Hi there! I'm Lepton, I'm getting pretty practiced at playing Sky piano. I have a few interesting and technical pieces under my belt that I'm really proud of, but I want to take it to the next level. There are not a ton of resources other than sheet music for 3rd party apps, and I'm trying to learn the Can Can by Ikina. So far I've played with left and right hand on either side of my phone but for this one it's just too quick, I need to learn to use my left hand for the upper bass notes and the left for treble like I've seen Ikina and others do. However that position is really uncomfortable for my wrist. I thought of turning my phone sideways but if I start playing like that I'm kinda going back to square one, like learning a new instrument. I'm a self taught musician so I don't understand a lot of music theory or... scales, beyond their general concept. What are some tips you could send my way?

Out of curiosity, how many Vampires in this group would be interested in starting and/or joining a Vampire house with me?
Some basics:

1. The Economic System will be Communistic in Nature in the sense that all money each vampire of the House/Clan makes or resources acquired, will go into a House, Clan or Community Bank which will be jointly owned by all Vampires in the Clan. The money in the Community bank will be used to buy things which would be used by and benefit all members of the Clan(ex. Yacht, Boat or Submarine so we can sail the oceans and move between countries by sea, private jet so we can fly at will, weapons for each member and recruit, equipment so we can produce weapons ourselves, clothes for each member and recruit, equipment to produce our own clothing, body mods for each member and recruit, construction of a settlement or equipment to construct a settlement for ourselves, etc.)
   
2. We would ideally set up a few off grid Colonies/Communities in the following regions: Washington State (USA), Iceland, Ireland, Finland, Germany and North Eastern India and engage in Pastoralism (we would raise, breed and eat: Goats, Horses, Sheep, Chickens and possibly Cows and Oxes)
   
3. We would take advantage of the West's degeneration, decline, cultural vaccum and cultural shift by using BDSM to socially condition the disenfranchised, desperate, "edgy", homeless and confused members of western civilization, into a Feudal System of slavery, where our human "subs" would function as "donors" but also be made to go into modern civilization act as intermediaries, secretaries, errand runners and work for us(so we can maintain an Isolationist and Separatist existence) while giving us 80-90% of their income/resources to be added to our Clan Bank(think of the relationship dynamic between human pimps and prostitutes or ancient Roman Slavery). They would also be made to eat a strict Vegan or Vegetarian diet and only be allowed to procreate with other Doners. Conversely we can simply join Islam or Hinduism and convertly start our own Sect by mixing with members of those communities
   
4. Our Clan diet would be Carnivore based where we eat mostly Goat meat, Horse meat, Chickens, etc. and especially eat the Heart, Brain, Liver, Kidneys, Spinal Cord, Spinal Fluid of the animal and drink the blood as some Native American tribes in the past did and as some tribes such as the Maasai in Africa regularly do
   
5. Body Modifications all Clan members would undergo include the following: Black Sclera Tattoos, Fang Implants and Third Eye Dermal Anchor using Silver or Platinum Metal with an Amethyst or Kämmererite gemstone. We will also permanently dye our skin Blue or Grey using Silver and/or Platinum Nanoparticles. Some can opt to get very Pale skin by avoiding sunlight
   
6. Fashion wise, or Clan's Aesthetic or "Ethnic Dres" or "Traditional Clothes" or "Cultural Clothing" it would be all Black Avant Garde with Black Shawls and Black Togas(ex. Of a typical outfit would be: Black Cassock with a Black Robe over it held closed with a Black Waistband. Black Slimfit Pants with Black Knee High Boots. The Toga of Shawl can be wrapped or draped over it all. Head can also get covered. Eyebrows, Sides of the Head, Mustaches and Beards will be kept clean shaven. Black Eyeliner a Black Face Paint in the form of simple minimalist lines can also be added)
   
7. Clan members will mastetrain: Calisthenics, Gymnastics, Wrestling, Jiujitsu and Fencing and Strength and Condoning training will be in the form of Weighted Calisthenics, Weighted Plyometrics, Weighted Punches and Weighted Hill Sprints
   
8. We would develop our own Spoken, Sign, Written Language and System
   
9. We would develop our own genre of music using: Electronic Drums, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Pianos, Digital Guitars and Sitars
   
10. We will engage in Genetic Engineering by breeding certain types of Dogs together to make a few new dog breeds
    
11. We will engage in (minor)Terraforming by changing the chemical and mineral content of the soil and water in our localities and creating a specific Ecosystem by planting and removing certain trees and plants( along with the regular burning of specific incense to influence the local atmosphere) and by introducing and removing certain animals in our locality
    
12. Socio-Politically and Philosophically we will lean heavily on Amoralism, Neutralism, Westernized Hinduism, Tribalism, Familialism and Ethnocentrism (as we in group only breed(like the Jews, Muslims, Indians, Chinese, Hindus and many Tribes across the globe do) till we genetically become a distinct genetic line/mixed race). As we increase in numbers and start to differ in minor preferences(ex. suppose a number of group doesn't want to wear face paint and others do) we will allow the creation of "Sects" of a Sub Tribes which will be given their own district in or around our off grid settlements but will still share the same overarching Traditions and Customs so we have a sort of Tribal Confederation going but also so each Sub Tribe or Sect, doesn't end up evolving or muatating into a separate Race
    
13. We will concentrate(mostly) on Alchemy, Astrology, Astronomy, Astrotheology, Botany(Plant Magic), Dendrology(Tree Magic), Gemology (Crystal Magic), Metallurgy (Metal Magic), Mineralogy(Stone Magic), Geomagnetics, Oneirology, Oneiromancy, Psionics, Neuroscience, Quantum Harmonics, Cymatics and Planetary Harmonics
    
14. Misc. traits - We will only use Violet Colored lights, no Tattoos at all, Zen Brutalist Architecture, no video games, no tv, no movies, no social media, we'll produce our own hygienic items like Charcoal Toothpaste and Charcoal Soap, eventually construct an underground city or city inside the caverns of a mountain
    

Those are the basics off the top of my head

Hi,
My 19 yr. old son is planning on attending Fanime, which is taking place at the end of May. He will be going as a clone trooper. I plan on making his costume and will be using EVA foam. Does anyone know where I am supposed to buy this stuff besides Amazon? I live in San Jose, California and the only places I have been able to find are Michael's and Joanne Fabrics. The problem is the pieces are not going to be big enough. For example one of the larger pieces I need would be 157.4 inches x 39.3 inches of 8 mm thick foam. I had to do the conversions bc the pattern is metric so it was asking for a 4 x1 meter piece of 8mm foam. This feels so overwhelming!
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The Microphone Lovers ( a spotlight on your ass):
They always talk, not caring if other teams can hear them. They eat chips, answer the phone, burps, have the TV on, or a noisy family. They blast music on full volume. They use a shit mic with static noise the whole game. You won't even hear a bomb exploding 10 meters away, let alone a man's footstep. And everyone will know where you are.
​
The Indecisives:
They stay in the starting zone, wandering aimlessly until the radiation spreads. Sometimes they stay even when the area is toxic.
​
The PvP Lovers:
They jump into the hunting mission even when naked. They don't need to be prepared, looking for plates, gadgets, or weapons - it doesn't apply to them. They rush into the zone with an enemy UAV active. They die in two seconds , and then complain that you found cover first to assess the situation, and now you are alone in a 3vs1.
​
The Unknown fill Squad Option:
They are alone, sometimes two friends. They search for the first available vehicle and leave you behind. Often, they die and cry for revival a kilometer away from you. If you point it out, you will only receive insults.
​
Ping, the annoying sound:
You find upgrades for them, but they ignore. You take it and put it at their feet, but nothing... You warn them they are heading towards an enemy squad, but they happily run towards death. You ping a sniper to the north, and they look to the south. You warn them of an enemy UAV, but they have Harry Potter's invisibility cloak. Soon they will realize they are not playing Howard Legacy.
​
The Sloths:
They look at a photo or a comic for three minutes. You scav the whole village, but he's still stuck on the first crate.
You warn them that there are four minutes left before the radiation.
You warn them that there are three minutes left before the radiation.
You warn them that there are two minutes left before the radiation.
You buy an LTV and honk for two minutes.
They walk leisurely, looking for some treasure that they will never take home. Then you realize you are a dead man.
​
The Ones Who Don't Speak or Write:
You can use the microphone or chat... I tried to write on a wall using an M4, with smoke signals using a Molotov, with Morse code using the car horn. Nothing.

I guess I’m looking for any sign of hope. Does anyone believe anything is actually going to change? The choices we have for government office officials are almost always atrocious. I can’t see the house or the senate actually giving a fuck enough to enact any change pertaining to cost of living, wages, cost of healthcare, insurance being tied to occupation, etc. I’m pretty much resigned to the fact the US is just a ruse. Those in power designed the entire system to oppress and divide the majority. We’re unable to organize effectively (as they are in Paris) because our country is so large. When we want to show up to protest, we can’t afford to take off work because we need to make rent. We can’t afford to go to doctors so we get sick, which only further pushes us from organizing and protesting, and keeps us poor because healthcare is so damn expensive. If we somehow actually can afford a day off work and somehow make it to a protest, police militarize and attack us. If we wind up in jail for protesting, we lose our jobs. The billionaires are literally in the pockets of every politician, so they’re never going to be taxed. And let’s face it, that’s where the nation’s money is going. Where our wages are going. Straight to the pockets of these people so they can horde it and take it out of the rotation. Add on the whole division of the nation due to politicians using religion to separate us and we’re just fucked.
We’re intentionally oppressed. I’m a millennial and we were told the only way to succeed was if we went to college. Now, because of that scam, we’re immersed in so much debt that our lives are effectively not our own. We can’t afford to have kids, buy a house, have surgery, etc. All we can legitimately afford to do is go to work. And I’m making much more than the minimum wage, mind you. According to the poverty line, I make enough for a five person household. But I am barely fucking surviving.
There is no way to progress in modern day America. There’s no real way to affect change. The American government has designed itself to be a brilliant and evil power that has somehow figured out that it can work its population to death for literally nothing in return.

​
The smell of the bakery led you from nearly a block away. There is a line of patrons but it is moving quickly and before long you reach the counter. Roll a d120 to see what the special is for today.

Roll	Result
1	Monkey's tail is a coil of thin pretzel-like bread that is boiled in soda ash, topped with salt and pepper, and then baked. [camtarn]
2	Cochito, a soft gingerbread in the shape of a pig [D3WM3R]
3	Bacon and Leek Hand Pie, pastry the size of a human hand filled with bacon and leeks [u/FlyingHorseduck]
4	Puffed pastries cooked in meat drippings (think Yorkshire puddings) [dysonrules]
5	Little volcano is a cone shaped jam donut using chilli jam [Micaramel]
6	Small chocolate bars that were prepared using healing potions. When you don't have a druid and want goodberry. [Scumbutcher]
7	Lifeleaf Wafer are small disks of flour, water, salt and finely chopped lifeleaf that are baked till hard. Naturally restorative, unnaturally salty. [MCiph]
8	Twice baked travelers bread provide of tough but crisp foodstuff that is perfect for trail rations. [I_walked_east]
9	Prism dough is a bread that is risen to look like a triangular based prism. It tastes sweeter at the top of the spire and sourer nearer the base. Can feed 2-4 people. [AfternoonBaboon]
10	Sawyers flat, a horrid, matzo-like crispbread cut with maple (best), birch (ehhh), or pine (oh gods) sawdust. Often eaten by unskilled laborers, or during famine/drought. [Norwejew]
11	Fruit Pies (apple, blackberry, blueberry, elderberry, strawberry, etc) adorns with ornate patterns in to top crust. [World_of_Ideas]
12	Pumpkin pie, a creamy orange desert that is best served with a dollop of freshly whipped cream. [World_of_Ideas]
13	Amaranth biscuits yield a subtle nutty flavor that goes well with many spreads. [I_walked_east]
14	Angel food cake, a light and fluffy cake made using angel blood instead of eggs. Often glazed with a light lemon and sugar glaze. Tastes heavenly..... [supersnes1]
15	Cheese Cake, a simple creamy filling of egg, sugar, and cheese within a fluffy pastry crust. Some variants have a coating of fruit jam on its top for added flavor. [World_of_Ideas]
16	A frangipane style baked custard that uses a flour made from exotic, far away seeds. [Norwejew]
17	Almond croissants are flaky croissants sliced in half and filled with dark chocolate spread. [MJspringer & LookITriedHard]
18	Spider bread that was baked by drow. Don’t ask. Seriously. [ElZoof]
19	Nut breads, sweet or savory, baked with whatever nuts are locally grown. [dysonrules]
20	Meat pies, stuffed with various local game, give off wisps of steam and heavy aromas. [supersnes1]
21	Fairy's heart, a pastry twisted into the shape of a heart, with a (magically?) glistening jam centre. [-peachmilk-]
22	A pound cake coated in a sugary lemon drizzle. [supersnes1]
23	Mushroom Muffins, a small savory muffin preferred by halflings. Traditionally served after a larger sweet muffin. [u/FlyingHorseduck]
24	Penis-shaped doces fálicos frosted sweet bread [I_walked_east]
25	Tiny frosted cakes full of spices, nuts, or fruits [dysonrules]
26	Black Molasses Nutbread, made with the strongest molasses and served with salted butter [u/FlyingHorseduck]
27	Small boxes of traveler's biscuit - similar, but more palatable due to the addition of lard and salt, and with a shelf life of only a year [camtarn]
28	Fried funnel cake with sprinkled confectioners’ sugar. [WontLetMeCurse]
29	Stone bread is perfect for adventurers as it will never go stale due to it already rock hard. It can double up as a rather effective improvised weapon. [Daggerbones8951]
30	Dwarven ale bread is a very dense but flavorful bread made from ales and stouts (generally of dwarven make). Despite being baked, the potency of the drinks used in its making can still provide the eater a slight buzz when consumed. Often used as a desert in many northern kingdoms and tribes. [supersnes1]
31	Peasant's breakfast, a barely-leavened flatbread that is split and stuffed with curried chickpeas and a chopped boiled egg [camtarn]
32	Arcane party muffins are chocolate and hazelnut muffins with magical blue sugar (that sparkles) sprinkled on top of them. When consumed you can change your eye colour for a minute. [AfternoonBaboon]
33	Piles of pale-yellow buttery shortbread that are imprinted with various coats of arms [camtarn]
34	Tartines made with spicy sausage and blistered tomatoes. [Norwejew]
35	Chocolate zucchini cakes coated in powder sugar and crowned with strawberries. [supersnes1]
36	Gnomish sourdough made from 4000 year old yeast culture [I_walked_east]
37	Melting Buttermilk Biscuits, savory and tender, served with seasonal jams [u/FlyingHorseduck]
38	Siren’s Tack, a dry and dense bread, that is as hard as a brick. When eaten alone, this hardtack is basically a rock that sits in your gut. They are surprisingly filling, but a bit hard to keep down. It’s traditional to boil them in broth (to soften and flavor it) and serve under fish and gravy in port towns. [MCiph]
39	Six Copper Pie (based on the Sing a Song of 6 Pence song/rhyme) [wynryprocter]
40	Dragon Eggs, large, fluffy puffs filled with sweet custard. [u/FlyingHorseduck]
41	Buttered Crumpet, best served warm to ensure that the butter soaks into the soft and spongy crust. [World_of_Ideas]
42	Miner's pasties, are made with meat and potatoes in one end, jam in the other, and a thick crust 'handle' on one side that is designed to be grabbed with coal-black hands and thrown away after. [camtarn]
43	4 and 20 Shrieker Mushrooms baked in a pie. The pie is baked in a dutch oven and set inside a firepit. When cut a few soft screams escape through the crust. [wynryprocter]
44	Gelatinous cube flan, despite not being made from the creature, is a recipe of Calisham original that is traditionally made in square baking pan. The addition of gelatin helps the dish hold its signature shape. [supersnes1]
45	Red rolls are bread made with pig's blood instead of water, and stuffed with boiled pig stomach or intestine. Very nourishing, if a bit smelly. [camtarn]
46	French-style plain complet with a golden brown egg-wash. [supersnes1]
47	Turtle bread, a round loaf that is hard on the outside, and super soft on the inside [shamanspiff]
48	Fresh cornbread & butter served with a side of honey, maple syrup, and/or fruit jam/jelly. [World_of_Ideas]
49	Vagrant’s Cake, a recipe passed down from Druid to Druid; barley flour, berries, sugar, eggs, goat butter and water, mixed finely and baked until golden. The cakes are sweet and nutritious, perfect for short, day-long journeys. [MCiph]
50	Fruitcake! Can also double as a doorstop or makeshift weapon. [Super_Solver]
51	Tiny dense black rye rolls that are studded with cloves [camtarn]
52	Illithid Brain Pies appears like a common pie, with an uncommon filling. Whether the brains are from or for the Illithid is up to the skill of the adventurer wanting to bake this dish. [MCiph]
53	Jötnbrød (YERT-n-breh), a massive boule of dark rye bread enriched with bone meal, resulting in a beefy, slightly crunchy bread. A large handful is equivalent to a trail ration, but produces horrid constipation. [Norwejew]
54	Bacon, sharp cheese, green onion, and hot pepper scones. [AnGabhaDubh]
55	Flower bread is made from various types of powdered flowers giving it light floral taste and aroma. [AStupidAnnoyingVoice]
56	Goodberry Pie, made with the eponymous berries, grants 5hp when consumed, but must be eaten within a day. [ElZoof]
57	Digger's Delight, a Dwarven bread that is dense and filled with meat, potato, and cheese. Varies by region and season, but always sturdy enough to be kept in a miner's pocket during a morning's work without falling apart. [u/FlyingHorseduck]
58	Small rhubarb pies, made with thin crunchy hot-water pastry [camtarn]
59	Pumpernickel rye baked into rounded loafs that are adorned with caraway seeds. [supersnes1]
60	Fairy fingers are merengue treats, piped in a thinly oblong shape. Often coated in confectioner’s sugar but some recipes call for actual pixie or sprite dust. [supersnes1]
61	Plump-Helm Roast is a unique pie, filled to the brim with minced and liquefied Plump-Helmet mushrooms. The subterranean fungus is rather sweet (which allows it to be brewed into alcohol, among other things), which makes the pie a rather addictive mix of sweet and savory. Often served with Plump-Helmet Wine and fine dwarven cheeses. [MCiph]
62	Goodberry Biscuit are, a light, flaky, buttery biscuit infused with goodberry juice and drenched in a sweet sugary glaze. Eating two has either the healing or satiating effect at random. You can eat four but you are sickened for d4 rounds. [Chalkyteton]
63	Ankheg burrows, a thin but crispy chimney cake made by wrapping a thin strip of dough around a spool and coating the outside with oils and sugar before baking. Often filled with chocolate, nuts, or various fruits. [supersnes1]
64	Mushroom breads, sometimes with unexpected medicinal or recreational properties [dysonrules]
65	Barkskin biscuits have a tough, almost woody, exterior that are often soaked in milk or tea to soften. [supersnes1]
66	A single, dusty, halfeaten cracker just laying on the floor [NickHerag & DenialBirds]
67	Raisin dotted pastries of choux rolled into spirals and heavily glazed. Topped with pistachios. [Norwejew]
68	Rhubarb shortbread bars are a sweet confection made from shortbread coated in rhubarb custard and topped with brown sugar. [supersnes1]
69	Elf's Bread, legendarily filling dense bread that will stay fresh for weeks [u/FlyingHorseduck]
70	Troll Rolls are warm basil rolls, jarred with melted honey butter and sugared flesh (non-human). [BEZERK0xD]
71	Conchas are white, brown, or pink dusted sweet breads with a shell pattern on them [D3WM3R]
72	Small balls of fried bread that are soaked in pistachio-flavoured syrup. [camtarn]
73	Penny treat, a finger-sized roll of brown bread drizzled with blackstrap molasses or watered-down maple syrup [camtarn]
74	Roll and stew is a wooden bowl containing some thin stock (fish, goat, squirrel, etc) and a bread roll to dip in it. [camtarn]
75	Tuppenny treat, like a Penny treat, but topped with a sliver of dry cheese [camtarn]
76	Dwarvish baguette are short and stout like its namesake. [I_walked_east]
77	Swampweed Loaf, an uncommon and generally disliked type of baked good made from a dried aquatic kelp found in swamps. It's unknown who first invented the swampweed loaf or for what reason, but what is known is that it's absolutely dreadful. [Deadly_Bread]
78	Carrot Cake, a moist layered cake covered in a thick layer of freshly made cream cheese frosting. [World_of_Ideas]
79	Fragrant caraway seed buns display a golden brown top glistening with butter. [camtarn]
80	Empanadas and pineapple, apple, or pumpkin turnovers provide a sweet, yet filling treat. [D3WM3R]
81	Fist-sized cups of hard bread, filled with cold pease pudding [camtarn]
82	Devils food cake, a dense and heavy cake made using the blood of devils that is fortified using ground bone devil horn. This cake has a sweet fiery cinnamon aftertaste that leaves the eater wanting for more. [supersnes1]
83	Dragon donuts are twists in the shape of a dragon's horn with a thin sugar glaze and a surprisingly spicy kick. [supersnes1]
84	Fruit Dumplings (apple, blackberry, blueberry, elderberry, strawberry, etc) that have been boiled or fried and coated in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. [World_of_Ideas]
85	Braids filled with minced and roasted fruits. Apple filled braids are particular popular in this season [supersnes1]
86	Seawater bread is a notable staple of coastal markets and bakeries [I_walked_east]
87	Salt-roll are small round rolls of chewy brown bread, topped with a truly alarming amount of flaky sea salt. [camtarn]
88	Churros are long tubes of fried dough coated with cinnamon and sugar [D3WM3R]
89	Gelatinous Pudding - a very, very sticky treat. [ElZoof]
90	Golden pear bread, shiny and egg enriched, contains a generous filling of wine-stewed pears, cinnamon, and brown sugar. [camtarn]
91	Assorted Bagels (asiago, whole wheat, multigrain, blueberry, cherry, goodberry, etc.) are stacked on a nearby platter. [World_of_Ideas]
92	Meat Dumplings, dumplings filled with various meats. Some enterprising creators crimp them to resemble a fat large lizard or dragon. [World_of_Ideas]
93	The Wrong Bread, or the "you weren't supposed to buy THAT one.", is a half-stale loaf of bread containing a plot hook baked into it. This item could be a small magical trinket with a larger meaning, such as a ring, a wand, a small piece of a very powerful spell-scroll, or something more mundane but equally powerful. For example, the item could be a signet-ring or seal of a noble or royal (maybe it's a high-end fake, maybe it's the real-deal that was recently stolen), or perhaps just a small bag of very valuable gems. No matter what it actually is, you have it now, and boy are there people who are going to try to make you regret it. [Neknoh]
94	Halfling Sweetpie, a staple of Halfling dessert that is traditionally filled with some variety of apple and berry. The best examples are to be found at harvest festival sweetpie competitions. [u/FlyingHorseduck]
95	Sourdough rolls glistening with freshly applied butter and a garnish of parsley. [supersnes1]
96	Bowlcaps are a type of round, dense bread rolls made to be crusty on one side but soft and steamed on the other. Typically eaten by laborers, the soft side is usually pressed down over the rim of a wooden bowl to act as a lid, containing and preserving the contents, until mealtime. [_Dthen]
97	Crates of ship's biscuit, barely edible but capable of lasting years at sea [camtarn]
98	Gingerbread Warrior, a hard gingerbread that is heavily spiced, slightly bitter, and covered with icing armor [u/FlyingHorseduck]
99	Black moss cupcake, a jet-black appearance belies an earthy almost charcoal-like flavor that transitions to matcha aftertaste. [[deleted]]
100	Peanut butter cookies, a simple cookie adorned with fork marks and granulated sugar. [AfternoonBaboon]
101	Copper cookies are small sweet cookies that cost 5cp each [shamanspiff]
102	Honey bread, bread but with honey. [Last-of-the-Akbars]
103	Towering bread creations formed in the shapes of fantastical beasts, castles, or scenes, usually for festivals or special occasions [dysonrules]
104	Mutton-bread, a double-fist-sized roll of steamed bread, that is filled with minced mutton spiced with plenty of pepper. The mutton is cooked inside the bread, so its juices leak out when bitten into. [camtarn]
105	Black ooze bread pudding is an acrid smelling, albeit surprisingly sweet, bread pudding that tastes of cinnamon licorice. [supersnes1]
106	Chicken Bread, it's got the chicken baked in! So it's great for those on the go. Developed by humans, of course. [felagund]
107	Owlbear Claws are delicious pastries made with honey and fig. They are a foot across with large ‘claws’ cut out on one side. Will feed a party of five. (Or one certain Dragonborn in my campaign). [aMusicLover]
108	Sweet Potato Pie is a staple of many households during holiday celebrations. Often topped with a powdering or hardened glaze of brown sugar. [World_of_Ideas]
109	Muffins of various flavors--apple, banana nut, blueberry, etc.--,are heaped in a basket on a nearby table. Some are topped with powdered brown sugar, powdered sugar, and/or sesame, poppy, or pumpkin seeds. [World_of_Ideas]
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Initial list built by d100. See it here.
Some of my entries were inspired by the Heroes' Feast official D&D cookbook

Hi so im ramping up my career in blockchain development.
i have two questions i hope can find answers to.

1. I'm trying to buy test NFT's on Sepolia's testnet. I was able to buy a few test NFT's using opeansea and GoerliETH. However, i cant seem to find an nft test marketplace where i can buy test NFT's using using SepoliaETH? Anyone have any clues?
2. I have purchased some NFT's on both Ethereum mainnet and Goerli test net. When i try to access an NFT's metadata using infura nft api, they all equal null. Is there another location within the object that would have the nfts metadata? Im trying to display the image on my front end. Does anyone know why metadata is null or where i can get the ipfs/image of the nfts in ethereums main and test nets?

thank you

Does anyone have a Mytee s-300 or the like? It seems like something only a professional would have but I'd rather buy once the heaviest duty thing I can find and use it for everything than have something like a bissell or hoover and need to bring in a pro every so often.
Relevant to say I buy and upgrade a lot of upholstered items from FBMP + Estate sales + Auctions, never buy new.

I am doing a 10-day hiking tour of Inis MoChonamara, then 2 weeks airbnb in Westport and 1 on Achill Island, in that order. Buffer days in Galway before and after. Using Shannon to fly in and out.
Few specific questions I have:
- What is best option for 30-day one fare public transport. I can't quite figure out the LEAP (?) card. It says it applies to rural areas, but I can only buy Galway closest to where I will be? I will be using Bus Eireann and local link, and not within a city like Galway. I figured LEAP was more for Dubs and people frequenting a city.
- Any general recommendations close-ish to Westport/CastlebaAchill? I plan to do a bunch of my own hikes, see historic sites, etc. I know about Westport's music, and Croagh Patrick.
- Any recommendations re: Gaeltachtaí? I'm going to do a day trip, or perhaps stay a night in Béal an Mhuirthead. Was also going to take a day trip west of Galway, but I haven't decided where. Cafes, etc. in Galway city also appreciated. I will probably post something on /gaeilge
- Bealtaine events. Anyone know of something?
Thank you all.

The majority of my library consists of purchased tracks. I also have some of my own performed audio tracks that I put in my iTunes library, titled. When you start an Apple Music sub, does it catalog your own library (so that it knows what you have) or upload it? Or erase what it doesn’t recognize since Apple Music uses its database of songs and wouldn’t find it in their database? Or think it’s a track it can share?
I think it’s just I’ve heard about some mishaps so am careful and wanted to know about how it affects a personal library before I sign up. Thank you!

I have a few Z and F mount lenses and I'm thinking to consolidate and I could use some advice.
I have a Z6 and a Z9. I shoot about 75% sports (baseball, hockey, soccer, martial arts) 15% events (dance, music, theater) am starting to get more work doing portraits. I'd really like to grow the portrait aspect of my business. I also take my Z6 just about everywhere with the 24-70/F4 because it's so light and compact.
My typical sport and event setup is the 70-200 on the Z9 and the 28-75 on the Z6. For portraits I go between the Z 50mm and the F 85mm, but sometimes use the 70-200 as well.
I recently upgraded from the F-mount Sigma 70-200 Sports lens to the Z 70-200 and I'm so happy I did, which has got me thinking that I should get rid of all of my other "lesser" glass and invest in top-end stuff.
This is my current set of glass:

• Z 24-70mm/f4 S (came w/ my Z6 - still happy with it)
• Z 28-75mm/f2.8 (bought this because I wanted f2.8 and wanted to save $ over the 24-70/2.8)
• Z 50mm/f1.8 S (used for some portraits and walking about, but not as much as I thought)
• Z 70-200mm/f2.8 S (I'm in love with this lens)
• F 50mm/f1.8 G (don't use any more)
• F 85mm/f1.8 G (my main portrait lens)
• F 200-500/f5.6 (not used much now that the Z9/70-200combo is in my life)
• 2 FTZ adapters (v1 & v2)

I also have a D3500 and a few DX lenses (35mm, 18-55mm, 55-200mm) that are languishing at the back of my camera case that I'll be getting rid of as well.
I'm thinking about consolidating and trading in all but the Z 70-200/f2.8 S and getting the following:

• Z 24-70/f2.8 S (to replace the Z 50mm and 28-75/f2.8, and maybe the 24-70/f4)
• Z 85mm/f1.2 S (to replace the F 85mm/f1.8 G and become my new main portrait lens)

I'm on the fence whether or not to get rid of the 200-500. Before I got the Z9, I used it on the Z6 for sports and it gave me the reach, but I find that I rarely use it now that the 70-200 is on my Z9. So, I may or may not trade it in and wait for the 200-600, if indeed I end up needing something longer than the 200.
I'm also on the fence whether to trade in the 24-70/f4 because as I mentioned earlier it IS so compact and even with the relatively slow f4 I find that I like the photos better than the 28-75/f2.8.
It's a lot of money to spend, but I've been so happy with the quality and handling of the Z 70-200 that I think it may be worth it.
So, with all of that said, what does the Reddit brain trust think of my plan to consolidate?

Really, I need other’s thoughts, here. Less advice, more interested in hearing other’s personal experiences with this lesson and what they did.
Okay, so my sister’s wedding is coming up. It’s very far away. As in, over 8 hours of flying, two layovers far away. I have two small children and am currently going through a very very long high conflict divorce with my Q. I am so utterly emotionally, spiritually, physically, every which kind of way drained. The thought of flying all this way with my very small children to be at said long ways away location for only a few days is actually giving me heart burn. Or a panic attack on my really bad days.
I’m doing my personal work through all this, because healing can happen at any time. Thanking HP for that. Well, so my prayer lately is “HP, please make me willing.” That’s it. She answers me a lot with this, and this time, in a very unexpected way.
I wanted/ expected her to send me messages on how to look at this trip positively. Instead, I read literature yesterday from Courage to Change, page 325, with a message that surmounted in when I feel spiritually broken, it’s okay to take refuge in curiosity to engage my own happiness, that I didn’t have to the God of other’s understanding.
Today, I listened to a seminar, the topic of which was taking back my own power. In it, she likened the human body to a power plant and said that when we unplug from the things that don’t serve us, we get our energy back. She also said she never does anything for others she doesn’t want to do, because then there’s never a need to hear a thank you. That really struck me.
I am taking away from this permission to not go, but I know my parents and sister will be very disappointed/ angry. My parents have been my support network through this divorce, so I Don’t want to disappoint them, specifically my mom more than my dad. My sister will be angry.
I don’t feel like this wedding serves me at all. It’s true that I can get away from my stbxh for a while with my kids while I’m still forced to cohabitate with him, but she already had her “real wedding”, according to her, with her friends. Which no family was invited to. I’ve already paid for everything. My flights aren’t refundable except for as credit. I already bought her a gift. I just don’t want to go. I want to conserve what little energy I have so that I can actually show up for my kids and myself each day. I feel like this is an obligation - it’s not something I’m personally excited or looking forward to, even though I’m close with my sister. I feel like I’m just supposed to be there for what? For appearances? She’s already married and the kids and I weren’t invited to what she called the real wedding. Their second wedding is in her husband’s family’s backyard. It feels more like the wedding is for his family. I’ve tried to call her to ask about details multiple times over the last going on four months. She never picks up the phone. I’ve gotten all the details I needed from our parents, including airports to fly into the venue and literally everything.
Maybe another aspect of this is that I know her and her new husband do a lot of drugs together at music festivals and with their friends in their private life. Idk if that’ll be happening at the wedding, but I just don’t want to be around all the drinking that comes with all weddings and possible drug use right now.
I recognize I am being critical and feel resentment towards her because of her lack of communication and the fact that it’s not even clear what the purpose of this second wedding is. That’s honestly secondary to me, though. I am just so. Damn. Tired. This is sucking me dry even thinking about going. I know I am getting the above messages, but I’m concerned it doesn’t apply to big life events like this. My oldest is also really excited to go. I would appreciate kind thoughts and opinions. I sort of feel like this is a test for me about taking my own power back, but I’m scared to fail and I’m scared to pass. your stories are appreciated. 💛

Hot off of a newly rekindled love for tactics RPGs, inspired by Fire Emblem: Three Houses, I found myself looking for a new tactics RPG to sink my teeth into. First up was Tactics Ogre Reborn, which after 30 hours of gameplay, I finally admitted to myself that I simply wasn’t having fun. I then took the logical jump to move to Fire Emblem Engage, which I loved the combat, but everything else was so grating to me that after 10 hours I traded it off for Triangle Strategy. Truth be told, if it wasn’t recommended by a friend, I would have ignored it completely. The name of the game is so dull and forgetful, that I hadn’t considered it at time of release and had forgotten about it by the time came for a new game.
So there’s my “useless history before the food recipe” backstory, now for the meat and potatoes. I’ll keep story spoilers behind spoiler tags, but there may be small spoilers depending on your sensitivity to them. I played on normal difficulty, and finished the game in approximately 45 hours with my ending being the save Roselle, Serenoa dies in the final battle ending.
The Great

• I greatly enjoyed the quality of the fights. I found myself approaching many of the fights with some basic strategies, while modifying my approach pretty widely depending on the scenario. Types of moves I would choose, character choices, and placement choices felt pretty scenario dependent and I felt that it kept each fight fresh.
• The wide assortment of characters allowed me to tailor my approach to each scenario. While I kept a steady crew of 6, I would use up to 8 of the other characters depending on what I felt the scenario called for. I found no use for some of the characters, but perhaps others will, and the catering to a variety of playstyles made me happy.
• The fights are low-stakes. If I die, I die. XP gains within a battle are kept, and under-leveled characters gain massive XP each turn where they use any action. This reduces grinding in-between scenario battles, eventually you’ll be leveled up enough to defeat the scenario. Even more than that, items that are used in the scenarios are refunded, and the party can be changed. For me, this is a big win. It meant that fights that may originally be hard-stuck moments, turned into soft-stuck moments that had me re-evaluating my tactics.
• I greatly enjoyed the story. While Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and Engage, offered a more enjoyable tactics experience, Triangle Strategy was significantly more engaging for me with the story. There are several key moments within the game where significant moments are voted on, and those voting moments often gave me a pause to consider the options in-front of me. The choices became much more difficult especially when the scales had 3 choices later in the game.
• Quietus Points are an excellent “oh crap, please help me” option. You get a limited option per fight, and it helped me out quite a bit. I enjoyed the safety net aspect of it, without it feeling too overpowered like the rewind in Fire Emblem can feel.

The Okay

• Graphically, this isn’t a stunner. The pixel art was serviceable to me, but it didn’t enhance or hurt my experience within the game. The portrait art, however, was beautiful.
• The music wasn’t too notable for me. It existed nicely with the moments on display, but I felt unmoved by it as a whole.
• The class system mostly felt tacked on. Perhaps I never fully needed to min-max or worry about the full benefits of them, but they felt like a skill unlock and stat upgrade mechanic that’s level and item locked. I didn’t see any other benefit. I wish there were perhaps more of an aesthetic difference, at the very least.
• The weapon upgrade system also felt mostly unnecessary. I felt that the unlocks, aside from the tier 3 ones, were mostly just mild upgrades. I didn’t feel that they were offering anything unique to my characters, or increasing their abilities to a worthwhile degree. It was just a system that existed, and I utilized it as it was available.
• The story is a lot. I think I may have been in two fight scenarios within the first 2 hours of the game. If the story isn’t interesting to you in the least, you’re going to have a bad time. It felt like 60% of my time was spent reading or listening to the story.

The Bad

• The camera can be wonky. It is free-moving, but there are 4 “lock” points. If you’re at a lock point, then moving around the grid feels correct. The directions of the d-pad input feel correct. If you’re off-axis of one of the lock points then using the d-pad to move around the grid feels off. It took me a few hours to get used to this.
• No, “whoops, didn’t mean to do that” correction. There were a few times where I accidentally ended a character's turn without doing anything. Certainly my fault, but in this scenario there is no way to undo that. I was forced to live with my mistake.
• The conviction system is completely opaque in the first playthrough. It was impossible to know what was going on in the background, or why buying items “strengthened Serenoa’s convictions.” There are guides to the scales of conviction points, but they are not apparent at all in the first playthrough. Perhaps by design, but perhaps a score at the end of the game would have at least shown me where I’d ended up.

Overall
As a whole, I greatly enjoyed my experience with Triangle Strategy, and it’s a shame that it was given such a forgetful name. It is perhaps my favorite tactical RPG on the Switch, thus far, neck-and-neck with Fire Emblem: Three Houses. I don’t have any immediate plans to play NG+ though, for me it felt like a one and done. Who knows what the future holds.

Graduating this spring and have a pretty nice set-up place in DT Waterloo (better IKEA, some non-IKEA like leather couch, bought new so great condition and very clean). Living room, bedroom, small dining set, kitchen stuff, office desk, chair, even a monitor. New job is out of country so willing to give it all away as cost to move vs buy new doesn’t make sense. This has to happen by May 1. Need an all-or nothing solution - I.e. people taking just 1-2 pieces they want doesn’t help me as I’d still have to move the rest. It all goes or not at all. Any suggestions? Some unis like MIT have a used furniture depot. Does UW (or the other one) have this? Ideally I’d prefer students to benefit.

Full article here: https://jamesfiorucci.wordpress.com/2023/03/31/simple-audio-review-akg-k702/
I have a set of speakers at home. A lovely pair of Edifier R2000DB’s either side of my television.
Unfortunately they barely ever get used. I’m afraid to turn them up to a decent volume, out of fear of disturbing the neighbours. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to afford a sound-treated room and blast my favourite music with no repercussions.
For now I’m stuck with headphones. Sounds like I’m complaining, but I’m not. One of the advantages of headphones is their sheer variety. There’s so many different types and they all sound so different. It’s exciting.
Are there any headphones out there that can replicate the spacious, enveloping sound of a fine pair of speakers? Not really, but the AKG K702 comes pretty darn close. Let’s take a look at them, and find out if they are the right cans for you.

Comfort and Build

These AKGs are the kind of headphones that are built cheaply, but will probably never break. Let me explain.
The build is all plastic; not an ounce of metal in sight save for a button holding the comfort strap to the headband. I’m pretty sure the comfort strap is fake leather, which means it is also plastic.
There are no failure points where the AKGs could potentially break, even when dropped from a considerable height. This makes for a sturdy overall build.
The choice of an all-plastic design means the K702 only weighs in at 235 grams, enabling the headphones to simply disappear on your head. The lack of padding on the strap as well as the somewhat stiff pads don’t cause any issues in regards to comfort.

Sound

While these headphones won’t win any marks in the style department, it shouldn’t bother you from the moment you start using them. Not only can you not see them on your head, you’ll soon forget their looks as soon as you start listening to some tracks.

Bass

I think my small head could be adversely impacting my thoughts on the AKG K702 when it comes to bass.
The cups are huge on these headphones, which results in the rear portion of the pads extending beyond my head. There’s maybe a one centimetre gap, which could very well be affecting the seal.
Without a proper seal, bass extension is going to be compromised. And in fact, the K702 doesn’t extend into the lower bass at all for me. Of course, this should be expected for a budget open-back headphone but I fear my experience may be even worse than it should be for the majority of listeners. But from my testing alone, I cannot give more than a passable mark for bass for these cans.

Midrange

Midrange is definitely a highlight for the AKG K702. Compared to the rest of the frequency response the mids take centre stage, particularly in the upper ranges.
Female vocals are striking (some would say a touch aggressive), and the rest of the mids have a commendable ability to be either intimate or phased out depending on what the specific song calls for.
The timbre of both instruments and vocals is excellent. While not on the level of the legendary Sennheiser HD600 or 650, everything sounds pretty natural to my ears. You can really ‘feel’ the texture of the guitar strings, and the vibrations of the microphone. Probably speaking out of my ass here, but hopefully you kind of get what I’m saying.

Treble

I love the treble on the AKG K702. It’s not overly piercing like it is on, say, the Beyerdynamic range of headphones, but it isn’t overly subdued like on the Koss Porta Pros I reviewed before. For a treble-sensitive person like myself, the presentation of the higher frequencies is brilliant (pun intended).
For all you graph people out there, the frequency response above 9kHz is a little jagged. But unless you are really listening out for it on a particular song, you won’t notice.
Cymbals, hi-hats and high-pitched synth notes have wonderful sparkle and a hearty impact. No complaints in this department.

Imaging and Soundstage

This is where the AKGs really impress. If you want HD800S levels of soundstage and width for a fraction of the cost, the K702 is the only real option. There are other AKGs with a similarly wide soundstage, but the K702 most closely resembles the HD800S’ sound signature.
I’ve done a double take way too many times when listening to binaural recordings on these cans. Sound seems to come from so far out beyond by head that I swear the artist is playing the song in my kitchen as I’m sat in the living room. That’s how wide it really sounds.
Imaging is good, but not on the same levels of insanity as the soundstage. I find my Denon AH-D5200 to be superior in imaging, as it can play sounds both below and above my ears. I find the K702 only goes out laterally, but struggles in the vertical areas of the image.

Detail

Thanks to present treble response and an open, spacious overall sound, the perception of detail is something that these headphones excel at.
The only minor gripe will be that you may miss out on bass-heavy tracks due to the significant roll-off in the lower frequencies.

Overall Verdict

The AKG K702 is a real party piece when it comes to its outrageously large soundstage. But it’s not a one-trick pony; excellent mids and treble response means you can look past it’s lack of bass, as long as you’re not a rap or hip-hop aficionado.

Rating: 8/10

Hi Bend! My fiancé and I live here and would like to get married here. We don’t have much to spend on a wedding and it would be small with less than 50 people. We’re looking for the cheapest options. We’re open to doing setup ourselves and one idea we have is using aspen hall, getting a caterer & and buying our own drinks. Does anyone have any recommendations for places we should look into?

Hi all you dirty, beautiful people! I’m making this post to inquire if any of you have experience planting with an Apple Watch? I’m looking at potentially buying one and it seems like an awesome planting tool for time management, music control and potentially even avenza use without having to pull your phone out? But my concern is would it actually survive the block? I’m looking at the ultra as it seems to be the most durable, it claims to be water and dust proof which sounds good but as we all know nothing is actually made for planting haha! So just looking for any input, have you planted with an Apple Watch? If so did it survive? Was it useful? Would you recommend? Any other anecdotes or experiences would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!!

Name: Amy Rose
Series: Sonic the Hedgehog
Trailer Tagline: Finally!
Icon: Sonic the Hedgehog
Color swap palettes: There’s her default palette, her wearing athletic wristbands, her wearing a wedding dress, and her Power Armour.
Intro: Runs to the stage.
Stand animation: She does her makeup.
B Moves:
B: Cream the Rabbit
Side B: Amy Runner
Up B: Amy Rider Wear
Down B: Play
Final Smash: Giant roses ascend from below. Amy can uses her roses to eat a fighter.
Victory Theme: Sonic Victory Theme
Victory Poses:
Option 1: Amy bows.
Option 2: Amy scoffs.
Option 3: Amy and Sonic celebrate.
Lose Pose: Amy claps.
Snake Codec:
Snake: Mei Ling, tell me what you know about Amy. Mei Ling: Don’t you think it's romantic? I mean, to have Sonic always there for you? You don't get a lot of dates, do you, Snake?
Palutena's Guidance:
Pit: Oh, it's Amy Rose! Palutena: It seems like writing plays is her idea of fun. She'll make fun of you with them the entire match. But she can't reload when she's jumping, so keep your eye on what she's up to.
Kirby Hat: He, wearing Amy’s dress, and Cream the Rabbit work together.
Stage: Amy Rose’s House
Stage description: The stage is surrounded by an island.
Stage hazards: The top of the roof is sharp.
Stage music: Sonic Heroes
Classic Mode Route: Team Rose
Explanation: The opponents are villainous animals.
Route: 1. Round 1: Ridley 2. Round 2: Knuckles 3. Round 3: Dr. Robotnik 4. Bonus Stage. 5. Final Round: Master Hand Classic Mode credits theme: Escape from the City
Classic mode picture: Amy marrying Sonic

The greatest tragedy of war is that for some people the war never ends.

• Nebojsa Knezevic, head of psychiatry for Pallas Medical Institute, 2142

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Prev/First
Silijima hopped into the truck, next to Sargen. The massive Gojid's head nearly reached the roof of the vehicle forcing him to crouch ever so slightly. He was an even more imposing figure up close, his muscles bulging and his scars held taut against his skin. He seemed preoccupied, as if her presence made him uncomfortable when they were close. His claws gripped the steering wheel, lightly scraping the carbon material. He seemed to be in his late thirties to early forties, and a distinguished Gojid at that save for the eye and the prosthetic arm. Most would consider him quite handsome if it wasn't for the damage he had received, and even then she was sure some women would find a prosthetic like that doubly enticing.
Senek sat in the back, leaning his head back and yawning. He seemed exhausted, most likely from being on duty for the last good knows how many weeks. He kept an eye on Sargen, but it wasn't a distrustful one, more like he was concerned for Sargen's wellbeing. It was hilarious to Silijima, to think that Sargen warranted concern, but she didn't know him or his past so she wouldn't judge; sometimes the strongest people held the greatest burdens.
"So, where to next? Do we have any other stops to make?" Silijima asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"No, not unless you want to stop," replied Sargen.
Behind them, Senek grumbled. "We need to head back to the Collective and finish for the day; I'm fucking exhausted."
Sargen started the truck and turned around. "Then go home, Senek; you've done your work for the day. I'll show Silijima a bit of the station before I deliver the goods and introduce Silijima to the captains."
Senek didn't seem convinced. "They won't be happy that Sujek and I bailed halfway through the delivery."
Sargen snorted. "Ayaz and Igor won't give a damn as long as the delivery gets delivered. Take a tram and go home and see your mate and kids; you looked harrowed."
Silijima was inclined to agree. Before today, she didn't know if it was possible for a reptile to have bags under its eyes, but Senek surely did. He looked like shit, although Silijima would never voice that out loud.
Senek hissed but didn't argue, opening the door and leaving the back of the truck with a grunt. Silijima saw him walk down the street towards a tram stop in the distance, where one was unloading all sorts of people heading to shop at Zapadnyy tsentral'nyy rynok, as well as those ready finished with their shopping trips. Eventually, Senek disappeared into the crowd of humans, arxur, and the occasional venlil, harchin and gojid.
"So," Sargen started with an apprehensive sigh, "My name's Sargen, as you've probably been told. I'm sure Senek and Sujek have already told you all about me."
Silijima chuckled nervously. "Not much, actually. I've been wondering where you got that arm from; it seems very high tech. I've only seen prosthetics like that on high ranking military personnel in the federation."
The question only seemed to make Sargen even more tense. "I lost my real arm in battle. They replaced it with this." He flexed the arm, the prosthetic was agile and precise in its movements. "It's near identical to the real thing utility-wise, although the look of it took some time to get used to."
Silijima nodded absentmindedly, admiring both the arm and his physical build. Sargen must've been through hell and back to be so torn up.
"Are you ex-military? You have the hardware to be."
Sargen frowned lightly. "You could say that. But that's enough about me." Then Sargen put a soft smile on his face, a fake one, as if he was trying to hide his true feelings. "I was told you served in the navy; what was that like?"
Silijima didn't push for more information. "I was a Master Technical Coordinator for the Unwavering Credence. I kept the Guns and the hull functioning along with crews of grunt welders, and I pieced the ship back together after battles.
Sargen whistled, impressed by her rank. "You were pretty high up on the totem pole on that ship. Why'd you leave?"
Silijima scoffed. "The lies, the brutality, and the stress. I came to Skhamar looking for answers after losing faith in the state I defended for over a decade. Now that I know the truth, I realize that I hated every second of it, although I do miss it in a way. Once you get out, well, nothing seems right. For the first few months, I couldn't stand being off duty. I still miss that safety of knowing I was on a military vessel; at least we could defend ourselves. Back on Nishtal, I felt so… exposed, since I wasn't allowed to carry a firearm on my person anymore."
Sargen chuckled. "I know how you feel. I couldn't sleep right after I… left: I kept expecting an attack at all hours. Sometimes I'd wake up in a panic, clutching my ion pistol and ready to kill, only to realize it was just the sound of some puny asteroid bouncing off the outer shell of the station or a ship taking off."
Silijima snorted. "I remember nearly having a heart attack from the fireworks they set off for unification day. My parents didn't understand, or maybe they couldn't, but I don't celebrate that day anymore. It sounds too similar to Arxur hybrid charges slamming against the hull of a ship."
Silijima chuckled at first, but the laughter quickly died as reality set in. Her service in the navy had messed her up in more ways than one, but she couldn't imagine not living that life; she wouldn't know what to do with herself otherwise. She hated it, but she was better for it.
"So… What is there to do on this station? I'm pretty new to all of this freedom. What is there to do?"
"That's the good thing about this job; you get a good week or so in between missions to relax," Sargen smiled bitterly, but it was still a happy smile, "Me and the rest of the crew have so much to show you."
Silijima's heart skipped a beat at his statement. "Senek didn't seem too excited to show me anything."
"Senek's just tired; in fact he's always tired. He worked two missions in a row, same as Sujek, and they're probably going to push for another one," Sargen stated, "although I bet both Ayaz and Igor will send them both home and tell them to spend some time just relaxing for once since those two practically kill themselves working." He chuckled before continuing, "But as for things to do, well, there's a lot: Theaters, Restaurants, Museums, a full-sized futbol stadium, and even a few more exotic things the humans brought over. Humans are kind of the cultural heart of the entire Commonwealth; The big Arxur houses might be the dominant economic forces besides the coalitions, but the Humans really brought a heart and soul to what would otherwise be a pretty dull and barren place."
Silijima thought about that for a moment. She had seen sporting events before; Nishtal had plenty of ballastier stadiums to choose from, where Krakotl would work as a flock to move a floating ball from one end to the other. There were also games of airborne agility and such, so she wasn't too interested in sports.
But the idea of a theater intrigued her. Nishtal didn't have many theaters: the Krakotl didn't like being cooped up in a dark place for too long, since their instincts were to nest under the open sky instead of burrow underground. Mix that with a lack of any big theater culture and you git a species that vastly preferred doing over watching. Sports and music were far more popular with the Krakotl, their ability to fly and vast vocal ranges helping them flourish in alternative mediums of entertainment.
"How are the theaters here? I've never really gone to one before."
Sargen eyed her with disbelief. "Neither did I before I came here. They're pretty great, with lots of cheap snacks and reclining seats. There aren't any 'new' movies yet since there's no real movie industry here on Skhamar yet, but they play a lot of older human movies. A few months ago I went with Timothy, Sarah, and their daughter Maggie to go see The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. The art style was pretty mind-blowing, to say the least."
"The art style?"
"Animation. It's considered a proper medium of theater in human culture. There are a plethora of what humans call 'the animated classics': movies that have achieved universal human acclaim due to their outstanding quality. If I'm not mistaken, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is one of them."
Human art seemed so fascinating to her; the Federation was so cut and dry with what they considered art that anything that pushed the envelope was ridiculed and even reviled, often only gaining traction in underground groups that appreciated the bizarre and the condemned. To hear of artistic styles having entire mediums dedicated to them was astounding to her.
"That sounds incredible! What other movies have you seen?"
"Well, I've been itching to see Star Wars, but it's a long trilogy that's best watched at home. There's also a relatively new western by comparison called The Cursed that's being shown this week, so we can go see that. I've heard nothing but good things about it."
Silijima didn't know what a 'western' was, but if it was anything like how Sargen describes their animated movies, she was sure a human western couldn't be bad.
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Silijima casually read the synopsis for the movie they would be watching on her holophone.
The year is 1886: Aging civil war veteran turned outlaw Thomas 'Death-Singer' Lawrence ekes out a humble living amongst the Ojibwa Indians of what is now modern-day Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan, hoping to live out his final years of his life with his beloved wife, son and adopted tribe in peace. But when a bitter ex-Confederate, Klan member, and son of a wealthy plantation owner Shaw Cunningham and his gang of killers massacre the tribe for supporting the Union during the war, his entire world is torn from him. Now, all that's left after the carnage is himself and a teenager named Nanabush, the fatherless black sheep of the tribe.
Now, with nothing but vengeance burning in his heart, Thomas once again takes up the mantle of 'Death-Singer', and along with his newly adopted ward Nanabush, he travels south to reform his old gang of thieves and outlaws, 'The Cursed', in a last-ditch effort to gain the ultimate revenge and both kill Shaw Cunningham and ruin his family fortune. The curse must be passed on, and there couldn't be a more worthy recipient…
Now that sounded interesting. Silijima didn't understand much of the context, but a revenge plot wasn't a common theme in Federation media, or federation art at all for that matter, so it seemed like a great place to start. Besides, it wasn't like it was real, so if it was overly violent then she could just finish the movie and never watch it again.
But first, there were snacks to buy. Silijima didn't know why Sargen insisted on buying snacks, but he stated that they 'improved the movie experience', or whatever that meant. Either way, he practically dragged Silijima up to a counter operated by a bored human, preparing to order a whole slew of snacks for the both of them.
"I'll get two medium boxes of Çäkçäk style popcorn, a large bag of Korivka, and two large bottles of… Give me a moment." Sargen turned to her. "What do you want to drink?"
Silinima browsed the menu nervously, not knowing what to choose. "Uhhh, I guess I'll try some Baikal? Is it good?"
Sargen shrugged. "It's pretty good, a bit different than most colas." Then he turned back to the snack vendor. "And two large bottles of Baikal."
The bored human sighed, obviously just ready for his shift to end, and prepared the food for the two of them. Sargen prepared his credit chip and handed it to the worker when he returned, paying for everything.
"You don't have to, Sargen, I can pay for myself."
Sargen chuckled. "Maybe, but I'm the one who's taking you out. Just let me take care of it."
The human returned with the popcorn, which was two buckets of strange yellow… things that had a slight glowing orange sheen, along with a large bag of candies and two massive bottles of soda, which were also huge. Sargen somehow deftly balanced all the snacks in their arms as they made their way to the movie room they were assigned to without even a grunt and gave her a soft grin. Despite his obvious optimism, he seemed tense, as if she reminded him of something.
Sargen hurried down the hall, his large stride making it difficult for Silijima to keep up with him, but she managed. He avoided her gaze, his eyes focusing on absolutely anything else. There it was again, the strange behavior. It was as if she was some kind of phantom to him, but he couldn't point out her existence without seeming crazy.
They made their way into a door on the side that led down a dark hall with dim lights lining the floor. It opened up to a massive screen showing adverts for products before the movie began.
"Where would you like to sit? I'm partial to the back; you get better seats and a better view."
Silijima shrugged her feathered shoulders. "Wherever you think is best; I have no clue."
Sargen chuckled, but led her up toe stairs to the upper row of seats. They made it there, sitting down near the center, and Sargen handed Silijima her popcorn and baikal. Silijime pecked at the popcorn hesitantly, but found that she loved it! The sweet, nutty and floral flavors of the coating reminded her of the Vagra nectar from Nishtal when peddlers would sell organic jars of it during the summer months, and it paired wonderfully with the salty-sweet crunch of the 'corn' itself. The baikal was another thing entirely; the sweet-spicy and pine flavors of the cola tasted like nothing she had ever experienced like fruit and spices boiled in bitter tree sap and carbonated, but palatable. By the time the movie had started, a third of her popcorn was gone, causing Sargen to chuckle.
The lights dimmed, causing Silijima to panic for a bit, but Sargen's hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder, calming her. He was there, and he was big; nothing could hurt such a giant, right?
Then, the movie began to play. The sound of some kind of delicate stringed instrument being strummed softly alongside the croaking and chirping of amphibians and insects on a warm summer night. The sounds of the wildlife stopped suddenly for a moment, as did the instrument when a small gang of about a dozen humans riding strange, four-legged creatures reminiscent of suleans without horns advanced towards a gathering of flickering lights in the distance; probably a village. Their gallops were thunderous and destructive, nothing like the sound of a stampede. It was the sound of unwavering strength.
The men wore sackcloth hoods with holes cut out for their eyes and ropes around their necks. In their hands were primitive revolving handguns. They wore a myriad of different clothes; some wore gray army uniforms, while others wore khakis, union shirts and suspenders. They laughed and bickered as they spurred their steeds onward, obviously ready to commit some unspeakable atrocity…
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Silijima has two panic attacks during the movie. Sargen was there, able to quell them by offering his support. He seemed to know what it was like to have one because he reached out and held her when she began to hyperventilate and raise her hackles. He didn't speak, but he made himself known. He was there, and that was enough.
At least the movie ended with a triumph: Thomas Lawrence got his revenge, even if he died in the end. His adopted ward, Nanabush, took up the mantle of Death-Singer, using it to defend the weak. It was a tightly wrapped story that should've been happy, but the memories of war still scarred Silijima; the sounds of the gunshots reminded her of the blasts of flechette cannons, and the blood on Lawrence's knife…
She still felt the phantom pain in her wing and body from being run through by an Arxur skimming blade. She had survived, of course, but the near-death experience had permanently changed her. She couldn't stand being around knives too long unless she was actually on the battlefield, and even then it caused her distress. Luckily, she never needed to be around too many sharp objects, being an engineer, but she had her… moments. She was able to quell her attacks, her panic and anxiety being quelled by the far more substantial fear of what she would be subjected to if her true state of mind were to be found out.
If the Federation found out you acted out of the norm, they'd spend weeks forcing you through the most agonizing 'therapies' before stuffing you full of pills and sending you home, never to be the same person again. She had seen the effects of these treatments; her former colleagues practically turned into zombies, their brains melted from the drugs. They lived off of government stipends, unable to truly contribute to the workforce, but the Federation seemed to consider this an acceptable tradeoff, the politicians being praised for lowering the rate of self-termination by any means necessary. In reality, it just created a state-funded drug epidemic.
Part of Silijima did want answers, but she realized her true motive for coming to Skhamar was to escape; she was so scared of staying home on Nishtal because every little thing could set her off. And if she were to have a serious enough outburst…
No, she wouldn't become what many of her former prey-in-arms had; a babbling mess of drugs and trauma. She was strong; she could do this. She wouldn't let her trauma overcome her.
"Are you okay, Silijima?" Sargent asked her, shaking her shoulder lightly. They were in the truck, riding to the Corsair collective where Ayaz and Igor had docked their cruiser. He seemed far more tired than before like she was exhausting to be around. She didn't doubt it; having predator disease was already exhausting enough for Silijima alone.
"I shouldn't have recommended that movie, it was too violent. Maybe something animated would've been better," said Sargent. "I was hoping that your experiences as a navy engineer would've been less traumatic than the average foot soldier, and I was wrong."
Silijima turned to him, emboldened. "It wasn't your fault, Sagren; I agreed to watch it. Besides, it might've opened up a few wounds, but it was still an excellent movie. And the popcorn and baikal were wonderful as well. And besides, it was a good movie, triggers notwithstanding."
Sargen smiled a little, although he was still feeling guilty. "I'm glad you liked it. But we should get to the collective; Ayaz and Igor will be happy to become acquainted with you."
Silijima nodded before turning back to the window, watching as the city raced by. The spires of the station-city rose hundreds of stories into the air, hover-tram systems connecting entire levels of platforms that connected to the taller towers. It made sense that the station would focus on the height of buildings; the width was a rare commodity on space stations due to the cost of adding extra floor-level infrastructure, so extremely tall spires interconnected by platforms and hover-tram systems that stretched for kilometers made sense. Everything was brightly lit: massive glowing LED signs depicting everything from clinics and dispensaries to shops and eateries were plastered across the buildings, along with almost lifelike and three-dimensional digital billboards depicting a wide array of advertisements and entertainment. It was the very definition of an urban jungle, sprawl and all, with tens of millions of individuals living their daily lives unimpeded.
"The station's pretty cool, huh? It's technically one of the larger cities in the galaxy, with a population of around twenty-five million inhabitants of all races."
That number was impressive for a city, but not for a nation. "But how many planets does Skhamar control? Fifty-five million is nothing compared to the five hundred billion sentients in the Federation alone."
Sargen nodded. "Yeah, that's true. Antheia and Calaïs are pretty sparsely populated at the moment, maybe a few million each, and the planet of Skhamar itself has about ten million. That means this place doesn't really have the manpower to keep up with the Federation or the Dominion in terms of fleet size. We still beat them in engagements though."
Silijima didn't believe that. "But how? The Federation outnumbers you guys a hundred to one!"
Sargen snorted, eyes focused on the road as he pulled into the parking lot of a ginormous building. "If there's one thing that I learned after only two years of living on Skhamar is that the Federation's school of naval doctrine is laughably bad. They solely rely on the force of numbers and firepower to overwhelm their enemies before they can strike back. This would normally work on smaller fleet engagements against lesser foes, but the humans don't play fair. They hide in gas clouds, and in asteroid fields. They launch silent torpedoes, drone strikes, and shells filled with toxic gas before initiating boarding actions to cause widespread panic in enemy fleets. Skhamar's newly minted traditions of piracy have led to a whole new level of Naval military thinking, one where the entire sector is an ever-changing battlefield and anything's fair game."
"But wouldn't they get discovered? How hasn't the Federation just listed down Skhamar's tactics for admirals to memorize and quantify in fleet engagements?"
"You're demanding too much from a Federation full of scared herbivores, and you're forgetting who runs that Federation. The Kolshians and the Farsul vehemently believe that thinking like a predator makes you a predator and that anything that resembles predatory behavior should be scrubbed away. To them, the 'herd' is the entire reason for their existence, and to stray from that is to become food." Sargen shook his head, obviously bemused by their rigid mindset. "In reality, predators have been chipping away at herds for thousands of years. To think that any herd is impervious is just stupid."
Silijima knew the former, and she had suspected the latter for a long time. "But herds need to adapt to survive, right? I bet you that was the reasoning behind the gene-modding and culture erasure at the hands of the Kolshians and the Farsul."
Sargen rolled his eyes like he had heard it all before. "It shocks me that you weren't thrown into an institution, with how perceptive you are. I'm telling you, the Kolshians and the Farsul couldn't care less about the other species in the Federation. All they care about is controlling and leading that herd they've stitched together with lies. To them, adaptability is only good when it benefits their narratives and power structures."
It made a sickening sort of sense, and it was completely believable now that the treachery of the Kolshians and the Farsul had come to light. The Kolshians and the Farsul being afraid of any change that challenged their ideals was a cancer on the Federation, and one that Silijima was sure would eat away at it until it was nothing more than a corpse. "I'm glad I left, you know, not being afraid of being locked up for having predator disease. I just hope that isn't a thing here."
"It isn't, believe me, or I would've been incarcerated a long time ago." Sargen replied, "Now let's go; I think we've wasted enough of Ayaz and Igor's time."
With that, Sargen stepped out of the truck, slamming the door and taking a deep breath of the blatantly recycled air. Silijima followed, leaving the truck and stepping out into a small, empty parking lot, which seemed strange for such a large and important building. The building itself was less of a spire and more short and squat but also very wide, with glass walls similar to those of the urban business centers on Nishtal. There was an entrance of glass doors in the front of the building, along with a massive sigil above them made out of what seemed to be platinum. There was a sword with wings skillfully engraved on it, along with the words Qui militat præter me, frater meus erit surrounding the edges. Her translator struggled to translate it due to the age of the language and her translator's lack of exposure to the esoteric language, but it came out as something similar to He who fights beside me shall be my brother. An interesting term, but certainly more unique than the Federation Navy's slogan, Defend the Herd.
Sargen grabbed her feathered shoulder and steered her away from the truck just as something hovered down and clamped its magnetic claws onto it. A massive, black-colored hover-drone the size of an eighteen-wheeler buzzed as it deftly floated around the two of them, one giant crimson eye with an LED dot acting as an almost animated pupil darting between the two of them. Then it lifted away, making beeping noises as it carried the truck in tow towards a large tower several hundred stories tall in the distance made from a monotonous gray material. "What in sweet Ina's name?" Silijima said under her breath, causing Sargen to chuckle.
"Moth Drones; they’re very useful things. There's not enough space on the station to have traditional parking lots, so Sarn Robotics found a pretty neat solution: massive drones come and pick up vehicles and transport them to large parking towers like the one it's flying to right now. Then, when we come back, I can just call back for my car, maybe wait a minute or so, and have my car returned to me. It's pretty awesome, and something you wouldn't find in a million years in the Federation."
That was true; the citizens would be spooked by so many flying objects. She could just imagine the number of stampedes such a creation would cause.
"Wait, what about the food and ammo?" She asked, curious as to why he'd leave it there."
"Oh, don't worry about that: that tower specifically has an automated storage system. All of our goods will be sent to our ship in the next few hours sorted, packed up, and sealed up in space-grade storage containers"
"Huh, that's pretty incredible," she replied.
"Yeah, it is. Like them or not, these predators seem to think of everything. I guess their minds just work differently; nothing wrong with that."
They walked through the doors as they conversed, and a massive lobby greeted them. Over two dozen secretaries of multiple races greeted countless individuals, many of them armed. Most of them were humans and Arxur, although she spotted a few Harchens and Gojids in the mix. The sound of phones ringing and computer keyboards being typed on resonated through the building with an echo. The entire lobby was beautifully decorated, with corners filled with fine gold-trimmed mahogany furniture and intricately woven carpets covering the marble floor. Sargen guided her up to the lobby and towards a young human wan with blonde hair. He greeted her with a smile, causing her to smile back. The snarl made Silijima's blood rush, but it was far less noticeable now, more like the feeling of adrenaline than pure fear.
"Hey, Csilla, how are you?"
The woman, apparently named Csilla, seemed to brighten up in Sargen's presence. "Oh, you know, just swamped as usual. Igor is waiting for you at dock thirteen, just take the tram down." Then her eyes swiveled in there sockets towards Silijima, causing her to flinch slightly. "And who is this? I didn't know a Krakotl was joining your crew."
"I'm Silijima," Silijima croaked, "I'm the new Engineer."
"Aww, isn't she just precious? It's been a pleasure to see you both, but I have to get back to work; we've got too many customers even with two dozen secretaries."
And with that, they were off. Sargen led her up multiple flights of stairs, passing different office levels before reaching floor seven, which was the connection to the Dok-stantsiya Vest-Enda. There were at least two dozen fully sized trans on multiple levels, with signs detailing over a hundred docks available to travel to. It was truly ginormous, more insane than any public transit system she had seen all packed into one place, but also a testament to the engineering of the station.
They boarded a packed train filled mainly with humans, although there were Arxur, Gojids and Harchen there sprinkled throughout. They rode for a few minutes, before reaching an open-space area sealed with active magnetic field shielding, keeping gravity and a working atmosphere within its borders while simultaneously allowing ships to pass through. There were hundreds of ships, both big and small, docked within the Corsair Coalition's docks, and some of them were exceptionally huge. They ranged from gigantic, rust-red lengths of bulbous metal covered in cannons to sleek, flat warships packed with rocket pods and covered with graffiti of snarling, gaping maws and bloodied talons. Eventually, they reached a point where their tram stopped, and they descended. Just a few dozen meters away was a younger human, maybe in his late twenties or early thirties, an old human woman who couldn't have been younger than seventy, and an Arxur practically made out of cybernetics, his body glowing with energy. The latter seemed to be organizing and directing a small number of droids, which were loading sealed containers into the fuselage of the large, rust-red battle cruiser with the word Iconoclast printed in bold letters on the side. The man saw us and approached, a wide smile on his face.
He was huge for a human, about six and a half feet, and had a long, bushy beard with a handlebar mustache, a short military buzz cut with a bit of hair left a little taller near the middle like a short mohawk, and a pair of black camo pants and a white t-shirt that showed the outline of his muscles underneath. He was practically a bear of a human, with arms the size of bridge cables and a neck thicker than your average gas pipe.
Despite all of that, he was obviously friendly, a wide snarl on his face. "Sargen! Dobriy den, how are you?" Even through the translator, his accent was thick and exotic.
Sargen scratched his head with his claws, obviously a little nervous. "I'm doing great, Igor, listen, this is-"
"Ah, yes, Silijima! Senek called me on his way home to explain their situation. It is a pleasure to meet you, my dear!"
Igor took her wing and shook it vigorously, having to bend down to do so. Having and snarling predator lean down on her in such a way, regardless of their intentions, sent shivers down her spine, but she kept it together. She would not break down in front of her new boss.
"T-the pleasure is all mine, Sir."
Igor didn't seem to notice how intimidating he was, but luckily a distraction appeared. Tarlim arrived just in time, carrying several crates of birch water and plums on his shoulders like they were nothing. The old woman seemed to spot him, because she hobbled over to help, only for Tarlim to prevent her from doing so. "No, Babushka, I can handle it."
"Nonsense," she said sternly, her accent even thicker than Igor's, "I can carry some, boy; your Babushka is not helpless."
Tarlim simply ignored her, carrying the crates over to the droids, with both Tarlim and the Arxur snickering at Babushka's pestering.
"Tarlim, what do you bring? Did I order something and forget again?"
Tarlim chuckled merely at that. "No, Babushka, Sujek ordered some Birch Water and Plums for you."
Babushka softened up at that, placing a hand over her heart like the delivery of birch water was an emotional matter. "Oh Tarlim, I thank you." She hobbled over and practically buried herself in his fur, hugging him as hard as an old woman could.
"Thank Sujek, I'm just the delivery boy."
Babushka snorted. "Hah, I know better. You probably dared him to do something for it."
Tarlim blushed at that. "Well maybe, but he demanded the plums as extra, so make sure you give him a big hug and plenty of food as well."
Babushka seemed to brighten up at that. "Come in, Tarlim; we are having a feast, to celebrate a great victory! No meat in the borscht, just for you!"
"Tarlim seemed very apprehensive towards the idea of eating anything that was even near the meat, but apparently he couldn't resist the old woman. "For you, Babushka, anything for you."
Igor snickered. "They are like a circus, no? Come, we are having a feast, and you shall partake."
Silijima wanted to leave, as the whole situation had escalated very quickly, but Sargen placed a hand on her shoulder. "There is no denying an invitation to a feast; it is a grave insult to do so."
Silijima just sighed and prepared herself for the horrors that awaited her.
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It's finally here; THE NEXT CHAPTER OF INTERLOPER! Somebody pop open a bottle of champaign.
I want to thank u/Acceptable_Egg5560 for the support and u/Bushbacon69 for the wonderful fanart.
If you want an AI generated picture, just let me know. That's become my new method of conveying what I'm creating to the world since I can't draw for shit.
The Next chapters for Chains made from Hope and The Apostate should be out this week, along with a new short called The Life Shaper.