#concept: file descriptors

[ardenasaservice]

cli magic 2. now with more operators, and some made-up magic rules. notes/text version here.

[kheprriverse]

Ask Game

RULES: make a new post with the name of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non descriptive or ridiculous. let people send you an ask with the title that intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

Tagged by @kings-comic -> I don't do tag games often (if at all) but wanted to use this as an opportunity to show wips and ideas I didn't get the chance to show off in the past.

File names: Solkeeper (1), Solkeeper (2), Wargod concept, Serprints, Kojinelem, Forgeconcept, Twiqillin, Zelnai, garden, snowrontrio, Demiconcept

-> Also I don't have an actual WIP folder, just folders sorted by characters. My naming scheme always has [character name][1-2 word descriptor] and tends to rarely diverge from that. So the names below are outliers or renamed for this post specifically.

Tagging: No one lol. But if you see this and wanna participate then feel free to do so :>

[preciousjoke]

Daily Linux Infodump (file ownership and persmissions)

Each file has an associated user ID and Group ID that define the owner of a file, and the group to which it belongs. The ownership of a file is used to determine the access rights to users of the file. File I/O model since linux is Unix based, it shares the same general concept of Universality of I/O this means that the same system calls ( open() read() write() close() and so on) are used to perform I/O on all types of files, including devices. File Descriptors The I/O system calls refer to open files using a file descriptor a (usually small) non-negative integer. A file descriptor istypically obtained by a call to open(), which takes a pathname argument specifying a file upon which I/O is to be performed. Normally a process inherits three open file descriptors, when it is started by the shell: Descriptor 0 is standard input, descriptor 1 is standard output, and descriptor 2 signifies a standard error. the file to which the process writes error messages and notification of exceptional or abnormal conditions is in the stdio library, these descriptors correspond to the file streams stdin, stdout and of course stderr. The stdio Library To perfom file I/O, C programs typically employ I/O functions in the standard C library, this set of functions is reffered to as the stdio library. The stdio library includes fopen(),fclose(),scanf(),printf(),fgets(),fputs(), and so on. The stdio functions are layered in top of system calls(open(),read(),write(),close() and so on).

[sunshinemoonrx]

Starhound: April Devlog

I've mentioned the RPGmaker game I'm working on a bit before, and since that's always gonna be pretty slow with me working full-time, I thought it'd be good to keep track of my pace with end-of-the-month progress posts. So! Here's what I've done in April.

(For the record, at the moment I'm actually planning on calling the game "Star Hound Vega", as the [Thing] [Descriptor] [Name] pattern is venerable among tokusatsu and mecha type heroes, but "Starhound" is my name for the setting and stories generally.)

Finished the first dungeon! It took more passes than I thought it would, as it always does, and I'm sure there'll be more tweaks in future, but I have now got to the point where I'm able to play through it and go "wow! that functions as intended without breaking! no notes"

2. Updated some sprites! Previously Vega's and Nemea's were just placeholders, but I've arrived at some that I feel pretty good about and represent them much better. Placeholders on the left, final sprites on the right:

I ended up using the "male" creator for Vega, which I think works great for creating butch women. (I have hemmed and hawed a bit over if I'm being Problematic by doing this as she is also the main trans character, however: I am a trans girl and I can do what I want. In seriousness, it is a bit of wish-fulfilment for me--I wish I could be more butch and masc-styled and be read as "a handsome woman" and not "a man", so Vega's living that dream for me. She's a hunk you get it)

I will definitely still need some kind of custom visuals for Vega's henshin hero suit, and Nemea (and her boss, Princess Ascella) when she appears as an enemy.

3. Diversified the music! So a fun thing about RPGMaker is you think you know the small selection of default assets it gives you, but if you dig around in the installed files there's actually a lot more free assets you can transfer in--from walk sprites and portraits from older versions of RPGMaker, to a whole bunch of extra enemy graphics, to a lot more music. In particular, I found some pretty sweet battle themes so now each boss can have its own! (This all mixed in with something I already grabbed right when I started making this--a pack of specifically old toku style music, which is really great for making it feel appropriately flavoured.)

4. Added a town area! The overworld is pretty limited in this, it's not so much travel as using a small consistent hub/base to rest between dungeons (if sequels happen they'll probably be bigger but I'm trying to keep a lid on the minimum viable product scope ykno), but there are a couple additional areas, so...now we have that!

Got to have some fun populating it with cute characters, which was nice.

5. Started the second dungeon! My main goal this month was to finish the first one, so it's nice to be ahead of schedule.

I've also figured out some really fun gimmicks for this one, so the first dungeon will serve mostly as a backdrop while you're introduced to the game's core mechanics, then this one will step it up and be more showy in its own right. Figuring out stuff like "oh you can have specific enemy encounters only happen on certain regions of the map" and "oh you can totally hide one-off boss fights inside random encounters" has got me to a concept I'm real happy with.

So yeah, that's where the game's at right now! For May, my main goal is just to finish the second dungeon, but we'll see where that goes. I plan on making a prototype build to toss at some friends once I've done a pass on the third dungeon (the total plan is for five, plus a final area after), but the third one is very short so I might even be able to do that in May too. But no pressure if the second is all I manage, that's the goal.

[protect-namine]

okay gonna take a stab at articulating Thoughts here but this is probably gonna end up like word salad. it's okay, whatever, what is blogging if not chucking thoughts into the void.

so. usability right. websites should have more ✨️ intuitive ✨️ ux/ui where users are guided around and they understand how things work out of the box because the site follows patterns the user is already used to.

oh man.

something this immediately reminds me of is how japanese website design is markedly different, very "cluttered" and heavy on text. is the whole country just terrible at ux or are they just serving a different set of users who expect something else?

another thing I think about is how, at one company I worked at, they've thought about revamping the admin section of the website because it's sooooo "cluttered" and not "clean" but decided against it because, I mean, who uses the admin section? the main operation team. what do they use it for? banning users, tagging stuff for fraud and investigation, processing incidents, etc. do they want pretty and clean and beautiful and modern UI? NO actually they're power users who want to be able to do 10 things efficiently on the same page without having to go through 15 extra clicks to finish those 10 tasks because each task was separated onto different menus and pages.

(not to mention the amount of resources you need to do that kind of revamp, the cost-benefit trade-off, the time spent by people who are used to how things work now with learning how the new layout works, thereby disrupting the way they already know how to do things, and for what benefit? it's easier to onboard a new admin user than to redesign a whole system and fuck everyone's workflows)

so like. functionality and purpose and user segmentation can vary differently and "intuitive" is a vague nothing descriptor because what's intuitive for one user might not be for another. what makes a site usable is if it lets you do the job you were there for. pro users have different needs from new users and sometimes you really just gotta prioritize one over the other, because resources!!! are finite!!! and if you aren't actually doing this to market a product and attract new users, guess which category of users you're gonna prioritize!

another thing this makes me think of is how, like, we want things to just work out of the box. no need to think about how things work under the hood. great for accessibility, no need for high literacy to just do things and that is genuinely great. but also. alsooooooo

I'm thinking about how there are some kids who don't have a concept of file systems because everything is an app and search systems are now so sophisticated you can just rely on it instead of thinking in directories and file hierarchies. which is honestly pretty cool, like how many times have you just searched for an app on your phone instead of swiping through a list of apps, or folders? (I do both, so for the ones who say "uhhhh it's been a long time actually because I still use folders" don't worry you are understood. I understand. this isn't about us though). anyway, do people need to know about file systems? I guess not, but it's also a fundamental part of how computers work that if you start trying to do more complicated computer stuff and don't know how they work, you can get stumped by a simple error message such as a program not finding the your files.

and like. I'm not saying we shouldn't make navigation easy, because accessibility is a good thing and not everyone wants or needs to do complicated things on the computer. but alsooooo I don't think it's the ultimate goal? because to do so would be to continue to create that divide between "tech-savvy" and "not tech-savvy" when I think the goal alongside good tech navigation should be to raise tech literacy for everyone. we're in an age where society is becoming more and more reliant on tech AND an age where information is king and misinformation is rampant and like. likeeeeee

also not to make this a generation thing but there is a subset of people where they have to teach how technology works to people who are both older than them and people who are younger than them but have already gone through high school. and like, shouldn't it be that the younger generations will keep teaching the older generations what's hip and new and how things work?

if you're too afraid to tinker around with stuff you'll end up just accepting chrome's advertising policies and tumblr's awful new layout and youtube pushing youtube shorts all the time even though you fucking hate it. when, with just a few clicks, you could be using an extension or script to block ads and hide youtube shorts and unfuck your tumblr dashboard. if you only rely on programs with "intuitive" ux/ui you can get trapped in the app store walled garden with no idea how to get your shit together again when you're no longer using the laptop with the only os that uses those programs. you don't want to pay to watch something but you also don't know how to pirate, what do? you get a phishing email or something that looks like a scam to someone who knows what to look for, oh but you don't so you click on it and send you banking details to someone you didn't mean to, oh no!!!!

anyway. so you want to find a fic and the tools are right there but you didn't know they existed because you didn't know how the site was built to work and maybe the site should have taught you better how it works. it's not the user's fault that the site doesn't work like the rest of the internet does. that is true and those are good points. but also, sometimes. sometimes. the people working on the site don't have the resources to do that, or maybe they're not even really prioritizing you as their user and just hopes you'll eventually figure out how to find your fic because you're good at searching, you grew up in an internet where search is so sophisticated (and, sigh, ad-driven, though this does not apply to the site we're talking about). you can find anything you want, and this website is designed NOT to punish you for clicking around. you can just fuck around and find out! in fact, clicking around might actually reward you!! you learn a new tag, you figure out where the fics for a specific fandom or character are, etc. it doesn't take that long to find the tools you were looking for. two clicks (one click for a tag to go into tag search, and another click on the filter button if you're on mobile to open up the sort and filter menu). two clicks to discover the plethora of tools available to you, with each of them having those question mark links you can click if you want to find out what they do in detail.

but I guess that's hidden too well now!!!!! UN-intuitive design because it's not friendly to new users even though this site can't even leave the beta stage for a decade. or more!! it's not keeping up with modern designs even though it doesn't have a goal of attracting new users or become like the rest of the internet. and I guess it doesn't matter that as an archiving system you can search things with as much maximum specificity as the site allows. you can search like you would search a database because it's an archiveeeeeeeeee and that's it's purpose, that what you use it for but that doesn't matter because new users don't know how to search a database so the website is not usable, we need to keep it current so even non-fandom users can understand how to use it, even people who don't know what an archive is EVEN THOUGH THAT'S NEVER BEEN THE GOALLLLL OF THE SITEEEEE

anyway so yeah we should redesign the site every now and then :) and maybe a/b test it :) :) :)

[naturalgroup]

Mastering Laravel: PHP Web Development Powerhouse

Laravel is an open-source PHP framework used to build web applications. It was developed by Taylor Otwell in 2011 as an alternative to the CodeIgniter framework.  It uses a model-view-controller(MVC) design pattern. Functions in Laravel have basic PHP features- CodeIgniter, Yii, programming languages like Ruby on Rails, etc. If you have a little bit of knowledge of Core PHP and Advanced PHP, you can easily create your website in Laravel. It is both secure and less time-consuming.

Features of Laravel

Authentication

An authentication system is created to make sure that unauthorized users do not have access to the resources. Laravel simplifies the process of authorization logic and controls access to the resources.

Testing of software

It is extremely important to test the products for any errors or bugs or crashes. Handling the products has a deep impact on the user experience. Laravel is properly configured with exception handling and errors.

Routing

It is an important concept in Larvel. It allows routing all the application requests to their designated controller. Routes are defined in the app/Http/routes.php file.

Cookie Management

Cookies are the small bits of data stored in the web browser and are used to identify a user’s activity on the web browser. Laravel manages cookies and users can set, delete, and retrieve cookies easily.

Middleware

It is the interface that acts in coordination between request and response. It is another important part of Larvel and provides the method to filter HTTP requests that are entered into the project. This feature will let the user proceed further with the project after verifying the authenticity. Another middleware named CORS is responsible for adding headers to the requests.

MVC Architecture Support

Laravel uses MVC Architecture since it allows one programmer to work on the view and other to work on the controller to create business logic for web applications. It not only helps in a faster development process but also multiple views for a model. Another important feature of MVC Architecture is that it separates business logic from presentation logic, therefore there is no need for code duplication.

Artisan

This is the built-in tool for command-in-line provided by Laravel. Artisans can be used to develop skeletal code, database structure, their migration making it easier to manage of database. It also allows the developers to generate their commands and MVC files can be generated through the command line. 

Why is Laravel the best PHP framework?

Various factors make Laravel so popular among developers and programmers. It is hailed as the best PHP framework for web application development. Why? Let's find out.

Eloquent ORM

Techopedia defines ORM as a “programming technique in which a metadata descriptor is used to connect object code to a relational database”. Eloquent ORM is included by default in Laravel. It is responsible for interaction with database tables, providing object oriented approach to inserting, updating, and deleting database records, and also providing a streamlined interface for the execution of complex SQL queries. Eloquent ORM can also be used for multiple databases using Active Method. 

Object-oriented libraries

Object-oriented libraries are one of the chief features distinguishing Laravel from other PHP frameworks. It includes 20 in-built libraries and modules with each module having its own built-in Composer dependency management system which makes updating very easy. Functions include encryption, Cross-site Forgery protection, hashing, resetting of passwords, etc.

Another additional feature is that developers can segregate these functions into different units with advanced PHP principles for responsive and modular web application development. 

Database Migration

Migration of data is important for websites that are to be redesigned and redeveloped. Laravel houses an inbuilt migration system that enables the “programmers to migrate and re-migrate the data without remembering them”. The entire process is automatic and ensures secure database migration.

High Security

Laravel has the strongest security system in the PHP framework. All the data is protected by the hashed and salted password system. To prevent SQL injection attacks, encrypted passwords are generated through hashtag algorithms which ensure high security. Programmers can also create SQL statements to safeguard from SQL injection attacks.

Blade Templating Engine

A blade is a powerful tool in Laravel that allows easy use of the template engine and it makes syntax writing very easy. It has its structure like conditional statements and loops. It can be used to create a master template that can be extended by other files. All the blade templates are stored in the/resource/view directory. To create a blade template you have to create a view file that will be saved with a .blade.php extension instead of a .php extension.

Conclusion

Laravel has proven itself to be the best open-source web development framework. It is not only functional, simple, and secure, but also allows the developers to be creative in creating web applications. From the time of its development to today Laravel has proven its ability in handling everything from single database management, unlike other frameworks. It is the ideal PHP framework that is equipped with modern technology and elegant features and syntax making it the first choice of developers and programmers.

[ardenasaservice]

CLI magic - file descriptors and redirecting I/O

I’m starting a series of “cute cheetsheets”, mostly inspired by things I have developed into muscle memory over the years. what is bash if not elaborate spell chain casting? most of this info is available at the linux documentation project.

notes/text version here.

[katytheinspiredworkaholic]

Tagged by @angelfxllcm thank you dear! I've done this before with the roses but a couple of these are more concept and outline than actually story I can pull snippets from. So let's play, if anyone is awake lol

rules: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how ridiculous or non descriptive. Send an ask with the title that most intrigues you and I’ll post a little snippet of it or tell you something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPS!!

1. Dark AU (the unsubs!HotchReid story I've been talking about forever)

2. Correspondence Sequel

3. Extraordinary (already started posting)

4. Dog Days (not the actual title I'll be using I just didn't know what to title it at the time. Moreid Holiday fic starring Clooney)

((I have a handful of RPs and some requested oneshots as well, but we will just stick to my long fics for now. Also I realize I didn’t need to put descriptors but let’s be real: y’all already know what they are, I’m just evening out the playing field for the new followers.))

Tagging (no pressure whatsoever): @thaddeusly @ssa-noa @foxtrot91 @merpancake

[autoplaysdigimon]

These are the videos you could win if you entered that contest. (Don’t forget to have your entries in before December 31st 2001!) Those episode synopses are worth a read. They all seem to give Demidevimon a lot more credit for what happened.

It’s also not consistent as to name highlighting - just look at the entry for Sora’s Crest of Love, for example. Also in the previous one, Metal GREYMON.

The phrasing of the introductory paragraph here - talking about episodes you “may have missed” and advertising the novel concept of being able to watch your favourite episode “[sic] againand again”! - really shows how revolutionary it is nowadays to be able to watch whatever you want on-demand, either online or on DVDs. Owning actual videos of things was such a revolutionary thing to have, back in the day! I went through a phase of recording Pokemon episodes from the TV, for example. Weird.

I think we had Volume 1? I vaguely remember having the Biyomon episode too, but not the other two there. Maybe I’m thinking of that previous comic.

...several of those names are wrong.

Again, worth a read, if only for the sneaking suspicion that the people (person, let’s be real) writing this didn’t pay attention to what was actually revealed in each episode. But!

Gennai’s homeland???? His enemies??????

Did... did I not pay attention?

HAHAHA WELP.

And hey, let’s flick over to that Simpsons thing there! I especially like this:

Which was suppised to be a satirical thing to show that Krusty had endorsed so many dumb products tht he just recorded a low-effort stock footage thing to be shown on everything that his team wanted to mass produce.

Irony!

Anyway, the page of that Simpsons ad has since come out of the staple, but it’s the center page so it’s okay. What’s on the other side?

WHO THE FUCK IS THESE. WE’RE ON FILE ISLAND STILL.

Oh my god, read all of these. This page, these character descriptions, are what made me realise as a kid how little personality the Digimon themselves had. For example:

STRONG SENSE OF DUTY W H O M S T

Fun loving is such a useless descriptor. I love fun. Who doesn’t? My idea of fun is playing games and writing uselessly pedantic blog posts. My mum is fun loving too, only she likes English soap operas and hates fantasy. My grandma loves fun too, only her idea of fun is crosswords and crafting.

It appears more than once. Note that this exact description could also apply to Veemon, if you replaced the names.

“Armdillomon”, also known as “Dillomon” on that same page.

“A little snobbish” is the only one so far to actually only fit that particular Digimon, but it’s another use of “making sure his partner doesn’t get into trouble/nothing happens to them”, like Veemon up above.

Patamon also works hard to impress everyone, AGAIN just like Veemon up above! Come on, guys, I know you must have been paid about $1.50 to write these, but at least try.

It gets better over the page:

Oh hey, the Simpsons are back. (And how funny is it that this particular version of Ken is used? That’s hilarious.)

Literally the most descriptive of all of these, and yet still somehow underwhelming.

But the best one by far is:

Count the things that are wrong here! My favourite is Flamedragon.

(lmao it even acknowledges that this description is similar to Patamon’s!)

[vindicatedvirgil]

only fools rush in / part four: we deserve happiness, too

WHOAH HEY SLOW DOWN! have you read parts one, two, and three yet? no? go do that and then come back. it’s fine. i’ll wait.

okay now for those of you who are all caught up, it’s Sunday, so that means a new chapter!! this chapter is focused on Janus and Logan and (hopefully) it will answer some of your questions about timelines and stuff.

this is my first time writing about a queerplatonic relationship, so if i messed up in any way please let me know (they’re also both aromantic but they are not ace and this is important to note okay cool).

TW: mention of sex (no descriptors though), mention of suicide attempt

read to the end for the title of part five as well as a teaser~

Logan sat at their usual table at the café, his laptop in front of him as he typed quickly. With every opening of the door, the bell above it dinging annoyingly, he glanced up, but found himself disappointed when he didn’t see his partner. He worried that Janus’ oolong tea would grow cold as he took a sip of his own black coffee, and turned his focus to the research paper he was working on. Eventually, he felt Janus’ lips press to his cheek and then his body slid into the booth to the left of him.

“Sorry that I’m late, Lo. Virgil was having a rough night and I needed to make sure he was going to be okay,” he explained, picking up the mug of tea in his hands and taking a sip. Janus made no indication that the tea was too cold or hot, he just smiled before pulling his own laptop out of his bag. “How’s the paper coming?”

“Almost done, just need to edit the footnotes,” Logan responded plainly, taking another sip of his coffee. It was almost to the point where it was too cold to drink, but he needed the caffeine if he wanted to finish his work for the weekend. “Is Virgil going to be okay now?”

“I think so. Roman was arriving to practice for the auditions as I left, though I don’t think he saw me, he seemed pretty focused as he ran up the stairs,” he responded, starting to type on his laptop. “Have you eaten anything, Lo? You can’t just have coffee.”

“I’m not hungry,” the taller man responded, pushing his glasses up further on his nose. Janus frowned, then slid out of their booth and walked over to the main counter. Logan sighed, switching tabs to his research notes. He skimmed for the information he needed and by the time he had inserted a quote into the main paper, Janus had returned with two muffins; one blueberry, one banana nut. Logan wanted to ignore the grumble in his stomach but he knew Janus would bug him until he ate something, so he picked up the blueberry muffin and unwrapped it before taking a bite. “Thanks, Janus.” He continued writing, taking occasional bites of the muffin, and Janus was also working hard, his banana nut muffin consumed rather quickly, the oolong tea drained from the mug. Finally, Logan spoke again. “Did Remus tell you where he was planning on taking Patton today?”

“The botanical gardens and then here for lunch, I think,” Janus responded. He seemed to be in deep thought, his thoughts miles away. “He’s going to tell Patton about his past, I think.”

“He should, before Roman beats him to it,” Logan said, loosening his tie. “He almost did last night when we were helping him pick out his outfit.” He sighed, and felt Janus’ fingers trail on his thigh, and met his eyes.

“They’re all falling in love, aren’t they? How weird is that? Love and romance. Such silly concepts,” Janus mused, a playful smile crossing his face. “But… they all deserve it. Happiness. We found our own kind of happiness, they get to find theirs now.” Logan nodded, stretching his arms a little bit.

“We’re not broken, right?” Logan’s voice was hesitant when he asked the question, and Janus frowned at him, taking his hand.

“Lo, we’ve been over this. Just because love and romance aren’t things we want to or can feel, doesn’t mean we’re broken,” Janus’ words were like a song that Logan needed to play over and over, and he wondered if that feeling would ever disappear. Sometimes when he curled up in Janus’ arms he almost felt whole, like he realized that there wasn’t a black hole where his heart should be. There were days where he shut himself off from the world, hiding in his room that was littered with papers and science equipment, because he wasn’t sure that he could ever deserve the happiness he felt when Janus was next to him. “Lo,” Janus’ voice was calling him back into himself, out of the fog of his mind. “Lo, did you sleep at all last night?”

“Uh… I slept for an hour or two,” he admitted, eyes glancing down. He was ashamed of his own insomnia sometimes, but being a double major was draining. Luckily, Janus always knew how to take care of him, make him realize that there was more to the world than just romantic love. 

“How much more schoolwork do you need to get done?” Janus asked rhetorically as he grabbed Logan’s planner, flipping to the page for the day. “Hmmm… not much, plus it’s only Saturday morning. Okay.” He closed the planner and then shut Logan’s laptop and then his own. “Come on, we’re going to your apartment to rest.”

“Jan–”

“Not mine, because Virgil and Roman are practicing and I want to give them space,” he explained, putting his laptop away. “No arguing this time, please. You need to take care of yourself.” Logan knew better than to argue, so he packed up his things and then the two walked to his apartment, fingers interlocked.

-

“Janus, this really isn’t necessary,” Logan grumbled as his partner removed his tie and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the plain t-shirt underneath. “I need to get work done.” The shorter man ignored him, going to Logan’s dresser and pulling out some pajama bottoms. He threw them at his glasses-clad partner, raising an eyebrow. 

“You need to rest,” was the only thing he said before resting his hands on his hips, glancing around the cluttered bedroom. There were papers littering the carpet, books stacked everywhere despite the open spaces on the bookshelves, and empty coffee mugs all over the desk, and Janus noted some spilled coffee stains on the surface. He was about to shrug out of his coat when two arms wrapped around his waist and Logan’s chin rested on his shoulder.

“You could… help me rest, maybe,” he suggested, voice low. “It helps my mind slow down a little bit.” Janus knew this, and he spun around in Logan’s arms, pressing his hands to his partner’s face. “If you don’t want to–”

“You know I’d do anything to help you, Lolo.”

-

Afterwards, Janus slipped back into his shirt and a pair of Logan’s pajama bottoms. He got Logan’s help in rubbing lotion over the left side of his body, hoping to quell some of the pain brought on by his eczema. Then he brought over his laptop, putting on one of Logan’s favorite space documentaries, and the two snuggled, Logan dozing sporadically. Janus ran his fingers through the other’s hair, feeling calm and collected, a smile plastered on his face. When he heard Logan’s stomach grumble with hunger, they ordered Chinese takeout and ate it in bed, Janus smirking when a noodle stuck to the other’s chin. They watched a few more documentaries, the sun lowering itself in the sky, and eventually, Logan dozed off.

Janus pressed a swift kiss to Logan’s forehead, the other softly snoring, then got to work tidying up the room. He started by putting the books onto the shelves, but he didn’t follow a certain order, he just wanted to reduce Logan’s risk of falling over the stacks. Afterwards, he organized the scattered papers into different piles and then put them into the file cabinet, labeling them for the class or purpose they held. He wiped off the surfaces in the room with wipes he had stored in Logan’s desk, and then carried all of the mugs in his arms and out to the kitchenette.

When he exited Logan’s room, he saw Roman lounging on the couch, flipping through the script. When the actor noticed him, he raised an eyebrow, but smiled.

“How’s Virgil doing?” Janus asked, setting the mugs on the sink and turning on the hot water. Roman got up from the couch and sat on one of the stools at the counter, watching. 

“He…” Roman sighed, resting his hand under his chin. “He’s nervous about it all, of course. He doesn’t want to fall on stage, he doesn’t want to mess up.” His voice was hesitant, and Janus could tell that he was holding something back, but he didn’t want to pry; he focused on washing Logan’s mugs, smiling when he noticed the ones he had gifted him with nerd sayings on them. “Janus… did Virgil really… almost kill himself?”

The mug that Janus was holding slipped out of his hand, clattering into the sink. Thankfully, it stayed intact. He felt his throat constrict, the memories of that day rushing back through his mind, and he gripped the edge of the sink tightly, using one of his shaky hands to turn off the water. “He did,” Janus’ breath was heavy, too, and he couldn’t bear to turn around to look Roman in the eyes. “I… found him. It was… the worst day of my life.”

“How old were you at the time?” Roman’s voice sounded pained as the words left his mouth, and Janus chewed on his lower lip.

“We were 16,” he said, turning around and leaning against the sink, his eyes focused on his feet. “He’s… better now. Therapy and medication and all. But… I almost lost him.”

“He thinks he’s losing you,” Roman’s words came out before he could stop them, and Janus’ eyes snapped up to meet his, a frown on his face.

“What?” It was almost a hiss, Janus was feeling constricted again, and his defenses were rising. Roman held his hands out to try to calm him down.

“He just…” Roman sighed, lowering his hands, “Now that you’re in a partnership with Logan, he… thinks he’s not a priority in your life anymore. I did my best to tell him that couldn’t be true, but… you might need to talk to him.”

Janus ran a hand through his hair, sighing, but he nodded. “Thank you for telling me, Roman. I’ll… talk to him.” Roman nodded, then pursed his lips in thought.

“Our audition is a week from Friday… do you think that maybe… you and the others could sit in the back, where Virgil can’t see, and then be there when we’re done?” Roman’s voice was hesitant. He didn’t know Janus very well and had only spent time with him in small increments; it was Patton and Logan who spent more time with him, and Roman always found the sociology major to be… odd. But he meant a lot to Virgil. “He’s so nervous, I think he could do with some support afterwards.” Janus wondered why Roman was hesitant to be the only one providing the support to Virgil, but maybe it was a sign that Roman knew of his own limits.

“I… yeah, of course, Roman. I’ll make sure that we’re there.”

-

“Virgil?” Janus opened the door to their apartment later that night. Remus hadn’t returned yet, and Virgil was laying on the couch, holding a pillow close. Janus stepped out of his shoes and set his bag down, walking over. “I think we need to talk.”

“...do we?” Virgil made a move to sit up but Janus shook his head, pulling Virgil’s legs up and onto his lap as he sat down.

“Roman told me that you feel like less of a priority to me,” he said, eyes focusing on the taller man. Virgil’s mouth opened to respond but Janus shook his head.. “Virge, I need you to know that no matter how significant Lo, or anyone else, ever becomes to me, no one will ever be more important to me than you. Okay?” Virgil looked away, frowning, and Janus sighed, rubbing his feet.

“It’s just…” he took a deep breath, twisting his fingers in a manner that seemed very uncomfortable to Janus, but Virgil made no indication that it was. “You’ve got… someone to care for now, someone who cares for you in an equal manner, and… I’m just getting in the way.”

“V, you could never get in the way. Just because I’m with Logan doesn’t change the fact that if you needed me, I would drop everything to be there,” Janus’ voice was calm, and he rubbed Virgil’s feet and legs in a way that he hoped was comforting. “V. Look at me.” Virgil did, because he knew that Janus would keep at it until he did. Janus smiled warmly, his eyes meeting his best friend’s. “Please don’t forget how much I care for you. I know… things have changed, lately. I’m still figuring out the balance with Lo and everything, but… you’ll always be at the top of my priority pyramid.” Virgil smiled, recalling the drawing that Janus had made for him back when he was in the hospital for his attempt.

-flashback, six years ago-

“They don’t care, they never did,” Virgil was sitting up in the hospital bed, finally, bandage-covered arms crossed and a frown on his face. His parents had just left from their obligatory half-hour visit. “I’m not a priority to anyone.” Janus scoffed. He was sitting cross-legged at the foot of the bed, notebook in hand.

“You’re a priority to me, V,” he said, starting to scribble on the notebook. Virgil raised an eyebrow, peeking over to see a pyramid with words on several levels. “Okay, see? Bottom level is basic necessities like a roof and food. Then school and my family. Then me. And look, at the very top of the pyramid, it’s you. The most important thing.”

Virgil brought his hand up to his mouth to stifle the laugh that he felt rising up inside him, and he ignored the bandages on his wrist as he did so. Janus was surprised at the laughter; he hadn’t heard the noise coming from his best friend in weeks. “Jan, the most important and necessary thing goes at the base of the pyramid. Like in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?” Janus frowned, glancing down at his pyramid. Virgil reached his hand out, taking the notebook from him. “But… I understand what you’re trying to say. Thank you.”

-end flashback-

“I still have that pyramid drawing you did,” Virgil said. He moved from his laying down position to sit next to Janus, and despite their height difference he leaned his head on the other man’s shoulder. “Maybe… maybe I won’t need to rely on only you, J.”

“What do you mean?” Janus found himself not liking the idea. Of course, ever since Remus had pranced his way into their little group, into their apartment, Janus knew that it could never be the same as it was when they moved in together right out of high school instead of living in the dorms. 

“I mean…” Virgil took a deep breath, a small smile taking over his facial features. “Maybe… maybe Roman will… care for me, too.” Janus turned his head a bit to give Virgil a confused look. “I think… Jan, I think he likes me.”

“He’d be a fool not to,” was the only response that Janus could muster up, but he felt strange about the whole thing. 

-

Janus had just finished eating his breakfast when there was a knock at the door. Virgil was still in bed, and Remus had left early to go on a brunch date with Patton. He opened the door, and saw Logan standing there, a sheepish smile on his face. 

“Hey, Lo, you okay?” He asked, pulling his partner inside and giving him a swift kiss to the cheek.

“I just… wanted to spend time with you,” Logan explained. Janus smiled, pulling him in for a warming hug. They moved to sit on the couch, Janus curled into Logan’s chest, an oceanography documentary playing in the background. “I was, um, thinking about the day we decided to… get together.”

“Oh?” Janus mused, playing with Logan’s fingers gently. “What about that day?”

“Just… the way you made me feel like I wasn’t broken. Like I deserve happiness.”

-flashback to early in the summer-

“I can’t help but feel… broken,” Logan sighed, laying on the floor of Janus’ room. “I know being aromantic is valid. You’ve helped me realize that, Janus. But… seeing people in romantic relationships are... they always seem so happy, and… will I ever feel happy like that?” Janus sighed from where he was propped up on his bed, pillows surrounding him. He clambered out of bed and then laid on the floor next to Logan, taking his hand and intertwining their fingers.

“You deserve the utmost of happiness. Regardless of what other people think, people like you and me do find happiness in our lives, even if romantic relationships aren’t appealing to us,” he said, voice soft and soothing. A few moments passed before he spoke again, “Logan… do you know what a queerplatonic relationship is?”

“Vaguely.” Logan asked, turning his head to look at the other, who was staring right up at the ceiling. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, I… thought maybe you’d…” Janus didn’t finish his sentence, instead closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Logan propped himself on his elbow, laying on his side to look at the other one more closely.

“Janus, are you asking me to be your partner?” Logan asked. They’d grown closer since meeting in class and getting to know each other, and when Janus found out that he also identified as aromantic, they began to spend even more time together.

“I… yeah, I think so,” Janus replied, looking at Logan again. “We’d need to establish boundaries. But… I don’t know, I think… it could work, and maybe we could… make each other happy.”

“What kind of boundaries?” Logan pressed, not yet stating if he wanted to enter the partnership. “Like… sex stuff?”

“I- I mean, only if you want that, we don’t have to do any of that, and if there’s something you want we can try it, and if it makes us uncomfortable we stop, it’s… all subjective to change,” Janus kept tripping over his words. He’d been thinking of asking Logan this for months, and had planned so many things out to say, but Logan never ceased to amaze him with the questions he didn’t anticipate.

“Well…” Logan started, taking a deep breath. “I would like to try… because you deserve to be happy, too, Janus.”

-end flashback-

“Anyways, I have something for you,” Logan reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a rounded ring that looked like a galaxy. “You don’t have to, but, um, it’s kind of like…”

“A promise ring?” Janus took the ring into his own hands gingerly, a smile creeping onto his face. Logan nodded, then buried his face in Janus’ hair, mumbling. The smaller man said nothing but slipped the ring onto his finger.

“You make me feel happiness,” Logan said, face still buried in Janus’ hair. “I thought I couldn’t feel that, that I didn’t deserve it. But you and I deserve it, just as much as anyone else.”

---

teaser for part five: power outages can lead to some very bad things

When Roman got back to the apartment, all of the lights were out. Patton and Logan were nowhere to be seen, so he figured that they were both spending the night at the other apartment. He showered then got into bed, but laid on his back staring up at his ceiling until the sun started to bleed through the break in his curtains. He fucked up.

---

part five | part six | part seven | part eight | part nine | part ten

---

taglist (if you want to be tagged when i update please let me know!)

@winterrose42

@are-you-even--real

@shaded14space

@lallyphant

@deceits-left-glove

@aricana8

@pixelated-pineapple

@starstruck-xavier

@thiel

@sophiexteresa

@cemmy

@toadink2005

[simnostalgia]

Hi! Been wondering since Ive seen posts of yours where the devs implied that Mary-Sue Pleasants bio parents where Hank Goddard and Pauline Wan, and that TS2 for console was a different sims game retooled to fit the computers storyline (and the start of the Dina Caliente being a active mean romance oriented sim and Nina being lazier and childish). Do you know if EAxis often has notes for premades like the Mary-Sue one, if the premades pass through many hands, or are they more of an afterthought?

Good questions!

1. Premades from what I’ve always heard act as more in-depth tutorials of game mechanics. At least they did for The Sims 2. In the design documents for the original game, there’s a mention of storylines for the premade characters but AFAIK we never really got a full document of what the original story was.

When the game still took place in Happy Acres during the 1998 demo the game was actually more story based like the first generation sims console games were. Devs for TS2 mentioned several times that they used premades in those games to help players understand game play features without making it feel too much like a tutorial.

2. We know that TS2 for console was retooled to be a console version of mainline PC TS2, no really fit its story line. We know that because the game has several unused assets from the previous Urbz title included as well as concept art for the Urbz 2 showing us that it was in production. We also know this because the artstyle of the console games fits urbz despite the fact that a mobile version of TS2 released earlier on PSP used TS2′s models and assets. The Cutting Room Floor would have more information on that if you’re interested.

3. The implication is all in the game. I’m pretty sure it was supposed to be an Easter egg. It works too well to be coincidence. Hank has commitment issues and wouldn’t stay with Pauline. Pauline being of asian descent and Hank having red hair would explain how the twins got Daniel’s red hair. It also explains why Mary-Sue was adopted, Hank and Pauline wouldn’t want to/have been able to raise a baby. The devs are known for these sorts of story lines in older games where something isn’t exactly spelled out but instead hinted at through context clues.

4. As far as how many hands premades pass through, I don’t know. I talked to Don Hopkins once about it since he only worked on The original Sims he told me that in was sort of a team effort. After they decided to go with a less story driven approach to The Sims and move the setting out of Happy Acres they seemed to have just created characters based on cliche television tropes. Such as the Goth family being the Addams family. However, it does seem as if the beginning character skins were created based on premades. That would mean that the premades were designed and then a skin was made for that premade.

That would imply that some skins were made specifically for some premades which would mean that there was some writing process behind them. For example, some skins are named after the premade that uses them. Elden’s textures I believe are named Elden and some characters have skins that are named something different than what their name is in game. Claire’s name on texture files is “Beth”.

Then there are other characters that have generic descriptors for names which confuses the issue further. Bella’s name in the original game is just “Asian” which is odd since she’s claimed to be of Italian descent in later games.

[cadcnce-archived]

          BIG ASS CHARACTER SHEET FOR                    FANTASY VERSE WYLAN

I found an image while going through my files for cursed pics to send @spiritmaiden​, they had the audacity to take it and fill it out for the fantasy verse of their sky-zel, so I of course have to match the effort for Wylan because I’m not about to be shown up. It’s hella involved, nobody’s getting tagged but damn if you want an exercise in hitting your character then give it a shot. Most is under the cut because of length.

Character’s Name: Zachary Reis (Born) Wylan Rechtur (Used) Character’s nicknames: Ze (by his sister) Wy (by his friends and preferred) Zephyr (mercenary name, also what you’d see on any wanted posters) Gender: Male Righty or Lefty: Righty Age: 25-26  Height: 6′-0″  Weight: ~180 lbs Eye Color: Emerald green, bright and wide filled with a mix of confidence and playfulness. Hair color: Dark brown, messy and falling to his ears. Unkempt may be a good descriptor, but he generally keeps it down flatter at the least.  Distinguishing marks: His body is pocked with marks and scars from fights and other disagreements, but the ones most easily discerned are knife scars on his hands, and a short arc above his left brow. Describe physical traits in one passage: A good way to view him is concealed strength and agility. He’s toned and in good shape but doesn’t often dress or carry himself in ways that would flaunt this. His posture and pose are loose, and his expressions can be lazy and playful. So the moment he flips that switch and uses the full brunt of his power? It’s a surprise. He’s also a bit on the lanky side, his body size doesn’t fully compliment the size of his limbs. 

FAMILY/ RELIGION

Parents: Mother and father were disappeared/dead when he was just a bit over 6 years old and his sister was an infant. They were involved with the church but not royalty themselves. Wylan never spent much time figuring out what. They had a life left for him and his sister that he threw away as well. His father was a gentle soul while his mother was razor sharp and firm. Siblings: Younger sister, Katelynn Reis, but goes by Lyn with her friends. Wylan calls her Kat. She’s ~5 years younger than he, and remains with the church training and working as a healer. Whereas Wylan ran away from being a Paladin, she stayed strong to become a Cleric.  Significant Other: Verse dependent, Wylan typically is averse to romance and prefers casual encounters.  Children: None, nor is he open to them initially in his canon.  Other relatives: None remain living that he is aware of. He and his sister were raised by his grandmother on his father’s side, but she passed away shortly after he left the knight’s academy, when Wylan was roughly 16-17.  Pets: None. But he does enjoy talking to cats. Friends: Wylan is the type who ‘knows a guy’, he’s close with many tavernkeeps and makes nice with the adventurer’s guilds and their members as well. His work as an informant necessitates things like this. Wylan is also the type to consider most anyone he encounters and converses with a friend, whether they like it or not. His best friend though would easily be a wandering adherent by the name of Emke. I don’t care what the thread is about in some way she’s involved in his life. They’re platonic soulmates. Enemies: As a mercenary and hunter, some others in his craft would consider Wylan to be their rival, and in many cases he would view them just the same. It’s hard to say he has any enemies outside of pointedly evil factions however! Relationships (other): His relationship with his sister is an odd one. They’re still in touch via letters and the occasional visit, and he does what he can to support her with his money, but they’re not close like conventional siblings. There’s a strange codependence between them. Wylan depends on Lyn as a ‘rock’, and she depends on him as the ‘sea’. Ethnicity: Human! His origins are mostly a mix of Germanic/Portuguese if you wanted a comparison to Earth races/ethnicities. Religion: He recognizes the existence of higher powers but his relationship with them isn’t the best. As if being rebellious to his parents wasn’t bad enough he has to be tsundere towards The Light. This is noted when he uses holy magic such as wards and smiting spells and getting rebound into his own body upon use. Superstitions: He’s incredibly wary around the undead and spirits. So catch him spreading salt when he has to camp somewhere less than lively. Also give him a moment to sharpen his silver weaponry...  Diction, Accent, ETC.: His dialect is pretty clean, though this depends on who he’s speaking to, being the travelling sort he is he’s capable of lightly ‘faking’ various accents, or just being lazy with his own manner of speech. Traces back to proper speaking that was drilled into him as a child and then his own rebelliousness. SCHOOL/ WORK / HOME Education (Highest): He was well learned with the academy work that he actually accomplished. While he never finished and never put his all into his studies, it was clear to his teachers that he had a gift for learning but a problem with conviction.  Degrees: None! But just so I still have something here, one of his informal titles is ‘The Gale’s Fang’. Vocation/Occupation: Jack of several trades, wrapped up best as a mercenary informant, and a monster hunter. He’s good at tracking both people and monsters and taking them down- lethally or not so much. Employment History: Wylan was fully involved with the knight’s academy from the age of 6 to 16, so for those 10 years he had his hands full dealing with that and trying to figure out himself (poorly). Upon leaving the academy after the accident, he took up arms and was given tutelage by the thieves’ guild which taught him how to use his senses and move quietly through the shadows. Wylan didn’t make a good pickpocket, but he was good at reading other people and exceptional at duels. It wasn’t long before he took the advice of the guildmaster and made better uses of his talents. Not necessarily for good, but for more profit. By the age of 22 he was an accomplished and well connected informant, bartering information as well as putting his swordwork to use headhunting and slaying monsters that made issue outside the cities in which he frequented. This continues to current/canon start of interactions. Salary: He’s affluent enough not to worry too much about his state of living, but he can be prone to splurge spending that puts him in a bind for a few weeks at a time, at least until the next job puts money back on the table. Status and money: Continuing off the above, he’s decent enough with his funds (after sending money back to help out his sister) but wouldn’t be well off enough to be considered rich compared to his modern verse. Fortunately he has enough renown that jobs aren’t too hard to come by for him. And many barkeeps and friends are willing to open a tab for him. So he’s not too desperate.  Own or Rent: Wylan typically rents inn rooms when he stays in the cities, and camps when he’s out in the woods. Technically he also owns if you count helping his sister keep her own place running (thought it’s really about 30-70, with his sister funding most of it)  Living Space: Wylan never stays long at the room. It’s a place to go back to and sleep. Personal belongings? Very few. Most things he owns that he wouldn’t want to lose stay back with his sister kept in a basement or separate room that he uses on the rare times he’s back in the capital/holy city from which he originally hailed. As you can imagine, this isn’t very often.  Work Space: N/A! He doesn’t have one! Given his work is almost entirely in the field. Main Mode of Transportation: CATCH A RIIIIIDE. Though he’s apt to have a horse around for transport if he isn’t going too far. Long voyages for when he changes locales would probably be hitching a ride with a caravan. He also doesn’t mind voyages on foot too much. PSYCHOLOGY Fears: Externally he has an aversion to ghosts and spirits. The concept of the dead coming back to haunt you isn’t something he much cares for. Having access to light magic should mostly assuage this, and yet it can give him goosebumps anyhow. Ironically he has a fear of large mammals in his modern verse but that shit doesn’t apply here given he’s a monster hunter! Internally he fears being forgotten, not making a name for himself, and dying before he can truly feel alive.  Secrets: His birth name, Zachary Reis, isn’t something he will bring up with anyone. It’s not necessarily a ‘dead name’ for him, but it’s one he threw away the same time he decided he was going to toss away his ‘fate’ as a paladin. Taking the name of Wylan was another way he took his life for himself in his mind. Despite this being a path of self destruction. His sister is also something he doesn’t often bring up unless he very much trusts that person.  IQ: Surprisingly high. He picks up a lot of information doing the work he does, but you wouldn’t be blamed for not believing this. Eating Habits: They could be a lot better. He eats enough to get by, but his diet isn’t as varied as it could be. Wylan hunts small game when he can, but he isn’t an exciting cook so ALAS. This boy prefers hitting up taverns and getting basic meals like stews, jerky, sandwiches, etc etc. Sleeping Habits: Wylan is a very light sleeper. Typically if you so much as step into the room he’s sleeping in he’ll snap into awareness. It takes a loooong day of exertion to keep him sleeping deep otherwise. Frustrating is how he ‘fakes’ being asleep. So someone could come in and start rummaging and he would still breathe and move as if he were still sleeping. Up until he sits up and stares or cracks a joke. Dare you to kiss him when you think he’s asleep.   Book Preferences: History tomes every now and then. Wylan doesn’t read much fiction and prefers any time he spends reading to be somewhat productive! Make up for other education he missed as part a result of running on the academy. He also reads up on magic and sorcery to work on the wind affinity he also has.  Music Preferences: Wylan doesn’t play any instruments but he DOES love love love to dance and sing. He’s an entertainer at heart and loves to rally people however he may. Suffice to say he’s amusing to go drinking with. And not just because he starts bar fights to amuse himself. Groups or Alone: He’s primarily a lone fighter. Some hunts he will of course work with a team of other hunters, he’s not stupid enough to take on the larger beasts by himself, but there’s a preference for doing things on his own terms. He’s self aware enough to know that his ways and methods can be grating, but ah... how all of that clashes with his desire to show off and have an audience. Being Wylan is suffering. Leader or Follower: He’s both, but prefers to be a follower if he can help it. Let other people make the plans then nudge them this way and that to better fit your own methods. He’s a prankster and a good compliment to most parties after all, so you’d be wise to utilize him! Lest he utilize himself... but that said, he’s an anti-hero, so there’s possibility in there for him to be a leader as well and take charge. It just isn’t his default nature and he’d rather not. Planned Out or Spontaneous: Wylan is chaos incarnate. Most everything he does outside of necessity/work is spontaneous. All his mischief and plans are cobbled together and thrown out there. Sometimes he’ll do a bunch of things at once, like throwing a bundle of darts at the wall to see which ones stick. And oh my fucking god don’t get me started on being romantic he can’t plan for shit in that department. Journal Entries (Do they keep one?) Nope. Not a daily journal at least. He’ll keep notebooks and the like for jotting down intel and what have you for jobs he takes up. But most of the time he’ll just have little notes in his pocket, and not really chronicle his life. He may also make ‘fake’ entries to tease people or trick them. See what he did to Zelda the one time. Be careful what you believe... Hobbies, Recreation: Tricks!! Sleight of hand!! Cards and dice!! Part of growing up and learning with a thieves’ guild is getting involved in lots of things that make use of your hands and dexterity. He likes playing random games with folks and oh! People watching. Stalking. Not the cutest thing but Wylan makes a hobby out of ‘testing himself’ and exercising his talents. His hobby is unfortunately annoying people, to summarize. How Do They Relax: His hobbies help him to relax! Also, if you can believe it, sitting back in a group conversation and watching the conversation happen and move forward. Learning about other people is something he likes doing, which is hypocritical since he can make himself so difficult to learn by contrast. BUT THE REAL THING HE DOES.. is practice sword fighting. Slow rhythmic swings of his blade, almost like a dance. He focuses his thoughts and calms his soul when he practices. It’s like a mix of swordfighting, dancing, and yoga. Controlling himself. Feeling himself. It’s multiple things.    What Excites Them?: PEOPLE. Things! Happenings! The unknown and pushing himself to new limits. Honestly one of Wy’s biggest drives is doing something or becoming something that will make him ‘Feel Alive’. Because for all of his antics and frivolity he’s very much fighting an encroaching darkness in his soul. So he’ll search out bizarre things to get involved in. It’s one of the reasons he’s bugging Zelda, because her involvement in witchcraft and his own suspicions have him interested huehue. Pet Peeves: Being ignored. Like perfectly disregarding his existence and whatever he’s getting up to. If you’re not reacting to him being him then that means he’s not being effective and he’s losing. It’s his only real weakness...  Prejudices: None. He’s not the most respectful person so most everyone, royalty or important or otherwise gets subjected to similar treatment. If anything, the more important you are the more likely you are to get annoyed! Attitudes: He’s usually with a front, a mask if you will. His general attitude is curious and nosy, but that’s fronted with a playfulness and proclivity for being annoying. Don’t be fooled, he’s usually something more pensive and calculating underneath that exterior. Wylan actually quiets a fair bit once that mask is taken away, his mood swings down and his tone is a touch deeper. Stressors: Things going awry and his friends being put in danger. He absolutely does not do well with people he cares about being hurt. One of the worst things that can happen to him is his sister dying for example, and has lead to one of his most self destructive plots I’ve written, in this verse especially. Lovers? Don’t hurt them. Don’t endanger them. The idea of rivals or enemies going after people he cares about.. hoo. MAN. None of that please. He can be SO damn possessive. In relationships he’s very self conscious as well of fulfilling their needs. So if his partner remarks, regardless of how offhandedly, they’d like more of something he will TRY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.  Obsessions: Being an absolute pain in the ass. And in cases where someone has wronged him or someone close to him? Tracking them down and getting closure/revenge. That shit takes him to the brink of killing himself. Addictions: None to the point of being problematic, but he does love eating pickles.  Ambitions: To make a name for himself, to be renowned and respected. To feel alive and accomplished as a person. He’d also like to take down a dragon someday. Get some armor from its scales and a sword out of that shit. As Seen by Others: Capable and dangerous, but impossible to work with for long periods. Keep a tight lip around him lest he use that information against you and learn things you’d rather keep secret. A lecherous womanizer. As Seen by Self: A body of broken glass, encased in a shell, covered in masks. Who are you? What are you? Where are you even going? You’re lost. You’re aimless. You’re swimming and swimming and eventually you’re going to be tired, aren’t you? ASTROLOGY/PHISIOLOGY Birth Date: October 10. Time of Birth: Evening. Western Astrological Sign: Libra Traits Associated with Western Sign: Social, Clever, Unreliable, Diplomatic Traits Associated with Chinese Zodiac: N/A, seeing as I don’t age Wylan with the years this doesn’t really apply. Handwriting: Clean when he needs it to be, but otherwise a quick script with lots of pen strikes. He’s capable with drawing diagrams and the like as well! This boy can throw out monster diagrams with weak points and other ecological notes oh yes yes. Sexual History: Wylan was already exploring that sort of thing before he left the academy, so yes... as early as 16 he’d already lost the v-card. He doesn’t really do relationships and enjoys casual encounters. Many a maiden at the bar or elsewhere has taken him for a spin. Typically partners aren’t reoccurring in fantasy verse, however. He’s... well, very good in the performance category.   General Health: A+ healthy aside from the sleep and subpar diet bits. Strong and good stamina. Medical History: He’s nearly died one times too many. Been stabbed, cut, poisoned, bitten, but hey he’s still alive! And that’s what he’d argue matters with this business. Allergies: SHELLFISH. Chronic Illnesses: None to speak of. Handicaps: He’s somewhat of a type B tsundere. It’s awful.  OBJECTS Purse / Bag: He’s got a coin purse that he’ll carry spare gold around in for spending on what have you. Supposedly food but he’s weak to splurge purchases. Most everything else he keeps on him in his pockets and his belt. Wallet: Uhhh see above, coin purse!!! He’s got enough for the week or so!! Don’t try and pickpocket him because he will catch you and you will feel stupid. Fridge: He doesn’t keep food around. He more or less has to scavenge for everything he eats either through buying or hunting. That’s kind of the life for the vagrant he is, isn’t it? Medicine Cabinet: N/A, but he does keep bandages and salves at his room.  Glove Compartment: N/A!! Junk Drawer: NNNNNN/AAAAAAA Kitchen Cabinets: Wylan get a house so I can fill this out challenge. Bedroom Hiding Place: Behind a wall panel or somesuch if he can manage. Otherwise in the floor or outside the window. Closets: His wardrobe typically includes tunics, coats, leather armor and harnesses for his weaponry! He’s got a couple swords in fantasy verse, and he’s got throwing knives and a grappling hook!!  Backback: Yeah uh see above, what a question. Locker: None Desk: WYLAN KEEP ITEMS AROUND CHALLEEEEENGE.  Clothes pocket: Daggers, notes, maybe a writing implement and paper so he can jot things down. He’s also got little knick knacks like a gem or a monster tooth to show off. Isn’t it cool??? Also lint.

OTHER Halloween Costumes: Werewolf!!! Get him in either just a lazy one with gloves and ears or deck him out in the whole garb. Love that idea on him. In one verse Big Bad Wolf is his nickname, and in another he flat out IS a werewolf! So yeAH. Tricks: He’s very skilled at sleight of hand!! Card flourishes and dice rolls. Cup games. Illusions and dexterity... he’s a slippery one! He’s also likely to catch you in words, using things you say against you. He gets really meta and oh how annoying that can get... Talents: SWORDPLAY- He learned from a very early age at an esteemed academy where only the best knights get trained. He mixes that style with a more ‘street’ type that he picked up with the thieves’ guild and even further as a monster hunter and mercenary. Suffice to say that all mixes together into multiple stances he can switch between depending on what he’s up against. Strong sweeping strikes, vicious stabbing and leaping, poised dueling and parrying... he’s a TOUGH fight. MAGIC: Wylan is at odds with his use of holy magic that utilizes the light to bless and heal. Until he comes to terms with himself and the power he wants to channel it’ll have ‘blowbacks’ on himself. Fingers will burn, head will ache, and his stomach will flip. But it’s still undeniably effective for where it is! Aside from that he knows some wind magic to supplement himself. He’s not known as ‘Zephyr’ for nothing after all! Gusting steps, slashing winds, REALLY BIG JUMPS!!! If you throw him he’s a fantastic projectile! And lets see- DANCING! He learned it first as part of his etiquette as a knight, but it’s something that’s evolved with him and oh does he enjoy festivals for that reason. Ballroom styles are what he’s most familiar with. Dance with him. Please dance with him. Politics: Indifferent! Doesn’t care for authority figures to begin with so in any case or kingdom with a monarchy he’s very buh about it. He’s very self-accomplished and his beliefs would push him towards meritocracy over anythign else if you ask me!  Flaws: Suspicious, possessive, and very persistent. This could be a strength too but for the most part can be seen as a detriment because of how it ends up being applied. Which is in self-destructive tendencies WOO. He’s also very lustful, and can be distracted by a fine woman and let himself be swayed by his desires over time. Have I mentioned he isn’t the most reliable? He’s apt to lie to people and give intentionally wrong impressions just to make it easier for him to slip away. You gotta go up a few levels to unlock that... So yeah, sins are WRATH, LUST, and ENVY. Strengths: NONE. Okay if you earn a solid place as his friend there is almost NO limit to what he’ll do to protect you. Wylan has a ridiculous amount of determination and mental fortitude and he can and will strike down a GOD to keep those things that are precious to him. He’s also an amusing character to have around, if you are feeling bummed he is almost guaranteed to find a way to cheer you up and support you if only so he can not feel as guilty teasing as he usually does HUE. He’s got a very up beat personality! Sure, a lot of it is a mask but he WANTS it to be real and that’s what really matters if you ask me. His reckless optimism can be endearing. There’s a lot of other surprising mental qualities such as how clever and quick witted he can be. Part of that mental fortitude lets him think and fight on his feet regardless of how much pressure he’s under. It takes a LOT to dampen his thought processes. Drugs/Alcohol: He drinks frequently, but he wouldn’t be counted as a drunkard. Wylan rarely drinks to excess, and prefers to do so among friends and good company. Passwords: Uh, do ritual prayers count? Magical spells? Heh. Email Address, Home Page, Blogs, etc.: Oh if only this were for modern verse... Time and place: Medieval fantasy! Magic and creatures! I also love throwing Monster Hunter vibes in for the big monsters he goes up against. Special Places: For him? Cliffs overlooking the ocean. Abandoned temples he can just chill at. For all he enjoys being around people now and then he really appreciates quiet isolation. Special Memories: Lots of memories with his sister before they more or less split ways. There’s one in particular where he was trying to teach her swordplay when she was just a little girl, and she about stubbed his toe when the wooden practice sword fell right on it. Her panicked attempts to try and heal him were something that really stuck with him.

[gtecgensmart]

Is It Necessary to give Importance for select a Best IELTS Coaching Centre?

Are you thinking about IELTS examination and want for overseas education? You might have gone through many IELTS training Centre in your city but are still confused which one to opt for. IELTS is English language test but before taking exam, candidate must know what kind of test it is, what are the marking criteria, what are the band descriptors for writing and speaking module.

IELTS examination is especially outlined to assess your English language competence if you are planning to study or work in countries where English is the primary language for communication. This examination confirms to all the highest international standards of English language assessment.

The IELTS coaching Centre helps the aspirants prepare for all four modules – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking – in the IELTS test. The coaching provided to them enhances their understanding of the modules and prepares them for various strategies they need to apply in the test.

This makes it more relevant to get trained for the IELTS test at a reputed institute. The established institutes do a great job in training students and make them well prepared to study abroad. The trainers provide all the necessary audio files, articles, books and other customized resources to help you score well in the IELTS exam.

· What are the benefits of choosing the best IELTS coaching institute in Kannur

· If you want to crack IELTS examination in one attempt, it is an important step to choose one of the prestigious IELTS coaching Institute.

· You will gain better knowledge of the English language and enhance your own set of skills.

· With expert tutors, you will improve your skills in Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking English.

· Doubt solving is one of the key reasons which create a difference in the IELTS exam preparation. The IELTS training classes ensure that the students’ concepts are clear as well as their doubts. It wouldn’t be a fruitful outcome if the potential students’ doubts are not cleared in time. But, with proper coaching classes where doubt solving classes are kept during the preparation to eliminate the doubts of students’ they can always be helpful.

G-TEC GenSmart Academy works on the motto “Power Tomorrow”, an organization committed to provide Right Skill at Right Time to Right People.

[latefrequencies]

I just started listening to From Home and I am soooo excited, I've been really getting into noise lately and this is the sort of thing I want to make! How'd you make these noises? And also, do the numbered titles of the tracks hold any significance? Thanks for another awesome release Jude! :D

oh thank you!!!! people’s reception of that album has been much more positive than i would have expected (not that i expected people to hate that album outright but i rly only know two people who i knew for sure are into noise, and one of them is going to be in a noise band with me and the other is already a noise artist), so i’m very happy that people like the album as much as they do! also i’m going to put the answers to your questions under a cut if that’s okay, i’m going to basically answer Every Question Anyone Could Ever Have About This Album, including the ones you’ve asked directly:

so the equipment i used (outside of the non-musical items i used to produce the sounds) was the following: an iPad, GarageBand (which was run on the iPad), a bass guitar, this cord thing called an iRig that allows me to plug the bass into the iPad so i can use the amp simulator stuff, earbuds that had a microphone on them, and headphones that did not have a microphone on them. the headphones that didn’t have the microphone on them were important because, when you use earbuds or headphones that have a microphone on them and the microphone is too close to the earbuds themselves (which is the case with most if not all earbuds you get in stores), you record what you’re listening to along with what you’re recording on the track you’re recording. this might not be a problem if you’re just trying to get as much sound as possible, but that wasn’t what i was going for on this album.

i personally see all of the sounds on the album as being in one of five categories: musical synthesized sound, non-musical synthesized sound, bass feedback, intentionally-produced non-synthesized sound, and background sound. which is hella pretentious but let me break it down further:

musical synthesized sound: i used the synth settings in GarageBand to produce things that sounded musical (anytime there’s chords or a melody perceptible on any of the tracks)

non-musical synthesized sound: i used the synth settings to produce things that didn’t sound musical (mostly i used settings that are categorized under “sound effects”. a good example of a track featuring these would be track 4, “68454″, where there’s sort of a mechanical buzzing noise and a slamming noise that sound like they’re reacting to each other. those were both produced with GarageBand and weren’t actual sounds I recorded from my environment)

bass feedback: i plugged my bass, made some custom amp settings that were meant to make the feedback sound like ungodly loud and awful and just let it record. sometimes i did actually do things with the bass, such as touching the neck or body to produce generally non-musical sounds or touching the strings in a way that produced musical sounds in that each string is tuned to a note but where i wasn’t really playing a note on purpose (very audible on track 1, “593045″). anytime there’s the sound of something churning (for lack of a better description), that’s bass feedback (and I’ll get into how that works in a bit)

intentionally-produced non-synthesized sound: i took objects around me and made them make noises (”68454″ has this sort of crackling sound in the background that was produced by doing and undoing the velcro on a plush toy I had with me, there was a point at which i just recorded myself photocopying and putting together a zine and the low whining sound on “182495″ came from the photocopier and the scraping sort of sound on the same track came from me handling the paper afterwards because i recorded both processes on the same track)

background sound: i just plugged in the non-microphone headphones and let things happen. this picked up sounds intentionally 

a lot of the time, with the intentionally-produced sounds, i would try making them while listening to how they’d be recorded through the amp simulator and i messed with the settings to make it so that they’d be less recognizable or sound stranger or more discordant. a lot of the idea behind what i did was to take sounds that would have been normal and make them very abnormal. you don’t hear sounds like what you hear on that album in your everyday life. the world would be bloody chaos if everything sounded like that all the time. everyone would have to wear industrial-strength earplugs. it’d be awful. part of the concept was to take the familiar and make it as unfamiliar as possible. i presume you’ve looked at the album’s description, and if you have, then you’ll know the context in which it was made was one of really just a lot of unfamiliarity while also having with me individual things which were familiar, so that’s where the idea to make noise in that specific way came from.

now here’s where i get into the exact methods and if you don’t have access to GarageBand, this might be a bit useless for you, but if you’re using a program where you can use an amp simulator and it has the ability to let you simulate effects pedals, you’ll probably find a way to do the same as what i’m describing here.

the first thing i do with the amp settings is i turn the gain up real high (usually at maximum) and i put a fuzz pedal on it and turn everything on that up to the highest setting. sometimes i let there be a bit of variation (like sometimes the tone is a little bit down, sometimes the fuzz setting isn’t completely up, etc.) but those are the primary things i do. i choose the fuzz setting because that produces the most amount of additional noise while also distorting the sound (which is why i choose it over, say, overdrive)

i get the churning sound by turning both the knobs on the tremolo part of the amp way up. if what you’re working with allows you do to so, experiment with having the speed and depth be at different places, because i find that sometimes having them always be equal to each other or having them always be on maximum doesn’t get what i want for a particular track or moment. i’m not sure if screwing with the tremolo like that is the exact thing Sunn O))) are doing on all their albums but i bet it is and regardless it makes it sound just like Sunn O))) when i play a note and the amp is like that and I like sounding like things that i like.

other effects pedals i like include the phaser one, the vibe one (there’s a lot of fun to be had there since there’s different kinds of vibrations you can play with), the echo one (that can get you some REAL fucked up sounds if you play it right), and the chorus one.

where the synth is concerned, i use settings from the Alchemy Synth options (again, not very helpful if you’re not using GarageBand but what you’re using may have something equivalent to what i’m about to describe). the reason for this is that there’s all those knobs and that x- and y-axis thing you can control to get a really precise sound, and you can mess with those while you’re playing the note, meaning that the note will record the exact way you’re hearing it change. (i make that distinction because messing with something in real time with something from the amp settings doesn’t do that.) this was useful for getting strange sounds from the more musical sounding settings.

i think the reason the synth parts of the tracks are more emphasized than the non-synthesized sounds was because the synth was the stuff i had more control over. there was a lot of incidental sound (random things like me typing or drinking water got recorded, and i mentioned my housemates on the album credits because i did end up getting them recorded, not on purpose but because they were obviously in the same space as me and they were producing sounds so onto the tracks they went). i’ll probably do things differently as i work more with noise because there’s a world of potential where the non-synthesized sounds are concerned that i haven’t scratched upon at all yet. really the non-synth sounds on From Home were more like background things for the synth parts. or maybe i’m downplaying those parts too much. either way in the future i’ll be looking out for more naturally-occurring noises, i’m just describing the role they played in that particular album

really i just made the noises either by doing stuff with the synthesizer, recording whatever normal things i had or that were happening and processing them to hell and back, or plugging in my bass and letting fate take care of the rest.

also there is no significance to the number titles at all. i had just been titling files by the number track they were supposed to be on the album and then i went “this doesn’t look right” but i also had no interesting or intelligent things to call them, so i tried making keymashes for titles but they just looked wrong for some reason, so sticking solely to numbers for the keymashes somehow did the trick. chaos within intentional boundaries. i guess that’s a good descriptor for how i did the album really. 

anyway thank you for asking these things and i wish you the best in the world of noise and your exploration in the genre, frankly i’m excited to explore it too and if my work inspires somebody else to try out something like this, that’s honestly one of the most exciting things i can think of.

[ghost-chance]

Photomanipulation: Faux-illustrated backdrops from photos

I’ve shared several of my photomanipulation pieces on here so far (most on @ghost-chance-digital-works) some with a breakdown of the work that went into them. Each piece is a result of many hours (sometimes even several days’ worth of sessions) of intense editing, but my favorite part of the process, hands down, is the editing of the backdrops. Sometimes this editing is straightforward and the results are more subtle than flamboyant; other times, the image in mind calls for something more artistic than realistic.

These are some of my favorite non-realistic backdrops I’ve managed so far, all filtered to appear animated, painted, or otherwise non-photographic; all but Docks of Taneycomo came from photos published as Public Domain or Creative Commons, free for use and alteration. Most of these photos came specifically from free stock photo sites, while a couple were found by rigorous searching. Some of these, like purple heather, I’ve used in a few different pieces with different variations; others, like rainy park, I haven’t used for some reason or other. These were all developed using the free PicsArt app for tablet. Most of these don’t actually have titles. (they’re base photos - individual pieces rather than entire puzzles) Unless otherwise noted, I’ve labeled them by the file descriptor.

Are they perfect? Heck no. Are they my best work? Definitely not. They are, however, some of the few pieces/bases I’ve completed to a point where I was actually satisfied with the results rather than feeling “Welp, this ain’t perfect but it’ll work and I’m sick of messin’ with it.” If there’s any interest in seeing the original photos for comparison, I’ll gladly share them in a second post. Each pic has a basic process included; they aren’t detailed descriptions because I don’t want to bore y‘all with every single tedious step that went into each finished piece. A lot of y’all are probably going to look at the pictures and skip the description, honestly, and I’m perfectly fine with that. ;) I ramble. I don’t blame anyone who gets bored with it.

They’re not much, but I hope you enjoy my little labors of lunacy.

___

Rainy tree

Initially I put this together for a piece of concept art for A New Lease on Life. By the time I finished, I felt like any further alterations would be "gilding the lily.” I’m not going to say it’s perfect - my ego isn’t that big - but it felt finished and I couldn’t rationalize further changes. This is only a portion of a cropped photo of winding street, lawns, and trees in a downpour.

If I’m recalling correctly, the illustration effect was achieved with several layered filters including poster and either old paper or gouache; each layer involved heavy tweaking of the filter settings.

Autumn clearing

The first time around, this photo had very little in the way of alteration before I built the cover with it - I crosshatched it and called it good. THIS time I had more practice under my belt and a better understanding of the settings, and was patient enough to put real effort into it. The first alteration to this photo is the backdrop for the cover  of Shifting the Paradigm but it and the base photo have since found their way into other pieces. (Namely the the now-embarassing Hiding and Denying and In the Autumn-Clad Forest.)

The process here involved adjustments to the hue/saturation/contrast and a couple runs with layered poster filters; I might also have used the halftone filter with the point size at zero.

Mountain forest

I’ve honest-to-bog forgotten exactly how many times I’ve used the base photo for this one or its variations. (there have been a few.) This version was my favorite, and the only one I liked enough to save for future uses. I’ve used this backdrop primarily in covers/concept art for my Dragon Ball Z fanfiction. (Piccolo and Aubergine and the cover for “The Demon King and the Halfbreed Hermit,” Poker Face, and Hiding and Denying, an early character concept piece which is now really friggin’ embarrassing.)

The alterations on this one are a bit more subtle then the rest - some shifts to the hue/lighting/contrast and layered poster and FX filters.

Docks of Taneycomo

This scenic piece is the only one here NOT from a PD/CC/Stock photo - I took the original photo in Branson, Missouri a few years back. What you’re seeing is a view from the College of the Ozarks campus, a lookout point with a breathtaking view of some docks along the winding Lake Taneycomo. This was originally meant as a backdrop for a concept piece for “A Match Made in Metal” but the differing animation styles were too much of a booger to work out sufficiently. I hope to someday get around that problem but for now I’m rather haunted by Minion’s resulting serial killer face.

This one had surprisingly little in the way of alteration - a couple mild hue shifts, some strategic blurring, heavy low detail/high color range poster filter over light old paper filter (for texture) with an extra moderate detail/high color range poster over that. As this came from a photo I took myself, I’m be happy to let people use it if they so choose so long as credit is given/not taken.

Purple Heather

This last one is practically unrecognizable from the base photo because of how abstract it turned out. I’ve used it in several different pieces/projects in different color schemes including the header for @get-a-new-lease-on-life, my main blog header, a panel in the Dream Lovers poetry comic, and my Halloween-themed poster Moondance to name a few. The original photo showed a prairie of tall tasseled grass on a clear day.

Lots of heavy, intense alterations to this one. If I’m recalling correctly, I started out with several layered Cartoonizer and minimal color/moderate detail poster filters until I achieved the right amount of abstraction, hue shift to purple, more poster layers, then a final hue/contrast/saturation adjustment. No, there isn’t enough purple in this piece. It needs WAY more purple.

___

Well, that’s a wrap. Anyone got any thoughts? Opinions? I’d love to hear them. Hope everyone’s having a good Summer so far, and y’all come back sometime.