Ahh, dear reader, hello there! So lovely to see you once more... well figuratively speaking that is… or is it?
After all, I am exceedingly well versed in The Arts. Maybe I am watching you at this very moment, with Clairvoyance or perhaps a Scrying Spell or maybe an enchanted object like the good old fashioned Crystal Ball? The Magus has one you know…
Just teasing… or am I? …teeheehee…
Anyway, this latest instalment comes to you courtesy via a Voice to Text application my Magus recently acquired for me, as he said listening to me speak aloud while typing is too distracting for him. I find that interesting considering his immense mental discipline yet understandable at the same time. After all, extoling ones inner monolog to an uncaring audience would be tedious to experience. Hmm… I’ve just thought of a new torture for the souls of the dammed, specifically for writers who think they are better than everyone around them. How ingenious of me!
In any case, I would prefer to distract him in other ways, mark you.
I also must say what wonderfully inventive creatures you humans are! An application of mathematical code, the base language of reality. It is very much like a spell in its function and nature I would say, that it allows my phone, yes the Magus got me one, to record all I say and transcribes it into neatly typed words on its electronic pages. It’s like having a monk-scribe in your pocket! Unquestionably wonderful!
So as I relax in my fabulously hot, luxurious scented, oiled bubble bath, I can easily regale you with further tales of the adventures I have had thus far on this wonderous blue and brown spherical rock that is third in line from our star. And I do not have to type with two fingers either, which is a massive bonus let me tell you!
If memory serves… ahh yes, we had just returned to the car where I saw a sign of my Magus’s humour on display in the form of his licence plate.
I do have to admit dear reader, I was indeed highly amused. He knows he’s going to hell, he just insists that it be on his terms! I love it! Such confidence, such audacious willpower.
That is exceedingly… stimulating for Succubi.
Ok dammit, it makes me tremendously horny, and I’m not talking about the ones on my head either you know! We are incredibly lusty beings, us Succubi, after all.
I was already in a highly ‘excited’ state when we got to the car, so much so that I had to use my Cell Adjustment Psionic discipline to tremendously dull down my inflamed senses as I did not wish to leave the tell-tale mark of my inflamed passion on the lower back portion of my new dress and also not on the car-seat when I sat back down in the vehicle.
Ahem…
After a few moments, which caused the Magus to glance up at me with a slightly puzzled expression, of standing outside the car (he had no idea nor cared… hmmph!) I opened the door and folded myself back inside the vehicle and resumed my seat. I later learned that I could have mostly avoided this… embarrassment… by actually wearing what you call absorbent lined underwear! I wasn’t wearing panties at the time as I was totally unaware of their existence. I do so now as its much more comfortable in lots of ways and in addition, stops the shiver when an errant chill wind blows unexpectedly up your gusset!
Moving on…
Getting into the car, the Magus paused until I had done up my seatbelt before starting the engine, waiting for another car to pass us by before safely pulling out and sedately driving off. I later learned that we could have gone screaming down the road in a cloud of burning rubber if the Magus was of a mind to. I would have if given the opportunity! Something to look forward to dear reader.
Instead, we drifted slowly through the placidly moving traffic as I watched the sun descend below the horizon of the ocean. I had only been back here on Earth for a few hours but every second was total bliss. I do not think that most of you humans realize how good you have it here. Even those who do not reside in the more developed and advanced nations, being on Earth is special.
There are infinity more worse places you can be, let me assure you of that.
We drove back mostly the way had travelled to this particular beach. This time though it was much later in the day, heading in the opposite direction, I became aware of many more things that had escaped my attention earlier on.
We passed by denser zones and clusters of buildings where I could see various shops, food outlets, restaurants and varying vendors, all brightly lit up now as the daylight was fading. I saw incredibly tall metal poles with blazing, glowing lights illuminating the surrounds with a warm yellowy orange glow making it still easy to see. Electric lighting will never cease to amaze me. Yes dear reader, I can experience a sense of wonder and joy at simple things, even beyond the act of slaughter and soul draining. Would it astonish you that I like flowers? Such strange lifeforms that had developed aromas they use as a method of propagation. Delightful.
Anyway… we shortly crested the hill that we had previous ascended westwards earlier on the way to the beach and I then saw it!
I was awestruck once again.
A towering edifices, glittering, shining buildings monstrously higher than Hagia Sophia was, the most immense human made structure in the world when I was last in it. These glistening towers of glass, metal and stone made that church look like a feeble children’s toy. I could see over a dozen of these buildings of varying size, clustered together in less than a square mile.
The Magus glanced to his left and saw me gaping at them.
“They’re called Sky Scrappers Meridiana. They’re generally office buildings, places of business where people daily work in their wage-slave jobs then go home at night. The buildings are left vacant but light up at night as you can clearly see.”
I turned and gawped at him.
“They’re empty at night?”
I could not comprehend why such space, that had amazing views, would be left empty of an evening?
“Yep. Well most of them are. There will be some that still have people in them, conducting various types of business overnight because its what they do for a living.”
“What do they do?” I asked in a murmur as I turned back to see the vista be obscured by a large set of commercial and residential buildings that we were currently passing.
The Magus shrugged.
“They’ll be doing all sorts of things, financial trading, working back late to do their jobs… various affairs of commerce and such. It’s not that important really Meridiana. I’ll take you into the city another day when we have time for you to be a tourist. Now, if I may, I want to know more about your Telekinesis. I got an idea of how much you can lift, probably over 1400 kilograms at least if my guess as to how much a warhorse in armour with a rider would weigh… maybe more? Probably more but we’ll test that later. Anyway, it’s your fine control skills I’m interested in.”
I turned back to the Magus who was looking ahead, driving us through the busy traffic that had become a factor. I later learned that it was a time of day called ‘rush hour’.
“I am capable of very delicate manipulation with my Telekinesis, especially in regards to the erotic arts,” I said to him with a husky, low, salacious purr.
“That’s cute but I really want to know if you could snatch out of the air and control a very small, fast moving bouncing ball, say the size of your thumbnail?” he asked in an offhand manner as he slowed down due to the traffic which was banking up in front of us.
I inwardly sighed once more. Such a challenge he was!
“Yes I can but why?”
He briefly turned to me and broadly grinned before returning his attention to driving.
“There’s a game that we will ‘play’ after dinner. It is called Roulette. The game features a spinning wheel with thirty seven little slots. Into the spinning wheel a little white ball is spun in and circles around, eventually slowing and bouncing into once of the numbered slots. The slots are alternately coloured red or black and all are numbered from 00 to 36. You can bet where the ball will land, either in red or black and specifically in a numbered slot. If the ball lands in a slot you bet on, you get a payout of thirty seven to one. Ever dollar you bet wins you 37 back. You can also just bet on which colour the ball will land in giving you your money back plus it’s value as a reward. Bet $100, you get your $100 back plus another $100.”
“Dollar... that’s money right?” I said as the implications slowly dawned on me. You could make a fortune from this!
“Yes Meridiana. Dollars are what we use as currency these days. Gold is still used but not in the way you were used to. It’s still valuable as are other precious metals but that’s going to take a long explanation which is a distraction for now. So, do you think you could perhaps catch the bouncing ball with your power, directing it into the number we bet on?”
I thought about it for a few moments.
“I will have to see how the ball moves but I think I could, yes.”
“Excellent. You stand to make us a lot of money tonight. There are other games like card games, slot machines which I’m uncertain that your powers would be able to mess with. Roulette is our hunting ground. We must be careful though.”
“Why?”
I was surprised by his tone of caution. We were power incarnate! What could possibly touch us?
“Casinos hate losing money. Roulette is going to be the hardest one they can prove that we’re cheating on if you use your Telekinesis. We will be closely watched the entire time we are in the casino. There are devices called cameras, similar to Crystal Balls, that observe everything they see, relaying the images back to people in other rooms whose task it is to spot potential cheaters in the casino. They also have people walking the floor, disguised as ordinary folk, always watching everyone else. And I want to avoid the eyes of any infernal beings who may be in the casino.”
“Ahh… I see… a healthy paranoia then, for them and us hmm?”
He nodded once, emphatically.
If you have a fortune, you need to protect it, especially from people like me. His caution in regards to our identity was also most prudent and he was correct that there was a possibility that there may be others of my ilk lurking in the shadows, walking in human form as we often do.
I have to confess dear reader, that I am a master thief as well as an expert assassin, in addition to being an accomplished warrior although I rarely fight in hand to hand combat, preferring seduction, subterfuge and skulduggery as my main methods of killing. Yet still, I can fight and kill extremely proficiently with many weapons, being skilled at one of the highest levels of melee combat, the use of weapons and ways of fighting with them. I’ve been around a while you know? You pick up on things like that if you wish to live as long as I have.
Besides… stabby, stabby, stabby, bash, slash and smite can be loads of fun when you’re doing the stabbing and bashing with a well-balanced blade or mace in your hands. But I digress…
“You have it Meridiana. Yes the casinos’ management are extremely paranoid. We will have to alter our appearance as well before we enter the casino. I shall use a minor low level spell while you can take a new face. We will do so after dinner.”
I nodded then a thought came to me. I asked,
“You said we were going to something called a buffet? I know what the word means as my abilities allow me to understand any spoken language, much like the enchantment known as Tongues. Yet I’m finding it hard to match the word with the concept.”
The Magus raised an eyebrow in interest at this revelation.
“Oh right. Just because you know a word doesn’t mean you automatically understanding it conceptually and in context either. Good to know. Well, a buffet is an enormous array of various foods, hot and cold, sweet to savoury, where you merely help yourself and consume as much as you wish. You pay for the privilege of course.”
“Truly? How much will this cost you?” I inquired wide eyed.
I noticed that we had moved through the traffic and had turned down a descending road and were now going into a massive concrete tunnel along with hundreds of other cars, all slowly moving in the same direction. It was quite honestly astounding that everyone was not smashing into one another. All the drivers were…well mostly were, attentive to their immediate surrounds and situation as we gradually merged our car into the main lane of traffic which was making its way under the earth via the huge yawning tunnel ahead.
Such staggering feats of engineering and construction which would have made the Emperor Justinian weep copious, bitter tears of pure envy. Oh how I wished I could make him see this and realise his idiotic boast was pointless when he finished Hagia Sophia. He bragged that he had surpassed Solomon himself with his church. He had but it wasn’t worth it. Justinian nearly bankrupted the Eastern Roman Empire, all for a useless church and his own vanity.
Moron.
Still, I shouldn’t care, his hubris ended up sending him to hell anyway so... yay! His actions also exacerbated the effects of the famine and plague that swept the through the empire and western Europe in the year 535 with his stupid desire to re-unify the Roman empire under his rule. You will be please to know dear reader, that he is burning in eternal torment for his multitude of sins so it is all good. My thoughts of deceased, vainglorious emperors and their fate was interrupted as the Magus spoke again,
“Hmm? … it should set us back about $80 each I’d should say? A small price to pay in all honesty when you see what is on offer. Drinks will be on top of that price, unless you just have plain water but tonight Meridiana, I shall introduce you to Champagne, one of humanities greatest achievements.”
This was enticing to hear!
“If you say so Magus. I completely believe you as you will not be lying to me,” I said, nodding and trying to think about Champagne.
So many new concepts were entering my mind, it was hard to keep my mind and thoughts in order. I understood that Champagne was a special type of wine, one which had a fizz embodied within it, making it highly regarded but that’s all I could deduce for now.
Also… I had a thought: the Magus could and would never lie to me. The feeling I had earlier, in being able to trust everything he said to me because of the oath he gave to me, was an unfettering sensation.
All my existence I have dealt with bare faced lairs, deceivers, misshapers of the truth who twisted words to suit their own selfish ends. With the Magus, all I had to be concerned with was his agenda, which actually had my interests aligned with his own. Truly remarkable.
I needed that champagne now!
We emerged from the tunnel, traveling with the traffic over wide dark river, again on another immense concrete bridge this time. There was a gigantic colosseum off to our right, all lit up with multiple coloured lights that ran around the circumference of the structure. It was like a it was enveloped in a rainbow. Frankly, it was amazing to behold.
Beyond that, I could see many more large towers and structures, lining the sides of the vast road we were hurtling along now. The Magus had increased our speed as traffic had thinned out. Never in my life had I moved so fast, well unless I was using a Haste spell to briefly increase my physical speed, which I use in combat if necessary.
I barely had the sense we were travelling in the car at roughly 80kph. Such an odd experience to have for the first time. There was no rushing of wind, no press of air on my face, just comfort and air-conditioning. Marvellous!
After a few minutes later I saw our destination.
Again I was nearly stupefied by the gigantic structure. Multiple massive buildings, all surrounded by lush green, well-manicured and maintained gardens made my jaw go slack with disbelief.
“That’s Crown Casino, Towers and hotel Meridiana. I can see you are impressed. Let me just say that if you think this is amazing, wait until we go to Las Vegas…” he said as he turned the car into the driveway of the complex.
“There’s even more impressive structures than this?”
My mind boggled dear reader. It was almost too much to take in.
“Yep. My city is a small one compared to other around the globe. We will travel to them, in due course. I know you can use your powers of Dimensional Walking, moving through other planes of reality and appearing on a different part of the planet. However, there will be times when we will need to travel together conventionally. Perhaps one day, if I learn the rights spell, we will be able to avoid having to fly in an aeroplane and by-pass the utter tediousness of baggage check-ins, airport security and so on…” he muttered darkly.
“HUMANS CAN FLY!?!” I said in a loud strangled astonished voice.
The Magus chuckled with genuine amusement.
“Think back Meridiana. I said humanity has been to the moon and back. I said we can travel safely and comfortably in a machine, called an aircraft, across the planet. Some ‘planes are huge while others are not much bigger than the car. Oh, that reminds me, we will have to construct an identity for you. We will begin that process tomorrow. You are going to need a passport soon enough,” he said as he found a relatively unoccupied parking area west of the massive structures.
He saw my puzzled expression and mistook it for wondering why we had parked here.
“It’s free to park here and there are hardly any security cameras in the vicinity.”
I nodded dumbly.
“But of course Magus…”
He saw my expression as he switched off the engine. A tiny look of… sympathy appeared on his face. He spoke to me in a soft, calm, soothing tone,
“Take a breath Meridiana. Close your eyes and focus upon the stillness within the vehicle. You are safe here with me. Nothing will harm us. Just breathe and relax, let each breath calm you. With every breath you are at peace within yourself and the world around you.”
I did as he said and instantly sensed my whirling mind begin to centre itself, become still.
I may be an ancient and powerful demon dear reader, however I have been imprisoned for nigh on a thousand years and now have been released into a world that I was unable to recognise at all.
The Magus later told me I was suffering from a psychological malady called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Yes dear reader, even us demons can get mentally fucked up. I mean, compared to the average human, we’re all demented, tormented psychopaths which explains a lot about ourselves but still… even a psychopath can suffer from mental trauma. Demons can go insane.
I breathed rhythmically, each exhaling breath calming me. With one final exhalation, I opened my eyes, turned to my Magus and softly smiled at him.
“Thank you,” was all I said. I meant it.
He nodded briefly, his intensely burning eyes boring into mine, deeply searching, looking for signs of any madness that may still be lingering within. Well, there’s always the hunger for sex and mayhem, but that’s natural for me.
“Come on, you look fine now, let’s go,” he said as he got out of the car.
I followed his example, releasing my seat belt and stepping out of the car. Closing the car door behind me, walked over to the Magus then I threaded my right arm around his left as we walked off like a normal couple, casually strolling through the car park towards the casino and hotel.
I could hear the noise of all the adjacent traffic all still travelling busily along the massive road that went past the enormous complex. There was the calls of various birds I’d never heard before, the waft of scented flowering plants and the heavy aroma of moisture in the air from the nearby river. I closed my eyes for a second just to let it all wash over me as I sedately walked along with my Magus.
Soon we came to the entrance. Huge dark glass doors magically opened for us upon our arrival. To my right I could see various coloured signage, advertising the types of ‘fast food’ eateries that people could choose to dine at. They were all brightly lit and mostly clean.
It was at that moment I saw my first wretch.
A dishevelled, unkempt, shabby man sat listless outside the fast food eateries upon the low stone wall that contained a small, well-kept garden. He looked up at us as we approached, his eyes full of misery and despair.
“Got any spare change?”
“Sorry mate, no one carries cash anymore,” lied my Magus to him with a conciliatory voice, a sad but brief compassionate smile appeared briefly on his face.
The wretched man’s face became even more resigned. He nodded back in understanding, returning his fallen face back to morosely contemplating the ground at his feet.
We kept walking, leaving the broken man behind us.
I was about to congratulate the Magus in his treatment of the beggar when I had to stop as I was confronted by an incredible sight.
Before us, in the huge well-lit lobby of the building, was a huge pair of MOVING METAL STAIRCASES!
One staircase ascended while another came down from the landing some 50 feet above us. On either side were normal, marble clad stairs that some people were using. Yet many other people were on the moving metal stairs, all just taking the experience of being raised or lowered completely for granted.
“It’s just an escalator Meridiana. A simple machine that makes life a little more comfortable. Take it, go for a ride. I’m taking the stairs as I need the incidental exercise,” he said to me as he pried my clutching hands from his arm. I had been unconsciously gripping him tightly in my amazement at seeing such a machine.
The Magus walked off to the left, climbing the steps briskly while I gingerly walked forwards, watching the metal stairs endless appear and ascend upwards. The hand rail also moved in synchronicity with the metal stairs. I observed as a pair of young women, chatting intently to each other, walked past me and up to stand upon a metal stair which was part of dozens of metal stairs it seemed. I saw them be lifted by the moving stairs, rising above and away from me.
Summoning my courage, I stepped forwards onto a moving stair, wobbled slightly as I was not used to the speed which it moved, making me grab the moving banister tightly to steady myself as I rode my way upwards. I let out a small laugh as it was such a novel experience. The young women in front of me turned around at my laugh, raising their eyebrows at me as well as actually truly seeing me for the first time. Their smiles faded as I grinned back at them.
The young women could see my infinitely superior beauty on full display. They looked hesitant, now uncertain of themselves as they mistakenly believed themselves to be beautiful. They were, passible, not ugly but not worthy of a harem to be perfectly honest. I later learned dear reader that many foolish young women, especially in what you call the western world, regard themselves as queens, rating themselves ten out of ten on a scale of dazzling good looks. These sad women are delusional. I mean, if they were that beautiful, why weren’t their faces on the covers of the glossy magazines I see in various ‘supermarket’ check outs? No matter, vanity and hubris are all ways to damnation and misery. So many people sending themselves to eternal torment simply because they were raised by idiotic parents who never properly taught their children the need for humility. It’s all win-win for the pits you know…
My Magus met me at the top of the stairs, holding out his hand to me and then leading me through the vast interior of the complex.
“That’s the casino,” he indicated to our right.
Looking, I could see dozens of people making their way inside into the brightly lit and noisy interior of the casino. I caught the whiff of desperation, despair, avarice, lust, elation and a strong aroma of human urine. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Yes, even I have some standards dear reader.
“Magus, why does it reek of piss?” I asked as we strolled by and proceeded into the most immense, glass covered atrium I have ever seen.
“Oh, you can smell that?” He looked intrigued.
I nodded with a mild look of disgust.
“Hah… interesting. Well… some gamblers get stuck on a poker machine. They sit there for hours, desperately hoping that the machine they are playing on will pay out. The poor fools stupidly believe that if they play at the machine long enough, they’ll win big. So they stay seated, ignoring to relieve their bodily urges, to the extent that they prefer to piss themselves rather than abandon the machine that is draining away their money. The poor fools are incapable of understanding that the machine is designed to rarely pay out. Every time they play, it has a simple algorithm that calculates the chance of a payout. Most machines will payout a small amount of money occasionally, thus keeping the gambler hooked in the mistaken belief that the big one is just around the corner. It rarely, if ever, is.”
I stopped, stunned at what I just heard. The Magus stopped and looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
“That’s… diabolically genius!” I stuttered as I considered the fiendish brilliance of the whole concept.
Someone had made hell on earth not only possible but also could make a fortune from it as well as breaking people’s souls and spirits in the process! The concept of dangling hope in front of a damned soul, then snatching it away was one of the oldest known tortures of hell. This was a magnificent, a culmination of the perfection of thousands upon thousands of years of the torture, all neatly packaged in a fairly simple machine designed to beggar it’s user and turn them into slaves to it. Gobsmacking was the only word I could think off that fully encapsulated the way I felt at that moment.
“Yes it is, isn’t it? I have always suspected that those machines were most likely invented by a demon. It makes perfect sense,” he said as he shrugged, then tilted his head, indicating we should proceed onwards.
I noddled dumbly as again, I had been totally overwhelmed by the latest piece of information the Magus informed of. I barely registered the hundreds of people all wandering around the massive lobby of the hotel atrium. Many were dressed finely while others, mostly men, were dressed casually. My Magus was one of them, still wearing his novelty T-shirt and hemp pants. They were clean though and his shoes, a brand known as Babuuk, made him look somehow better dressed then the other men who were similarly attired. Maybe it was just his subtle aurora of power, his sheer confidence and his towering Will that made him stand out from the mouth breathers all around us? I guess it was.
We arrived at the entrance of the restaurant and the Magus was greeted was a short Asian woman, dressed neatly in the hotels livery.
I started to realise that there were people of so many different races of humanity all around us. I had come from a time where only what was left of the Eastern Roman Empire was this diverse, and even then it was but a shadow of the heyday of the full glory that was Rome. Here were people from almost all the lands of earth, all happily co-mingling, getting on with having dinner with family and friends. Very surprising indeed.
The Asian woman at the reception counter spoke to us with a friendly smile,
“Good evening sir, madam. A table for two for you then?” she asked politely, her voice tinged with a broad accent I had not heard before. She spoke English yet I could tell that wasn’t her first language.
“Yes please,” politely replied the Magus.
This was something I did not expect. Despite his and my obvious power, he was respectful and even kind to the servants. All of them. He didn’t condescend nor sneer down at the servants of the hotel. It is still something I have difficulty reconciling. I said nothing, just observed. Oh, he has since instructed me not to call them servants, they are members of staff and will be treated with respect until they show they do not deserve it, then they are fair game. I can live with that.
“Table seventy one is ready for you both, have a lovely evening.”
She actually meant it! I could see it in her eyes, she was truly enjoying her task. She was smiling and joking with her fellow staff members, politely greeting the next people behind us with her cheerful friendly demeanour.
Astonishing.
In my prior experiences, servants and slaves were a miserable lot but then again, that was understandable. They had no choice as to their circumstances. They had to obey lest they suffer harsh punishment.
As we proceeded into the large dining room, with over a hundred tables of varying sizes, I could see off to my left where the food was.
I stopped again and stared dear reader.
I have been to banquets with Emperors and Kings, Popes and Princes, all sumptuous feasts but nothing was like what I saw before me. Dozens upon dozens of people had plates in their hands, all calmly wandering around the incredible cornucopia of varieties of food that were on display, all brightly lit up for them to simply help themselves to as much as their plate could hold.
Roasted meats, all neatly carved by expert chefs, freshly shucked oysters all seated in enormous silver ice-filled serving bowls, trays upon trays of cooked vegetables of kinds I had never seen before and… a dazzling array of sweet desserts and treats that made me almost go weak at the knees at the very sight of them.
“Come on Meridiana, you’re starting to drool,” whispered the Magus gently into my ear as he dabbed my wet lips with a soft piece of paper that he withdrew from his pants pockets.
Once again I nodded dumbly as I allowed him to escort me to our table. He even seated me, pushing me and my chair in one I had sat down. After he had taken his seat, a young man, quite a handsome one from the Indus I believed?... came over to us, again dressed in the livery of the hotel.
“Good evening, sir, madam. Would you care for something to drink?” he inquired ever so politely.
“And good evening to you sir. Yes indeed, may we please have a bottle of Verve Clicquot, two glasses and a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water?” he asked with a real smile to the servant… no member of staff.
“Of course sir, I shall get that for you immediately,” replied the waiter with a pleased smile at being spoken to so politely.
“Thank you,” said the Magus then he turned to me and asked,
“Do you need a moment Meridiana? I understand this might trigger you again…”
I shook my head.
“No. It is overwhelming… but in a good way Magus. I have to ask, how can a place like this provide so many people with so much food? Even in the height of the Empire, there were magnificent feasts to be sure but… you say this happens everyday, that this is just a Tuesday and not a busy night?”
He nodded.
“This is the age of abundance Meridiana. Many of us, who live in what is known as The West, have dwelt in an age of such wealth and richness that almost all here never think on their incredible luck and privilege to live in such times. They do not know that it will come to an end. Maybe that is a small mercy. All golden ages end as you well know. So I say, let them dwell in ignorant bliss for now. We can enjoy it while it lasts.”
“Huh? Why do you believe that your golden age will end Magus?”
“It’s a long explanation and one I do not wish to go into detail here and now Meridiana but later, I will share my thoughts with you on this. Ahh, here comes our champagne.”
The waiter and another staff member had returned, with one carrying two bottles while the other had a metal bucket partially filled with ice. The waiter from the Indus placed both bottles on our table, displayed the label to the Magus who briefly nodded. Then, the waiter removed the cork from the bottle with an adroit twist of his writ. It made a pleasing pop and I could see a little haze of cold… smoke? lightly emanate from the neck of the bottle. He poured the brightly bubbling and fizzing wine into both our glasses, carefully making sure the foam did not overflow them. He was very good at his task.
“Thank you good sir,” said my Magus to the waiter who beamed back at him with a happy smile. He placed the bottle into the bucket of ice and withdrew, leaving us alone, amidst the crowed dinning room.
The Magus took up his glass, holding it in front of him. I mirrored him.
“Here’s to a good dinner with interesting company and later, ripping the shit out of a casino Meridiana.” He pushed his glass gently forwards, lightly clinking it against mine. I wasn’t familiar at the time with that form of salute and toast but went with it anyway, after all… when in Rome as they used to say.
“That sounds… delightful Magus. I am eager for it all.”
I then took a sip of my champagne and was transported into a realm of heavenly bliss.
It was exquisite.

Savine opened the red oak cabinet in her kitchen, scrambling for her favorite spice. The skillet on the stove sizzled lightly over the open flame. The pot of water started to bubble on the left.
"Oh Dear, where did I put it," She exhaled. "Where is my grist?"
The skillet popped and Savine slid over to the fridge. She moved the skillet to the back burner as she opened the right door. "Butter, butter..., Butter!" Her eyes landed on the butter under the cheeseblock in the door shelf.
She pulled out a stick and with ease glided it around the skillet. She left the bar in the middle of the buttered plate and pulled the bottom drawer in the fridge. Out came the veggies as she tossed them into the sink. The faucet came on full blast as she made her way around the kitchen.
The pot started to rock back and forth making a light sound to signify that the water was at a maximum boil. Shutting off the rinsed vegetables she placed them on the cutting board.
With a swift movement she placed the skillet back on the fire turning it down a couple of notched, the butter back in the fridge and pulled a butchers knife from the wooden holder next to the microwave.
She went through this motion every day and always seemed to find a new adventure when it came to creating a delicious meal.
From the cupboard she pulled out oats and a loaf of bread. Twirling the knife in her hand and tapping her cheek she threw the knife across the kitchen.
'Smack'
The knife was embedded in the cabinet above the freshly washed veggies.
She tossed the oats on the counter and layed a piece of bread on the buttered skillet. She pulled out the cheese from the fridge and made her way over to the vegetables.
She had spinich, tomato's, some asparagus, and an onion. She reached up grabbing the knife and without even blinking she shredded the cheese and diced the veggies.
At one point the asparagus flew across the room mid chop and landed in the pot of scalding water. She scooped up a hand of cheese and sprinkled it over the lightly toasted bread.
She made another round grabbing the onion and spinich shoveling them off the cutting board into the boiling water.
"Now where did I put that seasoning" she thought to herself.

I've only gotten one box of HelloFresh so far and my second box got stolen. I've just rewrote my delivery instructions to ring the doorbell. In your experience, does the delivery people ring your doorbell?
I really want to stick with hellofresh but I'm not up to getting 100 dollar boxes stolen each week and I just started my lease on this new apartment so I cant move yet.

I’m on Week 2 of the .25 dose. I’m drinking 80+ oz of water per day and not having very strong hunger cues. I’ll snack on fresh bell pepper strips and string cheese, but other than that nothing really peaks my interest. So I’m looking for some low carb meal ideas.

Hello everyone, I come at you all with another IEM gaming recommendation as I have recently been prescribed glasses and I am currently not a fan of my headset over the arms on my glasses (my current pair of glasses are already a little tighter than preferred)
So after a lot of research and reading I've come across some solid contenders. I've even watched Fresh Reviews videos.
My current headphones I use are the AKG702 and the DT990 pro, I believe I prefer the sound of the AKG more but it also might just be the insane comfort they provide for longer sessions. I am not an audiophile by any means but I am pretty into metal and acoustic music.
One of the only terms I know regarding audio is treble fatigue and I feel as if I do notice that in the 990s. Any other way to describe audio would be a foreign language.
Ultimately I've narrowed it down to these pairs and they certainly vary in price, I currently have the Crinacle Zero and honestly, I like them, I like then a lot, and they are the sole reason I'm wanting to dive into a better tier of IEMs as I've changed my perspective from headphones since.
The list contains:
Truthear Hexa
Dunu Kima
Final Audio a4000
Raptgo HBB Hook etc.
The games I play are Overwatch, CS, EFT, Insurgency Sandstorm, and other FOTM shooters I spose
I know these vary in price but that's fine as I'll be using them quite a bit, they won't ever be leaving my desk as I'm not a wired fan when I am on the move.
If the most expensive pair blows the rest out of the water I would understand that I just wasn't sure if perhaps peak performance happened at a more minimal price point as the Crin Zeroes have absolutely melted my perception on what IEMs can be capable of, I really do enjoy sitting down at the pc and just experiencing the game from this perspective of sound.
Thank you for your time, input, and allowing me to beat a probable dead horse with this question
I also posted this in IEMs but this sub seems a bit more active

The morning sun blinded me, my head rested on Demy’s chest. Scarlet colored my cheeks, his arm was draped around my shoulder. So many thoughts bounced around my head, the awkwardness of the moment shaking my nerves. His eyes fluttered open, his lips brushing against the top of my head. His touch seemed gentle as always, the tenderness not leaving anything to be desired.
“Good morning, my little swallow.” He groaned huskily, rubbing my shoulders. “I wonder what today will bring us.” My heart fluttered, his finger lifting up my chin. Pressing his lips against mine sensually, time stopped. A knock interrupted us, Old Man Dallas poked his head in. A golden envelope fluttered in his hand, my eyes falling on the pile of cash in the other. Demy rolled his eyes, a lump forming in my throat. Regret dimmed Old Man Dallas' eyes, the envelope trembling in his hands.
“This was left from the last job, and here’s a new one. It will hit close to home for you, Scarlet.” He warned me cautiously, setting them both down on the bureau. “I am sorry.” Leaping out of the bed, my fingers curled around the letter. My mother’s name greeted me, the letter floated to the floor. Shaking my head, my hands waved around.
“The answer is no.” I whispered briskly, chewing on my lip. “I won’t help her. No, not at all. I can’t even begin to describe the way she treated me as a kid.” Old Man Dallas dusted off his cream suit, his shoulders shrugging. Clearing his throat, my lips pressed into a thin line. Refusing to look at me, a nervous grin twitched on his lips. The fact that she found a rich husband didn’t shock me, intense hatred brewed in me. How dare she live happily while I suffered greatly!
“They requested you specifically.” He pointed out severely, his jaw tensing. “They won’t stop calling me. So you need to go. They are willing to pay you ten million dollars. Seemed like an odd amount.” Tears welled up in my eyes, the amount was what she received for selling me to River Creek Associates. Their front was a lawyer’s office, all of it hiding us assassins. What was her game? Picking up the paper, the upper crust of my town was where her mansion was. Bowing my head in shame, all I ever seemed to be was a pawn to be sold. Demy wrapped his arms around my waist, his chin resting on my forehead. Scarlet colored my cheeks, his gentle touch barely aiding my tension.
“I have an answer to your solution. Say I am your boyfriend and show her that you are happy.” He suggested seriously, my heart skipping a beat. “We practically act like a couple. Wouldn’t you say so, Old Man Dallas?” A sly grin curled on his lips, shock rounding my eyes. Boyfriends weren’t an option in the River Creek Associates, a strange excitement buzzed in my eyes. Apprehension left my desire in my shadows, the harsh memories whipping me in my back.
“Fine.” I sighed in defeat, cupping his hands. “If this is going to work, you have to be my real boyfriend.” Spinning me around, his arms curled around my waist. Lifting up my chin with his finger, his Cheshire Cat grin frightened me. Leaning down towards my ear, his next words caused my ears to flatten.
“If that is what you wish, my little swallow.” He whispered gruffly, sending my nerves into a frenzy. “I will be your boyfriend. Hell, I will marry you if you wish. I told you that I am so fond of you. This Mad Hatter would love to have a little swallow.” Grazing my fangs along the nape of his neck, my next words made his heart rate pick up.
“I am already married to you practically with this collar.” I mused playfully into his ear, his grip on me strengthening. Kissing me hungrily, my heart rate soon matched his. Arching towards him, a throat clearing stealing the moment. Sliding on my boots, we stepped into a crispy version of the transportation circle. Tracing the symbols with a fresh piece of chalk, Demy stepped in behind me. Cutting my palm, my blood pooled into a tiny palm. Moving my hand over the symbols, they glowed to life. Placing the letter in my palm, my flames devoured the curling paper. Scarlet energy hummed to life, the bedroom shifted to a lush backyard of a rolling mansion. The reddish-orange brick taunted me, the dark gray slate roof completed the look. Offering him my palm, Demy’s tongue licked the blood off. Wrapping my hand, our eyes fell on my well dressed mother. Her salt and pepper hair was twisted into a simple side bun, the bone white dress hugging her five foot two hourglass figure. Stiffening at the sight of her, it took everything to not kill her.
“My beautiful daughter has come to see me!” She slurred drunkenly, the smell of whiskey on her breath nauseating me. “Who is this handsome young man?” My brow cocked in response, my hands wrapping around his arm involuntarily. Tears welled up in my eyes, every cell wanting me to run. Reaching out for me, he stepped in front of me. Tipping his hat in her direction, his hair nearly touched the grass as he bowed in her direction.
“I am Demetros Deaclon, her fiance.” He introduced himself boldly, snapping his fingers behind his back. “I suspect you are the lovely lady who created my little swallow.” A black band formed on my finger, a large blood ruby sprouted from the center. Wicked laughter burst from her lips, her head shaking.
“I find it very hard to believe you actually love her. She is a messy little burden of a child. I was so happy to sell her at the ripe age of seven.” She gloated jovially, her stern husband marching up to her side. “Jimmy, you came out to greet my monster of a daughter.” His slate gray eyes narrowed in her direction, a quiet fury seethed in his eyes. Running his hand through his slicked back silver hair, his wrinkles creasing with a genuine smile. Dusting off his suit, he motioned for her to go back into the house. Tears stained my cheeks, my body trembled in Demy’s arms. Clutching me close to his chest, she stumbled back into the mansion. All of the raw emotion of her beating and selling me bubbled to the surface, my emotional center shattering by the second.
“You will have to ignore your mother. She is a nasty drunk witch.” He apologized sincerely, Demy tipped his hat in his direction. “I am your Uncle Gary Graystone. Do come in? I have a fresh pot of coffee ready. My housekeeper made some apple pie. You guys do eat, right?” Dusting off his expensive navy suit, he adjusted his tie anxiously. Tucking his hands into his pocket, anxiety wore on his face. Squirming out of his arms, surprise rounded his eyes the moment I embraced him warmly. His rich cologne wafted up my nose, a violet aura surrounded him. Soaking his jacket with my tears, years of guilt soaked the top of my head.
“Thank you for taking care of my mother.” I sobbed happily into his shoulder, simply happy to have a family member in my life. “We won’t be charging you.” His lips parted in protest, Demy clearing his throat. Stepping back, he examined the ring on my finger. A curious glint twinkled in his eyes, a sly grin dancing across his lips.
“I have to pay you a little bit. How about this? You can have a small ceremony here. The ring is quite nice.” He commented with a bemused grin, guiding us to the carriage house. “I seem to be having the biggest ghost problem. I hear screaming every night and it is terrifying. Do you think you can fix it?” Flashing him a bright smile, my fingers wiped away my own tears.
“Sounds like a banshee.” Demy said simply, taking off his hat. “That should be a simple fix. Do you mind if I use your library?” Motioning for us to go ahead, the look in her eyes told me to hang back by my uncle. Walking next to him felt odd, Demy leading the way back in. Something felt off, my eyes falling on my mother in the window. Standing straight up in the highest window, a cloudiness masked her caramel eyes. A pale hand gripped her shoulder, a shrill shriek shattered my eardrums. Blood poured from my ears, my bright smile hiding the pain. Pushing through the pain, the shriek died down. Wiping the blood off of my face, Demy hadn’t noticed my mother or me wiping away the blood. Cupping the whiskey bottle in her hands, large gulps of whiskey poured down her throat. Stumbling around, panic gripped me the moment she disappeared. Demy was seconds from entering, all of the glass blowing out.
“Cover your ears!” I ordered urgently, knocking my uncle to the soft grass. Shrill shrieks shattered the early morning breeze, my mother limping out. Her head spun all the way around, the cracking of her neck nauseating me. Bending backward, her bones twisted into unnatural angles. Ripping out his gun from his jacket, a whole round did little to deter her crawling towards us. The shrieking increased in volume, a whistling fogginess tortured my ears. My fingers curled around my staff, a clicking noise came to life as it shifted into a scythe. Snapping my fingers, a pair of headphones popped up in my hands. Dropping them onto his head, he lowered his hands.
“Don’t take those off unless I tell you to.” I warned calmly, feeling around my boot for the salt from the Irish waves. “Stay in the circle.” Gripping the bag, Demy clapped his hands. Popping up next to me, blood stained the left side of his face. Helping me up, my balance was off. Drizzling the salt in a circle around us. The twisted version of my mother smashed against an invisible wall, maggots poured from her gunshot wounds. Cloudy eyes met mine, an Irish lullaby poured from her lips. The hollow words caused my face to pale, a clammy sweat drenching my skin. Why couldn’t I even try to kill her? The song slowed to a halt, my heart sinking into my stomach. Her broken bones snapped loosely into the resemblance of a human, her body twitching like a broken doll.
“Wee little sparrow.” An elderly Irish female voice crooned cruelly, her hands pressing against the invisible wall. “That lassie didn’t love you at all. Must be such a cruel joke for you to even exist. Your mommy hated you from the moment you were born. You, wee little sparrow, were born a dead child. Evil courses through your blood, your father is a lead demon himself. He hired me to kill you. He said something about you taking his throne. Your mother died weeks ago, although I have to say it is a busted model. I couldn’t even get her to stop drinking. I would really like to get paid. So please let’s play. Your lad here, won’t even put a dent in me.”
“Only I can talk about my mother that way.” I retorted venomously, seeking a way to beat my possessed mother. Stepping out of the circle, my hand caught the shattered wrists of my mother. A tiny curved blade spun in her other hand, the sheepskin handle barely moved with her effort. A cry of pain burst from my lips, the blade quivered in my side. Smashing my boot into her chest, she rolled into the biggest tree. Spinning my blade over my head, several sparrows fluttered around me. Soma landed on my shoulder, whispering a spell into my ear. Demy stepped out of the circle, Soma fluttered away. Gee, thanks for the help.
“Salt of the Irish Seas, Lady of the trees.” I chanted confidently, horror widening my mother’s cloudy eyes. “Trap her in a tree where she can sleep for all an eternity.” Slamming the tip into the grass, thick chocolate brown roots burst through. Shrill shrieks intensified, the roots twisted around her body. The last shriek flickered out, a calm serenity washed over his property. My staff shrank down, a golden chain resting next to it. Demy snatched the chain, his nimble fingers wrapping it around the tree. The gravity of the situation hit me, my mother was trapped in a tree because of me. Sinking to my knees, the blood may as well have been on my hands. A rushing noise filtered into my ears, my eardrums healing back to normal. The sound of the water crashing over the sands did little to quell my nerves, a concerned Demy crouched down to my level. Rubbing my back, he clutched me to his chest. Pressing his palm to the wet grass, the glass floated into the air, piercing itself together. Of course, he could fix a window.
“It appears you were born dead.” He chuckled softly, the ring still glittering on my finger. “You can keep that on you if you wish. I am more than okay with waiting until you actually say yes.” Playing with the ring, the image of my mother twisted around brought me right back to a fearful state. My heart was seconds from beating out of my chest, a throat clearing stealing me from my train of thought.
“Let’s go inside and discuss your marriage.” He offered serenely, passing me my headphones. “I have to thank you for completing the job. I might also have some photos of your father. He did run with our friend group back in the day.” Swallowing the lump in my throat, a marriage was definitely not what I signed up for. The photos were appealing though, my mind racing wildly at the chance of seeing what my father looked like. Following him in, his face fell at the broken dishes all over the floor. Getting on my knees, he waved his hands around.
“Let the maid get this. A bonus will most likely be necessary. Dishes are replaceable. You two aren’t.” He chimed nonchalantly, Demy tossing me over his shoulder. Sitting me down on his tan leather couch, glass crunched with each of Uncle Gary’s steps. A bag of crackers and a block of cheese rested in his palms, a pleasant smile brightened his features. Sitting down across from me, my eyes fell on the myriad photos of our huge family. They all looked so happy without me, shame dimming my eyes. Demy plopped down next to me, his hand yanking me onto his lap. Curling his arms around my waist, he refused to let go. Rushing off to get a couple of albums, Demy grabbed the cheeseboard, cheese and knife.
“I only lied about the fiance thing to impress your mother.” He admitted sheepishly, his trembling fingers struggling with the cheese. “I can’t get this damn thing open.” Being engaged to him didn’t seem too bad. Taking the cheese from him, pure joy lit up his face at my next words.
“I mind being engaged to you.” I proclaimed honestly, cutting open the package. “I told you I love you. We are kind of stuck with each other anyway. I wouldn’t mind being your wife one of these days.” Watching me cut up the cheese, no words could come to his lips for the first time in a long while. Resting his chin on my head, I could feel his aura shifting to a nice white one. Smiling warmly to myself, I really meant it.
“Okay. If you really are okay with it.” He stammered oddly, feeding me a piece of cheese. “You really are something, aren’t you?” Cutting up the last of the cheese, the wood clattered against the long oak coffee table. Spinning around to face him, a deep crimson colored his cheeks. Holding the ring up to the light, it felt so right. A knock on the door interrupted us, a tall slender man sauntered into the living room. Running his hand through his slicked back onyx hair, his ruby eyes shimmered excitedly in my direction. A cruel smile danced across his inky black lips, my heart sinking to my chest. Fear paralyzed me, his overconfidence unsettling me. Tucking his hands into his slate gray velvet suit, his shiny dress shoes clicked up to me. Demy stiffened, low growls rumbled in his throat. Dancing his fingers down my arm, he examined the ring.
“You have been awakened and by your mate no less.” He snarled under his breath, unbuttoning the top buttons of my blouse. “Soma has blessed you with your grandmother’s powers. This is most troubling, indeed. All she had to do was kill you. The desire was there. Fucking weakling. Scarlet, do you know who I am?” Pointing his nose up in the air, my fingers curled the cheese cutting knife.
“I am assuming you are my father.” I guessed with uncertainty, his wicked grin spreading cheek to cheek. “I must have said your name three times or did I summoned you through a mirror like Bloody Mary. Did you really think another bad parent was going to scare me? You were even worse than her. At least she was there to beat and sell me for more drugs.” His slender fingers curled around my chain only for black smoke to curl off of his fingers. Dropping the chain, it swung wildly.
“I could always touch these before.” He cursed bitterly, my uncle walking in with the albums. “Why is she with you?” Chuckling softly to himself, he motioned for my father to sit. A scary smile dawned on his face as he set them down on the table. Leaning towards him, his hands clapped. Golden crosses lined the wall, all of our powers draining. Leave it to my uncle to command a room.
“Riot, you seem to have forgotten that I am a hunter with a bit of angel blood in me.” He sighed exhaustively, preparing a cracker with two pieces of cheese. “Why did you show up? Was it curiosity? Nice trick you played. Having her mother possessed by a banshee was a low blow. Should I slow clap for you now or give you a fucking cookie? Do you know that she is engaged to the demon reaper child? That could spell trouble for you.” Rising to his feet, my father’s seven foot frame towered over us all. Chills shot up my spine, all of us shivering for a quick second.
“I won’t let her ascend to the throne.” He growled through gritted teeth, rushing towards the door. “Just to let you know the cat always gets the swallow.” Clapping his hands, he disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Another chill ran up my spine, a single claw extended from my fingernail. The cheese knife clattered to the white marble floor, a deep concern flashing in both of their eyes. Gathering my wits, a small smile silenced their worry.
“So when is the wedding?” He asked with a million dollar grin, eating another cracker with cheese. “I would love to start planning. I have another tidbit for you. If you got married, you both would be stronger. Just say when. Would you like to spend a couple of days here? I have plenty of room and hardly any guests.” Nodding silently, he began to open up the albums and tell a tale of every picture. Losing myself in the moment, he pulled out his phone.
“I want a picture. Smile!” He sang excitedly, aiming his camera in our direction. “Hold those smiles.” Holding our pose, a bright light blinded us. Taking a couple more, the only thing I could see was white spots floating in my vision. Our phones dinged, a copy of the picture melting my heart. Demy had kissed my forehead at the right moment, our eyes falling on the moon. Exhaustion hung heavily on my eyelids, a groggy yawn escaped my lips. The conversation faded in and out, sweet slumber stole me away.

Hello, I am a fresh graduate with a course in Secondary Education. I just wanted to know what is the process to be able to work in Japan and how much would it be. In addition, is there a possibility that they would accept people with no work experience?
​
I wanted to work as a teacher but I heard that Japanese schools often prefer Americans or natives when it comes to teaching. So I am also opting for other jobs.
Thank you so much!

It's the First of April. Thats all I will say.
________________________________________
The New Hope
Vance was tired, he had been on the run all day long. What had looked to be another boring routine survey mission into a simple uncharted binary star system had turned out to be quite a bit more.
Stopping for a quick breather, Vance pulled out his hydroflask and took a long pull of the lukewarm water. It might have been a bit stale, but to him it tasted sweet as cherry soda. The hydroflask sealed with a pop as he replaced it on his belt. It would slowly draw moisture from the air and condense it inside, refilling over time.
Good thing too, this planet seemed to be a never-ending desert. Everywhere he turned to look the relentless twin suns beat down on his thick grey fur, causing him to pant heavily as he tried to cool himself down futilely.
Vance was Yeown, a member race of the Sapient Congressional Union. He stood just under two meters tall though his shoulders were hunched and his long arms were held at a low ready by his sides. His slightly werewolf-like features were currently scrunched into a scowl as he surveyed the surrounding landscape, trying to determine what his next move should be.
That's when he saw it, on the horizon, smoke. Smoke meant fire, and as so often was the case, fire often meant people and civilization.
A destination in sight and a goal in mind, he was now feeling much better about his situation. Vance took a few minutes of walking along the endless dunes to once more marvel on his situation. The fact that he was able to breath without his constricting environmental suit was a miracle. Naturally habitable planets were rare, not so rare as to be nonexistent, but rare enough that his chance stumbling blindly across one was likely a once in a lifetime experience. Well, once in a lifetime if he didn't find shelter was a near guarantee.
His people had evolved on a cooler, more temperate world. The Yeown homeworld of Bright Moon was a temperate world with large polar regions and thick evergreen forests that covered much of the planet’s surface. This relentless heat was slowly but surely killing him. If he didn't find a place to cool off in the next few hours he was likely to suffer heat exhaustion and die.
Vance shivered at the thought. His mummified remains would be lost to the endless sands of this cruel desert. He looked forwards again, the smoke did in fact seem closer now that he really scrutinized it. He grinned, pointed carnivore teeth bared in a terrible grimace. Any non-herbivore species able to see him at that moment would likely have had a fit, his bestial features less sapient in appearance than most other known races.
While this did not frequently bother him, it had on occasion caused some small disturbance to other member races. In particular dimwitted humans.
He snarled quietly, the SCU had only made contact with his people forty years in the past. Plenty of time for the other member races of the Union to become acquainted, but they hadn't. It seemed that many of them harbored an instinctive mistrust towards the Yeown. Whether it was born of ancestral fear or prejudice meant little to Vance, it was wrong. There were even whisperings of succession in some of the more extreme circles.
It would never happen though. The Union was truly vast, thousands of inhabited worlds spanning thousands of light years and with a population numbering in the hundreds of quadrillions of sapient beings. There was no realistic way that their tiny population of a few billion could hope to stand up to the might of quadrillions.
He put thoughts of rebellion out of his head, the Union wasn't some tyrannical galactic empire after all, they did seem to have the best interests of their citizens in mind. ‘Most of the time.’ He thought silently, bitterness reentering his thoughts in spite of himself.
The smoke drew steadily closer, thoughts of what kind of strange people might inhabit such a desolate world caused his mind to enter a tizzy. From what he knew of desert creatures they tended towards the more insectoid or reptilian. Mammals were a rare sight on such worlds, would they accept him as a sapient being? What if they tried to kill him?
Dark thoughts of murder and cannibalism entered his mind unbidden. Such creatures existed across the Union, Flesh tearers and the other psychotic bloodthirsty pirates that frequented the less populated regions of the galaxy. Was it possible that the indigenous people of this world would be the same?
His ship had not detected radio signals before he had mysteriously lost power. Only by switching to his secondary generator had he been able to prevent himself from becoming a glassed crater in the planet’s surface, barely. His ship had suffered catastrophic damage in the landing and he had decided to try and scout out the area.
Thats where he had made his first mistake, he had oriented himself towards the morning sun and started off, but soon after the first had risen then another sun had made its presence known in the ever-brightening sky. His compass had been useless and his trail had been obscured by fresh blown sand. Soon he had found himself hopelessly lost.
With no landmarks to follow and two suns causing him to confuse the direction he had come from, he had started to lose all hope of making it off the planet alive. But then he had seen the smoke, like a beacon it inspired hope in his chest.
He took another large panting breath before taking a moment to rest in a shallow hollow. He cocked his head as he spotted the first life he had yet seen on the planet, a small scraggly bush, barely alive by the looks of it. Its wood was covered in gnarls and grey twigs, knobby and blistered by uncountable days of exposure to the harsh elements.
Still, where there was life there was water, that was a good sign as he was drinking from his hydroflask faster than it seemed to be able to replenish
He took another deep shuddering breath, his break had done nothing but drawn attention to his aching muscles and sore joints. Walking for hours through the soft sand had turned his legs to jelly and his feet to raw meat. His large clawed paw-like feet generally had no problems with the terrain, but the hot sand had slowly begun to scour the softer flesh between his toes. While he wasn't bleeding yet, the flesh was raw and tender, he knew that he would have to clean them soon so as to prevent potential infections.
Vance had received a universal inoculation when he had turned the age of twelve, but while it was essentially an immune booster it was not a cureall. One could still get sick, the inoculation simply boosted the natural strength of his immune system. The result was near human levels of disease resistance but at the cost of becoming quite tired while fighting off an infection.
As Vance crested the next rise he froze, the cause of the smoke was now directly in front of him. The low rolling sand dunes gave way to an expanse of flattened earth, less sandy, more dusty.
In the middle of this flattened land was a large sunken pit of some sort and a low hut-like structure. The hut was the cause of the smoke, the structure charred and covered in strange marks.
Vance hunkered down, all thoughts of his sore muscles and raw feet forgotten as he observed the scene. It looked like the aftermath of a war zone, a high-tech warzone at that. The strange marks resolving themselves into some sort of burns like those made by energy weapons.
He swore loudly, then immediately snapped his mouth closed. Whatever or whoever had caused the damage might still be nearby, and from the looks of the place they would likely not have his best interests in mind either.
He waited a full ten minutes but no enemies appeared, he looked around and then swore quietly “Frine’s furred ass…” He needed a place to shelter and he couldn't wait any longer. Dangerous or not, the chance of death was better than certain death, and so he found himself moving towards the low round building. His body held low as he used his arms and legs to creep forwards.
He reached the side of the building and stopped, a new smell reached his strong senses. After nothing but the hot slightly metallic smell of the dunes and his gear, it was a bit of a surprise to smell something different. He smelled burnt flesh, the smell making his mouth water slightly. He had not had fresh meat for months, subsisting off the dried and freeze dried rations he was provided with by the company.
His stomach growled involuntarily and he swiped his tongue over his lips. He had a bad feeling that what he was about to find might not be a delicious home cooked meal though.
Sure enough as soon as he crept around to the front of the building he recoiled. In front of the door were the charred remains of two creatures, strangely familiar but unrecognizable due to the damage.
He looked closer despite his disgust, the creatures looked far too familiar, two legs and arms. A body shape similar to that of a human, but that was not too surprising he surmised. More than one of the Union member races seemed to take after that appearance, humanoid as the humans called it. And of course they would, they named everything after themselves the selfish hairless packbreakers.
Vance snorted, trying to get the smell out of his nostrils as he slunk by into the building itself. The building was larger than he had at first supposed. The doorway turned out to be a set of stairs that led underground in the direction of the large pit he had observed earlier. ‘They must be a burrowing race.’ He thought idly as he descended into the structure.
Indeed as he reached the bottom of the stairs it opened up into a small house built almost entirely underground. Though one of the rooms seemed lit, it must connect to the large open pit. The room was scorched, the look of a fire that must have raged out of control.
Even with the oppressive smell of charr and soot it was cooler than the surface. He located what looked like the remains of a stool and wiped it off before sitting. He gave a long sigh before taking another long swig from his hydroflask. It felt good to be sitting, his aching muscles and feet groaned in protest as he tried to regain his strength.
After a few minutes his breathing had slowed and he was feeling much more comfortable. He flexed his feet, he needed to find something to wash them with, he looked around. He couldn't see any obvious means of water storage. The planet was hot, hot and dry. But surely the local life drank water, or at least knew of its existence.
He stood, wincing slightly as his sore feet protested, the sand between his toes a constant sting. He limped over to the far wall and moved a few charred items off a nearby shelf. Nothing of use it seemed, then he stopped. He looked at the end of the counter before moving quickly towards a large box at the end of the counter, it looked like.
“Yes!” He said triumphantly. It had been some sort of refrigerator.
It seemed that whatever damage had been done to its exterior was entirely superficial as the inside lit up dimly with a soft bluish glow as he opened it. He grabbed for the large container of clear liquid on the uppermost shelf.
He was about to take a deep drink when his common sense stopped him. He had no idea what the liquid was, it could have been almost anything, so he pulled out a small analysis tool from his belt. Generally the small device was used to assay rocks and other samples brought onboard by his probes, but it should do just as well identifying the basic elements of the liquid.
Placing a small drop from the jug inside, he turned the device on and waited as it whirred softly. After about a minute it made a series of low beeps. Checking the display he smiled, hydrogen and oxygen bonded into di-hydrogen monoxide molecules, more commonly known as water.
He took a tentative taste, the cool clean water taking away the dull scratchiness in his mouth. He took another swallow, this one deeper and more satisfying. Sighing contentedly he looked into the small cooling unit again, there were some other items of interest, not the least of which was a small wrapped package of what appeared to be some meat-like substance.
While he wasn't hungry per-se, his instinctual craving for thick juicy chunks of meat was trying to get the better of him. He paused and then growled deep from his chest. There was no way he would pass up the opportunity if it was remotely safe to eat, and so he pulled out the protein analyzer from one of his vest pouches. While similar to the analysis tool, it would instead check the compounds of the product and check for incompatibilities. If none were expressly detected then it was in all likelihood compatible with his system. While he wasn't capable of the incredible culinary feats of humans who seemed to be capable of eating almost anything they could fit in their mouths, he could digest a wide variety of proteins and fats from many worlds he was not native to.
This ability made him confident that he would be able to eat the morsel without incident, though it was always better safe than sorry. He waited an irritating three minutes before the small device gave a chime and flashed green. That was a good sign, checking the screen on the analyzer it told him what he had hoped to see. What he had was a foreign foodstuff that seemed perfectly compatible with his biology, that was a little odd. Generally a food safe to eat from an alternate world would be at least partially incompatible with his digestion, but this seemed like it had been made specifically for him.
Shrugging at this turn of good fortune he grabbed the fist sized package and sat once more at the sooty stool. Unwrapping the meat fully he was hit with a delicious smell, like sweet and briny at the same time. He pulled out his survival knife and used it to carve off a chunk of the meat before taking a bite.
Immediately his mouth exploded with the flavors of the exotic flesh, it was tender and soft, hints of sweetness and a deep salty undertone that satisfied his cravings like nothing he had ever yet tasted before. It was like some cross of sea creature and cultured livestock, it was in all parts delicious. Vance found himself chowing down on the strange feast, before he knew it the meat was gone, his mouth still watering from the abundance of flavors.
He sat back on the stool, back pressed against one of the earthen walls and gave a sigh. He felt content. He felt a comfortable sleep threaten to overtake him and so sat up and then stood. There was still far too much to do before he could allow himself that luxury. He took the water jug and slowly poured a small measure of the precious liquid over his feet, taking care to maximize its usefulness in case he was unable to find more. After a minute of this he felt comfortable enough to take another look around.
He moved around the room, checking the walls and furniture for other potentially useful items, nothing jumped out at him explicitly but he kept at it. As he finished the common area he moved into some of the adjoining rooms but they all looked the same. Charred and with pieces of broken furniture lying in smoldering piles all around. Before he knew it he stepped out into the open air once more, but it was shaded. He looked around curiously, it seemed to be some sort of sunken courtyard.
Along the walls were what looked like some sort of long boxes connected to the metal walls with pipes and wires, he moved closer and saw that many had small green shoots and fronds inside. So this must be some sort of farm then he mused to himself. In the center of the area was a tall machine of some sort, tubes and small vanes covered its entire surface and he stepped close to it. His sensitive pointed ears swiveled slightly to better pick up faint sounds and he smiled again as he heard the distinct sound of liquid moving through the smaller pipes.
This must be some sort of atmospheric condenser, they were relatively common on dry desert planets but to see one on an uncharted and alien world was a shock. These people must be somewhat advanced to have electricity and condensers. Maybe if they had such technology they had a faster way of moving across the dunes. Some sort of buggy or skiff.
Vance looked around, well, it likely wasn't down in the pit, making up his mind he walked back into the underground house and made his way back to the kitchen area. Looking around for a moment he walked to the water jug he had left on the blackened countertop. Taking another drink from his hydroflask he poured out the small amount of water that remained and then refilled it with the much cleaner purified water from the jug. Now at least he would be able to drink it without tasting the inside of the micro condensers from his hydroflask.
He gathered all his gear and gave the darkened room one last look, nothing caught his immediate attention so he left, walking up the long staircase to the surface. He stepped around the two charred corpses at the front of the structure again and looked round. The area around the dwelling was clat and mostly clear, though about fifty meters away he spotted what looked like another tall condenser. Next to it was a small pile of boxes and crates, it was the only thing in sight that might hold something of interest so he started towards it.
As Vance reached the small pile he cocked his head, something went scampering from the cracks between the crates, a small creature that seemed to hop on two legs. It stopped a few meters from him and he looked at it intently. It was no bigger than a Znot, in fact, other than missing the extra limbs, it seemed remarkably similar. It had tan wrinkly skin that blended into the surrounding dirt and a long nose that it brushed a few times as he watched. It must have been some sort of small rodent equivalent native to this world. As he looked at the small critter It gave a small series of squeaks and scurried away, its tail disappearing back into the large pile of boxes.
He gave a small chuckle, it seemed like a harmless enough animal. As he walked around the boxes he stopped, on the far side previously out of sight sat some sort of contraption. The strange machine seemed to hover on some sort of antigravity cushion, as he approached and pushed on it it moved slightly but stayed remarkably stable. He gave it a look over, its purpose started to become clear to him the more he looked. It was long and thin, with a series of tubes and machinery along the bottom. The middle of the device had a saddle-like seat behind a pair of handlebars attached to a pair of long vaned tubes that jutted from the front. It almost looked like some sort of wheelless motorcycle, a popular type of vehicle frequently used in the more rural parts of the Union that he frequented.
He shrugged and climbed on, the seat was a little uncomfortable as it seemed designed for a smaller species, but it would be fine. He found the control stirrups and placed his feet in them. He gripped the handlebars tightly and kicked back on the pedals. The machine made a series of coughing noises and then returned to its seemingly inert status. It was still hovering however so it must still have been working.
Vance looked around and found a small switch on the body under the handles. He shrugged and flicked it, the machine seemed to whirr slightly but nothing else changed. Once more he pushed back on the pedals and gasped as the vehicle leapt forwards with an acceleration that threatened to tear the breath from his lungs. He eased off the pedals and the device slowed to a more manageable speed. He experimented with the handles and turned to the left, the vanes seemed to catch the air and the hovering vehicle made a neat left hand turn.
He smiled wide as the air rushed by his ears, the wind cooling him and weakening the oppressive heat of the planet. “What a way to travel," he chuckled to himself.
Getting the hang of the device took only minutes, after he had determined he understood the mechanics of the device he returned to the crate and dismounted, making sure to flick off the powerswitch lest the thing take off without him. That would put him firmly back to square one again.
He quickly checked the boxes, many of them were empty, a few held bits of machinery that he didn't know the purpose of. The last one he checked seemed to have some sort of mechanical device inside, it looked like a robot of some sort. Short and squat with a pair of wheeled legs on its sides. Its dome-like top was painted red and white and seemed to house a series of sensors and hatches. It appeared inactive and so he closed the top, not wanting to mess with something that he didn't know the purpose of. While he suspected it wasn't a device designed for destruction, there was no way of knowing and so it was better left untouched.
Vance climbed back onto the hovering bike, the hoverbike as he was starting to call it in his head, he flicked it back on and sat still. He had a means of transportation, but he had no destination. Which way would he go? He thought about heading back towards his ship but then thought better of it, there wasn't much of a point in going back to it anyways. It was done for, damaged beyond repair. Besides, from what he had seen of the area on the way over there was no life out in the dunes. He moved towards one of the high dunes on the opposite side of the place, stopping at the top he squinted and looked around. In the far distance he could make out what looked like a series of rocks. It was as good a place as any he figured, making a mental note of which direction he had come from he zoomed off towards the distant landmark.
If he considered the rotation of the planet and the rising of the suns being to the East as was common, then the direction he was heading was roughly north. He liked his odds of finding something north, it must cool down at least a little the further he traveled from the equatorial zones of the planet at the very least.
Vance reached the rocks in less than ten minutes, the same distance would have likely taken him hours to walk but he put it out of his mind. Signs of life were all around, small lizard-like creatures scattered into the rocks as he approached and he could see small shrub-like plants all around.
The planet wasn't as dead as it had initially looked he surmised, just the vast deserts lacked life. Here among the rocks more conventional life seemed to exist.
Vance slowed for a bit, taking his time as he wound his way through a series of canyons and deep clefts in the rock. At one point he thought he heard the sound of someone yelling, but it faded too fast for him to get a bead on its location.
The eeriness of the planet combined with his total lack of knowledge on what dangers may lay around the corner made his progress slower than it needed to be. He wished he had a weapon, a pistol, a stick, anything. Sure his retractable claws would put the hurt on anything that might come at him but he had no idea what he might be up against. The feeling of not being the top of the food chain sat ill with him, his hackles rose, the collar of fur longer and shaggier near the back of his neck. It had evolved that way to protect the neck from being an easily exploitable weak spot.
He heard a strange wailing noise, at first he thought it was some terrible beast and he froze. But as he listened closer it had the unmistakable undertone of a turbojet fan spinning rapidly. As the thought passed through his mind he exited the narrow canyon he had been traversing and he gasped. The land stretched out in front of him, kilometers and kilometers of open flat rock, and in the distance a settlement or some type. He could make out dozens of structures and a few larger circular buildings whose use he wasn't sure of. It looked to be several kilometers away, not a problem with his new mode of transportation.
High overhead he saw the unmistakable silhouette of a ship leaving the planet, if they had the ability to leave the planet then why had they never been contacted by the Union before? He shook his head and then zoomed towards the small town.
He reached it in minutes, slowing to a walking speed as he saw the main entrance point to the small town appeared guarded. He approached the entry slowly, unsure as to what he should do. He was obviously not the same species as the two white armoured soldiers manning the checkpoint, they looked humanoid in shape whereas he was much taller and lankier. His arms longer and his back hunched.
Another thought entered his mind just as he floated up to the two soldiers, how would he communicate? He racked his brains furiously as he tried to think of a solution, he waved at the two soldiers as they walked over and then nodded in a polite manner. He would just have to pretend to understand and hope nothing made them attack.
He nearly jerked himself off the hoverbike in shock as the first soldier walked over and asked in perfect unaccented common “Identification?”
He had to stop himself from stuttering, the words frozen in his mind at this strange new discovery.
The other soldier, this one with an orange shoulder pad, walked over and asked “Is there a problem here?”
Vance shook his furred head and dug out his ident card, there was no reason it should work but hey, stranger things had happened. He handed the ident card to the first soldier with a muttered “My apologies.”
The soldier seemed to scrutinize the card before looking at him, the featureless black eye lenses of the white helmet only deepening the feelings of paranoia he was feeling at the moment. The soldier turned to his superior and spoke “It's not a form I am familiar with, sir.”
The other soldier took the card and looked at it before handing it back to the trooper “It looks like a match to me. You know how these backworlds are. Let them through.”
Handing the card back the first soldier waved him through saying “Move along.”
Vance did so without another word, tucking his ident card away. He was in disbelief, that had worked? What were the odds? He stopped and took a second to compose himself before his jaw dropped again.
All around him were strange wonders and marvels. Aliens of almost every description wandered to and fro in the streets, strange hovering contraptions moved down the thoroughfares and large almost lizard-like creatures lowed at street corners where small vendors seemed to be hawking wares. He saw strange furred beasts with great horns pulling hovering carts, and a multitude of what seemed to be robots all around. He shivered at the thought of them, artificial intelligence was abhorrent.
It was a most incredible sight and for several minutes he marveled. His examination was cut short as a small hooded figure approached and started speaking at him. This time he was unable to understand the words and shook his head.
“I'm sorry I don't understand. What do you want?” he asked the diminutive creature. He couldn't make out its appearance under the heavy hooded robe it wore, but he could just make out a pair of shiny orange eyes. It seemed to become agitated at his remark and shouted again, his time drawing the attention of several passers by.
The creature made one final scathing alien remark before marching off. Several of the onlookers snickered, likely understanding the insults he had blindly weathered. He growled in a predatory manner and most of them hurried away. While he was not large for a male of his kind, he was much larger than most of these puny creatures.
He started along the street once more, he needed to find a place to get information. A message board, an information kiosk, anything. He shook his head once more, this entire experience had been surreal. The journey feeling more like some crazed dream sequence more so than an actual real series of events.
Many of the aliens he saw looked disturbingly human, several even looked slightly like the slaaveth, though with some minor differences. What was this place, where had he stumbled into? He racked his brains for everything he knew about this region of space. All he could come up with though was that it was near Drivil and uncharted, about three hundred light years past the coreworlds border. An area of space generally referred to as the great frontier.
Suddenly he stopped. He looked again to his right, there across the street next to a pile of wreckage sat another of those strange hovering contraptions. This one a dusty red in color, but that was not what had captured his keen eye. No, next to the hovering vehicle was a low building with the unmistakable look of a bar to it.
He smiled, an alien bar, well, if it was like anything else he had come across it might in fact be more familiar than anything else he had encountered so far. Hopefully they spoke common in there as well. He made his way across the street and then flicked off the hoverbike before dismounting. He looked left and right but saw no way of securing it.
“Oh well.” he said quietly to himself as he walked towards the door of the building. It wasn't like the thing had belonged to him anyways. Maybe it would be there when he came out, probably not. He would just have to cross that stream when he got to it.
Vance walked to the door which opened automatically at his presence, he was immediately hit with a wall of smoky smells and funky noises. A catchy tune that made his long narrow tail twitch in tune and made him want to bob his head. He smiled, his wide grin glinting as the light met his long canines. This seemed just like his kind of place.
He sidled up to the bar top, one of the other patrons giving him a long look. He nodded to the strange green alien and then asked the bartender, a disturbingly human looking alien wearing a tan shirt.
They looked him up and down and asked “Yeah? What will it be?”
Vance frowned slightly and then replied “Information.”
The man seemed to tense and said “That isn't something I generally serve here, a dangerous commodity that is.”
Vance sighed and then replied “Ok then, answer me one question then if you would?” The man nodded slowly. “How does one book passage off this planet? Is there a spaceport I could go through or…” but was cut off as the man waved around the room.
“Off world? Anyone can get you offworld, for the right price. I'm sure if you ask around you might find something suitable, now please, order a drink or leave me alone.” and the man scurried to the far side of the bar.
The strange interaction sat ill with him. He looked around the room, the many patrons of the bar laughing and drinking. Several tables appeared to have various types of gambling or betting going on at them. He smirked, the more things changed the more they seemed to stay the same he supposed.
He jerked as movement met the corner of his eye, turning his head he saw a man waving to him from across the building. He cocked his head and the man seemed to pause. They nodded and then waved him over again. Shrugging he wandered over, he had nothing better to do at the moment after all.
The man was leaning against the wall nearest to the door, his white undershirt and black vest doing nothing to cover the dangerous looking pistol strapped to his side.
Vance cautiously stopped in front of the man. “Hello there, I’m sorry but I couldn't help but overhear you are looking for passage offworld?”
Vance nodded and asked “Yes, you have excellent hearing. Er, I must apologize that I am a bit lost here. Where am I?”
The man smiled charmingly and patted his shoulder while gesturing towards the door. “You are in precisely the right place my friend. I happen to have the fastest ship in the galaxy, where are you headed?”
Vance shook his head and said “Somewhere else, I would like to get back to the Union. But I'll settle for somewhere cooler if that's a start.” he said with a chuckle.
The man nodded and said “Well, that's a good start I suppose. You are able to pay of course?” he asked seriously as they exited the building.
Ah yes of course, money. Vance kicked himself mentally, he had his entire last paycheck in Osmir in one of his pouches. He hated using credit chips, he always felt that his money didn't even exist while using them, he liked to be able to hold it in his hand. Cash was always much more graciously accepted in the frontier where he worked too.
He reached into his money purse and pulled out a handful of Osmir. He handed a few to the man and said “All I have is Union Osmir, would that be acceptable?”
The man looked at the small handful of coins and asked “I suppose, it's not Imperial credits after all. But what is it worth?”
Vance pointed to a few of the coins and rattled of their values “Well, that is a ten credit Osmir, that one is fifty credits and the last one with the largest fleck is a one hundred credit Osmir. I have a few Osmiridium ingots on me. Should be worth a few thousand credits. Would that be adequate?” he said with a bit of a head bob.
The man smiled and held one of the coins up to the light “Osmiridium huh? Yeah I think we can help each other. The name is Han by the way.”
“Hello Han, I'm Vance.” he replied.
“My ship is in bay ninety four, want to meet me there?” Han said to him.
Vance shook his head and said “I don't know where bay ninety four is, are you going that way now? I could follow you there perhaps?”
Han smiled again and looked him up and down saying “Yeah. I think you should be fine to tag along Vance. Follow me then.”
Vance nodded and fell in alongside Han, they walked along the side roads for a few minutes, neither of them seeing a reason to speak until Han steered him towards one of the large circular structures he had seen from the city outskirts. There was a series of alien symbols on the door that he couldn't read but Han smiled and made a gesture. “Here we are, bay ninety four.”
Vance walked inside and frowned as he saw what looked to be a pile of scrap in the rough shape of a starship. A design he was wholly unfamiliar with. “What is that?” he asked, unable to keep a bit of the shock from his voice.
“That?” Han asked. “That's the ship that made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs, friend. And time is money as they say. Please welcome yourself aboard the Millennium Falcon.”
Vance looked at the ship, its rough features giving him pause. His trained eye soon looked deeper though, under the scrap and grime he began to see it, the lines of a ship designed for power.
He stood for a moment longer and then turned to Han. the man asked “Well? What do you think?”
Vance gave Han a wide toothy grin as a new hope began to form in his mind and said “I think it's perfect.”
​
==End of Transmission==

Hello everyone, I come at you all with another IEM gaming recommendation as I have recently been prescribed glasses and I am currently not a fan of my headset over the arms on my glasses (my current pair of glasses are already a little tighter than preferred)
So after a lot of research and reading I've come across some solid contenders. I've even watched Fresh Reviews videos.
My current headphones I use are the AKG702 and the DT990 pro, I believe I prefer the sound of the AKG more but it also might just be the insane comfort they provide for longer sessions. I am not an audiophile by any means but I am pretty into metal and acoustic music.
One of the only terms I know regarding audio is treble fatigue and I feel as if I do notice that in the 990s. Any other way to describe audio would be a foreign language.
Ultimately I've narrowed it down to these pairs and they certainly vary in price, I currently have the Crinacle Zero and honestly, I like them, I like then a lot, and they are the sole reason I'm wanting to dive into a better tier of IEMs as I've changed my perspective from headphones since.
The list contains:
Truthear Hexa
Dunu Kima
Final Audio a4000
Raptgo HBB Hook etc.
The games I play are Overwatch, CS, EFT, Insurgency Sandstorm, and other FOTM shooters I spose
I know these vary in price but that's fine as I'll be using them quite a bit, they won't ever be leaving my desk as I'm not a wired fan when I am on the move.
If the most expensive pair blows the rest out of the water I would understand that I just wasn't sure if perhaps peak performance happened at a more minimal price point as the Crin Zeroes have absolutely melted my perception on what IEMs can be capable of, I really do enjoy sitting down at the pc and just experiencing the game from this perspective of sound.
Thank you for your time, input, and allowing me to beat a probable dead horse with this question

Yup. I saw a picture of thinly sliced beef and assumed it was cooked and got excited thinking it’d be an easy quick meal for the week …It’s raw. Raw thinly sliced beef.I Googled and most of the recipes came up with carpaccio - which is eating essentially raw beef, right? I’m not down with that …When I got the “cooked” beef, I was planning to microwave it with some cheese, maybe some onions - do a low-carb Philly type thing - but that’s when it was pre-seasoned and already cooked …So how do I season it? How do I cook it? What do y’all recommend?My kitchen sucks and I absolutely hate cooking in it - I’m also scared to do the dishes in the dishwasher because every time I have, it’s fricken flooded my kitchen. Plus, I swear that my kitchen sink gurgles every time the upstairs neighbor flushes. (I’m moving when my lease up and this is the worst apartment I’ve ever had - I’m figuring out how to deal because thus far, there is no proof/steadfast reason to get me out of my lease) - anyhow, minimal dishes/one pot preferred!!I’m leaning to boiling it in beef broth and adding onions - garlic - adobo - maybe some jalapeño purée for kick - something like that?? But is boiling it going to make it dry?? Chewy??What do y’all recommend? :)

Hello everyone,
most people from the EU are probably aware that all the shops based in the EU (Moquer, Sprezstyle, etc.) aren't allowed to sell certain ROW brands anymore due to licensing issues. This also affected 3 of my favourite brands - Lodestar, Grim Grease and Flagship. Hopefully, these problems will someday be resolved and that a few brands may return with EU licensed products.
Unfortunately, that's when I found out: my beloved Black Water was gone! The Devil was fine too, but after a while with the newer formulation it really got on my nerves having so many chunks of Kaolin clay that just wouldn't break down no matter what.
Then Nico from Sprezstyle added By Elementum to his shop and their Nubibus Styling Cream intrigued me very much once I decided to take a look. Nubibus permanently replaced Black Water for me since I got hold of it. Also some of their other stuff along with Nubibus and I feel after trying them all long enough, they really deserve some love and attention from the pomade community.
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These will be quick reviews, nothing major since it's pretty late. I might add more as the days go on. For information: I've got fine hair, quite dense outside of my recession area and it's usually 3-4 inches long on top.
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Nubibus Styling Cream: a liquid pre-/post-styling cream reminiscent of Black Water, Enigma and the like. It's a greenish tan color with liquid consistency, smooth when you rub it between your hands and has no bits and pieces of anything that hasn't emulsified during production whatsoever. Same principle here, use less pumps for less volume/hold, use more to get more. Easy. I found that it's more forgiving than Enigma, but you are able to achieve the same results with less product as with Black Water which was really nice. When you blowdry it, it's easy to control. It first comes across as a natural shine, but use the cold setting on your blowdryer for about 30 seconds and bam, it's a perfectly matte finish (more of a dry matte if you use more, but the hair will still feel soft and smooth which was cool because The Devil didn't have that going as much for instance). The scent is quite fruity, could be too sweet for some, but I do enjoy it personally. Like freshly picked berries or something. And you can also post-style with it effectively! Basically more waxy feeling and more of a natural to natural matte finish in the end if you do decide to use it after blowdrying aswell. Similar to how a cream pomade would work? Didn't try this application method a lot though so please take it with a grain of salt.
Montibus Cream Pomade: it's advertised as a cream pomade, however I found that to be misleading. That's where I think you should read how they advertise their product to work exactly. Which I usually don't, I like to use my styling products how I want to. But when I tried to use it as a post-styler, it was a big mistake because it hardens up a lot after it sets (similar to a gel but not as much). Very surprising because it is such a creamy consistency (looks like chocolate pudding in the jar, lol). The magic is in the pre-styling. This one makes your hair so soft and flowy when you use it in damp hair and blowdry it, with a hold bordering on medium and a natural matte finish. This is great for days where you want more movement and less hold in contrast to Nubibus. Post-Stylers go in much easier in comparison also. What I hated initially I actually ended up loving. The smell can be troublesome for others, it's rose-forward so it can be too floral for you guys. It goes away quickly though, to me the end result is worth it!
Terra Matte Paste: I couldn't believe this would replace one of my all time favourite matte pastes, but it did. You can imagine it like Poland's answer to Northern Lights. It's smooth, scoops out easily similar to NL but is less waxy and a tad more dry so it's also more matte. Application was very userfriendly for a MP. The hold in my hair is a medium to medium-firm, while Northern Lights was a straight up medium hold for me. And the scent... damn it's good. Smooth, creamy sandalwood with the sliiightest hint of sweetness to round it off. It's so subtle yet very intoxicating. This absolutely slaughters Northern Lights' scent and threw it into the river, it was that much of a clear winner for me. Also with Nubibus as a pre-styler combined, my hair would barely move at all for 10+ hours.
Mollis Floral Beard Oil: For anyone who is super afraid that this smells like roses or your granny - I actually hate 90% of rose fragrances. This definitely isn't super floral, but more in the vein of Nubibus where it's heavy on the berries. Almost like berry flavored bubblegum but more natural smelling? Can't describe it, I personally like it a lot because again - I'm a sucker for fruity scents, especially when berries are involved. It's higher in viscosity than some of the other beard oils I've used (Dauntless, Ivor's Brew, Lodestar for example). I've used it today and I can say my beard feels super soft at the end of the day. Small hint: this works amazingly well with Womanizer's Rasputin beard balm and Cody moustache wax. For Mollis you can also choose Mollis Flaming or Mollis Woody if you think that the Floral version isn't for you, I think the names of the other 2 hint at the scent profiles very well!
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Overall design: I actually quite like it, it's minimalistic (I don't really like the old school designs or the super colorful designs, with exceptions like Lockhart's or Lodestar for instance). It does fit By Elementum's theme and their connection to nature. All products come in glass bottles/jars which is what I personally prefer because they make the products just look and feel more premium.
Ingredients: From what I could see at first glance, the guys at By Elementum did indeed stay true to their word and all products seem to have a nourishing component to them and nothing notably harmful to the hair in any way. My hair as I mentioned earlier also feels really nice as the day goes on.
Price-performance ratio: All prices were taken from Sprezstyle, where I have ordered myself. Nubibus comes in at 24,95 EUR which is decent for how it performs, Mollis (3 scents to choose from) comes in at 17,95 EUR for 30 ml which is within the price range what beard oils are sold for usually and the post-stylers all come in at 19,95 EUR for 120 g which is about 20-30 g more than what you'd usually get from other brands! Seems all good here.
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My verdict: to all you European folks or you guys and gals from the rest of the world who wanna try some European goods. Try this brand out, it's worth it. I might be trying Deserto next, which is their clay. Another reminder that we should give smaller brands a try! I also hope this helped some people out who are thinking about buying any of their products but aren't absolutely sure.

So my brother and i went shopping and when we came back he left one of the bags at the bottom of one of the back car seats containing some ground beef burgers, chicken legs and some hand and cheese bites. Everything previously frozen. These were left there for about 2 to 3 days.. is there ANY way of saving this food?

Hello, I have a few quick questions that I'm sure have been asked a thousand times so let me apologize in advance for not trying harder to find an existing thread, I have a 4yo and 5yo boys and they're all boy so my free time for web browsing is severely limited...... Anyways background my youngest the 4yo was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes about 6 months ago and subsequently transitioned to the Omnipod 5 & Dexcom G6 combo insulin monitoring and delivery system about 3 months ago. Recently we went to his diabetes specialist and they informed us about all the benefits we are missing out on from still using the oem pdms. So naturally now I'm looking to buy a $50-$100 used Android that can control both devices with the oem apps and utilize the automated mode. I've googled and read numerous FAQs, blogs, forum posts, etc.... And for the life of me I can't seem to find an up to date cross compatibility list. If anyone knows of a cheap android that just works I'd be eternally grateful to you. I'm in the continental United States.
Bonus Q: If and when I upgrade to a single device can I use the AT&T sim card in my stock Omnipod pdm for syncing when out of wifi range? If so are there any tips & tricks I should be aware of? Is it even possible? APN settings? Call AT&T and transfer the service to a fresh unlocked sim card? etc.....
Thank you all so much from both of us,
taw420 or 024wat on here.

Hello! On Friday evening my sister-in-law and her family will be arriving from the other side of the US to spend a week with us. I’m thrilled. I have TWO questions I’d like perspectives on:
1) When prioritizing cleaning, since they’re staying with us, what’s your most important to least important list. What things do YOU actually notice when staying in someone else’s house?
2) Things you do to make them feel more comfortable? I plan on having fresh flowers around the house. Buying their favorite snacks… and????
Any pointers for their stay? We have a three bedroom - our two kids are staying in my son’s room, their kids are staying in my daughter’s room, and we’re putting them in our room. BIL is a BIG introvert (like me) so I feel like it’s important to have a safe and quiet space all of their own while here. That’s one thing I NEED when staying with family. We’ll be downstairs on the couch. I’ve never had houseguests like this in this house, and we rarely have guests. I need help not overthinking and to focus on the vital things!

Hello, I finally got around to building my Tenlog Hands 2 after having it sitting in the box for a year or so and when trying the test prints on the included SD card, I keep getting a filament runout error even though it's loaded with a fresh reel. I tried swapping out the sensors and unplugging them altogether and still get the same error.
When I go to feed out the filament after getting the error, the extruder pushes out quite a bit of material which I wasn't sure if thats normal for purging but often when I try to resume print or when the extruders go to park, it will keep extruding material which definitely doesnt seem normal. Any help would be gratefully appreciated! I have a couple years of resin printing experience but am brand new to fdm.

Hello all, I’m just gathering opinions on your success fishing in the last couple years. Perhaps It’s a skill issue but I feel as though my catches are way down compared to recent years, both fresh and salt water. Regardless the amount of time I’m putting in. Whether it’s sunnies or stripers, I feel as though everyone I talk to says the same.

Hello, I finally got around to building my Hands 2 after having it sitting in the box for a year or so and when trying the test prints on the included SD card, I keep getting a filament runout error even though it's loaded with a fresh reel. I tried swapping out the sensors and unplugging them altogether and still get the same error.
When I go to feed out the filament after getting the error, the extruder pushes out quite a bit of material which I wasn't sure if thats normal for purging but sometimes when I try to resume print or when the extruders go to park, it will keep extruding material which definitely doesnt seem normal. Any help would be gratefully appreciated! I have a couple years of resin printing experience but brand new to fdm.