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mountain-maiden · 2 months

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Working Hard (Hardly Working)

Pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader

WC: 4k

Summary: Joel helps you out at the gym and you thank him in the locker room ;)

Content: 18+ MDNI, slightly unhealthy relationship with food (blink and you’ll miss it), oral f!receiving, Joel Miller is a munch, unprotected piv, cream pie, reader is able to lift weights & incline walk, Joel is able to lift reader.

a/n: I wrote this instead of going to the gym :/ If you hate it please don't tell me 😘

You push open the doors to the gym, the familiar smell of metal and sweat invading your lungs as you step inside. You don’t necessarily enjoy working out, but you do enjoy sweet treats, and that makes working out a necessity. So, a few weeks ago, you begrudgingly got yourself a membership the gym closest to where you live, which happened to be Rock Hard Fitness. Unsurprisingly, it was an extremely male dominated environment.

After swiping your key card, you drop your stuff in the locker room and head to the dreaded cardio floor. You mildly dislike working out, but you absolutely hate cardio, and unfortunately for you, the weight floor is packed full of gym bros and meatheads who are not pleased to share their space with beginners who aren’t “on their level.” Despite the unwelcoming atmosphere, you can’t stand another day of incline walking; today you're going to lift weights or die trying.

From the cardio deck, you watch the people lifting, taking stock of the machines being used least and trying to pick out any attractive guys you can distract yourself with during your warmup. You really don’t enjoy the typical gym bro look, which means your efforts are most often for naught, but today someone different catches your eye. He’s definitely older than the average guy in the gym, broad shoulders, meaty thighs—you're basically drooling while watching him. Is it wrong to objectify people in the gym? Absolutely. Does that stop you from thirsting over the mystery gym dilf? Absolutely not.

After deeming yourself officially warmed up, you leave the safety of the cardio deck, jumping straight into the shark tank. Immediately, the booming bass of the speakers is leaking through your headphones, no longer allowing you to enjoy Kesha and Britney in peace. Great. You just take the headphones off, leaving them in your locker with the rest of your stuff before spying the gym equivalent of a unicorn: a squat rack, completely open.

You make a beeline for the rack and immediately set your sweatshirt and water bottle on the ground beside it, staking your claim. Not having to fight for a place to lift takes away half the battle of the weight deck; you breathe a sigh of relief as you survey the rest of the floor.

Now your only problem is that it’s been months since you last lifted, and you have absolutely no idea what weight to start with. You know you've lost strength, but surely you’re still able to lift your warm-up weight, right? The weights are added, and you line yourself up, taking a couple of breaths to steady yourself before standing up, moving the bar from the rack to your shoulders. Immediately, the weight is not what you remembered it being—much heavier, in fact—but you’re not about to immediately rerack and take weight off; that would be humiliating.

So, you steady yourself and dip down, enjoying the familiar strain of your muscles. After the first rep, you’re feeling alright, you can definitely handle this weight, you’ll just do less repetitions. You continue, reveling in the burn of your legs as you struggle to push yourself back up as you complete the first set. You’ve done the 6 reps you decided on, but you’re feeling good and you’re pretty confident you can do another so you go back down, determined to complete a seventh and immediately you can tell it’s a mistake.

You get stuck halfway back up, no matter how hard you strain, the weight won’t budge. You’ve never had to bail before, always having a spotter, you realize you don’t even know how to safely drop the weight. This is it, you’re going to humiliate yourself your first day in this gym and you’ll never be able to show your face again. Your legs are shaking, you’re panting with the effort to hold yourself up when your saving grace arrives.

You hear the low drawl of a southern accent and suddenly the weight has been halved, allowing you to stand up and rerack the weight. You turn around to thank your savior and are struck speechless when you find yourself face to face with mystery gym dilf.

“You alright there?” He asks, eyebrows scrunched with concern.

“Yeah, uh, yes, thank you, “ you answer breathlessly.

“S’really no trouble, can’t believe nobody helped you sooner,” He huffs, clearly offended on your behalf. Your face heats as you realize this means he saw how long you were stuck for.

“Well, everyone’s wrapped up in themselves, I guess that’s half the point of coming here,” you shrug, unbothered by your fellow gym goer’s lack of concern for your wellbeing.

“Gym bros,” you sigh in unison, and immediately burst into laughter.

“Can’t stand gym folk, but I stopped workin’ construction and now I actually gotta workout,” He explains, as if he needs to prove he isn’t one of the aforementioned gym bros.

“Me too,” you sigh, and burst into laughter at the skeptical look he gives you.

“No, I’m a barista, I just make myself too many drinks to not be working out,” you laugh and watch as his expression shifts to one of amusement.

“You’ve got jokes,” he chuckles, “I was wonderin’ what someone as pretty as you was doin’ workin’ construction.”

Your face heats at his compliment, “What? Your construction crew isn’t full of beautiful women?”

“Trust me darlin’, if you were on my crew I wouldn’t ‘a switched to management.” He leans up against the rack, watching you closely for your reaction to his bold comment.

“If I didn’t know any better I’d think you were coming on to me,” you smirk, watching the tips of his ears go pink despite him initiating the flirting.

“Is that okay?” He asks, boldness suddenly replaced with a self conscious demeanor, “I wasn’t aimin’ to make ya uncomfortable.”

“That is more than okay,” you try to remember his name and realize he never gave it.

“Joel,” He sticks his hand out and you hold back a small laugh at the formality.

You give him your name and when he repeats it, testing the word in his mouth, you don’t think it’s ever sounded better.

“Well, I was just wrappin’ up,” He scratches the back of his head, as if he is unsure how to proceed now that you’ve actually introduced eachother.

“If it’s not too much trouble, would you mind spotting me?” You ask, searching his face for any sign of displeasure, “I mean, I think we both know I could use one.”

He laughs at that. “Not any trouble at all, darlin’.”

Your breath hitches at the nickname. You’d never been one for petnames but the way it sounds coming from his mouth, his low southern drawl, the slight gravel of his voice, it has you fighting the urge to squeeze your thighs together. You look up after realizing you’d been silent just a little to long and spot the amused glint in his eyes.

“Alright, 2nd times the charm I guess,” you say before positioning yourself beneath the bar again, this time with the security of Joel’s warmth behind your back.

You lift the bar off the rack and hinge down, enjoying the familiar burn of pushing back up, it’s on about your third rep that you begin to struggle, taking slightly longer to straighten out. It’s at this point when Joel steps a little closer, not touching the bar but readying himself to step in.

“Atta girl,” Joel encourages as you push yourself up, the praise sending a jolt of heat to your core.

You need to lock in, you can’t get distracted because an attractive older man is giving you the praise your father never did. But, when you complete your next rep and he murmurs more encouragement, you swear he has to be fucking with you. There is no way he isn’t aware of the effect his words are having on you.

You do your second to last rep and he leans forward slightly, “Such a good girl.”

You damn near drop the weight, and when you complete the set and rerack the bar, you whip around and are met with Joel’s smirking face. He definitely knew what he was doing, and your look of annoyance seemed to only further his amusement.

“Somethin’ wrong?” His eyes widen as he feigns innocence. Fine, two can play that game.

“My form feels a little off, can you tell me if it looks alright?” Before he gets a chance to respond you’re already dropped down in a body weight squat, just close enough that your ass brushes the front of his shorts. You know if he didn’t want this he’d take a step back, but to your surprise he stays right where he is and you can feel the bulge in his shorts growing with each rep.

“Form looks alright to me, darlin’,” Joel rolls his eyes at your antics, “You grind on any man who spots you?”

“Just the ones I like,” you throw back before turning around, watching the spark of amusement in his eyes give way to darkening pupils.

“You want a hand with that?” You gesture to the growing outline of his cock against the confines of his shorts, “or a mouth?”

“I wouldn’t object,” Joel smirks, taking your hand and practically dragging you to the locker room.

You find an empty changing stall and you are immediately tearing at Joel’s clothes trying to remove the layers keeping you from the broad shoulders and thick thighs you knew he was hiding. Eventually you remember the reason you came in here and drop to your knees, pawing at his boxers.

“Fuck darlin’, ya gotta let me taste you,” Joel lifts you from your knees and sets you on the bench with the ease of someone moving a misbehaved kitten. He drops to his knees and that’s when you register what he means.

You freeze, shock apparent in your features because Joel stops pulling down your shorts to look at you, “Are you comfortable with this?” He asks, searching your features for an answer, “If you want to be done just say the word darlin’, no hard feelings.”

“No! Trust me I am more than comfortable with this,” you jump to reassure, “I’ve just never met a guy that actually wants to give me head.”

He scoffs before continuing his efforts to get your tight gym shorts off, “Idiots.”

You almost laugh at how immediately he’d resumed his work once he’d been given the go ahead. He groans when he sees the wet spot on your panties, a plain cotton thong, and before you have time to feel embarrassed he’s ripped them down your legs and is devouring you with a vigour you’ve never experienced.

Joel eats pussy like he’s starved, lapping at your slick like its the best thing he’s ever tasted, and if you asked him, he’d say it was. You thread your fingers through his hair and he groans when you pull.

“Tell me what you like,” He murmurs, parting with your pussy for the few precious seconds it takes to get the words out.

“What?” Your face scrunches with confusion and pleasure as his lips create suction against your clit.

“When I do something you like, tell me. When I do something you don’t like, tell me.” He directs before returning to his mouth to your pussy, swiping small circles around your clit with his tongue.

“Fuck, Joel,” you moan with complete disregard for the extremely thin door separating you from a heavily populated public space.

He switches from languid movements against your clit to lapping along your slit, never fully breeching the entrance, teasing you realize.

“Don’t tease,” you manage to get out, a tug of his hair accompanying your directive as you attempt to signal his efforts should return to your clit.

“Is there something you want?” He looks up, a smug smile painting his face. Of course he was on his knees and you were still going to be the one begging.

“What you were doing before,” you really don’t want to explicitly state what you want.

“You can grind on me in a public gym but you can’t tell me how you want your pussy eaten?” Joel chuckles, blatantly amused at your sudden prudeness.

“Stop being an asshole, you know what I want,” you know getting annoyed with the only man who’s been eager to give you head for wanting you to tell him how to do it best is completely unreasonable, but you also know he is purposefully being difficult.

“Here, I’ll even tell you what to say,” a mischevious glint appears in his eyes, “‘Joel, please lick my clit’, that’s all you gotta say darlin’”.

Your eyes widen at the crude language and he chuckles at your shocked expression, as if you weren’t already getting eaten out in the locker room of a public gym. You figure a few crass words couldn’t dig you into any deeper trouble.

You take a deep breathe and meet Joel’s eyes, irises taken over by the black abyss of his pupils. “Joel, please lick my clit.”

He supresses a shudder and you see his left hand reach down to palm his cock through his shorts before he smiles, “Your wish is my command, sweetheart.”

He dives in, and immediately his tongue is working over your clit, drawing figure eights and circles, never letting the pattern become predictable, never letting you get used to the stimulation.

You moan as his tongue works its magic, and his hands reach up and grasp your breasts, squeezing and massaging. Eventually, he slides a finger along your slit, and without warning, plunges it into you. You groan at the intrusion and buck against his mouth. He doesn’t stop licking, instead sliding his free hand down to try to relieve some pressure from his cock, palming himself desperately through his shorts to your whimpers and moans.

It isn't long before you feel the knot in your stomach start to build, and your breath starts to catch in your throat.

"Oh fuck, Joel I'm gonna cum," You warn him,

Joel groans into your pussy as he continues to lick and suck at your juices, speeding up his actions.

You're moaning and gasping, and suddenly your orgasm hits you. You buck against Joel's face and cry out. He moans at the feeling of you clenching around his fingers as he works you through your high, lapping more gently at your clit as you shudder through the waves of pleasure.

"Wow," you heave once you are able to catch you’re breath.

"Good?"

"Fucking great."

You lay there catching your breath, a satisfied smile still plastered on your face. You reach down and unzip Joel's shorts, pulling his cock free. It's hard and throbbing, almost painfully so, a testament to your performance and his excitement. You wrap your hand around it, marveling at the warmth and hardness of it.

“Darlin, we don’t have to,” Joel starts to protest before you shoot him a look that shuts him up.

“Joel Miller if you aren’t fucking me in the next 30 seconds I’ll have no choice but to report you for causing undue distress.”

He chuckles as you tug him forward by his shirt, “Yes ma’am.”

“I’m on the pill, and clean, so uh,” you know you really shouldn’t be making this offer.

“I’m clean too,” He replies, eyes fixed on your face.

“I’m okay not using a condom if you are,” you can feel your face heat at how terrible of an idea you know it is, and how bad you want it despite that knowledge.

“Fuck darlin’, I’m not gonna complain,” He groans, shivering as you begin to lightly stroke him.

Joel moves between your spread legs and your heart races as he lines himself up. You can feel the warmth of his cock against your entrance, slick with desire and Joel’s spit.

"Are you sure about this?" his voice is low and husky, and he laughs a little at your eager nod. Before you can make a snarky comment you’re gasping as he fills you, your walls stretching around him, accommodating his girth.

“Fuuuck,” you moan, concerned he might actually be splitting you in half. You’ve definitely never taken anyone this big before but you’d be damned if gave Joel the ego boost of knowing that.

“Takin’ it so well for me sweetheart,” he murmurs into your ear, holding still as you adjust to his size.

“Joel, move please,” you mean for it to be a demand but the breathy whine it comes out as has Joel chuckling as he brushes a strand of hair from your face.

He moves slowly at first, each thrust drawing a low moan from you. You paw at his shirt, suddenly deeming the extra layer an offense of the highest order. He chuckles and pulls the shirt off, giving you access to lick and suck across the expanse of his broad chest.

You kiss his chest, your lips leaving a wet trail to his nipple, which you roll between your teeth causing him to shudder. He picks up his pace, his hands wrapping around your waist, pulling you into him tighter. You wrap your legs around his hips, feeling his cock stretch you even more as he drives into you.

"Joel, fuck," you moan, your voice barely a whisper.

"You enjoyin’ yourself, sweetheart?" he asks between thrusts, his eyes locked on yours, a small smirk playing on his lips.

Before you can come up with a snarky response, he’s found a new angle that’s sending sparks through your body with every thrust. The only response you can manage is a strangled moan.

“Aw, are you a little cock dumb, darlin?” He asks with mock empathy, “Can’t even answer a yes or no question,” He scoffs, but the tender look in his eyes lets you know he’s not being serious.

Serious or not, you can’t understand how he still has the mental bandwidth to be teasing you.

He moves faster now, pounding into you, the sounds of your wetness filling the locker room. Your clit makes contact with coarse hairs above his cock, sending your hurtling towards your climax.

"Fuck, I’m close," you whisper, feeling the familiar growing tension in your core.

“Atta girl, are you gonna come for me sweetheart?” He coos, his gentle tone a complete contrast to his harsh thrusts.

“Joel, please,” you don’t even know what you’re begging for and before you can figure it out, you feel a wave of warmth crash over you as you orgasm, your body trembling as you buck and writhe underneath him.

“It’s okay, you’re okay sweet girl,” Joel holds you firm against the bench as you attempt to squirm away from the now overstimulating thrusts as he continues to fuck you.

Joel's pace quickens, his hips slapping against your skin with each deep thrust. With one hand on your hip, he uses the other to reach down and rub your clit, sending shockwaves of pleasure throughout your entire being. Your muscles clench around his cock as his own release nears.

"I’m gettin’ close," he growls, his voice thick with lust. "Where do you want it, sweetheart?”

You're breathless, sweat dripping down your skin as Joel thrusts into you, his words sending a fresh wave of arousal through you.

"Inside," you gasp, your eyes locked on his as he comes closer to the edge.

Joel adjusts his grip and with a few powerful thrusts, he slams deep inside of you, and you feel the explosion of his release like a firework going off, the sensation making your eyes roll back in pleasure.

"Oh fuck, Joel," you cry out, your own climax crashing over you again, making your limbs shake uncontrollably and your nails dig into his shoulders.

Eyes closed, he leans his forehead against yours as he continues to hold himself inside you, his cock twitching from his spent orgasm. When he pulls away you collapse into a boneless heap on the bench, and when he eyes your exhausted form you can tell his ego is growing every second you remain motionless.

You know you should get dressed before the cum begins to pool on the bench, or run down your legs, but you find yourself with a lack of motivation. You are quickly realizing your decision had not been a good one, as you now had to drive home with cum soaked panties. From Joel’s raised eyebrows he appeared to be having the same thought.

"You alright there?" Joel's voice carries a teasing lilt as he watches you flop around the bench.

You shoot him a playful glare, pulling your shorts back on. “I think this is the first time I’ve ever enjoyed cardio.”

"I think you have to be moving for it to be cardio, darlin’,” he chuckles, a smirk playing on his lips, “and all I saw you do was lay there and take it."

“I’ll have you know it’s a lot more tiring than it sounds,” you launch his shirt at his head in mock indignation.

He catches the balled-up t-shirt with a laugh, his eyes sparkling with amusement, “Whatever you say sweetheart.”

He pulls the shirt on before his expression shifts, his usual playful demeanor softening into something more earnest. As you pull your bra back on and glance back at him, you notice a hint of bashfulness in his eyes.

“Wha-”

“I-”

“You first,” you decide, staring expectantly at the man in front of you who almost appears to be blushing.

“I know this is kinda backwards,” he runs his fingers through his hair, “but, could I take ya to dinner sometime?”

You almost began to laugh at the realization his strange change in demeanor was just because he was scared to ask you out. The man could fuck you within an inch of your life in a public locker room, but asking you on a date was what made him nervous.

You quickly stifle your laugh when you see his face drop at your reaction, “Fuck Joel, of course I want to get dinner with you.”

His expression brightens instantly, a smile spreading across his face. “Really?” he asks, almost sounding incredulous.

“Yeah, really,” you confirm, feeling a warmth spreading in your chest at his genuine enthusiasm.

Joel reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone, quickly unlocking it. “Could I get your number?” he asks, holding the phone out to you, “if you’re comfortable with that.”

“Definitely,” you say, taking the phone and typing in your digits before handing it back to him.

“Great,” he says, grinning as he saves your contact. “I’ll text you later then?”

“I’ll be waiting,” you reply, smiling back.

With that settled, the two of you gather your belongings and walk out of the locker room together. You are pretty sure nobody else was in there while you were fucking, but you can’t help but feel that everyone in the gym knows you just fucked this man you had met maybe 30 minutes ago. You look at Joel and he seems completely at ease so you try to channel his confidence as you walk through the gym and out the front doors. You step out into the fresh air and share one last smile with the man before you walk to your respective cars, both looking forward to getting to know each other outside of the confines of Rock Hard Fitness. Really, with a name like that, what other outcome could you have expected?

#joel miller x reader #joel miller smut #joel miller x you

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liesmyth · 6 months

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I want to start running...any tips?

I WAS BORN TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION. Thank you so much for asking! Unfortunately, I am a nerd about my hobbies so this got quite long.

Keep it simple ✨

Running is easy to get into; our bodies are built for it. Don’t stress over technicalities and just do what feels natural to you. My local races are full of 70-something white-haired pensioners who are kicking ass at it. Don’t let anyone tell you that running is meant to feel like dying, that’ll harm your knees, or that you absolutely need to have that specific smartwatch model to get into it. All you need is a solid pair of shoes, everything else is optional.

Medium effort is the way to go

The ideal aerobic running pace is a speed at which you’re able to hold a conversation, even if a bit winded. NO faster. If you’re able to sing along to your playlist or chat with a friend, that’s your ideal running pace. If you’re gasping or wheezing, slow down! You’ll get a bit faster as your lung capacity gets better, but that shouldn’t be a priority unless you want to train for a race. You get most of the health benefits of running just by keeping up a steady, sustainable, conversational pace.

Walking breaks are fine, actually

That’s the reason why I don’t love C25K as a beginner program — the way it’s structured sort of implies that walking breaks are something you should grow out of to become a more experienced runner. If you need to walk for a bit, go ahead.

If possible, jogging is preferable, just because the mechanics of even a glacial-pace jog are more similar to running than those of a faster power walk, so you might try switching to a jog after a bit of a walking interval. But walking is not a failure; there are serious marathon training plans out there that use walk/run intervals as a viable strategy.

(Related: picking up speed helps you keep going! If you feel like you are completely drained, try speeding up for a very short interval, then slowing back down. It’ll often give you an energy boost to keep going)

Run for time, not distance ⌚

Especially for beginners, I find that getting fixated on numbers can be counter productive, and the most important thing is to listen to your body. If you’re aiming to hit a certain mileage, you might get the urge to speed up at the end to get done faster. Instead, set yourself time-based goals and end every run with a cool down jog or walk.

SHOES!! 👟

Good running shoes are essential, and pretty much the only fitness-related purchase on which I’ll always support dropping money. If you get to the point where you’re consistently running 10 km (6 miles) each week, you’ll want to go to a running store — the kind of place where you’ll get fitted, and they’ll have you try on models and jog on a treadmill to evaluate your gait and let you know which characteristics your ideal shoe needs. I can’t stress enough how useful running store staff can be. They’re all running club nerds who LOVE getting new people into running, and they really want to help you find your ideal fit. Also get good running socks while you’re at it.

Be prepared to drop at least 100€ (or equivalent currency) but they usually have a great return policy if the model isn’t a good fit for you. Take care of your running shoes — maintenance, wearing them only for running, gentle cleansing etc — and the cushioning will last for quite a while (600km / 370miles at least). If you decide that you hate running, they’re still great for walking around. Once you find your ideal shoe model, it gets a lot easier to shop for it during end-of-season sales, or looking for online bargains etc. I love stocking on end-of-series shoes and rotating them so they’ll last even longer, and I buy online quite often! Just make sure your FIRST pair is fitted, for ideal injury prevention and joint health.

Injury prevention 💪

I’d love to still be running 10k races when I’m 70, but it takes some care to get there. When you run, you’re slamming your body weight up and down with every stride, and that might be hard on your joints if you’re not used to it. If you’re completely new to running, cap your runs at 15/20 minutes every other day. Do that even if you feel like you could keep going! If you have a good aerobic base already, you need to give your joints time to catch up with you lung capacity, and give your body time to recover. Do bodyweight exercises like lunges and planks and glute bridges to strengthen your core, legs, and hips. Dynamic stretches are great for warmups, and static stretches are better for cooling down. If you have the option, running on softer surface like grass or dirt is better than asphalt, which is better than concrete and pavements.

(If nothing of what I’ve said here makes sense to you, shoot me another ask, or look at some of the resources I’ve linked down below!)

Don't get bored! 🎶

I love running in groups. Running clubs are great. You can learn so much in a hands-on way from seriously experienced people, you can chat about gossip over a running job, and you can make some interesting friends. If you don’t have access to a running community, then personally I love just chilling on a run by myself listening to an audiobook or podcast or exploring a certain area.

Running form❓

Don’t stress about it. Just go out and move your body. Attempting to modify your ‘running form’ too quickly can do more harm than good. There ARE a few things you could pay attention to — I recommend trying to focus on one of these at a time for a minute or so, and alternate between them. After a while, it’ll start to feel natural to keep track of all of them:

1. Don’t slouch! But a slight lean forward is great.

2. Keep your shoulders pulled down and your upper back tense.

3. Swinging your arms in a way that helps with your stride is good, but I shouldn’t feel forced.

4. Even breaths, inhaling through your mouth and expiring through your nose.

5. Take turns to check with every part of your body, and relax them in turn: are your jaw and neck too tense? Are your fists tight?

6. Don’t overstride! shorter strides with quicker leg turnover are better than huge strides that feel awkward to you.

7. Use your glutes to drive up the motion of your legs, not just your quads. This can take a while to get used to, but it’s a game-changer.

8. ENGAGE YOUR CORE. This is a great skill to develop whether you work out or are just existing in the world — basically, let your inner abdominal muscles help you carry your weight forward. This is VERY intuitive once you know how to do it, but it’s hard to get a grasp of it if you don’t know what it means, so here are some resources about it.

an extremely fucking comprehensive article that improved my life and eased my big-boobs back pain

similar content but in video form

a running-specific form video

Personally, learning to do this made me feel like I unlocked a superpower. Go forth and brace.

Accessories and tips 🤓

Like I said above, the only thing I really suggest spending money on for real is running shoes. Everything else is details! However, I’m nothing if not wordy I have Thoughts about those details, too.

Run tracking: I suggest downloading Runkeeper if you want to keep track of your runs — it’s free, intuitive, and solid! If you decide to get into wearables, a low-level Garmin >>>>> anything else.

Self-care: use sunscreen and/or thick face cream as needed. Stop to sip at a public fountain if needed. Get a small fanny pack to hold your phone, keys, or lip balm if needed. If chafing is an issue, anti-glide gel is relatively affordable.

Outfits etc: I get all my running gear and clothes from Decathlon — they are in most countries and ship worldwide. I especially love this thermal shirt for colder weather

Safety: if you’re running on the road, make sure to run in the opposite direction from traffic and to wear something bright. If you run with headphones near traffic, keep the volume down, or get over-the-ear conductor headsets. I love shokz, they're fantastic.

Post-run snack: eating something small and carb-heavy within 30 mins of a workout is great for kickstarting recovery. I love dried fruit personally.

Various resources 📝

Routine basics: check out the r/running order of operations, which is a great “how to” guide to building a basic running routine. I also recommend that subreddit's wiki! Running programming gets exponentially more involved the more advanced you get, etc — if you ever have any questions, hit me up!

Dynamic stretching warmup: a quick leg swing workout to get your legs ready to go. If you’re feeling overachieving, here’s a lunge warmup routine and a how-to bodyweight squat video.

Cooldown routine! Check out Strength and Mobility, a great post-run quick cooldown routine that includes some bodyweight exercises to strengthen your hips and core. Video included.

that's all, folks! 🏃‍♀️

Sorry I got carried away! I love running. I love getting people into running. My mental health, cardiovascular system and my popping quads also love running. But FYI, some people hate running and that's also fine! If you decide it’s not for you, find something you like more. There are a lot of misconceptions out there and a lot of guilt-tripping and body shame-y rhetoric around exercising, especially aimed at women, and I want to make clear it’s all bullshit. Just have fun <3

#Anonymous #ask #jockposting #running #fitblr #exercise tips #running basics #exercise #runblr #long post #for reference I mostly run in brooks ghosts but I use the levitate for speedwork and more intense long runs #I stock whenever there's a sale on runnea or runningwarehouse or whatever #pinned

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wolven91 · 7 months

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Beginner's Luck

Did you know humans were lucky?

Ask any fik and they'll be able to tout any number of stories and anecdotes of how humans are not only lucky, but divinely so.

Brön, didn't put much stock into all that nonsense. As a male taurian, it was expected that he would know better. To not bother with superstition and focus on the real world. But he learnt that humans were lucky by sheer luck and a slip of the tongue by a human himself.

Luke was the first human Brön had come across in real life as an interaction. Not unusual given their rarity. At most the taurian had seen them on the news or waving from a secure area.

But as a taurian, and a registered guardian, when the human had appeared on his station, he had done his job as necessary. Brön wanted to make it clear that the taurians would be the best of the guardians. Ssypno weren't to be trusted and the ursidains were too stupid to know how to care for others.

So Brön escorted him round the station and ensured his safety whilst showing the sights, keeping to the finer areas. Humans were still critically endangered after all, one had to ensure they were safe, whilst giving them the enrichment they needed. Cute as humans were, Brön knew not to let his human out of his sight. Thankfully, Luke had made pleasant conversation that put Brön at ease. Luke didn't appear to be one of the mischievous humans.

Plenty of other guardians had gotten into trouble for allowing their human too much leeway and getting them sick or hurt. Mercifully, this Luke seemed to enjoy his wit and rather forward jokes. Brön had researched male humans after all and was told that they enjoyed the kind of humour their taurian women did. The taurian grinned listening to the human's belly laugh, it was so loud it echoed down the promenade, much to Brön's chagrin.

When they came across the gambling merchant, Luke had mentioned that he wouldn't mind putting on a wager. When Brön had asked why, the human merely turned to him and had said it was 'a vice'.

Brön watched as the human produced his stylus for interacting with the many touch screens of the modern day. Claws on ninety percent of the population meant that touching a screen directly usually earned the user a fine. The taurian watched the human curiously as he rubbed the stylus against his chest, before using it to select his choice of bet.

The human noticed Brön's quizzical eye ridge and grinned.

"For luck."

Brön thought nothing of this at first. Rubbing one's equipment did not make the object lucky or any action beyond what one can manipulate and better or worse. But as the pair watched the screens, a series of squidgits, each the size of a canid, race around a large track. The bet had been an odd choice, the human had picked an underdog for an upcoming race. The taurian noticed the human retrieve another item from his pocket, its morbid appearance held the prim and proper taurian's attention.

A set of keys connected by a single metal circle. Attached on the same loop, with a small, fluffy, taxidermized paw that he held tightly with his thumb. Again the human must have felt Brön's eyes boring into him as he leant to the side to whisper;

"For luck."

Damn Brön's horns, the human won.

Now. Brön was a male taurian so held himself to a high standard. But on learning the human enjoyed games of chance and luck, the taurian made enquiries into private card games where the human could play with others who enjoyed the same thing.

Brön grinned into his delicate drink at the bar whilst he watched his human be handled quiet easily by the ladies.

He was currently being held aloft in the middle of the barracks of the station far above Brön's head. A friend of his was currently celebrating her forth win at cards, whilst hold the human.

The group around the table groaned and threw their cards back onto the table, none beating the large lass's cards.

"This isn't fair! Let me hold him for the next hand!" demanded another tall, black furred taurian, one giant hand outstretched expectantly.

Luke was crushed into the current holder's chest as she held him tightly and protectively.

"Oh no no! He's my good luck charm! I have to keep him near me at aaall times..." she exclaimed in a sing-song tone. Luke didn't seem to be distressed or thrashing too much. The cad seemed to be enjoying the attention from Brön's position. Although the male did need to speak up a handful of times.

"You're suffocating my charge again."

Looking down, Brön was right and the taurian was, indeed, suffocating Luke against herself.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

Despite being slightly red in the face, Luke seemed in good spirits, laughing and extending his thumb skywards before demanding another hand and another drink.

They sat for another hand, Luke having his head rubbed by each of the taurian gamblers present for good luck.

#conservationverse #cuddleverse #haso #hfy #humans are space orcs #human #furry #human x furry #taurian #minotaur

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submissivesubonly · 2 days

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Online sissy training program

Sissy Training: A Complete Beginner’s Guide

Unlock confidence and self-expression with our comprehensive beginner’s guide to sissy training.

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Understanding The Term “Sissy” 3 The Basics of Sissy Training 4 The Role of a Dominant in Sissy Training 5 Practical Tips for Sissy Training 5.1 Dress the Part 5.2 Adopt Feminine Mannerisms 5.3 Develop Your Sissy Persona 5.4 Self-Care Rituals 6 More Sources for Sissies-In-Training 7 Dealing with Challenges and Criticism 8 Conclusion 9 FAQs about Sissy Training 9.1 Who is involved in sissy training? 9.2 How do I start my journey with sissy training? 9.3 Is sissy training related to crossdressing?

Introduction

What’s sissy training, you ask? Well, if you’re here, you might have some ideas about it. But let’s clear up any confusion anyhow.

Sissy training is a transformative process that involves highlighting an ultra-feminine, drastically submissive persona.

For sissies, it’s a channel to locate, accept, and show off their authentic selves.

It’s not easy to find mediums for sissy training though.

Not when society is still, shall we say, narrow-minded. But just imagine it— just how liberating will it be to express your sissified self?

Many folks out there mistakenly think that sissy training is just about humiliation.

Absolutely not! It’s about finding power in being able to act without any inhibitions. Read on to learn more!

Understanding The Term “Sissy”

Some people might flinch at the term “sissy,” — a reaction we get thanks to society’s tendency to paint it in the wrong light.

But here’s the thing: we’re not society. We’re the redefiners, and so we must call out this misconception.

Today, “sissy” isn’t a smear or an insult. It’s a badge of honor, a sign of courage and self-acceptance.

“Sissy,” in its purest form, refers to a man who drowns himself immense femininity. Why would a man want this?

Think of it like a man’s breather in a world that expects him to do manly things. Such include being strong in every situation possible.

And pretending to be strong is very draining and exhausting.

It’s a man’s way to just let go. To be more intuned with his feminine persona and to heal.

To discover aspects of himself without shame and fear. A sissy can even adopt alter egos to explore more.

Does it involve submission? Sure, it can. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all label. It’s varied and rare for every practitioner.

The Basics of Sissy Training

Right off the bat, let’s address the elephant in the room: starting isn’t easy.

Heck, even I, with all my years of experience, look back on those initial, nerve-wracking steps. But guess what?

Nothing worth achieving comes easy.

Sissy training involves every feminine thing you can imagine. Femme behaviors?

Check. Femme clothes? Check. Femme thinking? Check!

The essence of sissy training lies in understanding that femininity isn’t a monolith— it’s a spectrum.

When you choose to be a sissy, you welcome the vulnerability and softness that comes with it.

But do not ever get this wrong— this “mellowness” also develops distinct strengths.

Such involves resilience and courage. They always go hand in hand, a part of the package.

Here’s a rundown of the absolute basics you must master first before progressing your sissy training:

Immerse yourself completely in your new sissy identity to commemorate your progress!

I’m talking head-to-toe transformation. And so, here are some practical advice I’ve picked up from my very own sissy education:

Dress the Part

What’s the best and easiest way to welcome your femme side?

A closet filled with your favorite women’s clothes, of course! But don’t just get everything!

Get those that fit you perfectly. Only give space in your wardrobe for those that complement your body type.

Your garb should also reflect your femme personality.

To help you get started, I suggest starting with the basics: a nice pair of stockings, a classy little black dress, and, of course, a pair of shoes that make you feel like a queen.

If you don’t have money to splurge, invest time rummaging through thrift stores, online sales, and hand-me-downs! Adopt Feminine Mannerisms

Do you want to look like a sailor dared by his unfunny friends to wear a dress for laughs?

Of course not! Your clothes make up about 50% of your presentation, but your gestures and poise, oh— they will take that up to 100%!

How can you “adopt” these mannerisms? Simple! By observing and engaging with the women around you!

Research indicates that you subconsciously mimic those you interact with, so take full advantage of this science!

Take note of how your graceful lady friend speaks, moves, and expresses their thoughts and feelings.

Who is involved in sissy training? It includes you— a male-to-female crossdresser (aka sissy).

You’ll go through various practices to make you an ultra-fem, subservient to another party in sissy training, your dom.

Other participants are your support system. It can include your fellow sissies, mentors, and allies.

How do I start my journey with sissy training?

Acceptance is first. Then, identify your motivations and objectives. Doing so will make your journey smoother since you have a map you follow. FOR QUESTIONS AND MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO SIGN UP FOR THE TRAINING PROGRAM EMAIL : [email protected]

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jackshiccup · 11 days

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Hi! The book you did for otnwas is SO BEAUTIFUL!! I was wondering if you have any tutorials on how do to your own book binding? I would love to turn my fave fanfics into real life books :DD

aww thank u so much !! i actually collated a few resources for my friends about bookbinding so u r in luck ⭐:)

but before all that, i want to mention the most important thing and it is to always get the permission of the author of the fic you're wanting to bind first and to never print any art related or not to that fic without the artist's permission !!!!! let's keep it respectful in these streets yeah? BUT printing your own art though.. that's a slay 🤞🏽

ok hehe to the fun stuff yippeeeee

bookbinding tools & materials (beginner friendly) - super helpful + in depth, i recommend starting with this one to really get a good idea of the entire process (she specializes in journals though so it doesn't include printing process or anything like that!)

14 helpful hints before getting started - very very useful hacks that will probably save you a lot of mistakes in the long run, also i love this man (one thing i have to mention though is that paper grain is not entirely important unless you're looking for a more advanced bind)

how to bind fanfic tiktok series - this is a good one that has a step by step guide which includes the typesetting + printing process

tutorial focused videos

DIY book press - very useful + efficient, but if you can't be bothered to make this (like me oops) you can just use really heavy books or weights

DIY binding cradle - essential tool to punch holes in your signatures, honestly saved me money and also my life, once again i love this man where would i be without this tutorial

french link stitch - easy to follow, has some good sewing tips too!

weaver’s knot - important hack, you don't want your thread to be too long when sewing it's a nightmare

hardcover case binding - good tutorial on hardcover but this one is flatback - it's still fine to follow though if you switch the spine to card stock to give it more flexibility especially if it's a thick book

whew, sorry for the long ask i hope this is helpful enough ;; another important thing is to be patient and have fun !! try to enjoy the process especially bc it takes SO long but trust it's very worth it <3 there's also a lot of materials and tools so pick whichever is the most accessible to you ok byeeee

#jackshiccup ask #anon #i didn't include anything about the book cover bc i totally winged that LMAO #it IS my design tho #ALSO i've been reading everyone's tags on my post and it made me giggle and scream and kick my feet and everything sniffff..#supremely glad otnwas made us all clinically insane #if anyone is curious about my process specifically i can maybe talk about it ?? perchance .......#i'm planning on making another copy atm with less mistakes this time hopefully 🥺#AIGHT ENOUGH YAPPING

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bonefall · 10 months

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LAMB STEW & BUTTERNUT SOUP RECIPES. GIVE

THE LAMB STEW RECIPE IS MINE. MINE ALL MINE

BUt I will actually teach you the butternut soup one, people don't realize how cheap butternuts are and how easy this recipe is. I had to teach my partner's family how to properly prepare butternut and they thanked me for it because it's ALWAYS on sale and SUPER easy to make.

You need a metal baking tray, a crockpot, and a blender. The blender is optional, but it makes the perfect creamy consistency

Other ingredients you're gonna need; Garlic, shallots, pepper, turmeric, curry and chicken stock

(though I remembered the recipe wrong when I was over there and used beef stock, fam still loved it though, soooo pick whatever stock you like best tbh. This is a super forgiving recipe, I promise if you're a beginner cook this is a great place to start)

ALSO FAIR WARNING: Idk how to measure anything. I do not actually have a written recipe.

Step 1: Cut the Nut

Cut it longways, like a canoe, and scoop the seeds out. Coat the fleshy-side with cooking oil and sprinkle some pepper on it if you like-- nothing needs to be done to the skin-side. Place it FLESH-DOWN on the baking tray and pop it in the oven, 425 degrees Fahrenheit, 40 - 50 mins

When it's done it looks like this (half-eaten babybel snack optional. bbq sauce not used, it was just there for emotional support)

You can actually eat it just like this.

Like if you're not looking to make soup, this compote can actually be made into all sorts of things. You can stick a spoon right in that and eat it. I've made like... fried butternut latke-things out of it, I have some compote in my freezer just for experimenting with.

If you're smart, you wait for it to cool down before you scoop the flesh out with a spoon. Im not 💗

Step 2: trust your heart to tell you how many fucking onions are in there

My partner is the one who's able to measure things, I simply put my faith in the claws of Velociraptor Jesus tell me what the ratio of garlic to butternut is. I am not allowed near baked goods. I do not cook by the book. I put too many ashes in my middle school volcano project and smoked out an entire classroom once.

This came out great though, and for it I used 2 white onions (about a cup), 4 cloves garlic, and some chopped shallots. All minced as much as possible.

Once that was all in I (think you're gonna see a theme here) kinda just eyeballed how much stock and spice was gonna go in, just doing taste tests until it was yummy... I think it was 2 cups stock water and 3-ish tablespoons of turmeric and curry? Next time I make it'll actually measure how much I use.

I really do just kinda taste-test things until it's good.

I would apologize that I don't have the family recipe actually written down for exact amounts but I don't think I will ✨Bless this mess ✨✨✨✨Welcome to living inside of my head✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Anyway through some magic later you get a mash that looks like this, I stirred it up real good.

Step 3: This is where the blender comes in

This is the most tedious part tbh, but it's worth it because you can't get it super creamy if you don't feed it through a blender.

At this point me and my partner grabbed the pot and poured it in because we had 4 hands between us and felt lazy, but if you're alone you should scoop it manually so you don't spill shit everywhere

And once you have that, portion out what you'd like, and add milk. When you first get the soup out of the blender, it's real thick. You add milk to get it to the consistency you want-- DO NOT ADD MILK TO THE WHOLE THING AT ONCE

IF YOU ADD MILK TO THE WHOLE THING AT ONCE, IT GOES BAD FASTER

This stuff can be frozen or fridged and it tastes just as good as it was when fresh, as long as you only add fresh milk when you're ready to eat it.

I usually eat it with a grilled cheese or some other kinda bread. And that's really it.

#bone babble #should I even tag this as recipe?#food #butternut #soup

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mysteryshoptls · 11 months

Text

SR Ace Trappola Apprentice Chef Personal Story: Part 1

"Master Chef"

Part 1 (Part 2)

[Cafeteria – Judging Venue]

Master Chef ― Ace Version ～ Let’s Make Minestrone 1～

―A little while before cooking starts.

Ace: Welp, here goes Master Chef. It's a bit of a pain, but I'll just bang out this class as fast as I can.

Idia: Sheesh, he was all smiles during the greetings, but now he's completely changed… I can't understand these kinds of folk with their absurd communication skills…

Ace: Hm? Did you say something? Why the long face, Idia-senpai?

Idia: Eeek!? N-N-N-No, uh… N-Nothing… It's just…

Idia: J-Just that you look real confident… But does anything in the world really go that smoothly, I wonder?

Ace: It'll be fine. It's a program aimed towards amateurs, so it's not gonna be anything too difficult!

Ghost Chef: Alright, you two, we're about to start. Ace-kun, Idia-kun, start heading towards the kitchen.

Ace: Okaaay! Thanks for taking us under your wing!

[Kitchen]

Ghost Chef: Now, we're going to have you make a Minestrone, Ace-kun.

Ghost Chef: We have in stock some thick and tasty looking bell peppers today, so let's try to put more in the soup than normal.

Ace: A minestrone, huh… Sure, sure, that's that tomato-flavored soup that we sometimes get on our lunch plates.

Ace: That's got a ton of ingredients, sounds like it'll be a hassle. Is this really something a beginner like me should be doing?

Ghost Chef: Hahah, no need to act up. All you'll have to do is cut up the ingredients and let them simmer.

Ace: Really? That's it? Whaaaat, that's so easy!

Ghost Chef: But, like you said, there are a ton of ingredients, so you'll need to put in a little bit of effort.

Ghost Chef: Alright, let's start with cutting this bell pepper in half lengthwise. Once you've taken out all the seeds, cut it up into smaller pieces.

Ace: Okaaay. How small are you wanting it?

Ghost Chef: For this dish, we want the bell pepper to be the main ingredient, so it should be a bit bigger than the other ingredients… Maybe about 2cm squares.

Ace: 2 cm squares, huh. Gotcha.

[chop, chop, chop, chop, chop…]

Ghost Chef: Good, good, not bad. They're all really close in sizes, and you're handling that knife well.

Ace: Heheh, thaaaanks. I haven't really used knives that much, but I've watched the upperclassmen use them back in the dorm all the time.

Ghost Chef: Ah, right, you're a Heartslabyul student. Do you often help out with making their pastries?

Ace: Yeah, sometimes I get stuck with that duty. But usually I'm just helping out the upperclassmen, so I don't know how to do anything too difficult.

Ghost Chef: I see, so you learned this from watching them. You must have been really skilled to be able to pick these abilities just by watching.

Ace: Thanks! But hey, this is pretty easy, so.

Ghost Chef: Haha, well, that's promising to hear. Then, I'll bring over the other ingredients, so go ahead and chop up the remaining bell peppers for me.

Ace: Okaaaay ♪

Ace: …Whew. Just like I thought, it's not that hard at all.

Ace: Doo-doo ♪ Master Chef is the bestest～ ♪

Ghost Chef: Oh my, aren't you in a good mood? Have you finished cutting up the bell peppers?

Ace: Ah, I'm almost done…

Ace: EH!!?

[THUD]

Ace: Ch-Chef… What's with this crateful of veggies…? You're not saying that I'm gonna be using all of these now―

Ghost Chef: Ahahah, well, of course there isn't a pot out there in the universe that can hold this much.

Ace: Ahahah, riiiight! Whew, that scared me…

Ghost Chef: Well, in the end, I'll have you go through everything here. But for now, I think you only need this many onions, and…

[THUD]

Ghost Chef: This should be enough for one dish.

Ace: JUST ONE DISH!? AND YOU'RE TELLING ME I'M GONNA BE CHOPPING UP THE REST OF THE VEGGIES AFTER THIS, TOO?!

Ghost Chef: That's right～ Soup is a popular dish, both by itself, and as part of a set, so we'll need a lot of ingredients.

Ghost Chef: We're not only going to be making the minestrone in this pot, but in a few others as well, so we'll have you prepare it all!

Ace: You serious…? Sure, it's just cutting up veggies, but still, this amount is just…

Ghost Chef: Oh come now, you're so skilled, Ace-kun, so I'm sure it will end swiftly! Now here, start peeling these onions!

Ace: Yessir…

Ace: ...I take back what I said earlier. SURE IT AIN'T DIFFICULT, BUT THERE'S JUST WAY TOO MUCH TO DO!!!!!

Part 1 (Part 2)

Requested by Anonymous.

#twisted wonderland #twst #ace trappola #idia shroud #twst ace #twst idia #twst translation #twst masterchef

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emsleyanbluejay · 5 days

Text

beginner artists make peace with tracing references. no, shut up. do it.

on a less jokey note, it will help your art. find a stock photo artist, preferably one who does their photos in tight underclothes or one who does them nude, break up the body into shapes you understand, and trace it. the more you do it, the more you’ll start to understand how the human body works.

follow the lines of the figure, where muscle is defined, where it’s not. you don’t even have to worry about shadows and highlights at first, that will come in time. watch where the body starts to curve.

once you get settled with one stock artist, pick another with a different body type. trace them. look at the differences between the two figures. pick another stock artist. trace them. compare all three. the more you do it, the more you’ll see why they’re different, the proportions, the muscle mass, the fat deposits.

don’t worry about being perfect. do it bad. what matters is that you’re doing it.

#Blue Jay Chirps #how do i tag

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dilf-whore · 2 years

Text

the guitar salesman

pairing: eddie munson x gn!reader

genre: fluff

summary: you meet the handsome worker at the guitar store

A/N: i really like the idea of eddie working at a guitar store in starcourt so i made this. send in your thoughts/comments on this fic, reblogs are also appreciated 🫶🏻

requested: no

requests are OPEN

masterlist

𖤐

You enter Starcourt mall and prance to the guitar store, gripping on your pocket where your wallet is as you do so. You excuse yourself and bump into a few people along the way - your eyes are glued on the store. The adrenaline flowing through your body as you get excited to get an electric guitar you were saving on for the past year, the idea of getting to hold one and finally be able to learn how to play gets you all giddy and thrilled.

You’ve reached your destination and step inside. You look around like a lost puppy as you get overwhelmed by the many guitars displayed, you don’t know where to go first - they’re all so pretty. Your fingers brush over the strings of the guitars as you walk farther into the store. Which one should I get? you thought.

“Looking for something?” You hear a voice from behind. You lightly jump and face the person, it was the store’s salesperson - a handsome one to be precise. He’s wearing a plain white polo and some pants for his uniform. He has long, black, and puffy hair that really suits him, he has pretty doe eyes that makes you want to stare at them forever, he also has a distinct smell- mainly cigarettes and a hint of Old Spice Classic cologne. He’s definitely a sight for sore eyes.

You push a few strands of hair behind your ear, “I, uh, I’m not really sure on what I want exactly, didn’t realize that there’s many kinds of guitars. I have no idea how to play, what would you recommend for beginners?” you ask, shying away at the man’s melting gaze. “Ah! come over here. This one’s a Fender standard stratocoaster, it’s great for beginners like you”. He points at the shiny electric guitar that came in three different colors: black, red, and blue. “How much is it, uhm, Eddie” you ask, looking over at the name tag on his chest.

“We have a promo for for this month, $448 and it already has all the things you’ll need: amplifier, amp cord that’s already 10 meters long, high quality guitar bag with a cushion inside for extra protection, leather strap, and a box of guitar picks” he says, picking up the displayed guitar and showing you it’s features. “And uh…”

“Y/N”

A huge smile forms on Eddie’s face, “what a nice name for someone cute like you. And as I was saying, if you take this you’ll also get free lessons - by me”, he meets your eyes and your cheeks grow warm, if it was a different person, you’d probably reject them but how could you deny an offer given by this stunning man? You take in a chunk of air from the butterflies suddenly going crazy in your stomach.

“So this is how you get people to buy huh? With flattery” you playfully ask.

“Oh no, the teaching lesson is only for you, sweetheart”

“Well, don’t wanna waste that special offer now do we?. I’ll get the black one” you reply, his sugary words has taken over you. “Great! let me get you a new stock and the other inclusions” he jogs to the storage room and picks up your order, his smile never leaving his pretty face.

He comes back after a while, his whole body towered by your things, stumbling as his vision is almost covered. You giggle at Eddie’s struggling steps but thankfully he’s able to settle them on the counter safely. He manually writes your items down on a receipt, groaning at the broken cashier register. After giving your payment, Eddie takes out your guitar and tunes it.

“So first I’ll show you its parts, these are called frets, yours have 22. And then, these strings are: E, A, D, G, B, E from the thickest to the thinnest” you listen as he points over the different parts of the guitar, where to plug the amp cord, where the pickup switch, volume and tone controls are. “Let’s see if it sounds okay, what kind of music are you into?” he asks.

“I like listening to heavy metal, you?”

Eddie’s body perks up, his eyes sparkling, “I like heavy metal too! Do you know Dio? Want me to play a song by them?” he replies with enthusiasm.

“I love Dio! can you play Rainbow In The Dark?”

He eagerly nods and starts playing, you look at him with awe and your mouth slightly open, He’s so good. Eddie strums the strings with so much ease and his fingers effortlessly moving from one chord to another - it was attractive, his rings and tattoos makes it even more attractive. After he finishes the first two riffs of the song, he takes your guitar and pack it up along with the rest of your things. Eddie then asks you to sign the receipt and he does the same. He hands it to you and you take your stuff, you look down on the piece of paper and see that Eddie wrote his number at the bottom right.

“Call me when you want to start your guitar lessons - or if you just wanna talk to me because I want to talk to you again” he says, leaning on the counter and resting his chin on his palm.

“I definitely will. Thanks Eddie” you wink.

𖤐

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arlechinav-blog · 4 months

Text

Starting Materials for Mediterranean Trancework

If you are wondering what you will need to get started on this as a group, I have put together a list of materials. This is basically what I use when I am teaching others how to do this and when I host trance rituals.

I keep a fully stocked trance kit with extras of all the below items so that those who need them can have something to use until they can get their own. If you intend to lead your own group, be prepared to provide at least a few things for the effort.

Frame Drums: 14”-16” frame drums with synthetic heads are best for beginners. Recommending Remo’s Thinline, Renaissance, Fiberskyn, or Tar series’. Synthetic heads help students build up skills and needed hand calluses at the same time. Goat or fish skin drum heads will tear up your skin and go flat without proper care very easily. Each person involved should know how to play a drum and learn the beats your group uses. Avoid buffalo drums and bodhrans, they are too heavy for Mediterranean style drumming.

Whiteboard and Easel: A wooden repurposed child’s art easel will work perfectly fine. Use it to balance a whiteboard where you can put up weekly notes. Large clips or magnets can be used to hold up a poster-board too, depending on what kind of easel you get. These are great for keeping up your trance chant lyric notes. Only use a whiteboard for notes that you will need once.

Poster Boards: Record trance chants and rhythms that you use with your group onto large poster boards so that everyone can read them during practice sessions. Use a poster-board for notes that you will need multiple times to spare yourself from writing it again and again every time you need it.

Trance Rhythms: I start folks out with 10 trance rhythms that can be used for pretty much everything. They work for just about any Mediterranean song you can find. I will have to film some samples for this so that you can hear them.

Trance Chants: To get through a basic trance ritual, you will need roughly 4-5 trance chants. Start your group with their first 5 and work on getting them down together. Some groups will prefer to work with songs in English, some will prefer songs in other languages, and some will prefer a mix of both. Feel out your group before you decide on your chants.

Online Database of Communication: Start up a group where you can share resources, communicate about upcoming trance dates, and load up videos privately. Keep it secure.

Incense: Incense is a trance trigger so pick one scent and stick to it every time you do practice or ritual. Keeping the same scent for all things trance will help participants go under. Use a soft floral scent like jasmine. Later, you can work in different scent triggers for different rituals.

Rug: You can use rubber gym mats that link and/or an actual rug. Rugs will give rug burns so plan accordingly. Whatever you use has to be easily perceived by touch rather than sight--so tape on the floor will not work. This well defined border will be where the entranced are free to move. They will confine themselves to it so make sure it is the right size for the job you want it to do.

White Flat Sheets: You will need at least 2 to start and +1 for each additional person who will trance. You can have your participants bring their own or you can pick some up from a second-hand store for fairly cheap. Everybody should have their own if possible.

Colored Scarves: All things are color coded in trance for hypnotic suggestion and we use colored scarves to communicate with each other during trance rituals. People who wear a red scarf are monitors who look after trance dancers, people who wear white scarves are trance dancers who are there to trance, people who wear light blue scarves are musicians, and people who wear dark blue scarves are ready and capable of leading a trance session. You can have people bring their own or supply the group yourself.

Your “Whites”: Each person will need an all white outfit to wear during trance rituals. For class, they can wear whatever they like. White is a spiritually neutral color used by all Mediterranean trance cults. Participants should supply their own trance clothes but you can keep a small supply of extra items to help supplement.

Altar Kit: A trance altar needs to have a water jug and rinsing bowl with scented water for participants to wash their hands and face at (Cortas brand rose or orange blossom water are easy to find at Mediterranean groceries). It will need incense for participants to smudge themselves, their clothes, their hair and their instruments with. It will need a plate for monetary donations (it should never be empty). It is lucky to put an odd number on the altar ($1, $3, $5, $7 or $9). It will also need essential oils for use on skin that participants can rub on themselves (floral, fruit, or herbal scents preferred). Scent is very important to trance so the key is to be consistent and use it liberally so the scent can work as a non-visual trigger.

Wake-up Kit: A pitcher or fancy spritz bottle of cool water to spray or sprinkle on the arms and forehead of the entranced when they are done trancing. A blended oil of strong purgative scents that is dabbed on the fingers of the guide or monitor and wiped on the nose of the entranced when they are done trancing. I prefer a blend of rosemary, cedar and clove oil--that’ll wake you up! Make sure that no one in the space has an allergy to a product you use.

Food: Always keep at least a loaf of fresh bread and some hummus for dipping on hand for post-trance snacks. Eating food helps those who have been trancing to come down and sober up. Water to drink is also helpful afterward. Be aware of dietary restrictions before you bring in foods that members of your group cannot eat.

Symbols: Think very carefully about the symbols you use and when you use them. Protect their meanings by bringing them out only when they are relevant. Continually reinforce their meanings in all that you do. This is a hypnotic suggestion and your symbols will become more and more important the more trancing you do.

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dwarvendiaries · 6 months

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how in BLAZES do you play CDDA? i have no idea where to start and everywhere i try to go to loot inevitably has me overwhelmed by zombies

Didi's Guide to Cataclysm DDA

Summary

Get Water, food, shelter and security

Get a weapon

Expand your map

Find a vehicle

Improve your base

Avoid fights

Raid towns at night

The Beginning

I'm going to expect that you understand the basic controls here and that you're playing with the default world settings. Obviously, I'll be giving some mild spoilers here, so if you want to learn the game pretty much how I did by going in blind and learning most of this stuff by trial and error, this may not be the post for you. This will mainly be about basic survival and not about late-game secrets.

Ok start up a game. I usually hit play now [o], because I like the randomness, but since we're doing a beginner introduction I'll use the default scenario.

You have survived the initial wave of panic, and achieved (relative) safety in one of the many government evac centers.

Ok, take stock of your character and make friends with your companion if you can. Having a travelling partner can be quite useful as they can train you in skills you don't have and help you overwhelm enemies. This character is quite strong with firearms and has survival skills, however he's not good on rough terrain.

In addition my threat failed

Survival in cataclysm is like real life:

Water

Food

Warmth and Shelter

Security (from Zs)

Try and get these in this order and then you can start doing the fun stuff.

Starting in an evac center makes gives us water, food, shelter and a bit of security. Since we're planning on going outside we'll need to pickup 2 bottles of water and 4 protein rations. Having at least one flashlight and a jacket is also useful but not necessary.

I would usually pick up a first aid kit here, but I've got a flamethrower so that's not possible. First aid kits act as a backup plan for when you ever get hurt.

Next I survey my surroundings, I pull up the main map then go use any maps provided to maximise my range, in this case the road map to the refugee center.

As you can see there are two towns nearby. Towns are useful because they can provide valuable goods, but I wouldn't suggest going anywhere near one:

Without a weapon

Without a vehicle

During the day

This is because 1 zombie is an annoyance, many are lethal. If you have a weapon you stand a chance of beating any zombies that run after you when you are noticed

If you have a vehicle you create a barrier between you and the zombies. I wouldn't recommend leaving an unarmored vehicle in the town centre because Zs will smash through it to get to you.

Last, zombies can't see well at night. This means running away from zombies is much easier at night. This makes raiding the outskirts of town is useful strategy at night. However, you might want a watch to keep track of time to make sure you get back before sunrise.

Now to go outside:

Typically I'd head to gather supplies if I had obvious objectives but in this case I've got the refugee center nearby. So I'll go towards that an grab some stuff on the way.

Getting supplies:

Bodies - likely to have a few scraps. Can useful to fill out odd stuff and get some cards and clothes.

Underbrush- examine this to find random items can be useful in the early game.

Buildings - occasionally these have a few monsters but most the time they have useful supplies

Shelters- LMOE and evac shelters contain a lot of valuable supplies and can be used as bases

Watch out for monsters! Do not approach them unless you know you can win the fight without getting hurt. If you have a camera use it to catalogue various creatures.

We're here

The refugee center provides a community hub for survivors. It can be useful for trading miscellaneous items you find and getting quests. It also provides a safe place to sleep If you're too far from any other shelter. If you want the Free Merchants faction to get angry at you, you can steal a car from the front lot just make sure it doesn't have a working security system.

Remember to use C to chat. I go over to Smokes the shopkeeper to buy some goods.

Smokes has ammo, tools and clothes. Right now I need additional carrying capacity, some tools and some ammo.

Carry containers are very useful as they allow you to take more supplies with you. Getting a good backpack is pretty essential.

Tools help you with craft and construction allowing you to do things you couldn't before and upgrade your base.

Ammo is very useful if you have a gun, always have little more than you think you'll need. Beware gunshots will attract the attention of Zs!

At the moment I don't have enough stuff to trade but I'll come back later.

I go around ask for missions and open the missions menu (M):

At this stage basic fetch quests are a pretty good way of improving rapport with NPCs. I'd suggest doing them one at a time and if an opportunity come up completing one you hadn't planned for.

I head north. Loot some corpses of a drug deal outside the gates and find a lorry.

I guess this is a good time to break off I'll explain my thoughts on vehicle use.

Next post on the 20th

#cdda #cataclysm dark days ahead #game guide #ask #my asks

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tofueggnoodles · 9 months

Text

Extreme Bath Log Disk 2 – Track 1: Mahjong Parlor 401

Click here to listen to the track on youtube.

Click here for translations of previous tracks.

Summary: As they tried to best each other at mahjong, Gojyo, Tenpou, Nobuto and Kubota talked about various things such as Tenpou’s job as a writer, his reason for learning mahjong and how he came to live with the Genjos.

--------

Tokito: The ground floor of the place I’m living in is a laundry. I heard that the business was passed down to Kubo-chan by an uncle of his.

(Sound of an automatic door opening, followed by a chime.)

Kubota: Welcome. (checks the items of clothing) One, two, three... it’s five pieces in total, right? The suit and the shirt will be ready tomorrow, but the coat will take about five days’ time. Would that be fine with you?

Tokito: My guardian, Kubota Makoto, gives the impression of being the pleasant proprietor of a laundry – but that’s just his guise during the day. From 8 o’clock in the evening, once the laundry business closes up for the day, another shift begins on the basement floor, where a different shop,...

(Sound of tiles clacking against each other.)

Tokito: ... Mahjong Parlor 401, inconspicuously opens for the evening.

(Someone discards a tile.)

Tenpou: Ah, Gojyo-kun, that’s a ron. [Tenpou called a ron since Gojyo just discarded the tile Tenpou needed to win the round.]

Tenpou (reveals his hand): Let’s see... I’m a non-dealer this round, so with the seventy fu from my hand, you owe me four-thousand and five-hundred points. [Only the discarder pays the winner when a round ends in this manner. Fu: along with han, determines the basic points.]

Gojyo: Damn it! Seriously? (throws some point sticks onto the table) Here, take your winnings**. [point sticks: used to keep scores in riichi mahjong, https://riichi.wiki/Tenbou]

Nobuto: Seventy fu.... Ten-chan-sensei, are you really a beginner?

(They shuffle the mahjong tiles in preparation for the next round.)

Kubota: At least, this is your first visit here, isn’t it?

Tenpou: Mahjong is a rather profound game, don’t you think? I’ve had no experience in games at all except for Japanese chess and backgammon.

Gojyo: If anything, you’re rabid backgammon player.

Nobuto: I’d intended to bring my elder brother along, but he left the country in a hurry right after the memorial service. It was a mistake to bring along mister writer here in his place.

(They are now building ‘walls’ out of the shuffled tiles: Each of the player start to arrange the tiles, likely in a two-tile high row. Once each player has built their wall, these are pushed together at the center of the table to form a rough square.)

Kubota: He probably wanted to get back [to his job] rather quickly because of the tense situation over there. I would’ve loved to play a few rounds with Kenren-san once in a long while, though.

Tenpou: Indeed, I’m far from an adequate replacement for Kenren, but opportunely, I’m in the midst of picking up mahjong. Since I plan to include a scene featuring a mahjong parlor in my next work, I’ll be working hard at material-gathering tonight.

Nobuto: You seem to be quite in demand as a writer. What sort of novels do you write?

Gojyo**: Erotic novels.

Kubota: Porn.

Tenpou: It’s a specialized genre**.

(As the dealer, Kubota rolls a dice twice to decide which tile to start the dealing from.)

Nobuto: So the saying is true: people are not always what they seem to be.

Tenpou: Erotica as a form of literature is the culmination of mankind’s single-minded obsession throughout history.

Kubota: Well, I do think that’s a good example set by those who came before us. Pon. [This is the call to complete a triplet from a discarded tile.]

Tenpou: Jii.... [he is being dramatic by vocalizing a sound effect which indicates that he is staring fixedly at Kubota]

Kubota: Hmm? What is it?

Tenpou: This is one of those “I can tell that there’s a stain on your back” moments, isn’t it? [A stock phrase uttered by the main character of the manga “Mahjong Hishō-den: Naki no Ryū” just before he wins a round of mahjong. It likely implies that the hero is able to see through his opponent.]

Gojyo: So it’s a mahjong manga you’ve been learning from?

Tenpou: Since there are illustrations in a manga, even a beginner can easily understand what’s going on.

Kubota: Do you intend to continue learning mahjong from that unusual book?

Tenpou: It did allow me to grasp the basics**. Hmm... it seems tough to aim for a top-scoring hand with these tiles. If I’m to aim for a runner-up–

Nobuto: I already have a triplet of one bamboos, so a baiman should bring me close to the top score. [baiman: 16,000 points for non-dealer]

Kubota: Since I’m the dealer, a mangan would be good enough for me. [mangan: 12,000 points (dealer)]

Tenpou: Oh? Could it be that you two are trying to provoke me?

Gojyo: Everyone’s just trying to get ahead. Each is thinking: Is the player to my left holding a concealed dora triplet in his hand? [dora: the tile next in suit to a face-up tile in the dead wall. It adds a multiplier to the player’s hand.]

Tenpou: Come to think of it, there’s no automatic dealing table in this mahjong parlor, is there?

Kubota: I don’t like automatic mahjong tables.

Gojyo: I bet that’s because you wouldn’t be able to tamper with the tiles at critical moments if we were to use an automatic table. [He is implying that Kubota cheats – aside from saving time, automatic tables are supposed to make it harder to cheat.]

Kubota: Such a thing is a trade secret. Chii. [This is the call to complete a sequence, used only for discards from the player immediately to the left of the caller.]

Gojyo: Now who just got the tile he’s been waiting for from the player to his left?

Nobuto: Say, it looks as if this parlor’s been reserved for our exclusive use. Is it always like this?

Kubota: It depends on the day. Basically, we’re able to earn our living from the laundry on the floor above, so we don’t even put up a signboard for this parlor at the entrance.

Gojyo: Since the customers are all guys, you should’ve at least hired some cute parlor attendants.

Kubota: Hello, here’s your cute parlor attendant.

Tenpou: If you were to dress Tokito-kun in a maid costume, he might look rather fetching, don’t you think?

Nobuto: I think that would drastically alter the nature of the business.

Kubota: On that matter, the Genjo family business is an all-guys affair too, isn’t it?

Gojyo: Like I said before, if our bathhouse would employ a girl or two as part-timers, I would’ve been a bit more motivated to work there and we’d be able to attract more customers.

Nobuto: If we’re to employ young ladies, that’s definitely because there’s a certain guy who’s apt to make a move on them.

Gojyo (discard a tile with force): You’ve completely misinterpreted my intent**.

Tenpou: Nobuto-kun, you're a fine one to talk when it comes to women, aren’t you?

Nobuto: Well, at least I’m not as bad as my elder brother used to be.

Kubota: What a lively conversation we’re having.

Tenpou: That particular characteristic of Kenren’s certainly runs in the family, doesn’t it?

Nobuto: There’s nothing wrong with that. Gojyo, you’re not seeing anyone special at the moment, right?

Gojyo: I’m so busy that I can hardly find the time to meet people. Also, no matter how I think about it, our house is not the most conducive environment to casually bring a woman back to. Right, mister writer?

Tenpou: I don’t have anyone to bring back to my place.

Nobuto: Not even one? Despite the fact that you write erotica?

Tenpou: Only one-percent of the depictions in erotica are derived from real-life experience. The remaining ninety-nine percent are powered by the writer’s imagination.

Kubota: An apt remark. On that subject, I heard that your current office used to be Kenren-san’s room.

Gojyo: That’s right. It’s next to my room.

Nobuto: That time when out of the blue, my elder brother brought this mister writer home and left his two kids with me before hurrying overseas, everyone in the household was totally flabbergasted.

Tenpou: To be honest, I was flabbergasted too. Be that as it may, the fact is that I, who lack the ability to stand on my own two feet, can now do things such as eat three square meals a day, take a daily bath and get a proper night’s sleep. Even now, I’m grateful to Kenren, who had provided me with a place where I can do all of those things.

Kubota: Certainly, if one’s living in that house, one can take as many baths as one wishes.

Tenpou: Still, I got scolded by Kenren the other day for dozing off in the bath.

Gojyo: Is my old man your mother? Kan, I call kan. [A call to declare that the player has four of the same tile in their hand.]

Kubota: Oh, you’re sure motivated. I thought you’d given up.

Gojyo: They say attack is the best form of defense. The one who’s given up and is discarding only safe tiles is the player opposite me.

Nobuto: Who knows if that’s really the case.

Gojyo: You’ve been discarding safe tiles for quite a while, haven’t you?

(A cellphone buzzes.)

Kubota: Is that your cellphone, Sensei?

Tenpou: That’s a Line message from my editor. Sorry, I thought that there would be no reception since we’re on a basement floor.

Nobuto: What does the message say?

Tenpou: It seems to be an urgent matter. They’ve found a large amount of out-of-order pages in the copies of the book that is to be launched next week.

Gojyo: That’s terrible, isn’t it? The royalties from your books pay for more than half of our household expenses.

Nobuto: If that’s really the case, it’s the management of the bathhouse that’s at fault.

Tenpou: I guess I’d have to go. The other party would’ve already seen the read receipt.

Kubota: Don’t worry about us.

Tenpou: Please excuse me then. I’ll take my leave of you now. Please allow me to continue the material-gathering on another day, okay?

(Getting up from his chair, Tenpou walks to the door and opens it.)

Gojyo: Bye.

Nobuto (eyeing Tenpou’s hand): Hmm? He’s just one tile short of a winning hand. That mister writer was for aiming for a baiman in earnest. That was close.

Kubota: What shall we do? Continue with three players or invite someone else to fill in as the fourth player?

Gojyo: Gramps is the only one that comes to mind, but it’s long past his bedtime.

(The door opens.)

Kubota: Welco– Oh, good evening.

Nobuto: Yo, young master.

Hakkai: Please excuse the intrusion so late in the evening, Kubota-san. I saw Tenpou rushing out in a hurry just now – did something happen?

Gojyo: He was called out to work by his editor. Say, why are you here, Hakkai?

Hakkai: Why else? I’m here to fetch you home, Gojyo.

Gojyo: Hah? Why?

Hakkai: You promised to man the attendant's booth during the morning tomorrow, didn’t you? Idling your time until this late in the night, you won’t be able to wake up in the morning tomorrow.

Kubota: I see. The uncle’s the mother to this one. [referring to Gojyo’s earlier remark about Kenren mothering Tenpou]

Gojyo: I’m gonna be all right. I’m not a kid after all!

Nobuto: Don’t be so tough on him, young master. That’s right, since you’re here, take over the spot that Ten-chan-sensei’s just vacated.

Hakkai (sighs): Understood. Then, Gojyo, if you beat me, I’ll let you off your duty tomorrow morning.

Gojyo: Eh? Seriously?

Hakkai: On the other hand, if I win, I’ll have you man the attendant's booth throughout the day and the evening tomorrow.

Gojyo: Hah?

Hakkai: Also, in that case, as part of the collective responsibility, Brother-in-law will take care of the tidying-up during the afternoon break.

Nobuto: Oh.

Hakkai: Well then, shall we begin?

(They shuffle the tiles.)

Tokito: It’s a long night for the men at Mahjong Parlor 401.

--------

(Round brackets): actions and sound effects. [Square brackets]: translator’s notes or clarifications. Double asterisks **: Stuff I am not sure of. Suggestions for improvements and corrections are more than welcome.

Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about mahjong. The mahjong stuff was cribbed from various sites on the world wide web (:

Trivia:

1. The order of their seating: Gojyo → Tenpou → Nobuto → Kubota

2. Unanswered questions: Is Tokito present in the mahjong parlor? Or is he only “there” to provide the opening and closing narrations? After listening to that one-word line at 2:22 for the n-th time, I am still not sure whether it was Gojyo or Tokito who answered Nobuto’s question about the sort of novels Tenpou wrote.

3. For what it's worth, the mahjong hand before Kanan is one possible hand of Chin Isou (all of one suit).

youtube

#最湯記 #最遊記 #saiyuki drama cd #saiyuki #wild adapter #bus gamer #translation #Youtube

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