#scum tutorial

[scummy-writes]

Character Glasses Holder Tutorial

Some people wanted a tutorial on how I made my Isaac glasses holder. So here is one!

Featuring Gilbert!

This will be lengthy with photos to help show what I'm trying to describe, so I will be putting this under a cut. (It's honestly not a crazy long process, I am just wordy and trying to be very clear.) As a disclaimer, there may be better ways to do this!! This is just how I did it.

What you will need:

Foam board (usually less than $1 USD in the stores I nab them at), non-super glue (I use a 'Scotch Create' glue pen, which seems to be $7-8 USD), Cardstock (prices vary, still cheapish), self-seal laminating sheets ($10USD, for Scotch brand), x-acto knife (or equivalent), scissors, cutting board, and a (to be printed) sprite of your fave looking directly at the screen!

It's not needed, but I do recommend acrylic paint to kinda seal in the sides of the foam board, once everything is finished.

Notes before getting started:

If your sprite image has not been cleared of a background, I would recommend doing so in order to not waste a bit of printer ink on stuff you will be cutting off.

For any sprite image use, I recommend having them facing the screen directly, rather an at an angle. Additionally, if your image is pixelated, you can use Waifu2x to try and smooth it a little.

Personally, I use google docs for trying to fit images on a page before printing, due to my printer's program being garbage. If you're like me, remember to get rid of the side margins, and shorten the header margins as much as possible. This is usually under the 'file' options as 'page setup', and on google docs, there are rulers on the top and side of the page, where you can manipulate the margins a bit as well.

Everyone's glasses can be sized differently based on, well, how big your head is. My head is huge. You can measure your glasses from the front, including the front of the legs in the overall width, and apply the measurements to any test prints. However, I am stubborn and do not do this.

Similarly, some glasses are heavier than others. I purposely try to buy light frames, so keep in mind that if yours are particularly heavy due to the material used to make it, it might not stay without extra help.

Let's get started!

Size the image however you normally do. I am using google docs! If you're using a word processor to scale/resize the image in a certain way, be sure to make sure 'text wrapping' options aren't limited to following any text, so that you can move the image easier.

Circled areas- ruler for margins at the top and left, and on the right is text wrapping options. All of this combined let me center Gil a bit better on the page.

2. Print off the test page in black and white and on regular paper (if you have any)- to save ink in case it's not sized right- and see how the front of your glasses compare to the sizing of it: Is it big enough to hold the glasses? Remember, we need an okay amount of room on each side of where the glasses would go, so that the foam board can support it without worrying of it breaking.

beautiful

3. I am lucky to where mine doesn't really need resizing for me to be happy! And there is a decent amount of room on each side too. Let's print off in color, on cardstock now, and put a self-sealing laminate sheet on the front of the image. These types of sheets are essentially big clear stickers! We're doing this as a protective layer on top of the image. Yes, it will cause shine, but it's so easy to damage paper! This is for peace of mind. They should have instructions on ways to put it on, just be mindful of bubbles and take it Slow. Once it's on without bubbles, press on the image to make sure it's on Well. (You can also put the sheet on after cutting out the image, if you feel more comfortable doing that)

4. Time for cutting! I recommend using the x-acto knife to cut, in order to get the super small spaces. Be sure to use your cutting board, or a good equivalent, so that you don't cut anything under your paper. Don't be afraid to trim the ends of the fly-away hairs either- in the long run, it's more difficult to work with those thin lines than anything else. When using the x-acto knife, I cut the hair from the base, to the tips, so it doesn't cause issues.

5. Hold your image against your foam board, and cut out a rectangle size that's just slightly bigger. Don't feel bad over 'wasting' foam board, this will just make it easier to work with.

6. With the image cut out and laminated, it's time to glue the back down to the foam board. I do not recommend liquid superglues! If you have one that works swell with paper projects, please feel free! But superglue can bleed through the paper and cause issues.

7. Lay the board to rest- under some flat and heavy objects, like a book or similar. Not crazy heavy! But a good weight so that as it dries, everything is pressed against the board. Make sure it's something that it's okay to get glue on, just in case excess slips out. I usually wait around 30 minutes or longer for it to dry. Eat or clean up the paper scraps while you wait!

8. Almost done! Now that it's dry, it's time to cut once more. I still recommend using an x-acto knife, because scissors cause a lot of issues when cutting foam board.

9. Once cut, it's time to take your glasses again and cut holes for the legs to go through. Keep in mind the width and length of the leg's tip- it needs to be able to fit through. Personally, I am haphazard in everything I do, so I press my frames to the image again and use the x-acto blade to poke just a Smidge bigger than the tips of the glasses legs are.

Surely, there are better ways of doing this.

10. Once both holes are cut, and everything seems to fit well, it's time to make the back! I try to use scraps leftover from the foam board cutting to make them, but you may need to use new pieces from your foam board. We're going to put any straight edges to the back, and glue down. Here, you can use superglue, since it's just foam board to foam board. Trim any excess that goes past your himbo, and test that it can stand on its own.

11. (Optional!!) Paint the sides, carefully, with acrylic. I'm using black, but you can use any color. Don't stress if it gets on the laminate- it wipes off super easily while still wet! I do not recommend using a marker, since if it touches the paper, it will likely bleed through and cause odd splotches. My roommate suggests that puff paint may work as well!

And you're done! Now you have your fave wearing your glasses!

If you end up doing this, especially if you're in the ikemen games fandom, I'd love to see it!

Also, I normally write stuff! If interested, feel free to check it out:

Ikevamp Masterlist | Ikepri Masterlist | Discord Server

[krowscrawl]

tigertaur lqg (& co.)

crops under the cut

[thlassicalamity]

learning after effects by. doing whatever this is, apparently

[apponia]

A little about how this art. To everyone a kiss for your activity (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠) ⁠♡

[yennens]

trying to play spirit of justice for my inner completionist’s sake but the entire PREMISE of this game is already pissing me off

[sonsofks]

SCUM Desata "The Horde" con un Renovado Sistema Tutorial y el Regreso de un Vehículo Muy Querido por los Fans!

La Actualización que Cambiará el Juego: Nuevos Tutoriales, Armas y Vehículos para SCUM. Jagex y Gamepires han lanzado hoy “The Horde” para el juego de supervivencia multijugador SCUM. Esta actualización trae consigo un sistema de tutorial mejorado para jugadores nuevos y antiguos, nuevas armas y accesorios, así como una revisión del sistema de creación y el regreso del camión pickup, favorito de…

[knightochan-official]

EVERY MORNING I WAKE UP AND OPEN PALM SLAM MY CYBERBRAIN INTO THE SLOT. ITS E.Y.E. DIVINE CYBERMANCY AND RIGHT THEN AND THERE I START EXPERIENCING MY CYCLES OF GUILT ALONGSIDE WITH THE MAIN CHARACTER, RIMANAH. I DO EVERY MISSION AND I DO EVERY MISSION ON NIGHTMARE INVASION. NOT MANY CAN SAY THEY KILLED THEIR MENTOR BUT ARE NOT HIS MURDERER. I CAN. I SAY IT AND I SAY IT OUTLOUD EVERYDAY TO PEOPLE IN MY TEMPLE AND ALL THEY DO IS PROVE PEOPLE IN THE ARCHIVES CAN STILL BE JIAN SCUM. AND IVE LEARNED EVERY FACET OF THE OCTUPLE EQUILIBRIUM AND IVE LEARNED HOW TO MAKE MYSELF AND MY MISSIONS LESS LONELY BY USING EM ALL. 2 HOURS INCLUDING TUTORIAL AND EPILOGUE EVERY MORNING. THEN I CRY

[crowlyne]

The scum villain ace attorney crossover got me thinking what the sv cast's roles in a typical ace attorney game will be so here it is :

1. Shen Qingqiu (Shen Yuan)

Bro is NOT a lawyer lmao, bro always assumed wrong about someone even with his favourite person (tbf the situation doesnt help much). Hes either the defendant or the victim (usually plot-important and relevant to mc's character growth), no inbetween 💀 he probably faked death once (e.g : mia/maya)

2. Shen Qingqiu (Shen Jiu)

Just like shen yuan man has horrific luck and kept getting framed for murder. Asshole extraordinaire, most difficult defendant with a complicated ahh case, wont talk to you / kept pushing you away (e.g. edgeworth/lana skye).

3. Shang QingHua (Airplane)

Either larry / gumshoe roles lmao. Gumshoe because he cant catch a break, and larry because he kept getting involved in murder cases despite trying his hardest to stay away. Unreliable witness that you have to press every single statement.

4. Shang QingHua (OG)

Case/game's final boss, the mastermind. The reason everything is happening. Probably is involved in every murders in the game. Same as airplane, you have to keep pressing his statements.

5. Luo BingHe

Either the perpetrator who got a grudge, framed someone (bc of grudge), or prosecutor (you get the idea, he did this in PIDW). Can be the game's final boss as well.

7. Yue Qingyuan

Defendant's friend whos trying to help by covering up evidence / straight up framed someone else and made everything worse 💀

8. Liu Qingge

Tutorial/second case victim 💀

9. Old palace master

some final boss that is not very memorable bc he only appeared in the end

10. Other Peak Lords

Juries if the game's system is like DGS/GAA

11. Gong Yixiao

Victim

12. Zhuzhi lang & Tianlang Jun

Perpetrator and accomplice

[proxi-centauri]

I think part of it is, you don't remember what drugs do. Harry might feel awful (EC directly states as such), but in his amnesia mind, what are drugs gonna do about that, really? He has no correlation anymore between do drugs -> bad feelings go away -> good feelings pop up. Half of the battle of quitting is getting out of the habit, learning to cope without. But if you don't know how to cope at all anymore, and you have someone around you don't want to disappoint because they wouldn't approve of your drug use (which is HUGE regardless of if you have your memory or not), what really are drugs to you?

The bit that made me go "oh, this is Really like using" is the first time you use drugs, for each type of drug you use. You get 30xp for each one. That's 120xp total, enough for a level and some change. There's no downside either. It gives this impression of "using drugs in this game is great actually!!" at least for me, because I am a simple monkey and the serotonin in my brain goes off when the game tells me I did a good job. And that's a lot like it's been for me the first time I use something, or if I only use it sporadically. It's great! No downsides! In fact I feel better! The game tells you "what are you so worried about doing drugs for? You can have a little drugs, as a treat."

The problem then becomes, you need more drugs if you're gonna use them for checks like the game explicitly recommends. Even something as simple as cigs or alcohol costs money, with something like speed costing way more (iirc, I don't think pyr ever costs you anything? at least not from the two sources I remember). You're buying up substances to get through checks? You don't have a lot of money in the game, especially not if you don't know how to find it. You're going to miss out on the books you could read, maybe even the boardgame you can play with Kim. The world is less vibrant for your drug use.

And what if you don't have enough money for drugs, or if you've exhausted all your options to get more? I can't imagine how frustrating and irritating that'd be. You know this check would be easier with some speed. It's how you've gotten through the game. The tribunal's coming up. If you're not fucked up to your eyeballs, how are you going to get through it? You need more. Go find some more money, maybe pawn some stuff off. Suddenly the game revolves a Lot more around how to get drugs. They're easy to get and to use, until they're not, and then the tension increases.

That's the in game punishment for using, the addiction mechanic. And it's remarkably accurate. The first hit? Does wonders. And you do still "feel good" (ie get the bonuses you need) with subsequent hits. It's just that you start getting anxious without it. You need more to feel like you're functioning. Harry doesn't have an in game addiction mechanic because you as the player serve that function.

I will say, only once did I feel legitimately tempted to use drugs or alcohol in Disco Elysium. That was during the Hardie Boys questioning.

I had failed to establish authority, and was considering using drugs or alcohol to reopen the white check. I found another way to progess the investigation, however, and I never felt the need to use substances again.

This, I feel, is one of this game's few failures. Quitting drugs or alcohol is difficult as fuck. Thus, quitting drugs or alcohol in a game should require great amounts of self-control in a player. I never felt like using them because I never really understood what they gave me, or thought of it as necessary. Reopening white checks? Increased stats? These aren't bad things to have, but I didn't feel the need to take them.

What they did on day 2 WOULD have helped this, had it happened to a greater extent. Imagine if Day 2, not even all the days, just day 2, was filled with plenty of white checks that are the only way to progress the investigation, without finding some other, less effective workaround. Now imagine, at the same time, ALL your stats have been greatly nerfed, excluding ones that would either be unaffected by, or improved by being sober. Things you could do no problem on the first day become incredibly difficult on the second day.

[the-switch-conspiracy]

[Prev]

Intermission: The Perils Of Not Reading the User Manual!

[User 0001 has a new tutorial mission available. Would you like to access it? ^(@w@)^]

Shang Qinghua’s hand stilled from where it was shoved in his bowl of sunflower seeds. He’d been in the midst of a 3-hour paperwork binge, sorting requisitions that should have been handed in weeks ago - But noooo, prove you can do your job well, and what do you get rewarded with? More work! - When the system message flashed in front of him. Rather than its usual white text on cool blue, the letters were pulsing a soft warm yellow, and the screen seemed almost more teal… System did you update?! And what’s this about tutorial missions!

“What do you mean a new tutorial mission? You’ve never given me a tutorial mission before!” The seed shells crack in his grasp, tutorial missions? Ha! As if his system would give him something so helpful! B-points, plot adherence, what else is there?! Besides he literally grew up here, what more was there to learn!

[User 0001 is incorrect. This SYSTEM informed User at transmigration of pending tutorial missions. User responded -ahhhhgrawwahhhaaaah- and quite vigorously hit this SYSTEM’S mute button (o///o)]

BS! Not fair! This transmigrator was a baby! How could this one be expected to accept in that state?

[Further more, this SYSTEM has assigned multiple additional tutorial missions on review of User 0001’s activity. Due to User muting tutorial messages, this SYSTEM helpfully made them accessible through the System User Manual! (>OuO)>]

!!!! @$%* !!!! “A system user manual? And what is in said manual?” Shang Qinghua was sure his current face would even give the scum villain Shen Qingqiu pause. Grit teeth was an understatement, and Mu Qingfang would no doubt have much to say about the current clench of his jaw. Pulling all-nighters wasn’t easy, and the system playing him for a fool only made the no doubt impending migraine worse! He’s already been distracted from his signing of… what was it, ah yes more training swords for the Bai Zhan disciples! Of course it was Bai Zhan! Liu Shidi control your brats! Though he was sure he’d filled out this exact form hours ago! How many did you send??

[User could access:]

A secondary window popped up next to the first. It was a dull grey contrasting the bright teal of the first, its letters uniform and blocky, it’s text to speech voice less refined in its intonation. Unsurprisingly, it gave Shang Qinghua the creeps. It was the Windows 2000, to the system’s usual Windows XP!

{Information about preventing plot inconsistency! Information about disabling OOC lock! Information about unlocking the skill tree! Information about Author Permissions of the World State in Current P̷̧͆͋̌Ĩ̵̩͖̜̱̮̓̍̏̾̃͐̚Ḑ̷̩͔͕̑̏̽̔̐̓̎̅̇̓͆͝͝Ẅ̴̗̙̝͙̣̺̼̭̫́̉͑̄̓͆̅ ̸̧̼̞͔̼̳̖̮͙͍̳̥̩̜̇̿͗̏̽̇̽̀͘͜Ḯ̴͕̲̗̫̩̩͍̙̠͕̌̐̉͆́͒̂̚͜͝͝͝͝͝Ṋ̸̡̡̢̡̦̮̀̀̿͛͒̆͗S̷̨̧̛̞̞̹͒̋̒̃T̴̢̫͇̗̜̦̟̎̂̍̇̀̀̄̑͆̽͜A̵̢̡̢͖̤̩̯̗̟͇̝̹̦̓̀͛̃͋̑̇͘N̴̹̺͐̐̃͊́̋̄̅̆͑̀̃̃͋C̴̡̨̧͈̠͓̜͍͕̺͖͈̬̄̎̎͋̏̈́͗͜͝͠É̶̞͓͒͊͌̉ ̵̡̘͖̱̺̫̤̤̬̮͈̈́́̀̿͗̈́̎̍͜ͅS̸̢̫̳͕̱̰̹̲̪̠͕͉͔̓̅̓̅́̆̈́̌̔̑̕͜͝V̷̢̡̫̣̠̩̣̮̮̼̙̝̺̑͑̏̀͋̈̾̂͗͊͆̓͛͜͝͠S̴̳̣̭̐̀S̴̢͖̼̱͕͍̣͈͓̝̬̟̾̃̊̀̏̏̔̒͊̌̓̕ͅŜ̶̳͎��̯̼́͑͂́͒͛́͠ ̵̞̱̜̫̻̘̩̜̓̐͌͜ͅ0̸̻̦̬̲̞̣̯̈́̋̑͗͊͗̈̉͋̿͑̚͘͜͝͠.̶̛̰͕̠̫͚͓̱̦̊̍̿͝2̴̨̡͙̙̲̫̺̹͎̱̣̟̓́̏͌̅̾͌̐̄̚!} A loud buzzing, crackling emanated from the screen, the final words so badly distorted they were unreadable to him. A peculiar sense of dread engulfed him, like he’d looked upon something not meant for human eyes. The window popped shut with a static hum.

“So uh, picked up any malware lately?” It was said with the all the dread that only a man facing his imminent demise could scrounge up! Completely ignoring him, the system continued.

[Tutorial Missions Available:

(Completed) Transmigrated and All I Got was Anxiety! Reward: Mellowdust Prescription, User Name Change.

(Tutorial) Welcome to your Authorial Debut! Reward: 500 B-points.

(Main) The Frozen North. Reward: Always Warm Socks.

Two of a Kind! Reward: System Chat. (Currently Unavailable)

(Tutorial) What is a Self Saving System? Reward: Disabled OOC Lock. (Alternative Route Chosen)

(Tutorial) System Archival Update Tutorial. Reward: A Cool Cape, ARCHIVAL Glasses.

NEW QUEST! (Main) The Archivist Assistant! Reward: Access to the ARCHIVIST, Access to the ARCHIVES.

NEW QUEST! (Main) A bug is a bug i̷̪̩̕š̸̢̳̜̣̻͓̖͚͕͕͉̜̖̼̄͗͛͑̋̓̀̉̀͝ ̸̢̱̥̬̙̞̭̞̹̫͜͝ã̸̡̻͊̇̄̍̆͑̔̏̇ ̷̨̳̱̼̹̙̺̙͙̖̞̫̥͍̄́͗̄̃̕b̸̤͇̼̘̭̉̆̈́̃̀̒̈́͛u̸̻̥͍͎̦̅̈̐̀̈̋͐̈́́̿͝g̶̦̹̬̞͍̗͉̀ͅ. Reward: 10 000 F-points.]

“What the hell are these rewards, and what the hell are F-points?” Shang Qinghua has lived most of his new life in fear, it truly is an old friend in that one regard. Ever present; the fear of being found out a traitor, the fear of dying to Mobei-Jun, the fear of not having enough B-points and simply boop, gone, back to a carcass. It’s exhausting, it’s constant, every win and point and eked out bit of happiness danced tumultuously on a wire, hanging thousands of feet above the clouds. One beat out of tune, one misstep, the sudden slack of the wire… no Shang Qinghua.

Now a new fear made manifest; the system is acting strange. The system that arbitrarily decides whether he’s here or not, isn’t behaving the way it should. Archives? F Points! Tutorials? It felt wrong, out of place, like looking at one of those ‘guess the difference’ puzzle games, and realising the picture is of your childhood room taken from the closet door. Or something like that. Maybe he should go back more towards ‘heaving flesh more pebbled than the path they trekked to get there’ type metaphors..? Or perhaps back to filling in the requisitions for… Thousand Night Honey for Qian Cao Peak, Mu Shidi that stuff isn’t so easily bought! Hmm, wasn’t this form…?

[F-points are a new reward point type for specific missions! Like B-points for being a bad-ass, Satisfaction points for helping others, F-points are Fix-Points. They can be used to bring stability to plot changes and purchase helpful items you can’t get from the B-point shop! As for the rewards, well User 0001 only needs to complete the mission to find out! (>///<)]

Stability to plot changes? So, he can change things… But why now? Was it the update, or something else? This bad feeling inside… the more he thinks about it, it only grows stronger. His eyes flick to the corner of the room, the shadows on the wall. A perfect copy cast from the potted plant in front of it, only slightly hazy at the edges. His eyes flick again, to the light coming through the window. It’s morning, the sun having only risen four hours before, yet the dawn casts gentle rays through the gauze. Dust moats float silver in the soft gold.

[Shang Qinghua has one more mission available. Would you like to access it?]

That window faces the west.

[NEW QUEST! (Main) Save the World!]

[Next]

[masiethewriter]

Honored Eternal Path of Demise CH. 10 - Basic Mechanics

Shen Qingqiu can't keep himself from quietly humming the Significant-Item-Pick-Up melody. He knows this is not the first important item he has collected, but this flashlight in particular brings out the Pavlovian response in him. Just how many times did he die and have to collect this very flashlight back when he first played the game? "I got something!" he finally calls out. As Luo Binghe jogs over, he shows him the flashlight. "Great find Senior! Now we can see where we are going." "I don't know how long it will last, so let's get this over with. Before it runs out of battery."

First Chapter ~~ Previous Chapter

Shen Qingqiu does not appreciate the feeling of his clothing sticking to his skin. His glasses have been taken off, hidden safely in his pocket to protect them from the pour. Each step he takes releases a squelch, as his shoes are not made for this kind of weather.

The only time he has gotten a taste of the outside was back on the balcony. At least that had had a small roof to protect against the worst of the rain. Out here, walking on a slick path made of rock, framed only by flower patches and lamp posts, there is nothing in the way of wind or water. 

It is, of course, the same for Luo Binghe, but his protagonist halo means he will only look pitiful when a loving and fertile woman is close by to take care of him. With no such being in range, he instead takes on the look of the lone hero braving the elements.

So far, both of them have stayed quiet. 

There are various reasons for why Shen Qingqiu has not said a word yet. Part of it is to stay in character. The original goods never hid his distaste for Luo Binghe, so here in the beginning, when conflicts have yet to rear their heads, he would most likely stay silent. Don't wanna waste his breath on a worthless beast and all that, bla bla bla. 

Staying in character is also a convenient excuse, because he wouldn't even know what to say. He can't just repeat Ning Yingying’s lines here. That would make no sense coming from the scum villain. There is no script for him to follow this time and improvisation is much riskier to do with a character as smart as Luo Binghe.

Shen Qingqiu joining him in Ning Yingying's place should not have been possible. And yet here he is.

This entire situation is suspicious to the highest degree. Whatever caused Luo Binghe to act out of character like this, Shen Qingqiu has to keep an eye out for it. So, his last reason for staying quiet is that he is waiting for Luo Binghe to speak up first. 

To be the first to reveal a card from his hand.

But Luo Binghe has not said a word since they went outside. He has been guiding them along the path, a few steps ahead. His demeanor has been pure innocence, none of his behavior inconsistent with how he would be expected to act.

Shen Qingqiu’s guard is fully up. All his attention is on Luo Binghe, as he awaits his next move. Nothing unusual will go unnoticed on his watch.

He is so focused on Luo Binghe that he has barely considered the space around them. Mostly been ignoring the outside area so far, which is honestly also making every nerve in his body itch with unease. Being outside like this is way too soon. It goes completely against the narrative for him to be here.

His only consolation is that it is still following Ning Yingying’s story. While he shouldn't be able to take her place at all, it is a comfort the game still continues as he would expect. Following the road out here, lamp posts lighting their way, Shen Qingqiu, for the first time since his death, gets to re-experience the beginning tutorial of the game.

And speaking of tutorials, here comes the first lesson.

Ahead of them, a massive tree hinders their path. The trunk is massive, larger than the both of them and way too big to crawl over. The height of it can only be imagined, as neither end can be seen. The tip and roots hidden in the darkness in each direction, out of reach from any light. Seeing it laying like this, it feels unbelievable for a tree of such a size to no longer stand. And yet here it is, cut down before them, solely for the sake of being in their way.

It has managed to fall in such a way that it is laying askew. If looking from the right direction, some space underneath it will be revealed to be big enough to crawl under. Though, Shen Qingqiu mostly knows this from experience, rather than being able to see it from here.

They both stop, Luo Binghe stepping towards the tree as he studies it closer. Shen Qingqiu follows, but keeps the distance between them. He allows Luo Binghe to think as he himself just admires the sheer size of the trunk. He has no idea what sort it is. For all he knows it is just made up by the game designers, creating it just to be a blockade on the road. Do any trees in the real world get as huge as this?

He tries to think of different trees he knows from his first life and compare their size to this. He is not the outgoing type, never gone camping or the like. Most of his meetings with nature would happen in the nearby park, usually just so he had an excuse for when his family would complain about him staying inside too much. Certainly none of the trees in the park ever got this big, but maybe if he had gone to an actual forest...

Shen Qingqiu is interrupted from his musings when Luo Binghe suddenly calls him over. He has finally found the way underneath. 

"The shadows hide it well, but I think we can crawl underneath here," Luo Binghe explains once he is close enough. "We might get slightly dirty, but it should only take us a second."

"Better than walking in the dark, I suppose" Shen Qingqiu disinterestedly answers. In his mind he can hear the guide explaining which buttons to press to crouch. He kneels down and prepares to go through, When Luo Binghe reaches out to stop him.

His sunshine smile returns as he holds out a hand. He himself has untied his jacket from his waist and slung it over his shoulder instead. Likely to protect it from the mud. 

"Let me go first. I will check that it is safe on the other side." He declares all heroic and gentlemanly.

Shen Qingqiu's only answer is a cold "tsk," as he leans back on his heels. Seeing that he isn't arguing, Luo Binghe goes first. 

Shen Qingqiu does not wait for him to call him over. The second Luo Binghe is out of sight, he follows. It is dark underneath, but light seeps through from both sides. He is not far behind Binghe and even with a tree this massive, it only takes a few seconds to get through. Once he crawls through the other side, he is met with a large hand, palm up.

Shen Qingqiu looks up and his eyes are caught by Luo Binghe’s. The younger adult is using the trunk to keep his balance, as he leans down to help Shen Qingqiu stand up. His sunshine smile has not dimmed in the slightest and his shoulders are relaxed. With his jacket still thrown over his shoulder and the lamp post light creating a halo around him, he is the perfect image of the virtuous hero offering a helping hand.

In any other case Shen Qingqiu would love to see Luo Binghe like this. While he hated the game, he could rarely complain about their characterisation of Binghe. The Luo Binghe of the novels had been in his blackened era for such a long time that seeing white lotus Binghe stay pure for the entire game was a nice change.

But this is just pure suspicion with paranoia on top! There must be a reason for Luo Binghe to invite him outside and there must be a reason for him to act all sweet and innocent! He is playing some kind of game and Shen Qingqiu is too busy being forced to play an awful horror game to join any other! The rules of Honored Eternal Path of Demise may be shitty, but at least he knows them! On the other hand, there is no knowing what is happening inside Luo Binghe's head.

So Shen Qingqiu does not take the offered hand. Instead he keeps his face expressionless, slowly lowering his eyes from Luo Binghes face to the hand in front of him. Neither move for a while until Luo Binghe understands the message. Shen Qingqiu does not see what expression he makes when he steps back. Instead he uses the trunk to push himself up, wiping off the dirt from his pants. First when he feels clean and sophisticated again does he spare Luo Binghe a glance.

The sunshine is gone, but it has not been taken over by clouds. The casual demeanor is still there. Waiting by the side of the road, Luo Binghe stands with both hands in his pockets. Once he sees that Shen Qingqiu is ready, he nods towards the way they are going and then turns to lead them further. Shen Qingqiu follows. 

First Tutorial lesson out of the way, as well as the first Luo Binghe interaction. He is no closer to understanding what Luo Binghe wants, but he is beginning to formulate the beginning of a theory. 

Specifically the theory that Luo Binghe also remembers the loops.

He has no idea if that is even possible. In the original game, only the player remembered the loops, never any of the characters. So there is nothing in the game lore that should be causing this. Of course, it could be the same case as Shen Qingqiu, another unlucky transmigrator landing in this terrible world. But then the question is: why?

Why would they suddenly arrive here? When would it have happened? Could someone else transmigrate at any time? Did they arrive here at the same time as Shen Qingqiu and neither of them noticed before now?

A lot of questions and no answers. If there are any answers to begin with. Shen Qingqiu hasn't fully subscribed to Luo Binghe being a transmigrator yet. Because even if he is, then what happened during the last loop that made them decide to travel with Shen Qingqiu?

Here it is natural to assume they could have been the one that switched out the paper or the stranger that stayed with him when he died. Though neither of those cases would explain the new behavior now. If he was the shadow watching him with Ning Yingying's corpse, now that would make sense. 

If they already had the context of transmigrating from their own experience, what he said to Ning Yingying couldn't be more clear as a confession. Why Luo Binghe was inside in the first place or where he went when Shen Qingqiu tried to see who had been watching him, that would still not be explained. But it would be the most logical motive for why he suddenly wants to be alone with him. 

If Luo Binghe is a transmigrator, then this is all a test. A test to see if Shen Qingqiu is a transmigrator as well. And this is exactly why it is more important than ever for Shen Qingqiu to stay in character and avoid revealing that he is not the original scum villain.

Most would think he would consider it to be a good thing finding that he is not alone in the loops. 

In actuality that would be the most dangerous of all. 

Honored Eternal Path of Demise is a game that pushes their characters to their very edge and afterwards still kicks them into the abyss. No character in this game will stay innocent by the end. Whether by the countless death they will all experience or those they themselves will inevitably cause. Every character is just as likely to be horrifically killed by a monster as they will turn into a monster themselves.

Terrible accidents, uncontrollable emotions, overpowering paranoia, violent insanity or corrupting curses. There are many motives for why murdering one of your friends might suddenly seem desirable. And in a world where your ally can suddenly become your enemy, the resets suddenly become much more of a blessing. 

If Luo Binghe suddenly remembers everything as well, that means that Shen Qingqiu can commit no wrong as long as he is watching. Because those wrongs would still be remembered in upcoming sessions. 

If a transmigrating Luo Binghe suddenly decided that he would be better off not having Shen Qingqiu around...

For all he knows, Luo Binghe is currently luring him to where the Killer first is to get him out of the way early. And this is why Shen Qingqiu can at no point let his guard down. He has already made up his mind that he will beat his survival record in this session. 

No matter what it takes!

Further ahead, multiple of the light posts have broken down. A few of them are still blinking, but the light is too weak to show anything. Much further they can see there are still some working, but this leaves a long stretch of the path in utter darkness. Besides the outline of some bushes, there is nothing they can see.

"Should we just try to walk through? The path has been safe so far," Luo Binghe asks.

"You are welcome to go first. I will just wait here," Shen Qingqiu answers. Even if he didn't remember what the darkness holds, he already has experience with traps hidden outside of sight. The game has made it clear that he should not try his luck.

Neither does Luo Binghe. Of course the hero is not stupid enough to walk in blind. 

If there is someone else in Luo Binghes body, then Shen Qingqiu will give them props for saying their lines perfectly. Of course the dialogue changes slightly depending on his own words, but so far Binghes words have almost been the same as when he is with Ning Yingying. Really, there is a frustrating lack of proof that this could be a transmigrator acting as Luo Binghe.

"There must be something that can help us. I would hate for us to go back empty handed like this." Luo Binghe mutters to himself.

He likely doesn’t expect an answer, but that does not stop Shen Qingqiu: "If we go back now we might find Ning Yingying has already contacted the police and that we are wasting our time."

His words just cause Luo Binghe to laugh.

"I don't think you really believe that, Senior Shen."

Of course he doesn't! If it was that easy, what kind of horror game would this be? Whatever Ning Yingying is doing, he can be certain she is not having more luck than he had! Even if she manages to get the spiritbox and have begun to explore the upper floor, he wanna bet that she would be just as challenged by the music puzzle as he was!

Well, whatever she is doing, she still has some time. This is only the second part of the tutorial that they have reached. 

This time he helps Luo Binghe explore the area. Mostly because he can see Luo Binghe is looking in the totally wrong place and he doesn't want to wait. This is a point for this still being NPC-Binghe as he is exactly where he is meant to be. This is a lesson for the player after all. 

To not make it too obvious that he knows what to look for, he does waste some time checking the area. There is not much they can look at while staying in the light, but he still lets a few minutes pass. Then he checks between two bushes at the edge of the road.

He finds a partially broken flashlight. 

It does not look pretty. It has begun to rust and part of the glass is broken off. It is heavy in his hand when he picks it up, but clicking on the button, it does shoot out its light.

Shen Qingqiu can't keep himself from quietly humming the Significant-Item-Pick-Up melody. He knows this is not the first important item he has collected, but this flashlight in particular brings out the Pavlovian response in him. Just how many times did he die and have to collect this very flashlight back when he first played the game?

"I got something!" he finally calls out. As Luo Binghe jogs over, he shows him the flashlight.

"Great find Senior! Now we can see where we are going."

"I don't know how long it will last, so let's get this over with. Before it runs out of battery."

"You lead the way," Luo Binghe says, indicating with his hands the same sentiment. Shen Qingqiu takes them back to the darkened path.

As he lights up the road with the flashlight, they can see it is covered in bushes. Bushes that are very different from the ones they have seen so far. They are each the same size as Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu, their leaves full of sharp edges and thorns along the branches. They don't look like something you want to walk into and as Luo Binghe studies them closer, Shen Qingqiu can't help but push him back.

"Don't touch them. You will come to regret it if any of them touch your skin," he warns.

"Senior Shen knows of these plants?" Luo Binghe asks. 

Shen Qingqiu hums as he begins to lead them safely through the bushes. The flashlight has revealed a safe strip of road they can walk along. The clear path is quite narrow though, so Luo Binghe stays closely behind him. Occasionally he has to lay a hand on Shen Qingqiu’s shoulder, so as not to lose him in a turn.

"They are poisonous. Not deadly, but one touch will make you want to scratch your skin off. Better not risk anything," he explains.

"Why would they grow on the road like this?"

"Likely for the same reason that tree hadn't been removed either. It doesn't look like this place has been maintained for a long time. Or to deter uninvited guests? If you have the right tools to collect them, the leaves are said to make excellent tea, so that could also be a reason for why they are grown here."

"Hmm, Senior sure is knowledgeable."

Shen Qingqiu almost stops. He forces his feet to keep moving, not giving any outward sign of what he is thinking. 

Shit! 

Did he just give himself away? Would it be weird for the original goods to know this? He just wanted to warn Luo Binghe, he did not think sharing this kind of info was bad. He will have to be even more careful!

"If you kept attention in class you would know this too. This is very common knowledge, even the biggest morons from our school should know this," he quickly scolds. Fuck, now he really hopes Luo Binghe is not a transmigrator! He swears he can feel Luo Binghes breath on his neck, like he is suddenly much closer. Is it just him or can he suddenly feel Binghes heat against his back?!

"Sorry Senior, I will make sure to pay better attention in the future," Luo Binghe dutifully promises. Before he can ask further questions, Shen Qingqiu hurries them out of the maze, the labyrinth of bushes suddenly making him feel claustrophobic.

They get free from the bushes and finally Shen Qingqiu can step away from Luo Binghe. Sweat is running down his back and It is like he can suddenly breathe freely again. He does not wipe his forehead for the sole reason not to give anything away. As he looks over towards Luo Binghe, the other looks fine. Like their little conversation in the maze was just that - Idle smalltalk. 

Shen Qingqiu is about to have enough of this. They are nearing the end of the tutorials and it is time to find out what Luo Binghes agenda is. If he is just an innocent NPC acting strangely or a transmigrator luring him into a deadly trap. From here they can see the top of the exit gate, the one meant to leave them away from this nightmare. Shen Qingqiu knows they will not have to walk much further before they will see a dark mass leaning against it. 

Pocketing the flashlight, Shen Qingqiu leads them the rest of the way. Luo Binghe keeps up, never letting the distance between them grow too far. 

As they draw nearer, Shen Qingqiu mentally prepares himself for the soon meeting of a dead body.

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 1/30/2024

a good 60% of my brain is screaming in unemployment terror at all times so these will be somewhat abbreviated until that situation resolves itself

listening

sleeping on the ceiling by friday pilots club. this is a song by a five-piece alt-rock band from chicago that could EASILY open for mid-aughts fall out boy. i would like to think it is from the point of view of a freshly-turned vampire. listen this slot isn't about the best song i heard this week it's about the one that got stuck in my head the most

Hey, I swear I'm okay Honey, I been sleepin' on the ceiling all day Yes way, like hey I swear I feel great Looky, looky, love the feeling of being okay Yes way

spotify.

reading

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and the Amulet of Power by Mike Resnick. it was in a dollar book bin and i got it as a joke gift for a friend. mike resnick is a remarkably prolific writer who's done a lot of tie-ins. i don't have anything particularly notable to say about his star wars books but they are a sort of minimum viable product? they feel star warsy and don't annoy me on every page.

this book was published in 2003 and treats the people of the Nile delta and their beliefs with all the delicacy you might expect from a 2003 video game tie in novel. i do think the twist is being telegraphed way too hard. perhaps i should say instead of sending a telegram mr resnick has simply set the telegraph office ablaze as a signal fire. the titular triangle-pointed woman herself ms croft is VERY insistent she's just as good as the boys. this is pretty on par for my experience of 2003 empowering womens' feminism AND my experience in a male-dominated field so i can't really ding it too hard? aside from the racism, in the notably racism-free fields of archaeology and video games and archaeology video games, this book is aging a little strangely overall. i do not know if i will finish it before i mail it out to my friend, but despite its sins it is a very fast read.

watching

watched the four dungeon meshi episodes. it's cute! ProzD was an unexpected delight! it made me want to make something fancy for dinner but alas i still have to go food shopping!

some posts on my dash were talking about how the episode with the mollusks inside the living armor really got them hooked and i have to agree. i also saw the full potential of the show's speculative biology unspooling before me. i don't know if i currently have the brainwidth for the manga but it is going on my reading list for after i finish berserk. which is kind of like saying i'm going to watch chopped after i finish up hannibal

playing

forgot i had an original gen switch, given to me through a complex series in a complex series of friend barters back in uhhhh late '21? early '22? i got through 3/4 of the divine beasts the first time around and then could not crack the camel. it was well past time to create a new switch profile so i could start a new game without losing the old one.

omg twinnsssssssss

i did forget how goddamn big the map is. i have just now unlocked the camera and the memory quests, i have not really. done much more than basic tutorial and beginning of game stuff.

making

anxiously junebugging between a whole bunch of shit. finally figured out the correct charger/extension cord setup for my bedroom. replaced all the fluorescent lightbulbs and took them to be recycled. fixed the hall door enough so it latches closed and an irritated cat can't claw it open. tidied up the balcony and patio and repotted the surviving houseplants.

in textile news, started this cross stitch. this is a Bless This Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy Star Wars themed sampler, i have made two as gifts and had to throw out a mostly-completed one i made for me bc of the moths. but i now know exactly where this will go in this apartment and i already have the frame and i bought all the floss pre-being fired, so might as well? the real bitch of the situation here is backstitching the buildings. it's so start and stop. it's so much tan. i talked about this on the weekly siblingchat facetime and now my brother has requested one lmao. that's his christmas gift settled. i suppose.

i had somehow forgotten how loadbearing textile crimes are for me. i haven't done much of anything since the moth debacle, and that was almost two years ago. last night i found some suspicious holes in a camisole and i'm really really hoping it's just cat claws and not moths or carpet beetles or any other fun things that eat clothes.

[lifeontoast]

The Great Pumpkin Pie Disaster

 

Edward Nashton x fem!reader (she/her pronouns used)

 

SUMMARY: Edward attempts to bake a pie for Y/N - long story short, it’s a disaster.

 

Word count: 1.6k(ish)

 

Trigger warnings: disastrous baking

 

A/N: something for my Eddie fans - hope you like it :) Feel free to drop me any other Paul Dano requests if you have them. (I hope it isn’t ooc oops).

Dedicated to that one anon who said my writing was yummy - ilysm.

 

…

 

EDWARD’S POV:

 

It’s not right that I get the day off and my angel doesn’t. She spends all day thanklessly slaving away for the scum of the city. She’s too angelic and… perfect for that. I tried telling her that she didn’t have to work, now that we live together, that I could make enough for us to get by, but she told me that she wanted to help. I worry about her, all those people who could hurt her. She always insists that she can look after herself, but I’m not sure. Anyway, it’s just not right.

 

There’s no point in me having a day off if she’s not there to spend it with me, so I tried to go to work this morning, but she wouldn’t let me. How honourable of her! She is so lovely to me. So, I’ve decided that I’m going to make it up to her, by making her a pumpkin pie. She loves it when we go to the diner and have a few slices – she always says that the filling is silky-smooth and creamy. Apparently, that’s good. I wouldn’t know; I know next to nothing about baking. Not like her, whose cooking skills are incredible. I would know about that, though, as she cooks dinner for us every night. I often wonder how she manages it, the buying of ingredients and the preparation, when she always seems so tired after a long day at work. She never complains though. She’d make the perfect wife for me. After all, she needs someone to protect her from the scum of this city. Some days I just feel so absurdly lucky that she’s chosen me as her protector. She makes my head spin and my heart beat madly.

 

I’ve rambled enough; it’s time to get started. I already bought all the ingredients once she’d left and found a recipe online. Now all I have to do is make it. It should be easy.

 

NORMAL POV:

 

You couldn’t help but feel slightly jealous of Edward this morning as you left for work and he stayed at home. He tried to go to work as usual, but of course you didn’t let him. It wouldn’t be fair to rob him of his first day off in weeks just because you wanted one too. You kissed his cheek as you usually did, when he grabbed your wrist and solemnly promised to have a surprise waiting for you when you got home. Feeling excited, you left the apartment with renewed enthusiasm, wondering what your surprise would be.

 

EDWARD’S POV:

 

This is harder than I thought… making the pastry was easy, but getting it into the dish is proving… difficult. I have to keep trying though, for Y/N. Millions of YouTube tutorials later, the pie crust was still littered with holes where the pastry had over-stretched. I tried to smooth them out as best I could, but it was no use. It would have to do. Nothing terrible would happen to it, though, I was sure. I started on the filling next. This was trickier. For one, I over-boiled the pumpkin, so it was a brown mush when I checked on it. As if this wasn’t enough, I dropped a couple of eggs on the floor, which Y/N had just cleaned the night before. I felt instantly terrible and vowed to clean it up, but I didn’t know which products to use, so I ended up just wiping it with a paper towel and hoping for the best. I felt guiltier and guiltier about it, until I snapped.

 

This latest setback was just too much; I sank down onto the eggy floor and tried my best not to cry. This would not do for Y/N! She was the most ethereal creature on this terrible earth – everything had to be perfect for her. I wondered how she manages cooking for the both of us every night. She makes it look so easy! I steeled myself, the thought of Y/N loving the pie I’d made motivating me. Getting up off the floor and wiping my tears with my pumpkin-covered hands (as I realised far too late), I threw away the overcooked pumpkin and re-boiled the spare one I’d bought (just in case).

 

I was more careful this time; I checked on it every 5 minutes, stirring it constantly until it was the perfect, orange shade. I smiled, finally! However, my cooking luck was not to last – this time, I burnt the butter. Oh no! Things just kept on going wrong! I was determined to keep calm, though, in order to have the pie ready for my angel’s arrival. That was that last of the butter, too; it was that one thing I’d forgotten to buy. Just my luck. I was determined to make this pie – after all, she deserved it for working so hard. She works so, so hard. I hoped the butter wouldn’t be unusable and put it into the mixture with the rest of the ingredients. When I stirred it, the consistency looked promising, just like the one at the diner. ‘Silky-smooth and creamy’ I remembered her saying, her voice reverberating through my mind, as it so often did. I was getting excited now – it was actually going well!

 

NORMAL POV:

 

Meanwhile, at work, you were still thinking about what your surprise would be. It had to be something romantic, as Edward was obsessed with romance… but what exactly? A riddle scavenger hunt? Roses? The new book you’d wanted?

 

Work was boring you to death, as it usually was, but more so today. It was a slow day. You tried not to think of Edward, probably laying on the sofa and watching gameshows or reading. It was no use; the jealousy of the morning was beginning to come back. You sighed, it was going to be a long day.

 

EDWARD’S POV:

 

Pouring the mixture into the pastry base, I felt happy. There was no way that this was going to go wrong now. All I had to do was slide it carefully into the oven, and let it bake. I did so, and jumped around the kitchen joyfully. Finally, I’d done something right! I set a timer for half an hour, and then all I had to do was wait. I couldn’t sit still – my excitement was exhilarating. Eventually, I decided to watch some TV. I sat on the couch and flicked through the channels until I found an old re-run of Family Fortunes.

 

NORMAL POV:

 

Thank goodness it was nearly time to leave. Time had run away with you today; all that daydreaming about Edward and you had not got anything done. Oh well. You waited eagerly for the hands on the clock to turn to 5 o’ clock, and then you practically ran out, not pausing to say goodbye to any of your co-workers in your haste. You swung by the diner on the way back, picking up a couple of slices of yours and Edward’s favourite pie to take home for dessert. Walking quickly home, you found you had a spring in your step, and were running happily by the time you reached the door to your apartment. Taking your keys out and unlocking your door, you shouted out an ‘I’m home!’ before hearing an almighty crash from the kitchen.

 

You walked in to investigate, and found that the kitchen was covered in orange goo and fragments of pastry. Beside the mess, Edward was sat on the floor and sobbing his eyes out. You quickly added two and two, and realised that Edward had been baking. For you. But that the noise of you opening the door must have startled him, and he dropped the… pie, it looked like. You knelt down on the floor, and took a small amount of the orange goo onto your finger and tasted it. Pumpkin pie. You felt touched, he had done all this for you! Kneeling next to Edward, you put your arms around him and held him close to you.

‘Edward, what happened?’ you asked, looking into his eyes.

He said nothing, still crying, his head in his hands.

‘Were you baking? For me?’ you felt terrible. He had done such a brilliant job, and it was all your fault that his hard work was spattered all over the floor. He just nodded, looking very upset.

‘I’m sorry, angel!’ he said, and your heart broke.

‘No, Edward, it’s okay! I’m sorry for making you jump. But it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re so kind, making me a pie! I brought you a little surprise, anyway.’ You showed him the pie from the diner, and he smiled at last.

‘Thanks, Y/N. I’m sorry, I just wanted to do something special for you on my day off.’ He said quietly, tears still slipping down his cheeks.

‘And you did! It means so much to me that you were thinking of me. Thank you, Eddie.’ You smiled too.

 

EDWARD’S POV:

 

I can’t believe I dropped the pie after I spent so long making it! I just wanted to cry and cry – I’m so useless. But my angel made everything better. She comforted me and cleaned up the floor without complaint, then she spent the whole night by my side. She always makes me feel better when I’m feeling down. What did I do to deserve her? I ask myself that every day, and I know that I’m the luckiest man alive. She’s just so wonderful.

 

NORMAL POV:

 

At last, you sat down to dinner (after having cleaned up the pie mess). The two of you cuddled up on the sofa, savouring your pie. It tasted even sweeter to Edward, knowing that his lovely angel was enjoying it too.

 

…

 

A/N: as usual, thanks so much for reading! You guys rock! Once again, feel free to drop me any other Paul requests if you have them.

[simslegacy5083]

Not So Berry (Straud Descendants) Gen 9

Today's (9/9/2024) Episode: A Galaxy Far, Far, Away

With the public and very private parts of their wedding night complete, Noemi and Luigi headed out the next morning to honeymoon in Battu.

Luigi was sad he couldn’t talk the theme park’s PR team into letting him film their adventures, but Noemi convinced him that taking a break from worrying about camera angles and optics would foster the relaxing and immersive experience they were seeking.

Another park policy Noemi was grateful for was their strict rules on “breaking character”. She might love how happy Luigi’s fans made him, but she wasn’t keen on giving up any of her brand-new husband's time and attention on her honeymoon.

After a couple quick phone calls to check in on their fur and sim babies it was time to officially begin their adventure!

The couple knew they wanted to fight for The Resistance, but another park requirement was that first time guests engage in a short “tutorial adventure” to help orient them and give them some basic information on each of the parks three main factions.

They quickly learned the secret code phrases and locations for their preferred faction, although Luigi was also impressed with the actors playing Storm Troopers. The First Order background chatter about “happy accidents” and “shooting resistance scum out of the sky” sounded almost TOO real…!

Noemi had been quite excited to role play, but by the time they’d hunted down and talked to members of all the various factions her social battery was running low. Both sims were a bit hungry by that point anyway and agreed to swing by Docking Bay 7 for a break and a bite to eat.

Once they were seated with their meal Noemi confided in her spouse “I don’t know if I can do this. I know they’re just actors, but I still feel anxious, like they’ll think I’m stupid or “doing it wrong”.

“You’re doing great!” he assured her. “I’m always happy to do the talking, but maybe you could use this as a safe opportunity to practice? I promise you can’t get it “wrong”. Remember, I’ve been an employee here. Part of the job is guiding and helping guests find their voice. Its all in good fun.”

Noemi nodded “You know what? You’re right. I’ll give it a try, if you promise to take over if I get overwhelmed”

“Of course.” he said, wrapping her in a quick side hug “now let’s go find the resistance encampment – I’m ready to be a rebel!”

View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[powdermelonkeg]

Things you can do to spice up the start of Act I in BG3

Specifically for if you're bored of the same old things, from tiny to huge and everything in between:

If you're a druid, sneak around the druid quarters and find Kagha's note, then folow it. You get a cool quest reward for talking her down as her own class

Kill Lae'zel and Shadowheart in the tutorial by making them jump into chasms. Makes for a slightly different experience on the beach

Play someone with Disguise Self that tries to turn into the same race as the person they need to speak to

Steal Nettie's poison before you talk to her

Let either Aradin or Zevlor die in the first fight (Aradin's easier)

Treat Lae'zel seriously and hurry to the creche. As far as you know, it's her certain cure against the possibility of a trapped healer, and you're on a time limit, right?

Enter the crypt from below, then fight your way out the top

Volo has a ring. Steal it. In fact, save-scum and steal everything. It's hilarious

Take a long rest every time someone has an exclamation point over their head. That's the only time you're allowed to confront them on it. Makes more time pass and improves some of the pacing

Be as obstinate as you can in dialogue. Your goal is to be annoying. Nettie will kill you.

Feather Fall into the Underdark from the Blighted Village. Good luck getting out

Get Karlach first. You can avoid basically everyone (Raphael included) if you climb the cliffs next to the Owlbear cave

Kill Astarion before you talk to him (sneak attack chromatic orb)

Haven't tried it yet but what happens if you release the gnome without confronting the goblins? Surely it's possible with an invisibility potion or Misty Step