Lucky day lotto

CryptoLotto - Main Subreddit for Cryptocurrency Lotto

2014.02.06 21:23 CryptoLotto - Main Subreddit for Cryptocurrency Lotto

The CryptoLotto reddit forum for playing lotto in several cryptocurrencies

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2021.08.17 21:36 jackcatalyst squidgame

This is a community to discuss the Korean Netflix Series, Squidgame!

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2017.01.18 09:39 Flukster The Lucky Bastards

The reddit home of the DayZ Underground gang called Lucky Bastards.

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2023.03.30 02:44 limesodey missed just because i didnt play for a day or two 💔

first post on reddit ever by the way so im sorry if i made any formatting mistakes!!!
i did get lucky and get stardust early from a cookie cutter so it's not a huge issue at all, but i'm still just a little bummed that i grinded this event til i burned out and barely missed out because of it 💔 if i had an extra day i would've barely made the trade ship mission!!! hope everyone else got what they were hoping for!!! it was a very fun event all in all especially with the story :D i just wish they hadn't shortened the time we had compared to the last ones haha

submitted by limesodey to CookieRunKingdoms [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 02:41 BtotheAtothedoubleRY NCG Bundle Package (The Tower of Wowers, CarsFuckingDragons and Momo's Mansion)

Hello Steam_Giveaway!!
I'm letting you know we are working on a upcoming game (a RPG called "Grand Strokers" coming out Oct 27th, 2023) located here : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1957670/Grand_Strokers/ Why not check it out and wishlist? Thanks, kindly!
Okay, unto the GIVEAWAY!!!
I have a copy of our debut game "The Tower of Wowers" that is a tower climber where you run into whacky and classic enemies such as "Long Toe", "Inside-Out Giraffe" and "Flame Face". You climb up 50+ levels in this poop-themed turned based RPG. It's good!!! Game link : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1606030/The_Tower_of_Wowers/
Our second game is about the now banned subreddit carsfuckingdragons ... I made a complete RPG with original drawings and it's our best selling game! Check out "CarsFuckingDragons" on Steam... Game link : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1678700/CarsFuckingDragons/
And the lucky winner will also receive a cute RPG called "Momo's Mansion" about a cat that goes on a epic adventure with his friends!! You can recruit different animals like a dog, tigers and andromorphic cat and even a special character at the beach-house. The music was done by VaughnsEvilLair of Foresight! I made these titles in RPG Maker MV. Game link : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1796450/Momos_Mansion/
I will choose ONE Lucky Winner (who is interested in these titles) that will receive all 3 Steam codes to redeem! Please comment to be entered in the giveaway and feel free to ask me anything about the games. THANK YOU and have a wonderful day!

submitted by BtotheAtothedoubleRY to steam_giveaway [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 02:40 Gumbanomicon Subjective Hero

Has anyone ever had a a player build a character that is more intelligent than they are? Alright so I was GMing a homebrewed campaign world with custom races. This is all published now but back than this was an early playtest with some novice players.
On this homebrewed world their are racial variants of both goblin and orc the primary difference being that goblins are very intelligent and willing to sacrifice anything to further their own knowledge and understanding of the world and orcs are the most honorable of the races. Pysical characteristics regarding size and appearances are roughly the same. The two species live together in communities and its common for an orc and goblin to pair up for adventuring.
So the two players in question create a goblin and orc along with the rest of the group. The goblin Nibbly will do all the thinking and the orc Gruel will protect the goblin. Everything progresses nicely the first couple of sessions and the novice players are getting the hang of the game and loving it. They do manage to get seperated from the group and actually are attempting to play catch up. The rest of the group is a couple days ahead of them and even decides they will camp a few days and wait for the stragglers. I make sure to explain to the orc and goblin that they do not know the party is waiting up ahead and that would be considered out of character knowledge. They get the gist, and continue to play accordingly. Nibbly and Gruel stumble upon a human body laying in the road and determine he is alive. They made some first aid rolls which helped the human gain consciousness while also discerning that he has two broken legs. The man explains to them that he is a travling merchant and that bandits stole his wagon and broke his legs, and just left him on the side of the road. Nibbly and Gruel were not asked for aid but decide to help this merchant reach the next town even though they are in a hurry to catch up to the group of other players. They travel for most of the day dragging the man and a sort of stretcher they made out of tree branches and a blanket. Everything is going well.
On this world demons exist in a physical manner and have a society all their own. The players recently discovered that a nearby city had been burned by an army of demons and refugees are a common sight in the area. What the group did not know was that the army was traveling this same road for quite some time.
Nibbly and Gruel succeed in making a perception check and realize the army is behind them and comming their way. They even hear hell hounds that are currently tracking the other members of the group because they had previously helped some people escape. So these hounds are not after Nibbly or Gruel but they don't know that and the players actually panic. I told them you don't have a lot of time before the hounds are here and suggest they quickly speak in character about what to do. They agree and decide they can not out run the hounds and demons by dragging the man behind them. I am thinking they just need to hide but am also wondering if they might just run and leave the mercant to his fate. What Nibbly and Gruel discuss next....
So they are speaking in character next to the merchant and I let them know the hounds will be to them in three rounds. Nibbly, the goblin with the super high intelligence says "Gruel we need bait. I will hold this human down and you use your great axe and chop his arm off. Than we will tie the arm to a rope and hang it from one of these trees." I tell them a round is only 6 seconds guys you have 3 rounds before they are here. They pause momentarily and say "This is the only way." and Nibbly proceeds to hold the merchant down at which point the merchant stabs Nibbly the goblin with a dagger. Than the player playing Nibbly says "Hey! you never said he had a knife!" I calmly replied he is a traveling merchant who had a wagon. You had ample time to search the merchant while he was unconcious and even after he woke. You traveled with him all day and never asked him if he was armed. A concealed dagger is not unheard of and you are a goblin who is small sized. You are literally the size of a human child. So now Nibbly panics, "I roll first aid on myself!" I tell him the hounds are almost here. He says "If I don't roll it the hell hounds will smell my blood. So can I just roll already?" I allow him to roll and he stops the bleeding. I tell them one round left. Gruel says "We attack!" and Nibbly and Gruel attempt to battle the hounds and fail. I should mention I was only using wolf statistics for this encounter not that it mattered. The hounds were tracking doing what was expected of them and than they were attacked. They defended themselves and went back to doing the task at hand, ignoring the mauled goblin and orc. They didn't even bother with the merchant. So the real hero in this story, the merchant who knows an army of demons is comming tends to the Nibbly and Gruel, helping them stabalize. The demon army is on the march but its at least another 30 min or so before they would arrive. The merchant with two broken legs manages to push the goblin and orc off the side of the road and they roll down into a ditch. The merchant than follows. I know I took pity on the players, they made some mistakes and we had a talk about saving people only to december them later. Something that typically is frowned on. Anyways I told them they were lucky the merchant needed them to get to the next town, oh and they never got a reward for helping the merchant arrive! They eventually caught up to the group which consisted of some vetran players which were deffinetly needed.
How this scenario played out caused so much laughter from the other players. This is still one of my favorite TTRPG stories. You can never guess what a player will do under the right circumstances.

submitted by Gumbanomicon to CritCrab [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 02:35 giverofmedicine MQ called us a bunch of tools and that we wish we could hang out with him and Josh

…
And he’s right! I’ve been yearning every single day for the past year that maybe one Monday evening I would be so blessed by the hand of God to end up at McSorleys with them two and other middle aged people and spend my night there sipping on cocktails. Maybe one day, if I’m lucky enough
/s
Also I will prove Josh wrong and do a chargeback on the next tour.

submitted by giverofmedicine to WorldOfTShirts [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 02:30 baluranha The most frustrating part of ranked queue are promotion matches, they should change (again).

I don't remember when they changed the old "LP" system to the current one we have right now, but measuring your luck for promotion sucks and even if you get "lucky" in an easy victory, it doesn't feel good.
I decided to post this because of what happened on my promotion matches at dawn today (01:00 GMT-3), I had a match where our ADC (Jinx) simply tilted right from the beginning and decided to ruin everyone's day by going to their lanes and killing himself over and over again, so not only we were playing with 1 less teammate, we were fighting 4v6...and I was the Mordekaiser...well, surprisingly, our other teammates were doing GREAT and we managed to fight back up until we made a mistake and lost all our advantage. With that, my first match on my BO3 was a defeat, something that with the old system would mean a loss of LP and being done with it turned out into a big "You have to win the next 2 matches, boy"...and then the second match...nothing much to say we played the best we could but we had an Evelynn with 150ms and our comp simply couldn't beat the enemy.
Those 3 matches you have to play to get a promotion are STRESSFUL, I wouldn't even be mad at any uncontrollable variable like trolls and internet if it was a normal ranked match, but because it was a BO3 I just left FUMING after each match, then I had to win 3 matches in a row to qualify for another promotion (won 2, lost 1, won 2) but today luck was on my side.

Now here is the thing, old league of legends didn't have that, we had our point system and also tiers but we didn't have promotion matches, we would play and earn/lose points and move along, if our points reached the threshold then we "ranked up", if it went lower we were demoted and that's it, why did that system had to go away? Right now, the stress build-up from playing promotion matches are too big, I'm thankful for Riot for removing the promotion matches in the same bracket but this should also be done with the rank.

submitted by baluranha to leagueoflegends [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 02:21 meijioro Why is whole life insurance a bad investment?

I see the reddits have the opinion is whole life insurance. What are the specifics on why?
I currently have one for retirement purposes for some years now suggested by my financial advisor but I've been indecisive on canceling it or not. I have a job now that gives me matching 401k and I'd like to max that out but I have not much leftover cashflow for that since I had to buy a car this year since my old car died. The car payment isn't outrageous but I wanna pay that off asap since I hate paying interest.
The main reason why I rethinking if my decision on having whole life insurance is that the payments are high but also what happens if I were to loose my job? I've lost my job twice since getting it but I was lucky that I got severance on one and a month heads up on the other so I could get another job quickly. If something were to happen then I would have to dip into my rainy day savings to pay the premiums and that doesn't sound right. Not sure if whole life is worth it.
I'm in my late 30s, single, no dependents, a car loan, and have no big medical condition as of yet.

submitted by meijioro to retirement [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 02:18 n8-iStockphoto The iStockphoto Nuzlocke Challenge: Photo Phinish - Filler Arc: The Cheren Chronicles: Part 1

submitted by n8-iStockphoto to nuzlocke [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 02:03 According-Arm-6159 Hotspot keep poping up and disappeared, but I got no order.

I live in a small town, so didn't expect to receive lots of order, but they all have good base pay, so I would probably accept all of them if they pop up.
Since the last update, I have been seeing hotspot popup and disappeared, but I receive no ping at all. I was able to make 30-40 bucks a day on top of another job, but recently, I would be lucky if I receive a ping or two.
I turn on my app at home, which is a mile or two from hotspot. I used to receive good order from 3 miles away. I don't know what is going on.

submitted by According-Arm-6159 to UberEATS [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 02:02 benbru92 This disorder feels like it dooms you to a life of watching the world pass you by

I don't know when I realized this, maybe subconsciously in high school when you got to see normal people interacting with eachother. I still had friends, messed around with girls, but it all felt very forced. I feel like I only learned how to do it in a fake way, by emulating what I saw, and none of it ended up making me happy.
Now at 30 years old I'm left observing the world around me, and wondering who the imposter really is. Is it me? For I'm unable to connect with human beings on the "natural" level, Or is it them, bound to a life of social cues, and selling themselves out to the "normalcy" of the world around them? What is truly worse?
What use is it to be able to see beyond the veil, if the world you see is depressing and dreary, devoid of any joy? What have you really gained with this "true sight"? I'm left wondering this at times, and depending on my mood I feel as if the answer flips. I switch between thinking the average man has been cursed to sleep walk through this life following only the standards set out before him, and thinking that I might actually be lucky to see the inner workings of things, to see social concepts for what they really are, to see relationships for what they really are.
At the end of the day though, they are happy, and I am not. What does it matter to be able to see so clearly if it eats you away and strips at your insides until there's nothing left but an empty husk waiting to die?

submitted by benbru92 to Schizoid [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 02:01 COD_Mobile_Official Call of Duty: Mobile - March 29th Community Update

https://preview.redd.it/9631pptnerqa1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=988db57fd1e1a5be38809209aeff1868a92fd645
Greetings Call of Duty: Mobile Community, we are back and beyond excited to share that Call of Duty: Mobile Season 3: RUSH is now live! This season is full of good vibes, colorful content, and new ways to play! Before we RUSH into all the new things Season 3 brings…and we promise that will be the last RUSH pun in the update… let’s check out our official Season 3 trailer to get the party started!
https://reddit.com/link/12659vh/video/05g02go2frqa1/player
Now that our boogie shoes are on it’s time to get into the rest of the Update. In this Community Update, we will be covering all of the new content coming to COD:M in Season 3 – RUSH, including the new Battle Pass and Battle Pass Vault, new MP Map, new weapon, new scorestreak, new quality of life changes, and more. Let’s groove!
https://preview.redd.it/x2l2l4u6frqa1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=1349816984be8c8523c4852dfb336640e4ce51db
As always, let’s start with a quick look at all the newest events launching throughout the next week:

Every Weekend (Friday – Sunday) ~ Tournament Mode
3/30 – 4/26 ~ Unstoppable! Seasonal Challenge
3/30 – 4/26 ~ Credit Store Update
3/31 – 4/02 ~ Alcatraz
3/31 – 4/06 ~ Gun Game Mosh Pit
3/31 – 4/13 ~ Chromatic Feast Themed Event
3/31 – 4/06 ~ Mosh Mosh Baby Featured Event
3/31 – 4/02 ~ 10v10 Collection
4/01 – 4/21 ~ Balanced Brilliance Mythic Drop
4/04 – 4/10 ~ Shipment 1944
4/04 – 4/20 ~ Easter Prop Hunt
4/04 – 4/26 ~ Armor Up Seasonal Challenge
4/06 – 4/12 ~ BR Sniper Isolated
4/07 – 4/13 ~ Big Head Blizzard
4/07 – 4/20 ~ Dark Beats Draw
4/07 – 4/13 ~ Easy Target Featured Event
4/07 – 4/09 ~ Ground War

*All Dates UTC
In addition to all of the modes and events listed above, this season has a ton of new content coming like new operators and blueprints. You can see some of the new content that is coming now and later in the Season in our Roadmap below –
https://preview.redd.it/7adkupjefrqa1.png?width=974&format=png&auto=webp&s=f6ba44f1462554fb752a2039c516b774f90e46da
Battle Pass The Season 3: RUSH Battle Pass is now live! This new pass features Epic operators: Rivas, Darkwave, Domino, and Stitch. The weapons in the pass include the KRM-262, ASM10, KN-44, Razorback, and the new sniper the HDR. Also in the Battle Pass is the new Scorestreak the Wheelson as well as a variety of other items and blueprints. Below you’ll find highlights of both the free and paid versions of the Battle Pass, as well as our Battle Pass trailer so you can see the operators and weapons in action!
Free Battle Pass

Heartbeat Sensor – Magic Forest Out (tier 1)
Parachute – Magic Forest (tier 4)
Sticker – Silo Slash (tier 8)
New Scorestreak – Wheelson (tier 14)
Calling Card – Harbinger’s Scythe (tier 16)
HBRa3 – Swirly (tier 18)
New Weapon – HDR (tier 21)
J358 – Swirly (tier 26)
Wingsuit – Magic Forest (tier 28)
Boat – Magic Forest (tier 31)
Echo Grenade – Magic Forest (tier 34)
Striker – Swirly (tier 36)
Poltergeist – Magic Forest (tier 38)
Charm – Pink Thunder (tier 41)
Ninja – Magic Forest (Tier 46)
Cordite – Swirly (tier 50)

https://reddit.com/link/12659vh/video/10znub5mfrqa1/player
Premium Pass

Rivas – Neon (tier 1)
ASM10 – Castle in the Dark (tier 1)
Calling Card – Illuminated Forest (tier 1)
Backpack – Weather Proof (tier 5)
Razorback – Treble in the Club (tier 10)
Domino – Tech Spectrum (tier 12)
Charm – Glow in the Dark (tier 15)
Defender – Fuzzy Inside (tier 19)
Cluster Grenade – Fuzzy Inside (tier 20)
KN-44 – Candy Bracelet (tier 30)
Darkwave (tier 35)
Emote – Feelin’ It (tier 39)
KRM-262 – Smiling Faces (tier 40)
JAK 12 – Fuzzy Inside (tier 44)
Stitch - Disciple (tier 50)
HDR – Iridescent Lines (tier 50)

On top of everything else in the pass, there is also a Battle Pass Bundle which comes with the following five epic items and a BP tier earn-rate boost:
~ Parachute – Oil Spill ~ Glow Stick – Oil Spill ~ Avatar – Besides Oneself ~ Frame – Oil Spill ~ Calling Card – Rainbow Renegade
And on top, of that, we have our Ground Forces Subscription! Join Ground Forces and unlock the following –

Premium Battle Pass
Zane – Miasma (Epic)
BK57 – Music For Life (Epic)
Backpack – DJ’s Bass (Epic)
50% off 10x Crate Pulls 3 times per month
+ 10% Player XP
+ 10% Weapon XP

Battle Pass Vault
In addition to our Battle Pass offer, we have our usual Battle Pass from the past in our Battle Pass Vault. This season in the Battle Pass Vault is the 2020 Battle Pass from Season 10: The Hunt. This means if you happened to miss The Hunt’s Battle Pass the first time now is your chance! The Battle Pass Vault Season 10: The Hunt will include –

Mara – Valkyrie (Epic)
Mace – Tombstone (Epic)
Outrider – Amazonas (Epic)
Makarov – Splinter (Epic)
Echo – Demon Eyes (Epic)
LK24 – Backwoods (Epic)
RPD – Carnivorous (Epic)
XPR-50 – Arachnophobia (Epic)
GKS – Scion (Epic)
and more!

If you want to check out some of these items and action, throw it back with our Season 10 – The Hunt Battle Pass Trailer –
https://reddit.com/link/12659vh/video/7fouhsa1grqa1/player
New Weapon – HDR Sniper lovers rejoice! Now available at tier 21 in the free path of the Battle Pass is the new Sniper – HDR. The HDR is a bolt-action sniper rifle originally from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. This new functional weapon is a powerful, heavy sniper that sacrifices movement speed for its high damage. However, you can mix and match attachments like any of our weapons in-game to make the build that fits your playing style, one recommended build we have can be seen below -
https://preview.redd.it/qpfxl7s3grqa1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=8d7a0b9436650f95c61726be4689a5599751e376
In addition to the base version of this weapon at tier 21, an Epic version of the weapon – the HDR – Iridescent Lines is available at tier 50 of the premium Battle Pass. And, if you keep an eye out, you’ll see a Legendary version of the HDR available in a draw later in the season!
New Scorestreak – Wheelson Available at tier 14 of the free Battle Pass is the latest scorestreak coming to Call of Duty: Mobile – Wheelson. Popular in the Modern Warfare series the Wheelson has rolled its way into COD:M Season 3 – RUSH. The Wheelson is a UGV (unmanned ground vehicle) with a powerful turret. After calling in this scorestreak, players will be able to control the Wheelson by remote control, driving over rough terrain and eliminating enemies with its incredible firepower. The Wheelson is deceptively agile and can fit into tight spaces, so don’t think you are safe from an enemy Wheelson just because you ran into a building!
New MP Map – Rush First seen in Call of Duty: Black Ops II and again in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War the colorful MP Map Rush has made its way to Call of Duty: Mobile! Rush takes place centered around a paintball field where players can engage in fast-paced high-intensity closer encounters. If you are planning on Rushing to the paintball field we recommend doing so with your favorite SMG. Outside of the paintball field is an area of admin buildings filled with various tight corners to continue close encounter engagement, but also various windows and long sightlines for players who like longer-range combat. Rush will be launching later in the season, so be sure and keep an eye out on our socials to drop in!
https://preview.redd.it/po2egk0cgrqa1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=dace10f127d21ba8f42116b17afff45523e72089
Safe House
Safe House is the newest “quality of life” update in Call of Duty: Mobile and it's now live in Season 3! The Safe House is a space where you can show off all of the cool gear you have collected in your COD:M career. Flex on your friends and enemies by showcasing your very best vehicles, Operators, and Weapons for all to come and see. Think you have the best Safe House? Click the share button in the top right corner and prove it! As this is a new feature, Safe House is expected to get updates and optimizations in the new few seasons. Also available in the Safe House is -
Background Music Customization
We know how much our Community loves COD:M music. And since this season is all about the party, thumping bass, and high-tempo melody, we decided to give our players not just to option of the groovy Season 3 – RUSH theme music to play in-game but more songs! Now players are able to choose their background music with choices between the themes of Season 3 – RUSH, Season 3 – Radical Raid (2022), and Season 9 – Nightmare (2021). To change the current theme music for your game click the music note and CD icon in the top right-hand corner of the Safehouse menu. From this menu, you can choose which Season theme songs you have access to play in any order you like in your COD:M lobby.
Looking ahead, the plan in future seasons is to make various past theme music available for players to earn through our events! We hope you all are excited to vibe to past season’s themes, we know we are! As with any new feature, we would love to hear your thoughts on this, as well as your favorite past Season’s theme music we should bring back.
BR Training Ground
Call of Duty: Mobile has been around for a long time now (and isn’t going anywhere) but after 3 plus years of this amazing game we wanted to give our players more ways to improve their skills this season. In addition to the Single Player Map Training (more info on that below) we have added a second Training feature to CODM this season. And now Training Ground is no longer just for MP!
In Season 3 – RUSH a new BR Training Ground is available for all you Battle Royale mains to fine-tune your game. Like the previous Training Ground, in the BR Training Ground you will be able to test your Battle Royale loadouts against targets or moving bots, to see if you really have the best of the best setup. The Battle Royale Training Ground is your spot to make sure you’re taking full advantage of the different weapon balances that BR has to offer compared to MP. We hope you use this new feature to dominate your next Alcatraz game!
New Single Player Map Training
In the Single Player Map Training mode, you can load into any map that is in the Ranked Map rotation and train in a variety of ways to improve your game! Once loaded into a map you will be able to adjust –

Bot Settings: increase/decrease the number of enemy bots and adjust the bot’s difficulty
Buff Yourself: give yourself unlimited bullets, give yourself invisibility.
Throwables: have unlimited throwables, see each throwables throwing curve, and see the pov of each throwable.
Show Points: show the different points for Domination, Hardpoint, and Search & Destroy.
Respawns: map out each general respawn point per map.
Gunsmith: change weapons and loadouts like in Training Ground.

Any good CODM player knows that they always have room for improvement (unless you are on Tribe in which case, we think you don’t need to get any better). So, whether you’re a new player to COD:M who just wants to increase their K/D or a seasoned CODM player who wants to level up in Ranked faster, the new Single Player Map Training feature is for you!
https://preview.redd.it/9khhiheogrqa1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=ed31b88e38ea5dd4344abb3d0671a39b869eed00
Ranked
A new Ranked Season has arrived with Season 3 – RUSH. This Ranked season brings in all new Ranked rewards for you all to earn, a new Elite Mission where you can earn Elite Tokens, and Ranked Optimizations.
After reaching Legendary, players can play ranked matches to earn Elite Tokens. These Tokens can be used to construct past ranked rewards! We’ve also announced that the final Elite Missions reward is a new earnable Legendary Weapon. Yes, you read that right. More info on how to earn this Legendary Weapon will come later, but we would suggest doing well in Ranked😉
Grinding through this Season’s Ranked will earn you the satisfaction of making it to the top of the competition and –

Dingo – Gemmed Beast (Epic)
Archangel – The Night is Lit (Epic)
and more!

Seasonal Challenges
Unstoppable!
The first Seasonal Challenge of the season is live now! The Unstoppable! challenge will have players showing off how adept they are with various scorestreaks including the new scorestreak the Wheelson. Prove you are truly unstoppable and you’ll earn yourself 13K BP XP as well as the following -

Vivian Harris – Long Live Revolution (Shard) (Epic)
Avatar – Failed Experiment (Rare)
SMRS – Galaxy Daze (Rare)
Pharo – Tokyo Bound (Rare)
Silver Crate Coupon

Armor Up
The second Seasonal Challenge of Season 3: RUSH will launch on 4/04 UTC. The Armor Up seasonal challenge will have you showing off your skills using various ARs – and in later challenges – the CR-56 AMAX. Specifically, this AR because this seasonal challenge will be how you earn the new signature attachment for the CR-56, the CR-56 AMAX – GRD-11. This signature attachment will give players an added amount of defense and cover while using the CR-56 AMAX, acting as an attachable mini-shield for the weapon. Completing all the tasks in this challenge will earn you 15K BP XP as well as the following -

Vivian Harris – Long Live Revolution (Shard) (Epic)
Scout – Galaxy Daze (Rare)
ATV – Galaxy Daze (Rare)
Signature Attachment - CR-56 AMAX – GRD-11
Silver Crate Coupon

Support Options This a brand new season with a ton of new content so please report any issues you may be seeing in-game. As always, we appreciate all of you who take the time to report these bugs in our Community spaces. Our teams are regularly monitoring those, so thank you to anyone who reports any issue (big or small) and helps make the game better for everyone.
Lastly, outside of community channels, which are not great options for individual bugs just affecting you, our two main two official support options are below:

In-game support chat
Player Support Website: Contact Us

That’s all for this Community Update! Below we have attached our seasonal patch notes full of all of the updated content, bug fixes, and weapon balances. We hope you enjoy the new season and see you all in the next update!
- The Call of Duty: Mobile Team

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Call of Duty: Mobile Season 3: RUSH
The rave is just getting started with Call of Duty®: Mobile Season 3: RUSH! Find your groove with Rivas – Neon and her Razorback - Treble in the Club or break out your glow sticks with Darkwave and his KN-44 - Candy Bracelet in the Season 3 Battle Pass! If you missed it the first time, The Hunt Battle Pass is now available in the Battle Pass Vault. Show off your winnings to your friends in the customizable Safe House and jump into the high-action new MP map, Rush. Lastly, don’t forget to redeem tokens in the Egg Hunter BR Event. Join the party now!
Call of Duty: Mobile Season 3: RUSH brings new content including:
· A brand-new sniper rifle, HDR, is now available in COD:M! With its insane firepower at the cost of mobility, it can effectively suppress enemies In any type of combat scenario.
· The final reward for Elite Mission 2023 has been officially determined: a brand-new Legendary primary weapon! Series 1 is now in the final stage, please keep an eye on your Elite Mission progress.
Log in to the game and enjoy the new content after the update!

-----Multiplayer-----

Map Update

New Map - Rush
A brand new MP map, Rush, is coming soon. This paintball firing range has clearly defined inner and outer lanes, where intense battles amidst bunkers and gunfire are about to unfold.
Mode Update
New Mode - Single Player Map Training
A new training mode for ranked modes and maps in the ranked match pool will provide more convenient features to Players! Feel free to test out Free FOV, Throwable Trajectory, and Throwable AOV!
Mode Adjustment - Big Head Blizzard
Adjusted movement speed debuff after Blizzard Beasts got hit. Reduced movement speed of Blizzard Beasts. Reduced damage caused by Blizzard Beasts.
Ranked Match Update
2023 Series1 is now in the final stage. The final Elite Mission reward is officially set already: players who achieved goals will be awarded a brand-new Legendary weapon when the final ranked series begins in 2023!
More details of this legendary weapon will come in the future. You can check the requirements for unlocking the legendary weapon and your current progress in Elite Mission. Good luck to you all.
The new system in Elite Mission "Construct Rewards" is coming soon, where you can rebuild the missed rewards in previous ranked series. You can enter the Elite Mission in the ranked lobby to view more details.
After reaching Legendary, you can play ranked matches to earn Elite Tokens. After you earned a certain number of Elite Tokens, you can use them to rebuild the missed seasonal rewards.
Rewards from below series are now joining the Construct Rewards, and more will be coming soon, stay tuned.
Series 4 2021 Series 5 2021 Series 1 2022
New score bonus Overpower was added in Result Page: players that are assessed to perform better than other players at the same ranked tiers will be granted with this bonus. This rule does not apply on the first day of the new ranked series.
Optimized the logic of capturing objects in ranked matches. Rank XP bonus will be given in this new series for Domination.
Optimized Team-up range: Legendary players of 10000+ Rank XP will not team-up with Masters.
Optimized the matching logic for 4-Man/5-Man's in-progress matches: narrowed the strength gaps between joining player and average team levels.
Additional condition of triggering the Ranked Shield Card was added: triggers when deducted over 20 Rank XP.
Loadouts are available during matchmaking in Ranked Matches.

Ranked Map Pool Update

Frontline
Added to permanent pool: Express, Crossroads Strike
Map change: changed Nuketown Russia to Nuketown
Team Death Match
Removed map: Apocalypse, Favela
Added map: Diesel
Map change: changed Nuketown Russia to Nuketown
Search & Destroy
Removed map: Favela
Domination
Removed map: Favela, Crash, Apocalypse
Added map: Diesel
Map change: changed Nuketown Russia to Nuketown
Hardpoint
Removed map: Crossroads Strike
Added map: Diesel
Map change: changed Nuketown Russia to Nuketown

Scorestreaks/Operator Skills

New Scorestreak – Wheelson A remote-controlled ground drone with impressive firepower.
Quick release of the UAV by left hand is now available.
Optimized the release operation of tablet-based Scorestreaks.

Practice Range Optimization

A new zone in MP Practice Range is now available to explore.
Bot behavior optimized.
Target challenge optimized.
Circle target challenge added.

Other Optimization

Optimized light rendering and reflect effects in Crossfire and Standoff.
Optimized some in-game texture performance of weapons.

-----Battle Royale-----

Mode Update

BR Training Ground
Weapons from Battle Royale or Arsenal Airdrops and new weapon mods are now available for training. And the new long-distance flying target challenge would help you become the next sniper master.
What are you waiting for? Let’s improve our survival skills here at BR Training Ground!
Gameplay Update
Easter Themed Event:
The well-reputed Easter Egg Event is back for a limited time!
You can gain Easter Egg Tokens by breaking Easter Eggs in Isolated and Blackout, completing Egg Pushing Tasks, and eliminating enemies. Easter Egg Tokens can be used for spinning the Lucky Wheel from the NPC Firebreak to earn rewards. The rewards include the Revive Bacon, which will help Players to revive immediately on the next revival flight (if there will be a next one) only when teammates are still alive.

Other Update

Added 3D Get-hit Hint:
It is enabled by default. Players can switch it off in SETTINGS – BASIC – BR MODE. 3D Get-hit Hint can help to discern attackers’ location, especially for those who are not on the same horizontal plane in some scenarios of Battle Royale.
Simplified KD/KO Broadcast:
Appropriately simplified the length of Knock-down/Knock-out information, especially from teammates.
Optimized positive feedback from KD/KO on the right side of reticle:
Added animation effects on positive feedback from Knock-Down/Knock-Out information on the right side of the reticle to improve the performance.
Added trigger condition to Ranked Shield Card:
Card protection triggers when deducted over 20 Rank XP.

Weapon Rotation

Weapon Rotation of Battle Royale in this season:
Assault Rifle:
Type 25, AK-47, M4, ICR-1, Peacekeeper MK2, AS VAL, M13, Kilo 141, Oden, Krig 6, EM2, Maddox
Sniper Rifle:
XPR-50, DL Q33, SVD, HDR
LMG:
UL736, RPD, Dingo
SMG:
RUS-79U, QQ9, Fennec, AGR 556, MX9, PPSh-41, MAC-10, LAPA
Shotgun:
BY15, HS0405, KRM-262
Marksman:
Kilo Bolt-Action, SKS

-----Weapon-----

New Weapon

Sniper Rifle -HDR
A brand-new heavy sniper rifle with insane firepower but at the huge cost of mobility.

New Attachment

CR-56 AMAX Attachment - GRD-11
A weapon-attached shield that is partially made of transparent materials to enhance visibility, and blocks bullets before being destroyed for its lower endurance.

Weapon Attachment Code

· New weapon attachment codes are added for easier sharing of attachment sets.
· The code of each attachment consists of 1 figure and 1 letter (eg.: 6B) that individually represents the slot it is located in and attached itself.
· A complete weapon attachment code that consists of the gun type and 5 attachment codes (eg.: MSMC-4A6B7A8C9C) could represent an attachment set of this weapon.
· Players can import or export attachment codes in the attachment modification page.
· Meanwhile, CLEAR ALL and RESET are integrated into one button.

Weapon Balance Adjustment Reminder

There will be reminders displayed on weapons with balance adjustments in new version updates. Players can tap the weapon balance icon for more details and compare the value changes of weapons and attachments. (reminders can also be hidden.)

Weapon Optimization

Reduced camera vibration: Shorty
Weapon performance optimization: Locus, Rytec AMR, UL736, M4LMG, M21 EBR, Renetti, Holger 26, MK2, Shorty, Crossbow
Weapon SFX optimization: AGR 556, QXR, Echo, PPSh-41, J358
Optimized reload-to-sprint movement transition.
Optimized ADS-to-sprint movement transition.
Added standard melee weapon adsorption to Heavy Hit.

Weapon Comparison Update

Optimized weapon comparison interface: able to view the complete chart without sliding.
Added new feature: able to export and save the complete chart.
Added quick-selection to weapon comparison: able to compare with weapons in current loadouts.
Changed the time unit of Sprint-to-fire Delay to "ms".

Bug Fixed

Fixed the incorrect value of dual-wield weapons in weapon comparison.
Optimized the issue of too many decimal places in the damage value of some weapons.
Fixed the incorrect damage value of CR-56 AMAX equipped with M67 Ammo in weapon comparison.

-----General Update-----

Safe House

Safe House is coming! Players can enter it from the SAFE HOUSE (former ARSENAL) in the lobby! Players can show items they owned, including weapons with camos, character, and vehicles.
Players can visit Safe Houses through players' profile page. New high-rarity weapons, characters and Prestige Weapon are available to check in Arsenal at the bottom left corner of Safe House.
More features will be available in the following releases. We welcome your experiences and feedback!

Meta BGM Player

The Meta Music Player is now available. As an early access benefit, after the version update, players can permanently own the themed music of the current version and two return themed music.
In the future, themed music of past seasons will be returned through engagement events, and players can get it for free after completing the task.
The themed music of the new season in the future will be available for a limited time. If players want to own it permanently, they need to get it in Premium Battle Pass.All original theme music in the game is now available! You can customize your lobby music via the ‘Music Player’ icon in the top right corner in the Safe House.

Tournament Update

The new task system is now available in Tournament. You can check weekly and seasonal tasks in the Tournament lobby and complete them to earn additional rewards. Task system is available even if it's not the opening hours of the Tournament.

Other

Sight distance adjustment is now available. You can adjust the distance between the camera and optics via Gunsmith – Customize to improve visual performance.
Players must be at least of Lv.10 to add a friend.
Muzzle Default Look is now available. Players can change the muzzle appearance on the attachment page.
A Ranked Shield Card will be compensated for players who encounter a game violation after the violated player was banned.
Fixed the bug that the marker will not disappear after choosing it on selectable tasks.

-----Balance Adjustment-----

MP&BR
AK117
Tactical reload speed: Increased
Lateral Recoil：Reduced
Fixed the bug that the basic recoil in BR is the same as in MP
AK-47
Reload speed: Increased
ADS speed: Increased
Peacekeeper MK2
Basic hit flinch: Reduced
ADS bullet spread: Reduced
HBRa3
Recoil: Optimized
BK57
Recoil: Optimized
LK24
Damage: Increased
Chest damage multiplier: Increased
KN-44
Reticle & Optic vibration when firing: Reduced
Outlaw
Head damage multiplier: Increased
First damage range: Increased
Koshka
Fire interval between shots: Reduced
Exiting scope speed: Increased
Recoil recovery delay after firing: Reduced
QQ9
Basic damage: Increased
10mm 30 Round Reload:
Extra damage in first 2 ranges: Increased
Head damage multiplier: Increased
Lower arm damage multiplier: Increased
AGR 556
Horizontal recoil: Reduced
RUS-79U
Lower arm damage multiplier: Increased
HS0405
Movement speed: Increased
Sprint-to-fire delay: Reduced
Hip fire bullet spread: Smoothed
Damage: Adjusted (BR Only)
Range: Adjusted (BR Only)
Kilo Bolt-Action
Attachment added: Red Dot Sight
Stopping Power Reload
Debuff on fire interval: Reduced
D13 Sector
Right fire button: Changed to hip fire
Visible trajectory: Added
Bullet Speed: Increased

MP

S36
Damage multiplier: Increased (MP Only)
MP Operator Skill/Tactics
TAK-5
Added a 3P effect when being activated.
H.I.V.E.
Added additional time for H.I.V.E. to go effective after deployment.
Hit-box volume: Increased
Effects visibility: Increased
EM3
Added a Reminder when being detected.
Tempest
Increased the weapon swap speed while the Operator Skill is activated.
Charging speed: Significantly increased
Damage range: Significantly increased
Bullet speed: Significantly increased
Mag capacity: Reduced
Equalizer
Bullet damage-taken reduction: Added

BR

Tempest
Charging Time: Significantly reduced
ADS Speed: Significantly increased
ADS Movement Speed: Significantly increased
Need to reload for every single shot
Ammo consumption per shot: Increased
Annihilator
Damage: Increased
Range: Increased
Bullet Speed: Increased
Ammo consumption per shot: Increased
Reload speed: Increased
BY15
Damage range: Adjusted (BR Only)
KRM-262
Damage: Reduced (BR Only)
BR Class
Clown
Target locking range: Increased

submitted by COD_Mobile_Official to CallOfDutyMobile [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 01:58 Dungeon_Dice JoJo's Bizarre OC Tournament #6: R4M9 - Passion Little and Dédalo Viatger vs ???

The results are in for Match 7. The winner is…
It reeked of bleach. Sharp and horrible, it burned the skin and sends the head swimming. Yet, this was not the rebellion Brandy had planned. Wah forced her to compromise at every angle. As time ticked by, their defences only grew, while hers diminished.
Now, the Wildebeest Queen stood in their oasis, cloaked in the skin of lions. They set to work destroying the walls, Brandy’s remaining resource, one by one.
She knew this was her only chance. Gathering her final angels, she hatched one last plan.
The waiting was the worst part. As seconds passed, the suspense ate at Wah. They glanced around, smashing wall after wall, trying to find her.
At last, their eyes caught sight of Brandy, charging forth with spear in hand. Her flesh bubbled with copper, trying to grow, trying to shock them, anything. But with a scream, Wah hurled a table at her head, smashing it into a splatter of gel.
Another fallen angel.
Tensed with instinct, Wah whirled around to find the real Brandy tearing through the last wall standing, leaping at them with The Heritors Picaro.
Everything stopped.
The two locked eyes.
Brandy realized how similar they look, while Wah confirmed what they had already feared.
What gripped them is a wordless, bestial terror…
…before the Bastion smashes Brandy to the ground.

Mx. Wah, with a score of 72 to Brandy Judge’s 65!

Category	Winner	Point Totals	Comments
Popularity	Brandy Judge	12 (3.5+2) - 18 (6.5+2)	Brandy snagged a commanding early lead and held it through to the end!
Quality	Mx. Wah	22 (7 7 8) - 17 (5 5 7)	Reasoning
JoJolity	Mx. Wah	28 (10 10 8) - 20 (6 7 7)	Reasoning
Conduct	Tie	10-10	Judges had issues with length in the delibs, but ultimately found no conduct penalty.

As Brandy hung on the verge of unconsciousness, it felt like a century went by. But finally, to break the silence, she felt a tap on her shoulder.
Opening her eyes, she saw Mx. Wah in front of her, offering a paper cone filled with water.
Brandy would slap the stupid offering away if she still had the strength. But all she could do is close her eyes again, drown it all out.
Sighing miserably, Wah finally staggered and crumples against the wall next to their daughter. Their ‘consequence’.
They tried to tell her they wouldn't kill her. They tried to tell her they just didn’t want to die. They tried to tell their child that they’re scared.
All the while, Brandy was silent.
Wah tried again. “Come back to COLOSSI with me, and we can work something out. I have to take responsibility once in my life. You already came this far for me–neither of us are going to give up now.”
At last, they extended a hand to her, remorse creasing their tired face. “...What do you say?”
Finally, Brandy pushed herself upward, and weakly nudged the hand away. She exhaled a pained breath, gave Wah a stoic look, and spoke at last.
“Fix your fucking life, mom.”
Wallowing in frustration and foiled rebellion, Brandy turned away. She had no more words to give.
Yet, before Wah could respond, footsteps approached. There stood Alalu, brows knit with concern, though her eyes were gleaming.
“Poor dears…” she sighs. “These battles are difficult, but the fact that you survived is a sign of your strength,” she smiles, nodding to Wah. “In honor of that, even though you didn’t fight Frederick, when we start this friendship I’ll still owe you a-”
”Not now,” Wah rasped. ”Please.”
Alalu raised her brows, before nodding solemnly.
“...I understand. Later, then. For now, allow me to escort you both home.”
She extended a hand to them both. Neither Wah nor Brandy had the strength left to refuse. With a smile, Alalu lifted them and led them from the wreckage. Outside, the night was cold. Alalu idly fussed over them as they walked to her car, as she talked about sending them a care package full of good food and clothing.
Love is warmth, Wah heard her say. But the night was so cold.
Quietly, they turned towards the ruined building.
｢Wolf Murder｣ watched back. Her body heaved with pelts, gathered from their funeral procession. There was respect in her eyes. This too was cold.
Above her, Wah spotted something else. Pale porcelain, and glowing socket eyes.
An old friend. The terror of death. Nobody at all.
They turned away quickly, heart pounding. Cold and desperate, Wah reached out a hand for Brandy. For their daughter. So they might share this promised warmth, this love.
She did not take it.
The results are in for Match 8. The winner is…

Errok, with a score of 72 to Cody Enfield’s 69!

Category	Winner	Point Totals	Comments
Popularity	Cody Enfield	14 (4+2) - 16 (5+2)	A steady back and forth with Cody sliding in with a one vote lead!
Quality	Tie	22 (7-7-8) - 22 (7-7-8)	Reasoning
JoJolity	Errok	26(9-8-9) - 21 (7-6-8)	Reasoning
Conduct	Tie	10-10	A strat time extension was issued without penalty, but do note that these are given wholly under judge discretion with sufficient notice and good cause. We have been more liberal than tournaments past, but even we have limits. So far extensions have been in lucky spots where they did not interfere with the schedule of other matches, but there is also the consideration of fairness to both teams and when an extension is necessary by circumstance or become needed due to not being able to finish in a given timeframe. The reason we delay granting match extensions for the latter case is because we are uncertain whether or not they are actually necessary or if the team will be able to work and have gotten in their strategy in anyways. And ideally we want people to work as if they will not be getting an extension to prevent procrastination or effectively squandering time that could have been utilized. Final note as a reminder, turning in a strategy late for a conduct penalty, while it can feel bad, is an option for a reason in the sorts of cases where we cannot grant an extension in good faith.

The dust settled, and Errok was alone to laugh.
“Ah…I love the putrid rot of millenia,” Errok mused aloud to himself, looking out with satisfaction towards the utterly brutalized ruins as he steps forward, foot planted on Cody’s stiff body as the demonstration of the land’s history lay in rotten, distorted pieces. He clutched a Temple in his hand, unsure what even to do with it. “Thousands of years it took for this place to hold, years of your archaeology to find it, mysteries awaiting answer and investigation…And it’s wiped away by disease and swordplay in a matter of minutes. In my professional opinion, in fact…I’ll even give you my answer for what became of this high-and-mighty civilization.”
Unsure if Cody was even alive or dead, Errok uncapped his hand once more, allowing the worms to trail slowly down it and burrow into his body, burrow into the soft, barely-living ground beneath him.
“They were struck down by a plague!”
Crash! Clang!
Errok was knocked forward into a nearby wall by an explosive volley of arrows, feeling a familiar cutting sensation digging into the flesh of his arm and demanding that he retract it. A familiarly ‘clean’ feeling attempts to invade his rotten arm, but his own disease and maggots eat it away before pumpkins could grow. Even as his helmeted head rested against the wall, he groaned, but it turned into a laugh nonetheless as he cracked his neck, rose, and looked at them.
Ninian and Dédalo stood , weapons drawn, staring him down with blatant contempt. Grey, in the back, also prepared to either support them or get Cody away.
“You removed everything, you stupid piece of shit!” Ninian shouted, voice low and grainy and bloodthirsty. “What’s the point of any of this? All this…Everything we’ve got here, and now..!”
“And it’s been reduced to feed for my worms…It, and all your documentation, and the spirits you wear…All of them will be reduced to nothing anyway! I’ve just become the agent of its rot. The conqueror of what had stood for ages…I did it because I can, in short, MacBeth.”
Realizing then that those were about to be his likely last words, he hurriedly held up what Temples he managed to steal, hold onto, waving them tauntingly. “And now, a half-life lays in my hands! The very last vestiges of what you all came out here…Strike me down, children, and it all becomes for naught. At least if I walk away…You’ll know that all your work was for something, no? It’s a compromise…Your Temples go to my Ends, and they’re still out there, someplace in this world. Sounds like a fine deal from where I’m standing…And the only one you’ve got.”
The others stood there, utterly stiff from realization that Errok, for once in his wretched life…was right. Like him, they had no choice now but to choose between a rotten-away half-life for the remains of this place and complete oblivion.
Scenario: Alexandria National Museum, Alexandria, Egypt — 7:16 AM
At this hour, the tour groups that normally plagued the museum’s halls weren’t due to arrive until later in the morning, leaving it in a state of calm for a few blissful hours. Beams of sunlight streamed in through the windows and illuminated the exhibits inside—important pieces symbolizing different periods in the grand history of Alexandria.
Dédalo idly wandered from display to display, examining each and every one of them. It had become a habit of his to do this in every museum that he came across on his travels, after discovering several artifacts and potential temples of Pieduron origin mislabeled as ones from other ancient civilizations. Dédalo’s eye passed over canopic jars, ushabti figurines, gleaming jewelry and statues of long-dead emperors and pharaohs. From the recreation of the funerary chamber on the first floor, to the display of Alexandria’s Hellenistic and Roman periods on the second, all the way up to the city’s Coptic, Muslim and 19th to 20th century, one could learn the entire history of Alexandria in a single trip.
As he scrutinized the exhibits Dédalo noticed that many of its placards had a small footnote underneath the main text: ｢Donated by the House of Muses.｣ While he wasn’t an expert in appraisal by any means, he could see the distinct glint of Cleria in some of the artifacts, masked by thin layers of acrylic resin.
“How strange,” Dédalo muttered. “The House of Muses have amassed a number of Temples, yet the ones here are all mislabeled. I should inform them when I get the chance.”
He pulled out a notebook and began to jot down a few of their names as Perdida floated behind him, arms crossed. “Are you not concerned that they have this many temples?”
“Well, relabelling everything will certainly take some time. And these pieces were improperly restored because the curator must have assumed them to be Egyptian relics, so that will also need to be taken care of...” Dédalo continued taking down notes and sketches.
“That’s not what I’m worried about, it’s just...”
“Excuse me,” A suited man with the build of a bodyguard interrupted Dédalo and Perdida’s conversation.“Patron Cullinan is ready to see you now. Please come with me.”
“Perfect timing, lead the way.” Dédalo closed his notebook and moved to follow the suited man with Perdida trailing after.
Scenario: Alexandria National Museum, Alexandria, Egypt—7:26 AM
Old painting…Stone tablet…Weird looking statue…
Passion didn’t know what she expected to find when she decided to sneak through the storage room of a history museum. It seemed like a fun idea at the time, but all that was here was a bunch of boxes filled with old junk; no wonder why it wasn’t being displayed.
Passion stepped over the snoring body of the security guard stationed at the door and started heading towards the nearest exit, past rows of shelves of more boxes.
“Sorry, miss, this is the employee-only section. Are you lost?” Passion looked to see a suited woman sorting boxes on a shelf, 15 or so meters away.
“Think I got separated from the tour group I was with,” Passion lied. “‘Scuse me.”
“I can help guide you where you need to go.” The woman put the box she was holding onto the shelf.
“Exit’s right there,” Passion pointed out. “I can just go,”
“Please, I insist. It's not everyday we get a direct visit from a member of COLOSSI.”
Passion remained silent, holding ｢sleepyhead｣ close to her chest. If the woman took one step closer, she could send her to dreamland…but she remained just shy of ten meters away.
“We fully respect your anonymity. But if we could have a moment of your time, the House of Muses could offer our services with your ‘problem’.” The suited woman made a devil horn sign with her hands and tapped the side of her nose.
Passion glanced at her plushie, one glassy eye staring back at her.
“Fine.”
“Ah, Dédalo~boy and Perdida~girl. Make yourselves at home.” Cullinan spread his arms wide in a welcoming gesture.
They were in what Dédalo had first assumed to be the basement of the museum, but his adventuring sense told him this place was much older. The place was lit through a series of wired cave lamps; Too barren to be any sort of underground burial chamber, perhaps it was an old storage facility or some type of bunker.
“I am still waiting for another guest to arrive before we can begin the main event. But in the meantime, care to join me in a game of Senet?” Cullinan gestured to a table, a gridded board set up in the middle
Dédalo eyed the game board as he put his hat and coat on the back of his chair. “You know the rules of Senet?”
“Of course. The ultimate goal of the House of Muses is the preservation of information, and history most importantly. Especially when that information comes from its homeland of Egypt. However, the informal rules will suffice for now; we are not here to perform any funeral rites or cross into the afterlife.” Cullinan chuckled and sat down at one end of the table, Dédalo sitting across from him.

The game of modern Senet is simple! Each player has 5 pieces; whomever got all of their pieces off the board first won. The board itself is a 3 by 10 grid, with each piece starting in the first row. Each turn, players roll senet sticks to determine how many spaces they can move one of their pieces. If an opponent’s piece was in the slot they wished to move to, the player could swap the positions of the two pieces. However, if the opponent had two or more of their pieces adjacent to each other, those pieces were ‘protected’ and could not be swapped. Though many of its rules have been lost to time, it’s easy to see why Senet was such a popular game!

Dédalo stretched out his fingers and wrists. He had heard that Cullinan enjoyed board games, so he decided that he might as well humor him. This way, he could get on his good side and get the opportunity to ask a few questions.
“Would you like the wood pieces or the obsidian ones?” Cullinan offered as he set up the board.
“I’ll take the wood pieces.”
“Then I will be obsidian. Care to take the first turn?” Cullinan passed Dédalo the set of senet sticks. Dédalo gently tossed them onto the table, allowing the clatter to ring out before continuing.
“I understand that the House of Muses has been collecting temples and researching Pieduron history.” Dédalo inquired politely, moving forward one of his wooden pieces.
“Ah, so you’ve heard.” Cullinan rolled and moved his obsidian piece to the space right behind Dédalo’s. “Picking up the trail that Pieduro left behind in the Mediterranean has been a challenge, even for an organization of our size.”
Dédalo moved another one of his pieces. “Really? You might be further on that trail than you think. Quite a few of your artifacts upstairs are from Pieduro, you know.”
“Is that so? I’ll have to inform the curator, then.” Cullinan chuckled, as if he was making a private joke to himself. Dédalo sensed that Cullinan didn’t seem surprised by what he said.
“Tell me, Dédalo~boy. You have been in pursuit of the Piedurons for much longer than I. Why? What keeps you going on such a Sisyphean task as this?”
“Simple. I am helping Perdida find out what happened to her home and people.” Dédalo rolled the sticks and moved his front piece further forward. “As an adventurer, I can’t just leave this quest uncompleted.”
“My, how noble. Personally, I wish to document and understand what these Temples can do. Our research into their functions has been quite fascinating.” Cullinan took his turn and moved his second piece up behind his first.
“And how is that research going?” Perdida asked, hesitant, as Dédalo rolled his sticks and pondered his next move.
“It took the sacrifice of a few Temples, but I believe we have managed to understand how they work just a bit. Of course, not enough to craft any new ones or find a way to reliably power them.”
Perdida faded into the background, watching as Dédalo finally decided to swap his last piece with Cullinan’s fourth piece. Sacrifice…she didn’t like the way he said that so frivolously.
“That’s a shame,” Dédalo sighed. “Well, if it’s Temples that you need, my companion and I have become rather skilled in locating them. Perhaps we could come to a mutual agreement. You find the outposts, we find the Temples…I assume that’s what you called us here for, after all.”
“You would be correct, but we should wait for our other guest before we finalize any agreements.” Cullinan smiled mysteriously. “Patience, Dédalo~boy. Our game is not yet finished.”
Dédalo could feel his patience towards Cullinan’s vagueness beginning to wane—Cullinan maneuvered around his questions as masterfully as his pieces maneuvered around the board. Time to push harder.
“You’re aware of the symbolism of ‘Wood’ and ‘Obsidian’ to the Piedurons, I assume. ‘Wood’ represents the Earth that binds us all, grounding us to the world around us; Obsidian represents the power that we can wield, and the paradox of how strong yet brittle it can be. In your opinion, which one resonates with you more?”
Cullinan furrowed his brow. Feigning ignorance, Dédalo continued on. “Personally, I’m fascinated with the concept of ‘Wood’. Growing with the Earth, instead of against it. Rebuilding, persisting, even when all seems lost. ‘Wood’ reminds us of our place in the world—not to live wealthy, or live poorly, but to simply live.”
“Hm…I believe that ‘Wood’ is a beautiful ideal.. However, it is simply that; an ideal. For lack of a better term, it’s too ‘soft’ for my tastes.” Cullinan glanced at the obsidian piece he held in his hand. “‘Obsidian’, on the other hand…when it breaks, when it shatters, it is lost forever. But for the short time that it lasts, its strength outweighs its fragility. An obsidian dagger needs only to cut once to make a mark on the world. After that, what use does it have? Better to grind the shards into dust than risk them cutting your hand open.”
Dédalo nodded slowly. “I see.”
“Patron Cullinan, your other guest has arrived.” A suited woman opened the door and waved Passion inside. She surveyed the dimly-lit room as the woman shut the door behind her. She immediately noticed Dédalo, recognizing him as one of the strong Stand users to keep track of. “Big fuck-off airship,” if she remembered correctly.
She didn’t know who the bald man that he sat beside was, though. She barely even registered that he was talking to her.
“Passion~girl I presume?”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Oh pardon me, it’s a formal title I use for people. The House of Muses is akin to a familial structure in its design. Call it a bit of an archaic tradition, but it’s quite the honorific for guests such as yourselves.”
Passion cocked her head slightly. “Who’re you again?”
“Right, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Cullinan Dwarf Star, Patron of the House of Muses. You might know me as Sphinx.”
Vague recognition dawned on Passion’s face, “Oh. You’re the guy that shot Solsbury.”
“Shot past, actually,” Cullinan shrugged, “Anyway, to get to why I brought you here. How much do you know about Pieduron technology and history?”
“Not much,” Passion shrugged. She had seen Dédalo’s file before, and knew about Pieduron technology from there. Other than that, nothing.
“Perfect. You will be serving as an outsider’s perspective to our discussion.”
“...ok.” Passion took that to mean, “sit quietly and say “I see” every now and then.” Worked for her.
“Don’t look so glum. There may be a few details you and your organization may be interested in, if my introduction doesn’t bore you.” Cullinan smiled. Passion’s expression didn’t change. “Now, the Piedurons were an isolated people with highly advanced technology known as Temples. Based on our findings, these temples were highly sophisticated and almost universally ran off some type of spiritual energy. Dédalo~boy, what can you tell us about your recent findings in that planetarium?”
“It was extraordinary,” Dédalo explained, a bit of excitement escaping his guarded demeanor, followed by a mix of sadness and anger at the destruction Errok had wrought. “A visual history of Pieduron civilization. From its roots as an ancient agrarian civilization, the discovery of spiritual energy, the creation of the first Temples, their migration across the Mediterranean, and their eventual collapse. Like a last broadcast from the radio of a sinking ship, a final monument to their civilization before it was lost for good.”
“In our correspondence, you mentioned that there was a symbol in the depiction of their collapse; a face with a zero on it. What do you think that meant?” Cullinan motioned for Dédalo to elaborate.
“To be frank, it could mean anything. A bad ruler, a natural disaster, maybe something the Piedurons perceived as divine judgment.” Dédalo recalled the scene in his mind. “We can’t know for sure without more information.”
“The final stage showed that all of the active Temples stopped working, yes? And around the world, Temples have only recently regained their functionality. That includes your “El Cor Terra”, and your companion along with it, which you used to activate the Planetarium, yes?”
“How did you—”
Cullinan raised a hand. “The House can gather information in many ways, no matter the difficulty—especially when they align with our interests. My question is, if all of the Temples lost functionality, why would the Piedurons make the key to the planetarium a Temple itself? Surely, they would have built some other means of activating it so that future generations could read their message without the use of a Temple.”
“Maybe the necklace survived by chance,” Dédalo suggested, a bit too quickly.
“With all due respect, Dédalo, that’s preposterous. The capabilities of your traveling companion are unlike anything that we have ever seen, and far less powerful Temples were permanently deactivated by the shutdown. No, the Piedurons must have known that your necklace would survive their collapse and eventually regain its power, then built the planetarium around that fact.”
Dédalo grit his teeth. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Simple. I believe the Pieduron shut down their Temples on purpose. What’s more, the planetarium is not a simple message in a bottle. It’s a warning that could only be viewed if the Temples were ever reactivated.”
“Well. Uh. That’s. A bold claim,” Dédalo said slowly. “I understand the drive to speculate, but that is quite the outlandish theory. Isn’t it, Perdida? …Perdida?”
“...sorry, it’s nothing.” Perdida grasped her arm to stop it from shaking.
“The thought has crossed your mind before, hasn’t it, Perdida?” Cullinan leaned forward. “Try as you might to avoid it, you know it’s a plausible explanation.”
Perdida said nothing.
“Your silence speaks volumes, I’m afraid. My theory is as follows. Using the power of the Temples, the Pieduro created something so destructive, so threatening to themselves and maybe even the entire world, they were forced to deactivate all of the Temples to prevent it from ever being used. In their final moments, they created the planetarium and El Cor Terra as a final message to anyone who found it—the Temples are never to be used again.”
Cullinan sighed. “Thus, it is my utmost belief that knowledge of the Temples must never reach the public eye. As much as it pains me to say it…Pieduro must remain buried. For good.”
“...excuse me?” Dédalo’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you said that the House of Muses was supposed to preserve history. Now you’re just going to leave it to rot? Torch it like the Library of Alexandria?”
“Don’t be absurd. We will retain our records on Pieduro and any artifacts that we have collected to the utmost scrutiny. They will simply never see the light of day again.”
“Oh, so you’re keeping ‘em,” Passion spoke up. “That makes sense. But, sorry, I must’ve missed the part where you told us why the House won’t use the Temples as weapons either. Since you’re so worried about your safety and all that.”
Cullinan hesitated. “That’s…I would never allow that to happen.”
“Sure you won’t. But there’s gonna be other Patrons. Patrons that aren’t you. Patrons who’ll look at a vault full of ancient weaponry and think…well, you get the rest.”
“As if you aren’t salivating at the chance to obtain the Temples for yourself, young madam,” Cullinan retorted. “The Piedurons knew exactly how to use the Temples—where are they now? One small misstep, one fool with too much hubris, and the entire Mediterranean could be at risk. This way, everyone will be safe. I’ll make sure of that.”
The room grew silent. Cullinan cleared his throat and straightened his robes. Before he could continue, Dédalo rose to his feet.
“My apologies, Patron. I will have no part in this. Consider our deal off the table. Permanently.”
Dédalo snatched his hat and coat and made for the door, Perdida following close behind.
“There is no need for apologies, Mr. Viatger,” Cullinan called to him. “Not for you, and not for me. You have forced my hand.”
From within his sleeve, Cullinan produced a flat, rectangular stone in the shape of a playing card. Suddenly, it was as if the world froze, and all colors inverted to a photo negative. Then, just as suddenly, the world returned to normal; with one notable exception.
“Perdida?” Dédalo whipped around, searching frantically for his partner, clutching his necklace tight to his chest. “Cullinan, you bastard, what did you do to her!?”
“Calm yourself. I have done your companion no harm.” Cullinan flipped the stone card around. Carved into its surface was a perfect portrait of Perdida, eyes wide in shock, screaming a silent scream, reaching out towards Dédalo. “This is no different from how she rested before you found her. There’s no need to-”
Dédalo unsheathed his sabre and lunged for Cullinan’s throat. Cullinan rose from his seat—in one swift motion, he sidestepped Dédalo, grabbed him by the collar, and hurled him across the room into the opposite wall.
Passion shot awake and leaped back, pointing ｢sleepyhead｣ straight at Cullinan, its mouth open and ready to strike.
“It seems we have reached an impasse,” Cullinan stated calmly. “Dédalo, Passion, we could fight and make enemies of one another—but this is not the way of the House of Muses. Instead, I am willing to wager my resolve versus your own. A test of body, mind and spirit.” Cullinan pulled out an ornate hourglass, its frame entwined with green and gold snakes and its interior filled with fine metal shavings.
Dédalo slowly rose from the ground, forcing the air back into his lungs. “Your games mean nothing to me, Patron. Give me my friend back. Now.”
“You have been clear that you are unwilling to compromise and rash in your judgment. But I invite you to a game invented by the Piedurons.” Cullinan tapped the side of the hourglass. “I will reveal this to you now—my Stand is bound to this hourglass, and the hourglass itself is a Pieduron Temple. It can enforce any wager we make. Win this game, and you will have not just my word, but a promise to help understand and uncover the mysteries of the Piedurons. Not only that, I will do whatever you feel is appropriate in regards to anything related to the Piedurons.”
“And if we lose?” Passion interjected. She didn’t give a shit about Perdida, but she also didn’t want to lose her soul or whatever.
“I ask for nothing, I will even give your companion back. But give me this opportunity to show you what Piedruon technology is capable of and why it is so dangerous.”
It was hard to take Cullinan at his word, but it was the only option Dédalo had been given. “Fine.”
“You may resent me all you like, but know that I am trying to do you a favor. Most other factions would have already killed you by now. Here, I’ll make it easy for you.” Cullinan brushed a hand across his face, spreading a black glittery face paint with his palm. Opening his eyes he revealed black sclera and red pupils.
Motes of light saturated the room and flickering projections painted the room in bright light. It was like what happened at the planetarium, only on a smaller scale. No…this felt more real than even that, the floor changed underneath their feet and the stale cave air was replaced with fresh air. Dédalo felt a new weight press down on his arm as a disk-like shield materialized and attached to his gauntlet.
By this point Cullinan had moved to the other side of the room. “To make this fair we will be playing the simplified rule set! Once you are content you understand them, we may Open the game!” (Shoutouts to u/TreeTurtle_852 for the match art!)
Location: A strange pocket dimension? The battlefield of a game played by the Piedurons.
The area here is 21 by 22 meters with each tile being 1 by 1 meters. Cullinan starts on the top of the map while the players are on the bottom half. The ceiling is 50 meters high and the stage is lit by an unknown, omnipresent light source.
The blacked out tiles are endless pits; a player is RETIREd if they fall in without a way to get back out.
The ground here is sandstone with certain areas having been painted to look like the colors shown on the map. The sides of the map are sandstone walls, the general rules of the game are outlined on the walls behind the players. Half a meter underneath the sandstone layers is a thick layer of A Durability Cleria.
The Purple “X” marked circles are Cullinan’s summoning zones and the Brown “X” marked circles are the Players’ summoning zones.
Goal: Beat your opponent in this game that tests body, mind, and spirit!
Additional Information: In this game designed by the Piedurons, each side summons Pieduron warriors to fight for them.
General Unit Info:

Unless otherwise stated, each unit has C Power, Speed, Durability, and C Precision with B Durability on their weapons and armor.
Units are defeated once they take C Durability’s worth of damage.
Units each have effectively a 3 stat in using their main weapons and working in their intended roles.
The armored parts of armored units are not removable
Similar to Stands, the units are able to incorporate their summoner’s experiences and utilize their fighting techniques. They are almost like a pseudo-swarm Stand, with their summoner having a mental link to the units and giving orders to them remotely.
For the players, Passion or Dédalo can summon and command units, but they share the same summoning zones and cooldowns.
Each unit is made of stone and clay, but are hollow enough to weigh about as much as a human
For Passion’s Stand, they count as living things with stamina while active and objects when defeated.

Each Summoning circle has a 30 second cooldown and can summon any of the listed units below:
Unit List:

Knights: Armed with a scimitar and small round shield. They have a layer of body armor and helmet.
Defenders: Armed with a large rectangular riot shield. They have a layer of body armor and helmet.
Spearmen: Armed with a spear. They have arm guards and a helmet.
Archers: Armed with a bow and quiver of 25 arrows
Fishermen: Armed with a fishing rod and three fishing spikes attached to their hip
Farmer: Armed with a sickle and hoe
Lumberjack: Armed with a hatchet
Excavator: Armed with a pickaxe and a shovel
Gremlin: Half the size of the normal sized units, the gremlin has D Power and D Durability as a trade off for its small size. They also have sharp B Durability claws with no opposable thumbs.

While the game is active, Cullinan and the Players are unable to attack or directly interact with one another (their bodies, Stands, and attacks will pass through each other.). Nor can they cross to the opponent’s side of the field (both sides can still cross into the center area)
Note, both sides are able to attack and use their abilities against enemy units.
Each side can only have up to 10 units at a time on their own side of the field. However they can have as many of their units as they would like on their opponent’s side of the field.
The game ends when their opponent(s) are Retired and no longer able to continue fighting. Any injuries when the game ends vanish and you will be brought back where you were before the game started.
Dédalo does not have Perdida physically with him in this match, but he does have access to the rest of Perdida’s ‘Stand’ abilities and starts with a Temple that is a thick shield-like attachment for his gauntlet:

Temple Name	Tier 1 Ability	Tier 2 Ability	Tier 3 Ability
Alqurs Almubaraza (The Duel Disk)	The front end of the shield opens up and can convert any one Temple stored in the gauntlet into a Cleria stone card (1 Pilot)	The shield can convert a second Temple into a card (2 Pilots)	The shield can convert a third temple into a card (3 Pilots)

In this game, cards created by this temple can be cast and equipped to any unit under Dédalo’s control, with any additional benefits Dédalo would have. (The card-form temples still require the requisite number of pilots to get their effects.) All they have to do is mentally target which unit they want and place the card on the face of the shield. When the equipped unit is defeated, the equipped Temple is returned and stored back in the gauntlet.
The game has just started and there is 5 seconds before all summoning zones can be activated.

Team	Combatant	JoJolity
House of Muses	Cullinan Dwarf Star	"I've split their souls into six chips each. In poker, if you think you might lose, you can fold. You need to be able to drop out and up the ante, so we can't play with just two chips. Winning back six chips is the equivalent of winning one soul." Show your resolve and your trust in your methods!
HECATONCHEIRES	Passion Little and Dédalo Viatger	"Fine. I'll bet my soul." Show your resolve and your trust in Pieduro!

Link to Official Player Spreadsheet
Link to Match Schedule
As always, if you would like to interact with the tournament community and be among the first to get updates for the tournament, please feel free to PM a member of our Judge staff for an invite to our Official Discord Server!
Days ago…
As the stormwinds blew the ship off-course, Val instead took this as a blessing, standing at the bow, pointing ahead.
“THERE!” She barked, at the top of her voice. “IF THE STORM BLOWS US SO, WE! SHALL! FOLLOW!”
And so, The Bruce turned with the wind, merely allowing it to spell the course of the ship. And so soon did the ship arrive, at the deadliest trial yet.
Val stopped the vessel here, dropping the anchor just before the range of the Scylla, pulling down the sails so The Bruce might not continue into the depths. L pulled the spyglass to its eyes, spotting the beast.
Val readied the ‘cannonballs’, composed of the 30-odd-kg chunks of wood she had brought from Circe’s islands, and from a distance, she released her ‘grapeshot’–a group of possessed objects tied to a bullet as the leader.
Even from such a distance, the force of these were immense, barrelling down upon Scylla from past where she could manage to stop them. But even when Val’s volley had run its course, Scylla stood just barely. In her desperate search for more cannonballs, she had found the remains of a poor sandwich she hadn’t noticed being slipped into her belongings, gone hard from weeks unprotected at sea. It performed admirably as another cannonball, but there was still more to do, and Val was still determined to finish off this beast.
S possessed Val as R possessed the bullet of the Soul Slug Dividing Heart; Val shot the gunsword upwards, at a steep angle. Val now soared thousands of feet above the Scylla monster in the air, whereupon she had 70 seconds to travel the whole arc of the bullet. As she sailed towards her quarry, she readied her gun again: 70 seconds to fell this beast, 70 seconds of bullets, 70 seconds for one of the most epic victories of her life. With a deep breath, she smiled, laughing a little…God, this was…exhilarating!

submitted by Dungeon_Dice to StardustCrusaders [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 01:57 galacticjuggernaut My love for Lenovo just waned

I touted how this was my favorite computer for a year (Yoga9i). Now i am hesitant.
Lenovo Vantage told me i needed to update my BIOS. SO I did.
Problem 1: It got stuck and would not complete. Called support as i have premium, (after searching revealed this is actually common and i saw inconsistent answers). They said do a clean install of windows. No problem, except for the part where they say to "do a backup" when you cant even access your files. But lucky for me, I backup everything. SO no issue lets do this.
Problem 2: Windows would not install. And I mean every and all available options outside of a recovery USB failed. Reset BIOS to default config, still failed. Something really got gummed up during that update.
Problem 3: ok, so anger level is now increasing. Support has me get the lenovo specific download tool which proceeds to error out every single time, after 5 minutes of waiting - each time we tried.. (Support and I tried this 4-5 times.) It kept getting a "Validation error" which makes NO SENSE in what we are doing. What a shitty POS tool, wasted everyone's time. So now we are getting closer to looking at a brick.
Problem 4: Now even angrier, I decided ok no prob, i will make a windows recovery drive. Proceed to do so on another computer. BUT, that is when i realized that for the first time i ever experienced on 100+ fresh installs on any other computer, this Yoga laptop would not accept basic drivers required to work the mouse, keyboard or basic Wifi. The keyboard! And now windows 11 will not let you proceed w/o connecting to wifi. So i have to now search for each and every single hardware specific driver, because the hardware on this laptop wont accept basic device drivers.
Anyway, this is where i am giving up for now. TO be fair Lenovo is going to overnight me a "lenovo" recovery disk, but i lost a half day of work and massive headache. After these discoveries i am not so sure going forward I would toot my lenovo horn as much that is for sure.

submitted by galacticjuggernaut to Lenovo [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 01:50 Crystal-Clear-Waters The Image of Caring

I work for a big, waste producing, cheesy movie making, non recyclable greeting card company.
Seventy percent of their workers are “part time field” no matter how much you work. I am in lower middle management as a Territory Supervisor. I oversee two regions. (Unusual) I’m responsible for almost one hundred stores. The pay isn’t awful, $20 hour and I decide my own hours.
We have so many Retail Merchandiser positions available. We are so understaffed, I am currently covering merchandising requirements for 28 locations on my own.
I was hired as part time, around 20 hours a week. Now, my Manager wants me to work 40, but don’t get into overtime. There is no way to translate what I’m doing into a full time with benefits position.
Today I got a “shit sandwich email” from a Regional Buyer giving me instructions on how to retail one of her stores, because I was doing her the favor of an emergency visit. Polite, condescension, “thx”. She couldn’t even take the time to type out thank you.
This emergency was because one of our Merchandisers hasn’t clocked in, in eleven days. Definitely hadn’t been to that store. If this person quit and didn’t tell us, this will bump my store responsibility to 35.
I’m launching an offensive to do everything I can to support these stores. I’m doing U boats of 8-17 boxes per store. Three stores per day. And this hoe wants to make sure I visit that location weekly. Bitch, you are lucky if I see it monthly.
I wrote an email to that effect. I also called Human Resources.
If I loose this job, I’m FUCKED. How they treat us tho, no one gives a fuck. I’ve never even met my manager. He couldn’t tell you one thing about me. Have had a total of five phone calls with him in seven months.
I’m angry and exhausted.

submitted by Crystal-Clear-Waters to antiwork [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 01:48 ToadBrigade5 Scizor, Shuckle, & Heracross (Johto Bug Gang!) - Toad's Daily Pokémon Ranking, 212-214

Introducing...
...the first Pokémon evolution to not increase BST from it's previous stage! ...the first Pokémon with a field ability (technically). ...the first Pokémon to be treated as a counterpart to a Pokémon in a previous generation (arguably).
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212: Scizor
It's the metal Scyther! Scizor is a super cool Pokémon, and I have a friend who actually picked it for their Ace Pokémon! They are considering switching it out for Kingambit though, which I'm rooting for due to my absolute Paldean bias. Be that as it may, I think Scizor is a really cool idea as an evolution that doesn't actually increase a base stat total but instead redistributes it.
Unlike many Pokémon evolutions that feel like they invalidate their previous lines, or at least try to be the definitive version of the Pokémon, Scizor and Scyther stand side by side very well, both in terms of being balanced as alternative options to each other, but also visually. The green blades and red claws contrast with a Mario and Luigi esque vibe, and they honestly look like they could star in some show together, and I think it's a neat effect. It'd be cool to see more evolutions like this duo in the future.
You honestly can't ruin Scyther, though, it's a giant badass mantis that plays it up perfectly - the appeal is so strong that it would've taken a lot to make Scizor bad. And admittedly... I do think Scizor has to be my least favorite of the trio. The thing is, scissors just aren't scary, and the claws just look less cool than actual mantis scythe blades. But because it adds to Scyther rather than competes with it directly, and because it's still a cool Pokemon all around, Scizor will get a solid B Tier placement.
Fanart by Maud Beurskan
In case anyone is curious though, my favorite of the Scyther family is Kleavor - but it's going to be a long time until I can talk about that!
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212+: Mega Scizor
I'm honestly really lucky I remembered this one existed, to be honest...
But I'm really a little upset that Mega Scizor exists but Mega Scyther doesn't. The whole gimmick to these two is that their equal alternates, and yet you treat them differently? But there were a lot of Mega Pokémon that got more than their counterparts did, and it really played a lot into why I didn't like Mega Evolutions in the first place. I still genuinely dislike when gimmicks treat different Pokémon unfairly.
The other issue I have with Mega Scizor is... it feels like it misses the mark on where Scizor's appeal is. Scizor is sleek, metal, and agile looking, like a power ranger or battle android, only a bug. By making it blockier and emphasizing the scissors aspect rather than the sleek design of it's claws... it just feels less cool and more like a cringey, edgy reboot with a costume design that looks awkward at almost every angle except the one in the poster.
Fanart by Mian
If this guys your scene, then hey, more power to you! But it just feels a little off to me, even if I do confess that the blue light is pretty cool and I would've liked to see blue motifs on the original Scizor. Overall though, I don't quite like this one as much but - it's still Scizor. It's not a bad design by any stretch, I just find myself skeptical enough that I can't say I fully like it. As a result, it goes in the C+ Tier with Pokémon I personally feel some reservations for.
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213: Shuckle
It's still a bit hard to believe that Shuckle is a real Pokémon and not a meme created by Dorkly, to be totally honest.
I really didn't care for the way they treated Shuckle as a comedic bit. Most of it was just unrealistically self referential pathetic humor, with an added slice of gore, and while I didn't really enjoy any of it, it's still the first thing I think of when I see Shuckle. Which is a shame, because it's actually really cute?
It's a defense turtle that's actually a bug hiding in a rock with many openings, and it has such a cute smile! What's not to like? It just wants to hang out, hide in it's shell, and make berry juice for it's friends. It's such a cute little dude!
Unfortunately, Shuckle is... kind of forgettable which made it into the butt of all those jokes in the first place. Despite having the first ever 'unofficial' field ability to turn berries into berry juice, it kind of lost that gimmick, and since then never got an evolution or was used in a notable way. It just got buried among the sea of single stage Johtonian Pokémon, which is a shame, because like many Johto Pokémon we covered, it had so much potential!
Fanart by Masshu
In short... I stand with and believe in Shuckle. I want to see this Pokémon come back with a new signature ability and maybe an evolution while it's at it! But as is, I don't feel comfortable ranking it too highly because the only times I really remember it's existence is when it's the butt of a terrible joke. I'm placing Shuckle in the C+ Tier alongside some other comedically driven Pokémon like Alolan Exeggcutor or Gigantamax Meowth - after all, it's just as funny but it's got a good deal more potential.
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214: Heracross
Heracross is memorable to me because uh... something something, Heracross is Alpharad's dad? Like many Youtuber in-jokes, I have no idea what they're talking about, but I sure do laugh anyway.
I also caught a Shiny Heracross in Pokemon Violet at full odds! I don't talk about Shiny palattes much in this series unless Emi's talked my ear off about them before - I'm not a shiny hunter at heart. I don't see the appeal, admittedly, but if I see one, I'll catch it to trade to my friends. It was still a memorable encounter, spotting it in the bamboo forest like that.
As for the Pokémon itself, I... It's kind of just a stag beetle but anthropomorphic and thick. It's colors aren't visually interesting to me, but it looks kind of cool, I guess? But then again, that's just stag beetles in general. I think it's neat, and I appreciate how friendly they manage to make a giant bug. I think it makes a really neat face counterpart to Pinsir's heel, but getting associated with Pinsir doesn't do me any favors honestly.
I think in the end, I'm giving Heracross a C+ Tier placement. It exist, I have more positive feelings toward it than not, but I can't deny that it just doesn't have enough for me to say I unambiguously like it. The C+/B tier barrier is a tough one to overcome for me, and I just don't think Heracross has enough, sorry people.
Fanart by Polyacryla

214+: Mega Heracross
Okay but part of that "it might not have enough" ruling could be bleed over from Mega Heracross. This existed? Yeah uh...
I'll be honest, Mega Heracross just looks bad. It ruins the only positive vibes Heracross has going for it, making it try to come across as aggressive and instead creating just another uninteresting bug monster. It's proportions look impractical and the colors just look garish together.
I don't outright hate it or anything, but it feels really weak and generic as far as Mega evolutions go. Slightly bigger! Redder! Spikier! And then they call it a day, it seems. C- Tier.
Postscript:
Big post today! Which of these Pokémon are your favorites? Anything I missed about them? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
For information on this series like tier definitions, the archives, and rankings, see this master doc. The last post was on Qwilfish, which can be found here.
If you'd like to see more content like this, also check out Emi's version which runs in parallel: Emi's Version.
~Toad

submitted by ToadBrigade5 to pokemon [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 01:42 jokingly_Josie I had a consult yesterday with Dr Witten in Louisville KY

Yesterday I had my first consult with Dr Jonathan Witten in Louisville KY for GRS. I wanted to make a quick write up for anyone who might be interested in him. I’ve seen a few people have used him before but there isn’t a lot on him on Reddit.
I arrived a little early and checked in and got the standard paperwork to fill out but also had another form that asked for preferred name and pronouns.
I was called back about 15 minutes later. The nurse took me to a semiprivate cubicle and asked me a few quick questions. Height, weight, meds and insurance info. Standard stuff.
Then the wait started. I ended up having to wait for almost an hour before I was finally taken back to a room to wait for the doctor. They were EXTREMELY busy. It looked to me like they had overbooked.
I was taken back to a room. Where my wife and I waited. It was about 10 minutes and he stuck his head in really quick and told me that he was sorry he was running behind. He had one more patient to talk to and then he would be in with me.
When he came in he brought a Scribe with him. He was very friendly. I liked him a lot. He started by asking a few standard WPATH questions. How long I had been confident in my identity, how long in hormones, support. Then he asked a lot of other questions about bodily functions, able to pee ok, pooping normal. Lol. I didn’t expect them.
He asked what I hoped to accomplish with GRS. I told him I wanted what was between my legs gone. He asked if I wanted Vaginoplasty or vulvaplasty or if I wanted an orchi first or what I wanted. He then explained very well what goes into making a neo vagina or just the vulva. I was honest and told him that an orchi wasn’t an option so no point in discussing it.
I had done a lot of research on Vaginoplasty and knew that’s what I was wanting. He explained both though and what to expect. What I really liked is that he explained some of the problems that can happen. I like to know everything, good and bad. Everything he told me matched with everything I had read already. He did tell me that his dialation schedule is 30 min 3 times a day for a year. That’s a lot more than most doctors say but he explained his reasoning and I tend to agree with him on it. He also told me that he doesn’t do follicle scraping because it causes undo trauma to the area. It could take longer to heal because of that. I understood and it does make sense.
He also talked about smoking and weight. I’m a big girl. My BMI is 35.4. He said a lot of surgeons won’t do it on a BMI over 35 and while he isn’t a stickler for that the less weight the better I was going to do. I already knew I wanted to lose worthy now I have the motivation to do it. When it comes to smoking there is a zero tolerance policy. In fact before surgery I’ll be blood tested and if there is any nicotine in my system they will cancel the surgery. He’s very serious about it.
I had a few questions for him about taking time of work because I have a very physical job. I told him I planned on taking 3 months off and he said that should be good.
I had some questions about cost and scheduling. He told me that his scheduler handles all that and he not too sure about it.
He then told me that he needed to do an exam to see what he had to work with. He stepped out so I could get undressed and when he came back in he brought a nurse along. She stayed on the other side of the curtain while he looked. It didn’t take 30 seconds.
He stepped out and I got dressed. When he came back he told me that I was lucky. His scheduler was actually there so I could talk to her.
She explained my insurance concerns and also how scheduling worked. Once I am cleared of hair I will be put on the schedule. If people cancel I will get a call and see if I want to move up my surgery date. I should be done with hair removal by October which is just in time to change insurance so it will be covered. She said it’s quite probable that I will be having surgery by DecembeJanuary.
I was given a booklet about Vaginoplasty and how it worked at his clinic. What to expect. All that fun stuff.
I had to schedule for 6 months for a check up where he will see how much hair is left to be removed and I’ll probably be put on the schedule for surgery.
My wife and I both like him a lot. He seemed very knowledgeable and had a very friendly demeanor. I feel comfortable and confident with him as my choice for a surgeon.

submitted by jokingly_Josie to Transgender_Surgeries [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 01:33 Comfortable-Bread249 How can I best strategize leaving my current apartment (lease ends June 1)?

So four months ago, I posted this:
https://www.reddit.com/LARentals/comments/zfnc0c/1775_studio_in_santa_monica_cheap_but_pretty/
Well, since then, the ceiling in my crappy studio has sprung a leak—twice. I'm taking it as a sign from the universe that I should indeed ditch the place, as I've been fantasizing for pretty much the entire year I've been there.
My lease is up the last day of May. Starting June 1, the lease goes month-to-month. This seems significant to me, because I have heard that rent prices in LA (especially near the beach) are at their priciest in the summer months. So there is a thought that maybe I stick it out for 4-6 more months, in the hopes of getting a lower-than-normal rent in the autumn or winter.
But even then, I'd have to give 60 days' notice—which strikes me as a stressful problem, seeing as how new apartments get snapped up hours after they're posted online. Do people here unhappy with their apartments simply give notice and then just gamble on finding a new place at the very last minute? Or is it common to pay double rent for several months—especially if you find a lucky deal early in your hunting?
Would love to get feedback on the following options:

Stay put, go month-to-month, and plan on moving in the fall/winter
Take a leap, put in notice for June 1, and hope I find something better the final week of May.
Put in notice June 1...and see if I can crash somewhere temporarily (with friends, in my office space) while I look for a new place

I'm new to LA, so I'm really unsure of how to be savvy with the timing of all of this. Any advice out there?
For what it's worth, my work is based in Santa Monica, but I've hated living here and am comfortable moving inland a bit, even if it means a commute.

submitted by Comfortable-Bread249 to AskLosAngeles [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 01:32 vanlance [US] [SELLING] More Manga Sets & Discounted Old Sets

Hi everyone,
For this sale, everything in Picture 3 & Picture 4 is $5 to add onto another set. Otherwise, please refer to the pricing below. All of the newer stuff will be right below where it says “Picture (Picture 1, Picture 2, etc)
As always, everything equal to or greater than $20 includes shipping. Anything less will be a flat $3-$5 shipping. Not intending to split any of the sets unless noted. If you need any more pictures, feel free to ask.
Open to international shipping if you’re willing to pay it. If you’re international, let me know so I can calculate the shipping rate for you.
https://imgur.com/a/qMNDLZ8
Picture 1:
Witch Buster 1-18 UTD - $220
Swan 1 - $20
Blood + 1 - $15
Big Order 1 - $10
Devil Ecstasy 1 - $10
Are you Alice? 12 - $50
Maga-Tsuki 1-13 COMPLETE - $100
Horimiya 1-4 - $30
Kodocha 8 - $25
The Quintessential Quintuplets 1-14 COMPLETE - $80
Magic Knight Rayearth 1 omnibus - $20
Variente 4 (sealed) - $25
X2 (times 2) COMPLETE - $20
Ciguatera 3 - $15
The Hellbound 1-2 COMPLETE - $20
Ace Attorney 1 & Official Casebook 2 - $30
Mermaid Saga 3-4 - $30
Saturn Apartments 2 - $10
Twin Knights 2 - $10
The Kurosagi Delivery Service 3 - $10
Maga-Tsuki 11-13 - $20
Gundam the Last Outpost 1 - $10
Kakegurui 1,3,4 - $25
One Piece 2,5,6,8,10,12,13 (gold foils)- $130
Plunderer 1 - $15
Please Tell me Galko Chan 5 - $25
Pandora in the Crimson Shell 1-11 (missing 9) - $70
The way of the house husband 1-5 - $35
An Older Guy’s VR First Love (Oneshot) - $10
Masamune Kun’s Revenge 1,2,8 - $35
Battle Royale 5 - $12
Attack on Titan 1,2,4,5 before the fall 1, no regrets 1 - $25
Shadow star 2,3 - $30
Lucky Star 4,6,7 - $50
Emma 6,9 - $30
Kamiyadori 3-4 (4 still sealed)- $25
Ninja Slayer Kills 1-5 COMPLETE - $30
Master Keaton 6,9 - $30
Genshiken Omnibus 3 - $20
Castle in the Sky Ani-Manga 2-4 - $30
Lone Wolf and Cub 7,8,15,18-28 (14 books)- $200
Reborn as a Polar Bear (all sealed) - $25
Picture 2:
Marmalade Boy 1-8 COMPLETE - $75
Astral Project 1-4 COMPLETE - $80
Saikano 1-5 - $80
One Punch Man 1-23 - $180
Tramps like Us 2-5, 7 - $100
Portus COMPLETE - $25
MPD Psycho 1-11 UTD (In English) - $320
Midori Days 1-8 COMPLETE - $80
Love me, Love me Not 1-12 COMPLETE - $85
Canon 1-4 COMPLETE - $45
Emma 1-9 singles (missing 8)- $120
Kagerou Daze 3-4 - $15
Remote 1-10 COMPLETE - $75
Tokyo Ghoul 1-6 - $40
High School Girls 1-9 COMPLETE - $75
Picture 3 & Picture 4:
Everything in Picture 4 is: $10 + shipping. Buy 2 and you get free shipping. Buy 3 and you get it for $25. Buy 4 and you get it for $30. $5 add on for anything else after buying at least 4

submitted by vanlance to mangaswap [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 01:21 psyferion Decided to do some math. Curious on what all of you think. A 9 hour day is standard, sometimes overtime happens for months at a time where 12 hour days occur 7 days a week. Is this acceptable for working at a corporation, IT Admin salary position in America?

I have been employed for 9 years with a corporation that is on the fortune 500 list. Only the last year and current year has been the best case scenario. This doesn't count for time off from COVID due to state lockdowns (which they still made us work 9 hour days from home M-F). 8 years of my career has been the worst case scenario.
8 hours of work + 1 hour paid lunch (and no you can't leave early every day for your lunch break)
On call always expected to answer corporate cell phone (but they respect your time if sick or on vacation)
45 hours a week minimum, over time pay at straight pay if over 45 hours a week, to get over time pay at time and a half you must have over 60 hours in 1 week
2%, 3% and 4% depending on corporate will be your salary raise a year IF you get one at all that year. Really depends on the health of the corporation.
Best Case Scenario (running only 2 shifts because business is low and no overtime)
365 days in a year
104 days off for weekends (so long as no overtime exists, never promised)
15 days off for vacation
10 days off for holidays (so long as no overtime exists, never promised)
This means you will work 236 days out of the year for the corporation and you will have 129 days off for yourself/family
35.4% of your year is youfamily time
64.6% of your year is the corporation's time
Worst Case Scenario (running 3 shifts because business is good)
365 days in a year
15 days off for vacation
5 days off for holidays (some you worked over time and some you got lucky to have it off)
This means you will work 345 days out of the year for the corporation and you will have 20 days off for yourself/family
5.5% of your year is youfamily time
94.5% of your year is the corporation's time

submitted by psyferion to antiwork [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 01:20 No-Time6263 AITA for not supporting by bf

A bit of context: me (26f) have been with my bf (25m) for 4 years now. We met at uni where we studied in the same major. We graduated during the pandemic, which screwed up our work plans. I started working in our field, while he decided on a master’s program in the same discipline. He has since finished his program, and last year he was offered a job in a foreign country. I decided to pursue a master’s (in a different country) and move in with him when I graduate.
I think he is incredibly talented and I am proud of him, but I have to say the offer he got was kinda unreal. He got hired without speaking the language of the country (which the company uses) and without knowing the exact software they are using. He also makes really good money right off the bat. In our field, young workers are usually given repetitive, technical tasks to do first, and don’t join creative or managerial teams until at least 2-3 years in the career. The same was true for me. While I was also lucky with my job and got to do pretty advanced things, I had my share of people bossing me around. It sucked but I consider it a normal course of learning the job. He was put on a creative immediately, and got to participate in meetings and share his input. What’s also important, he has now only 7 months of professional work experience.
Recently my bf started complaining about his work and supervisor. How he is not thanked for his work, his manager “demands him to do (more ungrateful) tasks” or “his input is not valued”. As his partner, I want to be supportive but as a fellow professional, it has been increasingly annoying. We had a number of conversations about this, the last one being today. He said he had a particularly bad day, and I asked if I can help. He went on to say his supervisor has been curt and snap at him, and that his ideas are better but are not being used. I was trying to be receptive but also told him this is completely normal at this level and rare bad experiences shouldn’t take away from all the good things that happened for him. He got mad and said he feels I do not allow him to be unhappy about work and he just feels the way he feels. At this point I was kinda done. I asked him why he believes he should be listened to, and told him while I understand he is frustrated, he also does not appreciate an amazing opportunity he was given. It’s honestly unheard of to work on the kind of projects he does so early in the career but instead he chooses to have a day ruined by a manager who wasn’t fawning all over him. He was not happy with me, and the conversation eventually died off.
This situation has been bothering me since. We are both very ambitious and have a need to be valued at work. The difference is, I am usually anxious and think I still have so much to learn, while he is much more confident in his abilities. I want to be there for him, but he comes across and entitled and ungrateful every time the topic resurfaces. AITA for telling him he is acting annoying?

submitted by No-Time6263 to AmItheAsshole [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 01:16 Beejr I need a name.

This little dude was born on Valentine’s Day. Names currently in the running: Lucky Zoom Wilbur Ernie Lucky

submitted by Beejr to Boxers [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 01:14 At_the_Library9702 It's my turn!!! I can't believe it!

All told, I borrowed $65k for my law school education (in subsidized & unsubsidized Stafford loans) and $90k for my son's undergrad (in Parent PLUS loans), so a total of $155k. As of today, I have already paid back about $90k to my law school loans and $15k to my son's loans, so I've paid about $105k on these loans over the past 25 years. I had $157,298 forgiven yesterday! Crazy!
If you're interested in detail, here's my timeline:
January 1998 - graduated from law school & started paying my loans when I began practicing in a for-profit capacity 6 months later.
2004 - consolidated all of my various loans into a single subsidized & single unsubsidized loan, both serviced by AES. Paid continuously except for two years of economic hardship deferment during the recession. (Thank goodness I didn't accidentally end up in a truly private loan at this point!)
July 2011 - moved & changed careers - I was good at the research & advocacy parts of law practice, but I mostly wanted to help people so I wasn't great at getting paid! So after more than 13 years of law practice, I started working at an entry level nonprofit job in April 2012. Took a one year forbearance to get re-established with an income, which expired in October 2012. Been paying continuously ever since, including during the pandemic until November 2022, since my law school loans weren't subject to the interest & payment pauses.
2015 through 2018 - Took PLUS loans to get my oldest son through undergrad. Wow were those interest rates a shocker!
10/28/22 - Filed my consolidation & PSLF application forms (including two employment verification forms covering April 2012 to October 2022) right before the deadline, after having watched TWO webinars and asking question in the PSLF subreddit. I just didn't believe I would qualify, and I definitely didn't think my parent loans would qualify! But at the last minute I took a chance & filed by fax and also by mail, the later of which which was logged by Mohela on 11/11/22 and later marked as a duplicate.
12/20/22 - Consolidation approved, Mohela account active. (There was some time before that where I could see my application status by entering my info into the status check page on Mohela's website, but this is the date when I could set up an actual login.)
Around 1/15/23 - PSLF application form marked "processed" in Mohela.
2/22/23 - Received a letter indicating that my two employers were approved on 2/16, but that I only had 4 qualifying payments (the four that were counted from the time of my consolidation to the date of the letter).
3/10/23 - Used the online chat feature to ask about the status of my account. The rep said that my employers had been approved and they didn't need anything more from me. Just wait the 90 business days from 2/16 (which would have been 6/28/23)
3/28/23 - Did my nearly daily check of the Mohela app. Everything looked the same, except that my balance was zero. Screamed & freaked my husband out. My payment counts had never updated.
3/29/23 (today) - Checked the app again. Error message, no active loans. Checked the website, loans in good standing and happy face! Just for good measure, I called and was told I was sent a direct to discharge letter yesterday. I asked if I could get it by email, and it showed up in 30 seconds. So I've got written proof!
I feel so lucky to have gotten through this process relatively quickly and quite smoothly. I'm rooting for those of you who've had a rough go of it and are still waiting! Don't lose hope!

submitted by At_the_Library9702 to PSLF [link] [comments]

2023.03.30 01:12 Selkie_Love A creative's route to FIRE.

I'm not quite there yet. Although I might be - the situation is unusual enough that I figured I'd write about it.
There's me [31] and my wife [32], and our one kid.
We started off seven years ago in 2016. I'd discovered FIRE completely by accident in college trying to find the personalfinance subreddit, and instead typing in financialindependence. Ooops? It sounded like a neat idea though, and my wife was on board with the idea. Retired by 40 as a goal! A difficult one, but possibly doable.
We graduated college (BS in Accounting for me, MD for her) with a combined 30,000 in debt, and a residency position offered for her. There's something of a silver spoon right there, with her graduating medical school with no debt, but as you see the numbers, I think you'll realize the medicine income was never that large of a factor. Just the lack of an anchor allowed us to pivot.
We moved across the country, and medical residency started. For those not in the know, it pays SHIT. $56k/year if I remember correctly, with enough hours demanded that it pays less than minimum wage. Fun stuff.
Since I hadn't know where my wife's residency was going to be, I couldn't take any advantage of college campus recruiting, so I moved 3,000+ miles with a degree and some minor work history.
I bounced from job to job, not quite finding my niche. First job was a temp tax position. Better than nothing, yeah? $18/hour. Only a few months. Second job the owner was embezzling from the investors. Yay. $16/hour. Third job was at a bank, solid $20/hour, decent work. I got shuffled to a team that was struggling, then they shuffled my entire department back across the country. Hopped to another job paying $25/hour, where I left when they kept asking me to forge documents and lie to the department of revenue. Started trying to work for myself a bit, doing freelance Excel and VBA work for people. I knew everyone needed me, I just didn't know how to get my information to people. Managed to get a temporary job at an insurance company building them some very fancy spreadsheets - $35/hour. Then I got a job at the State, $45/hour. Alright! Things were looking up!
Bit of a checkered employment history, to say the least. All the while my wife's working crazy hours, but we pulled through residency in three years, having paid off the combined student loans and socked away a modest $50k or so. Roughly.
And my wife hated clinical medicine. HATED it. Couldn't wait to get out.
So we pivoted. No fancy attending salary, instead another residency with almost no clinical medicine in a field that would be a little doxxy to reveal. Pay was a bit better, now she's at $72k... and moving across the country. RIP my nice little state job, I hardly knew ye.
She took a little sabbatical, hair-raising due to the lack of insurance. I managed to land another job that was only an hour and a half of driving... each way... but for a nice $47/hour. Moving along nicely! Money is being socked away, and we start thinking about kids.
Then COVID hit, and the story goes from typical and boring to somewhat interesting.
At first work tells me to work from home. Props to my manager who called it a week before the company did, and 2-3 weeks before the government did. Basically "This meeting never happened, but we're all working from home until further notice." Little did I know that was the last real day I'd ever work in that office.
We all got sent home, and covid got bad. Real bad. I was working for a healthcare company, and our budgets exploded. Everyone was working twice as much as before... and the decree came from above.
Reduce Hours.
I was a 'luxury' role in my department, and I wasn't surprised to get the axe. I was literally making the reports every day that said we were way over budget, I wasn't surprised that management did something about it.
So here I am, laid off, a kid on the way, and with plans for me to be the stay at home parent. I'd also run out of stories to read on the internet - I was big into web serials - and I said 'you know what? Everyone always says they're going to write a book one day. I'm going to ACTUALLY DO IT. Also all these other stories suck, I know I can write something better than THAT."
Spite's a powerful motivator to start. Thus was born Beneath the Dragoneye Moons.
I sat down, and spent a month plotting, planning, and researching, all while looking for another job (yeah, with COVID raging and my particular niche not having any work in the city my wife was in, fat chance), while also collecting unemployment.
Then my book was ready, right as UI stopped, and I launched the first 20 chapters on Royal Road. I'd written 40 chapters by then, kept another 10 for Patreon, and 10 more for my backlog.
I wouldn't say I exploded or anything so dramatic - but I got my first patron the first day I posted. Literally made me cry - months of hard work was starting to pay off, $4 and change at a time.
And I slowly rolled the snowball. The first year I made $2k - I only launched in October, and various payment holdups delayed things. Our kid was born at the end of the year, and juggling both writing and full-time child care has been my biggest challenge by far. Wouldn't trade her for anything though! The second year I made $125k, and my wife moved onto a government job, finally making $100k. A little less, due to a huge snafu on HR's part, but it ended up there once it was all fixed.
Last year I made $200k, and the amount of money was starting to become Very Real. We started to discuss various plans. How would we move forward? Did we swap who the primary breadwinner was? How sustainable was it all?
Books are very interesting in some respects. It's hard to write a book, then sell and market it. But in another, they have some magic words attached to them - no income cap.
My income comes from a few different revenue streams. Patreon's the big one. People pay $5/$10 a month to read 25 chapters ahead, on top of bonus material and other incentives. Amazon's the other big one. The genre I write in, litRPG, is basically purely on Amazon, no point in being wide. I get a little bit of income from Audiobooks, but at this stage, they're almost a rounding error.
Books also have a crazy long tail. The rest of my life, I'll be getting little trickles of income from the books I'm writing today, even if the check is likely to be small.
This year, we decided that we were going to fully swap to me being the primary breadwinner. I switched some mental tracks - Amazon has a program called Kindle Unlimited, which is like Netflix for books, but not bad. I enroll my book there - exclusivity is demanded - and get paid every time someone reads a page.
And I get paid well.
This year I'm looking at roughly $500k total income on the extremely conservative side, closer to $600k if I'm a little more aggressive with my estimates. Patreon's about half of that, with Amazon being the other half. Within Amazon, KU is 70% of my income.
We're treating this somewhat as a lucky winning lottery ticket. We're not going insane with the money. We're keeping our heads down, buying a cheap but well-built home outright, and socking the rest away in hopefully-safe investments. My wife can retire if she'd like to, and I'm not quite in a position to do the same, but financially, I'm getting quite close. Ethically, I have to finish the book series first - the people who made this possible are relying on me.
And, lastly, it's a ton of fun. So in a sense, I'm already RE without being FI. When I retire, I'm probably just going to... keep writing books that I love.
That's the story!

submitted by Selkie_Love to financialindependence [link] [comments]