#hip roof configuration

[roseoptics]

Detroit Stone Large trendy gray two-story stone exterior home photo with a hip roof

[hellysmith123]

Design Flexibility and Customization Options for Residential Steel Buildings

Residential steel buildings offer a high level of design flexibility and customization options, allowing homeowners to create a unique living space that meets their specific needs and preferences. Here are some key aspects of design flexibility and customization options for residential steel buildings:

1. Layout and Floor Plan: Steel buildings can be customized to accommodate any layout or floor plan desired by the homeowner. The open-span design of steel structures allows for large, uninterrupted interior spaces without the need for interior support columns, providing the freedom to configure the space according to personal preferences.

2. Exterior Finishes: Residential steel buildings can be finished with a variety of exterior materials to achieve the desired aesthetic. Homeowners can choose from options such as brick, stucco, wood, or even a combination of different materials to create a unique and visually appealing façade that suits their taste.

3. Roof Styles: Steel buildings offer a wide range of roof styles, including gable, hip, gambrel, and shed roofs. Homeowners can select the style that best suits their architectural preferences and enhances the overall appearance of the structure. Additionally, different roof pitches can be employed to achieve a specific look or accommodate local weather conditions.

4. Interior Finishes: The interior of a residential steel building can be finished just like a traditional home. Homeowners can choose from various materials for flooring, walls, and ceilings, allowing for customization according to individual style preferences. Choices may include hardwood, tile, carpet, drywall, or even exposed steel, depending on the desired aesthetic.

5. Window and Door Placement: Steel buildings can accommodate a wide variety of window and door configurations to maximize natural light and provide convenient access points. Homeowners can choose from different styles, sizes, and placements of windows and doors to optimize views, ventilation, and functionality within the space.

6. Energy-efficient Options: Residential steel buildings can be designed to incorporate energy-efficient features, such as insulation, solar panels, energy-efficient windows, and HVAC systems. These options not only enhance the sustainability of the building but also contribute to energy savings and increased comfort for the homeowners.

7. Expansion and Future Modifications: Steel buildings are highly versatile and can easily accommodate future expansions or modifications. This flexibility allows homeowners to adapt their living space as their needs change over time without major structural alterations.

Overall, residential steel buildings offer a wide range of design flexibility and customization options. With the ability to customize the layout, exterior finishes, roof styles, interior finishes, window and door placements, energy-efficient features, and future expansions, homeowners can create a personalized and unique living space that meets their specific preferences and requirements.

[dogsrotten]

knows he has a point , hates that he calls her out on it even more . “i panicked ,” she tells him honestly . “either way , we were screwed . if he caught onto me , if i would have said no , he probably would have killed me . nothing was certain tonight .” feels the tension rising , the warmth in her chest catering down to her stomach , swirling an unfamiliar emotion she wasn’t used to . especially with him . tongue pushes to the roof of her mouth , shrugging like it didn’t matter , but it did . “i’m fine though . nothing happened , see ?” extends her arms out and does a complete 360 turn , dress hiding the bruises on her hips from when homme grabbed her before she left . swore he was just playing rough and she laughed it off , but her brother was right to want him dead . she waits as he configures an answer to her question , brows furrowing , “my brother is the best person you’re ever going to get to work for . same for his friends . as for me , what ? so pretty you can’t look away ?” it’s meant to be a joke , but something tells her , she might be telling the truth . palms press to his abdomen , “little too close , don’t you think ?” attempts to change the subject , not wanting to cross over to the sensitivity of her father and the part of her life not many people got to know about or understand .

“ that’s bullshit. you really think i wouldn’t have called out a reckless move cause what, they’re guys ? dumb is dumb no matter the fucking gender. ” annoyance causes his jaw to clench. only it’s not due to her, it’s the admission, the fact that something had been tried. it almost makes him consider doing something he shouldn’t. “ and what if you couldn’t stop him, what then ? no plan is worth what he could have done to you, don’t you get that ? ” he’s probably saying too much, showing too much care despite the harsh tone that carries it. her question should be simple to answer, but it’s not. isn’t watching with any kind of ulterior motive, but mostly with caution. he’s known selfishness his entire life, witnessed how quickly people could switch. knows to always watch his own back first, though lately he’s been a little sidetracked. “ i watch them because i know better than too get too comfortable. you ? well i watch you for entirely different reasons. ” doesn’t elaborate, waits to see if she can figure it out. holds her gaze steady, practically chest to chest. shouldn’t allow himself to get too close, but despite his caution he’s always been the type to seek out thrill. “ then explain it to me. ”

[captain-kinda-trash]

Hello Hello (Bayverse! Leo x Reader)

this story has been running rampant in my mind for weeks now. finally decided to do something about it, here you go lovelies <333

[the reader spots a shadow moving across the New York rooftops one night~]

The clouds are whisking away, and wet streets glint softly in the moon that sets itself comfortably above New Yorks' towering structures.

A simple apartment window reflects it's welcoming light, it opens, and you step out onto the slick iron balcony to breathe. You tug a jacket tighter against your body, spring chill trying to pry through it's tapered fabric, but you resist.

And that's when you notice it. The shadow flickers away just as fast as it had come, zooming across the moonlight above and for a moment, you don't believe it's real.

Feet pad across the pavement, cars roll by, splashing puddles of a fresh rain that just hit the city. You squint, shaking your head at the sudden vision, and keep curious eyes directed at the brick building adjacent to your complex, a few alleys across.

Low and behold, the shadow has a shape. Tall, dark, but still so far away that you can't give it a distinct configuration. It stands stoically and then moves faster than light on feet that carry it without sound across the silhouettes of rooftops.

Curious eyes stay glued in astonishment to this structured outline that practically floats across alleys, moving across your field of vision. It grows closer. Large, mysterious.

You duck into your window, hoping you wouldn't catch the stranger's eye. Now, straight across the alleyway and up three levels from yours, this alluring foreigner takes pause directly in the path of the moon, a stunning masterpiece that heaves for breath. The worn tails of a bandana flutter in the night breeze.

You find yourself a loss of breath, a loss of thought, fingertips gripping tightly against the window sill at the sight.

The shadow backs away and then rears itself forwards with a powerful leap straight across to the roof of your building. Feet make impact with a grunt. You waste no time in clambering back out, still cautious not to scare this beautiful beast away.

The ladder is slick with raindrops, and you take care to firmly press your shoes against it's grooves so that you don't slip. Up you go, each level, quiet as can be, stuttering breaths, racing heart, fluttering anxiety.

You peek above the cement ledge.

The shadow is facing opposite of your direction, kneeling, and it's shell -shell - glowing dully in city lights.

You focus on the last few rungs to get a closer glimpse, one, getting closer, two, your shoe squeaks quietly against the slick metal, three - you slip, waist just surpassing the roof's ledge.

Your stomach drops, reaching for something to grab onto, leaning painfully slowly back and back; and a strong arm latches purposefully right above your hips, paired with a large hand, steadying your upper back.

Hello Hello

Eyes, large, strikingly blue hold onto yours just as tightly as the grip on your waist. It's the stranger, your savior, holding you taught against his front side - a well built, scarred plastron like battle armor.

You heave a breath, in, out. Trying to focus, to regain a steady pattern of air, all the while struggling in clawing out of the pool, the deepness of his eyes. They match the color of his mask, shrouding deep verdant scales, a rounded snout

He speaks, pulling you with terrifying ease fully onto the roof out of the way of your imminent demise.

His voice is low, delicate, smooth, asking if you're alright. He pulls his three-fingered hands away from your body with urgency, though there's a collectedness, a control that he's seemed to practice. He puffs his chest out just slightly.

You have no room to speak, too awestruck with this remarkable creature that towers at least a good foot above your head.

You nod once. Once is all he needs. The stranger turns to run away, but he's seized in surprise with your eagerness, calling after him.

His full shoulders drop. The shadow knows what's coming. He thinks he knows what's coming.

But when you thank him with a gentle stutter and ask for his name, a flash of awe strikes his strangely handsome features. He gives it to you, hesitantly. And you give him yours.

He holds onto it, like a slip of paper, a sweet serenade to keep in his mind forever. And you Leo promises he'll see you again.

With that, he parts with a gentle smile, a hesitant brush of fingers, and disappears in the night, a shadow, a stranger, once again.

[Don't really know where I was going with the ending! I feel like it was cut a bit short 😅💙 Should I do a part 2?? 👀]

tagging my Leo lovers 🥰💙

[@turtle-babe83 @leosgirl82 @the-ninja-in-blue @thelaundrybitch @ladyofparchments ]

[pinnithin-writes]

The First: Aftermath (Part 4)

A collaborative work between myself and @reneethecyborg on what happened after Lupin III: The First. Part 4 of 4, 1405 words.

The pain after a heist is nothing new to Lupin. It’s part of the job. There’s always the stab in his hips from running and jumping and climbing, the ache in his shoulders from pushing and pulling and carrying, the throb in his wrists from drawing schematics and fiddling with locks, the headache from too many all-nighters spent planning and replanning and planning some more. It’s usually not quite this extreme, but still, these things come with the territory. Besides, some broken bones and angry joints are a small price to pay if it means the entire world is no longer in jeopardy.

At least the worst is over. And now the three of them are away from that whole mess, holed up in some hideout or another. Lupin’s pretty sure it’s one of his, based on what little he’s seen of the decor since they arrived, but these places all sort of bleed together in the post-work haze of pain and exhaustion. It’s been raining on and off since they got here (a few hours ago? yesterday? the day before?), which is nice. Would be nicer if he could sit by the window and watch, but the sound of it hitting the roof is almost as good. Goemon says hearing the rain is better, because of course he does.

The bed is also nice, though Lupin’s starting to resent being trapped in it. Big enough for all of them, with the pillows Goemon likes and the thick comforter Jigen likes. Now that Jigen’s back from his outing to town, he’s seen fit to make himself comfortable in his usual spot to Lupin’s right. “So,” he says, fluffing his pillow and propping it up so he can lean against the headboard, “I went and called Zenigata like you wanted, Lupin.”

“And?”

“Sounds like he’s up to his ears cleaning this up. I had to call five times before I got through.” Jigen smacks his pillow a few more times before he seems satisfied with it. “Told the receptionist I had information on the whereabouts of the Lupin gang, Zenigata’s ears only.”

Goemon goes ‘hm’ from his typical spot sitting cross-legged to Lupin’s left. “I suppose solving crimes generates a lot of paperwork.”

After several seconds of shuffling around, Jigen seems to find the most comfortable configuration of limbs and gets settled. “I told him to take a month or two off after this.”

“Wait, what? Why? That’s—” Taking a deep enough breath to get more than a few words out isn’t pleasant, but the great Lupin III won’t be silenced by a petty little thing like broken ribs. “That’s kind of unfair, isn’t it? Pops won’t be ready for our next job.”

The look Jigen aims his way would be scathing, if it weren’t coming from a guy lounging in his pajamas (who even wears nightshirts in this century?). “Hey, Lupin. Quick question. When, exactly, do you think our next job is going to be?”

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say. But he’s being given a chance to save himself! How merciful. “...Not for another month or two?”

“Alright, good. Just making sure we have an understanding. You sounded kind of confused for a second there.” Jigen’s old mob ties come out in the strangest ways sometimes. With that, he does what Lupin sometimes mentally refers to as a big ol’ stretch, holding the pose until his back cracks. “The way I see it, none of us are doing jack shit for the next while—” he throws another pointed glance Lupin’s way, which Lupin dutifully pretends not to notice— “so we might as well let Pops off the hook too. He deserves a break, what with all the hell we put him through.”

Goemon nods sagely. “We do torment him quite often.”

He does have a point. Lupin can’t deny that they hassle Pops perhaps a bit more than necessary. “Yeah, but it’s good for him. Builds character.” It’s also made him a lot more crafty, but that’s the price you pay sometimes. Jigen’s very good stretch over there is making Lupin excessively aware of how stiff he’s gotten lying here all day; he makes a tentative attempt at stretching his arms, but that one shoulder muscle he can never remember the name of seizes up on him almost instantly.

In a perfect world, nobody would notice, but Jigen and Goemon have both very obviously noticed. Jigen manages to replicate his classic look of squinting at Lupin from under his hat, but it’s distinctly less threatening from under a nightcap. “You’ve been on bedrest half a day and you’re already pushing it, huh?”

“I’m fine. Just a spasm.” Everything’s back in its proper place now—insofar as it can be—but his joints still feel like they might fall apart again at a moment’s notice, and every muscle he can think of is either unbelievably sore or drawn so taut he can barely move without hurting himself. That’s pretty much to be expected, after such a beating. It’s been a long time since someone’s pummeled him this bad. With luck, it’ll be a long time before it happens again.

Jigen doesn’t seem terribly convinced that it’s fine, judging by his expression. With some grunts befitting his status as the world’s oldest twenty-something, he shifts to prop himself up on one arm—Lupin wishes he could do that right now without breaking something—and pokes around at the muscles in Lupin’s shoulder with his free hand. Always careful, always gentle. If he weren’t so tired, Lupin would try to string together something about a sharpshooter using his hands for caring instead of killing. “Christ, man, it’s like you’re made of stone. I’d look for knots, but I think you’re all knot. Doesn’t that hurt?”

“It’s not that bad. Most of the time I don’t even notice.” He’s noticing now, but these are extenuating circumstances.

“I’m not sure I buy that. You need one of those massages where they jab you with their elbows.”

“Are you volunteering, Jigen?”

He was mostly joking, but Jigen pauses in his proddings like he’s genuinely thinking it over. “Sure, why not.” Goemon opens one eye to fix Jigen with a stern look. “Later, though. When your ribs won’t turn to dust.”

“Alright, deal. As long as you don’t poke any holes in me with those pointy elbows of yours.” Jigen goes ‘tch’, as is his wont. “Maybe I will. Might deflate your ego a bit.”

Touché. “I’m not sure you’re in any position to pass character judgments, monsieur chemise.” He takes a chance and waves a hand at Jigen’s silly little nightshirt; his wrist twinges and pops, but holds firm.

Another noise of annoyance from Jigen. His French might not be great, but he knows enough to know when he’s being insulted. “At least I don’t wear vinyl pants.”

“You leave my pants out of this!”

“You’re the one who started an argument about clothes. Not my fault you think vinyl pants and leather suit jackets are a good combo.”

Lupin loses track of his very strong and argument-winning retort when he notices Goemon chuckling quietly at the two of them bickering like children over their respective poor fashion choices. It’s nice to just sit around talking about nothing. Part of the routine, really. The work is done, and now they can relax. This time yesterday, Lupin wasn’t sure he’d be around to do this when the dust settled. “...Listen, guys. I’m sorry about how all this turned out.”

The mood shifts a little, but not in a bad way. Jigen and Goemon exchange a look for a moment before Goemon speaks. “Nobody among us is at fault. We simply need to formulate our plans more carefully in the future.”

That’s a very tactful way of putting it. “I probably should’ve let you talk me out of the Hitler thing.”

Jigen makes a noise akin to shrugging. “I think that part was alright. One of us just should’ve gone with you to kill that prick before he got violent, is all.”

He has a point. Lupin’s usually not a fan of killing anybody, but even he can admit that there was really no other way for his tussle with Geralt to end. “Yeah, well. Next time.”

“There shouldn’t be a next time,” Jigen grumbles more than says.

“Sure, but with our luck? Within the year. Calling it now.”

“Well, now you jinxed it.”

Part 3 (by Pin) < --- Part 4 (by Cosma)

[bribe-the-door]

On A Summer Evening

The one where it tastes like strawberries and it’s the end of June

a/n: i’ve been out of the writing game for a while, but with Watermelon Sugar dropping tomorrow... I couldn’t help myself ;) 

Time moves in slow-motion on nights like this.

The warmth of a summer night wrapped you up in its arms even though the sun slowly dipped below the horizon, and a hazy red-orange made it seem as though you were watching the world through rose-colored lenses. A green glass bottle (well, two, actually) sat empty on the table beside you, another “half-full” somewhere amongst your friends.

Laughter echoed off of the rooftop patio and likely annoyed the neighbors, but how were you expected to pass up a night like this? The sun had warmed the air all day, no clouds in sight (save for the wispy ones, now bleeding with sunset), and the best wine had been on sale.

“Hey,” you giggled, the laughs floating up through your chest a hint louder than you would have normally expected. “Give me that.”

You motioned toward the bottle being held hostage by your best friend, Harry. His grip tightened and a playful eyebrow rose in response. The bottle slowly rose to his lips all while maintaining strict eye contact. Your brow furrowed and you reached out toward him, an attempt to swipe the bottle poorly miscalculated.

Harry shook his head and took a delicate sip, making sure to make a scene out of licking his lips and accidentally dribbling some down his chin.

He was such a bastard when tipsy.

“Give it!” You sat forward on the bench, ready to pounce.

“Why should I? Think you’ve had enough, love.”

Love.

You felt your cheeks burn though that name meant nothing more than any other greeting when it came to Harry. “Please?”

Harry shrugged, considering your plea. Another sip from the bottle… another unnecessary lick over his (now wine-stained and very red) lips…

You fell back against the bench and sighed, instead looking straight out toward the setting sun. It was dangerously low in the sky and hardly had any hues other than purple. A few houses were lit up in the distance and the street in front of yours was illuminated by the harsh glow of fluorescent lamp posts. It was quiet for a Friday night in June. 

Something cold touched your lips, and you startled back to reality.

“Drink.”

You turned to see Harry intently watching your face, gesturing with his head to the bottle outstretched in front of him. He touched it to your lips again, and when they parted, tipped the wine into your mouth. It was anything but graceful and you had a similar experience with wine dripping down your chin, to which Harry let out a few bubbly laughs. 

The wine wasn’t chilled anymore, and this bottle was strangely sweet compared to the others. You reached up to your lips to wipe the wine from your face, but Harry beat you to it. A single swipe of his thumb ran over your (still) parted mouth, collecting the stray alcohol. His eyes had an impressive amount of focus in them as he made sure he didn’t miss any, then finally rested his hand on your chin, offering the rest to you. 

It was a tender moment between you two. If it weren’t for the constant drumming of your heart under your ribs, the only sounds would have been a passing car on the street below, or a hushed conversation across the patio between your friends. You hadn’t noticed them for a while, though, and took his thumb between your lips, licking it clean. 

“Good?” Harry asked, a giddy smile. He’d won this fight for now.

You nodded, “Tastes like... strawberries?”

He affirmed your guess with a low “mhm” in the base of his throat, and happily took another drink from the bottle. The both of you fell into a comfortable silence, watching the now-set sun color the night sky with a deep purple. The wine in your system glued you to the bench you sat upon and there was an indescribable contentment in your chest. A light breeze continued to blow over the patio, only now it was much less pleasant, being it was much past 10 PM. 

“You okay?” Harry asked, somehow closer to you now. You found yourself slouched over, leaning embarrassingly close to his side. 

You sat up abruptly, tucking your leg under the other. “Yeah, no. I’m fine.”

“Sure?” He questioned, not quite convinced. 

“Promise.” 

It was an outright lie, but you couldn’t circle back now. The breeze picked up and raised the hairs on your arm. You attempted to conceal a shiver but failed; it couldn’t have been anymore cartoon-ish, and you were sure your teeth would begin chattering soon. Harry turned to set the wine bottle down and soon pushed up from the bench. 

“Where are you going?” 

“To get you a blanket, y/n.” His face looked as though he wanted to add a “duh” at the end of his remark. 

It must’ve truly been late, because your other friends decided to make their way down with Harry to begin the walk home. You waved them off and grabbed the bottle from Harry’s side of the bench before curling back up in your corner. There were only a few more sips left and you downed them without issue. Your head swam with the sudden intake of alcohol but the warmth was nice. 

Moments passed before Harry emerged on the roof again, this time adorned with a hoodie and blanket in hand. He tossed the blanket at you, a shit-eating grin on his face as it smacked you directly in the forehead, and plopped down beside you. 

“Bastard,” you muttered under your breath before setting the empty bottle on the ground beside you. The blanket was a welcome addition to the bench and you took little time to wrap yourself up in it. The dark grey fleece smelled like Harry; a hint of his cologne and coffee, but a surprisingly... fruity-scent, too? Nonetheless, you could feel your feet again. 

You felt Harry’s eyes on you again. Peering out of the corner of your eye, you caught his gaze: a pitiful pout over his lips. 

“Share?” He frowned even more, doing his best “puppy-dog eyes”.

You laughed, again, louder than you would’ve expected, and clapped a hand over your mouth in surprise. His composure broke almost instantly and a fit of giggles was shared between the two of you. The kind where you pause for a moment and catch each others’ expressions, only to continue to laugh even harder. 

“Share?” He asked again, inching himself closer to you. Harry snaked his hand under the edge of the blanket to where you sat cross-legged, palm resting over your knee. When you didn’t answer, he began tracing his fingers over your thigh, moving from their initial place. If you thought you’d had goosebumps before...

Your heart began to thud in your chest again, but moved the edge of the blanket to cover part of his legs, too. His hand stayed put, splayed over your thigh, and his gaze never broke yours. It was overwhelming, being so close to him and surrounded by him, but you didn’t think you minded much. Even with the wine, even with the intimacy brought on by being out in the dark. It was wonderful. It felt warm. 

Harry bit at his lip and you yours, spending a painfully long while studying over each other’s faces. It was as if you’d never seen each other, though surely you had. There was a newfound magnetism in the space separating you both that worked to bring you closer. And closer. And closer. 

His lips were sweet with the strawberry wine from earlier, and you imagined yours tasted similar. Harry was gentle in the way he moved; his lips, the hand on your thigh, turning ever-so-slightly toward you on the bench. He kissed you first but in no time at all, you were kissing him. The hand that’d once helped share the blanket was intertwined in the curls at the nape of his neck, keeping him close and causing his lips to part in curiosity. 

The hand on your thigh moved to your hip instead, pulling you in. He wanted you closer. You wanted him closer, too, but there wasn’t enough room on this goddamn bench and the blanket was getting tangled up between your legs and then–

His forehead was resting on yours, a series of shallow breathes shared in the silence of the rooftop patio. You willed your heart to slow down, but to no avail. The both of you sat like this for some time, catching your own breaths and trying to configure a coherent sentence. It wasn’t an easy task, but especially not in these circumstances. 

Harry spoke first: “I... I’m just thinking out loud, here,” he started.

You felt him pull away and met his gaze. His cheeks were even more flushed than they’d been earlier in the night. Looks of nervousness and a hint of innocence showed across his features. You waited for him to continue, signaling with a nod and reaching your hand toward his. He took it gladly. 

“But, that wasn't... weird, right?”

You shook your head “no”. 

A look of relief washed over his face, a weight lifted from his shoulders. “Oh, good, because I was convinced you’d say ‘of course, Harry, we’re friends, that was horrible’ or blame it on the wine, which would be fine because I’d feel terrible if you hadn’t wanted it–!”

“Harry.”

He looked up, pausing mid-sentence. 

It was your turn to stutter over your words, wine making you ramble more easily than normal. “I liked it, I promise. I did kiss you back, yeah?”

Harry laughed, shrugging his shoulders playfully to agree. “Definitely not just a peck, if you will.”

You threw a shove in his direction, “Don’t be cocky.”

“She likes kissing me!” He sang into the darkness of the night, “Did y’hear that, world? She likes kissing–!”

He was right, but you couldn’t let him get away with it just yet, and you planted another one on him. This time, it was more of a peck. A very sloppy, wine-influenced, peck. Harry was the type to truly sing his heart out to the entire universe if you’d let him. 

“See?” You challenged. “Kissed you back, again.”

He smirked, “I know.”

Harry leaned in close, pressing a sincere kiss to your lips. “...’m glad you liked it. Not sure I could ever go without doing that again.”

______________________________________________

note to readers: ... yes it was a typical best-friends-to-lovers (?) trope, but I couldn’t help myself. this was a short one and I’m hoping that maybe I’ll get some more posted, too. let me know what you think and thank you (thank you THANK YOU) for reading. also, thanks for being patient with me. it’s been a while but so so good to be back :) LOVE YOU ALL TO BITS

[zrtranscripts]

Home Front, Mission 11: Turn Your Radio On

Calibrations

~

[static]

SAM YAO: Five? Five, it's Sam. Are you receiving? I'm getting your headcam feed. I'm glad you're safe. Well, safe as anyone can be, hiding in a camping store in a mall full of zombies. We've got an emergency, Five. We need you. Better warm up, do some jogging on the spot. You've been lying low for weeks, you need to stretch those muscles.

It's the comms. We've had them down for maintenance. We were just bringing everything back online when the super horde trampled Abel's main radio repeater tower. We've set up signal boosters to compensate, but comm range has been crippled. You're at the very edge of our reach. We can't contact half our runners in the field. You can help, Five, but... you're gonna have to leave that store. Are you willing? Yes, that's my Five.

There's a phone mast on the mall roof. Janine says you can find equipment to convert it into a replacement repeater. First, you need to open that store's shutters to get out. They're controlled by a crank handle by the door, remember? Now grab the handle and move it up and down. You know, the same movement as those bicep curls you practiced with tin cans. [shutters rattle and creak] Yeah, that's it. The shutters are raising. Keep going, Five.

No, the crank's jammed! The shutters are too low to fit under. Uh, keep pulling the crank, Five. Try and work it loose. [crank squeaks] Hurry, Five. I've got cams in the mall. No zoms outside your store, but there are plenty in a nearby clothes shop. The noise has them shambling your way. [shutters clang] Yes, that's it! The crank's unjammed. The shutters are inching up. [static] Oh no, signal boosters are burning out. Five, keep working that crack until you're sure you've raised the shutters enough, then slip under them. Find the uh, the Screen and Share electronics store somewhere on that floor. You've got a few minutes before the zoms catch up, but try and be quick. Once you get there – [audio distorts and fades]

~

PETER LYNNE: Oh Five, how are we? It's Peter, still here in the Princess Louise cinema. Oh, uh, Sam's signal boosters died. But lucky for you, some of us are stranded in the field with radio gear. Sam had us make our own boosters so we could be backup operators. So I've got cam feeds on my cinema screen. I can see you searching the mall. So that is the electronics store on your left. Head in there. [door opens] Oh. Seriously, this store is a complete mess, and looks like part of the ceiling's collapsed. Um, right. Sorry. Five, the gear you're looking for, that's on the back shelf. So it's behind the massive pile of rebar and broken TVs, so you're going to need to move the rubble to get through.

Right. Use your legs to lift. And you know, doing squats should probably help. I mean, you know squats. Come on now. You plant your legs hip-distance apart and then you bend your knees like you're sitting on an invisible chair. So uh, make sure that you're doing one squat for each piece of rubble you shift. Get squatting.

See? There we go. Gorgeous! Best looking chair I've seen in years. That's it, Five. Just throw the rubble aside, no one's using it. Right, we're halfway down, Five. Speed up, come on. Um, I do actually see some shamblers heading towards the store. They're coming through the food court and they've not stopped at Claire's for earrings, so probably hurry on that one. [fox growls] Yeah, I am sorry about that growling, Five. See, you know – easy! I am holed up with a fox and those zombie moans are pretty loud on our end and that's woken the poor thing up.

That's it, Five. Well done, shifted the pile. Right, grab one of the big yellow boxes on the shelf behind. They're the ones labeled Valmont Inc. Home Broadcasting Kit. [zombies moan] Hello, fans. Yep, that's uh, zoms pouring into the store. So right, fire exit on your right. Duck through. [door opens] That's it! Right, okay. Lock the door behind you. Oh, I can tell you're on quite a nice balcony, actually. I mean, it'd be a decent view if it wasn't so foggy.

And uh, that stairwell just downwind of you, that's gonna take you to the roof. Okay, I'll accept that the zoms might break that door down. So the collapsed wall by the stairs, Five. Uh, pick up some more rubble and you're gonna use that to block the door. That's a good idea. And when it looks secure - trusting you on that - head up the stairs. Come on, a little more squatting can't hurt. Come on. Yeah, see? There we go! Great, keep going. [fox growls] Oh, for God's – no! No, listen to me. Stay away from the cable! Uh, sorry, Five. All the noise is freaking out my fox, and he - I don't know if you've had a fox, but he bites things when he's nervous. Uh yeah, no, that door, uh, get that door blocked and then get to the roof. No, bad fox! Bad fox! Drop it – [audio distorts and fades]

~

[static]

SAM YAO: Five, Five, are you there? It's Sam. Yeah. Oh, great. Uh, Peter's having um, technical difficulties. Listen, Janine's setting up better boosters at Abel so we can transmit to the relay once you get it working. She's not done yet, but I wanted to check in. Oh! Oh good, you found a stairwell. Outdoor fire escape, right? That should lead up to the roof. Take the stairs at your own pace, Five. It's misty out. I guess we've all had a lot of practice stair stepping lately, eh?

Uh, Five, turn to the left. Yeah, look through the windows you're passing into the mall. Oh, I was afraid of that. The zoms inside can see you, and they're stalking you, heading up inside the mall while you head up outside it. You need to outpace them or they'll catch you on the roof. Speed up. Start tackling those stairs as fast as you can.

Yeah, that's it. Keep pushing it, Five. The zoms are slow, but the mall has super fast escalators. They're whisking the zoms up right behind you. Great, you're pulling ahead of the zoms, Five. Keep going. Oh God, they're creepy. They're scratching at the windows until you're out of sight, then shambling after you.

Okay, Five, you've got a good lead on the horde. You can slow down. Take the rest of the stairs at whatever pace you like. Huh, that's weird. I'd swear the floor you just passed isn't on the blueprints. What's that, Janine? Okay, right on it. Uh, Janine says I've got to go offline so she can do some calibrations. I'll try and get Peter back so he can take over. In the meantime, get to the roof, find the phone mast there. You're doing great, Five. Just keep going.

~

[static]

JODY MARSH: Five, it's Jody, coming at you from my warehouse den. Peter's still offline. I’m the backup backup operator. Uh, hey, you're on the roof and the fog's clearing, nice. Look at all those rooftop solar panels. The phone mast’s on your left, big metal spike on a little concrete platform. Quick, take your broadcast kit out of the box. [kit pieces jingle] So uh, it's your basic metal tube covered in dials. See the yellow cord on the underside? You need to connect that to the control panel at the base of the mast. They must have been doing rewiring up there when Z-Day hit. Those are live electric cables all around the mast, no room to sit or stand next to it. You'll have to stretch into a planking position to reach the panel.

Get on your knees in front of the cables, holding the end by the yellow cord in your mouth by its side. Lean forward to rest your arms on the platform under the mast. It's just wide enough. Adopt a planking stance. Support your weight on your forearms and toes, keeping your back straight. Now shuffle forward until your toes are almost touching the cables. Right, your face is near the panel. Use your nose to nudge open the latches keeping its outer case shut.

[cables zap, latches click]

Hold that stance. Hold it. Keep going with the latches. Okay, that's a quarter of the latches open. Don't risk using a hand, Five. You could lose balance, and those are live cables under you. Nice. Keep it in place. Halfway done, Five, you're doing great. Stay strong. Zoms shambling onto the roof. They're on the far side, headed your way. Don't panic, Five. You've only got a few latches left. Great, the case is open!

Okay, lean your head forward, stick the cord in that shiny red socket. That's it, Five. Now on your feet. The kit's um, designed to hijack any transmitter it connects to. It was a selling point, apparently. Turn it on. Uh, set it to um, send and receive Abel frequency 1. [buttons beep] It'll take a few minutes to configure.

Those zoms are almost onto you. We need to get you off that roof. They're blocking every way down except... see that railing to your far right? There's a platform below you can jump onto. Trouble is there are loads more live wires that way. You'll have to leap between them, do some fancy footwork. Think of it as dancing, Five! It's less scary that way. Go on, toward the railing. Get dancing, go!

~

JODY MARSH: That's it. You're at the railing. Jump off the roof now. You okay, Five? That was a rough landing. You're on a window cleaning cradle suspended beside the building by cables. Good job Sam gave us detailed recon notes on that shopping center. Hey, now that the fog’s gone, you can see for miles. The town around the mall, the countryside. The uh, zillion zoms on the pavement below. We'd better get you inside fast. Really fast. Your landing jarred the cradle. It's coming free of its cables.

Okay, don't panic. Think, Jody, think! Oh yeah, great. That's really helpful. Brace yourself, Five, the cradle’s listing. Move your head, look around. There must be some way in! Wait, that window on your left, it's boarded up with plywood. I bet you could punch through it. Quick. Into a jabbing stance, one hand shielding your face, the other eye level, ready to strike. Get punching now. Punch it, come on! Come on, Five, hit those boards. Give it some welly. That's it, belt it! Oh no, my signal booster's overheating. Hurry, Five! Quickly, get through. Keep going, Five, you're getting through. Belt it! Come on, nearly there! That's it, the boarding smashed. Climb through the window, Five.

That was close, Five. The platform's crashed down right behind you. Sometimes I think you're the only runner luckier than me. Better get the lay of whatever shop you've climbed into. Run a perimeter circuit of the room. I've really missed this, Five, working together. I've been stuck in this warehouse for ages, zonked out on painkillers for my sprained leg, which is feeling way better, by the way. Being on a mission again, it's almost like old times, right? I'm losing reception. I can't resolve your head cam feed anymore. I hope that signal [?] works, Five. I guess we'll find out – [audio distorts and fades]

~

SAM YAO: Five? Five, come in, it's Sam. You did it! That kit hijacked the roof mast for us. Comms are back to full strength. Signal from the Spectrum Mall is green. I repeat, Spectrum is green. You saved the day, Five, just like you always do! Five, are you actually jumping for joy? Yeah, yeah well, I don't blame you, actually. I might join you. Oh yeah, looks like you found your way into the mall’s big games and comic shop. And hey, the door's already barricaded shut. Most of the zoms are still up on the roof. You should be safe there for a while.

I knew you'd come through, Five. You just sit tight until we find a way to get you out. There's a vending machine right by that shelf of Demons and Darkness books, so you won't be bored or hungry. And now the comms are working, we can start the indoor exercises again! Hey... Yeah, but can't I...? But I was just...! All right. [sighs] Janine says I have to go offline for a bit so she can run some systems checks. In the meantime, get some rest. Pick a couple of Demons and Darkness manuals to take from that shelf so we can all have a nice long game when you get home. Stay safe, Five. Keep this channel open. I'll be back really soon, and that's all thanks to you.

~

[luz1abhumbdavid]

A photo of David by Michelangelo (Italian Renaissace Org, 2012)

Looking At Sculpture:  The Beauty of Michelangelo's David sculpture

Michelangelo's statue of David, considered one of the greatest sculptures ever made, encapsulates the aesthetics of High Renaissance architecture, the politics of Renaissance Florence, and the technological virtuosity of Greek sculpture. The marble sculpture, which depicted David about to fight Goliath - an appropriate analogy for a Florentine city-state beset by powerful rivals - was placed outside the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's civic government center, where it remained until 1873.

David by Michaelangelo is a 17 ft marble statue that conveys the biblical character, David. It was made during the Renaissance era between 1501-1504.  According to Matisse (2011), it was originally commissioned by Agostino di Duccio and Antonio Rossellino back in 1464 and 1475 respectively. However, both sculptors had to reject it because of the large amount of marble to be used and the design had too many imperfections regarding the sizing of the body. So, the Cathedral of Florence had to approach Michelangelo from him to finish the statue, David,  for the series of large statues for the cathedral’s tribunes. This statue illustrates a nude standing male looking on its left side. It seems that the statue is observing an important event that happened looking as if he is satisfied with the event that happened.

Michelangelo's statue had a well-worn motif. The Biblical tale of how the young David, equipped only with a sling and pebbles, defeated the Philistine giant Goliath in single combat was a common theme in Renaissance art. Andrea del Verrochio (1436-88) created his famous bronze of David (Bargello Museum) in 1443, and Donatello (1386-1466) created his famous bronze of David (Bargello Museum) in 1475. Both works, on the other hand, show David after the battle, holding the head of his slain opponent. Michelangelo, on the other hand, portrays him before the battle with Goliath.

Instead of being calm and optimistic after his triumph, Michelangelo's David appears nervous and ready for battle. His forehead is furrowed; his neck tendons, as well as the muscles in his nose and lips, are stiff; and his eyes are fixed on something off in the distance. He stands in a comfortable contrapposto stance, his sling casually thrown over his left shoulder, notwithstanding his mindfulness. This vigorous posture and relaxed expression are meant to capture the brief time between making the decision to fight and actually fighting.

Upon that substrate, Michelangelo's David appears to be a High Renaissance depiction of the standing heroic male nude, which was a common motif in High Classical Greek art (450-400 BCE). However, in fact, the configuration is more complicated and political. To begin with, Michelangelo emphasizes the emotional rather than physical aspect of David's triumph by omitting the standard bloody sword and gruesome severed head. This, like the statue's placement near the Florentine government's heart, is almost definitely a political comment. Michelangelo is attempting to demonstrate that David's integrity is the key to his victory. David, like the city of Florence, is a force to be reckoned with.

We know Michelangelo’s David to be a sculpture created during the Renaissance period. Interestingly, David’s pose and facial expression is highly reminiscent of early sculptures of the Classical period when sculptors had just started to develop a taste for anatomical accuracy (University of Oxford Classical Art Research Centre, 2013). Since such improvements in executing accurate anatomy could not happen overnight, therefore it was a common sight for Classical sculptures to have their subjects shifting their weight to one leg known as contrapposto or “counterpose” (Richman-Abdou, 2020). During Michelangelo’s time, artists continually strived for the ideal of perfect humanity, hence the great amount of detail and mathematical applications put into this sculpture, balanced out by organic elements (Gilbert, 2021). The statue has an ambiguity to it that contrasts with its massive size.

The figure's pose is rather straightforward. Because of the block's proportions, a shifting stance or aggressive movements would have thrown the balance off. Michelangelo may not have had enough volume to work with because of the state of the work at the time he received the monolith. It was clearly a feat of engineering to remove an entity as noble and lively as his David from this mass in the shape of an incredibly long rectangle. David is standing with his right leg completely extended and his other leg laid back. This traditional pose, known as contrapposto, aligns his hips and shoulders at right angles, giving his torso a subtle s-curve. The young hero - or, maybe, the young god - leans his left leg slightly forward and lets his right arm hang loose halfway down his thigh, while his left arm is bent to shoulder height. He awaits his adversary Goliath with a bold look yet a thoughtful face, firm footed, calmly measuring, like a real Florentine, the chances of war when preparing for battle. Realistically, the statue's dimensions are unusual for Michelangelo's work: the figure, for example, has an exaggerated head and hands.

However, these disproportionate dimensions may have been purposefully chosen in order for it to be visible from its intended location on the roof of Florence Cathedral. The vast scale of the statue, which awed the audience, including Michelangelo's contemporaries, was the most impressive feature. Since late Roman times, it was the first monumental free-standing statue carved.

We know David to be one of the most well-known Biblical characters and as a symbol for courage. His story can be found in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible, in the first book of Samuel. 1 Samuel 17:37 (NIV) reads, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”; in this line, David was speaking in relation to Goliath (the giant). One of the representations of David is the biblical character of David in David and Goliath. According to Academia.org (2019), David signifies how strong the youth can be when in battle. This also shows the exact moment when Goliath called out David that he could defeat him. According to Matisse (2011), some artists interpreted the exaggeration of hands because of the meaning of David which is “strong of hand”. There is no exact meaning into why Michelangelo made the hands huge. David represents liberty that is ready to battle out those who are against the freedom of the country. Michelangelo's great work may thus stand for the strength and glory of humanism, but it is a strictly Christian humanism within the Catholic sense. Indeed, Christian humanism blossomed during the Renaissance. The Renaissance thinkers were unafraid to extol the promise of Adam's race inspired by grace, rooted in the optimism that man was made in God's picture.

Sources:

Accademia.org. (2019). Michelangelo’s David: Admire World’s Greatest Sculpture at Accademia Gallery. [online] Available at: https://www.accademia.org/explore-museum/artworks/michelangelos-david/ [Accessed 3 May 2021].

Britannica. (2017). David | Description, History, & Facts | Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica. [online] Available at:  https://www.britannica.com/topic/David-sculpture [Accessed 12 May 2021]

Gilbert, C. (2021). Michelangelo | Biography, Sculptures, David, Pieta, Paintings, Facts, & Accomplishments | Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michelangelo#ref361947 [Accessed 12 May 2021].

Henri Matisse. (2011). 10 Facts That You Don’t Know About Michelangelo’s “David.” [online] Available at: https://www.michelangelo.org/david.jsp [Accessed 3 May 2021].Italianrenaissance.org. (2012). Michelangelo’s David – ItalianRenaissance.org. [online] Available at: http://www.italianrenaissance.org/michelangelos-david/ [Accessed 10  May 2021].

Richman-Abdou, K. (2020). Why Michelangelo’s “David” Is an Icon of the Italian Renaissance. [online] My Modern Met. Available at: https://mymodernmet.com/michelangelo-david-facts/ [Accessed 12 May 2021].

University of Oxford Classical Art Research Centre. (2013). The Classical period - Styles and periods - Sculpture - The Classical Art Research Centre and The Beazley Archive. [online] Available at: Ox.ac.uk. https://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/sculpture/styles/classical.htm [Accessed 12 May 2021]

[maxismatchccworld]

Patch Notes

UPDATE: 11/12/2019 - PC 1.58.63.1010/ Mac 1.58.63.1210 Happy Fall! We have a few new Holiday items available for you in Create A Sim to celebrate the holidays. Along with that a new Multi Story Column feature to help you build tall columns for a grand entrance or interior. UI Scaling is also available in the options panel to give you more options with our UI configurations. Want to know what Sims 4 content is out there? New Main Menu Message is now avail on load to easily help you find the latest and greatest content from The Sims 4. In addition, we’ve fixed bugs and community concerns to improve your Sims daily lives. -SimGuruSteph NEW & IMPROVED FEATURES Multi Story Columns I’m not sure calling them multi-story columns is accurate. They are more like multi-height columns. Just go into the build catalog, place a column, grab the handle at the top, and drag it up and down to re-size. Some have a maximum size, others however... I think I topped out around 100 feet. UI Scaling Now available in the Options menu - UI Scaling! Are you a 4k player with tiny user interface issues? Do you prefer your interface to be readable at distances greater than fifty feet away? Have you a desire to customize the scale to your personal preferences? Now you can! From the Options panel, open up Game Options, and choose Accessibility. Stay away from the red parts of the slider to keep things in the safe range for your display. But, if you are feeling adventurous, give it a try, go crazy! If for some reason you find yourself in a bad state, you can always reset - either from the options panel, or by using Ctrl+U to reset the scaling back to default! Main Menu Messaging We know you want to know EVERYTHING about what’s going on, so we’ve added the ability to show you the latest and greatest Sims content on the Main Menu. You’ll be able to learn about free content, check out the latest updates on upcoming releases, pore over the newest blog posts, and more! New Clothing We have updated the Holiday Celebration Pack with some new children and toddler clothing! If you haven’t already added the Holiday Celebration Pack to your game, click on the icon at the Main Menu, and download the free pack! From there, head on in to Create a Sim and select the Holiday filter to find the new assets! Children have a new male top, female top, and winter boots! Toddlers have a new outfit for males, a new outfit for females, and some shoes! Or open up the Styled Looks, where SimGuruMorgan created some great new looks with the content! Music We have made the Hip Hop Radio Station available for everyone! This means that it is no longer exclusive to Get Famous. However, Get Famous specific music will still need Get Famous to be played. We added the following songs as part of this update: “BMO” Performed by Ari Lennox Written by Courtney Salter, Damon Coleman, Ron Gilmore, Jr., Anthony Parrino and Galt MacDermot Published by Ari Lennox Publishing Designee (BMI), Damon Coleman Publishing Designee, Ron Gilmore Music (BMI), Kobalt Music Services America o/b/o Elite That’s Me Publishing and Third Side America o/b/o MacDermot Music Contains a sample of “Space” by Galt MacDermot Recording courtesy of Dreamville/Interscope Records under license from Universal Music Enterprises and Third Side Music o/b/o Kilmarnock Records “Big Moe” Performed by Beau Young Prince Written by Jaimy Lageweg and Beau Young Published by Jailo Music and Rough Trade Songs Recording courtesy of Def Jam Recordings under license from Universal Music Enterprises “Dumbstruck” Performed by Ceraadi Written by Emaza Gibson, Saiyr Gibson and Troy Johnson Published by Emaza Gibson Publishing Designee, Saiyr Gibson Publishing Designee and Sony/ATV Tunes o/b/o Margetts Road Music/Noni Zuri Music Recording courtesy of Roc Nation under license from Universal Music Enterprises “Good Life” Performed by RDGLDGRN & Daniela Written by David Lichens, Pierre Desrosiers, Andrei Busuioceanu and Marcus Parham Published by Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing o/b/o Fungai Music (BMI) and Warner Chappell Recording courtesy of RDGLDGRN “Block List” Performed by Rico Nasty Written by Maria Kelly and Mark Nilan Published by Kobalt Music Services America o/b/o Artist Publishing Group West (ASCAP)/Artist 101 Publishing Group (BMI) Recording courtesy of APG/Atlantic Recording Corp. by arrangement with Warner Music Group Video Game Licensing “Litest” Written and Performed by DJDTP Enjoy! FIXES & UPDATES The Sims 4

Sims that dislike Fruitcake no longer react negatively to all other food. On the other hand, Sims that like Fruitcake no longer will react positively to Poor Quality foods.

Grab Meal or Give Food for all ages will now fulfill the hunger needs completely. Hopefully it will help with the 100 baby challenge :)

Spoiled visual effect now will go away on servings from coffee and tea pots.

Sims will now place grilled food on the table appropriately instead of their inventory.

Terrain Manipulation brush and eraser cursor is now visible for all terrain tools in 32 and 64 bit mode on PC.

Fresh drinks are now available on the drink tray (for those who own Spa Day and/or Backyard Stuff). “Grab drink” from drink tray functions and will no longer give you an incorrect message.

Households populated in the “Other Households” tab in Manage Worlds can no longer be composed of just a Child.

Idle Sims will no longer drink water excessively.

Skin details no longer go away when randomizing Sim features other than the "Face" or "All" categories.

NPC Sims that are not Gardeners will no longer remove Wild Plants from lots autonomously.

Rare and uncommon harvestables will now be produced at higher rates when splicing.

Fixed an issue in which typing in the search field in Build Mode made the phrase “Text Field” appear erroneously.

Sims will no longer leave the dining table after they’ve started having their meal when using the “Call to Meal” interaction.

Fixed an issue in which Sims were not able to wash dishes or use the dishwasher if there were shelving units above the sink or the dishwasher.

Child Sims will not longer have their eyebrow color changed to Brown when they are set to Blonde.

Fixed an issue that made Adult Sims constantly change outfits while Taking a Shower, and then giving a Bath to Toddlers.

Fixed an issue where capturing screenshots with the Capture UI option enabled didn’t actually capture the UI.

Fixed an issue which made the option “Put here” not available when holding Pets and Toddlers.

Fixed an issue which made Paying Bills via Phone not be fulfilled if Simmers queued any other action before it would complete.

Simmers playing in Laptop Mode will now see improvements on the in game lighting.

Moving a wall will no longer delete objects on a separate shelf when bb.moveobjects cheat is used.

Fixed an issue in which Toddlers that had maxed out their skills were not receiving the Top Notch Trait when aging up.

Toddler Traits are no longer visible after aging.

Success Lineage Aspiration can now be completed once appropriate conditions are met.

Terrain Paints now persist when placing a lot from the gallery.

Assets yfBody_EP06DressFur_GoldGreen, yfBody_GP07DressWestern_FlowerOrange & yfBody_EP03TankStrappy_ElephantAquaCream were updated to look better with various shoe styles.

Vendors will no longer use your Sims’ fireplace as an imaginary portal to mysterious places.

Emotional sculpture thumbnail in sims inventory and world appearance are now visually the same.

“Get Married to..” whim now complete when you actually get married. Achievement Unlocked!

Sims now are more diligent in putting back their books in the bookshelf and/or bookcase.

Focused Sims can now go back to hacking work process when they reach level 6.

Sims that randomly decided to cosplay and have pointy ears have now revert back to their normal selves.

Nature’s Welcome Arch gate will no longer have metal gate audio.

Catching fish with excellent quality will now count toward the “Make 6 Great Catches” task of the Angling Ace Aspiration.

Creating stairs to the second floor of a raised block will no longer need a drop wall to support it for Sims to be able to route on it.

Sims are now able to route into their home after using terrain manipulation tools in their home lot.

Sims are no longer collecting items in their inventories without your permission.

Alien Disguises and Vampire Dark Forms uploaded to gallery are now properly flagged for packs and custom content used.

Sims will now autonomously interact with each other if one is sitting down and the other is standing.

Move lot will no longer inadvertently unhide stairs, specifically stairs above the first floor.

Updated Muslim inspired assets so clipping is not apparent below the Sims’ chin.

Updated Apron tops to look smoother.

Sims are now less considerate and do not congratulate their romantic partners when they find a new romantic partner.

Send Geo Council for collectables will no longer require you to send your computer with it.

Glass roof created on the ground should now be routable (as long as there is an entryway built into it).

Randomize Twin in Create-a-Sim will carry user-manipulated ears and nose over to the twin.

Fixed an issue that would cause interactions to get stuck in the queue.

Selling Normal quality Mystery novels will now give you money in return.

Copy interaction is now available on Cookbooks and Mixology books.

Sims that despise each other and have no romantic relationship will no longer greet each other with a passionate kiss. Seem normal to me?!

Child sit-to-stand transitions for toddler bed and lounge chair exhibit less clipping.

Perk and trait buffs will now persist through travel.

Drop walls from stairs will now fill in when terrain is manipulated below the stairs.

Sims’ Inventory will no longer reset and jump to the top while in use.

Hover Tip for Electrified Artist updated to proper text.

Fixed an issue in which railings were clipping into the walls.

Railings on extended landing do not have missing posts or different looking sections.

Drawn on eyebrow thumbnail will no longer show incorrect swatch.

Music artist names in the Music Game Options are no longer cut off.

Collared jean jacket will clip less with various hair styles.

Fence posts are now updated when terrain manipulation occurs.

Sims are now able to do Check Toddler interaction while swimming.

Steps in enclosed courtyard will no longer auto delete a part of your staircase.

Take a Vacation day and Call in Sick are no longer available options when Sims are already on vacation.

Teen Sims will no longer get adult Woohoo buff.

Park Cub table can now be put in the inventory.

Wall Height icon in the description text in Build Mode will now the appropriate wall height.

Fixed some issues which may cause Error Code 102 or Error Code 139 to appear during gameplay.

You can say the Fruitcake was the culprit, jury is still out on that one.

Objection! Maybe not…

They are now properly supervised.

They will now hydrate appropriately.

It was haunting.

Now both eyebrow and hair color will match as set by Simmers.

Though we would love to hold them forever.

Get to Work

Patient Sims that are referred to the surgery table will no longer leave in the middle of surgery.

Sims can no longer simultaneously have two occult types. Specifically Vampire and Aliens.

Get Together

Steam will no longer accumulate in rooms above indoor swimming pools, or natural pools, built with vents.

Book Covers do not change when you place them on retail display.

Club panel text field size has been increased to accommodate longer text.

City Living

NPC Sims that attend Festivals are not longer seen in not festival appropriate outfits.

Fixed an issue that Simmers with Outdoor Retreat and City Living didn’t have the “Ask to Cloudgaze” interaction available in San Myshuno apartments.

Fixed an issue that didn’t allow the camera to zoom in properly when looking at lots at their basement level.

Updating the pricing of counter and cabinets to be more consistent with the rest of the Build Mode catalog.

Updated rental options to not exist in Sulani..

Promote Cause Daily Tasks will now be fulfilled with the Promote Policies Interaction.

Cats & Dogs

Fixed an issue in which all stray dogs were large dogs. Now they can be all sizes.

Lighthouse Woohoo spot is back in business.

Sims are able to complete crafting pet medicine with Marketable trait.

Quickly Update your Dr. Magi-Heal’s Surger-o-matic 3000 with an instant upgrade.

A jacket blazer now layers better with bottoms

Dogs will no longer try to put the cat wand away when they can’t and stretch into a mystical form.

Clipping issues were improved with a pair of shorts and various tops, specifically the asset yfBottom_EP04Shorts.

Turning on view distance in option panels will no longer make a brick fence in the world completely white.

Seasons

Child and Teen Sims are now spawning to knock on doors during the holiday season with trick or treat.

It's less likely to rain at GeekCon festivals now, which should help keep those computers safe!

Fixed an issue in which Sims were able “Rake Leaves” in their Home Lot while Sims were far from leaves to rake.

Mix breed cat function in Create a Sim now works again. Yay!

Social events put in calendar are now functional and will trigger.

Simmers playing with Low Graphics settings can now see improved textures when Sims are wearing Scout uniforms.

Fixed an issue in which rewards from the Scout after school activity were not being awarded properly.

The reward will now appear in the Sims’ Inventory, instead of being unlocked in Build Mode.

Get Famous

Sims employed in any career will no longer be prompted to miss work, or end their shift early, when work hours coincide with visits from Sims that were given a residence key.

Have Sim Dance at the Same Time goal at the Fan Meet and Greet Event can now be completed when you have your Sims and other Sims dance at the same time.

Talent Showcase events will no longer sometimes occur on an invalid location.

Text was updated to hover tip for Action Vol 3 purchase book picker.

Tooltip text for Quality description of videos created by the video station is now colored purple.

Sims Radio too loud? You can adjust the radio volume now after listening to the music you created on the Mix Master Music Production Station.

Consistency!

Island Living

Uninvited Sims will no longer appear when attending Kava Parties on lots with the “Private Dwelling” Lot Trait.

Beach Venues lots can now be selected for Sims to go on dates.

Fixed an issue in which samples taken from Sulani to fulfill Conservation career tasks were disappearing from the Sim Inventory after analyzing said samples.

Fixed an issue in which the “Dried Scales” buff would not disappear after Mermaids fulfilled their hydration needs.

Fixed an issue with Mermaid Children that did not allow them to Take Baths INSIDE bathtubs.

Traditional Sarong asset will not clip with tops as much.

Fixed an issue that made aged up Mermaid Teen Sims have their Mermaid Tails disappear in Create a Sim and while Swimming.

Career Promotions for Conservationist can still occur after reaching level 10.

Bulldozing waterfront lots in Island Living will now not remove terrain paint.

Goggles no longer create an awkward shadow that does not make sense.

Sims can now store coconuts away in the fridge. Woot woot!

Human Sims no longer will think they are Mermaids by swimming like them when swimming laps.

Promotion task is marked completed when Sims have a diving knife.

Sims can now release the fish back into the ocean.

Sims with Master Chef Trait do not make spoil food anymore.

Sunkiss buff will now have the appropriate icon.

Rounded blocks will no longer have missing stilts

Blueprint placement for lots with floor lights will no longer place them underneath structure and float. Gravity is more realistic.

Stilt foundation shadows now appear properly.

Game will no longer crash when placing particular lots from The Gallery.

A TV stand missing in search bar will now appear. You didn't know what you were missing out on when using search… or you did know and now it’s fixed!

Penthouses from The Gallery will now place all available items properly.

Some furniture items that did not appear on the cursor from Build Mode will now appear.

Claiming a bed is now exclusive to one Sim. Now Sims can sleep in their own bed without disturbance or worry about another Sim using their bed.

Selected tattoos in Create A Sim will no longer automatically reapply clothing.

Hot and Cold outfit categories will no longer filter tattoos upon re-entry.

Jet visual effect will now display properly when streaming from a drone.

Burnt visual effects no longer appear on lot terrain when there is fire on homes with stilt foundations.

Configuring a U shape staircase to another floor will cause the stair cause to lose some steps no more!

Mermaid Sims will do their special swim idle when performing Mermaid interactions.

Mermaid Sims that have been turned into skeletons can now take a bath. Keep those bones clean.

Set favorite watercraft will now set correct one to favorite.

Plants placed on Suspended Modern from gallery will no longer place plants in odd places.

Island Welcome Wagon will now continue to hold Kava bowls to give to your Household instead of placing it on the ground when it rains.

It’s my party, and I don’t invite you if I want to.

Romantic!

Being used to the vastness of the Ocean, Mermaid Children were not happy being limited by a bathtub.

Dine Out

Fixed textures for a few Experimental Dishes.

Restaurant signs no longer have an odd bounding box shadow around it. It’ll be well rounded.

We apologize, our Glazed Heirloom Bamboo Roll, Space Taco with Pearled Egg Core, and Free Range Sixam Pit Beast did not look quite like what you actually ordered.

Vampires

Vampire Sims will no longer get scolded if they drink plasma from Sims even though they had been granted permission to do so.

Options from the Face category in Create A Sim are no longer missing for Vampire Sims when using the Change Sim interaction.

Vampires have adjusted to daylight savings now and are awake when you invite them to hang out.

Vampire Dark form uploaded to gallery are now properly flagging CC content and packed used.

Parenthood

Adult Sims are less likely to autonomously watch Kids Network if Toddlers/Children/Teens aren't nearby.

Realm Of Magic

Spellcasters with the Bloodline trait will no longer have their rank reset if they reach the Virtuoso rank.

Potions can now be sold for Simoleons.

Fixed an issue which allowed the Emotional Stability Potion to remove certain buffs from Sims unintentionally.

Fixed an issue where the Spellbinding Tile wall pattern was displaying duplicate swatch colors in Build Mode.

Cooking and Brewing in cauldron will no longer change sell price in build mode.

Drinking animation is performed by Sims when Sims drink potion of curse cleaning to remove curse.

Animation for the teleport is no longer getting cut off.

Orb Familiars will not pop and jump from their locations while following their Sims out of water.

Two necklaces were updated to improve capability with other Create a Sims assets.

Trouser texture will no longer appear on the top of a pair of boots.

Bicep bracelet is now shown properly in Create A Sim thumbnail.

Profit!

Cool Kitchen Stuff

Removed “Get Leftovers” option for ice cream since it was never intended, and who leaves ice cream for leftovers? Not me :)

Spooky Stuff

Spooky Party will now count towards the Party Animal Aspiration.

Moschino Stuff

Fixed an issue in which in some cases the game would freeze while in Photo Mode.

Sims that you have not met will no longer appear in the Sims selector when triggering Take photo of.

[gsuttenfield]

Architectural problem solving on a historic rehabilitation project...

I’m working on the rehabilitation of a major historic landmark in my city. It is a wonderful Gothic Revival stone structure, a bit over 120 years old, and though there was a renovation in the 1980’s, this is the first top-to-bottom rehabilitation in it’s long life. We are about 15 months into construction with another 12 months to go.

Capping the 5 story atrium is a large hipped roof skylight, with a decorative lay light right below it. Sitting at each end of the ridge line are a pair of slate-roofed copper cupolas: weighing around 2500 pounds, they stand over 16 feet tall, over 5 feet square in plan, and topped off with a slate roof and finial. The ridge line spanning between the two cupolas is adorned with a repeating anthemion motif, also fashioned out of copper sheet. The challenge for this project: completely remove each element, refurbish them, and reinstall them, not where they were, but elevated 8 inches in order to flash into a modern skylight.

The original skylight, just removed, was that sort of simplistic, yet robust construction that modern architects and builders always marvel at, even as we wonder how it could possibly have lasted as long as it did. Constructed of large, 5/8 inch thick, cast glass panels laid, shingle style, on top of inverted structural iron tees that spanned between iron channels and beams, it was a wonder that was the only thing standing between 120 years of weather, and the inside of the building. Each tee was clad with sheet metal formed to fit over the tee in such a way as to create a mini gutter at each edge of the glass, ready to capture the water that would inevitably penetrate the fragile sealants. Decades of repairs were evident throughout, the simple construction lending itself to being repaired in all manner of ways.

The design team did not have access to that portion of the building, so knew little about the structure of the cupolas or how they were fastened in place. It wasn’t until the construction team had erected scaffolding and created a temporary roof structure over the lay light that any access was available. Removal of the glass was still needed to get a full view of the cupola bearing conditions, but that effort was slowed as mastics encountered were found to be hazardous, turning glass removal into a more laborious abatement process.

It turns out, each cupola has a relatively simple iron frame that, if the copper cladding were removed, would look a bit like a bird cage, with iron angles forming each of the 4 corner posts, and flat iron straps wrapping around the posts at intervals. Iron stabilizing rods cross from the bottom of each post diagonally to the top of the post catty-cornered across from it.

Because each cupola sits at the nexus of the ridge line and the hips of the skylight, the two outer posts, on the downslope side, share a common bearing condition that is different from, and slightly lower than, the posts on the upslope, ridge side. Our solution involves adding new steel elements bolted to the existing steel, replicating the bearing condition around 8 inches higher than original. The downslope condition seems easier, with a new W6 providing the bearing surface. But the upslope condition is trickier, each post bearing on sloped channels. For that condition, we are proposing the addition of a steel tube section welded to flat plates that can be bolted to the original iron (the original cast iron structure cannot be welded, but can accept bolted connections).

In addition to raising the cupolas up higher, we want to provide a new platform below it that can be waterproofed, and properly flashed into the new skylight. The original configuration had the glass of the skylight simply pushed up and under the perimeter of the cupola. The copper sheet metal at the bottom of the cupolas were unbraced, hovering over the glass, sealant (and lots of it) used to adhere it to the glass. For the new installation, we will build a platform to which the cupola can be secured, entirely separate from the skylight. Copper base and counter flashing will then tie into the skylight system.

We’ll share images of the finished product, perhaps in 8 or 9 months.

[iphoenixrising]

I was thinking about the Titans working with the Avengers Kon and Bart still a little ticked at how Tim was treated brag about how fast Tim bonded with the Avengers. How Tony is seconds away from adopting Tim. How Bucky and Tim have come so close that he is in agreement with Tony to kidnap their new son. How they had to drag Tim out of Tony's lab where he and Peter were playing with DUM-E. To add insult Cass shows up and says how happy Tim is. Dick & Jason are off to get their baby bird back.

Hi babe.

WELP. This is not exactly what you were thinking of, but dammit. Dammit. Angst, you know?

But I mean, I really do enjoy two things: Tony Stark taking Tim in the Tower so they can literally wreck ALL the things; also, the Bats realizing the absolute fuckery of how Tim pretty much got booted out of the role as Robin, then running elbows over assholes trying to get him back and make up for it.

So, I kind of thought it might start out like this maybe...

**

“How do we look, Tin Man?”

“We look fantastic as always, Klondike. Sexy is our aesthetic. See anything from your perch?”

“You know what I’m looking at, Tones.” The Winter Soldier only partly means the view in Gotham.

And yes, Iron Man already has JARVIS focused on the two vigilantes walking around their Robin’s penthouse apartment. He knew letting Tim come back to Gotham was a bad idea, but dammit Steve had been adamant, saying they shouldn’t try to sway the kid.

“He needs to make his own decisions, Tony. We want him to come back because he wants to, not because we’re pressuring him, right?”

Tony and Buck had immediately called bullshit, but couldn’t argue when Tim himself, old backpack and worn hoodie, no mask over his eyes or utility belt around his hips, just a 19 year old kid that looked so much younger, so timid, so broken without his alter ego.

“It’s time for me to go back,” he’d said quietly to the gathered Avengers, a whole different kid without the mask. “I just wanted to say good-bye.”

His eyes are violet-blue and soft when he looks around at them, seemingly satisfied he’d single-handedly brought the team back together after the shit show that was Civil War. He can leave now since the mission he’d set out to do is accomplished, and is apparent since they’re all gathered in New York City once again, leaving the Compound for the new incarnation of SHIELD with Fury at the helm, pretty much infiltrating the Tower to start the road back to becoming the family they used to be.

(And God is it crazy, fighting and living together with the insanity that is their lives.)

It started with a broken metal arm, alien invasions, and a plate of superior nachos.

It ended up with the team saving each other’s asses, coming to an understanding, fighting it out, then crying it out.

It ended with Wanda sobbing in Tony’s chest while his arms around her are almost as tight as Peitro’s once were, with Steve red-eyed on Tony’s other side, whispering in his hair how never again – together means together, with Bucky’s forehead against the back of his neck and tears streaming down his face, with Bruce and Nat holding hands while their legs tangled with Tony’s, Steve’s, and Vision’s, with Sam laughing at them all while he’s wiping his eyes, with the whole group literally jumping on Thor the minute he touches down with the new haircut and air of perpetual weariness, with them taking up a big table in their favorite 24-hour diner feeding each other and telling stories about what they’ve all been up to since that awful thing at the airport.  

Red Robin’s run with them started with fractured friendships and ends with them tripping all over each other during meals and movie nights. Bruce’s curry, Nat’s homemade dressing for the salad, Thor dipping in to snatch bites from everyone’s contribution. But this time around, it’s Sam and Wanda chopping vegetables while Bucky directs a sleepy Tony to a barstool close but out of the traffic, turning around to let the mechanic tie up his hair for him before he joins the cooking fiasco.

A week after they all move back in, he feels good leaving them with the rooms in the living quarters of Avengers Tower full of light and voices and warmth, just like it should have been. He’s giving himself a million vigilante points for this one – even if he’s going back out with no team and no safety net. It’s fine. He’s fine. He can’t stay forever anyway.

Besides, Kon and Bart have been trying to find him again, so it’s time to move on before they get too close. And really, he’s got no other excuses to stay. Bucky’s arm is maintained regularly, the broken team is working and the Accords (thankfully had been attacked on more than one side, thanks to big industries like WE and Queen, Inc. alongside Stark Industries) are modified to protect superheroes rather than stop them from doing what they do best.

All-in-all, he’d say the mission has been a success.

“Tim,” and the Captain moves away from Tony and Bucky’s side, one hand automatically out toward him, “you absolutely don’t have to go.”

“I appreciate the offer,” and he clears his suddenly tight throat, making sure the hood and too-long hair obscure his face. “But, it’s time.”

It only takes a glance back at the full team crowded around the communal floor television while the four player Mario Kart game stays on pause. The faces full of devastation make the message clear enough. With a decisive nod at the silent statement going through the team, Steve turns back to try arguing, the teenager is just–

–gone.

Tony, however, can’t shake the feeling of wrongness in the abrupt departure, and absolutely starts tracking the second he can pull away from the team to set-up protocols to trace the steps of their vigilante.

He listened to Steve’s half-hearted, “you know we can’t interfere with the Justice League, Tony. And Batman? Gotham is his territory. We go there, and there’s no guarantee we’ll be making it out if we even get past city limits.”

“Those guys might have the whole city wired with traps,” Natasha grudgingly admits. “Everyone knows the capes are unpredictable and terrifying. We should at least go through proper channels to get permission. Even if he’s still–”

“Oracle has nothing on me,” Tony’s eyes are all for the blipping red dot on his floating holo-screen.

Steve and Bucky exchange a glance behind Tony’s back, eyes meeting with a silent message. Bucky smirks and slides the muzzle up his face. Steve briskly turns on a heel and leaves the workshop with a plan already forming on how he’s going to run interference with the JLA so Tony and Bucky could sneak into Gotham without making a fuss.  

Bucky strides the opposite way, hand on Tony’s bicep, leaning in to talk low, “tell me ya got something more stealthy than red n’ gold, Doll. That or yer gonna play my Oracle, and get me in the kid’s penthouse from somewhere safe n’ sound.”

“Oh hell no. You’re not going anywhere without me. I’ve got a trick up my sleeve, Buckeroo, and it’s going to get us an audience with our disappearing vigilante.”

Tony’s satisfied grin makes him look adorable enough that Bucky has to literally bite down on the inside of his cheek to stop himself from kissing (their) the engineer until he begs.

(Not like this. Steve had to be there when they were finally ready to tell Tony how they felt about him. Soon, they’d agreed last night after finding the exhausted mechanic asleep on the kitchen table with a tablet clutched in his hand and could finally admit to themselves how much he made them want.)

“I’ll bite. What d’ya got?”

“Just a little something super waiting in the wings. JJ, fire up the Quinjet. We’ve got a Robin to visit.”

With the Winter Soldier watching the two vigilantes facing Tim through his scope, Tony stands on a closer rooftop with the very new, very nice stealth armor, recording the footage of Nightwing and the Red Hood. His blood heats when it looks like they’re yelling at Red Robin while the younger is obviously bandaging himself up after a bad run-in.

And they’re not even helping him for fuck’s sake.

“Wow, that’s cold,” Bucky says softly while the comm in their ears are giving them the whole conversation. Something about Tim taking on a guy named Bane by himself. Seems to Buck like the kid took the asshole down, so the ass-chewing the other vigilantes are handing him seems to be pretty fucking ungrateful.

“They don’t deserve him. We have more sciency things for him to do. Crime fighting is always fun, but why not build amazing shit in-between?”

“Aw, c’mon Tones. Gotta let ‘im outta the lab so’s we can spar. Kid’s always got tricks. Makes fer some fun.”

“I know that’s why you like him so much, Barnes.”

“What, like I ain’t seen you fightin’ outside the suit before?”

“I’m not teenage vigilante kind of street-smart. I will punch the hell out of you, make some nifty explosions, re-configure your systems...oh.”

“Finally gettin’ it are ya?” And he can’t help it when his tone drops a little, watching Nightwing’s arms flail. “S’why I like ‘im. Reminds me of you, Doll.”

“...you might actually make me blush, Soldier. How novel.”

“If it helps, Steve never believed ya were just a guy in a suit. Not from the moment he met ya.”

“Where the hell did that come from?”

“Like I ain’t hung out with ya the past few months? I know how ya think, Stark, and ya ain’t just the armor.”

“Sure, sure. In all actuality, I’m the most well-paid consultant that ever lived.”

The Winter Soldier’s eyes flicker over where the Mark XXI is ducked in the shadows, jaw clenching because Tony’s odd self-deprecating tendencies bothers him just as much as it bothers Stevie. At some point, they’re going to address it with Tony, face-to-face. Not now, but that day is going to come, so help him.

In the meantime, Bucky tunes back in on the conversation happening inside, flips the safety on his rifle, and starts moving closer to Tony’s roof since they might not even need Plan B after all.

“What does that even mean, Timmy?”

“Calm it down, Big Wing. Pretender, look–”

“Do you see a fucking R on my chest, Hood?” And even from where he’s trucking over rooftops, Bucky can see the tension in Tim’s spine, the fast, angry movements as he tapes gauze pads to obviously fresh stitches. “I’m not ‘pretending’ fuck anymore. So how about you fuck off with that ‘Pretender’ shit.”

“...all right. That’s fair, so my bad. But lookit, B is all about ya coming ta the yearlies, you feel me?”

“What part of ‘it’s not my place’ isn’t clear here?”

The sigh from Nightwing is loud enough to hear it over the microphone Tony planted when they touched down.

“You have got to get over this thing,Tim. Dami’s been Robin for–”

“That’s what you think? That I’m fucking jealous, Dick?”

“He was a kid. He’s not still crying about the past–”

“Get. The Fuck. Out.”

The quiet calm of Tim’s tone is enough to make Bucky pause, and the sleek black Iron Man armor to step out of the shadows.

“I’m serious Tim! Listen–”

“I’m done. Done with you, done with the Bats, I’m fucking done. So do us both a favor and forget you were ever here.”

Nightwing flinches, his shoulders and back getting tight by the time Bucky is beside Iron Man, frowning behind the muzzle.

“I think we’ve heard about enough,” is distorted but still so Tony through the suit’s synthesizers. “Want a ride, Red Dawn? We can show up and be the likeable ones for once.”

“Really, Iron Man? I thought only Cap got special rides.”

“Well, I will always make an exception for my Bucky Bear, you know,” and he wiggles an arm, sighs a little as the Winter Soldier steps up against the suit, stepping up on to the rocket boots.

Having Bucky against him is something he can keep locked in the secret file in his brain he pulls up when he has bad days. Things like Steve hugging him, trips to the ball field, Bucky hanging out with him in the workshop while Steve drew or read or did paperwork on his tablet.

(Things he can never have. Sure, he can want, but he can’t let it get too real. Locking it away is safer for everyone.)

Knocking on the door of Tim’s balcony, shaking up the Bats, is really much more satisfying than Tony would have thought ten seconds ago.

He knows Tim is shocked, had probably been expected the big, bad Bat at his door rather than two Avengers waiting for entrance.

In his black and gold stealth armor, Tony waves metal fingers when the curtains pull back and Tim’s mouth drops open on the other side.

The door is wrenched open, and they can both hear, “we ain’t done here, Tim,” from inside, but Tim absolutely ignores it to stare wide-eyed at Iron Man and the Winter Soldier just, you know, hanging out on his balcony of all the fucking places.

“Tony. Bucky, what the hell–”

“Leave you alone for a few minutes, and you’re all kinds of hurt. Why am I not shocked? Winter Wonderland, are you shocked?” Tony gives no shits about interrupting this cute little family get-together and absolutely pushes his way in to Tim’s penthouse without a fuck to give.

As normal, Bucky is more of a doer than a talker when he’s in the mask, so Tony gets to watch him do that incredibly sexy murder strut right over the threshhold and grab a hold of Tim’s elbow. He snickers at the older vigilantes obviously gawking as the Winter Soldier pushes the third Robin down in a seat at his kitchen table right by the open first-aid kit.

“Zadnitsa,” the Winter soldier snarls in rebuke, already digging out more gauze pads.

“I missed you too, Frosty,” Tim shoots back, obliging the dangerous assassin by holding still while the gauze pads are taped down and more alcohol wipes are used to disinfect a serious slice on Tim’s shoulder blade.

Honestly, Tony has no idea how he even managed to stitch it himself, but the helmet swings over to the two surprised vigilantes.

“This sure as hell ain’t a good way to show it, y’know,” Bucky pulls the goggles off but leaves the mask, metal arm moving seamlessly while he gently pats the remaining slice with disinfectant.  

“Well, I didn’t expect you two to just drop in or anything. Or else, I might have a nice psycho for you to take down.”

“Well, shows you, don’t it?”

“I guess so. But I do have a bag full of plums in the fridge, so you’re in luck.”

“Hell yeah, Red.”

The faceplate of the helmet kicks up and Tony is grinning beneath it, “aww, plums for our favorite murder bot? What about coffee for your best engineer friend–”

Bucky pauses abruptly, and Tony sees the movement, a soft sigh of sound, but only just. The knife as long as his forearm is just suddenly out, metal hand on Tim’s good shoulder, holding him down, some automatic instinct to protect the kid makes Tony bite the inside of his cheek so he isn’t smiling.

The other vigilantes, however, are really intimidated in their own right since Red Hood has twin .45s in his gloved hands and Nightwing’s escrima sticks spark a few times for good measure.

“Tim, get up slowly and step back,” Nightwing’s voice is just this side of dangerous.

“We gotcha back, Tim, you feel me?” Hood’s thumbs flick the safety, a whole lot of not fuckin’ around happening right here.

“Do me a personal favor,” the unmasked vigilante deadpans, “and go fuck yourselves.” Tim wiggles out from under the hold on his shoulder and stands, gingerly puts a hand on Bucky’s brandishing the knife. He waits for those blue-gray eyes to slide over to him.

“C’mon, Bucky,” Tim tries to cajole softly, “these guys aren’t a threat. The knife is very nice. Is it new? You know I like to look at new weapons, but you can put it away. Promise.”

“Malyutka,” is a question more than a statement.

Tim huffs in annoyance because honestly, he’s not a kid.  (Welp, take into account, 100+ year old assassin, and maybe he can see the point.)

“My apartment, my rules, and if anyone, anyone,” he stresses, glaring at the two tense vigilantes, “gets blood on my floors or walls, then it’s fucking on. Everyone get that?”

“You’ll have to forgive us for being jumpy,” Nightwing deadpans, “we have a tendency to treat legendary assassins with immediate attention when one’s in our city, right Hood?”

The stiff angle of the guns doesn’t waver, nor does the helmet move. “Gotta say,” Hood’s voice is deep, even with the synths, “always thought this might go down different if our paths ever crossed again, Soldier.”

From behind the muzzle, Bucky’s teeth flash white, a terrifying smile, “last time my Handler wouldn’t let me kill you, Red Hood. Wanna to give it a go now that I don’t have one?”

“Sounds like a fucking party to me, sweetheart. Ya gimmie a time n’ I’ll bring the motherfuckin’ confetti.”

“Any. Fuckin’. Time–”

“As entertaining as this is,” Tony interjects, the soft haaa when the armor opens up to let him step out, “our host absolutely said no blood, right boys?”

Slowly, weapons lower, but the tension is high in the room, only broken when Bucky points a gloved finger back to the chair Tim was previously in.

(And during the time Tim had spent with the Avengers, none of them knew the Winter Soldier and Red Hood had met before. He’s going to want some details on that little scuffle.)

“Thank-you. I’m glad good manners are winning out over bullshit posturing,” and Tony pours on his media smile, giving Nightwing and the Red Hood something else to look at while Bucky gently finishes up with their vigilante. “Because really. We’re literally all on the same side here. We just happen to go through legal channels to beat the shit out of bad guys. Not as much fun, but you can’t beat the tax breaks.”

“Mmhm, I’m really hoping you aren’t in Gotham as Iron Man, Mr. Stark. You know there are rules about being in this city.”

And Tony would bet his entire fortune Nightwing has a listening device somewhere in that ridiculously tight suit for the Dark Knight to monitor what’s happening in Red Robin’s apartment right this moment.

(Especially the fact they know his civilian identity and are comfortable enough calling him by his real name. They probably aren’t going to be on any Justice League party invites for a while after this. He wonders how Steve is doing with Superman and Wonder Woman right about now.)

“I asked them to come,” Tim interjects, not bothering to glance at either vigilante, “they’re here to help me with a case. My lead is a dead-end, so we’re all going to be out of Gotham as soon as fucking possible. The Batman will have to deal with it.”

Tony hums, crosses his arms over his chest. He meets Bucky’s quick glance, quirks a grin since maybe they could convince him to come to New York instead. Or, if his Plan B is still waiting in the wings, they could do something altogether different.

(There’s a whole floor available in the Tower, and wouldn’t that be some incentive for Tim to get it together and land somewhere more permanent?)

“Tim…” and the wealth of warning there isn’t enough to earn Nightwing the youngest vigilante’s attention after the last gauze pad goes on.

But the youngest of the vigilantes stands from his chair, turns to give them the same fuck you and the zip line you rode in on attitude, “don’t fucking even with me, N.”

“You can’t come to the yearly gathering for one night, but you can pal around with the Avengers?”

And oh! Is that jealousy he hears? Tony has to bite down on the inside of his cheek to keep from smirking because wow, Nightwing does not sound very happy.

“It’s none of your fucking business–” and that tension is back in the square of Tim’s bare shoulders, the flex of his forearms.

Tony easily picks up his discarded nerd shirt, pointedly steps between him and the glowering vigilantes, shoves the shirt over the kid’s head and ignores his sputtering.

“I’m sure nothing that would interest you,” Tony makes a point to stay between the two groups, “I mean, you don’t work with Red Robin anymore, right? So he’s a free agent. Believe me, he’s been super helpful with us in New York, I don’t know if we'd all be in the same room without him.”

Tony is being absolutely innocent about it, letting Tim shove his arms in the right places while he grins at the obviously unhappy vigilantes over his shoulder.

The glare Tim levels at him would have probably withered anyone else. Good thing Tony has very, very little shame, and between him and Steve, the best troll in the Avengers award is still undecided. This might just put him over the top. He doesn’t need Bucky to remove his mask to know there’s a smirk underneath.

“I’m sorry, what now?” The whiteouts swing from Tim to Tony, “since when don’t we work together? We only have since you were twelve–”

“And we haven’t since your Robin kicked me the fuck out of my home. I’ve been out of the Cave, out of this city, and out of your life since then, so don’t come here with some attitude about it.” Tim’s eyes slide to the Red Hood. “You two coming here to ask me about the yearlies? Like I’ve been there for the last three? Like I haven’t come back unless someone called me in because, let’s face it, I’m just another body to fight the good fight, right? So this? Acting like I’m just going to forgive and forget? You can both absolutely go fuck yourselves.”

And some tiny part of Tony feels utterly proud in that moment, feels somewhat vindicated at how cold and calm Tim is, how he’s just laying it all out on the table, no bullshit, no contingencies, no taking the high road, no giving in, and it’s so much the Tim he knows, squaring his shoulders and facing both older vigilantes with anger so cold it burns.

“I–I mean, Tim–”

“There is literally nothing you could say right now that I’d want to hear, Nightwing. Nothing. All those years of fighting together, of being partners? I never would have guessed you’d be the one to stab me in the back, but I guarantee you won’t get another chance.”

But, the night gets that much better when Nightwing and the Red Hood gives them the death glare of doom before Tim pretty much kicks them out of his apartment.

Tony isn’t cheering out loud, but wow does he want to.

“Timmy,” Nightwing gives it one last, desperate try, turning at an impossible angle with one leg out the window to face the de-masked vigilante, tone low and serious.

“You’re a few years too late, Nightwing. Now get the fuck out.”

Tim had flicked his hand out behind him, a flat palm telling Tony and Bucky to stay back when he pretty much forced both vigilantes out of his apartment with a sneer of disdain and a promise to set his security protocols to shock the utter fuck out of them if they ever tried to come back to his last hold-over in Gotham. By the way the Red Hood stood shock still, and Nightwing’s frown deepened, they apparently believed him.

While Tim shuts the windows, locking them with finality, Bucky finally pulls off his muzzle and goggles, exchanges a worried glance with Tony when he realizes Tim’s hands are shaking.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Is soft but firm, is obvious Tim is trying to put himself back together.

“Well, as I said earlier–”

“Don’t bullshit me, Tony. There’s no case.”

With how empty and cold Tim sounds, how his hands are fisted at his sides, the tremble going through him, Tony pauses to take in the rest of the signs. He catches Bucky’s eyes and makes an executive decision.

Plan B it is.

“Okay, you’re right. No case. But, what I do have for you is more interesting and important than a case right now. Meaning, I still need your help with it.”

And when the kid finally turns to face him, face them, Tony can see the effects of dealing with Nightwing and the Red Hood in the clench of Tim’s jaw and the way he won’t really meet Tony’s eyes. A distraction is exactly what he needs, a reason to get the hell out of this city before he drowns in his own misery.

Instead, Tony turns his head toward a window, “all right, kid. Time to make your dramatic entrance!”

The super speed never gets old.

Not to mention the fact, Superboy is absolutely adorable when he’s just suddenly there, grabbing Tim around the waist and hugging him a little desperately.

“Oh my God, Kon?!”

Blue eyes blown wide, Tim’s eyes go from the meta-human wrapped around him to Tony’s soft smile to Bucky’s gentle smirk.

“Tim, Tim I can’t– I just! I...I missed you so much, Tim. We all missed you so much,” and Kon-El’s voice is barely a croak, heavy and thick with emotion, his face buried in the side of Tim’s throat, his back hunched over the smaller vigilante. “I needed to see you. Sorry about this, but...I’m not really.”

Like muscle memory, Tim’s brings a hand to the back of his best friend’s neck, making small circles against the tight tendons with his finger tips, still looking more shocked than pissed.

Tony is absolutely going to take it as a win.

**zadnitsa means ass or asshole kind of. Thanks Google Translate :D

[bigskydreaming]

Headcanon that for as much as the Batclan is hyped for being all mysterious and secretive and unknowable OUTSIDE of Gotham, born and bred Gothamites have no illusions about the Robins and Batgirls and assorted others being one big chaotic family.

Its hard to draw any other conclusion when you’re an enforcer for Falcone’s mob and currently cowering on a rooftop, (because that’s where all the really good crime happens in Gotham), already down for the count but that’s never a guarantee that more isn’t coming when its the Red Hood that just kicked your ass, and like...you’ve done some Bad Shit...and then all of a sudden, a purple caped and masked blonde girl vaults out of the shadows, shrieking “Glitter Bomb!” as she hurls a small sphere directly at the Red Hood’s helmet. Where it promptly bursts and showers the vigilante with well...glitter. 

The fearsome Red Hood, rather than being speechless like yourself, wastes no time before shouting after the fleeing vigilante: “What the fuck, Spoiler? I’m out of bounds, this is a designated safe zone!”

But she merely hollers back over her shoulder, “Whatcha gonna do, Hood, die mad about it?”

Before leaping dramatically off the roof, arms outstretched, toes pointed, suspended in a pitch-perfect swan dive for the brief moment before gravity takes hold.....allowing Red Robin to swoop out of nowhere on a grapple line, gracefully poised in a theatrical ballet-esque configuration as he scoops the airborne Spoiler up with one arm and somehow still manages to flip Red Hood the finger before the grapple line’s arc takes them both out of sight.

“Goddammit,” the voice synthesizer in the Red Hood’s helmet intones mournfully. “I actually have to give them points for that one.”

You scooch cautiously to the left, hoping he’s sufficiently distracted by....whatever the hell that was, look, its Gotham, you’ve seen weirder...but the Hood’s red helmet swivels in your direction. Turns out its no less intimidating for being all covered in glitter. “Did I say we were done?”

The fact that they’re all part of the same Batshit family is also pretty apparent, say, when you’re a hitman whose attempted sniping of some public official at some swanky late night gala is interrupted by Nightwing.

He’s not even supposed to live here anymore, what the fuck, your intel on this op is so fucked and you’re literally going to kill your advance man for their shoddy recon work....and that’s when a demonic glow emerges from the depths of the alley you’ve ducked into. It’s Nightwing, again, even though you could’ve sworn you lost him a full three minutes ago, but something’s definitely happened to him between then and now. Where blue lines usually cut a lighter path across the dark black of his costume, but otherwise blend with the rest of the material, now they stand out boldly in the darkness, lit with their own flickering luminescence.

Also, they’re now hot pink.

“Are you usually glow in the dark, or did you already hit me and I’m just concussed right now?” You blurt out, which admittedly is not very professional of you, but whatever, this whole job has already gone completely FUBAR, and its not like you’re the one who looks like a glowing pink skeleton right now.

The vigilante scowls in a way that’s considerably more terrifying than you ever thought someone could look, y’know, while wearing the equivalent of an outfit made out of glowsticks left over from Burning Man.

“You’d think that three little brothers would be enough, but noooo. Apparently not. Someone, in their infinite wisdom, decided actually what I really need, is four.”

He says. As though that explains anything, let alone everything.

You blink. “Huh?”

Then a cackle resounds from somewhere above you, echoes of wheezing laughter bouncing down the brick walls of the alley to reach your ears. You crane your head back, looking up to see the bright yellow costume of the Signal perched atop a gargoyle two buildings over and three stories up. The younger vigilante strikes a heroic pose and thrusts his fist into the sky just as said sky opens up and the formerly cloudless night erupts in a ferocious downpour, allowing a timely stroke of lightning to flash and silhouette the posing hero dramatically.

Look, its Gotham. It just does that sometimes.

“Have no fear, Neonwing is here!” The Signal shouts from up above them, before collapsing into another fit of hysterical cackles. You vaguely remember that the new kid on the block is supposed to be a meta of some kind, have some kind of light powers, and you absent-mindedly connect the dots to Nightwing’s mid-chase...wardrobe change, just as the kid backflips out of sight.

The vigilante standing right next to you - pretty much within striking distance, you suddenly realize, gauging how distracted he is by this....whatever...that definitely has nothing to do with you other than potentially being your get out of jail free card here - he’s still busy glowering up at the spot the Signal could last be seen at.

“Yeah, laugh it up now, buddy, but wait until I tell Robin who really forgot to feed his cat when he was off with the Titans last weekend!”

There’s a moment filled only with the sound of raindrops on pavement then, Nightwing still preoccupied, you still veeeeeeery slowly reaching for the spare gun you keep tucked in a special holster nestled in the small of your back....then Signal’s voice drifts down once more, faintly this time.

“I maybe did not think this all the way through.”

You strike then, while Nightwing starts to respond again. Or at least, that’s the plan. In actuality, you get the gun out of its holster and aimed in front of you, but nothing more helpful than that before an escrima stick is lancing through the air and impacting your forehead with enough force to knock you on your ass.

There’s the sound of footsteps mixed in with the rain now, before Nightwing’s glow in the dark, hot pink skeletal figure appears in your new skyward aimed field of view. The vigilante puts his hands on his hips and scowls. “Hey, did you not see me trying to have a conversation with my brother here? Rude.”

You groan. Now you have a concussion.

[thesims4blogger]

The Sims 4: New Game Patch (November 12th, 2019)

Remove all MODS and Custom Content before updating your game

UPDATE: 11/12/2019 – PC 1.58.63.1010 / Mac 1.58.63.1210

Happy Fall! We have a few new Holiday items available for you in Create A Sim to celebrate the holidays. Along with that a new Multi Story Column feature to help you build tall columns for a grand entrance or interior. UI Scaling is also available in the options panel to give you more options with our UI configurations. Want to know what Sims 4 content is out there? New Main Menu Message is now avail on load to easily help you find the latest and greatest content from The Sims 4. In addition, we’ve fixed bugs and community concerns to improve your Sims daily lives.

-SimGuruSteph

NEW & IMPROVED FEATURES

Multi Story Columns I’m not sure calling them multi-story columns is accurate. They are more like multi-height columns. Just go into the build catalog, place a column, grab the handle at the top, and drag it up and down to re-size. Some have a maximum size, others however… I think I topped out around 100 feet.

UI Scaling Now available in the Options menu – UI Scaling! Are you a 4k player with tiny user interface issues? Do you prefer your interface to be readable at distances greater than fifty feet away? Have you a desire to customize the scale to your personal preferences? Now you can! From the Options panel, open up Game Options, and choose Accessibility. Stay away from the red parts of the slider to keep things in the safe range for your display. But, if you are feeling adventurous, give it a try, go crazy! If for some reason you find yourself in a bad state, you can always reset – either from the options panel, or by using Ctrl+U to reset the scaling back to default!

Main Menu Messaging We know you want to know EVERYTHING about what’s going on, so we’ve added the ability to show you the latest and greatest Sims content on the Main Menu. You’ll be able to learn about free content, check out the latest updates on upcoming releases, pore over the newest blog posts, and more!

New Clothing We have updated the Holiday Celebration Pack with some new children and toddler clothing! If you haven’t already added the Holiday Celebration Pack to your game, click on the icon at the Main Menu, and download the free pack! From there, head on in to Create a Sim and select the Holiday filter to find the new assets! Children have a new male top, female top, and winter boots! Toddlers have a new outfit for males, a new outfit for females, and some shoes! Or open up the Styled Looks, where SimGuruMorgan created some great new looks with the content!

Music We have made the Hip Hop Radio Station available for everyone! This means that it is no longer exclusive to Get Famous. However, Get Famous specific music will still need Get Famous to be played.

We added the following songs as part of this update:

“BMO” Performed by Ari Lennox Written by Courtney Salter, Damon Coleman, Ron Gilmore, Jr., Anthony Parrino and Galt MacDermot Published by Ari Lennox Publishing Designee (BMI), Damon Coleman Publishing Designee, Ron Gilmore Music (BMI), Kobalt Music Services America o/b/o Elite That’s Me Publishing and Third Side America o/b/o MacDermot Music Contains a sample of “Space” by Galt MacDermot Recording courtesy of Dreamville/Interscope Records under license from Universal Music Enterprises and Third Side Music o/b/o Kilmarnock Records

“Big Moe” Performed by Beau Young Prince Written by Jaimy Lageweg and Beau Young Published by Jailo Music and Rough Trade Songs Recording courtesy of Def Jam Recordings under license from Universal Music Enterprises

“Dumbstruck” Performed by Ceraadi Written by Emaza Gibson, Saiyr Gibson and Troy Johnson Published by Emaza Gibson Publishing Designee, Saiyr Gibson Publishing Designee and Sony/ATV Tunes o/b/o Margetts Road Music/Noni Zuri Music Recording courtesy of Roc Nation under license from Universal Music Enterprises

“Good Life” Performed by RDGLDGRN & Daniela Written by David Lichens, Pierre Desrosiers, Andrei Busuioceanu and Marcus Parham Published by Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing o/b/o Fungai Music (BMI) and Warner Chappell Recording courtesy of RDGLDGRN

“Block List” Performed by Rico Nasty Written by Maria Kelly and Mark Nilan Published by Kobalt Music Services America o/b/o Artist Publishing Group West (ASCAP)/Artist 101 Publishing Group (BMI) Recording courtesy of APG/Atlantic Recording Corp. by arrangement with Warner Music Group Video Game Licensing

“Litest” Written and Performed by DJDTP

Enjoy!

FIXES & UPDATES

The Sims 4

Sims that dislike Fruitcake no longer react negatively to all other food. On the other hand, Sims that like Fruitcake no longer will react positively to Poor Quality foods.

Grab Meal or Give Food for all ages will now fulfill the hunger needs completely. Hopefully it will help with the 100 baby challenge Standard smile

Spoiled visual effect now will go away on servings from coffee and tea pots.

Sims will now place grilled food on the table appropriately instead of their inventory.

Terrain Manipulation brush and eraser cursor is now visible for all terrain tools in 32 and 64 bit mode on PC.

Fresh drinks are now available on the drink tray (for those who own Spa Day and/or Backyard Stuff). “Grab drink” from drink tray functions and will no longer give you an incorrect message.

Households populated in the “Other Households” tab in Manage Worlds can no longer be composed of just a Child.

Idle Sims will no longer drink water excessively.

Skin details no longer go away when randomizing Sim features other than the “Face” or “All” categories.

NPC Sims that are not Gardeners will no longer remove Wild Plants from lots autonomously.

Rare and uncommon harvestables will now be produced at higher rates when splicing.

Fixed an issue in which typing in the search field in Build Mode made the phrase “Text Field” appear erroneously.

Sims will no longer leave the dining table after they’ve started having their meal when using the “Call to Meal” interaction.

Fixed an issue in which Sims were not able to wash dishes or use the dishwasher if there were shelving units above the sink or the dishwasher.

Child Sims will not longer have their eyebrow color changed to Brown when they are set to Blonde.

Fixed an issue that made Adult Sims constantly change outfits while Taking a Shower, and then giving a Bath to Toddlers.

Fixed an issue where capturing screenshots with the Capture UI option enabled didn’t actually capture the UI.

Fixed an issue which made the option “Put <Sim/Pet Name> here” not available when holding Pets and Toddlers.

Fixed an issue which made Paying Bills via Phone not be fulfilled if Simmers queued any other action before it would complete.

Simmers playing in Laptop Mode will now see improvements on the in game lighting.

Moving a wall will no longer delete objects on a separate shelf when bb.moveobjects cheat is used.

Fixed an issue in which Toddlers that had maxed out their skills were not receiving the Top Notch Trait when aging up.

Toddler Traits are no longer visible after aging.

Success Lineage Aspiration can now be completed once appropriate conditions are met.

Terrain Paints now persist when placing a lot from the gallery.

Assets yfBody_EP06DressFur_GoldGreen, yfBody_GP07DressWestern_FlowerOrange & yfBody_EP03TankStrappy_ElephantAquaCream were updated to look better with various shoe styles.

Vendors will no longer use your Sims’ fireplace as an imaginary portal to mysterious places.

Emotional sculpture thumbnail in sims inventory and world appearance are now visually the same.

“Get Married to..” whim now complete when you actually get married. Achievement Unlocked!

Sims now are more diligent in putting back their books in the bookshelf and/or bookcase.

Focused Sims can now go back to hacking work process when they reach level 6.

Sims that randomly decided to cosplay and have pointy ears have now revert back to their normal selves.

Nature’s Welcome Arch gate will no longer have metal gate audio.

Catching fish with excellent quality will now count toward the “Make 6 Great Catches” task of the Angling Ace Aspiration.

Creating stairs to the second floor of a raised block will no longer need a drop wall to support it for Sims to be able to route on it.

Sims are now able to route into their home after using terrain manipulation tools in their home lot.

Sims are no longer collecting items in their inventories without your permission.

Alien Disguises and Vampire Dark Forms uploaded to gallery are now properly flagged for packs and custom content used.

Sims will now autonomously interact with each other if one is sitting down and the other is standing.

Move lot will no longer inadvertently unhide stairs, specifically stairs above the first floor.

Updated Muslim inspired assets so clipping is not apparent below the Sims’ chin.

Updated Apron tops to look smoother.

Sims are now less considerate and do not congratulate their romantic partners when they find a new romantic partner.

Send Geo Council for collectables will no longer require you to send your computer with it.

Glass roof created on the ground should now be routable (as long as there is an entryway built into it).

Randomize Twin in Create-a-Sim will carry user-manipulated ears and nose over to the twin.

Fixed an issue that would cause interactions to get stuck in the queue.

Selling Normal quality Mystery novels will now give you money in return.

Copy interaction is now available on Cookbooks and Mixology books.

Sims that despise each other and have no romantic relationship will no longer greet each other with a passionate kiss. Seem normal to me?!

Child sit-to-stand transitions for toddler bed and lounge chair exhibit less clipping.

Perk and trait buffs will now persist through travel.

Drop walls from stairs will now fill in when terrain is manipulated below the stairs.

Sims’ Inventory will no longer reset and jump to the top while in use.

Hover Tip for Electrified Artist updated to proper text.

Fixed an issue in which railings were clipping into the walls.

Railings on extended landing do not have missing posts or different looking sections.

Drawn on eyebrow thumbnail will no longer show incorrect swatch.

Music artist names in the Music Game Options are no longer cut off.

Collared jean jacket will clip less with various hair styles.

Fence posts are now updated when terrain manipulation occurs.

Sims are now able to do Check Toddler interaction while swimming.

Steps in enclosed courtyard will no longer auto delete a part of your staircase.

Take a Vacation day and Call in Sick are no longer available options when Sims are already on vacation.

Teen Sims will no longer get adult Woohoo buff.

Park Cub table can now be put in the inventory.

Wall Height icon in the description text in Build Mode will now the appropriate wall height.

Fixed some issues which may cause Error Code 102 or Error Code 139 to appear during gameplay.

You can say the Fruitcake was the culprit, jury is still out on that one.

Objection! Maybe not…

They are now properly supervised.

They will now hydrate appropriately.

It was haunting.

Now both eyebrow and hair color will match as set by Simmers.

Though we would love to hold them forever.

Get to Work

Patient Sims that are referred to the surgery table will no longer leave in the middle of surgery.

Sims can no longer simultaneously have two occult types. Specifically Vampire and Aliens.

Get Together

Steam will no longer accumulate in rooms above indoor swimming pools, or natural pools, built with vents.

Book Covers do not change when you place them on retail display.

Club panel text field size has been increased to accommodate longer text.

City Living

NPC Sims that attend Festivals are not longer seen in not festival appropriate outfits.

Fixed an issue that Simmers with Outdoor Retreat and City Living didn’t have the “Ask to Cloudgaze” interaction available in San Myshuno apartments.

Fixed an issue that didn’t allow the camera to zoom in properly when looking at lots at their basement level.

Updating the pricing of counter and cabinets to be more consistent with the rest of the Build Mode catalog.

Updated rental options to not exist in Sulani.

Promote Cause Daily Tasks will now be fulfilled with the Promote Policies Interaction.

Cats & Dogs

Fixed an issue in which all stray dogs were large dogs. Now they can be all sizes.

Lighthouse Woohoo spot is back in business.

Sims are able to complete crafting pet medicine with Marketable trait.

Quickly Update your Dr. Magi-Heal’s Surger-o-matic 3000 with an instant upgrade.

A jacket blazer now layers better with bottoms

Dogs will no longer try to put the cat wand away when they can’t and stretch into a mystical form.

Clipping issues were improved with a pair of shorts and various tops, specifically the asset yfBottom_EP04Shorts.

Turning on view distance in option panels will no longer make a brick fence in the world completely white.

Seasons

Child and Teen Sims are now spawning to knock on doors during the holiday season with trick or treat.

It’s less likely to rain at GeekCon festivals now, which should help keep those computers safe!

Fixed an issue in which Sims were able “Rake Leaves” in their Home Lot while Sims were far from leaves to rake.

Mix breed cat function in Create a Sim now works again. Yay!

Social events put in calendar are now functional and will trigger.

Simmers playing with Low Graphics settings can now see improved textures when Sims are wearing Scout uniforms.

Fixed an issue in which rewards from the Scout after school activity were not being awarded properly.

The reward will now appear in the Sims’ Inventory, instead of being unlocked in Build Mode.

Get Famous

Sims employed in any career will no longer be prompted to miss work, or end their shift early, when work hours coincide with visits from Sims that were given a residence key.

Have Sim Dance at the Same Time goal at the Fan Meet and Greet Event can now be completed when you have your Sims and other Sims dance at the same time.

Talent Showcase events will no longer sometimes occur on an invalid location.

Text was updated to hover tip for Action Vol 3 purchase book picker.

Tooltip text for Quality description of videos created by the video station is now colored purple.

Sims Radio too loud? You can adjust the radio volume now after listening to the music you created on the Mix Master Music Production Station.

Consistency!

Island Living

Uninvited Sims will no longer appear when attending Kava Parties on lots with the “Private Dwelling” Lot Trait.

Beach Venues lots can now be selected for Sims to go on dates.

Fixed an issue in which samples taken from Sulani to fulfill Conservation career tasks were disappearing from the Sim Inventory after analyzing said samples.

Fixed an issue in which the “Dried Scales” buff would not disappear after Mermaids fulfilled their hydration needs.

Fixed an issue with Mermaid Children that did not allow them to Take Baths INSIDE bathtubs.

Traditional Sarong asset will not clip with tops as much.

Fixed an issue that made aged up Mermaid Teen Sims have their Mermaid Tails disappear in Create a Sim and while Swimming.

Career Promotions for Conservationist can still occur after reaching level 10.

Bulldozing waterfront lots in Island Living will now not remove terrain paint.

Goggles no longer create an awkward shadow that does not make sense.

Sims can now store coconuts away in the fridge. Woot woot!

Human Sims no longer will think they are Mermaids by swimming like them when swimming laps.

Promotion task is marked completed when Sims have a diving knife.

Sims can now release the fish back into the ocean.

Sims with Master Chef Trait do not make spoil food anymore.

Sunkiss buff will now have the appropriate icon.

Rounded blocks will no longer have missing stilts

Blueprint placement for lots with floor lights will no longer place them underneath structure and float. Gravity is more realistic.

Stilt foundation shadows now appear properly.

Game will no longer crash when placing particular lots from The Gallery.

A TV stand missing in search bar will now appear. You didn’t know what you were missing out on when using search… or you did know and now it’s fixed!

Penthouses from The Gallery will now place all available items properly.

Some furniture items that did not appear on the cursor from Build Mode will now appear.

Claiming a bed is now exclusive to one Sim. Now Sims can sleep in their own bed without disturbance or worry about another Sim using their bed.

Selected tattoos in Create A Sim will no longer automatically reapply clothing.

Hot and Cold outfit categories will no longer filter tattoos upon re-entry.

Jet visual effect will now display properly when streaming from a drone.

Burnt visual effects no longer appear on lot terrain when there is fire on homes with stilt foundations.

Configuring a U shape staircase to another floor will cause the stair cause to lose some steps no more!

Mermaid Sims will do their special swim idle when performing Mermaid interactions.

Mermaid Sims that have been turned into skeletons can now take a bath. Keep those bones clean.

Set favorite watercraft will now set correct one to favorite.

Plants placed on Suspended Modern from gallery will no longer place plants in odd places.

Island Welcome Wagon will now continue to hold Kava bowls to give to your Household instead of placing it on the ground when it rains.

It’s my party, and I don’t invite you if I want to.

Romantic!

Being used to the vastness of the Ocean, Mermaid Children were not happy being limited by a bathtub.

Dine Out

Fixed textures for a few Experimental Dishes.

Restaurant signs no longer have an odd bounding box shadow around it. It’ll be well rounded.

We apologize, our Glazed Heirloom Bamboo Roll, Space Taco with Pearled Egg Core, and Free Range Sixam Pit Beast did not look quite like what you actually ordered.

Vampires

Vampire Sims will no longer get scolded if they drink plasma from Sims even though they had been granted permission to do so.

Options from the Face category in Create A Sim are no longer missing for Vampire Sims when using the Change Sim interaction.

Vampires have adjusted to daylight savings now and are awake when you invite them to hang out.

Vampire Dark form uploaded to gallery are now properly flagging CC content and packed used.

Parenthood

Adult Sims are less likely to autonomously watch Kids Network if Toddlers/Children/Teens aren’t nearby.

Realm Of Magic

Spellcasters with the Bloodline trait will no longer have their rank reset if they reach the Virtuoso rank.

Potions can now be sold for Simoleons.

Fixed an issue which allowed the Emotional Stability Potion to remove certain buffs from Sims unintentionally.

Fixed an issue where the Spellbinding Tile wall pattern was displaying duplicate swatch colors in Build Mode.

Cooking and Brewing in cauldron will no longer change sell price in build mode.

Drinking animation is performed by Sims when Sims drink potion of curse cleaning to remove curse.

Animation for the teleport is no longer getting cut off.

Orb Familiars will not pop and jump from their locations while following their Sims out of water.

Two necklaces were updated to improve capability with other Create a Sims assets.

Trouser texture will no longer appear on the top of a pair of boots.

Bicep bracelet is now shown properly in Create A Sim thumbnail.

Profit!

Cool Kitchen Stuff

Removed “Get Leftovers” option for ice cream since it was never intended, and who leaves ice cream for leftovers? Not me

Spooky Stuff

Spooky Party will now count towards the Party Animal Aspiration.

Moschino Stuff

Fixed an issue in which in some cases the game would freeze while in Photo Mode.

Sims that you have not met will no longer appear in the Sims selector when triggering Take photo of.

[rocketwerks]

Belgrade

AKA Belvidere, Bellgrade, Alandale, Allandale, Ruth’s Chris Steak House

11500 West Huguenot Road

Built, 1732, 1824

February 2020

The centerpiece of one of Chesterfield’s most notorious murders. PG-13!

(Chesterfield County Public Library)  — Jeffrey O’Dell Research Papers Collection — 1978

Belgrade, known in the late nineteenth century as "Belvidere" and renamed "Alandale" in the early part of this century, features an unusual plan and a unique medley of roof types. Situated off Robious Road southwest of Bon Air, the house occupies a large open tract surrounded by rapidly expanding residential and commercial development.

February 2020

Originally a one- or 1 1/2-story hall-parlor house, Belgrade was expanded to its present form in 1824. In that year, Edward Cox conveyed the property to Edward O. Friend, and assessed buildings rose in value from $482 to $1,939. This increase reflects a complete transformation of the original dwelling from a hall-parlor structure to a large dwelling composed of a two-story, side-passage-plan main block flanked by matching 1-story one-room-plan wings.

(Chesterfield County Public Library) — Jeffrey O’Dell Research Papers Collection — 1978

The hipped gambrel roof covering each of the two wings is unusual, and Belgrade provides the latest recorded example in Virginia of this rare roof type. Another unusual feature is the apparently original 1-story lean-to at the west end of the building. The primary purpose of this eight-foot wide unit appears to have been to house a stair (similar in form and coeval to that in the main block) permitting separate interior and exterior access to the upper chamber of the south wing.

February 2020

The present interior trim, varying only slightly among the various rooms on both floors, dates entirely to ca. 1824. The mantel in the main block consists of a simple architrave surround capped by a molded shelf with punch-and-dentil band. The mantels in each of the wings are nearly identical, featuring a raised-panel surround capped by a molded shelf. Upstairs mantels date from the same period, and feature plain architrave surrounds with simple molded shelves.

February 2020 — showing end of original construction at center-right, and the start of new construction at far-right

Two coeval staircases serve the house; both are of closed-string, straight-run form with rectangular balusters, square newel with molded cap, and molded rail. The stair in the main block is of unusual configuration: it divides at a narrow landing against the rear wall, where short flights lead respectively to chambers over the main block and north wing. The stair in the lean-to, which makes a turn about three-quarters of the way up, barely allows headroom at the upper landing.

(Chesterfield County Public Library) — Jeffrey O’Dell Research Papers Collection — 1978

Originally, matching dependencies flanked the house. A one-story, two-room-plan frame kitchen with center chimney stood seventy feet to the south of the house, while an office of similar form stood at an equal distance from the north end of the dwelling. Both were in a deteriorated state in the 1920s and were demolished. The only surviving early outbuilding is a frame gable-roofed smokehouse standing a few yards southwest of the house.

February 2020 — showing original construction at center, new construction at far left

The earliest traced owner of the property was Edward Cox, who in 1824 sold the house and 515 acres to Edward O. Friend for $5,000. Friend, the son of Joseph Friend and grandson of Edward Friend (d. 1806), lived there until his death in 1838, when the property passed to his widow, Matilda E. Burfoot Friend. She remarried and sold the farm two years later to Anthony T. Robiou, who lived there until his death in 1851.

(Old Stocks) — Richmond and Danville Railroad Company 100 share stock certificate

Robious Crossing, where the new Richmond and Danville Railroad line intersected Huguenot Road, was named for the then-current owner of the farm. Robiou is best remembered in Chesterfield County history, however, as the man whose murder precipitated one of the most publicized court trials in nineteenth century Virginia.

(Wikipedia) — Black Heath

The episode began when Robiou filed a divorce suit against his young wife (who was only fourteen at the time of her wedding) charging her with infidelity. [CCO]

Apparently, it wasn’t a “maybe-she-is” situation. Robiou caught them mid-schtupp, still cracking the plaster, and took offense.

John S. Wormley, the girl’s father, along with John Reid, her allegedly adulterous suitor, waylaid Robiou on the road to Black Heath Pits (today’s Robious Road) and gunned him down. [CCO]

(Fineart America) — Infidelity, 18th Century art print by Granger

Imagine Robiou’s last moments contemplating the unfairness of it all. At least he has a street named for him.

Both men were taken into custody shortly thereafter, and Wormley, a prosperous planter and lawyer, was found guilty at a trial held at Chesterfield Court House in October, 1851. A mistrial was later declared, however, on the grounds that the jurors had been treated to drinks beforehand by the deputy sheriff and county clerk. [CCO]

*hic... innnoshent, yer Honor...

(Executed Today) — scene of a 19th-century hanging

Over a year later, a jury summoned from Richmond and Petersburg because of the local notoriety of the case sentenced Wormley to death. A week later, a crowd of 4,000 persons watched the 42-year-old man hanged at Chesterfield Courthouse. Reid, meanwhile, had been tried and acquitted, and before the hanging married the young widow whose husband he had been accused of murdering. [CCO]

(Chesterfield County Public Library) — Jeffrey O’Dell Research Papers Collection — Belgrade Foyer, 1978

Of course, this all ends happily. Two weeks after her father’s hanging, Mrs. Emily Reid took a tumble down the front steps and perished. Poetic justice. 

There are two accounts of how she died. One account is that she fell on a sewing basket and scissors punctured her heart. The other account is that she broke her neck. Since this tragedy, there have been hundreds of stories of sightings of the ghosts of Robiou and his young bride roaming the boxwood gardens behind the home. (Ruth’s Chris)

(Library of Congress) — Map of Chesterfield County, Va. — J. E. LaPrade, 1888 — Belgrade identified as Belvidere, right at the intersection of Robious and the Richmond and Danville Railroad

In 1851, the year of the first trial, Randolph Ammonett purchased the property from the trustees of Robiou’s estate for $2,025. Ammonett lived at Belgrade until his death in 1889. In his will, he directed that "an iron railing about 10 feet square be erected around the graves of myself and my deceased wife, J. J. Ammonett." This fence still stands in the back yard, although there are no inscribed stones to identify the graves of either Amonett or his wife. [CCO]

(Chesterfield Observer) — 2009

Since then the place has been called Belvidere, Alandale, Allandale, and Bellgrade, the nom-de-plume that Ruth’s Chris prefers. Jeff O’Dell calls it Belgrade, and who are we to argue with an architectural historian? 

Mary Wingfield Scott would not have approved with Ruth’s Chris’s alterations, but the steak house did end up preserving the original structure, so even if it isn’t on the historic registry, the spirit of the plantation house was preserved.

(Belgrade is part of the Atlas RVA! Project)

Print Sources

[CCO] Chesterfield County, Early Architecture and Historic Sites Jeffrey M. O’Dell. 1983.

[stupendoustrashmagazine]

Four Poems

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Ether Call Failure Bulldozers alert the camps it’s a cleaning day. The army on foot ran along disappearing rails For paths; the mud run down in steep collapse. They use machetes: light, agile, easy to Use; it’s plays often an important social role. Government personnel shake hands, exchanges Lilies; it was said that a whole shelf sank & there weren’t, as far as was known, survivors. There remains a brightness in the flags cause To catch wind, trust its semeiotics & a sheet’s Just fine. Boats are the only way out. People stack people on their backs. Unmarked bodies, many after many after many, go on, pulse In ways unavailable to the living. Satellite verifies, a purpled Amoeba which represents the destruction of 288 villages. Watching watching so the “what” is cradled &, often, turned against Another. Archaeopteryx in the bum glum de- flared subjectivity. Extinction sounds like zinc & sun—zinc oxide effectively prevents UV burn. The surveillance data is encrypted in a locket. It’s for a special someone but leaves dying A whole history dying in bodies & wouldn’t That it may later be written, wouldn’t that have— These flourishes sweet-tongued during tragedy.

Double Sonnet The loan depot’s a long trailer fit With brick & a yellow tin aluminum roof. Inordinate trust in newly formed banks Gave way to banners, bowls of bitter rinds, Noise ordinance turned to housing gas- Light promise of pair inside pentagon, Taxes levied in multiples, oak wagons Sidgel’s with rubber, tobacco, sassafras, Pig faces, drawndried deer strips, hide. The man was forced to use oxygen tanks To make his escalator pitch, the rubric Was a ruse, anyway, he shan't be forgiven. At the trading depot the chorus splinters. Namesakes, objects, quiet markets, gore, An electric car battery, superenlarged By a 3-D printing machine, speeds beneath Interstices of highway overpass heard By bats taking in the heat of the scene. The fires dealt with, eventually, a tonic To easy fractures of sleep, stitch’d with worry About furniture, security systems, Systems with formidable letter & weather. Weapon in kitchen, weapon pillow bed, Fred Astaire calls the arboretum An Omaha Classic, prairie & pillory Glitches between tomato plants, phonics On elliptical drive, a pressure to foliage, The battery a fire of boys lost whole.

Desire the Desert Hip cords | sockets got calcium in em | baby I’m injured. Stretch the shoulder | remark continuum’s numb sum. Prism tangy!| hair loss repertoire | paid photo shoot. Quit the State Department gig in Mauritania | O Elena, what?— There’re magic markers in music | stereophonics in spirits Kindred | cupids more blue than red | more seven than six. Professional astrologists on a SoHo block | diamonds ceiling- Stuck | glue guns pressed to the gums of Indonesian children It’s a bargain bin | it’s a rigmarole | it’s a mutant molar come To take children away | buildings | laws of averages | trailing— Soft | goose | liver sandwich | empty oceanic trawl | festoon. The art cart’s for sale | the brand band configures its tracks. If in | these infirmary days | there lies | some serpent | new Then let | blockades | disintegrate | this multiplying crew.

Walking Room “e” [perpetuity icon in rainbow refrain apple neuron] Wool robe; off-white; wrap’d over a body. Dust, cloak’d figures, shops, Stands. Sign—NO GNATS, PLZ—back & forth incomplete audio disturbs— as stone does water’s surface tension— medium required for it being it. The wharf work far from done; the war in a state of income. Pliés data, perm manhunt aunt?— Ferry’d Enkidu, open courseware data: ”apocalyptic cyprus” in a jar. Glas refracts, trans- mutes & replies with a specter; specter is on special, comes with no .location data-boost package. Car sin car son No ma, nomae, no men... Memorialization Way©☠ Disappearances celebré sates senses’ Sorry needs. It’s a generative startup whose value increases with each amnesia. Social units form groups, the plastic parameters of which burst. [broken link] The museum tactile, crumbs, kids, glass, Things on screens things incased with glow; with aura. Insecurities abound. [Curator: Brutality in the collection… [Museum Outreach Rep: Gotta get smiles on the faces of our patrons after the “Slavery, Genocide, & the America’s Hope” exhibit.) You ain’t shit Siyanda used to say to me. Good thing we’re not friends anymore. So few in the prairie; miss the south south loves. The moon drops a scythe onto fallen canopy network, utility lines mix’d with Gary oak & Doug firs, splitting off Looking a corridor of heads- Up pennies to paddle through— in a valley then. Loss fabricated for marketplace— NOW WITH FREE INSULIN PUMP + DIABETES ZIP.DRIVE! Passing playpen Little Tik_s Pathogens, pandemic COMING TO YOU SOON, old roman. Figueora to pull a chain from uvula untrain’d singer this user “laryngeal something or other” tries to sing sliver of silver, algal XY galaxy, deletes. The warp’d reflection in stainless foldable legs of kitchen tables. ‘Fata. Oblit- eration fetches origin—oubliette. —Weeping in evening. P-trap repair, cradle the toilet-seat, polarities Kissing near a fountain in Philadelphia Dive to reef’s bottom, see lemon sharks. Park car. Hardwood floors – maple? – I own seventy properties in – kitchen floor sags, the hill – it’ll go quick - lucky to’ve passed on a rental. Yoga studios, old fun in the Oldsmobile, in Sherlock’s Ford A DdoS attack. Drifting toward death is death of a subject. The unbearable present is birth. From then on, recovery is a cybernetic venture, a necrophilic urge to simulate the birth of loss. Returning to anything estranges user from the familiar. The lives of others offer a chance to strike; to ask if the state should face execution. If dying should contain a direction; if weapons are necessary.

[elneoimaginario]

SAKA Guru

Saka guru

, or

soko guru

in Javanese, is the four main posts which supported certain Javanese buildings, e.g. the pendopo, the house proper and the mosque. The saka guru is the most fundamental element in Javanese architecture because it supports the entire roof of the building. Because of its importance, the saka guru is imbued with symbolism and treated with certain rituals.

The saka guru construction is employed in buildings that are constructed with a joglo-type or tajug-type (pyramidal) roofs. The joglo type roof is only reserved for the house of the nobles, while the tajug-type roof is used to support sacred buildings e.g. mosques or temples. In Javanese architecture, walls are merely boundaries of room and the exterior with no structural purposes. The main structural columns/posts of a Javanese house (the saka guru) supports directly the roof and not the wall. Each of these four main posts sits on top of an umpak, three-dimensional trapezoidal stone which acts as a transition between the post and foundation. Umpak size varies from 20 x 20 cm2 to more than a square meter, depending on the dimension of the posts, which commonly ranges between 12 x 12 cm2 to 40 x 40 cm2. Umpak prevents the wooden post from the infiltration of groundwater, and reduces the horizontal forces caused by earthquakes.

During the construction of the saka guru, the northeast

umpak

is the first stone to be placed on site. This

umpak

is designed to look like the padma flower, imbuing it with the quality of strength. The next

umpak

to be placed is the southeast

umpak

, followed by northwest, and finally the southwest. The wooden posts are always placed according to the direction of tree growth. After the saka guru is completely erected, in the evening an offering ceremony is held.

Each wooden post of the saka guru has pens at both ends; the bottom pen fixes the post into the

umpak

; the top pen (

purus pathok

(the pile pen)) plugs into the hole of the two main beams. The first beam to be set is the

pengeret

(literally "cross beam"), then the second beam

blandar

(literally "beam") is set on top of the

pengeret

. The two beams lock together, receiving compression forces of the saka guru structure.  

Each wooden post of the saka guru also contains a hole at the upper portion, to be filled by the pen of secondary beams. The first beam is known as

sunduk

("skewer") which also contains a pen known as

purus wedokan

("female pen"). The pen

purus wedokan

contains a hole which will be locked by a pen of a second beam after it is inserted into the saka guru. The second beam is known as

kili

("anchor"), while its pen is known as

purus lanang

("male pen"). The structural element of

kili

and

sunduk' stabilizes the saka guru structure. The Javanese term for pen is

purus

meaning the male sex organ.

Upon the completion of all the plug-in procedure, the saka guru is stable and can support the roof on top of it. Two or three parallel beams join the post at its top. The posts may directly support roof trusses or roof beams. In the case of joglo, the main posts are usually topped by two sets of inward stepped wooden piles, tumpang sari, and outward stepped piles, elar. The number of steps in a tumpang sari reveals the status of the owner.

The usur-duduk is hip rafter running from an external corner to the ridge that is called traditionally as molo.

Saka guru consists of the word saka and guru. According to the Javanese text of Kawruh Kalang, the guru or "teacher" is a title given to the four wooden beams, while saka or "post" is for the four main posts. Thus the whole configuration is known as sakaguru, or more correctly sakaning guru or saka ingkang nyanggi guru (Javanese "the saka which supports the guru).

In Indonesian language, the term saka guru is used to signifies a fundamental principle. For example, "the Indonesian Cooperative is the saka guru of the National Economy".

The space beneath the saka guru was considered a very important sacred space. In modern day, the area has no specific usage, but traditionally, this area was where incense was burnt once a week to honor the rice goddess Sri. The space below the tumpang sari is also the place where the bride and bridegroom are seated during their marriage ceremony.  

Gunawan Tjahjono, ed. (1998). Architecture. Indonesian Heritage. 6. Singapore: Archipelago Press. ISBN 981-3018-30-5.

Tjahjono, Gunawan. Selin, Helaine (ed.). Architecture in Java. Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine in Non-Western Culture. 1 A-K. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9781402045592.