SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (AP) — Chinese-American billionaire Tony Xu resigned as CEO of Doordash Saturday, hours after the food delivery app co-founder's late night arrest for public intoxication at a San Francisco restaurant.
"I make zero excuses for how I conducted myself last night," Xu said in an email to the Doordash board or directors , obtained by the Associated Press.
"That behavior would not be acceptable for our 100,000-plus delivery partners, and it isn't for me either," Xu continued. "There's no way around this one: it's time for me to step down."
As of press time it is unknown who will replace Xu as CEO of the food delivery giant, currently valued at over $25 billion.
Xu was taken in custody at 11:52 p.m. Friday, shortly after officers with the San Francisco Police Department arrived at a Wingstop restaurant in the city's Union Square neighborhood, responding to a call of an intoxicated customer who refused to leave the premises.
According to the arrest report, officers allegedly encountered Xu stumbling and slurring his speech, while loudly berating employees for not personally filling his beverage cup.
"I didn't drive all the way down to this motherf---er just to pour my own Sprite like a f---ing piece of sh-- peasant," Xu can be heard saying on police body camera footage, released immediately after news of his arrest broke. "That's, like, against the health code of some sh--, right? You should arrest these ignorant a-- b---es, not me!"
After posting bond, Xu was released at 12:30 a.m. Saturday on his own recognizance.
"In hindsight, it really wouldn't have been that big a deal to just get my own Sprite," Xu continued in his resignation statement. "Sure it's mildly annoying, but that probably wasn't worth making such a huge stink over."
Xu confounded Doordash in 2013 with fellow Stanford University students Stanley Tang, Andy Fang and Evan Moore. The app has since overtaken UberEats and Grubhub to become the dominant food delivery service in the United States and Canada.
The company has been criticized and sued for withholding tips, reducing tip transparency, antitrust price manipulation, listing restaurants without permission and allegedly misclassifying workers.

If you want to read the full chapter, please go to AO3!
​
THE SINS OF OUR FATHERS - A DDMA WHAT-IF? STORY
Chapter 5: Recruitment
\November 9th, 2017. Mirai Household, around 6:57 AM.\**
After finishing his preparations for the school day, Itsuki sits down on the couch, talking with Yuka over the phone, while Narumi gets ready to head off for her office job. The redheaded boy is in his school uniform, while his mother’s work attire consists of a white dress with yellow accents, black leggings, and white heels. She’s also got a white coat on.
In terms of the call between Itsuki and Yuka, the two siblings are talking about the situation with Natsuki and her father, with the older sister having been informed about it last night while at her College apartment in Osaka, working on some class assignments.
She was feeling pretty tired when she got the call from her younger brother, so she wasn’t adamant on talking for too long, believing it wasn’t gonna be a serious conversation. However, she was quickly proven wrong as Itsuki decided to just say it straight up. “Natsuki’s being abused by her father, and I need your help to get her out.”
And just like that, it almost felt like any fatigue in Yuka’s body vanished, and was replaced with shock, anger, and concern all at once. She only really talked with the pink girl a few times during Summer Break in August, when she came back to Salvato City to spend time with Narumi and Itsuki, alongside a few friends. It was also when she learned about her.
See, like many sibling relationships, Yuka and Itsuki had a tendency to mess with one another, either through words or actions. In particular, the younger sibling often teased the older one about the boys she was interested in, which really got on her nerves at times. It also didn’t help that many of the boys she dates either end up as just friends after some time, or turn out to be dicks.
So, Yuka was eager to tease Itsuki back with any girl that might become his girlfriend given enough time. One of those being Aiko, which the younger brother didn’t pick up on until he was straight up told by him a few weeks after joining the Literature Club. However, until his Senior Year, the redheaded boy never showed any sort of romantic interest in anyone, female or not.
Natsuki, however, was the first one to start catching his attention. And Itsuki knew the moment he told Yuka, she was gonna pay him back for all that teasing he did to her when it came to her boy crushes. Which he was correct to assume, as she did exactly that. But it died down, and she decided to help her younger brother with confessing to this girl.
However, aside from what she was told, Yuka didn’t have the best grasp of Natsuki’s personality. She knew she was snarky and aggressive, but also caring and gentle deep down, but not much else than that. So, she felt she had to see her for herself at some point. And eventually, when Itsuki invited the pink tsundere to hang out again, Yuka was able to see the girl who stole her brother’s heart.
Honestly? She found Natsuki interesting. But…also a little strange. She definitely had quite the attitude, and was admittedly good-looking. However, she noticed just how small and skinny she was, wondering if she was eating properly. And judging by how fast she ate her food, and how tired she looked at times, Yuka felt that might have been the case. But she wasn’t too sure, since…what did she know? They barely knew each other.
She also seemed very ill-tempered at points, despite meaning well under that tough exterior. Yuka never saw the worst of it, but she wondered if she was being treated right back home, or if there was something wrong going on with her. But again, she barely knew Natsuki, so she couldn’t just jump to conclusions.
Not to mention…one time, Yuka suggested she, Itsuki, and Natsuki all go to the beach and have some fun. But despite stating she used to love going there as a kid, the pink girl refused to go with that idea. Did she develop some kind of condition that kept her from doing this kind of stuff? Was she not confident in her body? Or…?
These signs were definitely concerning to Yuka, but she felt it wasn’t her place to try and call Natsuki out or anything. For all she knew, it wasn’t that big a deal, and if it was, Itsuki would help her take care of it. After all, her little brother is always willing to help people, even if he may mess up or go too far at points.
So, when Yuka moved back to Osaka to continue her pursuit of a career in Criminal Justice, she put these concerned thoughts about Natsuki into the back of her mind, since she had her own concerns at the moment. But every once in a while, she wonders…”What is the deal with Natsuki Gushiken?” However, she never figured it out for the longest time.
And now that she knows the truth? Well…she feels the same as her mother and brother about the situation. She wants to help Natsuki however she can, and beat her father into a bloody pulp. But obviously, they couldn’t do exactly that, so right now, they’re discussing what to do as they talk on the phone.
Yuka: “So, Natsuki’s gonna tell Yuri and Aiko about this?”
Itsuki: “That’s the plan. Though, when she’ll do that, I’m not sure.”
Itsuki: “Obviously, it’d be good to take care of it today, but…Natsuki might need some time to figure it out.”
Yuka: “Makes sense. It takes a lot to tell someone your problems.”
Yuka: “Also, I was planning on heading back home around December 9th or so, but if you need me to, I could come back a little earlier.”
Itsuki: “You sure? What about your work?”
Yuka: “Pssh! I can always take care of it online, and let my teachers know something came up!”
Yuka: “Besides…this takes higher priority.”
Yuka: “I wanted to do Criminal Justice in order to help people like Natsuki. So…this is almost like a way to see if I’ve got what it takes.”
Yuka: “Sure, it won’t be the exact same experience, but…it’s still good to test my skills.”
Itsuki: “Heh. And that’s why your help is needed.”
Itsuki: “That, and more help is always good.”
Yuka: “Definitely.”
Yuka: “While I’m at it, how’s Mom handling this?”
For a moment, Itsuki doesn’t speak as he looks over to the kitchen table to see Mom checking her belongings in her black purse, focused. Then, he goes back to talking to Yuka.
Itsuki: “From what I’ve seen so far, she’s handling it well.”
Itsuki: “Though, I can tell she’s a little more tense than usual.”
Yuka: “Like…Goro tense?”
Itsuki: “...Maybe not that much, but getting there.”
Yuka: “And what about you?”
Itsuki: “Eh…I’m feeling uneasy about everything, but…I’m doing what I can to stay calm and do what has to be done.”
Yuka: “...”
Hearing Itsuki’s words causes Yuka to stay silent for a bit, feeling concerned about whether her younger brother can take good care of this situation. After all, when he was younger, he was quite the hothead, and didn’t always think things through, which led to plenty of trouble. Especially with…someone they were familiar with…
And while Itsuki’s much better about his temperament nowadays, his older sister can tell deep down, he’s got his fair share of frustrations and doubts. So, when dealing with an abusive father, who’s been hurting his crush for years on end, it could go horribly wrong if he’s not being watched. And the last thing Yuka wants to see is her family getting hurt.
However, she knows nothing is gonna happen for now, and when things start getting serious, she’ll be there to help out. Yuka will always be there for the people she loves, even if they make plenty of mistakes along the way. So, with an audible sigh, she decides not to question her brother any further.
Yuka: “...Alright. Just don’t do anything stupid.”
Itsuki: “I won’t.”
Yuka: “Good.”
Yuka: “Now, I should get going. Classes are gonna start soon.”
Itsuki: “Me too. Talk to you later.”
Yuka: “Bye.”
After that exchange, the call ends, and Itsuki turns his phone off, before putting it into his jean pocket. As he gets up from the couch, picking up his school bag on the coffee table, Narumi approaches him, fully prepared to head out.
Narumi: “So? Anything of note?”
Itsuki: “Just that she’s willing to come here earlier if we need her to. And she didn’t want me to do anything stupid.”
Narumi: “Sounds about right. You doing stupid stuff would screw us all over.”
Itsuki: “When is doing stupid stuff EVER helpful?”
Narumi: “Heh. Good point.”
The two smile a bit, before hearing someone knock on the front door. So, Itsuki takes a few steps towards it, and comes to find his best friend, Aiko Omoshiroi, standing on the doormat. He has an upbeat smile, and waves a hand up to greet Itsuki and Narumi.
Aiko: “Hey, Itsu! Hey, Narumi!”
Itsuki: “Morning, Aiks.”
Narumi: “Good to see you, Aiko.”
Aiko: “You too! So, are we gonna get going?”
Itsuki: “Sure. Let’s go.”
Narumi: “Want a ride?”
Aiko: “Thanks, but I’ll pass! I wanna enjoy the sights on the way there!”
Narumi: “Alright. Just be safe, you two.”
Itsuki: “Please! There’s not much that happens in our neighborhood!”
Narumi: “Still doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be careful, Itsuki.”
Itsuki just nods, as he and Aiko say their farewells to Narumi for the morning, and go their usual path to Salvato High School. At this point, the two could probably do it in their sleep. They knew where to go for the quicker routes, and the different landmarks throughout. However, they just took their time, since it wasn’t gonna take too long to get to school.
First, there was obviously Itsuki and Aiko’s neighborhood. Their homes weren’t too far away from one another, which makes it easy for them to come by whenever they want or need to. And there were plenty of houses with different shapes and colors.
For example, Itsuki’s house had a rectangular-shape, being a one-story house, and had a pale yellow color. Aiko’s house, on the other hand, had a tilted roof, since the bottom floor of the house went a little under the ground, while also having a baby blue color. There was also variety in terms of the people, and other things to be found in the neighborhood.
Some liked to walk their dogs around. Itsuki and Aiko loved to pet them as they came by, becoming acquainted with their owners and having a small chat with them before moving on. There was also this elderly couple who liked to tend to their front lawn in the morning, and they treated many of their neighbors with an almost sickening sweetness. Itsuki and Aiko were no exception, and they were even offered treats sometimes when they passed by.
However, there were certainly some questionable people as well. Not necessarily bad, but not necessarily good either. Like a 30 year old man who always got really pissy when people tried to mess with anything on his property. Most notably, his fancy car. There was one time where Aiko tried doing exactly that, and needless to say, his mother promptly chewed her out for it.
Plus, there was this 50 year old woman with big, messy hair who had 5 kids of various ages. She seemed to have a few issues, and when interacting with others, she had the tendency to lash out a bit. In particular, when Itsuki and Yuka were trying out some new bikes, the former accidentally crashed into her garbage can, leading to her getting very angry with him. And later on, Narumi had to talk with her, which ended with her coming back home in a bad mood.
But regardless, there was plenty of great stuff to see in this neighborhood outside of the people and homes. Many trees and bushes were visible throughout the place, as their leaves were blown off by the wind and littering the road in a sea of brown, orange, yellow, and red. Along with it, a couple of bugs were going around as well, like flies and cockroaches, which made Itsuki uncomfortable.
Anyways, after Itsuki and Aiko’s neighborhood, there’s simply the downtown district of Salvato City, which then leads to the school building. That’s when the two had to stick close together in order to not run into too many people, since the sidewalks had a bunch of them going around, making their daily commute, alongside the many cars driving on the road.
And throughout, there were different shops, like a children’s candy store, a place where they sold bikes and other things for kids to ride on, and a nice antiques shop run by a kind old man. If they had the time before or after school, or if it was a day off, Itsuki and Aiko would check out these shops for a bit, and maybe even buy something.
Then, when they’ve gone past all that, they reach the back of the Salvato High School building, where they proceed to go around it to enter the front gates. It may not seem too special, but to Itsuki and Aiko, it felt relaxed and intimate, in a weird way. And with their Senior Year coming to a close, they sometimes get a little upset about the fact that they won’t be able to do this anymore.
Regardless, as the two go ahead with their usual walk, Aiko is eager as always to start up a conversation with Itsuki.
Aiko: “So, I was thinking…I don’t really have anything exciting going on this weekend.”
Aiko: “Maybe I could swing by your house, and we can play some games?”
Itsuki: “Heh. That would definitely be nice. I could use some time to relax and have fun.”
Aiko: “Really now? Dealing with something big at the moment?”
Itsuki: “Pretty much. Can’t say, sadly.”
Aiko: “Oh, come on! You know I can keep a secret!”
Aiko: “Is it something to do with Natsuki? You two looked like you saw a ghost back during Poem Sharing on Tuesday.”
Itsuki: “It is…but again, I can’t tell you anything here.”
Aiko: “It’s cool. As long as you two aren’t, like…I dunno…”
Aiko: “...Doing drugs?”
Itsuki: “Pfft! I think if that was the case, it’d be WAY more obvious!”
Aiko: “Good point. Maybe instead…”
Seeing a mischievous smile on Aiko’s face, Itsuki puts on an unamused look, knowing what he’s gonna joke about.
Aiko: “...You two spent a lovely evening together?” ; )
Itsuki: “Shut up. That’s not it, and I wouldn’t want you to know that.”
Aiko: “Come on! You know you want to kiss her!”
Itsuki: “Yes, but the point is that you need to get your mind out of the gutter!”
Aiko: “My mind’s almost always in the gutter, though!”
Itsuki: “Well, maybe get it out of there for once!”
Itsuki: “Besides…this is something much more serious…”
Noticing Itsuki’s more irritated tone, Aiko decides to drop it and talk more seriously.
Aiko: “...Sorry…it’s just…”
Aiko: “...Ever since the Culture Festival, you seem more tense and mellow than you usually are.”
Aiko: “I’m guessing it has to do with whatever trouble is going on with Natsuki’s family?”
Itsuki: “Definitely. It’s a mess.”
Itsuki: “I’ve been doing the best I can to have her back and all, but…”
Itsuki: “...A part of me can’t help but worry if I can really do this.”
Itsuki: “Or…if I’ll make a big mistake at some point…”
Aiko: “...”
Aiko: “...You may not be perfect, Itsuki…but you ARE a great friend…”
Aiko: “And honestly…I’ve been really worried about what Natsuki’s going through…”
Aiko: “Hell, I’d be even MORE worried if I knew she was just handling it all on her own.”
Aiko: “But…knowing you’re there to help her…eases me a little.”
Aiko: “Because…she’s being helped by someone who cares a lot about her.”
Aiko: “And I know no matter what, you’ll help her to the very end. Even if you screw up along the way.”
Aiko: “So, be more confident in yourself! Whatever crap’s going on isn’t gonna stop you two!”
Itsuki: “...”
Itsuki: “...Heh…you’re right…thanks…”
Aiko: “Please! I’m just giving a pal the support they need! It’s what I do!”
Aiko: “Plus…if Natsuki’s okay with it, I’d be more than happy to help out as well.”
Itsuki: “I DID suggest she talk to a few people about it. One of those people being you.”
Aiko: “Ah! That’s nice to hear! But if she’s not gonna tell me right now, I’m fine with it!”
Aiko: “Whatever’s going on with her, it’s probably not something you can easily talk about…”
Itsuki: “You’d be correct in that assumption. But enough about Natsuki.”
Itsuki: “How about we discuss Sonic Forces? I just got that game recently.”
Aiko: “Oh yeah…I forgot about that. Is it any good?”
Itsuki: “Meh. The gameplay feels VERY automated and boring.”
Itsuki: “Plus, the story is utter shit.”
Itsuki: “The custom character is cool, though. And the soundtrack is great, as always.”
Aiko: “Ah…so, another mediocre Sonic game?”
Itsuki: “PAINFULLY mediocre.”
Itsuki: “At least I still have Sonic Mania to go back to.”
Aiko: “Once again, the fans know best.”
Itsuki chuckles a bit at Aiko’s remark, as they continue to walk to Salvato High School. And as they do so, the redhead starts feeling a little better, thanks to his best friend’s support and fun attitude. He was very much the Sayori to Itsuki’s Marise, in many ways. Kind, supportive, energetic, a glutton, and a great friend to have.
Though, a part of the redhead wonders if Aiko will be able to keep up that positive attitude once he gets involved with Natsuki’s situation. Because while the brown-haired boy tends to be very energetic and lively most of the time, he secretly struggles with depression, which often makes him doubt himself and occasionally wonders if he matters in anyone’s lives.
In fact…there was one time where he considered doing something horrible…something that would break everyone’s hearts. But luckily, he was convinced not to, and since then, Aiko’s been trying to get better. And with him and his Mom, Kazuko, trying to fix their strained relationship now, he seems to be doing fantastic. Not perfect, but still much better than before.
But…having to deal with the abuser of one of her friends…would he be able to handle it? Sure, he’s definitely dealt with his fair share of family issues, and depressing thoughts. However, this is a much different beast, and if Aiko couldn’t keep up…if he breaks…it’ll be Itsuki’s fault. Or at least, he’d be partially responsible for whatever happens.
Sure. Aiko doesn’t HAVE to help them. But knowing him, he would. And he’d do whatever he could to make sure Natsuki and anyone else in the know is safe. Even if it hurts him, physically and mentally. And Itsuki would be somewhat responsible for it. Because he decided to bring him into this, and risk the possibility.
And if he DID break? Or god forbid die? Kazuko wouldn’t be afraid to hunt down everyone responsible and let them know the pain she would feel from losing her oldest son. And Itsuki would have to live with that guilt to the day he dies. His best friend, and brother figure…dead. All because he wasn’t capable enough to handle the problem on his own.
However…those aren’t the kinds of thoughts Itsuki should pay attention to. He knew it was gonna be risky, bringing in his friends to help deal with Natsuki’s father. And he knew it might cause a lot of problems for them. But…we all have to take chances for success…even if they don’t appear to be viable…
Read the rest of the chapter on AO3!
​
Next: A Plan Of Action
TSOOF Archives
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Greetings, tech enthusiasts!
I'm currently experiencing a highly frustrating issue with my newly built PC, and I was hoping someone here might be able to help me out. In February, I put together a new system, which worked flawlessly for about two weeks until it started throwing me a BSOD on almost every startup. I didn't install much software on the system - only Steam, Microsoft Office, and the like. I've been dealing with this issue for almost a month now, and I'm at my wit's end.
Here are the codes I've been getting:

• IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL (the most common one, about 90% of the time)

What failed: ntoskrnl.exe
​

• HYPERVISOR ERROR
• CLOCK WATCHDOG TIMEOUT
• SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED

At first, I tried all the basic fixes - safe mode, memtest, SFC scan, chkdsk, BIOS update, and so on - but nothing seemed to work. I even reset my PC and did a clean install of Windows 11 Pro with a brand-new installation media stick, but to no avail. I must have tried to perform a fresh install at least seven to ten times, but nothing seemed to fix the issue.
I then thought it might be a hardware issue, so I replaced my NVMe SSD and did another new Windows installation, but the problem persisted. I even took it to two repair shops, but they couldn't identify the issue either. I then figured it might be a faulty motherboard, so I RMA'd it through ASUS and got a replacement. Unfortunately, that didn't fix the issue either.
Most recently, I replaced my RAM sticks with brand-new ones from Kingston, but even that didn't help. I'm at a complete loss, and I don't know what to do next.
Here are my PC specs, in case that helps:

• Motherboard: ASUS ROG STRIX B760i + WIFI
• CPU: Intel i5 13600K
• RAM: CORSAIR - VENGEANCE 32GB (2PK x 16GB) 5600MHz DDR5 C36 DIMM
• New RAM: Kingston Fury Beast 32GB (2x16GB) 5200MT/s DDR5 CL40
• GPU: ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3070
• SSD: Samsung - 980 PRO 2TB Internal Gaming SSD PCIe Gen 4
• New SSD: SABRENT 2TB Rocket 4 Plus NVMe 4.0 Gen4 PCIe M.2 Internal SSD
• Cooler: Cooler Master master liquid PL240 Flux
• Fans: Lian Li UNI FAN SL120 (in use with controller)
• PSU: CORSAIR rm850x 80 plus GOLD 850W

If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, I'd be incredibly grateful. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide! I am desperate for an answer.

Got a garden office from dunster house and got people to install. Apparently there was an issue with the ceiling which was supplied (had foil insulation on).
As a quick fix they recommended getting some PIR board insulation. This has been delivered, but I've since read the instructions to the outbuilding and managed to put the ceiling up myself.
Can i cut the insulation board down to size and slide on top of the foil insulation? Does it need to be secured down? Is it even worth it?

I must admit that I have only saw the sequel trilogy and not the novels for... reasons.
Yet, I read a lot of content from the Wookieepedia.
In the New republic, the two main senators groups were the populists and the centrists. Being the centrists those more affiliated with an idea of a more centralized power more similar to the old galactic empire. Eventually they seceded from the New Republic and it became the political face of the first order.
So, previous to the destruction of the new republic and galactic conquest, the first order had senators (centrists)? And was Snoke their public leader figure? I mean, as the supreme leader of the first order.
If not, then, how does their government works? I mean, the Supreme leader was busy training Kylo Ren and in things of the force. Kylo was busy conquering planets for the first order. And Hux was busy with the project starkiller and preparing for the New republic conquest. They just leave the governance to the local military governors?
The first order parts from the Imperial remnants of the military but then the old members of the High command died or were absent (Sloane, Brendol Hux, Thrawn is unknown) so now there is a new generation of officers to take charge.

Hello, I’m a graphic designer interested in buying a cricut, but I have no idea which one to get because there are so many and have never worked with one before.
I know there’s a lot of differences between them but I mainly am interested in being able to cut on basic materials like card stock and vinyl. If it can cut a thin matte board or any thicker material that would be a huge plus but it’s not a deal breaker if it can’t. Lastly, I really want it to fit a 12x12in size mat.
As of right now, I’m thinking about getting the cricut maker die cut machine. However, I’d appreciate any advice and tips! Thanks :)
Edit: I need to cut acrylic for one of my projects soon so that’s another material besides the matte board that would be a major plus to be able to cut.

does anyone know how to get a duplicate
i passed 10th in 2020 and did not give boards
i need it for registering for neet idk what to do now, i live in the gulf so does anyone have any idea how long it will take to get a copy??
also i tried enetering my name in this site but idk what roll number to enter https://cbseit.in/cbse/web/dads/frmRegistration.aspx

Im working on finishing Klipper on my printer, but it resets whenever I turn on the extruder heat. Also, when I run pid calibrate, I get."Error on 'PID_CALIBRATE': missing HEATER"
Im using a manta m4p board with a cb1 on an ender 3 with a sprite pro reality extruder.
The fan on my extruder is turning on, but any heating fails. Any ideas about whats going on? This is my config for my extruder:
[extruder]
step_pin: PB3
dir_pin: PB4
enable_pin: !PD5
microsteps: 16
full_steps_per_rotation: 200
rotation_distance: 7.53
nozzle_diameter: 0.400
filament_diameter: 1.750
heater_pin: PC8
sensor_type: Generic 3950
sensor_pin: PA0
control: pid
pid_Kp: 20.837
pid_Ki: 1.037
pid_Kd: 104.708
min_temp: 0
max_temp: 300
#estep value 424.9
#0.0 extra restart distance
#85 mm/s speed
# 16*200/424.9 = 7.53
​
[tmc2209 extruder]
uart_pin: PA13
run_current: 0.600
diag_pin:^PC15
stealthchop_threshold: 999999

If, for some god forsaken reason, you wish to read the other two installments of this series, here you are.
Part One
Part Two
Proceed at your own risk, from here on, because - you know - massive spoilers for FoL.

Chapter Three - Fall of Light's Last Scene - What the F-

Important note: In this essay, I do not seek to deeply analyse the motives of Renarr. I dare not delude myself into thinking – or believing – that I can understand, in any capacity, Renarr’s motivations. While I may make claims about her historicity as a character, and I may make certain ventures into trying to understand what she thinks… your guess is as good as, and probably better, than mine.
As such, this essay considers Vatha Urusander much more closely than it does Renarr (at least, to the extent possible). It also – as per the title – deals with the historicity of the events described, and why the way they’re related to us matter. Thus.

“Renarr found herself the sole occupant of Urusander’s intended quarters, with not even a servant present. She wandered through the rooms, stirring the ashes of her regret. A single ember remains, and surely it shall burn me, and my name, for ever more. But some things we do not choose. Some things are chosen for us.”

That’s some very apt imagery. Plenty of that coming up in the rest of the scene, too. It does bear mentioning that Renarr’s murder(?) of Urusander has been foreshadowed since at least Chapter Nineteen, if not earlier – one can make the case that the very first scene of Fall of Light is foreshadowing that very fact. And throughout, Renarr has been dreading it. And before she acts, she makes sure Urusander knows that she dreads this. Keep this in mind.

“She heard the outer door open and then shut. Returning to the main room she saw Vatha Urusander. He seemed startled to see her, but only momentarily. He smiled. ‘I am glad to find you here, Renarr.’
‘Is she done with your company already?’
‘It has been a long time since we last slept. There are storms in our heads, and storms between us. Of the latter, I see a calm ahead. Of the former …’ He shrugged, and walked towards the window overlooking the broad sward behind the Citadel.”

Think on what Vatha sees in this moment. A moment free of responsibility, free of charade, a moment where he can spend some genuine alone time with his adopted daughter. A daughter he knows indulges him, challenges him, perhaps on some level, wholly rejects him. But what Renarr does not do, is disrespect Vatha. Renarr is, with the exception of maybe Mother Dark, the only individual character to respect Vatha Urusander’s agency.
Does he foresee what Renarr is here to do? Perhaps. He knows about Renarr’s misgivings. He knows about the fate of her mother, he knows that she but indulges him – as Mother Dark put it – and he knows that Osserc… well, Osserc murdered Millick, for potentially undisclosed reasons.
He is also well aware of how false everything thus far has been. He knows – he says as much to Renarr & his company – that the marriage won’t stem the tide of blood. It is purely political in nature, and it only serves as an uneasy delay. It accomplishes nothing. Vatha stands here, before Renarr, with nothing to show for it. There’s a storm in his head, with no end in sight.
And yet, he’s happy to see her. Because he’s fairly sure she comprehends, more than he does, the extent of this situation.

“‘Will you deal with Hunn Raal?’ she asked, drawing closer to him.
His back was broad, but it now belonged to an ageing man. There was sadness in this detail.
‘Deal with him? I had ambitions there, didn’t I? He names himself my Mortal Sword. This should make plain who serves whom.’
‘And does it?’ She hesitated a few steps behind him, watching as he leaned forward close to the windowpane and looked down.”

Renarr cuts directly to the chase. No beating around the bush here, no elegant ceremony to mask the unkind, unhappy truths beneath. Hunn Raal has been allowed to go forth, unmolested, uncontested, for too long… until, just about, the very scene before this.
By Vatha’s very assertion, Hunn Raal’s actions have been disowned, and, indeed, decried by Father Light. It’s Renarr herself that elaborates on this on Hunn Raal, no doubt savouring the taste of vengeance. Granted, Vatha did say he’d hand Hunn Raal to the Andii to be tried as a common criminal – he didn’t – but his political maneuvering, or more accurately, his political stumbling, has at last bore fruit: Osserc is Vatha’s heir, and all of Raal’s machinations are rendered moot, insofar as he’s exposed and can no longer work behind Vatha’s back.
The fact that Osserc is still around but Hunn Raal isn’t probably points to Raal dying at some point in the (near) future, if nothing else, because he’s a massive dipshit.
Now, yes, Vatha merely naming Osserc his heir isn’t magically going to make the problem that is Hunn Raal go away. But the point I’m getting at is that Urusander has dealt with Hunn Raal, in exercising both his identity of Father Light & Commander of the Legion. Does that directly affect Hunn Raal? Could Urusander have done more? These are all questions running through Renarr’s mind, but she knows that what she’s asking is already done. So it’s clearly not that.
In the meantime, Urusander – his back to Renarr – is now staring out the window, with a broad back “belonging to an aging man.” The Vatha Urusander in this room is nothing like the fabled Father Light.

“‘A keep’s refuse,’ he muttered. ‘How it backs the wall, below the chutes. I wonder, do we build houses simply to keep the garbage out? It should be buried.’
*‘It buries itself,’ Renarr replied. ‘Eventually.’” *

I absolutely adore this part. Not least because Urusander compares Hunn Raal to “a keep’s refuse,” but also because of the poetic language employed. You can substitute “garbage” and “houses” with just about anything and get a meaningful part out of it. Here, let me try.
“Do we create rules & prohibitions simply to keep the outlaws at bay?”
“Do we build societies & civilizations just to keep the misfits out?”
And so on.
While Urusander never struck me as a man to believe in the “natural order of things,” he understands that Hunn Raal cannot thrive in such a society, and longs for the time when he, too, will be buried. There will come a day when he’ll bury himself. That, or the rest of the garbage in the pile will deal with him.

“‘Hunn Raal deems himself immune. Perhaps he is right in that. Leave him to Syntara. He’s her problem, not mine. Mother Dark has the right of it. We step back, saying little. The condition of our people is for them to decide. I considered setting forth my laws, my foundations upon which a just society could rise. But how soon before my words are twisted? My premises twisted and suborned? How soon before we, in our mortal natures, corrupt such laws, each time in answer to a wholly self-serving need?’”

And so he elaborates. It is not up to him to fix this mess, just like it does not fall to Mother Dark to rein in the more unwieldy individuals among the Andii. Urusander has seen both Emral and especially Syntara twist the words of their deities; he struggled putting forth his laws on the basis of “moral stance” – because law itself might be subject to ambiguity; how could he even consider putting forth such laws when his followers are bound to twist the words he speaks for their own benefit?
Urusander’s nightmare since his first appearance on page in Forge of Darkness is realized here, and he is powerless to stop it. He follows Mother Dark’s example, but I doubt that is fulfilling in any capacity. Urusander was a soldier, and it is that attribute of his that Renarr calls upon in asking him to deal with Hunn Raal… but when not even Father Light is capable of dealing with his Mortal Sword, what hope has Vatha Urusander?
He has argued himself into a corner and his only way out is, well, standing right behind him.

“‘Have we seen the last of honourable men and women, Vatha Urusander?’
He straightened once more, but did not turn to face her. ‘The brutes are in ascension, Renarr. Against that, reason has no chance. You think the blood has ended? I fear it is only beginning.’
‘Then, sir, nothing has been solved.’
‘I am not the man to solve this,’ Urusander said. ‘But,’ he added after a moment, ‘you knew as much, didn’t you?’
‘Yes.’”

This part interests me as well, because the two of them are talking about wholly different things.
Renarr is appealing to Urusander’s sense of military honour. Hunn has overstepped the line, lapped the line twice, moved the goalpost, crossed it again, and is just now cracking open champagnes to celebrate. In other words, Hunn Raal is a mess, and it falls to Urusander – as a soldier, as his commander – to deal with him.
Urusander, on the other hand, views the situation through his own lens of principles & morality. For starters, Hunn Raal has grown past his own influence, so bringing him down in any manner of collective justice is nigh impossible. As such, Raal will need to be brought down either in an underhanded manner (assassination or some such), which in and of itself is difficult, or by someone else entirely – which, alas, did not happen (Renarr laments this as well). The former is not just difficult, but in direct violation of Urusander’s morals and paradigm. If he sets the precedent that “if someone oversteps the line, then kill him on any basis you find”, any society he attempts to build is going to crumble from the very beginning.
Neither of them are objectively wrong. They employ different views on morality – deontology versus consequentialism – and judging one through the lens of another is going to bring up numerous contradictions, especially if you don’t believe in objective morality. Subjectively, both Renarr’s approach of “Kill Hunn Raal before he causes more harm” and “Leave Hunn Raal to those responsible for him because I cannot deal with him without violating my ideals and principles” are both morally correct (in their respective moral frameworks).
Obviously, Urusander’s position – by this point – borders on indefensible for us as outside observers, and Gallan makes sure you get that, but he does not portray Urusander as “wrong” in his approach per se.
In any case, it dawns – slowly – on Urusander that Renarr is keenly aware of this. She somewhat understands where he’s coming from, and though she can’t bring herself to forgive him for it, she takes no pleasure in what she has to do. Because, as aforementioned, Urusander hasn’t necessarily done anything objectively wrong – if nothing else, more than once, he bordered on actually fixing the whole mess – but he never took the required step to do away with Hunn Raal. And now the whole mess is beyond fixing.
It bears reminding about here that Urusander has not faced Renarr since entering the room. He hears these words – knowing Renarr, utterly inflectionless – and continues facing the window, facing down, and away. And you have to wonder, how much does Urusander know of Renarr, and what is he playing at? He does not understand her, not fully, but he’s not quite dense. And, I think, at this point, he can see how this ends, and so makes one last – indirect – request of Renarr.

“‘What of my son?’
‘His judgement was in error.’
‘Error?’”

Evidently, not the answer Urusander was expecting. It is unclear to me quite how much is known about Osserc & Renarr at this point, and how much of this is Urusander guessing, so I’ll refrain from commenting overmuch.

“‘A young man bereft of responsibility will yearn for it,’ she replied. ‘A young man will see the virtues of duty and honour as shining things, harsh and not subject to compromise. From such a position, he may well make mistakes, but they remain well meant.’
Still he would not face her. ‘Something in you is broken.’
‘Something in me is broken.’
‘My son killed the man you loved. He … misapprehended the situation.’
‘Yes.’
‘Yet, it seems, you have forgiven him.’”

Something within me is itching to bring up Rake “yearning for responsibility” and how this is Gallan indirectly sticking it to him, but that’s a story for another day.
There is something deeply tragic about how Renarr phrases things here. Throughout the book, her thoughts often drift back to Osserc – how “her resistance was feigned,” how “no amount of thrusting cock can make him a man” (Yikes) – and this is the culmination of that. There’s a certain dose of self-loathing mixed in for good measure. But what I want to focus on here is her choice of words: a young man sees the virtues…
But Urusander is not young. To Renarr, Urusander should know better. Duty & honour are not inviolate virtues to be unquestionably upheld: Look where that got us. A realm riven with civil war, a war criminal & murderer free to rampage, because he – first and foremost – discarded duty & honour in the name of personal advancement. And Urusander, well, he remained true to his morals & ideals, but to what end are those morals & ideals helpful if nothing ever gets done?
Something in her is broken indeed. But what truly shocks Vatha is that Renarr finds it in herself to forgive Osserc… but not him. The “why” is a tale for another time – and it’s not one I’m qualified to tell – but let’s just say, it’s shocking for Urusander.

“‘I wish,’ she said, ‘you had killed Hunn Raal. I wish you would stand behind your sense of justice.’
He grunted. ‘No exceptions, no compromises. Had I done what was right, each and every time …’
‘Instead, you did nothing, and now here you stand, Vatha Urusander. Father Light.’”

There, for the less perceptive among us, Gallan throws us a bone. Renarr isn’t forgiving Urusander for letting Raal walk free.
What is interesting, though, is that she appeals to his sense of justice. Which is, I think, one of the first missteps of Renarr in this scene – it is intentional, no doubt – in that, well, he did just that. There was no manner in which Urusander could apprehend Hunn Raal in a way that appeased his sense of justice. And he tells her as much – “no exceptions, no compromises.”
As aforementioned, Renarr is appealing to Urusander’s sense of honour as a soldier; not a scholar of Forulkan works, not a reformer, not “Father Light.” Oddly, this is quite reminiscent of the justice that someone like Dassem Ultor would have his soldiers dispense. No better way to explain than to simply provide the quote:

“Monkrat realized that Spindle was still waiting. 'Do what's right,' Dassem told us. Gods, even after all this time he still remembered the First Sword's words. 'That's a higher law than the command of any officer. Higher even than the Emperor's own words. You are in a damned uniform but that's not a licence to deliver terror to everyone – just the enemy soldier you happen to be facing. Do what is right, for that armour you wear doesn't just protect your flesh and bone. It defends honour. It defends integrity. It defends justice. Soldiers, heed me well. That armour defends humanity. And when I look upon my soldiers, when I see these uniforms, I see compassion and truth. The moment those virtues fail, then the gods help you, for no armour is strong enough to save you.'”

Instead, Urusander stuck to a higher sense of justice, rather uncomfortably close to that of the Forulkan, one born of strict idealism & moral absolutism. Kant ain’t got shit before Vatha Urusander in such matters.
Does that make him bad? Incompetent, impotent, villainous? Is inaction to be equated with cowardice, in a world where actions are always misinterpreted (I mean, just look at Draconus)? Do these questions even matter?
To be honest with you, I don’t know. I’ll tackle this matter a bit later, but the diegesis certainly predisposes us a bit badly towards Vatha Urusander, and I find that to be terribly interesting.

“‘Yes, my blinding gift.’ He was silent for a time, and then he said, ‘Have you seen it yet?’
‘What?’
‘My portrait. In the corridor on the approach to these chambers. Kadaspala did well, I think.’
‘I am afraid I did not notice it,’ Renarr said. ‘I give little regard to art, especially the compromised kind.’
‘Ah, then, are all portraits a compromise? In his sour moments, I think Kadaspala would agree with you.’ He leaned both hands on the windowsill.”

And thus we circle back to one of the defining traits of Father Light: his portrait. It has dominated his character since, well, since he first appeared, posing for Kadaspala and getting irrationally pissed at the artist. Renarr plucks the key idea of it from Urusander’s mind: His portrait is – has always been – a compromise. And he knows this, for how could he not?
His portrait is a political tool in the arsenal of the Kurald Legions to avert civil war. Kadaspala says so himself:

“I have painted a man worthy of being her husband. They will see his strength, his resolute integrity, because these lie on the surface. They will not see the underside of such things – the cruelty beneath strength, the cold pride behind that stern resolution. The blade of judgement grasped firm in integrity’s hand.
They will see in his stance his soldier’s discipline, and the burdens assumed without complaint. Yet see nothing of withered empathy or unreasonable expectation.
In the tones they will find warmth with but a hint of the underlying metal, and in so seeing they will understand nothing of that melding of fire and iron and all that it promises.
My power is vast, the talent undeniable, the vision sure and true. Yet all it leaves me is torment. There is but one god, and its name is beauty. There is but one kind of worship, and that is love. There is for us but one world, and we have scarred it beyond recognition.
Art is the language of the tormented, but the world is blind to that, for ever blind.
Urusander, I see you – I face you now – in the failing light, and you frighten me to the core.
[…]
‘I had a thought.’
‘Indeed, and will you tell me that thought, Kadaspala?’
‘If anyone can prevent civil war’ – and he nodded towards the portrait – ‘it is that man.’”

What could be more of a compromise than this, precisely? And Urusander knows this – even if it took him two books to finally articulate it – he knows his portrait is faked. It’s a compromise. It’s not him on that portrait; it’s Father Light, it’s Mother Dark’s husband, it’s the man that could avert civil war.
He, alas, was not that man. Nor did he aspire to be. And, on some level, the diegesis seems to begrudge him this.

“‘Well,’ he said, ‘it seems that I am not to be forgiven.’
‘Only your son.’
She saw him nod, and then he sighed and said, ‘Tell them, will you, of the likeness. So deftly, so honestly captured by that blind man’s hand.’
‘He was not blind when he painted you, I think.’
‘Wasn’t he? No, demonstrably not, as far as that goes.’”

And this particular exchange is why I sat down to write this essay. That line above. The single line that made me wonder, “how much does this bastard know?” And, moreover, how much does Renarr know?
At first, it sounded to me like an old man’s ravings before his inevitable death. Regrets mounting, a concession of guilt moments before the knife descends. He is not to be forgiven, but his son will live on, not to be hunted by the Fury that is Renarr.
In more recent times, and after further reading (and after talking about it with Steve!), I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t much like that interpretation.
This moment is present for posterity. Vatha & Renarr, father & daughter, one final time. And so, after the more personal matters are done away with – his son’s safety, his not dealing with Hunn Raal, his honour, his sense of justice – they turn to posterity. The portrait was excellent, perfectly & unerringly rendered, to stand the test of time.
But in truth, the language used is very specific. I have no doubt towards Kadaspala’s efficacy & his deftness, but honesty? We saw above that Urusander ought to know that his portrait is, indeed, a compromise. And he amends this, with “blind man.”
Urusander acknowledges that Kadaspala was wrong. He did not paint Vatha Urusander; he painted an idealized form that he wished to paint, a man that could be worthy of being Mother Dark’s husband, a man that could prevent civil war.
And by all accounts, Vatha was pleased. He was… transparent. So expertly portrayed, by a blind man’s hand.
But what if Kadaspala saw true? In his monologue we already saw all the different aspects that he portrayed in his painting, how none who look upon the portrait can see any of it. Nor, one expects, Vatha Urusander. Alas, perhaps Renarr did. And, perhaps, she concurs with Kadaspala: Both the idealized form, and the man himself, frighten her to the core.
And so…

“‘Vatha Urusander,’ said Renarr, ‘there will be justice.’
She saw him nod again, in the instant before her knife sank deep beneath his left shoulder blade, stilling the beat of his heart. Unblinking, she stepped back, leaving the dagger in his back. He tilted forward, forehead striking the leaded window, before his legs gave out and he fell to the floor at her feet.
Looking down, she saw the smile on his face. Peaceful, content, lifeless.”

Anything I say is bound to not do justice (ha) to this scene. Just admire it.
Which brings us to the true meat of this essay, about 3.7k words in. And that is, why? Why do we see this scene like this?
Vatha Urusander is dead. Renarr is – by Steve’s admission – spending the foreseeable future in a cell underneath Kharkanas for his murder. Unless not-quite-blind Gallan has visited her in the cell to get her tale, quite like Rise Herat wished to do earlier, I doubt anybody would have direct access to the information & dialogue spoken between the two.
So why are we seeing it through this lens? What is the goal? What is Gallan trying to show us?
First & foremost, the PoV framing. This isn’t an omniscient scene; we see the world through Renarr’s eyes, eyes weary of the world itself (sound familiar?), a woman too old for her years, filled with regrets & despair. She wields conviction like a knife, but draws no pleasure from what she knows she must do.
Renarr, as aforementioned, is one of the (if not the) few characters that respect Vatha Urusander’s agency. Whatever decisions he ought to make, he must make them himself; it is of utmost importance to her being able to dispense adequate, unsullied justice as she claims she has to.
And so, she does not belittle him. Though you can almost feel the self-loathing & hatred seethe beneath Renarr’s words, she does not seem to hate Urusander whatsoever: Indeed, she deeply regrets this and expresses to him that she wishes he’d done differently.
It is quite tragic that the man that has sought to do good time & again but always seems to have failed is confronted by the very consequences of said actions. Renarr is his adopted daughter, yes, but she is nought but a ghost, wandering aimlessly through the world, taking in its atrocities, while her father stands on the sidelines. And one wonders, where is the emotion from this woman? Why does this feel so… abject? There is no glory, no catharsis to be found in Urusander’s death; no vow avenged, no vengeance gained. “There will be justice” indeed, but when, and how?
Moreover, this scene is – as aforementioned – away from the public eye. Neither Renarr nor Urusander need hold back, and both can converse without watching their words. The cryptic and vague responses are evidently manufactured by Gallan & Fisher, to prove a point.
This scene is also a foregone conclusion. Renarr knows she will kill Urusander the moment Father Light steps into the room. Urusander, while he doesn’t know it immediately, gets a pretty good idea by the time the conversation shifts to Hunn Raal; you can see his tone change accordingly (especially when he asks about Osserc, borderline in desperation). And so, whatever the two of them say, is just between them.
It is, in effect, a last attempt from Gallan to give you an idea of the motivations behind Vatha Urusander and Renarr. The former could never back down from his high ideals of justice, and they led to his downfall; the latter, well, the latter “stirs the ashes of her regret” with a good deal of fatalism mixed in (which is a can of worms I’m not opening).
To close, I think this scene is one of the best, and most dense, scenes in the Malazan mythos. I don’t come close to doing it justice here; for that you need quite a lot of background information from Fall of Light that I simply do not have access to. It is an excellent, cathartic moment that brings the storyline of Fall of Light to a simultaneously satisfying, and extremely unsatisfying, close.
And I think it pays to think about if it happened at all, and what the author – the in-world author, that is – is trying to tell us by portraying it in such a manner. I do not doubt that Urusander was killed in some way, perhaps even in the exact manner that we see here: But the act itself is not what matters, but the dialogue & actions taken by the characters that we see. To ask, “why are we seeing it like this and not in some other manner,” can lead to some fairly interesting questions, and some very interesting revelations.
Until next time!

Im working on finishing up Klipper on my printer, but it resets whenever I turn on the extruder heat. Also, when I run pid calibrate, I get."Error on 'PID_CALIBRATE': missing HEATER"
Im using a manta m4p board with a cb1 on an ender 3 with a sprite pro reality extruder.
The fan on my extruder is turning on, but any heating fails. Any ideas about whats going on? This is my config for my extruder:
[extruder]
step_pin: PB3
dir_pin: PB4
enable_pin: !PD5
microsteps: 16
full_steps_per_rotation: 200
rotation_distance: 7.53
nozzle_diameter: 0.400
filament_diameter: 1.750
heater_pin: PC8
sensor_type: Generic 3950
sensor_pin: PA0
control: pid
pid_Kp: 20.837
pid_Ki: 1.037
pid_Kd: 104.708
min_temp: 0
max_temp: 300
#estep value 424.9
#0.0 extra restart distance
#85 mm/s speed
# 16*200/424.9 = 7.53
​
[tmc2209 extruder]
uart_pin: PA13
run_current: 0.600
diag_pin:^PC15
stealthchop_threshold: 999999

Part I
Rajendra Jain had been pacing back and forth in his living room for the past fifteen minutes and there was no trace in his pace that would’ve indicated that he would not indeed be doing the same for fifteen more.
Sitting on the sofa, cross-legged and sipping a cup of coffee was his wife, Arushi Madan. She had taken a particular interest in observing her husband at times when he would be expecting his ‘friends in high places.’ He would go to great lengths to ensure that these guests of his received the finest treatment in his house. After he had made sure that everything in the house was tidier than they normally were, from the furniture to the modest collection of vases and trinkets, he would start pacing back on forth in his living room which he would only stop when the doorbell would ring. This was one such occasion.
‘Fifty-five!” Arushi murmured.
“What was that?” Rajendra asked and then he suddenly let out a loud cry of agony.
“It’s usually after your fiftieth round that you stub your toe on that table. The maximum it has taken till now is fifty-nine rounds, but mostly it happens by the fifty-fifth one.” Arushi said.
They both glanced at each other, Rajendra with a bewildered gaze and mouth wide open while Arushi smirked with a cunning look in her eyes. Arushi was good at observing things at a young age. She could observe and make an accurate assumption about almost everything. When she was twelve, she knew that the old lady next door would react in a negative manner when her father would’ve approached her to talk about her grandson taking up his parking spot. She had instead told him to wait till his grandson arrives and speak with him directly as that would’ve solved the dispute amicably.
“You shouldn’t make early assumptions.” Her father had told her.
After her assumption had turned out to be right, she had the same smirk and cunning look in her eyes. Her father had then smiled back and told her that her eyes at that point looked pretty like that of a puppy after sipping vinegar. She had never seen a puppy sip vinegar before, but this compliment had made her feel happy, nevertheless.
She, however, hadn’t received nor did she expect to receive any such compliment from her husband in such situations.
“Can you stop giving me that stupid smile and bring some bandages? Ugh, I think my toe is bleeding.” Rajendra said as he got down to his knees to inspect his wound.
Arushi didn’t say anything but, quickly got up from her sofa after keeping the coffee mug down and went to look for the first aid.
Just then the doorbell rang. The friends of Rajendra had arrived.
He sprang up to greet them. He had made four influential friends that he would refer to as ‘very close’ since he had moved for business reasons to Barsatpur, a very remote town in India.’ Rajendra despite at that time undergoing some financial issues, was a wealthy man. He had a big house, the biggest in that town and didn’t have a car only because he could not drive.
“But your wife can drive. Why don’t you get a car.” Dhruv, one of Rajendra’s four friends asked him, just as all five of them had seated themselves in the living room.
‘I err…. she doesn’t drive that well you see, and I don’t see any reason for…’ Rajendra began and then suddenly stopped and turned around to see Arushi who had re-entered the living room with bandages and some cotton along with a bottle of antiseptic.
“Sorry, it took a while, I had kept the first aid in a different place so….”
“Well, I won’t be needing it anymore!” Rajendra said.
Arnav who had by now noticed Rajendra's wounds began with a smile “Looks like our buddy Rajendra’s absent-mindedness gets him injured indoors as well.”
Rajendra began to quiver in embarrassment as he fixed his gaze on the floor with fists clenched on both sides. Arushi was still standing behind the sofa where Rajendra was sitting, puzzled at Arnav’s remark.
Rajendra looked up at his wife and through an angry glance at her signalled her to leave. She obeyed but just as she turned her back to leave, Arnav told her to wait.
He began “It was that one time when I saw Rajendra walking alone near the market, lost in his own thoughts as usual. Suddenly I saw him falling straight into a wide-open ditch and after that got covered in all sorts of nasty…”
“That will do!” Rajendra finally blurted angrily. He then turned to Arushi and began in an angrier tone than before. “And you! Do you want to sit and chat with us, or do you have some work of your own?” Arushi didn’t reply but simply turned and walked away.
Rajendra felt calmer when she was gone. He however didn’t notice how all four his companions had been gazing at her as she was walking out of the living room. They had gazed at the back of her long and slender neck, and they had gazed all the way down to her waist and hips. All the while Rajendra felt relieved at the thought of how he was now free to converse with his friends now that the only annoying presence was gone.
It had been a couple of hours of talking and feasting and drinking until Rajendra’s guests were ready to go home.
“The food was delicious.” Said Tejas.
“Yes, but next time try the new chicken recipe that I told you about, the one with lots of garlic and spices.” Added Dhruv. “Your wife would love it too.”
“She is vegetarian actually.” Rajendra replied.
“Ah, that’s no surprise.” Said Arnav who was a bit too drunk compared to the rest. “After all she is an animal lover. Loves hugging dogs whenever she sees one.” His voice shifted from faint to loud at the same pace as he swayed from left to right while trying to achieve a fixed standing position.
The rest of the company wondered if he should be told to stop talking before he decides to abandon certain moral codes when it comes to respectful communication.
“And I must add…” Arnav continued while raising his hand which was also having a hard time staying firmly raised “women who are vegetarians have the perfect body, and my dearest lucky Rajendra, your miss’s body can rival any runway or lingerie model. I mean she also does like showing herself off when she wears those extremely revealing clothes often.”
One would imagine Rajendra was the person that told him to stop talking about his wife in such a way, but he wasn’t. It was Pratyush. Pratyush was a man of great size and stature. He didn’t speak much but had a habit of stepping in whenever there was a situation where someone was needed to step in.
In this scenario he gently lifted Arnav from his feet as if he was a small doll. Arnav who had offered no resistance while being picked up had suddenly dozed off in his drunken stupor like a toddler falling asleep in his father’s shoulder.
“Looks like he had a bit too much to drink today didn’t he.” Said, Rajendra.
No one of his four companions had asked for him to defend the man who was sexualizing his wife, but he did it anyway. “All right then goodnight,” said Rajendra.
“Before I go, I just want to ask if….” Tejas said. He looked around and signalled the others to carry on.
Tejas waited till the rest of the company had gone beyond hearing distance. He then lit a cigarette, offered one to Rajendra as is courtesy and upon his rejection began to speak.
“I was wondering if you have had some time to think about what I had asked you a couple of days back?”
Rajendra said in a hesitant tone “I would of course like to help you in your time of need but as you already know I am also going through financial hardships and the amount of money that you asked for is…. don’t take it the wrong way but I don’t feel comfortable in lending it to you in such times.”
“Look, I have always trusted you and it’s fine if you have some reservations despite this.” Tejas continued with his persuasion for a while and then went off saying his “goodnight” and “do think about it.”
As Rajendra walked his way towards the entrance of his house, he recalled what Arushi had been telling him. She had said that all these four people whom he considers friends just tried to use, and associate with him for his wealth. She had also told him that if given the opportunity, they will even throw him in jeopardy if that makes them gain any advantage out of him. However, Rajendra had always dismissed these thoughts as baseless.
Part II
It was raining heavily, and Rajendra who was returning home from the market had forgotten his umbrella. His fast-paced walk soon turned to sprint, not because he wanted to reach home before getting too drenched but because he didn’t want to be seen by any of his four ‘close friends’ walking drenched in rain without an umbrella, given his reputation of being absent-minded and clumsy.
His house had a recent infestation of rats, and he was for once proud of himself to have not forgotten buying the rat poison. The old one was almost finished with zero dead rats. As he entered his living room, he found an old man lying down on his living room sofa.
He too had been drenched in the rain not long ago as his thick beard and scarce and thin hair were still wet. However, he saw that this unexpected visitor had been provided dry clothes. It was Rajendra’s clothes that he would wear at business meetings. The man was asleep. Rajendra had only examined the man for a little while before deeming him as ‘disgusting.’ He had no foul odour but his unkempt appearance and his wet and dirty jacket hanging nearby made Rajendra deduce that he was a poor homeless man and hence was to be deemed ‘disgusting.’
“Arushi!” Rajendra called his wife.
“Arushi, who is he and what is he doi….” Rajendra paused when Arushi showed up with an expression on her face that he didn’t expect and one that that scenario hinted of trouble.
She had tears in her eyes and had a hard time speaking what she was trying to say. “He just…. I am so sorry…he is not….” She broke into more tears.
Rajendra rushed to her and gave her a hug. “It’s alright, I am here now.”
Arushi clenched her husband tightly and buried her face on his chest that made the only part of his shirt that was somewhat dry from rain now wet with tears.
“tell me what happened? Who is this man and why is he here?” Rajendra asked agitatedly.
“He is dead!” She replied reply. Outside there came the sound of a sudden loud thunder.
Rajendra felt like he was going to fall sick.
“How did this happen?” He asked.
Arushi hesitated for a while, took a deep breath, wiped off her tears and started with her explanation. She explained how this man arrived at her doorstep while being drenched in rain. How despite him looking like a homeless man wandering the streets, she immediately recognized him as his old friend from college. How he had told her that he was in extreme debt and had now been pushed to crippling poverty. She took another deep breath when she said that she had invited him in, given him some fresh clothes, offered him a glass of water and had only gone to the kitchen to make him some tea when she realized her mistake.
“You don’t mean it was the same glass which contained….?” Rajendra began in a terrified tone.
Arushi simply nodded in affirmative while pointing to the glass that had supposedly contained liqua-tox II, a liquid concentrate that is used to kill rats and mice and which had led to the death of their unexpected visitor.
Rajendra fell into the chair in a state of fear and panic. Arushi was sobbing once more and told him that she had killed a person and will now surely be in prison.
Rajendra suddenly leapt up from his chair. An idea had struck him. He knew how to save her. Rajendra felt a sense of jubilation thinking how this sudden idea will make him the knight in shining armour and his wife will be the damsel in distress that he will save. Never again will he be called things clumsy, impotent and absent-minded and never again will his wife count the number of rounds he takes in the living room before he stubs his toe on the table.
His idea was to call his four friends in high places and with their connections dispose of the dead body. After all why would anyone care or miss a man who was pushed to poverty by possibly his own bad decisions. Most people would probably think that this man had committed suicide.
Rajendra explained this plan to his wife and before she could give any opinion of her own, for or against this plan of his, Rajendra ran to get his cell phone. He called Arnav first who said that he was out of town and reassured him not to worry. He then called Tejas who said that he would have shown up at his place that very moment had he not just recently fractured his leg. Dhruv declared that he was away attending a wedding and Pratyush said that will not help.
After his call ended with Pratyush he felt that he was indeed helpless. He thought to himself that he was just unlucky as this misfortune had to strike him when all three of his friends were busy and one in a possibly mad mood.
He sat motionless in his chair for what felt like hours. It probably had hardly been fifteen minutes and the rain was still pouring when Rajendra suddenly heard a knock on the door. As he opened the door, he felt a rush of joy. All his four friends were outside.
“Thank God, I knew you all will come to help me.” Rajendra said smiling ear to ear.
“This is him, officer.” Said Arnav pointing towards Rajendra.
Rajendra’s smile faded as he heard this, and a look of terror took hold of him as he noticed two police officers standing behind.
“What is the meaning off all this?” Rajendra asked bewildered.
“This man tried to ask her to hide a dead body. His wife murdered a poor man, and he wanted us to be his accomplice.” Said Tejas.
“We all knew early on that he and his wife were a bit crazy, but we had never expected something like this. Well, here is what one can call devil in sheep’s clothing.” Said, Dhruv.
Pratyush meanwhile didn’t say anything.
“Please step aside.” Said one of the police officers shoving everyone to one side and entering the house to investigate the crime scene. “My wife is innocent! She would never hurt a soul!” Rajendra began to shout.
The other policeman firmly grabbed Rajendra’s arm with only minimal force and told him to calm himself. “Sir, as per protocol I am calling in for a lady police officer as we have a female who is accused of murder.” He said to the policeman who was coming back from the living room.
“No need for that!” came the reply. “There is no murder and hence there is no accused.”
Everyone looked at surprised at the policeman who said this. Then a figure emerged from behind him.
Rajendra suddenly screamed as he felt a sudden sense of terror. “A ghost! There is a ghost!”
“Now, now let’s not act so rude. I only look so ridiculous because of the weather. Rain doesn’t suit me at all you see.” Said the unwanted visitor who was unmistakably not dead.
There was a moment of confusion until the people present began to get a sense of clarity, some faster than others.
“You should get yourself a lawyer sir, you can try criminal conspiracy or sue for defamation.” The policemen said to Rajendra before leaving. The four other people left almost immediately.
The unexpected visitor introduced himself as Saurabh Deb who was a budding actor and a good friend of Arushi. He explained to him that it was Arushi who had made created this plan to test the loyalty of these people who Rajendra had considered very good friends. Together they had put up this act which led to the true colours of all four of Rajendra’s friends being brought to light.
The rain had stopped by then and the sun was shining bright in the afternoon sky.
There were a thousand words of gratitude that Rajendra wanted to say to his wife at that time. Arushi looked at him, smiled and then with a twinkle in her eyes she said “The weather is perfect today. Would you take me out for some coffee?”
Rajendra smiled back and said “Yes.”

Hi, so basically I want to make a game in gamemaker. I'm using the steam version, just incase there are any differences.
My idea is this : It's sort of a board game where you control units that attack other units, and then you progress and reach the shop between levels.
I have never made a game before, so this is why I am asking you visual coders outside to help me.

My players have decided they want to take a bunch of time to really establish themselves in Vallaki, and I'm planning to let them. Up to this point, I've intentionally not added an extreme time crunch because I want the PCs to gain an appreciation for the people and culture of Barovia. For my group, that will make finally defeating Strahd and saving the place much more meaningful.
After a session or 3, shit will hit the fan, but I want them to experience Vallaki first. A town they can call (temporary) home being threatened will be much more interesting than some town they just arrived at being threatened.
Last session, they expressed interest in seeing a job board. Additionally, they found an herbalist in a back alley who has a potion they want but can't afford. For the potion, the herbalist asked them to return in a few days so that they can exchange the potion for a favor.
What kind of mini-quests would you all include on the job board? I don't necessarily need help adding plot hooks for the major events, but I would love some help coming up with quests that will allow the party to forge some relationships with NPCs or to see some Barovian culture.
Same question goes for the herbalist. What kind of thing would a sketchy herbalist who's hiding from the baron ask a party of oddly dressed mercenaries in exchange for a valuable potion?
Thank you for any ideas!

I own a closet's worth of mixers. blender, rice and coffee machines and other kitchen equipment that's made for UK or Chinese voltages. It's all in good working order - we kept a step-down transformer to run sewing machines, so I've been able to check everything. Is there anywhere to donate it? I know some embassies, military and academic/NGO groups have internal swap boards for people who move a lot but I'm not a member of any of those communities.
Local electricians have told me it would be more than the cost of new purchases to gut them and rewire/re-motor them for local use. Google hasn't so far produced any helpful ideas.
I'm reluctant to recycle things that have years of service left. If it's useful to know, the brands are mostly KitchenAid, Gaggia, Zojirushi, Pavoni, Dyson, etc. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Demographics:

• Gender: Male
• Race/Ethnicity: Indian (Asian)
• Residence: Midwest
• Income Bracket: Upper Middle Class
• Type of School: Semi-Competitive Public
• Hooks (Recruited Athlete, URM, First-Gen, Geographic, Legacy, etc.): N/A

Intended Major(s): [Varies by School] Political Science, Environmental Studies, and/or South Asian Studies
Academics:

• GPA: 4.0 UW, 4.4 W
• Rank: 9/~500
• AP/Honors/Dual Enrollment: 11 APs (Including Sr. Year), 8 Honors, 2 DE
• Senior Year Courseload: AP Chemistry, AP Statistics, AP Spanish, AP Seminar, Intro to Psych DE, and Principles of Micro DE

Standardized Testing:

• SAT: N/A
• ACT: 34 (R: 29, W: 35, M: 36, S: 36), 36 Superscore (R: 35, W: 35, M: 36, S: 36)
• AP: AP World (4), APUSH (5), Calc AB (5), Calc BC (5), Lang (5), Bio (5), U.S. Gov (5)
• Other (ex. IELTS, TOEFL, etc.): N/A

Extracurriculars/Activities:

• President, Student Council (9-12)
• Senator and Party Chairman, Boys State (12)
• President, Asian American Nonprofit (9-12)
• Captain, Speech and Debate Team/Honor Society (9-12)
• Legislative Intern, State House of Representatives (11-12)
• Department Lead, Education Nonprofit (10-11)
• Senior Officer, Spanish Honors Society (11-12)
• Senior Board Member, School District Equity Board (11-12)
• Senior Staff Writer, School Publications (11-12)
• Fellow and Community Builder, Civic Engagement Nonprofit (10-11)

Awards/Honors:

• Coca-Cola Scholars Regional Finalist (Semifinalist on Application)
• U.S. Senate Youth State Finalist
• National Merit Commended Scholar
• AP Scholar with Distinction
• Speech and Debate State Finals Qualifier

Letters of Recommendation:
AP Lang Teacher (9/10): Really, really strong. I didn't read the exact letter for my college applications, but I did read a modified version for some scholarships; it provided a lot of insight into my personality and who I am as a person, rather than merely repeating my resume!
AP Gov Teacher (7/10): He really liked me, but I read the letter and it was a lot of repeating my resume. Some lines were really powerful about my work ethic and dedication, though!
Counselor (7/10): He was brand new this year, so we didn't know each other well; however, we were quickly able to form a solid relationship, and he is now one of my biggest supporters!
I also sent a recommendation from my AP Bio teacher (7/10) to MIT, Emory, and UMich, one from my principal (8.5/10) to UMich and Emory, and one from my art teacher (9/10) to Harvard, Duke, and MIT.
Essays:
Common App Personal Statement (8.5/10): Used a childhood game as a metaphor for my growth from perfectionism and embracing vulnerability. Revised extensively with my AP Lang teacher, who rarely gives compliments, but said that it was one of the best that she's read.
Supplementals (8-9.5/10): Writing comes a little bit more naturally to me, and I am proud of all of my supplements. I revised extensively with my AP Lang teacher as well, so I know that I submitted my best work to all of my schools. My Yale ones were by far my favorite!
I really do believe that my essays were the strongest part of my application and likely what differentiates me from many of my peers.
Interviews:
I received interviews from all of the schools that offered them except for Stanford and Vanderbilt. I think that I did all of them well (minus Harvard), and would probably rate them as Yale (7/10), Georgetown (9/10), MIT (9/10), Northwestern (8.5/10), UPenn (8/10), Harvard (6/10), and Duke (8.5/10).
Decisions (Indicate ED/EA/REA/SCEA/RD):
Acceptances:

• Miami University (EA): Honors College, Semifinalist for Presidential Scholarship (Full Ride)
• The Ohio State University (EA): Honors College, Morrill Scholar (Full Tuition), Eminence Fellow (Full Ride)
• University of Michigan (EA)
• Vanderbilt University (RD): Chancellor's Scholar (Full Tuition), MOSAIC Recruit
• Georgetown University (RD)
• University of Pennsylvania (RD)
• Stanford University (RD)

Waitlists:

• Northeastern University (RD)
• Northwestern University (RD)
• Emory University (RD)
• Duke University (RD)

Rejections:

• MIT (RD)
• Harvard University (RD)
• Yale University (SCEA; Defer to Reject)

Reflection:
My results are a testament to exactly how random this process is. I would never in a million years have predicted my results to turn out like this. I also think that I was under the false notion that if I put my best foot forward always that I would be getting into these top-tier schools, but that's simply not the case. Here are a few takeaways of mine from this process:

1. Revising too much is a problem too: I poured my heart and soul and hours into my Yale essays because that has been my dream school for nine years. To this day, even after being rejected, I am the proudest of that application because I feel like it is the best writing that I have ever produced. But I was still rejected. Meanwhile, I spent far less time polishing essays for Stanford, which I submitted two hours before the deadline, and was accepted. I think I almost overdid my essays, revising and polishing them to the point where they were beautiful pieces of writing that borderline sounded fake.
2. Interviews matter: Throughout this process, a lot of people have told me that I shouldn't worry if I do badly on an interview, and that as long as I wasn't showing red flags, I'd be ok. But I think that interviews are becoming increasingly important. Take a look at A2C: students these days are truly extracurricularly accomplished and producing beautiful essays and attaining excellent recommendations. How do you differentiate them? At schools like Harvard and Yale, where I had truly mediocre interviews, I was rejected. I'm not sure if that is a causal relationship, but take that as you see fit.

Due to some medical reasons mera 12th mostly barbad ho gya. i had time to study from November mid to march of 2023. and of course mera jee 1st attempt mei score bohat bura rha. it was 60%ile. i don't expect much in 2nd attempt but I wanna do it. i want time.. more time.. i just want to give the thing again.. i don't know if mera 75% in boards ka criteria clear hoga ya nahi but i guess mujhe improvement Dena padh sakta hai. i don't know if this will be a good idea or not but I'm thinking about joining a coaching class from April 1st week ( Resonance droppers batch) i think i can do this. what could go wrong here? really need a advice

I just started work a few weeks ago as a custodian in Denver International Airport. Even before starting work, I had heard the legends and strange stories about the place. Caverns under the airport for the government to use during doomsday, secret Illuminati references in the airport murals, and the terrifying horse statue outside the airport that fell on and killed its sculptor. To be honest, I didn't think much of all these stories. I thought it was just like any other airport. I know better now.
Last night I was working on mopping up all the muck on the concourse B train platform, glad that this was my last task for the day before getting to head home. Looking at the clean platform with exhausted pride, I took my cleaning cart and rolled it towards the custodial closet, opening it with my key. Not wanting to get yelled at on Monday, I checked all of the cleaning supplies on the cart and made sure the mop was fully dry. I smiled, happy with my work, and turned around to catch one of the airport trains to the terminal.
That was when I first noticed that I was alone on the platform. It was the evening, but usually at this time on a Friday there was a lot of hustle and bustle as people flew back into Denver from work trips, or flew out for vacations. I didn't think too much of it though, and just assumed I was lucky to hit a lull. I leaned against the wall next to the side of the platform for trains heading back to the terminal, and started imagining what I'd buy from King Soopers for dinner.
The train arrived with a hiss and the doors opened. I hopped into one of the cars, noting that it too was entirely empty. The whole train was as a matter of fact. The doors shut with a hiss, and I heard the train start moving. I sat and closed my eyes to have a few minutes of peace before I had to deal with the crowd in the terminal and the shuttle back to Arvada.
When the train hissed to a stop again, I opened my eyes to find that we were not at the terminal, but at a train platform I had never seen before. I looked outside as the doors opened, and saw a sign labeled "Maintenance". I assumed I had boarded a train that was being taken out of service by mistake. I sighed and I got off the train, hoping to find a back way to the terminal
A man in a jumpsuit came out of a door on the platform and froze as he saw me. "You're not supposed to be here," he said softly.
I nodded and smiled sheepishly "Yeah - I work in custodial," I flashed him my employee badge. "I was trying to get to the terminal and hopped on this train by mistake. Can you help me out?"
He nodded. "Sure, it happens all the time when we take trains down for maintenance. Just through that door and follow the line on the floor and you'll end up in the terminal," he smiled. "And don't worry, I won't mention it to anyone, we all get turned around at some point."
I thanked him and went through the door. On the other side there was a corridor that had red, green, and yellow lines on the floor, all branching out from the door. On the ceiling was a sign with what color you should take to reach each destination. After reading the sign, I took the red line for the terminal and followed it around a corner.
As I walked the empty hallways, I started to feel uneasy. The corridors were spotless, but none of my co-workers had ever talked about cleaning down here. I tried to calm my fears by reminding myself that I was new and still didn't know the entire airport, but no matter how much I tried to comfort myself I just couldn't shake the creeping feeling.
At the end of the red line I found a door, but it was labeled "Maintenance Office" not "Terminal". I looked up at another sign, and realized I had misread. The terminal was at the end of the green line, not the red one. I groaned. Not really wanting to walk back the entire way I had come, I decided to hell with it, I'd just see if anyone in the office could help.
I knocked, but no one answered, so I opened the door.
The room seemed to be set up like some kind of control room, with monitors and computers everywhere. On some of the monitors I saw video feeds from the various train platforms, and on others diagrams that looked like blueprints of some kind.
As I kept looking, I gulped. On one of the monitors was a still photo of me from the train platform along with my personnel file.
This should have scared me, but before I could think about it too much, I became preoccupied with what I found on the last monitor's video feed. The feed showed a large room with a green line leading from the door up to a strange looking chair suspended from the ceiling, with what appeared to be a giant covered manhole underneath it. Two men in jumpsuits were on each side of the door, while a man in a suit stood next to the chair.
My blood ran cold as I realized that if I had followed the instructions correctly, I would have ended up in that room.
I should have ran, but instead I just froze in fear, my heart pounding in my chest. I was roused when I saw the door on the screen open, and a man with a roller bag entered the door. He seemed confused about where he was, but before he could react one of the men by the door shoved a taser into his side.
The traveler collapsed to the floor, and they carried him to the chair, strapping him into restraints as he tried to struggle. One of them opened the manhole, and an unnatural purple glow radiated out from the opening. I could see the captive man's eyes fill with terror as he looked down. The man in a suit pressed some buttons on the wall, and the suspension cables above the chair began to lower it into the hole.
I stared, entranced and horrified. I could see the empty chair coming back up from the manhole when the maintenance worker I met on the train platform came into the large room. He looked angry, and began shouting at the others. After a few moments, everyone except the suited man ran out of the room, and I knew I had to get out of there.
I stepped out the door and back into the corridors. I could hear footfalls and muffled voices echoing down the halls. I didn't have much time, and I had no idea where I was or how to get out. I figured my best bet was to follow the yellow line and hope that wherever it would take me would be somewhere I could hide.
I ran as quickly as I could down the hallway following the yellow line. I felt my lungs burning, but I kept up my pace. I could hear the footfalls and voices growing louder behind me. I didn't know what my fate would be if they caught me, but I knew it involved whatever was under that manhole.
The yellow path ended at a door labeled "Machine Room - No Exit". I turned the handle, only to find it locked. I rammed my body into it, and it shook some, but didn't open. The footfalls were louder now, I guessed only just around the corner. I kicked the door in desperation, and it burst open into a hallway near one of the bathrooms in the Terminal.
I ran out into the terminal, and did my best to blend in with the evening travelers. I hazarded a glance behind me, and saw three of the men in jumpsuits looking around the terminal.
I tried to stay inconspicuous and waited until I was out one of the exits before I ran towards the bus stop, and joined the line to get on it.
As I sat down on the bus, a traveler with a roller bag bumped into me and sat down next to me. He smiled at me. "Sorry about that, “ he said, “I'm just so grateful to be out of the airport, it felt like I’d be there forever."
I glanced out the bus window and found one of my pursuers staring at me as the bus drove away. I smiled at the man sitting next to me. "Me too."