxSizeIs
A wall of screens taller than a person and a mile long, each playing a different episode of the same sitcom, out of order and with no context. Occasionally the screens talk to each other, as if they know the other episodes are there, or that someone may be watching them, then the episode ends and the next one starts. The same exact episode is never played more than once. u/MaxSizeIs
Hidden among all these Echoes is an actual Ghost. u/CptnR4p3
The ground shakes as a long forgotten behemoth creature walks by only to fade from existance. u/FirstChAoS
You enter a lush valley, you see the smiling face of a massive elemental being on a nearby hillside. The face vanishes and the vegetation turns sickly in its absense. u/FirstChAoS
A blue humanoid with yellow eyes and no mouth tinkers with a device on a table. He turns towards you, looks surprised, then motions for you to leave as he fades from existance. u/FirstChAoS
The temperature turns cold and the world becomes encased in ice. Fur covered dwarves huddle in the glacial caves while a castle of ice rises in the distance. u/FirstChAoS
Warriors riding giant insects rush by you to attack a skeletal titan. The titan is controlled by a demon impaled on its ribs. u/FirstChAoS
A young child trips over a stone and cuts her leg. She transforms into a terrifying monster and destroys the stone. u/starsailor11
The ruins of an old town peaking out of a large lake. By looking deeper the players find what was once a town that had been here, but became submerged by water as a result of storms. There are no skeletons, but the buildings have become familiar with the seaweed and underwater life of the lake. u/hopeful_badger06
A smiling man with dark skin and long, black hair stands at the helm of a deep green pirate ship. He opens his eyes. All 7 of them. u/Magical_Breadicorn
A small village of thatched roofs burns in the twilight. A hag stands cackling in the distance. u/Magical_Breadicorn
An ominous horseman in a crimson cape and hood, standing silently on the top of a hill. His eyes are blank and he doesn't have lips, showing all of his front teeth. He seems to look fait away in the horizon. u/Sans-Mot
For centuries, a fierce battle has been raging in the skies above a city. On one side is a powerful angelic figure, a divine embodiment of justice, righteousness and goodness. On the other side is its demonic counterpart, a force of malevolence and wickedness. The fate of the city hangs in the balance, as its citizens await the outcome of this epic struggle between good and evil. If the angelic figure prevails, the city will be blessed with peace, joy and contentment, while a victory for the demonic figure will plunge the city into darkness, despair and chaos. u/NecessaryCornflake7
Two young lovers in a tight embrace, lounging together as they watched the beautiful sunrise that stretched out over the towering view in front of them. Despite the uncertainty of their future and the restrictions their parents and society had imposed on them, they committed to do everything in their power to make their relationship work. They shared a moment of peace, admiring the beauty of the sunrise and dreaming of the possibilities that lay ahead of them. u/NecessaryCornflake7
The warrior kneels beside his friend, who is gravely injured from the battle that is still raging around them. He takes his hand, feeling the warmth and life slowly fading away. Knowing this will be their final moment together, he promises to take care of his family, vowing to make sure they are provided for in the future. The dying warrior looks up at him with a grateful and familiar smile, and with one last breath, his soul departs. The kneeling warrior grasps his friend's hand tightly, holding back tears as he silently bids farewell. u/NecessaryCornflake7
The authoritative knight galloped through the street on his trusted steed, seemingly without a care for the citizens around him. A small young boy stood in his path, seemingly about to be run over when a heroic young girl jumped in front of him and managed to stop the knight in his tracks. The knight, completely oblivious of the danger he had almost caused, continued on his path, leaving the young boy with a sense of shock and awe. The young boy quickly recovered, and with a humble sense of gratitude, thanked the girl for saving him. u/NecessaryCornflake7
A scrawny stray cat cautiously trots up to a homeless woman, who was leaning against a wall, fast asleep. The woman stirred and opened her eyes, only to find the tiny cat rubbing against her leg. Her face lit up with a warm smile and she reached into her bag to pull out a bowl of water and a few scraps of food. The cat eagerly lapped up the cool water and devoured the food, purring appreciatively as it nestled in the woman's outstretched arms. u/NecessaryCornflake7
A large library is the backdrop for an unlikely duo - a half-orc barbarian and an elf wizard. The wizard is patiently instructing the half-orc in the basics of reading and writing, starting with the alphabet. Despite his gruff demeanor, the half-orc is evidently making progress and has already managed to learn a few letters. With a bit more time and effort, it's possible the half-orc could master the entire alphabet. u/NecessaryCornflake7
A regal demon prince lounged around a luxurious dinner table in a dimly lit hall, attended by a troupe of beguiling succubi, serving his every need. Standing awkwardly and aloof in front of the table, a tiefling warlock appeared. The demon prince smiled with a mischievous glint in his eye, and the two began a conversation concerning their previous contract. The demon prince insisted that he would aid the tiefling in finding her long-lost daughter, but in exchange, she must accept the corruption of pleasure and servitude. With great hesitation and a heavy heart, the tiefling reluctantly agreed. u/NecessaryCornflake7
The giant teenager was throwing a temper tantrum, demanding to her father that she be allowed to go out and smash any humanoids she could find in the vicinity. Her hulking father seemed to share her enthusiasm, but urged her to be mindful of not angering too many people at once. He wanted her to be strategic in her actions, so as not to draw too much attention or cause too much chaos. u/NecessaryCornflake7
The evil lich cackled maniacally in their shadowy crypt, admiring the intricate schematics of their sinister plot to conquer the world and bend its subjugated inhabitants to their will. Suddenly, one of the lich's skeletal servants happened to stumble into the table, causing several of the papers to scatter around the room. This provoked a violent outburst from the lich, who cast a necrotic spell to immediately annihilate the unfortunate minion. After regaining his composure, the lich retreated to his private chambers, where he encountered his undead kitten. Softening his expression, the lich began to pet the feline vigorously, seeking comfort in the small creature's presence. u/NecessaryCornflake7
The magical professor asked the class a question about the importance of proper speaking and gesturing to successfully cast a spell. One student raised their hand, and when allowed to answer, they replied, "You really need to address that wart, professor." This resulted in the class bursting into laughter, and the professor struggled to maintain composure as he demanded the student answer his question instead of distracting the class. u/NecessaryCornflake7
An ancient city, long forgotten and submerged beneath the depths of the ocean, emerged from the depths. The walls of the buildings were still covered in a variety of sea life. u/NecessaryCornflake7
The adventurers face a daunting task, standing before a portal to the demonic plane, surrounded by countless fallen demons. With a tremendous effort, one of the brave adventurers casts a powerful spell to banish the portal. In a climatic moment, the portal shatters, and the entire group watches in awe as the spell caster collapses to the ground in exhaustion. The rest of the party rallies around them in solidarity and support. u/NecessaryCornflake7
Several brilliant stars illuminated the landscape, gradually moving closer to one another. Suddenly, they collided and created a mesmerizing display of colors, with hues of blue, green, yellow, and red fanning out in all directions. A devastating force surged through the countryside, serenading the land with a beautiful yet destructive sight. u/NecessaryCornflake7
A heavy rainstorm swept in over the hilly pasture land, the moist wind whipping through the tall grass and bending it to its will. Streaks of lightning illuminated the dark, rain-filled sky, casting a dramatic backdrop to the scene. A small cluster of cows had huddled together under the shelter of a few trees, seeking safety and respite from the raging storm. u/NecessaryCornflake7
The warforged creature stands in the middle of a vast junkyard, its single arm and damaged leg starkly contrasting with the piles of gleaming metal and wooden pieces that surround it. Its glowing eyes search the mounds, hastily selecting a few choice pieces to inspect and fit onto its body. With its single arm, it delicately lifts a metal appendage and attaches it to the place where its missing limb should be. It then picks up a wooden leg and affixes it to its damaged one, replacing it with a functioning limb. After a few moments, the warforged tests out its new arm and leg, its body adapting to its newfound mobility. u/NecessaryCornflake7
A poor mother, surrounded by her children, sits together on the floor of a drab and sparsely furnished hut. As her children huddle around her, she gently guides them in a simple prayer for provision, asking for divine aid in these difficult times. As if in answer to their pleas, a knock suddenly sounds on the door. Upon opening it, the family finds a box filled with food, clothes, and other essential items donated by an anonymous figure with a knowing smile. Unbeknownst to the family, the mysterious individual is an agent of their deity, answering the prayer with a tangible act of kindness. u/NecessaryCornflake7
The old half-elf, dressed in luxurious noble robes and carrying an ornate ice staff, finished an important meeting with several rulers. After the meeting concluded, he stepped through a magical portal into a more private area. As soon as he emerged from the portal, the half-elf transformed into a majestic white dragon. With a powerful beat of its wings, it soared into the sky, flying off on a determined mission. u/NecessaryCornflake7
[Battle Prep] WAKE UP KNIGHTS! WE'RE BACK AT HOME AND OUR MARCH ASSAULT IS UNDER THREAT AS THE CALGARY COMES TO TOWN! THEY'RE LOOKING TO SET THE FORTRESS ABLAZE, BUT WE'LL SNUFF OUT THE FLAMES ON OUR WAY TO MAINTAIN OUR TOP OF THE PACIFIC! GO KNIGHTS GO!