Hello everyone! I’m currently looking for a rp partner who is semi-lit and i usually write 5-15 lines.I mainly do fandom role plays with canon characters. I mainly do mxm because I’m most comfortable with that writing style. I don’t have any triggers and I’d like fast-ish replies. I’m completely fine with smut and angst as i love building plots. I have multiple plots to use as well! I usually reply as fast as i can because i usually hate leaving people on delivered. I prefer doing cannon characters mainly because ocs tend to get quite confusing for me. On a lighter note Here’s a brief short list of the fandoms I’m in: -my hero academia -seraph of the end -free! -mystic messenger -twisted wonderland -ouran highschool host club -genshin impact -demon slayer -Jujitsu kiasen -helluva boss I could list out more fandoms if needed! If you’re interested please comment down below if you’re interest! I have multiple plots. But my main one is soulmate au: muse a and muse b are room mates. In order to find your soulmate in this universe you feel the same physical pain they do and get the same bruises,cuts ect. Muse a ends up getting hurt in some way and muse b feels it, at first they think it’s just a coincidence but then it turned out to be a re occurring thing.

Welcome to CRUX Play-To-Earn with Ai - Already on CoinMarketCap - Ownership rennounced - BscScan Verified - Long Term vision - Anti Rug Pull - Roadmap being complete - Billion Dollar Industry - Utility already out and in constant update - Audit and KYC - Charts went down and they continue to build, few holders and a lot of upside potential
They launched a giveaway where you actually play their game to unlock a wallet containing 1000$, more info on their website
Game and Financial Platform: Powering the Future of Play-To-Earn CRUX combines the best of both worlds by offering an immersive survival MMORPG game on the Metaverse, where you can fight against the undead and trade valuable in-game items on their NFT marketplace. But that's not all! CRUX also provides a sophisticated financial platform that integrates market analysis, social sentiment, and on-chain data, all analyzed through state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence. With CRUX, you'll have the power to make informed trading decisions like never before!
Tokenomics and Revenue for Holders CRUX's tokenomics are designed to reward and incentivize holders. Every transaction incurs an 8% fee, with 2% reflections redistributed to all current holders, ensuring that your CRUX holdings grow over time. Additionally, 2% goes towards liquidity, strengthening the ecosystem, and 4% is allocated to ecosystem growth, including marketing and development efforts.
Early Stage Opportunity With a market capitalization of just 180k, CRUX is still at an early stage, presenting an excellent entry point for those looking to get involved. The project is backed by a dedicated community of 180 holders who are in it for the long term. This isn't a memecoin; it's a project with real potential and value.
Verified and Secure CRUX takes security seriously. The contract has been audited, and vesting locks and liquidity locks are in place to ensure the safety of your investments. KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures are also implemented, adding an extra layer of security and transparency.
Explore and Connect Ready to join the CRUX community? Check out their Telegram group (@CRUX_CRYPTOS) for engaging discussions and updates. You can also follow them on Twitter (@CRUX_CRYPTOS) to stay up to date with the latest news. CRUX is already listed on CoinMarketCap, and you can find more information about the project on their website and whitepaper.
Latest Updates on CRUX

• Influencer Collaborations: We're actively engaging with influential personalities on Telegram and Twitter to spread awareness about our groundbreaking project. Through these strategic partnerships, we aim to reach a wider audience and showcase the immense potential of CRUX.
  -AI Platform Progress: Our team has been hard at work, layering the foundation of our AI platform. We're excited to announce that the beta release of this game-changing technology is on the horizon. This release will allow investors, not just interested in our project but also in our cutting-edge technology, to dive deep into the world of CRUX.
  
• Marketing Power: As the volume on $CRUX will grow, the marketing funds will also grow. With this fund, we're planning a massive brand spread campaign that will create a wave of awareness across various platforms. We're just waiting for the perfect moment and right volume to unleash it, and it's going to be phenomenal.
  
• CEX Listing: The moment we've all been waiting for is almost here! We're proud to announce that we've finalized preparations for listing on major centralized exchanges (CEX). While we can't disclose the names just yet, rest assured that liquidity is already available. To make the most of this opportunity, we're aiming to reach 300-500 holders to generate significant traction. The listing will not only boost $CRUX but also grant us access to powerful Marketing Listing Services provided by these exchanges. Brace yourselves for the massive impact this will have!
  
• Our Collective Effort: We're committed to building a solid foundation for CRUX, but we can't do it alone. We rely on the support of our incredible community. We humbly request that you share our tweets, posts, and project information far and wide. Spread the word and help us ignite a wildfire of awareness. CRUX is a rock-solid project, designed with safety and utility at its core. We're already ahead of the curve, offering utility at such an early stage. Show us a memecoin that has achieved this level of progress. The time for CRUX to explode is just around the corner!
  
• Together, let's take CRUX to new heights and make our mark in the crypto world! Stay tuned for more exciting updates and remember, your actions are vital in making CRUX a resounding success.**
  

Stay tuned for more updates and announcements. Good luck, adventurers. Make sure to spread the ord.🎮💎
Website: https://cruxcryptos.com/ Whitepaper: https://crux-mmorpg.gitbook.io/ zCoinMarketCap: https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/crux/

Hello, I'm a 27 year old Korean man just looking to talk geeky stuff with someone. I enjoy watching anime and YouTube, listening and trying out new music, gaming on my pc or switch or ps4, or playing a children's card game to save the world (or something like that). Honestly just want another person to click with that can potentially become my significant other, cause work is boring... Oh, also an avid Fate/ Grand Order player, and now a Genshin Impact addict. If we click, maybe we can discord? I also do some panels to the conventions I go to in Georgia. But aside from my love of the fate series or anything that can fuel my gacha addiciton, I do play a lot of other games, so shoot me a question of "do you play [insert game name]" and I will give you an answer!
So more generic and not so geeky information, currently working for my parents for a clothing store they own. I own no pets and sadly I'm allergic to cats (cats are super cute). I am a little cynical hoping that will change with conversing with other non cynical people (a lot of my friends are cynical like me). I like most genre of music (only one that I currently don't like is country music) but I mainly prefer classic rock like The Beatles and Queen. My future goals, aside from having a family and having kids, is to either be a card shop owner or an author of a book series.
Tldr - anime and card game enthusiast, YouTube watcher, Beatles fan/ classic rock fan, avid gamer, convention panelist, "aspiring" writer, lover of all fate Series, yes including the original fate stay night by studio deen...
You - have similar interests as I have listed above, possibly in state (although I wouldn't mind a long distant relationship if it comes down to it, as long as we're willing to meet up in person one day, compatible, and share a face pic, i dont mind sending one first, but i do want one in return to be fair)
Goals - honestly, I just want someone to talk fgo about mainly and eventually watch a podcast or something while we're cuddling and complaining about whatever gacha gamea we're playing cause sharing grief is a good way to connect imo.
Ps. I apologize if I'm a bit awkward or if I seem aloof sometimes, honestly if I'm being real here, I'm not too sure if I have any mental disorders or anything since my parents never really thought of it as an actual thing when I was young so I was never formally diagnosed with anything.

warriors Dubs Draft Primer

This will be the primer for warriors on everything draft related. Once the draft is done, another version focusing more on the offseason will come out. Until then, here is the aggregated version of a mostly draft-focused primer (with a few other stuff added).

2023 NBA Draft Date: Thursday June 22, 2023

Confirmed Draft Workouts (Last Updated: 6/3)

Reminder: These workouts aren't just for the 19th pick. It's for the possible undrafted players to recruit for the Summer League, Training Camp, Two-way spots, and/or Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors' G-league). In case you forget and came to complain about working out guards or the fact they are working out prospects at all.

Prospect	Age	Height - Position	School/Team/Org	Date of Source
Leaky Black	23	6'9 - Fowrad	UNC	5/3 - Jeremiah Holloway
Tristen Newton	22	6'5 - Guard	UConn	5/4 - Colin Deaver
Coleman Hawkins*	21	6'10 - Big,F/C	Illinois	5/26 - Anthony Slater
Trayce Jackson-Davis	23	6'9 - Big,C	Indiana	5/26 - Anthony Slater
Craig Porter Jr	23	6'0 - Guard	Wichita State	5/26 - Anthony Slater
Julian Strawther	21	6'7 - Wing	Gonzaga	5/26 - Anthony Slater
Kendric Davis	24	6'0 - Guard	Memphis	5/26 - Anthony Slater
Caleb Daniels	24	6'4 - Guard	Villanova	5/26 - Anthony Slater
Khalil Shabazz	24	6'0 - Guard	University of San Francisco	5/30 - Jason Dumas
Brandin Podziemski	20	Guard/Wing	Santa Clara	5/30 - CJ Holmes
Colby Jones	21	6'6 - Wing	Xavier	5/30 - CJ Holmes
Terquavion Smith	20	6'4 - Guard	NC State	5/30 - CJ Holmes
Jake Stephens	23	6'11 - Big	Chattanooga	5/30 - CJ Holmes
Patrick Gardner	23	6'11 - Big	Marist	5/30 - CJ Holmes
Omari Moore	22	6'5 - Wing	SJSU	5/30 - CJ Holmes
Jamie Jaquez Jr	22	6'7 - Guard	UCLA	5/31 - Anthony Slater
Dereck Lively II	19	7'1 - Big	Duke	6/2 - Anthony Slater
Jalen Wilson	22	6'8 - Wing	Kansas	6/2 - Anthony Slater
Colin Castleton	23	6'11 - Big	Florida	6/2 - Anthony Slater
Keyontae Johnson	23	6'6 - Wing	Kansas State	6/2 - Anthony Slater
Arthur Kaluma	21	6'7 - Wing	Creighton	6/2 - Anthony Slater
Gabe Kalscheur	23	6'4 - Guard	TCU	6/2 - Darren Wolfson
Ben Sheppard	21	6-6 - Wing	Belmont	6/3 - Jonathan Wasserman

Mock Drafts for 19th (Last Updated: 6/3)

Publication/Individual Source	Date of Mock Draft		Age	Height - Position	School/Team/Org	Brief Summary of Reason	Add'l Notes
The Athletic (Sam Vecenie) [PAYWALL]	5/16	Jalen Hood-Schifino	20	6'6 - Wing	Indiana	1. Warriors like well-rounded propsects 2. Team tends to draft younger recently 3. Ballhandling depth (esp if Poole is traded)	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced. Due to paywall here is the 3 picks ahead + 3 picks behind 19th: 16)Kris Murray; 17)Jordan Hawkins; 18)Keyonte George; 20)Dariq Whitehead; 21)Brice Sensabaugh; 22)Jett Howard
ESPN/Draft Express (Jonathan Givony & Jeremy Woo) [PAYWALL]	5/31	Rayan Rupert	19	6'7 - Wing	New Zeland Breakers	Rupert targeting playoff contenders > draft positions. Defensive-minded prospect w 7'2 wingspan+high intensity could help the Warriors who needed stops during the playoffs	Post-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced. Due to paywall here is the 3 picks ahead + 3 picks behind 19th: 16)Kobe Bufkin; 17)Cason Wallace; 18)Jett Howard; 20)Noah Clownley; 21)Bilal Coulibaly; 22)Leonard Miller
The Ringer (Kevin O'Connor)	5/16	Dereck Lively II	19	7'1- Big	Duke	2nd try at drafting a young big * Defense, Rebounding shown * Steph could unlock the offensive side	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
Bleacher Report (Jonathan Wasserman)	6/2	Jett Howard	19	6'8 - Wing	Michigan	Wing depth w shooting versatility + occasional self-creation. Questions about athleticism + defense	Post-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
Yahoo! Sports (Krysten Peek)	5/16	Dereck Lively II	19	7'1- Big	Duke	Nothing Dubs specific - Shot blocker + Rebounder that can contribute right away	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
SB Nation (Ricky O'Donnell)	5/16	Leonard Miller	19	6'10 - Forward	G League Ignite	Nothing Dubs specific - Upside. Good touch around basket. Defensive versatility (when locked in).	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
Sports Illustrated (Matt Babcock)	5/23	Kris Murray	22	6'8 - Wing	Iowa	Nothing Dubs specific - Scorer. Offensive board getter. Stretch 4. Solid and safe.	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
NBC Sports( Chas Hughes & Tyler Byrum)	5/27	Jalen Hood-Schifino	20	6'6 - Wing	Indiana	Nothing Warriors specific - Big guard that penetrate paint and facilitate.	Post-combine/pro days + Pre-NCAA returners announced.
CBS Sports (Gary Parrish)	5/22	Dereck Lively II	19	7'1- Big	Duke	Nothing Dubs specific - Rim protecting big	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
CBS Sports (Kyle Boone)	5/26	Trey Alexander*	20	6'3 - Guard/Wing	Creighton	Nothing Dubs specific - Improved stock after combine. Evolved from athletic wing => playmaking guard. Two-way potential	*Has returned to college since
Fox Sports (John Fanta)	5/18	Kobe Bufkin	19	6'4 - Guard	Michigan	Adds depth and athleticism. 2-way talent. Describes a better Jordan Poole.	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
USA Today (Lindsay Schnel, Cydney Henderson, Jeff Zillgitt)	5/17	Rayan Rupert	19	6'7 - Wing	New Zeland Breakers	Nothing Dubs specific - Solid year in the pro league + 7'3 wingspan	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
USA Today FTW (Bryan Kalbrosky)	5/16	Dereck Lively II	19	7'1- Big	Duke	Nothing Dubs specific	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
Rookie Wire FTW (Cody Taylor)	6/2	Jett Howard	19	6'8 - Wing	Michigan	Warriors could use more shooting + shown he can do more than just shoot	Post-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
Yardbarker (Pat Heery)	5/31	Dereck Lively II	19	7'1- Big	Duke	2nd try at drafting a young big. Trade asset.	Post-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
The Sporting News (Kyle Irving)	5/17	Brice Sensabaugh	19	6'6 - Wing	Ohio State	More perimeter shooting around Steph & Klay. Excel as a floor spacer. Might not be an immediate contributor, but can be a scoring depth for the 2nd unit	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
Box and One (Adam Spinella/Coach Spins)	6/2	Dariq Whitehead	18	6'6 - Wing	Duke	Warriors need more wings who can play offball. Notes Whitehead has high school pedigree which is something Warriors have valued (Nico Mannion, PBJ, etc)	Post-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
No Ceilings	5/17	Gradey Dick	19	6'8 - Wing	Kansas	Really good system fit + Adds another theoretically reliable shooter. Also only mock draft that has Gradey Dick falling down this far so doubt this one.	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
@MavsDraft (Richard Stayman)	5/19	Brice Sensabaugh	19	6'6 - Wing	Ohio State	-	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
Tankathon	6/1	Dereck Lively II	19	7'1- Big	Duke	-	Post-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
NBAdraft.net	5/31	Dereck Lively II	19	7'1- Big	Duke	-	Post-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
NBA Draft Room	6/3	Brice Sensabaugh	19	6'6 - Wing	Ohio State	Nothing Dubs specific - Powerful wing with an advanced offensive game	Post-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
u/nghbrhd_slackr87's Optimistic Pick	5/18	Jaime Jaquez Jr	22	6'7 - Guard	UCLA	Read it Here	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.

Draft Picks (Source)

Year	Round	Owns	Owed
2023	1	✔	-
2023	2	❌	CLE
2024	1	❔ (If Top 4)	MEM (If 5-30)
2024	2	❌	HOU or CLE
2025	1	❔ (If 2024 conveys OR keeps 2024 + Top 1)	MEM (If 2024 is Top 4 AND 2-30)
2025	2	❌	DET or WAS
2025	2	❔ (From CHA If 56-60)	-
2026	1	❔ (If 2025 conveys)	MEM (If 2024 ends up Top 4 AND 2025 ends up Top 1)
2026	2	❌	ATL
2027	1	✔	-
2027	2	✔	-
2028	1	✔	-
2028	2	❌	POR
2029	1	✔	-
2029	2	✔	-
2030	1	✔	-
2030	2	✔	-

News Reporting

Changing of the GM:

• Wojnarowski - 5/30: "Golden State's GM Bob Myers is stepping down as the franchise's president and general manager. With Myers' departure, Warriors owner Joe Lacob is expected to seek more prominent roles for his son, Kirk, an executive vice president of basketball operations, and VP of basketball operations Mike Dunleavy Jr."
• Slater - 5/31: "Warriors actually had a pre-draft workout while Myers and Lacob were doing their Tuesday afternoon press conference. It included Jaime Jaquez Jr., the UCLA wing who is an option for them with the 19th pick. Larry Harris, their long-time leader of college scouting, and Mike Dunleavy Jr., the presumed successor to Myers, ran it."
• Steinmetz - 6/2: "According to my sources, Mike Dunleavy Jr. is going to be the next General Manager of the Golden State Warriors. If the money is right, Dunleavy is going to be the guy."

Kenny Atkinson:

• Stein - 6/3: "Kenny Atkinson recently interviewed in Toronto for the Raptors' coaching vacancy, league sources say."

Draymond Green & Klay Thompson Extensions:

• Slater&Charania - 5/12: "Warriors intend to discuss a new multi-year contract with Green, either via an opt in and extend or an entirely new deal after an opt out, sources briefed on the matter tell The Athletic. Green has leverage: He is expected to have multiple playoff-contending teams in pursuit if he enters the open market"
• Wojnarowski - 4/16: "[Klay] Thompson, I'm told, has an expectation that he would be rewarded with a new, max-level contract extension this offseason"
• Slater&Charania - 5/12: "Thompson is extension eligible this summer. He’s making $43.2 million on the final year of his deal next season. If he’s to extend with the Warriors this summer, the expectation is he’d have to accept a paycut, as Andrew Wiggins did last summer"

Jonathan Kuminga's Future:

• Slater&Charania - 5/12: "The Warriors and Kuminga’s representatives are expected to discuss his future this offseason, league sources say. Golden State will need to decide whether Kuminga will receive a full-time role moving forward, and, if not, league sources say the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft will want to be somewhere he can play more."
• Dumas - 5/13: "I’m told Jonathan Kuminga aims to split his off-season time in Miami, NYC, and LA. He wants to participate in alot of NBA open runs and showcase to people around the league what he can do on the court."

Players

Guaranteed to be on Next Year's Roster & Salary (Source):

Player	2023-24 Salary	Notes	Contract End Date(s)
Steph Curry	$51.9 mil	Vet Ext (Supermax)/Bird	2026 (UFA)
Klay Thompson	$43.2 mil	FA (Max)/Bird	2024 (UFA)
Jordan Poole	$27.4 mil	Rookie Ext/Bird	2027 (UFA)
Andrew Wiggins	$24.3 mil	Vet Ext/Bird	2026 (PO) / 2027 (UFA)
Gary Payton II	$8.7 mil	Acquired via Trade	2025(PO) / 2025(UFA)
Kevon Looney	$7.5 mil	FA/Bird	2024(Part-Gtd) / 2025(UFA)
Jonathan Kuminga	$6 mil	Drafted/Rookie Scale	2024(TO) / 2025(RFA)
Moses Moody	$3.9 mil	Drafted/Rookie Scale	2024(TO) / 2025(RFA)
Patrick Baldwin Jr	$2.3 mil	Drafted/Rookie Scale	2025(TO) / 2026(TO) / 2027(RFA)
Ryan Rollins	$1.7 mil	Drafted/TPMLE	2025(Part-Gtd) / 2025(RFA)
19th Pick	$2.75 mil (est)	Drafted/Rookie Scale	2027(RFA)

Player Options:

• Draymond Green: $27.5 mil PO
• Donte DiVincenzo: $4.725 mil PO

Upcoming Free Agents:

• Andre Igoudala (UFA; Could Retire)
• JaMychal Green (UFA)
• Anthony Lamb (RFA/Non-Bird - 2-Way Eligible)
• Ty Jerome (UFA - Not 2-Way Eligible)
• Lester Quinones (RFA - 2-Way)

CBA Stuff (Source)

Brief version to keep in mind. More detailed one will come once the draft is done
2nd Apron: $17.5+ mil above the luxry tax
Confirmed to Start 2023-24 Season (for 2nd Tax Apron teams like Warriors, Clippers, etc):

• No more TPMLE
  • 2022-23: Signed Donte DiVicenzo + Signed Ryan Rollins to a 3rd partial-gtd year
  • 2021-22: Didn't use TPMLE
  • 2020-21: Signed Brad Wanamaker, Signed Juan Toscano-Anderson (2-way conversion)
• Limits on signing buyout candidates: No one making over Non-Taxpayer MLE of the season (2023-24: >$12.2 mil)
• Only paths to add talent now is through
  • Minimum contracts
  • Draft picks
  • Trades

Disclaimer : I am not too good at remembering critical plot points but this is an idea that has been keeping me busy for a while and i wanted peoples opinions on how plausible it is and to just discuss with people in general.
Now for the main topic . We know the sky is fake , but what is it exactly? My idea is that it is a kind of tapestry that is "woven".
We know the theme of fate is very prevalent in the world of Genshin and there are some things that kinda fit together when it comes down to it . For example , there are 3 Moon sisters and my guess is that they are based off of the 3 sisters of Fate from Greek Mythology(same as the Enkanomyia NPC names which were around during the unified civilization, which if i am not wrong is the same period the 3 moon sisters were mostly prevalent according to what we know? Need confirmation). In greek mythology the fates would weave the fate of every titan, god and mortal with these threads ,1 of the the fates was responsible for weaving thread (beggining of a life) , 2nd sister was responsible for embelishing the threads (course of events through said life), 3rd sister was responsible for cutting the thread (death).
So if the 3 moon sisters represent the sisters of fate and the "moons" dance across a "fake sky". I was lead to the conclusion that the sky in Teyvat is a kind of "woven tapestry" ,some elaborate mechanism to control the fate of every creature within it(or some could say the future) , similarly to how the Irminsul can control the past (kind of).
Now we know that when the Khaenri'ahn disaster happened the citizens were cursed and according to Dainsleaf they were cursed on the level of "fate itself". We also know from the recent nahida story quest with Apep etc , that the nails do not completely purify the power of the abyss but rather transmute it , into a less harmful effect (in the case of the chasm the black sludge, in the case of dragonspine the red crystals etc). What if it wasn't a curse , what if the alternative outcome of the Khaenri'ahn disaster was total annihilation all across Teyvat , and the fates of the Khaenri'ahns was changed to bear all the the abyssal power that would otherwise wreck havoc across the world? What i am proposing is that the so called "betrayal of the gods", was really a "sacrifice of few to save the many". A transfiguration of abyssal power similar to the function of the nails , and the only way possible to pull it off fast enough is to transfigure what they have control of , and that is the fate of people. Instead of trying to find a better way , they changed the fate of the Khanri'ahs to be transfigured into monsters and locked all the abyssal power within that transfiguration. And though the monsters posed a horrible threat and caused a great deal of destruction that can be felt even 500 years later , that is still the better outcome (just like the toxic black sludge in the Chasm while still dangerous , was still the preferable outcome).
And that leads to some brief thoughts on the Abyss order , whatever the Sinner is , and whatever he did to Caribert . It gave them the ability to transcend fate . Caribert being "The loom of fate" could be quite literal , allowing someone to use him to weave their own fate similarly to how the moon sisters did on the fake sky. The travelers sibling appearing on the Irminsul record could be a direct use of whatever Caribert turned into for example.
Now some thoughts on Descenders and some interactions with the main character. For 1 out of the original 7 archons that were present in the disaster 500 years ago , we know of 3 that survived those being Morax, Barbatos and the Cryo Archon , and so far they are the only 3 that have presented extremely peculiar behavior . Venti is saving poems and Ballads like a maniac and though some might say it is because he is a bard his motives for that becomes more questionable when you learn that such folk lore can survive the alteration of the past through messing with the Irminsul. Similarly Zhongli was looking for a record keeper which didn't make much sense at the time , but makes much more sense now if you consider what we know.
And while those 2 focus on the preservation of the past , i find the Tsaritsa much more interesting , since she is actively trying to gather the gnosis to alter the future.
Conclusion: All who were present and survived the incident 500 years ago with their minds intact now know of Celestias ability to influence fate and are affected by it.
Which means that the gnosis somehow play a role on controlling the fate of Teyvat , otherwise the Tsaritsa wouldn't bother gathering them for the sake of power.
Which then brings us to the last bit of this post . How was the Tsaritsa even able to collect the gnosis if they are so important and her fate is controlled? The answer is the Traveler, we know that Descenders are not subject to Teyvats laws , and Tsaritsa wasn't able to actually gain a single gnosis other than the cryo one before the story begins.
Venti would never have dropped his guard enough to be caught by Signora. Liyue wouldn't have been able to fight off Osial and Zongli wouldn't have traded his gnosis(i think that was how the contract was?).
And one of the most interesting things to me is Paimon. The very first thing we experience in the story , either something extremly dangerous to the world of teyvat that was never meant to be unearthed , or a tether on the traveler sent by Celestia to try and mitigate the effect they have on the world?
What are your thoughts , anything i missed that changes any points? Would love to read peoples insights on such topics (or even extensions such as what role doe the visions hold in such a scenario etc).

Hello! Like everyone else on here, I am looking for something serious. I am very much an introverted person, but I can become very talkative if I'm comfortable with the person.
I am a gamer girl and I play on playstation! Bonus points if you play, Destiny 2 or Genshin impact. I have others games that I play, but as of right now I am mainly playing these two.
My other hobbies: Reading, comics (Mainly webtoons) watching anime and some tv shows.
I am a Christian. I am very family oriented and someday I would like to start a family of my own.
So my appearance: I am white with a bunch of freckles on me. I have red hair and hazel eyes. I weigh 295lb and my height is 5'3, I've been losing weight so hopefully that number will continue to go down.
I'm not really experienced with physical affection or sexual, so if you don't mind going out with a little virgin that has a only few dating experiences, fantastic lol.
If any of the things I have typed out so far are deal breakers, please continue on scrolling through this subreddit and I hope you find someone who meets more of your preferences!
I guess I'm mainly looking for someone who likes what they read so far. Really enjoys playing video games, has a good sense of humor (Anything is on the table) and likes to talk/text. Is honest and likes to communicate. Someone who will equally support me as I will with them.
I'm open to talk with anyone that is 21+ but I prefer ages 23-32. I will try to ldr but I would like it more if you are located in Texas, its already a big state and it takes at least 8 hours to get out of it lol.
And if you actually read all this, send me a message and tell me a cringey pun.

This is a summary of all G8 central bank speakers' comments for the last week.

Federal Reserve

• Goolsbee (Neutral). Weekend: Trying to make it a point not to prejudge and make decision when we're still weeks out from the next FOMC meeting, we are going to get a lot of important data between now and then.
• Barkin (Neutral). Tue: There is uncertainty around where rates need to go, it would be shocking if rates fell again to zero in a future recession, hopes that rates can stat at a "neutral, normal" level for some time, seeing evidence that rate hikes are curbing demand, CRE strain appears focused in B and C quality office buildings in downtown areas and not the entire sector.
• Mester (Hawk). Wed: No compelling reason to wait on rate hikes, more of a compelling case for bringing rates up and then holding for a while, decision could still be swayed by NFP and the next inflation report.
• Bowman (Neutral). Wed: Residential real estate appears to be rebounding with implications for the Fed's inflation battle, while lower rents will eventually be reflected in inflation data home prices themselves are levelling out.
• Collins (Neutral). Wed: Inflation is simply too high, the Fed is intent on reducing inflation.
• Jefferson (Neutral). Wed: Skipping a rate increase at the coming meeting would allow us to see more data before deciding on the extent of additional tightening, holding rates constant should not be taken to mean rates have reached a peak for this tightening cycle, inflation remains too high but some measures have been slowing, monetary policy works with a lag and a year is not long enough to feel the full effect, base case outlook is not for a recession.
• Harker (Neutral). Wed: I am in the camp that we can skip a meeting, it would be a skip and not a pause, a pause says you may hold there for a while and I don't know that we're ready for that yet, data still to come may change my mind, need some slowing in the labour market, the economy keeps chugging along, not seeing much of a credit crunch after SVB. Thu: My preference is for skipping a rate hike, it's prudent to skip a rate hike in June, let's skip and see how it goes, we are close to the place where we can hold rates in place, sees promising signs that the Fed's rate hikes are working, disinflation is disappointingly slow, if inflation started coming down unexpectedly fast then we could cut rates but that is not my forecast, sees 2023 GDP growth below 1% and unemployment at 4.4%, expects inflation to fall to around 3.5% this year and 2.5% next year with 2% in 2025.
• Bullard (Hawk). Thu: Rates are at the low end of what is arguably sufficiently restrictive, monetary policy landscape in much better shape today with the FFR at a more appropriate level than it was a year ago.

European Central Bank

• Wunsch (Neutral). Weekend: We hiked 400 bps and we might have to do more, we have more ground to cover, real rates are still quite low, if fiscal policy remains supportive then monetary policy will have to do more to get inflation under control.
• De Cos (Dove). Mon: Policy tightening is well underway but based on the information currently available to us we have some way to go, interest rates will have to remain in restrictive territory for an extended period of time.
• Simkus (Hawk). Tue: Expects a 25 bps rate hike in June and July, September is too early to say.
• Centeno. Wed: Spain's CPI reading shows that Europe's inflation is easing, doesn't see a risk of monetary policy overshooting, reversal of supply shock should slow inflation.
• Villeroy (Neutral). Wed: It is quite likely that inflation has passed its peak in France, perseverance counts for more than speed regarding monetary policy, will bring inflation down to 2% between now and 2025, markets are absorbing QT smoothly and positively. Thu: Upcoming rate hikes will be marginal, rate hikes are beginning to have an impact on inflation, we will bring inflation back to 2% by 2025.
• De Guindos (Dove). Wed: Inflation data today and yesterday has been positive, victory over inflation is not there yet but the trajectory is correct. Thu: A big part of our journey to raise rates has been done but there is still some way to go, recent inflation data are positive but still far from target.
• Müller (Hawk). Wed: Very likely that we will hike by 25 bps more than once, probably too optimistic to see rate cuts in early 2024, core inflation shows no signs of slowing yet.
• Visco (Dove). Wed: Must proceed with the correct degree of graduality now that rates are in restrictive territory, longer-term inflation expectations remain in line with the definition of price stability.
• Kazaks (Hawk). Thu: It is hard to say where interest rates will peak but rates will stay at their peak for a while.
• Rehn (Neutral). Thu: The monetary policy journey is not over yet, core inflation must slow before mulling easing, the inflation outlook continues to be too high for too long, a lasting rise in inflation expectations is an upside risk to inflation, the lags and the strength of policy transmission to the real economy remain uncertain.
• Lagarde (Dove). Thu: We need to continue with rate hikes until we are sufficiently confident that inflation is on track to return to 2% in a timely manner, we cannot say that we are satisfied with the inflation outlook, a period of catch-up wage growth need not cause unduly persistent inflation over time, rate hikes are already feeding forcefully into bank lending conditions.
• Panetta (Neutral). Fri: We have not reached the end of the rate hike cycle but we aren't far away from it, inflation is too high but there is no reason to worry, now is not the time to be too hasty raising rates, the debate will soon shift from level of interest rates to that of maintaining them over time, cannot rule out a technical recession in the Eurozone, committed to getting inflation back to 2% target.
• Vasle. Fri: More rate hikes needed to get inflation to 2% target, core inflation remains high and persistent.
• Makhlouf. Fri: Likely to see another rate hike at the next meeting, beyond probable hikes in June and July the picture is a lot less clear, inflation fall is very welcome but not definitive and underlying pressures are still quite strong.

Bank of England

• Mann (Hawk). Wed: The gap between UK headline and core inflation is more persistent than in the US and the Eurozone, in core we do start to see implications coming through pricing channels and wage negotiations into something that is persistent.

Reserve Bank of Australia

• Lowe. Wed: Monetary policy is in restrictive territory, the RBA is in data-dependent mode, wage growth has not been a source of inflation, there is not a single variable that drives RBA policy decisions, one factor behind May rate increase was to reinforce the RBA is serious about getting inflation down, inflation expectations are well anchored and we can't take this for granted, the RBA is serious about the inflation target but also want to preserve labour market gains, mid-2025 is pressing the length of time we can reasonably take to achieve the inflation target, the risk to inflation is to the upside and we need to be attentive to that.

Swiss National Bank

• Jordan. Wed: We need to bring inflation below 2% as soon as possible, the longer inflation stays above 2% the harder it is to bring it down, sees inflation risks higher than deflation in the future due to deglobalisation, rising rates are positive for the banking system and will not damage financial stability in Switzerland, concerned about the speed and size of outflow of deposits.
• Schlegel. Fri: Cannot rule out further monetary policy tightening, ready to be active in forex markets to ensure appropriate monetary conditions, cannot sound the all-clear on inflation despite recent dips in the data, inflationary pressure is broadening.

Bank of Japan

• Ueda. Tue: We have not reached sustainable 2% inflation, will patiently maintain easy policy as there is still distance to go to stable 2% inflation, will continue bond buying operations, inflation will slow a great deal around the middle of FY 2023 and is likely to rebound after that but uncertainty is high. Wed: Whether inflation is caused by demand or supply has important implications for monetary policy decision making, increase in inflationary pressure has been cause by supply factors, recent global inflation has also been influenced by demand factors, it may be difficult to deny the possibility that we are already in a new normal that is different from the period of "low for long" inflation. Fri: Will maintain massive monetary easing as it will take more time to achieve our price target, buying of J-REITs is part of massive monetary easing, not the time to debate specific exit strategy including possible sale of J-REIT holdings, CPI likely to slow quite clearly in mid-to-later half of the current fiscal year, trend inflation likely to heighten ahead but will take time.
• Kanda. Tue: Closely watching FX moves, will respond appropriately if necessary, not focussing on specific levels, important for currencies to move stably and reflect economic fundamentals, no intention for today's meeting to serve as a verbal intervention against Yen weakening.
• Suzuki (FinMin). Fri: Exchange rates are driven by various factors, a weak Yen has various impact on Japan's economy such as exports and import prices.

​
A PDF version that's a bit more structured is available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X0s6f4y7sCW3ofIDCdiDfOxMh3n56tfh/view?usp=sharing

He got leaked on twitter, it was reposted to Genshin_Impact_Leaks and I figured it'd be alright to post it here. If not, just take down my post! As a Rosaria main (potentially former based on if I like his playstyle), I approve.
He's said to be a 5 star Cryo unit, potentially being added to Standard Banner in 4.1, and he's a policeman who works alongside a yet to be identified goth girl playable character. Take this all with a shaker each of salt & pepper!

>**What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.**
Mainly gaming such as Resident Evil franchise, Overwatch, League of Legends, Dead by Daylight, Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail, Nier: Automata, Persona franchises, Black Ops3, Apex Legends, Valorant, etc. I will also be doing work but that will mainly only be using google chrome so I want something that is able to run games and chrome, youtube/watching stuff, spotify, etc. in the background without causing stutters or fps drops. I would also like to run stuff such as wallpaper engine in the background. Additionally, something that can stream games on discord without causing me to lag while playing. To put it simply, I would like things to run better and quicker.
>**What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?**
$1500
>**When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.**
1-4 weeks, if it's beyond 4+ weeks I will remake the post so the build doesn't remain outdated.
>**What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ToweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc)**
Mainly the PC itself, stuff like mouse and keyboard is optional but please include it separate from the PC budget (it would make me happy if everything matches though not required; I would also prefer keyboards to be small)! I would like a dual monitor though so please send recommendations.
>**Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?**
New Jersey, USA. Yes, I live very near a Microcenter so I am willing to buy from there!
>**If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.**
Nothing unfortunately :(
>**Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?**
No
>**Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)**
I have limited understanding but possibly an SSD (if it's good for what I am looking for). I tend to keep a lot of games installed but if I have to uninstall some to keep space that's not an issue, however I would like enough space where I do not have to constantly uninstall.
>**Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?**
LED, or something blue and black; generally just something vibrant and nice to look at.
>**Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?**
Yes if I need it?
>**Extra info or particulars:**
I am very very new to the PC world in general so please be patient with me. If you're able to explain the parts in descriptions and why it's a good choice I would very much appreciate it! Also, since I am unsure of a lot of the terminology in this post, feel free to explain stuff to me!

As promised, the second one-shot of the day. This is the idea I had bouncing around in my head this past week. Now, onto the other actual story in a different universe. Tally Ho, Lads!!!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~
Magicians. Wizards. Sorcerers. Witches. Warlocks.
Supreme figures of power and authority. Renowned, respected, and feared across the galaxy. One spell cast from a middling rank alone is enough to collapse buildings. Novice rank figures are enough to cripple medium-sized towns, with Masters and above veritable threats to cities, nations, planets, and solar systems, depending on which rumor you wish to believe.
But above them all is a lone figure so strong, so fearless and brutal, that the mere whisper of their name is enough to cause the most hardened of magic duelists to tremble and quake.
No one knows where this figure came from. His origin is as mysterious and untraceable as the creators of the universe. Multiple divination attempts have been tried to uncover the secrecy surrounding this ominous individual. All have failed. All ended in a magical backlash so severe that it effectively crippled the diviners.
But every so often, when the rumors subside and the promising threat of this thing’s existence slips from memory and disappears into the vast streams of time, a wizard of legendary power steps up to the plate to assert their will over others.
More often than not, those who attempt to do so are stopped well before they can achieve their goals by other likeminded magicians, or independent groups that still fear the storng one's return.
The last recorded incident where the mysterious titan physically engaged with a galactic-level threat happened some two-thousand years ago. The far-reaching effects of that incident have yet to be forgotten by the select few "immortals" blessed, or cursed, with bearing witness to a sliver of such an event.
Such is the gravitas of this Savior.
But in the Year of Our Birth 8962.20 I, alone, bore witness to a fight between the Savior and his foe.
I could scarcely believe what was to come. Gods above, I couldn’t even comprehend the level of power soon to be casually thrown back and forth between the Tyrant and the Savior.
If the galaxy was a building, the terrible impacts and energy emanating from their blows would erase it from existence. Luckily, or perhaps through fate, the Savior set down a mysterious device that formed a protective bubble around me and bade me to stay within, lest I be erased as well.
Gulping loudly at the danger so calmly explained, I sat down and whispered a prayer to my Gods to watch over me and keep me safe from this monumental battle.
If they could, that is.
The Savior squared off with the Tyrant, his imposing suit of armor darker than the void. His helm smooth and perfect, with a visor the color of a raging sun. On his right thigh sat an odd device in the shape of an upside down “L”, if you pointed the long leg down and the short leg behind you.
It sat snugly in a carrier appearing to be made of the same material as his armor, while on his other thigh rested a small pouch with two slim rectangles stuck in a vertical position. Strapped around his waist was a knife sheathed in what looked like the remnants of a dying star, its handle made of a dark organic material the color of rust.
The more I observed the two facing each other, the more confused I became. Where the Savior appeared to be armored like a knight with unusual weaponry, the Tyrant was wearing robes typical of magical types, but there was something odd about the way they moved in thebreeze. Like they were alive.
The Savior’s voice broke my confusion, commanding silence from all so as to be heard.
“This is not the first time I have taken down someone like you.” He said. His voice firm like the mountain.
“It may not be” answered the Tyrant in a voice better served in a musical performance, “but where those insignificant worms were terrified of your mere existence, I have learned that you aren’t any more special than that inferior thing hiding behind your shield.”
His revelation appeared to have no effect on the Savior, but that was because he was too far away to see his hand twitch ever so slightly.
Me, on the other hand, I don’t take insults very well. Call it a…quirk of a warrior race. In response to his provocation, I exposed my private bits and relieved myself on the ground.
In his direction…while making eye contact.
Clearly my provocation was more effective as a catastrophic ball of molten plasma struck the shield and exploded. I was unharmed, thankfully, but the ground around me turned into a large pond of boiling, glowing mud.
Yet over the fading sounds of the explosion, I could hear loud barking laughter. I turned to see the Savior doubled over letting out the most undignified sounds imaginable. “Hee”s and “Haw”s and “Haha”s filled the air, causing the Tyrant to grow ever more infuriated, yet still failing to act on the opportunity presenting itself to attack.
“Your disrespect astounds me, cur!” The Tyrant shouted. “You are no better than that savage animal that can’t even relieve themselves properly!!!”
The laughing slowly ebbed away until the tense silence returned.
“Well, I reckon I’ll just have to adjust your worldview. Maybe by smacking you upside the head with this here multi-tool.”
From out of seemingly nowhere, a short-handled shovel with a serrated edge appeared in his hand. Why the Savior called it a multi-tool baffled me as the shape clearly resembled the common shovel, just shorter.
“Ha! What do you think that peasant’s tool is going to do to me? I have conquered planets. Harnessed nebulas. Compressed supernovas into the size of a pebble.” As if on cue, a massive beam of energy was released from his hand.
I watched in slow motion as the beam crossed the distance between them and struck the Savior square in the chest.
Yet not a sound was heard. Nor was any damage seen. The man simply stood there and…absorbed it? I couldn’t believe my eyes! The power of the stars taken as if it was nothing more than a squirt of water.
“Ohhhh. That tickles. Been a long while since someone last shot me with a supernova.” He chuckled. “Not bad for an opening shot. Let’s see how you handle it.”
As fast as lightning, he drew the “L”-shaped object from its carrier and, using both hands, pointed it at the Tyrant. This was when I noticed there was a small lever on the bottom.
“I wonder what that’s fo-“
My thought ended as abruptly as it started when the same energy beam that came from the Tyrant shot out from the end of the device.
Almost as quick as the Savior, the Tyrant formed a shield around his body and attempted to sidestep the beam of power. It seems that unlike the Savior, ol’ Mr. Tyrant is only capable of dishing it out.
“How do you like them apples?” The Savior barked out as the Tyrant barely escaped his death.
“You…you…you absolute cowardly beast! How dare you steal my technique!!!” He shrieked. “Fight me properly, insolent whelp!”
“Oh buddy, I don’t think you want that. I’ve been keeping people like you in line for as far back as your records go.” The Savior brought his fist to his chin as if a solution presented itself.
“How about this, you give up and let me teach you how to be humble, making sure you put your power to good use instead of whatever it is you’re trying, and failing, to do.”
The Tyrant scoffed. “Are you seriously offering me the choice to grovel at your feet and learn humility?!?”
“It’s not a choice. You either give up, or you die.” Any levity or light-heartedness left his voice. I felt the cold sensation of impending doom creep its way into my bones.
I have been on the receiving end of many threats and fights that easily could’ve ended my life, but this promised something else entirely.
Clearly the Tyrant understood the threat as well for it took him half a minute to formulate a response. A response in the form of a blinding flash of light and loud crashing of metal on metal.
Just as fast as the beam of energy before, the Tyrant crossed the distance and engaged in a brutal assault filled with deadly flurries of a cruel looking bladed weapon wreathed in the shadows of decay.
I watched as the Savior drew his own knife, revealing a glorious light that rivaled the sun. Its edge whipped like a barely restrained flame, reaching out at every opportunity to slake its thirst with the blood of the Tyrant.
Like an instructor teaching an unruly student a lesson, the Savior instantly turned the flow of the battle and expertly put the Tyrant on the defensive. Short, concise movements filled with immense unbridled power threatened to eviscerate the Tyrant’s body.
Beads of sweat poured from what parts of his face were exposed, revealing a smooth-skinned creature with two eyes, a pair of thin lips, and slimy skin.
“You’re one ugly motherfucker, you know that right?” The Savior’s offhand remark instilled a rage in the Tyrant yet to be seen. He let loose a wave of energy that forcibly threw them both hundreds of yards apart.
As they both appeared to size each other up once more, the light grew dim. I looked up and saw a massive meteor appear through a magical portal in the sky.
“Try to stop this, human.” With a single flick of his wrist the Tyrant sent the massive rock hurtling towards the Savior. A human, whatever that means.
I watched the object fly closer to its target and feared that despite the insane rumors surrounding the Savior, this would be the end of him.
I closed my eyes and prayed that he survives, for if he dies, I’ll be on the chopping block next.
I waited for the inevitable shock and awe of the meteor striking the ground, but it never came. I opened my eyes and saw a cloud of dust instead. In the middle of it all stood the Savior, proud and unfazed.
“The gloves are off now, kid.” He shouted ominously. “You wanted a ‘proper’ fight, well...you’re gonna get one.”
Now it was his turn to take the fight to the Tyrant. Almost as fast as his opponent, he shot forward and struck out with his knife, forcing the Tyrant to draw his blade once more and defend himself.
Except the Savior pulled out his “multi-tool” as well, and with a mighty CLANG he struck the side of his face and sent him careening into the nearby trees.
“Told you I’d be giving you an adjustment. Feel like giving up yet?”
I watched in awe as the Savior manhandled the Tyrant like he were a toy. There was no contest as to who would come out on top of this fight. Even with the destructive power wielded by the Tyrant.
“You…ack…you piece of shit. I’ll make you pay for…urgh…that.” The Tyrant drug himself out of the wreckage of trees and attempted to dust himself off. The Savior was having none of it though. He dashed forward once more and started his assault anew.
Using both the multi-tool and knife, he delivered a series of cuts and contusions and blunt force trauma that made me cringe.
He let go of his tool and used the free hand to grab the Tyrant, dragging his battered body back into the open.
With an unceremonious toss, the Tyrant found himself prone and facing towards the sky. The Savior strode over as confident as could be and picked up the creature once more.
“I told you to give up and let me show you how to be humble. I even said I’d make sure you’d put your power to good use. But nooOOoooOOO, you just had to stick to your guns.” He shook his head.
“Whatever. I’d be fine with beating you to a pulp and calling it a day, but you let slip that you know what I am. Meaning you likely know how to find others like me, including my home. You understand why I can’t let that happen, right?”
The Tyrant nodded weakly, fear evident in his eyes.
“Good. That makes this next part easier.” The Savior stood the Tyrant up and dusted him off.
“This will be my parting gift to you. As in, parts of you here, there, and waaaaayyyyy over yonder.” He pointed in the distance.
The Tyrant looked confused for the briefest of moments as he turned to follow the direction the Savior pointed, before the human reared back and swung his fist with all his might.
“I. CAST. FIST!!!”

Apologies for the pun in the title, but the fruit was hanging too low to pass up. And apologies as well to the folks here that think the word “trade” is an affront to their Spurs fandom, but until the draft gets here in a few more weeks, there’s going to continue to be discussion around making a move for another first-round pick, presumably to address the long-term-PG-shaped hole in the roster right now.
Based on a few polls that have popped up on this sub lately, it seems like most people here (including u/paxusromanus811, whose opinions as a draft evaluator and Spurs fan are some that I greatly respect) like Anthony Black the best of our presumed options, but everyone seems to recognize that it might be hard to find a trade partner in his projected range. Amen Thompson is a fun pipe dream, but I’m incredibly wary of the fact that he and his twin were overagers in the mess that is OTE, and I don’t know if I’m a believer in his shot ever being fixed, either. Then you’ve got Kobe Bufkin, who’s been a bit of a late riser as a jack-of-all-trades sophomore but isn’t quite as polished as a defender or playmaker.
I like all three of those guys quite a bit, and if the Spurs end up with any of them on the 22nd I’ll be very pleased. But I wanted to take a little time to focus on Cason Wallace, because I think if you told me we had our pick between any of the guard prospects in the first round outside of Scoot, I’d want him. That’s not to say I’d bet on him being the “best” player of the four in 10 years (though I don’t think that’s impossible), but I think he fits in the best with what the San Antonio identity is going to be now and in the future. I think the advantages that the other guys have over him are of less consequence to the Spurs than vice versa.
OVERVIEW
The Spurs have a lot of player development to focus on this year. Wemby is going to command a lot of usage for obvious reasons. Sochan’s second season is going to be big as far as his potential progression as a shooter and playmaker while also likely getting some run as an actual point forward / lead ball handler. Branham probably isn’t suited to be a PG, and running him in that position too much carries a risk of hampering his growth as the smooth scoring SG he’s meant to be.
Enter Cason Wallace, who could bring some really valuable versatility. He spent the first half of the season with Kentucky as a movement C&S guy, then took over as the starting PG in a very ball-dominant role after Sahvir Wheeler went down. He had success in both roles, and combined with his overall high level of understanding of the game, he’d be the perfect complement for the roster now and in the future - he can be a high-level kickout option and floor spacer for possessions where we want Victor or Jeremy or Vassell to mostly run the show, but he can also competently run the offense as the lead at any given time as well.
SHOOTING
Wallace shot 34.6% from 3-point range this season, which is good but not amazing. That number needs a little context, though. In the fifteen games before January 10, he shot 41.9% from 3 on 4.9 attempts/game. I’m using that as the boundary point because he started to suffer back spasms on that date and pretty much just played through them for the rest of the season, where he shot 24.5% on 3.3 attempts/game. Back injuries are, generally speaking, the toughest injuries to shoot through - those muscles are involved in so much of your body movement that it’s basically impossible to maintain the same mechanics, and Wallace’s form is visibly more rigid and square in the second half of the season. His natural form is very smooth and free-flowing, but there were some games post-spasms that he was barely even getting off the ground. That Jan 10 date is also, interestingly, when he took over lead guard responsibilities, so as you can see from his 3PA/game, his catch-and-shoot opportunities went way down. Still, his 3P% ended within 1% of Bufkin’s for the full season on higher volume, so I’m comfortable calling him the most projectable spot-up shooter of the popular Spurs options.
Really, the bottom line here is that we already have Sochan, who may never be much of a shooter, and Wemby, whose shot I think will develop but isn’t guaranteed to turn into something that other teams have to gameplan for in a significant way. Without Chip Engelland still in the fold, I’d be a little concerned about adding another guy to our long-term core that needs a lot of work in that area.
Other notes:

• Shot 48.4% on corner 3s on the season on good volume, one of the most important shots in basketball and one that we know Pop appreciates. Bufkin shot 36.8%, Black 31.8%. NBA average is about 35%, and success from that spot in college has generally carried over well to the next level even for guys that have otherwise struggled adapting to NBA 3s.
• Shot 41% on transition 3s on the season. Can very easily envision Sochan or Wemby getting a defensive board, pushing the ball upcourt, and finding Wallace on the kickout when the defense is forced to collapse, because those guys will definitely run transition a lot in future years.
• Small sample size because it’s not a huge part of the Calipari system, but Wallace shot 9/17 on attempts where he relocated and immediately received a return pass after making one (i.e. entry passes to bigs, drive-and-kicks, as the inbounder), which is a window into how smart and comfortable he is in getting open as a movement shooter.
• This is not meant as a disparagement, because I don’t think the shot is unfixable, but Black shot 21% on unguarded catch-and-shoot attempts this year. That sounds bad because it is bad - there’s a big gulf between the two right now and even if Black improves I have a hard time seeing him getting to Wallace’s level.

PLAYMAKING AND CREATION
Kentucky’s adjusted offensive rating with Wheeler as the starting point guard was 109.3. After Wallace took over, that number jumped to 115.7 - top 20 in the country over that period - in what was easily the tougher half of their schedule. Much has been made about concerns over whether Wallace can truly be a lead guard, but the kid can run an offense. He put up more AST/game than Black and Bufkin on a significantly better AST/TOV ratio (over 2 to 1). Here’s the stat I don’t think is getting nearly enough attention, though: of the 86 two-pointers Wallace made this year, only 9 were assisted (9.5%). By comparison, 28.9% of Black’s and 25.4% of Bufkin’s were assisted. Marks under 10% for that stat are generally very, very good indicators that we’re looking at a skilled primary creator. It’s also probably worth noting that Black’s numbers at the rim were considerably worse than Wallace’s despite his size and the fact that he had twice as many dunks.
Other notes:

• Wallace didn’t draw a lot of shooting fouls this year, which is something he definitely needs to improve. When he did, though? He converted the and-1 53.6% of the time. That’s an absurd number - the highest in college in at least the last three years by far. For reference, Black and Wallace both drew 15 total and-1s, but Black drew a total of 50 more shooting fouls to do it (Black’s rate of drawing free throws in general is equally absurd). And Bufkin, considered an elite finisher, only completed them at a 31.3% rate.
• Close to 50% of Black’s assists came at the rim, but he and Wallace put up roughly the same rate there per 40 minutes and Wallace’s rate was better in almost every other zone on the floor.
• Great PnR operator with room to grow. Makes deceptive passes in the pocket and around big men, and he’s great at finding open teammates on the shake action, which I imagine is a look we could see Devin get a lot due to the attention Victor is going to command.

DEFENSE
This is Wallace’s calling card as far as being the skill that gives him such a high floor as a pick, and yet I still think it’s being a little underrated comparatively. Black has 3 inches of height and 15lbs on him, and is seen as a guy who’ll be able to comfortably defend 1-3 and maybe even 4s at the next level. But Wallace actually has the longer wingspan of the two (6’85” vs 6’75”) and I think he’s the more polished defender as far as fundamentals and disruptiveness. He’s deceptively strong, too. I think he’s equally capable of guarding up to 3s as well and even some small ball 4s in the vein of Andrew Wiggins or our very own Keldon Johnson - those sorts of lineups are still steadily gaining popularity. The fact that Black averaged effectively the same amount of blocks as Wallace and Bufkin despite his advantages in height and bounce is either a slightly worrying sign for Black or a big credit to the other two. Either way, the guy we’re theoretically drafting here gets to play alongside Sochan and Wemby, so even if Black does have a slight switchability advantage, I’m not convinced it’ll be all that impactful in the long run. Give me that small extra bit of refinement any day.
CONCLUSION
Wallace has some detractors for being a bit of a “safe” guard that doesn’t get too creative with his passing and playmaking, or at least he hasn’t yet. And look, some of the things Anthony Black pulls off make my jaw drop the same as everyone else’s does. But we’re Spurs fans - we saw the Beautiful Game in real time. For the most part, that wasn’t a system that relied on crazy passes but on the right passes, and on guys making smart movements to be in the right place at the right time. Even as one of the worst teams in the league last year, the Spurs were still top 3 in the NBA in assists/game and bottom 5 in TOs/game - this isn’t a system that is in desperate need of a guard to shake things up.
Wallace excels at those things, and he just comes off as a Spurs-y player in a lot of other ways too. He hustles like a madman - you couldn’t watch a Kentucky game without seeing him dive on the floor for a loose ball and running like hell to get back in transition - and is more than willing to play whatever role he has to to help his team win. And while he certainly gets fired up after some big plays, he’s a guy that mostly just goes about his business on the court. I can’t remember a time where I saw him do anything that could possibly be construed as taunting.
The Kentucky Guard Effect is something that can’t be ignored at this point, either. He isn’t the same style of player as a Tyrese Maxey or SGA, but when you go back and look at the scouting reports for those guys compared to Wallace’s, you see a lot of similarities - questions over whether they can really be a lead guard or if they have talents outside of the singular role they played as Wildcats. I’m not saying Wallace can be the next SGA, but I think a Maxey-like breakout is well within the realm of possibility. He accelerates well on drives, and even though he struggled to create significant separation at times, he’s such a good finisher that all he needs is a half step - he hardly ever got blocked. Kentucky’s spacing was supremely terrible last year, too, so Wallace should really benefit from the extra room on an NBA court. I actually think his passing creativity has also become a little underrated at this point simply by virtue of being compared to Black - he showed off some impressive reads on lobs in particular, and if he’s going to spend his career throwing alley-oops to Wembanyama he doesn’t need to get especially fancy anyway.
All in all, what you have in Wallace is someone who’s going to bottom out as a high-level role player and who could very, very easily have more to his game than that. We got to see him play two different roles as a Wildcat, which should give him plenty of priceless versatility immediately when coming into a rebuilding team with a lot of high-ceiling players to develop. But Calipari’s system never allowed him to play both roles at once, and if the Spurs are truly going to commit to this positionless basketball ideology (which they’ll have the personnel to do), that flexibility could fit in perfectly. I’m not saying Anthony Black can’t eventually develop a shot, and he’s such a smart cutter and strong finisher off the pass that he has some value off-ball already too. I just think Cason offers more to this team in that potential role right now as far as what it could mean for continued player development, and that there’s more than enough upside still there that we wouldn’t be limiting ourselves.
So, yeah, there's some draft crush propaganda for y'all today.

I enjoyed every season while watching it but I have to say that Season 3 is my favourite by a long shot.
Season 1 is great but I find it hard to re-watch. I honestly just enjoy the characters when they're older and it feels kind of weird seeing them all so young. Even if they're not that much younger in terms of years (I don't actually know), they look like toddlers compared to the later seasons.
Season 2 is also great but I haven't re-watched it in a while. I honestly can't remember a whole lot about the plot other than Bob being killed in the lab and El closing the gate at the end of the season (which was fucking awesome, don't get me wrong). I also found the episodes of El finding her old roommate and all that stuff kind of strange but it was by no means bad.
Season 3 is worlds better than any of the other seasons in my opinion. I watched it for the first time during a very memorable and formative point in my life that was full of personal growth and making new friends, so that probably plays a big part in why Season 3 had such an impact on me. Probably has to do with the fact that watching this season makes me remember things that happened in my life while I was watching it and kind of makes me miss those times in a way. Whenever I decide to re-watch a season, it's always this one. I absolutely love the story and the development of Billy's character as well. The season finale always makes me choke up. I find the Season 3 plot just much more interesting than any of the other seasons and I could watch it over and over again without getting tired of it.
Season 4 was not as great as I was expecting. It was still good and worth watching, but it just felt kind of weird. Don't know how else to put it. I loved Eddie's character and wish he didn't have to die and after seeing Steve get strangled and torn up by those creatures in the Upside-Down it was hard for me to understand how Eddie died but not Steve. I have some more criticisms about this season but I don't think they're not worth mentioning. The season was good overall but I don't have the urge to watch it again like I feel with Season 3.
I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thanks for reading.

I parked in the tower's lot, letting my headlights bore into the amalgam of twisted metal and glass for a few moments before shutting them off.
Josh muttered, his voice low. "We're really doing this, huh?"
He ran a hand through his mop of curly hair— a dumb tic he developed last summer when his girlfriend, Annabeth, told him it was sexy. She was beside him now, cuddled up in the backseat across his lap.
I glanced at my own girlfriend, Ellie, in the passenger seat. She was trying her damndest to appear brave, but I knew better. There was no way she was comfortable with trespassing tonight.
I sighed, realizing that Josh would also chicken out.
"We're doing this? You sure you want to come?" I prodded.
Josh shifted in his seat, hand running through his hair yet again. "Maybe it's better if I stay in the truck.”
Annabeth shrugged next to him, unsurprised.
"Me, too,” Ellie chimed in, nodding at Josh.
Annabeth met my eyes, a glimmer of understanding passing between us. Our partners were both boring, god-awful goody two shoes.
"Pussies," I jabbed, swinging open my door without giving them a moment to respond.
Annabeth hopped out behind me, waving at the two losers in the truck before spinning towards me with a grin on her face.
"They're weird," she said, rolling her eyes.
For a moment, I was drinking in the way her golden hair shimmered in the moonlight. A light breeze tickled at our faces, sending sparkles of her moon-lit hair between us.
"Yup," I mustered.
I turned, strolling towards the chain link fence that formed a circular perimeter around the base of Sabe's Tower.
Sabe’s Tower. Thirteen stories of abandoned potential, whispering of times past when our town's inhabitants thought we'd hit a population boom, becoming the Houston of West Virginia. In the 70s, our success was tied to coal. Jobs flooded in, and with them, a myriad of people trying to make their way in life. Then the mines abruptly ran dry, decimating our town's economy. Since that time, our population has done nothing but dwindle.
Sabe’s Tower. Thirteen stories of decaying grandeur, silently rotting from the inside out. Some say that's what happened to Sabe himself— a rot took hold in his core, spreading and spreading until nothing but rot was left. In the end, he took his own life, which some say was for the best. He was a greedy fool, the wealthiest man for miles, owning half the surrounding countryside before the mining industry took off. Made a fortune selling his family's land to coal companies, putting every ounce of profit into making his towering hotel more luxurious than a Ritz Carlton.
Sabe’s Tower. Thirteen stories of failed dreams, now screaming vulgar obscenities at our eyes. It is a truly ugly behemoth, domineering our town's skyline with unmerited arrogance. Sabe thought painting the tower purple would give it an air of majesty, like royalties of the past, swaddled in silky lavender robes. His aspiration, after all, was nothing less than to emulate the sacred Tabernacle of Moses, to make his hotel a dwelling place for gods among men. In its current state of disrepair, however, the tower was no more than an eyesore— a visual cacophony of broken glass, peeling sickly-purple paint, and rusted steel inlays.
Adding to the hotel's disgrace, it was cylindrical in form, perched atop the highest peak for miles, jutting into the sky like a middle finger to the gods. Its phallic outline stood in stark contrast to the run-down strip malls lying in its wake.
The fence surrounding the tower was a bit too tall and a bit too wobbly to safely scale, so we circled, looking for an entry point. Every few yards, a DO NOT TRESPASS sign hung, tied to the fence with zip-ties in each corner. Someone had taken the liberty to spray paint a word underneath each sign, now making them all read:
DO NOT TRESPASS ALONE.
"Good thing you're coming with me," I joked, pointing at one of the signs.
Annabeth paused to read it for a moment. "Yeah... kinda weird that someone did that. I wonder why?"
I shrugged, continuing around the perimeter.
Eventually, we found a gate in the fence, held closed with chains at waist level. The gate's post careened steeply outward, creating a manageable gap near the top. The gate post was only held in place by the chains, not even slightly anchored to the ground. Without too much of a struggle, we hoisted ourselves up and through the gap.
Once inside the fence, I found myself spellbound by the abandoned hotel. The stars in the night sky reflected across the windows, bending and warping around the curved perimeter. Each glimmer of starlight turned into dizzying fractals, melding together and slipping between the shards of broken glass with each shift of my gaze.
The result was honestly breathtaking.
At night, the eyesoriffic tower was beautiful. Its silhouette dared to embrace the star-studded cosmos, standing with a quiet dignity that defied its daytime mockery.
I felt Annabeth shuffle beside me.
Suddenly, her phone flashlight was on, illuminating a path through overgrown concrete to the tower. At the end of the path was the structure’s entrance— a gaping hole with no attempt to conceal the darkness within.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" I yelled, spinning to face her.
"W... What do you mean?" she stuttered.
"Turn that off, you idiot," I explained, lowering my voice. "Someone might see the light and call the cops."
The light flicked off, Annabeth mumbling apologies.
I blinked away the afterimage of weeds eating through the concrete lot, silently cursing myself for being so ridiculously hostile toward her.
"Sorry," I mumbled.
"You're good, Donovan" she whispered, brushing her hand across my arm.
As we continued to the open doorway, the outside of the tower came into focus. It was far further dilapidated than I had realized— each accent of purple paint, faded and peeling, was bulging out from between the glass and steel like it was trying to escape. I rubbed a fingernail on the paint, revealing a soft, rotting wood beneath.
I entered the tower first, pausing to let my eyes adjust. The darkness of the doorway opened up into an atrium that must have once made for a magnificent entrance. It was shaped like a slice of pie, us standing near the crust, peering inward toward the center. Above was pitch black, not yielding any answers to just how high up this mighty room's ceiling stretched.
The musty scent that filled my nose was surprisingly welcoming— somewhere between the smell of fishing trips and century old bookstores. I took a deep breath, relishing in the soft stench.
I could vaguely make out wires dangling down from the ceiling of the atrium. They were impossibly long, stretching upward into the infinite gloom.
"They look like vines," Annabeth whispered, her voice a soft purr.
The air was thick with falling dust, filtering down from the abyss above, twirling between the wires in satisfyingly slow-motion. The falling dust made it even harder to see in the dark, leaving the walls on either side of the room foggy blobs. I waved my hand, sending fleeting dust spirals through the air.
I remembered seeing photos of the atrium online, taken on some of the earliest digital cameras ever made. Those pictures showed marble countertops, intricate wooden carvings, and lushly carpeted floors.
The room, as it stands today, is a barren husk of Sabe's vision. The carpet, only present in scattered clumps, was impossibly dark, soiled to the point of true black. It clung to the concrete foundation, viciously holding on for dear life in a losing battle.
I bent down to examine a clump of carpet in front of me, amazed by the absence of light reflecting back. It was like staring into a pit of nothing, a vague absence, an outline of something that should be there.
I poked the toe of my boot at it.
FPOOSH.
It exploded, erupting into my face.
I gagged instinctively, tasting the vile substance mix into my lungs. Annabeth slapped my back as I continued gagging and coughing, begging the mucus to tear itself free from my lungs and just fucking get out of my body because it feels like I'm dying oh GOD.
And eventually, it did.
The violent hacking subsided into slight wretching, then was gone.
"Are you okay?" Annabeth tested.
Do you think I'm fucking okay?
"What the fuck was that?" I spewed.
She bent over the clump of carpet. Underneath the blackened top layer that just violently erupted was a pale network of matted spiderwebs.
"Hmm..." she began, "It kind of looks like mycelium."
She met my raised eyebrow with an eye roll.
"You know, like the roots of a fungus or some shit, I don't know. I just saw the shrooms growing in Bryce's closet that one time he showed me his stash. This white stuff looks just like it. So I guess that makes this black stuff like the part of the shroom we eat, or whatever."
"Oh dip," I responded, nodding. "That makes sense. One time I saw a nature show about some plants that shoot their seeds everywhere when something touches them. It's probably just spreading its spores when we touch it."
"Yeah," she breathed, "pretty gnarly."
We shuffled deeper into the gloom, weaving between dangling cables and clumps of fungus. I felt a drop of moisture flick off a cable, sliding onto my arm.
I groaned. "Fuck. That cable was wet."
"Disgusting," she whispered back.
We made our way to the apex of the room, the center of the tower, revealing a rusted set of elevator doors leaning together like drunks at a quinceanera. The doorway to the stairs, however, beckoned to us with the same unobstructed, pitch-black allure that the tower's entrance emanated just minutes before.
In the dark, it's truly amazing how utterly void all open doorways look.
Upon stepping inside the stairwell, the world vanished. The only proof of having working eyes was a faint, vertical glow of light filtering through the door, abruptly fading into all-consuming black.
Every sound in the entire building bored through my soul, bouncing from wall to wall, ceiling to floor, echoing on and on for all of eternity. The stairwell, directly in the center of the decrepit hotel, was the focal point of every creaking floorboard, every popping nail, every howling gust of wind. It was as if I was holding up a monstrous conch shell to my ear— a deafening murmur of echoes in disarray, smelting together to form satanic harmonies.
"Whoa," Annabeth mumbled.
Her word cut through the other echoes, impossibly loud against their monotonous hum.
Instantly, the echo of her voice filled the stairwell, rising like the build up of a dubstep song until peaking, impossibly overwhelming for a few brief seconds. The echoes of her voice then faded as quickly as they arrived.
She put a hand to her mouth, the whites of her eyes barely visible in the glow coming from the doorway.
I reached out, placing a hand where her shoulder should be. There was not enough space for us to stand abreast in the stairwell, leaving us in a comically squished proximity. She was breathing rapidly, barely managing to stay silent. I squeezed, and her breathing quickly slowed. I felt her hand creep onto mine, and we stood for a minute, simply listening to the cries of the dying building echo around us.
As my eyes adjusted, I could make out a staircase spiraling up the curved wall. Clearly this was a service stairwell, as it is much too cramped for the likes of Sabe's guests. Only a few steps were visible through the darkness at a time, making the staircase feel even tinier than it already was. Luckily, no fungus grew on the stairs themselves, leaving the metal alone to rust.
Annabeth shuffled onto the first step, producing a small object from her pocket. She handed it to me, then pointed up the stairwell, careful to not send echoes through the cylindrical chamber again.
I brought it close to my eyes for inspection, straining against the lack of light.
A joint...
She wants to go to the roof and smoke.
A smile cracked my lips. Classic Annabeth.
Every couple stairsteps, there would be a doorway. Most of them let in a dim glow, offering a glimpse into what must have once been a custodial closet on each floor.
On floor 9, I tugged at Annabeth's hand. We made eye contact in the faint light coming from the doorway. I motioned through it, pointing to the nearly fungus free floor. I wanted to explore at least a little bit, to see if the closet circled around the stairwell or not.
I poked my head through the doorway, freeing myself from the overwhelming cacophony of echoes in the stairwell.
I verified that the closet did, in fact, curve around the circular staircase like a donut. A few steps in one direction led to a terrifying drop— the elevator shaft. Next to it, a sidewalk sized ledge led to an open door, giving a view of the floor's main hallway. The path looked safe— no fungus, cracks, or otherwise obvious defects— so I proceeded, treading as light as a fox, fumbling for Annabeth's hand behind me.
The main hallway ran between the custodial closet and the guest rooms, creating another donut ring around the central stairwell. Throughout the hallway, patches of fungus grew alarmingly close together, threatening to overtake the concrete.
"That stairwell was insane," Annabeth whispered.
I nodded. "Fuck yeah, I wonder what it was like when the hotel was actually open. Must have been miserable for the staff."
We weaved through the fungus filled hallway, coming to room 901. I glanced at Annabeth, raising my eyebrows. The door was slightly ajar, hanging from its one remaining door hinge. I pushed gently, eliciting a monstrous creak.
The room was empty, extending away to the outside in a familiar pie shape. The mold seemed to grow thinner in the room, leaving most of the exposed concrete safe to cross. At the far side, a floor to ceiling panel of windows looked out over our town.
I gasped, taking in the view. Never before had I seen our town from this high up. My eyes drew to the smokestacks by the river, their blinking lights ominously flickering over downtown. Individual streets ran in parallel lines away from the tower, lit with yellowing streetlights. Between the roads, tiny lights cast from window panes twinkled, blending with one another into a starscape of their own.
"Dude," I said. "Look at this."
No response.
I spun, looking for Annabeth, frantically scanning the room. My eyes had adjusted to the outside light, leaving me sightless.
"Annabeth," I hissed.
A cold tingle went up my spine, pulling at hairs on the back of my neck.
"Annabeth?"
​
Silence.
​
Silence.
​
Silence.
​
I crept back across the floor, now aware of the entire room at once. There was nowhere for her to be hiding. No desks, cans of paint, ladders, nothing. Just an empty room with patchy fungus growing on the cement.
Something must have happened.
I studied each fungal growth in the room as I passed by. Even with the light cast from the windows, the tops remained impossibly dark. Not a single feature was discernible— only an outline was visible.
Halfway to the door, a three foot wide hole led straight to floor 8. I could have sworn it wasn't there before. I peered into the opening, seeing straight through to the room below. From what I could see, it was identically empty.
"Annabeth," I tried again, nearing the door to the hallway.
"BOO!"
I stumbled backward, tripping over my own feet. I landed squarely on a patch of fungus.
FPOOSH.
I remembered to hold my breath, close my eyes, and plug my nose.
Annabeth cackled from the threshold of the doorway, standing over me with both hands on her forehead.
"You should have seen the look—" she began, breaking off into another fit of laughter.
"Shut up," I groaned, pushing to my feet. My entire body was covered in squishy fungus gunk. I pointed at the hole behind me, continuing. "You could have killed me."
"Blah, blah, blah," she mocked. "You're fine... you're just being a baby."
Annabeth gave me a playful shove, hands lingering for a moment overdue. Swatting her paws off me, I marched back to the stairwell. I led the rest of the way to floor 13, followed by her snickers.
As I reached the top of the stairs and stepped onto the 13th floor, my jaw dropped. It was a scene straight out of a surrealist painting. An enormous pool room lay before us. Glass walls extended up from the tile floors, creating a massive, clear domed perimeter. A swath of stars twinkled brilliantly through the clear ceiling, their light refracting through the glass, casting ethereal patterns onto the room's otherwise bleak surroundings.
The pool itself was a semi-circular cutout covering half the floor space, starting at ground level and deepening in a corkscrew motion. Its ceramic tiles, once probably a bright blue, were now tinged with patches of the same fungal growth we had come across on the lower floors. The growth was sparse here, though, letting the original floor design take prominence.
In the center of the room— on top of the staircase we just stepped out of— stood a circular pillar that extended up to the middle of the glass dome, like a spine holding up the entire tower. A small antenna jutted out from above the pillar atop the dome. Surrounding the antenna was a low fence, perhaps a safety measure for maintenance workers.
Annabeth, having finally contained her laughter, stepped beside me, her face illuminated by the soft starlight filtering in through the dome. She too stood silent, taken aback by the unexpected beauty of this forgotten space.
As we moved around the room, our steps echoed across the vast emptiness. With every patch of fungus we passed, the same eerie darkness hovered, the undulating mold standing stark against the ceramic tiles.
We made our way back to the central pillar. A ladder, carved into the pillar, connected to the glass ceiling with a trapdoor.
"To the roof?" Annabeth sang, rubbing her hands together in a goblin-like motion.
"Ladies first."
As she climbed above me, I couldn't help but crane my neck and drool. She slammed open the trapdoor, and we burst through to the roof.
The fenced-in area was covered with a dark spongy surface, gripping at my knees when I stood up. Wind whipped around us, carrying a chill that cut through my clothes and bit into my skin. With each gust, the antenna above us groaned and swayed, almost as if it were joining in a dance with an unseen partner.
We sat on the squishy rubber surface, comfortably in silence. I met her eyes, smiling dumbly. We passed the joint back and forth until it dwindled down, its ember glow flickering one last time before extinguishing completely. A familiar haze crawled through my thoughts, slowing the passage of time to a languishing crawl.
"Hey..." she started, "I think I've finally found inspiration for my next album."
I scooted closer to her, taking her hand. I knew the topic brought about an unusual timidity in her— a blemish in the badass persona she's so keen on presenting. She won't even talk to her own boyfriend about her music career.
"Yeah?" I floated.
She hesitated for a second, settling into the moment. I felt a tug at my crotch, suddenly all too aware of how pretty she looked in the moonlight. I took in every detail— the way her hair fell across her face, the pattern of her freckles, the soft speckling of stars reflecting across her eyes.
"I think you need to take off your shirt, first, though," she whispered, now inches from my face. "You're filthy."
I glanced down, remembering the fungal gunk that had soiled my clothes when she scared me.
Without warning, her hands slid under my shirt, warm and sure. I helped her yank it off, collapsing into her lips.
***
When we got back to the truck, I was still high enough to see everything in slow motion. Before pulling out of the parking lot, Annabeth and I regurgitated the events of our urban exploration, trying to show our significant others what fun they missed out on. It goes without saying that part of the story was intentionally omitted.
Ellie and Josh were unamused. Their lack of adventure will forever be a mystery to me.
We swung out of the lot, hopping onto the highway headed into town. I swayed between lanes, struggling to keep the double-yellow lines in focus.
"Are you sure you're good to drive?" Ellie asked, gripping the armrest.
"I'm fine," I slurred.
Seconds later, another truck materialized in front of us. I swerved to avoid it, then everything went black.
***
I woke up to a strong hand pulling me out of the window. My truck was upside down, the roof completely caved in.
I groaned. "Aww... fuck...."
The person who pulled me out looked like the kind of guy to chew tobacco and spit wisdom. His fishing cap cast a deep shadow across his eyes in the moon's glow, concealing his gaze. He was an old timer, that's for sure, one of those folk who came during the coal rush and decided to stay when all was said and done. I could see his truck— the same truck I saw moments before the crash— pulled into the shoulder of the highway with its blinkers on.
"Easy now," he reassured, his voice like gravel under a boot. "Anyone else inside?"
I nodded, unable to speak.
I plopped onto the grassy slope embarking off the side of the road. The old man pulled their mangled bodies out, one by one.
The countryside shrank around me. I felt the corners of my vision pulling in, the weed in my system straining the limits of shock I could take before melting down.
"I'm sorry, son," he whispered, his voice carrying the weight of my guilt. "The police will be here soon. Don't you worry."
The police.
I stood up. I knew exactly how the police treated people with my skin color in this town.
I ran.
"Hey now!" the man hollered.
I kept running.
Away from my truck, away from my dead friends, away from the police.
I ran until my breath came in ragged, uncontrollable huffs. I flopped to the ground, laying on the cool concrete, cradling my head with my hands. Blood flowed between my fingertips, pooling onto the pavement.
I laid there until police sirens wailed through the night, rapidly approaching. They stopped at the wreck, leaving me in silence. Moments later, the sirens picked up their mournful song again, heading toward me.
I sat up.
I was back in the lot of Sabe's Tower. Only then did I realize how little distance I really ran from the wreck— a couple hundred yards at most.
Four, five, maybe even six sirens filled the air. They were all coming for me. They knew what I had done.
I bolted from my position on the concrete. I could hide in the tower. No way the cops would look for me in that rotting place. They wouldn't dare.
I squeezed through the gap in the fence, same as before, vaulting past the
DO NOT TRESPASS ALONE
signs in a fluid lunge. The sirens behind me screamed into the night, melding together into a continuous doomsday chant.
Red and blue lights filled the lot. I hit the ground right in front of the gaping entrance to the tower, praying that the weeds poking through the concrete would be enough to mask my form. I army crawled, inch by inch, dragging myself across broken bottles and plywood shrapnell, until I was safely in the darkness of the tower.
In.
Out.
I breathed.
In.
Out.
A police cruiser parked in the lot. Its siren drowned out all other wails for a moment before shutting off. A chubby white officer hopped out, surveying the scene. His gaze came to rest on the spot where I had lain. He squatted down, raking a finger through the pool of blood I left behind. He took a few steps toward the tower, squatting down yet again. Another splotch of blood, no doubt.
His voice floated through the plaza, slightly nasal and a little out of breath. "Dispatch, this is officer Chetty, badge number 741. I'm on the scene at 1019 Pleasant Valley Lane, in the lot of Sabe's Tower. I've located a pool of fresh blood that may be linked to our hit-and-run suspect. Possible injury, suspect could be close. Requesting immediate backup and forensics for evidence collection."
Fuck.
I wormed my way further into the tower's belly, sliding between patches of fungus like a mouse in a snake pit, heading for the stairwell. I had to ascend, to find some nook or cranny out of reach of the pursuing officers. The godforsaken tower was one big game of hide and seek, only this time, losing meant far worse than a bruised ego.
Something gurgled in the darkness.
My blood froze. I halted, my heart hammering a tattoo against my ribs. Holding my breath, I strained my senses, eyes peering into the graying murk, searching for the source of the sound.
It came again, a wretched retching, like an animal choking on its own vomit. Hacking, gurgling, bubbling wetness bursting through strained vocal chords, a sound of fading vitality. It was coming from near the door, just outside the meager halo of light slipping through the hole.
A wet line smeared across the back of my neck. A yelp escaped my lips before I realized it was just a cord dangling from the ceiling.
At my yelp, the gurgling paused.
A heavy hush fell over the place, the quietude of the hunted.
I could faintly make out echoes emanating from the stairwell, only a few feet behind me.
The gurgling continued, sucking at the thick air. It began to drag itself forward through the fungus covered floor— a slow, steady, rhythmic drag against the concrete.
FPOOSH.
A geyser of spores bloomed, mingling with swirls of dust in the meager light. The creature, or whatever it was, did not slow its approach. Out of the darkness, a form began to shape— a silhouette clawing its way toward me.
FPOOSH.
I could see this eruption envelop the mass on the floor. One hand appeared, then another. Its fingers scrabbled over the concrete, searching for any purchase to grip. They flexed, heaving the thing even closer.
A mop of curly hair appeared between the hands. A body, face down. It pulled itself closer, into another fungal growth, grinding its face through the rough concrete.
FPOOSH.
A knife protruded from its back. The handle jutted upward, a grim totem amidst the grime and gore. I shuddered, involuntarily taking a step closer to the stairwell.
It looked up at me.
Or rather, Josh looked up at me.
I stared back, mouth agape.
His face was nearly sanded off from the concrete. His nose took the worst of it, ground down to the bone, leaving only two sucking, gurgling holes between his eyes. His cheeks were a mangled mess of blood and rocks, viscous red flowing freely to the tip of his chin before dribbling off. The chunks of meat hanging where lips should have been flapped against his teeth with every jerky motion, tethered to his face by all too little strands of flesh. Beneath them, his teeth showed bright red and white in a perpetual grimacing smile.
"Josh?" I managed to whisper, my voice a frightened squeak.
Josh opened his mouth as if to respond, ripping both cheeks in half. He hacked, gurgling, spitting up blood that came from deep within his torso. He slowly cocked his head to the side, but instead of stopping at a slant, he kept twisting his neck until bones started to crack and his head dangled upside down.
His mangled, upside down head swung limply as he pulled himself to his knees, his neck like jelly. He wasn't wearing the same clothes he was wearing earlier tonight— no, he was wearing clothes from the night Annabeth first cheated on him with me. He was at a Villanova game, supporting his favorite team since birth. Annabeth knew he would be gone for the weekend, so we took our chance. I was still at her place when he came back, wearing his Collin Gillespie jersey and reeking of beer.
Now in front of me, his prized jersey was in tatters, torn to ribbons by the concrete. He groaned, shuffling and reaching for me with bloody fingers.
I bolted into the stairwell, taking the steps two at a time. I pushed myself faster and faster until the door to floor 9 loomed to my side. I didn't pause for a moment, pushed forward by the gurgling echoes reverberating from below.
My thighs, weak from the frantic climb, begged for a break. I wobbled into the hallway, painfully tip-toeing through the fungus. The door to 901 beckoned ahead, hanging open like it had been awaiting my hasty return.
I stumbled over the threshold when Annabeth's singing filled the room. "Oh, Donovan!"
I froze.
Outlined against the window was a two-headed beast. One face belonged to Annabeth, the other to Ellie. The creature swayed, an obscene dance of bare, fused flesh. It wore no clothes, as if to mock God himself. It had two sets of everything— eight appendages total, like a humanoid arachnid. Annabeth's breasts, now side by side with Ellie's, put Ellie to shame, even now.
Annabeth crooned again, "Oh, Donovan!" each syllable laced with acid and honey. The sound made my skin crawl as it floated through the silent room.
"You always did want more, didn't you Donovan?" Ellie sneered, a harsh grin splitting her face.
Annabeth spat, "More than Ellie could give. More than anyone could give."
The thing dropped to the floor with a thud. All eight limbs moved in unison as it crawled.
"Isn't this what you wanted? Both of us at the same time?" Their voices tumbled over each other, mouths moving in synchrony. Together, their laughter filled the hollow room. "Don't you like the thrill, Donovan? Don't you like playing with fire?"
The thing scurried at me, jumping over fungal growths with powerful leaps. The sudden movement broke my paralyzation, spurring my legs to action. I darted into the closet and through the stairwell door, into the gurgling echoes.
Back down the stairwell I ran, the two headed beast in pursuit. Both girls snarled, hindered by their conjoined size in the narrow passageway. Their struggle echoed through the stairwell, mixing with the gurgling. I fled further down, needing to put distance between that thing and me.
I stopped dead in my tracks between floors 2 and 3.
Josh was there, leaning against the wall with the knife removed from his back, now grasped tightly in his hand. I staggered back up the stairs, instinctively retreating, narrowly avoiding the blade as he lunged at me.
Glancing up, I caught a flash of pale skin bearing down on me, cutting off my escape. My only way out was the door to floor 3. I charged through the closet, leaving the echoes behind me.
Floor 3 was empty— no walls, only fungus and windows. The atrium loomed to my left, a pie shaped hole missing from the floor and ceiling. I backed away from the door, eyeing the dangling cords hanging in the atrium.
Maybe... Just maybe....
Josh stumbled from the stairwell, filling the air with his wet slurping. Annabeth and Ellie followed, scrambling toward me.
I didn't have time to think.
I jumped, grasping at the dangling wires, praying they would hold my weight.
Time stuttered, hanging suspended like an icicle on a winter's morning. The world spun in a dizzying blur as I twisted, fingers stretching for a grip. Panic clawed its icy fingers up my spine, but it was the surprise that struck me most. The simple disbelief that this was happening.
A wire found its way into my hand, snapping without slowing my fall.
The wind whooshed past, ripping the breath from my lungs. Above me, the third floor retreated, its grimy concrete replaced by a view of the atrium's ceiling, wires swinging back and forth from my desperate escape.
Then came the sensation of falling. It's a feeling that strikes a primal chord, an orchestra of fear and adrenaline that means the end of a life. My stomach lurched, free-falling alongside me, while the rest of my body seemed to hover in a state of disbelief.
The impact came as both a shock and an inevitability. There was a moment of sheer, undiluted pain, a soundless scream reverberating through my very bones. It felt like being shattered from the inside out, an explosion of agony that started from my back and radiated outwards. An iron-hot spike of pain shot through me, and then, a chilling void as everything below my waist slipped into a terrifying numbness.
The echo of my body's collision rang in my ears as the world spun into a disorienting whirl of blurs, shadows, and pain. The cold concrete beneath me felt real, solid, a chilling contrast to the sudden loss of sensation in my legs.
In the throbbing silence that followed, I understood. I had fallen. I was broken. I lay sprawled on the atrium floor, gasping, the world tilting dangerously in my vision.
Annabeth and Ellie emerged from the staircase, scrambling across the atrium floor. Red and blue police lights filtered through the tower’s windows, making shadows dance between the monster's eight limbs. Josh wasn't far behind, still clutching onto the bloody knife, head rolling upside down between his shoulders.
"Police, we're coming in!" a familiar nasally voice shouted.
The moment officers stepped foot in the tower, the monsters vanished in a spray of spores.
​
X

After the absurd heights that Pierce Brosnan’s Bond climbed to, Eon Productions decided the best course for the Bond franchise was a full reboot. For the first time since the 60s, the British agent was a completely different individual separated from the rest of the timeline. This made for a sharper, more grounded action film with 2006’s Casino Royale.
Daniel Crag’s Bond feels more human, and despite his incredible athletic ability and great skill in fistfights or gunfights, he gets hurt. Like a lot. He definitely feels as if he takes more punishment than any Bond before him. He has a much smaller arsenal than previous incarnations, but his skill with a basic sidearm is usually all he needs to get the job done.
Feats come from Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and Specter. Hover over a feat to see which film it’s from.

Physicals

Strength

• Tackles a man through two bathroom stalls
• Barrels through a temporary construction wall
• Holds onto the outside of a swerving truck
• Forces open a disabled elevator while underwater, then swims to the surface with a woman’s body
• Breaks off a door handle to hide an unconscious body
• Holds a man above a ledge by the hair
• Holds onto the bottom of an elevator car as it rises up a skyscraper
• Punches through drywall and wood to access a hidden room
• Breaks out of zip cuffs

Endurance
Blunt Force

• When jumping off a low crane, Bond stumbles, falling into a metal air vent. He’s up and running moments later.
• Grazed by a car while poisoned and still manages to make it to his own car
• Survives a car crash that puts his car airborne for a few seconds
• Recieves cock and ball torture by Le Chiffre’s rope, at first barely responding, then laughing in his torturer’s face
• Falls one or two stories onto the top of a bus, but gets up quickly
• Fights on after being hit across the back with a metal pipe four times
• Falls off a bridge onto a moving train underneath
• Dives through a window, then continues running
• Up and running moments after crashing a plane through a barn and a car
• Keeps fighting through repeated strikes from Hinx, like getting thrown into walls or getting thrown through thin walls
  • Mr. Hinx Respect Thread found here
• [Limit] Knocked out by a pistol whip to the back of the head
• [Limit] Knocked unconscious by a perpendicular car wreck

Other

• Keeps fighting after being cut across the chest and being shot up by a nail gun
• Gets shot in the shoulder by a handgun, but operates mostly unimpeded
• Bond is shot by a sniper rifle and falls off a high bridge into water. After three months, Bond is mostly physically able again, although his aim is more noticeably affected.
• Endures having a small surgical drill bore into the back of his skull and into the part of the brain that deals with recognition, seemingly to no negative neurological effect

Agility
Movement

• Keeps pace with a freerunning criminal
• Runs up a crane to reach the top of a building under construction
• Climbs up a vertical I-beam
• Catches up to a fleeing truck on a runway, although it obviously hasn’t accelerated to full speed
• From the top of a moving truck, Bond runs and flips through the open windshield
• Pursues a man on the rooftops of Italy
• Traverses a ledge quickly to evade agents
• Escapes a CIA squad with just a moment's warning
• Leaps onto the back of a departing train
• Runs away from a fireball caused by a house-sized explosion
• Jumps down a story onto stone, rolling to avoid impact damage

Reaction

• Uses an enemy to block gunfire
• While sitting in the passenger seat, Bond grabs the driver’s arm before they can shoot him
• Leaps out of the way of an off-rails train
• Rolls away from an incendiary grenade’s detonation moments after noticing it

Skills

Combat
Mostly Unarmed

• Brawls with a martial artist on the outside of a crane
• Brawls with a man in the front seat of a truck
• Throws a gunman down a flight of stairs using his own momentum
• Has an extended fight with a man with a machete while in a confined space. Bond himself was unarmed, although he did ball up his jacket to block some strikes.
• Duels with a man on collapsing scaffolding, using ropes and available ledges to avoid falling
• Breaks a hold on his jacket, sending a guard off a rooftop
• While handcuffed, Bond knocks out four surrounding MI6 agents in an elevator
• Takes out a CIA riot officer with an elbow to the face
• While completely unarmed, defeats a man wielding an axe, even tricking him into slicing his own foot
• Brawls with a man on top of a moving train
• Brawls with an assassin armed with a sniper rifle before dropping him out of a skyscraper
• From a sprint, Bond jumps and kicks a man in the face to knock him out
• Intentionally breaks the ice on a frozen lake to bring a gunman down into the water, then Bond chokes him to death with his leg
• Scuffles with a man in a helicopter before kicking him out
• Punches a guard, then throws him off a ledge while he’s stunned
• Drops two guards with one strike each

Mostly Armed

• (Nearly) drowns a man in a sink
• While being held at knifepoint, Bond turns and kills the man with his own knife after a struggle
• Defeats two men in a crumbling building, using exposed wiring and a nail gun to dispatch them
• While unarmed, Bond is attacked by an assassin with a knife, but manages to kill the assassin with a pair of scissors
• Hits the throttle of a motorbike to dismount the driver, then incapacitates them with a kick
• Uses a briefcase to fight three men, knocking out two of them
• Throws a knife into a man’s back from across a room, which kills him
• Clocks a man with a decorated cane
• Bond ties a rope around Mr. Hinx’s neck and attaches it to a weight, then kicks that weight off the train to pull Hinx away

Gunfighting

• Turns and fires on a man before he can fire
• Shoots a water pipe to spray two gunmen, nonlethally dispatching them
• Shoots a gas container to cause it to explode, allowing Bond to escape
• Sneaks up on a gunman and stealthily shoots him
• Shoots a man while hanging upside-down by the leg
• Disarms and shoots two policemen
• Kills about six men in a garage, firing while running and from under cover
• Disarms the man holding him at gunpoint, then kills four other armed men in seconds
• Shoots two fire extinguishers to obscure the room and allow hostages to safely escape
• Downs two gunmen with an old-school rifle
• Shoots two men from an opposite rooftop, then shoots a bomb to destroy the room
• Shoots two assassins before they can fire on their target
• While handcuffed and at gunpoint, Bond steals the gun to shoot his captors
• Uses a Sa vz. 58 Compact to escape Blofeld’s facility, killing nearly a dozen guards, even at extreme range
• From a speedboat, Bond accurately hits a helicopter’s engine enough with a handgun to cause it to crash

Driving/Piloting

• While flying a much less maneuverable plane, Bond tricks a fighter jet into crashing into a mountainside by producing smoke from a damaged engine
• Rides a motorbike up stairs and on narrow rooftop paths in pursuit of a target
• Uses a construction vehicle to make a makeshift bridge between two train cars
• Ejects a pilot from a helicopter, then pulls the helicopter out of freefall
• Races through Rome, driving down stairs and through a water way
• Flies a small plane on a snowy road to kick up a cloud of snow, causing a car to crash

Other

• [Preparation] Empties out a handgun before a man enters the room
• [Infiltration] Broke into M’s house to use her computer
• [Seduction] Seduces a married woman to learn more about her husband’s criminal activity
• [Poker] The best poker player in MI6
• [Toxin Response] After being poisoned, he consumes salt mixed with water to induce vomiting
• [Skydiving] Leaps from a crashing plane, catching up to his partner and using her parachute to save them both
• [Hacking] Somehow helps Q hack into a remarkably encrypted program
• [Preparation] Puts shotgun shells under the floorboards in order to fire on intruders when they step on them
• [Traversal] Safely traverses down a rapidly crumbling, two story building
• [Observation] Identifies a hidden door based on a tiny sliver of light through the crack
• [Observation] Spots Mr. Hinx approaching in the reflection of a dinner platter

Equipment

Weapons

• Wields a silenced Walther P99
• A suppressed UMP-9, used to fire on Mr. White’s leg at range
• A Walther PPK with a palm-print sensor coded to Bond’s hand, meaning only he can fire it
  • Sure enough, when someone else tries to use it, it just doesn’t fire
• His late father’s hunting rifle
• A heavily modified Glock 17, with laser sight and microphone attachment

Gadgets

• A small tracker, able to be hidden in an inhaler
  • He’s able to follow this tracker using his cell phone
• A defibrillator and medical kit in his glove box
• A powerful camera, used to identify the faces of high profile criminals with even a few pixels
• A miniature radio that can be used to send a distress signal to MI6
• Has microchips in his bloodstream that allows MI6 to track his location
• Has an explosive hidden in his watch that Bond can set to one minute
  • The explosion destroys a computer and leaves Blofeld with severe scarring

Vehicles

• Drives an Aston Martin DBS V12 with bullet resistant windows
• Owns an Aston Martin DB5, that apparently still has a working ejector seat
  • The DB5 has dual machine guns hidden under the headlamps
• Drives a bulletproof Aston Martin DB10
  • Has an exhaust switch that blasts plumes of fire behind the car
  • Uses the Aston Martin’s ejector seat to safely escape a pursuer

Miscellaneous

• Can be extremely reckless, as he was going to stab a VIP to death, despite MI6 wanting him alive, all because he beat Bond at poker
• MI6 will cancel his company cards and restrict his passport if he breaks their rules too often
• Stares down a scorpion during a drinking game
• Suffers from alcohol and pill addiction
• Knows how to deal with slow drivers
• Attempts to interrogate a mouse at gunpoint

I admire your luck, Mr...?
Bond. James Bond.

Special Agent 007, James Bond is the star agent of MI6. Always cool under pressure and licensed to kill, James is sent to infiltrate enemy organizations and destroy them from the inside. Over the decades, James Bond has gone from serious to campy and back again, but always manages to get the job done through wit, physical ability and superior equipment.
Bond generally wields a sidearm with lethal efficiency, along with a number of incredible gadgets developed by the geniuses at Q Branch. With his remarkable physical ability and ever-changing bag of tools, there isn't an international crime organization that Bond has failed to take down. The only thing that could possible distract Bond are his own vices: women or booze, both of which have gotten one over on him in the past.
James Bond Respect Threads by Actor
Sean Connery- 1962 to 1967, once more in 1971. Physically strong, numerous gadgets disguised as everyday items. Adept in traditional spy skills, like infiltration and observation.
George Lazenby- Once in 1969. Very similar to Connery in his craftiness, skilled specifically in winter sports.
Roger Moore- 1973 to 1985. Downright campy, making use of almost cartoonish skills that actually work in-universe. Skilled driver and pilot with a variety of gadgets.
Timothy Dalton- 1987 to 1989. Colder and more quick to become violent than the others. Usually carries a firearm and a lethal gadget to kill enemies.
Pierce Brosnan- 1995 to 2002. Best variety of gadgets of any Bond. Great feats of endurance and athletic ability.
Daniel Craig- 2006 to 2021. The most realistic Bond, yet has some of the most impressive physical abilities in any of the movies. Low variety of gadgets, but excels in gunfights.
Hover over a feat to see the film it’s from. Additionally, the name of any gif on Gfycat contains the last name of the actor that accomplished it.

Physicals

You have a nasty habit of surviving.
Well, you know what they say about the fittest.

Strength
Striking

• Breaks a wooden board with a downward strike
• Tackles a man through two bathroom stalls
• Barrels through a temporary construction wall
• Punches through drywall and wood to access a hidden room

Lifting/Throwing

• Picks up and throws a chair at a man, knocking him out
• Fights off an attacker with a couch
• Picks up and slides a man across a table
• Tosses a chain onto a low-flying helicopter to cause it to crash
• Holds a man above a ledge by the hair

Grip

• When he’s held underwater by two women, Bond surfaces and holds both of them underwater with one hand each
• Holds onto a small plane while the pilot tries to shake him off
• Catches a rope on a blimp and holds on even after it rises high into the air
• Holds onto the top of a speeding car, even when the driver attempts to shake him off
• Avoids falling out of a plane’s airlock by grabbing onto some netting
• Holds onto the outside of a moving seaplane, even after the pilot attempts to shake him off
• Holds onto the bottom of an elevator car as it rises up a skyscraper

Pushing

• With one other guy, Bond rolls this large concrete column
• Knocks over a large bookshelf

Other

• After being buried in snow by an avalanche, Bond climbs out and is relatively okay about a minute later
• Wrestles with a large constricting snake before killing it with a poison injector

Endurance
Blunt Force

• Keeps fighting after getting a wooden chair broken over his back
• Stays conscious after strikes from Oddjob
  • Oddjob RT
• Fights on through hits with a fireplace poker
• Jumps from a bridge to a passing boat, falling through the roof and onto a wedding cake
• While hanging onto a blimp, he’s smacked into the Golden Gate Bridge and quickly starts climbing up
• He’s knocked down a ladder, but recovers by the time he gets to the bottom rung
• Continues fighting Stamper after a number of blows to the face
• Falls from a low hot air balloon onto a domed structure, and he recovers by grabbing some nearby cables
  • Bond suffered a dislocated collarbone after this fall, however
• When jumping off a low crane, Bond stumbles, falling into a metal air vent. He’s up and running moments later.
• Recieves cock and ball torture by Le Chiffre’s rope, at first barely responding, then laughing in his torturer’s face
• Falls one or two stories onto the top of a bus, but gets up quickly
• Fights on after being hit across the back with a metal pipe four times
• Keeps fighting through repeated strikes from Hinx, like getting thrown into walls or getting thrown through thin walls
  • Mr. Hinx Respect Thread found here
• [Limit] Has a recurring weakness to blunt force trauma to the back of the head

Piercing/Cutting

• Keeps running despite being shot in the calf
  • He’s later seen patching up his calf in the bathroom, so he was definitely hit by a bullet
• Keeps fighting after being cut across the chest and being shot up by a nail gun
• Gets shot in the shoulder by a handgun, but operates mostly unimpeded

Other

• Resists being garroted long enough to grab a knife, stabbing his attacker and turning the garrote wire back on him
• Takes over 12 Gs of force before destroying the machine with an armor-piercing dart
  • Real-life astronauts are typically trained to withstand up to 9 Gs of force.
• Gets electrocuted with a gauntlet that can output 100,000 volts, which leaves him writhing in pain but conscious
  • Scene describing the electrical weapon, where the 100,000 volt figure is from
• Bond is shot by a sniper rifle and falls off a high bridge into water. After three months, Bond is mostly physically able again, although his aim is more noticeably affected.
• Endures having a small surgical drill bore into the back of his skull and into the part of the brain that deals with recognition, seemingly to no negative neurological effect

Agility
Movement

• Chases down an assassin, tackling him
• Takes a running jump up to a rising platform
• Catches up to an aircraft taking off on the runway
• Runs and jumps into a closing metal door
• Catches up to an airplane during takeoff, jumping into the plane through the landing gear
• Catches up to a fleeing truck on a runway, although it obviously hasn’t accelerated to full speed
• Escapes a CIA squad with just a moment's warning
• Runs away from a fireball caused by a house-sized explosion

Reflexes

• While on the ground, he dodges katana swings
• Dodges a thrown knife, then pulls it out of the wood behind him to kill the assassin
• Dodges a dune buggy at close range
• Evades shotgun fire from a pursuer
• Evades rifle fire, then shoots the enemy gunman
• Evades handgun fire with a roll, then avoids some distant machine gun fire
• Dodges a harpoon underwater
• When a man attempts to shoot Bond’s knees from nearly point blank range, Bond moves his legs to avoid the shots
• Uses an enemy to block gunfire
• While sitting in the passenger seat, Bond grabs the driver’s arm before they can shoot him
• Rolls away from an incendiary grenade’s detonation moments after noticing it

Combat Skill

Problem solver?
More of a problem eliminator.

Unarmed Combat
Quick Knock Outs

• Judo flips an attacker, then punches him
• Dispatches a guard with a neck strike
• Silently KOs a man, then steals his equipment to blend in with a scuba crew
• KOs a guard with a judo chop
• Stealthily KOs a guard from behind cover
• Knocks a man out with one kick to the head
• Ends an attempted fistfight with an elbow and then slamming the man on a table
• Knocks out a man by slamming him into the walls of an elevator twice
• Punches a guy out in two strikes
• Consistently one-punches goons
• From a sprint, Bond jumps and kicks a man in the face to knock him out

Against Individuals

• Breaks a hold from behind by a man who wrestles alligators
• Fights evenly with Grant in a train car, with both men getting in hits before Grant begins garroting Bond with a concealed wire
  • Grant is a trained Russian assassin who no-sells strikes to the stomach with brass knuckles
• Sweeps Pussy Galore to the floor, then reverses her judo throw attempt
• Wrestles with Hans before flipping him into a piranha pond
• Flips a man with judo throws twice
• Defeats a strong, tough guy in the hotel
• Has an awesome fistfight with a heavyset henchman, ending with Bond punching him off a rooftop
• Fights an assassin while dangling outside of a moving plane
• Has an extended fistfight with Alec Trevylyn, former agent 006, ending with Alec grabbing a handgun to hold Bond at gunpoint
• During a fight, he breaks a man’s arm, then punches him off a ledge
• Brawls with a martial artist on the outside of a crane

Against Multiple Attackers

• Knocks out six men when fleeing on a rooftop
• Starts thrashing technicians until one pulls a gun
• Defeats four guards in hand-to-hand combat
• Knocks out two attackers who ambushed him
• Drops about four men in a bar fight
• While handcuffed, Bond knocks out four surrounding MI6 agents in an elevator
• Drops two guards with one strike each

Against Armed Attackers

• Kicks away a gunman's gun, then beats him up in the ocean
• Disarms an armed woman with one hand
• While unarmed, Bond fights with a knife-wielding villain, with Bond disarming him and tackling him into water
• Disarms a woman and puts her in a painful armhold
• Disarms a gunman and knocks him down some stairs
• Has an extended fight with a man with a machete while in a confined space. Bond himself was unarmed, although he did ball up his jacket to block some strikes.
• Takes out a CIA riot officer with an elbow to the face
• While completely unarmed, defeats a man wielding an axe, even tricking him into slicing his own foot
• Brawls with an assassin armed with a sniper rifle before dropping him out of a skyscraper
• Intentionally breaks the ice on a frozen lake to bring a gunman down into the water, then Bond chokes him to death with his leg

With Weapons
Blades

• Kills a man with his own knife in one maneuver
• In just a few moves, Bond defeats a henchman in a machete fight, throwing him into a container full of snakes
• Steals a man’s knife, then pins his tie to a nearby counter
• Swordfights with a trained fencer, eventually switching to broadswords, where Bond draws first blood from the torso
• While being held at knifepoint, Bond turns and kills the man with his own knife after a struggle

Blunt Objects

• Breaks a man’s neck with a fireplace poker
• Disarms a diver, then uses the harpoon gun to shatter their goggles
• Using an oar, Bond fights off a man with a large hook
• Uses a ski to knock a man off of a cliff, then kills another man after a struggle
• While unarmed, Bond is attacked by an assassin with a knife, but manages to kill the assassin with a pair of scissors
• Spots an attacker in the reflection of a bronze decoration, then uses the decoration to bludgeon them
• Fights off four men who were beating him with a bat moments before, making heavy use of furniture and blunt items

Unorthodox Items

• Defeats three men in the confined space of a cockpit
• Throws flammable alcohol onto an assassin, igniting him
• Beats down a guard with a door, then five strikes
• Takes out two motorcycle-riding assassins with a long plank of wood
• Uses a ski pole to set a trap for a motorbike-riding assassin
• Knocks out a prison guard while handcuffed, at one point using the cuffs on the man's face
• Defeats two men in a crumbling building, using exposed wiring and a nail gun to dispatch them

Environment Focused

• Brawls with an assassin in a hotel room before throwing him into a bathtub and knocking a fan into the water, electrocuting him
• Kills Oddjob by using exposed electrical wiring on a metal cage that Oddjob was touching
• Tricks Jaws into hitting a wood column, knocking a wooden structure over himself
• Brawls with Jaws atop a cable car
• Fights off three hockey player assassins in a hockey rink, taking one out with the zamboni
• Judo throws a goon onto a bed of spikes
• While pinned to a wooden door by knives, he opens the door and kills an assassin with one of the knives
• Smacks a henchman with a plane’s antenna, throwing him off the plane
• Tosses maggots at a gunman, then knocks him out and judo throws him into the maggots
• Bond drags a guard into water and drowns him
• Bond ties a rope around Mr. Hinx’s neck and attaches it to a weight, then kicks that weight off the train to pull Hinx away

Accuracy

You wouldn’t kill me. You’d miss me.
I never miss.

Pistols

• Grabs Goldfinger’s gun and fires on an airplane window, sucking the villain out of the plane
• Shoots a gunman despite their being behind a column for cover
• Right after waking up, he shoots a ninja in the dark
• Poses as a wax figure and shoots Scaramanga
• Shoots three soldiers with his Walther P5, two of them being headshots
• Accurately hits a gunman from a moving speedboat
• Shoots a gunman through a wooden floor
• Uses a human shield to block bullets, then returns fire, killing a gunman
• Turns and fires on a man before he can fire
• Shoots a man while hanging upside-down by the leg
• Disarms and shoots two policemen
• Disarms the man holding him at gunpoint, then kills four other armed men in seconds
• Shoots two fire extinguishers to obscure the room and allow hostages to safely escape
• While handcuffed and at gunpoint, Bond steals the gun to shoot his captors

Against Vehicles

• Uses the Walther PPK to shoot out a dune buggy’s front tire
• Fires a Taurus PT92 into the engine of an oncoming Jeep, disabling it
• From a speedboat, Bond accurately hits a helicopter’s engine enough with a handgun to cause it to crash

Rifles/Submachine Guns

• Using a sniper rifle, Bond shoots a man in a helicopter, causing him to drop his grenade inside
• Fires a rifle, killing three goons, while sliding down a bannister
• Kills at least 8 men with a submachine gun in a short timeframe
• Turns around and shoots a gunman before he can kill his hostage. Note that Bond turns and fires right after the gunman receives orders to kill the hostage.
• Spots a sneaking soldier dressed in black and kills him with a rifle
• Fires on a guard before the guard can fire his weapon
• From a speeding hovercraft, Bond hits small land mines to detonate them on his pursuers
• Uses a Sa vz. 58 Compact to escape Blofeld’s facility, killing nearly a dozen guards, even at extreme range

Other Firearms

• Turns and immediately shoots a harpoon gun, killing a stealthy assassin
• Takes out a distant sniper by firing a shotgun
• Accurately shoots a sniper’s rifle with his own, rather than kill her
• Escapes a crowd of divers by stealing a harpoon gun and firing it into a nearby seaplane, pulling himself away

Non-Firearm Accuracy

• Throws three scalpels into a man’s arm and chest
• Throws a knife into a specific date on a calendar from across a room
• When the auto-targeting system fails, Bond manually shoots down a capsule full of viruses with a laser cannon
• Kills a man with a climbing spike

Other Skills

I always enjoyed learning a new tongue.
You always were a cunning linguist, James.

Athletics

• Dives off an oil rig into the ocean below
• Avoids machine gun fire while skiing
• Continues skiing after losing a ski
• While skiing, Bond jumps and twists to smack two gunmen with his skis
• Goes rock climbing on a nearly vertical rock wall
• Temporarily outswims the pull of an industrial fan before destroying it with his air tank
• Performs a HALO jump into water, then immediately begins scuba diving
• Swims outside of a submarine, scaling the surface until he can re-enter the vessel on the other side. He had to hold his breath for almost two minutes while scaling the outside of the submarine.
• Infiltrates North Korea by simply surfing onto the coast of the country
• Parasurfs off a collapsing iceberg
• Leaps from a crashing plane, catching up to his partner and using her parachute to save them both

Driving/Piloting
Driving

• Weaves around a parking lot, causing a dozen cop cars to crash into themselves, walls or parked cars
• Briefly drives on two wheels to slip through a narrow alley
• Drifts a double decker bus, causing a couple cops to crash their motorcycles
• Jumps over a river in a car using a broken bridge as a ramp
• While driving, he knocks over barrels onto enemies, then drives on two wheels to block bullets
• Drives a car over a ramp, onto a bus, then back to ground level

Piloting Aircraft

• Picks up a villain's wheelchair with a helicopter, then drops him into a smokestack
• Avoids a heat-seeking missile while piloting a small plane, redirecting it into an enemy hangar
• Dodges a stinger missile by driving a semi-truck on only the left hand wheels
• Starts a helicopter in midair and lands safely
• While flying a much less maneuverable plane, Bond tricks a fighter jet into crashing into a mountainside by producing smoke from a damaged engine
• Ejects a pilot from a helicopter, then pulls the helicopter out of freefall

Other

• Jumps a speedboat over a small patch of land
• Drifts a tank, then drives through a building to cause untold property damage

Traversal

• Performs a front flip off a ledge
• Traverses a ski lift wire with nothing more than a pair of mittens
• Traverses the underside of an oil rig by swinging on a rope, then walking a tightrope
• Jumps on the back of a couple alligators to escape a swamp
• Swings on vines like Tarzan to escape pursuers
• Traverses the side of a moving train
• Uses a long pole to safely travel down a building, then releases the pole to smack a pursuing officer
• Performs a combat roll down stairs to avoid handgun fire
• Runs up a crane to reach the top of a building under construction
• Climbs up a vertical I-beam
• From the top of a moving truck, Bond runs and flips through the open windshield
• Jumps down a story onto stone, rolling to avoid impact damage

Stealth

• Uses a hollow reed to hide underwater from guards and dogs
• Hides in plain sight by pretending to be making out, but it’s actually just his own arms wrapped around himself
• Evades a crowd of police
• Lowers his heart rate to trick medical staff and an EKG, then dispatches the staff and escapes the hospital
• Broke into M’s house to use her computer

Other

• [Observation] Notices an attacker in the reflection of a woman’s eye, then uses her as a human shield to block a strike
• [Foreign Language] Learned several Asian languages at Cambridge
• [Alcoholism] Can tell the temperature of alcohol after one sip
• [Deception] Poses as a genealogist under the pseudonym Sir Hillary Bray. After a few days, Blofeld sees through the ruse and has Bond captured.
• [Underwater] Ties a boat to a large rock with the rope he’s bound in, causing the boat to break the rope, freeing Bond
• [Sleight of Hand] Switches out a priceless Faberge egg for a fake copy
• [Animal Commanding] Commands a wild tiger to sit, and it actually listens
• [Gambling] Wins a quarter of a million dollars at a high stakes gambling table
• [Invention] Descends a tall building with some rope and an unconscious body
• [Seduction] Seduces a married woman to learn more about her husband’s criminal activity
• [Preparation] Puts shotgun shells under the floorboards in order to fire on intruders when they step on them
• [Observation] Identifies a hidden door based on a tiny sliver of light through the crack

Equipment

Right, now pay attention 007. I want you to take great care of this equipment. There are one or two rather special accessories.
Q, have I ever let you down?
Frequently.

Weapons
Firearms

• Carries a Walther PPK, a discreet pistol with excellent stopping power
• A collapsible Armalite AR-7 sniper rifle with an infrared sight, allowing for use in the dark
• Bond carries a S&W model 29 revolver in early Moore films, then later switches to his iconic Walther PPK, then, finally, uses the Walther P5
• Carries a very small firearm, the Beretta 950 Jetfire
• Has a firearm disguised as a camera. Additionally, the device is programmed to Bond’s own palm signature, meaning only he can fire the weapon.
  • The camera gun can be outfitted with a scope and tripod for long range fire
• A suppressed UMP-9, used to fire on Mr. White’s leg at range
• A Walther PPK with a palm-print sensor coded to Bond’s hand, meaning only he can fire it
  • Sure enough, when someone else tries to use it, it just doesn’t fire
• A heavily modified Glock 17, with laser sight and microphone attachment

Other

• A combat knife
• A projectile launcher disguised as a cigarette, gifted to Bond by a ninja master
• A grenade disguised as a ballpoint pen
  • By tossing the grenade pen into a pool of fuel, an explosion and destructive fire is formed
• A grenade disguised as a lighter
• A flashbang explosive disguised as a handgun, used to stun three gunmen, allowing Bond to dispatch them

Gadgets
Mobility

• A grappling gun and cord that attaches to his pants, allowing him to scale the outside of a skyscraper
  • Can be outfitted with metal projectiles and used as a firearm instead
• Briefly wore a ninja outfit with suction cups on the palms and knees, used to scale down metal walls
• Flies away from a fight with a jetpack
• A belt with a hidden high-tensile cord, enough to support Bond’s own weight
  • Using the belt cord, Bond swings Spider-Man-style across a room and out a window

Reconnaissance/Infiltration

• A small explosive, used to blow a lock off a cell door
• Has a small safe-cracking device disguised as a cigarette case
• Special glasses to see through tinted glass
• Photocopier disguised as a checkbook
• A digital skeleton key disguised as a gift card
• Binoculars built into a pair of glasses
• Sunglasses with built in X-ray vision, allowing Bond to detect concealed weapons and see through women’s clothing
• A powerful camera, used to identify the faces of high profile criminals with just a few pixels
• A cell phone that acts as a fingerprint scanner, a powerful taser and as a remote control for a BMW

Continued in Comments

right now i'm in university and looking for some people to talk with online. hopefully we can start off with reddit pm/text on discord and if we hit it off can do voice chats and all that. i'm down to talk about whatever with people as long as i know a little bit about it. personality wise i'd say im more of an introvert, introspective but i dont like to take myself too seriously
my favourite two things are drain gang/sadboys and love live (all series) so if ur into either of these (or both :OOOO,) i hope we really hit it off
other stuff i like:
music: sad stuff like joji, random kpop/jpop/anisong stuff, ambient/ethereal music
tv shows im watching rn: its always sunny, shameless
also been making an effort to watch more movies, last ones i've seen were (500) days of summer and 42
other than love live some anime i've liked watching were hunter x hunter, wonder egg priority, toradora, revue starlight
for manga im pretty new to it but i like vagabond and reading some random romance stories
i also really love watching baseball and basketball, specifically blue jays and the raptors.
games: i stick to mobile games nowadays, only really playing genshin impact and marvel snap, thinking of returning to tft.
other stuff: been focused on going to the gym and lately, still a beginner. same thing with video editing, mostly for shitposting purposes.
i'm also open to trying new things (except some random ass things i have a personal vendetta against lmao) so feel free to share!
reach out if any of this sounds interesting especially if you're a nice person, and also preferably around my age(18-24 flexible on the older side)