#so i shall allow my players the same

[l4ndon0rris]

A Love for the Ages CL16

A collection of short stories of yours and Charles unique love story through the ages

pairing: Charles Leclerc x reader // sibling!Pierre a/n: i have a lot of this already pre-written in my drafts so there will be scheduled uploads regularly - each short flashback in time will begin with the same intro you see below - if you want to be on a taglist lmk

All eyes were on you, the white wedding gown that clung perfectly to your body, your impeccably crafted hair paired with flawless glowing makeup. There was no denying you looked ethereal standing at the altar gazing into his familiar eyes: those eyes that had comforted you, cried with you, looked at you with desire, had burned with anger and softened with apologies. The eyes that have witnessed dark days and brighter ones now bore into your own; you saw a flash of anticipation in them waiting for you to mutter the two words joining you together forever. Those eyes transported you back through everything that led you here, to this altar, holding his hands, about to embark on forever.

8 years old

You were a typical eight-year-old with lots of friends who all obsessed over the latest boyband, your parents’ victims to hours of being the audience for your self-choreographed dance routines to a variety of songs. You were lucky, in hindsight, to have so many friends around you at a young age. Sleepovers were your favourite thing to do for birthdays; Pierre, your older brother, was always allowed to have his own friend over for company whenever you had a sleepover. It was a rule that annoyed you at first - sleepovers were an only girls allowed territory - but Pierre and his chosen friend typically locked themselves in his room and played on his gaming console so you knew he wouldn’t interrupt.

You were running around behind your mother in an effort to help before your friends arrived; your mother was ensuring there was enough room for their sleeping bags, double checking the fridge was full of enough food and drink cartons and accepted your idea of placing the CD player in the spare room so you had enough room to practice your dance routines in private before the big show you would unveil later in the night.

“Charles is here!” Pierre exclaimed as he darted past you toward the front door to let him in. You followed your mother, choosing to linger in the nearest doorway as she greeted Charles’s parents taking his overnight bag from them and welcoming him into the house. You vaguely recognised Charles' round face from one of Pierre's racing weekends.

“Here you are, Charles. Have fun you two!” You spotted a hand ruffle the top of his brown head of hair, another handing him a gift bag he shyly took. Your mother and his parents exchanged numbers in case of emergency before closing the door. Charles stood with a gift bag adorned with a pink bow in his hand when he spotted you staring his way curiously; Pierre’s friends were usually all older than you but Charles looked younger, he had an innocence in his eyes that matched your own.

“Pierre said it was your birthday, so this is for you – happy birthday,” Charles politely spoke, walking toward you, the bag with the pink bow held out in front of him. Looking between the gift bag and your mother she silently encouraged you to give your thanks and ushered the three of you into the front room to place the gift bag on an empty table.

“We’ll put any presents here for now - that’s so kind of you Charles, thank you,” your mother reiterated, not quite satisfied with your shy mumblings of appreciation you gave. None of Pierre’s friends had ever brought you a gift before so this one was already your favourite out of them all.

“Let’s go upstairs and play my new game!” Pierre was already visibly bored, bounding up the stairs, Charles followed behind politely and gave you a small friendly smile you shyly turned away from.

“Let’s put some music on shall we? Your friends should be here soon,” your mother turned on the CD player you had already set up with three CDs to rotate between that would earn approval from your friends. You took the opportunity to peek inside the lone gift bag on the table, glittering pink wrapping paper in the shape of a box sat inside. You wondered what the strange new boy with brown floppy hair had bought you when he didn’t even know you.

Charles had undoubtedly intrigued you from the moment you first met him.

[kayuripax]

Valve news and the AI

So. I assume people saw some posts going around on how valve has new AI rules, and things getting axed. And because we live in a society, I went down the rabbit hole to learn my information for myself. Here's what I found, under a cut to keep it easier. To start off, I am not a proponent of AI. I just don't like misinformation. So. Onwards.

VALVE AND THE AI

First off, no, AI will not take things over. Let me show you, supplemented by the official valve news post from here. (because if hbomberguy taught us anything it is to cite your sources)

[Image id: a screenshot from the official valve blog. It says the following:

First, we are updating the Content Survey that developers fill out when submitting to Steam. The survey now includes a new AI disclosure section, where you'll need to describe how you are using AI in the development and execution of your game. It separates AI usage in games into two broad categories:

Pre-Generated: Any kind of content (art/code/sound/etc) created with the help of AI tools during development. Under the Steam Distribution Agreement, you promise Valve that your game will not include illegal or infringing content, and that your game will be consistent with your marketing materials. In our pre-release review, we will evaluate the output of AI generated content in your game the same way we evaluate all non-AI content - including a check that your game meets those promises.

Live-Generated: Any kind of content created with the help of AI tools while the game is running. In addition to following the same rules as Pre-Generated AI content, this comes with an additional requirement: in the Content Survey, you'll need to tell us what kind of guardrails you're putting on your AI to ensure it's not generating illegal content. End image ID]

So. Let us break that down a bit, shall we? Valve has been workshopping these new AI rules since last June, and had adopted a wait and see approach beforehand. This had cost them a bit of revenue, which is not ideal if you are a company. Now they have settled on a set of rules. Rules that are relatively easy to understand. - Rule one: Game devs have to disclose when their game has AI - Rule two: If your game uses AI, you have to say what kind it uses. Did you generate the assets ahead of time, and they stay like that? Or are they actively generated as the consumer plays? - Rule three: You need to tell Valve the guardrails you have to make sure your live-generating AI doesn't do things that are going against the law. - Rule four: If you use pre-generated assets, then your assets cannot violate copyright. Valve will check to make sure that you aren't actually lying.

That doesn't sound too bad now, does it? This is a way Valve can keep going. Because they will need to. And ignoring AI is, as much as we all hate it, not going to work. They need to face it. And they did. So. Onto part two, shall we?

[Image ID: a screenshot from the official Valve blog. It says the following: Valve will use this disclosure in our review of your game prior to release. We will also include much of your disclosure on the Steam store page for your game, so customers can also understand how the game uses AI. End image ID]

Let's break that down. - Valve will show you if games use AI. Because they want you to know that. Because that is transparency.

Part three.

[Image ID: A screenshot from the official Valve blog. It says the following:

Second, we're releasing a new system on Steam that allows players to report illegal content inside games that contain Live-Generated AI content. Using the in-game overlay, players can easily submit a report when they encounter content that they believe should have been caught by appropriate guardrails on AI generation.

Today's changes are the result of us improving our understanding of the landscape and risks in this space, as well as talking to game developers using AI, and those building AI tools. This will allow us to be much more open to releasing games using AI technology on Steam. The only exception to this will be Adult Only Sexual Content that is created with Live-Generated AI - we are unable to release that type of content right now. End Image ID]

Now onto the chunks.

Valve is releasing a new system that makes it easier to report questionable AI content. Specifically live-generated AI content. You can easily access it by steam overlay, and it will be an easier way to report than it has been so far.

Valve is prohibiting NSFW content with live-generating AI. Meaning there won't be AI generated porn, and AI companions for NSWF content are not allowed.

That doesn't sound bad, does it? They made some rules so they can get revenue so they can keep their service going, while also making it obvious for people when AI is used. Alright? Alright. Now calm down. Get yourself a drink.

---

Team Fortress Source 2

My used source here is this.

There was in fact a DCMA takedown notice. But it is not the only thing that led to the takedown. To sum things up: There were issues with the engine, and large parts of the code became unusable. The dev team decided that the notice was merely the final nail in the coffin, and decided to take it down. So that is that. I don't know more on this, so I will not say more, because I don't want to spread misinformation and speculation. I want to keep some credibility, please and thanks.

---

Portal Demake axed

Sources used are from here, here and here.

Portal 64 got axed. Why? Because it has to do with Nintendo. The remake uses a Nintendo library. And one that got extensively pirated at that. And we all know how trigger-happy Nintendo is with it's intellectual property. And Nintendo is not exactly happy with Valve and Steam, and sent them a letter in 2023.

[Image ID: a screenshot from a PC-Gamer article. It says the following: It's possible that Valve's preemptive strike against Portal 64 was prompted at least in part by an encounter with Nintendo in 2023 over the planned release of the Dolphin emulator for the Wii and Gamecube consoles on Steam. Nintendo sent a letter to Valve ahead of that launch that attorney Kellen Voyer of Voyer Law said was a "warning shot" against releasing it. End Image ID.]

So. Yeah. Nintendo doesn't like people doing things with their IP. Valve is most likely avoiding potential lawsuits, both for themselves and Lambert, the dev behind Portal 64. Nintendo is an enemy one doesn't want to have. Valve is walking the "better safe than sorry" path here.

---

There we go. This is my "let's try and clear up some misinformation" post. I am now going to play a game, because this took the better part of an hour. I cited my sources. Auf Wiedersehen.

[gerdy-sertorius]

The Definitive Damsel Analysis (if I do say so myself)

(Disclaimer: I know it’s absurdly long, and for that I apologize. I apparently am more unwilling to make cuts than I am to present subpar work. I’m working on it. Only editing I do for my autistic ramblings is copyediting, baby! Whoo! I will be updating this for the Pristine Cut once it comes out and we get even *more* Damsel. Obviously, as I’m sure you can tell from the length, I really like Damsel. There will be all of the bias. It will be great.)

(Author’s Note: For the love of the most high God, it took me like twenty read throughs for me to standardize what I wanted to call the Scorched Grey. Here is a brief list of all the terms I used to refer to her: Scorched Grey, Burned Grey, Burning Grey, Fire Grey, Damsel Chapter 3. Sometimes but not always preceded by “the” or “The”.)

Alright, ladies and gentlemen. I have oft made the statement on here that Damsel is the best route in the game, and this began as me trying to definitively prove that, by microscopically going through the route, I could establish exactly why, it would seem, that Damsel has objective superiority. It sorta… evolved, though, so instead I will be going relatively chronologically throughout, and trying to point out a couple things that all of you know about and maybe a couple things you don’t about the best character in the game. With that preamble out of the way, let’s begin with the goofy stuff, the grab bag if you will. 

This will certainly be more personal taste than anything else, but I do think there’s a lot of miscellaneous stuff that Damsel does better than the other chapters. For example, I am convinced that it has the third best music, behind Tower and her routes and then Thorn. I am genuinely obsessed with “It Was Always That Easy”. The basement has some *fantastic* art, and I think that really carries a chapter that is otherwise generally bland when it comes to actual visual activity. It’s really carried by its genuinely perfect dialogue. 

Overall, and most importantly, this chapter is the undisputed master of the idea of positive ambience. You know elevator music? How it’s there to artificially increase the cheeriness of an otherwise dreary moment, like a hotel hallway or, yanno, an elevator? Well, this is the chapter that does it perfectly. Everything is designed to make it “nicer” than it actually is. The Narrator even takes that into account when describing the basement. The sound design is fresh and relaxing, the music is uplifting, the Princess’s voice is obviously fantastically done, but also the Voice of the Smitten plays a large role in making it feel “good”. It’s something that exists in order to communicate exactly the feelings it wants the player to feel, which is all warm and fuzzy inside. But let’s move on to the actual content, shall we?

Damsel has *the* best Chapter One and it isn’t even close. Certainly not in the horror department, where I think Beast and Nightmare shine, or even in the whole characterization bit, where the award can only go to Spectre and the masterclass that is her Chapter One. But Damsel has something else to it. Damsel has tragedy, almost Shakespearean in nature. Nobody else has it (except Witch, to some extent, but nowhere close to the same level), nobody manages to reach that connection, there and then broken, to honestly feel for both Princess and Slayer. Allow me to paint a picture of a playthrough. 

You are on a path in the woods. At the end of that path is a cabin. In the basement of that cabin is a princess. You are here to slay her. But you don’t do that. That voice itching in the back of your skull, the one you quite literally call Hero, your moral compass even, raises some objections. You don’t want to kill *anybody*. That isn’t something you want to mark yourself with, especially not solely on the word of an individual you just met. For now, violence is a nonstarter.

You enter the cabin. And you hear her voice. And you see her. You even talk with her for a while. The moment is… hypnotizing. Despite the Narrator’s warning of manipulation, well, you cannot help but be manipulated. This is a genuinely nice, sweet, scared Princess who simply wants to be free. You have to save her. It is the right thing to do, it is the… only thing to do. Anything else marks you with the dirtiness of simply being unwilling to help someone in need when you had the full ability to. 

You go to get a key. Unsuccessful. The door locks. Even worse. The Narrator is moving from irritating to downright malicious, clearly enjoying recounting the lock of the door. Disgust for Him has been present since you entered the cabin, but it shifts to anger very quickly. That shift continues with full force as you attempt with what little ability you have to save the Princess, even if you don’t quite know how you will get out. The question does not last long. For the shift to anger shifts once more, to a sort of incomprehensible fury.

For the Narrator has crossed a line. Not only has he taken away any semblance of choice, not only has he raised your own knife against an innocent, someone who has been nothing but kind to you, but you are the one who must bear the shame for it. You are the only one who is doing the foul deed in any eyes but your own. Speaking of, the Princess’s eyes are filled with genuine happiness at the moment, as you are finally giving her the freedom she has yearned for such a  long time. Yet through no fault of your own, you raise the pristine blade, the one you refused to bring down to the basement in the first place. You scramble through the list of options, attempting to find anything that could provide a sliver of hope in the situation, anything without the grim finality of “Slay the Princess”. 

At last, you find one, and are able to bark out a warning to the Princess. That happiness in her eyes is shifted to a look of fear, one directed at you alone, one condemning you with such a sorrowful betrayal that it almost hurts to see. She begs for you to stop, and then she says something that almost calms the internal storm of the player: “Please, I know this isn’t you.” She recognizes that it isn’t us that betrayed her, she understands that we aren’t trying to do this, that we are flat-out trying to stop it. But the eye of that storm is passing, and soon.

And as she takes the blade, as she prepares to do what she must to live, that same look of tragic betrayal crosses her eyes, this time not directed at us, but at herself. She hates that this is her only option, the only way that she can live is to kill another, one with every intention of freeing her and no intention of harming her. And in the end, she simultaneously underscores the tragedy of the moment while confirming our perception that she could never be a threat to the world. As she plunges the blade into our chest, she has failed to even do the bare minimum of making our death painless, something that fills her with even more guilt, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tries and fails to end our own agony. The last thing we see of her are her endless cascade of both tears and apologies, as everything goes dark. 

This… is beautiful. A glorious tragedy, one with limited theming, simply two characters with emotions that feel natural. And, quite strangely, the first chapter has almost nothing to do with the second chapter. But it is still important. I’ll get to that later. Better things await now! For with the end of the tale of the Hero and the Princess, we have a new individual, everyone’s favorite buddy, the Voice of the Smitten. 

I am certain I do not need to underscore just how popular Smitten is. Easily the most fan favorite of the fan favorites, especially solidifying his place within that roster with the Kiss from a Thorn. He is jovial, passionate, he is Don Quixote, complete with the unlimited self-delusion that comes with the territory. There’s a reason people love him. Romantic in a game entitled a love story, the largest of personalities in a game stuffed with them, he is the storybook hero come to life in a game that has just as much reverence for storybook heroes as the deconstructions of them. In short, he is the visage of likability itself, with all the bombast that comes with that. Yet that is only from a wholly external perspective. 

For what I am certain I do need to underscore is just how sinister Smitten is. For all of his likability, the Smitten is also probably the single slimiest voice out of all of them with the possible exception of the Opportunist. This is not a new revelation – people have understood that since the beginning with his frankly disturbing behavior regarding the Princess. What is perhaps more interesting is his relationship with the player. For he is one of the two options that reflect the player at this point within the story. Either the player is trying to do the right thing and free an innocent, or they have somewhat… different motivations. 

The former reflects the Hero. Somewhat naive, in many routes somewhat bumbling even, but first and foremost focused on the external. That is, “how can I make a positive impact on the world around me?” As contradictory as it may seem to how the Hero is presented, it’s something of an intellectualist approach. The Hero is trying to find the best possible world and working towards that with all of his might. It is, one could say, devoid of emotion except that determination to change the world, to make it a better place. While the goal remains the same, the path to get there is fundamentally continuously being calculated. The Hero is your conscience, and as such he must *always* work overtime for that. 

The Smitten is not that. No, he has made no secret that he is the path of passion. Even when he is generally considered to be a better person, he declares that, “Whatever world would condemn two star-crossed lovers to a cycle of violence and despair isn’t a world worth saving.” His focus is internal, it is on ourself and our romance. There is no extensive study into what is the correct option, there is only what would assist in our relationship, which is somehow ordained by the universe. To put it into understandable terms, Hero is a modern hero while Smitten is a Romantic-era hero. 

There’s an important line when going down the stairs that I think speaks volumes about the type of player and playthrough currently occurring. That is “We can still do right by her without all this over-the-top fawning.” *That* is the line of demarcation between the route of the Hero and the route of the Smitten. If you decide to embrace or repudiate the Smitten at that point, I think the route is sealed. I am convinced that the game will continue on in a fixed way based on that philosophy. The point where you must, internally that is, decide if you are doing this out of a desire for what is right, or an infatuation with the Princess. 

Now, of course there isn’t anything wrong with taking the path of the Smitten, and it’s personally one of my top points in the game, but whether you admit it or not, you are long past morality being what decides your actions. That has come and gone. Now, the goal is to express the passion of the moment and delve into your romantic relationship with the Princess. I’ll be evaluating each of the routes differently, loosely organized with a focus on how it reacts to the player. After that, I’ll go on into theming of each route one by one and all that jazz.

The path of the Smitten first. The player embraces that he has been sent to save the Princess from her unjust and foul imprisonment above all else. So that is what he does. He marches downstairs, the blade being nothing but a passing afterthought as it is immediately dismissed out of hand. When it comes to the crucial point of “doing right by her”, the justification is made that two things can be done at once, that you can do this for her and do a little bit of fawning on the way. Doesn’t harm anyone.

And with that the basement arrives, and you see the Princess on the floor. She is perfect in all ways. There is nothing wrong with her. And that’s before you start talking to her. When you do begin talking to her, all of the kindness and innocence from Chapter 1 are magnified to the greatest degree possible. She can do no wrong. And, from a meta standpoint, there’s another thing that stands out – it is really, *really* funny. From everything the Smitten says to the “Then I didn’t end the world!” to the Narrator’s (a villain at this point) growing exasperation at your trust for the Princess, it endears you to the moment even more. 

Because it’s not only that it’s funny. It’s not only that the Princess is genuinely nice to you. It’s something more than that. Something that I am loath to talk about but will anyway. The Princess is incredibly – *sigh* – **cute** within this chapter. This is objective, with science to back me up, I’m sure. But she is specifically designed to be as heartwarming as possible, and every line makes her more and more into someone who should be saved by you, into, well, a Damsel. While it isn’t explicitly stated, throughout the progression of dialogue, the need to protect her becomes more pronounced. You were already primed to like the Princess, you already internally committed to a romantic future. But after stepping into the bear trap willingly, you cannot escape. 

And if you’re anything like me, you are perfectly fine with that. So you take in the moment, you rescue her from her chains and laugh at the way her hands slipped out of the chains and the Narrator’s comical anger at it. It’s all very feel-good, all cleanly written dialogue, and both the Princess and the Smitten are likable, they’re fun, and the Narrator is a fun enough villain for the Smitten and you to unite against. The Hero, if we’re being honest, barely registers, and if he does it’s usually as an extension to the Narrator, as a foil to yourself. And with her finally free, she embraces you, sealing the deal on her perfection. 

And after that, something else happens. The deconstruction begins. You want to see if her dialogue has any more of that saccharine present throughout the rest of the chapter, and are immediately rewarded with the “The princess closes her eyes in deep reflection” and the follow up joke. Hungry for more, you click through some more of the dialogue, but something begins to happen. She begins to… unwind. The Smitten seems to reciprocate in turn, to a lesser extent. In fact, she really starts to return to the horror that this chapter was a nice respite from. So you cut your losses, decide to leave with her, and everything returns to normal. Bathed in the glow of your future, you immediately forget about the deconstruction.

After that, you finally get out of the basement, get a genuinely great moment opening the door alongside the Princess, never think twice about clicking “You’re not doing that.” as fast as humanly possible, and finally await the door at the end of the cabin. You finally get your fairytale ending. The princess goes out into the world together with you. You brought her out. And then she is taken by the Shifting Mound in a way reminiscent of her dying. Even if this wasn’t your first playthrough, it still comes as a shock. For the most part, you were being that Romantic hero, living in the moment with your passion. The thought of this happening was gone entirely. This wasn’t supposed to happen. And it *hurts*. And the chapter is over. 

The route of the Hero has a different point of view on the whole situation. That’s not to say it’s not easy to get drawn in by the hilarious dialogue and sheer cuteness of the Princess – far from it. It is, after all, what drives the conflict within this. For the Hero, and the player that goes along his path, has one bit of information stand out. That the world ended after the Princess killed you. Now, you can naturally be skeptical of the information, but the Princess isn’t helping her case here. Entirely vague, entirely unwilling to mention anything about it. The only thing she seems to care about is getting on your good side. 

Now, you still want to save her. That much is clear. You still don’t take the knife in the beginning, and you saw her Chapter 1 incarnation. She is still a good person, kind and loving. But there are questions raised, important questions. Which is why not all Hero routers get the same ending. There is a conflict between how far you’re able to go before the risk of the world ending eclipses your distrust of the Narrator and your trust of the Princess. If the whole world really does end if she’s free, is it worth it? And as such you get to the major points of the Hero ending. 

The first is the Deconstructed ending. As you question the Princess, you desperately try to figure out what the best way to go forward is for you. And that starts with getting a straight answer from the Princess on what exactly she plans on doing. The operation… does not go well. As you try and push for anything, any sign that she isn’t going to end the world, the same rejoinder comes in, alongside a distorted track. “I just want to make you happy.” The Princess is not an individual anymore, and begins to change shape. But you are locked in with a horrified inability to look away, like one who sees a car accident. And with that, the Princess is a Princess no longer, and the Shifting Mound takes her away. 

There’s also the option of taking the Hero’s advice when confronted with the scenario: to leave. You don’t like what’s going on and you try to do whatever you can to undo the doing. Perhaps surprisingly, it works. And then you’re forced to deal with the cognitive dissonance of the Princess and *that* being the same individual. But you, not without a healthy dose of skepticism, still head upstairs alongside the Princess. In the end, you can’t bring yourself to kill her. Throughout it all, she still has been the beautifully endearing picture of innocence, if a questionable one, and especially with regards to the knife on the table, there is no way you can take it to her chest with no warning, especially after everything you did in the first Chapter. So you leave with her, and the “end of the world” really does come in one fell swoop with the call of the Shifting Mound. You can’t help but wonder if the decision you made was the right one, not really. Like, you still believe she didn’t deserve to die, but maybe, just maybe, it would have been a better ending.

So what if you did kill her? What happens when love *truly* melts away into skepticism. After the continuous question dodging and whatever the… other thing was, this is clearly not an ordinary Princess, it is not the same Princess that you tried to save at the beginning. There is only a sliver of her, a shadow of her former self. Slaying her, well, slaying her is probably doing her a favor. It might be doing the world a favor, too. Maybe she is an individual with malicious intent. And as you take the blade and plunge it into her chest, you instantly know you made the wrong decision. She does not oppose it. She simply lets you kill her with a single tear hanging in her eye, saying “I think this is what you want.” It’s meant to feel dirty and it does, even heartbreaking in the moment, although it is immediately counterbalanced by the effect of the Smitten killing you over it.

I won’t exactly go over Scorched Grey the same way, I think there’s generally only two frames of mind going into it, and that’s either the standard “Hero-Skeptic” framework that I’ll expand on later, or simply a completionist mindset. Plus, it’s technically not The Damsel. Plus I’m lazy. But this is the point where I will try to expand on the theming of each and every route and mindset to go through within the Chapter, and that *will* include the Scorched Grey theming. 

It’s made quite clear from the chapter that one of the primary themes is objectification, the making of the Princess into nothing more than a vehicle to live one’s fantasy into. The taking of an individual and making them into an it. The destruction of humanity by your own desire, and what that says about your desires in the first place. Ironically, this is merely one fourth wall away from the rest of the Princesses, each of them being a piece of fiction that many simply engage with *because* they are an object, but with the Damsel it is directly nodded to within the narrative. One meta-layer is peeled back, if you will. 

Nothing hammers this more home than the entirely jarring line that escapes the Shifting Mound’s lips when you ask about the vessel she holds. Unlike the rest of the fragments, which are all given an indication that they have been fulfilled after the Shifting Mound takes them, the only note she has to say is that the Damsel has “served her purpose”. There is nothing that she wished for, as anyone who has obtained the deconstructed ending can attest to. But even in the more standard runs, she is simply a tool to be used and discarded. And there are three general reactions to this line. 

The first is the hardcore Smitten route’s preferred choice, denial. “The Princess was far more than an object, she had character, she had kindness, she had motivations from the beginning! The narrative is what is wrong, there’s nothing wrong with the Princess. She. Is. Perfect. Not just from a narrative standpoint but a metanarrative one as well. She has depth, she *is* a character.” All in the hopes that if they insist on it enough, it will become true. The Damsel was not designed to be viewed in a vacuum. There are themes that run through her character, and including negative ones, and the denial of them is a far truer denial of the character than any sort of objectification could ever be. 

Then the more moderate Smitten routers get a different response. A slap in the face. They did all of this, they had fun, they laughed with her, they cried when she was taken. They were connected to her, they had a real connection to what she was. One could even accuse them of… loving her. They honest to goodness cared about this Princess, they were invested in her story. Yet, in the end, they also formed her around themselves. They “molded her to love you”. As much as they loved the Princess, that was only because they cut out a piece of the Shifting Mound that they *could* love, a caricature of her true nature. They still took an individual, and despite truly loving her, made her into something that she was not so they could do that very thing. She is not a person. She is a plot device, an individual made to love and be loved with nothing beyond that. She is an object. 

Lastly, those who went on the route of the Hero get that same slap in the face, that selfsame bucket of water poured over their heads, but in a different way. They didn’t try to objectify her. They didn’t want anything of the sort. All they wanted to do was the right thing. Right? Yet even in that desire to do the right thing, they still get that same chilling text from the Shifting Mound. They have built an individual just like those who went on the route of the Smitten. Just a different one. Not one who was built around your “glorious romance”, but rather one built around something of a glorious Romance. The need to be a Hero. The desire to do what was right, to save an unjustly imprisoned Princess. The Princess became a plot device in the end anyway, just one that needed to be saved rather than one who needed to be loved. 

I want to continue off of that. The player is trying to do nothing more than the right thing, he is simply doing what a Hero should. And that determination to do what is right leads to him getting impacted the most by that line in the ending, the line that implies that whatever right he was doing, he was still being driven by selfishness, by that need to be a Hero. That hits the player right within where it hurts, it almost could be said to strike at the one emotional vulnerability of them. To have your hard work, your pain, your desire for what is right to be considered nothing more than the delusions of a Don Quixote tilting at windmills in order to fight giants, just as lost as Smitten, that doesn’t feel too great. It almost minimizes your struggle, and it is genius. You play as a Hero because you want to feel like a Hero, not because the morality of this world means anything to you. It is stripping that meta-layer down one by one.

But objectification is not the only theme present. While it may seem like something of a potpourri topic to throw in, earlier on the server we were talking about the Damsel in particular’s perceptiveness with regards to perception. When the door shuts and locks, it is the first and only time the Princess gets visibly **negative** in any way during the entirety of the Chapter. Even when you kill her, she still does so with nary a frown on her face. Even as a tear rolls down her cheek, she still smiles. But not at the door. The narration points out quite clearly that she frowns. This is, I reiterate, the only thing that happens. And her response is not “we’re stuck down here”, it is not “I’m unable to leave now”. 

What it is happens to be “that’s not supposed to happen”. She recognizes the construct in a way very few allude to within the game. Adding onto that note, within the Scorched Grey chapter, she (correctly) determines the very nature of the construct and that inherent “cycle of violence and despair” inherent to it, even (correctly) determining that the only way to leave was to annihilate that very construct. This is shown even clearer at the other major event at the door. When you ask if the Princess can open the door, the sole question she throws back at you is “Do you think I can?”, and after a response in the affirmative, “Then I can”. In the end, it is quite clear that she is, *heavily* ironically, one of the more aware characters in the game with regards to your circumstance. 

While speaking of the Scorched Grey, I think this route also exemplifies another major theme – the nature of the Princess as a being of perception. All routes exemplify one facet of the Shifting Mound: Spectre represents the gravity of her, Tower her divinity, Prisoner the very incarnation in and of itself of her within the construct, and so on. Damsel has something different, though, and that is that she’s just a slippery little fella. Far more than anybody else, Damsel changes throughout her chapters, in ways more pronounced than anybody else. The Shifting Mound declares that we “molded her to love you”, as I quoted previously. That molding takes stage front and center throughout all of our interactions with her. 

The most obvious example is her deconstruction, which when her sole true motivation (to leave) is discarded, she begins to break down, unable to offer to the player anything beyond the only desire every other Princess has. With the compulsive need to love the player, etched into her core, there is nothing she can do other than try to add to that love, losing herself within the process. But that is not the only time she changes. Because she is willing to give up that freedom in, well, a heartbeat. Attempting to kill her does not lead to any sort of resistance from her. The one goal she had, staying alive and winning her freedom, is out the window despite being (questionably) willing to kill for it in the last chapter. Now, throughout the Scorched Grey, it’s made clear that she did not, in fact, want to die, that she just wanted to be free together, but the complete unwillingness to save her own life is a stark contrast to the first chapter. 

In fact, that perpetually changing nature alongside her being so objectified means that it’s really, *really* hard to figure out her true character. There is very little in her that does not change and very little remaining that isn’t specifically put there by you. She is an eel, wriggling out of your grasp and impossible to pin down, in a large way like the Shifting Mound herself. But… for the most part, there are two facets to her character beyond the already listed themes. And a sharp divide between them. 

Chapter One Damsel and Chapter Two Damsel are not the same person. That’s usually true for most of them, but they also usually have some semblance of similarity between their counterparts. The only exceptions I can think off the top of my head are Spectre and *maaybe* Stranger if you want to count that. The rest of them act as exaggerated versions of the existing individuals shown. Chapter One Adversary likes fights. Chapter Two Adversary likes fights. Chapter One Witch is built on the back of distrust. Chapter Two Witch is built on the back of distrust. Everything lines up nicely. 

That is not the case for the Damsel. The only thing that you can say with both of them is that they are nice and do not want to hurt you. The Chapter One incarnation (henceforth Princess) is a tragedy of a character that doesn’t want to kill you but still must to secure her own life and freedom against a renegade puppeting you. The Chapter Two incarnation (henceforth Damsel) is a Horror-”Feel-Good”-Comedic-Tragic character that shows nothing about the emotional anguish she went through in chapter one. I love both of them, but they have an unmatched disconnect. And I think that sort of adds to the character. Now, there is absolutely a benefit from an emotional through-line (there’s a reason Thorn is my second-favorite chapter), but in this case, only brief touches to the beginning enhance the story. 

The most striking thing is the sense of comedic horror that comes when Damsel just completely ignores any expected trauma from the Princess’s emotional destruction. It, depending on the route you take, either makes you love her character more and more as the humor begins to entrap you, or it begins the process of getting the player unnerved, exactly like the developers wanted. It is a key dividing point in the mindset of the player and the route that they have chosen. The Damsel says nothing about what happened, heck, she barely acknowledges it except to indicate that “You died!” 

Secondly, it sets up Damsel as a sympathetic figure while still allowing her to begin establishing herself. Without the setup from the Princess, the player has no idea how to view Damsel, potentially even seeing her as a less on-the-nose Razor, with her comedically hiding her sinister intentions. The Princess allows the player to begin on a note that the Princess is *actually* friendly rather than simply pretending to be so. At the same time, it’s divorced enough that apart from that frame of reference at the beginning, Damsel is still allowed to shine within her own character. 

Lastly, and most importantly, it sets her up for the Scorched Grey. The guilt at causing the death of an innocent and the belief that you would be unable to cause the death of an innocent yourself leads her to blame the construct and attempt to bring it down, which seals your fate in the third Damsel chapter, the only time where the two chapters meet in a beautiful climax of Passion going too far and causing pain, in attempt of running away from that very thing, morphing into something that not even the Smitten is able to remain devoted to in an awful tragedy of love being not enough in the end. 

Wait, wait, wait. Did I hear “the end” being spoken? At this time of year? Localized entirely within this essay? Well then, it’s time to talk about what puts this saga at pure perfection, shall we? I probably could just use the awesome power of Ctrl + V to get the desired effect, but I still do want to offer my narration, so I’ll compromise and do a bit of both. “Your lover drives a stake into your body. And another. And another. And another. And another. Do I miss your heart because I cannot stand to see it go? But the stakes meant nothing to you. You had a desire, and you set that desire free, you lifting me and me lifting you, forever and ever and ever, consumed by true belief, there was nothing that could hold us back.” 

Do I even need to explain why that’s so good? Definitively the best poem in the end, it isn’t even close, especially when coupled with Ms. Goodnight’s awe-inspiring delivery. Did I say that the Scorched Grey was the perfect synthesis of the Princess and the Damsel? I was lying. This is. Every word so lovingly placed, the language sounds like it comes from the pen of God Himself. It is emotionally resonant, the art is beautiful, I have not run into such a short piece of dialogue that outdoes it. Gonna be honest, mostly just wrote up this essay to gush about it. Even now, it is considered by most everyone to be one of the best lines of dialogue in a game filled with magnificent ones. 

And the other one, that of the Scorched Grey. It’s simpler, ironically. “I kill you. You kill me. Back and forth we go, faster and faster and faster. I kill you. You kill me. Hollow eyes watch from the dry corners of a memory. A home built on all of the futures that were supposed to be, preserved until the moment of reunion. The fire of the heart sets it all ablaze. I kill you and me.”

This, this right here is one of the most slept on ending poems and it’s not even funny. So fantastic at expressing the heartbreak inherent to the Scorched Grey’s character. I don’t know how you can see the line “A home built on all the futures that were supposed to be”, especially with the Scorched Grey dead and charring in a wedding gown, and not feel *something*. It’s not as good as the standard Damsel stuff, but then again, nothing is. It’s still deserving of more praise than it currently receives, and one of my top three ending poems of all time, only edged out by Prisoner. Gosh, this game belongs in a museum. 

Seems I need to debunk some stuff that happens to get a lot of traction regarding those who speculate on Damsel, too. First of all, her character motivation is not guilt nor gratitude. That sort of thing works incredibly well in fanworks, and I’m happy to see it ~~because that means I get to see Damsel in a fanwork~~. It has little to no backing within canon. Damsel is a chapter about the only motivations for the Princess being those put in place by the objectification of the player. There is nothing regarding anything beyond that, and it detracts from the existing, well-elucidated themes that are actually within the chapter. The only sort of substance to them is both Chapter 1 Princess and Scorched Grey indicating guilt for killing you, but that is almost entirely repudiated within the actual Chapter 2. 

Speaking of the Scorched Grey, another thing I saw somewhat extensively is that you somehow “taught her” that killing is the way to love one another, and that’s why she kills you in Chapter 3, and I honestly do not know how that gained any traction at all. It’s pretty clear that she views all the death as a pretty terrible and messed up thing and only kills the two of you to escape the cycle of death. It’s spoken of as a means to an end, not an end in and of itself. I am genuinely confused on how this got started, because it really just… opposes the main *in-narrative* themes of the Chapter??? Like, you don’t even have to analyze it, it’s just within the text, plain and simple. 

Anyway, I deeply apologize for the length of this once again, look forward to an appendix when Pristine Cut comes out. I’ve already played it because my uncle works at Black Tabby, but I don’t want to spoil it for you gents. If my opinions change massively after playing through the new update from today, I will change that too. Anyway, Damsel is the best character, literally does not do a single thing wrong within any of her chapters, has definitively the best Shifty stuff, and you should invest in her. As more people vocally become willing to throw money at anything related to Damsel, the likelier it is that we get Damsel merch. I need it so badly. Please. Anyway, if anything stands out to you or you disagree, I am begging you to tell me to get my act together and explain what I said wrong, so do that. Also please. 

[godisasimp]

Let's talk about Honkai Impact 3rd for a bit, yeah ?

I need to let go of it, scream into the void, because I can't stay polite about it, I started being rude in community servers about it.

Greetings,

I am a +960 days long player of the game Honkai Impact 3rd, I started during the Theater of Domination story arc and more precisely, during the Phantom of the Theater patch and the release of the valkyrie Stygian NYX.

But more importantly, I am a very so very tired player that also happens to be frustrated and angry at the treatment, or mistreatement, of a game I once held so dear to my heart.

I discovered Honkai Impact 3rd half a year after Genshin Impact's launch through an ad playing the Befall cutscene and immediately fell in love with the character I would later discover is called "Herrscher of the Void".

I don't remember most of my early days, but one of the things I do remember is getting my first S-rank valkyrie... The one who made me discover that game : Herrscher of the Void.

And ever since then I've been playing daily rarely missing a day, let alone more than that. I was eager to progress and eager to get new valkyries.

But unfortunately things changed.

The hill that keeps going down.

It all started with the release of Elysian Realm chapter story arc, a side story about Mei's time in World Serpent, at least it seemed so. It was a cute, Visual Novel styled story about a group of heroes from the previous era, an era mentioned in Mangas and the story that was shrouded in mysteries ; a cool side story to finally show us how the previous era was, to accompany the new game mode.

The gamemode was, and still is, very fun to play, with a lot of unique builds and play styles, it was a refreshing experience to not get burned out of Abyss and Memorial Arena, it kept improving overtime adding more and more characters ; the only major negative thing I could say about it was when mihoyo "fixed" the Mobius Signets who, very early on, allowed players an infinitely increasing buffs and made reaching the integer limit (aka going in the negatives) doable and easy, and also allowed anyone to clear the floors regardless of gear and level.

The story bits we're cute and gave life to the otherwise empty lobby, as you could randomly trigger conversation between characters and it really felt like you were walking in on a conversation that had started while you weren't here.

The Mobius plotline was wonderfully done, it wasn't a secret that she was evil, she was upfront about it and while she mash have tried to look cute in front of Mei at first, she never kept the act for long merely using it as a way of annoying her. The subplot of all of that was Elysia, the character that spoke and helped the most often, she was hiding her past and acting as the underlying mystery one may not notice at first.

A mystery who's resolutions unfortunately started Honkai Impact 3rd's worst, and still ongoing, era.

I've already said my fair share of thoughts about Elysium Everlasting, but for the sake of the post, I shall once again repeat my thoughts.

Following in Kolosten footsteps (and maybe through the influence of Genshin Impact), not good ones, Elysium Everlasting was "open world", as "open world" as Honkai Impact 3rd could get, this was not a welcomed choice by most of the fanbase, as a mobile game Honkai Impact 3rd has always told it's story through a Visual Novel style of story telling with minimal amount of walking around for the players, the stages being mainly used to fight enemies and bosses in ; the only other "open worlds" were in the same named category, all fully optional and merely just mihoyo testing the concept. Elysium Everlasting was the 2nd main story "open world" and my experience with is was beyond terrible, at the time I was using a pre-made low end computer that could barely handle Elysium Everlasting's scene, I experienced lags, textures not loading at all, freezes and crashes all throughout my playthrough of the chapter, something that worsen with Moon Arc, this experience made me frustrated already but the writing didn't make it worth it.

Elysium Everlasting's story was the worst one mihoyo ever wrote, it was a complete 180° from Elysian Realm, the new characters introduced did not get the luxury of the bits and pieces of randomly triggered conversations to expend their characters and unfortunately felt flatter than the first half. And they also suffered from the poor writing of the part, but at least they had no previously established character that got ruined and destroyed, same couldn't be said about the previously introduced characters, and the one who suffered most from it : was Elysia.

- Elysia : From beloved to beloathed

I've talked a lot about this character but I shall detail my history and experience with her one last time.

I have in my head created two distinct versions of Elysia : Elysian Realm and Elysium Everlasting. Simply because her character is so different between the two halves it is almost like we have two Elysias.

I will talk about ER!Elysia first because she is the one I like ; in the first half of the arc Elysia was presented as a very friendly character, borderline too friendly, and suffocating and pushing boundaries to the extreme for her own sake, a character that claimed to just be a normal girl... And she was just that, a girl that was happy, sad and angry, a girl that had insecurities about her group and the distance between her and the others, a character that lied to get her way and stole just for her amusement, she was normal, she had flaws and character, characters around her felt all sorts of ways towards her. That was who is she was, a normal girl with a past she wouldn't talk about.

And I very much liked that character, coupled with a design I really liked and she quickly became a favorite of mine in the chapter.

But then she went through what could only describe as a character assassination when Elysium Everlasting began.

Elysia who was a character who was allowed to have flaws was stripped of them, who was allowed to feel things beyond happiness was stripped of that, she was stripped of everything until all that was left is a flawless, perfect and unhatable "character". She became a character not allowed to feel even an ounce of sadness, even while walking to her own execution and death, a character no one was allowed to dislike her, all characters that previously called her a "traitor" and showed dislike towards suddenly flipped on their head praising her. Including Mei who was weary and not so attached to her.

The Flamechasers became what can only be discribed as an Elysia worshipping cult, who's only purpose was to sing praises to Elysia and nothing else.

With my small talk about Elysia done, let's go back to the overall story.

The story now lacking a threat had to create one from thin air, one that wasn't hinted at previously and so the Herrscher of Corruption fell into the story. And not even it was free from joining the Elysia worshipping cult the entire arc was.

After deleting Elysia, the Herrscher of Corruption also became infatuated with Elysia and decided to become her and leave the Elysian Realm to spread the gospel, if I had to guess.

I will say that the Herrscher of Corruption was a fitting enemy, an entity who's power revolves around data, set free in a realm entirely made of data is sure to create a dangerous foe.

Yet, despite being deleted from the Elysian Realm, Elysia came back and was used as a Deus-ex-machima type of character to finally defeat the final enemy, the finale wasn't a group effort it was just Elysia.

And just like that, Elysia deleted the Elysian Realm after being brought back through the sacrifice of others, she sacrificed herself and unfortunately this changed Mei's character, from hating self sacrifices and joining the enemy's organization solely to stop Kiana from sacrificing herself, to a character who is fine with self sacrifices all of the sudden.

And that characterization of Mei is one of the reasons Moon Arc was so terrible.

As I mentioned earlier, Moon Arc was yet another "open world" but even worse as it was scaled up, the lags worsen, I could barely play the chapter as I kept freezing, and so the frustration of Elysium Everlasting not only kept going but increased and made my experience of what is the final chapter of the original trio's story absolutely horrendous. And just like Elysium Everlasting, the story did not make me struggling to even launch the chapter worth it and I was about to give up on multiple occasions.

Moon Arc was a mess of retcons awful decisions.

The reveal that the Will of Honkai was the AI Prometheus made no sense at all and was not hinted at throughout the story, the Will of Honkai was always a naturally shapeless and emotionless figure that never spoke and only answered through actions, it did not seek anything, even when taking the shape of whoever is communicating to it, it had no face, it was just Thing. Not human, not herrscher just a physical manifestation of the Honkai's will, as its name say. But then the reveal of it being Prometheus made no sense considering the previous actions the Will of Honkai, and suddenly makes everything illogical and weird, and makes us ask why Prometheus did what she did, such as protecting Sirin and answering Otto's questions.

Then came Misteln, the "Hare" of World Serpent, who supposedly existed after Cecilia died and during Bronya's mother pregnancy, which is an inconsistency that has yet to be cleared, as those two time do not lineup at all, another confusing part of her is her powers, which are stigmata related but she seems to be able to do whatever the writers need her to do.

Staying on World Serpent, Kevin and his plan made no sense and their overall actions, or lack thereof was weird, they were supposedly trying to stop the trio and yet they helped them, talked to them for hours, and Hare even helped Bronya reached the full potential of her Herrscher core ; the overall pacing of the story was slow and there was no sign of the supposed emergency the trio was against, it was like a walk in the parc, slow walking and taking the time to have exposure.

But the worst part of all of it, was the introduction of Ai Lambda Hyperion, she was introduced in an event, in that event the player, aka us, were a part of it, it was a cute event about repairing the game and saving Ai Lambda. It was all there was to it. Until she came into the main story and so did the player, so did we. And that ruined everything, now the entire Honkaiverse is supposedly real in our world ; it especially ruined the final fight against Kevin, instead of the trio pulling through and beating Kevin, we do which makes their victory underwhelming and not as earned as if they won on their own.

Part 1's story started of as a really good, with character interactions and good character development but slowly the interactions and development worsen and disappeared leaving only an empty husk of its former self. Part 1 had a lot of potential for an emotional ending, but all we got was a nothingburger ending where Kiana is just physically stuck on the Moon but everyone can still visit her, instead of a feeling of isolation as a consequence of her saving the world, there was nothing to worry about, everything was going to be happy go lucky as usual.

- Part 1.5 : a breath of fresh air that wouldn't last

This part, or half part, started off slow and uninteresting for me, but it was still refreshing to focus on a character often put on the sideline : Seele, it also brought back a character shown in the manga and a visual novel, Shigure Kira, which was unexpected but welcome, they were focusing on existing characters instead of creating new ones.

But the start and my interest in this part was slow, but then the character Vita was introduced, a mischievous and humorous character that is still mysterious, a very interesting character with a lot of personality.

The 2nd half of Salt Snow Holy City, was way better, we had an actual threat in the form of Sa and Vita, while also having a lot of interactions between characters that otherwise wouldn't interact a lot, especially Veliona and Sentience, those two were very fun to watch and listen.

And so was the arc with Moriarty and all the Vita's, my only problem with this entire half part was the reveal of Griseo, while it does make sense somewhat, and Su I was hoping they would let go of the Flamechasers all together and never bring them up, their arc was over and they were only characters in a separate side story, but they slowly became main characters.

The twist of Vita doing all she did to betray and eventually kill Sa just to gain the freedom she craved and could never get as a proxy was wonderfully done and a well deserved ending for such a character, and it felt deserved and earned, she used everyone to advance her plans forward, and only relied on the other characters help at the end, when the final blow needed to be dealt, Kiana had to do it for Vita, but other than that Vita is the one who made her plan, worked towards it for years and manipulated Sa ; it was her win, she deserved it.

All and all, this entire half part felt so refreshing and made me hopeful for the future of the story... But unfortunately this miracle was just that, a short lived miracle the last bit of good writing Honkai Impact 3rd had.

Part 2 has a rough start, introducing a lot of characters in quite a shot amount of time and so the early bit felt quite rushed, but it slowed down once all the characters were introduced and set in the story it was quite good, and the threat of Perception was well set and the conclusion felt right... Or what I thought was the conclusion.

The twist of everything being a simulation from Dreamseeker's perspective just ruined everything, all the efforts went to waste and the ending suddenly felt worthless, it was just one of countless simulations so it meant nothing, all the emotial weight this had was gone.

I do like the mystery of Senadina, to at least have a bigger mystery connecting everything somewhat, and Vita's return to the story is one I am very happy about, it almost made me believe in MiHoYo again but as always, these moments of brightness in the other wise dark place the story is at are nothing more than dimly lit candles just about to go out.

- Honkai Star Rail : the false collaboration

It all started with a miscellaneous announcement of a Honkai Impact 3rd collab with Honkai Star Rail, Hi3rd collabing with other MiHoYo games happened before and it was very good, so we would get a collab character and outfit and lovely and funny noncanon event to go with it, everything should have been nice, I was on the fence due to the very bad Promare collab but I was hopeful, it was a collaboration between coworkers, they couldn't mess this up. Except they did, the moment it was revealed that Sparkle and other Honkai Star Rail related things were not noncanon events but fully main story canon.

Sparkle's introduction just created a whole mess in the timeline, her arrival in the mars computer happens before Welt's and Void Archive's departure, years before A Post Honkai Odyssey happens, it introduces the Solar System as a, weirdly, unreachable (supposedly protected by the Cocoon of Finality) place for Aeons and yet Sparkle and a random Messenger found it, that Messenger also sparks a new power scaling debate as she qualified Kiana as a "emanator" like entity, the interaction was not hinted at all throughout Penacony or anything Sparkle related prior to the collab happening, so it all just feels like a last minute decision to connect the two games, that were already connected through Welt and Void Archive.

From my point of view, there is no collaboration between the two games, this entire "event" and announcements were just to announce that the games were officially and connected as happening in the same Universe ; unlike collab valkyries Sparkle is fully gacha, an S-rank with no free way of being obtained, all collab characters are SP and farmable so this is already a suspicious play on Mihoyo's, and due to this Sparkle will have banner reruns after her banner ends, unlike collab that are only available in their patch, her stigmatas will be craftable despite being themed around her... All these points lead to the only possible conclusion : Sparkle was never a collaboration valkyrie, she is just a normal and permanent part 2 valkyrie. So the whole "collab" thing can only be assumed to be a bait of some kind, a bait for a valkyrie that is mediocre at best. A bait to lure in more spenders. A bait for money.

And so we reached the current end for the story, a beautiful story that unfortunately went downhill and the few good moments only ever lead to further disappointment, for we saw what they were capable of writing and producing and yet we were just let down, we were letdown more and more for one simple reason : the fandom kept praising the story, I barely saw complaints anywhere outside of my circle of friends, despite it getting worse and so mihoyo got away with writing worse and worse and worse until now, where we are at a point where salvation and redemption are no longer an option.

The fandom will crucify people who dare criticize the story because in their eyes mihoyo employees are some kind of Godly writers, hating a part will get you harassed, saying you dislike a character, especially Elysia and anything surrounding her, will get you seen as a bad person, this fandom has built so many layers of toxic positivity that it actively damaged the product. Mihoyo are not the sole responsible for the mess that Honkai Impact 3rd is, we are also sharing that responsability, for never calling mihoyo out their bad story choices, because the fandom kept "crying at the heartfelt stories" and because someone saying they disliked a fandom favorite was something worth getting bullied for, we like to call out other mihoyo games' fanbases toxic but we are no different, we are just as toxic if not more.

You may have noticed how I started to leave out details more and more as we progressed, simple answer I just skipped the story, because it was burning me out, going through long yet boring and non consequential stories was making want to stop playing, and so while I previously held the story above the gameplay and PvE aspect of the game, in current time that order has switched, and i skip story after reading summaries from CN to prioritize gameplay.

I also did not talk about events at all, and again it's really simple : the events, especially Captainverse, are really charming and well written, which is a very odd contrast to the main story, i focus more on those than the main story and find myself enjoying them even more ; this was a post to mostly complain and since I had nothing to complain about the events' writing I simply never mentioned them.

At least this whole thing is just my view of the whole thing, my view of the fandom, my view and opinion. And I just wanted it out of my chest.

I may add a portion about the character design, but this problem has mostly dissappeared since Part 2 began, so I don't feel the need to talk about it in details anymore, mihoyo moved on from that and so shall I.

[satureja13]

Ji Ho's Therapy Game It starts -> here

After Jack - surprisingly - had the marvellous idea to try to log in together with Ji Ho to stop NPC Jeb from (= slightly nudge his subconscious to not to) alarm Gytha, Jack and Jeb are preparing for their mission. Kiyoshi is watching over them. Since Jeb is his best friend and Jack his fated 'mate', he seems to sense they are up to something potentially dangerous. Of course he does. He's a demon/diety.

Meanwhile, Saiwa and Tiny Can are upgrading the AI. And Sai is worried. He hopes it can handle the three of them and their attemt to 'remote control' NPC Jeb's actions ö.ö'. It's Ji Ho's Therapy Game after all and the AI might have his own plan on how it shall commence and stop them...

There is no way to test this. As soon as Ji Ho logs in, the ingame time and happenings will continue right from when and where he logged out. And there is no way to stop Ji Ho's therapy and simply load an older save. Not in this game. So there is no try - just do or do not...

After Sai called them down, he informs them (means -> Jack ^^') thusly to not try anything weird and endanger Ji Ho's therapy. As if logging in a game and try to control the NPC with their meditation skills wasn't weird enough ö.Ö'

Sai: "The same goes for you two!" Sai even threated Vlad to ban him from the PD again, should he try to interfere (again...). He only allows them to be down here to step in in a case of a (real) emergency. And not at the slightest sense of Ji Ho feeling unwell. Of course you feel unwell from time to time in a therapy...

Jeb and Jack are hugging Ji Ho to comfort him. And themselves. There's actually quite a lot that could go wrong. Not only ingame. They are connected to the game with their bodies, minds and feelings... Ach, and how Vlad wishes he could touch and reassure Ji Ho... But he'll have to be patient. As soon as they resolved this case they'll need to get help to find ways to defend themselves against Ji Ho's Siren's Spells and Songs. Should his evil grandfather really try to affect the Boys through them.

Sai has to leave the security door to the chamber open so he can have an ear and an eye on Jack and Jeb too. Mainly on Jack... Ji Ho: "Ok, let's do this. Are you ready?" Jeb: "Ready." Jack: "I was born ready!" Saiwa sighed - and started the game. (They are sitting on Jack's Blanket :3 )

As soon as he was ingame, Ji Ho decided to go all in. He trusts Jeb and his abilities to stop NPC Jeb before he could give alarm. So he just goes with the truth. Well, a version of it since he can't reveal he's looking for the banned Heir (should NPC Jeb - contrary to expectations - be an anti ö.Ö').

Princess Jihovere: "I'm looking for the One I can't live without! I broke in to find out where the Vicegerent went so I can follow him and take back what's mine!"

NPC Jeb: "We are - too - looking for the One my friend Jack here can't live without." (Since NPC Jeb does not know the Princess, he probably thinks telling this weird girl the story about how his friend Jack got his heart ripped out and had it replaced with a gem by a werewolf in a horrifying frankenstein manner wasn't a good starter for their newly forged fellowship ^^') So NPC Jeb was trying to break in too - to help Jack find his heart! Phew, so he wasn't about to give alarm and Ji Ho worried for nothing. But who could have known that ^^' Better safe than sorry.

Since NPC Jeb also is the piano player at the 'Salty Mermaid', he must have witnessed the Vicegerent's sudden, suspicious leave with the Demon, the Sculptor and the two crates and decided to follow them. Princess Jihovere: "Maybe we could join forces? I have enough money but no idea where to find a ship and a fierce, reckless Captain." NPC Jeb: "I know exactly where to find that One!"

Lady Mimsy on the painting still stares reproachfully at them ^^'

NPC Jack doesn't look like as if he is responsive yet... But maybe Jack can dive into his memories of the night he died? They discussed this earlier. Sai was still concerned Jack had to relive his death, but the others agreed that it's just like watching a scene in a movie. Jack wouldn't have to experience his death with all the pain and horror of dieing again first hand. It surely wouldn't be more horrible to watch than Han being frozen in Carbonite ö.Ö' (for Jack at least ^^')

But sadly Jack didn't gain access to NPC Jack's memories... He didn't push too hard either. Even though he's dieing to learn what happened the night he died, he wouldn't endanger Ji Ho's therapy. They would find out sooner or later, he's sure.

'I see love walk away Didn't use a blade A bullet or a gun You poisoned the moonlight When you put out the sun'

The night you murdered love - ABC

The Therapy Game Master Post with the sessions and places so far is -> here

From the Beginning 🔱 Underwater Love 🔱 Latest

Current Chapter: 'Who killed Jack?' from the beginning ▶️ here

📚 Previous Chapters: Chapters: 1-6 ~ 7-12 ~ 13-16 ~ 17-22 ~ 23-28

[theoceansluvr]

Hi girly I hope you're having an amazing day💙

I was wondering if you could do percy jackson x fem!basketball player reader

I love love your headcanons keep up, with the amazing work

Thank you in advance 🫧💙

Percy Jackson x fem! Basketball Player! Reader

warnings; sports injuries but nothing serious ! author's notes; ask and you shall receive ! despite my die hard passion for baseball, i LOVE basketball so this was fun to write :3c

starting this off with the fact i don't think percy can shoot to save his life..

has amazing hand eye coordination with a sword

but a basketball ? he's hopeless.

leading me tooooo🥁🥁

you teaching how to play basketball !!

has the potential to absolutely destroy you in a game once he gets the hang of it but he likes the smile you have when you win

so he always loses on purpose

BIGGEST CHEERLEADER !!

literally goes to every one of your games with a sign like this

and you sign it every single time because he'll pout of you don't

has definitely learned all the rules just so he can boo the refs for making a bad call

because they love to do that..

if you get hurt on the court please know that he will break the "no one allowed" rule just to make sure you're okay

would literally force you to stop playing bc he's terrified of you hurting yourself more

even if it's just a knee sprain or something of that sort

has probably gotten into a fight with someone that doesn't think women can play sports

something along the lines of "You're just mad you'd miss a shot in a kiddie hoop"

rambles on and on about you making it to the wnba

you probably had to explain to him that it would make him a borderline trophy husband and he's 100% cool with that

asking as you're doing what you love he doesn't care

maybe, possibly goes to the gym with you all the time

(convinced he'd be a gym bro if he hadn't been raised properly..)

he likes helping practice so even if it's 2-3 am he's at some parka basketball court with you

buys you the blue gatorade🗣️

claims it's for good luck but it's really just the only flavor he drinks so he assumes it's universally loved

leans over the railing for a kiss during halftime and when you walk on and off court

pinterest would love y'all im afraid

if allowed he also goes to all your practices just so he can talk to you during breaks

your coach hates him for it but he loves you way to much to even think about caring

takes you out for ice cream or anything else you like when you win

if you lose, he does the same thing but gets you an extra scoop

definitely did some cheesy basketball themed poster for hoco and prom

all in all i love the concept of percy with a partner that play literally any sport because it just feels right😞

[darksaiyangoku]

RWBY Christmas Tales

Oscar and the Green Knight

It was Christmas Eve and the young King Arthur Azure had invited everyone to a party in Camelot Castle. Most royals had huge banquets, goblets of wine, rich lords and ladies dressed in fancy suits or luxurious dresses. But Arthur was different. Instead, he and his trusty knights were engaged in a snowball fight outside the courtyard. Jaune Arc and Lie Ren stood back to back as they faced Ruby Rose and Nora Valkyrie. Sun Wukong and Yang Xiao Long leaped from the bushes and pelted Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna. Sage Ayana, Scarlet David and Neptune Vasilias kept a watchful eye as they hid behind several stone statues for cover. Even the common folk were starting to join in and soon the snowfight turned into a snowbattle. Lines were drawn, families were pitted against each other, best friends became mortal enemies and the Knights of Vale took arms against the very people they swore to defend. It was a frenzy, many had lost their footing and fell onto the soft, velvety ground. In the end, only two were left standing, Arthur and his best friend, Oscar Pine. Oscar held a snowball so large that he had to use both hands, while Arthur's was in the shape of a small egg. They glared at each other menacingly, standing their ground.

Oscar: We knew this day would come, Your Majesty.

Arthur: So it would seem, Oscar. Your resolve to win is strong, but can the same be said about your snowball?

Oscar: *deep breath* This snowball was forged by the hands of the Pine Family. It carries their blessing, courage and honour. As a Knight of Vale *lifts snowball* I'll put everything into- agh!!

Arthur's snowball directly hit Oscar in the nose, knocking him backwards. Oscar felt a cold, hard sting and screeched, much to the amusement of his fellow knights, who were laughing at the sight.

Oscar: Come on!! That wasn't even fair!! I didn't even get the chance to finish my speech!!

Arthur: *chuckles* Consider that a lesson, my friend. You can't delay a battle simply with words, the enemy won't allow it.

Oscar: Tck! Whatever. *grumbles*

Arthur: Oh come on, don't be like that. Tell you what, how about I get Glynda over to make you a warm, sweet plum pie?

Oscar: Hmmmm..... *sighs and smiles* well okay. You know I could never refuse a plum pie.

Arthur: *smiles* That's the spirit! *helps up Oscar*

While all the guests were getting ready to head inside the castle, the gates suddenly burst open and a strong, gust of wind flew into the courtyard. As the wind cleared, everyone was stood silent as they saw a large knight standing before them. His armour was dark, luscious green, his cape was bright red and his hand, he carried a large battle axe, with a a beautiful golden handle. The most ominous feature, however, was his helmet. It bore the horns of a devil and peering through the vizor were ghastly, white eyes. Slowly, the Green Knight entered the courtyard and shook the ground beneath him with every step. Arthur tried to signal his comrades to retrieve their weapons, but the tremors made it impossible to move. The Green Knight in front of Arthur and bowed to him.

Green Knight: Merry Christmas, young King of Vale. I have travelled far and wide for players of my game.

Arthur: ...and what "game" would that be?

Green Knight: The axe I hold in my hand is one of the most powerful weapons in all of Remnant and I shall gladly depart with such a jewell if one is willing to strike me down with it. But whoever is victorious, I shall return the blow in one year's time. Who among you is willing to play? Or are the Knights of Vale merely children pretending to be heroes?

The Knights of Vale took offence to this slander and they all lined up to face the Green Knight. Arthur, however, was stricken with fear. There was a dark presence that he could feel. It was harsh and terrifying. He tried his best to stop his hands from trembling. The people shouldn't see their King afraid. Oscar pushed through the crowd and came between Arthur and the Green Knight.

Oscar: I accept your challenge, sir.

Arthur: What?!

Ruby: What?!

Knights of Vale: WHAT?!

Ruby: *runs to him* Oscar, no! This is crazy!

Arthur: Ruby's right. Please let me handle this.

Oscar: *shakes head* No. It's okay. I was the one who answered his call and I'm the one who's going to see it through. None of you must interfere. *deep breath* I'll be okay.

Reluctantly, Arthur and Ruby stepped away and allowed Oscar to continue with the challenge. The Green Knight gave him the axe and got onto his knees and lowered his head. Oscar gripped the handle as tight as he could and raised the weapon high into the air. He swung the axe down with devastating force and cleaved the Green Knight's head clean off. Many of the people screamed in horror as they witnessed the head roll to Oscar's feet. He turned pale and his stomach felt heavy. The Green Knight reached for his head and stood up, carrying it under his arms.

Green Knight: Well done, Sir Oscar. You have bested me. But remember, you shall return that axe to me so that I can repay you in kind. You have one year. Good luck.

An ugly, bellowing laugh escaped from his head as he left the courtyard. Oscar's legs started to shake and he collapsed to the ground.

Ruby: Oscar!

Arthur: Quick, someone fetch water!

Ruby: *shakes Oscar*Oscar! Oscar! Wake up! Please wake up!

[tavyliasin]

The Abdirak Essay - Fandom, Pain, and Loviatar's Love

Another day, another Lia Essay - and if you're really really deliciously sinful my very dear darlings, I shall give you yet more when the sun rises again upon the morrow. So, today in Niche Fandom Adoration Hours, I give you:

For The Love of Loviatar: Why Discomfort Can Be Delightful, How Agony Alleviates Anguish, and All The Ways Abdirak Fans Are Also TavyliaSin's Very Favourite People (Who Also Probably Need A Hug) ((Do We Love The Long Titles?)) (((If No, Consider This Essay Title Part Of Your Penitance)))

The themes of this essay will discuss: BDSM, Kink, Chronic Pain, wounds/injury, Acute Pain, Mental Health, mentions of harmful behaviours, a discussion of psychological elements from someone with absolutely no formal training or experience, vague mentions of trauma, and the magic of friendship. So please make sure you are in a comfortable place within yourself if you feel any of the above might be difficult to read for any reason. It is ok to skip sections as each has a topic header, or you can leave at any time. Nobody is judging you for that at all. Additionally, NSFW discussion further through, so minors DNI as usual. Very little of my blog will ever be suitable for under 18s, for your safety and for mine. Editing in to add a link to the Abdirak fandom gift to chronic pain pals A Cameo from Declan (Abdirak's Performer) (Fully SFW)

All that said, the main theme of this piece is actually:

To truly understand suffering is to avoid being its cause.

So, let's understand what "Suffering" is first, shall we, Dear Ones?

The Difference between Pain and Suffering

Lia hasn't completely lost the plot darlings, the two words may seem almost interchangeable but they are not. At the very least, this is the interpretation I have and the discussion that follows will stick with it too~ Pain is the sensation itself, whether physical or mental, it is the hurt, the bruise pressed upon, the moment a heart breaks. That is pain. Suffering on the other hand, is the effect that the pain has. It is the anguish, the torment, the overwhelm and the exhaustion. So, whilst two people might have the same pain, let's say a stubbed toe for a simple example, their suffering might be very different. One might feel able to walk it off, maybe swear a little and move on. Another might need to sit immediately, feel tears in their eyes, or even become utterly overcome by misery from the intense sensation. This might sound like a difference in tolerance, but it can also be seen as taking the bigger picture into account. One brick might not feel so heavy to someone with empty hands, but added to a pile of bricks already carried it may feel as if it weighs a dozen times as much.

What about Abdirak? How does he relate to Pain and Suffering?

When I first heard Abdirak speak, I knew he understood this concept to its very core. His goddess wants pain, but in himself he does not seem to want actual suffering. He does draw a different line, with pain being physical and suffering being the mental aspect, however the principles are very close to my own. Some people might see Abdirak and judge him as cruel, as a torturer delighting in anguish, but that could not be further from the truth. When he speaks of delivering pain with a loving hand, that really is meant. When he was speaking to the player character, for a moment I felt so intensely seen when he speaks of seeing a greater suffering.

"Forgive me, but that look in your eyes - something terrible has happened to you. ...I see those same eyes when I look in the mirror, dear one."

This, to me, was such a moment. He recognises trauma easily, and we also have this chance here to either interpret this as "oh, right, the tadpole stuff, the things in the game" or we can allow our own feelings about a player character's backstory as the interpretation of what he has seen. Either way, he immediately offers to alleviate that suffering with pain, something he is familiar with, something he knows to help from personal experience. There's the important point. His motivation is not to cause hurt, but to relieve it.

How does pain make anything better?

Deep breaths loves we're getting to the heart of a few things here and it may get heavy. At the most basic broken down level, right at the bottom of everything, it's about distraction. Pain is instant, sharp, a sensation that draws our nerves tight and fires off that electricity directly into our brains. It takes our attention and focus away from whatever else is on our minds. Usually? This would be detrimental, to be unable to concentrate on something because pain is intruding. However, think back here, "delivered with a loving and measured hand." This is precise pain, sensation that is welcomed and applied with expert care in order to reach that point right between where pain is suffering and where it cuts out the thoughts. BDSM darlings will know this as similar to "subspace" which I will discuss later~ Whilst there is some short term benefit to using strong sensation to distract the mind and alleviate intense distress, if taken into real life scenarios there are a lot of things to consider, and it is far better to speak with a therapist. Though the most commonly suggested low-harm methods can be things like gripping an ice cube for a minute or two, or even something like exercise that can push the mind to focus on the body instead of the source of the distress. The element of penance is also there. Abdirak brings to the fore those thoughts of struggle and guilt, so those are the thoughts that are stripped back by the physical pain. It's intentional, careful, and taps at the other core of using pain to alleviate suffering.

Why we love Abdirak, and the importance of recognising the weight of unwarranted guilt.

Remember my little villain essay? Back then I spoke of how a love for villains can also come from the way we are prone to judge ourselves unfairly, to heap undeserved guilt at our own feet, and to believe every slight mistake to be a heinous sin. Sorry, darlings, the only heinous "sin" you are allowed to believe in is me. Name puns aside... Part of the draw is indeed right there, believing ourselves deserving of punishment it's appealing to want to submit to that and find absolution from everything we judge ourselves for. And yet, it isn't a horrific thing, it's coloured by love and affection. The Love of Loviatar from Abdirak does not ignore that first part. But I do encourage you, if you are feeling particularly called out right now, to stop seeking punishment for things that are objectively not your fault, and instead treat yourself with kindness and forgiveness. By all means continue to indulge in our beloved priest of Pain and the joy he brings, but do so without any negative self-assessment, alright? Good, I'm glad we agre- THAT MEANS ALL OF YOU. No exceptions.

And what of the Fandom?

Ahh Abdirak fandom. Small, loving, welcoming, and utterly devoted~ Similarly to villain fandom (Abdirak is obviously not a villain, but is arguably villain-coded), his fandom also draws a lot of kindness and understanding. Despite how we might see ourselves, we are remarkably free from judgement in how we treat each other. There's endless encouragement, genuine warmth, and alongside spicy takes that might make lava look like a suitable spot for ice fishing there's a profound amount of respect and consent. By which I mean, there's no shame. There's no allowance for "I hate that character you like", or "that kink is bad because I don't like it". Tags and CWs are applied to posts and works with care and nobody is treated poorly for enjoying what (or who) they enjoy in the fictional space. To go back to the quote at the start of this essay, "to truly understand suffering is to avoid being its cause." I feel the vast majority of us have that depth of insight and recognition for suffering and have the empathy required to wish to avoid it. And that is why I would perhaps feel safest in the company of Abdirak fans (and likewise Raphael fans), there's another level of connection in those tadpoles~ Which leads me neatly forwards to...

Endurance: Abdirak and Chronic Pain Sufferers

Here, loves, we're going to get a bit more personal. Those of us with chronic pain conditions may find an even deeper connection. So I'll go over a little for those who are fortunate enough to not have personal experience here: Chronic Pain - This applies to pain which is constant or frequently recurring, that lasts (and/or is expected to last) for more than 3 months. It's not like a broken bone that heals and has an end, it's not like a few headaches that come and go with little consequence, it is either always present or always on the edge of flaring up at any time. It's different to acute pain, because most conditions have no cure, many barely have any treatment so all one can do is try to endure the worst of it. The other side-symptoms can be reduction in physical ability, exhaustion, mental health difficulties (because for some odd reason constant pain is not a path to happiness), low self esteem, and of course carrying the guilt of feeling like a burden if you need help from others (you are not a burden, and anyone who says so can receive the blessing of forever feeling like there is a stone in their shoe that they cannot find). As an aside, this can apply to chronic mental health struggles too - it is still pain, only a different kind. Though I will be looking primarily at physical pain here, as that's where Abdirak's focus is. Now, where are we going with this? The difference here is in how pain is treated. Abdirak speaks of pain as a wonderful thing, as something that is sought after, that is a way of worshipping Loviatar. This is something that might feel strange to someone who is plagued by pain, but there's another quote I'd like us to remember.

"Pain without purpose is a terrible thing, wouldn't you agree?"

Chronic pain has no purpose. It's there whether by illness or injury, or some other unseen cause. It was not a choice, it doesn't bring any relief, and often it drags us right down with it.

"Please let me alleviate this pain."

And there's another line, one we wish we could hear, one we wish so very deeply in the core of our being that we could believe. That there could be someone who could bring an end to the pain even if only for a brief time, a fleeting hope of relief.

How fanworks can be a means of coping with chronic pain.

So here's the next point... What in all the hells do I mean, how can fanworks help a single thing? Well, have some personal moments. I had a deeply unpleasant flare up the other night, so I put out a brief ask to writing groups for some comforting fiction shorts. In the past, I've written a few myself - like these: Abdirak - Migraine Comfort Yurgir - Migraine Comfort Tav - General Comfort, with Audio Multi-Character Comfort Drabbles (Including Abdirak) Full AO3 fic of Abdirak x Chronic Pain Reader (Spicy, NSFW)

These are the two I received from some writers very dear to my heart who have more talent and skill than I could ever hope to aspire to in their works. Elfvamp (who does not have tumblr) (image description is attached to the image)

and this one from @morb-untamed

Darlings, when I tell you there were tears in my eyes at these, I mean it. THIS is just an example of the understanding and compassion possible in the community, the care and consideration, and the emotion that words can carry through them that make things genuinely feel more bearable in the moment of distress. Both captured something that it took me too long to realise. Perhaps what follows might sound entirely unreasonable or unhinged, but for someone like myself who has not known a single second of what "0%" feels like in over 10 years, it's beginning to seem far more sane by the moment. What if, within the confines of my mind, I try to rewrite the understanding of pain as something different. Just tell myself each new pain is an offering to some vile deity who has decided my mortal vessel is worthy of enduring, rather than one that is being punished with suffering. Breathe through it and listen to those character voices, find my own purpose to the pain. Let it become inspiration, note it down, get that visceral and intimate knowledge to the page instead. Naturally, this probably isn't a healthy coping mechanism, nor one that is infallible, but there have been moments recently where thinking that has made the moderate levels less distressing, easier to tolerate for a time. Perhaps it could do the same for you, but perhaps not, either way - it is there. Please do read through the comfort pieces too, and if you would like to see more - even ones with more specific aims and pains, please do just ask and I will make them happen. Either through my ask box, or in comments/reblogs, or any other way you wish to contact me honestly.

Alright, Tavylia, we've covered personal pain, but you promised NSFW discussion!

Oh my very dear darlings I had not forgotten this part~ You may here people talk about "good pain" and "bad pain", and wonder how/why pain can ever be good. It's not just about a physical hurt sensation or using that as a distraction. Pain can cause a rush of adrenaline, and even endorphins - similar to how people enjoy extreme sports, horror films, or theme parks, it's a pleasant feeling from something that would usually be scary, because it's safe and controlled. Falling from a high place? That's terrifying, dangerous. Parachuting safely from that same high place? It's controlled, there's no real danger, but the feeling of danger brings that adrenaline rush. There's the key. In real life BDSM there is control in the safe signal, in knowing it can and will stop when needed, that although there is someone causing pain they will stop at a moment's notice. (Anyone who does not respect a safe word/signal is not someone you should be in that situation with, if you are engaging in or want to try BDSM with real partners please PLEASE do your research on safety, that's too long a lecture to add here) In the context of fiction, we can go a lot further. Could a real person easily withstand Abdirak hitting them with an axe in their back? Obviously not, that's far too much. But this is a world with magical healing, and our fantasy and fiction is quite safe to extend where we find is interesting. So when reading - and especially writing - with pain and pain play, I encourage you to remember these links to adrenaline, endorphins, and that it isn't about harm, it's far deeper, and finding an understanding of that (even if you never wish to experience it) might be of some benefit to understanding those around you who have this intimate relationship with pain.

A title for the End

I think I've covered a lot here, but I do just want to round us off now. If you have any questions about this topic (or any of my other essay posts), please do feel free to ask - that's why my box is there, for all kinds of discussions to open up. Not just for smut and creative writing, but for all the ways we connect with fiction and characters. There is so much more than a single story being told, each of us experiences it through the lens of our own experience, we all find our connections in different ways, and I will have more character essays on this later. There's so much more to see, to learn, from all the interpretations throughout the fandom. I'm very grateful to be here to witness it, and for you being here to share in these thoughts and explore them more with me. Pain can teach us many things, about ourselves and others. Empathy, kindness, compassion - when we know how much we need them ourselves, we begin to see how much others may need it too. Much like how Abdirak sees the pain behind the player character's eyes, and feels that strong desire to help in the ways he knows how.

A Final Note for the Pain Pals

To my Chronic Pain Pals, darlings you do not always have to be strong. It's alright. It will not break you entirely to let go of that incessant need to try and quietly endure. Find those places it is safe to let it out, look for those tricks you can use on your brain to make Loviatar's Favour just a little more bearable. You are worthy of kindness, support, and compassion. The same you are likely giving of yourself to everyone else. You are not a burden, these are pains you do not choose, and you deserve something more gentle without any guilt attached to it. You are also not alone, find community, find those who understand.

Pain without purpose...but have we given it one now?

So I hope this time the pain has had a purpose in teaching, in helping us connect in new ways, to find compassion and understanding. Until next time, Dear Ones, look after yourselves.

Oh hey look I know who made that gif that came up in the search~ What an absolutely wonderful coincidence ;) (And a final final footnote, hello Abdirak fan community, you are perfect and I wish you nothing but the best in all things)

[omnomnomdomcaps]

What are your top 5 fetishes and associated kinks?

This is a great question, and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to answer. I had to really think about how I wanted to divvy things up, and decided to go with some broader fetish categories, including a #1 pick that you'll never guess! Let's dive in:

#5. Desperation / holding - I don't talk about it a ton here, but I do enjoy me a good old fashioned bit of desperation in my smut from time to time. It's a wonderful way to get the heart pounding, the blood flowing, and the intensity rising, all as our heroine (or hero) teeters on the edge of ego-crushing humiliation. And depending how the episode ends, it's also a lovely way to tie into a number of other kinks on this list! #4. Ageplay - There's a joy to playing pretend, and it never really goes away, does it? Scenarios involving ageplay give us an opportunity to explore fantasies by playing them out together, and the results can be wondrous.

Some people may actually be surprised to see this relatively low on the list, as it is quite closely tied to my #1 kink - which again, you will never guess. But the entries ahead (as well as the one below) occupy hold particular interest because they require no pretending and no voluntary regression to have our dom dominating and our sub reduced to whimpering mush. So let's get into those, shall we? #3. Language play - this one holds an obvious soft spot for me because I've been championing it for a long time in the community. Admittedly, it's not something every couple can try without a fair bit of prep work, but if you do get the opportunity it's a wonderful way to instill a feeling of littleness in your little and a unique sense of control for your big.

Like everything else on this list, it's also a lovely compliment to other fun things! The speaker / non-speaker dynamic could be because the latter is too little to talk, sure, but it could also be because they're a pet (who needs to learn commands in the target language, of course), or because they're a kidnappee in a strange land. The sky's the limit, and the uncharted territory of this kink makes it uniquely fun to explore.

#2. Hypnosis - The true hero of so much of my forced regression fiction and the stuff of many a fantasy, hypnosis wouldn't be this high on the list if it weren't at least a little real. And yes, while irl hypnosis doesn't quite instill the same magical transformations that its literary counterpart does, it can genuinely affect behaviors over time, and can do quite a number on an entranced individual in the short term.

Is it a little bit scary when it works? Oh, heck yeah, but that's what makes it just so much fun. Just don't go too deep alone - stay safe, kiddos.

#1. Asphyxiation - Ha! Bet you didn't see that one coming! Okay, okay, fine, it's not actually on my list (no disrespect to the choking aficionados out there - you do you)

My real top pick is...

#1. AB/DL - Ha! Bet you didn't see that one coming!

Okay, okay, fine, maybe you did. But AB/DL is the tapes that fasten this crinkly world of kinks here together. Diapers, incontinence, pacifiers, baby toys, or some sort of regressed state offer a symbol of submission that clicks hard with so many of us. It allows for the assertion of power without pain, for a total release of responsibility and worry and an incredible ego-boost of control for the respective players, and for the ultimate trust fall between two loving partners (or more - again, I don't judge).

Where you go with that, and what else we incorporate, is up to you. Just be sure to share all the juicy details after.

Keep it kinky, y'all

[vermithorn]

* TRY AGAIN

pairing: aemond targaryen x fem!stark!reader

summary: a date... things happen.

contains: teasing, embarrassment and aegon working behind the curtains.

author’s note: this started as a little dumb thing .… and okay i want to do a part two, it’s true.. so if you like this, please let me know and i’ll do it! you know, a little after date fucking session… love yall !

“so are you my date?”

aemond’s sharp gaze falls on you, smirking at the sight of you sitting alone waiting for him to arrive, “i am.”

“shall we then?” you grab his arm, smiling sharply at him.

aemond for the first time allows himself to be led, slightly amused, at that expression of yours. you walk him to a table and sit in front of him.

aemond looks you up and down, “tell me about yourself.” there’s a soft, but faint arrogance in his tone, he’s almost testing you, asking you to prove yourself.

you smile, “i am from house stark. i quite enjoy fighting and reading mostly.”

“ah, a warrior i see.” aemond says, looking at you for the first time with a resemblance of interest, all behind his apathetic facade.

he’s still judging you, waiting for something to feel off about you. he stares at you and doesn’t expect you to stare him right back, with the same fierce gaze.

he knew this, the northmen are known for their stubbornness, and you’re no different from them. you seem harder, unbothered at his apathetic behavior for this date.

he didn't understand, how could the northerners behave like this? mostly the starks, people who were known for their honor and loyalty, but mostly how stubborn they were to the point of foolishness. but here, as you sat in front of him, your face as blank as the snow the north provides, you changed his view as the rumors were in fact true. you weren't angry, but you also weren't happy.

you sat there, stoically calm, and he felt a slight sense of dread.

“yeah,” you answered after a minute and it felt like years for aemond, who shook his head slightly, almost imperceptibly.

aemond sighed, staring at you fiercely with his only lilac eye. he was a proud man, and the arrogance his tone dripped wasn't unnoticed by you when you first exchanged words.

your lips curling up in the slightest of smiles, your eyes meeting his daring him to continue the game of silence you two were playing. a few moments later aemond realized you were teasing him, smirking and tilting your head to the side, your piercing gaze never leaving his.

your smirk grew bolder, as time passed and aemond seemed to have no words for you. your voice was soft when you spoke, hushed with a player's confidence.

“are you struggling to put words to my beauty, prince?” you were clearly enjoying taunting him, and aemond saw this as a challenge, referring to his ability to flirt with you.

“i'm quite comfortable with silence,” he spoke, staring you down. he tried to show he was unbothered by your taunts and would not lose to such a pathetic attempt at flirting. he would maintain his facade of indifference, refusing to break it, not yet at least.

you muffled a chuckle, looking at him with a wide grin. “then why are we on a date?” you raised an eyebrow at him, smirking knowingly.

he was surprised by the question and felt his smirk falter, he looked away frustrated, “i am here because,” he groaned, feeling like all the control he had slipped away from his hands. “i was blackmailed into this date by my older brother.”

you couldn't muffle the giggle that left your mouth, making him lock gazes with you, as if he was sizing you up. you were far more difficult than other women, his usually cool and stoic behavior made women fawn over him, but for some reason, you found the whole ordeal amusing.

“well to be fair with you, i was paid a big sum of gold to be here tonight,” you grin widely at your date's expression of surprise, his mouth slightly agape.

“what?” he mutters, his eye wide at your words, flickering with an unknown emotion.

you snort, “did i stutter, prince?”

aemond's eye twitched with annoyance and he looked away from your smug smile, it irritated him that he could not control every situation. he had let his guard down, not that he'd ever admit it.

“fine, leave then.” he felt a wave of embarrassment as he realized he'd been beaten so easily.

“want to get rid of me already?”

aemond groaned in frustration, looking very defeated already. “what do you want?”

“i was approached by a certain prince a few days ago, he said he had something in mind for his little brother and wanted my help, he also said he could pay me.” all the facade aemond had crumbled, looking at you frowning. “he paid me a lot, i suppose he has a lot to spare knowing his status,” you giggled, looking amused at him. “i was surprised you know? he approached knowing who i was, my family name, and very sure of what i was capable.”

aemond has no words, he looks at you lost, like a puppy.

“so i said to him, he didn't have to pay me, i would gladly go on a silly little date with his little brother,” you smirked, leaning forward to take a good look at aemond, “he made me swear not to tell you, but i think that is kind of... mean.”

aemond couldn't even form words, his throat dry. he merely sat in silence, staring at you with his mouth slightly open, waiting for an excuse to run away quickly and never see you again. but the irrational part of him, the one he hated so much within himself, made him stay seated watching you smirk, feeling lowkey entranced and embarrassed.

“in conclusion, if you want me to leave, i'll do it,” aemond stared at you and for a few seconds he recognized a hungry look behind your eyes while you stared him down. “but if you want me to stay, i'll make it worth your while.”

for the first time in the night, aemond blushed under your predatory gaze.

aemond sighed, “fine, don't go.”

you bit your lip, smirking.

“oh, i do love begging.”

aemond looked away, exasperated and flushed.

vermithorn © do not copy, repost or translate my works

[octuscle]

I really like the transformation of this guy in a professional soccer player! Well I know the feeling to wish for another decision in the past. I work actually as a construction worker because my gf got pregnant in college and I had to earn money quickly. Now we're divorced and I don't think I'm a hero for my son. That would be different if I said 'no' in the past going my way into sports and maybe got draftet in a money-spinning sport. Maybe my son would have a poster with me on it on a wall in his room today if I decided otherwise in the past. I'd like the same program as the other guy - changing my life and my past. I take the risk not becoming a hero but please give me a chance, chronivac support

No problem, you can use the preset as often as you like, that's the least effort. You are now not quite as old as the soccer player, so with an initial age of 36 like yours, the result will be 18 years… Depending on the sport that fate decides on, your career can be almost over or just beginning. 4:00 PM, you just got off work, shall we get right to it?

Boy, I mean, you're not exactly in bad shape. But you've allowed yourself to get a little carried away, haven't you? And the tattoos would look better with less flabby skin. Well, that's going to change. Actually, you wanted to order a pizza while you were scratching your sack. But suddenly you don't feel like it anymore. Instead, you write a message to your gym buddy, with whom you have been training for a few weeks, asking if he spontaneously has time and wants to do a training session. You meet in half an hour at the gym.

The guy at the reception greets you with a fist bump. You've been part of the inventory here for a year. Some people with a fine nose may be bothered by the fact that you don't shower after work before you start training. But nobody can say that you are not a role model in terms of motivation and discipline. A year ago some things were still wobbling on you But now there's hardly any fat left and the muscles are coming really nicely. You also have your life better and better under control. No more alcohol, no more cigarettes. Your alimony checks come on time and are always covered. Even if the mother of your son doesn't want to have contact anymore, your son at least follows you on Instagram. In the meantime, you have a good 2K followers who accompany your transformation. You are proud of that, too.

20:00 o'clock, you two are done. A few more poses in front of the mirror. Four years of hard training have turned you into a model athlete. And with your fitness followers you now make more money than with your job as a construction worker. But you want to be a role model for your son, just being an influencer is not a profession. It takes you an hour to shower, shave your body and trim your beard. When you leave the studio, you want to look good. Even if it's just to go home and cook. You are a domestic person. And besides, it saves money. And you make a live stream out of the cooking, which gives you a few more followers. But it's also a hard job. By the time you've eaten and cleaned up the kitchen, it's already 11:00 pm. And the alarm clock rings at 5:00 am. Time to go to bed. Actually, at 29, when you have a body like yours, you should have more fun in life. But you've been a father for seven years, and that obliges you. With the birth of your son, you've completely turned your life around. Even though you are divorced, you still have a good relationship with your ex-wife. And your son already writes you good-night text messages. Hey, you know people who are worse off!

Your routines include drinking a liter of water before bed. It flushes all the toxins out of your body overnight. Can't be much with your diet, but you like routines. However, this often means that you have to pee again at night. Today so about 02:00 clock. You have to be quiet so as not to wake your wife and son. The little angel breathes regularly. It is nice to hear this sound from the neighboring room while you fall asleep again.

06:00 in the morning. Your wife hits you with the pillow. Like every morning, when you don't turn off your alarm clock after a microsecond. She gets her good morning kiss and you head off to the gym. You're always one of the first of the team to get there. The janitor already knows you. They call you the Swiss clockwork. Always on time, always reliable. Discipline is everything. You have the chance to live out your passion for ice hockey here. You've been on the ice since you were eight years old, and you've been a professional for four years. In Canada. An absolute dream!

10:00 a.m. Press conference. You're just 18 and you've managed to get signed by the London Knights as a European. Your stepping stone into the National Hockey League. Everything is still terribly exciting. But you are a sporting prodigy. And you've spent your whole life preparing for this moment. You speak English and French fluently. Despite the double burden, you skipped a year of school and graduated with honors. And your girlfriend is pregnant. It was not planned. But it happened. And you are both very happy.

The nursery is already furnished. Above the crib a poster of you. You have to expect that you will not see your son for one or two weeks. But he should always have a picture of you in front of his eyes.

[izunias-meme-hole]

One Villainous Scene - Love Fading Into The Bleck

Considering this this month is around the same time as Valentines day, I chose to focus on a villain that was created from love, a loss of love to be exact. Said villain comes from Super Paper Mario, and if you've played this game, you know exactly who I'm talking about. If not then allow me to explain the story of Count Bleck.

When the player first meets Bleck, he's presented to be as dangerous as he appears, being a ghastly figure with a white top hat, a white cape, a monocle, a glowing red eye, and a glowing mouth. He also wants to destroy the universe using a book called the Dark Prognosticus, and a destructive power born of a false love, known as the Chaos Heart. While he certainly has menace and a big goal, he comes off as slightly hammy due to a little speech quirk, like bro goes "BLEH HEH HEH BLEEECK" and talks about himself in the third person sometimes. In other words on the surface he seems like just another fun yet terrifying one-shot villain that these Mario RPG's like making. I mean just look at him.

However as the game progresses, through both the main story and the 7 memories of someone called "Lord Blumiere", we pick up some very interesting information on our big bad. Blumire is a member of the Tribe of Darkness who fell off a cliff and got nursed back to health by a human named Timpani. The two fell in love and they were seemingly inseparable, though their fates ended up being one big Romeo and Juliet level of tragedy, with Blumire's father wiping Timpani's memory and cursing her, and Blumire searches endlessly for her after his father told him that "she no longer resides in this world".

When we end up looking at the seventh memory Blumire ends up believing that Timpani is permanently gone, and decides to go to an extreme. He goes to obtain the Dark Prognosticus. His father makes an attempt to stop him, but Blumire responds to him with a few simple words.

"I do not care, Father! A world without her is empty. A LIFE without her is empty."

Blumire makes his stance obvious to his father. He's given up on life, not just his own life, but on all life. Timpani was his world, and as far as he believes, she's gone, so he might as well bring an end to it all. As the nihilistic Blumiere opens up the Dark Prognosticus he utters a laugh that is all too familiar to the player before its prophecy and declaring that he will wipe every inch of the worlds. His father once again pleads for his son to stop, but Blumiere says this...

"Blumiere is no more! I am Count Bleck! And no one shall stand in my way! BLEH HEH HEH HEH! BLECK!"

Count Bleck was Lord Blumiere. Count Bleck, the entity who wants to commit mass omnicide, was a man who found true love and it ended in tragedy thanks to forces outside of his control. And to honestly make matters worse, Timpani was implied to have been the original form of the pixl, Tippi, meaning that while she may not have been dead and just didn't remember him until they met again in World 6, it just means that Bleck set into action a prohecy that ends in mass omnicide for nothing. The mere idea of loosing the one he loved more than anything, set him on this path, and as we reach the finale we see him acknowledge that how massively he screwed up, and encourages Mario, a hesitant Tippi, and the rest of the party to kill him if they want to save everything, until Dimentio decides to hijack the finale as the final boss using the Chaos Heart.

So yeah, Count Bleck everyone. (Apologies if this seems half-assed, my ass is getting kicked in college due to an essay that's due on tuesday)

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Ruggie Bucchi Bloom Birthday Personal Story: Part 1

"Happy Birthday"

Part 1 (Part 2) (Part 3)

[Savanaclaw Dorm – Birthday Party Venue]

Ruggie: Today's my birthday～♪ Gotta finish this interview up fast so I can get started on that feast.

Ruggie: I wonder who got picked to be my Presenter. It'd be great if it's someone who'll really let me be the center of attention.

???: Well, of course, allow me to give you my most sincere congratulations. Happy Birthday, Monsieur Dandelion.

Rook: I promise that I will do my utmost to make sure this is the most spectacular day for you, Ruggie-kun.

Ruggie: ACK!!!

Ruggie: S-So, Rook-san is… my presenter… No, no, no, no, it's fine, you don't hafta go all out!!!

Rook: No need to hold back on my account. I am also wanting this to be a thorough and perfect interview.

Ruggie: …I feel like this is gonna suck if I let it drag on. Okay, then please get on with the interview!

Rook: Oui! I shall begin with this question.

Rook: “Are you good or bad at flying?”

Ruggie: Flight, hm… With my meager magical sills, I can't really keep goin' for too long, but I do like flyin'.

Ruggie: If we're talking 'bout my grades, though, guess I'm somewhere in the middle.

Rook: You've got a good sense of balance. You also have the physical ability to hang upside down from a broom.

Rook: And yet you claim that your flight class grades are only middling…? Does that mean you seem to lack some sort of basic knowledge?

Ruggie: That's it in one. There's a huge difference in my scores between the stuff I can do and the stuff I can't do…

Ruggie: I'm pretty good at dodgin' while flyin'. Whenever we play tag on brooms in class, I'm usually one of the last ones left, too.

Ruggie: Prolly all that runnin' from all those scaaaary adults back in the narrow alleyways back home really helped.

Ruggie: But like, if it's a task where I gotta fly on a straight white line, or maintain the same speed all the way to a goal, or somethin' like that…

Ruggie: I have a hard time when I'm told to do all the proper flyin' like all the pampered little boys can do.

Rook: If I recall correctly, you've earned the nickname "Disc Thief," have you not?

Rook: I heard it came to be after a live commentator called you so during a television broadcast of a magical shift tournament.

Ruggie: Rook-san, you sure know a lot… Don't know if I like that…

Rook: I've heard much about your efforts from Epel-kun.

Ruggie: Oh, I see, from Epel. 'S kinda weird to think y'all talk about me in Pomefiore, though.

Ruggie: I mean, praise won't fill my belly, but… I guess it's not a bad feeling.

Rook: So, then, perhaps one could say the whole reason you are able to be such a useful player on prominent Night Raven College Magical Shift team...

Rook: Is all thanks to your ability to fly down lanes that no one would expect to see someone dash down, and your sharp eyesight that can search for any opening?

Ruggie: Wait, you tryin' to analyze me now? Maan, that's not cool, not durin' my birthday interview.

Rook: Please don't misunderstand me, Ruggie-kun. I simply wish to unravel the mystery of your strength.

Rook: However, I cannot say that I am not tantalized by your abilities. What say you, would you like to play tag with me sometime?

Ruggie: Uhhhhh… Hey, you got a ton more questions, right? C'mon, get to the next one already!!

Part 1 (Part 2) (Part 3)

Requested by @shockzahato.

[omgauplease]

Howdy partner! Head on into the AU, Please! saloon to check out the amazing works our Day 2 creators have for you!

A Blessing in Disguise - Rated T - 19,143 words

Featuring: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann

Summary: Eric is cute, funny, and just Jack’s type. The problem is he’s also Jack’s little sister’s best friend. Jack thinks he’s better off walking away, but the universe—and his sister Margaux—have other plans throughout the years. Even if the timing is always terrible!

.🍺🍺🍺.

siegfried, you are not my savior - Rated M - 6,121 words

Featuring: Derek "Nursey" Nurse/William "Dex" Poindexter

Summary: Bow hunter William Poindexter hears of a beautiful stag, spotted over the hill out east. When he hesitates, he gets a bit more than he bargained for.

General fantasy AU - magic is well known, highly used and accepted, if you're one of the lucky ones born with it.

.🍺🍺🍺.

Center Ice - Rated T - 5,812 words

Featuring: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann

Summary: Jack is hit badly during a game and loses consciousness. When he wakes up, he finds himself in an unfamiliar hockey rink together with another player. That player is Jack, from the future.

.🍺🍺🍺.

Those Tangled Olive Threads of Fate - Rated T - 4,356 words

Featuring: Adam "Holster" Birkholtz/Justin "Ransom" Oluransi

Summary: Adam’s mother always told him he was incredibly lucky. Most people had only two threads of fate: a red one for their soulmate and a green one for their soul friend. Some people had only one thread of fate, and a lucky few had three or four, but Adam was blessed with five threads — one on each finger of his left hand.

The problem was, he didn’t know which, if any, of them were red and which were green.

Adam was color blind.

.🍺🍺🍺.

shall i compare thee to a summer's day? - Rated G - 2,781 words

Featuring: Derek "Nursey" Nurse/William "Dex" Poindexter

Summary: Contrary to popular opinion, Dex was usually not a fan of summers. There was no hockey (either to play or watch), it’s hot as balls out, and every Sunday morning he’s stuck out in that heat selling pies to the pretentious customers at the farmers market because Bitty asked and it’s impossible to say no to Bitty.

.🍺🍺🍺.

Multitask Magic - Rated G

Featuring: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann

Summary: In which Bitty is a kitchen witch and his magic allows his very active brain to do many tasks at the same time, often during the same recipe.

.🍺🍺🍺.

A reminder to all creators whose works are revealed today to please update your publication date to today so that your works are shown at the top of the feed on AO3.

Please also remember to show love through kudos and comments to our creators when you enjoy their work! ❤️

[ellissims3lepacy]

Sims 3 Lepacy Gen 1: Chapter 2 : A new Relationship

As expected, Eileen started pursuing Hank Goddard and before long they were going out. Before moving in together though, Hank started messing around with Tori Kimura on the side...Naughty naughty. I know this because I have Nraas Storyprogression stories enabled. Granted that it is also the Storyprogression mod who is responsible for this in the first place, but it's more fun this way.

Hank was very happy to leave the Mosquito Cove and move in together with Eileen. To Hanks credit he never rolled any wants to cheat on Eileen, nor did he pursue any other ladies autonomously. In fact he was quite a good boyfriend, watering her plants while she was at work. Alas they were so cute that I even considered keeping them together, but ultimately I knew that they were not meant to be. I decided that in addition of trying to fulfill my original sims lifetime wish, I would do the same for their partner. But Hank is eventually going to want to breakup and date someone else, that's just how he was created. He's never going to be the partner Eileen truly deserves, so while they were still happy together I started to look for other eligible gentlemen who could be potential romantic prospects for Eileen in the future.

For starters we met two possible suitors: Leighton Sekemoto and Christopher Steel. Eileen had excellent chemistry with Leighton, she thought he was a 10/10. He is also a family man, which means he would definitely want to get married and have kids, which is what we're looking for. The caveat is that he want's to raise five kids from babies to teenagers. If you didn't know, Leighton is at the start of the game a young dad to a toddler called Sam. So if Eileen got together with Leighton she would need to have at least four children with him to fulfill his lifetime wish. Christopher on the other hand was more like a 7-8 out of 10, so maybe not the best option, but good enough to be a possibility. We shall see.

Eileen and Hank were both progressing pretty rapidly in their respective careers (Military and Law Enforcement) when something unexpected happened...

Eileen was pregnant! How did this happen? Well, I am using Nraas Wohooer that allows you to tweak various romantic interactions. In the vanilla game woohooing has a zero chance of pregnancy while the try for baby interaction gives a 75 percent chance of conceving. I find that this is not very realistic actually. There is something called "risky woohoo" which allows you to set your preferred chance for a female sim to get pregnant after each risky woohoo, like 15 % for example. Lots of players seem to use risky woohoo as an additional interaction to the basic woohoo which still has zero chance of pregnancy. Probably to simulate an "oops we didn't use protection"- situation. I also used to use this method but after Eileen and Hank had been together for a while, I thought it would be more fun to disable regular woohoo and replace it with risky woohoo (which will be referred to as woohoo in game even though it is still technically risky woohoo). I set the chance of pregnancy to just five percent. In my headcanon they are using a condom during woohoo and for that a five percent fail rate I feel is pretty realistic.

Most players seem to have it set between 10-30 percent, but I thought that would be too high since now we don't have woohoo with zero chance of resulting in pregnancy anymore in the game. Still that five percent was enough to result in a pregancy just a couple of sim days after I made this change.

I also have a pretty long lifespan so my sims have plenty of time to woohoo. I have decided with this Lepacy to set one sim year to two days. It was really important for me to have the proportions of each life stage match real life because it really annoys me how the default lifespans are not proportional. For example the teen lifestage is way too long compared to the adult life stages (this is much more of a problem in the Sims 2 and 4 tough)- thankfully the Sims 3 allows full customisation for lifespans.

My lifespans are as follows:

Babies : 2 days (ages 0-1)

Toddlers : 6 days (ages 1-5) - I know it should be 8 days but I think that is too long. Sue me :D

Children : 14 days (ages 5-12)

Teens : 12 days (ages 12-18)

Young adults : 44 days (ages 18-40)

Adults : 44 days (ages 40-62)

Elders : 30 days (ages 62-77)

I know there are some inconsistencies, but I'm pretty satisfied with this. The toddlers are obviously incorrect on purpose but then again pregnancy is the default 3 days which would actually be around 18 months according to my own rules, so we might as well have this to compensate for the missing two days. Then teens should actually start from 13 not 12 however then that would mean that the teen lifestage would only be for 10 days versus 16 days for children, and teens are definitely more fun to play with compared to children. Then there is the question of when does young adulthood end and adulthood begin? I don't know, I just thought 40 is a nice round number. I wanted y.adulthood and adulthood to last the same amount which means that yes female sims will be able to get pregnant into their early sixties, but I prefer this to having the elder stage begin in the sims fifties. I feel like the elders are actually pretty old and in reality I would never refer to someone aged 62 as an "elder" but this is what we're working with. 77 years might also be a little young for someone to actually die of "old age" but I didn't want my average elder to live into their 90s. Some of them will though. In this savefile I actually had Buster Clavell live to about 98, which means he spontanely exceeded his lifespan with over 40 days.

By the time Eileen got pregnant she had been in a relationship with Hank for 14 days (or 7 years) and she was now about 29 years old. A perfect age to start pondering what you really want from life. In the next chapter we will find out what will become of Eileen and Hank and see the baby being born!

Sorry for yapping about the woohoo and lifespan settings lol

[pitchmoss]

PLSSSS TELL ME MORE ABT WHISPER 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

you have asked. you shall receive.🌙🐇✨

So my preferred way to make OCs is usually as companions, NPCs, whatever may be useful to a "player" if I was a GM.

Whisper is found in DC's Malkavian haven called The Townhouse. You can find her either in her bedroom or the rooftop garden, and while she is able to leave, it can be physically taxing (she has chronic fatigue). She's generally open to using her ability to help people but due to its unpredictable and sometimes upsetting results, she can be partial + it's not like she can do it on command or all the time.

She's one of the younger vampires, just turned in the 90s, so she's pretty in touch with modern day ongoings. She loves anime, favoring classics like Sailor Moon, Inuyasha, Full Metal Alchemist, etc. ⭐️

Whisper is also the gentlest of the Core 4 (which is just how I mentally refer to my 4 VTM characters), the embodiment of "wouldn't hurt a fly". It would actually really bother if she had to kill someone, as that's something she hasn't done (yet :3c). I mentioned in my other post she gets blood via human donors, and will either drink straight from the tap or add it to food (she can actually eat!!).

She likes soft things, has big satin pillows and soft, downy plushies. Cinnamaroll, My Melody and Usahana are her favorite characters, and she likes to match her My Melo's with ZerØ's Kuromi's. Usually wears dresses and pajamas, lots of dangly, sparlkly jewelry with cosmic motifs.🐇

Speaking of, Whisper gets along really well with ZerØ. They were both turned around the same time, and share a lot of common interests (they get together to binge watch anime, they love a co-op game, share pinterest boards and coordinate outfits).

Whisper's gentle nature aside, she isn't a helpless little goody two shoes. Her ingenue merit + high insight allows her to get a good read on people, who often let their guards down around her. She's also used her good reputation to get away with giving misleading information to people she doesn't trust. She's a Liar /j with big sparkly purple eyes so you can't be mad at her.💜

+ adding an approximate stat sheet for more details/game info: