Hello Everyone! Welcome to Periodic UHC Season 5, Boron!

This UHC is organized by TehBaconBrawlerZ, and in this season we will be doing a Rigged Team of 3 using the following scenarios:

Scenarios:

Anti-Boronics: Boronic Acid is used for tons of of Pharmaceutical Methods in the real world, and the same is true in the game! Combining 4 Glass, 2 Redstone, 1 Diamond, a Golden Apple and a Bottle, you can create a Tier 1 Anti-Boronic, and using the same craft again substituting the bottle for the Tier 1 Potion, will give you a Tier 2 Anti-Boronic. Upon drinking either tier, you will take damage and gain different effects, based on the Tier of Potion: -Tier 1 Potion - 1.5 Hearts of Damage but gains Strength and Haste 1 for 30 Seconds. -Tier 2 Potiom - 3.5 Hearts of Damage but gains Strength 2 for 20 Seconds and Speed 1 for 15 seconds.
Boronic Armor: Boron is a key component in types of Armor, such as Bulletproof Vests and Tank Armor. Because of this, players are unable to enchant their equipment past basic level enchantments provided by the enchanting table (no anvils). Instead, in order to make higher tier gear, they have to combine the piece of equipment with different items (Iron, Gold, Diamonds, Feathers, Arrows and Apples). Inspiration was taken from (and given permission by) Elunial, organizer of "The Saga"
^{*Bold = Highlighted}

Team	Link
ashley lavacasts AGAIN	-
AshleyMashley	Episode 2
DefectiveSickle	Episode 2
KatyLawson	Episode 2
spec favorites	-
PhoenixTheViking	Episode 2
Stevenator0808	Episode 2
ZebraTonic	Late
any they/thems tryna lemme feel they/tiddies	-
nishimarii	again
LoserSky_	Episode 2
JimmyJawns	PC Wiped POV
The British	-
78ford	Episode 2
Xzeaulor	Past Woes
draylor09	Episode 2
The Sacrifice	-
FalingDutchman	Episode 2
SugarIsZoey	Episode 2
fruitlogic	Episode 2
TheGreat Nick Nuggets	-
Blufferfish2009	Episode 2
CharityTheGreat	Late
nug17	Late
fellas doing fella things	-
1Rag	Lavalight
crazyblue19	Episode 2
Ullti	Moody Blues
loud	-
K0REDRAG0N	Man, again?
NikoAnimation	Late
Zapnic	Episode 2
comedy club	-
CommanderK22_	Episode 2
Jervy_Ras	Episode 2
ProMapleSyrup	Non-Recorder
gang plank	-
BuildingBard300	Lost
Jalapinecone	Lost
Mathgeek007	Episode 2
The JEGS	-
jimmyjegs	Lost
Rockall	Episode 2
EmNoJo	Non-Recorder
The Winning Team	-
MattChills	Lost Footage
Scrub72	GG.
Omnixkrxn	Episode 2
Irony	-
Jahrod	Episode 2
Nyxbee	PC Exploded
Buzzy_Bee_120	Episode 2
Irony 2	-
KaeBTW	Episode 2+3 Combined
Ghaosty	Episode 2
TehBaconBrawlerZ	Episode 2
Spec	-
_Fost_	Episode 2
Rohcket	Episode 2

Death Tracker

Position	Player	Team Color	Cause	Episode Link
42nd	K0REDRAG0N	Cyan	was blown up by Creeper	Episode 1
41st	Scrub72	Light Grey	fell from a high place	Episode 1
40th	???	???	???	???

Previous Episodes

• Intro
• Episode

Credits

• Organization - TehBaconBrawlerZ
  
• Host/Coding - TheSlimeBrother
  
• Intro - Kirbey
  
• Art - Ghaosty
  
• Logo - Forgot_N
  

Extended the wiring from the former outlet (right) to run this new combo switch to a recessed light. Outlet functions but the switch doesn't turn on the light.

I’m an amateur photographer with very little experience.
I used to have D7000 and later on Canon EOS 70D and never took the time to understand cameras, lenses, functionalities, lighting, shadows, editing, etc…
I just watched a few videos here and there and just went out to take photos and enjoyed it.
I went to work for Google as a software engineer and neglected photography for a few years.
Now I feel ready to learn and experiment on a daily basis.
My first task was an extensive research as to what camera to buy and oh boy the amount of knowledge and contradictions I tackled…
Basically in the fight of Mirrorless vs DSLR cameras I chose to go with DSLR (not a budget problem).
Within the DSLRs I chose to go with Nikon.
Between the low end and high end equipment I chose to go with D7500.
As for lens, I’m not sure if I should buy d7500 used with used lenses as well or just go for a bundle with kit and a supplemental Len (24-70).
Now, what I’m interested at: - Only photos - minimal video usage, if at all - products photography (E.g e-commerce) - leggings and clothing photography - portraits
With all of that being said, am I making the right decision here?
What other data is required for you to help me choose better?
Highly appreciated.

Heads up, this is gonna be a longer post- I debated about showing this for a while, but after some recent life events I figured it was time to talk about it. No jokes today, this is straight from the heart.
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If you told me three years ago I would be involved with VTubers, collecting merch and cheering about her little everyday things and interactions, I would have never believed you. At the time I was a completely different person; I rocked the emo look, I was wrapping my college life and even throughout COVID I still had plans for going to med school and overcoming those unique challenges. I had the same views on anime and the whole culture that the majority of people (or at least the US) has, never taking this seriously. But then again, there were also a lot of things going on with me at the time that I don't miss.
For starters, the pandemic really threw me for a loop. I had always planned on going straight to med school after college, and had a set plan for getting all my requirements and classes done over time to get into a really good med school. Unfortunately, things didn't work out that way; Lots of research opportunities and classes I needed to take suddenly dissolved before my eyes, setting me back a few years as I had to work harder to get the same result. I graduated college just fine, but the fact that my dream was in jeopardy shook me. I still tried applying and getting into good schools, but got turned down at every point because they didn't yet make exceptions for the pandemic. It launched me into a depression, and for about 2 years after graduation I was more or less a NEET living at home barely able to function. I kept trying for different schools and working odd jobs, but constant rejections and nothing sticking for good only worsened my situation.
I was well into the weeds when I found Hololive, which wasn't the cure-all (like anyone would think that) but it was entertaining to say the least. This community isn't perfect, but I've met a ton of nice, funny and incredible people all over due to VTubers, so while it didn't help my situation, it made things more bearable.
Then along came Council- naturally I was excited, the EN members/speakers were my favorites. I liked all the new Gen 2 members, but Kronii hit different right from her debut stream. From the superficial points like her design, her voice, persona and talent- down to her more innate and special attributes like her humor, empathy and relatability. She instantly became my favorite, and I wanted to do more with her content and unique streams. I had no art skills, no limitless pools of cash for SCs, no real talent to make my mark- but I did like making shitposts, and when I remembered the popularity and fun people had here on Reddit, I thought to myself, "That's perfect- I'll go ahead and do that!"
To this day, I don't think of Kronii as a truly perfect person. She's got her flaws, but we all do; What's important was that she (or at least her persona) is what I aspired to be: confident, ambitious, funny, intelligent, in short what I dreamed of being like all throughout college and in the future. As the days turned to weeks turned to months, I've kept up the meme posts both because they cheered me up and because I wanted to keep supporting her. Throughout it all though, I think it was also what I needed to 'wake up' and shake me out of my stupor. Lying in bed all day sad about what could have been had got me nowhere, and it wasn't showing any signs of changing. But if I acted more like Kronii, being optimistic and working my hardest towards making the best of things, maybe things would change.
To my surprise- they did! My family said I looked and acted happier, I went out more and made some IRL friends, held a job for more than a few months and actively found/worked towards getting the medical requirements needed for school. Just three months ago I got accepted into med school- the studying and workload has been crushing, but I would rather go through ten years of it than back trapped in my own head. It's a surreal experience, one that I would not have believed had I not seen the results first hand, but here I am.
I want to end this on a serious note though: Kronii herself did not help me get to this point. I don't think a random person on the internet was the answer to all my problems, nor would I dump all of this onto her over several SCs as if she saved my life. This achievement and path of self-realization was my own doing, my own hard work and the persistence not to give up when times were tough. But Kronii did help show me the startline- not directly, not on purpose, but just a case of right place and right time. Without seeing the kind of person that she is and the kind of person I knew I wanted to be, who knows how long I would have been stuck in my depressive state or if I would achieve my dream.
So Thank You Kronii. You appeared at the right time in my life, showed me the possibility of what I could be when I couldn't see it myself, and I am proud to say I am thriving. It's my own hard work and patience that got me here, but throughout it all you've been a source of inspiration and laughs that made me happy. I'm going to keep working hard, not because I want to make you happy but to achieve self-fullfillment as a person.
...ok, small joke. TL;DR- "Just don't be sad." but it worked.

TimeStamp https://imgur.com/a/oLuI7KZ
Bought this scope in early 2019 and went on several hunts since then. Has been sitting in gun safe for about a year now so I figured I’d move it along. Comes with 2.4 ah battery pack or you can use cr123 batteries. I have the car charger only for the battery pack, cannot find my wall charger for it. It still holds a great charge and lasts awhile.
Scope still has a very clear picture with no dead pixels. All buttons and functions work as it did brand new. Light salt on exterior of scope but otherwise great condition. Comes with original zipper bag. 2.2-8x zoom
Doesn’t have WiFi or onboard recording. Last picture linked shows the specs
Looking to get $1400 shipped obo

Timestamp: https://i.imgur.com/0jozFU8.jpg
Tier 1 Concealed Axis Elite + Olight PL mini 2: $150 (OBO)
Holster is in great condition and was purchased for a Glock 19 Gen 4. (Compatible with Glock 19/23/32 Gen 3-4). Sold as a combination as the holster needs the light to function. Light comes with charger. Will not part out unless I have a buyer for the holster first.
Pics: https://imgur.com/a/V0SMK7N
Accepting trades for: TA02 RMR mount, Tan K2 XL, Tan BCM vertical grip, RMR type 2 RM01

This is actually the first add-on idea I've been considering for SRB2 — yes, I was brainstorming this before I was brainstorming the Belnades Sisters. This is one of my very first Mario/Sonic OCs, and fair warning here, he's a bit OP. The character in question is Garcia… Garcia the Beanie Baby. Yes, I'm serious. (I'd have put up a link to Garcia's profile on Ty's website, but he's not there anymore.) Anyways, Garcia in my fanfics is a lot more than a teddy bear — he's a powerful pyrokinetic capable of giving Blaze a run for her money. So, here are some details on how he'd play.

• Default stats (36 top speed, 40 acceleration, 5 thrust factor, 96 accel start; run animation starts at 28 speed).
• Default jump height (100 fracunits).
• No spin-jump. Jumping into enemies will get Garcia hurt, and jumping on monitors won't break them.
• Garcia's passives will be listed first, since they have a rather dramatic influence on the rest of his moveset.
  • Passive: Fire Absorption: Garcia is completely immune to fire damage (flames, lava spouts, lava), etc.), as though he always had a Flame Shield. In fact, being exposed to fire allows Garcia to absorb it and power himself up, making his abilities stronger in a similar fashion to Surge's electric charge system (albeit not quite as dramatic in terms of (immediate) mobility). Absorbing fire grants Garcia 5 "flame charge points", which refresh to 5 on further exposure to fire, but otherwise wear off for each ability use or at a rate of 1 point per 5 seconds (though they will be continuously refreshed if Garcia is standing on a flame floor). While powered-up, Garcia has slightly higher run speed and jump height (38 top speed, 41 acceleration, 99 accel start, 110-fracunit max jump height) and can damage enemies and bosses by jumping into them or running into them at top speed, at the expense of 1 flame charge point per impact. Actually having a Flame or Elemental Shield will keep Garcia in a powered-up state with infinite flame charge points until he loses the shield or somehow switches to a different shield. And, yes, Garcia can absorb flames generated by other players who have an Elemental Shield or are playing as a character with fire-based abilities, such as Garcia himself, Blaze, Flame, or Hinote. Garcia is undoubtedly at his strongest in fire levels such as Red Volcano Zone, and can probably roflstomp Brak Eggman by absorbing his many flame-based attacks.
  • Passive: Water Weakness: Garcia's high attunement to the element of fire means that he struggles to function underwater. While underwater, his abilities are put in a powered-down state and are a bit less potent than normal. (If Garcia was powered up when he entered the water, he immediately loses the powered-up state, but enters a grace period where his abilities have their normal potency before powering down to the underwater version; the length of the grace period is however long his flame charge points would have lasted. Garcia does not get his powered-up state back if he exits the water before the grace period ends.) Garcia also has a shorter-than-usual air timer in water, which means that he drowns faster than most other characters and needs to find air more frequently to survive underwater sections. In short, Garcia really struggles in water levels, such as Deep Sea Zone or Azure Temple Zone. (Note that this only applies to water sectors; Garcia's abilities are not weakened and he does not suffocate any faster than anyone else in space sectors.) Absorbing fire underwater (for instance, the gargoyles in Azure Temple Zone) will just put Garcia in the grace period state, returning his abilities to normal potency until it wears off, but will not affect his air meter. Having an Elemental Shield overrides the water weakness and puts Garcia's abilities in the usual powered-up state.
• Air Action: Free Flight: Garcia is equipped with a jetpack, and he knows how to use it. (He technically doesn't even need the jetpack to fly, but this incarnation of the character is meant to be Garcia in his late teens, and he doesn't know that yet.) Pressing Jump in mid-air puts Garcia in a state similar to Knuckles' glide (complete with the ability to damage enemies by flying into them; this does not count as a fire attack, and is one of Garcia's few ways to damage other players who are also playing as Garcia or equipped with an Elemental or Flame shield in PVP modes), except with no wall-climbing, the ability to slowly ascend instead of descending by holding Spin, the ability to shift to a more vertical flight mode with lower horizontal movement but greater vertical movement (either rising into the air or diving towards the ground) by holding C3, and the ability to transition into a slower but more precise "combat flight mode" by pressing Fire. In combat flight mode, use the movement keys to move laterally, hold Jump to ascend, hold Spin to descend, or return to standard flight mode by pressing C3; there's something else that can be done in combat flight mode by pressing Fire, but I'll get to that later. While Garcia can literally fly around all day in my fanfics, for SRB2 gameplay purposes, to avoid completely snapping any semblance of challenge or level design in half, Garcia will only be able to fly for 8 seconds at a time before being forced out of flight mode and having to touch back down. The powered-up version of this ability lasts for up to 12 seconds, while the powered-down version lasts for up to 4 seconds.
• Garcia has three possible actions he can take by pressing Spin, depending on how fast he is moving when the button is pressed.
  • Spin (Ground, Stationary): Runner's Stance: Press Spin on the ground while standing completely still to make Garcia crouch down into a "ready to run" position. From here, you can press Jump to cancel, Spin to break into a run, or Fire to begin crawling. The run option will cause Garcia to start running at a speed of 21 (18 if powered down, 24 if powered-up), and will also generate a small explosion to damage nearby enemies with the powered-up version, but it is not a spin-dash; it can't pass through low openings and won't damage enemies that Garcia runs into unless he's powered up. It's simply a more effective way to accelerate than simply holding the movement keys (it's still arguably less effective than a Spin-Dash and certainly less effective than Sonic's thok). The crawl option allows Garcia to pass into low openings, but at the cost of losing a lot of momentum, as it takes about half a second for Garcia to remove his jetpack and begin crawling, and he moves slowly and is completely vulnerable to attack while crawling. Press Jump while crawling to stop crawling and have Garcia put his jetpack back on, which takes about half a second. The crawl allows Garcia to get into spin characters' routes if he absolutely has to, but he prefers the non-spin routes taken by Amy or Fang. He does have another way to get into spin routes that sacrifices less momentum, but it's a bit tricky to pull off…
  • Spin (Ground, Low Speed): Flame Pounce: Press Spin while moving on the ground at a speed of 28 or less (i.e. in a "walking" animation) to make Garcia execute a short hop (about 12 to 20 fracunits), then dive back to the ground with a leaping punch that can damage enemies, break monitors, and bust open breakable walls and floors (including the strong ones that only Knuckles, Amy, and Fang can break in the base game). Despite the name of the move, the punch is not a fire attack and can bypass immunity to fire damage. This is one of Garcia's main direct combat options on the ground (especially against fire-immune characters) and one of his main ways to get into non-spin routes, though it is somewhat short-ranged and can be tricky to aim. The powered-down version is mostly identical to the standard version, with the only differences being slightly longer startup, slower movement, and lower distance/range (I was tempted to not let it bust walls and floors, but then Garcia would be softlocked in DSZ 2 if he got to a certain point of the level without an Elemental Shield), while the powered-up version generates explosions on startup and touchdown, granting it a greater attack radius (note that the explosions do count as fire damage). The powered-up version also deals double damage, similar to Susie's Red Buster, but only if the punch itself connects rather than the explosions.
  • Spin (Ground, High Speed): Flame Slide: Press Spin on the ground while in the running animation (moving at a speed of 28 or higher) to make Garcia perform a slide-kick move similar to Kris'. This slide kick grants Garcia a burst of extra speed at the start that is then gradually lost over the course of the move until Garcia comes to a stop or cancels the slide and transitions back into a running state by pressing Jump. The slide kick can damage enemies and break monitors (and the slide kick itself doesn't count as fire damage), while also leaving a flame trail like the Elemental Shield's that is itself able to damage enemies, but it's a bit higher up off the ground than usual for this type of maneuver (since Garcia's wearing a jetpack), and thus can't get into tight spaces. However, it is possible to transition into a variant that can get into tight spaces by pressing Spin again during the slide. This will cause Garcia to hastily remove his jetpack and start carrying it, while also lowering himself further to the ground so that he can pass through tight spaces. However, Garcia still takes about half a second to remove the jetpack, the awkwardness of this maneuver will cause Garcia to start losing speed once the jetpack is off, pressing Jump in this state will cause Garcia to decelerate faster until he stops, and he'll need to pause for half a second to put the jetpack back on once he stops. This still allows Garcia to get through tight spaces without losing as much momentum as crawling, but it requires space to run as well as good planning and timing (due to the delay between pressing Spin the second time and actually being able to move through tight spaces) and still causes Garcia to lose speed at the end, so he still prefers to take non-spin routes. The powered-up version grants a greater burst of speed at the start, has a larger flame trail, generates explosions at the start, when canceled, and when transitioning into the pseudo-spin (once again, the explosions count as fire damage), and loses less speed during execution (especially in the pseudo-spin phase). The powered-down version grants less speed on initiation, has no flame trail, and loses speed faster.
• Spin (Air): Flame Pulse: Press Spin while in mid-air and not in flight mode to make Garcia envelop himself in a large fireball, which serves as his substitute for the spin-jump. This fireball lasts for 1 second. The fireball extends outwards for 50 fracunits around Garcia's position by default (though Garcia can only bounce off an enemy if they are a sturdy enemy such as a Lance-a-Bot or boss or he hits them from above); the powered-up version extends outward for 75 fracunits, while the powered-down version only extends outwards for 25 fracunits. Garcia can technically use this move in mid-air as much as he wants, but there is a 1-second cooldown between uses, which can be reset by hitting an enemy or touching the ground, which means that he only gets one usage per jump unless he's chaining attacks on enemies or jumping to a lower part of the level.
  • Garcia can't use shield actions. He doesn't really need them, what with the free flight and all, and some of them, like the Whirlwind Shield, would be a hindrance to his playstyle if they replaced his default air spin action due to forcing him to rely exclusively on his air action, grounded spin moves, or fireballs to fight.
• Fire: Throw Fireball: Garcia's main attack is generating fireballs and tossing them at enemies. (Yes, he has a ranged attack like Fang, he can accelerate quickly from a standstill, he can pummel enemies with melee attacks while moving around, and he can fly like some odd blend of Tails, Knuckles, and Silver. I did say he was a bit OP.) Press Fire to throw a fireball straight ahead or towards whatever your cursor is aiming at. (A Samus-style aim assist is being considered, particularly for third-person mode.) Fireballs deal standard damage and can be thrown at a rate of 1 fireball per 0.8 second. Garcia can throw fireballs while standing still, walking, running, jumping, or even while flying if you're in the combat flight mode (it might be hard to aim if you're moving fast, though). Fireballs have a max range of 400 fracunits and have a decently fast travel time. In Ringslinger modes, FireNormal is set to fireball-throwing, allowing Rings to be thrown with the Fire key. The powered-up version has two modes. The standard powered-up fireball is simply larger, travels faster and further, and has a shorter cooldown (0.6 second), but deals no extra damage; however, each fireball only costs half a flame charge point. Hold the Fire key for at least one second while powered up to throw a slower, but even larger and longer-ranged fireball that actually consists of one large fireball surrounded by a corona of ambient heat. The corona and the fireball itself can both separately strike the same enemy with good aim, allowing this version to effectively deal double damage (it bypasses the mercy invulnerability of sturdy enemies and bosses, but not other players, so sorry, but no one-shot-kills in PVP). This version costs a full flame charge point. The powered-down version is simply a smaller, slower, shorter-ranged, less spammable (1-second cooldown), and slightly weaker fireball (it deals 4/5 the damage of a basic attack, killing most enemies in 2 hits, a Lance-a-Bot in 3, and most bosses in 10); the smaller hitbox does make it slightly harder to score hits with, but the lower damage and firing rate are bigger problems. (Seriously, Garcia wants to stay out of water as much as possible.)
• Easter Egg: Cute interactions with his love interest, Marine! (…What? He digs her adventurous, spirited personality!)

I posted an idea on Spectrum yesterday and I wanted to see what the Reddit community thought. I would like to hear what you guys think about my idea. Im not sure if I am allowed to post links, however, if anyone wants to check out the Spectrum post it shouldnt be hard to find.
Lets cut right to the chase. The Animus rocket launcher kinda sucks right now. We have rocket launcher systems built in 1958 (RPG 7) that function better than what we have in Star Citizen which takes place 930 years in the future. Our modern day shoulder fired systems can do some pretty amazing things whereas firing the Animus feels like shooting a potato cannon.
My proposal is to add a new rocket launcher that can fire size one missles. If using size one missles isnt feasable then new missles made for the launcher would have to be designed. The launcher would need to have missle types specifically for anti-personnel, anti-tank, and anti-air. This would be supplemented by three new backpacks that would be designed to carry spare missles which would be light, medium, and heavy.
The missle targeting system would lock on via a viewscreen that locks targets based on the missles seeker head type. These missle locks would not set off warnings in ships or vehicles until the missle is launched since the launcher does not have a tracking system like ships/vehicles. The launcher would also be able to launch in a flat trajectory without locking on to a target. It would also be great to have a new missle type for the launcher that works like a TOW missle and can be manually guided by the operator.
The launcher would be produced by Apocalypse Arms and would borrow the fire control group from their rail gun. The design would remove the magwell for the rail gun magazine as well as the gun rail propulsion system/barrel. This would be replaced with a missle launch rail and a small blast shield for the user and targeting system. The targeting screen would have a reticle that looked like a circle with horizontal and vertical lines coming out of it. The inside of the reticle would indicate where the missle would seek a target. The targeting pod would be able to zoom up to 16x.
The backpacks would carry extra ammo for the launcher and would have a capacity of one for a light backpack, two for a medium and three for a heavy.
The light pack would have a mount underneath the pack and would lay horizontally underneath similar to how hiking or military bags have a sleeping bag attatched. The medium would have the missles stored vertically in slots on the back of the pack near the center. The heavy backpack would also have the missles stored vertically like the medium pack. All of the packs would have a reduced interior carrying capacity due to the space taken up by the missle mounting system. These backpacks could store the missles many different ways, this is just what my brain comes up with.
This system would be a boon to gameplay giving players more options to effectively play the role of AT/AA without being too strong as well as giving the rocket launcher a proper role in the gameplay loop. Also players that do not have the ability to carry bulky AA/AT vehicles will have a decent option to takedown enemies. This weapon could be enhanced by adding missle storage slots to some ground vehicles. Doing so would encourage combined arms gameplay on the ground.
Thank you for reading this far, I hope you take my thoughts into consideration.
I would call the launcher the Recurve Launch System 7 or RLS7.

So I've written this simple app (Source code: GitHub) that writes timestamps to a .csv file that can be opened in Excel upon single input such as a key press.
What's bugging me is the way it's written, in order to write to the csv file, it has to be constantly open and in memory and can only be closed memory.
What I actually want is for the logWrite() function to open the file, write the value, and close the file all within the same function. That, or be able to invoke logWrite()followed by logClose() with one input.

So I’ve been working for this family for about a year now. Portland Oregon area. Pretty nice neighborhood. Right now I’m making $22/hr for a toddler (boy) as well as doing some light housework. I work part time anywhere from 20 to 25 hours a week. It is my main source of income. I’m also a student. The mom was very generous and came up to me last week and asked me for a number. Didn’t give me a number. I’ve been making the same amount since I started with them.
For a bit of a background, I’ve mainly nannied babies aged infant - 2.5yrs for around 4 years now, mostly babies under 2. I’ve had several long-term families that I’ve worked for. Almost always it was a single child. The price of groceries has gone up and I’m struggling mentally. I fully financially rely on myself and no one else - for all of my expenses. I’m in my very early 20’s. I always try to pick up extra hours on weekends from another regular family (2kids) who compensates well hourly.
I’d really love anyones advice on what’s a reasonable price to give her. Thank you!

Hey!
Looking for anyone that has idea about how to get incandescent light bulbs in the US now that manufacturers are generally banned from producing them in the US.
LEDs give me migraines, and while I've got a little bit of a stock of incandescent bulbs for the time— wondering if anyone has any over-seas sources and/or suggestions for how to possibly legally getting them in in quantities for personal use? (not looking to start any kind of business contrary to the law).
Not looking for a big debate on LEDs here... I'm just not a fan because I don't like headaches. Just looking for anyone that has similar issues that might have come up with long term solutions.
Thanks!!

Part 2
If you travel far enough North on the map, well above where the Civilized Nations stop because no crops grow, you'll find a mountain range. Crossing this range leads to the Monster Kingdom, though for some reason they prefer the name 'TFSU.' Yes, they prefer. The literal forces of anarchy and chaos in the universe have a government. However, ignoring that whole thing, the Monster Kingdom is fine. No armies march on them, mostly because of supply and logistical issues. The Monsters never say how they grow their own food, but given that they don't trade and millions of kobolds worth of food don't go missing every day, it's safe to say they make their own. Now, that doesn't stop the Civilized Nations to send one hero a decade to 'keep them in check.' Four decades ago, the hero closed off a mountain pass, which was supposed to cause a massive flood. Four days later, it was cleared, and the only thing to show for it were the cities that glow like the sun at night. However, yesterday, the Hero returned having burnt one of the bigger cities down. It was empty of all monsters, but the act was the first real damage they had taken in seven hundred years, since their founding. For seven hundred years, the TFSU have taken the beating of seventy heroes and simply moved on. But now. Now, millions of kobolds make up heavy 'machinery' units that march in armored, self-moving caridges that spit fire and metal. Thousands of beastpeople make up scouting and light infantry ranks. The TFSU use hellish 'guns' that hit harder than a catapult from kilometers away, all in a single 'bullet' not the size of a human's thumb. Metal birds and dragonflies join dragons as they assault cities. We poke the very literal sleeping dragon in the eye. Yet the armies don't do much. They march for our capitals and leaders, but on the way our civilians live. Surendees live. People go about their daily lives without too much change. Of course, that fact didn't stop the front line from finally crashing over my small village, located so close to the pass for a while we thought they the monsters had bypassed us entirely. The Civilized Nations had decided to send an entire legion to prevent the Monsters from getting across a nearby canyon pass. We were hit with an air-based assault with only dragons and metal dragonflies, our balista uselessly demolished by pillars of metal and flame thrown out of the metal dragonflies. I blacked out when the legion managed to shoot enough arrows to take down one of the dragonflies. I remember it crashing down onto my house... and then nothing.
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The elf stirred as they woke up. I'd been raised in the Terra Firma Sapience Union, so I was... less than familiar with the clothing and lifestyle the Southerners used. The elf groaned again, before their eyes shot open and they looked around, quickly settling on my frame. "A-Are you going to kill me now?" They asked, their voice shaken with fear. I let out a laugh. "If I wanted you dead, you'd already be dead." I decided to transmorph into my secondary form - a cat - to help the conversation go better. In a land where humans lived to forty, elves only lived to a hundred, and that meant that even I was older than this elf, and they were no older than thirty. The elf, to their credit, quickly figured out I wasn't pulling any mindgames. I'd heard tales from my relatives before the Kobolds founded the TFSU. People, especially when panicked, usual acted with more than enough stupidity to make the situation worse. "Where am I?" The elf asked. Their tone told me that they were still suspicious, but it wasn't outright denial of the situation. "My home," I answered bluntly. "Your village tried to fight our ground forces when they moved in, so most of them are currently under house arrest." Still in my cat form, I created a portal into my storage cavern and reached my arm through, while summoning a lab coat around my shoulders and glasses. It was a trick I had only learned to do recently. "Let's see..." I found the clipboard and brought it out, flipping to the elft's page and taping the pen against the paper. "You suffered a collapsed lung, severe burns on the right side of your body, three broken ribs and two fractured ones, shattered three wrist bones, three breaks in your right upper arm and another two in your lower arm, and on the left side you have another fractured rib and three broken fingers. Your left leg was shattered and your left foot was completely torn up. Healing magic stabilized you and surgery did the rest. You've been comatose for the past three days, and was brought to my home yesterday due to a surge in hospital patients from the seige of Trembolorne. "In terms of organ damage, that was also severe. A busted kidney, I already mentioned a collapsed lung, and your entire digestive system was... well, pulverized would be putting it lightly. Also, unrelated to the incident with the helicopter, you had cancer in your liver and kidney. "In terms of medical treatment, you've been given an IV line for the past couple days and several painkillers, and you underwent four separate surgeries. We reconstructed your organs, welded your bones to metal plates, and used a genetic printer to replace your skin. You're lucky to have gotten time with the genetic printer in the first place, you know; those things are expensive, and I mean expensive to run. Though it's all billed on the government anyway, but that just means that they'll only run it if they have to." The elf sat up in bed looking at me as I just stood on two paws on the cave floor. "Right, sorry, you wouldn't understand most of that." I sheepishly scratched the back of my head with my right paw. "Um... put this way, you were crushed by debris and we basically reconstructed your body before you died. So not necromancy, though you did get close to needing more advanced magical treatment." "Oh," The elf replied. The cat thing seemed to have helped, because they were no longer stuttering with their single word response. "Um... do you want anything to drink?" I tried to kickstart a conversation. "Where am I?" The elf asked again. I was silent for a second. "My home? It's right on the edge of TFSU territory, one of the southernmost places you can be while still being with the recognized borders. I chose this place because I like to fly out in the summer over the flowers in the forest at the foot of the mountains. Your village is a couple hour dragon-flight time away." "Mmmhm." The elf commented halfheartedly. "OK, um... who are you?" "My dragonic name isn't something most can pronounce, so my public name is just Vixie Remminie." I answered. "What's yours?"
The elf's eyes narrowed. "Why do you want to know my name." I blinked. "Because... It's a name? I'm not a Fey, you know, it's not like I can tie ancient demons to your soul and call it a prank or something ridiculous like that. Besides, you asked for mine; now I get to ask for yours." "And who says you won't just burn my village to the ground and eat me right now!?!" The elf suddenly burst out. "You monsters ruin everything! You trespass on our land, take our resources, and kill our people! All we did was try to defend ourselv-" I cut him off, and poured just a bit of attention in giving myself an aura. Blue fire licked the bottom of my vision as I rebuttaled his point. "Don't forget, you stole the land from us. We were the ones living in the wild when you razed our forests and grew crops. We couldn't even purchase land to live on! So yes, we stole what we could to survive and those who didn't starved and died! And when all was said and done, you tried to kill us and turned it into a war, one where we had no choice but to kill you back. And when we found someplace to run, a spot to hide and do our own thing with our own land? You blistering idiots sent you 'courageous heroes' to try and kill us! What for? Nothing! Just your stupid, moronic fear making, forcing you to decide to 'kill the big thing over there!' We can't even have freaking farmland, we have to grow it all in hydroponic farms and harvest thousand-year-old vines out of caves because this is all we have!" I realized that my aura was burning fully and scorching the ground around me. I let out a long sigh, and it died down. Several memories flashed through my head, but I pushed them away. "Apologies, my parents are still a... sensitive topic for me. It would be best if we just stayed away from talking about the war until the hospital has room for more patients again." "Yeah?" The elf was still enraged. Even sitting down, they were still trying to construct an argument. "You parents who killed how many? Your family killed how many more? You dragons, you monsters are nothing more than one large grouping of murders that deserve to die! As the gods will!" The elf was spitting in rage, but I recognized his determination to hold onto his worldview. It was the one thing I needed to pry away before it got out of hand. "And you elves killed how many more?" I asked in a low voice. "Can you tell me the number of kobold dens exterminated in caves, the number of beastpeople sent to an early grave in slave camps? Because I can tell you ours. My father's was two, my mother's four, and my extended family including deceased relatives is one hundred and thirty seven. "You declared war against monsters, you child of an elf," I growled. "And death the reality of war. We know. The Unification Wars weren't fought with swords and honor. They were fought with artillery barrages and death. They were fought with miniature suns and political backstabbing, with tanks and guns and submarines and warships and all the more death. "You say the gods don't like us! That's put lightly. They forsook us! Abandoned us in our hour of need. So we learned to live without them. There are no gods we pray to anymore, elfling. Only each other, our creations, and the universe itself. They don't want us, we don't need them. It's more than they deserve." My aura was once again charring the floor and I had transformed back into my dragon form, but this time I refused to cool it down. "You call us creations of death, the primal forces of anarchy? We are you. You are us. We are sapient, we are all mortals, no matter our advantages. We are bound to this dimensional plane, forced to serve our betters, and live out our lives not with earnest but with trepredition for when it ends. We are all death incarnate, because we can all die. That is just the way it is. Besides, you've wondered about my kill count; tell me, can you tell me the gods'? Can you tell me how many souls they have cut from fate for their own entertainment? No? I can tell you." I growled, moving closer until the blue flames enveloping my body threatened to light the elf's cot on fire. "More people than are alive on this planet right now." I pulled back, bottling up my aura and reverting to my cat form. "We can talk all we want about death and destruction, and I won't lie and say you aren't victims of the war; pre-unification dragons we're exactly kind and merciful to those with treasure hoards. But perhaps, I implore you to consider that maybe we both are victims of the war, and maybe we can one day work together instead of fighting each other. "Maybe, one day, we can fight for our rights against the gods." I moved into my dragon form and darted deeper into my cave, moving so fast I could hear the howl of the wind against my ears. Only when I had reached my memorial wall for my parents did I stop and take a breath and think over my conversation with the elf. We had a long way to go, but I hoped I had put a little bit of sense into him. I hoped that the world could change.
-----
When the dragon cat thing sped away, I took a moment to survey my surroundings. Only now did the effects of my first question hit my formerly-groggy head. "My home." He said. Dragons live in caves. Oooooh. I'm screwed. However, there were no treasure hoards visible from my perspective; then again, while the Monsters were stupid, they still had brains to them, and carrying me into a treasure room would probably be something they'd be able to tell was a bad idea. Pops said never underestimate you foe, A voice in the back of my head said, and the dragon even launched in a full conversation with you. You're selling the dragon very, very shor- Shut up I growled internally to the treacherous voice in my head. The cave itself was... a cave. There was a metal slab on one end, it went deeper in the other, and that was that. In a 'corner' of the jagged room there were a number of red, glowing rods attached to some kind of giant mechanism three elfs wide and six deep, but the rods glowed against the cave's light- What light source? My eyes darted around looking for one. Only now was I aware of how unnatural each shadow was, how awkward each shining rock looked, how each stalagmite could hide an entire dragon, and that was before they started transfiguring into cats. How bright the ceiling- I looked up. The bright light burned my eyes, but I needed to know what fiendish magic was in play so I could counter it. But the light didn't flicker like fire - they were far too bright for that anyway - but they also didn't have the magical circles surrounding each spell. They were... lights. As if the universe simply willed brightness into existence. Each far-too-bright-hurts-to-look-ats was placed along a main hallway clear of stalagmites running from the metal slab deeper and around a corner where I couldn't see. The lights were only poised above this one hall, and they just... shone one the rest of the cave. Looking closer, I could see thin black lines, too thin to be mana feeds, running along the walls to both the glowing red rods and to the so-shiny-the-lit-up-the-cave. And... that was that. There was no massive pile of treasure in the hall, though I suspected the dragon kept their hoard deeper than... wherever I was. There was no pile of skull trophies or the banner of cities and armies slain, and I noted that while he had told me his parents', the dragon had never told me his own. Then again, the cat thing could be lying. Dragon transfigured into a cat. Probably has Circle Of Truth around his entire den. Nonsense, dragons can only do elemental magic. Evidently not. Would you just shut up already? No- I moved my attention back to the metal slab, cutting off whatever the voice in my head had to say about my current situation; it wasn't every day one just got kidnapped by a nation of monsters, after all. The slab was truly elegant. It was painted with the monster language, and then was painted with some kind of mural. I could barely make out a blue circle with green splotches on it surrounded by twelve rings in the bottom corner because most of the door was taken up by a ice-blue cat with lighter strips engulfed in blue fire. It was a mural of the dragon cat thing. That didn't stop it from being pretty, and someone had obviously put a lot of effort into it. The flames looked realistic from what I had seen minutes ago, and the cat's details were perfectly engraved. It was... acurrate. Yeah, because I think Vixie was just trying to tell you that they built their civilization for a reason, and it wasn't carnage. You don't know what you're talking about. We both know I do. How else to you think- Listen to me, you treasonous voice of a- No, you listen to me, you pathetic excuse for a brain. The dragon was able to hold and win an argument with you, fixed your wounds that would've been a dead write-off for any other hospital, and then you think SHE barely meets the threshold for sapient? THE ABSOLUTE MORON I'M ARGUING WITH IS THE ONE YOU BARELY MEETS IT!!! You moved to your frontier village because the world was changing, Lazerot the Sixth. Congrats, you were right. It did change. Now shut your OVERSIZED EGO up at being bested by a creature ten times older than you, and go appologies before they decide that saving your life wasn't worth it. I... I... OK- No. I'm in control now. Shut up. I....... yes, sir. Good. With new resolve, I stood up. My head throbbed, and the next thing I knew was my face hitting my cot again.
-----
When I heard the thud of something falling in the entrance cave, I carefully moved back into the entrance cave. The elf was face-down in their cot, unconscious again. It looked like they had tried to stand and just.... fallen over. I sighed and used a claw to nudge the elf back onto his pillow, and then covered him with a blanket. I watched him for a minute, and then returned to the deeper parts of my home. The TFSU was completely overloaded with the number of patients needing treatment. Apparently, the Southener's hospitals just... didn't do anything, so in addition to soldiers, there was a massive influx of civilians to our hospitals too. Of course, this meant that they were absolutely overloaded, and the Civilized Nations strategy of fighting to near-death and then surrendering wasn't helping. So, stable recovering civilians like the elf were just... shipped out. When shelters filled up because the Civilized Nations overpopulation crisis was too bad to do anything, people just had to take them into their homes. Long story short, the government was in way over their head attempting upgrade the standard of care in the Civilized Nations while occupying their territory. My job so close to the border was remote infrastructure maintenance, and my ability to change size while not dissolving made me an expert at it - and that was before my two hundred years of experience. And then I didn't need a vehicle to get on-site, and was fast. The alarm pinging me that one of the space radars was down again gave me an excuse to avoid the elf and do some work. I grabbed a pack of supplies, put on my shapeshift-compatible uniform, and wrote down a note on a piece of paper. On my out past the sleeping elf, I dropped it for him.

Space radar system needs repair, as it's returning a false positive. It's my job to repair all the infrastructure around here, so I need to go fix it. I'll be back soon. If you're hungry, my pantry is the first cave on the right. You can just eat anything that's easily open-able in there. If it has a lock or airtight opening mechanism (anything more than a clip, really) then don't eat it. If your thirsty, there's a stream in the entrance cave near the heaters. When the door mechanism beeps, step back. Sometimes pressure in the cave can get a bit wonky, and I don't want you to get hurt. Other than that, feel free to explore. I've locked all the doors to the rooms I don't want you to enter. For toilet necessities, the second cave on the left has a properly-sized toilet. And running water, but stuff I can explain later means don't drink it. See you soon! - Vixie.

Satisfied, I left opened the door. There was a puff as the air from inside flowed out to the lower-pressure atmosphere. I could spot a snow squall to the north, and the pressure meant that it was probably coming my way. I moved out onto the ledge and closed the door behind me. At high altitudes this far north, the air was already near-zero and it was still five in the afternoon. I took just a second to confirm with the weather report that the snowstorm was in fact going to arrive on my doorledge using a smartwatch I had strapped around my wrist. When I found that the storm was coming, I opened my wings and flew. Being an Ice Dragon had its advantages, but being a Water-Ice Combined Dragon was much better. The frosty air curled around my wings as the freedom of ignoring gravity filled my brain. Ice and Water dragons both had large wings to deal with the cold air (and lower pressure leading to the requirement for more surface area to achieve the same amount of lift) and incompressable water physics (to let the wings act like a one-way fan blade as they move back and forth, increasing efficient). Dragons might be magestic creatures, but we were still bound to the physics of the mortal plane, after all. Being part of both, my wings were even bigger, making me one of the best high-altitude fliers on the planet. The ability to use both gills and lungs at said altitudes helped with oxygen also helped. Air Dragons were better at flying in normal air, but I liked to think of it like stats from a video game. Air Dragons min-maxed their stats for low-altitude, but I could go anywhere - even underwater - can keep my speed relatively high. I took full advantage of this on my way to the space radar, soaring well above the cloud ceiling and to the point where I could make out the curvature of the planet below me. The ocean spread out to my west, while more land was to my east. Snow covered the north as to the south was the telltale splotchy color of industrialism. My smartwatch beeped, as I crossed the normal altitude limit. I hadn't realized I'd gone so high; I had a radar to repair, after all. I dove down towards the surface, ignoring more beeps as I crossed half the way to the speed of sound. The wind howled angrily in my ears, but I flattened those (thank you, streamlined water genetics) and came out of my death dive right over the radar. The repair itself went relativity smoothly, though I couldn't find a broken component and chalked it up to more space anomalies. They weren't infrequent, and usually marked where the gods decided to look over the planet. For my radars, anyway. Further north, ignoring the north pole, almost no gods came out and wanted to deal with us. Our unspoken agreement was held that way. I flew straight back for my return journey. The storm was definitely closer, but fifteen minutes of flying later and I was entering the opening mechanism for my door. As it swung inwards, I heard the high-pitched scream of an elf.
-----
When I awoke, I found myself tucked into some covers. It took all of seven seconds for reality to catch up with me. Right. I got into a heated argument with a dragon. I instinctively touched the part of my face that had been closest to the dragon's flame. I'd read about Auras in books, but never thought I'd get to see one. They were only ever found in the most powerful and competent individuals of a race in an entire plan of existence. I wondered which skill gave the dragon hers - Vixie, I reminded myself. Either way, given that Auras are technically illusions, I wasn't hurt. The flames didn't get close enough to hurt anyway, but that didn't stop me from checking. This time, I was much more careful when I stood up. I sat up first, then started to kick my legs back and forth. That's when I spotted a paper on the other side of my cot. I stood up without thinking, but managed to keep my consciousness this time and moved towards the note. It was handwritten and contained a lot of jargon that I wasn't familiar with. Space. Radar. False positive. Airtight opening mechanism. Heater. Beep. Pressure. Toilet. Running water. I could deduce some of it. A message had come in requesting the services of the local dragon to repair a thing that has an issue, and that she would return shortly. I could wander around as I pleased, besides eating food that wasn't open or contained in a clip bag. From the tone of the message, I could deduce what a 'toilet' was. The heaters would logically be things that produced heat, so all I had to do was look for those. I wasn't able to tell time, but I supposed at this point it didn't matter. I moved over deeper into the cave, and quickly heard the sound of a stream. It led directly into a forest of stalagmites. After clambering over those, the temperature started to increase, which was all I needed to know that I was getting a drink of water. I was only now catching up to the fact that I had been out for three days, and that meant that I was extremely thirsty. I wasn't sure how I wasn't dead of dehydration at this point. I found the stream next to the glowing metal rods, and with it a clear path to my location. Sighing slightly at the wasted effort on climbing through Rock Forest, I snatched an undersized cup off a rack built into a nearby jut in the cave wall and filled it, before entering the bliss of fresh water. Back in the village, we had some of the best and cleanest water in all the land thanks to snow melt, but this took that to a new level. Cold, crisp water melted in the sun only minutes ago. It was... pure. I spent the next couple minutes simply drinking and processing everything over in my mind. The gods might have willed the monster dead, but if even the monster gods had abandoned them and survived... then how come the Pantheon never told us? Religious issues aside, there were more practical issues regarding my own survival. How did I get out. There was a thud at the metal slab, and I moved back towards it, leaving my cup to dry on the rack I pulled it from. The engraving of the cat on the metal slab was- BEEEP! What was that sound? There was a hiss, and the slab started to peel away. A gust of frigid cold air washed over me as a mage Ice-Water hybrid Aura-capable dragon that I had argued with stared me down. I did the instinctive thing and let out the scream of a human three year old, squeezing my eyes shut and waiting for the final blow. When the end of my life didn't arrive, I reopened my eyes to find the sky-blue cat standing in the hole where the metal slab was supposed to be. Then there was another... sound, and the metal slab started to move back into position. The cat was surprised for a single moment before simply charging the door and jumping through, skidding to a halt right in front of me. Which meant that I got a closer look at her. Ocean-blue strips crossed an ice-blue body fur in a fifty-fifty ratio. Small crystals of ice twinkled, floating here her wings would be. One tail was accompanied by two more made of pure blue-white energy, and the cat even had a halo. Six orbs of blue-white light hovered in lazy circles around her back, and even in a diminutive form the size of a cat the being radiated the power of an aura-capable creature. "Oh, right, sorry," Vixie said, and all the ethirial energy disappeared. Now that I knew what I was looking for, however, I could just barely tell, using my power as a mage, that Vixie was using illusion magic to hide her true energy. "You don't need to hide your reserves," I said. "Though if you're shapeshifting into forms so small that you need to expose yours, then you should just burn yours instead. It's not worth the trouble of people bottling yours." Vixie gave some kind of half-shrug. "They're not reserves, no." She said, emphasizing the word. I looked at Vixie with a sharp look, and for a second I forgot I was talking to a dragon. "Then what are they?" "They're..." The cat blushed, something I wasn't even aware was possible. She let the illusion fall away, and the tails, crystals, orbs and halo returned. "They're my regenerative baseline minimum." I looked her up and down for a second, dumbstruck. She really is a creature of power, huh? "Um.... uh..." I stuttered. "Is... that where you get your aura from?" I asked. Vixie closed her eyes with an expression on her face, and this time green flame started to peel off her. "Part of it, yeah." To control an aura like that... two auras. Just how powerful is she? I was so deep in thought that I didn't realize that the expression on her face was pain. "I... uh... what happened?" I asked, shellshocked. "Why aren't you fighting in the war?" The worldwide-powerful dragon masquerading as a cat sighed. "I... haven't told anyone. It's... personal." "I..." Only now did it hit me that I was talking with a dragon, not another person. Not just a monster, but a... creature with emotions. "You don't have to tell me." I quickly backtracked. "No, no, it's a fair question. It..." The cat let out a chuckle, and it filled the cave with a beautiful sound. "I suppose it's kind of ironic... but it starts with a kobold and a god, back when the Firma kobold tribe decided to travel north to escape the civilized nations, shortly before the amassing of all creatures in these same northern mountains and the Unification War. "Back before the gods forsook us."
Original Prompt: [WP] For as long as all the races have known, Dragons have been seen as violent, destructive creatures. After an attack on your village, you black out and find yourself in the den of a dragon. It's rather annoyed that that is how they're seen, and wants to prove that isn't the case.
u/Lycan_Jedi thank you for the prompt!
Part 2

It's good to see you again, I'm sure you've been pretty busy lately. Don't bother ordering anything to eat, this shouldn't take that long. A drink might be in order though. Something strong. Nothing for me, thanks, I've work to do soon.
Now, while a social call would be pleasant I'm afraid I've reached out to you for some important business. I have seen the risen body of the king.
Sit down! Quiet. No need to make a scene, now. I can answer your questions once I've said my piece. We can leave the why for later, it's a bit complicated. Was a bit complicated. Simpler now, but... hard to explain. The how is an easier place to start.
You might think there's no way to slip by unnoticed somewhere as restricted as the exclusion zone - that they'd have sensor drones and satellites flag you the moment you stepped in and you'd be removed within minutes. In most places you'd be right, but the valley of the tomb is not most places. I'm sure you remember the beginning of the raid, before any of us knew what we were getting into. The whole place was covered in a haze so thick we had to tie ropes to eachother just to stay together, and what little sunlight made it through came down wrong. A thin, fetid color that should have been a beautiful gold but felt more like the yellow of rancid grease. The only other light that didn't die five feet from its source was from the constant flashes of actinic lightning that just so happened to drown out any radio signals.
I suppose they could set up the borders farther away, but honestly? I don't think they want to. Nobody sane would ever think of getting in, and they know they're not stopping anything that comes out. Better to let themselves think nothing comes in or out, that the exclusion zone is a formality to keep out the occasional crazy from wandering in. I think they're scared that if they keep too close an eye on things they'll see something that breaks that assumption. Something they don't want to think about.
I'm rambling a bit. The important part is that the only thing keeping me out was the patrols. They weren't much trouble though. Even outside the fog that place wears on you. Keeps you from sleeping right. Makes you feel like someone's watching. A few months of that, and I made sure to go in right before they got rotated out, and it's not hard to write off that figure in the distance as a trick of the mind.
Once I made it inside I knew things had gotten worse. The first few dozen yards were the same but past that I soon reached a point where no sunlight reached the ground at all. I found my way first by the the constant flashes of lightning, and, when even they had been eaten by the choking fog, and my flashlight served only to illuminate a yard or two ahead of my feet, by the pull of that damned place. I suppose I could feel it to begin with, that it was why I went back to begin with, but it was always in the background... Still calling me but ignorable, at least for a time... You can feel it too, right? Just over that hill to the North......
On second thought maybe I will have a drink. One moment.
Much better. Now, back to the story. It took me about an hour to reach our old base camp. I thought for sure it would have been destroyed but... Hmm? Well, yes, I did come from the opposite direction, but you're thinking too literally. A place like that is very abstract, much more about the journey you see, and the journey I set out on started with darkness, then the base camp, then the tomb, and then... I'll leave the end for the end, but the point is that I couldn't have passed them in any other order. It's like a story - the order is fixed once the book is printed.
From that explanation you might think the camp twisted into some metaphorical mockery of itself, or perhaps ruined to symbolize mankind's weakness, or some other similar thing, but what I came across impacted me far more deeply. It was intact. No, not intact, preserved. I've seen the old base camps from when we were cleaning out bandits, old tents abandoned for just a couple years to the sand when it was deemed not worth recovering them until we came along for some late cleanup, and it's amazing how fast the elements set to work on something not meant to stay in one place for more than a few days. It had been there for nearly a decade, with all the equipment we'd brought left in place, and yet not a speck of dust had found it.
I'm sure you recall how we were found afterwards, lying in the arid scrublands just outside the storm with nothing but our jumpsuits. I found our arms and armor there as well, neatly folded and placed in footlockers. Whatever made us flee, we didn't run in a panic - we calmly put everything in its place and simply walked away. We all said that we ran, though, that we had been chased. Isn't that curious to you? Probing my memory before the incident I still recalled panic, being paralyzed before an overwhelming presence, and yet I had nothing afterwards. Not a single clear image from after we breached the tomb. I said we ran because all I could remember was the fear, and that was the explanation that made the most sense of things.
At first I thought there wasn't much for me there besides the realization. The fuel cells had all gone dead, of course, and our records were all stored on the camp's computers. When I attempted to retrieve the memory cards, however, I found them gone - not just the cards themselves but the caddies that would normally extend to receive them. Propping open the spring-loaded slot and turning my flashlight to it, I could see that the entire computer was not without power, it had been entirely hollowed out. I will admit to having fallen into a bit of a panic at that, blindly tearing apart anything else electronic - no doubt the old base camp will prove far less preserved for whoever managed to stumble upon it next - but in all of them I found the same result. Even the displays had been stripped of their circuitry, leaving only black panels with not even a scrap of wire dangling from them to indicate they had ever been used as part of a larger device. Thankfully we'd taken purely mechanical weapons on that first expedition, and I took the opportunity to arm myself before proceeding, with great trepidation, to the tomb itself.
It was not similarly untouched. Most of the outer walls were intact, at least from what little I'd seen - those walls of some unknowable black material, broken up by countless gold adornments and engraved with what looked like stories of some great god-king. Carvings that would have found themselves perfectly at home in the stone burial halls of ancient Merkat or Hattesh, although I concede to not having looked too closely. I was far more focused on that great door where we had made our original entrance.
It had taken us hours to make that hole after the door had refused to open, even with the explosives at our disposal, and while the gap itself was thankfully still there, the edges had started to heal. That word, heal, is very important - nobody was rebuilding it. I saw no evidence of tools nor worldly methods of repair. Instead the edges had grown over with a bulging, fibrous mass that I took to be scar tissue. I attempted to take a sample, to see if any of the scientists could tell me its makeup, but it was just as cold and unyielding as the false-stone which surrounded it. I hurried inside after that, secure at least in the knowledge that if it was still growing the stiffness of it would make the process so slow as to not impede my escape.
Once inside the pull was much stronger, to the point I could barely resist it. Whatever those black walls had been made of was proving itself effective as insulation. I soon found myself abandoning any further investigation, only barely restraining myself from sprinting as I made my way into the central burial chamber...

This is a repost of mine from CarsAustralia
Hello Everyone here,
I'm a South Australian student who has chosen to dig into some history and speculation about the Holden Brand. I’m here to reach out to like-minded individuals in car communities to receive feedback on my exploration. I apologise for the wall of text below.
The Holden brand is internationally known, but for my project, I chose to delve deep into the history to discuss and bring Holden vehicles overseas to the light, as well as explore the dozens of Holden prototype cars that never saw the market and delve into some speculative history discussing whether Holden could have survived longer if not for GM standing over it, and how the brand would have been affected if its prototypes and concept cars saw international markets.
I've chosen to research Holden’s role on the international stage; my goal for this project was to learn how Holden vehicles have been exported, rebadged, and renamed worldwide. I have looked into the Commodore and Statesman being rebadged primarily as the Chevy Lumina across Asia, Holden's seeing exportation in The UK as Vauxhall cars or even the older Holdens such as the Commodore being rebranded as an Opel in Europe, and a Chevy Kommando in Africa. Not only that, but I have also researched cars like the Holden Volt and Eco-Commodore, The Plan for Chevy to bring the VE platform to the states, and the Holden Heroes prototypes and how they could have affected the market. Would anyone have any suggestions for Overseas Holdens to discuss and research? Does anyone have any pictures, documents, or sources I can write about? I would appreciate some feedback and suggestions in the comments.
Now to my speculative section. I have written about how Holden always suffered under GM's boot and how GM had essentially purposely held Holden back, stopping it from being badged as Holden in most international markets, which affected the business worldwide. I have also discussed how Holden may still be an active manufacturer if GM had not forced it to outsource production and cull the market.
Does anyone here have some feedback on either topic or would like to express their own opinion on the subject of Holden suffering under GM's boot, or perhaps they would like to share some sources of Holden prototypes and cars overseas? Any feedback helps, and I'd like to share my project with anyone who'd be interested in reading it in its entirety.

Hello everyone
I'm a South Australian student who has chosen to dig into some history and speculation about the Holden Brand. I’m here to reach out to like-minded individuals in car communities to receive feedback on my exploration. I apologise for the wall of text below.
The Holden brand is internationally known, but for my project, I chose to delve deep into the history to discuss and bring Holden vehicles overseas to the light, as well as explore the dozens of Holden prototype cars that never saw the market and delve into some speculative history discussing whether Holden could have survived longer if not for GM standing over it, and how the brand would have been affected if its prototypes and concept cars saw international markets.
I've chosen to research Holden’s role on the international stage; my goal for this project was to learn how Holden vehicles have been exported, rebadged, and renamed worldwide. I have looked into the Commodore and Statesman being rebadged primarily as the Chevy Lumina across Asia, Holden's seeing exportation in The UK as Vauxhall cars or even the older Holdens such as the Commodore being rebranded as an Opel in Europe, and a Chevy Kommando in Africa. Not only that, but I have also researched cars like the Holden Volt and Eco-Commodore, The Plan for Chevy to bring the VE platform to the states, and the Holden Heroes prototypes and how they could have affected the market. Does anyone have any suggestions for Overseas Holdens to discuss and research? Does anyone have any pictures, documents, or sources I can write about? I would appreciate some feedback and suggestions in the comments.
Now to my speculative section. I have written about how Holden always suffered under GM's boot and how GM had essentially purposely held Holden back, stopping it from being badged as Holden in most international markets, which affected the business worldwide. I have also discussed how Holden may still be an active manufacturer if GM had not forced it to outsource production and cull the market.
Does anyone here have some feedback on either topic or would like to express their own opinion on the subject of Holden suffering under GM's boot, or perhaps they would like to share some sources of Holden prototypes and cars overseas? Any feedback helps, and I'd like to share my project with anyone who'd be interested in reading it in its entirety.

I moved to a new place a few weeks ago and brought along my cherry shrimp, upgrading from a 20gallon to a 29gallon. I had probably close to 80-100 shrimp in the old tank and they seemed to do well in the new tank except I've seen them dying off of failed molts more and more often and despite there being lots of berries shrimp I'm not really seeing any babies. I just fished out a couple dead ones and am at the point where I feel like it's got to be more than age affecting them.
Parameters are as follows:
Temp: 76F
Ammonia: .25ppm (I'm assuming a small spike from the dead shrimp and/or plants melting back)
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: <5ppm
pH: 7.5
Hardness: it took six drops for the API test to turn from blue to yellow. I have a really hard time making heads or tails of the test but the chart says that is 6dKH or 107.4GH/KH. it doesn't have units for some reason. (The KH vs dKH vs GH really really confuse me so if appreciate any light that can be shed on this specific test).
Only tank mates right now are 6 ember tetras. I did add new plants which had a bleech dip, rinsed, and then stuck in a bunch of dechlorinator for several hours before being added. While most of my plants are thriving and growing fast my java moss has turned brown and died back if that helps troubleshoot.
I have a cuttlebone the LFS gave me for a calcium source and feed hikari algae wafers and shrimp cuisine. (The tetras get micro pellets and bug bites which the shrimp also scavenge)
Edit: quick formatting edit to make it easier to read

Hey there, readers! Here's chapter five for your reading pleasure! Please consider leaving a comment or review as those really do just pick me right up!
I've Been Reincarnated as a Bunny Girl?! (Chapter 5)
by
ShadowDragon88
A fine drizzle was coming down on the town of Starlight Rose. A familiar wolf-kin beasta in red robes that appeared to be shimmering despite the cloudy gloom of the day was walking along the main road. In his right hand, he held a long polished oak staff, topped with a red glowing gemstone the size of his fist. In his left hand, held away from his body, was a tan leather satchel, the drawstring tied in a knot. It appeared full, and seemed to shudder and wriggle. Felixin smiled and nodded to passing villagers.
​
"Hey there, Felixin," came the rumbling voice of Earl Shatterknuckle. The blonde dwarf, presently wearing just simple brown leather trousers, fell in step beside his taller friend. Felixin looked down at the dwarf, whose smaller frame was bulging with muscles, with blue and gold glowing tattoos tracing intricate spider-web-like symbols across his chest and arms, smiling back.
​
"Good day to you, Earl," the wolf said. There was a spitting-chittering sound coming from the bag, making Felixin pause and frown before giving the satchel a good whack with his magical staff. "Quiet, you!" he hissed at it.
​
"Caught yourself another evil spirit, eh?" Earl said with a smirk.
​
"Oh yes, and this one was quite the nasty piece of work. I'm on my way back to my lab to properly dispose of it. I think it's from some destroyed remnant of Eld technology, one of the ones that gained sentience, or at least some spiritual semblance to it," Felixin said as he gave the bag another whack when it started to make some electronic beeping sounds.
​
"Oh?" Earl asked, curious. "I remember more than once we had some nasty run-ins with Eld-tech back when we were adventurers."
​
"I remember you and Melthi being the ones to turn the blasted machines on, both times when cautioned not to," Felixin said pointedly, making the dwarf chuckle.
​
"What can I say? We're both curious by nature!"
​
"Yes, that's one word for it," Felixin said with a smile, remembering his adventuring days and the party of friends he would regularly travel with. "Anyways. For some reason, about six years ago, they suddenly became much more prevalent. Thankfully, their numbers have been dropping back down over the years."
​
"What makes you think this one is from Eld tech?"
​
"It kept saying 'Does not compute!' over and over again, while also identifying some kind of rabbit threat." Felixin's mood seemed to shift and his ears laid back on his head, while his tail dipped, almost long enough to drag on the ground behind him. "And when it mentioned rabbits, it made me think of my little princess."
​
Earl rolled his eyes as he reached up and clapped the town wizard on the back. "Ah, Kiana'll be back to visit before you know it."
​
"I know... it's just, one minute she was this little delicate baby girl, and the next minute, she was this amazing young woman, all ready to up and go out."
​
"Didn't Kiana kick down a couple of brick walls when she was a baby?" Earl asked, scratching his head. Felixin waved a dismissive paw at that.
​
"Pure coincidences. Those walls were clearly unsound and improperly constructed, so much so that when she was having one of her tantrums just a little punch or kick was enough to send them tumbling down. We're lucky she wasn't hurt or scared, just confused and curious more than anything. Anyways, I just get so worried when I think of her, out there on the open road. Just so... vulnerable. Thankfully I made sure to instill in her a proper sense of caution." Earl snorted at that.
​
Meanwhile...
​
Kiana let out a roar of fury as her trusted tetsubo connected with the raised steel shield of the bandit before her. The metal dented and warped just as the bandit, shield and all, became airborne. They traveled in an arc straight towards a stone tower connected to an old run-down fort the bandits had holed up in. The screaming man smashed into the top of the tower, crumbling it, his screams instantly going silent.
​
"Fire!" Kiana heard a deep voice shout. There were several blasts and, thanks to Kiana's speed, she watched as five cannonballs headed in her direction. To the ordinary person, the black metallic spheres were probably nearly impossible to follow. To Kiana, it looked as though they were moving incredibly slow. She simply stepped aside from four of them, letting them explode into the nearby hillside. As the fifth one hurtled her way, she crouched slightly, raising her tetsubo like a baseball bat. She swung and smacked the cannonball, her tetsubo making a loud DING, and sent it flying right back where it had come from. The two bandits manning the cannon were obliterated along with the weapon itself, as well as a good chunk of the fort wall.
​
"She's some kind of demon!" one of the bandits cried. The man, really more of a boy, no older than Kiana, leapt down from the fort wall onto a carriage they had recently stolen from some traveling aristocrats. He then leapt onto the ground and sprinted out into the forest, stripping off the black cloak with the red eye in the center.
​
"DAMMIT!" the bandit leader cursed, pulling off his tricorn hat and dabbing his bald sweaty head with a handkerchief. While the remaining men were busy barring the windows or reloading and firing the cannons, he was gnashing his teeth. After a moment's hesitation, he pointed to a nearby subordinate. "You! Follow me. We'll unleash the troll on her."
​
The other bandit paled, audibly gulping. "Th-the troll? Are you sure th-that's wise?" Just as he finished asking that, another cannonball destroyed another cannon, making the entire structure shudder.
​
"We don't have any other options. Hopefully, after it kills her, it'll be injured enough for us to finish it off... or the other way around if she kills it." The other bandit grimaced at the options laid before them, but nodded solemnly. Outside, Kiana smacked another cannonball back at the cannon that fired it, being careful not to send it flying towards the base of the tower. According to one of the kidnapped merchants that had managed to escape and make it all the way to town, the cells where the bandits were holding their ransom victims were all on the ground floor. Kiana stopped when she heard a loud guttural roar, followed by a rapid series of loud BOOMs. Bandits ran by the windows and open holes of the fort, while the front gate slowly opened.
​
Out stumbled a massive creature. Its flesh was a dark brown, and had a texture not unlike tree bark. Its long arms and legs were thicker than the old oak trees in the forest near Starlight Rose. Its gnarled hands, with thick thorn-like protrusions sticking from the knuckles, balled into fists, fists that were as big as Kiana was tall. Its barrel-chest heaved, with white criss-crossing scars in its bark-flesh. It didn't have much in the way of a neck, and its head looked just like a tree stump, complete with root-like tendrils wriggling back and forth. It's mouth was partially concealed by the tendrils, until it reared back and opened its gaping maw, revealing rows of broken yellow teeth, to let out a bellow that shook the ground. From the top of its head grew two slightly spiraling branch-like horns.
​
"These idiots somehow managed to get a forest troll?" Kiana asked out loud, a smirk appearing on her face. "And this was only a gold-ranked quest? Something tells me I'm in for a sweet bonus."
​
The beast stopped as its knot-like eyes, of which there were at least seven, caught sight of the bunny girl. Up above from the second story windows and holes and from on the roof, the remaining bandits, many of them injured, looked down. Most were smirking, some of the more foolish ones shouted out taunts. The bandit leader stood there, looking grim-faced, but taking some satisfaction in knowing that despite their losses today, the annoying source of their problems was about to end, one way or another.
​
Kiana stuck the end of her tetsubo into the dirt, large and surprisingly quick thudding steps shaking the ground. The beast was lumbering towards Kiana, who didn't look the least bit afraid. While not intelligent enough to be truly sentient, the troll did have enough sense to know that its prey should be running. And the fact that it was just calmly standing there, staring at it, only angered it further. With a final roar, the forest troll charged forward. It balled up a massive fist, and swung straight for Kiana. Kiana swung her own fist, the two colliding.
​
There was a very loud, sickening crunch and pop. The bandits looked down in shock and horror as where the now screaming troll's fist and forearm had been, there was a bloody and jagged stump that ended just above the right elbow. The troll screeched and lunged at Kiana, hoping to impale her on its horns. But the bunny girl simply kicked, knocking the head clean off the rest of its body. The head bounced off a tree and rolled for a bit, settling in the dirt, a look of surprise on the stump-like face. The rest of the body tumbled over three times before coming to a rest near the make-shift stables, where the carriages and horses of the abducted nobles were kept. Kiana looked back up at the fort, making the majority of the bandits shrink back and shudder. A few of them began to wave white tablecloths hastily tied to sticks and tree branches.
​
A short time later the bandits, now in shackles, were being marched to the mechanical cart as the local sheriff and his deputies led them. Except for the severely injured ones, who were shackled to stretchers and loaded up into a seperate mechanical carriage. Kiana looked on as bodies were checked for possible survivors, there being very few to find, as the merchants and a few nobles were led by deputies out from the fort. Kiana smiled at them and nodded to their looks of awe, some of them having gotten a good look at the show of force the petite bunny girl had demonstrated. Ignoring the ones who shrank back away from her in fright, Kiana spotted the sheriff, a large older man in his mid-fifties with salt and pepper close-cropped hair and a matching mustache. He was wearing the classic green cloak, directing his deputies. He turned to face her as she approached.
​
"I think that's all cleared up," Kiana said, her voice chipper, belaying the fact she had a smattering of blood and gore staining her fur.
​
"I'd have to agree with you, young lady," Sheriff Tonsol said, his voice even. In truth, he had tried to avoid enlisting the aid of any adventurers until pressure from various merchants and nobility forced his hand. And even then he had expected it to involve a large party and, more than likely, some lives lost from the hostages. He was a little surprised when the girl reached into her satchel to produce a clipboard with a form on it, as well as an ink pen.
​
"In that case, would you mind signing this form indicating that I completed the job satisfactorily?" Tonsol looked at the form for a minute, and then his mouth curved upwards. He let out a chuckle and signed his name on the indicated line, writing in the date as well.
​
"Satisfactorily is putting it lightly, miss," he said, handing the clipboard and pen back to the bunny girl. "I had no idea that they had a forest troll in their possession. I went ahead and bumped up the reward."
​
"Oh wow, thank you, sir!" Kiana said, looking excited.
​
Tonsol smiled, something his deputies claimed to be a rare sight to behold. "Well, you earned it. I'm just glad you were able to get them to surrender without harming any hostages. Well, without them harming any more than the ones they did last time someone came out here to free them."
​
"I'm glad I could help!" Kiana said, bowing a little. "Now, I'm going to head back into town." She spread her arms wide and indicated to herself. "I'm really in need of a bath at this point."
​
"If you don't mind waiting a minute, you can ride back to town with us. It's faster than walking."
​
"Oh, thanks for the offer, but I'm good." Kiana waved, before jogging back to where she'd left her tetsubo and pack, Mirabelle coiled around it protectively. She grabbed the items up, quickly looking through the travel pack to make sure she still had everything, and nodded to herself, satisfied. She slipped the pack onto her back, then scooped her pet snake into her arms, and started to jog down the road in the direction of the town of Hengecliffe. Picking up speed, she rapidly became a blur, and in just a few seconds she was coming to a sliding stop in front of the town gates, startling a couple of bored-looking guards.
​
She greeted them and let Mirabelle down before they let her inside. They stared at the snake with the big pink ribbon around its neck slithering obediently behind the bunny girl. She stopped off at the local guild hall to drop off the signed paperwork and collect her now even heftier reward. She noticed a few stares in her general direction, and some unhappy grumbling from some fellow adventurers, but otherwise no one said anything.
​
Kiana then headed to the town inn where she still had a room for another night. Thankful again that this world had indoor plumbing, with hot water to boot, Kiana wasted no time in stripping off her gore-coated clothes, which she would wash in the laundry room down the hall, and enjoyed a nice steamy shower. She didn't have to worry about possible intruders, as Mirabelle sat coiled on the bed, ever vigilant.
​
"Today was a good day," Kiana said, stepping out of the shower and drying herself off, a feat that took several minutes with a towel. This left her gray and white fur all fluffed-out, which led to her brushing it out. Kiana had grown accustomed to the care and maintenance of her fur, taking pride in keeping it clean. She then donned her underwear and a cream-colored sundress from her pack, carefully putting her dirty clothes in the laundry sack in her pack. She smiled and stroked Mirabelle's head, the snake letting out a contented purr-like hiss.
​
"I'm going to go out and enjoy the rest of the afternoon in town. You stay here and guard the pack, okay?" she asked, slipping her mithril knuckles into her dress pockets, along with a small money pouch. Mirabelle hissed, thumping her tail on the bed in response, curling up tighter around Kiana's belongings.
​
"Good girl," she praised, before heading out, locking the door behind herself for good measure. Kiana smiled as she stepped out onto the paved sidewalk, carriages passing by on the street. Hengecliffe was much larger than Starlight Rose, with paved streets and even streetlights. Centrally located in a region of plains, it served as a trading hub. Kiana walked along, noticing a few men and women looking her over. Some seemed to do so with distaste, more than likely not enjoying the sight of a beasta. But most seemed to be pleasant people observing a new face.
​
"Well now, if my eyes are not deceiving me, it seems that an angel from the heavens has decided to grace us mere mortals with her presence." Kiana's ears twitched at the sound of the male voice. She paused and turned, looking down an alley, where a man leaning up against the side of a building stood, looking her over. He was wearing brown leather trousers, a white linen shirt, and a belt with a large buckle which, matching the large buckles on his boots, made him look a bit like a pirate. The goatee and the cutlass sheathed at his side were also not helping.
​
"Hello, beautiful," he said, giving Kiana a wink. Kiana rolled her eyes, and moved to keep walking, only to find a squat bald man standing in her way, grinning sinisterly. Kiana checked behind herself and saw another man, a larger one with a completely shaved head, arms crossed with a club under one arm. "Now, how about we all go somewhere more... private," the pirate-looking moron asked, giving Kiana a smug wink.
​
"Wow, you idiots have no idea just how badly you messed up," Kiana said, walking into the alley, the two guys following right behind her. The men chuckled. Passersby stopped when they heard three loud thuds coming from the alley, all of which made the nearby buildings shudder. They saw a bunny beasta girl walking out, brushing some dust off her sundress. She smiled and waved and continued on her way, leaving behind three broken figures. Two were lying in craters in the pavement of the alley, while the third, this one with a cutlass laying at his booted feet, was standing... his head laying all the way back in a hole in the brick wall right behind him.
​
Later that evening...
​
Kiana was sitting just outside the town walls on a hill, watching the stars come out. After sixteen years, it still mystified her to look up at the night sky, and not see any of the old constellations. She smiled as a shooting star streaked its way across the sky. Suddenly, Kiana felt a surge of energy just course through her. Her eyes faintly started to glow with the blue light, and she felt a strange pulsing in her chest. Looking around, she felt a strange magnetic pull coming from the south.
​
Starting as a jog, Kiana soon found herself sprinting outright across the countryside. She ran, as a blur, following the pull, her eyes gradually glowing brighter and brighter, shining with the crackling blue energy. Then, she came to a stop. She stood at the foot of a mountain, itself part of a larger range. Looking up at the mass of rock and ice, she could see broiling clouds up over it, flashes of lightning briefly illuminating the rocky and snowy peaks. With one such flash, Kiana saw something move. Something big. Kiana's glowing eyes went wide.
​
"Oh wooooooooow," she said, her jaw hanging open. There were rumbles as the giant coiled mass shifted. Several avalanches were caused by the serpentine body, buried under tons and tons of snow. At the very peak of the mountain, a gargantuan head rose.
​
"Is that a giant... cobra?" Kiana asked under her breath. Indeed, that was what the creature that seemed to dwarf the Spire appeared to be. In the light of the lightning, she saw that its scales were a deep blue, almost purple. There were stripes running down its back, but they were glowing a bright bioluminescent blue. That same glow radiated from the creature's reptilian eyes, and the inside of its hood. The same glowing blue as Kiana's eyes.
​
"What... are you?" Kiana asked, quietly.
​
I can ask the same of you, little one, a deep female voice hissed in Kiana's head. She winced and looked around. She then looked back up at the creature, her veins flooded with adrenaline. There was another flash of lightning, and in that very instant, the creature's head was bent down low, right in front of her. Kiana almost jumped back, but stopped herself. As the snake-entity looked her over with an eye that was twice as tall as she was, Kiana felt a sense of calm overtake her.
​
"Are you... a storm dragon? A real storm dragon?" Kiana asked, reaching out and touching the creature's cheek with her hand. It flicked out a blood red tongue, its mouth curling up a little at the corners.
​
That is something that little ones like to call my kind, she said. Kiana figured right then and there that this was a female.
​
"A monk said that... my spirit is like one of yours," Kiana said, breathlessly.
​
Your soulsong feels similar to one of our kind, little one, she said, turning her head and gently nuzzling the top of Kiana's head, making her ears lay flat. The storm dragon's head was almost as large as the entirety of her hometown.
​
"My... soulsong?" Kiana asked. The monk she had met hadn't said anything about them.
​
The song of your innermost being. It stands out from the loud and noisy cacophony that happens when most little ones gather together in large groups. Yours is beautiful, and a little... fluttery. The dragon gave her a wink. She reared up and opened her mouth. Electricity danced between the dragon's fangs, before she shot out a sonic boom. The raging storm above abated, the clouds dispersing, leaving only a crystal clear night sky for miles and miles around. She then turned and looked down at Kiana. The bunny girl felt the storm dragon's gaze. She felt a radiating warmth coming from her. It reminded Kiana of her mother.
​
It was so nice to meet you, little one. It was quite the pleasant surprise to awaken to. She let out a proud roar, and her body began to undulate. Sections of the mountain range began to crumble as large sections of mountain were crushed and smashed by the body slamming into them. The body of the dragon rose into the air, beginning to gracefully slither about. Levitating there, partially coiled, the sheer size of the storm dragon just boggled the bunny girl's mind.
​
"Will I see you again?" Kiana asked, feeling a little sad. She had just met this beautiful and amazing being, and already they were leaving.
​
Of course, little one, the mental voice in her mind chuckled warmly. I have listened to your beautiful soulsong, and I have shared my soulsong with you.
​
"I... I don't understand what that means," Kiana said, confused.
​
You will, little one, she said, you are still young, but my soulsong has resonated within you. When you stop and listen, it will become easier and easier to hear it. And thus, the bond has begun to form. In time, you shall understand. With a flick of the creature's tail, there was a flash of lightning that radiated from within the hood, and she was gone. Kiana stood there, her eyes readjusting to the dark.
​
"This world is so awesome," she said, a smile on her face, as she began to job back towards town. She figured that if the town gates were closed and locked, she could just jump over the wall.
​
Meanwhile...
​
The lone figure stood in the dark, staring at where the great serpent had been levitating. They were sitting on a log in a small clearing, where they had set up camp. The individual in question was polishing their armor when a gray blur had shot right past them. And then, where it had been heading, the giant serpent, an actual storm dragon, arose. They sat there in stunned silence. They knew right then and there, that it had been a sign from the gods. As they unsheathed their katana, it began to thrum with magical energy, the blade becoming engulfed in bright purple flames.
​
The light of the purple flames illuminated his green face, glinting off his polished tusks. "Soon, the war shall begin," said the orc, sheathing the blade and cutting off its purple light. The same purple light shone from his eyes.
​
Name: Kiana
​
Species: Beasta (Rabbit-Kin)
​
Age: 16
​
Skills: Sibling Wrangler, Babysitter, Puppy-Dog Eyes, Master Martial Arts, Brawling, Heavy Weapon Proficiency, Sarcasm Mastery, Eyerolling Mastery, Beast Taming Level 3
​
Class: (Official) Master-Level Dragon Monk: Storm Dragon School, Storm Dragon Hatchling.
​
​
Str: 141
Int: 12
Dex: 140
Cha: 12
Wis: 10
Con: 172
Languages: Common, Draconic
​
Equipment: Adventurer's Pack, Steelwood Tetsubo, Mastercraft Mithril Knuckles (x2), Rope (25 Ft.), Canteen (Full), Road Rations, Spare Clothes, Bedroll, Health Potion (x2), Books (x3)
I really hope that you enjoyed the new chapter! Thank you for reading so far!
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We're joining the Reddit blackout from June 12th to 14th, to protest the planned API changes that will kill 3rd party apps
Hi Canucks (and thanks to formula1 for the majority of the text that follows)
One of the less enjoyable mod posts today, but an important one, that we hope you'll take the time to read.
Recently Reddit Inc has announced changes to their API which, if enacted, will shut down many, if not all, 3rd party apps that a large number of Redditors use to access and enjoy their favourite communities - this one included.
One of the most critical changes to the API is that it is moving from a free to a paid model, resulting in expenses that developers of 3rd party apps simply cannot afford. To put the price change in to context, Apollo, one of the most popular 3rd party apps for Reddit, is looking at a cost of $1.7 million per month to continue operating. That's a cost of $12,000 per 50 million API requests. In contrast, Apollo pays Imgur $166 for every 50 million API calls.
This means popular apps like Apollo, Reddit Is Fun, Narwhal and many more will have to shut down, permanently.
Even if you're not using a 3rd party app yourself, these changes are likely to impact the communities you enjoy as well, with the vast majority of moderation teams relying on 3rd party or self-made tools, that utilise Reddit's API.
For us specifically, that means u/hockeymod & u/orlandkurtenbot will likely cease to function. No more content in game threads, no more sidebar updates etc. The subreddit will be pretty bland and sterile on game day unless someone volunteers to constantly update each of the 82 game threads. Brutal.
And on top of all that, it paints a bleak picture of what is to come for those of us who use other tools, like Reddit Enhancement Suite and old.reddit.com.
Here's a little TLDR on why this is important.
So what are we planning?
On June 12th, we and a growing number of other subs - large and small - will go dark for 48 hours. During that time, you will not be able to view or post any content on formula1.
This action isn't something we take lightly.
We understand that many of you enjoy coming here on a daily basis to keep up with the sport (and to trash talk the latest leafs), but we believe that we must take a stand on this topic - and this is how we can do so.
We understand that Reddit is a company that has to make money in order to offer us a place to be the community that we are - but killing beloved 3rd party apps is not they way to do it.
We are not asking Reddit to provide a paid service for free - we are asking for reasonable pricing for apps that people have come to love and depend on to parcitipate in their communities.
We can't tell you that the blackout will solve the problem, because we simply don't know. But we have to try.
What you can do to support this
While subs going dark is one thing, regular users can help as well.
Reach out to Reddit via the channels available to you: Modmail reddit, comment in relevant posts regarding the API changes, submit your comments via the contact forms.
Spread the word about the changes and the consequences where you can. Doesn't have to be on Reddit. The important thing is getting it attention.
Participate in the communities that highlight this issue: Save3rdPartyApps, apolloapp, redditisfun, getnarwhal/
And finally stay off Reddit completely from June 12th to 14th. The blackout is one thing, but users staying away from the site entirely will send an equally important message.
But don't forget: Don't be a jerk. As frustrating as this is, being toxic or aggressive is not the way to go. Remember the human on the other side of the screen.