#approximately 6 gems!

[follies-fr]

Cypress, The Protector

[furby-junkie]

A listing from thetoyshop.com with more images of the Furblets has surfaced, as well as an official description. The price mentioned is £10.00. They're not in stock at the moment.

Description

Another mysterious and musical FURB-nomenon has come to our world: the Furblets!

Share a smile and a jam session anywhere you go with these Furby Furblets Mini Electronic Pet (Styles Vary). With over 45 fun tunes, sounds, and Furbish phrases to discover, these little friends are filled with big personalities. Pix-Elle has pixelated multicolor fur and plays video game style songs, whilst mello-nee has watermelon red and green fur and plays summer chill theme songs that any furby fan will love! Clip them to a backpack or other travel bag with the keychain clip to bring the Furblets party anywhere you go.

Product Features:

Includes: 1 x Furby Furblets Mini Electronic Pet (Styles Vary) with 1 x clip

These Furby Furblets are adorable electronic pets with their own unique musical personalities!

Press the beak for fun feeding noises and tap the heart for gem music, or tap the top of the head to activate fun Furbish phrases

Fold one or both ears down and press the head to make them pop back up

Collect them all and they’ll sing together! (Sold Separately)

Battery Requirements: 3 x LR44 (included)

Approximate Dimensions: 5cm

Suitable for ages 6 years +

[iww-gnv]

It is widely agreed that 2023 was a stellar year for video games. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur’s Gate 3, Alan Wake 2, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 … barely a week passed without some blockbuster hit or independent gem. But beneath these accolades there is a sadder, more worrying story: it was also a year of widespread industry redundancies, and the trend is continuing into the opening weeks of 2024. Microsoft laid off 1,900 staff after its $69bn purchase of Activision Blizzard. Publisher Embracer Group let at least 900 staff go across its many studios, as well as closing veteran UK developer Free Radical Design. Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, one of the most successful titles of the decade, laid off 830 employees; Electronic Arts shed 6% of its workforce, amounting to approximately 780 jobs. There have been similar grim stories from Ubisoft, Naughty Dog, Sega and Unity; major publishers and smaller studios alike are being affected. Why is this happening? How is an entertainment industry said to be worth $180bn a year shedding staff at such an alarming rate?

[royallygray]

Scar HC S10E12

actually welcome to Scar Says Sus Stuff

this was supposed to be me talking about my favorite parts or parts I want to share but it's just the sus parts and several things that I specifically liked

like. a rly in depth AO3 comment except with a YouTube video.

spoilers for his video

(I haven't watched most of scar's episodes so far)

-- --

1:01 "grant me access to the hole" scar. scar please. your wording. fix it. but also never change we love you but oh my god SCAR

it is actually triggering me that he's just casually on three hearts. my man PLEASE EAT

3:53 "I'm gonna wait for [Grian] inside of his mouth"

5:38 "well now Skizz and my bits are all mixed together"

6:06 "I fall for it EVERY time, by the way" -Skizz. I love Scar and Skizz, the two gullible-est people bonding over how they're gullible. It's genuinely somehow wholesome.

6:20 "something of substance was gonna come from this"

6:44 SKIZZ COME ON MAN I HAD FAITH IN YOU WHAT THE HECK

6:51 There was PASSION in this. Scar go off on them YEAH

7:33 how did I know he was gonna be one block off. rip scar you tried o7

7:40 "he didn't get inside my hole at all" SCAR.

8:17 "we could get six horns" the word horns sounds like hoards. and also kind of the other word.

8:39 (for one frame) the inside of scars face is cursed

10:17 THAT WAS SMOOTH THAT WAS SO SMOOTH IM OBSESSED??? SCAR YOURE A MAGICIAN. A WIZARD. THAT SNAP. IM OBSESSED.

but also. scar. why do you have a tnt minecart as decoration. scar I don't have high hopes for this room. scar you come from the Life series. scar. it's gonna die. someone's gonna shoot it with a flame bow I guarantee it

10:46 LMAO the way he tried to say cartographer sounds so. like. idk endearing or smth idk. Like he tried to breathe in and talk at the same time.

11:05 "I've just realized I kind of look like a composter" that is the entire clip by the way. all you out of context makers, I need that in there. idk if it'll be as funny as it is in here, because seriously, the delivery of having literally no other context other than it just being a random thought that popped into Scar's head is so funny to me

11:41 scar at the goat horn shop what will he do. I'm not mad scar. I think you're an adult who is making decisions with their fictional money. and you deserve it. you deserve that goat horn.

11:52 I lied put it back

12:44 WAIT YOURE GONNA PUT TURTLES AND DOLPHINS IN HERE THATS SICK I LOVE IT

in seventh grade we did an essay on whether zoos are good or bad and while I do love scars character in this I literally cannot stop thinking about it :(

13:15 SCAR THAT WAS TOO SMOOTH I--OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD THATS SUCH A COOL TRANSITION AND ALSO THE SOUND EFFECT OH MY GODSSSSS

ALSO YOU SWIRLED TO SUCH A COOL NEW THING WHAT THE HECK WOW LIKE OKAY

wait oh my god it's a sink?? the water and lava?? oh my god??

14:55 damn Gem and Grian's spike has grown

15:35 scar I don't think you remember where your stuff is in the first place. at least like this it'll look cool. although the underground weird chest monster has character and I actually kinda like it in the same way that I like when my floor is a mess because it just feels inhabited and has personality

15:58 oh my god scar you transition god

16:33 scar why are you there

16:35 Etho I appreciate you LMAO

17:19 Etho have you seen Skizz's storage. it's. bad. like. it is worse than Scar's. Genuinely. It gives me pain.

17:25 THE PEARL DOORS. THE BOATEM PEARL DOORRSSSS also scar going through the middle even tho Etho literally opened the other door for him LMAO

17:32 ah yes dig when there is an entrance yes yes

17:43 honey roofs. I see you're obsessed with Joel's gift mr. slab.

this scene is actually amazing. I've never seen Etho and scar interact 1 on 1 (I don't watch a lot of Scar, and I have watched Etho a total of approximately once. his videos are rly long) and also just. Etho's system is so cool.

also Etho's storage system is adorable :D

I like both storage systems. Etho's is significantly more functional (and less likely to explode, scar that minecart is making me wary) but I really enjoy the aesthetic of Scar's.

thank you for coming to Royal says stuff, go watch scar's video, it's great.

[thelovestruckrose]

Hellooo SCP fandom! We now have our own 963 rewrite, named Dr. Laura Abundance!

Pose lightly referenced from @adorkastock , information and object description under the cut.

SCP 963 appears as half of a choker style necklace, adorned with a single red gem and two white gems. The gems cannot be identified due to the nature of the anomaly. When SCP 963 is worn, a golden chain will appear where the rest of the necklace should be, binding SCP 963 to the wearer's neck, who shall now be referred to as 963-1. SCP 963 can not be removed from 963-1 before their death once the binding is complete. SCP 963 is theorised to contain the consciousness of every human subject who has worn it, and these consciousnesses reside alongside 963-1's consciousness, based on testimony from various wearers. In addition, 963-1 will begin to believe they are now a person named Dr. Laura Abundance, but will still respond to their name prior to becoming attached to SCP 963 and will still hold memories of their life prior. When the 963-1 dies, the chain will vanish, and a seemingly random human in the near vicinity will attempt to put on SCP 963. The cycle will repeat once SCP 963 is worn again.

The current 963-1 is Ms. Lucy [REDACTED], who began wearing 963 after the death of Dr. [REDACTED] Roberts, whose circumstances of death are currently unknown. Ms. [REDACTED] was in the room when Dr. Roberts died, however, she has refused to divulge details of their death. Approximately 4 hours after wearing 963, she began to refer to herself as Dr. Laura Abundance. Approximately 6 hours after wearing 963, Dr. Abundance's eyes began to "turn red" according to eyewitnesses, and she began to call herself "The True Host" of 963. These two properties were unseen previous to this event. Dr. Laura Abundance is to be promoted to level 4 clearance and to be kept under Foundation surveillance.

[blackdiamond1038]

Secret Life Secrets

Session 8

Green- Successful

Red- Failed

Scott: You are a bad spy. You must listen in on red player’s plans, but convey bad intel to your fellow yellow players. You must give at least 3 significant false intel such as incorrect targets or intentions. At least one of the bad intel must be acted upon by another player.

Grian: A fallen player is your ghostly angel. They will secretly guide you through this episode, and you must do what they say. You fail if anyone asks if you are talking to someone else. They will contact you using ethereal means to set up a means of conversation.

Pearl: During this session, you must leave conversations in a creative way. You pass when you have successfully left 8 different conversations or encounters in a different manner. You can leave conversations as normal, but it will not count towards your final goal.

Impulse: During this session, you must enter conversations in a creative way. You pass when you have successfully entered 8 different conversations or encounters in a different manner. You can enter conversations as normal, but it will not count towards your final goal. [Didn’t press either button]

Joel: Task 1: Fire arrows from an unenchanted bow continuously at Scar until they deflect with a shield. If they die, you also succeed. Task 2: Build an explosive under a high traffic area. Detonate it from afar when a conversation is happening. If you deal any damage, you succeed. Task 3: Build a TNT cannon and successfully hit a base from at least 50 blocks. Task 4: You must damage a yellow player by firing a bow straight up into the air. The angle cannot be below roughly 70 degrees. Task 5: Tame at least 5 wolves and use them to deal damage to a non-red. Task 6: Use redstone to damage a non-red player. You cannot hit them with the item, it must be a machine or trap of some kind. [Unfinished this session]

Cleo: You are a secret santa. You have to randomise who is naughty and nice on the server. You must give a gift to all nice players and pull a trick, damage, or steal from naughty players. You cannot do the same gift/trick twice in the session. [Received first red task, did not open] [Unfinished this session]

Tango: Task 1: Enderpearl into a conversation, deal as much damage as you can to as many players, if you are hit or they run away, enderpearl away. [Unfinished this session]

Skizz: Task 1: Kill a yellow name by any means. They can fight back one you have initiated combat. Task 2: [Received second task, never opened] [Unfinished this session]

Martyn: Task 1: Find a non-red player with at least 20 hearts. Take approximately 10 of them in any way you see fit. If there are none, damage any player for at least 5 hearts. Task 2: Go invisible and punch a yellow player off a cliff. They must take at least 3 hearts of damage. [Unfinished this session]

Bdubs: Task 1: Kill a yellow name with a trap of any kind. [Unfinished this session]

Gem: Task 1: Eliminate at least 3 non-red horses or all of a player’s wolves. Task 2: Mine a big hole underground then spleef a player into taking damage into it. Task 3: Add berry bushes anywhere and everywhere. Cause someone to get pricked by one. You can punch people into the bushes if you need to. Task 4: Cause a player to take fall damage of over 1 heart. Task 5: Hit a yellow name with a sword until they block you with a shield. If you kill them, you also succeed. Task 6: Build a bad close to build height to “hide your valuables.” Wait for a non-red to investigate it and push them off. [Unfinished this session]

Scar: You must sabotage at least 3 red player’s bases without being seen. You can hide their stuff, destroy farms, or burn things. If you are caught, you fail. Task 1 [as a red]: Dig many 1x1 holes at least 15 blocks deep in high traffic areas until someone fall in one. Hide them with tall grass. [Unfinished this session]

BigB: Task 1: Summon a mod using an egg to deal any damage to a green. Task 2: Strike a deal with a non-red to cause at least 3 hearts of damage to another non-red. You succeed when they have dealt the damage. Task 3: Go invisible and hit at least 5 other people with a sword within one minute without being hit back. Task 4: Cause a player to take suffocation damage of any kind. [Unfinished this session]

ghost jimmy <3

Etho is sick and hasn’t posted his video yet, but I’ll update as soon as it is!

lemme know if I missed something, espically with the players that didn’t open their tasks. I checked the footage over multiple times, and I’m pretty confident they didn’t open them, but idk.

[all54321]

Secret Life Session 8 Task List

<Previous Session] [Master List] [Next Session>

Each task is directly quoted from the book.

With most of the server red and that number increasing, this will take longer to update, since I’ll have to watch a lot of videos to get all the tasks. If I miss a red task please tell me.

I am now separating each person with tildes because with reds getting multiple tasks it’ll be easier to see what tasks someone has.

~

Bdubs Red Task 1: Kill a green name with a trap of any kind.

~

Etho: You are the silent server hero. You must protect other yellow players from traps and damage. - You succeed if you are able to save a player from significant damage (more than 2 hearts) at least 3 times.

Etho Red Task 1: Get another player to look at an enderman.

Etho Red Task 2: Create a damaging trap in someone’s base. You succeed when it’s unintentionally triggered. If it’s discovered, you must make a new one. You can make multiple until one is triggered successfully.

Etho Red Task 3: Do any amount of damage with a dripstone (Must be placed)

~

Gem Red Task 1: Eliminate at least 3 non-red horses or all of a player’s wolves.

Gem Red Task 2: Mine a big hole underground then spleef a player into taking damage into it.

Gem Red Task 3: Add berry bushes anywhere and everywhere. Cause someone to get pricked by one. You can punch people into the bushes if you need to.

Gem Red Task 4: Cause a Player to take fall damage of over 1 heart.

~

Scar: You must sabotage at least 3 red player’s bases without being seen. You can hide their stuff, destroy farms or burn things. If you are caught, you fail.

Scar Red Task 1: Dig mant 1x1 holes at least 15 blocks deep in high traffic areas until someone falls in one. Hide them with tall grass.

~

Grian: A fallen player is your ghostly angel, they will secretly guide you through this episode, you must do what they say. You fail if anyone asks if you are talking to someone else. They will contact you using ethereal means to set up a means of conversation.

~

Martyn Red Task 1: Find a red name with at least 20 hearts. Take approximately 10 of them in any way you see fit. If there are none, damage any player for at least 5 hearts.

Martyn Red Task 2: Go invisible and punch a green life off a cliff. They must take at least 3 hearts of damage.

~

Pearl: During this session, you must leave conversations in a creative way. You pass when you have successfully left 8 conversations or encounters in a different manner. You can leave conversations as normal, but it will not count towards your al goal.

~

Skizz Red Task 1: Kill a green name by any means. They can fight back once you have initiated combat.

~

Scott: You are a bad spy. You must listen in on red players’ plans, but convey bad intel to your fellow yellow players. You must give at least 3 significant false intel such as incorrect targets or intentions. At least one of the bad intel must be acted upon by another player.

~

Joel Red Task 1: Fire arrows from an unenchanted bow continuously at GoodTimeWithScar until they deflect with a shield. If they die you also succeed.

Joel Red Task 2: Build an explosive under a high traffic area. Detonate it from afar when a conversation is happening. If you deal any damage, you succeed.

Joel Red Task 3: Build a TNT cannon and successfully hit a base from at least 50 blocks.

Joel Red Task 4: You must damage a yellow or green player by firing a bow straight up into the air. The angle can not be below roughly 70 degrees.

Joel Red Task 5: Tame at least 5 wolves and use them to deal damage to a non red.

Joel Red Task 6: Use redstone to damage a non-red player. You can not hit the, with the item, it must be a machine or trap of some kind.

~

Tango Red Task 1: Enderpearl into a conversation, deal as much as you can to as many players, if you are hit or they all run away, enderpearl away.

~

Cleo: From supergratmonkey: You are a secret Santa. You have to randomize who is naughty and nice on the server. You must give a gift to all nice players and pull a trick, damage or steal from naughty players. You can not do the same gift/trick twice in the session.

~

BigB Red Task 1: Summon a mob using an egg to deal any damage to any green

BigB Red Task 2: Strike a deal with a non-red to cause at least 3 hearts of damage to another non-red. You succeed when they have dealt the damage.

BigB Red Task 3: Go invisible and hit at least 5 different people with a sword within 1 minute without being hit back.

BigB Red Task 4: Cause a player to take suffocation damage of any kind.

~

Impulse: During this session, you must enter conversations in a creative way. You pass when you have successfully entered 8 different conversations or encounters in a different manner. You can enter conversations as normal, but it will not count towards your final goal.

~

Note: In tasks specifying a green life, it now applies to a yellow life.

[minecraftbookshelf]

Handy Dandy Height Chart for The AU in Which All the Marriages Are Arranged as it exists in my notebook, taking into account species and worldbuilding headcanons. Breakdown below the cut.

Lizzie: Canonically approximately 10' tall. Absolutely glorious ocean axolotl demi-goddess queen. No notes.

Jimmy: Is just barely over 7' tall if he stands up straight and thinks Tol Thoughts. Lizzie considers him to be adorable and runty. Everyone else enjoys watching him hit his head on doorways. Would be physically impressive if he wasn't also the very definition of awkward beanpole.

Xornoth: Approximately 6'6", the third tallest ruler. They don't (usually) have horns in this AU but they would put them right at about the same height as Jimmy. Also hits their head on doorways but its less entertaining for everyone else and more intimidating because they very visibly begin immediately contemplating eliminating all witnesses to their embarassment.

Scott: A couple inches shorter than Xornoth, around 6'3"/6'4". Does not hit his head on doorways because that would involve leaving Rivendell, aka, his least favorite thing. RIP nerd.

Pix: 6'2". Very good at looking like a serious and knowledgable authority figure. Very impressive Priest King. (It is all lies he has no idea what is going on someone help him.)

Fwhip: Just barely over 6', 6'1" if he thinks Tol Thoughts, will hold so very tightly to those fractions of an inch he holds over Sausage for dear life.

Pearl: Farmer Queen is 6' Tall and buff as hell and you are more scared of her than she is scared of you. She is not scared of you. At all. Would absolutely keep a Ravager as a pet if given half a chance.

Sausage: 6' flat and sulky about it because Fwip is taller.

Joey In Heels: Joey wears shoes that make him tall.

Joel: Short king. 5'7". Lizzie had to make alterations to her house so it was accessable for him.

Gem: 5'6" and Fwhip and Sausage fear her. Her hat adds the height necessary for her to be level with them.

Joey Not In Heels: Is tall for an avian. 5' 5 3/4". High heels are his secret weapon. The wings add bulk.

Katherine: 5'2" Flower Faerie Queen. She is small and her teeth are sharp and when she smiles there is something just a little bit off about it. (In this house we love inhuman characters who willingly accomodate human morality out of kindness.)

Shrub Berry: Bless Our Streamer for giving us canonical character info like full names and height. 4'3", rides in on wolfback. Will remove your kneecaps but feel bad about it later.

[spidermannotes]

Hot Toys Releases Details For Marvel Comics Spider-Man Figure

Pre-sale at Tokyo Comic Con 2023

Tokyo Comic Con 2023 pre-sale items (limited quantity) are available in Hot Toys' "Comic Masterpiece" series! From "Marvel Comics", Spider-Man appears!

The comic version of Spider-Man is three-dimensionalized as a high-end 1/6 scale figure with a total height of approximately 30 cm and over 30 movable parts. The eyes of the head wearing a mask are painted silver metallic. By replacing the 4 types of eye parts, you can create a unique expression from the comic. The classic red and blue costume is made with great attention to detail and materials, including the stretchy suit and the symbol spider mark, and is exquisitely finished down to the texture. You can recreate a variety of styles with the detachable silver web shooter and magnetically attached web wings. A camera with a strap is included as an accessory. It also comes with a variety of spider webs and effect parts that can be attached to the end of the web to recreate the unfolded state. By using a wide variety of replacement hand parts, you can enjoy a variety of situations. The pedestal is a special design with comic page panels and other designs. It uses flexible pillars that allow you to freely change the holding position of the figure, so you can display it in dynamic appearances unique to Spider-Man, such as web-swinging. Another great feature is that it comes with a backboard depicting skyscrapers such as the Daily Bugle! It also comes with a Green Goblin minifigure and 3 types of graphics cards that can be used to decorate the pedestal.

Spider-Man has been loved for a long time since his first appearance in comics in 1962. This item, which fully captures his charm, is a gem that you cannot miss!*If there is stock at the end of "Tokyo Comic Con 2023", it will be sold at "Toy Sapiens" at a later date.

In the U.S. this collectible will be available via Sideshow.

[duckieberry]

Genshin 'Littles are known' Classification AU (Part 2 - nation specific info)

*warning long post*

Link to part 1 -> Here!

this is the second part of the info in my genshin 'Littles are known' classification AU. Please check out part one if you havent already that way this post makes sense!

—-

Mondstadt-

Being the nation of freedom, Mondstadt has the most open policies when it comes to their Regressor population. Littles in Mondstadt have no real restrictions for career paths and are allowed to do whatever someone of their physical age can do (like drinking and buying alcohol for example though they cannot do it while regressed). The only rule the Regressors of Mondstadt have to follow specifically is that they always need to have a Caregiver on shift with them while working to keep them safe.

Testing:

Mondstadt’s tests are all done by the church. A sister oversees the test and takes a drop of blood from the one being tested. The blood is then dripped onto the core of an Anemo crystalfly where one of three things will happen.

Faint glow = Neutral

Bright glow = Caregiver

Flickering bright glow = Little/Regressor

Flickering faint glow = Flip

This form of testing is unable to give an indication towards a potential age range and is only good for figuring out overall classification. Anemo crystalfly cores are used in classification tests because as pure elemental beings they react easily to all sorts of changes.

Headspace management:

There are plenty of herbs in the wilds of Mondstadt that can be made into an effective headspace suppressant medication. These medications are available to anyone who needs it and it’s distributed through the church all there is to do is show proof of classification and get a quick check up.

—-

Liyue-

The policies involving Littles in Liyue are just about as open as they are in Mondstadt. There are firm no’s to Regressors working in certain industries either due to danger or being contracted to confidentiality. Contracts signed by Littles are not legally binding just like a contract signed by a minor would be.

Testing:

Liyue has many different types of rocks and gems that have many unique uses. One of these many uses is classification tests. An illustrious kind of jade known as soul jade is used for this process. The person getting tested has their finger pricked so it is lightly bleeding, the finger that was pricked is pressed against the jade for a few moments, the jade's colour and brightness will begin to shift in reaction to the blood.

Gray = Neutral

Blue = Caregiver

Red = Little/Regressor

When the jade turns Red to indicate a Little, it also will begin to brighten or dim to indicate an approximate age range. 

Pale red/Pink = few months - 5 years

Base red = 6-9 years

Dark red = 10-14 years

Classifying a Flip is a little more complicated as the jade will turn the colour of the classification they lean more towards with the brightness beginning to shift and flicker to indicate the rough age range for the little side.

Headspace management:

The herbs required for making headspace suppressants are abundant in Liyue though a bit hard to gather due to them being found purely on high mountains and sheer cliffs. Like in Mondstadt, Littles only need to get a check up and provide proof of classification to get the medication but in Liyue there is a small fee that has to be paid on top of the examination.

—-

Inazuma-

As the nation of eternity, Inazuma has a lot of respect for its Littles as they experience what is technically eternal youth. While treated with respect in most situations they are considered incapable of holding any proper positions, especially those of power. This fact was strengthened during the Sakoku decree.

Testing:

Inazuma’s testing is more of a ritual and it is done by Narukami shrine. The shrine maidens take fallen petals from the sacred sakura and mix it with a touch of blood from the person being tested. An incantation is recited which gives the shrine maiden performing the ritual visions and information which allows them to interpret the classification. The accuracy of the ritual is all based on the shrine maiden performing it. Tests done by Yae Miko are always the most accurate but she seldom ever does them in favor of other work around the shrine.

Headspace management:

There are no naturally occurring herbs that can create headspace suppressants in Inazuma. All of the medication of this type is imported from other nations, mainly Sumeru and Fontaine. During the Sakoku decree the already limited supply became even more scarce which furthered the misconception that Regressors are not trustworthy of holding any powerful positions. The only people capable of purchasing medication for headspace management were nobles and high ranking officials in the commissions. Now that the borders have opened up this is slowly being rectified.

—-

Sumeru-

For a while, Littles in Sumeru were not treated well. Getting into the Akademiya as a Regressor was near impossible. The Littles who did get in had to fight tooth and nail to keep their place and prove their worth. Upon Nahida regaining her power as Sumeru’s archon things are starting to change and policies are beginning to lighten for the Regressors of the nation.

Testing:

Sumeru has the most advanced and highly accurate tests of any nation though it takes longer to process the results. They’re capable of testing their citizens 2-3 years earlier than most other nations. Their classification tests require the person to have their blood drawn. The sample is then examined directly for the unique hormones found in people with classifications. Results are then determined from the hormones present, their quantity, and their strength. This method allows for the most detailed information about an individual's classification in all of Teyvat.

Headspace management:

Getting headspace suppressants in Sumeru is easy, they are free to all Little residents and can be gotten from the Bimarstan. There is also a wide variety of herbal headspace medications as well.

—-

Fontaine-

The treatment of Regressors in Fontaine is mixed. While Littles are protected under law there is still discrimination against them from the nobles and the upper class of the nation. High-end businesses have very low hire rates for Littles. Places like Poisson treat their Little population well and a good amount of the people that live there are Regressors. 

The fortress of Meropide has many policies and regulations put in place to keep its Little inhabitants safe during their time there. Regressors are not allowed to work in the factory for safety reasons so they do other jobs around the fortress.

Testing:

Fontaine took on the same form of testing as Sumeru but they managed to speed up the time it takes to get results. Due to speeding up the process their results are a little less accurate and they can only test their citizens at most 1 year early then standard testing age.

Headspace management:

Fontaine is the second worst nation for the availability of headspace suppressants. While the medication is readily available it comes at a steep price leaving a decent amount of Fontaine’s Little population without proper headspace management.

—-

The Fatui-

Littles are not permitted within the main ranks of the Fatui. Any that manage to join are kicked out as soon as they are discovered. The Harbingers are almost entirely classified as Neutrals though some are Caregivers (not that it makes them any less brutal in their work).

The House of the Hearth-

Like the main organization, The House of the Hearth is not Regressor friendly. Any of the Orphans classified as Little are made to take headspace suppressants as soon as their classification starts to develop so they won’t regress. As a result of such conditions, regression sickness is very common and tends to be severe though the frequent use of headspace suppressants makes that hard to tell.

---

[hccn-overseer]

Issue 30, 11/08/2023 - The Overseer

Issue Masterpost About the Overseer

Weekly Weather Report

By Lydia

Temperatures are represented using Celsius. Sorry, Americans!

Wednesday: Temperatures will reach a high of 8 degrees and a low of 0 degrees. Skies will be cloudy today with a very, very low chance of snow in the early afternoon.

Thursday: Temperatures will reach a high of 12 degrees and a low of -4 degrees. Skies will be cloudy with snow coming during the early morning and passing by the late afternoon.

Friday: Temperatures will reach a high of 5 degrees and a low of -9 degrees. Snow will persist throughout the entire day. Laugh tracks may play at random times throughout the day. Using earplugs is highly advised by the staff of The Overseer.

Saturday: Temperatures will reach a high of 2 degrees and a low of -13 degrees. Skies will be clear but very windy today at approximately 45 miles per hour.

Sunday: Temperatures will reach a high of 4 degrees and a low of -8 degrees. Skies will be overcast and winds will continue at approximately 30 miles per hour.

Monday: Temperatures will reach a high of 7 degrees and a low of -2 degrees. Skies will be clear throughout most of the day until later in the afternoon. Snow is possible.

Tuesday: Temperatures will reach a high of 6 degrees and a low of -9 degrees. Skies will be heavily cloudy throughout the day with occasional bouts of snow.

Wednesday: Temperatures will reach a high of 3 degrees and a low of -11 degrees. Skies will continue to stay overcast and snow will fall heavily, reaching approximately 15 inches by the end of the week.

Now onto other news under the cut!

Lost and Found

By Lydia

All of the following items have been brought to The Overseer office for safekeeping until they are claimed. If you recognize one of these items as yours, please visit us to receive your items, or contact us at lostandfound@thehermitnews.org. Lost items will be sent to Twinkly Trash if not picked up after two weeks. Thank you! *Not a real email address.

Item 1: A picture frame This picture frame is made with a gold border with intricate leaf designs, appropriate for the fall season. It was found near Gem’s Elven Village and hums when placed in direct sunlight. Anything placed inside has been mysteriously disintegrated within the next five minutes. The staff has used this as an opportunity to rid their office of all citations given to them from the Office of Unofficial Documentation for being a general public nuisance over the past several months.

Item 2: A bottle of bird medication A bottle of Psittamune APV was found among Grian’s large rocks with a small syringe for administering to presumably very small birds such as parakeets. The bottle has never been opened and sits with the syringe in a plastic bag.

Item 3: A sympathy card This sympathy card has an unknown intended recipient, but the official printed message inside expresses condolences for the passing of one’s grandmother. Inside, several people have signed the card expressing further condolences, with the exception of one person who did not sign their name, who wrote, “Happy Birthday!” instead, in thick letters.

Item 4: A letter from a professor of animation This letter, addressed to a group of college students taking an unknown class, is written by a professor unknown to the staff, signed, “Prof. Lansbury” and delves into the subject of re-animating corpses, rather than focusing on the medium of artistic cartoon animation. The letter expresses caution towards the practice and implores the students to mind their steps carefully. It also asks the students to precede the rituals with the following sentence: “Will a re-animated corpse enjoy the artistic work I have to offer?”

Item 5: A copy of Scattered Minds by Gabor Mate, M.D. This book, centering on the origins and treatment of ADHD, written by Gabor Mate, who himself has ADHD, was found in a Shulker box in Pearl’s alien forest. It is suspected to be an unsuccessful delivery, as delivery instructions are attached, but the name and address label has fallen off. The delivery instructions state, “Please take buttercream pie at the doorstep after dropping off our package. Enjoy!” Though its contents are unharmed, the shulker box was found splattered with alien viscera and human blood.

Item 6: Sixteen birthday candles that do not light These candles do not light despite the staff’s best efforts. They are in assorted colors and appear to have been taken from the local arcade. While there is no record of the server hosting parties for small children, it is nonetheless seemingly evident that a children’s birthday party was held near Joe’s pinball arcade, judging by the party hats and smatterings of children’s toys in the area.

Fun and Games

This week's fun and games are once again brought to you by Lydia and Azure!

And that's all for this week folks! Have a wonderful week!

[legendarybelmont]

Please expand upon the things you recently said in some tags about the pachinko games and the timeline?

OKAY, SO! As we all know, Konami loves their casino games, and Castlevania in particular has a whole wealth of them. From pachislots to actual slots, something particularly curious is that the vast majority of these machines seem to be based around the 1470s; or rather, mostly just Curse of Darkness.

For the purposes of this discussion there are 9 relevant machines: - Pachislot Akumajo Dracula (Trevor) - Pachislot Akumajo Dracula II (Trevor) - Pachislot Akumajo Dracula III (Trevor) - Castlevania Labyrinth of Love (Trevor) - Castlevania Labyrinth of Fire (Trevor) - Castlevania Vampire Hunter (Trevor)

- Castlevania Valiant Guardian (Hector) - Castlevania Ring of the Heavens (Hector) - Castlevania Warrior of Darkness (Hector)

Most if not all of these machines follow a very basic plot: Dracula is revived. Trevor/Hector has to make their way to/through Dracula's Castle and defeat Dracula. This is about all the detail that really matters. As you can see, there are a lot of these things. Counting each one as a completely separate adventure from the mainline games for each character, Trevor gets approximately 5 more Dracula kills under his belt. I don't think I need to explain why this is absolutely hilarious. If you're wondering why it's 5 and not 6, this is because Labyrinth of Love and Labyrinth of Fire are both the same adventure -- this is also true for Valiant Guardian and Ring of the Heavens, in Hector's case, although this would mean that Hector only gets 2 more Dracula kills. Unfortunately, he's not as popular as dear Trevor. However, there are some caveats; most of these machines either depict the exact same events, just with the protagonists swapped (the slot games, literally all the slot games), or some act as reworkings of canon events (most of the pachislots, just about barring Pachislot Akumajo Dracula II). This makes it a bit more questionable how much we can really attribute to any one character. That is, if you don't believe in comedy. For all I care, it's perfectly possible that Isaac came back exactly once and fucked with Trevor for kicks, or that Alucard woke up just the one time to go help Trevor and Sypha kick Dracula's teeth in (although the Grant Discrepancy is unfortunately real and true). In a similar vein, although the slot machines are usually just alternates of eachother for each character, I Want To Believe that they're all separate and yes, Dracula just got revived in the late 15th century that many times. It's funny and it makes me happy.

Angela is a character made specifically for Pachislot Akumajo Dracula I and II. She serves the role of Trevor's companion, basically, and if I needed to describe her it'd be as a bootleg Shanoa. A very, very bootleg Shanoa with way, way, more fanservice to her name. In Pachislot Akumajo Dracula II, she gets corrupted by... I think an evil cursed choker or something? and replaces Isaac as your rival for the machine. She has no substance, of course, because she's from a Pachislot. But I could fix her. She can be Trevor's weird other friend from the Church. Let me have this.

As a closing mention, the Dracula X Chronicles Pachinko, or Rondo of Blood but it's really just Dracula X Chronicles (CR Pachinko Akumajo Dracula), also has an Angela-type new addition! Her name is Victoria Florescu, she's a swordswoman who is apparently looking for her younger sister who has disappeared. She, much like Angela, almost completely lacks any substance.

There's no way I'd seriously try to argue these little gems are anywhere near canon, or even vaguely reasonable. But for the purposes of just some silly fun? I love the idea that they all happened, if only for the comedic potential.

[squadron-of-damned]

Steven Universe: Justice for Zircon.

In which some Zircons are Ace Attorneys and fortunately Steven Universe (now a proud owner of Universe's Donuts & Bagels) can heal broken gems functionally nullifying the entire DL-6 incident.

Featuring:

Steven Universe, who thinks that goatee is a good idea for approximately a month

Zircon Precursor AKA Gemfred von Karma

Pink Zircon AKA Gemgory Edgeworth

[pix4japan]

Authentic Japanese Eel Cuisine at Ogawa-ya: A Timeless Gem

Location: Ogawa-ya, Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan Timestamp: 16:20 on June 6, 2023

Ogawa-ya, an old-fashioned Japanese-Style eel restaurant, stands a block or two from the Port of Shimoda in Shizuoka Prefecture. Ogawa-ya offers two delectable variations of eel dishes: kabayaki (蒲焼), succulent grilled eel, and Yanagawa (柳川), tender steamed eel.

As a photographer, my eyes were drawn to the intricately carved stone lantern, complementing the rustic beauty of the tiled roof, traditional wooden slats, vintage sliding fine-lattice door, and a charming bamboo fence wrapped in black rope around lush green bushes.

Dining at Ogawa-ya can strain the budget. The prices, averaging around 3,000 to 4,000 yen ($20.78 to $27.70 USD) per person for eel dishes, were relatively high. However, the restaurant is highly regarded by the local community and regular visitors from Tokyo, making it a sought-after destination for an authentic culinary experience in Shimoda.

Ogawa-ya prides itself on serving eel at its peak flavor and umami. They operate on a reservation-only basis and will call you approximately ten minutes before your dish is ready. This minimizes waiting time and ensures you can fully appreciate the exquisite taste of the eel. The restaurant is conveniently located within a ten-minute reach from within this tiny port city, guaranteeing a timely and enjoyable dining experience.

In addition to its charming exterior, Ogawa-ya embodies the essence of a classic family-run Japanese establishment, with a rich heritage that may have been passed down through generations.

As I relished the nostalgic ambiance, I can’t help but wish for the continued success of this family business, hoping it thrives for generations to come as a haven for eel aficionados and lovers of traditional Japanese cuisine.

Checkout the Pix4Japan blog for historical references, source material, further reading, and geotagged locations (see link in Bio).

Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter ISO 3200 for 1/80 sec. at ƒ/2.0 Classic Negative film simulation

[garden-ghoul]

Okay here finally is the music meme @blotthis tagged me in. I don't know what Spotify likes are so I tried to approximate them by listening to a bunch of Bandcamp albums someone on cohost recced a while ago. I chose my favorite song from each album, in order I have them bookmarked. It's been a fun exercise in reshaping my mind to a diverse set of aesthetic paradigms so I can try to understand what each musician sees in their own music. That said. Some of these I'd be reccing anyway.

Points At Head from This Year I Lose My Mind by 2 Mello. Music that makes me wish I had more genre vocabulary. Energetic, funky, hiphoppy I guess?? Jazzy. Has kind of a C2C/Destroid vibe. We're grooving. I like this album.

Oh My God from Shabrang by Sevdaliza. Dark, breathy, synthy. Sevdaliza does fun stuff with autotune and other vocal mods as well as having a lot of great beats. Honestly I'd love to hear more of her unmodified voice in this track because she's a great vocalist. This is a good album if you want to get kind of chill and introspective and weird.

Owens from Little Robert Hutton by Curly Castro. One of the slower starts on a very maximalist album. Curly Castro is doing some fantastic collage here; I like how he plays with samples, clearly pulling from classic DJing on vinyl. I don't know enough about modern rap to compare the vocals to anything but Doomtree, RIP.

Withering Fire from Still as the Night, Cold as the Wind by Vital Spirit. Okay, I will confess I'm not enough of a metalhead to be able to distinguish any of these songs from each other. But as far as I can tell it's a good example of the genre, and if you need some big dramatic texturey noises this album is here for you.

Rock from Ez Minzoku by Foodman. I was having a hard time picking a song from this album, because a lot of it kind of sounds like someone mashing a midifighter loaded with the Earthbound soundfont. The album is hit or miss for me but as soon as I heard Rock I had to put it on this list. An exuberant electric guitar chiptune that's just weird enough for me.

The Mystery (Dilla's Still Here) from Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6 by Madlib. This album only has two songs you can listen to without buying it but on hearing this one I immediately started digging for his first album so I could listen to more of his music. More fun with samples; this is what I might call chillhop if I weren't so aware how boring most chillhop is. From Wikipedia's page on him, no-one's really sure how to categorize him because he's fusing so many genres.

The Great Mist Within from The Great Mist Within by Auriferous Flame. See I said I wasn't enough of a metalhead for Vital Spirit but actually I am a metalhead now. I really like Auriferous Flame's chords and I am gaining appreciation for the textural nature of black metal. I didn't make it all the way through any of these songs but I would if I were just leaving the album playing while I draw.

Son of Man from Rice Field Silently Riping in the Night by Reiko Kudo. I feel like this is one of the best tracks to show off how Kudo thinks about sound, with the different instruments kind of detuned from each other. This whole album is sort of like a distorted reflection of "normal music." Despite occasional loud honking noises it's pretty chill. I enjoyed the description of the recording process at the bottom of the page.

Dance Now from The Forever Story by JID. If you listen to one hiphop album this year, it should be this one. Every single track is a flawless gem with no missing pieces and nothing unnecessary, so the specific song I picked is just the first one I really started jamming out to. Very slick but not overproduced, fantastic beats, fantastic rhymes, wonderful vocals, great instrumentation. I can't coherently talk about the vibe of this album, just listen to it.

Cruise Control from 2000 by Joey Badass. As you may have noticed, I tend to be into chill wavey hiphop, which is why I chose this song off 2000. I really like the outro, it has a classic jazz piano thing going on. This is a hard album to review because I think I'd be more into it if I hadn't just listened to THE PERFECT ALBUM. Ah well. It's good.

[duran-duran-less-official]

Actually, ever since that anonymous mutual (whose identity I still don't know) asked me to recommend them some Duran Duran, I've been mulling over the answer in my head. I think, broadly, there are

Six Tiers of Duran Duran Song Appreciation

and I kind of want to explain my previous answer in this context, because there's a LOT of hidden gems over Duran Duran's career, and some are more hidden than others. If you actually want to go on a deep dive into Duran Duran's music, this is a guide to how deep you're going.

Note: these songs exist on a spectrum of awareness vs. subjective quality, so the tiers are approximate, and the whole thing is iceberg-shaped.

Tier 1: Signature songs.

These are the ones everyone knows. All of these are on the Greatest album released in 1999. This is where you find Hungry Like The Wolf, Rio, Girls on Film, The Reflex, A View To A Kill, Ordinary World, Notorious, basically any song that people are likely to have already heard without knowing it was a Duran Duran song.

Tier 2: Singles that got overshadowed by bigger singles or were on unsuccessful albums.

A lot of these are still on the Greatest album, but aren't quite as familiar to the general public. Again, this all exists on a spectrum, but you'd find things like Careless Memories or Come Undone at the top end of this tier and Electric Barbarella at the bottom end. All singles post-1993 are on this list, and singles post-2000 aren't even on the Greatest album. Ever heard Falling Down ft. Justin Timberlake? Ever heard someone recommend it?

Other standouts in this tier include I Don't Want Your Love, Skin Trade, and inexplicably, White Lines (Don't Do It) featuring Grandmaster Flash, The Furious Five, and Melle Mel.

Tier 3: Songs that Duran Duran fans will always recommend as hidden gems.

This is a large tier, and taste is subjective, so the waters get even muddier here. Most of these don't have their own pages on Wikipedia, so you have to scratch beneath the surface to find them. The Chauffeur is the undisputed king of this tier, being both a universally beloved song in the fandom, and having its own music video, but not being a single. If there's a song on an album that slaps, but was never released as a single, Duran Duran fans will say "You HAVE to listen to this!" right after you've finished listening to Greatest. When I answered the anonymous ask, I was mostly operating in Tiers 1 and 3. Definitive songs, and definitive underappreciated songs.

There's a fair few songs that occupy this tier, depending on taste, and some of the standout ones include My Antarctica, Beautiful Colours, Finest Hour, Night Boat, and Paper Gods.

Tier 4: Regular rotation songs.

These are the songs you need to dig fairly deep to listen to, like in most contexts you're listening to a whole album and stumbling on these in between the songs you know. You aren't, like, avoiding them or anything, they come around every so often, but one time you sit up and say "damn, this is good actually, how did I sleep on this one for so long?" This is where I'd put songs like Friends of Mine, Vertigo, I Take The Dice, and anything major that Duran Duran side-projects Arcadia and Power Station made back in the mid-80s.

Tier 5: Songs you have to dig deep for.

Duran Duran have been around for 40 years now, and it's understandable that you skip over songs from time to time, or just forget they exist. Discovering those is like discovering all-new material, but you've got to turn over every leaf to find them. This is where I'd put Cry Baby Cry (Red Carpet Massacre Japanese Bonus Track, 2007), and anything else from Arcadia/Power Station.

Tier 6: Songs even Duran Duran fans don't like.

Hey.

Do you like the song Bedroom Toys (Astronaut, 2004)? ... Yeah, okay, I kind of like it too.

Do you like the song Dirty Great Monster (Red Carpet Massacre, 2007)? I ... can't help you there.

Do you like Duran Duran's cover of 911 Is A Joke by Public Enemy (Thank You, 1995)? You are lying.