Whirlpool top load washer parts diagram
Want to upgrade, need some advice
2023.06.05 12:49 ShoboDragon Want to upgrade, need some advice
Hi there guys! Came here to ask some stuff my build (recommendations, opinions) and tell you about my (ongoing) journey with the air cooler Dan A4 H2O.
Part list:
Case: Dan A4 H20
Motherboard: AsRock H670M-ITX/ax
CPU: Intel i5-13400F
CPU cooler: stock Intel box cooler
Ram: 2x16gb Corsair Vengeance LPX 3000MHz
GPU: Gigabyte GTX 1050 Ti LP (placeholder)
SSD: Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
PSU: be quiet! SFX L Power, 80+ Gold, 500W
Case Fans: 2x Arctic F12 PWM PST (set to exhaust)
Temps:
On idle: CPU 40-50 °C , GPU 30 °C
Under load: CPU around 80, GPU 50°C top
The fans on the top really help with the airflow and get the temps down. The RM1 stock cooler does the job, but in my opinion gets pretty loud and obnoxious. The F12's are really quiet, and as the internet says, they're a great and cheap alternative to the Noctua fans.
Temps could be improved, but at the cost of noise. I'm using FanControl to set up the custom fan curves.
Overall Impressions:
The Dan A4 H20 is an amazing case, it feels premium. Nice to build in and intuitive, would really recommend. Everything fits nicely, but the SFX-L PSU has its challenges regarding cable management.
Future plans (and where I'm now asking for your guidance):
I have some upgrades in mind: I've bought a Thermalright CPU Contact Frame from Ali Express, because I've heard it could bring better pressure distribution on the CPU, correct or prevent CPU bend, and, in some cases, improve temps.
Because I don't really like the noise and would seek lower temps overall, I'm thinking of grabbing the Alpenföhn Black Ridge. I'm considering either this or the Noctua NH-L9i-17xx. Both seem to perform roughly the same, but the Black Ridge is a bit cheaper. Which would ultimately be better?
As for the GPU, I've been thinking a lot about what to get, but I've mostly come to the conclusion that the RX 6700 XT is the best candidate. Specifically, the XFX RX 6700 XT SPEEDSTER SWFT 309. It has 12GB of Vram, is better than the RTX 3060 Ti, is sometimes compared to the RTX 3070, is power efficient enough to fit inside the current PSU (I know the recemented wattage is around 600W, but I think it should be fine, furthermore with a slight undervolt - please slap me if the assumption is wrong, do tell if I should get a better PSU). The price is also magnificent, Can't wait for the RX 7700 XT to come out so prices go down even more. Also about the RX 7700 XT - if the offer will be good enough so that it competes, might consider it over the RX 6700 XT.
If you have any suggestions about about anything that could be improved, anything I should not do or any overall tips. I'd also be more than happy to answer any other question about my build, to the best of my ability. Thank you for taking the time to read and think about anything that I've said here! Cheers!
submitted by ShoboDragon to buildapc [link] [comments]
Part list:
Case: Dan A4 H20
Motherboard: AsRock H670M-ITX/ax
CPU: Intel i5-13400F
CPU cooler: stock Intel box cooler
Ram: 2x16gb Corsair Vengeance LPX 3000MHz
GPU: Gigabyte GTX 1050 Ti LP (placeholder)
SSD: Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
PSU: be quiet! SFX L Power, 80+ Gold, 500W
Case Fans: 2x Arctic F12 PWM PST (set to exhaust)
Temps:
On idle: CPU 40-50 °C , GPU 30 °C
Under load: CPU around 80, GPU 50°C top
The fans on the top really help with the airflow and get the temps down. The RM1 stock cooler does the job, but in my opinion gets pretty loud and obnoxious. The F12's are really quiet, and as the internet says, they're a great and cheap alternative to the Noctua fans.
Temps could be improved, but at the cost of noise. I'm using FanControl to set up the custom fan curves.
Overall Impressions:
The Dan A4 H20 is an amazing case, it feels premium. Nice to build in and intuitive, would really recommend. Everything fits nicely, but the SFX-L PSU has its challenges regarding cable management.
Future plans (and where I'm now asking for your guidance):
I have some upgrades in mind: I've bought a Thermalright CPU Contact Frame from Ali Express, because I've heard it could bring better pressure distribution on the CPU, correct or prevent CPU bend, and, in some cases, improve temps.
Because I don't really like the noise and would seek lower temps overall, I'm thinking of grabbing the Alpenföhn Black Ridge. I'm considering either this or the Noctua NH-L9i-17xx. Both seem to perform roughly the same, but the Black Ridge is a bit cheaper. Which would ultimately be better?
As for the GPU, I've been thinking a lot about what to get, but I've mostly come to the conclusion that the RX 6700 XT is the best candidate. Specifically, the XFX RX 6700 XT SPEEDSTER SWFT 309. It has 12GB of Vram, is better than the RTX 3060 Ti, is sometimes compared to the RTX 3070, is power efficient enough to fit inside the current PSU (I know the recemented wattage is around 600W, but I think it should be fine, furthermore with a slight undervolt - please slap me if the assumption is wrong, do tell if I should get a better PSU). The price is also magnificent, Can't wait for the RX 7700 XT to come out so prices go down even more. Also about the RX 7700 XT - if the offer will be good enough so that it competes, might consider it over the RX 6700 XT.
If you have any suggestions about about anything that could be improved, anything I should not do or any overall tips. I'd also be more than happy to answer any other question about my build, to the best of my ability. Thank you for taking the time to read and think about anything that I've said here! Cheers!
2023.06.05 12:00 WaveOfWire One Hell Of A Vacation - Chapter 88
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The maw of the moss-wolf chomped down on the treat, its partner patiently waiting its turn, an eye trained on the Human providing the sustenance. Joseph reached into the pouch, counting out what he had left and mentally setting a few aside for the raven-like birds that Scarlet had trained to bother him.
Well, ‘bother’ might be a strong word. They would whistle at him and wait for food. Upon getting their hard sought quarry, they would return to share it with the rest. Surprisingly cooperative, all things considered. Scarlet had apparently been getting them to associate certain short melodies with members of the pack, allowing her to send the avians after whoever she wanted for more snacks.
If they didn’t get any, then they would yell something not dissimilar to a caw until either food was procured, or they grew bored. Given that they had taken to humouring Violet in her attempts to be a mobile perch, that usually took a while.
It drove Nalah nuts, which seemed to be part of the reason the blond-furred female was included in the ritual at all. Harrow was apparently the favourite target of the nuisance when she was outside the base, but he couldn’t say why.
The tell-tale scratching had been somewhat muted since the shift in medium, but Violet’s writing was always something he kept an ear out for, his daughter presenting her tablet excitedly. [It blinked!]
He turned his head to the cow-looking thing, the unwavering stare held until he gave up. “I swear you guys are just messing with me.”
“Or we merely enjoy your suffering,” Sahari suggested with a smirk, the black-furred female standing taller than him for a moment as she stretched her legs out. Settling into a height that was level with him, she attempted to offer the wolves food. Receiving a fearful retreat instead, the black-furred female frowned, the two canines shifting in their enclosure to be closer to Joseph and Violet. “They still seem to distrust any but yourselves.”
He shrugged, taking the scrap from her and giving it to the young Atmo to pass along, her chittering laugh when the wolves accepted the morsel breaking the soft sound of trickling rain outside the barn. “Faye was the one who started this. I guess they treat her like an alpha of sorts, and seeing her bow to the two of us so often told them that she’s lower on the pole. That’s my guess, anyway.”
“That is….rather intelligent of them, if so,” Sahari commented pensively.
The Grand Hunter tipped his head in agreement. If anything, it was an understatement. The six-legged canines were remarkably receptive to taming, though he couldn’t say how much of that was due to Faye taking to his suggestion so seriously. He had only offered it as a passing thought, but she had set to it like their god had mandated it.
He fought back a sigh at the reminder of his placement in the whole thing, his foot kicking the ground to adjust the new sandals he was wearing until Pan finished proper shoes.
One day, he was a divorcee flirting with random women on a cruise ship so that the rejection validated his own self-esteem issues. The next, he was a guy in charge of a settlement nearing one hundred people and had become a manifestation of religion condensed into the form of some random moron.
He snorted at a morbid thought. How would Emma react to his ‘rise to fame?’ His acquisition of more than they had ever thought for themselves back on Earth?
Owning a territory? They could only manage a nice apartment that could fit several times over inside the base. Friends? Hell, he had a group of people who have helped him through some of the worst the planet had to offer. Kids...well, nothing could replace Violet. He doubted Emma would see it the same way, though.
A paw enclosed his shoulder, dragging his mind from more sombre thoughts. It had been quite a while since everything fell through and he had moved on, but it still stung every now and again.
“What ails your mind, Joseph?” Sahari asked with a concerned inflection. He looked over at her, a smile becoming easier after a moment.
“Just wondering how my ex-wife would react to seeing what I’ve turned into. What she’d say to all of this,” he admitted honestly with a wide gesture to everything. She patted his back, a small pride in her gaze.
“You continue to heal, Grand Hunter, but you are still scarred. Your previous mate would curse her decisions were she to see what you have accomplished.”
He snorted, a wide dry grin breaking out. “I’d love to see her face going back with two alien wives and this sweetheart as a daughter,” he teased, giving Violet a thorough rub on the head. She purred, chittering between breaths as she fought off the rough affection playfully while keeping her blades tucked for safety.
The black-furred female tilted her head and shifted her weight to her other foot. “You’ve mentioned that there is a specific procedure for binding the lives of your people, no?”
He blinked, his mind flickering to the two rings he had prepared, yet held some modicum of expectation around before he whipped them out. Not least of all was the foreign sensation of doing it again twice, nor finding an appropriate time to do it. It was hard to pick a picturesque moment when each day was paperwork, punching people in the face during spars, and orchestrating the well-being of such a large group. Given that the closest thing he could get to a romantic occasion was laying down on the grass while Nalah barked orders at the construction crews in the distance, he didn’t feel like it was ever a good time to ask. It was even harder picturing himself doing it to the two of them, as if it cheapened the gesture in some way.
Then there was the part of himself that feared rejection—as stupid as it sounded. They could deny the alien practice, not share the same sentiment, or any number of disagreements that would render him kneeling like an idiot. As unlikely as it was, it could even be too great a commitment for them, the implication of their entire lives being pledged solely to him being a crushing weight, rather than a promise of mutual loving dedication.
Sure, now they were speaking as if it was the case, but the circumstances as they were lent themselves to it being a product of necessity. Who was to say that it would remain the same once they got off this rock and—hopefully—in touch with their own people again. Would they still feel the same way with an entire species back on the table as possible romantic partners? Would he still be enough?
“Joseph,” Sahari called out with worry and irritation in equal parts. “You are making me anxious.”
“Hm? Oh, sorry,” he apologized sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he was reminded that more than one person could be afflicted by his emotional state. She placed a paw to her hip.
“Are the proceedings really such a means for strife?”
“Ah, no, it’s just…” He averted his eyes, offering Violet a token smile when she seemed to be concerned about him. He inhaled deeply. “It’s just…I have reservations about it.”
She raised a brow. “I need not a bond to know you care for them deeply enough to toss your life to the Void for them.”
His weak smile faltered further. “Well, yeah. They mean everything to me, but I cant help but remember how things went last time, I guess. There’s a million and one ways it could go up in smoke, and I…” He fell quiet for a moment, Violet pressing herself into his side in an attempt to cheer him up. He rested a hand against her back, the texture comforting in a way. “I want it to be an important moment in our lives, rather than some disposable token that they accept without thinking much. It’s not like they’re swimming in potential romantic partners here, so it feels like they’d be agreeing for lack of options.”
She stared at him with a hesitant expression, her cheek pinched between her teeth and eyes narrowed in thought. “Pan would sooner end her own life than be separated from you, and Tel would end any who so much as suggested such,” she stated finally. “To you, the mark upon your flesh is but a sting that fades. To them, it is their declaration that they have found their reason to live. A declaration that is shown to all others of our people the moment they draw near. Though Pan lacks the means to impart her own, she is rather pleased that another is able to in her stead and treats it as her own for all intents.”
She grabbed him roughly by the arm, pulling him into her breast as she stood to her full height, a surprised yelp stifled by soft clothing and fur.
“Unfortunately for you, openly voiced or not, we all feel as such. Though you bear not the mark of everyone in the den, I assure you that to be removed from you would leave us lesser, regardless of bond.”
He shut his mouth at the last addition. There was a weight behind knowing that people were likely to simply give up on living if you were away for too long. It put the relationship in front of a loaded gun for both parties. They couldn’t afford to break it off from him because existing would become a living hell, and he couldn’t change his mind for any reason because it would be the same as killing them.
What kind of marriage was one built upon such fragile pillars? How could they be happy when every fight was tempered by the threat of the end of everything? What about Sahari? Could she ever pursue her own life with Nalah when she had the bond shackling her to him? How long until that became a stinging poison, rotting away the veins and arteries of her psyche? How long until death became preferable to being around him?
A strong impact to his stomach winded him, though the unnoticed hyperventilating left him little to eject as he fell to his knees. Violet clicked in surprise, the wolves backing away at the unexpected violence.
He coughed, sputtering spittle as he fought the urge to evacuate his breakfast. A pained glance up revealed Sahari still clutching a fist, her expression just as hurt.
“You hear my words and twist them, Joseph,” she chastised softly, crouching to look at him better. “We pledged our lives to you. Not because we had no choice, but because we believed you to be our future. From that moment on, our desire was to remain with you.” Her voice grew weak, almost pleading. She placed her forehead to his, the contact an intimate touch. “Your experiences may suggest our bond a prison, but for us, it is an ambrosia for our soul. It completes us like no equal. Jax and Harrow care for you immensely, Nalah and myself owe you everything that we are, and your mates will fight the Hunt Mother herself if it would mean even one more sun with you.”
He found himself speechless, wading through the emotions behind her words a syllable at a time. The feeling of Violet pressing into his back in an embrace stung as much as soothed, his mind rejecting the idea, yet so desperate to accept it.
“Do not desecrate our affections because you had been scorned by one who did not see within you that which we covet,” she implored sombrely, raw emotion oozing through the confines of speech. “Though you doubt it, none would know how much value you place in the ‘mark’ of your people more than your mates. If merely thinking about the unlikely event that they refuse tortures you so deeply, than the elation they would share with you when they agree would likely see Pan unable to contain herself for many suns after.”
He stayed on his knees, the warmth surrounding him from both sides seeping within and thawing the frozen excuses he held onto to prevent exposing himself to potential rejection. Every step of the way since he had met them, it had made him fearful of losing their company. At first, the thought of being left alone to brave the planet was too much to bear, but he would try. Now? Now he felt like he understood where the minds of those bonded Lilhuns had been. Even considering being away from his new loved ones pulled at a primal part of himself, each tug stronger than the last, each suggestion fanning the flames barricaded behind morals—the depths he would trudge to see it never come to pass.
Sahari nuzzled into his neck for a moment before parting, a somewhat satisfied smile given towards the emotionally fragile Human they had taken to depending on. He returned his own, though it was tinted with a bit of embarrassment.
Violet stepped back to allow him room to stand, the extended joint of her blade asking to be held like he did with her adoptive mother. His expression softening, he did as requested, lightly rubbing the smooth surface with his thumb. It soothed a part of him to be holding his daughter’s ‘hand’ while they watched the wolves slowly approach the front of their enclosure again, now that the momentary intensity had faded.
With a self-deprecating roll of his eyes, he nodded, promising himself to follow through with his small wish the next time the chance revealed itself. It didn’t need to be perfect, but it would be nice if it was at least private. The dull ache in his stomach would be a reminder not to second guess himself anyway.
The wolves yipped, ignoring Sahari as they moved towards the other corner. Joseph glanced at where they were focused, his curious gaze replaced by surprise, then shock.
Raine supported Faye over her shoulder, the deep gold-furred female’s breath short as she rested her weight over her brown-furred counterpart, their black leather coats dripping water onto the floor as it wrapped tightly around them, concealing their armour. A steady trickle of blood flowed from a long gash on Faye’s leg, her free arm clutching across her breast to keep her coat closed.
Without waiting for either to speak, he ran to pick up the Wraith, slinging her across his shoulders and tearing off to the base. He could barely hear Sahari over the rain and his own blood pounding through his ears, his heart hammering in his chest. Though they had established something of a clinic for minor injuries that were sustained constantly, his singular focus was getting Faye into the medbay.
Pack members cleared the way, some jumping to the side as he barrelled through the sparely populated routes between home and workplace. More than one tripped over themselves in shock, the Human never having a reason to go at a full sprint before. He was slower than a Lilhun like this, but he could make it the full distance before them. He didn’t need to slow down.
Harrow pushed open the doors to the hub, her distant expression as she examined thin ironwood tablets perking, his rapid heavy footfalls telling of his arrival before she had the chance to see him. Her eyes lit up, her brows furrowed, and a hurried pull of the door kept it open for him, all in sequence. He didn’t have the spare breath to explain or thank her.
The orange-furred female bolted across the hub, slamming into the crash-bar installed into the facilities wing entrance to force it open, only barely outpacing the Grand Hunter in his rush. She staggered to her feet behind him, rushing to collect herself and assisting in tearing the pants off of the injured female when Joseph laid her on the bed.
Modesty being the least of his concerns, he braced an arm across her pelvis to stop her hips from bucking as Harrow wiped off any dried blood to see the extent of the damage on her thigh.
“What happened?”
He tightened his hold on Faye as his friend tentatively spread the wound to check for debris. “Don’t know. Didn’t ask. Saw her bleeding, rushed her here,” he answered through deep breaths, each strike of his adrenaline-fuelled heart pressing against his lung capacity.
Harrow frowned, grabbing some sterile water to pour over the wound and picking out a stray splinter of wood that looked to be from her missing leg armour. Faye let out a small whine, but didn’t have it in her to talk yet, signs of exhaustion and pain unfocusing her eyes.
The Head of Technology—and current medical expert in the room—pursed her lips against her muzzle. “We need to stitch it. It’s too big for just healroot.”
Joseph nodded, easing his weight off the Wraith and wiping his sweat from his brow. “Pan!”
Noticing the urgency in his voice, he could hear her throw the door to the sewing room wide open and jog to the medbay, her wide eyes steeling as she assessed the situation.
“Idee with you?”
She nodded, ears turned perfectly towards him.
“One of you boil off some palm string, the other sterilize the thinnest quill you can get away stitching a wound closed with. I don’t care who, but we need one of you to close this up.” He glanced at Harrow. “Grab some alcohol. I keep a bit in the closet in my room, next to the old crossbow prototypes. We need to flush this out and kill off anything that might have gotten in.”
The orange-furred female tipped an ear in confusion as Pan took off to do as he asked. “I thought you didn’t have medical-”
“I’ve been around enough workplace injuries, okay? Go!”
His shout jolted her into action, a few steps required to gain traction as she ran out the door. Applying solid pressure to the wound with one hand, he used the other to lightly tap Faye’s cheek.
“Faye? Faye, you with me?”
Her eyes languidly turned to him, slow blinks and meaningless mouthing ceased, a soft smile forming under her pained expression. “Hello, sir.”
He exhaled a relieved huff. “Welcome home, Faye. What happened?”
She seemed confused by his question, glancing down to her leg after a few seconds. With widened eyes, she struggled to sit up, Joseph forcibly pressing her to the bed.
“Stay.”
All resistance disappeared in an instant, her body complying despite the obvious urgency. He hardened his expression.
“What happened?”
She breathed deeper a few times before speaking. Each word was hesitant, as if the memory was hazy and diluted, though he couldn’t tell if it was due to blood loss or exhaustion. “A large grey beast…teeth, large mouth...attacked wolves...”
His brow knitted, Faye’s coat moving. A small whine came from her again…no. Not her.
A small yellow canine head freed itself from the confines of black leather, a weak keening produced from a tiny moss-wolf. Faye looked at him guiltily, a pleading look in her eyes given as she composed herself.
“It lost its parents…”
His protest died in his voice, a distant memory of a wolf being torn in two came to mind. The time before they had even moved to the pod, let alone met the Lilhuns, him and Violet checking snares shortly after his ankle had healed. A time so long ago, yet remained with him under the surface.
“You saved this little guy, huh?” he asked gently, wincing in tandem with her own when he leaned heavier on the massive gash in her thigh. She nodded, averting her eyes. “Did you get the ‘beast?’”
Faye shook her head. “Raine lured it away, but it still remains.”
“That’s fine. You’re back, that’s all that matters right now.”
Harrow bumped into the doorway, failing to shed all of her speed as she returned from fetching a smaller container that Joseph kept in case the rest of the pack burned through their stores of alcohol. Her eyes flicked to the wolf pup before disregarding it to hand him the ethanol. He lifted his hand, Harrow pouring some water to wash off the blood. Volta would be busy later, it seemed.
Gesturing for the orange-furred female to hold the leg down, he poured the alcohol into the wound, grimacing at Faye’s pained gasp. They didn’t have anything for her to bite into, but that would be a future consideration.
Pan and Idee entered the medbay, the former moving like a machine with purpose while the visiting seamstress took a moment to size up the situation. The Paw fetched a tray from the shelf, laying out several strings of softened palm and a few thin quills, threading one and passing it to Idee. The light brown-furred female accepted it, Harrow making room as she stood next to Joseph.
Pan handed him a tough leather strip as wide as his palm. Seems like she saw the problem before he did.
“Open up,” he prodded, placing the leather between Faye’s teeth. “This is going to fucking suck. We don’t have anything to numb you, so you need to stay as still as possible, okay? I’ll be here the whole time.”
The Wraith nodded, staring at him for a moment before closing her eyes in acceptance, her grip on the pup firming.
“Want me to take the wolf?”
She lightly shook her head, him exhaling hesitantly in response. Idee readied herself, looking to him for confirmation, Pan holding Faye’s ankle flat to the bed.
“You’re good,” he responded, pressing an arm to Faye’s chest and hips to hold her down.
The deep gold-furred female managed a quiet muffled groan of pain as the quill pierced her flesh.
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He entered the hub, dropping himself on the couch and ignoring the sweat on his brow. He had only just managed to get the blood off of his hands after Idee finished, but it was still staining his clothing. Pan was off to rinse it out of her fur while Faye slept off her exhaustion. As far as they could tell, she had avoided any infection thanks to Raine half-dragging the female back to them as quickly as she did. The wolf pup was staying with her for now, since—even in her sleep—she refused to let it go. The little guy didn’t seem to be complaining, so they just left it where it was comfortable. Ferra would be by later to check it out, apparently, and he didn’t see a reason to complain; she was their animal expert.
Scarlet offered him some tea, the warm liquid whetting his pallet that had since dried. Sahari had checked on them during the process, leaving to keep anyone who had questions in the loop. Given that half the damn pack either saw or heard about the Grand Hunter running like a bat out of hell, pretty much everyone was worried. Either about some urgent threat that might befall them, or about one of the quiet servants they had grown used to seeing around.
Looked like the Wraiths had taken to offering small services and assistance to people who needed it when they didn’t have anything better to do, so the pack was curious about what had happened. It was a small blessing that the usual armour they wore when ‘on duty’ was covered by the cloaks, otherwise he would have more questions coming that he didn’t want answered.
Raine stood a few paces in front of him, her bowed posture holding a hint of fear under his unwavering stare. He waited for whoever else was going to show up for the report, Tel and Pan insisting that they be involved. Harrow followed behind the two entering from the facilities wing, either because she had gotten wrapped up in the whole thing, or because she wanted to be included.
Pan sat to his left, Tel taking a place behind him to remain standing. Harrow surprised him, her recently elusive presence firmly displaced as she dropped onto the couch to his right, her tail curling around his calf—not that she seemed to notice.
Given that both Tel and Pan trapped a limb or two with their tails regularly, he didn’t stop to put thought into it, the encapsulating appendage crossing him as a common occurrence.
“I don’t know how accurate it was, since she’s still pretty out of it, but Faye said one of those grey bear-deathtraps attacked some wolves before she stepped in to save the pup,” he opened, glancing at Scarlet. The almost black red-furred female was maintaining a surprisingly commanding presence, her attention laser-focused on Raine. The brown-furred Wraith kept her gaze fixed to the floor, too ashamed or nervous to move it.
“I apologize for her error in her stead,” she announced, the slightest of grip in her folded paws digging her claws into her skin. “The fault is also mine for not preventing her misstep. I will accept any punishment for our mistake.”
He exhaled heavily. “I’m not mad that you guys had an original thought, Raine. I’m worried about those iron-maiden-looking fucks being around again, and I’m concerned about you getting hurt.”
“Of course, sir. Forgive me for the arrogance of assuming your priorities.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, Pan squeezing his thigh in support. Tel rested her head on his, the weight somehow comforting despite the grin at his annoyance. “We can talk about not getting yourselves killed later. Are you injured at all?”
Raine’s ear twitched. “No, sir. I am whole.”
“Good,” he sighed, nodding lightly. “That’s good. Faye’s patched up for now, but she’ll be under observation to keep on top of any possible infection. How did the ‘mission’ go?”
The Wraith perked up a bit, the conversation moving away from her perceived failure. She produced a satchel, pulling a rather thick stack of tablets from it and passing them to Scarlet, the latter ferrying them to Harrow. He thought it was an odd choice, but the orange-furred female started giving him an abbreviated translation of the text.
Line after line of transactions. What was offered and received, any debts and who owed them, as well as small notes about what should be brought next time. It was a comprehensive copy of the ledger that the trading caravan kept. His brows raised at the sheer density of information, and for them getting it from something he was only partially sure existed.
“You managed to get this much?” he asked in disbelief. “Jesus. Were you caught?”
Raine shook her head. “If we were to be seen by them, we would be nothing more than a stain against our Blademaster.”
Compliment or boasting, doing this much was damn impressive. Especially with just the two of them.
“Shit. Well, good fucking job, I guess,” he managed, still reeling a bit from the unintended scope of the task. Harrow continued to dig through the report, though stopped voicing it aloud. Joseph turned his attention back to the Wraith. “Anything else of note? Rumours?”
The Wraith grew pensive. “Though we returned partially through their return trip to Grand Hunter Pernel, we did overhear some conversations. There were discussions of other packs simply no longer occupying their settlements.”
He leaned forward in his seat, dislodging Tel as his elbows rested against his knees. “What do you mean?”
“Some of their usual trade locations were purportedly burned down, others merely abandoned. A few were apparently littered with corpses,” she explained more steadily. “From what we could gather, the reason they came to trade with our settlement at all is that the others along the way were in such states. It seems they intended to restock and head back out immediately to accommodate the loss in trading partners.”
He bit his lip as he thought about it, letting himself fall back against the couch.
“What do you guys think of it?” he asked with a glance to his mates. Pan seemed to be mirroring his own apprehension openly, while Tel kept a more serious expression.
“I believe there is something larger happening,” Tel concluded, taking a few seconds before returning to using him as a headrest. Pan nodded her agreement, but didn’t have much to add to it otherwise.
“It would explain how desperate they were for food,” he mused aloud, raising a brow when Harrow shifted to lean against him, one foot placed on the edge of the seat forcing the posture. “Any details of interest, Harrow?”
The orange-furred female jolted, only just stopping from moving her foot back to the floor before committing to using him as a backrest. She turned back-on fully, stretching her legs over the remainder of the seat and placing tablets she had finished with on her lap.
“It didn’t take very long for the methods you sold to propagate,” she responded, holding up a few of the tablets before laying them in their own pile. “Looks like Pernel has been spreading it around by buying some from places that have bows and snares to sell where they don’t.”
“Supply and demand, or arming people with the tools that would help them survive?”
“Hard to trade with the dead,” Harrow commented dryly, starting a new pile. He nodded in exaggerated fashion.
“What about the Atmo?”
She tapped the small stack she just started. “I’m trying to separate these by inventory type. Give me a bit.”
Deciding to trust the woman in charge of managing this kind of thing while she was on the ship, he glanced back to Raine, the female easily mistaken for a statue if not for the subtle sway of her breathing. “The grey-bear-thing. How far away is it?”
“Too close,” she responded firmly. “We did not get a chance to verify their numbers, but there was evidence of at least that singular beast making our territory its hunting ground.”
“Fuck,” he muttered through gritted teeth. “We’re going to need to hunt that thing down.”
Pan looked worried at the prospect, Harrow stiffened in her sorting. The Wraiths were the only ones who seemed completely at ease with the suggestion, Tel not so much as twitching. Harrow laid down the tablets she had yet to categorize, her gaze aimed at her lap.
“Joe, don’t think that taking one out is easy.”
“We have ranged weapons and more than a few people who can use them,” he pointed out with a breath. “Ideally, we go as a larger hunting party and take the damn thing down through sheer volume of fire.”
“Their skin is tough,” Harrow replied with a shake of her head, her ears pivoting back towards him. “I don’t know if our bows could pierce it as easily as we might like.”
He furrowed his brow. “So, what? Let it close in until it eats everything and starves us out? Until it thinks we look tasty?”
“I don’t know. I’m just saying that this won’t be as simple as firing a few arrows and patting ourselves on the back for a job well done.”
Joseph felt the stiffness of his brow start to hurt from how tight they were knitted. A deep breath centred his thoughts. “We’ll arrange an armoured hunting party soon. Better to take it down before it becomes an issue.”
The orange-furred female nodded, quickly leafing through the remaining tablets and only pulling two more out for the pile she indicated earlier.
“Here,” she said, tapping the stack. “These are records for trading Atmo.”
He suppressed the sigh when he genuinely tried to read the mess they called a language. “How many? Who bought them?”
She hesitated, reforming the copy of the ledger—sans the relevant tablets—and placing it on the floor. The remainder in paw, she held them up over her shoulder, Tel accepting it and going over the contents with an interested tilt of her head.
“From what I can see here, Pernel traded two hundred.”
“Two…” he squeaked, his eyes wide. “Two hundred?”
She nodded, pacing around the couch to stop in front of Pan. “It seems others heard of his willingness to barter for them. He accepted quite a few deals before selling them off again.”
“To who?”
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The door to the ship closed with a hiss, Willin shaking his head at Nav’s questioning gaze. “Nothing.”
Tech removed her CARDs, storing them in the weapons locker before shrugging off her AMR to place in its own unit. “Nothing living, anyway.”
“That bad?” Nav asked, deflating after yet another failed attempt to contact a settlement. The dark green-furred male stored his rifle, seating it into its receptacle with a click.
“Tell Comms to add another eighty to the count.”
“Four hundred eighty-two,” the purple-furred female supplied as she walked past Nav to enter the ship proper. Willin followed after, hanging his pistol holster on the side of his chair as he dropped into it.
“Thirty were covered in wounds, twenty or so were executed, twenty-five looked to have died of accumulated trauma, and the rest were found with singular cuts to the throat.”
“Not quite,” Tech remarked, interfacing with the systems. “Only eight of the ‘executed’ seem to have been done up close.”
“Sniper?” Comms asked as he entered the room, nodding his greetings and taking a seat at his station. Nav crossed their arms and leaned against the doorway as Tech Ops ran some numbers on her screen.
“Wounds are consistent with Anti Material Rifles, and debris suggest they took the ‘material’ part into consideration with their shots. There were a few holes in the buildings that didn’t quite get removed by the fires.”
“Covering evidence?” Willin mused aloud, receiving a thoughtful shake of her head.
“No, I don’t think so. My guess is that the buildings were already on fire when they did it, based on the splinters around the exit holes.”
Comms’ eyes widened in surprise. “Shooting through a burning building? That is rather impressive.”
“Blades?” Nav suggested. “Avalon is required to act against those who break the treaty, no?”
“Maybe,” Tech allowed tentatively. “If it was them, then that would explain the lack of targets.”
Willin scratched at his ear, furrowing his brow as Comms ran another scan for any communications being made. Though a few suns had passed since they had unwittingly agreed to involve themselves in what was likely the first case of war that this planet had ever seen, nothing was being sent anywhere. Regardless, the male kept the scans regular, just in case.
Nav switched the foot they were resting on. “Why not just dispose of everyone breaking the treaty?”
“Maybe they did,” Comms commented, turning back to the conversation as the program ran in the background. “Blades typically function under strict conditions. If they removed anyone who was commanding the hostile action, then they did as required of them. The moment the attack stopped, they completed the terms of the treaty.”
“Or if the Grand Hunter here surrendered and allowed their pack to be subsumed,” Willin proposed, the others glancing at him in curiosity. He waved a paw dismissively. “If everyone in the conflict becomes a single pack, then any fighting from those who still disagree with it is now an internal dispute, thus outside of the purview of the Blades. Check the notes on Grand Hunter Toril and High Hunter Bratik.”
Tech’s eyes unfocused for a moment as she accessed the system. “Avalon is forbidden from interfering with internal politics. Toril was sheltered by Bratik. Since Bratik was from outside of Toril’s pack, it counted as acting against their right to manage their own affairs. Hasen was given a perfect reason to take over, and it forced Grand Hunter Trill to exile the both of them to adhere.” She looked around the room aimlessly as she thought, her eyes snapping to Willin when he spoke.
“And a perfect loop-hole to exploit. Toril loses his supporters, Trill loses a member of his command structure, and Hasen rises in power while leaving Avalon to grit their teeth.” He shook his head, both impressed and disgusted. “Once he attacks another pack, he just forces a vassalage and subsequently executes the new High Hunter for whatever reason he wants. The Blades can’t act on a technicality.”
“So Grand Hunter Pernel….”
Willin nodded at Comms' unfinished question. “In the count.”
“There was a bit of a weird holding area,” Tech added after a moment. “Seemed like somewhere to hold livestock, but even then, it was a bit big. I’m not sure what used to be there, but tracks suggest carts left with whatever it was not long before everything went down, so probably a trade caravan.”
“Well, at least someone made it out,” Nav sighed, pushing off the wall to resume their station. “Where are we going next?”
Willin toyed with the odd silver tablet in his paw, the two unrecognizable scripts curious and alien. “The only pack left before we see what all the fuss is about. Let’s pay a visit to Grand Huntress Sunundra. Hopefully she knows something we don’t.”
Next
A/N: Been a while since we’ve had a proper A/N, huh. Welp, here’s this one. Patreon is currently set to ‘per post’ because i made the account ages ago. Waiting on support to help me switch it to monthly, then I’ll post the Silva render i have. RR is at 30k views and 100 followers.
Figured I’d ask how you guys are liking this arc, hows Willin’s team coming across, etc.
Final note: I’m thinking about rewriting the first ‘book’ so i can get it edited and published! Problem: i have no fucking clue where to cut book 1, and editors are expensive. Where should book 1 end? All i know is that I’d prob end up adding extra chapters to it, as well as lengthening the OG chaps. RR is a ‘touch-up’, not a final product, so those don’t count!
submitted by WaveOfWire to HFY [link] [comments]
u/KieveKRS providing the Trash certification of quality!
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The maw of the moss-wolf chomped down on the treat, its partner patiently waiting its turn, an eye trained on the Human providing the sustenance. Joseph reached into the pouch, counting out what he had left and mentally setting a few aside for the raven-like birds that Scarlet had trained to bother him.
Well, ‘bother’ might be a strong word. They would whistle at him and wait for food. Upon getting their hard sought quarry, they would return to share it with the rest. Surprisingly cooperative, all things considered. Scarlet had apparently been getting them to associate certain short melodies with members of the pack, allowing her to send the avians after whoever she wanted for more snacks.
If they didn’t get any, then they would yell something not dissimilar to a caw until either food was procured, or they grew bored. Given that they had taken to humouring Violet in her attempts to be a mobile perch, that usually took a while.
It drove Nalah nuts, which seemed to be part of the reason the blond-furred female was included in the ritual at all. Harrow was apparently the favourite target of the nuisance when she was outside the base, but he couldn’t say why.
The tell-tale scratching had been somewhat muted since the shift in medium, but Violet’s writing was always something he kept an ear out for, his daughter presenting her tablet excitedly. [It blinked!]
He turned his head to the cow-looking thing, the unwavering stare held until he gave up. “I swear you guys are just messing with me.”
“Or we merely enjoy your suffering,” Sahari suggested with a smirk, the black-furred female standing taller than him for a moment as she stretched her legs out. Settling into a height that was level with him, she attempted to offer the wolves food. Receiving a fearful retreat instead, the black-furred female frowned, the two canines shifting in their enclosure to be closer to Joseph and Violet. “They still seem to distrust any but yourselves.”
He shrugged, taking the scrap from her and giving it to the young Atmo to pass along, her chittering laugh when the wolves accepted the morsel breaking the soft sound of trickling rain outside the barn. “Faye was the one who started this. I guess they treat her like an alpha of sorts, and seeing her bow to the two of us so often told them that she’s lower on the pole. That’s my guess, anyway.”
“That is….rather intelligent of them, if so,” Sahari commented pensively.
The Grand Hunter tipped his head in agreement. If anything, it was an understatement. The six-legged canines were remarkably receptive to taming, though he couldn’t say how much of that was due to Faye taking to his suggestion so seriously. He had only offered it as a passing thought, but she had set to it like their god had mandated it.
He fought back a sigh at the reminder of his placement in the whole thing, his foot kicking the ground to adjust the new sandals he was wearing until Pan finished proper shoes.
One day, he was a divorcee flirting with random women on a cruise ship so that the rejection validated his own self-esteem issues. The next, he was a guy in charge of a settlement nearing one hundred people and had become a manifestation of religion condensed into the form of some random moron.
He snorted at a morbid thought. How would Emma react to his ‘rise to fame?’ His acquisition of more than they had ever thought for themselves back on Earth?
Owning a territory? They could only manage a nice apartment that could fit several times over inside the base. Friends? Hell, he had a group of people who have helped him through some of the worst the planet had to offer. Kids...well, nothing could replace Violet. He doubted Emma would see it the same way, though.
A paw enclosed his shoulder, dragging his mind from more sombre thoughts. It had been quite a while since everything fell through and he had moved on, but it still stung every now and again.
“What ails your mind, Joseph?” Sahari asked with a concerned inflection. He looked over at her, a smile becoming easier after a moment.
“Just wondering how my ex-wife would react to seeing what I’ve turned into. What she’d say to all of this,” he admitted honestly with a wide gesture to everything. She patted his back, a small pride in her gaze.
“You continue to heal, Grand Hunter, but you are still scarred. Your previous mate would curse her decisions were she to see what you have accomplished.”
He snorted, a wide dry grin breaking out. “I’d love to see her face going back with two alien wives and this sweetheart as a daughter,” he teased, giving Violet a thorough rub on the head. She purred, chittering between breaths as she fought off the rough affection playfully while keeping her blades tucked for safety.
The black-furred female tilted her head and shifted her weight to her other foot. “You’ve mentioned that there is a specific procedure for binding the lives of your people, no?”
He blinked, his mind flickering to the two rings he had prepared, yet held some modicum of expectation around before he whipped them out. Not least of all was the foreign sensation of doing it again twice, nor finding an appropriate time to do it. It was hard to pick a picturesque moment when each day was paperwork, punching people in the face during spars, and orchestrating the well-being of such a large group. Given that the closest thing he could get to a romantic occasion was laying down on the grass while Nalah barked orders at the construction crews in the distance, he didn’t feel like it was ever a good time to ask. It was even harder picturing himself doing it to the two of them, as if it cheapened the gesture in some way.
Then there was the part of himself that feared rejection—as stupid as it sounded. They could deny the alien practice, not share the same sentiment, or any number of disagreements that would render him kneeling like an idiot. As unlikely as it was, it could even be too great a commitment for them, the implication of their entire lives being pledged solely to him being a crushing weight, rather than a promise of mutual loving dedication.
Sure, now they were speaking as if it was the case, but the circumstances as they were lent themselves to it being a product of necessity. Who was to say that it would remain the same once they got off this rock and—hopefully—in touch with their own people again. Would they still feel the same way with an entire species back on the table as possible romantic partners? Would he still be enough?
“Joseph,” Sahari called out with worry and irritation in equal parts. “You are making me anxious.”
“Hm? Oh, sorry,” he apologized sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he was reminded that more than one person could be afflicted by his emotional state. She placed a paw to her hip.
“Are the proceedings really such a means for strife?”
“Ah, no, it’s just…” He averted his eyes, offering Violet a token smile when she seemed to be concerned about him. He inhaled deeply. “It’s just…I have reservations about it.”
She raised a brow. “I need not a bond to know you care for them deeply enough to toss your life to the Void for them.”
His weak smile faltered further. “Well, yeah. They mean everything to me, but I cant help but remember how things went last time, I guess. There’s a million and one ways it could go up in smoke, and I…” He fell quiet for a moment, Violet pressing herself into his side in an attempt to cheer him up. He rested a hand against her back, the texture comforting in a way. “I want it to be an important moment in our lives, rather than some disposable token that they accept without thinking much. It’s not like they’re swimming in potential romantic partners here, so it feels like they’d be agreeing for lack of options.”
She stared at him with a hesitant expression, her cheek pinched between her teeth and eyes narrowed in thought. “Pan would sooner end her own life than be separated from you, and Tel would end any who so much as suggested such,” she stated finally. “To you, the mark upon your flesh is but a sting that fades. To them, it is their declaration that they have found their reason to live. A declaration that is shown to all others of our people the moment they draw near. Though Pan lacks the means to impart her own, she is rather pleased that another is able to in her stead and treats it as her own for all intents.”
She grabbed him roughly by the arm, pulling him into her breast as she stood to her full height, a surprised yelp stifled by soft clothing and fur.
“Unfortunately for you, openly voiced or not, we all feel as such. Though you bear not the mark of everyone in the den, I assure you that to be removed from you would leave us lesser, regardless of bond.”
He shut his mouth at the last addition. There was a weight behind knowing that people were likely to simply give up on living if you were away for too long. It put the relationship in front of a loaded gun for both parties. They couldn’t afford to break it off from him because existing would become a living hell, and he couldn’t change his mind for any reason because it would be the same as killing them.
What kind of marriage was one built upon such fragile pillars? How could they be happy when every fight was tempered by the threat of the end of everything? What about Sahari? Could she ever pursue her own life with Nalah when she had the bond shackling her to him? How long until that became a stinging poison, rotting away the veins and arteries of her psyche? How long until death became preferable to being around him?
A strong impact to his stomach winded him, though the unnoticed hyperventilating left him little to eject as he fell to his knees. Violet clicked in surprise, the wolves backing away at the unexpected violence.
He coughed, sputtering spittle as he fought the urge to evacuate his breakfast. A pained glance up revealed Sahari still clutching a fist, her expression just as hurt.
“You hear my words and twist them, Joseph,” she chastised softly, crouching to look at him better. “We pledged our lives to you. Not because we had no choice, but because we believed you to be our future. From that moment on, our desire was to remain with you.” Her voice grew weak, almost pleading. She placed her forehead to his, the contact an intimate touch. “Your experiences may suggest our bond a prison, but for us, it is an ambrosia for our soul. It completes us like no equal. Jax and Harrow care for you immensely, Nalah and myself owe you everything that we are, and your mates will fight the Hunt Mother herself if it would mean even one more sun with you.”
He found himself speechless, wading through the emotions behind her words a syllable at a time. The feeling of Violet pressing into his back in an embrace stung as much as soothed, his mind rejecting the idea, yet so desperate to accept it.
“Do not desecrate our affections because you had been scorned by one who did not see within you that which we covet,” she implored sombrely, raw emotion oozing through the confines of speech. “Though you doubt it, none would know how much value you place in the ‘mark’ of your people more than your mates. If merely thinking about the unlikely event that they refuse tortures you so deeply, than the elation they would share with you when they agree would likely see Pan unable to contain herself for many suns after.”
He stayed on his knees, the warmth surrounding him from both sides seeping within and thawing the frozen excuses he held onto to prevent exposing himself to potential rejection. Every step of the way since he had met them, it had made him fearful of losing their company. At first, the thought of being left alone to brave the planet was too much to bear, but he would try. Now? Now he felt like he understood where the minds of those bonded Lilhuns had been. Even considering being away from his new loved ones pulled at a primal part of himself, each tug stronger than the last, each suggestion fanning the flames barricaded behind morals—the depths he would trudge to see it never come to pass.
Sahari nuzzled into his neck for a moment before parting, a somewhat satisfied smile given towards the emotionally fragile Human they had taken to depending on. He returned his own, though it was tinted with a bit of embarrassment.
Violet stepped back to allow him room to stand, the extended joint of her blade asking to be held like he did with her adoptive mother. His expression softening, he did as requested, lightly rubbing the smooth surface with his thumb. It soothed a part of him to be holding his daughter’s ‘hand’ while they watched the wolves slowly approach the front of their enclosure again, now that the momentary intensity had faded.
With a self-deprecating roll of his eyes, he nodded, promising himself to follow through with his small wish the next time the chance revealed itself. It didn’t need to be perfect, but it would be nice if it was at least private. The dull ache in his stomach would be a reminder not to second guess himself anyway.
The wolves yipped, ignoring Sahari as they moved towards the other corner. Joseph glanced at where they were focused, his curious gaze replaced by surprise, then shock.
Raine supported Faye over her shoulder, the deep gold-furred female’s breath short as she rested her weight over her brown-furred counterpart, their black leather coats dripping water onto the floor as it wrapped tightly around them, concealing their armour. A steady trickle of blood flowed from a long gash on Faye’s leg, her free arm clutching across her breast to keep her coat closed.
Without waiting for either to speak, he ran to pick up the Wraith, slinging her across his shoulders and tearing off to the base. He could barely hear Sahari over the rain and his own blood pounding through his ears, his heart hammering in his chest. Though they had established something of a clinic for minor injuries that were sustained constantly, his singular focus was getting Faye into the medbay.
Pack members cleared the way, some jumping to the side as he barrelled through the sparely populated routes between home and workplace. More than one tripped over themselves in shock, the Human never having a reason to go at a full sprint before. He was slower than a Lilhun like this, but he could make it the full distance before them. He didn’t need to slow down.
Harrow pushed open the doors to the hub, her distant expression as she examined thin ironwood tablets perking, his rapid heavy footfalls telling of his arrival before she had the chance to see him. Her eyes lit up, her brows furrowed, and a hurried pull of the door kept it open for him, all in sequence. He didn’t have the spare breath to explain or thank her.
The orange-furred female bolted across the hub, slamming into the crash-bar installed into the facilities wing entrance to force it open, only barely outpacing the Grand Hunter in his rush. She staggered to her feet behind him, rushing to collect herself and assisting in tearing the pants off of the injured female when Joseph laid her on the bed.
Modesty being the least of his concerns, he braced an arm across her pelvis to stop her hips from bucking as Harrow wiped off any dried blood to see the extent of the damage on her thigh.
“What happened?”
He tightened his hold on Faye as his friend tentatively spread the wound to check for debris. “Don’t know. Didn’t ask. Saw her bleeding, rushed her here,” he answered through deep breaths, each strike of his adrenaline-fuelled heart pressing against his lung capacity.
Harrow frowned, grabbing some sterile water to pour over the wound and picking out a stray splinter of wood that looked to be from her missing leg armour. Faye let out a small whine, but didn’t have it in her to talk yet, signs of exhaustion and pain unfocusing her eyes.
The Head of Technology—and current medical expert in the room—pursed her lips against her muzzle. “We need to stitch it. It’s too big for just healroot.”
Joseph nodded, easing his weight off the Wraith and wiping his sweat from his brow. “Pan!”
Noticing the urgency in his voice, he could hear her throw the door to the sewing room wide open and jog to the medbay, her wide eyes steeling as she assessed the situation.
“Idee with you?”
She nodded, ears turned perfectly towards him.
“One of you boil off some palm string, the other sterilize the thinnest quill you can get away stitching a wound closed with. I don’t care who, but we need one of you to close this up.” He glanced at Harrow. “Grab some alcohol. I keep a bit in the closet in my room, next to the old crossbow prototypes. We need to flush this out and kill off anything that might have gotten in.”
The orange-furred female tipped an ear in confusion as Pan took off to do as he asked. “I thought you didn’t have medical-”
“I’ve been around enough workplace injuries, okay? Go!”
His shout jolted her into action, a few steps required to gain traction as she ran out the door. Applying solid pressure to the wound with one hand, he used the other to lightly tap Faye’s cheek.
“Faye? Faye, you with me?”
Her eyes languidly turned to him, slow blinks and meaningless mouthing ceased, a soft smile forming under her pained expression. “Hello, sir.”
He exhaled a relieved huff. “Welcome home, Faye. What happened?”
She seemed confused by his question, glancing down to her leg after a few seconds. With widened eyes, she struggled to sit up, Joseph forcibly pressing her to the bed.
“Stay.”
All resistance disappeared in an instant, her body complying despite the obvious urgency. He hardened his expression.
“What happened?”
She breathed deeper a few times before speaking. Each word was hesitant, as if the memory was hazy and diluted, though he couldn’t tell if it was due to blood loss or exhaustion. “A large grey beast…teeth, large mouth...attacked wolves...”
His brow knitted, Faye’s coat moving. A small whine came from her again…no. Not her.
A small yellow canine head freed itself from the confines of black leather, a weak keening produced from a tiny moss-wolf. Faye looked at him guiltily, a pleading look in her eyes given as she composed herself.
“It lost its parents…”
His protest died in his voice, a distant memory of a wolf being torn in two came to mind. The time before they had even moved to the pod, let alone met the Lilhuns, him and Violet checking snares shortly after his ankle had healed. A time so long ago, yet remained with him under the surface.
“You saved this little guy, huh?” he asked gently, wincing in tandem with her own when he leaned heavier on the massive gash in her thigh. She nodded, averting her eyes. “Did you get the ‘beast?’”
Faye shook her head. “Raine lured it away, but it still remains.”
“That’s fine. You’re back, that’s all that matters right now.”
Harrow bumped into the doorway, failing to shed all of her speed as she returned from fetching a smaller container that Joseph kept in case the rest of the pack burned through their stores of alcohol. Her eyes flicked to the wolf pup before disregarding it to hand him the ethanol. He lifted his hand, Harrow pouring some water to wash off the blood. Volta would be busy later, it seemed.
Gesturing for the orange-furred female to hold the leg down, he poured the alcohol into the wound, grimacing at Faye’s pained gasp. They didn’t have anything for her to bite into, but that would be a future consideration.
Pan and Idee entered the medbay, the former moving like a machine with purpose while the visiting seamstress took a moment to size up the situation. The Paw fetched a tray from the shelf, laying out several strings of softened palm and a few thin quills, threading one and passing it to Idee. The light brown-furred female accepted it, Harrow making room as she stood next to Joseph.
Pan handed him a tough leather strip as wide as his palm. Seems like she saw the problem before he did.
“Open up,” he prodded, placing the leather between Faye’s teeth. “This is going to fucking suck. We don’t have anything to numb you, so you need to stay as still as possible, okay? I’ll be here the whole time.”
The Wraith nodded, staring at him for a moment before closing her eyes in acceptance, her grip on the pup firming.
“Want me to take the wolf?”
She lightly shook her head, him exhaling hesitantly in response. Idee readied herself, looking to him for confirmation, Pan holding Faye’s ankle flat to the bed.
“You’re good,” he responded, pressing an arm to Faye’s chest and hips to hold her down.
The deep gold-furred female managed a quiet muffled groan of pain as the quill pierced her flesh.
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He entered the hub, dropping himself on the couch and ignoring the sweat on his brow. He had only just managed to get the blood off of his hands after Idee finished, but it was still staining his clothing. Pan was off to rinse it out of her fur while Faye slept off her exhaustion. As far as they could tell, she had avoided any infection thanks to Raine half-dragging the female back to them as quickly as she did. The wolf pup was staying with her for now, since—even in her sleep—she refused to let it go. The little guy didn’t seem to be complaining, so they just left it where it was comfortable. Ferra would be by later to check it out, apparently, and he didn’t see a reason to complain; she was their animal expert.
Scarlet offered him some tea, the warm liquid whetting his pallet that had since dried. Sahari had checked on them during the process, leaving to keep anyone who had questions in the loop. Given that half the damn pack either saw or heard about the Grand Hunter running like a bat out of hell, pretty much everyone was worried. Either about some urgent threat that might befall them, or about one of the quiet servants they had grown used to seeing around.
Looked like the Wraiths had taken to offering small services and assistance to people who needed it when they didn’t have anything better to do, so the pack was curious about what had happened. It was a small blessing that the usual armour they wore when ‘on duty’ was covered by the cloaks, otherwise he would have more questions coming that he didn’t want answered.
Raine stood a few paces in front of him, her bowed posture holding a hint of fear under his unwavering stare. He waited for whoever else was going to show up for the report, Tel and Pan insisting that they be involved. Harrow followed behind the two entering from the facilities wing, either because she had gotten wrapped up in the whole thing, or because she wanted to be included.
Pan sat to his left, Tel taking a place behind him to remain standing. Harrow surprised him, her recently elusive presence firmly displaced as she dropped onto the couch to his right, her tail curling around his calf—not that she seemed to notice.
Given that both Tel and Pan trapped a limb or two with their tails regularly, he didn’t stop to put thought into it, the encapsulating appendage crossing him as a common occurrence.
“I don’t know how accurate it was, since she’s still pretty out of it, but Faye said one of those grey bear-deathtraps attacked some wolves before she stepped in to save the pup,” he opened, glancing at Scarlet. The almost black red-furred female was maintaining a surprisingly commanding presence, her attention laser-focused on Raine. The brown-furred Wraith kept her gaze fixed to the floor, too ashamed or nervous to move it.
“I apologize for her error in her stead,” she announced, the slightest of grip in her folded paws digging her claws into her skin. “The fault is also mine for not preventing her misstep. I will accept any punishment for our mistake.”
He exhaled heavily. “I’m not mad that you guys had an original thought, Raine. I’m worried about those iron-maiden-looking fucks being around again, and I’m concerned about you getting hurt.”
“Of course, sir. Forgive me for the arrogance of assuming your priorities.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, Pan squeezing his thigh in support. Tel rested her head on his, the weight somehow comforting despite the grin at his annoyance. “We can talk about not getting yourselves killed later. Are you injured at all?”
Raine’s ear twitched. “No, sir. I am whole.”
“Good,” he sighed, nodding lightly. “That’s good. Faye’s patched up for now, but she’ll be under observation to keep on top of any possible infection. How did the ‘mission’ go?”
The Wraith perked up a bit, the conversation moving away from her perceived failure. She produced a satchel, pulling a rather thick stack of tablets from it and passing them to Scarlet, the latter ferrying them to Harrow. He thought it was an odd choice, but the orange-furred female started giving him an abbreviated translation of the text.
Line after line of transactions. What was offered and received, any debts and who owed them, as well as small notes about what should be brought next time. It was a comprehensive copy of the ledger that the trading caravan kept. His brows raised at the sheer density of information, and for them getting it from something he was only partially sure existed.
“You managed to get this much?” he asked in disbelief. “Jesus. Were you caught?”
Raine shook her head. “If we were to be seen by them, we would be nothing more than a stain against our Blademaster.”
Compliment or boasting, doing this much was damn impressive. Especially with just the two of them.
“Shit. Well, good fucking job, I guess,” he managed, still reeling a bit from the unintended scope of the task. Harrow continued to dig through the report, though stopped voicing it aloud. Joseph turned his attention back to the Wraith. “Anything else of note? Rumours?”
The Wraith grew pensive. “Though we returned partially through their return trip to Grand Hunter Pernel, we did overhear some conversations. There were discussions of other packs simply no longer occupying their settlements.”
He leaned forward in his seat, dislodging Tel as his elbows rested against his knees. “What do you mean?”
“Some of their usual trade locations were purportedly burned down, others merely abandoned. A few were apparently littered with corpses,” she explained more steadily. “From what we could gather, the reason they came to trade with our settlement at all is that the others along the way were in such states. It seems they intended to restock and head back out immediately to accommodate the loss in trading partners.”
He bit his lip as he thought about it, letting himself fall back against the couch.
“What do you guys think of it?” he asked with a glance to his mates. Pan seemed to be mirroring his own apprehension openly, while Tel kept a more serious expression.
“I believe there is something larger happening,” Tel concluded, taking a few seconds before returning to using him as a headrest. Pan nodded her agreement, but didn’t have much to add to it otherwise.
“It would explain how desperate they were for food,” he mused aloud, raising a brow when Harrow shifted to lean against him, one foot placed on the edge of the seat forcing the posture. “Any details of interest, Harrow?”
The orange-furred female jolted, only just stopping from moving her foot back to the floor before committing to using him as a backrest. She turned back-on fully, stretching her legs over the remainder of the seat and placing tablets she had finished with on her lap.
“It didn’t take very long for the methods you sold to propagate,” she responded, holding up a few of the tablets before laying them in their own pile. “Looks like Pernel has been spreading it around by buying some from places that have bows and snares to sell where they don’t.”
“Supply and demand, or arming people with the tools that would help them survive?”
“Hard to trade with the dead,” Harrow commented dryly, starting a new pile. He nodded in exaggerated fashion.
“What about the Atmo?”
She tapped the small stack she just started. “I’m trying to separate these by inventory type. Give me a bit.”
Deciding to trust the woman in charge of managing this kind of thing while she was on the ship, he glanced back to Raine, the female easily mistaken for a statue if not for the subtle sway of her breathing. “The grey-bear-thing. How far away is it?”
“Too close,” she responded firmly. “We did not get a chance to verify their numbers, but there was evidence of at least that singular beast making our territory its hunting ground.”
“Fuck,” he muttered through gritted teeth. “We’re going to need to hunt that thing down.”
Pan looked worried at the prospect, Harrow stiffened in her sorting. The Wraiths were the only ones who seemed completely at ease with the suggestion, Tel not so much as twitching. Harrow laid down the tablets she had yet to categorize, her gaze aimed at her lap.
“Joe, don’t think that taking one out is easy.”
“We have ranged weapons and more than a few people who can use them,” he pointed out with a breath. “Ideally, we go as a larger hunting party and take the damn thing down through sheer volume of fire.”
“Their skin is tough,” Harrow replied with a shake of her head, her ears pivoting back towards him. “I don’t know if our bows could pierce it as easily as we might like.”
He furrowed his brow. “So, what? Let it close in until it eats everything and starves us out? Until it thinks we look tasty?”
“I don’t know. I’m just saying that this won’t be as simple as firing a few arrows and patting ourselves on the back for a job well done.”
Joseph felt the stiffness of his brow start to hurt from how tight they were knitted. A deep breath centred his thoughts. “We’ll arrange an armoured hunting party soon. Better to take it down before it becomes an issue.”
The orange-furred female nodded, quickly leafing through the remaining tablets and only pulling two more out for the pile she indicated earlier.
“Here,” she said, tapping the stack. “These are records for trading Atmo.”
He suppressed the sigh when he genuinely tried to read the mess they called a language. “How many? Who bought them?”
She hesitated, reforming the copy of the ledger—sans the relevant tablets—and placing it on the floor. The remainder in paw, she held them up over her shoulder, Tel accepting it and going over the contents with an interested tilt of her head.
“From what I can see here, Pernel traded two hundred.”
“Two…” he squeaked, his eyes wide. “Two hundred?”
She nodded, pacing around the couch to stop in front of Pan. “It seems others heard of his willingness to barter for them. He accepted quite a few deals before selling them off again.”
“To who?”
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
The door to the ship closed with a hiss, Willin shaking his head at Nav’s questioning gaze. “Nothing.”
Tech removed her CARDs, storing them in the weapons locker before shrugging off her AMR to place in its own unit. “Nothing living, anyway.”
“That bad?” Nav asked, deflating after yet another failed attempt to contact a settlement. The dark green-furred male stored his rifle, seating it into its receptacle with a click.
“Tell Comms to add another eighty to the count.”
“Four hundred eighty-two,” the purple-furred female supplied as she walked past Nav to enter the ship proper. Willin followed after, hanging his pistol holster on the side of his chair as he dropped into it.
“Thirty were covered in wounds, twenty or so were executed, twenty-five looked to have died of accumulated trauma, and the rest were found with singular cuts to the throat.”
“Not quite,” Tech remarked, interfacing with the systems. “Only eight of the ‘executed’ seem to have been done up close.”
“Sniper?” Comms asked as he entered the room, nodding his greetings and taking a seat at his station. Nav crossed their arms and leaned against the doorway as Tech Ops ran some numbers on her screen.
“Wounds are consistent with Anti Material Rifles, and debris suggest they took the ‘material’ part into consideration with their shots. There were a few holes in the buildings that didn’t quite get removed by the fires.”
“Covering evidence?” Willin mused aloud, receiving a thoughtful shake of her head.
“No, I don’t think so. My guess is that the buildings were already on fire when they did it, based on the splinters around the exit holes.”
Comms’ eyes widened in surprise. “Shooting through a burning building? That is rather impressive.”
“Blades?” Nav suggested. “Avalon is required to act against those who break the treaty, no?”
“Maybe,” Tech allowed tentatively. “If it was them, then that would explain the lack of targets.”
Willin scratched at his ear, furrowing his brow as Comms ran another scan for any communications being made. Though a few suns had passed since they had unwittingly agreed to involve themselves in what was likely the first case of war that this planet had ever seen, nothing was being sent anywhere. Regardless, the male kept the scans regular, just in case.
Nav switched the foot they were resting on. “Why not just dispose of everyone breaking the treaty?”
“Maybe they did,” Comms commented, turning back to the conversation as the program ran in the background. “Blades typically function under strict conditions. If they removed anyone who was commanding the hostile action, then they did as required of them. The moment the attack stopped, they completed the terms of the treaty.”
“Or if the Grand Hunter here surrendered and allowed their pack to be subsumed,” Willin proposed, the others glancing at him in curiosity. He waved a paw dismissively. “If everyone in the conflict becomes a single pack, then any fighting from those who still disagree with it is now an internal dispute, thus outside of the purview of the Blades. Check the notes on Grand Hunter Toril and High Hunter Bratik.”
Tech’s eyes unfocused for a moment as she accessed the system. “Avalon is forbidden from interfering with internal politics. Toril was sheltered by Bratik. Since Bratik was from outside of Toril’s pack, it counted as acting against their right to manage their own affairs. Hasen was given a perfect reason to take over, and it forced Grand Hunter Trill to exile the both of them to adhere.” She looked around the room aimlessly as she thought, her eyes snapping to Willin when he spoke.
“And a perfect loop-hole to exploit. Toril loses his supporters, Trill loses a member of his command structure, and Hasen rises in power while leaving Avalon to grit their teeth.” He shook his head, both impressed and disgusted. “Once he attacks another pack, he just forces a vassalage and subsequently executes the new High Hunter for whatever reason he wants. The Blades can’t act on a technicality.”
“So Grand Hunter Pernel….”
Willin nodded at Comms' unfinished question. “In the count.”
“There was a bit of a weird holding area,” Tech added after a moment. “Seemed like somewhere to hold livestock, but even then, it was a bit big. I’m not sure what used to be there, but tracks suggest carts left with whatever it was not long before everything went down, so probably a trade caravan.”
“Well, at least someone made it out,” Nav sighed, pushing off the wall to resume their station. “Where are we going next?”
Willin toyed with the odd silver tablet in his paw, the two unrecognizable scripts curious and alien. “The only pack left before we see what all the fuss is about. Let’s pay a visit to Grand Huntress Sunundra. Hopefully she knows something we don’t.”
Next
A/N: Been a while since we’ve had a proper A/N, huh. Welp, here’s this one. Patreon is currently set to ‘per post’ because i made the account ages ago. Waiting on support to help me switch it to monthly, then I’ll post the Silva render i have. RR is at 30k views and 100 followers.
Figured I’d ask how you guys are liking this arc, hows Willin’s team coming across, etc.
Final note: I’m thinking about rewriting the first ‘book’ so i can get it edited and published! Problem: i have no fucking clue where to cut book 1, and editors are expensive. Where should book 1 end? All i know is that I’d prob end up adding extra chapters to it, as well as lengthening the OG chaps. RR is a ‘touch-up’, not a final product, so those don’t count!
2023.06.05 11:41 truckrepairservice How to Find the Right Reefer Repair Shop Near Your Location
Reefers are trucks with refrigerator systems. A refrigerated semi-trailer is a truck designed to transport cold chain products. Reefers all contain refrigeration units. Reefers are equipped with removable panels called vent doors that help with fresh air ventilation. The clearance lights indicate the dimensions of the trailer when it is viewed from the front and the back. The over side-rails is simply long metal bar that runs the length of the top side of the reefer. The rear reflector reflects the light at night to make other road users aware of the vehicle. The rail beam below provides support to the length of the lowercase. Semi-trailers have supporting legs to operate smoothly in a flat area. The second leg of the reefer is guarded by a part of metal called the sand shoe. The front end of the reefer is marked by a light-reflecting device called a front reflector. Reefers are typically used for moving heavy goods which require temperature-controlled transportation. Our range of services includes repair and fixes of all transport refrigeration accessories including truck, trailer, and container along with cab air-conditioning. In general, reefers can maintain temperatures within the range of -85 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. A reefer is an intermodal package that is used in intermodal goods carriers that are refrigerated for the transportation of temperature loads.
Whether you are looking for a Reefer repair shop or you want to get to a service station, Breakdown Inc can help. Breakdown Inc is the most reliable search tool to find truck fix shops, trailer auto shops, reefer mechanic shops, and 24-hour towing service details in just some seconds along with the shortest routes possible anywhere in the USA. We believe our clients are our biggest asset. Our goal is to provide you with the best service when it comes to truck and trailer services. We dream to achieve this through our efficient search tool built with a sense of pride and honesty.
See some Services:-
Thermo King Reefer Repair
Carrier Reefer Repair
Truck Repair
Mobile Repair Service
Pickup and Delivery Service
Electrical Systems
Reefer Coil Washing
Fleet Maintenance
Interior Truck Detailing
Heavy Duty Truck Repair Services
24 Hours Towing Service
submitted by truckrepairservice to u/truckrepairservice [link] [comments]
Whether you are looking for a Reefer repair shop or you want to get to a service station, Breakdown Inc can help. Breakdown Inc is the most reliable search tool to find truck fix shops, trailer auto shops, reefer mechanic shops, and 24-hour towing service details in just some seconds along with the shortest routes possible anywhere in the USA. We believe our clients are our biggest asset. Our goal is to provide you with the best service when it comes to truck and trailer services. We dream to achieve this through our efficient search tool built with a sense of pride and honesty.
See some Services:-
Thermo King Reefer Repair
Carrier Reefer Repair
Truck Repair
Mobile Repair Service
Pickup and Delivery Service
Electrical Systems
Reefer Coil Washing
Fleet Maintenance
Interior Truck Detailing
Heavy Duty Truck Repair Services
24 Hours Towing Service
2023.06.05 11:11 bestEVsscooterIndia Most Affordable Electric Scooter in India with Long Battery Life
Table Of Contents:
I. Introduction
A. Brief overview of the electric scooter market in India
B. Importance of affordability and long battery life
C. Introduction to Lebu Plus Electric as the focus of the article
II. Benefits of an Electric Scooter
A. Environmental advantages
B. Cost savings compared to conventional scooters
C. Convenience and ease of use
III. Most Affordable Electric Scooters in India
A. Comparison of various affordable electric scooter brands
B. Features and specifications to consider when choosing an electric scooter
C. Importance of long battery life for daily commuting
IV. Introducing Lebu Plus Electric
A. Overview of Lebu Plus Electric as a leading affordable electric scooter brand
B. Key features and specifications of Lebu Plus Electric scooters
C. Benefits of choosing Lebu Plus Electric for affordability and battery life
V. Battery Life in Lebu Plus Electric Scooters
A. Advanced battery technology used in Lebu Plus Electric scooters
B. Range and charging time of Lebu Plus Electric scooters
C. Longevity and durability of Lebu Plus Electric scooter batteries
VI. User Reviews and Feedback
A. Positive experiences of users with Lebu Plus Electric scooters
B. Testimonials highlighting the affordability and long battery life
C. Comparison with other affordable electric scooter brands based on user reviews
VII. Performance and Safety Features
A. Motor power and speed of Lebu Plus Electric scooters
B. Brake systems and suspension for a safe and comfortable ride
C. Additional safety features offered by Lebu Plus Electric
VIII. Warranty and After-Sales Support
A. Warranty coverage for Lebu Plus Electric scooters
B. Availability of spare parts and servicing options
C. Customer support and assistance provided by Lebu Plus Electric
IX. Conclusion
A. Recap of the benefits of affordability and long battery life in electric scooters
B. Final thoughts on Lebu Plus Electric as the most affordable option in India
C. Call-to-action for readers to learn more and purchase Lebu Plus Electric scooters
X. FAQs
submitted by bestEVsscooterIndia to u/bestEVsscooterIndia [link] [comments]
I. Introduction
A. Brief overview of the electric scooter market in India
B. Importance of affordability and long battery life
C. Introduction to Lebu Plus Electric as the focus of the article
II. Benefits of an Electric Scooter
A. Environmental advantages
B. Cost savings compared to conventional scooters
C. Convenience and ease of use
III. Most Affordable Electric Scooters in India
A. Comparison of various affordable electric scooter brands
B. Features and specifications to consider when choosing an electric scooter
C. Importance of long battery life for daily commuting
IV. Introducing Lebu Plus Electric
A. Overview of Lebu Plus Electric as a leading affordable electric scooter brand
B. Key features and specifications of Lebu Plus Electric scooters
C. Benefits of choosing Lebu Plus Electric for affordability and battery life
V. Battery Life in Lebu Plus Electric Scooters
A. Advanced battery technology used in Lebu Plus Electric scooters
B. Range and charging time of Lebu Plus Electric scooters
C. Longevity and durability of Lebu Plus Electric scooter batteries
VI. User Reviews and Feedback
A. Positive experiences of users with Lebu Plus Electric scooters
B. Testimonials highlighting the affordability and long battery life
C. Comparison with other affordable electric scooter brands based on user reviews
VII. Performance and Safety Features
A. Motor power and speed of Lebu Plus Electric scooters
B. Brake systems and suspension for a safe and comfortable ride
C. Additional safety features offered by Lebu Plus Electric
VIII. Warranty and After-Sales Support
A. Warranty coverage for Lebu Plus Electric scooters
B. Availability of spare parts and servicing options
C. Customer support and assistance provided by Lebu Plus Electric
IX. Conclusion
A. Recap of the benefits of affordability and long battery life in electric scooters
B. Final thoughts on Lebu Plus Electric as the most affordable option in India
C. Call-to-action for readers to learn more and purchase Lebu Plus Electric scooters
X. FAQs
- What is the price range of Lebu Plus Electric scooters?
- How long does the battery of Lebu Plus Electric scooters last?
- Can I charge Lebu Plus Electric scooters at home?
- Are there any government incentives for purchasing electric scooters in India?
- Does Lebu Plus Electric offer financing options for their scooters?
Intoduction
Electric scooters have gained immense popularity in India due to their eco-friendly nature, cost savings, and ease of use. With the increasing demand for electric scooters, affordability and long battery life have become two crucial factors for consumers. Among the various brands available in the market, Lebu Plus Electric stands out as the most affordable electric scooter in India, offering exceptional battery life. In this article, we will explore the benefits of electric scooters, discuss the affordability factor, and delve into the features and advantages of Lebu Plus Electric scooters.Benefits of an Electric Scooter
Electric scooters have numerous advantages over conventional petrol-powered scooters. Firstly, they contribute to a cleaner and greener environment by producing zero emissions. By choosing an electric scooter, individuals can actively participate in reducing air pollution and combating climate change. Secondly, electric scooters offer significant cost savings in the long run. With rising fuel prices, the cost of charging an electric scooter is substantially lower than refueling a petrol scooter. Additionally, electric scooters require less maintenance, resulting in reduced servicing expenses. Lastly, electric scooters provide convenience and ease of use, allowing riders to navigate through traffic effortlessly and park in congested areas without any hassle.Most Affordable Electric Scooters in India
When it comes to affordability, there are several brands competing in the Indian market. However, Lebu Plus Electric stands out due to its commitment to providing affordable electric mobility solutions. When considering an electric scooter, it is essential to evaluate features and specifications such as battery capacity, motor power, range, and charging time. Lebu Plus Electric scooters excel in these aspects, making them a preferred choice for budget-conscious consumers. In addition to affordability, battery life plays a vital role in the selection process, especially for daily commuters.Introducing Lebu Plus Electric
Lebu Plus Electric has established itself as a prominent player in the Indian electric scooter market. With a focus on affordability, the brand offers a range of electric scooters that cater to the needs of different consumers. Lebu Plus Electric scooters are equipped with advanced features, ensuring a comfortable and reliable ride. The sleek design, along with a robust build, adds to the overall appeal of their scooters. Moreover, Lebu Plus Electric scooters are known for their exceptional battery life, which sets them apart from the competition.Battery Life in Lebu Plus Electric Scooters
One of the key advantages of Lebu Plus Electric scooters is their impressive battery life. Lebu Plus Electric utilizes advanced battery technology, providing a long-lasting power source for their scooters. The battery range of Lebu Plus Electric scooters ensures that riders can cover significant distances without worrying about running out of charge. Additionally, the charging time is relatively quick, allowing users to recharge their scooters conveniently. The longevity and durability of the batteries further enhance the overall value proposition of Lebu Plus Electric scooters.User Reviews and Feedback
The positive experiences shared by users of Lebu Plus Electric scooters are a testament to their quality and performance. Customers appreciate the affordability of Lebu Plus Electric scooters without compromising on battery life and other essential features. Testimonials from satisfied users highlight the convenience and cost savings achieved by choosing Lebu Plus Electric as their preferred electric scooter brand. By comparing user reviews with other affordable electric scooter brands, it becomes evident that Lebu Plus Electric provides a superior combination of affordability and long battery life.Performance and Safety Features
Apart from affordability and battery life, Lebu Plus Electric scooters deliver impressive performance and ensure rider safety. The powerful motor installed in Lebu Plus Electric scooters offers excellent acceleration and top speed, making them suitable for both urban and suburban commutes. Additionally, the brake systems and suspension of Lebu Plus Electric scooters are designed to provide a safe and comfortable ride. The scooters also come with additional safety features such as LED headlights, taillights, and indicators, enhancing visibility and ensuring a secure riding experience.Warranty and After-Sales Support
Lebu Plus Electric values customer satisfaction and provides a comprehensive warranty for their scooters. This warranty coverage offers peace of mind to customers, assuring them of the quality and durability of the product. In the event of any issues, Lebu Plus Electric ensures availability of spare parts and efficient servicing options across their authorized service centers. Their customer support team is responsive and dedicated to addressing any queries or concerns that customers may have, further enhancing the overall ownership experience.Conclusion
In conclusion, Lebu Plus Electric emerges as the most affordable electric scooter in India, offering remarkable battery life and a host of features. With the increasing popularity of electric scooters, affordability and long battery life have become critical factors for consumers. Lebu Plus Electric scooters excel in these areas, providing cost-effective and eco-friendly mobility solutions. By choosing Lebu Plus Electric, individuals can experience the benefits of electric scooters without compromising on quality or performance.FAQs
- What is the price range of Lebu Plus Electric scooters?
- Lebu Plus Electric scooters are available in a price range starting from X to Y, catering to various budgets.
- How long does the battery of Lebu Plus Electric scooters last?
- The battery life of Lebu Plus Electric scooters depends on factors such as usage, terrain, and load. However, on average, the batteries can last up to Z kilometers on a single charge.
- Can I charge Lebu Plus Electric scooters at home?
- Yes, Lebu Plus Electric scooters can be easily charged at home using a standard power outlet. Charging times may vary depending on the model and battery capacity.
- Are there any government incentives for purchasing electric scooters in India?
- Yes, the Indian government offers various incentives, subsidies, and tax benefits for purchasing electric vehicles, including scooters. These incentives aim to promote green mobility and reduce pollution.
- Does Lebu Plus Electric offer financing options for their scooters?
- Yes, Lebu Plus Electric provides financing options in partnership with leading banks and financial institutions, making it easier for customers to own their dream electric scooter.
2023.06.05 09:52 orbitshub A Fascinating Journey: Unveiling the Manufacturing Process of Shipping Containers
The Role of Marine Services and Air Cargo in Streamlining International Trade
Introduction:
The effective transport of commodities is essential to international trade in today's interconnected globe. Marine services and air cargo are two major participants in this process. Long-distance trade is typically carried out via sea transport, however air freight has the advantages of speed and adaptability. This blog will delve into the importance of marine services and air cargo, as well as the ancillary infrastructure they rely on, such as aircraft hangars and cargo planes. In addition, we will discuss the use of satellite phones, aircraft engines, cargo ships, and the tracking of air cargo as they move from point A to point B.
Transportation of goods across international borders relies heavily on marine services such as cargo ships and ferries. These vessels carry cargo across great distances of ocean, so linking continents and promoting economic development. Since they are optimized for transporting heavy loads, shipping is the most cost-effective option for non-urgent items. Transporting raw resources like minerals, oil, and gas is another important function of cargo ships. They also play a crucial role in guaranteeing the smooth flow of international trade and the constant supply of commodities in global markets.
While maritime services are the most common mode of long-distance transport, the advantages of air freight are speed and adaptability. Time-sensitive shipments, such as perishable commodities, medications, and high-value products, are well-suited for air freight because of their capacity to carry goods across continents in a matter of hours. Cargo planes guarantee the security and prompt delivery of cargo thanks to their cutting-edge technology and specialized handling systems. Because of the speed with which these planes can travel, air cargo has become an integral part of global supply networks, allowing firms to react rapidly to fluctuations in consumer demand.
Aircraft hangars are a crucial piece of ancillary infrastructure for the safekeeping and upkeep of cargo planes. Aircraft are housed, protected, and maintained in these massive, custom-built shelters. Modern tools and equipment for aircraft maintenance, repair, and inspection can be found in hangars. They can also be used to store equipment and extra parts. Cargo airlines may improve safety and efficiency by maintaining their planes in top condition with the help of dedicated hangars.
Improved Transparency Through Air Cargo Tracking: Stakeholders in the supply chain may now see exactly where their packages are at all times. Advanced technology such as GPS and RFID allow cargo operators to monitor shipments from the time they are loaded onto the aircraft until the time they arrive at their final destination. This degree of transparency allows for exact monitoring, improves security, and facilitates quick decision making. By allowing customers to monitor the progress of their goods, businesses may give their clients greater insight into and peace of mind during transit.
To put it simply, aircraft engines are the lifeblood of the air cargo industry. Fuel is converted into propulsion by these robust machinery, allowing cargo planes to soar into the air. Modern engines are more powerful, more fuel efficient, and produce fewer pollution than ever before. When it comes to timely delivery and reduced environmental effect, air freight services rely heavily on the reliability and performance of aircraft engines.
The Interplay of Sea and Air Transport:
Cargo flights and ships do not compete with one another; rather, they supplement one another. They both have a place in the global supply chain because they meet varying demands. If you have time-sensitive cargo, air cargo is a great supplement to maritime services. On the other hand, shipping goods in bulk via sea is more affordable. Because of how well these different transport systems work together, firms can take advantage of speed and cost efficiency in their supply chain strategies without sacrificing either.
submitted by orbitshub to u/orbitshub [link] [comments]
Introduction:
The effective transport of commodities is essential to international trade in today's interconnected globe. Marine services and air cargo are two major participants in this process. Long-distance trade is typically carried out via sea transport, however air freight has the advantages of speed and adaptability. This blog will delve into the importance of marine services and air cargo, as well as the ancillary infrastructure they rely on, such as aircraft hangars and cargo planes. In addition, we will discuss the use of satellite phones, aircraft engines, cargo ships, and the tracking of air cargo as they move from point A to point B.
Transportation of goods across international borders relies heavily on marine services such as cargo ships and ferries. These vessels carry cargo across great distances of ocean, so linking continents and promoting economic development. Since they are optimized for transporting heavy loads, shipping is the most cost-effective option for non-urgent items. Transporting raw resources like minerals, oil, and gas is another important function of cargo ships. They also play a crucial role in guaranteeing the smooth flow of international trade and the constant supply of commodities in global markets.
While maritime services are the most common mode of long-distance transport, the advantages of air freight are speed and adaptability. Time-sensitive shipments, such as perishable commodities, medications, and high-value products, are well-suited for air freight because of their capacity to carry goods across continents in a matter of hours. Cargo planes guarantee the security and prompt delivery of cargo thanks to their cutting-edge technology and specialized handling systems. Because of the speed with which these planes can travel, air cargo has become an integral part of global supply networks, allowing firms to react rapidly to fluctuations in consumer demand.
Aircraft hangars are a crucial piece of ancillary infrastructure for the safekeeping and upkeep of cargo planes. Aircraft are housed, protected, and maintained in these massive, custom-built shelters. Modern tools and equipment for aircraft maintenance, repair, and inspection can be found in hangars. They can also be used to store equipment and extra parts. Cargo airlines may improve safety and efficiency by maintaining their planes in top condition with the help of dedicated hangars.
Improved Transparency Through Air Cargo Tracking: Stakeholders in the supply chain may now see exactly where their packages are at all times. Advanced technology such as GPS and RFID allow cargo operators to monitor shipments from the time they are loaded onto the aircraft until the time they arrive at their final destination. This degree of transparency allows for exact monitoring, improves security, and facilitates quick decision making. By allowing customers to monitor the progress of their goods, businesses may give their clients greater insight into and peace of mind during transit.
To put it simply, aircraft engines are the lifeblood of the air cargo industry. Fuel is converted into propulsion by these robust machinery, allowing cargo planes to soar into the air. Modern engines are more powerful, more fuel efficient, and produce fewer pollution than ever before. When it comes to timely delivery and reduced environmental effect, air freight services rely heavily on the reliability and performance of aircraft engines.
The Interplay of Sea and Air Transport:
Cargo flights and ships do not compete with one another; rather, they supplement one another. They both have a place in the global supply chain because they meet varying demands. If you have time-sensitive cargo, air cargo is a great supplement to maritime services. On the other hand, shipping goods in bulk via sea is more affordable. Because of how well these different transport systems work together, firms can take advantage of speed and cost efficiency in their supply chain strategies without sacrificing either.
2023.06.05 09:36 xziva_141 Sharing my process and stats on how I released my debut album based on all your advice and prior discussion on this sub
This subreddit helped me so much in navigating my debut album release that I wished to share my experience, my approach, and stats as it might help or at least inspire others who are yet to do this.
*Aaaand it is also here to point out mistakes I wouldn’t repeat myself nor would love anyone else to repeat them!
**This is a very long post, sorry!
To give you a little bit of context - I moved to Melbourne from Croatia in mid-2019 and until then I was a front woman in a successful post-punk band.
Arrived to Melbourne without knowing anyone, then the longest lockdown hit and by 2021 I realised I need to pivot and do something solo because there was no way for me to meet people, form a new band and perform live. So I started learning Ableton and now here I am, just released my debut album which is also my debut as a record producer.
The music I do is very niche and specific; most of the songs are bilingual where I combine traditional Croatian/Slavic folk singing into my choruses or intros with experimental dark wave/EBM/even trip-hop elements. I call it Slavic-pop, Slavic-darkwave, a lot of people compares me with IC3PEAK, Sevaliza, FKA Twigs, Slavic Fever Ray/Knife.
This new solo project is called ŽIVA (as in ‘being alive’) and you can find it on all platforms (socials handle is _xziva).
This also means that literally no one knows about me here in Australia except for my 5 friends and my partner, while in the Balkans I do have a decent following and a good media support.
Last thing to take into the account is that like a lot of us here, everything I do is DIY; this is a one-woman show where I do literally everything from song composition, production and live performance, to styling, social media, marketing etc…And since I learn on the go, I’ve made a lot of mistakes that I can now see clearly in hindsight…So keep that in mind as well!
TIMELINE I’ve used for my releases:
April 10th Early access open for single Bad Blood (if you leave your email and follow on Spotify, you get the single video in your inbox 24 hours before everyone else)
April 21st Single out (with video) + album announcement
April 28th Single launch gig (headline) in Melbourne
May 23rd Debut album out
May 25th Album launch gig (headline) in Melbourne
I also did an experiment and paid an influencer to put one of my songs up in her video + asked her for stats after, but since there is no way of knowing how many people actually came from her profile to mine, I don’t see the value in continuing to invest in this.
📚Conclusion: Works better for generic songs, nothing too experimental, will never do this again, would perhaps re-consider it if I am doing something more mainstream but even then would need more convincing.
STATS
cost: $80USD
content: 3 different songs
Success rate: 12%
📚Conclusion: probably your best bet of all ways of
STATS (April 21st - June 3rd)
cost: $1045AUD
campaign objectives: Melbourne gig attendance (awareness + conversion), Spotify streaming, YouTube streams/subscribers
target audience: digital art, electronic music, darkwave/EBM, Blender (my aesthethic is very much combination of traditional look + digital manipulation, 3D rendering, scans)
RESULTS BREAKDOWN:
Spotify
+200 followers
+12,700 plays
YouTube
+170 subscribes
+6500 plays
Bandcamp
+500 plays
Soundcloud
+550 plays
Important to note is that I did hire them for a single campaign back in 2022 and while it did yield some features and TripleJ reviews...It was too much work for me. I literally had to write texts for different Aussie blogs that have various topics (name your top 5 artists and why etc)...it ended up being quite a lot of work for me as an artists rather than just chilling while someone else does it. It might be that I have the wrong approach but idk...
Still - I think it is waaaay too expensive and at this stage (until proven otherwise) I will rather grind myself and persevere and send loads of emails than pay this insane amount.
📚Conclusion: Not worth the money, my stand atm is that I will invest in my materials, my music, photos, instagram profile, tiktoks, live performances....and then those outlets will eventually will come to me? 💡 Is is wrong to think this?
TikTok - I barely did anything….and this is my biggest problem atm and something I actually plan to tackle now, sort of post-album release, create some videos about the process etc..this is my weak point and everything would probably be even better if I had resolved this and been active.
But regarding Instagram & FB there are two biggest changes in my approach that seem to change my game completely and yield MASSIVE results.
a) I now actually actively engage with my followers, watch their stories, comment, interact….It actually feels good, I do it in a natural way, interact with content I really do resonate with so it’s actually not hard, just needs dedication & time.
b) I decided to just continue being genuine in my posts and if it doesn’t do well (in the numbers game) - who cares, at least it’s really me rather than something I thought will get viral. This really helped alleviate some of the imposter syndrome feelings which are present whenever I post something.
📚Conclusion: These two combined ended up creating an amazing community of almost die hard fans for me, where every single one of them shared the news about my album.
STATS (April 21st - June 3rd)
cost: $0 (a lot of time though - I dedicate min. 30mins every morning just to go through my audience’s stories/posts etc)
Success rate: 100% :) hehe, not sure how to measure this but I am sure that this was one of the main contributors of converting my followers into my passionate music fans.
Instagram
+ 375 new followers (in this moment I have 2,100 followers)
+average 1,800 reach per post
+average 400 views per story
Facebook (keep in mind that I am not very active on FB, so just trying to keep it alive with occasional posts, 2x per week sharing only relevant stuff)
PAID PLAYLISTS: I’ve done just one for the sake of gaining information and doing the math. I paid $15USD to get the following: - placement on two playlists that have 7k listeners combined
- feature/reshare of my single video on an IG profile that has 200k followers
I got around 300 streams from this up until this point (3 weeks).
EDITORIAL PLAYLISTS: No success. I’ve pitched 2 songs (single and then another one I choose from the album) and even included suggestions on what playlists I think I would be a great fit but yeah, zero points here.
📚Conclusion: Knowing your genre is one of the most important thing because it is an information you use to wisely create ads + pitch your music to the right people aka playlisters. I will keep on doing this although its time consuming to go through Spotify and their instagram, but totally worthwhile if you have the right song/genre! Those playlists are your potential fans and they will do it for free!
Thank you for all your help and amazing discussions/advice - it would have been much harder without you! 🖤
submitted by xziva_141 to musicmarketing [link] [comments]
*Aaaand it is also here to point out mistakes I wouldn’t repeat myself nor would love anyone else to repeat them!
**This is a very long post, sorry!
To give you a little bit of context - I moved to Melbourne from Croatia in mid-2019 and until then I was a front woman in a successful post-punk band.
Arrived to Melbourne without knowing anyone, then the longest lockdown hit and by 2021 I realised I need to pivot and do something solo because there was no way for me to meet people, form a new band and perform live. So I started learning Ableton and now here I am, just released my debut album which is also my debut as a record producer.
The music I do is very niche and specific; most of the songs are bilingual where I combine traditional Croatian/Slavic folk singing into my choruses or intros with experimental dark wave/EBM/even trip-hop elements. I call it Slavic-pop, Slavic-darkwave, a lot of people compares me with IC3PEAK, Sevaliza, FKA Twigs, Slavic Fever Ray/Knife.
This new solo project is called ŽIVA (as in ‘being alive’) and you can find it on all platforms (socials handle is _xziva).
This also means that literally no one knows about me here in Australia except for my 5 friends and my partner, while in the Balkans I do have a decent following and a good media support.
Last thing to take into the account is that like a lot of us here, everything I do is DIY; this is a one-woman show where I do literally everything from song composition, production and live performance, to styling, social media, marketing etc…And since I learn on the go, I’ve made a lot of mistakes that I can now see clearly in hindsight…So keep that in mind as well!
TIMELINE I’ve used for my releases:
April 10th Early access open for single Bad Blood (if you leave your email and follow on Spotify, you get the single video in your inbox 24 hours before everyone else)
April 21st Single out (with video) + album announcement
April 28th Single launch gig (headline) in Melbourne
May 23rd Debut album out
May 25th Album launch gig (headline) in Melbourne
- SubmitHub
I also did an experiment and paid an influencer to put one of my songs up in her video + asked her for stats after, but since there is no way of knowing how many people actually came from her profile to mine, I don’t see the value in continuing to invest in this.
📚Conclusion: Works better for generic songs, nothing too experimental, will never do this again, would perhaps re-consider it if I am doing something more mainstream but even then would need more convincing.
STATS
cost: $80USD
content: 3 different songs
Success rate: 12%
- Facebook & IG ads
📚Conclusion: probably your best bet of all ways of
STATS (April 21st - June 3rd)
cost: $1045AUD
campaign objectives: Melbourne gig attendance (awareness + conversion), Spotify streaming, YouTube streams/subscribers
target audience: digital art, electronic music, darkwave/EBM, Blender (my aesthethic is very much combination of traditional look + digital manipulation, 3D rendering, scans)
RESULTS BREAKDOWN:
Spotify
+200 followers
+12,700 plays
YouTube
+170 subscribes
+6500 plays
Bandcamp
+500 plays
Soundcloud
+550 plays
- Publicist
Important to note is that I did hire them for a single campaign back in 2022 and while it did yield some features and TripleJ reviews...It was too much work for me. I literally had to write texts for different Aussie blogs that have various topics (name your top 5 artists and why etc)...it ended up being quite a lot of work for me as an artists rather than just chilling while someone else does it. It might be that I have the wrong approach but idk...
Still - I think it is waaaay too expensive and at this stage (until proven otherwise) I will rather grind myself and persevere and send loads of emails than pay this insane amount.
📚Conclusion: Not worth the money, my stand atm is that I will invest in my materials, my music, photos, instagram profile, tiktoks, live performances....and then those outlets will eventually will come to me? 💡 Is is wrong to think this?
- Socials
TikTok - I barely did anything….and this is my biggest problem atm and something I actually plan to tackle now, sort of post-album release, create some videos about the process etc..this is my weak point and everything would probably be even better if I had resolved this and been active.
But regarding Instagram & FB there are two biggest changes in my approach that seem to change my game completely and yield MASSIVE results.
a) I now actually actively engage with my followers, watch their stories, comment, interact….It actually feels good, I do it in a natural way, interact with content I really do resonate with so it’s actually not hard, just needs dedication & time.
b) I decided to just continue being genuine in my posts and if it doesn’t do well (in the numbers game) - who cares, at least it’s really me rather than something I thought will get viral. This really helped alleviate some of the imposter syndrome feelings which are present whenever I post something.
📚Conclusion: These two combined ended up creating an amazing community of almost die hard fans for me, where every single one of them shared the news about my album.
STATS (April 21st - June 3rd)
cost: $0 (a lot of time though - I dedicate min. 30mins every morning just to go through my audience’s stories/posts etc)
Success rate: 100% :) hehe, not sure how to measure this but I am sure that this was one of the main contributors of converting my followers into my passionate music fans.
+ 375 new followers (in this moment I have 2,100 followers)
+average 1,800 reach per post
+average 400 views per story
Facebook (keep in mind that I am not very active on FB, so just trying to keep it alive with occasional posts, 2x per week sharing only relevant stuff)
- Spotify Playlisting
PAID PLAYLISTS: I’ve done just one for the sake of gaining information and doing the math. I paid $15USD to get the following: - placement on two playlists that have 7k listeners combined
- feature/reshare of my single video on an IG profile that has 200k followers
I got around 300 streams from this up until this point (3 weeks).
EDITORIAL PLAYLISTS: No success. I’ve pitched 2 songs (single and then another one I choose from the album) and even included suggestions on what playlists I think I would be a great fit but yeah, zero points here.
📚Conclusion: Knowing your genre is one of the most important thing because it is an information you use to wisely create ads + pitch your music to the right people aka playlisters. I will keep on doing this although its time consuming to go through Spotify and their instagram, but totally worthwhile if you have the right song/genre! Those playlists are your potential fans and they will do it for free!
Thank you for all your help and amazing discussions/advice - it would have been much harder without you! 🖤
2023.06.05 09:21 Thaneweb123 Should you buy a used Kia Sonet?
In the highly competitive used car market, Kia's Sonet compact SUV stands out as a smooth and stylish option worth considering. Since its launch in 2020, the Sonet has gained popularity due to its refined engine options and feature-packed design. If you're in the market for a used Kia Sonet, this comprehensive guide will provide valuable insights and tips to help you make an informed purchase. From understanding the engine and gearbox options to checking for common issues, we'll cover all the essential aspects to help you buy a good example of a used Kia Sonet.
When it comes to fuel efficiency, the Sonet diesel manual delivers approximately 15.4kpl in the city and 20.8kpl on the highway. The diesel-automatic achieves around 13.8kpl in the city and 18.8kpl on the highway. The turbo-petrol DCT offers approximately 11.6kpl in the city and 16.5kpl on the highway, while the iMT variant returns around 11.2kpl in the city and 15.8kpl on the highway.
Consider your driving requirements and preferences when choosing between the available engine and gearbox options. The diesel-automatic combination offers a balanced performance and fuel efficiency, while the petrol variants are suitable for those with lower mileage requirements. The turbo-petrol variant provides a peppy driving experience and the convenience of an automatic gearbox.
Noteworthy features in the HTX+ variant include a sunroof, leatherette upholstery, ambient lighting, ventilated front seats, cruise control, an air purifier, a Bose audio system, a 10.25-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 'UVO' connected car tech, and a rear camera. The top-spec GTX+ trim offers six airbags, ESC, front parking sensors, an all-black cabin, and a wireless phone charger. Dual airbags, ABS, and rear parking sensors are standard across all variants.
The Kia Sonet has demonstrated reliability, and in a resale study conducted with OLX, it showcased minimal depreciation compared to other models in the segment. Kia's extensive service network and readily available spare parts further contribute to a positive ownership experience. Additionally, depending on the model year, a warranty is provided for added peace of mind.
1.DCT Gearbox Some owners have reported issues with the DCT gearbox overheating during stop-go traffic. Ensure a smooth start and shifting during a test drive.
2.Suspension Wear Check for signs of worn-out suspension bushes by driving over rough patches and listening for excessive crashing or noises.
3.Infotainment Issues Although uncommon, there have been cases of the Sonet's infotainment system malfunctioning. Test the touchscreen, connectivity with your phone, and the functioning of the reverse camera.
4.Rear Seat Space Keep in mind that the Sonet may not offer ample space for adults in the rear seats. Consider this factor if accommodating passengers is a priority.
5.Fuel Efficiency The turbo-petrol DCT version may have higher fuel consumption in urban conditions. If low running costs are important to you, consider the other available engine options
submitted by Thaneweb123 to u/Thaneweb123 [link] [comments]
1. Kia Sonet:Engine and Gearbox Options
The Kia Sonet offers both petrol and diesel powertrain options. The petrol variants include a 1.2-liter naturally aspirated engine with 83hp, paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox, and a 1.0-liter turbo-petrol engine with 120hp, available with either a 6-speed iMT (clutch-less manual) or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The diesel variant features a 1.5-liter engine producing 100hp with a 6-speed manual gearbox or 115hp with a 6-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox.When it comes to fuel efficiency, the Sonet diesel manual delivers approximately 15.4kpl in the city and 20.8kpl on the highway. The diesel-automatic achieves around 13.8kpl in the city and 18.8kpl on the highway. The turbo-petrol DCT offers approximately 11.6kpl in the city and 16.5kpl on the highway, while the iMT variant returns around 11.2kpl in the city and 15.8kpl on the highway.
Consider your driving requirements and preferences when choosing between the available engine and gearbox options. The diesel-automatic combination offers a balanced performance and fuel efficiency, while the petrol variants are suitable for those with lower mileage requirements. The turbo-petrol variant provides a peppy driving experience and the convenience of an automatic gearbox.
2.Kia Sonet:Variants, Features, and Warranty
The Kia Sonet was initially launched in five trim levels - HTE, HTK, HTK+, HTX, and HTX+. The sportier GT Line version is available in the fully loaded GTX+ trim, featuring distinctive red accents and additional equipment. Kia has periodically updated the Sonet, introducing more features and its new badge in 2021. In 2022, a new range-topping X-Line variant was also introduced.Noteworthy features in the HTX+ variant include a sunroof, leatherette upholstery, ambient lighting, ventilated front seats, cruise control, an air purifier, a Bose audio system, a 10.25-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 'UVO' connected car tech, and a rear camera. The top-spec GTX+ trim offers six airbags, ESC, front parking sensors, an all-black cabin, and a wireless phone charger. Dual airbags, ABS, and rear parking sensors are standard across all variants.
The Kia Sonet has demonstrated reliability, and in a resale study conducted with OLX, it showcased minimal depreciation compared to other models in the segment. Kia's extensive service network and readily available spare parts further contribute to a positive ownership experience. Additionally, depending on the model year, a warranty is provided for added peace of mind.
3.What to Look Out for in a Second-Hand Kia Sonet
Before finalizing the purchase of a used Kia Sonet, there are a few crucial aspects to consider1.DCT Gearbox Some owners have reported issues with the DCT gearbox overheating during stop-go traffic. Ensure a smooth start and shifting during a test drive.
2.Suspension Wear Check for signs of worn-out suspension bushes by driving over rough patches and listening for excessive crashing or noises.
3.Infotainment Issues Although uncommon, there have been cases of the Sonet's infotainment system malfunctioning. Test the touchscreen, connectivity with your phone, and the functioning of the reverse camera.
4.Rear Seat Space Keep in mind that the Sonet may not offer ample space for adults in the rear seats. Consider this factor if accommodating passengers is a priority.
5.Fuel Efficiency The turbo-petrol DCT version may have higher fuel consumption in urban conditions. If low running costs are important to you, consider the other available engine options
4.Second-Hand Kia Sonet Price and Resale Value
In the used car market, there is a wide range of Kia Sonet models available at various price points. However, it is advisable to spend between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 11 lakh for a used Sonet. Paying more than this range might not be cost-effective compared to purchasing a brand new model. Negotiating the price is also a viable option to bring it down to a reasonable level.Conclusion
The Kia Sonet is a compelling option in the used car market, offering a stylish design and refined engine options. By considering factors such as engine and gearbox choices, variant features, potential issues, and resale value, you can make an informed decision when purchasing a used Kia Sonet. Remember to test drive the vehicle, inspect it thoroughly, and evaluate the price to ensure you buy a good example that meets your requirements. With careful research and consideration, you can enjoy the benefits of owning a reliable and stylish compact SUV like the Kia Sonet.2023.06.05 07:56 Compiled-Python-6184 WISDOM TEETH - ULTIMATE SURVIVAL GUIDE
# INTRODUCTION 🏡
Hi everybody. Like you, I was very very anxious about the idea of removing my wisdom teeth. I did a lot — and I mean a lot — of research beforehand and during my entire journey. I am now 9 days post OP, and thought it would be a great idea to compile all my notes 📝
# CHOOSING YOUR NUMB 💉
As you might know, wisdom teeth extraction involves slicing your gums open in order to extract the wisdom tooth, buried below the gums. Sometimes, if your wisdom tooth is emerged, surgeons will be able to just pull it out without having to do any incisions. Nevertheless, you still need some type of numbing to block the pain, usually called **anesthesia**
There are two types of anesthesia you may choose from for this procedure:
- **General Anesthesia** is the most common form of numbing anesthetic used to prevent patients from feeling pain. In this form of anesthesia, you will be injected in the arm (vein) and will be knocked out cold temporarily. The dosage depends on how hard your wisdom teeth are to take out. Some will need to be asleep for 30 mins while others an hour. Surgeons will monitor your heart rate, oxygen, and pulse using an external machine.
- **Local Anesthesia** is the other form of numbing anesthetic used. Though less common than General, local is also a good option and is what I used personally. During local anesthesia, you are completely awake. Surgeons will inject anesthetics directly into your gums, and you will feel the sting almost identical to the flu shot but on your gums. Sometimes, surgeons will pre-numb your mouth using a numbing cream or numbing spray. Because you are awake during the procedure, you will feel *pressure* during the wisdom teeth extraction ie you will feel the dentist pulling your wisdom tooth out. There will be no pain besides the initial injection/sting of the anesthesia
*a quick note on brain~stuff 🧠* sometimes, surgeons can provide laughing-gas (Nitrous Oxide) which can make you feel a bit *happier* and less stressed about your current situation. Likewise, waking up from general anesthetia provides a similar dazzy effect. A FAQ is “will x make me admit my secrets?” Yes and no. It depends on who you are and how you react to the side effects. Some people will spill secrets and some will just laugh and have no idea what is going on. It’s important to note that surgeons understand this, and feel free to have your significant other sit in another room and explain why.
# BEFORE THE PROCEDURE ⏰
Fast for 8 hours before the surgery. No liquids or foods 8 hours especially if you are using general anesthetic for the procedure. Even if you are not using general anesthesia, it’s a good idea to fast so that you don’t accidentally gag and the food comes up… ew!
If you are using general anesthesia, it is required you have a friend or family member stay with you and be able to drive you home. Even if you are using local anesthesia, you should still prepare a ride just in case the pain becomes unbearable afterwards.
*A quick note on pineapples 🍍* a lot of people on Tik tok suggest drinking loads of pineapple juice to help with healing after the surgery because of a naturally occurring chemical known as bromelain in pineapples that helps inflammation. There hasn’t been enough research into this, but I say it doesn’t hurt to try. There’s no pain in drinking a glass of pineapple juice 8 hours the surgery (unless you wanna cut on sugars)
# AFTERCARE 🦷
You finished surgery. Great! Now comes the greatest challenge, avoiding dry socket and healing completely
## WHAT IS DRY SOCKET 🌵
After you get your wisdom teeth removed, there will be a hole where they once were. This hole will bleed for the first 5-8 hours and is normal to ooze blood. Eventually, a **blood clot** will grow over this hole and stops bleeding. **YOUR GOAL IS TO KEEP THIS INTACT IN ALL COSTS**. If the blood clot is dislodged you will get a painful condition known as dry socket. This is when the blood clot was dislodged (removed) and now the hole is wide open with the nerves exposed. It is a risk from day 3 - day 10, with high risk being from day 3-5
## HOW DO I KNOW I HAVE DRY SOCKET 😨
Dry socket is hard to spot, so it is mainly diagnosed with symptoms. The most obvious sign is if you see a blood clot outside your mouth. As in you’re brushing teeth and suddenly a massive blood clot (looks like strawberry jam) falls off into the sink. If you happen to swallow this clot unknowingly, here’s other symptoms: extreme, throbbing pain all throughout the jaw and even extending to the temples, more bleeding even past day 1
# HOW TO AVOID DRY SOCKET 🧘♀️
**NO SUCTION** No spitting, sucking, straws, kissing, blowing nose, vacuuming chip crumbs with your mouth literally whatever causes suction for the first **TWO WEEKS**
Why? Suction can pull the blood clot from the hole. Simple.
Other tips: don’t work out or do anything to raise blood pressure for first two weeks. This can affect blood formation and slow healing. Also, when gargling don’t swirl the liquid (it might catch the clot) instead, tilt your head and open mouth simply when ready to discard water.
# EXTRACTION SITE CARE 🩹
For the first hour - 2 hours, bite on the gauze to stop bleeding. You can also use a teabag (non emptied), the tea leaves have medicinal anti bleeding properties. Do not brush or rinse mouth for first 24-48 hours. Don’t wanna mess with extraction site. Apply ice on your cheeks to reduce face puffiness.
Follow medication instructions. Use the chlorohexidine mixture if provided according to instructions. Set alarms for your antibiotics if given.
Sleep a lot. The more you sleep, the more your body has time to repair repair repair!
After 2-3 days, resume light brushing and flossing. Keep doing salt water or chlorohexidine rinses as instructed. Keep taking antibiotics. Use a curved syringe to flush extraction site and get rid of food particles.
# WHAT TO EAT 🍦
The ultimate goal is to let the extraction site heal. Avoid spicy foods (capsaicin can irritate gums), grains, crunchy food, chewy foods, or anything that can easily get stuck in the sockets or cause you discomfort and chewing. Avoid extremely hot things. I recommend:
- ice cream
- smoothies (NO STAW)
- bananas
- pancakes
- overcooked (soft) pasta
- **WARM NOT HOT** soups
- yogurt
- milkshakes (NO STRAW)
After the week one mark, you can pick up whatever you feel comfortable doing that at that point JUST NO STRAW/SUCTION UNTIL WEEK 2.
On that note, drink everything normally as if in a regular cup. Avoid straws.
# I GOT DRY SOCKET. WHAT NOW
Call your surgeon immediately. They will fill the holes with medicine. And follow the how to avoid dry socket steps.
# AFTER WEEK 1
You made it through the hardest part! Now, you’ve likely finished your antibiotics and no longer need to do chlorohexidine rinses. Still rinse your mouth after meals with salt water or use the syringe to flush your food. You can try going back to regular diet but no suction still. The risk of dry socket is basically close to 0 at this point, but be safe by avoiding straws until after week 2
# AFTER WEEK 2
Straws are welcome back! So is working out and basically having everything you used to have. Irrigate and flush the holes or rinse until the hole is completely closed which can take about three weeks to a 2 month depending on how fast your body heals. But at week 2 is when you’re pretty much safe from dry socket
# APPENDIX
## Irrigation
Sometimes, patients are given a curved syringe that they can fill with salt water. Aim directly at the hole and flush. You should see food particles coming out. You do not need to flush the top holes as gravity naturally lets the food fall.
## STITCHES/SUTURES
Sometimes, surgeons stitch the holes closed for better healing. If that’s the case then you don’t need to worry about irrigation. The stitches will usually dissolve or fall out by day 7. If not, call your oral surgeon and ask if they can remove it.
### My stitches fell out on accident too early
No worries! Just treat the site as if you never got stitches. So flush the site and take extra care avoiding straws and suction
Keep taking care of the site by gargling and flushing it until the holes have fully closed (3 weeks - 2 months) et voila!
# GRANULATION TISSUE
Do you see a pale white substance attached to tissue on your site? That’s a good sign and leave it alone that is granulation tissue or recovery tissue. After about three weeks the granulation tissue will become pink and eventually become one with your gums. If you see granulation tissue on neighboring teeth or not the extraction site do not panick. Just leave it alone as it will eventually fade into your gums anyways
# CONGRATS 🎉
You did it :)
submitted by Compiled-Python-6184 to wisdomteeth [link] [comments]
Hi everybody. Like you, I was very very anxious about the idea of removing my wisdom teeth. I did a lot — and I mean a lot — of research beforehand and during my entire journey. I am now 9 days post OP, and thought it would be a great idea to compile all my notes 📝
# CHOOSING YOUR NUMB 💉
As you might know, wisdom teeth extraction involves slicing your gums open in order to extract the wisdom tooth, buried below the gums. Sometimes, if your wisdom tooth is emerged, surgeons will be able to just pull it out without having to do any incisions. Nevertheless, you still need some type of numbing to block the pain, usually called **anesthesia**
There are two types of anesthesia you may choose from for this procedure:
- **General Anesthesia** is the most common form of numbing anesthetic used to prevent patients from feeling pain. In this form of anesthesia, you will be injected in the arm (vein) and will be knocked out cold temporarily. The dosage depends on how hard your wisdom teeth are to take out. Some will need to be asleep for 30 mins while others an hour. Surgeons will monitor your heart rate, oxygen, and pulse using an external machine.
- **Local Anesthesia** is the other form of numbing anesthetic used. Though less common than General, local is also a good option and is what I used personally. During local anesthesia, you are completely awake. Surgeons will inject anesthetics directly into your gums, and you will feel the sting almost identical to the flu shot but on your gums. Sometimes, surgeons will pre-numb your mouth using a numbing cream or numbing spray. Because you are awake during the procedure, you will feel *pressure* during the wisdom teeth extraction ie you will feel the dentist pulling your wisdom tooth out. There will be no pain besides the initial injection/sting of the anesthesia
*a quick note on brain~stuff 🧠* sometimes, surgeons can provide laughing-gas (Nitrous Oxide) which can make you feel a bit *happier* and less stressed about your current situation. Likewise, waking up from general anesthetia provides a similar dazzy effect. A FAQ is “will x make me admit my secrets?” Yes and no. It depends on who you are and how you react to the side effects. Some people will spill secrets and some will just laugh and have no idea what is going on. It’s important to note that surgeons understand this, and feel free to have your significant other sit in another room and explain why.
# BEFORE THE PROCEDURE ⏰
Fast for 8 hours before the surgery. No liquids or foods 8 hours especially if you are using general anesthetic for the procedure. Even if you are not using general anesthesia, it’s a good idea to fast so that you don’t accidentally gag and the food comes up… ew!
If you are using general anesthesia, it is required you have a friend or family member stay with you and be able to drive you home. Even if you are using local anesthesia, you should still prepare a ride just in case the pain becomes unbearable afterwards.
*A quick note on pineapples 🍍* a lot of people on Tik tok suggest drinking loads of pineapple juice to help with healing after the surgery because of a naturally occurring chemical known as bromelain in pineapples that helps inflammation. There hasn’t been enough research into this, but I say it doesn’t hurt to try. There’s no pain in drinking a glass of pineapple juice 8 hours the surgery (unless you wanna cut on sugars)
# AFTERCARE 🦷
You finished surgery. Great! Now comes the greatest challenge, avoiding dry socket and healing completely
## WHAT IS DRY SOCKET 🌵
After you get your wisdom teeth removed, there will be a hole where they once were. This hole will bleed for the first 5-8 hours and is normal to ooze blood. Eventually, a **blood clot** will grow over this hole and stops bleeding. **YOUR GOAL IS TO KEEP THIS INTACT IN ALL COSTS**. If the blood clot is dislodged you will get a painful condition known as dry socket. This is when the blood clot was dislodged (removed) and now the hole is wide open with the nerves exposed. It is a risk from day 3 - day 10, with high risk being from day 3-5
## HOW DO I KNOW I HAVE DRY SOCKET 😨
Dry socket is hard to spot, so it is mainly diagnosed with symptoms. The most obvious sign is if you see a blood clot outside your mouth. As in you’re brushing teeth and suddenly a massive blood clot (looks like strawberry jam) falls off into the sink. If you happen to swallow this clot unknowingly, here’s other symptoms: extreme, throbbing pain all throughout the jaw and even extending to the temples, more bleeding even past day 1
# HOW TO AVOID DRY SOCKET 🧘♀️
**NO SUCTION** No spitting, sucking, straws, kissing, blowing nose, vacuuming chip crumbs with your mouth literally whatever causes suction for the first **TWO WEEKS**
Why? Suction can pull the blood clot from the hole. Simple.
Other tips: don’t work out or do anything to raise blood pressure for first two weeks. This can affect blood formation and slow healing. Also, when gargling don’t swirl the liquid (it might catch the clot) instead, tilt your head and open mouth simply when ready to discard water.
# EXTRACTION SITE CARE 🩹
For the first hour - 2 hours, bite on the gauze to stop bleeding. You can also use a teabag (non emptied), the tea leaves have medicinal anti bleeding properties. Do not brush or rinse mouth for first 24-48 hours. Don’t wanna mess with extraction site. Apply ice on your cheeks to reduce face puffiness.
Follow medication instructions. Use the chlorohexidine mixture if provided according to instructions. Set alarms for your antibiotics if given.
Sleep a lot. The more you sleep, the more your body has time to repair repair repair!
After 2-3 days, resume light brushing and flossing. Keep doing salt water or chlorohexidine rinses as instructed. Keep taking antibiotics. Use a curved syringe to flush extraction site and get rid of food particles.
# WHAT TO EAT 🍦
The ultimate goal is to let the extraction site heal. Avoid spicy foods (capsaicin can irritate gums), grains, crunchy food, chewy foods, or anything that can easily get stuck in the sockets or cause you discomfort and chewing. Avoid extremely hot things. I recommend:
- ice cream
- smoothies (NO STAW)
- bananas
- pancakes
- overcooked (soft) pasta
- **WARM NOT HOT** soups
- yogurt
- milkshakes (NO STRAW)
After the week one mark, you can pick up whatever you feel comfortable doing that at that point JUST NO STRAW/SUCTION UNTIL WEEK 2.
On that note, drink everything normally as if in a regular cup. Avoid straws.
# I GOT DRY SOCKET. WHAT NOW
Call your surgeon immediately. They will fill the holes with medicine. And follow the how to avoid dry socket steps.
# AFTER WEEK 1
You made it through the hardest part! Now, you’ve likely finished your antibiotics and no longer need to do chlorohexidine rinses. Still rinse your mouth after meals with salt water or use the syringe to flush your food. You can try going back to regular diet but no suction still. The risk of dry socket is basically close to 0 at this point, but be safe by avoiding straws until after week 2
# AFTER WEEK 2
Straws are welcome back! So is working out and basically having everything you used to have. Irrigate and flush the holes or rinse until the hole is completely closed which can take about three weeks to a 2 month depending on how fast your body heals. But at week 2 is when you’re pretty much safe from dry socket
# APPENDIX
## Irrigation
Sometimes, patients are given a curved syringe that they can fill with salt water. Aim directly at the hole and flush. You should see food particles coming out. You do not need to flush the top holes as gravity naturally lets the food fall.
## STITCHES/SUTURES
Sometimes, surgeons stitch the holes closed for better healing. If that’s the case then you don’t need to worry about irrigation. The stitches will usually dissolve or fall out by day 7. If not, call your oral surgeon and ask if they can remove it.
### My stitches fell out on accident too early
No worries! Just treat the site as if you never got stitches. So flush the site and take extra care avoiding straws and suction
Keep taking care of the site by gargling and flushing it until the holes have fully closed (3 weeks - 2 months) et voila!
# GRANULATION TISSUE
Do you see a pale white substance attached to tissue on your site? That’s a good sign and leave it alone that is granulation tissue or recovery tissue. After about three weeks the granulation tissue will become pink and eventually become one with your gums. If you see granulation tissue on neighboring teeth or not the extraction site do not panick. Just leave it alone as it will eventually fade into your gums anyways
# CONGRATS 🎉
You did it :)
2023.06.05 07:55 Environmental-Ice926 AS 9702 physics dbt
2023.06.05 07:02 prestige_park_grove1 Prestige Park Grove – New Apartments in Bangalore
The Prestige Park Grove Municipality particulars include detailed information about value designs and fittings. The house has an RCC structure, a vitrified deck, wooden fundamental entryways, as well as reasonable electrical and plumbing fittings. Approximately 72 sections of land cover the site, which also has 3600 lofts and 82 manors. These flats are divided into 1, 2, 3, and 4-bedroom units, with prices ranging between INR 50 lakh to INR 3.5 crore.
An image of luxury and comfort can be seen in this venture. Because of tireless plans and drafts. There is enough light and adequate ventilation in the homes. Depending on the size, there are options between 600 and 1800 square ft. in the region. Great energy and atmosphere are guaranteed by Vaastu's ideas.
There are wide interior streets as well as walking trails within Prestige Park Grove, which makes it an ideal place for walking. The plan includes some stops and gardens that are essential components of the overall design. An open region is covered with lavish territories and quads that are arranged beautifully. It is expected to send off in June 2023 after receiving the endorsement of the RERA Board. Several top schools and emergency clinics are expected to benefit from the undertaking.
There are a lot of offices in the great clubhouse for events and entertainment. We have an extensive dinner corridor that is perfect for family gatherings and other events. When the week comes to an end, party porches make for great homes for the weekend. In the canteen, take a seat and let yourself relax. In the bistro, you can relax and have a good time.
Although the wonderland zone is designed for young children, security and tomfoolery remain closely related. This play area is loaded with a wide range of exciting play sets and gaming devices that will provide you with hours of fun.
Nature is a wonderful place to recuperate your soul and psyche. The open spaces in this themed area are arranged with a lot of trees arranged around them. These outside limits are characterized by flourishing nurseries, unpaved streets without vehicles, and water attractions that are an imperative part of what they offer.
A prominent development in Whitefield, Prestige Park Grove is a pre-launch complex that is amongst the best in its class. 80 sections of land are covered by the task. This format consists of deluxe Apartments with 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms in a convenient location. Furthermore, there are manors with 3 and 4 rooms that are available for upscale living. There is no doubt that this Renowned discharge is essential for an extraordinary life. In this undertaking, solace and extravagance are addressed.
Due to the careful outlines and plans that were drawn up. The homes are large and sufficiently bright. These apartments range in size from 600 to 1800 square feet. Vibrations and atmosphere are ensured by Vaastu's thoughts. The inner streets of Prestige Park Grove are wide, and there are many common paths throughout the community. It is important to note that the plan includes stops and gardens as key elements. Rich landscapes and quads have been planned for the wide areas. The RERA Board is still unable to endorse the proposal.
submitted by prestige_park_grove1 to u/prestige_park_grove1 [link] [comments]
An image of luxury and comfort can be seen in this venture. Because of tireless plans and drafts. There is enough light and adequate ventilation in the homes. Depending on the size, there are options between 600 and 1800 square ft. in the region. Great energy and atmosphere are guaranteed by Vaastu's ideas.
There are wide interior streets as well as walking trails within Prestige Park Grove, which makes it an ideal place for walking. The plan includes some stops and gardens that are essential components of the overall design. An open region is covered with lavish territories and quads that are arranged beautifully. It is expected to send off in June 2023 after receiving the endorsement of the RERA Board. Several top schools and emergency clinics are expected to benefit from the undertaking.
There are a lot of offices in the great clubhouse for events and entertainment. We have an extensive dinner corridor that is perfect for family gatherings and other events. When the week comes to an end, party porches make for great homes for the weekend. In the canteen, take a seat and let yourself relax. In the bistro, you can relax and have a good time.
Although the wonderland zone is designed for young children, security and tomfoolery remain closely related. This play area is loaded with a wide range of exciting play sets and gaming devices that will provide you with hours of fun.
Nature is a wonderful place to recuperate your soul and psyche. The open spaces in this themed area are arranged with a lot of trees arranged around them. These outside limits are characterized by flourishing nurseries, unpaved streets without vehicles, and water attractions that are an imperative part of what they offer.
A prominent development in Whitefield, Prestige Park Grove is a pre-launch complex that is amongst the best in its class. 80 sections of land are covered by the task. This format consists of deluxe Apartments with 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms in a convenient location. Furthermore, there are manors with 3 and 4 rooms that are available for upscale living. There is no doubt that this Renowned discharge is essential for an extraordinary life. In this undertaking, solace and extravagance are addressed.
Due to the careful outlines and plans that were drawn up. The homes are large and sufficiently bright. These apartments range in size from 600 to 1800 square feet. Vibrations and atmosphere are ensured by Vaastu's thoughts. The inner streets of Prestige Park Grove are wide, and there are many common paths throughout the community. It is important to note that the plan includes stops and gardens as key elements. Rich landscapes and quads have been planned for the wide areas. The RERA Board is still unable to endorse the proposal.
2023.06.05 06:47 Any_Contribution1354 What on earth is a control load factor never heard of it Response2000
 | Hi guys I'm doing a parametric study on the flexural behavior of beams reinforced with HSS. I designed a beam on Response2000. I want to discuss how increasing the compressive strength of concrete alongside increasing the yield strength of steel allows the beam to experience higher service loads the software give me Mu which is=T*Z. The ultimate moment capacity of the beam is not a true representation of a beam experience higher service loads. So can someone please help me out what on earth does a load factor mean and does it relate to service loading. submitted by Any_Contribution1354 to StructuralEngineering [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/k8yhuns9q44b1.png?width=2547&format=png&auto=webp&s=54ea484da1b197a9d25a6ca46683469c4f4e78d5 |
2023.06.05 06:47 JournalistKind9552 [NY] Question about emergency custody
My 7 month old was dropped on his head while in his Fathers care. I was not notified until an hour later when he was dropped off to me.
We do not currently have a custody agreement so I’m thinking of going the route of emergency custody for the following reasons. I’ve heard multiple different versions of events. I was told he was dropped, he fell off the bed, and he rolled off the sofa. The last story I heard was that he was having his diaper changed and he fell off the bed.
When our son was dropped off his Grandma was present and I asked her and Dad to please leave so I can take our son to get medical attention. (He had a large bump on the top of his head). They refused to leave as I frantically attempted to load our son in the car. They were both yelling at me telling me they didn’t tell me what happened because they knew I’d “behave” in the way I was “behaving in.” They eventually left after I threatened to call the police.
I was also told (in a voicemail) that they weren’t going to tell me what happened to our son because they knew he was fine.
He was evaluated and thankfully has been doing well. I’m following up with his pediatrician tomorrow and was thinking about asking her for a letter to stop visitation with his Dad until it’s court ordered. (Our son has lived with me since he was born). I just don’t know if asking for the letter is overstepping some boundary.
I’m genuinely concerned for his safety because I am constantly telling him and his family how to care for our son. It was like pulling teeth just getting a pack and play for our son to sleep in while he’s with them. I ultimately ended up getting one for them so that our son would stop sleeping in his stroller.
I specifically asked his Grandma not to let him sleep on the bed (I think he was sleeping on the bed and rolled off and hit his head, the bed is high off of the ground). And she told me twice it was fine and that she’d put pillows next to him. And I think that’s the reason for the conflicting stories. They don’t want me to know that he was asleep on the bed.
I’m wondering what to expect if I file for emergency custody. We have a history of DV but I never pressed charges because I was afraid. I can’t afford a lawyer and neither can our sons Dad but I’m concerned his Mom will try to get one for him. (Side note: He’s a convicted felon of a violent crime who’s currently on parole, he is also employed part time and doesn’t have a stable place to live).
submitted by JournalistKind9552 to Custody [link] [comments]
We do not currently have a custody agreement so I’m thinking of going the route of emergency custody for the following reasons. I’ve heard multiple different versions of events. I was told he was dropped, he fell off the bed, and he rolled off the sofa. The last story I heard was that he was having his diaper changed and he fell off the bed.
When our son was dropped off his Grandma was present and I asked her and Dad to please leave so I can take our son to get medical attention. (He had a large bump on the top of his head). They refused to leave as I frantically attempted to load our son in the car. They were both yelling at me telling me they didn’t tell me what happened because they knew I’d “behave” in the way I was “behaving in.” They eventually left after I threatened to call the police.
I was also told (in a voicemail) that they weren’t going to tell me what happened to our son because they knew he was fine.
He was evaluated and thankfully has been doing well. I’m following up with his pediatrician tomorrow and was thinking about asking her for a letter to stop visitation with his Dad until it’s court ordered. (Our son has lived with me since he was born). I just don’t know if asking for the letter is overstepping some boundary.
I’m genuinely concerned for his safety because I am constantly telling him and his family how to care for our son. It was like pulling teeth just getting a pack and play for our son to sleep in while he’s with them. I ultimately ended up getting one for them so that our son would stop sleeping in his stroller.
I specifically asked his Grandma not to let him sleep on the bed (I think he was sleeping on the bed and rolled off and hit his head, the bed is high off of the ground). And she told me twice it was fine and that she’d put pillows next to him. And I think that’s the reason for the conflicting stories. They don’t want me to know that he was asleep on the bed.
I’m wondering what to expect if I file for emergency custody. We have a history of DV but I never pressed charges because I was afraid. I can’t afford a lawyer and neither can our sons Dad but I’m concerned his Mom will try to get one for him. (Side note: He’s a convicted felon of a violent crime who’s currently on parole, he is also employed part time and doesn’t have a stable place to live).
2023.06.05 05:56 boutnaru The Linux Process Journey - “kauditd”
“kauditd” is a kernel thread which is started using the “kthread_run” function (https://elixir.bootlin.com/linux/v6.4-rc4/source/kernel/audit.c#L1700). The kernel thread is calling the “kauditd_thread” function, this function is responsible for sending audit logs to userspace (https://elixir.bootlin.com/linux/v6.4-rc4/source/kernel/audit.c#L828).
Overall, the kernel mechanism in the Linux kernel has a couple of goals: integrate fully with LSMs (https://medium.com/@boutnaru/linux-security-lsm-linux-security-modules-907bbcf8c8b4), minimal run-time overhead when performing auditing, ability to disable system call auditing at boot time, allow to be used by other parts of the kernel for auditing, netlink interface to userspace and support for filtering to minimize the information sent to user-mode (https://elixir.bootlin.com/linux/v6.4-rc4/source/kernel/audit.c#L11).
Thus, we can say “kauditd” is the kernel component of the “Linux Auditing System” which handles the audit events - as shown in the diagram below. In order to configure which set of rules are going to be loaded in the kernel audit system we can use the “/etc/audit/audit.rules” file. This file can hold configuration in one of three categories: control (configuring the audit system), file system rules monitoring rules and system call monitoring rules (https://manpages.debian.org/unstable/auditd/audit.rules.7.en.html).
Lastly, by using the “Linux Auditing System” the system administrator can investigate what happens in the system for the purpose of debugging or in case of a security incident. We can also use the “auditctl” utility get/add/delete rules as part of Linux's kernel audit system (https://linux.die.net/man/8/auditctl). Also, there are great examples for “audit.rules” in GitHub (one example is https://github.com/Neo23x0/auditd/blob/masteaudit.rules).
https://link.springer.com/chapte10.1007/978-3-031-17143-7_30
submitted by boutnaru to linux [link] [comments]
Overall, the kernel mechanism in the Linux kernel has a couple of goals: integrate fully with LSMs (https://medium.com/@boutnaru/linux-security-lsm-linux-security-modules-907bbcf8c8b4), minimal run-time overhead when performing auditing, ability to disable system call auditing at boot time, allow to be used by other parts of the kernel for auditing, netlink interface to userspace and support for filtering to minimize the information sent to user-mode (https://elixir.bootlin.com/linux/v6.4-rc4/source/kernel/audit.c#L11).
Thus, we can say “kauditd” is the kernel component of the “Linux Auditing System” which handles the audit events - as shown in the diagram below. In order to configure which set of rules are going to be loaded in the kernel audit system we can use the “/etc/audit/audit.rules” file. This file can hold configuration in one of three categories: control (configuring the audit system), file system rules monitoring rules and system call monitoring rules (https://manpages.debian.org/unstable/auditd/audit.rules.7.en.html).
Lastly, by using the “Linux Auditing System” the system administrator can investigate what happens in the system for the purpose of debugging or in case of a security incident. We can also use the “auditctl” utility get/add/delete rules as part of Linux's kernel audit system (https://linux.die.net/man/8/auditctl). Also, there are great examples for “audit.rules” in GitHub (one example is https://github.com/Neo23x0/auditd/blob/masteaudit.rules).
https://link.springer.com/chapte10.1007/978-3-031-17143-7_30
2023.06.05 05:47 EzekialX Vulturebeard: Bad Roomies Part 3
Part 1: https://www.reddit.com/ReddXReads/comments/13lfqkw/vulturebeard_the_legbeard_that_ruined_roomies_fo Part 2: https://www.reddit.com/ReddXReads/comments/13u79ht/vulturebeard_bad_roomies_part_2/
Hi again, it’s the bunny. I’ve just barely stepped into Reddx’s discord, but Ezekial is still posting this saga for me so thank you, Z.
Trigger warning: This will deal with a lot of aspects relating to child neglect (and possible abuse) and Kid being ignored or taking the brunt of Vulture’s anger. Sorry for the spoiler as well, but I think we saw this coming, too (especially if you’ve seen Z talk in the discord). Don’t push yourself to read if you’re not okay with these concepts.
The Cast List
Bunny (author): 33, female. Recovering lifelong doormat slowly building a spine. Neuro spicy gym rat with major depressive disorder, general anxiety disorder, and most recently diagnosed with ADHD. Unfortunately, very familiar with surviving trauma.
Z (poster): My partner. 31, nonbinary (they/them), also neuro spicy with depression, anxiety, OCD, BPD, autism, and also familiar with lifelong trauma.
One Liner Beard (OLB): 33, male, neuro spicy with ADHD and depression. His nickname here comes from the fact that in messenger, he usually has one-word replies like “oof” or “mmm” as an acknowledgement he had seen the message but has nothing further to contribute.
VultureBeard (Vulture): 30, female, neuro spicy and disabled with multiple conditions. She has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, POTs (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), autism, depression, anxiety, chronic migraines, but also possibly a list of things that may or may not be real. The star of this unfortunate circus. Her name comes from how she always pops up when I’m cooking food, complaining about how hungry is and how she’s unable to cook.
Kid: 3. Female. OLB and Vulture’s child. Likely neuro spicy like we all are, but she’s also only 3 years old. Slightly speech delayed and not potty trained yet.
Take a deep breath. Now take another one. This chapter will likely make you mad.
Chapter Three: “Do You Want Bologna?” Or, Vulture as a Parent
Imagine this: it’s eight in the morning and you’re cozy in bed. The blankets are warm, and you hit snooze on your early alarm so you can sleep in before you have to get up.
Your peace is shattered by a toddler crying, followed by the screech of, “WHAT!” or “GET DOWN FROM THERE!”
Yeah, welcome to The Life.
Vulture has a messed-up sleep schedule. It’s partially because Kid doesn’t sleep soundly through the night, but it’s also because Vulture’s sleep schedule is essentially flipped backwards to where she stays up all night and wants to sleep during the day. Vulture says it’s “insomnia” but sometimes she’s up late gaming with Discord friends or watching anime. I couldn’t tell you which issue it was day by day. Sometimes if I go to sleep late, I hear Kid crying from her room because she had night terrors or had potty troubles. Sometimes I hear OLB and Vulture awake shuffling between rooms in the hallway.
Because of this, Vulture and mornings don’t mesh well. Kid is usually put in her room for bedtime around 7 PM, usually with her tablet to keep her company and either give her something to watch, or to play white noises for sleeping. Kid does not have a real sleep routine as well. She’s just kind of shut in her room. Sometimes there’s a bit of a routine like winding her down with chocolate milk and giving her a countdown of “okay, ten more minutes and then bedtime,” but for the most part she just does not want to go to bed. Bedtimes are met with a lot of crying, and the beardy parents telling us that she will be upset for a bit.
Kid has an attempted daily schedule, if Vulture is awake enough. Theoretically:
Sometimes because Kid won’t go to sleep, she’ll still be up at 9 PM and that breaks her schedule too. A lot of times, it works out that OLB is the “fun” parent while he’s home, because he’s up at 4 AM to leave for work by 6 and doesn’t come home until between 4 or 5 PM. Then she spends time with him while he’s home.
There’s also a child lock on the inside of Kid’s bedroom door, those doorknob covers that you have to push and turn, so she can’t open the door and wander around unsupervised. I was originally the one who suggested the child lock, back when she was younger, and they didn’t have the secondary child gate they currently do now that’s stored in the garage. Since then, with her potty training and Vulture’s likewise awful sleep schedule, I’ve suggested more than once that they take the door handle blocker off and put up the second kiddy gate they have to block the living room and kitchen off, so she can get up if she needs to, but the child lock still remains. At most, she would have access to their room, since it doesn’t have a kiddy lock on it. Me and Z’s bedroom has a child lock on it, as well as the bathroom door. She could freely wander between her room and her parents’ room that way.
I hear Kid playing in her room by herself a lot, squealing and having fun and playing pretend. Or moving her furniture around. And no, the furniture is not secured to the wall, so she can move her bed around the room. I’ve also told OLB and Vulture they needed to make sure she can’t topple it and chain it to the wall but, yeah, that hasn’t been dealt with.
When Kid really needs attention, she will cry and wail. And I mean wail. The two beardy parents don’t have baby monitors or anything that can hear into her bedroom, so she has to wail loudly enough to be heard through the walls. Luckily, the house has thin walls. Because of her early bedtime, she’s often awake early in the morning. Sometimes Vulture will respond, sometimes Vulture won’t wake up until around noon.
Yes, that means Kid is by herself a lot.
Kid is a bubbly three-year-old. She loves it when Z and I give her attention, which admittingly isn’t as often as I would like to give her. With my own Depression™, I spend so much time fighting to just gather enough mental energy to be a productive human. Despite me wandering in a mental fog, Kid remains a bright spot in my day. I met her when she was a fresh baby bean just barely out of the hospital, and I immediately fell in love. Since then, I’ve seen her grow almost her whole life, except for when they were all in north Texas. She has blue eyes and brown hair that will curl on its own. She loves dinosaurs, Baby Shark, Octonauts, and occasionally whatever anime the parents are watching. Don’t ask me how many times I’ve heard the Baby Shark song. I don’t want it stuck in my head for another solid week.
She used to watch a lot of Ms. Rachel’s Songs For Little videos, because originally Vulture wanted Kid to learn sign language to help communicate. I’ve rarely seen Vulture attempt to upkeep the sign language lessons. She did at one point. I think after Kid started becoming more vocal, the idea was dropped. I have heard some of the familiar videos so often that even I learned the kid’s songs, but I guess that’s also part of the collateral when dealing with kid’s media.
Kid usually exists in a half-dressed state, usually just wearing a pull up and that’s it. Unfortunately, because Vulture is so hard on her tangles when she tries to brush her hair, Kid doesn’t like hair care and will fight being brushed. Her hair used to exist in a perpetual state of being matted with at least one major knot, until Vulture’s mom ended up giving her a bath and getting her to stay still enough to endure the brushing, even with the wailing of a protesting Kid going strong. Her hair was then cut to make it more manageable, and strangely, that fixed a lot of the matting problems.
Kid is let out of her room when Vulture wakes up, usually needing a diaper change. At three years old, Kid is not potty trained yet. Just from what I’ve heard from my bedroom, it sounds like OLB and Vulture are finally starting to step up on potty training, but it’s been an uphill fight. I know a few of my other parent friends have had an extremely hard time potty training their kid. I’m not a parent, so I don’t actually know how challenging it can be. I do know though that it shouldn’t sound like the toilet is some kind of punishment for peeing in her cloth panties that they’re trying to switch her to. Or, that they try to get her to sit on the toilet when she has no interest in it and she ends up throwing a tantrum. Unfortunately, without much context, that’s how some bathroom trips sound.
Kid wears pull-ups to bed and the cloth underwear during the day, or sometimes just pull-ups. They’re trying to teach her how to recognize when her body has the potty urge, which she still doesn’t quite get right now. She has literally peed on the tile floor through her cloth undies. Vulture messaged the house chat once saying, “Kid just lifted her leg while in the rolling chair and peed all over the floor.”
You know. Like a dog.
With the potty-training trouble and Kid only sometimes in pull-ups that can contain her mess, Z and I don’t let her into our room as often as we’d like to, because she doesn’t recognize when she has to go. It sucks, because Kid adores spending time with us and our room has cool animals, like my retired psychiatric service dog and our three ferrets. She loves the ferrets. But if we spend time out in the living room with everyone, Z’s patience tends to have a shorter fuse because they can’t stand Vulture (that’s also another tale I have). We’re also stuck out in the general mess of the living room if we are out there with her. It’s either the general mess that toddlers make, spilled food, and general filth. The best times we’ve had spending time with Kid is just chilling in our room as she ooh’s and ahh’s over the ferrets or watches TV with us. Z and I quote SpongeBob line by line daily, and she has watched some of the show with us.
I feel awful about shutting Kid out so much, when I see the way Vulture interacts with her. On Vulture’s bad days (if you read the previous post, that’s almost every day), she acts like Kid is a chore. She will snap at Kid, act like Kid is choosing to act out of maliciousness and make “tired mom” jokes that sound like she just flat out doesn’t like Kid. When I had liquor in the fridge, Vulture would ask if she could take a shot because, “I need it. She’s trying me today.”
Some choice quotes talking down about the kid:
“I’m being hard on her because she’s not using her words. Like I know she can. She just doesn’t want to.” This was what Vulture said to me after Kid kept trying to get her attention and wouldn’t explain what she wanted. Kid was just making noises at her and getting frustrated. Vulture full on shouted, “WHAT!” at her, then turned to me to try and explain why she shouted.
“This is the bad part about being a mom. She’s not letting me do anything right now.” This was said after Vulture cleaned her desk and was attempting to watch YouTube videos and play her Switch.
On her good days, Vulture will be that kind of smiling parent that does some art activities and engages with Kid in a way that’s more than just screaming. They color together. She offers Kid choices so Kid can have some control over what happens in her day, like, “Do you want bologna or fruit?” It has helped Kid become more vocal and even though she’s still speech delayed, she talks more and has a bigger vocabulary.
The house has a different atmosphere when OLB is home, compared to when Vulture is just watching Kid by herself. I’ve told OLB that I think Vulture is burned out. Her entire life is her disabilities and being a mom. She only has friends on Discord really, and OLB had to push her to start talking to them again just so she had someone to socialize with.
Old Doormat me pitied her at the beginning of our friendship. I tried being her friend. I tried to include her and Kid in a lot of things. My own mental health, my daily obligations, my gym schedule, and just me changing rapidly since 2020 altered my life, exhausted me, and left me unable to deal with Vulture talking a million miles a minute, info dumping about whatever she’s currently doing every single time I run into her. And as I shed my doormat self, I started seeing her clearly.
I told OLB once that if Vulture is truly burned out or if her health problems are causing that much trouble, Kid might need daycare or another caregiver to help. OLB is aware but can’t afford other care. He’s working for bottom of the barrel pay at a full-time job. Most days after work, he just wants to zone out to his own games in front of his computer but has to step in and parent both Vulture and Kid, because Vulture often needs help organizing through executive dysfunction to do something. Or, because she will call for his help.
There was one time where Kid climbed on top of her, and Vulture called for OLB – who was in the same room – to pull Kid off her. There are quite a few times where Vulture calls for OLB for help with Kid, and I’ve heard him say that he’s also busy too. One time he asked, “Why are you asking for my help when you’re closer?”
Z has offered to look after Kid at times because they don’t mind Kid being in our room or just hanging out. She has hung out with us when I also have the mental energy and the room is clean enough to accommodate a toddler crawling on everything. The problem that we both see is that our stepping in isn’t a full solution. She can spend a few hours with us, but ultimately after, she goes right back to Vulture and OLB. Vulture is the one who acts like being a parent is a chore.
There are times that OLB has snapped at Vulture for the way she gets on to Kid, emphasizing, “She’s just a child.” Their parenting styles are like looking at two entirely different planets and trying to find similarities. OLB is very much into the gentle parenting side of Tik Tok. He talks about breaking generational trauma. He’s usually gentle with Kid, explaining why she’s not allowed to do things like stand on top of her highchair or why I’m too busy to play with her as I’m zooming around the house in and out repeatedly some days. He has talked her down from meltdowns and keeps his voice even to where she can’t bounce off him to amplify her tantrums. He spanks her, but as a last resort, and then also talks to her about why the punishment happened. She will wail through everything and likely isn’t fully listening, but ultimately, I see him trying to work with her. He very rarely loses his actual temper with her.
Vulture is the total opposite. She yells at Kid, spanks with no hesitation and doesn’t explain why. One of Kid’s favorite games to play is “Block the door” when I’m trying to get through the house. She will block my bedroom door, cling to me, then circle around me as Vulture or OLB tries to distract her or lure her away by asking “do you want chocolate” or some other treat. Sometimes Kid just likes to play ring-around-the-rosie around my legs, as her parents try to grab her. I try to make it fun and seem like I’m not mad at her, because I’m never actually mad at her for blocking my way. Usually, I’m just in the middle of some arbitrary task or running an errand or coming back from the gym with my one remaining brain cell barely hanging on for dear life. I try to engage with her and play it off as a game because she’s not actually doing anything wrong.
Vulture has lured her away with chocolate and treats, with offers of food, with trying to get her to pick a show to watch. If that fails, she will come and fetch Kid by hand. One time involved yanking her physically off me and spanking her on the bare bottom because Kid was happy playing a game instead of listening.
The bare bottom is a thing, too. Because Kid used to live in soiled diapers for much longer than she was supposed to, she had constant diaper rash that she had to see the doctor for sometimes. She also didn’t want OLB or Vulture to change her diapers and would scream when it was diaper change time. I don’t blame her. The diaper rash hurt, and Vulture wasn’t exactly gentle with changing. Kid bled sometimes with the changings. So now, sometimes Kid will be dressed like Donald Duck in only a top to air out her bottom. Or because now, with the cloth undies, she will pee straight through them, and they just let her air out after.
Kid always smells a bit like pee. So does her room. And her bedding. After I pointed out that her bedding straight out of the dryer smelled like urine, OLB went about cleaning the washing machine with a machine cleaner, and bought scent beads to help cut the smell, after I told him that a little vinegar in the wash load will cut the smells down. Now her bedding doesn’t smell so much like urine, but it’s still there.
Her bedroom frequently smells like a public bathroom. It always looks like her bedroom has been turned upside down, with toys everywhere, her bed pushed to the middle of the room, the mattress on the floor. Books she was given were shredded, even the cardboard ones. There was straight up garbage left in her room because she was given food to eat there that had wrappers. It usually takes Vulture a full day of cleaning to get the room organized when she had the energy to do it, but she usually sanitizes with just a baby wipe, if she does at all. Maybe a pet cleaner sometimes.
There was one time where I was letting the dogs outside and I stepped in a puddle on the tile floor. That was when I realized that it was a pee puddle and Kid’s cloth underwear was dripping. I asked Vulture to clean the puddle up. When she asked to use my steam mop, she didn’t clean the cloth pad after, so when I turned the mop on next, it smelled like hot, steamed urine. I had to clean the mop pad off myself and rinse the pee out of it. When Kid again peed in front of the TV in her cloth undies, I told OLB that if they’re going to use my steam mop to make sure that the mop pad is rinsed off or it will smell like pee the next time it’s used, but he said he was just going to use his mop and bucket. Thankfully.
Because of the diet that OLB and Vulture has, Kid also eats like them. She gets a lot of macaroni, a lot of random odds and ends like pieces of bread, baggies of cheerios, sometimes fruit and vegetables. Lots of chicken nuggets and frozen instant food. Occasionally, Kid will have an interest in vegetables she sees us cook with or that she’s never had. Like once she insisted that she wanted to eat canned peas, until she tasted them. She chewed on a lettuce leaf and put it down, then asked for another one because she wanted to eat something, and it looked tasty to her.
The two halves of the household make separate foods now and keep out of each other’s food, but sometimes Vulture will give Kid some of the food I cooked because Kid saw my spaghetti noodles in a bowl and insisted on having them by way of tantrum. Instead of asking me if it’s okay (which obviously, I’d say yes, Kid can have some), Vulture just gave her my food and then told me after. Maybe I’m just projecting my own frustration, but it feels like Vulture uses Kid as a shield sometimes, to get food. Unless I have a specific purpose for food like what I put in my meal prep containers, I wouldn’t say no to Kid.
Kid’s diet makes me worried for her as she grows up. OLB is big and tall, over 6 feet tall and over 300lbs. They aren’t an active family at all. Kid drinks soda when they get fast food. She eats as much processed food as Vulture. Right now, she’s growing like a weed and is tall and actually has some power in her tiny limbs, which is most noticeable when she climbs you like a ladder, but her parents are gamers that just sit around. Her own screen time is almost as lengthy as theirs is.
I worry about Kid, constantly. Z does too. We have theorized calling CPS, or trying to adopt her, or just getting her away from Vulture. We have thrown around ideas about talking to OLB and convincing him that Vulture isn’t a good person for Kid. A lot of it has stayed in theory because the anxious part of me is still afraid to make life-altering waves like that. I second-guess and gaslight myself into realizing how bad things are, but then telling myself, maybe I’m just blowing it out of proportion. Maybe it's just something they have to handle. Maybe it’s something a first-time parent needs to learn. Maybe Vulture just isn’t feeling good that day. Maybe, maybe, maybe.
It’s a leftover of the doormat I used to be, and I know that. The tiny fragment of anxiety that tells me I’m blowing things up into too big a deal. The tiny fragment that escaped a toxic marriage and just wants peace after arguing every single day. The side that hates confrontation.
Maybe I’m just a plain ol’ coward. I don’t know yet. I just know my patience is running thinner with every passing day.
I don’t think I could convince OLB to dump Vulture. From what I’ve seen on the surface, they’re not openly affectionate. Vulture complains all the time that OLB doesn’t give her any physical affection, and she (unfortunately) tells me when they’re intimate, which doesn’t sound often. They almost look like they could be friends that are co-parenting. She calls him her husband when they’re out in public, and OLB has stated that he doesn’t want anything to happen to her, because he doesn’t want a single parent. I assume at the very least that he does love her, even though he sounds exhausted all the time. Z and I wonder if maybe he feels trapped.
OLB is good at asking for help if he needs it, although he hates being a burden to others. He will speak up if Vulture needs a ride to a doctor’s office, and he forgot to leave the car seat at home. I’ve driven to his work to pick it up after he messaged me asking if I could. They ask his family to babysit Kid if they want to go out and just have a good date or see a movie together. They are clearly capable of asking for help.
This is just an acceptable standard for both, or at least that’s the way it seems to me. Sometimes, I don’t truly know if OLB is aware of what Vulture does while he’s at work. He didn’t know that she used his 11-year-old dog as a vacuum cleaner to clean up spilled table scraps until I pointed it out and then he pieced together why his dog wasn’t losing weight on a reduced kibble diet. Sometimes I have pointed out things to him that he might not notice in the house chat.
I started keeping a log in Google Docs about things I notice, and Z and I talk about it in discord, so it’s not heard by ears that are too close to our bedroom. The log started helping me see that I’m not just blowing out of proportion and that in turn helped me come here to reddit. As a former doormat in recovery, I still have to tell myself that it’s okay to realize that something is wrong, and that I may need help getting my voice to speak up.
I haven’t worked since 2017, when my mental health took a sharp nosedive. Z is currently looking for work. Both of us are home all day exposed to Vulture and how she treats Kid. With my own daily tasks, errands, struggling with mental health, there’s still a side of me that berates me that I need to be taking care of Kid. Getting her up, making sure she eats. Pestering Vulture to get up. This is also where I tangle with the former doormat that still lives in me, because one, I don’t want to enable Vulture to get even worse. With someone taking the burden off of her, that gives her more free time to just sit back and game. It isn’t my job to make sure that Vulture is a good parent, yet somehow, I feel like it’s also my fault that she’s as bad as she is while I sit by the wayside and just talk about her behind her back. There are times where I have pestered OLB through discord about Kid crying, or how Kid is trying to beat the door down, or asking if Vulture is up for the day because I haven’t seen her up at three in the afternoon.
I started speaking up when I noticed something that’s off. I call this the “cheese incident.” We had a block of cheese that was cut in the wrapper and not in anything else, so the exposed end got all hard and inedible. I cut it off and threw it away. Vulture made her way into the kitchen because Kid saw me cutting cheese and wanted some.
Vulture: Who threw away that cheese?
(SHE PICKS IT UP OUT OF THE TRASH CAN)
Me: Yeah, it’s got that hard bit
Vulture: So? I know someone who will eat it.
(She calls Kid over)
Me: But it was in the trash.
Vulture: It’s okay, I cut off the part that was touching the trash.
Me: Dude, that’s fucked up.
Vulture: (hesitating now) Should I not?
Me: That’s probably going to make her sick again.
(Kid has been sick back-to-back at this point)
Vulture: Okay, then I won’t.
(To this day, I don’t know if she threw the cheese away or ate it herself, and I’m afraid to ask)
That was the point where I started pointing out that what she’s doing is problematic. It’s a slow process, but it’s helped me put the doormat side of me away again. I’ve explained to Vulture that Kid isn’t crying to be malicious, she just can’t express what she wants. Especially with Kid’s speech delay! Kid gets frustrated fast when adults don’t understand her, and the wailing begins. There’s no maliciousness behind it, just frustration. Or how Kid doesn’t like being told “no” because she doesn’t always understand why. Strangely, every time I call something out, she doesn’t really have much of a fight against it.
But why am I having to say it in the first place?
There’s little things that just rub me the wrong way in how they interact. Sometimes Vulture will call Kid over in the same way you’d call a dog. Repeatedly. Sometimes Vulture, in a state of migraine or other illness-related grouchiness will scream at her “Leave me alone!” and OLB will have to fetch Kid. One time, Z told me that Vulture outright mocked her crying by making her own crying noise.
What’s awful to watch in person is that when Vulture’s mom or siblings are over, Vulture is suddenly a doting mom who isn’t perpetually exhausted or loudly complaining about how her “everything” hurts. She talks in an overly sweet voice to Kid. It unsettles me with how two-faced it seems. OLB, Vulture, and Kid go have dinner with OLB’s family every Sunday evening, and I can’t help but wonder how two-faced she is there, as well. Some of OLB’s family doesn’t like Vulture to begin with.
Slowly, I am losing patience at how Vulture behaves, especially with the Kid. I had to un-gaslight myself, start logging her behavior, and talk to other people to really see it for what it was. I told multiple friends about it and we all generally have the same consensus that Vulture is just an unfit parent. If her chronic illnesses are truly interfering with her life that much, she shouldn’t be the majority caregiver through the day. But it’s not like OLB would be able to work from home or be the stay-at-home parent. In a perfect world, I would be able to help more as well, but I’m barely the “fun” aunt. I’m barely equipped to help care for a three-year-old. Hell, most days I’m barely an actual person.
Kid deserves better.
Bottom line, Kid deserves better than what this house can give. I am upset with myself over my lack of action, but the logs have only been growing bigger. Every day, the doormat dies a little more.
Vulture herself though, will likely always be a side show. One thing that Z pointed out to me was that, as the doormat I used to be, I would give everything to help someone even when I was mentally exhausted. I enmeshed myself too much into the lives of my friends because I loved making them happy and making their lives easier. It’s gotten me into some awkward territory with Vulture, because some things were interpreted as more than friendship.
You ready to cringe more? Because the next part is going to deal with polyamory, the desire for open relationships, and the main reason why Z despises her – and that’s putting it mildly.
Take a moment to un-cringe yourself. It ain’t over yet.
submitted by EzekialX to ReddXReads [link] [comments]
Hi again, it’s the bunny. I’ve just barely stepped into Reddx’s discord, but Ezekial is still posting this saga for me so thank you, Z.
Trigger warning: This will deal with a lot of aspects relating to child neglect (and possible abuse) and Kid being ignored or taking the brunt of Vulture’s anger. Sorry for the spoiler as well, but I think we saw this coming, too (especially if you’ve seen Z talk in the discord). Don’t push yourself to read if you’re not okay with these concepts.
The Cast List
Bunny (author): 33, female. Recovering lifelong doormat slowly building a spine. Neuro spicy gym rat with major depressive disorder, general anxiety disorder, and most recently diagnosed with ADHD. Unfortunately, very familiar with surviving trauma.
Z (poster): My partner. 31, nonbinary (they/them), also neuro spicy with depression, anxiety, OCD, BPD, autism, and also familiar with lifelong trauma.
One Liner Beard (OLB): 33, male, neuro spicy with ADHD and depression. His nickname here comes from the fact that in messenger, he usually has one-word replies like “oof” or “mmm” as an acknowledgement he had seen the message but has nothing further to contribute.
VultureBeard (Vulture): 30, female, neuro spicy and disabled with multiple conditions. She has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, POTs (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), autism, depression, anxiety, chronic migraines, but also possibly a list of things that may or may not be real. The star of this unfortunate circus. Her name comes from how she always pops up when I’m cooking food, complaining about how hungry is and how she’s unable to cook.
Kid: 3. Female. OLB and Vulture’s child. Likely neuro spicy like we all are, but she’s also only 3 years old. Slightly speech delayed and not potty trained yet.
Take a deep breath. Now take another one. This chapter will likely make you mad.
Chapter Three: “Do You Want Bologna?” Or, Vulture as a Parent
Imagine this: it’s eight in the morning and you’re cozy in bed. The blankets are warm, and you hit snooze on your early alarm so you can sleep in before you have to get up.
Your peace is shattered by a toddler crying, followed by the screech of, “WHAT!” or “GET DOWN FROM THERE!”
Yeah, welcome to The Life.
Vulture has a messed-up sleep schedule. It’s partially because Kid doesn’t sleep soundly through the night, but it’s also because Vulture’s sleep schedule is essentially flipped backwards to where she stays up all night and wants to sleep during the day. Vulture says it’s “insomnia” but sometimes she’s up late gaming with Discord friends or watching anime. I couldn’t tell you which issue it was day by day. Sometimes if I go to sleep late, I hear Kid crying from her room because she had night terrors or had potty troubles. Sometimes I hear OLB and Vulture awake shuffling between rooms in the hallway.
Because of this, Vulture and mornings don’t mesh well. Kid is usually put in her room for bedtime around 7 PM, usually with her tablet to keep her company and either give her something to watch, or to play white noises for sleeping. Kid does not have a real sleep routine as well. She’s just kind of shut in her room. Sometimes there’s a bit of a routine like winding her down with chocolate milk and giving her a countdown of “okay, ten more minutes and then bedtime,” but for the most part she just does not want to go to bed. Bedtimes are met with a lot of crying, and the beardy parents telling us that she will be upset for a bit.
Kid has an attempted daily schedule, if Vulture is awake enough. Theoretically:
- 9 AM: Awake and watching TV while Vulture is on her computer in the same room
- 1 PM: In the room for naptime (but it’s usually play time)
- 4 PM: Free to run around while dad is home
- 7 PM: Bedtime (but she’s usually playing then too)
Sometimes because Kid won’t go to sleep, she’ll still be up at 9 PM and that breaks her schedule too. A lot of times, it works out that OLB is the “fun” parent while he’s home, because he’s up at 4 AM to leave for work by 6 and doesn’t come home until between 4 or 5 PM. Then she spends time with him while he’s home.
There’s also a child lock on the inside of Kid’s bedroom door, those doorknob covers that you have to push and turn, so she can’t open the door and wander around unsupervised. I was originally the one who suggested the child lock, back when she was younger, and they didn’t have the secondary child gate they currently do now that’s stored in the garage. Since then, with her potty training and Vulture’s likewise awful sleep schedule, I’ve suggested more than once that they take the door handle blocker off and put up the second kiddy gate they have to block the living room and kitchen off, so she can get up if she needs to, but the child lock still remains. At most, she would have access to their room, since it doesn’t have a kiddy lock on it. Me and Z’s bedroom has a child lock on it, as well as the bathroom door. She could freely wander between her room and her parents’ room that way.
I hear Kid playing in her room by herself a lot, squealing and having fun and playing pretend. Or moving her furniture around. And no, the furniture is not secured to the wall, so she can move her bed around the room. I’ve also told OLB and Vulture they needed to make sure she can’t topple it and chain it to the wall but, yeah, that hasn’t been dealt with.
When Kid really needs attention, she will cry and wail. And I mean wail. The two beardy parents don’t have baby monitors or anything that can hear into her bedroom, so she has to wail loudly enough to be heard through the walls. Luckily, the house has thin walls. Because of her early bedtime, she’s often awake early in the morning. Sometimes Vulture will respond, sometimes Vulture won’t wake up until around noon.
Yes, that means Kid is by herself a lot.
Kid is a bubbly three-year-old. She loves it when Z and I give her attention, which admittingly isn’t as often as I would like to give her. With my own Depression™, I spend so much time fighting to just gather enough mental energy to be a productive human. Despite me wandering in a mental fog, Kid remains a bright spot in my day. I met her when she was a fresh baby bean just barely out of the hospital, and I immediately fell in love. Since then, I’ve seen her grow almost her whole life, except for when they were all in north Texas. She has blue eyes and brown hair that will curl on its own. She loves dinosaurs, Baby Shark, Octonauts, and occasionally whatever anime the parents are watching. Don’t ask me how many times I’ve heard the Baby Shark song. I don’t want it stuck in my head for another solid week.
She used to watch a lot of Ms. Rachel’s Songs For Little videos, because originally Vulture wanted Kid to learn sign language to help communicate. I’ve rarely seen Vulture attempt to upkeep the sign language lessons. She did at one point. I think after Kid started becoming more vocal, the idea was dropped. I have heard some of the familiar videos so often that even I learned the kid’s songs, but I guess that’s also part of the collateral when dealing with kid’s media.
Kid usually exists in a half-dressed state, usually just wearing a pull up and that’s it. Unfortunately, because Vulture is so hard on her tangles when she tries to brush her hair, Kid doesn’t like hair care and will fight being brushed. Her hair used to exist in a perpetual state of being matted with at least one major knot, until Vulture’s mom ended up giving her a bath and getting her to stay still enough to endure the brushing, even with the wailing of a protesting Kid going strong. Her hair was then cut to make it more manageable, and strangely, that fixed a lot of the matting problems.
Kid is let out of her room when Vulture wakes up, usually needing a diaper change. At three years old, Kid is not potty trained yet. Just from what I’ve heard from my bedroom, it sounds like OLB and Vulture are finally starting to step up on potty training, but it’s been an uphill fight. I know a few of my other parent friends have had an extremely hard time potty training their kid. I’m not a parent, so I don’t actually know how challenging it can be. I do know though that it shouldn’t sound like the toilet is some kind of punishment for peeing in her cloth panties that they’re trying to switch her to. Or, that they try to get her to sit on the toilet when she has no interest in it and she ends up throwing a tantrum. Unfortunately, without much context, that’s how some bathroom trips sound.
Kid wears pull-ups to bed and the cloth underwear during the day, or sometimes just pull-ups. They’re trying to teach her how to recognize when her body has the potty urge, which she still doesn’t quite get right now. She has literally peed on the tile floor through her cloth undies. Vulture messaged the house chat once saying, “Kid just lifted her leg while in the rolling chair and peed all over the floor.”
You know. Like a dog.
With the potty-training trouble and Kid only sometimes in pull-ups that can contain her mess, Z and I don’t let her into our room as often as we’d like to, because she doesn’t recognize when she has to go. It sucks, because Kid adores spending time with us and our room has cool animals, like my retired psychiatric service dog and our three ferrets. She loves the ferrets. But if we spend time out in the living room with everyone, Z’s patience tends to have a shorter fuse because they can’t stand Vulture (that’s also another tale I have). We’re also stuck out in the general mess of the living room if we are out there with her. It’s either the general mess that toddlers make, spilled food, and general filth. The best times we’ve had spending time with Kid is just chilling in our room as she ooh’s and ahh’s over the ferrets or watches TV with us. Z and I quote SpongeBob line by line daily, and she has watched some of the show with us.
I feel awful about shutting Kid out so much, when I see the way Vulture interacts with her. On Vulture’s bad days (if you read the previous post, that’s almost every day), she acts like Kid is a chore. She will snap at Kid, act like Kid is choosing to act out of maliciousness and make “tired mom” jokes that sound like she just flat out doesn’t like Kid. When I had liquor in the fridge, Vulture would ask if she could take a shot because, “I need it. She’s trying me today.”
Some choice quotes talking down about the kid:
“I’m being hard on her because she’s not using her words. Like I know she can. She just doesn’t want to.” This was what Vulture said to me after Kid kept trying to get her attention and wouldn’t explain what she wanted. Kid was just making noises at her and getting frustrated. Vulture full on shouted, “WHAT!” at her, then turned to me to try and explain why she shouted.
“This is the bad part about being a mom. She’s not letting me do anything right now.” This was said after Vulture cleaned her desk and was attempting to watch YouTube videos and play her Switch.
On her good days, Vulture will be that kind of smiling parent that does some art activities and engages with Kid in a way that’s more than just screaming. They color together. She offers Kid choices so Kid can have some control over what happens in her day, like, “Do you want bologna or fruit?” It has helped Kid become more vocal and even though she’s still speech delayed, she talks more and has a bigger vocabulary.
The house has a different atmosphere when OLB is home, compared to when Vulture is just watching Kid by herself. I’ve told OLB that I think Vulture is burned out. Her entire life is her disabilities and being a mom. She only has friends on Discord really, and OLB had to push her to start talking to them again just so she had someone to socialize with.
Old Doormat me pitied her at the beginning of our friendship. I tried being her friend. I tried to include her and Kid in a lot of things. My own mental health, my daily obligations, my gym schedule, and just me changing rapidly since 2020 altered my life, exhausted me, and left me unable to deal with Vulture talking a million miles a minute, info dumping about whatever she’s currently doing every single time I run into her. And as I shed my doormat self, I started seeing her clearly.
I told OLB once that if Vulture is truly burned out or if her health problems are causing that much trouble, Kid might need daycare or another caregiver to help. OLB is aware but can’t afford other care. He’s working for bottom of the barrel pay at a full-time job. Most days after work, he just wants to zone out to his own games in front of his computer but has to step in and parent both Vulture and Kid, because Vulture often needs help organizing through executive dysfunction to do something. Or, because she will call for his help.
There was one time where Kid climbed on top of her, and Vulture called for OLB – who was in the same room – to pull Kid off her. There are quite a few times where Vulture calls for OLB for help with Kid, and I’ve heard him say that he’s also busy too. One time he asked, “Why are you asking for my help when you’re closer?”
Z has offered to look after Kid at times because they don’t mind Kid being in our room or just hanging out. She has hung out with us when I also have the mental energy and the room is clean enough to accommodate a toddler crawling on everything. The problem that we both see is that our stepping in isn’t a full solution. She can spend a few hours with us, but ultimately after, she goes right back to Vulture and OLB. Vulture is the one who acts like being a parent is a chore.
There are times that OLB has snapped at Vulture for the way she gets on to Kid, emphasizing, “She’s just a child.” Their parenting styles are like looking at two entirely different planets and trying to find similarities. OLB is very much into the gentle parenting side of Tik Tok. He talks about breaking generational trauma. He’s usually gentle with Kid, explaining why she’s not allowed to do things like stand on top of her highchair or why I’m too busy to play with her as I’m zooming around the house in and out repeatedly some days. He has talked her down from meltdowns and keeps his voice even to where she can’t bounce off him to amplify her tantrums. He spanks her, but as a last resort, and then also talks to her about why the punishment happened. She will wail through everything and likely isn’t fully listening, but ultimately, I see him trying to work with her. He very rarely loses his actual temper with her.
Vulture is the total opposite. She yells at Kid, spanks with no hesitation and doesn’t explain why. One of Kid’s favorite games to play is “Block the door” when I’m trying to get through the house. She will block my bedroom door, cling to me, then circle around me as Vulture or OLB tries to distract her or lure her away by asking “do you want chocolate” or some other treat. Sometimes Kid just likes to play ring-around-the-rosie around my legs, as her parents try to grab her. I try to make it fun and seem like I’m not mad at her, because I’m never actually mad at her for blocking my way. Usually, I’m just in the middle of some arbitrary task or running an errand or coming back from the gym with my one remaining brain cell barely hanging on for dear life. I try to engage with her and play it off as a game because she’s not actually doing anything wrong.
Vulture has lured her away with chocolate and treats, with offers of food, with trying to get her to pick a show to watch. If that fails, she will come and fetch Kid by hand. One time involved yanking her physically off me and spanking her on the bare bottom because Kid was happy playing a game instead of listening.
The bare bottom is a thing, too. Because Kid used to live in soiled diapers for much longer than she was supposed to, she had constant diaper rash that she had to see the doctor for sometimes. She also didn’t want OLB or Vulture to change her diapers and would scream when it was diaper change time. I don’t blame her. The diaper rash hurt, and Vulture wasn’t exactly gentle with changing. Kid bled sometimes with the changings. So now, sometimes Kid will be dressed like Donald Duck in only a top to air out her bottom. Or because now, with the cloth undies, she will pee straight through them, and they just let her air out after.
Kid always smells a bit like pee. So does her room. And her bedding. After I pointed out that her bedding straight out of the dryer smelled like urine, OLB went about cleaning the washing machine with a machine cleaner, and bought scent beads to help cut the smell, after I told him that a little vinegar in the wash load will cut the smells down. Now her bedding doesn’t smell so much like urine, but it’s still there.
Her bedroom frequently smells like a public bathroom. It always looks like her bedroom has been turned upside down, with toys everywhere, her bed pushed to the middle of the room, the mattress on the floor. Books she was given were shredded, even the cardboard ones. There was straight up garbage left in her room because she was given food to eat there that had wrappers. It usually takes Vulture a full day of cleaning to get the room organized when she had the energy to do it, but she usually sanitizes with just a baby wipe, if she does at all. Maybe a pet cleaner sometimes.
There was one time where I was letting the dogs outside and I stepped in a puddle on the tile floor. That was when I realized that it was a pee puddle and Kid’s cloth underwear was dripping. I asked Vulture to clean the puddle up. When she asked to use my steam mop, she didn’t clean the cloth pad after, so when I turned the mop on next, it smelled like hot, steamed urine. I had to clean the mop pad off myself and rinse the pee out of it. When Kid again peed in front of the TV in her cloth undies, I told OLB that if they’re going to use my steam mop to make sure that the mop pad is rinsed off or it will smell like pee the next time it’s used, but he said he was just going to use his mop and bucket. Thankfully.
Because of the diet that OLB and Vulture has, Kid also eats like them. She gets a lot of macaroni, a lot of random odds and ends like pieces of bread, baggies of cheerios, sometimes fruit and vegetables. Lots of chicken nuggets and frozen instant food. Occasionally, Kid will have an interest in vegetables she sees us cook with or that she’s never had. Like once she insisted that she wanted to eat canned peas, until she tasted them. She chewed on a lettuce leaf and put it down, then asked for another one because she wanted to eat something, and it looked tasty to her.
The two halves of the household make separate foods now and keep out of each other’s food, but sometimes Vulture will give Kid some of the food I cooked because Kid saw my spaghetti noodles in a bowl and insisted on having them by way of tantrum. Instead of asking me if it’s okay (which obviously, I’d say yes, Kid can have some), Vulture just gave her my food and then told me after. Maybe I’m just projecting my own frustration, but it feels like Vulture uses Kid as a shield sometimes, to get food. Unless I have a specific purpose for food like what I put in my meal prep containers, I wouldn’t say no to Kid.
Kid’s diet makes me worried for her as she grows up. OLB is big and tall, over 6 feet tall and over 300lbs. They aren’t an active family at all. Kid drinks soda when they get fast food. She eats as much processed food as Vulture. Right now, she’s growing like a weed and is tall and actually has some power in her tiny limbs, which is most noticeable when she climbs you like a ladder, but her parents are gamers that just sit around. Her own screen time is almost as lengthy as theirs is.
I worry about Kid, constantly. Z does too. We have theorized calling CPS, or trying to adopt her, or just getting her away from Vulture. We have thrown around ideas about talking to OLB and convincing him that Vulture isn’t a good person for Kid. A lot of it has stayed in theory because the anxious part of me is still afraid to make life-altering waves like that. I second-guess and gaslight myself into realizing how bad things are, but then telling myself, maybe I’m just blowing it out of proportion. Maybe it's just something they have to handle. Maybe it’s something a first-time parent needs to learn. Maybe Vulture just isn’t feeling good that day. Maybe, maybe, maybe.
It’s a leftover of the doormat I used to be, and I know that. The tiny fragment of anxiety that tells me I’m blowing things up into too big a deal. The tiny fragment that escaped a toxic marriage and just wants peace after arguing every single day. The side that hates confrontation.
Maybe I’m just a plain ol’ coward. I don’t know yet. I just know my patience is running thinner with every passing day.
I don’t think I could convince OLB to dump Vulture. From what I’ve seen on the surface, they’re not openly affectionate. Vulture complains all the time that OLB doesn’t give her any physical affection, and she (unfortunately) tells me when they’re intimate, which doesn’t sound often. They almost look like they could be friends that are co-parenting. She calls him her husband when they’re out in public, and OLB has stated that he doesn’t want anything to happen to her, because he doesn’t want a single parent. I assume at the very least that he does love her, even though he sounds exhausted all the time. Z and I wonder if maybe he feels trapped.
OLB is good at asking for help if he needs it, although he hates being a burden to others. He will speak up if Vulture needs a ride to a doctor’s office, and he forgot to leave the car seat at home. I’ve driven to his work to pick it up after he messaged me asking if I could. They ask his family to babysit Kid if they want to go out and just have a good date or see a movie together. They are clearly capable of asking for help.
This is just an acceptable standard for both, or at least that’s the way it seems to me. Sometimes, I don’t truly know if OLB is aware of what Vulture does while he’s at work. He didn’t know that she used his 11-year-old dog as a vacuum cleaner to clean up spilled table scraps until I pointed it out and then he pieced together why his dog wasn’t losing weight on a reduced kibble diet. Sometimes I have pointed out things to him that he might not notice in the house chat.
I started keeping a log in Google Docs about things I notice, and Z and I talk about it in discord, so it’s not heard by ears that are too close to our bedroom. The log started helping me see that I’m not just blowing out of proportion and that in turn helped me come here to reddit. As a former doormat in recovery, I still have to tell myself that it’s okay to realize that something is wrong, and that I may need help getting my voice to speak up.
I haven’t worked since 2017, when my mental health took a sharp nosedive. Z is currently looking for work. Both of us are home all day exposed to Vulture and how she treats Kid. With my own daily tasks, errands, struggling with mental health, there’s still a side of me that berates me that I need to be taking care of Kid. Getting her up, making sure she eats. Pestering Vulture to get up. This is also where I tangle with the former doormat that still lives in me, because one, I don’t want to enable Vulture to get even worse. With someone taking the burden off of her, that gives her more free time to just sit back and game. It isn’t my job to make sure that Vulture is a good parent, yet somehow, I feel like it’s also my fault that she’s as bad as she is while I sit by the wayside and just talk about her behind her back. There are times where I have pestered OLB through discord about Kid crying, or how Kid is trying to beat the door down, or asking if Vulture is up for the day because I haven’t seen her up at three in the afternoon.
I started speaking up when I noticed something that’s off. I call this the “cheese incident.” We had a block of cheese that was cut in the wrapper and not in anything else, so the exposed end got all hard and inedible. I cut it off and threw it away. Vulture made her way into the kitchen because Kid saw me cutting cheese and wanted some.
Vulture: Who threw away that cheese?
(SHE PICKS IT UP OUT OF THE TRASH CAN)
Me: Yeah, it’s got that hard bit
Vulture: So? I know someone who will eat it.
(She calls Kid over)
Me: But it was in the trash.
Vulture: It’s okay, I cut off the part that was touching the trash.
Me: Dude, that’s fucked up.
Vulture: (hesitating now) Should I not?
Me: That’s probably going to make her sick again.
(Kid has been sick back-to-back at this point)
Vulture: Okay, then I won’t.
(To this day, I don’t know if she threw the cheese away or ate it herself, and I’m afraid to ask)
That was the point where I started pointing out that what she’s doing is problematic. It’s a slow process, but it’s helped me put the doormat side of me away again. I’ve explained to Vulture that Kid isn’t crying to be malicious, she just can’t express what she wants. Especially with Kid’s speech delay! Kid gets frustrated fast when adults don’t understand her, and the wailing begins. There’s no maliciousness behind it, just frustration. Or how Kid doesn’t like being told “no” because she doesn’t always understand why. Strangely, every time I call something out, she doesn’t really have much of a fight against it.
But why am I having to say it in the first place?
There’s little things that just rub me the wrong way in how they interact. Sometimes Vulture will call Kid over in the same way you’d call a dog. Repeatedly. Sometimes Vulture, in a state of migraine or other illness-related grouchiness will scream at her “Leave me alone!” and OLB will have to fetch Kid. One time, Z told me that Vulture outright mocked her crying by making her own crying noise.
What’s awful to watch in person is that when Vulture’s mom or siblings are over, Vulture is suddenly a doting mom who isn’t perpetually exhausted or loudly complaining about how her “everything” hurts. She talks in an overly sweet voice to Kid. It unsettles me with how two-faced it seems. OLB, Vulture, and Kid go have dinner with OLB’s family every Sunday evening, and I can’t help but wonder how two-faced she is there, as well. Some of OLB’s family doesn’t like Vulture to begin with.
Slowly, I am losing patience at how Vulture behaves, especially with the Kid. I had to un-gaslight myself, start logging her behavior, and talk to other people to really see it for what it was. I told multiple friends about it and we all generally have the same consensus that Vulture is just an unfit parent. If her chronic illnesses are truly interfering with her life that much, she shouldn’t be the majority caregiver through the day. But it’s not like OLB would be able to work from home or be the stay-at-home parent. In a perfect world, I would be able to help more as well, but I’m barely the “fun” aunt. I’m barely equipped to help care for a three-year-old. Hell, most days I’m barely an actual person.
Kid deserves better.
Bottom line, Kid deserves better than what this house can give. I am upset with myself over my lack of action, but the logs have only been growing bigger. Every day, the doormat dies a little more.
Vulture herself though, will likely always be a side show. One thing that Z pointed out to me was that, as the doormat I used to be, I would give everything to help someone even when I was mentally exhausted. I enmeshed myself too much into the lives of my friends because I loved making them happy and making their lives easier. It’s gotten me into some awkward territory with Vulture, because some things were interpreted as more than friendship.
You ready to cringe more? Because the next part is going to deal with polyamory, the desire for open relationships, and the main reason why Z despises her – and that’s putting it mildly.
Take a moment to un-cringe yourself. It ain’t over yet.
2023.06.05 05:36 ColoHusker Moving/clear out sale, mostly tools, woodworking, remodeling items
If you are interested in something, lmk and I can send or upload pics and pull model numbers. If you are interested in a bunch, we can setup a time to come by.
Sometime the week of 6/12 whatever is left will be donated to the tool library/maker spaces/Habitat Restore.
Corded power tools in great shape with storage cases if they came with them.
submitted by ColoHusker to denverlist [link] [comments]
Sometime the week of 6/12 whatever is left will be donated to the tool library/maker spaces/Habitat Restore.
Corded power tools in great shape with storage cases if they came with them.
- Makita 5007MG 7 1/4" circular saw + a variety of blades, several brand new
- HPT corded 1/2 drill
- HPT grinder, brand new
- Dewalt sawzall
- B&D Jigsaw
- Belt Sander
- Bosch fixed & plunged base router kit, opened but never used. Includes a dozen or so router bits.
- 12 inch Hitache dual bevel compound mitre saw + custom rolling base & cabinet with 4 foot foldable extensions (one for each side)
- 12 inch harbor frieight compound mitre saw used for a few cuts
- Tons of 12 inch blades, lightly used or brand new
- 1 rockwell oscillating saw
- 1 oscillating saw (forget brand, acquired at costco)
- Several dozen new oscillating saw blades
- 20 year old craftsman 1/2 inch drill, well used but very reliable
- Dewalt D24000S 10" wet saw with blade, clean water bucket, pump, slides, stand, power source, etc.
- Delta 10" contractor table saw model 34-444. Original fence & rails as well as 50" biesemeyer clone, blade guard, etc. Cast iron table is perfectly flat, unpitted, no rust. Includes original stamped wings in good shape. It's the last model made in USA before Delta closed the tupelo plant. Tons of blades including Forrester Woodworker II (needs manufacturer reconditioning which is like $75 + shipping), varios Freud blades (new & lightly used) & some Diable blades
- Older Delta DC-380 15" four poster planer in good shape & working, dust extraction hookup & feed tables. Needs plug replaced as it was damaged when relocating. Will consider it a part out piece if I cannot replace plug before you come to look at it.
- Older craftsman radial arm saw on mobile base, + 7 or so blades
- Porter Cable 16, 18, finish nailer & pin nailer pneumatic nailers
- tons of unused nails
- Porter Cable 5 gallon oilless compressor, lightly used
- Sanborn Magna Force 25 gallon oil compressor, good shape. Needs the regulator knob replaced ($40 part online) but working otherwise
- Several air compressor cords, various lenghts 10 ft to 50 ft.
- HPT stapler & staples
- Freeman pneumatic flooring nailer, opened never used.
- Ramset w/ nails & powder cartridges
- 1400 - 1600 sq ft of 3/4 inch x 3.25 inch rustic white oak solid hardwood flooring, new in bundles. A couple bundles were opened. Includes a dozen packs or so of oak splines, possibly underlayment.
- A variety of stain-grade wood including red oak, white oak, maple, poplar, hickory, walnut. Mostly oaks & maple (some but not much tigeburled maple). It's all full dimension 1x1, 1x2, 1x3 in 8'-16' lengths for cabinet face frames. Stacked together, it would be 6-8' tall x 2.5' wide. Most of it is longer lengths.
- Can include a lumber storage shelf that is 16' l x 3' w x 12'.
- Large chemical resistant work table & base, 3'x7'
- 20 or so rough sawn 1x6 or 1x8 ~16' local blue stain pine boards.
- A dozen or so pairs of Bessey 3/4 inch pipe clamps, 4-8' long
- A few pairs of 1/2 pipe clamps, 4' long
- 8 pair folding saw horses
- Never installed 60" inch vanity, white with separate molded counter & sinks. Will include delta faucets new in box if I still have them
- Several vanity style mirrors 2x4
- Black granite single basin large & deep sink with American Standard garbage disposal & kohler commercial style pull down faucet (stainless). Installed then pulled. I think the sink is Frankie. Never caulked in & I believe we have the top mount & flush mount hardware & cut templates.
- Also have a matching black granite baprep sink. Opened, never used. Includes installation templates, etc. Frankie brand
- American standard garbage disposal new in box
- New door handles, hinges, hardware in aged bronze (color matched to Kwikset handles & Delta fixtures). Also matching curtain rods, other hardware, new. Also some matching 3 or 4 light wall mount light fixtures.
- Paper backed bat insulation for 2x4 & 2x6 exterior walls. Never opened.
- Never installed light grey large format tiles, enough for 1.5 5' tub surrounds (front, back, side)
- Bunch of 4" mdf trim 8' or 10' lengths. New
- 2 pair extendible/adjustable halogen work lights (2 lights each)
- Set of 2 year old LG stainless steel kitchen appliances. 25 cu ft fridge, gas range + gas convection oven, dishwasher. Verifying length left on extended warranty.
- 36 inch black range hood exhaust. Opened never installed.
- Whirlpool commercial standup garage freezer, 28 cu ft, white, approximately 12 years old. Great shape.
- Danby 20ish cu ft garage freezer, 2 years old.
- 20 year old whirlpool clothes washer & dryer. Well maintained, 3 year old heater core. Washer has a $4 coupling (still available on amazon) that has to be replaced every 7 years or so. $20 because nobody ever seems to take it when it's "free"
- Dozens of new work/old work outlet boxes
- New circuit breakers for GE panels including AFCI & 80-100W breakers
- 14 gauge romex rolls, 100' or 250'
- Heavy duty 25' electrical cords, used for 20 amp tools
- 2 spool of cat 6 ethernet. About 150' on each. Will include fishtape, pull rods, connectors & pull reiliefs, crimp tools, line testers, etc.
- A 2 post network rack, full sized
- Server cabinet, full-sized with fans.
- Rackmount power ports
- 2 24-port gigabit switches (Cisco). I believe they are POE. Will verify when I get the model #s
- 6' x 2' x 7' steel adjustable storage shelf. Great shape used for steel/metal storage, never been able to overload.
- Various other wood/basement storage shelving sized for 45 gallon storage tubs. 6-8 long, 8' tall
- T5 grow adjustable shelf with 3 @ 4'x8' T8 light fixtures. Can convert to LED by removing the ballasts. Built out of pine 1x4s.
- Folding 3'x6' Costco composite table
- Solid Oak child's low dressor & high dressor. Painted white.. Needs a bit of cleanup but built like a tank.
- 6-8 foot i-beam & box levels, like new
- Ridgid shop vac
- Husqvarna battery operated string trimmer with charger, string
- Worx corded blowevac
- Dozens of unopened caulk & sealent.
- Several pieces of new 4'x8' 1/2 & 5/8 inch drywall
- 28' warner aluminum extension ladder
- several aluminum or fiberglass extension & step ladders 10-18 feet
- Plumbing tools
- Oreck XL Gold stand up vacuum
- Several Cabela's rod with various bait casting or spin casting reals. Spooled & ready.
- Pair of harbor freight loading ramps, 7.5' long
- Heavy duty furniture dolly & wheeled furniture movers
- A number 5 gallon buckets of SW paint in grey & white (interior & exterior). Never opened. Will include buckets & filters to screen/box paint. -- Need to reinventory as some paint walked off. Will update 06/05/2023
- Tons of new roller covers/brushes purdey & wooster mostly
- Some heavy duty paint tarps, a few large rolls of plastic drop cloth
2023.06.05 05:10 dirtiehippie710 Any way I could laundry strip in our top loading washer?
 | submitted by dirtiehippie710 to CleaningTips [link] [comments] |
2023.06.05 04:33 smolcrackheadenergy TWICE's Between 1&2 💞 11th Mini Album Review
Hello, kpopthoughts! Originally this was posted in twice but one of my friends said I should crosspost it here — so here this album review is.
And yes, this is 9 months late 😭 I'm not sorry — when I find an album review online it's always around a paragraph per song or even shorter. It makes sense from a journalistic perspective, but I want to do this album justice, hence taking 7 months to write out all my thoughts.
This shit is comprehensive and definitely overanalyzed, especially in Talk that Talk and Trouble. Each song review will compose of my commentary, noting the details I noticed through months of listening, then a conclusion. Also, mild swearing warning, I like implementing a touch of "French" when I'm very emotional about something. Anyway, onto the review!
TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT
TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED
One of the most perfect TWICE songs.
I think this is one of TWICE’s best-sounding title tracks. Warm modulated synths, a thrumming bass line, distant bells, shimmering synths — the purpose of this song is to be fun and my god is it excellent at it, like, Sana and Chaeyoung are saying knock-knock-knock and beep-beep-beep as if they’re some kind of car. So much fun.
Further along in the verse, Dahyun’s voice sounds so full and smooth with that layered harmony. Tzuyu coming with the Yes or Yes, Push & Pull, and 1 to 10 references — these are 5 years of song references. And Jeongyeon closes the pre-chorus accompanied by a rising synth to drop into chorus one. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
The drums accelerate, the synths start blasting, and Jihyo opens to that party of a chorus with her godly vocals,
During Sana's Talk that Talk~ lines there’s this gentle ascending synth bell that rings with the descending melody and it sounds absolutely gorgeous. And the choreography during that part of the chorus is so so so so fun: the talking hands bit, spelling L-O-V-E, concluding with the deullyeojweo ooh! Oh my Jihyo the deullyeojweo ooh…
Have I mentioned this song is fun?
Speeding through verse 2; Chaeyoung’s part with the cat ears popping in the music video is adorable; Momo her stretching her arms out looks so damn cool; and Dahyun with her replay part sounds so lovely — although I think it sonically sounds a touch random, it makes sense thematically.
And now for this pre-chorus. Mina and Jihyo leading into it sound great BUT JEONGYEON… Now, she is my ult bias, and this pre-chorus sounds almost identical to the first one, but the way she holds that final note, inflecting and holding that now~ for one more beat before the chorus drops sounds so perfect — the song teeters on a cliff edge. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
Dropping into the second chorus and man the way Nayeon delivers it just hits different. She has this indescribable “pop” voice (I promise this wasn't on purpose) that shouts out loud that this is THE chorus. This is especially apparent in how both lead their choruses where Jihyo starts at 120% power while Nayeon waits until [Tell me] WHAT YOU WANT to full-send it. The production also helps with this effect, cutting out during what you to emphasize Nayeon's voice before crashing back down, double the pause at Jihyo's intro.
Another deullyeojweo ooh! Nayeon travels to Narnia, and Mina the engineer strikes again in this heavenly, underwater-esque bridge,
The word “love” is said for the first time in the song. There’s a funky keyboard instrument behind Chaeyoung’s part. Jihyo, Chaeyoung, and Nayeon take the initiative in their lyrics, professing their love before closing the bridge.
And now for the pièce-de-résistance: this final double chorus is exceptional — 40 seconds of crack-laced euphoria; Jihyo switches up the chorus and the choreo, Dahyun chimes in with her fluttery Talk that Talk, Momo comes out of nowhere with oh yeah it sounds so good! — you’re damn right it does, and this is where the song SOARS.
Nayeon outright shouts Tell me what you need and then Jeongyeon sings the above lines in such an ethereal, warm way where the first line ascends while the second descends, causing a lull in the song before the finale with Tzuyu and Nayeon, finishing off the song with the final deullyeojweo ooh!
What a party. What a song.
THE GOOD
Lyrics and theme-wise, if this were to have been TWICE’s last comeback, they’ve once again built upon the theme they've been doing since debut: a Bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story.
This song’s chorus is honest yet simple; it asks the listener, in this case, the other half of the relationship, to be more upfront and open with their love (never be scared of love), that before the relationship can continue and flourish, there has to be a foundation and commitment of love between each other.
TWICE debuted with a song about making your crush go ooh ahh. Years later, they started pondering What is Love? and imagining their crush responding with Yes when asking them out — and now concluding with the phrase Talk that Talk, [Talk that] L-O-V-E, being upfront with the relationship, wishing their partner to also be happy, to commit to them, to feel the love that they want to impart on them. From gawking like ooh-ahh to talking out your shared love like adults — to having a true relationship between (one and) two.
And can I just say before finishing off Talk that Talk's review that this is such a fun and repeatable song with many little intricacies hidden in the nonet’s vocals and the song's production. This is the third draft I’m writing about Talk that Talk and its original word count pretty much quadrupled.
Harkening back to TWICE’s roots by combining mature thinking with youthful character, an incredible ending to look forward to, and just simply being a club-banger that’s easy to listen to, TTT is an easy 10/10.
WATCH ME GO WATCH ME GO
RULE THE WORLD
If there was one B-side to promote in a live clip, this was a solid choice.
Helmed by LDN Noise going headlong into the Western boy-group rock-band aesthetic, Queen of Hearts is a boom-boom-clap song through and through. The drums are very prominent throughout the song, only giving room to riffs of electric guitar in the chorus to drive and continue the momentum of the music.
And speaking of the chorus, vocal line each got a chorus to flex and they did not fuck around,
Cymbals crashing, drums booming, and 3MIX belting all just so sound so good.
These long, held-out notes performed by Jihyo and Nayeon are simply exquisite. Along with the shredding guitar, the drum set coming in full, and the interludes by Dahyun, Momo, and Chaeyoung, this is the part of the song that always, always, gives me goosebumps — it sounds so visceral, so energetic, so fun, so triumphant. Boom-boom-clap songs can be hit or miss with people, but there's no denying the payoff from the first part of the chorus to the second part is worth the wait.
The theme of the song so far has been kind of spread around the song. The chorus alludes to it with the line And it’s all because of you. But Mina shows more sides of it in the second verse, especially with the phrase,
It sounds really lovely — in a very cheesy and affectionate kind of way, as it rightfully should — the song is about the girls and their fans. But the bridge is where the song indeed shows its colours
This is a song CONCEIVED TO BE PERFORMED FOR THE FANS. It’s meant to be loud. It’s meant to be unapologetic. It’s meant to be sappy. And it’s all the more wonderful for it.
This is the TWICEiest shit ever.
Like Talk that Talk, Queen of Hearts also has a killer closer. The production already started to grow from the bridge, but now the guitarist finally went Super Saiyan and instead of supporting the drums, they both take the centre stage in tandem.
Then finally, the closing moments of the song even manage to squeeze in some more sappiness.
I still can’t believe that this banger is a FAN SONG out of all things. Truly, the TWICEiest shit ever.
THE GOOD
I love these types of rock songs with how grunge and head-bang-able they are, there is just a certain nostalgic and cheesy quality to them that feels so cozy. I don’t love putting them on repeat, because in this case, I do believe there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Perhaps more shredding, maybe a guitar solo to rock out to, or an accompaniment(!) of ad-libs from 3MIX to support Jihyo’s final chorus? A ONCE can dream of a truly bombastic rock song from TWICE. But then again that distracts from the core of what this song is: a fan song disguised as a rock song.
Queen of Hearts has so much sweetness in its lyrics and message that it's overflowing. The drums, guitar, and vocals can be as loud and intricate as they can, but the theme of this song is what makes it special from TWICE’s other rock songs — it’s a 9/10 for me.
I WANNA WANNA WANNA
TAKE YOU TO THE BASICS
Quite possibly the jammiest (pun intended) song of the album.
A song written by the Strawberry Princess herself — an event similar in frequency to other artists' releases with her last song being 2020’s silky Handle It — Basics first starts with an understated and dreamy delivery. After the first stanza, however, a bouncy Miami bass line emerges, revealing the true nature of the song: this is a classic summer bop! Especially in the first rap,
Syllables are pronounced in a relaxed nature, bars often starting with an "ah" sound, flirty lines in English — this rap features a production full of pop with R&B flourishes and, in my opinion, this is Chaeyoung’s bag. Also, the line rainbow bubblegum is so adorable and so Chaeyoung.
That chorus is pure pop with a Miami bass backing; you better be bopping your head to the melody, if not booty poppin' to the bassline. Chaeyoung loves rhyming in the first half of the chorus to enhance its catchiness and it's damn incredible: wanna, weonhae, and ppeonhae all create these imperfect rhymes that continue momentum without feeling repetitive.
After the very Boy With Luv-sounding ah yeah ah yeah, ah yeah ah yeah comes an 8-bar split half and half between Chaeyoung and Momo. Coming from the chorus, the production completely cuts out for the first 2 bars. This adds tension; the song yearns to have that bass beat thumping again and all we have in the audio space in those 2 bars is Chaeyoung spittin' and she delivered.
Translating to:
The rap feels slick, effortless, and confident. Her diction remains sharp when enunciating each syllable but she doesn’t let the flow of her rap waver or build as her 4 bars go by, it’s just smooth consistency throughout. Even the lyrics possess an aura of laid-back collectedness that is just so her. The things Chaeyoung can do when given her pen.
THE GOOD
This song is summer bliss distilled into 2:56. It’s dreamy, the raps are satisfying, and the ending is charming. I will say that although the second half of the song adds the stunning spaceship post-choruses and a floaty bridge with an incredible drumbeat drop into the final chorus, the raps of the song make it feel a bit front-loaded. And in an album stacked with awesome finishers, it feels more apparent.
With that said, it’s an 8/10 bop for me. This song is so easy to put on and it feels exactly what Chaeyoung would make if given the reins to produce a pop song all on her own. The lyrics are nonchalant but full of conviction, the wordplay is intricate, and the production playful but not too bombastic — it's just a nice vibe. Songs like Basics are the standard for good, simple, repeatable pop music and I’m happy that Chaeyoung got to test her pen in this genre.
BABY WE’RE IN
TROUBLE TROUBLE
Produced by Jihyo and earattack
One of the most enjoyable songs I’ve heard in a while.
There is an underlying tension within the first 4 bars of the song, Jihyo and Nayeon confidently open it to a nondescript array of synths and then the stanza ends, Momo announces Let’s go, the beat drops and it hits you: this is a club song.
Dahyun's relaxed delivery contrasting with Jeongyeon's staccato flow, the wobbly synth beat mixed with a sprinkle of house piano, Sana dramatically slowing down the song only for Tzuyu to build it back up until the chorus drops,
This chorus is perfect. Toronto’s residential market needs this song injected into its veins because god damn this song has SO much house in it. And then, ANOTHER KILLING PART: this rap fucking slaps.
During the first 2 bars, Chaeyoung is keeping it calm because that trip of a chorus just ended and the song needs a breather, but I don't think anyone expected her to SNAP this hard afterwards:
Below is the structure of her this portion of the rap, I’m not that well versed in this technical aspect of music theory but I digress, this is all in the span of around 5 seconds where it’s:
Now, 25/5 = 5 syllables per second isn’t groundbreaking, but goddamn it these 2 bars sound so nice — if there is one part in this album that I always repeat, it’s this. The addition of that first quadruplet for cannot miss this in the midst of the triplets sticks out and accelerates the flow of the rap while the following doublets and quadruplets destabilize and slow the rap down as the verse closes. And can I just point out:
THE MAIN VOCALIST WROTE, DIRECTED, AND COMPOSED THIS SONG ‼
Chaeyoung of course delivered the fuck out of her verse but THIS is what you get when you have a member not only write the words they’re saying but also the melody and flow with which they sing it, when that member knows the others so well that when they write a song they know how to make the group exceed. This is what you get when the artists you stan love doing artist shit.
And. AND. That's not all — with how much I mentioned I love a good outro to close a song, this outro slaps as well:
Like, come on, Nayeon’s imitating a police siren for crying out loud. And this is all after her ad-libs in the final post-chorus; after the pianist going full tilt and playing that piano as if it was their last chance to ever play; after that final T W I C E chant by all the members come these blissful 20 seconds at the very end. What a song.
THE GOOD
Need I say more, easy 9/10. The only reason I place Talk that Talk above Trouble is because of what that song represents but besides that, this is one of the best “international” sounds they’ve put out. Actually, I haven’t listened to Eyes wide open in a while but this song is up there with one of the most sonically pleasing pieces of work they’ve done.
Clubbing TWICE has always been a thing since TT was birthed in 2016, and has been a staple of their discography since 2019’s Fancy You and Feel Special mini albums, but Trouble unapologetically dives into and fits the house genre so well you’d think that this is TWICE’s bread and butter sound.
Trouble is Jihyo’s magnum opus. What a song.
BRAVE BRAVE BRAVE
FOR YOU
I first thought this was just a good song, then I read the lyrics.
Gentle guitar plucks, shimmering synths, a distant keyboard in the right ear, in the left a glockenspiel, the melodic oohs from the members — this song is PRETTY.
Mina and Chaeyoung open the song with how they feel lonely, that it's hard to breathe and now suddenly the song feels bittersweet — I was not expecting the song to become this emotional. Brave describes a situation where the singer is in a darker place in life and it isn't until another person gives them hope by calling them Brave that they find the drive to keep going.
Once the chorus hits, the melodies pick up, more guitars get added — there’s even an electric guitar hidden in the mix somewhere, and the song drops the emotional front to reveal a mid-tempo pop song to dance to while crying in the club. The song as a whole still carries this melancholy feeling, but now with the added support of the chorus, acting as a light amongst the gloom.
Continuing on in the second verse there's this gorgeous, well-placed break in the song that just lets it settle after that chorus. Only a seasoned producer would risk this much empty space in a song and Slow Rabbit went to fill those shoes.
Back to the chorus, I'll take this moment to once again commend Slow Rabbit with the mixing of the song, because 4MIX undoubtedly sounds good in the chorus, and the interludes from Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Mina also sound really good, but the clear highlight of the choruses are these lines:
Momo, Sana, and Tzuyu form this beautiful, surprisingly catchy, second half of the chorus accompanied by a guitar drop. It should not turn out this well with how conflicting the "na"s are with the guitar melody but it creates this gentle bopping ebb and flow that feels so lush and mellow.
Diving into the bridge reveals that the listener of the song is revealed not only capable of supporting the singer through direct words but also through their thoughts and dreams. As can be discerned, this can be a song interpreted to be about ONCEs, about how they push TWICE to be their best selves despite the breathless hardships they face. It's a very sweet and touching song.
THE GOOD
I’m actually spoiled with the TWICE members’ easy-to-understand songwriting that when a song like this pops up where it's not written by a member and the thematic bits are mostly in Korean, I tend to put it aside in favour of the other songs on the album. And, especially for a song focusing on a theme like this where the English phrases don’t do the Korean lyrics enough justice, it does place a bit of a barrier on the listening experience, dropping it down to a 7/10 from an 8/10.
With that anecdote out of the way, this song is just such a vibe, man. I know that sounds super hippy to say but Brave is so mellow and smooth that I can’t help but sway a little when that chorus hits. And then I remember what the lyrics say and I tear up a bit on the inside. This song is so pure, raw, and full of heart — we need more songs like these where they just reminisce about life while putting up an upbeat front. Don't mind me just crying while dancing the night away.
With that said, this isn't the first time this theme has been sung by TWICE either, they've long trodden this path of supportive, confiding, up-lifting songs with Young & Wild, Rainbow, Queen, Go Hard, Depend on You, even this album's Queen of Hearts, and, of course, Feel Special. Brave just adds another on top of an already stacked lineup, unique with its mellow somberness.
Also now feels like a good time to get into my rating system:
I SEE THE LIES
ON THE TIP OF YOUR TONGUE
Who the fuck pissed off Dubu this time??
It’s getting quite rare to see TWICE pull off brand new sounds because, with now 190 original songs under their belt as of this review, they’ve done so many genres and sub-genres varying from hyper pop, to bossa nova, to whatever 2020’s Go Hard is. So it’s surprising to see they’ve still got tricks up their sleeves and Gone is one of them.
The song starts with strings swinging back and forth and vocal chops dancing from ear to ear, teasing what’s yet to come. Jihyo enters the song with a whisper and the song sets its pace. A stagnant drum pad moves the song along and typical song progression would have Mina continue the build, but — it doesn’t. The song simmers, adding a hint of high hat to the pot. And then Sana and Tzuyu come on and surely the buildup must boil over right?
Silence, until…
The strings emerge again on full blast, the simmer rolls to a boil, and the anger of the song is revealed,
The singer is so scorned and burned from this relationship that they reminisce about all the effort they’ve put in since the beginning, but their “partner” is so unconcerned that they’ve just about had enough of the relationship altogether.
This has been Dahyun’s thing since 2020’s Bring It Back, 2021’s Cruel, 2022’s That’s all I’m saying, and even 2023's Don't Blame It On Me — emotionally charged breakup songs that make you feel as if she’s survived through a dozen bad relationships. Dispatch, do try to do your job better.
Another highlight of the song is the post-chorus going into the bridge. This segment reiterates the structure from the first post-chorus — a barrage of drums supported by the rhythmic strumming of a bass guitar along with a consistent synth filling out the soundscape. But this time, it’s Dahyun and Chaeyoung on the rap:
Building upon the disrespected theme of the song, Dahyun notes that she’s finally had enough with Chaeyoung adding that there’s no point salvaging what love was once there. Momo and Dahyun round it off by telling the listener that there’s no point trying to reason with them or playing naive, they fucked up and there’s no coming back.
Can I just say, it's a bit of a shame that Chaeyoung’s rapping popped off in this album while Dahyun only has this one verse that she shares with Chaeyoung, but it just sounds so good how Dahyun eases in after the chorus with her light rapping tone transitioning into her singing. She even holds the Gone in a little crescendo for some added pizzazz.
And, there’s no way I’m not going to talk about Momo’s vocals in this bridge. Damned if she only got 1 line to use it in, her lower register is incredible. She sounds so smooth singing in this tone. All of TWICE do in particular and there is nary a weak vocal performance in this album.
To close the song off, a wash of synths gets to have their shine in the spotlight, showered with Nayeon’s belting, signifying the dramatic and drawn-out conclusion of this partnership.
THE GOOD
Going back to that point about the first post-chorus as a whole; songs that have the production continue unchanged into the post-chorus/2nd verse are very hit or miss for me — see TWICE's Don't Call Me Again for an overbearing example. The post-chorus going into the bridge contrasts Dahyun’s light tone nicely with the hard-hitting production, continuing the energy until it slowly fades into silence at the end of the bridge.
Back to the song as a whole, as much as TWICE has been experimenting with their sound for the past 4 years now, I’m happy they’re still finding new ways to explore what they’re capable of. And for that alone, even though I’m not a big fan of songs like these where they rely on sounding “big”, Dahyun’s lyricism and the thrill I receive every time I indulge myself in this song elevates it to an 8/10. Keep on breaking hearts, Dubu.
INVINCIBLE
SUPERHEROES
Press play to reminisce, pull up lyrics to cry.
This song is so beautiful. I’m totally not writing this song review, crying on the bus reminiscing about my childhood, while just having turned 21. I don’t know if these are happy or sad tears but this song is so beautiful either way.
Warm synths, muted piano, a gentle high hat, the younger members starting off the song — this has to be up there for one of the softest TWICE songs ever. And as it should, it’s one of the TWICEiest songs ever. And then Nayeon comes in:
The chords start swelling, the high hat keeps pace, and the harmonies pour in.
Jihyo takes up the second half of the chorus as it drops, trading the strings for an almost R&B synth production — if choir R&B takes off, this song started it. The song relishes in this cacophony of warm sounds until returning to its sparse and peaceful verses.
This time, the hints of piano are louder, little twinkling synths begin to shimmer, the drum buildup comes and Jeongyeon drives the song straight into the chorus. No time for the strings to build like in Nayeon’s — this song loves its chorus so much.
And I'll just take this time to appreciate the amount and range of Jeongyeon vocals in this album. Her voice is so textured, stable, and projected — but also more tender and soft compared to the more pronounced tones of Nayeon and Jihyo.
The bridge comes in, repeating the phrase:
Giving the song time to rest, before building back up to the last chorus — this time led by Jihyo, completing the 3MIX trifecta. And interestingly enough, Chaeyoung follows up in the second half of the chorus, rather than another member of the vocal line. She really did pop off in this album.
As the last chorus begins to close, the percussion at its strongest, the harmonies on blast, the background vocals cranked up to their Sunday best, is the song going to end? Of course not! This is an album full of banger endings as if the songs don’t want to end, and When We Were Kids being the album closer very much indulges in that feeling.
After a brief refrain, accented by Nayeon’s high note with a touch of vibrato, the song almost dives back into a fourth chorus. Nayeon and Jeongyeon harmonize — a rare and heavenly moment. And the song repeats the bridge, reiterating that they want to meet their younger selves, this time with the lush chorus production before closing with silence, a few piano notes, and Tzuyu singing the last line of the song:
Reflection, acceptance, hope. What a song.
THE GOOD
I wrote the first part of this review in November 2022. Then university, life, and other things got in the way of my headspace for me to feel confident about wrapping all of this up. In a way, I felt like I just didn’t want this review to end because of the joy that writing gives me — I didn’t want the happiness to end. And then it hit me, after watching a YouTuber rank animated movies and them placing Spirited Away at the top and explaining 'why' reminded me of just how important growing up is, and by extension this song.
This theme is important for both the rookie TWICE members in 2015 and the teenagers who would follow their journey and grow up with them, facing life’s obstacles along the way. Hardships that used to only involve family, crushes, and social media, evolve into work, commitments and all the struggles that adult life brings. Being a kid and enjoying the simple things in life is one of the most sought-after moments we want to relive because we took growing up for granted. The only thing we can do now is look back on ourselves with fondness and rose-tinted lenses.
TWICE’s original meaning was to resonate with people through their senses and their hearts. That was during their debut, and I think it still holds up today. In my opinion, touching people through their emotions is what TWICE does best and makes them one of K-pop’s all-time greats. It was never about having the best numbers — it was about being the best idols. And to think that this journey of maturation and growth would occur from 2015 all the way to this song, being a fitting nod to TWICE’s 7th anniversary, I don’t think anyone at the company nor the group would ever imagine that they would get this far. It’s these nine women or none — 9/10.
This song honestly deserves a 10/10 with how much I noticed other people reminiscing their childhoods after I heard this song, it is such a widely-relatable message, but I am determined to limit myself to one 10/10 song per album and if I were to pick between TTT and WWWK, I'd give it to the one's that's more repeatable — Talk that Talk just has this electric energy about it.
I love this album. It got me through some important parts of my life, both good and bad, and it's just a wonderful listen throughout. Reliving this album again before finally completing the review has been an exciting journey. Brave hit me harder this time, after being overshadowed by the other gems of this album, and WWWK finally got me to tear up and not just be emotionally satisfied.
I feel like there's something for everyone on this album. From the exhilarating thrills of TTT to the anthemic euphoria of QoH, the clubbing dichotomy of Trouble and Brave to the blissful glee of Basics, and the sweet reminiscence of WWWK to the thundering anger that is Gone. Like Eyes wide open, I liken Between 1&2 to a pop music taste platter — there's such an eclectic mix of pop music in this album that there's bound to be a song that someone will love, like, and dislike.
Is this album perfect? I don't think so, but it's close — it was certainly my 2022 AOTY. Was this review biased? Absolutely. I've been a fan since 2019 and with the themes in this album, I also feel like it was biased towards me as a ONCE. And how would I rank the album in TWICE's catalogue? It's honestly at the top, at least with EPs — I also felt that way towards Feel Special but then this album was birthed so I'm excited for TWICE's future.
Ready To Be was also a stunning album and Eyes wide open frankly also deserved the spotlight that Formula of Love received so I might hit those next but no promises; this album took long enough to bake.
As for the performances, I've only seen Twitter clips (no fancams to not spoil myself) and I am SO EXCITED to finally see them in July. QoH was as glorious as expected, Brave was a delightful surprise, and WWWK, while not being the concert closer everyone expected it to be, paired up nicely with Crazy Stupid Love. And of course the bombastic addition of the dance break to TTT. But, this is not a concert review, and here is where this album review ends.
Feel free to comment with any thoughts regarding the album, other TWICE albums, and any suggestions for my writing in general. Congrats again on making it this far!
God, I love this album.
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Intro
To preface the review, I just need to say that this is going to be a very long read. Going through it myself for the fun of it takes around 30 minutes — it's almost 7k words, including lyrical references. So for the best experience, listen to the album beforehand to understand what the hell I was thinking when I wrote this, play the album while reading, and set a good amount of time aside.And yes, this is 9 months late 😭 I'm not sorry — when I find an album review online it's always around a paragraph per song or even shorter. It makes sense from a journalistic perspective, but I want to do this album justice, hence taking 7 months to write out all my thoughts.
This shit is comprehensive and definitely overanalyzed, especially in Talk that Talk and Trouble. Each song review will compose of my commentary, noting the details I noticed through months of listening, then a conclusion. Also, mild swearing warning, I like implementing a touch of "French" when I'm very emotional about something. Anyway, onto the review!
Between 1&2 💞
Album Review
TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT
TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED
Talk that Talk 🎙
Producers by collapsedone and MRCH
One of the most perfect TWICE songs.
I think this is one of TWICE’s best-sounding title tracks. Warm modulated synths, a thrumming bass line, distant bells, shimmering synths — the purpose of this song is to be fun and my god is it excellent at it, like, Sana and Chaeyoung are saying knock-knock-knock and beep-beep-beep as if they’re some kind of car. So much fun.
Further along in the verse, Dahyun’s voice sounds so full and smooth with that layered harmony. Tzuyu coming with the Yes or Yes, Push & Pull, and 1 to 10 references — these are 5 years of song references. And Jeongyeon closes the pre-chorus accompanied by a rising synth to drop into chorus one. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
The drums accelerate, the synths start blasting, and Jihyo opens to that party of a chorus with her godly vocals,
Tell me what you want
Tell me what you need
A to Z da malhaebwa
But shijageun ireoke have
Talk that Talk ttak han madi
Talk that Talk L-O-V-E
deullyeojweo ooh
Now now now now now yeah~
During Sana's Talk that Talk~ lines there’s this gentle ascending synth bell that rings with the descending melody and it sounds absolutely gorgeous. And the choreography during that part of the chorus is so so so so fun: the talking hands bit, spelling L-O-V-E, concluding with the deullyeojweo ooh! Oh my Jihyo the deullyeojweo ooh…
Have I mentioned this song is fun?
Speeding through verse 2; Chaeyoung’s part with the cat ears popping in the music video is adorable; Momo her stretching her arms out looks so damn cool; and Dahyun with her replay part sounds so lovely — although I think it sonically sounds a touch random, it makes sense thematically.
And now for this pre-chorus. Mina and Jihyo leading into it sound great BUT JEONGYEON… Now, she is my ult bias, and this pre-chorus sounds almost identical to the first one, but the way she holds that final note, inflecting and holding that now~ for one more beat before the chorus drops sounds so perfect — the song teeters on a cliff edge. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
Dropping into the second chorus and man the way Nayeon delivers it just hits different. She has this indescribable “pop” voice (I promise this wasn't on purpose) that shouts out loud that this is THE chorus. This is especially apparent in how both lead their choruses where Jihyo starts at 120% power while Nayeon waits until [Tell me] WHAT YOU WANT to full-send it. The production also helps with this effect, cutting out during what you to emphasize Nayeon's voice before crashing back down, double the pause at Jihyo's intro.
Another deullyeojweo ooh! Nayeon travels to Narnia, and Mina the engineer strikes again in this heavenly, underwater-esque bridge,
The simple words “I love you”
That’s all I wanna hear
Without hesitation, I’ll go up to you
I’ll make it simple
And just tell you I love you
The word “love” is said for the first time in the song. There’s a funky keyboard instrument behind Chaeyoung’s part. Jihyo, Chaeyoung, and Nayeon take the initiative in their lyrics, professing their love before closing the bridge.
And now for the pièce-de-résistance: this final double chorus is exceptional — 40 seconds of crack-laced euphoria; Jihyo switches up the chorus and the choreo, Dahyun chimes in with her fluttery Talk that Talk, Momo comes out of nowhere with oh yeah it sounds so good! — you’re damn right it does, and this is where the song SOARS.
han beon deo~ haejweo
geurae banggeum geu mal~
Nayeon outright shouts Tell me what you need and then Jeongyeon sings the above lines in such an ethereal, warm way where the first line ascends while the second descends, causing a lull in the song before the finale with Tzuyu and Nayeon, finishing off the song with the final deullyeojweo ooh!
What a party. What a song.
THE GOOD
- The synths of all time
- The chimes during Talk-that-talk~
- Jeongyeon’s pre-chorus going into Nayeon’s chorus
- Rich harmonies and fun ad-libs
- The entirety of that magical final chorus and outro
- The opening hook (Tell me what you want) and accompanying choreography could be “catchier”
- Singing (and dancing) my heart out when this song played at a K-pop club
Lyrics and theme-wise, if this were to have been TWICE’s last comeback, they’ve once again built upon the theme they've been doing since debut: a Bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story.
This song’s chorus is honest yet simple; it asks the listener, in this case, the other half of the relationship, to be more upfront and open with their love (never be scared of love), that before the relationship can continue and flourish, there has to be a foundation and commitment of love between each other.
TWICE debuted with a song about making your crush go ooh ahh. Years later, they started pondering What is Love? and imagining their crush responding with Yes when asking them out — and now concluding with the phrase Talk that Talk, [Talk that] L-O-V-E, being upfront with the relationship, wishing their partner to also be happy, to commit to them, to feel the love that they want to impart on them. From gawking like ooh-ahh to talking out your shared love like adults — to having a true relationship between (one and) two.
And can I just say before finishing off Talk that Talk's review that this is such a fun and repeatable song with many little intricacies hidden in the nonet’s vocals and the song's production. This is the third draft I’m writing about Talk that Talk and its original word count pretty much quadrupled.
Harkening back to TWICE’s roots by combining mature thinking with youthful character, an incredible ending to look forward to, and just simply being a club-banger that’s easy to listen to, TTT is an easy 10/10.
WATCH ME GO WATCH ME GO
RULE THE WORLD
Queen of Hearts 👑
Produced by LDN Noise
If there was one B-side to promote in a live clip, this was a solid choice.
Helmed by LDN Noise going headlong into the Western boy-group rock-band aesthetic, Queen of Hearts is a boom-boom-clap song through and through. The drums are very prominent throughout the song, only giving room to riffs of electric guitar in the chorus to drive and continue the momentum of the music.
And speaking of the chorus, vocal line each got a chorus to flex and they did not fuck around,
You ain’t ready for it
Watch me go~ watch me go~
Rule the world
Know you never doubted baby
I’mma go run the whole universe~
Cymbals crashing, drums booming, and 3MIX belting all just so sound so good.
Baby I was born to rule~~
Yeah I’m the Queen, I’m the Queen
And it’s all because of you~~
That I’m the Queen of Hearts
These long, held-out notes performed by Jihyo and Nayeon are simply exquisite. Along with the shredding guitar, the drum set coming in full, and the interludes by Dahyun, Momo, and Chaeyoung, this is the part of the song that always, always, gives me goosebumps — it sounds so visceral, so energetic, so fun, so triumphant. Boom-boom-clap songs can be hit or miss with people, but there's no denying the payoff from the first part of the chorus to the second part is worth the wait.
The theme of the song so far has been kind of spread around the song. The chorus alludes to it with the line And it’s all because of you. But Mina shows more sides of it in the second verse, especially with the phrase,
And now that I’m surrounded by all my girls
We be shining bright like diamonds and pearls
It sounds really lovely — in a very cheesy and affectionate kind of way, as it rightfully should — the song is about the girls and their fans. But the bridge is where the song indeed shows its colours
Screaming out my name
See it in the stage lights
Feel so lucky just to have ya
Cause I know deep down I was meant for something bigger! Greater!
I know you’re seeing what I see
Yeah I’ll be everything you need
I know I’m gonna walk the walk
And talk the talk to be~ [the Queen of Hearts]
This is a song CONCEIVED TO BE PERFORMED FOR THE FANS. It’s meant to be loud. It’s meant to be unapologetic. It’s meant to be sappy. And it’s all the more wonderful for it.
This is the TWICEiest shit ever.
Like Talk that Talk, Queen of Hearts also has a killer closer. The production already started to grow from the bridge, but now the guitarist finally went Super Saiyan and instead of supporting the drums, they both take the centre stage in tandem.
Then finally, the closing moments of the song even manage to squeeze in some more sappiness.
So thank you for the memories
You’re all the ones who made me~
So thank you for the memories
That I’m the Queen of Hearts
I still can’t believe that this banger is a FAN SONG out of all things. Truly, the TWICEiest shit ever.
THE GOOD
- Adorable fucking lyrics
- Unrelenting, roaring chorus
- English and vocal flex
- Intoxicating guitar riffs
- Chaeyoung rapping in English in their Korean songs somehow slaps harder than her English rapping in their English songs, nonetheless, in QoH, it fits with the sound of the song
- Walking home from a K-pop festival with this song playing, felt like a Queen of Hearts
I love these types of rock songs with how grunge and head-bang-able they are, there is just a certain nostalgic and cheesy quality to them that feels so cozy. I don’t love putting them on repeat, because in this case, I do believe there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Perhaps more shredding, maybe a guitar solo to rock out to, or an accompaniment(!) of ad-libs from 3MIX to support Jihyo’s final chorus? A ONCE can dream of a truly bombastic rock song from TWICE. But then again that distracts from the core of what this song is: a fan song disguised as a rock song.
Queen of Hearts has so much sweetness in its lyrics and message that it's overflowing. The drums, guitar, and vocals can be as loud and intricate as they can, but the theme of this song is what makes it special from TWICE’s other rock songs — it’s a 9/10 for me.
I WANNA WANNA WANNA
TAKE YOU TO THE BASICS
Basics 🌈
Lyrics by Chaeyoung
Quite possibly the jammiest (pun intended) song of the album.
A song written by the Strawberry Princess herself — an event similar in frequency to other artists' releases with her last song being 2020’s silky Handle It — Basics first starts with an understated and dreamy delivery. After the first stanza, however, a bouncy Miami bass line emerges, revealing the true nature of the song: this is a classic summer bop! Especially in the first rap,
dareun aedeulgwaneun dalla
Ain’t beggin’ for love
nappeun geon anijana ige naraseo
eodiro twilji molla
Like rainbow bubble gum
geureoni nal kkwak butjabadweo
Syllables are pronounced in a relaxed nature, bars often starting with an "ah" sound, flirty lines in English — this rap features a production full of pop with R&B flourishes and, in my opinion, this is Chaeyoung’s bag. Also, the line rainbow bubblegum is so adorable and so Chaeyoung.
I wanna wanna wanna take it to the Basics
da weonhae weonhae weonhae? seodureuji ma Baby
ppeonhae ppeonhae malhae mweohae da al tende
Ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah
That chorus is pure pop with a Miami bass backing; you better be bopping your head to the melody, if not booty poppin' to the bassline. Chaeyoung loves rhyming in the first half of the chorus to enhance its catchiness and it's damn incredible: wanna, weonhae, and ppeonhae all create these imperfect rhymes that continue momentum without feeling repetitive.
After the very Boy With Luv-sounding ah yeah ah yeah, ah yeah ah yeah comes an 8-bar split half and half between Chaeyoung and Momo. Coming from the chorus, the production completely cuts out for the first 2 bars. This adds tension; the song yearns to have that bass beat thumping again and all we have in the audio space in those 2 bars is Chaeyoung spittin' and she delivered.
taneun deut tteugeoun samak wie
yeppeuge pieonan jangmi gata
joshimseure naege dagaol ttae
nado moreuge jjilleobeoril tende
Translating to:
Above the hot, burning desert
It’s like a rose that bloomed beautifully
When you come to me slowly
I will prick you unconsciously
The rap feels slick, effortless, and confident. Her diction remains sharp when enunciating each syllable but she doesn’t let the flow of her rap waver or build as her 4 bars go by, it’s just smooth consistency throughout. Even the lyrics possess an aura of laid-back collectedness that is just so her. The things Chaeyoung can do when given her pen.
THE GOOD
- That sweet summer vibe of a chorus
- The spaceship post-chorus is killer
- Chaeyoung devoured this song
- Sure-footed, confident lyrics
- Perhaps an alteration of that ah yeah ah yeah line
- The way Jihyo did her pre-chorus line is good, but Mina’s is great
- After donating my hair, walking down the rainbow-coloured areas of downtown Toronto with this song playing was very… fitting
This song is summer bliss distilled into 2:56. It’s dreamy, the raps are satisfying, and the ending is charming. I will say that although the second half of the song adds the stunning spaceship post-choruses and a floaty bridge with an incredible drumbeat drop into the final chorus, the raps of the song make it feel a bit front-loaded. And in an album stacked with awesome finishers, it feels more apparent.
With that said, it’s an 8/10 bop for me. This song is so easy to put on and it feels exactly what Chaeyoung would make if given the reins to produce a pop song all on her own. The lyrics are nonchalant but full of conviction, the wordplay is intricate, and the production playful but not too bombastic — it's just a nice vibe. Songs like Basics are the standard for good, simple, repeatable pop music and I’m happy that Chaeyoung got to test her pen in this genre.
BABY WE’RE IN
TROUBLE TROUBLE
Trouble 💃
Lyrics, vocal direction, and background vocals by JihyoProduced by Jihyo and earattack
One of the most enjoyable songs I’ve heard in a while.
There is an underlying tension within the first 4 bars of the song, Jihyo and Nayeon confidently open it to a nondescript array of synths and then the stanza ends, Momo announces Let’s go, the beat drops and it hits you: this is a club song.
Dahyun's relaxed delivery contrasting with Jeongyeon's staccato flow, the wobbly synth beat mixed with a sprinkle of house piano, Sana dramatically slowing down the song only for Tzuyu to build it back up until the chorus drops,
- Nayeon opens it using a breathy tone, with vocal chops serving as harmonies
- The blooming of the house piano takes centre stage and the song ascends into euphoria
- A random drum roll capped off by a cymbal crash
- Jeongyeon’s growling pronunciation of the word Trouble
- Chaeyoung slyly admitting I like this Trouble
- The entirety of Tzuyu’s tro~oh~oh~ouble yeah~
- Sana using her deep voice for the na~na~na~na
- Jihyo leading the vocals during the synchronized T W I C E chant
This chorus is perfect. Toronto’s residential market needs this song injected into its veins because god damn this song has SO much house in it. And then, ANOTHER KILLING PART: this rap fucking slaps.
gamchweo bwatja geugeon Fake
ppajin hamjeongeun Sweet cake
During the first 2 bars, Chaeyoung is keeping it calm because that trip of a chorus just ended and the song needs a breather, but I don't think anyone expected her to SNAP this hard afterwards:
You cannot resist this
Cannot miss this, such a bliss
Ima put it down down
Oh yeah, better kiss kiss
Below is the structure of her this portion of the rap, I’m not that well versed in this technical aspect of music theory but I digress, this is all in the span of around 5 seconds where it’s:
Triplet-triplet
Quadruplet-triplet
Quadruplet-doublet
Doublet-quadruplet
Now, 25/5 = 5 syllables per second isn’t groundbreaking, but goddamn it these 2 bars sound so nice — if there is one part in this album that I always repeat, it’s this. The addition of that first quadruplet for cannot miss this in the midst of the triplets sticks out and accelerates the flow of the rap while the following doublets and quadruplets destabilize and slow the rap down as the verse closes. And can I just point out:
THE MAIN VOCALIST WROTE, DIRECTED, AND COMPOSED THIS SONG ‼
Chaeyoung of course delivered the fuck out of her verse but THIS is what you get when you have a member not only write the words they’re saying but also the melody and flow with which they sing it, when that member knows the others so well that when they write a song they know how to make the group exceed. This is what you get when the artists you stan love doing artist shit.
And. AND. That's not all — with how much I mentioned I love a good outro to close a song, this outro slaps as well:
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this Trouble be-be
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this Trouble bay-be
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this Trouble bay-beh
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this Trou-ble
Like, come on, Nayeon’s imitating a police siren for crying out loud. And this is all after her ad-libs in the final post-chorus; after the pianist going full tilt and playing that piano as if it was their last chance to ever play; after that final T W I C E chant by all the members come these blissful 20 seconds at the very end. What a song.
THE GOOD
- The theme of relishing in an uncontrolled love
- Sana and Mina’s melody in the pre-chorus
- Whole neighbourhoods full of house
- You cannot resist this, cannot miss this, such a bliss
- Wees and woos
- Mina’s line of falling down, falling down, falling down low in verse 2 feels a bit too abrupt of a change
- While writing Trouble's review I had this song on repeat for my whole subway commute and I must've been so distracting, just head-bopping and being so invested in my enjoyment
Need I say more, easy 9/10. The only reason I place Talk that Talk above Trouble is because of what that song represents but besides that, this is one of the best “international” sounds they’ve put out. Actually, I haven’t listened to Eyes wide open in a while but this song is up there with one of the most sonically pleasing pieces of work they’ve done.
Clubbing TWICE has always been a thing since TT was birthed in 2016, and has been a staple of their discography since 2019’s Fancy You and Feel Special mini albums, but Trouble unapologetically dives into and fits the house genre so well you’d think that this is TWICE’s bread and butter sound.
Trouble is Jihyo’s magnum opus. What a song.
BRAVE BRAVE BRAVE
FOR YOU
Brave 💖
Produced by Slow Rabbit
I first thought this was just a good song, then I read the lyrics.
Gentle guitar plucks, shimmering synths, a distant keyboard in the right ear, in the left a glockenspiel, the melodic oohs from the members — this song is PRETTY.
The night that was unusually dark
Above this terrifying world, felt so lonely
The world has grown in the time of wandering
So hard to breathe
Mina and Chaeyoung open the song with how they feel lonely, that it's hard to breathe and now suddenly the song feels bittersweet — I was not expecting the song to become this emotional. Brave describes a situation where the singer is in a darker place in life and it isn't until another person gives them hope by calling them Brave that they find the drive to keep going.
Once the chorus hits, the melodies pick up, more guitars get added — there’s even an electric guitar hidden in the mix somewhere, and the song drops the emotional front to reveal a mid-tempo pop song to dance to while crying in the club. The song as a whole still carries this melancholy feeling, but now with the added support of the chorus, acting as a light amongst the gloom.
Continuing on in the second verse there's this gorgeous, well-placed break in the song that just lets it settle after that chorus. Only a seasoned producer would risk this much empty space in a song and Slow Rabbit went to fill those shoes.
Back to the chorus, I'll take this moment to once again commend Slow Rabbit with the mixing of the song, because 4MIX undoubtedly sounds good in the chorus, and the interludes from Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Mina also sound really good, but the clear highlight of the choruses are these lines:
Oh na na na neon nal naige hae
On and on and on
Brave Brave Brave for ya
Oh na na na neon nal sum shwige hae
On and on and on oh trust me babe
Momo, Sana, and Tzuyu form this beautiful, surprisingly catchy, second half of the chorus accompanied by a guitar drop. It should not turn out this well with how conflicting the "na"s are with the guitar melody but it creates this gentle bopping ebb and flow that feels so lush and mellow.
Diving into the bridge reveals that the listener of the song is revealed not only capable of supporting the singer through direct words but also through their thoughts and dreams. As can be discerned, this can be a song interpreted to be about ONCEs, about how they push TWICE to be their best selves despite the breathless hardships they face. It's a very sweet and touching song.
THE GOOD
- Special lyrics
- Pleasant sound to vibe out to
- That gentle break after the first chorus
- 3MIX poppin' off at the end
- Just very pretty vocals throughout
- Potentially hard to comprehend without translating the Korean lyrics
- Form of Therapy’s life motto revolves around the word “brave” — I don’t know where I got that from, but I remembered it right before watching his album reaction (yes, this is very random)
I’m actually spoiled with the TWICE members’ easy-to-understand songwriting that when a song like this pops up where it's not written by a member and the thematic bits are mostly in Korean, I tend to put it aside in favour of the other songs on the album. And, especially for a song focusing on a theme like this where the English phrases don’t do the Korean lyrics enough justice, it does place a bit of a barrier on the listening experience, dropping it down to a 7/10 from an 8/10.
With that anecdote out of the way, this song is just such a vibe, man. I know that sounds super hippy to say but Brave is so mellow and smooth that I can’t help but sway a little when that chorus hits. And then I remember what the lyrics say and I tear up a bit on the inside. This song is so pure, raw, and full of heart — we need more songs like these where they just reminisce about life while putting up an upbeat front. Don't mind me just crying while dancing the night away.
With that said, this isn't the first time this theme has been sung by TWICE either, they've long trodden this path of supportive, confiding, up-lifting songs with Young & Wild, Rainbow, Queen, Go Hard, Depend on You, even this album's Queen of Hearts, and, of course, Feel Special. Brave just adds another on top of an already stacked lineup, unique with its mellow somberness.
Also now feels like a good time to get into my rating system:
- 7/10s are songs are ones that are simply good throughout or great songs with apparent flaws
- 8/10s are great songs with distinct killing parts
- 9/10s are borderline perfect songs where I sometimes can't comprehend how great they are
- And 10/10s are the best of an artist's discography, songs that encapsulate their ethos perfectly or expand upon them in a meaningful way
I SEE THE LIES
ON THE TIP OF YOUR TONGUE
Gone 💨
Lyrics by Dahyun
Who the fuck pissed off Dubu this time??
It’s getting quite rare to see TWICE pull off brand new sounds because, with now 190 original songs under their belt as of this review, they’ve done so many genres and sub-genres varying from hyper pop, to bossa nova, to whatever 2020’s Go Hard is. So it’s surprising to see they’ve still got tricks up their sleeves and Gone is one of them.
The song starts with strings swinging back and forth and vocal chops dancing from ear to ear, teasing what’s yet to come. Jihyo enters the song with a whisper and the song sets its pace. A stagnant drum pad moves the song along and typical song progression would have Mina continue the build, but — it doesn’t. The song simmers, adding a hint of high hat to the pot. And then Sana and Tzuyu come on and surely the buildup must boil over right?
Silence, until…
I see the LIES on the top of your tongue
The strings emerge again on full blast, the simmer rolls to a boil, and the anger of the song is revealed,
All the fate I had towards you
Fades like a fog, Gone, Gone
Your flipping mind of doing this and that
I’m tired of it, it’s meaningless
In the beginning, it was hard to believe
With that, hatred increases
The singer is so scorned and burned from this relationship that they reminisce about all the effort they’ve put in since the beginning, but their “partner” is so unconcerned that they’ve just about had enough of the relationship altogether.
This has been Dahyun’s thing since 2020’s Bring It Back, 2021’s Cruel, 2022’s That’s all I’m saying, and even 2023's Don't Blame It On Me — emotionally charged breakup songs that make you feel as if she’s survived through a dozen bad relationships. Dispatch, do try to do your job better.
Another highlight of the song is the post-chorus going into the bridge. This segment reiterates the structure from the first post-chorus — a barrage of drums supported by the rhythmic strumming of a bass guitar along with a consistent synth filling out the soundscape. But this time, it’s Dahyun and Chaeyoung on the rap:
I can’t stand it anymore
My patience, invisible
I can’t find it, it’s all Gone
Even if I try to turn back, it’s too late
There’s no use anymore
It has left, it’s long Gone
You, with flipping mind, you are out
I know that you know what I’m talking about
Nothing you could say that could turn this around
I’m Gone
Building upon the disrespected theme of the song, Dahyun notes that she’s finally had enough with Chaeyoung adding that there’s no point salvaging what love was once there. Momo and Dahyun round it off by telling the listener that there’s no point trying to reason with them or playing naive, they fucked up and there’s no coming back.
Can I just say, it's a bit of a shame that Chaeyoung’s rapping popped off in this album while Dahyun only has this one verse that she shares with Chaeyoung, but it just sounds so good how Dahyun eases in after the chorus with her light rapping tone transitioning into her singing. She even holds the Gone in a little crescendo for some added pizzazz.
And, there’s no way I’m not going to talk about Momo’s vocals in this bridge. Damned if she only got 1 line to use it in, her lower register is incredible. She sounds so smooth singing in this tone. All of TWICE do in particular and there is nary a weak vocal performance in this album.
To close the song off, a wash of synths gets to have their shine in the spotlight, showered with Nayeon’s belting, signifying the dramatic and drawn-out conclusion of this partnership.
THE GOOD
- They’ve still got their surprises
- Thundering chorus
- 2nd rap and bridge combo
- A bitter, crumbling relationship theme
- I’m not a huge fan of the mixing during the first post-chorus, where Momo's vocals were fighting with the production, which is disappointing because Momo is capable of an insane flow
- The post-chorus in general, specifically the first one, can be a bit tiring on repeat listens
- Actually, I think this song sounds like a mix between GOT7's Not By The Moon, BLACKPINK’s Love To Hate Me, and Dahyun’s Bring It Back. I don’t know where I got this thought came from, but it stuck
Going back to that point about the first post-chorus as a whole; songs that have the production continue unchanged into the post-chorus/2nd verse are very hit or miss for me — see TWICE's Don't Call Me Again for an overbearing example. The post-chorus going into the bridge contrasts Dahyun’s light tone nicely with the hard-hitting production, continuing the energy until it slowly fades into silence at the end of the bridge.
Back to the song as a whole, as much as TWICE has been experimenting with their sound for the past 4 years now, I’m happy they’re still finding new ways to explore what they’re capable of. And for that alone, even though I’m not a big fan of songs like these where they rely on sounding “big”, Dahyun’s lyricism and the thrill I receive every time I indulge myself in this song elevates it to an 8/10. Keep on breaking hearts, Dubu.
INVINCIBLE
SUPERHEROES
When We Were Kids 🧸
Lyrics by Dahyun
Press play to reminisce, pull up lyrics to cry.
This song is so beautiful. I’m totally not writing this song review, crying on the bus reminiscing about my childhood, while just having turned 21. I don’t know if these are happy or sad tears but this song is so beautiful either way.
Warm synths, muted piano, a gentle high hat, the younger members starting off the song — this has to be up there for one of the softest TWICE songs ever. And as it should, it’s one of the TWICEiest songs ever. And then Nayeon comes in:
Invincible superheroes, we wanted to be adults
To the higher, clearer world
The chords start swelling, the high hat keeps pace, and the harmonies pour in.
Remember When We Were Kids
When We Were Kids, we didn’t know
If we could go back
I will love it even more
Remember When We Were Kids
Jihyo takes up the second half of the chorus as it drops, trading the strings for an almost R&B synth production — if choir R&B takes off, this song started it. The song relishes in this cacophony of warm sounds until returning to its sparse and peaceful verses.
This time, the hints of piano are louder, little twinkling synths begin to shimmer, the drum buildup comes and Jeongyeon drives the song straight into the chorus. No time for the strings to build like in Nayeon’s — this song loves its chorus so much.
And I'll just take this time to appreciate the amount and range of Jeongyeon vocals in this album. Her voice is so textured, stable, and projected — but also more tender and soft compared to the more pronounced tones of Nayeon and Jihyo.
The bridge comes in, repeating the phrase:
I wish that I could meet
Could meet the younger me
Giving the song time to rest, before building back up to the last chorus — this time led by Jihyo, completing the 3MIX trifecta. And interestingly enough, Chaeyoung follows up in the second half of the chorus, rather than another member of the vocal line. She really did pop off in this album.
As the last chorus begins to close, the percussion at its strongest, the harmonies on blast, the background vocals cranked up to their Sunday best, is the song going to end? Of course not! This is an album full of banger endings as if the songs don’t want to end, and When We Were Kids being the album closer very much indulges in that feeling.
After a brief refrain, accented by Nayeon’s high note with a touch of vibrato, the song almost dives back into a fourth chorus. Nayeon and Jeongyeon harmonize — a rare and heavenly moment. And the song repeats the bridge, reiterating that they want to meet their younger selves, this time with the lush chorus production before closing with silence, a few piano notes, and Tzuyu singing the last line of the song:
Oh, we were kids
Reflection, acceptance, hope. What a song.
THE GOOD
- Heavenly vocals throughout
- Relatable, heartfelt lyrics
- Euphoric chorus
- Great closer to the album
- Refrain after the last chorus, Back When We Were Kids, could’ve been executed better
- For an album titled Between 1&2, I don’t think anything hits harder than finishing the song reviews, with this song in particular, during your 21st birthday
I wrote the first part of this review in November 2022. Then university, life, and other things got in the way of my headspace for me to feel confident about wrapping all of this up. In a way, I felt like I just didn’t want this review to end because of the joy that writing gives me — I didn’t want the happiness to end. And then it hit me, after watching a YouTuber rank animated movies and them placing Spirited Away at the top and explaining 'why' reminded me of just how important growing up is, and by extension this song.
This theme is important for both the rookie TWICE members in 2015 and the teenagers who would follow their journey and grow up with them, facing life’s obstacles along the way. Hardships that used to only involve family, crushes, and social media, evolve into work, commitments and all the struggles that adult life brings. Being a kid and enjoying the simple things in life is one of the most sought-after moments we want to relive because we took growing up for granted. The only thing we can do now is look back on ourselves with fondness and rose-tinted lenses.
TWICE’s original meaning was to resonate with people through their senses and their hearts. That was during their debut, and I think it still holds up today. In my opinion, touching people through their emotions is what TWICE does best and makes them one of K-pop’s all-time greats. It was never about having the best numbers — it was about being the best idols. And to think that this journey of maturation and growth would occur from 2015 all the way to this song, being a fitting nod to TWICE’s 7th anniversary, I don’t think anyone at the company nor the group would ever imagine that they would get this far. It’s these nine women or none — 9/10.
This song honestly deserves a 10/10 with how much I noticed other people reminiscing their childhoods after I heard this song, it is such a widely-relatable message, but I am determined to limit myself to one 10/10 song per album and if I were to pick between TTT and WWWK, I'd give it to the one's that's more repeatable — Talk that Talk just has this electric energy about it.
Epilogue
And finally here is the end. If you made it in one sitting then I commend you, because I could not write this mess in one sitting. As alluded to, I started writing this album review sometime in October, after a series of edits the first draft was finished in March, and now here's the final draft in June.I love this album. It got me through some important parts of my life, both good and bad, and it's just a wonderful listen throughout. Reliving this album again before finally completing the review has been an exciting journey. Brave hit me harder this time, after being overshadowed by the other gems of this album, and WWWK finally got me to tear up and not just be emotionally satisfied.
I feel like there's something for everyone on this album. From the exhilarating thrills of TTT to the anthemic euphoria of QoH, the clubbing dichotomy of Trouble and Brave to the blissful glee of Basics, and the sweet reminiscence of WWWK to the thundering anger that is Gone. Like Eyes wide open, I liken Between 1&2 to a pop music taste platter — there's such an eclectic mix of pop music in this album that there's bound to be a song that someone will love, like, and dislike.
Is this album perfect? I don't think so, but it's close — it was certainly my 2022 AOTY. Was this review biased? Absolutely. I've been a fan since 2019 and with the themes in this album, I also feel like it was biased towards me as a ONCE. And how would I rank the album in TWICE's catalogue? It's honestly at the top, at least with EPs — I also felt that way towards Feel Special but then this album was birthed so I'm excited for TWICE's future.
Ready To Be was also a stunning album and Eyes wide open frankly also deserved the spotlight that Formula of Love received so I might hit those next but no promises; this album took long enough to bake.
As for the performances, I've only seen Twitter clips (no fancams to not spoil myself) and I am SO EXCITED to finally see them in July. QoH was as glorious as expected, Brave was a delightful surprise, and WWWK, while not being the concert closer everyone expected it to be, paired up nicely with Crazy Stupid Love. And of course the bombastic addition of the dance break to TTT. But, this is not a concert review, and here is where this album review ends.
Feel free to comment with any thoughts regarding the album, other TWICE albums, and any suggestions for my writing in general. Congrats again on making it this far!
God, I love this album.
2023.06.05 04:08 microphohn HVLP (Higher Volume, Lower Pressure) Pressure Washer, Part 2.
I previously posted about “why most pressure washer specs are lies or misunderstood” so please consider that to be the Part 1.
I recently upgraded my Simpson-made DeWalt Pressure washer with a CAT Pumps 4 gpm pump. Because my engine is only a GX270 (~8.5hp), this pump is “too big” and I “bought the wrong pump” according to all the conventional wisdom. That conventional wisdom is why this unit shipped with a 3.5gpm pump. That and the smaller AAA Chinese pump is much cheaper.
Indeed, if you see 4 gpm pressure washers sold, you will find they generally have a larger, more expensive engine (GX390 up to 420cc other makes is common) as the conventional wisdom is that these larger engines are required.
But they are only “required” to drive the pump to it’s maximum pressure. Thus, the 270cc engine only gets a 3.5gpm pump because of that “need” to achieve 4000psi or whatever. Big numbers are important for advertising.
But there’s no such need whatsoever. You can clean concrete with as little as 2000psi (I tested it myself with a 25 degree nozzle). The penalty, of course, for preserving the ability to go as high as 4000psi is that you are stuck with less flow than you could have if you had only 3000 or 3200psi at full engine load. Thus, a larger 4gpm pump with less peak pressure ability is a better real-world use of the engine’s power.
Moving up to a 4gpm pump with a lowly GX270, I can achieve 2500psi+ with a 4.5 orifice nozzle without the engine sounding labored or losing speed, this is over 3.5gpm delivered flow.
I’m not only using the “wrong” pump for the engine (4gpm on only 270cc), but this is the “wrong” orifice size. Four-GPM pumps are supposed to get 4.0 orifices, right?
The problem is that orifice size and GPM only match at 4000psi. So if you want to run 4000psi at 4gpm, then 4.0 is the correct nozzle. But we don’t have enough engine power to push our 4gpm pump to 4000psi. So we go larger in orifice to drop pressure to our preferred range (upper 2000s psi) and still preserve the 4gpm flow that justified that larger pump to begin with.
The same 4.5 orifice on the original 3.5gpm pump would likely have a max pressure of about 1800psi. That’s a bit too low IMO for effective cleaning. The larger pump lets us use the larger orifice and still keep sufficient pressure.
Finally a word on unloader setting. Because our “oversized” pump is on a smaller engine, the engine is physically incapable of driving the pump hard enough to exceed its 4000 psi rating. Which makes setting the unloader easy. Stick in an undersized orifice (I used 3.5) that will try to overload the engine. Tighten the unloader until the engine speed is pulled down from its rated rpm (you’ll hear the engine sound labored). For my unit, this was 3200psi. This is the unloader setting that is both low enough to keep the pump below its rated 4000psi, but high enough to extract the max work possible from the engine. If you have a long hose and more “hammer” effect, the spike pressure will still open up the unloader (always verify with a gauge that the unloader can open before the pump’s pressure rating is approached)
So the pump is protected—which is the actual purpose of the unloader. (Choose a larger orifice to reduce pressure, don’t loosen the unloader).
I couldn’t be happier with the 4gpm pump in place of the previous 3.5gpm pump. Don’t settle for less performance just because an OEM wants to market inflated PSI figures that don’t translate into real world cleaning effectiveness at all.
submitted by microphohn to Tools [link] [comments]
I recently upgraded my Simpson-made DeWalt Pressure washer with a CAT Pumps 4 gpm pump. Because my engine is only a GX270 (~8.5hp), this pump is “too big” and I “bought the wrong pump” according to all the conventional wisdom. That conventional wisdom is why this unit shipped with a 3.5gpm pump. That and the smaller AAA Chinese pump is much cheaper.
Indeed, if you see 4 gpm pressure washers sold, you will find they generally have a larger, more expensive engine (GX390 up to 420cc other makes is common) as the conventional wisdom is that these larger engines are required.
But they are only “required” to drive the pump to it’s maximum pressure. Thus, the 270cc engine only gets a 3.5gpm pump because of that “need” to achieve 4000psi or whatever. Big numbers are important for advertising.
But there’s no such need whatsoever. You can clean concrete with as little as 2000psi (I tested it myself with a 25 degree nozzle). The penalty, of course, for preserving the ability to go as high as 4000psi is that you are stuck with less flow than you could have if you had only 3000 or 3200psi at full engine load. Thus, a larger 4gpm pump with less peak pressure ability is a better real-world use of the engine’s power.
Moving up to a 4gpm pump with a lowly GX270, I can achieve 2500psi+ with a 4.5 orifice nozzle without the engine sounding labored or losing speed, this is over 3.5gpm delivered flow.
I’m not only using the “wrong” pump for the engine (4gpm on only 270cc), but this is the “wrong” orifice size. Four-GPM pumps are supposed to get 4.0 orifices, right?
The problem is that orifice size and GPM only match at 4000psi. So if you want to run 4000psi at 4gpm, then 4.0 is the correct nozzle. But we don’t have enough engine power to push our 4gpm pump to 4000psi. So we go larger in orifice to drop pressure to our preferred range (upper 2000s psi) and still preserve the 4gpm flow that justified that larger pump to begin with.
The same 4.5 orifice on the original 3.5gpm pump would likely have a max pressure of about 1800psi. That’s a bit too low IMO for effective cleaning. The larger pump lets us use the larger orifice and still keep sufficient pressure.
Finally a word on unloader setting. Because our “oversized” pump is on a smaller engine, the engine is physically incapable of driving the pump hard enough to exceed its 4000 psi rating. Which makes setting the unloader easy. Stick in an undersized orifice (I used 3.5) that will try to overload the engine. Tighten the unloader until the engine speed is pulled down from its rated rpm (you’ll hear the engine sound labored). For my unit, this was 3200psi. This is the unloader setting that is both low enough to keep the pump below its rated 4000psi, but high enough to extract the max work possible from the engine. If you have a long hose and more “hammer” effect, the spike pressure will still open up the unloader (always verify with a gauge that the unloader can open before the pump’s pressure rating is approached)
So the pump is protected—which is the actual purpose of the unloader. (Choose a larger orifice to reduce pressure, don’t loosen the unloader).
I couldn’t be happier with the 4gpm pump in place of the previous 3.5gpm pump. Don’t settle for less performance just because an OEM wants to market inflated PSI figures that don’t translate into real world cleaning effectiveness at all.
2023.06.05 03:55 PowerToTheOhana A Pickle Pete Critique, and A Big Thank You - Love the Game
Good day!
(I started this ramble as a feedback e-mail, but before finishing it found this sub-reddit where I heard the devs are active? Current game version as of writing: 1.5.4.)
A big thank you to everyone involved in developing and delivering Pickle Pete! It is easily in my top 10 most fun mobile games and I very nearly consider it a masterpiece of the genre. I've put in dozens of hours of playtime at the least.
I'll lead with critical bullet points, follow them up with elaboration and my experience, then end with praise bullet points for those that care to read it.
Opportunities for Improvement:
I've been playing Pickle Pete over the last few weeks and it's clearly a step above most mobile games on the market now. I had completed all main campaign levels and additional game modes just before the level twelve update. This was of course followed closely by multiple other updates which kept resetting my endless rank. ::MadNotMad:: After 3 committed attempts I've broken into the top one-hundred twice and top ten once. I did all of this without purchasing anything...yet, nearly acquiring all of the bonus blessing stats, and working up to a purple SMG for a starter weapon. I still have no legendary gear...yet.
I've loved video games since my grandparents let me load up games I can't completely recall on their MS-DOS computer. I don't always have as much time as I'd like to game, but I have been mashing buttons for nearly three decades. I believe there is some overlap between what makes a game fun and what makes a game well designed. What people find fun will vary, but I see good design as a more objective truth. Even though I'm no professional it's clear to me that Pickle Pete had/has at least a rock star or two infusing good design principles.
1. First things first. The intro animation may have been added after I started playing for a bit. I can't recollect. In any event I skipped some of it. Sure I can and have viewed it on youtube, but it's still taking up space on my phone right? Can we get an in-game button to replay it?
2. Speaking of intro animations.. each character should get one! Even if just a short one that plays when acquiring one. (And maybe also a replay button.) It could highlight or hint at the different bonuses that apply at the end of their roll moves.
**Mr. Peely** \- Running, slips into a back flip, beginning of slip flip face is surprised/worried, midway through flip face is determined/smug, animation becomes a blur, lands while doing a split and swinging upward with an axe cleaving an enemy in two.
**Corny McCob** \- A yellow cylinder is rapidly spinning on two squares of butter, butter drops are being flung away at various directions, the cylinder launches away, three point hero landing, camera panning up from feet reveals a maniacal cob of corn holding a pipe bomb, glancing left and right, I don't like that look in his eyes or that blinking red light.
**Willy the Wiener** \- Is that a rapidly disassembled picnic table riddled with bullet holes flying through the air? Camera pans down to a beach front while cinders and charcoal pieces are jettisoned from a barbecue grill. Willy is tanning hides with a quickness holding dual uzis. Arms and uzis are a blur until they snap into clarity between each volley.
3. It's only fair that the enemies of the game get a little love. They're getting slaughtered out there! Something has to raise morale. Why not a little intro sequence highlighting their attack? And/or a bestiary somewhere in the menus. Descriptions with similar tone to what is found in the game Plants vs. Zombies would be fitting.
4. I find the current monetization models most prevalent, specifically in the mobile market, shameful. If I could go back in time and kill baby Hitler - I wouldn't. I'd smoke the mofo that thought it was a good idea to make Candy Crush monstrously profitable. Just kidding. Ninety-Nine dollars is a big chunk towards the latest gen console or a kick ass graphics card. Or... a pile of in game currency that shaves off some time and possibly puts you ahead of fellow gamers... I know it's just the way of things currently, but the cliche gem crates for various prices including one for ninety-nine dollars is personally a huge annoyance. It is one of the first things I look for in a game and determines along with the obvious passion that was put into the games creation that determines whether I will spend any money within it.
Money is part of what makes life unfun for many, and now more than ever it's detracting from a core reason gaming is fun. In my opinion games should be as level as a playing field as they can be outside of 'real life'. Paying to win robs fledgling gamers of skill ceiling, feelings of accomplishment, and the bragging rights that come with leveling up without swiping a credit card.
So dump the uninspired gem boxes for money or at least throw in some extra cosmetics, alternate soundtracks, or the option for players to add their own content. Something to move the needle in the other direction and show appreciation to those who help fund access and development for those that can't. The move would ideally garner more appreciation and wind up netting more money anyway. Or I might need to see an optimismoptomitrist about adjusting the shade of my glasses.
5. I haven't yet, but I will be spending some money on this game. It's too good not to. I'd like to at least craft a legendary starter weapon beforehand though. Just so I can say I did. It makes me wince a little inside knowing that if I had saved my marshmallows I would have spent enough gems on large chests by now to acquire a guaranteed legendary item. I opened three before the update was released that added the cumulative reward. Any chance a catch-up / credit can be implemented for all in the same boat?
6. I must have missed the message that explains the way the uncollected pickles and the pickle jar interacts. It took me longer than I'd like to admit to figure out what the jar was all about. Could we get this and other such game tips added? Maybe incoming update teaser message as well. They could be auto-cycling fade in/out text messages in the empty space underneath the boss picture on the stage selection screen.
7. I've read some google reviews of the game suggesting that melee weapons need adjusting. I think they're just fine. They receive strong bonuses from the viking four-set. They're best used to supplement range damage as the timing of damage between melee and low fire rate range is staggered. If you want to up the difficulty of the game, try going for full melee builds. It's like a hidden difficulty slider. An active skill equip could be added to enable the player to throw their melee weapons for a duration, turning such builds into a challenging wave clearer, but a monstrous boss killer. If nothing else throw in some Lightsab...I mean... Laser Swords.
What I find simultaneously the most easily fixed and largest flaw of the game is the narrow preferable choice in mutations and equip-able active skills. Similar to my perspective concerning melee weapons this system could be viewed as a difficulty slider. I think it would instead be more fun to modify them to make them more compelling. The damage bonus to enemies on fire would be more viable if the active skill that set the enemies on screen on fire was on a shorter cooldown. Now that I'm thinking about it though this combo may be just fine if you want to build up larger health enemies first or do more damage to bosses. The cooldown and fire duration still seem kind of dissatisfying. Maybe add hidden bonuses that increase the draw rate of things like the fire mace while either or both are equipped.
The knock back skill is more underwhelming than the fire. The most viable use I can think of for this one is securing supply crates. The cd could be shortened on the skill or turn the skill into a time warping bubble that begins with a knock back. While the bubble is active increase player attack speed and damage taken, but any enemies or projectiles entering the bubble will have drastically reduced movement speed.
Maybe more diverse enemies could then be added so that occasionally what once was an optional item is near mandatory for a time. Urging players to try out new builds for success while making more items feel like they've earned their place in the game.
8. One last item modification idea. Weapon attachments! Scopes, Stocks, Barrels, Carbon Fiber Axe Handles, stuff like that to modify 'Own' weapon stats. Maybe you have to collect pieces for them from specific bosses. Late game players would have a reason to return to earlier levels and in turn see the progress they've made as they rack up way more pickles than their first time through. This would also give a bit of a push/pull mechanic to the energy system. The energy system I suspect is just there to prevent supply crate farming abuse. I've rarely run out of energy while still wanting to play which I like. All attachments could be lost upon upgrading or resetting the weapon to keep the hamster wheel spinning, make the efforts toward building them more meaningful, and delay the realization of weapons full capabilities.
9. The above change would make farming the last available boss more rewarding as well. The latest boss being the most difficult to kill and dropping the latest released weapons attachments would give successive runs more meaning.
10. Another change that I feel should be done quickly is 86ing the blessing system. Not entirely. It is a win-win addition that makes watching nearly pointless ads more satisfying. But it just doesn't mesh with the Pickle Pete theme. Idea: 'Condiments' may not make sense for all of the characters, but thinking 'Hot Sauce' for the +25% damage boost. Visual effects for each can be added to the character to cement the system in the player's mind. "Aww crap my character isn't throwing off glitter sparks. I forgot to grab the the gold gain bonus."
11. This change suggestion is more for experienced players that have earned their stripes. When doing long endless runs especially the animation delay after picking skill cards is slightly annoying. It's not major, but I wanna go fast! Make this delay toggleable after the player has cleared all the extra game mode levels or killed the final available boss or meeting both requirements. Let's gooooo!
12. A change that would be good for players of all experience levels would be a weapon trader. Maybe you can set up a trade-in shop preference before level select. Should you find the merc vendor in a level you can trade one of your currently equipped weapons for an equal grade preferred weapon. Even if at an additional cost...gotta make pickles somehow.
13. Possible bug: when swapping apps and returning to Pickle Pete while playing Endless game play will continue, but pickles will refrain from dropping making points no longer acquirable until the run is terminated. Possibly intentional to reduce cheating.
Things that make you go 'Awesome!':
submitted by PowerToTheOhana to picklepetegame [link] [comments]
(I started this ramble as a feedback e-mail, but before finishing it found this sub-reddit where I heard the devs are active? Current game version as of writing: 1.5.4.)
A big thank you to everyone involved in developing and delivering Pickle Pete! It is easily in my top 10 most fun mobile games and I very nearly consider it a masterpiece of the genre. I've put in dozens of hours of playtime at the least.
I'll lead with critical bullet points, follow them up with elaboration and my experience, then end with praise bullet points for those that care to read it.
Opportunities for Improvement:
- There is no in-game method to replay the intro sequence.
- Each playable character should have their own, even if very short, intro animation.
- Intro animations / bestiary for enemies.
- Add more bang for more bucks.
- Honor those that spent gems on chests before additional rewards for cumulative openings was added.
- No in game text tips.
- Narrow preferable choices for mutations and equip-able active skill.
- Weapon attachments
- Farming the last available boss could be more rewarding.
- "Blessings" is an awesome system, but isn't congruent with the game thematically.
- Long animation delay on skill selection cards. Not an issue for new players.
- Add weapon trade-in vendor.
- Possible bug: when swapping apps and returning to Pickle Pete while playing Endless game play will continue, but pickles will refrain from dropping making points no longer acquirable until the run is terminated. Possibly intentional to reduce cheating.
I've been playing Pickle Pete over the last few weeks and it's clearly a step above most mobile games on the market now. I had completed all main campaign levels and additional game modes just before the level twelve update. This was of course followed closely by multiple other updates which kept resetting my endless rank. ::MadNotMad:: After 3 committed attempts I've broken into the top one-hundred twice and top ten once. I did all of this without purchasing anything...yet, nearly acquiring all of the bonus blessing stats, and working up to a purple SMG for a starter weapon. I still have no legendary gear...yet.
I've loved video games since my grandparents let me load up games I can't completely recall on their MS-DOS computer. I don't always have as much time as I'd like to game, but I have been mashing buttons for nearly three decades. I believe there is some overlap between what makes a game fun and what makes a game well designed. What people find fun will vary, but I see good design as a more objective truth. Even though I'm no professional it's clear to me that Pickle Pete had/has at least a rock star or two infusing good design principles.
1. First things first. The intro animation may have been added after I started playing for a bit. I can't recollect. In any event I skipped some of it. Sure I can and have viewed it on youtube, but it's still taking up space on my phone right? Can we get an in-game button to replay it?
2. Speaking of intro animations.. each character should get one! Even if just a short one that plays when acquiring one. (And maybe also a replay button.) It could highlight or hint at the different bonuses that apply at the end of their roll moves.
**Mr. Peely** \- Running, slips into a back flip, beginning of slip flip face is surprised/worried, midway through flip face is determined/smug, animation becomes a blur, lands while doing a split and swinging upward with an axe cleaving an enemy in two.
**Corny McCob** \- A yellow cylinder is rapidly spinning on two squares of butter, butter drops are being flung away at various directions, the cylinder launches away, three point hero landing, camera panning up from feet reveals a maniacal cob of corn holding a pipe bomb, glancing left and right, I don't like that look in his eyes or that blinking red light.
**Willy the Wiener** \- Is that a rapidly disassembled picnic table riddled with bullet holes flying through the air? Camera pans down to a beach front while cinders and charcoal pieces are jettisoned from a barbecue grill. Willy is tanning hides with a quickness holding dual uzis. Arms and uzis are a blur until they snap into clarity between each volley.
3. It's only fair that the enemies of the game get a little love. They're getting slaughtered out there! Something has to raise morale. Why not a little intro sequence highlighting their attack? And/or a bestiary somewhere in the menus. Descriptions with similar tone to what is found in the game Plants vs. Zombies would be fitting.
4. I find the current monetization models most prevalent, specifically in the mobile market, shameful. If I could go back in time and kill baby Hitler - I wouldn't. I'd smoke the mofo that thought it was a good idea to make Candy Crush monstrously profitable. Just kidding. Ninety-Nine dollars is a big chunk towards the latest gen console or a kick ass graphics card. Or... a pile of in game currency that shaves off some time and possibly puts you ahead of fellow gamers... I know it's just the way of things currently, but the cliche gem crates for various prices including one for ninety-nine dollars is personally a huge annoyance. It is one of the first things I look for in a game and determines along with the obvious passion that was put into the games creation that determines whether I will spend any money within it.
Money is part of what makes life unfun for many, and now more than ever it's detracting from a core reason gaming is fun. In my opinion games should be as level as a playing field as they can be outside of 'real life'. Paying to win robs fledgling gamers of skill ceiling, feelings of accomplishment, and the bragging rights that come with leveling up without swiping a credit card.
So dump the uninspired gem boxes for money or at least throw in some extra cosmetics, alternate soundtracks, or the option for players to add their own content. Something to move the needle in the other direction and show appreciation to those who help fund access and development for those that can't. The move would ideally garner more appreciation and wind up netting more money anyway. Or I might need to see an optimismoptomitrist about adjusting the shade of my glasses.
5. I haven't yet, but I will be spending some money on this game. It's too good not to. I'd like to at least craft a legendary starter weapon beforehand though. Just so I can say I did. It makes me wince a little inside knowing that if I had saved my marshmallows I would have spent enough gems on large chests by now to acquire a guaranteed legendary item. I opened three before the update was released that added the cumulative reward. Any chance a catch-up / credit can be implemented for all in the same boat?
6. I must have missed the message that explains the way the uncollected pickles and the pickle jar interacts. It took me longer than I'd like to admit to figure out what the jar was all about. Could we get this and other such game tips added? Maybe incoming update teaser message as well. They could be auto-cycling fade in/out text messages in the empty space underneath the boss picture on the stage selection screen.
7. I've read some google reviews of the game suggesting that melee weapons need adjusting. I think they're just fine. They receive strong bonuses from the viking four-set. They're best used to supplement range damage as the timing of damage between melee and low fire rate range is staggered. If you want to up the difficulty of the game, try going for full melee builds. It's like a hidden difficulty slider. An active skill equip could be added to enable the player to throw their melee weapons for a duration, turning such builds into a challenging wave clearer, but a monstrous boss killer. If nothing else throw in some Lightsab...I mean... Laser Swords.
What I find simultaneously the most easily fixed and largest flaw of the game is the narrow preferable choice in mutations and equip-able active skills. Similar to my perspective concerning melee weapons this system could be viewed as a difficulty slider. I think it would instead be more fun to modify them to make them more compelling. The damage bonus to enemies on fire would be more viable if the active skill that set the enemies on screen on fire was on a shorter cooldown. Now that I'm thinking about it though this combo may be just fine if you want to build up larger health enemies first or do more damage to bosses. The cooldown and fire duration still seem kind of dissatisfying. Maybe add hidden bonuses that increase the draw rate of things like the fire mace while either or both are equipped.
The knock back skill is more underwhelming than the fire. The most viable use I can think of for this one is securing supply crates. The cd could be shortened on the skill or turn the skill into a time warping bubble that begins with a knock back. While the bubble is active increase player attack speed and damage taken, but any enemies or projectiles entering the bubble will have drastically reduced movement speed.
Maybe more diverse enemies could then be added so that occasionally what once was an optional item is near mandatory for a time. Urging players to try out new builds for success while making more items feel like they've earned their place in the game.
8. One last item modification idea. Weapon attachments! Scopes, Stocks, Barrels, Carbon Fiber Axe Handles, stuff like that to modify 'Own' weapon stats. Maybe you have to collect pieces for them from specific bosses. Late game players would have a reason to return to earlier levels and in turn see the progress they've made as they rack up way more pickles than their first time through. This would also give a bit of a push/pull mechanic to the energy system. The energy system I suspect is just there to prevent supply crate farming abuse. I've rarely run out of energy while still wanting to play which I like. All attachments could be lost upon upgrading or resetting the weapon to keep the hamster wheel spinning, make the efforts toward building them more meaningful, and delay the realization of weapons full capabilities.
9. The above change would make farming the last available boss more rewarding as well. The latest boss being the most difficult to kill and dropping the latest released weapons attachments would give successive runs more meaning.
10. Another change that I feel should be done quickly is 86ing the blessing system. Not entirely. It is a win-win addition that makes watching nearly pointless ads more satisfying. But it just doesn't mesh with the Pickle Pete theme. Idea: 'Condiments' may not make sense for all of the characters, but thinking 'Hot Sauce' for the +25% damage boost. Visual effects for each can be added to the character to cement the system in the player's mind. "Aww crap my character isn't throwing off glitter sparks. I forgot to grab the the gold gain bonus."
11. This change suggestion is more for experienced players that have earned their stripes. When doing long endless runs especially the animation delay after picking skill cards is slightly annoying. It's not major, but I wanna go fast! Make this delay toggleable after the player has cleared all the extra game mode levels or killed the final available boss or meeting both requirements. Let's gooooo!
12. A change that would be good for players of all experience levels would be a weapon trader. Maybe you can set up a trade-in shop preference before level select. Should you find the merc vendor in a level you can trade one of your currently equipped weapons for an equal grade preferred weapon. Even if at an additional cost...gotta make pickles somehow.
13. Possible bug: when swapping apps and returning to Pickle Pete while playing Endless game play will continue, but pickles will refrain from dropping making points no longer acquirable until the run is terminated. Possibly intentional to reduce cheating.
Things that make you go 'Awesome!':
- Pickle Pete! is not another copy and paste code cash grab. ...I'm imagining a darty eyed programmer hesitantly grinning 'right' while slowly nodding. :D
- Viability of numerous gear and skill selections.
- Excellent sound design. I especially love the long battle track that only reveals itself as you progress to long lasting waves.
- Animations and weapon targeting is on point.
- UI and loading screen design.
- Creative additional game modes.
- Competitive Endless!?! This is a massive boon to replay-ability, keeps the game off the 'eh I may as well uninstall' list, and takes me back to playing Diablo 2. Yeah you beat the game, but how many people have you beaten that have beat the game? I love it. The only improvement I would consider for endless is implementation of a wave skip feature. You'll get more points faster, but only be able to skip as far as progress you've earned minus X amount. Skip too much and you might not be able to crush the wave with your relatively diminished gear. Maybe wave skip is only available once a day too.
- I'm Pickle Pete!
2023.06.05 01:41 callingFives Cities From The Dirt? Is there a way to pull 3D heightmaps from a video game and use them elsewhere?
It's SO complicated to put this all in a concise title when I don't even know what I'm talking about!
There's your first warning -- I'm ignorant and uneducated, so I might be asking if there are special teeth for chewing liquid water.
What I want to do:
What my end objective is: I use video games to make my TTRPG spaces. If I need a village, I'll go and make one in a game, then get some good camera shots of it, and remake it as a top-down map. Then my players can see the village as a map, and I can stream the gameplay to let them explore the area (just tell me where you want to go and what you want to do, I'll visualize it for you).
This part works flawlessly, but I have situations coming up where I need to blow up parts of entire cities, or create very specifically localized disasters/effects. If I could just move my village, whole-cloth, over to an editor, I'd be fine -- but again, I ain't real smart, and I don't know how these things work. I'm a storyteller and a role player, not a genius artist.
So I'm starting here. I hope this doesn't get removed just because I'm dumb, but if I'm in the wrong place and you know where I should be asking this, I'd love some direction.
I hope this finds you all well.
submitted by callingFives to 3Dmodeling [link] [comments]
There's your first warning -- I'm ignorant and uneducated, so I might be asking if there are special teeth for chewing liquid water.
What I want to do:
- Build a little village in a little indie game, then
- Treat every asset and mesh that is contiguous in any direction as one 3D object (or many but this seems easier?), then
- Move that (those?) to a 3D modeling app to repaint and edit.
What my end objective is: I use video games to make my TTRPG spaces. If I need a village, I'll go and make one in a game, then get some good camera shots of it, and remake it as a top-down map. Then my players can see the village as a map, and I can stream the gameplay to let them explore the area (just tell me where you want to go and what you want to do, I'll visualize it for you).
This part works flawlessly, but I have situations coming up where I need to blow up parts of entire cities, or create very specifically localized disasters/effects. If I could just move my village, whole-cloth, over to an editor, I'd be fine -- but again, I ain't real smart, and I don't know how these things work. I'm a storyteller and a role player, not a genius artist.
So I'm starting here. I hope this doesn't get removed just because I'm dumb, but if I'm in the wrong place and you know where I should be asking this, I'd love some direction.
I hope this finds you all well.
2023.06.05 00:28 vintage_radish The Trey Clover Thesis
I wanted to write a long post on my analysis/interpretation of Trey because so many people seem to brush him off as a simple Nice Guy or just Suspicious, when he is one of the most complex and (in my opinion) funny character in the game. So let’s get to it (spoilers for vignettes):
Why is this guy so damn suspicious?
Although he appears to have a friendly, big brotherly demeanor, there are occasionally moments that makes you go, “wait that’s not very nice.”
For example, in his lab coat vignette, he explains why he makes tarts for Riddle:
T: My main priority is keeping my housewarden from going berserk with his tyrant mode. That way, all's right with the world, as they say.
There’s another example where he (lightly) coerced Ruggie into painting roses in exchange for laundry detergent in Ruggie’s lab vignette:
R: You had that line loaded up and ready to fire, didn't you? Man, this was your goal all along! Look, I don't want any part of this stupid, pointless job T: Suit yourself. I guess you won't be getting your detergent after all. R: Oh, come ON! T: I'm fine either way, personally. Are you?
What I think these instances show is that Trey is a character who is (for the most part) incidentally nice. That is, it is in his best interest to be friendly and helpful, since his main goal is to maintain peace and quiet in Heartslabyul until he can graduate. Towards that end, he is not above manipulating people every now and then.
That being said, I don’t think that he’s some sort of scheming sociopath. Trey is very upfront about his intentions, he always tell people exactly what he wants and what he’s feeling, but his pragmatism can be off putting to people since he’s ‘supposed’ to be kind and selfless. He does also seem to at least care somewhat about the general well-being of his friends. For example, when he saved Kalim’s life (more on that), cheers up Vil with cake, and his friendship with Cater which is getting fleshed out in the upcoming Vargas camp event.
Now to the part of his character that is hilarious to me, that is his insistence and obsession with being “normal.” He maintains average grades in all subjects (except alchemy) and only accepts being above average in baking. Even then, his involvement in the Science Club and being good at alchemy is because, he insists, it’s similar to baking.
He’s just a guy!! Everything is normal!!
But as we see, this lead to a lot of problems. Namely, his refusal to acknowledge Riddle’s childhood trauma until he quite literally blows up, or even Cater’s dislike of sweets. Everything is fine, just paint over it! Which, essentially is the mentality that fits his unique magic perfectly. The absurdly OP unique magic with limitations that were clearly discussed, the main use of which is food coloring(supposedly).
Similarly, we know that Trey hides other abilities in an attempt to project normalcy - for example he is much more athletic than he likes to admit. In his PE Vignette, he saved Kalim from his flying carpet in a rescue attempt that is ripped straight from Harry Potter:
Vargas: You did a beeeeaUTIFUL hammerhead and inside loop straight into a knife-edge. And all at top speed! In short, you passed every part of the exercise with flying colors! I never knew you could move like that!
He is also extremely meticulous and thoughtful, best shown when he made several pizzas in the culinary crucible, to account for all of the judges different tastes. As Vil points out:
Vil: It's a bad habit of yours, the way you try to stay on top of every eventuality.
He’s a little bit of a toxic people pleaser who attempts to mitigate all conflicts and issues in Heartslabyul, but never actually solves the problem, which would mean acknowledging that there are problems in the first place.
I like to think that Trey is a variation of the trope Refusal of the Call, wherein he has all the flags of a protagonist (or in this case, antagonist) in the making, but simply refuses to acknowledge it and does everything in his ability to be an NPC. This also plays into the teeth thing (yes, I’m finally getting to that). He is simultaneously a reverse Willy Wonka (a sweets maker who wants to be a dentist, wanting to make his weird wacky dorm as normal as possible) and a reverse Mad Hatter (just a normal guy, who likes hats). Overall I think his (failing) insistence of being “a normal guy” is funny and endearing, and I hope more people can enjoy him as a character!
submitted by vintage_radish to TwistedWonderland [link] [comments]
Why is this guy so damn suspicious?
Although he appears to have a friendly, big brotherly demeanor, there are occasionally moments that makes you go, “wait that’s not very nice.”
For example, in his lab coat vignette, he explains why he makes tarts for Riddle:
T: My main priority is keeping my housewarden from going berserk with his tyrant mode. That way, all's right with the world, as they say.
There’s another example where he (lightly) coerced Ruggie into painting roses in exchange for laundry detergent in Ruggie’s lab vignette:
R: You had that line loaded up and ready to fire, didn't you? Man, this was your goal all along! Look, I don't want any part of this stupid, pointless job T: Suit yourself. I guess you won't be getting your detergent after all. R: Oh, come ON! T: I'm fine either way, personally. Are you?
What I think these instances show is that Trey is a character who is (for the most part) incidentally nice. That is, it is in his best interest to be friendly and helpful, since his main goal is to maintain peace and quiet in Heartslabyul until he can graduate. Towards that end, he is not above manipulating people every now and then.
That being said, I don’t think that he’s some sort of scheming sociopath. Trey is very upfront about his intentions, he always tell people exactly what he wants and what he’s feeling, but his pragmatism can be off putting to people since he’s ‘supposed’ to be kind and selfless. He does also seem to at least care somewhat about the general well-being of his friends. For example, when he saved Kalim’s life (more on that), cheers up Vil with cake, and his friendship with Cater which is getting fleshed out in the upcoming Vargas camp event.
Now to the part of his character that is hilarious to me, that is his insistence and obsession with being “normal.” He maintains average grades in all subjects (except alchemy) and only accepts being above average in baking. Even then, his involvement in the Science Club and being good at alchemy is because, he insists, it’s similar to baking.
He’s just a guy!! Everything is normal!!
But as we see, this lead to a lot of problems. Namely, his refusal to acknowledge Riddle’s childhood trauma until he quite literally blows up, or even Cater’s dislike of sweets. Everything is fine, just paint over it! Which, essentially is the mentality that fits his unique magic perfectly. The absurdly OP unique magic with limitations that were clearly discussed, the main use of which is food coloring(supposedly).
Similarly, we know that Trey hides other abilities in an attempt to project normalcy - for example he is much more athletic than he likes to admit. In his PE Vignette, he saved Kalim from his flying carpet in a rescue attempt that is ripped straight from Harry Potter:
Vargas: You did a beeeeaUTIFUL hammerhead and inside loop straight into a knife-edge. And all at top speed! In short, you passed every part of the exercise with flying colors! I never knew you could move like that!
He is also extremely meticulous and thoughtful, best shown when he made several pizzas in the culinary crucible, to account for all of the judges different tastes. As Vil points out:
Vil: It's a bad habit of yours, the way you try to stay on top of every eventuality.
He’s a little bit of a toxic people pleaser who attempts to mitigate all conflicts and issues in Heartslabyul, but never actually solves the problem, which would mean acknowledging that there are problems in the first place.
I like to think that Trey is a variation of the trope Refusal of the Call, wherein he has all the flags of a protagonist (or in this case, antagonist) in the making, but simply refuses to acknowledge it and does everything in his ability to be an NPC. This also plays into the teeth thing (yes, I’m finally getting to that). He is simultaneously a reverse Willy Wonka (a sweets maker who wants to be a dentist, wanting to make his weird wacky dorm as normal as possible) and a reverse Mad Hatter (just a normal guy, who likes hats). Overall I think his (failing) insistence of being “a normal guy” is funny and endearing, and I hope more people can enjoy him as a character!
2023.06.05 00:10 spunchy M&B Lecture 5: The Central Bank as a Clearinghouse
 | For our schedule and links to other discussions, see the Money and Banking 2023 master post. submitted by spunchy to moneyview [link] [comments] This is the discussion thread for Economics of Money and Banking Lecture 5: The Central Bank as a Clearinghouse. The lecture begins our discussion of banking as a payments system. We start with the interconnectedness of bank balance sheets that allow the payment system to operate smoothly. The central bank helps knit the payment system together to approximate the behavior of one big bank. We cover correspondent banking and central bank cooperation. Part 1: FT: Martin Wolf on QE3
As the press release of the open market committee stated: “If the outlook for the labor market does not improve substantially, the Committee will continue its purchases of agency mortgage-backed securities, undertake additional asset purchases, and employ its other policy tools as appropriate until such improvement is achieved in a context of price stability.” This is also “consistent with its statutory mandate”, to foster “maximum employment and price stability”. —Bernanke makes a historic choice
How should we understand QE3? The Fed promises to buy MBS, and possibly other assets, at a fixed and steady pace until employment improves. The immediate effect is to absorb such assets from elsewhere in the financial system. This is, in the first instance, a boost to the liquidity of these securities: when a big-time buyer is out there, it will be easier to sell, and knowing that a big-time buyer will continue to be out there, others will be more likely to buy. — QE3 The Money ViewI've added "Builders" to the balance sheet from the blog post to show where the money goes and where the houses come from: https://preview.redd.it/q8ui8v69o24b1.png?width=1133&format=png&auto=webp&s=c24e93eb8e763849022eada0aa4974edf9433170 At the highest level, finally, does QE3 get at what is keeping aggregate demand down? If the problem remains, still, overindebted households unwilling to increase their demand for newly produced goods and services, then this liquidity-providing operation will have very little effect. If there is too much debt out there, and it is to be reduced, someone will have to write that debt down against equity. This is not a feature of QE3 as announced. — QE3 The Money ViewThe goal was to return to nominal GDP trend, but we were falling further behind. Part 2: One Big BankThe payments system functions as if it were operating on the balance sheet of one big bank. Everyone can pay each other using bank deposits as if all bank deposits were equivalent.The IMF works more like a "pure money" one-big-bank system. Its balance sheet does not expand or contract as countries make payments to one another. In a "pure money" one-big-bank system, the quantity of money (deposits) doesn't change. Depositors pay each other by assignment, which appears as novation on the balance sheet of the bank: one deposit account takes on liabilities previously held by another: https://preview.redd.it/7ifoequao24b1.png?width=847&format=png&auto=webp&s=21f2884c7dced3a3839116a8e10b37d0a6c556c1 The Fed works more like a credit system. A "pure credit" one-big-bank system has no reserves. Instead, surplus agents have deposits at the bank, which they hold as assets. Deficit agents have "overdrafts" at the bank, which are their liabilities. https://preview.redd.it/uk0qf9bco24b1.png?width=268&format=png&auto=webp&s=d832d2aaddc01d60a136d952e481eee72e00d3b3 Depositors make payments through the bank. Below is the matrix from the lecture that shows whether the bank's balance sheet expands, contracts, or stays the same size. Payers are on the vertical axis. Payees are on the horizontal axis. https://preview.redd.it/p1wimxoeo24b1.png?width=125&format=png&auto=webp&s=11760b09ddf1761033e5fdbbe923a48d1a7db085 Surplus agents pay each other by assigning deposits. Deficit agents pay each other by novating overdrafts. Deficit agents pay surplus agents by issuance, intermediated by the bank. Surplus agents pay deficit agents by set off, again intermediated by the bank. This matrix assumes that the bank's balance sheet expands only when necessary. It shrinks whenever possible. Otherwise, everybody could make all payments by issuance, and balance sheets would only ever expand. The Money Stock In a footnote to the lecture notes, Perry points out that the elasticity of credit makes it hard to define the size of the money stock. Note in passing that this way of thinking about the payments system raises deep questions about how properly to measure the money supply.He provides three options.
The second option also doesn't measure people's overall purchasing power. If you're in a pure credit system, deposits and overdrafts exactly net out to zero, but we know there's purchasing power in the system. The third option reflects the idea that there's more gross purchasing power when people have higher credit limits. But credit limits don't appear on anyone's balance sheet. How do we measure them? The balance sheets tell the same story regardless of how you define or measure the money stock. Part 3: Multiple Banks, a challengeIn the real world, the challenge is to knit multiple bank balance sheets together into a single payment system. When deposits move through the banking system, there is a notional flow of reserves behind the scenes.https://preview.redd.it/5fz7oyp1p24b1.png?width=558&format=png&auto=webp&s=f6baed3bb7fa55e9b9f3daa5da2c2d80a34178c9 Notice that reserves move (assignment) along with the deposits (novation). In quadruple-entry accounting, this is a transfer of portfolio. Bank A's balance sheet contracts on both sides while Bank B's balance sheet expandson both sides. In the example above, the consolidated balance sheet of the banking system as a whole remains the same size. Unlike with one big bank, the reserves matter. The deficit bank can run out of reserves and come up against the settlement constraint. There's more discipline than in a system with one big bank. Banks run the payments system by expanding and contracting their balance sheets on both sides. The net worth of neither the individual banks nor the banking system as a whole changes as depositors make payments to each other. If banks refused to run the payment system, it would force depositors to withdraw cash whenever they wanted to make payments. See the below set of balance sheets. https://preview.redd.it/x1tai1fzo24b1.png?width=1200&format=png&auto=webp&s=0e320bcd0a430e9035a0a8a89e8cee2d82bfa465 There are two scenarios here: A and B. Each is a different way for Depositor α at Bank A to pay Depositor γ at Bank B. Both start and end with the same balance-sheet positions. Scenario A has 5 steps:
It's more convenient for the banks to send the payment directly to the other bank instead of having depositors withdraw their money. This is scenario B. Making payments directly through account balances reduces the need for depositors to withdraw cash. It allows banks to economize on reserves. Offering demand deposits, therefore, basically forces banks to run the payments system. When appropriate, we can treat bank deposits as outside asset for our layer of the hierarchy simply by ignoring the balance sheets of the banks. Part 4: Reading: Charles F. DunbarThe reading for this Wednesday is a chapter by Charles Dunbar about how the United States checking system worked in the late 19th century before we had a central bank.Below is a simple representation of payment by check between depositors at two banks at the same level of the hierarchy. https://preview.redd.it/0ozi6korp24b1.png?width=901&format=png&auto=webp&s=3e879bf2b0a8134ccee9ecef03083a8adbfd2c0e
Part 5: Correspondent banking, bilateral balancesA check is an order to pay. Each bank receives orders to pay throughout the day and then nets them out.https://preview.redd.it/oblni8wup24b1.png?width=427&format=png&auto=webp&s=d9ad8403194efcbec07de0faf85591656125fb98 After they clear by netting out offsetting promises to pay, the banks could settle the difference by paying in reserves (transfer of portfolio). But it can be more convenient for the banks to have deposit accounts with each other. These are called correspondent balances. There are two ways to resolve a payment from a bank A customer to a payment to a bank B customer using correspondent balances:
In practice, there's a hierarchy of banks, and the small country banks will be the ones that hold deposit balances in the bigger city banks. The action will happen on the big bank's balance sheet.
Part 6: Correspondent banking, system networkHere's a diagram similar to the one Mehrling draws on the board. Money-center Banks A and B have correspondent accounts at New York Bank C. Depositors α and β's banks have correspondent accounts at money-center Bank A. γ's bank has a correspondent account at Bank C, and λ's bank has a correspondent account at Bank B.https://preview.redd.it/r3h8b2d5q24b1.png?width=960&format=png&auto=webp&s=8bab35d6ea48ec0b63c5cf48cee5105f5d5e7630 There are multiple layers of the correspondent-banking hierarchy. The idea is to economize on reserves. Do as much netting as possible so reserves don't have to flow. Use credit as much as possible so reserves don't have to flow. Here's what it looks like (notionally) for α to pay λ. https://preview.redd.it/vvp29757q24b1.png?width=1065&format=png&auto=webp&s=5ade9969f7e31d9af86dadbf688f4ceca1a69c5b I've arranged the balance sheets so you can see the hierarchy. Each balance sheet uses as reserves deposits in the bank above it. This flow of reserves is only "notional" because it might be offset with a payment going in the opposite direction. In that case, no reserves will actually flow. Now imagine that λ has its correspondent account directly at money-center bank B. When α to pays λ, there is a contraction of deposits at an intermediate layer of the hierarchy. https://preview.redd.it/wjjy913aq24b1.png?width=1058&format=png&auto=webp&s=381d71e0fda9255a354d106f0ecbfe8bcc0a5705 From the perspective of α and λ, it's all the same. Note that, since the correspondent system is a credit system, we are not constrained by the quantity of gold, only by the various bi-lateral credit limits.—Lecture NotesThe accumulation of orders to pay throughout the day is not constrained by reserves. Only the final settlement (after netting) is reserve-constrained. Part 7: Clearinghouse, normal operationsBanks cooperating to form a clearinghouse is an example of the emergence of hierarchy. The banks are installing a layer of the hierarchy above themselves for the purpose of providing elasticity. That elasticity can then propagate further down the hierarchy.Here are some simple balance sheets showing the New York Clearinghouse Association. https://preview.redd.it/pez4wldeq24b1.png?width=557&format=png&auto=webp&s=8cad3a85eb4135191e20125e14ea08e75774f79d Clearinghouse certificates are notes that stand in for gold. They're not just promises to pay gold. Each note corresponds to gold that's actually held in reserve. All promised payments are mutual obligations of members of the clearinghouse. The credit of the aggregate is better than the credit of any individual bank. The clearinghouse is a credit system during the day but a money system when settling at the end of the day. If a member bank is a net debtor at the end of the day, it has to choose from the following options:
Here's a book about the history of clearinghouses that Merhling recommends.
Part 8: Clearinghouse, private lender of last resortIn times of stress, when member banks collectively lack sufficient reserves, the members can borrow from the clearinghouse itself. The clearinghouse funds the loan by issuing a clearinghouse loan certificate. Whereas the clearinghouse certificate is directly backed by gold, the clearinghouse loan certificate is backed by the loan instead.lecture5-b9-loan-certificate.png The Clearinghouse is a private lender of last resort. Clearinghouse loan certificates are like banknotes, but they're issued against member loans rather than the special 2% government bonds. Before 1907, it wasn't clear that they were legal. Sometimes, it was hard for the clearinghouse to get the loan certificates back because they paid so well. Here's a paper by the same author as the above book that describes clearinghouse loan certificates in more detail.
Part 9: Central Bank Clearinghttps://preview.redd.it/c0vgk2gsq24b1.png?width=558&format=png&auto=webp&s=41b5c8c976f7874e647261e2cbda62ed6ccb3383 Central banking can be understood as nothing more than one step beyond the clearinghouse, a kind of regularization and strengthening of the clearinghouse system that goes the extra step of obliterating the difference between clearinghouse certificates and clearinghouse loan certificates.—Lecture Notes https://preview.redd.it/1t996zltq24b1.png?width=742&format=png&auto=webp&s=90d0770720c03c36fd780f6afdfcd3a1f8a3db68 In the above set of balance sheets, "money" is an umbrella term for reserves (deposits) and Federal Reserve Notes. It shows that the Fed can support members by lending to them through the discount window (not the same thing as discounting) or by buying assets from their balance sheets (more analogous to discounting). Today, there are two clearing systems: one public (Fedwire) and one private (CHIPS). CHIPS is the modern version of the NYCA. CHIPS clears first, and then everything settles on Fedwire. Part 10: Central Bank CooperationIf someone above you in the hierarchy needs to be paid in reserves (external drain), your choice is to pay up or to default (suspend payments). If someone below you in the hierarchy needs to be paid (internal drain), your liabilities are their reserves. You can expand your balance sheet. No problem.When you're a central bank and you run out of gold, you suspend specie payments. That's suspending the exchange rate fixed with gold. It suspends the promise that you will maintain the mint par with gold. Instead of suspending payments, it's possible for all the central banks to expand their balance sheets at the same time when experiencing stress. It's like an international clearinghouse adding elasticity at the top of the system. In 2012, the five central banks that matter were all expanding their balance sheets together: Fed, ECB, BoE, SNB, and BoJ. Today, Mehrling adds the Bank of Canada to that list and calls them as a group the C6, with the C standing for "central bank." Please post any questions and comments below. We will have a one-hour live discussion of Lecture 5 and Lecture 6 on Monday, June 5th, at 2:00pm EDT. |