I have an 18'x18' parking pad. Tree branches from a tree I don't own cover the parking pad, and therefore bird shit covers my car.
Long term, I'm going to save up money and have a carport built, but short term the situation is dire and I'm looking for an impermanent fix. I purchased a sun sail (basically a big high quality tarp) and covered the parking pad. This worked great for many months until the wind hit it so hard that it knocked down a 4ft cinderblock wall the posts were attached to. Fortunately no one was parked there at the time.
If I'm going to do something more permanent and put the posts in the ground, it will be in the course of building the parking pad, not as part of a temporary fix. I feel the solution I had would have worked fine if not for the material catching the wind and turning into a giant sail. For now, I have some netting over top that keeps sticks and leaves out of my truck bed and windshield, but not poop.
Having the branches trimmed would cost a significant fraction of what the carport would cost, so I don't think it's worth it.
Is there any material I can use that will block bird shit but not catch the wind? Any other ideas to resolve this? Should I just give up on half assing it and save up the money to do it right?
Thanks in advance!

Nature of Predators is created by u/SpacePaladin15, whom was willing to let his horde of fans write fanfiction.
I'd like to give my thanks to u/SavingsSyllabub7788, the creator of Death of a Monster, and one of my favorite birbs. for giving me an odd bit of inspiration, and the discord at large for shaping this story with theories and random discussions. This one shot didn't even conceptually exist last week.
Also referenced u/Acceptable_Egg5560's Nature of a Giant in this one.
Tell me how you feel about this story. I'm content with where it ends, but others' insight always helps me figure out my flaws.
.*~*.
Memory Transcription Subject: Barkim, forsaken krakotl veteran.
Date: December 20, 2136
.~*~.
I came before Captain Sovlin and Captain Kalsim. I remember watching Kalsim train. I doubt he remembers me. My career made me into a captain pretty fast. Faster than most. I had repelled five Arxur raids while in control of the bridge. My crew were brave enough to trust me and my insane methods. Letting a colony world fall was unacceptable in my eyes. We were the vigilant, always ready to warp in ten minutes or less. The federation as whole didn't seem to understand how much value a few extra minutes bought for the settlers meant. Even if I had to order a retreat, tens of thousands would survive because they managed to find a place to weather the raid while the Arxur were distracted.
I was a hero.
Rumbling laughter and howls make my slow trod falter, and I look though a window into the recreational room. There's several humans at a table holding scraps of paper and barking in a jovial mood. They're not masked, and my feathers ruffle looking at them. A flicker of movement on the table catches my eye, and I finally spot the Dossur in their midst, almost completely hidden in a bunker of coins.
A Dossur beating an entire group of pack predators by himself. I never would've believed it, but I'm still not surprised it would be Alvin of all people.
That little runt was the only reason I've managed to hold onto my sanity for so long. He was braver than I, and he brought me back even when I was at my worst, again and again and again. He was the first to run to our predatory saviors back at the facility. And he was the last to leave, running back into the fighting and leading a human doctor to me to stop the stray bullet from taking me into Inatala's grace.
I left him to his card game, faintly overhearing one of the humans complain about being a several years running Texas Holdem champion. Alvin's response sounded very much like him, asking if he wanted to bet the actual crown next to add to his growing wealth.
Eventually I found myself in front of a door. Inside was a small room. One wall contained a wooden desk carved with enough craftsmanship to rival old Krakotl wood carvers. The desk was cluttered with cylinders and writing apparatuses, and a primitive writing board resting on the wall above it displayed several print outs of various people. Relatives. Descendants. People that had enough empathy in them to take back the few lucky souls that still had people they could trust. The computer underneath it was not active, but if it where I'd imagine there would be encrypted communication logs trying to reconnect with those few love ones. Plans to reunite them. Promises to protect them under this faction's umbrella.
It was strange, that this group of humans wasn't desired by the rest of their kind. They take more direct, brutal action than their leaders, but they act to save lives.
On the opposite wall was a locker. Inside were several firearms of Human make, and multiple emergency atmospheric suits. Many were for human use, but some were Federation standard. A pair of boots and engineering equipment rested on the floor before it, scuffed and well worn. There's a strange logo of an orange planet on the back of a jacket hanging from a hook nearby, and an even stranger article of cloth called an 'arm band.' The arm band has a large tree sewn into it, flanked by two prey animals and a river. The human I'm visiting was part of that arm band group, named after a tree of all things.
You couldn't get me to harbor a guess as to why they'd name themselves after a tree.
The far wall was rather simple. A faded green paint coat, covered in various anti-predator posters. One was of a human in a blue space suit, the visor open and revealing an endless pit of teeth. Another depicting a feral, over-proportioned human salivating over a dressed, screaming krakotl on a dinner plate. A third poster depicted some venlil collared and chained in place, stuck in some multi-colored wrapping that went up its legs halfway.
There was a mirror beside the posters, and I winced at the terrible shape I was in. I'd abused myself too much after I was freed. Even after stopping, I was still recovering. Looking past the mirror, there is a large banner of a green Terran letter. A few paper photos are plastered around it of smiling humans in strange places, and my eye always lingers over those photos despite the many times I've seen them. Earth looked lovely. I wished Kalsim had called off his mission.
Feeling like an intruder, I turned my attention to the last part of the wall. A set of black out curtains were flush with it, concealing a human roost built into the structure itself. If I was lucky, she would be there.
"Hope?"
Come on, you're better than a chicken.
Carefully, I lifted the curtain. "Hope?"
There she was. The one human I wasn't bothered by on this station. I can hear the music playing now that the curtain is out of the way, and the thick visor over her eyes tells me she's watching a video or simulation of some kind. I hesitate, watching her in her own world. What fur she does have is short and remarkably dense, and she has such a unique coloration that I would swear she was one of a kind if she hadn't mentioned having family. A tan complexion, painted over by splotches and stripes of white and violets that humans can't see with their own eyes. Her face is relaxed, mouth slightly open in wonder.
The human that helped staunch my bleeding, and gently broke the news to me of everything that had happened while I was locked up. The same one that kept me from pulling myself apart immediately after, and tried to find a way to keep me busy as my whole world went up in flames. A stern, capable person that could make decisions under pressure and wanted to save lives. While not a leader, I could see it in her. She had mettle.
She was completely exposed. Had I been the old me and not the one that woke up in a PD cell after a Sillis conference, I might've followed Kalsim's path. A talon in the right spot, and humans die fast.
"Hope?" Even raising my voice, she didn't hear me right in front of her. "Hope!"
As much as I respected her, coming this far in my state was exhausting. I, being a former fleet captain, hero, and outstanding Federation officer, decidedly acted like a child in that moment and pecked her.
"AAAAAAAH!"
"AIIIIIIIIIEEEEE"
I let out the most undignified shriek in my life and fell over backwards, landing on my tail feathers and sending a jolt up my spine. I forgot that since Hope was human, by extension she could be loud. Really, really, unfathomably loud.
There was a blur of limbs and Hope was sitting up, visor wielded as a bludgeon. She made eye contact with me, and I realized all my remaining feathers had poofed up.
"Blu!" She scolded, face curling in frustration. "What in the matter is- Blu?! You're not in your room?"
Shock, this time. I felt some shame in how low my standards had fallen, and smoothed down my feathers properly. My poor heart was already recovering and I stood, puffing out my chest.
"I... I wanted to go for a walk. See what you humans could do with a dated station like this."
"You're in my room."
"That appears to be the case." I pushed a ball of dust across the floor with a talon and regarded it absently, turning my head and keeping an eye on Hope. "It needs cleaning."
With speed I was anticipating, she hurled a pillow at me. I caught the assault and rerouted it, catching her in the face. She leaned back and laughed, a noise that calmed what was left of my quaking heart as I hopped forward. She offered a hand that I accepted, and she helped pull me onto the edge of the bed.
"You offered to show me your skies." I began, feeling uncertain. "Is that possible?"
"Yeah," she said. "Here-"
Grace put a hand on my chest and pushed down. A profound sense of horror washed over me as my back hit the soft bedding. She wouldn't- no. She can't- is it even- when have I last- Inatala please-
I realized with a start that Hope leaned past me, grabbing her pad. She plugged an odd attachment into it and fastened it to the wall by her head, and flopped over beside me. My immediate terror faded into embarrassment, and my face warmed at my own stupidity as she pulled the curtain closed. It became dark, and I felt her shift slightly until the ceiling above us started to slowly glow. Her pad booted up and began to project an image up there, and I felt my initial problems fade as a blue sky opened up before us.
"Oh wow." I breathed, realizing it was a video as a plane flew overhead. I forgot myself for a moment, looking up into an alien sky as clouds blew by at a lazy pace. The jet stream slowly lost its uniformity and stretched out, facing away as other clouds replaced it. I could hear wind and alien birds chirping, and for a long moment I was there. I was really there.
Storm clouds, massive weather fronts, all began drifting by. There was a dull rumble of thunder. I started as a bird flew very close overhead.
"What was that?"
"Woodpecker. Some can get pretty big back home. Not as big as you, Blu."
"Is it really this serene? Where was this taken?"
"My backyard. There was a massive hill out back. I used to lay there for hours when I was younger. Lived at the edge of a village. The only noise back there was the odd combustion engine or farming drone. Sometimes someone firing off a gun or listening to music loudly."
"You lived in the countryside? You're a pilot!"
Hope chuckled softly. "Surprise! There's some pretty sharp people that don't live in the cities, Blu. Especially us humans. My father could repair any farm equipment you threw at him going back a hundred years. Of course, I also have an uncle that thinks the Queen of England doesn't exist, so it probably levels out." She finished, sighing and reaching up. She swiped her finger across the ceiling and suddenly the skies changed.
They were orange now. More clouds. I felt a familiar pang in my chest thinking of a Nishtal sunset, but I kept quiet as the skies gradually changed. I was surprised to see such a vibrant shade of orange, then a sharp streak of violet bleed into it. There was red as well. A lot of red.
"Why red?"
"Oh, that. Massive forest fire in Canada. That's a country above mine. The smoke changed the colors for a little while. It made for a nice view."
That it did. I got lost in the footage, and started losing track of time. Only the occasional creak of the bedding kept me from forgetting where I really was. Hope seemed content watching the skies, and it dawned on me how close I was to her.
I'm acclimating well. Maybe I'll be like Alvin in no time.
When the skies slowly turned to night I was amazed at the stars that came out. Constellations I was unfamiliar with, patterns and swirls of light that could never be seen from a Federation city. I heard Hope inhale and reach out, changing the scene before it could linger anymore. "How about a time lapse. I've got some good ones."
"I don't know what that is."
"Really? Someone sets up a camera in a nice spot and records hours or days of footage. They take everything they've documented and then speed it up to a couple minutes." Hope starts a new video. I'm taken back by it, how a cloud bank flows around a mountain pass like water. It looks like a stream, where the clouds shift with each wind current change, flowing back and forth as minutes are turned into seconds.
It's stunning. Hope switches to another one, and another. I'm struck dumb with wonder, baffled at how not one other creature out of the hundreds of species thought to do anything similar over the course of the Federation. Massive mountain tops, where humans blur through trails like plasma. Prairies with storm cells moving in, lighting and rain sweeping through and giving it new light as the terrain is rapidly drenched. A large road where thousands of human vehicles streak by and leave brief paint trails in their wake.
"Thank you, Hope."
She nods, an odd gesture of acknowledgement, before changing the video back to a more slow paced skyline. After several minutes of silence, I feel a weight forming in my chest. Slowly, my wonder begins to crumble.
"How many confidants were you able to find? For the others?"
Hope shifted to look at me, turning her head and making my feathers tingle slightly at how close her face was to me. She looked back up at the sky. "Seven."
"There were forty that wanted to leave as quickly as they could. What happens to them?"
"We're letting them go. Even if they don't want anything to do with predators, they're going to find out avoiding my species is pretty hard. We're going to give them access to the network anyways, in case they want our help down the road."
"And the rest of us?"
"I'm helping the ones that want to go back to a somewhat normal life find that. There's several planets they can go to, and countless colonies. They'll be placed close to the support network in case there's trouble and they need to come back, or need financial assistance or help integrating."
Hope had mentioned something about 'shelters being a safe place' for us break outs, but had never elaborated on that.
"And what about the others that want to stay?" I noticed Hope scowl at the skies, her face forlorn.
"The ones that want to stay and help us fight are welcome to. It's not all dangerous- being part of the network isn't as risky. Helping the ones that wanted to go back to living, or finding others that got lost or fell through the cracks. It... it feels wrong asking anyone we rescued to fight and die for us. We don't want clouded judgement and people thinking they owe us that. But, there are a lot wanting to join our ranks in more aggressive operations. We're making them combat ready, teaching them how we wage wars so that they don't turn into their overseers."
I lay there for a long moment, staring at the open skies above us. "What about me?" I asked quietly.
"You're not excluded from those choices, Blu."
"You read my file. You know who I was. What I would've done if I didn't end up in that place. You'd really just let me go?"
"If you wanted to go, then yes."
The simple way in which she states it confused me. Like such a choice wouldn't cause issues or risks.
"But, we've been thinking about a better choice for you."
Oh?
"The Mazics are turning into the next Paltan Combine. Their newest influx of refugees were the released Krakotl."
My chest tightens. Nishtal is no more, razed to the bedrock and dead. We had been abandoned by our neighbors, our home slaughtered well before our true nature was revealed. And in the same year, the Federation deploys over forty thousand ships to take back a world that left behind their rule. Billions of loyal citizens captured and destined for a bloody fate were worth less than billions that seceded peacefully.
And then the humans brokered a deal with the Arxur and saved their souls. This was yet another time they did the impossible.
"We were thinking they could use a strong anchor to roost against. Someone that they might remember. A leader that they can trust."
I turned my head to directly face Hope, but she was still looking at the skies.
"I... they hate you humans."
"They do."
"I can't try and lead them, and sell out anyone that still doesn't believe in the UN's cause. I can't betray them." I chirped, dread worming into my gut.
"We wouldn't expect you too. We don't want you too. Blu-" Hope turned her gaze on me, her voice sincere. "We want them to find the right path. They deserve peace and security. They don't deserve to live in fear and rot with hatred. We don't... my group does not want yours to suffer over what your government did, even if the masses supported it at the time. We think you can lead them to a better future, where this hell can have a chance to heal and fade."
She looked back up at the artificial sky above us. "You don't even have to talk to us again if you choose this. If you do your best to ensure your species can coexist with mine, that would be more than we could ever hope to see happen."
"You think that's possible? That I could get that far? It seems so far away."
Hope bared her teeth in a smile. "You're more than capable. You love your people with everything you have, Blu. They'll see that. They'll believe in you. When you stand firm for your people, they'll follow you, too. We'll help where we can- peacefully. This can happen, I know it."
I found myself looking up at Earth's sky once again, apprehensive above this new burden. There was no way I would turn this down. If the Wolverines thought it was possible, then it was possible. A future where my people were both free in body and spirit was one I would fight for until my weary body gave out.
"How do we start?"

Tuesday Content Creator Roundup! Back on actual Tuesday! Check for links here and post your own as well!
Tuesday Content Creator Roundup Post Videos, Blog Posts, Resources, & Podcasts Here!
Welcome to the Tuesday content creator roundup!
This thread will feature some noteworthy contributions from Flesh & Blood content creators. Lots of gameplay, box openings, discussions etc. Catch up on content by reviewing the links below!
Videos

• DMArmada streamed some Road To Nationals CHICAGO! Flesh and Blood TCG Coverage feat. FLAKE!
• Pheano brings us Team Poland's Pro Tour Baltimore Katsu Deck > Flesh and Blood
• Kllooooyy discusses The Costly Truth of Flesh and Blood, What I've Come to Learn FaB
• Br33zy laments RIP Rosetta Thorn... // Flesh & Blood TCG
• Man Sant posted Riptide Reaps a Road to Nationals Flesh and Blood Deck Tech
• Three Floating has Josh Lee Kwai Plays "Flesh and Blood" Now Fight Nite 05: Katsu vz Uzuri Flesh and Blood Gameplay
• ChannelFireball has RZR help you Get Ready for Flesh and Blood's Living Legend Format!
• PokeTinKing asks How can Flesh and Blood TCG improve?
• Bagel TCG brings us OLDHIM LL META REVIEW & CHANNEL UPDATES > Flesh and Blood FAB TCG
• We Make Best says This ZEPHYR Strategy BREAKS KATSU!
• Spark of Genius posted Flesh and Blood Classic Constructed Gameplay Review - Uzuri vs Lexi Calling Antwerp
• AshenWingzTCG has a Collector's Guide to Flesh and Blood TCG
• The Tall Timmy asks What Is The FUTURE For Flesh and Blood SKIRMISH Tournaments?
• Cardboard Swords is GOIN' DEEP! Riptide v Azalea - DRONETIDE - Blitz Armory Gameplay - Flesh and Blood TCG
• Overload Gaming discusses Worth the Price Difference? Comparing Cold and Rainbow Foils in Flesh and Blood.
• L'Œil d'Ophidia brings us Flesh and Blood- Calling Antwerp - Round 6 - Berger (Oldhim) v. Linn (Fai)
• Dice Commando explains Amplifying your Arrow Flesh and Blood TCG Go Again! Ep357
• AggroBlaze96 posted Katsu vs Lexi Classic Constructed Flesh and Blood TCG
• Knight Time FAB streamed Flesh and Blood Bravo CC Table Top Simulator Star Struck Testing
• TCG TALK instructs How to Play Katsu Ep. 1 (Why Play Katsu) - Flesh and Blood TCG
• FaBrika posted Fight with Honor. Uzuri vs Briar. Commoner Gameplay - Flesh and Blood TCG
• The Card Guyz streamed LIVE Opportunity Cost with Flesh and Blood
• playset-seho has their EV ELE - flesh and blood expected value TALES OF ARIA unlimited fabtcg 06/2023
• The Table Pit brings us Gold Palms Explosive UPF w/Zach in the Flesh and Blood - Gameplay #21
• The Salt Collector posted Riptide Versus Azalea Flesh and Blood Classic Constructed SPOILER: No Salt was collected.
• Mr. T Kraken Packs discusses Flesh and Blood Explodes In Japan

Blogposts & Other Resource

• Kasharn Rao has a Recap: Battle Hardened Pittsburgh
• Kasharn Rao also posted a Road to Nationals 2023 Meta Analysis: Week 3
• Legend Story Studios announced War of the Monarch Events
• Daniel Bellotti via Rathe Time wrote about A Lesson in Lava: Kano In Blitz
• Valera at fabrec.gg brings us CnC (Casual and Competitive) - Dorinthea
• Donald Kell discusses #FABDad: Expenses and Specializations!
• Kenny Suzuki reports on Philippine Road to Nationals: The Showstopper Stuns Manila!

Podcasts

• Red Zone Rogue discusses BURNOUT in Flesh and Blood TCG and Content Creation > Living Legends Podcast 50
• 983 Media brings us Inclusion In Flesh and Blood Instant Speed
• AdventureCo. Gaming starts up Flesh and Blood TCG Podcast Episode 1: A Brilliant Dawn
• Arsenal Pass posted Arsenal Pass Ep112 - The Power of Consistency
• TCGTed streamed Flesh and Blood Podcast: The Buylist Ep. 19 - Live Stream #fabtcg
• Raptorspank is Updating Decks to the Rare Equipment- Flesh and Blood Commoner Vodcast Episode 28
• Flesh and Pod brings us Flesh and Pod Episode 78: Titles are Meaningless
• Fresh and Buds posted 94. Construct Nitro MechaBud w/ Rachel Stoddard - Flesh and Blood TCG
• M-n-R Cast continued on with M-n-R Episode 54: The Heroes In Monarch Limited
• banished zone has BZ Pod 019 // Dusk Till Dawn

We know this can never be an exhaustive list and many of the creators listed above put out more than one video just this week so feel free to peruse and view past content as well. This was another long one with returning favorites and some new entries on the list.
Did I miss some great FaB content from last week? Share links and details in the comments below!

Preface: There’s really no way to look back at the Chargers’ 2022 season without starting at the end. The team blew a 27-0 lead to the Jaguars in the wild card round in what can only be described as the peak of decades of cruelty by the football gods directed at the Chargers. In a year that began with Super Bowl aspirations thanks to an extremely talented on-paper roster, and included a regular season of injury after injury after injury (Justin Herbert, Rashawn Slater, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, etc.), the finale could not have been more crushing. Criticism and ridicule has rained down on head coach Brandon Staley and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, and the latter was promptly fired at the end of the season to the rejoicing of fans everywhere.
But now we begin, again. The Super Bowl hopes are very much alive. The roster saw very few changes in free agency as the front office and coaching staff clearly believe the failure of the 2022 season was generally not an issue with the assembled players. But there is a much higher sense of urgency this year, and it’s not an exaggeration to say the team is going “all in” on the final cheap year of Justin Herbert’s rookie deal. Contracts have been structured in a way that will force significant cuts after the 2023 season just to get the team to salary cap compliance. This year may be do-or-die for both Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley.

Free Agency Recap

Losses: G Matt Feiler, LB Drue Tranquill, EDGE Kyle Van Noy, QB Chase Daniel, CB Bryce Callahan, WR Deandre Carter, S Nasir Adderley, LB Troy Reeder, DL Breiden Fehoko, WR Michael Bandy, OT Storm Norton
Five starters on this list: Feiler, Tranquill, Callahan, Carter, and Adderley. Letting Drue Tranquill leave is by far the most controversial decision here, especially since he ended up going to the Chiefs. He played very well last year, but seems like the idea here is that he was a factor in the defense’s struggle against the run. Feiler was a disaster last season after a great 2021, and Jamaree Salyer should be an immediate upgrade. Callahan is still a free agent and a reunion is not out of the question. Van Noy was great as a fill-in when Bosa was injured, but the team wants to get younger at the position. Carter was a quiet signing who outperformed his contract and provided much needed depth but again, too old. Adderley was benched in the season finale and then retired. The rest were backups and rotational players.
Additions: LB Eric Kendricks, DL Nick Williams
That’s it, that’s the list. Eric Kendricks steps in as the starter next to Kenneth Murray who he can hopefully help mentor into being a good linebacker. And theoretically, he will be an upgrade in run defense over Drue Tranquill. Williams was signed after the draft as insurance for the injured Austin Johnson and Otito Ogbonnia. He may not make the team. The Chargers used most of the rest of their cap space re-signing free agents like Trey Pipkins, Morgan Fox, and Donald Parham. They still have about $12.5M to work with, pending the upcoming Justin Herbert mega-deal.

Draft Needs

WR: The trio of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Josh Palmer is one of the best in the league. However, with their contracts, there’s really no chance Allen and Williams will be Chargers in 2024. This group also lacks a speed element.
EDGE: Similar to WR, the starting duo of Bosa and Mack is elite but they are expensive and getting older. The depth behind them is just Chris Rumph.
TE: Gerald Everett is solid but on the last year of his deal. Donald Parham has potential but can’t stay healthy. Tre’ McKitty is a blocking TE who isn’t a very good blocker.
CB: JC Jackson is an enormous question mark, both from a health and performance standpoint. Michael Davis is a free agent after 2023. Ja’Sir Taylor is penciled in as the starting slot corner after very limited playing time last year.
OL: This is the strongest starting five the Chargers have had in a decade but the depth behind them both inside and out is weak.
LB: Eric Kendricks and Kenneth Murray will start, but Murray is auditioning to be on the team next year and Kendricks is old. The depth behind them is just Nick Niemann and Amen Ogbongbemiga.
S: JT Woods was a 2022 3rd round pick but barely played in 2022. Alohi Gilman stepped up when needed, but relying on him to start is risky.
RB: Austin Ekeler requested a trade, and even though it looked very unlikely to happen, the team needs to think about life after him in 2024. Neither Josh Kelley or Isaiah Spiller have shown they can handle a full workload.
KPR: With Deandre Carter’s departure, the team has no one with real return experience.

The Draft

1.21: Quentin Johnston - WR, TCU
In hindsight, this pick should have been more obvious. The Chargers have been very strict about their size thresholds for wide receivers over the years, and despite countless debates about Johnston vs Zay Flowers vs Jordan Addison, the big guy from TCU won out. This was an immediately controversial pick among fans as many believed the speedy Flowers or the crafty Addison would be more suited to filling the biggest need in this position group: speed and separation. But while Johnston may not be your traditional deep threat, his game speed and GPS tracking data suggest a more dynamic skillset than he showed at the combine. And one area where he does beat those two guys that was probably overlooked as a need: run after catch ability. Johnston was elite at that in college, and that looks to be his primary role for the Chargers. New OC Kellen Moore will use him like he did Ceedee Lamb in Dallas. And since he will start the year at number three on the depth chart at best, he won’t be under pressure to carry the offense as a rookie while he learns from the veterans in front of him.
2.54: Tuli Tuipulotu - EDGE, USC
After WR, the Chargers’ clear next biggest need was at EDGE and Tuli was the consensus best available. The team has also shown a penchant for drafting local kids from USC and UCLA over the last few years. He was extremely productive in his final season in college where he put up 13.5 sacks playing both on the edge and the interior. In the draft process, many people questioned if he would bulk up to be a full time DT or slim down to play the EDGE. It ended up being the latter as he weighed 266lbs at the combine. Tuli will provide valuable depth behind Bosa and Mack as a rookie, while also having the opportunity to play inside on passing downs like he did in college.
3.85: Daiyan Henley - LB, Washington State
The Chargers lost two linebackers to free agency: Drue Tranquill and Troy Reeder. Tranquill was the team’s best coverage linebacker, and Reeder was key depth while also being a core special teams player. Enter Daiyan Henley, who could fill both of those roles by himself. With Kenneth Murray likely off the team in 2024, Henley has the opportunity to earn a starting job over the course of the season. He is a recent convert to the linebacker position and there is still much room for growth. At the very least, he will be an immediate special teams contributor. Staley and Telesco both raved about his prowess in that phase of the game after picking him.
*4.125: Derius Davis - WR, TCU *
Another TCU receiver! This pick was definitely a surprise, as many people projected him to be a late day 3 pick. But the Chargers coaching staff said after the draft that they believed he was the best return man available, and that they wanted to draft a starter in the 4th round. Davis was indeed one of the best returners in the country at TCU, and also can add some juice on offense even if he ends up limited to a gadget role. Either way, here’s some killer speed for the Chargers offense.
5.156: Jordan McFadden - OL, Clemson
In the last few drafts, the Chargers have shown a lot of love for late round tackle-to-guard converts. Jamaree Salyer was the steal of the 2022 draft in the sixth round. McFadden played both tackle and guard in college on both sides of the line, and some scouts believe he may even be able to play some center. For the Chargers he will compete with Brenden Jaimes for the swing guard role, and maybe even push Foster Sarrell to be the swing tackle. Key depth for a position group that needed it.
6.200: Scott Matlock - DL, Boise State
Matlock is a solid run defender with some pass rush upside who will get to learn behind a strong trio of veteran starters. And with Austin Johnson and Otito Ogbonnia both rehabbing major knee injuries, he may end up seeing some decent playing time this season. I’m very intrigued by his upside, and Staley has a good track record of getting good play from late round DTs.
7.239: Max Duggan - QB, TCU
The Los Angeles Horned Frogs are ready to take the NFL by storm in 2023 (hopefully to face the Philadelphia Bulldogs in a championship rematch). The Chargers historically have carried three QBs on the active roster, and with only two signed going into the draft, it seemed like a strong possibility they would pick one. So here’s Max Duggan, who despite leading TCU to the Natty was generally not loved by scouts. He has a ton of athletic ability but the finer points of playing QB need to be worked on. There is absolutely potential to be a long term backup to Justin Herbert though, if he can beat out Easton Stick.
Notable UDFAs
Jerrod Clark - DL, Coastal Carolina: Most people expected Clark to be drafted, and the Chargers gave him a lot of money for a UDFA. I would not be surprised at all to see him make the roster as an additional run defender.
Cam Jones - CB, Ohio State: Another guy who could have been drafted, there are depth spots at corner up for grabs and Jones is an intriguing option.
Tiawan Mullen - CB, Indiana: Mullen used to have a pretty high draft stock but fell hard in the process. The Chargers are thin at slot corner and he could earn a role.
Mikel Jones - LB, Syracuse: There’s a wide open competition for ILB5 that will most likely be decided by special teams.

Roster Prediction

QB (3): Justin Herbert, Easton Stick, Max Duggan
RB (5): Austin Ekeler, Joshua Kelley, Isaiah Spiller, Larry Rountree, Zander Horvath
WR (5): Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Josh Palmer, Quentin Johnston, Derius Davis
TE (4): Gerald Everett, Donald Parham, Tre’ McKitty, Stone Smartt
OT (3): Rashawn Slater, Trey Pipkins, Foster Sarrell
OG (4): Zion Johnson, Jamaree Salyer, Brenden Jaimes, Jordan McFadden
C (2): Corey Linsley, Will Clapp
EDGE (4): Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, Chris Rumph
IDL (6): Sebastian Joseph-Day, Austin Johnson, Morgan Fox, Otito Ogbonnia, Scott Matlock, Jerrod Clark
LB (5): Kenneth Murray, Eric Kendricks, Daiyan Henley, Nick Niemann, Amen Ogbongbemiga
CB (5): Michael Davis, Asante Samuel Jr., JC Jackson, Ja’Sir Taylor, Deane Leonard
S (4): Derwin James, Alohi Gilman, JT Woods, Mark Webb
K (1): Cameron Dicker
P (1): JK Scott
LS (1): Josh Harris

Conclusion

Super Bowl or bust.

Title: "The Great Jellyfishing Adventure"
[Opening scene: The Krusty Krab]
SpongeBob: (excitedly) Good morning, Mr. Krabs! What a beautiful day to go jellyfishing!
Mr. Krabs: (grinning) Aye, SpongeBob! But remember, you'll be back in time for your work shift.
SpongeBob: Yes, Mr. Krabs! (rushes out of the Krusty Krab)
[Scene: Jellyfish Fields]
[SpongeBob is wearing his jellyfishing gear, including a net and helmet, while Patrick tags along]
SpongeBob: Patrick, today we're going on the ultimate jellyfishing adventure! We'll catch the rarest jellyfish of them all!
Patrick: (laughs) I'm ready, SpongeBob! Let's find those jellies!
[SpongeBob and Patrick begin their adventure, encountering various jellyfish and having fun chasing them. They laugh and play around Jellyfish Fields.]
[Scene: Deeper into Jellyfish Fields]
[SpongeBob and Patrick spot a shimmering, multicolored jellyfish.]
SpongeBob: Patrick, look! It's the Rainbow Jelly! It's said to have the most incredible stinging abilities!
Patrick: Wow, let's catch it, SpongeBob!
[SpongeBob and Patrick carefully approach the Rainbow Jelly, trying to catch it without getting stung. They maneuver with skill and strategy.]
[Scene: The chase continues]
[SpongeBob and Patrick chase the Rainbow Jelly through a series of wild loops and turns. They narrowly avoid getting stung several times.]
[Suddenly, the Rainbow Jelly leads them into a treacherous area of Jellyfish Fields, with a maze-like network of thorny plants and tight spaces.]
SpongeBob: Patrick, this is getting tricky! But we can't give up!
Patrick: Right behind you, buddy! We're unstoppable!
[Scene: Lost in the maze]
[SpongeBob and Patrick find themselves lost in the thorny maze, unable to find their way back.]
SpongeBob: Patrick, we're lost! How will we ever get out of here?
Patrick: Don't worry, SpongeBob. We'll find a way. We're adventurers, remember?
[Scene: Unexpected allies]
[Suddenly, a group of baby jellyfish emerges from the thorny plants. They glow softly and guide SpongeBob and Patrick through the maze, showing them the way out.]
SpongeBob: Thank you, little ones! We owe you our gratitude!
Patrick: Yeah! You guys are awesome!
[Scene: Back in Jellyfish Fields]
[SpongeBob and Patrick finally make it back to the open field, where the Rainbow Jelly awaits.]
SpongeBob: It's time to catch that Rainbow Jelly, Patrick!
[They use their netting skills and successfully catch the Rainbow Jelly without getting stung.]
[SpongeBob and Patrick release the Rainbow Jelly back into the wild.]
SpongeBob: We caught it, but now it's free again, where it belongs. The adventure was worth it!
Patrick: Definitely, SpongeBob! It was an epic jellyfishing day!
[Closing scene: The Krusty Krab]
[SpongeBob and Patrick return to the Krusty Krab, excitedly recounting their adventure to Mr. Krabs and the other employees.]
Mr. Krabs: Well, lads, I hope you had your fun. Now get back to work!
[SpongeBob and Patrick laugh and head back to their respective duties, still reminiscing about their incredible jellyfishing adventure.]
[The episode ends with a cheerful shot of SpongeBob and Patrick working at the Krusty Krab, their jellyfishing adventure creating a lasting memory.]
[End of episode]

There's a lot of hype about TensorRT going around. Not unjustified - I played with it today and saw it generate single images at 2x peak speed of vanilla xformers. But in its current raw state I don't think it's worth the trouble, at least not for me and my 4090. Here's why:

• Every model checkpoint needs to be recompiled (first to ONNX and then to TensorRT). Took 15 minutes for me on my fast desktop (the exe is single threaded only) and resulted in a 1.8 GB file.
• That compiled file only works for a limited number of image sizes and batch sizes. After some experimentation I got one working for a specific combo: width 512, height 512-768, batch size 1-3. If you want other sizes you need to compile separate files. If you want larger batches you need to make images smaller. The compiled files also only work for that GPU model.
• It doesn't work with ControlNet, at least not currently. (Does anyone know if it could work in the future?)
• LORAs need to be baked into the model at compile time.
• The previous points mean you'll want to keep several versions of the same model around, so storage requirements are much higher.
• Installation wasn't trivial. I needed to install Visual Studio Build Tools, then CUDA 11.8, the TensorRT extension and finally switch to the dev branch of auto111. But it's early and this will all probably become easier.
• Speed - generation of single images is really fast, peaking at twice the it/s of xformers. But with the GPU memory loading and image saving overhead it was more like 50% faster on my 4090. Also the limit on batch size means that xformers catch up for larger batches. Quick test:

Batch generation on a 4090 (seconds, batches x images)

	15 x 1	5 x 3	1 x 15
vanilla xformers	41	28	22
TensorRT	29	23	-

The significant tradeoffs in image generation flexibility and limited net speed gains have killed off the hype as far as I'm concerned. I'll still be keeping my eye on TensorRT for the amazing tech, but unless it gets significant improvements I won't be using it. YMMV, maybe especially if you have a mid to low-range GPU.

Tom was still rather worried he had made a big mistake as he watched Jacky fly off towards the grey horizon, chainsaw dangling from her chest. He felt a little odd actually. He had come running out to say goodbye and to give Jacky her pair of ear defenders and some safety glasses that sorta fit, at least a little bit. He had also reminded them to pack some tarps. Just in case it rained since it might help keep the wood mostly dry. Honestly, he felt like a worried mother or housewife.
The image hadn’t really been helped when Ray had also come running up carrying some bundles of food someone had apparently forgotten. Maybe he should go do a load of laundry next and complete the image.
“Well… that’s them gone,” Tom shrugged as he lost sight of Jacky against the grey skies.
“Yup…” Ray answered, also staring up at the sky, watching them.
“You got anything you have to do or?”
“Oh eh, not that much… I really should wash the floors in the armory though, a lot of muddy feet,” Ray joked a little unsurely.
“Don’t bother, it’ll be just as dirty tomorrow anyway, and ten times so if we get rain.”
“Raulf thinks so… About the rain that is. So you’re probably right,” Ray agreed, turning to look at him instead. “Do you need help with anything?”
“We just have some stuff to do in the smithy. I don’t think so… Actually,” he replied, turning to her as well, tilting his head a little. “I heard Fengi mention that you were looking at getting dresses made. Is that right?”
“Oh, yes,” Ray responded with a quick nod. “You know. It would be nice to have, even if it wouldn’t be so good to wear every day. It is going to be hard with the silks though.”
“Everyone needs some finery,” Tom replied with a wink. Of course she should have some nice clothes, maybe she would even start wearing what they had gotten for her in the capital then. She looked quite nice, all things considered, when she tried. “You went for silk? I guess that’s a bit expensive,” he carried on, having no clue what silk they might be talking about. The only silk that he remembered them having was the changeling silk of his cloak… maybe he should revisit the idea of getting that turned into a proper uniform. He would need a bit more of the stuff though.
“Well that too, but I’ve never sewn silk before. It’s always so expensive. And it’s hard to make look just right.”
“I know Essy is pretty good at sewing. I’m sure Wiperna is too.”
“Oh of course,” Ray giggled, though still looking a little uncertain. “But not to be mean or anything, but a dress is quite different from some armor or a simple shirt.”
“Well, I certainly wouldn’t know. Only sewing I’ve done was to fix things… It usually didn’t end well,” Tom joked, hoping Ray wouldn’t be quite so skittish. They hadn’t talked that much, but everyone knew she was sweet as pie.
“I could teach you if you want? I was helping Jacky a little before all this stuff with the inquisitor happened.”
“Jacky was taking sewing classes?” Tom questioned, raising an eyebrow. That was honestly quite the surprise.
“It’s been a while. She’s been busy and all,” Ray replied a little meekly before changing the subject. “How have the two of you been doing? You have had a very hard time.”
“Right… Oh yeah, it’s been… well it sucked a lot. Jacky blames the inquisitor rather than me, even if I wasn’t that nice all the time, so I guess that is a plus.”
“It’s okay, everyone has bad days. You especially so,” Ray said in a very soothing voice, going to put a hand on his shoulder with the most tender and caring look on her face Tom could imagine. “Just try not to, okay?”
“You know Ray, this is why everyone here likes you so much,” Tom chuckled softly, giving her a pat on the shoulder in return. “You’re a good egg as we would say back home.”
“But humans don’t lay eggs,” Ray replied, turning her head to the side a little, looking adorably confused.
“No, but we still know what eggs are… Anyhow, Jacky thought you would want to buy some jewelry with the money? I guess that falls under clothes to some extent.”
“Oh… Yeah, I guess so. It is going to be so strange having to buy something not from my brother's shop.” She laughed hollowly. Tom hadn’t thought about that part. He didn’t even know if the shop was still around.
“We could also try making some? I know Shiva will be quite busy, but we certainly have plenty of materials to work with. Silver and gold too. I have a feeling that maybe she will want to do something other than entertaining us lot as winter goes by.”
“Do you think she would do that? It is a lot of work,” Ray questioned meekly, clearly worried time would be spent on her that shouldn’t. Tom couldn’t really blame her. They would probably be busy all winter, but surely Shiva could whip up some earrings or something.
“Well, she sure loves polishing everything. Do you know her magic?”
“Yeah, I more or less worked it out… My brother had the same talent. Let him make things without solder. He made these earrings out of very thin gold wire all fused together into little designs. They were beautiful,” Ray replied, turning sadder and sadder as she explained.
“Oh I believe it. Maybe Shiva can replicate one?” Tom tried cautiously, not sure if he should change the subject or if this was a good thing to talk about. ‘God dammit Tom, why are you such a numpty with all this stuff?’
“Perhaps?... It was very fine work. They easily broke too. He just called that a business opportunity since not many places could fix them. I often wore some of them when standing outside, at least during the day, you know? Advertising. He never even got mad every time I broke one,” Ray replied somberly, her expression going blank. “Times change, I guess.”
“They sure do. I had never worn jewelry before coming here. And then what do the girls do? They take every chance they get to dress me up with whatever they can find. Even cut my hair to leave a damn heart and a lightning bolt. Wore a cap for months after that. It’s still not quite gone,” Tom joked. It seemed to help as she looked at him with big eyes like she had just realized something embarrassing.
“I remember those… I thought they were religious or something like that.”
Tom suppressed a snicker at that, not wanting to laugh at her. Shortly thereafter Ray too let out a little giggle, confirming that she found it funny too.
‘Oh thank god for that.’
“And the time they tried to do my hair into horns, oh that was soo stupid.”
“They really tried that?” Ray questioned, suppressing another snicker.
“Yup, I think Saph just panicked. Dakota basically just told her ‘Make him presentable!’ and then left. She didn’t have a clue what to do,” Tom carried on, breaking out laughing properly at the stupid memory. That had been so damn dumb, but it was a good story at least. Ray joined in too, though she was more snickering and giggling at his misfortune than outright laughing.
“I’m sorry, but that is funny,” Ray apologized as she kept snickering at him.
“Oh don’t worry, it was damn funny. Afterwards at least,” Tom got out after catching his breath real quick. “Or the time when Kiran attacked my foot ‘cause of how bad it smelled. That really hurt. Bastard has sharp fangs.”
“He is a spirited one,” Ray remarked, the two of them continuing to snicker like idiots.
Then there was a bit of a cough from behind them. Tom turned to see Junior and Radexi standing there, Junior at attention for some reason.
“At ease gentlemen,” Tom joked, watching the young man switch to a more relaxed stance, almost mirroring Radexi who just shook his head the tiniest amount. “What is it?”
“Shiva and Edita want you in the forge, and Jarix would like a word as well.”
“Right. I guess the fun is over then. Run along you two, I’ll be right up.”
“Yes sir.”
Tom let out a sigh as he watched them run off ‘I guess he’s not quite over playing soldier… I guess it still beats him taking after his father. Oh well, to work.’
__________________________________________________________________________________
Saph’s day had been rather boring thus far. It had been such a long walk, and it was more or less around late afternoon by the time they had made it to just the treeline. It had taken some walking back and forth from there before Essy had come descending out of the skies towards them to lead them to the camp.
It had turned out to be another half-hour walk through the forest to get there, which had left everyone save Essy a little travel sore. One might laugh at the idea of sitting down for a whole day being tiring, but Saph had actually gotten off to jog alongside just to have something to do for a bit. That and she was sore and stiff from all the hours sitting on Yldril’s back.
At least the forest was beautiful though, much better than the rolling hills. They really did get boring after a while. Here, though, it was all full of color. Especially on the outskirts of the forest. The leaves were already a dark yellow and falling, coating the ground in a colorful blanket. A few piles could be seen here and there where the wind had swept them up. Saph poked one to check for any surprises with a long stick before taking a run up and just jumping in backward, letting her wings catch the leaves to give a soft bouncy landing.
Fengi had kindly asked the dragon to walk by the pile of leaves, causing Saph to vacate to the shout of “Clear below!” followed by Fengi letting herself fall off the dragon’s back and down into the pile of leaves, using much the same trick as Saph had, though the cushion of leaves caught under her wing and sent her bouncing off. Essy stuck her head over the side to better watch as Fengi sailed gracelessly through the air and landed with a thunk and an “Aooow…” on some rather less well-padded ground.
The two silvered huntresses both chuckled a bit as Fengi held up a hand showing the OK symbol. “Nailed it.”
“Well if there had been a nail there then absolutely. You didn’t hurt anything, right?” Saph snickered, walking up to look down at the younger woman.
“Nope, I’m fine,” Fengi replied, standing up and dusting herself off, still looking like that had hurt at least a bit.
“Well at least the kids aren’t around to learn about that maneuver,” Essy added with a shake of her head. “I could see someone breaking a wing doing that.”
“You can break a wing doing the dishes,” Fengi retorted, going to jog after the dragon who hadn’t stopped or even slowed down. “Yldril, I’m climbing up your tail, just so you know.”
“Wonderful. At least you don’t want me to pick you up when you fall off,” The dragon retorted sarcastically, not seeming to care overly much. It wasn’t like she could stop them anyway. Fengi hopped up onto her tail and started climbing. Saph was half expecting the tip to fall off again, but it did seem to have survived the reattachment pretty well. Even if it was just the tip that had come off, it was certainly more than could be said for Balethon.
Saph followed Fengi’s lead, taking a running start and using a few powerful flaps of her wings to send her up onto the dragon's back. “All aboard.”
“Chuu chuu,” Essy let out playfully, pumping her fist in the air twice, leading to both Fengi and Saph tilting their heads looking at her. “Oh, it’s a thing Tom said… Not sure what it means, probably Danish.”
“Ahr yeah, that makes sense,” Fengi and Saph both agreed as they made themselves comfortable once more.
Saph went to lay down alongside the spines on the dragon's back, looking down at the ground moving slowly by below them. The dragon’s steps had slowed a bit as the hours had gone by, and she just watched the ground glide past. She thought back fondly to old times long ago. Playing in the rustling leaves as a kid had always been good fun. They used to take the kids of the keep to the forest just to see how different it was on a normal year. It was good to have a trip to see something other than just the rolling hills around the keep after all. For the last while though the kids had more or less just been cooped up inside the keep. She didn’t see that changing this year either.
‘Maybe next year. With some money, surely we could take a trip to the capital or something. Been a few since last we did that after all I think.’
They didn’t so much see the camp as hear it. Specifically, the roar of Tom’s chainsaw cutting through the woods. At first it was faint in the distance, almost like a shriek of a wounded animal, but as one came closer the true anger of that strange tool could be heard in full song. Accompanied by a familiar if rather manic-sounding laughter…
“Wait… Did they give it to Jacky?” Saph broke out, sitting up and trying to look ahead.
“Well that can’t possibly go wrong,” Fengi said sarcastically, shaking her head a bit, standing up, and walking up to Yldril’s shoulders to get a better view.
“It gets worse I’m afraid,” Essy added, having taken a comfy seat on Yldril’s back as well.
Fengi and Saph both didn’t say anything, instead just turning to look at the oldest huntress.
“Tom isn’t here either… and he gave it to her for the day,” Essy carried on reluctantly, apprehension clear on her face.
“Dakota did come, right? You know, just in case something needs to be put back on,” Saph tried half-joking, half-serious. A healer sounded like something they could definitely use if they ended up in that situation.
“I am not sure Dakota could manage that if I’m being honest. I wouldn’t like to think what that thing could do to flesh and bone,” Fengi added, also not seeming overly thrilled with the news.
“Is anyone going to tell me what that noise is?” Yldril protested, shaking her head a little as Jacky let loose once more, the screaming saw chewing its way through a log somewhere in the forest. It was hard to even work out where it was coming from with the echo bouncing off the trees all around them.
“Just think of it as a magical item that cuts wood and to do it, it burns stuff rather than magic. And is incredibly loud,” Saph responded as she tried to tell what parts of the noise were the saw and what might be Jacky screaming with glee.
“Am I the only one who would be quite scared to hear this? Say in the dark of night all alone out here?” Fengi questioned, sounding like maybe there was a little fear in there already as she looked around, the sound overwhelming them from all directions.
“Please tell me I do not have to listen to that all day?” the dragon grumbled, seeming a lot less impressed by the noise.
“If it helps, we all do. If Jacky’s got the saw, then she ain’t putting it down till it doesn’t wanna go no more. Or when we are done, I hope,” Saph sighed, the sheer disappointment radiating off the dragon feeling almost thick in the air as she walked along.
“Who knows, maybe they will be done soon?” Fengi tried in a cheerful tone. “I mean cutting trees down with that thing and branching them can’t take that long, and they must have been going for a while by now.”
Rounding a large path of bushes, the source of the noise came into view. Jacky stood with her back to them complete with her red-furred ear-defenders as woodchips flew all around, before the tree she had been working on creaked and cracked, slowly starting to topple over. “TIIIMBEEEER!”
There was a brief panic as the tree fell the wrong way, and several keep dwellers ran for it before the tree slammed into the ground. Jacky stood there looking quite pleased with herself.
“GOT IT!” she shouted out as grumbling faces started returning to the site, some having fled quite far away. As order returned some of them noticed the massive dragon staring at them. “Sorry about the bad guess. I really thought it was going that way.”
‘Gods give me strength,’ Saph sighed, clutching her temples a bit.
“Now now Saph, I’m sure she tried to make it go the other way. The saw does look like a handful if you ask me,” Essy let out, clearly trying to mediate things before anyone got shouted at. “Looks like they have come a long way already too.”
“Indeed,” Yldril replied, looking around and not sounding overly thrilled as she started walking up to the latest trunk to hit the ground. Looking around, the victims were quite spread out, and Essy was right too, there were quite a lot of them.
Jacky apparently hadn’t noticed them until Yldril was but a few meters behind her. She turned a bit to the right, probably sensing something was behind her, and let out a yelp of surprise as she noticed the massive black dragon standing just behind her. In true Jacky fashion, her finger was seemingly still on the trigger as the chainsaw roared to life, revving wildly before she managed to get her finger off the trigger, stumbling back a step or two. Some people averted their gaze once more, fearing Dakota’s magics were about to be needed, though others simply shook their heads or giggled a bit.
Yldril just stood there staring at the huntress unflinchingly. “Would you please shut that thing up?”
“Oh… right. Fuck man, you can’t just sneak up on me like that,” the chainsaw-wielding huntress countered, shutting off the chainsaw with a flick of a switch.
“I was not. You are simply oblivious. How many trees are there?”
“Oh uuuhm…” Jacky paused, looking back at her path of destruction. "Well… You know, I think I stopped counting.”
“There are twelve in total,” Dakota responded, walking up to the dragon. “And I must say, things have been going far swifter than we imagined. So far we are talking two logs per tree, we will cut them in half again when back at the keep. So two trees cut into four logs a trip was our idea. You will have to put together your cargo though. Do you think you can handle that?”
“Just fine… what even is that, a couple tons? Might as well take eight just to get it done with. That would mean I only need to do three trips, right?”
“That would be correct, yes. It is an awful lot of wood though,” Dakota replied, not seeming quite convinced that was a good idea, looking to Fengi for confirmation.
The young huntress just shrugged, clearly not knowing either. “If she thinks 8 logs is fine, why not? Not like we know what she can pull.”
“I have hauled far worse. But first I want to lay down somewhere with a bit of peace and quiet,” the dragon rumbled unenthusiastically, looking to Jacky, who was already making her way to the tree she had downed, fiddling with the saw.
“You can rest for a little. Afterward, we would have you stack the lumber up over there. We’re laying down two logs to put it on so it doesn’t get wet. In the meantime, Saph, we have a little foraging to do. I hope you brought your knife.”
“Always,” Saph replied, sliding down Yldrils's side and landing in a crouch, steadying herself with an arm before standing up again. “What are we looking for?”
“Heaven oak bark and anything else of use. A tasty snack wouldn’t go amiss either. By the looks of it, we might be able to finish up here today. Actually, remember to grab a hatchet for the bark while you are at it.”
“I saw some berry bushes when looking for you three. Worth a look I think,” Essy added enthusiastically as she too slid down Yldril, as the dragon started walking off to go have a nap somewhere a little quieter.
“Could I come too? Once I’ve seen where Yldril went to sleep at?” Fengi questioned hopefully, looking to Dakota. “I’ll be back so we can have her ready stuff for tomorrow.”
“I don’t see why not, as long as we get the prep done properly. Apparently it is going to rain tomorrow.”
“Yeah we heard,” Fengi sulked, glancing to Saph.
“Not much we can do about it. We better get going then before she wanders too far off. Do try to keep Jacky from killing anyone,” Saph chuckled, feeling a little glad she didn’t have to be too close to the saw either. It made her ears ring, and since Jacky had it there was not much chance of her getting a go at it anyway, and where was the fun in that?
“No faith at all,” Jacky laughed loudly with a big smile on her face as she yanked the cord and the device sprang to life once more. There was no denying just how quick work it made of those branches though. Each was gone in a matter of seconds as she walked up the side of the trunk.
“Well, good luck. See you later!”
__________________________________________________________________________________
As Tom came up the stairs to the greeting hall, the sight that greeted him was a young and slender blue dragon laying on his belly, head turned to face the horizon while completely overrun by kids. Said gaggle of kids seemed to include nearly everyone, save Lothal. Last Tom had seen him he had been shadowing Rachuck, who was supposed to be with Paulin at the moment so he guessed the kid was getting his first proper lessons on inquisition wrangling. Someone had to keep an eye on her.
The investigator hadn’t actually been causing much trouble as of late. Whether that came down to the orders she had been given or to the fact that Tom had a suspicion that she and Rachuck actually saw eye to eye on many things was hard to say. They were certainly both rather paranoid and beset by an impeccable work ethic.
For now though, Tom guessed he had kids to worry about, as well as whatever Jarix wanted to do. As he made his way over he saw Zarko holding the basket with Jinora, looking less than thrilled about the whole situation. It was rather funny to see the strict and uptight military woman being forced to babysit. And in all due honesty, she should probably be sawing planks or something instead. But they wouldn’t have any more wood till sometime late tomorrow, so here she was. He guessed that she hadn’t gone logging because if it came to it Jarix needed his crew for a fight.
“Ahr Tom, listen bro, I need to ask a favor,” Jarix called out, seeming quite delighted once he spotted Tom and Ray.
“Name it big guy,” Tom called back, walking up and watching as the kids all turned to look, a few hopping down to come his way with Kiran leading the charge.
“I wanted to ask you. Remember back before Joelina came here, well mostly even longer back than that. You used to run around in the morning and lift things?”
“Yup,” Tom replied, bending down to pick up Kiran as he came running with arms raised. “Up we come.”
“Yeah that stuff. Does it actually work?” the dragon questioned as the rest of the kids running up went right by Tom and instead ran up to Ray, who had already bent down arms open to welcome them in.
“What do you mean?” Tom asked with a chuckle, watching Ray with a big smile.
“He’s just trying to get out of having to do the training, that’s all,” Zarko interjected annoyedly, also walking towards Ray, Jinora’s basket in hand.
“No, not me. Radexi. He’s just embarrassed to ask, that’s all,” the dragon clarified. “I don’t need more flying practice, I’m the best already. And look at this now,” he went, flexing a foreleg which was showing some rather nicely defined muscle underneath the scaly hide.
“All that fieldwork was good for something, aye? Maybe you should be helping out log hauling.” Tom chuckled, watching the dragon’s expression go from proud to rather annoyed.
“Yeah, right,” Jarix chuckled sarcastically. “Why not do the work of someone 4 times my size, might be 5 actually. I think I’m good.”
“You haven’t done anything for weeks you big baby. It’s time to get to work again,” Zarko corrected as she gingerly gave the basket to Ray like she was defusing a bomb. Ray took it right away and stuck a hand down for Jinora to play with to the sound of happy baby giggles.
“Oh come on, I was wounded.”
“And now you’re fixed. I think it’s an excellent idea. It will take Yldril more than one run I hope, otherwise it’s not gonna be anywhere near enough wood.”
“Sounds like a plan to me. Though flying practice should be a thing too, right?” Tom questioned, looking to the now much more comfortable-looking lieutenant.
“We really should be practicing with Dakota and her girls, yes. Rachuck and the guard too for that matter, in case we get locked up in here with you for winter.”
“Makes sense. I for one would love to see some aerial exercises.” Tom mused glancing to Jarix hoping the dragon would pick up on a possible way out of hauling duty.
“As long as you don’t plan on falling off, I think the big baby could use some weight. Much like yourself,” Zarko agreed, gesturing at Tom. Tom had indeed resumed the practice of walking around with the weights on. He was more or less mended after all. The last two days hadn’t even come with dreams of Joelina’s past. Even if that wasn’t really enough to have him discount that side effect as dealt with. “Perhaps a few of the guards would be willing to come along for target practice. They will be fine in the belly netting I am sure.
“Oh come one, I’m supposed to fight using speed. Don’t go weighing me down now.”
“Of course, and if you are faster with passengers, imagine how well you will do in a proper fight. Besides, I already talked with Dakota. She found the idea quite ideal,” Zarko retorted with a grim smile on her face, Jarix deflating noticeably.
“Don’t worry, Jarix! We coming too!” Kiran shouted out, raising a clenched fist.
“Oh no you don’t,” Tom chuckled, lowering the hand back down again. “It’s bad enough for them if I fall off.”
“But I fly already.”
“Yes, when you weren’t allowed to… and were high on sugar.”
“I still want more sweets. They taste good!”
“Yes, yes I know. I promise when you’re older,” Tom tried, Kiran’s expression turning exceedingly grumpy as he crossed his arms. “I am three. That’s a lot!”
“Hey, don’t feel bad, kid. My dad didn’t let me try flying till I was 10,” Jarix added in helpfully, Kiran turning to look at the dragon, mouth agape.
“Oh nooooo.”
“Oh don’t give me that,” Zarko let out, clearly not impressed “I know your mother. No way in hel-”
“Heherm!” Ray cleared her throat, looking rather scathingly at Zarko, who for her part just shut up.
Tom just watched in awe. He had never seen Ray do anything like that before. And Zarko was not exactly the most lenient of people. Even Kiran didn’t seem to have a funny quip.
Jarix just looked rather smug at the whole thing before slowly and with head held high turning to look at Tom and Kiran.
“Anyway, I just wanted to ask if you could help Radexi out. He’s a bit spindly.”
“And he can’t pull back the bolt on the 50 properly… I’ll see what I can do,” Tom promised, not quite sure how this would end. Hopefully better than his attempt to wingman for Unkai. Even if that had been more or less successful in the end.
“Thanks bro. Now I think if I have to go out and start hauling trees, I’m gonna need to look good. Who knows who might see us out there? We have to put on a good image after all,” Jarix chuckled, laying his head back down on the sun-heated stone and looking rather comfy really. Even if Tom still needed to make good on that promise of a bed.
“What’s next, do you want white enameled armor too? Maybe a huntress crown as well? I’m sure I could put in a good word with Dakota and get you at least a copper one,” Zarko retorted sarcastically, crossing her arms and looking unimpressed.
“Did you forget how much I was paid? I am a gilded, I would have you know.”
“Still only made half of a normal year’s commission, didn’t you?”
“No, I made half on top of a normal commission, remember?”
“Right,” Tom let out, blinking a few times. “Forgot just how expensive you lot are.”
“Why do you think most keeps out here don’t have dragons? At least not normally. They are putting a fortune into this place,” Jarix countered. “I know mum’s place back home cost thousands. Food is the big one though. In the big cities, it’s just crazy.”
“There is also the small matter of asking someone who can live for hundreds of years to risk their life for you. No keep dweller dragons making 500 a year out here.” Zarko added apathetically.
“Well duh, just like there aren’t any dragonettes making 50, or even like what? 10 gold.”
“Quite, most would be more like a couple on a good year… if you're a higher rank,” Ray interjected cautiously, clearly not quite comfortable with the huge numbers.
“Damn… actually, what would a dragon make out here?” Jarix proceeded to ask, looking to Zarko, who just shrugged.
“I don’t know. Maybe 100? Maybe only 50? Some might only be paid in food and shelter, you are expensive to feed after all. From what I heard many are usually hired rather than part of the keep too.”
“Welp, even more reason to join the army,” Jarix mused, seeming quite content with his lot in life. “So much more worth it.”
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Chapter 168 ready and able. Things are starting to feel a bit more like they used to back when Tom was setteling in at the keep. Still plenty going on but it's not the center of attention right now. at least not the large scale political shenanigans. I don't know about you but I like it. Speaking of which any feedback is as always welcome down below be it pitchforks or cake. I might not agree with you but I still wanna hear it.
On the news front, There is a brand new piece of Grevi in the art show, made by Lunhaku. It's the first time we get to see a dragon in armor as well, it provides a nice perspective on the size of the dragons as well.
Praise the editors for making this all possible, I hope you enjoyed it. If you did an want another check out the patreon or if you just wanna help get more cool pictures of dragons drawn.
Until next time, take care, and I'll catch you around.
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Cover three by HarmaaGriffin
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