#THEY WOULDN'T FUNCTION IF THEY WERE SEPARATED

[abomination-unto-nuggan]

Itasanë, a Noldorin philosopher and the wife of Maglor.

In Valinor, many admired her for her insight and principles, but some were annoyed by her attempts to bring up philosophy whenever possible. She's autistic and, besides, simply believed it's important - of course she wanted to talk about it! She was known for her philosophical performances on the streets. Sometimes, they were things like shadow plays. Sometimes, they were plain unhinged...

Made in ElenaA's Windswept Oc Maker and Fantasy icon maker ファンタジー画像.

One day, Maglor, who was just passing by, saw her performance about philosophy of music and approached her after she was finished. They began to discuss the subject and she confessed her theory was inspired by his concert. Eventually, Maglor had to go, but asked her if she'd like to meet again to explore music and its meaning together. She agreed, excited.

Eventually, they married. Taking her role seriously, Itasanë began to study politics. She also decided to learn how to fight. Surprisingly to some, she became close with her father in law. Both were extremely passionate, and had a lot to talk about. She also used to regularly play strategic board games with Maedhros, finding it a fun intellectual exercise, so they became friends.

She was the sort of philosopher who believed philosophy must be lived, so when the Darkening came, she immediately wanted to fight Morgoth - her ethical principles told her it's her duty as a princess with military training. She also loved her husband and, though she didn't approve of the Oath, wanted to be with him. But soon, things went very wrong.

When the fight at Alqualondë started, Canwen - wife of Curufin and Itasanë's friend - asked her to take care of little Tyelpë, then ran to see what was going on. Canwen ended up fighting herself, to defend her husband and the rest of their family and the terrified nephew Itasanë promised to stay with was the only reason she didn't join Galadriel and Finrod when the whole thing turned into a slaughter.

The thing is, she could be a very hot-tempered person. She had very high standards and while she worked hard to be understanding of others and not lash out at them, Alqualondë was just too much. When all was said and done, she told Maglor she wants nothing to do with him and stayed with the host of Finrod, her friend. Knowing Maglor didn't plan to murder anyone and that he didn't feel good with what he did, she soon regretted and wished to make up with him. Then, she saw the fire...

Despite her presence on the other shore, Maglor did participate in the ship burning. While Fëanor wouldn't disown him if he refused like Maedhros, he was completely in the fear of abandonment mode after his wife functionally broke up with him. Her staying with Finrod, who not just fought against the Fëanorians but was also her beautiful philosopher friend, only made him more heartbroken - even though he knew they were not romantically interested in eachother at all. He still loved her and wouldn't want to endanger her... just didn't expect her to cross the Helcaraxë.

At Mithrim, they both met after Fingon brought Maedhros back and Maglor came to see him. They decided they'll try to make up and, even though their relationship was still strained, they fought at eachother's side in Dagor Aglareb. After risking their lives together, they realised how much they still care, and their love was rekindled.

They became political and military partners in the Gap. Itasanë was greatly skilled as a warrior, especially in horse archery, but died in Dagor Bragollach. She and Maglor decided to separate, trying to surround Glaurung, but this attempt to defeat him failed utterly and Itasanë died in flames. Maglor felt her agony and tried to get to her, but he didn't manage to come quickly enough. The memory of his wife burning to death would haunt him ever since.

After a long time, she got eventually reembodied. When Maglor was convinced by Elrond to come back to Valinor, he thought she will reject him after all he has done after her death. But this was not the case. They reunited and finally found peace again.

[iloveacronix]

Whenever someone separates Krux and Acronix it's like separating these two

Its either both of them or neither

[nexus-nebulae]

us: why do we get so pissy when talking abt "two brothers, alone in the world, at odds" stories

the Echoes and the Remnants: 😶

[fingertipsmp3]

I love TS2 but it has some really stupid mechanics built into it

[monsterblogging]

"I know JK Rowing is a terrible person but her books are so good-"

You sure about that?

I mean, just for a start, have you taken a good look at her fantasy creatures lately? A whole bunch of them are straight-up based on malicious and dehumanizing stereotypes about actual people.

Remember the werewolves? And being a werewolf was made into a kind of metaphor for having AIDS?

And you know how AIDS was first associated with gay men? And how conservatives back in the day were claiming gay men were preying on children in order to convert them to gayness?

Remember how Fenrir Greyback preyed on children in particular? Yeah, she put that subtext in there. She was an adult in the 90's. She knew damn well what she was doing.

Remember the house elves? Remember how most of them loved to serve and needed to have a home and a master or else they just wouldn't know what to do with themselves?

Did you know that's literally what slavers in the American South said about the Black people they kept enslaved? Go look up the happy slave myth.

Do I even need to get into the goblins and the antisemitic tropes they're based on? No, folkloric goblins were not gold-hoarding bankers waiting for their chance to stab humanity in the back.

"But the characters are so good!"

Are you kidding me?

Most of her characters are pretty one-dimensional, including Harry. Her idea of making a morally complicated character is giving a tragic past to a bully. Numerous characters are little more than stereotypes. (Looking at Fleur right now.) Literally anybody, including you, can easily make dozens of characters just as good, if not better. (It doesn't exactly take a lot of character designing skill to go, "hey, actually, having a sad backstory doesn't make it okay to bully children" or "hey, maybe I should not base a character on the first stereotype that pops into my head.")

"But the rest of the worldbuilding!"

Sorry, but her worldbuilding is just as basic as her characters. Magical castles and secret passages are stock tropes. Magical people who keep their true nature secret from humanity is the premise of pretty much every White Wolf TTRPG. Most of her fantasy creatures are just common European fairy tale and folklore creatures with shitty stereotypes projected onto them.

I'm not saying "basic worldbuilding bad." I'm saying, you could do just as good, if not better, with minimal effort.

Also there's her magical bioessentialism, where only Harry's abusive blood relatives could provide him with supernatural protection from Voldemort. Rowling thus effectively declared that non-biological family isn't quite real family, and that abusive biofamily can give you some essential thing that a loving, supportive family that isn't related to you just can't.

The Hogwarts houses are one of the most insidious elements of her worldbuilding. The idea of being sorted gives you a little dopamine hit because wow now you have a li'l niche where you belong!

But the actual function of the houses and sorting system and the House Cup is teaching children to see each other as rivals, and ensure that the most toxic views of the upper class get passed on to every new batch of kids sorted into Slytherin.

Hogwarts effectively prepares children for a dystopia where magic serves to distract its citizens from how nightmarishly awful it is. Economic inequality is so bad that people like Arthur and Molly Weasley can barely afford to put their kids through school, casual sadism is just an accepted norm in everyday society, and non-humans are second class citizens. Rowling sorta acts like she thinks this is a bad thing with certain lines she gave to Dumbledore, but in the end, her special boy protagonist becomes an auror; IE, a defender of the status quo. So.

If you've never seen it, Lily Simpson's video goes into even more detail on how the worldbuilding of Harry Potter is actually incredibly fucked up, and how it betrays small-minded attitudes on Rowling's part. There's no separating the art from this artist, because Rowling's rotten values pour out of nearly every page.

Yes, there are many things in Harry Potter that evoke feelings and inspire people, but there's absolutely nothing in it that this series has a monopoly on. You can find those same experiences in much, much better media.

[anantaru]

EX HUSBAND NEUVILLETTE

— ꒰ synopsis ꒱ — ex! husband neuvillette headcanons

— ꒰ warnings ꒱ — [ex]plicit, fem! reader, fluff, crack lmao, he‘s trying his best, very rough like he’s feral!!!!, fucks you like there’s no tomorrow, but the sweetest man, a little possessive without him realising

ex! husband neuvillette, who— as was wildly anticipated, would not instantly vanish from your life nor leave you stranded alone beside the mental toll that a separation would leave on the both of you— even after the grief-stricken divorce was at last, ultimately finalized and carried out.

ex! husband neuvillette who thought that— with the fullness of his devastated heart, that in his own very eyes, it was beyond a doubt commonplace to aid and assist his ex-wife in the so called "aftermath" of your troubling divorce, whilst more urgently, be in no qualms that you're being cared for with everything and anything you could possible need.

ex! husband neuvillette, who of course, would double check with you to not suddenly overstep any boundaries or take up space that you might need— yet bare in mind, if you were to ask him for help on any matter really, he'd immediately leave everything behind to fulfill your wishes first, considering he is used to it, but the man will tend to forget about his own personal needs which he needed so he could function properly— yet now with you out of the picture, walking back to his current reality was becoming a taxing task.

ex! husband neuvillette, who, aside from his own separate challenges and demands, would never dare to cast aside his important work of practically running the nation of hydro. much obliged, he was a prestigious, praiseworthy man, thus the reason for him to pull more effort and sleepless nights into his occupation.

ex! husband neuvillette who couldn't believe that you both were divorced in the first place because in all seriousness, there wasn't much changing and aside from a couple instances, for example that he wasn't seeing you frequently, it felt the same way to him.

ex! husband neuvillette who, after a couple weeks into your divorce, will suddenly become a little more distant, not responding to letters you would occasionally send to make sure he was okay— with the immediate turbulent, overcast weather in fontaine adding to the closing eeriness of the entire situation. it's constant, clouded and gray, a mirage of cold rain and an incoming storm, and the people of fontaine will begin to question what had happened or if it was simply an unlucky past couple of weeks.

ex! husband neuvillette who doesn't like the idea of divorce, as might be expected he understands it, but in his own regard, he does not approve of it, but he accepts it— additionally, he wouldn't force you to stay with him, again, why he had agreed on it in the first place. the man would lie to himself if he'd say that it doesn't break his heart, the unclouded thought of wholly erasing the person he referred to as his 'wife' off his entire life was a frightening pondering.

ex! husband neuvillette wasn't willing to accept it, ever, but he did it for your sake and the small possibility of you becoming close again, in the future? perhaps, he was willing to wait endlessly, condemning himself to a lifetime in darkness, knowing full on well that his most desired dream to reconcile arguably wouldn't come true— on top of that, after careful, deep talks on how to properly navigate your divorce and being separated from now on, you have both ultimately agreed on remaining 'friends' in a sense, such was easy to state of course but you longed to make the best out of it, or at least try.

ex! husband neuvillette who will against all odds, still keep his wedding ring put on its designated place. granted, he had gotten quite accustomed to the feeling of it being wrapped around his finger and doesn't want to take it off. if you do decide to ask him about it, given that you aren't wearing yours anymore, he will plainly state that he got used to it way too much and it had grown on him, really, becoming a part of his person so ultimately taking it off would result in the same as him severing a limb off his body.

ex! husband neuvillette who still calls you his wife unintentionally, in the beginning of the first couple of weeks, it will happen almost all the time. be that as it may, he doesn't do it on purpose to somehow hurt you or make you uncomfortable, and he was aware of the fact that he needed to get accustomed to the feeling of being single again, of not being married anymore but calling you his wife just warmths his chest and hugs him from inside and out.

ex! husband neuvillette bets on it, it's like his whole day could be stacked with work on end, without a second of tranquility in sight, rain droplets covering the nation of hydro, but when he thinks about you, only you, a smile coruscates over his soft lips, increasing his heart beat, it's all so painful but he wouldn't want it any other way because nothing, and he emphasizes it deeply, nothing would be as painful as having you gone form his life.

ex! husband neuvillette who, and pay attention now, this would only happen if his strong, rational thinking skills and durable emotions towards keeping the laws of this world truthful were somewhat altered in an instance of weakness, but he would adore to throw and punish every new person you would date after him behind bars, yet not before properly dragging them to a trail that they cannot win, for him to look down on them— again, it's a small fantasy he wouldn't bring into life, he honored his noble work.

ex! husband neuvillette who knows that even day dreaming about such wrongful ideas were full of holes and malice, yet beyond it, he keeps himself restrained in not interfering in your new relationships— which he had thought must be a lot, you could say he believed that you were already out and about in the dating world, overthinking the worst out of all possibilities that could happen.

ex! husband neuvillette who will oftentimes send the melusines out to check up on you and tell him how you're doing— no, don't misunderstand, he doesn't want to know if you were dating again, he wouldn't, after all, this was your personal life and he wasn't your husband anymore. but then again, surely checking every now and then wouldn't hurt a soul, right?

ex! husband neuvillette will send you freshly picked flowers frequently, or have your favorite dish made by a professional chef. how can i forget to mention that he tends to buy a small, cute souvenir that would remind him of you and send it your way instantly. at how things were slowly progressing, the man will be quite embarrassed in facing you again, granted that you had promised to remain friends, he fears that the constant raining and pouring around fontaine would make it desperately obvious on how he was truly feeling, what can there be left anyways, nothing but the untouchable part of him, his aching soul begging for closeness.

but ex! husband neuvillette does not want to trouble you, fearing he might become overbearing in his doings, but he misses you, this time it's more raw than that, more exposed, more pure. he longes for a moment where he can see and feel you again, his mind circling through emotions and pondering, sinful dreams stitching his psyche together and calming down his heart.

ex! husband neuvillette who will be surprised, yet overly thrilled as if he was about to jump off his chair, when you ask the sweet melusines to hand him over a letter— the scent of the thin paper reminding him of your fragrance, a similar one he noticed whenever he kissed your neck. beyond question, they couldn't have told him fast enough, he finishes up the necessary work load for the day, at once forging ahead to your once shared house. you know it by now but he does not falter, he wants this to be perfect, carefully picking up a bouquet of flowers, with the flowers in questions being the very ones that have been decorating your wedding venue back in the day, oh sweet memories, he hopes he doesn't come off as crazy.

ex! husband neuvillette who tries to play it cool, it's not a big deal, but why were his hands sweating? his breathing was fast too, burgeoning, each following step towards your home, his limbs and muscles would begin to tremble, it's evident and almost aflame, but the weather has been nice again all of a sudden, for once in fontaine and he couldn't wait to see you.

ex! husband neuvillette who cannot say anything when you open the door for him, all these miles with the memories of your passionate time together pouring back into his mind. it's silly, but so real, and there was a silence, although not of an uncomfortable kind, it was overthrowing the hefty atmosphere.

and honestly, you think ex! husband neuvillette was cute when he was all overwhelmed and bereft of speech, even cuter when he’s silently walking past the door, your hands slowly wrapping around the bouquet of flowers to place them aside, on top of a wooden drawer before panning your eyes back into his grasp— which was his piercing, conquering gaze.

you could perceive the cutting tautness, how the reinforced pressure alone couldn't be torn, not with a sharp knife, no sword, no blade, because forthrightly— there wasn't anything on this planet that was able to part this emerging and crashing body chemistry.

all fairness to the situation— your captivation was off the charts, two people unable to coexist while parted, searching within your souls to understand what was happening. yet then it hit you, that maybe— heavily placed on a single maybe, that there might've been a cruel mistake in how things ended between you both;

or did they end?

because like a bullet piercing through soft flesh, it gave the impression away as if you were both moving closer to your sweet frames until you could clearly feel his warm, clothed chest pushed against your own— hopeful eyes remained locked within your gazes as you carefully slide your hands behind his neck without breaking his stares.

ex! husband neuvillette whose breathing was all fast and hasty, yet much swifter was his never ending intention to kiss you again and taste your lips in the process, he cannot stop himself anymore, but he must— for some reason, he cannot fathom that this might be reality and that you both would have a second chance in this life after all.

"kiss me." you suddenly whisper, eyes aglow with his own enlarging at the nervous utterance, subtle touches weaving together and showing your open truths.

ex! husband neuvillette feels how tense he has gotten and tries to relax— on top of that, he was reminiscing about the past and the bare memories of your writhing body splayed under his large one, his entire weight on top of you, just the whisper of his sinful imagination made his mouth water— he truly believes he was in fact dreaming right now, especially when you tell him to kiss him again.

there were no thoughts to process anymore, no focus he could grasp on to remain clearness— what was left were true, unfaltering desires and the scalding pain of waiting. that‘s when you kiss him instead, his body immediately welcoming your fervid warmth, pulling his head towards your own in a heart beat.

ex! husband neuvillette felt a heavy hardship being lifted off his shoulders the moment your lips touch his, and each one of the words he had planned to spell out to you, they form into a sting that was beating into his heart, repeatedly, the sharp stitches seeping into his veins slowly. and he refuses to cry in front of you, or expose to you that everything that had happened after your separation was covered in nothing but a silent numbness.

swallowing the lump in his throat, ex! husband neuvillette guides you to the bedroom, it was hard to decipher what was real or not, each motion of your lips rounding across his own felt like he was dreaming the most beautiful dream of them all. the whisper of cold air brushes across your bodies when he opens the door to the cold room, his own imagination going wild when he peeks at the neatly made bed, or the wooden drawer next to it, still having your wedding picture on display.

ex! husband neuvillette who takes his time in undressing you, the fear of someone taking you away from him again, even now, was still there and he wanted, no, needed to relish in this as good as possible. neuvillette wets his lips, nervous, "my love.. are you sure about this?" and he hesitated for a second— but when you tug at his own sleeves now, fondling with the expensive garment, nodding your head and expertly wrapping your digits into the thin fabric to help him out of it, he knows you wanted it as badly as he did, popping his arms back so you could pull his coat down, your mouth twisting into a subtle smile.

ex! husband neuvillette who touches you featherlight, slowly parting your legs to settle in between, and butterflies expand in your belly when you admire his beauty from up close again, his muscles twitching when you decide to lightly graze his skin with your fingertips, smoothly sliding over his chest before wrapping your arms around his neck. 

ex! husband neuvillette who could honestly cry the moment he first slides his cock into you again, kissing you again and again, more deeply, more feral and in need before licking into your mouth, leaving his large hand to wander down to the plush of your ass and push you into the mattress when he first bottoms out of you. you're so warm, wet and comfortable while you're clamping down on him. and neuvillette pistols his hips like an electric light, hoping he'd be able to hit so deep inside your warm cunt till you practically feel him stir up your guts.

and a moan slowly builds up in your throat as your tits brush against his strong chest— whilst neuvillette places a delicious, fast pace on you, the bare strength of his thrusts making the headboard bounce back and forth the wall as he nibbles on your bottom lip while fucking his cock into you, your gummy walls squelching at each well received pump.

ex! husband neuvillette who roughly palms your tits and plays with your nipples with his hips moving in a feral tempo— whilst those breathy, wet pleas of your name, the ones he whispered against your ear, evolve into gluttonous, hungry groans, whilst the thought about losing all of this made it more difficult for him to say anything at all, his throat acting as a trap for that one sentence he intended to spell out, the sound of it awaiting to break free— but the nervousness couldn't be surpassed as he takes a hold of your hand, desperately clutching on it before grinding his erection back into you, a pulse surging through the entirety of your walls.

ex! husband neuvillette who finds it mesmerizing on how you were so responsive to his every nibble and touch, his thudding cock diving between your legs while he fists your tits in his warm hand, your lips parting with cries and begs while meeting his hungry pace.

his hips, much bigger than yours, keep hitting into you, a lustful gaze on your facial expression clouding your mind as he makes you feel so unbelievably good, soaking your sheets as you kiss him, famished and hot, feeling his needy grunts exhaling through his lips as you clench down hard, gazes meeting once and for all, "i love you." you say, almost cry it out, and neuvillette wanted to be patient with you, claim your body to its full exhaustion afterwards, but not now, he cannot keep his cool this time— not anymore, not after you said those very three words he wasn't able to utter out all night.

you're truly driving him insane, and his body was pressing hotly against yours as you wiggle and writhe under him, puppy eyes watching him please you from under your lashes while you’re requiring more of his cock in you, please please, you say, your pussy clamping around his girth and milking him for good.

ex! husband neuvillette who tells you, "i love you too, i love you too.." in quick, fast paced syllables, and the burning veins in his body turn numb when you begin to cry out of joy and pleasure, hastily pushing your heels into his back to signal him to fuck you harder as he pounds away into your creamy pussy, dragging his hard erection along your sore walls and burning pleasure spots.

now— your nails simmer over his defined back, both sweetly indulging in each others company and the feeling of being one again, nothing else but solid, fast paced pleasure which was turning him on, so fucking much, his breathing puffed and winded, throwing his head back as you're doing your best to match his insane rhythm.

your pussy swallows him up like magic, your damp lashes tickling his shoulders as he buries his face against your neck to suck on the wet flesh, in accessory to the numerous amount of praises, declarations of love and filthy curses plastering your sweaty skin. or how about the swallowing screams and begs of your name that ripple through him as you moan out fervently, twitching under his towering body and arching your back.

oh, well? it's now or never your “ex” husband fears, and he decides to push his pulsing cock deep into your hole, deeper, just a little bit more, please! until you're desperately screaming into his shoulder, as far as it can fit into your little pussy, sending you over an intoxicating edge.

and ex! husband neuvillette was, at long last, back at where he should be, where he should've been all along, with you, making passionate and meaningful love to each other, because the man needed it, needed you close to him, and he cannot and will never again, paint the world without you in it.

©2023 anantaru do not repost, copy, translate, modify

[lordcrumps]

The Sims 2 For Rent - CC EXPANSION PACK

Sul Sul!

~ More photos under the under the cut ~

Last week the Sims 4 got a new pack, this week Sims 2 players get that same pack! In a collaboration with @platinumaspiration and @tvickiesims and a HUGE assist from @episims, we bring you "The Sims 2 For Rent CC Expansion Pack!"

This is a large set, and advisable that it does not get merged even further than it already is! - I ran into some issues when trying to do this!

When you explore this pack, please take a look at the marble ring rug, it has some surprisingly cute rug swatches! I put a swatch in it to remove the marbles themselves, so you have a cute small rug! - I only mention this as I was going to bin the rug off once uploaded, but then I found it had some lovely swatches!

FUNCTIONALITY

So most of the items will function as they should and intended as. Its just not just deco items.

There is two collection files included, separated into build buy! Please note that fences and stairs and spandrels cant be but into a collection!

The squatty toilet that took me over 12 hours to make, yeah they squat, animation can be a bit bouncy but such is life. This toilet also can be flushed, get dirty and is cleanable!

Outdoor plants are seasonal!

Counters are animated with insides built, there is no drawer on the counter, I did not want to change the shape of the unit, and saw EA did the same - ignore the fact they grab something from a non existent drawer

Wardrobes have interiors elements, and have working doors!

Each Kettle have two versions, choose only one, one for the colour traits mod / one 'normal'. They function as Tea makers! Huazzah!

Spandrels in build mode are classified as fences. I made a variant with fence / no fence.

Several of the larger deco pieces such as the Arch Gate, or umbrella are actually lights!

Radiators act like radiators!

The Aircon Unit is completely functional, doesn't lower bills, but it does lower sims temperatures!

"Water Heaters" act like solar panels, they get money off your bills!

The Electrical Fuse box has 2 versions, I kept them both in, one wall deco and one functions as a burglar alarm - I wanted more alarms.

Most Sofas / Chairs have morphs!

Slots added to the Vanity and Bathroom Cabinet!

FENCES / SPANDRELS / STAIRS OH MY!

I have included swatch images of each of the spandrels, fences and stairs and labelled them to match, this is so that you can go in and take out any of the swatches you do not want. This is because there are lot of new fences and the menu can feel cluttered with them in for some people.

DOWNLOAD

ALT - SFS

~ Credits / Thanks / List of items not converted under the cut ~

MORE PHOTOS

CREDITS

Mini fridge is cloned from Targa over at MTS - so now it works just like a regular fridge barring a few animations (get baby bottle and juggle)

Kettles were cloned from @pforestsims's kettle, link here.

@jacky93sims for the base of the squat toilet! Epi for the code edits!

THANKS

@tvickiesims, @platinumaspiration thank you soo much for helping with the objects, really couldn't do it myself!! Your amazing, awesome, and some of the best creators out there! Thank you again!

@episims - YOU ARE DA BOMB! Thank you for all your help in getting those toilets working with me, and everything else you do when you answer my little annoying questions! Appreciated like you wouldn't believe!

LIST OF ITEMS NOT CONVERTED - @sims4t2bb

Due to the sizing / functionality of these objects, they will not be included in this pack!

All Yer Fixins Untenable Food Stand

Mali's Moonlight Market Craft Stall

Vegan Vittles Night Market

Late Night Snack Dessert Stall

Rice to Meet You Night Market

The Unrestroom

Fisherman's Slats Window - Tall

The Secret Maze Window - Very Tall

The Secret Maze Window - Super Duper Tall

Stained Glass Tomarani Shutters - Tall

Stained Glass Tomarani Shutters - Tall and Open Wide

The Save Us From Ruin Tallest Cinched Wall Curtain

The How Many Times Do We Need To Tell You It's Not Silk Taller Wall Curtain

The We Are Going To Jail< Tallest Wall Curtain So You Know the Truth Curtain

[gerbithats]

The sims 4 is not a lost cause, it just needs some love.

SO i recently came back to playing sims 4 after a long hiatus and i have to say i'm surprised. I'm no EA apologist, they are indeed cashgrabby. But to see that lots of new features were integrated over the last few years that facilitated different styles of gameplay actually surprised me.

It seems tho that a pattern has been set, were they will release the most lackluster pack (whatever it is) and keep fixing it over the next few years. Pack reworks became a thing and thank god for it, since the releases don't seem to be stoping in order to give us better results.

It's a bittersweet feeling for sure. The game has more than 70 packs released and somehow it can still feel dead when it comes to live mode. And that's what this post is about: how could they bring the love the other games had for live mode in a base game that's so purposefully made for cas and build/buy?

Part 1: Nostalgia driven gameplay

Seeing the UI from the sims 1, 2 and 3 brings me back a lot of memories. It was a staple to this series that was lost due to a cleaner redesign. Not only that, but a core mechanic was also changed: the wants and fears system.

I believe that what makes me so nostalgic is TO KNOW that this worked so perfectly and hardly needed any refreshes.

Your sims now have emotions and yet, they rarely feel like something integrated to a goal or something you can truly affect while in gameplay.

Bringing back the wants and fears system would not only make our decisions during gameplay more impactful to our sims emotions, but also help to choose the direction any story could go.

An aspiration meter that's connected to the rewards shop would make decisions much more impactful (rather than getting them just by working through what is currently known as the "tutorial aspirations").

Your sims moods should be important, and so what makes them feel that way.

Part 2: World overload

With the amount of packs released, the world selection menu quickly became a problem. When seeing that screen, it all just feels like a blur of information that's been set in a certain way for convenience.

Maps such as these became popular in the community for a reason. The experience of playing needs to be inviting from the get go. It's clear tho that the reason behind not giving us something like this is no long term planning and pack exclusive experiences.

So what if it just became a larger sims world? A concept were you wouldn't select the city at frist, but the entire region were it is located in order to acess the one you prefer.

That would also make this refresh friendly to a future create a world tool (whenever that may come).

Part 3: Pack refreshes are the bread and butter of the future

Let's face it: we're stuck with this game for another 10 years at least. So other than dwell on the fact that we don't have open worlds or things of that nature, we should look at what can reasily be solved, and that's pack refreshes.

From seasons coming out without properly made textures and snow depth to functions that will simply not work as they should, I like to believe we do have a voice in this community. I made this post several years ago and now, looking back at it, I see so much improvement over things that we were desperately asking for.

Don't get me wrong, by that I don't mean that EA developers are searching through my page or yours to find what we think and expect for The Sims 4. But talking about these things openly as a community is what makes the difference.

Part 4: Simmers Unite

In conclusion: uniting our voices to ask for these things to come as refreshes and revamped features are crucial for the next few years. Let's, together, avoid a "my first snowdepth pack" or similar things that could yet come our way.

I created a blog called @sims4-communitywishes to reblog rants and wishes such as these. Our blogs and separate voices may be small, but a repository of it is much more impactful.

So thank you for reading this all the way through and in case you want to share your wishes for the future of The Sims 4, tag it as #s4comunitywishes

[project-sekai-facts]

The saki glue theory isn’t true?!

I mean it is just a theory… A GAME THEO-

Okay, I’ll stop. But I do wonder why you think that especially since that theory is incredibly popular.

The Saki glue theory, at least from what I've seen, says that if Saki died in middle school it would mean that none of the units in the game would form. The things is, it literally makes no sense if you think about it properly for more than a few seconds.

Of course Leo/need wouldn't exist, because it's not Leo/need without all four of them, and Saki was a key player in mending their friendship. As for Tsukasa, by middle school he was already a theatre kid, so he's not just gonna drop that because his sister died. Yes he would be greatly affected by it but he also wouldn't quit (it's during this point that he actually pushed aside and forgot his original motivations, so he doesn't associate Saki with his dream here). And Tsukasa would still encourage Toya to rebel against his dad, so Toya still meets Akito and they still form Bad Dogs and eventually VBS.

When it comes to MMJ and N25 it becomes really obvious that this theory is grasping at straws. The main explanations I've seen as to how Saki could possibly affect them is that Shiho and Honami become depressed, so Shizuku quits idol work to be there for Shiho, and Honami never becomes Kanade's housekeeper so doesn't call an ambulance for her when she collapsed of dehydration, and Kanade dies.

It just doesn't make sense at all. Yes, Shizuku loves Shiho and would obviously be there to comfort her, but she isn't just going to quit being an idol for that. Shizuku is her own character with her own complicated feelings towards said idol job. She isn't going to drop everything for her sister. And while I think Honami would still become a housekeeper, if she didn't Kanade would just have another housekeeper who probably would've found her the exact same way Honami did. Also at least some people who push for this forget that Shiho and Honami already were not in a great place mentally when Saki was in hospital in middle school. We already have insight into how they coped with losing Saki (not in that sense) and MMJ and N25 still exist despite this. Yes grief is different, but you get the idea.

The Saki glue theory is just a cheap grab at angst rather than anything that actually considers how Saki would impact other characters and their relationships. Yes she does affect some characters but she is not going to drastically rewrite the narrative if she dies nor will everyone close to her become too depressed to function. If we're being really, really, honest, you can kinda tell this theory probably exists partially to give pointless angst to her brother, which is a whole separate issue.

Like, Saki is important to some characters don't get me wrong, but she's only important to the narratives of four, those being the other members of Leo/need, and Tsukasa. She absolutely does not affect every character in the game, even by proxy. Chart:

I'm not saying angst in fandom is a bad thing, and it can be interesting to explore darker and more negative themes/emotions with characters who don't get to experience these a lot in the source material, but within this fandom there is an issue with pulling out nonsensical explanations for dark stories, which like 50% of the time involve killing off the chronically ill character. And a lot of those are to write angst for her brother and ignoring what actually is written in canon about him and his relationship with Saki. Ableism and misogyny with one move. Real nice.

[woso-dreamzzz]

Foster

Meadema x Teen!Reader

Summary: You're taken to a new home

You meet Beth and Viv two days after the new year begins.

Social services came around for the last time in the evening two days ago. They found you, curled up on the floor of your wardrobe, having locked it from the inside with a chain of interlocking hairbands.

Your father had been passed out on the landing and your mother was high out of her mind in the kitchen.

You got woken up, told to pack and taken away. You spend the night in your new social worker's office and then you're brought to their house.

Beth and Viv greet you at the door. You only know who they are because your social worker gave you the file before she dumped you here.

"Your room's pretty bare," Beth explains," We can go and get decorations if you want later today."

You survey the room. "It's fine."

It's more than fine. Your old room was a dirty old mattress that you're sure your uncle and cousins stole. Your wardrobe was second-hand and falling apart while your desk had different-sized legs and the accompanying chair didn't have a backrest so was functionally a stool.

"Are you sure?" Beth looks around the room. "We can get decorations. It's no problem."

"It's good," You confirm, placing your bin bag down on the bed (a bed with an actual bed frame!).

"Okay," Viv says," We'll let you unpack while we make lunch. Any allergies?"

You shake your head.

"We'll see you soon."

Unpacking is done embarrassingly quickly and you linger a bit longer to not look too pathetic in front of Beth and Viv. It's little more than twiddling your thumbs and staring at the clock on your bedside table.

You didn't have a bedside table at home so that's kind of nice. It's got drawers on it so you would be able to stash food in it if you needed to.

Beth and Viv seem like nice people but you can never be quite too sure. It's not your first rodeo in the foster system. Your parents cleaned up their act last time so there's a chance they'll do the same this time though, judging by the way your father was passed out on the stairs, you wouldn't be surprised if he ended up dead by alcohol poisoning.

You sigh softly as you get off the bed, stretching out your back in preparation before exiting the room.

"Hey," Viv says when she notices you lingering in the background," Lunch is ready if you want to sit."

You can't quite tell if she's just being nice or if this is an order. She looks a bit more stern than Beth does so you do what she says. Today's not the day to test boundaries.

She smiles though, when you sit down and slides you a plate. "I didn't know what you like so I just put on a bit of everything."

You look down at your plate and can't help the smile. She's made sure that everything's separate too, so nothing's touching and nothing will taint each piece of food.

"Thanks," You say softly, digging in. You don't know when they'll next give you a meal so it's better to gorge yourself now. You've got your hoard of food from your horse hidden in the drawers of your bedside table but you'll have to stock up soon because some of that stuff will be out of date very soon and you're not desperate enough to eat spoiled food just yet.

"Have you got a phone?" Beth asks.

You shake your head. You didn't even have wifi back home which really sucked when you were meant to do research for school.

"Here." She chucks a box at you with a smile.

You catch it out of the air and look at it. It's a phone. A brand new one by the looks of it.

You look at Beth and Viv in shock. Your previous foster parents had never given you things like this before. You'd gotten given a brick phone a few years ago when you were first separated from your parents but that had been flogged for drug money almost as soon as you got reunited.

"I..." You swallowed thickly to quell the tears you knew would spill down your cheeks sooner rather than later. "Thank you..."

"No problem," Beth says," Once you get it all set up, I can give you the Netflix password. There's a laptop coming too but we forgot to order it until last night. It should be here soon though, for your school work."

"Thank you..."

You feel a bit like a broken record, incapable of doing anything but repeating the same two words over and over again.

Viv smiles as well, sliding a bag of non-perishables at you. She doesn't say anything about it but you knew that she knew. You're not too sure how she knew but it must have been written in your file somewhere.

Your old social workers had noted a few times that you hoarded food like you were about to go into hibernation.

You like that Viv doesn't make a big deal out of it though. She just slides you the bag and nods.

You're oddly flattered and your opinion of Beth and Viv is cemented in your heart pretty quickly.

You just hope that they don't betray your trust because they're already shaping up to be the best set of foster parents you've ever had and all they're really doing is the bare minimum.

You glance around the house.

It looks nice. It's pretty cosy and warm.

You nod to yourself, looking down at the bag bashfully.

You think that you'll like it here.

[didyougaming]

Hi, gamers. I know the results of the Sandwich Poll have been gnawing at you. So many people wondering whether they answered correctly, which as a reminder is a very important factor in determining which afterlife you end up in when you die. Please understand that I needed a lot of time to internally process these poll results and also that I've been kinda busy/tired. But the people need to know, so here we go.

In total, we received 372 responses. I also spent a lot of my weekend annoying anyone who would listen to me in person about these questions, but I didn't write those answers down.

Question 1 was fairly non-controversial, as it should be. It is worth noting that 3.2% of respondents chose to write-in an answer, and most of these write-in answers were what scientists would call "bad" and "not really useful." So you can assume a 3.2% margin of error on everything in this survey. That's how statistics works.

Question 2 is where we see a real divide. Most respondents consider a sandwich cut into two separate but equal pieces to be one sandwich. This is a real shame, because it's the wrong answer. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Question 3 considers whether one piece of bread cut in half and used for sandwich-making results in a sandwich, and surprisingly the majority of respondents do consider this to be one sandwich. This is really interesting, because despite ending up with functionally and aesthetically the same result as one of the pieces of the sandwich from question 2, a significant number of respondents believe the results to be inherently different. I wish there was a way to better track how much overlap there was for those two seemingly contradictory answers, but the big Sheets page Google Docs is daunting and I don't feel like figuring out how to parse that data, so we just need to accept that we'll never have that exact number. That's how statistics works.

Question 4 mostly just cements the findings of the previous two questions. I do want to point out the one person who answered "who the fuck does this". Sandwich shops do this. Go to a sandwich shop for once in your life and really watch them do their work. Open your eyes.

Question 5 did not get me a lot of useful data, as it turns out having a question that only allowed for write-in answers was a bad idea. However, there are more or less two camps for people who really took these questions seriously and gave it their all. The first school of thought suggests that intent is the most important factor, and if you deem what you've made to be a sandwich, it's a sandwich. While I appreciate the critical thinking on display here, I believe in the other school of thought, which is that when you put ingredients between two breads that's a sandwich, baby. There is a sub-school of thought here that requires those two pieces to be whole pieces, but that's wrong.

One question that I should have included in the survey I think proves my point. If you order a sandwich platter from a deli and they use a single really long piece of bread (think like a several foot long hero) into multiple sections, you would say that you have sandwiches, plural. If you wanted to grab one, you wouldn't say "I'm going to grab a 64th of a sandwich" because you would sound deranged. Despite being parts of a larger whole, they are still ingredients between pieces of bread, and thus fit the definition of "sandwich."

Anyway, thank you for coming on this non-gaming detour with me. It was extremely important that I prove a friend wrong on this topic, and even though I don't think I did that and I think he's choosing to double down on his incorrect opinions, I'm still choosing to spin this as a personal and moral victory. New actual DidYouGamings will come out as soon as I discover any new facts about video games (right now there's only a couple hundred facts about video games at all and I've basically covered all of them.)

[quitealotofsodapop]

I had an evil little thought at midnight based on the fight under the mountain Wukong had. Specifically the "Everything I did was for US" line in a context separate from stone eggs.

I still think it's true. We discussed in the DMs how Wukong and Macaque met and fell in love, how Wukong's fight with Havoc had not been as easy as the book would have us believe and how a direct consequence of that fight was Wukong being dragged into Diyu. In the event of Wukong and Macaque being childhood friends who were separated after a very short interaction as cubs and then meeting again as teenagers during the mess with Havoc, he'd recognize his cuboid friends name as someone destined to die soon and panic because he had promised they'd meet again and he couldn't meet with Liu'er if he died! So in addition to wiping his name he wiped Liu'er and then as many other monkies as he could to cover the fact he was specifically protecting Macaque.

In the case of the Immortal Peaches, it was less about the insult to his hard work and more about the fact that Macaque was deathly ill, didn't even know he was sick too since he had always been sickly and simply thought he was jsut having one of his usual episodes, and only two known cures. One that is rare beyond belief and one being regular dosages of a certain type of peach that Wukong was tending to the orchard of at the time when Macaque's illness had worsened.

Thus when he was told that demons were not to partake in the peaches, the only thing that could save his mate's life, he made a desperate, drunken play. He'd already been sneaking peaches down to Macaque, usually the worst of the crop, the ones who still have the immortal properties he was looking for but wouldn't be missed by the celestials. But now he wasn't going to be subtle anymore. The Pills of Immortality were taken in error, being unable to tell what they were from his drunken stupor as after destroying the party and stealing all the peaches he could he had taken the wone and lost himself to it, drinking his sorrows over wasting his time trying to appease gods who never would have saved his mate away. The War was fought for the sake of seizing control of the Orchard for Macaque, nobody but Wukong knew this.

Which brings us to the fight under the mountain. And how Macaque had called Wukong out, claiming him to be a selfish demon who just did whatever he wanted and sought nothing but power for himself. When the truth was anything but that. And then later, the battle where Wukong himself became the very thing to claim the life of the beloved he had fought so hard to spare from the pain of death.

A spare copy of the Book of the Dead, an unofficial prototype of sorts, is found. And Li Jing and Queen Mother opened an investigation on many things, namely the true cause of death for the Jade Emperor, based on that information. One of the record keepers doing the investigation reached out to Macaque upon discovering the inconsistency in his cause of death.

We discussed this idea in the Dms for a while, and the work-in-progress name for the idea is "Drafted Fate" for reasons that will become clear soon:

"The Book/Scrolls of the Dead", like any real official published work, has a draft copy containing most of the details of the final product.

However, while the Draft Copy may have the information of those included in the final Book of the Dead, it cannot be altered to change the fate of those listed. It's also constantly being updated by a team of exhausted record keepers. It also can be pretty outdated in some sections, especially considering those who became immortal afterwards or had a revival or two.

Think of it like an entire room full of jumbled scrolls and files with stick notes and corrections sticking out of them.

After the events of S5 with the loss of the Ten Kings; the Underworld has been scrambling to stay functioning as normal. King Yama hasn't slept in weeks. A few times, Xie, Fan, Ox-Head and Horse-Face are so overworked that they legit forget to collect any souls to process and there was a straight week where no one died.

One too many goofs happen and Yama shouts for the Record Keepers to get him the Draft Copy so he can fact check what's written down in the book.

Soon afterwards, The Six Eared Macaque is summoned forth by the infernal collectors...

Ox-Head: "Liu'er Mihou, according to the records shown in the Book of the Dead and your official Scroll, you really should be dead." Macaque, bored: "Yeah, yeah. All those years ago when I fought Wukong." Horse-Face: "No not that. According to the Draft Copy - you were fated to die nearly two thousand years ago!" Macaque, confused on so many levels: "The what?" Ox-Head, reading a drafted Scroll: "Yup, right here. Liu Er Mihou. Prolonged chronic illness, before you reached adulthood." Macaque: "That... makes no sense. I haven't been seriously ill in ages!" Horse-Face: "The entry is no lie. Although your name is not in the official Book of the Dead, your cause of death was predetermined long before Sun Wukong scrubbed his and many other monkey's names from the records. There is one or two corrections added here for times you should have died later on but somehow avoided those fates as well." Macaque: "I mean... I remember not being the healthiest cub, but I figured that was from being born on the Moon and not adapting to Earth's environment so good." (*The collectors share a look*) Ox-Head: "If I am not mistaken... this particular illness can only be treated and cured by regularly ingesting divine plant life. Namely, either bloomed Crimson Jimsonweed OR..." Macaque, unease growing: "Or what?" Ox-Head: "Peaches from the Empress's orchard." Horse-Face, nods: "There's a reason why they act as an antidote for most toxins." Macaque: "Think the first time I ever ate a Peach like that was when..." (*realising*) "Oh no..."

It quickly becomes clear that the reason Wukong was so insistent on his best bud having his fill of peaches was more than a friend sharing the bounty of his work or theft. But rather it was Wukong's way of treating Macaque's illness without alarming him or making his condition known to those who would have exploited it.

See, Wukong got a good look at the official Book of the Dead when he disbuted his unlawful capture into the Underworld. He saw not only his true name and predicted death... but that of his closest and oldest companion.

A death that would come to pass with or without his name in the Book.

Macaque's mind is reeling with the implications. How long did Wukong know? When did he discover that the Peaches of Immortality could treat his condition? When did he start sneaking the forbidden fruit to him under threat of punishment by Heaven?

Did a loyal attendant seeking panacea for his dearest friend reach his breaking point upon learning he would be denied the same fruit that the immortals fragrantly feasted upon?

By the gods, did he stumble drunkenly into Lao Tzu's lab the night of that fateful banquet seeking a cure?!

Macaque: "Peaches, answer me this question honestly and I will spend eternity taking back the things I said." Wukong, nervous: "Yeah?" Macaque: "Did you know of my intended cause of death all those centuries ago?" Wukong: (refuses to answer) Macaque: (sighs deeply. More disappointed in himself than Wukong's inability to explain his actions) Wukong, quietly: "It wasn't fair… the immortals could eat peaches like candy and you were dying on earth..." Macaque, voice catching in throat: "And I- Under the mountain I had thrown it all in your face... you... you really did do it for us. For me." Wukong: (*smiles wistfully*) (*the pair share a hug. both smell heavily of peaches*)

Macaque never complains about Wukong's habit of offering him peaches ever again.

And the celestial royal family, upon checking the Draft Copy of the Book of the Dead, discover an unusual pattern amongst those Sun Wukong has had contact with...

Namely that they're all supposed to be dead according to the predictions deemed concrete since time incomparable.

See, in Journey to the West; the Buddha describes Wukong's powers as such:

"Knows transformations, Recognizes the seasons, Discerns the advantages of earth, And is able to alter the course of planets and stars."

Wukong seems to be confused by the last line. He's pretty sure he hasn't been tossing stars and planets around.

In the context of this Au/idea; the last part isn't (entirely) literal.

You see, one of the most popular forms of traditional fortune-telling and prediction-making in China comes from careful calculations of a person or thing in conjuncture with planetary bodies i.e the planets and stars.

The Buddha had basically warned everyone present that Wukong had the ability to literally change fate. For better or for worse...

Makes sense for a creature partially formed by the Goddess of Positive Chaos, Nuwa herself, to ignore the plans the universe had set out for everyone else!

[3amfanfiction]

Meeting the Price Family

Part 2 to this

Hurt/No Comfort, MDNI, Dead dove fic. Please check the trigger warnings.

You and Simon have a surprise to show the Price family. They really have a picture perfect life.

cw: kidnapping, babynapping, implied torture, breast binding, stockholm syndrome, this is hurt no comfort folks, just like the last one. The brain goblins keep beating the war drums and the thoughts keep coming

~~~~

You thought everything was over when you realized you were pregnant. You're not sure why it was a shock; Simon didn't bother with condoms and the only time he pulled out is when he wanted to degrade you in some other way. So you were surprised when nothing really changed, other than for the better.

You're cautious as things began to shift. Simon was in no way nice but he was being more careful with you—physically at least. The day he dropped a bottle of prenatal vitamins in front of you without comment you wondered if you were hallucinating. Maybe he'd slammed your head into the headboard last night and this was all some sort of brain swelling fever dream.

When you commented on them he only grunted—not deigning to provide more information than that, so you took the pills. It seemed silly not to.

As the months progressed you noticed yourself feeling uncomfortably optimistic. The good moments were a bit more pleasant while the bad ones were easily brushed off—forgotten quickly. When you recognized the feelings you tried to beat them back, knowing hope would only wind up with you more hurt in the long run. But it was hard not to be a little bit hopeful when there's no more brutal couplings.

Simon hadn't choked you until you passed out or brought out his knife collection in the months since you learned of the pregnancy. The consideration he fucked you with played with your emotions, hormones no doubt helping that along. In some ways it hurt worse when he was nice to you. You never took Simon as the type to have a soft spot for pregnant women but at the end of the day if it saved you a bit of pain you were all for it.

The food was better too. While Simon hadn't necessarily withheld food before, it wasn't treated as anything more than a basic necessity, something to keep your body functioning and able to heal from the abuse he piled onto you. Now he was making sure there was fresh fruit in the fridge for if you get hungry between meals, smoothies to drink with breakfast, and a healthy mix of vegetables in the evenings. It was bizarre.

Maybe you were past the worst of it? You didn't know why being pregnant would have changed anything but maybe he realized he didn't need to be so rough with you. Your chances of survival were far increased if this was his new MO.

Over the next few months you tried your hardest but you were unable to keep from getting attached to the baby growing in your womb. This innocent little life had done nothing wrong and was the only thing still pure in your life. You didn't want to get attached—that's how you get hurt.

You knew it was over when you started calling them Charlie.

Never out loud where Simon could hear. No, only in your head where it was safe. And not all the time either. You were still trying your hardest to keep separated from this baby, nothing in your life stable enough to support a tiny human. But how could you be separate when it was your heart beating for theirs? Your lungs breathing for them? They needed you.

As you grew larger the separation disappeared further. You found yourself rubbing your stomach soothingly when they began kicking up a fuss swaying back and forth softly to rock them inside of you. You could imagine you were holding them in a nursery when you did this—walls painted a pretty shade of green or yellow, stuffed animals in the corners and murals painted around the windows.

Would you have told everyone or kept it a secret? As you got further along your stomach expanded rapidly. You certainly wouldn't have been able to hide it for the whole pregnancy. Would your friends have been excited or shocked when you told them? Would you be a good mom?

You cried in a heartbroken panic when you realized you were imaging holding and nursing them once they were born. This was going to destroy you.

\\\

Simon didn't say anything the day he caught you talking to them. The baby had been doing loop-de-loops and had tied your stomach into queasy knots. Rubbing a hand along the protrusion you soothed, "Shh shh, you're okay. There's no need for all that," —soft, calming— "You need to be nicer to me while you're in there bub, we're in this together, the two of us."

When you looked up you saw Simon staring from the doorway where he had stopped on his way past, caught by hearing you talk in such a soft voice. You freeze, waiting for him to say something about being soft or to make fun but he never does. Just looks at you before continuing down the hallway, footsteps as silent as the grave.

Maybe everything is going to be okay. It will never be good, not as long as you're kept here but maybe it will be okay.

The optimism grows ever so slightly, deep within your chest.

\\\

Looking at your newborn you felt shell-shocked. They had been inside of you for months, kicking your ribs and squishing your organs, and now you were holding them. It didn't feel real.

You had a little girl.

Her birth last week had been rough but ultimately uneventful. It was a home birth of course—just you, Simon and another man he called Garrick. While it lasted for most of the day it was worth it for the baby held in your arms.

You had just pulled her off your breast when Simon told you you were going to meet the Captain and his Darling.

" 'S time they met it," he said dismissively, eyes glancing at your baby before moving back up to yours, "we'll be leavin' in an hour."

You worried about this change in routine, certain nothing good will come from it. You haden't left the house before, Simon kept you firmly caged in all matters and you never thought you'd be longing to stay rather than to leave.

You couldn't see any way out of what was to come so you decided to make the most of it. Maybe this was going to be your chance. Your chance to get away from him and find safety for you and your daughter. Maybe you could tell his captain how deranged Simon was—some of the horrible things he'd done to you. Surely his captain would help.

Wouldn't he?

You didn't have enough information to be making concrete plans so you shifted them to the back burner. Moving into the bedroom to clean up, you dressed your baby in one of the three outfits she had, clothes you'd begged Simon for before she was born. Once done it was time to leave.

\\\

It's a beautiful house you pulled up to, deep in the countryside. You hadn't passed another building for over an hour when it finally came into view, tucked into the shadow of a mountain with trees sprawling in every direction as far as the eye could see.

It was a couple who greeted you, standing on the porch with a toddler. The little boy was perched in his father's arms, a stern-faced man with a truly impressive beard. The woman at his side was beautiful, dressed in a sundress with her stomach arching prominently in front of her. She smiled kindly as you walked up, leaning into her husband's side where he had his free arm wrapped around her waist.

The man introduced himself to you as John and at his wife's wide-eyed look tells you her name is Darling. She gathered herself quickly and smiled softly at you, welcoming you to their home.

"And this little munchkin is William," John continued, jostling the toddler slightly to make him laugh. His baby blue eyes swallowed his face, causing him to look downright angelic as he giggled and hid his face in his father's broad shoulder, smiling shyly towards you.

"Well, no use standing on the porch, come on inside," he turned to open the door, ushering Darling in first before stepping back to allow you and Simon through, smiling at you warmly when you pass. The crinkle around his eyes made him even more attractive than before.

Their home is warm and bright, windows letting in light from all sides with no curtains to block the beautiful view. You and Simon are guided to the living room where two sofas face each other, a comfortable well-worn recliner holding court over the room where it was tucked into place down at the end.

You took a seat on the inviting sofa, shuffling the baby into a better position against your chest; luckily she's fast asleep at this point so there's no fussing to be found. Smiling as Darling brings you a drink, you took a sip before setting down the glass, leaning back comfortably and cuddling your baby.

John and Simon immediately jumped into discussion which faded into background noise in your mind once you realize they aren't likely to be asking you any questions just yet.

You find yourself watching Darling, now holding William, perched across from you. Her and John look happy together with their eyes never straying far from the other. Darling sits poised next to John, returning each smile he frequently sent her way. His arm rested along the back of the couch, hand placed on Darling's neck, rubbing comforting circles into the skin.

Occasionally as he and Simon talk, he'll reach across with his free hand and rub it soothingly over her stomach, basking in her pregnancy. Or he'll brush a hand over William's hair who is fast falling asleep on his mother's shoulder.

You wonder if this is what your life would have been like, if you had never met Simon. A loving husband who was interested in being a father and adored his wife, a beautiful house in a quiet area. It felt idyllic.

As the time continues, William grows fussy. "It's past his nap time," Darling apologized, a distressed look crossing her face at the interruption to John and Simon's talk. As the toddler began to flail more forcefully, his little fist grabs the neckline of Darling's dress and pulls downward sharply, causing the fabric to lower along the front giving you a health view of her full breasts. Your breath caught in your throat when you saw the light blue ropes criss-crossing her skin.

They flowed along her curves, stunningly beautiful in their artistry if not for the angry skin glimpsed between the coils.

It was clear that while this rope harness was for aesthetic purposes that had not been the case in previous instances. If you had to guess you'd say Darling's breasts had been bound tightly, crushed to the point of cruelty. Shiny rope burns traced the swollen skin, creating an alternate pattern below the blue rope. You noticed that the burns looked to be about a week old.

The thought of being bound tightly enough to cause marks like that at the same time as you were nursing sent a wave of horror through you. It seemed you got your answer on whether or not to try and get help today.

Darling noticed her dress sagging and quickly pulled it back up, an embarrassed look on her face as she straightened the neckline, making sure everything was covered once more.

You looked at the two of them in a new light as you realized Darling was in the same situation as you. Different nuances perhaps but the same bones. It tugged at something inside you, something you thought all but gone by now. It's hard not to compare your situations, wondering which is worse; Simon at least is honest in his pursuit to hurt you but John feels much more sinister.

You tuned back in as John began to tell Simon about William's diet, "When it came time to begin weaning him, it was quite the undertaking. You'd think we were trying to kill him—the way he carried on at not being allowed the tit at all times of the day and night. Although," John chuckled sardonically, "I certainly can't blame him," reaching up he dragged the back of his fingers over the curve of Darling's breast. "I'd love to stay attached to Darling's tits all day too. It's one of my frequent daydreams."

Darling doesn't so much as lean away from John's stroke, conditioned to accept all of his advances you realize, trained away from flinching. It curdles your stomach and makes you want to cry when you realized you probably look the same way from her end.

Simon rolled his eyes, well used to his captain's quirks, "You and your tits, cap."

\\\

You felt awful for thinking it but John seemed to be a good father considering the circumstances. Nothing like Simon. He was holding his son, rocking back and forth as he softly rubbed his back, the sweet faced boy's eyes drooping shut, each blink lasting longer than the last.

To no one's surprise he was out cold within the next few minutes, John excusing himself to lay the toddler down in his crib.

Darling waited until he got back before she asked him if she could hold the baby, only turning to see if it was okay with you once he gave his approval. With an uncomfortable nod you pass your child over to her, transferring carefully, reluctant to let her out of your grasp.

The way she cooed at your baby with a soft smile settled something in your chest, causing you to smile back when Darling looked up at you to tell you she was beautiful.

John moved closer, peering at her over Darling's shoulder. With a smile he reached out to let her grasp his finger, chuckling when she tried to pull it into her mouth.

"She's a strong grip," he said to Simon approvingly.

Simon looked smug, "Of course, came from me, dinnit?" he boasted.

This was the first time he'd looked proud of her in any way. He was normally more than happy to ignore her and let you handle everything to do with her. It was weird seeing him brag to his captain as if showing off.

"Do you think she's going to take after you or Doll here?" John continued, waving her little fist around where she's still holding his finger. The baby gurgled in delight at the attention.

"I hope my ugly mug won't make it another generation," Simon groused, taking a sip of his beer, "Doll's got the looks between us, so here's hoping."

John hummed in thought, still looking at the baby. You almost said something when he began lifting her arms and legs, wondering what he was doing. "Healthy, I hope."

Simon huffed, "Did you have any doubts, sir?"

When John laughed and shifted back from your baby you found yourself relaxing slightly, breathing easier now that it was only Darling interacting with her once more.

The next half hour passed quietly with Simon and John carrying the bulk of the conversation except for the times they would direct questions to you or Darling. You noticed subtle indicators you had missed before—missed because you weren't looking for them. You saw the way Darling sat with her spine perfectly straight, as if she'd been trained to be presentable at all times. You saw the way she always deferred to John, never speaking first. The way John's hands possessively trailed along her skin more moments than not highlighted the covetous nature now that you were looking.

Before you realized it Simon has finished another beer and stood with a gruff, "Time to go, pet," directed towards you with a nod of acknowledgment towards John and Darling, still holding the baby.

You nodded your head, ready to leave this home that is as much of a prison as yours is simply with prettier walls. Standing, you gathered your things before moving towards Darling, ready to take your baby back. She smiled at you and rose to meet you after one final cuddle and forehead kiss, the resulting coo causing her to blink back brief tears.

You didn't think anything of it when John stands as well until he placed a hand on Darling's shoulder and said, "Sit back down, sweetheart."

With a quicksilver confused look thrown your way, she lowered herself carefully back onto the couch after a moments hesitation, baby still cradled in her arms and tucked close to her chest. You can see from where you stand that her breath had begun to match yours, coming slightly too fast. It was never a good thing when something unexpected happened.

John took a step to the side, moving directly between the two of you, cutting off your line of sight to your child. He planted his feet and crossed his arms over his big barrel of a chest, watching you, assessing.

You turned to look at Simon for help, unsure of what was going on but not liking it in the least. He didn't bother to reassure you, watching you as you struggle to put the pieces together, mind shying away from what you already suspect.

"I don't understand," you tried, grasping for straws. Simon's expression didn't change.

"Don't start being difficult now, you'll embarrass me in front of the captain and his missus," he deadpanned unaffected by the whole situation. "You'll be leavin' 'em, pet. The prices are going to be raising it."

What?

You stared at him uncomprehendingly as your brain spun. The Prices? Raise your baby? But it's your baby, not theirs. You turned to look back at John but he was a stone wall—no emotions played out on his face. Swallowing the saliva building in your mouth you turned again to Simon, "but that's my baby."

With an annoyed huff he began moving towards you, reaching out and taking a firm grip of your upper arm.

"Not repeating myself, pet," he grumbled, "it's time to leave."

Nonononono

You pulled away from him, trying to get closer to Darling and your baby, "That's my baby, give me my baby!" you yelled, breath coming in pants as sweat prickled your skin, adrenaline began to race in your veins in preparation to take your baby back.

"Give her back!" —jerking violently in Simon's grasp you clawed towards where you could see Darling peeking around John's broad frame, wide-eyed and panicked, gaze darting from you to John in stress, biting her lip until blood began to pool around her teeth.

Your baby began to cry in the commotion, screams setting off every instinct in your brain to get to her but you were held fast, unable to get a single step closer. You watched as Darling shushed her, bouncing slightly in an effort to soothe her.

You're not doing it right, she likes when you sway not bounce flashed across your thoughts as this woman tried to comfort your child.

You sounded like a harpy at this point, your screeches echoing harshly as you pulled and squirmed, fists beating against Simon as you tried to get free.

Simon soon lost his patience and physically moved you, pulling you into place in front of him before he wrapped his arm around your windpipe, squeezing harshly, restricting blood and oxygen both.

The last thing you saw before your vision went black is John standing behind Darling who had stood as if to come to you, hands pressed on her shoulders. Likely both in support and to keep her in place. Darling had your baby pressed to her chest, tears running down her face from horror filled eyes while blood streamed from her bitten lip.

You were still reaching for Charlie when everything goes dark.

Next

Story Repository || Main Repository

[minus-plus-zer0]

💐 Fiance Headcanons 💐

♡ Genre: Fluff, tiny bit suggestive ♡ Pairing: Bakugou x Reader

Bakugou was over the moon when you said yes to his proposal.

And you better believe HE was gonna be the one proposing. He wanted to be first place in everything in life. He'd be the first one to kiss you, the first to invite you out on a date, the first to ask you to move in-together, etc. He was always one step ahead of you, you could never ask first. He's competitive like that. All your firsts are now his, but never forget that all his firsts are yours too. His lips are only for you! Morning breath or not...

Bakugou knows what he wants and he knows he has always needed you by his side, maybe even more than you needed him. He really couldn't imagine his future without you given everything you've been through together. It wouldn't make any sense not being with his best friend.

So when he popped the question, you best believe his heart was racing more than it had for any fight he'd ever encountered. This yes-or-no question felt like a life-or-death situation. His happiness hung in the balance from your response.

But you loved him very much, and you knew he would stay by your side forever and make you happy in a way nobody else could. So you gave him a million rapid-fire yeses, and he kissed your silly face to kingdom come.

After the proposal, he boasted to everyone and anyone about his upcoming marriage. It's tiring how cute he can be. He's gotta share the news with everyone, rub it into their faces how much better your love is than theirs. It's just like when you two started dating, he wanted everyone to know that you were both off the market FAST.

(Technically he was never on the market for anybody but you but it's better to make it official, you know?)

His parents adore you but they still argue with Bakugou every now and again. You try and convince them to be sweeter to him, you don't want anything to ruin his day. That only worsens their bias towards you so your efforts kinda fail, but it's the thought that counts!

You both have to do a lot of planning for your future together ahead. He's ready to make this wedding the best of the best, like nobody's ever seen. You've got your own set of dreams as you coo over some romantic wedding ideas and cake toppers, while Bakugou takes note of what you like most. Little does he know, you're doing the same to him. After all, its his special day too!

But sometimes you disagree on how the wedding should go, or what kind of food to order. One of the biggest disagreements is on who to invite to the wedding. Bakugou wanted to install a million different rules regarding who can and cannot come, what they can do, what they can't say, etc. It was all too much. If the bridezilla stereotype really exists, then Bakugou embodies it.

It's around this time that your friends from the Bakusquad really start helping out. You've got a lot of shoulders to lean on for emotional and technical support. However, there is such thing as too many cooks in the kitchen. Bakugou reins them in when they start acting like they're planning their own wedding. He knew it was going too far when Kaminari started wanting the whole event to play his personal dubstep mixtape and Ashido wanted to get rid of all the spicy food. If Bakugou didn't veto their ideas, they might've walked all over you with their good intentions.

Bakugou doesn't want a traditional bachelor party before the wedding, regardless of whether or not that's common in Japan. It's just definitely not his thing. He doesn't like the sexual stuff associated with it and he doesn't agree with how it celebrates your supposed "last day of freedom" in a relationship. To be honest, he wants you to avoid it too.

Instead, you probably have two separate normal parties with your own circles of friends that are the same gender as y'all. Ashido remarks that this is still functionally similar to most normal bachelor(ette) parties, but whatever. You're with your buddies, Bakugou is with the boys of the Bakusquad, and even though you're separated he's texting you saying he wishes you were there with him because he's gloating to his friends about how good your relationship is but they're not believing him and it's pissing him off. Please, please, please come home.

Bakugou is essentially forced at gunpoint to have a good time. They're probably hit up some restaurants with spicy food challenges to see how far he can go without killing himself before the wedding. Don't worry, he'll keep himself in one piece so you'll still have a man to marry by the end of it. The others, however, don't stand a chance. They'll be dead by morning.

Later on, you're planning out your wedding attire before the big day and Bakugou's not allowed to see it but you're texting him and teasing him about what it could possibly be. It gets a little steamy at times, with him guessing at EVERYTHING you could be wearing, but sometimes he gets his guesses hilariously wrong. His mind goes places.

You're also planning out your honeymoon together, but there's so many places you'd wanna go that it's hard to pick. Since Bakugou is such a rich Pro Hero and all, you have a world of options to choose from. It doesn't have to be limited to one location, you could do a whole tour of places if you wanted. Bakugou definitely wants to get out there and see some sights with you, maybe show you around a couple of the tallest mountains around the world and see what you think of them. Or he'd wanna find a nice, temporary beach house and settle there, watching the waves with you as you skip stones across the water. He'll cheat by using his Explosion Quirk to make it skip farther, so your Quirk better be able to match that. But no matter what, he'll still say he won in the end, and argue with you until you agree.

With this much planning, you know that the wedding itself will be something to remember.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Am I the Asshole for leaving a family function early?

My (22NB) family gets together every Sunday for dinner. The family consists of my dad (62M) my step mom (65F) a step-brother (30??M) whom I'm not particularly close with and two nephews (15M and 8M).

After dinner, the younger nephew and I were playing a video game while everyone else played cards at the kitchen table 10 feet away, with no doors or walls separating them from the living room. The conversation at the table wandered over to the topic of immigration, how "the illegals" are stealing our jobs and mooching off of our food stamps.

This kind of conversation pisses me off and my stepmother and I have gotten into arguments about it before. However, it was not a conversation I was actually a part of. I was on the couch playing a game. I could hear it fine (trust me, if I somehow could have closed my ears and just kept playing with the nephew, I would have), but I wasn't actually a part of it.

Eventually I got tired of listening to the hate and got up, said I had an early day at work tomorrow, said my goodbyes and left. Later my dad texted me and asked if I was okay and I told him what had happened. He must have told everybody else because now my stepmother is in a tizzy about how she apparently can't talk about what she wants in her own house, how could I possibly have been offended by a conversation I wasn't a part of?

I think I did the right thing by calmly removing myself from a situation that was making me boil over. Going over there, jumping into the conversation, and asking them to change topics wouldn't have gone well. I guess I could've quietly seethed the entire time, but that doesn't seem very healthy.

So, tumblr, AITA?

What are these acronyms?

[archeo-starwars]

You wouldn't happen to have an extensive layout dissection of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant? Or even a list of all notable and obscure sections of the Jedi Temple? OR or even labelled areas that are public and reserved for only temple residents. Both from canon and legends, please and thank you!!!

The best I managed to find comes from Star Wars Complete Locations - you may check out the whole archived version here. The “zoom in” option is pretty good for reading details. Below the pages (I suppose the best is to open them in new tab for better reading):

As for the list of locations, I recommend wookiepedia's list. Plenty of data, both for Legends and New Canon.

Additional sources worth to check out:

Jedi Temple Locations & Jedi Temple History - both published as official material on star wars.com in regard to prequels and New Canon sources. Pictures and references to various places inside Temple.

Star Wars.com's The Clone Wars episode guide + videoclips from the series, like

A) Jedi Archives Tour (the entrance to one of the most restricted areas of the temple: The Holocron Vault).

B) Layout of Jedi Temple Library (source)

C) Jedi Temple funeral room + environment illustration by Tara Rueping (source)

Old Data Bank for Jedi Temple

HoloNews mentioning "a mob of 20 university students attempted to infiltrate the Jedi Temple" and "managing to get as far as the Second Atrium Lobby"

Star Wars Battlefront (2) game wiki provides some map and location description

and if you have time (and patience) you can watch gameplay from 501st Legion's mission in Jedi Temple for reference, like this one

The wookiepedia's articles should give enough good idea of the rooms, their location and functions, but I'm adding a few source pages:

STAR WARS: FACT FILES #36 provides a lot informations what and where was inside the Temple and some general data about visitors, security, Grand Balcony, Grand Corridor & Towers. Not all is super specific, but worth checking out for sure.

The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia mentions this:

and for Jedi Temple entry:

As for the named locations that are public or reserved for only temple residents, there is definitely a division like that, however I'm not sure if this issue was very well explained. The source gives us some ideas, like for example, Jedi Archives have data accessible only for Jedi with rank of Master or higher (thus most likely separated areas to study). At the same time, Fact Files #25 says that Jedi Archives offers an "excellent resources to researchers, including star-map hologram consoles", but also an access to entire scientific and historical knowledge of the Republic

so non-Jedi were allowed to use Jedi Library/Archives for their own research and work-related needs. We also must remember that the Jedi Order had various scientific branches, including archaeology, exploring unknown regions, and medicine, so logically thinking Jedi worked with other, non-Jedi specialists of many fields.

We also know from various sources, that politicians and important guests were invited for various occasions. We could see in Republic comics series that Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and senator Ask Aak were allowed to listen to Jedi reporting before High Council about his last battle

or attending Jedi Funeral like Duchess Satine and Padme Amidala did for the (fake) Obi-Wan's one or just visiting as a friend/comrade-in-arm

I would need to make more research about this issue as there is plenty tie-in material to Jedi Temple on Coruscant that would take a lot time to study, but at this moment, I think the best is assume how far a non-Jedi may walk into Temple will depend greatly who is that person and what is nature of their business with Jedi.

At the same time, Purge: Seconds to Die has this line "Clone Troopers? This deep in the Temple? Not permitted."

The Jedi was in Archives herself, so it is worth to take into account that clones could have more limited access to Temple than the average guest before war did. At the same time, clone troopers could make a report before Yoda and Mace Windu/High Council, as was presented by Star Wars Tales (Honor Bound):

so it is not like they were outright forbidden to enter the temple either.

Hope it will help!