#love at first bite dev team

[kerpwow]

*grabs you*

You will tell me about your vampires and you will tell me about them NOW!

1. How does vampirism work in your universe. Like, what are the rules? How much blood do you need, are you dead, are you immortal, weaknesses and strengths, etc.

2. Who are your vampires? Names, basic personalities, occupations, etc.

3. Place your vampires on a scale of "total cinnamon roll" to "will kill you"

4. Give me the best alignment for all your vampires (So like, Lawful Neutral, Chaotic Evil, Neutral Good, etc.)

5. What do your vampires think of each other?

6. Love at First Bite is a dating sim, so which of them would YOU date?

7. Who needs to be humbled, and who needs to grow some self-esteem?

8. Put them on a scale of most to least violent!

9. Descrive them using the "I will win the knife fight by. . ." Audio!

10. Best character trait and worst character trait for each of them!

(I know I said NOW, but this is a lot of questions, so it's alright if it takes you a million years to answer this ask!)

oh my gosh ok ok first off I'm so sorry this took so long to answer I've been waiting for a chance to write this on my laptop because I know I'm going to yap so much about my guys and my hands cramp up really fast typing on my tiny little phone.

all characters and worldbuilding following is for @love-at-first-bite-game follow for updates on the development of the game!

how does vampirism work

before we even laid out any sort of plot or character concepts we knew we wanted there to be lots of different types of vampires in this universe, generally what we (when I say we I'm referring to myself and the other devs) consider to make someone a vampire is a disease or magical infliction not present at birth that forces the person to consume blood, or another form of animal (most often human) energy or matter, for either necessary nutrients or another reason. basically, to be a vampire you must be unable to live without taking the lives of others and consuming them in some way. in game we will only address physical consumption but there are other options that I won't go in depth on right now. the main types of vampires that will be discussed in game are full and partial classical vampires. (a classical vampire is basically just drinks blood, cannot eat human food, has some sort of magical power or enhanced ability, most often does not physically age) a full classical vampire would be just that, a partial vampire has either not fully developed after being turned or some sort of external interference prevented them from being fully turned. the way a vampire turns someone is dependent on the vampire, but generally involves bloodshed of both involved.

oof one question in and ive already written so much im so sorry.

2. who are our vampires?

going to try to answer this one with as few game spoilers as possible. names are as the characters would introduce themselves when asked their full name.

Atticus Pierre Ruthven-

occupation- therapist

age- oldest of the group

vampire type- classical

personality- kindhearted, dislikes killing, avoids hurting humans, hopeless romantic

notes- named after the classical vampire story the vampyre by John William Polidori, his past is long and mysterious.

Martin Sparda-Kennedy Grahm

occupation- unemployed

age- 20-45

vampire type- ************

personality- flirtatious, narcissistic, insecure, often objectifying

notes- has a lot of middle names, all of which are references to things, named after the 1977 movie Martin.

Mikey G. Reigh

occupation- fast food worker

age- 24

vampire type- partial

personality- talkative, energetic, sometimes frustrating.

notes- the youngest romanceable character, named after mikey way

Victoria “Tori” Marguerite-Finch Jean Ruthven

occupation- mechanic/ used car salesman

age- unclear

vampire type-************

personality- anxious, passionate, quiet with strangers

notes- Atticus's adopted daughter, her vampirism is weird and confusing.

Verkah Fatima Rahmani

occupation- photographer/ language tutor

age- second oldest of the group

vampire type- ***********

personality- caring, motherly, protective

notes- extremely physically strong, she's so cool I need to draw her more.

does Tumblr have a character limit? I guess we will find out...

3. cinnamon roll - will kill you

(where it says could kill you thats more of a would kill you, they all COULD if they really wanted/needed to)

4. alignments

Atticus - neutral good

Martin- chaotic evil

Mikey- chaotic neutral

Tori- true neutral

Verkah- neutral good

5. what do they think of eachother?

hard to say too much without minor spoilers, generally Mikey, Atticus and Verkah get along with everyone, Martin and Tori do not.

6. who would i date?

pretending I don't know their whole characters and paths in game- Mikey or Martin.

if this was real life and not a dating sim- probably Atticus.

7. who needs to be humbled/ who needs to improve self esteem?

needs to be humbled-

Martin and Mikey

need more self esteem-

Atticus and Tori

Verkah is kinda doing fine tbh.

8. most-least violent

most violent

Martin

Tori

Mikey

Verkah

Atticus

least violent

9. I will win the knife fight by...

its like midnight and i literally just cannot think enough to do this one sorry :(

maybe ill add it tommorow.

10. best/worst character traits

Atticus

best trait- caring

worst trait- emotionally unavailable

Martin

best trait- protective

worst trait- necrophile

Mikey

best trait- loyal

worst trait- disrespectful

Tori

best trait- passionate

worst trait- untrusting

Verkah

best trait- loving

worst trait- secretive

okay!!! if you made it through hope you enjoyed! apologies for how long this is I'm actually insane about these characters. wish I could've gone more in depth but in the off chance more then ten people see this I didn't want to spoil too much. I'm working on making a discord server for fans (not that we really have any yet) to ask questions and get more info early and stuff, ill put a link in the @love-at-first-bite-game bio once its set up.

[allieebobo]

College Tennis: Origin Story

Demo | Characters | Dev log | Ko-fi

Tennis/Sports x Slice-of-life x College x Found-family x Coming-of-age x Coz

Experience the ups-and-downs of life as a freshman on the Cargill University varsity tennis team amongst a colorful cast of characters.

Compete in nail-biting singles and doubles matches, forge lifelong friendships, pursue budding romances and make a name for yourself, both on and off the tennis court.

Will the once-great Cargill Coyotes succeed in reclaiming the NCAA Div I championship title for the first time since the 90s? Will you come into your own as a promising young tennis star, primed for the professional leagues? Most importantly, how much are you willing to sacrifice in pursuit of these dreams?

Full character customisation

Customise your gender, height, build, personality, physical appearance, languages spoken, tennis style, dominant hand, and more!

Strike a balance between: tennis, keeping up a rich social life, and maintaining your grades

Nail-biting tennis matches

Every match is different! Play matches throughout the fall and spring seasons, leading up to the NCAO championships—that is, if you make the Cargill team.

Intricate tennis game mechanics: Factors such as your condition/energy, preparation for the match, opponent's play style, doubles partner chemistry, as well as your choices at key junctures of the match etc. will affect the outcome of the match!

Craft your own distinctive playing style and make a name for yourself on the tennis court

Hone your strength, agility, finesse, serve-and-volley skill, and endurance over the course of the game!

Romance four possible characters

Rayyan Afiq, the gruff, hot-headed no. 1 seed

Guillaume/Geneviève Lavigne, the sardonic international student on your floor

Tobin Harris, the warm, unflappable team captain

Sam O'Connelly, your nerdy and spirited high-school best friend

And forge lifelong friendships with many more...

Rayyan Afiq The rival

Gender: Follows the gender of your team Age: 20 Nationality/Ethnicity: Egyptian-American

Student information: Junior, Anthropology major Player information: Vice-captain, No. 1 position, Aggressive Baseliner

Appearance: 5′6 (f) or 5′10 (m). Lean, athletic build. Dark, wavy curls, and thick sweeping eyebrows over piercing dark-olive eyes. Tawny, honey-brown skin.

Description: Surly, intense, and proud. Ambitious and driven to excellence in everything they do. Willing to give up almost anything for their tennis career. Has a soft-spot for cats. Loves organising things, has a plan for everything, and dislikes surprises.

Tobin Harris The captain

Gender: Follows the gender of your team Age: 20 Nationality/Ethnicity: African-American

Student information: Junior, History major Player information: Captain, No. 2 position, All-court player

Appearance: 5′9 (f) or 6′1 (m). Tall, solid build. Short black hair, warm, brown eyes and a calm, assured demeanour. Dark bronze skin. A smile that lights up the room.

Description: Kind, laid-back, selfless, and sociable. Goes out of their way to make everyone feel welcome, but has a tendency to stuff down their own emotions in the process. Surprisingly private and cautious when it comes to their own desires/wishes. Gentle to a fault, steadfast and unflappable. If not playing tennis, probably can be found cooking, hanging out with friends, or going to the library.

Geneviève/Guillaume Lavigne The exchange student

Gender: Gender selectable (f/m) Age: 20 Nationality/Ethnicity: Half French (father's side), half French-Canadian (mother's side)

Student information: Third year exchange student, Political science bachelor’s degree. Hall-mate.

Appearance: 5′6 (f) or 5′11 (m). Toned, supple build. Dark, tousled hair with fair skin. Smoky grey eyes, with a smattering of freckles. Permanent half-smile.

Description: Rarely excited or enthusiastic, always armed with a dry remark. Slightly cynical, but softer than they look. Very intelligent, though they don't often let on what they're actually thinking or feeling. Rich (and intensely private) inner world.

Sam O'Connelly The childhood best friend

Gender: Gender selectable (f/m) Age: 18, Freshman Nationality/ethnicity: American

Student information: Freshman, Undecided major. Player information: No. 6 position for the UCLA Bruins

Appearance: 5′4 (f) or 5′8 (m). Trim build, with a small frame. Curly russet hair that often sticks out in all directions. Mischievous light blue eyes and an infectious smile.

Description: Excitable, with a chaotic positivity that radiates from them like sunshine. Fun-loving and scattered, and nerdy. Competent tennis player, but too often distracted by other hobbies and interests. Somehow manages to survive on a diet of Cheetos and Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

More character descriptions here, face-claims here.

[bloodbending]

spoilers for bg3 act 2. not a big story spoiler but a great character interaction i had (i know this game has been out for a while but just in case lmao)

i naturally love the astarion character. him being a sultry vampire with a hidden agenda/dark past/self-protective “act” and an amazing VA who is clearly having the time of their life… it was over for me before i even picked up the game.

i’m not romancing him in my first playthrough for many reasons..

1) i’m a goody goody character and i’ve decided to try and play naturally the first time without worrying too much about maintaining my morals and romancing him at the same time

2) karlach is my lawfully wedded wife

so instead, i’ve gone for the next best thing— good-naturedly irritating the absolute fuck out of him, lmao

i’ve enjoyed imagining him and my Tav nurturing a sibling rivalry. it started in Act 1’s grove party, when he insinuated he wanted to have some fun with someone. when my character said “are you saying you want to ‘have fun’ with me??” he turned his nose up at me and said “absolutely not, i have STANDARDS” with his full chest. i swear i could hear that VA smiling. which, oh my god, absolutely SENT me… Astarion set my Tav up so bad LMFAO

i leaned in. in my head, my Tav lowkey understands that Astarion isn’t actually cruel, but guarded, so she doesn’t take his remarks personally and is more invested luring out his bluntness (like i am as a player).

his relationship meter is solidly on “good” tho, so it’s not like he actually hates me, thankfully. every time i switch to him for traps or locks, i love imagining my tav pulling at astarion’s arm and using the most grating voice possible to say “astarioooooon, there’s so many traaaaaps, please won’t you lend me your special standards and help out?” and him being like “🙄 really?” and i love it lol.

in my head Astarion is doing a bit. the “i will not stop complaining to hide the fact that i actually really enjoy being part of this team” bit. love that for him.

it’s important to note that up until yesterday, any time i’d talk to him to add him to my party, he would say the standard “well what can i do for you?” or “… yes?”

now! yesterday, i made it to the blood elf lady in moonrise who wants astarion to bite her. i’m woman enough to admit that i was 1000% mesmerized by her dom energy and was willing to let her drain me to the last drop. both the writers and the VAs deserves one million dollars for that scene

but the second she started treating astarion like a thing, assuming i was his “owner” or whatever, she shattered the vibes! i was instantly defensive 😭

astarion refused to bite her, and when the lady asked me to command him to bite her, i obviously chose the “he’s a person (you fucking dick!) and he said no” option

i had genuinely been moved to drop my own teasing relationship and defend him as my friend. i didn’t even want to chose the dialogue option that would’ve fit how i’d played it so far (something like “you DON’T want to bite her, Astarion? i’m a bit surprised”)

ever since that one interaction, Astarion’s voicelines have changed completely!

i was so taken aback when i chatted with him after and he said “Hello my dear (genuine)” or “How can I help you, my friend?”

i thought maybe it was serendipitous— maybe that approval just so happened to nudge my metered relationship w/ Astarion across a certain threshold— but i’d checked his meter before and it didn’t change significantly at all. definitely not enough to warrant this 180 flip, i don’t think

that was fucking rad! i like to think that from astarion’s POV, my tav had gone out on a limb and showed she does genuinely care for him. and maybe now he can start seeing her as a true ally and friend. even though i am annoying, of course.

i’m struck by what a great character moment that was. honestly kudos to the writers and devs for making that a pivotal beat in the astarion/tav relationship, regardless of it being platonic or romantic. this game is full of moments like that — it makes it so addicting and satisfying!!

[librariansrose]

So I don’t really mention it but;

The way I got into DRDT was through friend recommendation.

At the time I was known for being attached to a certain rambunctious wizard from another fangan; I still am.

A friend dmed me around the time ch2 Ep 11’s twist happened and showed me, Him ™️. Insisting that he was also my type.

Now mind you they showed me some shots that didn’t interest me because well, they just didn’t grab the right ones.

About a month or so later, another friend goes through DRDT, the same one who is the genuine reason for my attachment to mister silly wizard from other fangan.

I bite the bullet and ask; “Hey so another friend of mine is really invested in this but I don’t want to get too sucked into fangan since DR community can be abit… you know.”

My friend told me they were having a good time with it and confirmed the claim of my other friend that yes Maybe that one ™️ would fit my type.

So since I trust her judgement, I decided I’d give it a shot.

At first, out of the entire cast I actually attached to Xander. Over time I grew to really adore his connection to Teruko and David vaguely interested me at the time because of Obvious reasons.

I met Veronika and was head over heels immediately. I still love her even if I don’t gush about her nearly as much as the other aforementioned three.

So as I went through the story; I found myself analyzing like I usually do when I hyperfixate. More specifically; the character ties, personalities and relationships.

My takes at the start towards some of the cast have drastically changed but my favorites have remained the same.

I would have not found DRDT if not for my two friends. I would not have found fangan without one of those friends in particular.

I do still love my time with fangan and will continue to.

I love writing stories for those characters, studying them with analysis and bonding with others over our appreciation for the media itself.

Making charms… that’s been fun too. It will still be fun, same with printing stickers.

Frankly…? I don’t mind waiting for a good story to finish its publishing run. I’m along for the ride; I’ll continue to support it and most especially the Dev and team involved. Through the wait or otherwise.

I try to weave the love of said media into the stories I write. Each story is like a tiny love letter to that source story itself.

So I guess I want to say this;

Dev, Team, VA’s, thank you for it all.

The hard work, the patience, the joy of the creation process. It’s a pleasure and will continue to be.

[shmowder]

You’ve played lollipop chainsaw you say? 👀👀 how did you like it?! It’s one of my favorite grasshopper manufacturer games so always love to hear people’s thoughts on it. You might also enjoy the 25th ward and the sliver case tbh (both from the same dev team but different in tone!)

Lollipop chainsaw au where the reader is Juliet and Daniil is Nick who said that?

How do I like it?

HOW DO I LIKE IT?

"I'd like to thank all the different variables, from the egg I origanted from and to the patch of dirt which will invetiably become me, to thank the hundreds of billions of split timelines and multitudes of choices which resulted in me becoming who I am, developing these interests, and arriving at this specific moment of space time where I can not only yearn but have the need fulfilled, for I am living my best life."

You come into MY HOUSE

And ask ME about how I like

MY GAME?

.....

....

...

..

.

I think it's pretty good

And I'm ve.ry nnormal about it :)

-

Writing a lolipop chainsaw au into pathologic is already a behemoth of niche on its own, and adding the extra layers of Juilet! Reader x Nick! Bachelor might make it possibly the most niche thing in the history of existence.

A monkey with a typewriter might eventually spout out a hamlet or two... but this? Oh, this you'd never get from ANY writers' room of animals. This is one of a kind, custom designed. This is the type of shit that requires the stars to align.

And it's happening, here's your brief (who am I kidding I have no self control) Lolipop chainsaw X pathologic crossover WITH x reader layering.

-

The Bachelor was always one to play the hero

The act of shielding you from an impending death by a zombie bite was a no-brainer for him

Knowing he at least will die for a good cause

With you kneeling by his side, he tries to memorise your face one last time before he closes his eyes forever

Parting with his final words being a confession of love

It would've been a most touching and romantic farewell

...wasn't it for the loud roaring of a chainsaw coming to life

You standing up with a determined look in your eyes, refusing to give up and allow death to steal him away

The last thing he sees are the spinning razorblades of the chainsaw coming straight down before everything blacks out

...and he wakes up, eventually, groggy and exhausted.

But alive.

He's alive!

Dankovsky doesn't allow the feeling of relief to last long before he's questioning how this is possible

A zombie bite should be deadly, he felt the venom seeping into his bloodstream—just how did you invent a cure?

Well... he didn't need to wonder for long, all of his questions are immediately answered the second he glances down.

only to be met with an empty floor

with no sign of his body anywhere in sight

At first, he chalked up the inability to feel his limbs to exhaustion, maybe even shock.

But there wasn't even a torso left! Just...a head

How is this possible how is he alive?

"Don't get mad!" You're avoiding meeting his eyes, and Daniil is reminded of that one time you ate his piece of dessert while he went to answer a phone call only to come back to an empty plate and your guilty expression

Except, you know

Instead of a simple pie, it's 90% of his body this time around, gone.

"I kinda... sorta... did a dark magic ritual to keep you alive." You squeak out an answer

Without missing a beat, Daniil immediately replies

"Oh sure, dark magic, yes why didn't I think of that."

Ah, you recognise that tone of voice, the one a lecture always follows

"HOW do you know how to preform a dark magic ritual, or better yet, why? Please do enlighten me, now."

Nick might have let it go when Juilet spoke it as a matter of fact thing

But Daniil sure wouldn't.

Even when the zombies burst into the room and he watches you—from the low point of view courtesy of being tied to your hip—decimate those reanimated walking corpses

He still doesn't shut up about the ritual

Demanding to know every single detail

Just where is the rest of his body? Did you dispose of it?

Or is there a walking headless zombie version of him out there somewhere?

First he had to come to quick acceptance of the fact that zombie's are very real, this morning.

Then make the decision of throwing his life away just to save yours

Having to accept death, the arch nemesis he's resisted and crusaded against for so long

Only to somehow still be alive, having lost the majority of his anatomy

Fine, sure, why not, he can accept all of those things... at a time

But the one thing he has a difficult time swallowing is you being a legit zombie hunter who's dabbled in dark magic

YOU!?

In all of your years of dating, he saw you as this innocent thing

With your bubbly personality and sweet tooth

Frilly pinks and cute bows, you contrasted Daniil's own wardrobe so much and yet the two of you looked unimaginably good together

He really thought he was the luckiest man alive to have somewhere stumbled upon this angel

And now this so-called angel is elbow deep in gore and zombie guts, the sweetest smile on your lips as you decapitate them, rotting necks easily caving in under the indestructible metal of your chainsaw

Blood droplets painted across your pretty face, the very same one Daniil would cradle before every delicate kiss

How you still maintained your casual demeanour, chatting with him like the two of you are strolling through the garden

Seemingly having the time of your life chopping down these zombies, as if you were a puppy let loose on a brand new couch

And the most damning fact of all that stuck to his throat like thorns

Was how Daniil couldn't accept how hot he found this whole ordeal

He's supposed to be a gentleman! He's a goddamn bachelor of medicine! An educated respectable man

So just why... how...

At least with no bodily functions—in crude terms: the lack of a penis—these shameful thoughts can be kept locked away at the back of his mind

Eventually, you introduced him to your so-called teacher

The one supposed to answer all of the questions Daniil has been interrogating you with nonstop

It only takes him 5 seconds to determine that he does not like that man at all

To say Daniil grilled him with question after question on this supposed dark magic ritual would be an understatement

It's a bit impressive how he's still able to carry himself (his head?) with prestige and dignity

How he still talks to others he deems lesser with condescension despite being akin to a literal charm attached to your hip

Well he always deemed his brain to be his most treasures body part, the sharpest weapon he can weild

And if he had to choose... yes, he admits he would've made a decision similar to yours

So no, he isn't mad at you for saving his life, despite the great cost

He is mad because you hid so much from him! Whilst knowing about all of his struggles to make a breakthrough?

Could you imagine how useful the knowledge you possess would've been in his research?

He abhors lying and liars

You have a lot to make up for if you want to regain his trust

...although saving his life has already done a lot of heavy lifting

Daniil has never been one to call others "emo" or adapt the juvenile terminology people these days seem to love so much

He could endure it when it came for you, yet never adapted it himself

But as the two of you stepped outside the building and into the middle of a demon summoning ritual

Daniil couldn't agree more with your words

That is one weird emo kid

"Goth." The kid screeched, and Daniil didn't pay him any mind, as if he has the time to argue with children

One of the benefits of carrying a Bachelor head instead of a Nick head is having an in-built Latin translator literally at the tip of your finger

This led to Daniil immediately catching on to the meaning of the phrase "Meus Vita, Rege, pro nefario coepto" uttered by the Zed demon just as you ended his miserable existence

Putting two and two together, it doesn't take him long to come to the conclusion that this is all one big trap

Killing the demons is what that weird emo kid wants you to do, he's using you!

Did he think the two of you were idiots? Daniil is almost insulted

He informs you of his theory, and you being the reliable great strategist that you are, immediately dial up the rest of your family to spread the news

Boosting about what a genius your boyfriend is

Daniil pretends to be unaffected, but his ego already tripled in size

Having spared you like 8 hours of extra content and various annoying boss encounters, the two of you immediately head to the cathedral to catch the emo kid off-guard

To think he would've been stringing you two along like puppets into his spiderweb this whole time if Daniil wasn't here

One patheticly short fight later—it's really not that difficult to best an edgy teenager with zero demonic transformation powers—the zombie apocalypse is no more!

This has been the longest most weird day in Daniil's life.

You'd think he'd be pretty torn about being a mere head for life, since no final boss = no sacrifice = no gift from the universe for being heroic

But actually Daniil is pretty fucking ecstatic about this

This could revolutionize the whole medical industry!

You said he was basically part of the family and a zombie hunter now, right?

And your dad seems to like him a lot.

So how about you share that dark magic knowledge of yours?

Learning to hold a pen with his mouth to write is tricky but pretty doable, he has the whole of his brain capacity and functions still, he doesn't see why he can't continue working from home to aid research in Thanatica

And he's crafted a lot of theorise about the zombie body piloting trick the two of you did quite a lot, maybe he can replicate it with a synthetic body?

Even a donor body could work as well

The sky is the limit.

Honestly, he's happier here than where he started this day

And how could he ever forget about your birthday present?

It's impolite to keep your mom waiting, so the two of you go on your way

He requests you carry him in your arms instead for the time being, being worn at the hip feels very undignified

....and the views down there are rather distracting

[dream-trail-rpg]

Genuine questions, what are some struggles you guys have had with making a game? What are things you’ve enjoyed? And what are some advice you would give for someone trying to make their own game?

I hope to make a game of my own one day, and I’ve been meaning to ask! It was you guys that gave me hope to try and achieve that goal again, so I felt asking you guys may be a good idea!

(Also, I hope things are going well! Have a nice day!)

Howdy! Sock here!

This is going to be a bit of a long answer, so I'll hide it under the cut:

It means so much to hear that we helped as some sort of motivation towards working on your own game,,, My advice in that department is to just GO FOR IT! See what happens! See what you can manage! That's how Dream Trail got started. If you have an idea that you really want to make, just take the plunge. Push yourself and rip off that bandaid! If you don't make the choice, you may miss out on a really interesting, exciting, and life-changing future path. Just don't take on more than you can chew. Try and stay around your skill level, but if you have bigger dreams then it's not a bad idea to start learning some new skills. Be ambitious, just not too much! Sometimes, ambition can outweigh your capabilities. Try not to overfill your game and include what's NECESSARY. Sometimes you have to make unfortunate cuts, but it's important to do what benefits your game best.

As a team, we've definitely had our fair share of struggles. There will be disagreements and road-blocks that take awhile to climb over. Coding has definitely been our worst enemy, haha. But it's important to keep going. Don't let anything stop you!

Here's a message from Chip/Mod Fay, I think they've got a better way of putting this all on one plate, similarly to what I explained:

"Don't bite off more than you can chew- especially if you're a solo dev, make sure what you're making is manageable. Try to make something that focuses more on your skillset! If you're an artist, make something focused on visuals. Writer, make a story-based game. Etc etc. Of course branching out and learning new things is good! But for a first game, try and cater to your skills, unless you wanna get burnt out- Take it from someone who Didn't Do That, starting slow is the way to go. Make sure to keep things organized, otherwise things can get complicated and messy fast. It's okay to ask for help from others in areas you're less experienced in. And if you're ever realizing you're not having fun- it's always okay to take breaks! Don't overwork yourself, it ain't healthy. Trust me- The most important thing is having fun! And if that requires a few breaks, whether they be days, weeks, months, or even years long, if that what's best for you, don't feel bad about it!"

No matter the struggles, it's always worth it. We all enjoy working on Dream Trail so much, we've shared so many laughs this past year. And nothing will ever beat the satisfaction and excitement of finally releasing our demo a couple months ago. Coming up with ideas and writing dialogue and thinking about character designs, it's an amazing process that I couldn't be happier to share with my friends.

I hope that you can make the game you want to make! I'm so honoured that our game has given you a little bit of hope for your own projects! I BELIEVE IN YOU!! No matter who you are, if you make something, there will ALWAYS be someone who loves your content. Show the world what you've got!

We're still slowly getting off of our break from after the demo's release. We've starting up again, but we're not fully back on track yet, so we have nothing to write in any dev-logs. We hope to have something new for all of you soon! Thanks again for your support, and I'd honestly love some more genuine asks like this. I love answering questions!

[thesims4blogger]

DEV Diary: Infants Now Available in The Sims 4

EA has released the official blog for the infant life stage, now available for The Sims 4.

Sul sul, Simmers! I’m SimGuruGraham, and I’ve been fortunate to work alongside a passionate team of folks within Maxis that have rallied around a single goal… to surpass your expectations for freeing the babies in The Sims 4! With today’s addition of Infants – a brand new life stage – we hope you’ll agree that we’ve lived up to our objective, and that you’ll find Infants to be the best little Sims you’ve ever experienced in a Sims’ game.

After you finish downloading today’s update and you rush to launch the game, you may be wondering what the fastest way is to start discovering the joy that Infants bring to your Sims’ household. Of course there’s tried and true options like adoption, or finding your favorite WooHoo spot and letting nature take its course. You could even try a new interaction available on your Sim’s phone to have a Science Baby, which lets you attempt a little platonic genetic mixing and see what the outcome may be. Personally though, I’d suggest setting all that aside and simply heading into Create-a-Sim to start customizing every aspect of a brand new Infant. It’s a first in the mainline Sims’ franchise to have this level of customization over a Sim this young, and you’ll discover lots to tweak and try on. There’s everything from stork bites that fade away over time to a baby head shaping helmet, and of course – plenty of adorable outfits and hairstyles. Before you leave CAS, don’t forget to select one of the six new traits that will significantly affect the personality of your Infant.

Back in Live Mode, you’ll find the world has much to offer an Infant. All ages of the family are able to socialize with infants, making for many cute camera-worthy moments! With the ability to crawl, you’ll need to keep an eye on your Infants as well. While they’ll happily push around nesting blocks or attempt to play with a dollhouse, they can also get up to mischief by exploring common household objects. Thankfully you’ll find new baby lock functionality at your fingertips on all gates and doors, and a cute new baby fence that’s perfect for keeping your little ones secured in an area.

Nurturing will play an important role in your Infant’s development. While caring for an Infant’s Attention motive is a clear way to ensure they’re getting the socialization they need, Infants also form attachments to their household members through regular interaction and bonding. This is key to an Infant’s development, and can result in special reward traits that influence their proficiency at forming healthy relationships over the span of their life. One great example of quality time spent between a caregiver and Infant is exploring various foods in the High Chair, where Infants will start learning things that they like, love, or dislike. And worry not, quality of life improvements are here for the High Chair for both Infants and Toddlers. We’ve made updates so that your little Sims won’t be so demanding about constantly wanting to be released from the High Chair.

Today’s update also includes a variety of furniture and decor options to build your dream nursery with. In particular, you’ll want to place one of the brand new Cribs to help ensure your Infant gets a quality night’s sleep. You’ll find Cribs that perfectly match a number of thematic styles, while others serve more practical purposes. If you’re the type of Sim family that’s constantly on the go and vacationing to new places, the portable Travel Crib is just what you need. More practical families may opt for an upgradeable crib, which can be transformed into a Toddler Bed when their Infant is ready for the next stage of their life. No matter which Crib you choose, they all have the ability to install a mobile which gently spins and plays relaxing lullabies, ensuring even an Infant with the Wiggly trait will drift off to sleep.

I also want to share some improvements we’ve made to your existing Sims. The babies that you’ve had in your game since The Sims 4 launched are now known as Newborns, and they still play an important role in the early progression of your Sims’ life. The time spent in this age has been shortened significantly; Newborns now represent the first couple of days after birth before they age up to become Infants. Although you’ll spend less time with Newborns, we added some great changes to improve this age. First and foremost, Newborns now have the same range of skin tones as all of our other Sim ages! Other visual changes include having their correct eye colors, and adjustments to their appearance and movements that help skew them even younger. They’ll now fit right into the family from the moment they’re brought home from the hospital! Children and Toddlers are finally able to interact with newborns, such as taking the opportunity to approach the bassinet and entertain them with youthful antics. We’ve also made significant quality of life improvements – no longer will caregivers awkwardly set Newborns back inside the bassinet in-between every social interaction. With all of these changes, you’ll find that the Newborn age now represents a short-but-sweet moment in each Sims’ life.

All in all, we’re thrilled to deliver this update to all Simmers! Infants were a special project for our team to work on, and we hope they’ll bring fun and joy (or for some of you, an entirely new level of challenge) to your time playing The Sims 4!

Dag, dag!

[caffeinated-and-annoying-bard]

I HAVE A LETTER FROM MEI (I feel like a carrier pigeon for yall (lovingly)

“My dearest, non-pen penpal,

Your music taste is very good, I’m a fan of COUNT THOSE FREAKS, which isn’t too surprising since I’ve been a jazz fan and I like a good bass line. Also I am not a kindergartener, I will have you know I can count to 10 (I think), but has, I do have a craving for knowledge. I, perchance, will bite your head off, I haven’t decided yet. I love the Daisy attention, Daisy is my favorite one of the office staff. Especially in season 4 when she’s a bit more sassy and has become self aware, plus her statements are my favorite. I am a little theater kid and was looking for monologues to practice with and so far my favorite has been the statement that Elias forced out of her.

Now it’s time for me to influence your music taste. As a theater kid it is my job to give you a musical and since you’ve suggested Jazz to me I give you “Hadestown”.

If you are familiar with the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, then you will be familiar with Hadestown, although, seeing how cool you are, you may already be a Hadestown fan. If you aren’t, check it out! Also I recommend you two podcasts/audiodramas! 1 - Malevolent: it’s about an investigator who looses his vision and has to rely on a monster in order to survive, while crawling out of the accidental storm he’s found himself in with the super natural and gods beyond his understanding. And 2 - Witherburn After School News: A young girl gets her school paper shut down so in order to keep the gossip and school news going she begins an after school news program for her little city, what starts out as a little gossip channel becomes the center of a missing kid conspiracy and the cult activity. If you like a bit more goofy then go with Witherburn but if you enjoy a high pace mystery then go with Malevolent. I will warn, Malevolent starts off very odd but if you continue I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

Our exquisite exchanges fills me jubilation, farewell my fair gentleman.

-The Jorkmaster.”

Hello! I am delighted to hear of my computer-penpal!! Although if you ever get tired of playing messenger we can exchange emails or something, I'm always glad to make friends (←guy who makes friends once every time god dies and the maggots in his corpse decide to die on his head and actually hates making friends but this is alright because I have been peer reviewed by dear Dev)

First of all, beware that I never got over elementsry school power dynamics, so jot it down when I say: I'm 2 years older so you are a kindergartener to me (just kidding, you guys are way smarter than me. I will sit in a corner with my calculus and my poetry while you crazy kids run around doing all sorts of arts and learn latin)

You can go ahead, my head will grow back again (I cannot be killed because I am unfunny and the writers need someone to make fun of)

Daisy is brilliant, and I am absolutely shattered every time I remember her partnership (if i call it a relationship it wouldn't feel as deep) with Basira and how it had to end. Their statements compliment each other so well narrative-wise, it's insane.

Ah, a fellow theatre kid. Joy of joys, now we can team up and sing the muses' part of I Won't Say I'm In Love from Disney's Hercules at our favourite skeleton and their very very close acquaintance. Also, how dare you not assume that I know every Hadestown song and dialogue piece by heart??? I auditioned for Padre Rentería for our end-of-semester production or Pedro Páramo (i had to audition for a character, although i just wanted to be lights staff) with His Kiss, the Riot‼️‼️it is quite literally my favourite musical, being a Percy Jackson (and Co.) fan since childhood, jazz and greek myths are my personal catnip (though I don't really like Epic: The Musical (the storytelling is great but I don't enjoy the songs))

I have been planning to check out Malevolent as soon as I'm done with Red Valley‼️‼️in exchange, and in hopes you haven't listened to it yet, I present to you Wolf359 (science fiction podcast, quite funny, aliens, The Horrors of Capitalism, it's amazing, I don't know what else to tell you)

And I hadn't ever heard of Witherburn After School News ‼️‼️I will check it out on new year's day, thank you truly for the recommendation

In exxhange I offer: Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo (to both of you!! It is a great book!!! Not only because we made it a play and now I'm attached), it is a magical realism story of a Mexican village (which actually exists, it's in the state of Colima!) in the 1920s and 1950s (there are timejumps so both of these are correct) and a guy who was sent by his dying mother to find his father. Who was a dickhead and now there are ghosts everywhere what the fuck (it's great if you know what to look for)

https://armandfbaker.github.io/translations/novels/pedro_paramo.pdf

Here's the link to the translated book, it is public domain.

As always, it is a joy and a privilege to exchange correspondence with such a bright young lady. My expectant pen(keyboard) awaits for your response (or not, take your time kid, and merry holidays!) and I wish nothing but for blue skies to open for you this winter

[blazichu]

I happened to write my thoughts down as I was progressing through Brothership, so here they are, in roughly chronological order. Definitely contains spoilers.

Oh. Well. I sure can do something with Maykit's song, now can't I.

I know people are probably comparing this to WW, but tbh, the bite-sized islands remind me of Phantom Hourglass, and traveling on a set path invokes Spirit Tracks. I suppose the visuals are sort of reminiscent of Wind Waker, but, if anything, it's the shading re: the WiiU version. Not everything set on the open sea is Wind Waker, but I appreciate the enthusiasm.

Oh good, I missed stomping on Francis.

Forgot the villains straight up have Antasma's face. Do we think that's actually going to call back, or is the new dev team just trying to tie into the last proper M&L game?

…why do they keep doing villains in this style? The guy just looks like Antasma again, or (with the top hat) a color swapped Count Bleck. The only real difference is the MSA style skull.

Don't know why, exactly, but I've had that post that goes 'this isn't a ouija board, it's a Luigi board' stuck in my head for about three islands, now.

I'm actually kind of happy to see Starlow again. I had a friend who really hated her, but she seems a lot more chill in this one. Wish they'd kept the sound for her old voice, though.

Pfff, so apparently this DID turn into Wind Waker after all. We've got a bunch of kids with swirly belts who decided to take the matter of people getting kidnapped by birds into their own hands. They even hitched a ride on a boat so they could travel to an island with high towers, where a giant bird roosts.

So the idea is that Zokket can't remember names because even that's a bond, right?

Just looked at the word 'Zokkarang' and realized how many ATLA ships that encompasses.

I actually really love Bulbfish so far, it's a great change of pace. Pretty obvious where it's going, but there's nothing inherently wrong with that. The game isn't big on subtlety thus far anyway.

I'm bad at dodging the Foopflies, but love seeing them, because their name is super fun to say.

Every time I have to go back to Heatfreeze, I obnoxiously go "BWAAAM BWAM BWA-BWA-BWAM" a la Hailfire Peaks.

...okay. Either they put the obligatory mid-game Bowser fight WAY later than usual, or I'm not nearly as far into this game as I'd thought.

Oh yeah. I totally believe you, game. This is 100% where things are ending. It's not like the UI suggests any differently.

I got the 'Auto Luigi' plug, and no lie, the first thing out of my mouth was: "What does that mean? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?"

Brothership out here saying that sharks are smooth as hell.

Okay, hang on. We got Shyguy Says earlier on, but was that an Eatsa Pizza gag just now?

Oh my god. The Extension Corps is just evil Sweet Cap'n Cakes. How did I not see it before.

One thing I really dig is that the game's logic stays consistent between plugs and Bros moves, and it's a neat bit of foreshadowing. I didn't think anything of the fire and ice plugs combining to be extra powerful until it became a story beat.

There's a real consistent design theory with these villains, huh. This one feels VERY reminiscent of Cackletta and Dimentio.

Look. I get what the game is going for with this whole 'isolate yourself and do what you enjoy without socialization' villain philosophy, but uh. Maybe know the audience. That's exactly what I've done in order to play this.

The number of times someone's gone "Let's-a go" at the end of a scene, only for me to mutter "let's-a not" and turn around to continue treasure hunting is kind of alarming. It's always capped off with "Now we may-a go" too.

What a coincidence! Conductor Connection is also MY most powerful move!

I called most of the bonds, but think it's odd that the game highlighted Bowser and the minions' being so important, but neglected to include them in this portion. I guess it would be kind of hard to make that work, when Bowser wouldn't ever hold someone's hand?

I've always really loved the fact that the M&L games are allowed to have a continuity between them. I said before, it was nice to see Starlow, but they threw in references to her being friends with Bowser, and then the chicken thing. Bowser still remembers Luigi's name after four games of calling him "Green ___". It's not just throwing in a reference here and there, like the Peasly, Shroob, Broque and Zeekeeper reefs; looking back on it, you can see actual character arcs, the most obvious being Luigi gaining confidence, and Bowser becoming more of a threat.

I just busted out laughing. We blew a hole in the wall to access the OTHER hole we already made in the wall.

So I went and looked up the last Zokket battle, because there was something I wanted to see again, and none of the people I looked up got glohmed? I freeze up and panic during enemy attack phases, so I'm terrible at dodging, and (at that point) didn't realize there was a Glohm Defense plug, so I got Luigi glohmed on the very first turn-- and that was what I wanted to rewatch. There's a nice little sequence where you have to counterattack a glohmed brother, but after he's unarmed, he stops attacking, and you can stop countering/he'll break out of it. It was really sweet, and I kind of think the people who are playing "well" are missing out in that regard. Chalk one up for idiots like me.

I'm only just getting into the Solitree, but I wonder if the game is trying to make a point with these new enemies. There's one that's a combination of three trooper types, a support enemy that heals/buffs its allies, and a seedle that just spent the entire battle disengaged because its partner seedle ran off. That's all really interesting, given the villain's mission statement.

Okay, now that I'm not constantly in battles, the Solitree's theme is giving me MAJOR Psychonauts 1 vibes. I think, specifically, it was a song that plays in the Meat Circus, just before fighting the Butcher? The 'The bunnies are safe, we're all safe' scene?

Update on the Seedlusa: apparently it changes forms when it's the only enemy on the field. This isn't helping the optics at all.

SEEDLUSAS IN THE OVERWORLD RUN AWAY FROM YOU. I don't think I've seen ANY enemies that do that, before this.

So just recently, I ended a battle with a bro down for the first time, and now I'm going bonkers trying to even their EXP out again.

I am not immune to Sudden Silence with Bird Song Ambiance.

Seems I haven't evolved since that first run of Partners in Time after all. I definitely just jumped this boss to death over the course of an hour.

Okay. Say what you will about the game, but "UGH. PEOPLE." have to be the funniest last words for a final boss to utter. (Turned out there was more, but I maintain this would have been best.)

Not gonna lie, I didn't believe this was a new VA and not Martinet until I saw the credits. He's spot on-- it's really impressive.

My final takeaway from playing Brothership: I think I need to get my eyes checked. My depth perception is. Bad.

For real, Brothership was a good time. There are definitely some issues I would raise-- like the soundtrack's comparative weakness, a relative lack of interaction between the title characters (which is something I have a habit of harping on), and the game itself having the subtlety of a flying mallet-- but it was still engaging, and there was a lot to enjoy.

I'm still kind of disappointed my prediction about someone getting glohmed as a result of hiding underneath a drain pipe didn't pan out a la bean fever, though.

[rickvac]

Top 5 Spanish Learning Apps You Didn’t Know You Needed in 2024

Learning Spanish doesn’t have to be all about textbooks, verb charts, and wondering why you ever started. Instead, in 2024, our developers have created apps that help you improve your Spanish knowledge in a way that fits right into your everyday life. Get ready for a list of apps that will make mastering Spanish easy, fun, and — dare we say — addictive!

1. Galaxy Español: Your Passport to Spanish Fluency

Galaxy Español is like a personal space mission for your Spanish language journey. If you’re starting from scratch, you’ll be guided through the basics, step by step, until you’re confidently conversing. It’s perfect for anyone who loves structure and wants to build a solid foundation in Spanish grammar and vocabulary.

Website: enggalaxy.com

Pros:

Structured lessons that take you from beginner to advanced in clear, logical steps.

Easy-to-understand grammar explanations with interactive exercises.

Lots of free content, including a rich vocabulary bank and native speaker audio.

Cons:

Some users report technical glitches (but the dev team fixes them quickly).

The lessons can be a bit long, which might slow down those who prefer bite-sized learning.

2. EdLock: Learn Spanish While Unlocking Your Phone

EdLock is an innovative app that turns your phone usage into a learning opportunity. Every time you unlock your phone, EdLock presents you with a quick Spanish task. Think of it as a mini-quiz or translation challenge. Only after completing the task can you access your other apps. Sneaky, but it works!

Website: edlock.app

How it works: Every time you unlock your phone to scroll through Instagram or watch cat videos, EdLock throws a quick language challenge your way. Answer correctly, and you can open your app. It’s learning without even thinking about it!

Pros:

Learn Spanish effortlessly as part of your daily routine.

Motivation through gamification and access to your favorite apps.

Customizable difficulty and topics to suit your learning pace.

Cons:

Limited types of exercises, but that’s likely to expand in the future.

3. Polyglot-16: For the ‘I Just Want to Speak’ Crowd

Polyglot-16 is perfect for beginners who want to jump straight into the essentials. No fluff, no unnecessary extras — just the key grammar and vocabulary you need to start speaking Spanish as soon as possible. With a focus on practical usage, this app is a fast track to conversation.

Website: polyglotmobile.ru

Pros:

Logical progression: everything is structured in a clear, step-by-step manner.

Free access to the first lesson, and handy grammar tips along the way.

Includes a ‘hint’ section to help you through tricky spots.

Cons:

Some lessons are quite long, which may make it harder to stay focused.

Full access requires a paid subscription, but the free content is generous.

4. Langland: Level Up Your Spanish with Fun and Games

Forget textbooks! Langland is all about learning Spanish through games. Whether you want to boost your vocabulary, improve your listening skills, or practice grammar, this app turns language learning into an engaging quest. Perfect for those who want to study without feeling like they’re studying.

Website: langoland.ru

Pros:

Gamified learning makes it fun to tackle grammar and vocabulary.

Wide range of exercises that target different aspects of language acquisition.

Cons:

Some users report needing time to get used to the game-based format.

Full functionality requires a subscription.

5. LinguaLeo: A Safari of Spanish Learning

LinguaLeo turns language learning into an adventure. Instead of the usual drills, this app gives you a variety of interactive exercises, all designed to help you steadily improve your Spanish. Plus, it integrates learning into your daily tasks, so you don’t have to set aside large chunks of time to study.

Website: lingualeo.com/ru

Pros:

Huge variety of interactive lessons for all skill levels.

Easy to incorporate into your day-to-day routine.

Cons:

While effective, it can take time to see visible progress.

Some advanced features are locked behind a subscription.

Conclusion

So there you have it! Whether you’re a casual learner or seriously aiming for fluency, these apps have you covered. Want to learn Spanish without even thinking about it? Give EdLock a try. Looking for a well-structured, grammar-focused app? Galaxy Español will get you there. And if you want to have fun while learning, Langland is your new best friend.

Which of these apps will you try first? Let us know in the comments and buen viaje on your Spanish learning journey in 2024!

[lozmastermm]

Security Breach Ruin is meh. It feels like a story written between 2 children with a dev team desperately making a game around it.

I think the AR concept was plain and simple, the least thought out concept for their base-game to work off of. Who the hell at the meeting said "Let's double the assets and map workload" when they barely can handle a linear gameplay segment.

Speaking of linear, it's insanely linear, which is fine on it's own, but it's just so painfully shoving you forward you never feel like there's anything to take in. And there isn't. The artistry is okay in some aspects, animations are amazing as always, but the entire pizzaplex feels like it's made to serve the purpose of gameplay in the laziest way. Nothing feels designed as a segment, it feels like they had one idea for gameplay, made a bunch of counter strike maps, and forced the one gameplay they have into it.

The voice acting is frustratingly poor, I'm willing to bet due to direction, the main character sounds like the fakest old lady trying to do as cutesy and genuinely challeneged sounding little girl as possible, and it's utterly, utterly terrible to listen to. Every line has a that childish whiny "uh" at the end that nobody but Chills does.

There's several moments where all I can think is "Boy howdy they do not respect the player's intellect at a baseline" one of the worst being that gregory, obviously not really him, eventually has One Cutscene where he sounds Clearly Edited in order to...honestly pull a "tell don't show" in an insulting manner. No shit it's not gregory, but for the love of god, don't insult my intelligience like that.

Hell that makes the main character utterly groan worthy. You're telling me she seriously didn't hear hoe off he sounded? Child or no, she's done eeeerverything else in this pizzaplex, no fucking way Cassie didn't notice. It's convenient writing that serves Actually Less than No One. Utterly. Embarrassing writing, whoever approved that scene needs fired, they're fucking terrible at story telling.

This would be like Fnaf2 having a definitive answer to the bite of 87, a blatantly dropped """"hint"""" that leaves no mystery or ability for the player to even think. It's just an event that happened, and it means as much as the story begs you to feel.

Is it better than SB? Honestly I don't know. There's no enemies in Ruin for 80% of it. They released it buggy and clunky again, and as far as I can tell, it's not the engine to blame anymore, it's just a half talented team with a half-jobber team.

Meh. Is what you describe Ruin as. I'm not angry or upset, just flabergasted that the issues inside are even existent in the first place. It's Baby's First Game/Story issues. Written by children and designed by grumpy adults. The only people that I could Feel Had Fun working on this title was the animators. Everyone else feels like they had a stressful time at the halfway point.

This isn't to just drop shit on the game, clearly effort was put in, I just notice the people who don't put effort in more because their grubby mitts were everywhere compared to the animators. Even the voice actors sound bored to tears, how??

To go back to the AR stuff, it just perplexes me that one person would even reccomend it. Ya'll hardly handled SB, why the FUCK would you inherently DOUBLE THE WORKLOAD for an idea that sucks? It just sucks. It's a terrible idea for FNaF. Whether it's been built up to or not is irrelevant, the scope was already absurd but adding this leaves the player, not the plot considerer, to go "What the hell happened to this series?"

Soul transfer is at least "magical", fucking entire AR worlds that have their own physical realm???? And why, oh god why, Purple and Pink. That's Ruin's color scheme, fucking Purple. And not even good looking. What was the game concept here??? Go into AR to go past walls??? That's fucking it? A shitty rabbit that does absolutely nothing but static the screen????? Why?????????

Who the fuck made this game and thought it was okay. At least the lighting is....better than SB when it's not covered in fucking PURPLE.

God it's just frustrating. What direction is this series anymore? It's utterly random and not one soul can keep up. You'd think just having a moveable character wouldn't lead to such an explosively limited gameplay, but it does, more than the originals ever, SB is Linear as Fuck, because they HAVE to tell a story.

Which is the biggest problem with Fnaf now. "It has to tell a story" comes before "make a scary Good game" the story is written out and the gameplay is adapted to it, what Fnaf of old did best was make a game and adapt a story to it, just as Fnaf1 did that caused it to explode.

Now? I'm not discovering a story, I'm not researching and learning shit, I'm waiting for the next game to continue the story, not to give me more pieces of the puzzle to construct. They have their story, and any theory is wasted

[anon-e-miss]

I don't know if you're up for it, or if you could suggest a good comfort fic. 35 weeks pregnant and now with covid, I feel like shit and just wanna read Prowl getting cared for and loved

I hope you like my Culture Shock AU. Since this fic there.

It started with a tickle in Prowl’s throat. He did not think anything of it, at first. Smokescreen had joined the mecha-soccer team at his new school and Prowl had cheered so loud and continuously that his throat had become a little raw. Prowl did not believe he had ever screamed so loud as he had when Smokescreen had scored his first goal. Beyond just the accomplishment of that goal, seeing Smokescreen with Devcon and their teammates surrounding Smokescreen to celebrate that goal was an incredible victory from Prowl’s point of view. Seeing Smokescreen celebrated, seeing him happy, was just incredible. Now, the light-cycle after, as Prowl made Smokescreen’s favourite rhodonite stuffed crepes, he found he was suffering a bit of punishment for his loss of self control. He swallowed another mouthful of pressed energon and winced.

“Are ya a’ight, Prowl?” Jazz asked. Prowl set his mug down.

“I am,” he replied in a voice that was riddled with harsh static. “I seem to have screamed myself a little hoarse.”

“Ya sure that’s all?” Jazz asked. “Y’re lookin’ a lil flushed?”

“The crepes cook on a high heat,” Prowl said.

“Why don’t ya sit?” Jazz suggested, pulling out Prowl’s chair.

“I just need to finish the crepes,” Prowl replied. He was tired though, and his throat was sore and Prowl deferred to Jazz’s wishes and sat. His Conjunx Endura brought the stack of crepes to him, along with the rhodonite filling and whipped talc Prowl had already prepared.

“Can I help ya?” Jazz asked. It was strange how sitting and made Prowl aware of how unwell he felt. He nodded to Jazz, thinking better of speaking. Jazz watched him fill a crepe and then roll it and top it with the whipped talc and then did the same; he ended up finishing most of the crepes. “After breakfast, I’ll comm Ratchet. Just to be safe.”

Jazz was worried. Though Prowl had not being exposed to the poisons that had killed Free Wheeler, he remained heavy with Jazz’s newspark and seeing Prowl unwell clearly troubled him. Prowl did not want to worry him but even as he pondered how he might alleviate his Conjunx’s concern, the gravid mech brushed his servo over his spark and worried over his newspark. He kept his composure as his boisterous family gathered at the dining room table. Smokescreen was still riding the high of his mecha-soccer win and his brothers, all three of them, but Sideswipe most excitedly asked for another retelling of Smokescreen’s game winning goal.

“Thanks for making crepes, Origin,” Smokescreen said. Prowl smiled lovingly at his creation.

“Jazz deserves much of the credit,” Prowl said, the harsh static lingering and he could not entirely hold back the pained grimace as he spoke.

“Are you okay, Origin?” Smokescreen asked. All four mechlings looked at him and there was a particularly stark expression of terror on Sunstreaker’s face.

“I have a sore throat,” Prowl replied. “It is nothing serious.”

“‘M gonna have Ratchet come by to see if he can’t give Prowl some medicine to make him more comfortable,” Jazz explained. “‘M gonna get Grandori to take the small fry to school. Y’ll go wit Dev as usual, okay Smokey?”

“Sounds good,” Smokescreen replied. “Since I get out earlier, I can pick them up on my way home. If that’s okay?”

“That’d be great, Smokey,” Jazz said. “Now enjoy yer rewards. That was a wicked goal, Smokey.”

Prowl fuelled, though each bite was painful. Though he may have, in the past, merely elected not to fuel, Prowl was hyper conscious of his nutrition now, what with having Ratchet on his aft. It saddened him that he would not be visit with Barricade and Tripwire, but Barricade had nearly recovered enough to be released and Prowl would not want to risk spreading any infection to his brother or his nephew. He knew they would not be without company. Ricochet had not returned to Doradus yet as he waited out the hurricane before he went after Sideways and he spent much of his time as he did visiting with Barricade. He must have had friends he missed, having been away in Doradus for vorns but he stayed with Barricade and Tripwire. His visits encouraged the bitlet’s imprint on him but Prowl thought, at least for now, this was ideal. Barricade was growing stronger with each mega-cycle, sharing the bitlet’s “weight” allowed Barricade’s spark to gain that much more strength. This was really the essential thing in reducing the risk of fatality in any future carrying, if Barricade ever chose to create again.

“Go back to berth, Sweetspark,” Jazz ordered after he sent the mechlings on their way. “I’ll clean up. Ratchet’ll come by after he’s done he rounds with Barricade.”

“I suppose that would be wise,” Prowl replied.

“I’ll bring ya up citrine ‘n topaz tisane,” Jazz told him. “One o’ Ori’s cure alls. Should sooth yer throat some.” “Thank you,” Prowl said. “It sounds like one my progentior made.”

Just as he had said he would, Jazz followed him up to the berthroom a bream after Prowl retreated with a steaming mug of citrine and topaz tisane. Prowl sipped the brew and found it was very similar, if not identical to the brew he remembered his progenitor making. Though Jazz’s time could have been better served just about anywhere, he remained with Prowl, keeping him company, cuddling him and stroking his helm and Prowl leaned into him, taking comfort where comfort was given. It was so different from the last time he had taken ill, well after he and Tumbler had parted ways, where he had been alone in his habsuite, fending for himself. Prowl realized just how alone, just how lonely he had been for so long.

“Let’s see my patient,” Ratchet groused, coming into the berthroom with only a quick knock to announce himself. “Punch let me in.”

“Prowl woke up with a sore throat and some serious static,” Jazz explained. “Bit o’ a fever too.”

“Any coughing?” The medic asked. Prowl shook his helm. He felt Ratchet’s scanners fall over him. “Open your mouth and I’ll have a look.”

“Is it serious?” Jazz asked. “Prowl ain’t been anywhere near the poisoned sea.”

“Vocapox,” Ratchet declared.

“Could the newspark suffer?” Prowl asked in his harsh, static-laced voice.

“While Protopox and Vocapox are related, Vocapox cannot mutate into Protopox,” Ratchet replied, putting Prowl at ease. “There’s no danger to your newspark. I’m going to prepare an injection of repair-nanites programmed to eliminate the infection and you’ll be feeling mostly better in a few mega-cycles, though you may feel under the weather for an orn or so. If your fever spikes, I want you to give me a call immediately in case your systems react to the repair-nanites.”

“We’ll all keep an optic on ‘m,” Jazz promised. “Citrine ‘n topaz tisane okay for ‘m?”

“It’ll be beneficial,” Ratchet said. “Topaz is known to boost the self-repair system and the hot medgrade should be soothing.”

“Am I contagious?” Prowl asked.

“No,” Ratchet assured him. “It isn’t a viral infection and after you receive the nanite injection, it’ll fully eliminate the minimal risk of spread.”

“That’s good,” Jazz said. “Pretty sure the mechlings are gonna wanna get their cuddles in after school.”

Prowl rested after Ratchet gave him the injection. He woke when the door opened. Through bleary optics, Prowl saw Sunstreaker quietly slip into the berthroom Prowl shared with the mechling’s progenitor. Sunstreaker held a tray holding a card and a mug of tisane. Even unwell as Prowl felt, he smiled at the sight of the mechling as he tried to walk so quietly. It lifted his spirits enough to convince Prowl to sit up, so he could enjoy a moment with his step-creation. Jazz had surely told Sunstreaker to be quiet and of course he had been, Prowl did not recharge deeply out of nature. His battle computer had engage restart protocols before Sunstreaker had even opened the door, before Prowl’s upper processors could even engage.

“I made you a card,” Sunstreaker whispered. Prowl smiled.

“Thank you,” he said with a burst of static.

“Geni said y’re ‘sposed to rest yer voice,” Sunstreaker scolded him sweetly. “He made ya tea... tisane ‘n told me to give it to ya... Then ‘m supposed to leave ya to rest.”

“You do not need to leave,” Prowl said. Whispering was not anymore pleasant. He took the mug and set it down on the end table and then look at the card. Prowl patted the berth next to him. Sunstreaker happily clamoured up and wedged himself into Prowl’s side as Prowl drank the tea. The hot liquid was soothing, if only temporarily. “I cannot image I am as much fun as your brother’s right now.”

“I just wanna snuggle,” Sunstreaker said. As soon as Prowl set the cube aside and laid back down, Sunstreaker did just that and immediately rested his helm in his preferred spot on Prowl’s chassis. Prowl smiled and stroked his helm.

“Still the perfect spot?” Prowl asked.

“Mhm,” Sunstreaker replied. “I can hear the bitty.”

“You can hear...” Prowl gasped. “You know I am carrying?”

“I heard ‘m when we cuddled after... the park,” Sunstreaker said. “I don’t think ‘m ‘sposed to know.”

“I am not mad you know,” Prowl replied, hugging Sunstreaker closer. “Not at all. Sometimes newsparks reasborb and your Geni and I thought we would wait until the risk passed in case something happened. We did not want to upset you and Sideswipe, or Smokescreen and Bluestreak.”

“He’s not gonna reabsorb,” Sunstreaker replied. “He’s strong. He’s Red.”

“Red?”

“That’s what he says,” Sunstreaker said. “He’s Red.”

Love radiated through Prowl’s spark, into the mechling. Was it entirely his love or was it also that of the newspark? Red. Somehow, it felt... right. There was still more to come, newsparks had a way of designating themselves, speaking to their originating spark most often later in their forging. It delighted Prowl that his newspark would speak to Sunstreaker, to bond to his older brother at so early an age. Sunstreaker was special, Red was special. They all were. In his spark, he felt Jazz, who must have felt the waves of love. He was coming to join them, Prowl knew without Jazz saying as much and he smiled at his Conjunx Endura as he peered in the doorway.

“Helping Origin get better, Sunny?” Jazz asked, smiling lovingly at his mechling.

“Mhm,” Sunstreaker replied. “Wanted to listen to Red.”

“Red...”

“The newspark,” Prowl explained. “He introduced himself to Sunstreaker.”

“Oh wow,” Jazz said. “That why ya like cuddlin’ just like this? Ya like to visit wit yer bitty brother?”

“Mhm,” Sunstreaker said. “Origin said he’s not mad I know.”

“Neither ‘m I,” Jazz promised. He ruffled the mechling’s helm. “Must be drivin’ ya crazy not tellin’ Sides.”

“Sides can’t keep a secret,” Sunstreaker replied. “Ever.”

“I guess we outta tell everyone, eh Prowl?” Jazz asked. “To save Sunny the stress.”

“Absolutely,” Prowl agreed. “At dinner?”

Jazz had made biotite soup while Prowl had be convalescing. Prowl smiled at the sight of the king of all comfort fuels. Sideswipe and Bluestreak presented him with get well cards of their own and Smokescreen offered him a pretty arrangement of crystals he must of picked. Never in his life had Prowl been fussed over like this for a little bug. He smiled and gave each of his creations a nuzzle and a cuddle. Though it was early, it excited Prowl to share the news of his carrying with his mechlings. It thrilled him more and more every mega-cycle to be carrying, to have this dream of dreams come true. Prowl reminded himself the mechlings may not be so thrilled and he bolstered himself and willed himself to be patient.

“We got some news to share, since Sunny sorted it out ‘mself,” Jazz explained as he sat down, after ladling the soup into everyone’s bowl. “How about it, Sunny, why don’t ya do the honours ‘n tell yer brothers the news.”

“We’re gonna have a brother!” Sunstreaker exclaimed. “He says he’s Red!”

“A bitty?” Sideswipe asked. He brought his servos to his mouth as he grinned, looking dazzled.

“Mhm,” Prowl nodded.

“I won’t be the youngest?” Bluestreak asked.

“No,” Jazz replied. “Y’re gonna be a big brother. Y’re gonna be a great one.”

“Uh huh!” Bluestreak nodded his agreement and Prowl felt relieved. Smokescreen was quiet and Prowl had feared this. Of all the mechlings, Smokescreen’s place in the world, or his perception of it, was the most tenuous.

The youngling cleared the table and retreated to the kitchen after announcing he would do the dishes. Prowl wanted to chase after him but he was wrapped in a group hug by the younger mechlings and he could not just run away from them. Jazz gave him a reassuring smile and went after Smokescreen. It was a bream before they returned together and Smokescreen walked over to Prowl and gave him a big hug. With a knowing smile, Jazz presented their family with citrine whip for dessert and Prowl savoured the frozen dessert as it soothed his throat. He watched his youngling herd his brothers to the living room to pick a movie to watch together. Somehow, he seemed lighter than Prowl thought he had ever seen him.

“What did you say to him?” Prowl asked in a whisper. Jazz kissed his cheekplate.

“Just the truth,” Jazz replied. “That I seen yer spark ‘n seen yer love for’m, for Bluestreak, for the Twins. ‘N it’s just as deep as it’s always been wit this bitty growing on yer spark. I see it every time we merge ‘n I love ya so much for it.”

[allieebobo]

Monsoon Games

Monsoon Games is a small indie game studio that creates story-rich, character-driven games. We want our games to create a cozy space that feels like home - in all its varied and unexpected forms.

We are passionate about making games that tell diverse stories and experiences, feature strong, memorable characters, and most of all, create moments that are both heartwarming and thought-provoking.

Whether it’s exploring the rollercoaster of navigating life as a college varsity athlete (College Tennis: Origin Story), or the bittersweet struggle to figure out where 'home' is after a messy breakup (Merry Crisis) - or quietly carving out a new life as a diner-owner on a distant moon (Space Diner-WIP), our games invite players into rich, unique worlds full of colorful, diverse characters.

Ko-fi (Support the Game Studio!)

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College Tennis: Origin Story

Tennis/Sports x Slice-of-life x College x Found-family x Coming-of-age x Coz

Experience the ups-and-downs of life as a freshman on the Cargill University varsity tennis team amongst a colorful cast of characters.

Compete in nail-biting singles and doubles matches, forge lifelong friendships, pursue budding romances and make a name for yourself, both on and off the tennis court.

Will the once-great Cargill Coyotes succeed in reclaiming the NCAA Div I championship title for the first time since the 90s? Will you come into your own as a promising young tennis star, primed for the professional leagues? Most importantly, how much are you willing to sacrifice in pursuit of these dreams?

Demo | Dedicated blog | Main Post | Characters | Face-claims | Dev log | COG forum | Crowdsourced playlists

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Non-Euro-centric x Romance-focused x Slice-of-life x Queer x Coming-of-age

As a late 20-something year-old fresh from a recent break-up and struggling to pay rent in New York, life throws up more questions than answers.

Will the trip home for the holidays bring a fresh perspective, and a welcome change of scenery? Will you survive the week with your sanity—and your relationship with your family—intact? Will you win back your ex, revisit an old flame, the first love you left behind in Singapore, or perhaps start something new with the neighbor your mother loves-to-hate?

At the end of the week, as you watch the New Year's Eve fireworks, decide if your future lies in New York or back in Singapore.

Demo | Dedicated blog | Features | Cast of characters | Dev log | COG forum | Crowdsourced playlists

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Author corner

About me

Allie, 27, she/her. Useless dumb-jock who lives for good coffee, sunshine, hikes/bikes, and slow sunday mornings. Urban planner by day, writer by night.

Send in asks, and messages to: @allieebobo (main), or at the dedicated blog handles @collegetennisoriginstory and @merrycrisis-if. Development announcements and other goodies will go on main, and be reblogged on each of the dedicated blogs.

What I'm currently:

Writing: Chapter Six for CT:OS

Reading: Future Home of the Living God, Louise Erdrich (this is so good, probably one of my fave books of this year—I know I keep saying that, but this one's really good.)

Listening to: Dear Mr. President, 4 Non Blondes (I'm obsessed with this band, how did I not hear of 'em till now?!)

Watching: Warriors (still haven't made up my mind on this one)

Other WIP ideas

[elffees]

ya know i can totally see what was going through the devs’ mind when they tried to cram in Ryan x Laura:

enemies to lovers — horrifically, that is the most well loved trope on the internet right now, so the devs likely thought ppl would eat up these two characters who excessively bickered at first growing to find each other attractive.

beauty & the beast — i mean that’s what The Lovers tarot was all about. the intimacy of Laura biting a fatally wounded Ryan to protect him. soft moon light shining down on them as they sit in an all-glass high walled room, struggling to survive against the odds. *twirls in drama*

hero team — a lot of ppl wanted Sam and Mike to be together in Until Dawn bc they were the most liked and most intense characters. welp, here ya go! the heroes of the story, Ryan for shooting Chris and Laura for shooting Silas are smushed together.

like it’s pretty clear what was going through the writers’ minds when they tried to couple these two up. it’s just funny bc they didn’t consider how none of that shit fits their characters at all.

[grittyreadsfic]

can you tell me more about NicoJack. Both first overall picks with the weight of the world on them

okay hello sorry for the delay in answering this but i uhhh have poor time management and a tendency to bite off more than i can chew so i have been writing like 15k worth of fics for two difference exchanges since you sent this so i have been uhhhh a lil busy but okay yes nicojack

i'm not sure quite what you're asking here so i'm gonna give some context for them both in case you don't know and then just kind of deep dive into vibes/my thoughts, and you can feel free to come back if you need me to clarify/expand on anything, okay?

nico went first overall in 2017, and is the first swiss player to do so. prior to that he played for SC Bern and for the national team for various tournaments (he played with his older brother Luca who currently plays for SC Biel and with siegs who the devs traded for last season. they're roommates again this season, as far as i can tell) He also did a year in the qmjhl playing for the moosehead and did really well there. he got the a that he split with palms right around his 21st birthday and in his season debut last year they gave him the c

and for jack i'm pulling directly from my jackty primer mostly but jack hughes is the second of the three hughes brothers-his older brother quinn plays defense on the canucks and his younger brother luke isa freshman at umich and a devs prospect. their mom, ellen, also played for team usa and i’m in love with her. he went the usntdp route and broke some records there  before going first overall to the Devils in 2019.

you can read more about them / the team here in this devs primer i helped make though the other two involved def did pretty much all of the work lmao

but anyway. the vibes.

i'm not the first one to point out that the devils core at the end of last season had some major parallels to the pens when they really started their rebuild with who they talked about as their core (nico and jack as 1c and 2c like sid and geno, ty's a dman like tanger, and obvious mac comes into play like flower as the goalie) and i really cannot help but draw parallels to sidgeno and the early hrpf pairings in the dynamic we see for nicojack

they're two young first over alls (the only two in the devils history!) and the team is uh. Bad. we had three cups (95, 00, 03) and made the finals in 2012 where we lost. we've made the playoffs one since then, in nico's rookie season. they're literally meant to save the franchise, because we've been bottom of the league pretty much every season for the last decade, which is approximately when i got into the devs. my bad, you guys.

so they share that weight, and they have that really unique experience of having the weight of jersey on them-and i mean, nico had taylor hall is first few seasons to help him deal with the wait of being a first overall on a struggling team (rip hallsy he's not dead he's just a bruin) and nico had a captain in andy greene and a shit ton of veterans and a lot of really good players on the ice to fallback on, but jack got fucked over during his rookie season. no captain, the goalie he was living with got sent down, hallsy got traded, and it was uh. one of our worst seasons yet

jack's talked about nico and having him to talk to about it when he was a rookie, but it's a really interesting dynamic, right? because for all nico's second season was kind of a shitshow, i think a lot of the anger was more focused on the vets/hallsy and not directed at him. jack got called a draft bust pretty regularly through last season, and he's currently a point per game so. fuck them and fuck the nico haters because they're full of shit

back to my point: jack got a lot of shit his rookie season and nico was also growing into his leadership role-you see it more so after the hallsy trade, and you see it with him getting the a, and how he talked to the media. they've both got this incredible weight on them (the mortifying ordeal of being the face of the new jersey devils) but they've got each other to rely on.

jack said it best in this lil video: he went first overall as well. not many guys have the same path in terms of picks and playing on the same teams, leading up the nhl, you know, so. it’s been fun to become really good buddies with him and have his experiences and be a similar age with him.

unlike my jackty primer I don't have a billion links to every single time they talked about each other because my brain took one link at ty smith and has never let me have a moment of peace since, but i do have some fun odds and ends and i did do some crowdsourcing in my devs rpf server, so if i find anything else i'll reblog this and add more

-they were road roomies jack's rookie season and i believe it's in this podcast that jack talks about them just both taking four hour naps before games

-this photo of them from jack's rookie season

-this fun quote from the covid break last year because jack's really good at keeping tabs on his teammates

-this quote from last season a little before they started pretty much being the 1c/2c (and now they ARE and i'm EMOTIONAL)

-this quote from the start of this season and about zajac retiring that makes me lose my fucking mind

-this pic of them at a team bonding football game during the preseason

-still look sexy schao

-this hug from the win against edmonton the other night

-nico calling jack a star tonight

[blake-wyatt]

Any Way The Wind Blows

I think I need to read this book a couple more times to really drink it in but: you did it Rainbow, you beautiful SOB! 

few first impression spoilers under the cut!

- the fact there was barely any plot in 592 pages: GROUNDBREAKING. Very few authors have the courage to give the gays people everything they want from a finale! Carry On and Wayward Son were action packed: our heroes went from one trauma to the other with barely any time to process and this? this is when they slow down. When they spend one entire week on couches, eating Pret takeout, going to Ikea, and talking about their feelings. It’s hurt/comfort, healing, domestic, smut fic. And that’s very ambitious for a trilogy finale! She really Did That! And I’m forever grateful. 

- Shepard! An actual monster-fucker! Also a Penelope Bunce stan! Nothing made me happier than Shepard talking about her legs for 2 pages and then telling her he might have a merpeople venereal disease. Also you better believe she’s going to slay a dozen imps and a Ken.

- Everything about the intimacy scenes? ? Simon wanting it rough and Baz craving TendernessTM and having a praise kink! Simon having a vampire kink. The whole scene about him offering Baz his blood! Also TAIL PLAY. The inherent homoeroticism of....stroking your boyfriend’s dragon appendices. Simon biting Baz everywhere. Working their way up to sex but when it happens neither of them cries (!). The fact there was sex talk. More than I ever thought possible for the book! They talk about sucking cock and being covered in spunk and I WAS ASCENDING.

- Dev being a real person! Bit of a ponce but also showing he and Baz and Niall really are friends and have that lads lads lads (but make it posh) relationship. Mordelia and the twins being real kids! I loved to see Baz with them. Of course they have him wrapped around their mean little fingers. 

- Lady Ruth and Baz teaming up: we love to see it. 

- LESBIAN SUPREMACY. Niamh being hot. Good for Agatha, good for her.

- I liked that Penny was completely unhinged (affectionate) and shooting spells left and right, summoning demons, committing fraud, while Baz barely used any magic at all? Just a few domestic spells that didn’t even land right. We saw him being A God in the last book (superhuman vampire strength and senses PLUS powerful mage abilities) but the fact that he was just a boy lowkey investigating with his boyfriend and shopping for couches while Penny went All In? Feels right for this book.

- My. Rosebud. Boy.

- This was a book about healing and a book about beginnings. The story ends with Carry On, Wayward Son is what happens after the Ending, and AWTWB is how to move on and live with an Ending. Tonally, it was spot on. We don’t know what happens next! We don’t know if Simon will get his powers back, or if he’ll use Excalibur to still protect the World of Mages. We don’t know if Baz will take his spot on the Coven and make a Real Change (clearly their government is still a Clusterfuck). We don’t know if Penny and Shepard will spend their lives travelling the world and having adventures and being reckless and being a Power Couple but they’re on the right track! We don’t know how Simon will handle knowing what his father did (to him, to his mum) but we know he’ll try. 

- This is him trying.