Stucco foam trim lowes

​
https://preview.redd.it/9bs3mg8po75b1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=49f2f42fdab5ecfd92040d178d1f983c9d148620
The game didn't crash
The characters didn't die
and the game network accelerator didn't disconnect
But Me，really can't hold it, too tired. 6 Hours.
​
​
​
https://preview.redd.it/dfisqktuo75b1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=83a60ef0ea652b7550bf6a08ceadc2b243b0dcf1
It is currently 11th on the list, which is not bad
I only bought level 10 accuracy +“Get a random talent at start”upgrades in DC and nothing else.
​
What I got:

1. 30 season levels
2. 21 chests, including 2 exotic weapon chests (one of which is supposed to be a weekly quest, the other may be a season pass)
3. Expert skill points 40+ (When I heard this game will have a new mode, I was very happy, thinking that could be a good mode just like survival mode in TD1, so I created a new account)

​
That's all the rewards. Nothing. And very little fun.
And if you quit this mode, the progress will clear to zero!
Take loop 40 as the end point，It will take at least another 10 hours to play. Starting from 15th loop, there will be 3 waves of enemies in each room.
​
Overall, the cost of failure in this model is too high, resulting in high levels of frustration and very little positive feedback. (Game crash ,network,PC reboot ETC, and u can not save ur progress!)
​
Even in the late stage, the player's skills, talents,every are build up in good shape， there is not much fun.
Because similar experiences, or even better experiences, can be played in normal mode, even more comfortable, such as hunter suits and strike suits.
​
​
​
If you want to play this mode, I also give you some tips:
​

• Killing Nemesis is just the beginning

​
In the first 5 loop：

• select hard mode to get money
• Talent focus on armor recover, by killing enemies, by critical hits, by headshots. These are important ！！！！！！
• Pay attention to the type of weapon, especially handguns. In firt 8 Loops, you will need a lot of ammunition.I would say ALMG+ M870/Super 90+A pistol with a medium rate of fire（not 93R）
• Better have a super 90 or M870. And a control skill to control Nemesis，so u could shoot

From Loop 6：

• Choose mid mode，because for solo players, the enemy in Hard Mode are too many , and have faction changes.
• After killing a Boss,improve ur fire and armor one by one，Until you start to feel that enemy can smash your armor every ez.
• Talent focuses on increasing critical chance and critical damage and head shot damage
• At Loop 7~8 u will meet Nemesis
• Nemesis needs to use skills to control it and not shoot with it too much，if u did ，u die.
• It seems to use the same weapons and skills as you, but the damage is much higher.
• I'm using the foam skill, taking control and using shotguns and AR to kill depending on distance.

​
After killing Namesis

• You can continue to play the cycle, because this is when you start to strengthen, from a toddler to a teenager.（装备开始成形）
• After 15 loop, basically everything you can buy is sold out, and money should be re-roll talents, focus on armor recovery and output.
• Start with loop 16，You will encounter elite enemies with yellow blood stripes and thick armor
• Later on you'll also encounter "special enemies" using rotating machine guns, grenade launchers, shields and nail guns, and have super armor，you know. (My English is not good）
• All kinds of robots and drones, with purple and gold blood stripes.
• Hazard protection will become important. More and more elite enemies, their grenades will burn, lasers will blind, foam will control.and u will die easily.
• You should be ready to run and shoot, like COD,don't stay in the cover when there are too many enemy，You'll be surrounded
• Choose a single shot high damage weapon, I switched from M4 to M60, M870 works very pefect. The pistol was changed to the revolver with the best single shot damage and good bullet speed
• Because of the talent, I didn't need to reload.
• Speed of fire is provided by talent
• Use the M870 and foam skill to try to block the door in each room
• The revolver is suitable for medium and long range and weak spot destruction

​
Each time you enter the room：

1. Choose a safe corner according to the terrain
2. ambush the door where the enemy appears+next to ur safe corner.
3. Try to kill these enemy at the start of each wave, so that half of the entire room is safe for u in next 20 seconds. During this time, fine enemy's position. Take them one by one, using run-shoot（just like cod） if necessary, to avoid being redefended by the remaining enemy.
4. Try to get back to the safe zone before you kill the last enemy in the wave.
5. High ground usually has advantages, but some maps are longer, and high ground is not a safe place, in this kinf of map ,you need to go to low areas, and try to block doors and clear a safe zone.
6. Killing bosses is easy because of the size of the map.
7. In DC u can buy Elite enemy protection upgrades, this seems to be unique, no talent in speed Descent can provide.
8. I don't upgrade my skill strength at all, after killing a BOSS, I increase my armor depending on how easy it is for the enemy to crush my armor. if i think i am safe ，i will upgrade firepower

Ohter：

• The best weapon I've ever seen is blue, and since Loop 18, I've barely adjusted my weapon or skill. Because they haven't changed at all.
• Talents in game mode provide 50% critical hit, the remaining 10% need to be purchased upgrade in DC.
• Max Critical hit damage is 100% with a talent. I don't know if it stacks up with other talents.
• Revivals seem to have a limit, after I get knocked down (0 armor, 0 health, agent down), something called Revivals Token appears in the store and I buy it every time. Because I rarely get knocked out, unless it's a series of grenades, or a packet loss on the Internet.
• At the end of the 20+loop, my main weapons were revolvers and M870, and always have enough ammunition. About 40 rounds of shotgun ammunition left before i buy ammo.
• The M870 is too fast to clear enemies at close range, much, much faster than the M60 and AR.
• The LMG has the effect of suppressing the enemy, if the enemy just comes out of the door, and you keep shooting, the enemy will "freeze" for a few seconds, which is a good opportunity. However, this was too ammo consuming, so I only use LMG in map with supply stores and BOSS battles.

​
Overall, I wouldn't spend another 6 hours playing this mode
Since Namesis can only be killed once, the rest of the game is not much fun, your equipment and skills are grow up and become perfect, but the challenge（Namesis） is gone.
​
Changes I hope UBi could make:

• Shorten the process. It takes too much time right now.
• Or allow the player to save progress at every 5 loop, just like Peak Tower mode.（not 10 loop that take tooooooo much time）and allow restart from loop 1 without quit to DC。
• ​
• Nemesis can reappear , fight it again in loop 20,30,40 and get a exotic weapon chest.
• Exotic talents can add up/stuck up level.
• More permanent upgrades available
• Provides suit talents after loop 20, such as hunter，strike
• GUI imrpove
• Allows players switch Key1 and Key2 positions for weapon and Q/E for skills.
• Reduce the negative feedback caused by death, for example, starting with 11 loop, each loop allows the player to revive once. But lose a certain amount of money or drop 1 level for a random talent. Come on, the Internet will disconnect, computers will crash, games will crash. These are all negative gaming experiences caused by unexpected circumstances. Since we can't save progress all the time, can we make a baseline protection mechanism?
• Add more talent and more solt for talent.

Hi,
I've installed a bunch of Sunnata Dimmers and have zero issues with all my fixtures except for one.
I have a Vibia Flat 5915 that keeps flickering when I try to dim it and I can't seem to fix it.
https://vibia.com/en/int/ceiling-lamps-flat-ceiling
The fixture specs are:

• LED PLATE 13,5W 700mA
• Constant Current 700
• 110~240 V 50~60 Hz

In load type I have it configured as LED Reverse Phase and I've tried adjusting the low and high-end trim and device brightness with no success.
Any ideas of how I can get it to work?
Thank you

Rachel and I work together in a neighbouring city. Last year around this time I found out I was pregnant. It was unplanned. Prior to this I was renting a place, which was pretty close to this friend's apartment. We were besties. But everything came to a haul. I got married, moved to my natal town and honestly, now, with the baby here, I'm the happiest I've been in a long time.
When I found out I had this great plan of having her as my child's godmother alongside Mary, an older friend of my husband.
Time passed and I slowly started reconsidering it because:

1. I went a few times back my work town and was excited to see her. She was 90% flaky and didn't show up (she drives I don't)
   
2. DH and I went to a our (R and I) friend's wedding and needed a place to stay. We had to go to a hotel because she wasn't that comfortable with it. Sidenote: She often used to say that she would be there for me day and night because we're besties.
   
3. When we came back from the wedding, we carpooled with another coworker. She wanted to drive all of us home. R said to drop us all at her place because she'll take us to our hotel. Once there, R reconsidered because she drank a little and we had to wait half an hour in the cold for an uber.
   
4. She didn't visit by herself once. Only when our common friend (the one thay got married) drove. Her excuse: gas is expensive.
   
5. She called when I was around the end of my 3rd trim asking me what she needs to do/buy for the baby and to keep in mind that she's a bit low on money, but she'll do her best. Sidenote: she brags that she makes a very good amount of cash through some independent work. I can confirm since before the pregnancy I used to do similarly.
   

Mary, however, bought almost everything in the nursery as a surprise gift. Then, I also found out that M asked us to make her daughter the "official" godmother because they would be closer in age (M is around 50, her D 20). So, I decided to make M and her daughter the only godmothers. 3 is too many in our religion.
Now, R's flakiness and other stuff wouldn't bother me. Despite everything, I love talking to her, we share so much and we are nonstop laughing when together. But I don't want someone unreliable for my kid.
Because I want R to be a part of my family, I asked her if she'd like to be the midwife instead. She said no and that it feels like a demotion.
Granted, I never clearly presented everything that bothered me about what she did to make me change my mind. Mostly because I'm scared of conflict so I do my best to avoid instigating one. Also because I don't want to lose her as a friend.
Now, R said she felt humiliated about the whole thing. Especially at work, where she has to tell different lies to other work friends to which she already bragged that she will be the godmother. I tried to message her and explain the above reasons and so forth, but the other friend called me before sending it and told me to stop and just say that I'll do better if I want to keep this frienship.

All I ever wanted was for my wife and I to live comfortably. But the longer we stayed together, the higher our bills increased. We’d already fought off debts from college, barely scraping by. Even after we paid them off, we were only able to afford a tiny apartment on the outskirts of New York City.
Sidewalks laid cracked everywhere while condemned buildings sat sadly against their crooked foundations. Crooked lampposts would hang only by electrical wires. Graffiti marked every street corner in bland art that existed without rhyme or reason. Homeless people could be found on every street corner, a constant reminder of what would happen if my wife and I failed to keep up with our payments.
However, I managed to make somewhat decent money as a plumber. But even then, it sometimes wasn’t enough to deal with loan sharks, the hefty utility bills, food prices, and gas money. I was willing to do anything to get us out.
And that is where I encountered gambling. I was willing to take the risks. I’d take any chance to obtain a reward, even just a small one. It started out with just a handful of poker games. Then I moved on to scratch tickets and slot machines. All I needed was enough to get by. Unfortunately, obtaining a payday from the casinos was impossible. I started growing desperate, which only led to more debt. The whole cycle sucked me down like Odysseus’ ship in Charybdis’ maw. And just like that, my relationship with my wife began to tear us apart.
My wife and I were once so close together. Before we married, there would be days where we’d work together at wood shops, creating 3D prints of various sci-fi characters and video games. Other times we’d study the components of circuits and use them to create elaborate lighting displays whenever Christmas arrived. Our wedding day was supposed to be the greatest day of our lives. Instead of relying on the help of others back like we did in college, we relied on ourselves.
But my actions tore all that apart. I didn’t know what else to do, either.
—
A few nights ago, I arrived at my shitty apartment, having completed a ten hour shift fixing the drains of several upper class folks. I rested my hand on the knob, expecting the worst from my wife. Sighing, I pushed the door. The moment I did, she was already in the front hall. Her eyes were scrunched and she was holding a bank statement, smacking it for emphasis.
“Care for an explanation?” She demanded.
I rubbed my temples, removing my scum covered overalls and plopping them right into the nearest laundry hamper. We locked eyes. Breaking eye contact with her would only ignite her anger further. She was holding another piece of evidence of my failures. My failure to strike it rich. All I could do was stand there sheepishly, tail tucked behind me, and wait to get ripped a new one. No words could come out of my mouth.
She marched up to me, holding it in my face. “Frank, you wasted three-thousand dollars at the casino AGAIN?!” my wife bellowed.
I set my tool box down and washed the pipe gunk from my hands, looking down just for a bit.
“Turn around and look me in the eyes.”
Resting a hand on my eyes, I glanced over at her petite frame. Then, I began to speak. “We can live comfortably if you just give-“
“Enough of the excuses! We nearly lost our apartment twice by you betting on slots, you wasted our heating money on roulette, and now this!”
I held up my hands reassuringly. “Look, just let me figure this out! I’ll think of some way to get the money!”
“You’d better. Otherwise we’re getting a divorce. Got it?”
Without another word, I put on a casual outfit, exiting for some fresh air. Shutting the door behind me, I gazed back at the unpolished apartment number on the frame. Wincing, I clenched a fist and descended the rickety stairs. Eventually, my boots hit the cracked pavement, and I headed off.
---
I had only made it a few blocks from my apartment, when I noticed shadows lurking in one of the alleyways. Picking up my stride, I try to evade the figures. They drew closer and closer. My stride changed into a sprint. Another alleyway comes into my sights. I make a break for it, hoping for an opportunity to escape. Only a dead end greets me. Before long, the figures cornered me. The light from a street lamp illuminated two shady faces. Loan sharks. Before I could react, the duo held me up by my throat.
“What the hell are you guys doing?!” I strained, feebly kicking back one of the thugs. He jammed a fist right under my rib cage. My lips pursed as I lost my breath. The other grabbed me by the chin, grinning like a maniac and revealing his tobacco rotted jaw. I gulped.
“Frank, calm down. Take it easy,” every word he said ground my inner ears. Brown saliva sprayed on my cheeks. “We just want to have a little talk…” I didn’t have the courage to speak up. All I could do was let them tell me everything.
“Your landlord is getting rather impatient with your payments. We just came to send a little message. He has some demands.” The other guy snarled.
I tugged on my collar. “What…demands?”
“The landlord wants you to cough up $18,000 for your next payment!”
My hands grew clammy. Were they out of their minds? I was a plumber, not a heart surgeon! I didn’t have that kind of money! Besides, the rent was only $500 a month.
“You have until the end of the month,” one of the goons croaked.
That was only two weeks! I couldn’t have made that kind of money with such constraints! I’d barely be able to afford food and electricity! Negotiating was out of the question. God knows what would have happened to me if I dared speak up.
“The landlord has given you chance after chance to pay up. But you’ve never followed through. He’s let it slide for three months. You haven’t paid shit in that time frame. Do you realize how much he has to pay for his own apartment? If you fail to pay at that time, there will be consequences…” He makes a capiche gesture.
I nodded. The moment I complied, they released me, disappearing into the smog.
—
I stood outside a graffiti covered subway station, pacing around, hands in my pockets. My fists constricted as I pounded a nearby wall. There’s no way I would have been able to make that kind of money! Craps were too unpredictable, arcade machines were always rigged, and roulette was too high in stakes. Seeing red, I screamed and kicked a wall as hard as I could. My foot throbbed and once I was done with my fit, I broke down sobbing. The sidewalk darkened with my tears. I pressed my head against it, clawing at it until my fingernails turned crimson.
Then, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Wiping the tears away, I glanced over my shoulder. A card was lying on the floor. Its borders were covered in green dollar symbols. The rest of the card was a silver color shiny enough to reflect my face in it. Written in gold letters were the following:
ACES HIGH CASINO
WIN ONE ROUND OF BLACKJACK
AND EARN FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS!
NO MONETARY WAGER NEEDED
TABLE 777
My eyes lit up. All I had to do was win one game of blackjack, and I’d be rich? Dimples formed on my cheeks and I pumped my fist. I nearly clicked my heels in joy, but decided against it. I’d already caused enough of a scene already, and I wanted to make sure nobody knew my secret. When I flipped it around, it had an address also written in golden letters.
---
Despite the address being in an unknown area, I still managed to pull it up on my phone’s map and arrived without any struggle. The casino itself was a pigsty, to say the least. Smokers polluted the air in the prison gray interior. Slot machines with broken lights clicked and whirred while cheap dice clattered against tables with peeling felt. Meanwhile, the concrete floor was covered in colonies of roaches while neglected beer bottles sat against the rungs of several tables. The only thing that was kept well was the bar and a room draped with navy blue curtains with golden sashes. Emblazoned above the doorway was the number 777.
This was the first time I had entered a casino smiling. For once, I thought that this was my lucky night.
When I pushed the curtains away, they revealed a room with ornate black wallpaper, an assortment of oak desks and other furniture. The walls were covered in fine Baroque paintings. On the floor was a single blue carpet covered in opulent tapestry. I followed the back wall to a single dealer table coated in green felt. Two seats were present with one patron taking the seat on the left. He was shaking with what I assumed was excitement.
Behind him was the dealer, a trim man with long blond hair and a top hat over his nose and eyes. He wore a dapper tuxedo free of blemishes that shimmered in the light of a single hanging glass lamp. His skin was pure and free of moles, glistening with slight amounts of glitter.
“Why, hello there…” The man spoke in a voice slicker than the gel in his hair. “Are you here to win big?” Unlike the loan sharks, his teeth were cleaner than a freshly washed plate.
“Yup. Deal me in.” I said, straightening my back, shuffling into the last seat. The other player had his jaw locked together. His eyes were drooping and bloodshot. Sweat pooled around his brow like glass beads. Just like him, I always felt nervous about losing, so their reaction was understandable.
“You know the rules of blackjack. I deal out cards. You can say ‘hit me’ if you want more cards. Get closest to twenty one without going over. Dealer only draws two cards. And you can also surrender your cards for half your bet. When you don’t want any more cards, say the word ‘stand.’” The dealer said, shuffling the cards through his hands and manipulating them like a sculptor with a ceramic pot.
I double blinked. Wager? “What do I bet with?”
The mysterious man just focused on passing out his cards. First, he brought out two cards for himself and dealt two more to each player. Instantly, he flipped over his cards. A jack and a king. Twenty.
I clutched the velvet backed cards, seeing what I was dealt.
A ten and a seven of hearts. I forced my face into a neutral smile. My stomach twisted. There was no way I could get twenty one that easily. “Surrender,” I said, pushing my cards to the dealer. All he did was reshuffle the cards and toss me two more. They didn’t even bother looking back up at me during the process.
The other player started clutching his stomach. My smile vanished. I carefully looked over the left guy’s cards. A seven and a two of clubs.
“Hit me…” the guy on the left choked out. An ace of spades. A total of ten. Sweat trickled down his head like a shower in April. His eyes welled up with tears while foam developed around his mouth. I raised a brow, wondering what his deal was.
I knew the stakes of gambling, but my sixth sense kept telling me something was just not right. No. That couldn’t be true. Even if there was some kind of string attached or fine print I didn’t read, I couldn’t risk giving up that money. Besides, this might have been my only chance to obtain such a vast award without much risk.
“Hit me…” The man wheezed. A five of hearts. His teeth chattered.
While I waited for my turn, I stood up and walked around the room, getting a closer look at all the ornate gadgets and such. My eyes focused on a painting on the leftmost wall. It resembled a man in rich military regalia. But something made my hair stand on end. Their upturned white mustache looked damp, and their face sagged like they were crying. Linear, stick-like shadows were cast on the sleeves. Edging forward, they came into focus.
Hands. I followed their forms outward, which extended into oily, dripping arms.
“Husssssssssh…” A faint noise echoed from somewhere in the room.
“What?” I mouthed, turning an ear to the source.
“Husssssssssh…” It came from the painting. I backed away, hands out at my sides. Was someone dragged in that painting?
“Where are you going? You forgot to pay up!” The dealer yelled back, hands slamming on the table and pulling out a sack of navy blue poker chips.
I double took. “I thought the card said there was no monetary wager needed?”
“There isn’t.”
Then, I looked at the ground. There was a second rug on the ground. The tapestry matched, but its patterns didn’t match with the other rug. It was off center from the rest of the decorations, like someone didn’t even bother setting it up properly. Taking a closer look, I could hear faint whispers coming from it, too. When I looked back up, the guy on the left was gone. I rushed over, checking his cards. A total of twenty five.
Swallowing saliva, I stood in confusion, wondering what to do next. I scraped my fingernails against my palms. I needed that money. If I didn’t get it, I’d lose my wife and my apartment. And what about the loan sharks? Only God knew what would happen to me if I didn’t pay up. What was I going to do? What would happen if I lost? Would I turn into another object just like the other guy? Or would I be in for a worse fate?
“That’s because there isn’t a MONETARY wager. I’m still taking half of what you owe.”
A sharp pain punched my left side. My left side felt heavier than before, like my veins were replaced with tungsten. I grabbed my fingers around my chest. The area around the pain almost felt solid like a tumor. Brushing around the area, I could make out a cylindrical mass. I tried to inspect it some more, but the pain overwhelmed me, and I crumpled to the ground.
I crouched down on all fours, trying to get back to my seat, but the pain froze me in place. Reaching out a hand, I called out for help. Nothing.
Slithering away, I pulled back the curtains to the entrance of the casino. I spat on the ground from the bludgeoning pain.
“Don’t feel out of luck. You can still surrender once more and you still have two chances left!” The dealer smiled, adjusting his hat. It was only a glimpse, but I caught a look at his upper face. His eyes were on his hat and his forehead was blank. The dealer looked like they were plucked straight out of an Alice in Wonderland book. What or who was this dealer?
“Think long and hard about this. I saw you arguing with your wife. And those ruffians nearly killed you.”
I clambered back to my seat. I still didn’t know what that dealer did to me. Something in me forced me to get back up and keep playing. More questions ate at me the longer I played. How did he know that information?
Then, I remembered feeling a tap back at Grand Central Station. And the card that brought me here. He couldn’t have been human. Was he some kind of demon? I didn’t bother asking. There wasn’t any way he would spill the beans about his nature.
After what seemed like hours, I managed to writhe back into my seat, slumping over the table like I’d just had the worst hangover.
“Ready to try again?” The charming man said, resting his chin on his interlocked hands.
Reluctantly, I gave him a thumbs up. He took back the cards and began manipulating the split deck once more. I analyzed every move he made. None of the cards were tricked. He wasn’t second dealing and didn’t have any aces up his sleeve. Never revealed anything under the table, either. The only thing that brought me reassurance was that he was honest. Still, keeping an eye out was critical.
The dealer revealed his cards. Two tens again. One of spades, one of hearts. His face was harder than diamond and glowed like one, too. Not a pleasing glow, but one that would hex anyone that dared gaze at it for too long.
I looked at my cards. An ace and a seven. Eighteen. Gripping my lower abdomen, I stayed crumpled in agony. The odds of getting a blackjack were slim and the stabbing pain skewed my thoughts.
“Surrender…” I wheezed. The words slipped out of my mouth like the dying breath of a wounded soldier. The dealer smiled, holding a pile of blue poker chips around him. He waved his hand over the mound and made an inaudible chant. Then, they vanished.
I held my hands over my face, bracing myself. Suddenly, the pain doubled, shifting to my right like a mudslide down a hill. Now I knew everything the previous player was going through.
I vomited out something hard and blue. A poker chip. Suddenly, my guts turned and another seven spilled out. My esophagus wound itself into knots more contorted than cobwebs. “I…forfeit!”
The man started to smile. “Without these?” With a thud, the hat faced dealer pulled out a jar filled with a kidney and a piece of liver. They still were oozing with blood that plumed and fit their containers. I remembered how the dealer said that there was no monetary wager. He never said there wasn’t a wager at all. My wager…was my organs.
“You want them back? Win them.” He set them back on the ground.
Now there was no choice. My fate was sealed if I tried to leave. I started to shed tears. If I didn’t get these organs back and fast, I was done for. Even if someone saw me passed out on the floor, finding donors for organs wasn’t guaranteed. And even then, I’d be put further in debt. Nothing would be solved. Then again, was trying to beat this guy even worth it? No. The reward was too great. Taking a few deep breaths, I sat back down. Reluctantly, I asked that he proceed.
The dealer drew out cards just like before. He took the cards and gave them a good shuffle. Plucking two cards out of the stack, he revealed them. A king and a nine. Another poker chip tumbled out my throat. I spat it out in a red and blue plastic heap. Not paying attention to the mess I made, he handed me two cards. A jack and a two. Twelve.
“Hit…me.” An ace. Aces could count as one or eleven depending on what other cards were drawn. I still had a fighting chance.
“Hit me.” A five.
His dead stare tore at my soul. I scratched against the felt, the wounds in my fingers reopening. From the corner of my eyes, I could see him frowning. “Are you going to play, or do you want all that money to go to waste?”
I gritted my teeth. “Shut up…Hit me…” Swallowing saliva, I watched the dealer play out my last card. A queen.
“You lose.” The dealer said coldly, grabbing a pile of poker chips and holding them close. He waved his hand over the mound and made another incantation. Then, they vanished once more. Everywhere at once, burning pain sears my skin, making me blackout.
---
When I wake up and feel my arms, they are covered in something hard, blue and plastic. My clothes were gone. I examined my extremities and my torso.
My skin was missing and replaced with poker chips. They were shaped to fit every part of my body. Cracks filled with blood gushed out with each slight movement I made. Horrified, I spilled my guts. More poker chips slid out my throat. Piles of skin laid clumped on the side of the table in hideous pink and blood red sheets.
“I think you know what’s at stake now. One try left. Better make it count. You want to end up in an object for an eternity?” He taunted.
The rigidity of my plastic coated skin made each movement expose more of the cracks, searing my muscles. I groaned as I raised myself up. Crimson liquid dampened the table. I pounded at the table. This was it. I either walked out with my money and saved my marriage and tied up all those knots. Or I lost and suffered a fate worse than death. Giving up was not an option. I gave the mysterious man a death glare, not even bothered by his resistance.
He plucks out two cards. A nine and a ten. This was my chance.
Then, my cards were revealed. A ten and a two. Fingers rattling, I took a deep breath and let calmness seep into me.
“Hit…Me…” I sputtered. Another two.
Huffing, I opened my mouth to speak again. The dealer just stared into me, tilting his head like a vulture waiting for roadkill. The poker chips rattled again, grinding against each other.
“Hit…” I paused for a moment, recollecting my thoughts. At a value of fourteen, I needed at least a six to beat the dealer. But an eight or higher would result in disaster. Gulping down another chaser of saliva, I spoke. “Hit…me.”
To my chagrin, a five slipped out of the hand. I was now tied. Staring at the pile of skin and my other organs, I closed my eyes and shook in horror. An ace or a two were the only cards I could draw in order to win. I looked down at my cards, sweat dripping on the table. With a quick glance, I gazed at the eyes on the man’s silk hat.
“Don’t keep me waiting.” The man demanded.
I’d begun hyperventilating. His stare grew more intense the longer I waited. His confident smile turned into a frown of irritation. Eyebrows and mouth twisted into a hideous snarl. He rattled his fingers against the dealing table. The cacophony made my ears go numb.
Then, I whispered my answer.
“Hit…me…”
The man darted up, smiling back in anticipation. “I’m sorry, what was that?”
I closed my eyes, expecting the worst.
“HIT ME!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.
Then, the last card was revealed:
A two.
I’d won!
My mouth dropped. The sheets of skin unfurled themselves and flattened over me. Two organ jars spilled over, their contents rising in a beam of white and torpedoing back into my body. Immediately, I yelped at the top of my lungs, skipping my heels and doing a jig. I regained my strength, instantly looking around for traces of my prize. For several minutes, I wasn’t able to uncover anything. Staring directly at the dealer’s face, I asked him to reveal my prize.
“I don’t have it with me.” He said, blankly.
Not listening, I scrutinized every inch of the room, looking behind his station, checking under the table, everything.
I searched everywhere for my prize, my happiness dissipating. With each step I took, my smile faded even further, twisting into a frown. My nose crinkled. “Where is the fifty million?” I demanded, overturning the table, ripping off the ornate paintings and yanking the tasseled rugs off the floor. “You promised me fifty million dollars if I beat you! Do you realize what’s gonna happen to me if I don’t get that money, you charlatan?!”
The strange man just stood there, not even acknowledging my pleas.
“YOU PROMISED ME MONEY! You’re a thief!” I roared, pointing an accusing finger at him. “I only did this for my wife, to save my marriage! I almost gave up my life trying to help my family out! How can you take that away from me?!”
The demon stuck his hands behind his back and shook his head. He rolled his eyes back in thought. Something was up with him. “You aren’t like the other gamblers.” He said.
“Other gamblers?” I said, stepping back.
“They all wanted the money for worthless things. A mansion with fountains and a view, hookers, a trip to Tahiti…” He paced around me. His face was rather relaxed and calm. Never once did he lose eye contact with me. “But you had so much determination to help your wife out that you would risk it all. I admire that. It took me a while to figure out that you were actually a kind hearted person.”
I saw red and tried to punch him. He grabbed my fist, shoving it back.
“Listen to me. I understand your rage. There never was a prize in the first place. It was nothing but a lure to capture those that wasted their lives away. But there is one thing that you don’t understand.”
I saw red and I thrusted my hands back. “You nearly killed me all for nothing?!”
“Yes, but that was before I saw you the way you really were. Listen to my words.”
Slowly, I relaxed my posture, but still remained firm. “Why should I listen to you?”
“I can help you out of your situation.” The man said.
My nostrils flared. “You owe me money you snake!”
“You never needed the money in the first place.”
Taken aback, I retreated. “What do you mean?” My arms relaxed once more.
“You are a plumber, aren’t you? I saw you come home from work, just barely catching a glimpse of your schedule. Forty hours a week for thirty-eight dollars an hour for five days a week. That’s $15200 a week for two weeks. You already have everything you need.”
“But you don’t understand. They need $18000!” I pleaded.
He wouldn’t budge. “Trying to earn this money via dumb risks and chances will not get you anywhere. Look at all the things that you’ve done wrong.”
Tears began to well up. “And I want to change that.” I wiped my eyes. “But what am I supposed to do now?”
“The only way you can earn that money is through grit and spit,” He said, walking around me. “You aren’t going to find solace through good luck alone. You have to work for it. And you already have the tools that some people don’t have. If you give up now, you might as well have lost. Think about it.” With those last words, he raised his hand and snapped it, disappearing without a trace. Slowly, I gathered my things and walked out of the casino, head hanging low.
---
The following day, I sat outside an old woman’s faucet, inspecting how to fix a leak. I wondered what the demon’s words meant to me. Before I stuck the wrench up to a U trap, I remembered my pay. If I worked the same amount of hours as before, I’d only make $15200. But if I pulled off some overtime and worked several extra hours, I might just be able to pay off my debts.
I started staying up much later than before. Not long after, my wife started to become suspicious. Eventually, she confronted me.
“Frank, you’ve been staying up late. Are you going back to the casinos again?” she asked, hands on her hips.
I closed my eyes. Instead of fear, calmness filled my veins and my blood stilled. “Not this time. I’ve been working overtime.”
Her face loosened up for just a moment before hardening back up. I held my hands up and motioned my palms downward. “Listen, I have been horrible lately. All my gambling did was drown us in deeper debt.”
Her expression began to soften up again, her frown vanishing.
“I want to change things. We used to work so well together, doing everything to help each other. Instead of fighting against each other, it’s time we made peace. And we bring us out of our debt, together.” I held out my hand for her to shake it. She kept her arm pulled back and folded like the pincer of a mantis. Inch by inch, she extended it and took it.
The following day, my wife convinced me to go to therapy to get out of my addiction, which I gladly obliged. Simultaneously, she decided to start up another job working as an electrician. Day by day passed and we pooled all our resources as one. Before our eyes, bills were paid and debt disappeared faster than eye floaters. Our financial status wasn’t the only thing that changed. Her once crusty mood lightened up and she began to smile more. She began to believe my words and began to respect the changes I made.
And then, we paid off our rent. We got a letter from our landlord, saying that we now were even. The moment that letter came in, we embraced each other. The only question now was, what were we going to do with this extra money?
Not too long ago, we ended up earning enough money to create another 3d project, this time of a Companion Cube. Day after day, we created more projects. Although we weren’t as happy as our days back in college, we still could make the best with what we had. In retrospect, the hat-faced man put up a good fight, but I managed to come out of a casino with more than I came in with. It wasn’t exactly money, but it wasn’t worthless, either.

Hola amigos! I'm hoping some of you experts can point me in the right direction. I'm looking for links or guides to some mods I'm considering.

1. I've heard a rumor I can update/mod the infotainment system to show actual TPMS not just a low pressure indicator.
   
2. What's the preferred method to replace or recover the shiny black plastic interior trim?
   
3. Has anybody seen a way to get the AC blower to blow harder? Or possibly relocate the thermostat sensor higher in the cabin?
   

My dad has this gigantic 180 gallon aquarium that you can literally fit inside of.
I’m trying to think of low maintenance aquascape ideas for it, because it’s so huge that trimming plants and constant maintenance are a real pain.
My idea was to just make it into a simple iwagumi with big rocks and 1 carpet plant (mini dwarf hair grass or Monte Carlo) all across the bottom. Maybe some Anubias or something simple, and dozens of neon tetras.
I’m looking for any ideas here for a scape this large.

REPOST
hey people. on an alt for reasons but usually when i post here on my main, reddit often thinks it's spam. so im trying to get creative with this. and usually, when i post, it's mainly bc i get bored. so there's that. i know a cousin of mine also lurks around here, so if youre seeing this, hi! you know who u are :)
to cut it short, i just want new people to talk with. not that im bored and dreaded with my existing friend groups, just want something different every now and then. depends really, but i hope you get what i mean. another thing i wanna point out is my experience in reddit all these years, is a hit or miss, there are times i get actually good friends that i talk with every now and then (which is great!) and there are the ones that i just talk with for a few days then somehow no communication is to be found after that (not the great part sadge) but yeah hoping to achieve more low maintenance (or high if ever) friendships!
mainly my goal here has been to make friends, genuine connections, if you will. but ofc im open to the offchance that we'd go more than that (note that im straight) but usually, im not expecting that since meeting people online is a hit or miss like i said.
now I'll be putting the basics about me, all the ones that i can think of at the top of my head of course:

• i speak english mostly, occasional taglish, i can understand tagalog if you prefer it
• i am 6'2, not really fit but my friends say i have a dad bod but i wouldnt count on it lol, long hair with green highlights, wears glasses, rocking a pretty thick goatee that i plan on trimming soon maybe and other physical attributes that i can think of
• introverted mostly. but like most introverts im loud as fck once you get to know me
• a bad sense of humor. will laugh at anything i find stupid influenced by most memes
• gaming gamer. games include:

-overwatch (main fps that im very competitive with)
-fortnite (zero build, casual player but tryhards often)
-genshin (yuck) (one of the main gachas)
-arknights (another main gacha game)(in it for the lore)
-honorable mentions include: minecraft, stardew valley, and other stuff in my laptop

• 2nd year film student
• from fairview
• music taste is mixed but mostly japanese
• reads manga from time to time, rarely has time for anime
• chronically online and discord lurker

that's pretty much all i can cook up rn
About you:

• dont be a d*ck
• preferably uses discord :D

well anyway! if you reached this far, great! sorry for the long ahh post, there was just a lot of things i wanted to say, but yeah if youre interested, hmu in dms with an intro of at the very least your basics and we'll see if we could cook :D

Just got a new 2023 Mazda 3 Select trim a couple of weeks back. This has happened to me a couple of times now where when I'm slightly accelerating at a low speed (about 10 or 15 mph), the car jerks back and forth repeatedly until I firmly accelerate and it behaves normal again. Just curious if any of you have experienced this on a new mazda. Not sure if it is worth having it looked at since I don't think I can reliably recreate the problem.

Worked at a carbon fiber parts production company through a temporary work contract. Here's how things went. I interviewed and the interviewer said I was "too perfect". The company offered me a position I didn't apply for. I took their offer.
I met the lead of the neighboring department and he left and then immediately told others I was nervous which I thought was weird.
The coworkers and boss told me I dressed extremely well for the job and I recieved an abundance of compliments about my attire. I decided to return some basic compliments like "Nice jacket" and "Cool shoes" and was pulled into hr, because someone felt targeted by my compliments. So I told human resources I would no longer compliment anyone's attire. I still recieved an abundance of compliments so I stopped wearing nice clothes and wore basic clothes instead.
Turns out I was really good at the spot I was in and had a significantly low margin of mistakes compared to others before me. They were really behind in the department I was in. After six weeks I had finished all the work in the department that piled up so my coworker in the department and I were cross trained in other departments. My trainer had grinded several previous bits into other parts and spent several hours making non work related projects for fun on the clock. I never did that.
During cross training two coworkers jokingly threw projectiles at me and then complained to my boss when I told them to knock it off. One thrown object was a sqaure of sandpaper thrown ninja star style that hit me in the face nearly knicking me in the eye and the other was a ball of tape. The lead in the department I trained for complained that I was hostile after he asked me to leave and I said "You said that" He complained to hr.
As I was telling my departments coworker my boss came up to me and asked me what happened and apparently the lead and I's story didn't line up. Apparently, he and the other coworkers that threw projectiles at me complained afterwards. I explained the lead kept putting me down while I kept making sure the conversation steered towards mutual happiness. Afterwards the following day I was given a new task which I performed quickly and easily. I was informed the lead wasted time and didn't meet deadlines. He told me I was slowing his department down even though we accomplished more tasks that I voluntarily assisted after completing my own work.
Then they told me to empty filters outside in the open air, that's a Environmental protection agency violation.
After four weeks I requested a referral based on work performance for a different job opportunity from my boss in Alaska. My boss called me selfish and and gaslight me with his need for a rock solid team calling me a non team player. Then said he couldn't hold it against me. I used him as a reference anyway because he seemed somewhat nice but I think he ruined the offer, all my non boss references were met with positivity by the company boss offering the job, after all that, he was gonna take me till I realized he was choosing an unsafe team of three people to work on the bearing sea, two of which had never been on the barring sea, I mentioned to make a safe decision and he chose a more experienced fisherman for the job, he then told me to visit him if i'm ever at Kodiak. Great guy, was awesome talking to him.
After talking to the guy that threw sandpaper at me he told me he wanted to take his kids camping but needed some things, I offered him a camping stove to use whenever he went camping.
I then attempted to re-hang a fallen conduit because the department members I was cross training with told me they'd tripped over the conduit repeatedly and to be careful and after a month and a half no electrician had been called. I grinded a screwdriver for the Philips head bit to use in a screwdriver because we didn't have any bits but an excess of screwdrivers in the same size. My trainer had trimmed bits to his needs several times before me. I have basic electrical experience but was just performing basic drywall installation so that me and the other workers were safe after such a long period of time without safety correction.
I bought my trainer that had terrible money management skills food when he couldn't afford any a handful of times and took him to the food bank on lunchbreak because he had never gotten food from a foodbank before and was skipping breakfast and lunch because he was so broke. I even helped him make the decision to not move into an alcoholic BPD afflicted person's home when asked for advice. and shared knowledge about making his apartment safe when he had CPS issues. He likes his new space greatly.
We went fishing even! Met his girlfriend and him for a fishing adventure and they told me they like me. He didn't have the resources to properly clean his apartment for a CPS investigation so I offered assistance. He didn't have transportation to the bank so I offered to drive him their during lunch. He gave me a drill press and welding mask as a way to get rid of excess clutter in his apartment. I offered to jump another coworkers car and I brought food to an after work weekly social event. I was helping put together a BBQ for work.
Today I was informed my work assignment with the company was ended by hr and my boss. I reported the carbon fiber filter dumping to the EPA and will have a new assignment from my agency on Monday. My roommate offered me an apprenticeship and reference to his company paying several more dollars per hour.

# Today In Phishstory - June 10th Brought to you by tiph-bot. Beep.
All data extracted via The Phishnet API.

Phish

Phish, Sunday 06/10/2012 (11 years ago) Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN, USA
Gap Chart, Tour: 2012 Early Summer Tour
Set 1 : Down with Disease > Funky Bitch , The Moma Dance > Sample in a Jar , Axilla , The Gambler ¹ , Possum > Wilson > Tweezer > Free > Backwards Down the Number Line > Cavern
Set 2 : Golden Age > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Chalk Dust Torture , Carini -> Shafty > Rock and Roll , Alaska > Harry Hood ² -> Light > Character Zero > Rocky Top
Encore : Show of Life > Julius > Tweezer Reprise
1 Phish debut, with Kenny Rogers. 2 Unfinished.
Show Notes:
The Gambler was a Phish debut and featured Kenny Rogers on vocals. Possum featured The Gambler and Streets of Cairo teases. Tweezer contained a Walk This Way tease from Trey and I Am Hydrogen teases from Fish. Shafty was played for the first time since December 30, 2003 (159 shows). Hood was unfinished.
Listen now at Phish.in!
Phish, Friday 06/10/2011 (12 years ago) Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ, USA
Gap Chart, Tour: 2011 Early Summer Tour
Set 1 : Rocky Top , Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove , Stash , Tube > Guyute , Guelah Papyrus , Scent of a Mule , Cavern , The Sloth , The Curtain With
Set 2 : Down with Disease ¹ -> Free > Possum , Big Black Furry Creature from Mars , Swept Away > Steep > David Bowie , Julius , Golgi Apparatus > Fluffhead > Joy
Encore : Bold As Love
1 Unfinished.
Jamchart Notes:
The Curtain With - There are a few spots here and there in The Curtain and the beginning of With that seem a bit off. Nonetheless, Trey soloing in With seems particularly inspired, and Mike is also noticeably strong. The jam reaches a fairly intense peak, before expectedly settling to conclude.
Steep - Trey's wonderful, pretty, and soulful soloing, accompanied by Mike's on-point, cascading runs, work to create a truly notable version. Per netter @jerryguscia, Trey quickly shifts towards a bit of jamming featuring some rhythmic, low-key strumming, play which breaks to become dark and funky improvisation before dissolving into those hazy waves of sound typical for the era.
Show Notes:
The Theme from Rocky was teased before Rocky Top and Trey teased Pop Goes the Weasel before Down With Disease. Disease was unfinished.
Listen now at Phish.in!
Phish, Wednesday 06/10/2009 (14 years ago) Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN, USA
Gap Chart, Tour: 2009 Early Summer Tour
Set 1 : Runaway Jim , Punch You in the Eye , Ocelot , Foam , Train Song , Undermind , Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove , The Squirming Coil , Character Zero
Set 2 : Back on the Train , Waves > A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing > David Bowie , Army of One , Reba ¹ , Hello My Baby , Julius > Cavern > Harry Hood
Encore : Frankenstein ²
1 No whistling. 2 Page on keytar.
Jamchart Notes:
Foam - Powerful Page solo with a ragtime feel. Trey brings the volume way down at first before a big peak. Sounds like '93 - '94.
Waves - This is a very well-played version with a full length "Waves" jam. 3 minute outro jam leads to transition to "ASIHTOS."
Reba - Excellent full-band play featuring quiet, expansive and contemplative work from Trey, whose warm tone is complimented in great part by Page. Mike and Fish modify the beat, and the musicians dial the jam down to an all but erasure of sound. Mike and Trey team to rebuild momentum, before Trey summons a few chords and, shaping his sound, directs the band into a passage of measured and progressive space.
Show Notes:
Reba did not have the whistling ending. Hello My Baby was played for the first time since December 5, 1999 (138 shows). Frankenstein featured Page on keytar.
Listen now at Phish.in!
Phish, Saturday 06/10/2000 (23 years ago) Zepp, Koto-ku, Tokyo, , Japan
Gap Chart, Tour: 2000 Summer Japan Tour
Set 1 : Down with Disease , Sample in a Jar , Piper , Lawn Boy , Guyute
Set 2 : Heavy Things , Sand , Sparkle > My Soul , Bathtub Gin > Jam > Twist , Albuquerque , Wading in the Velvet Sea > Loving Cup
Encore : The Inlaw Josie Wales , Limb By Limb
Jamchart Notes:
Down with Disease - A very upbeat groove develops and grows more intense as it progresses. Eventually the jam becomes more subdued before rebuilding with spacey effects and returning to "DwD" to conclude.
Piper - Beginning with a style and sound so typical of '00, the band then twists this jam into a bleak, nightmarish soundscape. From there, it breaks into a decent groove before finally succumbing to space.
Show Notes:
Disease included San-Ho-Zay teases. Mike teased Dave's Energy Guide in Piper.
Listen now at Phish.in!
Phish, Saturday 06/10/1995 (28 years ago) Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO, USA
Gap Chart, Tour: 1995 Summer Tour
Set 1 : Makisupa Policeman -> Llama , Prince Caspian > It's Ice > Free > Rift , You Enjoy Myself -> Hold Your Head Up ¹ > Lonesome Cowboy Bill > Hold Your Head Up , Suzy Greenberg
Set 2 : Maze , Fee ² > Uncle Pen , Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove , Amazing Grace , Sample in a Jar
Encore : A Day in the Life ³
1 Vocal jam. 2 Trey sang verses through megaphone. 3 Phish debut.
Jamchart Notes:
Mike's Song - The 1st jam segment (to 7:20) is loaded with tension and moderate dissonance. The 2nd jam begins with sounds akin to "Simple," but gradually descends into a murky caldron of eerie and spacey improvisation. At 14:00, the jam begins to emerge from the underworld with low key play, a rhythmic pulse, and growing, dissonant energy, before finally returning to "Mike's" proper to wrap up.
Weekapaug Groove - Some "CYHMK"-like jamming leads to a quieter improvisational section which pushes the bounds of "Weekapaug" proper. Released on Live Bait Vol. 6.
Show Notes:
This show marked the first Phish performance of A Day in the Life. YEM segued into a HYHU vocal jam. Page teased Fanfare for the Common Man several times before Lonesome Cowboy Bill. Trey sang the verses of Fee through a megaphone.
Listen now at Phish.in!
Phish, Friday 06/10/1994 (29 years ago) Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO, USA
Gap Chart, Tour: 1994 Summer Tour
Set 1 : Runaway Jim , Foam , Sample in a Jar , Nellie Kane > Demand > David Bowie , The Lizards , Cavern , Julius
Set 2 : Axilla (Part II) > The Curtain > Tweezer > Lifeboy > Sparkle > Possum ¹ , Hold Your Head Up > I Wan'na Be Like You > Hold Your Head Up , Harry Hood , Tweezer Reprise
Encore : Sleeping Monkey > Rocky Top
1 Random Note signal.
Jamchart Notes:
David Bowie - Typically strong '94 "Bowie" that gets mean, nasty and thrashing as it progresses.
Tweezer - A short, but magnificent version, though controversial, as some remain deaf to its majesty.
Possum - Awesome pump-it-up jam. Excellent musical variation from 3:55 - 4:30, then it's off to the "Possum" party.
Show Notes:
Bowie included a Leprechaun tease by Trey. During Lizards, Trey talked about the rocks that looked like a giant lizard and referenced the last time they played at Red Rocks (August 20, 1993). Lizards also contained a Fanfare for the Common Man tease from Page. Cavern included Purple Haze and Voodoo Child teases from Trey. Tweezer contained What a Man (Linda Lydell original that was remade by Salt-n-Pepa in 1993) quotes from Trey. Possum contained a Random Note signal.
Listen now at Phish.in!
Phish, Saturday 06/10/1989 (34 years ago) The Living Room, Providence, RI, USA
Gap Chart, Tour: 1989 Tour
Set 1 : Run Like an Antelope , McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > Ya Mar , You Enjoy Myself , AC/DC Bag > Foam , Good Times Bad Times
Show Notes:
YEM was played for "Max's" "Goddard Springfest birthday" and contained a Happy Birthday tease from Trey. This setlist is incomplete, and may also be incorrect. This set also has incorrectly circulated as the second set of 8/23/89.
Listen now at Phish.in!

Trey Anastasio

Trey Anastasio Trio, 2023-06-10 Mission Ballroom, Denver, CO, USA
Setlist: https://phish.net/setlists/trey-anastasio-trio-june-10-2023-mission-ballroom-denver-co-usa.html
Tour: Not Part of a Tour
Show Notes:
Trey Anastasio Band, 2006-06-10 Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge, Bristow, VA, USA
Setlist: https://phish.net/setlists/trey-anastasio-june-10-2006-nissan-pavilion-at-stone-ridge-bristow-va-usa.html
Tour: TAB - Early Summer 2006 Tour
Show Notes: This single set performance was as the opening act for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.
Jazz Mandolin Project, 1993-06-10 Last Elm Cafe, Burlington, VT, USA
Setlist: https://phish.net/setlists/trey-anastasio-june-10-1993-last-elm-cafe-burlington-vt-usa.html
Tour: Not Part of a Tour
Show Notes: Tree Fist featured chords and lyrics improvised by the audience. Kitty Litter Blues was also improvised and featured Anne Weiss on vocals. I Saw the Light, Alabama Jubilee, and Better Get It In Yo' Soul featured Shane Brodie on guitar and vocals. This is the first public performance billed as Jazz Mandolin Project.

Mike Gordon

Benevento/Russo Duo featuring Mike Gordon, 2005-06-10 Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN, USA
Setlist: https://phish.net/setlists/mike-gordon-june-10-2005-bonnaroo-music-arts-festival-manchester-tn-usa.html
Tour: Mike - The Duo Feat. Mike Gordon Spring 2005 Tour
Show Notes: This performance took place in That Tent. 9X9 through My Pet Goat were performed by The Duo only (without Mike). Foam contained a Lengthwise tease. The Beltless Buckler featured Gabby La La on sitar. This show was made available on LivePhish.com and officially released on CD as The Benevento/Russo Duo Featuring Mike Gordon, Live at Bonnaroo 2005.

Page McConnell

Page McConnell, 2007-06-10 The Vogue Theatre, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Setlist: https://phish.net/setlists/page-mcconnell-june-10-2007-the-vogue-theatre-indianapolis-in-usa.html
Tour: Page McConnell Spring & Summer 2007 Tour
Show Notes: Page performed "Army of One" solo on piano.

Pics: https://imgur.com/a/A39gbvT
Long story short, I got off my ass a year ago and started eating less. Went from 210 lbs to 173 lbs as of today. I'm 5'10'', so that just barely puts me at a regular BMI of 25. Though apparently Asians have stricter BMI guidelines and 23 is the cutoff point for regular BMI in Asians. I know BMI is a metric with some flaws, but it helps me to have a ballpark goal otherwise I spin my wheels.
I've been mostly consistent with alternating between lifting and running with an occasional rest day when life gets in the way. I still got some fat around the gut and face, but hopefully it'll melt away soon enough.
Anyways, I need some advice about my hair and fashion. And some general opinions about my appearance because I can't count on my family to be objective.
Musings on hair:

• The current length of my hair is usually when I go out and get a crew cut or trim because I don't know any better.
• I know Korean perms are the thing right now, but I've never been a fan of super wavy hair and the middle part look. However, I am willing to reconsider if people have opposing opinions. I can afford to experiment.
• Looking for something low-maintenance. I want to be able to just roll out of bed, comb, and be ready to go.
• Random haircuts I've pinned on Pinterest but don't know if they would look good on me.

Musings on fashion:

• I basically have to replace most of my wardrobe because my old clothes are too big on me, so consider me a blank slate.
• I see Uniqlo being mentioned on this sub here and there. Picked up some basic stuff from there, but would like some suggestions on other places to check out in the same-ish price range.
• I've always worn rectangular frames. Not a big fan of circular ones, but again, willing to reconsider if people think otherwise.
• I like plaid for some reason.

Other random thoughts:

• I don't have a skincare routine, but I should get on that. Anyone have a moisturizer they like?
• Playing with the idea of LASIK, but I don't want to deal with dry eye if I get unlucky.
• If it matters, the type of girls I would like to attract are down-to-earth girls that lean more introvert and nerdy. Not having much luck in that department, but the single life has been treating me well so I'm not in a rush.

Corsair Aio: $50 local $60 shipped Nuphy Modded Keyboard: $90 local $100 shipped or trade for g915 tkl
Local 11355
Hi all! So i got this aio from a local seller yesterday, but decided against installing it. It comes with two new non rgb fans (or ill include some rgb ones
The keyboard is modded with lubed switches Tape and PE foam. Its wireless and low profile, great keeb!
Ts; https://imgur.com/a/cRO97RA

I’m scare to use razor or anything like that but I need to shave it o trim it very low how do you guys doing ? There is a type of cream or some shit ?

​
Previous Next>
​
Without that horrendous bat flapping around and causing a mess for me, I'm now able to focus all of my efforts on bringing down the blinded bear colossus. It is unfortunate that I lost too many owls in the aerial battle, and that Alexa is too exhausted to help out herself, as that means I won't have any reinforcements available from them coming to Jackie’s aid any time soon. That being said, I know just the fish who might be able to make an early return in their stead.
Since they’ve been resting since the start of the battle, Selene and Hecate have been able to recuperate a bit of their mana pools already. Considering that I’m near 100% confident that it doesn’t matter how much the big bear regenerates if it can’t breathe, plus the fact that it doesn’t take too much mana just to hold some water in place, there’s not much reason to keep them benched much longer. Somehow though, I doubt it’s going to be quite that easy to take the bear colossus down. So why don’t we improve the chances of success a bit with all of this free manna I find myself currently swimming in?
Thanks to the sheer quantity of invaders Deepholm is swarming me in, I’ve got more mana to make use of than ever before, and I’d be a fool not to put it to good use. The steep requirement of having to pay 4 times the mana as any of my other scions to upgrade them is hardly an issue at this moment, so I begin the process of pouring my power into my fish. All the while, I keep an eye trained on the battle at hand, waiting for whatever it is the bear will try next. Deepholm scions don’t just meekly turn over and accept their defeat after all.
While I’m only halfway through providing upgrades to my fish scions, my caution is proven entirely warranted as the bear scion bellows its frustration and rage at the top of its lungs. Unable to proceed along a straight path due to Jackie’s constant interference, the colossus hunkers down for a moment in my lake and covers its head with its paws. Then, as soon as its eyes have had a chance to regenerate once more, it peeks out and gets a lock on my location before Jackie inevitably puts more arrows through the freshly grown eyes. This time it hardly pays the attack any mind, reaching down to its flank with those huge claws and ripping free a sizable chunk of its own flesh. With a great heave, the bear scion sent the chunk sailing through the air where it crashed with a meaty splat against the trunk of my tree.
First of all, …gross. Secondly, that bear has surprisingly good aim to be able to nail the part of my tree trunk that is perfectly in line with where my core is. Lastly, heh-heh, I’m in danger. Unable to use its sight, and no longer able to rely on the bat scion for its sonic guidance, the bear has resorted to using smell to guide its way. And what better trail to follow with one’s strong sense of smell than the stench of one’s own blood and viscera? Without a moment of hesitation, the bear scion is back on its feet, and charging forward once more.
This time, there’s truly nothing we can do to stop its advance, the bear’s nose is too big to fully destroy the bear’s sense of smell, even with Jackie’s arrows desperately blasting pieces off of it. With a tremor that I can feel throughout the entire island, the bear scion slams headfirst into the high cliffs, which only serves to daze the beast for but a moment before it starts awkwardly clambering upwards. I curse vehemently, at this rate the colossus will reach my tree before I’m done with upgrading the twins. I can cut it short and make the current upgrade the last one, but it will still take a minute or so for the twins to become accustomed to their strengthened bodies.
It doesn’t take long for the bear’s claws to scramble against the top of the cliffs, digging in for extra purchase, shortly followed thereafter by the beast’s snarling and arrow-riddled cranium. The twins have only just finished absorbing the mana from the latest upgrade, they’re not going to make it in time. It is at that moment that my saviors made their gallant entry into the fray. Cutting a swathe through the remaining army of normal invaders charged not any of my scions, but the brave surviving members of my defensive forces. Having abandoned their defensive chokepoint in the entrance cave, a combined throng of brawler bunnies and leopards led the way as my froglings and flechette-pines provided cover fire. Beside me, I can feel the consternation roll off of Giorno as he tries to keep some semblance of organization in place amidst an attack that he had most certainly not ordered.
Though our tactics have done a great deal in leveling the playing field in the battle between denizens, there are still a lot of enemies left to deal with, and this attack will only open us up to many more unnecessary casualties. Underneath his annoyed countenance however, I do detect a hint of pride in their reckless attempts to buy me more time. An attempt that certainly pays its dividends.
With a series of tremendous leaps, the brawler bunnies and leopard forces bound up to the limbs of the bear scion and begin hacking away at it with sharp claws and stone swords. They scale up the beast, slashing at every joint and every digit along the way. The colossus roars in pain and slips from the cliffside as the tendons in each limb are systematically severed time and time again. But this moment of victory comes at far too steep a cost.
When the bear scion crashes back into the lake, its sheer mass flattens dozens of my brave denizens at a time. From there it thrashes about, crushing some more of my stalwart defenders and sending others flying through the air. Not wasting the opportunity, my denizens lead the enemy scion over to the remnants of the invader army, where both sides become equally devastated by the beast’s angry flailing. I try to call my denizens back, telling them to retreat, that they’d done enough already. When that failed, I resorted to using some of my mana to make it a direct order. Retreat already! The twins are on the way, swimming around the south side of the island as we speak. There’s no need for any more of you to die!
I can feel the mana drain away as the orders take hold, but then I got a unanimous response back through Alexa’s network. Every single one of them started the retreat and then volunteered themselves to be a rearguard to help cover the escape. Even though technically they were following through with my order, not a single denizen so much as turned around or took a single step backward. They were loopholing me! Those damnable, brave, fools were refusing to leave until my scions could arrive. Who the heck taught you bastards to test the limits of the rules and look for ways to bend them in your favor anyhow!?
It took less than a minute for my twins to arrive. But it took even less time for the bear colossus to finish with its rampage. Now the only living combatants faced each other over a lake stained to the same red as the bear scion’s eyes. As a healer, Selene has seen more than her fair share of nasty injuries, as well as plenty of corpses from my previous encounters with Deepholm’s invaders. But even still, all that experience could not have prepared her for the sight of the slaughter before her. All the violent thrashing had thoroughly frothed the water of the lake, but rather than help hide the bodies below with the white foam it only served to accentuate them by clinging to whatever pieces remained above water.
It left my poor fish heartbroken. Disgust and despair raged inside her alongside a powerful wave of guilt at not recovering fast enough to be able to come to their aid in time. I know, sweetie, I know. But those denizens out there? They bought us enough time to stop any more atrocities from happening. They bet everything on you two and Jackie, and now it’s time to make sure we don’t waste a single death. All that anguish and sorrow you’re feeling? I need you to use it. Use it to hone a blade in your heart to turn against those who spread such senseless violence. It’s time to take up the second half of the saint’s job and smite down that walking calamity of a bear. And you’re not alone, Hecate is right beside you along with Jackie, and together, I know you all can do this.
Pep talk done, Hecate gives her sister a loving nuzzle under her chin before turning her hate-filled eyes to the bear scion as well. She isn’t taking kindly to all the desolation wrought by the colossus either, and is especially pissed by how upset it is making her kind-hearted twin. The white crescent moon mark on her forehead glows faintly in response to her roiling emotions, while after a few deep breaths, Selene’s black crescent moon mark does the same, her eyes now steeled in vindictive determination.
As one, they lifted a massive ball of water into the air and slammed it into the bear scion’s face, completely covering it in a matter of seconds. Meanwhile, I begin the process of funneling mana into Jackie for her own upgrades. The beast hasn’t shown any magical capacity besides its regeneration, but who knows? Maybe it has something up its sleeve that would save it from the same fate as its companion. Better safe than sorry in this case, no?
Evidently, I was correct to prepare for the backup plan, because rather than struggle against the water bubble encasing its face, the bear colossus calmly slurped the water down. The vast amounts of suction overwhelmed the amount of mana the twins could use to keep the water in place, and so it simply disappeared down the beast’s gullet with a taunting smile that seemed to say, “Thanks for the refreshing drink, I was feeling rather parched”. Not a smidge of magic was used, or needed, to easily trounce my hopes of drowning our problems away. What stood before us surely could not be described as anything but the epitome of relentless brute force, a fact which has now been hammered home rather insultingly by the defeat of my plans through lung power of all things.
With a challenging roar, the bear plowed forward while ignoring the twin’s follow up attacks. Right, plan B it is then. If we can’t suffocate him, then we’ll just have to overwhelm his regeneration with more damage than it can keep up with! In but a moment the bear scion has slammed into my cliffside and begins scaling it once more. This time, Selene and Hecate are there to stop it from making any meaningful progress, their watery slashes biting deep into flesh and disabling limbs long enough for the next attack to land. Where Hecate’s attacks strike necrosis quickly follows, seeping into the flesh until the entire mass falls off to be replaced by newly regenerated meat. Meanwhile, Selen’s strikes shine with the radiant power of her light mana, her slices digging deep through muscles, tendons, and all the way to the bones beneath.
Together they manage to keep the colossus pinned in place to the craggy wall of my island, allowing Jackie all the time she needs to hop around and unleash a torrent of her aether arrows. Rather than strike into the beast herself however, I have her shoot the cliffs themselves where she then sprouts much more massive vines than usual to grasp at the enemy scion and bind it in place. I know that the twins will run out of mana long before I can bleed this invader dry in a battle of attrition, so instead my goal here is to line Jackie up for one big shot to put an end to this colossus once and for all.
Bounding up to the top of the cliff, right over the massive head of the bear, Jackie grows the limbs of her bow out further than even its longbow form, one side planting itself firmly into the stone. With a mighty heave, she stands upon the bow’s limbs and pushes down with all the strength in her legs while hoisting up on the drawstring with her arms. A ballista-sized arrow grows into place, aimed straight down to the skull of the beast below. Through this, Jackie channels the full force of her wind aether. With my hand on her back, I speak softly to into her mind through the bond we share.
“The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Let’s do this Jackie, together!”
Through my hand I channel even more mana into Jackie than before, really packing it into her as fast as the upgrades can handle. 2 more, then 5, then 10. The power swirls around her like a maelstrom that would have left anybody else gritting their teeth to ride out the storm. But not my Jackie. As much as I pushed the mana into her, she matched me by pulling it into her control right away, weaving it into her aether flawlessly. Around the arrow tip the air began to swirl, faster and faster, like a drill turned up to turbo speeds.
This obviously did not go unnoticed by the bear scion, but it was too late for the behemoth to avoid its fate. Bound up tightly in Jackie’s vines while Selen and Hecate kept its prodigious strength locked away through their continuous onslaught. Their mana has already depleted dangerously low once again, but their combined efforts have bought us all the opportunity we need. All the enemy can do is flounder uselessly in its restraints, glaring balefully at Jackie and its impending doom.
With a boom the arrow disappears from Jackie’s bow, boring a path straight through the entire length of the bear scion and continuing deep into the ground beneath it. Jackei’s wind arrow had accelerated freely without any resistance, twisting the air in front of it out of the way and turning the space in front into a devastating drill. Meanwhile, just behind the shaft, the collapse of the resulting vacuum pushed the arrow along even faster than any projectile has ever flown before in this world.
The twisting motion of the air and the shockwaves from the collapsing vacuum bubble didn’t just serve to speed up the arrow however. Like a delayed reaction after the arrow had already sped through, I watched as a spray of blood exploded from the bear’s body, accompanied by the splash of water beneath its feet. I watched as the beast’s jaw was ripped away to hang loosely by a strip of flesh on the right side of its head. From there the arrow had traveled down into the beast’s shoulder and blazed a path all the way through its chest cavity, the aftershocks ripping the bear’s body apart and leaving its left side barely attached anymore. It looked as if some giant had cleaved its axe down the bear’s side, all the way from the shoulders to the hips.
The scion had managed to avoid an instantly fatal blow by twisting its head as far to the side as possible, but that proved to only postpone the inevitable at this point. With that much damage to the internal organs, it couldn’t hope to recover in time. We’d done it, we’d won!
Joyfully, I turned to Giorno, ready to send some mana down to Kelvin next, but what I saw froze me in my tracks. This whole battle, Giorno had been his usual calm and composed self, issuing orders and cooly commanding our forces. But now, he was trembling with a visual amount of fear, his skin blanched of all color. Thoroughly spooked, I racked my brain for anything I might have missed, but I got my answer sooner than expected.
“Kill it, kill it now! We don’t have any time, finish it before it's too late! It’s going to do something to the bear!”
Dutifully, Jackie and the twins ready their next attacks to hasten the bear scion’s demise, but something Giorno said stuck out to me. Wait, the bear is the subject of his sentence, not the object for some reason. But…, that would have to mean…
With wide eyes, I come to a dreadful realization, I never got a mana notification for the bat scion. No, no! No WAY that bastard survived, right? Feeling the sneaking march of dread closing in on my throat, I check the spot where the bat scion had crashed into my island. There it lay, wings in tatters and its chest caved in from impacting the ground, lying in a pool of its own blood. By all accounts, it appears to be dead. But that’s when I notice something off. The pool of blood is moving.
Right before my eyes, I watch as little bubbles capture air inside, and then get mixed in the blood as it slowly circulates out of the lethal wounds and then back into the bat’s body. It must have kept conscious through the crash and is now using its blood magic to just barely keep itself alive. Would that be all the bat was up to, I would have breathed a sigh of relief. But no, all around the crash were scattered splotches of fresh blood, drawn out into a foreboding set of interlocking symbols when viewed from above. The bat was casting something, using its own life as fuel. With a weak wheeze in place of a laugh, the bat scion spoke for one final time.
“Glory be to the Mountainlord. Blood Arts: Sacrifice.”
Accompanied by the ding of a new notification, I watched in horror as all the blood was forcibly wrested from the bat scion’s fresh corpse, instantly mummifying it into a dried-out husk. Then that mass of brackish liquid moved faster than it had any right to, thin tendrils shooting out from the main body quickly dragging the blob to the edge of the island. Before any of my scions could react, it had already latched onto the dying bear’s head and begun pouring itself forcibly through every orifice it could reach.
Writhing in agony at the black-red liquid shoving itself down its throat, nostrils, and eye sockets, my scions lashed into the bear’s body with as much strength as they could, but to no avail. The wounds would begin closing before their attacks could even finish, and from the bear’s torso sprouted several bloody tentacles which wrapped themselves around the dangling left side, pulling it back into place with a wet squelch. The newfound regeneration didn’t, perhaps couldn’t, stop there however. All over the colossus’s body something churned beneath its hide.
Every single muscle in the behemoth’s body squirmed as it doubled, then tripled in size, in some places rupturing the skin as it struggles to contain the roiling mass of flesh. Muscle fibers sprung from the fur like weeds sprouting out of fertile ground, twitching and flailing about looking for something to connect to, until the beast’s entire form was nothing but a bulging mass of undulating flesh vaguely shaped like a bear. From the monstrosity's head, the repaired jaw split open far wider than anything still attached to the skull should allow, revealing row after row of sharp fangs growing into place all the way down its throat.
With an unearthly screech, the monstrosity easily tore itself free of the vines and took a swipe at Jackie with its misshapen foreleg. Nobody must have told Deepholm that inflating your musculature so much is a direct reduction in flexibility however, because the blow was slow and cumbersome, allowing Jackie to easily vault backwards out of reach. But Deepholm didn’t need to care about such silly things like flexibility, or the limits of a physical body, as halfway through the swing a series of cracks could be heard as the bear monstrosity’s muscles broke every single bone in its arm, causing it to suddenly stretch out on just the muscles and ligaments, increasing in speed as the limb turned into an impromptu flesh whip tipped with giant claws.
Caught completely by surprise, Jackie could only try to form a hasty shield of roots with her life aether, but the abomination’s claws sundered it with ease, cleaving through her bow, then her arm, and finally raking across her torso. My girl hit the ground, hard, and didn’t get back up. Meanwhile, the twins were still desperately flinging any kind of attack they could think of at the bear horror, all to no avail. This affront to nature had such strong regeneration now that nothing in their repertoire could hope to leave any lasting damage.
With thundering steps, the abomination practically oozed up onto my island, all four legs standing firmly upon my territory for the first time. A few steps brought it close enough to brush up against my trunk, and then it sunk its claws deep into the bark and tore a ginormous chunk of wood free. As easily as tearing apart cardboard, Deepholm’s monstrosity began to dig its way deeper and deeper towards my sanctum, and inevitable destruction. From beside my core, a loud snap rang out as the inspector’s white-knuckle grip finally crushed the handle of her kanabo.
“Damn it all, I can’t just sit here and let this happen! I have to–”
Whatever she was about to say was cut off as she took her first step forward, weapon raised with the intent to join the fray. Instantly she was beset by floating swords made of light on all sides, not even given enough time to swear before they all plunged into her body. With a gasp Lydia fell to the floor, covered in wounds. She’d managed to use her ki to shift the trajectory of enough blades away from her vital organs, but she was still grievously wounded and wouldn’t be doing any fighting any time soon.
In what felt like no time at all, the fleshy abomination had reached the final bit of wood separating me from the outside world. With a psychic scream of determination, Leonardo charged forth, combining his life and kinetic affinities to try and brace that final barrier, but his efforts were carelessly brushed aside as the bear’s claws crashed through anyways, collapsing a pile of splinted timber down upon my peaceful crafter. From above and behind, Alexa had joined the twins in trying to drag the enemy scion back, but with barely a sliver of mana left between the three of them, they were little more than flies buzzing uselessly through the air to it.
Fully exposed to the outside world for the first time since my birth into this world, I was now face to face with the monstrosity as it raised its claws for one final strike. But oddly, all the fear and terror that had frozen me still before was utterly absent. I couldn’t even focus on the looming mountain of death in front of me, nor on the panicked shrieks of my scions as they struggled to the last. Rather, my gaze fell upon the prone form of the very first scion I had designated. My strongest defender, and the most earnest girl you would ever meet. With my focus beside her, I could tell that my brave girl was just barely hanging onto life, but she wouldn’t last long at this rate. Every shaky breath was accompanied by a wave of anguish washing over the bond.
Even without a proper physical form, I knelt beside her and gathered her up into one final embrace. I’m so sorry Jackie. The UI might call you guys scions, but truthfully you have all been a family to me, right from the start. I never had one, back in my previous life, so I know I must have messed up so many times, in so many ways. But even still, I had a blast getting to know each and every one of you, wishing for each day to stretch into infinity so I could enjoy our time together forevermore. But I’ve failed you, I’ve failed you all. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a life full of happier days, and I hope whatever comes in the next life, you can forgive me.
“You’ve been the best daughter I could have ever asked for. I love you.”
Jackie PoV
Everything hurts. My ears won’t stop ringing, and everything around me is moving in super slow motion. Through blurry eyes, I can see my arm lying just out of reach, still clutching my bow tightly, well, half of it anyways. Further away, I can see the blurry shape of the gross thing from Deepholm tearing its way through Mama’s tree. The twins and Alexa were swooping around behind it, but there was no stopping the beast anymore. Pain throbbed through my chest, my heart heavy as it slowly pumped my blood out onto the ground.
I’d failed, again. Right when it mattered most. Some huntress I’d turned out to be. Sure I was able to handle the regular invaders, but against every enemy that ever posed a serious threat, I’d been beaten every time. When I first lost to Miss Lydia, it hadn’t been so bad. Mama told me to learn from it and grow stronger for next time. I’d been useless too against those water birds on the first day. So I trained, and then I trained and I trained and I trained some more. Till the calluses on my paws were bleeding, I practiced every day.
For some reason Mama didn’t like that though, so she forced me to take breaks pretty regularly after that. At first, it felt like she didn’t have faith that my efforts would help with anything, but that feeling faded pretty quickly. She’d always have a bowl of those red fruits she calls strawberries ready for me by her core. Then when I would get settled in beside her and begin munching on the sweet fruit, she would tell me unbelievable stories about the world she remembers from her past life.
Apparently, her old world had jackalopes too, or at least stories of them. Mama says they supposedly had lightning in their veins they could move so fast. Lightning! The big flashes in the sky that make the air go boom. That stuff! The jackalopes from Mama’s world must be really amazing if they could do that. Nervously, I asked her a bit more about it, feeling rather inadequate by comparison, but she ended up talking too much about how technically lightning is in every living creature, but just really really small amounts of it? And something even more confusing about something called eel-ektons that makes it charge based on if they’re in a good mood or not?
Mama does that a lot, going off on tangents about difficult subjects for a long period of time, but even though I couldn’t understand most of it, it is nice just to sit back and listen to her speak. Eventually, she would always notice her rambling, and swap to asking me questions instead. I felt really proud when she asked me so much about my experience training with ki, and later on aether as well. She’d always thank me for my hard work, and for helping her figure out how things work in this world. It made me happy to think that Mama needed me, and that all my efforts were slowly paying off.
And it really felt like I had been improving too! I’d wrangled all the rowdy brawlers into line, and chased off that group of novices. But then that big flying scion came and knocked me out of the fight before I could even tell it was coming. Kelvin was barely a few days old and he had to handle that nasty bat all on his own! And despite all the work I put into developing my aether, I then lost to Miss Lydia again right after that. It felt like I was stuck in place, running as hard as I could but never getting anywhere with it. I did my best to hide it from Mama since she’s so perceptive, but it really hurt.
And now, even after all the faith and strength Mama poured into me, I’d still managed to let her and everybody else down. They’re all going to die, because of me. I’m not sure which is worse at this point, the pain from my injuries or the pain from my failures washing over me. I watched through bleary eyes as the gross bear tore open the deepest part of the tree, and revealed Mama’s core for all the world to see. It’d been a few weeks since our last break together, so when I saw the soft green glow of Mama’s core, it stirred up a weird mix of relief and regret in my heart. I’d missed that comforting glow, but also the only reason I could see it now is because I’d doomed it to oblivion.
Grief filled me up to the brim, and all I could do is wordlessly apologize over and over again.
To my surprise, however, I could feel her presence nearby, and that comforting warmth brushed aside my apologies to fill our bond with light instead. I don’t get it, why is she here? Why is she focusing on me, when the enemy is literally right in front of her core, staring her down? Why is she wasting her time on me when I can barely even move anymore?! And even if I could, we both know I would just let her down some more. So why, why does it feel like I’m back by her side, listening to her tell stories at length, feeling so comfy and secure?
“I……ry….J..ki”
Go on, go! Leave already and focus on someone else, maybe they have a chance to save you, to fix things. Haven’t I failed you enough? I, I can’t do anything but disappoint you. I…I can’t be like the jackalopes from your stories Mama. I’m not good enough for that. I’m sorry.
“..b..en….f…….to me……..t…….ro……sta…”
Despite shoving my weakness, my numerous defeats and doubts to the front and finally showing Mama everything I’d tried to keep hidden from her through the bond, absolutely nothing changed. If anything, the feeling of closeness only increased and that warm feeling wrapped me up even tighter, never wavering for a moment. For a moment, the ringing in my head subsided, but my eyes must still be playing tricks because I thought I could see a bunch of golden sparkles floating in the air around me, forming the vague outline of a person with her arms wrapped around me. The next words came through confidently and clearly, and finally put a name to the feeling I always felt when Mama’s attention was on me.
“I love you.”
…Why? When I’ve already let you down so many times, when you’re about to die because of me…why spend your last moments on this worthless rabbit who couldn’t save anything? The bond held no answers for me, only that same persistent warmth, refusing to relent for so much as a moment. Over in the tree, the bear monster had raised its claw into the air, readying the final strike that would take Mama away for good. A few tears slipped free from my eyes and dropped down to join the blood at my feet. Belatedly, I realized that at some point I must have stood up, but that doesn’t really matter right now.
In fact, standing there, basking in the feeling of being wrapped up in Mama’s love, it felt like a lot of things didn’t matter. My doubts, my fear of not being good enough, and the pain of being proven right. It all felt like wisps of smoke being carried away on the wind. They scattered against the constant reinforcement pouring out from the bond, powerless before it. She’d seen all of my shortcomings, witnessed every downfall, and yet this was always her response. Yellow sparks crackled through my fur, and larger arcs of energy began to flicker back and forth between the branches of the antlers on my head.
Slowly, all the world began to fall away. The ground beneath my feet, the stench of death hanging upon the wind, even the tree itself, along with the slow-motion bear scion bringing its claws down for the kill. There was just me, and there in the distance, the light of Mama’s core, calling me home like a beacon. Under her light, I remembered the simple truth that Mama has always seen and understood so much more than me, guiding me as best she could and celebrating both my success and failures alongside me. For this moment in time, all those complicated and difficult subjects stopped being important. All those times spent hoping I could measure up to the lofty heights she spoke about seemed a silly waste of time. All I had to do was stop trying to become something else. Maybe, just maybe, I was already everything that Mama could see in me, and I just hadn’t realized it yet.
I crouch down low to the ground, those strange sparks increasing in intensity, coiling inside of me like a power I never knew I had. My ears and paws were starting to char black from all the energy flowing through me, but I didn’t feel a thing. After all, none of that mattered. With a mighty leap, I left the feeling of solid earth behind. Wait for me just a little longer, ok Mama? I’m coming to your side.
Blood flash-boiled.
Flesh charred into shattered lumps of charcoal.
Bones fragmented and caved under the tremendous forces at play.
Jackie never got to experience the joy where in this, her latest challenge to a race between herself and the sound carried along through the air, the wind finally lost.
Neither did she get to see how, for the first time in its life, the bear scion’s body was lifted fully up off of the ground and flung to the side like gravity had suddenly reversed its direction.
But perhaps..., someday, there would come a time when she’s relaxing with a bowl of those delectable strawberries once more, and she’ll get to listen to Mama’s voice as she regales her with another one of her wild stories. A story where one little rabbit made all the difference in the world, and through her actions did save the day. Now wouldn’t that be nice?
​
Previous Next>
​
Author Notes://
Here it is, the big one! I've had this chapter in mind since before I even started writing this story. In fact, it's what made me say fuck it, I'm gonna try writing it out and see what happens. Sorry again for the long delay on this chapter, I didn't want to split it into anything smaller, so it ended up pretty long. Also, yay! First scion PoV, just like you guys wanted right? xD
I hope you enjoyed reading this part, and I'll see you all again next time for the final conclusion to the Deepholm Arc.

My 13 year old mattress had developed a pretty substantial low spot in the middle. It felt like I was sleeping in a hammock. To fix this I arranged a few old towels in layers between the mattress and box spring in a reverse of the shape and size of the sag to compensate. After a couple adjustments to dial out any high or low spots, I added a cheap (compared to a mattress) foam mattress topper and I'm getting better sleep than I have in a long time. One of the best quality of life improvements I've made.