Walmart hiring near me

I live and work near a pokestop and got lot of spare gifts daily so if you need some daily gifts feel free to add me :)

I’m doing my first play through of rain world and I at some tiny glowing jellyfish looking things because they gave my food. The robot near them collapsed and isn’t moving and I think I might’ve been responsible. If there is a way to bring it back to life let me know but don’t tell me how because I don’t want spoilers.

I have cut my nstepfather out of my life for 2 years now. I am financially independent, live states away, and have blocked him in everyway I know how. However, I am terrified he will determine me to be an "unfit mother" and try to take my kids away. I know he has no legal way to do this but he believes his job in life is to "protect children in need."
Because I cut him out, I no longer know what he is up to. He sends me and my children presents despite not knowing my son's bday (I didn't tell him I was pregnant but he some how found out my son's full name). He knows where I live, where my in laws live and where I work. Plus my information is available to the public.
He's hired PIs before to find family members. He is a far right extremist and thinks I ignore him because of our political differences. I am afraid with new legislation coming out he will try to take my kids.
Any suggestions on how to keep myself and my kids safe?

Just to you guys. It's all from my opinion and playing experience.
---S Tier---
Bison : Nuff said. Just get it. Tanks, deals huge free dmg, buffs the team etc. And he refuses to die.
Gore Magala Ken : Dude is freeuse. His 2 and 3 automatically activates with other fighters combo 2 and 3. It's just absurd. If you had him, you just also had a cheater.
Juri: Once maxed her fighting spirit, she rolls.
Fashion Blanka : He is all about burn and wildfire stacks. Pair with flame dps like dhalsim or viper. His super combo and combo 2 is deadly. A tank can deal huge dmg. Rare stuff. Get it.
Fashion Sakura: She needs to be her fighting spirit on 20 asap. 30 is nice. Self and team heals, huge damage reduction buff, nice single and aoe dmg. Once she's upgraded, she gonna rock. Her 3x SSS vehicle will make her unkillable.
Gen : Clunky to use but once you get to master him, you won't regret.
Trendy Cammy : Don't have it yet but seems she is best damage dealer.
Combat Guile: His dispel and Aoe attacks are deadly. It needs investing.
Mad Ryu: He is super strong at early game and falls off after late. Just killing himself. But until you don't need him, you will use him as main dps. So it's A tier after he falls off.
Elena: The only true healer. And it's best at it.
Rose : She's awesome once upgraded. Got her as mercenary like 3 weeks and never disappointed. Clunky and luck based but if your dice is right, you'll win the lottery.
---A Tier---
Viper : Ability to hit rear is huge selling point. Also her 3rd combo is nice too.
Dhalsim : Strechy dude spits flame. His 3rd combo is deadly. Nice for burn stacks. Deadly combo with Beast Zangief and Fashion Blanka. S tier if paired with other flame dps.
Beast Zangief : His interrupt on Combo 2 is main selling point. It's just too awesome. Makes stuff easier. But timing is really required. Mastering his interrupts can get you to higher floors. Also abit tanky.
Chun Li : Her aoe and speed is awesome.
Guy : Rear hitter. He's cool to hit people on the back.
Cammy : Agile and fast. Also hp based dmg which is nice. Followup combo after a combo. Good dps but dies fast.
Decapre : She is underestimated. Her execute on super combo is nice. Just time it. After gets a kill, she starts rolling the heads. Also does soul dmg which is nice.
Street Poison : She is nice buffer. Use her on the boss fights like crusade, effigy, shadaloo boss stages or Magala hunt. Literally any enemy with huge hp and time. Could be S tier if only she haven't been one mode use. Not enough time for stacks buffs on regular fights.
Abel : Nice tank with shield. His combo 1 is nice. Saves you from many bad things.
---B Tier---
Poison : Just aoe. Silence is nice but not that great.
Guile : Good aoe dmg. But that's it. Combat Guile is better.
Honda : Beef tank. But all beef can be grilled. Weak to dots especially flame lol. Getting immunity near death is one off only.
Yun and Yang : They're same for me. Not impressed at all. Both are just fillers.
Fei Long : Debuff for flame dmg. It's the only thing. Otherwise it's C tier.
Makoto : Qi stuff stacks is all about her. But intervals are too big. Can't stack max. She need a rework. If her Qi stacks can be maxed on mid fight, then she's S tier. But currently B. Even for some it's C. Stun on combo 2 is great tho.
Charming Dudley : Super combo on start is nice but everyone has Bison on front which is super bad. And not that great when facing Ai opponents. It's only works against you. If C. Dudley was on opposite. That hits on your Bison.
Blanka : Sucks while using combo is okay but he's squishy. Fashion one is alot better if you love Blanka.
---C Tier---
Zangief : just a beef. It's not great.
Hugo : Dude dies too fast and he's tank. Awful.
Dudley : Just wait for Balrog.
Mayor Cody : B tier if you gonna use flame team. Otherwise he's not that great as a tank.
T. Hawk : Huge like Hugo. Same weakness too. Squishy. And not useful. Also very ugly.
Deejay : Another fiiller. Could be useful for his combo that makes Frontline fly to rear so you can hit 2nd one easily. That's all.
List is entirely of my opinion. Cody is also useful for pulling rear targets.

Location: The school is located on a spacious campus in the countryside near Santa Gertrudis
Student body: Diverse mix of nationalities, mostly Dutch, German, and British Academic performance: Not a strength
Behaviour: Problematic with students getting suspended and sometimes expelled
Extracurricular activities: Offered and run by staff who are paid 50 euros per hour before tax
Resources: Poor, significant lack of space, teachers often work in corridors and kitchens, and often share a classroom
Staff support: Lack of management support, poor communication, and new hires are left to their own devices
Onboarding process: Poor with no HR department, and new staff are handled by a purchasing manager and the directors PA
Empathy: Lack of empathy for the challenges faced by new staff when arriving from a foreign country and even from inland Spain
Housing: Limited availability of apartments, and many teachers struggle to find affordable housing. Housing for a 2 bedroom apartment is between 1500 and 2000 euros, and it's very difficult to find an apartment to rent all year around
NIE appointments: The school has been slow in obtaining NIE (Spanish ID for foreigners) appointments for new staff, which is necessary for many basic needs such as buying a car, opening a bank account, or registering with the Spanish health system
Support: No support provided for opening a bank account or obtaining a visa
Overall: The school has some positive attributes such as its campus and food, but the management and lack of support for staff are significant weaknesses.

About 2 months ago I saw a comment from a 'friend' about a new job they were taking.
This is a place I used to work and I had a very negative experience. I was told when hired that I would be running the space, and when I went to work lo and behold the owners child had my job. Despite having no experience or knowledge of the workplace or position. Oh well. The pay was good so I figured may as well finish the season out, and move on in the fall.
It did not go well. We nearly got shut down in our first week due to improper storage of high risk foods. Then week 2 we did get shut down because the 'manager' was storing their drinking water in our high risk fridge, thus dangerously lowering the temperature as they opened the door multiple times for a drink. I'm not the type to throw people under the bus but that's MY reputation being damaged when the manager constantly blames the staff for unsafe practices.
This went on for about a month until I was fired for telling the health inspector that the manager was not properly trained in food safety practices, and that this was why problems never got resolved.
So I gave my 'friend' a heads up that this spot was known for health infractions and why.
And I got told off very clearly. Apparently my 'friend' knew the owner and did not want nor need my advice. Fine. Our 'friendship' became extremely strained until I just gave it up. We went from talking every day to once a week to no contact at all for the past 5 weeks. And it was surprisingly peaceful.
They just messaged me that they were just fired for very similar reasons that I did (telling the health inspector that the manager doesn't know how to run a kitchen rather than taking the blame for the problems).
I. Don't. Care. I don't want dragged back into this drama after being told my experience was a one of because of my personality. Until it happened to them... I don't have many friends due to my past. I do know a lot of people professionally, and a lot of people know me professionally. ( undiagnosed until recently mental health issue )
I try to be a good person and forgiving without being a doormat because i dont make friends easily..but omg I am fuming.
No apology. No acknowledgement. Just a ' guess what happened' followed by numerous complaints about the place. Basically saying I'm right without actually saying I'm right.
And now they want to 'hang out to exchange notes'.
I don't. I feel as though they showed me their true colors and I am just not interested in the slightest in a bash fest.
Urg.
What would you do?

My wife(32F) and I(37M) are friends with another married couple, that is much younger than us (~10-15 years). I am not a fan of either of them, but we both have young children, and my wife has become close with the other wife. The husband is on his phone 24/7, and we don't seem to have much in common, but I do my best to put on a friendly face because I think it's important for my young child to have time around other toddlers.
Every time they come to our house, it seems to turn into an all-day visit, I'm talking like 6-8 hours. I eventually get worn down by the other wife, she annoys me. She never stops talking, she is completely anti-vax for her child, and constantly says just incredibly stupid things, such as yesterday when she went on for ~5 minutes about how Michelle Obama might actually be a man, she's even 'seen a picture where it looks like she has a penis'. I stay out of most of the conversation because I'm afraid that if I do join in, I won't be able to refrain from being very blunt.
Yesterday, as we're watching the kids play in a little inflatable pool on the front lawn, I'm not really listening to the conversation but my wife taps me and asks, 'what do you think about having them stay over some night in the future?'. I said sure but made a mental note to talk to my wife later about it. These people have their own home, why would they sleep at mine unless they had too much to drink? (We were not drinking). Around an hour later, I realize through the conversation they're having that a decision has been made for them so stay over, tonight. It immediately made my blood boil that my wife made this decision, knowing that I do not like this couple (it's been discussed), and without really asking me about it, just asking me about a 'future' slumber party.
For the next 3-4 hours I was near everyone but was not really a part of any conversation, I was pissed off. I took my baby upstairs around 730 PM to try and get her to sleep, because it was too loud downstairs. My wife came up and I immediately fired off on her, and told her she was a f*%#ing asshole for inviting 2 adults I can't stand to sleep over at my house, and without discussing it with me first. We argued a little and she went back downstairs.
After getting the baby to sleep, I walked downstairs and noticed they were packing up their stuff. No one said a word to me, and it was maybe the most awkward 30 seconds of my life, there was tension in the room. After they left, my wife told me that she had come downstairs and told them that I did not want them to stay the night.
My wife and I argued after they left, she thinks she did nothing wrong and I can't believe she made me look like such an asshole, and how awkward it will be when I have to see these people again. AITA?

I Had A Dream Just Now That I Was Literally Interacting And Conversing W/ Kuroko Koumori From Murciélago And It Was Such A Fuckin Trippy Thing Bruh 😭 WE WORKED AT WALMART. But She Was Still A Detective And All Lat Like She Was 100% Still Her, My Biggest Assumption Was That I Was In The Police Force W/ Her And We Got The Jobs As A Cover To Figure Out A Lead On A Case. I’m Extremely Positive I Took Over The Character Role Of That Male Detective That Was Cha-Chan’s Mentor In The Manga, But I Was Still Me, She Just Treated Me Like Him. And She Got A Call From The Police W/ A Lead On One Of Their Suspects Involving The Case So We Went To Go Check It Out And It Had To Do W/ Some Guy In A Fancy Ass Hotel On The Top Floor. So She Was Extremely Pissed Off When They Told She Had To Seduce Him In Order To Get The Info She Wanted Out Of Him Cause Ya Know How She Is 😭 She Loves Her Women(And Thats What I Love About Her 🥹) So As We’re Going To The Place, We Spot Our Target, And She Proceeds To Work Her Womanly Charms On Him And Tells Me To Follow From A Distance So I Did. We Wounded Up Entering The Suite He Was In And Kuroko Had To Do Some WILDDDD Shit Thats Allll The Way Outta Her Character Bruh 😭 Im Talking Bout She Was All In W/ The Whole Seduction And Manipulation Thing Bruh Lmaoo She Was Tworking For Him❗️TWORKING FOR HIMMMM 💀 And I Couldn’t Stop Laughing And She Peeped Me But Also Its Kuroko And I Love Her Deadly So OfCourse Im Giving Her Signals And Rooting Her On And Such And She Gives Me The ONLY SideEye 💀 It Gave Me Some Chills Ngl Cause I Know What She Capable Of 😂 Long Story Short She Got The Info She Needed From Him And Decided To UnAlive Him After Because She Couldn’t Bare The Thought Of A Man Knowing Her That Intimately And Living To Tell The Tale And I Did Not. Stop. Clowning Her About It. 😭😭😭 She Was Pissedddd Lmaoo I’m Am In Such Shock That I Interacted This Much With Her IN MY DREAM Bruh Like Thats Crazy To Me 🥹 I Literally Just Woke Up From This Dream About 2 Mins Ago Thats Why All The Details Are So Vivid 🌀 Kuroko I Love You 🥹🖤

I've been single since last January, so 15 months. My last relationship started off amazingly well... he was everything I'd been looking for at that point but unfortunately it grew toxic and we grew apart so mutually agreed to split. We were together for 3 years. I'd say for the last year of the relationship I stayed with him because he was familiar and I was afraid of the unknown, afraid to be single as a female over 30.
The break up hit me pretty hard, but after a few months I started to feel like I was getting myself back again. I started working on myself and immersed myself in to activities I've been wanting to pick up/ continue for a while. I then joined two dating apps. I went on 2 dates with 2 different guys but there was little connection so I did not want to pursue things further. Both those dates were last May and I've not really had much luck since then.
I'm quite a laid back person, so over the last year I've mostly felt as though things are going OK and that I will meet that person. Recently I've been questioning this. It doesn't help that I'm currently going through a career shift - I've worked as a primary teacher but am looking to venture in to something more creative. I haven't been working for the last two months as I seek work, and I've been sidelined with an injury (thankfully it's getting better). I also currently live at home with my (amazing) parents, don't have a car and feel I'm too reliant on my mother. I feel insecure about all of this as I still feel like a child - also probably doesn't help that I look about 22.
I isolated myself from friends as I was burnt a few times and had a hard time trusting people. I also lost my cousin whilst I was studying at university and I lacked a support network. My studies were in London, I'd planned to stay there afterwards but that didn't happen... partially because I didn't enjoy my time at university there so it gave me a jaded outlook on the city. My hometown, where I am right now, is 2 hours from London... I live in a city that is much smaller but has good transport links and a fair few things to do. I used to be obsessed with finding a guy in London but I'd really like to find a guy closer to me, as I want to be near to my family.
I feel lost right now. I'm constantly told that I'm beautiful, lovely, kind, funny, but that just hasn't gotten me anywhere. I have a lot of interests, I'm athletic with abs and strong thighs. I feel I'm in my prime but perhaps I'm just too old. My dating profile presents me well and accurately. In the past year I've probably spoken to a handful of men that I have genuinely been interested in and have good feeling about, but then conversation dies down. Otherwise I do get a lot of men interested but I'm not in to them for one reason or another - it mostly boils down to attraction. Most of the time I'll talk to guys that I'm 50/50 on, and then something comes up that turns me off - it could be something they say, or they end up not looking like their pics.
I had a rocky childhood (mostly my fault) but I had so many opportunities that I wish I'd taken. I just feel I could've done so much better for myself. I was a bit chubby at university and insecure about my looks... If I had taken care of myself and looked and felt like I do now I probably wouldn't have struggled so much. I wish I had focused on my education and worried about guys later, maybe then I'd actually have someone decent right now.
Despite feeling fairly optimistic over the last year I now feel hopeless. I actually feel like I will end up alone. I often think about my ex and how he understood me, how we could just be kids together and I want something like that again but I don't think I will find it. I want companionship, I want a family. Last night I was sobbing and had a panic attack thinking about all of this.
What shall I do?

I can do it, im capable of it, but it feels so random. It feels like my previous struggles weren’t even real
I have some weird form of agoraphobia symptoms, I don’t have the disorder but I do have the symptoms apart from “daily panic attacks about going outside”
I want the hiding to come back, it’s weird, I tried so hard to fight it so people would stop judging all my special little places and my dumb escape routes and my dumb ducking habits
but it’s so comfortable, and I’m at home for the holidays, and it isn’t here with me, but it feels so unnatural, and a part of me wants it back
I bet it will come back when I go back to school, it always does. So great the majority of my friends think it’s pure nerves, it’s not why I drifted away. I didn’t feel happy, and I needed to leave. The anxiety around it isn’t because im scared, it’s because I know that once people find me again, im weird again, they know I’ve run away, they know I hide, it’s obvious, I can’t escape it
It’s weird, I feel like my feelings were only valid when I was looking up techniques to…. Yeah, but it wasn’t very often! Only on a few separate days, so even that probably wasn’t valid! All the imagery on those few days, I guess it doesn’t matter.
My heart felt heavy one of those days, was it a panic attack? No clue! But it doesn’t matter, it was only 2 days, plus I don’t think panic attacks last that long, I felt scared and the only thing wrong was my heart, it felt like that for nearly an hour, but it’s ok! My heavy heart didn’t last that long!!
All the bad experiences, it doesn’t matter! I am better now, nobody was there when it was terrible, but someone is now when I’m already better, wish they could have been here before
I vent when it’s better, it’s not even bad. I don’t enjoy the happiness like I should, I think about the fact I’m randomly happy for a portion of everyday
I am ok! Why do I feel like this? I am getting better!
doesn’t matter though, does it?

Hello,
Could anyone give me an idea of how safe trains from London to Leicester are, at 7-8pm, or even 10pm? And is there any difference from weekdays to weekends? I'd especially appreciate women's perspectives. I'm considering moving to Leicester - from London - but I'd still have to spend quite a lot of time in London due to work.
I wouldn't consider safe having men following you around carriages, frequent catcalling, drunk people, having nearly no one around, etc.
Thanks!

My (55M) daughter (17F) has been homeschooled for the past five years and is very passionate about filmmaking. She writes her own scripts, made her own short film two years ago, and is considering film school for college.
She found out that the big university in our city has a film program that was about to start production on a full-length movie, completely ran by the film students. She contacted the team and we all met together to talk about our daughter joining the project as a volunteer production assistant so she could gain experience during the two weeks they'd be filming.
So she did, and the first day of filming, I promptly dropped her off at the set. (Our daughter can't yet drive to places on her own. She's been learning how to drive off and on since she was 15 and got her permit, but she doesn't have her license yet and we're not comfortable with her driving on her own, especially to unknown locations.)
First day, my daughter didn't leave the set until 8pm...nearly a 12-hour day for her. Second day was similar, and then the third day, after getting there at 7amish, my daughter called me to pick her up at nearly 10/11pm.
After the third day, I had enough. That is a ridiculous amount of time and has to be a violation of some labor law somewhere. Not to mention, I have to stay in that part of town to pick her up, not knowing when she'd call and not wanting to leave her alone waiting for me, especially at night, so for those three days, my son (11M) and I had to drive around trying to find things to burn time. It's unfair to all of us.
I admit I was angrier than I would have liked, but when I picked her up that night, I told her what they're making her do is unacceptable, unfair and she's emailing them that night that she is quitting. She insisted 12/13/14-hour long work days are "normal" in the film world, but I still made her go through with the email.
My daughter has been since sulking around the house. To me, my decision made sense, which has also been backed up by my wife. AITA?

THIS HAS BEEN ANTAGONIZING ME FOR MULTIPLE YEARS NOW AND I CANNOT IDENTIFY THE SONG.
Anyone know the song about a high school aged girl dating an older dude that has a wife at home. Says something about “he used to buy her kicks to keep her looking real fly.” He gets her pregnant and hires someone to do a hit on her…. the hit man (fresh out of prison) ends up being her father and shoots the guy that hired him instead and the ending says “now he saved the life of his only daughter”
Someone please help me find it 😭

I have the ability to channel, and I thought finally my husband would actually recognize it for what it is, rather than thinking it’s something “demonic” or whatever some of the more religious people think it is. We have been on the spiritual path for almost 2 years now, and he has literally flip-flopped from believing “we are all one” to now trying to say he’s a born again Christian.
I’ve shown him in every which way imaginable that I’m only able to access this information and I’m not possessed or whatever they believe. We have been together nearly a decade, and I’m seriously considering ending our marriage if he continues to demonize me like this. It’s come to the point of being psychologically damaging for me. Has anyone else who channels experienced anything like this with their loved ones and gotten through it?

My wife and I are buying a new home with a big game room that I’ll be turning into a man cave. The previous owners are leaving their pool table that will sit in the middle of the room. I want to add a dart board setup but am leaning towards a soft tip since the pool table will be near the dart board and wouldn’t want anyone not paying attention to take a steel tip to the head.
Originally I was looking at the spider360 1000 series but I have a couple of questions. For $2600 is there something bettesimilar that you would recommend? I’ve searched this sub and see everyone talking about gran board. Is it as solid as a cabinet setup or does it feel like you’re playing on a $30 board from Walmart but with all the extra features.
I don’t mind spending money on something high quality but if I can save money on something that still looks very clean then I would be open to suggestions. TIA!

Hey guys and gals! Hope you can help me out! Where can I find somewhat reasonably priced "western" groceries in Hanoi? I have been living here since the beginning of this month and will stay here till fall. I love Vietnamese food, but back in my home country I have been eating very very internationally and cooking a lot myself also. Recently the lack of diversity in my diet has been bothering me a lot. Since these kind of restaurants are very expensive to visit on a somewhat regular basis, I went on a search to find some supermarkets in the city and in some malls on the quest to buy "western" ingredients. Pasta, canned or fresh tomatoes, herbs and spices, oats, normal non sweetened bread, nutella, jam, muesli... Those kind of general things.
What I came to realize it seems nearly impossible to find any of these things for a somewhat reasonable price. For example I rarely saw 500g of pasta for under 75k or 500g of oats for under 100k. This seems totally ridiculous to me. There must be a place to buy regular non Vietnamese ingredients that aren't quadruple the price as in Europe? The lack of diversity in the food here is making me somewhat unhappy and is the only thing bothering me about life in Vietnam

Another one of these posts... just feel like I need a 2nd, or 100th set of eyes as we move into a new geographic and financial part of life. Looking for advice on if this makes sense financially (or otherwise).
Wife and I are both physicians late 30s. 10 years in practice. 4 kids. No debts. We also don't own anything. After 8 years of practice we quit our jobs and did a sort of world tour with the kids for 2 years. We were able to earn some money along the way but mostly broke even for the 2 years (no loss but no extra savings). Prior to that we both worked (1.5 jobs total) and had a high savings rate. Our previous (very nice) house was paid for before we sold it for 500k pre world tour. New jobs will combined initially pay ~650k total for first year or two and then theoretically 750k-800k after that based on performance metrics. I could foresee one or maybe both of us wanting to drop to half or 3/4 time at some point though I expect full time for at least three years based on our contract agreements. This will be the first time my wife has worked full time as the kids are finally all in school.
We are looking at houses and struggling to agree on how much is enough and where is the line as we move from a VLCOL area to a HCOL location (to be near family - geographical arbitrage time is over unfortunately). I initially was looking in the 700k-1M range for a house but made the rookie mistake of letting my wife go see a house listed at 1.5M and wouldn't you know it, none of the other houses are going to work any more. We have always been the simple save hard keep it frugal type of people. I joke that I was doing the WCI thing before I knew there was a WCI :) This price seems outlandish to me, however I also realize that our annual spending of 70-80k is never going to allow us to use all of the money we are accumulating even if we take a few more 2 year vacation trips :).
I am ready to loosen the purse strings some but don't want to dump the purse contents on the floor all at once either. I also am looking at buying 2 cars and filling a new house as we pretty much unloaded all of our possessions so there will be some "one time" expenses coming our way this year. Additionally we have a stated goal of giving away 20% of our income. Certainly this could bend if we had a disaster but I would like to be in a place to continue doing this.
Financial details as follows:
Cash: $450,000 (mostly sitting around since selling house expecting to put most towards a new one)
Retirement Accounts: $900,000 (401ks/Roths)
529s: $200,000
Taxable Stocks: $280,000
HSA: $25,000
Donor Advised Fund: $200,000
Am I being too stingy? My family says yes. My gut??? IDK

Our bionic dragoness wraps up her dungeon delving.
[Previous] Part 016 [Next]
<==--------===-=-===--------==>
/- - Flight of the War Witch - - \
\ =>>>>><0> 017 <0><<<<<= /
\ - - - Giants in the Earth - - - -/
Argen'tea's goggle eyes goggled more as Valkyria kept up the teasing. "P-P-P-PRIMITIVE!" he croaked in outrage. The others had no idea what was going on between the two, but at least it was entertaining. The usually superior Salamandra were getting a taste of their own medicine for once.
This reminded Roscida of something and she interrupted the one-sided argument. "Hey Valkyria? When you are not busy could I get a replacement meteor for the one I used getting free of the Jelly?"
The cyborg grinned and popped open one of her ports to dispense one for her Ki-rin ward. "Here you go. That was a pretty clever way to use it too."
The seven meter tall newt watched this in both fascination and even more frenzy. "T-that tis not a spell! Tis not even chemically propelled!" he questioned.
"huh? You can tell that at a glance? But yeah. Ion kick drivers. Chem drivers would double the payload weight. duh!"
This got the short red amphibian to sputter even more. "How art thou in possession of technologies that be only on the drawing board for us?"
"What is a technologies?" she asked, glancing at her meteor casters the War Witch had gifted her.
Valkyria "Hold on dear. Me and the young man here are having a moment." she grinned. "I have been very circumspect about myself so far mister Argen'tea." she said to the Salamandra.
"ah... erm...Yes. Thou hast seen the right of things. My apologies. Yon advancements caught me off guard." he conceded with some embarrassment.
Clade got up from her rest and stretched. "Shall we finish exploring and be done with this place then?"
"Yes. I have a feeling we are not going to like what we find in her lab. Just a warning." cautioned the white and gold dragoness as they headed down the silver hallway of this dungeon. "Guess no traps down the hall?"
The newt nodded. "I didst see naught a one when that woman was dragging me to her pet monster."
Makrys confirmed this. No markers so far. Guess she was pretty confident her traps would end anyone got this far. Probably right too!" Finally though they entered into the evil Songstress' lab and it was as gruesome and macabre as expected of such. "This is vile!" the Gorgon nearly gagged at the sight.
Arranged on mounting racks were skeletons of dragons. Each one different in some detail. And behind each was a meticulously hand drawn diagram of vocal cords in lurid detail. The Salamandra nodded grimly. "Aye! Verily her heart was as black as the eternal deep."
Makrys looked around with the others, collected books and anything that looked of value, feeling disgusted just touching these things knowing how any knowledge contained within was bought at the cost of someones life. "I think we should burn it all. There can not be anything good to come of this torture chamber."
The War Witch wanted to nod in agreement. But cautioned on the books. "If want I can eat everything and convert it into something useful to help people instead of harm. The metal in those dissection instruments alone will help me recover and be a little less dependent on blacksmith scraps. But the books. Keep them for now as they may hold valuable medical information that could save lives some day. Though in all honesty I doubt anyone will be making use of that before knowledge advances far enough to make such horrific acts redundant."
"That sounds excellent. Destroy it all but the books and we are finished here." nodded Makrys after some deliberation. "I do not see how this... this blasphemy of the arts could ever help anyone. But Father said much the same when recovering spellbooks from a mad mage. And so I hear his wisdom now."
Roscida though had a feeling in this chamber. "I think we should have a Priest of the Outer Gods come here and make sure the spirits of the tormented see proper rest. Or a Druid at the very least. They might be able to ask the dead who those skeletons belong to so they can get a fitting send off and kin informed?" suggested the pearl and pink Ki-rin girl.
"Excellent idea. This place is unsettling to me and I have no talent in vraja." agreed Clade. She looked a little paler blue as she helped Valkyria dismantle and consume the lab. Out of all the books here only two were salvageable as safe to read without being completely repulsed.
The first book was a journal of the Songstress' early practices into the musical arts and some insights into her singing techniques. The other was a treatise on plans to craft and enchant three different musical instruments. "This book may be quite valuable later. The art of enchanting items is much in demand." noted Makrys.
Once the work was done they made their way out again. This time bypassing the traps with shortcuts that were noted in the journal. "So think you might want to live here once things are settled?" asked Roscida of the grey and black Gorgon.
"It may be that I will. A fully furnished Songstress abode would relieve some pressure to assemble my own. And it is only 2 days walk from my peoples lands. Shorter on the wing." nodded Makrys as they gathered in the upper lounges and made use of stocks preserved with enchantments all this time.
Skydiver Clade sprawled on some pillows and breathed a sigh. "I am sure Mother and Father can get our Salamandra friend here back home. We have some contacts with the Deep Ones."
"Twould be most appreciated indeed." nodded the rescued newt as he ate heartily and drank profusely to recover from his long ordeal. "I would be desireous of inviting m'lady Valkyria to R'lyah some day as well. And m'lady Clade too as she doth be a Skydiver and can handle the great deep. Other guests we would have to arrange special apparatus to descend down."
Clade was surprised at that. Her own mother was one of the few to visit more than once as was her father. She herself had not yet had opportunity so that grabbed her attention. "I would be most honored to visit. My parents have regaled me of some of the fantastic sights they witnessed down there."
-<>--
Three days later they were back at the Gorgon's city which was gradually being restored after thousands of days left abandoned. The tale of the exploration was listened to raptly and everyone was fascinated to meet a Deep One as the former Rainbow Hills clan was further inland and unlikely to ever see one of the sea people visit.
There was also good spirits that the expedition was a success and Makrys was now well furnished to begin her career as a Songstress and some day free the Gorgons from their terrible curse. "Somewhere in those books is the secret and some day I -will- master it."
Meanwhile Valkyria explored the city and helped where she could with restoration. Surprisingly after so long abandoned the city was still mostly intact and un-looted. "Guess no one wanted to risk the curse." she mused as she again marveled at the scale of construction the dragons put into everything. Though being scaled up herself it was very easy to forget that a simple cottage was in fact upwards of forty meters tall for a simple 2 story dwelling.
That night she was pondering her strange new life and running some calculations to try and make sense of time on this gargantuan planet when something that had been bugging her since arrival finally clicked. "Oh screw my bolts! No wonder it feels like I've been here so long. I -HAVE- been here so long!" she groaned.
"What do you mean?" asked Roscida in puzzlement.
"Well part of the problem is I keep thinking of a day here in my terms. When a day here is actually fifty hours long. One of your seasons is just two-hundred days. But for me this has been nearly two months over a year here. But since you do not have references for months and years the simplest approximation would be that your days are a bit over twice as long as where I am from."
That perplexed the Ki-rin even more. "But you sleep more or less normally? Would you not wake up in the middle of the night and go to bed in the middle of the day if that were so?"
"Right. But since getting here my sleep schedule has been about in line with yours. I just did not notice it as much I go to sleep later than you do and get up earlier. It does not feel like such long spans to me though so I am at a loss as to what is going on. What I am perceiving is not matching what my time-piece is reading. Sure the says and night feel longer. But not by that much.
Roscida resumed brushing her mentor's long black wig thoughtfully for a time before speaking. "Perhaps you are more like us than you thought? Your mannerisms and the way you comport yourself are very... Ki-rin shall we say."
This elicited a chuckle from the dimensionally lost cyborg. "That would be funny if something here activated my 'lizard brain' for some reason." she snorted and then sat still as her young ward settled the wig back in place over her bald head and her deployed claspers once again held it firmly in place.
"Lizard brain?" giggled the pearl and pink dragoness.
"hoooo boy! How to explain this one? uhhhhh. Well my people evolved, er, grew... from creatures alot like the beasts you know. But over time all those primitive elements receded as they were no longer needed." she tried explaining.
"oh? You mean like how we were created by the Outer Gods from creatures like the Tyra combined with the Deep Ones?"
Valkyria considered that. If this world was artificial. Then was everything else? "Guess so? I do not know your people's history enough to really say."
"Well the telling is that on the beginning there were only the two outermost gods. One was Time, who governs all things and nothing. And the other was Nothing. Which was nested inside Time. There was not even darkness. For darkness needs... something." she sat there on the bed cross legged and recited for her mechanical mentor. "Then after incalculable spans, the Nothing became aware. And it's first thought was of loneliness. And in that moment two Outer Gods were born. Life, and Death. The Nothing died and was simultaneously reborn as the Void. And from there Life, Death and Time filled the Void with an unimaginable explosion of creation and destruction, growth and decay. Endless gifts to the Void to give it happiness. The creation of sentience was their goal. But they are utterly unknowable forces and so their ideals and methods are equally beyond any keen to fathom. It is said that in the first span less than a heartbeat they crafted life impossible as the very axioms of the newborn all were impossible. Living Math! Then calculations able to move about. Ever working upwards as they spun life on levels of magnitude past anything possible. Physical things began to exist as the all cooled from heat and pressure so great that only these impossible things could exist. From this new matter and new axioms they created new impossible things. Living Squares and Triangles, Shapes able to only move in two dimensions. Up and up. And gradually things settled into a pattern. A stability that was not stable. Chaos with patterns. And ever their eyes were on a great goal. We today are the end product of that goal. So far. The Salamandra thought themselves the end product as well. And failed. Just as prior ages have failed. We would like to think we can succeed finally." And here her mood darkened. "But looking back at that lab, and my mother, and the Coalition. Are we any better?" she asked.
Sitting there taking all this in and trying to make sense of it the War Witch was stumped really. A living universe? Living Math? But here she was on a hollow planet the size of Saturn with a gravity that was close to Earths? A planet that was nigh certainly artificial. A seemingly impossible feat of engineering. On top of there being dinosaurs here. Or something so similar that there was no point in trying to differentiate. Yet here she was.
The War Witch shrugged and then hugged up the Ki-rin girl.
"I think you are. And that is all that matters to me."
<==--------===-=-===--------==>

Hello! I just turned 16 and I have no fucking clue what I am doing! I've just had my third solo in a glider with about 12.5 hours total. I really want to go straight into the RAAF as a pilot (got glasses, so idk abt fast jet but im fine with any role) then move into the airlines after the return of service period. I really enjoy powered flying and I am wondering when you guys would suggest switching to powered, there is a school near me thats very good and will be part 142 next year (covered by australian governments HEX program), I would like to get my CPL and do aerobatics eventually but at the moment ive got fuck all money in savings and dunno if I should keep doing gliding as a hobby, and when I should change to powered.