AN: This time, I was delayed because my wifi went down and it took a whole week to get some guys out here to fix it. They replaced our modem or whatever, but the whole week I couldn't use internet was terrible. I ended up going out in search of wifi like some wandering nomad.

So annoying...

Anyway, this one's a short Chapter getting another glimpse at how Carys' group is doing.

My Craft Readers: WE DON'T CARE ABOUT CARYS! GO BACK TO COBB!

...Next Chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd make an alternative way to obtain Blaze Powder.

Chapter 188

Support

[Noman]

October 26th. We got up bright and early so we could set out faster.

I relayed Carys' 'request' for me to be transferred to Floyd and Soul. Their reactions were, predictably, against.

"She can't split us up!" Soul raged. "Get Cobb on the map and we can—"

"Cobb can't contact us from another dimension." I answered immediately, remembering how the maps worked. We could only see their blips if they were in Minecraftia, and neither the Nether nor the End were in Minecraftia. "They won't be back until tomorrow night at the latest. No contact until then. And anyway… I'm pretty sure this was partly Cobb's idea."

"He wouldn't brush you aside like this." Floyd stated firmly.

"I'm not saying he would." I said sadly. "He let me fight that Wither in Ringwood, but this…" I trailed off. "I think he knows I don't have it in me to kill cultists. That's why he told Carys to take me off the front lines. I don't like it, but… I can't deny they have a point. I'm not much use in raids if I refuse to take a life."

"So, what, you're going to be making potions and waiting on us?"

"Not sure." I sighed. "Guess I'll find out today."

"This is such bullshit." Soul complained. "You have the strongest weapon. You're a Hacker Slayer for crying out loud!"

"That's enough, Soul." Floyd spoke over him. He knew I didn't want to think about how I killed Winslow back in Akasha. The same way Floyd didn't want to think about killing Sandra. "Noman will tell us if there's too much for him to handle. Right?"

I nodded. "Right."

Floyd nodded back. "Then, we'll just have to trust him. If Carys puts the pressure on you too much, say the word and we'll talk to her."

"You think she'll listen? She talks with her scythe." Soul said.

"We'll speak over her, then." Floyd replied, his sclerae darkening momentarily in a show of force. Soul grinned, but I just felt sick. I didn't want any show of force or aggression. I just wanted our groups to work and talk as one.

Cobb had been able to force concessions out of Carys from the other side of Minecraftia, without any kind of fighting. Compared to Floyd, whose best negotiation tool was his Hack, Cobb felt like the more mature leader. Yet here, Floyd was in charge. Was it just because he was the first of Cobb's friends, or was it because of his power? Or was it because Cobb truly believed the blue-nette had the capacity of a leader?

Whatever it was, it didn't change the situation I was placed in. As we set off into the desert—our water stores refilled and my heat-absorbing, dark dress clothes willed off—I reported to Team Beta as a new support member.

"I heard from Carys." The first person I ran into, Albert, spoke. "You're our problem now, huh?"

"…Yes, I believe so." I replied sadly.

There was a moment of pause, Albert rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "Geez, kid. Learn to take a joke. No need to look so defeatist."

"Oh. Sorry..."

"Did this guy really kill a Hacker?" Someone piped up brightly. I turned and saw it was Harbord, light and wispy, another member of the support trio. The last being Reuben, a rather portly man with pinkish skin.

"That's what Anibal's been yakking about, yeah." Albert frowned. "From what I heard, you failed in yesterday's raid. Couldn't kill a single cultist?"

"…No." I admitted, my gaze downcast. "Sorry."

"Hm. You come across as more of a timid fighter." Harbord chirped. "What does that Cobb guy use you for? Can you even use that shield?"

"Yes." I said.

"Forget that." Albert shooed Harbord away. "What do you know about alchemy?"

"Er, that has to do with potions, right?"

"Yes. Alchemy has to do with potions." Reuben spoke with a hint of sarcasm. "He's asking you if you know how to brew any kind of potion."

"Oh." Admittedly, my knowledge of potions was quite limited. I never had a chance to learn alchemy, nor did I have the equipment to make anything. I was always on the move, instead purchasing potions from merchants. Chief in my mind was when I blew all my savings on the potions needed to keep Cobb alive while he was comatose. In fact, of all the Beginners, Floyd had the most knowledge in alchemy, having gotten that information from Brett. But even that was paltry. "Sorry. I don't know much about potions."

"That's what I was afraid of." Reuben's face fell into his hands. "Carys really expects us to train this greenhorn? Just another instance of us beta males getting shafted."

"Beta males?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Just one of Reuben's pet names." Albert explained away. "He doesn't understand how important a part we play."

"Is that why we're babysitters now? Cause we're so important?"

The atmosphere was tense, and, strangely enough, none of it was directed at me. Albert and Reuben were staring each other down. I could practically feel the sparks flying between them. Was there some deeper issue at work?

"Let's not go into this now." Harbord guided his horse between the two, hands extended. "Let's just focus on showing Nowhere_Man the ropes of Team Beta."

"…Right." Albert nodded slowly, breaking his gaze away from Reuben. "Well, since we can't brew and talk at the same time, we'll just have to talk you through most of it and hope you have a good memory."

"…I'm ready to start."

"Good. Love the determination." Harbord chirped. "Now, to give you some background. In our war with the Cult, many Paragons fighting on the front lines needed a stable source of food and recuperative items that they couldn't otherwise provide for themselves. In devoting themselves to learning every kind of combat, they neglected stocking themselves with the necessary foodstuffs and potion ingredients. That's where we came in."

"BalticSkies brought up the lack of potion support and was the first to propose to Carys that a specialized unit was needed for her guild." Albert continued. "So her forces got split. Team Alpha for the combative fighters—"

"—and Team Beta for the wimpy fighters." Reuben finished sourly.

"—For the supportive fighters." Albert clarified. "Support is just as important, Reuben. We have a part to play, just as Team Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon do. Where would we be without Delta's information network? Or Gamma's enchantments, or Epsilon's assassins?" When he saw Reuben make no further comments, he continued. "Baltic was chosen to head Team Beta. Nobody in the Paragons is better at making potions than the old man."

Baltic. He was the one with Cobb's group. I remembered how unafraid he was to stand up to Carys. He was cool-headed and diplomatic where Carys was hot-headed and aggressive. I saw firsthand what she was like without his influence. Maybe that was why the half of the Paragons with Cobb was so cooperative.

"So Team Beta isn't just you three and Baltic?" I asked.

"Oh, heavens no." Harbord waved. "We only brought along a small portion of our Teams. The best of the best, as it were. There are plenty more of us back in Nitebane, guarding Jillian and stocking up enchantments."

"How many more?"

"Team Beta is the smallest." Again Reuben spoke up. It was another chance to insult the support unit. "It's reserved for the bottom-of-the-barrel, wimpiest fighters. We only number around three-hundred—"

"We're medics." Albert insisted. "We multiply the strength of any one fighter. We can weaken the opposing forces. One member of Team Beta is worth five of Team Alpha."

"You think they believe that?" Reuben shot back. "We're just servants to them!"

"When are you going to learn to be a team player? Quit seeking personal glory!"

"Hoo boy." Harbord face fell into his palm before he turned to me as an aside. "This happens more than you think. Best to just let them hash it out."

I could only nod as I was completely bewildered by their heated argument. The Paragons always seemed like a strict, cohesive unit. This kind of infighting was new to me. Also, was there some kind of hierarchy I was unaware of?

The two continued to bicker well through our ride west. They threw words around like 'beta males' or 'contribution'. Only when they started to simmer down did Harbord continue talking me through Team Beta's duties.

"The support group is all about, you guessed it, support. Half of that is prepping potions and the other half is equal parts practical and predictable."

"Predictable…?"

"Guessing which potions you should use on an ally at a given time." Albert explained. "You need to read the tide of battle and supply appropriate potions to guide things in our side's favor. If a Paragon is taking hits, you throw out a Potion of Healing or Regeneration. If they look sluggish or like they're losing steam, maybe a Potion of Swiftness or Strength."

"We play to their strengths and cover their weaknesses. With proper support, a Paragon can topple a hundred armed foes."

"Really? That sounds like a bit of an exaggeration." I said.

"It shouldn't. Remember, we're the potion and attrition unit. We just need to keep feeding and healing each other while our enemies wear themselves out. In a prolonged siege, it's not out of the ordinary to entrap your foe and starve them out. Battles with Team Beta at your back are always tests of endurance. I just wish some people could see the merit in that." Albert spoke pointedly, Reuben giving a huff.

"We'll go into some actual potion making now." Harbord spared the disgruntled alchemist a look. "You wanna do the honors?"

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Who's more organized that you?"

Reuben grimaced lightly before reaching into his backpack.

"All potions begin with an Awkward Potion. A water bottle and a Nether Wart. We also need Blaze Powder to trigger the infusion process." He started explaining a mile a minute. My brain staggered to keep up with his words. "We can farm the warts with the proper conditions, but Blaze Powder can't be replenished on its own. Only way to get it is from Blazes in Nether Fortresses. Those don't exactly grow on trees, so we only have what's in our ender chests and whatever we brought along. The same goes for potion ingredients. "He narrowed his eyes. "If you're to be a member of Team Beta, you need to be responsible for your own ingredients. You'll get nothing from us."

"Oh, cut him some slack, Reuben, this isn't like training—"

"The world doesn't give out handouts." Reuben stated simply. "If we're stuck watching him, he needs to learn the importance of hard work. He can start making potions when he procures his own ingredients. That way he won't be wasteful. You can never be thrifty with other people's money."

"Well," I struggled to keep my tone patient, where am I supposed to get Blaze Powder in the middle of a desert?"

"That's for you to figure out." Came the indifferent reply.

I was sure Albert, the apparent leader of the trio, would argue that this was too much for a new trainee. Instructions were meant to be guiding and simple, working up to more complicated tasks. There was no way I could acquire the necessary potion ingredients while on the move, let alone in our current environment.

Instead, my hopes plummeted when Albert shut his eyes with an affirmative nod.

"…Reuben's not wrong. To an alchemist, supply is everything. Fetch your own ingredients. We can't spare our own."

I couldn't believe this. Here I thought they were supposed to teach me. Instead they were stacking up hurdles.

"…Carys sent me to learn." I spoke in warning. "You think she'll appreciate your unwillingness to teach?"

"If you're insinuating that you'll tattle on us, not only will she not care—since she's all about doing the work yourself—but you'll lose both her and our respect, and she'll give you a thrashing." Reuben said with total certainty.

"I wouldn't mind seeing that." Harbord chirped.

"So go ahead. Tell her." Reuben egged me on. "She won't baby you like that Cobb guy."

At the mention of babying me, I was reminded of Carys' similar words. If I kept getting babied my whole life, I'd never test my mettle. I wouldn't be the Billionth chosen by Notch. I'd just be some ordinary guy with an extraordinary chestplate.

…

I wasn't going to tattle. I wasn't going to needlessly drag Cobb or Floyd or Soul into my problems just because things got difficult. I'd resolve it myself. Clearing this hurdle might just give me a confidence boost,

"I'll get the ingredients." I swore.

I rifled through my backpack with a miserable expression, scavenging what little ingredients I could find. My inventory was never geared for alchemy, so there wasn't much.

I had plenty of Healing and Regeneration Potions stored in my ender chest, but those couldn't substitute for the actual ingredients.

The biggest issue was the Blaze Powder. I'd need it for fuel, and the only place I could get some was the Nether. Without a Nether Portal, there was little I could do. No doubt Reuben knew as much. This could even have been his way of getting out of training me. Well, I wasn't going to let him have his way.

Once again, I was reminded of how easy this could be if I had the Vivlio Zythopoiias. With that book, potion support would be a cinch. I wouldn't even need a brewing stand, and I'd be that much more useful on the front lines. Paralyzing enemies without killing them was also a prime incentive to find the artifact.

No sense thinking of the 'what ifs'. I didn't have the artifact, so I'd have to do without. Ciro had said it was in the possession of a Berserker, but that he had no current whereabouts.

I groaned under my breath after finishing my backpack search. I had a few things that could help with alchemy, and the ample sand meant I'd have no shortage of bottles, but without Nether Warts or Blaze Powder, there wasn't a thing I could do. Did they expect me to wait until we reached a village to procure ingredients?

I watched the alchemy trio on horseback, potions and ingredients hanging from their belts. They had everything I would need to start brewing, including the seasoned knowledge, but I couldn't just take it from them. Stealing was wrong, not to mention they would never teach me after.

Looks like I would have to give up and wait for a village before I could start support training.

I laid awake in bed that night. Camp was set and Crafters snoozed peacefully, Soul and Floyd among them. Only Anibal and Dyson were up, taking watch.

I was still up because I couldn't sleep. I was thinking about something the others said about Carys.

'…she's all about doing the work yourself…'

"Doing it myself…" I muttered. "Sourcing it myself…"

I spared a glance at the slumbering Carys. She rested with her back propped up, her scythe in hand. She was ready to trade shifts when it was her turn.

Waiting to reach a village was an option. I could get my ingredients there without trouble, and it would only cost a bit of emeralds. Then I could officially start my support training.

…

Or I could man up, not waste time sitting around, and get the ingredients myself.

"…I'm going for it."

I kicked up out of bed and approached Anibal on watch. She raised an eyebrow as I drew nearer.

"If you're offering to relieve me, I won't say no—"

"I'm going to procure potion ingredients." I informed her. "If anyone asks, let them know and tell them not to worry."

I had to tell them. If I just went searching without letting anyone know, they'd notice my absence and make all kinds of assumptions that I was kidnapped or killed. Best to tell them straight out.

"…You're going to look for ingredients out here? In the middle of nowhere?"

I nodded. "I will be back come morning."

"You don't want to bring one of your pals along?" Dyson asked.

"I don't want to wake them." I shook my head. "This is something I'm to do myself."

Anibal hummed. "If it was anyone other than Carys, I'd tell you safety in numbers, but…" She trailed off meaningfully, her eyes glancing at the Severe Shield at my side. "…You'll probably be fine, even if a cultist jumps you. Just wait until Carys takes over my shift. I gotta run this by her."

"I'd prefer she not get involved…"

"Tough shit." I reflexively covered my ears. "You're a target, so any time we let you out of our sight, you're at risk. Even with the Severe Shield, anything could happen. So just wait a bit."

I did as she suggested, waiting in silence with Anibal and Dyson. I was basically joining them on their watch, even though my designated time was later in the evening. Once or twice, I thought about sparking a conversation, but I chickened out each time. I just couldn't relax around these people. They were too different. Too unfamiliar.

The time spent waiting on Carys felt like an eternity. When their shift was over, Dyson and Anibal gently nudged Buckner and Carys respectively. Anibal then explained what I was trying to do.

"He's going out by himself? Now?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She spared a glance my way, her expression unreadable. I couldn't help but gulp as I awaited her decision. She could easily deny my request, after all.

"Hmm." Carys hummed before kicking to her feet from a laid down position. She spun her scythe with a flourish before walking up to me.

"Think I'll join you."

"...eh?"

"Anibal, have Kal take my watch."

"Yes, ma'am. But... ah... you're really going to go out with just the two of you?"

"Why not? I'll be more than a match for any cultists that might show up. And Noman has no problem killing Mobs. Right?" I nodded quickly at her question. "There. No problem. So switch off and get some rest."

"Okay, if you're sure..."

Anibal awkwardly followed orders while Carys turned to face me. "Shall we?"

I didn't expect her to want to tag along. Yesterday she said she couldn't stand me. Maybe she just didn't want to risk losing prime bait. Having her around meant that if we ran into any cultists, she would take care of them with brutal efficiency.

I didn't want to have to see that.

We walked about twenty meters away from the camp before I placed down an ender chest. Leaving the illuminated radius of our camp meant Mobs were free to spawn, so I tried to work fast, extracting a pickaxe from my chest. I knelt in the sand and started digging. Past loose sand and denser sandstone, I reached the gray layer of stone with a couple of swings, then widened the area into a neat staircase.

Carys watched quietly without moving an inch to help.

"...You know, you can help if you want." I offerred.

"Mhm. Noted."

"..."

I mined alone in silence.

She wouldn't even guard me while I worked. Instead, whenever a Mob approached, she'd circle the mine I was digging and let the monster drop down on me unimpeded. I nearly had a heart attack when a Spider fell on my head the first time. Every time after, I wore my Severe Shield.

"Why are you letting these Mobs interfere!?" I suddenly shouted after killing a flashing Creeper. She let a Creeper get close!

"You wanted to do this on your own." She answered, reclining into cool sand with both hands propped behind her head. "I can respect that. So I'll act like I'm not even here. That way I can see how you'd fare if you were out here on your own. By the way, it was careless to leave your mine entrance open. Mobs might slip in."

How could she say that with a straight face? I heaved a great sigh before taking her advice and covering the hole with some displaced cobblestone. The mine darkened momentarily before I lit things up with my flint and steel. Then, after a short steak break, I resumed my work.

I soon learned that digging a mine in a desert was annoying. My staircase couldn't be diagonal while close to the surface; sand would collapse and make my job harder. Instead, I bored down in a spiral staircase in a two-by-two meter area.

It was long, strenuous work, but I swung my pickaxe into the stone and kept right on digging. I wasn't mining for potion ingredients, though. I knew gold and redstone were involved in the brewing process at some level, but I was looking for something else. Something deep in the rock.

With a swing of my pick. The floor gave way and I fell about four meter, landing roughly on my tailbone. I saw that I fell into a wide cavern with a low ceiling. And there was plenty of light because they had what I was searching for.

Lava!

I hurried over, ignoring the gold ore and redstone ore on the walls, and took out all my buckets before scooping out the lava. I could keep five lava buckets on me at a time, reserving the sixth for water. How much was a Nether Portal again?

While I thought on this, I heard a body land on the cavern floor behind me. The rhythmic clicking of boots on stone told me Carys had come down to observe.

Why was she even bothering to watch? Was she curious to see how and where I'd find potion ingredients? Well so was I!

I had no plan aside from making a portal and scouring the Nether for a Fortress. Where else could I find the ingredients I needed to begin alchemy? It wouldn't be easy, but it was better than waiting to reach a village.

The five bucketfulls I drew from the pool of lava weren't enough to exhaust the source. There was still plenty to draw, which was good because I'd likely need more. With lava in hand, I went back up my spiral mineshaft to a level that might have water. The bottles I had wouldn't cut it; I needed a bucket full.

Carys followed in silence.

After spending nearly three-quarters of the evening mining through tunnels and caverns (and going crazy trying to track the faint sound of running water), I finally chanced upon a solitary source of water pouring out of a wall. It flowed down a steep cavern to create a waterfall with a strong current that would have been troublesome to swim up.

Instead, I donned my Bottes Zephyr and walked on air to reach it while Carys floundered in the water.

But I had it! With the buckets of lava, I didn't need to waste time mining obsidian for the portal. I could simply place the lava in the portal shape before cooling it with water. It was incredibly cost effective. I just had to be careful. One misplace could ruin everything.

I returned to the pool of lava I found on the lowest floor and prepared to shape my portal. I would need to create a cobblestone mold for the lava, and also create a barrier from the original pool so the flowing water wouldn't ruin my lava source. With that in mind, I placed my first block of cobblestone and—

"Time's up."

I felt a hand reach around and grab my tie before tugging it in the direction of my spiral mineshaft, away from the lava. The grip was strong and I nearly choked as I was dragged away, the tie feeling more like a collar.

"Gack!?"

"There's no point making a portal now when morning is so close. Exploring the Nether isn't something that can be done in such a short window. Not seriously, anyway." Carys stated naturally. "We can't have any delays or hold-ups. You can try again tomorrow night when we set camp."

"B-But I'll need to find more lav-ULK!" Again, my reasonings were choked off with a tug.

"Then you'll have to look for more lava." Carys drawled in her husky voice. "Or mine obsidian itself and carry a portal in your pocket. Either way, your time is up. Back to camp we go."

A wave of disappointment overcame me as I was escorted out of my mine. The whole night spent working towards a portal, only to have it wrenched away at the last second. With my tangible goal fleeting, I suddenly felt all my accumulated exhaustion. Yesterday, I went on a Mob-slaying frenzy with Carys. And today, instead of properly recovering, I spent more energy mining. My stamina and strength may have increased from the EXP I gained, but the hard work was wearing away against my physical and mental health. At least Carys had a bit of rest between then and now, and she didn't have to mine.

By the time we returned to camp, I was worn out and the sun was starting to crest over the horizon. Harbord and Reuben were on watch, though the other Paragons were already starting to get up.

"Get a bit of rest." Carys ordered, shoving my worn body towards my bed. "You won't get much, but some is better than none. You can get more on your horse, but don't you dare slow us down. Understood?"

A weak nod was all I could manage before I crashed atop soft covers. I passed out immediately and didn't reawaken until I felt my neck heating up from the rising sun. Something was prodding me.

"We gotta go, Noman."

"Raaawk! Gotta go!" Soul's parrot belted, more a wakeup call than anything.

I mumbled weakly before rolling out of bed and onto the sand. Had I even recovered from any of my fatigue? It was impossible to tell.

"We're moving out!" Carys ordered. "No dawdling!"

No dawdling. Right.

With great effort, I pushed myself up to my knees and fixed my gaze upon the waiting Paragons. It was my own choice to forgo sleep in favor of reaching the Nether. If I was exhausted, I just needed to make more time for myself. I had to juggle work, travel, and sleep until I got my potion ingredients.

And I will get them. I vowed. I'll get them with my own power.

Inventory (Floyd): 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Diamond Helmet [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 2 Iron Ingots, 64 Steak, 43 Steak, 2 Sticks, 31 Coal, 20 Torches, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Diamond Boots [Projectile Protection IV], 16 Gunpowder, 16 Ender Pearls, 2 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Bucket, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}

[EXP: 44]

Stratus the Horse

Inventory (Soul): 1 Diamond Axe [Sharpness V], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 64 Iron Ingots, 28 Iron Ingots, 20 Flint, 12 Gold Ingots, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV, Feather Falling IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Jukebox, 1 Music Disc {chirp}, 1 Bed, 1 Furnace, 24 Torches, 34 White Wool, 23 Dirt, 19 Pumpkin Seeds, 64 Cobblestone, 62 Cobblestone, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Armor Stand, 60 Steak, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}

[EXP: 41]

Long-Face the Horse

Cat-Face the Cat

Christopher Squawken the Parrot

Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness I], 1 Diamond Chestplate {Severe Shield}, 1 Leather Boots {Bottes Zephyr} [Dyed White], 1 Green Shield [Beginners], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 62 Cobblestone, 9 Sand, 14 Sandstone, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 Lava Bucket, Lava Bucket, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Water Bottle, 1 Water Bottle, 1 Water Bottle, 1 Water Bottle, 4 Ender Chests, 16 Ender Pearls, 4 Ender Pearls, 1 Nether Star, 40 Steak, 3 Phantom Membranes, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Enchanted Golden Apple, 1 Diamond Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Diamond Leggings

[EXP: 34]

Snow the Horse

AN: If you want something done right, do it yourself. Like fixing your wifi!

Ahem...

Next time, we check in on Cobb and the Scouts.

FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. PM. FORUM. DISCORD. BAGELS.