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wrenwrongs · 3 months

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Worth More Than Silver

Sihtric/fem!Reader

Summary: Sihtric has been frequenting the brothel in Winchester. Osferth and Uhtred investigate why he still pays for your company despite his claim that you love him.

Word Count: 1.3k

cw: afab reader, she/her pronouns, use of the word whore (2x), childbirth (not described in detail), slight deviations from canon timeline, Sihtric and his football team of kids

“Have you made a decision yet?” asked Sihtric, his horse striding alongside Uhtred’s own. “Have you given it thought?”

“Given thought to what?” His Lord answered in false ignorance. It gnawed at Sihtric’s insides. He would not give up in his quest, yet he knew if he pushed the subject too hard Uhtred was wont to set his denial in stone. Lady Gisela seemed to take pity on him.

“Uhtred,” she warned from her place next to her husband.

With her aid, Sihtric continued, “My request to marry, Lord. I wish to have a family.” It was true. More true was that he wished to have a family with you.

He had been captivated from the first night he met you. Your laugh ringing out as he threw you on to the bed. How your brushed your fingers through his hair as you caught your breath. Still, he knew it was nothing more than he had payed for.

It was almost a fortnight later when he saw you walking down the road, the frost had tinged your cheeks red. Your arms were overburdened with logs as you trudged though the ankle high snow. He carried them for you to your home; a small room with a bed and a hearth. When you invited him in for tea, he saw how you had decorated with herbs drying from the ceiling, furs, and paint all along the walls. It was a proper home in his eyes, not just the place you rested your head as he had become accustomed to.

You laughed as he regaled the time he and Finan strapped fake legs to a horse and convinced a drunk Uhtred that it was Sleipnir, the chip in your front tooth evident, and he knew he was yours.

A voice broke through his thoughts.

“Lord, you will answer the man.” It was Gisela again. In that moment Sihtric thought her sent by Freyja herself.

Uhtred sighed before turning his head to speak, “I will speak to her at Winchester and give you my decision.”

“Thank you, Lord.” With a grin, he fell back into line as Uhtred shouted back at him.

“But you are to give her no more of your arm-rings, nor silver!”

A gentle breeze swept through the valley, cooling the sweat on their brows. The sun, now past its highest point in the sky, warmed the earth as they arrived in Winchester. Finnan and Sihtric accompanied Uhtred while Osferth was sent out on his own quest.

After visiting your home and inquiring at the brothel, he was directed outside the walls of the capital. There, he spotted a figure emerging from the surrounding trees. The glint of silver around your biceps confirmed your identity.

“My lady,” he spoke softly as he approached, not wanting to startle you.

“I am no Lady,” you responded, the wind rustling your hair. “And I’m not working today.”

“No,” he blushed. “You misunderstand me. I am one of Lord Uhtred’s men.”

You said nothing, but looked upon him with suspicion and doubt.

He cleared his throat before speaking again, “You are Sihtric’s woman are you not?”

“That I am." You stepped closer to him so that the two of you could hear each other clearly. Osferth took a glimpse into the basket you carried. Elderberries and yarrow sat among a myriad of herbs. "You must be the Baby Monk I’ve heard about.”

“You love him?”

“Yes." There was an edge to your voice.

“Yet, you still take his silver?” The hurt in your eyes sent guilt rampaging through him.

“He is not the first man to make promises of love in hopes of a free night. I have seen the heartbreak and shame those girls are left with too many times to allow myself to fall for the same trick.”

“It is no trick. He wishes to marry you.”

“So he says.” You began walking back to the gates leaving Osferth to follow.

“You don’t believe him?”

“I wish to." You nodded to the guards as you passed them. "As much as I believe that Sihtric is different, I know those other women thought the same of the men that left them.”

“He has asked for permission from Lord Uhtred.”

You paused, hands tightening on the basket till your knuckles turned white. “He will not get it,” your voice was cold as you spoke. Osferth opened his mouth to argue, but you had already disappeared into the crowd of the afternoon market.

It was the next morning when Uhtred came to you. Sihtric had already departed after reluctantly leaving your bed and breaking fast together.

“Osferth spoke to me last night. He says your heart is true." Uhtred's words did little to calm your nerves. He sat across from you at your small table, drinking your own blend of vervain and violet tea. You could see his eyes flicker down to watch you tug at loose threads of your sleeve. "I will give my permission for you to marry.”

“Thank you, Lord Uhtred,” you said. Meeting his eyes was no easy feat, still you managed. “Sihtric mentioned last night, that if given your blessing, he wished to marry by the time your company leaves next.”

Uhtred shook his head. “You will come with us.”

A disbelieving laugh escaped before you could contain it. “A Saxon who fights with Irishmen, Danes, and monks now wants a whore to accompany them?”

“Not a whore, a healer. Osferth told me you where gathering herbs.”

“Mathilda’s son has a fever. I just made something to help bring it down.”

“Gisela said you often assist the læce. Do you know how to sew a wound?”

“Yes, Lord.” Though your experiences in doing so were less than pleasant as you struggled with the sight of open flesh. In truth, you would rather never do it again, but if it meant you could be with Sihtric perhaps it would be worth the sting of bile in your throat.

“Then you will be of use to us,” Uhtred said firmly, and you got the impression that he was not one to easily change his mind once it was set. “I will inform Sihtric of my decision. When we depart from Winchester next, you will accompany us.”

“Thank you, My Lord.” You could no longer contain your smile as Uhtred took his leave. As he bade you farewell he took notice of your thumb absent-mindedly stroking one of the rings while you stirred your tea.

Perhaps it should have become routine at this point. Woefully, that was not the case. You had birthed six of your eight children with Sihtric and while the boys joked that pregnant was your perpetual state of being, the labor remained grueling.

“I swear this is the last one,” you said through clenched teeth as the midwife rushed around you.

Sihtric knelt by your side, cringing as you squeezed his hand, “You said that during the last one.”

“I mean it this time. Seven is more than enough.” You suspected Sihtric would have as many as you allowed.

Aethelstan had come into your lives just after you had discovered you were pregnant. You agreed it was best for you to stay back, even after your first daughter was born. Sihtric brought Cynlaef shortly after that, he was less than ten years old at the time.

It seemed that if you weren’t with child when he and the others returned you would be by the time they left. True to the promise he made on your wedding night, he was present for as many of the births as he could be. Because then came the twins and later your youngest daughter, named Fianna after Finan who had pestered you one too many times about naming a son after him. Truthfully, if Osferth had been any younger you would have counted him among them.

It felt like ages before the midwife placed the boy in your arms. Sihtric turned to Uhtred and spoke, “Last chance to have one named after you Lord.”

“No.” Both Uhtred and you said at once. But you supposed your husband was right, it was the last chance to name your child after someone you both loved so dearly.

You turned back to the babe pressed against your skin, your words barely above a whisper, “His name is Osferth.”

#s: fic #sihtric x reader #sihtric imagine #sihtric fic #sihtric kjartansson #sihtric kjartansson imagine #sihtric kjartansson x reader #tlk x reader #tlk imagine #tlk fic #my posts #what is a queue like me doing in a post like this?

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laurelinofvalinor · 10 months

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Ok, here's every time Pacat writes that Laurent and Damen were gazing at each other. This is easily my favorite motif of CaPri both because it's hot as hell and because Pacat says so much by saying almost nothing at all.

Captive Prince: 0 gazings

The tension is not quite at gazing levels...

Prince's Gambit: 7 gazings

Here we gooooo

Ch 1

Right before this moment, Damen thinks "Damen felt desire come hard upon him: not wholly a desire for violence, but a desire to drive the knife into Laurent’s composure, to force him to show something other than cool indifference." oh yeah buddy?

Ch 8

Ch 9

Ch 17

Ch 19

Ch 20

Ch 21

Kings Rising: 4 gazings

Notably, there are no "they were gazing at each other" moments in KR until Laurent gets drunk and then we get the only 2x in a chapter moment. Then a break until they are truly reconciled.

Ch 9

Ch 9, again

Ch 13

Ch 18

Pasted as text until I can get the screenshot up:

‘You came,’ said Laurent.

‘You knew I would,’ said Damen.

‘If you need an army to take your capital,’ said Laurent, ‘I seem to have one.’

Damen let out a strange breath. They were gazing at each other. Laurent said, ‘After all, I owe you a fort.’

💙💙💙

#captive prince #cs pacat #capri #damen of akielos #laurent de vere #they were gazing at each other #quotes #THEYWEREGAZINGATEACHOTHER

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undergoing-mitosis · 19 days

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hey guys come to our death note discord server we talk about L making ur mom jokes is funny silly goofy time

"l lawliet math pickup line >>>" - rowan 2024 (when i was talking about making this post)

in this post (in order of appearance): @niightniines is Nines, i am aqua, @murderedbythoughts is parad0x, and @rowwiz is rowliet (aka rowan) :3

image ID below the cut 👇 please let me know if there's anything i need to change about the description, this is my first time doing an image ID so many feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[Start Image ID

A discord text screenshot, in dark mode with a dark grey background and white text. The messages were sent at 20:33 military time.

The first user is Nines, who has a pink coloured name, saying Nines with a capital N.

The second is Aqua, whose username is light blue, and said name reads [aqua [open bracket] mello my beloved [heart emoticon] [closed bracket] end name description]. This is styled in all lowercase.

The third is Paradox, who's username is yellow, and styled in all lowercase except for the O, which is replaced with a 0

The fourth is Rowan, whose username is purple, and said name reads [rowliet [open bracket] rowan jeevas [closed bracket] end name description]. This is styled in all lowercase.

Messages read: [Start of conversation]

Nines: L made a your mother joke once while they were chained together and Light didn't say anything the rest of the day.

Aqua: YOUR MOTHER? [2x skull emoji]

Nines: light: "what are you working on L." [carriage return] L: "your mother." [carriage return] light: "what..."

Paradox: "damn shame about your dad having to work so hard lately, how's your mother coping? I can help if she needs."

Aqua: real.

Nines: he threw a masked temper tantrum and L saw right through it.

Paradox: absolutely.

Nines: L: "I'm sorry Light, I didn't know that kind of joke would upset you so much." [carriage return] Light: "like I said, Ryuzaki, I'm completely fine, it was just a harmless joke." [carriage return] L: "clearly you're distraught."

Rowan: he used it as an opportunity to fuck with him by saying "hey girl, are you a polynomial function with a degree over one? because i wanna trace the values on your curves." to misa, and light threw him across the room for the fifth time that day.

Nines: LMAO.

Nines: I'm trying to imagine L saying that in his stupid fucking voice.

Rowan: I love his stupid fucking voice, he would so say it.

Nines: musical L's voice actor for extra nerdiness

Paradox (replying to the maths pickup line): the punchline of this hit me like a sack of bricks, i do not know maths.

Rowan: i think i should kidnap both musical and dub L to live in my basement, so i can make them say these things whenever i want them to in exchange for food.

End of conversation. End of Image Description]

#RAAAAAAAAAAAA #ur mom #🫵#death note #dn #light yagami #l lawliet #yagami light #l death note #death note headcanons #death note shitpost #shitpost #discord #discord promo #discord server #discord chat

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kit-kat-katie · 2 months

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I love you, but you love him, and he loves me

A/N: Sometimes I forget that the things that I say have a tendency to age like milk... apologies for the lack of updates and fics. I've been drowning in schoolwork since the semester started and I haven't had much of a chance to work on an extended fic like Our Time. The current plan is to have this post up for February, put up a Johanna fic in April/May, and then finish up Our Time over the summer (hopefully). Anyways, here's some Clove fluff that's a week late for Valentine's Day! :D

oh, thanks for 100 followers! I am so happy that people enjoy my content without a regular schedule. thank you so so much again!

TW: underage drinking/smoking, brief mention of weed, small fighting scene, reader is put into uncomfortable romantic situation

Pairing: Clove x GN! Reader (Rivals to Lovers in 2x speed)

Summary: You love Clove. She likes Cato. Cato likes you. Your life is a comedic love triangle until your best friend's drunken disaster causes you to connect with Clove and discover something new about her.

“On your left.”

Catelyn gives you a quick warning before flipping you on the back and slamming you against the mat. You squirm against her grip for a moment before spotting a weakness in her legs.

An opening.

You grab her leg and pull her to the ground before taking her hands and pinning them to the ground.

“Don’t count me out yet.” You sneer as she scoffs.

“Fucker.” She mumbles as a buzzer goes off in the distance.

You immediately jump off of her and offer a hand up, which Catelyn begrudgingly takes.

“Trying to impress your girl?” She raises an eyebrow before you shove her aside.

Clove’s staring at the two of you, well, just you since Catelyn’s stepped off the mat to grab a drink of water. Her eyes immediately drift off to look elsewhere as you let out a sigh.

You wish she’d look at you longer, as much as she looked at Cato.

It’s funny, in an ironic way.

You love her.

She loves him.

And he’s paused his sparring to walk over to you.

Probably to ask you on a date or to go drinking or to go do something with romantic undertones that you don’t want to do.

So he loves you.

Catelyn had egged the two of you on before realizing that you wanted nothing more than for him to leave you alone. You didn’t want to refuse Cato’s invitations - he was the choice for a Hunger Games tribute in the near future, and that’d piss off more people than your trickiness could outmaneuver.

Perhaps running through a nearby window would be the best way to avoid him?

…And he’s right in front of you.

You glance behind him, only to see Clove's jaw tighten.

Fuck.

An invite.

“That's all he wanted?” Catelyn teases as you make your way to the place where Cato always invited you after sparring practice.

It wasn't like the two of you were going to be alone. It was a tradition for the top contenders for this year's Hunger Games to engage in a few… adult activities before the Reaping occurred. This way, the two tributes shipped off could get to enjoy a little bit of adulthood before heading to the Capital.

It wasn't anything too awful, just some cheap booze and a few blunts to pass around. Any people that passed you all by would simply look the other way - who'd want to risk being harassed by a group of teenagers?

You didn't usually partake beyond a few sips from some cheap bottle of booze - someone needed to carry Catelyn home, after all.

When the two of you slip behind a pair of buildings, a few boys around Cato's age wave you over.

“Let's get this over with.” You grumble, hoping to spend this evening without uncomfortably resting in Cato's arms.

You failed.

Horrendously.

When you arrived, Cato threw an arm around you and hasn't let you go since. You're tempted to drink more so you don't remember what he's said or done, but seeing your friend nearly face plant into a campfire has you rethinking that decision.

As if matters couldn't get any worse, Clove arrived just in time to see Cato place a kiss on your cheek. She huffs before glaring at the two of you from a fair distance away.

This time, you notice, her glare isn't directed at you.

She's glaring at him.

Catelyn's barely able to stumble forward as you throw an arm around your shoulder. She excitedly points at a lamppost and tries to point at it, but she ends up falling out of your grasp and onto the barren road.

“Catelyn, c’mon,” You try to coax your friend from the ground, but she shakes her head, “We've got to get home before sunrise.”

“Nu-uh!” She slurs, face-down in the pavement.

You sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose until you hear footsteps come from behind you.

“Need some help?”

In all of her brazen glory, your knight-in-shining-armor (a black leather jacket, a plain t-shirt, and blue jeans), Clove, offers to help.

“If you don't mind, I know you might be busy with someone else.” You quietly say as she shakes her head.

“I wanted to take a walk to clear my head, away from everyone else.” She grabs Catelyn from the ground, who whines like a petulant child, before you hoist one of Catelyn’s arms over your shoulder.

Clove does the same, and the three of you walk in silence until a biting question slips off her tongue.

“Do you like Cato?”

“Absolutely not.” The answer leaves your lips before you can refine the words with a bit more thought. “We're friends, sure, but I don't feel anything for him.”

Relief escapes her lips as she takes a deep breath out, then in. She smiles, as do you in return.

“Good, good. I was worried that you were into him.”

“Why?” You stop, which causes Clove to stop.

“I thought- I thought I liked him, but I saw him kissing you and… I didn't like how it made me feel.” She blushes at her honesty as you bite your lip.

“If you like him, Clove, you can have him. I certainly don't want him.”

She harshly laughs before turning to look at you.

“Don't you get it? All of those times that I saw you two together, I thought I was jealous of you. Today, after seeing him draped over you, I realized that I'm jealous of him.”

Her confession leaves you breathless as you pause to consider her words.

She… likes me.

“Clove, I…” It's your turn to get nervous as you try to meet Clove’s unwavering gaze. “I really, really like you too.”

Catelyn, in a moment of drunken clarity, lifts her head up to look at the both of you before loudly sighing.

“Just kiss already, you idiots!” She lets go of the both of you to (not-so) gracefully fall on the ground as your arm finds its way around her.

You lean in to kiss her, before pausing.

“Is this okay?” You mumble, centimeters away from her lips.

A mischievous smile slips onto her face as she answers by kissing you back.

You wouldn't have many nights like this again, but this night would always be special to you.

#fanfic #the hunger games #the hunger games fanfic #the hunger games fluff #the hunger games x reader #x reader #clove kentwell fluff #clove kentwell fanfic #clove kentwell x reader #clove kentwell

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coolfire333 · 2 years

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Ok but the constant mentions of “neo” and “power” in undertale/deltarune are driving me nuts, especially when the two are related to each other. From the regular Spamton neo fight alone we have:

“THIS POWER IS FREEDOM.“

“3X THE [Fire]POWER. 2X THE [Water]POWER”

“LOOK AT THE [Power of NEO]”

“[The Smooth Taste Of] NEO”

“NO!!! NO!!! NE-O!! KRIS!! YOUR [Deal] HAS FAILED!! [NEO] NEVER LOSES!!”

“With a power like that...“

And in the snowgrave fight:

“THANKS TO YOUR [Total Jackass stunts] I HAVE [Becomed] NEO”

“BUT IN A [1 for 1] BATTLE, NEO NEVER LOSES!!!”

“IT'S TIME FOR A LITTLE [Bluelight Specil]. DIDN'T YOU KNOW [Neo] IS FAMOUS FOR ITS HIGH DEFENSE!?”

(YOU WON'T FIND HIGHER ATTACK AND DEFENSE ANYWHERE ELSE!!! THE SMOOTH TASTE OF NEO "WAKE UP AND TASTE THE PAIN".)

(Spamton Neo's ATTACK dropped! Spamton Neo's DEFENSE rose greatly!)

(Spamton NEO recovered HP with Pipis!)

(Spamton NEO's DEFENSE is towering.)

Then more with the Mettaton ex fight:

“Witness the true power of humanity's star!”

(With the last of your power, you posed dramatically. The audience screams.)

Mettaton before the neo fight also brags about his new body, calling it “MY TRUE FORM!”

Swatch also mentions the “power” of the neo form:

“The Lightner filled it with their own hope, giving it an incredible power.”

“And thought he could use its power to fulfill his own twisted dreams.”

Queen has this line:

“She Will Create A Neo Dark Fountain”

And there’s also these two lines from the Jevil fight:

(JEVIL's upcoming move got powered up!)

“THE TRUE AND NEO CHAOS!”

This line Rouxls says before he turns to stone in chapter 2 also very much interests me:

“The REALE power of Rouxls Kaard...!!!”

So much association of the word “power” with being “neo,” whatever being “neo” means. Mettaton neo’s battle theme is even called Power of “NEO,” with neo oddly enough being in quotes, much like how Spamton sometimes (but not always) says "neo” in brackets, and the Japanese translation of BIG SHOT also references Power of “NEO” by being titled Power of [[BIG]].

There’s also the fact that “neo” is mostly written in all caps, but sometimes only the n is capitalized...an odd distinction, and there doesn’t seem to be a clear reason as to why one writing of neo is used over the other at various times.

Sometimes, Spamton even keeps “neo” in all caps in the brackets, which is odd because he doesn’t speak in all capitals for phrases in the brackets, he usually either capitalizes Every First Letter like Queen does or he uses normal caps and punctuation (except for a few times in his neo form and a few times where he uses all caps for one or two words for emphasis before going back to normal capitalization)

The repeated mentioning of the “high attack and defense” of both Mettaton neo and Spamton neo, as well as Spamton neo’s trading of higher attack power for more defense and the ability to heal himself in the weird route is also interesting, especially since this “high attack and defense” seems misleading as Mettaton neo can be killed in one hit, and although Spamton neo is immune to being killed by Kris, he is easily frozen in one turn by Noelle’s spells.

And the way it’s phrased in so many of these instances makes “neo” seem like a noun, like something tangible and not just an adjective for something new and powerful. What is neo in these contexts? What does “neo” exactly mean?

Not related to “neo” or “power” but there’s also these moments from the snowgrave Spamton neo fight, Rouxl’s thrash mashine battle, and in the Mettaton ex fight:

Spamton: “NOT!!!”

Rouxls Kaard: “NOT!!”

Mettaton: “ ...NOT!!!”

Interesting.

Also, has anyone mentioned that Mettaton speaks in all caps in his normal box form? He only uses regular capitalization for sentences during his diary entries and when he becomes Mettaton ex, but at the end of the fight he then switches back to all caps. Mettaton neo never stops using all caps. I still don’t know what all of this means but I feel like that’s worth mentioning.

#deltarune #spamton #mettaton #jevil #deltarune queen #swatch #rouxls kaard #text post #talking #long post

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askfallenroyalty · 1 year

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more details:

Ruler is obvs based on "Flower King," Asgore's shop in deltarune. in this context however, Asgore lives a distance away from everyone else and is raising Ursus there while giving Toriel her space. Chara and Frisk meet up all the time.

For the first couple years after the barrier breaking, Chara would garden with Asgore until their depression hit hard and they began to distance themselves from everyone. Asgore's health declines (hes in his late 50 pre-time skip then ages 2x as fast with 2 boss monster kids) he can't garden out of arthritis and back problems. His garden becomes overgrown and he can't attend to it.

the garden represents a glorified version of childhood. Vibrant, controlled, perfect. Now it's overgrown, forgotten and chaotic. This represents your teenage years, full of change and unpredictablity.

Asgore decides to move closer to Undyne and get a live-in assistant now that Ursus is moving out for culinary school. In doing this, he's selling the land/greenhouse. They're going to tear it apart and replace it, ironically, with a flower shop.

This represents one way to take on adulthood. try to control these new changes through destruction (drugs, alcohol) and through capitalism. (work a shitty job for a shittier boss). Ruler is both destroying the Garden Darkworld to make money and to rule over them with a iron fist. (Or gold, lol!)

So the goal throughout darkworld is to help save the flower workers as well as the land they live in which, even without the construction worker's efforts, was already falling apart from the overgrowth. so we have a mix of flowers, wildlife, disrepaired garden items, and now construction tools. nature vs. heavy machinery vibes.

petunias represent either "anger and resentment" or "spend time with me" depending on the relationship you have with the recipient. In case of ruler, they hate them. with the party, its devotion. black petunias either mean death/bad luck or strength/individuality (fitting for the gloomy workers)

augh. thinking on it, i'm going have to make ruler more Crown/royal looking. better to contrast them with their flower subjects and show they're a force against nature rather than a part of it. that's going to be a toughie to design, as the crown only has 2 colors.

anyway i think it'd be cool to have Ruler represent the royal line and it's greed/corruption and how that connects to adulthood. (still relevant to Suzy as she was raised by snotty political humans) Raine would at first try to work alongside Ruler and convince them to have better policies but will realize it's a lost cause and they need to overthrow them. I'm thinking Monsterkid could act as a Birdly role, someone who isn't part of the party and even acts as an antagonist.

I'm not sure how exactly the darkworld stuff starts or ends tho. obvs Chara stops Asgore from selling the garden and Chara gets the wrong lesson from the journey (let the timeline loop forever). but after the main story the garden becomes a public space thats attended to by the community. uh. maybe Raine takes it over as well, showcasing them as the next true ruler.

The message being you can work alongside with the chaotic changes of life. instead of a small, cultivated greenhouse, you have an outdoor, open garden that accepts the local wild life rather than fighting against it.

That said about the actual characters of the darkworld 😰idk yet. i'm worried for them...

#rewrite #darkworld

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wifegideonnav · 7 months

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hello! are you listening to any podcasts right now? and if so, which?

hi! im in a total podcast slump rn to be completely honest 😭 i keep trying to listen to mabel and then flaming out. im gonna get there eventually tho!! I also wanna give i am in eskew and the silt verses another shot, although neither grabbed me the first time i tried listening.

also you didn’t really ask but im going to take this opportunity to recommend all my favorite podcasts:

wolf 359: sci-fi comedy about a group of people and a sentient ai stuck on a space ship 7.5 light years from earth. capitalism is evil. aliens are real. there’s a plant monster in the air ducts. if you haven’t listened go listen rn. it takes a bit to get going but once it does it’s so fucking good.

the adventure zone: balance: mcelroy dnd podcast. it’s all dick jokes and shenanigans right up until you’re crying. my pro tip is to listen to it on 1.5-2x speed.

the magnus archives: this was the first podcast i properly got into and it will always have a special place in my heart. horror anthology with an overarching plot. martin blackwood i love you.

king falls am: i struggle to actually rec this podcast bc of how problematic it is at times and how it’s unfinished (bc of infighting among the creators lmaoo). however if you’re willing to wade thru sporadic racism and sexism, stupid overarching plots, and general tasteless jokes, it’s got a genuinely great cast of characters and a super fun vibe. it’s night vale but there are two radio hosts, a believer and a skeptic. the town is super wacky, it’s really funny, and it’s got a delightful cast of quirky background characters. plus a musical episode. lily wright i love you.

directive: super short sci-fi about a man charged with taking care of the sleeping/hibernating passengers on a long haul space flight with only an ai for company. don’t wanna say more than that, you should just go listen for yourself. it’s quite good, made me cry, and you can knock it out in an afternoon.

shoutout to welcome to night vale as well though everyone already knows about that one.

also shoutout to lexicon valley (rip) and my brother my brother and me, my favorite nonfiction podcasts

anyway if any of these sound interesting (to anyone!) im happy to say more about them!!

#asks

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straightfromthetorturedpoetsdept · 1 month

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i just find all the critiques that vegans have about the meat industry apply 2x as hard for the agriculture industry because real life humans are being harmed in the latter industry and it's super frustrating to hear someone go on and on and on about the "evils of meat production" and "capitalism" while they're eating a pb and j banana sandwich in january in north america. it makes the critique ring so much more hollow when you can tell they don't actually give a fuck about food exploitation under capitalism, they just want to feel morally superior about their eating choices.

#personal #vegans #(derogatory)#food morality

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notfinancialadvice · 10 months

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Good morning to something I have know for years and am dealing with but is still annoying.

"Escrow" is essentially a buffer account.

Let's say you have a mortgage or loan for a house or condo or a section of production shop floor in a small factory.

You pay insurance and property taxes annually. The penalty for not paying these is severe penalties in the short term between "you didn't pay yet" and "okay, you have now paid."

The penalty for not paying at all is catastrophic -- best case scenario, a freeze is held on the ownership, worse case... your building burns to the ground and you don't have insurance so you're just... no longer a building owner.

"Escrow" is a clever financial solution.

Let's say your property taxes and insurance, total, is $1200/year, which can be divided into $100/month.

Let's say your mortgage payment is $900/month.

Convenient for math purposes, this is now an easy-to-calculate $1,000/month total.

So every month you write a check for $1,000 and the bank says "Great. We'll take $900 and apply this to your mortgage, and shove $100 into a special account. When the property tax bill is due, we will pay it via this account. When the insurance is due, we will pay it from this account. You don't have to worry about either."

And you say:

"Wow that's damn convenient. Because you are taking care of it and you're a bank and thus are regulated ten billion ways, I don't ever have to worry about this. Being late costs a fair chunk of cash and opens up the possibility of life-ruining catastrophe."

And banks say say:

"We won't even charge you for this service. It's totally free! It's part of us handling your mortgage."

And you say:

"What a weird way to put that? Because if I have a high-yield FDIC insured savings account that I touch twice a year, you would give me {as of this writing} an average of 4%. So. You would be paying me."

And banks say say:

"That is correct but this is different because this is a service we offer. This is a free service."

And you say:

"This doesn't feel like a free service... it feels like... you're holding my money, like you normally do with a savings account, but with that... you pay me... and with this... I... get nothing? You offer savings accounts, paying customers, because this gives you the capital to lend money, which makes you a lot of profit. Like. A lot. Of profit."

And banks say say:

"That is correct also you cannot touch this money. Besides, how much is 4% anyway? We're only holding a rolling $1,000 in this example from Not Financial Advice Tumblr, clearly indicating this is not financial advice."

And Not Financial Advice Tumblr says:

"Okay, well, a 4% daily compound interest rate held for 30 years would be $1000 base + $2,319.90 ($3,319.90 total) in generated interest. I would profit 232%. That's an over simplification because you are taking payments out 2x annually, but even so that is--"

Calculator used on this post: investor.gov

And banks say say:

"But we do this automatically for you. We don't even charge you for making 2-3 payments a year from your money automatically, for your insurance, and your property tax, which may be processed annually or bi-annually. That is up to 3 checks! That aren't even hand written they are electronically drafted!"

And Not Financial Advice Tumblr Author says:

"Sure, but if we use the adjusted-for-inflation return of a 30-year stock market average portfolio from 1992-2021, we get an even higher 7.3%? Which on a rolling $1,000 base would be a profit of $7,933.26 ($8,933.26 total), so a nearly 700% profit?! COULD YOU AT LEAST GIVE ME SOMETHING? LIKE -- SOMETHING?!?!"

Source: Motley Fool

And banks say say:

"You can write a blog article on a social media platform about it once. And -- again -- we don't mean to rub this in, but we're not charging you for this service."

And Not Financial Advice Tumblr Author says:

"Thanks. This is another lesson on how financial literacy helps understand why and how the world works, and is further evidence that institutions are going to make money in all situations, no matter what. That's... something... I guess. Because the more we understand how money works, the better choices we can make in our daily lives to build and protect, and voting booth decisions to shape and protect."

#escrow #money #how money works #aging tumblr population

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k-eepbreath · 29 days

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Segunda carta de mim para mim mesma.

25.03.2024

Há aproximadamente 6 anos atrás eu escrevi uma carta para mim mesma, aqui neste mesmo blog.

6 anos depois posso dizer que muita coisa mudou, mas muita coisa continua surpreendente igual. Eu mudei de casa 3x nos últimos 6 anos, 2x de profissão, 1x de cidade e estado e encontrei a pessoa que acredito que posso passar o resto da minha vida. Mas ao mesmo tempo, me sinto supreendentemente igual, em tantos aspectos, a pessoa que escreveu o texto de 2018.

Eu ainda levo a vida muito a sério. Tudo ainda parece definitivo demais. Eu ainda sou irritantemente responsável e ainda sigo me privando de viver tanta coisa.

O que mais me difere da minha versão de 2018, pelo menos no recorte de mim mesma que eu optei por fazer no texto, é a desilusão. Há 6 anos eu confiava demais nesse tal de processo e em mim. Eu ainda confio. Eu ainda acho que eu sou um projeto que vai dar certo. Inclusive, se eu fosse uma empresa na bolsa de valores, me consideraria um microcap. Mas o processo me decepcionou.

A minha versão de 2018 tinha uma visão glamourizada do mercado, de SP, do amor e da vida, mas cada vez mais me sinto correndo atrás do vento. A régua da excelência é inatingível. Quanto mais você corre atrás dela, mais longe de você ela está, pois maiores os desafios que você encontra. Você se mata de trabalhar pra ser um sólido 6. “No meu tempo, um advogado nível 5 tocava 10 operações e não dormia.” Bullshit. E assim faliu o capitalismo dos anos 90. É como se eu competisse com o fantasma de um advogado ideal, seja um advogado que eu criei na minha cabeça ou que meu chefe tem na cabeça dele com base no corporate early 2000. Quando eu olho em volta, as pessoas estão tão aquém de tais expectativas e mesmo da minha entrega, que concluo que esse advogado não existe ou que está sendo mais bem pago em outro lugar.

A proatividade também já não sei mais se é amiga ou inimiga. Me abriu muitas portas? Abriu. Posso confiantemente dizer que a proatividade me trouxe até aqui. Bem aqui, no coração de SP. Onde eu ganho mais e mais trabalho. Mais e mais cobrança. Mais e mais expectativa. Mais e mais sobrecarga. Mais e mais trabalho inútil, que ninguém quer. Mais e mais exaustão.

2 anos praticamente sem férias. Lutando pra subir na cadeia alimentar e pra chegar no topo, mas quanto mais alto eu subo, maior o alvo nas minhas costas. Aliás, o que é esse cheiro que sinto ao subir os degraus? Mirei no Jo Malone e acertei no cheiro de… açougue? Grandes moedores de carne humana extraem até a última gota de mais-valia e vontade de viver enquanto vendem o sonho da ascensão social e da meritocracia.

E por falar em meritocracia, vamos falar do quão medíocre você pode ser se você for um homem branco. Eu cresci querendo ser uma girl boss. Mas hoje vejo mulheres extremamente brilhantes sendo silenciadas por homens bem medianos que, 5 minutos depois, repetem as ideias delas como se deles fossem e “salvam a reunião”. E o pior é que nem sempre parece intencional ou má-fé. Existe um pacto narcísico da masculinidade, um teto de vidro que, para ser rompido, você precisa trabalhar twice as hard pra ainda assim ter que enfrentar esse tipo de bullshitagem no seu dia a dia.

Me revoltei. Hoje 24.03.2024, me sinto com muita raiva e aprisionada nesse castelo de areia que eu mesma construí pra mim. Me lembro quando sonhei em viver a vida que eu tenho hoje. Por um lado, não posso reclamar. 26 anos, jovem, bonita e saudável, me mantendo num bairro nobre da capital paulista e trabalhando no centro capitalista brasileiro não é pra qualquer um. É só que, de repente, tudo parece tão vazio.

Me pego pensando em ser mãe. No final do ano passado, a ideia começou a me ocorrer, pensando no longo prazo - algo daqui uns 10 anos, talvez? Ser mãe nunca foi algo que sonhei ou fantasiei. Sempre disse que nunca queria ter filhos, embora sempre pensasse que eventualmente eu seria, sim, mãe. Mas é que nunca foi algo que eu fantasiei sobre ou desejei de fato, só algo que eu achei que aconteceria enquanto curso natural da vida e da maturidade. Mas foi aos 25 que decidi que congelarei meus óvulos aos 29 para não me sentir refém do tempo. Entretanto, em face da perspectiva da maternidade que remotamente se aproxima, me pego também tendo que fazer uma escolha perversa: ser uma girl boss e uma mãe ausente? Ser uma mãe presente e sofrer assédio moral e ser penalizada financeiramente por não “morrer de trabalhar”? Ser uma eterna mãe de pet? Nenhuma opção parece boa o suficiente pra mim.

Eu quero mais da vida. Eu quero estabilidade. Quero me sentir realizada no trabalho, mas não quero morrer por ele. Não PRECISO ser a melhor. Ser muito boa é o suficiente, desde que tenha condições financeiras para realizar os meus sonhos e tempo e saúde para vivê-los. Ser o melhor envolve dinheiro, politicagem e abrir mão de tantos, TANTOS outros aspectos da vida pra que o trabalho se desenvolva de forma tão impecável. Impecável. Sem pecado. Que não apresenta falhas. Correto. Exige um nível surreal de energia que, para ser empregado no trabalho, precisa ser redirecionado de outras áreas da vida. É matemático. Como todos os demais recursos do universo, também é finita a energia. É justo que quem tem estômago para fazê-lo receba tal reconhecimento. Só não é pra mim.

Me lembro quanto no auge da imaturidade dizia, com desdém, ter asco da estabilidade. E era verdade. Cada sílaba (es-ta-bi-li-da-de) tinha gosto de desprezo na minha boca. Disse com todas as letras não querer. E cá estou hoje, desejando - pasme - o que meus pais sempre quiseram pra mim. Aos 21 anos eu concluí que não se pode fugir de quem se é. Aos 26, me parece que não se pode fugir de quem seus pais te moldaram pra ser.

O que será que pensarei aos 30 e onde estarei lá? Acho que, pela primeira vez, não sei dizer. Stay tunned.

Com amor, G.

#gabicabralg1234 #tgcg

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freifraufischer · 10 months

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GIGA Pro Gymnastics has updated their website with among other things a bunch of quotes from gymnasts. I am presenting them here because I think the totality of how little copy editing they've done in how they've represented the words of these young women reflects on the professionalism of GIGA and how capable they are of representing the best interests of these athletes.

But it gets worse... because their website is dynamic in that they've fixed some of these quotes... but only on desk top.

And these people want to run a major media platform for this sport!

I want to stress I am in no way making fun of the athletes for these quotes. We have no idea under what circumstances they gave them... but this ... this is bad. The text represents the worst of the two (mobile) though Danusia Francis' name is misspelled in both.

“I am beyond excited to hear about a pro league for gymnastics. I hop [sic] this means we will see more amazing gymnasts competing in the sport they love for longer periods of time.” --Trinity Thomas - USA; 2018 Pan American Champion; 4x National Team Member; NCAA Champion, U of Florida

“When I first heard about the Pro League I thought it was a really exciting step for women’s gymnastics. Finally having the platform to showcase our talents alongside the worlds [sic] best whilst promoting the sport we all love, it’s a big game changer and I can’t wait to see how it comes together.” --Becky Downie - Great Britain; 2008 and 2016 Olympian and 3X European Champion

“I think the GIGA Pro League is a great opportunity for all female gymnasts to show people how beautiful our sport is. And to get everybody internationally involved.” --Eythora Thorsdottir - Netherlands, 2X Olumpian [sic], 4X European Championships medalist, record holder for the highest Olympic All Around finish for femail [sic] Dutch gymnasts

“I think the gymnastics pro league is brilliant. many [sic] girls are devasted [sic] when they have to leave gymnastics behind after so many years. Continuing that journey will be incredible and a dream come true for many in the sport.” --Derrian Gobourne - USA gymnast. NCAA National Champion and 2x National NCAA runner up at Auburn

“I’m overly excited for GIGA - a revolutionary step for the sport. This opportunity gives hig-level [sic] gymnasts the platform to monetize their craft - something they have been perfecting since they were just able to walk. To finally see positive change in our sport is exuberating, and it provides inspiration and hope for the next generation.” --Nia Dennis, NCAA National Champion and All American at UCLA, and former USA Gymnastics National Team Member

“Gymnastics has always been an anomaly in the sense that we peak when we’re in our teens, anything close to pro-meaning elite- is worlds apart to be made in the sport, and after college there is nowhere to look to continue to grow in the sport…” --Katelyn Ohashi - USA; 4x National Team Member; NCAA National Champion, UCLA; 6x NCAA All-American

“The Pro-League will be a great opportunity for the female athletes involved to capitalize on their hard work. It’s brilliant for the fans to see so many of their favourite gymnasts in one place, and it’s fantastic for the sport in terms of exposure and pushing the boundaries of creativity!” --Danusia Frances [sic] - Great Britain/Jamaica; 2012 & 2020 Olympian; Former UCLA Gymnast

“Professional Gymnastics is an amazing opportunity to continue the sport post college and even prior too. Being able to watch high level athletes compete across the world is a huge accomplishment in women [sic] sports & will be a game changer in the sport of gymnastics!” --Olivia Trautman - USA; Former National Team Member; NCAA National Champion, U of Oklahoma

“I think this is a great opportunity for female women to be empowered and rewarded for their hard work and commitment to this sport! Different experiences like this give new exciting opportunities for these athletes to stay involved and enjoy the sport in new ways.” --Ellie Black - Canada; 2012, 2016, 2020 Olympian

#gymnastics #giga pro gym

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tradedmiami · 4 months

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SALE IMAGE: Corey Schwartz, Dan Weinstein, Juda Hersh, Anthony Scavo & Cody Brais DATE: 12/22/2023 ADDRESS: 14605 49th Street MARKET: Clearwater ASSET TYPE: Industrial BUYER: Basis Industrial (@BasisIndustrial) - Dan Weinstein & Anthony Scavo SELLER: Hersh Equity Group (@HershEquity) - Juda Hersh (@Flwarehouseguy) & Corey Schwartz BROKER: Cody Brais (@Cody_Brais) - JLL (@JLL) SALE PRICE: $6,750,000 SF: 44,562 ~ PPSF: $151 NOTE FROM SELLER: H.E.G. strategically acquired this small-bay asset 25 months ago for $3.65M. Through the successful execution of our value-add game plan, including approximately $750k in capital improvements, we achieved a remarkable 51% internal rate of return (IRR) and over a 2X equity multiple for our valued investors. For inquiries on future investment opportunities or discussions regarding investment sales, kindly reach out to [email protected] #Miami #RealEstate #tradedmia #MIA #TradedPartner #Clearwater #Industrial #CodyBrais #HershEquityGroup #JudaHersh #CoreySchwartz #BasisIndustrial

#Miami #RealEstate #tradedmia #MIA #TradedPartner #Clearwater #Industrial #CodyBrais #HershEquityGroup #JudaHersh #CoreySchwartz #BasisIndustrial

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crystalelemental · 9 months

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Pokemon Masters - Field and Sprint Sync

With the introduction of two new sync types, Field and Sprint, there are a lot of opinions about this. Are they worth it over the previous three? Are there niche uses where they’re superior picks? Will they retroactively adjust the sync type of older pairs to fit these? The answer to that last one is no, but boy do I wish it were yes, because to vaguely answer the others...there are definitely improvements that could be made.

Field Sync Field syncs, as described, “Implements the following field effect just before the user’s sync move is used the first time each battle. Extends the field effect duration only that time.”

Essentially, it applies the multiplicative field effect associated with the sync type. We have only one pair in Victor, but he sets the stage and understanding of the skill. Damage is set at 250-300 BP, which is equivalent to Support or Strike. Because the sync only hits single-target, it’s more associated with a Support sync. However, given Victor’s stats, Field seems to operate as the midpoint between Strike and Support. They exist to deal damage, not to tank or offer significant support, but their sync lacks spread damage in exchange for longer lasting field effects.

Field syncs support Dual Strike. One striker is the field effect setter, while the other is likely an EX Striker or Tech to finish the job. Field syncs benefit most from good gauge control, and high BP moves. They have little direct use for the damage from their sync, although on single-target, it can be made meaningful. Their positive is, in absence of a manual Tech supplying the effect, the Field effect is superior to an EX Support. Support gives two sync buffs for 2x damage. Field gives one sync buff for 1.5x, but the field effect is multiplicative for 2.25x damage. They are, in essence, and alternative to Support/Tech/Striker comps. The downside is that, if you have manual field effect setting, Support EX is far superior, providing a constant 2x, and the manual field effect is now 3x damage, and can be set more than once.

The other factor to be considered is that, as a Field effect of their associated sync type, they are hard locked to being partnered with similar types. This isn’t unusual, but it’s distinct from Tech in that, instead of disruptive effects like debuffs or whatever, their emphasis is pure damage. Victor really is not good at debuffing, or at supporting buffs. He has some mild potential, suggesting future Fields may work that way, but at present it doesn’t seem likely.

So the question is, what distinguishes a good Field from a good Striker or Support?

In my estimation, good gauge management and high DPS. Using examples of who would love or hate being changed to field, let’s consider Leon. Leon’s sync is terrible, it offers next to nothing. But his DPS is extraordinary, and he has a Max Move to boot. Switching Leon to Field would be a dream come true. The spread damage is borderline useless, but extended Sun that’s applied to his already massive damage? Now that’s gold. This is what Victor does well: Max Move as a follow-up is very nice. Another option is Clair. She has no use for this spread damage, but setting Dragon Zone? Now that’s all three effects - Rain, Paralysis, and Dragon Zone - in one set, for her impressive DPS.

A bad adjustment to field would be considered for someone like Caitlin. Caitlin’s DPS is not especially noteworthy, hitting okay damage but nothing impressive. Caitlin relies on the power of her spread sync to deal significant damage in such modes, the Field effect taking over would not be a worthwhile trade, because she doesn’t have the DPS to capitalize on it. This is what Victor does poorly: Shadow Ball is unimpressive DPS, so unless Victor can finish the job with Max Move, he’s going to have a rough time. Caitlin is somewhat notable for on-type, but that’s...never ideal.

Sprint Sync Sprint syncs, as described, reduces the sync cooldown by 3 after its first sync. This one is much more straightforward. From Nemona as the example, we know this is rebranded Tech. It holds a lower sync power of 200-240 BP, but has a natural conditional like Tech that boosts the damage. Instead of 1.5x power from EX, you get -3 cooldown.

The good of this is fast-ramping meta. This has been the meta for a long, long time, but now we’re really leaning into it. The downside is this comes at the cost of the raw power of a Tech. Whether this is a good or bad trade depends on the level of overkill.

Consider, for example, something like SC Zinnia. Zinnia is ridiculously powerful. Even off-type, her sync just obliterates a target. Zinnia is so absurdly powerful that she could give up the EX and still deal fantastic damage. She’s the kind of pair that would not mind the trade to Sprint at all. Good DPS and an overkill sync is the recipe for sacrificing some of that overkill power for fast-ramping.

By contrast, consider Lodge Lillie. Lodge Lillie was a pain to me, because prior to EX, she would consistently miss critical KOs on her sync, even on-type. The added power was essential to success. Removing that power for -3 cooldown is not at all a positive trade.

I’m still on the fence about pairs like Lucian, who have overkill syncs, but has literally zero DPS to back it up, so you need that overkill to avoid problems. I’m tempted to say you really want the DPS for this to work well.

Nemona herself, then, is a mixed back. Two uses of a powerful Buddy move is nice, but Thunderpunch is atrocious, and whether she’s able to fully overwhelm a target with what she has will determine overall effectiveness.

Something that’s interesting about this sync type is that the -3 occurs at first sync, and can be used at any time. Meaning, fast-ramp toward second sync could be delayed to fast-ramp toward third. Nemona herself offers possibilities to fast-ramp on first sync, letting an EX Support lead, then using her own to fast-ramp again. Alternatively, this fast-ramp? Very effective with extended terrain. Nemona herself is an interesting partner to SS Hau, since the double fast-ramp can actually achieve two syncs under Terrain, with Hau resetting Terrain at 3/5 and maintaining a ton of pressure. Note: extended field effects is the literal function of Field. A Field sync setting extended terrain into fast-ramping Sprint is a valid solution that keeps pressure up, provided DPS on the two are significant.

Meta Implications Based on what we see in the first iteration, these new sync types are challengers to the dominance of Strike and Tech...but do nothing to Support. Support EX actually works just as well with these two types, powering up their otherwise weaker syncs and follow-up DPS to the best level they can achieve. While they seem designed to bypass Support EX syncs, they can also work with them, depending on the rest of the kit.

Field has it a little worse. There is significant competition for this role with the myriad Techs that have come out in the last year and a half. When field effect is already present, and applicable more than once, Field struggles. Gauntlet and High Score in particular feel very difficult for Field to break into; the one application, even with extension, just isn’t long enough. Moreover, their entire existence relies on you not clicking off the No Weather/Terrain/Zone Change effect in CS, which is my favorite one to check off. So many supports with middling defensive profiles suddenly become incredible when you turn off Offenses +5, and that’s out the window with Field pairs. They rely on sturdier tanks, and harder hitting DPS allies.

Sprint feels like it’s in a position to be the stealth winner here, even compared to Strike and Tech. If you’re familiar with Zinfogel’s playstyle, you’re familiar with how Head Start 1 lucky skill is consistently posited as a better solution for fast-ramping than Crit Strike 2. The damage is actually more significant from a single fast-ramp, than the consistency of the 20% bonus to all damage. Sprint pairs, especially if given other fast-ramping measures, are even more efficient. The tradeoff for them is that you absolutely must get a quad queue, or an immediate denial, in order to successfully fast-ramp to next sync. -3 gets you exactly as far as just Adrenaline 1. You need -4 for it to matter. This could mean instead of everything running Head Start 1, you could see Sprint pairs running Adrenaline 1 as a lucky skill to ensure that ramp. While it’s a smaller burst than the permanent 2x of Support EX and the temporary 2.25x of Field, Sprint is about stacking permanent 50% faster than most comps. But it’s mercifully unhindered by anything in the current meta. While the sync effect is somewhat limited, there is nothing in CS parameters that impact their functioning, a sufficient baseline sync still trucks Gauntlet just as well, and even High Score may wind up being made easier here thanks to having more buffs under your belt.

So in my personal estimation? Field looks like it could be fun, and I adore field effects, so I’m really excited to try them even if they wind up being sub-par. But Sprint feels like it’s a type that could add significant depth to the game, provided their sync is able to keep up with what it needs. In both cases, I feel like DPS is becoming more significant. Which I agree with. I don’t like the old EX Striker sync meta, where the entire goal was just getting to first sync and exploding a stage. I’ve come to really like DPS. So I think, having looked over it all...I’m in favor. Welcome aboard, Field and Sprint.

#pokemon masters #field sync #sprint sync

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