Tide chart saint augustine
Awesome places you should travel one in a life
2023.05.30 20:02 Weak_Group_800 Awesome places you should travel one in a life
 | "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page." - Saint Augustine submitted by Weak_Group_800 to TravelEsthetic [link] [comments] Let's share our experiences and enthusiasm. |
2023.05.30 17:18 KamchatkasRevenge Out of Cruel Space Side Story: Of Dog, Volpir, and Man - Ch 220
Tyler
A solid half hour of hugs, kisses, handshakes, back slaps, well wishes, greetings from new inlaws and long time customers of the shop alike, and the occasional cheek pinch by one of his new auntie in laws for good measure ensued.
Finally the ebbing of the great tide of very happy people sees the Sarkin clan installed in one of the large booths that dominate the corners and walls of the room.
Set up with a two piece table with the centerpiece able to spin to allow people to share dishes easier, and to allow waitresses to gently send food to customers in the corner without any form of issue around a circular table. Miu'Kin's mother, Kamei'Kin, had pulled out all the stops and laid out a veritable feast in front of the new members of her family, clearly eager to celebrate her youngest daughter's success by the preferred method of the Kin clan... food.
Dino ribs that would do Fred Flintstone proud, delectable looking steaks of some local critter that were just right in terms of being juicy and lean. Cuts of rich white and red fish fresh off the grill or served raw. Fresh steamed crustaceans and shellfish. Whole game birds of sizes ranging from 'chicken' up to a glossy fried bird with beautiful crispy skin that resembled and tasted like pure dark meat turkey but was around the size of an ostrich.
That last one was something that Tyler had immediately texted Jerry about as soon as he had his first bite. Not just because it was a good opportunity for his boss and friend's business... but also because he wanted to be able to butter fry one of these monsters and eat it himself whenever he pleased too!
With all that meat in front of them it was easy to miss the various sides. Mostly small types of rough vegetables, the turtle rice or a few other little things that packed a serious punch flavor wise by Galactic standards, or served as a form of cleanser, like ginger almost. All served with ample Apuk style sauces ranging from something not too far off from BBQ sauce to more of the berry jam that had been in the pastry they'd enjoyed earlier at Caring Conquests. The main flavoring on offer was of course one of the Apuk's favorite animal based foodstuffs... butter.
Apuk used enough butter to make Paula Dean an honorary noble, if not a saint in one of the Apuk's native religions. They cooked in it, put it on food in various formats ranging from butter based sauces to slightly less complicated offerings. For example, lightly herbed butter was a favorite for many Apuk to put on meat. The herb and butter mixture was considered strong stuff by the Apuk and was just flavorful enough that a human could enjoy it without needing to supplement any further flavor... except maybe a pinch of salt like most galactic cuisine.
Cassie, normally so prim and proper was apparently hungry enough that she'd gone slightly feral, and was forcing herself to not automatically hood her wings over her food like a great bird of prey as she tore at one of the dinosaur ribs, proclaiming it to be absolutely delicious before cracking the bone and eating the marrow and moving on to the next rib in the rack.
For Tyler's part while the sheer volume of meat was awe inspiring, he felt himself craving a decent amount of vegetables, or at least a bowl of plain white rice to cut all the richness with as the meal went on. In fact the more he thought about that, the more appealing layering some of this mountain of carnivorous delights onto a bowl of freshly steamed white rice became.
The sheer mix of delectable flavors that would soak into the rice as he worked his way through the meat alone seemed designed to tantalize his taste buds. Thankfully the Apuk grain the troops on the Tear generally called Turtle rice was a somewhat close enough substitute. It got the job done any way, even if it lacked the delicate flavor of true white rice.
Miu'Kin, for her part, was having a grand time despite her initial familial misgivings. She was seated to Tyler's right, teaching her new husband about Apuk family style cuisine both for her family specifically and for the capital region.
There were commonalities compared to Nara's home province, and as the capital you could generally get anything from anywhere on the planet if you wanted it, but the Kin mainstay was Northern cuisine which tended towards more intense flavors.
The North also had a unique dish in a strong broth that was served cool, and either drunk as a beverage or a very strong tea, or eaten with noodles in a style that strongly reminded Tyler of soba. It was considered essential for cooling off when you were out working near an active volcano in the specific parts of the North the Kins hailed from.
There was of course hot noodle dishes too, Apuk spicy noodles was a dish that had eagerly been adopted by humans aboard the Tear after Jerry had learned about them on a date with Masha, though Nara pointed out that the way it was served on the Tear was distinctly non-traditional to a horrified Kamei'Kin.
"Well that just won't do at all! I'll be sure to send a cookbook along with you when you head back up to orbit. I know you humans can take a lot but there's no reason to not get it right. Besides, if I manage to open up a dialogue with this Chief Noitaka of yours, I bet I can get some tips on doing things in a more human style. This dashi stock you talked about sounds very similar to some concepts in Apuk cuisine already and I just bet I could replicate it... without the massive amount of sodium chloride and other poisons you seem to ingest. An Apuk grade human hot sauce also seems like it has a lot of potential too! Oh this will be all sorts of fun! Especially if I can actually get my hands on some human style meat."
Tyler nods, smiling at his newest mother in law. "I don't see why not ma'am-"
Kamei'Kin holds up a hand. "Hold it right there. I love that you're so polite, sweet ember but really I can't have my son in law, or any of my daughters in law calling me ma'am! You just call me Kamei'Kin or "Momma" like my little flame over here."
Miu'Kin wilts slightly, clearly wishing her species still had a shell so she could hide in it for a moment, only to brighten up a touch when Tyler gives her thigh a reassuring squeeze under the table. He could appreciate how it could feel having a parent who was such a... bombastic personality to say the least.
Kamei'Kin settles back in the booth a bit. "So, let's get down to the brass tacks I suppose, how long till you leave? I always figured Miu would leave Serbow at some point but goddess's shell it does seem like it's come up faster than I'd expected."
Tyler shrugs. "Well we don't rightly know, we were making port call for at least two weeks, and we're a literal day into the first week practically speaking, but now the Skipper's marrying an Imperial Princess so gods only know how long that's gonna take to shake out completely. There's some sort of business the Skipper needs to attend to in Nodawk city in the Tier barony too, so that'll eat some time up, I mean the list goes on. I'm sure the Captain and the diplomats will find plenty for us to do to make the stop over worth the time. Can't just have everyone on liberty the whole time after all. Though from what we just saw at Caring Conquests one of the major activities will be moving the personal effects of new Apuk spouses up to the Tier from Serbow."
Kamei'Kin slaps her knee and lets out a bark of laughter. "Don't I believe it too! Hah! Goodness it's been awhile since we found a species that had menfolk who were downright eager for Apuk brides. Normally ladies like us and the Cannidor can have a hard time reeling in mates from the more delicate species. Dating only Apex species limits the dating pool quite a bit, to the point that you may as well marry into your own species. Apuk in general tend to stick to our own space and prefer our own culture... similar again to the Cannidor. So we end up marrying within our own species more often than not."
Tyler nods. "Then along comes my species, and the biggest debate in the barracks among our Marines and sailors is if Apuk or Cannidor make for the best possible bride for a human. With strong camps arguing for the Horchka and Seramali, but that's a demographic bias as much as anything. We have a lot of men happily married to Seramali and Horchka gals, myself included. Undaunted wide, the Apuk and Cannidor have very strong fan clubs among humans."
"Considering you've got two Apuk brides, two Seramali and this beauty of a Rabbis to my left I think I can guess where you fall in that debate."
"Heh. Guilty as charged. Cannidor can be a bit... much for me. I enjoyed meeting the Crimsonhewers at our last port call, and I've met some of their girls who have shipped aboard the Tear now, but honestly, even married and allegedly a bit calmer they're just... a lot. Apuk have big personalities but tend to compensate by being proper ladies too. That said I've met a lot of wonderful alien women from all sorts of species now and while I understand the debate as just something stupid to kill time, I don't think there's a definitive species that produces the best wives for humanity as a whole. It's a silly concept inherently. I'm sure there's a guy out there who's got a perfect match in just about any species. Hell one of my buddies has built himself a family of primarily Arachne women... and frankly, while his wives are lovely for the most part, they creep me the fuck out to the point that I have trouble being in the same room as them. I've never been a big fan of spiders."
The Apuk matriarch considers that for a moment and nods. "Hmmm, fair enough, there's always going to be one species or another that someone just can't process or understand for whatever reason. I don't understand the Slohb at all. Or the type of man who'd seek out a Vulba or Charbis hive as his family. Or other peoples with what we might consider more extreme lifestyles... and I know the Apuk's lifestyle, especially here on Serbow where things are still a bit more... traditional, than the colonies, you could say, is considered extreme in it's own way.”
"Kidnapping as a method of courtship can certainly leave that impression on people." Cassie notes primly, gently dabbing her mouth with a linen napkin to clean off any errant sauce or meat.
"Oh psh." Kamei'Kin waves Cassie off a bit with a laugh. "It's not that common!" She stops and considers for a second. "Well. It is more socially accepted, so fair enough. Ah you lot are fun though! I'm glad Miu'Kin got settled into such a wonderful family. Make sure you folks stop by on the regular while you're still on Serbow alright? Food's on me!"
The Sarkins exchange some looks and Tyler turns to face his new mother in law more directly.
"With food like this on offer, you can consider that a promise Kamei'Kin. I'll see about sending some of the boys your way too. Humans appreciate a good meal and I do try to help family out where I can."
"Well hell, always happy to have new customers! I'll make sure anyone from that ship gets treated proper. It's just not right to let visitors to Serbow escape without a little Apuk home style hospitality in their lives!"
Cassie rips a chunk off another rib. "On that, I think we can all certainly agree!"
First Last
submitted by KamchatkasRevenge to HFY [link] [comments]
A solid half hour of hugs, kisses, handshakes, back slaps, well wishes, greetings from new inlaws and long time customers of the shop alike, and the occasional cheek pinch by one of his new auntie in laws for good measure ensued.
Finally the ebbing of the great tide of very happy people sees the Sarkin clan installed in one of the large booths that dominate the corners and walls of the room.
Set up with a two piece table with the centerpiece able to spin to allow people to share dishes easier, and to allow waitresses to gently send food to customers in the corner without any form of issue around a circular table. Miu'Kin's mother, Kamei'Kin, had pulled out all the stops and laid out a veritable feast in front of the new members of her family, clearly eager to celebrate her youngest daughter's success by the preferred method of the Kin clan... food.
Dino ribs that would do Fred Flintstone proud, delectable looking steaks of some local critter that were just right in terms of being juicy and lean. Cuts of rich white and red fish fresh off the grill or served raw. Fresh steamed crustaceans and shellfish. Whole game birds of sizes ranging from 'chicken' up to a glossy fried bird with beautiful crispy skin that resembled and tasted like pure dark meat turkey but was around the size of an ostrich.
That last one was something that Tyler had immediately texted Jerry about as soon as he had his first bite. Not just because it was a good opportunity for his boss and friend's business... but also because he wanted to be able to butter fry one of these monsters and eat it himself whenever he pleased too!
With all that meat in front of them it was easy to miss the various sides. Mostly small types of rough vegetables, the turtle rice or a few other little things that packed a serious punch flavor wise by Galactic standards, or served as a form of cleanser, like ginger almost. All served with ample Apuk style sauces ranging from something not too far off from BBQ sauce to more of the berry jam that had been in the pastry they'd enjoyed earlier at Caring Conquests. The main flavoring on offer was of course one of the Apuk's favorite animal based foodstuffs... butter.
Apuk used enough butter to make Paula Dean an honorary noble, if not a saint in one of the Apuk's native religions. They cooked in it, put it on food in various formats ranging from butter based sauces to slightly less complicated offerings. For example, lightly herbed butter was a favorite for many Apuk to put on meat. The herb and butter mixture was considered strong stuff by the Apuk and was just flavorful enough that a human could enjoy it without needing to supplement any further flavor... except maybe a pinch of salt like most galactic cuisine.
Cassie, normally so prim and proper was apparently hungry enough that she'd gone slightly feral, and was forcing herself to not automatically hood her wings over her food like a great bird of prey as she tore at one of the dinosaur ribs, proclaiming it to be absolutely delicious before cracking the bone and eating the marrow and moving on to the next rib in the rack.
For Tyler's part while the sheer volume of meat was awe inspiring, he felt himself craving a decent amount of vegetables, or at least a bowl of plain white rice to cut all the richness with as the meal went on. In fact the more he thought about that, the more appealing layering some of this mountain of carnivorous delights onto a bowl of freshly steamed white rice became.
The sheer mix of delectable flavors that would soak into the rice as he worked his way through the meat alone seemed designed to tantalize his taste buds. Thankfully the Apuk grain the troops on the Tear generally called Turtle rice was a somewhat close enough substitute. It got the job done any way, even if it lacked the delicate flavor of true white rice.
Miu'Kin, for her part, was having a grand time despite her initial familial misgivings. She was seated to Tyler's right, teaching her new husband about Apuk family style cuisine both for her family specifically and for the capital region.
There were commonalities compared to Nara's home province, and as the capital you could generally get anything from anywhere on the planet if you wanted it, but the Kin mainstay was Northern cuisine which tended towards more intense flavors.
The North also had a unique dish in a strong broth that was served cool, and either drunk as a beverage or a very strong tea, or eaten with noodles in a style that strongly reminded Tyler of soba. It was considered essential for cooling off when you were out working near an active volcano in the specific parts of the North the Kins hailed from.
There was of course hot noodle dishes too, Apuk spicy noodles was a dish that had eagerly been adopted by humans aboard the Tear after Jerry had learned about them on a date with Masha, though Nara pointed out that the way it was served on the Tear was distinctly non-traditional to a horrified Kamei'Kin.
"Well that just won't do at all! I'll be sure to send a cookbook along with you when you head back up to orbit. I know you humans can take a lot but there's no reason to not get it right. Besides, if I manage to open up a dialogue with this Chief Noitaka of yours, I bet I can get some tips on doing things in a more human style. This dashi stock you talked about sounds very similar to some concepts in Apuk cuisine already and I just bet I could replicate it... without the massive amount of sodium chloride and other poisons you seem to ingest. An Apuk grade human hot sauce also seems like it has a lot of potential too! Oh this will be all sorts of fun! Especially if I can actually get my hands on some human style meat."
Tyler nods, smiling at his newest mother in law. "I don't see why not ma'am-"
Kamei'Kin holds up a hand. "Hold it right there. I love that you're so polite, sweet ember but really I can't have my son in law, or any of my daughters in law calling me ma'am! You just call me Kamei'Kin or "Momma" like my little flame over here."
Miu'Kin wilts slightly, clearly wishing her species still had a shell so she could hide in it for a moment, only to brighten up a touch when Tyler gives her thigh a reassuring squeeze under the table. He could appreciate how it could feel having a parent who was such a... bombastic personality to say the least.
Kamei'Kin settles back in the booth a bit. "So, let's get down to the brass tacks I suppose, how long till you leave? I always figured Miu would leave Serbow at some point but goddess's shell it does seem like it's come up faster than I'd expected."
Tyler shrugs. "Well we don't rightly know, we were making port call for at least two weeks, and we're a literal day into the first week practically speaking, but now the Skipper's marrying an Imperial Princess so gods only know how long that's gonna take to shake out completely. There's some sort of business the Skipper needs to attend to in Nodawk city in the Tier barony too, so that'll eat some time up, I mean the list goes on. I'm sure the Captain and the diplomats will find plenty for us to do to make the stop over worth the time. Can't just have everyone on liberty the whole time after all. Though from what we just saw at Caring Conquests one of the major activities will be moving the personal effects of new Apuk spouses up to the Tier from Serbow."
Kamei'Kin slaps her knee and lets out a bark of laughter. "Don't I believe it too! Hah! Goodness it's been awhile since we found a species that had menfolk who were downright eager for Apuk brides. Normally ladies like us and the Cannidor can have a hard time reeling in mates from the more delicate species. Dating only Apex species limits the dating pool quite a bit, to the point that you may as well marry into your own species. Apuk in general tend to stick to our own space and prefer our own culture... similar again to the Cannidor. So we end up marrying within our own species more often than not."
Tyler nods. "Then along comes my species, and the biggest debate in the barracks among our Marines and sailors is if Apuk or Cannidor make for the best possible bride for a human. With strong camps arguing for the Horchka and Seramali, but that's a demographic bias as much as anything. We have a lot of men happily married to Seramali and Horchka gals, myself included. Undaunted wide, the Apuk and Cannidor have very strong fan clubs among humans."
"Considering you've got two Apuk brides, two Seramali and this beauty of a Rabbis to my left I think I can guess where you fall in that debate."
"Heh. Guilty as charged. Cannidor can be a bit... much for me. I enjoyed meeting the Crimsonhewers at our last port call, and I've met some of their girls who have shipped aboard the Tear now, but honestly, even married and allegedly a bit calmer they're just... a lot. Apuk have big personalities but tend to compensate by being proper ladies too. That said I've met a lot of wonderful alien women from all sorts of species now and while I understand the debate as just something stupid to kill time, I don't think there's a definitive species that produces the best wives for humanity as a whole. It's a silly concept inherently. I'm sure there's a guy out there who's got a perfect match in just about any species. Hell one of my buddies has built himself a family of primarily Arachne women... and frankly, while his wives are lovely for the most part, they creep me the fuck out to the point that I have trouble being in the same room as them. I've never been a big fan of spiders."
The Apuk matriarch considers that for a moment and nods. "Hmmm, fair enough, there's always going to be one species or another that someone just can't process or understand for whatever reason. I don't understand the Slohb at all. Or the type of man who'd seek out a Vulba or Charbis hive as his family. Or other peoples with what we might consider more extreme lifestyles... and I know the Apuk's lifestyle, especially here on Serbow where things are still a bit more... traditional, than the colonies, you could say, is considered extreme in it's own way.”
"Kidnapping as a method of courtship can certainly leave that impression on people." Cassie notes primly, gently dabbing her mouth with a linen napkin to clean off any errant sauce or meat.
"Oh psh." Kamei'Kin waves Cassie off a bit with a laugh. "It's not that common!" She stops and considers for a second. "Well. It is more socially accepted, so fair enough. Ah you lot are fun though! I'm glad Miu'Kin got settled into such a wonderful family. Make sure you folks stop by on the regular while you're still on Serbow alright? Food's on me!"
The Sarkins exchange some looks and Tyler turns to face his new mother in law more directly.
"With food like this on offer, you can consider that a promise Kamei'Kin. I'll see about sending some of the boys your way too. Humans appreciate a good meal and I do try to help family out where I can."
"Well hell, always happy to have new customers! I'll make sure anyone from that ship gets treated proper. It's just not right to let visitors to Serbow escape without a little Apuk home style hospitality in their lives!"
Cassie rips a chunk off another rib. "On that, I think we can all certainly agree!"
First Last
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2023.05.30 14:13 IIWIIM8 Global COVID Cases For 30MAY23
| Summary As Of: | 30MAY @ 12:23 GMT |
| Countries | 229 + 2 |
| Cases | 689,491,843 |
| Deaths | 6,884,162 |
| Recovered | 661,937,789 |
| Active Cases | 20,669,892 |
Countries reporting new cases: 20
Countries reporting new deaths: 9
Countries reporting increased Active Cases: 11
Countries reporting decreased Active Cases: 15
Complete Chart
Data Source
| With Active cases | w/No Active cases | w/All cases rcvrd | |
| Cntry’s | 220 | 7 | 2 |
| Cases | 689,491,843 | 7 | 2 |
| Deaths | 6,884,162 | 264,065 | 0 |
| Rcvrd | 661,937,789 | 28,535,637 | 1,959 |
Past 7 day totals of new: cases, deaths, recoveries & actives. With 3 & 7 day averages.
| Date | Cases | Deaths | Rcvr’s | Actives |
| 23MAY | 62,978 | 529 | 82,941 | 20,773,762 |
| 24MAY | 47,903 | 218 | 72,936 | 20,766,482 |
| 25MAY | 44,259 | 218 | 73,471 | 20,739,173 |
| 26MAY | 37,409 | 184 | 44,512 | 20,731,931 |
| 27MAY | 29,582 | 43 | 37,737 | 20,730,419 |
| 28MAY | 14,610 | 53 | 58,818 | 20,696,442 |
| 29MAY | 27,942 | 66 | 58,960 | 20,665,358 |
| 3 Day Avg | 24,045 | 54 | 51,838 | 20,697,406 |
| 7 Day Avg | 37,812 | 187 | 61,339 | 20,729,081 |
Cases, Deaths, Actives by Continent
| Cont | Cases | Deaths | Actives |
| Europe | 249,381,538 | 2,061,193 | 1,950,523 |
| N A | 126,718,347 | 1,633,580 | 2,478,217 |
| Asia | 217,477,465 | 1,546,623 | 14,729,131 |
| S A | 68,712,083 | 1,355,891 | 883,523 |
| Africa | 12,823,548 | 258,767 | 479,243 |
| Oceania | 14,378,141 | 28,093 | 149,255 |
| World | 689,491,843 | 6,884,162 | 20,669,892 |
Countries with Active Cases
| Country | Cases | Deaths | Recoveries | Actives |
| USA | 107,104,021+ | 1,165,281+ | 105,179,015+ | 759,725+ |
| India | 44,990,278+ | 531,867+ | 44,453,908+ | 4,503- |
| France | 40,080,483 | 167,263 | 39,855,730 | 57,490 |
| Germany | 38,426,308 | 174,247 | 38,234,900 | 17,161 |
| Brazil | 37,579,028 | 702,664 | 36,249,161 | 627,203 |
| Japan | 33,803,572 | 74,694 | N/A | N/A |
| S. Korea | 31,679,100+ | 34,767+ | 31,336,915+ | 307,418+ |
| Italy | 25,857,572 | 190,392 | 25,545,397 | 121,783 |
| UK | 24,603,076 | 225,324 | 24,367,691+ | 10,061- |
| Russia | 22,929,149+ | 399,057+ | 22,361,277+ | 168,815- |
| Turkey | 17,232,066 | 102,174 | N/A | N/A |
| Spain | 13,868,227 | 121,213 | 13,697,426 | 49,588 |
| Vietnam | 11,610,724 | 43,206 | 10,637,654 | 929,864 |
| Australia | 11,585,286 | 20,879 | 11,526,959 | 37,448 |
| Argentina | 10,054,251 | 130,509 | 9,923,097 | 645 |
| Mexico | 7,614,771 | 334,107 | 6,861,981 | 418,683 |
| Iran | 7,611,703 | 146,256 | 7,365,887 | 99,560 |
| Indonesia | 6,807,085+ | 161,762+ | 6,632,667+ | 12,656- |
| Poland | 6,516,853+ | 119,610+ | 5,335,940 | 1,061,303+ |
| Colombia | 6,367,600 | 142,748 | 6,188,967 | 35,885 |
| Austria | 6,076,625 | 22,501 | 6,048,564 | 5,560 |
| Greece | 6,059,649 | 36,917 | 6,009,762+ | 12,970- |
| Portugal | 5,585,859 | 26,701 | 5,554,918 | 4,240 |
| Ukraine | 5,549,708 | 112,315 | 5,426,042 | 11,351 |
| Chile | 5,287,373 | 64,497 | 5,222,732 | 144 |
| Malaysia | 5,100,249 | 37,087 | 5,044,652 | 18,510 |
| Israel | 4,825,362 | 12,524 | 4,798,473 | 14,365 |
| Belgium | 4,799,107 | 34,336 | 4,759,562+ | 5,209- |
| Thailand | 4,738,988 | 34,053 | 4,692,636 | 12,299 |
| Canada | 4,673,256 | 52,359 | 4,588,942 | 31,955 |
| Czechia | 4,642,011 | 42,800 | 4,598,424 | 787 |
| Switzerland | 4,405,433 | 14,452 | 4,387,986 | 2,995 |
| Philippines | 4,141,535+ | 66,466 | 4,060,327+ | 14,742- |
| South Africa | 4,076,463 | 102,595 | 3,912,506 | 61,362 |
| Romania | 3,404,197 | 68,184 | 3,329,181- | 6,832+ |
| Denmark | 3,181,841 | 8,695 | 3,172,671- | 475+ |
| Hong Kong | 2,904,315 | 13,819 | 2,874,497- | 15,999+ |
| Sweden | 2,709,830 | 24,353 | 2,682,746+ | 2,731- |
| Serbia | 2,541,522 | 18,051 | 2,520,091 | 3,380 |
| Iraq | 2,465,545 | 25,375 | 2,439,497 | 673 |
| Singapore | 2,391,248 | 1,727 | 2,149,583 | 239,938 |
| New Zealand | 2,375,191 | 4,362 | 2,358,376 | 12,453 |
| Hungary | 2,202,716 | 48,868 | 2,151,299 | 2,549 |
| Bangladesh | 2,038,708 | 29,446 | 1,998,448 | 10,814 |
| Slovakia | 1,866,857+ | 21,167 | 1,845,578+ | 112- |
| Georgia | 1,842,046 | 17,070 | 1,776,548 | 48,428 |
| Jordan | 1,746,997 | 14,122 | 1,731,007 | 1,868 |
| Ireland | 1,712,113 | 8,960 | 1,701,342 | 1,811 |
| Pakistan | 1,581,020+ | 30,660 | 1,538,689 | 11,671+ |
| Norway | 1,484,448 | 5,435 | 1,478,204 | 809 |
| Finland | 1,479,608 | 9,676 | 1,466,413+ | 3,519- |
| Kazakhstan | 1,411,831 | 13,848 | 1,383,020 | 14,963 |
| Slovenia | 1,343,968 | 7,100 | 1,328,006 | 8,862 |
| Lithuania | 1,320,438+ | 9,681+ | 1,309,559+ | 1,198+ |
| Bulgaria | 1,307,420+ | 38,382+ | 1,267,039+ | 1,999+ |
| Morocco | 1,274,180 | 16,297 | 1,256,151 | 1,732 |
| Croatia | 1,273,795 | 18,255 | 1,255,288 | 252 |
| Guatemala | 1,252,202+ | 20,200 | 1,229,925+ | 2,077- |
| Lebanon | 1,237,556 | 10,914 | 1,087,587 | 139,055 |
| Costa Rica | 1,230,552 | 9,366 | 860,711 | 360,475 |
| Bolivia | 1,198,858 | 22,384 | 1,168,071 | 8,403 |
| Tunisia | 1,153,261 | 29,415 | N/A | N/A |
| Cuba | 1,114,152 | 8,530 | 1,105,412 | 210 |
| UAE | 1,067,030 | 2,349 | 1,054,525 | 10,156 |
| Ecuador | 1,061,766 | 36,019 | 1,025,081 | 666 |
| Uruguay | 1,038,774 | 7,634 | 1,030,944 | 196 |
| Panama | 1,038,642 | 8,623 | 1,029,434 | 585 |
| Mongolia | 1,008,655 | 2,179 | 1,005,859 | 617 |
| Nepal | 1,003,335+ | 12,031 | 991,276+ | 28 |
| Belarus | 994,037 | 7,118 | 985,592 | 1,327 |
| Latvia | 977,891 | 6,344 | 971,406 | 141 |
| Saudi Arabia | 841,469 | 9,646 | 827,923 | 3,900 |
| Azerbaijan | 831,822 | 10,273 | 821,461 | 88 |
| Paraguay | 810,581 | 19,931 | N/A | N/A |
| Bahrain | 721,806 | 1,563 | 720,032 | 211 |
| Sri Lanka | 672,444 | 16,870 | 655,519 | 55 |
| Kuwait | 665,909 | 2,570 | 660,237 | 3,102 |
| Dominican Republic | 661,176 | 4,384 | 644,785 | 12,007 |
| Myanmar | 638,726 | 19,494 | 617,692 | 1,540 |
| Palestine | 621,008 | 5,404 | 615,445 | 159 |
| Moldova | 620,519 | 12,118 | 504,142 | 104,259 |
| Estonia | 618,782 | 3,001 | 524,990 | 90,791 |
| Venezuela | 552,695 | 5,856 | 546,537 | 302 |
| Egypt | 516,023 | 24,613 | 442,182 | 49,228 |
| Qatar | 513,325+ | 690 | 512,215+ | 420+ |
| Libya | 507,262 | 6,437 | 500,818 | 7 |
| China | 503,302 | 5,272 | 379,053 | 118,977 |
| Ethiopia | 500,893 | 7,574 | 488,130 | 5,189 |
| Réunion | 486,588 | 921 | 418,572 | 67,095 |
| Honduras | 472,619 | 11,116 | N/A | N/A |
| Armenia | 449,169 | 8,750 | 435,162 | 5,257 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 402,940 | 16,346 | 379,084 | 7,510 |
| Oman | 399,449 | 4,628 | 384,669 | 10,152 |
| North Macedonia | 348,281 | 9,677 | 337,068 | 1,536 |
| Zambia | 343,995 | 4,058 | 339,858 | 79 |
| Kenya | 343,074 | 5,688 | 337,309 | 77 |
| Albania | 334,726 | 3,602 | 329,428 | 1,696 |
| Botswana | 329,862 | 2,801 | 327,049 | 12 |
| Luxembourg | 319,959 | 1,232 | 316,690 | 2,037 |
| Brunei | 303,719 | 225 | 243,601 | 59,893 |
| Montenegro | 291,853 | 2,827 | 288,546 | 480 |
| Algeria | 271,835 | 6,881 | 183,047 | 81,907 |
| Nigeria | 266,675 | 3,155 | 259,953 | 3,567 |
| Zimbabwe | 264,848 | 5,690 | 258,888 | 270 |
| Uzbekistan | 253,662 | 1,637 | 241,486 | 10,539 |
| Mozambique | 233,417 | 2,243 | 228,805 | 2,369 |
| Martinique | 229,975 | 1,102 | N/A | N/A |
| Afghanistan | 221,430 | 7,914 | 197,112 | 16,404 |
| Laos | 218,226 | 758 | N/A | N/A |
| Iceland | 209,191 | 229 | N/A | N/A |
| Kyrgyzstan | 206,890 | 2,991 | 196,406 | 7,493 |
| Guadeloupe | 202,836 | 1,017 | N/A | N/A |
| El Salvador | 201,785 | 4,230 | 179,410 | 18,145 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 191,496 | 4,390 | 187,078 | 28 |
| Maldives | 186,651+ | 315 | 163,687 | 22,649+ |
| Ghana | 171,657 | 1,462 | 170,161 | 34 |
| Namibia | 171,310 | 4,091 | 167,099 | 120 |
| Uganda | 170,775 | 3,632 | 100,431 | 66,712 |
| Jamaica | 154,993 | 3,549 | 102,964 | 48,480 |
| Cambodia | 138,772+ | 3,056 | 135,688+ | 28 |
| Rwanda | 133,194 | 1,468 | 131,647 | 79 |
| Cameroon | 125,036 | 1,972 | 122,807 | 257 |
| Malta | 118,677 | 836 | 117,305 | 536 |
| Barbados | 107,794 | 593 | 106,971 | 230 |
| Angola | 105,384 | 1,934 | 103,419 | 31 |
| Channel Islands | 101,717 | 228 | 101,321 | 168 |
| French Guiana | 98,041 | 420 | 11,254 | 86,367 |
| DRC | 96,652 | 1,467 | 84,489 | 10,696 |
| Senegal | 88,997 | 1,971 | 87,024 | 2 |
| Malawi | 88,728 | 2,686 | 85,651 | 391 |
| Ivory Coast | 88,331+ | 835+ | 87,497+ | -1- |
| Suriname | 82,513 | 1,405 | N/A | N/A |
| New Caledonia | 79,922 | 314 | 79,605 | 3 |
| French Polynesia | 78,569 | 649 | N/A | N/A |
| Eswatini | 74,670 | 1,425 | 73,116 | 129 |
| Guyana | 73,207 | 1,298 | 71,880 | 29 |
| Belize | 70,782 | 688 | 70,085 | 9 |
| Fiji | 68,921 | 883 | 67,029 | 1,009 |
| Madagascar | 68,288 | 1,425 | 66,854 | 9 |
| Sudan | 63,993 | 5,046 | 58,683 | 264 |
| Cabo Verde | 63,921+ | 414 | 63,388+ | 119- |
| Mauritania | 63,715 | 997 | 62,471 | 247 |
| Bhutan | 62,670 | 21 | 61,564 | 1,085 |
| Syria | 57,608 | 3,164 | 54,370 | 74 |
| Burundi | 53,751 | 38 | 53,569 | 144 |
| Seychelles | 50,937 | 172 | 50,750 | 15 |
| Gabon | 48,992 | 307 | 48,674 | 11 |
| Andorra | 48,015 | 165 | 47,563 | 287 |
| Papua New Guinea | 46,864 | 670 | 43,982 | 2,212 |
| Curaçao | 45,986 | 295 | 44,720 | 971 |
| Aruba | 44,180 | 236 | 42,438 | 1,506 |
| Tanzania | 43,078 | 846 | N/A | N/A |
| Mauritius | 42,518 | 1,049 | 40,740 | 729 |
| Mayotte | 42,027 | 188 | N/A | N/A |
| Togo | 39,499+ | 290 | 39,206+ | 3- |
| Guinea | 38,563 | 468 | 37,757 | 338 |
| Bahamas | 38,084 | 844 | 36,366 | 874 |
| Isle of Man | 38,008 | 116 | N/A | N/A |
| Lesotho | 34,790 | 723 | 25,980 | 8,087 |
| Faeroe Islands | 34,658 | 28 | N/A | N/A |
| Haiti | 34,246 | 860 | 33,361 | 25 |
| Mali | 33,148 | 743 | 32,331 | 74 |
| Cayman Islands | 31,472 | 37 | 8,553 | 22,882 |
| Saint Lucia | 30,052 | 409 | 29,095 | 548 |
| Benin | 28,014 | 163 | 27,847 | 4 |
| Somalia | 27,334 | 1,361 | 13,182 | 12,791 |
| Micronesia | 26,458 | 65 | N/A | N/A |
| Congo | 25,375 | 386 | 24,006 | 983 |
| Solomon Islands | 24,575 | 153 | N/A | N/A |
| San Marino | 24,285+ | 125 | 24,149+ | 11- |
| Timor-Leste | 23,444 | 138 | 23,102 | 204 |
| Burkina Faso | 22,056 | 396 | 21,596 | 64 |
| Liechtenstein | 21,446 | 94 | 21,350 | 2 |
| Gibraltar | 20,550 | 113 | 16,579 | 3,858 |
| Grenada | 19,693 | 238 | 19,358 | 97 |
| Bermuda | 18,860 | 165 | 18,685 | 10 |
| Nicaragua | 18,491 | 225 | 4,225 | 14,041 |
| South Sudan | 18,368 | 138 | 18,115 | 115 |
| Tajikistan | 17,786 | 125 | 17,264 | 397 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 17,229 | 183 | 16,907 | 139 |
| Tonga | 16,817 | 13 | 15,638 | 1,166 |
| Monaco | 16,789 | 67 | 15,992 | 730 |
| Samoa | 16,763 | 31 | 1,605 | 15,127 |
| Marshall Islands | 16,081 | 17 | 15,954 | 110 |
| Dominica | 15,760 | 74 | 15,673 | 13 |
| Djibouti | 15,690 | 189 | 15,427 | 74 |
| CAR | 15,368 | 113 | 15,200 | 55 |
| Gambia | 12,626 | 372 | 12,189 | 65 |
| Saint Martin | 12,303 | 63 | 1,399 | 10,841 |
| Vanuatu | 12,016 | 14 | 11,976 | 26 |
| Greenland | 11,971 | 21 | 2,761 | 9,189 |
| Yemen | 11,945 | 2,159 | 9,124 | 662 |
| Caribbean Netherlands | 11,682 | 38 | 10,476 | 1,168 |
| Sint Maarten | 11,030 | 92 | 10,905 | 33 |
| Niger | 9,931 | 312 | 8,890 | 729 |
| St. Vincent Grenadines | 9,631 | 124 | 9,493 | 14 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 9,614 | 177 | 8,929 | 508 |
| Comoros | 9,109 | 161 | 8,939 | 9 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 9,106 | 146 | 8,954 | 6 |
| Liberia | 8,090 | 295 | 7,783 | 12 |
| Sierra Leone | 7,762 | 126 | N/A | N/A |
| Chad | 7,701 | 194 | 4,874 | 2,633 |
| British Virgin Islands | 7,305 | 64 | N/A | N/A |
| Cook Islands | 7,120 | 2 | 7,106 | 12 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 6,602 | 48 | 6,552 | 2 |
| Turks and Caicos | 6,588 | 38 | 6,529 | 21 |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 6,586 | 80 | 6,500 | 6 |
| Palau | 6,009 | 9 | 5,998 | 2 |
| St. Barth | 5,494 | 6 | N/A | N/A |
| Nauru | 5,393 | 1 | 5,347 | 45 |
| Kiribati | 5,027 | 24 | 2,703 | 2,300 |
| Anguilla | 3,904 | 12 | 3,879 | 13 |
| Macao | 3,620 | 121 | 3,487 | 12 |
| Wallis and Futuna | 3,508 | 7 | 438 | 3,063 |
| Saint Pierre Miquelon | 3,452 | 2 | 2,449 | 1,001 |
| Tuvalu | 2,805 | 0 | 0 | 2,805 |
| Saint Helena | 2,166 | 0 | 2 | 2,164 |
| Montserrat | 1,403 | 8 | 1,376 | 19 |
| Niue | 811 | 0 | 803 | 8 |
| Tokelau | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Total: | 689,491,843 | 6,884,162 | 661,937,789 | 20,669,892 |
Countries with no active cases: 2
| Country | Cases | Deaths | Rcvrd |
| Falkland Islands | 1,930 | 0 | 1,930 |
| Vatican City | 29 | 0 | 29 |
| 2 Total: | 1,959 | 0 | 1,959 |
Countries with all cases rcvrd: 7
| Country | Cases | Deaths | Rcvrd |
| Cyprus | 660,854 | 1,364 | 659,490 |
| DPRK | 4,772,813 | 74 | 4,772,739 |
| Eritrea | 10,189 | 103 | 10,086 |
| Netherlands | 8,610,372 | 22,992 | 8,587,380 |
| Peru | 4,505,466 | 220,526 | 4,284,940 |
| Taiwan | 10,239,998 | 19,005 | 10,220,993 |
| Western Sahara | 10 | 1 | 9 |
| Total: | 28,799,702 | 264,065 | 28,535,637 |
International Conveyances: 2
| Class | Cases | Deaths | Rcvrd |
| Diamond Princess | 712 | 13 | 699 |
| MS Zaandam | 9 | 2 | 7 |
| 2 Total: | 721 | 15 | 706 |
Countries/Territories who do not report Active or Recovery case numbers: 19
| Country/Territory | Total: 19 | |
| British Virgin Islands | Faeroe Islands | French Polynesia |
| Guadeloupe | Honduras | Iceland |
| Isle of Man | Laos | Martinique |
| Mayotte | Micronesia | Paraguay |
| Sierra Leone | Solomon Islands | St. Barth |
| Suriname | Tanzania | Tunisia |
| Turkey |
2023.05.30 09:23 vampiretrades What's on deck this week?
Hey all,
Hope it was a great weekend for everyone and you’re refreshed with a positive frame of mind. I know I’m ready to kick my trading into high gear… been vacationing and slacking too much lately; of course that’s a benefit of trading, taking off whenever you want or need, and knowing the market will always be there for you. Can’t lie though, its hard to turn it off or walk away without feeling you’re leaving money on the table or gonna miss the trade of a lifetime… but like I said, markets always gonna be there.
So what did I “miss” and what am I doing this week? Well I missed NVDA (or didn’t I?) It certainly was the talk of the town last week, and AI is now all the rage.
Well I’m not buying it. I don’t mean not buying NVDA, I mean I’m not buying the AI hype- its been going on for months, it waxes and wanes, and its at a peak at this moment, and time to cool down for a minute.
Im also not chasing some “tendie train” that already pulled out of the station. Everywhere u look theres posts of guys showing off the fortunes they made on NVDA calls (how the heck was everyone soo smart to buy short dated calls and make a few hundred k, what made them so great? So much better than you and I? Answer, nothing, no ones better than me, no ones better than you, and don’t get distracted by posts like that, focus on your own trades. Although I bet these trades made for some great bbq conversation (ask me about my holiday market theory if you’re interested)
So moving on to what am I doing this week… looking for a QQQ pullback. Why? Because NVDA! Look at the chart, what does it tell you? Feel free to ask questions. Whether it retraces, pulls back, blows off, or gap fills.. its gonna retreat, as are some of the other tickers that caught that “rising tide” But that downturn is not always as quick as it goes up, so im gonna stay away from any individual tickers and be looking at SQQQ calls 1 to 3 months out. SQQQ being a 3x leveraged short to the QQQ, and Im buying calls on it to boot.. So definitely do not follow me on that, we’re talking very high risk. In fact u/Mrnotadvice has warned you before about this trade, so I will emphasize: read this post to learn and understand my logic to the trade, not to follow trade itself.
But NVDA isn’t the only reason for this plan… next we have the Debt Ceiling.. yet another talking point to sway the market- or at least drive your fear or greed sentiment. Its been a great headline for a minute now, but in a week or 2, everyone will forget about it. Its not gonna move the market, although it may give it another little pump before downturn. I’ll be watching for this.
I really have the urge to ramble on with other thoughts and ideas right now, but I’ll stick to the trade at hand and save the rest for other posts. So, this week, looking for momentum to die off on the AI hype, and I’ll essentially go bearish on QQQ.
Please guys, share your thoughts, questions, and ideas and hope it’s a great week for everyone
submitted by vampiretrades to MrNotAdvice [link] [comments]
Hope it was a great weekend for everyone and you’re refreshed with a positive frame of mind. I know I’m ready to kick my trading into high gear… been vacationing and slacking too much lately; of course that’s a benefit of trading, taking off whenever you want or need, and knowing the market will always be there for you. Can’t lie though, its hard to turn it off or walk away without feeling you’re leaving money on the table or gonna miss the trade of a lifetime… but like I said, markets always gonna be there.
So what did I “miss” and what am I doing this week? Well I missed NVDA (or didn’t I?) It certainly was the talk of the town last week, and AI is now all the rage.
Well I’m not buying it. I don’t mean not buying NVDA, I mean I’m not buying the AI hype- its been going on for months, it waxes and wanes, and its at a peak at this moment, and time to cool down for a minute.
Im also not chasing some “tendie train” that already pulled out of the station. Everywhere u look theres posts of guys showing off the fortunes they made on NVDA calls (how the heck was everyone soo smart to buy short dated calls and make a few hundred k, what made them so great? So much better than you and I? Answer, nothing, no ones better than me, no ones better than you, and don’t get distracted by posts like that, focus on your own trades. Although I bet these trades made for some great bbq conversation (ask me about my holiday market theory if you’re interested)
So moving on to what am I doing this week… looking for a QQQ pullback. Why? Because NVDA! Look at the chart, what does it tell you? Feel free to ask questions. Whether it retraces, pulls back, blows off, or gap fills.. its gonna retreat, as are some of the other tickers that caught that “rising tide” But that downturn is not always as quick as it goes up, so im gonna stay away from any individual tickers and be looking at SQQQ calls 1 to 3 months out. SQQQ being a 3x leveraged short to the QQQ, and Im buying calls on it to boot.. So definitely do not follow me on that, we’re talking very high risk. In fact u/Mrnotadvice has warned you before about this trade, so I will emphasize: read this post to learn and understand my logic to the trade, not to follow trade itself.
But NVDA isn’t the only reason for this plan… next we have the Debt Ceiling.. yet another talking point to sway the market- or at least drive your fear or greed sentiment. Its been a great headline for a minute now, but in a week or 2, everyone will forget about it. Its not gonna move the market, although it may give it another little pump before downturn. I’ll be watching for this.
I really have the urge to ramble on with other thoughts and ideas right now, but I’ll stick to the trade at hand and save the rest for other posts. So, this week, looking for momentum to die off on the AI hype, and I’ll essentially go bearish on QQQ.
Please guys, share your thoughts, questions, and ideas and hope it’s a great week for everyone
2023.05.30 07:35 ArmyofSpies Cardano Rumor Rundown May 30, 2023
Hey Everyone!
Let’s go….
Newly Covered Today:
submitted by ArmyofSpies to cardano [link] [comments]
Let’s go….
Newly Covered Today:
- Transaction volume is looking very interesting right now. https://messari.io/charts/cardano/txn-vol
- JPG Store has now launched Android and IOS apps. https://twitter.com/jpgstoreNFT/status/1663281982262919170
- It’s true. Cardano is straight killing it on the security leg of the trilemma.https://twitter.com/cardano_whale/status/1662987243655684096
- Just checked. Yep. The centralization in ETH is still staggering. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1663222056870350848
- There’s a documentary about a 2022 Plutus hackathon in Argentina. https://twitter.com/LarsBrunjes/status/1663111319732535297
- Pavia is testing NFT gating. This could get very interesting. https://twitter.com/Pavia_io/status/1663153213988823040
- So much ghostbusting would be needed to clear us out. https://twitter.com/TheOCcryptobro/status/1653527418588774401
- Charles was on Fox again and discussed a wide range of topics with Maria. https://twitter.com/IOHK_Charles/status/1653571613135196163
- Coinbase didn’t waste any time in getting their non-US futures platform open. https://twitter.com/coinbase/status/1653385513011740672
- A former SEC Chair in his 90s sees that the current SEC is wrong on crypto. https://twitter.com/ramahluwalia/status/1648134506359009280
- Rumor is that Pacwest is next on death row. https://twitter.com/CryptoHayes/status/1653403052899192833
- ADA + Lime Wire. Only asked for 300 retweets…they definitely don’t know us. https://twitter.com/limewire/status/1653834307259998221
- Token locking. Not a comment on any specific project. But, Is there any good case it’s not really just to artificially drive price up? Obviously also useful to centralize liquidity. https://twitter.com/MatthewPlomin/status/1653773401645826049
- You can’t say that many of us in Cardano didn’t warn about exactly this. Always the same with these VC coins. https://twitter.com/mr_cata/status/1653788019084734468
- Caitlin Long points out that both the non-main candidate challengers in the 2024 Presidential race are pro-crypto and anti-CBDC. https://twitter.com/CaitlinLong_/status/1653528247655694336
- The Fed raised by a quarter point bringing the federal funds rate to 5-5.25%. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/03/live-updates-fed-decision-may-2023.html
- As predicted PacWest is facing death. https://twitter.com/WatcherGuru/status/1653873317110071305The Florida anti-CBDC bill passed both the FL House and the Senate. https://twitter.com/samuelarmes/status/1653761904169320448
- A sitting US Senator just said that the modern banking system is a sophisticated ponzi scheme. https://twitter.com/BertusMaximus2/status/1653819148596543489
- Hydra is live on mainnet. https://twitter.com/rom1_pellerin/status/1654185072415723529
- IOG wants you to know about the advantages of native tokens on Cardano. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1654077799697727488
- Cardano Movies! https://twitter.com/coc_space/status/1653862307439542275
- We really need to primary some members of the U.S. Congress. https://twitter.com/BradSherman/status/1653928972026093569
- Wow! Not surprised at what’s being said here back in November. Just surprised it’s being said publicly. https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1654239504574853120
- Here’s the longer video of that FDIC meeting for context. http://fdic.windrosemedia.com/index.php?category=Systemic+Resolution+Advisory+Committee
- Looks like Western Alliance is up next. https://twitter.com/WatcherGuru/status/1654133106037739522
- The weekly development update from IOG is out. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1655248376194105347
- It’s not hard to make a meme coin on Cardano. https://twitter.com/nmkr_io/status/1654923697885532160
- Still a crazy amount of mark-to-market losses that haven’t been absorbed by the system. https://twitter.com/BillyM2k/status/1655207860572422144
- Warren Buffet gives a not too comforting answer to a question about the status of the dollar: “America…we’ve got everything going for us…but…you can’t print money indefinitely as debt.” https://twitter.com/GRDectestatus/1655203348033810439
- …and then everyone remembered what fee markets look like in busy times. https://twitter.com/CryptoStylesUSA/status/1654711146673479680
- …same for Bitcoin. https://twitter.com/MatthewPlomin/status/1655320093084057600
- Cardano hit 94% load. https://twitter.com/SebastienGllmt/status/1655624561789112321
- he MEV game is getting out of control over on Cardano’s biggest competitor chain. Convince me this shouldn’t just be called “theft” or “fraud”. https://twitter.com/0xNox_eth/status/1655615309695586306
- Cardano Native Assets are vastly superior to BRC20 and ERC20 tokens. https://twitter.com/TheOCcryptobro/status/1655673557710692352
- Rumor: SEC is going to make a move against Binance. Will the DOJ also? https://twitter.com/AP_Abacus/status/1655546961968103425
- At the end of Q3 of last year, 722 banks reported unrealized losses greater than 50% of capital. https://www.federalreserve.gov/supervisionreg/files/board-briefing-on-impact-of-rising-interest-rates-and-supervisory-approach-20230214.pdf
- Wyoming is inching closer to a state stablecoin. IOG’s significant presence there may turn out to be a huge advantage. https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/05/09/wyoming-stable-token-a-multibillion-dollar-opportunity-as-officials-wrestle-with-how-to-make-it-happen/
- Paypal disclosed almost $1 billion in customer crypto in its latest 10-Q. https://blockworks.co/news/paypal-discloses-1b-crypto
- MiCA is shifting the balance of crypto investment to Europe. https://twitter.com/paddi_hansen/status/1655883224726241281
- Today (May 10) will be a joint hearing of the Agriculture and Financial Services Committees on Crypto. The CLO of Kraken will testify. https://financialservices.house.gov/
- This is a legit point about centralized L2s: the best ones are called Coinbase, Kraken, and Binance. https://twitter.com/el33th4xostatus/1655845787593502720
- There’s already a new version of Lace Wallet out. https://twitter.com/lace_io/status/1656347737355608066
- A nice thread on the many strengths of Cardano. https://twitter.com/TobiasIlskov/status/1656388178369212416
- Remember, lobster traps are a thing. https://twitter.com/TheCardanoTimes/status/1656064744225120257
- Today (May 11 at 1pm EST) there will be a Messari Cardano Analyst call with Charles & Frederik. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1656272372452954112
- I think we all love it when they start making our case for us. https://twitter.com/WatcherGuru/status/1656379837823561730
- Ethereum is lamenting many of its poor design choices that Cardano already fixed. https://twitter.com/moo9000/status/1656215016016683008
- Drunkenmiller says this is the broadest asset bubble he’s ever even studied let alone seen firsthand and we’ve only had a few soft landings since 1950. https://twitter.com/Stephen_Geigestatus/1656416819312222219
- Live footage of meme coin investors accepting their ROI. https://twitter.com/KaylerSmithTV/status/1656130092966264834
- Here’s the Messari call from today with both Fred & Chaz. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouUhWwF74MM
- People really seem to be enjoying the CF’s Blockchain Education Alpha Program. https://twitter.com/andreassosilo/status/1644263843743293451
- The US Chamber of Commerce brief in the Coinbase case is calling out the SEC for acting “unlawfully”. https://twitter.com/MetaLawMan/status/1656737447756038177
- About that whole self-custody thing we’ve discussed… https://twitter.com/BitcoinMagazine/status/1656706653801136132
- The SPO poll on K and minFee starts today (May 15)! You should redelegate if your stake pool doesn’t vote the way you would vote! https://cardanofoundation.org/en/news/entering-voltaire-poll-experiment-live-on-mainnet/
- There are also a series of forum topics for discussion of the various options in the Cardano.org forums. https://twitter.com/Lovecoach_nic/status/1657700010148896770
- Coinbase spotlights Empowa! May be the first time they’ve ever given such a spotlight to a Cardano project. Tides are turning. https://twitter.com/coinbase/status/1657081243518005254
- Wow. Leaked “Key Messages” document for the joint committee meeting in the US House last week. Best part: they basically complain about separation of powers in point three. https://twitter.com/EleanorTerrett/status/1656362002577772544
- Dr. Vanishree Rao on ZK-Rollups. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1657778843854274560
- Here’s a new Decentralized Identity article from IOG. https://iohk.io/en/blog/posts/2023/05/11/atala-prism-pioneering-digital-identity-with-decentralized-solutions/
- There are reasons we’re in a hard capped cryptocurrency like Cardano. https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/15/business/argentina-interest-rates-inflation/index.html
- What is a dRep? This video is for you. There will be additional categories of default dReps that vote abstain or no confidence on every vote. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1658034085401337857
- The US Dept. of Justice is officially saying they are targeting exchanges. Great. Great. https://www.ft.com/content/5aac457e-cc80-44ae-ac40-9b51d9b601a3
- Wow! Ledger just made what is possibly the greatest PR blunder in the history of crypto. Trezor will be poppin’ bottles tonight. https://twitter.com/Ledgestatus/1658458714771169282
- People are claiming that the hysteria is a misunderstanding of cryptography. But, that’s not what’s going on here if Ledger plus one of the other two shard custodians can reconstruct your private key without having to use your private key. https://twitter.com/nimuepool/status/1658517533836574720
- The Ledger Recover FAQ seems to support this understanding as it suggests you use a brand new device for recovery. https://support.ledger.com/hc/en-us/articles/9579368109597
- Wow. Unfortunate timing for this. https://twitter.com/Ledgestatus/1658095051375800321
- Ken Kodama will be doing a Japanese language interview on CardanoSpot on May 18. https://twitter.com/Emurgo_Ken/status/1658838077136162828
- The stake pool operator poll on network parameters of K and minPoolCost is live. See the results here. The re-delegation phase will begin on May 25th. https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
- Cornucopias dropped some new in-game footage. As expected, Solace is beautiful. https://youtu.be/j5iwNsQVMDQ?t=1846
- Wow….the Ledger shards are encrypted with “a master key that is contained in all devices”. Wut? https://twitter.com/P3b7_/status/1658809445965606913
- Sadly, the Ledger CEO seemed to be denying exactly the above just a day ago. https://twitter.com/_pgauthiestatus/1658508082941403144
- Here’s why 340 ADA minPoolCost promotes multi-pools. https://twitter.com/ArmySpies/status/1659387255537176581
- Numbers are emerging on the benefits of K=1000 over K=500. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1659398551917727744
- Here’s the latest on the Stake Pool Operator poll. https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
- Rep. Tom Emmer is trying to help crypto by cutting crypto assets out of the definition of a “security”. He creates a new non-security asset category called “investment contract asset”. https://twitter.com/GOPMajorityWhip/status/1659291641281146886
- Prof. Wadler (co-inventor of Cardano’s Plutus) has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society joining the likes of Einstein, Darwin, Hawking, and Isaac Newton. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLOm-dWje-M
- Huge amount of voting for economic self-interest by multi-poolers in the SPO poll. Earlier today (May 21), 84.73% by stake of the vote for K=500, Min Cost 340 ₳ was multi-poolers. Only 15.6% of the vote for K=1000, Min Cost 170 ₳ was multi-poolers. https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
- Large pools also voted heavily for economic self-interest with the K parameter. 70.02% by stake of the vote for K=500, Min Cost 170 ₳ was pools with delegation over 35 million. Only 30.57% of the vote for K=1000, Min Cost 170 ₳ was pools over 35 million. https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
- Apparently Cardano has its own wiki now! Probably better given our previous treatment by the big wiki group. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1660383700243329024
- Rep. Tom Emmer is getting some reactions on the bill he sponsored with Rep. Soto. https://twitter.com/GOPMajorityWhip/status/1660329932495486977
- You’re really gonna hold up a debt ceiling deal because you hate crypto so bad? https://twitter.com/gaborgurbacs/status/1660248530135515138
- Looks like a few big multi-poolers have voted in the poll since yesterday. Pretty easy to predict what they didn’t vote for. https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
- Reports coming in that DCG has defaulted on the payment owed to Genesis. https://twitter.com/AP_Abacus/status/1660671386388504577
- Ledger Recover would allow governments to confiscate crypto assets by subpoena? Called “not a real concern in the end.” Really? https://twitter.com/TheBTCTherapist/status/1660677064700178436
- Frederik Gregaard on DeFi and regulation. https://twitter.com/F_Gregaard/status/1660655806709211137
- Don’t Forget, the May Cardano 360 will be on May 25th. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1660621805017608194
- Here’s the daily check-in on the status of the SPO Poll. We have surpassed 590 pools voting (as of May 23). https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
- The Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong has decided to get our hopes up with a proposed regulatory framework for crypto exchanges that could mean more trading for coins like Cardano. https://apps.sfc.hk/edistributionWeb/gateway/EN/news-and-announcements/news/doc?refNo=23PR53
- Here’s an IOG thread on the latest out of Atala Prism and Self-Sovereign Identity. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1660904360925188097
- Here’s an IOG article on Cardano native tokens. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1660975383997448193
- The difference in decentralization between Cardano and Bitcoin is still…laughable. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1660979639907500033
- Ledger is finally caving (a little) to the backlash. It’s reported that they will focus on open sourcing parts of their code and only release the “Recover” firmware after that open sourcing is finished. https://twitter.com/NFTherdestatus/1661026174779420672ext to an old identity book. Stop reading into things.” Everyone enjoys speculating what e
- Looks like the Hong Kong announcement yesterday might have been a hint of what’s coming. https://twitter.com/cz_binance/status/1661391542504902664
- The Cardano Layerverse is coming to life. https://twitter.com/TobiasIlskov/status/1660697833115385856
- Wow! Incredible! Thank you for voting in favor of decentralization, 1PCT! https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1661460222203002880
- Federal Reserve report debunks claim that crypto is not useful to people in the US. https://twitter.com/SebVentures/status/1661063483369177108
- The SPO phase of the poll is over. Nearly 800 pools voted. Now it’s your turn to see how your pool voted and re-delegate if you think they voted against decentralization and for their own pocketbook. https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
- The May Cardano 360 is out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_bCa_xCoxA
- Charles dropped an update today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfL2U2hAGWw
- Sen. Cynthia Lummis declares her opposition to the 30% tax on bitcoin mining. https://twitter.com/SenLummis/status/1661803569341759495
- Today is a holiday for some of you. Enjoy a Cardano video game I made for you with AI. MJ made the textures. GPT-4 did 100% of the coding. https://openprocessing.org/sketch/1941253
- Lots of volume being transacted on Cardano recently! https://twitter.com/cwpaulm/status/1662929296329981952
- As expected, a debt ceiling deal has been reached. It includes an extension until January 1, 2025 which means we won’t be talking about it again until after the election. https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e
- Recent subpoenas to the Python Package Index don’t bode well for those hoping to store seed phrases with third-party custodians. https://twitter.com/_jonasschnelli_/status/1662531840606093312
2023.05.29 22:50 London-Roma-1980 NON CONFERENCE MATCHDAY 10 RESULTS
Strap in, everyone, because we have a long road ahead of us. In addition to the NINE games between Top 25 teams, FOUR upsets happened. That's right, the Top 25 was below .500 in its entirety today. So let's see how they did it.
*****
#1 UCLA 90, #9 Syracuse 79. The key to beating a 2-3 zone is to shoot over it. Fortunately for the Bruins, they can.
Reggie Miller had 25 points and led an onslaught that included 13 three-pointers as the Bruins (10-0) took out the Orange (8-2) to maintain their winning streak, now at 47 games and counting.
"The shots were falling tonight," Miller said after the game. "We got what we wanted in terms of looks, and we got them to go in."
In addition to Miller's 5 three-pointers, Russell Westbrook had 3, Kiki Vandeweghe had 2, and Gail Goodrich, Kevin Love, and Jrue Holiday each had one. Syracuse, for their part, shot well, with Carmelo Anthony hitting six threes on his own to get to 22 total points, but it wasn't enough.
"They're #1 for a reason," Orange coach Jim Boeheim said.
#8 Michigan 68, #4 Duke 61. The Power Five have been cracked.
Michigan's defense held Duke to 29% shooting and Juwan Howard led the way with 16 points as the Wolverines (9-1) stunned the Blue Devils (8-2) before a court-storming crowd at Michigan Court.
"This is why you play the game," Howard said amidst a crowd of fans. "We shook up the world tonight. We wanted this one. You beat Duke, you've done good!"
Grant Hill led the Devils with 13 points, but the entire team struggled.
"We were cold tonight," Hill said. "Props to Michigan; their defense smothered us. Not much you can do."
#3 Kentucky 67, #2 North Carolina 64. Who do you call on when you have everyone? Someone's bound to be open, and such was the case here.
Louie Dampier found Devin Booker in the corner as time expired, and the Wildcats (9-1) stunned the Tar Heels (8-2) to send them to their second last-second defeat of the non-conference season.
"We ran a pick and roll off the ball to get [Michael] Jordan off of me and get me open," Booker said, recounting the final play. "Louie knew where I was, he got the pass off after driving for the double... everything just fell into place."
Both teams turned up the defense in this one. Dan Issel led Kentucky with 15 points, while Jordan led North Carolina with 13. Outside shooting was particularly hard to go by, as Booker's winner was only the fifth three-pointer of the game combined.
"We did almost everything right," Tar Heels coach Dean Smith said after the game. "Almost."
#5 Kansas 75, #14 Arizona 59. The top teams have shown anyone can step up at any time. Kansas proved it tonight.
Kirk Hinrich caught fire, getting 20 points with five three-pointers, as the Jayhawks (9-1) knocked off the Wildcats (7-3) to produce a potential future matchup with Kentucky.
"We've been seeing how other teams have done," Hinrich said. "It's important we keep winning. We want that last one seed when the dust settles."
Mike Bibby had 15 points, but also committed 8 turnovers as JoJo White's defense proved to be too much for him.
"I had a bad day," Bibby admitted. "This loss is on me."
Arkansas 90, #23 Iowa 83. Are they going to be ranked now? It's not certain what else has to be done.
Joe Johnson went off for 24 points and the full-court pressure held Fred Brown to 5 points as the Razorbacks (8-2) pulled off their second straight top-25 upset, this time knocking off the Hawkeyes (7-3).
"We're just going to keep playing the way we're capable of and we'll be in good shape," Johnson said. "We got off to a slow start, but now we're showing the world what we're capable of."
Don Nelson led the Hawkeyes with 18 points.
#12 Connecticut 92, #21 Alabama 80. A quick rise to the top by the Tide made people wonder if the SEC would have a wild race. Now, it looks like this Tide is receding.
Andre Drummond had 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Huskies (8-2) to a big road win over the Tide (7-3) that may solidify them as favorites in the Big East.
"We had an advantage inside, and we knew we could use it," Huskies coach Jim Calhoun said after the game. "We needed this win, you know? A chance to show the Big East still goes through us."
Alabama attempted to turn up the pace against the big men of Connecticut, but Kemba Walker and Ray Allen were able to break the press on offense. On defense, super sub Richard Hamilton helped slow down the opposition, getting 4 steals in the second half.
Latrell Sprewell led the Tide with 18 points.
#9 Notre Dame 67, #17 DePaul 65, OT. Most of the game was a battle inside. But it was outside shooting from a very unlikely source that won the game.
John Paxson hit two three-pointers late in overtime to lead the Fighting Irish (8-2) to an overtime victory over the Blue Demons (7-3).
"All of our players can contribute," coach Digger Phelps told reporters after the game. "We hear a lot about Adrian Dantley and Bill Laimbeer, but we're a team of stars. We feel we can beat anyone."
With the game tied at 58 nearing the end of regulation, George Mikan looked to have won the game with a hook shot. However, before he could shoot, he was whistled for a three-second violation. Paxson's heroics in overtime then meant the difference.
"I lost track of time," a dejected Mikan said in the locker room. "I'm sorry, Blue Demon fans."
#25 Illinois 66, #19 Georgetown 56. Illinois coach Lou Henson wanted to focus on defense as much as offense. It's safe to say his team was ready to respond.
A focused effort held Allen Iverson scoreless on the day as the Illini (8-2) stunned the Hoyas (7-3) in a defensive struggle with neither team able to get open shots most of the day.
"That's what I was hoping for," Henson said after the game. "We wanted to get our defensive strength before we faced teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota... I think today we showed we can win ugly as well as win beautifully."
Derek Harper, who led all scorers with 17 points, was the primary responsibility, but Iverson found himself constantly double-teamed with Donnie Freeman and Deron Williams. While Iverson did wind up with 9 assists, the shutout clearly bothered him, as he picked up a late technical foul arguing a no-call.
"We need to work on getting Allen involved more," Hoyas coach John Thompson admitted. "You can't just win inside in this game."
Cincinnati 81, #18 LSU 60. Maybe the adjustment from the AAC to the Big XII will be easier than we were led to believe.
Oscar Robertson had a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists, while Jack Twyman had 21 points as the Bearcats (8-2) stunned everyone by trouncing the Tigers (7-3) in front of the Cats' home fans.
"That was an incredible win," Bearcats coach Ed Jucker said after the game. "They kept talking about their starting five, but today we showed you need a lot of depth to get anywhere. We got that depth and we got a chance to win it all. I hope Kansas is paying attention -- they're not sweeping us this season."
Defense also proved to be a big deal. Robertson and Nick Van Exel constantly switched off on Pete Maravich, holding the scoring machine to only 8 points on the day. Bob Pettit was able to take some advantage to score 17 points, but the Tigers had no help from the bench, as the Cats' bench outscored the Tigers' reserves 21-3.
"Gotta be more than the first five," center Shaquille O'Neal said after the game. "We can only do so much and if one of us is in trouble, we gotta get stepping up."
#15 Southern Cal 78, #16 Maryland 55. Don't sleep on the Trojans now. When they're going against teams in the second and third tier, they are deadly.
Bill Sharman led all scorers with 24 points as the Trojans (8-2) steamrolled the Terrapins (7-3) to make a statement about their goals for this season.
"We think we can steal a Final Four spot," coach Sam Barry said after the game. "Today proved we have the talent to do it. If the shots fall, we can beat anyone."
Gene Shue led the Terrapins with 13 points.
#6 Michigan State 61, #13 Texas 60. The Longhorns seem to be willing to live and die by Kevin Durant. The Spartans knew it when it mattered.
Draymond Green knocked away a pass intended for Durant on the final play of the game to preserve a victory for the Spartans (8-2) over the Longhorns (7-3) on the road in a critical matchup.
"We saw where they were going, we knew they had one big star and if we denied him, we didn't think anyone else could step up," Green said after the game. "I know how to beat Durant, we know how to win the game, and we're just that good."
Magic Johnson had 14 points and 7 assists to lead the Spartans. Durant, for his part, led all scorers with 21 points, but couldn't get the last two, as Avery Bradley's inbound was knocked away.
"Close isn't good enough in crunch time," Durant said to reporters.
NC State 74, #20 Minnesota 65. Last year, the Wolfpack were controversially sent to the NIT despite going 18-14 in the toughest schedule in the country. If they keep winning, they may take it out of the committee's hands when all is said and done.
JJ Hickson had 5 blocks of Kevin McHale on the day and David Thompson scored 20 as the Wolfpack (8-2) stunned the Golden Gophers (7-3) to pick up a road win.
"We deserve to be ranked, and we deserve to be in the [NIBL] tournament," Thompson said after the game. "We've said all year our goal is to be undeniable. If we qualify for selection, we're going to make sure they have to take us. That means winning a lot in non-con, and that's what we're doing."
With Thompson driving and causing collapses of the defense, the outside shooters also had their chances. Spud Webb and Tom Gugliotta hit three three-pointers each over the Gopher defense.
"This was a bad day," said McHale, who despite being blocked led the Gophers with 14 points.
Villanova 79, #24 UNLV 78. Villanova likes to play slower, while UNLV likes to speed it up. Villanova, it turned out, did just enough to keep the Rebels from getting the win.
Randy Foye had 20 points and Kyle Lowry blocked Ricky Sobers' last second putback attempt as the Wildcats (8-2) held off the Runnin' Rebels (6-4) to most likely knock the last mid-major out of the Top 25.
"Our backcourt carried this one," Villanova coach Jay Wright said after the game. "We wanted to show that Paul [Arizin] had backup, and that's what we were able to get. Everyone played their role, and we kept this team -- a very good offensive team -- to just enough to take the win.
On the final play, Sobers inbounded to leading scorer Shawn Marion (18 points). His three pointer was off the mark, and in the scramble, Sobers got the loose ball. He tried a quick shot to beat the horn, but Lowry was ready.
*****
HOW THE TOP 25 FARED
submitted by London-Roma-1980 to BestOfDivI [link] [comments]
*****
#1 UCLA 90, #9 Syracuse 79. The key to beating a 2-3 zone is to shoot over it. Fortunately for the Bruins, they can.
Reggie Miller had 25 points and led an onslaught that included 13 three-pointers as the Bruins (10-0) took out the Orange (8-2) to maintain their winning streak, now at 47 games and counting.
"The shots were falling tonight," Miller said after the game. "We got what we wanted in terms of looks, and we got them to go in."
In addition to Miller's 5 three-pointers, Russell Westbrook had 3, Kiki Vandeweghe had 2, and Gail Goodrich, Kevin Love, and Jrue Holiday each had one. Syracuse, for their part, shot well, with Carmelo Anthony hitting six threes on his own to get to 22 total points, but it wasn't enough.
"They're #1 for a reason," Orange coach Jim Boeheim said.
#8 Michigan 68, #4 Duke 61. The Power Five have been cracked.
Michigan's defense held Duke to 29% shooting and Juwan Howard led the way with 16 points as the Wolverines (9-1) stunned the Blue Devils (8-2) before a court-storming crowd at Michigan Court.
"This is why you play the game," Howard said amidst a crowd of fans. "We shook up the world tonight. We wanted this one. You beat Duke, you've done good!"
Grant Hill led the Devils with 13 points, but the entire team struggled.
"We were cold tonight," Hill said. "Props to Michigan; their defense smothered us. Not much you can do."
#3 Kentucky 67, #2 North Carolina 64. Who do you call on when you have everyone? Someone's bound to be open, and such was the case here.
Louie Dampier found Devin Booker in the corner as time expired, and the Wildcats (9-1) stunned the Tar Heels (8-2) to send them to their second last-second defeat of the non-conference season.
"We ran a pick and roll off the ball to get [Michael] Jordan off of me and get me open," Booker said, recounting the final play. "Louie knew where I was, he got the pass off after driving for the double... everything just fell into place."
Both teams turned up the defense in this one. Dan Issel led Kentucky with 15 points, while Jordan led North Carolina with 13. Outside shooting was particularly hard to go by, as Booker's winner was only the fifth three-pointer of the game combined.
"We did almost everything right," Tar Heels coach Dean Smith said after the game. "Almost."
#5 Kansas 75, #14 Arizona 59. The top teams have shown anyone can step up at any time. Kansas proved it tonight.
Kirk Hinrich caught fire, getting 20 points with five three-pointers, as the Jayhawks (9-1) knocked off the Wildcats (7-3) to produce a potential future matchup with Kentucky.
"We've been seeing how other teams have done," Hinrich said. "It's important we keep winning. We want that last one seed when the dust settles."
Mike Bibby had 15 points, but also committed 8 turnovers as JoJo White's defense proved to be too much for him.
"I had a bad day," Bibby admitted. "This loss is on me."
Arkansas 90, #23 Iowa 83. Are they going to be ranked now? It's not certain what else has to be done.
Joe Johnson went off for 24 points and the full-court pressure held Fred Brown to 5 points as the Razorbacks (8-2) pulled off their second straight top-25 upset, this time knocking off the Hawkeyes (7-3).
"We're just going to keep playing the way we're capable of and we'll be in good shape," Johnson said. "We got off to a slow start, but now we're showing the world what we're capable of."
Don Nelson led the Hawkeyes with 18 points.
#12 Connecticut 92, #21 Alabama 80. A quick rise to the top by the Tide made people wonder if the SEC would have a wild race. Now, it looks like this Tide is receding.
Andre Drummond had 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Huskies (8-2) to a big road win over the Tide (7-3) that may solidify them as favorites in the Big East.
"We had an advantage inside, and we knew we could use it," Huskies coach Jim Calhoun said after the game. "We needed this win, you know? A chance to show the Big East still goes through us."
Alabama attempted to turn up the pace against the big men of Connecticut, but Kemba Walker and Ray Allen were able to break the press on offense. On defense, super sub Richard Hamilton helped slow down the opposition, getting 4 steals in the second half.
Latrell Sprewell led the Tide with 18 points.
#9 Notre Dame 67, #17 DePaul 65, OT. Most of the game was a battle inside. But it was outside shooting from a very unlikely source that won the game.
John Paxson hit two three-pointers late in overtime to lead the Fighting Irish (8-2) to an overtime victory over the Blue Demons (7-3).
"All of our players can contribute," coach Digger Phelps told reporters after the game. "We hear a lot about Adrian Dantley and Bill Laimbeer, but we're a team of stars. We feel we can beat anyone."
With the game tied at 58 nearing the end of regulation, George Mikan looked to have won the game with a hook shot. However, before he could shoot, he was whistled for a three-second violation. Paxson's heroics in overtime then meant the difference.
"I lost track of time," a dejected Mikan said in the locker room. "I'm sorry, Blue Demon fans."
#25 Illinois 66, #19 Georgetown 56. Illinois coach Lou Henson wanted to focus on defense as much as offense. It's safe to say his team was ready to respond.
A focused effort held Allen Iverson scoreless on the day as the Illini (8-2) stunned the Hoyas (7-3) in a defensive struggle with neither team able to get open shots most of the day.
"That's what I was hoping for," Henson said after the game. "We wanted to get our defensive strength before we faced teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota... I think today we showed we can win ugly as well as win beautifully."
Derek Harper, who led all scorers with 17 points, was the primary responsibility, but Iverson found himself constantly double-teamed with Donnie Freeman and Deron Williams. While Iverson did wind up with 9 assists, the shutout clearly bothered him, as he picked up a late technical foul arguing a no-call.
"We need to work on getting Allen involved more," Hoyas coach John Thompson admitted. "You can't just win inside in this game."
Cincinnati 81, #18 LSU 60. Maybe the adjustment from the AAC to the Big XII will be easier than we were led to believe.
Oscar Robertson had a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists, while Jack Twyman had 21 points as the Bearcats (8-2) stunned everyone by trouncing the Tigers (7-3) in front of the Cats' home fans.
"That was an incredible win," Bearcats coach Ed Jucker said after the game. "They kept talking about their starting five, but today we showed you need a lot of depth to get anywhere. We got that depth and we got a chance to win it all. I hope Kansas is paying attention -- they're not sweeping us this season."
Defense also proved to be a big deal. Robertson and Nick Van Exel constantly switched off on Pete Maravich, holding the scoring machine to only 8 points on the day. Bob Pettit was able to take some advantage to score 17 points, but the Tigers had no help from the bench, as the Cats' bench outscored the Tigers' reserves 21-3.
"Gotta be more than the first five," center Shaquille O'Neal said after the game. "We can only do so much and if one of us is in trouble, we gotta get stepping up."
#15 Southern Cal 78, #16 Maryland 55. Don't sleep on the Trojans now. When they're going against teams in the second and third tier, they are deadly.
Bill Sharman led all scorers with 24 points as the Trojans (8-2) steamrolled the Terrapins (7-3) to make a statement about their goals for this season.
"We think we can steal a Final Four spot," coach Sam Barry said after the game. "Today proved we have the talent to do it. If the shots fall, we can beat anyone."
Gene Shue led the Terrapins with 13 points.
#6 Michigan State 61, #13 Texas 60. The Longhorns seem to be willing to live and die by Kevin Durant. The Spartans knew it when it mattered.
Draymond Green knocked away a pass intended for Durant on the final play of the game to preserve a victory for the Spartans (8-2) over the Longhorns (7-3) on the road in a critical matchup.
"We saw where they were going, we knew they had one big star and if we denied him, we didn't think anyone else could step up," Green said after the game. "I know how to beat Durant, we know how to win the game, and we're just that good."
Magic Johnson had 14 points and 7 assists to lead the Spartans. Durant, for his part, led all scorers with 21 points, but couldn't get the last two, as Avery Bradley's inbound was knocked away.
"Close isn't good enough in crunch time," Durant said to reporters.
NC State 74, #20 Minnesota 65. Last year, the Wolfpack were controversially sent to the NIT despite going 18-14 in the toughest schedule in the country. If they keep winning, they may take it out of the committee's hands when all is said and done.
JJ Hickson had 5 blocks of Kevin McHale on the day and David Thompson scored 20 as the Wolfpack (8-2) stunned the Golden Gophers (7-3) to pick up a road win.
"We deserve to be ranked, and we deserve to be in the [NIBL] tournament," Thompson said after the game. "We've said all year our goal is to be undeniable. If we qualify for selection, we're going to make sure they have to take us. That means winning a lot in non-con, and that's what we're doing."
With Thompson driving and causing collapses of the defense, the outside shooters also had their chances. Spud Webb and Tom Gugliotta hit three three-pointers each over the Gopher defense.
"This was a bad day," said McHale, who despite being blocked led the Gophers with 14 points.
Villanova 79, #24 UNLV 78. Villanova likes to play slower, while UNLV likes to speed it up. Villanova, it turned out, did just enough to keep the Rebels from getting the win.
Randy Foye had 20 points and Kyle Lowry blocked Ricky Sobers' last second putback attempt as the Wildcats (8-2) held off the Runnin' Rebels (6-4) to most likely knock the last mid-major out of the Top 25.
"Our backcourt carried this one," Villanova coach Jay Wright said after the game. "We wanted to show that Paul [Arizin] had backup, and that's what we were able to get. Everyone played their role, and we kept this team -- a very good offensive team -- to just enough to take the win.
On the final play, Sobers inbounded to leading scorer Shawn Marion (18 points). His three pointer was off the mark, and in the scramble, Sobers got the loose ball. He tried a quick shot to beat the horn, but Lowry was ready.
*****
HOW THE TOP 25 FARED
- UCLA 90, 7. Syracuse 79
- North Carolina 64, 3. Kentucky 67
- Kentucky 67, 2. North Carolina 64
- Duke 61, 8. Michigan 68
- Kansas 75, 14. Arizona 59
- Michigan State 61, 13. Texas 60
- Syracuse 79, 1. UCLA 90
- Michigan 68, 4. Duke 61
- Notre Dame 67, 17. DePaul 65, OT
- Indiana 83, Louisiana Tech 57
- Ohio State 87, Saint John's 59
- Connecticut 92, 21. Alabama 80
- Texas 60, 6. Michigan State 61
- Arizona 59, 5. Kansas 75
- Southern Cal 78, 16. Maryland 55
- Maryland 55, 15. Southern Cal 78
- DePaul 65, 9. Notre Dame 67, OT
- LSU 60, Cincinnati 81
- Georgetown 56, 25. Illinois 66
- Minnesota 65, NC State 74
- Alabama 80, 12. Connecticut 92
- Florida 63, California 60
- Iowa 83, Arkansas 90
- UNLV 78, Villanova 79
- Illinois 66, 19. Georgetown 56
2023.05.29 17:38 SchlesingerMindy323 [HIRING] 25 Jobs in FL Hiring Now!
2023.05.29 15:00 stonescoldtakes NFL Update: 05/22/2023 - 05/28/2023 - OTAs are Back!!!
Layout:
— Individual Team News + Stone’s Cold Takes
— Miscellaneous/Other NFL News
— Restaurant of the Week - Washington D.C.
Arizona Cardinals:
Atlanta Falcons:
Baltimore Ravens:
Buffalo Bills:
Carolina Panthers:
Chicago Bears:
Cincinnati Bengals:
Cleveland Browns:
Dallas Cowboys:
Denver Broncos:
Detroit Lions:
Green Bay Packers:
Houston Texans:
Indianapolis Colts:
Jacksonville Jaguars:
Kansas City Chiefs:
Las Vegas Raiders:
Los Angeles Chargers:
Los Angeles Rams:
Not much news here really. Sounds like Matthew Stafford has taken Stetson Bennett under his wing and started to work with him and help him learn more about the transition to the NFL compared to college.
Miami Dolphins:
Minnesota Vikings:
New England Patriots:
New Orleans Saints:
New York Giants:
New York Jets:
Philadelphia Eagles:
Pittsburgh Steelers:
San Francisco 49ers:
Seattle Seahawks:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Tennessee Titans:
Washington Commanders:
Miscellaneous/Other NFL News:
Restaurant of the Week: (Washington D.C. - TACOS 5 DE MAYO)
Don’t really have a great picture of this place but that may be a good thing. Often times I find that the places least advertised and that are holes in the wall is typically where you get the best Mexican food. This place is about a 10 minute drive from the stadium and probably closer to 15-20 minutes on game days depending on the time you go. Personally I recommend the Tacos Al Pastor. Those are basically a marinated pork taco that is slightly spicy with some sweet pineapple flavor in it. You cannot go wrong with Tacos Al Pastor and are by far my favorite. The other thing to keep an eye on is the Pupusas. While Pupusas are from El Salvador this place actually does a pretty dang good job of making them. For those that don’t know what Pupusas are they kind of resemble a stuffed pancake but are made of corn in most cases stuffed with either just cheese, cheese and beans, or cheese and pork. My order here would be 3 tacos al pastor and a cheese and bean pupusa. Enjoy!
submitted by stonescoldtakes to nfl [link] [comments]
— Individual Team News + Stone’s Cold Takes
— Miscellaneous/Other NFL News
— Restaurant of the Week - Washington D.C.
Arizona Cardinals:
- Released WR DeAndre Hopkins and he listed out info about what he wants in his next team:
- Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert
- He wants stable management and a great defense
- Some folks in AZ were upset with Hopkins because he sat out the last couple of games
- S Budda Baker says he will be at camp when its time for him to be there
Atlanta Falcons:
- FB Keith Smith was arrested on traffic charges
- Driving with a suspended license he claims was a misunderstanding
- K Younghoe Koo didn’t ask for money from RB Bijan Robinson to give him his number but asked him to pick a charity at some point down the road to donate to
- Will have joint practices with the Dolphins
- Signed:
- WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside
Baltimore Ravens:
- QB Lamar Jackson expects a more pass-heavy offense under new OC Todd Monken
- WR Michael Thomas separate his shoulder and could require labrum surgery
- WR Rashod Bateman who just played just 6 games was on the field for OTAs on Monday
- Waived Daelin Hayes
- S Kyle Hamilton excited for expanded role with the team
- Tony Jefferson is retiring and joining the team as a scout
- Signed:
- DL Angelo Blackson
- QB Josh Johnson
Buffalo Bills:
- No surprise, QB Josh Allen is hyper-focused and wants to win a Super Bowl
- S Damar Hamlin is back out working out on the field
- WR Stefon Diggs did not attend OTAs
- EDGE Von Miller guarantees he will play by week 6 but is not rushing anything
- Signed:
- S Dean Marlowe
- Joel Wilson
Carolina Panthers:
- TE Hayden Hurst is recovering from sports hernia surgery
- QB Bryce Young is taking most of the first team reps
Chicago Bears:
- QB Justin Fields excited about the growth WR Chase Claypool had over offseason
- Got permission to begin demolition of Arlington Park racetrack
Cincinnati Bengals:
- Want to sign WR Tee Higgins and LB Logan Wilson to long term extensions
- Have made their initial push for QB Joe Burrow
Cleveland Browns:
- WR Elijah Moore feels good now that he feels wanted with his new team
- EDGE Za’Darius Smith is excited to be facing the Ravens this year
Dallas Cowboys:
- HC Mike McCarthy is keeping offense in Dak’s language despite the changeup in play callers
Denver Broncos:
- Waived Hunter Thedford with injury settlement
- Released K Brandon McManus
- K Brett Maher worked out for the team
- QB Russell Wilson has lost a lot of weight this offseason
- HC Sean Payton excited about what S Kareem Jackson can do to help team
- RB Javonte Williams was limited in OTAs starting on Thursday
- Signed:
- T Cam Fleming to a 1-year $4m deal
- DT Tyler Lancaster
Detroit Lions:
- Former WR Calvin Johnson was at OTAs this week after having been away from the organization following a rough falling out post-retirement
- RB David Montgomery said that losing with the Bears “sucked the fun out of the game”
- WR Jameson Williams says that he didn’t know about the gambling policy; HC Dan Campbell feels he is miles ahead in terms of his talent already
- Traded an undisclosed draft pick for K Riley Patterson
- Signed a 1-year $2.35m deal
- RB David Montgomery and LB Malcolm Rodriguez left practice due to injury
- Team has done their homework on free agent WR DeAndre Hopkins
- NFL is investigation another Lions player about league gambling rules violations
- Signed:
- OL Germain Ifedi
- Max Pircher through international player pathway program
Green Bay Packers:
- Signed:
- WR Jadakis Bonds
- Cut TE Nick Guggemos
- Will host the 2025 NFL Draft
- HC Matt LaFleur is please with Jordan Love but still need to work on a lot of things
Houston Texans:
- Appears DeMeco Ryans may not be too sure about pursuing Jadeveon Clowney
- HC DeMeco Ryans expects the o-line to be a strength for this team
- Currently it is a QB competition between Davis Mills and CJ Stroud
- Other teams have been inquiring about QB Davis Mills
Indianapolis Colts:
- No timetable for Shaquille Leonard to resume practicing
- QB Anthony Richardson was running a similar offense to what Jalen Hurts has run in Philly and was very impressive (splitting 1st team reps)
- Signed:
- TE Kaden Smith
Jacksonville Jaguars:
- Traded K Riley Patterson to the Lions for an undisclosed draft pick
- RB Travis Etienne looking forward to doing some fine-tuning this year
- Signed Brandon McManus
Kansas City Chiefs:
- HC Andy Reid is not a fan of the kickoff rule change hinting at the NFL getting closer to being flag football
- TE Travis Kelce is not happy about it either
- QB Patrick Mahomes addressed contract saying he cares more about Super Bowls
- LB Nick Bolton doesn’t think the defense gets enough credit
- QB Patrick Mahomes says that it has been a smooth transition to new OC Matt Nagy
- HC Andy Reid feels fullbacks have been phased out of the NFL and that the Chiefs will not be using one
Las Vegas Raiders:
- Former QB Tom Brady reached an agreement to be a minority owner of the team
- QB Jimmy Garoppolo had to have foot surgery after signing with the team and there is not timetable for his return - believe he should return before the season
- Things could get interesting depending on how situation with Jimmy G works out
- WR Davante Adams is not happy about the current QB situation with the Raiders
- Adams and team have been sued by the photographer he shoved last year
- Will have joint practices with the 49ers
Los Angeles Chargers:
- Signed:
- RB Austin Ekeler to a new deal for this final year that added on up to $2m in incentives
Los Angeles Rams:
Not much news here really. Sounds like Matthew Stafford has taken Stetson Bennett under his wing and started to work with him and help him learn more about the transition to the NFL compared to college.
Miami Dolphins:
- WR DK Metcalf challenged WR Tyreek Hill
- Will have joint practices with the Falcons
- QB Tua Tagavailoa is wearing a camera on his helmet to help HC Mike McDaniel see what he sees on the field
Minnesota Vikings:
- Signed:
- WR from the XFL Lucky Jackson
- DC Brian Flores wants defense to develop an aggressive identity but not reckless
- RB Dalvin Cook could be a June 1st cut
New England Patriots:
- Got docked 2 days of OTA workouts for violating offseason rules and HC Bill Belichick was fined $50,000 dollars
- Placed LB Raekwon McMillan on injured reserve due to partially torn ACL
New Orleans Saints:
- TE Foster Moreau is participating in OTAs
- Being in New Orleans has given QB Derek Carr a breath of fresh air
- Former HC Jon Gruden is working with the team and Derek Carr
New York Giants:
- Rookie WR Jalin Hyatt wants to get to 190lbs as his playing weight
- TE Darren Waller is happy to somewhere where his opinions are valued
- QB Daniel Jones is enjoying working with TE Darren Waller
- HC Brian Daboll will not speak on contract situations despite currently Barkley situation
New York Jets:
- QB Aaron Rodgers had minor calf strain
- WR Allen Lazard went down during OTAs but supposedly was just a shot to the groin
- Worked out P Matt Araiza
- Chuck Clark was happy to be traded because felt disrespected by the Ravens
- HC Robert Saleh is confident a deal will get done with Quinnen Williams
- Will have joint practices with the Buccaneers
Philadelphia Eagles:
- OL D.J. Fluker worked out for the Eagles
- DL Jordan Davis has made major strides this offseason will take on a larger role
Pittsburgh Steelers:
- Signed:
- EDGE Markus Golden to 1-year deal
- LB Toby Ndukwe
- Easy decision for QB Mitch Trubisky to sign extension
- Started contract talks with OLB Alex Highsmith
- Released Tae Crowder
- Want to play a regular season game in Ireland
- WR Allen Robinson has been very impressed so far by QB Kenny Pickett
- QB Kenny Pickett had his car stolen with his playbook inside of it
San Francisco 49ers:
- QB Trey Lance just wants a chance to compete and never considered being traded
- Raved about this time working with QB Patrick Mahomes
- QB Brock Purdy expected to start throwing next week, be able to go from gripping a towel to an actual football
- QB Sam Darnold will push to start come week 1
- Levi’s will officially get the Super Bowl in 2026
- LB Dre Greenlaw has a thumb procedure and will miss most of the OTAs this offseason
- Will have joint practices with the Raiders
Seattle Seahawks:
- WR DK Metcalf challenged WR Tyreek Hill
- CB Tariq Woolen had arthroscopic knee surgery and it out til training camp
- Signed:
- CB Artie Burns
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
- Video of QB Baker Mayfield making an overthrow went viral on social media
- Will have joint practices with the Jets
- WR Chris Godwin feels like he has a lot of his explosion back
- Team wants to see more consistency out of LB Devin White before offering him the contract he wants
Tennessee Titans:
- QB Will Levis is putting pressure on Tannehil and Willis in OTAs this far
- S Kevin Byard is skipping OTAs
Washington Commanders:
- HC Ron Rivera said that DE Chase Young understands them not picking up his 5th year option
- New OC Eric Bieniemy has been getting on young QB Sam Howell holding him accountable
- Trademark application was denied due to someone else already having pending applications for the name but the team is confident this issue will get resolved
- It has been good for QB Sam Howell that QB Jacoby Brissett has been in the building
- TE Amani Rodgers tore his ACL and is out indefinitely
- Released Nathan Gerry
- Jamin Davis limited in OTAs after knee procedure
- Financing needs to be adjusted in order for the Josh Harris bid to be accepted
- Signed:
- XFL LB Ferrod Gardner
Miscellaneous/Other NFL News:
- Many believe that Thursday Night Flexing is to cater to Amazon but really could be the future of how deals get done
- Teams have to have 28 days notice and this is currently just a 1 year move
- RB Jeremy Hill who has not played for the past 5 seasons officially retired siting injury issues leading to his retirement
- NFL injury data shows that turf fields are significantly worse for players than grass fields
- The Pat McAfee Show will be taking over Max Kellerman’s the time slot on ESPN
- Commissioner Roger Goodell’s lobbying convinced teams to vote in favor of the new kickoff rules
- Dr. Timoth Kremchek, the Cincinnati Reds' physician since 1996, says he sees an "epidemic" of youth injuries on artificial turf
- RB Adrian Peterson will be hanging it up if he’s not back in the NFL this season
- After Goodell’s retirement the NFL could change the structure of management for the NFL combining a traditional CEO with a Commissioner of Football
- Possible a team will play 3 back to back games in Europe in the future
- Devin McCourty will be joining NBC’s Sunday Night Football crew as an analyst
- Officially approved emergency 3rd QB rule
- Investigating further violations potentially of league gambling policy
- DirecTV will still distribute Sunday Ticket to bars and restaurants
- S Tony Jefferson announced his retirement
- Announced growth of global market program
Restaurant of the Week: (Washington D.C. - TACOS 5 DE MAYO)
Don’t really have a great picture of this place but that may be a good thing. Often times I find that the places least advertised and that are holes in the wall is typically where you get the best Mexican food. This place is about a 10 minute drive from the stadium and probably closer to 15-20 minutes on game days depending on the time you go. Personally I recommend the Tacos Al Pastor. Those are basically a marinated pork taco that is slightly spicy with some sweet pineapple flavor in it. You cannot go wrong with Tacos Al Pastor and are by far my favorite. The other thing to keep an eye on is the Pupusas. While Pupusas are from El Salvador this place actually does a pretty dang good job of making them. For those that don’t know what Pupusas are they kind of resemble a stuffed pancake but are made of corn in most cases stuffed with either just cheese, cheese and beans, or cheese and pork. My order here would be 3 tacos al pastor and a cheese and bean pupusa. Enjoy!
2023.05.29 15:00 RedditReadsBot The Confessions by Saint Augustine [Philosophy](378)
](https://external-preview.redd.it/fVZIYq9b3Uf7oUE3U7B1GyVsI0L0aCHBR86LYPUbq6M.jpg?width=216&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=ebcea73db73d94d873a43801078db4b66a6d3c0f "The Confessions by Saint Augustine [Philosophy](378)") | submitted by RedditReadsBot to RedditReads [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 14:12 IIWIIM8 Global COVID Cases For 29MAY23
| Summary As Of: | 29MAY @ 23:10 GMT |
| Countries | 229 + 2 |
| Cases | 689,435,645 |
| Deaths | 6,883,779 |
| Recovered | 661,892,153 |
| Active Cases | 20,659,713 |
Countries reporting new cases: 34
Countries reporting new deaths: 11
Countries reporting increased Active Cases: 10
Countries reporting decreased Active Cases: 30
Complete Chart
Data Source
| With Active cases | w/No Active cases | w/All cases rcvrd | |
| Cntry’s | 220 | 7 | 2 |
| Cases | 689,435,645 | 7 | 2 |
| Deaths | 6,883,779 | 264,065 | 0 |
| Rcvrd | 661,892,153 | 28,535,637 | 1,959 |
Past 7 day totals of new: cases, deaths, recoveries & actives. With 3 & 7 day averages.
| Date | Cases | Deaths | Rcvr’s | Actives |
| 22MAY | 28,280 | 340 | 20,607 | 20,762,512 |
| 23MAY | 62,978 | 529 | 82,941 | 20,773,762 |
| 24MAY | 47,903 | 218 | 72,936 | 20,766,482 |
| 25MAY | 44,259 | 218 | 73,471 | 20,739,173 |
| 26MAY | 37,409 | 184 | 44,512 | 20,731,931 |
| 27MAY | 29,582 | 43 | 37,737 | 20,730,419 |
| 28MAY | 14,610 | 53 | 58,818 | 20,686,158 |
| 3 Day Avg | 27,200 | 93 | 47,022 | 20,716,169 |
| 7 Day Avg | 37,860 | 226 | 55,860 | 20,741,491 |
| 29MAY | 8,709 | New COVID-19 Cases reported |
Cases, Deaths, Actives by Continent
| Cont | Cases | Deaths | Actives |
| Europe | 249,369,820 | 2,061,050 | 1,958,416 |
| N A | 126,707,814 | 1,633,363 | 2,471,049 |
| Asia | 217,443,531 | 1,546,601 | 14,718,205 |
| S A | 68,712,083 | 1,355,891 | 883,523 |
| Africa | 12,823,535 | 258,766 | 479,265 |
| Oceania | 14,378,141 | 28,093 | 149,255 |
| World | 689,435,645 | 6,883,779 | 20,659,713 |
Countries with Active Cases
| Country | Cases | Deaths | Recoveries | Actives |
| USA | 107,093,520+ | 1,165,064+ | 105,175,931+ | 752,525- |
| India | 44,990,054+ | 531,866+ | 44,453,479+ | 4,709- |
| France | 40,080,483+ | 167,263 | 39,855,730+ | 57,490- |
| Germany | 38,426,308 | 174,247 | 38,234,900 | 17,161 |
| Brazil | 37,579,028 | 702,664 | 36,249,161 | 627,203 |
| Japan | 33,803,572 | 74,694 | N/A | N/A |
| S. Korea | 31,646,973 | 34,754 | 31,316,932+ | 295,287- |
| Italy | 25,857,572 | 190,392 | 25,545,397 | 121,783 |
| UK | 24,603,076 | 225,324 | 24,365,750+ | 12,002- |
| Russia | 22,917,873 | 398,919 | 22,346,830 | 172,124 |
| Turkey | 17,232,066 | 102,174 | N/A | N/A |
| Spain | 13,868,227 | 121,213 | 13,697,426 | 49,588 |
| Vietnam | 11,610,724+ | 43,206 | 10,637,654+ | 929,864+ |
| Australia | 11,585,286 | 20,879 | 11,526,959 | 37,448 |
| Argentina | 10,054,251 | 130,509 | 9,923,097+ | 645- |
| Mexico | 7,614,771 | 334,107 | 6,861,981 | 418,683 |
| Iran | 7,611,703+ | 146,256+ | 7,365,887+ | 99,560- |
| Indonesia | 6,806,544+ | 161,754+ | 6,631,947+ | 12,843- |
| Poland | 6,516,768+ | 119,609 | 5,335,940 | 1,061,219+ |
| Colombia | 6,367,600 | 142,748 | 6,188,967 | 35,885 |
| Austria | 6,076,625+ | 22,501 | 6,048,564+ | 5,560- |
| Greece | 6,059,649 | 36,917 | 6,007,600+ | 15,132- |
| Portugal | 5,585,859 | 26,701 | 5,554,918 | 4,240 |
| Ukraine | 5,549,708 | 112,315 | 5,426,042 | 11,351 |
| Chile | 5,287,373+ | 64,497 | 5,222,732+ | 144- |
| Malaysia | 5,100,249+ | 37,087+ | 5,044,652+ | 18,510- |
| Israel | 4,825,362 | 12,524 | 4,798,473 | 14,365 |
| Belgium | 4,799,107 | 34,336 | 4,759,326+ | 5,445- |
| Thailand | 4,738,988 | 34,053 | 4,692,636 | 12,299 |
| Canada | 4,673,256 | 52,359 | 4,588,942 | 31,955 |
| Czechia | 4,642,011+ | 42,800 | 4,598,424+ | 787- |
| Switzerland | 4,405,433 | 14,452 | 4,387,986 | 2,995 |
| Philippines | 4,140,680+ | 66,466 | 4,058,593+ | 15,621- |
| South Africa | 4,076,463 | 102,595 | 3,912,506 | 61,362 |
| Romania | 3,404,197+ | 68,184+ | 3,329,193 | 6,820+ |
| Denmark | 3,181,841+ | 8,695+ | 3,172,674+ | 472- |
| Hong Kong | 2,904,315+ | 13,819+ | 2,874,507+ | 15,989+ |
| Sweden | 2,709,830 | 24,353 | 2,682,646+ | 2,831- |
| Serbia | 2,541,522+ | 18,051 | 2,520,091+ | 3,380- |
| Iraq | 2,465,545 | 25,375 | 2,439,497 | 673 |
| Singapore | 2,391,248 | 1,727 | 2,149,583 | 239,938 |
| New Zealand | 2,375,191+ | 4,362+ | 2,358,376+ | 12,453+ |
| Hungary | 2,202,716 | 48,868 | 2,151,299 | 2,549 |
| Bangladesh | 2,038,708 | 29,446 | 1,998,448 | 10,814 |
| Slovakia | 1,866,814 | 21,167 | 1,845,480 | 167 |
| Georgia | 1,842,046 | 17,070 | 1,776,548 | 48,428 |
| Jordan | 1,746,997 | 14,122 | 1,731,007 | 1,868 |
| Ireland | 1,712,113 | 8,960 | 1,701,342 | 1,811 |
| Pakistan | 1,581,009+ | 30,660 | 1,538,689 | 11,660+ |
| Norway | 1,484,448 | 5,435 | 1,478,204+ | 809- |
| Finland | 1,479,608 | 9,676 | 1,466,165+ | 3,767- |
| Kazakhstan | 1,411,831 | 13,848 | 1,383,020 | 14,963 |
| Slovenia | 1,343,968+ | 7,100 | 1,328,006 | 8,862+ |
| Lithuania | 1,320,315+ | 9,680 | 1,309,447+ | 1,188- |
| Bulgaria | 1,307,251 | 38,379 | 1,266,932 | 1,940 |
| Morocco | 1,274,180 | 16,297 | 1,256,151 | 1,732 |
| Croatia | 1,273,795+ | 18,255+ | 1,255,288+ | 252- |
| Guatemala | 1,252,170+ | 20,200 | 1,229,861+ | 2,109- |
| Lebanon | 1,237,556 | 10,914 | 1,087,587 | 139,055 |
| Costa Rica | 1,230,552 | 9,366 | 860,711 | 360,475 |
| Bolivia | 1,198,858 | 22,384 | 1,168,071 | 8,403 |
| Tunisia | 1,153,261 | 29,415 | N/A | N/A |
| Cuba | 1,114,152+ | 8,530 | 1,105,412+ | 210+ |
| UAE | 1,067,030 | 2,349 | 1,054,525 | 10,156 |
| Ecuador | 1,061,766 | 36,019 | 1,025,081 | 666 |
| Uruguay | 1,038,774 | 7,634 | 1,030,944 | 196 |
| Panama | 1,038,642 | 8,623 | 1,029,434 | 585 |
| Mongolia | 1,008,655 | 2,179 | 1,005,859 | 617 |
| Nepal | 1,003,329+ | 12,031 | 991,270+ | 28- |
| Belarus | 994,037 | 7,118 | 985,592 | 1,327 |
| Latvia | 977,891 | 6,344 | 971,406 | 141 |
| Saudi Arabia | 841,469 | 9,646 | 827,923 | 3,900 |
| Azerbaijan | 831,822+ | 10,273 | 821,461+ | 88 |
| Paraguay | 810,581 | 19,931 | N/A | N/A |
| Bahrain | 721,806+ | 1,563 | 720,032+ | 211+ |
| Sri Lanka | 672,444+ | 16,870 | 655,519+ | 55 |
| Kuwait | 665,909 | 2,570 | 660,237 | 3,102 |
| Dominican Republic | 661,176 | 4,384 | 644,785 | 12,007 |
| Myanmar | 638,726+ | 19,494 | 617,692+ | 1,540- |
| Palestine | 621,008 | 5,404 | 615,445 | 159 |
| Moldova | 620,519 | 12,118 | 504,142 | 104,259 |
| Estonia | 618,782 | 3,001 | 524,990 | 90,791 |
| Venezuela | 552,695 | 5,856 | 546,537 | 302 |
| Egypt | 516,023 | 24,613 | 442,182 | 49,228 |
| Qatar | 513,186+ | 690 | 512,096+ | 400- |
| Libya | 507,262 | 6,437 | 500,818 | 7 |
| China | 503,302 | 5,272 | 379,053 | 118,977 |
| Ethiopia | 500,893+ | 7,574 | 488,130+ | 5,189- |
| Réunion | 486,588 | 921 | 418,572 | 67,095 |
| Honduras | 472,619 | 11,116 | N/A | N/A |
| Armenia | 449,169 | 8,750 | 435,162 | 5,257 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 402,940 | 16,346 | 379,084 | 7,510 |
| Oman | 399,449 | 4,628 | 384,669 | 10,152 |
| North Macedonia | 348,281 | 9,677 | 337,068 | 1,536 |
| Zambia | 343,995 | 4,058 | 339,858 | 79 |
| Kenya | 343,074 | 5,688 | 337,309 | 77 |
| Albania | 334,726 | 3,602 | 329,428 | 1,696 |
| Botswana | 329,862 | 2,801 | 327,049 | 12 |
| Luxembourg | 319,959 | 1,232 | 316,690 | 2,037 |
| Brunei | 303,719 | 225 | 243,601 | 59,893 |
| Montenegro | 291,853 | 2,827 | 288,546 | 480 |
| Algeria | 271,835 | 6,881 | 183,047+ | 81,907- |
| Nigeria | 266,675 | 3,155 | 259,953 | 3,567 |
| Zimbabwe | 264,848 | 5,690 | 258,888 | 270 |
| Uzbekistan | 253,662 | 1,637 | 241,486 | 10,539 |
| Mozambique | 233,417 | 2,243 | 228,805 | 2,369 |
| Martinique | 229,975 | 1,102 | N/A | N/A |
| Afghanistan | 221,430+ | 7,914 | 197,112+ | 16,404+ |
| Laos | 218,226+ | 758 | N/A | N/A |
| Iceland | 209,191 | 229 | N/A | N/A |
| Kyrgyzstan | 206,890 | 2,991 | 196,406 | 7,493 |
| Guadeloupe | 202,836 | 1,017 | N/A | N/A |
| El Salvador | 201,785 | 4,230 | 179,410 | 18,145 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 191,496 | 4,390 | 187,078 | 28 |
| Maldives | 186,625 | 315 | 163,687 | 22,623 |
| Ghana | 171,657 | 1,462 | 170,161 | 34 |
| Namibia | 171,310 | 4,091 | 167,099 | 120 |
| Uganda | 170,775 | 3,632 | 100,431 | 66,712 |
| Jamaica | 154,993 | 3,549 | 102,964 | 48,480 |
| Cambodia | 138,767 | 3,056 | 135,683 | 28 |
| Rwanda | 133,194 | 1,468 | 131,647 | 79 |
| Cameroon | 125,036 | 1,972 | 122,807 | 257 |
| Malta | 118,677 | 836 | 117,305 | 536 |
| Barbados | 107,794 | 593 | 106,971 | 230 |
| Angola | 105,384 | 1,934 | 103,419 | 31 |
| Channel Islands | 101,717 | 228 | 101,321 | 168 |
| French Guiana | 98,041 | 420 | 11,254 | 86,367 |
| DRC | 96,652 | 1,467 | 84,489 | 10,696 |
| Senegal | 88,997 | 1,971 | 87,024 | 2 |
| Malawi | 88,728 | 2,686 | 85,651 | 391 |
| Ivory Coast | 88,330 | 834 | 87,492 | 4 |
| Suriname | 82,513 | 1,405 | N/A | N/A |
| New Caledonia | 79,922 | 314 | 79,605 | 3 |
| French Polynesia | 78,569 | 649 | N/A | N/A |
| Eswatini | 74,670 | 1,425 | 73,116 | 129 |
| Guyana | 73,207 | 1,298 | 71,880 | 29 |
| Belize | 70,782 | 688 | 70,085 | 9 |
| Fiji | 68,921 | 883 | 67,029 | 1,009 |
| Madagascar | 68,288+ | 1,425+ | 66,854+ | 9- |
| Sudan | 63,993 | 5,046 | 58,683 | 264 |
| Cabo Verde | 63,911+ | 414 | 63,362+ | 135- |
| Mauritania | 63,715 | 997 | 62,471 | 247 |
| Bhutan | 62,670 | 21 | 61,564 | 1,085 |
| Syria | 57,608 | 3,164 | 54,370 | 74 |
| Burundi | 53,751 | 38 | 53,569 | 144 |
| Seychelles | 50,937 | 172 | 50,750 | 15 |
| Gabon | 48,992 | 307 | 48,674 | 11 |
| Andorra | 48,015 | 165 | 47,563 | 287 |
| Papua New Guinea | 46,864 | 670 | 43,982 | 2,212 |
| Curaçao | 45,986 | 295 | 44,720 | 971 |
| Aruba | 44,180 | 236 | 42,438 | 1,506 |
| Tanzania | 43,078 | 846 | N/A | N/A |
| Mauritius | 42,518 | 1,049 | 40,740 | 729 |
| Mayotte | 42,027 | 188 | N/A | N/A |
| Togo | 39,497 | 290 | 39,203 | 4 |
| Guinea | 38,563 | 468 | 37,757 | 338 |
| Bahamas | 38,084 | 844 | 36,366 | 874 |
| Isle of Man | 38,008 | 116 | N/A | N/A |
| Lesotho | 34,790 | 723 | 25,980 | 8,087 |
| Faeroe Islands | 34,658 | 28 | N/A | N/A |
| Haiti | 34,246 | 860 | 33,361 | 25 |
| Mali | 33,148 | 743 | 32,331 | 74 |
| Cayman Islands | 31,472 | 37 | 8,553 | 22,882 |
| Saint Lucia | 30,052 | 409 | 29,095 | 548 |
| Benin | 28,014 | 163 | 27,847 | 4 |
| Somalia | 27,334 | 1,361 | 13,182 | 12,791 |
| Micronesia | 26,458 | 65 | N/A | N/A |
| Congo | 25,375 | 386 | 24,006 | 983 |
| Solomon Islands | 24,575 | 153 | N/A | N/A |
| San Marino | 24,263 | 125 | 24,117 | 21 |
| Timor-Leste | 23,444 | 138 | 23,102 | 204 |
| Burkina Faso | 22,056 | 396 | 21,596 | 64 |
| Liechtenstein | 21,446 | 94 | 21,350 | 2 |
| Gibraltar | 20,550 | 113 | 16,579 | 3,858 |
| Grenada | 19,693 | 238 | 19,358 | 97 |
| Bermuda | 18,860 | 165 | 18,685 | 10 |
| Nicaragua | 18,491 | 225 | 4,225 | 14,041 |
| South Sudan | 18,368 | 138 | 18,115 | 115 |
| Tajikistan | 17,786 | 125 | 17,264 | 397 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 17,229 | 183 | 16,907 | 139 |
| Tonga | 16,817 | 13 | 15,638 | 1,166 |
| Monaco | 16,789 | 67 | 15,992 | 730 |
| Samoa | 16,763 | 31 | 1,605 | 15,127 |
| Marshall Islands | 16,081 | 17 | 15,954 | 110 |
| Dominica | 15,760 | 74 | 15,673 | 13 |
| Djibouti | 15,690 | 189 | 15,427 | 74 |
| CAR | 15,368 | 113 | 15,200 | 55 |
| Gambia | 12,626 | 372 | 12,189 | 65 |
| Saint Martin | 12,303 | 63 | 1,399 | 10,841 |
| Vanuatu | 12,016 | 14 | 11,976 | 26 |
| Greenland | 11,971 | 21 | 2,761 | 9,189 |
| Yemen | 11,945 | 2,159 | 9,124 | 662 |
| Caribbean Netherlands | 11,682 | 38 | 10,476 | 1,168 |
| Sint Maarten | 11,030 | 92 | 10,905 | 33 |
| Niger | 9,931 | 312 | 8,890 | 729 |
| St. Vincent Grenadines | 9,631 | 124 | 9,493 | 14 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 9,614 | 177 | 8,929 | 508 |
| Comoros | 9,109 | 161 | 8,939 | 9 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 9,106 | 146 | 8,954 | 6 |
| Liberia | 8,090 | 295 | 7,783 | 12 |
| Sierra Leone | 7,762 | 126 | N/A | N/A |
| Chad | 7,701 | 194 | 4,874 | 2,633 |
| British Virgin Islands | 7,305 | 64 | N/A | N/A |
| Cook Islands | 7,120 | 2 | 7,106 | 12 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 6,602 | 48 | 6,552 | 2 |
| Turks and Caicos | 6,588 | 38 | 6,529 | 21 |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 6,586 | 80 | 6,500 | 6 |
| Palau | 6,009 | 9 | 5,998 | 2 |
| St. Barth | 5,494 | 6 | N/A | N/A |
| Nauru | 5,393 | 1 | 5,347 | 45 |
| Kiribati | 5,027 | 24 | 2,703 | 2,300 |
| Anguilla | 3,904 | 12 | 3,879 | 13 |
| Macao | 3,620 | 121 | 3,487 | 12 |
| Wallis and Futuna | 3,508 | 7 | 438 | 3,063 |
| Saint Pierre Miquelon | 3,452 | 2 | 2,449 | 1,001 |
| Tuvalu | 2,805 | 0 | 0 | 2,805 |
| Saint Helena | 2,166 | 0 | 2 | 2,164 |
| Montserrat | 1,403 | 8 | 1,376 | 19 |
| Niue | 811 | 0 | 803 | 8 |
| Tokelau | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Total: | 689,435,645 | 6,883,779 | 661,892,153 | 20,659,713 |
Countries with no active cases: 2
| Country | Cases | Deaths | Rcvrd |
| Falkland Islands | 1,930 | 0 | 1,930 |
| Vatican City | 29 | 0 | 29 |
| 2 Total: | 1,959 | 0 | 1,959 |
Countries with all cases rcvrd: 7
| Country | Cases | Deaths | Rcvrd |
| Cyprus | 660,854 | 1,364 | 659,490 |
| DPRK | 4,772,813 | 74 | 4,772,739 |
| Eritrea | 10,189 | 103 | 10,086 |
| Netherlands | 8,610,372 | 22,992 | 8,587,380 |
| Peru | 4,505,466 | 220,526 | 4,284,940 |
| Taiwan | 10,239,998 | 19,005 | 10,220,993 |
| Western Sahara | 10 | 1 | 9 |
| Total: | 28,799,702 | 264,065 | 28,535,637 |
International Conveyances: 2
| Class | Cases | Deaths | Rcvrd |
| Diamond Princess | 712 | 13 | 699 |
| MS Zaandam | 9 | 2 | 7 |
| 2 Total: | 721 | 15 | 706 |
Countries/Territories who do not report Active or Recovery case numbers: 19
| Country/Territory | Total: 19 | |
| British Virgin Islands | Faeroe Islands | French Polynesia |
| Guadeloupe | Honduras | Iceland |
| Isle of Man | Laos | Martinique |
| Mayotte | Micronesia | Paraguay |
| Sierra Leone | Solomon Islands | St. Barth |
| Suriname | Tanzania | Tunisia |
| Turkey |
2023.05.29 03:47 Umpato -enixSquare
 | submitted by Umpato to ShitpostXIV [link] [comments] |
2023.05.28 21:01 Marvynwillames [Multiple Excerpts] An Analysis on Tau FTL
It’s no secret that lots of fans, in fact I believe the majority, think that GW removing the FTL for the Tau sometime after the 3rd edition was a dumb move, since, to be simple, you aint making a multi system empire without FTL travel, as well it makes things like the Damocles Crusade have a huge plot hole in that the Tau somehow win through reinforcements coming from their entire empire, despite lacking FTL.
The user Connor McLeod on Spacebattles made a detailed analysis on how the Tau FTL worked through editions, this is a simplified version, for the quotes he used are too big for a single reddit post.
submitted by Marvynwillames to 40kLore [link] [comments]
The user Connor McLeod on Spacebattles made a detailed analysis on how the Tau FTL worked through editions, this is a simplified version, for the quotes he used are too big for a single reddit post.
The original theory (what may or may not be the ether drive, or also known as 'warp dives') came from Battelfleet Gothic - originally in BFG Magazines (I took mine from bFG Magazine 19) but got reiterated in BFG Armada:
BFG magazine 19 said:
The Tau were able to duplicate the warp drive of the alien ship but the initial test flights were disastrous. Achieving transition to the Warp required more than technology, it required psychically attuned minds and the Tau race boasted no psykers. Without them to guide the transition no amount of power could breach the dimensional barriers. The best the Tau could do was make a partial translation, forcing themselves into the void that separated Warpspace and realspace before they were hurled out again like a ball held under water then released.
..
The Water caste scientists made the observation that the boundary between real space and warp space was not a neat line. It was closer to being a turbulent ocean fomented by the tempestuous warp tides below. By carefully angling their descent toward the Warp and extending the field generated by the gravitic drive into a wing shaped to hold the vessel down, a Tau vessel could extend the duration of the dive considerably. The speeds achieved in the ascent back to real space were staggering and coupled with the effect of the Warp on time and space ensured that the real distance covered by the dive was immense. Early tests lost several drone ships because they inadvertently passed far beyond the sensor range of the recovery vessels.
...
There was still a major constraint, only the most powerful (and bulky) drives could sustain the gravitic wing throughout the dive and the power drain meant that considerable recharge time was needed between dives. Also by comparison to actually navigating the warp the pace was still very slow. Taking typical Imperial Warp speeds the Tau drive was slower by a factor of five. The speed was consistent though, did not expose the Tau to the perils of the Warp and enabled the Tau to expand beyond their home star for the first time.
This should be well established by know, and it's pretty self explanatory. But its worth revisiting for tying everything together because in many ways the FTL system incorporates multiple parts. One part was the Tau gravity drive. Another part was the ability to 'partially' enter the warp for the dive and maintaining that dive as long as possible. And its a process they kept improving on. On the surface of this the implication is that around or even before First Sphere they had FTL, whereas the earliest you could plausibly argue they MIGHT achieve warp diving in current fluff is by third sphere. At least, in widespread usage. You could certainly have the Tau experimenting with FTL (they experimented with Imperium warp drives in Crisis of Faith after all) and that goes back to previous spheres. We could in that respect view Tau propulsion advances to be incremental steps along that path to achieving true Warp drive (or something close to it - which may be what Fourth Sphere's slipstream is/was.) I'll touch more on that 'incremental' development' later.
BFG Magazine 19 said:
Waystations are distributed throughout the Tau Empire. They mark out the main routes between Tau septs and are used to speed communications between outposts.
This has nothing directly to do with FTL travel, except to mark/identify routes they use (and maybe facilitate those routes somehow) but it does mention that they have a role in communication. I'll touch on that after the FTL stuff, although it centers almost entirely around the Shadowsun novella.
BFG Magazine 19 said:
Unlike the Tau the Kroot are capable of true Warp travel but the exact method has been kept secret from their employers. To the Kroot, warp travel is almost migratory and they seem incapable of navigating anywhere other than systems with habitable worlds. It appears they are drawn to functioning ecosystems.
In alot of ways its belief-shaped (mass belief) and not unlike Orks and the way space hulks operated. It might explain why the Tau never found the Kroot's use of warp travel all that useful, since it seems like it would be potentially erratic or less precise than warp dives. Still, it makes no fucking sense for Kroot, Demiurg or other warp sensitive allies of the Tau to have FTL but the Tau don't, especially since many factions (including Kroot and Demiurg) contribute ships to Tau fleets!
Other later sources like Deathwatch Achius Assault carried that FTL over, and even suggested it was route based (or may have had an even longer rnaged, route based variation on the 'warp dive' that allowed Vellk'han sept to reach Jericho Reach:
Deathwatch Achilus Assault said:
The humans are not the only ones to explore the Black Reef and the Tau too have been sending scouts into its gravity ravaged depths. Less willing to needlessly sacrifice their warriors, the Tau have employed those aliens from their empire with an affinity for the void and a skill at space faring, such as the ethereal Ji'atrix and the void-dwelling Nicassar. More successfully than the Imperium, the Tau have mapped
a number of routes through the edges of the Reef, at least on their side of the anomaly, allowing their ships more tactical flexibility than those of their enemies and also allowing them to lay deadly ambushes within the edge of the Stygian Break.
The Tau also enjoy a rare speed advantage over the Imperium within the Black Reef as their unusual method of near-Warp travel works more effectively than completely entering the Warp and is less prone to disruption by the gravity storm.
I mentioned the White Dwarf's circa 6th edition which alluded to it, but you also had Storm of Damocles which also seems to reference Warp dives:
Storm of Damocles said:
LOCATION: CANNIS GAS CLOUD,
DAMOCLES GULF, 999.M41
Without psykers, the tau could not make translations into the warp, but they had learnt to make short hops through the edge of the immaterial and real space, sticking to pre-ordained 'stepping stones'. This particular transit point, deep in the Cannis gas cloud, was known to connect to the Sexton Sector. It was what the tau thought was a safe transit route, but its location had been known to the Deathwatch for some time.
...
As he spoke, the first of the tau ships seemed to pulse as it skimmed into the immaterium. In ten minutes they were all gone, and the space before them was empty once more, except for the light of distant stars.
This meant that -at least in certain incarnations - warp dives relied on certain routes/paths/points to travel along (adding a certain degree of predictability, not unlike the warp routes between star systems in BFG) - it can be thought that BFG might have applied those same limitations to other factions and their FTL (Necron inertialess drive, Tau Warp Dive/Ether drives) so this was always an 'intended' trait. It also makes it clear its far from instantaneous - it takes minutes to achieve the 'skip' and unlike 'true' warp translation there is no rift. Presumably the rift only occurs if you actually punch the hole through into the Warp - the 'interstitial' medium the Tau travel through might simply be thought of as temporal/spatial distortions (we know warp rifts can be temporal/spatial distortions too - one reason that translations to/from warp space can be so highly distorted by gravity and one reason why translations in-system close to planetary bodies are so hazardous)
Storm of Damocles said:
It was a week's journey back through the warp to Picket's Watch. A team of servitors re-established power for the databanks, repairing broken cables and then coaxing out the reams of tau information.
The Space Marines had little need for sleep. They worked constantly, comparing Imperial star charts to those of the tau, finding known points of reference, and slowly piecing together a picture of tau movements to and from the Agrellan Warzone.
..
When they had inputted it all, the holo-charts glowed with criss-crossing web-lines of xenos activity. Its scale and sophistication repelled them all. Supply hubs, refuelling stations, convoy protection teams, automated drone sentries, human worlds secretly compliant, all enabling the massive movement of the invasion fleet that had smashed through to Agrellan. Konrad located two new routes that had appeared only a Terran week before the appearance of the Stormsurges.
'This is how they are transporting their new battlesuits,' he said with grim conviction.
Again note that the use of routes and mapping is important for Tau Warp Dives circa 3rd sphere (Agrellan) and they are clearly covering many tens of light years in months at most. Indeed some 'routes' seem to involve a bare week difference implying transit speeds of many hundreds of c at a bare minimum. There's literally no way third sphere could play out as it did without FTL, so this is beyond dispute.
All the same, some materials try to dispute it. While the Codexes since 6th haven't explicitly forbidden FTL, the rulebooks were something of another matter. At least in 8th edition:
8th Edition Rulebook said:
Being a non-psychic race, the T'au have no understanding of the warp, so their star fleets travel at sub-light speeds. New technological innovations have steadily increased their range, allowing them to press ever further into the galaxy. Their Second and Third Spheres of Expansion were halted only due to the barrier of the Damocles Gulf and increased resistance from the Imperium of Mankind.
Making it a bit of a headache to tie together, but not impossible since there's no real context or detail attached to the comment.
Codex tau 8th said:
In order to reach those more distant systems earmarked as desirable by advanced scouts, the vast armadas of T'au spacecraft had been outfitted with the latest Earth caste modifications. The ships' propulsion systems were upgraded so that when magnified by impulse reactors, the engines could obtain faster speeds, propelling ships forwards at hitherto unthinkable velocities. To further lessen the burden on those space-faring craft with the longest journeys, the Earth caste had outfitted transport vessels with large stasis chambers, allowing Hunter Cadres or whole commands to shift to far distant battle zones months or years away without actually aging a day in the process.
This quote cropped up in 6th too, and it was hilarious then. The 'third' iteration with the impulse reactors boosting previous drive advances (namely, the horizon drive) sound hilarious. Impulse reactors push ships to 'unthinkable velocities' yet we already knew the supposedly 'sublight' Tau already achieved near-lightspeed. Getting nearer to lightspeed might provide some more relativistic effects to protect the crew a bit from the duration, but its not going to add jack shit to speed... unless you exceed the speed of light.
In keeping with that hilarious inconsistency, the Tau in fact do this multiple times since 6th. To wit:
Tyranid 6th said:
FLIGHT TO KE'LSHAN
Though the Tau fleet was pursued by dozens of bio-ships, only a handful of cadre vessels were boarded and destroyed before the Tau successfully punched through the Tyranid blockade. Unaffected by the Shadow in the Warp, the Tau's ZFR Horizon drives propelled their ships at near light speed through realspace, and arrived safely at Ke'lshan. It took the Tyranids many days to traverse the same span of space, and for the first time in months, the Tau hoped to have a chance to catch their breath and recuperate.
Yes. Their magical horizon drives actually allowed the Tau to [i[Outrun the Tyranids[/i] Now remember that while the Tyranids having warp drive post 5th was up for debate, they still had Narvahls so its baffling that the 'sublight' Tau could outrace an explicitly FTL race. Compoudning that hilarity is the timeframe - Hive Fleet
Warzone Damocles said:
Propelled at ever greater speeds by the latest Earth Caste impulse reactors, the vast armada of Aun'Va's Tau Coalition powered across the Damocles Gulf and into Imperial Space. The expeditionary force met little in the way of significant opposition, even from the Imperial worlds that rejected the offers of the Water caste's ambassadors.
This repeats the codex bits on impulse reactors, and as I said for Third Sphere and War Zone Damocles you pretty much need to be crossing tens or hundreds of light years in weeks or months... there's no way around it being FTL. The only speeds greater than near-c are going to be many time greater than c.
Given that we can speculate on a Tau drive (and FTL) progression that follows this pattern:
Tau FTL model
First sphere has them evolving the gravity drive as per BFG. This may or may not also result in the modifications that allow (retroactively) to swiftly colonize their immediate surroundings for the First sphere expansion due to weird properties (time/space dilation) and closely placed star systems
Gravity drive (first sphere). This could still result in the discovery of a crashed alien ship and its warp drive (and experiments into that technology) but nothing definite or widespread yet.
Second Sphere is where things start to get interesting. They expand further by charting routes through dangerous parts of their space (including the Damocles gulf) through trial and error. This could be the point where we actually get navigation into and out of warp rifts in some cases, and with others you simply have warped distances/pathways to travel along. This still allows them to be 'sublight' but achieve travel that doesn't take years or decades like it should.
Second sphere, however is where they start meeting the Orks and eventually the Imperium. They learn more about FTL drives (from Ork and Imperial vessels) and they perhaps begin to study the routes that permitted their swift journeys as well. Second sphere stretches out for some time and even the end is some distance into the future, so there is lots of time for additional advances. The Horizon drive would maximize their travel speeds - travelling as close to the speed of lgiht as efficiently possible means making the most out of not only navigating warp rifts but the routes as well. Other examples of this in action would be the Black Reef/Hadex anomaly from Deathwatch
Eventually they start tinkering with their drive system in other ways to achieve other effects. We can presume the grav drive is a factor in protecting them from the effects of the warp minus a gellar field (in conjunction with their low/nearly nonexistent warp souls) but the grav drive configurations may enable them to more effectively harness and shape the routes they take, and we get into the first steps of warp dives. They start out slow and less efficient at first, but over time they continue refining the process and making improvements (being able to maintain the dive for longer (Velk'Han and Deathwatch come in here.)
Eventually, they learn to artificially replicate the Warp Dive without being confined to routes - they still can't enter the warp and it may be slower than 'in-route' travel, but this allows them much more flexibility in expanding than they had. This may or may not be the 'impulse reactors' of third sphere - we might surmise these are sort of a weaker version of slipstream drive that only achieves the 'partial' translations. We might consider this the ether drive - the logical conclusion of their pre-Warp drive travel. Speeds may get closer to equalling 'average' warp travel (non Navigator) but its still potentially much slower than true warp drive even if they could maintain the dive indefinitely (which at that point, they might on at least some ships or in some locations) Smaller ships like the Manta can also be equipped with FTL drives now.
Third sphere ends with the conflagration fo the Damocles Gulf and the Tau can no longer bypass it effectively (We could surmise that any 'artificial' dives are too short ranged or slow to make this practical over reasonable timescales for the Tau to wage war. The fastest longest-ranged routes for warp-diving would be through the Gulf, much as travelling to Jericho Reach meant the Hadex anomaly and black Reef. The Tau cannot continue their progress until the creation of slipstream drive (the final evolution of the impulse reactors to emulate Warp drive without psykers or navigators) and that brings us to 8th and eventually 9th with the fifth sphere and the Startide Nexus.
And 9th edition brings us the promise of a sixth sphere expansion... courtesy of the slipstream drive:
Codex Tau 9th said:
"Or do we exercise our new-found reach to once again push beyond what the Gue'la call the Damocles Gulf, to reclaim the septs that were lost and drive deeper than ever into the western galactic reaches? Understand my guests,this is not some mere dream. Fio'vre Ka'buto and his scientists assure me that the modifications they have made to their original designs render the Slipstream module safer and more stable than ever before when deployed en masse. With such a device at our disposal, the stars are closer than ever, and oru duty to reach them clearer.'
El'Umeh couldn't believe what she was hearing.
The Sixth Sphere Expansion, she thought, light-headed with amazement. The Ethereal Supreme is considering the commencement of the Sixth Sphere Expansion, and he is asking for my Commander's thoughts on where it should occur.
Such a thing was unheard of. The battles of the Fith Sphere Expansion still raged beyond the Zone of Silence. O'Shaserra herself led the push to colonise new worlds and raise new septs beyond the fabled wormhole. El'Umeh was hardly in possession of all the data, yet she had the impression that the empire had expended vast resources already on gathering and launching that fleet. To think that it could muster a sixth expansion even while the fifth was still underway... had the scope and scale of T'au space truly grown so vast?
Setting aside the implication that the Tau are vast enough in terms of territory and industry to sustain two Spheres of expansion so closely together, we're told that they can now safely engage in large scale use of slipstream and derive the benefits of its speed in their expansion. No more limits to warp dives or ether drive. They could achieve something that matches at least some kinds of Warp travel.
This also makes clear that the Tau not only didn't lose slipstream travel with fourth sphere. It was simply limited in its scale of application. Single ships (or small numbers) might be able to harness it effectively and without danger - but large fleets (scores or hundreds) were dangerous. Now, that may no longer be so true, and that is a HUGE game changer for the Tau.
Another thing to consider is - as I said before - in many ways the 'Ether drive/warp dive' feature is describing the same essential capability, it just evolves incrementally with each step or including a new wrinkle. First you have the grav drive - which plays a role in maintaining the warp dive once they develop that technology and presumably protecting the craft and permitting some degree of navigating the charted routes in their domain. Then as per 6th you have the 'Horizon' drive which allows for rapid and effective near-lightspeed travel. If the routes allow for the warp to amplify sublight speeds into translight speeds, then maximizing your realspace speed would be the best way to optimize travel time.
Eventually late second/early third you're getting into the true Ether Drive/Warp Dives as outlined in BFG and the impulse reactor upgrade allows for that push for 'artificially' created routes/dives (and possibly leads to the truly long-distance travel like allowing Kel'Shan to reach Jericho Reach sector despite being potentially hundreds of light years away) - the grav drive helps to maintain the dive, the Horizon engines keep speed maximized during that dive. Despite being from different, unconnected sources, you can clearly treat each iteration as being an improvement of each technology, allowing the Tau to move that much faster until they reach the presumable endpoint (currently) with a fully fledged and potentially workable slipstream drive that can be utilized for large fleets - leading to Sixth Sphere.
****
Now we get to FTL comms courtesy of Shadowsun, last of Kiru's line:
Shadowsun last of Kiru's Line said:
'It is agreeable to see you, Shas'la,' she said. 'What is the status of our communications?'
Sabu'ro glanced at Kou'to before answering. The veteran's nod told him that it was all right to address Shadowsun directly.
'Commander,' he said proudly, 'we are fully capable. Local tightbeam and interplanetary tachyon arrays are both at one hundred per cent.'
'Are you able to contact the rest of the fleet?'
'It has already been done. All ships are holding at station-keeping eight light-minutes beyond il'Wolaho's moon, as per your previous instructions. Command of the armada has passed to Kor'el Kenhi'ta, who relayed the news of what transpired today to T'au via graviton data packet.' He smiled. 'After you last spoke to me, I made all vessels aware of your survival.'
'Was that news also relayed to T'au?'
Young Sabu'ro seemed confused by the question. 'Why would it not be?'
Shadowsun nodded, imagining what the reaction must have been back on the home world. First, news that a powerful warship had been destroyed with all hands lost. Then, later on, a second bulletin informing everyone that she and a handful of others were alive, but for the moment, non-recoverable. Shock, followed by sadness, followed by joy, followed by concern. The halls of the Aun't'au'retha, the supreme council of Ethereals who presided over the Empire, must have been uncharacteristically lively this day. Once again, she blamed herself.
...
'Commander, there's an incoming data packet addressed to you.' He passed the flex-screen to Shadowsun. 'A pre-recorded message of some kind, relayed through the fleet position.'
Il'Walaho was nearly one hundred and fifty light-years away from the heart of the Empire. Real-time communication over such distances was impossible, even for a race as technologically advanced as the tau. Shadowsun took note of the time stamp as the bundle of words and decompiled themselves; whatever the nature of this message, it had been sent while her fleet was in translation from T'au.
'It says here that this was made and received some time ago. Why am I only seeing it now?'
Sabu'ro shook his head as the recording began.
'O'Shaserra,' it said slowly and clearly, 'This is Aun'va speaking. As leader of the Aun't'au'retha, may I say that it brings great relief to all to hear that you have survived the destruction of your command vessel.'
We get reference to 'tachyon' communications (presumably the short-range/in system stuff) and the 'grav-wave' data packets. There are two distinct kinds of communication and calcs here but I'll indulge in a little speculation relating to Eye of Terror. A numbe rof sources (Eye of Terror website back in 3rd edition, the Deathwatch RPG) mention tachyonic bullshit, and its often tied to Warp phenomena (as is 'subspace' bullshit in the Hoare novels.) We also know that gravity and spatial distortions are closely related to warp phenomena as well. And as mentioned before, Eye of Terror indicated that in a warp-realspace interface 'lightspeed' signals (like photons/light) could be effectively translight. In that sense, we might consider 'tachyons' to be matter subjected to the translight properties of the warp, wheras grav packets might be some sort of weird modulated grave pulses that create a sort of warp 'dive' signal to relay data back to the destination (unless of course its a physical vessel. That's not clear.) It may even be that its a tachyonic signal that is manipulated the same way the grav drive helps maintain a warp dive.
Anyhow, bullshit speculatin over nature done, we go to the calcs. The first is for the ship-to ground communications which are almost or effectively instantaneous over an eight light minute distance (this will get reiterated later) and that plays out to around at least FTL communications speed of tens of c (call it 50c or so.)
The grav-packet takes longer, but it occurs well within the space of a day (twelve hours) and possibly as little as four to six hours (remember it started during morning, and now its afternoon to evening here.) so its clearly a matter of hours top, and less than a day at worst. For the message to cover 150 LY in one day (12 hours to 24) you get between 54,000-109,000c roughly. In 4-6 hours it would be more like 220,000-330,000c. That's slow compared to some and not suitable for FTL travel (even commercial astrotelepathy can cross 10-20 LY in around 11 minutes as per Eisenhorn, whereas others have realtime communication between two nearby systems and multiple light years. 1st edition has Astrotelepathy crossing 50,000 LY in seconds or minutes even, albeit with ten words or less.) But for the Tau? That's quite fast, esp considering their FTL (such as it is) would be orders of magnitude slower. Many times throughout her career, she had pictured the memorial they would erect of her on T'au following her death. It would be placed before the Mont'yr Battle Dome, of course, where it would stand among the other heroes of her people, immortalised in six-metre-high white marble. Along the base would read her accolades – Shadowsun, daughter of Kiru, hero of the K'resh Expansion War, scourge of the greenskin barbarians, bulwark against the hive fleets.
The K'Resh Expansion War was part of the Great War of Confederation which took place in 975.M41 and lasted a dozen years, meaning this is between the end of that (12 years later, or in 987.M41) and the start of 3rd sphere in 997.M41 - no more than a decade difference. Given that Third Sphere involved Aun'Va accompanying Shadowsun personally (As 6th edition outlines) from the Tau homeworld, that means Shadowsun made a round trip from the edge of the empire and back to pick up the Supreme leader (5 years both ways).
2023.05.28 19:54 TheFopDoodle How to heck do I layout my island
I've been playing for 3 years and have yet to build my island uo because I don't know how to layout. I really want a fantasy type build but also want more of a modern look and wish my island was big for both styles.
The only conclusion I've come to is making the front of my island more modern like old times like saint Augustine type than rhe back more woodsy and fantasy type.
I tried building the front of my island wirh some hills but I don't know how people can incorporate their hills and still be able to build behind hills bevause it takes up so much room.
I've tried looking at sp many people's islands and finding layouts but I'm overwhelmed. This is so unusual for me I'm usually a very creative person i build in sims and minecraft perfectly but in animal crossing im stumped.
submitted by TheFopDoodle to AnimalCrossing [link] [comments]
The only conclusion I've come to is making the front of my island more modern like old times like saint Augustine type than rhe back more woodsy and fantasy type.
I tried building the front of my island wirh some hills but I don't know how people can incorporate their hills and still be able to build behind hills bevause it takes up so much room.
I've tried looking at sp many people's islands and finding layouts but I'm overwhelmed. This is so unusual for me I'm usually a very creative person i build in sims and minecraft perfectly but in animal crossing im stumped.
2023.05.28 16:31 milobeagle A nice prayer to the Holy Spirit 🙏🕊️
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.
Beautiful Saint Augustine prayer.
submitted by milobeagle to Catholicism [link] [comments]
Beautiful Saint Augustine prayer.
2023.05.28 16:02 CWang Book I of Confessions (397) by Augustine - The first book of Confessions, one of the most influential autobiographies of Western literature, traces Saint Augustine's childhood years and explores the concept of Original Sin and the pleasures of reading. (28 mins to read)
 | submitted by CWang to FreeEBOOKS [link] [comments] |
2023.05.28 15:05 resurrective Chapter 17 – The trial of heart
The black domes, they were pocket dimensions, which were completely detached from the material world. Bound to the stream of souls, flowing inside the ephemeral branches of the world tree, they presented a personal hell for each person cast into them. They are a limbo of regrets, the hell of one’s own making, places where the living meets the dead.
There’s only so many ways to elope them. One must either reconcile with the restless souls, or join them, succumbing to their rage and regret that they carried into their afterlife. After all, to even get there, one must possess unparalleled strength and resilience; and only those who had caused deaths and destruction on their path to greatness can even hope to get to this trial.
Freia, Flare, the First princess of Jioral. For some – a good friend, lover, and companion. For others – a nightmare embodied, a vessel of divine powers, a force to be reckoned with. She had many enemies: princes and princesses felled by her authority, treacherous servants and greedy nobles, the knights, who opposed her corruption, slavers and bandits, destroyed on her quest for redemption and restoration of herself… But there were more. Children she had burned, serving her kingdom, women who perished by the tides she conjured, men that had been torn apart by raging tornados of her making, elderly that were buried under the rubble she created…
And how did she oppose them?
“Flagella terram et vescere inimicis meis, o magnum tempestas ignis!” The sorceress chanted, spinning her staff above her head. Then, right before the raging mob reached her, she hid from them behind a vortex of fire. One move and this wave of heat would incinerate everything and everyone in this accursed realm. But…
“TRAITOR!”
“DON’T HIDE FROM US, FLA-A-A-ARE!”
“COME TO US, SISTER!”
“YOU WERE NEVER ONE OF US!”
“USURPER!”
“GIVE ME BACK MY MOM!””
“THE FALSE PRINCESS!”
“SUNNARI (die)!”
“THE DAUGHER OF A WHORE!”
“YOU SHOULD’VE ROT IN THE SLUMS!”
Curses and jealousy, bitterness and hatred. The chorus of tortured souls surrounding the fiery boundary couldn’t be silenced even by the roaring flame. There couldn’t be any redemption.
“I’m sorry for all of you, who unjustly died by my hand!..” And even though there were people deserving their apologies, those who had to perish in favor of Flare’s political ambitions, those she sacrificed to appease her tyrannical father…
“THEN JOIN US, FLARE!”
“PAPA! WHERE ARE YOU?! GIVE HIM BACK!”
“REPENT, BITCH! DISPELL YOUR WITCHCRAFT!!!”
“But I won’t give in to you!” The pink-haired woman exclaimed, absorbing mana into her staff. “Furthermore, there’re those of you I will never regret killing! And there are those, for whom I must live! I MUST GET OUT OF THIS PLACE!!!” Then, she slammed the lower tip of her weapon into the floor made of the absolute darkness. Instead of wailing, being consumed by fear, guilt, self-loathing, and, ultimately, perishing, Freia sundered this entire “world”. One magical strike from her, and cracks of white and gold covered the entire dome. The wall of fire faded, but when the vengeful spirits rushed forward to maul their prey, they crumbled into piles of black salt. “I’m so… so sorry!” The girl lamented, kneeling near the remains of children, whose future she stole. “But I… I must move forward. I must save…”
…
Sparks and crackling, whistle and dazzling – time and time again the surge of lightning breached through the veil of darkness.
“UO-O-O-O-O-O!!!” A guttural scream filled the oppressive silence under the dome. Eve Reese, so childish and bashful, so eager to prove herself, now wore a stone mask of indifference. “Nira-a-a (no-o-o)!!! Yuarmta (I won’t forgive you)!!!” Cornar yelled, held still by at least seven shadows, he had been tortured, killed, bruised, smitten by the raging element of lightning. No longer did the girl see him as a threat; no longer did she cower at the feet of her former husband. Maybe, Eve was condemned to getting back her memories as a means of punishment, something that would make her sympathize with this petty little tyrant…
“Yuarm yau (I don’t need your forgiveness).” The Me-ua kahul spoke, looking at her crackling right arm, trembling with power and guilt combined. Not for forsaking her would-be-spouse, not for becoming Panakea’s pawn…
These souls, these loyal shadows – turned out, she never called upon them… until the very end. Her subjects, her brethren… Eve feared that if she let them out, they would tear her tyrannical husband into little pieces.
“Haa… Haa…” And now, she had to choose. To turn around and let someone else fix her problem, or… “Haa… HAA!!! HAA!!! HAA!!! SUNI (I’ll kill you)!!!”
A Punch to the maw, to the chest, through the ribs, to the heart! He didn’t die! He couldn’t die here! This scumbag of a man, this monster just wouldn’t go away! No matter how much pain she caused him, no matter how many times she slit his throat, broke through his torso, shocked him with spells, cut him with magical light…
And what of Cornar?
“A-A-A-A-A!!! A-A-AGH!!! HA-HA-HA-A!!! NA SHENBATA, SETOAN (you can’t get rid of me, woman)!!!” The son of Hakuo never relented. He relished in his immortality, laughed through the hellish torments Eve inflicted upon him. The skinned lion spotted a weakness in Eve’s heart, and he pressed at it, as if breaking the girl would get him back to the world of the living…
No, he wanted to take Eve to the world of dead.
“Gha-a-a-a… Agh-h-h…” The queen-to-be grabbed her forehead, her rugged breath not only siphoned all the focus out of her, threatening to cast the girl into a pit of despair, it also deteriorated her control over the mana she wielded. Unlike the city of salt, there was enough ambient magic to harvest here, but doing so would require skills, precision, and, most importantly, personal discipline and control over one’s own mind.
“Praibi, orna Iblis (Drain yourself, my Iblis)!” The prince of Batnara shashu tribe provoked, feeling the grip of the shadows losing its strength. A little more, and he’d be free… A little more…
“Hm…” But Eve wouldn’t relent. She once again covered her arm in a coat of magical lightning. She would never surrender; the queen would never let anyone treat her like a slave ever again. Not after Keyaruga’s perseverance taught her a lesson of resilience. Not after his gentleness, however tainted by his wounds, showed her what true love should look like.
She took a swing, prepared to strike…
“…” But then, two winged shadows stopped her hand. Amda and Sana, they were barely recognizable in their spiritual forms… but Eve would never mistake her parents for anyone else. They couldn’t speak, yet they still communicated with their daughter through other means. Emotions, wishes, urges – they never wished such evil to befall their daughter, but what they hated even more – was to see their child descend into the same pit.
“I… I don’t… have to?..” They asked her to stop, to let them relieve her of that burden. “B-but!.. No! You will die!” The girl snarled, grabbing her parents in a hug. She knew what was to come – her mother, father – they wished to sacrifice themselves to drag Cornar back to the afterlife. But that… wouldn’t that mean she’d lose them all over again? Wouldn’t…
“…”
“Yes! You’re dead! So what?! What do I?..” The feeling of pain and powerlessness engulfed the verdant woman. Barely had she found the strength to stand before her fallen tribe, before those who she desired to see the most now left her.
“YOTJAR (finally)!!!” With Eve’s will getting weaker, so did the shadows of her ethereal court. Her tyrannical husband finally broke free, slamming and stomping her shadows, as they fruitlessly tried stopping him. Amda and Sana Reese hugged their child for the last time… and now they stood up to defend their precious daughter. That is… the least they could do.
…
Freia broke inside another dome. From the outside, they looked like bright constellations of stars, formed on the points of a massive, galactic-scaled pentagram. The personal chamber for each of the contenders. One was broken from the inside, collapsing inwards, into a black hole with an orange halo – this was Freia’s dome. There were four more. Two were dimmed, two still shone brightly. The Hero of Magic travelled through this empty space, lit by numerous distant stars. In her current form, things like speed, form, and time – none of them mattered, aside from her destination. And now, she had to choose one of the two luminous chambers.
…
What is true power? Does one determine this abstract concept by the weight one can lift with their muscles? Maybe it was the charisma necessary to lead the masses? Enough money to influence others? Authority earned or inherited?
“Well-well-well…” Whatever the answer truly was, Ellen had none of it right now. No strength to fight, no troops to hide behind, and certainly – those who opposed her now had little if any need of whatever amount of gold she now carried.
“WENCH!”
“TANOUTUR (murderer)!”
“NEZAH (why)?!”
“MERA RIVARO (my life)!..”
“YAU MA (how dare you)!”
“YOU’LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU’VE DONE, BITCH!!!”
Oh, they came for Norn. There were hundreds, if not thousands of them, some she could recall from her Murian and Teuteccain campaigns – the series of expansions past the great wall; others were the court warlords she and John unseated in her ascension; rebellious villagers too came to exact their revenge on the younger princess, after her demons decimated them; and there were the victims of Buranikka’s carnage. This was the mountain of corpses Norn Clatalissa Jioral used to climb onto the very peak of political power…
“Now then, what do you want from me? An apology? Maybe my penance?” Even now, surrounded by countless dead souls, whose entire being now revolved around their grudge, the girl wouldn’t let herself be crushed by their rage. Not mentally, at least.
“DIE!”
“MAN WOR YAKSI (give me your eyes)!”
“SUFFER, YOU MONSTER!”
“I JUST WANTED TO LIVE!!!”
And so, hundreds of voices began howling in unison. So passionate, so eager to share their hardships and aspirations, that Ellen actually started pitying them a little. So many words, so much pain in them.
“Haa… I guess, that something like this was bound to happen someday. Well…” Instead of listening to the rest of the traumatizing nonsense and wailing, the crimson-headed cutie just began… to simply undress. “I don’t have the power to struggle, I can’t break out of here, and all of you came here for me. So go on. Rape me, maul me, kill me, do whatever you want. I’ve already done everything I wanted.” Ellen, now naked and completely defenseless, stretched out on the ethereal black floor, looking into the endless black void above her. The raging souls now came closer and closer, dozens of faces now loomed above her, as their hands reached out to grab the fallen warlady and tear her apart. This… was the end.
Keyaruga, Setsuna, sister… I hope you won’t miss me too much.
And so, she closed her eyes. Time to finally die.
…
…
…
There was no pain, nobody dragged the girl around, not even a single blow fell upon her. Ellen was… safe?
“A-A-A-A!!!”
“UGH-H-H!!!”
“YOLA-A-A-A-A (it hu-u-u-urts)!!!”
Slice and dicing, the ripping of flesh and clattered bones, “death” of a sort, dealt to the undying, torment for the tormented who themselves wished to inflict suffering upon her – someone kept the restless souls away from the princess. Someone precise, fast, and masterful with his tools of mayhem.
“Haa, is that you, Organ?” Ellen asked sullenly. Denied her excruciating retribution once more, she could only cover her tightly shut eyes with her palms.
“How did you know, Your Highness?” Indeed, it was him. As brutal as he was gallant, the deceased demigod was the only one out of these dead souls, who spoke to her, and not wailed at her like some sort of a beast.
“I know only two men, who’d come for me here, and the other isn’t so discreet, you moron.” The young general replied, opening her eyelids. The first thing she saw was the Champion of Jioral, covered in black blood. His prized amber eyes were no more, only black gaping holes were there instead. “Why’re you here? Do you want a piece of me for yourself?” The girl asked, still unwilling to stand up. Honestly, she felt robbed at this moment. This would be such a fitting end for her, but no! “Don’t tell me you’ve just barged in here to… Pff! PROTECT… me.” The second princess spat these words through her painfully clenched teeth.
“First things first, Lady Norn, I suggest you cover your shame and cease this indecency.” The warrior spoke, piercing and slashing the mob with his sword, impaling them with his hidden blade, tossing them back with his kicks. He was far from his prime form, and so, wounds and sores, cuts and lesions were left on him, as he, alone, overpowered dozens of raging men and women, keeping them away from the girl he swore to protect. Indeed… “Forgive me, princess, but I made a vow to your mother, and death is hardly a valid reason to…”
“YAKS… (giv…) A-A-A-A!!!”
“…to renounce my…”
“DOKI-I-I (step away)!!!”
“…loyalty to her!”
Despite everything, no matter the odds, Hawkeye continued to push back the angry spirits. He couldn’t dodge, as every missed blow could land on the lady, he couldn’t step back, as she needed protection more than any time in her life, and, certainly, sustained by this oppressive dimension, he couldn’t die. He couldn’t kill anyone, as they just rose anew from their own black blood, but the man couldn’t retreat.
“He-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh…” The princess chuckled, curling her torso in order to sit up. It hurt her stomach, but the girl persevered nonetheless. “Why am I always surrounded by stupid stubborn men, who just can’t help but dingle their balls before me? Seriously, a dead man, upholding a promise to a dead woman, how much more ridiculous can this get?” The girl scoffed, pulling back her panties, bra, and whatever she left lying around, back on. After all, why even bother now? “Be honest, idiot! What do you want from me?”
“I came here…”
Slash, backflip, tackle, toss – Organ Trist twirled around his commander, pushing back everyone, who came too close to his prized princess.
“…to ask you, Lady Norn!..”
Shoulder slam, side-kick, a flurry of bloodshed embodied in the son of Artemis!
“…to save my…”
Stabbing enemies with that hidden blade, crushing their skulls with the handle of his blade, ripping their eyes out and tossing them away – however useless this double-sided brutality may seem, Hawkeye had purpose, skill, and, most of all, conviction, that allowed him to push the mob away.
“…daughter! Save Marianna!”
After all, what can be stronger, than a father, eager to protect his dear child?
“And you think keeping me alive will help you with that? You, moron, this bloated pigeon trapped me here! I have only one way out – fucking death!” The second princess, now properly clothed again, yelled however loud she could. Unable to comprehend the reasoning behind this idiocy, the girl just stood there, pulling her crimson hair. “Also, you’re severely mistaken! I’m not Norn! Norn’s dead! My name is…”
“…Elly! Elly-y-y!!!” Barely had the princess opened her mouth; before the dome had been breached from the outside. The Hero of Magic emerged above the ground. She levitated, using magical blue flames; she secured her sister by forming a wall around her, a barricade made from powerful ice spears. The sorceress even went so far as to send one into the undead Champion, it was one he easily avoided, though. “Step away from my sister, Organ!!!” The raging magician demanded, pulling her sibling towards her with a gust of mystical wind.
“Ghh! Oh, hey there, Friea!” The fallen warlady spoke, bracing herself against the dizziness her brief flight had caused. Still, this didn’t look good. The last time those two met, Hawkeye severely injured the pink-haired girl, and she just wouldn’t live through it again, unless two gods appeared to help her. This time, though, it was her turn to be a deity-savior.
“Get away! You’ve bested me once, but this time, I can crash this entire realm down onto your head!” The Hero of Magic promised, putting her staff between her sister and her enemy.
“Aw shit, this just gets better and better…” The little genius lamented, nervously shaking her head. Not only was her glorified suicide rudely interrupted, but now this situation threatened to kill her sister as well. Still…
“Elly, Elly… Ellen? Ellen the Adopted?” Despite Freia’s expectations, Organ Trist was more interested in the new name she called Norn, rather than anything else, really. He already had his fair share of battles, after all. “Ho-ho-o! I guess, in the end, you really did become the better version of yourself! And the ‘brother’ in question – is that sir Keyaru?” The blinded man asked with the same smugness he once boasted with in his grandiose life.
“What’s the point of answering you now? Aren’t we just traitors to you?” The heroine replied with every bit of animosity she had in her. “Hold on, Elly, I’ll get you out of here.” Freia stated, charging her staff with the magic that shaped this entire “world”.
“Heh, aren’t you afraid of what that damn poisoned pigeon might do to you for breaking her rules?” The crimson-haired cutie scoffed, witnessing the entire black dome covering with cracks.
“I don’t care about her rules! All I want is to see you safe!” The sorceress spoke with even more defiance toward Caladrius than Norn ever had in her. If needed, she would challenge this feathered nightmare to a duel, anything, just to save her family.
“I see…” Hawkeye uttered, kneeling before the two girls. All that time, rather than monitoring Freia’s moves, his supernatural senses were aimed outside, to make sure no restless souls cross the fence of magic ice. But now… “I see your eyes, Princess Flare, they’re just like hers. I’m sure; you’ll make Lady Reeharoze proud of you yet.” Now, before he once again departs to the other side, there was one last thing to tell them. First praise, then a claim… “Lady Ellen, I beg of you. The life of Marianna now lies in your hands.” …and finally a plea. With all that said, Organ Trist crumbled, his body turned into black salt. And with it, the entire realm began to collapse in itself…
“Hold tight, Elly…”
…
And now, there was only one dark dome left. Arguably, the worst of them all, this particular world was to be the prison for Keyaruga… or his cemetery. No doorways to run into, no windows to jump from. He was alone, trapped with hundreds of those who were slain by his hand. Those poor bastards – the restless souls, their minds were so obsessed with hatred, and their grudge – powered by the sheer immortality of their ethereal blackened bodies. This was hell in its purest form. The question is – a hell for who, exactly?
“YE-E-E-E-E-EAH!!! IT’S HEALING TIME!!!” Keyaruga snarled and began splattering blood all over the place. Everyone who was touched by that substance became horribly mutated – their heads bloated, their muscles strained so much, they crushed their very bones! “WHAT’S WRONG?! KILL ME!!! KILL ME NOW!!!” The man demanded, dancing around his would-be tormentors with his blade, blessing his foes with the exquisite gift of perpetual agony! Saber in his right hand, Georgius on his left, one complementing another.
Despite what the lad asked, nobody could bring him down. His immortal flesh defied any blade, his bones healed in an instant, his mad frenzy alleviated any pain.
He thought he could kill his enemies for the second and final time, give them proper death in the most excruciating manner. He was wrong…
“DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! AGAIN! AND AGAIN! AND ALL OVER AGA-A-A-A-AIN!!!” The hero yelled chopping off heads and severing limbs! He killed so many, he couldn’t even count the slayings! He murdered the same people over and over, each time their agony being more exquisite then the last!
Kill a man once, he won’t even notice, his rage will only rise! Kill him thrice – he’d waver! Five – and the seeds of fear are sown. Ten – and he’s broken completely!
Keyaruga just couldn’t help himself, he hated these scum so much, he just couldn’t contain all his passionate hatred. It was so strong, that the feeling of pure, raw, primordial wrath transcended every possible modification he had put into himself.
“A-A-A-A-A!!! UGH-H-H-H-H!!!” A soldier was weeping, hugging his boot. “S-S-S-S-SPA-A-A-ARE ME-E-E!!!”
“YO-O-OU!!! I remember you!” The healer spoke, raising the cretin by his neck. “My first kill! You watched me being raped, drugged… BEATEN!!!” The man yawped, slicing off his upper face with one nimble slice. “AND YOU NEVER!!! EVER!!! EVER FUCKING HELPED ME!!!” The lad, tainted by black and red blood, slammed the sentry into the ‘floor’…
“A-A-A-A-A!!! PLE-E-E-EASE!!!” …and gleefully sliced off his arms, ignited sparked his left armored hand into a gauntlet of blazing heat!..
“GU-GHH-GUU!!! UA-A-A-A-A-A-A!!!” And finally, cauterized the wounds, just so that the retard wouldn’t die too soon.
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!!!” The crazed avenger yelled, grabbing Leonard, so conveniently nearby, weeping. “YOU SAID, I’VE DONE NOTHING FOR THIS FUCKING KINGDOM?! I’LL SHOW YOU, WHAT I CAN DO NO-O-OW!!!”
And so he did, the madman rested his two fingers on the sadist’s forehead. A second passed, and a purple spark had announced the richest form of suffering.
“Oh… U-u… Uo-o-o-o-o-o… Khh…” Indeed, although it wasn’t as vocal as previous ones, Keyaruga was more than pleased with the result. He knew of a human having specific nerves, specifically for reacting to pain. And he just overloaded them. Toxic spiders, dangerous medusas, venomous snakes and scorpions – all of them could do that with their poisons. Hell, even Keyaruga could brew neurotoxins. But damn, this thing had one ultimate merit compared to all of those – the instant effect, so potent, in fact, that the victim can’t even cry out from the excruciating pain!
“He-e! That’s a neat trick.” The lad mumbled, approaching a maid, lying on the “floor” like an embryo. Flare’s bodyguard shivered and sucked her thumb, completely lost to this twisted world. Just one little touch… “Pam! You’re already dead!” Keyaruga sneered tapping his armored fingers by her temple.
“Uh… Uh… Ugh… W… Wha-?.. A-A-A-A-A-A-AGH-H-H!!!” The woman grabbed her skull, but it was too late. All the blood, bile, and even marrow now came into her brain, bloating it, up until it burst in a fountain of black blood and shining entrails.
“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!! I FUCKING LOVE IT!!!” The deranged healer laughed so loud, and his presence was so overwhelming now, that nobody even dared to come close to him, let alone attack, unless they wished to become a victim of a new twisted experiment. Oh, their fear, this agonizing panic! They’re giving me a fucking boner! I wanna fuck! I want a woman! Oh, this! This will do nicely!
And so, Keyaruga dropped his saber, unfastened his belt, ripped the dress, slapped that ass which he had found, grabbed it, pushed it in! The woman with a blackened tail was slowly dying of blood loss, but that barely concerned the lad. He grabbed her pelvis and began to move, so fast, so frantic, and so mindless, that no one could see a human in him. No-o, this was a wild beast, slamming his bulging cock into the defenseless female, too tired to react, let alone resist somehow. She wasn’t even tight, just barely warm, but even that was enough. A few minutes of such suffering inflicted on her, and he came, this was a brilliant orgasm, deeply perverted, and twisted to the very core…
Oh, that’s the fucking best! I love it so much!
Keyaruga grabbed her hand, wiped his penis with it, pull back his pants, and…
I don’t remember her. I wonder, who that is.
He pushed the body, rolling it to the back.
“Ha-a-a… Hello again, Kailia…” The mad lad recognized her instantly. An agent, sent to find and assist Eve Reese in her quest, hired by someone named Carol. But that alone wouldn’t be enough to get Keyaruga to brutally rape her. “You’ve killed my Norn, but I spared you. Heh, after Kali left, I tasked you to ward off whoever they sent after my Eve, but… It seems like you’ve failed. Really, really sad.” The healer spoke, resting his left hand on her dying flesh, recovering it in an instant. And just like that… “Oh, fuck!” She nearly stabbed him with a knife. Gods only knew where she got it from… “Sit still.” But then, Keyaruga just pressed his finger on her forehead, and completely shut down her limbs functions. He pitied her… but could do nothing for this miserable leopard woman.
“Haa… Damn, it’s getting boring here.” The hero lamented, picking up his weapon of choice. At this point, he just put it back in its sheath. Only then did he spot a couple of new faces in the crowd of weeping bastards. “You there! You don’t look like you should be here. What’s… wait…”
“STAY AWAY FROM ME, MONSTER!!!” The woman cried, she was weeping into her man’s now tainted shirt.
“Heh! He-heh! No-no-no-o! Oh no-o-o!” Keyaruga frantically shook his head, unable to believe what he just saw. This was the worst. This… “Anna! Kurt! What… What’re you even doing here?! I… I avenged you! You shouldn’t have…” His parents were there, they stood among the thugs, slavers, robbers, bandits, zealots, murderers… But they… they weren’t one of them…
“You killed us, traitor. You raped my wife, after everything she’s done for you. You’re disgusting little shit!” The mighty harvester told him, pointing his war-scythe at the hero. The only thing that held him at bay, though, was his spouse, loudly crying with black tears pouring from her eyes.
“Heh… You… really think I’d…”
“No. But you’ve proven it.” Kurt spoke with the coldest possible rage in his voice. Keyaru’s cruelty couldn’t be doubted, after all. Not after everyone he maimed this day. “I don’t give a fuck, what the hell is wrong with you, but I’ll slice your guilty ass as many times as I need.” The older man spoke, pushing Anna aside. And then, he lunged.
Kurt struck as a true warrior – he was swift, accurate, precise – his war scythe – basically a reforged farming tool, grazed Keyaruga’s torso, cut his leg, he even stabbed his foster son through his chest. But… there was no blood.
“Calm down, you two.” The hero demanded, stoically taking hit after hit, like the heavy glaive-like blade was nothing. While Anna crumbled to her knees, lost in her weeping, Kurt wouldn’t stop attacking. “You can’t kill me, I’m immor-…” Barely did the lad say so; before his foster father grabbed the handle in a wide grip, and just swept his head off with one precise strike.
“NO-O-O-O-O-O-O!!!” Strangely enough, despite all of the delusions his parents had about him, Anna just couldn’t stand seeing her child being killed so brutally. “A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A!!! WHY-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y?!!!” As Keyaru’s head rolled on the ground, the thugs, at least those who weren’t affected by any of hero’s inventive afflictions, started to get rallied again.
“You had it coming, you ungrateful dipshit!” Kurt spat through tightly closed teeth. He couldn’t watch, couldn’t face what he had to do with his adopted prodigy. Even if he was a criminal. Even if…
“I really did…” But the bastards weren’t enjoying the show for too long. Right when the healer seemed to fall, a new body started to grow from his neck-stump, the clothes, the pouches, the weapons – everything turned into ash just to materialize again on the proudly standing conqueror of death itself.
“What devilry is this?” Kurt’s reaction was understandable. A mix of fear, anger, and disgust, was all over his tainted face. In turn…
“KEYARU-U-U-U!!!” Anna just dashed forward to hug her child. No matter, how disgustingly atrocious his resurrection was, without even looking at the beheaded body that now lied nearby, the woman just went ahead and embraced the lad. She… didn’t seem to be in her right mind, even for a dead soul.
“Anna, I… I…” The shivers began taking a hold of him. His hands, his knees – they trembled so much, this simple touch he though he lost forever, this… This was enough to make him cry. “I’m sorry… I’m so, so, so, so-o-o sorry!..”
“DIE, FUCKER!!!”
“THAT YOU HAVE TO SEE ME DOING THIS!!!” Keyaruga yelled, grabbing Leonard by his wrist. Just a little pressure – and he dropped his sword, the weapon faded into nothingness. Then, the man pushed Anna back, punched his foe in the gut, and proudly showed his captive to his family. “Haa… He-heh! He-e-e… This… This is Leonard, Flare’s… right hand…” The hero spoke, this time trying to maintain his sanity, as his parents now cautiously looked at him. “I… I came from the future! I had to rewind time’s flow itself… Because Flare was evil, and he…” Then, the man put his hand onto the barely struggling imbecile, thus transforming him into Keyaru, the motionless child, whose entire mobility, except for breathing, was shut down for the ease of what he was about to do. “I killed Flare! And he took my guilt. Then…” Afterwards, the healer went ahead and summoned raging flames upon his free hand. Kurt and Anna watched motionlessly, as he placed the magic-shrouded palm onto his ‘own’ face, burned it, scourged the blackened flesh with the sorcery he ‘learned’ from Flare… “My trick was revealed, and he headed out to our village, looking just like me. The rest… you know the rest.”
And finally, Keyaruga dropped the motionless doll, unable even to cry out from the excruciating pain the Hero of Healing inflicted upon it. He then faced his parents, still shocked by such a display of merciless brutality, they couldn’t even properly reply, this entire spectacle of bloodshed, mayhem, rape, torture, demonstration of immortality, and now – proofs of metamorphosis – all of that left them utterly silent.
“Kurt, Anna… I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you… But I can’t let you, or any one of these fuckers keep me here! I… I have a family! Freia, Setsuna, Ellen, Eve – I so wanted you to meet them… But you can’t now. You… might not believe me, and I understand that.” The red-eyed lad uttered, as his posture slouched more and more, along with his fading bravery. “This is what it’s like to be a man! I must be strong! I have to be ruthless now, so that nobody would challenge me in the future!” The man added, now turning his back to his foster parents. He stood straight, he stretched his shoulders, took a deep breath, and… “LISTEN HERE, YOU FUCKING MONSTERS!!! WHAT YOU’VE FELT NOW IS BUT A TINY BIT OF WHAT I’LL DO TO YOU, ONCE I’M FUCKING DEAD!!! NOW YOU WILL GO INTO THE DEEPEST PITS OF HELL, AND WHEN YOU’RE THERE, PRAY I DON’T FUCKING DIE ANYTIME SOON!!! BECAUSE WHEN I FINALLY KICK THIS SHITTY BUCKET, I’LL FIND EACH OF YOU, AND WE’LL BE PLAYING FOR THE WHOLE OF ETERNITY!!! BUT WHY WAIT, WHEN WE CAN HAVE SOME FUN NOW, HU-U-U-UH?!!!”
The speech was told, the impact made. His words were so zealous, so passionately intimidating, that the weeping fools now reached a whole new depth of despair.
“GET US OUT OF HERE!!!”
“SAVE ME-E-E-E!!!”
“HE’S THE DEVIL!!! DE-E-EVIL!!!”
“UA-A-A-A-A-A-A!!!”
“KUUNDA (I’m so scared)!!!”
“HE-E-E-E-E-ELP!!!”
And so, this entire crowd, this mob of immortal corpses, just ran away. Everyone, who could still stand on their feet, began fleeing in panic, trampling each other in the process. What they failed to notice, though, is that the dome is endless only for its main victim. Everyone else just came up against the invisible wall.
The Trial of Heart – its goal is twisted, to be certain. To pass it would mean releasing the dead souls from their grudge toward you. A saint would shift it to forgiveness, but the deranged avenger pumped so much fear in those criminals, that their hatred was replaced by the purest and most animalistic terror. Still, with the task done, the souls began to dissipate in a white light. They would finally be free…
“REMEMBER!!! YOU’VE NOT SEEN THE LAST OF ME!!! WE’LL MEET AGAIN, YOU FUCKING SHITBAGS!!!” Unfortunately for them, though, Keyaruga’s long shadow still loomed above them all. And such, even in relief, the crowd continued to cry, to sob, to wail, to…
“Keya… ru…” But not all left because of dread. When the avenger turned around, his foster mother, crumbling into white flakes, stood on her tiptoes to give him a last kiss on the cheek. “You’ve grown… so much…”
And so, she faded. Kurt quickly followed, although it wasn’t forgiveness or benevolence that filled his raging soul. No, it was an impotent acceptance. He saw Keyaruga as a mirror, in which he saw himself, before he deserted the royal guard and found himself in Alban.
“Someday… you’ll follow my path…” And this was what the man spoke at last, dropping his war-scythe to the ethereal ground. With no souls to redeem in the most twisted of ways, the dome of blackness quickly turned insufferably bright.
The Trial of Heart had been passed.
submitted by resurrective to RedoOfHealer [link] [comments]
There’s only so many ways to elope them. One must either reconcile with the restless souls, or join them, succumbing to their rage and regret that they carried into their afterlife. After all, to even get there, one must possess unparalleled strength and resilience; and only those who had caused deaths and destruction on their path to greatness can even hope to get to this trial.
Freia, Flare, the First princess of Jioral. For some – a good friend, lover, and companion. For others – a nightmare embodied, a vessel of divine powers, a force to be reckoned with. She had many enemies: princes and princesses felled by her authority, treacherous servants and greedy nobles, the knights, who opposed her corruption, slavers and bandits, destroyed on her quest for redemption and restoration of herself… But there were more. Children she had burned, serving her kingdom, women who perished by the tides she conjured, men that had been torn apart by raging tornados of her making, elderly that were buried under the rubble she created…
And how did she oppose them?
“Flagella terram et vescere inimicis meis, o magnum tempestas ignis!” The sorceress chanted, spinning her staff above her head. Then, right before the raging mob reached her, she hid from them behind a vortex of fire. One move and this wave of heat would incinerate everything and everyone in this accursed realm. But…
“TRAITOR!”
“DON’T HIDE FROM US, FLA-A-A-ARE!”
“COME TO US, SISTER!”
“YOU WERE NEVER ONE OF US!”
“USURPER!”
“GIVE ME BACK MY MOM!””
“THE FALSE PRINCESS!”
“SUNNARI (die)!”
“THE DAUGHER OF A WHORE!”
“YOU SHOULD’VE ROT IN THE SLUMS!”
Curses and jealousy, bitterness and hatred. The chorus of tortured souls surrounding the fiery boundary couldn’t be silenced even by the roaring flame. There couldn’t be any redemption.
“I’m sorry for all of you, who unjustly died by my hand!..” And even though there were people deserving their apologies, those who had to perish in favor of Flare’s political ambitions, those she sacrificed to appease her tyrannical father…
“THEN JOIN US, FLARE!”
“PAPA! WHERE ARE YOU?! GIVE HIM BACK!”
“REPENT, BITCH! DISPELL YOUR WITCHCRAFT!!!”
“But I won’t give in to you!” The pink-haired woman exclaimed, absorbing mana into her staff. “Furthermore, there’re those of you I will never regret killing! And there are those, for whom I must live! I MUST GET OUT OF THIS PLACE!!!” Then, she slammed the lower tip of her weapon into the floor made of the absolute darkness. Instead of wailing, being consumed by fear, guilt, self-loathing, and, ultimately, perishing, Freia sundered this entire “world”. One magical strike from her, and cracks of white and gold covered the entire dome. The wall of fire faded, but when the vengeful spirits rushed forward to maul their prey, they crumbled into piles of black salt. “I’m so… so sorry!” The girl lamented, kneeling near the remains of children, whose future she stole. “But I… I must move forward. I must save…”
…
Sparks and crackling, whistle and dazzling – time and time again the surge of lightning breached through the veil of darkness.
“UO-O-O-O-O-O!!!” A guttural scream filled the oppressive silence under the dome. Eve Reese, so childish and bashful, so eager to prove herself, now wore a stone mask of indifference. “Nira-a-a (no-o-o)!!! Yuarmta (I won’t forgive you)!!!” Cornar yelled, held still by at least seven shadows, he had been tortured, killed, bruised, smitten by the raging element of lightning. No longer did the girl see him as a threat; no longer did she cower at the feet of her former husband. Maybe, Eve was condemned to getting back her memories as a means of punishment, something that would make her sympathize with this petty little tyrant…
“Yuarm yau (I don’t need your forgiveness).” The Me-ua kahul spoke, looking at her crackling right arm, trembling with power and guilt combined. Not for forsaking her would-be-spouse, not for becoming Panakea’s pawn…
These souls, these loyal shadows – turned out, she never called upon them… until the very end. Her subjects, her brethren… Eve feared that if she let them out, they would tear her tyrannical husband into little pieces.
“Haa… Haa…” And now, she had to choose. To turn around and let someone else fix her problem, or… “Haa… HAA!!! HAA!!! HAA!!! SUNI (I’ll kill you)!!!”
A Punch to the maw, to the chest, through the ribs, to the heart! He didn’t die! He couldn’t die here! This scumbag of a man, this monster just wouldn’t go away! No matter how much pain she caused him, no matter how many times she slit his throat, broke through his torso, shocked him with spells, cut him with magical light…
And what of Cornar?
“A-A-A-A-A!!! A-A-AGH!!! HA-HA-HA-A!!! NA SHENBATA, SETOAN (you can’t get rid of me, woman)!!!” The son of Hakuo never relented. He relished in his immortality, laughed through the hellish torments Eve inflicted upon him. The skinned lion spotted a weakness in Eve’s heart, and he pressed at it, as if breaking the girl would get him back to the world of the living…
No, he wanted to take Eve to the world of dead.
“Gha-a-a-a… Agh-h-h…” The queen-to-be grabbed her forehead, her rugged breath not only siphoned all the focus out of her, threatening to cast the girl into a pit of despair, it also deteriorated her control over the mana she wielded. Unlike the city of salt, there was enough ambient magic to harvest here, but doing so would require skills, precision, and, most importantly, personal discipline and control over one’s own mind.
“Praibi, orna Iblis (Drain yourself, my Iblis)!” The prince of Batnara shashu tribe provoked, feeling the grip of the shadows losing its strength. A little more, and he’d be free… A little more…
“Hm…” But Eve wouldn’t relent. She once again covered her arm in a coat of magical lightning. She would never surrender; the queen would never let anyone treat her like a slave ever again. Not after Keyaruga’s perseverance taught her a lesson of resilience. Not after his gentleness, however tainted by his wounds, showed her what true love should look like.
She took a swing, prepared to strike…
“…” But then, two winged shadows stopped her hand. Amda and Sana, they were barely recognizable in their spiritual forms… but Eve would never mistake her parents for anyone else. They couldn’t speak, yet they still communicated with their daughter through other means. Emotions, wishes, urges – they never wished such evil to befall their daughter, but what they hated even more – was to see their child descend into the same pit.
“I… I don’t… have to?..” They asked her to stop, to let them relieve her of that burden. “B-but!.. No! You will die!” The girl snarled, grabbing her parents in a hug. She knew what was to come – her mother, father – they wished to sacrifice themselves to drag Cornar back to the afterlife. But that… wouldn’t that mean she’d lose them all over again? Wouldn’t…
“…”
“Yes! You’re dead! So what?! What do I?..” The feeling of pain and powerlessness engulfed the verdant woman. Barely had she found the strength to stand before her fallen tribe, before those who she desired to see the most now left her.
“YOTJAR (finally)!!!” With Eve’s will getting weaker, so did the shadows of her ethereal court. Her tyrannical husband finally broke free, slamming and stomping her shadows, as they fruitlessly tried stopping him. Amda and Sana Reese hugged their child for the last time… and now they stood up to defend their precious daughter. That is… the least they could do.
…
Freia broke inside another dome. From the outside, they looked like bright constellations of stars, formed on the points of a massive, galactic-scaled pentagram. The personal chamber for each of the contenders. One was broken from the inside, collapsing inwards, into a black hole with an orange halo – this was Freia’s dome. There were four more. Two were dimmed, two still shone brightly. The Hero of Magic travelled through this empty space, lit by numerous distant stars. In her current form, things like speed, form, and time – none of them mattered, aside from her destination. And now, she had to choose one of the two luminous chambers.
…
What is true power? Does one determine this abstract concept by the weight one can lift with their muscles? Maybe it was the charisma necessary to lead the masses? Enough money to influence others? Authority earned or inherited?
“Well-well-well…” Whatever the answer truly was, Ellen had none of it right now. No strength to fight, no troops to hide behind, and certainly – those who opposed her now had little if any need of whatever amount of gold she now carried.
“WENCH!”
“TANOUTUR (murderer)!”
“NEZAH (why)?!”
“MERA RIVARO (my life)!..”
“YAU MA (how dare you)!”
“YOU’LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU’VE DONE, BITCH!!!”
Oh, they came for Norn. There were hundreds, if not thousands of them, some she could recall from her Murian and Teuteccain campaigns – the series of expansions past the great wall; others were the court warlords she and John unseated in her ascension; rebellious villagers too came to exact their revenge on the younger princess, after her demons decimated them; and there were the victims of Buranikka’s carnage. This was the mountain of corpses Norn Clatalissa Jioral used to climb onto the very peak of political power…
“Now then, what do you want from me? An apology? Maybe my penance?” Even now, surrounded by countless dead souls, whose entire being now revolved around their grudge, the girl wouldn’t let herself be crushed by their rage. Not mentally, at least.
“DIE!”
“MAN WOR YAKSI (give me your eyes)!”
“SUFFER, YOU MONSTER!”
“I JUST WANTED TO LIVE!!!”
And so, hundreds of voices began howling in unison. So passionate, so eager to share their hardships and aspirations, that Ellen actually started pitying them a little. So many words, so much pain in them.
“Haa… I guess, that something like this was bound to happen someday. Well…” Instead of listening to the rest of the traumatizing nonsense and wailing, the crimson-headed cutie just began… to simply undress. “I don’t have the power to struggle, I can’t break out of here, and all of you came here for me. So go on. Rape me, maul me, kill me, do whatever you want. I’ve already done everything I wanted.” Ellen, now naked and completely defenseless, stretched out on the ethereal black floor, looking into the endless black void above her. The raging souls now came closer and closer, dozens of faces now loomed above her, as their hands reached out to grab the fallen warlady and tear her apart. This… was the end.
Keyaruga, Setsuna, sister… I hope you won’t miss me too much.
And so, she closed her eyes. Time to finally die.
…
…
…
There was no pain, nobody dragged the girl around, not even a single blow fell upon her. Ellen was… safe?
“A-A-A-A!!!”
“UGH-H-H!!!”
“YOLA-A-A-A-A (it hu-u-u-urts)!!!”
Slice and dicing, the ripping of flesh and clattered bones, “death” of a sort, dealt to the undying, torment for the tormented who themselves wished to inflict suffering upon her – someone kept the restless souls away from the princess. Someone precise, fast, and masterful with his tools of mayhem.
“Haa, is that you, Organ?” Ellen asked sullenly. Denied her excruciating retribution once more, she could only cover her tightly shut eyes with her palms.
“How did you know, Your Highness?” Indeed, it was him. As brutal as he was gallant, the deceased demigod was the only one out of these dead souls, who spoke to her, and not wailed at her like some sort of a beast.
“I know only two men, who’d come for me here, and the other isn’t so discreet, you moron.” The young general replied, opening her eyelids. The first thing she saw was the Champion of Jioral, covered in black blood. His prized amber eyes were no more, only black gaping holes were there instead. “Why’re you here? Do you want a piece of me for yourself?” The girl asked, still unwilling to stand up. Honestly, she felt robbed at this moment. This would be such a fitting end for her, but no! “Don’t tell me you’ve just barged in here to… Pff! PROTECT… me.” The second princess spat these words through her painfully clenched teeth.
“First things first, Lady Norn, I suggest you cover your shame and cease this indecency.” The warrior spoke, piercing and slashing the mob with his sword, impaling them with his hidden blade, tossing them back with his kicks. He was far from his prime form, and so, wounds and sores, cuts and lesions were left on him, as he, alone, overpowered dozens of raging men and women, keeping them away from the girl he swore to protect. Indeed… “Forgive me, princess, but I made a vow to your mother, and death is hardly a valid reason to…”
“YAKS… (giv…) A-A-A-A!!!”
“…to renounce my…”
“DOKI-I-I (step away)!!!”
“…loyalty to her!”
Despite everything, no matter the odds, Hawkeye continued to push back the angry spirits. He couldn’t dodge, as every missed blow could land on the lady, he couldn’t step back, as she needed protection more than any time in her life, and, certainly, sustained by this oppressive dimension, he couldn’t die. He couldn’t kill anyone, as they just rose anew from their own black blood, but the man couldn’t retreat.
“He-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh…” The princess chuckled, curling her torso in order to sit up. It hurt her stomach, but the girl persevered nonetheless. “Why am I always surrounded by stupid stubborn men, who just can’t help but dingle their balls before me? Seriously, a dead man, upholding a promise to a dead woman, how much more ridiculous can this get?” The girl scoffed, pulling back her panties, bra, and whatever she left lying around, back on. After all, why even bother now? “Be honest, idiot! What do you want from me?”
“I came here…”
Slash, backflip, tackle, toss – Organ Trist twirled around his commander, pushing back everyone, who came too close to his prized princess.
“…to ask you, Lady Norn!..”
Shoulder slam, side-kick, a flurry of bloodshed embodied in the son of Artemis!
“…to save my…”
Stabbing enemies with that hidden blade, crushing their skulls with the handle of his blade, ripping their eyes out and tossing them away – however useless this double-sided brutality may seem, Hawkeye had purpose, skill, and, most of all, conviction, that allowed him to push the mob away.
“…daughter! Save Marianna!”
After all, what can be stronger, than a father, eager to protect his dear child?
“And you think keeping me alive will help you with that? You, moron, this bloated pigeon trapped me here! I have only one way out – fucking death!” The second princess, now properly clothed again, yelled however loud she could. Unable to comprehend the reasoning behind this idiocy, the girl just stood there, pulling her crimson hair. “Also, you’re severely mistaken! I’m not Norn! Norn’s dead! My name is…”
“…Elly! Elly-y-y!!!” Barely had the princess opened her mouth; before the dome had been breached from the outside. The Hero of Magic emerged above the ground. She levitated, using magical blue flames; she secured her sister by forming a wall around her, a barricade made from powerful ice spears. The sorceress even went so far as to send one into the undead Champion, it was one he easily avoided, though. “Step away from my sister, Organ!!!” The raging magician demanded, pulling her sibling towards her with a gust of mystical wind.
“Ghh! Oh, hey there, Friea!” The fallen warlady spoke, bracing herself against the dizziness her brief flight had caused. Still, this didn’t look good. The last time those two met, Hawkeye severely injured the pink-haired girl, and she just wouldn’t live through it again, unless two gods appeared to help her. This time, though, it was her turn to be a deity-savior.
“Get away! You’ve bested me once, but this time, I can crash this entire realm down onto your head!” The Hero of Magic promised, putting her staff between her sister and her enemy.
“Aw shit, this just gets better and better…” The little genius lamented, nervously shaking her head. Not only was her glorified suicide rudely interrupted, but now this situation threatened to kill her sister as well. Still…
“Elly, Elly… Ellen? Ellen the Adopted?” Despite Freia’s expectations, Organ Trist was more interested in the new name she called Norn, rather than anything else, really. He already had his fair share of battles, after all. “Ho-ho-o! I guess, in the end, you really did become the better version of yourself! And the ‘brother’ in question – is that sir Keyaru?” The blinded man asked with the same smugness he once boasted with in his grandiose life.
“What’s the point of answering you now? Aren’t we just traitors to you?” The heroine replied with every bit of animosity she had in her. “Hold on, Elly, I’ll get you out of here.” Freia stated, charging her staff with the magic that shaped this entire “world”.
“Heh, aren’t you afraid of what that damn poisoned pigeon might do to you for breaking her rules?” The crimson-haired cutie scoffed, witnessing the entire black dome covering with cracks.
“I don’t care about her rules! All I want is to see you safe!” The sorceress spoke with even more defiance toward Caladrius than Norn ever had in her. If needed, she would challenge this feathered nightmare to a duel, anything, just to save her family.
“I see…” Hawkeye uttered, kneeling before the two girls. All that time, rather than monitoring Freia’s moves, his supernatural senses were aimed outside, to make sure no restless souls cross the fence of magic ice. But now… “I see your eyes, Princess Flare, they’re just like hers. I’m sure; you’ll make Lady Reeharoze proud of you yet.” Now, before he once again departs to the other side, there was one last thing to tell them. First praise, then a claim… “Lady Ellen, I beg of you. The life of Marianna now lies in your hands.” …and finally a plea. With all that said, Organ Trist crumbled, his body turned into black salt. And with it, the entire realm began to collapse in itself…
“Hold tight, Elly…”
…
And now, there was only one dark dome left. Arguably, the worst of them all, this particular world was to be the prison for Keyaruga… or his cemetery. No doorways to run into, no windows to jump from. He was alone, trapped with hundreds of those who were slain by his hand. Those poor bastards – the restless souls, their minds were so obsessed with hatred, and their grudge – powered by the sheer immortality of their ethereal blackened bodies. This was hell in its purest form. The question is – a hell for who, exactly?
“YE-E-E-E-E-EAH!!! IT’S HEALING TIME!!!” Keyaruga snarled and began splattering blood all over the place. Everyone who was touched by that substance became horribly mutated – their heads bloated, their muscles strained so much, they crushed their very bones! “WHAT’S WRONG?! KILL ME!!! KILL ME NOW!!!” The man demanded, dancing around his would-be tormentors with his blade, blessing his foes with the exquisite gift of perpetual agony! Saber in his right hand, Georgius on his left, one complementing another.
Despite what the lad asked, nobody could bring him down. His immortal flesh defied any blade, his bones healed in an instant, his mad frenzy alleviated any pain.
He thought he could kill his enemies for the second and final time, give them proper death in the most excruciating manner. He was wrong…
“DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! AGAIN! AND AGAIN! AND ALL OVER AGA-A-A-A-AIN!!!” The hero yelled chopping off heads and severing limbs! He killed so many, he couldn’t even count the slayings! He murdered the same people over and over, each time their agony being more exquisite then the last!
Kill a man once, he won’t even notice, his rage will only rise! Kill him thrice – he’d waver! Five – and the seeds of fear are sown. Ten – and he’s broken completely!
Keyaruga just couldn’t help himself, he hated these scum so much, he just couldn’t contain all his passionate hatred. It was so strong, that the feeling of pure, raw, primordial wrath transcended every possible modification he had put into himself.
“A-A-A-A-A!!! UGH-H-H-H-H!!!” A soldier was weeping, hugging his boot. “S-S-S-S-SPA-A-A-ARE ME-E-E!!!”
“YO-O-OU!!! I remember you!” The healer spoke, raising the cretin by his neck. “My first kill! You watched me being raped, drugged… BEATEN!!!” The man yawped, slicing off his upper face with one nimble slice. “AND YOU NEVER!!! EVER!!! EVER FUCKING HELPED ME!!!” The lad, tainted by black and red blood, slammed the sentry into the ‘floor’…
“A-A-A-A-A!!! PLE-E-E-EASE!!!” …and gleefully sliced off his arms, ignited sparked his left armored hand into a gauntlet of blazing heat!..
“GU-GHH-GUU!!! UA-A-A-A-A-A-A!!!” And finally, cauterized the wounds, just so that the retard wouldn’t die too soon.
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!!!” The crazed avenger yelled, grabbing Leonard, so conveniently nearby, weeping. “YOU SAID, I’VE DONE NOTHING FOR THIS FUCKING KINGDOM?! I’LL SHOW YOU, WHAT I CAN DO NO-O-OW!!!”
And so he did, the madman rested his two fingers on the sadist’s forehead. A second passed, and a purple spark had announced the richest form of suffering.
“Oh… U-u… Uo-o-o-o-o-o… Khh…” Indeed, although it wasn’t as vocal as previous ones, Keyaruga was more than pleased with the result. He knew of a human having specific nerves, specifically for reacting to pain. And he just overloaded them. Toxic spiders, dangerous medusas, venomous snakes and scorpions – all of them could do that with their poisons. Hell, even Keyaruga could brew neurotoxins. But damn, this thing had one ultimate merit compared to all of those – the instant effect, so potent, in fact, that the victim can’t even cry out from the excruciating pain!
“He-e! That’s a neat trick.” The lad mumbled, approaching a maid, lying on the “floor” like an embryo. Flare’s bodyguard shivered and sucked her thumb, completely lost to this twisted world. Just one little touch… “Pam! You’re already dead!” Keyaruga sneered tapping his armored fingers by her temple.
“Uh… Uh… Ugh… W… Wha-?.. A-A-A-A-A-A-AGH-H-H!!!” The woman grabbed her skull, but it was too late. All the blood, bile, and even marrow now came into her brain, bloating it, up until it burst in a fountain of black blood and shining entrails.
“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!! I FUCKING LOVE IT!!!” The deranged healer laughed so loud, and his presence was so overwhelming now, that nobody even dared to come close to him, let alone attack, unless they wished to become a victim of a new twisted experiment. Oh, their fear, this agonizing panic! They’re giving me a fucking boner! I wanna fuck! I want a woman! Oh, this! This will do nicely!
And so, Keyaruga dropped his saber, unfastened his belt, ripped the dress, slapped that ass which he had found, grabbed it, pushed it in! The woman with a blackened tail was slowly dying of blood loss, but that barely concerned the lad. He grabbed her pelvis and began to move, so fast, so frantic, and so mindless, that no one could see a human in him. No-o, this was a wild beast, slamming his bulging cock into the defenseless female, too tired to react, let alone resist somehow. She wasn’t even tight, just barely warm, but even that was enough. A few minutes of such suffering inflicted on her, and he came, this was a brilliant orgasm, deeply perverted, and twisted to the very core…
Oh, that’s the fucking best! I love it so much!
Keyaruga grabbed her hand, wiped his penis with it, pull back his pants, and…
I don’t remember her. I wonder, who that is.
He pushed the body, rolling it to the back.
“Ha-a-a… Hello again, Kailia…” The mad lad recognized her instantly. An agent, sent to find and assist Eve Reese in her quest, hired by someone named Carol. But that alone wouldn’t be enough to get Keyaruga to brutally rape her. “You’ve killed my Norn, but I spared you. Heh, after Kali left, I tasked you to ward off whoever they sent after my Eve, but… It seems like you’ve failed. Really, really sad.” The healer spoke, resting his left hand on her dying flesh, recovering it in an instant. And just like that… “Oh, fuck!” She nearly stabbed him with a knife. Gods only knew where she got it from… “Sit still.” But then, Keyaruga just pressed his finger on her forehead, and completely shut down her limbs functions. He pitied her… but could do nothing for this miserable leopard woman.
“Haa… Damn, it’s getting boring here.” The hero lamented, picking up his weapon of choice. At this point, he just put it back in its sheath. Only then did he spot a couple of new faces in the crowd of weeping bastards. “You there! You don’t look like you should be here. What’s… wait…”
“STAY AWAY FROM ME, MONSTER!!!” The woman cried, she was weeping into her man’s now tainted shirt.
“Heh! He-heh! No-no-no-o! Oh no-o-o!” Keyaruga frantically shook his head, unable to believe what he just saw. This was the worst. This… “Anna! Kurt! What… What’re you even doing here?! I… I avenged you! You shouldn’t have…” His parents were there, they stood among the thugs, slavers, robbers, bandits, zealots, murderers… But they… they weren’t one of them…
“You killed us, traitor. You raped my wife, after everything she’s done for you. You’re disgusting little shit!” The mighty harvester told him, pointing his war-scythe at the hero. The only thing that held him at bay, though, was his spouse, loudly crying with black tears pouring from her eyes.
“Heh… You… really think I’d…”
“No. But you’ve proven it.” Kurt spoke with the coldest possible rage in his voice. Keyaru’s cruelty couldn’t be doubted, after all. Not after everyone he maimed this day. “I don’t give a fuck, what the hell is wrong with you, but I’ll slice your guilty ass as many times as I need.” The older man spoke, pushing Anna aside. And then, he lunged.
Kurt struck as a true warrior – he was swift, accurate, precise – his war scythe – basically a reforged farming tool, grazed Keyaruga’s torso, cut his leg, he even stabbed his foster son through his chest. But… there was no blood.
“Calm down, you two.” The hero demanded, stoically taking hit after hit, like the heavy glaive-like blade was nothing. While Anna crumbled to her knees, lost in her weeping, Kurt wouldn’t stop attacking. “You can’t kill me, I’m immor-…” Barely did the lad say so; before his foster father grabbed the handle in a wide grip, and just swept his head off with one precise strike.
“NO-O-O-O-O-O-O!!!” Strangely enough, despite all of the delusions his parents had about him, Anna just couldn’t stand seeing her child being killed so brutally. “A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A!!! WHY-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y?!!!” As Keyaru’s head rolled on the ground, the thugs, at least those who weren’t affected by any of hero’s inventive afflictions, started to get rallied again.
“You had it coming, you ungrateful dipshit!” Kurt spat through tightly closed teeth. He couldn’t watch, couldn’t face what he had to do with his adopted prodigy. Even if he was a criminal. Even if…
“I really did…” But the bastards weren’t enjoying the show for too long. Right when the healer seemed to fall, a new body started to grow from his neck-stump, the clothes, the pouches, the weapons – everything turned into ash just to materialize again on the proudly standing conqueror of death itself.
“What devilry is this?” Kurt’s reaction was understandable. A mix of fear, anger, and disgust, was all over his tainted face. In turn…
“KEYARU-U-U-U!!!” Anna just dashed forward to hug her child. No matter, how disgustingly atrocious his resurrection was, without even looking at the beheaded body that now lied nearby, the woman just went ahead and embraced the lad. She… didn’t seem to be in her right mind, even for a dead soul.
“Anna, I… I…” The shivers began taking a hold of him. His hands, his knees – they trembled so much, this simple touch he though he lost forever, this… This was enough to make him cry. “I’m sorry… I’m so, so, so, so-o-o sorry!..”
“DIE, FUCKER!!!”
“THAT YOU HAVE TO SEE ME DOING THIS!!!” Keyaruga yelled, grabbing Leonard by his wrist. Just a little pressure – and he dropped his sword, the weapon faded into nothingness. Then, the man pushed Anna back, punched his foe in the gut, and proudly showed his captive to his family. “Haa… He-heh! He-e-e… This… This is Leonard, Flare’s… right hand…” The hero spoke, this time trying to maintain his sanity, as his parents now cautiously looked at him. “I… I came from the future! I had to rewind time’s flow itself… Because Flare was evil, and he…” Then, the man put his hand onto the barely struggling imbecile, thus transforming him into Keyaru, the motionless child, whose entire mobility, except for breathing, was shut down for the ease of what he was about to do. “I killed Flare! And he took my guilt. Then…” Afterwards, the healer went ahead and summoned raging flames upon his free hand. Kurt and Anna watched motionlessly, as he placed the magic-shrouded palm onto his ‘own’ face, burned it, scourged the blackened flesh with the sorcery he ‘learned’ from Flare… “My trick was revealed, and he headed out to our village, looking just like me. The rest… you know the rest.”
And finally, Keyaruga dropped the motionless doll, unable even to cry out from the excruciating pain the Hero of Healing inflicted upon it. He then faced his parents, still shocked by such a display of merciless brutality, they couldn’t even properly reply, this entire spectacle of bloodshed, mayhem, rape, torture, demonstration of immortality, and now – proofs of metamorphosis – all of that left them utterly silent.
“Kurt, Anna… I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you… But I can’t let you, or any one of these fuckers keep me here! I… I have a family! Freia, Setsuna, Ellen, Eve – I so wanted you to meet them… But you can’t now. You… might not believe me, and I understand that.” The red-eyed lad uttered, as his posture slouched more and more, along with his fading bravery. “This is what it’s like to be a man! I must be strong! I have to be ruthless now, so that nobody would challenge me in the future!” The man added, now turning his back to his foster parents. He stood straight, he stretched his shoulders, took a deep breath, and… “LISTEN HERE, YOU FUCKING MONSTERS!!! WHAT YOU’VE FELT NOW IS BUT A TINY BIT OF WHAT I’LL DO TO YOU, ONCE I’M FUCKING DEAD!!! NOW YOU WILL GO INTO THE DEEPEST PITS OF HELL, AND WHEN YOU’RE THERE, PRAY I DON’T FUCKING DIE ANYTIME SOON!!! BECAUSE WHEN I FINALLY KICK THIS SHITTY BUCKET, I’LL FIND EACH OF YOU, AND WE’LL BE PLAYING FOR THE WHOLE OF ETERNITY!!! BUT WHY WAIT, WHEN WE CAN HAVE SOME FUN NOW, HU-U-U-UH?!!!”
The speech was told, the impact made. His words were so zealous, so passionately intimidating, that the weeping fools now reached a whole new depth of despair.
“GET US OUT OF HERE!!!”
“SAVE ME-E-E-E!!!”
“HE’S THE DEVIL!!! DE-E-EVIL!!!”
“UA-A-A-A-A-A-A!!!”
“KUUNDA (I’m so scared)!!!”
“HE-E-E-E-E-ELP!!!”
And so, this entire crowd, this mob of immortal corpses, just ran away. Everyone, who could still stand on their feet, began fleeing in panic, trampling each other in the process. What they failed to notice, though, is that the dome is endless only for its main victim. Everyone else just came up against the invisible wall.
The Trial of Heart – its goal is twisted, to be certain. To pass it would mean releasing the dead souls from their grudge toward you. A saint would shift it to forgiveness, but the deranged avenger pumped so much fear in those criminals, that their hatred was replaced by the purest and most animalistic terror. Still, with the task done, the souls began to dissipate in a white light. They would finally be free…
“REMEMBER!!! YOU’VE NOT SEEN THE LAST OF ME!!! WE’LL MEET AGAIN, YOU FUCKING SHITBAGS!!!” Unfortunately for them, though, Keyaruga’s long shadow still loomed above them all. And such, even in relief, the crowd continued to cry, to sob, to wail, to…
“Keya… ru…” But not all left because of dread. When the avenger turned around, his foster mother, crumbling into white flakes, stood on her tiptoes to give him a last kiss on the cheek. “You’ve grown… so much…”
And so, she faded. Kurt quickly followed, although it wasn’t forgiveness or benevolence that filled his raging soul. No, it was an impotent acceptance. He saw Keyaruga as a mirror, in which he saw himself, before he deserted the royal guard and found himself in Alban.
“Someday… you’ll follow my path…” And this was what the man spoke at last, dropping his war-scythe to the ethereal ground. With no souls to redeem in the most twisted of ways, the dome of blackness quickly turned insufferably bright.
The Trial of Heart had been passed.
2023.05.28 14:13 IIWIIM8 Global COVID Cases For 28MAY23
| Summary As Of: | 28MAY @ 23:59 GMT |
| Countries | 229 + 2 |
| Cases | 689,402,893 |
| Deaths | 6,883,597 |
| Recovered | 661,824,145 |
| Active Cases | 20,695,151 |
Countries reporting new cases: 25
Countries reporting new deaths: 6
Countries reporting increased Active Cases: 10
Countries reporting decreased Active Cases: 23
Complete Chart
Data Source
| With Active cases | w/No Active cases | w/All cases rcvrd | |
| Cntry’s | 220 | 7 | 2 |
| Cases | 689,402,893 | 7 | 2 |
| Deaths | 6,883,597 | 264,065 | 0 |
| Rcvrd | 661,824,145 | 28,535,637 | 1,959 |
Past 7 day totals of new: cases, deaths, recoveries & actives. With 3 & 7 day averages.
| Date | Cases | Deaths | Rcvr’s | Actives |
| 21MAY | 32,765 | 82 | 78,988 | 20,727,926 |
| 22MAY | 28,280 | 340 | 20,607 | 20,762,512 |
| 23MAY | 62,978 | 529 | 82,941 | 20,773,762 |
| 24MAY | 47,903 | 218 | 72,936 | 20,766,482 |
| 25MAY | 44,259 | 218 | 73,471 | 20,739,173 |
| 26MAY | 37,409 | 184 | 44,512 | 20,731,931 |
| 27MAY | 27,458 | 41 | 35,759 | 20,723,589 |
| 3 Day Avg | 36,375 | 148 | 51,247 | 20,731,564 |
| 7 Day Avg | 40,150 | 230 | 58,459 | 20,746,482 |
| 28MAY | 6,492 | New COVID-19 Cases reported |
Cases, Deaths, Actives by Continent
| Cont | Cases | Deaths | Actives |
| Europe | 249,366,947 | 2,061,026 | 1,962,922 |
| N A | 126,700,580 | 1,633,267 | 2,479,967 |
| Asia | 217,433,896 | 1,546,556 | 14,740,051 |
| S A | 68,712,052 | 1,355,891 | 884,354 |
| Africa | 12,823,522 | 258,765 | 479,277 |
| Oceania | 14,365,175 | 28,077 | 148,580 |
| World | 689,402,893 | 6,883,597 | 20,695,151 |
Countries with Active Cases
| Country | Cases | Deaths | Recoveries | Actives |
| USA | 107,086,343+ | 1,164,968+ | 105,159,965+ | 761,410- |
| India | 44,989,744+ | 531,864+ | 44,452,908+ | 4,972- |
| France | 40,079,891+ | 167,263 | 39,854,686+ | 57,942+ |
| Germany | 38,426,308 | 174,247 | 38,234,900+ | 17,161- |
| Brazil | 37,579,028 | 702,664 | 36,249,161 | 627,203 |
| Japan | 33,803,572 | 74,694 | N/A | N/A |
| S. Korea | 31,646,973 | 34,754 | 31,296,358+ | 315,861- |
| Italy | 25,857,572 | 190,392 | 25,545,397 | 121,783 |
| UK | 24,603,076 | 225,324 | 24,363,967+ | 13,785- |
| Russia | 22,917,873 | 398,919 | 22,346,830 | 172,124 |
| Turkey | 17,232,066 | 102,174 | N/A | N/A |
| Spain | 13,868,227 | 121,213 | 13,697,426 | 49,588 |
| Vietnam | 11,609,878+ | 43,206 | 10,637,523+ | 929,149+ |
| Australia | 11,585,286 | 20,879 | 11,526,959 | 37,448 |
| Argentina | 10,054,251 | 130,509 | 9,922,301 | 1,441 |
| Mexico | 7,614,771 | 334,107 | 6,861,981 | 418,683 |
| Iran | 7,611,665+ | 146,255+ | 7,365,752+ | 99,658- |
| Indonesia | 6,806,288+ | 161,739+ | 6,631,118+ | 13,431- |
| Poland | 6,516,744+ | 119,609 | 5,335,940 | 1,061,195+ |
| Colombia | 6,367,600 | 142,748 | 6,188,967 | 35,885 |
| Austria | 6,076,578+ | 22,501 | 6,048,207+ | 5,870- |
| Greece | 6,059,649 | 36,917 | 6,004,923+ | 17,809- |
| Portugal | 5,585,859 | 26,701 | 5,554,918 | 4,240 |
| Ukraine | 5,549,708 | 112,315 | 5,426,042 | 11,351 |
| Chile | 5,287,342+ | 64,497 | 5,222,666+ | 179- |
| Malaysia | 5,094,448 | 37,070 | 5,038,256 | 19,122 |
| Israel | 4,825,362 | 12,524 | 4,798,473 | 14,365 |
| Belgium | 4,799,107 | 34,336 | 4,759,089+ | 5,682- |
| Thailand | 4,738,988 | 34,053 | 4,692,636 | 12,299 |
| Canada | 4,673,256 | 52,359 | 4,588,942 | 31,955 |
| Czechia | 4,642,003+ | 42,800 | 4,598,363+ | 840- |
| Switzerland | 4,405,433 | 14,452 | 4,387,986 | 2,995 |
| Philippines | 4,139,295+ | 66,466 | 4,056,827+ | 16,002- |
| South Africa | 4,076,463 | 102,595 | 3,912,506 | 61,362 |
| Romania | 3,402,356 | 68,172 | 3,329,193 | 4,991 |
| Denmark | 3,181,827+ | 8,692+ | 3,172,644+ | 491- |
| Hong Kong | 2,903,894+ | 13,809+ | 2,874,238+ | 15,847+ |
| Sweden | 2,709,830 | 24,353 | 2,682,514+ | 2,963- |
| Serbia | 2,541,321+ | 18,051 | 2,519,819+ | 3,451- |
| Iraq | 2,465,545 | 25,375 | 2,439,497 | 673 |
| Singapore | 2,391,248 | 1,727 | 2,149,583 | 239,938 |
| New Zealand | 2,362,225 | 4,346 | 2,346,101 | 11,778 |
| Hungary | 2,202,716 | 48,868 | 2,151,299 | 2,549 |
| Bangladesh | 2,038,708 | 29,446 | 1,998,448 | 10,814 |
| Slovakia | 1,866,814 | 21,167 | 1,845,480 | 167 |
| Georgia | 1,842,046 | 17,070 | 1,776,548 | 48,428 |
| Jordan | 1,746,997 | 14,122 | 1,731,007 | 1,868 |
| Ireland | 1,712,113 | 8,960 | 1,701,342 | 1,811 |
| Pakistan | 1,580,995+ | 30,660 | 1,538,689 | 11,646+ |
| Norway | 1,484,448 | 5,435 | 1,478,019 | 994 |
| Finland | 1,479,608 | 9,676 | 1,465,886+ | 4,046- |
| Kazakhstan | 1,411,831 | 13,848 | 1,383,020 | 14,963 |
| Slovenia | 1,343,954+ | 7,100 | 1,328,006 | 8,848+ |
| Lithuania | 1,320,307+ | 9,680 | 1,309,308+ | 1,319- |
| Bulgaria | 1,307,251+ | 38,379 | 1,266,932+ | 1,940+ |
| Morocco | 1,274,180 | 16,297 | 1,256,151 | 1,732 |
| Croatia | 1,273,671 | 18,246 | 1,255,129 | 296 |
| Guatemala | 1,252,138+ | 20,200 | 1,229,793+ | 2,145- |
| Lebanon | 1,237,556 | 10,914 | 1,087,587 | 139,055 |
| Costa Rica | 1,230,552 | 9,366 | 860,711 | 360,475 |
| Bolivia | 1,198,858 | 22,384 | 1,168,071 | 8,403 |
| Tunisia | 1,153,261 | 29,415 | N/A | N/A |
| Cuba | 1,114,127+ | 8,530 | 1,105,390+ | 207- |
| UAE | 1,067,030 | 2,349 | 1,054,525 | 10,156 |
| Ecuador | 1,061,766 | 36,019 | 1,025,081 | 666 |
| Uruguay | 1,038,774 | 7,634 | 1,030,944 | 196 |
| Panama | 1,038,642 | 8,623 | 1,029,434 | 585 |
| Mongolia | 1,008,655 | 2,179 | 1,005,859 | 617 |
| Nepal | 1,003,327+ | 12,031 | 991,263+ | 33- |
| Belarus | 994,037 | 7,118 | 985,592 | 1,327 |
| Latvia | 977,891 | 6,344 | 971,406 | 141 |
| Saudi Arabia | 841,469 | 9,646 | 827,923 | 3,900 |
| Azerbaijan | 831,812 | 10,273 | 821,451 | 88 |
| Paraguay | 810,581 | 19,931 | N/A | N/A |
| Bahrain | 721,710 | 1,563 | 719,938 | 209 |
| Sri Lanka | 672,439+ | 16,870 | 655,514+ | 55 |
| Kuwait | 665,909 | 2,570 | 660,237 | 3,102 |
| Dominican Republic | 661,176 | 4,384 | 644,785 | 12,007 |
| Myanmar | 638,668+ | 19,494 | 617,621+ | 1,553+ |
| Palestine | 621,008 | 5,404 | 615,445 | 159 |
| Moldova | 620,519 | 12,118 | 504,142 | 104,259 |
| Estonia | 618,782 | 3,001 | 524,990 | 90,791 |
| Venezuela | 552,695 | 5,856 | 546,537 | 302 |
| Egypt | 516,023 | 24,613 | 442,182 | 49,228 |
| Qatar | 512,936 | 690 | 511,587 | 659 |
| Libya | 507,262 | 6,437 | 500,818 | 7 |
| China | 503,302 | 5,272 | 379,053 | 118,977 |
| Ethiopia | 500,890 | 7,574 | 488,120 | 5,196 |
| Réunion | 486,588 | 921 | 418,572 | 67,095 |
| Honduras | 472,619 | 11,116 | N/A | N/A |
| Armenia | 449,169 | 8,750 | 435,162 | 5,257 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 402,940 | 16,346 | 379,084 | 7,510 |
| Oman | 399,449 | 4,628 | 384,669 | 10,152 |
| North Macedonia | 348,281 | 9,677 | 337,068 | 1,536 |
| Zambia | 343,995 | 4,058 | 339,858 | 79 |
| Kenya | 343,074 | 5,688 | 337,309 | 77 |
| Albania | 334,726 | 3,602 | 329,428 | 1,696 |
| Botswana | 329,862 | 2,801 | 327,049 | 12 |
| Luxembourg | 319,959 | 1,232 | 316,690 | 2,037 |
| Brunei | 303,719 | 225 | 243,601 | 59,893 |
| Montenegro | 291,853 | 2,827 | 288,546 | 480 |
| Algeria | 271,835 | 6,881 | 183,046+ | 81,908- |
| Nigeria | 266,675 | 3,155 | 259,953 | 3,567 |
| Zimbabwe | 264,848 | 5,690 | 258,888 | 270 |
| Uzbekistan | 253,662 | 1,637 | 241,486 | 10,539 |
| Mozambique | 233,417 | 2,243 | 228,805 | 2,369 |
| Martinique | 229,975 | 1,102 | N/A | N/A |
| Afghanistan | 221,288+ | 7,914 | 197,043+ | 16,331+ |
| Laos | 218,225 | 758 | N/A | N/A |
| Iceland | 209,191 | 229 | N/A | N/A |
| Kyrgyzstan | 206,890 | 2,991 | 196,406 | 7,493 |
| Guadeloupe | 202,836 | 1,017 | N/A | N/A |
| El Salvador | 201,785 | 4,230 | 179,410 | 18,145 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 191,496 | 4,390 | 187,078 | 28 |
| Maldives | 186,625 | 315 | 163,687 | 22,623 |
| Ghana | 171,657 | 1,462 | 170,161 | 34 |
| Namibia | 171,310 | 4,091 | 167,099 | 120 |
| Uganda | 170,775 | 3,632 | 100,431 | 66,712 |
| Jamaica | 154,993 | 3,549 | 102,964 | 48,480 |
| Cambodia | 138,767+ | 3,056 | 135,683 | 28+ |
| Rwanda | 133,194 | 1,468 | 131,647 | 79 |
| Cameroon | 125,036 | 1,972 | 122,807 | 257 |
| Malta | 118,677 | 836 | 117,305 | 536 |
| Barbados | 107,794 | 593 | 106,971 | 230 |
| Angola | 105,384 | 1,934 | 103,419 | 31 |
| Channel Islands | 101,717 | 228 | 101,321 | 168 |
| French Guiana | 98,041 | 420 | 11,254 | 86,367 |
| DRC | 96,652 | 1,467 | 84,489 | 10,696 |
| Senegal | 88,997 | 1,971 | 87,024 | 2 |
| Malawi | 88,728 | 2,686 | 85,651 | 391 |
| Ivory Coast | 88,330 | 834 | 87,492 | 4 |
| Suriname | 82,513 | 1,405 | N/A | N/A |
| New Caledonia | 79,922 | 314 | 79,605 | 3 |
| French Polynesia | 78,569 | 649 | N/A | N/A |
| Eswatini | 74,670 | 1,425 | 73,116 | 129 |
| Guyana | 73,207 | 1,298 | 71,880 | 29 |
| Belize | 70,782 | 688 | 70,085 | 9 |
| Fiji | 68,921 | 883 | 67,029 | 1,009 |
| Madagascar | 68,281 | 1,424 | 66,846 | 11 |
| Sudan | 63,993 | 5,046 | 58,683 | 264 |
| Cabo Verde | 63,908 | 414 | 63,357 | 137 |
| Mauritania | 63,715 | 997 | 62,471 | 247 |
| Bhutan | 62,670 | 21 | 61,564 | 1,085 |
| Syria | 57,608 | 3,164 | 54,370 | 74 |
| Burundi | 53,751 | 38 | 53,569 | 144 |
| Seychelles | 50,937 | 172 | 50,750 | 15 |
| Gabon | 48,992 | 307 | 48,674 | 11 |
| Andorra | 48,015 | 165 | 47,563 | 287 |
| Papua New Guinea | 46,864 | 670 | 43,982 | 2,212 |
| Curaçao | 45,986 | 295 | 44,720 | 971 |
| Aruba | 44,180 | 236 | 42,438 | 1,506 |
| Tanzania | 43,078 | 846 | N/A | N/A |
| Mauritius | 42,518 | 1,049 | 40,740 | 729 |
| Mayotte | 42,027 | 188 | N/A | N/A |
| Togo | 39,497 | 290 | 39,203 | 4 |
| Guinea | 38,563 | 468 | 37,757 | 338 |
| Bahamas | 38,084 | 844 | 36,366 | 874 |
| Isle of Man | 38,008 | 116 | N/A | N/A |
| Lesotho | 34,790 | 723 | 25,980 | 8,087 |
| Faeroe Islands | 34,658 | 28 | N/A | N/A |
| Haiti | 34,246 | 860 | 33,361 | 25 |
| Mali | 33,148 | 743 | 32,331 | 74 |
| Cayman Islands | 31,472 | 37 | 8,553 | 22,882 |
| Saint Lucia | 30,052 | 409 | 29,095 | 548 |
| Benin | 28,014 | 163 | 27,847 | 4 |
| Somalia | 27,334 | 1,361 | 13,182 | 12,791 |
| Micronesia | 26,458 | 65 | N/A | N/A |
| Congo | 25,375 | 386 | 24,006 | 983 |
| Solomon Islands | 24,575 | 153 | N/A | N/A |
| San Marino | 24,263 | 125 | 24,117 | 21 |
| Timor-Leste | 23,444 | 138 | 23,102 | 204 |
| Burkina Faso | 22,056 | 396 | 21,596 | 64 |
| Liechtenstein | 21,446 | 94 | 21,350 | 2 |
| Gibraltar | 20,550 | 113 | 16,579 | 3,858 |
| Grenada | 19,693 | 238 | 19,358 | 97 |
| Bermuda | 18,860 | 165 | 18,685 | 10 |
| Nicaragua | 18,491 | 225 | 4,225 | 14,041 |
| South Sudan | 18,368 | 138 | 18,115 | 115 |
| Tajikistan | 17,786 | 125 | 17,264 | 397 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 17,229 | 183 | 16,907 | 139 |
| Tonga | 16,817 | 13 | 15,638 | 1,166 |
| Monaco | 16,789 | 67 | 15,992 | 730 |
| Samoa | 16,763 | 31 | 1,605 | 15,127 |
| Marshall Islands | 16,081 | 17 | 15,954 | 110 |
| Dominica | 15,760 | 74 | 15,673 | 13 |
| Djibouti | 15,690 | 189 | 15,427 | 74 |
| CAR | 15,368 | 113 | 15,200 | 55 |
| Gambia | 12,626 | 372 | 12,189 | 65 |
| Saint Martin | 12,303 | 63 | 1,399 | 10,841 |
| Vanuatu | 12,016 | 14 | 11,976 | 26 |
| Greenland | 11,971 | 21 | 2,761 | 9,189 |
| Yemen | 11,945 | 2,159 | 9,124 | 662 |
| Caribbean Netherlands | 11,682 | 38 | 10,476 | 1,168 |
| Sint Maarten | 11,030 | 92 | 10,905 | 33 |
| Niger | 9,931 | 312 | 8,890 | 729 |
| St. Vincent Grenadines | 9,631 | 124 | 9,493 | 14 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 9,614 | 177 | 8,929 | 508 |
| Comoros | 9,109 | 161 | 8,939 | 9 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 9,106 | 146 | 8,954 | 6 |
| Liberia | 8,090 | 295 | 7,783 | 12 |
| Sierra Leone | 7,762 | 126 | N/A | N/A |
| Chad | 7,701 | 194 | 4,874 | 2,633 |
| British Virgin Islands | 7,305 | 64 | N/A | N/A |
| Cook Islands | 7,120 | 2 | 7,106 | 12 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 6,602 | 48 | 6,552 | 2 |
| Turks and Caicos | 6,588 | 38 | 6,529 | 21 |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 6,586 | 80 | 6,500 | 6 |
| Palau | 6,009 | 9 | 5,998 | 2 |
| St. Barth | 5,494 | 6 | N/A | N/A |
| Nauru | 5,393 | 1 | 5,347 | 45 |
| Kiribati | 5,027 | 24 | 2,703 | 2,300 |
| Anguilla | 3,904 | 12 | 3,879 | 13 |
| Macao | 3,620 | 121 | 3,487 | 12 |
| Wallis and Futuna | 3,508 | 7 | 438 | 3,063 |
| Saint Pierre Miquelon | 3,452 | 2 | 2,449 | 1,001 |
| Tuvalu | 2,805 | 0 | 0 | 2,805 |
| Saint Helena | 2,166 | 0 | 2 | 2,164 |
| Montserrat | 1,403 | 8 | 1,376 | 19 |
| Niue | 811 | 0 | 803+ | 8- |
| Tokelau | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Total: | 689,402,893 | 6,883,597 | 661,824,145 | 20,695,151 |
Countries with no active cases: 2
| Country | Cases | Deaths | Rcvrd |
| Falkland Islands | 1,930 | 0 | 1,930 |
| Vatican City | 29 | 0 | 29 |
| 2 Total: | 1,959 | 0 | 1,959 |
Countries with all cases rcvrd: 7
| Country | Cases | Deaths | Rcvrd |
| Cyprus | 660,854 | 1,364 | 659,490 |
| DPRK | 4,772,813 | 74 | 4,772,739 |
| Eritrea | 10,189 | 103 | 10,086 |
| Netherlands | 8,610,372 | 22,992 | 8,587,380 |
| Peru | 4,505,466 | 220,526 | 4,284,940 |
| Taiwan | 10,239,998 | 19,005 | 10,220,993 |
| Western Sahara | 10 | 1 | 9 |
| Total: | 28,799,702 | 264,065 | 28,535,637 |
International Conveyances: 2
| Class | Cases | Deaths | Rcvrd |
| Diamond Princess | 712 | 13 | 699 |
| MS Zaandam | 9 | 2 | 7 |
| 2 Total: | 721 | 15 | 706 |
Countries/Territories who do not report Active or Recovery case numbers: 19
| Country/Territory | Total: 19 | |
| British Virgin Islands | Faeroe Islands | French Polynesia |
| Guadeloupe | Honduras | Iceland |
| Isle of Man | Laos | Martinique |
| Mayotte | Micronesia | Paraguay |
| Sierra Leone | Solomon Islands | St. Barth |
| Suriname | Tanzania | Tunisia |
| Turkey |
2023.05.28 13:36 cantshakeitt [POEM] Little Lessons in Eroticism - Gioconda Belli
I.
To ride the waters of a body
is to sail around the world, navigating
a windrose without a compass.
Islands, gulfs, peninsulas, breakwaters—
it’s not an easy task, though pleasurable—
don’t think you can do it all in one day
or in one night filled with splayed sheets.
There are enough secrets in our pores
to fill many moons.
II.
The body is an astrology chart
written in an encrypted language.
You find a star, and then, perhaps,
begin to correct your course,
when a storm cloud
or a moan most profound
makes you tremble.
You did not suspect that you would be
in the hollow of this hand.
III.
Go over a certain spot again and again.
Find the water lilied lake
and anchor your caress in its center.
Submerge yourself, sink yourself, stretch out.
Do not deny yourself the smell, the salt, the sugar.
The deep winds—the cumulus nimbus in your lungs—
have clouded your mind. The tremor of legs,
the lulling tidal wave of kisses.
IV.
Sink into soil. There’s no fear
of wearing out, no hurry.
Don’t reach the peak just yet.
Delay the gates of paradise.
Cradle your fallen angel.
Tousle their thick mane,
wield the flaming sword that you stole.
Bite the apple.
V.
Inhale. Ache.
Exchange looks. Exchange saliva.
Cause your own pregnancy.
Circle the imprints in the skin that you made.
Find the foot at the end of the leg.
Search for the secret step formed by the heel.
The arch of your step, bays formed by arched walking.
Enjoy them.
VI.
Listen to the conch of an ear,
how wetness seems to moan.
Earlobe approaches lip—the sound of breathing,
pores rising as they form tiny mountains.
Skin trembles from the rebellion of touch,
as the bridge of your neck
descends to the sea of your chest.
Whisper the heart’s tide.
Find the water’s source.
VII.
Cut through Tierra del Fuego,
the Cape of Good Hope.
Navigate the madness of where seas meet.
Cross over algae. Arm yourself with corals. Howl, moan.
Emerge with the olive branch.
Cry, subvert all hidden tenderness.
Undress your gaze of awe.
Throw the sextant off the cliff,
from the height of your eyelashes.
Arch your eyebrows,
open your nostrils like windows.
VIII.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Die just a little.
Die sweetly, slowly.
Agonize with your eyes, extend your pleasure.
Turn the mast, give wind to the sails.
The sail bends towards Venus
morning star—
the silver sea like a vast crystal—
rest, you castaway.
trans. Sam Friskey
submitted by cantshakeitt to Poetry [link] [comments]
To ride the waters of a body
is to sail around the world, navigating
a windrose without a compass.
Islands, gulfs, peninsulas, breakwaters—
it’s not an easy task, though pleasurable—
don’t think you can do it all in one day
or in one night filled with splayed sheets.
There are enough secrets in our pores
to fill many moons.
II.
The body is an astrology chart
written in an encrypted language.
You find a star, and then, perhaps,
begin to correct your course,
when a storm cloud
or a moan most profound
makes you tremble.
You did not suspect that you would be
in the hollow of this hand.
III.
Go over a certain spot again and again.
Find the water lilied lake
and anchor your caress in its center.
Submerge yourself, sink yourself, stretch out.
Do not deny yourself the smell, the salt, the sugar.
The deep winds—the cumulus nimbus in your lungs—
have clouded your mind. The tremor of legs,
the lulling tidal wave of kisses.
IV.
Sink into soil. There’s no fear
of wearing out, no hurry.
Don’t reach the peak just yet.
Delay the gates of paradise.
Cradle your fallen angel.
Tousle their thick mane,
wield the flaming sword that you stole.
Bite the apple.
V.
Inhale. Ache.
Exchange looks. Exchange saliva.
Cause your own pregnancy.
Circle the imprints in the skin that you made.
Find the foot at the end of the leg.
Search for the secret step formed by the heel.
The arch of your step, bays formed by arched walking.
Enjoy them.
VI.
Listen to the conch of an ear,
how wetness seems to moan.
Earlobe approaches lip—the sound of breathing,
pores rising as they form tiny mountains.
Skin trembles from the rebellion of touch,
as the bridge of your neck
descends to the sea of your chest.
Whisper the heart’s tide.
Find the water’s source.
VII.
Cut through Tierra del Fuego,
the Cape of Good Hope.
Navigate the madness of where seas meet.
Cross over algae. Arm yourself with corals. Howl, moan.
Emerge with the olive branch.
Cry, subvert all hidden tenderness.
Undress your gaze of awe.
Throw the sextant off the cliff,
from the height of your eyelashes.
Arch your eyebrows,
open your nostrils like windows.
VIII.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Die just a little.
Die sweetly, slowly.
Agonize with your eyes, extend your pleasure.
Turn the mast, give wind to the sails.
The sail bends towards Venus
morning star—
the silver sea like a vast crystal—
rest, you castaway.
trans. Sam Friskey
2023.05.28 08:52 Material_Rub_8088 [FRESH CHART] New Alternative 40 - May 28, 2023 - THE JAPANESE HOUSE advances to #1 with "Sunshine Baby" ARLO PARKS has the highest debut. CLARK, JUNGLE, FOO FIGHTERS, LITTLE DRAGON, and ROYAL BLOOD also debut in the top 20. CLARK, JUNIP, BUCK MEEK, and LIZA ANNE chart for the first time.
![[FRESH CHART] New Alternative 40 - May 28, 2023 - THE JAPANESE HOUSE advances to #1 with](https://preview.redd.it/00773wr5bh2b1.png?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=8487319d73c07bbe66930b9d0a8b366d92270adb "[FRESH CHART] New Alternative 40 - May 28, 2023 - THE JAPANESE HOUSE advances to #1 with") | submitted by Material_Rub_8088 to u/Material_Rub_8088 [link] [comments] |
2023.05.28 05:21 marwoh Free/Cheap iPhone app for charting depth
I have a small 19’ open bow and never go more than 15 miles from the dock. I’m looking for a cheap app for my iPhone that will plot me along a NOAA chart so I know my current depth and depth in the immediate area. We’ve been boating in the same area for twenty years and go go the same 10 places taking the same route because I know i won’t ground out. First 2-3 years we used physical charts and ground out enough time I now know we’re I can go and where I can’t. Maybe there’s an app that can get me to 16 miles ……… possibilities are endless. All I need is the NOAA chart and a blue dot to thee me where I am. Don’t need a fish finder, tides data, warnings, pre trip planning……. Jump in the boat and go, hopefully without hitting a sandbar.
submitted by marwoh to boating [link] [comments]
2023.05.28 01:00 Big_Iron_Cowboy Saint Augustine of Canterbury
 | submitted by Big_Iron_Cowboy to Christendom [link] [comments] |