#a talented version of q

[emperordinozenmon]

Celebration

A little something for y'all

Cube’s end-of-the-year party was a bizarre event shrouded in mystery, a legend whispered about in hushed voices among trainees and industry insiders. No one outside its invite list had ever confirmed what went on inside, but that didn’t stop the rumors from spreading like wildfire.

Your friend group had spent years speculating, each person pitching their own wildly different theory. You leaned toward the idea that it was some kind of exclusive, over-the-top karaoke party where idols got blackout drunk and embarrassed themselves in front of their seniors. Nathan suggested a big aphrodisiac induced orgy where idols and staff let off steam and fucked rapaciously. Danny swore up and down that it was a cosplay event, where the biggest names in K-pop dressed up as anime characters and took part in elaborate skits. And Q—well, Q liked to claim it was an annual ritual sacrifice, though whether he actually believed that or was just being Q was anyone’s guess.

It had always been harmless fun, something to gossip about late at night when you were all exhausted from work and just hanging out and needed a distraction. Until now.

The door burst open, and Nate strode in, looking equal parts exhilarated and overwhelmed. He ran a hand through his hair as he shut the door behind him, as if he needed to physically close himself off from whatever whirlwind had just hit him.

“Guys,” he started, breathless, his eyes flicking between you. “You’ll never believe what I got invites for.”

Q scoffed, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table. “What, the Cube end-of-the-year party?” he said, grinning. “Nice try, Nate.”

The air in the room shifted when Nate didn’t immediately laugh or roll his eyes. Instead, his face went completely still, his hands tightening around the strap of his bag.

“Wait…” he said slowly, voice deadly serious. “How did you know?”

A silence settled over the room, thick and unnatural. You felt your pulse pick up as you and the others exchanged glances.

Dani leaned forward. “Nate,” she said carefully, as if afraid of spooking him, “you’re joking, right?”

But he wasn’t. You could see it in his face.

He swallowed hard. “No,” he said. “I got us invites. All of us.”

The words sat heavy in the air. For years, the Cube party had been nothing more than an untouchable myth, a fun mystery to poke at from a safe distance. But now, the distance was gone.

“How did you nail that?” you ask.

Nathan blushed and said, “well there's been thig girl I have been Nailing,” he stammered before he said. “Her name is Nayoung.” the name reminds you of something buy you can't place why. Regardless you were excited to go.

Here’s an expanded version of your scene, adding more detail, atmosphere, and character moments:

Over the next few days, Nate drip-fed information about the party to the rest of you, each new detail adding another layer to the mystery. The most surprising revelation came from Nayoung—apparently, the party was both costume and karaoke-themed. That, at least, explained the secrecy. If a single photo of top idols drunkenly belting out power ballads while dressed in ridiculous outfits got out, it would be chaos.

With that in mind, you and Dani wasted no time in deciding on your costumes: Persona protagonists. The moment Q heard, he took it upon himself to make sure your outfits were perfect.

“Alright, if we’re doing this, we’re doing it right,” he declared, cracking his knuckles like a man preparing for battle.

You hadn’t expected him to be so skilled at costuming, but over the next few days, he guided you and Dani through every step of the process—choosing fabrics, cutting out patterns, even distressing certain parts to make them look more authentic. Watching him work, you realized he had a real talent for it.

“You’re scarily good at this, Q,” Dani said one evening, watching as he sewed intricate silver buttons onto your jacket with precise, practiced hands.

Q shrugged, eyes focused on his work. “I used to help my sister with cosplay when we were younger. And, y’know, I have to live vicariously through you two since my costume options are limited.”

Neither of you missed the way his tone dipped slightly at the end. It was an unspoken reality—Q’s darker complexion and broad frame meant that many of the characters he admired weren’t ones he could easily portray, at least not without running into criticism. But instead of letting it get to him, he poured his enthusiasm into helping you and Dani.

By the time the night of the party arrived, you, Dani, Nate, and Eraqus were ready.

The four of you stood outside the venue, a sleek, high-end building that didn’t look like the kind of place where chaotic karaoke and costumed idols would be running around. You adjusted your jacket, trying to shake off the nerves, while Dani smoothed down her gloves. Nate was already bouncing on his heels, the anticipation buzzing off him in waves, while Eraqus stood a little more stiffly, scanning the entrance like he half-expected security to turn you all away.

Then, the doors swung open, and a tiny blonde woman stepped out. You barely had time to process her sharp eyes and confident stance before she grabbed Nate by the collar and kissed him, right there in front of all of you.

Your jaw dropped. “Oh.”

It all made sense in an instant.

When she finally pulled away, Nayoung turned her attention to the rest of you, a smirk playing on her lips. “You guys look great,” she said, giving you all a quick once-over. “Now get in. Before someone sees you.”

She stepped aside, motioning for you to follow, and just like that, the four of you were stepping into the legendary Cube end-of-the-year party—where, for better or worse, the mystery was about to unravel.

The party was already in full swing by the time you stepped inside. The air buzzed with energy—idols in elaborate costumes laughing over drinks, half-shouted conversations competing with the pounding bass of a remix that someone had taken too seriously. Neon lights flickered in hypnotic patterns against the walls, casting shifting shadows over the chaotic mix of people.

Eraqus (Q) quickly found himself enmeshed between a couple of well known idols praising his zombie costume.

“Wow those exposed ribs are so good how did you do that?” Chowon from Lightsum asked asked.

“How did you find glowing contacts?” Sakura of le Sserafim asked.

“Ah well you know…” Eraqus stammered not used to all the attention. While this was going on you couldn't sense the encroaching presence behind you

You barely had time to take it all in before someone appeared beside you, slipping into your personal space so smoothly you almost didn’t notice until she spoke.

“You clean up well.”

You turned your head and found yourself face-to-face with Karina.

She looked effortlessly cool, dressed in a sleek, all-black ensemble that could have been a costume or just an excuse to look devastatingly good. The sharp contrast of dark fabric against her fair skin made her seem even more striking under the shifting lights.

You blinked, caught off guard. “Uh—”

Her lips quirked up at the corner, amused at your hesitation. “Yu Narakami the Persona protagonist, right?” She reached out, barely brushing the lapel of your jacket between her fingers before letting go. “Nice choice. Thought I was the only one who cared about good taste.”

Your brain scrambled to keep up. You had never really spoken to her before—at most, you’d been in the same rooms during fan events, maybe exchanged a polite nod in passing. But now, here she was, looking at you like you were the only person worth talking to in the room.

“Thanks,” you finally managed, fighting to sound casual. “Didn’t think anyone here would notice.”

Karina hummed, tilting her head slightly. “Oh, I notice a lot of things.”

Before you could figure out what that meant, she took a step closer, her voice dropping just enough to send a shiver down your spine. “How about you ditch your friends for a bit?”

You hesitated, glancing over your shoulder where Dani and Ersque were deep in conversation, completely oblivious. Nate was off somewhere with Nayoung. No one was paying attention to you.

Karina smirked, reading your hesitation like an open book. She leaned in, just close enough that you could smell the faint trace of perfume clinging to her skin.

“Come on,” she murmured, eyes gleaming with mischief. “Let’s have some real fun.”

Then, before you even had a chance to agree—or process what was happening—she took your hand, lacing her fingers through yours, and tugged you deeper into the party.

And just like that, you were gone.

Here’s an expanded version of your scene, adding more emotion, tension, and atmosphere:

Karina led you through the maze of hallways until she found an empty practice room, slipping inside without hesitation. The moment the door shut behind you, the noise of the party outside became a distant hum, leaving just the two of you in the dimly lit space.

She turned to face you, her expression unreadable for a moment, before a small, playful smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

“So,” she said, leaning against the mirror with her arms crossed, studying you with open curiosity. “Which Persona is your favorite?”

Her eyes gleamed, pupils slightly dilated—not just from intrigue but something deeper, something hungrier.

You hesitated for half a second before answering, “Persona 4. I had a similar experience when I was younger.”

Karina arched a perfectly shaped brow. “Oh? You fought demons and gods in a shadow world?” she teased, tilting her head slightly.

You huffed out a small laugh, shaking your head. “That’s not what I meant… I had to spend a full school year with extended family because my parents were having issues.”

Her teasing expression softened, her gaze turning more thoughtful. “Where at?”

You shrugged, answering offhandedly, “Oh, [redacted].”

The reaction was immediate. Karina’s eyes went wide—wider than before, not with curiosity but with something bordering on shock. Her posture stiffened, her body leaning forward slightly, as if she needed to be closer to confirm what she was hearing.

“No way,” she breathed, searching your face with sudden urgency. “I went to [redacted] too. What year?”

Your brows furrowed, a flicker of confusion passing over you. “Uh… 20XX.”

Karina gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Wait—” Her voice caught, her breath hitching as realization dawned in her expression. “Ace?”

Your entire body locked up. Your pulse pounded in your ears as your brain scrambled to catch up.

She knew.

She knew.

Your eyes widened, the breath stolen from your lungs as everything snapped into place.

“Yu???”

The name tumbled from your lips before you could stop it, the childhood memory flooding back in full force.

The long afternoons spent wandering the quiet town, the laughter shared over convenience store snacks, the whispered conversations about dreams and fears, the silent understanding that had always existed between you—until life had pulled you apart.

Karina—Yu—stood there, her face a perfect mix of shock, nostalgia, and something even deeper, something raw.

Neither of you moved for a moment. The air in the room was thick with tension, an electric charge crackling between you like a live wire.

Then, before you could second-guess yourself, you reached for her.

She met you halfway, surging forward as your lips crashed together in a desperate, almost frantic kiss. Karina made a soft, breathy noise against your mouth, her hands gripping the front of your jacket as if she was afraid you might disappear again.

You felt her hunger, her longing, the years of separation dissolving in the heat between you.

“I missed you so much,” she whimpered against your lips, her voice trembling with emotion.

You pulled back just enough to look at her, your forehead resting against hers, trying to ground yourself in the reality of the moment.

“Holy hell, Yu,” you murmured, your hands cupping her face, your thumbs brushing against her flushed cheeks. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

She swallowed hard, her fingers tightening against you as if she was afraid to let go.

Here’s an expanded version with more romance, affection, and warmth:

“Well,” she whispered, her breath fanning against your lips, her voice barely above a murmur, “you found me.”

Her eyes shimmered with something between teasing amusement and deep, unfiltered joy. The kind of joy that only came from reconnecting with someone who had once been your whole world. Her fingers traced light, ghosting touches along your jaw, as if she were memorizing the feel of you all over again.

A slow smile spread across your face before you leaned in, capturing her lips once more. The second kiss was softer, more intentional—less of a desperate reunion and more of a lingering promise. Her lips felt just as you remembered, warm and inviting, but now there was a sweetness to them that hadn’t been there before. Maybe it was her lipstick, or maybe it was just her.

Emboldened, you gently nipped at her bottom lip, earning a surprised, breathy laugh against your mouth.

“Okay,” she murmured, her forehead resting against yours, “as much as I love this, I gotta ask… what are you doing now?”

You exhaled a small chuckle, still a little lost in her touch, before pulling back slightly. “I’m a stuntman and stunt coordinator now. Director too, for some projects. The last one we worked on was Train to Busan III.”

Karina’s eyes widened so much you were worried they might pop out of her skull.

“No way!” she gasped, pushing against your chest lightly as if to confirm you were real. “You—what?! That’s amazing!”

Her excitement was contagious, and you felt heat creep up your neck at the way she looked at you—like she was genuinely proud.

“I remember how obsessed you were with Taekwondo when we were kids,” she continued, her fingers now absentmindedly tracing patterns on your sleeve. “You were always practicing, always trying to perfect your form… and now you’re actually doing something huge with it. I love that.”

You shrugged, trying to play it off, but her enthusiasm made your chest feel light.

Then, with a cheeky glint in her eye, she smirked and nudged you. “So, think you could get me a role as an action heroine? I am a rocket puncher, after all.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “I don’t know, Yu… I haven’t seen you in six years. Might be a little rusty.”

Karina let out an exaggerated gasp, her hand flying to her chest as if you had wounded her. “Wow. Abandon me for six years and then insult my skills? Unbelievable.”

Her pout was devastating, and you immediately felt bad—not that you weren’t enjoying the way she was hamming it up.

You sighed dramatically, then softened. “Alright, alright. I might be able to pull some strings,” you conceded, and she grinned victoriously.

“But enough about me,” you added, giving her a look. “You’re, like, a world-famous idol now. That’s insane.”

Karina smirked, tossing her hair over her shoulder in mock arrogance. “Yeah, I’m pretty savage, right?”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help the smile that tugged at your lips. Without thinking, you leaned in and kissed her nose.

Karina blinked, stunned for half a second before a warm, slightly bashful smile took over her features. Her hands curled against your chest as she tilted her head, gazing up at you.

“So…” she murmured, quieter now, her voice holding something a little more vulnerable. “Are you back forever? Or is this just a visit?”

The weight of her question settled between you, the unspoken hope lingering in her eyes.

You reached up, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, your thumb brushing against her cheek.

“I don’t know yet,” you admitted honestly, watching as something flickered across her expression.

Karina studied you for a moment before exhaling softly, then resting her head against your chest. “Well… I hope you stay,” she whispered.

You wrapped your arms around her, holding her close, breathing her in.

“Me too,” you murmured, meaning every word.

While you and Karina were lost in your own world, elsewhere in the building, Eraqus was being dragged through the dimly lit hallways by none other than Magenta from QWER, whose mischievous grin practically glowed in the dark.

“Magenta,” Eraqus hissed, glancing around as they weaved between corners, avoiding wandering partygoers. “Why are we sneaking? You do realize you’re famous, right? You literally can just walk places.”

Magenta turned, still moving backward like some kind of rogue in a heist film. “Shhh, Eraqus, you’ve gotta commit to the bit.”

“What bit?”

“The vibe of sneaking! It makes things more exciting.”

Eraqus pinched the bridge of his nose but followed anyway, resigned to the fact that Magenta operated on a wavelength no one else did.

“Why are we even looking for a practice room?” he asked.

Magenta shrugged. “To talk.”

“You dragged me through this whole building like we’re infiltrating a government facility just to talk?”

“Exactly,” Magenta replied, completely unbothered.

Eventually, they stopped in front of a practice room door, and Magenta leaned in dramatically, pressing an ear against the wood. Eraqus, arms crossed, raised an eyebrow.

“Magenta, I swear if someone is in there—”

Ignoring him, Magenta slowly—oh-so-slowly—turned the doorknob and peeked inside. Then, with all the grace of a cartoon character, Magenta took a single step in, turned to Eraqus, and whispered, “Oh, yeah, someone’s in there.”

Eraqus groaned. “I told you—”

Before he could finish, Karina’s sharp voice cut through the room.

“…Are you two gonna stand there and gawk, or do you wanna come in?”

Eraqus grimaced and finally stepped into the room to see Karina still nestled comfortably against you, both of you staring at the intruders with varying degrees of amusement.

Magenta blinked, then grinned. “Ohhh, we totally interrupted something, huh?”

Karina sighed dramatically but didn’t move from your side. “A little, yeah.”

“We’re so sorry,” Magenta continued, not looking sorry at all. “Should we leave? I feel like we should leave. Eraqus, should we leave?”

Eraqus, who was already turning to walk out, nodded. “Yeah, I think we should.”

Before they could escape, you waved them off. “Nah, it’s fine. You guys can stay.”

Eraqus hesitated. “…Are you sure? We really don’t wanna intrude.”

Karina rolled her eyes but smiled. “Just sit down before Magenta gets another idea to sneak into someone else’s room.”

Magenta gasped in mock offense. “I would never—okay, I would. But that’s beside the point.”

With that, the four of you settled onto the floor, forming a loose circle. There was a beat of silence before Magenta, ever the instigator, grinned and leaned forward.

“So… you two childhood lovers reunited by fate or something?”

Karina scoffed, but her cheeks warmed slightly. “Would you believe me if I said yes?”

Eraqus, who had taken one glance at the way you two had been sitting when they walked in, deadpanned, “Yes.”

You chuckled, wrapping an arm around Karina’s shoulders as she nestled in a little closer. “Yeah, turns out we knew each other as kids.”

Magenta gasped, hands clutched over their chest. “That’s adorable.”

For a moment, the conversation drifted, with Karina and Magenta comparing industry horror stories, Eraqus chiming in with his usual dry wit, and you just sitting there, enjoying the moment. The tension from earlier melted away, replaced by something lighter, easier.

Eventually, Magenta stretched dramatically, flopping against Eraqus, who let out a long-suffering sigh but didn’t push them off.

“This is kinda nice,” Magenta mused. “Just… sitting and talking.”

Karina hummed in agreement, her fingers lazily tracing patterns against your knee. “Yeah, it is.”

Eraqus, always the pragmatic one, muttered, “I still don’t know why we had to sneak here.”

Magenta cackled. “Because it made for a way better story, obviously.”

Everyone laughed, the room filled with an easy warmth. And for the first time that night, it felt like the world outside didn’t matter—just the four of you, lost in the comfort of old and new friendships, in a quiet little room where, for a moment, time didn’t exist.

As the conversation lulled, Eraqus stretched his arms over his head, letting out a dramatic sigh. “You know, for all the mystery and hype, this party is… kinda cute,” he mused. “I was fully expecting chanting, ritual sacrifices—maybe even a secret underground fight club or something.”

Magenta snorted. ��Right? With the way people talk about it, I thought we’d at least have to swear an oath of secrecy.”

Karina, who had been lazily tracing circles on your knee, perked up at that, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Oh no, that’s SM’s flow,” she said, her tone casual but far too knowing. “They bring in a bunch of boys for the female idols to pick from so they can blow off steam the whole night.”

Eraqus and Magenta froze.

A long, stunned silence filled the room as their expressions contorted into a mix of horror and disbelief. Magenta’s jaw practically hit the floor, while Eraqus blinked rapidly as if trying to reboot his entire thought process.

“…You’re joking,” Eraqus finally said, voice wary.

Karina held his gaze for a beat longer, face completely serious—then she cracked, bursting into laughter. “Oh my God, the look on your faces!” She clutched her stomach as she doubled over, shaking with laughter.

Magenta smacked Eraqus’s arm. “Dude, I believed her! My soul left my body for a second!”

Eraqus, still recovering, rubbed his face. “You can’t just say things like that, Karina!”

Watching them lose their minds, you couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking your head fondly before turning to Karina. “God, I missed you.”

She tilted her head up at you, her laughter softening into something more tender. Her fingers curled lightly around your wrist as she murmured, “Well, I missed you more.”

The teasing bickering between Magenta and Eraqus faded into the background for a moment as you and Karina just sat there, basking in the warmth of familiarity.

Eraqus, regaining his composure, finally exhaled. “Alright, I think I’ve had enough emotional whiplash for one night.”

Magenta, still fanning themselves dramatically, nodded. “Same. But I gotta admit, this is way better than a ritual sacrifice.”

Karina grinned. “Glad I could keep things entertaining.”

You squeezed her hand gently, meeting her gaze. “You always do.”

And just like that, the four of you fell back into easy conversation, laughter echoing through the practice room, turning what was supposed to be a legendary, mysterious party into something even better—something simple, warm, and unforgettable.

[kinley-cafe]

Buck, Tommy, and their good friend Eddie have been super busy in the kitchen preparing some fun and delicious treats for Día de los Muertos (day of the dead)

This lovely menu was created by the wonderful and talented artist @pirrusstuff. This tradition is very special to Pirru and we're overjoyed to host it here!

Order your treats by 10/31 at 8PM ET. Orders will be fulfilled on November 1st and 2nd!

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Event artwork was drawn by @hunnysfwart <3

Text version of the menu can be found below the cut

KINLEY CAFÉ DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS MENÚ

DRINKS

CLIPBOARD BUCK CHAMPURRADO

FIRE SPICY HOT CHOCOLATE

"SO NOT LIKE THAT" CAFE DE OLLA

"NICE MOUSTACHE" ATOLE

BEAST FRAPPE

"I DO NOT PANIC" AGUA DE HORCHATA

DISPATCH PITAYA LEMONADE

Q-WORD BUGAMBILIA TEA

BRATTY AGUA DE FRESA

DESSERTS

"SO SWEET" CALAVERITA

A GOOD CAP-IROTADA

"WHO CARES!" ARROZ CON LECHE

THE THRILL FOR THE CAKE

" WE MIGHT END UP REAL CLOSE" PAN DE MUERTO 118 CONCHA

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[toastermuffles]

Hey guys welcome to my massive rant about q!Fit and how cc!Fit is incredibly talented and underrated. Since y'all kinda blew up my twitter post LOL.

There are SO many things I could touch on so it's probably gonna be scattered around a lot.

1) Fit had a great character set up from the beginning. From the very start many people knew Fits reputation as a 2b2t veteran, a place with a toxic environment and brutal people. He was no exception, he was closed off to relationships and was very cautious/closed off to many things. Not only that but his past made people distrust him in the beginning. I loved the suspense it brought with his character and the question of why he WAS actually here. Since the whole "vacation" thing was never very convincing. My favourite part was a lot of this was IMPLIED! He built on the character he portrayed in his YT videos and it worked so well, adding small comments about his character here and there (like when he said q!Fits hearing was bad BC of all the explosions he's experienced).

2) His RP skills were another level, not only was he in character almost the WHOLE time when he was live (even donos) when he first did lore he would tease elements of it by writing cryptic messages when others were live. SUCH a good idea when you have a smaller audience and want to create suspense. Not only that, he would have set dates and times for BIG lore stuff, this honestly made it so much easier to keep track of and engage in, not only alone but with friends too! His actual lore was very different from many others, it was cinematic and well planned, yet it still left room for sudden changes. The final result was a cohesive story line that the audience could interpret. I just loved how I could understand what was happening but also have questions/cliffhangers!

3) the fucking MUSIC. Throughout his lore and start of his streams I adored his choice of music, "Stranger in Paradise" being a personal favourite that was not only reoccurring in more than one language but fit SO WELL. I also think it was very clever how a lot of his music choices for his character didn't make sense until you understand the full story e.g. "Can't say goodbye to yesterday". All of this really added a new perspective on his character, almost through cc!Fits own eyes. Along with his music choice just being absolute bops OFC.

4) THE SYMBOLISM. My absolute favourite lore moment of his was at the end of the "Attachments" lore stream. Where the sun is setting over the mountain, slowly covering a patch of roses in darkness. ALL WHILE an instrumental Italian version of "Stanger in paradise" played. Roses of course being a symbol of not only his and Pac's relationship but love in general. His love for Ramon and his friends. The love he had to grow, just like a rose. While the darkness symbolizes his past catching up to him, more specifically his deadline. His time with his family and friends ending, his loves disappearing. Chefs kiss because it makes me cry everytime fr.

5) q!Fit's sexuality (gay). There is something so poetic about a gay guy from an extremely homophobic wasteland learning to come to terms with his own sexuality and love in general. Him slowly building a loving relationship with Ramon, Growing feelings for Pac, Nervously coming out to his son and then finally indulging in the first relationship and FAMILY he had ever had. Finally learning to love and to be loved in return. Even if he is scared about his mission, or taking things too fast. Just learning to live a normal life.

6) Fitmc is criminally underrated and overlooked. I still remember when Fit got his first proper piece of fanart in the museum. It was like... JULY? or something. And I think that says enough. People had no idea he was even doing lore at some points. Averaging at about 1-2k viewers in the beginning, until hideduo came into the mix. A lot but still compared to others very low. I think because his viewers consisted of his YT audience it didn't translate well. But I'm so glad he was able to build a loving community on twitch <3

Anyways it's 3am for me, I probably have more to talk about but this is basically what I meant when I posted that tweet. Feel free to reblog and add your own favourite observations or moments. I wanna hear them! ❤️

[lipstick-and-libraries]

Between the Lines

PT. 4

𓋜 Pairing: Minho (XO, Kitty) x fem! Reader

𓋜 Series: The Roommate Exchange

𓋜 Summary: When You and Minho are paired for a class project, unexpected moments of honesty and tension arise. Between late-night conversations and shared silences, you discover that some things are harder to hide than you thought.

𓋜 Notes:

Hello my loves!!

I know that I take a while to upload, however, i fully intend to finish this small series and still give you more than just 4 chapters, soo..what would you think about another chapter coming out directly after this as a thank you for everyone who so kindly supports my thoughts that I didnt expect anyone to see.

Anyhow, I hope you guys are fans of slowburn and heartbreak because from now on this rollercoaster will get a little more bumpy, love will do that to you, and especially to You and Minho <3

𓋜 Taglist:

@finnbbl

@literallysza

@knivesdoingcartwheels

@teaandbacon

@dragonwitchy

@formula1mount

@strayk1ds143

@uhsophiesblog

@iweirdthingsblog

@random-human02

@elizabethgracie

@verycoolmiyah

@mintydump

@shiiiii-okayyyy

@munsonsquinn

@tagakalat

@mirahyun

@cultish-corner

A special thank you to everyone on the taglist, i love you guys ꨄ

Please do let me know if i have forgotten you, i keep the names in my notes app so i shouldnt forget anyone but if it happens anyway i am deeply sorry

If you want to be added to the taglist, just put it in the comments, your reposts or in my asks, even if I havent answered I 100% have seen it and added you <33

Enough talking from my side though, enjoy you study date with Minho

The buzz from the creative showcase announcement still lingered around KISS like an unspoken challenge. Posters were plastered on every wall, reminding students of the looming event hosted by none other than Minho’s father—a showcase designed to highlight the best talents at the school. For most, it was an opportunity. For Minho, it was a reminder of everything he tried to avoid: expectations, vulnerability, and being seen beyond the carefully curated persona he presented to the world.

But none of that mattered right now.

Because Minho was staring at the name list posted outside his literature class, and there it was—bold and undeniable:

Group Project Partners: Minho & (Y/N)

He blinked, hoping his eyes were deceiving him. They weren’t.

“Wow,” Q’s voice broke through Minho’s silent panic, appearing over his shoulder with an amused grin. “Fate really isn’t subtle, huh?”

Dae chuckled beside him, leaning casually against the wall. “You’ll survive. Maybe.”

Minho shot them both a glare before shoving his hands into his pockets. “It’s just a project. No big deal.”

But it was a big deal. Because every time he was around (Y/N), he turned into the version of himself he didn’t recognize—awkward, uncertain, and far too aware of every glance, every word, every silence. She had this way of looking at him, like she could see past the walls he’d built, and it unnerved him more than he cared to admit.

The first meeting was scheduled for the library, an attempt to maintain some semblance of professionalism. Minho arrived early—an unfamiliar habit—but he told himself it was because he wanted to pick the best table. Definitely not because he was nervous.

He chose a spot near the back, where the shelves of books created a semi-private alcove. The table was sturdy, the chairs comfortable, and the lighting just bright enough to work without being harsh. He set his bag down, pulled out his notebook, and tried to focus on the assignment sheet. But his mind kept drifting, replaying every interaction he’d ever had with (Y/N), searching for clues on how to navigate this.

When she finally arrived, balancing her laptop and a stack of books, she gave him a polite nod. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Minho replied, sitting up straighter than necessary. He gestured to the chair across from him. “I figured this spot would be quiet enough.”

“Good call,” she said, sliding into the seat and setting her things down. She opened her laptop, the soft glow of the screen illuminating her face as she pulled up their assignment. “So, any ideas?”

Minho scrambled to focus. “Uh, yeah. Maybe we could… compare themes? Like, how the author explores identity or something.”

(Y/N) glanced at him, her expression neutral. “That’s vague.”

“Well, it’s a start,” he muttered defensively, crossing his arms over his chest.

She sighed softly, but there was no malice in it. “Okay. Let’s break it down.”

They worked in relative silence, punctuated by occasional questions and the awkward brush of hands when they reached for the same notebook. Minho tried to ignore the way his heart raced at the brief contact, the way her proximity made it hard to think straight. He wasn’t used to feeling this off-balance, and it frustrated him.

But the real shift happened two hours in.

Minho leaned back in his chair, frustrated with a section they couldn’t seem to crack. “This is pointless.”

(Y/N) raised an eyebrow, not looking up from her notes. “The project or your attitude?”

He shot her a look, but there was a flicker of amusement in her eyes that disarmed him. “Both,” he admitted grudgingly.

She set her pen down and tilted her head, studying him. “Why do you always act like nothing bothers you?”

The question caught him off guard. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve got this… façade,” she said, gesturing vaguely. “Like you’ve got everything figured out. But clearly, you don’t.”

Minho’s jaw tightened. “And you think you’ve got me all figured out?”

She shrugged. “No. But you make it pretty easy to see through the act.”

The words stung more than he expected because they were true. He looked away, his fingers tapping restlessly against the edge of the table. Before he could respond, her phone buzzed. She glanced at it briefly, then stood. “I need a break. Coffee?”

Minho hesitated, then stood too. “Yeah. Sure.”

The café near campus was quiet. They sat by the glass, sipping their drinks, the tension from earlier lingering like static. Minho stirred his coffee absently, watching the steam rise in delicate swirls.

“I didn’t mean to hit a nerve,” (Y/N) said eventually, her voice soft. She stirred her own drink, her gaze fixed on the swirling liquid.

Minho stared at his cup. “I’m just used to people assuming things about me, especially because my parents, well, mostly my father, aren't, well.."

He gets quieter with every word, his expression almost showing the hate he has for himself for even mentioning it, or hatred for his father, it was hard for (Y/N) to tell.

"I don’t usually care, but…”

She knew he wasn't going to continue on with the story about his parents, but (Y/N) let him, knowing that if he wanted to, he will bring it up again when he is ready to tell her.

“But?” she prompted gently, her eyes lifting to meet his.

“But you’re not ‘people,’” he admitted, his voice quieter than he intended.

She blinked, clearly not expecting that. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Well, that’s vague.”

Minho laughed softly, the tension easing slightly. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

“You’re not as complicated as you think, Minho,” she added, her gaze steady.

And just like that, the air shifted again.

That night, back in his dorm, Minho couldn’t shake the conversation. He sat at his desk, staring at his phone, his thumb hovering over the anonymous blog app.

Dae was scrolling on his phone, and Q was fiddling with his headphones, oblivious to Minho’s internal turmoil. Without overthinking, Minho typed:

“How do you stop caring about what someone thinks of you when they see through you so easily? Asking for a friend.”

He hit send before he could regret it, then tossed his phone aside, burying his face in his hands.

The next project meeting was different.

They worked in her dorm this time, Kitty buzzing around briefly before leaving with a sly, knowing grin. Minho tried to ignore it, focusing instead on the papers spread across the floor. For whatever reason, (Y/N), decided to dress up. Not that it mattered, in Minho's Eyes, she, for whatever reason, wasnt physically capable of ever looking bad anyway. She always looked… effortless.

“Do you ever write just for yourself?” Minho asked suddenly, surprising even himself.

She glanced up, her brow furrowing slightly. Minho wondered what that look was about, but decided not to question it for now

“Sometimes. Why?”

“Just curious.”

She hesitated, then reached for a notebook tucked under a pile of papers. “I guess writing helps me make sense of things. Even if no one reads it.”

Minho nodded, understanding more than he wanted to admit. “Yeah. I get that.”

After a pause, she added softly, “It’s scary, though. Being honest on paper.”

“Yeah,” he agreed quietly. “But it’s scarier being honest out loud.”

Their eyes met, something unspoken passing between them. For a moment, the world seemed to narrow to just the two of them, the weight of their shared vulnerability hanging in the air.

"I..", Minho hesitated, his eyes flicking between hers and the wall behind her.

The Room was dim, light enough to see the papers, but dark enough to hide (Y/N)'s quick glance at the subtle twitch in Minho's jaw.

Which is exactly why her next movement caught him so off-guard.

She lifted her hand, placing it on his cheek and softly caressing his jawline with her thumb.

Minho was used to romantic affection and the touches that came with it, with this many people wanting to get atleast a part of you it was like a handshake at best, at least thats what he would usually think.

But this was...something else entirely.

His eyes went wide, looking at her without even attempting to hide it.

She chuckled, giving him a smile before leaning close to him, his eyes quickly switching from her eyes to her lips, only to repeat the same motion.

To his dissatisfaction, she only wrapped her arms around him tightly, rubbing small circles into his back. He hugged her back just as tight, without thinking about it at all

Minho was uncertain, but they almost felt heart shaped. Whether that was just his imagination, or reality, he didnt dare to ponder about it further.

She let go of him, resorting to only grabbing his hand and giving in three subtle squeezes.

Before either of them could break the moment by saying anything, Kitty burst through the door, dramatically complaining about Yuri, effectively shattering the tension.

But it didn’t matter.

Because the only thing he could think about, was how she didnt move her hand, not even by an inch, and to him, it felt like a promise.

[thunder-point]

Phumpeem au

hello have we all considered any kind of phumpeem soulmates au because, of course, i think the "once i become of age, everything i scribble on my skin appears on my soulmate's body as well" trope fits them so well.

just imagine: they become of age the same year, but phum is first. and for those months that separates them, peem is helplessly hit with little messages that make him want to rip his hair out, blow after blow. because the first time his soulmate writes to him, it's on his palm. letters small, unsure and so wobbly peem can barely make out the words. but he does. he does and he can't breathe for a few minutes after.

it reads "find me whenever you want, but please just like me. like me like me like me" his soulmate doesn't write often. but when they do, it's not 'hello', it's not 'i guess you're still not of age yet because you're not responding', it's not 'what's your name' or 'tell me things about yourself'

it's just every heart-wrecking piece of vocabulary ever created.

it's 'it hurts. i hope i'm the only one hurting so often. please take care of yourself'

it's 'i hope someone told you you're loved today. you deserve it. you deserve it even when i feel like i don't. even if we share this same soul.'

it's 'i'm sorry for hurting you. i feel like i'm hurting you sometimes. i just want to talk to you but i don't know how.'

it's 'are you reading me? can you see me? sometimes i feel like not many people can see me on this earth.'

it's 'i hope you like hugs. i hope you'll hug me until i can't breathe. please. please.'

and mostly it's just 'please like me. please don't find me lacking. not you.'

his soulmate writes them at the darkest of hours, and they're always wobbly, always without steady contour. and peem has understood from the first ever message that the ache in his gut is not his. not really. it's his soulmate's. it's the half that seems to tremble every time they seeks peem so ruthlessly.

when he becomes of age. he doesn't know what to do. his soulmate hasn't said a thing in two weeks. no more shattering messages that are whispered on peem's skin like a plead. peem can't find words to answer to everything ever revealed to him. to a pain he can't understand but can feel.

so he draws. he only draws. the first ever doodle he paints on his skin is a chibi version of himself hugging a shaded figure tightly to his chest. right in the center of his palm, where his soulmate chose to begin everything.

hours later, when he looks down at his palm, he stars quivering from within. because the paint is smeared. but it's not because of sweat. it has droplets peppered all over, as if someone cried over it freely. not peem's tears.

right under it, the same wobbly writing appears 'you are so talented. I'm sorry for ruining it. please don't stop.'

peem's tears join right after. q finds him sobbing into his elbow in a corner of their art classroom.

he never stops. he never fucking stops. he draws everyday. every morning, even if he's late for his first year of university, he opens his paints and doodles the most trivial of things on his palm, always in the middle of his palm. he mostly doodles himself, because he wants his soulmate to know him more and more. he doodles himself drinking coffee, because he loves coffee. he draws himself painting. draws himself bickering with q's chibi version, the bubbly letters 'this is my annoying best friend, you'll like him. he's the most caring person I've ever met.' right above it. he doodles peem's friend's sleeping on top of each other on his bed, and writes 'i hope you'll join the pile one day.'

he doodles the cats he sees on the streets 'i like them. what animals do you like?' he doodles characters from his favorite shows and books and bands. his soulmate answers them all hesitantly, after hours. like he doesn't know if he should, if he can.

but he never stops saying 'pretty.', 'talented.' never stops scribbling little, trembling 'thank yous' around peem's drawings.

most of all, peem just draws himself hugging the vague figure of his soulmate. because he likes hugs, he adores hugs and he'll give his soulmate hugs in every shape and form.

then one day, peem draws an annoyed version of his chibi's face, along with the words 'i met the most annoying person today.'

he didn't think much of phum at first. phum is annoying and cocky and nothing like his soulmate's meek writing, the ache that follows it. he and his deal get on peem's nerves. but also he seems like he can't escape phum. he can't stop seeing layers and layers of the guy. can't stop his initial annoyance from dissolving, watering down.

one time, he scoffs, mostly as a joke, as a taunt. 'i bet your other half is as much a handful as you are.'

but phum didn't rise to the bait, like he always does. his whole face mellowed, instead, voice the shiest it's ever been as he curls his palm to his chest and whispers, 'my soulmate is the most gentle soul I've ever met, even if he's my half.'

and peem is. he's shattered. mouth dry and shocked and strangely shattered. because what do you mean even if he's my half, what do you mean phum's so besotted it drips off his face like liquid paint.

weeks pass, time goes by and peem finds himself hurting for more reasons than one. because he's starting to yearn differently than before. because he feels no longer halved, but pulled in three different directions. he still draws for his soulmate daily, still feels warmth right in the middle of his chest when he receives his soulmate's words, no long so full of desolation, but mostly reactions to peem's doodles.

but there's a heat that engulfs him whenever phum is around. consuming and maddening and most of all, confusing. peem should not feel like this for someone who doesn't have the right to leave ink on his skin. he shouldn't. he should stop his heart from beating so desperately. he shouldn't because the first words his soulmate ever said were 'please like me like me like me' and peem can't go and break that unspoken promise of liking his other half until they both fade away.

yet his feelings are growing and glaring, and he finds himself grasping at delusions that do him no good.

peem finds himself trying to sneak looks at phum's palms, just for a glance, for an ounce of hope that perhaps the yearning is not so unfounded. that phum's moments of undiluted softness, so unexpected but somewhat familiar, are a sign from fate for peem to look, search, discover.

it's ridiculously hard to look at this man's palms, and that shouldn't give him such expectations but it does. because phum wears oversized stuff like he has something to hide beneath his sleeves. he keeps his hands curled nearly all the time, like he's protecting something.

[to be continued]

YEA WELL. I'm writing this one for ao3 so I'll stop here because it's already a very long post of me rambling. Many questions to be answered. Does Phum know before Peem does? For how long? How does Peem find out? Hmm.

[anothermansjeans]

youtuber!reader forgetting to edit out the five minutes of her just rambling about everything she likes about spencer🙏

hehehe this is part 2 of the q&a blurb!!

cw: spencer's a little shit (affectionate), the comments roast reader, reader just loves spencer sm, soooo fluff

wc: 737

youtuber!reader masterlist

++

You did it again�� you accidentally forgot to edit a video and posted it. This time, you blame Spencer completely. After filming, you were planning on editing it immediately because you had a strict posting schedule and you were behind on some videos. However, Spencer thought it was a good idea to pull you in his arms and practically wrap you in a cocoon of his warmth. You woke up the next morning completely forgetting about the unedited version and queuing it up to be uploaded.

You were terrified to watch the video, seeing as the comments were blowing up almost as much as they were when you exposed Spencer, but you simply couldn't remember what you said that would make people go feral. You wanted to wait to look, mostly because you were alone and didn't know if you could handle the embarrassment by yourself, but also because you wanted to be comforted by something you were still deeming his fault.

When he got home, he put his satchel down and took off his shoes, noticing you on the couch with your laptop opened to the video.

“Are you editing?”

You looked over your shoulder and gave him a shy smile. “No… I didn't edit a video again…”

Furrowing his eyebrows he walked towards the couch and sat down next to you. “Which one?”

“The Q&A from yesterday.”

You actively watched his face shift from concern to amusement. “Have you watched it?”

Immediately shaking your head, you gave him a confused look. “No.”

“You should.”

At his ominous words, you pressed play. It started off like the last one– fixing your hair in the viewfinder, adjusting the lighting, and preparing for the video. The video continued showing small hiccups along the way when mispronouncing usernames and laughing at something Spencer said, but you finally realized why Spencer was so amused when you told him this was the unedited video.

“@ prettyboystan asked ‘what’s your favorite thing about Spencer?’” You put your finger on your chin pretending to think. A scoff was heard in the background from Spencer. “Oh hush, you know I love you. Hmm, I love how he always has something new to tell me. It’s never a dull day in our relationship.”

You thought you were done, but then another thought popped into your head, “Oh! I also love when he reads to me. I know it sounds juvenile, but his voice is soothing and calms me down. Oh my God, he’s also so talented on the piano. There’s almost nothing he couldn't do.”

Looking down at your phone, you were preparing to move on, but you looked up at Spencer one last time, finding words at the tip of your tongue. “You know, I also love the way you find an appreciation for the new things I introduce you to, and the way you take in new things with ease. You're so open minded and I love it. You're also extremely humble for how accomplished you are,” Your face was lighting up as you looked off camera towards a blushing Spencer, “I love that you're caring, kind, and helpful to everyone around you. I also love that you let me love you. It makes me so happy being able to give you the love you deserve…”

Beside you, a soft chuckle could be heard, and you paused the video to scold Spencer. “You think this is so funny.”

“Because it is!”

“Ugh!” You groaned as you went back to your laptop and scrolled down to the comments… they were definitely roasting you more than normal. “They’re calling me a simp!”

“What’s a simp?”

Looking at him softly, you grabbed his hand, “this might be a long conversation…”

++

BONUS: some comments

@ user: SIMP SIMP SIMP SIMP !! SIMPERELLA OVER HERE

@ user1: oh babe, you're so down bad

@ user2: please give us more… video essay on what you love about spencer???

@ user3: and you call him the yapper?

@ user4: wait everyone's roasting you (rightfully so) but this is so cute????

@ user5: she stops talking about him at 10:34

@ user6: i wish i had someone to yap to about how much i love them

@ user7: GETTING READY TO PLACE FREEZE TAG ON THE HIGHWAY AFTER THIS ONE BABE !! how dare you be so sweet

@ user8: can spencer teach a college course for men who need to be better because you would NEVER compliment a man sm

++

youtuber!reader taglist: @im-a-ghost666 @lyd14k4y @happiestcat @hauntedtv13 @obi-wansgirl @charismatic-writer @navs-bhat @itsleilabxtch @strabarrybat @hiireadstuff @cherrybb-ily @wietske27 @mynameiskelly

let me know if you would like to be added or removed!

[bucketsquid]

An Exhaustive List of Octarian F.A.Qs... and Answers!

There's one thing I've noticed about the Western Splatoon fandom.... and that's the weird amount of misconceptions, mistranslations, and misunderstandings about the Octarians.

For some reason it's often lore about them, surrounding them, or about their activities that always seems to have this happen. And so I want to help correct that! They're a super cool faction and I want to work on people hopefully understanding them better, while helping to correct misconceptions about them.

This will be long, there will be many citations and pictures both. Shoutout in particular to Inkipedia and inkfish translator rassicas, and the hard work of both, for this.

If there's any common lore misconceptions that I left out, please let me know! I'm including every single one I can think of, but I probably missed something somewhere.

================================================

General Octarian Questions

Q. How are Octarians made? And are Octolings made the same way?

A. Octarians are made from severed Octoling tentacles (The Art of Splatoon + SplatoonBase) that are then somehow animated. Ones with more tentacles are "more intelligent"; they're sapient, either way.

Octolings are not, to our knowledge, created like this. The existence of SashiMori's Paul suggests that Octolings undergo the same life stages as Inklings do. (Similarly, Diss-Pair's Warabi has lore that mentions having parents.)

There is concept art in HaikaraWalker (the Octo Expansion artbook) that depicts Octolings mutating from Octarians... but it seems to just be concept art.

Q. Did Octavio brainwash the Octarians into obeying him? Wasn't music used to make them obey?

A. No, they were never brainwashed. Octavio uses his music to keep the Octarians in order and to keep their working rhythm correct-- like a military march. Inkipedia compares the Onward! jingle to "a call-and-response clapping rhythm used by teachers to grab students' attention in elementary schools". It does sound like that...

Now, if you want to say that Octarian propaganda is brainwashing, yes, that does exist.

Q. We've only ever seen feminine Octoling soldiers. What's with that?

A. The "rival Octolings" we meet in the story modes are all part of a special military unit that's female-only. They're referred to as "Takozonesu" in Japanese, a mashup of "tako" (octopus) and "amazons". Not every female Octoling can be one of these, and this group isn't completely representative of Octolings in the military.

There are male Octolings, they're just not part of this one group. (Fun fact, did you know that these Octolings are voiced by Callie and Marie's voice actors?)

Q. What's with the green sclera on Octarians?

A. There's no confirmed canon reasons. Octolings are very inconsistent about it, as well; Octavio has it and so do many enemy Octolings, but not other Octolings of note.

It could just be that the whites of their eyes are really reactive to stuff in general, since sanitized Octarians have black sclera. The green color could also just be something that happens with age while living in the domes.

Q. In Octo Expansion, Marina calls Octarian society "oppressive"-- how oppressive is it really?

A. This descriptor is actually inaccurate to the original Japanese, and was added in localization. (The Splatoon 2 Retranslation Project has a more accurate version over here! Thanks @shiverhohojiro for the link.) Octo Expansion has some notorious details that were added in localization, like Craig being more racist than usual or the omission of Commander Tartar's chatter about humankind.

That said. The domes are an isolationist* military-centric society, with emphasis on meritocracy. Octolings go into professions for things they're good at, not necessarily for what they want to do. Resources like electricity are limited, so they have to structure life around that detail, and strictness logically follows. The military doesn't tolerate slackers or nonsense, but talented people seem to do well for themselves based on how Marina's life was. Even so...

A lot of music, culture and artwork gets made down there! And they have things like beachside domes, bowling-themed domes, amusement park domes and even circuses... so it's not completely strict. There's a lot of room for silliness, it just needs to be in the right place.

So, to be totally fair? We don't know much. It's not perfect, but it's also not a hellish place to live if you wanted to stay. * They trade with Salmonids, but don't seem to do so with anyone else.

Q. Can they respawn? Are we killing them when we splat them?

A. Yes, they can use respawn technology in the same way Inklings and Octolings do. The only situation where an Octarian explicitly dies is, potentially, during the escape phases in Octo Expansion!

Q. Where/how did they make the domes?

A. Leftover human technology, meant to be similar "last resort shelters" made by humans. Think Alterna, but on a smaller fragmented scale.

================================================

Questions about DJ Octavio

Q. Why do we always see him in octopus form? Can he shapeshift?

A. Octavio can't shapeshift because of an injury from the Great Turf War. He was able to do so before and during it, however!

Q. We know Octavio leads the Octarians, but what is he? A king, an emperor, or what?

A. He is a Japanese shogun, as referenced by his title in the first Splatoon: "DJ Takowasa shōgun". We don't know if he was appointed by an emperor, if he was part of the previous shogun's family, or if he just sort of... took up the mantle (haha octopus joke) after the Great Turf War.

Q. Did he brainwash Callie?

Based on the information we have... I am inclined to say, no, he didn't brainwash Callie.

Callie was in an extremely stressful period of her life, Octavio reached out to talk, and... we don't know what happened next. But the context feels like Callie might have joined willingly. In reference to the Hypnoshades, it's important to note that hypnosis as a concept is incredibly variable, with one argument made that "you cannot hypnotize an unwilling participant".

"But, didn't he say--"

He likes music puns. He's a DJ. It's supposed to be funny, why aren't you laughing? (What this line was in JP, I wonder...)

... But, I feel like the evidence stacks up. It suggests that Callie wasn't kidnapped or brainwashed or forced to join the Octarians. It was probably an escape from fame and loneliness for her-- the Hypnoshades helped her get away from that and just have a good time. But with Octavio being a guy to hold a grudge, nothing got to be that simple, and Callie was ultimately weaponized against the New Squidbeak Splatoon.

It remains very up-to-interpretation because we don't know, exactly, what happened behind the scenes. But Callie fosters zero ill will towards the Octarians, even after being rescued... and if fiery, outspoken Callie doesn't seem to be angry about it, what does that say about the matter?

Q. Why do all the tentacles piloting the Great Octoweapons have the same scar as him?

A. Because they're directly cloned from Octavio and are then made to pilot them, presumably because they have the muscle memory to operate as pilots. Octopuses have very complicated brains and neural centers that extend out into their arms.. so this cool bit of sci-fi checks out.

Q. How old is Octavio, really?

A. We don't know. But the narrative often parallels him with Craig Cuttlefish, who mentions in Octo Expansion that he's 130 years old. It would be fair to assume Octavio is also, at least, 130.

Q. Why is he so gigantic in Splatoon compared to the other games?

idk man, you tell me. I think this is much funnier and cooler than later games, though.

================================================

Octo Expansion + Octarians Questions

Q. It's suggested that there were thousands of test subjects before Agent 8. Where did Kamabo Co. get all of these people?

A. Not only is it suggested that the Deepsea Metro may be accessible from other train lines, but it's also plausible that the subterranean networks that the Octarians use could be connected to the Metro. (Thank you for your hard work, Dodo.)

Test chambers always reminded me of Octarian domes, anyways, with the large amount of highly versatile space they have, and how it'd only make sense underground.

After all, Commander Tartar offered a glimpse of "the promised land", and that plays very specifically into the Octoling desire to see the surface world again. ("A utopia of light beyond your wildest dreams".) Its appearance as a telephone even seems to evoke an Octarian's face, which they're more willing to trust.

Q. Are sanitized Octarians a hivemind?

A. They're something like that, being hollow shells that have lost their memories and identities while submitting to a higher force. (This can be fixed, as we've learned.) They seem responsive to being assigned roles, what with Acht being made to produce music while other sanitized Octolings act as enemies in test chambers.

Commander Tartar's ideology revolves around a lot of "giving up one's individuality for the greater good" and "joining something bigger than yourself". To "eliminate the general idea of the individual" for "a harmonious world"... "becoming one with existence".

I think that carries a lot of interesting implications. You can draw your own conclusions, since there's no explicit canon answer.

Q. Was Acht sanitized willingly or unwillingly?

A. Public twitter info suggests that they were sanitized willingly, to "get rid of doubts and conflicts involving production" and to commit completely to music. But in Side Order, Acht says that it wasn't done willingly.

There's a lot of ways to interpret this. Maybe they wanted to at first, had a last-minute realization that they got tricked, and ultimately didn't want it. Maybe they committed completely and don't want to say it. Maybe social media is lying to us completely, in the same corporate word-twisting ways that Grizzco also uses, to make Kamabo Co. seem better. So... who knows?

Q. How does the Kamabo Corporation have clones of the Octo Canyon bosses?

A. Uh...

... I don't actually know. Clearly they have pretty advanced technology going on, so maybe they actually did manage to replicate and clone these bosses perfectly?

Or, maybe, it's just a psychological recreation of Agent 8's memories. Octo Expansion has a lot of stuff like that, so it feels pretty possible!

================================================

Anyways, that's all... for now. I'll probably only edit in more sources and tweak details on this post, but it's completely possible that I might need to add more things later.

[shmowder]

In case you missed it, Game Rant did an interview with Nikolay Dybowski about Pathologic 3. Here is the link for it.

And here are the bits that stood out the most to me:

Q: The non-linearity of time and how it will be related to the nature of the Town are also core story components. How did this affect design and direction?

A: Connecting non-linear time with a long, narrative-heavy story that involves many characters and cause-and-effect chains would be extremely difficult. We focused on what the player feels in the moment rather than on gathering information in the right order. The latter approach works well in shorter formats like Her Story or 12 Minutes, but in Pathologic, it would be overwhelming.

We wanted players to feel like “everything, everywhere, all at once”—similar to Billy Pilgrim in Slaughterhouse-Five. Different versions of reality coexist simultaneously, creating a “quantum” feeling for the player. Look at the time travel mechanic as an opportunity to correct mistakes, or even to make deliberate mistakes in order to unlock new paths and ideas. It is like a "sanctioned save scum."

-

Q: Conversely, how will it (Pathologic 3) connect to and consider the events and characters in Pathologic 2?

A: Consider it as two subjective retellings of the same events. This is the same Town, the same twelve days, the same participants and events that occurred in the Haruspex’s story. But this is a different perspective. Like two witnesses recounting the same event in Rashomon, the stories vary greatly, each focusing on different details. Finally, we always give our heroes the right to make honest mistakes, forget, and even lie. Every narrator is an unreliable narrator.

-

Q: How did Pathologic’s previous philosophical explorations help inform or play into the narrative and themes here?

A: Everything we now see as true and valuable, we’ve kept. Everything we’ve outgrown, like childhood clothes, we either reimagined and reinterpreted to give these ideas new meaning, or let go of them. After all, we’ve grown a lot (hopefully, along with the industry). When I first conceived Pathologic, I was 21 and completely alone. Now I’m 47, surrounded by incredibly talented people who enrich this universe as much as I do, and that makes a difference.

We’ve kept the idea of the tragedy of utopian projects. We kept the idea that the plague is a voice of the natural order—one that the thinking human mind cannot accept—and that it has its own truth. We retained the belief that evil cannot be defeated with its own tools or outplayed on its field; yet it can be defeated realistically in a different, orthogonal way. In another dimension.

-

Q: It’s mentioned that the Bachelor is searching for an immortal man in Pathologic 3. Can you say if this is in reference to Mark Immortell?

A: No, there’s no connection between Simon Kain (one of the town’s rulers) and Mark Immortell (the director of the town theater). Mark is a clown. He awkwardly mimics Simon, parodying him, which is why he takes on this pseudonym. He's fully aware that he’s a jester, and the gesture itself is ironic.

-

Q: What do you hope players will take away most from Pathologic 3?

A: The hope that humanity remains a promising and capable species.

-

Also, new game pictures and screenshots dropped:

(some are old ones I forgot to post)

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Nalo Hopkinson’s “Blackheart Man”

I'm OFFLINE UNTIL MID-SEPTEMBER, but you can catch me in person at BURNING MAN! On TUESDAY (Aug 27) at 1PM, I'm giving a talk called "DISENSHITTIFY OR DIE!" at PALENQUE NORTE (7&E). On WEDNESDAY (Aug 28) at NOON, I'm doing a "Talking Caterpillar" Q&A at LIMINAL LABS (830&C).

In Blackheart Man, the new Nalo Hopkinson novel out today from Simon & Schuster, we get a tour-de-force from an author in full control of her prodigious powers: a story that will make you drunk on language, on worldbuilding, and on its roaring, relentless plot:

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Blackheart-Man/Nalo-Hopkinson/9781668005101

The action is set on Chynchin, a fantastic Caribbean island(or maybe Caribbeanesque – it's never clear whether this is some magical, imaginary world, or some distant future of our own). Chynchin is a multiracial, creole land with a richly realized gift economy that Hopkinson deftly rounds out with a cuisine, languages, and familial arrangements. Blackheart Man boasts some of the finest "in-cluing" (Jo Walton's marvelous term for the way that sf/f writers can assemble a world in their readers' minds with subtle clues that act as a made-to-be-solved puzzle the reader delights in assembling) you could ask for, and before you know it, you've completely internalized this world, with its racial politics, its cultural institutions (like the colloquium, where every scholar is also a musician and getting your doctorate requires scoring a book to be sung – and thus memorized and preserved by a choir of your fellow students), and its relationships (the stable configuration is a thruple, with most women married to two co-husbands).

Chynchin was founded through a slave rebellion, in which the press-ganged soldiers of the iron-fisted Ymisen empire were defeated by three witches who caused them to be engulfed in tar that they magicked into a liquid state just long enough to entomb them, then magicked back into solidity. For generations, the Ymisen have tolerated Chynchin's self-rule, but as the story opens, a Ymisen armada sails into Chynchin's port and a "trade envoy" announces that it's time for the Chynchin to "voluntarily" re-establish trade with the Ymisen.

The story that unfolds is a staple of sf and fantasy: the scrappy resistance mounted against the evil empire, and this familiar backdrop is a sturdy scaffold to support Hopkinson's dizzying, phantasmagoric tale of psychedelic magic, possessed children, military intrigue, musicianship and sexual entanglements.

Hopkinson's protagonist Veycosi is the kind of flawed hero whom you want to give a hug to half the time, and whose neck you want to wring. An aspiring scholar, Veycosi has the brash certainty of youth, convinced that he's the smartest (and sexiest) man in any room, and he's right just often enough to encourage him in a series of self-inflicted catastrophes that build to a terrible crescendo that sets up one of the most satisfying endings you could ask for.

Hopkinson – a SFWA Grand Master and Macarthur Genius Grant awardee – is justly famed as one of the field's great afrofuturist pioneers. Her prodigious talent has been obvious since her debut novel, Brown Girl In the Ring, and her career is an unbroken string of literary feats that went from strength to strength. I've known her since we were both teenagers working at the same library in suburban Toronto, and I never cease to be dazzled by her talent, her wit, and her warmth. But even by those high standards, Blackheart Man is a triumph.

On SEPTEMBER 24th, I'll be speaking IN PERSON at the BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY!!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/20/piche/#cynchin

[sleeper-kerennnnnnx]

MASHLE author’s Q&A translation （3）

Please point out some poor translations or errors! I will correct them in time, thank you!

I will translate this in four parts!

Here are the Q69-Q99 parts! See my page for the original text and other parts!

To the animation fans: This article talks about many characters that did not appear in the animation! Please note that there are slight references to the subsequent plot of the comics‼ ️(Q86, 87, 88, 90, 93, 96-99) You can avoid it if you don't want to see these

Q69: Why does Mr. Ajito wear a collar?

A69: To punish himself!

Q70: Will Mr. Renatus not age?

A70: No!

Q71: Mr. Renatus is immortal. Even if he is cut or get hurt，he will regenerate. So how did he get the scar on his left face?

A71: It feels like it was left by him protecting the person he loved before he became immortal! He is a person who is loyal to love! But I didn't write it when I was serializing it!

Q72: Is Tsurara（Ice Cane） a boy or a girl?

A72: It is a child born from a boy and a girl.（Translator：come on man， I saw on Wiki that she is a girl)

Q73: What temperature does Tsurara feel?

A73: The temperature she feels like minus five degrees! How pitiful!

Q74: What flower is in the hair ornament of Miss Sophina?

A74: It is blueberry. (Translator：It is a flower in the anime and a blueberry in the comics)

Q75: According to Dot's investigation, the more evil a person is, the stronger he/she is. So is the cold-blooded Divine divisionary Sophia (the Cane of Knowledge) also "evil"?

A75: When she speaks, it sounds like Hiroshima dialect! ! ! ! ! !

Q76: If the Divine divisionary compete with each other? Who is the strongest? Is it Ryoh, the masterpiece of mankind?

A76: It is Mr. Ryoh! The highest masterpiece of mankind! ! ! ! !

Q77: Kaldo is the director of the Magic Talent Management Bureau, Ryoh is the captain of the Magic Guard, and are the other Divine divisionaries also the directors of their respective management bureaus?

A77: That’s right! ! !

Q78: How did Orter become a divine divisionary? Please tell me how to go from the Magic Police School to a Divine divisionary.

A78:  Integrated into Easton!

Q79: Did anyone else get married besides Ryoh？

A79: No! ! !

Q80: Does Macaron have other things to dip in tartar sauce besides fried shrimp? Can he forgive fried chicken dipped in tartar sauce?

A80: Yes! Whether it’s fried chicken or tartar sauce!

Q81: Is it also magic that Macaron changes his appearance after releasing magic?

A81: Yes!

Q82: In the last episode, Capaccio and Max were together. Did they become closer? Also, did Capa apologize?

A82: Apologized! Everyone should apologize after a quarrel!

Q83: What is the name of Cappaccio‘s personal magic?

A83: Rebound magic

Q84: What is the personal magic of Bamboo Man Tom? Bamboo magic？

A84: Bamboo magic!!! Bamboo!!!!!!

Q85: What is the opportunity for Tom to be interested in bamboo? Will he turn into bamboo?

A85: I think he noticed it when picking bamboo shoots! I think he has become a person as strong and flexible as bamboo!

Q86: Levis (Valgis blond eye mask) uses armored form in the work. If he has other forms, please tell me!

A86: There is a torpedo state that turns himself into a projectile!

Q87: How is Levis's twin brother?

A87: I felt that he was much better when I saw him last time.

Q88: What do Domina and Levis think when they see the mama's boy Charles?

A88: Uh… uh…okay… that's how it feels！

Q89: What is the order of Adam's three disciples? From the eldest disciple to the third disciple

A89: They were classmates at the same school, like the student version of the original trio of Naruto!

Q90: Meliadel and Wahlberg became Adam's disciples at the same time. Did she do anything to make herself to look young? Or is her personal magic to delay aging?

A90: She probably used lotion, toner, and sleep to look so young…

Q91: Why did Innocent Zero rarely use Wahlberg's space magic?

A91: Because other magic is very powerful!

Q92: I want to know why Innocent Zero went astray, which was cancelled in the main story.

A92: Realized that humans are despicable animals… We are animals! ! ! ! !

Q93: What happened to Innocent Zero and the four children? What did they do in prison? Will they be released in the future?

A93: I think they spent most of their time studying. They will never be released in the future.

Q94: What happens if the owner of the Thirteen Master Canes dies?

A94: The Cane will come to someone else, and a new owner will be born!

Q95: In addition to Cappaccio and Doom (the eldest son of the Root), what other blessings are there for the Thirteen Master Canes?

A95: Something like the Thirteen Master Canes that can predict the future five seconds later!

Q96: Is Doom's Thirteen Master Cane in the hilt of the sword?

A96: It should be in the sword!

Q97: It seems that Doom is not wearing any clothes when he use 100% power. Is he naked? Or is he wearing a rubber suit?

A97: Wearing a rubber suit or something like that!

If you are naked, you will be caught (sweat).

Q98: Did Doom open a pancake shop?

A98: He is serving a life sentence! Maybe he opened a shop in prison!

Q99: What hairstyle does the second son of the Innocent zero have when he takes off his hat?

A99: It's bald!

Can I please ask for the little red heart if u like🥹? See the my page for the others！

Chinese version updated in：longyou1225.lofter.com

[komakesthings]

A while back I made Jareth's crop out of a metal cane and existing crop and I had this nagging thought in my head telling me "I bet you could make this from scratch and make it even more movie accurate too...". So here's version 2, made completely from scratch with some wooden dowels, worbla, a contact juggling ball, and a few other bits and pieces.

Really thrilled with how this turned out, super satisfying to have created something so cool from scratch. Shout out to the amazingly talented Alyson Tabbitha for her Jareth costume tutorial on Youtube, which I used to make the Jareth shirt used in the first photo. The pic of me as Jareth holding the crop has become one of my favourite pictures that I've taken of my prop replicas, so glad that it turned out exactly like I pictured in my head. I'll put a few WIP shots below!

I used two dowels for this project, a a 7/8 inch large wooden dowel for the handle, and a 7/16 inch dowel for the rod part. I drilled into the larger rod so that I could slot the smaller rod inside of it, and both rods were drilled into so I could insert a wood pin to strengthen the join.

I added some wire to help form the "talons" of the crop, which was then covered by worbla. I also used a cut off bit of a wooden door knob to form a little trim piece for the end of the crop handle.

The crystal is a 50 mm contact juggling ball, which had just enough wiggle room in the "Talons" where I can squeeze it in and out to make painting easier. Just as an FYI, the crystal in these WIP pictures was a smaller one that I swapped out later, so excuse that continuity error!

I used my heat gun to heat/form the worbla, but I made sure not to apply the heat to the contact juggling ball as it was made out of acrylic and could deform with heat. I would use the heat gun to warm the worbla, then while it was still hot I would put the ball in place and form the worbla around it. Any blemishes on the ball (From either the worbla or the paint in the later stages), came off with a q-tip dampened with rubbing alcohol.

For this project, painting was using a filler primer, followed by a black glossy spray paint, followed by a silver spray paint, a wash of black acrylic paint to bring out the details, and some silver rub n'buff on the highest points of the sculpt.

Then I just wound the rod with some leather binding tape, patterned out the slappy bit of the crop, sewed a little pocket onto the slappy bit so that it could slot onto the crop, and then tidied up the join area with some waxed thread.

[writingsofwerewolves]

Quinn NSFW Alphabet

Blank Version Source

The following is how he is with his partner, River. It's of course subject to change as I get to know him as a character more.

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex) Quinn is very kind and considerate after sex. Often sex between him and River is rough and intense and he understands there can be a difficult come down afterwards, so he is always ready to hold his partner and give them whatever reassurances they need.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s) I think Quinn is pretty basic and just loves his own cock and his partner's cunt. He loves how they fit together, he loves how they feel together.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically) Quinn's cum is spicy. Like a pepper or cinnamon. It's intense in the mouth, but when inside his partner, the sensation often makes them cum hard.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs) I don't know. I'll get back to this. 🙈

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?) He's pretty experienced. He is at least a few thousand years old, so he's learned a thing or two.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying) Spoilers, but after River's transformation, he definitely likes fucking them from behind while holding their tail to use as leverage to pull them against him.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.) He's always teasing and irreverent, even in the middle of sex. It can be cute joking teasing or it can be demeaning (in a kinky way).

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.) He doesn't have any body hair. The only hair on him is his head, eyebrows, and beard. Smooth sailing everywhere else.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect) Quinn has a hard time being serious, so he doesn't often seem very romantic.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon) He hates masturbating. If his cock isn't deep in his partner's holes, he doesn't see the use. He'll do it without any other options, but he avoids it as much as possible.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks) Corruption. Perhaps not in the more typical sense. He likes getting his partner to admit to deep, hidden desires they're afraid of revealing. He likes tempting them into engaging in acts that his partner is ashamed or embarrassed by. Also, of course, consensual non-consent. Mostly because it's what his partner is very much into, but he enjoys it as well and it meshes nicely with his corruption kink.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do) Church 😳

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going) Everything. I don't know, man. He's like. Always turned on.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs) It's hard to imagine a hard limit for him.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.) He loves both giving and receiving. He has a very long, inhuman prehensile tongue that he's very talented at using. But he also loves his cock being deep in his partner's throat.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.) It can vary, depending on the type of scene and kink they're doing at the time. Usually it's pretty rough though.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.) Not his preference. He wants time to ruin his partner, drive them mad with desire and pleasure.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.) Risk is his middle name. He's up for whatever and he loves danger.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?) He has god-like powers and thus, there's almost no limit to his stamina.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?) While he definitely prefers for his cock to be what's in his partner, or his tongue or tail to be what's pleasuring them, he's not opposed to toys to help out. And he wouldn't say no if his partner wanted to use toys on him.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease) I was wrong, Risk isn't his middle name. Unfair is. If you have sex with Quinn, get ready to be teased. Teased is too mild of a word, honestly.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.) Quinn can growl and purr. 'Nuff said.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character) Because he's in charge of hell, which houses many damned souls and demons, it's very easy for him to set up situations where he and his partner can have public sex in various ways.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes) B-big 😳

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?) Higher than the clouds, my friend.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards) Because of what he is, he doesn't actually require much sleep. So he doesn't often fall asleep quickly. He does, however, love holding his partner as they drift off.

[backtothe99]

(18Trip Translation) Profile Book: Tao Kinouchi

graphic (and its translation) by azurecrystalz proofread by azurecrystalz & jellyfish_apple

text version under the cut!

My Profile

My name is Tao Kinouchi. You can call me Tao or Kinouchi. I was born on the 5 of January, my zodiac sign is Capricorn & my blood type is A. I have a completionist personality, my hobby is gaming in general & card guessing is my special talent. My motto is "Secure a good fighting position!" & I spend my days off just gaming.

Birthplace: Somewhere around Ward 13 Height: 180cm Weight: 62kg Family: X Vision: L 0.7 R 0.7 Handedness: L or R

My charm point is my forehead, according to Chihiro.

Favorites

Favorite food: Curry with naan Least favorite food: Celery Favorite color: The color denims have Favorite sport: BASEBALL! Favorite music: Game music, chiptune Favorite drink: It’s gotta be awamori Favorite brand: BTTF Favorite place: Anywhere with a roof avorite weather: Sunny Favorite season: Spring Favorite book/manga: Thick strategy books Favorite subject: Moral education, kinda Favorite emoji: 🔫🎮 Favorite scent: Probably soap Favorite flower: Azalea

Q & A

What’s a gift you'd be happy to receive? Hard to find retro games What did you want to be when you grew up? Something too absurd to write down… You just won a 300mil¥ lottery! How are you spending the money? Customize the ultimate gaming room… What’s your ideal partner like? Someone who’s understanding of their partner’s hobbies.

[swisccfinds]

Custom Food Stalls to make you gameplay more realistic

Hey guys! I'm taking a break from my build project I currently have going on in the sims so I decided to take my break by posting on Tumblr :) This list will mainly consist of real life food stores.

With that said here are the most realistic food stalls for the sims 4

PS. Please remember to show love and your support to the creators, they are all credited under the screen grab of their custom content/mods

1 . Krispy Kreme Food Stall

mod by ArLi1211_ccsims4

Krispy Kreme? I could really go for some Krispy Kreme doughnuts right now. This amazing food stall mod allows your sim to buy Krispy Kreme products because why not introduce your sims to good ol' Krispy Kreme doughtnuts.

Some of the creator's notes~

New Coffee Stand with Krispy Kreme Aesthetic. Buy coffee and cakes for your sims! Available in the outdoor section as always. Cost: 1800$ Note : You need the University Add-On to use it. This item is a recolor of the Britechester edition of the Coffee Stand. Tell me in comments if you have some ideas/brands you like and you want in your game I will check it . The link is below. Thanks for the visit  and have a great day :)

download + more info

2 . Wingstop Custom Stall

mod by Insimna

I've NEVER had Wingstop. I live in a small town where they just keep removing the food places and replacing them with connivence store, I kid you not we have about 20 in my area. Insimna made this amazing Wingstop food stall with custom food aswell. I really like Insimna for looking for overrides or food stalls for example.

Creator's notes~

*City Living Expansion Pack is REQUIRED for the stall* **Dine Out and Discover University are Optional** ***This amazing lot was built by SimmerFree (The lot in the pictures is slightly modified to include the custom stall)*** Menu: Wing Flavors Combo: Atomic Cajun Garlic Parmesan Hawaiian Hickory Smoked BBQ Hot Honey Rub Lemon Pepper Louisiana Rub Mango Habanero Original Hot Plain Spicy Korean Q Sides & Drink Seasoned Fries Cheese Fries Louisiana Voodoo Fries Buffalo Ranch Fries Soda Compatible with Insimnia Eats 2.0 and Grannies/Zero's compatible version. You must download the updated version to see these items on there!

download + more info

3 . Chick-fil-A

mod by Insimna

Speaking of food stores I've never gotten to experience.. This Chick-fill-A food stall is so amazing and yes it sells Chick-fill-A products! But that download link is separate but for this sake I'll link both of them.

Creator's notes ~

Menu: Entrees  Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich Chick-fil-A® Deluxe Sandwich Spicy Chicken Sandwich Spicy Deluxe Sandwich Grilled Chicken Sandwich Chick-fil-A® Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich Chick-fil-A® Nuggets Grilled Nuggets Drinks Soda Lemonade Iced Tea Features: Children can order! Compatible with Dine Out.  Compatible with the Lactose Intolerant trait from Cottage Living. Compatible with Insimnia Eats. You must download the updated version to see these items on there!

download + more info

4 . Subway Custom Stall

mod by Insimna

Another realistic custom stall is this subway food stall! Also made by Insimna! (she makes a lot of custom food stalls). This will be going into my next build :)

creator's notes~

*City Living Expansion Pack is REQUIRED for the stall* **Dine Out and Discover University are Optional** ***This awesome Subway build is by the super talented Gawdly Sims *** Menu: Classic Sandwiches Black Forest Ham Meatball Marinara Buffalo Chicken Chicken & Bacon Ranch Oven Roasted Turkey Italian B.M.T. Pizza Sub Roast Beef Rotisserie-Style Chicken Steak & Cheese Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki Tuna Spicy Italian No Bready Bowls & Soda Buffalo Chicken Cold Cut Combo Chicken & Bacon Ranch Steak & Cheese Oven Roasted Turkey & Ham Rotisserie-Style Chicken Soda Wraps Roast Beef Veggie Delite B.L.T. Tuna Spicy Italian Oven Roasted Turkey Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki Compatible with Insimnia Eats 2.0 and Grannies/Zero's compatible version. You must download the updated version to see these items on there! PLEASE MAKE SURE TO DELETE THE PREVIOUS VERSION WHEN DOWNLOADING THE LATEST ONE. HOW TO INSTALL: You will be installing 2 files 1. Download the CustomStall package file  2. For the Recipes, there are 2 versions. Choose ONLY 1. Choose Recipes_FAST if you want your Sims to finish their food quicker. (takes 6 "bites" to finish) Choose Recipes_SLOW package file if you want your Sims to take their time eating. (takes 12 "bites" to finish) 3. Simply drag and drop both PACKAGE File

download + more info

5. Burger King Stall

mod by Insimna

Burger king in the sims? I think YES! I loveeee burger kings burgers, to me they taste so good, and now my sims can enjoy some Burger King food thanks to this mod and CC

Creator's notes~

*City Living Expansion Pack is REQUIRED for the stall* **Dine Out and Discover University are Optional** If you don't have any of the packs listed above, you can only get the food through Insimnia Eats delivery. Menu: Bacon Double Cheeseburger Bacon King Bacon Melt Classic Melt Double Cheeseburger  Impossible Whopper (Vegetarian!) Quarter Pound King  Rodeo Burger Whopper Whopper Jr. Soda Compatible with Insimnia Eats 2.0 and Grannies/Zero's compatible version. You must download the updated version to see these items on there! PLEASE MAKE SURE TO DELETE THE PREVIOUS VERSION WHEN DOWNLOADING THE LATEST ONE.

download + more info

6. Panda Express

mod by Insimna

Here is another real life restaurant that I've never had! Like I said I live in a small town. I'm sure they have this in Albany but that's still an hour away from me. But that doesn't mean my sims won't be able to try it! I cannot wait to place all these in my build!

creator's notes~

*City Living Expansion Pack is REQUIRED* **Dine Out and Discover University are Optional** Super awesome, realistic Panda Express build I highly recommend: Bean's Builds  Menu Meals (comes with 2 sides of either Chow Mein & Fried Rice or Chow Mein & White Rice): The Original Orange Chicken Broccoli Beef SweetFire Chicken Breast Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Mushroom Chicken Beijing Beef Black Pepper Angus Steak Honey Walnut Shrimp Black Pepper Chicken Kung Pao Chicken Super Greens (vegetarian) Drink & Appetizers: Chicken Egg Roll Veggie Spring Roll (vegetarian) Soda Family Meals: Mushroom Chicken & Beijing Beef Black Pepper Chicken & Honey Walnut Shrimp Broccoli Beef & Grilled Teriyaki Chicken The Original Orange Chicken & Black Pepper Angus Steak Note: If you order a Family Meal from the custom stall, it will be in your Sim's inventory! Compatible with Insimnia Eats. You must download the updated version to see these items on there!

download + more info

7. Burger King Food Stall

mod by Insimna

Well we have Burger King on this list we must add McDonalds on here as well!

Creator's note~

Your Sims will definitely be lovin' it :) In honor of this mod, I'm actually gonna have McDonald's tonight lol *City Living Expansion Pack is REQUIRED* **Dine Out is Optional** ***Please take a look at this post if you want Sims to order autonomously*** Menu: Burgers & Fries Big Mac Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe Quarter Pounder with Cheese Bacon Double Cheeseburger World Famous Fries Breakfast Egg McMuffin Sausage McMuffin with Egg Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddles Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles Beverages Coca-Cola Sprite Strawberry Banana Smoothie Mango Pineapple Smoothie How it Works: Go into Build/Buy mode and search for the Insimnia McDonald's Custom Stall. Place it on the lot. Click on the stall and click "Hire Vendor" Once the vendor is in the stall, click to bring up the menu Features: Children can order! Compatible with Dine Out  Compatible with the Lactose Intolerant trait from Cottage Living (so basically everything since there's cheese (except the fries) and the smoothies lol)

download + more info

I hope you guys like this thread for custom stalls! Thank you if you have read all the way to the end, I love you guys ❤︎

[traineecryptid]

NPSS Weibo Q&A (20240831) Part 8

This is a Q&A session held on Weibo. People will tag their questions with the hashtag #南派三叔藏海花在线答疑# (#NPSS Zang Hai Hua Online Q&A#) and NPSS will look through the tag to pick some to answer. The event started at 1500 hours on 2024 August 31st.

Folder with screenshots and big compilation google doc is here. Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here. Part 3 is here. Part 4 is here. Part 5 is here. Part 6 is here. Part 7 is here.

20240902

1233

Why do people say that Tianshou is angsty? #Web Drama Zang Hai Hua# #NPSS explains Tianshou# [Video] 

1508

Q: I want to know if there are two forces of Tianshou, both good and bad sides respectively: Gate guarding Tianshou (good) and Lu God's Tianshou (bad). 

A: You're a little smart.

1509

Q: Shu, if little Zhang Qiling was in a tomb one second and transmigrated into his Yucun self the next second with his feet in the same foot bath as Wu Xie’s, what would his first sentence be?

A: A demon!

1510

Q: I will watch Zang Hai Hua for you… Don’t stop answering, okay…

A: I’m still persevering.

1511

Q: A-Bing, did you know that Zang Hai Hua will stop updating for 3 days? Do you still want your Heat Index or not! (T/N: Heat Index is the ranking/ trending-ness of a drama.)

A: I’m not the boss. It’s not my decision to make!

1537

Q: Hello, Xu-laoshi. Since you said that you won’t be writing “Yucun Biji” anymore (If there’s going to be 9 more Yucun Biji published, then you don’t have to read this post because Yucun Biji is my favorite out of the entire series), can I beg you for an Altay Biji? I wish to see the Iron Triangle’s nomadic life: Menyouping riding a motorcycle to Ürümqi to buy stuff (could also go from a summer ranch to some village). Wu Xie would be in charge of raising cats and dogs and chickens and goats and cows. Pangzi would be in charge of steaming lamb and barbecuing lamb chop. When they don’t want to herd the animals anymore, they can plant sunflowers. Wu Xie can use his architectural talents and build underground houses and learn a few Kazakh words…  

A: I’ve been to Altay. The life there is like the original series and not Yucun.

1540

Q: Laoshi, Sir, Genius Writer, do you know how amazing the Flowery Night you wrote is? How did you do it? Are you Team Experience or Team Imagination? Has a beautiful god descended in the middle of the night and kissed the keyboard you wrote Flowery Night on?

A: Those who understand Flowery Night are experts.

1553 Q: I just took a nap and Shu got online. With the drama updates on hold for three days, will you chat with us for three days?

A: On and off, I guess. I’m deathly busy. I want to cry.

1554

Q: Sanshu, Sanshu, what is the one thing that Xie Yuchen and Hei Xiazi did that angered the other the most? Please tell me.

A: That would be enough for ten books.

1858

Q: Would there be one day where the Iron Triangle gets poisoned after eating some unknown mushrooms?

A: It would if Xiaoge isn’t around.

1858

Q: Shu, would there be updates for Queen’s Banquet? Approximately when would the updates start? Wu Xie is about to go moldy being stuck in that hole.

A: Soon. I need to pick a good desk.

1900

Q: Sanshu, Sanshu, does Wu Xie have any children appropriate de-stressing methods? The kind that can be broadcasted.

A: Standing in the rain?

20240903

0509

Q: The cat didn’t survive but if the cat did survive, would Xiaohua keep it? Or would he give it to Xiazi to raise?

A: Xiaohua wouldn’t interfere with the cat’s karma.

0510

Q: Shu, I really went to Louwailou to eat their West Lake Vinegar Fish during 817. The taste was unforgettable… The restaurant was full of Daomis. Do you have anything you would like to say to the Daomis who have been violently beaten up by the Vinegar Fish?

A: I’ve heard that every fish that was made into a Vinegar Fish has died in vain?

1259

Q: No updates for three days, you could say that this is a version of Three Days in Silence.

A: You sure know how to meme…

and here's part two if today's double update! we've caught up to 3rd September now! hooray! and this is 120 posts (less than 120 questions)... theres... an amount to go... but! whittling! making progress! yay!

[boatemlag]

Grian rerun — build guide/is she worth pulling?

This patch has the long awaited rerun of the pyro Archon 5* sword user Grian, but how do you build her? And is she still worth pulling? This guide will walk you through my opinion on her current worth in meta and how I would build her now that we have so many pyro applicator and sub-DPS options. Let's dive in! [GrianBOOM]

✦✦✦ Breakdown ✦✦✦

Grian is a pyro applicator that is unique to this day because she cannot be played to full effect with another pyro character in party, meaning that her kit is built primarily to facilitate reactions. Her skill works well for generating particles for her burst, but doesn't do major damage on its own without her signature weapon. Therefore, she requires a decent amount of ER, since her energy cost is higher than many other supports.

Grian is still considered to be one of the best options for reverse melt and vaporize teams in terms of supports, but because she is a version 1.1 character, her burst uptime is a bit hard to maintain without skillful rotations. I would say skip if you have a C6 Katherine, as she does a similar thing to Grian without the DoT. But if you're looking for a fun pyro support, Grian is fun to play even at C0, in my experience.

✦✦✦ Explaining the kit ✦✦✦

◇ Basic Attack: Awakening Blade

He's a sword user, nothing special. Does 5 consecutive strikes.

◇ (E) Skill: Ready, Aim, Fire

Hurls an Evil Eye at the nearest target, marking them, and dealing pyro DMG. Hold to enter aiming mode to control where the Evil Eye is placed. This skill has 3 charges. When 3 Evil Eyes have been placed, or the skill no longer has charges, press the skill again to detonate the eyes, dealing pyro DMG and generating particles. If the skill is not tapped again, they will detonate after a fixed amount of time.

◇ (Q) Burst: Slash and Burn

Creates an AoE referred to as an Annihilation Zone and dealing AoE pyro DMG. Depending on how many enemies are marked with Evil Eye, the area gains additional buffs, meaning it's tactical to use the E skill, then burst, then use the E skill again.

Allies within the zone receive an all DMG type boost of 5/10/15% for 1s when hit.

Allies within the zone receive an EM boost of 50/100/200 when receiving overflow healing.

Additionally, the zone continually applies pyro to enemies within the zone for the duration.

◇ Passives

To The Death: When Grian uses her burst, Ready, Aim, Fire CD is reduced by half.

Independent Streak: If Grian is the only Pyro character in the party, increases the ATK of all party members by 10% and the EM of all party members by 80.

To Infinity!: Gliding stamina reduction passive (stacks with other similar passives).

✦✦✦ Constellations ✦✦✦

C1: Let's Go Again!: Reduces Slash and Burn energy cost by 25% when in party and not on field.

C2: Foresight: Increases max number of Evil Eyes and charges from 3 to 4.

C4: Archon's Blessing: Imbues her basic attacks with pyro.

C6: She Who Writes Her Own History: Increases the bonuses from Slash and Burn to 10%/15%/20% DMG boost and 100/200/270 EM boost, and, additionally, applies Smoldering Flames to enemies within the Annihilation Zone.

Obviously C6 is insane. I'd say C6>C1>C4>C2, with C1 having insanely good value. I'd even say C1 > C0R1.

✦✦✦ Ascension & Talent Materials ✦✦✦

◇ Agnidus Agate

Duh. Luckily, her boss drops these. Thank god for early region boss consistency.

◇ Drops: Ghasts

These spawn all over the world, but can be found in large clusters in the northern parts of Ention, especially close to the Grumbot Containment Site. You will need:

Sad sliver x18

Smoldering droplets x30

Ghastly tears x36

◇ Unburning Branch

Unburning Branch can be claimed by defeating the Young Dragonspawn in Ention. You will need x46.

◇ Diligent Lily

Diligent Lily is Grian's local specialty, and you will need x168. They can be grown in the teapot and found in large clusters by God's Nursery in the east of Ention.

◇ Fun Talent Books

Can be gotten in the Ention talent domain on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays.

◇ Continuous Stationary of Wisdom from the Surveillance Prophet weekly boss.

Unlocked by finishing the Ention Archon quest. This boss cannot be done in Co-Op.

✦✦✦ Artifacts & Stats ✦✦✦

Grian's best and signature set is 4-piece Cat's Calling. The 2-pc bonus increases ER by 20%. 4-pc bonus increases Overloaded, Burning, and Burgeon DMG by 40% for the whole party, and increases Vaporize and Melt DMG by 15% for the whole party. This effect cannot stack. Using an Elemental Skill increases 2-Piece Set effects by 25% for 10s even when switched off-field. Max 3 stacks.

Sands: ER

Goblet: Pyro DMG

Circlet: CR=CDMG (ER only if you're really struggling with uptime)

Substat priority: ER > CR=CDMG > EM

ER goal: 160%+

You could alternatively run her on 2pc Cat, 2pc Fated Strings for the ER, but the 4pc bonus from Cat's Calling is suggested.

✦✦✦ Weapons ✦✦✦

Grian's signature weapon, Incidental Blazing Breath, increases her ER and elemental skill DMG. It is considered her best in slot (duh) because it is specifically built around maximizing the DMG from her skill, with 8 stacks of bonus available, matching the suggested rotation. I do not suggest pulling on weapon banner this patch because Martyn's signature weapon is VERY SPECIFIC, giving a DEF and swirl bonus, and Grian's constellations outweigh the value of her weapon. Though it does look dope as fuck.

For other options, the five star standard weapon Gross Misuse is great for its ER bonus as well as its energy particle production. If you're looking for a 4 star weapon, the event weapon Glory Glory is good, and the craftable weapon Scribe's Pen at R5 is her best 4 star option. If you absolutely must use a 3 star, Whispering Blade (gotten from speaking to an NPC in Ention City) is the best choice.

✦✦✦ Talent Priority ✦✦✦

Burst > Skill >>>>>>>>>>> Basic ATK

Recommended not to level Basic ATK. 9/7/1 is a good place for talents to be.

✦✦✦ Team Comps ✦✦✦

Basically the only teams you don't want with Grian is any team with additional pyro characters.

Do You Even Vape Bro - Lizzie as a reaction based DPS, BDubs for heals and hydro battery, and Zedaph for crowd control/swirl/DEF reduction

Sahara+ Melt Team - Stress as reverse melt DPS, Mumbo and Grian for support and application (Mumbo as a Cryo battery) and Iskall for more battery and sub-DPS

Grian Driver Burgeon Team - This requires you to build your Grian with EM instead of CR/CDMG, but is a good option for how versatile she is. Pearl (or Beef), Netty, Skizz, Grian. Pearl/Beef for dendro battery and off-field application, Netty for heals and dendro resonance/battery, Skizz for consistent hydro application and shield, with Grian as the main driver for reactions.

Grian works well with teams who do multiple reactions as well, so freeze/melt is also a good choice.

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That's all! Comment down below if you're pulling for Grian, pulling for the new 5 star Martyn, or skipping the patch. I personally want more Mumbo and Cleo cons, so I will be pulling on the banner anyway LOL. Good luck and happy building!