Greetings!
I have come up with an AFO derivative i tried to make powerfull and flexible but not completely broken.
What i need help with is coming up with a suitable extraction method. (I have already decided against DNA ingestion and "holes in palms go succ")
As well as general refining so even if you have no idea for an extraction method please give me your thoughts and opinions about this quirk and it's mexhanics anyways!
Select Cultivation
The user can extract pieces of quirks by [°~°]
The extraction process takes a bit of time and is very painfull for the victim.
Only one piece can be extracted at a time.
By extracting a piece, you are damaging the quirk, likely crippeling it. The quirks can recover from this depending on the damage and given time and potentially some treatment/training methods.
Not all quirks get affected the same. Generally speaking, simpler quirks are at a higher risk of permanent loss than more complex ones.
By extracting pieces you take away parts of their function, like making sparks to ignite your sweat. You still sweat explosively but the sparks are gone. Or maybe you loose some adaptation that protected you from your own explosions. Or maybe the thing you are sweating is no longer explosive but still not regular sweat. Or maybe it is.
You can not choose what you extract. It's mostly random chance what you manage to take.
You get to store the extracted quirk pieces and smush them together inside of you to create a "quirk seed" lets call it.
You can only have one at a time. Once you made it, it begins developing into a new quirk. This can take multiple days or weeks.
Differentiating individual quirk pieces is difficult. With experience the user may be able to roughly guess their function like "probably something electricity related" or "probably related to my hands. Or somewhere in that area."
You can rip quirks you posess to shreds, letting you re-use pieces but doing so runs the very real risk of irrevocably destroying some of the pieces on accident.
While you can posess multiple quirks, the more you have the greater the strain on your body.
Just having unused quirkpieces strains your body.
Cultivating a new quirk additionally strains your body.
As such you need to be carefull, as hitting your limit happens a lot quicker than you might think. And no one wants to accidentally Nomu themself. Much less with potentially no actual quirk to your nane except cripple other quirks.
Please note: you can't just hand out quirks or quirk pieces. You can't just discard them rither. The only way to get rid of them is cultivating quirks and then ripping them to shreds, hoping pieces go missing.
PS: mutation type quirks get affected but how that actually turns out varys... and can be very odd at times.
maybe you loose the nightvision from your cat quirk, maybe the tail or maybe your craving for raw meat. Maybe you seemingly loose nothing but the quirk made from the piece made me grow cat ears.

Intro
We're working on a new MUD called Song of Avaria, using Evennia as a base code. Hopefully, the game will be opening for a public alpha six months from now: January 2024. This is the sixth in a series of showcases to display the features of our game. In order to properly exhibit the purpose of Song of Avaria, which doesn't quite fit into the existing molds, we're going to demonstrate gameplay by focusing on the story of a character: Emmaline.
Chapter 1: CHARACTER GENERATION
Chapter 2: ARRIVAL
Chapter 3: STORY
Chapter 4: THE POETS' GUILD
Chapter 5: LIVELIHOOD
Cool News! A professional web developer who focuses on accessibility took a very thorough look over our site and game, and gave us a great deal of feedback that was incredibly helpful in making the game more accessible to vision-impaired players. Color themes are configurable now; the default one shown here is called "high-contrast". If anyone prefers the old "muted" one, they can switch to it in the settings. We've also added more text-based indicators of things like general wellness and roundtime in the game prompt, or asterisks as delineators for different sections of text, and more quick individual checks on metrics such as encumbrance, armor value, stats, skills, et cetera. Turning Evennia's native screenreader option on (during account creation, or through settings) will now ensure that a visually-impaired person gets a more tailored and comfortable experience. We're looking forward to learning more about accessibility from players in the future, and always hoping to improve the experience for any player.
Chapter 6: COMBAT
In our last chapter, Emmaline was inducted into the Poets' Guild, which allowed her to take up a job as a Poet at Harmony Hall. Because of that, she's able to easily make her rent and even bought an oud to improve her stringed instrument skills. Here, she's sitting in the garden of the Poets' Guild and playing her oud. Instruments can be played with a variety of commands, from POUND to STRUM, and each type of instrument will tend to make their own set of noises if played well (or other noises if played badly).
Some instruments (large bells, for example) can make quite loud sounds that will resonate over a number of rooms, much like a shout does. This oud is comparatively quiet. And while an instrument may have its mechanical play command, this is mostly intended for flavor and explorative play rather than as a real roleplay tool -- because it's always much more fun to emote the full expression of your character's music! Of course, one should strive to stay within realistic parameters in terms of describing their playing in relation to their mechanical skill level.
At the bench in the garden, Emmaline plays her oud using the STRUM, PLAY, and TWANG commands. She then simply emotes playing a more complicated melody.
As we play the oud, we can see that Emmaline is relatively skilled at stringed instruments, as the sounds she is making are nice rather than jarring or discordant.
Djafira, the other newly inducted Poet whom we got to know over the last two posts, arrives and comes over to sit on the bench next to where Emmaline is playing. Because Emmaline does not trust the other woman, Djafira incurs roundtime by coming closer to the bench, which is Emmaline's own current vicinity. Roundtime is the convention we use to refer to the fact that some actions take time to complete, and thus you cannot execute another similarly time-consuming action until finished with the first. Djafira might be able to move close to Emmaline, but she cannot perform another action until her roundtime ends. This gives us the chance to move away quickly if we felt that Emmaline did not want to allow Djafira near her. But for now, we'll stay cautiously nearby and see what Djafira wants.
Djafira comes along. Her tells are shown in a brighter red, and she certainly seems to be acting off. She gifts Emmaline a pair of nice sandals by way of apology...
When someone gives you something, unless you trust them to a high degree, you will always have the chance to either ACCEPT or REFUSE the gift. Items can also be TOSSed, and if not caught in this instance (or dodged), they will just bonk off you and fall on the ground.
Since Djafira is trying to apologize for her past enmity, Emmaline accepts the gift. She is still a little suspicious though, because she can see Djafira's tells, and the other woman doesn't truly seem very apologetic. Djafira also asks Emmaline for a favor: she's feeling a bit under the weather, and needs Emmaline to go to a tavern called the Breaking Wave and recite a poem there. She passes over a piece of paper on which the poem is written.
Emmaline agrees to do this favor, puts on her new fancy shoes, and takes the paper.
As a side note: Many of the interactions you see from this point on are with automated NPCs that are operating off the logic in their own behavioral code. We have gone to some lengths to make these behaviors seem relatively organic, but only to the extent that this allows a player to suspend their disbelief in regards to the fact that NPCs are different from PCs. Our NPCs do not possess any real artificial intelligence -- not even to the degree of ChatGPT. They have certain behaviors, tendencies, phrases they might respond to, routines and home turf and activities they may habitually undertake, but they are still just traditional game NPCs. We are still at work adding in more behavior types for NPCs and refining their actions to be more sensible and characteristic.
Back in the story: By the time Emmaline is able to get around to the favor Djafira asked of her, it's late in the evening after sunset. Djafira provided some loose directions to the White City (which would be: "through the pillar-flanked gate north of the Plaza of the People"), but Emmaline soon finds that this particular neighborhood is a confusing maze of a place. Even the overheard ASCII map is intentionally not much help in some of the individual neighborhoods of Omrazir. It is purposefully not too easy to stumble off the main roads in the city, to keep new players from accidentally stepping into an area that may be dangerous.
When someone gives you something, unless you trust them to a high degree, you will always have the chance to either ACCEPT or REFUSE the gift. Items can also be TOSSed, and if not caught in this instance (or dodged), they will just bonk off you and fall on the ground.
Since Djafira is trying to apologize for her past enmity, Emmaline accepts the gift. She is still a little suspicious though, because she can see Djafira's tells, and the other woman doesn't truly seem very apologetic. Djafira also asks Emmaline for a favor: she's feeling a bit under the weather, and needs Emmaline to go to a tavern called the Breaking Wave and recite a poem there. She passes over a piece of paper on which the poem is written.
Emmaline agrees to do this favor, puts on her new fancy shoes, and takes the paper.
As a side note: Many of the interactions you see from this point on are with automated NPCs that are operating off the logic in their own behavioral code. We have gone to some lengths to make these behaviors seem relatively organic, but only to the extent that this allows a player to suspend their disbelief in regards to the fact that NPCs are different from PCs. Our NPCs do not possess any real artificial intelligence -- not even to the degree of ChatGPT. They have certain behaviors, tendencies, phrases they might respond to, routines and home turf and activities they may habitually undertake, but they are still just traditional game NPCs. We are still at work adding in more behavior types for NPCs and refining their actions to be more sensible and characteristic.
Back in the story: By the time Emmaline is able to get around to the favor Djafira asked of her, it's late in the evening after sunset. Djafira provided some loose directions to the White City (which would be: "through the pillar-flanked gate north of the Plaza of the People"), but Emmaline soon finds that this particular neighborhood is a confusing maze of a place. Even the overheard ASCII map is intentionally not much help in some of the individual neighborhoods of Omrazir. It is purposefully not too easy to stumble off the main roads in the city, to keep new players from accidentally stepping into an area that may be dangerous.
The overhead map does not show the exit into the White City, but once you go past, you can see the map of the White City neighborhood. (Note: I took this snip on an admin account, because I added this retroactively after the main events of the chapter! That is why you see room numbers. Please ignore.)
Finding a fallen stele, Emmaline stands on top of it for a better view of the area. She tries to get her bearings, but it's still difficult to tell exactly where she is. This part of the city legitimately seems decrepit and broken down...
Maybe it's not such a good idea to wear expensive clothes here? Just as Emmaline is having that thought, a random event occurs. Random events are coded events that happen in rooms when PCs are present. Most of the time, it would be something simple and harmless like an atmospheric room echo, but sometimes -- if the situation is right, and the PC seems otherwise unoccupied -- the random event will be more serious.
Emmaline goes to stand on the stele and look around thoughtfully. A \"somewhat lofty tough\" appears, looking furtively at her and subtly touching his knife...
This time, it's very serious. Emmaline is in the White City, a desperately poor and virtually lawless district of Omrazir. Part of the difficulty in navigation here is attributable to the fact that this area is not meant for the inexperienced and unfamiliar. A small gang of thugs is approaching Emmaline, attracted by her expensive fripperies and apparent vulnerability. Combat is initiated -- they are clearly attempting to mug her. This mugging is an automated random event generated by the interplay of conditions.
Somewhat confused, Emmaline takes her time awkwardly shufflng and then backs away as the thugs begin to close in. She does not depart quickly enough, and a physical altercation begins.
Distance from others in a fight can affect a variety of things, such as the accuracy and damage of certain attacks, or whether some aggressive abilities can be used at all. There are five ranges of distances from another PC. The first is immediate vicinity, which would be in direct contact with them. Then comes general vicinity, which would mean at the same "place" in the room as them. Next there's location, which would mean being in the same room as them, but not necessarily at the same place. Lastly, there is near line-of-sight (one room away) and distant line-of-sight (two rooms away).
Because these ranges can be quite important strategically, there are many ways to change the distance between yourself and an opponent. You can RETREAT or CHARGE in a direction, you can PUSH people or PULL them, you can TACKLE them, GRAPPLE, or DRAG them. You can move your own self from one place to another, or simply DISTANCE an opponent by moving away.
In the beginning, Emmaline attempts to avoid an altercation by quickly edging away from the incoming locals. However, it doesn't quite help -- they've set determined eyes on her nicer things, and she doesn't belong in this neighborhood.
When combat starts, there is a "Writing Break" that allows the PCs involved to type an emote and/or consider what their character would do in that situation. While immersive method acting is of course our favorite style of roleplay, the out-of-character panic that can often accompany in-character physical conflict can sometimes impact roleplay in a negative fashion. In order to avoid that, combat in Avaria is peppered with "Writing Breaks" every time that anything notable happens: such as the initiation of a fight, a strong blow being dealt, first blood, an attempt to flee, any involved combatant falling to the ground, and so on. Note also how the prompt has changed to display more information.
Holding her oud, Emmaline has the sudden idea to attempt to dissuade the muggers through music. Last chapter we explained the concept of "Grounding", where most people who are still "grounded" in accepted reality know about and accept some types of magic, and might be wary of witches and sorcery, but dismiss a great many other kinds of magic as a fabrication or just something totally unlikely to happen to them. Emmaline hasn't completely lost her grounding yet, as we can see when we check the MAGIC command -- so the idea to play music would still be a rather goofy one in her mind.
Using the REMEMBER command, we roleplay Emmaline having the idea to sing a calming tune. Sometimes in time-sensitive situations a player will not have the time to express the character's inner dialogue, but that is why we have writing breaks in combat, so that such expressions feel calmer and more doable. Checking the MAGIC command shows that Emmaline still doesn't quite believe in her own magical potential.
Regardless, this is what she tries to do -- she's desperate enough to try anything. Using her sonomancy ability to project a calming tone, Emmaline begins to sing and play her oud.
Emmaline starts to focus on using a calming tone. She still hasn't said anything with this tone, and she rationalizes it in her mind (using the THINK command) as just thinking maybe the thugs would prefer to hear music than mug someone.
In addition to using a calming tone for her song, Emmaline also makes sure to adopt a defensive stance. It's possible to change a character's stance in and out of a fight, and each stance has its own strengths. Using a defensive stance enables someone to do a better job of dodging and blocking.
We also check our TENDENCY here: most games, especially DIKU-based RPIs, have fights that progress in a more automatic fashion. If you prefer that style of gameplay, you can set your character's tendency to be one of a few choices: fight, flight, or freeze. The "measured" tendency seen here is the default: if you have not input a specific command and it is your turn to move, you will just wait. If you had selected, for example, "fight" as a tendency, you would automatically perform a fighting move based off coded tactics similar to the NPCs.
Taking a defensive stance with the STANCE command causes the next three attacks to miss. Unfortunately, Emmaline's song doesn't seem to be as effective as her stance is.
The muggers don't seem to be affected much by Emmaline's song. This is because her very low sonomancy skill, her voice stat, and her will dice roll didn't outweigh their (likely entirely grounded) magic resistance. Dice rolls happen behind the scenes relatively often, and while there is a configuration setting that can be toggled to show combat dice rolls, it is turned off for the sake of immersion in Emmaline's case. These rolls incorporate stats (such as Voice, Resonance, Will, etc) and skills (such as Vocals, Sonomancy, Gnosis, etc). Other factors moderate the dice rolls, like stances, a character's general state of health, range, positions, and so on. At least, thanks to Emmaline's stance, she is able to avoid a lot of damage from the muggers' reckless attacks.
It might be a good idea to flee, but it can be difficult to get away when your opponent is right next to you -- if they're aggressive, then they will have a very good chance of blocking your escape route. Looking at the COMBAT display will give you a good overall view of your general combat metrics, including who else is in your vicinity. These different metrics can all affect the outcome of a fight in various ways.
Checking COMBAT shows us Emmaline's combat situation: she is mostly doing alright, for now. Two people are attacking her, she is upright, near the exit to go back to the square. She does have a nick on her right hip, but it's not bad enough to really affect her state.
The prompt can also be configured to display many of these metrics. Shown here is the default combat prompt. When the fight was initiated, our regular prompt shifted to the combat version that shows stars and dashes as a small action bar. For visually impaired players this is not very helpful, so if someone has turned on the screenreader, the default prompt will give a health percentage readout and only show important alerts.
Anyway, Emmaline really wants to escape! So, she tries to push one of her opponents away. Actions performed during combat take roundtime. If you want to plan your next move, you can queue up a second move if you're already in combat.
Emmaline has a chance to make another move -- if your combat roundtime completes and you don't have another move queued up, you'll see this message. She tries to shove away one of the toughs, and he rushes straight back at her in a tackle.
SHOVE is one of the many commands useful for strategically changing positions in a fight. Emmaline manages to push the mugger away from her place in the room. She's standing as far from the stele as possible, hoping to go back out to the square -- but the mugger uses TACKLE to close the distance again very quickly! Bad timing.
Now, three muggers came out of the alleys surrounding Emmaline. So far, the third has just been watching, but now he breaks into the fight as well. A new person joining the fight will trigger a writing break, to allow players time to emote. Sometimes these writing breaks may feel like they last too long, while other times they may be too short for you to write the kind of emote you want.
We use WAIT to extend the writing break so that we can finish writing our emote, and then CONTINUE when we're done. Emmaline tries to sing some more, and again it's not effective, and then her calming attunement fades. She isn't strong enough this tme to shove away one of the goons. A stab connects with a solid whack against her kaftan.
You can input WAIT to extend the writing break (once per break per person), or CONTINUE to end the break and go on with the fight (if everyone has opted to continue). We wanted to write an emote during this break, considering that Emmaline has a nick on her hip from the knife of one of the muggers, and we didn't have enough time to act this out. Since all these opponents are NPCs, they will automatically follow the cues of the PCs in the fight and either try to wait or continue depending on the PC's input.
Although we have plenty of time to write what we'd like, it doesn't appear that the fight is going very well for Emmaline. She's not strong enough to shove away a goon, her calming tone has faded without any success, and one of the toughs tried to stab her right in the heart! Thankfully, her well-made kaftan helped to turn the blow into something less catastrophic. Raiment items can get in the way of attacks to covered body parts, and divert some of the damage to themselves. Different equipment types can divert more damage or stand up to damage better, depending on their material.
Maybe there's something else we can do...
Checking COMBAT MOVES provides a readout of the moves that Emmaline can execute at this time. Roundtimes for combat moves are relatively long compared to some games, so that players can use human strategical thinking to plan their next move and understand the flow of combat easily.
We can look to see what moves might be available to us in a fight, depending on the weapon we're wielding and the abilities we have, by checking COMBAT MOVES. It doesn't seem like Emmaline can do much right now beyond punching or kicking. But what if she wants to whack people with her oud? She can do that much at least. Any wielded object can be used to WHACK someone... but the reason that "whack" doesn't show up in her list of available combat moves is because she isn't actually wielding the oud, she is currently only holding it. Shifting her grip will take a moment - costing her a turn in combat, and causing a short delay before her next move (though we can still freely input the command, and have it executed when our combat roundtime completes).
Emmaline wields her oud. This allows her to whack with it (using the WHACK command), and also use it to parry (automatically, using a dice roll behind the scenes based on her stance and parry skill level).
When using an attack in a fight, such as PUNCH, KICK, or WHACK (or other attacks using weapons or abilities, like the SLASH and STAB used by the muggers) you can specify a particular body part of your opponent to aim for. You can also substitute the generic attack emote with a custom-written emote of your own.
Here, Emmaline tries to WHACK the TOUGH IN THE HEAD, while substituting a more flavorful emote for the generic one. She lands a decent blow! Unfortunately, she's surrounded. One minstrel using a musical instrument as a weapon can't honestly defend against three seasoned street bandits.
Having suffered a couple of unlucky hits, Emmaline drops to her knees. Even her kaftan has been ruined by the damage it has taken. Trauma is the metric that governs how injured a character has become. It can cause a character to collapse, like Emmaline has here. The "traumatized" alert will show up in the prompt after Emmaline is struck that hard, signifying that she's in very bad physical shape.
Emmaline is tiring against three opponents, and ends up falling with a heavily bleeding wound.
Sadly, Emmaline is not a strong enough fighter, and certainly not advanced enough in bardic magic, to put a stop to this altercation. She tries to get back up in order to flee, but immediately gets knocked down again. Being on the ground, she then tries to crawl away. But crawling takes a bit of time, and time is something she doesn't have enough of. The next strike not only knocks her out, but... she's dying.
Emmaline tries to get up and is knocked down again. She tries to crawl away but the next stab of a knife knocks her out... and, in the eyes of onlookers, kills her. It's not all that common for a blow to both knock someone out and kill them at the same time, but it's possible.
Bleeding as she is and in a hostile and unfamiliar environment, the most likely scenario is that Emmaline is going to die. A player with a character in this condition can still get a (dimmer) sense of what is happening in the room, and is free to write emotes or dreams... but an unconscious character still takes some time to be able to wake up. Some don't wake up at all.
The muggers take Emmaline's fancy clothes and any valuable possessions, leaving her penniless in her raggedy shift. We just got that oud! How disappointing. It's natural to feel a little bit of emotional crossover in immersive roleplaying situations like this, but it's also important for players to be capable of retaining perspective. We want to be clear about where we fall on the consent spectrum so that potential players can understand whether they might enjoy the game or they might not. Some loss is inevitable when there are in-character consequences for conflict and decisions. The game is mostly non-consent in terms of these kinds of consequences, but this also means there can be a lot of engaging story outcomes as a result. We don't want these to truly function as punishments to the player rather than to the character, though they might sometimes feel like setbacks. But it's helpful to keep in mind that every setback can be an opportunity for an inspiring narrative.
A dim sense of the world beyond her lack of consciousness shows the muggers backing off after taking Emmaline's valuables. If anyone spoke, we wouldn't be able to see what they were saying. But, we're able to send emotes in this state.
No matter the conflict, character death -- which is generally, though not always, the ending to a character's story -- must usually be consented to in order to happen. When a character "dies", if there is any chance at all that they might miraculously survive, the player will get the choice to either CLING to life or DIE, by entering those commands.
In this scenario, it might be realistic for Emmaline to die. But that would be an unsatisfying end to her story, and that's not what we want. The choice is in our hands, and we CLING to life.
The muggers have all departed. It's a hot night. Emmaline clings to life, using the CLING command.
Choosing to die moves characters on to the next world (to become a ghost, and go to the Otherland). Clinging to life allows the dying to continue living, but they will likely be handicapped in one way or another. It may be possible to eventually cure a handicap through stories involving magic or the supernatural, or the long-term efforts of an outstandingly skilled healer. But these consequences are generally impactful and lasting enough that should a character engage in risky behavior, repeatedly having near-death experiences and clinging to life, their story will involve the realistic outcome of their becoming a person who has somehow survived but is broken in many ways. Ultimately, this helps address the potential issue of long-term players becoming nearly invincible in the setting -- while simultaneously providing an opportunity for players who prefer to roleplay character stories comparable in length to a real lifetime, where a player may never see their characters actually die.
For those who do wish to roleplay through the meaningful death of a character, there are still a few different paths they can follow. The character can continue existing as a ghost, or as a distant memory in the Otherland, or they can pass on into the inaccessible final mystery of the afterlife. Reaching these stages of the afterlife can be accomplished by using the MOVE ON command, progressively bringing a spirit through each of these phases of existence until at the very end the character is deleted from the game database. Should one never wish their character to complete the process of moving on, however, they can continue to exist indefinitely in Avaria's Purgatory: the various realms of the Otherland, which can potentially be accessed, with great effort and skill, through the dreams of the living.
The purgatory states can soften the blow of losing a beloved character, and even provide some additional plot twists for both that character and their surviving friends and enemies. The end of a character's story may be a real tearjerker, but hopefully in a good way, not as a traumatic and wrenching blow to the gut. We don't want to brutalize the emotions of any player -- the intention is that playing a game should be an enjoyable experience, with closure in the ending and a feeling of contentment for a story well-played.
But what this ultimately means for Emmaline is that she cannot escape her altercation with the White City thugs scot-free. She is still in a very perilous situation. As we mentioned above, sometimes the injuries that have the ability to cause death can also create severe permanent handicaps in those who choose to live, which might manifest as stat debuffs, loss of limbs, persistent illnesses, and other such tangible physical consequences. Despite clinging to life, Emmaline is unable to return to consciousness immediately. She may very well simply bleed out again.
If we quit the game, she won't die while we're disconnected... but it's still a cliffhanger! Stay tuned for Chapter 7, where we'll showcase healing and further intrigue.

First Chapter/Previous Chapter
Keoki and Eik pulled on the wire as the container was hauled high into the air. Even with the significantly reduced gravity and the block and tackle taking most of the weight, it took considerable elbow grease to get it in position.
He rubbed his eyes and tried to ignore the smell of rotting flesh. He glanced over at his handy work and immediately had to look away. It had been his idea, and when Keoki had begun constructing it, he had believed he would never get off this ship.
Keoki had been so angry when he had done it, but now that the uren were beaten, he could feel a nagging guilt begin to stir in him. Keoki buried it; there would be time for self-reflection later; right now, there was some stuck-up, fat bastard wanting to make his friends into pets, or worse.
Melia, Polumnus and Qerik arrived shortly after they began to haul another container.
“We’ve got to be ready soon. This will probably be the last cargo fall we can prepare,” Keoki explained as his muscles ached under the strain.
“Where are they?” Melia asked.
“Just two doors away. And from what Ha said, they’re almost through the first one, so I told them to regroup with us; they should be here shortly,” Keoki replied as he and Eik tied off the nanotube wire, and they leapt to the ground.
“I would love to see you people in your natural habitat,” Qerik said, astounded by the height Keoki had fallen without injury.
“It wouldn’t be all that impressive unless you were watching the Olympics. Those people can really move,” Keoki said.
“How many traps could you set up?” Melia asked; this was no time for distraction.
“Seven container falls; we’ve also littered spots with shrapnel; probably won’t get through a good boot, but you know every little helps,” Keoki answered.
“We’ve also set up some barricades to funnel them where we want them to go, we tried to make them look as natural as possible, but time constraints and all that,” Keoki added.
“You did well, but I’ve been discussing it with Polumnus and Qerik, and we cannot attack immediately,” Melia explained.
“Why not?” Keoki said, his eyes fixed squarely on Melia, his heart rate increasing and his knees bent slightly, ready to move the instant his fears came to light.
Polumnus noticed the shift in posture and said, “we’re not selling you out; it’s just with this being a politician of a foreign power, we needed to offer them a chance to leave without a fight, something that will hold up in an inquiry or a trial.
Keoki relaxed, though not entirely. He did not fully trust the vo’rul and was conscious that simply giving up him and the obed would be the fastest way to ensure their own safety. He had not been too worried about the uren, they had shot Tres, and he had counted on anger and the desire for revenge to protect him.
After a brief pause, Keoki said, “I see; I believe it would be best if I am the one who talks with them.”
“Absolutely not, you are a civilian, and we will not risk your life like that,” Melia replied instantly, and her tone brooked no argument.
Keoki was human, however, and the tone did not translate along with her words.
“The Senator appears to be a collector of sorts, as far as we can tell. Whether he has deviant tastes or just likes owning stuff, we cannot say, but if I show up, an utterly unknown alien, then he is far more likely to issue a no-fire order,” Keoki explained.
Melia was about to argue; she could not deny that it made a lot of sense. Even so, Melia was unwilling to let it happen.
“No, Keoki, we will handle it; you are not trained in negotiations; I am,” Melia stated.
“You’re trained in negotiations?” Keoki asked.
“It was part of my officer training, yes,” Melia explained.
“Fine, you’re the professional,” Keoki conceded, though he had doubts she could reason with them.
“Just be ready to spring the trap,” Melia said, approaching the door.
“Just don’t stand underneath the containers when they fall,” Keoki replied.
Melia handed Keoki Tres’s side arm before asking, “do you know how to use this.”
"I know enough to shoot it,” Keoki answered, taking the weapon from her.
“Good enough. What about the obed? Can they use them?” Melia inquired.
“Yes, but not very well. They have to use both hands to operate them,” Keoki explained.
“Get ready!” Melia ordered as they heard the unmistakable sound of a welding torch behind the door and bolt cutters shearing through metal.
As Keoki sat beside Qerik in a hidden nook, he asked the vo’rul, “when Melia said she has training, what are we talking about? Master hostage negotiator or a three-hour slideshow seminar?”
Qerik did not reply immediately, and Keoki felt his heart sink.
“The latter,” Qerik answered.
“Oh, goody,” Keoki said, his voice monotone.

As the door opened, Melia said loudly and firmly, “Parley!”
Several of the Senator's troops pointed their weapons at her. It was an interesting thing to see. The Kireet had two sets of weapons; the first was a rifle, which they aimed by sitting down and aiming the gun with their hind limbs, now unburned by walking. It made the Kireet vulnerable, but their biology limited them; they could not stand upright.
The second was a pair of V.I.-assisted automatic weapons hanging from a harness, meaning the Kireet could lay down considerable firepower.
Luckily the Kireet had sat down before reaching the caltrops, they were well hidden in the gloom, and Melia tried to avoid looking at them, doing her best not to draw the Kireets’ attention.
“Captain Melia,” one of the Kireet said, lowering the weapons of their compatriots.
“Who are you?” Melia asked, her tone neutral, neither aggressive nor compassionate.
“I am Captain Utreka Nor Bar Ioban, of the Grestu Company,” the Kireet explained.
“You’re a mercenary,” Melia said.
“Partially true; I prefer private defence contractor,” Utreka replied.
Melia did not comment on that; call yourself whatever you wanted; a merc was still a merc.
“Well, Captain, could you please explain what you’re doing here after the Senator said you were leaving?” Melia asked.
“Let’s not dance around the trunk Melia; you know why we’re here, now give them to us, and you’ll get to see your home again,” Utreka explained, dropping the facade of civility.
Melia was not too surprised; the mercs were not being paid by the hour and were incentivised to get it done as quickly as possible.
“I have a counter offer surrender, face justice, give up your employer, and you’ll get out of this alive,” Melia stated.
Utreka spoke, and the Kireet raised their weapons. Keoki sighed; they needed to lure them into a trap, not have them fire on Melia immediately.
Keoki came out of hiding and shouted, “time out!” forming the letter T with his hands.
The Kireet paused what they were doing; they were so astounded at the sight of a new alien that they momentarily forgot themselves.
Utreka received a command from the Senator and asked, “who and what are you?”
“I am Keoki, and I am a human,” Keoki replied, looking at Melia. He could only imagine how upset she was with him, but he knew this was the best way to spring their trap.
Utreka got another command and asked Keoki, “what are you doing here?”
“There was an accident with my ship, and I was flung far off course,” Keoki replied, hoping the bastard in charge would get what he was saying and take the bait.
“Why aren’t you wearing a mask like the rest of us?” asked Utreka, instinctively checking his own to be sure it was fitted correctly.
“I am from a world called Earth; I believe you people would designate it a class J planet,” Keoki explained, taking in a lungful of air to emphasise the point.
The Kireet knew that the biohazard was genuine; they had checked it themselves. Another private conversation between the mercenary and the Senator occurred before Utreka said, “The Senator would love to meet with you, Keoki.”
“I’m sure he would,” Keoki said, tapping his head.
“I am inclined to accept the offer, but before I do, they’re something I want to show you all behind those containers,” Keoki added, pointing to the large stack of crates that concealed his macabre art piece.
To the Kireets’ credit, they did not fall for the obvious trap and held their position. As their attention was focused on Keoki, Melia swallowed her pride and slowly made her way to a dark corridor.
“We will have to decline, Keoki; please come with us,” Utreka stated.
Keoki just smiled and began to walk away slowly, his demeanour utterly at odds with the panic he felt.
The Kireet aimed their weapons at Keoki, and Utreka ordered him to stop, but Keoki ignored them.
However, the Gretsu Company did not fire, and Keoki did not doubt that The Senator was giving them orders not to hurt him.
Keoki supposed the Senator already imagined the fantastic enclosure he would build for him.

As he disappeared, Basof demanded that Utreka and his soldier follow after Keoki and bring him back.
Utreka argued, but Basof just offered the man more money, and the mercenary Captian could not argue with that.
Utreka ordered his soldiers to advance with the three on point, backed up by the fourteen behind, with a further thirty in reserve waiting in the corridor.
They did not know how many vo’rul there were, and the human’s capabilities were unknown. So Utreka was playing this safe; he needed enough people to round up the choloshe; the Senator was willing to pay one hundred thousand Pitre for each one brought in alive.
Greed, as usual, got the better of common sense, and as the first three Kireet turned the corner, they froze in their tracks.
“Why are you just standing there?” asked Utreka.
He received no reply.
“Turick, I asked you a question!” Utreka shouted.
Again he received no reply.
Utreka tried to get an answer five more times, but when one of his troops collapsed, Utreka decided that whatever it was, he needed to see it for himself.
In an instant, Utreka understood. The Grestu Company were not good people, and Utreka had ordered more than a few war crimes in his time, but this! This was on a whole other level.
The Zeforo’s crew had never been a concern for them. The uren were just nobodies; their testimony could be easily swept under the rug. Not that Utreka would have spared them, he had a good deal going with the Senator and would not risk for a bunch of smugglers. Utreka would not seek them out, however.
He realised that would not be necessary; the uren were displayed in a grizzly display, broken, eviscerated, flayed and a dozen other synonyms for mutilated.
Sat underneath them, their teeth displayed in a way that could only be described as deranged, was Keoki.
“Do you like my work, mercenary?” Keoki asked.
“Go!” Keoki commanded.
Utreka was inclined to obey; the Senator paid well but not enough to deal with this.
“Bring me that alien, Captain!” Basof ordered; he may have had to endure the delay in his choloshe, but this human was a fine bonus and more than made up for it.
“Grab him!” Utreka ordered.
“YA!” Keoki shouted, and every Kireet halted; they had no idea how such a small person could make a noise so loud.
The Kireet had just raised their weapons when two containers flattened three of them.

Those three Grestu company were probably the lucky ones; their deaths had been swift, almost instantaneous. As the vo’rul opened fire, a few more were brought down by shots to the arms and legs; one was struck in the head, while a second took three plasma rounds to the chests.
As the Kireet scattered for cover, they inevitably ran into the shrapnel, their boots protected them from most of the damage, but a few unlucky sods tripped and were perforated.
One Kireet took cover behind a container before hearing a noise to their right. She had just enough time to look and register a snarling face filled with sharp teeth before her neck snapped and her head torn from her body.
“Ho’opa’i,” Nor said as he retreated to the shadows, his old joints complaining.
Another container fell to the floor, this one did not injure anyone, but it did limit the Kireets’ movement.
Utreka might have been an honorless soldier, but he was not incompetent; he would not have been able to charge the high rates he did if that were the case. He ordered his mercs into a defensible position and signalled the reinforcements to begin flanking the enemy.
Moreover, the Kireet also noticed the other containers suspended in the air and began to shoot at them, bringing them down ahead of schedule and blowing a massive hole in Keoki’s plan.
Though one Kireet did not get an opportunity to celebrate as Keoki emerged from the dark, shot them in the head and retreated.
The tide was turning against the vo’rul, obed and Keoki. Qerik and Melia had both taken a few shots and were forced to fall back. Meanwhile, Keoki and the obed were unable to find any opening to pick off the Grestu.
“Keoki, we need to pull back,” Melia ordered.
“On it,” Keoki replied as he rounded up his friends and told them to retreat to a more defensible position.
As they retreated, they were peppered by fire, but none of them were hit.
“How are we doing?” Melia asked as they sealed the door to the cargo bay.
“Boh took a hit, but her crappy armour sucked up most of it, just a minor burn,” Keoki explained.
“We need a plan B, and we need it fast,” Qerik said, pulling a cabinet from an adjoining room and placing it up against the door. Not that it would do much, but as Keoki had said, "every little helps."
“We can do a fighting retreat, using the corridors as killing fields,” Polumnus suggested.
“Good enough; take positions at the end of the corridor and fire on my mark!” Melia ordered.
They stood there for four minutes without so much as a peep from the door ahead. At which point, Eik tapped Keoki's shoulder and said, “What about other doors?”
“Oh shit!” Keoki said as they were struck by laser fire from the right.

Howdy!
I’m an old data hoarder who has collected several TB of martial arts matches, interviews, story pieces, etc. Mostly boxing, sumo, college wrestling, kickboxing, judo, and fencing.
Well, my disorder is helping others, as I have a number of coaches and competitors requesting to view or grab content for research. For example, one might ask “what do you have for a shorter fighter against a tall, rangy kicker?”. I’ll search the notes and tags and put the files in a drive. When they come by the facility, they can view the files (or download if allowed). Up to 5 people may be accessing this at one time. Nothing public facing. All streamed directly from the existing QNAP NAS (2x @ 52 TB raw)
Problem? Running out of space and I need to upgrade to something with serious capacity (>100 TB) AND a combination of SSDs and HDDs.
Any suggestions on what to move up to? There are so many newer QNAP models that I don’t know where to start.

It's Wednesday and you would be surprised how long it took me to realize that the majority of watches released yesterday were actually Swatch Group. That Tissot has me spending money.

What's new

1/
Tissot Releases The Best Summer Watch Of The Year, The Forged Carbon Sideral
The late 60s and 70s are arguably the golden age of watch design. It’s the time when watches stopped being elegant personal timekeeping devices and became tools. Or, at least, gave the illusion of being a tool watch so you could look like a badass on the beach. It gave us luxury sports watches like the Nautilus and Royal Oak, gorgeous chronographs from Heuer and dive watches from the likes of Blancpain and Rolex. It was also the the time of experimenting with materials and Tissot used their Sideral to do so. Since it’s supremely cool today to revive funky vintage watches, Tissot is now bringing back the Sideral, also experimenting with new materials, but this time with forged carbon.
The late 60s version of the Sideral was the first watch to ever use a monobloc fibreglass case. Two years later, the Sideral S was introduced, a sportier take on the concept with a now famous yellow rubber strap and different fastening system.
The new version retains a lot of the aspects of the original, but updating it for the age it’s made in. It retains the barrel shape of the case made of forged carbon fibre and stainless steel that measures 41mm in width and 46.5mm in length. You can get the watch in three colors, and while the black & yellow and black & grey models show the natural colours and pattern of the forged carbon fibre, the black & blue one comes with blue flakes embedded into the material. The unidirectional rotating bezel on top is fitted with a black insert and a graduated regatta scale in white. The screw-down crown ensures it is water-resistant to 300m.
The dial is predominantly black, with either a grey, blue or yellow minute track. This segmented track is accompanied by a green and red regatta countdown section between 12 and 2 o’clock. Tissot is a Swatch company, so it’s just natural that it gets the Powermatic 80 automatic movement. This is Swatch Group’s go-to automatic for several brands and is essentially a heavily modified ETA 2824 which has gotten decent reviews and has an 80 hour power reserve.
The watch comes on three perforated rubber straps in yellow, red or blue, inspired by the original yellow one. Additional coloured straps are said to be available too.
Each of the watches, available now, will retail for EUR 1,075. Looks like Tissot has another hit on their hands.
2/
The New Certina DS Action Diver 43mm Is Pitch Black
Cartina has had a long stretch of being neglected by owners and undermined by the public. But boy, are they back. In the past couple of years they have regrouped and boy, are they on a bender. Vintage reissues, fantastic affordable divers… they even have a modular watch system which is… meh. However, the latest release form the Swiss watchmaker is not meh. In fact, it’s pretty bold. The new Certina DS Action Diver is super black.
It’s a big diver, there’s no denying it. 43mm wide, 51mm lug-to-lug and 13.1mm thick. It’s a stainless steel case with a matte black PVD coating, as well as a matte black ceramic insert within the coin-edge bezel. The blackness of the insert is broken up with a single bright white lume pip at 12. The NATO strap it comes on is also black and made out of recycled plastic. The one downside of the case is the fact that it has a 21mm lug width, so good luck finding a different strap.
The dial is just as black, with contrasting crisp white makers that glow like crazy. The triangles at the quarters and the arrowhead hour hand do help to lend an extra sense of aggression to the dial. There’s a date window at three o’clock. Certina, like Tissot, is owned by the Swatch group, so no surprises on what’s inside - it’s the Powermatic 80.
The Certina DS Action Diver in black is now available from all Certina authorised retailers. Price: CHF895
3/
Mido Introduces Stylish Multifort Powerwind Collection
Here’s another brand from the Swatch Group that has been kicking ass in the past few years - Mido. It might be controversial, but the Mido Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer is one of my favorite watches of the past few years. Mido does vintage fantastically, just like they did last year when they introduced a limited edition, COSC-certified, revival of the 1954 Multifort Powerwind. Now, Mido is introducing three new variations of the Multifort Powerwind that will be part of the brand’s permanent collection.
The Multifort is Mido’s most important watch. Born in the 1930s, this automatic, anti-magnetic, water-and shock-resistant watch has become its bestseller. The concept was drastically updated in 1954 with an innovative automatic movement and renamed the Powerwind. Developed in collaboration with partner A. Schild SA, the automatic part of the movement reduced the components from the standard 16 to just seven, making it easier to build and service while enhancing durability and reliability.
The new models retain the same elegantly designed case with its thin, twisted lugs, box-shaped sapphire crystal and overall retro style as the limited edition released last year. Compared to the 1954 watch, it has grown quite a bit and is now 40mm wide and 12mm thick. What changes most regarding the design, compared to the limited edition of last year, are the dials.
The permanent collection is no longer a day-date model, but rather just a time and date watch, with reworked markers that are a combination of applied triangular indices and printed Arabic numerals. You can get it in three versions: steel with black dial, steel with blue dial, yellow gold PVD-coated steel with champagne dial.
Perhaps the biggest change happens on the inside - while the limited edition last year had a chronometer-certified ETA 2836-2 movement, the permanent collection gets, you guessed it, the Powermatic 80, here named the Caliber 80. The watch comes on a 3-link stainless steel bracelet with a folding clasp and quick-release spring bars.
You can get the watches now, priced at EUR 970 (black and blue) or EUR 1,160 (PVD gold).
4/
Rado Adds Three Ceramic Watches to their Great Gardens of the World Series
Rado is a polarizing brand. Some love it, others almost detest it. But there’s no denying that Rado has done impressive things with the use of ceramic, be it their retro sports watches in the Captain Cook line, the super minimalist watches in the Designer line or the dressier models like the True Thinline. This is Rado’s slim ceramic watch intorduced in 2011 that is now getting three new models with textured dials inspired by endangered plant species in partnership with the Great Gardens o the World organisation.
This is not the first time that Rado is working with Great Gardens of the World, a network of gardens across 20 countries. They have made seven watches prior, making these Chapters 8 through 10. All three of the new watches have the same 40mm high-tech ceramic monobloc case that’s only 9mm thick, with ceramic bracelets that have a triple-folding titanium clasp. Inside the watch is the Rado 766 movement, based on the ETA 2892.
The major differences of the three come from the looks of the watches. Chapter 8 is housed in a black polished ceramic case, with the dial recreating the pleated leaves of the Hawaiian Luolu lelo palm tree. The hands and brand name are golden coloured. Chapter 9 is dedicated to the Chilean Araucaria, or monkey puzzle tree, and comes in a glossy, white high-tech ceramic case. The sharp, scale-like leaves of the tree are replicated on the dial with a composition of engraved triangles in opalescent mother-of-pearl. Chapter 10 is dedicated to the Dragon Blood Tree in a grey ceramic case and a two layer dial. The top layer is a skeletonised plate cut out in organic shapes to evoke the thick, entangled branches of the Dragon Blood Tree, revealing the lower layer in a pink gold colour.
The trilogy – Chapters 8, 9 and 10 of the Rado True Thinline Great Gardens of the World – is available in a collector’s box, limited to 99 units. Alternatively, each model can be purchased individually for EUR 2,900.
5/
The New Edox SkyDiver 38 Date Automatic Is A Vintage Inspired Skin Diver For You If You Want A Smaller Watch
The Edox SkyDiver has an interesting story. The brand claims that a mysterious drawing was found in their archives which turned out to be “the sketch of a long-lost timepiece, the SkyDiver”. Along with the sketch, there was a scrawled note reading: 1973. Special production in strictly limited edition“ According to a retired Edox watchmaker, the SkyDiver was rumoured to be a secret project for a mysterious, wealthy Swiss colonel. The anonymous colonel wanted an exclusive timepiece for elite mountain paratroopers under his command. It had to combine the no-nonsense functionality of a dive watch with the style and aesthetics of a precision pilot’s watch.
So Edox took these sketches and remade it in modern times with a bronze version that followed. In 2021, the SkyDiver was entirely revamped with new looks and upgraded materials, yet a solid vintage touch, in a case of 42mm. To fix the biggest complaint they got, they are now releasing a new version - the 38mm SkyDiver.
It’s basically the same watch, but smaller. It’s a traditional skin-diver watch, with a straight case, unprotected oversized crown, rather slim case profile topped by a heavily domed crystal. The screw down crown gives you 300m of water resistance and the domed crystal brings the thickness to 13.7mm. You can have it with two dial colors - black or blue, with a matching ceramic insert on the bezel, and it has a glossy vintage finish with applied markers with orange highlights.
Inside is the Selita SW200-1 automatic movement with 4Hz frequency and 38h power reserve. Both colors come on a 3-link brushed and polished steel bracelet closed by a triple folding clasp.
The watch is available now and is priced at EUR 1,575 (excl. taxes).
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On hand - a selection of reviews

1/
Hands on with the Q Timex Three Time Zone Chronograph
2/
A review of the updated mint green Rolex Sky-Dweller
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Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like

How time shaped the Type 20 chronograph, and the brands that keep the legend alive
Watches and military history have an unbreakable bond. You only need to think back to the very beginnings of the wristwatch as a tool. During the Anglo-Burma War and First Boer War, soldiers began to strap pocket watch cases with primitive soldered lugs to their wrists, which opened the door for a new market. Fast-forward some 70 years, and you’ll find yourself in a new world, free from the shackles of World War II. Despite it being a time of peace, the French government found itself in need of accurate, reliable timepieces, resulting in the Type 20 chronograph that took inspiration from the designs of German pilot’s chronographs of the 1930s and 1940s, and applied it to the set of regulations outlined by the French. Today, original Type 20 pieces remain highly sought-after, spawning many re-editions and homages, with one brand in particular making the most of the design.
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Defending the Draft: 2023 Washington Commanders 8-8-1
Preface:
Hope.
This 2023 season will be the most interesting for the Commanders franchise in a long long time. We enter this season with more uncertainty than I have ever been a part of, however, the one thing the fan base is certain of... is the future is brighter. Dan Snyder purchased the franchise in 1999 and subsequently done nothing but run a blue blood franchise into the ground. This team has lacked direction for a long time and a large part of that was due to Dan Snyder's meddling in the day-to-day football operations of the team. Starting his ownership with signing washed up HOF veterans, to then overspending in free agency (Albert Haynesworth is arguably the worst free agent signing of all time), drug scandal with thetraining staff, the mishandling of the RG3 and Kirk Cousins situation, Not resigning Trent Williams, and lastly we've now reached tumultuous time where his off the field issues have hung a dark cloud over a once proud franchise. Although, lol, his most egregious mistake may be hiring Jim Zorn as head coach. It's egregious that his only punishment is a 6 billion dollar payout for his franchise. I hope the banks bury him and he faces the deserved legal actions. As of now there had been an agreement to sell the franchise to 76'rs and NJ Devils owner, Josh Harris.... and is 20ish members of his parliament. We await to hear news of the reviews from the NFL financial committee to close out the process. Last news I came across was he has cut down the number of minority owners to 20. It will be a pleasure when this agreement is finalized. He could be a terrible owner, but it would still be an upgrade from Synder. Harris, seemingly has been a hands off owner and properly allows the people he's hired to operate the team. This last sports season he's had both of his teams deep in the playoff hunt. This season will be interesting. A lot of questions all around: Sam Howell? Chase Young? Ron Rivera? Eric Bienemy? Josh Harris? I'm not sure of those answers, but I'm very excited to find them out.
Coaching:
HC- Ron Rivera OC- Eric Bieniemy DC- Jack Del Rio
Key Additions: Eric Bieniemy
Ole' Riverboat Ron Rivera is back and going into his 4th season with the Washington Commanders, hopefully his last. I believe Ron Rivera is a leader of men, but I highly question his actual coaching skills and team building. I've currently seen enough of this coaching regime and front office to safely say let's move on. There's been several things that I believed were firable offenses.... the Carson Wentz trade. Some rumors have said that this was a Snyder push. Not entirely positive, but Ron bragged that it was his call. Our team at that point was not a qb away from being really good, let alone a Carson Wentz level of qb. The next fireable offense was starting Wentz over Hienke when the playoffs were on the line. Wentz ended up being benched for Hienke, but it was too little too late. The next fireable offense was not realizing we were eliminated from the playoffs. Going into the last week of the season Ron planned on starting Hieneke. Pretty odd to not know you're out of the playoffs, let alone to test Sam Howell out for next season. Additionally, there's been some pretty questionable roster creation decisions. I absolutely hate the versatile secondary and offensive line philosophy. We currently have a patch work offensive line that has the means to fluctuate between average to below average. Not a single player on the line is top 5 at their respected position. Two years ago we had a top 10 o-line, but that had Brandon Sherff playing like a top 5 guard and Charles Leno having his best season. Our o-line took a significant step back this past season and now looks to be our biggest weakness. Ron has shown to trust his own board and has reached (according to the consensus big board) with every single pick so far. People mistake 2019 as one of his drafts ( Sweat, McLaurin, Holcomb), but he was hired at the end of the season. Take this with a grain of salt as it takes at least 3 years to properly review a draft. Rons 1st round picks have been the following: 2020 pick 2 Chase Young- the correct pick at the time, but hard to botch the 2nd overall pick, 2021 pick 19 Jamin Davis- hated the pick at the time, too early for a linebacker... let a lone a project. On tape he looked lost a lot and made up for it with his elite athleticism. He's shown progress, but nothing showing he's worthy of the pick. 2022 pick 16 Jahan Dotson- looks to be an absolute baller, had him ranked above Olave in the pre-draft process. Was a slight reach above the consensus board, but flashed high end ability. Davis has been the only mistake in the 1st round thus far. When I say mistake I don't necessarily mean player, but the roster building philosophy. Whether reaching on Phidarian Mathis in the 2nd round of 2022. Lol, he was older than Payne coming out of the draft, one year of good production, and was taken a round too early. In the next round Brian Robinson was taken and was really just a body. Haven't really seen anything elite with him so far and was a meh pick. John Bates in the 4th round was egregious. Now I have to give credit where it's due. Kam Curl was an absolute steal and can solidify himself as top 5 safety this season if he continues to play this well. Our other starting safety in Darrick Forest also had a lot of bright spots playing this past season.
Arguably, our best offseason move was signing Eric Bieniemy. I'm absolutely excited. Forget everything about him not calling the plays. Reports from OTA's shows his hands on approach and full control of the offense. One of my favorites things I've heard is he is using OTA's to see what the players can do and crafting the offense to their abilities. Time and time again (Scott Turner) you see coaches say this is the offense and not change anything to match the players strengths. We don't know for sure how the offense will look, but if it's anything close to the motion west coast offense the Chiefs have... boy lessssss gooooooo. Jack Del Rio has been up-and-down in his time in Washington. He's had two very slow starts with the defense to start year, however, they've finished strong and kept his job safe. This is really the no excuse year and everyone needs to show up amd show out.
Free Agency:
Key Departures:
Taylor Hieneke- signed with the Falcons
Cole Holcolm- signed with the Steelers
Bobby McCain- signed with the Giants
Carson Wentz- TBD
J.D. McKissic- TBD
Trai Turner TBD
Andrew Norwell- will be released when he passes a physical
Summary:
In my personal oppinion, the only player that hurt losing in free agency was Cole Holcolm. Linebacker is our one weak spot on defense, however, not resigning Holcolm shows Ron's belief in Jaymin Davis's progression. Cole was limited to 7 games last season and has yet to truly break out. Always played very solid and losing him downgraded the position. We've moved on from both starting guards from last year in Norwell and Turner (previously on the Panthers). Both players were liabilities last season and the guard position was easily upgradeable. Bonny McCain was a solid do it all for is player. Lined up at corner, safety, and nickel throughout the season. Hieneke was a big fan favorite, but was never the answer. We thank you for your service though. Carson Wentz, fuck you. Loved J.D. and his time here, suffered a major injury. Not sure if he gets picked up hy another team.
Key Additions:
Andrew Wiley- 3 years for 24 million, 12 guaranteed. Previously on the Chiefs
Nick Gates- 3 years for 16.5 million, 8 million guaranteed. Previously on the Giants
Jacoby Brissett- 1 year for 8 million, 7.5 million guaranteed. Previously on the Browns
Cody Barton- 1 year for 3.5 million, 3.5 million guaranteed. Previously on the Seahawks
Summary:
Simple. In free agency the Commanders did not overspend and tackled positions of need. None of the players signed are top 5 at their position, however, they could all possibly end up being upgrades to what we have. The most interesting is Andrew Wiley. He allowed 9 sacks (tied for 3rd most)... but man he put on the performance of his life in the superbowl. Another stat that favors him is pass block win-rate, which measure if a lineman can sustain a block for 2.5 seconds. Wylie ranked 9th in that stat last season. I translate that stat to mean can a lineman sustain a block against thr initial rush and counter move off the snap. After that 2.5 seconds the ball is thrown or the play breaks down. Another key factor to this signing is it kicks Samuel Cosmi inside to guard. Cosmi has shown flashes being a high end lineman and I expect him to be even better kicking to guard from right tackle. Guard was our weakest position on the line and Wylie signing helped to upgrade the RG position. Nick Gates is expected to he our starting center. He's coming off of a brutal leg injury that made him consider retirement. Has played guard and center and has some positional flexibility. Jacoby Brissett is the best backup qb in thr league. A solid signing if Howell doesn't pan out. Just a solid game manager that doesn't commit many turnovers. Cody Barton is another unproven guy. Last year was his first year with significant reps. Bobby Wagner leaving in FA and Jordyn Brooks injury made em the guy. He showed flashes of coverage abilities and had a lot of tackles. The tackles weren't necessarily a product of his abilities and more so of cleaning up on a bad run defense team. I've read some notes that he has trouble getting off of blocks. Honestly, haven't watched much on the guy, but reports were he played solid down the stretch.
The Draft:
Link to all RAS scores for our draft class
https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/lists/2023-nfl-draft-ras-scores-for-the-washington-commanders-7-player-class-emmanuel-forbes/
Round 1:16 Emmanuel Forbes 6'1" 174 lbs. Mississippi St
Stats: 58 targets, 31 catches allowed for 284 yards (23 yards a game), 3 tds allowed/ 6 ints, 9 forced incompletions, 2 dropped ints, 46 tackles.
PFF Grade: 87.2
If being a 160 pounds is your only knock then I think you're doing something alright. The word on the street is he is already up to 174 pounds. You wouldnt realize hes only 174 pounds by the way he plays the run. Hes not scared to hit and flies ro the ball. Although, he does struggle to get off of blocks. Emmanuel Forbes, per PFF, had the highest rating in man coverage last season, albeit the snap count was very miniscule. Emmanuel Forbes is a lanky corner than played a lot of zone coverage and is a very good scheme fit for what we do. I like the pick and I'm not upset about taking him over Gonzalez, who also had his own question marks. Forbes set a NCAA record with 6 pick sixes. A lot of those were the right place at the right time, but when you have that high of a number than you're doing something right.
PFF:
Forbes is one of the best ballhawks in this class. Over the course of his three-year career, he came down with 13 interceptions. That’s four more than the next closest Power Five cornerback since 2020. Forbes was unbelievably dominant in man coverage in 2022, giving up only three catches while also snagging three interceptions. He also only allowed a 20% completion rate in man, the lowest among FBS
PROS
Remarkably lanky frame. Limbs for days — ideal for a corner.Has bounce like a hooper. He can challenge any catch point necessary. Elite ability to locate the football. All six of his interceptions came in man coverage.
CONS
Still a stick. Not much mass on his frame. Has eyes that get him in trouble. Some freelance tendencies on tape.Can get bowled over in the run game. Mediocre tackler over the course of his career.
Round 2: 47 Jartavius "Quan" Martin 5'11". 194 lbs Illinois
Stats: 74 targets, 42 catches allowed, 611 yards allowed, 3 tds allowed, 3 ints, 15 forced incompletions, 2 dropped ints, 4 missed tackles, 64 tackles.
PFF Grade: 73.2
Quan is a beast. I thought he was the 2nd best nickel prospect in the draft and a better deep safety than Brian Branch. Martin absolute rockets around the field in the run game. He started his career at cornerback before transitioning into the safety/nickel position. Another elite athlete that is a perfect fit for our Buffalo Nickel defense.
PFF:
Martin came to Illinois and immediately started as a true freshman in 2018. He originally started off as an outside corner before becoming more of a slot corner recently. He had arguably his best year in 2022, as his 15 forced incompletions were tied for the sixth-most among Power-Five corners. Martin’s 91.0 run-defense grade also led all Power Five cornerbacks. While he played corner at Illinois, we project him more as a safety for the next level.
PROS:
Explosive flat-foot breaks. Tremendous burst. Forceful and reliable tackler - 7 misses on the last 129 attempts last two seasons.Fills like a mac truck in the run game. Wants to come downhill and play in the backfield.
CONS:
Pure man skills are work in progress. Overagressive and liability to bite on fakes. cons On the lighter side for an around the line of scrimmage player. Gets caught with his eyes in the backfield on run
Round 3: 97 Ricky Stromberg 6'3" 306 lbs Arkansas
Stats: 9 impact blocks, 11 qb hurries, 0 qb hits, 0 sacks allowed
PFF Grade: 82.4
Nasty. Another guard experience player that spent his last two years at the center position. Award winner of the Jacob's Blocking Trophy for the SEC'S most outstanding blocker award. This is a solid player that has started since he was freshman in the SEC. He's been battle tested since he was kid and has improved every year. He has some knocks about his play strength, but a NFL program should get em to where he needs to be.
PFF:
Stromberg was a three-star recruit in the 2019 class and started for the Razorbacks as a true freshman, mostly at right guard. He moved inside to center for his sophomore season and spent his final three college seasons there. Stromberg’s 82.4 overall grade and 83.7 run-blocking grade in 2022 both ranked fourth among all centers in college football, and his nine big-time blocks were tied for fifth among FBS centers. Not to mention, Stromberg had an incredible performance at the NFL combine.
PROS:
Does not want to let blocks go. Can see him straining his butt of to stay engaged on tape. Tons of experience against top competition. Four-year starter with 3,121 career snaps.
CONS:
Forward lean gets going on the move, making him liable to topple over. Has wide hands to initiate contact in pass protection before resetting. Leaves himself open for stronger rushers.Unimpressive musculature, which leaves questions about how he'll anchor against NFL strength.
Round 4: Braeden Daniels 6'4" 296 lbs Utah STATS:
0 sacks allowed, 1 qb hit allowed, 14 hurries allowed.
PFF GRADE: 72.2 at tackle, 2021 84.4 at guard.
Braeden Daniels is another tackle/guard hybrid, with starting experience across his college career. This guy is on the lighter side but that allows him to be an Explosive athlete. Very raw at the tackle position and will be a developmental guy. I'd like to give em a try as our swing tackle and see how he performs. He was one of the quickest offensive lineman I've seen off the tape and that athleticism will let him climb to the next level. Even on the lightweight side I'd hate to see this guy running at me on the second level.
PFF:
Daniels is an experienced veteran who commanded the Utes’ offensive line for the past few years. He originally started as a guard before switching over to tackle. His best season came in 2021, as he put up an 84.4 PFF grade. Given his time on the interior, Daniels is at his best when run blocking, and his run-blocking grade in 2021 was an elite 89.1. He still held his own as a pass protector, allowing only five sacks in his Utah career.
PROS
Explodes out of his stance. Arguably the quickest get off in the offensive line class. Linebackers don't want to see him climbing. Gets on them before they can even react. Drive in his lower half to still move the line of scrimmage despite being under 300 pounds.
CONS
Wild into contact. He approaches blocks with the adjustment ability of a freight train. consDoesn't bring his hands with him. Clean engagements are rare on tape. Very light by NFL standards (294 pounds at combine).
Round 5: 137 KJ Henry 6'4" 260 lbs Clemson
STATS:
51 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF, 6 pass deflections, 50 qb pressures, 31 qb hurries, 14 qb hits.
PFF GRADE: 83.1
Loved this pick. Henry was a 5 star recruit coming out of high-school and decided to attend Clemson University. With Clemson having deep lines it took him a couple of years to get on the field. The stats look odd when you only see 3.5 sacks, however, the 50 qb pressures is the key stat. Seems more like bad luck that the sack numbers weren't high. Clemson's whole d-line underperformed (Bresee, Murphey) and they should have picked up more sacks from Henry who was the best DE on that team last year. The team clearly liked him as we traded back up for him. He's not elite athlete, but he is an elite hands guy. Almost had that veteran presence in college. High motor and will immediately make an impact as a rotational de, a position that sorely needed an upgrade.
PFF:
On a team with Myles Murphy, you can easily make the case that KJ Henry was Clemson's best defensive end this year, as he posted better PFF grades than Murphy in every category and even generated 19 more pressures. The only problem is That Henry is 24 years old while Murphy is only 21. Therefore, Henry was expected to produce this well against younger competition. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that he can’t still improve. If Henry's play this season is any indication of his potential, he can still have a great NFL career as an edge defender.
PROS:
Heavy hands that are so well refined. Uses them independently to use combination moves.Utilizes hesitations and head fakes so well to catch linemen off-balance. Coaches rave about the type of teammate he is. He is the type of player you want in the locker room.
CONS:
First step that's unimposing for a rusher on the smaller side. Late bloomer. Wasn't even a starter until this past fall. One of the oldest prospects in the class. Already 24 years old.
Round 6: 193 Chris Rodriguez 6'0" 217 lbs Kentucky
STATS: 8 games played, 175 attempts, 904 rushing yards, 6 tds, 5.2 ypa, 5 catches, 41 rec yards.
PFF GRADE: 90.8
Chris Rodriguez is a PFF darling and was rated as the 7th best running back. This guy's is a pure one cut, run you over, power back. There's not much finesse to his game, but there's highlights of dragging guys 10-yards down the field. He does not posses break away speed, but he will get you 40 yards. He was suspended 4 games due to a dui and he may have been drafted higher on am abysmal Kentucky team. An extra 4 games of stats against SEC competition and no suspension may have jumped him into the 4th round. This was an Eric Bienemy guy and they brought him in because of that. Isiah Pacheco was another EB guy.
PFF:
Rodriguez is a powerful runner, but he lacks the burst and creativity to become anything more than a downhill grinder. He has the size and mentality to do the dirty work between the tackles, but it could be a challenge for him to get to and through the hole quickly in the NFL. He’s a physical blitz protector, so teams might envision a role for him as a second-half battering ram and third-down quarterback protector.
PROS:
Two-time team captain. Thick frame with ability to pick up tough yards. Makes tacklers feel his size at impact. Stays square getting through downhill cuts. Low success rate guaranteed for arm-tacklers. Stays on his feet through heavy angle strikes. Allows lead blockers to do their work. Steps up with force against incoming rushers.
CONS:
Below-average burst getting through line of scrimmage. Lacks finesse to navigate tight run lanes. Change of direction is heavy. One-speed running style is easy to track for linebackers. Pad level is a little tall as run-finisher. Inconsistent finding assignment versus blitz.
Round 7: 233 Andre Jones 6'4" 248 lbs Louisiana
STATS: 7 sacks, 5 qb hits, 20 hurries.
PFF GRADE: 77.2
Andre Jones was another hybrid de/lb player coming out last year. He possess 34 1/4" arms which is an elite number for his size. May move to LB, but I'm not sure that's the right move with a 4.71 40-yard dash. He doesn't have much a pass rush move set playing a hybrid role, but does use length to his advantage. A solid developmental pick.
PROS:
Shows a natural feel for setting up blockers and getting them off-balance. His hands are active and violent, and Jones quickly disengages with blockers and counters when his initial move stalls. Possesses accurate snap anticipation and timing to beat blockers off the edge. Offers some versatility, rushing from a two-and three-point stance with the playing speed to stand up in space.Flashes strength as a bull rusher and his energy doesn't plateau. Showed initial quickness and good flexibility to dip and bend. Jones has active hands and suddenness to his movements, demonstrating the ability to counter inside. Has fluid footwork to redirect, reverse momentum and close with a burst. Regularly first off the ball with good snap anticipation. He’s a high-effort pass rusher with an impressive combination of length and speed.
CONS:
Jones has to develop a counter move or two in the pass rush, and Jones needs to make better use of his hands. He lacks the speed of a chase and- tackle guy. He lacks twitch as a pass rusher and lacks the feet and flexibility to threaten around the edge. Jones also shows some stiffness when trying to bend the edge, often getting pushed past the pocket — he seems more comfortable countering back inside.
Draft Summary:
This was my favorite Ron Rivera/Martin Mayhew draft thus far. Going into the draft, offensive line, cornerback, and quarterback were our three biggest needs. Drafting in the middle of the round really took us out of the olineman race. The last one that interested me was Broderick Jones and he went off the board when the Steelers traded up. At that point in the draft it really left us with going cornerback. The Forbes pick was received negatively due to Christian Gonzalez being available. Both players will be viewed under the microscope throughout their careers. I'm fine with Forbes pick though. Another lanky cornerback who was an elite athlete. I did have Gonzalez rated higher going into the draft, but he slid for a reason. A lot of his tape shows him not necessarily being an elite cornerback, but being an elite athlete that plays corner. Forbes actually showed the athleticism, corner skills, and ballhawking ability. Some additional knocks against Gonazalez and his love of the game. Quan Martin was our biggest surprise pick of the draft. A lot of people had him going in the 3rd round, but I think the 2nd was a fine spot. Mayhew after the draft said he wish we were more aggressive at times, which I translated as not getting Brian Branch that went several picks before us. I think Quan was the backup option, but I like him as much as Branch. I think Quan will be a better deep safety and Bramch will be a better nickel. Liked Quan alot, but felt we should have gone o-line at this pick. Ocyrus Torrence would've been a sweet pick here. I think if that happened, the consensus view on our draft would shoot up. Quan will immediately via for playing time as our base defense is essentially a 4-2-5. Kendall Fuller was our only above average corner and now we turned our secondary into a strength. Ricky Stromberg and Braeden Daniels were our next two picks. I like Stromberg’s tape a lot and think by next he will be a solid starter at guard or center. Braeden Daniels will be a nice depth piece and if he's able to tame his play he could develop into a starter. Fun player to watch. KJ Henry was an awesome pick and can see him being a nice rotational piece. Good pick at an underrated area of need on our defense. RB wasn't a pressing need, but it's an underrated area of weakness. I think Brian Robinson is about as average of rb as you will see starting in the NFL. I wouldn't be surprised if Rodriguez slowly cut into Robinson's role over the next two years. Antonio Gibson has had some solid season, but has a severe fumbling problem. Andre Jones will be a depth piece that will need development moving forward.
Offseason summary:
The biggest question of our offseason was our owner, which now appears resolved. Our second biggest question... was who was our starting qb? Sam Howell. Ron preached all offseason that he was going with Howell and I'll be damned, he did. Brissett was good qb to bring in, not someone that would necessarily turn the offseason into a battle, but can be a starter if called upon. Really a true backup qb. I'm all in on the Sam Howell train. I love it for a multitude of reasons. One, he balls out and we have our qb of the future, two he plays well enough we give him another season and maybe Ron is out and we get a high draft pick, three he bombs and we fire Ron Rivera and go for Caleb Williams next season. If anything, it gives us a direction for our future. I'm ready for Ron to go and think he's only as good as his coordinators. I'm concerned that EB AND Howell turn the offense around Ron gets resigned and EB takes a head coaching role... then the offense regressed. Additionally, I don't want Ron to get credit for drafting Howell. It was 5th round pick, you and every team passed on him for 4 rounds. If Howell is that good... it's not because Ron was a genius and drafted him. Very similar to Seattle taking Russel. I am excited about EB being here and think he's the real deal. I will give Ron credit for allowing him to run his own offense as he sees fit. OTA's have shown that EB is pushing his guys hard and is trying to see what he can do with the offense. We really do have elite playmaker and I'm most excited to see what he can do with Antonio Gibson. I can see his role being that of Jerrick McKinnon, with more athleticism. Sam Howell has shown a lot of progress since his rookie season. Had issues with his foot work, but has shown vast improvements. We only have 1 preseason game and 1 NFL game of tape on him. I liked what he showed. When watching tape you could see him going through his progression, man absolutely saved the day wish his escapability- was under pressure the whole game, threw two beautiful deep passes, and won the game. He did throw one bad pick, but was under pressure and playing hero ball. He had one week of practice with the starters, now he has a whole offseason. Our defense should be a top 5 unit next season and we only got better. Chase Young should be fully healthy and he's the X-factor for the number one overall defense. He comes out plays to his full potential then he could be a mid teens sack guy. If we have that sort of production and Sam Howell plays well than we can compete for the decision. Big if though. Our secondary really lacked a 2nd option, Benjamin St Juyce has shown some flashes but didn't seeze the role last year. Now on paper he's the number and that's very solid. We return two top 6 defensive tackles and Montez Swear is one of the most underrated players in the league. He's yet to have a high sack season, but is very much that Jadaveon Ckowney type of player in the run game. Big question mark season for Jaymin Davis. We knew he needed development, but it's been slower than previously thought. Down the stretch he showed flashes that he was coming into his own and now is his year. He's one of the best athletes at linebacker in the league and his ceiling is very very high. Overall I predict we will go 10-7 and challenge for a wild card spot. That record can fluctuate each one, but I'm calling the improvement now. We went 8-8-1 with bottom 3 qb play. The defense got better, we hired a better offensive coordinator, Howell will at the minimum be slightly better than Hienke last season, we didn't lose any major pieces and had a solid all around draft. I'm truly excited to watch how our future plays out.

((For anyone))
Automated Tree fruit picker!
...
Climb the stem of a tree, as it linches to set values, of a info scan
And drag out the cable
And follow line,
Snips, to set out lay of rip or rip ish
Snags, cut power, and break it off
So there is still foliage
..An idea..
Size differences and tree value of bark, grabers,
Or
just put, rings around tree that, bend at pressure, and sustain in weather
Were Guides is the issue
each collection period
Clip ins, goals and a hollow line to follow
With main to snip
once found steadiness, of up flows the main
Can wrap down branches
The cuter is a tumbler, back and fowrds in case of clogs
Like The mining trucks in total recall
The hands part is
Gone
Collection is a drop net placed at branch middle and near ends holes when necessary
One unit and set up, can achieve
Collection in a month, full fearing with
A one hour go and one watch guard
And a team that does a couple days work!
Per oracherd
And a machine engineer might need to do maintenance
The drop, net, is a universal clip on in pieces
With shoots and slides, at angles of departure
Were the give each other comfort
Spring loaded at slow wiegt drop less bounce up
So it's, stinger on one side cross cross over lay with extra can be, assed and pushed out!
This might be over kill!
..The mainten must be, spot on or it won't work!

In the latest chapters we saw two interesting things:
First, Cobra stated the following:
​
Cobra revealing Lili's message
People concluded that the flag that's references is the strawhat's flag. This likely means that the meaning of the straw hat is that it represents the sun at dawn.
​
Sun at dawn looks like the top part of the straw hat
​
Shanks talking to luffy while holding the strawhat with the sun behind (Likely explaining the meaning of the strawhat)
The "Flag" in question may be the straw hat itself.
​
​
Another part that was mentioned was Sabo joining the 'D'.
​
Ace jokingly giving the D initial to Sabo
What does that have to do with anything. Well... Many people have connected that the SMILE fruits were likely an attempt to recreate joyboy's fruit. However, I think that this chapter added more meaning to that theory. A thing that made little to no sense (until now) is that in order to create a SMILE fruit, a mechanism was used - its name was SAD.
​
Law in front of SAD
The recent chapter made it seem like the 'D' initial is something that is given, rather then something that is passed down like a family name. Since Ace gave Sabo the initial, this may mean that Sabo will play important role in the story as SAD boy, to go along with JOY boy.
​
This isn't all of the interesting things. Vegapunk mentioned that the devil fruits are created by people manifesting a desire for different evolutions. A while ago I posted my theory on this, which is pretty close to what Vegapunk explained. In it I theorized that Joyboy wanted to become a man made of rubber. And that eventually ended up being the Gomu-Gomu fruit. However knowing that Caesar's lab was aiming to recreate Joyboy we can make another conclusion. Luffy's dream is probably the same as the one that Joyboy had. And I am theorizing that Joyboy (and Luffy) wanted to become a Giant. His body being made of rubber is the way in which he imagined becoming a giant, but the goal wasn't rubber-body at all.
As a supporting evidence we have the big straw hat at Imu.
​
Imu and the big strawhat
Another evidence is the gigantification that was occurring in Caesar's lab (which otherwise is quite out-of-place thing to do).
​
Kids which have been 'Gigantified'
And even more supporting evidence is that Kaido was interested in Joyboy and was the solo buyer of the SMILE fruits. It makes sense that everything in Caesar's lab would be aimed towards recreating Joyboy artificially.
​
Hope you are having a nice day, I am going back to read Luffy's interactions with giants to see if there is anything else.
Thank you for reading
​
Edit: formatting

Chapter 1 Previous Chapter
Opting for silence once more, Raphael held his breath, anticipating the idea from his companion. With each word spoken, his fear gradually dissipated, replaced by a growing sense of relief as he immersed himself in the explanation and wonder if it was possible at all. An eagerness rose deep from within to try it. With each and every word that left the Orcs mouth.
“Ya seem to be able to freeze things, how about we freeze the metal bars and then break them open? Should be possible no? When we are out here, we just have to sneak our way out of wherever we are.”, the Orc explained enthusiastically. “Look I knew ya scared and so, but now before they realize ya power is probably the only chance we will get.” “You’re right. But I don’t know anything about them or how to use them. You think going up to the bars,” Raphael began to say as he walked up to the Bars grabbing one bar each, “ holding them and then they will shatter like magic?”
Raphael observed fascinated by the mesmerizing transformation taking place before him. As his hand extended, a cascade of azure hues enveloped the once silver metal bars, as though a frozen spell had been cast upon them. Delicate tendrils of ice crept along the surface, resembling ethereal vines tightly entwining the bars. For an instant, the frozen grip appeared as blossoming roses, their icy petals glistening in the pale light. But the illusion shattered as the entire length of the bars succumbed to a frigid, icy blue. With a subtle twist of his hands, the once sturdy bars shattered into a thousand shimmering pieces, leaving Raphael and George awestruck, their gazes fixed upon the now vacant space.
“Well, didn’t thought it would be that easy.”, George said, as he laid his arm around the Elf. “Let’s get out of here, silently.”
As Raphael and George managed to wiggle their way out of the confining cell, a wave of astonishment washed over them as they took in the overwhelming expanse of cells that stretched out along the underground corridor. The sheer number of chambers was staggering, revealing the vastness of the place they found themselves in. Their own cell had been positioned at the far end of the corridor, a dim and clammy passage reminiscent of the darkness they had just escaped. On either side of the corridor, rows of similarly outfitted cells stood, their bleak interiors mirroring the desolation of Raphael's former prison. A sense of eerie emptiness permeated these neighboring enclosures, each one devoid of life except for the solitary occupant housed within the first cell, positioned just before the ascending staircase.
In that moment, George's attention would have passed right over the figure huddled within the cell if it weren't for Raphael freezing in his tracks. There, lying on the cold, unforgiving floor, was a young girl, no more than ten years old. Her skin bore a dusky hue, though whether it was the grime of the cell or a natural complexion, Raphael couldn't discern. What caught his eye, however, were the tattered remnants of clothing she wore, soiled to a degree that made it difficult to distinguish their original color. They hung in shreds, exposing a slender, almost leathery tail with a triangular tip that emerged just above her exposed backside. The tail snaked around her, finding comfort in its own embrace before extending to graze the edges of her raven-black hair. A surge of determination coursed through Raphael's veins, compelling him to come to the aid of this young girl. He simply couldn't fathom leaving her behind, defenseless and downtrodden. The sight tugged at his heartstrings, evoking a profound sense of empathy for another human being, particularly one so innocent and vulnerable. With an outstretched hand, he sought the cold touch of the metal bars enclosing her cell, his mind filled with hope that his newfound powers would once again respond to his plea. Once again, the familiar surge of power emanated from Raphael's trembling hands, enveloping them in an ethereal frost. The icy hue crept up the cold metal bars, like delicate tendrils of frozen breath inching towards their breaking point. With a swift twist of his hand, the bars shattered into countless crystalline fragments, filling the air with a resounding crack. The unexpected noise jolted the young girl, causing her to instinctively recoil, her eyes widening in fear as they fixated upon the unlikely duo of the Elf and Orc. In that moment, as the dust settled, Raphael found himself captivated by the revelation of the girl's true complexion. Her skin bore the gentle warmth of soft, earthy brown tones. Yet, it was her eyes that truly arrested his attention—a pair of piercing crimson orbs that seemed to penetrate his very core, drawing forth emotions he struggled to comprehend.
“Hey, everything’s alright. My name's Raphael and that’s George, his friends call him Greg.”, Raphael said extending his hand towards her, trying to comfort her with a smile. The glow on his hands was completely gone. “What's your name?” “Sanya”, the girl spoke with a soft voice devoid of any strength.
Next Chapter
Thak you for reading!

So, We are almost done with the Flashback about Reverie. Considering how Oda has be creating an all out Battle Royal from past 8-10 chapters were every major character has started making his move I don't think we are going to see much more from revolutionaries. Where do you think we will be heading next. One Piece World is completely at chaos with so many things left to be decided like How Garp and Sword members are goona escape Hachinosu? How Mihawk and crocodile are going to get Load ponyglifs copies? Where is shanks heading after defeating Kidd? Where is law? Is Kidd completely out of the picture? And many more.... I believe we will not be heading back to egghead but to Hachinosu as Garp and other marine escape can't be Offscreen as there are already many doubts regarding Hachinosu and Rocky Port incident. And as Oda mentioned that egghead event is going to be a massive event it will take a lot of chapters to get completed . So I think either from next or next to next chapter will be hearding back to Pirates Paradise

I just made a Stock Market for One piece since everyone is like "X stocks are high" "Y stocks are low" when no body is investing.
Manifold is a app where you can create your own stocks and I am creating one piece character stocks which act like real stock (Price increases when it does good and people buy, and decreases when the character does bad and people sell)
You invest in stocks with Mana (a play currency) which you get for free upon signing up. You can invest in good character stocks and increase some Mana.
Luffy stocks are for low right now so grab them before new chapter reveals 😉
You can check the stocks here 👇
https://manifold.markets/group/one-piece-coins?r=bm90bGl0cnVt

I just made a Stock Market for One piece since everyone is like "X stocks are high" "Y stocks are low" when no body is investing.
Manifold is a app where you can create your own stocks and I am creating one piece character stocks which act like real stock (Price increases when it does good and people buy, and decreases when the character does bad and people sell)
You invest in stocks with Mana (a play currency) which you get for free upon signing up. You can invest in good character stocks and increase some Mana.
Luffy stocks are for low right now so grab them before new chapter reveals 😉
You can check the stocks here 👇
https://manifold.markets/group/one-piece-coins?r=bm90bGl0cnVt

I just made a Stock Market for One piece since everyone is like "X stocks are high" "Y stocks are low" when no body is investing.
Manifold is a app where you can create your own stocks and I am creating one piece character stocks which act like real stock (Price increases when it does good and people buy, and decreases when the character does bad and people sell)
You invest in stocks with Mana (a play currency) which you get for free upon signing up. You can invest in good character stocks and increase some Mana.
Luffy stocks are for low right now so grab them before new chapter reveals 😉
You can check the stocks here 👇
https://manifold.markets/group/one-piece-coins?r=bm90bGl0cnVt

Chapter 1085
Post all your theories and discussions for the current chapter in this thread. We also have poll related to a question/event of the recent chapter!
"When are we going back to Egghead?"
​
http://discord.gg/onepiece to discuss One Piece instantly with fellow nakama!
View Poll

Good day people. I read the BNHA manga many years ago. After many things happened here and there. I started to think about looking back at BNHA, and I thought... what if I write story based on it while I re-read the manga? I may not have all the knowledge a fan would have but I thought it be cool to give it a try.
So I wrote a story with the idea that the character worked his way into UA, with the event in the main BNHA story comes across my character in the forms of rumors, or news, perhaps he may come across the character at some point.
I learned that there is other class than A, B, but other isn't specifically mentioned, or how many there are, I assumed there is 14 class based on the orientation in the entrance examination part. And with how Midoriya mentioned 36 out of 100 student passed, I thought he only see the result for the replica city he is assigned to. I mean... dont most of us only see the result for one class and not the entire school?
So I thought, ah I can make use of the other replica city, this could fit well in my story. Wrote up to 9 chapter, so far so good. But then... I read somewhere that class C D E is General Education Department. For people who have failed. The problem is I wrote in the practical test part that there is confirmed 2 OC person who actually fought against the Arena Trap. and perhaps another 3 person in other replica city. I did not expect this piece of information to pop up now after spending weeks trying to see if the chapter fits so far.
I want to avoid having too much direct influence with the main story, but felt it would be cool if we come across the main character from time to time, but this is something that kinda threw a gigantic wrench into my gear. As with the way the story I written so far, means there is high possibility they be included in class A or B, and that means ended up being part of the main story, which also means it leaves little room for me to make up my own story.
I'm still learning the way of the story writing, thought I didn't have to come up to the community trying to learn it myself, but appears clearly that I was wrong. I hadn't expected writing story to have this much complication.
So.... what do I do now? Should I post up the chapter I made so far so y'all can see what is up? This is also my first time using Reddit so... not sure what to tag, misc perhaps.

1. Instead of her boyfriend...2. Since you asked for a video...3. Since you asked to see it raw...4. Since you asked for a three-some...5. Since you asked for his cock...6. Since everyone was begging...7. Since there's no one else...8. Since it's just masturbation...9. Since you said to be an adult...10. But it feels so good...10.5 Bonus - On my journey... (Expectation)TAGSMALE bondage, ch ... Read I Had Sex With My Sister And Then I Had Sex With Her Friends - Chapter 10.5 - MangaPuma. Read more at https://mangapuma.com/i-had-sex-with-my-sister-and-then-i-had-sex-with-her-friends/chapter-10-5