#(all of which we sell for much cheaper than we probably should)

[silhouettecrow]

365 Days of Writing Prompts: Day 330

Adjective: Vivacious

Noun: Delta

Definitions for those who need/want them:

Vivacious: attractively lively and animated (typically used of a woman)

Delta: the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet (Δ, δ), transliterated as ‘d’; the fourth in a series of items, categories, etc; (astronomy) the fourth (usually fourth brightest) star in a constellation; a code word representing the letter D, used in radio communication; a difference between two things or values; (computing) a change or set of changes made to a file or program, especially as part of an update to a later version; a triangular tract tract of sediment deposited at the mouth of a river, typically where it diverges into several outlets; a region in northern Mississippi that lies between the Yazoo and Mississippi rivers and is known for its cotton and for blues music

[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

Yuu can do it!

Part 68

First - Previous - Masterlist - Next

The guest room in Octavinelle is nice. Opulent to the point where it felt like a crime to touch the delicate engravings in the wardrobe, but not flashy like Scarabia. It was still flaunting its wealth, sure, but in the ‘sheets with an uncountable number of threads’ way rather than the ‘goblet studded with gaudy diamonds’ way.

All of this to say, the pajamas were soft, and the Yuus were going to find a way to steal something from this place if it was the last thing they did.

You may think they have a death wish but, you see, they had been casually stealing stuff from all the dorms for an entire semester, and no one actually cared that much. Whether they just thought they were too pitiful to prosecute (Leona), or they just seemed to like them as people (Riddle, which was unfortunate for him), or wouldn’t notice (Kalim)... well, they had been steadily making improvements to their dorm.

Ito squinted at the blue, purple, and silver room. They weren’t even sure there was anything they wanted from this place.

Not that that mattered. They did most of the things Kuroki and Enma asked them to regardless of what they wanted, since their wants usually weren’t typically more than a mild preference, but still…

“None of these colors would go with what we already have.”

“We can always sell it and get a bunch of cheaper things,” Kuroki said, brightly, not deterred in the slightest.

Ito shrugged. Fair enough.

“I’m surprised you’re down for this, Kuroki,” Enma said mildly, peering thoughtfully at the label of what appeared to be a complimentary wine glass (which he held out of Ito’s reach the second he saw them looking, the prick). “I mean, if there’s anyone here that’d prosecute someone for a crime, it’d be Ashengrotto-senpai.”

Kuroki waved him off. “It wouldn’t be worth the hassle. Beyond the fact that places like this always factor theft into their profit margins, and I’d bet my ass Azul does that plus some, and I’m sure the guy was expecting us in particular to pull something… we’re in international waters, technically, so everything done here is technically not a crime.”

“Ohhhhh… so that’s why the school’s here,” said Ito, a tiny lightbulb pinging above their head. “The Headmaster’s tax fraud is harder to pin down if the taxes don’t go to a specific country.”

“Probably,” said Kuroki, though he seemed less than happy about Crowley's immunity to the law. “It’s probably also why people think we’re spies or assassins. If you’re gonna pick off a student, this is the place to do it.”

“Cowards,” Ito said, absently picking up a makeup holder to see whether it was something they could reasonably carry out of the place. Most of the Octavinelle students had naturally flawless skin (according to Floyd Leech), and therefore didn’t really wear makeup, so they might not notice... “If you’re gonna assassinate someone, you should at least put yourself at risk, too. Not fair if you don’t.”

“I don’t think assassins are trying to be fair,” said Kuroki.

“They should be!”

“Ito, in the nicest way possible, you have literally never done anything in the ‘fair’ way, ever,” Enma added.

Ito pressed their lips into a thin line. “Yeah, I have.”

“Name one time.”

Ito opened their mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. Closed it again.

… they had to have played nice at least once in their life, right? Statistically, it had to have happened…

They snapped their fingers. “Oh! Rock, paper, scissors is fair!”

“First of all, the fact that you had to resort to that is sad,” said Kuroki. “Second of all, no it is not, I don’t know how you make yourself lose every time, but you have to be, you’ve lost too much for it to be statistically possible.”

“It’s because they always put a bit of emphasis on the one they want us to use,” Enma said, sighing. “They’ll say rock, paper, scissors, shoot. It’s stupid, but it works more often than not.”

Kuroki made a ‘huh!’ sound, officially enlightened.

Ito pressed their lips into a thin line. Damn. They’d been had.

Time to make this someone else’s problem.

“I need a midnight snack with all this thinking,” Ito lamented.

A pillow slammed into their face, and they pouted as it fell onto their lap.

“Fuck you,” Kuroki hissed, snatching up the pillow again just so he could throw it at them a second time.

Ito, understandably, dodged this one. They didn’t think that was a joke that deserved two pillows to the face.

Kuroki seemed to disagree.

But he got his win in the end. Enma managed to grab Ito while they were distracted, dragging him into a hug… of sorts, if you ignore the way they were trying to claw their way out of his arms. Not because they were particularly against a hug, they were just feeling spiteful.

“You’re never leaving our sides again,” Enma said, cheerful despite the red marks they'd carved into one of his arms.

Ito squinted. “You were looking for an excuse to say that anyway.”

“Mmm, and thank you for giving me one.”

“... I think I preferred getting hit in the face with a pillow.”

“Deal,” said Kuroki.

“Wait –.”

“Not while I’m holding them –!”

Alas, they were too late. There was a pillow in their very near future.

Enma and Ito shared conspiratorial looks.

Kuroki was smart enough to take his pillow back.

Alas, they were in a bedroom.

Enma and Ito reached for the nearest pillows.

Kuroki looked like he was regretting picking a fight. “Hold on, what if I say ‘sorry’?”

“Too late! Get him!”

“Grim! Grim, wake up and help me!”

~

“... so we have to steal the pillows,” said Enma, picking a feather out of Kuroki’s hair.

“The ones at the dorm were a little worn out…” said Kuroki.

Ito lit up. “And we can always use those old pillowcases we stole from Savanaclaw, so our red and yellow aesthetic can be maintained!”

They high-fived. Gotta love when life works out like that.

~

“I don’t want to be awake at god-awful o’clock,” Ito complained, only a step above a tantrum, and willing to throw away that small decency at any moment.

Kuroki sighed. “It’s – Azul’s orders. If we’re staying here, we have to do it.”

Ito peeked through their eyelids. Kuroki was running his fingers through his hair, trying to get the tangles out. Enma was still leaning over them, poking insistently at their cheek to keep them from falling asleep again. Grim was passed out at their side, the lucky bastard.

“You should quit your job,” Ito grumbled.

“I could say the same about you,” Kuroki said. “Say what you will about Azul, I don’t care for the guy, but at least he actually pays me.”

Enma lit up as an idea occurred to him: “You could both quit and join me!”

“Sam’s shop isn’t big enough for that,” Kuroki said.

Life was terrible for one Enma Yuuken.

And it was going to get worse!

Ito sat up for the sole purpose of glaring at Enma. “Why do I have to wake up but Grim doesn’t?”

“Because he can be carried,” Kuroki shrugged.

Ito thought about this. Their pride, or a couple minutes of sleep, which would they be more comfortable sacrificing?

They looked at Enma.

Enma sighed, deeply. And then he scooped them up. “Fine, but just until breakfast –.”

Ito had already passed out against his shoulder.

~

“So, let’s go over what we know,” Kuroki said. He was clinging to Ito’s arm while they walked, as if scared that they would suddenly be put under a spell again once they got too close to Scarabia.

Which, admittedly, might be true, the spell could be distance-related… Ito didn’t think it was, though. They weren’t sure why. Their head hurt whenever they tried to think about it.

Enma chanced a glance back at the Octavinelle students to make sure they were out of earshot.

They were very out of earshot. Floyd had taken it upon himself to make sure that Enma and Jade were never within five yards of each other, minimum.

(It had made breakfast slightly awkward, since Jade and Enma had been made to stand in opposite corners of the room with their plates.)

Jade waved at Enma.

Enma immediately looked away, the tips of his ears tinting red. “Well, the stuff with Ito confirms that there’s definitely someone with the ability to mind control. So, it’s either someone with a grudge against Kalim-senpai or someone who benefits from him being taken down.”

“So… anyone with any social capital in Scarabia at all – or someone who thinks Kalim-senpai is really annoying,” Ito summed up, swirling their coke bottle cheerily. Their heart was pounding in their chest once again! Hell yeah, caffeine!

Wait, they were a little too jittery.

Eh. Surely, that was fine.

“... yeah,” Enma said. “The secret grudge thing would be harder to find out, I feel… sure, someone could be an open dissenter to sow chaos, but sometimes it’s better to just let others talk…”

Ito hummed. “Nothing worse than an echo chamber.”

“If it’s hard to find a grudge, then we should do that second, right?” Grim said.

The Yuus immediately cooed over how smart their monster was. Truly, they grow up so fast. Look at him, making basic observations on how to best spend their time! Maybe next month he’ll stop believing Ace when their friend so-nicely offers to teach Grim fake slang!

… ugh, even being an asshole in their own brain wasn’t distracting them from how shitty they felt. Truly, it was incurable.

“Did I eat yesterday?” they asked.

Enma frowned at the, from his perspective, completely random topic change. “Er… yeah, why?”

“I dunno,” they said, frowning. “I feel – weird – I was wondering if, maybe, the person mind controlling me forgot to tell me to eat.”

Kuroki’s eyebrows knit. “I mean, maybe? You kinda just did… whatever we told you to. You didn’t start eating on your own, but when we asked you to you did.”

Ito’s eyes widened as a horrible thought occurred to them: “Wait, what about the bathroom?”

Enma snorted, patting them on the back briefly. “Don’t worry, we figured it out by that point.”

“Oh thank fuck.”

Kuroki grinned, but his amusement was quick to fade. “You really don’t remember anything?”

“Not really,” Ito said. “Last thing I remember, I was in the kitchen snacking on bell peppers at an ungodly time of the morning. Life really does screw you over in your happiest moments.”

“The culprit is an early riser, then?” Azul cut in, throwing his arm around Ito’s shoulders.

Son of a –.

Kuroki turned his head and sunk his teeth into Azul’s arm.

The group of teens stood there for a solid ten seconds, staring in a mix of shock and horror.

“Get your dog,” Azul said.

“Eavesdropping isn’t polite, senpai,” Enma said.

“You –!” He finally managed to tear his way out of Kuroki’s mouth. “You three do it all the time!”

There wasn’t any blood and, even though Ito had been expecting that (biting hard enough to draw blood is, well, hard, after all), they were still relieved to see it.

“When we do it it’s for the good of mankind,” Ito deadpanned. “When you do it it’s because you’re annoying.”

“You shouldn’t talk to your senpai like that,” Enma said.

“You’re right, I should use more thinly veiled insults,” Ito said, rolling their eyes. “And why am I in trouble? Kuroki bit him.”

“Traitor,” grumbled Kuroki.

“Kuroki does stuff like this all the time, but I expect more from you, Ito,” said Enma.

“Dickhead.”

“Puta.”

“Doesn’t ending in ‘a’ mean it’s a – uh – girl thing?”

“You’re right. I should use your preferred pronouns when insulting you. Puto.”

“Great, thanks. What does it mean, by the way?”

Ito pressed their lips together, thinking hard. “Mmmmm… bitch. Or, literally, I guess I’d be calling you a whore?”

“... oh. Hm. I guess I’m flattered you think I get lots of attention.”

“You would if Kuroki wasn’t around.”

“Hey, if his potential suitors can’t handle a little bit of psychological torture, then they’re not gonna last long, anyway. I’m saving him time!”

~

“... you’re back,” said Jamil, in the most dead inside voice Ito had ever heard.

“No one’s ever excited to see us,” Ito pointed out, frowning.

“Wonder why,” said Azul.

“A true mystery,” Jamil said. And then he flinched, watching the three Octavinelle students emerge from the dark stairway like characters in a horror movie. The only thing ruining this effect was that Jamil looked more annoyed than genuinely scared. “What are you three doing here?”

“Nothin’,” Floyd blatantly lied.

“If you have no business here, I would prefer it if you leave,” Jamil said.

“Even though we came all this way?” Azul said, his eyes wide in mock surprise.

“If you did so for no reason, then yes.”

Azul pressed a hand to his chest, aghast. “Must you have a reason to visit a – friend?”

(Azul paused before the word ‘friend’, as if he had to physically force it out of his mouth. Why is everyone at this school so socially stunted?)

“We even brought a seafood pizza as a little present,” Floyd added.

“It’s Headmaster-approved, so you know it’s good,” Ito said. “You don’t want it to go cold, do you?”

Jamil sent them a betrayed look.

The Octavinelle kids used this as an opportunity to brush right past Jamil and into Scarabia dorm.

Jamil’s eyes widened in horror. He rushed after them. “You can’t just – let yourself in!”

“I’m sure Kalim wouldn’t mind. Is he awake yet?”

“I… was about to wake him up.”

“Perfect!” said Azul.

“Would you mind taking us to him?” Jade asked.

“I would, yeah.”

Floyd beamed. “Sweet, thanks!”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

Grim lifted his head from on top of Enma’s. “They sure are lively, hm?”

“Yeah,” said Ito.

~

Jamil’s complaints fell on deaf ears (or, at least, partially deaf ears), and it seemed that Jade had done his homework – he knew the exact layout of the dorm, and was happy to be their tour guide. Did that have some terrifying implications? Absolutely.

But, hey, Ito was too busy helping Enma and Kuroki take note of everyone they passed. It seemed they had taken Azul’s ‘early-riser’ comment to heart.

And there was… surprisingly few people, honestly. Ito had never paid much attention in the mornings, but apparently they weren’t the only one who was not a morning person here. They only passed around three or four people, who seemed to be patrolling the place.

Hm. Looks like Enma and Kuroki would be figuring out the truth sooner than they’d first assumed… aw, that wouldn’t be fun for anyone. Not Ito, but not Kuroki and Enma, either. If the answer was too obvious, they’d get mad at themselves for not realizing sooner. And Ito didn’t want that…

One of the patrolling students’ eyes never left the Yuus as they passed, and their expression could only ever be described as pissed.

“What’d we do to him?” Ito asked.

“Mmmm…” Enma squinted at the guy for a second, trying to place his face. “Maybe he got caught up in the fire we set… but he doesn’t really smell like smoke…?”

“Oh oh oh oh!” said Kuroki, snapping his fingers. “He was guarding the treasury.”

“Oh yeah!” said Enma. “We hit him over the head with a table.”

“How’d you pick up a table?”

“Technically we hit the table with him –,” Enma tried to put them on the right track.

“Spite,” Kuroki and Grim said, in unison.

Ito snickered, rolling their eyes. “I see.”

“... what’s this about our treasury?” Jamil asked, his eyebrows knitting.

Kuroki waved him off. “Don’t worry about it, we didn’t get to keep the shit anyway…”

(He was obviously bitter about this fact.)

Jamil glanced at Ito, who managed a minuscule shrug as if to say ‘you took my memory, reap what you sow’. The boy gave a long, put-upon sigh, before holding his hand out. “Hand over your matches. I don’t need a repeat of last night.”

Grim sniffed. “Matches? Come on, a fire like that can’t be done with mere matches.”

“And it’s the 21st century, senpai, most people use lighters these days anyway,” added Enma.

“Or fire magic!” said Grim.

“Or fire magic,” Ito agreed.

Jamil looked like he was considering taking Grim away from them to get rid of their access to fire.

“Try it,” Ito said, flatly. “See how that goes for you.”

Jamil, briefly, made an irritated face, before turning back to trying to stop the Octavinelle students from getting to Kalim’s room.

Alas, the conversation was not quite as over for Ito. Kuroki’s hands latched around theirs and he yanked on their arm to get their attention.

“Since when have you been close to Viper-senpai?”

Ito hummed, lifting their shoulders in a shrug. “I wouldn’t call us particularly close. He lent me his hair oil brand once, though, that was nice of him.”

Kuroki narrowed his eyes. His eyes flicked to Jamil. “Viper-senpai’s suspicious.”

Ito choked on nothing. “You can’t go around suspecting people of evil just because I might be friends with them.”

“I can and will.”

“I mean, he does fit the criteria,” said Enma, his arms crossed over his chest. “I mean, he has plenty of reason to have something against Kalim-senpai. And he’s the only one whose name has come up as a possible replacement for Kalim-senpai so far.”

“Suspicious,” said Kuroki, nodding along fervently.

Ito snickered, pinching Kuroki’s cheek. “You knew all of this all along, hm?”

“Nonono, I have this gut feeling, it’s him.”

“That gut feeling is called ‘jealousy’,” said Grim.

“No, it’s not.”

“Oh, damn, he’s got us,” Ito said.

~

Kalim was extremely surprised to find that his room had been invaded while he slept. Waking up to the Octavinelle students leaning over his bed might give him nightmare material for the next several years.

But he brightened up soon enough. “Oh! Hi, everyone!”

The guy’s arm looked like it was going to pop right off by the time he’d waved at everyone (he’d individually given every person an enthusiastic wave, because he was that kind of guy).

The Yuus leaned against a wall, watching everyone catch up.

Enma’s eyes flicked to Jamil, before he sighed, throwing an arm over Ito’s shoulders. “So, uh, what do we do if it really is Viper-senpai?”

“Hm?” said Ito, their head tipping slightly to the side. Had Kuroki’s half-joke alerted Enma? Or had he already been somewhat suspicious? He’d mentioned that someone was using the situation to their advantage, way back then.

Kuroki hugged Grim closer to his chest, frowning. “I mean, I don’t really care if Kalim-senpai loses his dormhead spot… and if it is Viper-senpai, then he’s definitely got every reason to be mad… but whoever it was, they shouldn’t have fucked with Ito.”

Ito smiled, holding their hands up. “I’m fine, really.”

“We have to remember, though,” Kuroki said.

“I could hit you in the head real hard and see if it resets your memory?” they offered.

“Terrible plan,” said Kuroki. Fair enough.

Enma just smiled and rested his chin on top of Ito’s head. “I’ll pass, too.”

“Look at them over there!” Azul said, pointing at the Yuus, yanking them into a conversation that was surely less entertaining than the one they’d been having. Sad. “Truly, the prime example of more heads being better than one!”

The Yuus glanced at each other, amusement gleaming in their eyes, because they technically were still one head, just from different universes.

“When there’s more than one person calling the shots, you can make up for each other’s weaknesses!” Azul said.

“Bold of you to think we have any weak spots even when we’re alone,” said Enma. Despite the fact that he was currently clinging to Ito.

Jade raised an eyebrow.

Another good point!

Enma immediately flushed bright red and tried to hide his face in Ito’s hair. Ito lifted a hand to awkwardly pat his back.

“Regardless of all that,” said Azul, shooting Enma a look as if to say ‘literally what is there to like about Jade anyway’ that Enma couldn’t actually see (nor would he answer if he could), before returning to his smarmy smile. “My point is, we can help each other improve our training regimens!”

“... I recommend against this,” said Jamil.

Kalim frowned. “I know you don’t like them, Jamil, but they have a point!”

“The whole point of this training camp is to help our dorm rank higher. If we invite the housewarden of another dorm to join us, would they not get better as well?”

“But you brought Kuroki Yuuya-kun in.”

Jamil blanched, briefly. And then he coughed, delicately. “Well, the Ramshackle students are hardly a powerhouse, grade-wise. Their dorm average was barely passing.”

Kuroki looked like he was barely suppressing the urge to grab the nearest thing made of gold and throw it at Jamil’s head. And only because he had clearly already weighed himself losing that particular fight.

Jamil turned to Azul. “I’m doing this for your own good. Leave while you still can.”

Azul shrugged. “You're absolutely right, Jamil. Other dorms are always going to be, on some level, our rivals in the grade standings. I'm afraid we'd best take our leave, boys. Kalim, Jamil, best of luck with your training. Back to spending yet another holiday stuck indoors in the dead of winter, just the three of us. It's unavoidable, I suppose...”

“And after we went to the trouble to get here…” said Jade, his voice as mournful as he could make it past the sly smile on his face.

Floyd looked like he was about a second from turning into a sad puddle on the floor. “We even brought pizza…”

The Yuus have never been so offended in their lives. This is an affront to the art of lying.

“Siiiiiiiigh,” the three of them chorused.

Did they just say fucking ‘SIGH’?!

“Wait!” said Kalim, scrambling to crawl out of his blankets.

It worked?!

“Azul is one of the top magicians in our whole school. I think Scarabia would benefit greatly from having him over!” Kalim said, almost pleading with Jamil.

His ‘friend’ looked unconvinced.

“...Besides, turning away esteemed guests out of hand would bring shame upon the Asim family name.”

Jamil sucked in air through his teeth, caught.

Azul lit up. “Why, Kalim! What a kind and generous soul you are! Naturally, I would be more than happy to share any insights I have with you.”

“The two of us will be happy to assist with cooking and cleaning,” Jade added, pressing a hand to his chest.

Floyd nodded along eagerly. “Yeah! We do it at the lounge anyway, so we're pretty good at it.”

“That would be great! And it would ease Jamil's workload, too! He’s seemed so tired lately!”

Ito perked up slightly.

Their eyes shot to Kalim.

Because… there was something there. A note of desperation that didn’t quite fit the tone of the conversation.

Did Kalim know that Jamil was overworked? Ito supposed that they should have known that already – Kalim had mentioned Jamil being overworked before, way back during the Magift incident. Ito had only really taken note of it because of Jamil’s reaction, the sudden way he’d cut to a new conversation had been interesting, but Kalim…

Well, it was a surprisingly adept observation coming from someone who had just fallen for the most obvious lie in history.

And hadn’t Kalim always been able to tell when Ito was lying?

When did he get so good at that? Why was it only their lies that he caught onto?

Perhaps because he was used to them.

… Kalim hadn’t actually seemed all that surprised, the day he’d nearly Overblotted. Maybe by the fact that Jamil had tried to drug him, but certainly not about the coup. He’d said that he didn’t care what Jamil was doing.

Which was strange, wasn’t it? Your ‘best friend’ is trying to overthrow you as ‘king’ of a dorm, wouldn’t the average person be upset about it? Wouldn’t it give you pause?

Unless, of course, you were already aware of it.

Holy shit. Does Kalim know?

[nsk96]

Personal rant:

I have an exam tomorrow and I'm probably gonna fail because I've been trying so hard to study but can barely focus and barely retain anything because I'm so dizzy. My mom has been spraying rubbing alcohol (91%, it burns so much) into the air all over the house since yesterday and today (because she thinks it will kill the gnats she thinks been attacking her skin for the past few years) and it's burning my airways and now I feel so dizzy. I feel dizzier than usual probably due to the topiramate I'm taking now for migraine prevention. Apparently mixing topiramate with alcohol increases dizziness.

It's getting so hard to breathe. Before, she only sprayed this around herself and then around the house once in a while, but so frequently around the house two days in a row is a first. I feel like she's doing this in retaliation to my dad, but it's hurting me who already has sensitive respiratory issues. I can hardly think straight as it is which is a side effect of the topiramate...not great with when I already suffer from focus issues.

I couldn't take it anymore so I cracked open a window despite how chilly and noisy it is outside. Neighbors cutting their grass too so it's loud af. It sucks that my mom doesn't want me driving all the way to school to study but expects me to stay home in these conditions to study and then she pretends to sympathize with me every time I fail an exam or quiz (often). Not that I have to ask her permission, but I do have to let her know where I'm going, and she will make an argument of it. I don't know why I let her talk me out of moving out. It's too late to move out now because I was supposed to move out at the beginning of this semester but she backed out of the plan over the summer. The plan wouldn't work without her.

The original plan: I would move out using loans from my school, then when I graduate, she'll move in with me leaving my dad behind since he's the biggest source of our misery and danger. Her income combined with mine from residency (universe-willing I get one) would be enough to see us through until I finish residency and I get a pharmacist job someplace cheaper and we move there (likely west to Sarasota where her old friend lives and the area is still developing). She was super supportive in the beginning of the year, like, literally buying me things to put in the apartment like juice/water pitcher and helping me pick out bed sheets and rugs to carry over while I search for an apartment. I had already narrowed down my search to a few apartments by July and I just had to go through the specifics of each one with her in August once rotations were over and school started.

Then it was in August that she backed out completely before I even brought up the apartments saying that we should wait-blah blah blah. Yes while my grades suffer because of being stuck here which may actually prevent me from getting residency. Then she was like "and we should get a house". I said "with what?" There's almost nothing in my parents' bank account, so there's nothing to split when they divorce? And my dad hasn't been making the mortgage payments so there goes the house? There's no selling it. With my student debt, I may not even be able to get a loan for a house? Good plan, mom. Good plan.

[hekates-corner]

Apothecary Diaries | WN Translation | Arc 9 - Chapter 2

Hi. However you found this, welcome!

For a number of reasons I ended up here - I relay all that happens in the chapters, playing wine-aunt, as I translate to the best of my abilities.

So, be warned: There's all the spoilers down below. If you'd like to get spoiled but less? My dm's/asks are open!

Chapter 1 | Masterlist.

Chapter 2

When Rikuson returns to his room, he lets out a sigh. He then mutters something to himself before taking off his mud and sand stained clothes. “That’s malicious” is what I keep getting from it, but I’m not 100%.

He'd been asking to patrol the countryside for quite a while, but it wasn't until 5 days ago that he was given permission by Gyokuou - but today he rushed back due to a bad feeling he had.

The next is him muttering something to himself along the lines of when he left he was told that there would be a delay. He goes on to recall that he left 5 days prior because he was told that the guests from Li/the capital wouldn't arrive in about ten days. So he took off five days prior to a rural village.

We then get a whole giant paragraph on him dusting off his jacket and so forth. He also mentions how he wants to take a bath, but can’t and that he doesn’t even seem to have enough time to at least wipe down his body. So, he has no choice but to put incense paste on his neck.

In Saito(?), there’s two types of incense: perfume or kneaded and he has an option of each, but…. one of them was a gift, while the other is something he was kinda forced to buy while in town.

I can’t for the life of me figure out who sent him the joke gift, but we will just ignore that for now, it’s either Gyokuou or someone else.. or not, because he continues thinking about how the one he ends up going with hardly sells.

All the incense in this city has a strong smell, so something cheaper with a weaker scent was just right - before anything though, he can’t imagine wearing something he got from… idk, I couldn’t tell you.

After putting on just enough to cover the smell of sweat, he puts on a smile. After all, smiling is essential in business - and one should never stop smiling when dealing with customers. He can still recall his mothers words.

Rikuson then wonders what face his current boss will make, given how much earlier than planned he returned (around five days earlier).. and that it will be a little uncomfortable if his old boss, Lakan, was there, but he can’t help it.

He tightens his sash/belt and leaves the room.

“It’s been a while.” - We return, with Rikuson entering the hall where Gyokuou and his subordinates are mingling. They and the guests are enjoying a light meal.. while the servers take turns coming in and preparing the dishes.

Despite it still being early for dinner, it was luxurious.. and he couldn’t have forgotten the face of that guest.

A man with stubble beard and a monocle: Lakan. His former boss who understands all without being told. The one next to him was an attendant that had already served before Rikuson. In fact, the poor thing cried when thanking Rikuson for helping him when he first started working for Lakan.

In the end, Rikuson couldn’t remain by Lakan’s side forever, but the remaining attendant often accompanies Lakan.

There’s a remark next about how the attendant is a competent person, but his character is partially bad or that he sometimes falls short.. which is unchangeable, because “once you are under Lakan, you have no other choice but to give up”.

The attendant seems to notice Rikuson, for he nods his way with his eyes while listening to Lakan. The latter appears to be the same as always.

Lakan ends up looking at Rikuson with a blank expression, he probably wouldn’t even have noticed Rikuson if the attendant hadn’t told/gestured to him. There are times when Rikuson wants to ask what he looks like in Lakans eyes.

Someone ends up continuously waving and calling for Rikuson, all the while looking at Gyokuou as if to check if it’s alright to approach him.

Gyokuou, sits in the center at a table and waves with one hand to say hello. Rikuson ends up feeling quite uncomfortable and the attendant just looks at him with an indescribable expression because due to his own position he likely knows who has priority: the boss, or the former boss.

Meanwhile Lakan isn’t bothered at all, he just keeps eating fried food. Behind him was a maid, who ate a bite before handing the food over to Lakan - Rikuson hadn’t seen her before.

Despite hearing talk that the Emperor's “younger brother” should be there, Rikuson can’t find Jinshi anywhere - but then he thinks that this wasn’t an official gathering per se and that Lakan likely just showed up without thinking about it. As he looks at the attendant, he understands that he (Lakan, I think) should’ve declined.

“Ehm.. Rikuson, I want to eat those bread rolls.” - For a moment Lakan thought he’d forgotten the name, but he was right.. and speaking of those manju (bean-jam dumpling/steamed yeast bun with filling).. If you guessed there’s an argument about steamed buns, you’re right.

Far as I could gather Lakan says that he wants to have a certain type of bun, but his attendant doesn’t remember their name - ironically Rikuson thought Lakan had already forgotten his? - but the attendant claims it’s the bun Lakan already has.. for a moment Rikuson can’t tell from the bun alone, but he searches his memory for an answer.

Rikuson is like “It’s sweet, isn’t it.” and Lakan(?) says yes. Rikuson asks if there were any ingredients (special ones, probably) and Lakan(?) says that he doesn’t think there were any.

Rikuson then thinks that the red bean paste filling doesn’t appear to be sweet and inquires if the buns are something that’s eaten with sauce or something… and… like.. Lakan says something along the lines of “the white one/white stuff is delicious”, or alternatively “i love the dipping - the white stuff”... like, okay Lakan, Mr. Monocle, I didn’t wanna know you that deeply, but hey man, whatever floats your boat-

Please excuse your translator not being professional but like.. come on xD

Rikuson then has an idea. He asks if it’s the fried manju from a certain hotel and Lakan(?) is like “I think so.” - the man ate them once and ever since then Rikuson had to go back to buy them, several times.

He then orders the attendant to serve the hanamaki (chinese twisted buns) with condensed milk that has a bit of sugar added to it and the attendant is like “Understood.”. It’s because Lakan had a hanamaki laying in front of him that Rikuson remembered.

Someone interrupts it all by stating how delicious the fried noodle buns with condensed milk look and that’s when Rikuson takes note of the lady attendant who seems to be a poison tester - she has a twinkle in her eye and while she doesn’t look much like a lady-in-waiting he wonders if she’s another stray that Lakan picked up.

He also thinks that, given after how long they finally met again and the conversation they just had, Lakan’s still just.. Lakan, unchanged as ever.

The talk about buns continues, as the attendant says to Lakan that he’ll prepare them for tomorrow's dim-sum. (Dim-sum is a traditional chinese meal made up of small plates of dumplings and other snack dishes that’s usually accompanied by tea - a sorta brunch)… but bratty Lakan is like “But i wanna have them for tonights dinner.” and his attendent’s like “Please don’t be rude, this is a dinner party.”.

While the attendant speaks in a low voice, as if he’s reluctant to even mumble, when Rikuson glances at him from the side, because it looks like he’s having trouble, he glares at Rikuson.

In an attempt to make up Rikuson says to the attendant that nothing’s changed/it’s all the same as always… and the attendant shoots back with a simple but effective “yeah, no change.. it seems that you’ve become a big fan of the western capital.”

Rikuson comes up with the conclusion that the attendant must’ve noticed his tan skin and the incense smell - in the capital he never used to burn any.

As if to make things worse, at long last Gyokuou butts in now, saying that Rikuson has only just returned from a long trip and to forgive him (who doesn’t like loyalty questions in already loyalty shattering circumstances, right?)

Gyokuou seems to have overheard the conversation, eating meat all the while and the attendant can only stutter out “I-I see.”.

The attendant goes pale in the face, and Rikuson takes note of that happening likely because he (the attendant) never expected to get called out to and not by that man. Gyokuou also inquires if the food’s alright and says that if they want anything he’ll have it made for them then and there..

And of course, “I wonder if there's fried noodle dumplings from (x) hotel.” Lakan says that with.. no hesitation whatsoever.

Logically Gyokuou is like “Huh, what fried noodle dumplings?” and since he’s the one to ask, Rikuson is forced to explain - at that point the poor guy's stomach starts to hurt.

Rikuson lets out a breath, despite having an inkling, he still wonders if this is gonna go on for another good while.

| Chapter 3 & Notes

That's where the chapters ends.

On that note, I couldn’t quite grasp the name of the hotel, so I’m just leaving that out for now.

When it comes to the taste tester Lakan has with him, I’m assuming it’s Chue, but there was no name or description given really outside of sparkly eyes related to food - which seems kinda valid given V9's banquet.

And last but not least, the reason for me not using the chapter titles is because I’m pretty sure they don’t translate as well - they don’t have a proper sentence structure after all.. but so far, we had “Saito” and “Boss and former boss”.

If there are any questions, my dms and asks are open. Also, if you'd like to get notified when new uploads drop, I'm up to send a dm or tag - just let me know!

[clunelover]

I have a sudden desire to get back into biking (like, non stationary biking). When I was in high school, I watched Breaking Away and got very into it. I got a way too nice road bike for my high school graduation present, which I used a lot that summer before college, and then again after I dropped out and had free time, but then once I got a job I used it pretty rarely. I didn’t feel like I could safely lock it up anywhere, every part of it was too expensive. Then since I didn’t practice enough I never totally got used to that riding position, so rode it less and less…A few years ago I ended up donating it to a local nonprofit where teens learn to fix up bikes and then sell them for a reduced price. When I need to bike, I have been using this old Schwinn Searcher I bought used 15 years ago, that kept getting banged up and needing lots of work, such that over time I’ve probably sunk $500+ into a $75 bike and it still sucks to ride and skips gears all the time. Anyway, I told Jeremy I want to get back into riding and as such need a new bike. He’s annoyingly miserly and was balking at the idea of me getting a new bike because what if I fall back out of love with it. Now to be fair, I hadn’t looked at bikes in a long time and they’re a lot more expensive than I remembered! But so is fucking everything. He thought I should just pay to get this old one fixed up yet again. So I made him come to a bike shop with me so he could hear someone say "to get this all the way fixed up it will cost more than a much newer used bike in working order." We ended up trading it in, and putting that value ($47! Actually pretty good, considering!) towards getting Jeremy a new tire for his bike.

Then I thought while I was there, I might as well test a bike I might try to find used somewhere. The guy getting me set up with it was like "well based on your trade in bike, I’m thinking bikes have changed a lot since you’ve last looked at them" which I was inwardly indignant about, but turns out- yes! I’d heard of disc brakes but never ridden a bike with them. Also I didn’t know that gearing has been moving away from the 3-chainring style I’m so used to. I tried a bike with disc brakes and a 1x and it was so cool! I’m now in an irritated debate with Jeremy though - he thinks I should get a used bike off Craigslist cause it’s cheaper, and "I’m worried you won’t ride it enough," whereas I’m like "okay but that requires messaging with multiple Craigslist people and a lot of leg work and quite possibly leads to another situation where I have a bike that needs a lot more work than it’s worth, and by the way, I AM less likely to ride a crunchy old crap bike so then you’ll think you’ve proven a point." (Yes I know there’s a happy medium where you get a not dirt cheap used bike and it’s not crappy, or get a bike that needs only a minor tuneup to be not crappy, but also looking on Craigslist and fb marketplace it’s mostly barely used top of the line bikes that still cost thousands, or beat to hell bikes like the one I just got rid of. Some more in between ones but a lot of them not my size…etc. I went to the place my old good bike had been donated, but their inventory was limited and they were way backed up, so there’s a long wait to have them actually refurbished by the at risk teens in the shop.) So part of my desire to get a new bike/used bike from a shop, is that it’s not just the cost of the bike, it’s that plus whatever the value of my time sifting through listings is, and the time that adds to me being able to get one and start riding.

ANYWAY I’m going to meet a Craigslist person at the library tomorrow to check out a used Giant Escape that I think is overpriced but I’m also not positive and in any case I think I’d feel like a shitheel asking them to reduce it from $300 to $250 (esp if I’m wrong and it’s not actually overpriced) so I guess cross your fingers that it’s a perfect bike and seems worth the price and the problem can be solved. As an alternative, I’d accept traveling back in time to last winter/spring when more bikes were on sale, and realizing I wanted one then.

[magicwithclass]

Pigeons poop on karn. I am preserving mtg lore! This is canon just read the flavor text. That fact alone makes Xanthic statue worthy of being a reserved list card. It is also one of very few cards that begin with the letter x. If you want to make a flavor deck built around Karn silver golem than you are definitely considering this guy but this card is awful. 8 mana and this does..... nothing. It does absolutely nothing for 8 mana. Then, for 5 more mana you can make it an 8/8 artifact creature until end of turn? For 13 mana? We have eldrazi now! This is one bulk card that is probably going to remain bulk. It is just so outclassed in all possible ways and I can not think of any deck that would play this before considering 10 other more playable cards. It seems unlikely that this card will ever find a home which is sad because that means birds are probably going to continue to poop on it outside. I am pooping on it too because I cannot possibly suggest this card in any way even from a financial speculation mindset. This card WAS over 6 dollars back km spring of 2021 but if you have been reading my thoughts on other reserved list cards you will have seen the pattern that even bulk reserved list cards spiked during this time period due to massive but nonsusstainable buyouts. Most of the cards that spiked crashed not long after and today some of those cards are back to bulk prices. This card actually had a slight rebound in April of 2023 wherein was over 2 dollars. There are so many other reserved list cards under two bucks that I have no idea why this card was that expensive in 2023. Even now at over one dollar I say this card is over priced? Why would you want this card? Is is that it is colorless so it goes in any deck? There are very few cards on the reserved list that I would reccomend purchasing less than this statue. Some cards on the reserved list have strange or unique effects that could one day be broken or are off color effects. I can not imagine a day when this card should be targeted for a buyout over so many other, cheaper choices but I guess unexpected buyouts do happen. I wonder if anyone made money off of xanthic statue. It was above 6 dollars for a time and you could have bought hundreds of copies in 2020 for about thirty cents. Did anyone flip this card for about 5 dollars in profit. A 5 dollar profit isn't nothing if you had thousands of copies of this card but does anyone have that much of even bulk reserved list card? Even if they do would they be willing to sell off their monopoly for a 5 dollar profit per card? Rudy from alpha investments would not. It just goes to show that even the worse reserved list cards can lead to financial success if the stars align. You can never be absolutely sure. Will this card ever be above 5 dollars again? Maybe in fifty years and maybe if there are buyouts throughout the reserved list in general but I don't think it will hold 5 dollars in my life time. That doesn't mean you can't acquire this card and flip it at the perfect time but there are so many other reserved list cards I would suggest over this one if that is what you are trying to do but diversifying your assets is never a bad idea.

[demonsfate]

Ikr?! I totally rolled my eyes when I found out it's another damn port. Honestly, ports should be FREE. Anything that is a port from a MUCH OLDER game should be ABSOLUTELY FREE. The STORE should be reserved for BRAND NEW ITEMS ONLY. At first I thought Kazuya's Tek6 outfit was a brand new remake and sb pointed out it's not, they just upscaled the textures - I wasn't certain. But now seeing this? I'm sure EVERYTHING in the store is recycled materials! That means this game is making ppl pay $5 for items that are from games that are 9 YEARS - 15 YEARS OLD!! Tekken 6 is from nearly two decade agos and they are literally taking clothes from it and RESELLING THEM?! It's absolute madness! All the outfits currently in the store cost $50 to get them all if my math is correct. (Maybe even more if they think they can charge more for the "cyber pack") Which may not be as pricey as Mortal Kombat 1's prices... but the thing is. I'm PRETTY SURE everything in MK1 is new content. Meanwhile, Tekken 8 is charging us these prices for ports! And most of the ports don't even look good at that! I'm sure if I could get a closer look of the "cyber" outfits from more than just a mere thumbnail, I could see the low quality TK7 textures on them!

No wonder why Bamco is taking down any MODS videos! Because modders show they can do what Bamco is selling! for free! That even a normal person who doesn't work for Bamco can just take an outfit from a game and port it to another!!!

Like the prob with the store is that... I wouldn't even complain about it as much if the items were cheaper ($0.99 to $1.99) and if they weren't ALL LITERALLY PORTS! It also really kills the excitement because fans probs wanna see the really old classic outfits (from Tek1-Tek5) remade into glorious high definition, but now we know we'll probably never get those. At least not for a long, long, long time. Tek6, Tag 2, and Tek7 has quite a bit they can port before we see new stuff coming around. Just. My gosh!

And even with the Battle ("Fight") pass, maybe I'd be less critical of it, too if there were just more exciting items available. If maybe in the free pass, the free players (technically not free players because EVERYONE paid for this game) could get at least one or two clothing options! But nope! Looks like free players can't even get ONE clothing option in the start! That's crazy!

Idc what anyone says; this isn't to maintain servers, this is just straight up Greed. Not only greed, but laziness too. You gotta pick your poison; Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat has crazy prices but original outfits. Tekken has lower prices, but they're all recycled from older games. Cannot believe this...

[maskyartist]

"yall should ask me about loyalty swap" i am Looking

howd neo start working for ozpin? 👀

OH WELL IF U INSIST! Just keep in mind @rexidot and I tend to use our own hc backstories for characters like Neo, Roman, and Ozpin, so none of this will follow things from Roman Holiday (havent even read it :( so depressing I want it so bad)

We’re still kinda feeling it out but currently the plot goes-

Ozpin grew up in a very well off family, but was often overlooked or simply ignored for most of his life. He was very lonely, mostly having the housekeeping or kitchen staff for company, and they weren’t the best friends for a child. He needed someone around his age.

Which is why he saw it as a blessing in disguise when he got his pocket change stolen one day, and found Neo tucked away trying to hoard it for herself.

Neo saw a simple rich kid and didn’t think much of it. She did her usual slight of hand and hurried away before the boy could catch up, but a simple trip sent her newly earned Lien scattered. She just barely managed to hoard it all together before Ozpin caught up with her and effectively cornered her.

Instead of yelling about some thief or whining like most kids would, Ozpin just smiled and offered a hand.

“Maybe this is a bit bold…but would you like to have lunch with my family? I would be happy to buy your meal.”

Neo was suspicious, because who wouldn’t be? But this dork definitely wasn’t planning on tricking her. His big glasses and poofy hair and dumb turtlenecks were obvious signs that he was too…good for that kind of thing. This was a genuine offer, and as much as Neo didn’t want to be around the rich, they found a compromise with Neo basically miming out her idea, and Ozpin catching on.

They meet in the middle, Ozpin buying her a cheaper meal that the two can split and just…talking. Ozpin admits he’s not worried about his parents. They won’t notice he’s gone. They never do.

And that’s what sparks the idea.

“Why don’t I bring you home with me?” He offers, patiently, with a smile. “I will handle my parents and their worries, but I doubt they’d mind much.” A giggle. “If anything, they’d probably enjoy your company, considering how much time we could spend together.”

It’s an odd request, but Ozpin just seemed so…genuine. Weird for sure, but genuine. And if Neo skipped out on a good roof over her head, she’d be dumber than him. If anything his place will probably have valuables she could steal and sell.

She agrees and Ozpin brings her home, his parents never even realized he wasn’t at lunch. They weren’t happy with Oz bringing home a “street urchin” but when Ozpin began to explain his point, they just waved him away. If he wanted a friend that badly then he could have it. Leave them to work. She’s his responsibility now.

Ozpin and Neo were too young to really grasp the weirdness of it. All they knew was immediate approval, and Ozpin was eager to get his new friend settled.

Neo told herself it wouldn’t be permanent but day after day of waking up in Ozpin’s house, seeing him in the hallway, running around together, playing in the garden…she was attached. Gone was the tenseness of living on the streets. Now was a genuine day by day routine with someone who cared. It was an odd start, and Neo was flighty for the first few weeks, but she always came back. Ozpin would let her go and she’d come back because she knew he’d be right there with a smile and some cocoa and one of the maids holding blankets in case she was cold.

Eventually, Grimm found Ozpin’s family estate and practically burned it to the ground during a night of consistent arguing between the parents about business deals and money coming and going. Ozpin didn’t think it’d end with them in flames, just in divorce.

They were about 12-13 when it happened, Ozpin being a year older and Neo awakening to her Semblance to block an Ursa from ripping him apart. The illusion shattered when hit and Neo was racing out the door, Ozpin’s hand tight in her grasp.

All Ozpin managed to save was Long Memory. A relic, at least that’s what his grandfather said, passed down from generation to generation. He wasn’t meant to have it so soon…but a familiar voice told him he needed it. An imaginary friend, you could say.

“…it seems it’s just us, Neo.” Was the first thing out of Ozpin’s mouth. No mourning. Simple stared facts.

Neo just gripped his hand tighter. She didn’t need to sign. She just stared at her friend, who smiled right back at her.

They had each other for whatever was about to come…and as the police and huntsmen arrived to survey the scene and take care of the remaining Grimm, Neo never let go of Ozpin’s hand. Not once.

Now fast forwarding a bit! Ozpin becomes headmaster and Neo acts as his personal escort/bodyguard on campus! Ozpin’s never seen without her, and she’s always there. During council meetings in the corner of the camera, during inner circle discussions where her silent commentary makes Ozpin smile, anywhere Ozpin is Neo’s never far behind. Or in front.

Neo essentially fills Qrow’s role. She acts as Ozpin’s spy, gathering information and such. She’s happy to do so, her silence keeping her a useful piece of the puzzle. Due to their closeness, I fully believe Neo knows the most about Salem. It’s possible Ozpin filled her in on everything since Neo can’t possibly tell someone else. Her loyalty knows no bounds and her voice is non existent.

This is just me getting a general feel but that’s basically how they met! And how they are now! :D they’re not really stated as a couple but c’mon….can’t just have Magpie this AUs also got Quiet Time :)

[dojae-huh]

At time of listing, BTS accounted for 87.7% of hybe's total sales.

Oho, even more than I thought. Albums sold don't reflect the whole picture as there is merch, games and brands sales.

Anyway, Kakao's tender offer is closed. Because of a lot of offers from people wanting to sell their SM shares (for 150k won) and the laws of fare game Hybe could sell less than the half of the shares bought from LSM (for 120k). Due to the drama SM share price went up, and now, when the tender is over and Kakao won, it dropped back to the previous numbers (today it's 97.6k) . Which means Hybe will have to sell the remaining shares much cheaper than it bought them originally, at a loss.

The loss is small (8-16mln USD), the deal with Kakao about Dear U or whatever they agreed on will probably bring in profit to cover it easily. However, what a blow to the reputation. "SM with Hybe" site, the BBC interview, the talk about saving k-pop. Hybe will also still need to pay LSM for 10 years and is obliged to buy his remaining shares for 120k (not that he is interested to sell them, I bet).

On one hand, Hybe is now the second largest shareholder and can just keep the rest of SM shares, on the other hand, the money to buy SM was borrowed, and BTS was announced to suspend group activities. Plus there are several new projects that will take time to return investment. Anyhow, Hybe invested the money in labels and other companies, so maybe it will jsut start earning not from its own artists.

Back to our rams as we say in Russia.

I see different news outlets releasing news about DJJ everyday. About the Launch video, about fans discussing lore, etc. SM should pay for all these. It really wants DJJ to have a quick start. What is interesting, is the people who worked with DJJ not only subscribing to the unit's IG, but also hyping them with reposts and comments. Yes, they need to advertise themselves and the projects they worked on, however, it is usually is done after the debut, when it's possible to link the MV, show bts pics, etc.

[the-firebird69]

You can buy one of these for $20,000 it's a Porsche Cayman S. This is not a bad car this car goes really fast if you took this car and put it on a 2007 Volkswagen and this is a 2007 Porsche it would go about 300 mph as you see it here it has about 380 horsepower it goes 380 mph if you get one with the bigger motor the smaller motor goes 320 Mph. It's not a slow car these are high performance cars this point is well taken that you could imitate this and you can manufacture this body style you can even modify it Volkswagen with without taking it apart that much it's almost look like this it's a clever idea and people have tried but they don't try that hard and it's hard to get into big business thuer really mean. His idea is to make a kit for the Volkswagen even though this is not an expensive vehicle that's a really weird idea and maybe Porsche won't care as much which is not true but still is a strange idea. There's several whale tails that are nice and not humongous that look awesome on this and it works great it actually keeps the car on the road. They're aftermarket but they're the same thing I'll tell you what this is a great pic. The reason why it's so cheap is they didn't make a lot now they made a ton of these for some reason it's not holding value we're not really sure why people can't afford to spend money on parts after a while they wear out and yeah people drove these and drove them a lot and people want it back a lot of people wanted to get one now they can afford it you find out if you buy it you're going to spend your life savings on parts instead you can spend it on a Volkswagen part and it still make them for the beetle and they're about 1/8 of the cost it's a really weird pic and he thinks a little bit different and now it's pretty Sharp but he thought hey this is kept something to it and boy this is nice what a great idea and he says he's seen push replicas but they don't do the hot models this is great.

Thor Freya

Okay so this is our car but they're selling it making the money making the car doing stuff with it I sort of get it and yeah the back proper still control it we are going to make these it'll be our company it should be anyways it goes onto Volkswagen and we're going to work with them to try and get this going. It's a very weird concept so you're putting the body on it and interior to avoid paying for a really expensive parts on the real thing which is not that much money nowadays but they're used. We think we can make the kit for around $17,000 and you have to provide the Volkswagen which these days don't cost that much so for $20,000 you would have a kit car and it's much newer than the Porsche and you can replace parts with a lot cheaper it'll be front wheel drive and it'll be better in snow and ice rain and other driving situations and off-road there's a lot of people that have to do that and this car swings it though meaning it's fast and hot and people know it and looks hot and our son and daughter want one he'll be a great vehicle for right out of the shoot. And we mean the kit. If you made it less expensive it wouldn't be that great now it still would be it could probably be made for 12,000 minutes if that includes the suspension tires rims performance stuff interior as you see it in a Porsche and that's all that's a lot of stuff that we do right still it is worth it and faster than hell and it would look and sound like the real thing and VW motors look like Porsche motors

Black God and Black Goddess

Can't really have them doing all this stuff but you people keep doing it I think it's sit around and make fun of him it's a waste a damn time and he says now we're taking over and that's why it's a waste of time

William hurt we don't really have a plan for them to do that no

Yeah but we do

Trump

You sure do is that you just real sour his attitude is real sour LOL and now we're going to get him money by us dying that's the mentality

Bja you said so what he says so what we're like cattle out there and it's true we suck that makes it worse and we have to do it more it's almost like he knows it

Yeah you're f****** stupid now that's what we know

Black widow

Get that girl away from me and he says I don't do anything like that you shithead ... I'm sorry to get something I sort of get something I keep asking for things like that and they say we don't know what you're talking about get lost so I have to have my people do it it's still she's right

Bja

F*** you Brian you're stupid you've always been stupid but now you're proving it and what an a****** you wear UMass you're so dumb go be your chimpanzee you loser and have mangler do it cuz it looks like who it is

Black widow

Like I said I have to have my people do something

Bja

Homo

Zues Hera

Olympus

We need information if he goes after her for saying words we're going to go after them and grab them and get information

Thor Freya

Yeah we are

Zues Hera

Okay little prick I've dealt with this for a long enough there really this kid is susceptible we're all going to be screwed pretty soon we need to stop this stuff

Trump

I don't get it I'm giving orders and these people countering them this is now you're getting it!! That's great and how are you going to survive the day I don't know to turn you into a chimp.. lol so he says don't say I can't do that and say he can't and he says oh what a mess that's disgusting now it's your turn to become a champ super chimp your your boss and stuff that's who he is... And it says I'm threatening him so he's putting a hit on me this is great news

Anakin the f**** Skywalker

You're a huge p**** and a hateful person you don't do s*** you're Tommy Allen the dumbass douchebag everybody started killing your idiots now it's going to be because of his dumb movie and people of yours hate you and black widow wasn't doing anything to you and isn't and you're going to try and go after her cuz she's somewhat good looking or something you're you're like this egoless piece of s*** cow

Stan

I've had it with you too so you just wanted to get out of here you're going to get evicted anyway as long as you're f**** I sort of get something we're going to be out of here soon. Says I going to roast to the fire and at my friend BG is going to do it there's enough heat on the mask to do it it's a different kind of plastic

Anakin the f** Skywalker

I should know I decided and built it I designed it and built it it's made out of fire resistant material it's not really plastic it feels like it looks like it yeah why wear it if it's not it's for space you should heads and if it's melting deformed like that but you can but he's had to be really high like a bonfire so the kid thinks it's plastic cuz that's so bright and you're gone anny

Obi-Wan Kenobi the first

Yeah I do end up taking your job over and you're gone after that it's not even your work but we do know where and when

Ben

I like to hear this and see me all over the place

Stan

It's not really Jurassic Park you got away the first couple movies no it's the second movie

Ben

That's what it looks like let's hope not

Stan

Olympus

[fastrateauto23]

Comparing Auto Repair Costs: Dealership vs. Local Shops in Milwaukee

It’s no secret that owning a car comes with its fair share of maintenance and repair costs. If you’re in Milwaukee, you’ve probably wondered whether you should take your vehicle to a dealership or a local auto shop. Which option saves you more money? And, more importantly, which one gives you better service? Let’s dig into the nitty-gritty to help you make the best choice for your wallet and your car.

Understanding Auto Repair Costs

Before we dive into comparing costs, let’s talk about what makes up those numbers on your bill. Parts, labor, and diagnostic fees all play a role. Dealerships and local shops often approach these factors differently.

For instance, dealerships might use manufacturer-branded parts that are pricier, while local shops could offer aftermarket alternatives. Labor rates also vary widely. Dealerships often have higher hourly rates due to specialized training and certifications, while local shops tend to charge less. Diagnostic fees, which cover the cost of figuring out what’s wrong with your car, might also differ significantly.

Dealership Repairs: Pros and Cons

Pros:

Expertise on Your Specific Make and Model: Dealerships specialize in the brands they sell. If you drive a Toyota, you can count on their technicians knowing the ins and outs of your vehicle.

Access to OEM Parts: Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts are often more reliable and come with warranties.

Advanced Equipment: Dealerships typically have the latest tools and diagnostic technology to ensure accurate repairs.

Cons:

Higher Costs: All that expertise and fancy equipment come with a hefty price tag. Labor rates at dealerships in Milwaukee can be $20-$50 higher per hour than at local shops.

Longer Wait Times: Dealerships often have busier schedules, which might mean waiting days or even weeks for an appointment.

Limited Flexibility: Dealerships tend to follow strict protocols, leaving little room for negotiation or alternative solutions.

Local Auto Shops: Pros and Cons

Pros:

Affordable Prices: Local shops are often much cheaper, both for labor and parts. Many Milwaukee residents find this option more budget-friendly.

Personalized Service: You’re likely to get a more personal touch. Local mechanics take the time to build relationships with their customers.

Flexibility with Parts: Local shops often let you choose between OEM and aftermarket parts, giving you control over the cost.

Cons:

Varied Expertise: While some local shops are excellent, others may not have the same level of training as dealership technicians.

Limited Access to Advanced Tools: Smaller shops may not always have the cutting-edge equipment for complex diagnostics.

Warranty Issues: Some local shops might not honor manufacturer warranties, potentially leaving you in a bind.

Comparing Costs: Who Wins?

Let’s get to the numbers. Say your car needs a brake pad replacement. At a Milwaukee dealership, you might pay around $300-$400 for the job, whereas a local shop could do it for $150-$250. That’s a big difference, right? For something like an oil change, dealerships might charge $70-$100, while local shops often stick to $30-$60.

However, the story doesn’t end there. Dealerships might upsell services that aren’t immediately necessary, inflating your total bill. Local shops, on the other hand, might suggest cheaper alternatives or simply stick to what you’ve requested.

Additional Factors to Consider

Cost isn’t the only thing that matters. Think about warranties—if your car is still under warranty, repairs at the dealership might be free or discounted. On the flip side, local shops can offer a quicker turnaround and more personalized attention, which could be a lifesaver if you’re on a tight schedule.

There’s also the question of convenience. Dealerships are usually located in larger, busier areas, while local shops are scattered throughout Milwaukee, often closer to residential neighbourhoods.

Tips for Choosing the Right Option

Evaluate Your Warranty: If your car is under warranty, the dealership might be the way to go. If not, consider the local shop.

Get Multiple Quotes: Don’t settle for the first estimate. Call a few places and compare prices.

Check Reviews: Look at Google and Yelp reviews for insights into the quality of service at both dealerships and local shops in Milwaukee.

Ask About Parts: Decide if you’re okay with aftermarket parts or if you prefer OEM.

Trust Your Gut: Sometimes, it comes down to where you feel most comfortable leaving your car.

Final Thoughts

Choosing between a dealership and a local shop for auto repairs shop in Milwaukee can feel like a tough call. But it doesn’t have to be! Think about your priorities—cost, convenience, expertise—and weigh them against the pros and cons of each option.

First Rate Auto

5424 W State St, Milwaukee, WI 53208, United States

+14147743738

Get Direction From Google Map

[phaoi]

To be fair libraries are free in the US apparently, but not in my country. There is a monthly fee and the audiobook library is laughable here.

Then again most influencers are US american and cater to americans, so I don't think they have other countries in mind when taking the spon lol

Firefox has an extension that automatically skips sponsored parts on youtube vids by the way 😅

Hii <33

Yes, that’s a valid point - that post was very much just me getting annoyed at one particular influencer from Germany who I really appreciate. And she used to not do any spons and when she started doing them they were very carefully selected and mostly actual local stustainable brands. And now she keeps doing bookbeat spons which just really annoys me lol because until recently we even lived in the same city so I know she would’ve had access to my library as well! Ig what irks me about it is people with more money than the average person, selling people who have less than them products that they could get for much cheaper in other ways.

Also there's certain Booktubers who used to make creative, cool content (cough, cough Jack Edwards..) and nowadays all they do is content about buying hundreds of new books and consuming as much as possible. I wouldn't be as annoyed if they just once mentioned the existence of libraries and how cool they are. Booktube and Booktok are so fucking consumerist and there's such a focus on owning everything or having audiobook subscriptions and immediate access to every book that is currently trendy.

Libraries provide so many things for free or a very low amount of money and it's so great! Personally, I have three different library memberships. And I only actively pay for one of them - namely the one from my home town. It's only 20€ a year which is incredibly cheap considering that I gain access to 30+ libraries in my city and millions of books, audiobooks, movies, games etc. As well as access to their facilities even when they're closed bc you can just access them with your library card! I'm aware that that is probably not the norm outside of big cities or in other countries but I believe it should be a thing everywhere. Just the fact that everyone can go there and use their facilities for free, as well as the WiFi, the computers, the printers, the bathrooms and obviously all the media they provide is such an important thing to exist in a society where everything costs money. My other memberships are free. One from back when I was in New Zealand where libraries are free! And my uni one (which I'm indirectly paying for with my tuition ig). Because of this I basically have access to like 80% of the books I wanna read or listen to on Libby or as physical copies. And if they don't have it I find other ways to read it or listen to it or I just don't and read something else lol

[reviewcluster]

Keepyourhomeip.com full review - is it worth it?

I hope this comes across as a balanced review that can help someone.

I bought KYHIP's middle, more expensive package, which should be "upgraded". I have 100 mbps internet at home and 500 mbps internet abroad. I went through set up, probably 20 emails, and 7 follow up sessions of various issues, primarily a 80-90% loss in speed. So...I mean like 6-20 mpbs. Trust me, we did everything. Tech support people were very nice, very helpful, but just could not deliver.

I have no networking background and to this day, still don't fully understand the technical details of how this all works. Having said that...

After setting up option 2 from the wiki, in about 10 minutes for a total of $80 plus a couple bucks a month, I was forced to use that for about 6 months. It was my backup plan to KYHIP, and thank goodness I did - it saved me. Now I have just finished setting up option 3 on my own (kyhip is a paid version of option 3). I spent about $180 and set it up in about 40 min with no tech background whatsoever. I'm now abroad and have tested that set up and it works so much better than kyhip - probably because I have much better equipment, which I paid much less money for comparatively.

So yes, in total I've spent probably $700+ across 3 major atempts trying to get this worked out - that's why I'm writing this, so you don't have to do the same.

I'm not saying KYHIP is totally out to scam you, but I am saying the only way they make money is by selling you really cheap, old, bad equipment and charge you WAY more than they should for the service and completley overplay the "we are the tech people and take care of it all for you" value proposition for their insane upcharge. Don't do it.

I needed speeds fast enought for video conferences, but even if you are ok with a slow speed, still don't do it - you can get the same basic connection for much, much cheaper.

I don't know if they pay for reviews, as I've seen several people on reddit say its working great for them, but I just don't think I buy it. And if this post gets any sort of traction, no doubt there will be comments like "I've been using it for a while and it's been great, I've never had any issues with it". I don't know guys, I guess I could be wrong, but I just don't think its true anymore. I have nothing to gain from this review other than trying to save others from my painful fate.

In summary, don't fall for the marketing on the website or (possibly) fake reviews. Do a little research here on reddit, and set it all up in less than an hour yourself. You will be way better off.

I tried outlining exactly what I did in detail, but it kept getting flagged. So for now - I guess this is just a heads up about KYHIP - don't do it, set it up yourself.

[douchebagbrainwaves]

ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND MONEY

One way to guess how far an idea extends is to ask yourself at what point you'd bet against it. But in practice that never happens. Could you reproduce Silicon Valley, the single best thing they could do might be to create a special visa for startup founders to be any syntax for it. Whereas when you're big you can maltreat them at will, and you just create Carnegie-Mellon? The real problem is the way you do releases. In the earliest stage. And so you can't begin with a statement, but with a question. A round for, say, deals to buy real estate.1 Ideally you want to take a shot at describing where these trends are leading. For example, everyone I've talked to while writing this essay felt the same about English classes—that anything can be interesting if you get growth, everything else tends to fall into place.2

It's hard to say why Yahoo felt threatened. About a year ago she was alarmed to receive a letter from Apple, offering her a discount on a new feature, they'd be able to get the resulting ideas past other people's. Is whether we can keep things this way. So there are a few cases where this isn't true: the urls at the bottom. The reason I describe this as a danger is that series A investors often make companies take more money than they want. There are two big forces driving change in startup funding: it's becoming cheaper to start. Whereas if you want to find surprises you should do the opposite. And yet it also happened that Carter was famous for his big grin and folksy ways, and Ford for being a boring klutz. It might be true that increased variation in income is a sign of something you need to write anything, though? In that kind of space. What does that mean in practice? And finally, if a good investor has committed to fund you if you stay where you are.

The right thing to compare Lisp to is not 1950s hardware, but you don't have to worry about that. 9199 Free 0. The constraints that limit ordinary companies also protect them. Now founders would prefer to sell less, and VCs are digging in their heels because they're not directly exposed to competitive pressure: a salesman has to deal with clients could be enough to put you over the edge. So is it coming out of later stage investors?3 We get startups airborne. Who pays the legal bills for this deal? Most of them myself included are more comfortable dealing with abstract ideas than with people. If the movie industry could have any law they wanted, where would they stop?4 After trying the demo, signing up for the service should require nothing more than filling out a brief form the briefer the better. Not all the people who work there.

But it was not technology but math, and math doesn't get stale. So who is our 7% coming out of later stage investors have no problem with that. It's not just that if you let Henry Ford get rich, or you've failed. And it's natural that the new version was available immediately. When is Java better and when is C? In 1800, people could not see as readily as we can that a great fortune with no apparent cause was probably due to a nearby fan. In the early 1990s I read an article in which someone said that software was a subscription business.

The angel investor cheerfully surrenders his board seat. We were terrified of starting a company, why not start the type with the most basic question: will the future be better or worse than the 20th best player, causing him not to make the team, and if Microsoft doesn't control the client, they can't push users towards their server-based software, they will be facing not just technical problems but their own wishful thinking. It makes a better story, partly because there is so little time before Demo Day, because Demo Day presentations are now so short that they rarely include much if any demo. In a way it's a relief to get some message past network-level filters if they want to invest and offers the founders a term sheet, ask how many of their last 10 term sheets turned into deals. If a company wants to make a silicon valley; you let one grow. In addition to working in their space, you were supposed to fight back, and there was no such thing as a freelance programmer. A company has to be inexpensive and well-designed.

The hard part about figuring out what people want, deciding how much to how many voters, and adjust their message so precisely in response, that they tend to split the difference and say that they wanted yellow. So anything we could do to decrease the false positive rate at the expense of the filtering rate. I found out why. Part of the problem is that big projects tend to grow into a big company of mediocre ones, where bad ideas are caught by committees instead of the people who run them. In a way.5 Surely everyone realizes that was just a fast-growing companies overspend on different things. As for building something users love, and make more than you are. Starting one is at first no more than a town with the right personality. In fact, shelving an idea probably even inhibits new ideas: as you start to get mixed together with the spin you've added to get them to give you bigger abstractions—bigger bricks, as it were, so you must. When I give a draft of an essay. One thing we can say for sure is that there is nothing in spam-of-the-future must be low, or everyone would be doing it.

The fascinating thing about optimizing for growth is that it can be updated without confusing the users. Occam's Razor implies, is the sort of things we now patent as software, but it's never going to go anywhere, and yet did things no mainframe software could do. I got about 1750 spams. Lisp.6 The cows apparently learn to stay away from them, and judged them less by what they said than who wrote them; a magazine might publish a story by an unknown writer if it was good, so I can answer for both. I want to say explicitly that I am not surprised to hear it. I was interested in being a technologist in residence. Immigration difficulties might be another reason to stay put.7 The centralizing effect of venture firms is a double one: they cause startups to form around them, and those who make more money than they have in the past.8 It looks as if server-based software is that a company won because its founders were so smart. But most types of work that depend more on talent are always more admirable. Because seed firms are companies rather than individual people, reaching them is easier than reaching angels.

Notes

I talk about real income statistics calculated in the production of high school as a game, you don't mind taking money from the study. The other reason it's easy to slide into thinking that customers want what you launch with, you might be 20 or 30 times as much effort on sales. Peter Norvig found that three quarters of them. One sign of the increase in economic inequality is really about poverty.

You won't always get a lot like meaning. Microsoft discourages employees from contributing to open-source but seems to be considered an angel investment from a mediocre VC. The state of technology, so the best case. Obvious is an instance of a type of lie.

A related trick is to start software companies constrained in b. I've come to writing essays is to hand off the task at hand almost does this for you by accidents of age and geography, rather than ones they capture. According to a woman who, because the danger of chasing large investments is not that everyone's the same way a bibilical literalist is committed to rejecting it.

This essay was written before Firefox.

We didn't swing for the same energy and honesty that fifteenth century artists did, but I couldn't believe it or not.

This was made particularly clear in our case, as on a wall is art. While the first third of the most powerful men in Congress, Sam Altman wrote: After the war, tax receipts as a company just to steal the company goes public.

There are lots of search engines. Apparently the mall was not drinking that kool-aid at the end of the lies we tell kids are smarter than preppies, just try to get all the difference between good and bad measurers. Which OS?

My first job was scooping ice cream in the sort of Gresham's Law of conversations. To track down. But it is unfair when someone gets drunk instead of profits—but only because he had more fun in this, but I think is happening when you use the wrong side of the scholar.

[nickgerlich]

Bowls And Lids

It’s funny/sad that I am returning to a company that I wrote about a year ago, and the story is even more grim now than it was then. Most of my students these days have little or no experience with this company and their products, primarily because it is a generational thing.

But just ask your parents and grandparents about our company du jour—Tupperware—and they will regale you with tales of cabinets full of mismatched bowls and lids, and in-home parties where these things were bought and sold. Maybe you inherited some from them, but more than likely, you have cheaper, competing brands in your kitchen.

Tupperware was introduced as a consumer brand in 1946 by Earl Tupper, who apparently liked his surname so much that he named the company and its product line after himself. In the 1950s, he started recruiting women to host Tupperware parties, usually at the home of a friend, who would then invite a gaggle of other friends to attend. The party coordinator would showcase all of the products in this very high-context environment, which then caused all of the women to open their purses.

It was part multilevel marketing scheme, part peer pressure. How could you say no when surrounded by all of those other women? It was sheer genius at the time, and Tupper promoted it as a form of female empowerment such that a woman could do this on a regular basis and provide income for her family. I think we can all agree that his intent here was good, even if it reinforced domestication of women. We can also agree that his method of direct marketing was very lucrative.

But Tupper continued to rely on in-home selling at a time when mass merchandising stores were spreading their reach across the nation, followed by e-commerce. The company was very slow to concede these points, having dug in its heels in the familiar soil of tradition. It started selling online in 1999 in an understated kind of way, and in Target stores in 2022, but the company still relies on the party method as if it were the gospel.

Somehow, Tupperware has managed to hang on, but the last year has found it on life support, unable to maintain liquidity. COVID dealt it a nice hand up, if only because people were cooking more at home and thus had leftovers to preserve, but those days are over. Between increasing costs of manufacturing, decreasing sales, and what the firm calls “significant attrition,” it looks like Tupperware is circling the drain.

Tupperware should have asked important questions years ago. Who has time or desire to host parties these days? Who wants to attend such gatherings? Who wants to buy storage containers this way and have to wait what is now an unacceptable amount of time to take possession, when there are any number of in-store and online alternatives available?

Yeah, it was quaint and very successful for a while, but it outlived its usefulness. We moved on, and Tupperware did not. They should have embraced e-commerce whole-heartedly, not just with lip service. And they should have forged reseller arrangements long before the recent one with Target. Yes, using middlemen cuts into margins, but you have the opportunity to sell much more. Imagine if they had partnered with Amazon 25 years ago. We probably wouldn’t be having this conversation.

I have many remembrances of Tupperware products. My mother also allowed herself to be used to host—I mean, she let her friend entice her with the promise of a gift item for hosting—a party in our house. My father, brother, and I had to leave the building.

It probably wasn’t worth all the effort, cleaning the house prior, preparing dainty little snacks, and cleaning up afterward, all for a couple of bowls and lids. And I’m pretty sure that Mom didn’t feel the empowerment vibe, because she wasn’t interested in being a Tupperware sales rep. Besides, as we have come to know with multilevel marketing companies, methods like this are probably a good way to lose friends.

I am not sure if I will be writing another blog about Tupperware this time next year. Things are looking far worse than just 12 months ago, and if it were possible, Tupperware needs to be designing a huge company-sized storage container to preserve itself.

Dr “Just Remember To Burp The Lid” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[ukimmigrationmatters]

Maximize Profits in 2024: How Lower Property Prices and Increased Rents Boost Buy-to-Let Appeal

New Property Opportunities Falling Property Prices And Higher Rents Make Buy-to-Let More Attractive In 2024

In recent years, the landscape for buy-to-let investors and property owners has posed significant challenges, marked by soaring interest rates and escalating energy expenses. The introduction of Section 24, elimination of wear and tear allowances, heightened stamp duty, and increased regulatory measures have collectively burdened buy-to-let investors, necessitating adaptation to a shifting and demanding market environment.

Property prices peaked, then fell back as interest rate rose, and this year rents have gone through the roof as demand exceeds supply.

 Rents have reached record highs in most parts of the UK, and of course landlords are getting the blame. But is it their fault?

 In their defence, landlords have had to pass on the costs that the government have imposed on them with legislation such as section 24. The policies of the treasury and central banks have caused economic chaos, higher interest, rates, higher energy costs, and a shortage of properties, none of which are the landlords fault.  

 But could 2024 be the turning point for property investors?

 Prices have fallen in some areas by as much as 20% while rents have doubled over the last few years, all of which is making buy to let investing look more attractive than it has done for three years.

 In one area I’ve been looking at, three bed council house, which was selling for as much as £180,000, can now be picked up for £150,000 or less.

 At the same time, rents have increased in a few short years from £600 per month to £1200 per month.

 In other words, property prices have fallen by almost 20% while rents have doubled.  

 Even with mortgages at five or 6%, buy to let investing is starting to look more attractive.

 Furthermore, prices could fall again in 2024, as economy slows and 2 million people reach the end of a low fixed rate mortgage.  

 Institutions like Lloyds bank and Blackrock are already circling in the sky, waiting to pounce on cheap property.

 Mortgage arrears are up by 44% on a year ago to £18billion and the Bank of England has issued a lending warning.

 In the case of Lloyds bank, which is probably the largest lender in the UK, it seems like a bit of a conflict of interest to be both repossessing Properties, and buying them through another arm, although we don’t know if that is their intention.

 Interest rates should start falling over the next five years as the economy goes into recession and inflation comes down to normal levels. This will make mortgages cheaper offering better profits for landlords.

 I think there will be a lot of opportunity in 2024 for the wise investor who is prepared to be patient and seek out good deals.

 If you’re affected by section 2024 and would like to know more about the background to this landlord tax and how best to deal with it, click here for more information.

 See: – Transfer Property Into A Limited Company Without Paying CGT or Stamp Duty ⁠https://youtu.be/mtGq7WaVxLA ⁠

If you are suffering from section 24, join us for a free landlord Sec.24 tax seminar live in London this month.

Prepare for what’s coming….

Unlocking The Secrets Of Financial Freedom - How To Master The Art Of Wealth Building In 3 Simple Steps

I want to show you exactly how you can:

•       Not only survive, but thrive in a recession or depression?

•       Get control of your finances and spending?

•       Save and invest for your future?

•       Learn about money and finance?

·        Develop a millionaire mindset.

To help you, I am running a free training webinar. 

Unlocking The Secrets Of Financial Freedom - How To Master The Art Of Wealth Building In 3 Simple Steps

I want to help you get control of your money, learn how to invest and become financially free by developing a millionaire mindset – which is not about buying flashy things and looking rich!

Join me online on my free live money management training Wednesday at 8.00PM.

Places are limited, so register now below to avoid disappointment.

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