#well. no i don't. i don't remember the date...or even the general time frame...but i remember how ecstatic i got!!! :D

[pandorasprongs]

JAMIE TARTT | and i don't even like you that much. wait, i do. f*ck.

PAIRING: jamie tartt x fem!reader

WORD COUNT: 5.8k

SUMMARY: jamie is actually a board game nerd and starts spending more time with one of the employees of a local shop.

WARNINGS: language

A/N: this idea came to me as someone asked me if i wanted to buy another volume of a board game we had HAHA if you can figure out what game i'm referring to in this story, hmu! alsooo i want to apologize for the length i swear i didn't mean for it to get that long, but still, i hope you all enjoy! title is from the song 'apple cider' by beabadoobee!

It was another slow morning in the store, given that most of your frequent customers were forced to be in school at this time. You ended up continuing one of the readings for your class during your shift. Despite a wave of drowsiness hitting you the moment you opened the book, it was still better having free time to be tired than the afternoon rush when 13-year-old boys came in to get another booster pack of Magic: The Gathering cards.

You were practically setting all these children up for a gambling addiction the way they'd spend 20 pounds trying to get one of those shiny ones in their deck. You never bothered to learn the names really, because that wasn't part of your job description. When it came to those kinds of things, those boys probably knew more than you did.

When it came to board games though, that was your area of expertise. It was partly one of the reasons you applied to work here while you were finishing up your Master's, — and also because of how generous the owner was with your salary, — so you always loved helping people out for their board game nights. You didn't have regulars that would come in often, but here and there, there would be a person you recognize from before asking about another game.

You don't know how much time had passed, but after deciding that your brain could no longer take reading the word cognitive multiple times in a sentence, you end up shutting the book and resting your head on the counter.

Soon after though, you hear the bell at the top of the door ring, causing you to jolt up. You only catch a glimpse of the guy walking towards you before he drops his head, his cap completely blocking his face, and a loose black hoodie covering his frame.

For a second, you get worried that the store was about to get robbed but the man finally stops in front of you and speaks, in a thick Mancunian accent. "Do you have any suggestions for board games? Like for family and stuff,"

You swear you've heard his voice before. Maybe from school? Or a former customer? You decide to shake it off before replying. "Well, this is a board game store, so there's quite a lot to pick from. Do you have any specific theme in mind? How many players?"

"There'll be 3 of us, but I'm not really picky with the game. Not any of those monopoly type shit though, cause I'm sick of never winning."

You chuckle at the revelation and that's what gets the man to look up at you. It definitely wasn't his appearance he was worried about. His chiseled jaw and striking blue eyes almost draw you in, not to mention his hairstyle looks eerily like the one David Beckham had in the 90s, who you had to admit was a crush of yours as a kid. He could even pass as a contestant on one of those dating reality shows.

And then it hits you where you've heard his voice before. This guy was on Lust Conquers All and was immediately voted off. You remember it well because your sister was so pissed at him for joining the show since the football season had just started. Jamie something, but the show never mentioned his last name. You try to hide your realization by turning to the shelf behind you.

"Alright uh, I’d recommend this one." You turn back around and slide it across the counter as Jamie (?) starts looking at the box from all angles.

"Looks cool," is all he says in reply and he looks back at you, presumably for you to explain the game. You tuck a piece of hair behind your ear before going on your usual introduction to the game.

"Basically in the game, there are 4 characters you can choose to be your 'heroes.' Your main objective is to get your opponent's health to 0 using the different cards in your set. All the characters have different decks and skills you can use throughout the game, and some of them even have side kicks." You look back up for a second to see his expression and you can tell that you're still holding his interest.

"So for example in the one I gave you, you can battle Sinbad, Medusa, King Arthur, and Alice, who's fucking amazing, by the way."

"Alice? From fucking Wonderland?" You laugh at his surprise before nodding to affirm it. "She's your favorite then?"

"How'd you know?" You ask sarcastically. "But yeah, she's just really versatile and it's just really fun to shrink and grow every turn just to piss off the other players. I'm practically unbeatable using her." You admit though you're not really sure why.

Most of the time when customers come in here for a game, they don't ask questions and just buy the first one you suggest. That’s probably why you answered Jamie's question so earnestly. Cause he's the first one to ever ask you what you liked about the game.

You quickly run through the rest of the rules and mechanics of the game with Jamie chiming in occasionally. You describe the other editions as well and Jamie is tempted to buy the other one — "How is anyone supposed to beat fucking Dracula?" — before he ultimately decides to take home the one you offered.

"If I end up losing using Alice, you owe me a refund." He states as you ring up the game. You playfully roll your eyes as you scan the barcode on the box.

"Oh yeah, since you're the first customer of the day, you get a 7% discount on your purchase," you quickly inform him when you glance at the post-it note on the register screen reminding you about it in bold letters.

Instead of the usual gratefulness or blip of happiness from hearing that news, Jamie instead asks, "Is that really a thing or are you doing it because you know who I am?"

You look at him to check if he's serious and given his blank look, you assume he is. You don't know how to respond to that, so instead you just slowly shake your head.

"Wait, do you not know who I am?" His question itself comes off as arrogant, but given the genuine surprise in your voice, you're not sure how to feel about the guy after he says it.

You decide to answer him honestly. "I do, but given that you walked in here in clothes that make you look like a stalker who's about to rob the place, I didn't think you'd want me to make a big fuss about it, Jamie."

His shoulders seem to relax at your statement and once he goes quiet, he finally pulls out his wallet. You quickly place the game in a paper bag and hand it over to him.

He whispers a quick thanks and turns to leave, before pausing. He turns back to you, "Look, it's not like I'm dressed this way because I'm embarrassed to be in a store like this—"

"I didn't think you were," you answer blankly with a hint of sarcasm. You decide to mess with the guy a little bit because hey, when's the next time a famous footballer comes into your store again? "Why, is there something I should be embarrassed about?"

Jamie quickly shakes his head. "No, fuck no! I think it's cool, really. You know, being surrounded by all these games and cards and knowing so much about them. Especially someone like you,"

You tilt your head in amusement. "What do you mean someone like me?" Jamie's embarrassment only seems to deepen at that.

"Fuck I didn't mean it like that. Honestly, when I came in here, I was expecting some teenage boy to be at the counter. Wait no— I mean, girls can like all this stuff too! I just didn't expect someone attr—," he stops himself and shakes his head. "Shit, wait,"

You watch Jamie scramble for words and you decide to just put an end to his misery. "Look, look, I was just joking around. I don't give that much of a shit about what you said." The football player visibly relaxes and you hold in a laugh at that reaction. "And you're basically right about the kind of people who work here. Most of my co-workers can't work these hours right now 'cause they're off studying for their A-Levels."

"Yeah, well thank you for this," Jamie lifts the bag slightly and you give him a genuine smile.

"No problem. Hope you enjoy the game! And if you ever feel compelled to dress like a shitty robber again, you can come back and tell me what you think." Your sarcasm no longer throws Jamie off who instead, just playfully rolls his eyes and leaves the store.

You go back to your reading for your behavioral science class, putting your interaction with the football player in the back of your mind.

—

The next time you see Jamie is two weeks later, although this time, he comes in right before closing. Technically, you weren't the only one assigned for this shift, but you decided to let your co-worker go home early since he said he had an English exam the next day and still hadn't studied.

So, you were counting down the minutes to 8 pm when you hear someone come inside. Fucking hell. You force a smile, "Hi, welcome! We'll be closing in a few minutes, but please approach me if you need anything so you can have a speedier process."

"Are you really that desperate to get rid of me?" The person moves away from the shelves and turns out to be Jamie Tartt, you learn his last name is. He's wearing another grey hoodie but seems to have decided to ditch his hat. Good, because you weren't sure how much longer you could stare at the ICON written on it and not judge him. "I wanna know, did you think offering to help the customer would get them out of here quicker?"

"I had to try something," you defend yourself, shrugging. You notice Jamie carrying the bag you used to wrap the board game and slightly frown. "Didn't like the game?"

He follows your eyes and is quick to correct you. "I loved it, actually. First time playing a board game that Simon didn't win during the first round." You aren't sure who Simon is, but you laugh nonetheless. "And you're right, Alice is fucking unbeatable."

"I'm glad you liked it, and Alice," you start, but then glance at the time on your phone. "But, is that the only reason you came here?"

"Well no, I was wondering if you wanted to play. That's why I came so late, in case there would be too many people if I came at the usual time."

"Yeah, there was a fuck ton, actually, as you can tell from the fully stocked store." You say, pretending to look around the room. "But sure, if you want. I don't have anything going on tomorrow anyway," Now you're really glad that you didn't procrastinate that paper due tonight.

Jamie smiles as he starts to unbox the set and you grab one of the chairs behind the counter and push it to the other side for the footballer.

Never did you imagine you would spend a Saturday night with a hot football player playing one of your favorite board games, but here you were. In between one of the rounds, the topic of football is brought up and you admit that you don't know all that much about it despite your family being made up of fanatics.

"Everyone has their team they support. My dad loves Arsenal, my mum loves Chelsea, and my sister bounces between West Ham and Crystal Palace. Though, she fucking hates Rupert Mannion, so maybe this is the end of her West Ham support." You answer as you shuffle Jamie's deck.

"Shit, the season must be fun for you guys," Jamie remarks and you snort, though instantly regretting letting that sound out. The football player looks unfazed, so you decide not to apologize for it and answer his question instead.

"Yeah, I basically end up being their messenger till the finals, which ends up becoming World War 3 if their teams are competing," you hand him his deck back and start the round, but your conversation doesn't end there.

"What team would you support then, if you got into football?" He looks hopefully at you.

"Yours, probably." You confirm as you look through your first hand of cards. "I mean, I'm about to destroy one of their players at this game. It's the least I can do."

"We'll see about that," Jamie replies and you roll your eyes playfully, but you smile.

Working at the store meant you were surrounded by board game fans every day, but not even your regulars would come in here after your shift to play. You couldn't help but feel warm at how Jamie matched your enthusiasm about the game, something, you admit, you didn't expect from the player. You knew nothing would probably come from this harmless happy crush of yours, but if he decided to start coming in often to play, you wouldn't be opposed to it.

Your attention turns back to the game once Jamie picks his next move. He smirks at his decision until his expression suddenly shifts. "Wait, if you're not into football, how'd you know who I was the other day?"

You move your piece before looking directly into Jamie's eyes and respond, "I just really love trashy reality shows." Jamie playfully groans at the reminder and you burst into laughter before you continue the game.

True to form, whichever of the two of you uses Alice is the one to win that round. You finally decide on a tie-breaker with your favorite being banned from usage.

"Christ, if this is how you maneuver in a board game, I wonder how good you are at football." You tease, as you glance at his character being at only 4HP.

"I'm fucking amazing, actually. Ask your family, they'll tell you." Jamie moves a few spaces on the board, hoping to escape your Medusa, but instead, he falls into one of your traps.

You corner him and finally reduce his King Arthur's health. "And there you go, 3-2."

It takes Jamie a second to absorb everything before he slouches. "Fucking hell." You laugh before getting up from your chair and helping him keep all the pieces and cards.

"Better luck next time, Tartt."

Jamie, whose competitive side seems to be shining in this game, doesn't let it end there.

Almost every week, he would come into the store at night asking to play. He was definitely getting better, but after making a deal where the loser has to tell an embarrassing story after the round, you realize you know more about him than he probably does about you.

"God Jamie, how are you alive?" You ask as he shares a story from when he first started the league.

"How was I supposed to know doing multiple headers in one match could lead to a bloody concussion?" He retorts, only making your eyes widen even more.

"I'm pretty sure that's common knowledge to about 80% of the population," you say through your laughter.

It's almost 10 when you finish playing, so you grab your jacket and start heading to the door with Jamie. You lock the store up and notice that Jamie's still hanging around you.

It's dark outside, but it seems like his features were even more enhanced by the moonlight. The light hit his eyes just the right way that it made the blue more evident. You notice just then how his hair is neater today, mainly because of his sports headband. The front strands of his hair had fallen out it though, falling on his face in just the right way that it gave you butterflies. Did all footballers look this attractive?

You realize that you may have been starting a bit too long and as you tuck the keys in your jacket pocket, you decide to ask, "Need anything else?"

Jamie opens his mouth to say something, but instead, he just shakes his head. "Nothing actually, just good night," he waves and starts walking in the opposite direction, but you swear you hear him muttering something under his breath.

—

It had been a week since then and you had to start telling yourself to not be so excited when you hear the bell ring. Every time it did, you'd look expectantly at the door expecting to see Jamie again, asking for another or a new volume or even just game tips. Each time, you'd end up disappointed and would have to fake a smile to the customer approaching you.

This time you hear it ring, and you do your best to not look up. If it was Jamie, you knew that your boss George probably would be sounding an alarm. You only learned the Monday after that he was a major AFC Richmond fan when you mentioned that a football player had visited the store multiple times to play board games.

"Do you think we can get him to sign a picture and put it on the wall? Can you ask?" You quickly have to explain how those interactions were the only times you ever spoke to Jamie and had no actual way of contacting him.

As you close your laptop, — one more paragraph and that essay is done! — you look up to find two guys standing in front of you.

"Hi, do you have any board game recommendations?" the one on the right greeted, his accent quickly revealing him to be Welsh.

You don't have a chance to answer because the left one lightly elbows his friend before whispering (though loud enough for you to hear), "He already told us what to get, bruv."

You may not know who this 'he' is, but the guy pulls out his phone and shows you a picture of a board game, the same one you recommended to Jamie. Wishful thinking gets you to believe that they were friends of his and he liked it so much that he told them about it. And maybe about you, too.

You've never been so happy to be right.

You nod your head and as he kept his phone, you started pulling the same edition from the shelf behind you when you hear a screeching sound that almost made you drop the box.

"Oh my God, Colin Hughes, and Isaac McAdoo!" George exclaims and you wonder where you've heard those names before.

The owner joins you at the counter as you place the board game in front of you. Maybe you weren't pretending to be as peppy as you usually do, because George decides to ask, "How are you so calm? Do you know who these guys are? They're Colin Hughes and Isaac McAdoo!"

"I heard you the first time," you turn to the two guys once again, embarrassed on behalf of your boss.

"They're part of the starting team of AFC Richmond!" And that's when it clicks. On one of your all-nighters, you decided to take a break and search up Jamie Tartt just to see what you could find. You ended up at his club's website and saw the rest of the players as well. You didn't pay them much attention given that you were so focused on player number 9, but you saw enough pictures to recognize them, at least.

"So you guys do know Jamie," you think out loud and the two players turn to each other, before sharing looks of realization.

"Oh, you're the girl!" Colin exclaims and you can't help but feel butterflies in your stomach.

"Yeah, I guess so," you try and act as nonchalantly as possible, so neither of them picks up on anything. You turn back to the game and ask, "Is this the one you wanted?"

"Jamie said there were other versions?" Isaac asks and you nod your head to confirm it, which he smiles at. "We want the Sherlock one."

"Okay," you reach for that one on the shelf as George starts offering them discounts on the game.

When he almost offers to give it to them for free along with another set, you stop him by slamming the box on the counter. Why were you the one trying to keep his business alive? "Here it is, hope you enjoy it!"

You ring up their purchase, still trying to hold your boss back from scaring these footballers away before they can pay. You finally bag the whole thing and hand it to them. "Thank you!" you shout as they exit the store.

"Yeah, see you soon!" George says afterward and you look at him in confusion.

"What the fuck was that, George?" He only sighs, most likely the embarrassment only hitting him at that exact moment.

Once he goes back to doing inventory, you can't help but replay what Colin said. Oh, you're the girl! Why was such a simple phrase like that affecting you so much? For all you know, he might've mentioned you being a sore winner, which wouldn't be the first time you've been called that.

But you still hope he said good things about you and maybe even kept better things he thought to himself.

—

"Okay, time's up. Please pass your papers." You write one last word as you get up to give your exam to the proctor, sighing in relief that the semester is finally over.

You had asked for leave for the past few days and didn't have a shift until tomorrow, so you decide to treat yourself to some coffee and pasta for lunch at the campus cafe.

As you settle down at one of the tables, you get a phone call from George. He was more than happy to let you take the time off, so you wonder what emergency had to happen for him to contact you.

As soon as you pick up, George screams your name into the phone. You pull it away from your ear for a second, and respond, "What? What do you need?"

"Look, I'm sorry to disturb you on your day off, but you said that your test ended at 2:30, so I decided to hold off calling you till then. Anyway, someone came in a few days ago asking if we host board game nights."

"And we do," you answer for him as you chew your sandwich.

"Right, and then he said that he was from AFC Richmond." You flinch after imagining how your boss could've reacted at that revelation. "They wanted to hold it a few days ago," George pauses.

"Why didn't you say yes? You could've been game master."

"Yeah well, I wanted to, but they specifically asked for you to go." You put down your sandwich and straighten up. George continues, "I told them you were on leave, but they said they could wait till you were back at work. I said that your test was this morning and I would ask if you'd be willing to end your leave early."

"Okay, sure." You answer, a little faster than you intended. You couldn't believe that the team — and maybe even Jamie personally, — was willing to postpone their game night just so you would be the one to facilitate it.

The surprise was evident in George's voice. Normally, you would reject his idea the moment he mentioned board game nights, but something about this was different for you. "Oh okay, well, I'll send you the address. I'll be bringing the boards there since you don't have a car and I'll meet you there at 4 pm. It's a restaurant, so maybe you can get something to eat before 'cause shit can get crazy at those things and it's best to load up."

You don't know how a board game night could get crazy, but you decide not to comment on it. He sends you the details through text before you end the call and continues eating your sandwich. The place wasn't too far from campus, so you didn't have to rush to get there. But after 10 minutes, you consumed your sandwich and were out the door with your coffee in hand.

While walking, you decided to familiarize yourself more with the players trying to put names to face before you had to interact with all of them at once. You started to get the hang of it, — even looking at team photos and naming them one by one as a test — as you get to the venue at around half past 3.

You arrive at a restaurant called Ola's, and you remember seeing one of the Richmond players post about it. Your dad wanted to have dinner here once, but they were always fully booked so the four of you gave up trying to get a table there.

Because of that, you expected the place to be swamped with customers, but instead find an almost empty restaurant. You notice one guy standing in the middle of it and approach him.

"Hi," He turns around and you recognize him as Sam Obisanya, meaning he must be the owner. You introduce yourself quickly before asking, "Am I at the right place? I'm here to help host a board game tournament."

Sam's eyes widen as he seems to recognize you. "Oh yes, this is the place. Sorry, I didn't expect you to be so early. We already fixed up the tables, but I can also help in setting up the boards if you like."

"Ah no, it's alright. My boss is the one who’s bringing them. I came from my university, so I don't have any of them on me right now." You quickly explain and Sam nods as he leads you to one of the tables to relax, while he grabs some appetizers from the kitchen.

He makes his way back to the table, though he can't seem to stop looking at you. You subconsciously start fixing your hair, wondering if you should've gone to the bathroom before going in here.

He seems to pick up on this and is quick to reassure you, "Oh, I'm sorry for staring. It's just Jamie has mentioned you so many times, so it's nice to finally put a face to the name."

Your heart skips a beat at the mention of the football player. You grab some of the food he offered as you reply as calmly as you can, "Oh yeah, did he tell you how he is nowhere close to beating my number of wins?"

Sam lets out a short chuckle. "No, but I'm not surprised. He did say you're very good at it." You smile and decide to ask why they decided to do a board game night.

It takes a second before Sam replies, "Oh well, Coach always says to do team-building activities every once in a while, and seeing as Jamie has asked almost everyone on the team to play the game at least once, we thought it would be a good idea. I think Isaac and Colin got their own board too and they started bringing it to the clubhouse."

"Shit, I didn't realize that football players loved board games so much," you remarked as you hear the door to the restaurant open.

Both of you look up to see George, who is trying to carry 12 boxes of board game sets. You rush out of your seat to help him out and so does Sam. The sight of the player almost makes your boss drop all of them from his arms, but you quickly scoop four of them and Same takes another four.

"Sam Obisanya," George exhales, once some of the weight is literally lifted off him.

The player simply says, "Hello," and states that he'll start setting up the four boards on the tables near the back.

You snap your fingers to get George out of the trance and the two of your start setting up on the rest of your tables, dropping the character figurines at the bar table and putting the sign-up sheet next to it. Slowly, the restaurant starts filling up with players with George gradually losing his mind at the number of footballers from his favorite team.

You finally get him to leave, but only by promising to convince the team to take a picture with him when he came back to pick up the boards. You're pretty sure he's already making plans to put it on a canvas and hang it on his bed.

You settle yourself behind the bar table to be in charge of the players setting up, each time expecting it to be Jamie standing in front of you. You try and keep your focus on the task at hand every time you hear the boys greet someone new.

Isaac and Colin are the next to write their names and they give you a look that you can't quite decipher. Soon enough, Jamie finally gets here and you straighten up in your seat. He greets some of the players till his eyes land on you.

He approached the bench and once he looked up, he observed out loud. "You're here,”

"Aw, did you want to get rid of me that badly?" You mimic him before explaining that you finished your leave earlier, "just to see you, of course." — with some truth behind that statement. Jamie laughs — albeit, a little awkwardly, — and takes the clipboard. As he signs up, you decide to take the chance to tease him. "Heard you were talking about me to your teammates."

Jamie's eyes widen and he stops writing to shoot glares at the rest of AFC Richmond, not sure who told you. Jamie turns back to you and you laugh. "Don't worry, Tartt. I'm sure you just told them how I'm an absolute god at the game and you're glad I'm not playing tonight." The football player simply rolls his eyes as he joins his teammates.

Once the whole team is complete along with their kit-man Will, you decide to start the tournament. "Okay, hi everyone! Welcome to your board game night." The crowd cheers and you're startled by their enthusiasm. You quickly explain the rules of the night, — though they seem to already know most of it, — and the order of players. It's a draw lots method, so the players will be randomly given a character and an opponent.

Once everyone gets their characters and settles in, you start making rounds in case anyone had any questions. After a while, you start heading back to the bar when someone taps you on the shoulder. You find Jamie already done with his round.

"How'd you win that quickly?" You don't try to hide the surprise in your voice. "Even I take like 20 minutes minimum to win."

"Oh I didn't," Jamie clarifies, and you widen your eyes. "I just couldn't attack Dani. I mean, look at that face." You turn to their table and find Dani smiling at you — "This is fun!" — and waving using his Dracula figurine.

You laugh at his reasoning. "Alright then, guess you're done for the night." You walk back to the bar and Jamie stops on the opposite side of it.

"You hungry? Sam said there's prepped meals in the back and since none of the games are ending soon…" Jamie offers and you obliged, seeing as this might be the only time you might ever get to eat in this restaurant. He grabs two plates from there and settles down next to you. Surprisingly, he managed to grab one of your favorite dishes. You remember mentioning to him that you had tried it at another restaurant in the past and loved it, but you doubt he even remembers it and dubbed it a coincidence.

You decide to keep the topic off board games and instead let him talk about what he's doing since he last saw you. Turns out they had multiple back-to-back matches, so practice was tight and he didn't have time to visit you. He also said the next time he did, it was one of your teenage co-workers manning the counter.

"Oh, Chuck! Yeah, he's pretty shit at board games." You say blankly while you shove another spoonful of food into your mouth.

"I ended up just buying a card game and leaving." Jamie continues and you laugh.

"Sorry, you went all the way there for just that. I go to class on Wednesdays, so I don't have a shift then." The conversation then shifts to your degree and you explain that you plan on becoming a psychologist.

"There is another upside to getting that degree too," Jamie chimes in, and you tilt your head. "You can fuck with someone's head while playing."

"Okay, psychology isn't mind control." Though, you think about it for a second. "But it is pretty close. You’ll be my first victim.” You make your sound more ghostly in that last sentence and Jamie pretends to act terrified and faint.

There is a short silence between the two of you when you realize that most of the rounds are done. You start organizing the next round and once the games start, the other players start going around and rooting for their teammates.

It leaves the area near the bar much more isolated and Jamie lowers his voice. "About that card game I got, it's pretty fun, too."

"Yeah?" You ask as you bring your plate back to the kitchen.

"Yeah. I'd love to take you out and talk about it," you stop in your tracks before turning back to the footballer who adds, “If you want."

You turn around to see Jamie is much closer to you now. It's only then you realize how much taller he was than you, but despite that, you’re not intimidated, especially with him looking so expectantly at you.

It takes a second before your mouth turns into a smile. "I think I'd like that."

Jamie does this small bounce thing on his heels, before trying to tone it down. You only laugh and kiss him on the cheek before heading to the crowd of players. He follows suit and rests his arm on your shoulders.

Some of his teammates notice and start cheering. You look at them confused before deciding to ask Jamie, "Was this all an elaborate scheme to ask me out?"

He shakes his head, "No, 'course not. Was there a deal made after I lost a game to Jan? Possibly," The both of you laugh as you playfully push his head away. You start to accept that this unfairly attractive football player — whom you'll be going on a date soon — can be as much of a nerd as you.

If this is what George meant when he said game nights could get crazy, well, maybe you should’ve given them a chance earlier.

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[dutchdread]

Rebirth Update 10b

The crappiness of the Cait Sith (whom I still don't like in general btw) segment was easily forgotten though by the gold saucer date. I had refrained from listening to Aeriths song prior to the game since I didn't want anything spoiled and wanted the song in context, and now that I've heard it, man is it clearly about Zack. I can't wait to finish the game and watch different variations of certain scenes, because I don't see any way that anyone can look at a game that has this in it and still think Cloud and Tifa aren't the canonical ship. Again Cloud and Tifa are framed together opposed to Aerith, almost never is it that Aerith and Tifa are presented as being mirrorings that Cloud has to choose between. It's always Cloud and Tifa as a single unit being pitted "against" Aerith. Signaling that Aerith is helping them, and they her. Since you can essentially go on a date with everyone, and it all depends on their feelings towards you, we can say that the dates essentially tell us something about Clouds relationship dynamic in regards to the other team members. And Tifas date makes it exceptionally clear that their relationship dynamic is that of a young couple in love, come together again after years and slowly growing closer. My guess is that his date with Aerith will be more spiritual and about healing, but until I see it I can only guess. And I can't wait to see the other ones. Man, I am sure I've forgotten a bunch that I wanted to mention. It comes as I play but with 10 hour sessions a lot of it is lost to time. Will probably slow down a bit now, I've been working towards this part and man I am kinda burnt out with all the side quests and I just got a few new ones.... One thing I can't help wondering about though. How must it feel for a Clerith to play this game? I can't imagine the mental gymnastics needed to not go "...oh damn... I was wrong". I do feel a bit sorry for them though. I remember 20 years ago explaining to people that Tifa was the more valid love interest was such an uphill battle. It required so much analysis and explanation because you were just swimming up stream, going against the grain, all those nice little analogies, it was sooooo exhausting. And then for 20+ years it was just material after material confirming what Clotis had been saying from day one. And the Cleriths just had to keep moving goalposts, keep spinning, slowly driven into a corner to where now we don't just have the deeper analysis to point at, but even just the superficially obvious. As someone who always enjoys arguing for positions that are unpopular because they're not obvious, but are nevertheless true, it's honestly been a joy to watch the public perception change this much. Lets hope part 3 continues the good work, but honestly, it kinda has to, what has happened in part 2 really can't be taken back. Any romance between Aerith and Cloud after this would be....well, problematic and icky would probably be the best words. One more thing, having Cloud say very matter-of-factly "oh yeah, Zack, my friend who is totally head over heels for Aerith was satisfying. I don't see jealousy there, I don't see conflicted feelings there, I don't see a man who is thinking about trying to hit on the girl his friend loves there. Cloud knows about Zack and Aerith, Aerith knows about Cloud and Tifa, they're all helping each other with those issues, not coming between them, it, my friends, is over.

#ffvii rebirth

[poisonioushearts]

slides in (fashionably)

hiii how are you? hopefully good :]

can i request general mateo relationship hcs, if you write for him? specifically a s/o who's also in the shadow decree and an esper

i enjoy him a normal amount. thank u!!

I had two requests for Mateo (the other asking for non-esper wanderer) sooooo I'm just going to combine both of you don't mind! Here we go!

(I may soon make a self aware and players fav w/ Mateo as well)

I'm on a roll finally 💪

Gender neutral reader

Warnings: not proofread, probably some grammatical errors

Mateo Relationship Headcannons

SHADOW DECREE (ESPER)

Missions together 100%

Doesn't matter if you weren't assigned together-he will be working with you.

He knows you can defend yourself-he's seen how you fight, but he's still protective of you.

His past general instincts kick in whenever he's in the middle of a fight with you- even if it's just the two of you.

He laughs a little, when he tells you the story of why he joined the Shadow Decree. You were so livid, and pissed, cursing him out with some very unique words it made him smile in the sense that you both shared the same anger.

He actually had to break the news to you that Nickolas was already dead because you had gotten up and about ran to find him.

Yeah you were still upset.

Xuan Pin would've probably been there, playing against Mateo in a game of chess, and the story would kind of just flow and get told during that time.

One of the things you said was: "How dare he frame my daughter!" "[name] I'm not related to you-" "I don't care I already signed the adoption papers." "The what-?"

So yes, you and him are like- practically parental/older sibling figures to Xuan Pin. (Even though she's an adult.)

WANDERER (NON-ESPER)

Stargazing dates. Often caused by you because you pay attention to the small things. As someone who is "powerless", a human, you focus on the smaller things.

The stars, the moon, the sun in a cloudless day, a flower blooming in the cracks of stone. It's just a thing you two have where you point out something so simple and marvel at at while he looks at it with you and at you.

He will purposely choose missions that will correspond where you are going.

You aren't an esper, and respectfully, not as physically strong as someone who is one.

So he will protect and defend you with his life because even though you can fight decently, you don't have much resistance.

You don't have god-like powers running through your veins. You're just human.

It's enough for him, but it won't stop him from worrying about your well-being.

You also worry about him with how much he worries about you.

When he's working inside his office, you bring him food and stuff. Making sure he is taking care of himself as well.

When he told you about Nickolas did, you you quiet. Then you rummaged in your bag and pulled out a lighter. "[name] why..?" "To burn the rest of his corpse." "[name] no-" "[name] yes."

He makes sure you don't have a lighter in your bag from then on.

GENERAL

He doesn't talk much, but he listens.

If you are a talkative person he'll listening to you rant about whatever and he'll remember it all.

If you don't talk very much, he'll take note of your actions and pay close attention to the words you speak so he can recall it later for future reference.

Strong but silent type.

He's intimidating but a softie for those close to him. He's the big spoon, sometimes, sometimes, he will be the small. But when you wake the roles have already switched.

There was a point where you attempted to cook food over his eye/hand fire. You were able to make some s'mores-barley.

He loves quality time. Just being in your presence is enough.

Thanks for reading! Reblogs are greatly appreciated!

#dislyte #x reader #gender neutral reader #esper reader #shadow decree reader #wanderer reader #non-esper reader #mateo #dislyte mateo #mateo x reader #relationship headcannons

[cornfields-td-nonsense]

I'm also AUTISTIC autistic gimme the TD timeline

*cracks knuckles*

let's fucking do this

SO. for the sake of arguments we're going to assume that the first season takes place in 2007 because that's when the show premiered. that's our starting off point. at some point in the summer of 2007.

we know that TDA starts mere days after the end of TDI, so we're still in 2007. I'm gonna say that's a total of about three or four months. so beginning of TDI to end of TDA = early summer to beginning of autumn in 2007. simple enough so far.

but TDWT is when things begin to get fuzzy. we know it's been a while since Action, because we had an entire Celebrity Manhunt special about what the cast had been up to between seasons. so it's been way more than just a couple of days.

BUT we do have a concrete date for the end of the season. in the Drumheller episode (I believe - it's one of the last few), it's Cody's birthday, and we know his birthday is April 1st. so the season ends in early April.

and fortunately, since we're in a different country every episode, weather does not factor into judging which season it is! so I'm going to say that World Tour begins in February 2008. begins in February, ends in April. why Chris had his summer camp show happen during this timeframe is beyond me, but who knows why Chris does anything.

now Revenge of the Island doesn't have any dates to adhere to, BUT. the next season does. Congrats, All-Stars, your existence does have a purpose!

so in TDAS Alejandro says that he was stuck in the robot suit for a year. we can be a little flexible with this since he probably didn't mean exactly one year to the day, but we can safely say that about a year has passed between the end of World Tour and the beginning of All Stars. or should I say, April 2008 and early summer 2009.

And just to keep things nice and tidy we can say ROTI takes place in summer 2008, just a few months after TDWT ended.

right, so we're in 2009, All Stars has ended and the island sank into the lake. awesome. now what do we do about Pahkitew?

well, I'm not sure exactly how long it would take to build a fully working mechanical island complete with waterworks, artificial flora, animatronic creatures and weather settings. but I'm assuming it doesn't take a few days. oh, and speaking of which, since the weather on that island is artifical, I also don't need to take weather into account when determining when this takes place. so since I don't have a concrete time frame for Pahkitew, let's allow the general ballpark of six months to a year. either way, we're in 2010 now. woohoo!

now let's go on a bit of a tangent and talk about Chris.

because in this season, Chris tells Topher that he's 30. if he's 30 in 2010, that would make him 28 in 2008, when TDWT takes place as we established.

although maybe he's not necessarily 30 exactly. maybe he just rounded off his age to sound younger (which is in character for him tbh). so he's 35 at most. which would make him 33 at most in TDWT.

um.

in that season, Sierra says Chris was in a boyband in the 80s. as in, the 1980s. as in from 1980 to 1989. if he's 33 in 2010, he was 12 in 1989. if he's 30 in 2010, he was probably BORN in 1980.

either way, he was in a boyband before he was even a teenager, possibly before he was ten years old. what the fuck.

hm. to be honest, being exposed to the celebrity world and cheesy tabloid fame at that age would explain a lot about him. remember Geoff's corruption arc in TDA when he becomes the new Chris? who's to say Chris didn't have something like that happen to him, but at an even younger, more impressionable age?

...either that or he was lying to Topher about his age. which. honestly might be more likely lmao. but I still think about the boyband thing sometimes.

anyway back to the timeline!

so TDI and TDA take place in summer 2007.

TDWT takes place from February to April 2008.

ROTI takes place in the summer of that same year.

All-Stars takes place one year later in spring or summer 2009.

Pahkitew takes place six months to a year after that in 2010.

(and if we're adding Nautilus to this thing, let's say Pahkitew takes place only six months after TDAS in January-February 2010, and Nautilus takes place in summer 2010. if Zeke was 16 in 2007, he'd be 19 in 2010.)

and just to wrap it up, we already know the time period for the reboot. it takes place fifteen years after the first season, and fifteen years after 2007 is 2022. I doubt a full year has passed between the first and second reboot seasons, since not much seems to have changed, so I feel confident in saying we're still in 2022.

God knows why Owen still looks 16 at the age of 31, though. Maybe the makeup department made him look younger to make him as much like he was on the show, to... increase marketability or something. I do have my own personal conspiracy theory that the guy who showed up in the baking challenge in season 2 of the reboot wasn't actually Owen, but who knows.

anyway I did it I nailed down a solid(ish) timeline for this show. you're welcome anon.

*passes out*

#total drama #total drama nautilus #td owen #td chris #td sierra #td alejandro #total drama timeline

[sporadicthingcollection]

I do humbly ask for perhaps a little smutty fic about an older Bane having some drinks at a cantina fave spot of his and marveling that some lovely human woman who obviously has a liking to him (and perhaps a liking to Duros in general as she is ignoring all other obviously interested men) is making eyes and smiling at him the whole time. Finally he thinks “what de heck” and gets up and gives her a slight look before walking out. She gets the hint...they walk out...and perhaps some fun happens in the alleyway. Or somewhere else. But damn age didn’t stop this Duros from gettin’ some. (Perhaps this was even shortly before his fight with Boba in BoBF)

ooooooh what a good prompt. thanks!

Just a Gigolo (TBOBF!Cad Bane x F!Reader)

Summary: Cad Bane is never as aware of his age as when he sits at a cantina bar, invisible to everyone around him.

Pairing: Cad Bane x F!Reader

Rating: 🌶 Explicit 🌶

Word Count: 3.3k

Warnings: Mention of prostitution, cunnilingus, PiV sex

There will come a day When youth will pass away And what will they say about me?

---

Cad Bane is never as aware of his age as when he sits at a cantina bar, invisible to everyone around him.

It stings a bit. Thirty years ago, women would be buying him the drinks, and he'd easily charm his way into their beds. Twenty years ago, he needed to work a bit harder, do some wining and dining, but it would always end with some fun. Ten years ago, when he was aching for company, he could always find a pretty lady of the evening willing to make a business transaction.

But his looks have faded, his charms are dated, and not even the streetwalkers give him a passing glance.

He doesn't lose too much sleep over it. It's the bed he made for himself, the bed he chose when he picked credits over a pretty face time and time again.

He wouldn't change a thing if he had to do it over again. That's what he tells himself, anyways.

And so he sits and nurses his whiskey and water. He can't drink it neat anymore. Anything more than a few mouthfuls knocks him on his ass, and he prefers a slow descent into inebriation. Easier on his head in the morning.

A presence materializes beside him. He gives a quick, appraising glance...

...but it turns into a stare.

Stars above, you're pretty.

"I'll have a Sex in the Cockpit," you tell the bartender. "Could I get a double shot of jogan schnapps in that?"

You're a Human, one of the ones with the warm, dark skin the same color of freshly-tilled soil. Long, thick braids frame your face like the mane of a regal beast, held back by a sunny yellow scarf. A brightly-colored floral-patterned dress flatters your... well, everything.

He doesn't mean to stare. He really doesn't. But he can't drag his eyes away from you.

You notice him and give him a shy, slightly uncomfortable smile. "Evening," you say.

He remembers himself and forces himself to look at his drink. "Evenin'," he says coolly.

You look him up and down. "Nice hat."

He cracks a genuine smile at that. So you have good taste. "So it is," he says. "Double schnapps, eh? Dangerous game."

You turn fully to him and wow you're even prettier from the front. And then you smile genuinely at him and the corners of your eyes get cute little crinkles and you get little dimples in your cheeks and sweet stars, he's gone.

"I'm celebrating tonight," you say. "And I don't have work tomorrow, so I can afford to get a little loose."

He nods and raises his glass. "'Grats to ya," he says.

You straighten up a bit. "Thank you." You push one of your braids over your sun-kissed shoulder. He recognizes a flirty tic when he sees one. "First time I've been out without the kids in a while. Kind of exciting, y'know?"

He doesn't know, actually. Yet another thing he gave up in the eternal pursuit of credits.

The little flicker of hope smoldering in his chest sputters out. But he remains cordial. "Yer ol' man on kid-wranglin' duty tonight?"

Your face falls, then twists up into a grimace. "They're with my sister, actually," you say. "My idiot ex-husband is somewhere on Corellia by now..."

That little spark comes roaring back to life, and he doesn't hide his smile. The bartender returns with your drink. You go to slip her your credits, but he stops you.

"Put it on my tab," he says to the bartender. He looks back to you. "Go have fun, li'l lady. Sounds like you deserve it."

You blink at him. It's hard to see, but your cheeks flush just a bit. "Thank you, Mister...?"

He takes a sip of his drink. "Just Cad'll do."

---

He stays at the bar far, far longer than he intends. But he gets to stay in the same room as you, so it's a win for him.

You're sitting with your girlfriends in a booth, chatting away like a flock of nuna. But he occasionally sees you glancing at him. Little sneaking looks that turn into sheepish smiles when he winks at you.

He sees a number of men approach your group. Your friends seem content to bask in the male attention, but you brush them off, over and over again.

Eventually, you saunter up to the bar with a few empty glasses and set them down. You order something non-alcoholic and perch next to him.

You offer him a smile. "Surprised you're still here."

He shrugs. "Got nowhere else to be."

You nod. "Respect the honesty." You drum your fingers on the table and quickly glance to the side.

He's distracted for a moment by your lovely dark eyes, but he ends up following your gaze. All of your girlfriends are looking at you eagerly, and the moon-faced Togruta gives you a double thumbs up and an encouraging grin.

His stomach does a flip as he realizes what's happening. You're coming on to him, and your friends think it's a great idea.

Not that his ego was particularly deflated to begin with, but it puffs right up as you return your gaze to him, twisting a braid around your finger.

You swallow thickly. "You know, the place I'm staying isn't far from here," you say. "You maybe wanna...?"

You let the question hang in the air.

He stares at you just long enough to make you squirm a bit. He finishes his drink with a flourish, and gives you a toothy smile.

"Lead de way."

---

Cad Bane used to fuck. Long, hard romps, with lots of twisting and contorting. He sometimes can't believe he was ever able to do the things he used to.

He's a bit too old for that now. His stamina isn't what it used to be, and most of the acrobatics would end with him throwing out his back. But experience trumps everything, and this old akk dog knows a hell of a lot of tricks.

Like how his breathing tubes allow for him to go down and stay down as long as he requires.

You're even prettier naked, hair splayed out in a halo on the pillow, back arched as he buries his face in your pussy. Your purrs and moans are sweet music to his ears as he languidly licks and sucks you.

You grind your soft hips into his face as he grips them tight, digging his fingers into the smooth, pliant flesh. You were sheepish about your size, but he quickly shushed you.

"I ain't trim anymore neither," he'd said. "So quit fretting and relax."

You reach your peak in due time, moaning and twitching as your pussy pulses. Sweet music to his ears.

He pulls away, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. You peer up at him with dark, hazy eyes, lips curled into a smile.

"That was... wow," you breathe.

He offers a grin. "Glad ya had fun."

You put a hand to your cheek as you smile, nibbling your lower lip. He wishes he had a holocam to immortalize your coy beauty, but memory will have to do.

He sits back on his haunches, licking his lips. He could just pull his cock out and dive into you, but he doesn't want to seem too eager. So instead he disconnects his breathing apparatus and, after placing it carefully on the nightstand, peels his bodysuit off.

Your eyes widen as you look at him, and he can't help but feel a bit self-conscious. He's by no means fat, but age has thickened his middle a bit, and his skin is scarred and ragged.

"Ain't much to look at," he admits.

You sit up. Carefully, you slide your gentle hands along his torso, tracing all the crags and gullies he's accumulated. His trophy case and resumé, always carried with him.

Your hand travels up his neck to linger on the discolored splotch of scar tissue on his skull. "What happened here?" you breathe.

He'd committed the cardinal sin of bounty hunting: underestimating his opponent. In his defense, said opponent was a teenaged whelp too angry to function in polite society. He should have won that shootout. The pain and bitterness have long faded, but the disappointment in himself still creeps up on him sometimes.

You press it. A zap of pain lances through his forehead, and he hisses. You jerk away, your dark eyes wide. "I'm so sorry," you say, hands flying to your mouth. "Did I hurt you? Are you okay? Do you need bacta? There's some in the 'fresher--"

Yeah, you're definitely a mother. He waves you off. "Tender spot. I'll be fine so long as ya don't touch it again."

He takes your chin in his fingers and leans in to press his lips to yours. You let him.

Kissing doesn't come naturally to Duros, but the first time he tasted the warm, wet mouth of a pretty Pantoran, he was hooked.

And dear Maker, you're like a shot of pure spice. Your lips are so soft and smooth against his, your tongue so sweet and confident in its movement. So much so that he's getting light-headed...

...no, wait. No tubes. He just needs air.

Bane pulls away gently, one hand on your chest to keep you from following. He breathes deeply, appreciating the coolness after your warm mouth.

You give him a lusty, smoky-eyed smile. You trail your fingers down to his belt and start to tug, deftly undoing the buckle.

You don't seem too perturbed by his blasters, though the second one makes your brows rise. If you have thoughts, you keep them to yourself as you place the gunbelt on the nightstand next to his tubes.

He starts to undo his fly, but you put your hand on his and give him a reproachful look. Carefully, you take the zipper yourself and shimmy them down around his hips.

His half-hard cock pops out, bobbing gently. You stare at it in fascination, reaching out to draw your finger along his ridges. A jolt of pressure goes to his belly and a purr escapes him before he can stop it.

You giggle in response. "Sensitive?" you ask. He nods. You feather your fingertips along the ridges, eliciting all sorts of noises from him.

Before long, a few fat drops of precum drip from his slit. You stare at it a moment, then swipe your finger along his glans and examine it closely.

"Thinner than I expected," you say. "Less sticky."

"Ain't fertile."

You nod and, after a moment's hesitation, give it a taste. Your brows furrow. "...Tastes like sour candy."

That gets a quick laugh out of him. A few more drops leak out, replacing what you'd swiped up.

He peels off his trousers and tosses them to the floor. You flop backwards, spreading your legs for him. He takes a moment to admire you before arcing over you, kissing your neck as he gently palms your breasts. They fit nicely in his hands.

As he fondles you, you pump your hand along his cock. Oh, it feels good. Fantastic. Wonderful. He needed a woman's touch more than he cared to admit. It's been too long since he's been stroked, too long since he's burst all over a--

He sucks in a sharp breath and she pushes your hand away, willing himself to calm. Wouldn't do to pop the cork early.

"Are you alright?" you ask.

He purrs loudly, gazing down at you. "Easy, li'l lady," he says. He licks his lips. "Ya ready?"

You grab one of the pillows and push it under your rump. "Uh-huh," you breathe.

He hooks his hands under your knees and slowly pushes into you, giving you time to adjust to his size. You're not vice-tight, a fact for which he's grateful -- thrusting is so much easier when the woman doesn't have a death grip on his cock.

You let out low, heady hisses as you take him. Your pussy clenches around him, forcing a hoarse gasp from him.

He reaches his hilt, and you exhale. You open your eyes to peer at him, then at where your body joins with his. You suck in a breath, and he feels you pulse.

"Ya take it good," he rumbles. "Ya done dis before?"

You shake your head. His cock twitches, and you let out a squeak. "You're my first -- ooh! -- alien," you admit.

Oh, he just loves being someone's first time. They have nothing to compare it to, so it's impossible to disappoint.

Slowly, he starts to thrust. Long, languid strokes back and forth. His ridges push against your clit, making you squirm.

"That feels good...!" you whisper.

He doesn't respond, just chuckles and keeps thrusting.

He's not sure if you just feel that good or if it's just been awhile. But he doesn't care. Pleasure is pleasure and he'll take what he can get.

You seem to be enjoying yourself as well. Huffing and puffing and letting out little moans that make his cock twitch.

He reaches his peak much quicker than he likes. You're nowhere near ready, and he'd never leave a lady unsatisfied.

He bites his cheek to try and hold it in, but all that accomplishes is making him taste blood. He tries to think unsexy thoughts, but you look so gorgeous beneath him. He tries squeezing his eyes shut, but that only emphasizes your moans...!

"Hey," you say. He cracks open an eye to peer at you. Your brow is knit, but you're smiling gently. "You alright?"

He swallows dryly. "Ain't exactly a spring nuna," he rasps.

You nod. Taking one of his hands, you place it on your clit and gently swirl his fingers around it. You moan and purr and thrust your hips up.

Maker damn it all, he can't do it.

He sees stars as he climaxes. No, star clusters -- no, galaxies. He may have seen the Maker, even, but as he comes crashing back down, he can only see black.

He throws his arms out to prevent him from bashing his forehead against yours. You don't seem to notice, lost in your own little world as you finger yourself.

He watches your face, feels your body as you come. Your chest warms up, you squeeze your eyes shut, and your pussy pulses around his softening cock as you let out a few little mewls.

It's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, heard, and felt.

His arms start to quiver, and he flops atop you, his face in your pillowy breasts.

You let out a little yip of surprise, but he's too dazed to react. He's in a pleasant haze, his limbs nice and limp as his heart pounds. He pants for breath, trying to ease the burn of his lungs.

After a minute or two, he finds his voice. "Sorry 'bout that," he mumbles.

"Don't be," you say. You place a warm hand on his head and gently stroke, careful to avoid his tender spot. "That was fantastic."

He sighs in relief. He pushes himself off of you, his cock sliding out with a sticky shlick. He groans as his back hits the mattress.

You giggle, then carefully get up. You open the door to the fresher and toss a towel to him before closing the door again.

Bane hauls himself to a sitting position. It hurts. He's exhausted. Every bone in his body is telling him to sleep, but he ignores them. He should mop himself up and be on his way.

He's pulling his trousers up when you exit the 'fresher, all cleaned up and clad in a big faded tee. You cock your head at him. "Where're you going?" you ask.

"Don't wanna overstay my welcome," he says simply.

You stare at him for a moment. "Stay. I can tell Aharli to get a cot with Mel and Irrys." You smile. "Revenge for all the times she sexiled me when we were roomies."

Your friends, he assumes. He blinks at you. "Ya sure?"

You nod. "I insist."

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little touched and a lot relieved.

He slides his trousers back off as you pull back the covers, and he slips into bed beside you. You tuck your head right under his arm to rest your head on his chest. The highest of your braids tickles his lips, and he tries to blow it away. It doesn't budge.

Your giggle sounds like wind chimes, clear and musical. You reach up and gently move it before draping your arm across his chest and tucking your fingers beneath him.

This is more intimate than he'd expected. He's used to one-and-dones out behind the cantina or having to bail so the lady can take her next customer. This is something he hasn't had in a long, long time.

He's not going to question a good thing. You smell like fresh-cut pinewood, tangy and smoky, and you're so, so warm. Like sipping a cup of fresh caf on a cold night, it seeps into his bones right down to the marrow and relaxes his every muscle.

Cad Bane sleeps better than he has in a long, long while.

---

Morning comes all too quickly. Checkout is at noon, and you have to pack your things.

He watches you carefully, twiddling a toothpick as you shove your belongings into a too-small suitcase.

"Ain't much of a light packer, are ya?" he says.

"Look, you never know if there's gonna be an emergency," you say. "Always have extra underwear, an extra pair of pants, more socks than you'll need, sunscreen, lotion..." You pause and flop over the suitcase. "Maker, I am such a mom," you mutter.

He chuckles. "Worse problems to have," he says.

You smile, and that seems to give you the strength you need to get the zipper around the last corner. You let out a triumphant laugh and heave it onto the ground.

His smile fades. Time for him to go, then.

He stands up and plucks his hat from the bedpost. "Been a pleasure, li'l lady," he says, placing it on his head.

He tries to push past you, but you stop him. You untie the scarf you'd meticulously wound around your braids and place it in his hand. You close his fingers around it and give him an earnest smile.

"Thank you," you say.

He's actually baffled by that. "For what?"

"For a good night," you say. "I had fun."

He considers returning the scarf, but it's bad luck to turn down a lady's favor. "Thanks for the proposition," he says. "Safe travels."

Your hands linger on his just a moment, but you eventually withdraw them to open the door. He leaves you with a wink and a tip of his hat.

He strokes the scarf between his fingers as he descends the stairs. He can't help but feel a twinge of... something. Sadness? Disappointment? Longing?

He'll never see you again. He knows he won't. You'll go back to your home and your career and your kids, and he'll go back to his running and gunning all by himself.

The lonely part of him wants to turn back around. Fill the hole in your heart. Kiss you. Hold you. Steal your warmth at night. Finally let himself rest his weary bones.

But he won't. He's just a hired gun. That's all he is, that's all he ever will be, and that's fine by him.

Besides, he has no time for woolgathering. He has an appointment to keep in Mos Espa with an uppity clone with delusions of respectability.

And so he pockets the scarf and makes his way out into the noontime sun, pulling his hat down low to shade his eyes.

--- When the end comes I know They'll say "just a gigolo" Life goes on without me

---

To the Mastahpost | Tip Jar

#thanks for the ask! #cad bane #cad bane x reader #star wars smut #the book of boba fett #tbobf #x reader #x you #reader insert #emberly writes

[diamondluxesugar]

Not Finding an SD Soon Enough?

Ladies, it's easy to become disheartened when looking for an SD. As women, we think "I'm pretty, this will be a piece of cake" or "I have success in regular dating" and believe that this guarantees our success in the sugar bowl. Then, inevitably, when finding an SD that matches what we are looking for is not immediate we feel disappointed. Sugaring, while similar to regular dating, requires a --different-- unique approach.

Vetting - Vetting is incredibly important in this game. When men are giving the John vibes just immediately cut them loose. There's no point in thinking you'll turn or change someone who wants quick, cheap sex into a proper SD. This is the biggest complaint I have seen on the forum lately. Many new or aspiring SBs question how to make a man give you sugar. Hint: You cannot. A man is either generous or he is not. He either wants to provide, or he doesn't. The men who are not generous and do not want to provide, just ignore them. Don't waste your time and emotions on interactions with them. The second he questions "what do you bring to the table" or "why do I have to provide for you", block. A man who wants to provide for you, will do so.

Patience - You're not going to run into an SD immediately. Those dates on SA are gone (SDs, this one goes for you too). There are simply too many people on the site who are seeking things other than a proper SR. You'll run into many time wasters, scammers, toe dippers, PUAs, and other nefarious actors before you find the actual SDs of SA. Mentally prepare yourself for the amount of time it will take to find someone of substance.

Be a woman of substance - While we're on the topic of finding an SD of substance, you must remember that like attracts like. People of means/caliber/wealth often are attracted to people of the same or similar standing (note I didn't say always). Now, this can be challenging, as most SBs are college aged, but to navigate being a woman of substance, I'll change to: Are you becoming a woman of substance. Are you constantly reading and learning how to converse with people 2x your age? Do you have an open mind? Are you willing to learn and be open to new experiences? Even if you've never gone skiing, are you approaching the lack of experience from a place of earnest interest? People (and yes, I'll include women in this as well) love when young women have a genuine desire to learn and grow. If you are looking for a man to spend substantially on you, you need to bring your best, most authentic self to the relationship.

Sites - I love telling women to actually go out in public and freestyle. The sites aren't the only place to find SDs / SBFs. Often times, meeting someone "in the wild" is better because you can begin to build a stronger more genuine relationship with them. Freestyling is less about meeting the right man and more about proximity to men (and women) who can elevate your lifestyle. Being in the right place at the right time can boost more than just your dating options; your career, where you live, hobbies, and even your frame of mind can be transformed by the right conversation with the right person.

Rejection- Above all else, don't let success in the bowl dictate how you feel about yourself. If you realize that you're self worth is becoming tied to your successes and failures in the bowl, then you should take some steps back and re-evaluate if you really want to be here. At the end of the day, not everyone is meant to be an SB (just like not everyone is meant to be an SD) and that is okay. This is supposed to be FUN, not stressful!

Happy Sugaring ✨

#spoiled heaux #askdls #black sugar baby #brown sugar bowl #sugar bowl #black tumblr #melanin poppin #black luxury #black girl beauty

[shazzeaslightnovels]

Sword Art Online Alternative: Mystery Labyrinth

Author: Tenryuu Konno

Illustrator: Shiho Enta

Label: Dengeki Bunko

Release Date: 8 December 2023

My Score: 5/5

This new SAO spin-off follows two timelines. The first takes place in the real world and in ALO where we follow Endou, an ALO player who one day finds a mysterious item in his inventory that he does not remember picking up. The item is a memo that tells a story of Jason, a SAO player. The narrative of the memo takes place during the Aincrad arc as Jason and his party, the Argonautai, discovers a mysterious labyrinth. Jason states at the start that if someone else is reading this note, then he is likely dead, and asks the reader to solve a murder mystery that took place in this labyrinth. Together with his friend, Spica, who poses as a detective in ALO, Endou tries to solve the mystery of the memo and where it came from.

This was really interesting. The setting of SAO is perfect for a murder mystery, with danger lying around every corner and the lack of dead bodies means that evidence is hard to find. There's a monster in the labyrinth, fittingly named Minotaurus, that could end the life of any of the players with a single hit. It's the perfect setting to make the story tense and eerie. The framing story with Endou is also entertaining and there are some incredible twists. I think this is the most fun I've had with a light novel in a good while, and I could not stop reading it.

There is one thing that I didn't particularly like about this and that's the lack of reaction from the characters to all of the players getting killed off one by one. They mention early on that it's hard to really feel grief when bodies disappear into polygons when they die, but you'd think that the characters would feel some despair at their friends dying. In general, I think the characters other than Endou, Spica, and Jason lack much of an impression. It's a shame because they do have a lot of potential, but they aren't really given a chance to shine before getting killed off. Atalanta in particular feels like a wasted opportunity. She seemed really cool, but barely showed up.

It's worth mentioning that one of the characters, Caenis, is a trans man. He's introduced as preferring to be treated as a man and is conscious that SAO has categorized him as female, but his party members respect this and treat him as a man. It's also worth noting that despite this characterisation, the character introduction page still lists him as a woman. It's cool that the novel includes trans man rep, despite that issue. I've often thought about how trans players would've been excited to play in SAO in a body that more accurately reflects them, and how they would have dealt with Kayaba taking that opportunity away from them so it's cool to see that perspective explored a bit here.

Overall, I thought this was a great volume, despite some shortcomings. It had a gripping story with some surprising twists. I also appreciate that it ends on a conclusive note. While there could be a sequel, the story wraps up satisfyingly and works better as a stand alone than as a first volume in a series. It takes full advantage of the setting of SAO to create a tense atmosphere. I really hope this one gets picked up by Yen Press for an English release.

I'd recommend this to people who think the idea of a murder mystery set inside SAO is interesting. I also think it would appeal to fans of Greek mythology, as there is a lot of references to it, as well as to fans of "And Then There Were None" style murder mysteries. Finally, I'd recommend it to people who like "Narrative within a Narrative" stories. You definitely don't need to be a SAO fan to enjoy this as it does explain the setting and it feels like it can be read by someone who's never even heard of the franchise before.

A couple of other things that I thought were funny: the novel references the "beater" scene from the first volume and I just envision Kawahara cringing every time that gem of a word is used in a new SAO product. The novel references the movies "A Silent Place" and "Don't Breathe" so I guess those are two more things we can add to the "confirmed to exist in the SAO universe" list. I learnt a new English word from this volume: syzygy. Never heard of it before and at first I thought it had to be made up, but it is an actual word so that'll come in handy if I ever play Scrabble again and have three Ys.

#sword art online #SAO #Sword Art Online Alternative #Mystery Labyrinth #Tenryuu Konno #Shiho Enta #dengeki bunko #5 stars #favourite volumes #January 2024

[mbti-notes]

Anon wrote: Hi, I hope you are well. I'm an INFJ with "problems" with an ISFJ friend. Our friendship dates back to school, but currently my contact with her is basically zero. On rare occasions someone from our group of friends proposes that we meet to talk and hang out, or she will do it herself and invite the people over to her house. So far so good.

My problem is dealing with the fact that she doesn't message me or other people (my friends complain that she takes a long time to respond or doesn't respond at all). However, for some reason, she seems to value messaging contact with her best friend and other friends much more, often posting snippets of messages with them in her status. Why doesn't she do the same to me? Why does she not even see my messages? She does not mind?

I've read other posts from other INFJs with similar issues regarding expectations in friendships and maintaining relationships. I worry a lot because she is someone I care about a lot, I spent a lot of time with her in the past during a difficult time when she struggled with depression.

I went to great lengths to understand her and now I feel like I'm just another person on her contact list waiting for a reaction. It seems to me that I'm not a priority for her and that upset me to the point of muting her status posts and thinking about muting her or even blocking her. What do you think of this situation? Am I too unreasonable to expect a little attention from her?

---------------------

Generally speaking, to determine whether an expectation is un/reasonable, start with this question:

Is the person aware of my expectations?

It is unfair to blame people for not meeting an expectation they had no knowledge of. For example, let's say my wrist is sprained and I'm unable to open heavy doors on my own. Shall I go around simply expecting everyone to open doors for me everywhere I go and then jumping to the conclusion that they are selfish or callous when they don't? If I'm not wearing any cast or brace, how are they to know I need the help and accommodation?

Any time an "expectation" is couched in blame or judgmentalness, you are making the problem worse. You call it an expectation but what you actually have is an unmet need. What's the difference?

When you frame the problem in terms of your needs, you're taking responsibility for fulfilling them. Whether someone is capable of meeting your needs or not isn't the main issue because, when you are fully responsible for your needs, you also recognize that there are a variety of options for getting them met. This keeps relationships open to communication, negotiation, compromise, and new possibilities.

When you frame the problem in terms of your expectations, you're making other people responsible for meeting your needs. Whether they are capable of meeting your needs becomes a matter of serious contention because you believe it is their duty and, thus, you judge them as a moral failure when they are in dereliction of duty. This stifles the relationship because you are basically placing demands on people to be what you want, do what you want, and change into what you want.

Inequality in relationships is a legitimate problem, but how you approach the problem is very important in determining whether it gets resolved properly. It's reasonable to want an equal relationship and it's reasonable to feel frustrated about inequality. You hope that people can attend to your needs as kindly as you attend to theirs. When you're not getting enough reciprocal care and kindness to make the relationship feel equal, the onus is on you to speak up and advocate for yourself. Next question:

How well did I communicate my needs and wants?

Examples: When you contacted her, did you let her know that you wanted a timely response? You said you did a lot to support her in the past, did you also ask her for support whenever you needed it?

Remember that different people need different things out of a relationship, so you shouldn't expect people to "just know" what you need, as though they can read your mind. And you shouldn't automatically assume the worst when they aren't able to meet your needs. For example, you don't yet know the real reason behind her distance, do you? It could have nothing to do with you personally.

The fact that you're feeling resentful means you're making assumptions about her intentions or motivations. Are you a mindreader? Do you believe your resentment is justified because she's treating you badly on purpose? Making assumptions, aka "mindreading", is very destructive to relationships because it causes unnecessary misunderstanding and perpetuates hurtful blame games. Get the facts before you make judgments and draw conclusions.

If someone is aware of your need and understands the importance of meeting it for the health of the relationship, but they still decide against it, only then do you have legitimate cause for concern or doubt about their commitment to the relationship. At that point, there has to be an honest conversation about what kind of relationship you both want, whether there is agreement about direction, whether there is a compromise to be made, etc. Good communication can resolve the majority of relationship problems.

Reflect on what you need from her in order to feel that the relationship is equal. Communicate with her about your needs and hopes for the relationship and try to reach an agreement about how to proceed. Communicate with her to get the facts behind why she hasn't been contacting you very much or doesn't respond quickly to your messages.

If she gives you hard undeniable evidence that she is not as committed to the relationship as you (i.e. she doesn't consider you a "best" or "close" friend and never will), then the onus is on you to scale back the amount you give in order to match up better with her amount, thus making the relationship more equal, though not in the way you had hoped for. Then, look elsewhere to fulfill your needs.

It's natural for long term relationships to ebb and flow throughout the years, as people evolve, so timing is an important factor to consider as well. The attempt to save a relationship that's important to you shows your loyalty, devotion, and commitment. In that respect, you have nothing to feel bad or sorry for. You're a good friend. However, keep in mind that some relationships have an expiry date. You can only revive a distant or ailing relationship when both parties are equally committed to it.

#infj #infj relationships #expectations #needs #blame #communication #relationships #ask

[rgr-pop]

i think the genesis for this has two parts: conceptually, it's a continuation of the financial crisis love songs mix i was trying at years and years ago. many will remember. it revolved entirely around the idea of short skirt/long jacket, which is that there was something financialized about dating at the end of/beginning of the century. and, you also know this about me, i'm conceptually preoccupied above all else with the 'right before.' this effort still has not cracked that open for me, but i go on. what better theme for a 9-11/radiohead/enron/fukuyama obsessed person born around that time, and also, what better gift could i (electroclash era millennial) bestow. at some point in the prehistory of this project i asked marisa for some recommendations and she made this perfect and spot on mix about, maybe, the right-after. it was obvious to me this year that electroclash as an economic phenomenon was foundation of this mix, so i spent that time earlier this year researching and putting together this collaborative mix with your and my suggestions. partially this is all like anticipating that they will come for electroclash after they invented--and i think, are getting wrong--'indie sleaze.' it's much easier to get electroclash right, i think, but i wanted to get ahead of it, too, lol.

aside from that, the idea that i would do 'live mixes' (am not a dj) came to me a few years ago when i started collecting this certain type of sound from 1993--it really really all started with thinking about how the mr t experience put out a nerdcore track that sounded straight touch and go. so i started collecting these kind of droning repetitive rock grooves from that era, and filing them by year. i was thinking about how it came to be that everything was grunge (maybe more in the great lakes/noise sense than the hard rock sense) for a year or two. i was calling this 'pop noise americana' and this is where i started to talk about wet beats, soggy grooves. i was also very interested in framing as dance songs the rock (not even industrial) songs from that era that did a lot of big/small build-bust-climax stuff in the period between nirvana and the point when that would come to more or less belong to emo. i don't have these lists on this computer but i recall this is my favorite song from that period of my thinking, and rim shack flipped something on for me, too. this is also when i became really insane about brainiac.

pop noise americana:

i started collecting things in this way, and it became obvious really quickly that i didn't have the range to describe what i wanted to be describing, and i was too out of practice to even be able to hear what i was looking for as well as i wanted. so i had to learn to beatmatch before i could do anything else. in general don't @ me dj haters but if you want to practice listening skills or other kind of detail-focused music skills for other kinds of music needs, you should teach yourself how to dj a little bit. it's really good practice! so i said something back then like this is the opposite of a brad shoup mix. concerning one moment in time, but very small and focused. i also wanted to (i continue to want to, and keep failing to) make tiny, concise micromixes. like this one. a little mix like that, but about a very specific sound instead of an idea on its own. i was imagining 12 songs from the same year with very similar grooves if maybe from slightly divergent scenes or genres. but what i want to do is also the same as brad shoup mixes, which produce something that doesn't rely on your memory and doesn't necessarily reinforce what you already believe to be true about a year in music. (in this way what it is really the opposite of is the hood internet mashups, which i'll return to.) the thing you know i always do in mixes is selectively take something you know very well and force you to listen to it differently (or tell you that you're wrong about it). and in general deep listening in a year should serve the purpose of challenging conventional wisdom about music as well as history. but for me, i think more than he does in his playlists, i like to do something like: here's five songs you maybe don't know, and they will help you be surprised by this song that you do know, a very obvious or perhaps cliche or perhaps forgotten hit, and maybe you will be a little startled.

i don't remember how i decided to do 01 00 99 at all, or when or why i decided to work backward (though i'm sure it was with the intention of closing 99 with my signature climax sugar ray falls apart), but i started a pile of songs with little beats that surprised me for whatever reason, just a save for later pile of grooves, and in that heap i had mirah - of pressure, and that was kind of that. i knew i could make some dance hits from that, the era of, you know, tracy + the plastics. (incidentally i have cut them entirely... rip.) my process starts with my own instinct and combing my own music library, then doing an associative deep dive using only - only ! - my own memory, wikipedia articles, discogs rabbit holes, and primary sources from the period. maybe a little similar artist spotify clicking through. once i get a draft down and a to-listen list, then i can start reading year-end lists and casually browsing like brad shoup playlists if he's done them, or peoples pop polls. then when i think i know what i have or am trying to demonstrate, i edit and build, and only at the end do i go through and listen to the hood internet year mashups. after i do that i can add new stuff to my review pile from their suggestion but i also check: do i have too many songs that the hood internet has? if so, that's hits parade, gotta go back a few steps and work it out. if the vibes are nostalgia generated (emo nite) it's not right!

#music #mixes #1999 #2000 #2001

[sugar-petals]

Hi Caro! How are you? I hope you're good and in a place where it isn't very hot (my friend living in England had a very rough time). I'm just here wondering why my type is cute subby twinks, and why is close to impossible to find them in Argentina (I still remember the day I took one of those online test about the type of men you like and the answer was twinks and I was like WELL DAMN I FEEL ATTACKED). My name is Victoria, idk if I ever told you, but everyone calls me Vik or Vicky (usually the first one, I guess it's more gender neutral so it fits me better). Sorry that I'm ranting, I really enjoy talking to you.

more than glad to answer, vic! 💙 hm... a philosophy on twinks and why they're appealing. time for a little essay.

first off, i wish there was a bi and straight term as well, they're not 100% the same as e.g. pretty boys or femboys — those categories are even more particular to a certain femdom aesthetic. pretty boys are defined by face, femboys by clothes hair and body, twinks by both.

my suggestion for a word would be "prince". it's positive, people get the gist intuitively, and it's derived from the groundbreaking artist who invented this whole game to the fullest after greek culture laid the foundation, shoutout to apollo. before leo (90s) zac efron (00s) and taemin (10s) paved the way, there was prince in crop tops, heavy makeup, heels, and poses few guys dared.

so, a prince, they're usually the anti-jock/bear, right. more petite in frame, often fashionable like an it-boy (see lucky blue smith), frequently gnc, and found in a 20-30 age group with some exceptions. but i think that's why they are appealing to us, it's a generation thing. just like t. chalamet, lil nas x, and troye sivan hit it big among gen z by sheer exposure, or the eboy/softboy fad in hetero media, although that one wasn't really femdom in spirit and just another brand of manipulative nice guy syndrome.

princes don't come across as physically imposing, they're more tongue in cheek and seductive or cute, the link to your zelda. that caters to somebody with a taste for subs/bottoms who'd rather have them sat on their lap than getting choked out by them which is almost treated as a given, same with spanking or rough sex. so, that notion of twinks has opened the door to something less compulsive gladly.

a prince can come with an edge, twinks and brats may have some overlaps depending on the guy, but at the end of the day, they're subs, both hard and soft. jonghyun has set quite the tone for it artistically, major credit due. he's broken the mold to say that it's so boring and restrictive to be a dominant guy and there's more out there than what the societal landscape offers.

thank god taemin has carried that on and continues to inspire others.

in recent times, the word also becomes more and more open to guys who are tall / fit or conventional-looking. i see this in how european football is received on tumblr where calling your favorite club `#twink fc (affectionate)´ is a thing on here 😆 and it's true. you haven't seen more collective prince energy as in the german national team. the gorgeousness is real and the ladies who date them... lucky af.

(^kai havertz - plays for chelsea fc)

(^joshua kimmich / leroy sané - play for bavaria fc. they both have 2+ kids with their gfs lmao you don't have to be a DILF or daddy, twinkness cannot be concealed 🤘)

the whole idea is not to be conflated with power bottoms, see aquaria on drag race who looks like a twink but tops, by the way. which is why taemin generates so much traction, he plays with switching and walks the line but always winds up with a submitting conclusion. ten, or yoongi, they’re mysterious to people in that regard, too. or wonho, who follows a jock aesthetic but offers himself as a fantasy with an 'open mind' and a cute personality in the mix, neither gentle giant, himbo, nor a skinny short king, just doing his own thing.

a twink or prince is easy on the eye for anyone who likes androgyny and is usually in favor of being gnc themselves, or is bored/turned off/disappointed or even frightened by the mainstream. argentina hasn't had that scope of pop culture industry to inspire trends, and prevailing structures of machismo and chivalry prevent androgyny in dress and behavior, especially outside larger cities as is also the case where i live (southern germany where christianity rules — you can imagine, it's not berlin).

where binaries, monosexuality and hypermasculine/homophobic/biphobic conduct is exaggerated, you won't find a twink able to do their thing or getting attention. sure, gnc people are always there and the world is slowly catching up in some places, although it feels like we're going ten steps backwards as a backlash these days which is unacceptable. that's why k-pop is such a refreshing element in the way that male performers present concepts and a female pov is embraced. nobody deems it punishable or strange if you walk up like this, in fact it's celebrated.

it also bursts the bubble of twink/prince = white and goes even further than just one specific aesthetic. it changes constantly and incorporates actual elements of kink culture rather than leaving men's submission unspoken as an ultimate taboo. it may be commercial, but it is also literal and encourages nonconforming styles and body types as the rise of shinee, skz, or nct exemplifies. the next generation prince/twink trailblazer is sure to be found there, my bet is on taeyong or felix, they're really owning the princeliness.

#and to answer the first question yes it's piping hot here nobody has an ac #but i try to stay chill in the shade and drink iced water au masse #kpop #jonghyun #jimin #taemin #felix #taeyong #skz #nct #prince #wonho #yoongi #ten

[digitaljjj]

【space force】When the stars shine

Original punchline warning, out of character warning. This is the first time I have written a fandom, apologize to you if it is not written well*Bowing and bowing*

Chan has many hobbies.

Kpop, playing Fortnite, and watching animation don't sound in line with the identity of an astrobotanist, but the stereotype of an aerospace scientist can sometimes take effect on him. When the sparse lights of Mustang Town are extinguished and everything is orderly and silent, the platform on the roof can become Chan‘s best place to watch the stars, when looking up at the gorgeous and calm stars, Chan can get out of the fatigue of the day, so that the unspoken sarcasm is temporarily sealed in the bottom of his heart.

But today is different. Even though the starry sky is still dazzling, Chan still can't get out of the trance. He remembered the uncontrollable despair of everyone after the chorus kokomo, the panic of the delay of the base and the noisy crowd... Yes, he is about to face a grand scene that he has never prepared in his life - the asteroid will hit the earth soon (a few hours or... a few minutes later).

Chan had seen some science fiction movies when he was a child. At that time, his enthusiasm for astronomy had not diminished by his daily use as usual. In these vulgar endings, Chan was still looking forward to the final destruction of the earth. However, at that time, he still asked questions about the outcome, such as 100,000 whys, such as "how long can the little stars reach the ground after entering the earth's atmosphere", full of childhood innocence and cruel curiosity about human fate, but now he has to face the unarchived bad ending and -He doesn‘t know when Mallory appeared beside him？

"Hey, Dr. Mallory, I didn't expect to see you here. Is it also stargazing?" Chan felt that he had asked the stupidest question he had ever asked in his life. Mallory has never visited Chan's secret stargazing base before, and Chan has never hidden his whereabouts, which seems to make it possible for Mallory, who knows the space force well, to know his whereabouts, but Chan has never noticed this, an assistant chief scientist. How can nightlife be cared about by others?

"To witness a unique cosmic miracle in my life, I look forward to the demise of a belligerent and stupid race." The moonlight jumped fiercely on the golden frame, reflecting a flash of white light.

"So, is there really no hope?"

"When you leave the command center in chaos, you should have a conclusion. During that time, the computer was occupied. I could only do it on paper... You know, the slide rule helps us go to the moon and also helps us understand the date of our death. "

No one will use this with a cold humor and callback before the end of the world, except Mallory. No one will laugh except Chan.

"Well, you do have the knack of finding a glimmer of hope, Adrian... Forget it, at least until the potential end of the world, I can't think of anyone else who wants to be by my side. We are all lucky, aren't we? "

"Well, it's my honor. Let's make the most of the rest of our time, okay? How insignificant the existence of human beings are, and these twinkling stars are treasures in the universe. Fuck human beings, fuck the world! Anyway, Dr. Chan, let's continue to turn our eyes to the starry sky. " The chief scientist said so. This sentence may be regarded as a famous saying by the surviving human beings, and may not.

"So, do you want to know the difference between Steel Alchemist and Steel Alchemist FA? I think we can solve the problem of Generation Gap in the rest of the time. " His second-in-command said so. This sentence may be just an anime otaku who talked in his sleep in the eyes of the surviving human beings, but it is a significant emotional expression for the chief scientist.

Triones and Little Dipper reflect each other. Giant Ophiuchus and Ophiuchus are inlaid on the black velvet curtain. The good play has not yet begun, and they still have a lot of time. The bright stars bathed on the masters and apprentices. Colorado, which has very little light pollution, is indeed an excellent place for stargazing.

So Kuririn and Son Goku (or Pippen and Jordan, or just a pair of star-watching friends) raised their heads and waited for human beings to live forever or perish in the chat.

#space force #Chan Kaifang #Adrian Mallory #fandom

[aliliceswonderland]

Cooking in P3RE

I don't know why nobody is talking about this so I will.

[ID: Yukari talking with the protagonist in a kitchen. Both are wearing aprons. The kitchen counters, along with the sink (left, behind the protagonist) and the cooker (right, behind Yukari) are located below a window. There are some ingredients over the counters. A rack with cups hangs before the window and there's a door frame to the right. The upper half of the walls is plain white while the the lower part is made of blue bricks. Yukari is saying in the dialogue box: "They say your health is your most valuable asset, y'know? I figured we should think about what we're putting into our bodies."

The UI on the top right marks the date as Friday 6/26, in the evening, with a waxing crescent moon.] The dorm kitchen has been innacesible in game just until now. Previously it had only been shown very briefly in the movie, and the design doesn't even match (although it's similar enough, I wonder why they changed the walls? It clashes with the rest of the dorm too...) This seems similar to how the design of Kanami changed from that little photo in the P4 anime to the actual design in P4D (is this the Kanami kitchen?).

[ID: Shinjiro in an apron cooking in the movie. The kitchen counters, window, hanging rack and doorframe are located exactly as in the previous image. The walls show yellow up and brown down in plain colors. Generally, the tones are warm. The image has a slightly different angle, camera facing the doorframe.]

But what I really want to talk about is that this means... you can cook. With a party member (*looks fearfully at Fuuka*). And then eat with them!

[ID: Yukari and the protagonist in aprons eating together in the dorm's lounge. They are sitting at a big table, holding chopsticks, one in front of the other at the left side of the table. The meal seems consisting of meat or maybe fish with a vegetable side and a glass of water. Yukari, located more to the left, is facing the camera while the protagonist is not. UI still marks evening 6/26.] This reminds me of how in P4 you could make bento and then eat it with a friend. Until now, Minato had been the only Hashino era protagonist not to show any cooking skills. P4 had Yu cooking events from time to time and he's shown cooking in P4GA. Ren could cook curry and is in charge of the kitchen in P5S. Even Hamuko (I miss you girl) was part of the cooking club and was skilled enough to fix Fuuka's cooking. FUUKA'S. Anyway, it seems our boy here finally has some game with that. There was some early dialogue on P3 about cooking, but it doesn't lead to anything. I remember back then when I first played (coming from P4) I was wondering if I could do it at any point. Well, it seems I'll be able too... even if years later.

On another note, those clothes are new too! Even without the apron!

[Edit: added image descriptions]

#Persona 3 #P3RE #Persona 3 remake #Minato Arisato #you have no idea how much it means to me as a simmer to finally have more reference for the kitchen #i'm pretty sure it won't make sense architecturally as it never does with p3 though #like i'm already wondering what's that door in the right #the emergency door? but the door to the kitchen wasn't pointing in that direction? #Persona 3 Reload

[chadsawyerphotography]

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO SHOOTING THE NIGHT SKY: Part 1

This is the first in a series of entries covering night sky photography for beginners. If you're just starting out in Astrophotography, this session will covers what gear you'll need to have a successful, and enjoyable, session.

Before getting into the camera setup I used to capture star trails and the Milky Way, let's first review what items I use to capture my night skies.

THE RIGHT WEATHER

Okay, so you can't bring this with you but there's no point in venturing out if it's going to be cloudy, or worse. Be sure to check the hourly forecast in addition to the daily. Just because it's cloudy at sunset doesn't mean those clouds won't move out of the area before the stars come out (and, if shooting the Milky Way, you may have several hours before it rises, well after sunset).

THE RIGHT CAMERA

I use a Sony a7r iv, a full frame, 61mp camera body. You'll want a body that can handle higher ISOs without adding a lot of sensor noise, especially as you'll be taking potentially hundreds of shots for star trails and building up some sensor heat.

THE RIGHT LENS

Generally speaking, you're going to want two things out of your lens for astrophotography: wide angle and fast. I usually take two lenses with me. Since I'm shooting with a full frame and not a crop sensor (APS-C senor). I take my Sony 16-35 2.8 GM and my 14mm 1.8 GM primary lens. If you have a crop sensor camera and lenses, you’ll want to bring your widest lens with the widest aperture, preferably 2.8 or wider.

THE RIGHT TRIPOD

Be wary of relying on a light weight or flimsy tripod as you don't want your camera shaking during longer exposures (or, even worse, falling over). Ideally, you'll have a model that has a center hook from which you can hang your camera bag or tripod weights to help with windy conditions. I prefer and use SLIK Tripods and ball head. You can purchase directly from Slik Tripods website or on Amazon.

THE RIGHT APPS

I used PhotoPills to identify when and where the Milky Way or Polaris if I’m doing circle star trails, moon phase and position, and much more. It also has built in tools to help you: calculate your maximum exposure time to avoid star trailing (accounting for your camera's sensor size and your lens' set focal length), plan for time lapses, find hyperfocal distances… and a ton more. There is a lot to absorb and play around with and, fortunately, the developers provide tutorials for using all the tools (I spent about 90 minutes watching videos the night before the group outing). The mode I found most useful, however, is the night AR (altered reality) mode. Click on this and you're taken to a live view of your surroundings with an overlay of the sky. You can use this view to scroll back and forth through times and dates to preview where the Milky Way will be in the future; a great tool to plan your shot well in advance, especially when it won't be visible until 3am! Additionally, you'll likely discover that a star finder app will be useful, if you're trying to find/identify constellations or just need help finding the North Star (and can't remember your basic education, like me).

THE RIGHT STUFF

Jump past the Milky Way for a rundown of some other items you'll need, or should consider, for night sky sessions.

TRIPOD WEIGHTS

If wind is in the forecast, consider some weighted bags for your tripod. I found some on Amazon for a good price and filled them with play sand from the local hardware store. The set I ordered has four bags, enough to place one on each tripod leg and to hang one from the tripod's center hook. If you don't want to use weighted bags, or forget them, you can always hang your camera bag from the hook in a pinch.

EXTRA CAMERA BATTERIES

More important for star trails than shooting the Milky Way but you'll want an extra battery or two. Shooting 240 30-second exposures for star trails chewed through about 70% of a fully charged battery for my Sony a7r iv, and I ended up using all three batteries I brought for the overnight session (only one was completely drained, the other two each had roughly 15-20% left). The next worst thing to not checking the weather forecast beforehand would be having perfect conditions and running out of juice halfway through your shooting.

INTERVALOMETER/WIRED REMOTE AND EXTRA BATTERIES

Another must-have for shooting star trails. Yes, you could shoot manually but who wants to stand or sit next to your camera for 2-3 hours hitting the shutter button every 30 seconds? I also discovered that the built-in interval timer on the Sony a7r iv allows for up to 9999 shots, but some cameras only allow up to 99 shots. As for batteries, the intervalometer/remote probably doesn't draw much power but, again, you don't want to get halfway through your shots only to have the batteries unexpectedly die. I always bring spare batteries and a portable battery charger just incase. It’s always nice to be prepared then not have it.

RED FLASHLIGHT/HEADLAMP

A headlamp is a must. Make sure it has a red lamp mode. Also I always carry a compact flashlight just incase- for light painting, getting around, and for emergencies - and a head lamp that has a red light option. I only used the flashlight a few times to sweep the foreground during long exposures of the Milky Way but I used the red headlamp frequently as I walked to and from my camera and my chair or car, or as I needed to check various things on my camera or intervalometer here and there through the night. Remember, ideal shooting conditions are during the new moon; between that and (hopefully) being far away from light pollution, it will be much darker than you expect!

OTHER ITEMS TO CONSIDER

Chair

Snacks/Drinks

Bug Spray

First aid kit

Balaclava (best purchase I've made for chilly nights!)

Blanket

Pillow (I caught a snooze in the back seat of my car... the pillow helped... some)

Extra memory cards

Lens cleaning tools

And a lens warmer. This is needed for those long cold nights or high humidity nights where frost or dew can form on your lens over time. There’s. I thing like shooting a 700 image star trail or time lapse and seeing the last 200-300 images are hazy due to frost or dew.

This covers what I typical bring and equipment I use for Astrophotography. You can always add to list as the nights are long, or you can always kick back while the camera is clicking away and read some more of my blogs or checkout my tutorials and adventures on YouTube. But keep that screen light away from your camera, you don’t want to introduce any unwanted light pollution!

Don’t forget to subscribe and stay update with new blogs and more!

#astrophotography #learn photography #star trails #photography #basic photography #photoblog

[sapphic-courtship-for-dummies]

Hey there! I did an ask about 4 months ago about this girl I’m now dating (the sapphic mess who drank tea and cleaned this lasses wound) anyway everything has been going good for us.

We’ve been dating now for 4 months and I want to ask her to be my girlfriend but I remember in a group conversation a while back her mentioning something about 6 months being her dating timeframe. I really like her, she’s so sweet and makes me feel so good. She’s even met my family and came over for my birthday just to see me. Do you think I should wait until she asks me? Or should I wait until 6 months? It just feels so right and I want to call her my girlfriend. She makes me feel safe and happy, I’ve never been in a relationship so health and I’m scared to ruin it.

Anyway, chaotic sapphic out 🌸💖🌻

I remember you! I'm so so sorry I didn't get to this sooner, man it has been a couple years hasn't it? Damn, well, assuming things have unfurled since then, I can only hope it worked out for the best and answer this to the best of my ability anyway.

Six months sounds like a reasonable time frame, perhaps as a general approximate amount of time to wait especially if you're not sure or not ready to commit to someone. That being said, I don't know how rigid her boundaries are around that. As we know, it's very important to respect someone's boundaries and preferences in these contexts; on the other hand, you don't know if this is a firm rule or a general guideline or if you can be an exception unless you ask.

If it feels right to you, and you're sure, I think it's important to tell her how you feel. Even if she's not sure yet, most people like to know where they stand with someone and what the other person wants. I trust you'd let her know there wasn't any pressure to use labels if she's not comfortable or ready yet, but I don't see the harm in giving it a shot.

As always, I promote open and honest communication! The truth will set you free, as they say.

I really hope everything worked out with y'all some way or another, and that you're doing well. Best of luck with everything!

Take care,

Sappho 💖

#old asks #asks #anons #dating #dating advice #relationship advice #advice #wlw #sapphic #queer #lgbt #lgbt+ #lgbtq+ #communication #honesty #boundaries

[heartwrench-cutie]

hi!! i'm sorry to bother and id would really like your advice!!!! (you don't have to answer if you are uncomfy) i really like this guy but i don't know how to tell him and we've never talked before i'm kind of stuck :<

okie dokie!! i'm not a dating expert but i'll give advice that helped me... so it's worth mentioning that my advice won't work for everyone! long post ahead so im adding a read more :)

STEP ONE: Getting over shyness

Really hard! But if you're interested in someone you've never talked to, you gotta get some confidence in yourself. Some things I say to myself before making big decisions (usually when manic) are along the lines of "YOLO" and "if i don't do it, someone else will" or "if i don't do it, i'll lose my chance". You're hot shit, you've got this! You can pull bitches! ... You kind of have to inflate your own ego, be your biggest fan! But if being shy or apprehensive isn't a problem, go ahead and skip this step!

STEP TWO: Getting to know them.. even if they don't know you

If it's online, this is really easy! You know his socials? Look at the people he follows, look at his likes, at his posts, see the things he mentions. Does he talk about things he likes? Personal issues? Does he talk about romance, about things he wants in a relationship? Things that would make him swoon? They're all worth knowing. If it's a physical crush, that's a little harder, but that's where confidence comes in. You could ask people around your vicinity about him (ex: you go to the same class at school) and what they know. You can frame it nonchalantly, being like "hey what's up with [guy]" or just straight up asking if they know much about him. Works for me, honestly! No one really questions it. This paragraph is really creepy, I realize this as I'm typing it. Sometimes a Casanova has to be a little bit of a stalker ok.

STEP THREE KINDA: ..Other stuff!

If you have personal info on him, and you're confident enough to talk to him, my best experience is online stuff, I'm not really good at physical relationships. If it's physical, you can still try to find his contact information or a social media you could DM him on. This is where you take the big jump! Talk to him! You could start out easy, like if he has a twitter, you can reply to his posts or regularly interact (but don't like EVERY post) so he knows you know him, and are interested in socializing. Try to remember the things he likes; maybe it's a video game or a sport or something, literally anything. You can bring that up as a first topic, get him to talk about himself.

PERSONAL STUFF

When I really want someone, either platonically or romantically, when we first start talking, I make everything about them. How was your day? Can I comfort you? Do you like this movie, think I should watch it? Etc etc, just show him that you know him (but not too well) and that you care about him.

Another thing I do is... make them a spotify playlist! It's really sweet... It's a romantic thing you can do without it coming across as romantic in the beginning. Find music important to you (& him maybe) and share it with him! Music is a great form of communication.

Once you get to know him more, or the both of you get to know each other, things get more complicated, because people want different things. I can't cover everything because of that! Generally just be kind and compassionate, offer him your time and patience, let him know someone is there for him. There's a lot of coldness, sometimes what people really want is someone to lean on.

If it's difficult for you to feel or express emotions, that's okay! If you have to fake your compassion, that's okay! For me, sometimes it's hard to care about someone even if i genuinely love them. It doesn't mean you're a bad person. It's just a mental struggle. And if it seems hard to express these things, don't worry, it takes time, and eventually you'll get used to it :)

But also remember yourself. Being in love with someone is a hard task, and if he doesn't care about you as much as you care about him (purely hypothetical), remember that the only person who will ever truly understand you.. is you. So take care of yourself. Take as much time as you need, there's no need to rush.

#mine #i .... hope that helps :D #asks

[fellowshiphq]

how important is legacy to each race? i've been thinking about how the elves are dying out - surely there would be some pressure to essentially rebuild their race? is it a simple process or is it more like tolkein where elves can only procreate with their soulmate (and if half of your race is dying out, then that severely limits your, well, dating pool)

Gosh that's a fun question to ponder. Most of my lore is very Lord of the Rings movies inspired since I feel like that's something that a lot of people have seen or at least know about. So it's a good frame of reference without getting too bogged town in original lore. But this definitely isn't a canon rp either since that's an even bigger lore sinkhole.

Elves are obsessed with history and culture. They are dedicated to the preservation of books, scrolls, art, artifacts, and heirlooms. They like to keep their history in tangible form so that it is less likely to be mistold (although it's highly likely that perspective warped some facts from the very beginning). Elves are pretty snooty and care more about staying the same than they do about staying alive. They'd rather die out than adapt. I think as a whole they've given up on enduring and instead are focusing on creating and maintaining those artifacts that they can be remembered by. The members of this adventuring party are exceptions though, those who don't buy into the consensus that change is wrong. That's why they were on this diplomatic mission.

Dwarves also value their culture very highly. But it takes a more nebulous form. They don't really care about texts and artifacts. They do value family heirlooms like weapons or armor, but for the most part their history and culture is kept alive through song and storytelling which changes over time. To them what is important is keeping the song of their people alive. There isn't a huge consensus among the dwarven folk as to what to keep and what to let fade away. For the most part it varies by family. Specific families will have stories they want to be passed down or axes they want to keep sharp.

Haflings are similar to dwarves in that what is important to preserve varies family to family. Many of them care about old letters, books, cookware, and the family's home and plot of land. Halfling culture is not dying out, but it's not growing either. Halflings don't think too much about the future or the distant past and instead prefer to live in the moment. There are petty feuds that passed down through generations but that's not really cultural.

Humans are humans. As a whole they don't have any unified priorities. Some humans greatly value history and try to preserve as much of it as possible and some believe the past must be shed in order to progress. But that could be, in part, due to the fact that humans are in the early part of their history and they know it. They are growing, exploring, and founding new cities very often these days. They have entered an era of creating culture, rather than preserving it.

Sorcerers are born about three or four times a millennia and therefor do not have a culture to share.

#a #lore #fantasy rp #period rp