#WHEW that was a long one

[genshin-impact-updates]

"Vibrant Harriers Aloft in Spring Breeze" Version 4.4 Update Details

Dear Travelers,

Below are the details of the Version 4.4 update "Vibrant Harriers Aloft in Spring Breeze" and the update compensation.

〓Compensation Details〓

Maintenance Compensation: Primogems ×300 (60 Primogems per hour the servers are down)

Issue Fix Compensation: Primogems ×300 (please refer to the relevant compensation mail for more details)

〓Scope of Compensation〓

Maintenance Compensation: Travelers who have reached Adventure Rank 5 or above by 2024/01/31 06:00 (UTC+8).

Compensation must be claimed before the end of Version 4.4.

Issue Fix Compensation: Travelers who reach Adventure Rank 5 or above by 2024/01/31 06:00 (UTC+8).

Please log in and claim your compensation before 2024/02/03 06:00 (UTC+8).

Our developers will distribute compensation to Travelers via in-game mail within 5 hours after the update maintenance is finished. The mail will expire after 30 days, so don't forget to claim the attached compensation in time.

〓Update Schedule〓

Update maintenance begins 2024/01/31 06:00 (UTC+8) and is estimated to take 5 hours.

〓How to Update Game Client〓

PC: Close the game, open the Genshin Impact Launcher, and click Update.

iOS: Open the App Store and tap Update.

Android: Open the game and follow the directions on-screen.

PS5™ and PS4™: Highlight Genshin Impact from the Home Screen, press the OPTIONS button and select "Check for Update."

Please do not hesitate to contact Customer Service if you encounter any issues installing the new version. We will do our very best to resolve the issue.

〓Update Details〓

I. New Areas

New Areas in Liyue Now Available

◇ New Areas: In Version 4.4, the following areas in Liyue will become available: Chenyu Vale: Upper Vale, Chenyu Vale: Southern Mountain, and Mt. Laixin.

※ As long as you have completed Archon Quest Prologue: Act III "Song of the Dragon and Freedom," a Teleport Waypoint will be automatically unlocked near Liyue's Chenyu Vale: Upper Vale (If you have already completed this Archon Quest, the Teleport Waypoint will be unlocked after the update). You'll also receive the Primogem reward for this Teleport Waypoint when it unlocks automatically.

New System in Liyue

Rainjade Oblation

Fujin's adeptal energy has transformed into many Spirit Carp that are scattered all over Chenyu Vale. Collect the energy within Spirit Carp and transfer it into the Votive Rainjade within Carp's Rest to increase its level and obtain the blessings of Chenyu Vale.

Rainjade Oblation System Unlock Criteria:

• Complete the World Quest "The Cloud-Padded Path to the Chiwang Repose"

In addition, there will be new Fishing Points and "Radiant Spincrystals" in Liyue.

II. New Characters

5-Star Character "Passerine Herald" Xianyun (Anemo)

◇ Vision: Anemo

◇ Weapon: Catalyst

◇ One of the Mighty and Illuminated Adepti of Jueyun, known as "Cloud Retainer." Expert in all kinds of mechanical contraptions, her heart now turns towards the affairs of the mortal world, through which she walks under the name "Xianyun."

◆ Elemental Skill "White Clouds at Dawn"

◆ Xianyun enters the Cloud Transmogrification state, in which she will not take Fall DMG, and uses Skyladder once. In this state, Xianyun can cast Skyladder continuously to leap, where her Plunging Attack will be converted into an even stronger Driftcloud Wave instead, which deals AoE Anemo DMG. The more times Skyladder is used, the more DMG the resulting Driftcloud Wave will deal and the larger its AoE.

◆ Elemental Burst "Stars Gather at Dusk"

◆ Brings forth a sacred breeze that deals AoE Anemo DMG and heals all nearby characters. It will also summon the "Starwicker" mechanism that follows the active character and periodically heals all nearby party members. When the Starwicker has Adeptal Assistance stacks, characters will have their jump height increased. When they complete a Plunging Attack, Adeptal Assistance stacks will be consumed and deal AoE Anemo DMG.

4-Star Character "Leonine Vanguard" Gaming (Pyro)

◇ Vision: Pyro

◇ Weapon: Claymore

◇ Guard of the Sword and Strongbox Secure Transport Agency, and the head of the "Mighty Mythical Beasts" Wushou troupe.

◆ Elemental Skill "Bestial Ascent"

◆ Gaming pounces forward using the Wushou arts, leaping high into the air after coming into contact with a target or surface. If he immediately uses a Plunging Attack, he will use Plunging Attack: Charmed Cloudstrider instead, dealing AoE Pyro DMG to opponents hit.

◆ Elemental Burst "Suanni's Gilded Dance"

◆ Gaming enters Wushou Stance, briefly applying Pyro to him, recovering a fixed amount of HP, and summons his companion, the Suanni Man Chai, to smash into his target, dealing AoE Pyro DMG. After doing so, Man Chai will then attempt to roll towards Gaming. When it links up with Gaming, Man Chai will leave the field and reset the CD for Gaming's Elemental Skill, Bestial Ascent. While Wushou Stance is active, his resistance to interruption is increased, and when Gaming lands with Charmed Cloudstrider attack or completes the forward pounce attack from Bestial Ascent with over 50% HP, he will summon Man Chai again.

III. New Equipment

New Weapon (Examples based on Refinement Rank 1)

Crane's Echoing Call (5-Star Catalyst)

After the equipping character hits an opponent with a Plunging Attack, all nearby party members' Plunging Attacks will deal 28% increased DMG for 20s. When nearby party members hit opponents with Plunging Attacks, they will restore 2.5 Energy to the equipping character. Energy can be restored this way every 0.7s. This energy regain effect can be triggered even if the equipping character is not on the field.

◆ During the event wish "Epitome Invocation," the event-exclusive 5-star weapon Crane's Echoing Call (Catalyst) will receive a huge drop-rate boost!

IV. New Outfits

Ganyu: Twilight Blossom

◇ A light and graceful festive outfit accented mainly in black nightshade and cerulean blue. Its hair accessory is as radiant as the Qingxin — a pairing that Ganyu is most fond of.

◆ Between the start of the Version 4.4 update and 2024/03/11 03:59, Ganyu's outfit "Twilight Blossom" will be available for purchase in the Character Outfit Shop at a limited-time discount! During the discount period, the price of the outfit is 1,350 Genesis Crystals. The price will revert to 1,680 Genesis Crystals after the limited-time discount ends. The outfit can only be purchased once.

Shenhe: Frostflower Dew

◇ This Lantern Rite gift that Shenhe received is a set of elegant formal attire that her master, Cloud Retainer, had commissioned for her. Red ropes still adorn her arms, but the bitter cold in Shenhe's heart has faded.

◆ Between the start of the Version 4.4 update and 2024/03/11 03:59, Shenhe's outfit "Frostflower Dew" will be available for purchase in the Character Outfit Shop at a limited-time discount! During the discount period, the price of the outfit is 1,350 Genesis Crystals. The price will revert to 1,680 Genesis Crystals after the limited-time discount ends. The outfit can only be purchased once.

Xingqiu: Bamboo Rain

◇ Formal wear prepared by the Feiyun Commerce Guild for Xingqiu. The bamboo prints are refined and the cut is most flattering, but Xingqiu's favorite aspect of the outfit is its inner pockets, into which a thinner novel might be stuffed.

◆ During Version 4.4, Travelers can obtain Xingqiu's outfit "Bamboo Rain" for free by participating in the limited-time "Vibrant Harriers Aloft in Spring Breeze" event.

◆ After Version 4.4 is over, Travelers can buy the outfit in the Character Outfit Shop.

V. New Main Story

1. New Story Quest

Xianyun's Story Quest - Grus Serena Chapter: Act I "A Thousand Moonlit Miles"

Permanently available after the Version 4.4 update

◆ Quest Unlock Criteria:

• Reach Adventure Rank 40 or above

• Complete Archon Quest Interlude Chapter: Act I "The Crane Returns on the Wind"

2. New World Quests

◆ New World Quests: "Chenyu's Blessings of Sunken Jade" Quest Chain, "The Cloud-Padded Path to the Chiwang Repose," "Threefold Expectations," "A Wangshan Walk to Remember," "Scrolls and Sword Manuals of Guhua," "Shrouded Vale, Hidden Hero," "The Roaming Abode," "The Dealing Sands," "Our Chenyu Vale Trek," "Chili Con Cloudy," "Qiaoying, the Village of Many Tales," "Temporary Acclimatization," etc.

VI. New Enemies

Solitary Suanni

◇ These elegant and proud mystical beasts only live in mountains shrouded in adeptal energy.

It can use Hydro and Anemo simultaneously in battle. Render it Frozen while it is gathering Hydro-aligned adeptal energy, before using Shatter, Melt, or other Elemental Reactions to break the ice and cause it to enter an immobile state. When it is gathering Anemo-aligned adeptal energy, use attacks from Elements that can react with Anemo to destroy the Spiritwind Pearls summoned during the process to achieve the same advantage.

Located at Chenyu Vale: Southern Mountain

Xuanwen Beast

◇ Fierce creatures that inhabit the mountains of Chenyu Vale.

Use Elemental Reactions to freeze this creature and use Shatter, Melt, and other Elemental Reactions to break the ice and render it immobile temporarily.

VII. Other Update Details

New Recipes:

○ Chef Mao (NPC): Honey Char Siu

○ Lianfang (NPC): Chenyu Brew, Jadevein Tea Eggs, and Tea-Smoked Squab

○ Licai (NPC): Deep-Fried Doublecrisp and Braised Meatballs

○ World Quest Rewards: Guhua Fish & Lamb Soup and Fine Tea, Full Moon.

○ Event Reward: Eight-Treasure Duck

New Character Specialty Dishes:

○ Xianyun's specialty: "Encompassing Gladness"

○ Gaming's specialty: "Yummy Yum Cha"

Adds new "Chenyu's Splendor" Achievement category, and adds new Achievements to the "Wonders of the World" category.

Adds Set 29 of "Paimon's Paintings" chat emojis.

Adds some prompts for loading screens.

New Namecards:

"Xianyun: White Clouds": Reward for reaching Friendship Lv. 10 with Xianyun

"Gaming: Man Chai": Reward for reaching Friendship Lv. 10 with Gaming

"Achievement: Adeptal Valley": Reward for completing all achievements under "Chenyu's Splendor"

"Chenyu: Rainjade Rite": Reward for reaching Rainjade Oblation Level 10

"Travel Notes: Vibrant Harriers": Reward obtained via the BP system

New Wildlife: Fluff-Fleece Goat, Malachitin Lumibug, Redbill Pelican, Jadestone Turtle, and Velvetfall Duck

New Fish: Jade Heartfeather Bass

New Function: Fast Equip Artifacts

(1) Quick Configuration: A set of Artifacts will be put together for your reference based on data from recently active players. When generating a configuration, it will only consider Artifacts not already equipped by other characters.

(2) Custom Configuration: Custom Configuration data will be based on the settings laid out for each character. When using a Custom Configuration, you can configure based on conditions such as Artifact Main Affix, Set Type, and Minor Affixes and choose whether or not to use Artifacts that haven't already been equipped. The configuration created by Custom Configuration can be adjusted, with alternative Artifacts sorted based on the overall priority levels of their Artifact Set and Affixes. When "Other Options" > "All" is selected in Custom Configuration, when the configuration includes Artifacts already equipped by another character, the Artifacts will be removed and equipped to the target character.

Adds the "Borderless Mode" fullscreen option in "Display Mode" in "Settings / Graphics" interface on PC.

"Genius Invokation TCG" Gameplay Update:

New Character Cards: Thoma, Sayu, and their corresponding Talent cards. Corresponding invitation duels and guest challenges have been added to the Player List.

New Character Cards: Cryo Hypostasis, Millennial Pearl Seahorse, and their corresponding Talent Cards. Their Tavern Challenges have also been added.

New Action Cards: "Sapwood Blade," "Veteran's Visage," "Jeht," "Silver and Melus," "Machine Assembly Line," "Sunyata Flower," and "Matsutake Meat Rolls" can be purchased from Prince at The Cat's Tail.

The Forge Realm's Temper is once again available. The theme of this edition is "The Forge Realm's Temper: Clever Stratagems":

(1) During The Forge Realm's Temper: Clever Stratagems, you can select the parameters for each stage. Parameters that may be set include: stage difficulty, the round limit for the match, and enemy bonus HP.

(2) After you complete a certain stage battle, you will gain a score based on the difficulty selected for each parameter in said stage. At the same time, you can claim the corresponding rewards when your highest score reaches a specific score.

Spiral Abyss

Floor 11 Ley Line Disorder changed to:

• All characters in the party gain a 75% Anemo DMG Bonus.

Updated the monster lineup on Floors 11 – 12 of the Spiral Abyss.

Starting from the first time that the Lunar Phase refreshes after updating to Version 4.4, the three Lunar Phases will be as follows:

Phase I:

Ascendant Moon

When a character receives healing, it will be counted. When the count reaches a total of 16, a shockwave will be unleashed at the character's position, dealing True DMG to nearby opponents and clearing the count. 1 such shockwave can be unleashed every 8s.

Phase II:

Resilient Moon

After the active character's Plunging Attacks hit opponents, the character's Plunging Attack DMG is increased by 20% for 8s. This effect can be triggered once every 0.1s. Max 3 stacks. Each stack's duration is counted independently. This effect will be cleared if the character leaves the field.

Phase III:

Plummeting Moon

After the active character's Plunging Attacks hit opponents, unleash a shockwave at the character's location, dealing True DMG to nearby opponents. 1 such shockwave can be unleashed every 2s.

〓Adjustments & Optimizations〓

● Serenitea Pot

Adds new Furnishing categories, reclassifies certain Furnishings, and adjusts the sorting of certain categories.

Refactors the filter function in the "Inventory > Furnishings" and "Creation / Furnishings" interfaces, now supporting more conditions and allowing direct searches.

When placing Furnishings using the same editing mode, your current position in lists will be remembered. It will not be reset after switching to another Furnishing category.

Adds the display of Friendship Levels in the Companion tab on the editing screen. Characters without Friendship Lv. 10 will be displayed in descending order of Friendship Level.

Optimizes the sorting of Character Hangout Events and their corresponding Hangout Memories in the Furnishing "Lingering Moment."

● Genius Invokation TCG

Standardizes the skill descriptions of certain cards in some challenges.

Adjusts the text description for the Talent Card "Rending Vortex" of the Character Card "Dvalin" (actual effect remains unchanged).

The original description was: "When your Dvalin, who has this card equipped, is on the field, when Total Collapse attached to opposing active character is removed: Apply Total Collapse to the next opposing standby character."

The adjusted description is: "When your Dvalin, who has this card equipped, is on the field, when Total Collapse attached to an opposing character is removed: Apply Total Collapse to the next opposing standby character."

● System

Increases the number of party compositions in the "Party Setup > Configure Team" interface from 10 to 15.

Renames "Fullscreen" in "Display Mode" to "Borderless" in the "Settings / Graphics" interface in the Irminsul Server on PC (actual display effect remains unchanged; after said adjustment, available options in "Display Mode" in the Irminsul Server on PC are "Borderless" and "Windowed").

Adds a red notification dot in the "Adventurer Handbook > Commissions" interface to remind Travelers to go to the Adventurers' Guild and claim Bonus Rewards after obtaining all 4 Daily Commission Rewards every day.

Adjust the "Exit Challenge" interface in the "Test Run" event and add the "Other Trial Stages" option.

Adjust the "Mystic Offering" interface to support the display of the corresponding Artifacts' 2-Piece Set and 4-Piece Set effects.

Adjusts the source descriptions of Character Ascension Materials and adds a shortcut to "Adventurer Handbook > Domains."

Adjusts certain button texts in the "Artifacts Filter" and "Artifact Auto-Lock" interfaces.

● Audio

Adds a voice-over trigger scenario: Related voice-overs will be triggered the first time you obtain a character and view their character portrait, as well as the first time you obtain a character's outfit and view their character outfit portrait.

Optimizes the "Character/Ascension" screen so that characters' idle voice-overs now stop completely after being interrupted by Ascension voice-overs.

Optimizes the Korean voice-overs for certain characters and quests.

● Other

If related achievements of a Commission Quest are not unlocked yet, the probability of that Commission Quest appearing will increase.

The "Dynamic Character Resolution" feature has been added for PlayStation® and some PC devices. This will be activated by default on PlayStation® and no option will be shown. On PCs that support this feature, you will be able to find and enable "Dynamic Character Resolution" in Settings > Graphics (this option will not be shown on PCs that currently do not support it).

The text descriptions of some achievements have been fixed (the corresponding Achievement Trophies on PlayStation® cannot be modified currently).

After the Version 4.4 update, new UID naming rules will be used for newly registered accounts on the Asia server (existing account UIDs will be unaffected).

〓Genius Invokation TCG Balance Adjustment〓

Adjust the effect of the Event Card "In Every House a Stove" to the following: Draw a number of cards equal to the current Round number minus 1. (Up to 4 cards can be drawn in this way).

Adjusts the effect of the Equipment Card "Vourukasha's Glow": Only after triggering its "draw 1 card" effect, its other effect "heal the attached character for 1 HP" can take effect in that same Round.

Adjusts the effect of the status "Lightning Rod" for the Character Card "Thunder Manifestation": The effect "While this status is active, can be triggered once: DMG received by the attached character from Thunder Manifestation or its summons is increased by 1." has been adjusted to "When the attached character takes DMG from Thunder Manifestation or its summons: Remove this state, cause this DMG instance to increase by 1."

Adjusts the Elemental Dice cost of the Talent Card "Grieving Echo" for the Character Card "Thunder Manifestation", and adds effects: The number of dice required has increased from 0 Electro Dice to 3, and adds the effects "Combat Action: When your active character is Thunder Manifestation, equip this card." as well as "After Thunder Manifestation equips this card, immediately use Strifeful Lightning once."

〓Bug Fixes〓

● Enemies

Fixes an issue whereby, when the enemy "Black Serpent Knight" was defeated, the defeat animation would not play properly in certain situations.

Fixes an issue whereby, when the enemy "Armored Crab" was hit by Chevreuse's Elemental Burst, it would remain suspended in mid-air for an unusually long time in certain situations.

Fixes an issue whereby, when different Pneuma- or Ousia-aligned enemies were overloaded at the same time, there was a chance that the enemy "Arithmetic Enhancer Mek" would fail to remove its teammates' Deactivated statuses as it should do.

● Character

Fixes an issue whereby when Lyney approached opponents after turning into a Grin-Malkin Cat with his Elemental Burst, there was a small chance that he would deal an additional instance of DMG to the same opponent.

Fixes an issue with the Traveler (Hydro) whereby, when the Sourcewater Droplets produced by casting their Elemental Skill were absorbed, a special effect would abnormally remain.

Fixes an issue whereby, when Sayu and Furina were in the same party, there was a chance that Sayu's Passive Talent "Yoohoo Art: Silencer's Secret" would abnormally fail to take effect.

● System

Fixes an issue in the "Adventurer Handbook > Commissions" interface whereby despite still lacking an extremely tiny amount of Encounter Points, it would suggest there were already enough to claim the rewards.

Fixes an issue whereby the in-game camera would work abnormally when the character used the drive valve in the Fortress of Meropide: Abandoned Production Zone under certain circumstances.

Fixes an issue whereby the special effects of the All-Devouring Narwhal would display abnormally in the Living Beings section of the Archive after the Version 4.3 update.

Fixes an issue with Artifacts with 1-Piece Set effect whereby the 1-Piece Set effect would display abnormally as activated without being equipped.

Removes redundant scene objects under certain lower graphics quality settings.

● Genius Invokation TCG

Fixes an issue with the Character Card "Cryo Cicin Mage" whereby while using her Elemental Burst, if she took DMG from triggering "Sparks 'n' Splash," "Fatui Ambusher," and other Combat Statuses, the Shield Points of her Flowing Cicin Shield generated by the Cryo Cicins would be incorrect.

Fixes an issue with the Character Card "Layla" whereby the Combat Status "Curtain of Slumber Shield" created by her Elemental Skill lacked the "Shield" tag.

Fixes an issue during challenges whereby, when cards imbued with either Pneuma or Ousia energy became Deactivated after casting skills that needed to be prepared, the statuses of these skills would abnormally remain.

Fixes an issue whereby, when the Character Card "Alhaitham" had the Status "Chisel-Light Mirror" attached, the text description for the character's Normal Attack abnormally failed to state that DMG inflicted would be Dendro DMG (this was purely a textual error as the actual effect was working properly).

● Audio

Fixes an issue whereby there would be abnormal background noises when enhancing Artifacts.

Fixes grammar mistakes and errors with the Chinese voice-overs for certain characters and quests.

Fixes an issue whereby Kuki Shinobu and Navia's Korean chat voice-overs did not match their actual idle animations.

● Other

Fixes an issue in Co-Op Mode whereby the host couldn't use the Xenochromatic Ball Octopus's ability to interact with targets under certain circumstances.

Fixes an issue in Co-Op Mode whereby Leisurely Otter (Wildlife) could abnormally swim above the water surface under certain circumstances.

Fixes an issue with Hydro Crystalflies in Fontaine's underwater areas whereby there was a chance that they didn't appear or they got startled before the character approached close enough.

Fixes an issue in the Serenitea Pot whereby the "Invite" button of the Gift Set "Full Force Forward in the Forbidden Fortress" was being abnormally obstructed by the furnishing model.

Fixes an issue whereby, when using a controller to interact with the gadget "Crystalfly Trap" or "Parametric Transformer," the screen for converting Genesis Crystals into Primogems would be abnormally opened in certain situations.

Fixes some text errors in certain languages and optimizes text. (Note: Related in-game functions have not changed. Travelers can view the changes in different languages by going to the Paimon Menu > Settings > Language and changing the Game Language.)

Text-related fixes and optimizations in English include

◆ Optimizes inconsistencies between certain voice-overs and the corresponding lines in the Version 4.2 Archon Quest

◆ Optimizes certain translations on the Artifact Auto-Lock screen.

*This is a work of fiction and is not related to any actual people, events, groups, or organizations.

"PlayStation", "PS5", "PS4", "DualSense", "DUALSHOCK" are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

[kokoasci]

Hi!! I know it's a terribly basic question, but what brushes do you use? How do you choose and achieve those textures?

hiya!! no problem at all i'd be happy to explain!! welcome to:

KOKO'S CRASH COURSE IN TEXTURES !!

(she has no idea what she's doing)

first off brushes!! i just yoinked this from another ask but these are the main brushes i use! Most importantly is the Old Beach brush, which is what i use for flat colors and to add lighting. Hard airbrush I use to add shadows and those pink/white highlights, and the soft airbrush is to add gradients and light overlays.

Most of the kind of like rough texture you see in my art comes from a bunch of textured brushes like old beach. I've also used stuff like Matt's 5.2 Painting brushes for procreate to add lighting sometimes, but it doesnt really matter as long as you've got some sort of grainy watercolor-ish brush. usually i stick with the three above though for main coloring :>

After I'm done adding shadows and lighting, whatever, I'll add a bunch of light yellow/orange/pink soft light overlays on top using the old beach brush as well. it helps w/ creating a really grainy feel in places that you usually don't see that, especially directly lit areas.

i also like to experiment with pattern brushes near the end so that textures look and feel different depending on what you're looking at. below is a breakdown of some stuff in my recent post:

i like to add dot patterns and color pick from surrounding colors to make strands of hair, lighting/shadow edges, and especially clothes feel more 3D. I'll usually add these to more shadowed places, and instead for places where light directly hits use hard highlights so that it gives it a glossy feel (so more texture on shadows, glossy on lit areas. i think that's why a lot of people say it looks crystallized, bc of that mix of different finishes)

i also HATE using curved lines in my art which is why most lines are pretty rigid (Very evident above). But ahaha!! when I'm adding shadows and lighting, I add these in curved or soft shaped lines, which provides a great contrast to how blocky the lineart is (see: sigma's lil nose above. the lighting is circular, although the rest of the face is pretty angular!! definitely helps with achieving texture/3D look to a piece)

sorry if this is long. every piece i do is really experimental and although i have a general process, i mostly just play around with different stuff every time :D i'm completely self taught so i can't speak on if this is "correct" or whatever, but this is just stuff i've picked up so im happy to share it!! and have fun with it!! art should be fun and satisfying fr

thanks a bunch for asking!! <3

[kavalyera]

What do you think Vincent's vision is for the future of the High Table? What kind of "new rules" is he talking about?

(I want so much to write something about this, but it would be really long and complex and go through a lot of painful territory, so not sure if I should bother. Interested in what others think!)

SORRYYYY FOR THE REALLY LATE RESPONSE

I’ve been thinking of this ask since i got it and it’s a sort of complex topic for me but after a while, I said: hey let’s just give it a shot.

Vincent is very clearly a man who wants to make change that benefits him, going to extreme lengths to gain power that he previously felt unsatisfied with. While I think on the surface, Vincent definitely is just doing all of this to be more powerful— why? He doesn’t really have a motive other than just because he wants to and feels unsatisfied with his current position.

“A new day is dawning. New ideas, new rules, new management” that line in particular is so tricky to dissect. Knowing the writers and how good they are at precisely picking out words and how the actors utter them, this line is just…. confusing.

I do think “new ideas” refers to the High Table going through a change due to John Wick and the criminal society under them either collapsing or only becoming better, and it just symbolizes Vincent’s view on himself in general. He thinks of himself as a new person about to make change in the Table.

To further prove my point of him being the one to bring new ideas onto the table(haha get it), the Harbinger tells him that the 12 members didn’t like the fact Vincent practically committed second hand mass murder in like one night, he answers back with cleaning up the table’s image. (Which shows how shallow he is as a person, only caring about reputation and image as opposed to John, who values peace as much as he can)

New management is clearly him and that brings us to the last one.

The new rules is, to me, what Vincent wants to make. He sees that the Table is falling into disarray and wants to make the Table’s grasp on their underlings even tighter. This is shown in how brutal he was in comparison to the Adjudicator, who’s only real form of aggression was raiding the New York Continental as opposed to Vincent who blew it up and raided another Continental without even knowing wether or not John was there.

Vincent wants to make a point, he wants to make an example out of John. His new rules that he set in his head are rules that he wants to implant to make the High Table even more monstrous

[aheathen-conceivably]

Hello! Hope you’re doing well 😄 I’m absolutely adoring your legacy, and I was wondering how you manage aging/timing? Like, how many days is a year for your gameplay, what lifespans do you use, and how long are seasons in your game? You don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to I’m just super curious 😅

Hello there! Thanks so much, and I hope all is well for you too! ☺️

I’m very glad to answer, because I’ve spent a good deal of time sorting this system out for myself. When I first read The Decades Challenge, I knew that I wanted a more realistic passing of time. Of course, that’s difficult in The Sims, but I tried my best to make the sims’ lifespans flow through the decades the same way that they would in real life.

So in essence, 4 in-game sim days=1 IRL year. This means that every sim day is 3 months, and 40 sim days is one decade. When I first started, I had this at 3 in-game days, but I recently bumped it up to 4 (which meant redoing the math for the entire thing….yaaaay 🥲).

Using the calculation of 4 in-game sim days I set my MCC aging spans as follows:

Toddler is 20 days (0-5 years old)

Child 24 days (5-11 years old)

Preteen 12 days (11-14 years old)

Teen 16 days (14-18 years old)

Young Adult 64 days (18-34 years old)

Adult 64 days (34-50 years old)

Elder 40 days (50-60 years old)

I do regularly tweak the details of these both to accommodate age span as it lengthens through history, and for more realistic aging (like moving the preteen category up a year).

Now with all that math behind us (praise the lord), I don’t really have a complex spreadsheet or anything to keep track of birthdays or years. I just use the in-game calendar to mark when a new year starts every 4 days, to make sure that I don’t lose track of time. With MCC set up properly as listed above, people’s birthdays fall where they’re meant to. However after updates, I will go and check on the main family to make sure nothing got mixed around in regards to their aging.

My seasons are set to 1 week. This does bother me greatly, because it means that it takes almost 2 IRL years for the season to turn in the Darlington universe. However, I just pretend it’s like a game of thrones situation where the seasons last longer than they do IRL 🤷🏻‍♀️

[eolewyn1010]

Ich würd gern mehr über deine OCs wissen, aber mein Namensgedächtnis ist mies. Wer ist dein/e aktuelle/r blorbo? 👉👈

Oh, boy, a prompt! ...Ich nehme das mal ganz frech als Aufforderung zu einer detaillierten Lebensgeschichte (nimm's mir nicht übel, ich brauch die Ablenkung). Mein aktueller Blorbo ist Chryso! Commence babbling.

Chryso ist ein junger Mann von einem nichtnomadischen Steppenvolk. Die haben seit jeher ihre größeren und kleineren Konflikte mit den umliegenden Stämmen zu klären, weswegen sich bei ihnen folgende Kommandostruktur ausgebildet hat: König und Königin obliegt das zivile Recht innerhalb der Mauern; dem Kriegsherrn obliegt das Recht in der Armee und auf dem Schlachtfeld. Außerdem hat jede der drei herrschenden Parteien eine*n Sekundanten zur Verfügung, quasi der allernächste Berater / Stellvertreter / Vertraute / Leibwächter. Chryso ist in seinen frühen 20ern Kriegsherr geworden, einer der jüngsten, die sein Volk hatte, und seine Geschichte spielt zwar während einer laufenden Kriegssituation, dreht sich aber vor allem um die komplizierte Beziehung, die er zu seinem besten Freund und Sekundanten hat, Elinn.

Chryso hat seine Mutter in seinen Teenager-Jahren an einen rivalisierenden Stamm verloren - sie ist vermutlich nicht tot, aber sie wurde als Sklavin verschleppt und er hat sie nie wieder gesehen. Das hat seine Familie ziemlich kaputt zurückgelassen; Chryso und seine ältere Schwester Serrony haben ihrem Vater nie verziehen, dass er nicht gekämpft hat, um ihre Mutter zurückzubekommen. Bis zum Tod seines Vaters ist der Bruch zwischen ihm und seinen Kindern nur schlimmer geworden. Serrony und Chryso, beide unsoziale, schweigsame Einzelgänger, haben sich noch mehr zusammengerottet. Serrony war früh eine der besten Kriegerinnen im Stamm, und es stand praktisch fest, dass sie Kriegsherrin werden würde und Chryso ihr Sekundant. Allerdings ist Serrony gestorben - ehrenvoll, in einer Schlacht, siegreich, aber sie ist gestorben - und hat Chryso sehr vereinsamt zurückgelassen. Er ist ein guter Kommandant, ein überragender Kämpfer und ein cleverer Stratege, aber er war nie gut darin, Freunde zu finden.

Die einzige echte Ausnahme dazu ist Elinn, der in seinen Teenie-Jahren zu den Rekruten der Armee gestoßen ist und dem Chryso als Trainer zugeteilt wurde. Elinn hat ihn am Anfang nicht ernst genommen, weil Chryso ein bisschen jünger ist als er, aber vor allem, weil er wenig nach Krieger ausgesehen hat (und eigentlich immer noch nicht aussieht). Er ist ein kleines dünnes Kerlchen, das immer mehr auf seine Beweglichkeit als auf seine Kraft setzen musste. Elinn hat schnell gelernt, ihn als Vorgesetzten zu respektieren; der Rest der Armee hat zum Teil immer noch so seine Probleme damit, auch nachdem Chryso schon jahrelang Kriegsherr ist. Er ist langsam mit Elinn warm geworden, und über die Jahre haben sie eine sehr innige Freundschaft zueinander entwickelt. Elinn hat sich irgendwann verliebt, geht aber davon aus, dass Chryso das nicht weiß und auch nicht wissen muss; Chryso wirkt in der Hinsicht ausgesprochen unnahbar und desinteressiert. Er ist einfach wahnsinnig emotional verklemmt, und Elinn will ihn auch nicht unbehaglich machen, indem er versucht, auf irgendwas zu drängen.

So weit, so gut. Als Chryso nach einem entscheidenden Sieg Kriegsherr geworden ist, hat er Elinn zu seinem Sekundanten gewählt; es war der stolzeste Moment in Elinns Leben, komplett mit Treueschwur und Versprechen, notfalls sein Leben für Chrysos zu geben - es ist absout alles, was Elinn für ihn sein will. Von da an hat sich so ziemlich das Bild etabliert, das man jetzt vom Kriegsherrn hat: Chryso, das schmale Kerlchen mit seinem verkniffenen Gesichtsausdruck und kühlen Blick, und ihm immer auf den Fersen dieser große, gutherzige Golden Retriever von Mann, der ihn mehr oder weniger subtil anschmachtet. Elinn hat mit sich ausgemacht, dass ihre Freundschaft und das Kommandogefälle kein Problem für ihn sind.

Das geht solange gut, bis Elinn in einer Schlacht Chrysos Leben rettet - indem er gegen einen direkten Befehl verstößt. Jetzt steht Chryso unter Handlungsdruck, ihn zu bestrafen; es gibt Leute, die ihm nur zu gerne Führungsinkompetenz vorwerfen würden, und das Autoritätsproblem kann er sich mitten in der Kriegssituation nicht leisten. Chryso ist also mächtig sauer und Elinn eigentlich auch, denn er hat ja das richtige getan. Chryso sterben zu lassen funktioniert für ihn hinten und vorne nicht. Also gibt's Streit. Und dann ne Prügelei. Und dann ziemlich nahtlos Sex. Und dann hat Chryso sich gefälligst damit auseinanderzusetzen, dass 1) er möglicherweise schon länger in seinen besten Freund verliebt ist, 2) sein bester Freund definitiv und jetzt auch ausdrücklich in ihn verliebt ist, 3) er so gar nicht geübt ist, was emotionale Offenheit und Wärme angeht, 4) er nicht sicher ist, ob er gerade massiv seine Befehlsgewalt gegenüber Elinn missbraucht hat, 5) seine Soldaten Wind von der Sache bekommen und ihm jetzt vorwerfen, dass er im Zuge dieser Beziehung seine Befehlsgewalt gegenüber Elinn aufgegeben hat und demzufolge nicht zum Kommandanten taugt, und zu guter Letzt 6) er nicht weiß, ob letzteres vielleicht sogar stimmt, denn er war nicht nur auf Elinns Rettung angewiesen, sondern dank einer infizierten Wunde auch noch auf seine Fürsorge, was seinem Stolz jetzt nur so semi-gutgetan hat.

Ja, und nebenbei stehen auch noch die Bergstämme vor der Tür und sind eroberungswütig, und Chrysos König und Königin wüssten schon mal ganz gerne, wie die Überlebenschancen des Stammes stehen. Fun times!

[violetstarr24]

"Being Spider-Man is a sacrifice."

The whole "canon events" scene in Across the Spider-Verse is heartbreaking, but out of all of it, this line from Miguel struck me the most. Not necessarily because of it's connections to Spider-Man, or to superheroes, or to heroic characters in general, but because that idea is so intrisinicly connected to our very concept of goodness as a society.

(read more because MAN this got long)

Think about it. Generally speaking, we define goodness as selflessness, aka putting another's needs before our own. The more extreme, the more "good" that action is. Helping an old lady walk across the street is a mundane act of kindness, but throwing yourself into a burning building to save someone? Now that's almost heroic. The greater the benefit for the other person, the more good that action is. The greater the COST to the person DOING the action, the more "good" that action is. A firefighter rushing into a burning building to save someone is less heroic than an ordinary person doing it, because they have the skills and equipment to do it much more safely. An ordinary person has none of that. Even if they emerge with enough smoke in their lungs to give them lung cancer, they're a hero.

Superheroes (and heroes in general) are the ultimate form of this idea. They put other's needs above their own, even when it results in great personal cost to them. Even death. Think Iron Man's snap at the end of Endgame. Classic heroic act. However, Spider-Man in particular has always been the poster child for that idea. Peter Parker loses Uncle Ben, Gwen Stacy, and many more and still keeps saving people because it's the right thing to do. It's his job.

So, back to Miguel's line. "Being Spider-Man is a sacrifice."

Miguel believes this because of his own personal experiences. He tried to have a family and a normal life, but he paid the ultimate price. So now he's here, stuck in life he doesn't want but thinks the world (or more accurately, multiverse) needs. It's a sacrifice—and it's not only grief, it's NORMALCY. The moment Peter Parker is bitten, he'll never be a normal person again. The same is true of Gwen, Noir, Pavitr, Hobie, and every other spider person out there. They never chose this, and now they will never be normal again. Now they have to sacrifice.

The same is true of Miles.

We already saw it in the first movie, when he lost Uncle Aaron. We see it in this movie too, with the strained relationship between him and his parents. The Spider Society (or more accurately, Miguel), threatens that that will become even worse. Miles resists it, because like anyone, he doesn't want his dad to die. He doesn't see why he should.

And that's when Miguel tells him. "Being Spider-Man is a sacrifice."

Remember what I said earlier, about a firefighter vs a normal person rushing into a burning building to save someone? Well, for a firefighter, it's much less risky to go into a burning building. They have fireproof clothes and oxygen tanks and know how to protect themselves and others. I dismissed this to say that the ordinary person was more heroic than them because they suffered greater consequences. However, when you think about it... isn't it good that the firefighter is more prepared? Isn't it good because they're more likely to save the person in the first place? Isn't it good because they're more likely to make it out alive?

The point is that you can still do good without having to sacrifice.

That is what Miguel and the other members of the Spider Society don't understand. That is what those who idolize the self-sacrificing hero don't understand.

But Miles does.

And he's going to prove it.

[larks-and-katydids]

[ID: Various email openings

Hello all

Hello, scallawags

Hello, rapscallions and hoodwinkers

Hello, spelling bee finalists

Hello, secret agents

Hello, jewel thieves in hiding

Hello, pickled brains of historical geniuses

Hello, material witnesses to the Kennedy assassination

Hello, farmhands dreaming of more glamorous lives

Hello, small village of gophers living in an overturned wheelbarrow

Hello, waiting room full of Elvis impersonators

Hello, assorted small mammals wearing pajamas

Hello, humans and one anteater in a suit who thinks he's passing

Hello, dilettante arsonists

Hello, strange smells coming from beneath my neighbor's porch

Hello, future casualties of the octopus war

Hello, Bill Cosby impersonators still looking for a new line of work

Hello, wistful musings of summers gone by

Hello, waist-high piles of expired tuna

Hello, deceased canaries we really should've been paying more attention to

Hello, thirteen clones of Jeff Glass having a board game night

Hello, heirs to the prodigious Q-tip fortune

Hello, crustaceans who have really overdone it with the makeup

Hello, Willem Dafoe stunt doubles going in together on a vacation home

Hello, I'm new to the neighborhood and thought you might like this poundcake

Hello, disheveled vagrants claiming to be my father

Hello, swarm of bees unceremoniously gathered on my offspring

Hello, future plaintiffs to the suit of my undoing

Hello, deja vu participants

Hello, Gregorian monks auditioning for The Voice

Hello, mustachio'd yachtsmen with nothing to lose

Hello, scheming grandchildren always after my money

Hello, goose enthusiasts and other psychopaths

Hello, too-sober attendees at a mandatory hoe-down

Hello, contrived attempts to commiserate with your fellow man

Hello, three dozen antelopes I'm about to run over with an Oldmobile

Hello, fashionably homeless forklift operators

Hello, pools of eerie liquid where my parents were standing moments before

Hello, involuntary subscribers to whatever hellish newsletter this is

Hello, doo-wop quartets moving in on the untapped funeral market

Hello, 13 infomercial actors all trying to get through the same revolving door

Hello, turpentine dreams of an okra sunrise

Hello, people with hands (and also Gary)

Hello, potato replicas of all your loved ones rotting in the sun in an elaborate metaphor

Hello, synthetic animal protein best enjoyed straight from a nozzle

Hello, future beneficiaries of my mismanaged life insurance

Hello, squadron of hedgehogs determined to run that scamming sack of shit out of town for good this time

Hello, original cast of 'The Muppets' long day's journey into the night'

Hello, wheelbarrow full of possum corpses being pitched into traffic

Hello, pink kimonos I'll never be brave enough to wear

Hello, boiling tempers being tended by a cartoon Italian not cut out for this

Hello, something something something something

Hello, meticulously arranged parade for National Buearocrat's (sic) Day

Hello, malfunctioning kitchen implements trying to reinvent themselves as other machines

Hello, two tumbleweed roommates giving each other the silent treatment

Hello, Gregorian monks struggling to recreate Billy Joel's "The Longest Time"

Hello, stormclouds gathered o'er the horizon like the gangs from West Side Story

Hello, Jell-o molds of African despots

Alright, dinklers

End ID]

[ID: Screencap of text conversation between OP and Neal

First person says, ATS is NOT tonight. Standing by for tomorrow

Second person replies, Copy

First person says, Quit calling me that. I'm the real Neal

End ID]

Freelancing in technical theater means you’re on a lot of different email lists. People need a crew, they send out an email, you respond with your availability. Now, most people start these with things like “hey folks” or “hi everyone”. Neal is not most people.

His openers started off innocent enough.

Then, he started to push boundaries.

And as you can see, it has spiraled out of control since then.

[daeyumi]

I am what you made me 🩸

[tojisun]

hockey player simon pt 03 // part of this plot // mlist

i swear it was just supposed to be a drabble w no plot

jo heaves a sigh the moment you slide in front of her, and you would have been insulted if it wasn't for the gentle smile she gives right after. still, she's staring at you with that teasing tilt of her lips and her eyes narrowed in humour, one that you're not privy to.

"what?" you finally bite out, fiddling with your iced coffee, feeling self-conscious.

you fleet your eyes to yourself and, yeah, sure you're wearing the same pants as yesterday’s but c'mon? you didn't get to go back to your place after, well...

at least you didn't repeat your top, and is instead wearing a sweater you've stolen from simon's closet. cashmere, cream and soft, and the material comfortable, if not a little bit loose in the arms that droop past your fingers.

you thought you at least looked like those typical college students in the movies—effortlessly chic in a boyfriend sweater, if not a little haggard because who is not when in university?

she finally chuckles, the thrum of her voice easing up the frown that tugged your brows together. “don’t sweat it, superstar. it’s just that i’m still not used to seeing you be a sugar baby.”

you choke mid-sip, her words devouring you like an angry tide. you feel your eyes water in protest, the feeling burning as you sputter.

“i’m not–!”

“you’re not what?” tim asks, sliding into the seat beside yours.

you grumble, wagging a finger as you wipe your stained chin with your other hand. jo snorts and fills him in, chuckling all the while as she gestures at your sweater because she knows it couldn’t possibly have been yours.

tim’s smile turns cheeky, teasing, and he wiggles his brows at you.

“shut up, oh my god,” you whine, rolling your eyes at them, almost shyly, and you feel your cheeks warming. “i’m not– simon’s not my–”

“oh c’mon, babe,” jo says, playfully throwing her mechanical pencil at you. you huff before chucking it back at her, giggling to yourself when it bounces off her arm and rolls into the floor.

tim picks it up for her.

“he buys you expensive things—” her eyes flit to the new promise ring that you’re wearing. you unconsciously hide it behind your palm. “and pays for your tuition which i’m so, so jealous of.”

“doesn’t he fly you around too? in a private jet or something?” tim pipes up, shamelessly snagging away your iced coffee now that you’re too preoccupied to drink it.

“he doesn’t!”

twin brows quirk up in silent judgement.

“…he buys us first class tickets, not, like, a whole jet.”

see? they seemed to say with the way they cock their heads to the side.

you sniff. “it’s for work,” you mumble, remembering the first time simon flew you for his games.

“i mean, for him, maybe. but you? tell me what business do you have in winnipeg?” tim chirps and you almost want to jump him just to make him shut up.

“sugar baby,” jo finishes, singing. “but i mean, who can blame him, huh?” she grins, her voice dipping into a faux southern accent. “i’d spoil you too, sugar.”

“oh, you flirt,” you trill, taking the opening she offers to change the topic.

tim takes the bait and whines about how jo doesn’t do all those things for him, but jo is unmoved, eyeing you knowingly, but thankfully drops it too.

it’s just—

there’s a whole stigma to athlete’s girlfriends. for god’s sake, they even have a whole label—puck bunny—which is honestly just a dig made up by really shitty men who burn with jealousy . and you know that, but—

you can’t help but wonder if some, not all, of simon’s love for you is because of what you do to him. of what you give him in return. especially since he’s so busy all the time, either flying during the season and is rarely home, or packed with training and other physical regimen during the offseason.

so you wonder if this—flying you with him on the days the official WAGs are not being flown by the franchise, bringing you to vacation spots on the other side of the ocean, buying you everything you used to only dream of ever having—was his way of paying you back for your support and patience and care and love.

tim knocks his shoulder with yours, worry now lining his boyishly charming face.

“y’alright?”

“of course.” you lick your lips. “so did you ever get a copy of the lab sheet from rayan?”

.

you watch from the front seats as the team wrap up practice tonight, their coach looking pleased at their performance. it was still difficult to follow the game, but the players all look content too despite the sweat and their ragged breathing.

they never did know how to hold back even during a practice.

you say your goodbyes to the other people who came to watch, shooting simon a text that you’ll be waiting for him in the parking lot, and walk out.

the cashmere sweater, thankfully, is enough to fight off the cool air and the gentle breeze while you make your trek to simon’s distinct range rover, all sleek and pure black like he’s got the damn royals for a passenger.

it’s locked so you hover outside, stuffing your hands in the pockets of your pants, and entertained yourself with making puffs of air like you’re ten again. it’s honestly not too bad to be alone, if it weren’t for the sudden swarming of your doubts—the very same ones you thought you already shrugged off before taking the cab to the rink.

fuck.

“hey, love,” simon’s voice pierces through your thoughts and you jump, barely smothering the yelp that almost tore itself from the base of your throat.

you swivel, heart pounding, and simon’s beautiful face creases into one of concern.

“are you–”

“si!” you greet, jogging to him.

he laughs and opens his arms for a hug, one that you excitedly give him. you tuck your cold face in the crook of his neck, breathing him in, taking in the antiseptic scent of rink soap and the faint smell of his shampoo.

his body is so warm against yours, and you can’t help but melt in his hold, body relaxing at the comfort he brings you.

“you ready to go home?” he asks like the insinuation that his home is also yours is not heart-stopping and world-changing.

you nod, unable to trust your voice right now.

there’s something different whenever it’s just you and simon—your thoughts, for once, are quiet and your confidence in yourself peaking like simon is the only place in this world where you can truly be yourself. it’s not just indulgence, nor tolerance, but it’s pure unadulterated acceptance.

and maybe it’s because of that realization, that flipped switch, that in the lull of your conversation with simon, you bring it up.

“did you know? my friends think that you’re my sugar daddy.”

you feel him freeze, body going rigid as your words spill into the space between you two. you continue to hide your face away from, avoiding a serious conversation as regret begins to build, shame licking up from your fingertips to your ears.

stupid, you think to yourself. why the hell did i bring it up? fuck—

then, simon laughs, soft and sputtering, his whole body shaking as he giggles, choked wheezes uncontainable. you tip your head up just enough to catch his eyes, questions filling your tongue, waiting to be spilled, but simon cups your cheek so tenderly before you could doubt anything any more.

“do i need to be one to spoil you rotten?” he asks like he didn’t just shaken the foundations of your doubts.

do i need to be one to spoil you rotten, he said like spoiling you was the norm. like showering you with expensive gifts and booking you expensive flights and helping you with your expensive necessities was something that boyfriends typically do. like your friends are the odd ones for thinking he had to be anything other the man you’re dating to be able to splurge for you.

“no,” you say, dizzy with the weight of your affections.

simon’s smile droops, his eyes clearing. “was that something that honestly worried you?”

“i–”

the humour leaves him, and simon straightens up at seeing the gravity of the turmoil in your heart. his hands fall to your sides, thumbs hooked in the dip of your hips. he leans forward until his nose is brushing against yours.

“you know i love you, right?” simon asks, his voice quaking in desperation.

“yeah,” you sniffle, honest because god you mean it. “yeah, si. i know.”

“okay,” he says after a while, still intensely looking at you like you aren’t surely anything but a blob in his eyes with how close you two are pressed to each other.

then, his lips brush with yours, so faint, you almost missed it. you shudder at the feeling of it—how could a chaste kiss feel so intense?—your lips wobbling as something in your heart bloats.

you feel simon���s lips stretch into a grin from where they’re ghosting above yours, and then he’s kissing you again, this time deeper and longer. you curl your arms around his neck, feeling like you’re being swept off your feet all over again.

because simon is not good with words, truly, but he’s managed to swing an axe to the cornerstone of your self-doubt and made it crumble.

.

“oh god,” jo sobs in your arms, the two of you snuggled up under your sheets. “that was a joke! i promise!”

“i know,” you say, giggling. “i swear jo, it’s not you, it’s me.”

she looks up at you, eyes shimmering with tears. “are you sure?”

“yeah,” you croon, bumping foreheads with her. “...‘sides, simon’s taking me somewhere to make up for, and i quote, ‘making you doubt how serious i am about you’.”

she sniffs. “…permission to make a joke again?”

you grab your plushie from somewhere behind you and smack her ass with it.

“ow!”

“stop being dramatic—that didn’t hurt.”

[giggles nervously] so uh. 🏃🏻

[v-albion]

Continuation of THIS <— its getting long

Hey he finally got some affection! Thanks raphie @hitwiththetmnt

@tmntaucompetition

[televised-eyes]

i also do not expect a traditional fairy tale ending for crowley and aziraphale for a number of reasons but what i do know is this: good omens at its core is a dark comedy and a fantasy story with a long history and dedicated fanbase. while i do not expect nuptials, i expect our angel and demon to reunite, set aside their differences for the sake of the world and their relationship as they’ve canonically done before. i’m not saying i expect armageddidn’t 2.0. it’s going to be bigger and the emotional stakes for aziraphale and crowley are way higher this time around.

i think it will be a bittersweet ending to send off these characters that are so beloved both by audiences and neil & terry. given the overall tone of good omens, a dark gloomy ending wouldn’t feel right, especially given the original source material. on the other hand, i don’t think a “happily ever after” would feel right either. a big element of the story is embracing shades of grey and i think a bittersweet ending would best suit the narrative and be the most satisfying.

all that being said i trust neil & terry’s vision and i will accept whatever they originally planned.

as for the current state of crowley and aziraphale’s relationship i have some thoughts about op’s interpretation. i won’t go into all of them bc this is already longer than i hoped but i will address these points made by op:

aziraphale not just broke crowley's trust, he repeatedly chose to side with heaven and "morality" over him—crowley has always been the second choice, otherwise aziraphale would have fallen long ago. he would not fall for crowley because so far he has not fallen, he turned away from crowley every single time it came down to either falling or continuing to hold his position as an angel.

aziraphale has not fallen simply to keep his personal comfort intact and stuck to the selfish ideology centring whatever is the most convenient option in a given situation, and no matter how you twists and turn it, that's at the heart of it—because, again, otherwise he would already have fallen.

aziraphale did break crowley’s trust in going back to heaven with the metatron and i do believe we will find him repentant in go3. however we have seen aziraphale struggle with his cognitive dissonance between being an angel and agreeing with crowley throughout the show.

the best example is in the job minisode, we see aziraphale lie directly to gabriel and god about saving job’s children. we then see aziraphale owning up to this decision, fully expecting that he has fallen as a result of thwarting the will of god. in that situation he did not side with heaven. he made his own decision not based on convenience or comfort in “selfish ideology.” he fully expects crowley to take him to hell. the only thing that kept him from falling, other than crowley dragging him to hell himself, had to have been that aziraphale acted in a way that was a part of god’s ineffable plan.

crowley fell for what is right, for what is decent and kind regardless of the consequences he'll have to face afterwards.

crowley himself describes his fall as “sauntering vaguely downwards.” he confesses on multiple occasions his conflicting feelings for falling, expressing everything from grief to confusion to coercion from “lucifer and the guys.” whether or not we as the audience believe crowley was “right” to rebel, i don’t see any evidence that crowley chose to fall out of a moral obligation to a cause. he outright denies the characterization of being “nice” let alone decent and kind. we as an audience know that crowley is kinder than he let’s on but he never chose to fall. he asked questions and then fell. hopefully we’ll learn more about the circumstances of crowley’s fall in go3 but i do not see any evidence that he chose falling and going to hell as a selfless act.

apologies for this response being so long but i felt it was important to address these points in the spirit of open discussion and speculation!

i’m not here to shoot down anyone’s opinions or say people are wrong in their interpretations. i only wish to engage in dialogue that is fair and constructive. that’s the real point of fandoms: engagement with our love for the shows and characters we care about so much. i hope i was able to share my opinions in a way that was thought provoking and not disrespectful because that is never my intention

ahhhhh fuck it. sure. back to normal meta posting.

do not copy or otherwise repost any of my writing without express permission, including (but not limited to) any and all blogs that are dedicated to harassing people based on their opinions.

—

a south downs ending does not equal a fairy tale ending/happily ever after.

regardless of how you personally characterize crowley and aziraphale and interpret their actions, ignoring the emotional impact of pretty much the entirety of season two would be a disservice to neil (and terry) as a storyteller.

aziraphale not just broke crowley's trust, he repeatedly chose to side with heaven and "morality" over him—crowley has always been the second choice, otherwise aziraphale would have fallen long ago. he would not fall for crowley because so far he has not fallen, he turned away from crowley every single time it came down to either falling or continuing to hold his position as an angel.

meanwhile crowley fell from both heaven's and hell's graces long before he fell in love with aziraphale; it has never been a choice for him because he decided on who he wants to be and how he wants to live once he found out about the 6000 year deadline on the universe.

crowley fell for what is right, for what is decent and kind regardless of the consequences he'll have to face afterwards.

aziraphale has not fallen simply to keep his personal comfort intact and stuck to the selfish ideology centring whatever is the most convenient option in a given situation, and no matter how you twists and turn it, that's at the heart of it—because, again, otherwise he would already have fallen.

so when neil resolves their conflicts—because i trust that he will do it in a way that's satisfactory for everyone involved, including us as the audience—those centuries predating season three don't just magically disappear.

crowley will hopefully have learned to live for himself and not anyone else, which allows him to choose what kind of relationship he wants to have with aziraphale. they might move into their cottage with their relationship still healing and the end result open. content and together, sure, but crowley is under no obligation to forgive aziraphale for any of the shit that he put him through. there's a degree of intimacy and trust they'll never get back; it sucks, it's sad, but it is what it is.

meanwhile aziraphale will have to face that he fucked up, openly acknowledge how he's hurt crowley and others, and apologize without expecting forgiveness; he might get it, he might not, but he needs to keep growing/learning/changing no matter what.

think about the ending of season one—they're dining at the ritz, content and happily enjoying each other's presence, but outside of that we are not given more information. i can see exactly that happening at the end of season three, a satisfactory ending that also simultaneously allows us to decide for ourselves what happens once we leave them.

if there is a single thing i am certain of it's that we will not get a fairy tale ending, no happily ever after, and if that's what you're expecting going into it, then you will probably be disappointed.

[calmbigdipper]

Finally completed twt user herasphases’s prompt for @hkvthm-action! They requested a The Little Mermaid AU with Prince!Kaveh and Merman!Alhaitham ~

[cosmicdreamgrl]

bangtan gif challenge ☆ ↳ stage mix (one song) + your bias → jungkook x dionysus stages

[dlartistanon]

Fellas is it gay to top the Radiant Knight

[linkhundr]

So NFTgate has now hit tumblr - I made a thread about it on my twitter, but I'll talk a bit more about it here as well in slightly more detail. It'll be a long one, sorry! Using my degree for something here. This is not intended to sway you in one way or the other - merely to inform so you can make your own decision and so that you aware of this because it will happen again, with many other artists you know.

Let's start at the basics: NFT stands for 'non fungible token', which you should read as 'passcode you can't replicate'. These codes are stored in blocks in what is essentially a huge ledger of records, all chained together - a blockchain. Blockchain is encoded in such a way that you can't edit one block without editing the whole chain, meaning that when the data is validated it comes back 'negative' if it has been tampered with. This makes it a really, really safe method of storing data, and managing access to said data. For example, verifying that a bank account belongs to the person that says that is their bank account.

For most people, the association with NFT's is bitcoin and Bored Ape, and that's honestly fair. The way that used to work - and why it was such a scam - is that you essentially purchased a receipt that said you owned digital space - not the digital space itself. That receipt was the NFT. So, in reality, you did not own any goods, that receipt had no legal grounds, and its value was completely made up and not based on anything. On top of that, these NFTs were purchased almost exclusively with cryptocurrency which at the time used a verifiation method called proof of work, which is terrible for the environment because it requires insane amounts of electricity and computing power to verify. The carbon footprint for NFTs and coins at this time was absolutely insane.

In short, Bored Apes were just a huge tech fad with the intention to make a huge profit regardless of the cost, which resulted in the large market crash late last year. NFTs in this form are without value.

However, NFTs are just tech by itself more than they are some company that uses them. NFTs do have real-life, useful applications, particularly in data storage and verification. Research is being done to see if we can use blockchain to safely store patient data, or use it for bank wire transfers of extremely large amounts. That's cool stuff!

So what exactly is Käärijä doing? Kä is not selling NFTs in the traditional way you might have become familiar with. In this use-case, the NFT is in essence a software key that gives you access to a digital space. For the raffle, the NFT was basically your ticket number. This is a very secure way of doing so, assuring individuality, but also that no one can replicate that code and win through a false method. You are paying for a legimate product - the NFT is your access to that product.

What about the environmental impact in this case? We've thankfully made leaps and bounds in advancing the tech to reduce the carbon footprint as well as general mitigations to avoid expanding it over time. One big thing is shifting from proof of work verification to proof of space or proof of stake verifications, both of which require much less power in order to work. It seems that Kollekt is partnered with Polygon, a company that offers blockchain technology with the intention to become climate positive as soon as possible. Numbers on their site are very promising, they appear to be using proof of stake verification, and all-around appear more interested in the tech than the profits it could offer.

But most importantly: Kollekt does not allow for purchases made with cryptocurrency, and that is the real pisser from an environmental perspective. Cryptocurrency purchases require the most active verification across systems in order to go through - this is what bitcoin mining is, essentially. The fact that this website does not use it means good things in terms of carbon footprint.

But why not use something like Patreon? I can't tell you. My guess is that Patreon is a monthly recurring service and they wanted something one-time. Kollekt is based in Helsinki, and word is that Mikke (who is running this) is friends with folks on the team. These are all contributing factors, I would assume, but that's entirely an assumption and you can't take for fact.

Is this a good thing/bad thing? That I also can't tell you - you have to decide that for yourself. It's not a scam, it's not crypto, just a service that sits on the blockchain. But it does have higher carbon output than a lot of other services do, and its exact nature is not publicly disclosed. This isn't intended to sway you to say one or the other, but merely to give you the proper understanding of what NFTs are as a whole and what they are in this particular case so you can make that decision for yourself.

[eolewyn1010]

Ok, ich will noch den Wunsch-Schwiegersohn und die Wasserstadt 👀

Nein für den Schwiegersohn - den hab ich hier schon abgehandelt. ^^

Wasserstadt ist interessanter, ist nämlich keine Fanfic. This is one of my current original works.

So, Naniquel, usually called Nani, has been sent away from her home at a young age to learn how to handle her magic - there's a school for that kind of gifts, but it's on another planet, a sort of tropical paradise where kids from all over the galaxy are brought to be instructed. Nani is not unhappy there, seeing as it's where she made friends and fell in love with her girlfriend Estelle. But she's been sent there when she was eleven and hasn't seen her parents since, which has left her kind of bitter, and the whole deal came pre-burdened anyway: Nani is one of the last strongly-gifted mages of her world, one of maybe three. So, from the earliest age on, she knew that she'd become a political instrument between the quarreling parties at her home. Now she's coming of age and is called home to very please become a politician - aka, murder and blackmail political opponents into submission, which is what both her family and their political party expect of her. Naniquel, needless to say, isn't into it.

When she returns to the eponymous Wasserstadt, her home city (a kind of cold-climate Fantasy Venice, lotsa canals and waterfalls), she has her own presidential candidate in mind (well, "presidential"; it's more of an elective monarchy) whom she wants to support in an attempt to end the everlasting threat of a civil war. And if that doesn't work, well, Nani does have a hotline to her magical ancestors, the water nymphs who rarely interact with humans these days, and if people can't behave, she'll sic a magic army on them. In her defense, puberty and civil war and rampant telepathy and visions and your anti-telepathic shield girlfriend being half a galaxy away isn't exactly helping a stable mood.