Quest for Muscle: The Return of the Pump
But we will be magnificent.
NightWolf714
The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change. ~Carl Rogers
Hope your back feels better soon 
Kind thanks go to @graoumia @JCU @dancer @Fremen and @NightWolf714.
Hey everyone. Non-workout update today.
My back will take a few days to get back in sync (it's quite sore), but no lasting damage has been done.
As mentioned yesterday, I took the day off to give my back some time to heal, and take a break from the weights. After visiting my psychiatrist tomorrow, I'll try to fit in a workout, though that's dependent on how well my back is.
Mostly been gaming - I gamed until 03:30 last night, which I haven't done in years. I was sleepy and my eyes hurt, but the game I was playing (more on that below) held my attention too well.
Hope your week is going well, Bees!
Playing: Despite my initial skepticism and the lukewarm welcoming I gave it (I was on the "don't buy it, play the demo" side of things), Project Silverfish has monopolized my gaming time. It's essentially STALKER, populated by lizard people (I thought this was due to some sort of fetish thing, but thankfully there's an in-universe explanation for it). It is, not coincidentally, quite difficult, and playing it requires a bit of luck, some skill, and mostly caution.
I'm playing it on the weenie setting (game autosaves between its massive, redoubtable levels), as I don't have the patience to lose my inventory with every death, which ensues on the regular difficulty; I can stomach this Extraction-based quirk in Sulfur, but in a game this massive, I'm happier playing it on the easier setting. With that out of the way, game totally has its hooks in me. Because it borrows from the STALKER template while making a few quirks of its own (to wit, there is no weapon degradation) I've lost myself in the many levels. I presumably won't finish all the content in this Early Access build before the full release (estimated two years away), which speaks to the volume of the game's current content.
Here's a small trailer.
Oh, and a little Bioshock 2, and some Voin as well. Really should play Dead Space Remake, but PS comes first!
Watching: So Ballerina and Bring Her Back came out online (wow that was fast). I needs finish my watch of Way of the Gun, first (I have a habit of forgetting to watch films, which is why I'm alternating between this one and Frankenstein's Army).
Listening to: Vampire Step-Dad - Green Berets for Breakfast.
Hey everyone. Non-workout update today.
My back will take a few days to get back in sync (it's quite sore), but no lasting damage has been done.
As mentioned yesterday, I took the day off to give my back some time to heal, and take a break from the weights. After visiting my psychiatrist tomorrow, I'll try to fit in a workout, though that's dependent on how well my back is.
Mostly been gaming - I gamed until 03:30 last night, which I haven't done in years. I was sleepy and my eyes hurt, but the game I was playing (more on that below) held my attention too well.
Hope your week is going well, Bees!
Playing: Despite my initial skepticism and the lukewarm welcoming I gave it (I was on the "don't buy it, play the demo" side of things), Project Silverfish has monopolized my gaming time. It's essentially STALKER, populated by lizard people (I thought this was due to some sort of fetish thing, but thankfully there's an in-universe explanation for it). It is, not coincidentally, quite difficult, and playing it requires a bit of luck, some skill, and mostly caution.
I'm playing it on the weenie setting (game autosaves between its massive, redoubtable levels), as I don't have the patience to lose my inventory with every death, which ensues on the regular difficulty; I can stomach this Extraction-based quirk in Sulfur, but in a game this massive, I'm happier playing it on the easier setting. With that out of the way, game totally has its hooks in me. Because it borrows from the STALKER template while making a few quirks of its own (to wit, there is no weapon degradation) I've lost myself in the many levels. I presumably won't finish all the content in this Early Access build before the full release (estimated two years away), which speaks to the volume of the game's current content.
Here's a small trailer.
Oh, and a little Bioshock 2, and some Voin as well. Really should play Dead Space Remake, but PS comes first!
Watching: So Ballerina and Bring Her Back came out online (wow that was fast). I needs finish my watch of Way of the Gun, first (I have a habit of forgetting to watch films, which is why I'm alternating between this one and Frankenstein's Army).
Listening to: Vampire Step-Dad - Green Berets for Breakfast.
Crickets chirping. The gentle flow of water lapping at the shore. And the wind rushing through an alien sky. In the distance - voices? A cool chill permeating the soaked rags he could feel plastered to him. Mud beneath his... hooves. These were the first sensations he felt as he came back to consciousness.
Gentle Ox opened his eyes and sat up, but slowly. It was daytime, and he lay on a river shore. A path led from the shore to a collection of tents on a hill, but the view was dominated by an imposing observatory. Mud had caked his face, so he crawled to the river and... he was not an ox. His reflection showed a distinctly lizard-like face; wearing a shocked expression, it stared back at him, dirty and grimy. Ox blinked a few times, then closed his eyes and slowly counted to five. He opened them again and expectantly looked down at the water. Nope, still a lizard. Not an Ox. "Moo," he said, experimentally. It was not a sonorous bovine sound that came out, but instead, "moo" formed in human-speak. The voice was baritone, as if that mattered. "Shit," he remarked. Lizard hardware, human software.
First things first. He gathered water in his... hands and splashed it against his face, rubbing off as much of the mud and grit as he could. Whatever life he was living now, it would be no use to go through it despondent and dirty. It seemed like this observatory was a good place to find some purpose, but as he stood up, he noticed a figure coming down the hill. The figure was clad in heavy combat webbing, and bore an automatic weapon...
(I'm taking a break from the Saloon story for now, and am taking inspiration from Project Silverfish with this new set of shorts.)
Hello once more, Bees! My back is mostly well again, and I headed down to the gym once more to put my body through its paces.
Today was a secondary Push day.
Block Press: 140 x 5, 142.5 x 4. A new PR on both counts!
Larsen Press: 125 x 5. This almost went funny. When your legs are off the bench, fiddling around with balance is a very tricky proposition. Got the reps, though.
Incline Press: 90 x 6.
Dumbbell Curls: 18 x 20.
Dumbbell Forearm Curls: 18 x 22.
We're going to get dim on Saturday. Nom nom nom, better take pictures!
It's almost week's end, Bees! You've got this.
Playing: Take a guess. Yep, Project Silverfish once more. I know I shouldn't, but I'm probably going to spend tonight gaming away. Because my playthrough has been stuffed with plenty of cheese, I've amassed more money than would be reasonable in a regular playthrough already. The quests are kind of obtuse, though, and frustrate as much as they stimulate.
Didn't play anything else. Wah wah... And again, possibly won't.
Reading: I love SCPs that are gigantic creatures we have no hope of defeating!
https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-7450
Watching: I finished my first front-to-back watch of The Way of the Gun, so here's a trailer, synopsis, and a review.
(This unbelievably poorly conceived trailer does not represent the subtle, dark crime story at the heart of the film. And whose idea was it to use Limp Bizkit, of all bands?? Unbelievable!)
Parker and Longbaugh are two drifters whose skill with firearms and ambitious scheming belie their thuggish and impulsive natures. An overheard tip about a multimillionaire who plans to have a surrogate child is the score to end all scores. It sounds simple: kidnap the girl and hold her (and her baby) for ransom. Unfortunately, even though they successfully (and in ham-handed fashion) grab the girl, it turns out that they have no idea who they're dealing with, and are in way over their heads. Schemes upon schemes ensue as the two seek to get out with their money, and get out alive.
Synopsis: It's flawed as a whole, but taken as a moment to moment watch, is a compelling crime flick with excellent shootouts.
Christopher McQuarrie's directorial debut is a rebuke to the standard Hollywood crime stories (which was, most assuredly, his intention); there is very little comedy, the dialogue is wordy and often figurative, and, most tellingly, many of the characters are markedly amoral. Case in point, the two protagonists are (suspiciously well-trained) bums seemingly absent of consciences, and the people they're up against are possibly even worse.
The performances are taut and lean, and while not exactly believable, needle the viewer. Part of the intrigue the film has is watching the different players scheme away, with motivations that almost never align. The film has been criticized for being thin on characterization, with each development contrived to deliver the protagonists to the final shootouts, but I found the minute to minute plotting and acting superb.
The shootouts deserve some special attention. Scuttlebutt is that the actors were trained by a former Navy SEAL, and it shows. The gunfights are electrifying to watch, and the gun handling is simply exceptional (cf Heat, which is similarly lauded in this department), if not exactly believable (how did these two drifters get to be so well-trained, anyway)? Anyway, guns go boom is fun.
(And make no mistake, there are almost no comedic overtones to the film).
I'm paying that ransom, and delivering to Way of the Gun four duffel bags full of cash out of five.
Now what to watch...
Listening to: Joe Kraemer - The Grab (from Way of the Gun). I wouldn't say it's ill-fitting, but the score is peculiarly noble and distinguished for a film like this. It's a great song (and score) nonetheless. I love the leitmotif in this one.
Gentle Ox opened his eyes and sat up, but slowly. It was daytime, and he lay on a river shore. A path led from the shore to a collection of tents on a hill, but the view was dominated by an imposing observatory. Mud had caked his face, so he crawled to the river and... he was not an ox. His reflection showed a distinctly lizard-like face; wearing a shocked expression, it stared back at him, dirty and grimy. Ox blinked a few times, then closed his eyes and slowly counted to five. He opened them again and expectantly looked down at the water. Nope, still a lizard. Not an Ox. "Moo," he said, experimentally. It was not a sonorous bovine sound that came out, but instead, "moo" formed in human-speak. The voice was baritone, as if that mattered. "Shit," he remarked. Lizard hardware, human software.
First things first. He gathered water in his... hands and splashed it against his face, rubbing off as much of the mud and grit as he could. Whatever life he was living now, it would be no use to go through it despondent and dirty. It seemed like this observatory was a good place to find some purpose, but as he stood up, he noticed a figure coming down the hill. The figure was clad in heavy combat webbing, and bore an automatic weapon...
(I'm taking a break from the Saloon story for now, and am taking inspiration from Project Silverfish with this new set of shorts.)
Hello once more, Bees! My back is mostly well again, and I headed down to the gym once more to put my body through its paces.
Today was a secondary Push day.
Block Press: 140 x 5, 142.5 x 4. A new PR on both counts!
Larsen Press: 125 x 5. This almost went funny. When your legs are off the bench, fiddling around with balance is a very tricky proposition. Got the reps, though.
Incline Press: 90 x 6.
Dumbbell Curls: 18 x 20.
Dumbbell Forearm Curls: 18 x 22.
We're going to get dim on Saturday. Nom nom nom, better take pictures!
It's almost week's end, Bees! You've got this.
Playing: Take a guess. Yep, Project Silverfish once more. I know I shouldn't, but I'm probably going to spend tonight gaming away. Because my playthrough has been stuffed with plenty of cheese, I've amassed more money than would be reasonable in a regular playthrough already. The quests are kind of obtuse, though, and frustrate as much as they stimulate.
Didn't play anything else. Wah wah... And again, possibly won't.
Reading: I love SCPs that are gigantic creatures we have no hope of defeating!
https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-7450
Watching: I finished my first front-to-back watch of The Way of the Gun, so here's a trailer, synopsis, and a review.
(This unbelievably poorly conceived trailer does not represent the subtle, dark crime story at the heart of the film. And whose idea was it to use Limp Bizkit, of all bands?? Unbelievable!)
Parker and Longbaugh are two drifters whose skill with firearms and ambitious scheming belie their thuggish and impulsive natures. An overheard tip about a multimillionaire who plans to have a surrogate child is the score to end all scores. It sounds simple: kidnap the girl and hold her (and her baby) for ransom. Unfortunately, even though they successfully (and in ham-handed fashion) grab the girl, it turns out that they have no idea who they're dealing with, and are in way over their heads. Schemes upon schemes ensue as the two seek to get out with their money, and get out alive.
Synopsis: It's flawed as a whole, but taken as a moment to moment watch, is a compelling crime flick with excellent shootouts.
Christopher McQuarrie's directorial debut is a rebuke to the standard Hollywood crime stories (which was, most assuredly, his intention); there is very little comedy, the dialogue is wordy and often figurative, and, most tellingly, many of the characters are markedly amoral. Case in point, the two protagonists are (suspiciously well-trained) bums seemingly absent of consciences, and the people they're up against are possibly even worse.
The performances are taut and lean, and while not exactly believable, needle the viewer. Part of the intrigue the film has is watching the different players scheme away, with motivations that almost never align. The film has been criticized for being thin on characterization, with each development contrived to deliver the protagonists to the final shootouts, but I found the minute to minute plotting and acting superb.
The shootouts deserve some special attention. Scuttlebutt is that the actors were trained by a former Navy SEAL, and it shows. The gunfights are electrifying to watch, and the gun handling is simply exceptional (cf Heat, which is similarly lauded in this department), if not exactly believable (how did these two drifters get to be so well-trained, anyway)? Anyway, guns go boom is fun.
(And make no mistake, there are almost no comedic overtones to the film).
I'm paying that ransom, and delivering to Way of the Gun four duffel bags full of cash out of five.
Now what to watch...
Listening to: Joe Kraemer - The Grab (from Way of the Gun). I wouldn't say it's ill-fitting, but the score is peculiarly noble and distinguished for a film like this. It's a great song (and score) nonetheless. I love the leitmotif in this one.
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GentleOx
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NightWolf714
The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change. ~Carl Rogers
Congrats!
Thank you so much @CODawn @NightWolf714 @JCU and @Fremen!
The armed humanoid (Ox noted it had the same lizard features he had) had descended onto the shore, and stopped before him. Ox considered it a good omen that it had not chosen to shred him with that wicked machine gun it was toting. It spoke, to itself at first. "Another new one? Man, what is it about this place." Then it addressed the Ox. "Fresh off the boat? Don't know why you're here, but if you want to get started, you might want to talk to Simmi. She's up there, in the observatory." The guard nodded his head in direction, then turned to head back up to the ramshackle encampment. Ox, who was not truly an ox, anymore, made to follow him. The guard, without bothering to look back, spoke again. "Oh, and you might want to bring that bag with you." Ox looked back, and saw that there was indeed a duffle bag on the sand next to the depression his frame had made. He went back to scoop up the bag, then followed the guard up to the encampment.
It was a sorry collection of tents and lean-tos established outside the observatory, within which several similarly well-equipped humanoids lounged around, checked their weapons, and rested. They barely gave the newcomer a glance as he passed by them by. Must've been quite a number of drifters arriving. One covered stall had a sign at the top with the word "SHOP" written in paint, under which a trader tended to his rudimentary wares. Ox made a few mental notes and entered the observatory, going up a short set of stairs. A landing had been furnished with a bounty board, a few maps, lockers, and a table fit for a workman. Sets of stairs at either side of the landing led to a set of beds and another row of lockers. Studying one of the maps intently was a lizard woman, who turned to face Ox as he approached.
"I'm Simmi. Newcomer. I'm sure you have a lot of questions..."
Hey Bees!
Today I did another Push workout, which will be my close to my last (such workout) before I start the Candito Strength program again.
Paused Bench: 127.5 x 7. Another PR, and an improvement on last week! Yowza!
Spoto Press: 110 x 5. Bleh.
Incline Press: 92.5 x 6. Pretty tough today.
Flat Dumbbell Curls: 20 x 20.
Reverse Triceps Pushdown: 14 x 8. Okay.
Forearm Dumbbell Curls: 20 x 12. Aaaand, we're moving up!
24,000 steps, too!
So as we intended, mom and I braved the heat on Saturday to try a new Dim Sum place. This one was no hole in the wall - it was clearly a well-established restaurant which was appealingly furnished. We ordered a large set of dim sum dishes and the total was cheaper than the other, smaller places we ate at. What a deal!
Here are a few pictures.
I have to emphasize that this is almost as old-school as it gets with these dim-sum places (there's a famous joint in Central that's even more so). While the tables are pretty close to each other (as in, right next to), that's always been one of the quirks of eating local food in HK.
We ate all the traditional dim sum stuff, like barbecue pork buns, har gau dumplings, and glutinous chicken rice. Tasty!
This is so cool! I asked my mom who it was specifically (as I've seen the statue before): it's Guan dai, originally Guan Yu, a hero from the Three Kingdoms era who is still venerated in Chinese communities.
This shrine was under the table. My grasp of written Chinese is primitive, but it seems to request blessings both financial and personal, from forward to back, from the five directions to the five places. Basically, everywhere. Of course, I never fully learned Chinese, so don't quote me on that.
So the autobiography continues, oddly enough. I'm about 13 pages in, and just wrote about my tough time in grade school. Bees, have any of you had a difficult time in school, for whatever reason? I'm writing about this right now, and there are some awfully painful memories coming back.
For those of you in the States, wishing you a happy 4th of July. To everyone else, have a great day!
Playing: Uhh, pretty much just Project Silverfish, though I sense that I'm pushing against the boundaries of the Early Access build. There are still some really cheap and difficult places I haven't reached yet, but all the basic contracts have been completed.
(Really should give Dead Space and Voin some love).
Watching: Not much, as Project Silverfish has consumed my free time, but there's an interesting J-Horror called Missing Child Videotape that intrigues me.
Listening to: Sango Fighter OST - Intro. This one is a real blast from my past - it's from a DOS game dating back to 1993, that's essentially a Street-Fighter clone set in the Three Kingdoms period of China. Coincidentally, the warlord Guan Yu who the shrine above is addressed to is a fighter in this game. This melody always stuck with me over the years, and this is the first time I've listened to it in decades!
The armed humanoid (Ox noted it had the same lizard features he had) had descended onto the shore, and stopped before him. Ox considered it a good omen that it had not chosen to shred him with that wicked machine gun it was toting. It spoke, to itself at first. "Another new one? Man, what is it about this place." Then it addressed the Ox. "Fresh off the boat? Don't know why you're here, but if you want to get started, you might want to talk to Simmi. She's up there, in the observatory." The guard nodded his head in direction, then turned to head back up to the ramshackle encampment. Ox, who was not truly an ox, anymore, made to follow him. The guard, without bothering to look back, spoke again. "Oh, and you might want to bring that bag with you." Ox looked back, and saw that there was indeed a duffle bag on the sand next to the depression his frame had made. He went back to scoop up the bag, then followed the guard up to the encampment.
It was a sorry collection of tents and lean-tos established outside the observatory, within which several similarly well-equipped humanoids lounged around, checked their weapons, and rested. They barely gave the newcomer a glance as he passed by them by. Must've been quite a number of drifters arriving. One covered stall had a sign at the top with the word "SHOP" written in paint, under which a trader tended to his rudimentary wares. Ox made a few mental notes and entered the observatory, going up a short set of stairs. A landing had been furnished with a bounty board, a few maps, lockers, and a table fit for a workman. Sets of stairs at either side of the landing led to a set of beds and another row of lockers. Studying one of the maps intently was a lizard woman, who turned to face Ox as he approached.
"I'm Simmi. Newcomer. I'm sure you have a lot of questions..."
Hey Bees!
Today I did another Push workout, which will be my close to my last (such workout) before I start the Candito Strength program again.
Paused Bench: 127.5 x 7. Another PR, and an improvement on last week! Yowza!
Spoto Press: 110 x 5. Bleh.
Incline Press: 92.5 x 6. Pretty tough today.
Flat Dumbbell Curls: 20 x 20.
Reverse Triceps Pushdown: 14 x 8. Okay.
Forearm Dumbbell Curls: 20 x 12. Aaaand, we're moving up!
24,000 steps, too!
So as we intended, mom and I braved the heat on Saturday to try a new Dim Sum place. This one was no hole in the wall - it was clearly a well-established restaurant which was appealingly furnished. We ordered a large set of dim sum dishes and the total was cheaper than the other, smaller places we ate at. What a deal!
Here are a few pictures.
I have to emphasize that this is almost as old-school as it gets with these dim-sum places (there's a famous joint in Central that's even more so). While the tables are pretty close to each other (as in, right next to), that's always been one of the quirks of eating local food in HK.
We ate all the traditional dim sum stuff, like barbecue pork buns, har gau dumplings, and glutinous chicken rice. Tasty!
This is so cool! I asked my mom who it was specifically (as I've seen the statue before): it's Guan dai, originally Guan Yu, a hero from the Three Kingdoms era who is still venerated in Chinese communities.
This shrine was under the table. My grasp of written Chinese is primitive, but it seems to request blessings both financial and personal, from forward to back, from the five directions to the five places. Basically, everywhere. Of course, I never fully learned Chinese, so don't quote me on that.
So the autobiography continues, oddly enough. I'm about 13 pages in, and just wrote about my tough time in grade school. Bees, have any of you had a difficult time in school, for whatever reason? I'm writing about this right now, and there are some awfully painful memories coming back.
For those of you in the States, wishing you a happy 4th of July. To everyone else, have a great day!
Playing: Uhh, pretty much just Project Silverfish, though I sense that I'm pushing against the boundaries of the Early Access build. There are still some really cheap and difficult places I haven't reached yet, but all the basic contracts have been completed.
(Really should give Dead Space and Voin some love).
Watching: Not much, as Project Silverfish has consumed my free time, but there's an interesting J-Horror called Missing Child Videotape that intrigues me.
Listening to: Sango Fighter OST - Intro. This one is a real blast from my past - it's from a DOS game dating back to 1993, that's essentially a Street-Fighter clone set in the Three Kingdoms period of China. Coincidentally, the warlord Guan Yu who the shrine above is addressed to is a fighter in this game. This melody always stuck with me over the years, and this is the first time I've listened to it in decades!
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GentleOx
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Congratulations on another PR! 
I did well enough in school until high school. That's when my social anxiety really took off. I didn't know the words for that, or introvert. Also didn't realize just how bad my depression was (that word I didn't know applied to me). It was a cocktail that made 4 years of my life almost completely miserable.
I did well enough in school until high school. That's when my social anxiety really took off. I didn't know the words for that, or introvert. Also didn't realize just how bad my depression was (that word I didn't know applied to me). It was a cocktail that made 4 years of my life almost completely miserable.
NightWolf714
The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change. ~Carl Rogers
Congrats on another PR!
All that food looks so yummy~
My time in school was ... weird. Basically it started out super rough, got pretty good, then got rough again, evened out, and then got really great in college before getting super hard again. ^_^;;; Basically I had a lot of issues we weren't really sure how best to handle 2-3 decades ago. And then when I got older, anxiety and depression were hitting in hard. College was great as I found other weird folks like myself but then I started nursing school and that was an incredibly difficult challenge for me.
All that food looks so yummy~
My time in school was ... weird. Basically it started out super rough, got pretty good, then got rough again, evened out, and then got really great in college before getting super hard again. ^_^;;; Basically I had a lot of issues we weren't really sure how best to handle 2-3 decades ago. And then when I got older, anxiety and depression were hitting in hard. College was great as I found other weird folks like myself but then I started nursing school and that was an incredibly difficult challenge for me.
Nice work on the PR! You're doing amazing 
Love these glimpses into your local life!
High school was tense - so much work, and i should have gottem more out of my shell in retrospect , but all right. It was in second year of pharma school that it all went berserk - basically after the first year (competition) was done, I burnt out. Took me some time to come back to regain some peace and self-worth, but it happened.
High school was tense - so much work, and i should have gottem more out of my shell in retrospect , but all right. It was in second year of pharma school that it all went berserk - basically after the first year (competition) was done, I burnt out. Took me some time to come back to regain some peace and self-worth, but it happened.
Congrats on more PR's! 
Surprisingly, considering I've been a big, fat nerd all my life, I got through my school years with minimal bullying (It probably helped that the first time someone started something with me, I attempted to brain them with a chair), but I've still got my issues from that time in my life (I think everybody does).
Surprisingly, considering I've been a big, fat nerd all my life, I got through my school years with minimal bullying (It probably helped that the first time someone started something with me, I attempted to brain them with a chair), but I've still got my issues from that time in my life (I think everybody does).
Thanks a ton @Fremen @aku-chan @PetiteSheWolf @astro_lizard @CODawn @NightWolf714 and @JCU
Thank you for sharing your thoughts @JCU, @aku-chan, @NightWolf714 @PetiteSheWolf. It's fascinating to hear about how our experiences are different, and how we react to difficult experiences differently.
It turned out that Simmi was a font of exposition, and the starting point that he sorely needed in this new world. Most fundamentally, he had learned of where he was, and of the sheer quixotic danger of this land.
Some sort of event - whether it was extraterrestrial, eldritch horror, or just plain humans f*cking around with stuff above their pay-grade was unknown and unconfirmed - called "the Threshold" had occurred that had single-handedly caused numerous supernatural anomalies to pop up in Carcosa (why did that name sound familiar), the area they were in, and had also had the freak side-effect of transforming most humans into anthropomorphic lizards out of a furry's wet dream. Everyone else were mindless transhuman creatures, as far as they knew. That explained why everyone he encountered were lizard-folk. Why he himself had changed from an ox to a lizard was a mystery, and one of his current goals. The second more pressing goal was surviving this new world. Money was still used, and he needed it badly.
Sitting at the bed that Simmi had kindly allowed him to use (along with lockers to store his gear), he realized that maybe the bag would have something he could start with. It was sitting beside him, large, stained with mud, and not exactly bulging. Oh well. He grabbed the bag, unzipped it, and upended its contents on the bed. Out fell a strange toothpaste-like tube, two cans of stewed beef, a small pen knife, a flashlight, two boxes of bullets (.45 caliber), a set of goggles, and a snubnosed revolver. Ox cringed a little as it bounced on the bed, though his lack of forethought hadn't caused it to go off.
Ox stood, putting everything back in the bag except for the revolver, which he tucked in his waistpants. It would have to do. Among the assorted jobs available from Simmi was the task of destroying a jammer in the Crossroads, an area down the road from the observatory. It was the most plebian of jobs, but it paid a seemingly hefty $500, so it was an absolute no-brainer. As walked down the stairs to the exit, Simmi called him back. "Hey Ox, I've given you all that I can, but we can spare this." She tossed him a small backpack, which Ox took gratefully.
"Good hunting."
Hello, Bees! I braved the torrid heat to hit another Back workout. I got kind of tired at grinding away with the deadlifts, so I reverted back to the Snatch Grip Deadlifts today.
SG Deadlifts: 100 x 6. About as well as you'd expect. The eventual goal is to hit 120 x 5.
Barbell Rows: 100 x 6. These felt great!
Meadows Rows: 47.5 x 6, 48.25 x 5. These are small, but they're still PRs! Yes!
Behind the Neck Lat Pulldowns: 60 x 6.
Incline Rows: 28 x 6.
Neutral Chinups: Top set of six reps.
Tomorrow I have a bunch of errands to run, so likely no workout. The walking will have to do.
BTW, the poke at furries in today's short is a gentle one. I never realized it, but my using the Gentle Ox character and giving him anthropomorphic traits means the character is technically a fursona. Which also makes me a furry. Huh, I never thought of it that way.
The sun is slowly setting, and the light leaves shadows on the buildings outside my window.
Take care, Bees! Hope your week is off to a good start.
Playing: Take a guess. Seriously, I need to give Dead Space some love tonight. In Project Silverfish, I started over with another playthrough, after 27 (42 if you count my hours in the demo!) hours on my old save. I want to try again, having learned some of the tricks of the trade, so to speak. It's been rough going, but I had the same experience with my first save.
Watching: Uh, not much. I'm not going to watch Superman in theatres here. It just doesn't jive with me, and even before reviews, is an extraordinarily divisive film.
Listening to: Killing Joke - Love Like Blood. Feeling a bit burnt out tonight, so I need some appropriately weary, heart-on-sleeve music, and Killing Joke fulfills - at least for this song.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts @JCU, @aku-chan, @NightWolf714 @PetiteSheWolf. It's fascinating to hear about how our experiences are different, and how we react to difficult experiences differently.
It turned out that Simmi was a font of exposition, and the starting point that he sorely needed in this new world. Most fundamentally, he had learned of where he was, and of the sheer quixotic danger of this land.
Some sort of event - whether it was extraterrestrial, eldritch horror, or just plain humans f*cking around with stuff above their pay-grade was unknown and unconfirmed - called "the Threshold" had occurred that had single-handedly caused numerous supernatural anomalies to pop up in Carcosa (why did that name sound familiar), the area they were in, and had also had the freak side-effect of transforming most humans into anthropomorphic lizards out of a furry's wet dream. Everyone else were mindless transhuman creatures, as far as they knew. That explained why everyone he encountered were lizard-folk. Why he himself had changed from an ox to a lizard was a mystery, and one of his current goals. The second more pressing goal was surviving this new world. Money was still used, and he needed it badly.
Sitting at the bed that Simmi had kindly allowed him to use (along with lockers to store his gear), he realized that maybe the bag would have something he could start with. It was sitting beside him, large, stained with mud, and not exactly bulging. Oh well. He grabbed the bag, unzipped it, and upended its contents on the bed. Out fell a strange toothpaste-like tube, two cans of stewed beef, a small pen knife, a flashlight, two boxes of bullets (.45 caliber), a set of goggles, and a snubnosed revolver. Ox cringed a little as it bounced on the bed, though his lack of forethought hadn't caused it to go off.
Ox stood, putting everything back in the bag except for the revolver, which he tucked in his waistpants. It would have to do. Among the assorted jobs available from Simmi was the task of destroying a jammer in the Crossroads, an area down the road from the observatory. It was the most plebian of jobs, but it paid a seemingly hefty $500, so it was an absolute no-brainer. As walked down the stairs to the exit, Simmi called him back. "Hey Ox, I've given you all that I can, but we can spare this." She tossed him a small backpack, which Ox took gratefully.
"Good hunting."
Hello, Bees! I braved the torrid heat to hit another Back workout. I got kind of tired at grinding away with the deadlifts, so I reverted back to the Snatch Grip Deadlifts today.
SG Deadlifts: 100 x 6. About as well as you'd expect. The eventual goal is to hit 120 x 5.
Barbell Rows: 100 x 6. These felt great!
Meadows Rows: 47.5 x 6, 48.25 x 5. These are small, but they're still PRs! Yes!
Behind the Neck Lat Pulldowns: 60 x 6.
Incline Rows: 28 x 6.
Neutral Chinups: Top set of six reps.
Tomorrow I have a bunch of errands to run, so likely no workout. The walking will have to do.
BTW, the poke at furries in today's short is a gentle one. I never realized it, but my using the Gentle Ox character and giving him anthropomorphic traits means the character is technically a fursona. Which also makes me a furry. Huh, I never thought of it that way.
The sun is slowly setting, and the light leaves shadows on the buildings outside my window.
Take care, Bees! Hope your week is off to a good start.
Playing: Take a guess. Seriously, I need to give Dead Space some love tonight. In Project Silverfish, I started over with another playthrough, after 27 (42 if you count my hours in the demo!) hours on my old save. I want to try again, having learned some of the tricks of the trade, so to speak. It's been rough going, but I had the same experience with my first save.
Watching: Uh, not much. I'm not going to watch Superman in theatres here. It just doesn't jive with me, and even before reviews, is an extraordinarily divisive film.
Listening to: Killing Joke - Love Like Blood. Feeling a bit burnt out tonight, so I need some appropriately weary, heart-on-sleeve music, and Killing Joke fulfills - at least for this song.
-
GentleOx
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NightWolf714
The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change. ~Carl Rogers
Congrats!
And lol at the poke at furries in the story. XD And, yeah, you could count the Ox character as a furry, but only if you want to. Plenty of people have or make anthropomorphic characters without intending it to be furries after all. (Looks at all the poor children's shows not knowing the landmine they stepped in making pretty female furries, lol.)
And lol at the poke at furries in the story. XD And, yeah, you could count the Ox character as a furry, but only if you want to. Plenty of people have or make anthropomorphic characters without intending it to be furries after all. (Looks at all the poor children's shows not knowing the landmine they stepped in making pretty female furries, lol.)
Thank you kindly @CODawn, @NightWolf714, @graoumia, @JCU, and @Fremen.
@NightWolf714 An interesting insight. I'll just continue to treat Ox as he is - an ox with peculiarly human characteristics (or a lizard in this story). I do acknowledge that I am playing in a furry sandbox with Project Silverfish, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Ox crept forward through the rubble of the shop. He was on the very outskirts of the Crossroads, so named because of its many paths leading to various other areas in Carcosa. The small scrap depot he had taken cover in had mostly been picked clean; absent were any electronic or valuable goods. However, there were a few suspiciously untouched boxes and lockers he had found in the different buildings. Most of his frantic searches turned up various bric a bracs, but a few useful objects were revealed; among these were a medicinal tube, like the one he had found in the duffel bag, bandages, and, most valuable, several cans of food. Even though their flavour was likely questionable, their integrity wasn't. He had pocketed all the goods, and was searching for the jammer located nearby, in a back yard piled high with rubble and junk. There was a particular static-washed buzz close by, so he looked up, and mounted on a pole was a small black modem with a red, blinking light, and two antennae. Ox took careful aim with his revolver and shot it off. $500 richer.
Ox heard several shouts in the distance, and quickly dashed into a building to take cover. A few moments later, several armed men sauntered into the scrap depot, clearly brought there by the gunshot. Ox peeked out from behind the broken window, revolver ready. He noted their muddy camoflage uniforms, rifles, and generally lax demeanor. Most striking were the orange armbands they had on. Maybe they were friends. "Search the area," said one holding a pistol, clearly some sergeant or commander. "Shoot anything that moves."
Or not.
Hello Bees! It's been raining heavily all of today, but I braved my way to the gym and got in a great workout.
Today was another fun Push day.
Block Press: 142.5 x 5, 145 x 5, 155 x 2. Wow. Was definitely not expecting this. Thought that I would fail with 142.5. Then I got 145 for five reps, and 155 for 2, which I've never done in my life! These are major PRs, so definitely worth celebrating!
Larsen Press: 127.5 x 5. Another PR for this cycle.
Incline Press: 92.5 x 6.
Reverse EZ Bar Extensions: 14 x 8. Also a PR!
Hammer Curls: 20 x 20.
Forearm Curls: 20 x 20.
+22000 steps.
I brought an umbrella with me and I still got real wet. My shoes were soaked! At least I got wet after leaving the gym, not beforehand. Wet Ox!
May take tomorrow off.
Saturday is a special day, so we're going to have hot pot to celebrate! Om nom.
Stay cool and dry, Bees!
Playing: Still on my new save of Project Silverfish. Discovering new things all the time. Amazing how a single developer can construct a world so detailed and granular in its gameplay. Still need to play Dead Space, but that may or may not happen, haha.
Watching: Still not much.
Listening to: Bryan Ferry - Slave to Love. I'm definitely a slave to this song. It's sinuous, slinky, and its instrumentals (to say nothing of Bryan Ferry's lovelorn vocals) are some of the best of the 80s. It perfectly captures that passion that's omnipresent in romance, and that guitar solo is simply electric. Also, I had no idea the lyrics were so profound (the melody is what captured my attention).
"The storm is breaking
Or so it seems
We're too young to reason
Too grown up to dream"
@NightWolf714 An interesting insight. I'll just continue to treat Ox as he is - an ox with peculiarly human characteristics (or a lizard in this story). I do acknowledge that I am playing in a furry sandbox with Project Silverfish, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Ox crept forward through the rubble of the shop. He was on the very outskirts of the Crossroads, so named because of its many paths leading to various other areas in Carcosa. The small scrap depot he had taken cover in had mostly been picked clean; absent were any electronic or valuable goods. However, there were a few suspiciously untouched boxes and lockers he had found in the different buildings. Most of his frantic searches turned up various bric a bracs, but a few useful objects were revealed; among these were a medicinal tube, like the one he had found in the duffel bag, bandages, and, most valuable, several cans of food. Even though their flavour was likely questionable, their integrity wasn't. He had pocketed all the goods, and was searching for the jammer located nearby, in a back yard piled high with rubble and junk. There was a particular static-washed buzz close by, so he looked up, and mounted on a pole was a small black modem with a red, blinking light, and two antennae. Ox took careful aim with his revolver and shot it off. $500 richer.
Ox heard several shouts in the distance, and quickly dashed into a building to take cover. A few moments later, several armed men sauntered into the scrap depot, clearly brought there by the gunshot. Ox peeked out from behind the broken window, revolver ready. He noted their muddy camoflage uniforms, rifles, and generally lax demeanor. Most striking were the orange armbands they had on. Maybe they were friends. "Search the area," said one holding a pistol, clearly some sergeant or commander. "Shoot anything that moves."
Or not.
Hello Bees! It's been raining heavily all of today, but I braved my way to the gym and got in a great workout.
Today was another fun Push day.
Block Press: 142.5 x 5, 145 x 5, 155 x 2. Wow. Was definitely not expecting this. Thought that I would fail with 142.5. Then I got 145 for five reps, and 155 for 2, which I've never done in my life! These are major PRs, so definitely worth celebrating!
Larsen Press: 127.5 x 5. Another PR for this cycle.
Incline Press: 92.5 x 6.
Reverse EZ Bar Extensions: 14 x 8. Also a PR!
Hammer Curls: 20 x 20.
Forearm Curls: 20 x 20.
+22000 steps.
I brought an umbrella with me and I still got real wet. My shoes were soaked! At least I got wet after leaving the gym, not beforehand. Wet Ox!
May take tomorrow off.
Saturday is a special day, so we're going to have hot pot to celebrate! Om nom.
Stay cool and dry, Bees!
Playing: Still on my new save of Project Silverfish. Discovering new things all the time. Amazing how a single developer can construct a world so detailed and granular in its gameplay. Still need to play Dead Space, but that may or may not happen, haha.
Watching: Still not much.
Listening to: Bryan Ferry - Slave to Love. I'm definitely a slave to this song. It's sinuous, slinky, and its instrumentals (to say nothing of Bryan Ferry's lovelorn vocals) are some of the best of the 80s. It perfectly captures that passion that's omnipresent in romance, and that guitar solo is simply electric. Also, I had no idea the lyrics were so profound (the melody is what captured my attention).
"The storm is breaking
Or so it seems
We're too young to reason
Too grown up to dream"
-
GentleOx
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Well Done! 
Beautiful melody. I feel sad about something good.
NightWolf714
The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change. ~Carl Rogers
Congrats on such amazing progress!
Thank you for your support @NightWolf714 @aku-chan @Ekaterina (it is truly a gorgeous song) @JCU @Princess_Fancy @graoumia @Fremen!
They were drawing closer to his hiding spot in the bombed out store. Ox slowly cocked back the hammer of his revolver as he peeked out of a broken window. If they came across him, they would likely deem him a threat and fire at will. But if he surrendered? He steeled himself, and stepped out through the door, hands raised. There were four of them, holding a motley collection of weapons, which were now raised and pointed straight at him. "I want no trouble," Ox said, feeling regret sink its way into him not a moment later. "You can take what I have, just let me go." At least they weren't firing.
"Is he a pinko?"
"Well, he sure as shit isn't NFTA."
"Maybe a scav?
"With that puny pocket piece?"
The sergeant spoke, finally. "Doesn't matter who he is. We don't want his shit, and Freelancer, Scav, Resistance... we shoot them all."
Ox flashed to an image in his mind; a farm in the paddy fields, a toy ball, and a young and caring family. He screwed his eyes shut. The moment seemed to drag on for an eternity. Then there was a gunshot, a loud CRRAACK from what sounded like a rifle, but he was alive, and the sergeant dropped to the ground, stone dead. The rest of the squad were in disarray.
"Sarge is down!"
"Shit! I can't see them!"
"Find cover!"
Another hail of gunfire. Ox threw himself to the ground, and saw the squad of orange-band militia cut down. When it was quiet, he stood, slowly, and another group of voices could be heard outside the village. Another group of armed men had appeared, weapons smoking. They wore red camo and headbands. From one mess into another? But then their leader walked up to Ox and gently smacked him on the side of his arm.
"Roam and grow fat off the land, Freelancer. You're safe now."
Hello once more, Bees! I trust that you've had a great weekend. As I am wont to do, I headed in for a Sunday Push day, to try my luck again.
Paused Bench Press: 130 x 7. It worked! Amazing! This is another all-time PR!
Spoto Press: 125 x 5, I think.
Incline Press: 100 x 8. Pretty good, but not the best it's ever been.
Straight Bar Pushdowns: 17 x 8. Another PR!
Flat Dumbbell Curls: 20 x 20.
So the big news is that Saturday was my sixth year of being clean and in sobriety! Mom and I went to our favourite hot pot place to celebrate. It was super tasty.
The autobiography is still going. I'm about 25 pages in, and reached age 18.
I'm more than twice that many years in age, and life keeps coming.
Wishing you the best, Bees!
Playing: Project Silverfish, mostly. I've completed all the missions again, which took about 18 hours or so (pretty good for an Early Access game). Have dipped my toes into Sulfur and Voin again, but I'm realizing that mostly buying games in EA is kind of a tenuous strategy.
Watching: Uh... I need to replace my habit of going on instagram with watching stuff, instead. /notetoself
Listening to: Brian May and Sissel (The Adventures of Pinocchio Soundtrack) - What Are We Made Of. This song is from a movie I recall watching a long, long time ago (nearly thirty years!). I love nostalgia!
The movie itself is not amazing (and has been overshadowed by most of the other Pinocchio adaptations), but I think it's worth watching (the puppet show alone is a spectacle), since it stuck around in my memory all this time (like Little Nemo). Song features impassioned vocals and a killer guitar solo from Queen's Brian May.
"Just for this moment, take your life into your hands
You'll decide what you are made of
What it is that you can be
Think again, my friend
Turn around, think again"
They were drawing closer to his hiding spot in the bombed out store. Ox slowly cocked back the hammer of his revolver as he peeked out of a broken window. If they came across him, they would likely deem him a threat and fire at will. But if he surrendered? He steeled himself, and stepped out through the door, hands raised. There were four of them, holding a motley collection of weapons, which were now raised and pointed straight at him. "I want no trouble," Ox said, feeling regret sink its way into him not a moment later. "You can take what I have, just let me go." At least they weren't firing.
"Is he a pinko?"
"Well, he sure as shit isn't NFTA."
"Maybe a scav?
"With that puny pocket piece?"
The sergeant spoke, finally. "Doesn't matter who he is. We don't want his shit, and Freelancer, Scav, Resistance... we shoot them all."
Ox flashed to an image in his mind; a farm in the paddy fields, a toy ball, and a young and caring family. He screwed his eyes shut. The moment seemed to drag on for an eternity. Then there was a gunshot, a loud CRRAACK from what sounded like a rifle, but he was alive, and the sergeant dropped to the ground, stone dead. The rest of the squad were in disarray.
"Sarge is down!"
"Shit! I can't see them!"
"Find cover!"
Another hail of gunfire. Ox threw himself to the ground, and saw the squad of orange-band militia cut down. When it was quiet, he stood, slowly, and another group of voices could be heard outside the village. Another group of armed men had appeared, weapons smoking. They wore red camo and headbands. From one mess into another? But then their leader walked up to Ox and gently smacked him on the side of his arm.
"Roam and grow fat off the land, Freelancer. You're safe now."
Hello once more, Bees! I trust that you've had a great weekend. As I am wont to do, I headed in for a Sunday Push day, to try my luck again.
Paused Bench Press: 130 x 7. It worked! Amazing! This is another all-time PR!
Spoto Press: 125 x 5, I think.
Incline Press: 100 x 8. Pretty good, but not the best it's ever been.
Straight Bar Pushdowns: 17 x 8. Another PR!
Flat Dumbbell Curls: 20 x 20.
So the big news is that Saturday was my sixth year of being clean and in sobriety! Mom and I went to our favourite hot pot place to celebrate. It was super tasty.
The autobiography is still going. I'm about 25 pages in, and reached age 18.
I'm more than twice that many years in age, and life keeps coming.
Wishing you the best, Bees!
Playing: Project Silverfish, mostly. I've completed all the missions again, which took about 18 hours or so (pretty good for an Early Access game). Have dipped my toes into Sulfur and Voin again, but I'm realizing that mostly buying games in EA is kind of a tenuous strategy.
Watching: Uh... I need to replace my habit of going on instagram with watching stuff, instead. /notetoself
Listening to: Brian May and Sissel (The Adventures of Pinocchio Soundtrack) - What Are We Made Of. This song is from a movie I recall watching a long, long time ago (nearly thirty years!). I love nostalgia!
The movie itself is not amazing (and has been overshadowed by most of the other Pinocchio adaptations), but I think it's worth watching (the puppet show alone is a spectacle), since it stuck around in my memory all this time (like Little Nemo). Song features impassioned vocals and a killer guitar solo from Queen's Brian May.
"Just for this moment, take your life into your hands
You'll decide what you are made of
What it is that you can be
Think again, my friend
Turn around, think again"
-
GentleOx
-
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NightWolf714
The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change. ~Carl Rogers
Congrats on the newest PR and your sobriety! That's incredibly awesome! 
Bravo for 6 years of sobrieu! And
"Roam and grow fat off the land"
To an ox? That sounds kinda... weirdly menacing, LOL! Good job!
"Roam and grow fat off the land"
To an ox? That sounds kinda... weirdly menacing, LOL! Good job!
Thanks for all your encouragement @PetiteSheWolf @CODawn @aku-chan @NightWolf714 @JCU @graoumia and @Fremen! It means so much to have made it this far, especially because I have all of you to count on!
@PetiteSheWolf In the game, it's the motto of the Freelancer's faction: one which is not really interested in making enemies or waging war, but scavenging.
"Yeah, that's what we thought as well," Rozga said, pointing his tin spoon in Ox's direction.
"But... didn't it change your lives substantially or cause you to question everything? I mean, look at us! Hello!"
"Mate, I have a tail now, and when I look in the mirror, a lizard face is staring back. Of course there were questions. But I still eat the same food I always did, and I can walk and talk like a man, so what difference does it really make?"
He paused, for dramatic effect.
"But the bigger question is, what are those fascists in the NFTA and Insurgency going to cook up next? And if we don't stop them, who will? Surely not the Culties, who're pulling their own shit, and you Freelancers have a habit of f*cking off when things get hot. No offense."
Ox let out a small laugh. "None taken."
He scooped up some stew from where it boiled over the campfire. The sky was gradually darkening over the makeshift-barricade and campfire they were sat at. Reyes was standing watch, while the LT and Esteban (he insisted that you call him 'Ban) were deciding where to head to next. The light from the fire gently washed over their red and black camo fatigues. Upon saving him, the Revolutionaries had not demanded a fee or extorted him, but had strongly hinted that any "donations to the cause" were appreciated. And presto! Ox had scavenged several cans of beef and beans, so they had decided to have an impromptu meal.
"Ox, over here." The LT called him over.
Ox nodded to Rozga, then got up, brushing off some of the dirt from his ragged pants, and headed over to where the two men were standing. The LT addressed him. "Bit of friendly advice on where you can poke around next. Firstly, Dr Mozby in the Flooded Plains might have some work for you. He's a real comrade. But if I were you, I'd need some new hardware - that six shooter is not a match against very much out here."
Ox agreed with him. "I'd better head back to the Observatory and do some shopping. Can I repay you gents in any way?"
The LT smiled, which looked a little frightening on that lizard face, what with that shiny row of teeth. "You don't owe us anything. But, if in the future, you see a squad of ours struggling against... be it the NFTA, or the Insurgents, we'd appreciate it if you'd lend a hand."
"If I see you all again, I'll do exactly that."
Hello again, Bees! Today was Back day, and I made a return to my AA meeting.
Snatch Grip Deadlifts: 105 x 6.
Barbell Rows: 105 x 5. A PR? Sure!
Meadows Rows: 47.5 x 5. Almost a PR, but not today.
Close Grip Rows: 70 x 5. Almost a PR.
Neutral Grip Chinups: Top set of six.
Lat Pulldowns: 60 x 6.
+34,833 steps, which is a new PR for me! My legs feel like toothpicks!
While I've largely parted ways with the AA doctrines, it feels good to be back in a meeting and hear other people's stories. Had a nice few chats with fellow members.
The reason my step count is so high today was because I practically walked several districts, took a bus up to the meeting, and then walked all the way down (which accounted for 8000 or so steps).
May take tomorrow off, a bit bushed.
See you on the flip side, Bees!
Playing: Eh, a little more Project Silverfish. There's still more to discover, but that last 10% is crazy difficult to find and solve. Really need to get on Dead Space. Tried to play Tron 2.0, but had to go through an amazing bother for the fan patches. And when I booted up the game proper, the mouse didn't even work correctly. Bah, humbug!
Watching: ...
Listening to: Limp Bizkit - The Channel. I previously threw some shade at The Limp for their ridiculous inclusion in the trailer for Way of the Gun, but that's likely because I think Break Stuff is pretty silly. Is The Channel, off of The Unquestionable Truth, less laughable? Marginally, but at least they're earnest this time.
@PetiteSheWolf In the game, it's the motto of the Freelancer's faction: one which is not really interested in making enemies or waging war, but scavenging.
"Yeah, that's what we thought as well," Rozga said, pointing his tin spoon in Ox's direction.
"But... didn't it change your lives substantially or cause you to question everything? I mean, look at us! Hello!"
"Mate, I have a tail now, and when I look in the mirror, a lizard face is staring back. Of course there were questions. But I still eat the same food I always did, and I can walk and talk like a man, so what difference does it really make?"
He paused, for dramatic effect.
"But the bigger question is, what are those fascists in the NFTA and Insurgency going to cook up next? And if we don't stop them, who will? Surely not the Culties, who're pulling their own shit, and you Freelancers have a habit of f*cking off when things get hot. No offense."
Ox let out a small laugh. "None taken."
He scooped up some stew from where it boiled over the campfire. The sky was gradually darkening over the makeshift-barricade and campfire they were sat at. Reyes was standing watch, while the LT and Esteban (he insisted that you call him 'Ban) were deciding where to head to next. The light from the fire gently washed over their red and black camo fatigues. Upon saving him, the Revolutionaries had not demanded a fee or extorted him, but had strongly hinted that any "donations to the cause" were appreciated. And presto! Ox had scavenged several cans of beef and beans, so they had decided to have an impromptu meal.
"Ox, over here." The LT called him over.
Ox nodded to Rozga, then got up, brushing off some of the dirt from his ragged pants, and headed over to where the two men were standing. The LT addressed him. "Bit of friendly advice on where you can poke around next. Firstly, Dr Mozby in the Flooded Plains might have some work for you. He's a real comrade. But if I were you, I'd need some new hardware - that six shooter is not a match against very much out here."
Ox agreed with him. "I'd better head back to the Observatory and do some shopping. Can I repay you gents in any way?"
The LT smiled, which looked a little frightening on that lizard face, what with that shiny row of teeth. "You don't owe us anything. But, if in the future, you see a squad of ours struggling against... be it the NFTA, or the Insurgents, we'd appreciate it if you'd lend a hand."
"If I see you all again, I'll do exactly that."
Hello again, Bees! Today was Back day, and I made a return to my AA meeting.
Snatch Grip Deadlifts: 105 x 6.
Barbell Rows: 105 x 5. A PR? Sure!
Meadows Rows: 47.5 x 5. Almost a PR, but not today.
Close Grip Rows: 70 x 5. Almost a PR.
Neutral Grip Chinups: Top set of six.
Lat Pulldowns: 60 x 6.
+34,833 steps, which is a new PR for me! My legs feel like toothpicks!
While I've largely parted ways with the AA doctrines, it feels good to be back in a meeting and hear other people's stories. Had a nice few chats with fellow members.
The reason my step count is so high today was because I practically walked several districts, took a bus up to the meeting, and then walked all the way down (which accounted for 8000 or so steps).
May take tomorrow off, a bit bushed.
See you on the flip side, Bees!
Playing: Eh, a little more Project Silverfish. There's still more to discover, but that last 10% is crazy difficult to find and solve. Really need to get on Dead Space. Tried to play Tron 2.0, but had to go through an amazing bother for the fan patches. And when I booted up the game proper, the mouse didn't even work correctly. Bah, humbug!
Watching: ...
Listening to: Limp Bizkit - The Channel. I previously threw some shade at The Limp for their ridiculous inclusion in the trailer for Way of the Gun, but that's likely because I think Break Stuff is pretty silly. Is The Channel, off of The Unquestionable Truth, less laughable? Marginally, but at least they're earnest this time.
I do agree it is almost too muchThere is an overabundance of PR here dear @GentleOx we will have to put a weekly limit
AND... congrats
Thanks once more @CODawn and @JCU, and of course @graoumia and @Fremen.
"You can pick them up and handle them, if you're curious." The trader must've noticed how awestruck Ox was at the rows of weapons on the tables set out in front of the shop. Having collected his payout from Simmi, he was flush with cash, so to speak, and ready for a sorely needed equipment upgrade. Naturally, he had wandered over to the somewhat makeshift shop on the edge of the Freelancer camp, behind the Observatory. Ox acquiesced, and feeling a bit ambitious, wandered over to a black, compact state-of-the-art assault rifle that sat next to others of its ilk. He picked it up, turned it around in his hands, and drew the stock into his shoulders. Then he tilted it at an angle, gazing down the canted sights.
"You may not have much, but it looks like you've got experience," the Trader remarked, lighting up a cigarette. Ox glanced at him, saying, "I've been around, sure." "That's an M-TR14 Carbine. Seen mostly in the hands of the Pinkos. I'll let you have it for $700." Ox made a sour face, not sure if it would show properly on his new lizard visage, but the trader seemed to get the message. He shrugged. "Don't want to break the bank?" He picked up another rifle that had a wooden stock and frame. "PK-52 Scout Rifle. Common in the hands of NFTA conscripts. Semi-auto, 5.6 calibre, 10 rounds in the mag. As accurate as you are." He handed the rifle to Ox, who hefted it. It was longer and more unwieldy than the carbon steel of the previous rifle, but lightweight for all that. "It's yours for $140. I'll throw in fifty rounds of 5.6, as a newcomer bonus." Ox nodded. "I'll take it."
Hey again, Bees! Back in the gym for another fun Push day, before I start hunkering down and preparing for my competition.
@graoumia and @Fremen are going to kill me, as I have more PRs today! I didn't set out to get them when I left for the gym, they just kind of happened.
Close Grip Bench Press: 125 x 5. My previous record was only four reps, so this is a PR, and one that I haven't reached in years!
Incline Bench Press: 100 x 12. A real struggle, but another PR over my previous best of 10 reps.
Shoulder Press: 70 x 5. No PRs here. Should devote more time to shoulder work in the future.
Hammer Curls: 20 x 20. Would that I could get some PRs with my arms, but it hasn't happened yet.
Forearm Curls: 20 x 18.
The heat is just exhausting! I cyberpunked around Causeway Bay for a bit, but was very happy to head home and get some A/C. Absolutely sweltering.
For Saturday, mom and I discovered a special deal going on at that lovely dim sum place, so we're making a return. Om nom nom.
Stay safe and cool, Bees!
Playing: Eh, Project Silverfish playtime has slowed down a bit. It's no fun pixel hunting for artifacts, and I've already got some of the best equipment in the game. Maybe restart again, with a different faction? Also, really need to play Dead Space again! Had no luck with Tron 2.0, so that's in the bin.
Watching: I finally watched something! The caveat is that it was just an episode of Castlevania, but it's still something. Will watch more tonight.
Intrigued by the F4ntastic Four, but it might very well be utter dreck. It comes out next Wednesday here.
Also, definitely not going to watch I Know What You Did Last Summer; not to be confused with I Was Too Hungover to Remember Last Summer, We Remade A Dead Horror Franchise Last Summer, and I Don't Care What Happened Last Summer (I've got loads of these).
The Funnies: I cannot stop laughing at this...
WITH ENDLESS OPTIONS FOR RENEWAL
WITH ENDLESS OPTIONS FOR RENEWAL
WITH ENDLESS OPTIONS FOR RENEWAL
*slow motion laughter*
Listening to: Perturbator - Desire. Haven't posted some synth in awhile, so this offering from Perturbator will come in handy. I love that dark, but mellow feel, and it proves that darksynth artists like Perturbator and Gost occasionally put out these amazing, softer gems. Real cyberpunk vibes from this one.
"We gotta get away and disappear
We're running out of time
The sun is low we'll go and break away
Fade into the light"
"You can pick them up and handle them, if you're curious." The trader must've noticed how awestruck Ox was at the rows of weapons on the tables set out in front of the shop. Having collected his payout from Simmi, he was flush with cash, so to speak, and ready for a sorely needed equipment upgrade. Naturally, he had wandered over to the somewhat makeshift shop on the edge of the Freelancer camp, behind the Observatory. Ox acquiesced, and feeling a bit ambitious, wandered over to a black, compact state-of-the-art assault rifle that sat next to others of its ilk. He picked it up, turned it around in his hands, and drew the stock into his shoulders. Then he tilted it at an angle, gazing down the canted sights.
"You may not have much, but it looks like you've got experience," the Trader remarked, lighting up a cigarette. Ox glanced at him, saying, "I've been around, sure." "That's an M-TR14 Carbine. Seen mostly in the hands of the Pinkos. I'll let you have it for $700." Ox made a sour face, not sure if it would show properly on his new lizard visage, but the trader seemed to get the message. He shrugged. "Don't want to break the bank?" He picked up another rifle that had a wooden stock and frame. "PK-52 Scout Rifle. Common in the hands of NFTA conscripts. Semi-auto, 5.6 calibre, 10 rounds in the mag. As accurate as you are." He handed the rifle to Ox, who hefted it. It was longer and more unwieldy than the carbon steel of the previous rifle, but lightweight for all that. "It's yours for $140. I'll throw in fifty rounds of 5.6, as a newcomer bonus." Ox nodded. "I'll take it."
Hey again, Bees! Back in the gym for another fun Push day, before I start hunkering down and preparing for my competition.
@graoumia and @Fremen are going to kill me, as I have more PRs today! I didn't set out to get them when I left for the gym, they just kind of happened.
Close Grip Bench Press: 125 x 5. My previous record was only four reps, so this is a PR, and one that I haven't reached in years!
Incline Bench Press: 100 x 12. A real struggle, but another PR over my previous best of 10 reps.
Shoulder Press: 70 x 5. No PRs here. Should devote more time to shoulder work in the future.
Hammer Curls: 20 x 20. Would that I could get some PRs with my arms, but it hasn't happened yet.
Forearm Curls: 20 x 18.
The heat is just exhausting! I cyberpunked around Causeway Bay for a bit, but was very happy to head home and get some A/C. Absolutely sweltering.
For Saturday, mom and I discovered a special deal going on at that lovely dim sum place, so we're making a return. Om nom nom.
Stay safe and cool, Bees!
Playing: Eh, Project Silverfish playtime has slowed down a bit. It's no fun pixel hunting for artifacts, and I've already got some of the best equipment in the game. Maybe restart again, with a different faction? Also, really need to play Dead Space again! Had no luck with Tron 2.0, so that's in the bin.
Watching: I finally watched something! The caveat is that it was just an episode of Castlevania, but it's still something. Will watch more tonight.
Intrigued by the F4ntastic Four, but it might very well be utter dreck. It comes out next Wednesday here.
Also, definitely not going to watch I Know What You Did Last Summer; not to be confused with I Was Too Hungover to Remember Last Summer, We Remade A Dead Horror Franchise Last Summer, and I Don't Care What Happened Last Summer (I've got loads of these).
The Funnies: I cannot stop laughing at this...
WITH ENDLESS OPTIONS FOR RENEWAL
WITH ENDLESS OPTIONS FOR RENEWAL
WITH ENDLESS OPTIONS FOR RENEWAL
*slow motion laughter*
Listening to: Perturbator - Desire. Haven't posted some synth in awhile, so this offering from Perturbator will come in handy. I love that dark, but mellow feel, and it proves that darksynth artists like Perturbator and Gost occasionally put out these amazing, softer gems. Real cyberpunk vibes from this one.
"We gotta get away and disappear
We're running out of time
The sun is low we'll go and break away
Fade into the light"
-
GentleOx
-
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