#Professional Pitch Deck

[stellarconsultancy]

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Professional Pitch Deck Designers

[avo-kat]

ok so.

when i do things, i somehow feel required to do everything efficiently and perfectly.

whether its a new hobby, or simply cleaning up, i feel this need to research how to use my time the most efficient way because it would be a waste otherwise, wouldn't it?

but thats obviously bullshit.

for one, doing everything perfectly and efficiently takes a lot of mental planning and energy AND it makes things simply unfun.

which is the best way to make me not do those things.

"theres no point in doing that if im not doing it perfectly and efficiently. why waste my energy doing a suboptimal strategy of learning a new skill? why waste my energy to only take out cardboard when i could take out ALL the trash at once?" > this is capitalist brainwashing speaking. do not trust this voice.

so ive been learning japanese. and i know whats the "best" way to learn it. i know whats most "efficient". guess what? i dont wanna. i just dont. im doing this for fun. currently im basically just doing a bunch of anki decks. been doing anki for 3 months now. like, continuously. ive NEVER done everything for that long continuously before.

so doing this works for me. if i were to change what i was doing to the most "optimal" way id lose interest and would stop doing it. which is like the opposite of what i want.

so.

do whatever you want to. its okay.

[fundtq]

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[nicole-burke]

To learn more about who they are and what they want, select a test segment of your target market and run a focus group or a survey. This might help you decide if testing your business in a smaller, niche part of your target market is a good idea. And if you cannot do the market analysis yourself, hire a professional business plan writer.

[honestlyspookytyphoon]

Moving In And Moving On

Summary: After months of being for sale, the house across Pascale’s is sold to a young woman, Y/N. When summer comes, both women have grown close and Pascale tries to set her up with her son, Charles. However, unbeknownst to Pascale, Y/N happens to be the woman who broke Charles’ heart not so long ago…

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x female reader, but Pascale turned out to be the main character lol

Warnings: Angst (fed by a cruel thing called reality) – Brief mentions of loved ones passing away – The ending sucks, but I could not come up with anything better for now

Word count: +/- 2.5k

Author’s note: This piece was initially written as part 2 to ‘Cake, coffee and…Charles’, but it can also be read as a standalone. English is not my first language, so please forgive me any grammar mistakes and incoherent writing.

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

Pascale was surprised when the ‘For Sale’-sign disappeared out of the front garden from the house across hers. The house had been empty since the elderly owners – Philippe and Lydia, two 80-plussers who had been together for over 65 years - moved to a care home several years ago and after both of them passed away, the family decided to sell it.

For the entire 15 years Pascale has been living in the neighbourhood, the house has been there. She warmed up to the elderly couple living across her quite soon and since then, Pascale had been there many times to chat or to help Philippe and Lydia with gardening or housekeeping when they were having health issues. In a way, the house was a part of her life. That is why, in a fit of nostalgia and melancholy, she decided to get the spare key and cross the street to visit the house one last time, before it would be teared down.

Pascale starts her tour in the small garden at the back, in which rare flowers used to blossom. She lively remembered the times when Philippe and Lydia brought her a small bouquet of these flowers to thank her, just because. Now, these flowers are all gone, overgrown by weed. From the garden, Pascale spots the small balcony at the side of the house, from which you have an amazing view of the surroundings. Philippe would sometimes serenade Lydia from below, knowing these romantic things riled her up the wall. Another fond memory of ancient times.

When Pascale enters the house, it is pitch black and musty. She tries to open the blinds but they are rusted. The power is out as well, so she uses the flashlight of her phone to get one last look of the interior. Despite the deck of dust and the fact that it surely is outdated – the house was built somewhere in the 1960’s –, the interior still creates a feeling of coming home, a safe haven. This feeling also appealed to Pascale’s three sons, who visited Philippe and Lydia from to time when they were young as the house looked like their grandparents’, who passed away too soon. When reminiscing the fond memories of her sons with ‘Phi and Ly’, she spots a picture of the five of them on the dresser. She remembers taking the picture during one of the many cookie-baking sprees on Wednesday afternoon: Lorenzo’s eyes were shooting daggers at Arthur for eating all the cookies, Charles was nickering and Philippe and Lydia were looking fondly at the three menaces in front of them. She gifted them the picture on their 60th anniversary and she never forgot their heartfelt reactions. Feeling tears welling up in her eyes, Pascale decides to take the picture with her before exiting via the back door. It was a house full of memories and history and Pascale hoped that the new owners could feel that too.

A few days after Pascale’s visit, the new owner arrived: Y/N, a 26-year-old woman. Since the house Y/N bought was old, much work needed to be done to meet current requirements and increase the comfort. As Y/N is just at the start of her career and many of Y/N’s savings were used to buy the house, she could not afford professional contractors to renovate the house; with the help of her parents and family, she is doing it all by herself.  However, as she has a full-time job, all work needs to be done during the weekends and after work, disturbing the peace in the otherwise quiet neighbourhood. Hence, to make sure her neighbours do not hate her already, she decides to visit them all to inform them on the upcoming works and to discuss planning.

Pascale was the last neighbour she visited. Y/N had knocked on Pascale’s front door a couple of time during the past weeks, but to no avail. The other neighbours had told Y/N about the special bond between Pascale and the previous owners, so she knew that this talk could be hard; she had to be delicate. Not that she held any accountability to Pascale – Y/N bought the house after all – but she had felt similarly when her grandmother’s house was sold; it takes time to accept that a place one grew accustomed is no longer there. Hence, Y/N wanted to show Pascale what the house would look like in the end and ensure her that she did not expect Pascale to accept her immediately. Taking one deep breath, Y/N rang the doorbell of Avenue Paul Doumer 5.

--- Three months later ----

The construction works were in full swing. The facade stones were taken away, cleaned and reused, the house’s insulation was improved and the windows were replaced. Today, Y/N and her nephew were removing the roof tiles to check and repair the underlying woodwork. Pascale watches both of them through her window. In the past months, she and Y/N have grown close. Pascale needed some time to get used to the new situation, but Y/N had been very understanding and an absolute sweetheart. The construction works never started before 7 a.m. and always ended at 10:30 p.m. sharp as agreed upon with the neighbourhood, she informed everybody upfront when there were any changes in the schedules, and she insisted to pay for the water, electricity and utensils she used. Pascale and Y/N always had a small chat when they saw each other and Lorenzo and Arthur, who visited their mom every month, also grew fond of her. Y/N was yet to meet Charles though, Pascale’s middle son, due to his busy racing schedule.

If he only met her, Pascale thought, she is the type of girl he needs. With the F1 summer break just around the corner and the final phase of the construction works nearing, an idea popped up in Pascale’s head.

---- August -----

The day of the street BBQ had come. Pascale had been preparing this event for weeks: doing a tour around the neighbourhood to fix a date, visiting the town hall to get permission to close the street, rent the tables, seats and parasols, making decorations and, of course, preparing the food and drinks – it has been hectic, but she was determined to make this day perfect.  

It was now 3 p.m. Charles parked his Ferrari at the small parking lot at the church and jogged his way over to his mother’s house. He knew he was running a bit late - something that his mother always told him was disrespectful - but he was met with a little fan on his way to the BBQ and he just could not refuse the small boy’s request to sign his drawing. When he spotted Pascale on the street, a small smile grew on his face; he loved his mom so dearly and it has been way to long since the last time they saw each other.

Pascale has been chatting with Y/N for almost 30 minutes now, only interrupted by her two sons – who told her that Charles would arrive a little later – and some other neighbours. Y/N was dressed in a loose floral dress that came a little above the knees, paired with white sneakers. She was wearing very little make-up and, much to Pascale’s relief, no wedding or engagement ring. Together with the fact that she had never seen any men at the site except for family members and never saw another car in the driveway than Y/N’s, Pascale was convinced that Y/N was single. She knew Charles was too but not wanting to be too intrusive, she decided to just plant a seed between Charles and her new neighbour today and see it from there.

When she heard the deep sound of Charles’ Ferrari, Pascale told Y/N that her third son had arrived and that she would be right back. Y/N’s hands became sweaty. Ever since she found out Pascale was Charles’ mom, she had been dreading this moment. There was no turning back now though.

---- Flashback ----

When Y/N visited Pascale for the first time last winter, her eyes quickly landed on all the family portraits hanging on the wall. It were paintings of a family of five, probably made by her sons in preschool, and pictures of Lorenzo, Arthur and Charles in different periods of their lives. In the middle hung a beautiful black-and-white picture of her husband, Hervé, who sadly passed away when the kids were still little. “There has been no other man in my life ever since”, Pascale said, the love for her deceased husband still evident in her voice. Looking at the paintings and pictures, Pascale could not help but be proud of where her family was now. Arthur and Charles were professional athletes and Lorenzo was active in finance. Both Lorenzo and Arthur had a lovely girlfriend, the eldest already thinking about children. Charles, however, was less steady when it came to love. After two long-term relationships, Charles got a bit lost; it was not easy for Charles to maintain a relationship given his hectic and public life. Although Pascale was sceptical and warned her son many times – as there are always people who try to surf on other’s success –, it hurt her to see him like this, trying to erase the loneliness inside him with alcohol and volatile love. At the end of last season though, a little spark returned in Charles’ eyes. He did not disclose much to his mom, apart from that he met a girl in France whilst being out with Pierre and some other friends and that they were texting each other very often. She had not heard him talk about her since the new season started, so she assumed that she was just another fling.

“That’s Lorenzo, this is Arthur and that’s Charles. Aren’t they beautiful young men, Y/N?” Pascale asked.

“They are, Pascale, they are”, Y/N replied. She was still looking at the picture of Charles, all memories of last winter hitting her like a truck.

It was almost a year ago when Charles and Y/N met each other in a small café in the south of France. Charles was out with his friends, unwinding from the previous season and enjoying a short get-away to prepare for the upcoming winter testing. Y/N happened to be in Nîmes that week for work and that is how they met. She had been quite bold that afternoon, handing her number to Charles when she left the café, fully well knowing who he was. She never expected him to do something with it – he was one of world’s eligible bachelors after all – so she almost fainted when he called her the next day, saying how much he liked talking to her. They kept texting from that day onwards, throwing in the occasional FaceTime-call late at night. Despite the fact that they were both busy and lived in other countries, not a day passed without contact. Long story short, Y/N and Charles were falling for each other, hard.

Pierre did not stop teasing Charles about it, relieved to see his best friend happy again. The people at Ferrari knew that there was something going on, sensing that the fast laps Charles was setting were not only due to the changes to the car. His brothers noticed he was mentally somewhere else when he did no longer weep the floor with Arthur during their weekly tennis matches. The presence of Y/N in Charles’ life changed him, but in a good way. He was glowing.

Y/N grew fonder of Charles by the second; he was such a sweetheart. While she was not into F1 that much before she met him, she was learning about the sport and following the testing sessions in Bahrein, such that they could talk about it without her sounding like a complete and utter fool. She found a renewed motivation in her work, supported by Charles who was amazed by both her beauty and brains – and he told her that, every day. She got back into learning French such that she could – or, at least, try – to talk to Charles in his mother tongue. In return, he gave her cute, French nicknames that made her blush, which Charles found incredibly endearing. She was glowing.

However, when it hit Y/N that the F1 season would be starting soon, she started to think. She loved Charles, she was sure of that, but a long-term relationship would not work. She had her responsibilities at home and Charles would be busy travelling, training and racing - she had been in a similar relationship before and things ended badly. The media would focus more on him too after he finished 2nd in last year's championship, attracting the attention from (new) female fans. Not that Y/N was the jealous type or that she did not trust him, but she knew there are women out there who are better suited for Charles, beautiful women who are willing to make sacrificies. Women Charles deserves. Therefore, before Y/N would move to her new home and Charles would start the season, they met in Turin to talk about it all. Y/N told Charles about her sorrows and although he wanted to deny it, despite him wanting all her reasoning to be wrong, despite him wanting to tell her to listen to her heart instead of her head, he knew she was right. Therefore, Charles and Y/N used the rest of that week in Turin to feel what it could have been; they had date nights in cosy restaurants, strolled through the city, went on hikes together and made the sweetest love. After sharing one last kiss at the airport and promising each other to never forget what they shared, Charles and Y/N parted ways.

For good.

---- Present -----  

Pascale swiftly disappeared to find her son. The local cover band Pascale hired was giving it all on the small stage and people were chatting away and enjoying the delicious pastries from the local bakery shop just a few blocks away. Y/N started mingling with Sebastien and Amélie, a young couple that was also relatively new to the neighbourhood.

Once he greeted everybody at the party, Charles was finally able to give his mom a proper hug. After a preach on how she does not see him enough and once made sure that he does take care of himself and eating enough, Pascale started updating him on all the latest gossip. Charles loves to gossip, especially with his mom because he loves how invested she is in it. After 20 minutes or so, when she decided she told Charles everything he needed to know, Pascale started to look around. She spotted Y/N a few tables further away, entertaining little Kasper. “I want you to meet our new neighbour, Charles. She is there with Kasper and Amélie. Come on.”

Although Charles did not know his mom’s new neighbour, he felt like he already did based on the stories Lorenzo and Arthur had been telling. From what he heard, she seems to be a lovely young woman. When he looked into the direction of little Kasper, he spotted her. She was wearing a white dress, which contrasted nicely against her bronzed skinned. Her hair was up in a messy bun, showing the delicate skin of her neck and shoulders. When he heard that the neighbours’ name was Y/N, his thoughts instinctively drifted back to his Y/N, his lost love, the woman whom he shared to best week of his life with. However, he never thought it would actually be her but now that he sees her, her petite frame, he knows it is her. The woman whose body he knows like the circuit of Monaco. The woman who still owns his heart. The woman he said goodbye to in Turin.

For good.

At least, that is what they both thought. Pascale gently taps Y/N on her shoulder. She turns around. “Y/N, I want you to meet my son Charles. Charles, this is Y/N, the new neighbour I told you about”.

Their eyes meet, for the first time in months. 

Should they act as if they never met?

Should she tell him that she moved on?

Should he tell her that he has not?

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

[desert-fern]

A Gun Amongst Daggers - Jake “Hangman” Seresin X Fem!Navy Seal Reader

Part 24: (Sun)Kissed

Summary: When Jake meets a woman at the Hard Deck, the last thing he expects is for her to be a Navy Seal. And not just any Seal, the Commander of Seal Team 3. She’s beautiful, smart, dangerous, and everything about her just makes him want to get close. Her name? Bear. When the Seals need backup, Cyclone puts the Daggers on their radar and now, Jake has to work with Bear and her team, all the while trying to stay professional. Can he do it? Or will he end up falling for the Navy sniper and mission Commander?

MINORS DO NOT ENGAGE! 18+ ONLY. MINORS & BLOGS WITH NO AGE/EMPTY BLOGS WILL BE BLOCKED.

Warnings: sweet, sweet fluffy fun, sneaky beach handjob, hiding a relationship, teasing

Word Count: 5.6k

Masterlist >> Part 23 >> Epilogue

===

Bear stirred awake at the feeling of gentle kisses being pressed to her shoulder. She groaned, batting her hand back at sensation, trying to rid herself of it in her half asleep state. “Ow!” 

The deep sound of a voice next to her ear startled her into sudden wakefulness, twisting in Jake’s arms so quickly that she bonked her head against his chin. “What the fuck?” Bear moaned, eyes blinking open to look at the man beside her. She still wasn’t 100% awake, trying and failing to cover her eyes against the sunlight streaming in from the crack in the curtains. “Ugh. It’s too bright.” 

“Well, we were a little busy to shut them all the way last night,” Jake mused aloud, chuckling as Bear slapped his chest. 

“That means most of my neighborhood probably saw your ass last night,” she countered, sitting up. The blankets slid down from her shoulders, pooling around her bare middle and Bear felt Jake move before she saw him. 

A large hand brushed her hair over a shoulder before he leaned over to press a few kisses across her back. “So?” Jake said, pausing to meet her gaze. “Half the Navy’s seen it, what’s a few more?” 

Bear didn’t say anything, chewing on her lip. “Teddy, what’s going on?” 

She blew out a breath, her hands twisting the sheet tight. “It’s stupid.” 

Jake gave her an incredulous look. “Bear, come on. It’s you, it’s not going to be stupid.” 

“I just- I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. I know that we are home, that we are safe. I know that I love you. But the last time…” she trailed off, her voice quiet. “I should be happy that I’m waking up beside you in my bed, but instead I’m scared that someone will take you from me.” 

Jake sat up and wrapped her in a tight side hug. “Hey. What did you say to me? ‘Something, something, I fought terrorists for you’? No one is taking me anywhere unless you know where I am. Okay?” 

Bear nodded, giving him a wry smile. “God, I fucking love you.” 

He grinned, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. “I love you more.” 

“Oh don’t you dare start with that!” Bear said, her voice pitching in mock horror. “We discussed this. I love you more.” 

“I don’t remember ever agreeing to that, Teddy.” The grin on his face was playful and his tone filling with a rich humor that was addicting to listen to. “I think I got the upper hand last night.” 

An eyebrow rose. “Is that so?” 

“Yup.” The sound of the ‘p’ popping made Bear abandon the feigned angry look in favor of biting back a smile. 

“Dork.” 

Jake grinned, flopping back on the bed. He pulled Bear down next to him, wrapping her in his arms. “I’m your dork though.” 

“Whoever let me make that mistake needs to be fired,” she grumbled into his shoulder, trying to hide the smile that threatened to break free at any moment. 

Jake let out a full laugh, his chest shaking under Bear’s cheek. “Oh come on. I’m not that bad, am I?” 

Bear hummed, letting her wide smile break free as she propped herself up on an elbow to meet Jake’s eyes. “You could be worse,” she teased. “But I’d love you regardless.” 

He turned over to face her, kissing the top of her nose before rolling Bear onto her back and kissing her soundly. Their lips met over and over, Jake simply trying to pour everything he felt for Bear into the gesture. Bear didn’t challenge him either, content to just lay there and let her hands cradle Jake’s face, keeping him close. 

Bear was the first to pull away, resting her forehead against his. She said nothing, just enjoying the moment that the two of them were in. Everything seemed to slow down as they shared a breath, thanking every god out there that they had been allowed to have this moment together. That they had made it. 

Laying there in the silence of the early morning, Bear let her fingers wander over his chest, tracing and mapping out the scars that now marked his skin. They trailed a little lower, following the ridges of his abs, dipping down into the divot that marked itself near the diaphragm. The muscles tensed under her ministrations, flexing and unflexing as her fingers trailed lightly over his skin. “Teddy…” 

“Sorry,” she whispered, too afraid to speak louder lest she burst the bubble that they seemed to be in.  

Jake’s ringing phone cut through the stillness in the room, making him grunt as he rolled over Bear to grab it off the nightstand. “Hello? No, I didn't forget about the beach.”

The person on the other end spouted off into a rant that Bear only half heard as she threw the covers off her naked body and walked into the bathroom. She could feel Jake’s eyes on her, staring shamelessly. “Sorry, what? The Seals are meeting us?” 

Bear turned to look at him, her face a little confused as she mouthed “Daggers are coming with us?” from where she stood in the bathroom doorway, arms folded over her chest. Jake gave her a nod, half listening as he watched her shift her weight onto one leg, unashamedly staring at the bruises that had bloomed since last night. 

“Okay. Okay. Yeah, so 11?” 

Bear tuned out the rest of the conversation and started to get ready, running a brush through her hair as she slowly took in the marks Jake had left all over her torso. “Fucking hell. Did I fuck an octopus?” She mumbled to herself, staring at the vaguely hand shaped ones on her hips. 

Distantly she heard Jake start to argue with whoever was on the other end of the phone. “Does it really matter if I’m literally at her place?”

She leaned back, peeking her head out around the door frame and made a back and forth motion in front of her neck. “Don’t tell them it’s me,” Bear hissed at him, watching as the words registered. 

Jake gave her a cheeky grin and nodded. “Why do you care ma- no I haven’t seen Bear yet.” A pause and he rolled his eyes as Rooster continued to yammer on and on. “Dude, a hot chick is literally waiting for me to shower with her. This can wait a few hours, right?” 

Another short pause, and the annoyed look on his face made Bear start to laugh, having to stifle it in her elbow. “Yeah. Okay. See ya.” He threw his phone on the bed with a groan. “Teddy. He warned me that we are trauma bonded and he’s still on that bullshit.” 

Bear made a sympathetic sound. “But at least he cares enough to warn you about it. He’s trying to be a good friend and haven’t you two made progress since that mission you can’t talk about?” She’d stepped out of the bathroom, reaching to pluck Jake’s shirt off the floor and pull it on, grinning a little at the way his eyes narrowed in her direction. 

“I guess, but he’s fucking wrong and I know that we can’t disclose any of this right now, which makes it so much harder.” There was a whine in his tone and he made grabby hands at Bear from his seated spot on the edge of the bed. 

Bear walked into his grasp, smiling to herself as Jake’s hands immediately crept under her stolen shirt. “It is, but it does mean that I’m not your direct superior anymore, so it isn’t completely forbidden,” she reasoned softly, kissing Jake’s forehead. A hand combed through his messy blonde hair, trying to return some sense of order to it, but failing miserably. 

“Thank God for that,” Jake replied, squeezing her ass playfully and ducking when Bear swatted at his head. “Means I can still do you, but we just have to be sneaky.” 

She scoffed at the crudeness of his words. “They’re all gonna know the second we turn up at the beach. I mean, look at me.” Bear raised the lower hem of Jake’s shirt just a smidge to show the finger-shaped bruises blooming a bright purple on her hips. “It’s like I lost a fight to an octopus.” 

“A very handsome, talented, skilled octopus though.” 

Bear chuckled, bending a little to kiss his face. “Whatever you have to tell yourself, Flyboy” she whispered before slipping out of his grip and out of the room. 

Jake sat there smiling to himself like an idiot for a little while, basking in the moment that this was all his now. He could be with her, could love her, could take her out on dates, and Jake was so thrilled for it all. There was no one like his Teddy and he had known since she’d let him in that he was hers forever. 

=== 

After a quick breakfast, Jake kissed Bear soundly and headed back upstairs to grab his jeans and a different shirt for Bear to wear so he could have his back. Just so he could go home and get his stuff ready for the beach day that he had been roped into. Not that he minded of course, but it was still annoying to have to leave the warm bed and Bear to hangout with people he saw everyday. 

If anything, Jake just wanted to bury himself in Bear and fuck her on and off, as many times as he could. The three times during the night had been amazing, but he would be lying if Jake said he wasn’t a little ticked off that his Saturday had to be spent with pants on. 

Granted, he didn’t have to wear underwear, but still. It was the principle of the matter. Jake threw his shit in a bag, uncaring of if it made it in there. He just wanted to be near Bear again and if that sounded clingy, well fuck whoever decided to judge. They had been through hell and back too many times for anyone and now, now they were safe. 

So yeah. Fuck that thought.

A pair of black trunks later and a white tank thrown on over top, Jake tossed his backpack in the passenger seat of his truck and headed out to meet everyone. It would be a large group; all the Daggers and a few partners, plus a large number of Seals. Hopefully football wasn’t a bad choice. 

The drive passed quickly and Jake pulled into the lot, spotting Phoenix and her fiancée pulled into the lot not long after he parked a little too close to the bright blue Bronco, just to be an ass. 

“You made it!” Javy yelled, as he saw Jake approach. “I thought you would have been balls deep in whoever you ran off to see last night.” 

Jake flipped him off. “Fuck you man. Bradshaw already ruined any chance at morning sex so don’t start.” He threw his bag in the sand next to someone’s cooler, tossing his hat on top of the bag. 

Coyote started laughing. “Aww, is wittle Jakey upset dat his date was intewupted?” The baby voice only made Payback start laughing as he walked by, joining in the teasing at Jake’s expense. 

“Okay, okay. Fuck off.” Jake groaned, rolling his eyes at his friends. “You are like the opposite of helpful right now.” He watched Rooster and Phoenix’s fiancée, Reaper, get into a shoving match, chuckling as she knocked Rooster on his ass before jumping on Fanboy, who just flopped to the ground like dead weight. Reaper fell with a screech, laughter erupting from that end of the beach as she and Mickey spat out sand. 

“Guys, c’mon!” Phoenix yelled over at his group, waving them over. “Is this Mav’s fucked up football or the normal kind?” 

Reaper bounded up to her fiancée, slinging an arm around her shoulders. “Obviously the fucked up Mav version. We have to have some sort of advantage over these Seals.” 

Nods from the rest of the pilots followed her words and Bob grabbed the second football from the pile of beach stuff the Daggers had just tossed aside. “There’s also going to be like twice as many of them, so I’m thinking we split up?” 

“Who’s splitting up?” A voice yelled from behind the little group. “I’m not going to be responsible for ruining another marriage!” 

Jake blinked in surprise as he watched the group of Seals file onto the beach. At the front of the pack was Bear, clad in a two piece black bathing suit, toned arms and legs on display. But his handiwork from the night before was also visible and unlike some of the other girls Jake had been with, Bear wore them with pride. She shoved Fireball for his comment, prompting him to yell “Sorry! That was a joke!” as he wobbled from the force of Bear’s shove. 

“Hangman.” He was shaken from his reverie by Rooster pinching him.

“Sorry what?” 

“You do that a lot,” Rooster replied with a smirk. “Stare at her.” 

Bear nearly stopped dead in her tracks on her approach as she took in Jake. The sunlight seemed to pale in comparison to the glow that seemed to come from Jake. Despite the tank top he had on, Bear had to bite her lip at the shape and definition of his muscles on display. Last night, well, she’d been too caught up in other things to fully appreciate the work that had gone into making his body the way it was. 

“No I don’t.” Jake was seriously hoping that the heat from the sun hid his blush, but quickly realized it didn’t after Fanboy ran by yelling “Nice sunburn, Bagman!” 

A snort from his side made him turn. Bear stood next to him, hands on her hips as she watched Coyote and Payback wrestle over a football. “Forgot sunscreen?” she asked, looking up at him. 

He swallowed. “No, but I should probably get some before I finish cooking,” he joked, walking over to his bag. 

“That’s definitely a good idea. Wouldn’t want our Flyboy to become the Lobster Boy,” she teased, her grin wide as she watched him tug his shirt off and toss it at her. Bear snatched it out of the air, slinging the shirt over her shoulder before watching him dig through his bag. 

“Rude,” Jake said, looking up from where he’d crouched in the sand. “I’m actually offended, Teddy.” The look on his face was pure glee, white teeth on full display, and Bear had to push away her thoughts about kissing that stupid look right off his face in front of everyone. “Guess I forgot sunblock. You have any?” 

Bear shook her head at him before replying. “I do. I figured,” she lowered her voice, “that you would be too busy thinking about how our reunion was cut short this morning to pack it.” She walked off, swaying her hips a little as she headed across the sand to grab her bag from where FAK was sitting. 

A few seconds later, a bottle of sunscreen was hurled across the short distance separating the two of them, nearly smacking Jake in the face. He hadn’t moved from his crouched position, still in a sort of shock after Bear’s little comment. “There you go, Flyboy! Try not to burn up today!” She yelled across to him. 

Jake stuck his tongue out at her, grabbing the sunblock and standing up. He made short work of applying it to his body, very aware of Bear’s eyes on him before they were drawn away from him as Reaper approached. 

“Hi. Are you Bear?” 

Bear stood up. “I am, yeah. Reaper, right?” 

The brunette grinned widely. “Yup. Just wanted to introduce myself and say thank you for making sure everyone got home safely. I used to fly with them but wound up getting promoted elsewhere, so I’m glad that someone was looking out for them.” Reaper finished her sentence, biting at her lip. “These guys are my family, so yeah. Thank you.” 

“It was no trouble at all,” Bear replied, smiling widely. “They were better behaved than some of my own people!” She said the last part loudly, sparking up a chorus of ‘heys’ across the beach. “It’s good to meet you.” 

“You as well.” Reaper walked off, yelling something at Fanboy who just flipped her off. 

Rooster sidled up to Bear, hands on his hips as he watched Reaper run off. “So.” 

“So?” She looked up at him in confusion. “Did you need something? Cause Jake has my sunscreen.” 

Bradley chewed on his lip, glancing down at Bear. “I’m pretty sure Jake told you but-”

“You think the two of us trauma bonded,” Bear cut him off with a flat tone. “I appreciate you looking out for him, but neither of us know exactly what this thing is. Not that you needed to know that.” 

He nodded. “I know. Just take it easy?” 

“On him?” Bear asked, and a wolfish grin spread on her face when Bradley nodded. “Listen, if it happens, I’m not taking anything easy. And that man would have chosen me for a reason, so I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.” She patted his chest and walked past the mustached man to pluck her sunblock from Jake’s hands. 

“What’d he want?” 

Bear looked at him over her sunglasses. “Just the same thing he told you. I told him that we’re figuring it all out.” She’d lowered her voice just enough that Coyote, who was standing maybe 10 feet away, couldn’t hear her. 

“Oh yeah? Pretty sure we figured it all out when I was on my knees in your hallway,” Jake commented casually, a laugh breaking up the calm demeanor when Bear smacked him. Hard. “Ow!”

“Don’t just say that shit. We agreed on keeping this on the down low. No one else has to know.” Bear’s face was hiding a laugh, trying to stay serious but failing. 

Jake’s grin widened as he spoke. “We know who was also down low, now don’t we?” 

Bear groaned and rolled her eyes at him, turning to walk off but his hand gripped her shoulder. She froze slightly, turning around and coming face to face with Jake’s chest. “Glad to see that my marks are still visible, darlin’.” 

“Glad to see you’re still wearing mine,” she quipped back, shooting him a wink over the sunglasses that had fallen down her nose. 

He opened his mouth to reply, but quickly didn’t when Phoenix came up to them. “Jesus Christ you two. Bagman, you look like you got into a fight with a wolverine,” she told him, pulling a face at the healing scratches on his back and shoulders. “And don’t get me started on you, Bear. Those better not be handprints on your hips.” 

“And if they were?” The Seal was just glad that Phoenix had her back to Jake, the pride on his face was enough to give them both away. “Last time I checked, it’s a good thing that I got laid. Apparently, I’m un-bear-able,” she finished with a smirk at her pun. 

Phoenix shook her head. “Stop it. It’s too early for bad jokes.” 

“I seriously hope that you gave whoever manhandled you shit because holy hell Bear. That poor guy,” Coyote interjected. “He might have a stroke when he sees his handiwork.” Bear didn’t see it, but Javy was giving Jake a knowing look over her head. 

Bear exaggerated a grimace. “God I hope not. He was actually half decent,” she said to no one in particular. 

“Okay. No thanks.” Phoenix pulled a face at her words, the expression so comedic it made Bear start giggling. The pilot opened her mouth to say something else, but was cut off by Fireball’s shout. Everyone came together, forming a large group of nearly 40 people all mingling as Payback loudly explained the rules to Mav’s dogfight football. 

“Wait! I think that Marshmallow and Raptor both brought footballs too!” FAK said loudly after the explanation was over. “We could run two games?” 

Mutters broke out, everyone talking over one another before Bear strode forwards. “Okay!” The whispers quieted immediately and Bear had to laugh a little. “Two games, there’s like 13 pilots who know how to play this shit so they should divide up into the four teams and we’ll go from there?” 

A few joking “Yes ma’am’s” rose up from the assembled Seals, causing laughter to erupt among the whole group. 

And that’s exactly what they did. Shouts echoed across the two ‘fields’ as Seals and pilots tackled one another into the sand. “Bear! Run!” Fanboy yelled as the ball fell into her hands and she took off down the beach, two of her Seals hot on her heels. 

Raptor lunged, his hand grabbing her shoulder, but Bear shook him off. She kept running, spiking the ball into the sound with a loud whoop. Halo ran up with a cheer, high fiving the Seal for her touchdown. The ball was brought back and they lined up again, hearing Rooster yell that Fireball had fouled someone. 

Over and over, they lined up, swapping teams every so often just to liven it up a bit. The last game Bear and Fanboy’s team played was Jake and FAK’s and it was close. Too close. The scores were tied right as Bob’s timer went off, so naturally they went straight into ‘next point wins’. 

Five minutes passed and no one had managed to score. Jake threw the green football to Finch, who tossed it at FAK. FAK was waylaid by Halo and the ball rolled away towards the ocean. 

Fanboy had just decided to book it up the beach, trying desperately for a point. He was almost successful. Phoenix had nearly close-lined him in her attempt to tackle him and the football slipped out of his grasp. Bear snatched it and tried to go around Reaper, but it didn’t work. The smaller woman was somehow a bigger defensive problem than Marshmallow, and he was a big man. 

Jake had started laughing as he watched Bear duck and dodge around his team, only to be foiled by Reaper. He ran at her, laughing as she tried to get away from him. Bear had slipped past Jake, purposefully sliding a hand across his lower abs, teasing him as she moved and threw the ball blindly to Halo, who caught it in the end zone. 

The crowd burst into life, screaming wildly as Halo yelled in victory. “Fuck yeah! That’s how you do it!” The woman was swarmed by the Seals, who toted her around on their shoulders in celebration, the group of them somehow louder than those who stood laughing at the scene before them. 

Bear was breathing hard, but she turned to look up at Jake and shot him a wink. “So easily distracted,” she cooed, mischief burning bright in her eyes. “I would have tried this earlier if I knew how easy it was to mess with you.” 

Jake leaned down to whisper in her ear. “My truck. 5 minutes. You hear me?” His voice was deep and if Bear could see his green eyes, she would have seen that his pupils had blown wide, the green almost completely gone. 

But Bear didn’t see his eyes, and she wasn’t keen on being ordered around, so she shrugged and stepped back. “Oh yeah? And if I didn’t?” She didn’t stick around to hear his response, running off after FAK and struck up a conversation about some inane thing. 

Jake blew out a breath as he watched Bear take off. He was tempted to run after her, grab her and show her exactly what happened if she didn’t, but he knew that Bear had to willingly give it up. And if the night before had been proof, Bear could and would take control if he teased too long. “Damn dude. You fuck her once and she somehow has your brain along with your balls?” Javy teased, startling Jake from his thoughts. 

“It wasn’t just once, okay?” 

“Either way. She take your brain too?” 

Jake gave his best friend a flat look. “No.” 

“I think she did. Her little “And if I didn’t?” took that last brain cell, didn’t it?” Javy egged on, bumping Jake’s shoulder. “T took mine, you already know that. So I know what it looks like, man.” 

“Javy?” 

“Sup?”

“Fuck you man.” 

Coyote broke out in peals of laughter that made a few other people join in. His laugh was infectious and if the Seals around them were any indication, nothing had changed. “I’m jus’ sayin’.” 

Jake said nothing. He took a few steps back from Javy before running at him and tackling him into the sand. The two started wrestling as Jake seemed intent on getting Javy into a headlock, while the other man tried to escape his grasp. Both of them were laughing too hard to feign anger for long and soon dissolved into laughter, flopping back on the sand. 

Halo and Bear approached as silently as they could with cold water bottles in hand. As the two men laughed, they poured the water all over them, turning the giggles into shrieks as ice cold water made contact with their sandy skin. “Run!” Halo yelled as she and Bear booked it back towards the bags. 

“Fuck!” Bear screeched when a hand closed on her wrist, tugging her backwards to the sand below her. “Run Callie!” 

Looking up, she saw Jake standing over her and the look on his face could only be described as mischievous. He picked her up with no issue, grunting as she flailed around in his arms. Wading out into water, Jake made sure he was above his knees before tossing Bear in with a splash. “You fucker!” She spluttered, wiping water off her face and pulling Jake’s arm forwards so he toppled into the water next to her. 

He surfaced with a wide grin and shook his hair out, spraying Bear with droplets to which she tried to avoid by diving back under the water and swimming out a little ways off, only to stand up and push her hair out of her face. She gave him a wink, having caught the lust burning bright in his eyes as she walked closer. “That was uncalled for.” 

“So was that little show.” Jake’s smirk was out and prominent once again as he caught one of Bear’s hands. Hidden from the view of the others on the beach and out of earshot, Jake spoke, his voice deep and dark like it had been so many times the night previous, “I did warn you though, Teddy. I did say my truck in five minutes. You didn’t listen.” 

Bear’s eyes flicked up to his from where they had been focusing on their interlocked hands. “And I told you, Flyboy, that I have a hard time taking orders from someone I outrank.” She kept her tone light and casual, pretending that she didn’t see his eyes darken, that she didn’t feel his hand squeeze hers tighter. 

Jake didn’t say a word, just tugged her closer by her hand until they stood nearly chest to chest. His trunks had been growing tighter and tighter since she’d teased him on the sand and now, now he was halfway to bursting, so hard that he was worried that a simple touch from Bear would set him off. 

“Are you okay?” Bear asked, her voice lower than it had been moments earlier. Jake’s silence only happened when he’d found himself stuck back in the memory where he’d learned about her fate, so here and now was concerning. “Jake?” 

He turned his hand in hers, slowly lowering it to the front of his shorts. “I’d be better if you in that bathing suit didn’t make me hard enough to pound nails.” 

His brutal honesty made her snort, the concern quickly flooding out of her eyes as it was replaced by a look of pride. “This old thing?” Bear hummed, shaking his hand off of hers and walking her fingers over the bulge in his trunks. “Did this to you? We can’t have that, now can we?” 

Jake let out a strangled sound when Bear’s hand came and cupped his cock through the thin material, squeezing just enough to make him bite down his lip. “Teddy…” 

“Shh. I know.” Bear said softly, glancing around at the rest of the people near them. No one from their group was close. Hell, Fanboy was the most in the water and he was only up to his ankles. She led him deeper into the water, just up to her mid thigh before slipping her hand down the front of his shorts. Her touch was light, teasing, and Jake had to refrain from grabbing her hand. 

She didn’t have much room to work his cock, not with his soaked trunks but Bear made it work. She wrapped her hand around him, giving him a gentle tug before teasing at the slit. Precome leaked against her fingers at the motion and Jake let out a low groan as she glided her hand up and down this cock, twisting her hand just right as his tip passed into her hand. “Fuck…” 

Bear grinned a little. The weight of him in hand, the near satiny feel, had her thighs clenching together. Especially when Jake let out a soft moan, his eyes flying to meet her own. “Yeah?” Hidden from view, she took a sick pleasure in knowing that Jake was coming undone under her touch in a place so public. 

It felt like both hours and seconds had passed as Bear brought him closer and closer to cumming. Her touch was addicting, soft and firm, teasing and not; it had taken all Jake had to not come the second she gripped him through his shorts. But he couldn’t hold off for long, each pass of her hand nearly shattered his resolve until one last twist of her hand snapped the rope that had been pulled tighter and tighter in his gut. 

Jake came into her hand, blonde head dropping to bury his face in her neck as he bit back a groan. Bear felt his breath warming her already heated skin and she had to chuckle as she coaxed him through his orgasm, drawing it out for as long as she could. “Better?” 

He nodded, still unable to fully speak. Bear had both knowingly and unknowingly teased him all day and now it was nearing the evening, and he simply hadn’t been able to control himself. God help him once he had a lifetime supply of Bear. Deployments would be hell, but as he had known since their first kiss back in Riyadh, as long as he had Bear, he was unstoppable. “Yeah,” he managed to say. 

Bear pulled her hand from his shorts, doing her best to resituate him before meeting his gaze and catching the moment he saw her hand. Jake swallowed back another groan at the sight of her cum covered hand, a groan that turned into a shout when Coyote whipped a football at his back, knocking him into the water. 

Bear ducked under the water when he did, swimming a ways off before reappearing some 10 feet from Jake when he resurfaced. “What the fuck, dude?” 

“You were just standing there, I had to make sure you weren’t dead!” 

Jake charged out of the water at him with the football in hand and chased his best friend across the sand with an intensity that surprised Bear. He was acting like he hadn’t been temporarily sapped of his ability to speak, but whatever. She was ready to pack it up, and it seemed that most of the group had had that idea as well. 

Bob waved to her as he, Reaper, and Phoenix headed off towards their respective cars and Bear watched Jake finally nail Javy in the back with the football, whooping in glee. It made her shake her head, grabbing her clothing up and heading for the bathrooms to change. 

She took her time, in no real hurry to leave given that she could still hear some of the Daggers still yelling as they chased each other around. Bear found Jake standing next to her bag, looking almost lost, on her approach and she couldn’t help but laugh. “You look like a puppy.” 

“A cute one?” 

Bear shook her head, a wide smile on her face. “Nah, like one of those hairless ones. Kinda creepy but kinda still cute.” 

His mock offended look made her giggle and soon they were both laughing at nothing in particular. Maybe the sun had finally gotten to them or maybe, just maybe, Jake thought to himself, “This is what forever is going to look like.” 

Jake didn’t know how right he would be as he and Bear walked back up to the parking lot and into their own cars with plans to meet at her place. All either of them knew was that they had found their person completely by chance and time and pain had only proved just how much they truly cared for one another. 

===

“Hey Teddy?” Jake asked as they sat on her porch late that night. “Did you ever think it would end up like this?” 

“Like what, Honey?” 

Jake pulled her onto his lap, her knees landing on either side of his hips. He could feel the warmth of her sun kissed skin through her stolen shirt and nothing in his life had ever prepared him for this moment. “Like this. Us together, having survived what we have.” 

Bear hummed, toying with his necklace as she thought. “I think deep down I did. But when we first started out, I think I would have been too scared to even give this a chance. You changed something in me, Jake Seresin and I never want it to go back to how it was.” Her voice was quiet, nearly eclipsed by the chirping crickets and the thud of her heart in her ears. “I promised that I would love you forever back in Riyadh. Through everything.” 

Jake kissed her with what could only be described as tenderness. Everything had worked out and here he was, months down the line from who he had been back when they had first met. 

His reply was just as soft, whispered against her lips after he pulled back “To the bitter end and back again.” 

===

A/N: I can’t believe that AGAD is almost over! Thank you so much to everyone that has continued to read and follow the adventures of Bear and Jake. You made this experience just so much better than I ever thought it could be! I have to thank @startrekfangirl2233 @sarahsmi13s and @dakotakazansky for being there for all of the plotting and for screaming at me the whole way through as I wrote this over 10 months. Next week is the epilogue and I cannot wait to share their ending with you. So thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Taglist: @horseshoegirl @roosters-girl @lovinglyeternal @lavenderbradshaw @roosterforme @bobby-r2d2-floyd @bradleybeachbabe @footprintsinthesxnd @twsssmlmaa @fandomxpreferences @dempy @gizmodear @fighterpilothoe @chaoticassidy @eli2447 @iwantmyredvelvetcupcake @djs8891 @rhirhikingston @sisterslytherinog @impossiblebagelcowboyfreak @sgt-barnesveins @taytaylala12 @urmom-999 @formulapierre @pinkpantheris @havlindzk @a-beaverhausen @killcomet @buxkybarnez @topgunruinedme @hangmanscoming @smoothdogsgirl @a-court-of-roscoe-and-baby

[clarksels]

It's not a cruel summer

Ona Batlle x rem!reader

(pecas : freckles)

"pecas" you called Ona, ever since you met her that had been your nickname for her "you have my cell phone?" Ona raised her arm from the deck chair by the pool, holding your cell phone "why did you have my cell phone?" you asked taking it out of her hand "why do you only have Taylor Swift music?" she answered with a question "because it's summer duh" Ona took off her sunglasses "I'm sure in the winter your playlist will be the same"

You sat on a deck chair next to Ona, while the other girls of the team were preparing the grill "when did your boobs grow? Ona asked you when she saw you in your swimsuit "I think this morning" you answered with laughter.

"I always wanted to live a movie summer" you said turning to look at Ona "a summer doing what girls my age do" you added.

Ona was about to respond when Mary arrived holding two glasses, Ona took one and you took the other, after a while of conversation with Mary and Ona you got up to help your teammates with what they were preparing.

Batlle thought about what you told her, she knew that to be a professional athlete you had to make sacrifices.

Some girls were in the pool playing with a beach ball, others were sunbathing, you and the others were taking care of the food, you were very comfortable with the music, after these days you had to return to America to train for the women's world cup.

"pecas come to dance" you shouted to Ona who was still in the same place, only this time she was watching something on her cell phone "party pooper" you didn't pay more attention to her and continued dancing, the song that was playing always gave you good vibes ~paramore - hard times~.

In the best part of the song you heard Ona's voice calling you, you wanted to embarrass her but her insistence won "YN!" you went like a puppy running to its master but you stopped in your tracks when Mary made a toast, obviously she was already drunk.

"I love you girls" she said crying raising her glass "you are my favorite girls in the world" she finished saying and the hubbub of the Mancherter United players was noticeable.

Continuing on your way you reached Ona "if you don't want to celebrate let me do it" you protested at her earlier interruption "look at this" she showed you her phone, you recognized what it was, pictures of two tickets to Taylor's next concert.

A high pitched scream came out of you that made Ona crumple her face and cover her ears, the girls in the pool repeated her act, you started jumping for joy without even realizing it, you hugged Ona still jumping up and down with happiness. You looked at the pictures of the tickets again, you didn't know how Ona had gotten the tickets two days before the concert, "thank you thank you thank you thank you" you kept saying.

You were back in your country, on the plane ride Ona had slept, you watched videos on youtube of how to make bracelets, you had no idea what you would do with them but in tiktok most of the girls who went to a Taylor concert wore them.

Ona was putting on some earrings in front of the mirror when you decided to talk "I don't want you to say goodbye to me" you complained.

Since you found out that Ona would be at Barcelona next season no one talked about it. Ona had been your first friend on the team and as Mary said in her toast, they were also your favorite girls in the world, but the connection you had with Ona was different and if she left it wouldn't be the same.

"You think I'm doing this to say goodbye to you?" you shrugged "you traveled all this way just for a concert instead of going to see your family, for what other reason would it be?" Ona finished putting on her earrings and looked at you "first don't make me look bad daughter and second if you think we won't be friends anymore because I will be in Barcelona you don't know me well" Ona informed you "I'm going to miss you anyway" you said pouting.

When you and Ona finished getting ready you and Ona left the hotel to get to the concert earlier and live the whole experience. "I'll be back in a moment" said Ona before leaving in a hurry and disappearing among the people coming and going, while you were waiting for Ona's arrival you exchanged bracelets with some girls, the excitement could be seen on your face.

Ona came to you and gave you a white t-shirt "we should wear this" she said holding another t-shirt, you took the one she had given you and spread it with your hands, it had something written on it, you recognized it was Ona's handwriting "karma is my girlfriend" you read the phrase on the t-shirt "this is mine" Ona said showing you hers that had "karma" written on it.

You laughed "you know that is karma is my boyfriend, right?" Ona rolled her eyes "don't you understand?" Ona said with frustration "this is my way of asking you if you want to be my girlfriend" you opened your mouth slightly in astonishment, that had taken you by surprise "you like me?" you questioned "I didn't come to America to say goodbye to you, I came because I love you".

"pecas" you exclaimed hugging Ona "this is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever done for me" Ona cradled your face in her hands "I need an answer" she mumbled, you nodded repeatedly "yes" you answered still with your hands around Ona's waist "she is my girlfriend!" shouted Ona provoking applause from the people around, Ona brought her face close to yours and gave you a tender kiss on the lips.

[abnerkrill]

Graphic Design Commissions Open

My freelance design work has dried up because all my clients are on strike. (Good for them! #WGAStrong.)

So if you've ever thought about commissioning a pitch deck* (example 1; example 2), book cover (fanfics definitely included), mood board, playlist cover, logo, or other graphic work, please get in touch! Messages are open, my rates are super reasonable, and [REDACTED CELEBRITY CLIENT] once said I was "really good at my job"!

*Pitch decks are internal documents used by writers to lay out the story via images from other visual media. I've made professional pitch decks for TV and film creators you've probably heard of. I like making them for my stories as a kind of extended mood board, both fanfic and original fic!

Additional example of a fun thing i did for my characters' alignments and themes here.

Or view my Rings of Power Valentine's Day cards here. I am more than open to making silly meme ideas. Or that ranty PowerPoint Comic Sans presentation you've always wanted to whip out at a party.

Please reach out via message if you're interested!

[pawborough]

This month marks the one year anniversary of our successful Kickstarter.

The time has come, a very large and exciting update…

Let's not waste time.

The new Cat Creator update is LIVE!

And on top of that, it's coupled with our first ever live BREEDING PREDICTOR!

Currently, we only feature the three starter breeds. Over the next few months leading up to beta release, we will be adding new content to this demonstration, with Longhairs and Moontails coming first.

Few things of note!

We chose to keep the frontend UI of this demonstration page very limited so as not to distract our small coding team from the important development tasks. While we wanted to deck it out with bells and whistles, keeping it simple meant less time spent slowing down production of the more important bells and whistles that will be present at beta.  

Pages like the TOS and lore will make a return in the near future! With everything overhauled, we wanted to “start fresh” with rolling things out.  

We also chose to keep the mobile UI temporarily simple for the sake of prioritizing time and resources. Building out the more optimized mobile setup is on our development map.  

 Night mode will return! We’re currently finalizing the theme colors.

But we’re very excited to show you what we have so far. A lot of nitty gritty technicals went into this base functionality.

From there, the biggest behemoth we faced was our commitment to better quality assets.

The original demonstration was a prototype. One where we experimented, learned the ins and outs of the project, and used our resources to pitch the concept of an indie build-your-own-cat RPG experience. Early on, we received quite a bit of criticism on the visual development.

Once we had wind in our sails, we resolved to take that criticism seriously and come out the gate stronger, more professional, and far more confident than our concept pitch. The team committed to making something out of this world. We love this project, and wanted to put our all into it.

Our patterns now sport a painterly style, which better aligns to the original vision that we were trying to achieve with our first iteration. 

After taking over as lead of the project, I learned and improved at giving artistic direction, and we as a team set out to unify the style. I could not be happier with the stunning work the cat artists have produced. What we now have is strong, unique, and cohesive.

It's all thanks to the masterfully skilled artists who worked hard to present what we are delivering today.

I want to shout out every artist who has worked on the assets seen in this demonstration. Without these people, we would not be here.

Thank you to:

Amelia (@ Pixus.art on Instagram) 

Hydde (@ Nettlenest on Twitter)

Fulemy (@ Fulemy on Instagram)

Tybaxel (@ Tybaxel on Twitter)

Irene (https://irenehuang.com/) 

Remmie (@ Hybridremmie on Instagram)

Emma (@ Missbluefrost on Instagram)

Eli (@ Nightly.art on Instagram)

and Asp! (@ Aspidal on Furaffinity) 

For working on the cats!

Thank you to

Jerso (@ YerLAKAR on Twitter) for work on the current header! 

And a big hand to our developers!

Wade

Sam

Harvey

Eric

And Jess!

All from CKCollab!

What's new in the Cat Creator?

Now let’s go over every change you will. Some of these new aspects will be an adjustment. To help keep clear communication, we want to lay out our thought process behind each choice.

1. The Color Wheel

The benefit of a limited color wheel is care and attention to aesthetic fine-tuning. Having every color predetermined for a cat means that there is no unfavorable color-blending between two parents. With preselection, we get more aesthetic appeal. However, historically this system has been limited for two reasons.

We have gone over this previously, so this is a quick summary:

Randomly generated cats with no prior breeding history end up unfavorably mismatched more often than not.  

Breeding with so many color selections needs an alternative accommodating system for such a large catalog.

It was for these reasons that we previously wished to keep the wheel small. However, this was at the cost of a great deal of color diversity and representation. As a game about design, we returned to the drawing board to solve these problems rather than just working around them.

To refresh and summarize our solutions:

Generation 1 cats will generate from a selection of color pools, with totally random RNG being one of the pools so as not to lock out combinations. Example: a “gothic” pool of saturated reds and monochrome colors. We plan to have many of these so new cats still sport many different outcomes. And Shufflestones will still organically scramble colors!  

We updated our breeding to focus around hue, saturation, and luminosity (also known as “lightness.”) Depending on the categories of the two colors you mix, your outcome will be picked from the same categories.

With these solutions in place, we could think more freely about user demand for color variety and utility. We expanded to a final total of 234 colors.

There are, and this is not an exaggeration, nearly 10,000 hand picked hex codes available in this demonstration; including both pattern colors and custom shadow colors. This was no small feat! It's work that pays off, as these colors can be consistently repurposed for new patterns, which we are mighty proud of. The color wheel was a long term labor of love that we poured our hearts into, discussing every aspect of cohesive design, color theory, namesake inspiration, variety, user demand, and wider aesthetic appeal. We feel that the work paid off!

2. Undercoats

We started with an Overcoat/Undercoat/Accent system which gave equal patterning opportunity to each section of the cat. While this allowed for some pleasing combinations when strategically applied, Undercoat patterns were frequently busy with very little leeway for tasteful design. It was a setup which, while neat in concept, was doomed to fail from the get go. Putting a flat illustration with curves with the body directly over a technicolor pattern was simply a challenging system to make visually work. We dummy illustrated quite a few undercoat patterns and were hitting a wall while making transitions. With a system which expects us to always be adding new patterns, we didn’t feel we could sustain this.

So we revisited the design. We removed undercoat patterns, but added two accents to allow for equally large customization opportunities. This helped to concentrate customization, letting us confidently hone in on and focus on large and small accents for more variety in options.

As previously discussed, one of our goals was to make sure colors worked together with different patterns. With our original system, we had frequent anxiety and strenuous workshopping with patterns like tiger, where darker or same-color undercoats would absolutely decimate the visual. As well, lowering the value of "double-color" cats.

We wanted to keep the beauty of more detailed cat markings, but it felt impossible with the color restrictions. It felt punishing to have so many incongruent combinations to the intention of the design. 

A definite improvement!

This is our most radical change, and one we know will take the most adjustment. It comes with pros and cons, but the decision saved many patterns from looking unsalvageable over half of the time due to the nature of designing pattern transitions.

There are and will be overcoat patterns which do not alter the undercoat, and we intend to experiment further with how to best utilize this mechanic.

In general, we try to take risks when they’re necessary for the betterment of visual cohesion and meeting the appropriate expectations for a pattern. We hope you all can understand and accept this change!

3. Line-breaking Accents

We also are introducing consistent line-breaking accents. We’ve made the decision to distinguish line-breaking accents with accessories by distincting worn items with biological modifications.

In short, if something is separate from a cat’s body and can be worn, it’s an accessory. If something is part of a cat’s body, like fur, fins, or claws, it’s an accent.

Overgrowth was created before this distinguishing, so it is an outlier. But this is the rule we will follow going forward!

Line-breaking accents will be available to toggle the layering of in your cat’s outfit editor!

* Note: currently Overgrowths generating together clips and we intend to fix/limit this in the future. 

4. White Coverage

White coverage is functional and ready for testing! This is our first live rendition of the real thing, so we’re open to feedback. We changed the “percentage” UX to something much simpler. We feel this is all around a better, more intuitive system.

One thing of note is that Calico as it has been known is not here, intended to be replaced with white coverage and bi-color patterns. We received early feedback that this was potentially frustrating, and are noting that going forward.

Another thing of note is that we are actively working on redundancies and ones which look poorly together. If you see an awkward shape with broken seams, we are probably going to fix it!

Overall, it’s a very cool mechanic!

5. Missing Patterns

Not all the patterns or genes from the old demo are here. Don’t panic!

While simple patterns like Cheeks and Lollipop are coming back soon (we just have to space out our work), patterns such as Cloudy/Day are on the backburner for now.

We want to re-illustrate this concept, but tackling it in our new style is a challenge best left for when we can better spread out our time and resources. Right now, artists are busy busy busy with everything necessary for beta and launch, and these challenging patterns take up precious time and resources best used to get the game in a playable state.

We apologize! It wasn’t easy making this decision, and this pattern is not gone forever. We simply opted for a smaller number of complex illustrations at this beginning stage.

6. New Eye Format

Eyes have now been split between Borough, Eye Type, and Eye palette! This allows you to change physical characteristics while customizing colors! For example, you can now create duo clouded eyes!

To summarize the major changes:

The color wheel was massively beefed out  

Undercoats no longer have selectable patterning  

Undercoat colors dynamically adjust to the overcoat pattern  

There are two accent slots instead of one  

Accents can now be significantly line-breaking, and will be inter-layerable with accessories  

White coverage is functional  

Patterns are missing. Some are coming back very soon, others are shelved to come back at a later date

New eye system allows for more customization  

Wahoo! A lot of changes, some more drastic than others, but hopefully all around a competent design experience! Everything we have here is far more strongly in-line with our vision. We sincerely hope you enjoy!

P.S If you see any colors that look broken: let us know!

So how does breeding work?

This is the 1.0 version of our new breeding system. Most notably, things like rarities can and may be tweaked.

We encourage you to try it out for yourself!

Simply design two cats at the top, then click the “view offspring” button to load the cats into the breeding predictor. From there, you can view their color ranges and randomized outcomes. You will have to click this button again if you change the two cats.

Luminosity is determined by if the sun is clear (light), half full (medium), or filled in (dark). Colors with a paint drop are saturated, and colors without one are desaturated.

Is red, light, and saturated.

By mixing these three categories, you will receive differing outcomes dependent on adding the categories together. Think of it like so:

What hue is each color?  The color selection will be picked via available hues. If both colors are the same hue, your results will only include that hue. If the colors are two different hues, you will get multiple results depending on the two. Refer to this chart to help make sense of the combinations:

Are both colors saturated, desaturated, or both? If one color is saturated and one is desaturated, all your results will be both saturated and desaturated. If both colors are saturated, all your results will be saturated. If both colors are desaturated, all your results will be desaturated.  

Are both colors different luminosities? If one color is light and one is dark, the outcome colors will be light, medium, and dark. If one color is light and one is medium, the outcome colors will be light and medium. If one color is medium and one is dark, the outcome colors will be medium and dark. If both colors are the same luminosity, the outcome colors will be that single luminosity.  

Using this logic, we can determine that a few examples:

A red saturated light color and a blue desaturated dark color will yield all colors which fit any of the following: Red, pink, purple, or blue hue Saturated or desaturated Light, medium, or dark luminosity  

A purple saturated medium color and a purple saturated dark color will yield all colors which fit any of the following: Purple hue Saturated Medium or dark luminosity  

As an added feature, we hear that users wish to intentionally pass down similar colors to that of the parents, to make copies of their pretty combinations. So:

If both parents are the same color, that color has an 80% chance of passing down.

This can be workshopped based on user feedback.

Overall, it’s a very fun system!

Name Generation...?

All cats will be generated with a name which can be freely changed at any time. The first iteration of this concept is seen in our breeding demo.

We’re aware the current beta state of our name generator makes some… very silly names! It’s become an internal source of entertainment to laugh at what we get. We’re working on a more polished version that outputs less consistently doofy combinations.

So, what else is new?

As massive as this drop is, we have some other little fun things to share!

Banks, Storage and Safekeeping

We have functionality for a core game mechanic and that is… inventory management!

Items are kept in your storage, with the ability to move your items to safekeeping as a way to remove them from everyday use!

This is common functionality. Nothing exciting. But we have something new to share!

Introducing… banks!

“Banks” are pockets of currency you can keep in your storage. You can create, name, and delete as many as you like! We hope this functionality will be a welcome quality of life for players who organize currency for customizing certain cats, for exchanging items and services, or for saving up for a specific purchase.

Overall, managing your on-site currency just got easier!

Take a look at the functionality.

Scene Building

Scene Building has hit a breakthrough! We have the functionality for the “stickerbook” customize feature. This one tickles me a lot, because it’s so fun to play with.

And as a final check-in, we’ve started on Guild functionality. We have UI designs built out and are moving into the meat. After that, it’s just markets, cooking/crafting, and forums as far as getting the big stuff laid out. Wahoo! Very fun!

To Summarize: We shared a demo drop AND a breeding simulator, resource organization functionality—namely a new feature called banks—and a look at scene building functionality.

What to expect next month: A look at Team and Guild functionality, further assets and mechanic development.

[trulybetty]

27 x envelope | marcus p. x f!reader

prompt: envelope pairing: baker!marcus pike x f!reader word count: 594 notes: maplewood!marcus, fluff, baked goods, brief mention of a gynecologist visit, and marcus pike always comes with his own warnings summary: brief revisit to maplewood, valentines day with baker marcus

x. masterlist

Maplewood’s main street was a vision of red and pink, swaths of ribbon and heart-shaped balloons fluttered in the February breeze. There wasn’t a storefront that wasn’t decked out in a love-themed display of decorations, and Marcus’ bakery was no exception. 

It was the end of a long day, and there were barely crumbs of Marcus’ Valentine's themed goods remaining and you had pouted when you’d walked in as you’d hoped there would be something left, especially after the day you’d had.

Inside the bakery, the air was still warm with the sweet smell of sugar cookies, a contrast to the chilly air outside. You watched Marcus as he moved around, cleaning up and putting things back in order after the rush of Valentine’s Day.

Your day had been a whirlwind of mishaps. A presentation that felt more like a comedy of errors than a professional pitch for the Summer tourist season. Then the heel of your shoe had broken off, leaving you hobbling earning sympathetic looks and barely concealed chuckles until Libby had shown up with replacement shoes. The broken coffee machine had been the proverbial cherry on top, denying you the comfort of caffeine when you needed it the most.

Then Marcus swamped with one of the busiest days of the year, hadn’t replied to any of your texts, leaving you feeling disconnected on top of everything else despite knowing the reason why.

Now, as you rummaged through a drawer in the back room in search of a bandaid for the latest addition to your day of misadventures—a surprisingly vicious papercut from what you had hoped was a Valentine, but turned out to be a rather bizarre Valentine themed reminder from your gynecologist's office reminding you about your upcoming appointment—Marcus noticed your one-handed struggle.

“What happened here?” he asked, gently taking your hand. His touch was soft as he pulled a bandaid out of one of the drawers

“Just a paper cut,” you muttered, glaring at the red envelope on the counter beside you. “I swear though, one more thing goes wrong today, I might just wrap myself in bubble wrap and call it a night,” you finished, attempting a smile.

Marcus laughed as he opened the bandaid, “That’s one way to ensure safety I guess, but I think I’d prefer you without the bubble wrap.”

His fingers were gentle as he placed the bandaid on your hand, gently pressing it down to secure it, sending warmth through you, “There, all better,” he said, his eyes meeting yours with a smile.

“Thank you,” you replied, feeling the tension of the day beginning to melt away.

“Sorry, I missed your messages today.”

“It's okay,” you sighed, managing a small smile. “It was just one of those days.”

Marcus opened a cupboard, and pulled out a pink box, the kind used at the bakery for special orders, “I saved you something.”

He opened the box to reveal an assortment of Valentine’s Day desserts—heart-shaped sugar cookies intricately decorated, a slice of red velvet cake, and pink and red truffles amongst others including chocolate-dipped strawberries. Each piece was a miniature work of art. 

“For you,” he said pushing the box closer.

You picked out one of the chocolate-covered strawberries and bit into it, savouring the rich sweetness and couldn’t help but let out an appreciative groan at the burst of flavour. 

“This is exactly what I needed,” you admitted, feeling the day's tension ease with each bite. “Thank you.”

Marcus smiled, his gaze warm. “Happy Valentine's Day,” he whispered, leaning in to kiss your forehead softly.

[kendallville]

[Long post]

I keep seeing posts about Ken going "crazy" and being incoherent in the recent episode, and I really, really can't agree.

Again, Ken is the only one doing the work, preparing for Investors' Day. He reads about the "longevity program" in the deck and gets an idea to rocket the price, using the passing of their dad as a part of it, knowing it will play. Pretty much in the few hours he creates the script, he learns it, he is able to deliver it on stage, even though he goes solo because Rome backs out (also from the conversations it seems that Shiv was supposed to say something on stage, and she also doesn't).

He handles hard questions about Matsson's Tweet perfectly, keeping it professional even though they want to tank the deal, in process showing the world that Matsson is unstable, which works in their favour.

He's not delusional about Living+, he says that he understands that its plan is "to warehouse the elderly and keep them drunk on content while we suck them dollar dry". It's actually Roman who takes the whole "living forever" thing disturbingly seriously. For Ken it's a pitch, good idea - isn't giving people hope for a longer and better life a great product?

The part where he tries to screw up with numbers is obviously questionable, but he's making sure they would be able to defend it before analysts - "it needs to be super credible". He's not pretending he doesn't know what he's doing, he's just saying things that you don't normally say in business - that you can manipulate numbers with "optimistic projections". But he is also saying he wants Pete to "be confident".

Another thing, when he talks to Karl, who is pretty much yelling at him and threatening him, he keeps his cool, well, for example he doesn't fire him, which we can't say about Roman in this episode. And he takes the warning seriously, doesn't say anything specific about the numbers, he mentions Karl on stage to appease him, which works. He uses modified Logan to say "double the growth", but he adds "Can we really do it?", leaving the space for interpretation that they're not stating that the growth is certain.

Ken is pretty much a genius in this episode, and that's while being freaking manic. He showed his potential, knowledge and vision.

True number one. Just get him on some meds, I'm begging you.

[fundtq]

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[anonymoushouseplantfan]

That’s what I mean when I say she wrecked all her other options. This is why she’s now pitching for a game show or rom com.

Thanks for taking out time to explain. You keep talking about pitching, is the 'manifesting' PR she usually leaks to the media her idea of 'pitching'? Does she expect that companies will jump at any manifesting PR she leaks? Is that how other celebrities get deals? I can't recall any manifestation PR from any celebrity. They work behind the scenes and when they sign the deal, they announce it. Its only in Meghan's case that I keep seeing these manifestations.

No, I’m not sure I understand how the manifesting works, frankly.

When I say “pitching” I mean actually proposing a project for a prospective partner or sponsor with a slide deck, an argument as to why the agency or publicist’s client is a right fit with supporting metrics and comparable past projects. Some of the leaks we’ve seen about film roles, talk shows, etc… may just be regular manifesting, but I am assuming at least some of them were actual pitches or expected to become actual pitches. If they weren’t then she’s even less professional than I thought. Also, doesn’t the manifesting require that you put in some work?

Dior and Cartier were not actual pitches, I don’t think.

[not-poignant]

If you don't mind me asking why did you stop working as a professional artist? Your work is amazing! I could totally see your animal artwork being in kids picture books or even on wrapping paper

Hi anon!

I'm so so glad you enjoy the art! That makes me happy. Feel free to check out my DeviantArt because there's a lot more there than elsewhere. :D (Eventually I'll probably be using ArtStation or something like that too dsalkfjsa).

I stopped working as a professional artist because of money. I make more money as a writer than I ever could as an artist, despite giving art my all. Not to mention that art gave me repetitive strain injuries in my wrists (that I still have to this day) as well as eye-strain and a few other physical ailments that I still have to be careful of.

While writing is hard on the body, it could never be as hard or challenging as my particular art style was. And after a while it just got hard to justify working that hard, in that much pain, for like 0.50c an hour. And while I don't make that much more these days, I definitely make more for less suffering!

But yeah it was purely a financial/economical decision. I still actually do make art! But I no longer do commissions, and I pretty much only do it when I feel like it. But some of the things I've done this year alone include:

I think professional traditional art is also in some ways less disability friendly than writing. Or at least the kind of writing I do. I'm a traditional artist, and the easiest ways to make money as a traditional artist are to go the gallery circuit, which requires visiting galleries, pitching to them, and being seen at gallery shows (all things I could not do), or to go the mass production circuit via selling prints and so on. But I also can't go to print shops. And I can't drive. And I can't get to the post office (Glen posts all my art for me). As a result, I have to use a lot of POD services (and I do have a Redbubble storefront!), and anyway, it just didn't work out.

I still sort of think of ways to monetise the art on occasion. Which is usually trying to go beyond the lifespan of just selling an original piece of art. I tried prints, that didn't didn't work out. I tried colouring pages, that didn't work out. Children's picture books are the least profitable form of writing and art-making out there, unfortunately (people don't know this, but it's the most competitive writing market out of all of them, with the least longevity, because kids grow out of picture books, so while a few authors make a mint, most authors and artists make a pittance). I released an oracle deck and that made me about $900 this year which... is both good and not great or sustainable.

So yeah, that's why. Because while I'm not making a liveable income still, it's more liveable for less labour. My decision to quit art was purely down to income, which is why I know if things get dire with writing, I will do the same with writing, because I have given away a creative career that I loved before.

That being said, I have the particular satisfaction of knowing that my artwork is owned / has been commissioned by a cameraman / cinematographer that worked with David Attenborough across many of his series, and filmed birds of paradise on location more than once (he purchased almost all of my birds of paradise illustrations). By a head zookeeper at London Zoo who got so many pieces we became friends and are mutuals across social media, and I got to meet her in 2019 and she took us 'behind the scenes' to spend a lot of personal time with penguins and we chatted for ages.

Because I've done so much creative natural history illustration I've made connections and friends with biologists and zoologists all over the world, and it's been a humbling privilege to have been able to draw the favourite animals of some people, especially when those animals rarely get artwork in general. And I still love animals, so I do still draw them.

But it likely won't ever be my main job again sdalfkdjs

[myelectricaura]

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