#i'm actually pretty stoked about this one not gonna lie

[riconas]

rico Blease. will you share a snippet of the mountain/rora fic.

yes.

“Nuh-uh,” Mountain says, pushing her away before she can get it into her mouth. “You first.”

Aurora rolls her eyes. “Just let me—”

“Nope. Wait your turn.” Mountain pulls her up by the shoulder, roughly manhandling her onto her back, and it’s such a turn-on that she forgives him immediately. “Spread your legs. Show me what I get to eat.”

Aurora knows how to put on a show. She holds her thighs apart, slides a palm up to squeeze her breast, uses two fingers to spread her folds. Showing him. She’s so wet, almost embarrassingly so, but Mountain is staring at her pussy like a starving man presented with a five-course meal. Without warning, he dips his head, grabs her thighs, and puts his mouth on her. 

“Shit,” she swears, clamping her legs together. “Mountain, Mountain, fucking shit—”

“Woah,” Mountain says, muffled. “Those are some pretty bad words.”

Aurora kicks her heels into his shoulder blades, and Mountain grunts in response, holding her thighs even tighter. She’s feels so tiny underneath him. Probably looks it, too. They should do this in front of a mirror one of these days. That would be fun. 

“Stop kicking me,” Mountain says amusedly. “You don’t like it?” 

Aurora sniffles. “No, I like it a lot. You’re just very kickable.” 

She wishes she could bury her face in something, hates the way she gets so loud when she’s being eaten out. A pillow or a blanket would suffice. Or Mountain’s palm.

Mountain gives her clit one of those pathetic kitten licks, and Aurora squirms away, offended. “Don’t tease.”

“She’s so tiny,” he says sweetly, petting Aurora’s folds like they’re a fragile flower. “So pretty. I don’t think my cock’s gonna fit.” 

“You fucked me in the greenhouse the other day, stupid,” Aurora says. “I took your cock like a champ. And don’t personify my pussy.”

“My bad,” Mountain says, not sounding very sorry at all. “It’s so tiny. C’mere, let me finger you.”

[bubblegumbarbie33]

The Lost Boys Using Slang From When I Headcanon They Got Turned

David, 1910's: This hunt is gonna be duck soup, don't worry about it. Marko's just being a goldbrick cause he doesn't want to deal with dumping the bodies. Yes- we DO have to dump the bodies Marko, remember that time in the 40's you ended up in the hoosegow because you ripped those honey-mooner's throats out and left the evidence behind? Oh, you wanna go, ya bimbo? Yeah, that's what I thought. You gotta quit letting me get on yer nerves ya crackpot.

Michael, leaning over whisper to Dwayne: What the fuck is he saying?

-

Marko, 1930's: Ackamarackus! It's gonna be aces! Quite talking that booshwash and gimme a five-spot so I can nab us some rotgut from the convenience store. Don't be a tightwad, Paul, I know you've got some dough in your pockets. I can't just filch it from 'em, last time I did that the coppers got on my ass and I had to rip their throats out.

Michael, whispering softly to himself: What the fuck?

-

Dwayne, 1950's: Well, half of the time Marko and Paul act like little ankle-biters. Somehow they always manage to feed girls on the boardwalk some smooth apple butter though. Although last time Paul got a little too excited and flashed his teeth- had those girls beating feet pretty quick. They had a bitchin' ride, really burned rubber on the way out, but we caught 'em. It should be easy for you to draw in the ladies Michael, you're a bit of dreamboat. Oh, don't have a cow David, no one's stealing him from you. Besides, Michael's a bit too nerdy to impress me. I mean it! Word from the bird!

Michael, mouthing silently: Word from the bird?

-

Paul, 1970's: You're not gonna get all flower power on us, are you? I'm gonna be honest Michael, sometimes when we're rapping it gets a little too peace and lovey for my taste. Wait, hang on, I wanna listen to the lick in this song. There it is. You know, these guys are doing a gig up in L.A. later this year- I'm stoked. David thinks they're a little off the wall, but I just think they've got a certain X-Factor, y'know?

Michael, nodding: I can actually understand the words that are coming out of your mouth right now.

-

Bonus, Star and Michael, 1980's:

Star: Ugh, bag your face Michael, you look like you just got hit by a truck.

Michael: I had to book it back here, alright, I didn't have time to clean up.

Star: That's cause you're turning into a total couch potato. You just lie on the ground after you eat- y'know it's just like a man-

Michael: Star, don't be a hoser alright, it's not because I'm a MAN-

Star: No, I'm being legit, like, I've been reading a lot of interesting literature about feminism and how woman are socialized-

Michael: Where are you getting books from?

Star: Dwayne has a library card. Y'know Santa Carla's got a primo library.

Michael: What- Oh, shit, some of that skater didn't go down right, I think I'm gonna ralph.

Star: Smooth move, Travolta. Ugh- dude, you puked on my shoes, what's your damage?

David and the boys, watching from the corner: Kids these days sound so weird.

[thedeal-if]

Not gonna lie here, but something kinda died inside of me, when i saw that Nathan is pretty much allergic to children(cause i adore them irl), but it made me wonder about two things.

Oh and i can completely understand why certain ROs are just not made to have childeren.

1: I was wondering why can't angels get children, considering that irl there are beeings like nephilim/cambions described in Myths, Tales, Books etc.. Does that mean that in this universe there are no halfbreeds(not meant in a derogatory way), between different species?

2: Following up with the ask about kids, how would the ROs react(those who actually can get children in a biological way), to accidently becoming a parent? Answer only if comfortable

I have to say that maybe I worded it wrong but Nathan isn't allergic to children, dw anon!! He has always had very important things on his plate and it has never left him any time to think about anything else. It's kinda sad but Nathan only began to truly live his life the moment he started to Fall.

When it comes to children, if his partner asked he'd be like "Oh, that's right, those exist" and just *shrug*. Nathan has never given having kids any thought but he could be convinced ^^

He is very much allergic to being responsible tho... But who knows? People evolve, they can change. They can meet good influences, bad influences. Really, who knows?

1. Okay, td lore! I'm trying not to mention much and I'm crossing my fingers not to get asked about my worldbuilding because I cave to pressure too easily and will definitely gush lol. Tbh I thought it'd be much more fun for people to realize this as they play, finding out things alongside MC and all that. But maybe some explanations are in order 🕴️

To clarify: Christian/Catholic/Judaism/etc lore is, of course, the foundation of my own, but don't expect me to follow the Bible to a t 🫂 I always meant for The Deal to be a reimagining of religion as we know it, but I've included many more layers in terms of... everything (ex. Lovecraftian lore)! I think it's pretty interesting to take the core of a topic and rewrite some of it to make it more exciting.

Needless to say, I don't mean any disrespect towards religion in any way shape or form but sticking to it blindly has always rubbed me the wrong way as a person who isn't and has never been religious.

Now, the answer to your question (sorry for the rant 😭💕) ik about Nephilim and cambions (as someone who's read superstition a billion times), and Nephilim aren't a thing here. Cambions are tho!

When it comes to Angels... Think of them as one of those automated machines in factories. They fulfill their function and are scraped or thrown away when broke beyond repair. That's kind of how the Gods see Angels.

I've promised myself to say nothing about Genies until MC at least meets Aliyah. But let's just say she can't procreate either.

2. As for the accidental parent scenario I'll leave it below the cut (dw btw I'd say it's pretty hard to make me uncomfortable lol I'll answer anything)

Dante, Lilith, Josh, Victor, and Eden can have biological children! Villanelle is technically on that list but she's very much sex repulsed and won't ever be in this situation🫂

Though Dante isn't stoked at the thought of children this kind of changes when he thinks of that kid as his. He's not that taken aback by surprises—even if they're major ones like having a child—Dante likes taking challenges with a smile. If he feels like it's his choice and his partner isn't forcing the idea of parenthood on him, Dante would accept his role with a very positive outlook ^^

Doesn't mean he'll be a good dad tho lol

Lilith feels deeply troubled by her nature and thinks that it'd be best not to create any more beings of hell. She has ingrained a very cataclysmic point of view about any potential children she might have. To Lilith, motherhood is a dream. But not like that.

She'd be such a good mom tho💕

Josh feels like he's been punched in the gut lol he can't handle unexpected turns of events. If it's something his partner is excited about Josh would try not to bring the mood down, he'd want to see it as a positive thing. Definitely would read parenthood blogs for hours during the entire pregnancy.

Victor would be so excited I think he'd forget about any complicated situations and all his problems as soon as his partner told him. It's always been one of Victor's deepest and most profound dreams, and to have his partner fulfill it— he would never dare to even consider it an accident. Much like Josh he'd be the World's most prepared Upcoming Dad™ lol

Eden doesn't typically panic but he would lose his mind lol. I said he kind of leaned towards preferring not to have children but for the entire situation to be forced on him like that would be overwhelming. If the situations are right, if Eden feels like he has the specific kind of support he would need to parent a child... He might change his mind and not be so negative about it ^^

[stuckonjbbarnes]

Waiting for the Heartbreak {1/7}

Pairing: Peter Parker x F!OC {Veronica LeBeau} & Peter Parker x Michelle Jones (MJ) Warnings: None yet :) Wordcount: 650-ish & Social Media Posts A/N: A whole new Partial SMAU for everyone. I'm pretty stoked, I'm not gonna lie. If you would like to be a part of the TAG LIST, let me know via ASK. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“And then we helped Spiderman put the universe back to normal. Not just the one but like three different ones. It was awesome, we turned the bad guys into normal people. Doctor Strange was there!” Ned explains as MJ nods along sipping her latte and Veronica can only smile and laugh at her friend's total excitement in reliving it. “It just feels like it’s been years since we’ve seen you.”

“Hardly 7 months, guys.” She rolls her eyes, wiping the counter idly in front of the pair.

“Veronica! If it isn’t the love of my highschool life.” Her ex, Flash Thompson, saunters up to the counter holding out his hand in reach of her shoulder and she deftly avoids it, rolling her eyes for a second time.

“Don’t touch me.”

“She’s clearly still distraught over me dumping her.” He mock-whispers to the other two.

“...don’t you have an apartment block to terrorize?” MJ deadpans.

“I joined a fraternity actually–

“Of course you did.” Ned cuts him off, “I’m sure the other guys are befriending initiated brothers to avoid hazing, as we speak.”

“The brochures said hazing wasn’t tolerated anymore.”

“Nothing that can be proven.” MJ shrugs and Flash’s eyes widen before he brushes the group off.

“I have to go…check on my car.”

“What a loser.” Veronica frowns, listening as the door chimes in his wake.

“I can’t believe you ever dated that tool.”

“Less about Flash. More about working at Pym Technologies.” MJ waves her hands.

“I didn’t work there. I just won a competition. I was basically an intern.”

“Stop being modest!” Ned leans in a little closer, “That “internship” bumped you out of the general ed requirements. You’re gonna graduate so early. What’d you do? Did you get to do the shrinky thing like Ant-man?”

“Customer.” Mj nods her head towards the door.

“Be right back.”

Veronica pulls on a grin and walks over to the register to find the missing member of their friend group. He glances at the duo farther down the counter before making eye contact with her. If she didn’t know better, she’d think Peter was nervous. He lets out a cough, clearing his throat and she raises her brows.

“Can I help?”

“Uh…I uh. I’d like a coffee.” He smiles sheepishly.

“Okay.” She scrunches her eyebrows. “Cream and sugar?”

“Yeah!”

“Want a cookie with that?” Peter’s eyes search hers and she wonders what his deal is and also why Ned and MJ have yet to acknowledge his presence.

“No, thanks. That’s alright.” He offers her the money for the coffee and she takes it, avoiding his fingers.

“Peter…why are you being weird?” She half-whispers, pushing the cup towards him as she pours the coffee.

“I-uh…Veronica?” He looks worried and picks up his cup, quickly slipping out the door without an explanation.

“Who was that?” Mj asks, staring over Veronica’s shoulder as she walks back to her friends.

“What do you mean?”

“That guy you were talking to.” Ned adds as if it’s super obvious.

“Who, Peter?”

“You know him?” MJ asks, trying to puzzle it out.

“Know him? That’s Peter.” No reaction. “ Peter Parker?”

“No idea.”

“We all went to school together.”

“I’ve never met that guy in my life.”

“What are you talking about, Ned? That's your best friend.” Veronica raises her brows at Ned, who looks completely lost.

“MJ is my best friend.”

“Absolutely not.” She tosses back.

“MJ c’mon it’s Peter. Your boyfriend, Peter.”

“If I was dating that man, I think I would know it.”

“Um what?” Nothing makes sense, her friends have collectively lost their minds. “This is a joke right? You’re messing with me because I’ve been gone for so long…”

“Veronica, on my life, I don’t know who that guy is.” Ned crosses his heart and her stomach drops.

“How do you know him? I don’t even remember seeing him at our school.” MJ frowns, staring intently.

~ ~ ~ ~ Part 2 ~ ~ ~ ~

Permanent Taglist: @buckysmischief​ @murdermornings​ @donnaintx​ @kitkatd7​ @thosekidswhohuntmonsters​ @firefly-in-darkness​ @buckys-other-punk​ ​ @escapingthoughtsandsecrets @smilexcaptainx @sweater-daddiesdumbdork @my-favorite-fics-and-imagines @cherrys-recommendations @avantgardium-leviosa @mypassionsarenysins @lovinlikeloki

WFTH Taglist: Open :)

[retphienix]

Phasmophobia maps ranked (totally objective, no opinions here, super srs, psyche gottem it's all opinions)

Brownstone High School

I won't sugar coat it, I didn't even bother going inside for a screenshot for this entry because I hate high school.

Now to be fair, I'm down to play high school whenever, I want to get better at it and I believe that should speed things up a bit and make it more fun.

And HS is the map I think of when I think of running a full 4 man!

But beyond a full 4 man HS is too big, too boring, and too annoying to solve.

It's long hallway with a million rooms after long hallway with a million rooms after small reprieve of finding a science lab or gym followed by long hallway with a million rooms followed by going upstairs to do it all over again.

THERE ARE TOO MANY CLASSROOMS AND I KNOW THAT'S THE POINT

But when the gameplay revolves around finding the room where the ghost is hanging around having these many rooms AND hallways can really drag things out.

Now to be honest, when you have the room on lockdown it's a fun map to maneuver and solve!

So if you walk in the front door and hear something fall over in a specific direction it immediately becomes more playable!

But if you walk in and the ghost is being a quiet asshole then you're in for the least fun you can have in phasmo in my opinion.

Just a bunch of "PLEASE DO SOMETHING" shouting and holding your EMF or thermo practically begging for something to happen.

Bottom tier, worst map, don't like it.

It doesn't even have unique collectibles to make up for the fact that it's a big map so you won't find the bone!

Hardly necessary (though I argue all maps need those) but definitely worth dropping a mention on top of being hallway simulator.

Too many rooms and boring hallways out of 9

Edgefield Street House

Edge honestly doesn't deserve to be next to HS but someone had to be and Edge gets the dishonor purely because it's the most middling map in the game.

Edge is fine.

Edge is passable.

Edge is simple and clean.

Edge isn't exciting is the problem, but it is still a fun one.

The houses aren't renown for being the most interesting; Their job is to be middling and accessible and they get the job done just fine. Edge just happens to be the most middling.

With a first floor that's underutilized, I mean the ghost is in the kitchen if they are here at all let's be real.

Garage is meh, living room is a rare spot for anything to happen, there's a weird back exit area that is never used ever for anything?

First floor is clearly an afterthought for the ghost but it gets the job done.

I actually really dig the basement layout, but I've never once seen a ghost spawn there lol. It's mostly just a place to turn on the power and hide in the locker and that's fine.

The 'star' of Edge is the upstairs which has roughly 9 billion rooms and locations for you to hide, scientists are still counting the exact amount.

You want the blunt end of that?

It's entirely playable- it's safe as hell even since there's a closet every 3 inches- but it's not the most interesting thing for an entire map to be "Go upstairs, look at the 15 doors because one is probably about to open for you and that's the ghost room"

Runs of Edge are a bit too 'samey' since so much of the real-estate is upstairs and it's so dense.

Edge is fine. The most 'passable' map in rotation that I won't complain about but I'm never stoked to head to.

Passable out of 9

Asylum

I'll be honest and say I'm not being thorough with asylum.

It's among my least played, but that doesn't mean my least enjoyed.

It's got a really fun reverb on voices, it's genuinely fun to wander through, but it just feels some strange level of 'too big' while still being... not that?

I dunno how to say it.

But the 1st floor is annoying to clear out with its layout and sure that's inexperience talking-

While the bottom floor is fun due to the aesthetic but it's in a weird place of being overly simplistic.

The bottom floor is just a big hallway with rooms on either side.

That's not the most interesting layout- though it is fun to hide down there, with bathrooms and other makeshift spots to hide behind in most rooms which makes the hallway less threatening.

Asylum is weird, the layout goes between annoying and overly simple between the two floors and it feels too 'wide' for what it has to offer.

AND YET

I like aslyum.

I never play it, but I like it.

Shweppsi out of 9

Tanglewood Street House

Tangle we all know it and what's there to say.

A little bit, to be honest :)

It's the smallest map around and it's a great first map to learn the ropes.

Tangle's strongest feature is its layout- it's both interesting and fun to experience in multiple runs.

I love the little trio of rooms (and bathrooms/closet space) on the left side of the house, the way it's a little mini hallway for two of them (and a bathroom), then deeper in to the left of the living room is the master bedroom, I dig that.

I dig the garage too, the way it's connected to a laundry room feels really nice, but let's be honest every ghost ever in Tangle is in the kitchen.

Sure that's not literally true and I've had a ton in the first room on the left or the bathroom on the left, but that kitchen is where every run on Tangle ends up- with everyone hanging out asking for the ghost to show themselves.

Also the basement is lame, nothing ever happens there and there's no real hiding from what I can tell, just run upstairs to one of the closets.

All said, you take the good design with the bad of being so small every run feels about the same and you end up with Tangle.

I really like Tangle as a beginner map and to revisit for the layout, but I won't lie, kitchen ghosts here are lame and common.

Still not bad enough to outweigh the good, Tangle is a winner.

Tutorial out of 9

Grafton Farmhouse

Once upon a time Grafton was my favorite farmhouse but, well, it's here and the other hasn't been mentioned yet.

Grafton is one of those maps with few "locker" style hiding spots, but unlike a lot of the other maps that emphasize hiding behind things I just never feel comfortable hiding on Grafton- and not in a tense way, in a "The AI is gonna ignore this and walk around and peer out the window for no reason which will prompt it to see me anyway, won't it?" kind of way.

There are some lockers in the storage upstairs now which is nice because the ghost spawns there like 80% of the time.

First floor : Left is dining/kitchen/and a back room. Between those the kitchen is pretty popular for the ghost but also is a spot where orb ghosts can be assholes who hide their orbs for no reason.

Right side is a living room, two bedrooms, and a laundry room, these are some pretty nice spots for the ghost to be because there ARE hiding spots, but their accessibility kinda depends on where in any of these rooms the ghost decides to spawn, making the hunts pretty fun.

Genuinely this right side of the first floor is a win, I dig this area and when the ghost hangs out here.

Upstairs has a shitty terrible awful room where you die (far left), a bathroom where nothing ever happens, and a room with an attached back room/storage that the ghost LOVES to be in to an obscene degree.

Grafton is fine all around, a good hunt location, but really it's where the hiding spots are and where the ghost likes to be that make it just less fun for me.

It's almost always "Upstairs back room / Kitchen / Left Bedroom on first floor" and the repetition of my luck makes it less fun. (though, again, that bedroom is fine because that cluster of rooms is a fun one).

At least there's voodoo dolls out of 9

Ridgeview Road House

Ridge is cool!

It's easy as hell but it's just nicely divvied up, it's one of those maps that benefits from having a very nice layout that leads to games feeling very different depending on the ghost room.

I like the basement, but nothing ever happens there I swear.

The first floor as a whole has some nice spots, anything on the left can be hidden away in the garage lockers (which are at the far end which makes it a little tense which is nice!)

Anything on the right is a little less safe feeling because that back room is terrible, honestly safer to run upstairs to a closet.

And finally anything upstairs is standard house affair- a ton of hiding closets and a good amount of rooms but not 9 billion rooms like Edge.

Ridge is nice. It's small, easy, and well spaced.

Strong layout out of 9

Willow Street House

Willow really is small as sin, but I dig the look a lot.

I also like how hiding is a 'behind furniture' affair unlike a lot of the other houses with their plentiful closets.

My favorite area is the basement, which sadly makes for a less than stellar photo, but I love the multiple rooms in the basement and the lighting in those rooms.

Upstairs has a very different feel from the other houses which does a lot for making it feel fresh as well, definitely the most immediate thing most will notice when playing it since Tange/Ridge/Edge all feel the same due to the aesthetic they carry.

All in all it's my favorite house right now, but I'm curious on its lasting power for that.

It definitely helps that the map is built around hiding spots instead of hiding closets because it's a lot more fun crouching behind a dryer or cutting corners to get behind a dresser than it is to just hold a door shut and know you're effectively immortal as long as you don't talk.

Between the aesthetic and the unique layout it's come this high on my list WHILE being a bit buggy from being brand new, so that says something at least.

A joy to hunt on out of 9

Bleasdale Farmhouse

One of the two farmhouses and for a while my lesser fave, but it's grown on me the more I've played it.

Bleas doesn't emphasize lockers as much as hiding behind changing 'curtain' deals and after giving it a shot, it grew on me a lot- probably my favorite form of hiding spot because you can often still see the ghost as they come right up to you and walk away.

The highlights of Bleas will always be the immensely safe back room where the breaker can spawn- there are lockers here and it makes a fairly safe cut away for most events on the first floor because most events on the first floor are in the kitchen/dining area anyway with the rest of the first floor mostly being dormant in my runs.

The terrible terrible terrible attic which I hate and love at the same time.

it has hiding spots but whenever I have to use them it's highly unlikely I make it to them in time.

It's just a terrible place to be.

And the second floor is a pretty great one tbh! Mostly because there's a nice central hiding spot and the entire area is divided up pretty nicely for ghost stuff- unless you get hallway, fuck when it's hallway. It's the WHOLE hallway as far as I can tell and that's just stupid!

Bleas is a winner for sure, definitely beats the likes of Edge with ease, there's never a dull time hiding behind the privacy curtains- oh and this map has voodoo dolls! I firmly believe all the maps need more collectibles so this one having some is a boon for sure

"We got fingerprints on all the windows in the kitchen!!!" out of 9

Prison

TIME FOR THE BEST BOY!

PRISON!!!!

How to explain it.

When I started Phasmo my least favorite maps were the bigger ones, I hated feeling lost and like the ghost took too long to find all while the houses were fast and easy to understand.

But then I tried Prison and everything changed.

Talk about a beautifully laid out big map!

The sounds, the various hotspots, the fact that it's somehow big as hell without ever feeling too big and empty- I love prison.

Gushing aside, Prison is basically split up into 3 segments.

Main building, A block, B block.

And the unfortunate truth of prison is that the Main building is where most action seems to happen... doubled down with the truth that if the ghost IS in either block then they are significantly more dangerous to occasionally unfair degrees.

Yet despite that it consistently ends up being the most fun map for me to play through!

It all comes down to layout. The main building has a lot of little 'segments' which encourage you to run during a hunt differently, and the blocks are intimidating in their own way because going upstairs in them feels like signing your will.

I'd love to say more, but it's just the most fun one, so that's that.

Best map out of 9... I heard a cell door open, let's get towards A block.

I know it's just a random post of mine and all but hey, what's your take on the maps?

I'd like to hear what some arguments for other faves might be- especially if someone is a die hard HS fan, lol.

[angsty-nerd]

RNM 2X13 - Echo Download

I've been having a hard time trying to put my feelings about the Season 2 finale into words, so I've been sitting on it for a few days, reading everyone's metas, and trying to organize and separate my actual thinky thoughts from the angst and heartache. That… is not something I am particularly good at. But I'm trying.

I LOVE this show. The writing is a mess. There's plot holes all over the place. The pacing issues alone make me want to tear my hair out. And dear God do I want them to give these characters and relationships (including friendships) the time and space for the big moments to land properly. I don't know if we'll ever get any of that though. And in the meantime, I love these characters and the story, messes and all.

Everyone knows my biggest love is Echo, so I'm gonna start there.

"I don't know what you thought love was gonna be like when we were 17, but it's not all sunsets and horseback rides."

Back in the OG days, there was one consistent criticism I had with the way they wrote Max and Liz's story: the breakups always felt like bullshit. Max breaks up with Liz because she was afraid of some weird alien shit. Liz breaks up with Max because he's "supposed to be with Tess" and meanwhile he's like, "um… no?" We had "it's too dangerous" when it was dangerous regardless. "We're just different" but not in ways that actually mattered.

Echo's breakup mattered. There were issues and they were not dealing with them. Both of them were sneaking around behind the other's back. Neither was being fully honest with the other.

The unwavering honesty was something that stood out to me in S1. Yes, Max was hiding the truth about Rosa's death. But when it came to the present they were almost laughably open with each other. Liz didn't lie about it when Max asked if she told Kyle the truth. When Max asked what she was doing in the lab, she told him the truth. Once Liz knew the truth about Rosa, she knew everything. It seemed like with that truth out there was nothing left to hide. And once they got together they were a team. Immediately. There's a reason that we had a joking headcanon in the Echo world that they had their first kiss and then they were a married couple.

I really think Max's death not only put that to a screeching halt...it also put them on this path to the breakup. Liz has abandonment issues, and Max made a choice, without her, that resulted in him leaving her alone. It wasn't openly discussed in the depth that it should have been this season, but I really do think it was issue #1. Liz loves Max and she was very happy being with him...but after he came back from the dead she didn't trust him to not leave her again. It was an issue simmering under the surface from Episode 7 until the finale. Liz channeled it all into worrying about his heart, but the underlying theme was a resounding "I can't go through that again". Which is deeper than just the worry over a physical health problem. And it pushed Max away from her.

He grew irritable with her. He started hiding things from her and lying to her. The season just ended and I have no idea if he ever told her anything about his memory flashes! He was obsessively trying to learn about his past and never once discussed it with Liz!?? Because he didn't want her to stop him from using the serum? This is a HUGELY personal thing to Max and you can see how much it means to him. He had tears in his eyes while telling Isobel about it. I mean, that puppy dog excitement, and yet, he hides it all whenever Liz is around.

I think it was around episode 8 that we started talking about how badly they needed to have a big fight. Us -- the Echo shippers -- the ones who WANT them to be together -- were BEGGING them to fight. I hate conflict!! But the lack of honestly and the aversions were just building and building and I just wanted it all out on the table.

They finally STARTED having that fight in episode 11, but then Rosa and Isobel interrupted. In retrospect, sweet alien!Jesus, I wish they could have finished then. Maybe they would have gotten the air clear between them. Maybe it would have put them on a path to healing their relationship before the finale. But they didn't, so the breakup happened. And the thing is… that ending. It just kind of haunts me. Liz waiting and hoping for a grand gesture that never comes. I mean, did Max even know WHEN she was leaving!?! He sure didn't seem to have it on his mind when they flashed to him in that scene. And their fight...was all about what Liz was doing and Max not taking care of his heart. They never once touched on what he was trying to learn about his past. I'm pretty certain that Liz left without knowing any of that.

And the thing is… I'm sort of skirting around the meat of the issue here. Because the biggest problem of all of this was Liz violating Max by studying his biology without consent.

I really hate saying that in writing, because, to me, it's kind of the most horrible part of all of this.

Max Evans has been referred to in jest in this fandom as the King of Consent. He was so careful with Liz, tiptoeing around her looking for explicit consent in Season 1 until her desire for him was made abundantly clear. He only ignored the need for consent twice: both times in the S1 finale. Healing Michael's hand and healing Rosa. But those things both happened after he killed Noah. After he was high on his own power. They were very clearly set up as out of character for him.

Liz didn't give him the same respect. Consent does not just apply to sexual situations and healing. It applies to studying too. It applies to Liz USING Max's biology without his permission. It also applies to administering the cure to Steph without her consent. Liz was very, very wrong here.

And the thing is… it sure didn't seem like the writers saw it that way. It also didn't seem like JEANINE saw it that way. There's been a little bit more balanced quotes from them in interviews this week since the finale ended as far as saying that both Max and Liz were wrong, but they sure focused on Liz being incredible and strong before the finale aired.

The part that confuses me though...like, a LOT, is that the narrative was pretty clear that what Liz was doing was Bad and Wrong. She looked guilty. She was lying and hiding things from Max. And the MORAL COMPASS OF THE SHOW, Mr. Kyle Valenti, repeatedly told her she was wrong. Kyle called her out on her ethical violations even as he was thanking her for saving Steph.

Genoryx was set up as being bad. Liz herself refused to go work for them in the flashbacks because they were morally sketchy. Although, maybe that's the draw now that she is all full of ethical violations. Sigh.

I'm gonna leave this topic now, but I'll encourage you to go read @latessitrice's meta on the subject here:

Okay...so to sum this up? The breakup was coming. We knew it was coming. But it still hurt my heart so much. I haven't seen anyone gif Jeanine's performance of the "I am in love with you. And I hate that right now." But the delivery of that line broke me.

That being said...do I see it being over? Let's give that a resounding FUCK, NO. I mean, sure, they fought. And it hurt. And Liz ran away. Without saying goodbye. And all of that SHATTERED ME.

But...they still love each other even if they both have a lot to work on individually. That’s part of what MADE it so hard.

I am actually stoked for season 3. Two Maxes? All of the delicious angst once Liz gets home. Liz not knowing there's two Maxes and meeting Jones first and not knowing who he is and being vulnerable to his mindfuckery? Or just his fuckery in general. Whatever. I am here for it.

I am here for Liz discovering that something about Genoryx is Not Right. I'm here for her living a normal life and getting drawn back into the madness. I'm here for Max getting more powerful and more alieny under Jones's guidance. And I am here for what I am certain will be an epic reunion once they are back together again.

As a last more positive comment...I’m stoked that we get to have both Max and Liz alive and facing interesting potential storylines this hiatus. All I wanted from this finale, in truth, was to leave the characters in a place that inspired me to want to write for them for the next year plus or however long this COVID-extended hiatus ends up being. And I am so excited for that.

And I have talked enough now that I will go ahead and post this and leave this post as my Echo Takeaways from the finale. I'll be back again with some more gen/bigger picture thoughts later.

[murfeelee]

Hello again, I'm one of those loonies still playing TS3(mostly because TS4 is kind of crap in comparison). However, I seem to find myself struggling to find some rather specific things. I'm trying to build a cyberpunk/gothic styled nightclub and am finding it very difficult to find both appropriately night-club-like lighting(such as those often found in videos posted by Madrix) and go-go platforms. Might you be able to point me in the right direction?

Hi! That sounds like an awesome idea – I’m so freaking stoked for CD Projekt Red’s upcoming Cyberpunk game – it looks amazing so far.

Anyways, back on topic! XD

Neon Lights

Check out the neon / neon lighting / lighting tags at @scifits3ccblog – there’s a few more neon lights at TSR, too.

I made a Cyberpunk tag​ too, but so far it’s a lot of CAS CC & gameplay til I update the tags – I usually divvy everything up into smaller categories like Grunge, Industrial, Dystopian/Apocalyptic, etc., so check those, too, since they all fall under cyberpunk aesthetics.

Hands down though, IMO some of the three best resources for neon lighting came straight from EA, crazy enough, not gonna lie.

Showtime especially had a lot of amazing Cyberpunk and Steampunk objects, stage props & simport rewards (get the mod to unlock them all here).

Into the Future, University Life, and Showtime have a lot of glowing neon lights & fixtures, and signs. (MsPoodle1 made the UNI EP signs recolorable.)

I might be wrong, but I don’t think anyone’s made the neon lights from ITF & UNI base game compatible – so I suspect the glowing effects are limited to the EPs? IDEK. Check here, just in case.

Gobo Lights

Also, gobo lights are included in Late Night and Showtime – I hope you’re sensing a theme here; any SciFi player would REALLY benefit from getting Showtime. The Katy Perry simport crap was effing ridiculous, but the rest of the EP is actually pretty cool.

(This GTA inspired lot at MTS uses a lot of LN, UNI, & SHT content.)

Lastly, another hidden gem is Roaring Heights, which comes with a lot of neon lights. You can make all kinds of creative designs with them.

Go-Go Stage

As for go-go dancer stages, if your game is fully patched you should have a Platform foundation in Build Mode. It’s maybe 1/3 as high as the regular foundations, and works excellently for stages (I forget which patch it came with).

Anyways, this amazing set was made by kiolometro at TSR to add glowing floor lights as rugs, which are perfect for SciFi lots. 

So, that’s about all I can think of off the top of my head.

Happy Simming!

[rose--hathaways]

Hey you work at a bookstore, don't you? That's a literal dream job and not gonna lie, I'm a teeny tiny bit jealous lol. Could you help a girl out with an assignment by telling me what the job's like? I'd like the facts; I wanna know what a day of a bookstore employee's like...though I guess a little romanticizing couldn't hurt ;) Thanks!

hey sorry i only just saw this, i don’t know when this got asked so i’m sorry if it’s a really late reply!! also sorry that this will be a long reply! 😅

it can definitely be a dream job, but i won’t lie, there are times when it sucks, like any workplace really. i work for a chain bookstore, so a lot of what we do is dictated by our interstate head office so it sucks that we don’t have a lot of control over things like stock, promotions, displays, what sections we have in store, (eg. i am dying to trial a new adult section, but head office say no ☹️), but they’re all little things. i literally get paid to talk about books all day, so i can’t complain! 😂

usually in the mornings we clean the store and fill/restock the shelves and tables first. most of the late morning/middle of the day is spent receiving in stock that gets delivered from suppliers and organising it into sections, so it can easily be run out onto the shop floor and put away, which we all do through the middle/end of the day. receiving in & running out stock is pretty much everyone’s favourite task, because we get to read all the blurbs and get first chance at putting aside any books that we want for ourselves (the staff discount isn’t as great as what i’ve heard our main competitor gives their staff, but it’s still a pretty good discount)

the middle of the day is also usually our busiest time customer-wise, usually around 11-4, so we try to all be on the floor during this time, usually putting things away/restocking while we help our customers.

we get oldies earlier in the day, which i love. just recommend james patterson or nora roberts/j.d. robb books to them and they’ll be absolutely stoked, especially if they have new releases. we generally have pretty decent oldies come through, and they always like to have a bit of a chat about the books they like, books they read as kids, about our hair colours (very few of our team members have had a consistent hair colour for more than a week), and they always like to offer a lot of feedback about the books that they’ve read which i always like to take on board so maybe i can help recommend something to someone later. we have a little notebook at the counter where we write down notes about different books that customers recommend to us, so if you ever want to talk about books to your bookseller please do! we love feedback and we love talking about books!!

afternoons, especially after 3PM we get a huge rush of school kids. if the manga section isn’t fully-stocked by this time, we’re in trouble 😂 we always have to really kick our brains in at this time, because kids/parents always ask for suggestions and they never know their/their kid’s reading level, so there’s a lot of trial and error at this time of day 😅 it’s good fun though, just don’t ever say to a kid that whatever you’re recommending is something that you read as a kid (eg. roald dahl) because they will absolutely put it down and refuse to read it 😂

so i’m also the manager of my store (yes they are trusting a twenty-three-year-old idiot to run one of the state’s biggest bookstores, i too am shocked by this but also very grateful), so my weekday-jobs also includes doing the oh-so fun office tasks like sending reports, placing orders, checking on customer orders, setting up promotions and displays (which i actually really like), doing little mini stocktakes if we notice we’re missing stuff (you wouldn’t believe how many tarot cards get stolen from bookstores 💀), rostering staff, etc. etc. it’s not always the most fun but 🤷🏼‍♀️

weekends are a mixed pack in terms of customers, but there’s definitely a lot of clueless dads in the morning (we hear the phrase “i’m babysitting the kids” so often from them and it’s so gross like they’re your kids, it doesn’t count as babysitting?? 😂) and honestly we get great sales from them because they’ll buy anything that stops their kid from having a tantrum without even questioning it

we also get a lot of teens come through on weekends, and they’re generally really sweet and want to talk about books, and are always desperate for recommendations (and always update us on what’s trending on booktok), and every couple of weeks you get to witness a really cool moment where random teens will start talking to each other about whatever books they’re looking at and it is the sweetest thing seeing like these friendships (whether fleeting or not) being forged, it makes me so nostalgic and it’s so cool to see other people loving something that you also love

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa i’m so sorry i’ve written so much here, i hope this answers your question!

[doobler]

Seneca stoked the campfire, dark eyes lidded with exhaustion. After the earlier fight, all the adrenaline in his body had drained him of his energy. He wanted to sleep for a week, at least. Across the way, Daisuke was watching the flames, his knees tucked up against his chest. He held his side awkwardly, no doubt concerned about disturbing his injury. Seneca tried to keep his breathing even. It'd been a long time since someone had shown him any kindness, especially the life-on-the-line kind.

"Are you in pain?" Seneca finally asked.

"Yeah, but. It's fine," Daisuke sniffled. "If you could spare some of that booze..."

Seneca chuckled, passing along his tin cup. He watched as Daisuke took a careful sniff before sipping. His face scrunched up but he drained the whole cup in a few gulps. When he passed it back, their fingers brushed together. Seneca felt his nerves tingle at the point of contact.

"I'm sorry I got you in this mess," Daisuke lamented, burying his face in his arms. "I didn't think they'd come all this way just for me."

"Well, you did mention you came from a wealthy and affluent family."

"Yeah, but my parents don't give a single shit about me," Daisuke huffed, blowing an errant lock of hair out of his face. "Why hunt me down across the world?"

Seneca exhaled slowly, his brow drawing in. He felt so old just listening to this poor schmuck's woes. Being alone for so long had subdued his empathy. No, that wasn't right. A person void of empathy wouldn't have taken Daisuke in at all. He would've left him to die alone, off his property. Seneca was just tired, always. Maybe he'd lie down with his cows and horse and let the soil reclaim him. That'd give him some rest.

"Thanks, by the way," Daisuke broke the silence. His cheeks looked rosy in the flickering light. "For uh. Y'know. Protecting me. I'm not used to such kindness. I owe you my life."

Seneca felt his heart stutter. Were all men nowadays so handsome? Was he staring too long? Fuck, but the samurai had such pretty eyelashes and kissable lips--

"Yeah, of course," Seneca swallowed thickly, sniffling a bit too loud as he poked at the fire again. "I was just being a decent person is all."

"I think you're a few notches above decent."

Seneca went to open his mouth but Daisuke cut him off, pulling his jacket around him and settling on the ground. He tucked one of the bedrolls under his head and curled up in the warmth of the fire.

"I'm gonna get some sleep, let me know when you wanna switch. G' night!"

Seneca let his body relax, cracking a private little smile. Isolation had driven him nearly mad a long time ago. Maybe this stranger was actually a blessing in disguise.

"Goodnight, Daisuke."

I'm itching to make a cowboy/samurai couple but have the samurai be ditzy and the cowboy be suave and cool