#clearing and direct entry options

[diabolik-alice-vixen]

“Hide and Seek~”

A Laito x Reader short NSFW 🍋

. ‼️⚠️WARNING ⚠️‼️ EXPLICT CONTENT MINORS DNI

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Disclaimer: (The following fan fiction contains dark NSFW 18+ themes, including predator/prey dynamics, rough play, sadomasicism, dubcon,and Rough sex… Proceed at your own risk. )

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“Fufu.. come out come out wherever you are Bitch- can~”

You could hear Laitos voice as you hid behind one of the trees in the woods just outside the manor.

Your heart despite your best efforts pounded vigorously against your chest. Your legs which had been running nonstop for almost 2 hours, threatened to give way beneath you. But you couldn’t stop, you had to keep going, keep running. Laito was very clear with the rules of the game. You had one hour to hide and make as much distance as possible before Laito came to find you. If you could stay hidden for the entire night, he promised he would control himself for a whole week . No blood sucking , no harassment..no unannounced entries into your room while changing… a week of peace sounded like bliss to you…

However.. he was also very clear what would happen if he did catch you before sunrise…

You looked around … no sign of him. Was it safe to move? That was probably your best option. Keep moving, don’t stay in one area too long or you’re scent will be easier to pinpoint…

“I can hear your heart racing. I’m going to do soooo many terrible things to you when I catch you. Be sure to brace yourself okay?~”

His disembodied voice despite the laughter sent a cold chill across your body as if covered in ice water. It echoed around you with no way to pinpoint the direction. He was toying with you. You couldn’t see him but you could swear you could feel his eyes on you. . You realized you were shaking as you tried to compose your racing thoughts and thumping heart.

Calm down… you think. Should you keep going left? The lake was that way. If you ran fast enough you could make it there in 10 minutes. How long could you hold your breath? Maybe the water would hide your scent..no.. he’d knew you like that place so he’d no doubt check there first. Or.. maybe the underground passage? Plenty of tunnels to hide in.

Your thoughts raced as you wracked your brain for a plan of action .

Crack*

You heard twigs lightly snapping under footsteps. Your heart dropped in your chest as you stood up. Ready to just run. Doesn’t matter the direction . You lingered here too long. You need to move now.

Snap*.

Another branch. Much too close for comfort.

Before you even had time to react you felt a cold firm on the back of your neck. The grip felt like iron and your entire body seemed to freeze in paralyzing fear.

“Nfu~.. Found you.. “

—————⛔️EXPLICIT CONTENT⛔️——————

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“An hour and 48 minutes! I think that’s a new record!” Laitos voice was cheerful and teasing . His cool breath blowing against your ear gave you chill bumps

His hand wrapped around your throat with a viselike grip. Your breath caught against his hand. Hot Tears begin to well up in your eyes. Every single one of your nerves were on fire as you began to shake. Knowing what was coming.

“Did you enjoy your little brush of freedom? Were you desperate to escape? Mm. That’s good. I quite enjoyed watching your serious expression. So sexy ~

Laito ran his tongue against your blushed cheek. You grimaced and tried to pull away, but the grip he had on your neck kept you in place.

“Ah-ah- ah what a bad girl~ We had a deal, remember ?

The oldest triplet pushed you against the nearest tree roughly. You let out a small pained cry when your back scraped against the bark. he pressed against you , your hands pinned firmly. The slight scrapes on your arms and back stung from the friction and you winced much to his amusement.

“Nfu ~ Oops my bad. Does that hurt?” He brought his mouth to your arms, kissing lightly up your fore arm before licking the tiny beads of blood that pooled along the scratches. .

“Mn.. good. This is your punishment for losing the game .”

You stared up into his eyes, a satisfied blushed smug expression met your gaze back. “ you were never gonna let me win in the first place “ you say shooting daggers with your eyes

Laito chucked lifting you up more, wrapping one hand around the back of your thigh pulling you close to his hips.

“ Neee?- how cold Bitch Chan! But I was VERY gracious. I even gave you an hour head start. That’s more than my brothers would have given you for sure.. . It’s not my fault you wasted precious time catching your breath.”

Without a warning he tore at the fabric of your lower half . Easily Shredding at your shorts with one hand, his nails would dig through and tear at the cloth , leaving faint marks along your skin . Your breath hitched and your core tightened.. attempts to struggle or pull away only proved futile . Laito shamelessly pressed his waist against yours rolling his hips. Feeling his bulge prod and rub against you was nearly enough to make your head spin . His knee raised and pressed against your feminine core.. covered only by the soaked panties that some how managed to survive the onslaught.

Laitos concentrated gaze at your soaking core set your face a blaze. You could practically feel The heat radiating off your body as it betrayed you.

“Mmm these are nice? So Very you~ Next time let’s go out and pick out something alittle more risqué together hm?”

Laito hooked one finger around the lace covered band and without much effort, ripped those away too in less than a second. His fingers traced along the wet folds coating his finger tips completely. He slid in and out tantalizingly slow.. at first rubbing his thumb against your clit, nibbling your throat. Gliding one finger inside he kissed you deeply, eating the moans that spilt from your lips. His cold hands and lips contrasting against your feverish skin sent your nerves into a state of haywire. It was all too much.

You tried looking away but a cold hand gripped at ur cheeks roughly and cupped your face, forcing you to look him into his lust filled emerald eyes.

“Heh What’s the matter Bitch-Chan? Ashamed at your own lust? That won’t do. I intend to make sure you savor every second of this. Every sound.., every touch-“ With a vicious grin he removed his fingers from you and thrust his digitis in your mouth. “Every taste….”

He slid his cold unrelenting fingers In and out, choking you as he continued to rub his clothed hard on against your center. The sensations causing you to mewl around his fingers. He thrust his fingers against your throat ruthlessly,, taking in all the desperate choked cries.

“ say how does it taste? Your own dirty juices that is. Is it sweet? Ah.. that embarrassed pathetic expression. Your half lidded eyes..You know exactly how to flip my switch don’t you Bitch-Chan? ” Your heart squeezed once more… you managed to cough out a single plea between the assault of your mouth”

“Lai- .kuh…To .... P-plee *gasp* s-Stop.. too.. gah … too m- much….”

Laito grinned darkly and pushed you onto the ground. He made quick work of his zipper, tearing it and the buttons off completely in his excitement. “Hm? But I won fair and square no? If I don’t make it unbearable it’s not much of a punishment now is it? Fufufu.. AHAHAH”

You attempted to get up but your legs were like butter. Not that you would have gotten far to begin with as Laito grabs you by your ankle roughly pulling you to him before you even had a chance of lifting yourself off the brush. With a gasped shriek . Your slick naked thighs slid agonizingly across the dirt and branches,as you’re dragged up onto your knees , ass in the air.

Without hesitation he thrusted himself inside of you, burying himself fully to the hilt. The sheer force causing you to scream out. You could feel his body shake and convulse as you heard a familiar breathless sigh then…he stops all movement for a moment that lasted like years.. It was almost worse that he stayed completely still , making sure you could feel every single solitary inch twitching inside you. Stretching you out completely… then it started..

The vampire gripped your ass tightly digging his nails into the soft flesh before rutting into you nonstop at a pace that felt.. impossible… inhuman. Drool trailed its way from the corners of your mouth down your chin as you could feel him stretch your inner walls, grind against your inner stomach. The sounds of your pathetic cries and desperate screams were enough to light a fire inside the him. pushing him to that edge. Over and over again he forced himself back inside you. It wasn’t enough. He wanted to be deeper… he wanted to be closer.. more…. He wanted in your skin…

Laito wrapped his arms from behind you around the front of your waist and lower stomach,and with an aggressive grunt, he viciously pulled you roughly back against him not stopping his relentless pounding for a second. Laito narrowed his eyes and grunted in delight as His chest pressed against your back and hand shoving your neck down, pinning you to the cold ground. Your nails clawed at the dirt beneath you , longing to hold on to something to brace yourself . Your mind was blank and full of static. Over and over the pressure of his dick hitting against your womb made your eyes roll back with pleasure you couldn’t help but to feel. It was insane, it was vigorous.. it was so fucking hot..

. With a dark chuckle he gripped you tightly by the hair and shoved your face into the dirt .

“Look at you. Hah… fufu your face is filthy. Hah.. what a sexy look. Do you like being treated like this perhaps? Like an object for my pleasure? Ha.. aah.. you really are haah.. such a ..Bitch.”

His words cut through you like a knife. A warm tight intense feeling caught in your lower stomach for a moment then passed… and you writhed desperately trying to chase that feeling “Oh? Your body seemed to enjoy that.?” He leaned down into your ear “do you have any idea how tighter you got? Fufu~ what a naughty little girl.. haah…that’s it..” laito slowed his pace just for a second. He rolled his hips upward, dragging his cock against your slick tightening walls over and over. “just keep moaning like that.. fufu.. we are in for a very long night. So suffer lots for me… hah... Bitch Chan. Nfu…💚

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Mun note: yall i have wanted to start posting my dabbles and fanfics and headcanons on this blog for so long now but I was always so scared no one would like them. So fuck it. Let’s see how yall like this shii hehe

Also tagging blogs that give me inspiration so yee❤️ ok baii~

The amazing artist that made the header https://www.tumblr.com/6robotmonster6 💕🫶🏻😩

@everything-laito @writhingecstasy @dialovers-lover-xoxo @kirisakiss @laitosrightearlobe

[comfortlesshurt]

Skyler's VLD Zine Giveaway: enter by August 31st, 2025!

Hello hello!

As some of you may know, I have a TERRIBLE habit of over-collecting VLD merch. Well, today, that is YOUR potential gain. Because I have come to propose a silly little game with prizes for two (2!) lucky winners.

INFO BELOW THE CUT!

What do I have to do?

Draw!

Well, it's slightly more complicated than that. Spelled out:

Read one (or more!) of the six qualifying fics linked below the cut. Reading the whole fic isn't required if you find the scene you're interested in early on, but it's still highly encouraged!

Pick a scene (or more than one!) and create art for it.

Share your art on Tumblr (and anywhere else you want to), making sure to include: tagging the fic's author, tagging me, a mention of this giveaway, and a link to the fic. Finally, if you are okay with the author embedding a copy of your artwork in their fic (giving you credit, obviously!), please say so in your post.

I'll reblog your art when I see it, and once I reblog, you are officially entered for both of the prizes. If I don't reblog within 48 hours, please DM me in case I missed the post!

You are NOT limited to one entry! Submit as many pieces as you want. Each piece submitted gets your name in the drawing for each prize 1 time, so 1 piece = 1 entry each, 2 pieces = 2 entries each, etc.

Bonus: if you include a screenshot of or direct link to a well thought-out comment you leave on any of the qualifying fics, you can earn one additional entry per fic. The comment needs to be a comment you made because of this giveaway, so no comments older than this Tumblr post will count. If you can't or don't want to draw, you are completely welcome to enter the giveaway by only using the comment method. You can't stack multiple comments for multiple entries, so make it one good comment for each of the six qualifying fics for up to six entries in the giveaway.

Okay, then what?

Every entry gets you one (1) ecstatic author, no limitations.

But two randomly-selected winners will also win VLD merch from my collection! I will do the drawing soon after the giveaway closes on August 31st, 2025.

What merch!?

A copy of the Besitos del Mar Klance mermaid zine

A copy of Sharpshooter: A Lance Sports Zine

(Make this fun to host, and you'll probably see another round with different prizes in the future. I never learn to stop buying merch bundles...)

Any rules?

Don't be a dick.

No generative AI. If I find out you used it for any portion of any of your entries, all of your entries are disqualified.

Please don't enter something super generic. It should be clear it was inspired by the fic. Low skill is totally fine! Low effort is not.

Please don't enter if you aren't okay with the author of the fic linking to your artwork (with credit given). Bonus if you give permission to let the author choose to embed the art in their fic (again, with credit given to you!), but that's completely optional. I can't make promises for the other authors involved, but if you choose option 1 in the fic options below, I will definitely be linking from my fic to your artwork!

Some of the qualifying fics are rated explicit. Do NOT make an entry based on an explicit fic unless you are at least 18 years old. I have provided qualifying non-explicit fics for minors and anyone else who prefers them! I will disqualify any entry based on an explicit fic if I see that it was submitted by a minor. This applies to both art entries and comment entries.

The prizes are free and the shipping is free, but you do need to provide a full legal name and address where you can receive a package. I am happy to ship internationally, but please confirm that I will be allowed to send you a package from the United States before you enter. If I'm unable to ship to your location for legal/logistical/you-not-cooperating reasons, I will reroll a winner in your place.

If you just want to participate and not enter for the prizes, that's fine! Either don't tag me (but please still tag the author of the fic!) or mention somewhere in your post that you are not entering for any prizes.

If you're only interested in one of the prizes, say which one you want to be entered for somewhere in your post! I'll put you down just for that one so you don't win something you don't want.

All submissions must be received by 31-Aug-2025 at 11:59pm EST. After that, I'll be drawing the winners. I'm not gonna (and don't want to) stop you from sharing more art, but I can't enter you for a prize anymore at that point! I'll DM the winners, allow up to a week for a response, and reroll any winners I need to after that.

What are the qualifying fics?

I thought you'd never ask! All of the options below are equally valid options for adults who want to enter.

Option number 1 and 2 contain explicit sexual references. Entries from minors will NOT be accepted for these two options.

Option number 3 and 4 are rated mature but not explicit. Minors may participate with these two options at their own discretion.

Option number 5 and 6 are rated teen and should be suitable for anyone old enough to agree to the Tumblr TOS.

Mind any tags and trigger warnings on all of these fics. You are under no obligation to read any of these, and you shouldn't if it's going to negatively affect you! A fun little $20 prize is not worth it.

1) Maybe this thing works out (if I'm lying too) by @occasionalklance

2) escape velocity by @existwound

3) Grin and Bear It by @loadingboy

4) Even the People in Your Dreams Will Lie to You by @roylustang

5) i'm only overthinking when i'm close to you by @langst

6) No Place is Home by @catsushinyakajima

And there you go!

Final summary:

1 entry per fic if you leave a nice, well thought-out comment on that fic - multiple comments on the same fic do NOT get you multiple entries

1 entry per piece of art you create for any of these fics - multiple pieces of art ARE allowed for the same fic, and every art piece is another entry into the giveaway

Be nice! Show the authors you appreciate their fics! Please show me there's enough demand for something like this so I can look forward to hosting more giveaways in the future!

You can view the entries received here, split into 1 tab for Besitos del Mar and another for Sharpshooter.

[hypersaline]

Tutorial: Editing the multi-road mod

Edit 2025-05-17: Also archived at Simblr.cc.

Here are instructions for adding new tile types to the existing multi-road mod. This tutorial is applicable to unique tiles like a partly-dirt/partly-asphalt intersection, but it's equally applicable if you want to add a tertiary or quaternary road type.

However, please keep in mind that if you don't need extra tile types but only want a different kind of secondary road (like asphalt and dirt instead of asphalt and asphalt-with-sidewalks), you can skip all of this and just replace the textures inside the Textures.package file.

First things first: make sure you have textures for the new kind of tile. You'll need five versions of it, three solid (heavy/light/no snow) and two semitransparent (snowy/clear). If you open up the Textures.package file and look at the Texture Images already present, you can use existing road pieces as templates. I've uploaded what I could find of the textures I made for dirt/asphalt intersections here at SFS, but it doesn't look like I finished them; feel free to use what's there if it's helpful. (Edit: whoops, forgot to say this originally, but those textures are mashed-up versions of ones by @nimitwinklesims and @criquette-was-here.)

Second: you need a hexadecimal ID number for each new tile type. The best way to do it is to take the vanilla tile IDs (00000300, 00000f00, 00004b00, 00005700, and 00020700) and change the third digit of each one while keeping the type the same (like using 00400300 for a dead end, 00400f00 for a straight piece, etc.). In this case, I used 00205700 for a T-intersection. Be aware that the ID number will sometimes need to end with zero and sometimes with four.

When you're ready to start, open up the Textures.package file from the multi-road mod.

Inside the Textures.package file, click on one of the two Maxis Material Shader files in the list. You need the one that says "Shaders for lot skirt" near the top.

Once you've got that open, you'll need to scroll all the way down to the bottom and find the Temperate entries that look like this:

create LotSkirtRoadMaterialInstance(lotSkirtRoad_Temperate_00205700 lotskirtroad_temperate_00205704)

...and copy and paste that whole line at the end of it.

Then hit the little blue "commit" at the bottom right.

Next, open up the one that says "Predefined neighborhood materials" near the top, and scroll down to the end of it. The version of the mod currently up on SFS already has a line for '00205700' in it - looks like I forgot to delete that (and several others, whoops). If it weren't there, you'd paste this line in and commit:

create NHoodRoadMaterial(neighborhood-roads-Temperate-00205700 Temperate_roads_00205704)

After that, look at the Texture Image files. Go down the list one-by-one. You should find five with the number "00105704" in their names. Each time you find one, right-click on its name and choose Clone.

The five clones will be italicized in the list. For each one, click to open it, go to the Filename box and replace the "00105704" with "00205704", then click the little blue "fix TGI" just below it. Then click the "Commit" button in the top right.

Click away to another resource and come back; this is just to make SimPE reload it. Right-click on the texture box and choose "Build DXT...". (If it's greyed out, SimPE can't find the Nvidia DDS Utilities on your computer, and you'll need to go install them and/or point SimPE to them.)

Click on the little blue "open" link and browse to the texture you created. Don't change any of the options, just open the image and hit "Build." Once the DDS tool is done doing its thing and you can see that your new texture has been imported, hit the "Commit" button again.

When you've done all of them, save the package and close. Now you'll be set up for the previous tutorial that directs your neighborhood to actually use the new tiles. You'll just be changing the ID numbers from "00005700" to "00205700" instead of "00105700" (or whatever).

[rigelmejo]

While I'm on the topic of beginners learning a language, common pitfalls beginners fall into, and and how to get out:

Starting a new learning resource (for beginners) for a few weeks/months, then quitting and starting a new learning resource (for beginners), getting stuck in a cycle of relearning the same material multiple times - if this is you, the solution is to STICK with 1 resource until you've completed it. (Or to stick with 1-4 resources if you are using different resources for reading, listening, speaking, writing etc.). If you find yourself jumping between apps, or resources, go ahead and keep jumping around until you find something you really like, so you can find that resource you'll stick to for months/a year. Basically, keep it simple, and stick with something.

No idea where to start or what to study first - if this is you, the solution is to pick a Structured Resource, so you can let the resource tell you what to do. Traditional classes in schools, MOOCs like Coursera, Textbooks labelled by 'level', Free Resources that have clear directions on what to do for how long. If you choose an app or an anki deck (something less structured), then make a study plan to do it a decent amount of time daily (more than 15 minutes) it until you complete it. If you struggle to judge what is useful and what's not, a Structured Resource that teaches basic grammar and 1000-3000 words, in listening and reading exercises (and optionally speaking and writing exercises/practice), is going to be the easiest thing to use.

Not putting in enough daily study time on average - if this is you, consider trying to make time for 1 hour or more of time engaging with the language daily. At least 30 minutes. 2+ hours if you're ambitious. Suggestions: consider using audio-only learning materials such as learner podcasts with other-language explanations (Glossika, Coffee Break Language, LanguagePod101/Innovative Language courses, Pimsleur, Paul Noble, audio sentence flashcards like japaneseaudiolessons.com), so you can study while doing chores, while getting ready, while commuting/traveling, while exercising, and see if you can fit in 30 minutes or more per day. Once you are no longer a beginner, it will be easier to make time for the language in your daily life, as you'll be able to engage with the language during more of your everyday hobbies. The beginning stage is the hardest, you got this.

Not seeing progress as fast as you wish - if this is you, the solution is increase your daily study time. I know, it sucks and is obvious. That's about the only way to see more progress in less days.

Losing motivation because you aren't seeing noticeable progress - if this is you, pick a short term monthly (or 3 month) goal, to be able to do something specific in the language. It could be any goal. Examples: read a Graded Reader story, finish X number of learner podcast episodes, read X chapters of a novel or comic (looking up words if needed), complete X chapters of textbook, go through X number of dialogues from class, watch a movie in the language (while looking words up as needed), watch a youtube video in the language (while looking words up as needed), read a short fanfiction in the language (while looking up words if needed), be able to speak a summary of your hobbies aloud, be able to write a diary entry about your day. These short term goals will give you something to achieve, will focus your studies on a particular thing you wish to do in the language, and will give you results you can see/measure for your efforts. These short term goals are also useful for if you like changing what you do every few months, and changing what you focus on improving - this is generally what I do, to keep interest and motivation up.

No idea if you've learned enough to move onto intermediate study resources and practice understanding the language - if this is you, a 'Grammar Guide Summary' and a 1000-3000 'Common Words List', both ideally with example sentences, will be your best friends. You can look these kinds of resources up online free, or if you have been studying with a Structured Resource then you should be able to quickly glance at that resource and see how much grammar and how many words it taught you (that information should be in the opening explanation of how to use the resource, or in the explanations and word lists of each chapter, or if it's an anki deck it will be the information on all the cards/the information on the deck's community page). Look up a "Grammar Guide Summary" and a 1000-3000 "Common Words List" and if most of the stuff on those resources looks familiar, then you're ready to start PRACTICING understanding the language, and you're ready to MOVE ON TO INTERMEDIATE RESOURCES. Congrats, you're no longer a beginner!

Not sure how to move into practicing what you are learning - if this is you, Graded Readers (containing a unique word count lower than the amount of vocabulary you've studied), Comprehensible Input Lessons (on youtube), and Learner Podcasts for Beginners to Lower Intermediate learners will be easiest for you to practice with. Also, if using a Structured Resource (like a class or textbook), any exercises it contains for practicing (writing sentences using the grammar and words taught that week, speaking the same sentences, listening to audio and answering questions about what it talked about, shadowing the audio - repeating what you hear as close to how it sounds, reading the text practice provided in the chapter/class).

Not sure how to start watching shows and reading novels - if this is you, you're either at the Upper Beginner or a Lower Intermediate stage, know a lot of basic grammar and 1000-3000 common words. My first suggestion is to go back to the previous point for practice until you feel comfortable. Once you wish to, watch stuff and read stuff made for native speakers - get yourself a good translation app (or website) for the language you're learning, and start watching stuff and reading stuff you want to. Look up any unknown words or grammar that seems key to understanding the main idea, and look up anything else you're curious about. Watch and read things you've seen before in another language, because the prior context of knowing the plot already will make it more understandable. Watch things with a lot of visual cues as to what's going on - cartoons for toddlers, cartoons for kids, action stuff, daily life stories, comics. Read stuff about topics you are already familiar with, such as news or history or science where you already know the topic and recognize some words. Congrats, you have hit the long intermediate stage!

[syrupspinner]

ive been playing a lot of collective unconscious lately

at first i was gonna make a post talking about multiple ynoproject games before i realized that i just had too much to say about this one. also, this was written before the update dropped

header made by callisto on steamgriddb

if you dont already know what yume nikki is, i consider it a must-play if you enjoy analyzing games. its effectively a rorschach test with just enough fuel to point you in an interesting direction that nobodys pieced together in quite the same way yet. the best way to play it is either for free on steam, or on ynoproject.net, which also hosts a handful of the fuckton of games that act as entries into the yumenikki-like genre. perhaps the most notable among these games, along with the classics like yume 2kki and .flow, is collective unconscious, a yume nikki fangame designed with the website's massively-multiplayer functionality in mind.

initially, i was worried that the collective nature of the game would encourage way more obtuse design. like, if youve heard of namco's tower of druaga, you might know that while english arcade-goers hated the eclectic and bizarre progression requirements, japanese arcades were abuzz with collaboration, people starting cabinet journals that list their discoveries and offer tips. i minored in sociology and therefore have the confidence to declare that this is a perfect example of collectivism vs individualism. anywho, i was worried that the post-fnaf world would encourage this kind of design on a more widespread level again, which would just mean tabbing out into a guide every few minutes. well, youve gotta for a handful of the journal covers and menu styles (the game does a great job at pacing out the rewards while still maintaining reasonable expectations), but those are optional cosmetics, and their obscurity is par for the course. the effects (scuse me, the eidola) are pretty clear-cut too, i feel like yume nikki just kinda handed em out for random stuff (which is great for what its going for!) but i really like the spectacle and circumstance around em here. like, you find the rat one in a random dumpster somewhere, but the weather one is from communing with the gods

ill note now, there isn't the stock speed vehicle like in most fangames, you can just sprint whenever. this isnt a trivial change, and the game knows it. theres one puzzle that is built around needing to sprint with another effect active. personally, i like this change, but i understand why oldheads wouldnt. dont worry, i still take my time, its just nice to speed up a bit without having to sacrifice my cool eidola

unfortunately, the multiplayer aspect wasnt too lively. there were only a handful of other dreamers, and the ones that werent just afk in the nexus were off doing their own thing god-knows-where on the map. i think i ran into one other person organically, ever, and they just ran past me. i suppose this is an inevitability when you put strangers in a sandbox together... especially since most people (hundreds compared to our twenty-odd) were in yume 2kki, the MUCH larger sandbox. anyway, im gonna stop talking about meta stuff and get into what youre all here for: dream analysis. finally, a use for that stupid psyche degree.

oh real quick, the exception to the loneliness thing is expeditions, something built-in to YNO at large. you get exp if you go to a specific location in one of the games, so you can expect a lot of people there. once you get there, youre gonna see a bunch of people standing around the entrance facing the camera afk.

anyway, when i got the soulfire eidola, the obligatory weapon effect, i got some "donut steel" vibes. its kinda funny to jump from a kitchen knife to casting Demonic Flare: Pillar of Hellfire with a floating eye face vigil and arms made of flames. but then i simply got over myself and took this as a surface-level aspect of minnatsuki's personality. you can tell a lot from a protag by how they kill npcs. for example, sabitsuki has a gun, but only uses it for intimidation, leaving the act of killing to some old pipe she found; implying that she is pragmatic, and still sees the act of murder as something dirty and ill-fitting. meanwhile, urotsuki uses a chainsaw, a weapon infamous for being impractical against humans irl but pervasive in fiction due to the sheer cool factor; this tells us she glorifies killing, seeing it as something fun and badass. minnatsuki is similar to the latter, having a fantasy spell as their method, meaning that we can see a hint of escapist desire, to be empowered beyond mundane humanity in a way that equates to the ability to harm others.

other eidola, like her animal forms being a mouse (stereotypically skittish and shy) and a jellyfish (weak and passive, confined to water), and her instument of choice being the meek and obscure kalimba, paints the picture of a girl who feels desperately powerless. she doesnt want to lash out and kill others per se, her weapon is a bit too fantastical for that. she just wants to feel strong, and whats stronger than some arbitrary mythical abstraction of an element of destruction? and dont get me started on the umbra and spectral eidola, letting her fade into nothing or just be untethered to the world. theres something she wants to escape

another thing? very rarely are you given an eidola. with soulfire and umbra you have to actively avoid people trying to stop you from leaving with it. the ones that seem more permissive have caveats: you get rodentia in a back alley from someone hidden in a dumpster, you loot lumen off a corpse, spectral comes from a literal cult ritual, and climate makes you earn the blessings of three separate... gods? before youve earned the right to it. the only real exception is kaliba, because theyre like $20 on amazon. nah but seriously, maybe it represents being a heartfelt gift from a friend? or maybe its granted more readily because its recreational, and doesnt empower minnatsuki in the way weve talked about them desiring?

by the way, i dont think minnatsuki has a gender. not like in a kris deltarune "actively canonically nonbinary" way, but as an unimportant detail left up to interpretation. maybe theyre just a cis person who doesnt care and puts no stake in it as an aspect of their identity, or maybe they just feel alienated from the social concept of gender altogether? i prefer the last one, personally, for reasons ill get to later

that brings us to the eyes. there is so much eye imagery in minnatsuki's dreams. eyes on stalks that watch you, where trying to talk to them is useless. giant murals with a six-armed diety that has an eye on its palm. women in melancholy, whos faces lack eyes. a giant flower hidden in the dark that hides a single large eye. only being able to enter the house in rainstorm city that has the eye symbol next to it. perception plays a toll on minnatsuki, and i think it goes both ways. they feel observed in a burdensome way, and they feel incapable of 'seeing' on the same level as others. or maybe they see too much? is there an event she shouldnt have seen, or does she experience sight at a level above others, recognizing things others cant? the child and spectral eidola may be a wish fulfillment of the former, letting her see the unseen in a literal way, while also letting her overcome limitations that she has seen for herself with the latter

another thing about the design i wanna mention real quick is that so much is diagonal. this is something that the rpgmaker engine isn't built to really allow. like yeah, you can, and this game goes out of its way to make it non-obtrusive by having minnatsuki slide along walls sometimes, but it's not something the foundation was set in mind for. this also brings to mind the idea that minnatsuki doesn't fit in with others. it's not a disease like in .flow, it's not something that's detrimental to her in a literal way. it just causes friction with the world around her, because she doesn't feel as if it's built for how she is. she just doesnt quite fit with the world around her sometimes, the way she moves is just a bit off, like a direction-locked movement system trying to go diagonally

theres also a lot of thematic relevance to the idea of connection and ingroup membership. the game is named from the jungian ideal, a level of understanding inherent to the human mind where process instinct and achetype (the latter basically being our classification of others into pre-conscieved schema like "the wily trickster" and "the tyrant leader"). in addition, the game has a lot of togetherness imagery, with npcs sometimes travelling in packs or existing as hordes (the only exception i can think of are npcs that give you something like an eidola or menu theme, perhaps meaning isolation holds a deep importance), and things acting as notable points of interaction when they are isolated (note that the dungeon-relevant houses in gbc world are furthest from the village, for example). there's also a lot of totem poles, acting as the dream trigger and the centre of the nexus, signalling great importance. in first nation tradition, totem poles are created to honour the lineage of a clan (using designs that are unique to that clan), and send messages such as welcoming visitors and shaming wrong-doers (both of these uses involve establishing in-group membership).

i believe these themes combined, minnatsuki's dreams letting her feel powerful and connected, paint the picture of a person that is alone and powerless. minnatsuki doesnt have friends, and im not sure if she even has bullies. i have yet to meet a chaser in this game, so maybe that means that nobody even singles her out in a negative way? stares and weird looks, maybe, but only as a collective and not as a personal connection. this is corroborated by the school location, which minnatsuki's dream constructs as a tainted and evil place, half-formed from broken blueprints. she understands it as a flawed idea done poorly; implying that her disillusion is so severe she sees her isolation as an inseparable corruption of the entire system. so, she feels powerless to stop it, as well as alone and friendless

unfortunately, the game doesnt seem to have a proper ending yet. which is a shame, because most solid ynfg theories start with you working backwards from the ending. well, i supposed "social outcast that struggles with confidence and/or self-esteem" isnt a groundbreaking theory, but im still interested to see if this supported or jossed as the game gets more updates. also, i noticed while brushing this up that at some point i switched from they to she for minnatsuki, so i guess the audience has interpreted.

look i could ramble about this wonderful game all day. dont get me started about my thoughts on the event in uncanny world, the lonely girl in snowy shoal, and the random blond girl that can just show up in random places out of nowhere and that takes you one a scooter ride once you get to know her?

im gonna be playing this for a long, long time, and im gonna love every second of it

[yuurivoice]

Hi!

I’ve been a silent viewer for a little bit & I'm trying to get caught up. 

While watching your housewarming stream (congrats on the new studio btw!), & seeing/hearing about some stuff from the upcoming projects you/the team have been working on, I thought of something.

From what I could tell, it sounded like there may be a definitive “main listener” character in EoE who plays a specific, significant role in the story.

So, if EoE is the world that everyone in BitterSweet, Shattered, Lost & Found, etc. originated from before they became dreamers, is the listener in EoE supposed to be an amalgamation of all the listener characters from all the other series? Like, was the listener from EoE “split” into the dreamers we now know as Boo, Rook, Casper, etc.? (Similar to how there are multiple “multiverse” variations of Finn.) 

Or, will EoE be another instance where there are multiple listener characters that can branch off alongside the other original characters you introduced? (Like, Thomas gets his own listener, Evalas Finn gets his own listener, etc.)

Am I completely off with my interpretation? I fear I may be getting a little too lost in the sauce, & that I'm looking for information/lore that might not even be true or relevant. 

Anyway, I’m so excited to see how all of this pieces together in the end. Keep up the incredible work!

A little lost in the sauce, but I like your gumption! Short answer, there will be multiple listeners for SOME characters. Thomas most certainly will get one, but I haven't uncovered who or why they are.

What's really different about Evalas Finn's listener is that they're not really his listener. They're a member of a group whose POV will span multiple characters and interactions and are not tied to Finn in such a way that they are constantly in his pocket. While that is a tried and true way to do ASMR Roleplay things, I wanted a silent protagonist. Someone whose motivations are their own, and not so closely aligned with the characters they share scenes with.

Finn has secluded himself and kept secrets. What I realized in the now redacted EoE entry was that creating a character who just cares about Finn, or even had some motivation but ultimately had to be with him to function wasn't going far enough. We're in a fantasy setting in a world where I could do anything, with a clean slate and tons of options. It felt silly to just play the hits when we could get really interesting.

There's a key shift behind that and I'll just put it plainly.

I don't really care about selling smut tied to Echoes of Evalas. I've given up trying to voice every cut of meat so I could moan for money. I've given up on every relationship between character and listener being perfect and occasionally horny. The machine will continue running if I can't peddle my smut, and that means...not everything has to be a perfect, sexy, agreeable situation. It can get messy.

With that freedom.......it's a whole new world of options.

Now, I say that, but there is definitely spice pretty early on buttttt...it kinda serves a narrative purpose. The intimacy isn't just something that happens and is otherwise unbothered with the plot. It leads to some things!

What I think I'll discover is that my box I put myself in before this freedom was one of my own making due to listening to a handful of voices I let get under my skin...including my own.

There is something unique about this listener, but it will be at least somewhat clear early on. At least you'll have enough to start sniffing in the right direction!

[anim-ttrpgs]

February Patreon Rewards

Even though it’s only been like a week since the big public update on itch.io, there’s still plenty to be excited about for patreon subscribers. A lot of small tweaks, clarifications, and typo corrections for Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy as pointed out by the many people who downloaded the updated beta version last week, plus some rearranging and cleanup of sections. The Morale section is a hell of a lot clearer and easier to reference now, that’s for sure.

As for Silk & Dagger: A Sensible Drow RPG, the crunch time leading up to and around the release of the big Eureka beta update has made progress slow, and it is still nowhere near finished enough for us to put it up as a public beta, but it has functional-er character creation now, and an unfinished preview of the Palace Generation rules.

Two of the biggest things that our early playtests revealed is that this is a game that really benefits from a set map, and that there needs to be more for the Drow to do. The palace generation rules will help you create a map for the game, and upgrade it as your Drow climbs the ranks. When that’s done I’ll be adding in rules to make skirmishing less of a thing mentioned in the background and more of a thing the Drow actually does during gameplay. I am really hoping to make more progress on it next week so that it can be released publicly as a beta like Eureka this month, or March, or April.

Full changelog for both games below.

Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy Changelog

CHAPTER 2

Edited a mistake in the Chemistry Skill 

Clarified that a character cannot have multiple instances of the same Trait 

Clarified that even with the Did You Know Trait, an investigator can still gain bonus Investigation Points from other Traits. 

Fixed a typo in the optional fears in the tiers of fear section

Slapped in a section that better explains how the character sheet works, will fix this up later

Clarified that My Glasses Trait gives a Contextual bonus and clarified Go With Your Gut

Moved “Creating NPCs” from Chapter 7 to Chapter 2.

Really cleaned up “Creating NPCs” and “Morale” and made it much more clear

CHAPTER 3

Clarified Epicenter Initiative

CHAPTER 7

Finished the “Setting the Stage” section

Cut “Connections (Optional Rule)” for now. We might put it back in later, but the thing that this rule does is something that most groups have little trouble doing on their own, and we really need to reduce page count.

Moved “Creating NPCs” from Chapter 7 to Chapter 2.

Reordered chapter 7

Removed “Character Moments (Optional Rules)” for now, might put it back in. 

Removed “Car stalling Out” Might put it back in. 

Removed “Clues direct the party” and “Clue redundancy”, might put them back 

CHAPTER 8 

Fixed typo in the Wolfman “Unstoppable” section

Fixed it so that the Wolfman “Just Built Denser” section does not make wolfmen inherently be super tall

Fixed typo under the Curse section of Changeling

Clarified how the Manifest Weaponry Mage Ability interacts with other Traits.

New hunting table entry added (this one was from a submitter, those slots are still open, you can email us about getting your own custom hunting table entry at anim.contactus@gmail.com)

Silk & Dagger: A Sensible Drow RPG Changelog

CHAPTER 1

Made it so that complications arise for chores on a Narrator rolling a 5 or a 6 instead of just a 6. 

CHAPTER 2

Added Reflexes Skill for servants only. Anything a Drow PC would do that would be covered by the Reflexes Skill would just automatically succeed. 

Added a bunch of Traits for both servants and Drow. A lot of them are just transferred over from Eureka, but we just had to get SOME Traits in there. The more we are able to flesh out the mechanics themselves, the more we can start to come up with Silk&Dagger-specific Traits that play with the rules in unique and interesting ways. We also plan to make a bunch of servant Traits based on famous maids and butlers from fiction. 

Started work on Palace Generation mechanics but they are not yet finished enough to really be used.

CHAPTER 3 

[couldawouldashoulda50]

Never Been Kissed - Part Three - Matthew Knies

Below is part three of my entry for @cellythefloshie's birthday BINGO, featuring Matthew Knies. Again, my 5 tropes (Virginity, Age Gap, Secret Lovers, Meet Cute, Pining) are spread across the 3 parts.

In case you missed it - linking Part One and Two

Warnings/Notes - general smut (p in v), allusions to smut (both m and f oral), swearing. For anyone who read the first two parts, I did adjust the OC's age slightly. I hadn't received any feedback, but after some more research to get a grasp of overall public opinion on age differences in dating, I did change Lana's age slightly.

Celly - I hope you had the most amazing birthday....you are truly one of my favourite writers on here so it makes me happy to try and do something for you. I hope you have enjoyed this journey with Matthew Knies -- I have really enjoyed writing him.

Word Count - 6.7k

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With the promise of their lunchtime rendezvous solidified, the pair went off in their separate directions—Lana heading into the office and Matthew to his condo and then to the gym.

Lana's casual attire—flowy linen pants and a t-shirt—was a clear signal that she did not plan to remain in the office for long. When Ainsley walked in and saw Lana's outfit, with her hair swept up in a loose bun, she knew something was up.

Ainsley approached Lana's office and softly knocked on her door. "Lana… are you okay?"

Lana noticed the concern on her assistant's face and tried to sound reassuring as she fibbed. "I'm fine, but something's not agreeing with me. Since it's slow today, I think I'll take the rest of the day off and deal with this at home."

"Is it like food poisoning or something?"

Lana wanted to tie up the line of questioning quickly and just get the hell out of there. "No—but let's just say my stomach isn't thanking me for the hot dog I had at the ball game yesterday."

"You ate a hot dog? Were you drunk or something? You never eat stuff like that…"

"Yeah, well, now I remember why." Lana rubbed her stomach for extra effect as Ainsley winced in a show of sympathy. "Anyway, call me if there are any issues. Looks like it might be a slow week anyway with the long weekend coming up. A nice relaxed week would be nice before the craziness of September hits."

Ainsley nodded and wished Lana well, telling her to go home and rest before the forecasted downpour begins. Lana felt a twinge of guilt for being untruthful to her assistant, but in this case, the less Ainsley knew, the better. Besides, Lana was aware that Ainsley had veered off the path of truth and accuracy on more than a few occasions.

Although it wasn't because of the hot dog, drinks, or anything else she had eaten the day before, Lana's stomach felt like it was turned upside down. Nervous energy swirled within her as she returned home with a few grocery items and one box of condoms that she painstakingly selected. After seeing so many brands, sizes, sensations, and everything else under the sun in the family planning section of the store, in a panicked state, she called Jason. Lana decided calling her brother would be awkward, and other friends might pry too much, so Jason became her unlikely condom consultant—a role he embraced with surprising enthusiasm.

Lana guesstimated that Matthew might return by about 11:30, so she had time for some personal care. With underarms, bikini line, and legs as smooth as silk, she slathered her favorite lotion from her neck all the way to her polished toes.

She dressed in a simple white t-shirt and loose-fitting pants and went about assembling fresh flatbread pizzas, salad, and some sweet but healthy options for dessert. Lana had no clue what hockey players ate while training, so she was forced to wing it to the best of her ability.

Meanwhile, across the city, Matthew smirked and shook his head as he evaded questions about his recent whereabouts from a few of his teammates, as he quickly packed up to leave the gym. Joe wasn't among those who kept pestering Matthew to come out with them after their session, but being one of his closest friends, he knew something was up with his buddy.

As Matthew smiled and bee-lined it to the door, giving a rather hurried wave to those around him, Joe quickly gathered his things, grabbed his bag, and bolted after him.

"Matty—hold up a sec…" Joe hollered as he ran to catch up to Matthew at the door. With a few long strides, Joe was next to him walking out into the parking lot. Joe chuckled at the determined expression on his good pal's face. "Hot date? Where're you heading off to in such a rush?"

Matthew decided to stretch and manipulate the truth as best as he could. Lying wasn't his forte. "I have an appointment with the realtor—just some things to, uh, you know… finish up—I guess…," his voice trailing off.

"How about we go out to that ping-pong bar tonight—y'know, get some of the boys and get some challenges going?"

Distracted by the rumble of thunder in the distance, Matthew fidgeted, shifting his backpack from one shoulder to the other. "Uh—yeah, maybe… I'm not sure just yet… let me do what I planned to do and I'll let you know after I get a nap in."

Given his recent mood shifts and the fact he'd been a bit of a ghost for the past couple of weeks, Joe had all but expected Matthew to decline. "Yeah? OK… yeah, man… sounds good… shoot me a text then and we'll figure it out."

Matthew hurriedly threw his bag in the backseat of his vehicle, quickly blurted a "I'll message ya later" towards Joe, and promptly sped off, leaving his good friend even more puzzled than before.

As Matthew eased along Dundas Street West, he thought solely about Lana. He knew he might be too young to even have this notion, but he had never known a woman like her. He scoffed at himself, acknowledging how much of a cliché it was to even think the thought. Falling for a bona fide woman—a stunning, successful, electrifying woman—is what Matthew realized he craved. Girls his age were fun, vibrant, and awesome to hang out with, but the influx of women who'd emerged this past season had provided Matthew with a clearer picture of what he didn't want.

Matthew realized he was licking his lips incessantly as the nervousness began to build when he turned onto Lana's street. Drops of rain began to spatter onto his windshield, filling him with anticipation of the hours ahead. Unless something drastic had changed, he would be making love to Lana sooner rather than later, and this time, he was prepared.

Using the garage pass Lana provided him with that morning, he parked his vehicle beside Lana's in the underground lot and used the elevator that stopped directly in her place. Lana knew he had arrived even before the elevator doors had opened, having spotted him on the security monitor in her kitchen. How the sight of him walking across the lot to the elevators felt bizarrely familiar, Lana would never know. It felt as though he was meant to be there all along.

Matthew's face lit up as Lana came to greet him. She was about to ask him how everything went, but Matthew's mouth was already on hers, muffling her words. She couldn't help but smile and chuckle into his kiss before Matthew's kiss became a little more hungry and his grip around her more needful. She closed her eyes and offered everything she had within her to him.

Matthew began to walk them upstairs to her bedroom, but the sight of the prepared lunch stopped him in his tracks.

He looked at Lana bashfully. "Oh—man, everything looks incredible—sorry, I didn't mean to just come in hot like that… I just couldn't help it. We can eat—I don't want anything to spoil."

With a newfound confidence, Lana spoke as she kissed him. "None of it's gone into the oven yet—so… it can wait… if you had something else in mind…," Lana said softly between kisses, followed by a wink.

That's all the invitation Matthew needed. Within minutes, the two found themselves naked in bed, hands and mouths exploring in tandem, drawing out the most erotic sounds from each other.

The now torrential downpour added a glorious backdrop of white noise which accompanied the sweet, suggestive murmurs spoken against each other's warm flesh.

The condom conversation eventually occurred, and they couldn't stop laughing when they discovered the new bounty of latex sheaths that each had brought.

Lana was ready for Matthew, but nervousness continued to twist in her stomach. She bit her lip and tried to catch her breath as she watched Matthew carefully roll the condom down his firmly erect shaft. Like the day before, she fixated on every detail of his cock, and she felt a greater need for him blossom within her.

Matthew's hips pressed against hers as he leaned over and kissed her deeply. She raked her fingers through the longer strands of hair towards the base of his neck before her palms descended across his shoulders and along the ridges of his back muscles.

Lana spoke near his ear. "I think I'm ready, Matthew. Can we try now?"

Matthew nestled his face in the crook of her neck and responded "Yes" while softly kissing along her throat.

He positioned his cock at her entrance, rubbing the tip through her inner pussy lips. Slowly, he guided the head of his cock into her entrance as he gently pushed the full tip inside of her.

Matthew was careful and studied Lana's expressions and movements after she encouraged him to keep going deeper. She moaned and gripped his rock-hard forearms as he gently pumped his hips, allowing more of his shaft to slide inside her.

Matthew's full length was inside of Lana. Their gaze trailed from each other down to watch his cock enter and stroke her inner walls. Matthew noticed Lana start to relax as her initial discomfort began to dissipate. Her eyes fluttered closed, her mouth fell open, and her head lolled to the side as her hands roamed along all of his well-sculpted muscle groups. He gently worked his thumb around her clit, using the same technique that had brought her such bliss the night before. Steadily, Matthew continued his fluid motions, gliding in and out while he carefully caressed her highly sensitive bud, only stopping to wet his thumb, tasting her on his tongue.

Try as he might to prolong it, Matthew was getting close. He threw his head back, grunting loudly as he pumped Lana a little more quickly. When he heard her moan his name, he stretched out on top of her while her hands grasped onto his ass. Lana cried out and held onto Matthew's body as he tried to maintain his rhythm, but she just felt so good. Matthew gasped out that he was going to cum and gripped the pillow on either side of her head, flexing his muscles as his body spasmed and twitched with his release.

He remained on top of and inside Lana for a moment, breathing heavily, knowing how incredible he felt but unsure about Lana. But when their eyes connected, they shared a moment that was full of awe and amazement as their rapid breathing slowed.

For Lana, she had no expectations of what her first time would be like. She knew there would be discomfort and it wasn't going to look like the glorified Hollywood sex scenes she had seen in movies. But Matthew made losing her virginity feel natural, beautiful, and more enjoyable with his attentiveness and care.

The rain continued steadily into the early afternoon, but the dreariness outside was a perfect recipe for some relaxation, which Lana realized she had been lacking. Barely clothed, the two brought the flatbread creations back to bed and only stayed upright long enough to eat and drink. They kissed, chatted, and laughed while their hands feathered over each other's bodies. As they lay together, she learned about some of Matthew's physical scars, and he learned about the more emotional ones from Lana's childhood.

Eventually, Matthew enveloped Lana in his arms and held her tightly as he settled in for a nap. To Lana, a midday nap was unheard of; however, not long after Matthew's rumbling snores filled the room, Lana's eyes grew heavy, and she nodded off to sleep as well.

She awoke hours later to Matthew's mouth kissing her shoulder and his arm reaching over her to grab his phone. She smiled, hearing him groan and yawn beside her. She could hear him swiping and tapping the screen as she remained still with her back facing him.

Lana stirred slightly to signal she was awake. The typing on the screen ceased, and Matthew promptly set his cell aside. His hands then roamed her body, fondling everything within reach.

"Do you have anything going tonight? Or is it okay if I hang out here? I hope you're not sick of me yet," Matthew said.

She visualized his smile, one she found so disarming that she'd immediately cancel her plans, if she had any.

Lana kissed along Matthew's arm. "No, I have no plans… if you would like to, I would love to have you stay." She shifted her body, turning to face him. "So, you have nothing going on? I thought you boys would be constantly out on the town during this last stretch of summer," Lana said with a grin as she ran the back of her fingers down his cheek.

Matthew had just sent a message to Joe cancelling their potential plans for that evening. He knew he had begun to raise some questions in Joe's mind—questions that he would need to address at some point. But how could he when he really had no idea himself about what he and Lana were—or weren't?

"My buddy—Joe Woll—not sure if you know him?"

Lana nodded her head that she did.

"We had talked about getting together tonight with some of the guys that are in town now. But I just cancelled—I sort of wanted to stay here… hang out some more with you." Matthew seemed a little sheepish, now that he actually heard how the words sounded out loud.

Lana's brows furrowed with Matthew's admission. "Matthew—I hope you didn't feel like you had to stay… I know you have a life too—I'm not looking to get in the way of that."

"I know… I'm just not ready to leave this little space that we're in right now." Matthew's voice trailed off and then he chuckled. "I really like being with you and I want to do so much more of this… like, the last couple of days—getting to know so much more about you—I just—fuck—I think you're amazing…." Matthew's cheeks flushed at his confession, uncertain of whether Lana felt an ounce of what he had been feeling. "I hate asking this but, do you feel the same about me? Sort of like—do you have a picture of what we are… or could be? Maybe I shouldn't even be asking this…."

Lana looked up at Matthew, her expression warm and soft and full of affection for him. It boggled her mind that the soon-to-be 22-year-old would ever consider a relationship with someone well beyond his years.

"I'd like to continue this—whatever 'this' is... spending time together. I'm not sure of the proper label. Dating? Seeing each other?" Lana nestled closer to Matthew's chest, her fingers tracing patterns on his skin. She paused, then added softly, "But there's something I can't quite grasp."

Matthew shifted to get a better view of her face. He hadn't anticipated Lana's question and had to bite his tongue, allowing her to finish before he spoke.

"Why me? I'm not meaning to sound like I'm putting myself down, but I have tried to consider a few angles—you've got this incredible career ahead of you. You could have your pick of women—women more your age. Young women—models, athletes, whomever—that you can start your young lives together," Lana paused, gathering her thoughts. "I'm just… worried… I have lived my twenties. I'm in a whole other decade than you. And please don't get me wrong, when we're together, I rarely think about our age gap. You're so mature, intelligent, articulate, thoughtful..." She punctuated each compliment with a soft kiss on his chest. Then, worry clouded her face. "But don't you ever worry—if we were to start a relationship—that your family, your friends might feel I'm too old for you? You might even feel that way at some point down the road. I've seen all sorts of relationships with athletes, but this—this with me and you is something entirely different—"

Matthew interjected, shaking his head. "God—no. I know there's still so much we have to figure out about each other, but this being different is exactly what I want. I know I might seem too eager with wanting to spend as much time with you as I can—maybe I come across as immature... but it's because ever since we met, I never want our conversations—our time together—to end. It's like the biggest no-brainer I've ever had. So no—I don't think about whether there's a difference in age… I don't feel anything like that. I just can't ignore how great I feel when we're together."

Lana listened closely to Matthew's words, trying to uncover any red flags in how he viewed her. This didn't appear to be a ruse or him looking for a mother-figure, or anything else of that nature.

"Lana—look, I've been on the other side of things with my past girlfriends, even more than once—when everything becomes an argument, when even the simplest things seem hard, and being around them feels like a chore or an obligation. Fuck, I wasn't even looking to start dating—meeting you took me out at the knees and every single time we were together… you just—you brought out the best of me—and I think I did that for you too. So... if you're willing to give me a shot, I'm all in."

Lana's mind, once again, instinctively drifted into her natural mode of calculating risk. She could certainly see risks with Matthew, not just solely from his age, but questioning whether it was emotion or logic driving his feelings for her. She was in her own struggle between using logic or emotion, which was proving easier said than done.

But as Lana ran her hands down his broad chest, she agreed with him in her mind. He brought out the lighter parts of her personality, and she liked it. "I'd like to try. Take things day by day… spend what time we can with each other. I'm not looking to rush anything, and until we're both comfortable, I would prefer to keep this totally private. Does that sound okay?"

Matthew thought for a moment, reminding himself he had to be patient—this was her first relationship and she was understandably cautious. Matthew lifted her chin and kissed her gently while saying "Absolutely."

The rain subsided just before dinnertime. The two hadn't ventured much beyond the bedroom, and Lana fully and completely reveled in their lazy day together. Matthew's mouth explored more of Lana, and she, in turn, fueled by her fascination and internal drive, gave him her very first blow job. She thoroughly enjoyed the act, but it was the praise she received which made her positively giddy inside.

In Lana's mind, there could never be a comparison for the day she just spent with Matthew. He eased her comfortably into a whirlwind of changes and new experiences. Nothing felt overwhelming. It all just felt exactly as it should be.

In the days leading up to the Friday before Labor Day, Lana and Matthew managed to deftly arrange their respective schedules to maximize their newly sacred alone time. Knowing that Lana would remain up north for two weeks from Labor Day, Matthew pulled out all the stops, with romantic gestures and all-out wooing her before she departed for Muskoka Friday morning.

First, the bouquet of 11 long-stemmed white roses and 11 chocolate-dipped strawberries that arrived the following day. Ainsley delivered the gifts to Lana's office just as she exited the conference room, bidding farewell to her new client. Lana stifled a smile when she saw Ainsley's puzzled expression. She knew her assistant was bursting at the seams to ask the million questions she surely had bouncing in her mind. Lana glided over to her desk, marveling at the perfectly formed rosebuds, blushing as she removed the sealed envelope attached to one of the stems, and another on the box of strawberries.

"LANA—oh my god, it's killing me… who sent you roses and strawberries? Please… I won't tell anyone… please—are you seeing someone?"

Ainsley did not know about Lana's personal history. Although Lana had a good relationship with her assistant, it was after careful observation once Ainsley was hired that Lana saw Ainsley might be a touch too comfortable in sharing the private matters of others.

Lana fibbed. "Just a thank-you from Aryne Tavares for helping Matthew. I'm just going to call her now—I'll stop by your desk afterwards so we can go over some things while I'm away."

Ainsley recognized Lana wasn't eager to dive into a personal chat and quietly closed her office door, stopping to gossip with another sales rep in the break room.

Lana double-checked the door was closed before she opened the first envelope. The card read:

"11 is my new favorite number."

Lana wasn't sure of the reference right away, but it soon dawned on her. Their difference in age.

She chuckled and shook her head, grinning widely as she opened the second envelope.

"Better than beet juice. You can share these at the office—there will be more later."

Lana pressed the card against her heart. There will be more later echoed in her mind.

And there was more.

After Lana sent Matthew a quick thank-you note, they swiftly made plans to meet as soon as she arrived home from the office.

Just as Lana returned home, Matthew arrived at her door with two more bouquets of 11 long-stem roses—one red bouquet and one yellow, as he wasn't sure which color she liked the most.

Matthew also brought a second box of strawberries, dipped in rich Belgian chocolate, which had a dual purpose.

The strawberries, which were later placed on Lana's bare torso, would serve as edible foreplay.

After the delectable appetizer, the sustenance it provided fueled the pair for a marathon in bed. The freedom of knowing they wanted to try for a future together proved to be a powerful aphrodisiac.

Night had fallen, and Lana lay across her bed, breathless. Her skin still rosy and flushed, covered in a light sheen of sweat as she watched Matthew return from the bathroom. He crawled onto the bed, placing kisses over her naked body as she lazily ran her hands through his hair and down his back.

Lana mused that she could get used to this.

___

The Saturday of the Labor Day weekend was picture perfect. Bright and sunny skies, with every shade of blue on display in every direction. Lake Rosseau was still for the moment, the surface of the water would rival the smoothest glass.

Lana and Andrew's shared lakefront home was already buzzing with activity. Their Labor Day shindig was one of the area's most popular get-togethers, as the brother-sister duo were known for their warmth, hospitality, and delicious offerings from local food and drink venues. Lana and Andrew had long ago decided to take turns organizing the annual event. After Lana threw one of their most revered parties the previous year, Andrew and Jason were determined to outdo her this time. This friendly sibling rivalry to host the better get-together likely made their end-of-summer event one of the most sought-after invitations around Port Carling.

Andrew spotted Lana stealing a few moments alone on the south-facing deck of a sitting area. He handed her an espresso, which she hadn't asked for but deeply appreciated.

"Just got a message from Aryne Tavares," Andrew said. "She already RSVP'd for her and John, but it sounds like they have a few guests staying at their cottage. She wondered if we could accommodate some extra mouths to feed. What do you think?" Andrew maintained a straight face until he saw Lana trying not to smile, as she quickly guessed who one of the "extra mouths" might be.

"Drew, this is all yours," she replied, feigning innocence. "If your numbers say yes, then there's your answer."

"Aryne mentioned one of their guest's names is Matthew Knies. Ring any bells?" Andrew teased.

"You're such a donkey sometimes, Drew. Total jackass." Lana scoffed and bumped against him.

"I actually cannot wait to meet him. See the guy that's lifted all of that shit off your shoulders that our mother laid on you. Did you know he was up for the weekend?"

"He messaged me that he was staying with John and a few teammates for the weekend. Said he hoped that he could stop by for a bit."

“Well, once we’re all cleaned up here after the party, Jason and I are going on a little road trip, so your two weeks alone will be starting tomorrow. Although, the alone thing…maybe not so much anymore, eh?”

Lana chuckled and shrugged her shoulders.

“Sound carries like crazy up here but the glass doors are sound proof - I recommend keeping them closed if you and Matthew are - you know…”

“Jesus Andrew - will you stop?” Lana laughed.

“I forgot to mention - well done too….Jason and I were watching some press conferences… he sure looks like he’s got stamina. Built like a brick shithouse, as they say….”

“Fuck - I’m outta here…you’re too much…”

Lana stood up but stopped to wrap her arms around her brother. “I love you, Drew.”

“Love you to sis. I’m happy for you. Jason and I both are.”

—

Matthew spotted Lana first. Her naturally wavy hair flitted in the breeze with the ends brushing the small of her back. She absolutely took his breath away. She looked happy, relaxed, and incredibly beautiful as the light wind off the lake swept her hair to the side.

The man Lana was speaking to was no less beautiful, and Matthew had to get his bearings and calm his mind before he approached her. It was difficult not to react to the knot in his stomach given how close Lana seemed to be with the unknown man, who appeared athletic, tanned, and pretty much perfect.

Aryne, John, Joe Woll and Fraser Minten (otherwise knowns as Mints), signaled to Matthew that they were heading to get a drink and waved for him to join them. When Matthew indicated he’d be there in a minute, barely taking his eyes off Lana, Joe - in a flash - pieced it together of why his good friend had been so distant since he first started his search for a new place to live.

Joe watched from afar as Lana sensed a presence behind her. She turned around to see Matthew's face, and her own lit up, with bashful adoring smile. Lana approached Matthew and introduced him to the man she had been standing with.

"Matthew Knies—this is Jason Morin, my brother's partner. Jason, this is Matthew."

Jason shook Matthew's hand. "Great to meet you. I'm a really big fan of yours - and the team. Hoping for an amazing season ahead for you guys."

Matthew’s eyes widened once he realized he had misinterpreted the situation. “Oh - Jason - wow, awesome to meet you too. Yeah, it’s going to be an exciting season I think.”

The three chatted for a few minutes before Aryne, John, and the rest of their group made their way over to greet them. Hugs and handshakes and introductions were made and the group fell into mostly a comfortable exchange.

Eventually Lana ushered Aryne back into the grand main cottage - Aryne had her eye on some fixtures and dressings throughout the main room and Lana was glad to give her the details of the designer.

John and Fraser wanted to go explore the massive boathouse and the multi-dock/deck system, leaving Matthew and Joe with their Corona beers. They did a quick cheers and silently surveyed the southern view from the main deck at the back of the cottage.

Joe broke the silence but didn’t turn his head from the view. “Amazing spot.”

“Sure is.”

Joe smirked knowingly. He could tell Matthew was aware that Joe's keen "spidey senses" had picked up on something.

“Lana seems nice. Oh - right - she’s the one that helped you find your new place?”

Matthew fought against wanting to smile. “Yep.”

Joe bided his time and took another sip from his bottle. “Yep. Seems really nice.”

Matthew tried to fight it off but he broke in to a laugh. “Fuck dude - just ask what you want to ask or say what you want to say man - might as well get it over with.”

Joe teased his buddy. “You better work on not cracking under pressure like that - jeez, I was barely egging you on…”

Matthew rolled his eyes and scoffed. “So? What do you wanna know?”

Joe shrugged. “Anything you’re willing to divulge….”

“Well….. Lana and I are seeing each other.” Matthew exhaled deeply without even realizing he’d been holding his breath.

Joe’s eyes smiled for his friend. “Good for you, man - that’s great…”

Matthew nodded and looked around at the groups of party goers that had congregated near the bar. “She wants to keep it private - she’s worried that my family and friends are going to think she’s too old for me.”

“Ahhh - yeah, I get it.” Joe knew Matthew’s family would just want him to be happy but he certainly saw Lana’s point. “How old is she?”

“32. So just over 10 years difference.”

“Shit, that’s not bad at all. You’re 22 next month so yeah, ten years isn’t bad.”

"But… Jesus, Joe. Fuck, I couldn't help it. I swear, she took me out at the knees — first time I saw her, I was standing in her office behind John worrying I was about to pop an awkward boner."

Joe laughed, nearly choking on his gulp of beer.

"I couldn't have cared less about viewing the condos — I probably could've gotten everything decided in the first couple of hours, but I acted all indecisive for weeks, just to see her again. Man — she's just such an amazing person. She really is."

Aryne's voice behind Joe startled him and Matthew. "Is John still down at the boathouse?"

Matthew peered around a few groups of people and pointed John out to Aryne.

"Lana — I'll be back in a sec…," Aryne called over her shoulder as Lana approached Matthew and Joe.

“How are you guys doing? Do you need anything at all?” Lana said as she assessed the remaining beer in each of their bottles. She pointed out so additional food stations that had just been set up and rhymed off the varieties of cuisines, if they were hungry of course.

Joe smiled widely and chatted with Lana briefly before excusing himself, leaving Matthew and her alone together.

Barely moving his lips and pretending to look around, Matthew spoke under his breath to Lana how gorgeous she looked. Blushing, Lana did the same.

She paused for a moment and then asked if Joe knew about them. Matthew glanced downward and then apologetically looked into her eyes. Matthew explained that Joe had guessed - and that Joe was also exceptionally smart and seem to notice….well, everything.

Lana’s soft voice soothed Matthew’s mild panic, telling him it was ok that Joe knew. Her brother and Jason knew so it really was only fair.

Matthew had a sudden need to be alone with Lana and he leaned in towards her. “Think I could get a private tour of the inside?”

Lana’s eyes were directed towards a local power couple as she smiled and waved at them, but her mind was solely on Matthew. “Mmmm…I can give you a tour a little later - I have something else in mind. There’s a main staircase inside - follow it upstairs and I'll meet you up there in about 5 minutes, okay?”

Matthew chuckled and jokingly looked over his shoulder, then back to Lana. “Yes ma’am.”

__

Long after Matthew left with the Tavares’ Saturday evening, and once Andrew and Jason had departed on their scheduled road trip the following day, Loren was alone. She traipsed around from room to room absorbing the tranquility of the house, and the bright a breathtaking scenery outside. She always loved this time of year, and there was an odd satisfaction with taking time off when it felt most were venturing back to the work week and school grind after their summer breaks.

Lana changed into her typical work out attire, and headed down to the lake where her one-person scull awaited her on shore. Lana loved her solo rowing trips, especially on a day where the lake was as quiet as it was.

She rowed the lightweight boat along the shoreline at an impressive speed, concentrating on her tempo, proper posture and breathing. She was far off in her own world inside her mind, and barely glanced at the million dollar lake houses with their enormous floating docks and monster ski boats and jet-skis tied to each one.

After an hour-long trip around the lake, she approached her own dock and spotted a tall figure standing by the swim ladder. She stopped rowing to shield her eyes from the sun to get a better look— unintentionally rocking the boat and squealing a little when she realized it was Matthew.

As fast as she could, she hopped into the water and dragged the boat onto the sandy part of the shore, and ran up towards the gangplank where Matthew was climbing down to meet her.

Lana wrapped her arms around Matthew. “I am so happy you’re here but - I thought you had planned to go back to the city yesterday?” She was still puffing - partly from rowing but mostly from Matthew surprising her.

“Sorry - I hated being sneaky but yeah, I really wanted to surprise you. Worried me a little when I showed up and I couldn’t find you. I came out here and kept seeing a flash of something - it was the sun reflecting off your oars. You’re such a badass out there….”

They strolled up the path and chatted animatedly about the hours that passed when they were apart. They entered the main cottage through the large glass doors just off the kitchen.

Matthew was still in awe of Lana’s lake front setup and as they talked, he would meander off, poking his head in and out of rooms with a “not too shabby” expression on his face.

Lana beamed, looking at Matthew as he approached her, backing her up against the countertop by the kitchen sink. He slowly pressed his mouth onto hers and asked if he could interrupt her "quiet time" and stay for a few days. He would need to make his way back into the city at some point that week, but it was Joe who encouraged him to take the chance, come back to Lana's, and spend time with her before training camp got fully underway.

Lana wrapped her arms tightly around Matthew’s neck, her kiss full of need and desire for him. She was elated that he came back, otherwise, the thought had crossed her mind to leave the cottage, surprise him at his condo door - like they do in so many rom-coms - probably drenched from rain, too.

Every moment that followed, a sense of peace washed over Matthew and Lana, which neither had even known they needed. They simply wanted to be together. Whether they were exploring the beautiful towns nearby, sunning themselves on the dock (Matthew couldn't believe what a rocket Lana was in her bikini), or enjoying dinner for two on the boat as they cruised the lake — anything that allowed them to be near one another.

If their shared sense of peace was a surprise to them, their appetite for each other was not. At the party, after they stole away into Lana's bathroom for a few minutes (in reality it was more like 30), Lana channeled her newly discovered sexuality. Behind the locked door, Lana stripped down to her strapless bra and lace panties, and promptly palmed Matthew's cock through his pants. It wasn't much longer before Lana had her hand over her mouth, stifling her cries of bliss while Matthew kneeled in front of her, her one leg draped over his shoulder as he dined on her.

A "Car Ride" soon took on a completely different meaning after their road trips would extend past sunset. Lana was surprised to find a number of secluded spots to climb onto Matthew's cock and experience heaven — sometimes more than once.

For Matthew, picnics in bed had become a fast favorite. The amount of teasing that they unlocked with various edibles was positively sinful. If things got too sticky or messy, well then a joint shower, and everything that entails, would need to be had.

It was Lana's appetite for Matthew that brought her back to the city early, well before her two-week break had concluded. After Matthew had left their bubble to go back to Toronto to buckle down with training, Lana tried to push past the longing that had settled in deep for Matthew. She knew how to be alone—she had always been comfortable with her own company. But she missed him, plain and simple. As Matthew drove home after a morning skate, he scrambled to press "read" on his dashboard after a text from Lana appeared.

"Good morning, Matty. Would you be around for dinner tonight, or sometime soon? Just arrived home. Was missing someone terribly."

Matthew called Lana immediately.

"You're back?! God—that's really—wow… really good news. I was missing someone pretty badly too." Matthew heard Lana giggle and he felt his heart could burst with happiness.

"So, I was wondering if I could take the someone I was missing terribly out on a date tonight? That is, if he's available?" Lana asked hopefully.

Matthew was positively moony. "Does he have to wait that long—or can you maybe fit him in before tonight? Like, maybe now, if not sooner?"

Lana's smile could be heard in her voice. "I can. I'll meet you at yours in the next half-second."

Matthew's cock twitched at Lana's suggestive tone, and he let out a little groan. "See you soon then."

The afternoon was mostly spent horizontal—limbs intertwined and lips connected to each other in every way possible.

They slowly peeled themselves off each other, enjoyed a long and lazy shower, and got ready for their date. Matthew peppered her with questions as to where they were going, and Lana simply answered, "To dinner… and then I guess we'll see after that."

The only other hint she gave Matthew was that she was taking him to her favorite restaurant.

From a window seat atop the ManuLife Centre, 51 floors up, Lana gazed out at one of the most stunning sunsets she'd ever seen—a breathtaking display of reds, oranges, and purples. It felt as if the universe itself was sharing a knowing wink with her. She had gotten her wish - and what a redemption this was from the last time she sat in this restaurant.

The only thing that surpassed the outside view was the man she sat across from. His magnetic charm, disarming looks, with a genuinely kind heart.

Matthew Knies had been well worth the wait.

[magibiologist-zyvv]

Entry 03

I was so tired I slept like a rock. Kinda overslept, but I still left the Brill Alliance lab before sunrise, and quite in a hurry too.

For a moment I had considered heading north through the swamp, but an intern told me the krewe had been having issues with Inquest raids coming from there and pointed at a little glimmer of light barely visible between the tree branches. The local headquarters, he said. Nope.

Luckily I got to Desider Atum without issues and filled my bag with high-energy supplies before the center started getting busy. Probably overdid it, but I wanted enough food to last for a few days and I'd rather not eat only meat if I can help it.

I also found a new coat. It was *little cough* in the trash collection area, full of holes and with dubious stains on the bottom hem, but still in wearable conditions and, most importantly, it's my size. I threw my uniform in the nearby marsh, where the nesting raptors torn it to shreds at a distressing speed. Maybe anyone potentially tracking me will believe I ended up as their breakfast.

All morning I followed the road going north, passing by the Arterium Haven and the Luminates Plant, surprisingly without encountering anyone far from the populated areas. I had nearly made it to Caledon Forest when a Peacemaker stopped me. I'm so so SO glad she did.

Apparently not only there was a big Inquest base, the Outer Complex -I had only heard of it-, just up ahead, but the road to Caledon was where many kidnappings on their part had concentrated recently. The Peacemaker was quite surprised I had not come across any Inquest-related disturbance thus far.

I only had to take a look at the Complex to decide whether to risk my luck. Alchemy, that was a big one, and I can approximately guess how many eyes could have potentially been on me if I had pushed forward.

It bears repeating that I'm really glad Mardis is always with me. I've been testing names, and she seems to like that one. Or at least, she responds better to it.

The Peacemaker asked if I wanted to help disrupting their activities, but I excused myself and quickly made my way back to the Haven.

Pity, I was really looking forward to seeing the Grove and maybe finding refuge there, but I taking the longer way around was again the only option, so I asked those stationed at the Haven for safe directions towards Brisban Wildlands. *smallest groan*

The Lionguard were actually really helpful, in particular one boo-... human. Not only she drew me a crude yet understandable map of the area with clear directions, copying from those they had in their little fort, but she even sat down with me to explain which alternative roads to take in case of "issues".

The path was not ideal, but to her word it kept me as far from Inquest as possible. Territorial animals and the air elementals were annoying, but we got through them all right. I'm kiiinda getting the hang of this bow, bit less of the greatsword.

Alas, it still meant getting close to Thaumanova... or what's left of it.

I... *exhales* I had read the reports, but I didn't think it was that bad. I'm sure they downplayed it internally. There was a city above the reactor. A whole city. Places and people I knew. All gone, blasted to particles by chaos magic. A year passed and it's still... *grim chuckle, followed by sniffles* It's probably a bit of contamination, but I'm still feeling sick in the stomach.

I know I shouldn't have stopped, but I helped some refugees while I was passing by. Apparently the Inquest is still harassing them and those involved in the clean up efforts. I am very aware it's not my fault -unlike something else-, but as someone who was part of the megakrewe that caused it... I feel like I have to do a little bit to help make things better, you know?

Anyway, we had almost made it to Brisban Wildlands when Mardis had a bad experience with some skelk. She went off road chasing rabbits, but then I heard sounds I didn't like. I'm really glad she came back when I recalled her, as she had a few nasty marks on her back.

She didn't like it when I tried to check her wounds. First time she growled at me, even. In the panic of the moment I tried to do a simple healing spell they taught us in basic education. I think it did something? It definitely didn't make it worse, at least. Still, big kitten is sulking under a bush now and I'm waiting for her to get out.

We're both gonna need to rest for a bit when we finally reach Mrot Boru. My legs are killing me after so much walking in... two days? Alchemy, it feels like an eternity already. I hope it's been one for those living there and that no one recognizes me, but I'll take what I get.

---

Going a bit slow because I don't want to stay up to 3am writing these like last time lol

Anyway, I'm sticking to the random element of this run even down to the backstory, so whenever they find an item I randomly pick the colors (from the leather dye section). They're allowed a fashion sense only when they buy stuff themselves :D

Also I gotta take a better variety of screenshots, not just from the back oops

[starry-phoenix-finds]

Sims 3 Mods Masterlist

Lag Reducing/Game Improving Mods

Nraas MasterController- Adds countless options that allow you to easily control and change just about anything about Sims in your town. Featuring a robust filter system to allow you to find the Sims you want to target and execute actions on. Nraas ErrorTrap- This is a core-mod intended to catch and correct data corruption errors that can render a save-game unloadable. Nraas DebugEnabler- This mod exposes EA debug commands so they are usable in game. Nraas Overwatch- The primary purpose of this mod is to act as a periodic clean up system for correcting errors and eliminating junk that accumulates over a regular play-session. Nraas Register- This mod alters the rules governing role assignment in the game, allowing sims to maintain regular careers without losing their roles. Nraas Careers- This mod is used to load custom careers into the game. Nraas Traveler- This mod replaces the travel code. Ability to travel to any world. Nraas Porter- This mod adds a custom version of the import and export system used to create Library families. Nraas GoHere- This mod replaces the "Go Here" interaction, with one that can be stacked in the queue, allowing the user to better direct the route of a sim. Smooth Patch 2.1- Greatly reduces lag in all areas of the game. No Foot Tapping While Waiting For Clear Route!- Greatly improves routing for sims. Catalog Search Mod- Adds a "Search" button to Buy and Build mode. Additional Entry and Exit Routing Slots to Reduce Door Crowding- Greatly reduces sims crowding around rabbithole entries. No Intro- Disables the intro videos. No Route Fail Tantrum Animations!- No tantrum animation when a sim fails to route. No (or fewer) automatic memories- Stops the memory scrapbook from filling up with memories. Faster Elevator Moving- Improves the animations and time it takes for sims to get on and off elevators.

Babies/Toddler Gameplay Mods

More Toddler Interactions- New interactions for toddlers. More Baby Interactions- New interactions for babies. Napping Mat- A napping mat for toddlers. Toddler Food and Snacks- Adds two interactions to the high chair to feed toddlers meals or snacks.Toddlers will love, like or hate certain foods. Just Like My Parents! Costume Face-Paint for Toddlers- Toddlers put on play makeup. More Play! Playmat- More additions to the baby playmat from the store. More Activities Activity Table- More activities for the Activity Table. Mixed Feelings About Pregnancy- Replaces the default pregnancy moodlet with a custom version that has no mood effect, and adds two new moodlets. Sleeper Footies- Sleeper footies for babies. Little Wisps hair- Hair for babies.

Kids/Teen Gameplay Mods

100% Prom Chance + 3 Day Cooldown- This mod makes it so that prom happens every week. After School Activities- After school activities for kids/teens Teen Jobs- Part Time jobs for teens User-Directed Scolding + Other Punishment Tweaks- Tweaks parts of the punishment system from Generations. Tooth Fairy Mod- This mod gives child-aged sims the chance to lose their teeth and get money from the Tooth Fairy. 'No Stretch' Children can Series- Children can do more in game. Children can care for their lil' siblings- Allows children to carry toddlers. Teens Hangout- Teens can hang out with each other and sit on the floor and talk. Faster (and Slower) Homework- Changes the amount of time it takes to get homework done. Coloring Books for Kids- A coloring book for kids. New Scholarships- Adds various scholarships.  Acne Mod- Adds an acne system to the game. Cheerleading Mod- Cheerleading club for teenagers.

General Gameplay Mods

Missy Hissy Custom Careers- Custom Careers. Lot Population Mod- Teleports more sims to community lots, making them more populated.  Nraas StoryProgression- The purpose of the mod is to simulate a life-like balance amongst the inactive members of town, while providing the user the option to disable functionality they do not want. Custom Vehicles- Custom vehicles. Postal Mod- You can send post to any sim in town. Social Clubs Mod- Create custom clubs for your sims to join. Hairdresser Mod- Play as a hairdresser or a client. No Fridge Shopping- Replaces the meal-making interactions on the fridge with custom ones that check whether the Sim has the required ingredients to make the meal or snack. Business As Unusual Bistro- Modifies EA's store content bistro oven splitting the chef and waiter roles in two and allows you to set shifts for them. The Sims 3 Open For Business- Create a store, hire employees, set objects for sale (without rugs!), restock objects, earn XP on sales to increase your rank and more! Flower Arranging- Adds flower arranging skill to the game. Knitting for TS3- Adds knitting skill to the game. Attend University Online- This mod allows sims to work towards completing a university degree on the computer. Yoga Mod- Brings the yoga activity from The Sims 4: Spa Day to The Sims 3. Ice Cream Stand- An ice cream stand to buy ice cream. Exercise Bike- An exercise bike, (better mesh). Pool Jobs for Lifeguards- Makes it possible for sims in the Lifeguard career to be offered and perform jobs on pool lots as well as the usual beach lots. Buyable Beach Towels- Makes the Island Paradise beach towels purchasable in game. Set The Table & Call To Meal- Replaces the "Call To Meal" interaction on group servings with a custom version that has the performing sim set the table with individual portions of food BEFORE summoning sims to eat. Seasons & Barista Bar Beverages on the Coffee Machine- Lets sims make or serve the hot beverages from Seasons and UL on regular coffee machines. Ferris Wheel- A functional Ferris Wheel ride with custom animations for your sims. Buy Takeout And Order Food At Restaurants- Buy prepared food at the diner and bistro or have it delivered. Housecleaning For All Sims- The Clean House interaction will show up when you click on the ground for all sims. All Bars Serve All Drinks- Makes all drinks available at all professional bars on community lots. Fewer (or More) Credit Hours For Degrees- Complete a degree in one trip to University. Add Any Lot Size- Will allow you to add any lot size (from 1x1 to 64x64). Buyable Bunch o' Gifts- Unlocks the Gift Pile in buy mode, so your sims can buy their own Gift Pile for their family without having to throw a party. Book of Talent- Alter both main skills and hidden skills for your sims. No More Zombies Generated At Full Moon- Prevents the game from generating any zombies at the beginning of full moon. Throw Bigger Parties whenever you want!- No party limit on guests invited to parties and throw parties at any time.

[bonefall]

For Riverstar’s Heir, do you have any idea where you want to land themeatically? Because from my reading of the possible themeatic directions, with the whole story being about this crisis of politics and succession, it feels like the character who “should” become the next leader of RiverClan narratively should be the Most ruthless/aggressive/willing to resort to dishonorable methods of dealing with rivals (reinforcing RiverClan’s entry into/building up of the early Clans’ emerging systems of battle society)

The alternative “most interesting” option I can imagine would be one that is least likely/least aggressive/some otherwise sort of underdog candidate (maybe not even technically “legal” depending on what qualifications there are for heirship?), but I’m not sure exactly what themes that would play into, other than maybe how the pursuit of power can change someone?

That said, your themeatic instincts are strong enough that I can see you having a strong idea for a “middle-of-the-pack” candidate winning out over the others just as much, so— I am genuinely curious what your thoughts are for where you Want this crisis of succession to end, narratively, even if you don’t have an exact cat picked yet.

Good ask because I'd not been clear about the theme yet, I think. What Riverstar's Heir is trying to get at, at the heart of the issue, is that this is a bloodbath caused by naiive optimism and greed.

The commandments to establish borders and prevent killing are nice, but not enough. You can't just have a society on good will, not when POWER is up for grabs in the scramble. It's about collapse, and how innocent, well-meaning people get caught up in the devastation. Not JUST the troublemakers.

Riverstar was an EXCELLENT king, beloved and wise, but if you don't prepare a proper successor, everything you worked hard to build might crumble to ruin.

Something unique is lost in this shuffle. It's no longer the River Kingdom, and the Wind Coalition also becomes WindClan at this point. For better, and for worse, they both lose a bit of what made them special. Redscar's choice at the end also solidifies the early political power of Clerics, which is eventually broken many generations later with Larkwing's Strike.

So, fragment time,

At LEAST three "heirs" end up getting killed.

So, because these ones are gonna die, I have Three Heir "Slots" that I'm committed to and just need to fill;

The Eldest, Riverstar's oldest living biological child.

The Chosen, Riverstar's adopted heir, a rather meek prince easily pressured into backing off his rightful claim. This one is likely going to be the BB! version of Mossfire.

The Firstblood, directly descended from Riverstar's FIRSTborn child. This one is likely going to be the BB! version of Jumpfoot.

I also have two tentative slots.

The Accomplished... who is a blood relative of Riverstar, but more of a "puppet" for WindCo. Someone they're intentionally propping up hoping for power.

The Diplomat, from WindClan, who is a lot like WindCo's puppet but this one is more subtle about it. Poetic. Happy to purr and remind the world of the wonderful, deep ties that had existed between King Riverstar and Thunderstar.

And, LASTLY, there's The Deputy. The most qualified choice, who served Riverstar, but was no relative.

It feels right that the Deputy is the one who is chosen in the end... hm.

Anyway

After a smaller conflict near the start of the story, either The Eldest or The Firstblood seems to be the favorite to win... but decides to wait for the morning to set out for the Moonstone and take their lives.

In this time period, without selecting a successor, this heir is assassinated.

In fact it might be VERY fun if this heir, being so much like King Riverstar himself, decided to throw a pre-emptive celebration.

Meat! Merriment! MURDER!!!

Having them go out via poison would be a fun way to send a character off.

This is going to be why the "DEPUTY BEFORE MOONHIGH" rule is established, but it's also what kicks off the bloodier parts of the plot.

Thinking about it... a cleric and/or the deputy should probably tell this heir, "Hey, buddy, you should really get going" and they're ignored.

With Eldest Heir gone, the small conflict from earlier becomes an LARGE conflict.

And, like they did back in DOTC, families start to rally together. Especially Eldest's offspring, who think they're just as entitled to the Throne as The Firstblood/Jumpfoot

King Riverstar used to encourage cats to enter the River Kingdom freely. The borders were essentially open, and everyone was allowed in, as long as they were willing to cross the river.

(maybe I'll even have him pull down the tree from Riverstar's Home intentionally, happy to accept other cats into his Kingdom. Then he defends it from Skystar, specifically, but refuses to destroy what he built.)

This had allowed River Kingdom to grow large and powerful, but it also meant everyone in River Kingdom had connections to the other Clans.

Which meant there were cats supporting OTHER bids to the Throne, like the one from WindCo and the one from ThunderClan.

Smelling a way to grab power, Duststar supports his favorite heir, and Whitestar of ThunderClan also begins to stick his nose in.

Each Heir tries to run the River Kingdom, and things start to get hostile. If there's more than just the three heirs, even more of them start to get openly attacked, chased out, killed, until there's only The Chosen and The Firstblood left.

Somewhere around here, River Kingdom is invaded. Probably by the leader of SkyClan at the time, claiming that they don't even NEED an heir to take what these cats clearly don't deserve.

And that's when the internal conflict becomes a FULL-BLOWN WAR between four Clans.

In those days, the camp was at Sunningrocks, right in the middle of the river.

ThunderClan jumps in to help its "Ally" against SkyClan, just like historical precedent, but they have NO IDEA who they're fighting against, because the whole Kingdom is divided. It's not as simple as it was in DOTC anymore.

WindCo came to support its favorite heir, but its cats don't obey Duststar's orders when it comes down to fighting their own friends and family, meaning they're functionally fighting EVERYONE and losing a TON of cats

SkyClan is getting pummeled because EVERY group is pissed at them as well as each other, getting a painful awakening that they are NOT being run by Skystar the War God anymore and they're no longer the biggest, baddest bananas in the bunch

(shadowclan is watching all of this and eating popcorn. moisturized. in their lane. unbothered.)

The climax here, between The Chosen and The Firstblood, is a battle that matches the chapter from COTC. They launch at each other, in a battle to the death.

The first Sunningrocks Battle.

They both wear "crowns" on their head, one custom made for Mossfire's short-furred head, and traditional, braided into Jumpfoot's long, lush fur.

As they claw, bite, and tumble, they plunge into the river.

Fighting and hissing, they try to pull apart to rise up for air-- and can't.

They're STUCK

The crowns became tangled in their skirmish, and neither one can work with the other to bring them both to shore, against the current.

Both heirs, the last with a proper claim to the throne, drown together in the river.

At the end of the bloodbath, the tone is very somber. The rules were meant to prevent The First Battle from ever happening again... but The Second Battle had just taken place.

The body count wasn't AS high as the First Battle, but it was still a bloody loss. Every Clan lost warriors. Even ShadowClan, who hadn't even been IN the conflict, checked its ranks to find that powerful warriors had run off to go fight with their Kin.

Now they could be buried with them, too.

And now, there was no proper heir. If any descendants were still kicking around, they were refusing to take a throne that so many cats had died for. Jumpfoot and Mossfire never emerged from the River, their bodies, and their legendary crowns, were never found.

At first I'd been considering Redscar being swapped to become a RiverClan Cleric, but now I'm thinking it actually makes sense he's still from ShadowClan. ShadowClan was the ONLY neutral group-- it's reasonable for the clans to turn and request their partiality.

So, Redscar peruses the options, having followed the situation from afar.

His choice, in the end, was The Deputy. The most experienced advisor who knew Riverstar, and probably tried to stay at his adopted daughter's side as well. The closest thing they'd had to a leader all along.

(Thought: Maybe this character will be the POV. Make it like a bit of a fake-out title, you THINK Riverstar's heir is Mossfire. But it's actually been this one all along.)

He creates his famous false sign, and from there, the five groups discussed how they could prevent this from ever happening again.

They create the Law of the Deputy, commanding that ALL Clans have a single Deputy who will inherit the Clan after the leader passes away, ending dynasties in WindCo and River Kingdom and centralizing power in the other 3.

With the massive losses that WindCo and River Kingdom experienced, they also restructure, forced to accept a lot of help from ThunderClan and ShadowClan.

The borders began to close up, leading to the sentiment that would lead to Commandment 4, the Law of Loyalty, in just one more generation.

[a-d-nox]

web of wyrd: the career number

paid reading options: astrology menu & cartomancy menu

enjoy my work? help me continue creating by tipping on ko-fi or paypal. your support keeps the magic alive!

the number we are focusing on today is based on the SACRAL PHYSICS NUMBER AND THE FLOW NUMBER (ex: my career number is 7: 8 + 17 = 25 -> 2 + 5 = 7 (recall that numbers must be summed a second time if they total 23 (i.e. 2 + 3 = 5) and above)). for some reason this is a calculation error in my astro-calc chart - my monetary number and relationship numbers are swapped (don't be afraid to question your numbers and check the math of websites).

but what does this number mean?

this number represents your career and monetary situation in this lifetime. that being said, this number can give you insight into what you can do for a career long-term, what you are like at work (your strengths and weaknesses in the workplace), and your monetary mindset.

so let's talk about some examples:

7 - the chariot

click here for the card description of the chariot found in a prior wyrd web post.

for unblocked 7s it is important to maintain focus, have clear intentions, and a plan in their line of work. they often work from the bottom up - they start in an entry level position then come into power (in some theories, the charioteer was both the page of swords and the page of wands before they came into power in the major arcana). often it is their careful planning and plotting that gains them their success.

blocked 7s often lack confidence at work and fear being talked down to / judged for their actions. they often lack focus and direction, which causes them financial stress. they are in need of careful planning and reflection to get out of their burdensome situations. they should try to be less impulsive and more intentional at work and when searching for jobs in order for them to find what works for them.

careers for the charioteer are chauffeur, delivery driving (UPS, amazon delivery, mail, etc), military services, pilot, police men, emergency services (firefighting, EMT, etc), security guard, equestrian, chemist/pharmacist, chef/cook/baker/nutritionist, political diplomat, marine biology, phlebotomist, ship captain, babysitter/nanny, hotel manager, housekeeper, fisherman, fertility specialist, farmer, land baron/baroness, pottery maker, plumber, real estate agent, and other related fields.

14 - temperance

rider-white's temperance (symbolic of sagittarius) depicts an angel facing the view with their eyes shut. their purple-y/red wings emphasizes their passion for the mystical as well as harmony. their golden curls are haloed showing that the angel is an enlightened being. they stand in a white (innocence) robe with one foot on land and the other in water - which shows they are connected to the emotional and the physical world. water seamlessly flows between the cups, meaning to show the flow of energy in life forces. a sun (alludes to the sun card) rises in the distance and illuminates a path for the angel to take. the irises to their [the angel's] right show that they have the wisdom needed to take on whatever gets in their way on this journey.

unblocked 14s seek help from those around them so that they can reach their monetary and career goals. they look for signs as to what they should act upon in their career and as to what they should do for their long-term career. they are flexible at work and are often very even-keeled. they are patient at work and when it comes to making money.

blocked 14s often try very hard at work and to make a lot of money - they can be too hard on themselves and their co-workers. they might struggle with relaxing - they have a lot of monetary stress. they have to realize that being overworked does not mean they are working efficiently/effectively. look at you schedule / your role and try to find ways to slow down so that you can realign with your values and goals.

careers for the angelic temperance person are medical careers (doctor, nurse, etc), pharmacist, scientist, librarian, life insurance agent, marketing/advertisement, air steward/stewardess, attorney, banker, religious leader, teacher, philanthropist, philosopher, publisher, podcaster, radio show host/hostess, writer, and other related fields.

18 - the moon

rider-white's the moon (symbolic of pisces) depicts one wild dog/coyote and one tame dog (the duality of human nature) barking at the moon or rather an eclipse. behind and between the two dogs is a lobster - the lobster is a bottom feeder of sorts, thus could represent the shadow self. the lobster emerges from the water to walk a moonlight/guided path through the mountains similar to how the hermit once walked the mountains - thus alluding to the lobster doing self-discovery / the quartet doing shadow work. first the lobster must walk between the rebuilt towers - likely face personal change.

unblocked 18s embrace their darker selves when in the workplace - they are okay with failing and having weaknesses. they see it as room made to grow/evolve. while they know how to be civil, they also know when to be impulsive and aggressive to get things done. they are open to others ideas - they are open to learning what they perviously didn't know before. they are ambitious and want to go outside the scope of what they are already know. they don't fall for things that sound too good to be true in their financial realm. they are willing to confront why they maybe the ones in their own way of gaining more money, getting a raise, etc.

blocked 18s often refuse to acknowledge that they are in a career that is making them unhappy or is not compatible with their monetary lifestyle. they might be the type to ignore their debts for awhile or to the point where it gets bad and they struggle to catch up / recover. they are also prone to falling for "get rich quick" schemes; they also might struggle with gambling - the might not know how to walk away when they have made money back / are gaining. they hate failing at things or having weaknesses in the workplace. they are prone to staying in a job that is comfortable for them without growing or accepting promotions. don't be afraid to break free.

careers for the moon are night club owner/manager, psychic, doggie daycare center management, dog kennel owner, dog breeder, night club performer, professional water sport athlete, alcohol vender, sommelier, marine biology, art therapist, artist, bartender, mental health professional, chemical engineer, detective, drug manufacturer, life guard, prison guard, private investigator, relief worker, writer, and other related fields.

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return to nox's guide to metaphysics

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© a-d-nox 2023 all rights reserved

[bigmilkagenda]

Of the many, many plates of pancakes* that were offered to the listener in magp 1-07, this one may be my favourite

[ID: A screenshot of an unofficial transcript to The Magnus Protocol. CELIA is saying "Yeah. I mean, it's an old system, but it could have been worse. It's not like we're wrestling with tape recorders and manila folders." /end ID]

When we meet TMA-Celia for the second time, she's lost her name. She was Lynne Hammond, and now she's not. She doesn't seem to remember Martin, either, but it's not clear how much of herself and her life from before the change she does remember. She's freaked out by the tape recorders that start showing up, and there's no indication that she associates them with the Institute specifically.

If Celia Ripley is, as we are clearly intended to believe or consider, the same Celia as in TMA, why is she making knowing comments about manila folders and tape recorders? Tape recorders in particular are hardly standard equipment at what seems to be mostly a text data-entry and cataloguing job. She could have said typewriters, or carbon paper. Fax machines, if we're dunking on Freddy specifically.

She says "tape recorders and manila folders." Celia Ripley is referencing The Magnus Institute, particularly the outdated technologies in use in the Archives.

Maybe she learned more from Melanie about what the recorders were and did at the Institute, sometime after MAG 190. Maybe she has those specific memories of giving her statement in MAG 100, and little else. Maybe Martin grew an apocalypse beard and she remembers everything, but just didn't recognise him out of context and in a tunnel and during A Pretty Weird Time Overall.

Maybe she stuck around with Melanie-Georgie-Basira for a while after things returned, and that's how she learned about the particular significance of tape recorders.

Maybe she found some tapes and listened to a couple hundred of them.

Or maybe she's simply an AU Celia, with a knack for oddly specific and kind of clunky comparisons, drawn into this through the powers of metafiction and string theory.

Or maybe someone filled her with spiders and sent her to finish the job of spreading Fear to this particular world.

And the reason this particular plate of textual pancakes** (short stack, butter and nightmare syrup) is one of my favourites from "Give and Take" is because I genuinely have no idea! None of these are theories because there isn't enough evidence to point me in any particular direction. It's a mystery!, Jon voice, etcetera.

If you cornered me and paid me to have an opinion about it I could say which options I thought were more likely, I guess. But the odds are high that I'd be wrong, and I think the boat for me getting paid to interpret texts probably sailed fifteen years ago, besides. I'm in this for the love of the game.***

November is the true spooky season in the northern hemisphere.**** Yeah, October ends with Halloween, but you know what month starts with Halloween? Mmhmm. By November of 2019 TMA had been on my list for a few years, and someone I was getting to know and really liked recommended it to me specifically in the days after 159 aired. The conditions were correct for me to get into something new, is what I'm saying. I still remember listening to "Anglerfish" for the first time, walking home from my office job in the blustery November dark. I got home starry-eyed and red-cheeked and thrilled by the story I'd just heard.

It took a couple of months for me to catch up, and though I loved having so much to listen to there were times when I wished I'd started earlier, to have the experience of seeing things unfold.

And now we're back at a beginning, and get to experience the horrible joys of finding out.

[ID: A screenshot of an unofficial transcript to The Magnus Protocol. LENA is saying "Of a sort. I hope you're as ready for it as you think you are. Consider yourself "in." /end ID]

*Sabrina pancake meme

** the best kind, especially if it's a contest between textual and fluffy pancakes. Keep those spongy bastards away from me, I'll take the kind with a typeface instead

***Being a huge nerd

**** For more of my opinions on November, see https://www.tumblr.com/almostmolly/188799234276

[lefaystrent]

As The Prophecy Foretold

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Pairing: Prinxiety

Summary: Climbing towers was easy in comparison to shattering prophetic expectations.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There once was a tower in the middle of an enchanted forest. It stood several stories high and had several stories more to tell. This story, however, was the story of how Prince Roman ventured into the thick of it on a journey of true love.

Astride a snow-white horse, he road gallantly into the courtyard. No door marred the stonework. The only entry point sat high up on the top floor of the tower, an arched window. Roman came to a halt below it.

This would not bar him from his destiny.

Roman cleared his throat and belted his voice out from the diaphragm. "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your golden hair!"

"Who the fuck is Rapunzel?" someone asked from above. A dark-headed figure peered out the window, annoyed. "And why are you yelling?"

Taken aback and nearly falling off his horse, Roman fired back, "Rapunzel! The princess who lives in this tower! Surely you must know her."

"Uh, no, this is my tower. No Rapunzels here."

"Surely you jest!"

"I've never jested in my life, and would you stop yelling! I can hear you just fine."

Puzzled, Roman slid off his horse. Like a good boy, Maximillian lingered by his side. Roman called beseechingly. "I don't know who you are sir, or how you've come to be here, but this is most certainly Rapunzel's tower."

"Like I already said, no golden girls here. This is my tower, so I would know. Someone gave you some shitty directions."

"I- no, that cannot be," Roman stammered. "The prophecy was very specific."

"Prophecies are overrated," the man grunted. He leaned over the edge, one hand under his chin and the other dangling off the side. Even from here, Roman could see prominent bags under his eyes. "Have you tried checking other towers? Or did you just harass the first one you came across?"

"This is the only tower in these woods!" Roman stamped his foot. "It was foretold that I would find Rapunzel's tower here, rescue her from her evil hag of a mother, and then ride away into the sunset together where we would live happily ever after and continue the royal line."

"Do you do everything you're told to? You're just a cog in the system for The Man, aren't you? I hate The Man."

"I am the man!"

"I hate you."

Roman ran his hands through his perfect hair and perfectly messed up his winsome swoop trying to rattle his brain to make sense of it all. "You just met me! You don't even know me!"

"So how would it make it any better for you to decide to marry some chick you haven't even met yet? And decide that you'll be her knight in shining armor without asking? That's very presumptuous of you."

"But the prophecy!"

The stranger groaned and threw up his hands. "Look, if a prophecy told you to jump off a bridge, would you?"

Roman paused. "Is everyone else jumping?"

Deadpanned, the other responded, "No, you're alone. Forever alone."

"Aha! Lies, for I will always have my dear companion, Maximillion."

Maximillion neighed.

"You've got a horse, look at you. Not that I'm not loving this conversation, but are we done yet? I'd like to get back to my peace and quiet."

"But-"

"If you say 'prophecy' one more time, I will come down there, so help me. Just think outside the box for once in your life, yeah? Did anyone even bother to ask before pushing what you're 'supposed' to do on you? Do you want to become involved with some stranger's implied family drama? Do you even want to get married? Do you want to marry a woman, for that matter?"

"Wait, that part's optional?" Roman asked, astounded.

The guy was also astounded, but for other reasons. "This should not be some profound revelation for you. You can love and marry who you want, dude, regardless of gender. Now I just feel sorry for you."

"Like... I could marry a man instead?"

"Of everything that I've said, I think it says something about you that the new potential reality for gayness is what strikes a chord in you."

"I've never thought about it. I thought... Well, I'm the prince! I'm supposed to carry on the family line!"

"You could adopt. Just throwing that out there. Or just don't have kids. That's my solution to everything."

"What's wrong with kids?"

"They grow up and become adults, and adults are the worst thing you could be."

Roman waved his hand up at him. "You are an adult, are you not?"

"Yeah, it's the worst."

Roman harrumphed. He placed his hands on his hips and surveyed the courtyard. "Well, this was an eye-opening experience. What are you doing anyway, living in a doorless tower in the middle of the woods, Not-Rapunzel?"

"My name's Virgil," the man pointed out. Then he caught himself, "Uh, not that it matters. What my name is. You don't need to know that. Or why I live where I do."

"Why do you live in a tower in the woods, Virgil?"

"Because I want to be left alone!" Virgil hissed back. "Obviously, it's not working out as picture-perfect as you'd think."

"I um, like your rose bushes," Roman complimented. "So I think it's still a fairly picturesque locale."

"Those are gardenias, but thanks."

"Gardenias," Roman nodded and rubbed his foot in the dirt. "You have very nice taste in gardenias..."

"...thanks."

Roman coughed into his fist, awkward as a prince ever could be. "So uh, Virgil. In your opinionated wisdom, what should I do now? How do I go back home to my family without a betrothed?"

Virgil sighed and took pity. "If you're that afraid of what they'll think, you don't have to go back."

"I have a duty to uphold. I have sworn it to kin and country."

"Did you swear to be miserable too?"

The prince faltered.

In that sunlit afternoon, standing surrounded by flowers at the foot of an aging tower, he felt small.

Did anyone ever ask him what he wanted? Truly?

What did he want?

"I... I don't want to be miserable."

Virgil nodded, patient as he had been through this whole encounter. "That's a start."

Bolstered, Roman continued, "And I don't want to marry a woman."

"I had a sneaking suspicion on that one."

"I would very much like to marry a man!"

"Ah, we're back to the yelling, okay."

"And I don't want to lead a country! I want to go on adventures with Maximillion and save dames and damsels in distress! I want to fight villains and see magic! I want to swim in the ocean and fly on a dragon!"

"Let it out, just let it all out."

"And- and-" Roman wavered. He slowed and he stared up at Virgil uncertainly. The shadowed eyes, the small indulging smirk, the fire in his soul. "And I would very much like to join you for tea in your tower."

Virgil startled. He reared back, eyes wide, and he was too far to confirm, but Roman would like to think his cheeks pinkened.

"And why the hell would I want to invite you in?" Virgil shot back.

Roman gave a dazzling smile that he felt from his heart. "You don't have to. I know you don't know me and I know I showed up here uninvited. It's just what I would want to happen."

Prophecy or not, he felt like he was exactly where he was meant to be. Golden girls wouldn't have compared anyway, to the sight above him.

Virgil disappeared from the window. Roman's heart sank in disappointment.

He would cherish the memory, at least.

Moments later, a very flustered Virgil returned to the window. "Okay, I'll allow it. With the condition that you have to find your own way in here. I'm not helping you!"

Overcome with delight, Roman jumped and whooped for joy.

Climbing towers was easy in comparison to shattering prophetic expectations.

[nicohverse]

EF2 May Update 1: Progress Bars and Hiatus Announcement

 Hello everybody! That’s right, it’s time for the first May Update! Let’s jump right in with last update’s goals:

Sketch all 7 primary backgrounds left for Area 4: Done! They’re alllll sketched. Yay!

Add planned objekts into Area 3: Done!

Write Objekt Reactions for Munya and Sharma in Area 4: Done!

Maybe actually get those progress bars sorted out?: Done! And, here, let’s take a look at those right away!

Character Conversations: 10/590. These are the conversations between Ame, his allies, and other characters as experienced when choosing the dialogue option ‘Let’s Talk’. 590 may seem like a big number, but the ally conversations are counted twice- A convo between Ame, Bea, and Greta is listed once in Bea’s list and once in Greta’s list, it was just easier for tracking purposes to count them in both places than to weed out the duplicates.

Zones: 0/44. I haven’t made any strides in this regard yet. There are twenty-two zones total, each with separate tasks for the visual assets and the minigame implementation.

Backgrounds: 25/67. These are all the planned backgrounds for areas one through seven! What’s left includes most of Area 4, all of Areas 5 to 7, and a few secondary backgrounds for Area 1 and Area 2. Area 8 is excluded from the count, and will probably have its own progress bar down the line- While the majority of Pine Creek has some grounding in its map layout, Area 8’s necessary backgrounds will reveal themselves in the writing process.

Death Methods: 2/26. Have I even mentioned this mechanic before? There are thirteen ways Ame can die in the course of the game, and each one has an entry for its visual assets and for its code- The visual assets mainly being ‘achievement badges’ for a collection screen, though some will also include a CG! The two completed entries are for the code implementation of the two deaths in the demo: The bus crash, and provoking Veno.

Memory Segments:  14/20. I wrote a majority of these back in November! There’s a few left, some of which are already partially written. The rest of them aren’t a very high priority just yet, since we haven’t made it to the unlock conditions for most of them anyhow.

And to be perfectly clear- These bars only reflect specific factors with numbers I know so far- More bars will eventually be added, and I won’t include these progress bars during updates in which they have not changed. They don’t fully represent what’s been worked on up to now OR what will be included in the full game- For instance, not a single one of those ‘character conversations’ were included in the demo, conversation branches are a different and less-countable category. But they should give an idea of some part of progress and what’s being worked on at a given time moving forward!

And, when it comes to those progress bars- That’s what I’ll be focusing on very soon! The initial instances of running into each character are established for all but Area 4, and even those are coded in without assets yet. So, I’m in a very good position to shift focus to writing rather than asset creation for a while. And that’s exactly what I will be doing in…

~An Update Hiatus~

I know, I just switched from once-monthly to twice-monthly updates. And when I come back in either September or October (Depending on whether I decide to participate in the Spooktober Gamejam), that will resume. But truth be told, there’s a LOT happening this summer, including but not at all limited to tabling and paneling at conventions, moving to a different apartment, helping somebody ELSE move to a different apartment, and artfight of course. My attention… Is demanded in a lot of other places.

So, while I’ll 100% still be making progress on EF2 during this time, I’ve made the difficult decision for my sanity to let myself off the hooks involved in setting specific targets for specific timeframes. I’ll need to have the freedom to go two weeks without even looking in the direction of EF2 if I’m going to balance everything in the upcoming months. Official updates will be paused, though I’ll still be posting in the discord!

I’ll be back with plenty of good news when I do return from this break from structure- And the goals for the rest of May are still in effect. Let’s review those!

Finish at least 3 of those Area 4 Backgrounds

Sketch some subprimary backgrounds for the areas already done

I’ll be back on the 31st to let you know how that goes and say one more “goodbye for now”. Thank you, as always, for reading!

[tenebraevesper]

Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 81: Return To Green Hill

''I'm flowing with time, I'm flowing, I'm flowing into the light. I'm flowing with time, I'm flowing, I'm flowing into the light. Disappear! Disappearing! Disappear! Disappearing!''

– Cyberspace 1-2: Flowing by Sonic Frontiers

xXxXxXx

''Ugh, what happened?''

Lucas found himself sitting on the ground, rubbing his temples due to the pounding headache overwhelming him. He tried to take a look around to get some idea of where he was, but it took a bit for his mind to process what he saw. He blinked, getting up as he stared slack-jawed at what was supposed to be Neos City, except for the fact that the streets were covered in green patches of grass, palm trees were growing everywhere and there was even a loop-de-loop in the distance.

''I know what you think, and yeah, you're right – we're back in Green Hill.'' Lucas' attention snapped to Sonic, who suddenly ran up to him. It seemed that the azure hedgehog spent the time Lucas used to recover to explore their surroundings.

''In other words, we're in an AR Field, but this one is unlike any of the other AR Fields we've been in so far,'' Lucas pointed out. ''It looks like Neos City merged with Green Hill Zone, which isn't supposed to happen.''

Sonic shrugged. ''Well, the AR Field we entered wasn't a normal one.''

''Right, the Cyberspace Field,'' Lucas muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sighed, trying to clear his mind. ''Since we're here, we should explore this place and gather data for Warren and Tails.''

''Already on it,'' Sonic said, then was gone in a flash of light. Lucas sighed, figuring that he would take care of the more detailed work while Sonic covers a larger area. Even if this wasn't a regular AR Field, it seemed that AR Visors remained functional, meaning that he could use them for gathering data. Unfortunately, communication outside the Cyberspace Field wasn't an option, as Lucas tried to call Warren, but the call couldn't be processed. He got on his hoverboard, immediately starting to explore his surroundings.

He was correct in describing the environment in Neos City suddenly merging with Green Hill Zone from the video games, flying over the greenery. The place wasn't a one-to-one in regards to the video game location, because, aside from the fact that there were many buildings he recognized, there weren't any Badniks, Item Boxes or even small animals like Flickies. He and Sonic were, from what he had seen, on their own.

''That's all fine… But, I'm already seeing an issue with this,'' Lucas muttered under his breath, spotting Sonic running through the loop-de-loop and skidding to a halt in front of him. ''Have you found anything?''

''Yeah, I did! But it's on the other side of the- Uh, city? Zone? I don't know what should we even call this place,'' Sonic replied.

''I don't know either, but we'll also have to look out for an exit while we're here. It's one thing to escape an AR Field, but we know absolutely nothing about Cyberspace Fields,'' Lucas said, following Sonic, who slowed down a bit so they could maintain their conversation rather than going full speed.

''I'm not sure about whether what I found could be called an exit, but it's nothing like the last time we got stuck in Green Hill,'' Sonic replied.

''Why don't you tell me what you have found?'' Lucas asked, giving Sonic a curious look. The azure hedgehog grinned playfully.

''I want it to be a surprise,'' he replied. Lucas would've been happier if he got some direct answer, but he went along with Sonic's idea.

Unfortunately for the two, they weren't the only ones inside the Cyberspace Field. Two figures had exited a nearby ally, one on a hoverboard, the other just flying beside her; following the two at a safe distance, making sure the teenager and the azure hedgehog won't spot them. Those two figures were Ferra and Metal Sonic, having been sent by Eggman to investigate a different Cyberspace Field, only to get pulled into it at the same moment as Lucas and Sonic. They had also noticed that Neos City looked like it had been merged with Green Hill, not to mention being unable to get into contact with Eggman. They had decided to do the same as Lucas and Sonic – gather data and find a way out, following the two once they caught on that Sonic had found something interesting.

Ferra glanced at Metal Sonic, sensing that the robotic hedgehog felt somewhat tense. Despite the fact that he had spent a good amount of energy fighting against Mephiles and Iblis in his Neo Metal Sonic form and Metal Overlord form, he was still ready for another match with his rival.

''I don't think it would be smart to fight them now,'' Ferra stated, with Metal Sonic glancing at her. ''Especially if they know how to get out of this place.''

'I have my doubts,' Metal Sonic replied, his actual response sounding more like robotic noise, even though Ferra could perfectly understand him. Frankly, they couldn't do anything in their current situation, so avoiding unnecessary conflict would be the best course of action.

xXx

''So, Lucas and Sonic are now gone…'' Warren stated, still stunned due to what had happened moments ago.

''I believe they had been transported into the Cyberspace Field,'' Tails said, already checking his Miles Electric. ''There was a sudden spike in data when they vanished… Just give me a moment, I'll try something…'' Warren observed Tails as he connected the Miles Electric to his AR Visor, displaying a holographic screen that allowed them to see the new data in more detail. Tails then pointed at the graphics. ''There! See that spike? It happened right before Sonic and Lucas have vanished.'' He then started typing. ''We couldn't get any data until now, but this should be enough for me to at least get some idea of how the Cyberspace Fields work…'' More typing, with Tails sticking out his tongue in concentration, only to smirk slyly. ''All done!'' The holographic screen then briefly turned into what seemed to be a video feed of the Cyberspace Field, only to suddenly turn black and crash. Tails threw his hands up in frustration. ''Aw, com'n! I was so close!''

Warren took over, taking the Miles Electric and checking on it while the twin-tailed fox calmed down. ''Something or someone has kicked us out of the Cyberspace Field, but we still managed to get a recording.'' The holographic screen opened once more, showing the last image, with Warren and Tails recognizing it. ''That's Green Hill Zone.''

''It's not just Green Hill Zone, but Neos City as well,'' Tails said, furrowing a brow. ''This is far from what I had expected.''

''Hey, look at that!'' Warren pointed at the holographic screen, which now showed a map of Neos City with all of the Cyberspace Field locations, courtesy of the data they got from CyExLabs. ''All Cyberspace Fields seem to have slight deviations from each other.''

''Maybe this means that those Cyberspace Fields are different areas?'' Tails suggested. ''For example, the one next to us is Green Hill Zone, while the others are different kinds of Zones.''

''That would make sense, but there are still a few issues we're dealing with. We don't know what kicked us out of the video feed for Cyberspace Field, and we also need to figure out how to get Lucas and Sonic out of it,'' Warren pointed out, only for the two to notice a sudden change in the Cyberspace Fields. ''Wait, why do these two now share the same data structure?''

Both exchanged glances upon the sudden realization, only for a look of resolve to form on their expressions. Whoever was messing with them and their friends was about to feel their wrath.

xXx

''We're right in Sentoraru…'' Lucas muttered, recognizing the environment, even if it was covered by greenery and hills. It was kind of eerie, reminding him of the Black Arms Invasion and how their presence corrupted the environment. However, this was a little different, being its own pocket dimension resembling Neos City and Green Hill Zone rather than merge with it directly. It was still a mystery to how this was possible, but currently, they had to reach the other side of the city. Which would've been much easier if it weren't for the fact that there was a wave of data that blasted through the area, the data particles shaping into different Badniks.

This phenomena caused Lucas and Sonic to pause for a moment. They weren't new to fighting Badniks, but they were certain that these ones weren't sent by Eggman.

''Buzz Bombers, Crabmeat, Moto Bug… These are all enemies you'd typically encounter in Green Hill,'' Lucas noted. Sonic smirked, cracking his knuckles and stretching his legs.

''They're not a big deal for me. All that needs to be done is to destroy them and we can move on,'' Sonic said in a casual tone, quickly zipping through the Badniks and spin-attacking them. It was too easy for him to deal with those robots, but what he didn't expect was to suddenly see small animals jumping out of the wrecks, with a blue bird landing on the top of his head.

''A Flicky? I didn't expect that,'' Sonic said, with the Flicky nuzzling his cheek before flying away. ''Eggman doesn't use animals in his Badniks.''

''Not in our reality, but it seems that the Cyberspace Field goes for a more game accurate environment, including enemies,'' Lucas concluded. ''This makes things rather predictable.''

''Well, predictable doesn't always equal boring,'' Sonic said. ''Besides, it's not completely the same. Now, com'n! I still need to show you what I have found.''

''Right, let's go!'' Lucas said, going after Sonic. Fortunately, the route they took allowed Lucas to bypass obstacles like a loop-de-loop or floating platforms that would make it harder for him to travel. He had to admit that this place was definitely a different experience from what he was used to, wishing the rest of Team Neos was here to explore it. He was certain that they would be interested in it, making him wonder if the other Cyberspace Fields were hiding different locations from the video games. It was possible, but that still didn't explain why they had appeared.

Well, I guess this is something I can think about later, Lucas thought, watching Sonic as leapt from platform to platform, snatching a few golden Rings out of the air before landing in front of Lucas, and holding one up.

''I guess this means that I can walk into a hazard and survive without getting hurt,'' Sonic stated, causing Lucas to laugh.

''I suppose that would be the case, but if I were you, I would still avoid running into hazards,'' Lucas told him. Sonic let the Ring disappear, waving his hand in a nonchalant manner.

''Don't worry, I don't plan on doing that. I want to do this run without losing any Rings,'' Sonic replied. Lucas hummed as they continued on their path.

''I wonder if this also means that there might be Special Stages hidden somewhere,'' he said, but then shook his head. ''But, I guess we should go first the location you wanted to show me.''

''It will still take a bit until we get there,'' Sonic said, with Lucas pressing down on the accelerator. Sonic was still faster than him, going ahead to destroy more of the Badniks that popped up on their route, with both of them still being blissfully unaware that they had been followed.

'Those may be Badniks, but they do not belong to the Doctor.'

Metal Sonic fired a blast at a few Buzz Bombers that got in their way, easily destroying them. He and Ferra had also ran into the Badniks, being forced to fight their way through. Fortunately, the Badniks were an easy challenge, proving to be more of an annoyance to them. They kept a steady pace, though, staying out of Lucas and Sonic's sight while also making sure they don't lose the two.

Other than that, their journey was relatively uneventful, but just like Lucas, it left Ferra wondering why this Cyberspace Field even existed. She had figured that Dr. Eggman would manage to figure things out based on the information she and Metal Sonic had gathered.

Eventually, they had reached the far western side of Neos City, right where they would be entering Infinity Forest, with Lucas, Ferra and Metal Sonic being stunned by Sonic's discovery.

''I… I guess this makes sense as means of escaping,'' Lucas said, his eyes wide. They were staring at a giant golden ring with a blue portal and a red star inside it – a Goal Ring. Sonic gave him a proud look, happy that he managed to find it.

''This is our way out,'' he said. Lucas nodded.

''You're right, but… I'm fairly certain that Green Hill typically has a Goal Plate, not a Goal Ring,'' he explained. Sonic shrugged. ''In any case, I'm glad that we're not stuck here.''

Sonic's ear suddenly flicked and he leapt towards Lucas, knocking him away as a blast of energy hit the ground where they stood only moments earlier. Both looked up, stunned to see Ferra and Metal Sonic, the latter looking ready to fight.

''What are you two doing here?'' Lucas asked, furrowing a brow.

''We're here for the same reasons as you are,'' Ferra replied in a haughty tone.

''So, you're also stuck here,'' Sonic concluded, only for Metal Sonic to glare at him.

''No, we're here to explore the Cyberspace Field on Dr. Eggman's orders!'' Ferra growled. Sonic and Lucas exchanged glances, clearly no buying it. It was clear to them that Ferra and Metal Sonic didn't want to admit that they were also trapped here and following them because they had no clue how to get out of this place.

''Riiiiight… What did you attack us for?'' Sonic asked, glaring back at Metal Sonic, who took a fighting stance.

''Shouldn't that be obvious? We want to stop you from escaping,'' Ferra declared. ''If you remain trapped here, you won't be causing any problems for us anymore.''

''What makes you two think that we would let you get away with that?'' Lucas asked. Ferra and Metal Sonic exchanged glances, then shrugged.

''You're right. We should've known better,'' Ferra said, only for Metal Sonic to suddenly charge at Sonic.

xXx

''Okay, I know that someone is messing with us now,'' Tails grumbled, having taken the Miles Electric back and trying to get into the Cyberspace Field. Every time he and Warren were close to getting another inside look into the Cyberspace Field, they got suddenly kicked out, leaving them both incredibly frustrated. They suddenly got a call on their AR Visors, with Warren taking over, noting how the rest of Team Neos was calling.

''Hey, Warren, Tails, how are things going on your end?'' Lily asked.

''Lucas and Sonic have been transported into the Cyberspace Field. Tails and I are trying to figure out how to get them out, but someone's messing with us,'' Warren answered.

''What?!''

Both Warren and Tails winced when they heard their friends' reaction. In their attempt to help Lucas and Sonic, they completely forgot to tell the rest of the team about what happened.

''We managed to also get a glimpse of the Cyberspace Field,'' Tails added. ''It looks like Green Hill Zone and Neos City merged together.''

''So, we know what those Cyberspace Fields look like inside, but what should we do about them?'' Amy asked.

''We don't know yet. I believe that Lucas and Sonic will try to escape the Cyberspace Field on their own. As for us, unless Tails and I get a steady connection to it, we cannot even interact with it,'' Warren explained.

''There is another Cyberspace Field on the other side of Neos City that has the same structure as this one,'' Tails added. ''Somewhere close to Infinity Forest. I don't know what this means exactly, but I have a few ideas, one of them being that it might be another entrance into the same Cyberspace Field. Someone should check it out.''

''Who is the closest to Infinity Forest?'' Makoto asked, but from it was clear from everyone's expressions that they were too far.

''We could use Chaos Control to get there,'' Touka suggested.

''Good. We'll leave that to you guys… huh?'' Tails blinked in surprise when he saw the map of the Cyberspace Fields, realizing that some had vanished. The one at Infinity Forest remained, but he could feel the anxiety creeping in. ''A few of the Cyberspace Fields are gone! I don't know why, but if we want to get our friends out, we need to hurry up!''

xXx

Metal Sonic charged up a punch, missing Sonic as the latter dodged the attack, only to curl into a ball and slam into his robotic counterpart. This sent Metal Sonic flying, but he managed to collect himself, dashing towards Sonic once more. Sonic anticipated the punch, taking a step to the side, only to get surprised by a kick to his gut. He skidded on the ground, one hand placed down to keep him steady as he crouched, the other on his stomach as he breathed. So far, it seemed that Metal Sonic was content fighting Sonic in his base form rather than transforming into Neo Metal Sonic. Sonic assumed that he might resort to that option in case he started gaining the upper hand. He glanced at Lucas, his expression making it clear that he wanted Lucas to escape while he distracted Metal Sonic and Ferra, but his partner shook his head. Lucas understood the message, but he wasn't going to leave Sonic behind.

The azure hedgehog's eyes widened as he was forced to dodge multiple blasts from Metal Sonic, curling into a ball and tackling his robotic counterpart once more, but Metal Sonic grabbed him, with Sonic spinning in place, only to get spiked into the ground. Sonic sat up, dazed, only to run away when Metal Sonic went for another energy blast, creating a crater in the ground. The robot then went after Sonic, reaching him in mere seconds as the azure hedgehog dashed around the green fields covering the cityscape. He tried to come up with a plan of knocking down Metal Sonic so he and Lucas could escape, but that was easier said than done. Metal Sonic as relentless and aggressive, leaving Sonic on the defensive. The hedgehog suddenly narrowed his eyes and then sped up as he realized that there was something he could do.

Metal Sonic was hot on Sonic's trail when he saw his rival going faster, surrounded by a blue aura, different from Chaos Surge. Sonic suddenly turned around and dashed straight towards him, using Boost to knock Metal Sonic, causing him to crash into a building.

''Heh, it always works! Let's try this again!'' Sonic grinned, going for another Boost. Despite his confidence, he knew he couldn't use this attack indefinitely and he hoped that a second one would be enough to defeat Metal Sonic. Unfortunately for him, Metal Sonic anticipated this, flying up into the air and forcing Sonic to slow down so he wouldn't be the one crashing into buildings. However, Sonic continued to run, the aura around him fading as blue pixelated particles enveloped his body. ''Huh, what's this?''

Sonic blinked in surprise, noting how the blue pixelated particles weren't the Boost nor Chaos Surge, leaving him wondering what was happening to his body. Turning his head back, he realized he was leaving a blue trail of energy. He didn't understand why this was happening, but if this was some kind of new power, he was going to use it. He spotted Metal Sonic landing down, preparing for another energy blast from his chest, with Sonic running towards him, the trail of blue energy blazing as he avoided Metal Sonic's attack and looped around him, kicking up an updraft of energy that took the robot by surprise, lifting him up. This was the opening Sonic needed, as he immediately leapt into the air, performing a spin attack and slamming straight into Metal Sonic. He then landed on a platform, spotting Metal Sonic on the ground as the latter tried to recover from the sudden attack, only for Sonic to loop around him once more, causing him to be lifted again. However, this time, Sonic performed another loop, causing spears of energy to shoot down and slamming Metal Sonic back into the ground.

''You didn't expect something like that to happen…'' Sonic smirked as he stopped for a moment to observe Metal Sonic's reaction. The robot didn't appear to be as damaged as he hoped he would be, but more dazed by Sonic's new ability, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Sonic used this distraction to dash back to a bewildered Lucas, suddenly grabbing him by the wrist and running towards the Goal Ring. ''I guess we can talk later about this!''

Lucas didn't say anything, only briefly glancing back at Ferra who was just as stunned as he was upon seeing what Sonic had done. He turned his head back, passing through the Goal Ring.

xXx

''Uh, guys? There is something you need to see…'' Minami said, her eyes wide in surprise as she stared at the circular object in front of her. As per Tails' instruction, Touka and Shadow used Chaos Surge followed by Chaos Control to warp their group to Infinity Forest, where the Cyberspace Field was. However, none of them were prepared for what they were about to see.

''What are you talking about, Minami? What-'' Tails asked, only to cut himself off as his jaw dropped when Minami turned the holographic screen towards the object. He wasn't the only one to react like that, as the rest of the group, save for Eclipse (who was more clueless than anything), had the same reaction.

''What's a Goal Ring doing here?!'' Makoto broke the silence.

''No clue,'' Amy responded, still slack-jawed. Right at the edge of Infinity Forest, a giant Goal Ring was floating in front of the five, emitting a quiet hum to signify its presence. Shadow looked down at the map Tails had sent them, confirming that this was indeed the location of the Cyberspace Field.

''Is this normal?'' Eclipse asked him, not understanding everyone's reaction to the giant ring. Nevertheless, that didn't mean that he wasn't curious about it, since it was clear that it held some kind of significance.

''No, this is not normal,'' Shadow replied. Touka scratched the back of her head.

''So, what should we do? Should we try to enter it?'' she asked, with the group exchanging glances, being a little hesitant about her idea. They weren't really sure whether they even should interact with it, but before they could even agree on anything, Shadow walked up to the Goal Ring, pressing his hand against the portal inside it, only to encounter resistance. It felt as if the portal's surface could be passed through, but it refused to let him enter.

''I believe that this answers your question,'' Shadow said, turning to Touka.

''Well, that makes sense. Normally, a Goal Ring appears at the end of a stage and serves as the exit,'' Minami pointed out. ''Since we're not inside the Cyberspace Field, we cannot enter it this way. In other words, Lucas and Sonic would have to find the Goal Ring inside it to escape.''

''At least they have a way to escape,'' Amy commented, trying to stay optimistic in this confusing situation. Just then, the Goal Ring glowed, with two figures flying straight out of it and landing right in front of them.

''Sonic!''

''Lucas!''

There was a collective sigh of relief heard, combined with cries of joy when the azure hedgehog and teenager tried to orient themselves, clearly dazed by what had happened. Sonic was the first to notice his friends, fist-pumping.

''All right! We made it back!''

However, before any of them could start explaining themselves, two more figures escaped through the Goal Ring, with Minami, Amy, Touka and Shadow being stunned to see a dazed Ferra and Metal Sonic.

''Ugh, I swear-'' Ferra was rubbing her head, only to cut herself off when she saw the group before her. Metal Sonic took a fighting stance, only to be confronted by a battle-ready Sonic, Amy and Shadow. He was a little hesitant to attack, knowin that, while he could take them on, victory wasn't guaranteed. He turned to Ferra for instructions, but she just shook her head.

''I believe we had enough of fighting for today. Besides, this was supposed to be a recon mission,'' she said, turning her attention to the group. ''Do you agree?''

''Yeah, I do,'' Lucas replied, nodding. Frankly, he wasn't in mood with dealing with these two either. Instead, the group watched them leave, no doubt going to inform Eggman about what they found out. As for the Goal Ring, it disappeared.

xXx

Back at the Taylor Workshop, there was a heated conversation in regards to the Cyberspace Fields. Warren and Tails were thankful to Lucas and Sonic for the information they had gathered, confirming what they had initially assumed – that the Cyberspace Fields seemed to be AR Field-like locations merged with Neos City, having a similar structure to Irregulars in the sense that it merged the biological and digital. Unfortunately, they had no idea how that was possible, but that didn't matter as they brought up another issue.

''Someone was controlling the Cyberspace Fields,'' Tails said in a grim tone.

''How can you be so sure?'' Silver asked.

''After Sonic and Lucas were drawn into the Cyberspace Field, we have gotten a burst of data that allowed us to actually access the Field itself. That didn't last long, though, because shortly after, we got kicked out. We haven't lost the connection entirely, though, so we tried to access it, thinking it was just an error. However, every time we got inside, we got kicked out again. If the Cyberspace Field itself was trying to block us out, we wouldn't have had any access to it. Instead, this whole situation was more as if someone was playing a game with us, allowing us to think that we won, only to block us again,'' Tails grumbled, getting more and more frustrated. The team had to admit that this was possibly the first time they saw him this worked up over something.

''Unfortunately, nothing can be done now, since the Cyberspace Fields gave completely disappeared,'' Knuckles pointed out.

''I have a feeling that they will appear again,'' Lucas said, looking at Tails. ''If you're correct in regards that someone is controlling the Cyberspace Fields, they will try it again.''

''At least we know that it isn't Eggman,'' Lily said. ''I wouldn't be surprised if he got annoyed about someone else stealing his spotlight as the main troublemaker.''

''Something is telling me that he won't care unless they directly interfere with his plans,'' Makoto said.

''In any case, we have at least managed to learn something about those Cyberspace Fields. That should count for something,'' Amy said.

''Considering how even CyExLabs doesn't have the information we do, you're right,'' Warren said. ''But, for now, nothing can be done about them.''

That was something they could all agree on. It was obvious that they were going to investigate this new phenomena, but they would have to wait for the Cyberspace Fields to appear again. However, Lucas had one more thing he wanted to talk about.

''While we were within the Cyberspace Field, Sonic and Metal Sonic were fighting, and Sonic performed the Cyloop,'' he said, stunning everyone, save for Eclipse.

''No way!''

''I'm not that surprised that he would be able to use it.''

''Okay, but how did that happen?''

Eclipse observed everyone as they discussed this revelation, the group looking astounded, but at the same time familiar with Sonic's new ability. He didn't participate in the conversation itself, instead trying to understand what they were talking about, but the terms 'video game' and 'Sonic Frontiers' were still foreign to him. He glanced at Touka, who appeared to know what they were talking about, even if she didn't participate in the conversation itself, figuring that he could ask her to explain those terms to him in more details. He also noted how it was strange that they were talking about Sonic despite the fact that the hedgehog wasn't even in the room. Eclipse had seen him leave earlier with Shadow, neither of them being interested in the ongoing discussion.

Feeling curious about what they were up to and having nothing to contribute to the conversation, Eclipse walked out the workshop, spotting the two hedgehogs in the yard, with Sonic running in a loop around Shadow, but nothing was happening.

The azure hedgehog placed his hands on his hips, tapping with his foot on the ground as he tried to figure out how to activate the Cyloop again. Frankly, while he didn't have in-depth knowledge about his own lore, Lucas had in familiarized him enough with it that he was able to recognize this ability after giving it more thought once things calmed down. He decided to leave it to Lucas to explain to everyone what had happened to them, pulling Shadow out to help him master this new ability. However, for some reason, the Cyloop wouldn't activate.

''Maybe it's because you need to be in a Cyberspace Field for it to work?'' Shadow suggested. Sonic shrugged in response, noting how that made sense, but at the same time, he felt that this was something he should be able to do outside the Cyberspace Field.

''Or, maybe I just need to get in the right mindset? I have been fighting Metal Sonic when it happened,'' Sonic suggested, taking a battle stance. ''Com'n, attack me!''

Shadow rose an eyebrow, leading Eclipse to believe that his brother wouldn't attack a close teammate, only to be proven wrong in the next second when Shadow charged at Sonic with the intent of clocking him across the face at such a speed that left the little alien baffled. It seemed that, when it came to battling, his brother wasn't holding back, regardless of whether they were friend or foe. To Eclipse's surprise, Sonic's reaction to this was just laughter, acting as if this battle was more of a game than anything else no matter how intense it got. He observed the two as they chased each other all across the yard, some of their moves being even too fast for Eclipse to follow. However, one thing he did notice was a smirk on Shadow's lips, the dark hedgehog clearly enjoying himself during this challenge. It left Eclipse wondering whether this was a sign that his brother had the trademark Black Arms bloodthirst or if this was something he genuinely enjoyed as an individual.

In any case, their sparring match seemed to be working, as a pixelated trail of blue energy suddenly formed behind Sonic, who quickly looped around Shadow, forcing his rival into the defensive as he was caught off guard by the updraft that threw him into the air for a moment. Sonic smirked, about to use the momentum he built up to land a kick on Shadow, only for him to get caught off guard when the latter summoned three Doom Spears mid-air and threw them right at Sonic. Nevertheless, the cocky grin never left his expression as he dodged them, still going for the kick, with Shadow crossing his arms in front of him to defend himself from the impact.

''It seems that I got it now, Shads,'' Sonic stated.

''Hmph, you just got lucky, Faker. If you think one new ability is enough to catch up to me, then you're underestimating me,'' Shadow responded, managing to grab Sonic's leg and toss him into the air. Sonic curled into a ball, dashing towards him, but Shadow was prepared for the attack… or at least, what he believed to be the attack. Instead, Sonic aimed for the ground next to him, uncurling and performing a sweeping kick that knocked Shadow off his feet. Before he could even get up, Sonic grabbed his wrists, pinning him down as he straddled his waist.

''Maybe you're right, but you and I both know that doesn't matter since I will always be able to match you, whether it's power or speed,'' Sonic said, his eye-lids lowering. Shadow's breath hitched as he felt his heart racing when Sonic slowly lowered his head towards his lips.

''I thought you were better than that, brother.''

Both Sonic and Shadow's eyes suddenly widened, their attention turning to the entrance to the workshop where they spotted Eclipse, who had a rather disappointed look on his expression. Both scrambled back on their feet, a distinct shade of red spreading on their muzzles, while Eclipse continued, ''You have defeated Black Doom, yet you get yourself defeated by your teammate. That's pathetic.''

''Nobody asked for your opinion, Eclipse,'' Shadow growled in annoyance. Despite not showing it, part of him was relieved that Eclipse didn't catch on what he and Sonic were about to do, having absolutely no intention to explain himself to his little brother. Admittedly, this also left him briefly wondering whether the Black Arms even knew about the concept of romantic relationships, which he quickly shook off as absurd, since all of the Black Arms were specifically created by Black Doom.

Sonic seemed to be more amused than embarrassed by this, adding, ''Well, we were having a sparring match so I could master the Cyloop. It doesn't really matter who won or who lost.'' His expression changed to exasperation when he saw Eclipse looking down on him, noting how the little alien still couldn't care less about anyone that wasn't Shadow. He then turned to his boyfriend, adding under his breath, ''We can continue this later.''

Shadow just nodded, giving Sonic a fond look, only to frown and glare back at Eclipse when he got a mental message, ''Why are you looking at the blue hedgehog like that?''

''That's none of your business, Eclipse!''

The only response Shadow got in return was an annoyed huff.

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