Notes:

• I am EXTREMELY busy, but I check my messages and DMs at least ONCE per day. Please be patient and wait at least 24 hours for my response if I don't get back to you immediately.
  
• I buy only in Unrevealed Key Link Format or Plain Steam Keys. No gift links.
  
• For PayPal, I am in the US region and I only send via G&S. Please note there will be PayPal fees (including international/conversion and purchasing fees) to consider.
  
• All games that you sell to me should ideally be REGION-FREE. Please ensure the games are not region-locked/bound to a specific country.
  
• You must be willing to fill a spreadsheet with steam keys.
  

 
I pay with the following:
TF2 & PayPal
 

I BUY HB Games	with TF2	with PayPal	Currently Active Humble Bundle?
- Ratz Instagib -	0.9 TF2	$1.72 PP	-
20XX	0.4 TF2	$0.88 PP	-
5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel	2.6 TF2	$5.19 PP	-
60 Parsecs!	0.8 TF2	$1.5 PP	-
7 Billion Humans	1.5 TF2	$2.91 PP	-
7 Days to Die	1.1 TF2	$2.16 PP	-
A Game of Thrones: The Board Game - Digital Edition	1.4 TF2	$2.78 PP	-
A Hat in Time	4.5 TF2	$8.98 PP	-
A Juggler's Tale	0.5 TF2	$1.07 PP	-
A Plague Tale: Innocence	1.9 TF2	$3.81 PP	-
AMID EVIL	0.6 TF2	$1.18 PP	-
AO Tennis 2	0.7 TF2	$1.3 PP	-
Absolver	1.8 TF2	$3.51 PP	-
Aeterna Noctis	1.6 TF2	$3.15 PP	-
Age of Empires Definitive Edition	1.2 TF2	$2.46 PP	-
Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition	1.3 TF2	$2.6 PP	-
Age of Wonders III Collection	0.9 TF2	$1.86 PP	-
Age of Wonders: Planetfall - Deluxe Edition	0.4 TF2	$0.88 PP	-
Age of Wonders: Planetfall	0.8 TF2	$1.6 PP	-
Airport CEO	2.8 TF2	$5.62 PP	-
Alan Wake Collector's Edition	0.8 TF2	$1.68 PP	-
Alien: Isolation	1.8 TF2	$3.52 PP	-
Aliens: Colonial Marines Collection	1.2 TF2	$2.45 PP	-
Aliens: Fireteam Elite	1.0 TF2	$1.99 PP	-
Amnesia: The Dark Descent	1.1 TF2	$2.25 PP	-
Among Us	1.2 TF2	$2.42 PP	-
Ancestors Legacy	0.6 TF2	$1.24 PP	-
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey	2.1 TF2	$4.07 PP	-
Aragami	0.5 TF2	$0.9 PP	-
Arizona Sunshine	2.1 TF2	$4.21 PP	-
Arma 3 Apex Edition	1.6 TF2	$3.24 PP	-
Arma 3 Contact Edition	2.4 TF2	$4.84 PP	-
Arma 3 Jets	0.9 TF2	$1.77 PP	-
Arma 3 Marksmen	0.9 TF2	$1.74 PP	-
Arma 3	1.9 TF2	$3.78 PP	-
Assetto Corsa Competizione	2.9 TF2	$5.83 PP	-
Assetto Corsa Ultimate Edition	5.0 TF2	$9.93 PP	-
BATTLETECH - Mercenary Collection	2.4 TF2	$4.79 PP	-
BIOMUTANT	1.6 TF2	$3.12 PP	-
BPM: BULLETS PER MINUTE	0.9 TF2	$1.75 PP	-
BROFORCE	1.1 TF2	$2.17 PP	-
Baba Is You	1.5 TF2	$3.01 PP	-
Back 4 Blood	3.0 TF2	$5.96 PP	-
Bad North: Jotunn Edition	0.9 TF2	$1.77 PP	-
Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition	0.5 TF2	$1.01 PP	-
Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition	0.4 TF2	$0.83 PP	-
Bang-On Balls: Chronicles	2.6 TF2	$5.14 PP	-
Banished	2.2 TF2	$4.34 PP	-
Barotrauma	6.5 TF2	$12.95 PP	-
Batman - The Telltale Series	1.0 TF2	$1.9 PP	-
Batman Arkham Collection	1.2 TF2	$2.44 PP	-
Batman: Arkham Knight	0.4 TF2	$0.85 PP	-
Batman: The Enemy Within - The Telltale Series	1.1 TF2	$2.18 PP	-
Batman™: Arkham Knight Premium Edition	1.3 TF2	$2.55 PP	-
Batman™: Arkham Origins Blackgate - Deluxe Edition	0.4 TF2	$0.85 PP	-
Batman™: Arkham Origins	0.8 TF2	$1.67 PP	-
Batman™: Arkham VR	0.8 TF2	$1.5 PP	-
Battle Chasers: Nightwar	0.6 TF2	$1.21 PP	-
Battlefleet Gothic: Armada II	2.1 TF2	$4.17 PP	-
Battlefleet Gothic: Armada	0.9 TF2	$1.72 PP	-
Battlezone Gold Edition	2.2 TF2	$4.3 PP	-
Bendy and the Dark Revival	0.4 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$0.88 PP Refer To My Other Thread	Humble Choice (May 2023)
Besiege	1.5 TF2	$2.92 PP	-
Beyond Blue	2.5 TF2	$4.94 PP	-
Beyond Two Souls	1.9 TF2	$3.83 PP	-
BioShock Collection	1.1 TF2	$2.18 PP	-
BioShock Infinite	0.9 TF2	$1.78 PP	-
BioShock Remastered	0.9 TF2	$1.78 PP	-
Bioshock Infinite: Season Pass	0.7 TF2	$1.34 PP	-
Blade of Darkness	1.2 TF2	$2.47 PP	-
Blair Witch	1.2 TF2	$2.3 PP	-
Blasphemous	1.3 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$2.58 PP Refer To My Other Thread	Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle
Blood Bowl 2 - Legendary Edition	0.7 TF2	$1.48 PP	-
Blood: Fresh Supply	0.4 TF2	$0.78 PP	-
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night	1.7 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$3.37 PP Refer To My Other Thread	Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle
Boomerang Fu	0.6 TF2	$1.2 PP	-
Borderlands 2 VR	5.5 TF2	$10.93 PP	-
Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe Edition	3.1 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$6.19 PP Refer To My Other Thread	May Multiplayer Bundle
Borderlands 3	1.6 TF2	$3.23 PP	-
Borderlands 3: Director's Cut	1.3 TF2	$2.51 PP	-
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection	3.4 TF2	$6.76 PP	-
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel	0.6 TF2	$1.18 PP	-
Brutal Legend	0.8 TF2	$1.51 PP	-
Bus Simulator 18	2.1 TF2	$4.18 PP	-
CHUCHEL Cherry Edition	0.5 TF2	$0.97 PP	-
Call of Cthulhu	1.1 TF2	$2.25 PP	-
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger	0.5 TF2	$0.96 PP	-
Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront	9.3 TF2	$18.38 PP	-
Car Mechanic Simulator 2018	0.7 TF2	$1.36 PP	-
Carcassonne - Tiles & Tactics	0.6 TF2	$1.22 PP	-
Celeste	1.8 TF2	$3.6 PP	-
Chess Ultra	0.6 TF2	$1.25 PP	-
Children of Morta	0.7 TF2	$1.43 PP	-
Chivalry 2	3.8 TF2	$7.45 PP	-
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare	0.7 TF2	$1.37 PP	-
Cities: Skylines Deluxe Edition	1.6 TF2	$3.18 PP	-
Cities: Skylines	1.4 TF2	$2.73 PP	-
Clone Drone in the Danger Zone	4.2 TF2	$8.32 PP	-
Cloudpunk	1.0 TF2	$2.02 PP	-
Code Vein	1.7 TF2	$3.3 PP	-
Coffee Talk	2.5 TF2	$4.98 PP	-
Company of Heroes 2 - The Western Front Armies	1.0 TF2	$1.94 PP	-
Company of Heroes 2	0.5 TF2	$1.0 PP	-
Company of Heroes	1.9 TF2	$3.79 PP	-
Conan Exiles	1.6 TF2	$3.26 PP	-
Construction Simulator 2015	1.3 TF2	$2.48 PP	-
Contagion	0.6 TF2	$1.11 PP	-
Control Ultimate Edition	2.0 TF2	$3.93 PP	-
Crash Bandicoot™ N. Sane Trilogy	9.6 TF2	$19.06 PP	-
Creed: Rise to Glory™	2.3 TF2	$4.47 PP	-
Crusader Kings II: Imperial Collection	10.0 TF2	$19.73 PP	-
Crusader Kings III	5.9 TF2	$11.73 PP	-
CryoFall	0.5 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Cultist Simulator Anthology Edition	1.4 TF2	$2.79 PP	-
Cultist Simulator	0.6 TF2	$1.22 PP	-
DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT	2.6 TF2	$5.21 PP	-
DEATHLOOP	2.8 TF2	$5.47 PP	-
DIRT 5	4.3 TF2	$8.44 PP	-
DMC - Devil May Cry	1.0 TF2	$1.93 PP	-
DRAGON BALL FIGHTERZ - Ultimate Edition	10.0 TF2	$19.74 PP	-
DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2	1.9 TF2	$3.81 PP	-
DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE	0.6 TF2	$1.18 PP	-
DRAGONBALL XENOVERSE Bundle Edition	1.1 TF2	$2.16 PP	-
DRIFT21	0.6 TF2	$1.12 PP	-
Dark Deity	0.4 TF2	$0.85 PP	-
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin	8.7 TF2	$17.31 PP	-
Dark Souls III	12.6 TF2	$24.91 PP	-
Darkest Dungeon	0.7 TF2	$1.37 PP	-
Darksiders Genesis	1.3 TF2	$2.67 PP	-
Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition	1.1 TF2	$2.17 PP	-
Darksiders III	0.6 TF2	$1.26 PP	-
Darkwood	0.6 TF2	$1.16 PP	-
Day of the Tentacle Remastered	0.4 TF2	$0.88 PP	-
DayZ	7.6 TF2	$15.03 PP	-
Daymare: 1998	0.4 TF2	$0.79 PP	-
Dead Estate	1.0 TF2	$1.99 PP	-
Dead Island - Definitive Edition	0.8 TF2	$1.66 PP	-
Dead Island Definitive Collection	1.7 TF2	$3.3 PP	-
Dead Island Riptide - Definitive Edition	0.7 TF2	$1.4 PP	-
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record	1.2 TF2	$2.42 PP	-
Dead Rising 3 Apocalypse Edition	1.9 TF2	$3.7 PP	-
Dead Rising 4 Frank’s Big Package	2.5 TF2	$4.96 PP	-
Dead Rising 4	0.9 TF2	$1.73 PP	-
Dead Rising	1.0 TF2	$1.96 PP	-
Dead Rising® 2	1.1 TF2	$2.26 PP	-
Death Road to Canada	2.4 TF2	$4.84 PP	-
Death's Gambit	0.6 TF2	$1.15 PP	-
Deep Rock Galactic	3.3 TF2	$6.63 PP	-
Descenders	0.6 TF2	$1.15 PP	-
Desperados III	1.0 TF2	$1.93 PP	-
Destroy All Humans	0.7 TF2	$1.41 PP	-
Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut	1.1 TF2	$2.25 PP	-
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided	1.1 TF2	$2.16 PP	-
Devil May Cry HD Collection	1.8 TF2	$3.5 PP	-
Devil May Cry® 4 Special Edition	1.6 TF2	$3.13 PP	-
DiRT Rally 2.0	5.1 TF2	$10.11 PP	-
Dinosaur Fossil Hunter	0.5 TF2	$0.9 PP	-
Distant Worlds: Universe	0.7 TF2	$1.29 PP	-
Doom Eternal	2.5 TF2	$4.94 PP	-
Door Kickers	1.9 TF2	$3.84 PP	-
Dorfromantik	2.0 TF2	$3.93 PP	-
Dragons Dogma - Dark Arisen	0.8 TF2	$1.57 PP	-
Drake Hollow	0.5 TF2	$0.91 PP	-
Drone Swarm	0.4 TF2	$0.81 PP	-
Dungeon Defenders	2.8 TF2	$5.47 PP	-
Dungeon Defenders: Awakened	2.8 TF2	$5.59 PP	-
Dungreed	0.9 TF2	$1.81 PP	-
Dusk	2.0 TF2	$3.91 PP	-
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair	2.2 TF2	$4.28 PP	-
ELEX	1.1 TF2	$2.18 PP	-
EVERSPACE™	1.6 TF2	$3.16 PP	-
Elite: Dangerous	1.3 TF2	$2.67 PP	-
Empire of Sin	1.3 TF2	$2.55 PP	-
Endzone - A World Apart	0.5 TF2	$1.04 PP	-
Euro Truck Simulator 2	1.1 TF2	$2.19 PP	-
Exanima	2.6 TF2	$5.24 PP	-
FTL: Faster Than Light	1.0 TF2	$1.92 PP	-
Fable Anniversary	3.7 TF2	$7.32 PP	-
Fallout 76	2.1 TF2	$4.22 PP	-
Fantasy General II	0.6 TF2	$1.25 PP	-
Farming Simulator 17	0.6 TF2	$1.13 PP	-
Firefighting Simulator - The Squad	3.8 TF2	$7.47 PP	-
First Class Trouble	0.6 TF2	$1.12 PP	-
For The King	1.0 TF2	$1.92 PP	-
Forager	1.3 TF2	$2.6 PP	-
Forts	2.3 TF2	$4.52 PP	-
Friday the 13th: The Game	3.0 TF2	$5.86 PP	-
Frostpunk	1.0 TF2	$2.07 PP	-
Full Metal Furies	0.6 TF2	$1.15 PP	-
Furi	0.8 TF2	$1.62 PP	-
GRID - Ultimate	2.0 TF2	$3.97 PP	-
GRID™	0.9 TF2	$1.81 PP	-
GRIS	0.5 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Gang Beasts	3.0 TF2	$5.89 PP	-
Garden Paws	1.0 TF2	$2.05 PP	-
Gas Station Simulator	1.9 TF2	$3.68 PP	-
Gears 5	11.7 TF2	$23.1 PP	-
Gears Tactics	4.5 TF2	$8.93 PP	-
Generation Zero®	1.5 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$2.93 PP Refer To My Other Thread	May Multiplayer Bundle
Goat Simulator	0.4 TF2	$0.88 PP	-
Godlike Burger	1.1 TF2	$2.1 PP	-
Golf With Your Friends	0.9 TF2	$1.69 PP	-
Gordian Quest	1.8 TF2	$3.58 PP	-
Gotham Knights	5.5 TF2	$10.83 PP	-
GreedFall	0.8 TF2	$1.54 PP	-
Grim Dawn	5.2 TF2	$10.28 PP	-
Grim Fandango Remastered	0.6 TF2	$1.09 PP	-
Guacamelee! 2	0.6 TF2	$1.19 PP	-
HITMAN™2 Gold Edition	3.1 TF2	$6.16 PP	-
HIVESWAP: Act 2	2.1 TF2	$4.18 PP	-
HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED™	1.8 TF2	$3.66 PP	-
HROT	1.9 TF2	$3.7 PP	-
Haiku, the Robot	1.3 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$2.56 PP Refer To My Other Thread	Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle
Hard Bullet	1.2 TF2	$2.38 PP	-
Hearts of Iron IV: Battle for the Bosporus	1.8 TF2	$3.53 PP	-
Hearts of Iron IV: Cadet Edition	2.7 TF2	$5.3 PP	-
Hearts of Iron IV: Death or Dishonor	0.9 TF2	$1.74 PP	-
Hearts of Iron IV: Waking the Tiger	1.9 TF2	$3.68 PP	-
Heave Ho	0.6 TF2	$1.1 PP	-
Heavy Rain	2.1 TF2	$4.15 PP	-
Hell Let Loose	5.2 TF2	$10.32 PP	-
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice	1.1 TF2	$2.26 PP	-
Hello, Neighbor!	0.5 TF2	$0.91 PP	-
Hellpoint	0.4 TF2	$0.75 PP	-
Hero's Hour	0.5 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Heroes of Hammerwatch	0.6 TF2	$1.13 PP	-
Hitman Absolution	0.4 TF2	$0.79 PP	-
Hitman Game of the Year Edition	1.3 TF2	$2.61 PP	-
Hollow Knight	2.8 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$5.48 PP Refer To My Other Thread	Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle
Homefront: The Revolution	0.8 TF2	$1.68 PP	-
Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak	0.4 TF2	$0.77 PP	-
Horizon Chase Turbo	0.4 TF2	$0.72 PP	-
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Digital Special Edition	0.7 TF2	$1.46 PP	-
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number	0.6 TF2	$1.15 PP	-
Hotline Miami	0.8 TF2	$1.56 PP	-
House Flipper VR	0.9 TF2	$1.73 PP	-
House Flipper	2.8 TF2	$5.5 PP	-
Human: Fall Flat	0.9 TF2	$1.88 PP	-
HuniePop	0.4 TF2	$0.89 PP	-
Huntdown	1.3 TF2	$2.6 PP	-
Hurtworld	2.1 TF2	$4.07 PP	-
Hyper Light Drifter	1.6 TF2	$3.11 PP	-
Hypnospace Outlaw	0.8 TF2	$1.55 PP	-
I Expect You To Die	1.4 TF2	$2.68 PP	-
I-NFECTED	6.3 TF2	$12.5 PP	-
INSURGENCY	1.6 TF2	$3.16 PP	-
Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition	0.4 TF2	$0.73 PP	-
Imperator: Rome Deluxe Edition	1.1 TF2	$2.09 PP	-
Imperator: Rome	0.8 TF2	$1.6 PP	-
Injustice 2 Legendary Edition	0.9 TF2	$1.76 PP	-
Injustice 2	0.7 TF2	$1.46 PP	-
Injustice: Gods Among Us - Ultimate Edition	0.7 TF2	$1.32 PP	-
Into the Breach	1.5 TF2	$2.93 PP	-
Into the Radius VR	2.9 TF2	$5.84 PP	-
Ion Fury	1.6 TF2	$3.12 PP	-
Iron Harvest	1.4 TF2	$2.74 PP	-
Jalopy	0.9 TF2	$1.87 PP	-
Job Simulator	6.6 TF2	$13.01 PP	-
Jurassic World Evolution 2	2.4 TF2	$4.81 PP	-
Jurassic World Evolution	0.7 TF2	$1.43 PP	-
Just Cause 2	0.5 TF2	$1.06 PP	-
Just Cause 3 XXL Edition	1.3 TF2	$2.63 PP	-
Just Cause 4: Complete Edition	2.0 TF2	$3.97 PP	-
KartKraft	3.2 TF2	$6.3 PP	-
Katamari Damacy REROLL	1.1 TF2	$2.24 PP	-
Katana ZERO	1.1 TF2	$2.23 PP	-
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes	2.7 TF2	$5.42 PP	-
Kerbal Space Program	0.8 TF2	$1.6 PP	-
Killer Instinct	8.8 TF2	$17.49 PP	-
Killing Floor 2	0.6 TF2	$1.2 PP	-
Killing Floor	0.9 TF2	$1.69 PP	-
Kingdom Come: Deliverance	1.5 TF2	$2.93 PP	-
Kingdom: Two Crowns	1.0 TF2	$1.95 PP	-
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Premium Edition	0.5 TF2	$0.9 PP	-
LEGO Batman Trilogy	1.6 TF2	$3.07 PP	-
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4	0.4 TF2	$0.79 PP	-
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7	0.6 TF2	$1.11 PP	-
LEGO Lord of the Rings	0.4 TF2	$0.83 PP	-
LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars	0.5 TF2	$1.05 PP	-
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga	0.6 TF2	$1.13 PP	-
LEGO® City Undercover	0.7 TF2	$1.34 PP	-
LEGO® DC Super-Villains Deluxe Edition	1.7 TF2	$3.28 PP	-
LEGO® DC Super-Villains	0.4 TF2	$0.78 PP	-
LEGO® Jurassic World™	0.4 TF2	$0.71 PP	-
LEGO® MARVEL's Avengers	0.4 TF2	$0.78 PP	-
LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2 Deluxe Edition	0.9 TF2	$1.83 PP	-
LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2	0.7 TF2	$1.34 PP	-
LEGO® Star Wars™: The Force Awakens - Deluxe Edition	1.1 TF2	$2.25 PP	-
LEGO® Star Wars™: The Force Awakens	0.6 TF2	$1.15 PP	-
LEGO® Worlds	1.1 TF2	$2.12 PP	-
LIMBO	0.4 TF2	$0.71 PP	-
Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective	0.7 TF2	$1.47 PP	-
Labyrinthine	1.9 TF2	$3.76 PP	-
Lake	0.8 TF2	$1.51 PP	-
Last Oasis	1.6 TF2	$3.11 PP	-
Layers of Fear 2	6.3 TF2	$12.52 PP	-
Layers of Fear	0.6 TF2	$1.12 PP	-
Legion TD 2	1.7 TF2	$3.33 PP	-
Len's Island	4.2 TF2	$8.26 PP	-
Lethal League Blaze	1.5 TF2	$3.06 PP	-
Lethal League	0.8 TF2	$1.58 PP	-
Library Of Ruina	3.2 TF2	$6.42 PP	-
Life is Feudal: Your Own	0.7 TF2	$1.39 PP	-
Life is Strange 2 Complete Season	0.7 TF2	$1.33 PP	-
Life is Strange Complete Season (Episodes 1-5)	4.5 TF2	$8.95 PP	-
Little Misfortune	2.3 TF2	$4.47 PP	-
Little Nightmares Complete Edition	1.6 TF2	$3.22 PP	-
Little Nightmares	1.0 TF2	$2.06 PP	-
Lobotomy Corporation Monster Management Simulation	5.0 TF2	$9.99 PP	-
Loot River	3.3 TF2	$6.47 PP	-
Lost Ember	1.4 TF2	$2.76 PP	-
Luck be a Landlord	2.4 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$4.77 PP Refer To My Other Thread	Luck of the Draw: Roguelike Deckbuilders Bundle
METAL GEAR SOLID V: The Definitive Experience	1.5 TF2	$2.89 PP	-
MONSTER HUNTER RISE	4.1 TF2	$8.09 PP	-
MORTAL KOMBAT 11	1.8 TF2	$3.53 PP	-
MX vs ATV Reflex	0.4 TF2	$0.71 PP	-
Mad Max	1.2 TF2	$2.32 PP	-
Mafia II: Definitive Edition	3.6 TF2	$7.11 PP	-
Mafia III: Definitive Edition	2.1 TF2	$4.21 PP	-
Mafia: Definitive Edition	2.2 TF2	$4.36 PP	-
Magicka 2 - Deluxe Edition	0.9 TF2	$1.69 PP	-
Magicka 2	0.6 TF2	$1.18 PP	-
Maneater	0.8 TF2	$1.63 PP	-
Manhunt	1.1 TF2	$2.18 PP	-
Mars Horizon	0.8 TF2	$1.53 PP	-
Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition	7.8 TF2	$15.36 PP	-
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne	0.6 TF2	$1.22 PP	-
Max Payne	1.0 TF2	$2.06 PP	-
MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries	2.5 TF2	$5.02 PP	-
Medal of Honor	2.1 TF2	$4.24 PP	-
Mega Man Legacy Collection	0.5 TF2	$0.9 PP	-
Men of War: Assault Squad 2 - Deluxe Edition	0.9 TF2	$1.69 PP	-
Men of War: Assault Squad 2 War Chest Edition	0.8 TF2	$1.6 PP	-
Men of War: Assault Squad 2	0.8 TF2	$1.6 PP	-
Metro 2033 Redux	0.5 TF2	$1.05 PP	-
Metro Exodus	1.4 TF2	$2.79 PP	-
Metro Redux Bundle	1.1 TF2	$2.17 PP	-
Metro: Last Light Redux	1.1 TF2	$2.26 PP	-
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition	0.9 TF2	$1.71 PP	-
Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™	0.9 TF2	$1.8 PP	-
Middleearth Shadow of War Definitive Edition	1.2 TF2	$2.37 PP	-
Midnight Ghost Hunt	2.5 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$4.93 PP Refer To My Other Thread	May Multiplayer Bundle
Mini Ninjas	0.5 TF2	$1.05 PP	-
Mirror's Edge	2.2 TF2	$4.36 PP	-
Miscreated	1.4 TF2	$2.87 PP	-
Monster Hunter: World	3.5 TF2	$6.89 PP	-
Monster Sanctuary	0.6 TF2	$1.26 PP	-
Monster Train	0.5 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Moonlighter	0.4 TF2	$0.85 PP	-
Moons of Madness	1.8 TF2	$3.48 PP	-
Mordhau	1.7 TF2	$3.32 PP	-
Mortal Shell	1.4 TF2	$2.77 PP	-
Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator 2021	0.8 TF2	$1.58 PP	-
Motorsport Manager	1.3 TF2	$2.55 PP	-
Move or Die	0.7 TF2	$1.46 PP	-
Moving Out	1.4 TF2	$2.82 PP	-
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden - Deluxe Edition	1.5 TF2	$3.01 PP	-
My Friend Pedro	1.0 TF2	$1.91 PP	-
My Time At Portia	0.7 TF2	$1.43 PP	-
NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM 4 Road to Boruto	2.6 TF2	$5.23 PP	-
NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM Revolution	0.8 TF2	$1.5 PP	-
NASCAR Heat 5 - Ultimate Edition	0.6 TF2	$1.1 PP	-
NBA 2K13	4.8 TF2	$9.52 PP	-
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4	1.6 TF2	$3.14 PP	-
Naruto to Boruto Shinobi Striker - Deluxe Edition	1.6 TF2	$3.13 PP	-
Naruto to Boruto Shinobi Striker	0.4 TF2	$0.83 PP	-
Necromunda: Hired Gun	0.7 TF2	$1.45 PP	-
Neon Abyss	0.5 TF2	$1.01 PP	-
Neverwinter Nights: Complete Adventures	3.7 TF2	$7.33 PP	-
Nine Parchments	2.2 TF2	$4.27 PP	-
No Time to Relax	2.9 TF2	$5.75 PP	-
Northgard	3.9 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$7.64 PP Refer To My Other Thread	May Multiplayer Bundle
Not For Broadcast	0.7 TF2	$1.36 PP	-
ONE PIECE BURNING BLOOD GOLD EDITION	2.0 TF2	$3.91 PP	-
ONE PIECE BURNING BLOOD	0.7 TF2	$1.46 PP	-
ONE PIECE PIRATE WARRIORS 3 Gold Edition	1.2 TF2	$2.38 PP	-
Observer	0.4 TF2	$0.74 PP	-
Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty	0.4 TF2	$0.72 PP	-
One Step From Eden	0.5 TF2	$1.03 PP	-
Operation: Tango	0.4 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$0.8 PP Refer To My Other Thread	Humble Choice (May 2023)
Opus Magnum	1.1 TF2	$2.13 PP	-
Orcs Must Die! 3	1.9 TF2	$3.69 PP	-
Outlast 2	0.6 TF2	$1.17 PP	-
Outlast	0.5 TF2	$1.06 PP	-
Outward	1.5 TF2	$2.94 PP	-
Overcooked	1.0 TF2	$2.02 PP	-
Overcooked! 2	1.3 TF2	$2.59 PP	-
Overgrowth	0.8 TF2	$1.53 PP	-
Overlord II	0.4 TF2	$0.85 PP	-
Owlboy	1.0 TF2	$2.04 PP	-
PAYDAY 2	0.4 TF2	$0.82 PP	-
PC Building Simulator	0.7 TF2	$1.32 PP	-
PGA TOUR 2K21	0.6 TF2	$1.24 PP	-
Paint the Town Red	2.4 TF2	$4.73 PP	-
Parkitect	5.5 TF2	$10.98 PP	-
Party Hard 2	0.4 TF2	$0.71 PP	-
Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Enhanced Plus Edition	0.6 TF2	$1.25 PP	-
Pathologic 2	0.5 TF2	$1.04 PP	-
Pathologic Classic HD	0.4 TF2	$0.85 PP	-
Per Aspera	0.7 TF2	$1.39 PP	-
Phantom Doctrine	0.4 TF2	$0.85 PP	-
Pillars of Eternity Definitive Edition	1.3 TF2	$2.66 PP	-
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire	1.0 TF2	$2.07 PP	-
Pistol Whip	6.2 TF2	$12.33 PP	-
Plague Inc: Evolved	1.6 TF2	$3.23 PP	-
Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition	0.4 TF2	$0.78 PP	-
Planet Coaster	1.8 TF2	$3.55 PP	-
Planet Zoo	2.0 TF2	$3.93 PP	-
Planetary Annihilation: TITANS	6.0 TF2	$11.91 PP	-
Portal Knights	1.3 TF2	$2.62 PP	-
Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid	2.8 TF2	$5.48 PP	-
PowerBeatsVR	1.0 TF2	$1.99 PP	-
PowerSlave Exhumed	1.4 TF2	$2.79 PP	-
Praey for the Gods	0.6 TF2	$1.16 PP	-
Prehistoric Kingdom	1.5 TF2	$2.93 PP	-
Prison Architect	0.4 TF2	$0.76 PP	-
Pro Cycling Manager 2019	1.3 TF2	$2.61 PP	-
Project Hospital	2.4 TF2	$4.82 PP	-
Project Wingman	2.6 TF2	$5.21 PP	-
Project Winter	1.1 TF2	$2.17 PP	-
Propnight	0.7 TF2	$1.32 PP	-
Pumpkin Jack	0.4 TF2	$0.84 PP	-
Quantum Break	2.0 TF2	$4.0 PP	-
RESIDENT EVIL 3	2.3 TF2	$4.49 PP	-
RUGBY 20	1.3 TF2	$2.58 PP	-
RWBY: Grimm Eclipse	3.3 TF2	$6.62 PP	-
Ragnaröck	3.5 TF2	$6.93 PP	-
Rain World	1.1 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$2.19 PP Refer To My Other Thread	Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle
Raw Data	1.1 TF2	$2.17 PP	-
Re:Legend	1.1 TF2	$2.13 PP	-
Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered	0.5 TF2	$0.95 PP	-
Red Matter	4.5 TF2	$8.95 PP	-
Resident Evil / biohazard HD REMASTER	1.1 TF2	$2.23 PP	-
Resident Evil 0 / biohazard 0 HD Remaster	1.2 TF2	$2.35 PP	-
Resident Evil 5 GOLD Edition	1.8 TF2	$3.53 PP	-
Resident Evil 5	1.1 TF2	$2.16 PP	-
Resident Evil 6	1.4 TF2	$2.81 PP	-
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Deluxe Edition	2.5 TF2	$4.88 PP	-
Resident Evil: Revelations	0.8 TF2	$1.5 PP	-
Retro Machina	0.5 TF2	$1.02 PP	-
Risen 2: Dark Waters Gold Edition	1.5 TF2	$2.88 PP	-
Risen 3 - Complete Edition	1.0 TF2	$2.07 PP	-
Risen	0.9 TF2	$1.82 PP	-
Rising Storm 2: Vietnam	0.7 TF2	$1.34 PP	-
River City Girls	1.4 TF2	$2.87 PP	-
Roboquest	0.5 TF2	$1.06 PP	-
RollerCoaster Tycoon Deluxe	1.1 TF2	$2.09 PP	-
Rollercoaster Tycoon 2: Triple Thrill Pack	1.7 TF2	$3.28 PP	-
Rubber Bandits	0.8 TF2	$1.52 PP	-
Ryse: Son of Rome	1.7 TF2	$3.38 PP	-
SCP: Pandemic	2.2 TF2	$4.28 PP	-
SCUM	3.0 TF2	$5.96 PP	-
SOMA	2.4 TF2	$4.8 PP	-
SONG OF HORROR Complete Edition	0.7 TF2	$1.42 PP	-
STAR WARS® THE FORCE UNLEASHED II	0.8 TF2	$1.62 PP	-
STAR WARS™: Squadrons	1.6 TF2	$3.23 PP	-
SUPERHOT VR	2.3 TF2	$4.51 PP	-
SUPERHOT	0.8 TF2	$1.59 PP	-
SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE	0.5 TF2	$1.02 PP	-
Saint's Row The Third Remastered	2.3 TF2	$4.5 PP	-
Saints Row 2	0.6 TF2	$1.16 PP	-
Saints Row IV Game of the Century Edition	1.1 TF2	$2.25 PP	-
Saints Row IV	1.0 TF2	$2.05 PP	-
Saints Row the Third - The Full Package	1.0 TF2	$1.93 PP	-
Saints Row: The Third	0.6 TF2	$1.27 PP	-
Salt and Sanctuary	1.1 TF2	$2.15 PP	-
Sanctum 2	0.5 TF2	$1.06 PP	-
Satisfactory	6.6 TF2	$13.01 PP	-
Second Extinction	2.1 TF2	$4.11 PP	-
Secret Neighbor	0.9 TF2	$1.85 PP	-
Serious Sam 2	0.8 TF2	$1.58 PP	-
Serious Sam 3: BFE	1.0 TF2	$1.99 PP	-
Serious Sam 4	4.0 TF2	$7.94 PP	-
Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem	2.3 TF2	$4.51 PP	-
Shadow Man Remastered	1.0 TF2	$2.0 PP	-
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun	0.4 TF2	$0.85 PP	-
Shadow Warrior 2	0.9 TF2	$1.76 PP	-
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	3.2 TF2	$6.37 PP	-
Shenmue 3	1.3 TF2	$2.58 PP	-
Shenmue I & II	1.3 TF2	$2.58 PP	-
Shining Resonance Refrain	0.5 TF2	$0.96 PP	-
Sid Meier's Civilization VI : Platinum Edition	3.0 TF2	$6.03 PP	-
Sid Meier's Civilization VI	0.7 TF2	$1.47 PP	-
Sid Meier's Civilization® V: The Complete Edition	1.9 TF2	$3.76 PP	-
Sid Meiers Civilization IV: The Complete Edition	0.8 TF2	$1.6 PP	-
Siege of Centauri	0.6 TF2	$1.16 PP	-
SimCasino	1.3 TF2	$2.56 PP	-
SimplePlanes	1.9 TF2	$3.78 PP	-
Skullgirls 2nd Encore	1.2 TF2	$2.47 PP	-
Slap City	1.1 TF2	$2.25 PP	-
Slay the Spire	3.6 TF2	$7.17 PP	-
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition	1.0 TF2	$1.93 PP	-
Slime Rancher	1.7 TF2	$3.32 PP	-
Sniper Elite 3	1.1 TF2	$2.14 PP	-
Sniper Elite 4	1.3 TF2	$2.53 PP	-
Sniper Elite V2 Remastered	1.3 TF2	$2.5 PP	-
Sniper Elite V2	1.0 TF2	$2.05 PP	-
Sniper Ghost Warrior 3	0.8 TF2	$1.58 PP	-
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts	0.9 TF2	$1.88 PP	-
Sonic Adventure DX	0.5 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Sonic Adventure™ 2	0.9 TF2	$1.86 PP	-
Sonic Mania	1.3 TF2	$2.6 PP	-
Soul Calibur VI	1.6 TF2	$3.24 PP	-
Source of Madness	0.6 TF2	$1.13 PP	-
Space Engineers	2.7 TF2	$5.3 PP	-
Space Haven	0.6 TF2	$1.15 PP	-
Spec Ops: The Line	0.9 TF2	$1.81 PP	-
SpeedRunners	0.5 TF2	$1.04 PP	-
Spellcaster University	0.5 TF2	$0.9 PP	-
Spelunky	1.1 TF2	$2.23 PP	-
Spirit Of The Island	1.3 TF2	$2.59 PP	-
Spiritfarer	1.1 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$2.18 PP Refer To My Other Thread	Humble Choice (May 2023)
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated	1.3 TF2	$2.51 PP	-
Spyro™ Reignited Trilogy	4.9 TF2	$9.65 PP	-
Squad	7.9 TF2	$15.55 PP	-
Star Renegades	3.0 TF2	$5.94 PP	-
Star Trek: Bridge Crew	4.4 TF2	$8.62 PP	-
Star Wars Republic Commando™	0.4 TF2	$0.71 PP	-
Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (Classic, 2005)	1.4 TF2	$2.7 PP	-
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic	0.4 TF2	$0.85 PP	-
Star Wars® Empire at War™: Gold Pack	1.2 TF2	$2.39 PP	-
Starbound	1.1 TF2	$2.24 PP	-
Starpoint Gemini Warlords	1.8 TF2	$3.48 PP	-
State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition	3.0 TF2	$5.92 PP	-
Staxel	0.6 TF2	$1.15 PP	-
SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech	0.9 TF2	$1.83 PP	-
Steel Division: Normandy 44	1.5 TF2	$2.91 PP	-
Stellaris Galaxy Edition	1.8 TF2	$3.56 PP	-
Stellaris: Lithoids Species Pack	0.8 TF2	$1.49 PP	-
Stick Fight: The Game	0.6 TF2	$1.1 PP	-
Strategic Command WWII: World at War	2.2 TF2	$4.26 PP	-
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection	1.5 TF2	$2.94 PP	-
Streets of Rogue	0.6 TF2	$1.24 PP	-
Stronghold 2: Steam Edition	2.0 TF2	$4.0 PP	-
Stronghold Crusader 2	0.9 TF2	$1.84 PP	-
Stronghold Crusader HD	0.6 TF2	$1.24 PP	-
Stronghold Legends: Steam Edition	0.9 TF2	$1.76 PP	-
Styx: Shards Of Darkness	0.9 TF2	$1.76 PP	-
Subnautica	3.6 TF2	$7.15 PP	-
Summer in Mara	0.6 TF2	$1.09 PP	-
Sunless Sea	0.4 TF2	$0.76 PP	-
Sunless Skies	0.7 TF2	$1.34 PP	-
Sunset Overdrive	1.0 TF2	$2.01 PP	-
Super Meat Boy	0.5 TF2	$1.08 PP	-
Superliminal	1.9 TF2	$3.84 PP	-
Supraland Six Inches Under	1.5 TF2	$2.89 PP	-
Supreme Commander 2	0.8 TF2	$1.62 PP	-
Supreme Commander Forged Alliance	2.0 TF2	$4.02 PP	-
Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality	1.8 TF2	$3.5 PP	-
Survive the Nights	0.9 TF2	$1.69 PP	-
Surviving Mars	0.5 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Surviving the Aftermath	0.7 TF2	$1.41 PP	-
Sword Art Online Fatal Bullet - Complete Edition	3.3 TF2	$6.45 PP	-
Sword Art Online Hollow Realization Deluxe Edition	1.5 TF2	$3.01 PP	-
Syberia: The World Before	1.2 TF2	$2.32 PP	-
Synth Riders	3.5 TF2	$6.96 PP	-
TEKKEN 7	1.5 TF2	$2.9 PP	-
THE KING OF FIGHTERS '98 ULTIMATE MATCH FINAL EDITION	0.4 TF2	$0.85 PP	-
THE KING OF FIGHTERS 2002 UNLIMITED MATCH	0.6 TF2	$1.18 PP	-
Tales from the Borderlands	3.4 TF2	$6.83 PP	-
Tales of Berseria	1.1 TF2	$2.12 PP	-
Tales of Zestiria	0.9 TF2	$1.72 PP	-
Talisman: Digital Edition	0.5 TF2	$0.94 PP	-
Tank Mechanic Simulator	1.1 TF2	$2.17 PP	-
Telltale Batman Shadows Edition	1.0 TF2	$1.9 PP	-
Terraforming Mars	0.6 TF2	$1.15 PP	-
Terraria	2.2 TF2	$4.26 PP	-
The Ascent	1.1 TF2	$2.26 PP	-
The Battle of Polytopia	0.4 TF2	$0.85 PP	-
The Beast Inside	0.4 TF2	$0.77 PP	-
The Blackout Club	0.6 TF2	$1.17 PP	-
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope	1.6 TF2	$3.12 PP	-
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan	2.2 TF2	$4.42 PP	-
The Darkness II	0.5 TF2	$0.99 PP	-
The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos	0.9 TF2	$1.69 PP	-
The Escapists 2	0.9 TF2	$1.85 PP	-
The Escapists	0.6 TF2	$1.13 PP	-
The Henry Stickmin Collection	0.7 TF2	$1.46 PP	-
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing Final Cut	1.3 TF2	$2.67 PP	-
The Intruder	2.2 TF2	$4.28 PP	-
The Jackbox Party Pack 2	2.0 TF2	$4.02 PP	-
The Jackbox Party Pack 3	2.9 TF2	$5.76 PP	-
The Jackbox Party Pack 4	2.1 TF2	$4.14 PP	-
The Jackbox Party Pack 5	3.1 TF2	$6.15 PP	-
The Jackbox Party Pack 6	2.8 TF2	$5.58 PP	-
The Jackbox Party Pack	1.1 TF2	$2.18 PP	-
The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame	0.4 TF2	$0.8 PP	-
The Last Campfire	0.4 TF2	$0.78 PP	-
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky	1.8 TF2	$3.57 PP	-
The Long Dark	2.0 TF2	$4.0 PP	-
The Long Dark: Survival Edition	0.4 TF2	$0.78 PP	-
The Mortuary Assistant	2.4 TF2	$4.82 PP	-
The Red Solstice 2: Survivors	0.4 TF2	$0.78 PP	-
The Surge 2	0.9 TF2	$1.83 PP	-
The Survivalists	0.7 TF2	$1.36 PP	-
The Talos Principle	1.0 TF2	$2.06 PP	-
The Walking Dead: A New Frontier	0.4 TF2	$0.71 PP	-
The Walking Dead: The Final Season	0.5 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series	2.2 TF2	$4.41 PP	-
The Witness	3.7 TF2	$7.29 PP	-
The Wolf Among Us	1.4 TF2	$2.83 PP	-
This Is the Police	0.4 TF2	$0.85 PP	-
This War of Mine: Complete Edition	0.7 TF2	$1.36 PP	-
Titan Quest Anniversary Edition	0.6 TF2	$1.22 PP	-
Torchlight II	0.6 TF2	$1.19 PP	-
Total Tank Simulator	0.4 TF2	$0.74 PP	-
Total War SHOGUN 2	3.6 TF2	$7.03 PP	-
Total War Shogun 2 Collection	1.8 TF2	$3.48 PP	-
Total War: ATTILA	2.1 TF2	$4.19 PP	-
Total War: Empire - Definitive Edition	1.8 TF2	$3.61 PP	-
Total War: Napoleon - Definitive Edition	1.6 TF2	$3.2 PP	-
Total War: Rome II - Emperor Edition	2.8 TF2	$5.54 PP	-
Total War™: WARHAMMER®	3.2 TF2	$6.25 PP	-
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator	2.9 TF2	$5.68 PP	-
Totally Reliable Delivery Service	0.7 TF2	$1.29 PP	-
Tour de France 2020	0.6 TF2	$1.15 PP	-
Tower Unite	5.2 TF2	$10.39 PP	-
Townscaper	0.6 TF2	$1.18 PP	-
Trailmakers Deluxe Edition	1.5 TF2	$2.93 PP	-
Train Simulator Classic	0.9 TF2	$1.7 PP	-
Tribes of Midgard	0.9 TF2	$1.8 PP	-
Tricky Towers	2.0 TF2	$3.98 PP	-
Trine 2: Complete Story	0.4 TF2	$0.85 PP	-
Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince	1.2 TF2	$2.42 PP	-
Trine Ultimate Collection	4.2 TF2	$8.22 PP	-
Tropico 5 – Complete Collection	0.8 TF2	$1.6 PP	-
Tropico 6 El-Prez Edition	2.6 TF2	$5.07 PP	-
Tropico 6	2.3 TF2	$4.55 PP	-
Turmoil	0.4 TF2	$0.73 PP	-
Turok	0.4 TF2	$0.76 PP	-
Two Point Hospital	2.2 TF2	$4.28 PP	-
Tyranny - Gold Edition	0.6 TF2	$1.22 PP	-
Ultimate Chicken Horse	1.8 TF2	$3.57 PP	-
Ultimate Fishing Simulator	0.5 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3	1.7 TF2	$3.4 PP	-
Ultra Street Fighter IV	0.6 TF2	$1.15 PP	-
Undertale	2.1 TF2	$4.07 PP	-
Universe Sandbox	4.6 TF2	$9.15 PP	-
Unrailed!	1.5 TF2	$3.0 PP	-
Until You Fall	0.7 TF2	$1.4 PP	-
VTOL VR	6.6 TF2	$13.01 PP	-
Vacation Simulator	5.2 TF2	$10.32 PP	-
Vagante	0.7 TF2	$1.41 PP	-
Valkyria Chronicles 4 Complete Edition	1.5 TF2	$2.93 PP	-
Vampyr	1.7 TF2	$3.27 PP	-
Verdun	0.4 TF2	$0.73 PP	-
Victor Vran	0.8 TF2	$1.62 PP	-
Visage	3.0 TF2	$5.87 PP	-
Viscera Cleanup Detail	1.9 TF2	$3.75 PP	-
Void Bastards	0.4 TF2	$0.84 PP	-
Volcanoids	1.4 TF2	$2.81 PP	-
Vox Machinae	3.4 TF2	$6.78 PP	-
Wargame European Escalation	0.4 TF2	$0.72 PP	-
Wargame: Red Dragon	5.3 TF2	$10.56 PP	-
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters	2.2 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$4.28 PP Refer To My Other Thread	Humble Choice (May 2023)
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Master Collection	1.6 TF2	$3.12 PP	-
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Grand Master Collection	2.0 TF2	$3.93 PP	-
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II: Retribution	0.8 TF2	$1.62 PP	-
Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War	1.0 TF2	$1.95 PP	-
Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Tyranids	1.6 TF2	$3.12 PP	-
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Collection	2.1 TF2	$4.07 PP	-
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine	1.7 TF2	$3.29 PP	-
Warhammer: Chaosbane - Slayer Edition	1.1 TF2	$2.09 PP	-
Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide Collector's Edition	0.7 TF2	$1.38 PP	-
Warhammer: Vermintide 2 - Collector's Edition	1.5 TF2	$3.02 PP	-
Warhammer: Vermintide 2	0.8 TF2	$1.52 PP	-
Warhammer® 40,000™: Dawn of War® II	0.6 TF2	$1.26 PP	-
Warhammer® 40,000™: Dawn of War® III	1.7 TF2	$3.33 PP	-
Warpips	0.8 TF2	$1.53 PP	-
Wasteland 3	1.3 TF2	$2.55 PP	-
We Happy Few	0.8 TF2	$1.62 PP	-
We Need to Go Deeper	1.7 TF2	$3.34 PP	-
We Were Here Too	0.9 TF2	$1.81 PP	-
White Day : a labyrinth named school	0.6 TF2	$1.25 PP	-
Who's Your Daddy	1.7 TF2	$3.31 PP	-
Wingspan	1.2 TF2	$2.37 PP	-
Winkeltje: The Little Shop	1.1 TF2	$2.18 PP	-
Witch It	3.3 TF2	$6.54 PP	-
Wizard of Legend	1.4 TF2	$2.86 PP	-
Worms W.M.D	1.1 TF2	$2.24 PP	-
Wurm Unlimited	0.7 TF2	$1.45 PP	-
X4: Foundations	5.8 TF2	$11.48 PP	-
X4: Split Vendetta	1.9 TF2	$3.8 PP	-
XCOM 2 Collection	1.4 TF2	$2.79 PP	-
XCOM: Enemy Unknown Complete Pack	0.8 TF2	$1.6 PP	-
XCOM: Ultimate Collection	1.2 TF2	$2.42 PP	-
Yakuza 0	2.0 TF2	$3.96 PP	-
Yakuza 3 Remastered	1.1 TF2	$2.24 PP	-
Yakuza 4 Remastered	2.0 TF2	$4.01 PP	-
Yakuza 5 Remastered	2.8 TF2	$5.48 PP	-
Yakuza Kiwami 2	3.2 TF2	$6.41 PP	-
Yakuza Kiwami	1.8 TF2	$3.61 PP	-
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles	1.8 TF2	$3.58 PP	-
YouTubers Life	0.5 TF2	$1.06 PP	-
ZERO Sievert	4.9 TF2	$9.65 PP	-
Zenith MMO	2.2 TF2	$4.38 PP	-
Zero Caliber VR	4.2 TF2	$8.31 PP	-
Zombie Army 4: Dead War	1.9 TF2	$3.75 PP	-
Zombie Army Trilogy	0.5 TF2	$1.04 PP	-
biped	0.9 TF2	$1.79 PP	-
rFactor 2	3.2 TF2	$6.43 PP	-
while True: learn() Chief Technology Officer Edition	0.8 TF2	$1.61 PP	-

 
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This point came up when i brought into discussion that iron cub’s self damage from its splash weapons never got fixed for whatever reason and someone suggested that GB wanted cub to purposely blow itself up because its also a way to trigger an ASE anoint in seconds, but thats more like an accidental strategy that basically makes the anointment the action skill. In general, moze and cub somehow dont have any fair amount self damage resistance as its the explosive class. The same problem as with fl4k’s pets that utilize splash weapons and have poor ai/placement especially the rocket monkey

Chapter 88 - From All I Believed
​
Morning, Two days before Shel
Captain Setar suppressed a smile as she watched the Ops door close. “Well, that was interesting…Ce’lani is a little cranky.” The last vestiges of sleep clung to her as she settled down into the command chair. She felt worn out, but it was the cusp of dawn, and Pod Seven had only just turned over control. “Report on station?”
“The perimeter’s secure,” Jelki replied crisply, pulling up the map of the campus on the main screen. “Pod One is on station and reports twelve by twelve. Sgt Ma’reis is already complaining about janitor duty.”
“Ah, first pod problems.” Setar shook her head, rubbing her eyes and blowing gently on her mug of tea. “What about the objective?”
“The objective’s secure,” Re’lan piped up, already sounding chipper. The woman could have been priestess of Jrafell. Her unwavering cheeriness would have been a character fault if she weren’t so devoted. As it was, it was a damned penance for everyone else at this time of day.
Jelke finished running the obligatory shift change checks and stretched. Things wouldn't get interesting until breakfast, but watching the perimeter was a given. It didn't keep the curiosity out of her voice, as she cocked her head and glanced over. “What was interesting with Captain Ton’is, Ma’am?”
“Mm! Well… it appears she’s expecting a call from Professor Warrick today,” Setar drawled out, taking a moment to savor their reaction. “She felt a need to remind me she’s devoted to Hele, and that if Be’ona or I let her sleep through the call, she’s going to ‘fuck us up the ass with a lasrifle and pull the trigger’.”
Re’lan was probably blushing like a cadet, but Jelke shook her head ruefully. “I expect there's a ‘but’ in there somewhere, Captain?”
“Well, yeah, she said that’s where the rifle would go…” Setar sniggered before taking a long sip from her tea, and slid a bit lower in the command couch. Her eyes wandered to the traffic on the board. “She also made it clear what’ll happen if anybody listens in.”
Thoughtful silence descended. Setar almost counted to twelve before-
“We’re going to anyway, right Captain?” Jelke asked nonchalantly. “You know, for security’s sake?”
“Sergeant, that would be a base infringement of Captain Ton’is’ privacy, which is in fucking short supply for everyone in this bunker.” She rubbed her chin thoughtfully, watching the steam rise from her mug. “Deeps right we are.”
_ _ _
Lady Wicama regarded her guest with interest as their autocab plied its way about the outskirts of Prelitauri. While she’d been free and cheerfully able to accommodate Khelira’s request, Monsignor Santino Barcio, or Friar Barcio, as he preferred, was not at all what she’d been expecting. She supposed it was a matter of exposure…
The Palace had never quite been the same since Princess Yn’dara’s wedding. Yn’dara was one of those odd Royals who, though well-regarded, was seldom in the public eye. A perennial favorite of the Empress, indulging her unexplained absences passed as a matter of course for the Court. Widely known to be estranged from her mother, Princess Arduina, no one enquired either deeply or often, so when she suddenly resurfaced, her return would have equally passed without comment… if not for the wedding.
Yn’dara had shocked the entire Nobility.
While it was common for any woman to marry into an established family and become a kho, the wedding should have been singular for a Princess. Princesses didn’t marry into families, Princesses formed them. And while Yn’dara technically had done so, she’d taken on four unmarried women at the same time as her husband, who was a Human! Favorite or no, the wags in the court were agog that the Empress accepted Adam so readily! The Empress, however, had been adamant; Yn’dara and her family had her blessings, and were to be left alone.
However, time had proven to be on Yn’dara’s side as well as the Empress.
After a wedding seen across the galaxy, Yn’dara’s family settled into a life of public duty. They spent long trips away from Shil, and while quietly dismissed as ‘pleasure excursions’, her trips often showed the throne to the outer provinces. Although her public engagements were few, she’d become a vocal advocate of the Empress’ reforms against graft and corruption, and, gradually, the jealous mutters about scandalous excess and Human debauchery faded away. Her marriage remained an unusual footnote, but time had demonstrated the value of Yn’dara and her wives to the throne.
Then there was Prince Adam.
Rumor held the Prince had made a favorable impression on the Empress years before, at an event hosted by Yn’dara’s mother. While details had never been forthcoming, a more significant story about Adam wafted briefly through the ranks of the Golden Glaives.
Both stories had been effectively silenced, but Wicama knew who to talk to, and being Khelira’s guardian carried a certain clout all its own. Though that influence waxed and waned over the years, raising Khelira required being aware of events that could shape her future, and she’d proven herself to be discreet. Over time, doors had opened and words had flowed.
Time had been on Prince Adam’s side, as well.
As the years passed, she’d had an exposure to Prince Adam that few of the court and none of the public enjoyed. She’d been wary at first, but he’d been a good friend and mentor to Princess Khelandri before she joined the Marines, and however infrequent his presence, he always displayed a keen mind, a loving heart, and a steadfast duty to his wives. Privately, he absolutely doted on young Khelira and possessed a loyalty to the Empress that you could bend battlesteel around. The two got along famously - after all, he was a veteran.
Not Navy, mind you, but you couldn’t have everything.
And so, as Humanity began making forays upon the galactic stage, her first impression of the species had been favorable. She’d witnessed Adam mature into his role with the court, and while the issue of children remained unspoken, that faded as well. At the time, Yn’dara had been sixth in the line of succession. A year after the wedding, Kamaud’re became an adult, followed a year later by Khelandri, and the matter became largely moot.
As for a second impression on Humans, Khelira had provided enthusiastic reports about Thomas Warrick. While the Princess thrived at the Academy, Warrick seemed to be something special.
The absence of a father in her life had been a void that no woman could properly fill, but she’d done her best. Although she’d entertained a few qualms, as the months passed by, Warrick remained a positive influence. Khelira’s messages were infrequent by necessity, but she’d written about her distress over Warrick’s family and clearly been moved. Prince Adam carried his own scars, but what veteran didn’t? He hid them carefully around Khelli, and if Warrick had chosen not to, he’d provided a useful sense of perspective, instead. It was time for Khelira to grow up, and that meant facing the grist of differing opinions and ugly realities. That was what education was actually for, and Warrick seemed to be doing admirably well as a grindstone.
All of that was before the library incident, which settled her opinion once and for all. While erratic, irreverent, and capable of violence, Humans clearly could be a positive influence when channeled in the right direction. Yn’dara had shown what a good Shil’vati woman was capable of with Prince Adam, and Lady Pel’avon was following suit.
And at least the wags at the Palace wouldn’t speak of Yn’dara’s state wedding again. As a subject for spectacle, Miv’eire Pel’avon’s had put it to shame.
Still, it was good to see Warrick married. While Professor Ha’meres scandalous exploits had faded from the public eye, older wo… more mature women didn’t forget such things. The man had been a daring adventurer - and an inveterate gadabout - and an unmarried man around that many young women was too tempting for some girls. A wife or two… preferably more… resolved such idle fancies. If the Pel’avon ceremony had been somewhat… questionable in taste, compared to Adam’s, it remained legally binding. Warrick was willing to settle down, and by all reports his wife had a proper sense of decorum.
Human men seemed to be a trial from the Goddess, but hopefully she and her kho-wife could sort him with time, love, and kindness.
While exposure to only two Humans was not what she’d call a comprehensive sample, in both cases her impressions had been quite positive. And so, when Khelli asked her to escort a Human Priest about the city, she’d been entirely willing.
Thus far, it had been an enjoyable morning. While there had been occasional missteps, their conversation had been delightful as they traveled from property to property. Even so, she hadn’t expected to meet such a kindred spirit.
Admittedly she’d stammered a bit when he mentioned eating the flesh and drinking the blood of his redeemer. On the other hand, she compared it to the first time she’d bled into the ocean, mingling salt in her blood with the seas. He’d turned shockingly pale, so she changed the subject. It was a purely symbolic act to Drepna - just a cut on the thumb, for goddess sake...
She’d taken extra care afterwards. Barcio could be clearly a sensitive male, but diplomacy was part of her work. Even calling her role ‘work’ was deceptive. She’d raised Khelira in every way an Empress could not.
It was easy for other women to appreciate the prestige of her position, but few understood the depth of it - or the satisfaction.
During her career in the Navy, her flotilla had provided direct support for the Empress, and they’d come to work closely over three tours. After Khelira’s birth years later, the invitation came from the Royal Household to act as her guardian, and she’d never looked back. Competition had been fierce for the prestigious position, but applying had been the best move of her life.
Empress Kamilesh loved all her children and had spent as much time with each of them as she could, but her work was all-consuming, and after her husband’s act of… Well, the Empress had been there, but she’d born her pain privately. She had lost herself in her work for many years before recovering a semblance of her former self, and her absence had taken a toll on her children. Kamaud’re had taken it the worst. Khelandri had bounced back, while everyone doted on Lu’ral. Barely more than an infant, Khelira had been far too young to remember. Wicama had been there through all of it.
It was a good life, and the princess was a delightful girl. For Wicama, the absence of a man in her life was something she’d felt now and then, but she invested her life in Khelira. The Empress treated her as a member of the family in all but name… and in a very real sense, the child you raised was your child.
Looking back, some women might insinuate she’d given up her personal life to raise another woman’s daughter. They couldn’t have been more wrong.
She had her calling - just as Friar Barcio had his.
Yes, he was a priest, and his religious strictures were very unusual. A male priest in any of the Shil’vati faiths would never be placed under such restraints, and for a man to go unmarried was noteworthy…
But she understood having a calling. Oh yes, she understood that as few others could.
After discussing his needs, they’d set out to examine three properties around Prelitauri. The Friar’s individual requirements were deceptively difficult when taken as a whole. A complex coupling a generous auditorium, ample administrative space, and he clearly needed substantial grounds to properly convey a sense of aura. Such accommodations were seldom on the market, and since he expected his colleagues to arrive in weeks, his need was immediate.
Thankfully, urban renewal moved in waves. The tides of such fashions meant Prelitauri was once again an up-and-coming area. While difficult to find, three older structures had the potential to be suitable, and so it was that she’d enjoyed learning about her guest as they explored the tiny district.
The Monsignor spoke four other Earth languages fluently. He tended to break into his native tongue and hadn’t mastered contractions yet, but his Vatikre was passable and he listened carefully, seldom needing to ask about a word. After limiting her contractions when she spoke, their conversation flowed easily.
Barcio had shown little enthusiasm for the first two properties, but their conversation regarding other matters never waned. She expanded on her devotion to Drepna, Shil and the roles of each goddess while asking careful questions of his faith. His own inquiries proved thoughtful, and he was as avid in politely asking after her beliefs as explaining his faith.
After their second hour together, she’d taken the liberty of calling Prelate Hi’meta Merlamiss. As a priestess of Drepna’s second circle, Merlamiss had proven a valuable contact over the years. Well connected, she enjoyed a good relationship with many other prelates of the Divine Halls; she also got on well with Xinfess, the Rakiri’s Speaker of the Dark Mother on Shil. A meeting with Barcio would readily open doors for his group that might otherwise prove difficult to attain, and while Barcio’s accent strained now and then, it was clear the Monsignor and the Prelate shared a questionably low sense of humor.
Given a chance, they’d probably get on famously.
Certainly, that would be a blessing. Their hunt for a suitable facility had not gone nearly so well, and while Barcio had been conciliatory toward the first two facilities, she could tell he wasn’t taken with either. The last property wasn’t high in her expectations, so she found herself casting her head to the side when it swept into view and he clasped his hands in excitement.
”*È bella!* This is beautiful,” he exclaimed. “It reminds me a bit of my childhood home in Sacile!”
She looked out at the complex with its low gabled roofs, as their cab wound up from the entrance. Beside the drive, a small river meandered through the campus past the main buildings. She tapped the console to slow their ride and considered the place in a new light. “I’m… well, a bit surprised to be honest, Friar.”
“Please! We have been traveling for hours now, and I am not holding a service.” The Friar spared her a warm smile, before gazing back at the premises. “I would take it as a great kindness if you would call me Santino.”
“Very well - on the condition you call me Wicama.” It had been some time since anyone called her by anything but title or rank, and the informality was pleasant. Still, as their autocab closed on the end of the lane, she let such thoughts go and considered the location properly.
The buildings were low, sensible cubes, but that was largely an end to it. The architect had made some unusual choices in Helkam motifs that strained understanding. A long colonnade bordered the river, and that seemed nice enough, but the buildings! Forgoing purple was one thing, but they were beige! With unusual elements and the repressively bland color scheme, it was small wonder the clerk handling the property confessed that the space had lain vacant. Its original owners went into foreclosure. The exotic design had proven unable to attract interest, laying dormant ever since.
Barcio… Santino… seemed delighted, however, and she pulled up the specifications on her omni-pad. “This site has two smaller auditoriums besides the main one, while the central building has four floors. One is underground, but all the floors face an interior atrium.”
As the cab gently halted in the car park, she climbed out to hold the door but Santino had already scrambled out and was examining the gardens with evident interest. Tall stands of parago trees were losing the last of their fronds for the year, but she had to admit the grounds were substantial. Yesterday’s storm had left the morning air cold and crisp, lending the gardens an appealing aspect. Untended since the last owners, much could be done with them.
She had given up trying to escort the Friar anywhere after their first two stops, and now they fell into an easy pace side by side as they strolled toward the main building. She turned back to the property itself. “So, this reminds you of your home?”
It wasn’t exactly Helkam architecture - domes weren’t covering every possible surface - but the builder had clearly been nodding in that direction. A promenade wound to the entry, supporting white chevrons that arced into the sky. The bright morning sky shone through clever cutouts, making the unusual design at least look light, rather than oppressive and unappealing. With a decent renovation, the facility had possibilities, and the price was comparatively low.
“*Si!* Oh, not so much like home, but there is the sense of it. I was born near the sea, and this feels… similar.” He gave her a depreciating smile before rolling his eyes. “It may not please everyone who is coming, but ‘everyone’ is not here, so I am allowed some indulgence! Better to have something waiting than nothing at all. I confess, some of my colleagues thought we’d only manage when the bridge to Messina is finished.”
“You should not have been sent ahead alone! Surely your colleagues were not that worried about a poor reception,” she tutted. Priest or no, there were decencies about a man traveling alone to be observed. “You shouldn't need a bridge to find a place for your mission. I don’t know where Messina is, but I’m certain Prelate Marlemis wouldn’t stand for it!”
“Tch! Excuse my poor efforts! The older I get, the more I remember things like yesterday. Unfortunately, the yesterdays I remember so well were thirty years ago!” Barcio smiled wryly up at her as they walked. “The ‘bridge to Messina’ used to be a saying… People dreamed of building a bridge to Sicily, and it became something that never happened. My English friends would instead say ‘when hell freezes over’. *Un'espressione volgare*, but very much to the point.”
“Ah… I’m sure we can manage something, and this could be made presentable. Maybe change the beige to a pale violet?” she offered helpfully as she made it to the door first, holding it open. “The aura inside isn’t so bad.”
“You’ve said that several times, but I do not know what you mean?” He paused in looking around the entry, which had an open foyer exposing the two floors above and led out to the atrium beyond. “What is ‘aura’? I do not think I know the word as you mean it.”
“Aura is… Hmm…” Wicama paused thoughtfully and gestured at the atrium. The interior was in better shape than the grounds, and the architect had done something clever. Not yet noon, a bevel along the top edge filled the space with sunlight. “Have you ever walked along a beach and wanted to save a shell? When you are there, that is aura… When you take the shell home and think of the beach, that is aura, but… less focused. Diminished. You sense the beach because of the shell, but you are not at the beach. Places can have aura, but it is more than character. If you move through a place and find yourself experiencing it? That is aura.”
“Mhm! *lodevole!*“I like this idea very much. It would be right at home in the Vatican. Not everyone understands a space can move the spirit, or lend power to a message.” He nodded thoughtfully as he cast his eye about the open space. “With the right advice, perhaps we can lead others to these halls.”
“Perhaps. If you tour the Palace, I hope you’ll allow me to show you about? A lot of the real gems are hidden from the public.” She watched as he wandered toward the double-helixed stairways bordering the room. Those were definitely Helkam; walking up one side without meeting someone coming down the other was an interesting experience… once. After that, they could be an absolute nuisance. Spotting the elevators, she called him back. “The nice thing is this place is inexpensive! That will pad out your funds for a good remodel.”
Wicama quietly thanked the Goddesses that the builder’s had the good sense to install normal Shil’vati-style elevators. The sides were open, granting a wide view out over the atrium. The grounds were terraced to create a small park; that could make the underground space bearable, and the plans made them seem spacious enough. Not to everyone’s taste, but pretty. “I feel bad for asking, but can you afford the building? If the price of the first two bothered you, we can find others.”
“I would not hear of it! Thank you for your concern, but we are economical with our funds, and were sent with a generous sum. This is an important venture to everyone involved,” Barcio clasped a hand over his chest, as he shook his head. “I can not thank you enough for your help! You have surely spared me weeks, and I might not have found something half so suitable. As it is, the grounds are enough to gain me converts. Father Roscio and Pastor Weber will surely plant a vineyard before the inside is half done!”
“It’s not a problem. I have plenty of time,” she replied, dismissing the matter as inconsequential. “I work at the Palace, but with the Court away and my daughter at school, I’m a bit at loose ends just now. At the very least, I insist on helping you through the paperwork. I wouldn’t put it past some realty clerks to try and overcharge you… Someone from outside Shil, that is. I’ll ensure they stick to the listing.”
“To someone not from Shil… or someone who is not Shil’vati, perhaps?” His head canted slightly to one side, but he smiled as he said it. “*Certamente!* I would not dream of preventing you, though Rabbi Kleinbaum will be bitterly disappointed she has nothing to moan about.”
“I hope you won't take this badly, as I’ve only met one Human.” Wicama gave him a smile. She was long past girlish uncertainty, and the Navy had taught her a generous measure of professional poise to go with her skills as a markswoman. “You aren’t what I expected.”
“You know the professore, then?” He sucked in a breath and pursed his lips. “I am still deciding what sort of man he is.”
“No, actually, I know another Human but I’ve not… I have not… met Professor Warrick.”
“So. You mean that I am not *un barbaro*? I am here to make sure that we are seen as something more than savage warriors, *capisci*?” He studied her expectantly. “While the Imperium is doing good work on Earth, some still live in want. The Imperium provides enough for all to survive, but not all live in plenty. We need to present ourselves well.”
”That seems like a very secular outlook.” She offered, as they rode up to the third floor. Barcio asked for an explanation of the word, and by the time they’d made their way through the first offices he had the idea.
“My church has not always troubled itself with such things, but our holy father is greatly concerned with such inequalities. He takes it upon himself to address such matters with the Governess, when their time allows.”
“Your church has a good relationship with her?”
“È straordinario! The Governess adores our food, and while she was adamant about taking quarters in the Vatican, she has taken pains not to disturb us.” He shrugged dismissively. “*Cosa sai fare?* It seemed a small price, and we have endured far worse.”
“I used to hear terrible stories about red zones on Earth, though the Humans I’ve met don't seem the sort. It is good that your… pulp?” She tried the word and was rewarded with kind laughter and a gentle correction. “It is good that your pope concerns himself with the full welfare of the people and works with your governess. Our prelates share the same concerns.”
“I thought the Empress was the head of your church? Now, I find you have many…” he groped for a word, frowning, and gave up. “*Questo accento è una prova di fede!* ‘Denominations’ is not the right word, but she is the one revered, yes?”
“Of course! The Empress has to show all of our virtues and none of our faults, but that’s part of her role. To favor any divinity over the others could cause divisions. She has her personal preferences, of course, but never lets them be known.” Wicama explained carefully. “It would be in poor taste.”
“And poor politics, I think?” Santino gave her a long look. At his height it was difficult, but he managed. “This makes sense to me now, that the Imperium leaves matters of faith alone. *Una benedizione inaspettata.*”
Despite the serious topic, his fervent reply brought a smile back to her lips. “It seems your pope considers politics as well as economics.”
“People will always defend economic theories which assume that growth will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice. This has never been confirmed by the facts, and expresses a crude trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system.” He said, stopping to clasp a hand over his cross. “Meanwhile, the excluded are still waiting.”
“That doesn't sound like scripture.” She offered cautiously, as they made their way into a wider suite of offices on the second floor.
“*Esattamente* The words of Pope Francis, a good and blessed man who appointed me to my position. His successor, his holiness John Paul the Third, is much of the same mind.” Santino said quietly. “Our savior washed the feet of others and urged all to do the same. The hardest step is to be involved. To work together for change, as well as to pray. That is why I am here.
“*I pigri di cuore trovano sempre una scusa* Some Humans, they are yet angry with the Imperium. Now they have enough, they are bitter not to have plenty. For some there is never enough - the true poverty lies within their hearts,” Santino said a bit testily. “Our faith teaches us to find salvation in eternal life, but others? *Pigrizia!* They see it as an excuse from taking agency in themselves. Jesus washed the feet of others - he did not lay down and wait for someone to wash his!”
Wicama turned the unfamiliar metaphor over in her mind but decided she had the sense of it. “Sham teaches us that helping our families and one another is the same as helping ourselves. ‘The rising tide bares us all from the reefs’.” It was a matter of faith… but that was why it was faith in the first place. On the whole, it seemed like a mature perspective that explained the changes she’d seen in Prince Adam over the years. “You’re here to meet with others, but this seems as much about knowing yourselves.”
“*Sì, non è una brutta cosa avere umiltà davanti a Dio.* Human beings, while we are capable of the worst, we are also capable of choosing the good. Of rising up to make a new start. We are entering the galaxy.” He gestured out the window at the world beyond. “If not now… when?”
_ _ _ “So, when are you going to explain this masterpiece you four have been cooking up?” Marin asked. Sammi and Sam were barely awake but the twins had already arrived, bright-eyed and enthusiastic, and Marin cursed the resilience of youth. The room was acceptably warm, but Ayen had complained about the cold and used the excuse to slip back into bed. She was considering her options for joining him.
Somewhere, somehow, Sammi had found their rabbit pajamas again. “Sam, explain it to her? You do it better.” Sammi yawned, but Marin suspected it was an act. Once something got their attention, sleep was usually an afterthought.
“What, now?” Sam had barely stumbled into the room and blinked. Bleary-eyed and barely awake, he looked like he’d been ambushed, which was exactly the case.
“Pllllllleeeease…?” They sat back pulling the ears, giving their best Roger Rabbit impression. Luminous green eyes peered out at Sam, imploringly.
“Alright… I need coffee, but fine.” Sam trudged over to the kitchenette and poked listlessly at the instant coffee. It was getting perilously low, but Marin was sure he’d brought more on the ship. Eventually Sam gestured at the K’herbhal sisters with his mug. “So the girls want to create an artificial topological soliton. It's like a black hole, except where it isn't… It's sort of a kink in space-time.”
“Made you say kink!” Sammi grinned impishly and the girls blushed. Marin shook her head but paid attention. It felt far too early after another late night, but once everyone was up you had to hang on for whatever came next.
“So, what's that got to do with this… hole you want to use for power?” Marin raised her voice just enough to drag the conversation back on track.
“It’s more like a side effect. If it cuts the right angle, it goes into a realm of space-time we can tap for power. Think of it as an obverse of an energy drain, so it's like a white hole.”
“Let me guess.” Marin shook her head and grinned, holding up a hand to forestall the inevitable. “Except where it isn’t?”
“Ummm… pretty much.” Sam grumbled, blowing at his coffee. Marin glanced back at the twins. With Sam busy, the twins had gravitated to either side of Sammi. There was room left on the couch, and she wandered over to settle in beside one of them.
The Sams had been complaining for years about a lack of ‘focal power’ for their mass compression technologies, and while a rubber duck inside a diamond was impressive, they’d wanted to do something more - a lot more. She suspected if the twins were providing the means, then they already had something about to surface from the depths of their imaginations. Over the years she’d learned to pick a bit, rather than take their answers at straight value. “And if things don’t cut at the right angle? You remember how long it took to get rid of the Navy, when you started talking about making black holes?”
“It's not our fault they didn’t understand,” Sammi said defensively, crossing their arms and pouting at her before the rabbit ears fell over their face.
“Who didn’t understand what?” Akeimei yawned at the door. She cast a wink her way before wrapping her arms around Sam and gave him a quick hug. “What did I miss?”
“Umm… a parallel universe, if the math is right,” Sam mumbled from the depths of his coffee cup.
“What? Like identical versions of us?” Marin watched Akimei’s nose wrinkled at the smell before she slipped away from Sam. Slipped down beside her, they rubbed shoulders a moment. “Tell me, is there one where I get more sleep?”
“More or less identical… though it's not like you need to go into a parallel universe for that sort of thing. There’s already a ‘you’ out there somewhere right now, to say nothing of past and future ‘you’.” Sam scratched his cheek idly for a moment “It's just the math. The universe is so vast that there are exact physical cosmic twins of us out there somewhere, not to mention even more almost-twins.”
“Sam’s right!” Sammi perked up excitedly, bouncing on the sofa. “Then there are quantum cosmic twins - which gets weird because particles exist in multiple states and you’d sort of overlap… but the easiest one is probably just another us elsewhere in the universe right now! That's sort of the point where things are since the universe is bigger than you can imagine!”
“So exactly the same… or almost.” One of the twins giggled. “Just like us!”
“Pretty much,” Sam nodded, slowly emerging from the depths of his coffee. “Another you out there on another Shil, or another me on a whole Earth, even - just a little bit different.”
“What? Like an Earth that never met the Imperium?” Marin canted her head, tossing out the obvious. It was hard to remember her life before, and she didn’t want to contemplate the alternative.
“Oh, I don't like that idea.” One of the twins stuck out her lip. “We want to come to Earth!”
“Yeah,” her sister nodded, though she suddenly looked glum. “I don’t know if Professor Warrick would mind though. He’d be with his wife and daughter, there.”
“Oh…” her sister's face crumpled. “I didn’t think of it that way.”
“Well, don’t…” Sammi hugged them both a moment, though they held the first twin a bit tighter. “The point is, somewhere he’s with them right now!”
“Wow, I guess so.” she brightened. “Just imagine! A whole Earth that never met the Shil’vati!”
“I wouldn’t worry, sis.” her twin nodded. “I think Professor Warrick is pretty happy right now.”
_ _ _
“I am not happy about this!” Tom glared at his omni-pad before tossing it down in frustration.
Miv looked up at her husband.
“It’s an honor!” She tucked her chin in and gave him a long, considered look, “What is it that’s bothering you - really? It wasn't Monsignor Barcio. Are you certain this isn't the same sort of thing?”
“Yes, I’m sure!” he growled, looking away like a guilty child. “Alright, maybe… but this uniform is the silliest thing I’ve ever seen. I’ll look like a mushroom, and the hat only makes it worse!" Tom grimaced at the omni-pad accusingly, "They won’t take ‘no’ for an answer, so now I’m on the rolls as a Warden Captain - whatever that is - and this ceremony is ridiculous!”
“The ceremony is traditional. Very symbolic... Besides, they don't make wardens out of anyone below the rank of captain - I looked it up. You were one before, so it's appropriate to make you one instead of a Warden Major or Warden Colonel.” She smiled at him serenely. “Surely, it can’t be the worst thing you’ve ever done.”
He turned to wag a finger her way. “I’ll take that bet!”
“Worse than our wedding reception…?” She crooned, teasing him. “Or maybe pre-term night? I swear by the Goddess no one will pinch your ass, except for Lea and I.”
“Fine… “ Her smile grew wider as he grumbled, but he was calming down already and there wasn't heat in it. Still, he stubbornly clung on to the point a while longer. "It’s in my top five.”
“I’m sure you’ll survive, husband. Now then, I have meetings all afternoon, so why don't you finish reviewing the menu? You’ll feel better when all this is over and you can go back to cooking, chess, or starting that eeeyiy club… You might even give Ce’lani a call or message her?” She gathered her coat and smiled demurely, though it harbored nothing innocent. “If I’m not here you’ll have perfect privacy… Just don't promise anything you wouldn't promise to me.”
“It’s iai-do…” Tom groused, but he was already picking up his omni-pad.
She blew him a kiss and made her way toward the commons. Tom would probably stew a while, but he’d make the call.
There would be time to meet with Ce’lani on the common, before she had to come home for dinner.
_ _ _
Tom looked over the banquet menu as if it might reach out and bite him. The words stared up at him with perfect innocence.
Appetizer: Fruit and Cheese Platter - Slices of various cheeses and fruits on a platter providing a delicate mix of sweet, tangy and creamy to invigorate the dining experience. Serve with a selection of sweet and semi-sweet wines.
Soup: Choice of Tomato or French Onion Soup - Served with a piece of baguette and cheese.
Salad: Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing -- an assortment of greens and fruit with a balsamic grain dressing to cleanse the palate.
Entree: Cornish Pasty - This herb-infused meat and pastry dish provides a counterpoint to the tangy taste of the salad and soup. Served with a creamy buttered mashed potato (a vegetable, humanely prepared!) with chives (also a vegetable). Served with a selection of wines or ales.
Dessert: Chef’s Sorbet Surprise - A sweet treat complemented by a palate cleanser, ending the meal on a piquant note.
His last call with Bherdin had been a trial and a half. Omni-pads were the definition of ‘high fidelity’, and hearing the little Shil’vati hyperventilate for ten minutes over the plan was pointless. At least Melondi had easier going with Vedeem on her side... one way or another this was happening.
As a final consolation, he relented on wearing matching suits. Bherdin frequently bemoaned Tom’s 'lamentable' fashion sense, and he perked up at that, promising to get him some appropriate formalwear for the occasion.
Privately, he suspected his Shil’vati friend was looking for a convenient alibi if a riot started.
In fairness, it probably wasn't a bad idea.
“Too late to use it myself…” he muttered. It wasn’t quite noon, and Miv was probably right. Instead of Chess Club or starting Iai-do practice or just cooking out at Human Food, he was stuck here at home. Miv’s place was bigger, but most of his stuff was still in boxes; it left him listless and climbing the walls. If this worked, at least things could get back to normal.
…Mostly normal…
He flipped back to the picture of the Warden uniform on his omni-pad. It was bad enough, but the hat made the whole thing look like a blue toadstool in silver filigree.
He swiped the picture away like an act of revenge, but didn’t toss the pad back on the table.
…Miv was right... and I promised to call Ce’lani…
Tom centered himself, pulling up the number. The universe was always in motion and a good Taoist accepted their part in what came. That was the lesson of ‘the Vinegar Tasters’, and it held true… The painting showed three men standing around a vat of vinegar. Each has dipped his finger into the vinegar and tasted it. The expression on each man's face showed his individual reaction.
The painting was an allegory for Confucius, Buddha, and Lao-tse. Confucius wore a sour look on his face. He believed life was out of harmony with the universe. As the second figure in the painting, Buddha had a bitter expression. Like the vinegar, life was painful and filled with attachments and desires that led to suffering. The last man, Lao-tse, was smiling at the taste. To him, harmony existed naturally and could be found by anyone at any time in any experience.
He thought about his buddy Dave. The old Marine would probably shake his head and tell him to ‘embrace the suck.’ It pretty much boiled down to the same thing.
Not that he was against calling. Miv and Lea had practically taken turns urging him on and giving their views on why it was a good idea. They hadn't harped about it, but he knew which way the wind was blowing. And Ce’lani’s message had been short, sweet in the literal sense, and the sound file she’d offered up had been…
…Pretty nice, really…
If he still said no, or decided he didn't like where this was going, they’d back his choice, of course. He didn't have a doubt in his mind… But with everything else in his life turned upside down, calling Ce’lani seemed like a calm in the eye of a storm.
…It's just a phone call. Leave the chaos at the gate…
He settled down on the couch to check his messages before giving her a call. It was nearly lunch…

1. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "I’ve met Harry Styles several times, and he is so nice and considerate. He actually put off going out with his team just to sit and talk to my 15-year-old daughter and me. I’m sure he was exhausted, but he seemed to enjoy relaxing and chatting with us. My daughter will most likely live on that memory for years to come!"
2. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "Jennifer Aniston is a sweetheart. She seemed very genuine and kind. I met her in a restaurant bathroom of all places. We talked for so long, her friend had to come and find her."
3. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "I met Lorne Michaels when I worked at a 5-star restaurant. Everyone who worked with me knew I’d been a fan of SNL since I came out of the womb, so when I picked up the phone to make the reservation and spoke with his assistant, I told them I was Lorne's biggest fan. When he arrived with his wife and son (who went to a local boarding school), they were so kind, and he said, 'Oh, I heard you’re my biggest fan, and that’s amazing because I don’t have fans — the cast always has fans!' I almost died. I gave them my favorite table, which they were thrilled with, and when he got up to leave, he left me an envelope with a pretty sweet bonus tip inside. I wasn’t usually tipped doing my work, so it wasn’t necessary, but it was so thoughtful and appreciated. All three were true gems. You’d never know he was famous or rich at all."
4. TOTAL NIGHTMARE: "I met Roseanne Barr for work once. I went to shake her hand, and she looked me up and down and said, 'I don't shake hands,' then walked away."
5. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "I met Matthew Gray Gubler after he did a talk years ago at my college! Only the first 100 people who got tickets were supposed to be able to do a meet and greet. He said 'rules were made to be broken' and that he would stay and meet with everyone until they kicked him out. Not only was he incredibly sweet to me (literally introduced himself...so humble and posed for a goofy pic), but he seemed so genuinely kind to everyone there. Just amazing energy all around."
6. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "A friend and I visited my boyfriend while he was doing security at a jazz festival in Malibu. He told us Adam Sandler and his family had been there all day and tons of people took pictures with him. We ran back to the car to grab the digital camera, looked up, and saw Adam, his pregnant wife Jackie, and their toddler leaving. We went up to them. Adam was clearly done for the day, but his wife said, 'Honey, let me hold [toddler's name] and you can take a picture.' We handed him the camera and he took a selfie with us. Still have that picture on my fridge. Love the Sandman!"
7. TOTAL NIGHTMARE: "My little cousin played one of Rob Schneider's kids in 50 First Dates. Rob was stuck-up, never got to know the children or their parents, and always went straight to his dressing room. I'm an introvert, so I like my alone time to recharge, but apparently the vibes he was giving off were that he couldn't be bothered to care about anyone else there. Also, the little girl in the movie was apparently a spoiled brat who threw tantrums and made them have to redo so many takes. I can see why Rob maybe didn't want to play with her, but the other kids were great!"
8. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "My husband met Rihanna years ago and said she was super nice. He was working as a ground handler at an airport and was setting up something on the ramp for her private plane. She came out, approached him, asked him about his job, and they chatted for a few minutes. Not sure if she was killing time until the gate opened, or if she went out of her way to talk to him for the heck of it, but he had nothing but nice things to say about her."
9. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "I met Jerry Springer while bartending almost 20 years ago. He was thinking of getting back into politics and had a meeting in our private dining room on the second floor. It was happy hour and the bar was packed. Someone spotted him and started chanting, 'JERRY, JERRY,' while he was about to walk up the stairs. He then came to the bar, ordered a $2 beer, walked through the entire bar, shook hands, and took pictures. When he finished the loop, he set the full beer on the bar and handed me $40. Regardless of his show, I will always think of him as a class act."
10. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "My story is that I was actually horrible to a celebrity. In the '70s, I was obsessed with Donny and Marie. They were playing at our state fair that year. My dad tried to get tickets, but it was sold out. He took us to the fair anyway. A few times we could hear the music, which infuriated me at 7 years old. When we were leaving, my dad had to stop the car because there was a big crowd of people. As they cleared to let us through, two people popped their heads in the car window to apologize. It was Donny and Marie. I refused to believe it was really them, and I told Marie, 'You're not Marie. She's a lot prettier than you.' My family was horrified."
11. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "Hands down nicest celebrity I've ever met was Taylor Swift. I met her at a concert as part of her security at the Houston shows. She was polite and introduced herself to everyone. She was obviously very busy, but she seemed interested in what I had to say and signed an album cover for my son."
12. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "I have been lucky enough to meet Sir Ian McKellen twice: once after a performance where I also met Simon Callow and Patrick Stewart, and once during his tour of 80 shows for turning 80. Absolutely lovely man. He is my #1 dream dinner guest. I wish I was his friend."
13. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "I did a photo-op last year at my local con with Ewan McGregor and, even though it was so quick, he was super sweet. We shook hands, and he asked how my day was. He’s gorgeous in person!"
14. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "I met Matthew Lewis at a local con at his booth and he was lovely (and gorgeous in person). I told him how jealous my Harry Potter-obsessed sister (who was working that day) was going to be, and he told me to tell her he sent his regards! It totally made her day at work when I texted her about it after!"
15. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "I met Pink around 2000. She performed at a teen club I was at, and she was a sweetheart. After her performance, she even danced with us for a little bit."
16. TOTAL NIGHTMARE: "I’ve heard nothing but bad things from people who've met Bill Nye. One friend said he was at some children’s art show and made fun of the artwork in front of the youngsters. What a jerk."
17. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "When I was in college in Boston, I was making a late-night Taco Bell run. As I was walking in, this white limo pulled up in front. I went inside and placed my order, and a guy in a white jumpsuit with a white bandana tied around his head came in. There weren't that many people in the restaurant, but he stopped and signed autographs and was chatting everyone up when I left. It wasn't until a few years later that I realized that person was Steven Tyler. This was in the late '80s before Aerosmith had that string of hits."
18. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "The most genuine interaction I've ever had with a celeb was with Bert Kreischer. I saw a show (during which he mentioned his grandma was in the hospital). Then, he told the audience he would be going to the bar next door after the show if anyone wanted a picture. When he arrived at the bar, he waded through CROWDS of people and made sure everyone who wanted to was able to get a pic or a moment with him. I stayed at the bar for a drink until he was on his way out (by this time the crowd had dispersed). I called out as he passed, 'Hey, I didn't get a chance to say it before, but I hope your grandma does well.' He stopped, turned around, and had a very genuine conversation with me."
19. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "Jason Momoa was really fun to meet in person when I saw him at a Nine Inch Nails show. Really fun guy!"
20. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "Jennifer Lopez. I went to where they were filming Air last year (I live in LA) because I wanted to meet Ben Affleck. I met Matt Damon as he wrapped before he left. He was a SUPER nice guy. I waited for Ben as his Escalade pulled up, but I DID NOT expect JLO to get out. She got out right next to me. She was only with her driver and he didn’t tell me to move or anything, so when she got out, I was like ‘Jen! Can I get a picture?' and she said sure. We talked about Selena because I’m Latina and she’s super important to me, and the movie means so much to me. She was SOO nice and sweet. She didn’t give any vibes that I was annoying her or that she had to Go. We also spoke in Spanish. We took our picture and then she went inside to get Ben. When they got out, Ben was NOT HAPPY (I don’t blame him. He was acting and directing), so I just stepped aside."
21. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "In 2004, I met Tony Curtis. He exuded 'old Hollywood.' He made his way around the room, speaking to each person, and when he approached me, he extended his hand and held my hand through the entire conversation. He focused on our conversation as if there was no one else in the room. As we said goodbye (he was still holding my hand), he raised my hand to his lips and kissed it. He was dressed impeccably and was in fine form. I have had many celebrity encounters, but nothing rises to the level of Tony Curtis. Absolutely the best celebrity encounter I've ever had."
22. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "I met Sir Patrick Stewart at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando. We were both hanging out with friends in the lobby. He told stories, made lots of jokes with his friends, and included us in the conversation."
23. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "I went to college with Muhammad Ali's twin daughters. He came with them for move-in day, and they arrived in a chauffeured Rolls Royce. He was gracious and took as many pictures and signed as many autographs as people wanted. I even have a picture where he is pretending to punch me. I told him that I grew up down the street from the house he had in Chicago before he donated it to the Nation of Islam. He asked me if they were good neighbors and laughed when I told him not really."
24. TOTAL NIGHTMARE: "My sister met Katy Perry at a restaurant, but she was being rude to the bartender and all the employees who came over to help, so now my niece and nephew aren't allowed to listen to her music."
25. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "I met Tori Amos, and she was an absolute sweetie pie. She hugged me and told me she liked my shirt. We spoke briefly. I was starstruck, but it made a lasting impression on me."
26. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "I grew up in a tiny town (pop. 3,000), and every year for his twins' birthday dinner, Michael J. Fox would bring his whole family to the restaurant my mom worked at. She almost always ended up being their server and she said he (and his family) were the nicest people. They were unobtrusive, friendly, and excellent tippers."
27. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "James Earl Jones was super sweet. My father and I met him when I was young. His voice is deep, but sweet!"
28. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "I met Dennis Quaid, and he was the nicest guy ever. We chatted about dogs for a while, and he was more than happy to take a few pictures!"
29. TOTAL NIGHTMARE: "I helped host a book signing for Bobby Flay, and he's a jerk."
30. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "Every time Dave Matthews plays at the venue across the street from our bookstore, people want to be working in the cafe because he randomly shows up for coffee the morning of his concert and gives the people waiting on him free tickets."
31. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "Nicest celebrity I've ever met was Cole Sprouse. This was way before when he probably got sick of being on Riverdale and decided to just show his true colors. He took the photo of us together because I was shaking from nerves and excitement."
32. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "I was a bartender at the Troubadour for five years and have so many stories! Jeff Bridges was the first celeb I met. His band was playing. Before we opened, after his sound check, he made a point of coming down to us bartenders to introduce himself and thank us for helping out that night. SUCH A GEM!"
33. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "Jason Schwartzman came into the bar I worked in on a night that had a bunch of teenage bands playing and was super sweet to any of the kids who came up to him."
34. ABSOLUTE DREAM: "When I was young, I went to an Olivia Newton-John concert. I grew up watching Grease on repeat and had always loved her. At the concert, me and another young girl were invited on stage to give her flowers and introduce ourselves. On stage, l asked to get her autograph and she told me she would after the show. Post-concert, I waited with my family to get an autograph and she invited me and my dad into her fitting room and no one else. Once back there, I was so starstruck and amazed that she remembered my name! She was so kind and took pictures with me and my dad, signed a photo, gave me the set list, and wrapped it up by giving me a hug and kiss on the cheek. She spent probably an hour with us just hanging out in her room and chatting. To this day, it's one of my most cherished memories."

Link to article

So star wars was originally mostly inspired by kurosawa's samurai movies and this means that jedi take a lot from the philisophy of the samurai and it shows. Obviously there are lightsabers fights that especially in the LT look a lot like katana fights (or kendo), but also dedication to a lord (in star wars being the force itself, or people, justice, or the republic) without questioning them, the elimination of self by being a servant of others, the acceptance of death.
So my point is this basically makes Ahsoka a ronin, meaning a samurai (jedi) that left his lord (the order) to now live with her own mission and rules, wandering through the lands.
Take for example the protagonist of Lone Wolf and Cub: he was a samurai and then left his lord because he thought he did something wrong and so now he lives following the way of the assassin, killing for money, in order to get enough money to get his revenge. Obviously Ahsoka did not become an assassin but I think she is following her own path, focused on her own objective and ignoring the ways of the jedi.

It is the case that immigration is a political issue in modern day American Society. Immigration within itself, being the mere influx of people from elsewhere. It stands to reason that those who do not wish to see this influx oppose immigration for a variety of reasons. Those reasons may include xenophobia, increased competition, and lowering of public standards such as welfare. But there is another group that comes to appreciate immigration as a matter of principle. That principle being: no matter who you are, you may contribute to the public. I belong to this latter group. America as a country is many things, but it can only stand to benefit from people seeking to experience its hospitality because it relies on people for its continued existence. Naturally, the United States should allow more immigrants into its country.
Immigrants can pull their weight. There isn't anything preventing established immigrants from becoming productive members of society as much as any citizen born in America. There is even evidence that they are doing so: ". . . while more immigrants have not completed high school than natives, they are twice as likely to hold a Ph.D" (Weld 262). The American system distinguishes citizens. Citizens in a free country are rewarded for their exploits. To favor one group over another for reasons beyond their individual capability is not how the American system is designed to work. To that respect, considering how immigrants can contribute to the system as any other citizen would is enough validity to allow their inclusion. Americans pride themselves in freedom and democracy, and in the case that an immigrant does comply with that system, there should be no issue admitting them.
Immigrants also balance populations during declining birth rates. When the birth rate declines, it creates a situation where the elderly retire with no children to care for them. They instead rely on the government and public services to survive. Meanwhile, the working population shrinks, as there is no one to replace the job that had just been lost. If such a situation ever happened to America, there is one option that could save this situation: immigration. Immigrants are population stabilizers; they can substitute a workforce and contribute to the system where otherwise it would have collapsed. It makes sense that in the absence of a body, what makes up for it is another body. What makes it relevant for America is that as a first-world country, more successful people tend to have less children. What's more convincing is that immigrants are incentivized to work, meaning that what children could have been born is replaced by someone eager to take their spot in the workforce. "Microsoft offers some of the most coveted jobs in the U.S. economy. But for vital functions, it still must turn to immigrants for 5% of its domestic work force, despite the difficult and expensive legal procedures required to import an alien" (Gilder 272). If companies like Microsoft rely on immigrant diversity to specifically select those capable for the job, then there must be real advantage in having them. That incentive to work for key jobs cannot be understated when a first world country's average age increases either. All and all, there is definitely a function of immigration not exchangeable unless the population properly balances.
But the introduction of immigrants is not all good. There are those who argue that immigration has disastrous effects on local infrastructure. They point to real problems that immigration creates, like education gaps and indentured laborers. This is a very valid point coming from the opposition. The most difficult point to grasp on immigration are the consequences of it. Nonetheless, these failures which are attached to people who have immigrated often stem from the failure of America's system in general. Take racism for example: ". . . as a price of entry, the majority of immigrants buy into the lie of American apartheid: Black people are inferior. To fail to accept this tenet of American life is to jeopardize what is already a tenuous existence for the newly arrived" (Coleman 278). It would be naive to assume that people in general are above racism. And yet this is taken as an immigration issue, that those who enter America do so along with prejudices included. This is an American issue, racism that is. The most ideal scenario is to be rid of bigotry wherever it rears its head. It is no coincidence that racial issues are exacerbated by immigration because America as a concept has almost always been that way. The civil war was fought, and the civil rights movement too. America has history not unknown to those entering it. A similar argument can be made for the corruption of the education system, or the corrosion of the middle class along with unionization. Immigration is but another factor in balancing America's identity, however, to blame it would be diagnosing a symptom of a deeper issue. There is no easy solution to fix these issues necessarily. And yet despite these issues, the contributions of immigrants still stand. America can only hope to preclude its dynamic problems so much as to return any necessity that may belong to the influx of new people. That means, removing bigotry and supporting each and every individual's character.
In conclusion, immigration should be allowed in America. America has problems, sure. Immigration however is not the root of those problems. Immigration provides people capable of assimilating into the American system, and more so the diversity needed to grease it. Because of that, immigration is truly valuable. May the people in America quit being xenophobic.

I think it's generally a good idea to be patient with newcomers to the hobby because it can get a bit technical and difficult to work out some problems. Right now I'm reminded that even if you've been at it for a while you can still have a cruddy time trying to problem-solve.
I've been printing and selling resin prints for a few years now, I know how my models behave, I've figured out how to troubleshoot most stuff, etc. but right now I feel like a complete beginner again.
For whatever reason, anything I print wants to stick to this new FEP like glue, and completely screws it up with divots and pockmarks and outlines of the printed parts; even the successful prints!
Changing exposure times doesn't alleviate it, I can lower normal exposure to the point of failure and the succ on the FEP is just as hard. I've also had to double lift height to overcome the succ, yikes.
I can totally see now why bandaid fixes like smearing lube on the FEP is so appealing to newcomers, and I'm dangerously close to joining them by smearing a bunch of bacon grease on there in desperation lmao
Anyway, I'm just venting.
Do you ever run into problems that make you feel like a newbie again?

I live in an end unit townhouse on the cul-de-sac part of our street. We moved in about 8 years ago when I was pregnant with our child and it has been a relatively normal experience with decent neighbors. About 18 months ago, a single mom with three kids moved in a few houses down. Her abusive partner comes and goes on occasion. And when I say "goes" I mean that he gets arrested for fighting with his lady. In the time since they moved in there have been cops on the street at least 9 or 10 times.
She does not watch her children (ages 4, 5 and 7) when they are playing outside. They roam the neighborhood unsupervised, grabbing other kids outside toys at random, and they actually run towards oncoming cars.
I made the fatal mistake of exchanging phone numbers with her early on, mostly because our kids play together and I wanted to be neighborly. About a month ago she called me and I stupidly answered the phone. She was calling to ask me to babysit her kids for a few hours. I couldn't come up with a decent excuse on the spot and agreed, as it would only be a few hours. When I arrived I saw extensive damage to the interior of the house including broken furniture, broken cabinets and drawers and the handles were broken off of both the oven door and microwave. Someone had clearly been on a rampage inside this home. The woman did not come home when she said she would, but three hours after the agreed upon time. I decided that would be the first and last time that I would do her any more favors.
A couple of weeks after the babysitting incident, the cops were called when neighbors heard the children crying outside at 10pm. You guys... she locked her kids out of the house because they were acting up. I honestly don't know how they weren't taken away at that point.
She called me a couple of weeks later and I did not answer her calls or texts. A few days after that, the abusive dude showed up again and things were relatively normal for two weeks, until last night when again, 7 cop cars on the street and an ambulance as well. He had fled the scene when the cops showed up and was apprehended by the K-9 squad, hence the ambulance. He told the cops that he didn't hit anyone and that his girlfriend threatened to dump hot grease on him. (I was sitting on my front steps watching all of the drama unfold so I heard the words coming from his mouth because I'm a nebby nellie.)
I want to maintain civility with this woman because she's honestly a little bit crazy and I don't want to get on her bad side and because our kids are friends. But I don't want to get too close and allow her to take advantage of my kindness, nor do I want her kids bad behavior to rub off on my own kid. The kids (hers) have been through enough chaos and I'd hate to banish my daughter from playing with them because of their own mother's drama. There are about a dozen kids on our street and they all play together so it would break my heart to single them out.

Full disclosure, I’m a Chicago transplant and diehard Cubs, Bulls, and Bears fan (formerly Blackhawks, but the organization has disgusted me to a point of abandoning the team…and hockey as a whole). I’ve generally enjoyed the razzing that comes with the territory and taking lighthearted digs at our “little brother” town. I had lots of friends (including my now wife) who were Fire season ticket holders and attended several matches with Section 8 right after they built their (now defunct) stadium in Bridgeview. The club has obviously been a dumpster fire (no pun intended) for years and I’ve lightly checked in on them from time to time while focusing my limited soccer energy primarily on Europe.
Once moving to St. Louis I ended up with some friends who have been pretty actively involved with the St. Louligans through the years and supporting different iterations of St. Louis pro soccer, and attended a few matches with them, including when the Fire played a friendly against St. Louis FC. I took a bit of interest throughout the MLS bid process and saw a chance that I might get halfway interested in a St. Louis professional team (GASP!) and was initially skeptical when the branding was announced (I was in the camp supporting keeping the USL branding).
Well, I was able to attend the CITY vs Whitecaps game last week, and I am 100% sold! I’m all-in, and this team makes me actually proud to call St. Louis home. I’ve always said that St. Louis punches above its weight for a city this size. I’ve also been known to say that St. Louis is about half as good as St. Louisans believe and twice as good as people from other places think. This organization has made me question everything I thought I knew after a near decade of living here. They’ve truly accomplished the first point of The CITY Fan Promise: Be the best of STL. The match day experience was phenomenal, CITYPark is a world-class stadium that highlights some of the best that the city has to offer, and the team has worked to embrace an ethos of inclusion and diversity- creating a fan base that reflects those ideals. As the marketing has evolved, I’ve seen the value in the branding and what it brings to the identity the club is creating for itself. All that is to say that this club has my heart (and a large chunk of my paycheck) and I can truly say that it feels good to be rooting for the home team in St. Louis for once!

I have a 2014 Ford Focus SE, flex fuel
I tried the common quick fix of cleaning my forks for the DCT with some brake cleaner and lubing it up with some WD40 and Lithium Grease.
Unfortunately, I didn’t even get to the lubing part as i busted my shit during the cleaning process.
I ordered the spline tool that turns the fork, and at first I tried using a ratchet to turn the fork, as the videos that showed the process used a drill and that kinda scared me (as it should’ve)
It wasn’t going so well with the ratchet, so I grabbed the drill. I went low and slow with it and I was able to get it pretty dang clean and it was turning so smooth. I really should have stopped while I was ahead.
I’m not even sure how it happened as I was being so careful, but all of the sudden, I heard something unusual and felt some debris fall out and onto the floor. I look to my right and see the tiniest metal ball I’ve ever seen. A bearing ball.
I gasped, and looked at the fork to see that it was no longer rotating on a flat plane, but instead was loose and spinning freely. It now won’t add any tension to the spring and won’t stop after the usual 14 turns. It’s f***ed.
I feel as thought my only option now is to drop the tranny and replace the forks. Since that’s a bit of work, I might at well replace the clutch and upgrade the seals that are currently in there. Ford also told me that I should replace the throw out bearing but I don’t know much about that or why it would need replacing.
I’m just posting here to vent and hopefully gain some insight from someone who knows more about transmissions than I do.
My main questions are:
What bearing did I break? Is it a part of the fork?
Am I safe to put my car in neutral and roll it out of the garage so I can clear some space for when I get to dropping the trans?
Should I replace the throw out bearing as well? (That might be what I broke but idk)
Also, if anyone has done this kind of work on this car, please gimme some pointers if you have any. I’ve done lots of car maintenance and repairs, but never transmission work before. It’s always intimidated me, but I’ve watched hours of videos at this point and I’m more comfortable with the idea, but I feel like I still stumble across new info all the time so if there’s something that you think I might not know feel free to share and I’ll thank you for it
Thanks in advance too guys

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Season 4 “Burned Minds”
Episode 2 “Old Scars”
“You don’t need to go back yet, you’re still recovering”
“I know, but… I want to. I don’t want to keep lying down all day like this”
“Who knew you’d say that one day?”
“I…”
“It’s a good thing. You wouldn’t say that if it was the same place that… He worked at. We’re lucky you wound up here”
“That’s… That’s why I’m going back right now. I know they wouldn’t-”
“But you’re afraid, I know. I would be, too”
Lunek was back in the office, far earlier than he should have. His shoulders were still aching and the strength of his hands wasn’t quite returned yet, he was almost incapable of opening the door of his own house, it’d still take a small while before his arms’ nerves started firing normally again.
But the conversation with his wife before he left was still hanging in him. She wouldn’t be afraid, she never was, that’s half of why all of that happened. She wasn’t afraid of trying to make things better, and here he was sitting at his desk re-reading for the thousandth time procedure manuals because he was afraid, afraid he’d get shunted to another precinct, or be out of a job, if he wasn’t working hard enough.
He flexes his fingers for a while, then stands up. He wasn’t getting anything done today, mostly on account of there being nothing to do. One of the few things he learned in the academy he agreed with, for an exterminator a boring day is a good day. He needed an outlet for this anxious energy, he knew he was working hard enough, the state of his shoulders was proof of it, but his brain wasn’t letting him relax. He decided to- “What do you mean- Alright, i’ll get someone” the voice comes from the front desk.
It was a bit out of protocol, at least as far as he knew, but the front desk also served as dispatch in this understaffed precinct. Seems like a call had arrived and, by stopping to look at the voice he committed the mistake of volunteering himself “You, Lunek!” he takes a deep breath “There’s a call-”
He raises his arms “I’m not quite physically capable yet” he wasn’t lying, he wouldn’t be able to be much help
“It’s an emergency!” that caused his ears to shoot up “You don’t need gear, just grab the car and head over to Leva’s house. I’ll call Santos, you grab him on the way”
An ungeared emergency? That was certainly unexpected. But an emergency is an emergency and if the human is involved he figures it’s going to be fine. He runs over to the garage, barely taking notice it’s not Marik in the armory right now, and heads over to the car. The keys are hanging from the wall and are quickly snatched, and he’s thankful the car is modern enough to use proximity for the keys as his fingers barely have the strength to hold them in place. Thankfully his legs are fine and he doesn’t need too much grip strength to control the car.
It’s a fast drive down the street towards Leva’s house, he’s unfortunately acquainted with the seemingly cursed place. About halfway down the drive he stops, Santos’ visage is far too unique to be missed, despite the fact the man isn’t wearing his uniform. As the human gets on the back seat, he starts the car going again and spares a glance to the rear view mirror. A bandage over the human’s head makes the sight a little concerning “I was hoping it’d be a boring paw today” he opens up
An unexpected sigh comes from his partner “I wish, I really, really wish. But seems like it’s mental health paw right now”
He responds with a light tilt of his head “I wasn’t told what the emergency was”
“Ah, right, they probably had you in the car and rolling quick” the human takes a deep breath “We’re reinforcing the psych unit. We’re not going to do anything, just sit around and look competent, help people be calm. Let Nila and Kessa solve it” he sees the reflection raise a hand to his forehead “Stop a bit away from the house and we walk the rest. Showing up in the car can get people stressed and from what I heard Nila was panicking so we don’t want to startle anyone”
He stops just about a house away and the two of them step out of the car. Fitted just with his usual satchel belt and with Santos in his civilian outfit they’d be impossible to identify as exterminators, if not for the fact that in a town this small everyone knew who they were. Sadly, it seemed like Santos’ prediction of the situation was incorrect.
The first thing they heard was Kessa’s frantic shouts “You’re not going anywhere you don’t want to!”, followed by some more distant shouting. He twitches his tail at Santos, who stares at him, and the two start running. When they finally arrive they see a dreadful scene, in front of the house are Nila and Kessa looking up, and tracing their eyes Lunek sees a little girl, not even an adolescent yet, at the edge of the roof.
“Don’t lie to me!” the girl shouts, her tail puffed up as far as it will go, twitching erratically and ears pinned to her head “I know what you do!” the girl steps ever closer to the edge, her toes hanging in the air “You took mom to a facility and… And what came back… It wasn’t her!” her body dangerously teeters at the edge “I just wanted to be left alone!”
Lunek feels a tension in his chest “I won’t let you take me!” the little girl shouts. “I won’t let you take me” echoes in his ears. His arms are tingling and his heart is racing. Not again. He can’t hear anything else, and his body is moving before his brain is. Two steps, just take two steps and you save her. One, two, three bounds with all the strength of his legs he crosses the front yard, the front door, and towards the stairs. Don’t freeze, she’s right there, you can do it. One, two bounds with all the strength nature had given him up the stairs, he skids and slams his shoulder on the wall to turn a hard ninety degree angle. Move legs, move, please. One bound, he grabs the railing of the next set of stairs. One, two bounds and he’s at the top, someone’s trying to frantically open the locked door to the roof. Stupid body, please, do something, anything. He lowers his head, digs his claws into the flooring and continues through the door like it didn’t even exist. He sees her. She’s right there, two steps, just five meters and you can save her, so why won’t you move. He sees her turn at the noise, she’s across the entire length of the house and the world seems to slow down. One step, he’s so very close halfway there, two steps and he’s crossed the distance, he sees her body angling backwards towards the fall.
His mind catches up with his body, he didn’t freeze this time. He grabs her arm, plants his feet firmly on the ground and spins, pulling her away from the edge. The severe movementum sends both down to the ground, but Lunek grips down on the ground with more strength than his arms and legs should have, pinning the young girl under him as he closes his eyes “It’s alright, you’re safe” he says “Nobody will hurt you now” it wasn’t for her, but she listens.
For many moments they stay like that, the beating of their hearts echoing against eachother, their breathing slowly falling in sync. The young one’s panic and fear slowly changing shape as the pinning grasp shifts slowly into an embrace. When someone else finally arrives, Santos running through the splintered remains of the door quickly followed by Nila and Kessa, Lunek is holding a young, crying girl in his arms.
“I know what you’re like…” he says with eyes closed, in a soft voice “You can’t handle having people around you, talking to you, wanting your attention” he gently rocks the little girl “Not for long. That’s why every moment that you can do it, is precious to you.” he tilts his head up at Santos “But everyone demands so much out of you, it starts to hurt. It’s so hard to find a herd that doesn’t ask more than you can give…”
He sees Leva approach “So all you have is your grandma, and your brothers. They know, they don’t ask too much but…”
“It’s not enough…” the little girl says “I love them but…”
He wraps his tail around the little girl “But some things aren’t for family, you want friends too. Friends that won’t hurt you”
At this point Nila finally walks close, kneeling beside the hugging duo “You know, we’re here to help you find those, alright?” the little girl turns her head slightly, to get Nila closer to her center of sight “It might be our responsibility to help the herd” she stops for a small moment “But it’s also the herd’s responsibility to keep us safe, and they haven’t done that to you”. Nila sits down “So it’s time we do that, okay? We’ll help you find friends that won’t hurt you. That’s everything we’ll do”
It took a while until the little girl calmed down enough, and now Leva, the little girl, her brothers and Nila were in the living room, just talking. Nila was being incredibly reassuring, the woman seemed to have a thousand stories about people, people who needed just a little different kind of attention than normal to find happiness. All of them fellow exterminators, in precincts across half the planet. Were they so common?
Lunek’s pulled out of his thoughts by Santos, who’s also watching the scene from a distance “Man, new guy, I knew venlil were pretty fast in short bursts but you were sprinting like a damn cheetah over there.” he tilts his sight to have the human in his focus “Crossing fifteen meters in one step? What kind of crazy training do you go through in that academy of yours?”
With a bit of mixed emotions, he forces himself to make a dismissive tilt of his ears combined with a bit of a joyful wag of his tail “I just couldn’t let it happen” he takes a deep breath “My sister was like her…”
Before anything else can be said, a voice calls out behind them “Santos, can you… Do me a, well… A nasty favor?” Lunek turns around with the human to see Kessa at the door of the house. As Santos goes over to see what that is about he starts to follow- But at this point standing up causes his knees to fail, he tries to catch on to Santos’ arm only for his left hand to stop responding to his will.
Thankfully, the human catches him before the fall. Lunek takes a few deep breaths and after a while being held, manages to stand up “S-sorry I guess…”
“My man you looked like you were straight out of a ninja movie, I can understand your body not being very happy right now” Santos tries to start moving him back to the seat, but he shakes his head “You sure?”
Kessa comes closer “It’s okay- Maybe I shouldn’t ask this”
Santos looks back at her “What was that favor, anyway?”
“Well…” Kessa sounds embarrassed “I… I want you to look threatening for a bit?”
He watches as the human’s right eyebrow shoots up “Don’t think you can pay up for that kinda favor like Keya does.” a mysterious phrase for him “Why, though?”
Kessa makes a dismissive gesture with her tail “It’s alright… I just wanted to talk to the neighbor who put in the call. I… I don’t think I can be as angry as I should be about this”
That causes the human to laugh, and Lunek starts whistling as well, entirely unable to use his will to remain standing anymore as he falls on his knees “And that’s why you do your job and not me. It’s alright, girl, whatever you say is going to be better than I could do” Santos gently pats Kessa on the shoulder “And I really need to get this guy home, he’s way over exerted”
For the second time in a way too short a time, Lunek finds himself being carried to the car. This time, however, when they get close he puts up a bit of a struggle “I can still drive” which earns a bit of an uncomfortable look from Santos “The accelerator pads are pressure sensitive not mechanical. I can do it”
Perhaps just to humor him, Santos helps him to the driver’s seat while he takes the back seat. It is, admittedly, a bit of a slow process to start up the car because his arms are still recovering, he’s not very certain how the hell he managed to grab that girl when right now his hands are having a problem closing, but true to his word he’s still able to operate it. “See? No need to get a fine for driving without a license”
“Alright, i’ll humor you” he catches the human’s eye on the rear view mirror “But we’re going to drop you off at your house, I can get Maurice to come pick up the car later”
And thus he starts a very slow drive towards his house. Not like he’s planning on taking his time, but due to the exertion of his legs he can barely put enough pressure on the speed pedal to make the car go any faster. The silence coupled with the slow electrical hum of the car’s capacitors slowly start chipping at his consciousness, so he takes a deep breath and looks at the rear mirror, taking in Santos looking out.
After the stunt he pulled, he feels he owes the man an explanation… “Maybe it’d be good to let someone else know it…” he thinks. That thought, however, was voiced.
“Know what?” the human says, a little too worried.
A needle of pain hits his heart. Of course, he must have interpreted that one way, one very dreadful way. It made him suspicious, but… That was fine. Now he was forced to share what was in his mind. Shameful as it was, he hardly could do things if he wasn’t forced to “About my sister”
Santos twists his body around so that he can stretch his legs over the back seat “There’s no need to say something you don’t want to”
He takes another deep breath, the drive will be long either way “She… Just needed to be alone a little bit. She didn’t dislike friendship, she just… Needed more time without others than most do. All she needed was time” he was going slow enough he could let go one of his hands from the wheel and extend the other, which he slowly tries to flex his fingers “She always said she needed time to study”
He continues to fruitlessly try to flex the fingers of his right paw “She had friends, they’d meet behind the house for about a fifth a claw every other paw, they’d talk about old shows. That was all she needed, and all she could stand. She had found a little herd that was just right for her”
He starts putting a little more energy in his fingers “But that wasn’t enough. My parents knew she was smart, the excuse to study wasn’t working anymore. ‘A predator trying to hide in our ranks, trying to hide others of her kind’, that’s what they called her, because she was studying as an assessor”
He puts his hand back in the wheel “Eventually a pair showed up at home to bring her in”
“It… It was your parents who turned her in, weren’t they?”
“It was my father” he looks out the wind “My father and the chief showed up. My sister didn’t want to go, she knew what would happen to her” he takes a deep breath again “She started fighting, she’d do anything not to go”
He can see Santos wince in the rear window “She’s… Gone now. I was visiting home on a break from the academy. I could have saved her, I could have pushed her out of the way, if I just hadn’t freezed.” his tail starts to uncomfortably hit things behind him “It… Was my father who did it”
“I dropped out of the academy, bought a ticket to another city… I left everything I had behind, didn’t bother to bring anything other than my satchel” a chuckle out of him “Can you imagine how that went?”
“You did say you were in a bad state at the time” there’s something he can’t place in Santos’ voice.
“Takes a lot for a venlil to get blackout drunk in a ditch” he tries to put some humor in his voice “I figured out how, though” he takes a deep breath again, buying time for his mind “I don’t know how Keina could look at me then and say ‘I need to help this man’. But she did. Helped me clean up, got some word in the office she worked out, I worked as janitor there for a while”
“Couple cycles later, we had our ceremony, we got together. It was happy, but not that happy. The office we were working in went under, as companies do” he sighs “We were together but… We had nothing. For a long time. Our home was rented, we couldn’t pay. When she found me I was out in the streets, now we were together out in the streets” Lunek brings up a hand to dry his face “With little Tiss on the way I had to do something… Anything. We tried finding jobs in another city, but nothing. She has a lot of skills, you know” he can feel his tail strike the clutter under the back seat as it wags “She can improvise anything, she’s very smart.” and then it stops “Me, though? I had nothing”
“Is that… Is that why you’re here?”
He stares at the human’s reflection, and nods his head, making sure his companion understands his meaning “We’d started missing meals… So… Even a cadet’s pay would help. I trained for this my entire life, I knew nothing else so… I went back to the academy. I had a responsibility and only one skillset. She was too important to me” he sighs “But that was not the worst part”
He can see Santos wince “I thought i’d have to start all over again but… When I got there? I was told I could pick up where I left” he takes a slow breath “I learned later that… My father had talked them into it, when he learned I had joined again”
Santos’ face scrunches in a way he can’t quite make out the meaning “We’re from a long family of exterminators, he had influence. He was the kind that… If he took his gear home, if he made it his, nobody asked” he notices the car had stopped for a bit now, so he remembers to order his paw to press on the accelerator again “When I graduated, Keina wasn’t there. I didn’t want her there, I was ashamed. But my father showed up, with a gift” he tries putting as much tension as he can on his left fingers “It was his flamethrower… The one he used that day… He said grandmother had given it to him, so he was giving it me”
Seems like Santos is about to speak, but he interrupts “It’s… Locked in a box, at home… I was… I was too cowardly to throw it away” the car finally stops
“Say… Would you like to trade places with Kessa?” the human says, before they can step out of the car
“No… No, she knows what she’s doing, I don’t” his hands are stuck to the wheel, strength not returned yet he’s using it for support “But… If they ever put up a course or something… I… I think i’ll take it”
He can hear Santos step out of the car, and at this point between the sudden emotional outburst and the physical exertion, he’s not sure he can actually move anymore. He can feel the human’s hands against his shoulder and behind his knees as he gets lifted. It’s somewhat shameful, to be carried like this, but he’s weak either way, he’s given up on shame long ago.
“What happened to him?” her voice was deeply worried, at least he wasn’t bleeding this time.
“Remind me not to get in the way of a charging venlil. Didn’t know you could break eighty per hour in a dead sprint uphill. He’s just tired, don’t worry. Pulled a little girl from the brink, took everything his body had” he wasn’t that good, he was just desperate
“He’ll do that. C’mon in, I’ll show you where to put him down” He really wouldn’t, he didn’t know why he did. But right now he was too tired to think more. His legs were aching, his arms felt like static, and his consciousness was losing its grip in his body.
The last thought to cross his mind was… That maybe he should keep doing this job. Maybe he could do this right.
---
I know i'm doing third person and not using hte memory transcript format, but i'm still putting in effort to make things from specific points of view, so here it is Lunek's point of view for once!
Seems like the kid was saved from a bad choice, on the strength of, as always, it being personal for an exterminator.
The next season will be "Exotic Pets"! Sometimes, beasts are where they don't belong not out of bad intentions, just a surfeit of love.

Hey everyone! I managed to finally do what I planned and alternate fics with each chapter xD. I don't know what it is, but I get hyper focused here and there and then I can get such writer's block with certain things while writing but then get in a zone after managing to get past certain sections. Anyway, this is the second of three planned Linked Souls Day chapters, the next one being the last and from there just hopefully one more chapter that serves as a prelude and transition into the canon events. But don't quote me fully on this as it MIGHT turn into two chapters depending on if I can fit everything in it. But I'm excited to get into the canon material as I've had plans for it since 2020 xD. Anyway, I'm going to likely swap back to my Helluva Boss fic to do a chapter than swap back to this as I want to try to prevent any burn out. Fair warning, I might get a lil hyper focused on the HB fic, but I will do my best to keep a good balance and get back to this as soon as possible.
As I've said before both of these fics are passion projects that I intend to finish no matter how long it takes as I love writing in both worlds. Also, I'm still sticking to this being set pretty much in Japan given everything in canon and sticking to those sensibilities and laws while not neglecting my own western ones and other westerners. I know I've put the disclaimer bout the Nazomi and Sebastian relationship on every prior chapter focusing on then, I just want to make it clear each time this is being handled with care and the maturity it demands. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and I might get the next chapter out maybe early next month or near the end of this one depending on how things go, but I WILL get it out.
Also, curious what everyone thinks about my introduction of a Valentines equivalent.
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After Shinoku and Vega left to meet up with Anya and Sheila, Sebastian took the time to finish getting ready for when he’d meet up with Nazomi. Just like his friends, Sebastian took his time to make sure that he looked good enough for their rendezvous, putting on some clothes he had that looked very similar to the Cherryton uniform aside from differing colors and other minor things. Also like Shinoku and Vega, he had gotten Nazomi a gift as well. After making sure he was good and ready for his meet up with Nazomi, Sebastian went back to reading to pass the time till he needed to head down the hill to meet up with her. As he waited, Sebastian heard his phone ring, quickly going to see who it was and answering it when he saw it was his mother.
“Hello Sebastian.” His mother said as he answered the phone. “I hope you’re well.”
“Hi mom.” he replied. “Yeah, I’m doing well.”
“That’s good to hear. How are your grades, I trust you’re keeping them high like you always do.” His mother inquired.
“I am.”
“That’s good to hear, you always do your best. Though, I’m not sure why you don’t do cram school like your brother did and your sister is doing. It’s nice that you work hard, don’t get me wrong, but I just want to make sure you’re living up to your full potential.” She said, her tone carrying that always subtle pressure of a proud lioness with high expectations.
While she did care for him like any lion mother, she always wanted him to live up to the standards and the image of what a lion should be. Not that she was any different from any other lioness towards her kids, they all knew they had to make sure that the reputation of the king of beasts was maintained. It was an ever present driving force for lions; to stand apart, set the example, excel and push yourself to ever higher points and positions. It was both the greatest driving factor, and the most dangerous threat to a lion. While most would manage to get by and repress the toll it took or even thrive; for others, it would be far too much pressure. It was what lead to so many lions to go to the back alley, to form the likes of the shishigumi or join it.
Sebastian took a moment, the pressure of his mother’s expectations briefly showing before he quickly composed himself. “I understand mom, don’t worry, I have everything planned out.” he assured her. “I’m just tackling things in a way that allows me to give my full attention to my grades here. It’s not that I’m not interested in cram school, I just think it’s more logical to not have my focus split too much.”
“Always the analytical one my little Seby.” his mother commented. “But you only focus on your schoolwork and your reading, even your brother managed to handle doing cram school AND being on his school’s baseball team. He always did so well, even as a cub. Your sister’s also excelling in her gymnastics.” She added. His mother never overtly sounded disappointed, but the subtle nudges and constant reminding of his siblings’ achievements spoke volumes of her wanting him to be like them and every other lion. Why couldn’t she just understand that while he had the potential like every other lion, he just didn’t have the interest? Wasn’t it enough that they were bringing home trophies to show off?
Sebastian let the pressure he felt slip slightly once more before regaining his composure again. “It’s good to hear they’re doing so well…” he said in a cheerful voice. “You don’t need to worry though mom, I’ll make sure I get into a good college, plus all my teachers like me. Getting a recommendation good enough to be accepted won’t be hard to get.”
“True, your teachers always liked you.” His mother said. “But it’s just so rare for a lion not to do cram school. At least, in terms of the ones wanting to make a good life for themselves.” she commented in a veiled implication that a lot of the lions who chose not to were always trouble makers and bad seeds.
“I know mom.” Sebastian replied. “But I do have a career path set and I’m not going to stray from it.”
“And given the way you study and your grades I have no doubt. I can’t wait to hear what prestigious college you become the head over. But you might decide to be something equally important to society.” his mother commented. He never dared once to say he wanted to just teach, he didn’t even care where. All he ever said when what he wanted to be came up was something potentially in education and just smile and nod when his mother would suggest stuff. “By the way, have you found a nice lioness yet?”
“No, not yet mom.” Sebastian replied. He didn’t even dare to think about giving her a hint that he had found someone, knowing full well the questions that ensue about her and wanting to see a picture of or talk to her.
“That’s a shame, I hate to hear that you’re alone on Linked Souls Day. Are you looking?” his mother asked.
“Yes mom, I am.” Sebastian lied. “I’ll find someone, it just takes time for some.”
“But you’re so handsome, are you sure you’re looking or giving good impressions?”
“I am…” Sebastian replied as he held back a sigh.
“Alright. But just know that I have a few friends with very nice daughters I could always introduce you to.”
Sebastian pinched his brow. “Thanks...but I’m sure I’ll find someone soon.”
“OK, just don’t get so caught up in your studies that you forget.” his mother commented. “Anyway, I need to get going, your father’s going to be taking me out for a romantic date. He says hi by the way.”
“I won’t.” Sebastian said as he composed himself once more. “And that sounds nice, tell him I say hello.”
“Sure. And Sebastian, keep working hard and making us proud.” his mother said before hanging up.
Sebastian let out a sigh as he hung up his phone, putting it back in his pocket. As he did so, Hassan looked at him. “I get the whole familial pressure, it’s not fun. I can only imagine what it’s like with being a lion.”
“She means well…” Sebastian replied.
“Clearly given the expressions you let slip.” Hassan pointed out. “I’m not trying to say your mother’s horrible, but her intentions aren’t exactly selfless.”
“It’s just how it is for us lions.”
“Well if you ask me it’s a bunch of bullshit.” Jax commented.
Hassan just shrugged. “Like Sebastian said, it’s just what it is. All we can do is just not let it get to us and forge our own paths the best we can when it comes to expectations.”
“Anyway, I better start heading out, it’s getting close to time for me to meet up with miss Nazomi.” Sebastian said as he stood up, walking over to get the flowers and gift for Nazomi.
“Sure you don’t need any help?” Hassan asked.
“I’ll be fine.”
Hassan nodded. “Alright.”
“Keep living the dream dude, maybe you’ll get to spend the night with her.” Jax said with a wide grin.
Sebastian just rolled his eyes at Jax before walking out to meet up with Nazomi, not even wanting to respond to the comment. As he headed down to the main floor of the dorm, Sebastian felt a combination of excitement and nervousness. It was his first time celebrating Linked Souls Day with anyone, not that he was ever really bothered about not being able to do so in the past. Sebastian also felt a bit guilty due to the fact that because he was a student and Nazomi a teacher, he couldn’t really do anything publicly with her let alone the fact that she was preparing the meal for them to eat.
Deep down he was a romantic at heart, much maligning the fact that he couldn’t be the one to treat her to a cooked meal. It didn’t really feel right that on Linked Souls Day she was doing most the work. It was just something that he would make sure to do in the future if things got that far with them. Although he still worried about being the potential cause of her losing her job. That, and exactly when and how he was going to introduce her to his parents when he was no longer a student. Hopefully he’d have it figured out when the time came.
Sebastian let out a sigh as he exited the boy’s dorm. Despite all the worries, he still deep down found himself hoping that this would work out. Even with the returning thought of this being just a potential rebellion against his parents and their expectations, he could not deny how he felt about the older feline. Especially with their first date still ever present in his mind. No matter what challenges or obstacles they might face, he was willing to face them, his resolve hardening all the more. Even if it ended up with them having to end things before something bad happened, he’d rather live knowing he tried his best than giving into the fear and not trying to fight for his own happiness.
It didn’t take long for Sebastian to leave the school and get down the hill to where Nazomi said she would be waiting for him, and as he got to their rendezvous spot he stopped. His eyes widened as he felt his heart about to beat out of his chest. Before him stood Nazomi next to her car, dressed in a rather nice satin button down green blouse and black business skirt with a slit on the left side that fit her perfectly. She looked beautiful, so much so that Sebastian felt his cheeks were on fire aas he blushed, unable to really say anything for a few moments.
“W-wow…” he managed to say as he managed to walk over to Nazomi. “You look...amazing.”
Nazomi smiled a bit. “Thank you, I did try.” she said as she blushed ever so slightly. “I would have worn a dress, but I didn’t want to arouse any real suspicion…”
“It’s fine, there’s not a time I’ve seen you where you didn’t look beautiful.” Sebastian said as he continued to blush, rubbing the back of his head as he did so.
Nazomi blushed more. “You look quite handsome yourself, and just as professional as I do.” she commented. “At least it won’t look too suspicious...I hope.”
“I’m sure it won’t.” Sebastian commented before blinking. “Oh, right, I got you these.” Sebastian added as he handed her the bouquet.
“Awe, thank you love.” Nazomi almost cooed as she took the flowers. “They’re beautiful, I can’t remember the last time I got flowers...Thank you.”
Sebastian smiled as he then handed her a smallish wrapped box. “I also got you this.”
Nazomi blinked as she took the gift, opening it to see it was a bottle of perfume. Taking it out of the box she gave it a sniff. “It smells wonderful, I can’t imagine how much this was…”
“It’s nothing, I saw it one day and thought it’d suit you. So I saved up to make sure I could get you it for today.”
Nazomi smiled, tail flicking as a purr emitted from her throat. “You really are too sweet.” she said as she moved to put the gifts up and then hugged Sebastian. “Again, thanks.” she added as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Shall we?”
“Yes.” Sebastian replied, giving Nazomi a nuzzle.
The two got in Nazomi’s car, Sebastian first asking if he should maybe hide out of site like in the trunk only for Nazomi to insist that he sit in the passenger seat. Despite his concerns she said if anyone asked, she was just helping him get to Linked Souls Day meet up. Which, in the most technical sense was not a lie. Sebastian nodded, getting in the passenger seat before Nazomi started her car up and drove.
As They drove through the city to Nazomi’s house something hit Sebastian that he could not believe he didn’t think about even when he had first seen the female cat. “Hey, Mrs. Nazomi?” he asked as he looked at her.
“Yes love?” she asked.
“I just realized...you’re a bit tall for an oriental shorthair. It’s something I should have realized sooner, are you…”
“A mixed species?” Nazomi finished asking for him with a slight smile. “Most don’t really take note until they hit their growth spurts and outgrow me by whatever their heights usually are depending on species. But yes, I am.” she answered. “I’m one third panther on my mother’s side.”
Sebastian blinked, that would explain why she was a bit more ebony in her fur color and why she was taller than the typical shorthair. In fact, her coming up to just under the mid point of his chest hadn’t come off as odd until he thought about it. With some growth still to come, odds are she’d likely be at his gut or just over his waist by the time he finished growing. Not that it was really a problem or he minded, it was just an observation he made.
His eyes glanced over at the scenery as they drove, taking in the buildings and noting that they were sticking to a fairly nice part of town. He then glanced over at Nazomi, taking in how beautiful she looked with a blush, she really was quite something. Sebastian found himself moving his hand closer to hers when they stopped at a red light. Nazomi smiled as she noticed, her hand moving towards his as they held hands for a moment before the light turned green. It did become a thing though with each stop they had to make, both of them enjoying the sign of affection.
It didn’t take too long until they had entered in a rather nice looking neighborhood, about the kind Sebastian assumed Nazomi might live in. It was nice and modest and the house that Nazomi pulled in to was just as nice looking. Thankfully, most of her neighbors were either out celebrating the holiday or doing so in their homes.“Here we are.” Nazomi said warmly.
“It’s a nice looking home.” Sebastian said as the two got out.
“Thanks. It’s really nothing all that special, but it’s nice and cozy and it’s really all I need.” Nazomi replied as she got the gifts Sebastian had gotten before heading to the door with the lion, both their tails flicking and even entwining a bit as they approached it. When they got to the door Nazomi fumbled a bit as she got her keys to unlock it.
“Allow me.” Sebastian offered as he helped her unlock the door, opening it for her.
“Thank you.” Nazomi smiled as she took a quick look around before pecking his cheek. “I’ll put these up while you make yourself at home. I haven’t quite started what I was going to fix, so it will be a bit longer before we eat.”
“You haven’t?” Sebastian inquired. “Then mind if I help? I feel bad that you’re doing a lot of the work and it’s only right that I do everything I can for you today.”
Nazomi smiled as she looked at him. “You’re such a kind, sweet, animal Sebastian. I don’t mind, really.”
“I insist.”
Nazomi chuckled slightly. “You really are a gentleman aren’t you?” she mused.
Sebastian blushed a bit as he rubbed the back of his head. “I just...I want to do whatever I can. You’re a wonderful woman and a great teacher. And, well, I want to take any and every opportunity I can get to treat you right because you deserve it.” the lion said as he blushed some more, conviction clear to see in his eyes.
Nazomi couldn’t help but blush, his words having touched her more than anything in her past relationships. “Alright, how about this? If you want to help me then let’s make it a thing and finish cooking it together?” she offered with a smile.
“I’d like that.” Sebastian agreed with his own smile.
“Alright, just give me a moment.”
Sebastian nodded as Nazomi went to go put up the gifts that Sebastian had gotten her. As she headed off, Sebastian found his eyes wandering over her form, taking in her figure that was shown off by her attire as well as lower, noting her slightly swaying hips and…tail. Sebastian cursed himself as he moved his eyes to something else. Sure he was still a teenager, a boy, but he prided himself in being better than most. Sure he had his...moments, as Jax so brazenly pointed out. But the last thing he wanted was to be that inappropriate towards Nazomi, even if he did, at times, allow some indulgences here and there.
When Nazomi got back she smiled. “Alright, ready?”
Sebastian nodded. “Yes.”
“OK, should be done in half the time with both of us working on it.”
Nazomi lead Sebastian to the kitchen to show him that she was preparing, a fruit lasagna with the usual accompaniments. After Sebastian looked over the recipe she was using, one from the cooking show Happy Happy Cooking that was toted to be one of their more popular ones among carnivores. he set to work helping her, working side by side as they prepared the fruit, making sure that everything was layered properly. Like in the car, every now and then Nazomi and Sebastian would briefly hold hands as they prepared the meal, satisfying their feline proclivity for touch contact. It wasn’t too long before they had the lasagna in the oven and the accompanying bread.
“Alright, shouldn’t be too long for it to fully cook, thanks for the help.” Nazomi said as she nuzzled Sebastian, giving him an affectionate hug as well. “In the meantime, we can go over some of my old notes and other things while we wait to help you out with your career path if you like.”
“Sure.” Sebastian smiled as he nuzzled and hugged her back, the two staying like that for a good minute.
“I’ll go get them then.” Nazomi said as she finally and somewhat hesitantly separated to go get her old college notes and study material, returning shortly after with them.
While the food cooked Nazomi went over various things she had to study and learn with Sebastian, covering things they hadn’t gone over from prior times and quizzing him on material they had. To Sebastian, this was like cram school in a sense, getting ready for what he’d need to know to excel in college, only with a more...personal and romantic one on one touch. While he never had issue with paying attention to any of his teachers, Sebastian always hung on every word Nazomi said. To him, her voice was just as beautiful as everything else about her. And just like all the times before, they shared affections with each other.
It seemed like no time at all when the food was done, the two of them chalking it up to them just enjoying each other’s company so much. As Nazomi got the lasagna and bread Sebastian set the table before helping her prepare their plates. As he finished helping her he noticed her take out some wine glasses and a bottle of wine and pouring some of the red liquid in each, although one was more of a sample serving compared to the other, before putting it up and placing them on the table.
“Wine?” Sebastian inquired.
“Just to help things feel a bit more normal.” Nazomi explained. “You don’t have to even drink it. But I was your age once, Rex it only feels like yesterday, and even back then sampling wine wasn’t wrong. That first date we had when you encouraged me to not deny myself any wine, where we acted like a teacher and student just having a meet up to discuss things, stayed on my mind for a while. It wasn’t right that there was some inequality, no full romantic atmosphere. So, I figured sense we’re in private I’d have us on an even level or give the feeling of it. But as I said, you don’t have to drink it.” she said before sitting down.
Sebastian blushed, smiling as he sat down. “Thank you, love.” he said with a fair bit of warmth in hid voice.
It never ceased to surprise the other that both worried about the other’s feelings and the challenges they had to face with their secretive relationship. Something that made each grow more attached to the other was when a few days after their first date Nazomi had confessed to Sebastian that she was far more hesitant and worried than she let on. Revealing she had been hiding the anxiety of them being a thing and was actually on the verge of suggesting they just call the attempt off out of fear as well as the revelation of his uncle. But she had decided to go through with it because of how truly genuine and good a man he was among other things that made her want to try. Sebastian himself had also confided in her his own concerns and worries about it and her, which made her just feel all the stronger for him over time.
“By the way, how has your day been so far?” Sebastian asked as he began to eat, taking a bite of the lasagna. “Oh, this is delicious.”
“It is.” Nazomi agreed as she took a bite of it. “It’s all thanks to you though, doubt it would have been as good without a little help.” she said with a smile. “As for my day, it’s gone well so far, just the usual grading of papers and preparing for the coming weeks’ lessons. Same old, same old, really. So far the rest of the students I have are nice and do there best. Despite what issues some might cause outside of the classroom I don’t really have to deal with any troublemakers, Maybe a few slackers or an unmotivated student, but that’s about it.”
“Well you’re a great teacher, I find it hard to believe that any of my peers would want to cause any trouble in your class. Not only that, but you’re very nice and helpful too.” Sebastian commented.
A smile formed on Nazomi’s mouth as her ebony fur darkened. “Thank you, you’re always so sweet Sebastian.” she said as she purred a bit. “Honestly, I think you’re one of the best students at the school, you work hard and are always so polite. I know you’ll go far with being a teacher.”
Sebastian blushed heavily. “Thank you…” he said with a half smile. “Though I will admit, keeping it up can be a bit—stressful. Comes with being a lion, expectations and familial pressure.” he admitted
Nazomi blinked as she looked at him. “Is it that hard?”
“It’s, well…”
Nazomi moved her hand to rest on top of his. “You can tell me if this is something negatively effecting you Sebastian.”
The lion sighed a bit. “It is hard. Being a lion you’re seen as the king of beasts, someone who’ll go far and have high positioned jobs or in some form of leadership. That image both helps and hurts us, becoming a driving factor for pushing ourselves as much as possible to keep to a standard. It’s something that permeates every lion family, the mothers and fathers pushing their kids to do something worthy of being a lion. Cram school is seen as an expected and normal thing to do and those who don’t do it are mostly looked down on as they are often those that end up in gangs or didn’t try hard enough.”
Nazomi’s hand gripped his, squeezing gently. “Is your family pressuring you?”
“Not...entirely. My mother often brings up what my older brother and my sister are doing and keeps suggesting I try to do the same. She doesn’t seem disappointed, but there’s just something about her voice…” Sebastian admitted. “She is happy that I’m doing well, but I know she expects more. She thinks I’m planning to go into an education position that’s high up, or at a prestigious university when I don’t care where I teach so long as I do some good.”
Nazomi squeezed his hand again, feeling bad for the lion. “That’s not really all that good Sebastian, have you thought about bringing it up to a councilor?”
Sebastian shrugged. “Somewhat. But as I said, this permeates lions as a whole, it’s far too ingrained to really be dealt with. Thankfully my situation isn’t too bad, it can be far worse. Plus, I like learning so it’s not that big of a deal. I also have my friends and, well, you.” he smiled.
Nazomi blushed heavily. “I see…”
“I hope I didn’t make things awkward or anything…”
“No, no! You’re fine Sebastian.” Nazomi assured. “It’s good you have a support system and you don’t really let it get to you, you’re very strong for that. Will you tell your mother you’ll try to teach anywhere?”
“Eventually, yes, when I’m nearing the end of my higher education and about to apply to various places.” Sebastian answered. “Just like how I’ll tell her about us when I’m a bit into my freshman year at college or before I get into college if we get that far, which I hope we do and keep doing. You are an amazing woman and to be honest, to me you are far more exceptional than any other.”
Nazomi blinked, her fur becoming more dark red than ebony black as her heart melted. He was the kindest, most genuine soul she had ever met and continued to prove he was mature beyond his years. “I— thank you Sebastian.” she said with a soft purr, falling a fair bit more for the lion.
From there the two continued to talk as they ate, taking their time and enjoying each other’s company as they swapped stories about their childhood. Nazomi found herself surprised as she learned that even as a young kid Sebastian was well mannered and somewhat bookish. She felt comfortable around him, able to share with him more embarrassing things like the time she was so nervous to do a presentation in high school that she messed up a word or two or when she practically face planted when she was looking at a crush. It just felt right and natural to be so open with him.
When they had finished eating, Sebastian even having drank the small bit of wine, he and Nazomi cleared the table. Sebastian even helped her with the dishes before they went back to going over some more of Nazomi’s old papers and work to help prepare him. It seemed like no time once more as they noticed the sun was start to set.
“Is it really that late already?” Nazomi asked as she looked at her clock, taking note of the time.
“Looks like it.” Sebastian commented.
“My how time flies, it seems to go so slow until well…” she blushed. “I’m around you.”
Sebastian blushed heavily. “Yeah…”
“Thank you for the lovely time, as well as the gifts and helping out, not many guys are as considerate as you.” Nazomi commented.
“Well, you’re worth any effort…” the lion blushed.
Nazomi smiled, blushing as well. How could this lion keep finding ways to make her heart feel like it was a puddle? She hadn’t really met many guys with the ability to do that over the years, more so not than did in recent ones. It had gotten to the point where she just really stopped looking. But then Sebastian came around and made her feel things she hadn’t felt in a long time. His gentlemanly studious nature and willingness to be so considerate, among other things, just had her more enamored with each time they were together. The fact that he was willing to take things so slow, deny himself the most basic of typical teenage experiences that most his age were having just made him seem too good to be true. And yet, there he was proving to be just that good.
Then there was the fact that while she did do a fare share for the holiday he had not only helped out, but went out of his way to get her flowers and a rather nice gift, not expecting anything special in return and just wanting to treat her right. As the lion got up from where they had been sitting she stood. “Sebastian, before I take you back to Cherryton...I think you deserve another kiss.”
Sebastian blinked as he blushed. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to…”
“No, I want to.” Nazomi admitted with a smile. “The only true thing that’s tricky with our relationship is that you’re a student and I’m a teacher. You’ve proven time and again just how good a man you are and that you are someone I...have looked for.” she blushed. “So I don’t see us kissing, at least in private and while off school grounds as being an issue. I know you’d never take advantage of me and I want to reward you for such, and for treating me to one of the best times I’ve had in a while.”
Sebastian’s tail started to flick happily as he smiled. “Alright.”
The two approached each other, embracing as they leaned in to share a kiss. Just like with their first, it was utterly electrifying for Sebastian. The feel of Nazomi’s lips unlike anything he felt before as his heart beat out of his chest as he started to purr. Sebastian enjoyed every second that the kiss lasted, his hands starting to subconsciously roam along her back a bit, though he would catch and restrain himself before they went too low.
Nazomi for her part pressed a bit firmer than last time, what with it being a holiday for love. As they kissed she noticed that Sebastian’s hands roaming along her back, taking in her form and the feel of her body and causing her to purr a fair bit. She smiled as she noticed he restrained himself from doing anything inappropriate, knowing her trust in him would never be misplaced. Although she promised to herself one day when he was no longer a student, she’d allow him to no longer restrain himself.
As the finally broke the kiss Nazomi smiled. “That was a wonderful kiss, possibly better than the first.” she giggled.
“Y-yeah…” Sebastian agreed, his cheeks a dark red.
“Thank you for being such a gentleman and not taking advantage.” Nazomi commented as they stayed embraced.
“I’d never.”
“I know love.” she smiled. “And that is why I will make you this promise. If we manage to make it to when you are out of school, then you have permission to not restrain yourself anymore as we’ll be in the clear. Not that you’d need my permission at that point” Nazomi giggled. “Anyway, we best get going before it gets too dark.”
Sebastian’s blush deepened all the more. “Yeah…”
The two headed back out to Nazomi’s car, first checking for anyone that might notice before getting in and driving off. The ride back went much like the first, the two briefly holding hands here and there as they made their way through the city. It was something that both Sebastian and Nazomi seemed almost unable to resist doing. Hell, when they had walked back to Nazomi’s car their tails entwined again.
When they got back to the bottom of the hill that Cherryton rested on the moon had not been fully risen for too long. “Thanks again for the lovely Linked Souls Day, I haven’t really celebrated it in so long.” Nazomi said as she parked the car.
“No problem, hopefully our next date can be somewhat soon.” Sebastian replied with a smile. “I hope the rest of your weekend goes well.”
“Thank you Sebastian, you too, I’ll see you Monday.” Nazomi smiled.
Sebastian was about to get out when he stopped. “Nazomi?”
“Yes?”
“Mind if we...have one more kiss?” Sebastian asked as he blushed.
Nazomi smiled as a giggle escaped her lips. “I suppose not, it’s only right to have a goodnight kiss after a date.”
The two leaned in close, sharing in one more kiss as they rested a paw on the back of each other’s head, purring loudly as they did so. When the kiss broke a few moments later Sebastian smiled. “Good night.”
“Good night love.”
Sebastian got out of the car, walking back up the hill as Nazomi turned her car around and left. The lion smiled as his heart continued to race, he was as happy as he had ever felt and was all the happier that Nazomi felt the same way as he did. While it was true their relationship had a strong possibility of stopping if they were ever in great enough danger of being found out, it seemed that she was daring for it to work as much as he was. Whether it did or not, only the future knew.

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Disney 4K

Title	Price
Avengers: End Game - MA	$4
Avengers: Infinity War - MA	$4
Black Panther - Vu	$5
Call of the Wild - MA	$5
Cars 3 - iT	$5
Cruella - MA	$5
Doctor Strange - MA	$5.50
Frozen 2 -MA	$4
Good Dinosaur - MA	$5
Guardians of the Galaxy - iT	$5
Guardians of the Galaxy v2 - iT	$5
Inside Out -iT	$4
Iron Man 3 - iT	$4
Jungle Book (Live) (2016) - iT	$4.50
Lion King (Live) - MA	$4
Maleficient 2: Mistress of Evil - MA	$5
Moana - MA	$5.50
Mulan (Live) - MA	$4
Ralph Breaks the Internet - MA	$5
Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker - MA	$4
Thor: Love & Thunder - MA	$5
Toy Story 4 - MA	$5
Turning Red - MA	$5

4K

Title	Price
10 Cloverfield Lane - Vu	$7
3 From Hell - Vu or iT	$4
48 Hours - Vu or iT	$6
Ambulance- MA	$6.50
American Gangster- MA	$5
American Made- MA	$6
American Psycho - Vu , iT or GP	$5
Another 48 Hours - Vu or iT	$6
Batman - MA	$5
Bram Stoker's Dracula- MA	$5
Bullet Train - MA	$5.50
Bumblebee - Vu or iT	$5
Cabin in the Woods - Vu	$4
Clerks III - iT	$5
Cloverfield - Vu or iT	$6
Collateral - Vu or iT	$5
Coming to America - Vu or iT	$5
Cool Hand Luke (1967) - MA	$7
Crawl - iT or Vu	$5
Criminal - Vu	$5
Daniel Craig 5 Film

Casino Royale Quantum of Solace Skyfall Spectre No Time to Die - Vu $20 Deadpool - iT$3 Dragonslayer - Vu $5 Dune (2021) - MA$5 Elvis (2022) - MA$5.50 Escape from LA - Vu or iT$6.75 Fright Night - MA$5 Godfather - Vu or iT$5 Godfather Part 2 - Vu or iT$5 Godfather Part 3 Coda - Vu or iT$5 Grease - iT$5 Green Mile - MA$6 Hacksaw Ridge - Vu $4 Heat - MA$5 Heavy Metal - MA$5.50 Highlander - Vu $5.50 Hunt for Red October- Vu or iT$5.50 In the Line of Fire - MA$5.50 Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Vu or iT$5 Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade - Vu or iT$5 Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom - Vu or iT$5 Jurassic Park - MA$5 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - MA$5 King's Man - MA$7 Last Night in Soho - MA$5.75 Matrix Resurrections - MA$6 Northman - MA$6 Plane - Vu or iT$7 Poltergeist - MA$5.50 Pulp Fiction - iT or Vu$5 Raiders of the Lost Ark - Vu or iT$5 Red - Vu $4.50 Red 2 - Vu $4.50 Reservoir Dogs - iT or Vu$6 Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City - MA$6.50 Rocky - Vu $5 Scream - Vu or iT$5 Scream 2 - Vu or iT$5 Shutter Island - Vu $6 Sicario - Vu or iT$5 Sicario: Day of the Soldado - MA$5 Smokin' Aces - MA$6 Speed - MA$5 Spiderman: No Way Home - MA$3.50 Stuber - MA$5.50 The Hitman's Bodyguard & Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard - Vu $10 The Lost Boys - MA$6 The Mummy - iT$5 The Mummy (Tom Cruise) (2017) - MA$5 The Protégé - Vu or iT$5.75 Top Gun: Maverick - Vu or iT$5.50 Untouchables - iT or Vu$6 Wolf of Wall Street - Vu or iT$5

Disney HD

Title	Price
101 Dalmatians - MA	$4
Age of Ultron - MA	$3
Age of Ultron - GP	$2
Aladdin (2019) - MA	$3
Aladdin (2019) - GP	$2
Aladdin (Robin Williams) - Vu	$4
Avengers: Age of Ulton - Vu	$3
Avengers: Age of Ulton - GP	$2
Avengers: End Game - Vu	$3
Avengers: End Game - GP	$2
Avengers: Infinity War - Vu	$2.50
Avengers: Infinity War - GP	$2
Beauty & the Beast (1991) - Vu	$2
Beauty & the Beast (1991) - GP	$2
Beauty & the Beast:
Enchanted Christmas - Vu	$6
Beauty & the Beast:
Enchanted Christmas - GP	$4.50
Beauty & the Beast (2017) - MA	$3
Beauty & the Beast (2017) - GP	$2
BFG - Vu	$3
Big Hero 6 - MA	$3
Big Hero 6 - GP	$2
Black Panther - MA	$3.50
Black Panther - GP	$2.50
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - GP	$2.50
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - MA	$4
Black Widow - MA	$4.50
Black Widow - GP	$3
Call of the Wild - Vu	$3
Call of the Wild - MA	$3
Call of the Wild - GP	$2
Captain America: Civil War - MA	$3
Captain America: Civil War - GP	$2
Captain Marvel - Vu	$3
Captain Marvel - GP	$2
Cars 2 - GP	$3
Cars 3 - MA	$3
Cars 3 - GP	$2
Celebrating Mickey - GP	$3
Cinderella (Live) - MA	$4
Cinderella (Live) - GP	$3
Coco - GP	$2
Cruella - MA	$3
Cruella - GP	$2
Doctor Strange - Vu	$3
Doctor Strange - GP	$2
Doctor Strange 2 - Vu	$4
Doctor Strange 2 - GP	$3
Dumbo (2019) - MA	$4
Dumbo (2019) - GP	$3
Emperor's New Groove - MA	$7
Emperor's New Groove - GP	$6.75
Eternals - Vu	$3.50
Eternals - GP	$2.50
Finding Dory - MA	$3.50
Finding Dory - GP	$2
Fox and the Hound 2 - GP	$5
Free Guy - Vu	$3
Free Guy - GP	$2
Frozen - MA	$3
Frozen - GP	$2
Frozen 2 - GP	$2
Frozen Sing Along - MA	$3
Frozen Sing Along - GP	$2
Good Dinosaur - MA	$4
Good Dinosaur - GP	$3
Guardians of the Galaxy - GP	$3
Guardians of the Galaxy v2 - GP	$3
Hercules - Vu	$6.50
Hercules - GP	$5.50
Hocus Pocus - MA	$3
Hocus Pocus - GP	$2
Incredibles 2 - MA	$3
Incredibles 2 - GP	$2
Inside Out - GP	$2
Into the Woods - GP	$2
Iron Man 3 - GP	$2
Jungle Book (Live) (2016) - GP	$3
Jungle Cruise - MA	$3
Jungle Cruise - GP	$2
Kronk's New Groove - MA	$6.75
Kronk's New Groove - GP	$6.50
Lady & the Tramp - MA	$5
Lady & the Tramp - GP	$4
Lightyear - Vu	$3.50
Lilo & Stitch - MA	$4
Lilo & Stitch - GP	$3.50
Lilo & Stitch 2 - MA	$4
Lion King (Animated) - MA	$4.50
Lion King (Animated) - GP	$3.50
Lion King (Live) - GP	$2
Little Mermaid - MA	$4.50
Little Mermaid - GP	$3.50
Little Mermaid 2 - MA	$7
Little Mermaid 2 - GP	$6.75
Little Mermaid 3 - MA	$7
Lone Ranger - Vu	$4
Lone Ranger - GP	$2
Luca - MA	$3
Luca - GP	$2
Maleficent - MA	$3
Maleficent - GP	$2
Maleficent 2 - GP	$3
Many Adventures of
Winnie the Pooh - MA	$4
Mary Poppins - MA	$3
Mary Poppins - GP	$2.50
Mary Poppins Returns - MA	$4
Mary Poppins Returns - GP	$2.50
Moana - GP	$2
Monsters University - GP	$4.25
Mulan (Live Action) - GP	$2
Mulan II - MA	$5
Mulan II - GP	$4
Nightmare Before Christmas - GP	$3.50
Onward - MA	$3
Onward - GP	$2
Oz the Great and Powerful - MA	$3
Oz the Great and Powerful - GP	$2
Peter Pan - MA	$5
Peter Pan - GP	$4
Pinocchio - GP	$4
Pirate Fairy - MA	$3
Pirate Fairy - GP	$2
POTC: Dead Men Tell No Tales - MA	$3
Planes - MA	$4
Planes - GP	$2
Planes: Fire & Rescue - MA	$4
Planes: Fire & Rescue - GP	$2
Pocahontas - MA	$5
Pocahontas - GP	$4
Pocahontas 2 - MA	$5
Pocahontas 2 - GP	$4
Ralph Breaks the Internet - Vu	$3
Ralph Breaks the Internet - GP	$2
Raya and the Last Dragon - MA	$4
Raya and the Last Dragon - GP	$3
Rescuers - Vu	$6
Rescuers - GP	$4
Rescuers Down Under - Vu	$6
Robin Hood - MA	$5
Robin Hood - GP	$3
Rogue One - Vu	$3
Rogue Wars: Star Wars Story - MA	$3
Rogue Wars: Star Wars Story - GP	$2
Ron's Gone Wrong - MA	$3.00
Santa Clause - MA	$4.50
Santa Clause - GP	$3
Santa Clause 2 - MA	$4.50
Santa Clause 2 - GP	$3
Santa Clause 3 - MA	$4.50
Santa Clause 3 - GP	$3
Saving Mr. Banks - MA	$4
Saving Mr. Banks - GP	$3
Sleeping Beauty - MA	$4
Sleeping Beauty - GP	$3
Snow White - GP	$4
Soul - MA	$3
Soul - GP	$2
Spies in Disguise - GP	$2
Star Wars Last Jedi - GP	$2
Star Wars: Force Awakens - MA	$3
Star Wars: Force Awakens - GP	$2
Star Wars: Last Jedi - MA	$3
Star Wars: Last Jedi - GP	$2
Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker - MA	$4
Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker - GP	$3
Star Wars: Rogue One - MA	$3
Star Wars: Rogue One - GP	$2
Strange World - GP	$3
Super Buddies - MA	$3
Super Buddies - GP	$2
Sword in the Stone - MA	$5
Tangled - MA	$5
Tangled - GP	$4.50
Thor: Dark World, The - MA	$3
Thor: Dark World, The - GP	$2
Thor: Love & Thunder - MA	$4
Thor: Love & Thunder - GP	$3
Thor: Ragnarok - MA	$3
Thor: Ragnarok - GP	$2
Tomorrowland - MA	$3
Tomorrowland - GP	$2
Toy Story 3 - GP	$3
Toy Story 4 - GP	$3
Toy Story: That Time Forgot - MA	$5
Toy Story: That Time Forgot - GP	$4.50
Turning Red - GP	$3
West Side Story - Vu	$2
West Side Story - GP	$1.50
Winnie the Pooh:
Springtime with Roo - MA	$4.50
Zootopia - MA	$4
Zootopia - GP	$3

HD

Title	Price
13 Hours Secret Soldiers - Vu	$2
A Madea Christmas - Vu	$1.50
A Quiet Place - Vu or iT	$3
A Very Brady Sequel - Vu or iT	$5
Boss Baby - Vu	$2
Bourne Legacy - MA or iT	$0.75
Brady Bunch Movie - Vu	$5
Bring it on World CheerSmack - MA or iT	$0.50
Copshop - MA	$5
Croods - MA or iT	$3
Deadpool - MA	$1.50
Despicable Me 2 - MA	$2
How The Grinch Stole Christmas - MA	$3
E.T. - Vu or iT	$4
Edward Scissorhands - MA	$3
Emoji Movie - Vu	$2
Extreme Prejudice - Vu or iT	$4.50
Fast & Furious 6 - MA	$2
Fast & the Furious - Vu	$2
Frozen Ground - Vu	$2
Furious 7 - Vu or iT	$3
Fury - MA	$2.50
Heavy Metal 2000 - MA	$6.50
Hell or High Water - Vu	$5
Hitchcock - Vu	$2
House with a Clock
in its Walls (2018) - MA	$4
How to Train Your Dragon 2 - MA	$3
Hugo - Vu	$2
Hugo - iT	$2
Independence Day: Resurgence - MA	$2
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back - Vu or iT	$2
Jarhead 3: The Siege - MA	$2
Jason Bourne	iT
Jigsaw - Vu	$3
Jurassic World - Vu	$3
King of Staten Island - MA	$4
Kingsman: Golden Circle - MA	$2
La La Land - Vu	$2
Let's Be Cops- MA	$1
Miss Peregrine's
Home for Peculiar Children - Vu	$2
Mission Impossible Fallout - iT	$2
Mummy Tomb of the Dragon - MA	$3
Neighbors - iT	$2
Norm of the North - Vu	$2
Now You See Me - Vu	$2
Power Rangers - Vu or iT	$2
Pride & Prejudice (2005) - iT	$2
Resident Evil: Retribution - MA	$5.50
Rogue - Vu	$2
Schindler's List - Vu	$4
Secret Life of Pets - MA or iT	$2
Selma - Vu or iT	$3
Show Dogs (2018) - MA	$3
Sing - MA or iT	$2
Sinister - iT	$2
Snow White & the Huntsman - MA	$1
Split - MA	$3
Star Trek Beyond - Vu or iT	$3
Star Trek: Into Darkness - Vu or iT	$1
Step Up: All In - Vu or GP	$2
Super Troopers 2 - MA	$4
Superfly - MA	$3
Taken 2 - MA	$3
Terminator Dark Fate - Vu or iT	$2
The Bad News Bears (1976) - Vu	$4
The Captivev- Vu	$2
The Purge - MA	$3
The Women in Black - MA	$2
TMNT - Vu	$1.50
TMNT Out of the Shadows - iT	$2
Transformers: Age of Extinction - Vu	$1.50
Trolls - MA	$2
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 - Vu	$1
Tyler Perry's Temptation - Vu	$2
Tyler Perry's Witness Protection - Vu	$1.50
Venom - MA	$3
War for the Planet of the Apes - Vu	$2
Wind River - Vu or iT	$5

SD

Title	Price
21 Jump Street - MA	$1
Adventures of TinTin - Vu or iT	$1
Amazing Spider-Man - MA	$0.50
Annie - MA	$0.75
Brothers - Vu	$1
Concussion - MA	$0.50
Divergent - Vu	$0.50
Equalizer - MA	$1
G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra - iT	$1.50
Here Comes The Boom - MA	$1
Hugo - Vu or iT	$0.75
Justin Bieber Never Say Never - iT	$1.50
Miss Bala - MA	$3
Safe - iT	$0.50
Star Trek: Into Darkness - iT	$0.50
Star Trek: Into Darkness - Vu	$0.50
The Last Stand - iT	$0.50
The Last Witch Hunter - Vu	$1
The Smurfs 2 - MA	$1
The Spectacular Now - Vu	$1
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 - Vu	$0.50
Warm Bodies - Vu, iT or GP	$0.50
X-Men: Wolverine - iT	$1

Is there a website that allows you to see tank stats more than 2 decimal points, since Im playing the Kran and running the snapshot directive until i get it to 90% gun marks then ill switch over to the stabilizer greasing. It seems the snapshot isn't doing much to my dispersion and stays at 0.12 for the turret. At the same time, stab greasing provides just a 5% bonus and takes it down to 0.11 vs snapshots' 10.98% bonus which keeps it at 0.12. unless tanks gg doesn't have crew directives working properly or crew skill work differently to equipment skills when reducing dispersion.
​
edit I have like a 6 perk crew in it so snapshot skill and then snapshot directive

Mark Koenig was Babe Ruth's teammate on the New York Yankees from 1925 to 1930. Hitting just .230 over the first half of the 1930 season, the Yankees traded Koenig to the Detroit Tigers, but he continued to struggle. After another bad season in 1931, the Tigers released him. Koenig, still just 27 years old, went to the minor leagues where he hit .335 and caught the attention of the Chicago Cubs, who signed him for the final two months of the season, and he hit .353 the rest of the way. The Cubs were 60-50 before they signed Koenig, and 30-14 after as they won the National League pennant.
Despite Koenig's contributions, prior to the World Series, the Cubs players had a vote and decided to give him only a half share of the World Series money.
Their opponent in the World Series would be Koenig's former team, the New York Yankees, and Babe Ruth in particular was incensed at how the Cubs were treating Koenig, calling them cheapskates. The Cubs responded by calling the 37-year-old Ruth "grandpa", "big belly", and -- maybe most cutting of all -- "balloon-head."
The fans got in on it too, throwing lemons at Ruth whenever he was in range of the stands!
In the top of the 5th, with the score tied 4-4, Cubs pitcher Charlie Root got two strikes on the Babe, and the crowd roared in anticipation of a strikeout. The furious Ruth then made a gesture.
What the gesture was depends on who you ask. Some said Ruth was pointing at the Cubs bench as they continued to harass each other. Others said Ruth held up two fingers to the hostile crowd to indicate there were only two strikes. But many -- including future Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, then a 12-year-old Chicago Cubs fan watching from the stands -- say Ruth very definitively pointed at the center field bleachers.
And on the next pitch, he hit the ball to that very spot -- a home run that gave the Yankees a lead they would not relinquish.
Pitch and duck!

Today I met with a psychiatrist in the TMS department at Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa, and after reviewing my history and contraindications (none) she said I was an excellent candidate for TMS and put me on the wait list.
I asked how long the wait was, and she said, not long, although I wish I'd asked whether that meant days or weeks. I will probably call the department back to clarify, although I'm supposed to receive a call from them soon.
I wonder if others were as impatient to start treatment as I seem to be... Nothing I hate more than "hurry up and wait", especially when it comes to something like this....
But what can I do? Squeaky wheel gets the grease.. I know the main receptionist for the department who does all the treatment scheduling is on vacation this week. I plan to call him first thing Monday morning.
Meanwhile... I am trying to give myself as much of a break as I can at this point. I've taken to eating candy (not depressed I don't even really like candy) and given myself extra permission to watch TV and movies, chain smoke cigarettes, basically, do whatever I need to do to get through this waiting period, waiting for treatment to start, and then to see if it's going to work.
I'm imagining a life with interest and enjoyment again... And I do believe tms might help me to feel better than I have in years... Because although I'm in a bipolar depressive episode now, I do think in recent years my upper end has been a low grade milder depression, kind of like how people describe dysthymia.
I'm really hopeful. And hey, if it doesn't work, I think ketamine is next....

Today I met with a psychiatrist in the TMS department at Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa, and after reviewing my history and contraindications (none) she said I was an excellent candidate for TMS and put me on the wait list.
I asked how long the wait was, and she said, not long, although I wish I'd asked whether that meant days or weeks. I will probably call the department back to clarify, although I'm supposed to receive a call from them soon.
I wonder if others were as impatient to start treatment as I seem to be... Nothing I hate more than "hurry up and wait", especially when it comes to something like this....
But what can I do? Squeaky wheel gets the grease.. I know the main receptionist for the department who does all the treatment scheduling is on vacation this week. I plan to call him first thing Monday morning.
Meanwhile... I am trying to give myself as much of a break as I can at this point. I've taken to eating candy (not depressed I don't even really like candy) and given myself extra permission to watch TV and movies, chain smoke cigarettes, basically, do whatever I need to do to get through this waiting period, waiting for treatment to start, and then to see if it's going to work.
I'm imagining a life with interest and enjoyment again... And I do believe tms might help me to feel better than I have in years... Because although I'm in a bipolar depressive episode now, I do think in recent years my upper end has been a low grade milder depression, kind of like how people describe dysthymia.
I'm really hopeful. And hey, if it doesn't work, I think ketamine is next....

Hey everyone! I managed to finally do what I planned and alternate fics with each chapter xD. I don't know what it is, but I get hyper focused here and there and then I can get such writer's block with certain things while writing but then get in a zone after managing to get past certain sections. Anyway, this is the second of three planned Linked Souls Day chapters, the next one being the last and from there just hopefully one more chapter that serves as a prelude and transition into the canon events. But don't quote me fully on this as it MIGHT turn into two chapters depending on if I can fit everything in it. But I'm excited to get into the canon material as I've had plans for it since 2020 xD. Anyway, I'm going to likely swap back to my Helluva Boss fic to do a chapter than swap back to this as I want to try to prevent any burn out. Fair warning, I might get a lil hyper focused on the HB fic, but I will do my best to keep a good balance and get back to this as soon as possible.
As I've said before both of these fics are passion projects that I intend to finish no matter how long it takes as I love writing in both worlds. Also, I'm still sticking to this being set pretty much in Japan given everything in canon and sticking to those sensibilities and laws while not neglecting my own western ones and other westerners. I know I've put the disclaimer bout the Nazomi and Sebastian relationship on every prior chapter focusing on then, I just want to make it clear each time this is being handled with care and the maturity it demands. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and I might get the next chapter out maybe early next month or near the end of this one depending on how things go, but I WILL get it out.
Also, curious what everyone thinks about my introduction of a Valentines equivalent.
-------------------------------
After Shinoku and Vega left to meet up with Anya and Sheila, Sebastian took the time to finish getting ready for when he’d meet up with Nazomi. Just like his friends, Sebastian took his time to make sure that he looked good enough for their rendezvous, putting on some clothes he had that looked very similar to the Cherryton uniform aside from differing colors and other minor things. Also like Shinoku and Vega, he had gotten Nazomi a gift as well. After making sure he was good and ready for his meet up with Nazomi, Sebastian went back to reading to pass the time till he needed to head down the hill to meet up with her. As he waited, Sebastian heard his phone ring, quickly going to see who it was and answering it when he saw it was his mother.
“Hello Sebastian.” His mother said as he answered the phone. “I hope you’re well.”
“Hi mom.” he replied. “Yeah, I’m doing well.”
“That’s good to hear. How are your grades, I trust you’re keeping them high like you always do.” His mother inquired.
“I am.”
“That’s good to hear, you always do your best. Though, I’m not sure why you don’t do cram school like your brother did and your sister is doing. It’s nice that you work hard, don’t get me wrong, but I just want to make sure you’re living up to your full potential.” She said, her tone carrying that always subtle pressure of a proud lioness with high expectations.
While she did care for him like any lion mother, she always wanted him to live up to the standards and the image of what a lion should be. Not that she was any different from any other lioness towards her kids, they all knew they had to make sure that the reputation of the king of beasts was maintained. It was an ever present driving force for lions; to stand apart, set the example, excel and push yourself to ever higher points and positions. It was both the greatest driving factor, and the most dangerous threat to a lion. While most would manage to get by and repress the toll it took or even thrive; for others, it would be far too much pressure. It was what lead to so many lions to go to the back alley, to form the likes of the shishigumi or join it.
Sebastian took a moment, the pressure of his mother’s expectations briefly showing before he quickly composed himself. “I understand mom, don’t worry, I have everything planned out.” he assured her. “I’m just tackling things in a way that allows me to give my full attention to my grades here. It’s not that I’m not interested in cram school, I just think it’s more logical to not have my focus split too much.”
“Always the analytical one my little Seby.” his mother commented. “But you only focus on your schoolwork and your reading, even your brother managed to handle doing cram school AND being on his school’s baseball team. He always did so well, even as a cub. Your sister’s also excelling in her gymnastics.” She added. His mother never overtly sounded disappointed, but the subtle nudges and constant reminding of his siblings’ achievements spoke volumes of her wanting him to be like them and every other lion. Why couldn’t she just understand that while he had the potential like every other lion, he just didn’t have the interest? Wasn’t it enough that they were bringing home trophies to show off?
Sebastian let the pressure he felt slip slightly once more before regaining his composure again. “It’s good to hear they’re doing so well…” he said in a cheerful voice. “You don’t need to worry though mom, I’ll make sure I get into a good college, plus all my teachers like me. Getting a recommendation good enough to be accepted won’t be hard to get.”
“True, your teachers always liked you.” His mother said. “But it’s just so rare for a lion not to do cram school. At least, in terms of the ones wanting to make a good life for themselves.” she commented in a veiled implication that a lot of the lions who chose not to were always trouble makers and bad seeds.
“I know mom.” Sebastian replied. “But I do have a career path set and I’m not going to stray from it.”
“And given the way you study and your grades I have no doubt. I can’t wait to hear what prestigious college you become the head over. But you might decide to be something equally important to society.” his mother commented. He never dared once to say he wanted to just teach, he didn’t even care where. All he ever said when what he wanted to be came up was something potentially in education and just smile and nod when his mother would suggest stuff. “By the way, have you found a nice lioness yet?”
“No, not yet mom.” Sebastian replied. He didn’t even dare to think about giving her a hint that he had found someone, knowing full well the questions that ensue about her and wanting to see a picture of or talk to her.
“That’s a shame, I hate to hear that you’re alone on Linked Souls Day. Are you looking?” his mother asked.
“Yes mom, I am.” Sebastian lied. “I’ll find someone, it just takes time for some.”
“But you’re so handsome, are you sure you’re looking or giving good impressions?”
“I am…” Sebastian replied as he held back a sigh.
“Alright. But just know that I have a few friends with very nice daughters I could always introduce you to.”
Sebastian pinched his brow. “Thanks...but I’m sure I’ll find someone soon.”
“OK, just don’t get so caught up in your studies that you forget.” his mother commented. “Anyway, I need to get going, your father’s going to be taking me out for a romantic date. He says hi by the way.”
“I won’t.” Sebastian said as he composed himself once more. “And that sounds nice, tell him I say hello.”
“Sure. And Sebastian, keep working hard and making us proud.” his mother said before hanging up.
Sebastian let out a sigh as he hung up his phone, putting it back in his pocket. As he did so, Hassan looked at him. “I get the whole familial pressure, it’s not fun. I can only imagine what it’s like with being a lion.”
“She means well…” Sebastian replied.
“Clearly given the expressions you let slip.” Hassan pointed out. “I’m not trying to say your mother’s horrible, but her intentions aren’t exactly selfless.”
“It’s just how it is for us lions.”
“Well if you ask me it’s a bunch of bullshit.” Jax commented.
Hassan just shrugged. “Like Sebastian said, it’s just what it is. All we can do is just not let it get to us and forge our own paths the best we can when it comes to expectations.”
“Anyway, I better start heading out, it’s getting close to time for me to meet up with miss Nazomi.” Sebastian said as he stood up, walking over to get the flowers and gift for Nazomi.
“Sure you don’t need any help?” Hassan asked.
“I’ll be fine.”
Hassan nodded. “Alright.”
“Keep living the dream dude, maybe you’ll get to spend the night with her.” Jax said with a wide grin.
Sebastian just rolled his eyes at Jax before walking out to meet up with Nazomi, not even wanting to respond to the comment. As he headed down to the main floor of the dorm, Sebastian felt a combination of excitement and nervousness. It was his first time celebrating Linked Souls Day with anyone, not that he was ever really bothered about not being able to do so in the past. Sebastian also felt a bit guilty due to the fact that because he was a student and Nazomi a teacher, he couldn’t really do anything publicly with her let alone the fact that she was preparing the meal for them to eat.
Deep down he was a romantic at heart, much maligning the fact that he couldn’t be the one to treat her to a cooked meal. It didn’t really feel right that on Linked Souls Day she was doing most the work. It was just something that he would make sure to do in the future if things got that far with them. Although he still worried about being the potential cause of her losing her job. That, and exactly when and how he was going to introduce her to his parents when he was no longer a student. Hopefully he’d have it figured out when the time came.
Sebastian let out a sigh as he exited the boy’s dorm. Despite all the worries, he still deep down found himself hoping that this would work out. Even with the returning thought of this being just a potential rebellion against his parents and their expectations, he could not deny how he felt about the older feline. Especially with their first date still ever present in his mind. No matter what challenges or obstacles they might face, he was willing to face them, his resolve hardening all the more. Even if it ended up with them having to end things before something bad happened, he’d rather live knowing he tried his best than giving into the fear and not trying to fight for his own happiness.
It didn’t take long for Sebastian to leave the school and get down the hill to where Nazomi said she would be waiting for him, and as he got to their rendezvous spot he stopped. His eyes widened as he felt his heart about to beat out of his chest. Before him stood Nazomi next to her car, dressed in a rather nice satin button down green blouse and black business skirt with a slit on the left side that fit her perfectly. She looked beautiful, so much so that Sebastian felt his cheeks were on fire aas he blushed, unable to really say anything for a few moments.
“W-wow…” he managed to say as he managed to walk over to Nazomi. “You look...amazing.”
Nazomi smiled a bit. “Thank you, I did try.” she said as she blushed ever so slightly. “I would have worn a dress, but I didn’t want to arouse any real suspicion…”
“It’s fine, there’s not a time I’ve seen you where you didn’t look beautiful.” Sebastian said as he continued to blush, rubbing the back of his head as he did so.
Nazomi blushed more. “You look quite handsome yourself, and just as professional as I do.” she commented. “At least it won’t look too suspicious...I hope.”
“I’m sure it won’t.” Sebastian commented before blinking. “Oh, right, I got you these.” Sebastian added as he handed her the bouquet.
“Awe, thank you love.” Nazomi almost cooed as she took the flowers. “They’re beautiful, I can’t remember the last time I got flowers...Thank you.”
Sebastian smiled as he then handed her a smallish wrapped box. “I also got you this.”
Nazomi blinked as she took the gift, opening it to see it was a bottle of perfume. Taking it out of the box she gave it a sniff. “It smells wonderful, I can’t imagine how much this was…”
“It’s nothing, I saw it one day and thought it’d suit you. So I saved up to make sure I could get you it for today.”
Nazomi smiled, tail flicking as a purr emitted from her throat. “You really are too sweet.” she said as she moved to put the gifts up and then hugged Sebastian. “Again, thanks.” she added as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Shall we?”
“Yes.” Sebastian replied, giving Nazomi a nuzzle.
The two got in Nazomi’s car, Sebastian first asking if he should maybe hide out of site like in the trunk only for Nazomi to insist that he sit in the passenger seat. Despite his concerns she said if anyone asked, she was just helping him get to Linked Souls Day meet up. Which, in the most technical sense was not a lie. Sebastian nodded, getting in the passenger seat before Nazomi started her car up and drove.
As They drove through the city to Nazomi’s house something hit Sebastian that he could not believe he didn’t think about even when he had first seen the female cat. “Hey, Mrs. Nazomi?” he asked as he looked at her.
“Yes love?” she asked.
“I just realized...you’re a bit tall for an oriental shorthair. It’s something I should have realized sooner, are you…”
“A mixed species?” Nazomi finished asking for him with a slight smile. “Most don’t really take note until they hit their growth spurts and outgrow me by whatever their heights usually are depending on species. But yes, I am.” she answered. “I’m one third panther on my mother’s side.”
Sebastian blinked, that would explain why she was a bit more ebony in her fur color and why she was taller than the typical shorthair. In fact, her coming up to just under the mid point of his chest hadn’t come off as odd until he thought about it. With some growth still to come, odds are she’d likely be at his gut or just over his waist by the time he finished growing. Not that it was really a problem or he minded, it was just an observation he made.
His eyes glanced over at the scenery as they drove, taking in the buildings and noting that they were sticking to a fairly nice part of town. He then glanced over at Nazomi, taking in how beautiful she looked with a blush, she really was quite something. Sebastian found himself moving his hand closer to hers when they stopped at a red light. Nazomi smiled as she noticed, her hand moving towards his as they held hands for a moment before the light turned green. It did become a thing though with each stop they had to make, both of them enjoying the sign of affection.
It didn’t take too long until they had entered in a rather nice looking neighborhood, about the kind Sebastian assumed Nazomi might live in. It was nice and modest and the house that Nazomi pulled in to was just as nice looking. Thankfully, most of her neighbors were either out celebrating the holiday or doing so in their homes.“Here we are.” Nazomi said warmly.
“It’s a nice looking home.” Sebastian said as the two got out.
“Thanks. It’s really nothing all that special, but it’s nice and cozy and it’s really all I need.” Nazomi replied as she got the gifts Sebastian had gotten before heading to the door with the lion, both their tails flicking and even entwining a bit as they approached it. When they got to the door Nazomi fumbled a bit as she got her keys to unlock it.
“Allow me.” Sebastian offered as he helped her unlock the door, opening it for her.
“Thank you.” Nazomi smiled as she took a quick look around before pecking his cheek. “I’ll put these up while you make yourself at home. I haven’t quite started what I was going to fix, so it will be a bit longer before we eat.”
“You haven’t?” Sebastian inquired. “Then mind if I help? I feel bad that you’re doing a lot of the work and it’s only right that I do everything I can for you today.”
Nazomi smiled as she looked at him. “You’re such a kind, sweet, animal Sebastian. I don’t mind, really.”
“I insist.”
Nazomi chuckled slightly. “You really are a gentleman aren’t you?” she mused.
Sebastian blushed a bit as he rubbed the back of his head. “I just...I want to do whatever I can. You’re a wonderful woman and a great teacher. And, well, I want to take any and every opportunity I can get to treat you right because you deserve it.” the lion said as he blushed some more, conviction clear to see in his eyes.
Nazomi couldn’t help but blush, his words having touched her more than anything in her past relationships. “Alright, how about this? If you want to help me then let’s make it a thing and finish cooking it together?” she offered with a smile.
“I’d like that.” Sebastian agreed with his own smile.
“Alright, just give me a moment.”
Sebastian nodded as Nazomi went to go put up the gifts that Sebastian had gotten her. As she headed off, Sebastian found his eyes wandering over her form, taking in her figure that was shown off by her attire as well as lower, noting her slightly swaying hips and…tail. Sebastian cursed himself as he moved his eyes to something else. Sure he was still a teenager, a boy, but he prided himself in being better than most. Sure he had his...moments, as Jax so brazenly pointed out. But the last thing he wanted was to be that inappropriate towards Nazomi, even if he did, at times, allow some indulgences here and there.
When Nazomi got back she smiled. “Alright, ready?”
Sebastian nodded. “Yes.”
“OK, should be done in half the time with both of us working on it.”
Nazomi lead Sebastian to the kitchen to show him that she was preparing, a fruit lasagna with the usual accompaniments. After Sebastian looked over the recipe she was using, one from the cooking show Happy Happy Cooking that was toted to be one of their more popular ones among carnivores. he set to work helping her, working side by side as they prepared the fruit, making sure that everything was layered properly. Like in the car, every now and then Nazomi and Sebastian would briefly hold hands as they prepared the meal, satisfying their feline proclivity for touch contact. It wasn’t too long before they had the lasagna in the oven and the accompanying bread.
“Alright, shouldn’t be too long for it to fully cook, thanks for the help.” Nazomi said as she nuzzled Sebastian, giving him an affectionate hug as well. “In the meantime, we can go over some of my old notes and other things while we wait to help you out with your career path if you like.”
“Sure.” Sebastian smiled as he nuzzled and hugged her back, the two staying like that for a good minute.
“I’ll go get them then.” Nazomi said as she finally and somewhat hesitantly separated to go get her old college notes and study material, returning shortly after with them.
While the food cooked Nazomi went over various things she had to study and learn with Sebastian, covering things they hadn’t gone over from prior times and quizzing him on material they had. To Sebastian, this was like cram school in a sense, getting ready for what he’d need to know to excel in college, only with a more...personal and romantic one on one touch. While he never had issue with paying attention to any of his teachers, Sebastian always hung on every word Nazomi said. To him, her voice was just as beautiful as everything else about her. And just like all the times before, they shared affections with each other.
It seemed like no time at all when the food was done, the two of them chalking it up to them just enjoying each other’s company so much. As Nazomi got the lasagna and bread Sebastian set the table before helping her prepare their plates. As he finished helping her he noticed her take out some wine glasses and a bottle of wine and pouring some of the red liquid in each, although one was more of a sample serving compared to the other, before putting it up and placing them on the table.
“Wine?” Sebastian inquired.
“Just to help things feel a bit more normal.” Nazomi explained. “You don’t have to even drink it. But I was your age once, Rex it only feels like yesterday, and even back then sampling wine wasn’t wrong. That first date we had when you encouraged me to not deny myself any wine, where we acted like a teacher and student just having a meet up to discuss things, stayed on my mind for a while. It wasn’t right that there was some inequality, no full romantic atmosphere. So, I figured sense we’re in private I’d have us on an even level or give the feeling of it. But as I said, you don’t have to drink it.” she said before sitting down.
Sebastian blushed, smiling as he sat down. “Thank you, love.” he said with a fair bit of warmth in hid voice.
It never ceased to surprise the other that both worried about the other’s feelings and the challenges they had to face with their secretive relationship. Something that made each grow more attached to the other was when a few days after their first date Nazomi had confessed to Sebastian that she was far more hesitant and worried than she let on. Revealing she had been hiding the anxiety of them being a thing and was actually on the verge of suggesting they just call the attempt off out of fear as well as the revelation of his uncle. But she had decided to go through with it because of how truly genuine and good a man he was among other things that made her want to try. Sebastian himself had also confided in her his own concerns and worries about it and her, which made her just feel all the stronger for him over time.
“By the way, how has your day been so far?” Sebastian asked as he began to eat, taking a bite of the lasagna. “Oh, this is delicious.”
“It is.” Nazomi agreed as she took a bite of it. “It’s all thanks to you though, doubt it would have been as good without a little help.” she said with a smile. “As for my day, it’s gone well so far, just the usual grading of papers and preparing for the coming weeks’ lessons. Same old, same old, really. So far the rest of the students I have are nice and do there best. Despite what issues some might cause outside of the classroom I don’t really have to deal with any troublemakers, Maybe a few slackers or an unmotivated student, but that’s about it.”
“Well you’re a great teacher, I find it hard to believe that any of my peers would want to cause any trouble in your class. Not only that, but you’re very nice and helpful too.” Sebastian commented.
A smile formed on Nazomi’s mouth as her ebony fur darkened. “Thank you, you’re always so sweet Sebastian.” she said as she purred a bit. “Honestly, I think you’re one of the best students at the school, you work hard and are always so polite. I know you’ll go far with being a teacher.”
Sebastian blushed heavily. “Thank you…” he said with a half smile. “Though I will admit, keeping it up can be a bit—stressful. Comes with being a lion, expectations and familial pressure.” he admitted
Nazomi blinked as she looked at him. “Is it that hard?”
“It’s, well…”
Nazomi moved her hand to rest on top of his. “You can tell me if this is something negatively effecting you Sebastian.”
The lion sighed a bit. “It is hard. Being a lion you’re seen as the king of beasts, someone who’ll go far and have high positioned jobs or in some form of leadership. That image both helps and hurts us, becoming a driving factor for pushing ourselves as much as possible to keep to a standard. It’s something that permeates every lion family, the mothers and fathers pushing their kids to do something worthy of being a lion. Cram school is seen as an expected and normal thing to do and those who don’t do it are mostly looked down on as they are often those that end up in gangs or didn’t try hard enough.”
Nazomi’s hand gripped his, squeezing gently. “Is your family pressuring you?”
“Not...entirely. My mother often brings up what my older brother and my sister are doing and keeps suggesting I try to do the same. She doesn’t seem disappointed, but there’s just something about her voice…” Sebastian admitted. “She is happy that I’m doing well, but I know she expects more. She thinks I’m planning to go into an education position that’s high up, or at a prestigious university when I don’t care where I teach so long as I do some good.”
Nazomi squeezed his hand again, feeling bad for the lion. “That’s not really all that good Sebastian, have you thought about bringing it up to a councilor?”
Sebastian shrugged. “Somewhat. But as I said, this permeates lions as a whole, it’s far too ingrained to really be dealt with. Thankfully my situation isn’t too bad, it can be far worse. Plus, I like learning so it’s not that big of a deal. I also have my friends and, well, you.” he smiled.
Nazomi blushed heavily. “I see…”
“I hope I didn’t make things awkward or anything…”
“No, no! You’re fine Sebastian.” Nazomi assured. “It’s good you have a support system and you don’t really let it get to you, you’re very strong for that. Will you tell your mother you’ll try to teach anywhere?”
“Eventually, yes, when I’m nearing the end of my higher education and about to apply to various places.” Sebastian answered. “Just like how I’ll tell her about us when I’m a bit into my freshman year at college or before I get into college if we get that far, which I hope we do and keep doing. You are an amazing woman and to be honest, to me you are far more exceptional than any other.”
Nazomi blinked, her fur becoming more dark red than ebony black as her heart melted. He was the kindest, most genuine soul she had ever met and continued to prove he was mature beyond his years. “I— thank you Sebastian.” she said with a soft purr, falling a fair bit more for the lion.
From there the two continued to talk as they ate, taking their time and enjoying each other’s company as they swapped stories about their childhood. Nazomi found herself surprised as she learned that even as a young kid Sebastian was well mannered and somewhat bookish. She felt comfortable around him, able to share with him more embarrassing things like the time she was so nervous to do a presentation in high school that she messed up a word or two or when she practically face planted when she was looking at a crush. It just felt right and natural to be so open with him.
When they had finished eating, Sebastian even having drank the small bit of wine, he and Nazomi cleared the table. Sebastian even helped her with the dishes before they went back to going over some more of Nazomi’s old papers and work to help prepare him. It seemed like no time once more as they noticed the sun was start to set.
“Is it really that late already?” Nazomi asked as she looked at her clock, taking note of the time.
“Looks like it.” Sebastian commented.
“My how time flies, it seems to go so slow until well…” she blushed. “I’m around you.”
Sebastian blushed heavily. “Yeah…”
“Thank you for the lovely time, as well as the gifts and helping out, not many guys are as considerate as you.” Nazomi commented.
“Well, you’re worth any effort…” the lion blushed.
Nazomi smiled, blushing as well. How could this lion keep finding ways to make her heart feel like it was a puddle? She hadn’t really met many guys with the ability to do that over the years, more so not than did in recent ones. It had gotten to the point where she just really stopped looking. But then Sebastian came around and made her feel things she hadn’t felt in a long time. His gentlemanly studious nature and willingness to be so considerate, among other things, just had her more enamored with each time they were together. The fact that he was willing to take things so slow, deny himself the most basic of typical teenage experiences that most his age were having just made him seem too good to be true. And yet, there he was proving to be just that good.
Then there was the fact that while she did do a fare share for the holiday he had not only helped out, but went out of his way to get her flowers and a rather nice gift, not expecting anything special in return and just wanting to treat her right. As the lion got up from where they had been sitting she stood. “Sebastian, before I take you back to Cherryton...I think you deserve another kiss.”
Sebastian blinked as he blushed. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to…”
“No, I want to.” Nazomi admitted with a smile. “The only true thing that’s tricky with our relationship is that you’re a student and I’m a teacher. You’ve proven time and again just how good a man you are and that you are someone I...have looked for.” she blushed. “So I don’t see us kissing, at least in private and while off school grounds as being an issue. I know you’d never take advantage of me and I want to reward you for such, and for treating me to one of the best times I’ve had in a while.”
Sebastian’s tail started to flick happily as he smiled. “Alright.”
The two approached each other, embracing as they leaned in to share a kiss. Just like with their first, it was utterly electrifying for Sebastian. The feel of Nazomi’s lips unlike anything he felt before as his heart beat out of his chest as he started to purr. Sebastian enjoyed every second that the kiss lasted, his hands starting to subconsciously roam along her back a bit, though he would catch and restrain himself before they went too low.
Nazomi for her part pressed a bit firmer than last time, what with it being a holiday for love. As they kissed she noticed that Sebastian’s hands roaming along her back, taking in her form and the feel of her body and causing her to purr a fair bit. She smiled as she noticed he restrained himself from doing anything inappropriate, knowing her trust in him would never be misplaced. Although she promised to herself one day when he was no longer a student, she’d allow him to no longer restrain himself.
As the finally broke the kiss Nazomi smiled. “That was a wonderful kiss, possibly better than the first.” she giggled.
“Y-yeah…” Sebastian agreed, his cheeks a dark red.
“Thank you for being such a gentleman and not taking advantage.” Nazomi commented as they stayed embraced.
“I’d never.”
“I know love.” she smiled. “And that is why I will make you this promise. If we manage to make it to when you are out of school, then you have permission to not restrain yourself anymore as we’ll be in the clear. Not that you’d need my permission at that point” Nazomi giggled. “Anyway, we best get going before it gets too dark.”
Sebastian’s blush deepened all the more. “Yeah…”
The two headed back out to Nazomi’s car, first checking for anyone that might notice before getting in and driving off. The ride back went much like the first, the two briefly holding hands here and there as they made their way through the city. It was something that both Sebastian and Nazomi seemed almost unable to resist doing. Hell, when they had walked back to Nazomi’s car their tails entwined again.
When they got back to the bottom of the hill that Cherryton rested on the moon had not been fully risen for too long. “Thanks again for the lovely Linked Souls Day, I haven’t really celebrated it in so long.” Nazomi said as she parked the car.
“No problem, hopefully our next date can be somewhat soon.” Sebastian replied with a smile. “I hope the rest of your weekend goes well.”
“Thank you Sebastian, you too, I’ll see you Monday.” Nazomi smiled.
Sebastian was about to get out when he stopped. “Nazomi?”
“Yes?”
“Mind if we...have one more kiss?” Sebastian asked as he blushed.
Nazomi smiled as a giggle escaped her lips. “I suppose not, it’s only right to have a goodnight kiss after a date.”
The two leaned in close, sharing in one more kiss as they rested a paw on the back of each other’s head, purring loudly as they did so. When the kiss broke a few moments later Sebastian smiled. “Good night.”
“Good night love.”
Sebastian got out of the car, walking back up the hill as Nazomi turned her car around and left. The lion smiled as his heart continued to race, he was as happy as he had ever felt and was all the happier that Nazomi felt the same way as he did. While it was true their relationship had a strong possibility of stopping if they were ever in great enough danger of being found out, it seemed that she was daring for it to work as much as he was. Whether it did or not, only the future knew.

Hi all!
I could write a whole saga about my skincare ups and downs (especially since last summer), but I'm trying to keep this relatively short.
Still, tl;dr: Long history of acne/recent history of periorificial dermatitis; dermatologist thinks I had a one-month delayed reaction to Epiduo that resulted in a big contact dermatitis flare so she prescribed me Arazlo. Questions at bottom!
So, after not realizing I had perioral dermatitis for at least a few months, I saw a derm after it had already spread to being periorificial dermatitis in early March. She prescribed me clindamycin lotion 1% and told me to use it twice a day as well as a 4% benzoyl peroxide wash in the evenings.
At my 6 week follow up, my PD was much more under control, and she told me to continue using the clindamycin in the AM, stop using the BP wash, and add Epiduo (0.1% adapalene/2.5% BP) to my PM routine. I started off using the Epiduo every 3 days and then after a week or two later started using it every other day, all with the sandwich method. I didn't "grease the orifices" as Dr. Dray likes to say, because my derm cautioned me against using Vaseline because of my PD, but instead I tried to leave a pretty good margin around my PD areas, which at this point was back to mostly being just immediately perioral.
Things were going really well! I didn't really experience a purge (I think I had purged earlier from BP), and a little over 2 weeks ago my face was almost completely clear of active acne and my PD was barely noticeable.
Unfortunately, early last week I started noticing a few more bumps on my forehead, and the PD I'd had under my right eye seemed to be starting to come back. But then on Friday (about a week ago), my face exploded in what I thought was my PD making a massive comeback all over my forehead and around my eyes. But over the next few days as it calmed down, I realized that it looked and felt significantly different from how my PD had manifested, and had a suspicion that it may have been caused by a contact allergy instead. I also stopped Epiduo last Friday and clindamycin yesterday. I've been eating bland and low-inflammatory foods since late March to try to help my skin that way too, so I don't think it was diet related.
I saw my derm again this morning (Thursday) to ask about it, and she said that it could have been a delayed reaction to Epiduo, and advised me to stop using it, but said I could keep using the clindamycin. (I asked if I could start using the BP wash again to minimize chances of antibiotic resistance, and she said it was a good idea.) She also prescribed me Arazlo (tazarotene 0.045%) lotion, saying it'd be gentler on my skin. Currently, my rash has gone down a lot; it's almost gone from my forehead and is concentrated on my eyelids/around my eyes, and weirdly enough, on my nose as well as right around my nostrils. It still feels different from my PD to me, and my derm also thinks it's part of this recent rash. It's very itchy especially around my nose. There are a ton of tiny bumps that feel a little raw if touched. She prescribed me Elidel to use on my eyelids, but I'm kind of hesitant to use it especially with my history of PD.
So, my questions for you all are:
-Anyone have any experience with Arazlo lotion, especially if you have sensitive skin? And is it really gentler than Epiduo? I tried looking up posts about it, but it doesn't seem nearly as prevalent as tret or adapalene.
-Do you think it's likely that I had such a delayed reaction to Epiduo, especially if my skin had seemed to be tolerating it well? My derm also seemed unsure about it. I'm bummed if that was really the reason, because I was really liking it!
-Any experiences with Elidel, especially anyone who had/has PD?
Thank you all!