#maybe I can take some notes and work on upping my accessories game

[falderaletcetera]

absolutely no brain today but pls know I found a button-up mens' shirt that fits my hips and looks bearably okay everywhere else - AND it's a nice colour - and am at massive risk of having THE most boring wardrobe in the history of wardrobes

[simmireen]

The more poses you make as a pose creator, the more things you learn and the more things you see. 

Maybe you have seen my former post, maybe not. But I want to address again that stealing is not OK. 

I use and see a lot of poses almost everyday, I reblog and maintain the poses masterlist (@ts4-poses), I am a sims-storyteller that loves to pose with poses from other creators for my story and ofcourse, make my own poses to share. But also...

I recognize my flaws in my own poses, my poses are not perfect, I learn everyday, that's why I knew this pose was mine. But by now, we have found 15 posecreators that have been done the same to, by Simsulani. And maybe you have seen in Toys of Dukeness their patreon post there is possibly another pose creator KD89 doing the same to them. What led to them deleting all of their content in our community. And seeing something leave the community over this, is sad. We lost already so many talented creators due to this.  

You have to know, Simsulani @hellosimsulani has around 20k followers on her patreon and about 200 people that support her by paying money to her. No, I'm not jealous, I share my poses because I want you to use my poses in-game. I'm not here in any way to have any financial gain. And I know this is the case of many others on the list down here that were affected. We want to make you happy, to be able to tell your story. 

But this money (maybe even your money) that she is earning over other people's creations that she adjusts, is not earned in a fair way. 

She violates many of the other posecreators TOU's. 

Besides taking poses and adjusting them, she adds accessories to the patreon post instead of linking to people's pages. (@simmisstrait her letterboard in this post) That's okay if it’s deleted, but doing so when this creator is still active? That’s not ok (only if it's okay stated in their TOU)

In her own TOU she even states that you can't take her poses and re-upload somewhere else. But clearly it's okay to do it if she does it?

Please ! Do not re-upload my content. Do not claim my content as your own. Do not upload to Simsd0m/S!msf!nds Do not upload to another site without my permission.

After finding out about Toys of Dukeness and Acha-games, I found out my own pose got stolen and adjusted, and after that I got a lot of messages and pictures. People started helping investigate their own poses. These are the things we found. Thanks to @theserenadeofshadows her detective skills and her super SUPER hard and dedicated work this weekend (she is one of these 15), she made this amazing doc with the proof she and others found. At least a few posepacks are not her poses entirely. If we had more photographic memory skills and time, who knows what we could find out more. 

THE PROOF DOC 

NOTE: IT'S HEAVY UNDER INVESTIGATION STILL, but we wanted to show the proof we already have found! See and judge for yourself.

If you are a pose creator, please check if maybe one of your own poses got stolen, though she is very good at camouflaging it. It is incredibly hard to notice the stolen poses at first glance, it is a real frankenpose fiasco. @theserenadeofshadows tried to dissect the poses and find the original creators, and we found this stated in the doc, but know it is a slow and tedious process, so we can't find every pose and or posepack.

Groups and couples got split up and merged. Places in groups got swapped and/or rotated. Normal couples or single poses suddenly got a kid or partner (or both). Some expressions were made clownesque, exaggerated or the eyes closed. To make it even harder, she added accessories or removed them. She changed the body anatomy (resulting in broken poses sometimes) to make it appear different.

You can spot some weird clipping or gaps in the previews sometimes. 

We are not out to cancel someone, we stand for creativity and hope Simsulani will think about her actions and start making her own poses from scratch. Not stealing someone else's time because you need to create for your patrons. I know myself Patreon gives you a certain pressure to create for the people who pay for you, because you don't want to let them down. 

But doing this by stealing and putting it behind early access to earn a quick buck because you have no time or are too busy? 

Not OK. In no way. 

Thanks to everyone sharing and spreading the word and please keep doing so ❤️ 

[woozivrse]

ways you show love to svt

it's always ways svt shows love to you, so i decided to do this! wrote it in 40min with some help of a friend :) thank u pooks!

cheolie— you indulge him

❣︎ okay that may sound weird but, when he's feeling a little whiny? you coddle him and kiss him better. he's dressing up kkuma and calling her his pretty princess? you agree and buy some lil accessories for her! you get the idea.

hannie— opening a bottle for him

❣︎ whether it be a water bottle or some other drink, these things can be a lil tough. it's a cute way to care, opening a drink for someone before handing it to them. he’ll always give you a cute smile when you do, thanking you with a kiss on the cheek.

shua— trying new hobbies with him

❣︎ we’ve seen how much he tries new hobbies, so you join him! he's making beaded bracelets and jewelry? you make some too! trying out air dry clay? you make a lil pinch pot to join his own. whatever it is, you're sitting there with him trying it out and laughing with him at any small mistakes you two make.

junhui— sending him messages throughout the day

❣︎ you know he's busy most of the time, but you want him to know how often you think of him. it could be a small thing, a picture of a flower you saw, or even just an emoji, you'll still send it to him, hoping he can feel all the love you're trying to convey. good morning and good night messages are sent daily, and a “hope you're eating well!” whenever you update him about your own meal is expected.

soonyoung— tucking him in when he falls asleep

❣︎ he's tired from his various schedules throughout the day, so sometimes he just falls asleep on the couch or on the bed, so you tuck him in! you’ll turn off whatever he was doing– watching tv, scrolling through his phone– and pull a blanket over him with a kiss to the forehead, hoping he rests well. it's likely you’ll wake him up within the hour too, just so he can get more comfy, doing his nightly routine with you and also getting into bed. even then, you tuck him in, hoping he knows how much you love him.

wonwoo— you game with him

❣︎ a lil cliche? yes, but i think he enjoys playing calmer, simpler games with you, like animal crossing new horizons or similar co-op games. maybe you two will even play a puzzle game together, as two minds are better than one and he enjoys doing these types of exercises with you.

jihoon— bringing him food

❣︎ he's busy and maybe a lil forgetful at times, so you take it upon yourself to make sure he's eating well. he might be locked up in the practice room– and if so, you’ll bring food for all the members, not just him– or in the universe factory so you bring him some food and company! you're there so often that those working at the company recognize you and give a friendly greeting.

minghao— you watch his little fashion shows

❣︎ with how well this man dresses, i have no doubt in my mind that he likes to create outfits at home and try them on, and whenever he does, you watch him! he’ll put together an outfit and walk out into the living room where you give him your compliments and tell him what you do and don't like, i think he’d like your honesty with it too. shower him in praise, yes, but give him your honest opinion on the outfit along with it.

mingyu— you'll keep him company while he's cooking

❣︎ personally, i don't cook, but i feel like it could be lonely? at times, doing it on your own. so, you decide to sit in the kitchen with him while he cooks! or if you can't be in the kitchen due to its size, you sit near it so you can talk to him comfortably. he likes having you taste test things, trying to make it perfectly to both of your tastes.

seokmin— you write things to him

❣︎ it's usually little notes, stuck in with his lunch or somewhere in his bag, but sometimes you like to write love letters to him. you could be the worst writer out there, or the best, and he'd keep and cherish every single one you give him. maybe this is how you show your affection best, as saying things to his face might make you shy.

seungkwan— peel oranges for him

❣︎ it's boo seungkwan we’re talking about here, so ofc i have to give him a peeled orange hello? it's a small gesture, peeling an orange for someone, but i think it's cute! you care for this person enough to get some orange peel under your nail and give them the fruits of your labor.

vernon— you listen to his music

❣︎ when i say this, i don't mean svt’s music or music he's personally taken part in, but his music taste. he’ll talk about an artist he’s recently been listening to and if you have the time, you'll immediately pull them up on your phone, ready to try them out. if you don't have the time, you note it down so you can listen to them and tell him your thoughts!

chan— you watch him dance

❣︎ yes, this could go for all of them, but i think since chan has spent most of his life dancing, it's a bit more meaningful for him. maybe you even join him sometimes! it doesn't matter either way, just you being there, enjoying the music and his dancing is enough for him. whenever he finishes a routine and you clap for him, he can feel his love for you grow more and more.

[yuri-is-online]

Can I request a part 2 for when the guys leave some of their stuff in the guest room? Can it be with Azul, Jamil, and jade please? Thank you!

While cleaning the Ramshackle guest room, the prefect occasionally finds items that remind them of their guests. Sometimes that is because those items actually belong to them and need to be returned, other times it's just a happy coincidence. Either way, the item needs to be delivered, might as well invite them over again? Or just chase them down, whatever is most convenient.

notes: they/them used for Yuu, I was a bit surprised to get this request! In a nice way~ No warnings for this one, just pure fluff. The first one can be found here and more fic can be found on the Masterlist.

Antique Coin

Azul Ashengrotto is a well put together young man. His suits are pressed, his shoes are neatly polished, his rooms are always orderly and without dust.

Which is why he notes immediately when something is even mildly out of place, and completely falls apart once he's in the privacy of his own room. He knew he never should have paid attention to that stupid article Floyd had shared in their group chat, coins being symbols of good luck wouldn't make him relatable to anybody and now he's missing one of his best coins! How stupid could he have been to think that-

"Hello, this is Azul speaking." He snatches up his phone without even checking the caller ID and immediately begins sweating when he hears your familiar breathing (he swears he's not a creep, really! He's just noticed that whenever you speak on the phone, not that you do that often really just when he can work up the nerve and hey this is technically the first time you've called him! Progress he's making progre-)

"Hey there, you got a moment?" Azul can feel the heavy sweat drop on his forehead. He's done enough research to know conversation starters like this are never good.

"I'm a bit busy right now." He tries to lean casually against his desk and glares at the book that has the audacity to fall off his desk and startle you. "Is this terribly important or can it wait?"

You, laugh? Is it nervous, or is it affectionate? Does even know what that sort of laughter would sound, is it bad that he finds your voice terribly beautiful even if it's mocking, even if it's- "Um sorry, but are you missing a coin?"

"A... coin?"

"Yes! I remember you saying you collect them and this one I found in my guest room smelled a bit like the ocean so. Yeah. I thought it might be yours." He smiles.

"My dear, you know I'm just going to say 'yes' and take it from you." You laugh again, how silly that last one was nerves. This one is affection, his hearts are fit to burst with it so it must be. "I'll be there in thirty minutes. If that’s acceptable?"

"Of course! I'll be here." Perhaps that article wasn't completely wrong after all.

Red Feather Accessory

There are few things Jamil hates more than being sick. Assassins don't have sick days, or maybe they do. Maybe they have better benefits than he does. Maybe he'd make a really good assassin in some alternate universie like that one video game series from your world you told him about once, the one with the emblems and gangrene? He doesn't remember much of the conversation Kalim tricked him into having by saying he wanted to hang out in your guest room yesterday.

"But you were so happy to see them!"

Because of course, that had been Kalim's justification. And sure, he probably had been really happy to see you. He'd been running quite the fever and he can't imagine you made that temperature any better.

"Good morning, prefect." He manages it smoothly, you look properly embarrassed to see him this early, your eyes flicker to his hair and linger just a moment longer than normal. "Sleep well?"

"Mostly." You try to focus on his face, but his hair is clearly distracting. Your eyes keep darting back to it, Jamil expected to be embarrassed, but this is oddly empowering. "Is there a reason you're here so early?"

"I think you know why I'm here." You don't, he can tell that much from how you swallow. "Can I come in?"

"Sure?" You move just the bit and Jamil let's himself inside, the doors in Ramshackle always look so damn similar. Just how do you find your way around in here? "Um, Jamil?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know why you're here?" You look lovely

"Of course." He laughs. "I left a hair accessory here yesterday when Kalim decided to visit." How odd, normally you'd flinch if he worded it like that. Instead you just look sort of blurry.

"I see." You're close now, but he can't see you through this weird fog that's filling your hallways. You push back his headband and press the back of your plam to his forehead. "Oof. Well that's not good." Your arm encircles his shoulders and boosts him back up to his feet. He supposes he can afford to lean towards you, there's enough plausible deniabilty in what he's said already to keep his feelings to himself.

"C'mon." You do your best to boost him and march back towards the door. Jamil is smiling similar to how he does when he gets one over on Azul, but you doubt he's planned this. He's so feverish that his skin has gotten clammy. "I already took your hair pin back to Scarabia, ok? Let's get you back to bed."

"That's so kind of you." His hoarse voice tries to purr. "Perhaps you'd like to stay for breakfast?" Thank the seven Grim isn't awake yet. You'd never hear the end of this from either of them.

Encyclopedia of Tea

Books are expensive, you can count on one hand the ones you own unrelated to your school work scattered around your dorm. They are precious to you, signs of your life in a world you don't belong in. A way to tell something about you if someone decided to look at the little shelf you had finally put up in your guest room.

And someone had, because you know damn well this book isn't yours, the process of returning it is guaranteed to be a headache but the longer you hesitate the more ammunition the book's rightful owner will have to accuse you of stealing it. Assuming that's what Jade's goal was anyway, it seemed like something he would find funny to do. You could picture him slipping the book onto your shelf with that calm look on his face.

Jade's face isn't what you would call wildly expressive. He smiles pleasantly most of the time, seldom do you see him frown. Even now when his forehead is knit in concern there's nothing really resembling the scowl you saw during Azul’s overblot.

"Hello Jade, forgotten something?" You hold the book up and shake it slightly. His eyes widen, and his smile drops into something more nuteral. This expression is adorable, it stays as Jade speaks, allowing you to admire it longer

"Oh?" He blinks, Jade wakes easily enough so your own expression flickers to concern at how slow he seems for just long enough to give him back his confidence. "It seems the simplest solution was correct. Thank you, prefect." He reaches for the book, hands lingering near yours as his eyes focus on the title of the book. He is painfully slow in taking it back.

"Do you really take this everywhere with you?" Your hand involuntarily flexes as you retreat back into your personal space. Sometimes you wish you could read minds, it would make this heavy feeling in your heart more explainable. Let you notice the way Jade's teeth display for you and not hide inside your own insecurities, how he wishes you would keep your eyes on him.

"Of course, it helps to have some light reading on hand when things get slow." He wishes you had kept the book long enough for it to retain your scent or some of your warmth. Perhaps now that he's set this precedent, he can fake it. Leave his jacket or his scarf? But no, that wouldn't be believable. He's Jade Leech, the Vice Warden of Octavinelle. You would never believe the real reason the book ended up where it did. His dreams are his to dwell in alone.

"Perhaps as thanks I could prepare one of my favorites for you? To clear the debt so to speak." For now.

[blueybre]

Jacky93Sims' 4t2 Functional VR Headset - Bugfixes and New Features

So I have been playing with the 4t2 Functional VR Headset by @jacky93sims for a while now. While it is an amazing thing to have it at all, I immediately noticed some weird things going on in my game whenever I tried to use it. Initially I just wanted to get rid of these weird things, but this sparked a big makeover of the entire mod's functions, as I felt this object could do so much more with a bit of BHAV magic.

Most importantly, Sims can now use the VR headset autonomously, gain Science enthusiasm (because waaaay too few objects benefit that hobby) and Fitness through it, you are no longer prompted to take a screenshot whenever a Sim puts the headset on or off, and the headset will no longer kill Sims if you leave them unattended.

Note that the download link only includes the main object containing all the code! Please go to the original download page to grab the headset accessory and the child, teen and adult meshes, too.

DOWNLOAD

The complete changelog is under the cut, if you are interested in the other ways I have changed this object up.

NEW FEATURE: All interactions are now autonomous! All Sims can play or work out if they seek Fun, but Playful Sims are more likely to play with it, and Active Sims are more likely to work out on it.

NEW FEATURE: Sims now gain Science hobby enthusiasm when playing or working out, at a default of 120% the normal speed. (Requires FreeTime, but you can use this updated version without FT, too.)

NEW FEATURE: Sims now gain Fitness when working out. By default the rate is about 50% faster than working out on stereos, to justify the hefty price tag.

CHANGE: Slightly more Fun gain while playing (40/hour -> 50/hour). In turn, higher Energy (-5/hour -> -20/hour) and Comfort loss (none -> -20/hour).

CHANGE: Slightly more Energy (-10/hour -> -20/hour), Comfort (-10/hour -> -25/hour) and Hygiene (none -> -25/hour) loss. Removed the weird fixed -2 Comfort loss when putting the headset on. Active Sims now only gain 50% more Body skill when working out with the VR headset; other Sims still retain the base 150% skill rate gain. I feel like VR would close the skill gap a bit, so...

CHANGE: Made all the gain and loss tunable for those that know their way around SimPE and can change BCON resource 0x1000 (for playing) and 0x1002 (for working out).

CHANGE: Looped the "jumping jack" and "jog" workout animations three times, and slowed them down. Looped the "knee-bend", "stretch side" and "stretch toes" animations twice. It all looked quite odd being at normal speed.

CHANGE: Added a dialogue when a Body Skill point is gained.

CHANGE: Clarified that the object requires University through the catalogue, because it uses a SimVac animation. I also adjusted the catalogue values for Fun (N/A -> 10) and Environment (6 -> 8).

CHANGE: Added a German translation.

CHANGE: Removed some unnecessary resources.

CRITICAL BUGFIX: Sims will now stop using the headset if their fun is maxed or their motives are failing (same thresholds as with any other "Fun" object), so they don't play or work out until they drop dead. This is a similar issue to an unmodded Exercise Bike from FT.

BUGFIX: You are no longer prompted to take a picture when a Sim puts on or takes off the headset. Maybe @jacky93sims did this to create a bit of immersion, but I did not like it.

BUGFIX: Motive changes are now cleared after taking the headset off. Previously, Sims would keep gaining Fun and losing Energy and/or Comfort even after stopping to use the headset.

BUGFIX: If a Sim doesn't have enough room to play or work out after already having strapped the headset on, the "in use" flag and overlays will now properly reset.

[case-of-traxits]

I’m sure you’ve probably talked about this before, but how do you think reeve’s inspire works?

So funny fact here: I've never actually formally meta'd about this publicly. I'm pretty sure. I've talked to a few individuals about it, but never in like, a definitive, "This is definitely how I think it works," sort of way.

Maybe it's time to change that?

First though, let's talk about why I use the Inspire ability at all, because a lot of that leads into how I think it works.

An Argument for Why I Use the Inspire Ability

I would love to start with Reeve's original bio, but of course, as we know, Reeve didn't get a bio in the original game manual. So instead, we're forced to rely on his Ultimania bio:

The head of the Urban Development Department. Involved in the construction of Midgar from the very beginning, he watches over the town’s development like that of a child. By utilizing his special ability, “Inspire”, he is able to cause inorganic things to emit life; his “child”, the “cat”-shaped robot, Cait Sith can be controlled from a great distance. After Meteorfall, he became the director of the World Regenesis Organization (WRO), which is devoted to the purpose of restoring life to the planet.

For what it's worth, Reeve's bio has been shockingly consistent with including his Inspire ability. I go into that a little bit over in my WRO Reeve + Heartbreak meta.

Now, I know a lot of people don't like the Ultimanias. They find them confusing, or contradictory, or whatever the current "I don't use them," reason of the day is. That's fine! Let's take a look at Cait Sith's original bio from the game manual:

Cait Sith rides on the back of a huge stuffed Mog he magically brought to life. Megaphone in hand, he's always shouting orders and creating dopey attacks...

So there you go. Mog and Cait Sith cannot simply be robots, since it's stated quite plainly that Cait Sith brought Mog to life magically.

(As a side note, Cait Sith in the OG comes equipped with the Manipulate materia. This is a fun multi-layered reference, don't you think? Pokes a note at him being a spy and kind of gives you a thing to consider about how he possibly controls Mog.)

(As a second side note, Cait Sith also has one of the highest magic/spirit scores in the OG, so he's clearly meant to be your caster.)

Now, that said, Reeve clearly did build Cait Sith as a robot. His Ultimania profile clearly refers to Cait Sith as a robot, and in BC, Cait Sith has a controller of some kind in his back, and he gets damaged and broken into pieces and the Player Turk has to put him back together.

(As a side note there— and I swear, I'll stop doing these soon— if I recall correctly, the pieces the Player Turk has to collect are the body, the head, and the crown, implying that Cait Sith's crown is in fact an important part of him, and not just a cute fashion accessory.)

In addition, it is worth noting that Rufus Shinra is well aware of Cait Sith and that Reeve "controls" him, and yet, Reeve is able to directly communicate with AVALANCHE during a board meeting where Scarlet and Heidegger are talking Rufus into loading up No. 26, the rocket from Rocket Town, with huge materia and crashing it into Meteor in an attempt to save the world. Reeve not only does this, but Rufus gives no outward indication that he's aware of it. So however Reeve "controls" Cait Sith, there must not be a visible component to it.

My point is that Cait Sith, from what canon shows us, appears to be a robot that Reeve can control directly, without need for any sort of external control system. And, based on some thoughts that Cait Sith has during BC that cannot reasonably be attributed to Reeve, Cait Sith is still somehow independent of Reeve himself.

So why don't I go with Cait Sith simply being a learning AI of some kind? Well, mostly because of Mog. If we go back to the original bio for Cait Sith, it reads very similarly to Reeve's Ultimania bio. So Reeve grants life to Cait Sith, who can, in turn, grant life to Mog.

Functionally, Cait Sith is a mini-Inspire of his own.

Canon Exploration of the Inspire Ability

Now that I've written out my premise for why I go with Inspire Reeve, let's get to the heart of the original question:  How do I think it works?

Well, let's look at what we have to work with:

[Ultimania Bio] Reeve causes inorganic things to "emit" life.

[Ultimania Bio] Reeve sees Cait Sith as a child.

[OG Game Bio] Cait Sith inherits the Inspire ability.

[OG/BC/DoC] Cait Sith is capable of acting autonomously.

[OG/BC/DoC] Cait Sith can be directly controlled (to some extent, at least) via Reeve.

[OG] Reeve can speak through Cait Sith without other people in the room noticing.

[OtWtaS] Multiple Cait Siths can be 'active' at a time.

[DoC] Reeve and Cait Sith can move in sync with one another.

[DoC] Even if Cait Sith 'dies,' he can somehow convey information he learned right up until his death to Reeve/other Cait Siths.

How Does the Ability Actually Work?

So, with all of this in mind, here's how I usually go with Reeve's ability working:

The short answer is that I see it as a low-key, always-on mental connection between Reeve and Cait Sith.

A longer explanation starts with the fact that I see Reeve's Inspire ability as sort of... it has both passive and active modes for me.  Basically, in the passive mode, Reeve is always influencing inorganic material around him.  It's more noticeable when his emotions are heightened, but things like his phone and his car develop... quirks.  His car isn't really conscious, exactly, but it does read his intent, and to some extent, it basically functions as a self-driving vehicle when Reeve is the one behind the wheel.

Now, for my Reeve in particular, this is in no small part because the car was his father's, and he has worked on it extensively over the years.  It's a classic car, basically, and it gives him an outlet for fiddly work that's outside and not in a reactor or tied to Shinra.  If you're going with a Reeve who doesn't love his car as much, then obviously, that probably would be a bit more odd.

A more common variant on this, I think, would probably be that I usually roll with Reeve having... partially Inspired the reactors.  All of them.  All of the ones he has access to.  And in this case, it's less because he wants them to be alive and more because he wants to have that access to them.  He wants to be able to check statuses and know what's going on with a reactor at any given moment, and no matter how advanced the tech is, nothing will be faster for him than a direct mental connection.

Of course, that can have some less than stellar side effects when, say, a reactor explodes.  @ladykf-writes wrote me some amazing ficlets that feature my headcanons about this after much rambling with her about them. So I highly recommend checking those out if you're interested in this idea.

Then he has the active mode of his ability. I've written a ficlet (Heritage and Legacies) about the process of actually Inspiring Cait Sith (and it makes mention of Reeve's first disastrous accidental Inspiration), but in short, it involves more or less willing the inanimate object to life.  I usually go with the explanation that Reeve is literally feeding the object a bit of his own personal lifestream (or soul, depending on how you want to talk about it) until it starts circulating it on its own.  This gives me a built in explanation for why he doesn't animate hundreds of things at once and such.  I do like to have caps on things.

But because it was his personal lifestream that he used, he can basically retain... think of like a narrow, unseen string between Cait Sith and Reeve, no matter how far apart they get. And across this string, they can send thoughts, memories, and sensations.  That's how Reeve knew what happened to Cait Sith when Nero ate him with shadows.  Cait Sith had immediately connected with Reeve and told him.

Now, I do a few hand-wavey things for my own sanity when writing.  I assume that when a Cait Sith dies, all of their memories get imprinted in Reeve's mind, and when he Inspires the next Cait Sith, they get a copy of all of those memories.  This can create a bit of a jarring dissonance within the memories for a new Cait Sith, as they might remember being Cait Sith 1 and being Cait Sith 2 in the same conversation.  But for the most part, it works.

The other thing I usually do with Cait Sith specifically is that I say that when he was first Inspired, he was very much like a baby or a toddler.  He needed to learn a lot of things.  I don't have any fics currently up featuring this (I will after the holiday events though), but basically, I go with it having taken Reeve a while to get Cait Sith to talk at all for example, and that he had to learn a lot of things on his own rather than relying on Reeve's memory of the things.

Now, because of the hand-wavey memory thing I already talked about, new Cait Siths don't have that same initial problem.  They basically just get imprinted with everything Cait Sith 1 learned before he died.

(And for what it's worth, since Cait Sith's accent is supposed to be based on Reeve's parents, I always go with Cait Sith not speaking at all for a few months after he was Inspired.  Reeve tried everything, from toddler help books to reading books to trying to bribe him, and couldn't get a single word out of him.  And then, finally, Reeve was on the phone with his mother, trying to discreetly ask her for advice without admitting to his abilities or to what he'd done, and when he hung up the phone, Cait Sith looked up at him and spoke for the first time.  In the accent Reeve hadn't realized he'd slipped back into with his mother.)

The other hand-wavey thing I do is that I usually have Reeve and Cait Sith share the ability to communicate mind-to-mind, no outward dialogue needed.  I mostly justify this with it being a side-effect of them sharing the same personal lifestream rhythm.

I will say though, something I do that I don't know that I've seen anyone else do (I don't have any fics left up featuring this either, actually) is that I say the control can go both ways.  So Reeve can reach for Cait Sith and speak through him, but so can Cait Sith.  Now, I usually say that Reeve has to let Cait Sith do this, whereas Reeve can just take control from Cait Sith, but I  chalk that up to Reeve being the one who did the initial Inspiring.  Following that suit though, it would make sense that Cait Sith could do the same thing with Mog, if he wanted.

Now, I also headcanon that Reeve does his absolute best to let Cait Sith have whatever autonomy he can.  My Reeve, in particular, didn't exactly have the happiest of childhoods, and he has spent a lot of time being told exactly what he can do and when, so he tries to give Cait Sith the childhood he never had.

If you read all the way down here, oh my goodness, but thank you.  It's... a lot.  Like I said earlier, the short answer is that I see it as a low-key, always-on mental connection between Reeve and Cait Sith.  And I kind of flex it around, depending on what exactly I'm doing with the fic in question.

[dreamywakes]

Betting on Betta: A Bachelorette Challenge

Hi Everyone! I'm not dead I promise. Work life has just caused me to take a break from games in general. In order to get back into the game I want to play a basic legacy without any rules. The only problem... I really don't feel like making a spouse for my founder. Soo why not have some fun with it and attempt a bachelorette challenge?

Introducing Betta Lace:

Growing up in Sulani was a blast for Betta. How could it not have been? Everything she loved surrounded her: warm sand, calm waves, clear water, and pretty shells. There was only one issue. Being a Lace comes with a lot of responsibility. Ever wonder why the island waters are always so calm? The Lace's have lived in Sulani for ages. Hundreds of years ago they were gifted with the ability to speak and see the islands spirits. For generations they have calmed angry spirits. By following their spirit guides every word the Lace's have saved the island and it's locals from many threats. Sulani locals like to call them The Guardians. Betta's thoughts on this? Well to put it simply, she hates it. Betta and her siblings were treated like glass. Public schooling? No way, we can't have risk anything bad happening to a Guardian. Home schooling was seen as the safest way to learn. Being a Lace has left Betta with little social life. It's hard to make real friends when everyone sees you as an idol. Finding love? Betta could only dream of it. She has tried in the past. However, it's hard to find love when people expect an idealized version of you. That's why Betta decided to be the next Bachelorette. She wants to find someone who will love her as she is.

About Betta:

25 years old

She/Her

Pansexual

The youngest of three

Free-spirited

Hopeless romantic

Has only had one long-term relationship that ended very badly

Quit her job as a life guard to come on the show

Hopes to find a job as a Conservationist after finding love.

Made accessories out of shells when she was a kid.

Spent four years away from Sulani when she went to college which made her never want to leave again.

Not the closest with her family. They find her to be too irresponsible.

Contestant Guidelines:

Berry Sims Only- I tend to get bored when my sims aren't nice and colorful. No specific colors for this one so have fun.

Young Adults Only- The winner will hopefully go on to found a legacy with Betta. I want them to live happily for as long as possible.

All genders Allowed- Betta is Pan.

Occults are Welcomed- I love occults and so does Betta. You can even get creative with CC to make something different if you'd like.

Custom Content? Go Crazy- Well maybe not too crazy. I'm not going to put a limit on CC just be aware that we may not see all of your sim's outfits (like cold weather or athletic for example).

Fashion? Be sure to give your sim a nice formal, everyday, and date outfit at least.

Backstory and Details- Please give us a backstory and some facts to get to know your contestants better. It doesn't have to be extremely long I just want to know who they are.

No Skills Allowed- There will be challenges in this bachelorette and I don't want anyone to have the upper hand. Traits that may affect skills are allowed obviously.

No Romantic Traits- Once again I just don't want anyone to have the upper hand. Describing your sim as romantic is fine. We're just trying to eliminate any major advantages.

No Contestant Limit- at the moment. This could change later!

Comment Below to Reserve a Spot- Just to make sure I know you're making a sim. I don't have a deadline in mind and I don't want to end submissions when someone is still making a sim.

Be sure to make a post with your sims details so I can repost them for everyone to see.

DM me with your sims files when you are done.

Pack Limitations? Please note that I do not own Horse Ranch, For Rent, Outdoor Retreat, Dine Out, Jungle Adventure, Journey to Batuu, Dream Home Decorator, My Wedding Stories, Most stuff packs, All Kits.

Stuff Packs I do own include- Paranormal, Cool Kitchen, Movie Hangout, and My First Pet (yes I downloaded it for free)

Accepting Contestants Now!

Current Contestants:

Reserved by @dragonplumbobs

Reserved by @invisiblequeen

Reserved by @justmeeeeeeks

Reserved by @theworstsimblr

-Reserved by @prettyprettyplumbobs

-

-

No deadline yet

[lavender-bundle-blithe]

Yes hello, I'm back to talk more about this again-

But it's some minor things with major lore(?) dumps. (I'm rambling again, aren't I)

Basically I kept on staring at the drawing, grumbling about the outline of the eyes being too light to differentiate with the hair, and said: "Screw it, I'm changing it" and did more than just change the color of the outline of the eye.

IT'S MINOR CHANGES, DON'T WORRY. AND—OH LOOK AT THAT, IT CAME WITH A LIST AND SOME LORE, LOOKIE-

(As mentioned before,) A slight change in the eye-outline color, changed the braid to have a hair cuff, pulled the wrap-around cloth to be longer (with a small accessory) and a pocket watch. It's a game of spot the difference, really.

Now, you might wondering, why did I add all these things?

(a-hem) Mori+Elise: Gold pocket watch and chain (reference??? kinda maybe-) Chuuya: Hair cuff (braid) Kouyou: Striped wrap-around "belt" Akutagawa: Vest suit Higuchi: White Tie Hirotsu: Gloves Gin: Slacks Tachihara: Silver dress shirt Q: Clip (on belt) Kajii: Shoes [Kyouka (whether or not I decide that she follows him back into the mafia): A brooch in a similar shape of her flower pins] — Whether or not they go out of their way and get these for him or just hint at it and he buys it later "at [name]'s recommendation", that's up for debate. (Angst idea: the day after the bounty drops, bright and early at 5 AM, Atsushi folds the clothes the agency gave him neatly next to his futon with the phone on top, once again wearing clothes he never thought he would wear again, and just... leaves.)

[Rambling time buckle in-] In my head, I think him doing on-field work is rare, even with his powerful ability (unless he's deliberately told to help Akutagawa with a mission which he does with a bit of salt and pain [cos- hah- he has to deal with Byakko without All Men Are Equal now]) and when the ADA are involved (which he actively avoids it like the plague, whether he's asked to go on-field or even plan the operation). He would plan and oversee operations/raids instead, take care of incoming supplies and make sure everything's there (there's a fancier word for it but right now I don't have the brain power) and the more illegal stuff that aren't usual missions. The boring stuff, basically! (cough, which is why he looks tired, cough). Anything that isn't fighting/being outside (mood). — Other than that, I think that while he sticks close to Chuuya, Hirotsu will begin caring for the boy and taking him under his wing (maybe?). A veteran of the Port Mafia who knows much when it comes to their statistics, things that Atsushi needs to learn and operate. That, and possibly a promise... Whether or not Atsushi would lay down his loyalty and dedication to the Mafia, I think they would decline at first and let him choose on his own (and not be forced right into joining the organization right off the bat). Basically 15!Dazai, where he's not an official member of the PM but is there.

( . . . ) Alright fine, I'mma make a fic. I'll struggle definitely but if I can make whatever the heck I did in this post, I think I can do it... maybe...

hhh- anyways-

[ros3ybabe]

Daily Check-in: October 11th, 2023 🎀

So I was wat more productive then I had thought i would be given the exhaustion I felt from jet lag. I am proud of what I got done! However, I only slept about 2 hours, and it was broken sleep at that so I am not exactly feeling top of my game at the moment. We'll see what my energy allows me to complete today.

🩷 What I Ate, Oct 11th -

Brunch/Lunch - Spaghetti with meat sauce and ground turkey, topped with grated parmesean

Dinner - Turkey & Roast Beef bagel sandwich with avocado, 1 slice muenster cheese, 1 slice cheddar cheese, and a small side of potato chips.

Snack - a half bowl of spaghetti with ground turkey and meat sauce

Extra - 4 cups of coffee, each with one sweet n low and a splash of French vanilla creamer

I actually cooked which is odd for me as I typically don't have energy. My goal for today is to cook a batch of ground beef for taco bowls!

🩷 Personal Achivements, Oct 11th -

Washed bed sheets + pillowcases

Did the dishes

Maintained Duolingo streak (1 lesson)

Maintained Busuu streak (3 lessons)

Video called with my boyfriend twice

Made a shopping list for langaueh tracker/bullet journal (purchased at 1am because Amazon prime big deals were ending and I wanted to save some money)

Made a schedule/routine for working out next week

Cooked myself a real meal

Swept kitchen and disinfected/wiped down counters in kitchen

showered + morning skincare

🩷 Academic Achievements, Oct 11th -

Completed and submitted lifecycle nutrition chart

submitted and passed lab 7 anatomy pre lab

submitted discussion post + replies for nutr discussion 3

I feel quite proud of yesterday! Let's hope today I can tackle some more stuff on my todo list!

🩷 Personal ToDo, Oct 12th -

cook ground beef for taco bowls (leftovers!!)

wash dirty laundry

put away all clean laundry

therapy appointment

video call boyfriend

morning + night skincare

morning + night journal (?)

do 2 duolingo lessons

do 2 busuu lessons

complete/continue genki I lesson one

type up draft for upcoming blog post(s?)

🩷 Academic ToDo, Oct 12th -

Chapter 9 Notes Psyc

Quiz Chapter 9 Psyc

Culinary chapter 10 Quiz

Consumer Debt Inventiry assignment

Using Credit personal finance assignment

I've put a lot on my to-do list for today, but if I can even get a third of each list done, I will still be very proud of myself. Productivity should not come at the cost of my own well-being. Maybe I'll take a nap today? My boyfriend thinks it's a good idea, but I'm not a big fan of naps regardless of the situation. We shall see.

I took complete advantage of the prime big deals on Amazon and ordered some new workout clothes, some hair accessories, a set of silk pillowcases, and supplies for my bullet journal language tracker/planner. I even bought this cute little journal that's made specifically for fitness and health tracking, as a little side thing of mine to help keep me going! It comes with stickers and already set up pages, so hopefully, it proves to be useful!

I may or may not have made an Ulta order for some makeup using my afterpay account as well, because as it gets colder outside I'm starting to want to wear makeup for fun again. I'm not typically drawn to full beat looks but in the winter I love going all out with my makeup looks, whether I'm doing a more grunge goth emo look or a soft coquette girly look and everything in between. I love makeup as a form of self expression!

May or may not buy some more skincare as well, I'm just trying to decrease the amount of stuff in my skincare cart on the shopping app but it's so hard choosing what to get now and what to wait on!! I'm super indecisive too so that intensified the struggle.

Thats all for today! I'll make sure to update you lovelies tonight/tomorrow!

til next time, lovelies 🩷

[kafus]

i just spent multiple hours grinding at least two of each overworld accessory in HGSS + getting all the accessories and backdrops from the accessory drawing/other methods... feels very cool to have the whole collection but the documentation on this stuff in HGSS specifically is very slim and i noticed some missing info and wrong info on serebii which is basically the only place with any sort of semi-decent documentation, so here's a few notes about it if you want to do this yourself (below the cut because long) that i may put in a better location than tumblr later (keep in mind these are personal anecdotes and i haven't looked into the code of the game or anything)

the below assumes you already have a basic understanding of the dress-up/accessory feature, here's the page on the subject on serebii

since there's seemingly no list of backdrops on serebii, here's a list on bulbapedia

anyways, here are my notes:

goldenrod accessory drawing

the accessory drawing is unlimited and isn't one per day

the accessory drawing accessories are mostly one-only, as in you get them once and never again, as far as i can tell. that being said, as you keep spamming A for more, you also start losing the drawing more, so i think instead of re-rolling for an accessory you don't have yet when it lands on one you already have, it's just going "oh, you already have that!" and then telling you that you lost. by the time i was looking for the last one or two accessories i didn't have, i was losing over a dozen times between obtaining anything

the exceptions to the one-only rule appear to be the Googly Specs, Black Specs, Gorgeous Specs, Sweet Candy, and Confetti, which all just so happen to appear on the same page in the dress-up menu. strangely, these were all purchasable in DPPT with berries instead of being amity square accessories or otherwise, but there's a bunch of purchasable accessories in DPPT that don't seem to repeat in HGSS

the backdrops obtained from the accessory drawing seemed to become more frequent as i started running out of accessories to obtain, though that could just be my personal luck and confirmation bias. they come with different dialogue and seem to be a separate pool of drops

overworld accessories

when it comes to the overworld accessories that you get through talking to your pokemon, it seems you need to run around to get it to happen, like you can't just sit there and spam A endlessly like you can for the shiny leaf crown, though i may be wrong about that. i personally had the best luck with walking around and then talking to my pokemon. if i tried to just sit there and spam A, nothing would happen, even after a long stretch of time.

if i'm correct about walking being necessary, it is not working on the same 200 step counter that amity square accessories do in DPPT. i'm thinking maybe a random chance every step or every few steps? no clue. sometimes it took forever and sometimes it didn't

in speaking of time, it seemed accessories showed up a lot more often if there were a lot in the area, such as in ilex forest which has a bunch of different possibilities. i think they might all be separated possible events individually rolling instead of one which then picks from a table? not sure at all on that

after the pokemon "generated" an accessory and then i talked to it, the dialogue for taking the accessory came up after a maximum of four interactions

as far as i can tell, angry pokemon don't give accessories and i still have no idea what makes pokemon randomly angry when you talk to them a lot, but in that case you can just swap which pokemon is following you to reset their anger

i have no idea if having high friendship on a pokemon affects the drop chance of accessories, honestly probably not since the shiny leaves don't seem to be affected but it's worth noting my cyndaquil definitely has max friendship and i did this entire grind with that and my dragonite which is also max friendship

misc

the three backdrops and two accessories obtained through inserting a GBA game into the DS at the pal park are not language locked despite pal park's main pokemon transfer functionality being language locked. i used japanese ruby, sapphire, and firered to get their respective backdrops/accessories in english soulsilver

some of the backdrops have animations after confirming the dress-up that just... don't seem to be documented anywhere? someone should make a gif of those. that could be a task for me at some point

additionally, some of the locations for the accessories are wrong on serebii, or not complete, like finding an accessory in another location that isn't listed on the site. i did not make a comprehensive list of what accessories every location in the game drops, that would require way more grinding, but i did make a list of where you can find each overworld accessory in at least one location to get all of them (i do not know if these are different between heartgold/soulsilver, i did this on SS. also sorry for the lack of formatting, i was just writing this in notepad and copy/pasted it)

Big Leaf - Route 6 Big Scale - Olivine City Black Beard - Bell Tower Black Fluff - Route 42 Black Moustache - Sprout Tower Black Pebble - Union Cave Blue Feather - Route 37 Blue Flower - Route 11 Blue Scale - Route 14 Brown Fluff - Route 39 Determination - Mahogany Town Rocket Hideout Eerie Thing - Ruins of Alph Glitter Boulder - Route 24 Glitter Powder - Power Plant Green Scale - Route 34 Jagged Boulder - Mt. Silver Outside Mini Pebble - Route 26 Mystic Fire - Lighthouse Narrow Leaf - Route 7 Narrow Scale - Lake of Rage Orange Flower - Ecruteak City Orange Fluff - Route 36 Peculiar Spoon - Goldenrod City Radio Tower Pink Flower - Route 30 Pink Fluff - Route 33 Pink Scale - Route 40 Poison Extract - Mahogany Town Rocket Hideout Pretty Dewdrop - Viridian Forest Puffy Smoke - Burnt Tower Purple Scale - Route 46 Red Feather - Route 38 Red Flower - Ecruteak City Round Pebble - Mt. Moon (Outside) Seashell - Whirl Islands Shed Claw - Whirl Islands Shed Horn - Whirl Islands Shimmering Fire - Burnt Tower Shiny Powder - Goldenrod City Radio Tower Small Leaf - Route 5 Snaggy Pebble - Mt. Silver Outside Snow Crystal - Ice Path Sparks - Power Plant Spring - Power Plant Stump - Ilex Forest Thick Mushroom - Ilex Forest Thin Mushroom - Viridian Forest Wealthy Coin - Power Plant White Beard - Bell Tower White Feather - Route 4 White Flower - Route 9 White Fluff - Route 31 White Moustache - Sprout Tower Yellow Feather - Route 3 Yellow Flower - Ecruteak City Yellow Fluff - Route 2

and that's about it i think

[burning-fcols]

"No one can know about this." ( VoxAngel ) - ✧ ˖ ˙ 「 @Qᴜᴇꜱᴛɪᴏɴᴀʙʟᴇᴍᴜꜱᴇꜱ 」 ˙ ˖ ✧

「 ☆ 」 One doesn't work in as close proximity with Valentino as he does without becoming familiar with the other Vees. But though he may know of and even a bit more about them than their ❛ perfect ❜ public personas show— mainly the less savory aspects of how they run their operation; Angel having a front-row seat to the fuckery and corruption rampant within the gleaming towers —doesn't mean he's had much personal experience with them... and NEVER without the accompaniment of Val. Acting more as an accessory or tool to tote around than a person.

Sure, he's tried on outfits for Velvette at the moth's request or been the test subject of scents meant to ❛ entice ❜ and corrupt... and he's taken note of the cameras Vox has scattered about the place, knowing NOTHING escapes the Television's watchful eye. Learning the hard way during his earlier years working at the studio. Needing to be occasionally reminded when he gets a bit too spirited. But despite this unspoken... tension between the two, Angel had assumed he and Vox were on amicable terms. In a ❛ neither of us want the other around but we have to grin and bear it because of Val ❜ sort of way. It's not as if either of them could DO much about it.

If Vox could have gotten rid of him, Angel doesn't doubt it would have happened by now... Which is why he's taken off-guard at the abrupt summons to the Television's room. Maybe that clever bastard finally found a way. If there's one thing he knows about the Vees, it's never good to get called for a private meeting. If there's one thing he knows about Val, it's never good to do anything without his explicit permission. Forced into BOTH on Vox's whim, all Angel can do is grit his teeth, straighten his spine— fluff his chest for good measure before entering the room —and bear it. Thrust into yet another dangerous situation by an Overlord and this one doesn't even technically hold his leash... but he may as well with the power he wields.

❝ Mista' Vox, please... Yer speakin' ta a professional. My lips are sealed~ ❞ With a zipping motion over his mouth, Angel takes an offered seat with an overflowing bluff of confidence. Ignoring the dread sinking in his stomach, he crosses one leg over the other— instinctively letting his skirt ride up his thigh a bit —and rests his lower hands on his knee. Despite knowing he has NO control in the situation, Angel refuses to show it. Vox is like those sharks he loves so much... Can't let him smell blood in the water. ❝ 'Specially when it comes ta Daddy Val. I'm sure I don' need ta tell you how much he hates otha' people messin' wit' his things... ❞

A subtle prod, testing the currents to see how Vox reacts to mention of Valentino. Wondering if it's necessary to remind the Overlord that as the moth's Top Bitch, he should be somewhat protected... Right? Leisurely picking some lint off his shirt, dainty fingers purposely draw attention to the fluffy cleavage spilling over. When in doubt, show off the merchandise and hope it throws Vox off his game. Suave as the Television may try to be, he's made of flesh and blood— or circuitry and whatever-the-fuck-else —and untamable emotions like anyone else.

❝ So... What ex'ctly is th' ❛ this ❜ no one can know 'bout anyway? ❞ Angel inquires, leaning forward a bit in his seat with a purposeful smirk, ❝ I know what people usually want me fer... but you didn' strike me as th' type ta be int'rested in tryin' out my services~ ❞ 「 ☆ 」

[heycerulean]

(This is for the OC travelling ask game. I'm not too sure about the rules but I'm under the impression that I'm the one giving a description of one of my OCs and you'll tell me which of your OCs will get along with them.)

*You encounter a young man with blue hair and blue eyes. He sports a pair of stubby horns, with one having an accessory dangling from it.

*There was mischief in his eyes but he allows you to approach. He sports a dark blue cardigan and navy blue pants. You take notice that his tail was had some feathers, yet occasionally, you do see a poisonous stinger sticking out of it.

*He refuses to give you a name. (You'll later find out his name is Kazuya. But that is for another time.) His first instinct was to pull a prank on you within the first 5 minutes of meeting you.

*Depending on when you meet him, he could either be an antagonist or just a headache. You later realize that it's mostly because of his creator that he's civil. No matter how much he would rather sow discord and chaos, he would listen to her word. Her word is law to him, despite her obvious discomfort of the fact.

*However, despite that, he often tries to provoke her anger by causing headaches from his misadventures with his spells and potions. Should you participate in these pranks, he will teach you some tricks and give you magic lessons. (Or you could just ask. He'd indulge you but be prepared to have a strict teacher. "All that talent for magic and he uses it for pranks," his creator would say despite smiling.)

*He prefers not to talk about his feelings but he does occasionally give you things you mention you wanted in passing. If he does leave you a note with the gift, he puts his words in the most annoying way possible.

*He's not one for dates but he can arrange an outing to cheer you up should you have bonded enough. Bond with him even more and there is a chance he wouldn't mind destroying the world if it means you are safe and happy.

TL:DR : Kazuya is a powerful prankster who has a lot of talent in magic. He would rather be chaotic but he wants certain people to not be upset with him (still pulls pranks on them though). He carries hints of "villain who'd destroy the world for you" sometimes.

(Haha. Whoops. I gushed about him a biiit too much. XD I hope you don't mind. I'm curious which of your OCs would get along with him should they meet.)

(thank you so much for the ask! kazuya sounds super cool, i love to hear about other people's ocs.) I'd have to say Az, or maybe a young Lexi Mayridge. See, on one hand, Azalea Xirelle could probably relate to him the most; they're both powerful people with a penchant for general mischief and tomfoolery, though Az might find his loyalty to one person a little unsettling. However, a young Lexi- before all the government stuff, maybe back when she was still a student athlete with the world before her- they'd get along great too. He's got spells and potions, Lexi works with magic chemistry; and thought Lexi doesn't exactly have something to be loyal to, she's very determined to reach whatever she sets her eyes on, and i think he'd respect that. Also, third option; Teq Quetzeve. They've probably got the most in common; Teq's a heavy weapons specialist that further specialized into integrating magic into weapons, so I think they could pull off some really cool stuff. Add that to their extreme loyalty and love for jokes, and they'd be a pretty powerful duo. I feel like most of the cast wouldn't be immediately hostile, just very distrusting. Again, thank you so much for the ask- your ocs have always seemed cool and i love Kazuya's design.

[sirenjose]

Your thoughts on the Identity Switch

Thanks to you…. I now really like Norton. I used to hate him because I have a vendetta against people taller than my 4’11 self but now I love him.

on another note, what are your thoughts on the Identity switch system? Looking more into Norton’s background specifically makes me wonder why Norton gets a hunter form. What does this represent? I know that there’s a lot of drugs involved but I always interpreted it as them unlocking a new personality or smth, one more attune to following the manor’s games and supervising it (hunter) and like the other just trying to leave (survivor). I’ve been so interested in Norton’s lore lately that now I’m in an existential rabbit hole in how survivors get hunter forms, why that is, and if it’s like some sort of curse or punishment. Why are these survivors getting hunter forms?

soooo many questions, IK. But like reading your theories and analysis at 3Am is my serotonin. As a new player purely interested in the game for its lore I am just excited to know more but can’t wrap my head around all these weird concepts cause, again, I’m new. Also if I spend the next hour reading more of your analysis I will not sleep so therefore I need to preface my curiosity with a timed endeavor. My question probably do3snt make sense but like uhhh yeaaaaa. You should totally make something on your thoughts on identity switch (especially for the survivors gone hunters) cause I am too far in deep into the Norton-Campbell-Fool’s-Gold-Alternate-personality rabbit hole.

I’ve never done the questioning thingy before so sorry if this is not how it works. G’day!

Ah, it makes me happy to think a nobody like me can turn your thinking around on someone. Especially Norton since he was 1 of the main reasons I got started with the lore at all. I'm someone who usually plays a game based on how interesting the story or characters are, so I was interested in learning about idv's lore soon after I joined (had to take quite awhile to figure out the basics of the game and what all the various buttons were, then take some more time to get used to it before I could even get started with the lore). Was the main reason why I went looking to join places like Discord or Reddit, just so I could find people talking about the story.

Started by just understanding what I could about what people said, but then I eventually moved on to trying to understand at least the basics of everyone's backstories (once again, took me awhile to do that ^_^; Especially as I joined before we were getting all that much story at all). While I was doin this, I heard a lot of people saying bad stuff about some character named Norton. Have to admit I didn't know who he was for quite awhile. Wasn't in my radar. Can't even say I cared much for him. But I eventually got to the point where I basically decided I wanted to see if I could determine if Norton really was that bad or not (maybe as a challenge to myself, maybe because I wanted to find out myself rather than just hearing other's opinions, or maybe because I failed to find anything really in-depth about him).

That analysis took a ridiculous amount of time. In part because I ask too many questions, because I'm a perfectionist and wanted to look at every bit of info on him and detail on him, but also somewhat because I ended up writing this like a persuasion piece, and felt the only way to do that was by going through everything to back up my conclusion (whatever my research turned up). Which was also why I analyzed every single essence he had a skin in, as well as any skins not in an essence, his accessories, emotes, etc... It was during that process I actually got attached to Norton. Probably because of how long I spent going through him (no one needs to know how long it took... only the immense joy and desire to collapse I had when I finally finished).

Since then, I've rewritten his analysis... 3 times now I think? Counting after hunter norton's release? Though I've taken down that 1st version due to issues, and haven't reposted my essence analyses as they're old (they were pretty much the 1st analyses I wrote, and I'd like to think I've improved since then) as well as because they're based on the 1st version of my norton analysis... and because they're probably a bit needlessly long and thus embarrassing... Maybe I'll repost them once I get around to rewriting them. I definitely will eventually at least for Soul Catcher's and Magic Item Keeper's essence because I have to say they took longer than almost any other part of that original (complete) norton analysis (i can never forget the trouble they caused me over how long it took to understand them).

ANYWAYS! Ignoring my stupid rambling because who cares about any of that.

I was going to include my answer to your question about Identity Switches but it’s starting to become a little silly in length ^_^; (seriously, for those who know me well enough, I have a bad habit of writing more than I initially intended to once I get started) so I’ll make that a separate post for you, and you can let me know if it answers your questions (once I post it). If not, feel free to ask any more of your questions.

Honestly, the lore is confusing even to those who aren’t new players, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you can’t wrap your head around a lot of this ^_^;

It’s hard for me to imagine my stuff is so good people are willing to read it, much less re-read it. Especially as I know people tend to prefer… shorter things, but I have tendency to be lengthy. I can’t help it though ;’) But thank you so much for the compliment.

And please, I’m still pretty new to Tumblr, so I’m still figuring all this out myself.

Anyways, don’t feel nervous talking to me or asking me any questions you have. I enjoy being helpful! So please, ask whatever you like. Or even if you don’t have a question, that’s ok too. I enjoy rambling about a subject I get started on, as long as the other person can bear with me ;’)

 It’s always nice to know people besides me, myself, and I are reading this stuff.

(Apologies for any errors or nonsense in this post, as I decided to write it without double checking it for errors cuz I felt like being lazy, and I'm still busy writing out my thoughts about Identity Switches for you)

[miraclesabound]

Accessory to Murder

Summary: Reader has hit a creative wall, and not even Morpheus's love for her can help. Maybe it's time to go to the actual source.

Pairings/Characters: Slight Calliope/F!Reader, background Morpheus/F!Reader

Notes: Reader isn't a professional writer, but her stories are still important to her. Set after Season 1 of "The Sandman". Even though she doesn't say it directly, Reader has a bit of a crush on Calliope. Also on A03.

Warnings: Within Reader's story - description of injuries, death and medical procedures, realization of murder. Main story - creative frustration, heavy self-doubt, especially painful writer's block, Morpheus accidentally making things worse, cathartic tears

Tags: @ineffablepspspscal @insomniamamma @blueeyesatnight @yayforawesome @whovianayesha @oonajaeadira @depressedswampwitch @heybluechild

When you see your beloved's ex-wife in your living room, all you can do is sigh.

"Morpheus shouldn't have called you, my lady." You love your Lord of Dreams - in some ways, he even TAUGHT you how to love. That said, he has a tendency to overreact when you're stressed, and you suspect that he's the reason that the Great Muse is currently making use of your couch.

"If I'm intruding, I'll go," Calliope says.

Your cheeks burn; you hadn't meant to insult her. "No, please feel free to stay - do you like tea?"

The beverage break seems to be just what you need - after you're done, you're more confident showing Calliope what's been troubling you. "I've got so many orphaned bits here," you tell her as you pull up your scratch document. Seeing your most recent one, you roll your eyes a bit. "This one's the perfect example."

John Glass was no relation to the county medical examiner, Dr. Angela Glass – they wouldn’t have let her do his autopsy if that were the case. She’d heard his name before – he was the pyrotechnician who designed amazing summer fireworks shows for the local baseball team. Unfortunately, his work had caught up with him, according to the police report she’d received. After a game the previous night, John hadn’t returned home – and when his daughter June went looking for him, she had found him dead behind the outfield with a horrific chest wound. He’d been right next to the launch site, and even if he could have called for help, no one would have noticed with all the noise and light and smoke. Angela’s heart twinged for the man laid out on her table. In her years as ME, she had seen her share of ironic deaths, but this one was especially brutal. She could only hope that the mortar that took his life had killed him instantly. Taking a chance to steady her breathing, she activated her recorder and started taking her notes. In the first hour, John’s results were straightforward. The chest wound was obvious, and Angela wasn’t surprised at all to find bits of shrapnel scattered throughout his body. However, at minute 74 of the autopsy, Angela noticed something odd about John’s heart. There was no debris in the muscle – at least not the large pieces that had cut through his limbs and stomach – so Angela didn’t understand why she was seeing cuts on the heart. Furthermore, the cuts in question weren’t jagged like you would expect – they looked almost surgical. So what had caused them? A horrible thought occurred to Angela, and she spoke it into the recorder before she lost her nerve. “The wounds on the heart are more consistent with a stabbing than an explosion. Cause of death may need to be revised to homicide.”

"See?" You gesture helplessly at your screen. "It's all nonsense! I don't even know the murderer or their motive, and everything online says you have to know that first. Plus which, I thought I was being clever with that "not quite family" bit, but now I think it's me being fake-deep."

You can tell you're building into a rant, but you're not sure you can stop yourself. "And every idea I've had lately feels this way!" you tell her. "I haven't been able to write a proper story in months!"

"If this is hurting you, why not try other art forms?" Calliope asks.

You sigh. "Because I did try," you say. "And I'm crap at all of them. Writing's all I've got - or at least it was..."

"Morpheus didn't say this, did he?" Calliope has seen the thawing of her ex-husband's heart, but she knows he can still be callous.

You shake your head. "No - and he even tried to help! He offered to let me find my story in the Library...but that felt like...artistic cheating I guess..." Tears start stinging the corners of your eyes. "What if...what if I can never write again?"

"....there's something else going on here." Calliope's voice makes it clear that she's making an assessment, not asking a question.

You nod, and the tears flow more freely. "I'm so scared, my lady! If I can't write, I have nothing to offer, and if I can't offer anything, then I'm going to be alone..."

The Muse does a double-take. "Wait, you think Morpheus would leave you?"

"Why wouldn't he?? He isn't just a man, he's a foundational power of the Universe! If I can't bring something to the table for our relationship, if I can't MAKE something, then...then...I'm...just another human..."

Calliope cups your face, making you look her in the eyes. "Don't speak that way. I see how he loves you."

"But is it enough?" you ask. "He loved you too once - you had a family together, you have a royal lineage, you inspired Homer - and he still left! What chance do I have!?" Calliope pulls you into a hug, and you break into full-throated sobs. For several minutes, you cry into the fabric of her tunic, and she holds you with the strength of ten thousand years in her arms.

When you're able to catch your breath, she strokes your hair, still letting you rest on her shoulder. "I can't control what Morpheus does," she tells you. "But there are two things you ought to know."

"Oh?"

"Morpheus didn't leave me - I left him. And he wasn't the one who called me here tonight - it was all you."

"What? But how?" you ask, looking up at her. "I made no altar, I possess no scroll."

"My dear girl, your fire for creation existed long before you met Morpheus...I have known you for many years." She smiles and your heart swells. "That passion is still there, and it's what called to me - I wouldn't be here if you didn't have some spark left."

"Then...what do I do now?"

"You make your request of me," she tells you, stroking your cheek. "How formal you wish to be is up to you."

You kneel on the ground before her - if your eyes don't deceive you, her beauty becomes even more dazzling. When you speak, you don't know where the words come from.

"O Gracious One, O Chieftaness of Song, hear the one with aching heart and stopped tongue, and grant relief however you see fit, by inspiration or by other ways."

Calliope offers her hands, and you kiss the knuckles with appropriate reverence. She helps you to your feet, pulling you into another strong embrace. "Don't hesitate to call more purposely if you need me, my dear."

"I won't," you promise.

After she leaves, you feel no sudden burst of desire to write - but you do feel calmer. Perhaps, you think to yourself, Calliope is not only the Muse of Wordcraft, but the Muse of Catharsis.

[capucapo]

Legendary Heroes: The Tutorial (part 1)

( chatlog from my discord RP with @nameless-brand, based on the alternate version of the Legendary Heroes VR game created by the Kaiba Corporation in Sato, Lev, and Chi's current universe. )

It doesn't feel good, keeping secrets from his brother. But while the subtleties of Kaiba Seto's emotions usually go unnoticed by most, Mokuba's noticed his brother's spirits seem brighter. Maybe it was destroying Alcatraz, maybe it was their overseas adventure, maybe it was the beach trip. But recently, Seto seemed happier. Maybe when he'd achieved his dream of destroying the past, Mokuba's dream of seeing his brother smile again had come true as well.

Which is exactly why he can't drag Seto back into that past again.

So instead, he finishes up some final tasks and logs out of his computer before retrieving the helmets that Sato had sent over from where he'd stashed them inside his filing cabinet. The devices would hardly fit into his messenger bag, but luckily he doesn't exactly need to use the front door. A few button presses on his watch, and the office around him is instantly replaced by his bedroom at home.

Now, he can finally get to work.

He locks the heavy double doors to his massive bedroom, not that his brother or any staff would dare to open them without knocking anyway. Then he moves to his desk. The large L-shaped desk is mostly occupied with a multi-monitor gaming setup. He unplugs one monitor, moving it to the floor to make room for dismantling the damaged helmet. Moves aside his keyboard to set up an older, cheaper laptop in front of his main monitor. Once the computer finishes its start up, he plops himself into his gaming chair.

First, he plugs the USB into the laptop. He keeps it around just for times like these, testing mystery thumb drives, viruses, and exploring less trustworthy websites. A familiar box pops up, indicating the program attempting to run requires administrator permission, and Mokuba clicks okay with only a little hesitation.

He can work on taking the helmet apart while the intaller runs, he figures.

>> Installing ALTIMIT OS. Please do not shut down your computer.

As the install begins, Mokuba turns to the helmet on the other half of his desk. A few minutes is a long time for this boy to sit still, after all. He clicks on a task light, adjusting the beam to shine directly upon the task at hand. Produces a set of small tools from a drawer in the desk, and starts the delicate task of disassembling the device, making careful mental note of where each piece goes.

It only takes a few minutes to install the new operating system, and it immediately booted up upon running.

He doesn't get very far before the laptop to his side reboots, marking the end of the new OS's installation. He swivels his chair back to that side of the desk to examine this new system.

The reason for the near instant boot-up and quick install became evident. The ALTIMIT OS design was almost pathetically simple to the modern day computers.

All there was was "The World", "Mailer" "News", "Accessory", "Audio", and "Data" on the left side of the screen, their icons spinning slowly - and nothing else.

He'll start by poking around the surface first. The World must be a euphemism for the Internet, he assumes as he moves his cursor to double tap the icon, only to be presented with an error message. He frowns, and moves on to the next two icons with similar, disappointing results.

The World, Mailer, and News icons do not work, simply displaying a "Failed To Connect. Please check if you have a KC@Home Account." Accessory seemed solely dedicated for desktop wallpapers and nothing else. Audio naturally had the music files in a list with multiple folders for sorting and grouping.

The next two icons at least work, opening their respective windows, but they're hardly helpful. He changes the desktop wallpaper to one of the defaults offered, clicks a few audio files, then quickly moves on.

Data however is where things get interesting. The interface is similar to Windows Explorer, and the files previously presented on the Computer are listed as normal. However, attempts to load an executable program that isn't standard Windows, Apple, or Linux suite will display an "Incompatibility Error." Running viruses and malware directly from Data will also immediately fail, though part of that may simply be that the virus / malware is incompatible with the OS.

Loading an anti-virus or anti-malware program will prompt the following: "ALTIMIT OS does not require anti-virus or anti-malware due to its secure design and is incompatible with such programs. It is recommended you seek a refund of your anti-virus program."

There he finds familiar files from the laptop's last experiments, as well as some select media he'd wanted to save with a bit more privacy. Everything seems normal there. He tries to open a couple programs, with mixed success. Beyond the standard programs, nothing previously installed seems to run. Not surprising, they weren't coded with this third-party OS in mind. This does, however, prevent him from utilizing the sandboxing program he would typically use when testing potentially harmful programs.

Which could have been a real issue when he decides to test a malicious string of code.

The attempt at running malicious code within the OS does trigger something. A small packet is silently sent to a server KCAltimit ***.**.***.*** containing the following code XH1930ACD-0 despite firewall protections. and only detectable if one was watching closely.

Oh, now that's interesting. This being Mokuba's natural environment, of course he notices that, if there's a way to. However, for now there's little he can do with the information.

He spends a few more minutes poking around, attempting to explore any hidden or administrative files or folders before returning his attention to the helmets.

The OS is incredibly simple for an operating system, though that can be seen from the desktop display. No hidden or administrative files could be found in the clean install. Even at a glance, it was a very tight OS - one could say there's no room to inject bad code into the core components. Though the OS does display its files openly in the Data Explorer under the ALTIMIT folder, they do not open.

The attempts at poking around in the core files does send another packet to the KCAltimit server, except now the content is XH1930ACD-1.

Hm.

He's still in the process of dismantling the broken one. But as for the intact one.... He picks it up from its spot on the carpet beside his desk. Even with the operating system, would it even work without a KC@Home Account? Either way, he's not exactly eager about putting this thing on. His experiences with Virtual Reality haven't exactly been positive.

He turns the helmet over in his hands, brows knit as he tries to figure out how to activate the device, how to connect it with the system.

Simply palming the functional egg-shaped helmet and putting it near the laptop would cause the laptop to display a new window.

>> Genuine KaibaCorp NetGear Deep Immersion device detected. Would you like to Sync the NetGear to the ALTIMIT OS and start Calibration? Please note that playing Legendary Heroes requires a KC@Home account, and you will be able to make an account after calibration.

Faint cyan lines on the egg-shaped helmet glow like a futuristic helmet as if inviting the user to wear it.

He notices the new pop-up that appears as he holds the helmet, taking a second to read the text-- and to ignore the way those cyan lights make his stomach turn. It quickly becomes clear that the process can't continue unworn, either, and Mokuba's stomach sinks further.

He stares at the glowing helmet apprehensively. Gives the half dismantled one a glance. Maybe he should wait. Maybe he should finish poking around, get a better understanding of the tech before he dives right in.

Maybe he's in over his head.

He remembers his last two Virtual Reality experiences. Remembers the illusory egg-shaped capsule that Other Yugi had trapped him within, and the aversion to compact places he'd been left with.

Maybe he should just get his brother.

He remembers the last text conversation with Seto. That he's not careful enough. That he couldn't have saved them from Noa without help.

He takes a deep breath. Then he and clicks okay to begin the calibration, and dons the helmet.

[simfluencer-network]

Photoshoot + Posepack | Rainy Day

Published by NotJustaBook on September 19, 2018

I long for autumn rains. Long walks in the forest with my raincoat and boots on… Since the weather is all over the place, I guess the only way I’ll get nice, lovely autumn rains is in ts3. This is second part of my little autumn shoot (the first part of which is here), but it’s also got a nice little bonus – the poses that I made for this shoot are available for download at the end. I intended this as a little way to celebrate my birthday yesterday, so I wanted to put it out then but that didn’t quite work out. Here they are instead, though!

Let’s first have a look at the pictures, though.

These pics were hard to take. ReShade made the previous shoot look pretty great, but I didn’t have that advantage here. They’re darker and gloomier (for obvious reasons) and as you may now, in-game rain just doesn’t show up in pictures, so I had to add rain myself. I seriously hope it’s not too tacky, ha, ha.

Anyway, with that out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff: poses!

As is becoming standard for me, the poses you see here are height-adjusted. That means that you will either need:

A height-slider (but for reasons which will become clear later, this is a nightmare). I use Cmar’s height-slider. The sim in the male position is set to 250 this time, as opposed to the usual 200 because the pose of the log is a royal pain (again – more on that later), whereas the female is set to -130.

An OMSP. This is honestly the easier solution this time. Pop your guy on it, set it to 13 cm, and you’re good to go. Maybe don’t take pictures from the waist down… or do. I respect your life choices.

This set uses some props as well:

The umbrellas for male/female adults from this pose set (NOT INCLUDED IN THE DOWNLOAD).

The log the female sim is standing on is from here (NOT INCLUDED IN THE DOWNLOAD).

Other accessory umbrellas/logs/chairs/piles of dead bodies (What? Be creative, be free – you’re the master of your own destiny) may work as something for her to step on, but I haven’t tested that.

As usual, the pack comes in list and non-list varieties. If you get the list version, they will look like this in your game:

The different poses are marked as female/male to distinguish them, but they can probably be used for either gender. Be aware, though, that per default, the umbrella accessories are placed in the right hand for female sims and the left for male sims. You may be able to use MasterController’s option to categorise all accessories for both genders, but results may vary.

With that said, let’s get to the poses:

Autumn Day 1

Now I’ve mentioned that this first pair is a nightmare with height-sliders. Normally, I set Enzo to 200, but her hand just hovers like crazy if he’s set to anything lower than 250. I also had to use the alt-key to get him into position. Okay, I know this doesn’t sound too bad, but I adjusted his height several times to find the magic number and it made me cranky. None of this is a problem if you just use the OMSP with standard-height sims – they slide right into place and snap together like it’s going out of style. Sometimes I wonder why I bother with this height-adjustment… (But then I think back to Enzo looking like a pouty teenage boy and I go right back to height-adjustment… I just can’t you guys. I can’t).

Autumn Day 2

Thankfully, this second one is much easier. They should snap right together, though depending on slider settings, you may need to tweak him a little with alt. I had to for this, because this posepack hates me. Putting together the pack went surprisingly smoothly this time, so it’s probably some sort of punishment or evening out. Can’t be too easy now, can it?

The Download

This download contains:

The pack in list and non-list varieties.

A .txt file with codes/descriptions.

A .txt file with notes on height-adjustment.

Preview pictures with codes on them.

Steamy kisses (optional and not encouraged).

With that said, all that’s left is to give you the download link. This time I’m offering you a new option to download on SimFileShare! I personally haven’t had issues with Box, but it’s always nice to have more options. I also always opt for SFS links whenever I can because it’s just so good and simple.

Download (SFS, .zip)

Download (Box, .zip)

That’s it for me for now. Now that I’m on SFS I will slowly start adding links to the other packs there, but I just haven’t been able to shake the lazies, yet. It’ll be a busy weekend for me with more birthday stuff happening, so I might not comment right away this weekend. Hope everyone’s having a great time and if any of you are getting lovely autumn rains, I hope you enjoy it. I’ll just settle for enjoying it in my game. I’ll see you in the next post.

Cheers!