#having to learn the layout and lands of a brand new world; keep up with the elven politics and who has established themselves where

[hirazuki]

Mairon/Sauron (Tolkien) Cosplayer + edits: me Photo credit: stevejensen65 Wig: Arda Wigs (Grace, in “Fire Orange”) Contacts: Uniqso (Sweety Crazy Red Demon Eye) Ears: Aradani Costumes (Sun Elf Ears) Circlet: PernCirclets (on Etsy) Gorget: Crystalsidyll (on Etsy) Leather armor: LederFantasies (on Etsy) Fangs: Scarecrow (Small Deluxe Fangs) Dress base is mass-produced/store-bought; boots are my own. In the brooding silence by the light of the moon Running through yesterdays gone wrong -- Poets of the Fall

[silent-sanctum]

I hope you're doing fine mijin🤩💗....

Can I request a fic where the stone ocean group survives and jotaro meets his wife(the reader) or ex wife that's upto you

Aha! A 2-for-1 special! Also, hiya @jotarosimpforever and to you too anon 👋 I'm doing fine thank you! Sorry it took this long to answer your requests, I'm currently on vacation so I was busy doing stuff 🫡 But here it is! A post-Stone Ocean fic featuring domestic times with our favorite DILF 6taro 😘 Hope you enjoy ♡

Way Home - Part 6! Jotaro x Reader

word count: 3.3k

“Breaking news: The recent events people termed as the “Shifting Skies Phenomenon” comes to an abrupt halt, resulting in mass casualty midst the confusion of countless civilians worldwide”

The scene was in complete chaos just the way it was for the past few hours. Where it was due to destruction as the heavens changed hues, from burning autumn to midnight void and back in a blink of the eye, now everything and everyone were in complete loss of control, emergency respondents dispatched to numerous vehicular accidents and spontaneous locations with crowds sporting spontaneous injuries.

Where others wouldn’t know what else to brand this phenomenon but “otherworldly”, you knew it as a catastrophic Stand attack.

And you’d come to know these information because of none other than your own husband- A solitary individual who opted to keep his responsibilities a secret from the people he loved, to sacrifice his happiness and suffer a life of “kill-or-be-killed” if it meant giving his family the normal life he could never have.

If it weren’t for circumstances that got yourself involved in one of these Stand encounters, you wouldn’t find yourself falling into the rabbit hole that was learning the nature of Stands, and eventually taking up a managerial role in an exclusive private organization as one of their agents. If it weren’t for that eventful day, you wouldn’t be able to meet Jotaro.

That stoic, abrasive, yet loving man…

Images of him smiling at you with fondness glazing his sharp blue eyes flashed in your mind as you imagined the same man charging head first into the battlefield to save and protect his and your only daughter from this grand scale threat.

And with the sky and the Earth’s gravity returning back to its usual state, you should be relieved knowing the enemy was defeated.

But without being there to witness how it ended, you gave into overthinking, imagining the repercussions that were dealt to achieve the cost of such victory.

As if snapping back to reality, you found yourself running through a plethora of bustling Speedwagon Foundation employees, almost crazed and frantic. The organization was just as rushed and busy as the rest of the world was with one half of the Foundation attempting to get shit under control by getting in-contact with non-government networks for aid and support, and the other half accommodating injured civilians to help reduce the local hospitals from overcrowding.

And just as what’s written in paper, you’ve received information that a chopper had just arrived with 2 members of the Joestar family onboard, injured from a fatal fight. You wasted not even a split second to bolt from the safety of your room and here in the private foundation’s building.

You rounded a corner, pushing past a couple more of people until you were met with a signage that read “Medical Wing”. You’ve studied the place’s layout enough times since Jotaro first brought you here during your orientation. While the place crowded with panicked and wounded civilians, you knew that the Foundation had exclusive areas and services reserved for the convenience of the Joestar bloodline.

Frustrated, you were desperate enough to seek the first nurse you could see and ask where her family was, but you’d find out that wouldn’t happen. Your hurried steps led you to the emergency room and instead of a random nurse, your attention landed on a teenage girl with messy space buns and torn clothing sitting on one of the benches lining the hallway leading to the operating room.

With one arm in a cast and her waist bandaged, the young girl had her free hand curled into a fist, head bowed as she struggled to hold back her sobs.

At the sight of her, your eyes welled up with tears. “Jolyne…”

In an instant, she jerked her head upright at the sound of her name. It took her a couple of seconds before she saw you standing a few feet away from her. Like mother and daughter, Jolyne’s face crumpled into one of sadness, the tears that she held back now rolling down her cheeks. “Eomma-”

You crossed whatever distance was between you and your child and brought her into a tight hug. “I’m sorry,” she started. “I’m really sorry mom.”

With ease, you withdrew enough for you to do another quick scan over her body. “Are you hurt bad?” You grasped her shoulders with a hand, the other reaching up to cup her wet cheeks. “Does it hurt anywhere?”

Your questions only sent Jolyne into another sob, breaking into tears the second you showed your extreme concerns. “I-I’m fine, but appa-”

You paused. “What… What happened to him?”

“He protected me, my friends, b-but…” She furiously swiped at her eyes despite her sobs. “He’s injured the most. He was bleeding everywhere and now-”

You kept yourself as calm as possible, even if you were on the brink of collapsing yourself. “Where is he?” Jolyne pointed to the double doors leading to the operating room.

Your heart caved in at the thought of your husband laying unconscious being worked on by surgeons and nurses to preserve his life. With a heavy and shaky sigh, you nodded as you willed yourself to not cry in front of your daughter.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do better,” Jolyne cried. “I’m sorry for letting that stupid accident with that asshole happen that led to dad going through all this bullshit for me-”

You quieted her as you pulled her into another hug, softly caressing her head. “It’s not your fault, pearl,” you said with a whisper. She continued to sob as she buried her face on your shoulder. “Your father knows that too.”

Gently, you led your daughter to one of the benches and sat her down with you beside her. Considering you’d thought the worst before arriving at the Foundation, you looked at the closed double doors with a newfound sense of reassurance. Another sigh.

“Let’s just wait and hope for the best.”

---

The consistent beeping of his vitals echoed throughout the dimmed room and you were left alone with Jotaro, still unconscious with half of his face heavily bandaged together with his throat, an oxygen mask fit on his nose and mouth.

Jolyne visited minutes earlier and told you that she’d be checking with how her other friends were doing.

An hour ago, you and Jolyne stood up immediately as soon as the surgeon stepped through the swinging doors. To everyone’s relief, they managed to stabilize him from his critical state.

According to him, your husband had a pre-existing heart condition that caused his pulse rate to beat at irregular, rapid intervals. Combined with the knowledge of him having to exert excessive strength despite waking up from a comatose state and the heavy amount of stress piling up the past few months, his body had chosen to shut down the second his adrenaline depleted.

Thinking about that again made you scoff through your tears. “You were always an impulsive idiot…” Saying those words caused your eyes to swell again and sniffle.

But what’s done was done. The doctors did what they could and all you can do was to sit beside him, holding his hand with both of yours, praying that he’d recover faster, enough for him to wake up and calm your worrying heart.

Without realizing, you ended up falling asleep still sat on your chair by his bed. You didn’t know how long time has passed in your slumber and you couldn’t be bothered to find out. All that mattered right now was staying by your husband’s side, letting him know, in spirit perhaps, that he wasn’t alone and that you were with him now.

In a way you couldn’t perceive, you somehow felt like he was comforting you as well. A comforting chill would brush against your cheeks, hair, shoulders, or hands and you welcomed the sensation like an old friend.

Eventually, time would pass from mere hours to days and throughout it all, you continued to stay where you were- always making sure to watch over him with persisting hope.

Today marked the 15th day since his admission in the Foundation’s infirmary ward. His fresh bandages still wrapped around the half of his face and throat. His assistive oxygenation was removed the week prior once his vitals stabilized within normal range.

By now, you stayed so much in the medical room that your responsibilities started to catch up as evident with the numerous phone calls and text messages alerting you from your pocket. You figured you’d answer a few and explain the circumstances surrounding you and your family.

That time, you stood by the window hoping to receive better signal. You were in the middle of arguing with a non-compliant employee that worked under your supervision, and through their whining in the speaker, you picked up the sheets shifting behind you.

On that cue, you turned around with supposed foolish hope but in clear daylight, there he was- stirring into consciousness, brows furrowing and scrunching as his eye slowly opened.

You never hung up on someone this fast before but you dropped whatever conversation you had and rushed over to Jotaro’s side, immediately reaching to grasp his hand. It took him a bit to adjust to the natural light, but he lolled his head to you and locked eye contact with you.

You exhaled a shaky breath. “Jotaro-ssi?” With a weak baritone voice, he croaked back your name with instant familiarity. Your eyes welled with new tears. Right then and there, he grunted as he struggled to prop himself upright. “W-What are you doing? You just woke up. You’re supposed to rest!”

At this point, you didn’t realize you started crying when you light-heartedly scolded him. You gripped his hand tight with frustration and relief, teardrops spilling onto your skin. He’s awake. Thank god he’s awake. “Do you know how much of an idiot you are?! I told you you shouldn’t jump into dangerous situations so recklessly! And now look at you! You should be taking your time and recover lying down and here you are forcing yourself to sit! You really are an idiot-”

“I missed you.”

Your heart skipped a beat and whatever ramble you had left trailed off into the thin air. Jotaro sat there patiently, watching you wistfully with hooded eyes. In your hand, he turned his palm upwards and interlocked his fingers with yours. He had that usual air of stoicism in his expression, but there was no mistaking the wet sheen glossing over his aquamarine eyes.

That was all it took for you to break into a sob as you gently wrapped your arms around him in a soft embrace. You felt him tuck his face against the crook of your neck, his tears pooling on your skin in silence. “Next time, tell me at least. Alright?”

“Mm…”

“Don’t scare me like that again, you hear?”

“I’m sorry…”

“You ass.”

---

It’s been 6 months since then and after the chaos had settled across the nation, the Kujos returned to their seaside villa, settling in for the time being to adjust to the new life after the time phenomenon.

Slowly but surely, every member of the family began to live their lives the way they wanted to- Jolyne would often leave the house to hang out with her best friend Ermes and potential boyfriend Anasui, one day bringing home a kid in baseball uniform named Emporio waiting to be adopted into the family, you returned to work to help the other agents in the Foundation, and Jotaro begun to resume teaching in university, choosing to take a break from field research to give him time to rest.

And considering the stress of the whole Stand ordeal they had dealt with since they were 17, you could get used to a mundane life like this.

The early morning sun beamed a warm orange, filtered through the curtains before it could touch both you and your husband. You opened your eyes to find yourself side-lying on his arm to face a still-sleeping Jotaro, tucked bare-chested underneath the sheets with his face mushed against the pillows

You huffed and snuggled closer, nuzzling to bury your nose on the crook of his neck. With a feather-light touch, you raised an index finger to gingerly trace the faded scar across his throat, the shallow dents across his collarbone, the scar on his left shoulder, and the one on his abdomen. One-by-one, you took the time to feel the skin of each in contrast to the rest. “You’ve been through so much…”

He stirred possibly from your tiny motions and soon enough, the arm you lied on curled in to pull you into his hold.

You couldn’t help but giggle as you looked up to see your husband glance at you with sleep-ridden eyes. You propped yourself on his chest and with your chin planted on your overlapped hands flat on his pecs, you whispered out a simple, intentionally-cute “Good morning~”

Jotaro smiled back. “Morning.”

“Break day?”

He nodded.

Life never felt so ordinary after what had happened but you could get used to this. Where every moment in this new era, they could live out the rest of their lives as a normal couple with a normal family.

And what’s a better way to start their new lives but with the domesticity of a newlywed pair.

Both you and Jotaro started the day accomplishing your morning routines- you in the bathroom washing up, he on the balcony to simply soak in the early morning sun. You made your way to the dining area where he stood by waiting for you with two steaming mugs of coffee in his hands. You took one, returned the favor with a chaste peck on his cheek, and went over to cook breakfast for the family.

On cue with the smell of bacon and eggs permeating throughout the house, two pairs of footsteps bounded down the stairs and barged into the area.

“Well good morning to you too Jolyne,” you glanced at her companion with a smile. “Emporio.”

“Going out again?” Jotaro said, glancing at the duo. “This early?”

“Ermes is gonna go shopping for the new line of clothes that got released yesterday. She invited me and Emporio over saying it’s going to be ‘her treat’, but I know she’s lying,” Jolyne said, picking up a toast from her plate and another to offer her adopted brother.

“Is that pink-haired guy going?”

“His name’s Anasui dad and no, he’s not going,” she puffed her chest. “It’s girl’s day out today.” You and Jotaro looked at the blond boy beside her. “He’s not tagging along. I’m just dropping off Emporio at the nearby bookstore on the way out.”

“And I can find my way back no problem,” Emporio said as the teenager slowly pulled him with her to the door. “I won’t take too long.”

Jotaro still had his doubts from where he was on his seat, but knowing your little girl was able to survive a life of imprisonment and was able to get around the harsh facility, you smiled at her. “Alright. Be back by 9!”

“I will!”

Once the duo were out of sight, you and Jotaro were left alone to themselves. “Nothing like seeing your kids all grown up, huh?” You said as you took a bite of your eggs. He hummed a sound of acknowledgment. “But that just means we have the day to ourselves.”

At that, your husband couldn’t help but smile.

And just as you said, the rest of today consisted of simply staying indoors and “hanging-out” with each other in a life of old-couple domesticity. You cooked the meals and he washed the dishes. You did the laundry and he helped in folding them. You dusted the shelves and he vacuumed the floors. You picked today’s playlist to listen while doing chores and he chose what movie to watch.

Then there were instances in-between chores where either of you can’t help but hover close to one another, seeking each other’s touch and affections. May it be when you’re cooking and Jotaro passes by stealing a piece of sliced vegetable, you sneaking behind to pat his ass when he’s drying the plates, him momentarily resting his chin on your head as you wait for the washing machine to finish, him offering you a glass of water in the middle of dusting, or ending up in a never-ending banter over genres of media.

By the time they finished everything, including the short time freshening up, the afternoon began its transition to night as the skies changed its hue from blue to orange.

You shared one look with your husband and with one wistful stare, he rose a hand to you and you held it. With no worries plaguing your mind, you and Jotaro slowly walked down the stairs to the coast, hand-in-hand. A gentle breeze blew a strand of hair across your face and before you could, he tucked it behind your ear.

Both of you walked across the sand until you stopped a few meters away from the gentle waves.

Jotaro took the initiative to break apart from you, only to step behind and engulf your body with his long coat with his hands still in its pockets. You smiled and leaned back against his chest, closing your eyes as you do so.

For a few minutes, the couple simply stood by, basking in the ambiance- the refreshing sea breeze against your skin, the soothing crash of waves, the birds chirping above. The sea was your comfort place after all, and it was his too. Despite it being months later, you cherished every calm walk such as this as if it was the last.

You’ve never felt at peace this much. It was so nice.

“23 years…” You glanced up at Jotaro when he spoke. “For 23 years of us knowing each other, finally… Finally we can just live like this.”

You chuckled. “Makes it seem like we’ve just been married and this is our honeymoon even though it’s been years.”

“We’ve been fighting the world for most of our lives. Is it strange that until now, I’m still not used to this kind of ‘quiet’? As if I’m cautious that someone could appear at any moment?”

You shook your head, your gaze drifting to the horizon as you thought of your next words. “It’s not. It’ll take some time for us to adjust to this new normal. For all our habitual anxiety to disappear. Hell, it might not go away entirely.”

“But I can assure you this-”

You stepped out of his coat and turned to face him. From this angle, you looked at Jotaro with a smile bearing all the gooey fondness you had in your heart. Gingerly, you rose a hand to his face and with tender care, traced the vertical scar lining the right side of his face. From the top of his brow, down to his blind eye, until your fingers stopped at the bold line of his jaw.

Only then, your hand returned to cup his cheek with your thumb stroking the smooth line of his scar. “Whatever may happens next, I’ll be there with you. Work, people, lingering Stand users… I’ll stay by your side, hm?”

With hooded eyes, Jotaro leaned against your palm and laid his hand over yours. “I can’t say much to change your mind anyways.” He huffed. “You were always so stubborn.”

You chuckled. “You’re not wrong.”

Getting on to your tiptoes, you planted a soft kiss over his cheek, nose, and his lips last, to which you lingered on for a second longer. Pulling away, you wrapped your arms around him and buried your face on his chest.

“Our lives are finally ours, starlight.”

You closed your eyes as you felt him tuck his chin on top of you, an arm wrapping around your waist, and a hand caressing the back of your head.

“Then let’s live them together, sunshine.”

[shahrouzakhavan]

From Amateur to Expert: How to Achieve Pro-Level Graphic Designs in No Time

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Transitioning from an amateur to a pro-level graphic designer requires dedication, creativity, and continuous learning. By mastering the fundamentals, honing your technical skills, embracing creativity, and seeking feedback, you can elevate your design abilities to compete in the competitive world of graphic design. Remember to stay curious, practice consistently, and build a strong network within the design community to achieve success in your graphic design career. With perseverance and passion, you can turn your passion for design into a rewarding and fulfilling profession.

[skilliqcourse]

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[jace-todd]

Slack

@oh-faithful-inner-demons this is totally not about the headcanon you posted a little bit ago, pssh totally not but uhh enjoy anyway~ I tried to use some of your headcanons in this too!! Sorry if it's not that good- I decided to go with the first part of the headcanon, becoming slack in a hug to focus on Aizawa and Hitoshi's relationship as Father-Son but I'm still open to writing a second piece-

Word count: 2,069

You can read it online right here on my Archive

warning for bullying, jumping (as in bullies cornering a student after school hours to beat on them, i'm sorry hitoshi), neglectful parents, abandonment

There were only two people in the whole world who knew how weak Hitoshi was for affection. Affection was never something Hitoshi got a lot of when he was growing up. His parents were firm believers that vulnerability would only aid in you getting soft and getting yourself killed out there in ‘the real world.’ When he was four, not long after his quick manifested, all of the early affection he received to keep childhood development on path disappeared altogether. Maybe every now and then, his mother would ruffle his hair when she’d finish a long shift at the hospital - too tired to even remember her hatred.

At school, without friends, Hitoshi didn’t get to experience friendly hugs. He didn’t have that one friend who’d practically vibrate in their seat when he’d enter the room in the morning, calling out his name with greetings and asking all about his previous afternoon. That one friend didn’t exist so they never pulled him close in between classes, an arm thrown over his shoulders, talking loudly in his ears to combat Hitoshi’s natural silence. That one friend who understood that Hitoshi didn’t feel comfortable talking - not with his quirk as villainous as it was, not with his quirk putting up the risk it did merely by interacting with anyone. That one friend who’d sit next to him at lunch, against a tree, their entire body shoved against his side - completely foreign to something called personal space.

What he got instead were people leaving the seats around HItoshi empty every year, too afraid to go near the kid with the villainous quirk and the absent parents and the snarky personality. They whispered behind his back rumors about how he was the one that leaked the test results two weeks ago, he was the one that made Miyuki punch Kako in the fact yesterday after she hung out with him. The only kind of company and touch Hitoshi received were pushes in the hallways and jumpings behind school. Instead of hair ruffles Hitoshi’s hair would be held tight in a fist to maneuver back to punch him in the face. Instead of hands holding his, feet ground against them until he broke his promise to not show signs of weakness. Instead of hugs, arms kept him from slumping to the ground hit after hit landed.

After a while, Hitoshi stopped expecting to get affection from anyone. It became easier to expect the worst, assume that anyone who got close only wanted to hurt him. Unfortunately, it made Hitoshi’s life easier - knowing the world already wanted to hurt him prepared him for the worst. It prepared him for when his parents up and left two weeks before he started UA - no real explanation, just a final argument between him and his father that ended with Hitoshi silently heading to his room and hiding. When he came out for his work-out the next morning, their rooms were empty and money was left on the counter.

Life really became lonely after that. School was awkward and quiet - coming home to an empty house made it seem even worse. At least when his parents were still around, one of them would be home by the time he got back from school. They wouldn’t greet him but at least Hitoshi knew someone was there. Now though, there were no one to glance in his direction, to eat dinner with, to awkwardly stare at when they found each other in the middle of the night doing their own thing. He had the entire place to himself.

Then Eraser-head started mentoring him. After the Sports festival, being pulled aside during homeroom to talk to his favorite hero had felt like a fever dream. The minute he walked away, Hitoshi pinched his arm three times just to be completely sure that it wasn’t. Starting up training had been learning where Hitoshi’s boundaries were, being taught how to use Aizawa’s - Aizawa, Hitoshi gets to call his favorite hero by his name - original capture device, and figuring out their own dynamic. Every minute kept Hitoshi on his toes, exhausted with lack of sleep and too much working out, but more energetic and happy than he’d been in years.

Their interactions started out as just mentor-mentee. Aizawa was trying Hitoshi to get into the hero course, to get enough strength and control to impress the Board, Hitoshi was learning everything he could from his idol. It was strictly business. And then Aizawa broke first, offering Hitoshi a trip to get some food and water down at a cat cafe, not even two blocks from the school. Hitoshi had flushed, unused to any sort of attention from the hero outside of these training sessions. He had agreed without thinking too much and for the next two hours, Hitoshi found himself pouring out more information about himself than he’d told anyone in his entire life.

Two days later, Hitoshi perfected one of the hardest maneuvers to learn after only a month. Aizawa had given him that weird smiling-but-not-smiling thing of his and reached out. He initially flinched away, expecting the worst but the hand just slowed down. A moment later, it dropped onto his head and ruffled his hair. Hitoshi did not tear up. He didn’t, really. If there was one lesson his father taught him that stuck was that crying meant vulnerability and weakness. However, Hitoshi did feel lightheaded at the sudden affection.

Aizawa ever-observant kept it on his head a moment or two too long before letting go, nodding in the direction of their jungle gym, telling him to get going.

The next couple of months passed pretty much the same. Slowly, Aizawa integrated casual affections into their interactions. Whenever Hitoshi did something well, Aizawa ruffled his hair. When Hitoshi smiled, Aizawa gave it back. Eventually, when Hitoshi started to open up, Aizawa did the same - it was a sign of trust. They were going good - Aizawa and Hitoshi had what he was slightly afraid to call a father-son dynamic, Hitoshi was already admitted into the hero course, Aizawa was getting through physical therapy steadily and surely.

And then Aizawa came into their usual weekend breaks to the cat cafe with a manilla folder. Hitoshi was pressed against the back of the cat cafe, sipping at the strong coffee he had ordered when he arrived, stroking the back of the tabby on his lap, reading the latest comic he got his hands on. When the little ding of the door closing rang out, he lifted his head out of the pages to see who it was. Aizawa lifted a hand in greeting, heading straight to him rather than get his usual strong coffee and retrieval of his favorite cat.

Immediately, Hitoshi felt a pit rise in his stomach. This was it, this was where Aizawa decided Hitoshi wasn’t fit to be in the hero’s life anymore, wasn’t fit to be a hero, that he had come to his senses and Hitoshi would be nothing more than a low-life villain. He stuffed the comic back into his bookbag, careful with it despite the way his hands were starting to shake and he was getting light-headed. “Aizawa-Sensei? Is everything okay?”

Aizawa slid into the seat across from him, “Everything’s fine, Hitoshi. Take a deep breath for me, okay?” He didn’t want to take a deep breath. What he wanted was for Aizawa to just rip the bandage off so he could leave. One of Aizawa’s hands disappeared from view for a moment before coming back with one of the fidget toys he kept around for his kids. In a sign of peace, he put it in the middle of the table and Hitoshi took it, swiftly working it over with practiced ease.

It worked well to calm him down enough to hear what Aizawa wanted to tell him. “What’s in the folder, Sensei?”

The teacher flipped it around so that it was facing Hitoshi before opening it. “See for yourself, kid.” Staring back at Hitoshi in big bold letters were the words ‘Report of Adoption.’ The world stopped as Hitoshi read through it all. His biological parents had been contacted and had signed over custody already, Aizawa and Yamada’s information were nearly completely filled out except for the very last signature, which left only Hitosh’s section empty.

“Are...Are you serious?” He couldn’t look away from the papers, going through them over and over again just to make sure he wasn’t missing anything. Surely, there was his mother’s signature and then his father’s. On the other page, neat Shouta Aizawa stood above Hizashi Yamada.

Aizawa nodded, “I’m completely serious. It’s only logical considering your living arrangements and the multitude of arising issues as you enter the hero course next year. Hitoshi, you deserve to have someone who cares about you and whether you make it home safely or not. Hizashi and I have already spoken it over and we’ve contacted our lawyers. Before we continue anything else, I needed to tell you. Do you consent to being adopted by Hizashi and I?”

Did he consent? Did he consent to being taken in by the hero that kept Hitoshi going his entire childhood? Did he consent from having to leave the one place that was always home to him to move to a brand new location, a brand new layout, a brand new family? Everything between them would change again. He would have to readjust, find himself and where their limits were - surely, they would have rules and strict No’s for him. Maybe they’d regret adopting him not even a week into their legal adoption and then it’d all be for nothing. Maybe Eri would fear him and he’d leave. Not that he’d mind it. Eri and her had interacted plenty of times but he knew he made the little girl uncomfortable.

But Hitoshi wanted it. He wanted it more than he’s ever wanted anything in his entire life. Hitoshi wanted to wake up to Hizashi’s singing in the mirrors as he cooked breakfast. He wanted to wake up to his own cat pressed against his side. He wanted to step out of his room in the morning, dressed for the hero course, and see Eri leaving her own room, smiling up at him while he smiled down. He wanted to be able to walk home with Aizawa after training rather than have to go separate ways every day. Above all else, Hitoshi just wanted to be loved.

“I- I consent.” Aizawa’s smile was toothy and a little lopsided but Hitoshi didn’t really see it past his own tears. He hadn’t cried since he was six and had scraped his knee badly enough to need a hospital trip. This was the biggest thing in his life, the biggest change surpassing the hero course with ease.

The cat had already scurried off, leaving Hitoshi’s hands and lap free once he dropped the fidget toy. He stood up, rounding to Aizawa’s side. The hero stood up as well, and Aizawa reached a hand out to ruffle his hair no doubt. No more did Hitoshi flinch but he didn’t let the hand reach him. Instead, Hitoshi threw himself forward, wrapping his arms tight around Aizawa’s shoulders, tucking his head in the crook of his arm and Aizawa’s neck. Aizawa returned the hug, holding on even tighter than Hitoshi was, one hand on his back and the other curled around purple hair.

He let the emotions and relief finally escape him, completely silent sobs racking his body as he went limp, letting the hero hold his weight for him. Aizawa grunted, planting his feet more strategically before shushing him, “I’ve got you, Hitoshi, you’re safe, you’re okay.”

Aizawa didn’t budge under Hitoshi’s weight - even if the teen was nearly as tall and as heavy as the hero was, steadily starting to surpass him even. For nearly five minutes they stood there, Aizawa supporting both their weights, talking softly to Hitoshi the entire time, telling him to let it out, that he would be there and so would Hizashi no matter what Hitoshi needed. Unfortunately, Aizawa’s straining muscles eventually caused them to both slide to the floor, still gripping each other tight, Hitoshi slack in his arms.

They didn’t need to move anytime soon so Aizawa let the kid remain there. After all, it was about damn time Hitoshi got some well-earned affection.

[banashee]

Part 5 of my @badthingshappenbingo​ round 2

 With a bit of help

 Steve doesn’t run, but he very much wants to. His steps are wide and just quick enough so he can move as fast as humanly possible without making himself any more noticable. Walking quick won’t make him stand out in a busy street, but running would probably earn him some looks. It’s the last thing he wants right now.

 There is so much noise around here - chaotic traffic with honking cars and loud motors, people chatting, yelling, laughing. Somewhere, a toddler is crying. Phones are ringing left and right and people are shouting back into it.

 The noise on it’s own would be bad enough, but there are so many neon lights, and so many different smells - Steve wants to rip his own head off and bury it in cotton, so he doesn’t have to see or hear any more of it. It’s too much.

 Sometime, in the 70 years he was asleep in the ice, the world got really fucking loud. It’s close to unbearable, but how do you even begin to explain that?

 Luckily, it doesn’t take long for him to reach the SHIELD facility near Times Square. The street itself is one of his own personal nightmares. Steve isn’t sure if the reason for that is his less than pleasant awakening in the 21st century and the memories with this particular place, or if it is due to the fact that it is even brighter with flashing lights and video commercials here.  

 In any case, he is happy when he enters the sleek glass building. It’s busy, too, but not nearly as bad as outside.

 He smiles politely without really making eye contact at the people he crosses on the way back to his quarters. Once the door falls shut behind him, it’s like he deflates entirely. His hands are shaking, Steve notices, and he drops his bag onto the floor, next to his brand new, unused combat boots that they gave him. He didn’t have a mission yet - he’s itching for it, but at the same time isn’t sure what will be expected of him.

 With heavy limbs, feet dragging over the floor, Steve makes his way to the bed in the corner and collapses onto it.

 His ears are still ringing, his heart is still racing, and all he wants is just a moment of peace and quiet. Even the ticking of the clock sounds deafening to him, and he knows exactly what is happening in the rooms nearby.

 SHIELD barracks have paper thin walls, and his enchanted senses don’t help. In the room next to him, somebody is playing a video game. The gunshots and explosions are fake and Steve knows it, but he can’t help but flinch at the noise every time. It’s too much.

 Another room over, someone is having a heated but one sided argument - over the telephone, probably, if he had to guess.

 Across from him, it sounds like there are two people and - oh. Oh hell no. He really doesn’t want to listen to that, it would be incredibly rude.

 In an act of desperation, Steve crawls out of bed again and makes himself a pair of makeshift ear plugs out of toilet paper, then he buries his head under the pillow.

 He is shaking violently by now, wishing the world would be just a little bit calmer. It’s still so new, and he feels incredibly stupid, but he is absolutely overwhelmed with everything.

     There is a name for it, he learns later. Sensory Overload.

 That’s what he gets from typing “Why am I overwhelmed from noise, people and lights?” into the Google Thingy, and it makes a lot of sense. Unlucky for him, the only suggestion he can really find is to remove himself from the stressful environment, which is not always possible. Besides, he highly doubts that the articles he has been reading have taken a guy from the 40s who woke up in 2012 just a few weeks ago into account. His case is, admittedly, quite unique.

 “Quite Unique”, he knows, also means that getting help for The Thing is hard.

 Steve makes do with whatever he can, but it’s draining. Oftentimes, he’ll find himself collapsing into bed after a day around people, unable to stop shaking. The thing they gave him for alerts keeps beeping sometimes, even after hours, and he barely resists the urge to “accidentally” step on it one of these days.

 Then, aliens attack New York, and his life changes once again. He’s got a team now, even though their start was admittedly messy and his own attitude not the best.

 He has a chat with Stark, later, and they shake hands. Steve is not sure he’d call him or the others  “friends” at this point, but “friendly” for sure, and he trusts every single one of them. This has to be enough for now.

 Steve leaves the point of departure with a bag full of clothes on the back of his motorcycle and a mobile phone with a few numbers programmed into it. He isn’t sure if he’ll use it, but he figures it might be useful. Besides, they tell him that phone booths aren’t really a thing anymore, so better not rely on them.

 Steve intends to go see the country for a bit, drive wherever he sees fit at the moment.

 His plan to see the cities largely fails - much like New York, there is too much stress, too much noise. Steve can’t relax in any of those places, so he gives up and makes his way into much more rural areas.

 Back in the day, when he was with the army, he traveled the world, but he never managed to enjoy the sights, for obvious reasons. Now, he’s got all the time in the world to go watch the stars in a field where no light pollutes the air. He walks on a beach for the first time in ages, letting the feeling of water and sand around his feet wash over him.

 Luckily, he manages to grab a small, portable photo camera in a tourist shop. It’s a cheap, easy to use thing which he can deal with. There is a camera on his telephone, Stark said, but that doesn’t really seem necessary to him. He didn’t use the phone, but he keeps it charged - just in case.

 Two weeks after he left New York, his phone rings. The damn thing makes him jump and almost crash his motorcycle into a tree.

 Cursing, he pulls over to the side and fumbles it to answer. The sound of it ringing grinds his gears, and it takes every ounce of self control not to snap at whoever is at the other end.

 “Hello?”

 “Steve, hi. This is Natasha. Where are you right now?”

 “Oh, hey. I’m in Georgia right now - why? Am I needed back?”

 “We have a situation - sorry to interrupt your road trip. Can you please keep your phone on and wait at the nearest point accessible for the jet? We’ll pick you up on the way.”

 “Yes, of course. You will be able to find me?”

 “Already did.” it sounds like she’s smiling. “See you in about two hours, possibly sooner”

 When the jet sets down on an empty space of land, the ramp extends and Steve drives up there. The door closes behind him, and he is greeted by his team, already suited up. Thankfully, they brought his gear and his shield.

 The situation is messy and so is the fight they have to take part in, but all of them return to New York in one piece - small favors.

 When the jet settles down on the roof of the tower, it does so with little grace. A string of very colorful curses emerges from the cockpit, where Barton is ranting about shitty robots shooting at them and wheels that spontaneously fall off in the middle of landing, but other than that, they’re  fine.

 Internally, Steve has to agree with him, but externally, he keeps on a brave face. He refuses to lose it over this, although he very much would like to join in on banging his head against hard surfaces. Unfortunately, it’s just a bad look on a leader, so he remains calm.

 As soon as he steps out of the jet, the noises of the city drill into his brain, and it takes a lot of self control not to cringe at it. He’d gotten used to the peace and quiet of the countrysides, and even though he’d known it wouldn’t last forever, he already finds himself missing it.

 Thankfully, the inside of the tower is a lot more bearable. The walls must be thick and at least somewhat soundproof. It makes it easier to relax, and although the debrief takes a lot out of them all, they’re glad to be back.

 Before they shuffle off into different rooms to sleep off the last mission, Tony stops him on the way.

 “Oh hey, before you walk off - let me know if you’ll need anything specific, the apartments are in planning.”

 Steve blinks. “Apartments?”

 “Yeah. Here, for everyone. Didn’t I tell you?”

 “Uh, no?”

 “Oh. Here you go, then. We’ll move everyone in here and I need to know if you have any specific preferences. Layout, accommodations, furniture whatever. You can tell JARVIS, too, if you’d rather.”

 Before he can ask anything else or even say “thank you”, Tony has disappeared, leaving Steve standing there like he just got rolled over by a train. To be fair, this is the kinda feeling that most people have after talking to Tony when they’re not used to him, and Steve has been away for a while.

 He mulls over this on his way to a guest room. JARVIS is kind enough to explain the plans in more detail, which helps a lot because “Hey so, you’ll move in here for free, let me know if you want any stuff” is not what he expected to hear once he got back.

 Truth be told, it feels kind of weird and overwhelming, so he decides to shower, sleep and think about anything else later.

 As it turns out, the walls are soundproof in here - Steve falls asleep and wakes up in total silence, and he sighs in relief. Maybe, moving here wouldn’t be such a bad idea, especially since the tower is a lot more private and convenient than SHIELD barracks.

 When he makes his way to the kitchen for breakfast, there are voices and the clattering of plates, sizzling from the stove and gurgling off the coffee machine. His ears can pick up every single noise, but unlike the traffic on the streets or neighbours back at SHIELD, it’s not uncomfortable now that he is well rested and, most of all, got a break.

 Maybe, living here isn’t a bad idea. It’s an opportunity to get closer to the team, especially since everyone else will be around as well. So, Steve enters the kitchen to share breakfast with the other Avengers.

 He’ll figure out the rest.

*+~

Square 5/25: Sensory Overload

[hakimalib]

"PUBG Mobile" 0.17.0 now Live!

This update requires approximately a total of 1.69 GB of storage space on Android, and 1.95 GB of storage space on iOS. Players on different versions are unable to invite one another, so update as soon as possible!

Update 0.17.0 Patch Notes

• 2nd Year Anniversary: Amusement Park Mode in Classic Erangel

• Royale Pass Season 12: 2gether We Play! (Available March 9th)

• Arctic Mode: Brand New Survival Experience (Available Soon)

• New AirDrop Weapon: DBS Shotgun

• New Arcade Mode: Return of Hardcore Mode

• Death Replay

• Colorblind Mode

Update before March 6th to receive:

• 50 Silver

• 2,888 BP

• 3 Day Anniversary Pan Skin

New Content in Classic Mode:

1. Erangel - Amusement Park Mode (available from March 12th)

Players have a chance to enter Amusement Park Mode during Erangel matchmaking in Classic Mode, which includes:

• Amusement Parks: In this mode, old school amusement parks will appear randomly in three locations on the Classic Erangel map.

• Arcade Machines: Interactive Arcade Machines will be placed in the amusement parks and major towns, which can be activated with Tokens.

• Games and Attractions: Hunt Game, Space War, What's in the Box, Shooting Range, Trampoline and Reverse Bungee.

• Reverse Bungee + Wingsuit: High-rise Reverse Bungee machines will appear in the middle of the amusement parks. Players can be launched into the air to use their parachute and glide again.

• DBS, a double-barreled shotgun that can only be obtained through AirDrops.

• The DBS has an internal magazine that holds 14 rounds of 12 Gauge ammo that can fire 2 shots each rack.

• The DBS will need to be racked from the magazine after 2 shots, which is faster compared to previous shotguns' reloading speeds.

• The DBS can be outfitted with the Holographic Sight, Red Dot Sight, and 2x - 6x Scope.

• Independent Teammate Volume Control

Now supports adjusting the voice volume of a single teammate in battle. Players can adjust volume according to their teammates' voices.

• Universal Mark

Added Universal Marks, which allow players to mark locations, supplies, vehicles, death crates and doors. When marking, the corresponding marks are displayed according to the different objects. Players can mark and respond to teammates' marks for quick communication. Preferred settings can be configured in Settings.

• Death Replay

Added Death Replay, which allows players to watch how they were eliminated. Players can watch from the attacker's perspective for a certain time prior to their deaths.

• Colorblind Mode

Added Colorblind Mode in Graphics Settings, which provides more color options for in-game indicators, such as Poison, Smoke, and Auxiliary Lines.

New Arcade Mode Content:

• Return of Hardcore Mode

Hardcore Mode can be selected in the Arcade Mode selection screen. In this mode, there are no sound prompts, manual actions are required like pick-up and opening/closing doors. All to give players a more realistic shooting and survival experience.

New EvoGround Content:

• Added Arctic Mode (coming soon)

Based on Classic Mode gameplay, arctic storms appear periodically in Vikendi. Players need to maintain their body temperature through various means, otherwise their health will continuously decrease when their body temperature is low.

Ways to maintain body temperature:

• Use a lighter to light a fire indoors and gather branches to add to the fire to increase heating time.

• Hunt chickens to acquire raw chicken and roast it on the fire, then consume the roast chicken to restore body temperature.

• Use items such as the heater or heat packs.

Other Contents:

• Snowboards from the Winter Festival will also appear in this mode for players to enjoy snowboarding.

• Added Drones that can scout the surrounding area, leading to new tactics.

• EvoGround Gameplay Adjustments

Survive Till Dawn and RageGear - PickUp will be removed for further tuning after the update. Please keep an eye on the update notes for future release dates.

• Team Deathmatch - Camera Improvements

Improved the camera shaking and position adjustment in some situations in Team Deathmatch FPP mode to increase realism.

• Royale Pass Season 12: 2gether We Play (available from March 9th)

1. Celebrate the 2nd anniversary of PUBG MOBILE with Royale Pass reward upgrades. Choose one ultimate set out of two. Anniversary theme items are returning to the Shop. Don't miss out!

2. Improved the Purchase and Upgrade interface display and added support for Exclusive Vouchers (available from events).

3. Players who did not purchase a Royale Pass during the past 3 seasons (9, 10 and 11) and players who registered from season 10 but have not purchased a Royale Pass before will receive bonus benefits when they purchase this season.

System Features: Brothers in Arms Function

1. Through Brothers in Arms, veterans with rich game experience will guide and play together with rookies in the game. Rookies can learn from the veterans and master the game quickly, while the veterans can receive great rewards.

2. Players can enter the Brothers in Arms system and register as a Rookie or Veteran. Rookies send invitations to recommended Veterans, and Veterans who have enabled the Rookie Matching status will receive the invitation. The two will enter the battle after matching, which supports Classic mode rating calculations.

Anniversary Celebration (available from March 12th):

• Anniversary Celebration Event

• During the Anniversary Celebration, all players on the server work together to achieve the event goals and receive rewards.

• Individual Events allow players to claim rewards after completing the corresponding missions.

• Event rankings that grant players various rewards corresponding to their points ranking.

• Anniversary Celebration Achievements

• The Anniversary Cake collection achievement returns

• 2nd Anniversary new mini-game achievement

• Anniversary login exclusive achievement

Classic Mode Improvements:

• Firearm Balancing

• Slightly increased rifle burst mode rate of fire.

• M16A4 balance adjustment: Slightly increased burst mode rate of fire and increased vertical and horizontal recoil.

• Increased Mk47's single-shot damage from 46 to 48

• Classic Mode - Other Improvements

• Upgraded Dacia and UAZ models

• Modified the UZI model: added an upper guide for equipping the Red Dot and Holographic Sight

• Improved skydiving animation details, added parachute descending and disappearing effects when landing, and improved the character landing animation

• Control Settings - Custom Layout Improvements: Increased maximum button size adjustability to 250%

• Control Settings - New Custom Setting Feature: The left Fire button can be moved off of the edge of the screen as long as the center point of the button is on the screen

• Improved the Molotov Cocktail flame particle effect

• Improved the Frag Grenade blast effect on different surface materials

• Added player standby emotes on all maps in Classic Mode, for example, Shivering emote in Vikendi. The standby emote is only visible to the player and their teammates in battle.

• Added a second confirmation to the Reset button in Custom Settings to prevent players from resetting the layout by mistake.

• Removed the unnecessary virtual sound settings for vehicles. Fixed issues of Dacia idle volume being too low, Motorcycle idle volume being too high and Rony idle volume being too high.

• Feature Improvements

Improved Bluetooth headphone latency on some Android models

• Improved Performance

• Improved vegetation and combat rendering efficiency for smoother gaming and lower power consumption

• Improved low-level logic and UI efficiency on some Android models for lower power consumption at the same frame rate

• Increased the combat frame rate of some low-end devices for a smoother gaming experience

• Further improved the power consumption of some mid to high-end devices

• Improved the frame length issue on some Android devices for smoother operating experience.

• Effect Upgrade

Added support for streamers, plush, neon streamers, and better UI and fabric effects.

• Added Team Reservation

• Players with 50 or higher Synergy can send Team Reservation messages to friends in the game.

• Players in the game can receive friends’ Team Reservation messages and choose to accept or decline.

• When the reserved player returns to the Lobby, the system will send a notification to the two to team up.

• Popularity Improvements

• Added high-value gift “Airplane” with additional playback effect in player Spaces.

• Added Message. Players can attach a message when sending Sports Cars or Airplanes, and the player who receives the message can perform Pin, Reply, Delete and other actions (Also added Block Message to Blacklist).

• Added a Send Popularity Gifts function to the battle results interface of Teammate Spectating, EvoGround, and Team Deathmatch modes.

• Synergy Feature Improvements

• Improve Synergy through teaming up with or gifting coins among friends.

• Some space gifts can also help improve Synergy upon sending to friends, which has no daily Intimacy increase limit.

• Adjusted the proportion of Synergy increasing when sending gifts in Shop.

• Fixed the issue of losing Connection application in some situations.

• Radio Feature

• Added chat item "Radio." Players can use Radio to post Radio messages with an exclusive effect on the World channel

• Players can receive Radio messages in the main menu or in the World 2channel, or choose to block the Radio channel in Settings

• Crew Challenge Upgrade

• Player and crew verifications are required for players participating in Crew Challenge. Players in a crew need to link social platforms or complete in-game missions to increase their and their crew's verification points. Only crews that meet the corresponding verification requirements can advance to each phase of the Crew Challenge.

• A fair and exciting game requires a safe environment. For Group and Finals phases, a security test is required before the game begins.

• Bonus Challenge - Tournaments

• Experience the thrill of advancement: Daily Match -> Weekly Match -> Monthly Match competitions! Monthly match champions will advance to the online finals and compete for the opportunity to enter the offline finals or to watch the global finals at the venue and see well-known players in action!

• Open daily to all: Six major divisions with matches every day

• Esports Center

• Added a landing page for players to find interesting content easily

• Added Influencer & Crew options to the Video Center for players to follow their favorites, watch videos related to them, and send messages to them

• Other Improvements: Increased loading speed for smoother experience.

• Added Grenade kill broadcast

Added legendary Golden Grenade Finish with Death Broadcast

• Inventory Improvements

Added Close-Up View: The game will automatically switch to close-up view when players are trying on helmets, hats, glasses, masks, and backpacks

• Rookie Mission

Improved the 7 Day Rookie Missions tutorials and rewards

• Tutorial Improvements

• Removed the Graphics Quality Selection prompt in the tutorial.

• Changed the Tutorial options from three to two, and game type proficiency options from Shooting Game to Battle Royale Game

• Download Improvements

• Improved download status: When a download task is in the waiting queue, players can tap the task again to cancel the wait and restore the status to downloading.

• Reset Resources Pack and Map Expansion Pack rewards, which can be collected after downloading.

[theonyxpath]

The Deviant: The Renegades Kickstarter launched last Thursday and we would have loved it to fund in 24 hours, but it was actually closer to 25. Possibly every backer was pranking us, but in the end it’s cool- we did fund, we’re gonna get this newest Chronicles of Darkness game into retail stores, and we’re moving into building additional books with the Stretch Goals!

So basically, the Deviant KS is doing great! Come join us!

Links for the Deviant: The Renegades and the Creature Collection for Scarred Lands 5e Kickstarters are below in the Blurbs! section.

We have had some folks, who I’m guessing have not backed any of our last few KSs, write to tell us that they’re taken aback by the listed international shipping costs. Yep, we are as miffed at those costs as you, and as I posted here a month or so back, we have chosen to go ahead and still ship internationally and post the costs, rather than stop shipping internationally as quite a few of our fellow TTRPG publishing have chosen for their KSs.

I figure it’s better to let prospective international backers know the cost upfront so they can make the informed choice that makes the most sense to them.

Usually when I explain this, I also let folks know that behind the scenes we have tried and are continuing to explore alternative shipping options. With Deviant‘s KS, we are still using our previous methodology, but with the concurrently running Creature Collection for Scarred Lands 5e Kickstarter (also doing nicely, thank you!) you can see one of the options we’re exploring.

In CC’s case, we’re working with Handiworks Games not just on the art and writing and design and Kickstarter for the book, but also with printers and fulfillment based in the EU. We’ll have a bunch of books sent over to the US for those backers, and then we hope that costs to ship from the EU for our international backers will be more reasonable.

Like I say, it’s an experiment that we think will work in a good way, but that’s never a guarantee in the rapidly shifting cost-structures of international shipping. And we’ll have to see if it is repeatable for other projects, too.

VtR2 Spilled Blood art by Michele Giorgi

But enough about Kickstarter, let’s talk about me.

Well, pretty much about how I spent my weekend, but it will circle back around to general topics about our hobby.

Have you ever had one of those time-frames where it seems that everybody you haven’t been able to get together with all want to hang out at essentially the same time? Well, that’s what happened to me, and for a twenty-four hour period I had three get-togethers (one was virtual) with old gaming buddies.

The first was an invitation from two high-school friends for dinner on Friday night which of course turned into talking about how my one buddy Johnny, aka Shithead the Dwarf, and I first met during our first D&D games as sophomores in HS. That’s the gaming club where when we started, we had the first four little D&D booklets and were waiting for the fifth booklet, Blackmoor, to be released.

It just so happened that my English class (that’s what we called Language Arts then, kids) had assigned me a journal to write, and in it I chronicled those first D&D adventures, so even now through the mists of time I can read all about how we’d stir through piles of mud with 10′ poles, and get attacked by 11 Stirges, and lose our Cleric to being swallowed by a Giant Frog.

The first few months we played with our very first DM, Robert, but then he had to get ready to graduate, and both Johnny and I stepped up as DMs. Johnny continued to run and play games until he graduated, and I did same but returned to our HS to run games for a couple of years since my art college wasn’t that far away.

When Johnny came home for break, and later when he was on leave from the Navy, there was always a seat at our gaming table for him, and some of his “temp” characters lived on as famous NPCs. Which was easier because my setting, my D&D “world”, has been the same since I first stepped up to DM as a sophomore.

(I share all this about my friend both for context and because I’ve known this guy for over 40 freaking years and that amount of time boggles my mind.)

And we weren’t the only players who ran games too, most of our players did both – which makes me wonder what we could have done with Community Content sites for all of our many worlds? Getting into Dragon Magazine was some folk’s goals, but if we could have published our stuff? Wow!

Of course, we probably would have needed the internet to make it happen, and we were just getting desk-top computers at that time!

BTW I just listened to the recording of our “What’s Up With Onyx Path Community Content?” panel from Gen Con on the Onyx Pathcast from last Friday, so Community Content might be on my mind. It’s a good panel if you’re interested in exploring publishing your own material for our games, so check it out on Podbean or your favorite podcast venue.

Dark Eras 2 art by Alex Sheikman

Then, Saturday all day was board games with the old gaming crew from both HS and the college years: Elmer the Troll, Thock the four-armed well, Thock, D’Gr’Gr the Duergar, and Ish, the gender-neutral Deep Gnome jester.

Obviously, those are their character names (from one campaign I ran), but in real life they are old friends and we’ve tried to get together once a quarter to play games, or go to the movies, or whatever, and this was one of those occasions.

We played Terraforming Mars and Blackbeard, and had a fun time learning the former while grinding our teeth trying to figure out what the hell the rules were so desperately trying to say with Blackbeard. Granted, it was an old Avalon Hill game, but seriously, these things were contradictory in the same paragraph.

This is one of the reasons I take the errata phase of our Onyx Path games seriously – can the audience understand and implement your text in the way you intended when publishing it? It’s sometimes hard to tell until you get it in front of that audience, so that phase for us gives us that feedback.

Then Saturday night, after our guests left, I raced upstairs to join our ongoing D&D 5e game on Roll20. It had been quite a while since we could get our schedules to line up (and of course it had to be this self-same day), and we were shifting from Justin running it to Oscar. So big change, although they had decided to keep our current characters and storyline with Oscar stepping in to add to our ongoing saga, and Justin could join in as a player.

So I had to play if I could swing it timing-wise. Turns out I could, and did, and a good time was had by all. What’s really interesting is the contrast as I look at the playing experience Johnny and I were reminiscing about, and the one I had on Saturday night.

Still playing D&D (from 1e to 5e!), but there’s our group doing collaborative world building as DMs. Not done by me and my HS friends in those early days; everybody was more about presenting THEIR world, that melange of influences and tropes that they wanted everyone to play in. The chance to tell the stories they wanted to tell. In a way, it was very personal, and it was how we all expected was just how it was done.

I do think part of opening up how and why we create and run our settings is the ensuing decades of game design that have experimented with more innovative ways to play. Not all the avenues that have been explored have worked long-term, but the accumulation of trying different things has enriched our hobby overall.

And, of course, there’s the huge difference that we played on Roll20. We had players on the West Coast US and on the East Coast, and we’ve had players coming in from London, places in Canada, the EU, and Micronesia previously. Being able to pull your group together from all over the world is such a boon when I remember worrying if all of our group would make it just from all over Philadelphia for our weekly session.

What I’m saying with these comparisons, is it’s a great time to be a table-top RPGamer!

DR:E Jumpstart art by Sam Denmark

Final thing about me – I’m going to do Inktober again this year. That’s the challenge to do one drawing in ink every day for the entire month. Any kind of ink. Last year I depicted characters that were all from the MithraukoQuest storyline of my old game world. This time around I’ll be doing characters and creatures that are part of the world, and from different gaming groups’ adventures, that weren’t part of the years the players fought against Count Mithrauko – so look out for my drawrings on social media.

All this, all these years of playing, and the years of reading genre fiction and comic books, the years of TV and movies, of studying fine art and graphics, all go together so I can decide what games we’re publishing, and what seems like it’ll play well at the table, be characterful and immersive, will look really cool, and have visual hooks like page layout and symbols – all of it comes to together and powers up my ability to make sure you have:

Many Worlds, One Path!

BLURBS!

Kickstarter!

Our Creature Collection Kickstarter for Scarred Lands 5e is skittering on creepy-crawly legs towards the next Stretch Goal to add more monsters – that the backers vote on – to the book! The first group of creatures to be added by backer voting are:

Flay Beast

Fleshcrawler

Gray Lancer

Hellfire Bloodshark

Iron Tusker

Love-Scorned Soul

Mist Murderer

Night Tyrant

This book was designed with amazing art by our friends at Handiwork Games, and they’re running the Kickstarter for us on our brand-new Onyx Path Kickstarter page! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/339646881/scarred-lands-creature-collection-for-5th-edition-rpg

And, we’re running this Kickstarter, too!

The Deviant: The Renegades Kickstarter launched last Thursday and we funded in just a tad over 24 hours and are vengefully slamming through Stretch Goals now! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/deviant-the-renegades-a-tabletop-roleplaying-game

Onyx Path Media!

This Friday’s Onyx Pathcast features an interview with Red Moon Rising, one of our favorite actual play groups! Go to https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/ or to your favorite podcast venue!

This week should be the last one where the Onyx Path News goes directly onto YouTube, as soon, Matthew will be streaming directly to Twitch! In this week’s news, Matthew discusses Deviant: The Renegades, Scarred Lands, Vengeance of the Shunned, freelance writer tips, and more! Check out this week’s news here: https://youtu.be/Zf-YB2drW54

Speaking of Twitch, please follow our channel if you haven’t already done so! Our schedule is filled with games including Vampire, Scarred Lands, TC: Aberrant, Pugmire, Scion, Mage: The Awakening, and Hunter: The Vigil, as well as videos on Storytelling advice! Visit www.twitch.tv/theonyxpath and give us a follow, and if you have an Amazon Prime membership and haven’t already subscribed to a Twitch channel for free using it, just type Amazon Prime Twitch into Google and please use it on our channel! The first season of our Scion story is coming to a close this weekend, so thank you to David for running it, and please check out any parts you missed on our YouTube channel

Look forward to October, because we’re going for a special Character Creation Month, where every Saturday we create characters for different games, including Scarred Lands, Deviant, Scion, and more! Remember to find us on Twitch!

Remember, if you miss any content on our Twitch channel, some of it finds its way to our YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com/user/theonyxpath Don’t forget though, that some of that content is Twitch exclusive or belongs to the Storytellers running their games, so don’t miss out and remember to follow us!

The ENnie award winning Red Moon Roleplaying continue their actual play of The Sacrifice, from V5 Chicago by Night, with Klara Herbol as the Storyteller and Matthew Dawkins as a player! Please check them out on www.redmoonroleplaying.com

This week, the Story Told Podcast have created a Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition primer: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/episode-36-geist-the-sin-eaters-2nd-edition-primer

And here’s the newest Occultists Anonymous content right here, for you Mage: The Awakening fans: Episode 45: Get Out Within the lair of the Seers, the cabal strikes while they still have an advantage. Mage-on-Mage combat! The most harrowing experience the cabal has had yet, threatening mind and body. https://youtu.be/kvTU3Wp8KEs

Episode 46: A Deal Is Struck The cabal recovers from battle and deals with the decision Wyrd made without consulting Songbird or Atratus. Emotions are ragged but there is still Mysteries residing in Lynnewood Hall.https://youtu.be/o5HR_Oj3cjk

If you’ve not been keeping up with our TC: Aberrant actual play, please do give it a look here on our YouTube channel! Collateral Damage is a superb way to introduce yourself to the Trinity Universe through an Aberrant lens: https://youtu.be/WFBBZrUZVkE

And here’s Paws & Claws, our Pugmire actual play! Lots of content for you to watch and interact with: https://youtu.be/ga7wb3ESdEA

It’s been a while since we last promoted them, but Devil’s Luck Gaming are embarking on Season 3 of their Scarred Lands pirates campaign. As one of the best actual play shows around, do yourself a favour and start watching from Season 3. You will not regret it: https://www.twitch.tv/DevilsLuckGaming

Drop Matthew a message via the contact button on matthewdawkins.com if you have actual plays, reviews, or game overviews you want us to profile on the blog!

Please check any of these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games!

Electronic Gaming!

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is awesome! (Seriously, you need to roll 100 dice for Exalted? This app has you covered.)

On Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue from which you bought it. Reviews really, really help us get folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these fiction books:

Our Sales Partners!

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

Scarred Lands (Pathfinder) books are also on sale at Studio2, and they have the 5e version, supplements, and dice as well!: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/scarred-lands

Scion 2e books and other products are available now at Studio2: https://studio2publishing.com/blogs/new-releases/scion-second-edition-book-one-origin-now-available-at-your-local-retailer-or-online

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

And you can order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e at the same link! And NOW Scion Origin and Scion Hero are available to order!

As always, you can find most of Onyx Path’s titles at DriveThruRPG.com!

On Sale This Week!

This Wednesday, we’re releasing the EX3 Dragon-Blooded Screen PDF and two more of our monthly Adversaries of the Righteous!

Conventions!

Save Against Fear: October 12th – 14th GameHoleCon: October 31st – November 3rd PAX Unplugged: December 6th – 8th 2020: Midwinter: January 9th – 12th

And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM EDDY WEBB (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness)

N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Creating in the Realms of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)

Redlines

Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Second Draft

Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)

One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)

Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)

Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Wraith20 Fiction Anthology (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)

Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad (Scarred Lands)

Vigil Watch (Scarred Lands)

Pirates of Pugmire KS-Added Adventure (Realms of Pugmire)

Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Development

M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Creatures of the World Bestiary (Scion 2nd Edition)

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

TC: Aeon Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)

Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)

TC: Aberrant Reference Screen (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Titanomachy (Scion 2nd Edition)

Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum Core)

Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Manuscript Approval

Mythical Denizens (Creatures of the World Bestiary) (Scion 2nd Edition)

Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)

Legendlore core book (Legendlore)

Post-Approval Development

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Scion LARP Rules (Scion)

Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Editing

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

Let the Streets Run Red (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

W20 Shattered Dreams Gift Cards (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)

Geist 2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Oak, Ash, and Thorn: Changeling: The Lost 2nd Companion (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #1 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)

Post-Editing Development

Chicago Folio/Dossier (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

TC: Aeon Ready-Made Characters (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

W20 Art Book (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

Indexing

Geist 2e (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Dystopia Rising: Evolution core (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

ART DIRECTION FROM MIKE CHANEY!

In Art Direction

Contagion Chronicle

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant

Hunter: The Vigil 2e – Sam on the fulls.

Ex3 Lunars – Contracted. More sketches coming in.

TCfBtS!: Heroic Land Dwellers – LeBlanc on this.

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed

Ex3 Monthly Stuff

Trinity RMCs – Contracted.

Cults of the Blood God (KS) – Contracted.

Chicago Folio – Sending contracts and art notes out.

Mummy 2 (KS) – Characters being worked on, fulls next.

Memento Mori – Contracted.

City of the Towered Tombs – Contracted.

In Layout

They Came from Beneath the Sea!

Dark Eras 2 – Files with Aileen

Trinity Continuum Aeon: Distant Worlds

VtR Spilled Blood – In progress.

DR:E Threat Guide – Helnau’s Guide to Wasteland Beasties

W20 Art Book

DRE Screen

Geist 2e Screen

Proofing

C20 Cup of Dreams

M20 Book of the Fallen – PDF back to Phil for review.

DR:E Jumpstart – Sent to Eschaton for approval.

At Press

Trinity Core Screen – At Studio2.

TC Aeon Screen – At Studio2.

Trinity: In Media Res – PoD proofs coming.

Trinity Core – Printing. PoD proofs ordered.

Trinity Aeon – Printing. PoD proofs ordered.

V5: Chicago – Files sent to printer.

Aeon Aexpansion – Backer PDFs out, errata.

CoM – Witch Queen of the Shadowed Citadel – Backer PDF out to backers, errata gathering.

Signs of Sorcery – PoD proofs ordered.

Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

And so we now are in Autumn! Falling into fall! Let’s celebrate the season that starts today where things get really colorful and then die! (OK, nature is just sleeping…really.) And Saturday was, I hear, Batman Day, which works well, especially if you recall the first drive in the Batmobile to the Batcave in Tim Burton’s Batman with the low angle shot up the road with swirling dead autumn leaves in the car’s wake. Lovely, just like the season.

[near-aurora-co]

Cooling and Heating Solutions in Aurora, CO

Many people try to find the best  cooling and heating solutions in Aurora, CO these days. Fortunately, Valiant Air Cooling & Heating Solutions exist in the said location. In every dwelling place or office space, cooling and heating solutions are necessary. No wonder they have a remarkable offers to homeowners and property managers. The company is aware that you rely on your HVAC system to keep your property comfortable year-round, and when it gets damaged, you want it fixed as soon as possible. At Valiant Air, their technicians offer professional and reliable HVAC service to restore the comfort of your property.

History

In studying the historical background of a specific city, it is exciting to note about its early settlers. That is also true with many people who study history at present. With respect to Aurora, CO, location its historical background is interesting. Basically, the land that now makes up Aurora was the territory of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), and Očeti Šakówiŋ (Sioux) tribes before European settlement. Aside from that, Aurora originated in the 1880s as the town of Fletcher, taking its name from Denver businessman Donald Fletcher who saw it as a real estate opportunity. He and his partners staked out four square miles east of Denver, but the town, and Colorado struggled mightily after the Silver Crash of 1893.

Century Communities Now Selling in Celebrated Aurora, CO Development

AURORA, Colo., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Century Communities, Inc. (NYSE: CCS), a top 10 national homebuilder offering homes for purchase online, is excited to announce that The Outlook at Southshore—the builder's new community in Aurora's amenity-rich Southshore development—is now open for sales. Century Communities invites homebuyers and real estate agents to tour the community's brand-new Harvard model home, showcasing two stories of exceptional living space with an optional multi-generational living layout.  Read more here...

These days, there are a lot of interesting news reports about real estate. Some of these reports include updates on the latest luxurious properties for sale. In order to stay updated with this topic, you should also check social media. Recently, there was a news article about Century Communities, Inc., a top 10 national homebuilder offering homes for purchase online. They are excited to announce that The Outlook at Southshore, the builder's new community in Aurora's amenity-rich Southshore development, is now open for sales. Aside from that, Century Communities invites homebuyers and real estate agents to tour the community's brand-new Harvard model home.

Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum in Aurora, CO

Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum in Aurora, CO area is a well-known travel destination. There are many parents prefer to bring their kids in the said museums. Even teachers choose the site for educational trips. After all, it’s one of the best places to learn about a lot of things. It’s also a perfect place to unwind and relax these days. Basically, it is a diverse community organization dedicated to unlocking their visitors’ dreams of flight through exhibitions, events and educational programming. Each year, they welcome roughly 160,000 visitors representing all 50 U.S. states and 34 countries around the world.

Link to maps

The Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum Flight Annex

Englewood, CO 80112, United States

Get on E-470 N/Colorado E470 N in Meridian from S Peoria St

4 min (1.7 mi)

Follow E-470 N/Colorado E470 N to E Smoky Hill Rd in Aurora. Take exit 10 from E-470 N/Colorado E470 N

8 min (8.7 mi)

Take S Southlands Pkwy to S Main St

5 min (0.7 mi)

Valiant Air

6105 S Main St Suite 200, Aurora, CO 80016, United States

[divinedramedy-blog]

Ivanya Kowal

Birthday: July 6th

Alignment: Neutral Good

Age/Year: 18/ Freshman in College

Gender/Pronouns: Cis female, she/her

Orientation: Bisexual but picky when it comes to men. Women are everything though.

TL;DR:

Ghoulish girl goes from bright eyed youth to bitter post-grad. She is a woman of ambition, and sets high standards for herself, but is often held back by her emotions and fear of inadequacy. She is her own biggest critic. For the most part, she remains aloof out of habit, having been so focused in her previous studies that she sort of forgot how to make friends. She likes art, philosophy and has an inquisitive spirit, often getting herself into trouble when one of her ‘investigations’ don’t go as planned. She is very mischievous, ambitious, and kind of a show-off.  

She’s pretty wholesome but somewhat insular and self absorbed, mostly about her own intelligence.

Bio:

Beneath the Earth’s surface but above the magma pools of its center is a cavernous cluster of land masses known as the Great Underside. It is a physical place, but also interdimensional; both existing and consuming the world above, while also remaining separate enough that ‘Topside’s’ rules and laws have no place underground. It’s sunless ‘sky’ offers no light, instead appearing as an ever swirling wormhole known colloquially as ‘The Void’.

The layout of the Great Underside is comparatively smaller than the world above, mostly made up of small islands and continents seperated by bottomless black pits, only able to be crossed by mile long bridges or, more recently, a small number of trains.

Most of the land is underpopulated and rural, especially the small islands that serve as harvesting grounds for the nations source of food. The Islands themselves are owned by the State, and then partly sold to one or two farming families that will tend the lend for small compensation. These islands are small, void of people and idyllic in both their beauty and the vibrant lifestyle it offers to the families who plow there. The fields are lush with Elysium and Asphodel, and the untamed land is all forest, alive and undiscovered.

Ivanya does not live somewhere so majestic. Instead she lives in one of the most densely populated cities in the Underside simply called Harbourtown.

Unlike Central City, the capital of the Great Underside, Harbourtown is still lit by oil lamps, the cobblestone streets have never been paved over, traditions born here have never died. People from Central City enjoy taking the old fashioned steam train into Harbourtown’s shopping district, calling it quaint and taking in the ‘simple life’ the people here live. Certainly the shopping district is beautiful and well kept, but all for the tourist’s benefit. Beneath that charming surface lies a more gritty but substantial way of living, the very way of life that gave Harbourtown its name.      

Ivanya was born in the traditional; on her parents’ bed under the careful eyes of midwives. Her father was not a rich man, but he was a respected man, and therefore he had the clout to have three midwives present. One to comfort, one ot birth and one to clean. Ivanya’s parents were Ivan and Ada, and upon seeing her for the first time, Ivan knew his first and only daughter to be worthy of his namesake.

Her parents also worked hard for their children, and in Harbourtown, there are only three jobs one can have. Shopkeep, Diver, or Housekeeper. Ivan was a Diver, and you may ask how someone dives with no sea.

Ivan had a ship, the family ship of a humble size, capable to be cared for by one man and his earnest four children. The ship could float without water, and it could sink into the bottomless pits that seperated lands and rise up again to the docks once the divers got what they needed. Only skilled men and women could captain these ships, and that skill was only born in Harbourtown.

Ada was a shopkeep and craftswoman. The family store as humble as their ship, their home a small apartment that rested above the shop, the building itself sandwiched between an tenement building and another family owned shop that sold repair parts. Ivanya’s family did not live in the shopping center, they couldn’t afford to live so far away from the dock, and they didn’t want to. Tourists, no matter how full their wallets, could never respect the traditional jewelry Ada lovingly crafted, nor its subtle religious sentiment that Central City has long since abandoned for more austere ways of worship.

Instead, Ivanya’s family keeps an old tradition alive, and only sells to those who can respect it. Ivanya herself always wears the first necklace her mother taught her to make; a simple chain made of onyx, filed down and made flexible. It a sign of bonding to an Old God whose true name has been long forgotten, but resides deeper beneath the world.

‘Always watching, Always waiting, Pray to Her and be cautious for She may listen.’

Ivanya, like her brothers and all the other children in Harbourtown, was raised under the teachings of the Church. She enjoyed throwing stones into the pit with her brothers, and half heartedly dogging other children to jump off the docks. No one ever did of course, but it would be amazing if you ‘met the Deep One’ like that, is what the kids would say.

She was a good natured and curious child, helpful and studious. Perhaps that’s why her parents spoiled her as much as they could. They noticed how dazzled she was when an ad played on the family television for a brand new personal computer.

‘Released in Topside 30 years ago, finally this marvel of technology has been passed down to us! Bring the information superhighway home today!’

One of Ivanya’s happiest memories was opening that big present on her eleventh birthday to find a Macintosh II beneath the glittering wrapping paper. Her father had gruffly said to use it for her schooling, sparing a small smile at his daughter’s elation while her mother reminded her to, on occasion, let her brothers have a turn too.

Ivanya’s brothers never even got close to the computer without her permission.

It was on her eleventh year, scrolling through the internet and learning more about the world outside of Harbourtown, about Central City, about Topside and how you, too, can get there if you work hard enough and study well enough, that Ivanya finally figured out what her dream was, and what that strange feeling of longing that appeared whenever she looked up at the Void meant.

She was gonna go up there, no matter what.

Now, Ivanya was clever, her mom would say she was too clever for her own good. But all the cleverness and brain in the world won’t get her far if she doesn’t know how to apply it. Thankfully, Ivanya had all the spunk and moxie an eleven year old could muster, and in two years she was able to pass the written and physical exam to enter the Plutarch School, a prestigious high school with an 89% success rate in producing top Topside Scavengers.

She was ready to leave Harbourtown, the only town she’d ever know, to enter the electrified and sleek Central City, home of the Plutarch school. All her eagerness, though, could not prepare her for the coldness of strangers who couldn’t understand her.

The students of the Plutarch school were mostly, if not all, native to Central City and born with silver spoons. Ivanya was there on a scholarship, and it didn’t take long for her to know the other students could tell.

Her sweet eagerness turned into bitter resolve that manifested into an aloofness that separated her even more from her classmates. Not many people wanted to talk to her, and those who did were put off by the jagged walls she’d grown around herself. A bright child turned into and aggressive adolescent, forfeiting friendships in the pursuit of knowledge. And it was easy to put of friends. Her peers considered her too low on the totem pole and Ivanya considered them coasters, riding the tails of their wealthy parents and not really giving much of an effort.

Well, not as much of an effort as her. They don’t have to work twice has hard, like she does. More bitterness swelled her heart like poison. She had become misanthropic by her junior year, but her grades had never been higher.

She was top of her class in every class, be it the physical classes like survivalism, scavenging and stealth. Or the more intellectual classes like Topside history, and Integration. She was set to graduate with honors and offers from every company worth their salt.

Until, of course it all came crashing down.

In the middle of her senior year, Ivanya’s pressure, anxiety and loneliness and weighed heavy on her, and with no outlet for these negative feelings, she suffered a violent episode, beating another student to the point of hospitalization.

Her previously star record had kept her from expulsion, but she was suspended and advised to seek medical help during the month she could not attend classes.

She, however, comes from a family of stoics, and did not believe any form of therapy could help her more than spending time with her family and her father and his boat. Her father had always been gentle with her, a stalwart and comforting giant that Ivanya could always turn to. Until he wasn’t anymore.

He died shortly after her graduation. Ivanya had been living with the family, sifting through job offers and half started applications in the early morning hours when she heard her mother’s wailing.

They had rushed him to the hospital but it was already too late. Ivan had seemed fine before, but a growth had formed in his lower intestines. It was small and nearly imperceptible, but poisonous enough to kill him. They couldn’t have caught it in time, there was nothing they could do.

Ivanya had studied the ways of humans Topside. How their emotions work, how the chemicals in their brains make them react to different situations and stimuli. How sadness and grief can push them to do some pretty stupid things.

It was late at night, pitchblack with all the oil lamps off except for Ivanya’s lantern. She had been throwing stones down the bottomless pit her father once worked in, hoping one of the rocks hit the Old One right in the eye, when the memory came back to her. How all the kids would dog each other about jumping down the pit and meet the Old God.

Grief and loneliness drowned out her common sense enough for her take the leap off the dock and down into nothingness. She fell for a long time, what felt like forever. She fell until she couldn’t feel herself anymore, until it was all the void, the wind and the cold spot of her cheeks where tears had once been. Her eyes were screwed shut all the way down.

Until it felt like she wasn’t falling anymore, until she felt a warmth she’d never felt before. She opened her eyes to a world so bright it whited out her vision, nearly blinding her until she hissed and hid her eyes behind her hands and curled into a ball on the floor.

And then she realized there was a floor.

Once the stars fell from her eyes enough that she could see again, she slowly turned back to the light, and past the brightness, she saw a door to a school and a form she couldn’t make it, the sun, the sun, blurring her vision too much to see details. The form sounded friendly, told her to come in.

It welcomed her to Lady Wollstonecraft and her Academy.

~

Ivanya started out as a kind and socially open kid but bad experiences in her teens have made her more aloof and standoffish. This, coupled with the fact that her family practiced stoicism, leaves much to be desired with her social skills. Still, she is kind to those she thinks deserves it and has a big soft spot towards the weak and the pitiable.

She knows she’s skilled and a hard worker and could be described as very prideful. She has a minor superiority complex and a major inferiority complex, but because of her unwillingness to show emotion other than mild disgust or anger, her complexes are pretty hard to weed out.

She is a woman of action, a doer. She hates the lazy, and she hates coasters and people who survive on privilege alone. If she had to choose a motto, it would most likely be ‘eat the rich’, but she’d never say anything so ridiculous. Out loud anyway.

She’s a very private and intimate person, and is very tight lipped about giving out information. She believes that she should only tell people what they need to know, anything beyond that is unnecessary chit chat.

Right now she doesn’t really know what she wants. Her abstract goal is to Know More, learn as much as she possibly can, and maybe make some friends. She really does want closeness with other people, she just doesn’t know how to go about it.

Species:

Appearance: Ivanya is 5ft 9in, with long dark hair. She is thin, and her face is gaunt, as if her skin were tightly stretched over her skull. Her purple-rimmed eyes are big and deep set, and a very pale shade of brown. Her skin is a pale grey and almost translucent with thin blue veins peaking out where her skin is thinnest.

Being raised away from the sun means she’s very sensitive to it. Even on overcast days she’ll wear sunglasses. Her clothing is outdated as the eighties are in full swings in the Underside. She loves wearing oversized clothing, and showing a bit of leg every now and then. Though to prevent from burning she has to wear stocking or really strong sunscreen.

Her mom sent her a wide brimmed hat with a veil that some people say makes her look like a bee keeper. Not that she cares. It’s cute and she loves! Her mommy!

Rules of the Species:

Ivanya is essentially a ghoul, so her species is pretty close to humanoid except a little spookier. Their skin is usually a tone of grey, the palest being an off-white and the darkest being near black, with either a warm or cool undertone. They don’t really eat food with high fat content. It’d be accurate to call them herbivores since they only eat two types of flowers, and even then they don’t have to eat that much of it.

Since the ghouls are born and raised underground, their sky being an endless swirling void, they tend to be sensitive towards sunlight, like bats, but it doesn’t hurt them like vampires. They are also immortal, sort of. They can’t die of old age, usually capping off in their 50s, but they can die of illness or injury.

The only presence ghouls have Topside are as secret scavengers, which was what Ivanya was training to be. These scavengers bring back and sell information about the above world, usually working for a company that works with this information. Ivanya specifically was training to be a religious scavenger; a ghoul who went to the surface to bring back items for worship or sacrifice. Usually a live animal or some type of plant. On occasion, a human would be brought down to sacrifice to the Old one if times were really dire.

Ivanya’s abilities include heightened senses, night vision and soft imperceptible steps. Her vision is perfect and clear, and if she concentrates she can even make out the shapes of people and objects through walls. Her claw-like nails can dig into walls which makes scaling them a breeze for her, and she can run at top speed on all fours.

If she wants something from you, she’ll find a way to take it.

Facts:

Ivanya has a dog! Sort of. It’s more of an inky dog shaped blob. Its name is Rohan and she misses it very much.

Ivanya’s favorite topside food is hummus.

Ivanya was taught English at school, but exclusively spoke Russian in the house

She knows just about everything in regards to sailing and keeping up a ship.

She sucks at gardening but has been trying to learn as her most basic food source comes from two specific plants. She’s getting pretty decent at it too!

HATES failure.

Is an exceptional survivalist and can identify over 500 types of flora

Connections

Please give her some friends, or a new dad. Whichever.

You:

Name: Ana Age: 22

Pronouns: she/her

Url: whipapp.tumblr.com

Skype: https://join.skype.com/invite/KHpzdX4Qta5l

Time Zone: US Pacific Standard

Activity Level: around a 7 or 8

[dorothydelgadillo]

7 Tech Side Hustles That Seriously Pay

While tech skills can provide an actionable and achievable path toward a complete career change, it doesn’t have to be as extreme as all that. Flexibility is one of tech’s most defining features, and part of that flexibility is the wide range of ways tech skills can be used. Yes, you can land a full-time job in tech working for a single company, or launch your own full-time business working for yourself. But what if either of those options are more than you need? If you’re a parent or caretaker looking to make extra cash on the side, someone who wants to supplement their day job with an additional income stream, or a retired person looking to boost a fixed income, is tech still for you? The answer is yes!

Whether you’re working toward full-time tech employment or you’re hoping to score part-time work that actually pays, keep in mind that learning tech skills will allow you to take advantage of the growing gig economy by starting a tech side hustle. Intuit, the parent company of TurboTax, says that in 2017 “gig” freelancers (including everyone from Uber drivers to traditional freelancers like plumbers and electricians) made up about 34 percent of the workforce, a number that Inuit projects to reach 43 percent by 2022. Tech skills are an ideal way to break into this rapidly growing sector, so we’ve put together a list of seven hustle ideas that seriously pay, plus examples of the rates freelancers in those roles are asking on freelance work site Upwork. Spoiler alert: Based on current Upwork listings, working these side hustles for ten hours a week could net you from $700 to $6,000 a month.

1. Web Development

Becoming a web developer is the end game for a lot of people learning tech skills, and for good reason. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists the 2017 median web developer salary at nearly $70,000 per year and projects a 15 percent job growth rate (much faster than average) between now and 2026—all of which means web development is a lucrative and future-proof entry point into tech. But it’s also a very flexible field—while you might picture yourself down the road working full-time job as a web developer for one company (or running your own freelance business), there’s nothing stopping you from taking on paid clients and making extra cash while you’re still learning the ropes (or taking up part-time web development as a long-term side hustle).

Once you know fundamental web skills like HTML and CSS (markup languages used to format and stylize web pages) you’ll be able to start building basic websites, and these are skills that can take as little as a few weeks to learn. Add some JavaScript (a scripting language used to add animation, interactive forms, and other dynamic features to websites) and familiarity with WordPress (software for creating, publishing, and managing digital content) to your toolkit, and you’ll have an even wider range of sites you can build and clients you can land. Free tutorials on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript can be found on sites like Codecademy and w3schools, and—when you’re ready to expand your skills further—paid, instructor-led courses from sites like Skillcrush can help take your game to the next level.

Average Web Developer rate on Upwork: $75/hour

2. Web Design

Where web development is the building of websites, web design is the process of designing what a website will look like. This includes making sure the site is aesthetically pleasing, while also creating a sensible layout that’s easy for people to use whether they’re on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Web design typically involves tools like Photoshop (an industry standard image editing program) and Webflow (a software program used for web design layouts) to create mockups of how finished sites will look. Like web development, web design is a field you can start freelancing in as you learn. And if you’ve put together some of the web development skills outlined above, all the better—you can earn even more extra cash by combining web development skills with web design skills and providing a full service freelance option for paid clients. You can find basic web design courses online at sites like Coursera, or take a deeper dive with Skillcrush’s Web Designer Blueprint.

Average Web Designer rate on Upwork: $74/hour

3. SEO Consulting

SEO (search engine optimization) is a tech speciality you can pick up while learning other skills (like web development or design), giving you a another option for making side hustle money. It’s the practice of improving a website’s ranking with search engines like Google and Yahoo, meaning the site will show up higher in search results. SEO consulting jobs involve staying up to date with SEO best practices and helping clients implement these practices on their website—this includes researching keywords (the terms used on search engines like Google that are bringing users to your website), analyzing website traffic and trends (identifying what other sites your users are coming from, what links from your site they’re clicking on, etc.), and using this information to improve your website’s search rankings. Google’s Search Engine Evaluator Guidelines is a key place to start if you want to learn more about SEO, after which you can familiarize yourself with industry standard analytics tools like Google Analytics, NetInsight, and Webtrends. Lastly, while developer skills aren’t a must for SEO specialization, any web skills you’ve picked up will also help your cause. SEO specialists often work closely with developers to consult on issues like site loading speeds, outdated or broken links to URLs (web addresses), and optimizing HTML tags (tags that identify HTML documents for visiting web browsers), so being able to speak on these issues using development concepts and language will improve your effectiveness at the job. Basic understanding of skills like HTML and CSS (so you know your way around the structure of a web page) and WordPress (so you’re familiar with how to edit and optimize content stored on the WordPress platform) are recommended for SEO consulting.

Average SEO consultant rate on Upwork: $66/hour

4. Copywriting

Copywriting might not seem obviously related to tech, but—if you already have a writing background—tech skills can help get your freelance writing online in ways that lead to extra money. Think about it—while tech mainstays like websites, web applications, software, and marketing emails are all built with coding languages, those products are used to convey content that’s written in human languages. A stunning looking, easy to use website or app is still going to be dead on arrival if it’s a home for bad copy, so if you know your way around the written word (and particularly if you can combine that knowledge with basic tech skills like HTML, WordPress, and SEO fundamentals) there’s a whole world of companies and clients hungry for freelance writing.

Average Copywriting rate on Upwork: $69/hour

5. Social Media Manager

Chances are—even if you’re brand new to tech skills like coding languages and digital design—you’ve logged some time on social media. However, social media has become such an unconscious part of daily life that you might not even realize having an elite Twitter game or killing it on Instagram are marketable tech skills. The good news is, they certainly are. While you might have social media dialed in, there are plenty of companies and clients out there who don’t (and who are willing to pay a social media manager to handle it for them). Social media managers typically combine experience using major social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) with copywriting skills (you’ve got to keep those posts and tweets concise-yet -zippy), a bit of SEO knowledge (in order to understand how to analyze and manipulate online traffic), and a basic foundation in tech skills like HTML, CSS, and WordPress (useful for creating custom email templates and blog posts). Put those skills together, and you’ll be ready to seek out part-time work and extra income through a social media manager side hustle.

Average Social Media Manager rate on Upwork: $32/hour

6. Tech Support

Having a background in tech or computers is absolutely not a prerequisite for learning tech skills—tech careers are achievable for everyone regardless of where you’re at experience-wise. That being said, as you familiarize yourself with tech you’ll inevitably start learning your way around computers and technology. And that means you’ll begin accumulating a knowledge base that people are happy to pay for. Tech support jobs are projected to grow faster than average (by 11 percent) between now and 2026 according to the BLS, so even if tech support isn’t your final tech destination it can be a lucrative sideline as you hone your skills. Certification programs like Google’s IT Support Professional Certificate are an efficient way to both learn more about tech support and be able to demonstrate your knowledge to potential clients. But don’t let the idea that you have to know everything keep you from trying to earn money with a tech support side hustle. The more time you spend with tech, the more you’ll see that “knowing tech” means knowing how to use Google and other resources to solve problems, rather than magically knowing all the answers.

Average Tech Support rate on Upwork: $37/hour

7. QA (Quality Assurance) Testing

QA testers are responsible for running tests on websites, applications, and software programs to identify coding flaws and bugs. If you’re new to tech this kind of work might sound out of reach, but it’s actually an ideal platform for learning more about the coding process. QA testers themselves aren’t the ones writing the code (their job is knowing how to run the automated tests that inspect code for problems), meaning you don’t have to be a master coder to do QA work. However, if you start a QA side hustle you’ll be up close and personal with plenty of coding examples to learn from—while also getting paid. If you’re interested in learning more about QA testing, sites like Udemy and Lynda offer online courses.

Average QA Testing rate on Upwork: $47/hour

from Web Developers World https://skillcrush.com/2018/07/19/tech-side-hustles/

[eonmorgan10]

All New Trends in Shopify Web Development Services in 2021

When the world was facing an all-time low due to the Coronavirus pandemic affecting countries, destroying economies and collapsing the health care systems, an industry was booming like no other! The ecommerce industry saw an amazing growth during the Coronavirus pandemic around the globe, the development was exponential, witnessed in a small quarter of the year alone. This kind of development rate brings opportunities but it also provides new challenges. Everyone wants to launch their own online store and get a piece of the pie but it's easier said than done. You’ll need the services of the Shopify developers in order to set you up for a well-integrated, updated and advanced website.

As ecommerce witnessed a growth of 10 years in one single year, the trends that were far fetched were suddenly knocking right at the door and companies were struggling to keep up. Brands need to diversify, adapt and expand if they want to survive and also ride high. An ecommerce agency has developers that can set up the site for your business which is at par with the ongoing demands, trends and systems. Shopify developers will provide you with services like programming, maintenance, coding, SEO, navigation, layout, payment getaways and web designing and developing. Ecommerce trends are ever evolving so the winner who gets the chicken dinner will be someone who stays on top of the trends and has a robust website.

So, if you have landed on this page by sifting through the jungle of information, it means you’re already convinced to make your online store more efficacious and robust. In this article we will discuss some web development trends that will be really handy in 2021 and also be good for the start of 2022.

1.      Voice Search Optimization

More than 50% of the traffic coming on ecommerce stores is using their mobile phone devices. Our phones have taken over so many things and now with amazing microphones you don’t even have to type what you are looking for; all you have to do is to use your voice to issue the commandments. Also, ever since the initiation of smart speakers like Alexa, Siri and Google assistant, we are starting to enjoy this alleviating feeling where typing is swapped with speaking. Voice search is the future of ecommerce businesses as people are already transitioning into it. If your online store hasn’t optimized the voice search, ask your ecommerce agency to set it up for you without further ado. Your potential customers will be able to find your store more effectively, it will also improve your ranking and be beneficial in ways that are unimaginable.

2.      Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is the only way to go forward from here on, it’s a revolutionary technology that has been making rounds from the past couple of years but from 2020 it’s an absolute must-have feature. This web development service must be fully integrated in your system in order to help its business in multiple ways. AI not only provides valuable insights in customer behaviour but also provides a personalized and bespoke experience to the clients. AI is like the machines are learning how to solve problems, provide answers and resolve issues of the users all by themselves. AI makes sure you see more of what you are looking for based on your previous searches and activity on the internet. Make sure to hire Shopify developers to install this system as it will need expertise.

3.      Provide Options of Payments

Like I said before, people shopping from their mobile devices have way surpassed the people shopping from desktops or laptops. As a result of this, people running online stores have to firstly make sure their website is mobile friendly and after that they need to diversify their payment options. Relying only on credit or debit cards will restrict your potential customers from buying from you. Seeing this trend, many payment apps, digital wallets and other payment getaways have been sprouting profusely. A good ecommerce agency like Shopify, Magento, Big commerce and PrestaShop provide extensions or plugins or you can also call them third-party apps that allow different payment getaways on your online store. Other payment methods like PayPal are also reliable but think ahead of time and while you’re at it integrate social payment methods like Whatsapp and Facebook payments methods as well.

4.      Chatbots

This trend is gaining momentum in ecommerce businesses and has now become an essential web development feature. Chatbots are automated interactions that customers can do with this feature. Chatbots are a great tool for the business and the customers simultaneously. For an online store, the chat feature allows interaction with customers, provides them with quick answers, helps resolving any issues they are facing and also provides them with after sales guidance. But sometimes the chats get too overwhelming, so the Chatbot feature comes in to save the day. It's basically like a filter, the customers will first interact with the feature and any automated questions will be answered thus saving time and energy of the customer care representative. On the other hand, customers won’t have to wait in line for their turn to chat, they will get quick answers with convenience.

5.      Customization While Shopping

With online stores popping up like mushrooms in forests, what should be done in order to stand tall from the competitors. Well, the answer is by giving your customers and clients a personalized, tailored and customizable experience. Features like AI and AR allows you to see your customers trends, search activity and insight about their preferences. By using this information, you can filter the stuff that matches that information so that the customers get exactly what they want. A personalized shopping experience will make them come back over and over again.

Takeaway Points

Online businesses will make a whopping $5 trillion in 2021 according to the predictions of the experts. People are making a huge shift in their shopping habits and for online business owners, now is the time to make essential changes in order to get the bigger slice of the pie. Hire a good ecommerce agency that provides you with rich features and guides you about the trends that will transform their revenues.

[nishiagrawal]

Web Design 3.0 Is Here: Are You Ready For The Transformation?

Web Design is evolving and Web 3.0 is here to revamp the online business performance indicators. If you have no idea about Web 3.0 then this piece is just for you. The web you experience today is known as Web 2.0. This web is also called the social web. This allows us to search for particular content and consume it to create better content for others out there. It offers an open conversation between you and the whole world out there. Such a freeway conversation supports both sides so they can communicate easily.

To your surprise, a revolution has come and it has streamlined the entire web and solved the data-related issues of Web 2.0. This evolved version promises a much smoother, fairer, and smarter web experience to the users.

To understand Web 3.0, we would dive deep into three aspects that will help you learn about this web evolution. You might be having several questions regarding the new Web 3.0. Let’s discuss three important questions.

Three Questions To Understand Web 3.0

How are the Web 3.0 websites different and unique than those from previous years?

Why are the designers using so many shapes and design elements?

Are the page builders keeping up with the trends?

After answering these questions, we will take a closer look at the cutting-edge design tools that are associated with Web Design 3.0 for a detailed web overview. Let’s check out the anticipated questions with explanations.

How are Web 3.0 websites different from previous years?

The designer and creatives are more comfortable with using background elements including shapes and curves to impose a specific navigation path that streamlines the entire design. When incorporated correctly, these shapes help highlight the valuable content and provide a smooth UI. Apart from this, Web 3.0 design uses a lot more illustrations.

When used correctly, shapes and blobs can highlight valuable content while providing a pleasant UI (User Interface). On top of this, Web 3.0 Designs use many illustrations and visual content. We 3.0 helps companies and businesses with such illustrations and content to offer a pleasant user experience. This increases the trust and reputation of the brand.

Why are designers using so many shapes and other design elements?

Most of the WordPress themes and other frameworks also work on this revolutionary 3.0 version of the web. The latest design elements are built to incorporate Web 3.0 trends.

Shapes benefit a website design differently. The two main factors that determine design elements are minimalism and aesthetics. Different types of shapes and elements help the entire design ensure smooth flow and improved user experience. Designers are using so many different shapes just to have a perfect mix of consistency and creativity to enhance the user experience.

Are the page builders keeping up with the trends?

It’s not just page builders like Visual Composer and Elementor that help you build better landing pages. Brands like Squarespace, Webflow, and Weblium are also making significant strides in the website builder space. And sure enough, all of these design tools are following the latest trends in web design. Most modern page developers provide grid-based layouts without including any technicalities. Page builders can create customized sections, rows, using drag and drop tools or easily implement pre-built templates.

Is Web 3.0 Really Here?

Most of the developers, page builders, and designers agree that we 3.0 is here. Web design 3.0 is here but at an initial stage. Some of the features are already implemented within the regular web development.

Web 3.0 refers to the evolution of web utilization that includes altering the web into a database. It enables the degradation of the back-end of the web. Web Design 3.0 is a term that depicts several evolutions and interactions among several paths. This revolutionary update allows the services to share the data.

Web 3.0 promises to establish the information in a more reasonable way than Google does with its existing engine schema. This is particularly from the perspective of machine conception that is opposed to human understanding. This new update of the web provides and displays relevant search items that closely resonate with your search terms, thereby giving you an environment of constant search and not just the keywords that match your queries.

Web Design 3.0 comes with 5 main features that define how it works. Artificial Intelligence has improved the search engine schema and this new update promises to give you more results that are closely related to your search queries. Let us check out these features in detail.

Semantic Web

Web 3.0 is an evolved and much better version of the Web and involves the Semantic Web. Semantic Web offers web technologies to create, share and connect the content through analysis. This feature of Web 3.0 works on search-based queries to understand the meaning of the search terms rather than keywords and specific data.

Artificial Intelligence

Combining Artificial Intelligence with natural language processing in Web 3.0, computers can now distinguish the information just like humans. This allows them to provide more and faster results that are more relevant. Machines have become more intelligent to fulfill the search requirements of humans.

3D Dimensional Designs

3D designs and environments are being used widely in complex websites and specific web services. Museum guides, HD games, horror simulation environments, roller-coaster simulation, eCommerce and online product checking, computer games, geospatial contexts, and a lot more fall under this category.

Connectivity

Information is more connected with semantic metadata. This is a new feature of Web 3.0 and as a result, the user experience is evolving to a different level of better connectivity that offers all the available information.

Ubiquity

Ubiquity is another new feature of Web 3.0. Content is accessible to devices through multiple applications where every device is connected to the web. Better services can be used everywhere.

Ready For Transformation?

Web 3.0 focuses more on the use of technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence to offer better content to the users according to the search queries. The engine schema provides relevant content instead of the content the users have provided. The day is not far when Web 3.0 will most like turn jobs over to Artificial Intelligence and the Semantic Web. 100% automated recruitment could be one of the next futuristic products of Web 3.0.

Web 3.0 is the new period of web development. The progressions that this new update is bringing to the web have evolved to an inexperienced level. PC researchers, artists, and Internet enthusiasts agree with the fact that these progressions will make the web more intelligent and simplify our search queries. We may or may not be ready to comprehend these evolutions, but we should just embrace the change and what Web 3.0 will have in store for us.