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I live in Turkey and unfortunately for the past couple of days prices started going up again and I had to scrap my build. Yesterday in a hurry I bought PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 7600 3.8 GHz 6-Core Processor	$219.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO V2 62 CFM CPU Cooler	$88.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard	MSI PRO B650M-A WIFI Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard	$159.99 @ Newegg
Memory	Kingston FURY Beast 16 GB (1 x 16 GB) DDR5-5200 CL40 Memory	$61.65 @ Amazon
Storage	MSI SPATIUM M390 500 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	$54.99 @ Amazon
Video Card	MSI GAMING Z TRIO Radeon RX 6800 16 GB Video Card	-
Power Supply	MSI MPG A650GF 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$106.99 @ Adorama

this system for $1200. At the time 6800 XT prices were higher and I couldn't get a 6800 XT with my budget. But right now I can get PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 5600 3.5 GHz 6-Core Processor	$129.00 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	ID-COOLING SE-214-XT 68.2 CFM CPU Cooler	$19.98 @ Amazon
Motherboard	Gigabyte B550 GAMING X V2 ATX AM4 Motherboard	$129.99 @ Amazon
Memory	ADATA XPG SPECTRIX D41 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory	-
Storage	KIOXIA EXCERIA G2 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	-
Video Card	XFX Speedster MERC 319 CORE Radeon RX 6800 XT 16 GB Video Card	$519.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply	NZXT C750 (2022) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$129.99 @ Amazon

these parts for $1300. Did I make a mistake with going with the first build? Should I cancel it and buy the second one? I have a 1TB SSD I'll be adding to the system I get, both systems have cases that are not on pcpartpicker and I'll be using the system on 1080p.

I originally posted this in Work but realized this subreddit might be the best place for it.
I guess I should give a little context. The place that I am going to quit soon I have been working for 3+ years. I started working there when I turned 16 and I am currently 19 years old. As I am legally not allowed to state the name of the company, I can tell you that those from Texas would know exactly which place I work at. This place is notorious for having the worst customers, not giving any fucks for their employees, and being slow. The one that I work at is exactly that. Though, we have become one of the best chains in my area in the past year and a half. That doesn’t mean it has gotten any better when it comes to the treatment of the workers. As I do have a lot of good things to say, the bad things outweigh the good. Here is a list of the reason why I am quitting.

1. The Pay. I am currently getting paid $14.30 an hour. My issue is that there are workers who have only been working there for a few months, don’t give a shit about their jobs and it shows in their work, yet they are getting paid $16 an hour. We aren’t even allowed to talk about our pay with each other without us possibly getting written up.
   
2. The utter neglect of my well-being. I am to work the outside lane at my work in Texas summers, even though they know I have a rare skin condition that makes being out in the sun very uncomfortable and can make me seriously sick. I am also extremely overworked when I am on shift. I am the only one who cleans everything we are supposed to clean and when I don’t clean one certain thing, even when there are 3 of us on that station, I am the one who gets chewed out. I am always being watched and being picked on by managers when I take 5 seconds to get a drink of water, etc.
   
3. The mishandling of my allergy. In November of 2022, I found out that I was allergic to the hand soap at my work. More specifically, I am allergic to formaldehyde and fragrance. Because of this, I began bringing in my own hand soap to wash my hands with so I wouldn’t have any allergic reactions. When an auditor saw me using my own soap, my store was knocked points. My GM decided to, then, put me on unpaid “medical leave” until HR decided whether or not I could bring my own hand soap. This took almost 3 weeks and anytime I contacted HR about what the status was, it was radio silence. Eventually, HR told me they had no accommodations for me and just to keep using my hand soap. Three weeks, no pay.
   
4. Creating problems that I have no part in. My boyfriend and I both work for this company. This has never been a problem and we don’t even communicate at work. More than half the store doesn’t even know we’re dating because we don’t speak to each other. All of a sudden, our GM makes my boyfriend and I aware that neither of us can become a team leader (one step above where we are now) unless one of us quits. Along with this, they also told us we are not allowed to take off the same days as each other anymore. Our GM went as far as to call us “selfish” for trying to take off the same days 2 months in advance. This is has never been a problem and there have been multiple couples at our store.
   
5. The customers. I have been screamed at, threatened, and even had burgers thrown at me. Management still tells me “Just comply.”
   

The reason I am asking how I should write up my 2 weeks notice is because I want to be as professional as possible while still stating the major issues with this store. And yes, this is a fast food place.

I use to play a lot and want to get back. It has been few seasons since I played due to life. I come out 20-30+ in bot games and feel it being pointless. I get so nervous with PVP, and just had a toxic game. I have a few questions.
Is it better to focus on the same enemy as another person or adc? I had a person get mad at me for dying when they jumped in first. I didn't want to anger them for not helping. In the past, it usually goes better aiming the same enemy with hopes the other enemy will run.
Should I ping my ult CD more often? Same game, I got in trouble for not being level 6 when my teammate jumped in.
On a similar note, what is the best way to level up if you are behind and a lone? Do I push to grind on mobs or go in the jungle. In the past, I would push if there was good vision, but hold back when there is bad and I don't know where I'm safe. I'm mostly worried about dying and angering the others.
Would it be better to make a smurf account when I have a lot of champions already unlocked. I don't want my level to mismatch me in normals.
All in all, I ended 9/9 and the game was won. I'm also thinking of just muting chat because it helps a lot with Rocket League. Easier to recover from mild mistakes.
It has been a few seasons, and I haven't caught up with all the changes. Is there a overview that provides all the information? I.E. I don't have to scroll through history of changes since I was last active. Overall, I'm coming from 100's of hours with nightly PVP games, I took few years of break, and I want to get back into it. I would appreciate at feedback.

Hey!!
I'm an incoming freshman to UCSB and I realllllyyy wanna do a French minor. I love the culture and have been fascinated with the language since I could remember. Unfortunately, only Spanish was offered at my high school so I did take Spanish for 5 years and I can say, I'm well-versed in the language to the point that I don't want to take it anymore. Now at UCSB, I have the opportunity to take French and I reallly wanna do it!
But I'm worried because I've heard rumors that minors are hard to do at UCSB because of the pass times and how time-consuming taking all French courses for the minor will be (link to minor sheet: https://my.sa.ucsb.edu/catalog/Current/Documents/2022_Majors/LS/FrIt/French%20Minor-2022.pdf).
Could you say that doing a French minor as a Biology (B.S.) student is doable? I don't want to bite off more than I can chew...especially because in my first quarter, I have to take Chem 1A + Lab, Math 34A, and a GE (maybe...French 1?)
What could be the best times to start with the minor? Freshman year or should I wait until later?
THANK YOU FOR THE HELP!!! Y'all are lifesavers. 💞🥺

I guess I should give a little context. The place that I am going to quit soon I have been working for 3+ years. I started working there when I turned 16 and I am currently 19 years old. As I am legally not allowed to state the name of the company, I can tell you that those from Texas would know exactly which place I work at. This place is notorious for having the worst customers, not giving any fucks for their employees, and being slow. The one that I work at is exactly that. Though, we have become one of the best chains in my area in the past year and a half. That doesn’t mean it has gotten any better when it comes to the treatment of the workers. As I do have a lot of good things to say, the bad things outweigh the good. Here is a list of the reason why I am quitting.

1. The Pay. I am currently getting paid $14.30 an hour. My issue is that there are workers who have only been working there for a few months, don’t give a shit about their jobs and it shows in their work, yet they are getting paid $16 an hour. We aren’t even allowed to talk about our pay with each other without us possibly getting written up.
   
2. The utter neglect of my well-being. I am to work the outside lane at my work in Texas summers, even though they know I have a rare skin condition that makes being out in the sun very uncomfortable and can make me seriously sick. I am also extremely overworked when I am on shift. I am the only one who cleans everything we are supposed to clean and when I don’t clean one certain thing, even when there are 3 of us on that station, I am the one who gets chewed out. I am always being watched and being picked on by managers when I take 5 seconds to get a drink of water, etc.
   
3. The mishandling of my allergy. In November of 2022, I found out that I was allergic to the hand soap at my work. More specifically, I am allergic to formaldehyde and fragrance. Because of this, I began bringing in my own hand soap to wash my hands with so I wouldn’t have any allergic reactions. When an auditor saw me using my own soap, my store was knocked points. My GM decided to, then, put me on unpaid “medical leave” until HR decided whether or not I could bring my own hand soap. This took almost 3 weeks and anytime I contacted HR about what the status was, it was radio silence. Eventually, HR told me they had no accommodations for me and just to keep using my hand soap. Three weeks, no pay.
   
4. Creating problems that I have no part in. My boyfriend and I both work for this company. This has never been a problem and we don’t even communicate at work. More than half the store doesn’t even know we’re dating because we don’t speak to each other. All of a sudden, our GM makes my boyfriend and I aware that neither of us can become a team leader (one step above where we are now) unless one of us quits. Along with this, they also told us we are not allowed to take off the same days as each other anymore. Our GM went as far as to call us “selfish” for trying to take off the same days 2 months in a advance. This is has never been a problem and there have been multiple couples at our store.
   
5. The customers. I have been screamed at, threatened, and even had burgers thrown at me. Management still tells me “Just comply.”
   

The reason I am asking how I should write up my 2 weeks notice is because I want to be as professional as possible while still stating the major issues with this store. And yes, this is a fast food place.

Let me just start by saying I always thought I had premium speakers. I had a pair of Bose Companion 2’s and a 10” 300w Pioneer subwoofer and thought that was the bee’s knees.
I recently upgraded to a pair of Micca MB42X speakers on a whim and I was blown away by the difference. Sure, I had to run to Best Buy and learn what the heck banana plugs were, but the difference was astounding already, and those aren’t even considered high-end. One review of them I watched couldn’t emphasize how “okay” they were enough.
So, basic questions, since I’m addicted now and want to dive head first into this new world of eargasms:

1. How much should I spend on a receiveamp relative to the cost of my speakers? With the Miccas I’m currently using a Pyle Hifi Mini 2x100w amp with Bluetooth for $60. I wanted something with Bluetooth but also small so it could fit on my desktop easily. I wasn’t planning on using my 10” sub with it but I ended up going for it and daisy-chained my sub to one of my speakers and it sounds pretty good.
   
2. It’s my understanding that amps can make or break a good system but is the difference really that drastic? For example if I got a nicer one with a specific plug for my sub will I be able to hear a noticeable difference?
   
3. Where is everyone getting their audio from? I love Tidal’s master audio formats but I’m wondering if the audiophiles have their own secret places?
   
4. Assuming you’re streaming from your PC, do you have an audio card/will it make a difference over onboard audio?
   
5. What’s everyone’s favorite set of speakers? For any occasion. I would love to slowly upgrade my computer, my living room TV, etc, over time, so just curious to hear what you all like the most out there.
   

[←Chapter 62] [Cover Art] [My Links] [Index] [Discord] [Subreddit] [Chapter 64→]
The students were quickly dismissed by the Mentor after Efrain declared a winner, who was desperate to do damage control.
“Okay, okay,” he said, brushing down his coat and coughing, “I see that we have failed to meet your standards. On behalf of the entire academy, I apologize immensely.”
Efrain, now that his temper had cooled, and upon realizing that he actually found the situation quite funny, put his hand on the man’s shoulder.
“No, no,” he laughed, “it was all merely an overreaction. Nicolo loved practical jokes. But, for all that, I doubt he would’ve continued teaching at this academy for years if he had no investment beyond it pranking me.”
And just like that, the man’s hope was restored.
“Yes, yes of course,” he said, “although I suggest you not tell what the inscription says to the other faculty. Some have spent… years on it.”
“No wonder, it’s a personal language we made up when we were youths. It’s a ramshackle, cobbled together thing, nigh-impossible to figure out, unless one was inflicted by the insight of drunken insanity.”
The man laughed, Efrain laughed, and he looked around at the academy’s towers and bridges.
“Well, he did fine for himself, clearly,” Efrain said, “even married an Eisen. Its good to know he spared some thought for me, even if it was to pull one over in death. Now I can’t even get revenge now. Clever bastard.”
“Yes, quite,” said the man, coughing, “now, I would be happy to show you to your office. It’s one of our finest.”
The whole situation wasn’t merely funny, he decided, it was hilarious. Unfortunately for Nicolo, Efrain still remembered some of his more embarrassing exploits. He wondered if the man had a biography that was taught - perhaps it needed some correction by a primary source.
“Well, lead on,” he said to the Mentor.
They proceeded from one of the lower bridges to the largest of the four connected towers. The panelled walls were both old and expensive, indicating that the school was indeed more than a joke Students of multiple ages and stripes went this way and that, some carrying books, others merely chatting among friends. Several more hallways and a staircase or two later, the mentor stood before a tall door.
“And here it is,” he said, puffing out his chest with pride, “one of our best.”
“That’s the second time,” Efrain noted, and the man self-consciously pushed open the door, revealing a narrow room.
It was comfortable, with a large desk taking up most of the space, a small bed and stove tucked into the corner. The wall behind the desk was mostly of modest bookshelves, stocked with tomes, some familiar, others not so much. A single, large window, open shutters flung outward, looked out toward the center of the city. The mentor looked around, and then at Efrain, clearly anxious to please.
“Wonderful,” Efrain said, “I hope I’m not depriving anyone of their space for my short stay.”
“No, no, not at all,” the mentor said, “in fact, your timing was fortuitous. One of the professors has elected to retire.”
“Ah,” Efrain said, sitting in the large chair behind the desk.
“You must be exhausted,” said the Mentor, hovering by the door, “I suppose I’ll just come and check on you in the morning. Supposedly your group is to attend the Festival as honoured guests.”
“News to me,” Efrain said, leaning back as he looked out the open window.
“Would you like a change of clothes, a meal, water to bathe in?” said the man.
“No, thank you,” Efrain said, “in fact, I wouldn’t mind a brief tour, actually.”
The man’s face lit up in response to the casual suggestion - clearly he took pride in the institution.
“Yes, yes, why of course, I would be happy to,” he said, “when would you like to begin?”
“Now,” Efrain said, getting up from his chair and moving past the man.
“Actually, now that I think of it, the last of the evening classes should be just starting,” said the Mentor, “would you like to sit in on one. It uses your books.”
A couple minutes, and Efrain was sitting in the back of a small room, dozens of fresh-faced students looking back between him and a professor at a lectern.
“So, as we discussed in the last class,” said the old man with a beard hanging over his considerable stomach, “actually, who would dare to tell me what is the ultimate goal of magic.”
Efrain was busy rifling through the provided textbook on the matter, his apprehension growing with every page that he passed. He’d forgotten just how bad some of his earliest work had been, and now was reliving his mistakes with vivid horror. Several hands rose, and a young girl who couldn’t be more than twelve was selected.
“Magic is a purest expression of the human,” she said, clearly reciting what she’d learned by heart, “it is an attempt to get away from the base naturalness of ourselves and transcend into something greater.”
Efrain stifled a groan as he heard his early and more poetic pondering on magics parroted back at him.
The class continued on until Efrain couldn’t stand it any longer. The professor was in the middle of explaining how magic could be derived from the environment, which was correct, but that was inferior in all cases to simply deriving it from oneself, which wasn’t. Efrain snapped the booklet shut as loud as he could, drawing the gaze of everyone in the class.
“Alright,” he said, getting up, “we need to stop. Stop. All of this is a mistake.”
The professor, quite confused, looked towards the mentor for any sign that he should intervene. The mentor merely shook his head as Efrain stalked towards the lectern.
“My good man, take a seat for a little while,” Efrain said, “there are some errors of mine I have to correct.”
He gripped the edges of the lectern, trying to decide how best to approach this, and begun by clearing his throat.
“Is knowledge truth?” he said, prompting a rash of confused stares.
He departed from the lectern, and walked in front of the students.
“Again, is knowledge truth? Is knowledge automatically, by definition, true?”
“Well, yes,” said a young man slowly.
“Ah,” Efrain said, rounding on him, “so, if I were to stumble on half a conversation a noblewoman has about some innocent meeting she had with a young man, mistook it for an affair, and reported it to her husband, would I be lying?”
“Well, yes, kind of?” said the boy, his brows furrowing. Several of the other students blushed at the impropriety of the statement.
“But that was using the knowledge I possessed, and if knowledge is truth, then where is the lie?” Efrain said, sitting on the edge of the table, “all I did was relay my knowledge, hence, relay the truth to my friend, her husband.”
“I- I-,” said the boy, “then you were misinformed.”
“Precisely,” Efrain said, taking the book from before him and walking back to the front of the class to raise it before the children.
“The truth cannot lie, by definition, but knowledge can, implying that it is a distinct entity from the truth,” Efrain said, as he rounded the lectern.
“Perhaps it is not a matter of relaying the truth,” called the mentor from the back, “but inferring the truth only from half-knowledge.”
Efrain pointed the booklet towards him.
“And that is why he is a mentor and you are still students,” Efrain said, “but what is the point I hear you asking?”
A few genuinely seemed to think he could hear their thoughts and shrank back from this strange, belligerent man.
“The point is this - the books you’re reading are nonsense. Inferences made from a tiny amount of knowledge, by an overconfident idiot.”
The professor started forward at this sacrilege of the texts, but the mentor held him back.
“Now, if you’re intelligent, which I’m sure all of you are, you should be asking about now, ‘how could he possibly know? Who is he to come into our class and start making such claims?’ That’s good,” Efrain paused, and pointed to the cover.
“Would someone care to read me the title of this particular text?” he said.
One of the students, another boy, looked down and began to say in a high, weedly voice.
“Basic Principles of Magic: A Treatise,” he said, looking up to see if he’d somehow passed whatever test Efrain was given him.
“Keep going young man,” Efrain said, nodding him on.
“W-written by Nicolo Eisen, Efrain Belacore, and Avidius Armsted, compiled by Nicolo Eisen and Avidius Armsted.”
“Which is to say, ‘principally written by Efrain Belacore and Avidius Armsted, with footnotes of historical nature by Nicolo Eisen.’ He was always more interested in the history anyways,” Efrain said, slapping the book on the lectern.
The children all looked back and forth between each other, trying to see if any had an understanding better than themselves.
“To answer your question,” Efrain said, “the reason I both possibly know and get to come into your class and make such claims is that I am the middle name on your textbook.”
The explosion of curiosity and confusion was a delight to Efrain, who held up the book to the ceiling, pointing to it.
“To be clear, my name, young ones, is Efrain Belacore, and I’m here to tell you why half of my book is wrong, and the other half is incomplete.”
The class sat in dumbfounded silence, trying to gauge what the appropriate response to such information could possibly be.
“Let’s start with something simple, though, young lady,” Efrain pointed to the young girl who’d given the first definition to start the class.
“Y-Yes, professor?”
“Restate your definition, if you’d be so kind,” he said, which she did word for word.
“I wrote that line when I was under the impression that magic was apart from the natural world,” Efrain said, “in the sense that it could be used to transform it, to add value to it, much like some artists will say that their paintings cut through to the soul of the subject, removing the mortal veil on top of it or some hogwash like that.”
Efrain walked in front of the class.
“We are all part of the natural world, even if we strive to rise above it, whatever that means,” Efrain said, “you get cut, you bleed, you do that enough you die, your body returns to the earth, and so on and so forth. Magic is an extension of all those natural processes, not something apart from it. So, young men and women, do not spurn the world in the pursuit of magic.”
Efrain spied a beautifully made pin, stuck in the hair of a young woman.
“Excuse me, could I borrow that for a moment?” he said, gesturing to the pin.
“Uh, y-yes, sure,” she said, hastily pulling out the pin and letting her hair fall around her shoulders as she presented it to him.
“Thank you very much,” he said, as he held up the pin.
“Right, do not spurn it in the pursuit of magic, rather, embrace it. Seek inspiration in it,” Efrain said, focusing on the butterfly motif.
Again, unbidden, the memories of exploding light and claps of sound.
Copies of the exact butterfly carven on the head of the pin streamed out, following trails of light to explode into pinwheels of light. The children shrieked, at first in fear than in delight as the show continued, and Efrain handed the pin back to its owner. She looked at the pin in what seemed like awe, checking it over for any alteration.
“The pin is intact,” Efrain said, “like I said - inspiration. I had no need to change it.”
The mentor was by his side, clapping at the show.
“I say, marvellously, marvellously done,” he said, “a finer display of magic I’ve never seen. You truly are a master.”
“If that passes for a ‘fine display’, mentor, you are easy to please,” Efrain chuckled, “now, I suggest we leave the poor professor to his work.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” the Mentor said, “after all, you’ve just ruined the integrity of the text he taught from! Students, you are dismissed from your studies for the day. Emilio, take a break for tonight, me and master Efrain have some discussions to have.”
It crossed Efrain’s mind that he might’ve just signed up for some extensive work in the near future. This however, was his academic integrity, and he wasn’t about to let those notes be his legacy, if he was going to have one. They took up the conversation in the hallway, leaving the students filing out behind them.
“That was simply incredible,” the mentor said, “I’m shocked that you were able to do it off the cuff. Just like that.”
“It was nothing,” Efrain said, “and that’s not self-praise, mentor. If you’re not able to do simple illusions of light like, then ‘my’ books have led you astray.”
Efrain stopped to look out through a window, seeing the central pyramid and its rooftop garden. “Though that’s not entirely fair to Nicolo and Armsted. I’ve been travelling and studying for nigh-on two centuries since I left. I’ve learned much more than what they were left to work with.”
When Efrain turned back to the man, he found that he was bowing low.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh please, master Efrain,” said the man, “please, led us back to greatness.”
“What?”
“You are truly, the most knowledgeable, the most revered, the most brilliant-”
“Stop that,” Efrain said, “I left my patience for flattery about a half-thousand miles west. Say what you mean, plainly.”
He tried to tell himself that was the truth, but he couldn’t deny it made his chest swell to hear such things, especially after so long on his own.
“We need you,” said the man, astonishing Efrain as he wiped tears from his eyes, “we are but children, stumbling around-”
“Do you do this with every guest?” Efrain said, trying to tamp down on the delight he felt.
“What? N-no. Be the mentor! I will gladly renounce it, if you are there to take the place. Lead our school, master Efrain!”
Efrain held his face as he considered what the man had just said.
“No,” he said, quashing the image of mentor Efrain squarely and firmly right there.
“B-but why?” the mentor blubbered, “anything you want, I’ll give it to you, anything! Name it and-”
“But I will rewrite those gods-damned books you have. Fill them with my current knowledge, which is far superior than that poetic dreck that I made back in the day,” Efrain said, “I would not be able to live with myself, if I left you with that swill.”
“Oh thank you! Thank you!” said the mentor, clasping his hands.
“Now, let’s get back to my office,” Efrain said, “I’m finding myself quite tired of this whole affair.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” said the man, straightening himself and gesturing the way.
“Tell me,” Efrain said, “your begging seems to indicate that the academy’s future is dire.”
“Oh, it’s bad,” sighed the man heavily, “we simply haven’t been able to produce things that are of much use. It is our shame, and as such, we’ve moved much of the studies to other, more practical subjects. Maths, history - magic is quickly becoming a pure pursuit of knowledge. The Eisen matriarch seems not to mind, but Poutash, and many of the established houses, well…”
Efrain nodded as he climbed the main stairs, shuffling by students. He tried to ignore the irrational guilt that plagued him. He’d just managed to put a lid on it as they reached the office, where within he sank into the chair. The mentor stood nervously by the door, almost like an attending student, not the director of a school. Efrain wondered how he got the position in the first place.
“Well, that was enlightening,” Efrain said, “I’ll retire now, I think.”
“Of course,” said Avencia, “yes, we shall leave you to it. I will have dinner sent up.”
“No need, we had some in the city,” Efrain said, “I don’t eat all that much anyways. Tell me, are there any particular teas you’d recommend? Local speciality or imported, I don’t care.”
The man thought for a few moments.
“I would have to ask someone else, but I will send up a set as soon as possible,” he said.
“Oh, and the books,” Efrain said, reclining back on the chair and looking out the window.
“Which books?” said the man excitedly.
“All of them. Any of them that bear my name,” Efrain said, “In fact, just send me all your core texts for magic. If I need any sort of historical references, I’ll make up a list while I’m reading them.”
The man practically stumbled over himself, thanking Efrain profusely and indicating that the entire curriculum would be sent up, as well as paper and ink. When the door shut, the quiet seemed almost unnatural to Efrain after the busy day he’d had. He picked up a book from the shelf, some piece of Karkosian history from a man he’d never heard of.
He sat back down in the chair, and curiously, he found his eyesight beginning to swim as he tried to parse the page. His body felt… heavy, exhausted even. He tried to resist it, tried to fight it as the book fell open on his lap, but his vision darkened, and soon Efrain had drifted off to sleep.
[←Chapter 62] [Cover Art] [My Links] [Index] [Discord] [Subreddit] [Chapter 64→]

•Clan name :- XWarriorRebornX •Clan Tag :-#2QURUL8YP •Clan level:- 1 •Clan War Frequency:- Always •Clan War League:- Mandatory •Clan Games:- Played •Chat Language:- English •Required Trophies (Home Village) :- 0 •Required Trophies (Builder Base) :- 0
About our Clan:- 👍 Hello Everyone! This is a new clan. We are looking for active players for Clan wars,Clan War league and Clan games and no rush bases. It's a war and competitive clan.
We need active players who are good in clan games and raids too.
Thankyou 😀 Please support because your support can make us best.

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Hi all. We're new to Loop and I have some questions in hopes of helping my husband who is 3 years into a TBI and experiencing sound sensitivity.
Day to day we deal with a pre-schooler and a toddler who can be very loud, and we have a newborn coming in the next 3 weeks, so I know that's going to be hard on him too. He also struggles when in loud places like grocery stores and family get togethers.
I bought him the Loop Engage Plus as after research I deemed them his best option. He's been trying them for the last couple of days and while he likes them and that they do what they're meant to do and definitely make those above aspects of life easier, he says the occlusion effect is too much and almost makes him feel like he can't take it, so he pulls them out after awhile.
I've been doing a lot of reading and I wonder if the Experience or Quiet might be better options for him. My first instinct was to go with the highest level but maybe that was wrong. He just needs to be able to take the edge off of surrounding noises while still being able to be a part of things. And while I understand the occlusion effect can be something that you can't get away from when plugging your ears, maybe there's a version that's not so bad in that area?
Thanks in advance for your help and suggestions! This has been a long journey and while we've mastered his light sensitivity, this sound is really starting to wear him down

I’ll go first. Either Twisted Generation (Cora Jade), Get Out The Way (Raquel Rodriguez), or Fight Me (Alexa Bliss).

• Twisted Generation is absolutely AUX worthy, I’d happily put it on my car playlist. However it’s association with Cora, is what prevents me from doing so.
• Raquel’s old theme fit her NXT character so well, it was something to get the crowd worked up, and given Raquel was an absolute badass in NXT I loved it immediately. It’s actually my ringtone.
• Fight Me gained my love solely because it had the same tune of Spiteful. The fact they took Alexa’s most known theme and added vocals was really cool. I love Fight Me for 2022 Alexa, but Spiteful will always be Alexa’s best theme.

What is IPF Classic Worlds?
The International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) is the largest international drug tested fed. “Classic” means the lifters can wear a belt and knee sleeves, but not knee wraps (or bench shirts, deadlift suits, etc). As with all standard powerlifting meets, the lifter with the best total (their best squat + best bench + best deadlift for the day) within each weight class wins.
When is it?
June 11-18
How do I watch? The IPF live stream page.
Find the full schedule here (times listed in Central European Summer Time), and the full roster and nominating totals here (men/women). Note that all the lifters discussed below will be in the “A” group for their weight class.
​
Story lines to watch
Is Karlina Tongotea the new queen of the -76s?
Karlina Tongotea (New Zealand) came roaring into the international spotlight last fall when she totaled 600 kilos at the Commonwealth Games, and won the hyped “battle of the 76s” at Sheffield 2023, despite missing several lifts. Here she faces off again against reigning World Champ Jessica Buettner (Canada) and Equipped Champ (and the brief holder of the -76 total world record, until Karlina broke it) Agata Sitko (Poland). Karlina comes into this as the favorite; winning cements her as the premier -76 kilo raw lifter.
Check out the epic showdown between Agata and Jess at last year’s IFP Worlds here.
​
The -63s, and the return of Carola Garra
Lya Bavoil (France) was the undisputed -63, but failed to make weight for the 2022 IFP Worlds. This opened the door for a fierce competition that ended in a three-way tie for best total, with Meghan Scanlon (USA) winning on bodyweight. With Bavoil moving up to the -69s, the favorite to win is Carola Garra (Italy), with Chiara Bernardi (Italy) and Scanlon likely fighting for silver. Garra last competed in Classic Worlds in 2019, where she won gold. Since then she's mostly competed in equipped, where she has been equally successful.
Bonus: Check out this podcast interview with Scanlon, where she talks about coming back to elite level powerlifting after giving birth to twins.
​
Does Bonica Brown have a real challenger?
Bonica Brown (USA) has been the strongest 84+ for years. At Sheffield in March she broke the squat world record and total world record, and all of her lifts looked easy. However, Belgian lifter Sonita Mulah has been putting up monster gym numbers. She’s also got a big deadlift, so if things are close she has the advantage in that she’ll likely deadlift last. Brittany Schlater (Canada) is also worth keeping an eye on.
​
Evie vs Noemie: The Rematch
Evie Corrigan (New Zealand) shocked everyone by cutting down a weight class to the -52s for Sheffield, where she shocked (almost) everyone and won the whole competition as a wildcard nomination. However, Noemie Allabert (France) was just a few kilos behind her. The battle is going to be intense and could easily come down to the last deadlift.
​
The -93s
The men’s -93 class is absolutely stacked, and paired with the women’s -76s last year was one of the most fun sessions to watch. Even though last year’s champ Chance Mitchell (USA) won’t be competing, Jonathan Cayco (USA), Gustav Hedlund (Sweden), Emil Krastev (Bulgaria) and Gavin Adin (USA) are all legitimate contenders for gold (and would be even if Chance was there). Cayco put on a masterclass at Sheffield, coming in second, while Adin had a monster world record squat attempt that the jury ultimately declared a bad lift on depth (he placed third overall). Expect Adin to nail the squat record this time.
Highlights from last year's showdown here.
​
This event is huge, so there are a ton of great lifters and awesome match ups I didn't have space to talk about. Use this thread to talk about what you're hyped for, discuss the competition, and ask questions.

First/Prev
​
Mogan wasn't so calm when he was back on the bridge of the Semiramis. He paced, grumbling as he waited for the last of the boarding craft to land in the ship's hangars.
The San weren't completely unfamiliar with the idea of slavery. It had been a generation or more since anybody had owned one, but that was nothing to boast of—the reasons were economic, not moral. He had seen them in other tribes, particularly those near the coasts that were never short of food. Some had lived well, some had not.
Mogan hadn't thought much about it. They had no power to change another tribe's ways, after all, and wars were lost. It was certainly a better fate than losing a war with the Animal People—after that, your true master was the cooking skin, and the sooner you were transferred to its possession the better.
And yet this disgusted him.
It wasn't just the filth, the rags, the way they blinked at the light of open air or the way they trembled when he frowned. But he didn't know what the rest was. Perhaps a sense of guilt—had there been a time when his own people would have done the same? Or was it the fact that humanity, of all the sapient species in the galaxy, may well share that fate?
He shook his head to clear away the thought, but it would not go.
Logog and Burya came to the bridge with a nod. “They're getting cleaned up now, and we've got the layer-printers making something for them. What they had on...” Burya grimaced. “We spaced it. Threw it in an airlock and then opened up the other side and let it fly. With any luck it'll burn up when it goes down to the planet.”
Only a few short years ago, shooting stars were considered an act of the spirits; now they were making one.
Logog nodded. “I had the people who brought machine parts in down to the infirmary. It didn't take long to get them back in working order, but we'll certainly have to be less foolish next time.”
Mogan shrugged. “I should have thought of it. After all, I've only had one for seventeen years. But I've got something else in mind. About the slave thing.”
Both of them looked distinctly uncomfortable, but Burya was the one to say it. “To think... if someone had offered them to us, pretty much any point more than eight or ten years ago, we'd have taken them.”
“And the only reason we wouldn't after is because we couldn't feed them,” Logog said. “I've thought of that too. Are we hypocrites, that we can get furious at someone else for doing what we probably would have done?”
Mogan almost winced. That was rather close to what he had been thinking.
But Logog shook his head. “Maybe it does. I'm no shaman; I wouldn't know. But it felt good to stop it, that's certain. Maybe we've just grown. Maybe our circumstances changed—I really don't know. But what's your plan?”
“We grabbed computers from this base, yes?”
Burya nodded, and Mogan continued. “Clacha and the others were right. They don't process it here; they load up the ore onto ships and ship it somewhere. Let's get one of Wakawa's experts on that and find out where the ships go.”
Mogan smiled. “I propose we find where they're quartered, rob the place blind, and blow it up.”
It was easier said than done. Wakawa did indeed have an expert, but the information on it was sparse.
While their expert went over the stolen information, others went through the loot. The rifles were standard, useable but not terribly needed. The shoshir were useless—they might find a market, but would probably be scrapped. They had been taken more because they were there. The rock itself was useless until it was processed, so overall the raid was a bust, except for the rescues.
As the days passed, the Vishtali opened up a bit. Not at first; for the first three days they stared wide-eyed, waiting to see what their new owners would do to them. Mogan had seen the first time that talking to them would do little good here, and so all he could do was wait.
Four days passed, and he began to ask them about future plans. He didn't expect an answer, and none had one. Well, three of them wanted to be his wife, but to accept that would have been plain and simple exploitation; the very idea left a bad taste in his mouth, and he made a note to make a ruling about it just in case someone else in the tribe was more greedy or just less perceptive. Mogan asked them simply to get them thinking about the idea. It was another day before he laid out options, including working for him on the Semiramis—for pay—or finding their own way as citizens in the Settlements.
He made a mental note to speak to Shett. If war with the Sovereignty meant saving more of these people, then they would need some system for doing so. Dropping them off on some planet and telling them to fend for themselves was only mildly more feasible than throwing them out the airlock and telling them to swim home. Just one more reason to hate the Sovereignty, really.
The rest of the day, he told them stories. He wasn't the best storyteller, but he told them of his earlier experiences; how he had been captured by accident, toured the galaxy in a science vessel, hunted giant lizards. He told them of how he had met Hyeshi and lost her, and while he wasn't a good storyteller the story itself made up the difference.
They had Specimen Implants, the ones put into animals—whether actual scientific specimens or livestock. They didn't translate, so Mogan had to speak in the Sovereign Tongue that was almost the same as the dominant Sylfa language, but they did protect from diseases. The conditions they had been living in probably put a little extra wear on the things, but nonetheless each of them got Citizen Implants. That process was slow, as the cruiser's medical bay wasn't meant to handle large numbers at one time, but with each day more of them had the official mark of a sapient person, and that too made a difference in their outlook.
It was the sixth day, staying near the planet of Goretia but not in it, when Wakawa's tech came to him.
Rentarsh was a Sylfa—that did seem to be the majority in the galaxy, for either nation—and he didn't look terribly pleased with his information.
“Nothing, captain. Not a damn thing about destination. But we did find the schedule. Two more days and the White Platinum is coming in to pick up a load. Seeing as it's actually going to whatever they have for processing, we can follow it.”
Mogan nodded. They wouldn't be able to follow it unless they could stay out of its sensor range and still be able to know where it was; a difficult proposition. But they were, after all, privateers now. They could simply take the ship.
He nodded to the tech. “Calculate its likely approach vectors and let me know. We'll be ready for it.”
Two more days passed before Sensors sounded the alarm and Mogan rushed to the bridge. Ellisan was already in her seat, and as Mogan stood before the captain's chair he saw the ship on the holos.
The White Platinum looked innocent enough. Plenty of asteroids were big enough to contain deposits of metal, but not big enough to set up a smelting facility on them, so ore-haulers like this were fairly common.
Preying on one was not. After all, their cargo wasn't even metal, but thousands of tons of rock that was anything from half to a fraction of a percent metal. An admiralty judge assessing that prize would probably laugh at whoever brought it in.
Which is why it was something of a surprise when the massive cruiser appeared around the moon, slingshotting around it for extra speed, and bore down on the massive hauler like a falcon on the dive. The hauler was already slowing to go into orbit—at more than ten kilometers long it would never have been able to fly into atmosphere or escape the planet's gravity if it had—and now it frantically tried to turn and flee.
If it could escape the planet's gravity well, back into the Currents... well, it still couldn't escape. It tried anyway, since it had no alternative.
“White Platinum,” said Mogan as the comms carried the message across. “This is the licensed privateer Semiramis. Shut off your shields and engines, and prepare to be boarded.”
If anything, the ship accelerated harder, probably beyond what was safe for its engines, and Mogan nodded. “Burya, half the broadside guns, please.”
Ellisan nodded as well, and the ship turned slightly to the right so that the guns had room to fire. Burya spoke into his wristpad, and there was a slight bump as the etheric cannon fired, balls streaking in a fraction of a moment to the ship.
Gouts of shrapnel flew from the far side of the ship, and it changed direction, flying towards the planet rather than away.
Mogan frowned. “What in the Frozen Valley are they doing?”
“Crashing,” Ellisan grunted. “In a few minutes, I think we'll see the shuttles and lighters leave with the crew, and they know that if we really have a Letter of Marque we can't fire on escape cra—ahh, there's the first one.”
She pointed to the holo as a surprisingly large launch separated and streaked away. The lighters were only meant for loading and unloading the ship, carrying half a hundred tons or more into atmosphere where it could be unloaded, or vice versa.
“They won't have shields,” Mogan shrugged. “We can see about them. Will we be in time to stop the ship?”
Ellisan sighed and shook her head. “They probably locked the controls even if we did make it on. But if I was on right now, I don't think I could stop it in time. It's too heavy, and gravity is working with it too.”
Indeed, the White Platinum was moving faster now than it had in its frantic escape.
“Ready some techs and some guards,” Mogan said with a sigh. “And let's see what we can find. There must be three or four hundred million tons on that thing. And we'll put a boarding craft after each of the Lighters. Those are still cargo craft, even if minor.”
And so they waited, again. The White Platinum itself landed with a rather spectacular explosion. Dust, rocks, and even full-sized trees flew into the air, and it was two days before it settled enough that they could approach. The skies were literally dimmer, and it was likely a lot of animals would die before the year was up. The lighters weren't so lucky. Abandoned by the shuttles—which did have shields, after all, and could catch the currents going elsewhere—the lighters could either keep flying or land, and they were easy prey for the boarding craft.
“The first decided to fight it out. We didn't stick to atlatls for them, and it didn't take long. But the second crew was wiser, especially when we reminded them they'd been abandoned. They swore they didn't know what was going on down here. I don't believe them, but they did say where the ship was bound. And showed me on the navs, so I don't think they were lying. They're taking it to a moon orbiting Lancas-4.”
“Good.” Mogan grinned, and it was not pretty. “Time to make those Sovereignty bastards pay.”
“Captain?” Wakawa paused. “That's... not Sovereignty. Lancas is a Settlement system.”
​
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