#Joystick supremacy

[black-eco-sage]

WIP: "Rin vs. Sesshoumaru, Part 1"

Happy (belated) Dad's Day, 2023!

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*Aggressive button mashing intensifies*

Who do YOU think would win?

[useless-bi-otch]

Cookies'n Cream - Chapter 19

Last chapter / MasterList / art by @aneenasevla

Chapter 19 - Trial and Error

Okubo knew that when he saw his friends again, they would ask about his night at Tomori's house. They'd ask for all the sordid details, probably hoping to feed their own fantasies with them. They wouldn't accept vague answers and probably wouldn't believe him if he tried to lie, to create a false scenario to throw them off. He would have no choice but to tell the unvarnished truth.

And he knew they wouldn't be happy. He showed up at Kaneda's apartment when he was invited to another game night a few days later, already prepared to deal with the general outrage, name-calling and questions about his manhood.

Or maybe it was his lucky day! Perhaps, if he explained in detail what happened, the guys would be understanding. Who wouldn't lose all desire to fuck after what he'd witnessed, anyway? Maybe he would find some solidarity there...

"YOU FUCKING IDIOT!!!"

Or maybe not.

"Guys, tone it down," Kaneda asks with a sigh, pausing the game while Rihito and Himuro stuck their faces into Okubo's personal space, snarling furiously, the three of them practically glued to eachother on the couch. "It's past nine, the complex has rules about noise at night even on weekends..."

"Sorry, man, but there's no way not to scream! It's our way of venting frustration out with such levels of stupidity!," Rihito justifies himself, gesticulating, almost hitting Okubo's nose. "Seriously, Okubo, does your heart pump blood to your brain at all?!"

"You should also ask if it pumps blood to his dick, because holy fuck..."

"Screw you guys!," Okubo growls, red with anger and mortification at Himuro's comment. "You don't know shit about what happened and yet you stay there, talking shit, not even letting me explain-"

"Explain what? How did you completely squander the golden chance we got you over some stupid stuffed animals?," Himuro interrupts him, to which Rihito nods vehemently.

"Yeah! We were just joking at the time, damn it! You're not that old to be going limp for such a shitty reason!"

"I didn't! Are you dumb or deaf?," He asks, his tone squeaky to make himself heard amidst the accusations. "Just shut up and listen to me, okay? First of all, there were no plushies in her room! At least not as far as I've seen..."

"We heard that part, but we still find it hard to believe," Kaneda comments, leaning back a little and resting his hands on the rug while looking at them over his shoulder. "Why else would you've given up on sleeping with Miss Uta like that? This has nothing to do with her in particular, does it?"

“Uh… no. I mean, yes, but at the same time no...?," He gestures uncertainly, making a face at their irritated expressions. "Look, I know it sounds crazy, but if you close your mouths and listen to me, you'll understand my side! None of you would've been able to perform if you'd seen what I saw. No, Himuro, not even you," He says quickly when Himuro opens his mouth to retort. This makes him frown.

"Huh? Do you really think I couldn't do the deed over some stupid stuffed animals? You wouldn't believe half of the absurd places and situations where I've banged a chick, believe me."

“I'd ask for details, but your man-whore escapades always piss me off and I want my ire fully focused on that idiot,” Rihito points at Okubo, who lets out an angry grunt while rolling his entire head, since rolling only his eyes didn't seem good enough.

"Holy shit, didn't you hear anything I said? There was no fucking stuffed animals in her room! Believe me, I wish there was...," He then moans, holding his head between his hands. "It would've been so much better than what I saw..."

"…Okay, Okubo, you're starting to scare us," Kaneda puts the joystick aside as he sits on the left arm of the sofa, a little worried. "What was in her room that was so horrible? was it something offensive, politically incorrect..."

"If by 'politically incorrect' you mean things like race supremacy, fascism, racism and all that stuff, no," He shakes his head, grimacing. "And by 'offensive'… well, I got a little offended!"

"Jeez… wait, did it have something to do with you?," Rihito frowns. And then his eyes widen. "Holy crap… is she one of those fujoshi girls by any chance? Did she make perverted drawings of you?! Himuro and Kaneda said that she likes to draw, so..."

"Damn it, Rihito, did you really need to bring such a mental image into the conversation?!," Himuro complains with a disgusted grimace. "Now I won't be able to stop thinking about that shit! I mean, Miss Uta never gave me the impression of being the type of girl who draws lewd stuff of her idol with other guys, but it's not like we know her well enough to make any claims."

"What- holy fuck, no!," Okubo screeches in horror. "It's not like that! I'd have jumped off that boat and swum west to get as far away from here as possible if it was something like that!"

“Then what the hell is it? What was in her room that was so hideous that you couldn't perform and have a hell of a story to tell us while we beat the cops and run over people with an ambulance?," Rihito asks while opening his arms, and Kaneda looks disapprovingly at him.

“This taken out of context could result in the police coming to visit my apartment before midnight, you know?"

"I'm talking about the GTA ambulance, dude."

"Yeah, but my neighbors don't know that!"

"Focus, you two!," Himuro raises his voice impatiently. "We have a more pending matter here. Now spit it out, come on," He turns to Okubo, practically commanding as he points at him. "What made you go limp, anyway?"

"I didn't...! Aaargh, forget it," Okubo puts his hand over his face, giving up. "It was the damn posters on the walls! There, i said it!"

He stares at them, in complete silence, as he sees the confusion on their faces.

"... Huh?," Rihito blinks. "What do you mean by 'posters'? What posters, dammit? Posters of what? A boy band she likes? Actors? Some yaoi anime, I don't know?"

"No, I'd accept it easier if it were those things… except the yaoi anime stuff…," He snorts. "They were posters of fighters."

"Wait, like the ones in her living room?"

"Yes, but make it triple," Okubo widens his eyes, raising his hands on either side of his face and moving them a little away from each other to emphasize. "I could barely see the walls underneat them, damn it. Can you still blame me for giving up?"

He waits for their reactions, wanting to see some sympathy, however small, in their features. And, as expected, he doesn't. The room that was a cross between a living room and a kitchen is filled with grunts and the sounds of hands smacking over faces in loud clacks.

"What do you think? I'll blame you, your age, your fagness, everything I can blame!," Rihito throws his arms up in frustration. "Who the fuck cares about a bunch of posters?!"

“That's fucking why I didn't want to tell you anything! Where is the solidarity with the suffering of your peers?," Okubo asks indignantly, and Himuro is not moved.

“It went down the drain after we heard such a stupid reason! Posters, Okubo? They're just pictures cut out of magazines and pasted on the walls, nothing more! And you even had the nerve to say that I wouldn't have been able to perform in such a place..."

"Stop trying to play the playboy act when you haven't been in my situation, damn it! I'm telling you, that room looked like the headquarters of a gay magazine!," He gestures almost desperately. "There was no pornographic pictures, but it seemed that they were all in ambush, just waiting, wanting to watch and judge my performance..."

"For fuck's sake, stop freaking out, Okubo!," Rihito slaps him on the back of the head, and he wasn't fast enough to dodge. "What are you thinking? That this is Harry Potter? That the posters would magically come to life and the fighters would point at the two of you on the bed and go 'put that baby carrot away, loser' ?"

"No, damn it! Let me finish before you keep talking shit!," Okubo threatens to kick Rihito in the face, who, unlike him, managed to dodge the blow. "These posters weren't of just any fighters! They were..."

"… Oh. They were posters of our friends, weren't they?," Kaneda is the first to conclude, widening his eyes a little. "Sekibayashi?"

This makes Rihito and Himuro widen their eyes as well. They turn to Okubo, who nods slowly with a grim expression.

"Yep. And Gaolang."

“Ooh, jeez… and both of them were shirtless, right?"

"And sweaty, yeah. Flexing muscles and all."

Kaneda sucks air through his clenched teeth, shudering a little.

"And there were others like this? In the entire room?"

"The entire fucking room, man. Now you understand me, don't you?," He faces his friends, seriously. "I'll ask again: can you blame me? Huh?"

Kaneda shakes his head, his expression solemn. Rihito and Himuro were still speechless with astonishment, their jaws hanging open. Himuro even seemed to have pale slightly. The two look at each other, the bridges of their noses sweating.

"Hey, Himuro… do you really think you'd be able to perform in a place like this?," Rihito asks, to which Himuro looks to the side, his expression uncertain.

"Uh... I had sex with a girl who had a Karl Marx poster on her bedroom wall once, but I think this current situation is much worse..."

"I'd change places with you without thinking twice, dude, trust me," Okubo affirms, moaning softly before plopping down on the sofa. "Few things are more of a turn down than that, honestly. Which sucks, because everything was perfect. We cuddled up together on her couch while we watched a movie... but by then I wasn't in the mood anymore."

"Man, that sucks…," Rihito laments, and Okubo was pleased to see that he now seemed more supportive of his struggle. "I thought girls got over that phase of turning their rooms into shrines dedicated to their idols when they got out of their teens. How did she think you'd go along with doing anything there, huh?"

"I don't know," Okubo shrugs. "I wasn't going to ask, I sneaked into her room and if I said anything about it, she'd find out that I snooped aroung and might get mad at me. It was on me, curiosity got the better of me and I paid the price."

"I tried to warn," Kaneda sighs, while Himuro shudders.

"Yeah, but maybe it was better that way. What if you only saw her room when the two of you got in there with the intention of fucking? She'd see you going limp firsthand."

"Don't remind me of that! But yeah, it could've been a lot worse," Okubo concedes, his expression softening a little. "The night wasn't wasted, anyway."

"How so? Is this what? The fifth or sixth time in a row that you miss a chance to get laid for a completely random reason?," Rihito scratches his hair, messing it up even more. "It seems like the universe is conspiring against you or something."

"Come on, if he’s saying that the night wasn’t wasted, it’s because he took advantage of it in other ways," Kaneda comments. "At least there didn’t seem to be another room available…"

“Of course there is! What about her crafts room?," Rihito asks, and Okubo shakes his head.

"There was no bed or divan there, it'd not be comfortable. And it was full of photos not only of her friends, but also of her parents and brother."

"…Oh," Rihito doesn't even try to reason with that one. Himuro leans a little towards Okubo.

"Alright, but what about the living room? Couldn't you try to do anything on the couch?"

"No, man, the living room was full of posters too."

"Holy shit...

"What about the kitchen? I've been in her kitchen before and I'm pretty sure there weren't any posters there!"

"No, dude, having sex in the kitchen is not romantic for a first time..."

"Damn it, Okubo, there's no way we can defend you then!," Rihito opens his arms again, frustration making him almost scream again. "How long are you going to keep making excuses? That way it looks like you don't even want to bang her anymore!"

Okubo immediately opens his mouth with the intention of saying he wanted to, because damn, of course he wanted to! He had never stopped wanting to. The problem was, that wasn't the only thing he wanted anymore when it came to Tomori.

He wanted to sleep with her. And he also wanted to go on other dates with her. He wanted to practice more baseball batting, explore other restaurants where they could eat, watch bad movies that the two of them could make fun of together, introduce her to his favorite anime, watch her draw and paint, learn to cook from her, holy shit, he just wanted to stay by her side no matter the situation...!

He wanted to explain all this to his friends, to say that there had been a slight change of plans, that now his goal was no longer about getting casual sex, but getting that woman to accept being his woman. But at that moment he couldn't, as much as he wanted to. The strong embarrassment prevented him, the fear of becoming the target of ridicule, the fear of showing that fragile side of him in front of them...

Was it what they'd call toxic masculinity these days? Yeah, probably. He sighs heavily.

"Just because I encountered some obstacles along the way? No way, Rihito. Of course I still want it, and you can bet I'm not giving up because of it. I just concluded that I simply won't be able to do that on her house.

"Jeez, what a fussy fucker…," Himuro snorts, sarcastic, turning around to get something from the kitchen. "You'd tought that he's the one about to be fucked, with the way he's acting..."

Rihito bursts out laughing, throwing his head back and slapping his own thigh. Even Kaneda makes a farting sound from his mouth, quickly looking away when Okubo glares at them as if he wants to spend the first culprit on them.

"Damn, I'm giving up on you!"

"We're the ones who should say that! But anyway, that's your problem, not ours," Rihito waves a hand. "We're already doing our part, it's not our fault if you're too stupid to take advantage."

"Leave him alone, Rihito," Kaneda coughs to contain his laughter. "At this point rushing things isn't going to change the situation."

"And walking at a snail's pace, like Captain Erectile Dysfunction is doing, won't change it either."

"Captain Erectile Dysfunction? That's not what your mom called me yesterday, asshole!"

"Oooh, so we're doing low blows now? You're really bringing moms into this? Then don't complain when your face looks even more fucked up than usual after I'm done with you!"

"Don't start fighting in the middle of my living room, you two," Kaneda grumbles while the two gorillas put themselves in fighting stances, snarling at each other. "Soon the food will arrive, then you'll be able to put those mouths to a good use. Liu sent a message, Himuro," He shows his phone to Himuro. "He'll booze drinks too."

"Excellent. It's what we need the most after all this fuss," He nods with a snort. "Games, booze and not talking about that stuff anymore, for the sake of my sanity."

"Yeah, mine too," Rihito grunts, Okubo and him giving each other the middle finger before relaxing their postures and going back to the couch. He was relieved that the conversation was over. Who knows if his friends couldn't get more embarrassing truths out of him if it went on too long. They called him a loudmouth for a reason, after all...

* * *

When Okubo said that he was willing to do anything to show that he regretted his wrongdoings and that he wanted to prove it to her, Tomori chose to believe him. She saw now that she no longer needed to worry about regretting that decision.

She just didn't expect him to go through with the promise after he had earned her forgiveness. And not to those extremes.

"I'm really sorry!," He exclaims, a little too loudly, while bowing deeply before the astonished manager, the waitresses and even the cleaning staff of the bistro. "My behavior that day was inexcusable!"

"Ooh… we appreciate the attempt, sir," The manager says after exchanging a brief look with one of the waitresses. "But there's no need-"

"Yes, there is! I mean...! Uugh, I'm sorry for yelling...," He scratches the back of his neck quickly when two of the women flinch slightly, a little nervously. "I know it's kinda late for this, but I won't be able to be at peace with myself if I don't do that. I disrespected your work environment, inconvenienced one of your employees, and made a lot of people uncomfortable. Mainly my date here," He raises his eyes a little to Tomori, who was standing by his side with arms crossed. "Apologizing is the bare minimum. And covering the damage of what I broke too..."

"Oh, but that has already been covered. You paid for the broken crockery."

"Uh… I did?"

"Yes, just before you ran off after that lady," One of the waitresses nods, and Tomori recognizes her as the one who had the tray with orders knocked out of her hands by the disaster that was a drunk Okubo. "You paid with your card, and it was more than we needed to replace the broken crockery."

Okubo blinks, a little perplexed, and then turns his eyes to Tomori.

“I…I didn't remember that. I was drunker than I thought, holy cow..."

She lets out an accidental giggle, clapping a hand over her mouth afterward. Now that everything was settled, it was easier to remember that night without feeling resentful or embarrassed. At least not like before.

"Yeo! And I'm glad you transferred money to people who deserved to be reimbursed, and not to someone taking advantage of your drunk generosity. They could have whiped your bank account clean..."

"And would you've let them?"

"At that time I felt very vindictive, so I think you already know my answer."

"Damn, you're mean...," He makes a pout, to which the manager and employees allow themselves a brief laugh.

“Our work ethic wouldn't have allowed it. Anyway, we appreciate your gesture, Mr. Okubo," The man nodded with a kind smile. "And we accept your apology. Fortunately, nothing serious happened that night that would justify your permanent expulsion from the establishment."

"Oh… so my date and I can go back to the bistro?"

"As long as it doesn't happen again, yes. Our zero-tolerance policy for drunk customers is still in place," The manager warns. "But since the damages were paid and the apology was sincere, I don't think we have anything to worry about. Now we just need to return all the extra money you gave us, it wouldn't be right..."

"No need, you can keep the extra as compensation for the trouble!"

"Sir, we cannot accept this, it goes against our policy..."

Okubo and the manager stood there, arguing about pay, work ethics, and other related matters, and the employees took that as their cue to get back to work. They bow briefly to Tomori, then go their separate ways, and she stands there, patiently waiting for the subject to be over so they could sit down to eat. It was so good to be back in this place and not feel sad and out of place because of the memories.

And it was all thanks to him, who had kept one of the last promises she expected him to keep. And without her needing to push him into it, to top it off! It wasn't something that deserved a standing ovation, as apologizing for execrable behavior was the least thing to do, but it was still something she appreciated and that made her want to hug him, kiss him, find a private place so they could get all cozy and confortable...

"Later. Baby steps, you predator, baby steps..."

"… Very well, half of the amount will be refunded then. This is my last offer, it's take it or be thrown out of here for good," She hears the manager suddenly threaten, and that's enough to make Okubo back off.

"Okay, okay, half then! Damn, being classified as persona non grata in two establishments would look really bad on my resume...," He grumbles with a slight shudder. "Can my date and I sit down and place our orders then?"

"Sure, make yourselves comfortable. Your waitress will come to you soon," The man says goodbye to them with a polite bow, moving away towards the kitchens. Okubo sighs heavily before turning to her with an arched eyebrow.

"Come on, are bakery and restaurant owners always this inflexible, to the point of being scary? Or did your boss taught a few tricks around the commercial areas of Tokyo?"

Tomori laughs heartily. "I said it to Rihito, and now I say it to you: cooks in general are pretty tough and adamant about their convictions. It was almost a miracle that Kanny accepted you back into the bakery, considering what I've seen and heard from her."

"Do I have to consider myself lucky then? I don't even want to think about what will become of the poor bastard who pisses her off to the point of being kicked out for good," He touches his own jaw with a grimace, smiling when it makes her laugh again. "But anyway, I did what needed to be done. Now I can show up here with you without feeling like a complete idiot."

"Yeah...," She nods as the two of them walk to the veranda, choosing a vacant table; it was a beautiful, sunny Sunday and it made more sense to enjoy it outdoors. "I'm glad for that, really. But... is it really okay for you? I still haven't forgotten that conversation about how this place brings back bad memories."

"Tomori, if I were to run my whole life away from bad memories, I wouldn't be able to consider myself a fighter," He steps forward, pulling out a chair for her to sit on, making her blush with the chivalrous gesture. "You said yourself that I need to face my problems head on like a man, and that's what I'm doing. And in addition, I can make good memories with you," He smiles as he sits down in front of her. "Let’s exorcise this place together?"

She puts a hand over her mouth quickly, trying to stifle a laugh. "Keep it down, or you'll offend the manager with that out of context comment, and that's when you'll get kicked out."

"Damn… I'm noticing that, since you came into my life, I've been running more risks of being kicked out of places, for good or not," He comments playfully, to which she arches an eyebrow.

"Oh really? So am I to blame for that?"

"No. I'm to blame for being an idiot full of behavioral problems and who now needs to bust a gut to improve them, all for the ankle-biter he likes so much. So, the near expulsions are kind of unavoidable consequences," He reaches across the table to pat her hand. "But I’m not complaining, the pros far outweigh the cons…"

"Uugh, you..." She hides her red face in her free hand, the other still being stroked by his callused fingers. And even though she knew it was inappropriate in a public place, she didn't want to remove her hand from under his. "Apparently the first joint memory I'm going to create here will be of me, holding myself back from getting up and kissing you in front of all these people."

"See? We're already starting to get over the bad memories," He laughs, all happy, scratching his nose. "I knew coming here was a good idea, even though it was kinda uncomfortable for me. You won't want to die of embarrassment every time you come here, will you?"

“I… damn, I did say that, didn't I?," She opens an embarrassed smile, but the joy with his words prevented the feeling from lasting long. "No, I won't. I mean, not until you take that task on yourself. I expect everything from that silver tongue of yours."

He chuckled again, and she noticed that he didn't seem to understand the double meaning her words carried. Funny… she had the impression until then that he was a very physical man, in every sense of the word. He had a past as a womanizer, after all. He should pick up on that kind of insinuation pretty quickly, shouldn't he?

So far, the two of them hadn't done anything physical beyond hugging, kissing and groping here and there, though never in intimate places. She appreciated his clear attempts to be respectful, but by now she was more than ready for them to take things further. It was what she wanted from the beginning, after all.

The difference was that that desire was now tempered with other feelings that she could no longer ignore. She had lived too many special moments with that man and known too many facets of him to just want one night with him and nothing else. It was time to let the wolf that everyone accused her of being show her fangs a little. Just a little, so as not to scare him too much. But enough to make him want more.

“Just wait, big guy. I will make you want nothing else after I'm done with you.”

"Ahaha, you don't need to worry. If I ever embarrass you, it will be in a way that'll make you laugh, instead of getting mad," He promises, oblivious to the direction her thoughts were taking. "But now that you mention a silver tongue..."

"Oh?," She straightens her shoulders at this. "What about it?"

"We've gone out to several places together, but never to a karaoke," He smiles excitedly. "You said it's another one of your family traditions, right? I'd like to hear you sing! And then I'll let myself belt out too, hehe."

... Oh. Damn, if she didn't know him better by now, she'd think he was extremely innocent. Or that she was being too perverted. But she would never complain about having another date with him, or spending any time with him in general. She smiled.

"Haha, yes, it is one of our traditions, especially at family gatherings! I even have a karaoke machine at home and would've turned it on the last time you visited if I'd known you were so into it."

“Nah, it's not even that. I mean, I do like karaoke, but I was thinking more of a place where you'd like to go and where we would feel more comfortable," His smile becomes more ingratiating. "Karaoke bars have private rooms, after all. What do you think? Wanna go to one, one of these days?"

"Oh, I’m in! We can have a competition and then sing as a duo!," She claps excitedly. "​​What do you think? I'll even let you choose Baka Mitai to have an advantage, I've been generous lately."

"Hey, hey, making fun of my musical tastes is a low blow," He snorts. "Baka Mitai is an ode to a lost love whose lyrical self only knew how to appreciate when it was too late. It's sad and beautiful, as all good songs should be."

"I didn't know you liked that kind of music. From your clothes I always thought you liked rap, especially the American style..."

"Rap is cool, but what attracts me the most is the clothing itself. My thing is enka!"

"Seriously? Wow, you'd get along great with my dad then," She laughs. "He's always listening to Sakamoto Kyu, Miyako Harumi, Itsuki Hiroshi..."

"A man of culture, indeed," He crosses his arms and nods, very solemnly, and she laughs more. "Maybe one day he and I will have a friendly competition at karaoke…"

He then shuts up, seeming to realize what he had just insinuated, turning very red and clearing his throat with a fist in front of his mouth.

"I- I mean...! In a completely hypothetical situation, of course, no one can predict the direction that life will take. I mean, if one day he suddenly shows up at your house when I'm there... no, no, that wouldn't be very good either, what would he think...!"

Tomori can't think of anything to reply, her face hot, her mind filling with ridiculously sugary scenarios. Many of them involved Okubo and her father, chanting Enka at the top of their lungs in her parents' living room, while Tatsu complained that the yelling was interfering with one of his work calls and her mother, Saeko and she watched with fond exasperation...

Okay, if writing imaginary fanfiction during conversation, in a public place, wasn't a worrying sign she was losing her mind, she didn't know what else could be. She tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, laughing a little too loudly.

"Haha, no- no need to worry about that, my parents never show up at my house unannounced. My brother sometimes does, but that's because he's a complete no-brainer. And because he wants to make sure I'm not hiding any men there."

"Jeez, how old does he think you are?," Okubo rolls his eyes, still a little red. And then he seems to think harder, frowning. "Wait… I don't think I know that either. How old...?"

"Twenty-seven," She replies, smiling, relieved that they were changing the subject. "Twenty-eight in February! Yeah, I'm getting old, I know, hehe..."

Okubo blinks, then looks away with a strange expression. It looked almost like…guilt? Tomori frowns.

"What's wrong? Come on, I was kidding! Twenty-seven is not that old..."

"No, that's not it! It's just that...," He scratches the back of his head, pressing his mouth in an uncomfortable line. "I'm thirty-six. That means I'm almost a decade your senior."

"Yeah, so...?"

“It's just…I don't know, isn't that a little weird?," He now whispered as if he was afraid that the people at the tables nearby would hear them. "I get closer to my forties every day, while you're not even in your thirties yet..."

Tomori ends up laughing in disbelief. "Damn, I think you should've thought of that before agreeing to go out with me and make out with me over all these weeks, hahaha!"

"Hey, hey, as far as I know the make-out sessions were completely consensual, and the consent was enthusiastic on both sides!," He points at her with a pout, and she laughs even louder.

"It was! So why bother worrying about it?," She shrugs with a smile. "I always knew about your age and it never bothered me. I mean, if I were a fresh-out-of-school girl, with no steady income and immature, it'd be really wrong. But I have a job, I own a house, I pay bills and taxes and I even have a completely developed frontal lobe," She jokes, raising two fingers of her right hand in a V for Victory. "Rest assured that you're not taking advantage of an impressionable girl."

"Heh… I don't really know about the “impressionable” part," He ends up saying after reassuring himself, smiling again. "You always seemed very impressed with my accomplishments, hehe."

"Of course! It's impressive and admirable how you're still able to keep your belt even though you're close to the age at which most fighters retire."

"Are you seriously calling me old? That's uncalled for!," He complains, but his tone was still playful amidst the indignation. "I'll show you who the old man is, just wait and see."

The laugh dies in her throat, her mouth still open as she processes his words. A funny, familiar tingle creeps up her spine, accompanied by an involuntary shiver in her legs, and she finds herself pulling them together in an attempt to contain it.

Ooh, damn... did that mean he finally wanted to-

"Get ready to bust a gut when we go to practice batting in the park!"

... Aaaand no, he didn't want to. At least not at that specific moment. She calms down, trying to hide the slight disappointment to return his smile.

"You always say that, but I often see you holding back when it's your turn to throw the ball. I know the strength those arms have and I want to see more of it."

"If you know that, you should be asking me to go easy on you," He jokes. "But that's ok, I can step things up if that's what you want. Let's see how far you can take it without asking for a break, hehe."

Tomori shifts in her chair again, biting her bottom lip lightly. Holy shit, was he doing that on purpose or did he really have no idea what his words sounded like? If it was on purpose, he was being a little cruel. You didn't play around like that with a horny woman, dammit!

Good thing she came prepared for the occasion, wearing clothes that showcased her assets well and that he would be unable to ignore as he watched her move. She wasn't stupid or had a low opinion of herself: she knew she was pretty and she knew it affected him, even if just a little. It was time to get something out of it.

"Just you wait, I'll make you swallow these insinuations," She promises, hoping he got her subtle message. "But for now I just want to eat something. What do you say we order that baked camembert I was eating that other time? You didn't get a chance to try it..."

"You're right. Too Drunk and acting too much like an idiot for that," He opens an embarrassed smile. "Let me pay for it this time-"

"No. Stop right there. We'll split the bill," She decrees adamantly, pointing to him in a warning. "If you keep paying for me left and right, then I'm going to start thinking I'm too young for this relationship."

"You should've thought of that before you let me pay for that whole second date, lady! Now I'm too used to it," He doesn't shy away, smiling cheekily. "But I'm willing to negotiate..."

"Oh, are you?," She plays with her fingers on the table, batting her eyelashes slowly at him. "And the terms of the negotiation are…?"

"At least let me pay for the camembert and I promise I won't hold back when we go to batting practice," He offers, his smile widening. "Take it or leave it."

... Oh. Seriously, was she going to spend the entire afternoon interpreting his joking words as sexual innuendos and then be proven wrong? At that rate, the date was going to be torture! The best kind of torture.

She ends up smiling more widely. If he only knew how much she enjoyed that kind of foreplay, the innuendos would be even more blatant. And she couldn't wait for him to realize that.

"Alright. Just the camembert then. And I won't forget your promise."

"Okubo Naoya doesn't go back on his words. You should know that by now," He reaches across the table, and Tomori doesn't resist the invitation, also reaching for him and intertwining her fingers with his.

Yeah, she knew that all too well now. It was one of his traits that she most appreciated. And a part of a whole she had decided she wanted all to herself.

* * *

There were some sights that were pretty common to see in a park over a weekend. One was couples enjoying a sunny, peaceful day together. Another was that of parents playing with their children, sometimes practicing baseball pitches and hits.

What was not common was the vision of a mixture of both situations. Okubo was well aware of how much attention Tomori and him must have been drawing to themselves, playing hit and catch with a professional baseball apparatus; a relic of his days as a player. Not to mention the fact that he was too big, and she, too beautiful, and that was a rather unusual combination.

But dammit, he couldn't care less! What son of a bitch wouldn't lend an arm to be in his place? Especially with her dressed like that...

"Alright, I'm ready! Give it all you got!," She exclaims as she positions herself, holding the bat as he had suggested and spreading her legs, which were partially exposed by that pleated skirt that didn't even reach her knees. If she lifted her leg just a little, he could probably see the tattoo...

"Naoya? I said you can throw the ball now!"

"Uh- Oh, okay, sorry!," He lifts his head with a start, being awakened from his rather inappropriate thoughts for the occasion. "I got a little distracted here..."

"Too busy coming up with a last-minute strategy?," She asks with a provocative smile, swinging the bat a little. "Do you realize that my hits are a little too much for your tired legs?"

"Is that any way to talk to your coach? I'll make you some push-ups if you don't quit it!," He warns, half joking, half serious. Man, her doing push-ups in clothes like that would give him a blessed view...

"I can handle it! Just throw the ball to see for yourself," She raises her arms in the air, still holding the bat, and stretches with a small groan. "Just let me stretch a little..."

She had closed her eyes, and Okubo took the chance to enjoy the scene, swallowing a little. She was wearing a comfortable, short-sleeved shirt, the hem tied just above the waistband of her skirt, and as she stretched, it rose a little and partially exposed the skin on her abdomen. Her skin looked so smooth and soft... she even had an adorable little mole near her navel, damn. what he wouldn't give to smack some kisses around there...

"… Naoya? Getting distracted again?"

"Wha- aah, yeah!," He jerks his head up, face burning, praying he wasn't blushing too much. "I- I was assessing your posturing! Wanting to make sure it was right so you don't risk straining a muscle while swinging the bat."

“Ooh, got it,” She nods, resting the tip of the bat on the ground, looking a little thoughtful. And then she smiles, offering, "Want to help me with that?

“Uh…what?”

"Help me with my posturing! I've been doing this for a good few years, but who would deny receiving guidance from a professional?," She shrugs a little, her smile becoming sweet. "Can you give me a hand? C'mon, I want to hit better so I can make you proud..."

Holy shit... He sure could give her a hand, as many hands as she wanted. To be able to hold those hips, that little waist, feel her so close to his body, her back pressed against his chest, the movements under his hands every time she swung the bat...

“Okay, you're sounding like a thirteen year old now. Get a fucking grip, this isn't porn!”

He inhales and exhales discreetly to calm himself. If he wanted to prove to Tomori that what he felt for her went beyond mere sexual attraction, he had to start by not acting like an idiotic teenager. He nods, smiling as he approaches her.

"Damn, what a diligent student, haha! Alright, I'll help you with your posture. I particularly thought it was good so far, but if you're feeling like there's something that needs to be improved..."

"It's more to relieve conscience. Again, I trust your judgment," She explains it simply. And then she lets out a little gasp as he places his hands on either side of her hips. "Ooh…"

"What? Was it too sudden?," He asks worried. "Sorry, I should have told you I was going to-"

"No, that's not it," She says quickly, straightening her shoulders and returning to position the bat high. "It's just that… wow, your hands are really huge, haha…," And she rotates her hips a little, as if testing the firmness of her grip, his hands accompanying the movement while the hem of her skirts went up and revealed a little bit more of that skin...

“Holy fuuuuuck...!”

Okubo experienced a few seconds of self-indulgent pride as he managed not to have any stupid reactions. On the outside, he maintained an expression of neutral calmness, but on the inside, he felt an almost primal urge to take her in his arms and go find the nearest love hotel. Or the most secluded area of ​​the park, in case they couldn't countain themselves long enough.

Hell, as much as he was still ashamed of his behavior that Saturday when he and his friends found her at the market, there was no denying that Rihito and he were right in their analysis. A nice, soft body with curves and extra fat in all the right places. The wonderful personality that accompanied it only made him feel even more like he'd won the lottery. So he had to pull himself together and wait, hold back until he was sure she knew he wanted her in every way, not just the physical one. Until then, he had to be respectful. So hold your fucking horses, dammit!

"Ahaha... yeah, I've been- I've been told. Gorilla hands," He laughs, managing to blush just a little. "Okay, back to your posture! You know that the rotation force when turning the bat is all in the hips, right?"

"Yes, I know! It's all about steadying your legs and turning at just the right angle, isn't it?," She nods, not looking at him, still testing the bat's mobility. "I try to do like the professional hitters, but I always end up with sore hips after a while, haha."

"It's the lack of habit. Muscles retain memory, you know? That's why I encourage you to practice even when I'm not here," He explains, placing his hands on her hips to help her straighten up. "Your body will gradually get used to the movements and withstand the bumps more. But until then, let's stop trying to bat like me and try to bat more like yourself. You're doing great anyway."

"Does that mean you don't have to help me after all?," She asks, again moving her hips under his hands, and Okubo holds his breath for a moment when the tied hem of her blouse rises and he feels the softness and warmth of her skin in contact with his fingers. Holy crap...!

“Take a deep breath and keep it inside your fucking pants!”

"Yes, I do, like any attentive coach!," He declares, because even if he was going to keep his perverted toughts to himself, any excuse to touch her was very welcome. "Now try to follow my hands, as if this were a dance. But without wiggling, otherwise the hit comes out more like a weathervane, haha!"

She stops moving, allowing him to guide her. She looks to the side, and for a second Okubo thought he saw her frown and pout. Did he sound too harsh in that last recommendation? He was going to comment on it until she straightened her back and locked her hips in place.

"Like this?," she asks, bracing her legs and back…which almost presses against his chest, the curves molding so well to his muscles and filling his head with fantasies that involve a lot of that friction, a lot of sweat and none of those clothes...

“Bloody hell, this woman is going to kill me at this rate!”

"Yeah, like that," He tries to pull away discreetly, putting a safe distance between his hips and hers, still holding her by the waist. How he was managing to keep his voice from denoting his arousal was a mystery. "Remember the feet too. They need to be steady, but can follow the movement of the hips to keep their balance, like this," He rotates his hips to the side, feet firmly on the ground, but moving accordingly and leaving small furrows in the grass. "How about we try it now?"

“Yeah, just throw the ball,” She nods, smiling, but again she looks a little uneasy about something, her brows still furrowed. Okubo was afraid he was sounding cold, maybe even robotic, but dammit, if he didn't countain himself, she would notice his excited frenzy and be embarrassed, maybe even offended! He would make up for it by showering her with praise after the hit. He puts on the baseball glove.

"Alright! Get ready... yeah, just like that!," He nods approvingly. And then he smiles cheekily. "Just don't complain after experiencing all my potency, huh! ... Tomori, you've moved out of position," He notes confused, when she flinches a bit and brings her legs together in the process. She shakes her head.

"Sorry, it was just an annoying itch here on my leg… ok, you can throw now," She straightens the bat, a little red, and Okubo, although confused, doesn't inquire further. He nods, lifts one leg to propel himself, and throws the ball, putting more power into the motion to make the projectile whizz as it slices through the air.

She swings the bat with clenched teeth, and he cheers, throwing his arms up as the ball hits hard, flying over his head.

"Attagirl! Now c'mon, run, put those legs to work!"

She drops the bat, laughing and panting a little as she dashes to run around him, as if reaching for the bases of a real diamond. He was going to run to catch the ball... but he finds himself frozen in place as he follows her with his eyes, a little transfixed.

Her skirt fluttered with the constant movement of her legs, her belly more evident when the hem of her blouse rose with the running, her hair rippling making him imagine a creature that only existed in dreams running through a forest. What was the name of those deities in Greek mythology who were more beautiful than humans...? Nymphs! Yes, the sight made him think of a giggling, playful nymph becoming one with the elements as she ran barefoot on the grass...

Except she wasn't barefoot. And not naked, as nymphs usually were. But he could still fantasize, dammit, fantasies were free and private...

“Watch out before your hard-on becomes too obvious, you idiot!”

He shakes his head to dispel the inappropriate thoughts as she pretends to throw herself onto her side, sliding a little on the grass, laughing out loud. He immediately crouches down to her level, laughing too.

"Nice job! Hell, I should've used the stopwatch on my phone to count your time, but I forgot."

"And apparently you forgot the ball too, haha! You've been a little distracted today...," She comments, panting a little, lying on her side on the grass and resting an elbow on the ground and her chin on her hand, blinking slowly at him. Holy shit, that position only accentuated her figure even more and made her legs look shiny with sweat. He could almost see the tip of the tattoo under the hem of her skirt...!

"Sorry about that, it's just that I'm really thinking about the best way to help you improve your skills. Analyzing, planning and such…," He rubs the back of his head, smiling and hoping she doesn't take his embarrassment the other way. She blinks, surprised.

"Wait, really? I thought we were just playing..."

"And we are! But we can still learn while we play, can't we? This will be good for your physical conditioning, for your health... I don't know, I just want to help you in some way, even if a little...," He scratches the back of his head.

Tomori blinks again, and then she blushes. She looks away, biting her bottom lip, reaching out to grab some grass as she clenches her fists.

"That- That's very nice of you, but... why?"

Okubo swallows hard. If there was a chance to subtly demonstrate how he really felt, it was now.

"Come on, do we need a reason to want to see someone we like improve and be well?"

She stares at him as if she can't believe her eyes, which were huge and shining. Ff she realized now, if she said something about it, if he'd gone a little too far..."

"You...! Help me stretch!"

"... What?"

"You heard me!," She whines a little, still furiously red, sitting down on the grass and stretching her legs out in front of her. "Acting all smooth, making me all red and flustered like that… how am I supposed to concentrate on batting practice like that, huh? Be a good coach and help me not get cramps at the end of the day instead of making me want to kiss you and getting us kicked out of the park for misconduct, okay?"

“Uh… yeah, sure,” He nods, perplexed, sitting down across from her while holding her foot.

Was she mad at him? Why? Damn, had he gone overboard in his attempt to be romantic and she'd taken offense? But she said she felt like kissing him, so that couldn't be it, could it?

Fuck, he was lost as a fucking goose! He sometimes agreed with Rihito's assertions that women could be incomprehensible creatures.

He looked up at her, watching her reach out to touch her feet, wanting to ask, wanting to understand what had made her so mad… and being summarily distracted by the sight of her blouse's neckline, deepening as she moved her torso, the breasts that seemed just the right size to fit in his hands tempting him. Was that a little mole just above the right one? Fuck, she was so beautiful, so hot, so...!

“Enoooough! You're supposed to be a gentleman, not a pervert who can't hold his pants in place, damn it!"

He clears his throat harder than necessary, making her look up. "I… I didn't bother you with what I said, did I? I really need to learn when to shut up..."

She stares at him as if assessing him. And then he sighs, closing his eyes a little.

"No, it didn't bother me. On the contrary. It's just that sometimes I can't stand how cute you can be without making the slightest effort. I almost feel jealous..."

"Why? You're adorable!," He says, astonished that she thought so. "The cutest girl I've ever met, and I'm not just saying this to get on your good side. We're kinda past that phase, haha..."

She bites her bottom lip, blushing, and Okubo had know her long enough to learn to recognize the mixture of happiness and irritation in her expression. Shit, had he said something he shouldn't have said again? He just couldn't stop making an ass out of himself that day!

"Eer... Tomori, I-"

"Let's keep playing!," She interrupts him unceremoniously, raising her voice to the point of squeaking a little and raising her hand in the air. "Help me to get up, please."

He does so, confused and worried, lifting her without trouble. He even puts his hands on her back to help her steady herself, her breasts pressing momentarily against his chest and holy fuck, control yourself, control yourself, control your fucking self...!

"Let's go batting again, and this time, I want to see if I can make you sweat," She says in a determined tone "And don't forget to run after the ball this time, huh! I'm going to hit it as far as I can."

"Haha, o-okay! I know you can, just apply everything I've taught you so far," He nods, trying to smile. And then he blinks. "Uh… are you wanting a tighter hug to feel more confident or…?"

"Huh?... Oh! I'm sorry…," She pulls away from him as she takes two steps back, embarrassed and also looking���frustrated? Damn, he couldn't tell! Maybe he should spend a few hours watching those body language videos or something...

She picks up the bat she'd dropped on the floor minutes before, swinging it around in the air as if testing its weight, but doing so with an abruptness that, honestly, scared him a little. He just hoped he hadn't pissed her off enough for her to want to hit balls other than the baseball one. He puts on the glove.

"Are you ready?," He asks, and positions himself when she nods.

"Yes. And throw it hard! No taking it easy on me!"

“Okay, you asked for it…,” He nods seriously. He didn't want to overdo it, but if he held back, she might get even angrier at him. Better not risk it. He lifts one leg to gain momentum and throws the ball with a vengeance, grinding his teeth.

Tomori does the same by swinging the bat... and hitting the ball with her face instead of the bat when Okubo's throw pierces her block easily. Her head snaps back with the impact, and he widens his eyes in horror as she screams sharply in pain, landing on her back. Fuck!

"Tomori! Shit, shit, shit...!," He runs towards her, seeing her grab her own nose, her eyes closed tightly and watering with pain.

"Ooouch! Ow, ow, ow, fuck, shit, goddammit...!"

"Sorry! Holy shit, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, I thought you could handle it!," He screeches, a little terrified, while helping her to sit, ignoring the people who passed further ahead and stared at them with reproach, because of their dirty mouths. "Are you hurt? Is it bleeding? Let me take a look..."

"Uugh, the... the ball!"

"Huh?"

"The ball is rolling down the slope!," she exclaims, pointing with one hand while pinching her nose with the other. And sure enough, there went his prized ball, hurtling down the small hill. "Go get it before someone else does!"

"But- But your nose..."

"My nose is fixable, but a stolen ball is not! Hurry up, Naoya!"

"O-Okay!," He exclaims, jumping up and giving her one last worried look over his shoulder before running down the slope, looking for his ball, but with his wild thoughts still on Tomori.

Hell, few things were more disastrous than making a girl bleed in the middle of a date! If she was mad at him before, now she must be wanting to kill him! Or telling her boss about what he'd done, which would be the same thing.

Would she forgive him if he let her hit him too? If she threw the ball in his face too, or if she hit him with the bat... would it hurt less in his face or balls? Definitely in the face! He just wanted her to stop being so angry with him, or at least explain what was wrong...

He finally descends the small hill, ending in a paved section of the park that people used to jog. The ball had come to rest a few yards away from the walkway, still on the grass, and luckily there weren't any overly curious children around. Just a couple of jogers, an old lady passing by with her dog on a leash, and that was it. Thank god. He bends down to pick up the ball, not paying attention to the jogers, the old lady or her dog that had broken free of the leash and was running towards him...

... Oh, fuck.

"Pochi, no!"

And Pochi, like the little shit he apparently was, didn't listen to his owner, running towards Okubo and his ball with that typical body language of dogs when faced with food or their favorite toy: the skins swaying in his running pace, tongue sticking out, drool flying everywhere, mouth already opening to snatch the ball…

Okubo lets out a half-alarmed exclamation, grabbing the ball and leaping to his feet. He had to run fast up the hill, then there was no way that fat bulldog could catch him! He turns, making a dash for the grass, the dog's rasping breath at his heels...

* * *

"... And there you go, Mr. Okubo! Fortunately, the fabric of your pants prevented the bite from going too deep, so you won't need stitches," The doctor rubs his hands, smiling. "And how's your nose, Miss Uta? Has the bleeding stopped?"

"Yes, it did. Thank you so much for the cotton," Tomori smiles embarrassed, feeling quite stupid with those cotton balls coming out of her nostrils. "And you were right, we really don't need to lean our heads back to stop a nosebleed."

"It is a very common mistake. Now you know how to proceed the next time you go to baseball batting practice," He laughs, and they both groan softly in embarrassment.

They were at that moment inside one of the wards of an emergency room; the last place either of them had expected to stop when that date began. Especially Tomori, who now didn't know how she would even look at Okubo, who was glumly staring at the bandage on his bitten ankle, in the face.

The meteoric throw and the canine attack that he suffered seemed to have clarified her thoughts, previously taken by a mixture of lust and desperate frustration. All she could think about now was how her ridiculous, pathetic behavior had indirectly resulted in him getting hurt and having his pants ripped. Just because she was mad about the ball she took on her face and didn't want him near her until she was sure she wasn't going to explode and curse him...

“Who told him to throw it with all his might, you idiot? It's your fault!"

Yeah, she knew that, and it didn't make her feel any better. Just very guilty. But there was still that damn frustration to temper...

“Yeah, we'll keep that in mind, Doc. Thanks," Okubo nods, making a move to unroll the leg of his pants to cover his ankle, but then apparently remembering that the hem had been ripped and eaten by a dog. He huffs, straightening up again in his chair. "Can we go now? Or we have to sign some form or something..."

"Oh, not yet," The doctor shakes his head. "You were bitten by an animal, and even if the wound has been treated and disinfected, we still cannot rule out the most unpleasant possibilities. I already contacted the nurse and she will bring the rabies vaccine-

"Vaccine?!," Okubo jumps up half a foot from his chair, turning pale, his eyes bulging. "What vaccine? Nobody told me anything about any vaccine!"

Tomori glares at him, astonishment at his reaction sweeping her guilty thoughts into her subconscious for the moment. The doctor, on the other hand, didn't seem surprised.

"Yes, a vaccine. It's standard procedure for any animal attack, Mr. Okubo."

"But- But the dog had an owner! It wasn't a stray," He tries to argue nervously, gesticulating agitatedly. "I- I doubt he had anything, doc, I don't need any vaccines-"

"I told you, sir, it's standard procedure," The doctor interrupts him, albeit politely. "Rabies becomes intractable once the symptoms appear, you know? It's better not to risk it," He then smiles. "Don't worry, the application is very quick. It won't hurt. You don't have to be afraid."

"Afraid? Who's afraid?! I'm not afraid of vaccines, are you crazy?!," He screeches, furious and embarrassed, his face very red. "I'm a man, okay? Men aren't scared of those things!"

"Of course," The doctor nods, unshakable. "If you don’t want the vaccine, you will need to sign a term stating that you've been warned of the consequences of refusing treatment..."

“He'll take the vaccine,” Tomori finally finds her voice, stepping between Okubo and the doctor. Okubo's eyes widened in astonishment.

"T-Tomori?! I'm not-"

"Don't 'Tomori' me, sir," She points to him, seriously. "Would you rather risk getting a serious infection than take a three-second shot? I won't let you be so remiss about your health, Naoya! Come on, I'll stay here by your side if it makes you feel better."

"No- no need...!," he splutters, so red he looks like he's about to hyperventilate. But in the face of her unresolved gaze, he had no choice but to lower his head and stammer, “O-Okay then. I'm gonna take the vaccine... but I'm not scared! I'm not! I just think it's unnecessary, that's all!"

"Of course," The doctor nodded. "I'll talk to the nurse. I'll be back in a few minutes. Excuse me...," He bows briefly and leaves them both alone in the infirmary.

The awkward silence lingered longer than she would've liked. They hadn't had moments like this since they'd made up, and Tomori didn't know how to act with all that guilt. Was he offended that she was being bossy? She had no right to tell him what to do, she wasn't his mother (and thank god she wasn't!). But she still couldn't let him take unnecessary risks because of a silly fear, she cared about him too much for that.

Who knew Okubo Naoya, Ultimate Fight's heavyweight champion, was afraid of needles? There's so much about him she didn't know, the kinds of things you didn't see in interviews or press conferences or sports magazine articles... and she was wasting the opportunity to know so much more by behaving like a hormonal teenager, throwing herself at him without thinking about whether he would feel comfortable or not...

"Tomori... I'm sorry."

His murmur silences her tormenting thoughts. Tomori turns to him, surprising him with his head down, looking nervous.

"You're sorry? For what?"

"I… I don't really know, to be honest," He makes a face. "I just know that you seemed upset about something today, back in the park, and all I could think of was that somehow I'd screwed up. Again," He sighs. "If you tell me what I did wrong, I promise I'll try to fix it. I just don't want you mad at me again..."

Tomori felt like the most heartless person in the world at that moment.

She really traumatized him, didn't she? It had been deserved the first time, but now that they'd patched things up, he didn't deserve to feel that way anymore, constantly walking on eggshells in an attempt not to piss her off again. She didn't wanted him to be constantly fearing he'd lose her for any slip he made.

Specially because the slip of the time was on her account, not his. She was so determined to seduce him that she forgot the most important thing about that date: enjoying the day and having fun with him. Damn, sex could wait, the priority there was the relationship that they both were cultivating!

But she sure as hell felt frustrated. She was confident that she could get him wrapped around her little finger, but he hadn't even noticed her attempts. He even turned the tables and left her falling head over hells for that 'adorable idiot' act, which she had no idea she liked until she met him. It was so unfair!

And yet, none of this was his fault. She shakes her head.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Naoya. I wasn't mad at you," She guarantees, approaching and touching his shoulders with her hands. "I was just a little frustrated with some things."

"What things? Is it something I can help you with?"

“It could be, if you just stopped being such a gentleman and fucked me already!”

“Nah, it's nothing for you to worry about. It's just that…,” She sighs, and he blinks in surprise as she leans over and rests the side of her head against his, eyes closed, “I still have a hard time dealing with your cuteness and how it makes me act like a fool, especially in public places. Every time I go out with you I discover a new side of you that catches me off guard. Quite different than what I used to imagine."

"… Different good or different bad?," He asks, uncertain, squeezing the fabric of his pants between his fingers. She smiles tenderly, placing a kiss on his temple.

"Different very, very good."

His face lights up with the cutest idiotic smile in the world, and she would have kissed him again, this time on the mouth, if the doctor hadn't chosen that moment to return, bringing the apparatus he was going to use in a sterilized tray.

"I'm back! The vaccine is ready. Let's get this over with, shall we, Mr. Okubo?," He smiles playfully, and Tomori feels Okubo shrink completely under her arms when the doctor picks up the syringe and the needle to fit them.

"L- Look, is this really necessary? I'm pretty sure the dog didn't have rabies..."

“If you don't want to risk developing fatal symptoms, yes. You can hold your date's hand if it makes you feel better."

"I already told you I'm not scared, for fuck's sake!"

"Language, sir."

"Sorry... but I'm not scared! You heard it, right, Tomori?," He turns to her with an intensely clouded expression, sweat dotting his forehead and the bridge of his nose. "I'm not afraid of these things, I've faced much worse in the octagons!"

She holds back the urge to laugh, albeit with difficulty. She extends a hand to him, the other on his shoulder. "Of course, Naoya. Here, you can hold my hand. Protect me from the sight of that horrible needle piercing your arm..."

"Don't put those mental images in my head, woman, for crying out loud!," He practically squeaks. And then he clears his throat, intertwining his fingers with hers. "But- But of course, I'll hold your hand to comfort you. No need to worry, okay? It's- It's just a little shot, I'll barely feel it, really, hahaha...!"

She didn't know whether to feel sorry for him or burst out laughing. The doctor, apparently used to those demonstrations of feigned bravery, showed no reaction as he prepared the syringe, moving his shirt sleeve away and cleaning the area where the injection would be applied with cotton. Okubo holds his breath, tensing in his chair and squeezing his eyes shut as he squeezes Tomori's hand. She comforts him by patting his shoulder, smiling from ear to ear.

It was hilarious. And adorable. How a man that size managed to be so cute, she had no idea, but she wouldn't question it. He would only appreciate how tremendously lucky she was to have the privilege of his trust.

"O-Okay, doc, I'm ready! Just- Just do it quickly, I don't want my date to be nervous...," He mumbled, still with his eyes closed. "And go easy too... come on, why is it taking so long? Just get it over with! It isn't nice to make me wait when I don't even know if-"

"I'm done, Mr. Okubo."

"... Oh. Okay."

Tomori puts her hand over her mouth as she makes an involuntary farting sound, her shoulders shaking, managing to feel a little guilty when he glares at her with a pout.

"C'mon, It's not funny! I was worried that a sight like that would make you nervous, okay?"

"S-Sorry! Thanks for worrying,” She strokes his face, which seems to quell his irritation right away. He closes his eyes again, smiling.

"You're welcome. Anyway, glad it's over..."

"Yes, the first dose has already been applied," The doctor nods. "Let’s schedule the second one for next Sunday, and the third one will be twenty-eight days after the second application-"

"I'll have to take two more shots?!," He screams, horrified, as Tomori flinches, the strident noise making her ears ring. The doctor is unfazed.

"Yes. Immunity is only one hundred percent effective with this procedure."

"I-I think I’ll settle for only seventy, eighty percent effectiveness, honestly-"

“He'll show up for the other two shots. I'll make sure of it," Tomori cuts him off without pretense, ignoring how he stared at her with his mouth hanging open. The doctor nods again.

"Thank you. Now about the care this wound will need..."

He finally dismisses them after making some recommendations and after reminding Okubo about the booster shots, much to his thinly disguised dismay. They leave the office, Okubo limping slightly and Tomori enjoying how he looks at her with hurt eyes.

"What? I'm the one who should be making that face, considering you bloodied my nose."

"It was unintentional, I already apologized! Was that your revenge by any chance?," He asks in an accusatory tone "Getting even for the ball I threw at your face by putting me to be stung again and again?"

"My god, you're so dramatic...," She rolls her eyes. "Vaccines are for your own good. I feel like a mother saying these things, dammit..."

"Ew, no!," He shudders all over with that, his expression disgusted. "I don't want to think of you as my mother while I kiss you!"

"Then don't! Think that what I did was because I cared and wanted to help you. And think that I can accompany you when you take the next doses," She smiles. "Wouldn't you like that? Me, holding your hand and telling you how brave you are..."

His grimace dissolves, his eyebrows rising a notch as he seems to consider her words. And then he smiles, bending down to bring his face close to hers, speaking in a low, husky tone that sends shivers down her spine.

"Oh yes? So I was a brave boy?"

"Heh... the bravest boy," she murmurs, returning his smile, and closes her eyes when he brushes the tip of his nose against hers.

"Good to know… but in that case I think that brave boy deserves an reward."

"Hnnn... and what does the boy want as a reward? A chocolate bar? Another baseball? New pants?," She asks playfully, and he laughs low.

“Nah, that I can arrange myself. What I want, only you can give me..."

"Me! Say I'm the one you want!"

"A kiss from you."

"Damn it!"

"Not here in public...," She looks away, blushing, placing her hands on his chest and giggling when he makes an exaggerated pout, wanting to reach her mouth. "You're nuts… wait until we go back to your car."

"Wow, not even a peck?," He whines, and she ends up not resisting. She holds his face between her hands and pulls him so that their lips touch, in a peck that takes longer than she intended to give, because he rests a hand on her back to keep her in place.

Such a sappy man... how could he make her crush on him gets even bigger?

They only stopped because some hospital workers passing by looked at them reproachfully. They grinned at each other, holding hands as they left the premises.

"Seriously, thanks for today, Tomori. You don't have to accompany me in these next few sections if you can't…,” He comments, to which she shakes her head.

"If I can, I will for sure. But if something unforeseen happens...," She thinks for a second. "Shall we mark the days of your next appointments on your phone's calendar? Then you get notified and don't forget."

"Alright! Let me just... uugh, I forgot...!," He groans as he takes the phone out of his pocket. And Tomori makes a pained face when she sees the phone's screen. If it was already ugly to look at before, now it seemed absolutely irreparable, completely cracked and even with spots of liquid crystal leakage.

"Oh, damn... was that when Pochi attacked you?"

"And I fell on my ass in the middle of the pavement, yeah. And dammit, you remembered the dog's name..."

"Kinda hard to forget when both the owner and you were yelling 'No, no, bad Pochi!' at the top of your lungs."

"Don't remind me of that! I won't forget the name of that fleabag any time soon, either," He snorts, looking at his phone with disgust. "It's not worth keeping this thing anymore, honestly. I think it's time to buy a new one..."

"I'll help you choose a very exclusive model, so you don't end up as another victim of some mediocre fad," She grabs his arm, bouncing happily, and he ends up laughing in spite of himself.

"Looks like I'll always be able to count on your presence in my random endeavors from now on, doesn't it? My faithful squire..."

She laughs too, thinking that she would like to be more, much more than that. But for the moment, being like that with him was enough.

NEXT CHAPTER

[makingitwork06]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Logitech - Attack 3 Gaming Joystick - Black.

[linuxgamenews]

What's New in Core Keeper 1.0 Update: PvP and More!

Core Keeper 1.0 update unleashes major changes for the mining sandbox adventure game on Linux, Steam Deck, and Windows PC. Thanks to the creative magic of developer Pugstorm. Available now for all owners on Steam Early Access and Humble Store. Big news from Pugstorm and Fireshine Games – Core Keeper 1.0 update is releasing on August 27th, and it’s full of new features. This hit mining sandbox adventure is leveling up in a big way, so let’s dive into what’s coming. First off, the 1.0 update will be available on day one for Core Keeper with PvP for the first time ever. You can battle your friends (or foes) in the underground for supremacy. This feature is completely optional and can be turned on or off in the pause menu. Team up or go solo on Linux and Steam Deck – the choice is yours. The world generation system is getting a complete overhaul. You can customize your underground world with new parameters for features, resources, terrain, and more. Want more water? Crank up the rivers and lakes to extreme. Plus, with the new World Seeds, you can share your custom worlds with friends. The new system replaces the old one, but don’t worry, your legacy worlds will still be playable. The 1.0 update also delivers the final chapter for the Core Keeper main story. After battling Titans and uncovering ancient Caveling tech, you’ll finally learn the secret of the Core. And also why you were teleported to this mysterious world.

Core Keeper 1.0 Update - Content Reveal Trailer

A new biome called The Passage is waiting for you. This eerie endgame area is full of otherworldly forests, sulfuric vegetation, and brand new threats. Mine a new resource called Pandorium, and discover new crafting stations for advanced weapons and gear. The 1.0 Update introduces two new combat styles in Core Keeper: Mage and Warlock. Mages can unleash magical attacks, while Warlocks can summon minions to fight alongside them. Both come with new skill trees, equipment, weapons, and a Mana resource. Get ready for some magical mayhem! New bosses, enemies, and equipment are also on the way. You’ll face off against Druidra, Cryodra, and Pyrdra – the hydras of nature, ice, and lava. Plus, there are new enemies in existing biomes and advanced gear to help you survive. But that’s not all! Meet two cute new pets, the Pheromoth and Snugglygrade, and discover the Dodo, a new type of cattle. Core Keeper 1.0 update lets you go fishing in The Passage’s unique waters. Due to find mysterious new Waypoints to make navigating the caverns easier. The game has sold over 2 million copies and was nominated for ‘Best Early Access Launch’ at the Golden Joystick Awards 2022. Whether you play solo or with friends, this mining sandbox adventure lets you build, craft, and explore a dynamic world full of secrets. Core Keeper is available now on Steam Early Access and Humble Store, due to hit 1.0 update on Linux, Steam Deck, and Windows PC on August 27th. Stay tuned for the latest updates. Priced at $15.99 USD / £12.99 / 15,99€.

[tvremotecontrol01]

Experience the Ultimate FIFA Online Adventure: Cast with TV Remote Control - Smart TVs App

Step into the immersive world of virtual soccer like never before with FIFA Online, where every match, every goal, and every triumph comes to life in stunning detail. With the power of TV Remote Control - Smart TVs app casting feature, the excitement of the game transcends the confines of your handheld device and fills your living room with electrifying energy.

Imagine the thrill of commanding the pitch from the comfort of your couch, as the action unfolds on the expansive canvas of your television screen. With seamless casting, you can effortlessly transition from solitary gaming to a shared experience, inviting friends and family to join in on the excitement.

Feel the adrenaline rush as you execute precise passes, unleash powerful shots, and outmaneuver your opponents with skillful tactics. With every flick of the joystick and every tap of the button, you're transported into a world where victory is within reach, and every match is an epic battle for supremacy.

But it's not just about the game—it's about the camaraderie, the laughter, and the memories made with each epic showdown. Whether you're playing solo or competing against friends, casting FIFA Online with TV Remote Control - Smart TVs app transforms your gaming sessions into unforgettable experiences.

So, gather your squad, grab your controllers, and prepare to embark on a journey filled with highs, lows, and everything in between. With TV Remote Control - Smart TVs app casting, the world of FIFA Online is yours to explore, conquer, and make your own. Are you ready to rise to the challenge and become the ultimate champion?

Try it: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tv-remote-control-smart-tvs/id6450493462 #remotetv #tvremote #remotesmarttv#universalremote #smarttv #technology

[gamerztec]

The Evolution of Gaming: A Journey into the Digital Frontier

Gaming, once relegated to the dimly lit arcades and niche subcultures, has evolved into a global phenomenon that transcends age, gender, and geographical boundaries. The rapid advancement of technology has propelled the gaming industry into new frontiers, creating immersive experiences that captivate millions worldwide. This article explores the evolution of gaming, from its humble beginnings to the present-day digital landscape.

The Genesis of Gaming

The roots of gaming can be traced back to the early days of computers and arcade machines. Pong, the simple yet addictive table tennis simulation, is often considered the first commercially successful video game, paving the way for the industry's future. As technology advanced, so did gaming, with iconic consoles like the Atari 2600 and Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) introducing a generation to the joys of home gaming.

The Rise of Consoles

The 1990s marked a pivotal moment in gaming history with the introduction of 3D graphics and more powerful consoles. Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox emerged as major players, competing for supremacy in the living rooms of gamers worldwide. These consoles not only delivered cutting-edge graphics but also introduced groundbreaking franchises like Final Fantasy, Halo, and Metal Gear Solid, shaping the gaming landscape for years to come.

The PC Gaming Renaissance

While consoles dominated the home gaming market, PC gaming experienced a renaissance during the same period. The rise of affordable and powerful personal computers allowed gamers to explore expansive virtual worlds with unprecedented detail. Genres like real-time strategy, massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), and first-person shooters found a new home on the PC platform, fostering a diverse gaming ecosystem.

The Advent of Online Gaming

The turn of the millennium saw the rise of online gaming, connecting players across the globe in real-time. Multiplayer experiences became an integral part of gaming culture, with titles like World of Warcraft, Counter-Strike, and later, Fortnite, breaking records and pushing the boundaries of what was thought possible in the digital realm. Online gaming not only facilitated social interactions but also gave rise to professional esports, turning gaming into a lucrative spectator sport.

Mobile Gaming Revolution

In the 2010s, the advent of smartphones brought gaming to the fingertips of billions. Mobile gaming, once synonymous with simple puzzle games, expanded to include complex and visually stunning titles. Games like Clash of Clans, Candy Crush Saga, and PUBG Mobile achieved unprecedented success, reaching massive audiences and reshaping the industry's landscape. The accessibility of mobile gaming introduced a new wave of players, diversifying the gaming community further.

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

As technology continued to advance, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) emerged as the next frontier in gaming. VR headsets transported players to entirely new worlds, providing an immersive experience that transcended traditional gaming boundaries. Meanwhile, AR games like Pokémon GO blended the digital and physical worlds, captivating players with innovative gameplay and social interaction.

Conclusion

Gaming's journey from pixels and joysticks to immersive virtual experiences reflects the rapid evolution of technology and the insatiable human desire for interactive entertainment. The industry's ability to adapt and embrace new technologies has ensured its continued growth and relevance. As we look to the future, with emerging technologies like cloud gaming and artificial intelligence on the horizon, the gaming landscape is poised for even more remarkable transformations, promising a future where the boundaries between reality and the digital realm continue to blur.

visit:https://gamerztec.com/

[diablo4mobile]

Diablo 4 on Android, MacOS, and iOS: Review

Diablo 4 is now available on Android, MacOS, and iOS, and players have been eagerly awaiting its release. In this review, we will take a closer look at Diablo 4 on these platforms and provide our rating.

Gameplay

Diablo 4 offers an engaging gameplay experience that is both challenging and rewarding. The game's combat system is fluid and satisfying, with a wide range of weapons and abilities at your disposal. The graphics are top-notch and enhance the overall experience. However, the game can be quite demanding on the hardware, and players may experience lag or frame drops on lower-end devices. Diablo 4 on Android, MacOS, and iOS: Review

Features

Diablo 4 features a campaign mode, as well as co-op and PvP modes. The campaign mode is a classic Diablo experience, with a storyline that is both compelling and intriguing. Co-op mode allows players to team up with others to take on tougher challenges, while PvP mode pits players against each other in an intense battle for supremacy. The game's replayability factor is high, thanks to the randomly generated dungeons and loot system.

Controls

The controls on all three platforms are intuitive and easy to use. The game offers a virtual joystick and action buttons, which work well for the touchscreen devices. On MacOS, players can use a keyboard and mouse, which provides a more traditional gaming experience. Overall, the controls are responsive and do not detract from the gameplay.

Rating

Diablo 4 on Android, MacOS, and iOS is a must-play game for fans of the action RPG genre. The game offers an engaging storyline, satisfying combat, and excellent graphics. While the game can be demanding on the hardware, it is well worth it for the immersive experience. We rate Diablo 4 on these platforms a solid 9 out of 10. Diablo 4 on Android, MacOS, and iOS is a game that lives up to the hype. With engaging gameplay, compelling storyline, and excellent graphics, this game is a must-play for fans of the genre. We hope this review and rating have been helpful to you. Read the full article

[zankivich]

The Arrangement: CEO’s Son/Dom!Shawn x Black Sub Reader Chapter 7

a/n: this is like my favorite chapter so far. I feel like I’ve been waiting this whole story to ge tot watch these two interact in this way. I hope it comes across as authentic. I worked really hard on the pacing for this story. You all have been incredibly kind to me lately with feedback for this story and I sincerely hope you keep it coming. It is without a doubt the brightest part of my days recently. Thank you so much for that. K bye. 

WARNINGS: sex without a condom (gotta wrap it before you tap it). mentioned of white supremacy, racism, and micro-aggressions. 

*Shawn’s point of view*

Nothing ever simultaneously works out. It never all gets to be perfect. His life had been a memoir with that exact theme and yet somehow he always let himself forget. Y/n leaves and he somehow has a date with her. A date. Not a hookup. Not some elaborate set up to make her cum. A date. With like conversation and personality. He hadn’t been on a date in years. And sure he knew he was really good at sex, but that didn’t mean shit about being able to actually hold a conversation. She was lightyears above him mentally, and he had no idea how he was going to manage to not fuck it up. But he had a date. She said yes. And that within itself was a win. So of course something in his life was going to have to go to shit. Hold that thought.

Brian makes it back sometime between his gym run and a shower. By the time he gets out, the asshole is sitting on his couch fucking up his kill rate on COD.

“Move over, jerkoff! And switch to two player.” He grunted plopping down on the couch beside him.

“Jeez, bro take it down a couple notches. I am nursing a hangover from the depths of hell over here.”

“Not my fault you can’t ever handle your liquor.”

“Well Melanie seemed to think I handled it just fine.”

“Melanie sounds like she’s still never had an orgasm before.”

Brian punched him in the bicep which only resulted in him returning the favor. Idiot.

“Not all of us sneak our hookups in in the middle of the night.”

He rolled his eyes fingers smashing on the controller.

“I didn’t sneak anyone. It’s my fucking apartment you idiot.”

“Yea, sure, whatever. Did you at least hook up with someone new?”

His fingers stumbled on the joystick, sending his player headfirst into a grenade. Lovely.

“No. No I didn’t.”

Brian looked over at him. “You fucked the same girl again?”

“I don’t think we should be equating Melanie and y/n here. y/n is a woman. A grown ass woman. Trust me, she never lets me forget.” He snorted.

“What is up with you and this chick? You never fuck the same person twice.”

He supposed now was as good a time as any. He actually was going to need shit for brains’ advice.

“I like her okay! I like her. And we hooked up last night but it was...it was different. I didn’t tell her what to do. I didn’t pull out any bells or whistles. I just...We just had sex. And she kissed me like she liked me too. So I asked her on a date.”

“A DATE?! I haven’t seen you go on a date since you were like a child!!”

“No shit, jackass. I’m going to need every fucking ounce of help I can get. And that includes your ass, unfortunately.”

“Stop pretending you don’t love me bitch. Now tell me how you plan to get a thirty year old woman who isn’t on drugs to actually enjoy spending time with your sorry ass.”

What are best friends for?

***

*y/n’s point of view*

y/n: I HAVE A DATE.

y/n: I NEED YOU HERE ASAP

Tiana: Oh shit. K. omw.

The last time you went on a date was in 2016, what some might call the beginning of Armageddon. After a slew of horrid dates, you had been completely and totally ready to throw in the towel. But then this cute guy came out of nowhere. He was nice, sweet, not very funny but in a way that made you laugh. He was also persistent enough to not take no for an answer, without it making you uncomfortable. No immediate red flags. So you went on the damn date. And all was well. It wasn’t an earth shattering date, but you weren’t not enjoying his company. And then it happened.

I just really think Trump will genuinely make America great again ya know?

You nearly choked on a piece of lettuce.

“Really bruh? In front of my salad?”

“No just hear me out though. Is he unorthodox, sure. But Hillary? Hillary and those emails. It just wouldn’t have worked.”

“I absolutely understand what you mean.”

“You do?” He smiled.

“Yep. CHECK PLEASE!”

“Bitch we do not have time for you to disassociate I am trying to make a wing here!” Tiana huffed.

You rolled your eyes and reached for your phone working to still your features so that Tianna could continue with your makeup.

y/n: Are you a republican?

Shawn: Well thank you for asking, I’ve had a lovely day. How was yours?

y/n: I’m serious.

Shawn: I’m Canadian.

“Shit. I’m so stupid.” You whined.

Tiana tugged at your chin. “Not stupid. But NOT still.”

“Sorry, ti.”

y/n: Would you have voted for Trump if you could have?

Shawn: No. No I wouldn’t have. What kind of a person do you think I am?

y/n: Idk. idk. I just needed to be sure. It never came up when you were tying my arms behind my back.

Shawn: You didn’t mention political discourse as one of your kinks. Is there something I should know before tonight?

y/n: No. It’s fine. I swear. Just haven’t been on a date in a really long time. And my last one didn’t go so well.

Shawn: It’s been a long time for me too. But I’d really like to have a go at it, if that’s okay with you?

y/n: yea, I’d like that. Should I meet you at your place still?

Shawn: Actually I’m gonna pick you up. I’ll be at your place at 7?

y/n: Oh. Okay.

“Hmmm.”

“Hmmm what? What’d he say?” Tiana asked.

“I’m not meeting at his place anymore. He’s picking me up.”

“Well where is he taking you?”

“If I knew that, Ti would I be sitting here in a ball of anxiety?!”

Tianna dropped her eyeliner brush and reach instead for the body lava. All hail Rihana.

“I sure hope he dicks you unconscious for a few hours. You have got to relax, sis.” She giggled. “It’s going to be alright, okay? He likes you. You like him. Let that be enough for right now.”

“Okay. Okay. Just...make my titties sparkle? Please?”

“Lord, chile. You don’t pay me enough.” She snorted.

Friendship!

***

Shawn: I’m here. Do you want me to come up?

y/n: No need! Here I come.

Outside your apartment building is one of those SUV hummer situations that you only ever rode in when you were visiting one of your artists on tour. Shawn is standing outside the door of the vehicle, and you can’t help but pause right there in the middle of the sidewalk. He traded the black jeans for a black slack that hones in on the fact that he’s most definitely not wearing a chelsea boot for the first time ever. They’re dress shoes. Like proper, wing tips. And he’s wearing a short sleeve button up with yellow, black, and white stripes. There are enough buttons undone to see the way that his rosary necklace melted into the firmness of his chest nestled amongst the most sinful amount of chest hair. God, where the hell had they made this one at? And how the hell did he wind up at my front door?

“Hi.” He smiled, legs crossed and chest broad. “You look really beautiful.”

You peered down at the jumpsuit you’d picked out with Tiana’s help. It was a really pretty shimmery gold color and the entire back was cut out too. In hindsight, it didn’t seem nearly as impressive as to what he was wearing now.

“Thank you. You look pretty beautiful yourself. Really showed me up tonight.”

He laughed. “Yea, sure. Come on, it’s cold out. Let’s get going.”

In the car, there’s a bottle of champagne and one of the playlists that you recognized from Shawn’s apartment is playing softly in the background. He pours each of you a glass, your legs somehow knotting simply together on the floor of the car. It’s weird in that it’s not like a first date  in the traditional sense. You put his balls in your mouth for one. He licked orgasms out of you like ice cream. But the nerves are still there. You find that you care about what he thinks of you, of how he feels about you. That’s new. And scary.

“So uh...where are we going?” You asked between sips of champagne.

He bites his lip and looks nervously over at you. It’s a new look for him. But one that you find solace in.

“Would you be angry at me if I said it was a surprise?”

You raised an eyebrow. “No. But I would be curious as to what that surprise is.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll know soon enough.”

“I think I heard that line one time. I think Hannibal Lector said it.”

He rolled his eyes and threw his head back and you wished it didn’t make you giggle, but it does.

“Funny.” He smirked hiding behind his glass. “I just wanna impress you a little bit. Is that okay?”

“You wanna impress lil ole me huh?” You smiled. “That’s sweet.”

“Just a little.”

He licked his bottom lip and his hand inched its way up your knee. He was warm. Way too warm to not have your body react a little. Rude.

“Whatever happened to your friend from the other morning? Am I taking you away from him?”

���Oh Brian?” He snickered. “He’s just happy he’s got my place to himself. He couldn’t believe I was going on a date at all.”

“Tiana either.” You snorted.

“Yea? She try and convince you not to go out with me?”

“She is...surprisingly Pro-you for some reason. Must have something to do with me not having enough time to be a bitch as work with our arrangement and everything.”

“Hmmm. Well it’s nice to know I’ve got one person on my team. Maybe by the end of the night I can win you over too.”

“Maybe.” You smiled.

The car eventually rolls to a stop, and you’re not even aware of how long you’ve been talking. All the nerves that you couldn’t actually be together without the sex part sort of faded away. He could make you laugh. He could hold your attention. And you could offer him the same. Just when you were starting to think that it was all going to be fine? Shawn came to open your door.

Your heels touched gently to the ground and you let him pull you from the car. Behind him was not a restaurant. Not a bar. Not even a fucking hotel. Nope. Instead you were stood right in front of Mendes Industries’ private jet and a fucking flight attendant with a bag in her hands that looks surprisngly like your Louis Vitton. Fucking Tiana.

“What the hell. Shawn, what the hell?!” You gasped. “What is this?”

“You were concerned about people seeing us right? Well no one’s gonna see us. No one but the locals.”

“The locals?! I can’t--I can’t just fly away with you Shawn. I have responsibilities. I have a--a job.”

He reached for your hands, which tended to do a lot of movement when you were flustered, and stilled them by placing them on his shoulders.

“Listen to me,” He murmured silencing you. “It’s already set. Tiana canceled all of your meetings for three days. It’s just three days. Look I...I really like you, okay? More so than I know what to do with right now. And I think that you like me too. Do you like me?”

“Y--Yea! Yea, of course I do. That’s not really the point is it?”

“It is. Just get on the plane. Please? I just wanna take you out. Let me take you out.”

You peered up at him, all soft brown eyes and chiseled everything else. He had really come along out of nowhere. It was incredibly disorientating, and intoxicating. You lived your life by a planner, a set time for every hour by the hour. And here he was asking you to throw that all away, to let yourself be something else for a chance. And it wasn’t all that different from what he asked of you in the bedroom. Just let go. Release.

You sighed. “You know when most guys ask to take a girl out? They don’t mean out of the state.”

“I’m not like other guys.” He shrugged.

“No shit. Where are you taking me, white boy?” You groaned letting him steer you towards the plane.

“Try to contain your excitement.” He snorted. “Remember that time we had sex in the back of a storage room during Khalid’s video shoot?”

You smiled awkwardly at the flight attendant and knocked your arm into his shoulder.

“Oh please. We’ve had this jet since I was fifteen. I’m almost positive my dad has done some incredibly sketchy shit on here. Martha knows all. Thank you Martha!”

He leads you to a seat. There’s more champagne. You don’t know how you got here. This man was wild.

“Get to the point, maybe?”

“Right. We hooked up in the storage closet, and you told me that story about how you missed your high school trip to Rome because your mom was having heart problems and couldn’t afford it with the medical bills? You had a Lizzie Mcguire fantasy and everything.”

“I was drunk that night. Khalid had just gotten his first number one.”

“So you don’t want me to take you to Rome?” He asked.

“ROME?!”

“Rome.”

“....Who are you?!”

He chuckled. “I’m just a guy standing here asking a girl to let me take her on a little trip.”

“Oh my god. He quotes romcoms. This is too much.”

“Just relax sweetheart. We’re about to do liftoff.”

Jesus Christ.

***

*Shawn’s point of view*

He’s a little worried that he may have broken her. Maybe it was too much too fast. He should’ve just taken her to fucking dinner like a normal person. The problem was he wasn’t normal. And she sure as hell wasn’t normal either. She was so different from anyone he’d ever been with before. He wanted to spend time with her. And the last thing in the world he wanted was her to think about his dad while she was with him. He could tell that it bothered her more than she was willing to admit, and he just needed them to be on equal footing. What said equal footing like going to a country where neither of them spoke the language. Tiana had given him the green light when she agreed to change y/n’s schedule around and even pack her a bag. It seemed like maybe it might go well.

She calms down after her first glass of champagne, and sits more comfortably into the seat next to him, her legs folded so that her knees poked gently at his thigh. She was closer, close enough for him to smell her perfume and he kind of loved it.

“So are first dates the one’s where we spill all of our dirty laundry, or is that the second one?” She asked.

He chuckled and laid his hand on her thigh. She smiles at him, so he doesn’t pull away.

“Your guess is as good as mine. Do your worst, woman.”

She situates herself a little more gently into the chair, chin propped up on her palm. He gets lost in the glitter on her collarbones and neck.

“Why haven’t you been on a date in a long time?” She asked.

Heavy first question. But he told her to do her worst.

“Well I uh...the last date I went on was with my girlfriend of about two years. And on said date she told me that she had been sleeping with a producer at Atlantic records for six months, and that he was going to share her demo. So, she didn’t need me anymore.” He shrugged around a sip of champagne.

“Two years? Two fucking years before she pulled that shit? That’s fucked.” She said. “I’m sorry.”

“Yea. It was really heavy at the time. Blamed my dad for a lot of it, even if it probably wasn’t his fault this time. But ever since then I just thought it might be easier to stick to the meaningless sex route.”

She nodded. “I fuck that up for you a little bit?”

“You have no idea.” He grinned rubbing his thumb along her chin. “I should’ve known the second I caught you checking me out at that party.”

“Excuse me? For the last time I was not ‘checking you out’. I was simply observing that snooze fest your father put on.”

“I was checking you out.” He admitted honestly. “I asked my dad to introduce us. I just knew I had to have you. And then I spoke to you and I found out you were trouble, and you weren’t going to take any of my shit. I should’ve known then.”

It’s a lot softer than anything he’s ever admitted before, and every time that he remembers that this is more, that they’re trying to become more, it makes his heart stutter in his chest. But she leans her head against his seat and she smiles at him like it means something to her to be open, to be vulnerable. And that alone is enough to get him to lean in.

“So maybe....maybe I was looking in your direction.” She says softly. “I’d heard of you. I’d just never actually seen you in person before. And maybe I was curious.”

“Curious?!” He laughed. “Okay. Curious. We can call it that; I’ll take it. Your turn. Worst date. Spill.”

She groaned softly and slid a little deeper into her seat, head fitting perfectly against his shoulder.

“I accidentally went to dinner with a Trump supporter.”

“Accidently?” He snorted.

“Don’t laugh asshole! It was thoroughly traumatic for me. I just thought that logically a white supremacist would not be interested in asking me, a black woman, on a date. I forgot that logic is not in their wheelhouse. It was awful.”

“Now your texts make a lot more sense.” He chuckled reaching his arm to pat her cheek. “That enough to take you out the game, aye?”

“I don’t know man...the world is fucking scary right now.” She sighed. “Sometimes it feels like there’s no one we can trust, like there’s no one who doesn’t have it out for us. It’s not just political agendas. It’s my safety. It really is that deep. It has to be.”

It’s this moment where she’s offering more of herself than she had in the entire time that he’d known her. Y/n was beautiful and sexy and intelligent, but there was also always this aura of mystery around her. Like she wasn’t quite ready to share herself, didn’t know if she could. And he wanted to find his way on the other side of that. He wanted to know her better than she knew herself. And he wants to cherish any moment where she’s willing to let him try that.

“I understand.” He paused and closed his eyes feeling maybe a little flustered and out of his element. “I mean I don’t. I know that I don’t, that I couldn’t but..I hear what you’re saying. And I believe you. I would like to know more at some point. If you’re willing to share it with me.”

Her eyes flicker over to his and they’re wide and brilliant and he wants to kiss her so bad.

“You do?” She checked.

He nodded and chanced reaching to pull her face a little closer, palm resting against her cheek.

“I do.”

She kisses him and it feels like the sun. It feels like everything.

***

*y/n’s point of view*

Rome  is kind of perfect. It’s not so hot that you’ve got to cover yourself in deodorant, but the sun is still pretty and bold in the sky. The hotel he takes you to has an entire terrace open for your access with those flowy ass curtains you only saw in cheesy 80’s pop music videos. There are couches that might as well be beds there so soft and plush. You touch down in the middle of the night and there’s not much to do but keep talking to each other, keep touching each other. You take your shoes off and sit out on the couches wrapped in blankets with another bottle of champagne. If the redness in his cheeks is anything to go off of, he’s just as tipsy as you, and it means that it’s not weird when you lean into him. No one’s gonna say anything for letting him hold you.

“It’s four am right now.” You giggled hiding your face in his neck. “It’s so beautiful here.”

“Do you like it?”

“Yea. I really do. I always wanted to come here. I can’t believe this is our first date.”

“I wanted it to be special for you. You deserve that.”

“Since when?” You asked so thoroughly confused by everything that he was. “I mean, yes. I definitely deserve this but...when you did you realize that you want it to be more than what we were? I thought you just wanted to fool around?”

“I did.” He whined stubbornly tracing your nose with his thumb. “I really did. But...you are very good at sex.” You laughed and he smiled. “I’m serious! One of the best partners I’ve ever had. And sometimes when our bodies were moving I just got lost in you. Like you were a fucking beautiful ass star capturing me with your light. And then you stopped arguing with me so much and just letting me be like...a friend to you?  And then Miami happened and I just--I wanted to be with you. And I realized that I wanted to be with you as a person, even when we weren’t having sex. I was scared. Until I realized that you liked me too. Then I got my confidence back.”

“Oh lord not your confidence.” You rolled your eyes.

“You have got to stop acting like you are not all up on this okay? I see the way you stare at me, honey. It’s okay. Let yourself give in to Mendes Magic!”

“I am officially not attracted to you anymore.” You snorted going to pull away.

He wrapped his arms around your waist and tackled you down to the couch. Your laughter poured out into the night as his fingers dug into your belly. You laugh until your stomach aches. Until there’s tears in your eyes. Until he kisses you and you feel it in your toes. Until the only thing you can think about, feel, smell, is him. And you melt like that against the couch.

***

Rome is beautiful. It’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever been. The sun rises in the sky and you’re up immediately tugging Shawn out of bed. There’s breakfast at this little place near the hotel that looks out over buildings that were unlike anything you’d ever thing. Everything was historic and rustic and so endlessly different from everything you’d seen before. It was really like something straight out of a movie with cobblestone walkways and buildings that were works of art themselves. It’s wild. It would be wild on any day of the week. That was before you looked over your glass of wine to this guy smiling at you like the beauty of the city around him meant nothing in comparison to looking at you.

You liked him. Shit you liked him a lot. And every time he looked you in the eye and hung on every word you said? It just blew you even further away. And you kept trying to remind yourself how unrealistic it all was. You were thirty afterall. The two of you were in different times in your life. He was still holding on to every word his dad said. You had plans for your life, for your career. It was hard to figure out whether or not he could fit into those plans. And maybe that wasn’t first date type of thinking, but hello! He took your ass to Rome. None of it was normal. So you walked a little faster, tried to hold harder to the moments that you had to share. Cause why not?

“Hey can we slow down for a sec?” He asked as you pulled him towards your third museum of the day.

You frowned. “I wanna see the ruins.”

“We can. I promise. Just let’s sit down for a second, yea?”

You’d been walking all morning, stopping at every nook and cranny that you came across. It was a three day trip anyway. You had no idea when you’d ever be back, if you ever would be back. But there’s something special about the company too. You remind yourself that he’s the reason you’re there. The vacation, though amazing, was really just an opportunity to be with him.

“Yea, of course.”

He tugged you to a little corner of these big huge steps that were filled with people just sitting down, chatting, eating their lunches. The second you’re no longer standing on your feet is a little bit like heaven.

“Okay make you were right.” You sighed wiggling your toes. “I’m tired.”

“Well that’s good. I was starting to think you were a robot.” He chuckled. “I’m glad I packed tennis shoes.”

You peered down at his feet and quickly laced your legs with his where the white tennis shoes stuck out in contrast to his black jeans.

“They look so funny on you. I like them. You’re cute.”

He smiled over at you. “I’m cute, aye?”

“You heard me.”

“Yea, well maybe I wanna hear you say it again.” He murmured taking your cheek into his hand.

“You’re cute.” You whispered before pressing your lips together.

You had yet to get over this new style of kissing. The way he rubbed so softly at your cheek you got goosebumps. The way his tongue could make you feel like time was slowing down. Almost like there was nothing left here. Nothing but the two of you and the way you could make each other feel. It was maybe the best feeling in the world.

“You’re beautiful.” He murmured when the kiss had ended, forehead pressed against yours. “I can’t believe you’re here with me right now.”

“I can’t believe you whisked me away to a different country for our first date.” She hummed. “What are you hiding? Do you have a third nipple or something? A serial killer perhaps?”

“Why are you so insistent on me killing people?” He laughed. “And you’ve seen all of my body at this point. If there was a third nipple don’t you think you would’ve seen it?”

“Well you’ve got me there. But statistically speaking at least fifty percent of all murders probably fit your description, honey. I’m just being realistic. I’ve seen what you can do with rope.”

He rolled his eyes and he found that it made you smile. And so he tended to do it more and more often.  That’s kinda how you knew you were fucked.

“What do you say we go see these ruins of yours, find some pasta, and fuck until we fall asleep?”

“As long as it’s in that order!” You gasped tugging him back to his feet to continue your wild adventure of the day.

***

*Shawn’s point of view*

He’s got a new kink. And it’s definitely her calling him baby when he’s inside her. It is without a doubt the sexiest thing she could do for him. Which makes so little sense. How fucking soft had she turned him in a few short months? This is where he was now, almost blowing his load because a woman called him baby. It’s not just a woman though. It’s her. Holy fuck it’s her, and the sound of her voice is like directly tied to his dick or something. Shit.

The couches on the terrace are perfect for sex in broad daylight. It’s completely secluded to just them, but anyone at the other hotels around would easily be able to hear them if they opened a window. It’s just another thing that seems to get them both hot and bothered. Her body is a dream. And he doesn’t need to tie her up to get lost in her. (Even if he really, really liked tying her up). All he needs is the feel of her body against his and his hands to direct her where he wants her to go, where he needs her to go for both of them to explode.

“Fuck.Honey you’re dripping. You’re dripping all over my dick.” He groaned tugging her thighs more ruggedly against his own.

“Baby I--I wanna cum.” She gasped, voice breathy and chaotic as her hips bucked like a fucking dream. “I wanna cum on it. Please?”

“It’s yours. Cum on it. Make yourself cum.”

He reached  around her waist to grind his fingers deep into her clit. Her ass began to bounce against him, quick and sharp and rugged. He’s barely holding on by a thread. And then she starts to squeeze down on him, her hips working to bring herself to her own climax, and he’s already done for.

“Fuck! I’m cumming.”

His fingers work harder on her clit, dropping down to his knees to drive desperately into her with everything he’s got left inside of him. It thrusts her over the back of the couch and he plasters himself against her back grinding tightly with everything that he’s got..  When she cums it’s just another accomplishment, another moment of making her feel good. It’s all he’s ever really wanted since they met.

“Holy fucking shit.” She gasped collapsing against his chest. “So good.”

“Yea? Still think I can’t dom you and date you at the same time?”

“Shhhh. No one has time for you sir, I can’t feel my legs.”

He nuzzled his way into her neck placing kisses against the skin. His arms were still wrapped around her and her fingers were playing in his hair. It was different than their usual hook ups, for sure. But, he liked it. He liked feeling close to her. He liked touching her and feeling her heart beat beneath his finger tips. Did she know how amazing she was?

“You want me to go get a towel?” He asked softly, pecking at her ear.

She hummed. “Not yet. Don’t leave yet.”

God he was ruined. Just like that.

“Yea okay.”

***

She hops in the shower and he has every intention of following her, of maybe pressing her into the shower door and fucking her until the glass breaks. But then his phone starts ringing and she giggles and runs off leaving his dick to twitch against his thigh. He was stupid on her. Aboslutely idiotic. And whoever was getting in the way of his idiocy was about to get an ear full.

“There better be someone dying!” He huffed eyes still very much on the shower where perhaps the most beautiful woman alive was waiting for him.

“That can be arranged. Can you explain to me why I had to find out from Tiffany that your half whit ass is in Rome right now instead of New York?” His dad roared.

Remember that whole things falling apart narrative? Surprise.

“Shit. Dad look I..I just needed to get away for awhile okay?”

“On the comapny fucking jet nonetheless?!”

“That jet has been open to family members as long as I’ve been alive. Since when is it even a problem?”

“Since you’ve been on that jet more than you’ve been in my office. I am tired of trying to explain this to you Shawn. The rules are very simple. You work for me, you do a good job, you get your inheritance. If you don't, you know what happens Shawn. Is that what you want, to make me have to do that to you?”

“Look Dad I,” He let his voice drop softer, shyer. “It’s not what it looks like. This isn’t just me fucking off okay? I--I like someone. Like really like them. And I just wanted to impress her. She’s different. And I wanted her to like me. This isn’t one of my hookups, I swear.”

He hadn’t liked someone in so long, hadn’t even come close to what he was feeling for y/n. Even though his dad was a dick and they had fought since the time he was eleven, there was still a part of him that yearned for his approval. It was hard not to get caught up in what the world knew his dad to be. It was hard not to feel like if he could just make him proud, just make him happy, then everything would be okay. He hadn’t been that naive in a long time, but it still pulled at him every now and again.

Manny sighed. “Great, son. That doesn’t help the fact that you went behind my back and are continuously neglecting your duties.”

“I--I’m not though. Niall is sitting at sixteen songs as we speak. You only wanted twelve remember? I convinced the producers to look into doing a deluxe edition. That’s gonna make the label happy, Niall happy, and it’s more money for you right? I’m back in LA in a week to work on the roll out for Sarah Leone to the press. I’m kind of working my ass off here. I’m doing everything you wanted.”

“Look whatever just get your ass back to New York, okay?” He muttered.

“I’ll be back in two days.”

“Shawn.”

“Two days. I’ll be back in two days, and I’ll keep living in this hell of a life you’ve set up for me , alright? See you then.”

He tossed his phone back onto the bed in frustration. The noose tightened a little in his absence, sick and tired of always fighting and always losing. It seemed like no matter what happiness he carved out for himself, he was always going to have to return home. Maybe he was kidding himself. Maybe there was no winning in this life.

He stands there for like forty-five seconds feeling sorry for himself, and just fully like a piece of shit. And then he hears her. It’s soft and gentle and sweet. He moves a little closer to the bathroom, the door still open and her naked body visible through the foggy glass door. She’s singing.

“I’m like a bird, I’ll only fly away.” She cooed softly. “I don’t know where my soul is, I don’t know where my home is.”

Her voice was soulful and low, her fingers cupping her breasts and rolling down over her hips as she sang. It really kind of hit him in his heart. He leaned against the edge of the doorway, head lolling back for support at this gorgeous sound coming out of this gorgeous woman. The music lover in him just wanted to sit on the floor and listen to her all day, it was so pretty. Maybe map out some harmonies for the two of them. And the fact that he could see the smile on her lips as she sang only made his heart feel two times too big for his sturnemum. He wasn’t ready for the way that she could make him feel. He thought he’d known that, thought he was preparing himself. Not so much. He wasn’t sure one could prepare themselves for a woman like y/n. Maybe that was his lesson to learn.

She catches sight of him out of the corner of her eye and her lips glue firmly shut. He practically pouts when she stops singing. His arms crossed against his chest tighten in dissatisfaction.

“What are you doing?” She whined leaning her head out of the shower.

He shrugged. “Was just listenin’. You didn’t tell me you sang.”

“You didn’t ask. And I don’t. I was just...humming.”

“Humming?” He laughed softly. “Okay. Well you hum beautifully.”

“Well thank you, I suppose. Was your phone call okay?”

“No. Not quite but, I’m good now. Can I wash your back for you maybe?”

“Yea. Boy, you ain’t gotta ask to wash my back. Come on!”

He steps back into the steam of the shower and it’s like nothing exists but the two of them. And he just really wants to keep it that way for a little while longer. If only for a little while longer.

***

They’re lying on a hotel bed that’s so soft it feels like they’re sinking. After another glorious round of sex he found himself tangled in the sheets beside her. Their heads at the foot of the bed because that’s the position where he’d made her cum last, and their feet intertwined at the headboard. She’s not looking at him, but instead up at the ceiling. This doesn’t seem to stop him from peering over at her. She’s kind of too beautiful to not look at.

“Can I ask you something?” He hedged carefully.

She peered over at him, eyes warm and sated.

“Yes.”

“I don’t...I really don’t know how to ask, or what to ask. And maybe--maybe I’m gonna come across like some dick, but I don’t wanna do that with you. I want to learn ya know? I want to understand.”

“Shawn?” She pressed getting his attention. “Calm down. Just ask.”

He nodded softly and took a deep breath. His fingers twitched anxiously against his stomach.

“That stuff you said earlier on the plane...you know about--about the trump supporter, and how that made you feel? And then sometimes...sometimes it sounds like you don’t really like white people, which like makes sense right? We’re the worst. But I just...I wanna understand more about...about what that means for you? Fuck. I’m sorry. That sounded dumb just saying it.”

He closes his eyes ready for her to slap him and take his jet all the way back to New York. He thinks maybe he’d deserve it. It wasn’t even that he’d never been with a Black woman before. Black Women were beautiful and ethereal and wonderful. But, even his tiny white man brain could understand that the state of the world was simply a little different nowadays. His mediocre understanding of racism and privilege simply wasn’t enough. And he knew that if he wanted to be with this woman, if he wanted to feel like he deserved to be near her and absorb her intellect, than he should probably do his absolute best to understand the world in which she walked. Because it certainly looked different from his own.

He feels her hand on his chest and his eyes flutter open. She curled her fingers around his own and sent him another gentle smile that made his toes curl at the other end of the bed.

“It’s not dumb.” She assured him. “You’re asking. You might not have the language, but you’re asking. And that means a lot to me, okay? A lot.”

He nodded his head dumbly, eagerly hanging on every word that she said. She lied back once again, her head nestling a little closer to his. She doesn’t let go of his fingers.

“So, I do hate white people sometimes.” She mumbled. “Sometimes in the discourse Black folks will often try to explain that it’s not all white people, it’s just some. And most days I can get there. I can recognize that. But like… that’s not really how it works you know? Even white people who wouldn’t lynch my black ass grew up in a culture that would. Even white folks who might not feel the need to say the n-word grow up in a culture that situates their body, their worth, their value over mine. And even if that’s not your fault, and I can recognize that it isn’t you know? That’s how privilege works, it’s subliminal. But even if it’s not your fault, it doesn’t mean that you don’t benefit. And it definitely doesn’t mean that you haven’t absorbed messages about my inferiority.”

He watches her face the entire time, more specifically the emotions that seem to rush through every pore and every muscle. There’s a bit of agony on her features. A bit of frustration. But as she warms up there’s a freedom to it too. He knows that she’s not editing her words. She’s not doing anything for his benefit. He asked and so she would tell him, in whatever way was meaningful for her.

“White people just...sometimes it really seems like y’all don’t give a shit. I’ve had the cops called on me at the very building that I work at. On the top floor, with some of the most powerful people in show bizz twenty-seven times since I started. To the point where Mike in security has to keep an updated description of me every time I change my hair just in case. I have walked onto sets to manage my artists and been told that the back up dancers are in the trailer around back. Every step I take, every goddamn day, there is always at least one white person there to tell me that I don’t deserve it. That I don’t belong. And the intersections of my blackness with my womanhood mean that I am consistently and constantly facing an uphill battle of two indentities that the world just doesn’t give a fuck about.”

He couldn’t look away from her. Never had he ever seen her be so vulnerable for him. Y/n was always just an inch or two behind a wall, always peeking out to give him glimpses but never really showing herself in her entirety. He watched the way that her chest rose and fell more rapidly, watched the way her fingers tightened around his own, and her eyebrows wrinkled on her forehead. It was anxiety. She was anxious and angry and sad. The way that her lips pointed down and her eyes blinked faster than normal told him as such. It kind of broke his heart.

And it’s all so new for him that the only thing he can do is follow his instincts and hope that either he doesn’t fuck it up, or that maybe she’ll forgive him if he does. So, he rested his head firmer against her and held her hands just as tight like maybe it might root her a little better in this room with him, like maybe she might feel safe with him.

“And the people...the people that do these things to you. That do these racist acts all the time they--they look like me don’t they?”

Her eyes that were trained on the ceiling fell down to meet his again. They’re still sad, but a little softer now.

She nodded slowly a bit of a grin forming on her lips.

“I’ma be honest ain’t nobody walking around looking quite like you but...yes they--they kind of look like you.”

He nodded slowly and tilted his head back to peer up at the ceiling now. There’s an anxiety to it for him too. In asking the questions that he didn’t have answers to, to be vulnerable enough in his ignorance. There’s a desire to get it right because she’s important to him, and then a dread when he realizes the time it will take to get there, and the pain that might cause her along the way.

“Shit y/n...why the hell would you even wanna go out with me? Even I hate me right now.” He sighed.

“That’s just the white guilt talking baby,” She snorted before sobering up quickly. “Look it’s complicated right? Like given my problems with white people and white men in particular, I’m firm enough in my blackness and my identity to recognize everything that I just explained to you, while also recognizing that things are never black and white. No pun intended. I can still love your humanity and your individuality as long as you’re willing to do the same for me. I can recognize that not all white people are the same, that you all think alike. I just need the space to have conversations like this. I need someone who cares enough to learn. Anything else isn't worthy of my time. Either you’re down with me always, even when it isn’t convenient, or you’re not. So, which is it?”

Her eyes are wide and clear. It’s that firmness in the set of her jaw that gets him. She’s dead serious. Either he buys into her, and all of her, or he doesn’t deserve any of her. He can see that. He can understand it. It’s not that he wants her bad enough to “deal” with the rest of it. It’s that he wants her bad enough to understand all of her. He wants to know. Needs to.

“I’m down.” He assured her reaching for her cheek in his palm. “For all of it.”

“You’re sure?” She mumbled with desperate eyes. “Cause if you’re not we can go back New York and just be fuck buddies again. You can still find you some white girl without hundreds of years of internalized genocide and systemic oppression on her shoulders.”

He shook his head and kissed her until the tension melted from her body. Because he needed it to. He needed her belief in him, her trust.

“I’m so damn sure it’s insane. Just want you.” He whispered.

She reached for his lips pulling him back to kiss her again.

“Promise.” She demanded as if it was even an option.

“I promise.”

***

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Star Wars Battlefront II Review

Almost since the beginning, Star Wars has been a story of redemption from darkness. So, in an ironic sort of way, Battlefront 2 is a better Star Wars game because of its initial fall to the dark side and subsequent journey back to the light. After over two years of updates and changes, EA and DICE have redeemed this gorgeous shooter and turned it into one of the best multiplayer adaptations of the Star Wars universe to date.

Taking in all Battlefront 2 now has to offer at once is honestly a bit overwhelming. Setting aside the overly safe, short, and disappointing single-player story, there’s a wealth of wave-based co-operative maps and a litany of online competitive multiplayer modes. Most of them play wonderfully and they all ooze that classic Star Wars look and feel on an unrivaled scale. Whether you’re fighting on the ground with a blaster in your hands, cutting down troops with a lightsaber, or dogfighting in space, Battlefront 2 is an immensely entertaining ride through a galaxy far, far away.

Crucially, DICE absolutely nailed the basics. Take the mechanics of firing a blaster: It feels just a bit chunky, as it should, with that signature sound bursting with each shot. And even though every weapon shoots similar-looking bolts, they all feel extremely distinct out of the box and can be customized further.

Crucially, DICE absolutely nailed the basics

For ground troops, the four main classes are Assault, Heavy, Officer, and Specialist. They feel about as distinct as any other classes in a multiplayer shooter, although none of them have a dedicated secondary gun to swap too. Since there are no ammo counts, just cool downs, it changes the dynamic a bit and definitely feels unique.

I gravitated towards the Heavy troopers because of their powerful LMG-style weapon, mobile shield, grenade, and a special that let me shoot continuously like a minigun without overheating. It’s excellent for suppressing fire, especially if you’re on the defending end of the final phase in Capital Supremacy and need to keep the enemy back at all costs. In between the main classes and the big hero units are specialty units like Arc Troopers that get electric mines and dual pistols, or rolling Droidekas with heavy armor and deployable shield domes. Coordinating attacks between the practicality of the standard troops and flashiness of heroes is a lot fun and makes Battlefront 2 feel special.

Microtransaction Reaction

Shortly before Battlefront 2 officially launched in 2017 it was filled with egregious microtransactions that were not only greedy, but disruptive to the game as a whole. If you didn’t want to grind for hours to unlock playable heroes then you had to pay actual money. Star Card upgrades were locked behind similar time-sinks and pay walls that made multiplayer feel like more of a chore than a game. Thankfully, EA listened to feedback and removed those just ahead of launch, but the grindy progression remained. Fast forward a couple of years, though, and, all of that’s now been removed as well.

Today, the only things you can buy are cosmetics like new outfits and emotes, so there’s no hint of pay-to-win in play. Star Cards are completely gone, leveling is now based on linear XP gains, and all heroes are open from the beginning.

Alternatively, you can earn these cosmetics through loot boxes you can’t pay for. It’s a good, fair system, and thankfully entirely separate from progression – that makes these boxes exciting to open because the cosmetics don’t come at the cost of character upgrades and unlocks. Or, if you buy or upgrade to the Celebration Edition of Battlefront 2, every paid cosmetic, emote, and victory pose is unlocked from the very beginning.

What’s great about Battlefront 2 is that it lets you play with all of its toys, no questions asked. Every character class and playable hero is available from the start, and the tedious unlocking grind from launch has been completely removed. Luke, Vader, Boba Fett, Rey – you name them, they’re all here.

As you level up you unlock new ability cards with passive upgrades such as increased health regeneration speed or a bigger grenade blast radius. They’re designed as ways to refine your playstyle, rather than make you dramatically stronger, and it’s a fulfilling system that rewards sticking with a class without forcing you to.

You’ll spend most of your time as Battlefront’s basic soldier classes, but as you play you earn in-match points that you can eventually spend to spawn as a hero. That can seriously turn the tide. These iconic characters are absolute killing machines, and when you clash with another hero it’s extremely memorable. The list has been growing since launch and now includes everybody from Obi-Wan and his Force push to lesser favorites like General Grievous, including his ridiculous saber windmill attack. Pitting original trilogy Darth Vader against the prequel trilogy Anakin Skywalker hero is far more entertaining than it should be.

These fights can be truly the stuff of Star Wars “What If?” fan-fiction, brought to life on screen

These fights can be truly the stuff of Star Wars “What If?” fan-fiction, brought to life on screen. During a Heroes v Villains match – a team deathmatch mode where everybody plays as a hero the entire time – I was playing as Boba Fett on the rainy planet Kamino and ran into an enemy player controlling Obi-Wan. It quickly felt like a reenactment of the Jedi Knight’s fight against Jango Fett in Episode II.

In this version, Obi-Wan leapt through the air while I shot at him with my blasters, then he Force-pushed me and knocked me down before charging in for the kill with his lightsaber. Then, in a dramatic twist, none other than Darth Vader himself jumped in at the last second and Force-choked him before he could strike. My teammate then lifted Obi-Wan into the air for me to finish him off. It was a fantastic and memorable moment.

It doesn’t feel like an exaggeration to say that, in terms of scope and breadth, EA and DICE have released just as much new, free content for the multiplayer side of Battlefront 2 as it already had at launch. They’ve dished out new maps like Felucia and Geonosis, exciting new game modes, a litany of heroes and villains, new ships for aerial combat, and dozens of cosmetic skins.

Battlefront 2’s maps now feel like a Greatest Hits selection of the entire Star Wars galaxy, pulling from all three movie trilogies plus one-offs and the cartoons. The dense greenery of Felucia is a great contrast to the brown wastelands of Geonosis, and fighting across the Cloud City in Bespin is a blast.

Naboo’s capital city, Theed, is one of my favorites, since it’s an outdoor urban setting, unlike most of the other battles, and is full of buildings that make it a great stage in the larger 40-player game modes. Every mode has an extreme level of map variety, and that makes it easy to fall into that “just one more game” mentality because you’ll see something new every time for a long while.

Every Planet and Location in Star Wars Battlefront 2's Multiplayer

The catch is that finding a match is hit or miss depending on the game mode and time of day. It’s not very difficult to queue up for the main modes like Capital Supremacy and Galactic Assault, especially on PS4. But smaller modes, like Hero Showdown and Hero Starfighters, can take a few minutes of waiting before you can enjoy them, which is a shame. They’re not the main attraction by any means but I’ve had some good fun with them.

In Hero Showdown, two teams of two heroes each face off without respawns for multiple rounds. It’s a bit like Gun Fight in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, but instead of guns and knives it’s blasters and lightsabers.

Similarly, Hero Starfighters pits two teams of four hero ships against each other, but this time dying brings you back as a standard starfighter until one team has lost all their hero ships.

Letting you immediately take control of these recognizable characters is awesome, putting a fun spin on the standard modes, but they don’t seem to command the same amount of popularity. Having so many different modes to choose from seems to have split the player base thinly across the best ones.

Developer: DICE (Digital Illusions CE)

Publisher: lectronic Arts

Release Date: November 17, 2017

Platforms: Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 4

- Joystick Buff 🕹️🧡

[bananatags]

Star wars bounty hunter ps2 infinite jetpack

STAR WARS BOUNTY HUNTER PS2 INFINITE JETPACK HOW TO

STAR WARS BOUNTY HUNTER PS2 INFINITE JETPACK MOD

STAR WARS BOUNTY HUNTER PS2 INFINITE JETPACK UPDATE

As sad as it is to see them go, you can always do yourself a service by going back and seeing what made them so great in the first place. It is unlocked after getting 200 kills with the Specialist.Lucasarts was once well-known in the gaming industry for creating some of the most compelling, innovative, and outlandishly fun experiences in Lucasarts was once well-known in the gaming industry for creating some of the most compelling, innovative, and outlandishly fun experiences in history. The A280-CFE is a primary weapon in DICE's Star Wars Battlefront II for the Specialist class. How do you unlock the a280cfe in Battlefront 2? This mode spans all three Star Wars eras and has scenarios unique to each map. Galactic Assault is an asymmetrical, 40 player linear game mode in DICE's Star Wars Battlefront II that features heroes, Reinforcements, and vehicles that can be spawned in to turn the tide of battle. Starts you have to go and you have to find that portrait of hondo. Basically what you have to do is you run straight to the castle as soon as co-op.

STAR WARS BOUNTY HUNTER PS2 INFINITE JETPACK HOW TO

How do you get the secret skin in Battlefront 2?Ġ:472:48Star Wars Battlefront 2 - How to Unlock Secret Rey Skin Easter Egg!YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut. The current global situation means that everything is very much still up in the air, but there are currently a host of various projects lined up for the next couple of years from Star Wars. The Battlefront 3 release date is likely set for 2022 at this time. It is unlocked after eliminating 400 enemies with the Assault. The first phase begins with the Rebels having to destroy two Imperial cruisers, each hovering above the shipyard. On this map, Rebel Alliance starfighters must complete three stages to eventually destroy an Imperial Star Destroyer. Starfighter Assault on Fondor takes place around an Imperial Shipyard. Where is starfighter assault in Battlefront 2? The left analog stick controls the speed of your ship. The best thing to do is imagine you're literally holding the ship's joystick. The best thing to do is imagine you're literally holding theMoreForward. The Star Wars Battlefront II Celebration Edition does not unlock this and the Unmasked skins.Ģ:514:46STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT 2 - How to FLY!! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipForward. It is available exclusively to players who have the Deluxe Edition or pre-ordered the game from certain retailers and is unlocked automatically. Jedi Training is an Epic appearance for Rey in DICE's Star Wars Battlefront II. How do you get Jedi Rey in Battlefront 2? To use this mod, load either the light side version or the dark side version independently.

STAR WARS BOUNTY HUNTER PS2 INFINITE JETPACK MOD

This mod allows offline play of the starfighter assault game mode. Supremacy features heroes, reinforcements, and ground vehicles that can be spawned in. It supports up to 40 players with an additional 24 AI bots. In DICE's Star Wars Battlefront II, Supremacy is a non-linear game mode based on capturing Command Posts and ultimately bringing down capital ships. How does capital supremacy work in Battlefront 2?

STAR WARS BOUNTY HUNTER PS2 INFINITE JETPACK UPDATE

The Hero Starfighters Update put Jetpack Cargo on rotation with Ewok Hunt, but the subsequent Elite Corps Update made Ewok Hunt a permanent game mode. Jetpack Cargo is a limited time, 20 player game mode in DICE's Star Wars Battlefront II added in the 1.2 Patch. How do you land a starfighter in Battlefront 2?Ġ:024:51Starfighter Assault TIPS for BEGINNERS - Star Wars Battlefront IIYouTube For that, players must capture 15 command posts on the new Felucia map. There is also an “Exact Revenge” challenge that delivers an emote for Darth Maul. It is unlocked after getting 400 online kills with the Specialist class.ġ:144:51Starfighter Assault TIPS for BEGINNERS - Star Wars Battlefront IIYouTubeįarmboy Luke is available after players rack up 150 kills in Co-Op, the mode that was recently added to the game. The NT-242 is a sniper rifle available for the Specialist class in DICE's Star Wars Battlefront II. To unlock them you simply have to play a lot with a selected class because weapons are unlocked by completing milestones connected to kills with a given class - kill 50 enemies in multiplayer to unlock the first weapon (Strike and Blast modes are the best for that).ġ:352:59Star Wars Battlefront 2: How to Unlock Secret Rey Skin Easter EggYouTube How do you get a sniper rifle in Battlefront 2? And I'm going to let you guys watch this round of a jet path cargo. So it's a very fast paced game mode and as a very chaotic. So it's a very fast paced game mode and as a very chaotic.MoreDown with the rocket launcher equipped. YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipDown with the rocket launcher equipped. How do you use the jetpack cargo in Battlefront 2?Ġ:086:30Star Wars Battlefront 2 - NEW Jetpack Cargo Mode Gameplay! INTENSE.

[makingitwork06]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Logitech - Attack 3 Gaming Joystick - Black.

[jessicaphyllislange]

ThinkPad TrackPoint Builds A Better Experience

It goes by many names: the TrackPoint, the nub, the mouse nipple, the pointing stick, the bizarre red dot on your computer. Love it or hate it, the famous -- or notorious -- mouse alternative has practically become the emblem for ThinkPad's business-focused laptops. It is a well thought out, but finally collapsed alternative to the now-ubiquitous trackpad. But there is an argument to be made that it may really be a much better form of the mouse for notebooks, as odd as it is to use today.

Pioneered by IBM in 1992 (before Lenovo took over the ThinkPad branding) and persisting to this day, the intention behind the TrackPoint is fundamentally different from other input methods: namely, unlike most other kinds of mice, the TrackPoint relies on pressure, not motion. With a conventional mouse or trackpad, you are physically moving around an object in an analogous fashion to the way you would like to move the cursor, whether you are moving your finger on a trackpad or a whole mouse held in your hand. The TrackPoint works more like a small joystick, though. The cursor moves around depending on the management and pressure you put on the nub. Apply more pressure, and the mouse moves (or scrolls) quicker.

It is a much steeper learning curve to follow. It's easy to understand the way the mouse moves because it translates the motion more directly. Move your hands in a circle, and the cursor does, also. You have to understand how to use pressure to move the mouse how you want.

Despite that first difficulty, TrackPoint aficionados claim numerous benefits for those willing to learn. Being located in the center of the keyboard allows for almost instantaneous access, rather than having to change your hands down to the trackpad each time you wish to move the mouse. Together with touch typing, the TrackPoint promises an ultra-fast keyboard encounter that never asks you to change your hands to take your eyes away from the monitor.

There are other perks, too: The TrackPoint is infinitely scrollable, unlike a conventional mouse or trackpad, which requires repositioning your hand or finger when you get to the edge of your trackpad or mouse pad. Additionally, it takes up physically less distance than a trackpad (although that is admittedly less relevant in the modern world of bigger laptops).

Not everyone agrees, of course: the TrackPoint dates back to a time where browsing spreadsheets and documents were the main things you can do on a notebook, and it is more difficult to use it for long, smooth motions (such as, say, with a pen tool in Photoshop to outline a silhouette). Touchpads have come a long way since the 1990s, also. Modern touchpads are miles better than they used to be, with full-fledged multitouch gestures and incorporated buttons, whereas TrackPoint technology has not gotten the same attention.

It's tough to imagine now, with touchpads having become nearly universally adopted as the de facto control way of laptops, but at one stage TrackPoints were just as viable an option for the main mouse input for notebooks, with other important firms like Dell, HP, and Toshiba all offering the input procedure. In an alternate timeline, the TrackPoint, not the trackpad, could have become the dominant mouse mode on notebooks, rather than the minor curiosity it's today.

The allure of the TrackPoint is one that many -- including myself -- find hard to describe. And depending on the relative scarcity of pointing-stick mice on many products beyond the ThinkPad world (the only other big device I can think of that uses one is your New Nintendo 3DS from 2014, with its C-stick), it appears that the majority of the world disagrees.

But even now, TrackPoint fans throughout the internet still swear by their preferred input method and will broker no debate it isn't the superior kind of computer navigation (the ThinkPad subreddit, by way of instance, is filled with appreciative posts). It is like non-QWERTY keyboard designs in that regard: well thought out, possibly better-to-use alternatives which exist only in the fringes of computing since additional input methods are much more popular, and it would take a lot of effort to change.

Regardless of the trackpad's supremacy, the TrackPoint still resides on: Lenovo's top-notch ThinkPad X1 Carbon notebook, as an instance, still provides a TrackPoint side by side with a conventional trackpad. And of course, the TrackPoint II Bluetooth keyboard found here makes it possible for you to use a mouse nub with any computer if you would like. David Hill, Lenovo's chief design officer at the moment, might have said it best in 2017: "Some folks get it and some people do not; some folks acquire the taste. It's tough to describe, but I think there is a use for this."

But finally, the TrackPoint is evidence that as challenging as it is to build a better mousetrap, it may be even more difficult to build a better mouse.

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

[Thursday afternoon, about six hours after my original post] So -- the repair guy has been and gone.

The repair I needed? To have the whole joystick/main control unit replaced, paying a 20% deductible, while Medicare picked up the other 80%, for ~$120 out of my pocket (split into two payments).

Why did I need the entire joystick replaced? Well, one Saturday evening, about six weeks ago (if I recall correctly) while trying to get my dinner, the power in my power wheelchair just cut out completely (luckily my aide was home at the time, and could disengage the motors from the wheels and manually push me to the table with the microwave, where I eat). And it stayed out for a good 15-20 minutes, until it suddenly came back as if nothing had happened.

A tech guy came the next day, and noticed electrical tape around the power cord going from the joystick to the battery, and when he peeled back that tape, he saw that the insulation around the wires inside was cut clean through.

[That’s when I remembered that way back in early, 2021, during an earlier repair visit, the repair guy then noticed the break in the insulation, and taped it up as a quick fix]

 See, what happened was: when the chair was put together at the factory, someone threaded the wiring around the frame in such a way that they were getting pinched, and eventually, it broke the insulation altogether.

“So,” I asked, when he showed me a picture of the wire on his phone, “can you just replace the wire?”

“No,” said he, “they make the wiring integrated with the whole joystick. We have to order a whole new unit.”

And then, when I commented something about how frustrating it is to have all the wires and electrical components hanging out exposed and vulnerable), he said out loud what I suspect is supposed to be secret (to be fair, this is a paraphrase, from memory): “Well, the deliberately build break points into these chairs, so they can make a profit.”

Nobles and Rogues, Children of Ages: Late-Stage Capitalism.

Stockholder Supremacy is bad for every sector of society, but for some things (like the things that actually make life possible for people) it should be illegal. Companies should make enough profits to: A) pay their workers a living wage, B) maintain their factories, C) buy their supplies, and D) invest in new designs, and E) pay their taxes. And that’s it.  That’s all they need.

Medicare already will only help pay for a new wheelchair once every five years. So if I buy a wheelchair, it should last at least that long. And when I say “It should last that long” I mean the whole F**king chair. Don’t “Ship of Theseus” this thing I need in order to eat, and get dressed, and go to the bathroom.

Shareholders be damned.

It’s not like the world is going to run out of disabled people, for crying out loud.

The Chapter 12 installment of the 📖Persuasion📖 Read-Along will be delayed.

Have an appointment with a wheelchair repair person today. And this chapter is a doozy – nearly all the moving parts moving at once. I’ll try to get it up tomorrow or Saturday

… I think this is the fifth or sixth repair since I got this chair, at the end of March 2020 [correction: 2021].

I am so angry at the whole industry, even though I’m grateful for the tech.

[sbknews]

New Post has been published on Superbike News

New Post has been published on http://superbike-news.co.uk/wordpress/aprilia-shiver-900/

Aprilia Shiver 900

The most recent evolution of the sport naked from Noale is powered by a refined 900cc twin-cylinder that guarantees torque values at the top of the category

Performance combined with an absolutely top shelf frame for a rideability that raises the bar to new heights in the naked sport bike segment

An intuitive, powerful, easy to handle bike and now even more technological thanks to the new integrated navigation system in the instrument cluster

Also available in the limited 35 kw power version for riders with an A2 driver’s license

As always, Aprilia makes refined mechanics and an excellent chassis structure the winning values on one of its bikes. Aprilia Shiver 900 represents the most recent evolution of the original project of a motorcycle that, from its first appearance on the scene in 2007, marked a turning point as the first factory bike fitted with Ride-by-wire technology to manage engine throttle valve electronics. An Aprilia technological first derived directly from the racing world: In fact, Aprilia Cube was the first MotoGP bike to use this technology in 2002 and since then all of the other manufacturers have followed suit.

The beating heart of the Aprilia Shiver, the 900 V-twin engine, is capable of increasing not only the power, but more importantly, the maximum torque delivered at any rpm at top levels for its category. Power and character that translate into great riding satisfaction without sacrificing the ease and comfort that have always been characteristics of the Aprilia Shiver. A bike that has made fledgling and expert riders alike fall in love, thanks to its chassis architecture that, in the best Aprilia tradition, draws on the know-how of a manufacturer that has won 54 world titles in its brief history and that currently has bikes in premier competitions like MotoGP and Superbike.

The easy to ride, powerful and technologically advanced Aprilia Shiver 900 is equipped with an advanced traction control system that increases safety while taking riding pleasure to maximum levels. From city riding to more flowing routes, from mountain passes to touring itineraries, even long range, Shiver 900 invites you to fasten your helmet and set off in search of the best sensations on two wheels.

The design: a non-conventional sport naked

A non-conformist sport naked, Aprilia Shiver 900 emphasises a distinctive design: from the lateral air intake ducts that embrace the front end to the characteristic compact rear end with the exhaust pipes positioned under the saddle, the superstructure – fuel tank side covers, side panels, tail, front mudguard – form an original and non-conformist look.

The twin cylinder from Noale also stands out for its aggressive features that highlight its distinctly sporty character: the frame, the shock absorber spring and the cylinder head covers are painted red. Adrenaline-charged details that blend with the three available colour schemes – Hi Tech Silver and the new Challenging Red and Innovation Dark -, creating an original contrast.

Another characterizing element of Aprilia Shiver is the exhaust: the position under the saddle contributes to an extremely clean side view of the bike, with the terminal part of the silencer short and aimed upward. A brand new exhaust bottom made up of concentric rings ends in a concave disc: a further bold stylistic element that makes the Shiver immediately recognizable even from the rear, as well as being a practical way to send the exhaust fumes downward, thereby avoiding interference with the passenger and ensuring greater comfort.

Engine: we write torque, you read fun 

The engine, grown to 900 cc from the 750 cc of the first version, is characterised above all by its generous mid-range torque, all to the advantage of quick acceleration and exiting turns. The 90 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm guarantee pure fun in the saddle: this goal was a priority for the Aprilia engineers in designing the twin cylinder with more than 95 HP, also available in the version with power limited to 35 kW, that can be ridden with an A2 class driver’s license. Aprilia Shiver 900 is therefore an easy bike to ride even for new bikers, accompanying them in their personal evolution of experience in the saddle.

The powerplant, with a 90 degree angle between the two cylinders, four-valve timing per cylinder, dual overhead cam and liquid cooling, underwent various changes, including a significant operation aimed at reducing friction on the pistons characterised by a special anti-friction feature on the mantle, whereas the pins contribute to lightening the alternated parts in motion.

On the other hand, an efficient semi-dry carter internal lubrication circuit helps to reduce losses of power due to shaking and to keep consumption and temperature of the lubricant to a limit, thereby eliminating the need for an oil radiator. High levels of efficiency have also been reached in terms of combustion, thanks to the implementation of injectors that allow better spraying of the air/fuel mixture, with benefits to consumption and emissions. The Aprilia Shiver 900 engine is also fitted with an automatic decompresser which makes it easier to start in low temperature conditions.

The unit fitted on the Aprilia Shiver 900 is controlled by the Marelli 7SM ECU: a substantial evolution that, on one hand, has allowed a refined traction control system to be introduced and that, on the other hand, has led to a significant simplification of the electrical system; in fact, the engine control and management systems, functions that were previously carried out by two separate electronic control units, are now integrated in a single hardware components, the same one fitted on the V4 models from Noale.

All of the clutch components have been redesigned in correspondence to the switch to the 900 cc engine capacity: The load on the clutch lever has decreased by 15%, whereas the primary drive reduction ratio has been changed to optimize exploitation of the available power.

Refined electronics to reiterate its supremacy

The Shiver 900 receives the full benefits of Aprilia’s extensive experience in electronic control systems and riding support for which the Aprilia RSV4 – the supersport bike that has won seven World SBK titles (three rider and four manufacturer) in its racing version and that is consistently at the top of its category in the street version – is an unrivalled example.

Out of this experience and from this Aprilia technological first, the Shiver 900 features an advanced traction control system that can be set to three different levels or disabled, designed to guarantee maximum safety, but also pure brilliant riding enjoyment thanks to the dual control that acts on both ignition and on the motorized throttle valves, making its intervention smooth and easy to manage. The Aprilia Traction Control system is combined with a Continental two-channel ABS system with developed calibration in order not to take anything away from the sporty ride. The ABS feature can also be disabled.

The full Ride-by-wire electronic throttle system, which made its début on a factory bike precisely on the first version of the Shiver, is now entirely integrated in the throttle grip, all to the benefit of light weight. This system also allows even more accurate management of the fuel/air mixture and the injection throttle valve opening based on numerous parameters including engine speed, gearbox position, air flow, throttle grip opening (in quantity and speed) and temperature, with great benefits in terms of smooth riding without opening/closing jerks, containment of harmful emissions and fuel consumption.

The sophisticated electronic management also provides the possibility of changing the engine mapping, radically changing the character of how the power it is capable of developing is unloaded onto the ground. The Sport setting provides an immediate and aggressive throttle response; the Touring logic provides a smoother response, ideal for touring and daily use, whereas the Rain map reduces available power to about 70 HP and is therefore ideal in the event of difficult weather conditions or on slippery road surfaces. Mapping can also be changed at any time, even on the fly, by simply pressing the engine start button.

The control instrumentation is made up of an ultra modern TFT technology display that ensures perfect legibility of the information provided. The large, 4.3” screen (the same one used on the Aprilia RSV4 and Aprilia Tuono 1100 V4) allows all the on board information to be clear and highly legible at all times, thanks in part to its capacity of adapting the background and font colours based on the conditions detected by the light sensor. The information displayed includes: rev counter, speedometer, selected gear indicator, coolant temperature, air temperature, selected engine map and clock. Using the practice MODE joystick on the new left hand electrical block, you can navigate through the menu and scroll/adjust the following parameters: odometer, traction control level, ABS ON (only when not in movement), MENU (only when not in movement), Trip A, Trip A time, Trip A maximum speed, Trip A average speed, Trip A average consumption, Trip B, Trip B time, Trip B maximum speed, Trip B average speed, Trip B average consumption, instantaneous consumption, Km ridden in reserve.

Aprilia Shiver 900 is also fitted from the factory with the Aprilia Multimedia Platform (AMP), which ensure connectivity with your smartphone to allow all call information to be displayed directly on the display, as well as intercom information and any music tracks that may be playing. By connecting to the smartphone using the dedicated App, the display also becomes a navigation tool, displaying the instructions for the selected route through pictograms.

Last but not least, the App lets you share travel information, from the info on the sportiest riding style, to the info on touring, with indication on consumption, routes and speeds, grip conditions and Aprilia service centre locations.

A chassis architecture worthy of the Aprilia tradition

The performance provided by the powerplant is perfectly matched to an ultra-fine chassis architecture, easy to ride and intuitive, but at the same time incredibly high performance that, in the best Aprilia tradition, is simply unrivalled in the category. In fact, the mixed steel trellis/aluminium plates frame provides standard-setting stiffness, defines an extremely compact bike and ensures that it is capable of catering to fledgling riders with no problem, as well as enhancing the riding skills of more expert and discerning bikers. This makes flowing routes a favourite playground for the Shiver 900.

The structure of Shiver 900 draws from all the proverbial Aprilia chassis architecture know-how, as well as their experience on tracks all over the world. The trellis upper part in steel tubing is connected to wide spread aluminium lateral plates using special, high-resistance bolts. The combination formed by these elements forms an extremely stiff and lightweight frame, an rational and excellent solution for reining in all the horses of the Aprilia V90.

The contained longitudinal development of the engine has led to obtaining an agile bike, a feature that also benefits from the choice to position the shock absorber laterally. Thanks to this solution, space was created for the exhaust manifolds that have a shape and volume calibrated to perfection in order to get the best performance from the engine. This has allowed for an optimum exhaust manifold layout, without having a significant impact on the length of the bike and without thermally stressing a fundamental riding element like the shock absorber.

The aluminium alloy swingarm with stiffening truss boasts stiffness values at the top of its category and it is sized to withstand the asymmetrical stress due to the lateral positioning of the shock absorber.

Aprilia Shiver 900 adopts a Kayaba fork with hydraulics adjustable in extension and spring preload and with 41 mm stanchions with chill cast feet to support the radial callipers. The 130 mm travel lets you smoothly tackle urban and mountain routes. The two steering yoke plates are made of forged aluminium.

The rear shock absorber, mounted on the side, is pivoted directly to the swingarm, following the cantilever layout and it is adjustable in spring preload and hydraulic rebound. Rear wheel travel is 130 mm.

The sporty three-spoke wheels are taken from the Aprilia Tuono V4 equipment and contribute to keeping weight down. This leads to a drastic reduction of the gyroscopic effect and therefore greater agility for the bike, improved suspension functionality thanks to the reduction of unsprung masses and quicker acceleration. The rims are shod with a 120/70 tyre on the front and 180/55 on the rear.

The braking system, equipped with two-channel ABS, implements radial callipers to highlight the sportiness of the project and 320 mm discs on the front. On the rear, a 240 mm disc is gripped by a single-piston calliper.

Both the front and rear systems have metal braided brake lines derived from the aeronautic sector, which eliminate the annoying buffering effect of conventional lines and guarantee maximum braking precision.

Original Aprilia accessories range: for sport and touring

A wide range of accessories dedicated to sport and touring is available for the Shiver 900 as well. The former highlight the sport soul and the unmistakable Aprilia racing character: parts in precious carbon, billet aluminium components, such as brake and clutch fluid reservoir covers, brake and clutch levers and mirrors, as well as the must-have frame guard and fork bumpers. It also has LED turn signals with a highly characteristic design. The tourism accessories contribute to increasing the comfort of the Shiver 900, such as the comfort saddle, the side panniers and the tank bag.

Aprilia Shiver 900 – Technical Specifications

Engine type Aprilia V90 Longitudinal 90° V-twin engine, 4-stroke, liquid cooled, double overhead camshaft with mixed gear/chain timing system, four valves per cylinder Fuel Unleaded petrol Bore and stroke 92 x 67.4 mm Total engine capacity 896.1 cc Compression ratio 11.5:1 Max Power 95.2 HP (70 kW) at 8,750 rpm Maximum torque at crankshaft 90 Nm at 6,500 rpm Fuel system Integrated engine management system. Injection with 3-map Ride-by-wire throttle valve opening management (Sport, Touring, Rain) Ignition Digital electronic, integrated with the injection. Starter Electric Exhaust 100% stainless steel 2-in-1 exhaust system with three-way catalytic converter and lambda probe Alternator 450 W at 6,000 rpm Lubrication Wet sump Transmission 6 speed, drive ratio:

1st 14/36 (2.57)

2nd 17/32 (1.88)

3rd 20/30 (1.5)

4th 22/28 (1.27)

5th 23/26 (1.13)

6th 24/25 (1.04)

Clutch Multiplate wet clutch, hydraulically operated Primary drive Straight cut gears, drive ratio: 40/69 (1:1.73) Secondary drive Chain. Drive ratio: 16/44 (1:2.75) Frame Modular tubular steel frame fastened to aluminium side plates by high strength bolts. Dismountable rear frame. Front suspension Upside-down fork, stanchionsÆ 41. Adjustable hydraulic rebound damping and spring preload. Wheel travel 130 mm. Rear suspension Aluminium alloy swingarm with stiffening truss.

Hydraulic shock absorber with adjustable extension and spring preload Wheel travel 130 mm.

Brakes Front: Dual Æ320 mm stainless steel floating discs. Radial, four-piston callipers. Metal braided brake hose.

Rear: Æ240 mm stainless steel disc. Single piston calliper. Metal braided brake hose.

Continental two-channel ABS system.

Wheel rims Aluminium alloy

Front: 3.50 X 17″ Rear: 6.00 x 17″

Tyres Radial tubeless tyres;

Front: 120/70 ZR 17

Rear: 180/55 ZR 17

Dimensions Max. length: 2130 mm

Max. width: 810 mm

Wheelbase: 1465 mm

Max. height: 1110 mm

Saddle height: 810 mm

Trail: 109 mm

Headstock angle: 25.9°

Weight 218 Kg (kerb weight with full fuel tank) Consumption 5,313 l/100 km (WMTC cycle) CO2 emissions 123 g/km (WMTC cycle) Fuel tank capacity 15 litres

[fallout76infomp-blog]

6 Online Communities About Fallout 76 You Should Join

The video clip recreation industry is becoming a stronghold, not even a crippling financial system can convey down. At $64 billion in revenue a yr You will need to go else where by to find an impact of the overall economy now. Video clip online games have advanced from the trend to a beast which includes manufactured war with other hobbies and leisure to become a requirement in everyday life. Politics as well as other systems have built war, but none has slain this dragon. Considering that the shaky unpredictable starting of the primary industrial residence system to this mammoth reworking engineering; numerous merchandise have occur and absent around the span of 40 many years. But what's the fascination?

Spawning from your missile defense methods of the 1940's the main interactive online video game was manufactured in 1952 known as OXO. Employing a gentle pen it absolutely was much like Tic-Tac-Toe. University mainframes were being getting used to start with and many games ended up invented by persons for a pastime which intended that creation was minimum as well as the games ended up overlooked. Just about concurrently the arcade technique and residential console had been introduced and they released using joysticks. In 1971 the Galaxy Activity was set up in a pupil union at Stanford College and expanded to 8 arcade games in 1972. Then eventually color arcade programs were being released in 1979 and these games became commercialized. 1972 The Magnavox Odyssey property process was unveiled from the US, which employed cartridges (later on gets programmable) that utilised jumpers which enabled/disabled various switches inside the device, altering the circuit logic so various games could be performed on a similar program. 1976 game titles were being programmed on chips and inserted in plastic cartridges. Now in place of having video games programmed in systems there may be a library of online games.

Thriving for essentially the most innovated technology Fallout and possessing the most well-liked game titles all even though however producing a profit was an act that may confirm to get tough to juggle. In 1977 Atari 2600 (which began what is called the next generation consoles) was introduced by Atari And through the vacation period the company introduced nine games which served fuel the techniques attractiveness. By 1980 Mattel launched Intellivision with It truly is superior graphics this began the cutthroat company of online video online games. 1982 ColecoVision was brought into this boiling pot of Levels of competition of this new development. Whilst retail outlet shelves wherever full of these possibilities the business experienced It really is next crash in 1983 due to deficiency of purchaser know-how and a lot of selections. Quite a few consoles would arrive and go.

In Japan a comeback was on the rise by online video match organizations. 1985 Nintendo Enjoyment Technique(NES) was launched bundled with Tremendous Mario Brothers. Using a redesigned controller that employed a D-Pad and a few buttons NES was the muse for long term consoles. NES experienced a ten 12 months reign but video games demanding additional processing ability for graphics, video game Participate in, and conserving Room the battle for supremacy raged on. In the reign of NES numerous aspects and innovations gave hope and nervousness to gamers and developers. Although the net gave technique to multiplayer on line video games the home consoles organizations were being studying the most recent elements for his or her techniques. During the early 1990's Sega Genesis was introduced and slowly and gradually took maintain of markets, but sooner or later produced an effect. The rise of categorizing online games as genres, because of greater libraries of game titles and 3D graphics, created courts stage in and contend the material becoming distributed by these organizations. Their grievance "game titles were being far too violent and looked as well genuine". Very little did the courts know their final remark is what have been creating gamers hungrier For each and every launch. New guidelines by putting an age Restrict on who could purchase violent video games defused that struggle, but that wasn't the last war the online video video game sector would experience. 1991 Nintendo produced the Super NES and Sega's argument in opposition to it, Regardless that they each were 16-bit systems, was that Tremendous NES was way too slow. So, the formula for consoles turned terrific graphics, processing, and video game Enjoy.

Being moveable was An additional dilemma lifted through the industry which gave start to handheld units. In 1980 handheld LCD's came out, although not right up until 1989 when Nintendo released Sport Boy then moveable handhelds took maintain. When Sega and Nintendo had been in a battle of energy PlayStation made It can be debut inside the console market place in 1995. PlayStation launched with using cd's as an alternative to cartridges which became Yet another milestone and essential for your marketplace, but PlayStation continue to did not have assistance in certain markets and match organizations until finally they realised cd's held much more data and were being less costly to generate. This is able to result in counter act with their particular cd consoles. Nintendo sixty four was a success, but nonetheless working with cartridges the cost pushed video game corporations absent, and Nintendo started out losing recreation titles. Nintendo came up with GameCube a cd centered procedure, but deficiency of Grownup oriented online games and smaller library it was not as well-liked as PlayStation. Sega introduced Dreamcast in 1998 which has a created-in modem for on the net Engage in which pioneered online gaming with consoles, but failed.

PlayStation released PS2 in 1998 while with the sensation of not having a substantial competitor a remark was produced that might modify and propel the evolution from the video clip match technologies. "Video clip video game methods are the next computer systems" assisted merge the computer and video clip recreation consoles but retain them individual. Emotion threatened Microsoft's CEO Bill Gates, who is without doubt one of the richest Adult men on this planet, would department out from his Windows software to create Xbox in late 2001. His purpose was being the top gaming method and wouldn't end at any suggests. He had the finances to study and create. Bill applied his Computer system know-how for example Intel Processors and tough drives, and place it to make use of while in the Xbox While it had been a reduction for Microsoft, but that would secure his Windows model. With Xbox's graphics, hit activity titles, and on line gaming with the console having much income invested in them the opposite providers did not have the resources threatening computers any longer. Experience dominated in the home methods Nintendo and PlayStation focused on there handhelds. Each and every experienced their very own unique technology to keep them floating and evenly matched. Nintendo DS prospered with there touch display while PSP offered on multi use. PSP experienced these types of higher graphics that you may check out videos and play video games. Despite the fact that handhelds did not rise above consoles there remain markets exactly where they prosper thanks to there portability. Microsoft unveiled Xbox 360 in November 2005 although PS3 strike the selves before long soon after. The two environment the know-how typical for systems, the two featured superior-definition graphics, substantial disk drive-based secondary storage, integrated networking, plus a companion on-line gameplay and profits System. PS3 debuted greater in Price tag as a result of Blu-ray and Wi-Fi technological innovation.

Nintendo came again with drive by introducing the Wii late 2006 because of the motion controller's even though critics thought it could fail. It also was reduced in specifications, but Yet another progressive invention held Nintendo in the sport. The car and mobile phone marketplace was invaded with the video video games growth. Cars went from owning techniques personalized in-built to standard away from manufacturing unit. Cell phone went from having pre loaded game titles to with the ability to obtain from on-line which took a bit of guidance from the handheld organization. Even with these new toys the general public was still left in shock as a consequence of Nintendo Wii's participant conversation, but Xbox and PS 3's online multiplayer motion even now experienced a terrific keep. While PlayStation tried to reinvent the wheel with their very own movement controller PlayStation Transfer in 2010. Microsoft went by using a knock out blow by releasing Kinect for Xbox 360. Kinect is actually a motion sensor technology that makes use of no controllers. These movement units have unfold the fascination from teens and youthful Grown ups towards the aged who will't bodily participate in athletics, The genres now include sport Health and fitness for people who can not manage fitness center membership, senior centers and community centers. It looks far too early to inform how efficient Microsoft and PlayStation could be versus Nintendo seeing we have been only inside the 3rd round in a very twelve round 3 way struggle. January 2011 will show who reigns supreme when the revenue from the holidays are calculated.

It appears as this field evolves that science-fiction novels our grandparents browse are coming to daily life. Just like how human cloning and Room travel was imagined but wasn't understood right until many years later on, I ponder if and when warp zones or molecular separation are launched who will find it. Can be a worm gap going to transport players in the future when they're challenged to a virtual actuality battle? Another thing is for certain and that is individuals comprehend the solutions in existence along with the games which they assistance. It wont be a purchaser difficulty producing the subsequent movie sport industry scare. The technology that's frequently modifying has peeked the curiosity of thousands and thousands.

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Skyfront VR Launches on Steam with Nausea-Free, Zero-G Multiplayer Action

Building upon the growing competitive community in the virtual reality space, Levity Play launched Skyfront VR, the medium’s first nausea-free, multiplayer title on Steam Early Access on November 10. Not content to simply glide into its Early Access launch however, Skyfront VR kicked off its first weekend with an arena-full of new content: a new trailer, new map, new weapons, and new special abilities for owning the battlefield.

Over the course of its first three days in Steam Early Access, Skyfront VR’s passionate community took to the skies en masse and didn’t disappoint in their aerial ballet of bullets (and shields, and rocket). Together, the community logged a total of 24,224 kills and 265 hours of play over the course of this first weekend. That’s an impressive amount of playtime for a medium notorious for its motion sickness.

This comes as a result of Skyfront VR’s unique locomotion mechanics that help to centre players and provide them with a more comfortable gameplay experience. Handling movement by moving one’s hands, players are treated to 1:1 in-game translation, eliminating the sensory conflict that often occurs with movement using a joystick. This is further combined with large, open arenas and collision dampening on surfaces, to strike a balance between intuitive freedom of movement and tight FPS gameplay.

From its reverence for the legacy of classic PC arena shooters, to its drive to push the VR medium forward, while simultaneously reducing the neurological bar to entry, Levity Play has set out to craft the next generation of VR arena shooters. Boasting 2 gorgeous arenas, Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch gametypes, 5 different weapons, 5 special abilities for turning the tide of battle, and a Bot Shootout practice mode at the time of its Early Access launch, Skyfront VR has no shortage of ways to enact skybound supremacy, with new modes, maps and features planned for the coming months.

Embrace your inner arena shooter, strap on your grappling hook, and get ready to make your move, boundary-free, in Skyfront VR’s gravity-defying battle arenas. Pick your weapons wisely, set your abilities strategically and prepare to fight for VR glory!

Steam Early Access Features

A fully functioning online multiplayer setting

2 zero-gravity battle arenas

2 game types – Deathmatch & Team Deathmatch

5 different weapons + 1 Locomotion Device

5 special abilities for strategic use

Bot Shootout

Full Release Features

5 game modes including Single Deathmatch, 3v3 Elimination and Capture The Flag

5-6 visually stunning maps in different geographical settings

20+ destructive weapons and special abilities to choose from

An engaging progression system

Customizable character & weapon assets

Play against advanced AI opponents

Skyfront VR Launches on Steam with Nausea-Free, Zero-G Multiplayer Action was originally published on Game-Refraction