#so i really have more like 270 hours total

[solidssnakeass]

*eating my hands*

#i did it. #now i can finally play metal gear again #ada speaks #death stranding #funniest thing is that my playtime is a lie because ive played it to completion on two other accounts #so i really have more like 270 hours total

[lawliet-ryuzaki-ryuga]

Chapter 3

Captain  (Levi Ackerman X reader)

WC: 2713

tw: nothing really.. maybe some hostility... 

Two comrades; humanity’s Strongest and humanity’s Bravest. A bond between Two warriors who have nothing to lose.

A/N: i LOVE BABY LEVI AND Y/N

MASTERLIST

Chapter 2  --- Chapter 4

First person (pov)

Before the morning came I was up and out of bed, although I was still exhausted from the journey of the days before,I had to get a head start. With that i grab my regular clothing and head to go change and freshen up for the day. While walking to the washroom I pass by Levi’s bed and see that he’s fast a sleep, yet some how still looked like he was lost in his thoughts, with his eyebrows slightly scrunched and lips pulled to a line. 

Once I’m all ready for the day, i head outside to go on my little hunt for some berries. Today you felt like making some lemon berry loaf of bread, with the apple cinnamon oatmeal. If there was one thing about you, it was that you loved cooking, well mostly baking. I would always remember my time in the underground where we didn’t have food, and it was tough to survive. To have your meal for the day, you would work at a small bakery like shop, in exchange for a meal for the day. That was where I learned most of everything that I know. As it is, food was already tasteless given the budget that we needed to follow, but I knew I could make something more of it. With that i find a berry bush a few miles into the woods and pick them out and have them in my small basket. Once I knew I had enough I headed back to base just in time for cooking to start. There were a total of 270 of us, and breakfast needed to be ready by 7 sharp. The sun had not risen yet, which makes me know that it’s still 5 am. 

I  noticed the other 2 on shift pull up with sleep still in their eyes, but nonetheless, simple ‘ good morning’s’ are exchanged. You tell them your plan for the meal to which they both nod and begin washing the apples and peeling them. I pull out the berries and have them washed along with the few lemons. I  prepare the bread dough, making sure you have enough to make 7 loaves and having the dough rest while the yeast activates. I prepare the oatmeal by heating up the large pot with enough milk before adding the oats. Apples are being cut into small cubes and then placed into a large pot to cook. That is when I remembered I had gone and plucked some jasmine flowers, I rushed back to my  bag and pulled them out, and laid them onto a towel and had them dry up on the windowsill. I had wanted to make some jasmine tea again, since we ran out, and I had come to learn that Levi also preferred Jasmine Tea. In the meantime I stir the oatmeal to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom and sides. Then I went to get the oranges we needed to squeeze for juice. 

By the time we were done we had an hour left before breakfast. The kitchen itself smelled amazing with the loaves coming along nicely. There wasn’t much to clean, so I began cleaning what i could to help make the job easier for the cleaning shift. 

“ Hey y/n, we don’t need to clean.” One of the other soldiers whom I’ve come to learn is Jennie. With no change in expression I turn back to wiping down the counters and tables. I never understood why other cant just do something else without being told. Both Jennie and the other person complain for the 4th time about having to clean. I slam the rag and look at both of them before pointing at the door, they give me this look of confusion, like they haven't done anything wrong. They question me by asking the stupidest questions like “ what’s wrong?” “ Did we do something?” Like no shit, even a dog knows when it’s done something wrong. 

I point to the door again and turn back to cleaning, they eventually get the message and leave. Surprisingly i got everything done with still 30 minutes to spare. I walk to the windowsill and see that the flowers have indeed withered due to the scorching hot sun. I grind the small petals just to where they’re smaller pieces before adding them to a jar and some to a tea pot to boil. 

I prep the bowls in the meantime and pour all the cups of juice, making sure as much is ready. 

The last batch of loaf is out and cooling down, and slowly the people begin to trickle in. I pass each one a bowel of their oatmeal and small slice of lemon berry loaf. 

Eventually Levi does pop in wearing his infamous stone faced look he gets in line waiting for his turn. When his turn comes he thanks me for his meal but I stop him before he could walk away. I grab the small tea cup and pour him some tea that I just made, and add 1 ¼ of sugar to his tea and stir it. I walk back with the tea in hand and offer it to him, with a low whisper of “ don’t forget your tea.” He looks at the cup in his hand now and if i weren't paying attention, i would have missed the small flash of shock that covered his face. He tilts his head up to look at me, his expression not changing much besides his eyes softening. 

Levi always had the dark and hard eyes that held so much emotion. They say that the eyes are the window to your soul, but when it came to levi, his eyes were a window to the darkness that he has come to know and live with. With that i give a small smile in return and go back to get the line moving again. He walks away and heads towards the table where the majority of our ‘friends’ sat. 

No one’s (pov)

Levi had sat down setting his plate and cup down, sitting between Matthew and Petra. Petra alone was having a mini heart attack, just at the thought of her crush sitting besides her. She though that this could be her moment, where she could interact with Levi. She would try to ask him small questions about anything, but Levi was too preoccupied by the food that he was eating. When he had taken the first spoon of oatmeal, a memory that he had long forgot came to mind. 

Levi was only 13 at the time, a small frail boy, with bags under his eyes. Skin covered in dirt, clothing that had holes and were far too small for his frame. He sat on the floor in a dark alleyway, knees to his chest and head in between his folded arms over his knee. Life in the underground was difficult, almost near impossible to live in, yet here he was, a young boy with nothing else to offer. He could not remember the last time he cleaned himself let alone the last time that he ate. But all of that didn’t matter because it never did, he didn’t matter. That was until a young girl came out of the building with heaps of what looked like trash. He heard the small grunts from the young girl and jumped to his feet to help her carry the heavy load, not that he was in any shape, but he couldn't let her struggle. He remembers the small girl look at Levi in shock before backing away out of fear, not knowing what he would do. But with that reaction, Levi couldn’t help but feel hurt, not even a small girl would want to be near him. She continues to look at the older boy as he places the trash down and walks away, not wanting to scare the poor girl any long. But she runs up to him to grab his hand in a way to stop him. 

He turns back to see her look at him and signs him what looks like to be the word ‘food’, Levi not sure what she means, only assuming that she too was asking for food. 

“ food? Sorry i don’t have anything to give you.” Levi sighs before turning around again to walk away. But the young girl pulls at his hand again stopping him once again in his tracks. He turns back to see her shake her head and points at him before signing again towards her mouth. Not understanding she pulls him back to his original spot before signing ‘ wait’ and ‘ be quiet.’

The little girl runs inside before coming out a few moments later with what looks like a bowel. With slow steady steps she offers the warm bowel to the boy before her. Oh how he remembers the joy and shock that filled him. With shaking hands he grabs the bowel before grabbing the small spoon to take his first sip. The flavor of apple and cinnamon tingle his taste buds, as he cant recall the last time he had anything fresh and hot. The little girl watches him consume the bowel in an ungodly rate before he wipes his lips with the back of his hand. That is when she notices his chapped lips. She grabs the bowel from him and signals him to wait once again before running back into the building again. He wonders what she could possibly bring back after a meal that was sent from heaven. 

With that she runs out with a cup and something wrapped in paper. She hands him the cup to which he sees the clear liquid.. water. Within seconds he chugs the water before handing her the cup back, and in exchange she hands him the wrapped item.  Levi takes from her hand the wrapped item and opens to see that she had given him a loaf of bread. Levi could not understand this act of kindness. He looks at her with tears brimming his eyes, about to pour down. But before she could see the tears, a voice in the back screams.

“ WHERE ARE YOU, YOU LITTLE RAT!” with that the girl runs back before she could be caught, not saying or waving a goodbye to the boy. He watches her close the door before disappearing from his sight, wondering if he would ever see that young girl again. That is when he decided he would wait for her to see if she would come out, so that he could thank her. 

The sun had set and the young girl had yet to come out again. The young frail boy would hear on occasion a a man scream obscure things. Internally the boy would panic, worried that something was happening to the girl, but he felt helpless, unable to see and protect the little girl. Eventually hours passed , the night turned cold. The streets were no longer filled with as many people, but now it was swarmed with older women trying to make business and men who would go to these women. With a sigh Levi gives up, not expecting to see the young girl anytime soon, that is until the creeping of a door is heard and a small body is pushed forward. 

“ you come back tomorrow you hear! I’m not going to be feeding you for free!” The man speaks in a stern voice as he pushes her out in one motion. The little girl catches herself before she falls and turns to nod at the man, before slamming the door a mumble of “ can’t she bloody talk?” Is heard before the door is slammed shut. The little girl looks to her left and right to scout the area, and she sees the young boy in the corner. With gradual and soft steps the little girl walks up to the boy and places her hands on his stomach, as if to see if he had a full stomach. But to her disappointment she felt her hand sink a bit. 

Under her arm she holds a small loaf of bread and hands it to the young boy. 

“ oh no, I’m okay! That’s for you, did you even eat today?” He asks in a hushed tone.

With the shake of her head she pushed the bread towards him again. But the boy refuses to take up her offer. “ I’m okay, I wanted to thank you for the food today… I haven’t had food in a while and… just thanks.”

The little girl looks at him with a tilted head to the side and a small smile on her face. She gives a nod before she begins walking away to lead the way to the destination. But she doesn’t hear footsteps behind her. The young girl looks back to see the boy still in the same place she left him, she walks over to grab his wrist and walks out of the alley way with him. 

The two walked down the street avoiding eye contact of every person. The two eventually reach an abandoned torn down house. She goes through a small opening and disappears into the darkness of the house. 

Levi had never been one to follow anyone, but for some reason he felt called to follow this young girl. With a deep breath in, he goes in in hopes to find her. “Hey.. um where are you?” He calls out, squinting in the dark to adjust. That is when the sound of a match striking the match box is heard and a small lantern is lit. The area is illuminated and he looks around to take in his surroundings. That’s when his eyes catch the Small drawings on the wall, small flowers, a sun, stick like figures. All over, that is until he catches a small drawing in the corner of the room of what resembles a small girl crying. 

“ Did you draw all of these?” He asks the girl, to which she nods proudly. She walks over towards a small lay out of wooden crates and some hay with a small blanket on top and bottom. Before she get’s on she walks over to a bucket of what looks like water and pulls out a small rag. That is when she begins to wipe her face, neck, arms and legs. That is when she jumps onto the makeshift bed and pats the small side beside her, as he walks over she throws her hands up in a motion that says  “stop” and points to the water and rag, instructing him he needs to clean first.  Understanding he goes over and wipes himself off before going over to where she was. 

“ Is this where you sleep?”

The young girl nods again and pulls out her little piece of bread, but cuts it in half and offers the other half to the boy. “No you have it, I had enough food today.” The girl refusing to take no for an answer, she shoves the bread into his hands and turns back to her piece before munching away. When the both are done eating the little girl gets comfortable and lays down getting ready for bed. The boy takes it as his time to go and attempts to leave until she pulls at his sleeve. 

“ you’re going to bed, so i need to leave?”

She shakes her head in disagreement and points outside and rubs her arms up and down, as if to say “ it’s cold.”

“ Yeah, but I’ll be okay. This is your place.”

She pats the bed again, points at the boy then outside and shakes her head again, in complete protest of him going outside. The girl could not understand why he would want to be outside all alone in the cold! She hated the cold but above all she hated being alone because when you’re alone that is when bad people hurt you. 

“ You want me to stay here?” he asks in disbelief.

She nods her head, of course she wants him to stay, he could get hurt outside! 

The young boy contemplates his choices wondering if he could trust her, or if he should leave. But he decides to stay with her.

#levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman x female reader #levi ackerman x y/n smut #levi ackerman attack on titan #levi ackerman #levi #levi x you #levi x oc #levi x reader #levi x y/n #levi ackerman x you #levi ackerman x y/n #levi attack on titan #levi aot #levi ackerman aot #aot #aot x you #aot x reader

[bearkunin]

Just a bit of a microhistory on Obama's supposed squandered supermajority. I think this is important to clear up, because it still gets referenced to this day to cast the Democrats as no-good do-nothings.

Obama was inaugurated to work with the freshly minted 111th Congress. It was well known that Republicans had already decided that they would be the party of ‘No’ and wouldn’t give an inch, no matter the issue or the policy ramifications for the country.

But it did not matter, right? Because Obama had 60 votes! A supermajority! Well, no.

In the November 2008 elections which elected Obama, Democrats gained 8 seats, taking their total from 49 seats to 57 seats.

There was also two independents elected who would caucus with the Dems: Joe "too rightwing to be a Democrat" Lieberman and Bernie "too left-wing to be a Democrat" Sanders.

That’s 59 votes in the caucus, not 60, (assuming you could get independent Joe Lieberman (and the likes of anti-abortionist Ben Nelson!) and independent Bernie Sanders on the same page, which is no easy feat).

Also, that 59 includes Al Franken, who was not seated at the start of the 111th because of the recount and subsequent appeals in Minnesota.

So, really, on the afternoon Obama was inaugurated, Dems had, at most, 58 votes - again, counting McCain-endorsing Lieberman and socialist Sanders.

And that only lasted a few hours. Sadly, during the celebration, already-ill Ted Kennedy had seizures and, during the following months, would only be available to vote sporadically. He went months without casting a single vote.

On April 28, 2009, Arlen Specter became a Democrat. He openly admitted that he was doing this to avoid “the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate” and would “continue [his] independent voting”. Apparently, Joe Biden also played a part in him crossing the aisle, so good job there.

Still, Specter was certainly no liberal all of a sudden. For instance, even after the switch he openly opined that "There's still time for the Minnesota courts to do justice and declare Norm Coleman the winner [over Al Franken]." So now we are counting Republican supporting Specter and Lieberman in our "supermajority."

But Kennedy was not the only Democratic Senator with health issues. Robert Byrd was in hospital from May 15 through to the end of June.

So now, Dems have at best 59, if you can get Specter, Lieberman, Nelson, Sanders, and everyone else on the same page and Kennedy and Byrd could be somehow healthy enough to cast a vote, which they mostly were not.

On July 7, 2009, Al Franken was finally seated. His election was close and recount was entirely called for, but the delay in seating him was entirely political.

And that is 60, on paper. But in practice, Byrd and Kennedy were not voting.

Although no longer in hospital, Byrd did not return to the floor of the Senate until July 21, 2009.

The Senate was also busy with the pressing business of confirming Sotomayor, the first Dem SCOTUS nominee in 15 years, opposed by many on the right (Wise-Latina-Gate!) to the Senate. A vote that Kennedy missed altogether and Byrd attended in a wheelchair.

On August 25, 2009, Ted Kennedy passed away. Of a potential 270 votes in the first three-quarters of 2009, he was able to participate in just 9 of them.

Even on an interim basis, Kennedy wasn’t replaced for a month, and not without a fight. Legislation was passed restoring the governor's power to make interim appointments to serve until the special election stipulated. On September 25, 2009, Paul Kirk was appointed to the seat, only after a Republican lawsuit seeking to block the appointment was thrown out.

So now you are back at 60. This includes Byrd, who missed more than half the votes during this window. And, again to stress, too-rightwing-to-be-a-Democrat Lieberman and too-leftwing-to-be-a-Democrat Sanders.

January 20, 2010 - Scott Brown (R) was elected. Ending even any discussion of supermajority.

Between September 25, 2009 and January 20, 2010, you have 117 days. Not senate in-session days. Total days. That was really the only time they had 60. And that 60 was contingent on getting every single vote: Dems, Independents (both left and right!), interim, infirm, Byrd, Bernie, Spectre and Nelson and every Senator who knew voting with Obama meant sealing their electoral fate.

There are two lessons that should be taken from this:

1. What matters is how left the 60th most-rightwing Democratic vote is. Replacing Bernie Sanders or, say, Chuck Schumer, with Joseph Stalin himself doesn't matter. What matters is getting, and keeping, the Arlens and Spectres and Liebermans of the world as left as possible.

2. Where safe blue seats do matter and can make a real difference is in regards to gerontocracy. It matters less that Byrd or Kennedy were super progressive or super moderate but if they could turn up to vote at all. The fact the US is going through this again with Feinstein is embarrassing. Young blood is important beyond just fresh ideas.

#US Politics #politics #history #obama #democrats

[angleofmusings]

every time i think about how much the car-centric US infrastructure fails to actually benefit individual drivers i get a little bit more anti-US

we *have* public transit here, but like. if the commuter rail (already a decent walk, or a short drive but only if i’m going to be back within four hours) isn’t running at the time i’m trying to get somewhere. like. it’s 15 minutes to drive to the nearest T stop and then $9/day for parking, plus fares. otherwise to get into the city proper it’s 30–40 minutes of driving in awful traffic, upwards of $30 to park somewhere, and then if it’s for a specific event another 20–30 minutes just to get out of whatever parking garage i had to park in. and then i still have to drive home.

if i want to, say, go to gillette for an event, even taking the train requires going into the city first. driving directly to the stadium is an option but requires buying a parking pass and sitting in awful traffic and spending an hour getting out of the parking lot, or walking a mile to and from a friend’s house to the stadium (which, to be clear, only works if you know someone who lives nearby).

on a larger scale, if you want to go north-south between two places anywhere that’s west of chicago but east of california-oregon-washington, amtrak can’t really help you. you can fly (usually requires driving to the airport and getting an uber/lyft/taxi at your destination) or drive. I-15, 25, and 35 are basically the only north-south interstate highways in that region.

let’s say we’re traveling from helena, MT to albuquerque, NM. (two major cities i picked at random.) google maps doesn’t even offer any train routes. you can take I-15 for 8 hours down to northern utah and then drive 2 hours to I-70, head southeast for six and a half hours until you get to I-25 north of albuquerque, then continue south for 15 more minutes. in total, almost 17 hours of driving. just over 1000 miles, which is over 1600 km.

what if you’re in page, AZ (just south of the utah border) going to aberdeen, SD (about 34 miles / 55 km south of the north dakota border). the fastest route by car is over 20 hours, and requires you to make a big winding circle that takes over 3 hours and almost 150 miles / 240 km to even reach utah, and almost 3 hours more to reach I-70; in total 315 miles / 507 km. (from page AZ to I-70 in crescent junction UT is about 170 miles / 270 km as the crow flies.) and you’ve still got about 15 hours more driving to look forward to! you have to drive almost 5 hours on I-70 to denver, CO (yay, driving through a major city!!) and then 3 and a half hours on I-80 to reach the nebraska border, and 6 more hours after that using mostly state routes to reach aberdeen. total distance as the crow flies: 895 miles / 1440 km. total distance as the car travels: 1286 miles / 2070 km, over 1.4 times as far. and no, you can’t just take the train. and aberdeen is 75 miles from the nearest airport with any flights, and it’ll run you almost $700 per ticket in addition to any cars you have to rent or ride share app fees.

for an EU comparison: from guadalajara, spain (near madrid) to augsburg, germany (near munich) is around 17 hours by transit, or over 18 hours by car. and even that 18+ hours by car is significantly closer to a straight line. (going directly from madrid to munich is even more of a difference: 16 hours by transit, over 19 hours driving. or you can of course take a flight, which will take ~2.5 hours and cost a third as much per ticket as the US example.)

the reason this works is because europe has far less space. the cities are denser, so the infrastructure is denser, too. trains are great at dealing with lower density areas, so why doesn’t the US use them?

#usamerican politics #this is a pro trains blog

[wrecking]

splatoon 3 end of season 1 summary post

hii so since i actually have an opportunity to bookmark my feelings about the game now in context to when it’s still happening, i wanna like talk abt a general list of my stats atm and how i feel abt the game and what i want to see next... long af under the cut probs so beware

general set of stats first:

- 270 hours in it atm - level 46, s+2 highest (and current) - total wins: 792, turf inked: 1,203,542p, badges: 59 - i’m on catalog #4, level 13

- 4* weapons (since i have no 5*): range blaster, octobrush, goo tuber - 3* weapons: aerospray mg, rapid blaster pro, e-liter 4k, e-liter 4k scope, tri-slosher, explosher, ballpoint splatling, dark tetra dualies, tri-stringer - weapons not played at all: splat roller*, inkbrush*, splat charger*, mini splatling, dapple dualies, undercover brella * these weapons were in the testfire where i did try all of them

- best splat zones stage (according to the app, by winrate): museum apparently?  100% winrate - best tower control stage: hagglefish 77.8% - best rainmaker stage: mincemeat 100% :) this is not a single-match winrate hehe - best clam blitz stage: undertow 100% - maps i haven’t played sz on: eeltail, sturgeon, wahoo - maps i haven’t played tc on: eeltail - maps i haven’t played rm on: (none) - maps i haven’t played cb on: ...y’all ready.  scorch, hagglefish, mincemeat, hammerhead, museum, mahi, inkblot, sturgeon, makomart, wahoo

- best salmon run rank: eggsecutive 625 i think? (gone fission, all randoms, grizzco brella) - scales: 541 bronze (saving for a 600 item), 8 silver (just bought black suit), 5 gold (i want goldie statue) - 795 shifts worked, 203998p total points, 67 king salmonids defeated - highest salmon run shift score: idr the exacts bc i didn’t screenshot it i guess but it was 156 gold eggs

- - - - -

now as for some general thoughts on the state of the game: - weapons i think are the best (overall, in meta): splash, hydra - weapons i think are the worst: undercover brella.  need i say more - weapons i don’t really like fighting atm: n-zap... evergreen, splatana stamper, dapple dualies - other notes: beakons are still the devil, crab and bubbler are obnoxious, tacticooler not being breakable sucks shit, and the kit distribution in this game is kinda bad atm but it’ll get better as more come in

- stages i think are the best: makomart (of course), museum, hammerhead - stages i think are the worst: mahi, scorch - stages i don’t really like playing atm: ...mahi, scorch, but also eeltail can be awful - other notes: this game’s map design isn’t as bad as people say but i do kinda wish there were more options to get around the stage, esp when they take one of the large stages (undertow) this patch and shrink it in turf, this will chill out as more stages come out tho so

thoughts on each mode:  - turf: it’s the same as ever but i wanna just say i saw a post that was like “ppl who say only the last 30s matter are ppl who don’t paint spawn” and i just wanna say like.  how can you be that wrong.  like i’m sorry turf is fine but acting like a single large sweep near the end can’t reverse a match is idiotic  - tricolor: SO fun.  will touch on the upcoming patch changes later but even in base game, all the like 3 times i got to play it, it was so fun.  i think it needs work tho still cuz defending being spawncampable is so stupid  - sz: this mode is still just kinda “wall out middle once you have it” which.  let’s be real that’s how like half of turf war matches go -- i kinda wish this mode had some kind of switch up or at least the zones would be unconventional places on each map rather than just being a center square most of the time.  probably my overall least favorite but still fun  - tc: bad bitch coming through -- ok but actually no, 2nd fav.  bubbler on tower is ridiculous, and i think in general this mode still suffers from a large amount of Clunk around the tower itself interacting with geometry, but its fun!  it didn’t change much from 2 so that’s the end of my thoughts  - rm: fav mode since 1, still my fav mode -- it’s a lot less like, “steal the show” -ish, but its heavy emphasis on movement while still centralizing on a single object makes it my fav mode.  tc is a bit too boring and cb a bit too chaotic for my tastes, so this is just so perfect.  checkpoints are cool but also we need to literally force people to use them so they don’t skip them.  also makomart rm is still intact :) peace and love on planet earth  - cb: i never really Like liked this mode but i thought it was at least on par with sz in terms of like bullshit nonsense that can just Happen Sometimes.  like funny beakon brushes in 2 made that mode a complete nightmare in terms of like “ok guys let’s set up a pu- They Broke Our Basket!” shit and in this game, with the lowered clam requirement overall for a superclam, it makes the mode just like.  play faster?  plus the more hallway-esque maps work well here because you don’t have to monitor 3 separate fucking lanes like you would in 2 -- i’m still kinda wary of playing it a lot hence my lack of stages seen, but it seems to be a lot better and i’m happy about it :)

thoughts on the game as a whole:  - lack of content from 2 (gear, variants, stages) got me missing it kinda rn but all the qol, movement, and new content added make it worth staying with 3 anyways -- this won’t be a problem when the game is ending its life cycle but for now it’s just kinda annoying (esp with some reveals this patch... more on that later)  - i really like the direction overall in terms of like.  more weapons, more subs, more specials, more abilities, more gear, more options.  it feels a lot easier to navigate and manage than splatoon 2, and i feel it’ll become an insanely good game in the latter parts of its life

thoughts on general “what i want to see in the future” stuff:  - 3rd kits for every weapon... please dear god like genuinely we just need them.  15 (or more.) specials and however many subs and we still have 2 inkjet weapons in the game right now like genuinely we need more kits than ever and i hope we see a lot - speaking of, i hope we get to finally have at LEAST a 3rd brush, if not 5 -- as well as more dualies, brellas, splatlings, sloshers, splatanas, and stringers.  i know we’ll probably get enough to fill out the roster on those last 2, but i hope they don’t neglect the other weapons tbh.  i also wouldn’t mind seeing like “pro” or other alternate variants of weapons, like a bamboozler pro, undercover brella pro, splatana wiper pro, etc. etc. -- these would have unique properties in the same way rapid & rapid pro vary from each other, altho they could also do things like dodge rolls, unique mechanics or bullets, etc. etc.  - a LARGE majority, if not ALL stages returning.  since this game is more or less the finale in a trilogy, i think making this game kinda the “smash ultimate” of splatoon makes a lot of sense -- i think it’d be so nice for the game’s overall diversity if we have basically every map, and i’d like to see how they get reworked as controversially i really like the redesigned maps (outside of mahi anyways) - a new ranked mode.  this one is probable, but i just really think we could use another tbh -- i want to see what they can do considering how the game has evolved, and also i’d like it to be another unique mode in that it doesn’t run the same overall playstyle of tc and rm -- cb is kinda like them but it’s different enough imo - custom kits in private battles -- this one is super out there, and i think it’d be a very late end-of-life feature to massively increase the game’s competitive potential and really make this game the peak of what it could be.  i don’t think this should be added until the end of its life just for the sake of posterity, and i think i’d like it to accompany an update where you can more or less make “decorated” weapons for your locker in the same way -- and those would be usable in battle here.  also tricolor in privates at the end of the game’s life or ELSE.

thoughts on 2.0.0: - new weapons are SO fun i’m so excited to have them all.  new variants too - both new stages look fantastic and i can’t wait to experience them -- brinewater has one of my favorite overall looks in the series too - marooners coming back is so nice - the balance tweaks are SO nice -- splatana and stringer buffs are so good in game, all the changes i made i think are really good - HOWEVER.  however.  overall, i think this is really kinda underwhelming and spelling a very sparse future for the game.  if we’re only getting 10-13 weapons every 3 months and 2 stages ... less than we would in the game if the drops were monthly like splat 2, ... it’s not looking good.  i hope they hear feedback on this and consider upping the overall count.  i would personally like it to be around 12-16 weapons (including new and variants), 3 maps (one new, one from 1, one from 2 where possible), and 1 new sr map/grizzco weapon per season - also the no halloween splatfest this year... i get it but also like i don’t like it.  i don’t think splatoween was ever realistically coming but it was weird having such a gap.  hopefully we get a normal christmas splatfest this year and then like.  splatoween + frostyfest next year

and now i’m going to put this after a huge break but i wanna talk abt leaks/datamines so if you don’t want to see that, close the post now!  thank you for reading

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thoughts on leaked/datamined stuff: - another new special terrifies me, considering we already have so many, but it could be cool -- hopefully we see it before the end of the game’s life LMAO - i wouldn’t actually mind more subs out of all things, angle shooter is kinda just there and we could do so much more than just having it tbh - need all the new sr enemies to come, especially if balloon isn’t a boss but instead another on the roster of generic enemies, which i think would be nice as we didn’t get anymore this update - hopefully we get new king salmonids every other season, so 3/5/7 -- and big run stages once a season, i hope the next one is a splat 3 stage as well - i hope sr gets some new events and that some of the datamined bosses relate to them, esp ghost.  need ghost to be a spooky night stage mode - i hope the leaked special sr shift modes (pair, etc.) are actually going to be 8 player and that they finally put splashdown back in the mode (as is intended, it’s coded to show up but omitted) - jukebox is coming in season 3 and the music name change is a precursor, mark my words - silver splash and gold dynamo are so sexy.  i hope all the weapons get cool new colors instead of stickers altho only custom jr. has broken this trend so far.  i also hope we get a mix of kensa, sheldons picks, and another (barazushi?  red and blue weapons would be hype) as a 3rd kit.  i know kensa says “limited time” but it would be cool if there were the occasional ones still - hell i hope more brands get weapon tie-ins in general, i hate the lack of them in the game atm since there are so many brands like give them all weapons and shit ... come on - makomart tricolor looks like it’ll be a fun mess.  eeltail tricolor looks like it’s not done but i hope it uses its beta middle layout (which is closest to sz in the final game) - the reef will probs come back in season 3 but i’ll be sad as i don’t rly like having to waste slots on the more simplistic maps - i would scream if they “upgrade” a shifty station into an actual stage and release it alongside the paid dlc bc it’s one marina made, in the same way pearl contributed to camp triggerfish - the maps i generally want to see back are like: urchin w a streamlining, bluefin with a streamlining, beta saltspray specifically as a tricolor exclusive or sr stage / humpback, moray2, kelp2, snapper2 (beta middle? pleek), shellendorf remodel, arowana2, albacore, and anchov with a mix of its splat 1 and 2 layouts. - i am PRAYING that camp, saltspray final, skipper, and goby don’t come back.  esp the mirrored maps (saltspray / skipper) as they’re always a complete mess layout wise and balancing wise and we can do better

wow that was so much text.  ok i’m done writing now bye like a nd subscrieb for more !^!^!!%JJ!J!!!1 i’ll do another one of these when season 2 is nearly ending so * points * also lmk what u think splatutals ^_^ UPDATE more got datamined while i was writing this -- let me just add my thoughts real quick - mincemeat tricolor is so WEIRD but it looks cool... afraid of it getting spawncamped tho - undertow tricolor ... the turf update makes more sense now.  i really like this one tho but i love undertow in general so

#d #s #another post will be coming this morning for my music stuff so hehe

[aestheticvoyage2022]

Day 270: Tuesday September 27, 2022 - “Sick BooBoo”

Oh god - the most terrible sound in the world; your baby boy crying out scared and in pain between pukes, unable to understand whats happening to him.  That cry - desperate and inconsolable, was the soundtrack to a night that had started with the anticipation of a practice round of bedtime as if Mama wasn’t here.  That plan ended abruptly when after trying to communicate to us how upset he was, he vomited all over the floor, looking up at me with concerned eyes as if to ask “what the hell was that?” as I called out for Mama.  Bedtime routine fail - but more urgently, sick boy on our last night here without health insurance.  Oh the luck.  Audrie and I looked at each other and confirmed “we just have to make it to midnight” - said in a way of knowing that if we had to go we would.   The next several hours weren’t fun as our little Lion would puke and crash like he did back in April.  Then, the diagnosis was FPIES, and so we immediately started to go through all the things we had fed him today.    Was it the questionable cheese again?  The milk babas?   Was it something totally different?  Maybe cheerios had gotten a bad rap!   We both struggled through, getting as much sleep as we could, remembering that it had been a long time since we had swooned so much over the sight of him sleeping peacefully. Dead eyes, loud cry - look out mama, looks like this baby has inherited my way of being sick.     While he had weened him most of last week, that was all out the screendoor tonight.  The only thing that made any difference for this sick boy was mama’s milk, and while the timing tonight was ironic and stressful, it could have been a whole lot worse.  I am so glad I wasn’t actually on my own tonight.

And I realize on nights like tonight, that so much of parenting is just keeping the score. Remembering what has happened before, what has worked before, and most importantly that you’ve gotten through it before.   Pretty immediately I looked back and found the post Audrie wrote after that ER trip in April and read through it for the details for anything that might remind or help us.  These hard nights take a toll, and it feels like the score is running up, but really its just brick laying for the next time and the next.   While I was grateful tonight that Audrie was here, to take the lead, and lead us with her grace....there will be times when its just me, the unnatural one and I will have seen it and know what to do.  I’ll be able to flip the script.   Even as the score adds up, I am blessed that there is no clock or final gun on this game.  I’ve got time to figure this out.

Song: Bob Marley - Redemption Song

Quote: “Anyone who tells you fatherhood is the greatest thing that can happen to you, they are understanding it.”— Mike Myers

[youthofnausea7]

The resorts will be closing in about a week or two, and while I'll most likely have another session in that time and for sure will be going to Mammoth in June, I figure now is as good of a time as any for an eos report.

Tricks I've locked in:

Frontside shifty with nose grab to tail grab

Frontside 50-50 (most rails and pipes at Bear Mtn)

Frontside noseblunt/lipside (most pipes at Bear Mtn, two of the rails at Snow Summit)

Flatground fakie cab 360s

Switch frontside 360s

Pole jams (Scary for me, so a big deal. Nothing fancy off of them for the reason mentioned, just as much of a steezy shifty as I can get fs or bs)

Tricks I've attempted/stomped but still look really ugly:

Tamedog (Fast cartwheel style frontflip)

Bs Miller flip (I'm basically doing a fast knuckle/hip tripod [nose of the board and hands on the snow with the tail sticking up] using the momentum to swing a full 360 or 270 depending on the feature back to regular with enough speed and air that the board becomes airborne basically resulting in a flip while dragging my fingertips. My hope is that I can do it with enough send that it becomes more like a corked bs 360. My eventual goal is to get it to a point that neither my board nor my hands touch the snow resulting in a proper corked 360 off the knuckle)

270 into boardslide (Most beginner boxes and rails at all resorts)

Tricks I want to land next season:

Fronstide 540 (Was planning on landing one of these this season and it didn't happen, was actually expecting it to happen switch)

Tamedog (Off of jumps, when I tried it was off of a bank and was basically like a somersault)

Backside shifty nose grab to tail grab

Frontside boardslide

Bs boardslide pretzel out (270 in the opposite direction)

Better and more frequent grabs with my 360 spins

Corked bs 360 (as mentioned in reference to Miller flips)

Fs (proper) Miller flips, preferably over a barrel or other park feature

Backflip maybe? They're supposedly really easy, just kind of scary

Top speed this season: 42 mph

Steepest run: Cornice at Mammoth (was hoping to hit Climax which is steeper but it looked crappy)

Setup: Board: 2015 Arbor Zygote/Flux GT bindings year unknown, 2023 Rome Agent/Union Flite Pro bindings 2015. Boots: Thirtytwo TM3 Bear Mtn Edition unknown year. Pants: 686xMatix Street Pant unknown year. Jacket: 686 Smarty 3 in 1 2024/Pullover sweater and/or my trusty red flannel. Gloves: Crab Grab Cinch Trigger Mitt (Rip, lost them and was about to buy another pair but the brand majorly cheaped out on materials with no difference on price so I got the Punch Mitt because it was the only one they still made with the same materials. Felt bad still buying from a brand that sold out so brutally but it was still the best quality gear I could get that was vegan). Goggles: Electric EG3 2022/Electric Mahi sunglasses. Helmet: Smith Maze

Fucking excellent season, not as much snow as last season but I'm okay with that. I don't need to be spending hours shoveling when I'm already losing sleep working back to back shifts 16 hours a day. The powder days weren't nearly as epic as they were but I still got to hit it and had still got to have perfect days just having fun vibing around.

It's not all about doing the sickest shit! I enjoy snowboarding because it's my favorite thing to do, I've been doing it my whole life never missing a single winter and am not nearly as good at it as one would expect. It's basically just my happy place, most days I'll just cruise around and hit a couple jumps and rails while spending plenty of time at the bar, so don't be scared of being judged or looking stupid if you're trying it for the first time. We're all here to have fun and most of us are totally patient and accepting if you need any sort of guidance, just ask.

All of the love and shred on!

#youthofnausea #snowboarding #big bear

[emptylittlebug]

6/19/23

238.0

In: Adderall, Wellbutrin, McDonald’s large vanilla iced coffee (230), pizza rolls (420), ranch (140) 790

Out: 10,274 steps. Fitbit says -2816

Total: -2026

Today:

I woke up feeling awful. My whole body aches. I hate this adjustment part. If I want to stop going through it the only answer is to stop giving up and just keep going.

I got the coffee to hopefully help the aches. I feel like I got hit by a car… I’m going to need some Tylenol if it doesn’t work. I can’t spend my day feeling like this. Ughhh.

Also have a stuffy nose. Did I mention I hate this adjustment part?… ugh.

Can’t give in. Can’t stop. Won’t stop. I’m too obese to be having these side effects of… “eating less”.

Edit:

It’s 9pm. I stopped feeling terrible about an hour after I made that update.

I had a pretty chill day.

Got 3 hours of overtime for work! Pretty excited about that.

My daughter is insisting I lay with her until she falls asleep (she’s 6) so I’ll finish my 10k steps later.

I can’t believe I’m not even the tiniest bit hungry.

— just venting about life and money for the rest of this so skip if you want —

Since I worked 3 hours over I didn’t get any crocheting done today. I’m not happy about that. But maybe I can get something made before I go to bed tonight. Not many more days until the craft show. Plus my stores aren’t selling much at all because they are so empty. I need to worry about the stores more than I do the shows. Idk why I don’t.

Today I spent a while looking on Zillow for houses. Problem is… idk where I want to live. Since my job is remote I can literally move anywhere I want to. But.. I can’t afford the houses I want in the areas I want to be in lmao. I thought about moving back home (an hour and a half away) but my kids dad just moved down here to be closer to them and he’s been helping out SO much I’d hate to mess that up. I do want to be down here. I do Not want to stay because of him or move closer to him. I do like it around here. I’ve only lived her for about 18 months. I do not feel safe in the part of the city I live in and we definitely have outgrown a 3bedroom apartment. Myself and an almost 14 year old son, 10 year old son, 8 year old son, and 6 year old daughter. Right now I have my room, the 14 and 10 year old share a room, and the 8 and 6 year old share a room. But the 14 year old NEEDS his own room. Puberty and all that. So I’ve been looking for a 4 bedroom for us. Moving to another apartment or rental is not an option unfortunately.

I either need a huge increase in income or I need a lot more saved up than I have currently to afford a 4 bedroom around here in a better part of town/the city.

I think that’s why I worry so much about the shows. It’s a lot of money in 1 day instead of a steady way lower amount of money monthly.

I need the steady. But I also want the lump sum to throw into savings faster.

I need more hours in the day.

My work did tell me today I can get up to 10 hours of overtime per week if I want them until they tell us differently. I could definitely use that extra $270/week! Hopefully I’ll stay disciplined enough to throw all the extra in savings. We will see I guess. I’m bad about wanting to throw it on credit card debt, which isn’t bad, but i really need it in savings right now.

I guess I’m more stressed about that than I realized. Damn.

I did find a house back home I could easily afford and it has everything we’re looking for. But. It’s back home.

I think I need to see a therapist again. For the first time in my life my anger is starting to get out of control. I’ve never been an angry person. But it seems like I go from a 3 to a 10 in a finger snap lately. I’m worried what that’s doing to my kids learning/development. I don’t want them to have any more anger issues than they already do… I really really need to work on it and I need some strategies and help. I had to give up therapy when I moved here. I miss my old therapist. I don’t think she’s still working there though, I looked her up on fb (I already know 😂) and it says she works at the school system now. I thought about texting her and just saying hey but I realized I only have her work cell number and it might not still be her number. I would be absolutely crushed if I texted it and someone wrote back they weren’t her. Idk.

Well I think my daughter is asleep now. Off to do 7.2k steps I go!

[tw-kingbaby]

food log

7/8

10-2PM: black coffee

lots of water and an electrolyte drink

7:00PM: healthy choice spinach linguini (270)

9:30PM: kevin’s brand korean style bbq chicken (450)

total: 720

made it nearly 24 hours before i started to get dizzy, also my dude was staying up late with me so i needed some actual energy. so i ate lol. the chicken was a little gross and not honestly worth the money, but not entirely not worth eating as it was good protein. i remember loving it back when i was doing keto but then again i loved anything i could microwave and keep my carb count low. anyway yeah. i was also going to stop at just the meal i had earlier but that’s kind of stupid, you know? there’s no getting this week back on track, no matter how low i cut, so i may as well let myself eat what i call “normally”.

i was going over my calorie tracker spread sheet and noticed some inconsistencies with my coloring. mostly where i had marked things much darker/into a higher category than they should have been. i assume these to be days where i felt like i had to punish myself for eating too much and graded myself poorly or something, idk. there was some other stuff where i just wasn’t consistent with what i consider to be the cut off for a color category. the resulting fix has ended up looking a lot less “negative” to me overall, as there’s a lot more stuff that should have been considered shades of green or just colored in more pale colors. what i mean to say is it looks like i’ve been doing better (or worse, since starving myself shouldn’t really be an achievement) than i thought. i’m still convinced i haven’t lost any weight and also at the same time the moment i stop restricting it’s all coming back. don’t ask me how that works. but the colors tickle my brain.

anyway yeah, today was great. lots of time with my guy who misses me now and has realized we really don’t spend too much time with each other anymore. just five or six hours a day, which is what he wanted and now regrets. maybe he shouldn’t have pushed me away like that and i wouldn’t have changed my entire schedule like that. he’s lucky that a) i love him and b) this current job and accompanying sleep schedule suck ass and i’m eager to go back to overnights. i crave the night (i’m an edgelord with a sleep disorder lmao).

got my plane ticket too, so i’ll be gone on the 20th of september all the way to mid december. i’ll be trying to eat either at maintenance, maybe slightly cutting if i can manage, so much won’t be missed here of my progress. i hope to finish what i started here when i come back. i want to be so fucking skinny, man.

[weirdnaturalscience]

Well-Known and Obscure Toxins: How They Work

Well this is a morbid subject but HEY it’s almost Halloween baby!! I was super curious about what toxins actually do on a molecular level after reading about cone snails. Obviously toxins can kill you, but how?? I wanted to know the grisly details. This is not an exhaustive list, just some types of poison, venom, and other toxic substances I was curious about, so let’s get to it.

Deadly Nightshade

Where is it found? Atropa belladonna grows in Europe, North Africa and Western Asia.

How it works: speeds up your heart and generally fucks with your nervous system. Deadly nightshade contains tropane alkaloids atropine, hyoscine (scopolamine), and hyoscyamine which disrupt the nervous system’s ability to regulate activities such as heart rate, breathing and sweating. It can cause narcosis, paralysis and heart failure as a result. Yikes. But an antidote exists that can reverse these affects if administered in time.

Toxicity: the entire plant is toxic, with roots having the highest toxicity but berries posing the greatest threat to humans because of their appearance. 10-20 berries can kill an adult, and 2-4 can kill a child. Symptoms of mild poisoning include dilated pupils, sensitivity to light, loss of balance, confusion, hallucinations (wild) and convulsions. Doesn’t sound like a good time.

Do not eat the shiny attractive berries!!! (Cows and rabbits and other animals can eat it but humans, dogs and cats...NOT SO MUCH) You can also get toxins on your skin just by touching the plant but this will not kill you.

Totally fun and not morbid fact: during the Renaissance, belladonna was used by women in small quantities to dilate pupils and give a seductive appearance, and this is how it gets its name belladonna, or beautiful woman. Atropa comes from the Greek Fate Atropos who cuts the threads of mortal lives with her shears. Snip snip!

Hemlock

Where is it found? Conium maculatum grows naturally in Europe and North Africa, and has spread to North and South America, Australia and Western Asia.

How it works: stops your breathing. The flowers contain an alkaloid called coniine, which directly affects the nervous system and causes paralysis of respiratory muscles, leading to death from oxygen deprivation. Hemlock poisoning is treated by artificial ventilation for 48-72 hours until the effects wear off.

Toxicity: about 100 milligrams of coniine is fatal to an adult. That’s about 6-8 hemlock leaves, or a smaller dose of the seeds or root. Animals can also be poisoned and killed by hemlock, but luckily dangerous substances cannot be passed into the human food chain from milk or fowl. Similar to nightshade, you can get a non-lethal amount of the toxin on your skin simply from touching this plant.

Basically you’re only gonna get poisoned by this if someone puts it in your tea, because I assume you’re not gonna just go around just like...chomping on pretty flowers. Right? Right?? ok good.

Arsenic

Where is it found? arsenic is a metalloid that occurs often with sulfurs and metals. It can be present in volcanic ash and groundwater, and as a result can be found in low (acceptable) levels in plants and seafood. Good news: it is rare to find arsenic occurring at dangerous levels in nature.

How it works: in high levels, arsenic disrupts ATP production and causes organ failure due to necrotic cell death. This process can last between 2 hours to multiple days. It can also be fatal in lower doses administered over a period of time, and as such, was a popular murder weapon when it was readily available during the 1800s in England. Symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea don’t immediately alert someone that there has been an attempted murder unless maybe you’re Sherlock Holmes.

Toxicity: google probably thinks I’m a murderer and won’t tell me just how much arsenic will kill a person. COME ON, google!!! it’s for SCIENCE!

Arsenic is no longer readily available for people to just get in large quantities, so that’s a RELIEF.

Cyanide

Where is it found? cyanide is a chemical compound produced by certain algae, bacteria and fungi. It is also found in plants such as peaches, apples, apricots and bitter almonds. A type of bamboo that grows in Madagascar is so rich in cyanide that it would kill humans, but not the golden bamboo lemur for whom this bamboo is a primary source of food!!! You go girl, eat that cyanide bamboo.

How it works: for everyone who’s not a golden bamboo lemur, cyanide disrupts ATP production, affects the central nervous system and heart, and causes histotoxic hypoxia: the inability of cells to take up oxygen from the bloodstream. Antidotes can work if administered in time for lower doses of cyanide.

Toxicity: 200 milligrams of solid cyanide or a cyanide solution, or exposure to airborne cyanide of 270 parts per million is sufficient to cause death within minutes. Um, YIKES. Really, cyanide was already scary enough as a solid before nature went and made it into a gas that kills upon inhalation. DEEPLY uncool.

Murder mystery writers: slip belladona or arsenic into your literary victim’s tea. Belladonna is sweet, arsenic is tasteless, but cyanide has an acrid and bitter taste.

Fun (well, not fun) fact: if you eat 200 apple seeds (about 40 apple cores) you will receive a fatal dose of cyanide. So like, don’t do that. An apple a day keeps the doctor away and is completely safe, but 40 apples apple cores a day WILL KILL YOU

Vampire Bat Saliva

Where is it found? Vampire bats are found in the Americas.

How it works: a toxic substance called Draculin (I’m serious) in the saliva of vampire bats acts as an anticoagulant by inhibiting an enzyme involved in the coagulation pathway.

Toxicity: vampire bats are indeed venomous and toxic, but they are not at all lethal. It just sorta sucks if you’re being bitten by a vampire bat, but you’ll live. Unless that bat has rabies. Vampire bat saliva also contains an analgesic, meaning the bites are almost completely painless. SO THAT’S SOMETHING

Cobra Venom

“hello do you have a moment to hear about cell death?”

Where is it found? Many species of cobra are found throughout Africa, Southwest and Southeast Asia.

How it works: most cobra venom includes neurotoxins that cause paralysis as well as cytotoxins that cause necrosis and blood coagulation. blood coagulation can happen in minutes.

Toxicity: many types of cobra venom are treatable, but may leave disfigurement from necrosis. If this isn’t scary enough for you, just know that spitting cobras can reach 2.7 m (8.9 ft) in length and like to aim for the eyes.

But you’d still rather be bitten by a cobra than THIS deadly mofo:

Venom of the Inland Taipan

Where is it found? the inland taipan is the most venomous snake in the world and lives, YOU GUESSED IT, in Australia, ie the place where everything is designed to kill you. Evolution decided it can reach 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) with a maximum length of 2.5 meters (8.2 feet), which I think everyone can agree is a dick move on evolution’s part. Take it back, TAKE IT BACK!!!!!

How it works: the venom contains neurotoxins, hemotoxins, and myotoxins AND an enzyme to increase absorption of the venom. Basically it causes paralysis, blood coagulation and muscle damage, because one of these things wasn’t enough apparently. Antivenoms against Australian venomous snakes exist but are least effective against the venom of the inland taipan.

Toxicity: the inland taipan’s venom has a murine LD50 value of 0.025m/kg. This means there is a 50% chance that .025 milligrams per kilogram of weight will cause death. It’s bite contains enough venom to kill at least 100 adult humans. But GOOD NEWS! the inland taipan lives in such remote places that it rarely comes in contact with people. Other slightly less venomous snakes are therefore responsible for more deaths. ....So that’s...still terrifying. just don’t go into the woods in Australia FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

What’s deadlier than the deadliest snake in the world, you ask?

Tetrodotoxin

Where is it found? tetrodotoxin is found in several animals such as pufferfish, moon snails and the small but deadly Australian blue ringed octopus (DAMMIT Australia)

How it works: blocks sodium channels. This prevents normal transmission of signals between the body and brain, causing loss of sensation, paralysis and inability to breathe. Fun!!! Don’t pick up the frickin evil little octopus

Toxicity: more powerful than cyanide, that’s for sure, about a thousand times more powerful in fact. the oral median lethal dose (LD50) for mice as 334 micrograms per kilogram. Fatal pufferfish poisoning result in death in about 17 minutes. The blue-ringed octopus, however, carries enough venom to kill 26 adult humans within just a few minutes. There is no anti-venom.

What’s worse than that, you ask? Ah, you shouldn't have asked.

Conotoxin

Where is it found? Cone snails are found in the Indo-Pacific, the Cape of South Africa, the Mediterranean, and even southern California. Smaller species are not that dangerous. Larger species, however...

How it works: paralysis within minutes. cone snails have multiple harpoons to administer venom to prey (or unsuspecting humans). the harpoons deliver a venom that has HUNDREDS of different types of toxins, each targeting different nerve channels or receptors. Some cone snail venom even includes pain-reducing toxins. These pain reducing toxins can be 100 to 1,000 times more powerful than morphine. How THOUGHTFUL.

Toxicity: vastly more potent than tetrodotoxin. the oral median lethal dose (LD50) for mice is is 10 to 100 micrograms/kilogram. So like, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT LOL

Ricin

Where is it found? Ricin is obtained from the beans of the castor oil plant.

How it works: inhibits protein production and results in organ failure, respiratory failure and circulatory shock.

Toxicity: The median lethal dose (LD50) of ricin is around 22 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. If that sounds bad just wait till you hear about poison dart frogs 😭

VX

Where is it found? Nowhere in nature. VX is synthetic. It is an oily amber colored liquid in its natural form, was first developed as a pesticide and later for chemical warfare. It is considered a weapon of mass destruction and is banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993.

How it works: causes stimulation and fatigue of muscarinic and nicotinic ACh receptors, resulting in violent contractions followed by paralysis and death by asphyxiation.

Toxicity: 7 micrograms/kilogram. this is one of the most toxic synthetic substances on earth. Humans have got nothing on mother nature though...

Batrachotoxin

(This guy is called phyllobates TERRIBILIS. but is his cute little face terrible? noooo.)

Where is it found? in certain types of beetles, birds and poison dart frogs found in Central and South America.

How it works: similar to conotoxin, batrachotoxin interrupts sodium channels. The resulting migration of Na+ ions causes heart failure and paralysis.

Toxicity: The LD50 is around 2 micrograms per kilogram, meaning that an amount the size of two grains of table salt will kill you, and that this is even worse than a cone snail, Ricin, or VX. Batrachotoxin is one of the deadliest alkaloids known. No antidote exists.

Fun frog fact: this was the poison commonly used by the Embera-Wounaan for poison darts, and that’s where poison dart frogs get their name! How...cute.

Botulinum, most toxic substance in the world

Where is it found? made by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum and related species.

How it works: causes Botulism, which if untreated can result in paralysis and respiratory failure by preventing the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Botulinum is used in very very very VEEEEEEERY small amounts in Botox, in case you ever needed reasons NOT to do Botox lol.

Toxicity: the lethal dose of 1.3–2.1 nanograms per kilogram in humans. of any toxin natural or synthetic, this is the deadliest known. However!! Actual good news this time: treatments involving antitoxin therapy and intubation are very successful and mortality from Botulism is extremely low. Yay! 

More good news: toxins have been instrumental in medicinal breakthroughs throughout history and continue to be vital to modern medicine. A drug for diabetes was recently synthesized from Gila monster venom: it increases the production of insulin when blood sugar levels are high. A painkiller has been developed for chronic pain patients that is derived from a component of the venom of our friend, you guessed it, the cone snail! These are just two examples of toxins being used in medicine, and a lot of research is still being done because face it: we still don’t know a lot about how our bodies work. Paralyzing agents are extremely important to our understanding of the body and the development of non-opiate non-addictive painkillers because of how they disrupt signals between nerves and the brain.

Long story short: don’t eat nightshade and stay OFF AUSTRALIAN BEACHES and you should be just fine. 

Oh and your tea is getting cold ;)

#my posts #interesting #science #poison #venom #nightshade #hemlock #cobras #vampire bats #arsenic #cyanide #tetrodotoxin #conotoxin #ricin #vx

[fandom-star]

Writer’s Tag

@its-all-ineffable tagged me to do this, but it’s a long one so I’m doing it in a different post! Thank you very much! I love doing these so much!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How many works do you have on AO3?

164 (possibly 165 by the weekend if I post the Witcher one I finished the other day)

What's your total AO3 word count?

181468

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

It’s Okay (Merlin: Merthur) - 569 Kudos Pulchra (Night At The Museum: Jedtavius) [NSFW] - 286 Kudos A Father’s Wisdom (Merlin: Merthur: Uther-centric) - 270 Kudos Crush (MCU Spider-Man: PeterNed) - 262 Kudos Comfort Blankets For Sleepy Gods (MCU Loki Series: Lokius) - 245

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Sometimes. I try to if I’m not in a non-social mood. Mostly, if I start off on my page before reading any fic and see that I have something in my inbox and it turns out to be a comment on my fic, then I’m more likely to reply to it. Idk why it works like that. Otherwise, it’s kinda touch and go whether or not I’ll reply to something, you’ve got a 50/50 chance, but I always read and appreciate every one that I get.

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

*Looks at my abundance of angst fics* There’s... a surprising amount of angst without happy endings in my repertoire. Um. I’ll give you three that I vividly remember. (All of these are Star Trek and Spones) Written In The Stars - This is one of my really early works, and was gonna have a sequel that made it have a less angsty ending, but I could never get into the rhythm of writing it. I won’t spoil it, but this is probably the only fic I’ve written where Sarek is a straight-up dick. Battlefield - As the title suggests, there’s war with no real context. And major character death. It’s sad. I genuinely made people cry with this. I am both proud and apologetic of that. Unreal - This is probably one of my more complex concepts, and I’m really proud of it. Features ooc Spock with contextual reasons I won’t spoil, defensive/protective McCoy and major character death of a sort.

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending

This is kind of difficult, bc while I have excessively written angsty endings (see: above answer) I do usually write happy endings, and I can’t remember all 160 fic endings left over, and even then it’s difficult to rank them by happiest. I like Nutcase {Murdoch Mysteries: Watts-centric) a lot, oh and also Blame It On Me (Star Trek Pricard: Hughnor) which is angst with a happy ending (and has amazing art accompanying it). There are many others with happy endings, but like I said I have no idea how to rank them by “happiest”.

Do you write crossovers? If so, What is the craziest one you’ve ever written?

I don’t really, but I have written one as a request that I really really enjoyed. A Good Day is ThorBruce and is set in the DS9 era of Star Trek, in which Thor is a captain and Bruce is his chief science officer. It’s really adorable and features sleepy, over-worked Bruce and a very characteristically happy Thor.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

No, I don’t think so, unless you count unsolicited advice I felt I couldn’t turn down on ff.net when I was struggling to write Uhura. I’m kind of surprised I haven’t tbh (not that I’m complaining) since I do write for some very popular fandoms and ships (although, conversely, also some very niche fandoms and ships).

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I write it but have only ever posted it thee, four times if you count the exploratory one I posted under a pseudonym that wasn’t really that smutty. I’m hoping to get the confidence up to post some of what I’ve written tho, bc I do really like hat I’ve managed to do with some of it.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I’m aware.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, I have! A lovely person found my fic 1967, which is probably one of my favourite Spones fics I’ve written, based around the UK’s decriminalisation (well, partial) of homosexuality, and traslated it into Hungarian here. I’ve not been able to check it out, due to not knowing a thing in the language (tho I could probably ask my friend to) but the translator seemed really lovely, so I trust them to have done a good job.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not something I posted, but before I even started posting fanfic, me and my best friend really randomly started writing a Star Trek TNG x Star Wars crossover whenever they were at my house. We gave up on it after about a year and never wrote much for it, but it was... it was something.

What’s your all-time favourite ship?

This changes all the time with my hyperfixations! One that will always be in my heart is obviously Spones, my og ship and within my special interest. Currently I’m obsessed with The Witcher so I’ve got Geraskier on the mind but who knows when that might change!

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

In terms of fanfic I don’t really have any that I don’t think I’ll ever finish. I have an original script that I started writing months ago but only got about three scenes into and haven’t touched since bc I don’t actually have a plot for it.

What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue; Is situations one? That sounds like a good and fancy way of saying AUs; Finding synonyms should be one, that’s like half my search history

What are your writing weaknesses?

Description; Despite my talent of finding synonyms I feel like I do repeat words a lot; Planning and outlining, I just don’t do it - it works for me tho.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I’m pretty sure the only times I’ve really done it is for Jedtavius (having Oct speak in Latin occasionally) and I might have done it once or twice with Spock speaking Vulcan, both times it’s mostly terms of endearment or Oct wanting to be romantic. Idk, I don’t really care about reading dialogue in other languages as long as there’s a translation somewhere in the work or I can easily pick it up or search it. Just do whatever, it’s your writing. As long as you do it well and it makes contextual sense, I don’t really care.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Unposted: Star Trek: The Next Gen Posted: Sherlock (I actually recently reread my first ever posted fic, it’s a long haul (just over 45k), but if anyone ever wants to see a work where my writing visibly improves lemme know and I’ll email the pdf to you)

What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

Why would you do this to me??? I love most of my fics!!! I’m just gonna link a few here cause I’ve been doing this for an hour now and it would definitely take me an hour to choose just one! The Relationship Series - modern AU, autistic Spock (written by a self-projecting autistic writer), there’s angst spattered about but is especially prominent in part 6, I just really love this series Promises You Can’t Keep - Loki spoilers, I love this bc it’s based on “what if my finale theory was right instead of being debunked three minutes into the episode”, definitely angst with a hopeful ending I love all of my Charite At War fics, but I’m gonna link my 20 years post-canon fic Grow Old With Me and my modern AU You Give Me Your Light - both have some heavy topics (post-canon is set in 1960s East Germany, modern AU topics are tagged) but I adore both with my entire heart You’ll Never Burn - Merlin/Merthur, again kinda heavy (not as heavy as the Charite ones in my opinion) but short and everything is tagged I love all of my Babylon 5 fics but Secret Rendezvous will always have a special place in my heart. It’s very sweet and essentially follows Vir and Lennier trying to navigate coming out about their relationship to their ambassadors I also recommend all the of the fics I’ve already linked in the post ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now for the hard part - tagging!

@esperata @tallysgreatestfan @iwritesometimes @marlinspirkhall and any other writer mutuals I’ve likely forgotten but I’ve already spent WAY too long writing this post asfdhdskjdgha So I apologise, but if you wanna do it, absolutely go for it, this was so much fun and really made me realise how much I’ve achieved in 4.5 years.

[thebraingremlinsaremad]

Daily Blog #15: August 22, 2021

Dollar Tree is honestly pretty fucking awesome 👌👌👌

I set my alarm for like 6:25 this morning, but it took 6 minutes for the "Horsin' Around" theme song instrumental to wake me up. I was pretty tired lol. I just dismissed it and went back to sleep.

I only went back to sleep because I knew I had another alarm set for 7:00. That got me up.

I should mention that this was still in the RV over an hour away from the house.

After I got up, I went to go get a shower, and did so successfully.

Unfortunately, I had forgotten my brush this time and had to do it afterwards after my hair had a bit of time to dry, which did make it a little more difficult lol.

I got dressed and grabbed my stuff, putting it into my car.

I made it a point to see and say "see you later" to my grandparents before I left for the flea market.

My dad insisted that I stayed to say goodbye to my mom, so I left.

I did NOT have cell service up there, as was mentioned in my previous 2 blogs of which I could only post today, so finding my way was a tiny bit difficult until I got some service to ask Google to take me to "...".

It worked and I got there.

On my drive, I listened to 1 by Simple Kid, a CD I had previously purchased at a Dollar Tree location.

I got a call from the guy at the flea market saying that I had some people there waiting for me. He asked how far away I was, to which I said "about 10 minutes." Ironically, that call made me miss my exit, as Google couldn't talk during the call, and added about 3 minutes to my arrival time lmao.

I did sell the Xbox that he said someone was interested in. I got $40 for it. I spent 27¢ on it. Pretty good return if you ask me.

I couldn't sell it with anything other than a power cord because the controller and AV cables I had been using to play it there were for my personal console. I'm just glad I can actually hook my Xbox up and stop having to drag them to the flea market along with a small library of games.

Not too long after I sold the Xbox, someone came in and asked if I wanted to see some electronics he had in his car. I went out with him. It was a pair of 3ft speakers and a Pioneer audio system with dual cassette decks (although neither of them works) and a 25 Disc CD-changer, as well as the standard AM/FM tuner. Additionally, there was a Fisher amplifier and AM/FM tuner as well as a Fisher Direct Drive turntable. He said he wanted $60 for em, but before that he casually, and probably accidentally, dropped that he was just gonna take em to the thrift store.

Big mistake.

I got em for $35 lmao. THERE GOES MOST OF MY PROFIT.

Oh well.

I tested everything. As I mentioned, the cassette decks don't work, but everything else does apart from the turntable needing a new stylus.

I posted some new photos of the shop to Facebook, and someone soon DMed me about a stereo system.

I priced everything, and it turns out I have about $300 worth of equipment from that deal, the Fisher amp and tuner being worth about $150.

The buyer will hopefully show up next weekend, for he wants to buy the Fisher stuff ($185 with the turntable), the 3ft speakers, an 8-track deck, and a Kenwood deck we've had for a week or two.

The speakers are listed for $50 (and are worth around $100-150), the Kenwood Deck for $50 as well, and the 8-track for $35. That makes it about $320 in equipment. Since he's buying so much, I'll knock it down to $270 and essentially give him the speakers or cassette deck for free lol.

Apart from that stuff, not much happened at the flea market. I sold some records, cassettes, CDs and I think 2 DVDs. One person bought a VHS tape? That money was the other guy's though. Oh well xD.

I can't say that I didn't miss my wonderful partner while on the trip. I actually brought along the stuffed animal they gave me (who's name is Greg) and snuggled with him both nights.

I was very happy to hear from them UwU.

They let me rant and I let them rant.

I honestly give them too much responsibility over me xD. I'm like, "Okay, I'm gonna do this. HOLD ME TO IT."

I know I can't hold myself to anything I personally say (this blog being the only exception apparently), but I listen to them pretty well I think 🤔. If they tell me, "No, you don't need that VCR," so long as it's not some weird specialty thing, like a worldwide VCR 🥵, I'll be like "Yeah, you rite bro."

I love you man xD. You control my craziness pretty well. I'm so thankful for you UwU.

#relationshipgoals

So part way through the flea market day, I went over to Dollar Tree to buy some snack, but ended up looking through the CDs to see if there was anything good. I took photos of about 18 CDs and flipped through them online for the remainder of the flea market day.

I deleted the photos of the ones I didn't want and kept those that I liked. Surprisingly, I ended up buying 13 CDs there, but not before dropping them on the floor like the dumbass I am.

Also, sorry for all the nerd shit I spilled on your lap earlier. No one cares about amps and tuners xD.

I'M LISTENING TO ONE OF THE DOLLAR TREE CDS RIGHT NOW THO.

I already transferred over to my online library on iBroadcast and put the disc into my CD changer, which is now holding 164 CDs.

Its max capacity is 300 discs 🥵

WHY AM I NERD

Oh well

I like being a nerd gurl

Also maybe a technosexual 👀

I get really excited over some electronics. Like. REALLY excited.

Some editing VCRs are like "Holy shit that is SEXY. Look at those goddamn VU meters 🥵. And hhhh there are like 7 inputs on this thing and individual controls for left and right audio gain, not to mention Hi-Fi S-VHS recording. Hhhhhhhhhhh please gimme 😭. Why are you so expensive?"

I uh, mean, uh, *cough* look, pretty lights.

Oh yeah, I was gonna say the album I was listening to xD. MAN I GOT SIDETRACKED.

It's 37 Everywhere by Punchline. Def give it a listen; it's pretty heccin good.

Another notable album I picked up was Page One by Steven Page. I very much like the first track, "A New Shore." It's quite catchy and he has a great voice imo.

Also at dollar tree, I bought a regular bag of Fieras and 2 bags of Fieras Sticks, which were marked down to 75¢/bag because they're expiring soon.

I honestly like the generic Dollar Tree version of Takis more than actual Takis. They're a lot more flavorful when it comes to the lime, but also hotter at the same time.

Don't get the hot nacho ones tho. Hot nacho? More like hot pile of shit.

HAH

Goteem.

They're not that good xD.

THE REGULAR ONES ARE FIRE THO

"How do you do fellow kids?"

I got home and started working on putting the CDs onto my computer, and then onto iBroadcast, but not without first adding The Music Man to my digital library, something I had neglected for a month or two. The CD had just been sitting there lol.

I also switched my digital file for "The Black Parade" to that of the uncensored CD, which I had purchased before I event started working over 2 months ago.

MAN I'M LAZY

I eventually get around to shit tho lol. I guess it's just a matter of priority.

What usually takes priority is digging through everything to find something that I forgot about but then remembered, making a mess in the process that I would then have to clean up, at least partially.

I think the album just ended. I've been writing for a while xD. I'ma start "I Made You Something" by The Island of the Misfit Toys.

I'll tell you where that album came from in a minute.

In the meantime, where was I?

I kinda lost my train of thought despite reading up to see where I was. Oh well. On I go.

I ate dinner and kept working on those CDs, eventually putting my clothes from the week into the washer.

I FORGOT TO PUT MY SHAPING UNDERWEAR IN. FUCKING HELL MAN.

I wanted to wash em for this week 😭

No tight pants for Leonna I guess qwq.

Meanwhile, the box of my CD album cases is overflowing. I need another box.

I keep all of the album artworks in a big CD folder. That's almost full.

I wanna fill my entire CD changer. That's one of my big goals in life. Idk why, but I just wanna legitimately fill the entire thing.

My clothes are in the dryer now. I don't think I have the time (or energy) to fold them tonight. I'll leave that for tomorrow morning before work.

And God. Fucking. Damnit. I start school again on Wednesday. NOT looking forward to that, and neither are my 2 coworkers. We already have low enough staff, but only the two of them working is gonna be a pain in the ass.

I'll still work Saturdays.

I need to contact my guidance counselor to get out of the gym class I signed up for. I scheduled this shit before I found out I was trans, and I don't wanna deal with the fucking locker room situation 🙄 I have far more important matters.

Okay so anyway, the album I'm listening to came from a cassette. I bought this cassette a few months ago at the flea market along with a few others. The reason I bought them? They were all newer cassette releases from the 2010's, and they're all actually pretty good music from very indie bands.

Currently getting mad at iBroadcast's compression algorithm. It's unnaturally fucking anything over -10db up. Oh well, there's not really anything I can do about it.

I have like 13GB of music on my phone btw. That's about 3.5k songs on 268 albums.

I'm kind of an audiophile, but I'm too cheap to pay for a lossless service. Oh well.

They do actually have a lossless service on iBroadcast, but once again, too cheap.

Someone just sent me a friend request who legitimately posted that BLM and the democratic party are hate groups.

BLOCK.

Goodbye ho.

I don't get that. They call the democratic party a hate group when they hate people like me, and I, being more of a democrat although not fully because the 2-party system is fucked, think nothing more of them than they're very wrong about certain things, especially, as shown, that black people, as well as asian, Indian, native, and people of all ethnicities and backgrounds, are not equal to white people.

Yeh.

Totally.

You go buddy.

Anyway, yeah, I can, and do, convert music and video from analog formats to digital files in order for me to archive and listen to whenever and wherever I please. I've actually made a bit of a business out of it, but I don't get too much work from it. At least I'm not overloading myself xD.

I honestly have so much more to say, but I should probably go to sleep soon.

A few final shoutouts to the following people and companies:

-Dollar Tree

-Steven Page

-Broken World Media

-The Island of Misfit Toys

-Simple Kid

-Punchline

-My incredible partner QwQ I love you so much. Thanks for being the best all the time. I hope I can give you the best life ever.

Anyway I suppose this is goodnight. Lmk if you want a full list of the CDs I bought today! I'll link that song by Steven Page here.

And here's a good song from Simple Kid

I really like music lol. Enjoy these pieces.

Anyway, goodnight lol.

Lots of love,

-Leonna.

#Trans #Lgbtq #blog #daily blog #Dollar Tree #Dollar CD #Dollar Tree Cd #receiver #pioneer #fisher #audio #music #CD #cassette #iBroadcast #nerd gurl #nerdy girl #ramble #rant #please read this to figure out what my life is like even though it quite honestly doesn't matter at all but might still be kinda interesting #Spotify

[legobiwan]

Obi-wan trial ficlet (part 2)

As I was lying in bed last night - wholly unable to sleep - I was visited by the spirit of writing at 3.30am. And thus, have this not-so-little extension of the “Obi-wan on Trial” ficlet. Note, I have basically no plot plan for this whatsoever, but since my imagination was running wild on insomnia and delirium, I figured I’d at least get something from my grand total of an hour’s sleep.

---

Cody glanced at his chrono for the fifth time in as many minutes. According to the General’s plan - which was disturbingly short on details - they were going to rendezvous here at approximately 1700 hours. Another fifteen minutes, give or take.

Already Cody’s gut was twisting with anxiety. Approximately and give or take weren’t standard vocabulary in the General’s lexicon, at least not when it came to missions, which Obi-wan usually had plotted down to the millisecond. But earlier today, the General had waved off Cody’s concerns with a breezy smile, promising that everything would make sense later on and that time on Coruscant was a far more flexible matter due to the proclivities of certain indolent politicians. 

In any other circumstance, the minor sleight would have set off alarm klaxons in Cody’s mind. The General, while as human as anyone else once one peeled through the many layers of reserve and Jedi stoicism, did not openly scorn other sentients, at least not without good reason. There are as many truths, as many realities, as there are points of view in this galaxy, he had once told Cody on a rare diplomatic mission. 

Politicians, however - Coruscanti politicians, to be precise - seemed to be exempt from that axiom. 

Not that Cody could blame Obi-wan, especially given the events of the past few days.

That Commander Tano had been implicated in the bombing of the Jedi Temple, that she had been arrested, twice by his fellow vod - Cody shook his head, still in disbelief. It was insanity. Commander Tano could no more kill innocents than Cody could dance the Dha Werda Verda with Count Dooku. 

And somehow, that event had led him here on the General’s mysterious orders, Commander Tano having been dragged away to some secret trial in the Jedi Temple, Rex, Cody, and the rest of the men not having seen nor heard anything from her since her recapture and imprisonment.

Impossible. She was innocent, the General would make sure of it. 

Still, that didn’t explain why he was stuck in the bowels of the Senate Judiciary wing, armed with a small artillery of grenades along with his standard blaster, an unregistered speeder sitting in the delivery bay just past the loading dock entrance. 

All part of the plan, Obi-wan had said. 

Cody had a bad feeling about this.

A minuscule change in the vent airflow caught his attention, and Cody glanced up, peering into the faraway flat-bottom discs that rose tall into the main chamber of the High Republic courtroom. Years on the frontlines of the war had honed his already well-engineered senses, which were attuned to the slightest crunch of a leaf or the faint odor of lubricant, all small clues that could be the difference between life and death, of victory and defeat. Not that he was expecting a battalion of battle droids to come stomping through the Senate, but if Obi-wan had him on guard duty down here, it had to be for a reason.

That reason, Cody realized with growing horror, was a speck plummeting through the narrow chasm of support beams and ventilation ducts. “Incoming 270, point-oh-eight vertical, approximately 80 kilograms, projectile type unknown,” he muttered to himself, drawing his blaster, his left arm bent at his chest, weapon perched on his forearm as he lined up the shot...

Damn! he cursed as the figure twirled out of range, swallowed by the long shadows of the podium base. Again, Cody did some quick math, calculating the likely trajectory of what he belatedly realized wasn’t a weapon, but a sentient. Sure enough in his estimate, the clone ran to the support spire, flattening himself along the opposite side of where he thought the figure would land. It was too dim to get a full visual on the being, but Cody had held the best record in the GAR’s echolocation target practice for three years running, and didn’t need to see his mark to hit his mark.

Taking a deep breath, the clone swung around, gripping his blaster with two hands, arms extended in front of his chest. 

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t shoot me, Cody.”

His blaster faltered, barrel drooping towards the floor. Cody’s eyes went wide as moons.

“Sir?”

Obi-wan Kenobi brushed off the front of his tunics, adjusting his utility belt before pushing a few loose bangs behind his ear. "There will be plenty of time to be shot at later," he explained. The Jedi made a "follow me" gesture, striding past Cody, making towards the exit with long, hurried steps. 

Cody felt as if he were glued to the floor.  

"Ahh...is everything okay, sir?" he asked, his earlier anxiety returning with a sickening flourish. Obi-wan spun around, placing his hands on his hips. 

"It won't be if we don't get moving," he snapped, his face folding in uncharacteristic open irritation bordering on outright anger. Cody's stomach swooped downwards. Okay, really not good, whatever this is.

"I trust you were able to acquire the speeder?" Obi-wan asked, glancing behind Cody. Checking for enemies, the clone assumed.

Cody jogged to catch up with the impatient-looking Jedi. 

"Yes, sir," the clone replied, defaulting to a standard, no-nonsense military tone. He would ask the General what was going on later, after the danger had passed. For now, they - he, at least - would to stick to the safety of military protocol and communication.

Obi-wan gave a slight nod. In the light, Cody could see the man was exhausted, his eyes bruised with fatigue, his face drawn. Still, there was something different about the way the General was holding himself, something in the sharp blade of his voice, an edge of danger Cody didn't think he had ever heard before. 

Distant echoes of frenzied shouting and hectic orders rang above them, followed by the familiar thunder of bootsteps. Obi-wan swore under his breath as the airflow shifted yet again, heralding the arrival of at least one, if not two newcomers. 

"Let's go," he said, breaking into a full run. 

Minutes later, they were in the borrowed speeder, catapulting through Coruscant's skylanes like a hyperactive Kowakian monkey. Cody gripped the side of the vehicle as Obi-wan made another ninety-degree turn, powering into the capital's main thoroughfare, nearly taking off the heads of at least three other drivers as he cut in front of a luxury-length rec speeder, tossing in a rude hand gesture as a bonus.

"Sir?" Cody yelped, wrenching his gaze to Obi-wan in astonishment. The Jedi's brow was furrowed in intense concentration, the momentary aberration in his  behavior already forgotten. 

"Get those detonators ready," Obi-wan ordered, terse. "On my signal."

Oookay, then, the clone took a deep inhale, giving a minute shake of his head as he fished out the explosives. This was definitely not the time to talk about whatever was going on, but once they had achieved their mission objective - whatever it's supposed to be, Cody thought sourly - he was going to have words with the General. 

Up ahead, the twin spires of the Republic holding facility came into view. A drab, depressing building notable only for its multivariate shades of grey and permanently smog-stained transparisteel windows - General Skywalker had once described it as being "like a Hutt vomited twenty years ago and no one cared enough to clean it up."

Beyond its charming aesthetics, however, the Republic holding facility was also notable in that it served as a transitionary custody space for those awaiting sentencing from the High Republic Courts. Cody's throat went dry. They wouldn't have put Commander Tano in there, would they? No, that was ridiculous. If Commander Tano were being held here, it would mean she had been found guilty, that she was only waiting to hear what her prison sentence would be. Or worse, Cody shivered. No, he refused to believe the Commander would commit such a heinous act and doubly refused to believe the General would allow her to be convicted of false charges.

They were nearly parallel the building now, Obi-wan bringing the speeder almost flush against the high, electro-barbed walls, sending sparks of energy flying as the Jedi inched the edge of the vehicle dangerously close to the barrier.

"Now, Cody!" 

All clones knew they had been bred for this war, to fight, to serve the Republic. While the clones themselves exhibited the same level of variation of personalities, of likes and dislikes as any general populace, all clones also knew that above all, they were bound by loyalty and duty. To their fellow vod. To the Republic. And to the Jedi they served under. 

Which was why Cody didn't think twice before lobbing a fistful of high-output grenades straight into the Republic holding facility's main generator on Obi-wan's command. 

Cody watched in stunned silence as there was a cataclysmic burst of light, the electro-barbs racing to a sharp peak before fizzling out, grimy stains rendered invisible as every bit of energy and electricity around not only the building, but the entire sector died out with a pathetic whine. 

What the kriff? Cody gaped.

The clone whipped around to demand an answer, to know why he had just bombed a Republic prison facility on the orders of a Jedi, of a High General. Of my friend, Cody grit, betrayal stabbing deep into his lower abdomen. 

But his furious storm of words died on his lips as Cody stared down the wrong end of his own blaster, muzzle only centimeters from his forehead. It didn't escape the clone's attention that the setting had been switched to "kill."

"I am very sorry, Cody," Obi-wan apologized, his voice almost preternaturally calm. "But for both our sakes, this needs to look convincing."

Cody froze, his brain refusing to process the visual input, the aural evidence, the logical conclusion that should have drawn from the situation. He was in a speeder. He had just bombed a Republic prison on Obi-wan's orders. Obi-wan was pointing a lethal weapon at him. And...Cody stretched his ears, not daring to take his eyes off the apparently insane Jedi in the next seat.

Those are CSF sirens, he realized, stomach sinking. Nu draar...dini'la jetti haar'chak! This wasn't a Republic-sanctioned mission, probably wasn't even a Jedi-sanctioned mission. This was...

Cody had no idea what this was.

He briefly considered taking a chance, throwing himself on Obi-wan to attempt to wrest control of both the blaster and the speeder from crazed Jedi. But a single flinty glare from Obi-wan stopped that plan in its tracks. On a normal day, the General was far more dangerous than many people gave him credit for. Cody didn't want to find out what he was like when that self-imposed restraint was dropped.

The next few moments passed in bizarre silence, Obi-wan weaving through skylanes, blaster never wavering from Cody's forehead. At one point, he slowed in front of an official city surveillance droid, letting the little machine take a good, long look at the bizarre drama unfolding in the front seat of the speeder. Obi-wan then gave the camera a slanted grin and jaunty salute before hitting the accelerator, pulling back on the yoke, sending the speeder plummeting down at least twenty levels. When Cody's stomach had made it back to his abdomen from his throat, he noticed the blaster was gone.

"Did I ever tell you," Obi-wan began conversationally, "about the time I flew a small transport through the corridors of a mining spaceship?"

Cody gawked at the other man. He truly had gone insane. 

"It was quite the mission, on Pijal. I must have been, oh, sixteen, seventeen at the time. I swore off flying forever, although Qui-gon never let me actually make good on that promise." Obi-wan shook his head. “Typical.”

The sirens, which had been gaining a dangerous amount of ground on their escape vehicle, were no longer audible, their wails having blurred into the usual, busy hum of Coruscant's normal traffic.

Normal, Cody almost laughed. Wouldn't that be a thing?

They were probably at least five hundred levels down now, maybe even more, the sky long since having disappeared from view, neon lights and the bright ends of spice sticks offering a cheap, counterfeit sun. 

Obi-wan swung the speeder into a narrow alley, cutting the engine with a satisfied sigh. 

"The thing about that mission, Cody,” he said after a moment, “was that it was my first real experience with the sticky, ambiguous substances that grease the wheels of the Republic. I, of course, acted in accordance with the Jedi, and thus the Republic government, earning myself only the ire of my Master, the betrayal of a monarchy, and nearly costing me my life," Obi-wan chuckled, a dark, cynical sound that set Cody's teeth on edge. What was going on? 

Obi-wan hopped out of the speeder, giving a small grin as he shrugged out of his out Jedi tunic. "How times change, I suppose."

Cody didn't move to follow, didn't say a word in response. He sat, staring at this person who was, on the surface, Obi-wan Kenobi, but in no way resembled the man he had come to know. Or, at least, thought he had come to know. 

His agitation must have been visible, probably the equivalent of a Gungan marching band in Force, as Obi-wan paused, a dark blue, long-sleeved tunic with a high collar pulled halfway over his head. He stared at Cody for a moment before finishing the movement, smoothing out the material of the unfamiliar garment over his chest. 

Obi-wan stepped forward with a small sigh. "And now Cody, I suppose I owe you an explanation."

The half-apology - words that sounded like Obi-wan, even if they came from a man who didn't resemble him at all - pulled Cody from his emotional stupor, fires of disbelief stoking somewhere deep in his chest. In one smooth movement, he hopped out of the speeder, striding to Obi-wan, fists clenched, teeth grit, his face so close to other man's Cody could feel the Jedi's hot exhales on his nose.

Obi-wan regarded him with muted curiosity. "Do you intend on striking me?" he asked. 

"I'm really tempted to," Cody grit. "Sir," he added, not quite able to break the habit.

"Then let me offer you a compromise, of sorts. We should be safe here, for the time being, at least long enough for me to provide what I hope is an explanation of today's turn of events. I do not expect you to like it, nor to necessarily agree with it, but certain circumstances have pushed me into a situation where a decision - a monumental decision, I may add - had to be made."

"If, after hearing me out, you wish to strike me, you are most welcome to, as I do believe you have earned that right. You will also be free to leave and return to the 212th at that point. That little stunt with the security camera should serve as more than enough evidence that you were coerced by a renegade Jedi and I am certain you will be welcomed back into the GAR with open arms."

"However," Obi-wan’s expression darkened, the drawled word imbued with an almost sensuous promise. "If, after hearing me out, you find yourself - " he cocked his head back and forth, pretending to be searching for the right language. "Sympathetic to my plight, then I would welcome your expertise, skills, and company."

Cody took a small step back. That...kind of sounded more like the General - the negotiation, the smooth justification. Certainly, Cody hoped Obi-wan had a reason for all of this, that he hadn't completely snapped or worse, gone dark. He didn't seem like Ventress, or Dooku, but Cody didn't know enough about the Sith or the dark side to make any kind of real judgment call.

But even with the promise of finally getting some kind of explanation, there was another question that had been niggling at the back of Cody's mind since this all began, brought forward by Obi-wan's sudden invitation. 

"Why me, sir?"

The inquiry apparently took the Jedi by surprise, his eyebrows rising in some odd combination of amusement and approval. "Because, Cody - I trust you. And I hope you will feel the same way after I explain just what has happened in the past few weeks."

#hello there #obi wan kenobi #cody #writing #obi wan on trial au #i have...no idea what i'm doing with this #the cody scene just kind...came to me #what will happen next? #the author has no idea #jesus i'm tired #i have no idea what the quality is on this so apoligies in advance #on top of insomnoa i had a 1.5 hour interview at 7am due to time zone shenanigans and i am ROLLING right now

[rorygilmre]

do u think the results we’re gonna have in a few hours are the definitive ones? or it might take longer to count the mail votes ? sorry i’m from france i don’t understand everything with your way of voting it’s completely different from here and i’m stressed af

so the biggest thing, and what’s taking the longest, is counting the mail-in ballots. that could take through today (wednesday) and those may not be done for days, maybe a week, depending on the state/any issues they run into. some states, like georgia (a key battleground state), have already stopped counting ballots and won’t pick back up until 8am EST (its 2am now EST). some states say they may not be done counting all of their ballots until friday or later.

the thing that really “determines” the president is the electoral votes/electoral college. it’s a generally fucked up system but each state has a certain number of “electoral votes” based on their population. to be president, a candidate needs to get to 270 electoral votes in total. right now, at 2am EST on november 4th, trump has 213 electoral votes and biden has 220 electoral votes.

as we get more votes through the early morning/late morning hours, we can pretty much figure out who will win based on percentage of votes being reported in states and by the distribution of electoral votes. even if all the ballots aren’t counted in a state, the state can have a clear pick and those state’s electoral votes can be distributed to a candidate. so... it comes down to whoever gets 270 electoral votes first.

#this was a long winded way of saying... we have no idea when we’ll have results #anonymous #answered #politics #election 2020

[piracytheorist]

Colin’s M&G

Long, so under the cut. If you have more questions, don't hesitate to ask ;)

Edit; you're totally welcome to reblog this, if you want it even as a bookmark in your blog. I don't intend to delete it any time soon :)

Ok so this is kinda pointless to point out but. After he sat down and greeted us, he said "Any questions?" and I was like "Lots of them" and held up the paper I'd written mine down on. It was small, but he still went like "Lots of them?" with raised eyebrows and smiled.

The first question was by an aspiring actress who was asking his advice, and he started with self-confidence even when you're being rejected. She also asked him about being a musician and he said that he hasn't given that up, he still loves playing but it's just that his acting career took off. He says he's an actor because he's seen that people prefer seeing him act than listening to him play...

And my ass butted in and said "We want both." And the other attendees laughed and Colin said "You want both? Well, we'll see."

Then someone talked about how they liked seeing him play and sing in The Dust Storm and asked him if he would do it again.

Then the translator started translating the question for the Italian speakers, and when she was done Colin said "Yes." Cue laughing.

And THEN he said "I'm working on something that I can't talk about." And earlier he'd mentioned the Heartstrings thing, that it's a Western with Dolly Parton and stuff... so I'm wondering if it's Fairytale of New York (kinda unlikely since he said he's actively working on it, plus if I'm not mistaken there have been official stuff about him playing in it) ooooooor something else :D

Then someone asked him if he'd like to play in Broadway or something and he said he'd love to even though it's quite different from what he does now... and then he said "Have you got a job for me?" And BISH he did the same when someone asked him something similar in the panels XD I love one (1) nerd. (By the way, in a later panel he mentioned how he would like it but it would also be hard for him)

AND THEN IT WAS MY TURN.

I picked up my paper and Colin looked at me and said "One of the questions!"

So I start. "Some of my favourite moments with Hook were the ones where he was very angsty and even... beaten up and very sad..." At which point he gave me a look and some attendees giggled XD "like the scenes in the Underworld, where he's being tortured. Do you like playing that kind of scenes as much as some of us (I pointed that out lol) like watching them?"

And his first reply was "Yeah, it was fun. I might like it for a different reason than you" I NEARLY DIED DID I SAY I HAD MY COOL I LIED SORRY

And then he said about the makeup he wore in those scenes, that it took about two hours to put on. I asked him how it felt acting with the prosthetic over his eye, and he said it was weird because he couldn't open it - and he even covered his eye briefly with his hand, that peanut - and still ended with "But it was fun, it was great."

AJsjdlshwosehi2bsoaHaigz7fie

Ahem.

(People going to Enchanted, please ask him questions about whump! Let us be heard!)

Then someone asked about how does he choose which roles to play, and he said he tries to envision himself play this character with the script he's given, and if it doesn't feel good for him he doesn't take it.

Then another aspiring actress asked him for advice, and his answer summed up to getting to know your craft and focusing on it.

Then someone asked him if he had the possibility to be another person, who would it be... and though I found it kinda silly as a question it brought up some amazing reactions as he struggled for an answer. Then the questioner limited it to a musician, however the amazing reactions continued, then he finally chose the leading singer of Pearl Jam. And he finished with a "Wow! That took ages!"

AND THEN. AND THEN. A blessed woman asked him about Kiss Me Judas being listed on his IMDB page. And he confirmed it! He did say "I can't say much about it", but he called it one of the best scripts he's ever read. She asked what was it that attracted him to it, cue laughs, and he said he liked how different the character was, how dark the story is, but because it's an independent movie it'll take quite some time to be finished. He said he likes playing characters that push the boundaries, and he started talking about the protagonist (meanwhile I was screaming internally) and of course he added "It'll be fun."

(For a guy who doesn't like taking his shirt off he chose to play a character who gets very very naked, by the way)

The very next person asked him if he would be interested in directing or writing, and he immediately said he'll also be a producer in Kiss Me Judas. He said he'd be interested in directing, if it's something he liked and he could do it well.

Then, favourite scene as Hook and THAT'S where he chose Hook singing to baby Alice. It felt really real for him due to having had a daughter a bit before that. Aw!

The next question was how it's like to have a normal life as a famous person. He said he doesn't think himself as famous. He said he wants to do his job, then go back to his family and - in his own fucking words - wash the dishes. And he said it's easy to have a normal life if you choose to, and he connected that with an answer he gave during the panels about not being very active on social media. He's not the type that will take selfies often and be an influencer, and that helps with him continuing on with a normal life after work.

The next question was how would the show be like if Emma had chosen Neal. He immediately made a face and shook his head. Think of sdcc 2013 where he gave a thumbs down in a similar question. I don't want to make his answer public, because even though it was obvious he wasn't perfectly serious, I have my reservations. Ask me privately for that ;)

But he does miss MRJ.

All the while, the girl who was sitting right next to him was very very nervous and started turning away from him. (On his other side was the translator so that first girl was the fan actually nearest to him) Then he brought his chair closer to her and hugged her!

The next question was what he liked about the fans. He said he never expected to be where he is now... seeing people come and want to turn away from him - and he looked at the girl next to him with a smirk - but he finds it amazing that people respond to something he's doing. He appreciates it so much. Aw!

Next question was about his cooking and what he would cook if he had all of us (20 people) for dinner. He said he has a pizza oven at home and really likes making his own pizzas from scratch, dough, sauce and all that. But he'd probably make roast chicken or beef, since he likes making that too. He cooks every day, he says.

Bruh. A guy who works hard, adores his family, cleans the dishes and loves to cook. Get you a guy who.

Next question was if he'd like to play in a trilogy, like Lord of the Rings or Star Wars and what his relationship to sports is.

He said he loved that aforementioned stuff, but he also mentioned that Hook was a character he was meant to play (Aw intensifies!). He said he loves sports and plays football often.

Then @darkcolinodonorgasm asked him if the blacksmithing was for a role, and he pretty much shut all our expectations down. It's just a hobby.

However I really liked his answer, he said he loves the idea of craft, like with cooking, he loves drawing and painting and generally making things on your own. He even mentioned how some arts have eclipsed due to industry.

I mean, what more can he say to make us adore him?!

He then was asked about his opinion on the finale of the show. He said it was fulfilling, well-done, everything was tied up, and he was happy that they had the opportunity to close the show.

Last question, and actually only people who had already asked before raised their hands to ask. Sadly, he didn't choose me T_T

But anyway it was if he would do a prequel about Hook. He said yes, he loved playing him, but it would have to be right for him to play. He misses the eyeliner.

And that's it. Yeah. It was awesome. 10/10 would spend 270 euros again (though not immediately, lol)

#operation con #Colin O'Donoghue

[acetokens]

Gauntlet Mode complete part 3!

Last week I decided to take on the final Gauntlet in the Shadow of Doom expansion, a Level 270 challenge fittingly called ‘The Ultimate Gauntlet’! Just like the final Gauntlets in the previous expansions (The Curse of the Vampire’s Level 120 ‘Condition: Terminal’ and The Rise of the Phoenix’s Level 180 ‘Phoenix Aftermath’), this challenge gives you 99 revives, but contains ten difficult stages, no HP recovery points, and must be cleared multiple times in a row to satisfy all four star objectives.

It took around two hours of non-stop playing, but I managed to 4-star this Gauntlet at last!

The Ultimate Gauntlet is pretty straightforward. There are no gimmicks to trip you up and every stage has the same objective: defeat every boss that appears. But there’s a lot of them. In one run, you have to defeat all 51 playable characters in MUA3, then re-match 11 of them in stage 10 for 62 bosses total. This is the most amount of bosses per run of any Gauntlet in the game! The focus on boss battles here is so heavy that regular enemies only appear briefly in stage 9. Add in the fact that each of them inflicts a ton of damage whilst also having extremely high HP, The Ultimate Gauntlet more than lives up to its name.

Because of that, I decided to bring in two of my strongest characters, Captain Marvel and Psylocke. I also had Gamora on the team as a backup fighter for when the other two girls ran out of EP. The MVP of the team was absolutely Invisible Woman though, her Protective Field was essential for keeping the team alive. I honestly think Sue is the best tank in the entire game because of that ability. I even managed to 4-star this Gauntlet without anyone fainting! I still had all 99 revives in tact by the time I gained all 4-stars. That’s even better than the 97 revives I had left by the end of Phoenix Aftermath, and certainly a big improvement on the 83 revives I had left by the end of Condition: Terminal. Of course, my character and item choices made a big impact on that, but I also like to think this shows how much I’ve improved as a player over the past few months!

The most challenging star objective is the one that requires you to gain a score of 2,000,000. It takes at least two Gauntlet runs to get enough points, but the Dr Doom costume you get for completing it is very snazzy.

With The Ultimate Gauntlet conquered, this means I’ve gained all 27 stars across all 9 Gauntlets in the Shadow of Doom expansion! But this announcement is a little bittersweet…this expansion was most likely the last we’ll see in MUA3. With Thanos Infinite, Level 300 and this challenge even being called ‘The Ultimate Gauntlet’, I doubt we’ll be getting any more content for this game aside from maybe another Event. I really hope I’m wrong but if not, I understand.

But I’m not done with MUA3 yet! I want to raise every character in the game to Level 300, and write a review on the Shadow of Doom, like I did with the previous expansions! Only then will I finally say ‘I’m done with this game’. After giving me so many months of happy memories, I think Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 deserves a proper send-off.

#MUA3 shitposting #I want to get all my uni work finished before starting the review. I aim to have it uploaded by June!