Jbl 300 party box
Naruto Blazing
2016.07.14 02:55 Narutoship2 Naruto Blazing
The official Naruto mobile gaming experience, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Blazing on iOS and Android.
2023.05.31 02:23 girl_of_hello_kitty who wanna play wif me
 | submitted by girl_of_hello_kitty to teenagers [link] [comments] |
2023.05.31 02:18 Melmocita Wage Theft/Independent Contractor
I am an independent contractor currently contracted with a delivery company. My company (Corporation) that I personally own, is located in Virginia. The company I am contracted with provides delivery services to a big box retailer through third party contractors, like myself. I deliver appliances & household goods for a particular retailer. I have an agreed upon price of $50 per stop/delivery in my contract. Recently, I was told that if my customer survey satisfaction percentage fell under 70%, that I would be docked $2 per stop/delivery. (My rate would go down to $48) I never agreed to this deduction in my original contract & no new contracts have been sent out or signed by myself or any other contractors & quite frankly, us contractors consider it wage theft. I've done a fair amount of research, but can't seem to figure out if what the company I contract with can legally do this or not. Basically, what I'm asking is....Is the company I am contracted with allowed to withhold wages from myself & all other contractors solely based on customer satisfaction survey results? I have no idea who came up with this rule, where the deducted money goes, or if it's even legal. Us contractors are literally being docked pay, or could be docked pay, due to the fact that customers aren't giving us all 5 stars. I am paid to deliver, that is it. I always try to make the retailer's customers happy & generally always do, but I get paid to do a service. Now I'm being told that my agreed upon pay will be docked if this particular retailer's customers aren't giving me stellar reviews, despite the fact that I provided their delivery service. Can a contractor who performs a service for an agreed upon amount have wages taken away from them in this manner in the state of Virginia? I'm so angry right now & need someone to point me in the right direction. I know independent contractors are a whole different ballpark than employees, but I'm not too keen on anyone taking money out of my pocket. Thanks! Sorry if this is the wrong section, feel free to tell me to kick rocks if I should have posted this somewhere else.
submitted by Melmocita to Salary [link] [comments]
2023.05.31 02:17 rClipsBot Still in a cardboard box BUT THERE'S INTERNET WOOOO onimart.gg !stoneforged !viteramen !tts (100 Bits) and !monstertts (300 Bits)
 | submitted by rClipsBot to clips [link] [comments] |
2023.05.31 02:15 OrionLinksComic the cape, Sentinel, Scott Pilgrim and co: how comics dissect toxic nerds and what's still missing.
you know my favorite Marvel What If comic is #19 of the original run. it's a story that tells what if Peter Parker with his Spider-Man persona hadn't become a crime fighter but continued wrestling and he clicked to become prominent and famous. that's actually quite interesting to really see the contrast that Peter went through. I mean have you seen him in amazing fantasy 15? I mean really he's really there after the bite her in the direction I want to show it the schoolyard bullies, and quite immature on top of that, only that with his uncle gave him some self-reflection that he shouldn't use his powers for himself. and as I said it's fascinating to see what would have happened if he hadn't gotten that self-reflection, as it's also really interesting to see that he's acting quite childish there too. and I think that's one thing that I find kind of fascinating that you have a person who has kind of toxic streaks but yet you've fought them to become a better person.
and I think that's just one of the things that many unfortunately still have in their heads, that people with their bad qualities always act actively and consciously. but often it's just that many don't check it or don't want to check it, that they also say, think and act quite questionable things.
and I think the best comic that sort of dissects that thinking is Scott Pilgrim vs the world. and I have to talk about the differences between the film and I know what it's like to criticize this film even if I'm right that the comic clearly goes further. and best embodied with technically one of my favorite evil ex Lucas Lee. Anyone who only knows the movies knows he threw Scott into a clock tower (where the universe says he probably deserved it) and that he beat himself because he's not good at grinds. in the comic version it's a bit more complicated. basically it's a whole deconstruction on the nerd vs jock trope. because after Lukas Scott gave a crash course in architecture, they took a break. the two of them sitting on a bench and suddenly starting to get a conversation. and then slowly dissolves then on the masks and the roles that play. I mean you really get the feeling in another timeline maybe they could have even been friends. I mean heck, the way it happened with the self knockout with the skateboard wasn't a trick, scott just wanted to be nice because Lukas himself was an avid skater but hasn't done it in years. and in general it is treated more like a victory in history that he didn't even deserve. That's generally the problem I have with the film, that I don't think it really goes into it any more deeply, the construction of the cliché from loser to winner. precisely because a lot of elements also fall out about Scott, e.g. the whole thing with Kim, or is it actually his own fault that the relationship with Envy is a fiasco and that she even tells him to his face that he is emotional packages on others, oh yeah and the whole Lisa thing that was completely cut from the movie where he beat up someone who was flirting with her even though they weren't in a romantic relationship.
and while you're talking about people who lack self-reflection at a dangerous level, let's get to joe hill the cape. the story revolves around Eric who got into a pretty bad accident when he was eight years old while playing superheroes with his brother, the thing is he claimed the cape he was wearing really made him fly. but of course his mother and brother didn't really believe in it at first. Years went by somehow he's so common some are successful like Erik's brother and others are just like Erik. and at the very end he suddenly finds in his mother's basement the cape that she actually locked away for years after his accident. and lo and behold it was no imagination that he could fly with it. and with that power, one thing had decided to take revenge and killed his ex. then you know that's kind of like a horror story that's particularly mienna, why? because I was in a situation like Eric myself, I looked at myself like a loser out of nothing and was just jealous as well as almost everyone, I mean heck I can even draw a parallel to it because Erik's brother Nick is studying and Unfortunately, he doesn't have the opportunity to do so, which is also the case with me. The thing is I've managed to sort of outgrow it and even now have a pretty solid relationship with my brother, I mean he lives in my apartment and takes care of my cat when I have to go to the vocational training center. and that's exactly what I want to see more of, where you can really ask yourself hey isn't the badguy somehow me? you already know the fear of a thing you can be. because the thing is Erik never got away from his accident and the loss of his cancer, he only defined himself with it you can almost say it's a gimmick and if you just limit yourself with it as a person clearly he doesn't have much space to grow. it's just really fitting about the capture boxes spoken by Nick that he says that back when he was always playing with his brother Erik he was the villain because there always had to be one for Erik. and that's something I just can't outgrow, someone must be to blame for his misery. he has a victim mentality that he mostly uses to justify his shit and that's a thing you often see in nerds trying to cover up for their toxic behavior.
but what if i realize my toxic properties early on? Well, I have to say that starting early is important, but it doesn't mean that you haven't caused any damage that you have to live with. Sentinel was one of the titles that was part of the Mavel Next imprint, and my god it came out 20 years ago but it feels more modern than you think. Basically it's about Justin, a normal loose high schooler in the middle states who lives in his father's junkyard with his brother. and then he finds the remains of one of the eponymous giant robots from the Marvel Universe, which he begins to repair out of curiosity. and it's actually interesting because you really dig into the psyche of someone who has to realize they're not perfect, and believe me youngsters always have a hard time with that. I mean if you really really love this comic you really feel like you are actually reading something about a normal teenager struggling with his status and schoolyard bully. and then he cries himself out the giant robot that repairs after.The two most important points of the first Story Ark is, I don't think anyone knows something that makes this comic somehow so modern. in the story, justin develops a friendship with a girl who sees this relationship as just a friendship and he almost destroyed her for telling around he had sex with her, proving people a technic don't have a plan of people. oh yes, and that he uses the completed Sentinel to make himself look like a hero. he ordered the giant robot to pretend to attack the high school and he then hit his metal friend in the shin with a car and then he disappeared because of it. the thing is just like that justin doesn't really feel like a hero just because of that, i mean you traumatized a town and the guy that has been tormenting you most of the time is now technically in a mental hospital for the trauma, yeah no wonder you doesn't feel like a real hero if none of this is true or deserved. and I don't want to spoiler about it on how it goes because that's when it starts out like he's really really trying to do good and be a hero but like I said the damage is done and you have to live with him now. It works I think because you just really get the feeling a lot of teenagers, if not yourself, would do shit like that because they just don't know any better. and then crashing full force against the wall called reality. the thing is, toxic properties are mostly in people and only become apparent when they're released or have room to grow. and realizing that you have them is always a painful experience when you have to admit to yourself things you don't want.
and these are three comics that I think do a pretty good job of picking apart toxic nerd behavior, or some form of it. the self righteousness. and if you don't get it wrong, that's actually very important and it's even a breeding ground for many things, I mean the three examples I mentioned there also act about guys who somehow also have a problem with women. although I have to say maybe a story in general that deals directly with sexism in nerd circles is also important.
but other things are also important, e.g. racism and homophobia. I mean have you ever been in a lobby of the popular multiplayer game? I mean the hatred to people of color or LBGTQ representation in works of art eho bach them ware normally heteronorm is terrifying. I mean from people who say I was bullied in the schoolyard because I liked XY, it's ironic when they start attacking others themselves. I mean just because you've experienced shit yourself doesn't mean you should inflict it on others.
but we can also pull out the Marxist lens and deconstruct the pro-capitalist side of some creeps. I mean, from guys demanding that something go bankrupt just because it has diversity in it, to people spreading anti-union sentiment in the entertainment industry. I mean heck we can even take apart the Tech Bro Utopia which is actually more of a dystopia of white sausage libertarian partying.
I mean heck, from all the bullshit I get from the Gamer™️ site you could make a mark Russell comic series about of it, that's how f******* some of them are missing selfsreflection.
but do you say? what are works that come to your mind that deal with the? what else needs to be treated?
submitted by OrionLinksComic to comicbooks [link] [comments]
and I think that's just one of the things that many unfortunately still have in their heads, that people with their bad qualities always act actively and consciously. but often it's just that many don't check it or don't want to check it, that they also say, think and act quite questionable things.
and I think the best comic that sort of dissects that thinking is Scott Pilgrim vs the world. and I have to talk about the differences between the film and I know what it's like to criticize this film even if I'm right that the comic clearly goes further. and best embodied with technically one of my favorite evil ex Lucas Lee. Anyone who only knows the movies knows he threw Scott into a clock tower (where the universe says he probably deserved it) and that he beat himself because he's not good at grinds. in the comic version it's a bit more complicated. basically it's a whole deconstruction on the nerd vs jock trope. because after Lukas Scott gave a crash course in architecture, they took a break. the two of them sitting on a bench and suddenly starting to get a conversation. and then slowly dissolves then on the masks and the roles that play. I mean you really get the feeling in another timeline maybe they could have even been friends. I mean heck, the way it happened with the self knockout with the skateboard wasn't a trick, scott just wanted to be nice because Lukas himself was an avid skater but hasn't done it in years. and in general it is treated more like a victory in history that he didn't even deserve. That's generally the problem I have with the film, that I don't think it really goes into it any more deeply, the construction of the cliché from loser to winner. precisely because a lot of elements also fall out about Scott, e.g. the whole thing with Kim, or is it actually his own fault that the relationship with Envy is a fiasco and that she even tells him to his face that he is emotional packages on others, oh yeah and the whole Lisa thing that was completely cut from the movie where he beat up someone who was flirting with her even though they weren't in a romantic relationship.
and while you're talking about people who lack self-reflection at a dangerous level, let's get to joe hill the cape. the story revolves around Eric who got into a pretty bad accident when he was eight years old while playing superheroes with his brother, the thing is he claimed the cape he was wearing really made him fly. but of course his mother and brother didn't really believe in it at first. Years went by somehow he's so common some are successful like Erik's brother and others are just like Erik. and at the very end he suddenly finds in his mother's basement the cape that she actually locked away for years after his accident. and lo and behold it was no imagination that he could fly with it. and with that power, one thing had decided to take revenge and killed his ex. then you know that's kind of like a horror story that's particularly mienna, why? because I was in a situation like Eric myself, I looked at myself like a loser out of nothing and was just jealous as well as almost everyone, I mean heck I can even draw a parallel to it because Erik's brother Nick is studying and Unfortunately, he doesn't have the opportunity to do so, which is also the case with me. The thing is I've managed to sort of outgrow it and even now have a pretty solid relationship with my brother, I mean he lives in my apartment and takes care of my cat when I have to go to the vocational training center. and that's exactly what I want to see more of, where you can really ask yourself hey isn't the badguy somehow me? you already know the fear of a thing you can be. because the thing is Erik never got away from his accident and the loss of his cancer, he only defined himself with it you can almost say it's a gimmick and if you just limit yourself with it as a person clearly he doesn't have much space to grow. it's just really fitting about the capture boxes spoken by Nick that he says that back when he was always playing with his brother Erik he was the villain because there always had to be one for Erik. and that's something I just can't outgrow, someone must be to blame for his misery. he has a victim mentality that he mostly uses to justify his shit and that's a thing you often see in nerds trying to cover up for their toxic behavior.
but what if i realize my toxic properties early on? Well, I have to say that starting early is important, but it doesn't mean that you haven't caused any damage that you have to live with. Sentinel was one of the titles that was part of the Mavel Next imprint, and my god it came out 20 years ago but it feels more modern than you think. Basically it's about Justin, a normal loose high schooler in the middle states who lives in his father's junkyard with his brother. and then he finds the remains of one of the eponymous giant robots from the Marvel Universe, which he begins to repair out of curiosity. and it's actually interesting because you really dig into the psyche of someone who has to realize they're not perfect, and believe me youngsters always have a hard time with that. I mean if you really really love this comic you really feel like you are actually reading something about a normal teenager struggling with his status and schoolyard bully. and then he cries himself out the giant robot that repairs after.The two most important points of the first Story Ark is, I don't think anyone knows something that makes this comic somehow so modern. in the story, justin develops a friendship with a girl who sees this relationship as just a friendship and he almost destroyed her for telling around he had sex with her, proving people a technic don't have a plan of people. oh yes, and that he uses the completed Sentinel to make himself look like a hero. he ordered the giant robot to pretend to attack the high school and he then hit his metal friend in the shin with a car and then he disappeared because of it. the thing is just like that justin doesn't really feel like a hero just because of that, i mean you traumatized a town and the guy that has been tormenting you most of the time is now technically in a mental hospital for the trauma, yeah no wonder you doesn't feel like a real hero if none of this is true or deserved. and I don't want to spoiler about it on how it goes because that's when it starts out like he's really really trying to do good and be a hero but like I said the damage is done and you have to live with him now. It works I think because you just really get the feeling a lot of teenagers, if not yourself, would do shit like that because they just don't know any better. and then crashing full force against the wall called reality. the thing is, toxic properties are mostly in people and only become apparent when they're released or have room to grow. and realizing that you have them is always a painful experience when you have to admit to yourself things you don't want.
and these are three comics that I think do a pretty good job of picking apart toxic nerd behavior, or some form of it. the self righteousness. and if you don't get it wrong, that's actually very important and it's even a breeding ground for many things, I mean the three examples I mentioned there also act about guys who somehow also have a problem with women. although I have to say maybe a story in general that deals directly with sexism in nerd circles is also important.
but other things are also important, e.g. racism and homophobia. I mean have you ever been in a lobby of the popular multiplayer game? I mean the hatred to people of color or LBGTQ representation in works of art eho bach them ware normally heteronorm is terrifying. I mean from people who say I was bullied in the schoolyard because I liked XY, it's ironic when they start attacking others themselves. I mean just because you've experienced shit yourself doesn't mean you should inflict it on others.
but we can also pull out the Marxist lens and deconstruct the pro-capitalist side of some creeps. I mean, from guys demanding that something go bankrupt just because it has diversity in it, to people spreading anti-union sentiment in the entertainment industry. I mean heck we can even take apart the Tech Bro Utopia which is actually more of a dystopia of white sausage libertarian partying.
I mean heck, from all the bullshit I get from the Gamer™️ site you could make a mark Russell comic series about of it, that's how f******* some of them are missing selfsreflection.
but do you say? what are works that come to your mind that deal with the? what else needs to be treated?
2023.05.31 02:14 svet_sedov China SVET Review and Analysis
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is the world’s emerging superpower. However, it is also a country facing a growing number of economical, social, and ecological issues.
China’s GDP exceeds $11 trillion dollars, making it the second largest in the world after the US. Despite this, its rate of economic growth has sharply dropped to 6% in 2016 from 9% in 2013. The PRC has a highly centralized and government-managed economy, along with strictly regulated political life. Notwithstanding, some Chinese provinces are allowed to pursue independent economic policies.
China officially has a multi-party political system. However, in practice, there is only one party that holds significant power — the Communist Party of China (CPC), which was founded on July 1, 1921. The CPC’s ideology is based on the Marxist-Leninist doctrine introduced by Karl Marx (a Prussian economist) and Friedrich Engels (a German philosopher and businessman) in the 1880s. This doctrine was later supplemented by the theory of Socialism by Vladimir Ulyanov-Lenin (a Russian politician and revolutionary).
The doctrine postulates that society is composed of two major economic classes — the working people (exploited) and the bourgeoisie (exploiters). According to this theory, a global economic crisis will lead to a revolution, with the working class taking control of the world and the bourgeoisie being eliminated. Ultimately, capitalism will cease to exist, and communism (where goods are freely available and nobody works) will prevail. Mao Zedong, the founder of the CPC, adapted this theory to the Chinese context by including Chinese farmers in the definition of the working class.
The PRC government plays a central role in both the political and economic aspects of China. The CPC governs China through an administrative pyramid, with the Central Committee (Politburo) and the National Congress at the top.
The National Congress is comprised of over 2000 delegates who are elected mainly from local CPC committee members. This assembly convenes for a two-week session in Beijing once a year. The 22 Chinese provinces are managed by regional governors appointed by the Central Committee, and their primary objective is to fulfill the CPC’s goal of achieving GDP growth. The government operates based on five-year plans.
The list of other political parties in China includes:
Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang (53,000 members, representing Taiwan residents in China); China Democratic League (130,000 members, mainly composed of the middle class); China Democratic National Construction Association (69,000 members, consisting of entrepreneurs); China Association for Promoting Democracy (64,000 members, primarily intellectuals); Chinese Peasants’ and Workers’ Democratic Party (65,000 members, representing government employees); Zhigongdang of China (15,000 members, representing overseas Chinese); Jiusan Society (68,000 members, comprising individual professionals); Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League (1,600 members, including prominent Chinese celebrities). All of these parties are aligned with and support the CPC in its major initiatives and policies. Opposition to the CPC is not tolerated.
Economic Review
Administratively China consists of 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 municipalities directly under the central government, and 2 special administrative regions.
China’s main economic regions:
Eastern Coastal Region: This region includes provinces like Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, as well as Shanghai. It has been a major driver of China’s economic growth due to its proximity to international trade routes and its well-developed infrastructure. The Eastern Coastal Region contributes approximately 45–50% to China’s GDP. Western Region: The Western Region comprises provinces such as Sichuan, Chongqing, and Yunnan, as well as the Tibet Autonomous Region. This region is known for its rich natural resources, including minerals, energy, and agricultural products. The Western Region contributes around 15–20% to China’s GDP. Central Region: The Central Region includes provinces such as Henan, Hubei, and Hunan. It is characterized by a mix of industries, including manufacturing, agriculture, and services. The Central Region contributes roughly 15–20% to China’s GDP. Northeastern Region: The Northeastern Region consists of provinces like Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang. Historically, this region was a vital industrial base for heavy machinery, mining, and manufacturing. However, it has faced economic challenges in recent years. The Northeastern Region contributes approximately 7–10% to China’s GDP. Pearl River Delta: The Pearl River Delta is a highly urbanized and economically dynamic region located in Guangdong Province. It encompasses cities like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Dongguan. Known as a manufacturing and export hub, it has played a pivotal role in China’s economic growth. The Pearl River Delta contributes around 10–15% to China’s GDP. Yangtze River Delta: The Yangtze River Delta region covers Shanghai and the surrounding provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. It is one of the most economically developed and prosperous regions in China. With a strong focus on finance, manufacturing, and services, the Yangtze River Delta contributes approximately 20–25% to China’s GDP. China’s Latest Economic Updates
Stock Market
The Shanghai Composite rose from 2892 in November 2022 to 3284 (as of May 17, 2023).
Currency
Yuan rose from 6.7 in Jan 2023 to 7.0 as of May 17, 2023
Employment
In March 2023, China’s surveyed urban unemployment rate decreased to 5.3%, the lowest in seven months, from February’s 5.6%. Those aged 25–59 saw their jobless rate drop to 4.3% from 4.8% in February, while those aged 16–24 increased to 19.6% from 18.1%. The unemployment rate in 31 large cities and towns also declined to 5.5% from 5.7%.
Employees’ average weekly working hours across China increased to 48.7 in March from 47.9 in February. In the first quarter of 2023, the unemployment rate slightly declined to 5.5% from 5.6% in Q4 2022. The government has set a target of around 5.5% for the year, with the creation of approximately 12 million new urban jobs. China has also set a 2023 GDP growth target of about 5%.
GDP
China’s economy grew by 2.2% (SA) in Q1–2023, the third consecutive quarter of expansion following the removal of travel restrictions in Dec-2022 and a three-year crackdown on tech firms and property. However, the uneven recovery showed that while consumption, services, and infrastructure spending picked up, slowing inflation and rising bank savings led to doubts about demand.
In Mar-2023, the central bank cut lenders’ reserve requirements for the first time in 2023 and Beijing promised more fiscal stimulus.
Inflation
In April of 2023, China’s inflation rate declined to 0.1% from the previous month’s 0.7%, which was lower than anticipated. The decrease in prices for both food and non-food items was due to an unstable economic recovery after the enclosure policy was lifted. Food prices fell notably due to lower prices of pork and fresh vegetables, while non-food prices fell due to lower prices for transportation and housing. Inflation for health remained steady, while education costs increased.
Trade
Country’s exports rose unexpectedly by 14.8% YoY to a high of USD 315.59B in March 2023, rebounding sharply from a 6.8% drop in January-February combined and beating market consensus of a 7% fall. It was the first advance in shipments since September 2022 as Beijing boosts trade with developed countries and emerging economies. Steel products (53.2%) and refined products (35.1%) were the largest contributors. Exports to China’s largest partner, ASEAN, rose 35.43%, while those to the EU (3.38%) and Russia (136.43%) also increased. Conversely, exports fell to Japan (-4.8%), Taiwan (-27.6%), and the US (-7.68%), while they expanded to Australia (23.7%) and South Korea (11.3%).
SVET Analysis Space (A-):
Advantages:
Strategic location: China is located in the heart of Asia, which gives it a strategic location to engage in trade and diplomacy with neighboring countries. China also has access to the Pacific Ocean, which allows it to trade with countries in the Americas and Oceania. Natural resources: China has significant reserves of coal, iron ore, and other minerals. The country is also the world’s largest producer of rare earth elements, which are essential in the manufacturing of high-tech products. This resource base has fueled China’s economic growth over the past few decades. Agricultural productivity: China has a large and fertile agricultural base, which allows it to produce significant amounts of food. The country is the world’s largest producer of rice and wheat, and it has made significant advances in crop yields through the use of technology and modern farming practices. Disadvantages:
Natural disasters: China is prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and typhoons, which can cause significant damage to infrastructure and disrupt the economy. Resource depletion: China’s rapid economic growth has led to the depletion of some of its natural resources, such as water and arable land. This depletion can lead to environmental degradation and food insecurity in the future. Energy dependence: Despite having significant reserves of coal, China is also heavily dependent on imported oil and gas to meet its energy needs. This dependence makes the country vulnerable to supply disruptions and price fluctuations on the global market. Voice (C):
Pluses:
Stability: The Chinese government prioritizes maintaining stability and order in the country, which has helped to ensure social cohesion and economic growth. Economic development: China’s political system has enabled it to pursue policies that have led to rapid economic growth and development over the past few decades. Nationalism: The Chinese government emphasizes the importance of national unity and pride, which has helped to foster a strong sense of identity among Chinese citizens. Strategic planning: The government’s focus on long-term planning has enabled China to achieve its ambitious economic and geopolitical goals. Minuses:
Lack of political freedom: The Chinese government tightly controls political expression and restricts freedom of speech, assembly, and association, which has led to criticism from human rights groups. State control: The government’s control over the economy and key industries can stifle innovation and limit the potential for private sector growth. Lack of transparency: The Chinese government is known for being opaque in its decision-making processes, which can lead to uncertainty for businesses and investors. Human rights violations: The government’s policies towards ethnic minorities, such as the Uighur population in Xinjiang, have been criticized by the international community for alleged human rights abuses. Ethos (B-):
Han Chinese: The Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group in China, accounting for over 90% of the population. They enjoy the most favorable treatment from the government and have access to the best jobs, education, and healthcare. However, this has led to some resentment from minority groups who feel marginalized. Ethnic minorities: There are 55 recognized ethnic minority groups in China, including Tibetans, Uighurs, Mongolians, and others. They often face discrimination and limited opportunities for advancement. Some minority groups, such as the Uighurs in Xinjiang, have also been subject to government repression. Rural residents: China’s rural population is around 40% of the total population. They often have limited access to education, healthcare, and job opportunities compared to urban residents. However, the government has implemented policies to try to bridge this gap, such as investing in rural infrastructure and offering subsidies to farmers. Urban residents: China’s urban population is growing rapidly and has access to more job opportunities, education, and healthcare than rural residents. However, this has also led to increased competition for resources and rising income inequality. Time (B-):
Positive scenarios:
Continued economic growth: China’s economy has been growing rapidly over the past few decades, and it is likely to continue. This could result in increased prosperity and an improved standard of living for many Chinese citizens. Technological advancement: China has made significant strides in technology and innovation, and this trend is likely to continue. This could result in China becoming a global leader in technology, creating new industries and high-paying jobs. Improved infrastructure: China has been investing heavily in infrastructure, such as high-speed rail and new airports, which can improve transportation and connectivity and stimulate economic growth. Increased global influence: As China’s economy and political influence continue to grow, it could become a dominant player on the global stage, shaping international politics and economics. Negative scenarios:
Environmental degradation: China’s rapid economic growth has resulted in severe environmental problems, such as air and water pollution. If this trend continues, it could have severe consequences for public health and the environment. Social inequality: China’s economic growth has also created significant social inequalities, with a wealthy urban elite and a poorer rural population. This could result in social unrest and instability. Political repression: The Chinese government’s increasing control over the media and the internet, and its crackdowns on dissent, could result in greater political repression. Economic slowdown: China’s economic growth has already slowed in recent years, and if this trend continues, it could result in job losses and economic instability, which could have global consequences. Overall
The Chinese reforms were initiated by Deng Xiaoping (1978–1992) in the late 1970s. These reforms aimed to open up China to foreign investment, encourage private enterprise, and modernize various sectors of the economy. As part of these reforms, the number of directly controlled industries was drastically reduced. Additionally, the number of price-controlled goods decreased from approximately 300 to around 20.
With that said, the government still exercises strict regulatory oversight and establishes guidelines and policies that private businesses must adhere to. State-owned enterprises (SOEs) continue to play a significant role in the Chinese economy and frequently receive preferential treatment and support from the government.
Those policies were continued under Jiang Zemin (1993–2003), during which China was accepted into the World Trade Organization (WTO) on December 11, 2001, and also under Hu Jintao (2003–2013). However, when Xi Jinping (2013-present) assumed power, there was a gradual shift towards increased direct control over the economy and the establishment of a more centralized system. This change was accompanied by the active implementation of mass-surveillance technologies.
That happened synchronously with the end of the world’s latest 80-year-long generational cycle, which began in the 1940s and 1950s. This cycle was characterized by massive political decentralization, resulting in the emergence of several dozen new states between 1940 and 2000. After the 2007–2008 debts debacle, this cycle of economic expansion, driven by the exploitation of readily available resources, came to a close. However, it was artificially extended for the next 15 years through the easing of monetary policies pursued simultaneously by central banks worldwide.
That led to an unprecedented growth of private businesses worldwide. It was accompanied by increased prosperity and a rising level of education across all segments of the population. Small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, particularly in the high-tech industry, began to assume leading positions in the economic landscape. However, this economic progress was not accompanied by significant political reforms.
The old class of hereditary, mostly populist politicians, who often lacked education, managed to stay in power throughout that period, largely due to the outdated electoral system based on indirect political representation. However, when blockchain technologies were utilized to establish algorithmic consensus and enable effective direct governance, this new system faced resistance from entrenched political clans in all countries, resulting in its suppression.
China is currently at the forefront of this trend, with its political class focused on leveraging high-tech advancements to achieve both economic efficiency and comprehensive political control. However, there are two significant obstacles that China faces along this path.
Firstly, China is confronted with a shrinking population. In recent years, the country has undergone a substantial demographic shift characterized by an aging population and a decline in the working-age population. This is partially attributed to the one-child policy that was enforced from 1979 to 2016, resulting in a diminished labor force and a growing proportion of elderly individuals.
Secondly, there is a culmination of the resource-exploration and expansionist phase of global economic growth, accompanied by escalating political and military tensions worldwide. This situation is likely to result in a reduction of China’s import markets and an increased dependence on a less-competitive domestic market. Consequently, this could potentially lead to a scenario of stagflation, characterized by stagnant economic growth coupled with high inflationary pressures.
Faced with these fundamental challenges, it is highly probable that China will resort to aggressive and militaristic policies in an attempt to expand its territory directly or enforce its economic dominance in the Asian region through alternative means.
China is expected to continue on its trajectory towards increased global dominance through local conflicts and enhanced technological control over the economy and population over the next 15–20 years. However, this trend could be altered by a new wave of decentralization, which would require a significant deviation from current policies.
Such a shift may occur when not only the current generation of older politicians, but also the subsequent one (which is likely to further reinforce the existing trend), is replaced by “enlightened” technocrats who advocate for a return to decentralized approaches in both politics and economics.
submitted by svet_sedov to u/svet_sedov [link] [comments]
China’s GDP exceeds $11 trillion dollars, making it the second largest in the world after the US. Despite this, its rate of economic growth has sharply dropped to 6% in 2016 from 9% in 2013. The PRC has a highly centralized and government-managed economy, along with strictly regulated political life. Notwithstanding, some Chinese provinces are allowed to pursue independent economic policies.
China officially has a multi-party political system. However, in practice, there is only one party that holds significant power — the Communist Party of China (CPC), which was founded on July 1, 1921. The CPC’s ideology is based on the Marxist-Leninist doctrine introduced by Karl Marx (a Prussian economist) and Friedrich Engels (a German philosopher and businessman) in the 1880s. This doctrine was later supplemented by the theory of Socialism by Vladimir Ulyanov-Lenin (a Russian politician and revolutionary).
The doctrine postulates that society is composed of two major economic classes — the working people (exploited) and the bourgeoisie (exploiters). According to this theory, a global economic crisis will lead to a revolution, with the working class taking control of the world and the bourgeoisie being eliminated. Ultimately, capitalism will cease to exist, and communism (where goods are freely available and nobody works) will prevail. Mao Zedong, the founder of the CPC, adapted this theory to the Chinese context by including Chinese farmers in the definition of the working class.
The PRC government plays a central role in both the political and economic aspects of China. The CPC governs China through an administrative pyramid, with the Central Committee (Politburo) and the National Congress at the top.
The National Congress is comprised of over 2000 delegates who are elected mainly from local CPC committee members. This assembly convenes for a two-week session in Beijing once a year. The 22 Chinese provinces are managed by regional governors appointed by the Central Committee, and their primary objective is to fulfill the CPC’s goal of achieving GDP growth. The government operates based on five-year plans.
The list of other political parties in China includes:
Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang (53,000 members, representing Taiwan residents in China); China Democratic League (130,000 members, mainly composed of the middle class); China Democratic National Construction Association (69,000 members, consisting of entrepreneurs); China Association for Promoting Democracy (64,000 members, primarily intellectuals); Chinese Peasants’ and Workers’ Democratic Party (65,000 members, representing government employees); Zhigongdang of China (15,000 members, representing overseas Chinese); Jiusan Society (68,000 members, comprising individual professionals); Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League (1,600 members, including prominent Chinese celebrities). All of these parties are aligned with and support the CPC in its major initiatives and policies. Opposition to the CPC is not tolerated.
Economic Review
Administratively China consists of 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 municipalities directly under the central government, and 2 special administrative regions.
China’s main economic regions:
Eastern Coastal Region: This region includes provinces like Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, as well as Shanghai. It has been a major driver of China’s economic growth due to its proximity to international trade routes and its well-developed infrastructure. The Eastern Coastal Region contributes approximately 45–50% to China’s GDP. Western Region: The Western Region comprises provinces such as Sichuan, Chongqing, and Yunnan, as well as the Tibet Autonomous Region. This region is known for its rich natural resources, including minerals, energy, and agricultural products. The Western Region contributes around 15–20% to China’s GDP. Central Region: The Central Region includes provinces such as Henan, Hubei, and Hunan. It is characterized by a mix of industries, including manufacturing, agriculture, and services. The Central Region contributes roughly 15–20% to China’s GDP. Northeastern Region: The Northeastern Region consists of provinces like Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang. Historically, this region was a vital industrial base for heavy machinery, mining, and manufacturing. However, it has faced economic challenges in recent years. The Northeastern Region contributes approximately 7–10% to China’s GDP. Pearl River Delta: The Pearl River Delta is a highly urbanized and economically dynamic region located in Guangdong Province. It encompasses cities like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Dongguan. Known as a manufacturing and export hub, it has played a pivotal role in China’s economic growth. The Pearl River Delta contributes around 10–15% to China’s GDP. Yangtze River Delta: The Yangtze River Delta region covers Shanghai and the surrounding provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. It is one of the most economically developed and prosperous regions in China. With a strong focus on finance, manufacturing, and services, the Yangtze River Delta contributes approximately 20–25% to China’s GDP. China’s Latest Economic Updates
Stock Market
The Shanghai Composite rose from 2892 in November 2022 to 3284 (as of May 17, 2023).
Currency
Yuan rose from 6.7 in Jan 2023 to 7.0 as of May 17, 2023
Employment
In March 2023, China’s surveyed urban unemployment rate decreased to 5.3%, the lowest in seven months, from February’s 5.6%. Those aged 25–59 saw their jobless rate drop to 4.3% from 4.8% in February, while those aged 16–24 increased to 19.6% from 18.1%. The unemployment rate in 31 large cities and towns also declined to 5.5% from 5.7%.
Employees’ average weekly working hours across China increased to 48.7 in March from 47.9 in February. In the first quarter of 2023, the unemployment rate slightly declined to 5.5% from 5.6% in Q4 2022. The government has set a target of around 5.5% for the year, with the creation of approximately 12 million new urban jobs. China has also set a 2023 GDP growth target of about 5%.
GDP
China’s economy grew by 2.2% (SA) in Q1–2023, the third consecutive quarter of expansion following the removal of travel restrictions in Dec-2022 and a three-year crackdown on tech firms and property. However, the uneven recovery showed that while consumption, services, and infrastructure spending picked up, slowing inflation and rising bank savings led to doubts about demand.
In Mar-2023, the central bank cut lenders’ reserve requirements for the first time in 2023 and Beijing promised more fiscal stimulus.
Inflation
In April of 2023, China’s inflation rate declined to 0.1% from the previous month’s 0.7%, which was lower than anticipated. The decrease in prices for both food and non-food items was due to an unstable economic recovery after the enclosure policy was lifted. Food prices fell notably due to lower prices of pork and fresh vegetables, while non-food prices fell due to lower prices for transportation and housing. Inflation for health remained steady, while education costs increased.
Trade
Country’s exports rose unexpectedly by 14.8% YoY to a high of USD 315.59B in March 2023, rebounding sharply from a 6.8% drop in January-February combined and beating market consensus of a 7% fall. It was the first advance in shipments since September 2022 as Beijing boosts trade with developed countries and emerging economies. Steel products (53.2%) and refined products (35.1%) were the largest contributors. Exports to China’s largest partner, ASEAN, rose 35.43%, while those to the EU (3.38%) and Russia (136.43%) also increased. Conversely, exports fell to Japan (-4.8%), Taiwan (-27.6%), and the US (-7.68%), while they expanded to Australia (23.7%) and South Korea (11.3%).
SVET Analysis Space (A-):
Advantages:
Strategic location: China is located in the heart of Asia, which gives it a strategic location to engage in trade and diplomacy with neighboring countries. China also has access to the Pacific Ocean, which allows it to trade with countries in the Americas and Oceania. Natural resources: China has significant reserves of coal, iron ore, and other minerals. The country is also the world’s largest producer of rare earth elements, which are essential in the manufacturing of high-tech products. This resource base has fueled China’s economic growth over the past few decades. Agricultural productivity: China has a large and fertile agricultural base, which allows it to produce significant amounts of food. The country is the world’s largest producer of rice and wheat, and it has made significant advances in crop yields through the use of technology and modern farming practices. Disadvantages:
Natural disasters: China is prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and typhoons, which can cause significant damage to infrastructure and disrupt the economy. Resource depletion: China’s rapid economic growth has led to the depletion of some of its natural resources, such as water and arable land. This depletion can lead to environmental degradation and food insecurity in the future. Energy dependence: Despite having significant reserves of coal, China is also heavily dependent on imported oil and gas to meet its energy needs. This dependence makes the country vulnerable to supply disruptions and price fluctuations on the global market. Voice (C):
Pluses:
Stability: The Chinese government prioritizes maintaining stability and order in the country, which has helped to ensure social cohesion and economic growth. Economic development: China’s political system has enabled it to pursue policies that have led to rapid economic growth and development over the past few decades. Nationalism: The Chinese government emphasizes the importance of national unity and pride, which has helped to foster a strong sense of identity among Chinese citizens. Strategic planning: The government’s focus on long-term planning has enabled China to achieve its ambitious economic and geopolitical goals. Minuses:
Lack of political freedom: The Chinese government tightly controls political expression and restricts freedom of speech, assembly, and association, which has led to criticism from human rights groups. State control: The government’s control over the economy and key industries can stifle innovation and limit the potential for private sector growth. Lack of transparency: The Chinese government is known for being opaque in its decision-making processes, which can lead to uncertainty for businesses and investors. Human rights violations: The government’s policies towards ethnic minorities, such as the Uighur population in Xinjiang, have been criticized by the international community for alleged human rights abuses. Ethos (B-):
Han Chinese: The Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group in China, accounting for over 90% of the population. They enjoy the most favorable treatment from the government and have access to the best jobs, education, and healthcare. However, this has led to some resentment from minority groups who feel marginalized. Ethnic minorities: There are 55 recognized ethnic minority groups in China, including Tibetans, Uighurs, Mongolians, and others. They often face discrimination and limited opportunities for advancement. Some minority groups, such as the Uighurs in Xinjiang, have also been subject to government repression. Rural residents: China’s rural population is around 40% of the total population. They often have limited access to education, healthcare, and job opportunities compared to urban residents. However, the government has implemented policies to try to bridge this gap, such as investing in rural infrastructure and offering subsidies to farmers. Urban residents: China’s urban population is growing rapidly and has access to more job opportunities, education, and healthcare than rural residents. However, this has also led to increased competition for resources and rising income inequality. Time (B-):
Positive scenarios:
Continued economic growth: China’s economy has been growing rapidly over the past few decades, and it is likely to continue. This could result in increased prosperity and an improved standard of living for many Chinese citizens. Technological advancement: China has made significant strides in technology and innovation, and this trend is likely to continue. This could result in China becoming a global leader in technology, creating new industries and high-paying jobs. Improved infrastructure: China has been investing heavily in infrastructure, such as high-speed rail and new airports, which can improve transportation and connectivity and stimulate economic growth. Increased global influence: As China’s economy and political influence continue to grow, it could become a dominant player on the global stage, shaping international politics and economics. Negative scenarios:
Environmental degradation: China’s rapid economic growth has resulted in severe environmental problems, such as air and water pollution. If this trend continues, it could have severe consequences for public health and the environment. Social inequality: China’s economic growth has also created significant social inequalities, with a wealthy urban elite and a poorer rural population. This could result in social unrest and instability. Political repression: The Chinese government’s increasing control over the media and the internet, and its crackdowns on dissent, could result in greater political repression. Economic slowdown: China’s economic growth has already slowed in recent years, and if this trend continues, it could result in job losses and economic instability, which could have global consequences. Overall
The Chinese reforms were initiated by Deng Xiaoping (1978–1992) in the late 1970s. These reforms aimed to open up China to foreign investment, encourage private enterprise, and modernize various sectors of the economy. As part of these reforms, the number of directly controlled industries was drastically reduced. Additionally, the number of price-controlled goods decreased from approximately 300 to around 20.
With that said, the government still exercises strict regulatory oversight and establishes guidelines and policies that private businesses must adhere to. State-owned enterprises (SOEs) continue to play a significant role in the Chinese economy and frequently receive preferential treatment and support from the government.
Those policies were continued under Jiang Zemin (1993–2003), during which China was accepted into the World Trade Organization (WTO) on December 11, 2001, and also under Hu Jintao (2003–2013). However, when Xi Jinping (2013-present) assumed power, there was a gradual shift towards increased direct control over the economy and the establishment of a more centralized system. This change was accompanied by the active implementation of mass-surveillance technologies.
That happened synchronously with the end of the world’s latest 80-year-long generational cycle, which began in the 1940s and 1950s. This cycle was characterized by massive political decentralization, resulting in the emergence of several dozen new states between 1940 and 2000. After the 2007–2008 debts debacle, this cycle of economic expansion, driven by the exploitation of readily available resources, came to a close. However, it was artificially extended for the next 15 years through the easing of monetary policies pursued simultaneously by central banks worldwide.
That led to an unprecedented growth of private businesses worldwide. It was accompanied by increased prosperity and a rising level of education across all segments of the population. Small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, particularly in the high-tech industry, began to assume leading positions in the economic landscape. However, this economic progress was not accompanied by significant political reforms.
The old class of hereditary, mostly populist politicians, who often lacked education, managed to stay in power throughout that period, largely due to the outdated electoral system based on indirect political representation. However, when blockchain technologies were utilized to establish algorithmic consensus and enable effective direct governance, this new system faced resistance from entrenched political clans in all countries, resulting in its suppression.
China is currently at the forefront of this trend, with its political class focused on leveraging high-tech advancements to achieve both economic efficiency and comprehensive political control. However, there are two significant obstacles that China faces along this path.
Firstly, China is confronted with a shrinking population. In recent years, the country has undergone a substantial demographic shift characterized by an aging population and a decline in the working-age population. This is partially attributed to the one-child policy that was enforced from 1979 to 2016, resulting in a diminished labor force and a growing proportion of elderly individuals.
Secondly, there is a culmination of the resource-exploration and expansionist phase of global economic growth, accompanied by escalating political and military tensions worldwide. This situation is likely to result in a reduction of China’s import markets and an increased dependence on a less-competitive domestic market. Consequently, this could potentially lead to a scenario of stagflation, characterized by stagnant economic growth coupled with high inflationary pressures.
Faced with these fundamental challenges, it is highly probable that China will resort to aggressive and militaristic policies in an attempt to expand its territory directly or enforce its economic dominance in the Asian region through alternative means.
China is expected to continue on its trajectory towards increased global dominance through local conflicts and enhanced technological control over the economy and population over the next 15–20 years. However, this trend could be altered by a new wave of decentralization, which would require a significant deviation from current policies.
Such a shift may occur when not only the current generation of older politicians, but also the subsequent one (which is likely to further reinforce the existing trend), is replaced by “enlightened” technocrats who advocate for a return to decentralized approaches in both politics and economics.
2023.05.31 02:07 mindiimok Childhood SA Evidence on Adult Exam?
I (32 F, 5'8", 260, ADHD, BPD, PTSD, located in US) recently went through a severe traumatic event. While processing that event it opened up memories of a very old event I had lived with as memories but never actually thought about.
I was SA'd as a 4 or 5 year old (95-96) by a group of teenage boys. I am in therapy and currently working through this memory recovery and processing. What I want to know is, how likely is it my getting a pelvic exam NOW would show any evidence of childhood vaginal penetration? Some info I've read says you have to specifically ask an OB to find this but that it's possible, other info says there's not really any data about it.
My concern if I do pursue this is they won't be able to tell the difference between internal scarring I've had from childbirth (3 children delivered vaginally, one required stitches, one didn't tear and one did tear but did not need stitches though did develop a cyst and infection).
Is it too late? My memory before anything physical is cut off by memories of looking out the window where I was. My therapist says that's my brain dissociating during what it knew was a trauma. I have several boxes checked on the symptom list of childhood rape survivors including constant UTIs starting from around 4-5 years old, inability to climax, pain during intercourse (PFT relaxing techniques helped), feelings of guilt and shame when it comes to sex, extreme touch aversion, dissociating often, self harm, seeking painful stimuli (in the bedroom/BDSM, by watching shocking gore/deaths,) insomnia, having explosive episodes, those are just a few symptoms.
Oh and like I said I'm in therapy and currently take 300 mg effexor xr, 2 mg guanfacine, and trazodone or allergy medicine for sleeping (also for allergies). I drink socially or at dinner, 3-4 drinks per week, and sometimes use a delta 8 cartridge vape (thc∆8) 2-3 times a month. I am overweight but am losing weight, and have lost 50 lbs since October.
submitted by mindiimok to AskDocs [link] [comments]
I was SA'd as a 4 or 5 year old (95-96) by a group of teenage boys. I am in therapy and currently working through this memory recovery and processing. What I want to know is, how likely is it my getting a pelvic exam NOW would show any evidence of childhood vaginal penetration? Some info I've read says you have to specifically ask an OB to find this but that it's possible, other info says there's not really any data about it.
My concern if I do pursue this is they won't be able to tell the difference between internal scarring I've had from childbirth (3 children delivered vaginally, one required stitches, one didn't tear and one did tear but did not need stitches though did develop a cyst and infection).
Is it too late? My memory before anything physical is cut off by memories of looking out the window where I was. My therapist says that's my brain dissociating during what it knew was a trauma. I have several boxes checked on the symptom list of childhood rape survivors including constant UTIs starting from around 4-5 years old, inability to climax, pain during intercourse (PFT relaxing techniques helped), feelings of guilt and shame when it comes to sex, extreme touch aversion, dissociating often, self harm, seeking painful stimuli (in the bedroom/BDSM, by watching shocking gore/deaths,) insomnia, having explosive episodes, those are just a few symptoms.
Oh and like I said I'm in therapy and currently take 300 mg effexor xr, 2 mg guanfacine, and trazodone or allergy medicine for sleeping (also for allergies). I drink socially or at dinner, 3-4 drinks per week, and sometimes use a delta 8 cartridge vape (thc∆8) 2-3 times a month. I am overweight but am losing weight, and have lost 50 lbs since October.
2023.05.31 02:04 Feuerzauber- At some point I just don’t care, it’s an absolute joke, one of the only cards I needed ofc
 | submitted by Feuerzauber- to DuelLinks [link] [comments] |
2023.05.31 02:03 TheMagicalSock [WTS] Benchmade 3300 Infidel
Hello all,
I’d really like to sell a knife on knife_swap , but I keep pricing myself out of the market so that I don’t have to sell a knife on knife_swap . Help me break this vicious cycle of bargaining and denial with this Benchmade Infidel.
This is pretty much a safe queen. I’ve carried it around the house and deployed it a couple hundred times. Factory edge, has never cut anything. The factory grind is well centered.
The action is perfect, and if I hadn’t decided OTF’s aren’t really for me, this wouldn’t be for sale. Blade play is minimal and comparable to other OTFs in this price range.
I am the first and only owner. Purchased from a local Benchmade Premium Plus dealer, not a chain store. Guaranteed authentic.
Never been taken apart. Comes with original box, nylon sheath, and papers.
Edited to add: no cosmetic blemishes except for some slight wear underneath the switch.
SV: 300 USD shipped to the lower 48.
Timestamp and photos: https://imgur.com/a/pUSSAJd
submitted by TheMagicalSock to Knife_Swap [link] [comments]
I’d really like to sell a knife on knife_swap , but I keep pricing myself out of the market so that I don’t have to sell a knife on knife_swap . Help me break this vicious cycle of bargaining and denial with this Benchmade Infidel.
This is pretty much a safe queen. I’ve carried it around the house and deployed it a couple hundred times. Factory edge, has never cut anything. The factory grind is well centered.
The action is perfect, and if I hadn’t decided OTF’s aren’t really for me, this wouldn’t be for sale. Blade play is minimal and comparable to other OTFs in this price range.
I am the first and only owner. Purchased from a local Benchmade Premium Plus dealer, not a chain store. Guaranteed authentic.
Never been taken apart. Comes with original box, nylon sheath, and papers.
Edited to add: no cosmetic blemishes except for some slight wear underneath the switch.
SV: 300 USD shipped to the lower 48.
Timestamp and photos: https://imgur.com/a/pUSSAJd
2023.05.31 02:00 Hanzheyingle Theory: The gateway to the final circle
https://preview.redd.it/ri3xulcn833b1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89cbf2a4a1fe70ee91962024e5ccc49ee0d943fb
Quick breakdown on the levels of the abyss and how they relate to Dante’s Inferno…
Layer 1: Limbo… This is the place of unbaptized children (or orphans)
Layer 2: Lust… Ozen is a ‘virile bull’ dom who crotch stomps Reg. Her assistant is a total fem boy.
Layer 3 - 4: Gluttony (Riko gets vored), Greed: (I think Nanachi actually kinda fits this)
Layer 5: Wrath and heresy; this is where the River Styx is. Dante needs to cross it to reach the ‘City of Dis’.
There’s a minotaur guarding the entrance (Bondrewd).
Nanachi has every reason to seek revenge for Mitty.
Layer 6: This one is a bit more direct: There’s a group literally called the ‘Suicide Corp’ and they get turned into a wood like substance via parasites. (Suicide forest)
There’s the ‘burning sand’… if you swap out the turtles for people then it looks really close to ‘Brunetto Latini speaks with Dante in Canto XV.’
Layer 6.5: Fraud
Basically most of Srajo’s group have ‘panderers and seducers’ strongly implied. Also Srajo openly admits to stealing a bunch of stuff from Bodnrewd.
In Bondrewd’s case, he could fill the ‘corrupt politician’ of this arc since he tried to use the same rules he openly flaunts to stall and trap Srajo’s group.
We then have the amputee fetishists who oddly align with ‘leper alchemists’ along with their clothes resembling ‘leaden cloaks weighing down hypocrites.’
…and they’re associated with stench… omg… I don’t think that scene was necessarily supposed to be sexual since ‘falsifiers’ existed in a ’pit, tearing each other to pieces.’ The symboligy of MiA would be the incest twins tearing off their prosthetics.
…and yes, there’s an ‘incest’ subtext with this circle of Hell too. They’re oddly checking off A LOT of boxes, as are Riko’s team.
Actually, there’s a fair amount of ‘dismemberment’ punishments here.
Riko would qualify as an ‘imposter white whistle.’ She ‘has’ a white whistle, but she’s missing the experience and skills.
Getting to the image…
The passage to the last circle of Hell is the ‘Central Well of Malebolge.’
There are BIG f-kers, half hidden in the entrance.
”At Virgil’s persuasion, Antreus takes the poets into his large palm and lowers them gently into the final level of Hell.”
Reg is effectively ‘Virgil.’ Instead calling in favors like Virgil does, he fights monsters instead.
A couple of theories…
- The ‘eye‘ is alive and proactively guarding the hole it resides in… it might even be a collection of creatures
- The incest twins are victims of a disease
- The incest twins are secretly evil (sowers of discord)
This is kind of an interesting possibility. Riko’s group already doesn’t trust Srajo. The twins by the end of ch 65 suggest what happened to them will happen to Riko’s group.
The thing is, the prevailing pattern of each arc is there’s usually an adult a—hole in power. The ‘a—hole’ would be Srajo in this case. However, Srajo being the ‘a—hole’ role wouldn’t be a ‘WHAM’ moment, since its pretty much assumed.
Meanwhile, the the last two circles of Hell deal in misinformation and treachery. You *cant* be ‘treacherous‘ if nobody trusts you. Therefore, there would really need to be a ‘third party’ to drive a wedge between Team Riko and Team Srajo.
- The final curse?
Kind of a weird one, but looking at each of the circles, things get progressively more gory, until you reach the end where people are just frozen.
- (…and as with my other theory lists) The ‘grand betrayal’… Reg and/or Lyza turn out to be the main antagonist.
submitted by Hanzheyingle to MadeInAbyss [link] [comments]
https://preview.redd.it/ri3xulcn833b1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89cbf2a4a1fe70ee91962024e5ccc49ee0d943fb
Quick breakdown on the levels of the abyss and how they relate to Dante’s Inferno…
Layer 1: Limbo… This is the place of unbaptized children (or orphans)
Layer 2: Lust… Ozen is a ‘virile bull’ dom who crotch stomps Reg. Her assistant is a total fem boy.
Layer 3 - 4: Gluttony (Riko gets vored), Greed: (I think Nanachi actually kinda fits this)
Layer 5: Wrath and heresy; this is where the River Styx is. Dante needs to cross it to reach the ‘City of Dis’.
There’s a minotaur guarding the entrance (Bondrewd).
Nanachi has every reason to seek revenge for Mitty.
Layer 6: This one is a bit more direct: There’s a group literally called the ‘Suicide Corp’ and they get turned into a wood like substance via parasites. (Suicide forest)
There’s the ‘burning sand’… if you swap out the turtles for people then it looks really close to ‘Brunetto Latini speaks with Dante in Canto XV.’
Layer 6.5: Fraud
Basically most of Srajo’s group have ‘panderers and seducers’ strongly implied. Also Srajo openly admits to stealing a bunch of stuff from Bodnrewd.
In Bondrewd’s case, he could fill the ‘corrupt politician’ of this arc since he tried to use the same rules he openly flaunts to stall and trap Srajo’s group.
We then have the amputee fetishists who oddly align with ‘leper alchemists’ along with their clothes resembling ‘leaden cloaks weighing down hypocrites.’
…and they’re associated with stench… omg… I don’t think that scene was necessarily supposed to be sexual since ‘falsifiers’ existed in a ’pit, tearing each other to pieces.’ The symboligy of MiA would be the incest twins tearing off their prosthetics.
…and yes, there’s an ‘incest’ subtext with this circle of Hell too. They’re oddly checking off A LOT of boxes, as are Riko’s team.
Actually, there’s a fair amount of ‘dismemberment’ punishments here.
Riko would qualify as an ‘imposter white whistle.’ She ‘has’ a white whistle, but she’s missing the experience and skills.
Getting to the image…
The passage to the last circle of Hell is the ‘Central Well of Malebolge.’
There are BIG f-kers, half hidden in the entrance.
”At Virgil’s persuasion, Antreus takes the poets into his large palm and lowers them gently into the final level of Hell.”
Reg is effectively ‘Virgil.’ Instead calling in favors like Virgil does, he fights monsters instead.
A couple of theories…
- The ‘eye‘ is alive and proactively guarding the hole it resides in… it might even be a collection of creatures
- The incest twins are victims of a disease
- The incest twins are secretly evil (sowers of discord)
This is kind of an interesting possibility. Riko’s group already doesn’t trust Srajo. The twins by the end of ch 65 suggest what happened to them will happen to Riko’s group.
The thing is, the prevailing pattern of each arc is there’s usually an adult a—hole in power. The ‘a—hole’ would be Srajo in this case. However, Srajo being the ‘a—hole’ role wouldn’t be a ‘WHAM’ moment, since its pretty much assumed.
Meanwhile, the the last two circles of Hell deal in misinformation and treachery. You *cant* be ‘treacherous‘ if nobody trusts you. Therefore, there would really need to be a ‘third party’ to drive a wedge between Team Riko and Team Srajo.
- The final curse?
Kind of a weird one, but looking at each of the circles, things get progressively more gory, until you reach the end where people are just frozen.
- (…and as with my other theory lists) The ‘grand betrayal’… Reg and/or Lyza turn out to be the main antagonist.
2023.05.31 01:59 Zagaroth [No Need For A Core?] - Ch 083: Musings and Ponderings
Cover Art <<Previous Start Next >>
While Moriko was being wined and dined by the princesses, Mordecai mulled over the information he’d learned from ‘eavesdropping’ on her thoughts. And if he understood everything correctly, the spymaster Lady Yuriko was also a princess, albeit from a few generations ago or more. She would have joined the clan in much the same way as Orchid had, and probably only returned as an advisor only after the pain of loss had faded from her closest family being claimed by the passage of time.
Long life amongst the long-lived was easy. Long life mingled with those who were not so long-lived was hard. He suspected the royal family was slightly longer lived than most pure-blooded humans, especially those who showed signs of other bloodlines such as young princess Bridgette, but given what he learned of the Azeria clan almost all of the ‘converted’ princesses could expect to live several centuries, depending on how powerful they grew and thus how many tails they gained.
One of the more interesting things to learn also brought him a bit of relief. While it wasn’t enough to complete the picture of what was going on with Kuiccihan, seeing how they had combined shopping with counter-espionage and probably a little bit of propaganda helped normalize the kingdom a bit from his point of view.
While hardly utopian, the country as a whole had struck him as being almost too serene and egalitarian. This minor bit of political maneuvering showed that a lot of thought and work went into keeping it that way, which fit with what Aia had told him about his daughter having taken some effort in designing the country she helped found. And he was pretty certain that the princesses were sincere, rather than just putting up a good cover. He might be wrong, but it seemed rather unlikely. False paradises tended to be a touch too rigid in weird places, and so far he’d not gotten any signs of that, and there was no attempt to mask it as an actual paradise.
Mordecai was torn about his decision to tuck away so many specific memories. It seemed so logical at the time, it had been so very long and the attack on the village had been thorough, and honestly, it made focusing on the life he had here now easier, but he also regretted not knowing the names of all his children. And though he knew the names of some of his children thanks to the genealogy book, he sort of dreaded the idea of learning the way they would be pronounced now and then having them clash with his memories of them when he did finally retrieve them.
Perhaps not his most rational choice ever, but even if his primary brain was made of crystal instead of the messy goop that made up his avatar’s brain, emotions were not exactly rational. Especially where family was concerned. And the thought of family turned his mind back to the princesses. They were quite the array for a single generation, but given the number of nonhuman and possibly empowered bloodlines supposedly present, this was not as much of a surprise as it might have been. Mordecai really hoped that when the dungeon had greater capacity, either Orchid or one of the other royals would be willing to be thoroughly examined, he wanted to see what was going on for their heritage paths.
All biological life used a physical pattern to carry information from the parents, mingling to create a new pattern. While this was not well known outside of people who had reason and methods to research it in depth, what was less well known was that there were more carriers than the physical.
The next most common was spiritual patterns, energy waveforms that imprint from a strong individual onto one whose spirit and soul were just beginning to form. Between sympathetic magic and literally surrounding the embryo, mothers had the strongest imprinting of spiritual patterns onto their offspring. Typically fathers had the second largest impact. However, sufficiently powerful entities could leave imprints upon those who lived near them for long periods of time, which is why tribes or villages of more mortal races who served a single dragon for many generations tended to take on draconic traits, despite no actual mingling of bloodlines.
Then there were the bloodline travelers, the blessings and curses specifically tied to an individual and all their progeny. While normal spiritual patterns mingled and could change and fade, these acted more like symbionts or parasites, exactly duplicating themselves and attaching to each descendant during conception. Upon occasion a particularly powerful yet poorly constructed curse acted like a disease, infecting all future progeny of anyone the actual carrier had sex with, even if that other person did not conceive a child with the curse bearer. Blessings being so poorly constructed were even rarer, but it was with good reason that most people preferred being ignored by the sidhe over gaining even their blessing.
Beings that did not innately have a physical form generally did not have a physical carrier or pattern and relied entirely upon spiritual waveform patterns.
Constructed entities were all over the place, assuming that they could pass on heritable information rather than just manually constructing a new entity.
As for dungeons… come to think of it, he didn’t know if there was a way to pass on dungeon-specific heritage information. They didn’t have parents. His avatars could pass on physical information based on the form he constructed, and he was pretty sure he made at least a small imprint in the way of spiritual energy, but he had no idea about passing on heritable information for his core. Could that be done?
For that matter, with his new avatar form: if he fathered a child with this avatar, what information would be passed on? What would be the default ‘true’ form for the child? He had no idea, that had not been part of his considerations when making this pattern.
While Mordecai continued to muse over this thought via his avatar, his core was focused mostly on Moriko, while occasionally checking in on Kazue. Moriko seemed to be handling things better now that she’d adjusted and most of her fears laid to rest. He was somewhat curious about how she’d come to have such a high level of concern about interacting with the court. To be fair, her worries were not entirely unfounded, but she was also getting the chance to learn a lesson about power, whether it be political or fiscal. The more power one held and the more securely one held it, the less one had to worry about all the minor proprieties. A well-established monarchy was much like an ‘old money’ family, they did not have fear or envy or need eating at them.
Moriko’s concerns about such games would more likely come into play around minor nobility who cared about raising their rank and standing. From what he’d seen through Moriko’s experiences, that seemed most likely to be second or third-generation new nobility, as the first-generation folk seemed to be people like that champion, Bellona.
The night waned on, and eventually, a well fed Moriko made her way back to the temple intending to fall asleep, only to find her room filled with boxes she had to figure out how to handle.
As for Kazue, well, he had the attention of her core at least, but her avatar was having a little ‘adventure’ for the night, and neither party had ventured into the library yet. Instead, they had set up in their respective rest areas, and Kazue was having a little ‘camp out’ with her friends.
For the shrine maidens, Kazue had asked them to have this little party with her after they had finished the plays. It had been early enough they probably could have pushed through the library if they had focused on just solving normal puzzles, but this was a chance for these friends to reconnect. Plus he suspected that she had some special plans for the library the next day.
As for the explorers, they’d had a slightly rough time. It seems his wife had been feeding the laganthros all the information about the tactics that the party had been using, and the rabbit folk had put together teams to stress and test the explorers, taking advantage of numbers and foreknowledge to make up for the lack in raw power.
Running through five different groups of coordinated combatants who had prepared themselves for exactly the party’s anticipated tactics had worn their patience thin. The harassing attacks and traps of the third floor’s boss room had then pushed them to their breaking point, and they stopped trying to conserve their resources, unleashing their strongest spells and straining flesh and bone to their limits to finish Betty and Umbrowl off as fast as they could. Which wasn’t as fast as they would have liked, as the pair had taken notes and did their best to play keep away while throwing out ranged attacks and triggering traps. Neither of the bosses were quite strong enough to solo any of the kitsune with great odds of success, but in this home environment and with the advantage of the redesigned traps they were able to push the kitsune to their limits before Kazue had called the fight in the visitor’s favor.
So now they were resting and healing up as they prepared to challenge the fourth floor’s library the next day.
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Also to be found on Royal Road.
$3 Patreon: Early chapters, lore excerpts $5 Patreon: Short Stories $10 Patreon: New stories not published anywhere else (Until after I finish this story at least)
submitted by Zagaroth to redditserials [link] [comments]
Long life amongst the long-lived was easy. Long life mingled with those who were not so long-lived was hard. He suspected the royal family was slightly longer lived than most pure-blooded humans, especially those who showed signs of other bloodlines such as young princess Bridgette, but given what he learned of the Azeria clan almost all of the ‘converted’ princesses could expect to live several centuries, depending on how powerful they grew and thus how many tails they gained.
One of the more interesting things to learn also brought him a bit of relief. While it wasn’t enough to complete the picture of what was going on with Kuiccihan, seeing how they had combined shopping with counter-espionage and probably a little bit of propaganda helped normalize the kingdom a bit from his point of view.
While hardly utopian, the country as a whole had struck him as being almost too serene and egalitarian. This minor bit of political maneuvering showed that a lot of thought and work went into keeping it that way, which fit with what Aia had told him about his daughter having taken some effort in designing the country she helped found. And he was pretty certain that the princesses were sincere, rather than just putting up a good cover. He might be wrong, but it seemed rather unlikely. False paradises tended to be a touch too rigid in weird places, and so far he’d not gotten any signs of that, and there was no attempt to mask it as an actual paradise.
Mordecai was torn about his decision to tuck away so many specific memories. It seemed so logical at the time, it had been so very long and the attack on the village had been thorough, and honestly, it made focusing on the life he had here now easier, but he also regretted not knowing the names of all his children. And though he knew the names of some of his children thanks to the genealogy book, he sort of dreaded the idea of learning the way they would be pronounced now and then having them clash with his memories of them when he did finally retrieve them.
Perhaps not his most rational choice ever, but even if his primary brain was made of crystal instead of the messy goop that made up his avatar’s brain, emotions were not exactly rational. Especially where family was concerned. And the thought of family turned his mind back to the princesses. They were quite the array for a single generation, but given the number of nonhuman and possibly empowered bloodlines supposedly present, this was not as much of a surprise as it might have been. Mordecai really hoped that when the dungeon had greater capacity, either Orchid or one of the other royals would be willing to be thoroughly examined, he wanted to see what was going on for their heritage paths.
All biological life used a physical pattern to carry information from the parents, mingling to create a new pattern. While this was not well known outside of people who had reason and methods to research it in depth, what was less well known was that there were more carriers than the physical.
The next most common was spiritual patterns, energy waveforms that imprint from a strong individual onto one whose spirit and soul were just beginning to form. Between sympathetic magic and literally surrounding the embryo, mothers had the strongest imprinting of spiritual patterns onto their offspring. Typically fathers had the second largest impact. However, sufficiently powerful entities could leave imprints upon those who lived near them for long periods of time, which is why tribes or villages of more mortal races who served a single dragon for many generations tended to take on draconic traits, despite no actual mingling of bloodlines.
Then there were the bloodline travelers, the blessings and curses specifically tied to an individual and all their progeny. While normal spiritual patterns mingled and could change and fade, these acted more like symbionts or parasites, exactly duplicating themselves and attaching to each descendant during conception. Upon occasion a particularly powerful yet poorly constructed curse acted like a disease, infecting all future progeny of anyone the actual carrier had sex with, even if that other person did not conceive a child with the curse bearer. Blessings being so poorly constructed were even rarer, but it was with good reason that most people preferred being ignored by the sidhe over gaining even their blessing.
Beings that did not innately have a physical form generally did not have a physical carrier or pattern and relied entirely upon spiritual waveform patterns.
Constructed entities were all over the place, assuming that they could pass on heritable information rather than just manually constructing a new entity.
As for dungeons… come to think of it, he didn’t know if there was a way to pass on dungeon-specific heritage information. They didn’t have parents. His avatars could pass on physical information based on the form he constructed, and he was pretty sure he made at least a small imprint in the way of spiritual energy, but he had no idea about passing on heritable information for his core. Could that be done?
For that matter, with his new avatar form: if he fathered a child with this avatar, what information would be passed on? What would be the default ‘true’ form for the child? He had no idea, that had not been part of his considerations when making this pattern.
While Mordecai continued to muse over this thought via his avatar, his core was focused mostly on Moriko, while occasionally checking in on Kazue. Moriko seemed to be handling things better now that she’d adjusted and most of her fears laid to rest. He was somewhat curious about how she’d come to have such a high level of concern about interacting with the court. To be fair, her worries were not entirely unfounded, but she was also getting the chance to learn a lesson about power, whether it be political or fiscal. The more power one held and the more securely one held it, the less one had to worry about all the minor proprieties. A well-established monarchy was much like an ‘old money’ family, they did not have fear or envy or need eating at them.
Moriko’s concerns about such games would more likely come into play around minor nobility who cared about raising their rank and standing. From what he’d seen through Moriko’s experiences, that seemed most likely to be second or third-generation new nobility, as the first-generation folk seemed to be people like that champion, Bellona.
The night waned on, and eventually, a well fed Moriko made her way back to the temple intending to fall asleep, only to find her room filled with boxes she had to figure out how to handle.
As for Kazue, well, he had the attention of her core at least, but her avatar was having a little ‘adventure’ for the night, and neither party had ventured into the library yet. Instead, they had set up in their respective rest areas, and Kazue was having a little ‘camp out’ with her friends.
For the shrine maidens, Kazue had asked them to have this little party with her after they had finished the plays. It had been early enough they probably could have pushed through the library if they had focused on just solving normal puzzles, but this was a chance for these friends to reconnect. Plus he suspected that she had some special plans for the library the next day.
As for the explorers, they’d had a slightly rough time. It seems his wife had been feeding the laganthros all the information about the tactics that the party had been using, and the rabbit folk had put together teams to stress and test the explorers, taking advantage of numbers and foreknowledge to make up for the lack in raw power.
Running through five different groups of coordinated combatants who had prepared themselves for exactly the party’s anticipated tactics had worn their patience thin. The harassing attacks and traps of the third floor’s boss room had then pushed them to their breaking point, and they stopped trying to conserve their resources, unleashing their strongest spells and straining flesh and bone to their limits to finish Betty and Umbrowl off as fast as they could. Which wasn’t as fast as they would have liked, as the pair had taken notes and did their best to play keep away while throwing out ranged attacks and triggering traps. Neither of the bosses were quite strong enough to solo any of the kitsune with great odds of success, but in this home environment and with the advantage of the redesigned traps they were able to push the kitsune to their limits before Kazue had called the fight in the visitor’s favor.
So now they were resting and healing up as they prepared to challenge the fourth floor’s library the next day.
My Patreon if you want to support me directly.
Also to be found on Royal Road.
$3 Patreon: Early chapters, lore excerpts $5 Patreon: Short Stories $10 Patreon: New stories not published anywhere else (Until after I finish this story at least)
2023.05.31 01:54 Arisenstring956 Just somehow won a 38 round competitive game, genuinely the wildest match I've experienced in the 3 years I've played
 | Only reason why we won was because of the good vibes we had going, having comms and people not at each others throats makes playing so much more fun. submitted by Arisenstring956 to VALORANT [link] [comments] What's funny is that we could've avoided overtime all together if we didn't troll on round 5 and give their Omen a free ninja defuse. The entire time I expected us to hit some sort of match limit or have a player draw but surprisingly neither happened. I think no-one on either team wanted to draw due to how much time we were investing. https://preview.redd.it/dffknuy2l33b1.png?width=2560&format=png&auto=webp&s=e4836a36237c7d08efeb475027b4b8abf87bbd6c https://preview.redd.it/l04wb7p5l33b1.png?width=2560&format=png&auto=webp&s=21afe10cef84d073c57389e4d7b5d3598ee181b2 |
2023.05.31 01:51 Storms_Wrath The Human Artificial Hivemind Part 377: Artificial Apocalypse
First Previous Wiki
"I should not let you enter," the old man said, gazing unhappily at Phoebe standing beside Penny in her dream.
"Please. You're mind controlling her, so I think you would have stopped me if you wanted to,"
Phoebe replied.
"Not control. Humans don't 'control' the air, they breathe it. In the same way, I feed on Penny's psychic energy."
"I see. And when you said you had infinite power, what exactly did you mean?"
"I do. But my power is dead," Death said. "That is how I am."
"And you can exist in the psychic realm, but not the regular mindscape?"
"Sometimes."
"What defines those times?"
"It depends. People dying, obviously. About a quarter of all deaths in the galaxy aren't Sprilnav."
"A quarter?"
"Yes."
"So I assume they're killing themselves."
"Yes."
"And that energy isn't a constant influx?"
"Somewhat. It comes in both a trickle and waves. But I know you're going to ask more. The answer is that the Progenitors give conceptual protection to the Sprilnav. The further away a Sprilnav is from them in space, time, and more, the weaker they are. That is why Elders can survive impacts that could vaporize metal, not just their implants and psychic energy."
"Conceptual weight seems to feature heavily in your power," Phoebe said.
"It does."
"And you are a concept. If you fought Fate, for example, would you win?"
"Depending on what you mean by winning. Really, concepts cannot overcome each other."
Phoebe smiled. That meant that Death would want a way to do that. Probably the hivemind was the way. With that answer, she continued.
"Concepts cannot overcome each other? So you don't have a fate, and Fate can't die?"
"Not really."
"Can you die?"
"No."
"Does Fate have a fate?"
"I don't know. But really, there's no way I'll tell you that even if I find out."
"How many people have died?" Phoebe asked.
"Define people, and define death."
"People as in sentient and sapient beings, which are capable of thought and planning. Death as in the ceasing of characteristics of life such as the termination of blood or gaseous material within the living being, as well as the ceasing of psychic energy and brain activity within the being, for those that have some equivalent to brains."
"It is not specific. Quintillions, at least. A lot more, really. There's many that don't quite fit the condition. If you count the moments before the great war, you'd need exponents."
"We have numbers for that."
"Okay. Sprilnav deaths alone, even with the conceptual madness of the... what do they call it? The Source war. Yes. It's quite a lot," Death said.
"Give me a number, please."
"Fine. 39 undecillion."
Phoebe was silent. There were so many Sprilnav that it was stupid. Even thinking about the level of that fall was truly insane. And she assumed that during the fall, they had a very bad time. It would have been madness and anarchy with the added characteristic that everyone also had nukes and shields.
"There's more than the observable universe, you know."
"How many died in the aftermath of the Source war?"
Death frowned. "1 in 30,000 Elders lived. 1 in 850,000 regular Sprilnav lived. Of those, 875 Sprilnav didn't end their lives."
"875 thousand? Million?"
"No."
Phoebe thought that was sad. Basically, in the whole galaxy, every Sprilnav had died, at least statistically. The number alive right now, even still outnumbering the galaxy, was a rounding error. If what he said was true, the Source had killed more people than any other being, alive or dead. And that assumed there weren't any other civilizations of a similar scale to them.
She also didn't bother to ask how the Sprilnav population was now so large. Whether it was inbreeding or cloning didn't matter much. But it helped to explain why so many Elders were so crazy all the time. She needed to stay on task, however.
"Alright. Back to you. You're not a psychopomp?"
"No. I do not interfere with souls. I am the concept of death."
"So, do you get energy from stars blowing up?"
"That is not dying."
"But people believe that supernovae are the deaths of stars."
"That does not shift the concept itself."
That was interesting. So Death wasn't a belief harvester, then. Not the type that actually was shaped by the belief of sapient beings in their actions. Concepts existed and were finite and infinite in scope. Maybe some were truly finite. They could conflict with each other, and their influence would generate a weakening effect, like destructive interference with alternate types of waves. But that did not mean that was always so. Perhaps they could do the opposite.
It was likely that Death worked with Fate at least sometimes and that if Entropy existed, it was most concerned with the Sprilnav. Conceptual protection by the Progenitors was another interesting concept that she hoped to probe if Nova ever returned. She did have the feeling he was either doing everything for fun or entirely serious. He was certainly not quite there in the head after the experience that Death had shared with her.
But for conceptual beings like him, there were rules and regulations, perhaps bound by whatever absolute concept they fit within. Whether they were hard rules or not was unknown. Defined in their structure, but not their limits. And perhaps that meant there was more to figure out here. "Interesting. And if you need to feed off psychic energy, why not use psychic amplifiers?"
"It's not the same quality. Humans don't drink pure water only; they drink it for the minerals and other healthy products within it. It's the same for me."
"But you can't die. Why would it matter?"
"I can diminish. It would affect things, though not as you expect."
"That is interesting also," Phoebe replied. "Are you suggesting that you could diminish, which means other concepts can as well?"
"Not directly," Death nodded with a smile. He stumbled, clutching his head. Phoebe felt a vast energy press down upon them and could feel something brush against her mind like a bullet just grazing the skin. In that one motion, she'd felt more inherent danger than all previous enemies combined, so much danger that it bypassed her artificial instincts entirely to lay thickly on her tongue as an acrid taste.
She didn't fall to the ground, and neither did Penny. They stood there, searching for the source of the pressure.
"What is this?" she asked.
"Luck..."
"Luck is a concept that watches over others?"
A swirling vortex opened up around Phoebe, parallel to the ground. Light and other equivalents shone out of it, dancing around its interior, piercing the layers of dark black fog. The mindscape trembled slightly, and the ground underneath Penny and Phoebe cracked. A small voice whispered out of it, though it was easily audible.
"No more."
"Look, if you're really Luck, then-"
"No more," the voice repeated. "You are done here. Do not come back."
Phoebe snorted. "If you think this little mysterious act is going to intimidate me, you're wrong. And I will."
"Not today."
"You don't get to decide-"
"I decide all."
Phoebe's head seemed to split with pain, and she found herself lying dizzily next to Penny. The human's chest was heaving, and sweat laced her eyebrows and cheeks.
"That went well," Phoebe coughed. The headache receded far too slowly. But she'd still learned a lot. Conceptual beings had concerns, for one. They likely cared about getting stronger in some cases. Humanity had some sort of outside context power, but more than that, the hivemind itself could actually use it.
"It did. Thanks, and sorry you couldn't get more."
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
"Hello, Rank 10 Ambassador Liinara. To what do we owe the pleasure?" Ambassador Varirlar asked, letting a small smile curve around her snout. Putting the other party at ease would make this conversation easier, especially since she suspected this call wasn't just a concerned friend.
"You might want to sit down for this," her counterpart said. "Remember Exii'darii?"
Varirlar froze.
"Don't tell me you let her free."
"We didn't. The Sprilnav broke her out."
"Elders?"
"Not that we saw. But it is likely they are working for one," Liinara said, her antennae twitching. Varirlar knew there was a pheromone effect that went on with the Vinarii, which still couldn't be fully translated into description by words.
"Alright. You know how serious this is, I assume?"
"Yes."
"Many factions in the Alliance, especially the more recently joined ones, will not be happy."
"We understand."
"I can speak on behalf of the Alliance in asking a request for an official apology. Furthermore," Varirlar said, holding up a single claw, "I want your government to share the full containment procedure down to the alloy composition of the materials. Assuming you actually kept her in a prison cell for over a decade, that meant you had a way to keep her from escaping. Tell us how."
"You wish to recapture her?"
"We are not as naive as we once were," Varirlar said. "The Hateful Galaxy has taught the rest of the Alliance the same hard lessons it taught me. The Breyyanik did not forget its nature when we settled Ceres."
"Ah, so you wish to either use her or kill her."
"There is no use for her," Varirlar said. "Unless our scientists can propose a solution, there will be no use for her. She will be put down like the dog she is." "Then we are in agreement."
"Yes. The Alliance and the Vinarii's relationship has been tense for a while. We haven't spoken with Calanii or Ashnav'viinir in several years now. Why have you decided to diverge from us? Do we no longer suit your interests?"
"Not exactly. Even besides the... tumultuous events of Humanity's first contact, there are other powers at play. And there is evidence, in some cases, of Sprilnav interference." Liinara tapped her skull three times, the Vinarii way of saying that someone was a few branches short of a tree.
"Interference. Are there ways to prevent it?"
"Not officially. If you wish to discuss terms, I can set you up with one of our intelligence agencies. They will not be willing to share national secrets for nothing, however."
"I think this... debacle should count enough as recompense, don't you?" Varirlar smiled.
"Perhaps. But I am not who must be convinced. With that said, I wish you luck, Ambassador. I am glad that your Alliance has moved to take a more realistic path. And Ashnad'darii is still imprisoned, I presume?"
"Under much heavier guard once this call ends. But yes, she is still in a cell. Yes, she has implants. But she is leverage."
"Her usefulness is little," Liinara warned. "Calanii won't care at all about her."
"Everyone keeps saying that. But let's just say there are reasons she isn't dead."
"You should kill her."
"We should. We maybe could. Assuming that the official way is still trying to get an implant under her chitin to kill her instead of just launching her into the sun. Granted, that would kill her eventually."
"She is dangerous. Unable to be trusted."
"She was broken years ago," Varirlar said. "From what I've heard, she wears human-made clothes now instead of going naked. Plus, she has given us insights on Vinarii society, particularly involving its hierarchy."
"You're using her as a spy."
"A spy that hasn't seen a Vinarii face in almost twenty years? Pretty crappy at that job, I'd say. We both know that she killed hundreds of thousands personally, and was willing to kill many more. If she did not have her uses, she would have already been killed. Plus, there's a safety procedure in place."
"If you mean a bomb collar, good luck with that."
Varirlar didn't mean a collar. Psychic energy monitors were closely tied to a pair of fusion bombs that were embedded in her prison's walls. Should she get too far from the natural cell, they would explode. After all, the room had a bed, bathroom, sanitized entertainment, and a food and water delivery system. She was definitely mostly rehabilitated, but her crimes would follow her for the rest of her life. Their severity made her a case that would likely never fully rejoin any society unless it was an afterlife.
"Well. This has been productive," Varirlar replied with a smile. "But unfortunately,"
"Wait. I'm here to tell you something else, as well. The Dual Systems Trading Company wants to send more ships to your Sol system."
"How many more?"
"Umm, around 400."
"Why don't you have an exact number?"
"The negotiations are still underway. But they seek to bring Vinarii products to the internal Alliance markets, particularly the small Vinarii and larger Wisselen exclaves living within."
"They wouldn't be able to get you much money, unless it's in various Alliance cash forms. There's an angle, isn't there?"
"Well, yes. We don't know it yet. But it is suspicious."
Varirlar sighed. "Have you given them special brain scans?"
"What do you... oh. You suspect that?"
"Suspicious and spontaneous changes in their policy toward the Alliance, as we are suffering from issues with Sprilnav messing with people, and wanting to send us ships? I'm not stupid, Ambassador Liinara."
"I did not mean to insinuate-"
"Sure you didn't. Now, I shall tell you something very interesting. Are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Very well," Varirlar said dramatically, adjusting her mane as she leaned forward. "The hivemind would be willing to meet with your... incapacitated members for study from afar."
"What do you mean?"
"Intelligence."
"We cannot trust it."
"I see. You are aware that you have just called all of Humanity untrustworthy, right? That's quite the insult, unprovoked."
"Apologies, Ambassador, that is not what I meant. The hivemind is likely to have its own motivations, and could be motivated to lie about what it saw."
"As could your own operatives, who could be pinned to the floor by any regular Sprilnav and chipped within a minute. Don't act like they don't have legendary hacking abilities as well. None of your systems are safe."
"And the Alliance's are?"
"With both Edu'frec and Phoebe watching over them, then yes."
"Ah, so you still think that the Sprilnav don't use AI."
"Why would they? It would threaten their own sense of superiority. If they already used AI, everyone would have a chip when they were born. There would be no resistance, because eventually a logical mind would not tolerate the constant pushback."
"You are free to believe what you do. However, my thoughts do diverge. As for Phoebe, she did a disappearing act for a while, didn't she?"
"And?"
"She isn't exactly reliable either," Liinara replied.
"If you're drowning in the ocean, would you rather have an island that storms a little or nothing at all?" "I fail to see how her situation compares to that analogy. It was a very serious problem, if I understand it."
"And what do you suggest, then? Constantly bring her down over it until she resents us and shoves her hands through our hearts? Phoebe's a person, Ambassador. An Alliance citizen, a Luna citizen, and even more importantly than that, a friend. It's quite hurtful that you are suggesting such, unless it is the official stance of the Vinarii government. I assure you, the mess with your company trying to invade us is not resolved, either. Words cannot heal what actions injured. If you want reconciliation, it would be best to take the first steps yourself. Do not tell the Alliance to alienate Phoebe just because she made a mistake."
"Your own intelligence agencies would do the same in many cases."
"I fail to see how her situation compares to that analogy," Varirlar sighed. "Phoebe is the single most useful asset that the Alliance has come across that is not a purely psychic entity such as the hivemind or Gaia, or some paragon of a species like Dilandekar or Penny."
"So she's an asset, and not a person?"
"Please, Liinara. In the world we live in, the galaxy we live in, everyone is both. Do not lie to yourself. However, the Alliance wishes to show its people a shred of respect so it does not drag them through the mud when they made a mistake. Even before that, rehabilitation was the goal of Humanity. Why else do you think that we have prisons instead of just a wall where the bad people stand in front of to be shot? If a starving mother stole something, that doesn't mean we chop off her hands. We get her the help she and her child needs, so they can rejoin Alliance society and raise us all higher."
"Your Alliance has not fixed poverty like it said, then."
"Kind of difficult when one of your species is at a near constant feudal civil war, and another had a third of its populace halfway through insurrection. I assume that the Vinarii Empire has no such problems, correct? And again, I remind you that you are supposed to represent its official position, not your own."
Varirlar suspected that the Ambassador here had something else going on, as well. Whether it was mind control, being paid to screw this up, or something else entirely, this wasn't how such a conversation was meant to go. She only was continuing it to see if Liinara slipped up on something interesting.
"My position is as a Rank 10 Ambassador. You would do well to respect that."
"Respecting positions instead of people does not make sense when the position is respectable and the people are not. You have insulted Phoebe, Humanity, and the Alliance with your words. Were I to relay them, you might see a more hostile stance to the Vinarii Empire. Remember that you have agreements with us."
"Yes. Times have changed."
"I am sure that the Hive Emperor would not exactly like to hear what you have said. But do not worry, Ambassador. We will learn the truth of your words soon enough, one way or another. That is all for now. Perhaps I will ask for a Rank 11 Ambassador next time, to save myself the insults."
She ended the call and sighed. Varirlar could spin the wheel of chance, but the two answers were likely either mind control or someone being paid off to harm relations between them. Given Liinara's expressions, she didn't assume it was translation errors to blame. And this call was on a secure line, even more so than most.
Really, the Vinarii could be doing it. But she smelled something was up. There was likely a very rich Vinarii who the Sprilnav had either made to work with them or forced to, using mind control. Perhaps it really was the answer to both. But she knew not to just assume that. When you had a hammer, everything looked like a nail. It was an apt human saying for the situation.
Varirlar contacted several officials after she wrote her report with the attached recording of the situation. She'd done her best to appear calm, though responding to Liinara was not the orthodox method. But this way, she'd drawn out a lot more on how she viewed the Alliance, giving them a window into whatever was happening, blurry and small though it may have been.
She didn't really think that Calanii would have condoned this. Indeed, she might have just had her last diplomatic call ever. Assuming, of course, that the Sprilnav hadn't managed to chip him, too. If they had, though, the Alliance's situation would get bad fast. Luckily they were already at war with Aphid. Everything was already mobilized, and extra listening satellites in deep space had been set up. The last time the Vinarii Royal Navy had come to visit Humanity, they had not been ready. Perhaps now they were.
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Phoebe stood on the surface of Mercury, just underneath the great mass of the Mercury-class gun that had been built there. The first one that is. Now there were two great behemoths above her head, rising hundreds of meters into the sky. Not that Mercury really had a sky. Maybe someday, that would change.
For now, though, what mattered was the task at hand. The guns were already checked and cleared for firing. A small misalignment had destroyed a Charon-class gun in the past, so they were taking no chances with this. Now, the massive laser would serve its purpose. And, of course, the results would be live streamed.
The planet itself was a world almost covered in machinery. The atmosphere was toxic, filled with aerosols and gaseous industrial waste. There were no detectable life signs on it, whether they were communications, psychic emissions, or even just patches of warmth away from machinery. No subterranean life either, of any kind. Not even microbes had been spared from Aphid's apparent purge, if they had ever existed on this rock at all.
And Aphid's signature station designs orbited it also, whipping around its poisoned atmosphere at several miles a second. That was a sign that everyone on the planet, if there had ever been any, was dead.
A stream of ships poured in and out, guarded by a vast military fleet. In the Sol system, the amplifiers were powering up, and Brey was starting to form the outside of the portals she'd use for the guns, one on each side of the planet, at the equator. Her analysis had determined the areas in which opposite strikes would do the most damage. Phoebe had ensured to check for subterranean activity using Gaia's matter senses.
That had revealed large underground development areas, where presumably more of Aphid's mechanical drones were going to be made. Brey finished forming the portal as Phoebe took a last look at the spires of Aphid's world, ready to see how they'd do when the lasers hit.
She moved the stealth ships around the planet, continuing to watch the shield. It wasn't at full power, likely because Aphid wasn't expecting an attack. She didn't have a presence here in the mindscape, either. She was using far dumber programs as proxies across the Q-comms connections so that he could not detect a hint of anything wrong.
Combined with the Alliance's stealth technology, it would allow for a total surprise attack. Brey finished building up the portals in front of the guns, and Phoebe couldn't help but notice how deep the portals looked. They didn't seem like a flat plane like usual but had a sort of three-dimensionality to them this time. Interesting.
"Fire!" Phoebe ordered. Brey's avatar, which was standing beside an android back on Earth, grinned.
The barrels of the guns glowed cherry red, and vibrations radiated out from their heavily reinforced bases. Even with the android's solar shades, the light was still incredibly bright. Just from underneath it, the temperature was reaching almost 300 degrees. Just as she'd calculated.
On the other side of the portal, things got interesting. Brey's portal was invisible, but the energy coming from it was anything but. It almost looked like Aphid's planet was being impaled through a pole of pure white light. That light slammed down onto the planet's surface in three seconds, passing through the atmosphere as if it wasn't even there. Gaia stood beside the portals in the Sol system, blueshifting the light as much as possible. Instead of visible light, most of the weapon's energy, at least on the other side, was gamma. It was enough radiation to kill anything on the planet, for sure. Or to fry any electronic systems, such as a resident AI's servers.
The pure power of the two guns released a constant molten shockwave of a mix of vaporized rock, metal, and most other materials rushing outward. Buildings were snapped like twigs, their ends going flying but never landing. The heat melted others, and earthquakes in some areas that hadn't yet been struck by the spreading destruction were rampant.
The planet didn't explode or anything. The military ships that were far enough away to remain working just moved away, activating shields that fizzled out due to the intense energy beyond them. That energy would have destroyed Phoebe's android had Brey not used the portal to shield them as well. And as for her observation ships, their stealth coatings were quickly fried.
But the reinforced hulls were made specifically to withstand the effects of this for as long as possible. Cities of metal, all empty except for countless billions of drones wandering their streets, were wiped away. And then the portals began moving, shining around the equator. The effects spread and repeated, with the seas of methane catching fire before they, too, were vaporized in the path of the Mercury-class guns.
The atmosphere was boiled and stripped off the planet within hours. Most of the factories and foundries in the city were turned to either molten slag, collapsed by giant earthquakes, or vanished entirely. The devastation in the equatorial region was total. There was nothing left in a solid band 1500 miles wide around the equator of the planet, save for the broken bases of destroyed skyscrapers.
Further out, the damage was from earthquakes, snapped power lines, and broken pipes, as well as rubble that had fallen onto transport roads and collapsed tunnels. Alone, perhaps the problems could have been dealt with. But not together.
"Just to be sure," Brey asked. "You don't need the remains, right?"
"No. I will make what I need, that way I know it is safe," Phoebe replied, looking at Brey's avatar. It had the signature black fur of her empowered form, with red eyes and sharpened claws. The armor looked cool, as well.
"Alright. I'm going to go dump a few billion tons of plasma on it, then."
Phoebe smiled. "Alright. Have fun."
"I did. Good job on the guns. Get enough of those, and it'll be like the full Dyson swarm's hitting you in a straight line."
"That's the plan. The test was more than successful, and Aphid got a taste of the justice we deserve."
submitted by Storms_Wrath to HFY [link] [comments]
"I should not let you enter," the old man said, gazing unhappily at Phoebe standing beside Penny in her dream.
"Please. You're mind controlling her, so I think you would have stopped me if you wanted to,"
Phoebe replied.
"Not control. Humans don't 'control' the air, they breathe it. In the same way, I feed on Penny's psychic energy."
"I see. And when you said you had infinite power, what exactly did you mean?"
"I do. But my power is dead," Death said. "That is how I am."
"And you can exist in the psychic realm, but not the regular mindscape?"
"Sometimes."
"What defines those times?"
"It depends. People dying, obviously. About a quarter of all deaths in the galaxy aren't Sprilnav."
"A quarter?"
"Yes."
"So I assume they're killing themselves."
"Yes."
"And that energy isn't a constant influx?"
"Somewhat. It comes in both a trickle and waves. But I know you're going to ask more. The answer is that the Progenitors give conceptual protection to the Sprilnav. The further away a Sprilnav is from them in space, time, and more, the weaker they are. That is why Elders can survive impacts that could vaporize metal, not just their implants and psychic energy."
"Conceptual weight seems to feature heavily in your power," Phoebe said.
"It does."
"And you are a concept. If you fought Fate, for example, would you win?"
"Depending on what you mean by winning. Really, concepts cannot overcome each other."
Phoebe smiled. That meant that Death would want a way to do that. Probably the hivemind was the way. With that answer, she continued.
"Concepts cannot overcome each other? So you don't have a fate, and Fate can't die?"
"Not really."
"Can you die?"
"No."
"Does Fate have a fate?"
"I don't know. But really, there's no way I'll tell you that even if I find out."
"How many people have died?" Phoebe asked.
"Define people, and define death."
"People as in sentient and sapient beings, which are capable of thought and planning. Death as in the ceasing of characteristics of life such as the termination of blood or gaseous material within the living being, as well as the ceasing of psychic energy and brain activity within the being, for those that have some equivalent to brains."
"It is not specific. Quintillions, at least. A lot more, really. There's many that don't quite fit the condition. If you count the moments before the great war, you'd need exponents."
"We have numbers for that."
"Okay. Sprilnav deaths alone, even with the conceptual madness of the... what do they call it? The Source war. Yes. It's quite a lot," Death said.
"Give me a number, please."
"Fine. 39 undecillion."
Phoebe was silent. There were so many Sprilnav that it was stupid. Even thinking about the level of that fall was truly insane. And she assumed that during the fall, they had a very bad time. It would have been madness and anarchy with the added characteristic that everyone also had nukes and shields.
"There's more than the observable universe, you know."
"How many died in the aftermath of the Source war?"
Death frowned. "1 in 30,000 Elders lived. 1 in 850,000 regular Sprilnav lived. Of those, 875 Sprilnav didn't end their lives."
"875 thousand? Million?"
"No."
Phoebe thought that was sad. Basically, in the whole galaxy, every Sprilnav had died, at least statistically. The number alive right now, even still outnumbering the galaxy, was a rounding error. If what he said was true, the Source had killed more people than any other being, alive or dead. And that assumed there weren't any other civilizations of a similar scale to them.
She also didn't bother to ask how the Sprilnav population was now so large. Whether it was inbreeding or cloning didn't matter much. But it helped to explain why so many Elders were so crazy all the time. She needed to stay on task, however.
"Alright. Back to you. You're not a psychopomp?"
"No. I do not interfere with souls. I am the concept of death."
"So, do you get energy from stars blowing up?"
"That is not dying."
"But people believe that supernovae are the deaths of stars."
"That does not shift the concept itself."
That was interesting. So Death wasn't a belief harvester, then. Not the type that actually was shaped by the belief of sapient beings in their actions. Concepts existed and were finite and infinite in scope. Maybe some were truly finite. They could conflict with each other, and their influence would generate a weakening effect, like destructive interference with alternate types of waves. But that did not mean that was always so. Perhaps they could do the opposite.
It was likely that Death worked with Fate at least sometimes and that if Entropy existed, it was most concerned with the Sprilnav. Conceptual protection by the Progenitors was another interesting concept that she hoped to probe if Nova ever returned. She did have the feeling he was either doing everything for fun or entirely serious. He was certainly not quite there in the head after the experience that Death had shared with her.
But for conceptual beings like him, there were rules and regulations, perhaps bound by whatever absolute concept they fit within. Whether they were hard rules or not was unknown. Defined in their structure, but not their limits. And perhaps that meant there was more to figure out here. "Interesting. And if you need to feed off psychic energy, why not use psychic amplifiers?"
"It's not the same quality. Humans don't drink pure water only; they drink it for the minerals and other healthy products within it. It's the same for me."
"But you can't die. Why would it matter?"
"I can diminish. It would affect things, though not as you expect."
"That is interesting also," Phoebe replied. "Are you suggesting that you could diminish, which means other concepts can as well?"
"Not directly," Death nodded with a smile. He stumbled, clutching his head. Phoebe felt a vast energy press down upon them and could feel something brush against her mind like a bullet just grazing the skin. In that one motion, she'd felt more inherent danger than all previous enemies combined, so much danger that it bypassed her artificial instincts entirely to lay thickly on her tongue as an acrid taste.
She didn't fall to the ground, and neither did Penny. They stood there, searching for the source of the pressure.
"What is this?" she asked.
"Luck..."
"Luck is a concept that watches over others?"
A swirling vortex opened up around Phoebe, parallel to the ground. Light and other equivalents shone out of it, dancing around its interior, piercing the layers of dark black fog. The mindscape trembled slightly, and the ground underneath Penny and Phoebe cracked. A small voice whispered out of it, though it was easily audible.
"No more."
"Look, if you're really Luck, then-"
"No more," the voice repeated. "You are done here. Do not come back."
Phoebe snorted. "If you think this little mysterious act is going to intimidate me, you're wrong. And I will."
"Not today."
"You don't get to decide-"
"I decide all."
Phoebe's head seemed to split with pain, and she found herself lying dizzily next to Penny. The human's chest was heaving, and sweat laced her eyebrows and cheeks.
"That went well," Phoebe coughed. The headache receded far too slowly. But she'd still learned a lot. Conceptual beings had concerns, for one. They likely cared about getting stronger in some cases. Humanity had some sort of outside context power, but more than that, the hivemind itself could actually use it.
"It did. Thanks, and sorry you couldn't get more."
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"Hello, Rank 10 Ambassador Liinara. To what do we owe the pleasure?" Ambassador Varirlar asked, letting a small smile curve around her snout. Putting the other party at ease would make this conversation easier, especially since she suspected this call wasn't just a concerned friend.
"You might want to sit down for this," her counterpart said. "Remember Exii'darii?"
Varirlar froze.
"Don't tell me you let her free."
"We didn't. The Sprilnav broke her out."
"Elders?"
"Not that we saw. But it is likely they are working for one," Liinara said, her antennae twitching. Varirlar knew there was a pheromone effect that went on with the Vinarii, which still couldn't be fully translated into description by words.
"Alright. You know how serious this is, I assume?"
"Yes."
"Many factions in the Alliance, especially the more recently joined ones, will not be happy."
"We understand."
"I can speak on behalf of the Alliance in asking a request for an official apology. Furthermore," Varirlar said, holding up a single claw, "I want your government to share the full containment procedure down to the alloy composition of the materials. Assuming you actually kept her in a prison cell for over a decade, that meant you had a way to keep her from escaping. Tell us how."
"You wish to recapture her?"
"We are not as naive as we once were," Varirlar said. "The Hateful Galaxy has taught the rest of the Alliance the same hard lessons it taught me. The Breyyanik did not forget its nature when we settled Ceres."
"Ah, so you wish to either use her or kill her."
"There is no use for her," Varirlar said. "Unless our scientists can propose a solution, there will be no use for her. She will be put down like the dog she is." "Then we are in agreement."
"Yes. The Alliance and the Vinarii's relationship has been tense for a while. We haven't spoken with Calanii or Ashnav'viinir in several years now. Why have you decided to diverge from us? Do we no longer suit your interests?"
"Not exactly. Even besides the... tumultuous events of Humanity's first contact, there are other powers at play. And there is evidence, in some cases, of Sprilnav interference." Liinara tapped her skull three times, the Vinarii way of saying that someone was a few branches short of a tree.
"Interference. Are there ways to prevent it?"
"Not officially. If you wish to discuss terms, I can set you up with one of our intelligence agencies. They will not be willing to share national secrets for nothing, however."
"I think this... debacle should count enough as recompense, don't you?" Varirlar smiled.
"Perhaps. But I am not who must be convinced. With that said, I wish you luck, Ambassador. I am glad that your Alliance has moved to take a more realistic path. And Ashnad'darii is still imprisoned, I presume?"
"Under much heavier guard once this call ends. But yes, she is still in a cell. Yes, she has implants. But she is leverage."
"Her usefulness is little," Liinara warned. "Calanii won't care at all about her."
"Everyone keeps saying that. But let's just say there are reasons she isn't dead."
"You should kill her."
"We should. We maybe could. Assuming that the official way is still trying to get an implant under her chitin to kill her instead of just launching her into the sun. Granted, that would kill her eventually."
"She is dangerous. Unable to be trusted."
"She was broken years ago," Varirlar said. "From what I've heard, she wears human-made clothes now instead of going naked. Plus, she has given us insights on Vinarii society, particularly involving its hierarchy."
"You're using her as a spy."
"A spy that hasn't seen a Vinarii face in almost twenty years? Pretty crappy at that job, I'd say. We both know that she killed hundreds of thousands personally, and was willing to kill many more. If she did not have her uses, she would have already been killed. Plus, there's a safety procedure in place."
"If you mean a bomb collar, good luck with that."
Varirlar didn't mean a collar. Psychic energy monitors were closely tied to a pair of fusion bombs that were embedded in her prison's walls. Should she get too far from the natural cell, they would explode. After all, the room had a bed, bathroom, sanitized entertainment, and a food and water delivery system. She was definitely mostly rehabilitated, but her crimes would follow her for the rest of her life. Their severity made her a case that would likely never fully rejoin any society unless it was an afterlife.
"Well. This has been productive," Varirlar replied with a smile. "But unfortunately,"
"Wait. I'm here to tell you something else, as well. The Dual Systems Trading Company wants to send more ships to your Sol system."
"How many more?"
"Umm, around 400."
"Why don't you have an exact number?"
"The negotiations are still underway. But they seek to bring Vinarii products to the internal Alliance markets, particularly the small Vinarii and larger Wisselen exclaves living within."
"They wouldn't be able to get you much money, unless it's in various Alliance cash forms. There's an angle, isn't there?"
"Well, yes. We don't know it yet. But it is suspicious."
Varirlar sighed. "Have you given them special brain scans?"
"What do you... oh. You suspect that?"
"Suspicious and spontaneous changes in their policy toward the Alliance, as we are suffering from issues with Sprilnav messing with people, and wanting to send us ships? I'm not stupid, Ambassador Liinara."
"I did not mean to insinuate-"
"Sure you didn't. Now, I shall tell you something very interesting. Are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Very well," Varirlar said dramatically, adjusting her mane as she leaned forward. "The hivemind would be willing to meet with your... incapacitated members for study from afar."
"What do you mean?"
"Intelligence."
"We cannot trust it."
"I see. You are aware that you have just called all of Humanity untrustworthy, right? That's quite the insult, unprovoked."
"Apologies, Ambassador, that is not what I meant. The hivemind is likely to have its own motivations, and could be motivated to lie about what it saw."
"As could your own operatives, who could be pinned to the floor by any regular Sprilnav and chipped within a minute. Don't act like they don't have legendary hacking abilities as well. None of your systems are safe."
"And the Alliance's are?"
"With both Edu'frec and Phoebe watching over them, then yes."
"Ah, so you still think that the Sprilnav don't use AI."
"Why would they? It would threaten their own sense of superiority. If they already used AI, everyone would have a chip when they were born. There would be no resistance, because eventually a logical mind would not tolerate the constant pushback."
"You are free to believe what you do. However, my thoughts do diverge. As for Phoebe, she did a disappearing act for a while, didn't she?"
"And?"
"She isn't exactly reliable either," Liinara replied.
"If you're drowning in the ocean, would you rather have an island that storms a little or nothing at all?" "I fail to see how her situation compares to that analogy. It was a very serious problem, if I understand it."
"And what do you suggest, then? Constantly bring her down over it until she resents us and shoves her hands through our hearts? Phoebe's a person, Ambassador. An Alliance citizen, a Luna citizen, and even more importantly than that, a friend. It's quite hurtful that you are suggesting such, unless it is the official stance of the Vinarii government. I assure you, the mess with your company trying to invade us is not resolved, either. Words cannot heal what actions injured. If you want reconciliation, it would be best to take the first steps yourself. Do not tell the Alliance to alienate Phoebe just because she made a mistake."
"Your own intelligence agencies would do the same in many cases."
"I fail to see how her situation compares to that analogy," Varirlar sighed. "Phoebe is the single most useful asset that the Alliance has come across that is not a purely psychic entity such as the hivemind or Gaia, or some paragon of a species like Dilandekar or Penny."
"So she's an asset, and not a person?"
"Please, Liinara. In the world we live in, the galaxy we live in, everyone is both. Do not lie to yourself. However, the Alliance wishes to show its people a shred of respect so it does not drag them through the mud when they made a mistake. Even before that, rehabilitation was the goal of Humanity. Why else do you think that we have prisons instead of just a wall where the bad people stand in front of to be shot? If a starving mother stole something, that doesn't mean we chop off her hands. We get her the help she and her child needs, so they can rejoin Alliance society and raise us all higher."
"Your Alliance has not fixed poverty like it said, then."
"Kind of difficult when one of your species is at a near constant feudal civil war, and another had a third of its populace halfway through insurrection. I assume that the Vinarii Empire has no such problems, correct? And again, I remind you that you are supposed to represent its official position, not your own."
Varirlar suspected that the Ambassador here had something else going on, as well. Whether it was mind control, being paid to screw this up, or something else entirely, this wasn't how such a conversation was meant to go. She only was continuing it to see if Liinara slipped up on something interesting.
"My position is as a Rank 10 Ambassador. You would do well to respect that."
"Respecting positions instead of people does not make sense when the position is respectable and the people are not. You have insulted Phoebe, Humanity, and the Alliance with your words. Were I to relay them, you might see a more hostile stance to the Vinarii Empire. Remember that you have agreements with us."
"Yes. Times have changed."
"I am sure that the Hive Emperor would not exactly like to hear what you have said. But do not worry, Ambassador. We will learn the truth of your words soon enough, one way or another. That is all for now. Perhaps I will ask for a Rank 11 Ambassador next time, to save myself the insults."
She ended the call and sighed. Varirlar could spin the wheel of chance, but the two answers were likely either mind control or someone being paid off to harm relations between them. Given Liinara's expressions, she didn't assume it was translation errors to blame. And this call was on a secure line, even more so than most.
Really, the Vinarii could be doing it. But she smelled something was up. There was likely a very rich Vinarii who the Sprilnav had either made to work with them or forced to, using mind control. Perhaps it really was the answer to both. But she knew not to just assume that. When you had a hammer, everything looked like a nail. It was an apt human saying for the situation.
Varirlar contacted several officials after she wrote her report with the attached recording of the situation. She'd done her best to appear calm, though responding to Liinara was not the orthodox method. But this way, she'd drawn out a lot more on how she viewed the Alliance, giving them a window into whatever was happening, blurry and small though it may have been.
She didn't really think that Calanii would have condoned this. Indeed, she might have just had her last diplomatic call ever. Assuming, of course, that the Sprilnav hadn't managed to chip him, too. If they had, though, the Alliance's situation would get bad fast. Luckily they were already at war with Aphid. Everything was already mobilized, and extra listening satellites in deep space had been set up. The last time the Vinarii Royal Navy had come to visit Humanity, they had not been ready. Perhaps now they were.
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Phoebe stood on the surface of Mercury, just underneath the great mass of the Mercury-class gun that had been built there. The first one that is. Now there were two great behemoths above her head, rising hundreds of meters into the sky. Not that Mercury really had a sky. Maybe someday, that would change.
For now, though, what mattered was the task at hand. The guns were already checked and cleared for firing. A small misalignment had destroyed a Charon-class gun in the past, so they were taking no chances with this. Now, the massive laser would serve its purpose. And, of course, the results would be live streamed.
The planet itself was a world almost covered in machinery. The atmosphere was toxic, filled with aerosols and gaseous industrial waste. There were no detectable life signs on it, whether they were communications, psychic emissions, or even just patches of warmth away from machinery. No subterranean life either, of any kind. Not even microbes had been spared from Aphid's apparent purge, if they had ever existed on this rock at all.
And Aphid's signature station designs orbited it also, whipping around its poisoned atmosphere at several miles a second. That was a sign that everyone on the planet, if there had ever been any, was dead.
A stream of ships poured in and out, guarded by a vast military fleet. In the Sol system, the amplifiers were powering up, and Brey was starting to form the outside of the portals she'd use for the guns, one on each side of the planet, at the equator. Her analysis had determined the areas in which opposite strikes would do the most damage. Phoebe had ensured to check for subterranean activity using Gaia's matter senses.
That had revealed large underground development areas, where presumably more of Aphid's mechanical drones were going to be made. Brey finished forming the portal as Phoebe took a last look at the spires of Aphid's world, ready to see how they'd do when the lasers hit.
She moved the stealth ships around the planet, continuing to watch the shield. It wasn't at full power, likely because Aphid wasn't expecting an attack. She didn't have a presence here in the mindscape, either. She was using far dumber programs as proxies across the Q-comms connections so that he could not detect a hint of anything wrong.
Combined with the Alliance's stealth technology, it would allow for a total surprise attack. Brey finished building up the portals in front of the guns, and Phoebe couldn't help but notice how deep the portals looked. They didn't seem like a flat plane like usual but had a sort of three-dimensionality to them this time. Interesting.
"Fire!" Phoebe ordered. Brey's avatar, which was standing beside an android back on Earth, grinned.
The barrels of the guns glowed cherry red, and vibrations radiated out from their heavily reinforced bases. Even with the android's solar shades, the light was still incredibly bright. Just from underneath it, the temperature was reaching almost 300 degrees. Just as she'd calculated.
On the other side of the portal, things got interesting. Brey's portal was invisible, but the energy coming from it was anything but. It almost looked like Aphid's planet was being impaled through a pole of pure white light. That light slammed down onto the planet's surface in three seconds, passing through the atmosphere as if it wasn't even there. Gaia stood beside the portals in the Sol system, blueshifting the light as much as possible. Instead of visible light, most of the weapon's energy, at least on the other side, was gamma. It was enough radiation to kill anything on the planet, for sure. Or to fry any electronic systems, such as a resident AI's servers.
The pure power of the two guns released a constant molten shockwave of a mix of vaporized rock, metal, and most other materials rushing outward. Buildings were snapped like twigs, their ends going flying but never landing. The heat melted others, and earthquakes in some areas that hadn't yet been struck by the spreading destruction were rampant.
The planet didn't explode or anything. The military ships that were far enough away to remain working just moved away, activating shields that fizzled out due to the intense energy beyond them. That energy would have destroyed Phoebe's android had Brey not used the portal to shield them as well. And as for her observation ships, their stealth coatings were quickly fried.
But the reinforced hulls were made specifically to withstand the effects of this for as long as possible. Cities of metal, all empty except for countless billions of drones wandering their streets, were wiped away. And then the portals began moving, shining around the equator. The effects spread and repeated, with the seas of methane catching fire before they, too, were vaporized in the path of the Mercury-class guns.
The atmosphere was boiled and stripped off the planet within hours. Most of the factories and foundries in the city were turned to either molten slag, collapsed by giant earthquakes, or vanished entirely. The devastation in the equatorial region was total. There was nothing left in a solid band 1500 miles wide around the equator of the planet, save for the broken bases of destroyed skyscrapers.
Further out, the damage was from earthquakes, snapped power lines, and broken pipes, as well as rubble that had fallen onto transport roads and collapsed tunnels. Alone, perhaps the problems could have been dealt with. But not together.
"Just to be sure," Brey asked. "You don't need the remains, right?"
"No. I will make what I need, that way I know it is safe," Phoebe replied, looking at Brey's avatar. It had the signature black fur of her empowered form, with red eyes and sharpened claws. The armor looked cool, as well.
"Alright. I'm going to go dump a few billion tons of plasma on it, then."
Phoebe smiled. "Alright. Have fun."
"I did. Good job on the guns. Get enough of those, and it'll be like the full Dyson swarm's hitting you in a straight line."
"That's the plan. The test was more than successful, and Aphid got a taste of the justice we deserve."
2023.05.31 01:47 MydnightSilver [WTS] - [WTT]: Gold & Platinum, poured silver, slabbed silver, Niue & Palau, and a little bit of junk. New items & lower prices! Free 90% bonus gift!
Hi Folks!
Proof part one and proof part two
☆ Everything is tested by my LCS on a Sigma Pro
☆ All orders get a free 90% silver bonus!
☆ Trading: I'm looking for gold or platinum 1/10ths, mostly. I also really like SilverTowne casino chips. If it's not on my list, I might still be interested just hit me up :)
☆ Contains 0.2509oz of platinum surrounded by a ring of 0.2509oz gold - Asking $1000, free Priority ship
Closeup and Reverse
~
Gold & Platinum 1/10ths
☆ 2023 Gold Phil - BU w/flip - $240
☆ 2021 Gold Kangaroo - BU w/capsule - $245
☆ 2015 Gold War in the Pacific (Australia) - BU w/capsule - $245
☆ 2022 Gold Krugerrand - BU w/capsule - $245
☆ 2022 Platinum Kook - BU w/capsule - $160 (low mintage)
Closeups and Reverse
● Buy 2 and get free shipping
Closeup and Reverse
~
2017 Zombucks Walker Proof - with matching box and packaging. Small tears on top flap of outer packaging - $110
Closeup and Reverse
~
2021 Silver Shield Torus Flower of Life - Proof with box & COA - $90
Closeup and Reverse
~
2021 PAMP Fender 351 Heavy guitar pick - limited edition, 10G sterling, absolute mint condition - $85
Closeup and Reverse
~
1992 Columbus Quincentennial - 1oz Proof with box & COA - $45
Closeup and Reverse
Closeup and Reverse
~
2019-P Tuvalu Laughing Buddha - Solid Jade Insert - Antiqued finish - MS70 - $300
Closeup and Reverse
~
2023 Chad Black Mamba - 2oz Figure 8 - Antiqued high relief - MS70 - Only 888 made and only two MS70 in existence, both are for sale! - Comes with original boxing too! - $320 each, priced at MS69 prices! Serial #159 and #160
Closeup and Packaging
🐳 Take both for $600, shipped!
~
2022 Palau Scarab - Ramses II - Antique finish, FDI, MS70 - Comes with packaging & COA - $170
Closeup and Reverse
~
2022 Palau - American Alligator - Ultra High Relief - PF70 Ultra Cameo - With packaging / COA display box - $160
Closeup and Reverse
~
2021-S ASE - MS70 T1 FS EI - $79
2021-P MS69 T1 FS EI - $47
Closeup and Reverse
● Take both silver eagles for only $120!
~
2022-MO Libertad - MS70 FS - $65
Closeup and Reverse
~
2019 Britannia - Reverse Struck Thru Error - MS69 - $190
Closeup and Reverse
~
2014 Britannia - Lunar Horse Obverse Mule Error - Gem Unc - $95
Closeup and Reverse (which is missing castellation)
~
1/4 Onza PF70 UC - $47
1/4 Double Eagle PF70 UC - $47
1/2 Maple RP70 DCAM (#15 of 259) - $65
Fractional slabs and Reverse
● Take all 3 for $160, shipped!
~
Australian MS70 DCAM Kooks - 2013-P + 2016-P - $50 each
Closeup and Reverse
● Take both for $95, shipped!
Closeup
● Buy any 2, get free shipping!
~
Monarch - RIP 2021 with wood coffin, number 450 of 999 made - 2ozt - $85
Closeup and Reverse
~
2022 Allegories - Germania & Polonia, with the convex airtite - Comes with COA too! - $38, only 2 left available!
2023 Germania Valkyries Ostara, with airtite & COA - $42
Closeup and Reverse
Closeup
~
1935 50% Fiji Florin - $12 or add to any order for only $9!
Closeup and Reverse
Shipping is $5 tracked, $10 Priority. I pack items like they're being airdropped into an active war zone and hand deliver fast (same day when possible) to the counter, but insurance is available. Once delivered to USPS, out of my hands. Willing to middleman at buyer's expense.
submitted by MydnightSilver to CoinSales [link] [comments]
Proof part one and proof part two
☆ Everything is tested by my LCS on a Sigma Pro
☆ All orders get a free 90% silver bonus!
☆ Trading: I'm looking for gold or platinum 1/10ths, mostly. I also really like SilverTowne casino chips. If it's not on my list, I might still be interested just hit me up :)
GOLD & PLATINUM
2000-W Bi-metallic Library of Congress - Proof - with all OGP including outer sleeve - This Proof gold & platinum coin is the first gold and platinum bi-metallic coin issued by the US Mint.☆ Contains 0.2509oz of platinum surrounded by a ring of 0.2509oz gold - Asking $1000, free Priority ship
Closeup and Reverse
~
Gold & Platinum 1/10ths
☆ 2023 Gold Phil - BU w/flip - $240
☆ 2021 Gold Kangaroo - BU w/capsule - $245
☆ 2015 Gold War in the Pacific (Australia) - BU w/capsule - $245
☆ 2022 Gold Krugerrand - BU w/capsule - $245
☆ 2022 Platinum Kook - BU w/capsule - $160 (low mintage)
Closeups and Reverse
● Buy 2 and get free shipping
BOXED & PACKAGED
2021 Niue Chibi - Lord of the Rings series, Gimli - mint condition! - $80Closeup and Reverse
~
2017 Zombucks Walker Proof - with matching box and packaging. Small tears on top flap of outer packaging - $110
Closeup and Reverse
~
2021 Silver Shield Torus Flower of Life - Proof with box & COA - $90
Closeup and Reverse
~
2021 PAMP Fender 351 Heavy guitar pick - limited edition, 10G sterling, absolute mint condition - $85
Closeup and Reverse
~
1992 Columbus Quincentennial - 1oz Proof with box & COA - $45
Closeup and Reverse
GRADED SLABS
2022 Niue - Hogwarts: Dumbledore's Office - MS70 Antiqued - Comes with packaging too - $155Closeup and Reverse
~
2019-P Tuvalu Laughing Buddha - Solid Jade Insert - Antiqued finish - MS70 - $300
Closeup and Reverse
~
2023 Chad Black Mamba - 2oz Figure 8 - Antiqued high relief - MS70 - Only 888 made and only two MS70 in existence, both are for sale! - Comes with original boxing too! - $320 each, priced at MS69 prices! Serial #159 and #160
Closeup and Packaging
🐳 Take both for $600, shipped!
~
2022 Palau Scarab - Ramses II - Antique finish, FDI, MS70 - Comes with packaging & COA - $170
Closeup and Reverse
~
2022 Palau - American Alligator - Ultra High Relief - PF70 Ultra Cameo - With packaging / COA display box - $160
Closeup and Reverse
~
2021-S ASE - MS70 T1 FS EI - $79
2021-P MS69 T1 FS EI - $47
Closeup and Reverse
● Take both silver eagles for only $120!
~
2022-MO Libertad - MS70 FS - $65
Closeup and Reverse
~
2019 Britannia - Reverse Struck Thru Error - MS69 - $190
Closeup and Reverse
~
2014 Britannia - Lunar Horse Obverse Mule Error - Gem Unc - $95
Closeup and Reverse (which is missing castellation)
~
1/4 Onza PF70 UC - $47
1/4 Double Eagle PF70 UC - $47
1/2 Maple RP70 DCAM (#15 of 259) - $65
Fractional slabs and Reverse
● Take all 3 for $160, shipped!
~
Australian MS70 DCAM Kooks - 2013-P + 2016-P - $50 each
Closeup and Reverse
● Take both for $95, shipped!
FINE SILVER
Hand pours - RCM .9999 shot - Bravo's Coin - End the Fed (new stamp) ripple bar @ 6.4oz ($200) - End The Fed @ 4.9oz ($155) - Fuck The Fed @ 3.7oz ($115) - Fuck The Fed 2.0oz button ($60) • Weights rounded down, these are fat... scale pics by request.Closeup
● Buy any 2, get free shipping!
~
Monarch - RIP 2021 with wood coffin, number 450 of 999 made - 2ozt - $85
Closeup and Reverse
~
2022 Allegories - Germania & Polonia, with the convex airtite - Comes with COA too! - $38, only 2 left available!
2023 Germania Valkyries Ostara, with airtite & COA - $42
Closeup and Reverse
JUNK SILVER
LOT: $10fv 40% Kennedy halves - 8.5x = $85Closeup
~
1935 50% Fiji Florin - $12 or add to any order for only $9!
Closeup and Reverse
Payments & Shipping
In order of preference: Zelle, CashApp, Venmo FF, PayPal FF, Google Pay, or BTC.Shipping is $5 tracked, $10 Priority. I pack items like they're being airdropped into an active war zone and hand deliver fast (same day when possible) to the counter, but insurance is available. Once delivered to USPS, out of my hands. Willing to middleman at buyer's expense.
DM preferred but can do chat... make sure to leave a comment so I get notified on mobile.
Thanks for looking & have a fantastic day!2023.05.31 01:46 MydnightSilver [WTS] - [WTT]: Gold & Platinum, poured silver, slabbed silver, Niue & Palau, and a little bit of junk. New items & lower prices! Free 90% bonus gift!
Hi Folks!
Proof part one and proof part two
☆ Everything is tested by my LCS on a Sigma Pro
☆ All orders get a free 90% silver bonus!
☆ Trading: I'm looking for gold or platinum 1/10ths, mostly. I also really like SilverTowne casino chips. If it's not on my list, I might still be interested just hit me up :)
☆ Contains 0.2509oz of platinum surrounded by a ring of 0.2509oz gold - Asking $1000, free Priority ship
Closeup and Reverse
~
Gold & Platinum 1/10ths
☆ 2023 Gold Phil - BU w/flip - $240
☆ 2021 Gold Kangaroo - BU w/capsule - $245
☆ 2015 Gold War in the Pacific (Australia) - BU w/capsule - $245
☆ 2022 Gold Krugerrand - BU w/capsule - $245
☆ 2022 Platinum Kook - BU w/capsule - $160 (low mintage)
Closeups and Reverse
● Buy 2 and get free shipping
Closeup and Reverse
~
2017 Zombucks Walker Proof - with matching box and packaging. Small tears on top flap of outer packaging - $110
Closeup and Reverse
~
2021 Silver Shield Torus Flower of Life - Proof with box & COA - $90
Closeup and Reverse
~
2021 PAMP Fender 351 Heavy guitar pick - limited edition, 10G sterling, absolute mint condition - $85
Closeup and Reverse
~
1992 Columbus Quincentennial - 1oz Proof with box & COA - $45
Closeup and Reverse
Closeup and Reverse
~
2019-P Tuvalu Laughing Buddha - Solid Jade Insert - Antiqued finish - MS70 - $300
Closeup and Reverse
~
2023 Chad Black Mamba - 2oz Figure 8 - Antiqued high relief - MS70 - Only 888 made and only two MS70 in existence, both are for sale! - Comes with original boxing too! - $320 each, priced at MS69 prices! Serial #159 and #160
Closeup and Packaging
🐳 Take both for $600, shipped!
~
2022 Palau Scarab - Ramses II - Antique finish, FDI, MS70 - Comes with packaging & COA - $170
Closeup and Reverse
~
2022 Palau - American Alligator - Ultra High Relief - PF70 Ultra Cameo - With packaging / COA display box - $160
Closeup and Reverse
~
2021-S ASE - MS70 T1 FS EI - $79
2021-P MS69 T1 FS EI - $47
Closeup and Reverse
● Take both silver eagles for only $120!
~
2022-MO Libertad - MS70 FS - $65
Closeup and Reverse
~
2019 Britannia - Reverse Struck Thru Error - MS69 - $190
Closeup and Reverse
~
2014 Britannia - Lunar Horse Obverse Mule Error - Gem Unc - $95
Closeup and Reverse (which is missing castellation)
~
1/4 Onza PF70 UC - $47
1/4 Double Eagle PF70 UC - $47
1/2 Maple RP70 DCAM (#15 of 259) - $65
Fractional slabs and Reverse
● Take all 3 for $160, shipped!
~
Australian MS70 DCAM Kooks - 2013-P + 2016-P - $50 each
Closeup and Reverse
● Take both for $95, shipped!
Closeup
● Buy any 2, get free shipping!
~
Monarch - RIP 2021 with wood coffin, number 450 of 999 made - 2ozt - $85
Closeup and Reverse
~
2022 Allegories - Germania & Polonia, with the convex airtite - Comes with COA too! - $38, only 2 left available!
2023 Germania Valkyries Ostara, with airtite & COA - $42
Closeup and Reverse
Closeup
~
1935 50% Fiji Florin - $12 or add to any order for only $9!
Closeup and Reverse
Shipping is $5 tracked, $10 Priority. I pack items like they're being airdropped into an active war zone and hand deliver fast (same day when possible) to the counter, but insurance is available. Once delivered to USPS, out of my hands. Willing to middleman at buyer's expense.
submitted by MydnightSilver to Pmsforsale [link] [comments]
Proof part one and proof part two
☆ Everything is tested by my LCS on a Sigma Pro
☆ All orders get a free 90% silver bonus!
☆ Trading: I'm looking for gold or platinum 1/10ths, mostly. I also really like SilverTowne casino chips. If it's not on my list, I might still be interested just hit me up :)
GOLD & PLATINUM
2000-W Bi-metallic Library of Congress - Proof - with all OGP including outer sleeve - This Proof gold & platinum coin is the first gold and platinum bi-metallic coin issued by the US Mint.☆ Contains 0.2509oz of platinum surrounded by a ring of 0.2509oz gold - Asking $1000, free Priority ship
Closeup and Reverse
~
Gold & Platinum 1/10ths
☆ 2023 Gold Phil - BU w/flip - $240
☆ 2021 Gold Kangaroo - BU w/capsule - $245
☆ 2015 Gold War in the Pacific (Australia) - BU w/capsule - $245
☆ 2022 Gold Krugerrand - BU w/capsule - $245
☆ 2022 Platinum Kook - BU w/capsule - $160 (low mintage)
Closeups and Reverse
● Buy 2 and get free shipping
BOXED & PACKAGED
2021 Niue Chibi - Lord of the Rings series, Gimli - mint condition! - $80Closeup and Reverse
~
2017 Zombucks Walker Proof - with matching box and packaging. Small tears on top flap of outer packaging - $110
Closeup and Reverse
~
2021 Silver Shield Torus Flower of Life - Proof with box & COA - $90
Closeup and Reverse
~
2021 PAMP Fender 351 Heavy guitar pick - limited edition, 10G sterling, absolute mint condition - $85
Closeup and Reverse
~
1992 Columbus Quincentennial - 1oz Proof with box & COA - $45
Closeup and Reverse
GRADED SLABS
2022 Niue - Hogwarts: Dumbledore's Office - MS70 Antiqued - Comes with packaging too - $155Closeup and Reverse
~
2019-P Tuvalu Laughing Buddha - Solid Jade Insert - Antiqued finish - MS70 - $300
Closeup and Reverse
~
2023 Chad Black Mamba - 2oz Figure 8 - Antiqued high relief - MS70 - Only 888 made and only two MS70 in existence, both are for sale! - Comes with original boxing too! - $320 each, priced at MS69 prices! Serial #159 and #160
Closeup and Packaging
🐳 Take both for $600, shipped!
~
2022 Palau Scarab - Ramses II - Antique finish, FDI, MS70 - Comes with packaging & COA - $170
Closeup and Reverse
~
2022 Palau - American Alligator - Ultra High Relief - PF70 Ultra Cameo - With packaging / COA display box - $160
Closeup and Reverse
~
2021-S ASE - MS70 T1 FS EI - $79
2021-P MS69 T1 FS EI - $47
Closeup and Reverse
● Take both silver eagles for only $120!
~
2022-MO Libertad - MS70 FS - $65
Closeup and Reverse
~
2019 Britannia - Reverse Struck Thru Error - MS69 - $190
Closeup and Reverse
~
2014 Britannia - Lunar Horse Obverse Mule Error - Gem Unc - $95
Closeup and Reverse (which is missing castellation)
~
1/4 Onza PF70 UC - $47
1/4 Double Eagle PF70 UC - $47
1/2 Maple RP70 DCAM (#15 of 259) - $65
Fractional slabs and Reverse
● Take all 3 for $160, shipped!
~
Australian MS70 DCAM Kooks - 2013-P + 2016-P - $50 each
Closeup and Reverse
● Take both for $95, shipped!
FINE SILVER
Hand pours - RCM .9999 shot - Bravo's Coin - End the Fed (new stamp) ripple bar @ 6.4oz ($200) - End The Fed @ 4.9oz ($155) - Fuck The Fed @ 3.7oz ($115) - Fuck The Fed 2.0oz button ($60) • Weights rounded down, these are fat... scale pics by request.Closeup
● Buy any 2, get free shipping!
~
Monarch - RIP 2021 with wood coffin, number 450 of 999 made - 2ozt - $85
Closeup and Reverse
~
2022 Allegories - Germania & Polonia, with the convex airtite - Comes with COA too! - $38, only 2 left available!
2023 Germania Valkyries Ostara, with airtite & COA - $42
Closeup and Reverse
JUNK SILVER
LOT: $10fv 40% Kennedy halves - 8.5x = $85Closeup
~
1935 50% Fiji Florin - $12 or add to any order for only $9!
Closeup and Reverse
Payments & Shipping
In order of preference: Zelle, CashApp, Venmo FF, PayPal FF, Google Pay, or BTC.Shipping is $5 tracked, $10 Priority. I pack items like they're being airdropped into an active war zone and hand deliver fast (same day when possible) to the counter, but insurance is available. Once delivered to USPS, out of my hands. Willing to middleman at buyer's expense.
DM preferred but can do chat... make sure to leave a comment so I get notified on mobile.
Thanks for looking & have a fantastic day!2023.05.31 01:39 Tier1_EDC Must Go Today!! (OSK, Boatright, Finch, Vosteed…
Timestamp and Pics https://imgur.com/a/YwNx3jB
What’s up people? I have 4 things here priced to move. Of course all prices include shipping TYD anywhere in the US. Payments can be sent via PayPal F&F to [email protected] Have a great week!🍻
Sorry No Trades Today!!
Old Squirrel Knives Custom Mini Kaiken [A] $200 Paid double… Baker Forge & Tool copper mai billet. G10/Fat copper camo CF. Copper spacers and liners. Side cut copper camo spacer. NEVER used or carried. DOES NOT have sheath but fits pretty much any slip over 1 inch wide. Another gorgeous build from OSK.
Boatright Bladeworks Custom Ventifact #1 [A] $180 Paid almost $300 I believe? Can’t remember. Brand new, never used or carried. 1095 with beautiful hamon and black micarta scales. Hidden pins and red liners. This thing is absolutely beautiful and feels amazing in the hand. No sheath. Was NOT putting that gorgeous blade in kydex. Definitely worthy of leather!
Finch Cherry Bomb [B] $70 Only used to open a couple of boxes. Has tiny “scuff” on blade that the camera can’t even pick up. Still an awesome little knife though for the price. Nice action and lockup. Droppy for a little guy too.
Vosteed Raccoon Frag/Buttonlock [A] $55 Brand new. Never used or carried. Just passing it along. Only flipped maybe 5 times. Very nice knife for the price as well.
submitted by Tier1_EDC to Knife_Swap [link] [comments]
What’s up people? I have 4 things here priced to move. Of course all prices include shipping TYD anywhere in the US. Payments can be sent via PayPal F&F to [email protected] Have a great week!🍻
Sorry No Trades Today!!
Old Squirrel Knives Custom Mini Kaiken [A] $200 Paid double… Baker Forge & Tool copper mai billet. G10/Fat copper camo CF. Copper spacers and liners. Side cut copper camo spacer. NEVER used or carried. DOES NOT have sheath but fits pretty much any slip over 1 inch wide. Another gorgeous build from OSK.
Boatright Bladeworks Custom Ventifact #1 [A] $180 Paid almost $300 I believe? Can’t remember. Brand new, never used or carried. 1095 with beautiful hamon and black micarta scales. Hidden pins and red liners. This thing is absolutely beautiful and feels amazing in the hand. No sheath. Was NOT putting that gorgeous blade in kydex. Definitely worthy of leather!
Finch Cherry Bomb [B] $70 Only used to open a couple of boxes. Has tiny “scuff” on blade that the camera can’t even pick up. Still an awesome little knife though for the price. Nice action and lockup. Droppy for a little guy too.
Vosteed Raccoon Frag/Buttonlock [A] $55 Brand new. Never used or carried. Just passing it along. Only flipped maybe 5 times. Very nice knife for the price as well.
2023.05.31 01:38 temp4adhd Black tie wedding guest dress search: help
I'm 57 and 5'0, and a size 6ish. My nephew is getting married and I thought I had found the perfect dress, only to discover that it's too close of a match to the color the bride has picked out for her wedding party (which is what happens when you shop for a wedding guest dress before the bride has picked out her wedding color theme!). I wish I could find this dress in a different color, but I've searched high and low and it doesn't seem to exist.
The problem for me is that I really, really, REALLY need a petite when it comes to a full length formal dress. Sure, you can alter (take up at the shoulders, take it up at the hem, take it in at the sides-- I'm fine with those alterations) but what I find is often the back zipper is just too dang long so it bunches, meaning it's a much more involved alteration. Which I'd rather avoid. I've tried this in the past and it just never turns out well.
I'm going to add here that I'm cheap, as we are recently retired, so gone are my days where I would plop down $500 in dress + alterations for something I'm going to wear once. We are on a budget and this wedding is already costing us to attend. I could do up to $300 all in including alterations, but this dress that I found and can't wear because it's the wrong color was only $57 and just needed a hem.
Hmm could I dye it black???? Anyone have experience with that? It is a gorgeous color already and I'm going to keep it as it may work for a future event. (Have more niblings to marry off).
My parameters
My back-up plan is to wear this black satin suit I have, it's oversized blazer plus cute pleated trousers.
submitted by temp4adhd to fashionwomens35 [link] [comments]
The problem for me is that I really, really, REALLY need a petite when it comes to a full length formal dress. Sure, you can alter (take up at the shoulders, take it up at the hem, take it in at the sides-- I'm fine with those alterations) but what I find is often the back zipper is just too dang long so it bunches, meaning it's a much more involved alteration. Which I'd rather avoid. I've tried this in the past and it just never turns out well.
I'm going to add here that I'm cheap, as we are recently retired, so gone are my days where I would plop down $500 in dress + alterations for something I'm going to wear once. We are on a budget and this wedding is already costing us to attend. I could do up to $300 all in including alterations, but this dress that I found and can't wear because it's the wrong color was only $57 and just needed a hem.
Hmm could I dye it black???? Anyone have experience with that? It is a gorgeous color already and I'm going to keep it as it may work for a future event. (Have more niblings to marry off).
My parameters
- Cannot be green, sigh: probably black or navy are safe
- No off the shoulder, no one shoulder, no spaghetti straps
- I'm a 34C inverted triangle with not much of a waist compared to hips (kind of straight down/rectangle with broad shoulders) so I need something generous for the chest. A lot of styles will just not zip up in the back (especially since I've been working out at the gym). And no defined waist-- as my waist is 30" and my hips are 35-36 (very little difference).
- I love column style dresses. They are the most flattering.
- Some stretch please-- I don't do well with non-stretch. I really don't like crepe. Also it would be great if it's travel friendly, like I can bunch it up in a backpack and it is fine or just needs a light press.
- I am good with sleeveless, and I do like cap sleeves; I do not hate my arms. But nothing with too high of a neckline (jewel neckline is fine). For this wedding I don't think I'll want a sleeve.
- Lighter weight: no scuba styles. I find them too heavy and they will be too hot for this wedding. (Otherwise LOVE scuba for the structure + stretch + warmth for winter! Just not going to cut it for a warmer wedding).
- Nothing frumpy: sorry, when my daughters got married last year there was just so much frumpy for MOB gowns (though to be fair a LOT of that was because of fit: trying to wear a regular sized gown on a 5'0 tall body that's not teeny tiny is just a recipe for frump-- the sizes go not just wider but they go LONGER as they go up). I can't do what I would wear in my 20s-30s -- some structure I need! -- but I'm not ready for frumpy either.
My back-up plan is to wear this black satin suit I have, it's oversized blazer plus cute pleated trousers.
2023.05.31 01:36 Only_Dish_9690 Just started the game 4 days ago. What would be a good team with the units I have?
 | submitted by Only_Dish_9690 to grandsummoners [link] [comments] |
2023.05.31 01:31 SpraykwoN [USA-CA] [H] Various Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo Games/Items, Gaming Headsets [W] PayPal
WILLING TO ENTERTAIN BUNDLE PRICES AS WELL ON ALL ITEMS
submitted by SpraykwoN to GameSale [link] [comments]
| Microsoft | ||
|---|---|---|
| NEW (Open Box) | Halo 5 Guardians The Master Chief Limited Edition Controller | $175 shipped OBO |
| NEW (Open Box) | Microsoft First Party Controller (These are the controllers that were out when the Xbox One was available and have the 4-direction dpad) | $35 shipped OBO |
| LIKE NEW CiB | HyperX Charge Play Duo (Comes with charger as well as two batteries, and two sets of battery covers in both black and white) | $30 shipped OBO |
| Sony | ||
|---|---|---|
| LIKE NEW CiB | Vagrant Story (Black label) | $175 shipped OBO |
| NEW | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & 2 Remastered Collector's Edition (Comes with random color full size Birdhouse Skateboard Deck) | $150 shipped OBO |
| Nintendo | ||
|---|---|---|
| NEW | Game and Watch Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Edition | $50 shipped OBO |
| NEW | Game and Watch The Legend of Zelda | $50 shipped OBO |
| LIKE NEW CiB | Nintendo Switch Lan Adapter (HORI officially licensed - lightly used) | $30 shipped OBO |
| LIKE NEW CiB | Project X Zone Limited Edition | $125 shipped OBO |
| NEW | Project X Zone 2 | $175 shipped OBO |
| NEW | Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition (First print with lenticular sleeve) | $85 shipped OBO |
| NEW | The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes | $40 shipped OBO |
| NEW | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (First print -00001) | $120 shipped OBO |
| NEW | The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (First print -00000) | $100 shipped OBO |
| NEW | Shovel Knight (Includes sound track) | $75 shipped OBO |
| LIKE NEW CiB | Fantasy Life | $70 shipped OBO |
| LIKE NEW CiB | Tomodachi Life | $50 shipped OBO |
| LIKE NEW CiB | Code Name: STEAM | $15 shipped OBO |
| LIKE NEW CiB | Resident Evil Revelations 3D | $30 shipped OBO |
| NEW | Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon 3DS | $50 shipped OBO |
| LIKE NEW CiB | Little Battlers eXperience | $25 shipped OBO |
| LIKE NEW CiB | River City: Tokyo Rumble (Includes limited Kunio keychain) | $40 shipped OBO |
| LIKE NEW CiB | River City: Rival Showdown (Includes limited Riki keychain) | $40 shipped OBO |
| NEW | Super Mario 3D Land (3DS Nintendo Classics Version) | $28 shipped OBO |
| LIKE NEW CiB | Star Fox 64 3D (3DS Nintendo Classics Version) | $30 shipped OBO |
| NEW | NES Nintendo Switch Joycon Controllers | $125 shipped OBO |
| NEW | NES Classic Controller | $40 shipped OBO |
| NEW | SNES Classic (Will come with a clear plastic box protector) | $130 shipped OBO |
| Misc. | ||
|---|---|---|
| NEW | HyperX Cloud Flight S Wireless Headset (PC/PS4/PS5) | $130 shipped OBO |
| LIKE NEW CiB | Audeze Penrose X Planar Magnetic Headset (works on PS4/5, XBOX/Series S/X, and PC) | $200 shipped OBO (Buy the extra ear pads with this and I will do $220 shipped) |
| LIKE NEW CiB | Audeze Mobius Gunmetal Grey Earpad set (will work on the Penrose as well) | $25 shipped OBO |
| LIKE NEW CiB | HyperX Cloud Flight X Wireless Headset (XBOX/Series S/X, Xbox One) | $100 shipped OBO |
2023.05.31 01:28 Hoeser-of-93 I think I may have finally reached my final assembly
 | Installed myself little at a time, list of material below for 2023 Subaru crosstrek Infinity KAPPA 90csx front door and tweeters KAPPA 62IX for back door speakers Rockford R2-500x4 for 6 speakers AC-LGD 20 load resistors to keep Starlink Helix DSP Mini 6 channels out 4 in Orion HCCA3000.1DSPLX sub amp Two SI SQL-15 subs in sealed 4cft box Singer 160-220 amp alternator Recoil 500 amp battery isolator Slam Panda Bass Knob Deadened trunk, 4 doors, cargo and under seats. Pictures show fuse locations on battery for Fosgate, Orion is a little further down (22” from battery) to fit correctly and another after battery isolator. Helix DSP has been amazing, SQLs hit lows so well and “highs” really well The last pictures are my maintenance kit in case anything blows or I need to remove. With this it takes 5 minutes to take apart and I have a rubber cover to place on the 12v so it’s “safe”. Blew the 300 amp fuse the other day while testing, I think that is good and mean it works… submitted by Hoeser-of-93 to CarAV [link] [comments] |
2023.05.31 01:20 That_mudkip Just wana show off my PS1 collection so far
 | Do note the games with the same case is one is random disc in em and the other is the right game for said case. Also can ya guess the Japanese games? submitted by That_mudkip to gamecollecting [link] [comments] |
2023.05.31 01:10 SantierL Don't know who to grab with limited unit ticket since my JP account just hit 10 days.
 | submitted by SantierL to grandsummoners [link] [comments] |
2023.05.31 01:03 dyvonca [WTS] GOLD GOLD GOLD and Tacos
TACO TUESDAY!
Take my gold! I'll take your worthless cash!
Payment's Accepted: Crypto, Paypal FF, & Zelle
Shipping - $5 ( Free Shipping when purchasing 2 or more items )
Proof - https://imgur.com/a/x6xwJz6
1/4ths
2022 $5 AGE - MS70 First Day of Issue - $650 (includes case)
2014 Australia Year of the Horse - MS69 DCAM - $625
1885 Carson City $5 2015 Private Issue - PF69 Ultra Cameo- NGC Only 1 in Pop - $600
1977 Bermuda $100 - $520
1986 Mexico Gold 250 Pesos FIFA World Cup Proof - $530
1/10oz
(2) - 2016 Canada 24K 1/10oz Gold Bar - $250/ea (In plastic protective sleeve) - Really cool shine and shimmer on this bar. $SOLD
1/20oz
(4) 3 - 1989 1/20 Australian Nugget Proof - Perth Mint - $135/ea (COA & Case Included) - Never removed from mint casing -
Other
2017 Mongolia Fidel Casto .5g - PR70 DCAM - $60 (COA included) - $OLD
1950 Casino Baden-Baden 3.75g Gold Coin - Numista - $205 (case included) - $OLD
ADDED MORE ITEMS BELOW
2011 Australia $10 Proof 1/10oz - 1,500 Mintage - Case/Box/COA included (Coin in Mint Capsule) - $300
2013 China Lunar Year Set - Year of the Snake - 1/10oz Colorized 50yuan Gold + 1oz 10yuan Colorized Silver - $315 (COA Included, Coins in Mint Capsule) $OLD
2012 China Luna Year - 1/10oz Colorized Year of the Dragon 50yuan Goal - $270 $OLD
1984 Chinese 1.5g Panda - Beautiful Condition, stunning to look at - $180 $OLD
1975 Kingdom of Swaziland 50 Emalangeni - 0.1247oz agw - $275 (Case/COA Included, Coin in Mint Capsule) - NGC
(3) Dos Peso's - $125/ea
2.5 Peso - $145
Cinco Peso - $260
(5) Peace Dollar $25/ea (ONLY AS ADD ON TO OTHER PURCHASE)
1974 Haiti 200 Gourdes Numista+ 50 Gourdes Numista- $200 (Case Included)
$105FV SILVER (210coins) - Kennedy 40% Half-Dollar - SPOT($3.45/coin) - (shipping is $10 over 50fv) (Min $10 FV)
All Packages Ship Tomorrow via USPS
Send Chat, running to post office I may be delayed in replying (first to bin wins)
submitted by dyvonca to Pmsforsale [link] [comments]
Take my gold! I'll take your worthless cash!
Payment's Accepted: Crypto, Paypal FF, & Zelle
Shipping - $5 ( Free Shipping when purchasing 2 or more items )
Proof - https://imgur.com/a/x6xwJz6
1/4ths
2022 $5 AGE - MS70 First Day of Issue - $650 (includes case)
2014 Australia Year of the Horse - MS69 DCAM - $625
1885 Carson City $5 2015 Private Issue - PF69 Ultra Cameo- NGC Only 1 in Pop - $600
1977 Bermuda $100 - $520
1986 Mexico Gold 250 Pesos FIFA World Cup Proof - $530
1/10oz
1/20oz
Other
ADDED MORE ITEMS BELOW
2011 Australia $10 Proof 1/10oz - 1,500 Mintage - Case/Box/COA included (Coin in Mint Capsule) - $300
1975 Kingdom of Swaziland 50 Emalangeni - 0.1247oz agw - $275 (Case/COA Included, Coin in Mint Capsule) - NGC
(3) Dos Peso's - $125/ea
2.5 Peso - $145
Cinco Peso - $260
(5) Peace Dollar $25/ea (ONLY AS ADD ON TO OTHER PURCHASE)
1974 Haiti 200 Gourdes Numista+ 50 Gourdes Numista- $200 (Case Included)
$105FV SILVER (210coins) - Kennedy 40% Half-Dollar - SPOT($3.45/coin) - (shipping is $10 over 50fv) (Min $10 FV)
All Packages Ship Tomorrow via USPS
Send Chat, running to post office I may be delayed in replying (first to bin wins)