#who could all get in. unless they all had to go to an early orientation to teach the wall their voice so they could enter the city

[itissadbutitsmy-artblog]

I think it’s cute if lemongrab can go to wizard city, like the wall lets him in and he's never thought about it before or questioned it, but he doesn’t really exactly grok that he’s A Wizard

he knows that he doesn’t get in trouble for going there, but he knows that some people do. which is kind of a big deal for him

[theprettynosferatu]

CW: Orientation play/conversion. Remember that your sexuality is valid, and conversion is NOT a thing beyond fantasy. Also, fuck "conversion therapy"

“All I’m saying is…”

“Look, you’re speaking out of your ass���, Ava said, barely containing her frustration.

“How am I speaking out of my ass? It has been done and thoroughly…”, he tried to reply.

“Yes, yes, Pavlov, blah blah blah. But you’re talking about something else entirely, not conditioning reactions”

“Not Pavlov, Skinner! Actions can be conditioned too. Look around you! Mobile games, casinos, even the goddamn army uses conditioning to…”

“Can we agree that there’s a difference between conditioning obedience in a controlled setting and whatever the fuck it is you’re suggesting? You’re not talking about tapping on impulse to buy funbucks in a game! You are talking…”

“It’s only a difference of degree, not of kind. With the right combination of techniques…”

“No, there’s a core there that you can’t just… overwrite. Some things can’t be changed. Like… like how you can’t hypnotize someone into doing something they would never do”

“You know that’s bullshit, right? The whole hypnosis thing. You absolutely can make someone do whatever the fuck you want. It’s just a matter of how you approach it. Like, you would never harm a person, okay? But if I change what your idea of ‘person’ is, say, by making it more narrow you would absolutely harm someone I made you see as a not-person. Or maybe you can be made to believe you’re helping them, not harming them”

“That’s some creepy cult shit, dude. And anyway you can’t write a paper on this because a) there’s no evidence and b) doing the research to get evidence would be absolutely immoral. So I say look for another topic and for the love of God don’t go around spewing that bullshit if you want to ever get laid. Oh, speaking of! Linda will be arriving shortly and we have a date night, so please, please try to be a normal roommate and not freak her out. For me, okay?”

“When have I ever freaked her out? Linda loves me! And who knows, maybe she has an opinion on our little debate”

“Dude, she’s an Art student. I doubt she’ll be interested in our weird Psych dissertations”

“Perfect! Fresh eyes!”

“See, that’s the kind of weird shit I-”

The buzzer cut through the air, and a moment later Linda was inside the apartment, all smiles as usual. He took a moment to watch them as they embraced. 

They were almost comical in their contrast. Linda was tall, taller than he was, willowy and slender, her limbs graceful and shapely, her hair a long, flowing river of playful copper that almost seemed to dance on its own volition– with her green sundress she appeared to him as some sort of elven princess ripped from the pages of a fantasy novel and stuck into a mortal world in which she didn’t really fit. Ava, on the other hand, was probably the shortest adult he had ever seen. He might be tempted to call her petite, but that had a connotation of a lithe frame, almost like a tastefully proportioned doll. Ava was the complete opposite of that. Sometimes he felt Ava was an experiment aimed at testing how much of a person’s weight could be tits and ass, held up by strong, thick thighs. He felt quite guilty about such thoughts, and he understood why she wore nothing but oversized t-shirts and hoodies. It was logical: an early, spectacular growth spurt, heightened by her small size, had made her the target of relentless bullying by jealous classmates and awkward come-ons by hormonal teen males. It enraged him, he realized. Ava was beautiful and the cruelty of idiots had made her feel pain about it instead of pride. He made a point to never stare at her, even if he sometimes failed. It made their relationship as roommates a tad hard, he had to admit. 

 

Not that he had a shadow of a shot, of course. Ava had no interest in men.

Unless, of course, he was right in his theory. And he had good reason to think he was.

“So, Linda: Ava and I were having a bit of a debate…”

“Don’t start, dude”, said Ava.

“Oh, a debate! Do tell!” chirped Linda.

“Do you think we can be completely conditioned and changed, or is there some part of us that cannot be modified, no matter what?”

“Huh. Hard one. Like… a soul? I don’t know I buy it. I feel there isn’t really a self, you know? Like… Buddhism. The self is an illusion and all that”

“Come on, you can’t be serious! You can’t change who someone fundamentally is, and it’s sick to even consider it!”, said Ava.

“Well… what if I could prove to you it can be done?”, he stated, barely able to hold back. He know what he was going to do. He had been reluctant, but now it felt like a certainty.

“You can’t, so stop being an ass”, said Ava.

Fine. Game on.

“Linda, I love your socks! Pride socks!”

“Yup!”, said Linda

“What the hell–”, mumbled Ava.

He took a deep breath.

“Linda: rainbow socks…”

She replied in an instant.

“Are for sucking cocks!”

Ava felt as if reality had shifted into some horrible, twisted nightmare. She was about to scream something, anything really, to make Linda take that back before something stopped her in her tracks. Her body heard it before her mind did: her roommate's voice simply commanding her. Watch. 

And she watched. She watched as the love of her life smiled and went on her knees. Ava could do nothing but watch in disbelief and pain. Linda had never been with a man. Ever. 

“I might have… started testing my theories. On you both. Not that you’d remember, obviously”, he stated casually as the beautiful girl in front of him lovingly undid his pants. “I’d say Linda’s sexuality is part of her core self, wouldn’t you? Let’s see how that holds up after the months of conditioning I’ve subjected her to”

He felt guilty, sure; but there was such a high to it, such an entrancing quality to the combination of seeing instant, complete obedience and the final, definitive proof of the truth he had known to be right all along. Was it wrong? Yes. Did he care? Not at the moment. Ava’s eyes were a poem to him. Suddenly he was ripped from his reverie by the soft, loving touch of Linda’s tongue on his dick. He hadn’t even realized he had gotten hard just from the sense of complete power, of total, undeniable conquest. This was a primal, ancient arousal. Ava could do nothing but watch, and he took that sight in. God, he could almost taste it.

Linda moaned. The cock was so beautiful. So perfect. She felt so… silly, like she was now, for the first time, seeing in color and realizing the sky was, in fact, blue. It was obvious. Simple. Natural. Cock deserved worship. Cock deserved devotion. Cock demanded obedience. It was as if it was growing in her mind, taking over more and more of her, pushing who she had been out effortlessly. It expanded. It corrupted. It twisted and shifted all within. Cock. Cock. Cock. She kissed it with reverence, in awe of it. It was all that existed to her. All that mattered. She needed to please it. Needed to feel it throbbing inside her. Needed to be taken by it.

Ava saw her girlfriend slide a hand between her legs and felt nauseous. As much as she knew this wasn’t Linda’s fault, she could feel her heart breaking, her anger rising… and worse, her pussy getting wet. Her body betraying her. She hated him, and she hated Linda, and she hated herself most of all.

Suddenly, Linda couldn’t contain herself. She relaxed her throat, looked up at her Master and took his entire manhood inside her mouth. She almost came instantly. It was peaceful and sexy and just simple, like his cock was the puzzle piece that fit her perfectly, completed her, made her whole. She existed to be conquered, and realizing she was putting his pleasure over her ability to breathe was the final sign of her complete, loving surrender. She let it out, watched it glisten with her spit, and started licking it and loving it and she didn’t know how much came from her own need and how much it was a silent command by the man who had shown her the light. Her mind was too fuzzy to make such distinctions anymore.

He took a deep breath, fighting back the first signs of an orgasm. He needed to make a point.

“Linda… do you love Ava?”

The blonde stopped for a moment, shocked by a myriad of contradictions.

“Yes”, she decided. Her voice was shaking.

“Tell her”

Linda looked at Ava, the woman she had loved above all others.

“I love you…”

“But you have more to say, don’t you?”

“I… hmph… I…”

“Tell her”

“I love you… but… but… I love his cock so much more! Fuck! I need it! I need to feel it, to suck it, to be fucked by it… I’m sorry… but… I love it, I love it, I love it! I want it to fuck my throat, to take my cunt, to ram my ass! I need it! I need to be a slave to it, a whore for it, a fucking living toy!”

“What if you had to choose between Ava and my cock?”

“Fuck her! Sorry, my love… I do love you, but… You can never do to me what… what Master does to me, what his cock makes me feel! I hope I won’t have to dump you but… I would leave you for this cock in a minute! I’d do anything. Anything. Anything!” If she had more to add, her need to serve cock snuffed it. She took it all in with desperation, with total, shameless abandon. She needed to feel... used. In her proper place.

Ava felt a tear roll down her cheek. Her knees buckled in defeat. She didn’t even care. It was all gone. Her life, her love, all gone. And she could feel her eyes drawn again and again to the cock that had destroyed her. She felt her mouth watering.

“Linda, would you say you’re a lesbian?”

“Fuck no!”, she said before immediately wrapping her lips around the cock’s head.  

He felt a swell of pride. Of triumph. He knew Ava sensed the truth as well. He was right. He had proven his point. And now Ava’s full conditioning would take hold. A little bet with himself, making her own mental acknowledgment of his theory her final trigger. She took off her t-shirt. She would never wear it again. No more shame, no more pain about her figure. Only arousal and pride. His gift to her.

She crawled to him on all fours. The girls kissed– but now, they kissed for him, to arouse him. They were lovers, only they both knew there was a higher love. A truer love. Ava looked up at her owner and opened her mouth, greedily awaiting his blessing. Linda used her skillful hands, aiming his cock and teasing it, jacking it off, using just the right amount of pressure and speed. 

No man could resist such a sight.

In a few seconds, Ava was covered in his cum, more beautiful than she had ever been. Linda certainly felt that way, and she licked and kissed her sister slut clean.

He watched carefully, looking for signs of defiance, and finding none. In fact, Linda put his fears to rest with a simple statement.

“Ava, we need to buy you a pair of rainbow socks”

Did you enjoy this story? You can support my work at patreon.com/prettynosferatu !!

[actingwithportals]

I wish more people understood that not every blind person is the exact same and we do not all need the same things and also the circumstances under how you were raised and when your blindness occurred and how involved you were in a blind community all play parts into what accessibility needs you will have.

Like. I was born legally blind. My vision has been for the most part stable my whole life, and it is likely to not change (unless normal worsening with age). I was raised in a family full of sighted people and all of my friends and members of my community were sighted people. I did not start meeting other blind people and joining blind communities until my early teenage years. This shaped me in such a way that I never learned Braille until I started teaching myself when I got older, did not learn to use a cane until I started attending blind camps as a teen, did not know I had an option of asking for accessibility with videos or images or menus or shopping or cooking or ANYTHING until I met other blind people who made it clear to me that there was a way I could exist with independence as a blind person and didn't have to just. miss out on life that I couldn't see.

So a vast majority of the way I taught myself to get by is very different from someone who spent a lot more of their early years around other blind people. But I also picked up a great deal of "normal" blind accessibility tricks from my teen years of involving myself with more blind communities that other blind folks who never involve themselves in blind communities are aware of or find useful.

My vision teacher as a kid showed me JAWS and explained what it was, but never really bothered to teach me to use it because ZoomText she decided was better for me. So I grew up to use screen magnifiers and not screenreaders. She didn't teach me Braille because she could get ahold of large print books, and when she couldn't she would find me a vast array of magnifiers to use. Ones with lights, ones in different shapes, some that were actual screen devices while others were simply glass. She didn't teach me how to use a cane and instead got me monoculars and bioptics, even though those actually...were not very easily usable to me. I had to teach myself how to use a cane after my first year of camp where I was gifted one, and later expanded upon learning when I finally took Orientation and Mobility training my year before moving out to college. I wouldn't start learning Braille until around the same time when I was given a Brailler by the specific state agency that provided assistive devices to blind students during high school and college.

So now, as an adult, what I find useful is reading text on a screen so that I can adjust my own contrast and magnification, I use a cane when walking around on my own outside of my home or other familiar areas, I use Braille on my keyboard and around on my household appliances so that I don't have to bend over or squint to attempt to read any settings or buttons or keys. A different blind person who grew up with different circumstances will have a very different list of assistive technology that is useful to them. Some will hate magnifiers and prefer audiobooks. Some would rather read Braille. Some will use puff paint or color-coding for household appliances or items like on clothing tags or toothbrushes. Some will use bioptics or monoculars when going to the theater instead of sitting close to the screen, or they might do both, or neither and will just listen. Some will use canes, some will use service dogs, some will use neither, or might prefer a sighted guide.

There are...so many ways a blind person might choose to make their life accessible. And we do not always agree with each other on what is best, because we do not all have the same eyes. Nor do we have the same ears, or hands, or feet. We are varied and complex and we disagree sometimes and come together other times and we discuss amongst ourselves on how to make things better for our community and we confer with other communities on how we help ourselves and help each other. We are not all the same. We are not all the same. We are not all the same.

If you want an answer for what is the One Agreeable accessibility feature for blind people: there isn't one. So just talk to us, instead. Get to know how we vary, how we relate, how you can best help one of us and how you might best help another. I'm sure we'd be happy to tell you what works best for us individually if you ask. And if we wouldn't, then that's ok. Sometimes we gotta figure things out on our own first before we can explain it to others. Either way, never stop asking. Because accessibility is always evolving, and someone is always going to have a different answer to the same question.

You can't get accessibility wrong if you're just willing to try. So keep trying.

[valiwrites]

can u do a Joao one where it’s just pure fluff and no angst ily😘

i gotchu girlie 💕

LAZY MORNINGS

pairing: joao felix x reader

type: fluff

warnings: none

MASTERLIST

<><><><><><>

It was one of those rare, blissfully quiet mornings when neither of you had anywhere to be. No matches, no travel, no alarms blaring at 6 a.m. demanding you both wake up and start the day. Just the two of you, tangled up in soft sheets with sunlight slowly filtering through the curtains.

You stirred first, blinking sleepily as you tried to orient yourself. Joao’s arm was wrapped tightly around your waist, holding you close as he lay peacefully on his side, facing you. His hair was a little messy, sticking up in every direction from how he’d tossed around during the night, and you could feel his steady, warm breaths on your shoulder. You lay there for a moment, not wanting to disturb him, just watching the way the morning light softened his features, made him look even more carefree.

When you tried to shift, though—maybe to sneak out and make coffee—his grip around you tightened instinctively, pulling you even closer.

“Mmm... no,” he mumbled, his voice thick and groggy with sleep. He buried his face in your neck and held on, as if sensing you were trying to escape. You couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re awake?” you whispered, still a little groggy yourself.

“Barely,” he muttered, his lips grazing your skin as he spoke. “Stay here. Too early to move.”

You snorted softly. “Joao, it’s almost ten.”

“Exactly,” he mumbled, refusing to open his eyes, his hand reaching up to find yours under the blankets. He laced his fingers with yours, squeezing softly. “First morning off in weeks...”

You sighed, giving up on any attempt to get out of bed. There was something so peaceful about this side of him, this quiet, tender way he held you as if you were his anchor. Without all the noise of games and press, he was just Joao. Not a star footballer, not a public figure—just the guy who looked at you like you were the only person in the world.

So, you stayed. You let him hold you, running your fingers slowly through his hair, tracing little patterns on his shoulder as he gradually seemed to wake up a bit more.

Finally, his eyes opened just a sliver, sleepy but softened with a little smile. “Morning, beautiful,” he murmured, his voice still low, that hint of an accent making the words sound even warmer.

You grinned, brushing a strand of hair off his forehead. “Morning, sleepyhead.”

He laughed softly, his thumb brushing over your hand as he squeezed it again. “We should do this more often,” he whispered, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to your forehead. “Wake up slow. Just us.”

You nodded, feeling that familiar warmth spread through your chest. “You know, I could stay like this all day,” you murmured, half-joking but half-serious. The thought of having a whole day with him, away from everything, sounded perfect.

“Then let’s do it,” he said simply, a little grin playing on his lips as he shifted, propping himself up on one elbow to look at you better. “Who needs plans, anyway? I just need you.”

“You’re serious?” you asked, laughing as you looked up at him. “We’re just going to lay here all day?”

“Why not?” he shrugged, moving a little closer, his face inches from yours. “Unless you don’t think you could handle being stuck here with me.”

“Oh, I can handle it,” you teased, raising an eyebrow as he leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to the tip of your nose. He trailed a few more kisses along your cheek and jaw, his hand resting on your waist, keeping you close.

“And besides,” he added with a smirk, “I’m an excellent bed partner, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

You burst out laughing, pushing him playfully. “Oh, are you?”

“Absolutely,” he said, feigning offense. “And I’ll prove it to you... if you promise not to leave.” He leaned down again, but this time his kiss was slower, deeper, like he was trying to pour everything he felt into that one moment.

Eventually, you pulled back, grinning. “Fine, but if we’re staying in bed all day, I’m going to need breakfast. Preferably pancakes.”

He laughed, that bright, genuine laugh you loved so much. “Pancakes, huh?” He tilted his head, looking at you thoughtfully. “I could be convinced... if you don’t mind coming with me to the kitchen.”

You rolled your eyes, but your heart fluttered at the thought of just doing something as simple as making pancakes together. “Deal,” you said, finally sitting up and stretching, though you didn’t make it far—Joao tugged you back down, his arms wrapping around your waist as he nuzzled into your neck again.

“Joao! I thought we were making pancakes!” you laughed, wriggling in his grasp.

“In a minute,” he murmured, sounding way too content to let you go just yet. “Just need another minute with you right here.”

You stopped struggling, leaning back into him, resting your head against his shoulder. He held you there, both of you enjoying the peaceful quiet, the sunlight warming the room, the sound of birds somewhere outside.

After a moment, he leaned in close to your ear, his voice soft and warm. “You know you’re my favorite part of the morning, right?”

You couldn’t help but smile, your heart feeling full. “You’re mine too.”

He hummed contentedly, finally releasing his hold so you could stand up. “Alright, chef. Pancakes it is.”

Together, you made your way to the kitchen, Joao still keeping close, his hand never leaving yours as you fumbled through ingredients, bumping into each other and laughing as you tried to make pancakes from scratch. He burned the first one, you messed up the second, and the third finally turned out edible enough that you could share it, each of you stealing bites from the pan.

And as you stood there in your pajamas, laughing with him over something so simple, you felt a warmth and peace that only he could bring—a kind of love that needed nothing fancy or grand, just the two of you and moments like these.

By the time the pancakes were finally done, he pulled you back into his arms, swaying with you in the middle of the kitchen, your laughter filling the room. And for the rest of the day, it was exactly as you’d hoped—just the two of you, no plans, just love and laughter and the simple joy of being together.

[bitletsanddrabbles]

But What If I Wasn't Rich?

Right. So. With revisions on Stolen Child going well, I've tried to start gearing up for my next big project, which is what I'd planned on working on this month. It's a very different tone - lots of zany hijinks with a group of idiots going through the jungles of India looking for biologically impossible flora - so I figured it shouldn't need too much in the way of research, especially since I'm avoiding politics like the plague. Don't know how much I'll manage, mind, since the only reason I can think of for Thomas's cousin to be in Bombay is military, but I'm pretty confident I can just say that and let my historically well informed audience fill in their own blanks while I concentrate on more important things, like cobras that spit hydrochloride acid at people*.

For all of that, though, I am having problems right off the bat with the research. Why? Because I need to get a disgraced-with-no-reference Thomas from Downton Abbey to Bombay, and I need to do it via a land route (or mostly at any rate), because he needs to start the whole thing off by crashing into someone in a train station. I suppose it could technically be at a port, but the train station just seems more likely given that the person in question is trying to get to the Congo.

This should not be difficult to figure out, right? A couple of Google** searches and you're done.

Well, not so much. When I search for how to get from England to India in 1920, the search engines seem to think I'm curious about immigration in the late 1800s. The closest I've come is an article that outlines the sea route around Cape Horn that was utilized the early 1900s...and stops there.

There was one (1) Reddit thread that popped up from someone with a similar problem who had the route mostly mapped but was just missing a bit in the middle. It started with the Orient Express.

Okay! Time to look up the Orient Express! And we get...

An absolute ton of information on the very big, very famous luxury liner of trains! Yes'sir, the Orient Express got you from Paris to Istanbul in style like you wouldn't believe! All of the rich people were lining up to bask in the lap of luxury as they made this cross land trip!

...

...which was probably beyond the budget of a newly sacked valet...

Pretty certain.

So we start looking for other ways to get from Paris to Istanbul in 1920 and apparently you could...walk? Or something? Maybe hitch hike?

Yeah, there's nothing. I can not come up with a search that does not tell me about the Orient Express, but unless Thomas ties himself to the roof, I don't see him getting aboard that one.

So! Are there any travel experts out there who have insight? Or people who have faced this issue in their fanfiction? Researchers with a hyper fixation on Agatha Christie? Banana cream pie? I'm kinda hungry, I could go in for some banana cream pie.

Heck, I'd settle for a less politically volatile reason for Thomas's cousin to be in residence, although I'm going to have to at least touch on the BEF*** for plot reasons.

*our fauna is as biologically impossible as our fauna

**or, well, Duckduckgo, but that doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely

***at least I assume that's who was stationed there. Again really, really not interested in politics. At all. Ever. Plague on the planet.

[simslegacy5083]

Today's (11/22/2024) Episode: Orientation Blues

Despite having his close friends with him, Skye’s first visit to the high school was definitely not drama free.

“Why did I drink all that soda with lunch!?” Skye moaned, exited the  auditorium with his parents and classmates. “Now everyone is going to remember me as the kid who burped so loud in orientation it interrupted the principal's welcome speech. They’ll come up with some awful nickname for me, like Burpface, and I’ll be the butt of all the jokes. My life is OVER!”

“I don’t think it was that bad” Greyson said. “Yeah, and we’ll hang out with you no matter what” Peter agreed. “Thanks guys” Skye smiled sadly, unconvinced but appreciative that his friends were trying to help.

“You know…” Luigi told him once they’d said their goodbyes “we haven’t taken you school shopping yet.”

“If you change up your look, get some new clothes and a new pair of glasses, I bet no one will even recognize you. It’s not like you met many new sims in person today anyway since we sat with Don, Denton, Amaya and the kids. What do you think son – interested in a little retail reinvention?”

Skye nodded energetically “That sounds great! No one will laugh or call me burpface if they don’t realize I was the one who did  it! Thanks dad.”

“My pleasure” his father smiled broadly “I have work tonight but I’m off tomorrow. We’ll start bright and early, so we don’t have to rush.”

Noemi snuggled in close to her spouse as Skye rushed ahead towards the teleporter that would take them back to the island “Well that certainly seemed to lighten up our boy's bad mood – good job you!”

Skye’s mood skyrocketed that evening when he got a text from Elyse “So BORED 💀!” it said “Come hang? New TV in my room, Simflix and Chill?”

“Sure!” he texted back, his pulse suddenly racing “I’ll be right over”

Stashing his phone in his inventory Skye ran to the bathroom to brush his teeth “ugh, if only we’d done our shopping trip TODAY!” he said to his reflection “then I could show Elyse my cool new look. I guess this will have to do.”

Finding Noemi out back practicing the barrels with Roach he called out “I’m going to Elyse’s, we’re going to watch a movie, bye!!” barely giving her time to shout out “have fun” before he was speed walking towards the boardwalk.

“Watch Out!” Skye screamed, covering his eyes just before the chainsaw welding main character of Moonlight Massacre 3 claimed their last victim.

As the credits rolled Elyse turned towards him, laughing “you are such a scaredy cat!”

“Well excuse me for not enjoying 2 hours worth of jump scares and death.” Skye shot back, his heart still pounding and not in a good way.

Seeing she’d hit a nerve Elyse backed down and changed the subject “Sorry. No more horror movies, I promise. Now tell me, how was orientation?”

“Terrible” he replied morosely “I embarrassed myself by burping right in the middle of the principal’s speech. I really don’t want that to be my main recognizable moment around school, so mom and dad are going to take me to pick out a whole new look tomorrow.

“Hey” Elyse replied “WE should go shopping together instead! I’m sure your parents won’t mind. Then I can help you pick out some really cool new outfits. You’re always telling me how much you like my style after all.” She blushed, suddenly unsure of herself… unless you’re just humoring me.

Skye did love Elyse’s sleek dark goth ensembles, but he also had one important question “I can wear SOME stuff that isn’t black, right?”

“I think we can find you something cool with blue highlights” she grinned “Come on, it’ll be fun!”

“OK… I’m in!” Skye smiled back at her, suddenly excited “I’ll talk to my folks and then text you to figure out a time. This is going to be great!”

“Glad I could make my lil’ blue teddy a little less blue” she giggled evilly, dredging up the nickname she’d used for him when they were toddlers.

“Oh Grim Elyse, you can’t spread that nickname around! It’s almost as bad as Burpface!” he groaned. Her teasing devolved into a tickle fight between the two friends, and while a good teenage ticklefight has no real losers, she eventually agreed to keep his childhood nickname their little secret.

When she finally caught her breath, Elyse had another proposal. Mom promised she’d make her famous taco casserole tonight and I’m starving. You want to stay for dinner?” “Sure” Skye smiled “You know I love your mom's casserole.” Skye’s sadness from earlier in the day was forgotten as he trailed her out of the bedroom. His best friend sure knew how to turn his bad day around.

View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[kiefbowl]

I’ve seen a lot of people on radblr say they think asexuality is incredibly rare if at all extant, and I’m a bit confused by it? I experience sexual attraction very rarely, and experience it as more than a fleeting urge/interest almost never, so while I don’t identify as such, I don’t really get why there’s such skepticism around it? I’ve been celibate 98% of my adult life, and I know a lot of people in their twenties who haven’t had sex. It’s not something they advertise or discuss typically unless with someone else who’s also “perpetually single” but I don’t think it’s as rare or unlikely as it’s sometimes made out to be? I do think the “ace” community on here is nothing of the sort and is genuinely abominable - LGB had a robust enough class consciousness that even as the TQ has fought to erode their existence there’s at least a strong pushback. Meanwhile it was so early on that people who enjoy sex started saying they were ace, that actual asexual community building was annihilated before it could go anywhere or mean anything. There’s also the fact that asexuals really do not need political organizing - no desire to hold hands in public or engage in relationships means no marginalization to fight against. The worst things you can experience are pressure from family/friends/work, but that’s literally nothing, and pressure from men if you’re a woman, but that’s misogyny. If it hadn’t been destroyed by people who wanted to feel special in the stupidest possible way it could have had some value in normalizing people not needing to be in relationships, not just as something temporary but as a lifestyle, and as a way of in general fighting a culture that pressures women to say yes and fear saying no. …this got a bit tangential. Anyway while it is certainly a minority occurrence - is there a reason for the skepticism toward asexuality beyond the same issue that’s affecting everything, people who clearly aren’t ace destroying the meaning of the word?

I can't speak for everyone, but when I say it's rare, I mean that it's rare as a naturally innate orientation. asexuality would be no attraction ever, and can't be learned or gained and would never be possible for that person. I only think it's important to be pedantic about this when discussing orientation, so that the word orientation is understood in any context.

When it comes to any of the multiple reasons why people might see themselves as asexual because of external factors, I'm not interested in correcting them, not least of which not having sex is fine and even great! I'm not even interested in asking them to explore that and try to determine why they might be asexual, because it's their business and they don't owe me or anyone else anything, and I don't feel entitled to that. However, the line will stop if they choose to be openly homophobic or misogynistic, which I've seen. I think we're allowed to say "why do you think you can think like that? say that to me?" pretty much any time someone is being openly offensive.

I hope I'm being understood here. I hope people understand why it's important to say if you almost never feel sexual attraction except actually once in a blue moon you do and that attraction is always heterosexual, it's important to define that as heterosexuality as an orientation. Orientation is not a measure of how often you desire sex, but who you're attracted to, and in a homophobic society this matters a great deal.

Under no circumstance for any reason do I think anyone should be pressured to have sex, nor does sex need to happen to prove an identity to another person. Sex should only be had willingly and enthusiastically. And never having sex your entire life is more than okay, and I hope lots of women consider if that's actually something they want!

Thanks for the q

[l-1-z-a]

How and why was The Sims developed?

Answer by Mike Sellers:

I first saw what would later become the Sims as a prototype Will Wright was working on. This was in the summer of 1995, when we were pitching Will on our new game and company. He heard us out, gave us great advice, and then showed us his cool prototype (very much like Will overall). He had a little man (graphically made out of animated, unconnected rods) walking around a gridded floor space. Will wanted to show us something he'd just completed: he dropped a toilet onto the grid, and the man went over to it, sat down on it, and then after a moment got up (complete with flushing sound if memory serves me correctly). Very funny, and it gave a glimmer of what the Sims would become. The ability to have the animations needed to use an object bound to the object rather than in the Sim was in fact an important internal feature of the game.

Fast forward to 1999. I had just joined Maxis to design SimCity Online (which never came out, but instead became The Sims 2). The Sims was in high gear. The "Dollhouse" team as it was known internally was working hard on getting the game out -- beset by the usual difficulties and some additional ones they had taken on. They had spent a long time (years) creating a graphical programming language called Edith for programming the Sims and their environment. This was rickety and in many ways all but unusable unless you knew the undocumented Secret Ways to make it work, which only a few did.

There was also a lot of question about what the game actually was. Initially they tried to market it to early audiences as a sort of Tamagotchi on steroids, as you had to care for your Sims or they'd be unhappy, not want to go to work, etc. What they quickly realized though is that people almost instantly started telling stories about the Sims, even to themselves, as if in a way to make sense of what they were doing -- or maybe just because telling stories is what we as humans do. So the team shifted their marketing approach back toward being something of a "dollhouse simulator" (without, I think, ever saying those words publicly) where people could tell their own stories. Buying stuff was just a way to keep your Sims happy, and to keep people who liked setting up and decorating a space (which turned out to be most people) happy too. Career advancement for the Sims was a thin trail of an explicit set of goals for those players who wanted them. But mostly it was about whatever story you wanted to tell with your Sims.

There continued to be a lot of problems with the game internally, though the team mostly hung together well and got things done. Many of the executives at EA (who had purchased Maxis in 1997, though the cultural transition was still continuing even in 1999) didn't really believe in the product, but thought that we could get it out, and as one said, "it'll sell maybe 250K units [not a very good showing], and be out of Will's hair." Of course it was a monstrous hit, and suddenly everything in the studio was focused on the Sims -- but that's another story.

And related discussion:

Jeff Kesselman (25 years in the video game industry. CS major from UW Madison. Have done everything from tool and library coding up to CTO. Currently teach Game Programming at Northeastern University and Daniel Webster College and write academic apps for MIT.):

The Goal Oriented Behavior of the Sims is really remarkable in the industry even today. I am happily stealing many of the basic ideas for our dynamic context aware monster AI in Underworld Ascendant.

So thanks to Will and the team, your insights live on...

Answer by Mike Sellers:

Jeff, glad you're able to make use of this, but I have to say, the internal behavioral model of the Sims had me tearing my hair out. Not just because the software architecture was ludicrously bad (which it was -- function parameters in Edith passed as register variables that could be over-written silently at any time by an intervening call! wheee!), but because it was just Bad AI. Yes, the Sims used a utility model to decide what to do next... sorta. They took in "advertisements" from objects and people around them, munched on them a bit to score them versus internal needs and then... chose at random from among the top three options. Not really rocket science.

And they were totally oblivious of anything happening to anyone else. My favorite is what we called the "Sim slap" situation: Adam is "in love with" Betty and is standing next to her. Carl walks up and slaps Betty. Betty cries (hard-wired reaction). Adam does absolutely nothing. He has no situational awareness and is totally unaware of the events transpiring. (Note, I believe later teams fixed this, but I don't know if it was special-cased or a general architectural solution.)

In no small part because of this experience, I spent several years working on better "social AI" (this is where my work with DARPA came in). I still love utility architectures, but they need a lot of beefing up to get past being stupidly dogged and reactionary.

Anyway, I hope your AI work goes well -- let me know if you'd ever like to discuss it! And thanks for the chance to rant about ancient history. :)

[maya-matlin]

So I know this is probably dumb, but what about Jenna Middleton/Brooke Davis for that comparing Degrassi characters to people from other shows thing? Jenna's passion for music makes her more like Peyton or Haley, but in personality she really reminds me of Brooke: bubbly, adventurous, loving extroverts who prefer optimism so initially deny a few hard truths, not all that book smart but very intelligent and savvy when it comes to people, they're both spontaneous but also kind of impulsive, and both even announce that they're not letting boys define them anymore :) You could also maybe compare Jimmy to Nathan Scott...? And while I'm obsessively analyzing every character, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the differences between Emma and Clair - they seem very similar to me!

Comparing Jenna to any of those girls seems inaccurate to me, but maybe I'm thinking of early Jenna. I just feel like she was so bubbly and low key phony to begin with. She clearly got a lot of validation from being perceived as more desirable than other girls. So I'm with you. I don't think Haley and Jenna are anything alike beyond their passion for music. Haley was anxious, introverted, responsible and school oriented. That was never Jenna, unless you want to say she was more responsible during seasons 11-14. Out of the three main girls, Brooke is the closest comparison. But I still struggle to see it. I just feel like even before Brooke admits how smart she is, she's much more socially conscious and intelligent than Jenna. But I loved reading everything you had to say. I strongly agree that both Jenna and Brooke eventually come to define their own self worth based on how much they like themselves and personal growth rather than whether or not boys find them attractive. This makes me realize that I spend very little time analyzing Jenna.

As for Jimmy and Nathan, that works! Though, I think Jimmy was always more intelligent than Nathan. Even though both guys always saw playing professional basketball as their futures and even had fathers who pressured them to succeed and keep pushing even to their detriment, it seemed like Jimmy always had more going for him than Nathan. In spite of the tragedy that befell Jimmy, he was always going to be fine. Jimmy had a way of becoming successful at everything he tried, from art to rapping. Apparently, he had plans to become a lawyer. I got the feeling school came fairly easily for Jimmy compared to someone like Nathan, who heavily relied on his talent to get him far in life. Jimmy seemed more comfortable reinventing himself and figuring out an alternate path for his life than Nathan ever did - though it should be acknowledged that Nathan eventually thrived once his health forced him to retire. It's just that he had to put in a lot of effort to succeed.

Clare and Emma. Hmm. Obviously, both played the same role. They are the prominent good girls of their classes. There's a perception that both Emma and Clare never make mistakes (in universe, not in the fandom). Both are drawn to bad boy types from time to time. Neither is afraid to speak up when they feel something unjust is happening. However, Emma navigates social situations far easier than Clare does. From the very beginning of TNG, Emma has zero problem using her voice and making her opinions known. I'm sure this is related to Emma being raised by a single mom and basically being the center of Spike's world. Spike was always a feminist, so you can imagine Emma was brought up to believe women should use their voices and to never make yourself smaller to appease anyone. And Emma never did. Clare had a very different upbringing. She was raised in a conservative, Christian household with God-fearing parents. Unlike Emma, Clare always had an older sibling. It was known to everyone that while Darcy was the pretty, popular, social one, Clare was just the smart one. She was likely overlooked prior to coming to Degrassi and being noticed beyond being Darcy's little sister. Clare needed time to come into her own. Unlike Emma, Clare started as much more of a pushover. But once Clare gained some confidence and learned to use her individual voice without worrying about disturbing the peace, that was that. I don't think being social ever came completely easily to Clare, though. She was very by the books and is often accused of being sanctimonious in later seasons. Their goals were also different. While Emma was mainly focused on the environment and making the world a better place, Clare was more comfortable being a writer. She seemed to oscillate between pursuing creative writing or becoming a journalist before settling on the latter. Clare is nothing if not practical. Emma was more interested in feelings and morals than she was something more concrete. Interestingly, both girls ended up in a similar place with each taking time to figure out their next move with guys they probably shouldn't have settled down with.

[pupmusebox]

(Qrow’s info under the cut.)

Name: Qrow Branwen

Eye color: Pale Red/Carmine

Hair color: Black

Height: 6'1"

Age: Late 30’s (varies on verse)

Orientation: Pansexual

Appearance: Slim, Lean.

Personality: Rude (seemingly), blunt, cynical, crass (sometimes), cool headed. Seen to be at first: immature (somewhat), insensitive and stand-offish. Has a certain level of cockiness,

Abilities: Aura (protective like shield energy held by most in Remnant), shape shift (transforms into a crow), unarmed/hand-to-hand combat, adept swordsmen, extremely fast and agile, proficient accuracy (when throwing his weapon), great physical prowess, incredibly resilient and durable (to toxins and physical force).

[About]

Born into the Branwen Tribe though losing his mother shortly after he was born and named Qrow due to bearing ‘bad luck’, bearing blame of being the one that his mother was gone by his older twin sister for a time and learning to cope with it best he could despite not having any control to said ‘bad luck’ he had. Taught how to fight and kill at a young age by various people among the tribe as well keeping up with his sister who excelled at this when sharing the same things that he was experiencing though somewhat having that strained relationship with his sister.

Eventually reaching an age where he and his sister would be sent off to the outside world beyond the tribe’s camp to go to a school, though disagreeing with the reason as to why he was being sent there and not following the path that the tribe had set before him. Acting like a bird that was slowly spreading their wings and taking flight to places unknown, while making his path his own along with finding ones that would become like family to him and happy of this found family.

Showing quite profiency in becoming a Huntsman as well earning the trust of Ozpin who later gift him with magic to shapeshift into a bird with consent when doing so, as well becoming part of a Brotherhood that Ozpin had and being a confidant of information for Ozpin whenever traveling about being both the eyes and ears for the man. Although all the while when doing this he would keep it a secret from his family and friends, given that some of things he do were things that he could do and not wanting who he cared about to get wrapped up in what he was doing as well. [ Verses ]

-Upbringing of the Unlucky Bird (childhood): -Adolescence of a Young Crow (preteens to mid teens): -Different Path and Upcoming Huntsman (late teens): -Taking Flight into Wider Skies (early to mid 20’s): -Wandering Crow on the Winds (late 20’s to early 30’s): -Bad Luck Trainer - Pokemon Verse: [ Headcanons ]

-On earning the ability to shapeshift into a crow, Qrow would have moments where absentmindedly lose a few feathers while shifting between a human and a bird. Somewhat embarrassed of this whenever trying to keep his feathers tucked away or straight getting rid of the evidence in some cases so no one would be suspicious of him for leaving feathers in places. Even at times using a sort of half shifted state though this is done in private due to wanting to keep this a secret from anyone even his family and friends, unless putting full trust into someone and shifting form into a bird to show that the odd bird that flits around is him and not a normal bird.

-While he was young and hearing the one called the ‘Grim Reaper’ while growing up, Qrow wanted to be just like the Grim Reaper and eventually crafting a weapon that was fitting to what he had in mind. Another reason to why he named his weapon ‘Harbinger’ along with his Semblance, pretty much like an agent of Death over time when taking on various jobs/missions and becoming known about various places on Remnant because of it.

-Blaming himself for every ‘unlucky’ thing when with loved ones and trying to keep himself at a distance because of it, paired along with nightmares of various things that he had no control over and ones of his Mother who died when giving birth to him as well of ones where Summer mysteriously disappeared. Though he loves his family and friends deeply he doesn’t want to stay in one place for long due to his Semblance, despite this Qrow always keeps a watchful eye from a safe distance while in a bird form for easy observing and showing he’s a softie deep down.

-While in bird form he loves to do bird things from getting free snacks to steal shiny things, even to get pets or scritches from someone that thinks his a normal bird and putting on the act quite will when doing so too. Tending to put that to use for him and loving it up when being bird, especially while gathering a bunch of blankets to use as a soft nest to sleep in till finding out he shifted back in his sleep by accident sometimes.

-Qrow’s drinking habits are much more lessened after a wake up call of an experience, although he slips back into drinking now and again at times though not getting completely drunk as he used to. Also still carrying his flask on him at times still as well and occasionally drinking from it when up late (or when alone) by himself, giving that light comment of liquor tasting a bit funny on his tongue having not tasted it in awhile and making a face at times.

-Whenever shifting into a bird Qrow loves to pull off the “Don’t mind me, I’m just your everyday bird.” sort of routine and messing with people, even to perch on one’s shoulder and making that off churr like noise when nipping at the person’s hair or clothes really. Loving how it earns him snacks and other things too, as well being petted too which is one of his favorite things of sneaking around as a bird and hiding who he is as well unless the person can notice that it be him as a bird. Also sometimes wearing a small pouch while as bird in case he finds some little treasures to stash for later, most of which do actually come in handy when needing things too even and not limited to snatching food from somewhere in his beak as a bird to only later enjoy it when back in human form (due to few times he nearly choked on big food pieces as a bird).

[marinerainbow]

Alright, LGBTQ month is upon us. Time for

My OC's LGBTQ Identities.

Betty Locera: Cis/Het Supporter

I was planning on making Betty bisexual, but after a while, I changed her to being straight. Though some of her siblings are LGBTQ.

Since this is the 1930's, the chances of the average person knowing Betty is a supporter, let alone know some non-hetero people, is low; Betty knows her siblings don't want the drama, so she isn't open about who they are unless she knows she can trust that person. But if she sees anybody on the street being homophobic, she will not hold back. Especially if it's her family being hurt/disrespected. She doesn't tolerate any of that hate.

Detective Sketch: Non-Binary, Asexual Aromantic (partially out)

I do have a ship with Sketch that I love (Dice x Sketch. I'm a sucker for rivals to lovers). But in their own canon timeline, I can't see Sketch being interested in relationships or sex.

It doesn't happen often, but they have had people try to coerce them into going out for a night of fun. Whether it be because they genuinely thought Sketch was attractive, or they thought they could get away without paying them for their services. Sketch has turned them all down, and refuses to share why if they ask. As such, they've gained a small reputation of either being 'very picky', or being a 'romantic who only wants their true love'. Both of these titles make them cringe.

Sketch isn't really an open person, so them being partially out is kind of because they simply don't want to talk about it with strangers. But their family do know, and they're forever grateful for being accepted as who they are.

They didn't really have anyone to accept them before, when it was just them. They didn't even open up with the care takers at the orphanage. So they didn't really know what it felt like to be accepted like this until they had their family.

Prism: Demigirl, Demisexual Demiromantic (out)

Prism may use she/her pronouns, but all dream entities are on the non-binary spectrum in some way. Prism, in particular, is feminine leaning. And when it comes to romantic and sexual relations, she can't imagine anything like that with anyone she doesn't know. Prism doesn't get how some people can have these 'one-night stands' or go on a date the first thing. But whatever floats their boat.

The night dimension does not hold the same prejudice against sexual and gender orientation the same way some humans do. So, to Prism, being out and open about her identity is just the norm. When she first encountered a visitor who was closeted, it was a shock and a half for her. Especially when she found out why these visitors stay quiet about themselves for however long. What's the point of hating somebody for who they are?

Prism wishes she could understand. But she'll offer a safe space for any visitor no matter who they are, and will try to offer as much help and advice as possible.

Poppy: Cisgendered Bisexual (closeted)

Poppy had no idea she was bisexual. At least until she saw Disney's Snow White for the first time (Queen Grimhilde was her awakening). After that, she was left very confused. She had noticed women before, but she assumed that she was just appreciating their beauty, similar to appreciating a work of art, rather than... You know, wanting to kiss them.

Regardless of where she came from, whether she was drawn from paper or she came from her two strict and stuffy parents, Poppy wouldn't really be...Entirely sure of herself for a while. Especially since she's never been with a woman before. She isn't a homophobe at all, she'll support you no matter what you do behind closed doors. But for herself, she always assumed she was straight and that sexuality was simple. So this caught her way off guard.

Even when she fully realized and accepted who she was, Poppy has a hard time telling other people. Because this is the early 1900's, she knows that her sexuality would be a problem to some people, and she doesn't want any trouble. Even with her loved ones, she's scared of not only making them hate her, but also finding out that her loved one is that kind of person. It wouldn't be until she fully trusts someone before she tells them she's bisexual, and it wouldn't be until the modern era until she becomes more open about it, too.

Any questions anybody has, I'll be more than happy to answer ^^

[painofhumanity]

NAME: Zackary Henry Allen NICKNAME(S): Zack, Blondie, Twiggy ALIAS: Lightspeed D.O.B: February 21 AGE: 18 ORIENTATION: heterosexual SPECIES: meta-kryptonian FAMILY: Barry Allen (dad), Kara Danvers-Allen (mom, deceased), Eddie Thawne & Iris West-Thawne (paternal aunt and uncle), Wally West (paternal uncle), Esther "Echo" Thawne (paternal cousin), AJ Thawne (paternal cousin), Clark Kent & Lois Lane (maternal aunt and uncle), Jon Kent (maternal cousin), Jordan Kent (maternal cousin), Alex Danvers (maternal aunt), Lane Danvers (maternal cousin), Sophie Danvers (maternal cousin), Henry & Nora Allen (paternal grandparents, deceased), Joe West (adopted paternal grandpa, alive), Zor-El & Alura Zor-El (maternal grandparents, deceased), Jeremiah & Eliza Danvers (adopted maternal grandparents, alive)

Zack was never a normal kid. His father was a speedster who could travel through time and space, and his mother was an alien from a planet that was nothing more than rubble long before he was born. As far back as he could remember, he was always different from the other kids, and he had to learn early on how to keep a secret. That was okay, though. 

He was faster and stronger than everyone at school, and his family was full of some of the most amazing people in the world. Auntie Alex was a secret agent, Grandpa Joe was a cop, and his parents were friends with all kinds of superheroes. 

Zack was exactly what one would imagine the son of Barry Allen and Kara Danvers would be like: he had a big, goofy smile, an even bigger heart, he was always willing to help, always trying to do the right thing. His parents did everything they could to teach him how to control his powers and use them safely. Some things came easily to him, like his super speed. Other things, like flying, were a lot harder for him; Zack tried flying once and it didn’t go well, and he’s all but refused to fly ever since unless it was absolutely necessary. As he grew, so did his powers. Much like his voice changing and starting to grow body hair, some powers developed as he got older. 

While he was born in Central City, his father’s hometown, his parents ultimately decided to raise him in National City. Barry went to work for the NCPD as a forensic scientist (officially), while also helping out at the DEO, both as a scientist and as The Flash. He also made frequent trips back home throughout the week, not wanting to leave the people of Central without their personal hero. Weekends were spent with Grandpa Joe and the rest of their extended family back in Central City. 

While Zack loved his world, it wasn’t without its flaws or problems. There were plenty. Not the least of which was a sudden uprising of powerful villains when he was in high school. Even though he could fight, his parents wanted him to have as normal a life as possible at least until he was out of high school. That plan didn’t work so well when an alien hate group kidnapped his mom halfway through his senior year. 

The DEO had everyone searching for her. His dad barely rested, let alone slept, while he ran all over the city, the state, the country, desperately trying to find his wife. As the weeks went by, new weapons appeared on the black market that seemed to give normal humans the powers of a Kryptonian. Eventually, Zack couldn’t take sitting idly by any longer. He suited up (literally, since Uncle Cisco had made him a suit for his sixteenth birthday) and joined the search for Kara.

They eventually caught a lead, someone who'd been involved in taking Kara, and the man spent the entire time making smartass remarks about how she was getting what any alien deserved. Enraged at the idea that his mother was not only being held captive, but hurt, Zack felt himself losing control. Before he even realized what was happening, the man was dead at his feet. Barry told him over and over that it wasn’t his fault, but he didn't really believe that, not when he didn’t actually remember what happened. 

Aunt Caitlin called it repression; his subconscious was protecting his conscious mind from whatever happened, whatever he had done. He got flashes, sometimes, when he was asleep, but he always woke up screaming soon after those dreams began. 

He wanted to go back, fix what he'd done--not that the man deserved saving--and maybe even get the information they needed to find his mother, but Barry told him it was too dangerous. They weren’t supposed to go back in time to change big events, his dad said. The ripple effects were too great and dangerous. Well, screw that. He tried doing things the “right way”, and it hadn't done anything. So one night, Zack snuck out of the house, and started running.

He ran faster than he’d ever gone in his life until he saw that portal open up, then he dove through. In hindsight, he thought maybe he should have paid more attention to his dad’s stories about traveling through time; mainly the part about how long it had taken his dad to actually master it. He assumed the portal would take him back in time, but he ended up in another universe. Now he's stuck hopping from one Earth to another until he gets back home.

Terrific.

[ancient-pokehistorian]

Bio: Falkner

Name: Falkner

Gender: Male (he/him or they/them) 

Age: 25

Birthday: September 26th

Height: 5’ 7”

Occupation: Violet City Gym Leader, also a bird keeper

Orientation: Undeclared; he’s spent very little time thinking about it \_(ツ)_/ 

Hometown: Violet City

Personality: Falkner’s not the most expressive of people. He’d be perfectly content with just his birds as company. Calm, pensive, and reserved, he tends not to be the one to start conversations, but he doesn’t mind participating in them. When he does speak, he’s polite, unless it’s someone he knows well, in which case he will be very blunt. The majority of his actions are dictated by what’s ‘proper’ and ‘respectable’, although he does occasionally slip into more casual demeanor (again, usually around close friends). His expressions and body language usually say more about his thoughts and emotions then his words. He doesn’t have many strong opinions, except for on things relating to battling, bird Pokémon, and his father, who he greatly adores. While he may seem unimpassioned most of the time, he can get really competitive during battles. He enjoys winning, but isn’t a sore loser (which is probably for the best-he’s not the strongest of trainers); a battle is the best way to earn his respect.

History: All his life, Falkner has had one dream: to become a Gym Leader than his dad, Falcon, can be proud of. He trained tirelessly for it, to the point that he didn't have any school friends because he left as soon as he could. Thankfully, Falkner's family would take in two line-in apprentice bird keepers, Rod and Abe, who at least got the Gym Leader-to-be a bit more personable.

Waking up to feed and clean the aviary, going to school, training, evening flights...it seemed like the perfect life...

Until one day, Falcon abruptly announced some solo travel plans. True to his wayward spirit, he didn't share many details, but he put a teenaged Falkner in charge of the gym as temporary Gym Leader until his return.

That was nearly 10 years ago.

Since then, his mother has passed away, and Falkner's insistence Falcon's eventual return has left him estranged from her family in Kanto. Falcon, claiming to come from a near-extinct clan that worshiped Articuno, has no other known relatives.

Still, every day, with the help of Rod and Abe (they've tried hiring on other Gym Trainers, but so far none have been able to handle the workload) Falkner continues in his duties. At some point (for legal reasons, as far as he's concerned), the League promoted him from temporary to official Gym Leader.

But he's still watching the skies for signs of his dad.

-

Pokémon:

Pidgeot (M)

Skarmory (F)

Altaria (F)

Toucannon (M)

Talonflame (F)

Togekiss (F)

There are a number of other birds in the aviary, including ones he uses in Gym challenges.

Jolteon (M)

Falkner is completely and utterly terrified by electric currents and electric-type Pokémon, having early on in his Gym Leader days taken a Raichu's Volt Tackle to his back to protect his Pokémon. He didn't intend for his Eevee to evolve into a Jolteon, and yet...it's a big struggle for him, but considering it's already attached to him, he's doing what he can-with a lot of help.

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

The very second that the exploding bear was like 'only the 16 students have been in here, guess who I am, woooo a traitor' it was blatantly obvious that it was Junko. My logic was based on the premise that the bear follows the rules, even when the rules are against its best interests (see: not punishing Kyoko for breaking into the headmaster's office and stealing items, because she didn't break the lock; Sakura did).

It was self-evident that none of the 6 survivors were the mastermind, they could all be immediately discounted.

It wasn't our hidden contestant either, she was dead. I wasn't certain what her role was yet but she wasn't the mastermind.

Therefore, by my logic, one of the 'dead' contestants had faked their death. All murder victims and murderers could be immediately discounted; if the bear was following the rules then their deaths were certain, as all murder victims had had their deaths announced and triggered trials, and all murderers had been correctly identified and (unless already dead) duly executed.

The only person who had died *outside the rules* was Junko.

The reason given for Junko's death had been for attacking the bear, which was implied to be a violation of the rules. However, Junko had not broken any rule to do this.

The rule against attacking the bear specifically refers to it as the "headmaster" and the game had gone out of its way to firmly establish that it is NOT the headmaster immediately before asking us to ID the mastermind. The being specified by that rule did not exist.

This was confirmed by the fact that two other people, Mondo and Sakura, had attacked bear drones and received no punishment, and later on most of the cast disassembled one and were, again, not punished. The bear claimed to let Mondo "off with a warning" when he survived the explosion, but the strict enforcement of the rules otherwise makes this pretty suspicious; I read this as a deliberate misdirection planned by the bear, an attempt to imply that the "don't attack the headmaster bear" rule applied to someone when it didn't. And obviously the claim that the Ultimate Martial Artist could somehow martial arts her way out of being vulnerable to explosives and gunfire and soforth is absurd; the mastermind could have executed Sakura for her attack if it broke the rules. They did not. The mastermind seemed desperate to punish her and revealed that she had been spying, but didn't kill her. This had been bugging me forever, until we got the 'not the headmaster' thing and it suddenly cleared up -- Sakura hadn't broken the rules and couldn't get punished. And if Sakura couldn't be punished for attacking a bear, then neither could Junko.

Thus, I thought the conclusion we were supposed to reach was that Junko had faked her death. She needed, for as-yet-unknown reasons, to be present in the early game, but needed to bow out quickly so that she could control the bears and soforth directly rather than rely on prerecordings. So she got herself "killed" as fast as she could. I thought most of the final trial was going to be an exciting lesson in how to fake a death via multiple spears.

I did not peg that the final corpse and Junko's corpse were the same, because I thought that the spear death had been faked. I correctly pegged that "Junko" was actually the sixteenth student (whose name I've forgotten) but I thought she killed the real Junko before orientation for as-yet-unknown reasons, stashed her body in a freezer somewhere and took her place, then tattooed a wolf on the corpse and blew it up later to hide how old the corpse was. (This switch theory was based on the fake nails, which I assumed to be indicating that the corpse was the fashionista, AKA Junko.)

I briefly considered the reused corpse situation (that turned out to be true) when the old wounds on the body were mentioned, but discounted this immediately because it would involve a violation of the rules. The corpse found in the garden triggered a trial which meant that if the rules were being followed, it could not possibly be any previous corpse. More than 3 people saw Junko's corpse in the gym the first time, so if they were the same corpse then a trial announcement would have happened back then in the gym or not at all.

So basically, I thought that the sixteenth student was the Junko we knew, and that this sixteenth student had somehow faked her own death via spears and was running things behind the scenes, having killed the real Junko to replace her (for unknown reasons) very early in the game. This was the only interpretation of events if the mastermind was following the rules. As it turns out, the mastermind was clearly not following the rules, but somehow Junko (the real Junko this time) was the mastermind anyway.

I have now completed. Trigger Happy Havoc.

[thiswasinevitableid]

15 sternclay?

Here you go!

15. As a career-oriented city-dweller who’s also a fan of Hallmark Christmas movies, Christmastime has me trying and failing not to worry that my new partner is going to leave me when they go home for the holidays

His eight years with the FBI lead to a lot of strange coping mechanisms. One of the few Joseph still indulges in is watching cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies from Thanksgiving until New Years. 

He never sits down to watch them these days. Instead, they form the background noise of his early winter, and he cleans his apartment or sends work emails while people with white smiles and no chemistry fall in love in a matter of days. He even makes up a mental bingo for himself, including things like “someone drinks hot chocolate,” “an ugly sweater is worn,” and, “behavior that makes me think of serial killers is treated as charming.”

This viewing habit is also the reason he’s trying not to panic when Melanie, his girlfriend of six months, tells him she’s going back to her hometown in two days and will be there until after Christmas to help get her great-aunts flower farm up and running again. 

“I thought about asking you to come, but I know how busy you are with work.”

“Most of mine can be done from a laptop, and I’d be happy to come help you out, even if it’s only for some of the time.”

She shakes her head, “Apparently Snowfall Springs is in the National Radio Quiet Zone; no phone signals, and all the internet is, um, ethernet.”

“Oh.” Joseph manages a smile, “well, in that case, I guess we romance each other the old fashioned way. On landlines.”

Melanie nods, but her nose is quirking the way it always does when she thinks he got too corny. He knows she’s into Joseph Stern, former special agent, suave and confident and battle-scarred. But Joseph Stern, aspiring writer and cryptozoology fanatic who cleans his kitchen to decompress does not seem to rate as highly. 

When she kisses him goodnight and heads to her car, she promises she’ll call him tomorrow once she reaches Snowfall Springs. Joseph tells himself it’ll be fine. Life isn’t a movie. People don’t undergo a series of holiday hi-jinks and then fall in love with some guy who wears flannel because the boyfriend they left at home is a prissy workaholic who doesn’t understand the true magic of Christmas. 

(She doesn’t understand why he doesn’t have a Christmas tree. After all, a friend of hers growing up had one even though she was Jewish, why can’t he?)

Melanie calls him the next afternoon to say the house by the farm is in disrepair and she’ll be staying at the neighboring mint farm for most of her stay, which happens to be the home of the guy who spilled his hot drink on her this morning. 

Joseph hangs up the phone, types out a message to work, and pulls his ergonomic suitcase out of the closet. 

Snowfall Springs is only an hour and a half away, but being tucked away in the mountains means a lot of curving roads that have to be carefully navigated. As the wipers whack the snow from the windshield, Joseph reassures himself that this is the right thing to do, not because he’s about to get dumped, but because his girlfriend has just learned this project is going to be even bigger and more stressful than anticipated and he should be there to support her. 

When his headlights hit the sign for Excitemint Farms, he turns up short, country road and pulls in front of a house decorated in enough Christmas lights to be seen from space. His knock summons an older woman in a nativity sweater.

“Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Melanie? She said she was staying here when she called. Unless this is the wrong mint farm, in which case I’m sorry to bother you.”

“Joseph?” his girlfriend appears in the doorway, smiling, “ohmygod, what are you doing here?”

“I came to help out. From the sound of it your great-aunt’s place is in serious disrepair, and I thought if nothing else I could make sure you’ve got coffee while you sort it out or deal with any extra-obtuse paperwork for contractors.”

“Oh. That’s really sweet of you.” She leans out the door and pecks him on the cheek, which would be nice except he lost feeling in it two minutes ago. 

“C-could I come in? I only brought one bag” he turns his best special agent smile on the older woman, “and Melanie can confirm I’ll do any chore under the sun.”

His girlfriend shifts from foot to foot, “Um, there’s only one spare room and it’s not even a twin bed. I just don’t think you’d be comfy if we both squeezed in there. But there’s probably somewhere in town? Hank, where’s a good place to stay?”

“He could try Amnesty Lodge. It’s a little, uh, quirky, but lots of folks stay there.” Hank appears in the doorway. He’s a little shorter than Joseph, blonde with a face that screams all-american charm but is so standard issue that Joseph couldn’t pick him out of line-up. 

“Okay. I’ll try there. Thank you. Um, Melanie, give me a call at the Lodge when you know what the gameplan is for tomorrow?”

“Uh huh.” She laughs as a golden retriever nudges her, “Oh Donald, no more treats for you.”

Joseph gives them all a polite wave goodnight and spends his drive to Amnesty Lodge reassuring himself that just because Hank looks like every guy who used to pull their eyes into slanted shapes when he walked by in high school doesn’t mean he’s a bad person, let alone that Melanie will decide to leave Joseph for him. 

Amnesty Lodge is undecorated save for a string of rainbow lights around the front, double doors. A young woman with a black and orange up-do and a sweater reading “hex the patriarchy” checks him in, pausing halfway through to shoo a massive, white rabbit away from the computer cables.

“Here you go! It’s just down that hall. Springs are open 7 am to 9 pm–Dr. Harris Bonkers, don’t you dare jump up there–and the restaurant is open six to nine.”

The wooden clock above the fireplace informs him it’s 8:50.

“How mad would the staff be if I tried to get in there now?”

“Worth a try. Barclay is closing tonight and he’s a big softie.” She gives him a conspiratorial wink, “but you didn’t hear that from me.”

He thanks her and wheels his bag across the worn, diamond patterned carpet until he reaches the restaurant. It’s empty except for a man behind the counter, wiping down the flattops with half the lights off.

“Excuse me? I, is there any chance of getting something to go?”

The man glances over his shoulder, “I could pack you up a few things, but do me a favor and throw that bolt once you get in here.”

Joseph locks the door as instructed and moves to the counter, sitting down just as the man tosses a towel over his shoulder and turns to regard him. 

Okay, things could be worse. Melanie could be staying with this guy. This guy with his strong jaw and gorgeous, auburn beard, his full lips and arms like a fucking lumberjack, god how is he making a man-bun look good? And why is his shirt unbuttoned those two buttons, it should be illegal to tease someone with that glimpse of the broad expanse of chest and dark hair-

He snaps himself out of the intense reminder of his bisexuality to find the cook giving him the exact same once over. It’s not until they lock eyes that the bearded man looks over at the bakery case, coughing awkwardly. 

“Uh, so I got a few slices of cake left. I could throw some bread and stuff under the salamander if you want something toasty.”

“That would be amazing” He glances at the name tag, “Barclay.”

“You in town for the ski season?”

“No. My, um, my girlfriend has family here. Apparently. And she’s helping fix up their flower farm. I came down to help.”

Barclay sets slices of cheese on a thick bread with everything seasoning on the crust, “You want me to make two of these in case she’s hungry?”

“She’s not staying here. She’s staying with the neighbors.”

The cook pauses, plate in hand, “You want two anyway?”

“Please.”

He wolfs down an offered slice of flourless chocolate cake, pulls out his wallet as Barclay sets a to-go box on the counter. 

“Don’t worry about it man, it’s on the house.”

“You sure?”

“Yep” Barclay smiles, melting the last of the frost from Joseph’s chest, “One time only, you come back tomorrow and you gotta pay full price.”

Joseph lifts the box like it’s an antique vase, “If everything else is as good as that cake, it will be worth it.”

Seven hours later, Joseph takes the same seat at the counter and is surprised to find Barclay writing something on a chalkboard. 

“Do you work every hour this place is open?”

“Nah. I’m usually here early to bake what we need for the day and then I work the breakfast shift. I covered for Moira, the afternoon and evening cook, so she could go see visiting family yesterday. Here, this is the winter menu and, oh, lemme just-” He lifts the small chalkboard from the counter and hangs it near the cash register, “there, those are the specials.”

“Latkes? Really?”

Barclay chuckles, “Yeah, Hanukkah started two days ago, wanted to offer some specials for it.”

“No, I know it did, I’m sort of shocked anywhere in town acknowledges that” He winces, looks down at his menu, “I’m sorry, that was rude.”

“Aw, c’mon, didn’t the giant merry Christmas signs on all the public buildings clue you in to how multicultural this place is?”

Joseph offers an exasperated smile, “I’m glad I’m not the only one who notices that.”

“Latkes?”

“Please. Oh, and a side of eggs and some coffee, if you could.”

“Coming right up.”

They chat about the Lodge and the town as Barclay cooks, Joseph the only one in the place until a young, blonde woman appears in her apron just as a part of four comes in through the doors. 

“Swear Dani always knows just when it’s gonna get busy. Oh, lemme top you off. Need any more cream?”

Joseph bites back a flirtatious comment in favor of, “no, thank you.”

When his breakfast arrives, Joseph takes two bites and moans, “God, if I had more money I’d demand you come cook for me in the city the next time my family visits. This is amazing.”

“Glad you like it, but don’t hire me yet” Barclay scrapes hash across the flattop, “my latkes are great but my sufganiyot needs some work.”

Joseph wipes his lips with a napkin, “No one in my family can make them either. My mom would get them from the bakery on the Sunday and then we’d eat them watching The Thin Man. Or It Happened One Night, that was dad's favorite.”

“Fuck that sounds nice. Hash and eggs up!”

He stares down at his plate as Barclay and Dani trade orders and instructions back and forth. Melanie isn’t interested in watching old movies; she loves seeing new ones with him, but the older stuff isn’t her cup of tea. 

After breakfast he sends some emails from his laptop, then takes his paperback into the lobby to read by the fireplace until Melanie calls. 

He wakes up in a comfy chair at noon to Aubrey, the young woman from last night, gently poking his shoulder.

“Hey, so, your girlfriend called with a message. She says she has to help Hank decorate the mint farm for an important work event. Um, that means something to you right? Because it seemed weird to me.”

He runs a hand through his hair with a sigh, “Yes, it means I’ll have plenty of time to finish my book. Thank you, Aubrey, for telling me.”

An hour later his book is finished and he’s wondering if he should just go nap in bed all day when Barclay enters the lobby, yawning and pulling on his coat. 

“Hey Joseph, thought you’d be off fixing a house by now.”

He explains the situation, doing his best to hide the frustration and worry burbling in his stomach. Barclay rubs his beard thoughtfully and says, “You wanna give me a hand getting some decorations for the Lodge? You don’t, uh, you don’t have to, but it’d be nice to have some company.”

Five minutes later, he’s bundled in the passenger seat of a red, battered pick-up as Barclay steers them towards the center of town. 

“We mostly need the greenery, like branches and stuff. We’ve got all the lights we need in storage so we’re good there, and we promised Duck–uh, he’s a friend, works in the national forest–we wouldn’t just harvest our decorations from random trees near the Lodge.”

“And we’re getting a tree?” Joseph asks as they turn at the sign reading directing them towards the Christmas tree farm in red letters.

“Nah, we try to keep it more general. Like, being a place of light and warmth in the darkness of winter. This place sells branches and wreaths in bulk if you know who to ask and also bring them cookies” he taps the tupperware box on the seat between them. 

They park and walk across the snow-dusted gravel to a small cabin at the front of the farm, turning to the back of it while the other guests weave between the different pines. Even working as a team, it takes the two of them a half hour to move the crates of greenery to the truck. 

“Phew, that’s the last one.” Barclay shuts the tailgate, “You hungry? The lone Vietnamese place in town does a mean lunch special.”

“Let me treat you? After all, you did make me breakfast.” 

A puff of breath marks Barclay’s laugh. With a remarkably demur smile for a man his size he adds, “You’re pretty gratifying to cook for.” He reaches out, brushing stray pine needles from Joseph’s black, winter coat. Joseph is a nanosecond away from returning the favor when a familiar voice catches his ear.

“Melanie?” He waves to his girlfriend, who hurries over to him with Hank and three small children in tow. She loves kids, so he’s glad she’s getting to spend time with some (he knows she wants a big family, something he can’t give her quite as easily as a cis guy could).

“Hi sweetheart, thanks so much for understanding about today. They’ve had trouble selling the mint, I guess demand is really low? Anyway, Hank and I have to get a tree for the party, and there’s going to be a ton of clean-up tomorrow, but the next day do you wanna come with me to the hot cocoa tasting? It’s to support the volunteer fire department, Hanks a member so I thought it’d be great to support him.”

“I, um” Joseph tamps down on all the ways this is setting off his “she’s in act one of a rom-com and I’m the boring stick in the mud” alarm bells and nods, “yes, that sounds great. Good luck with the party tonight. And, um, just give me a call if you end up needing more help.”

“Melaniieeee, come on, someone has to hold uncle Hank’s other hand.” One of the blonde little girls waves her arms emphatically. His girlfriend departs with an apologetic smile. He blows her a kiss. She doesn’t seem to see it. 

“....Did she say the guy can’t find buyers for mint? Like, the plant that’s a major ingredient in all kinds of food and also medicine? That mint?”

“It seems so.”

“It’s either man-eating or it tastes like shit.” When Joseph just keeps watching the happy group walk away, Barclay sets a warm hand on his shoulder, “still wanna get lunch? I’m not a gorgeous blonde, but I’m still a pretty good date.”

Joseph turns, eyebrows raised, and Barclay grins, “There you are. I was worried you’d stay spaced out and I’d have to stick you in the bed with the plants to get you home.”

“Not a chance, big guy.” He nearly apologizes for the nickname, but Barclay just playfully shoulder checks him on his way to unlock the car door. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joseph slept through his alarm, so technically he has no one to blame but himself. 

But come on, it isn’t that ridiculous to think a morning hot cocoa tasting event will have food that isn’t Christmas cookies. Or that it would have coffee. 

Instead he’s been sitting next to Melanie as she chats with other Snowfall residents like she’s known them for years. Betty, Hanks’ mother, is at their table, and seems to have taken a distinct dislike to Joseph. One he is really, really hoping isn’t related to the fact that he and Melanie are the only mixed-race couple in the building. 

He gamely drinks whatever cocoa Melanie suggests, and he has to admit the one Hank made tastes nice. But his pouring sugar into an empty stomach is making him feel like he’s ten years old and just ate all his Halloween candy in one go. 

Hank finally joins them and Joseph earnestly tries to get to know him. But he keeps getting boxed out when Melanie and Hank turn the conversation towards their favorite Christmas traditions. 

“Marshmallows!!!!” The three kids at the table shriek and sprint off to a figure that just came through the doors. Barclay manages to keep his balance as they clamor for the boxes in his arms, and gives them each a white, pillowy square before unboxing the rest onto the table. 

“I don’t know why he fusses with that. You can get two dozen bags at Walmart for ten dollars.” Betty mutters.

“He likes it. We were chatting yesterday and he admitted that he makes macarons when he’s stressed.”

“Which means?” Melanie looks at him, perplexed.

“He fears nothing.” Joseph says blithely. When he notices everyone at the table looking at him oddly, he stands, “I’m going to see if he needs any help.”

Barclay looks up as he more or less dives into the community center kitchen, “trying to get first dibs on the coffee ones?”

“No. Not that those don’t sound delicious but if I eat anything else sweet I’m going to be sick.”

“Kinda thought that might be the case.” Barclay reaches into one box, pulling out a McDonalds bag and two travel mugs of coffee, “it’s not fancy, but when Dani said she saw you literally running out of the lobby this morning I had a hunch you might need a pick me up.”

Joseph takes the offered mug, staring at the shiny blue exterior.

“Can I hug you?”

Barclay rumbles out a laugh and opens his arms, “C’mere.”

Joseph tentatively wraps his arms around him, tension that’s been there since 2014 melting out of his spine as Barclay hugs him back. 

“Is this all Egg McMuffin related?”

“No. I’ve felt lonely all morning and I’m…seeing you changed that.”

A soft, concerned hum is all the reply Barclay gives as he holds Joseph a little tighter before reluctantly letting go. 

After the cocoa tasting is through, Melanie asks Joseph to come with her while she does some Christmas shopping downtown. It’s perfectly pleasant, walking in the light snow with Christmas carols drifting from every store. But as they hold hands, all he can think of is how it would feel to do the same with Barclay. Judging by how much of Melanie’s conversation revolves around Hank, he’s guessing she wishes she was holding a different hand. 

As they’re turning back towards the community center, street lamps lighting their way, a voice calls out “fire” and they’re suddenly pelted in snowballs. 

“Hah!” Hank yells to Melanie from where he and his nieces and nephew are hidden behind a snowbank, “told you I’d get you back for last night!”

“Oh it’s on!” Melanie takes off after them, calling a goodbye to Joseph as she does. 

Snow slips past his collar and drips down his back all the way to his car. By the time he arrives at the Lodge, no amount of blasting the heater relieves the chill. 

He’s trying not to look uptight or upset on his way to his room, but when snow manages to slip down his pants, he groans and thunks his head into his door.

“You okay there?” Barclay is behind, wrapping paper in one hand and tape in the other.

“No. I got hit by a bunch of snowballs and I couldn’t act like I hated it, which I did, because Melanie clearly loved it and I don’t need yet another reason to seem stuffy and out of touch next to Hank! And to top it all off I cannot get warm.”

“You wanna use the springs?”

“They’re closed.”

Barclay gives him a sly smile, “Get your suit and meet me at that back door.”

He changes, tugging his complementary robe around himself as he waits. When Barclay returns, he ushers him out and past the usual springs to a door marked Staff Only.

“Holy shit, I thought this was a maintenance shed or something.”

“Nope. We want the staff to have a way to enjoy the springs without dealing with guests.” Barclay tugs off his sweatshirt, revealing his bare torso. Like his arms, it’s dotted with tattoos, and Joseph quickly tosses his robe over a chair so he can join him for a closer look at one in particular.

“I like the Bigfoot one.” 

“Knew you would” Barclay teases, eyes skating along Joseph's arms and chest, “think yours is more, uh, tasteful.”

Joseph glances at the black silhouette of Bigfoot on his shoulder, then at the woodland scene with the cryptid peeking out of the trees on Barclay’s bicep, “Yours is much more eye-catching.”

“Got it when I was cooking out on the west coast. My nickname was Bigfoot so it seemed like a good memento.”

Joseph playfully nudges his foot beneath the water, “They don’t seem too big to me.”

“Maybe not. I like to think every part of me is, uh, proportional” He leans back, spreading his arms over the side of the pool and Joseph uses all his self-control not to look down and confirm his statement. Then it runs out.

“Is…is that tattoo of a jar of chili crisp?” 

Barclay blushes, “Yeah. A friend of mine and I got condiment tattoos as part of a stunt to raise some money for the Lodge.” The cook opens his legs, ostensibly to move the tattoo closer so Joseph can see it. 

As Joseph adjusts for a better look, Barclay frowns, “Fuck, that looks like it hurt.”

He sighs, looking at the scar on his side, “Being shot generally does.”

“Holy fuck. When you said you’d been in the FBI I  didn’t realize it meant, like, dangerous shoot-out levels of FBI.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be. I was negotiating with a chunk of a cult that had taken some hostages on a farm and my back-up…didn’t back me up. They started firing on someone else's order and didn’t stop no matter what I said. I found out the hard way that someone had ammo that could pierce a bulletproof vest.”

“Fuck, Joseph, I’m sorry.” Barclay reaches out, tracing the skin above the scar.

“It was for the best. I like the work I’m doing now much better and I go to sleep with a clearer conscience. Plus I have more time to write.”

“I really do wanna read your book when you’re done.”

He means it. No one in Joseph’s life has ever meant it. 

“I’ll send you a copy, even if it’s just a stapled together one.”

Barclay yawns, rests his head on Joseph’s shoulder, “Gonna hold you to that.”

A hand bumps his thigh, palm upturned. An invitation. 

Joseph takes it, holding tight to the warmth as the snow swirls through the air.

—--------------------------------------------------------

“I hate being right.” Joseph hangs back against the Lodge wall, sporting the closest thing he owns to an ugly sweater (deep blue with snowflakes and UFOs) as his girlfriend kisses a man in a far uglier one on the other side of the room. 

“I’m sorry.” Barclay murmurs, though his voice is oddly tight.

“It’s for the best. But I need to go talk with her.”

Melanie is still glowing when Joseph waves her to the side door so they can talk outside. 

“Joseph, I, before you say whatever it is you want to say I need to tell you that I’m-”

“Breaking up with me?”

Her face falls, “You could tell?”

“I did have a career in investigation for years. What I wanted to say is that we’re on the same page. Dating you has been great, but I think we just want different things.”

“Yeah” she looks over her shoulder to where Hank is explaining the nativity scene on his shirt to his nephew, “I think we do. Take care, okay?”

He smiles and nods, giving a little wave as she disappears inside. Then he skirts the Lodge and sneaks in the back door, no longer in a festive enough mood to be in a crowd, even if that crowd includes his friends from the Lodge. 

The noise from the party dies down around ten, the same time he finishes the last crossword puzzle in his book. He’s wishing he’d done them in pencil so he could erase them and do some again when there’s a knock on the door. 

Opening it, he finds Barclay standing there, hands behind his back. 

“You can tell me to fuck off but I…I brought these” He produces a bag of jelly donuts from behind him, then reveals a DVD case, “and a copy of The Thin Man.”

Joseph takes both, voice shaky as he thanks him.

“I thought we could watch it together. I, I know it’s silly, and I almost didn’t do this because doing it right after you broke up with Melanie seemed creepy but also you’re only here for so long and I didn’t wanna chicken out” Barclay pauses, taking a deep breath, “but I wanted to say that I can’t think of a better way to spend a winter night than eating and watching old movies with you. Or just being with you.”

Joseph carefully sets the gifts on the bed. Then he takes two, determined strides and backs Barclay against the door, kissing him like his life depends on it. The cook moans, throwing his arms over Joseph's shoulders.

“That” Joseph murmurs, tracing his lips along Barclays’ throat, “is the best way I can think of spending a winter night.”

Barclay tips up Joseph’s chin to kiss him again, chaster but twice as hungry as before, “You make a convincing case, babe. So how about we find a new way to keep warm?”

They only make it down to their underwear before the exhaustion of the day sets in, but neither of them minds. As the snow falls in clumps outside, the cuddle close, trading sugar-coated kisses under the covers.

[niccymo]

The ‘Spice of Life’✨ Legacy Challenge

Sometimes playing the sims can get a little stale, and somewhat repetitive, especially The Sims 4. I know I can get stuck playing the same stories over and over again, so I decided to create this challenge to add a little excitement and variety to my, and hopefully your, game-play!

After all, variety is the spice of life!

Gen 1: The Wild Child

You’re a sim who loves to get down, go on adventures and spend time with other sims! You can be a bit of a handful for some sims, but that’s okay! You’ve been wild since the day you were born and you wouldn’t want to be any other way. You have about a million things you want to do in your life time and you’re gonna do them all!

Aspiration: Friend of the Animals

Traits: Dance Machine, Adventurous, Outgoing

Generation rules / goals:

Join the secret agent career and get to the top of it before your sim becomes an elder

Once your sim is an elder have them start a new job, keep them on their toes!

Complete the Friend of the Animals aspiration

Master the Dance & Pet training skills throughout your sims lifetime

Have five animals in your sims house-hold at one time (these should be cats, dogs, raccoon, foxes, etc.) - you don’t always have to have five but you should at some point

Have you sim have at least 10 friends and having a falling out with one of them and become enemies

Have a best-friend that is NOT your partner / spouse

Have your sim go out at least once every weekend to either the club, the bar or somewhere else they can dance! They’re a dance machine remember!

Your sim can have as many children as you like, but keep in mind that they have a lot of animals in the house

You must have at least one child in order for them to become heir, they can be adopted or biological, it doesn’t matter!

Go on at least two family vacations, one of these must be to Mt. Komorebi

Have your sim be a very relaxed parent, no rules, no pressure to get good grades, etc. (Parenthood is needed for this but if you don’t have it that’s okay just do your best without it!) 

Gen 2: The Money Maker

Your parent was the coolest! but you always wished there was more structure in your life. You’re a perfectionist, and truth be told a little materialistic, but that doesn’t make you a bad person! You love to hangout with friends, playing video games and chatting about the latest Sci-Fi movies. From the time you were a child you knew you wanted the best things in life and were determined to work your butt off to get them! 

Aspiration: Mansion Baron

Traits: Perfectionist, Geek, Materialistic

Generation rules / goals:

Have your sim start working as a teenager to save up for their future house

Complete the Mansion Baron inspiration

Reach the max level of the Business Career in either the Investor or Management branch (although the Investor branch makes a bit more money!)

Master the video gaming skill throughout your sims lifetime

Have your sim start their own club once in their teens with ‘Play video games’ as the main activity. Keep this club going throughout your sims life and try to have a club meeting once a week 

Make your sim go to GeekCon whenever they can, once they have kids bring them along as well!

Have a hobby that can make you money - kind of like a side job. Whatever skill you choose (painting, flower arranging, etc.) master it

Once your sim completes their Mansion Baron aspiration have dinner parties once a week - Your sim is materialistic and they want to show off the nice house they’ve worked so hard for!

Once your sim becomes an elder have them retire and focus only on hobbies and relaxation (only once they’re reached the max level in their career though)

Gen 3: The Tree Hugger

You grew up in a wealthy household with pretty much everything you could have wanted. You had a great childhood and your admired your parents work ethic, although you knew that when you grew up you wanted to do something more meaningful for the world than investing. So you packed up your bags as soon as you hit young adulthood and moved to Evergreen Harbour

Aspiration: Eco Innovator

Traits: Green Fiend, Vegetarian, Good

Generation rules / goals:

Your sim should be a vegetarian as soon as they hit their teenage years

As a teen your sims should also start their own garden and begin working on their gardening skill

Your sim should complete the Eco Innovator aspiration within their lifetime

Master the Gardening skill throughout your sims lifetime

Master the Juice Fizzing skill throughout your sims lifetime

Join and reach the max level of the Civil Designer career

Your sim should live as sustainably as possible for this generation, this includes owning a bee box, having a dew collector and recycling with the home recycling machine

Have your sim marry someone as Eco-friendly as you bonus points if it’s Knox lol

Have an at home, eco friendly wedding in your sims backyard / yard. Having the wedding cake be a honey cake, get creative with it!

Adopt an animal that’s not a typical pet (raccoon, fox, etc.) your sim found this little buddy while dumpster diving and bonded instantly

Gen 4: The Undecided

You grew up with a parent and grandparent who accomplished great things; they were sims who worked hard and stuck to their guns. You have always been..well a bit different. You can’t even decide what you want for breakfast, let alone pick a career or spouse. This makes you jealous of others like your parent and grandparent who you believe have their life together.

Aspiration: You must change your sims aspiration 3 times during their life but never complete one, not even their childhood one.

Traits: Non-committal, Jealous, Erratic

Generation rules / goals: 

Join and quit scouts as a kid; get about halfway through before you quit

Have your sim join at least two jobs as a teenager. They can join and quit more if you like

Get your sim to level 5 of at least three skill during their lifetime before they quit those as well

Change your sims career multiple times, making sure they never reach the top of any career

Get your sim married, and divorced...twice. It’s up to you whether you sim ends up finding someone to stay with. However, your sim must have only have one child from all of their relationships.

Have your sim have an affair during one of their relationships. It’s up to you whether the partner finds out about this or not

Your sim must lose their relationship with the Gen 3 sim (their parent) after a big fight over Gen 4′s jealousy issue. Your sim should never speak to that parent again

Your sim must never be best friends or true lovers with anyone; they are non-committal and that means no matter how much they care for another sim they feel somewhat unsure about every relationship

Gen 5: The Vampire Groupie

Your childhood was less than ideal, although your parent loved you they had a lot of their own problems and that left you pretty lonely at times. Your solace was a particular vampire movie about a sim who falls in love with a vampire. “That could be me,” you though, “That WILL be me.” So when you become a young adult you take everything you have and leave in search of your dream life in Forgotten Hollow, the only problem with your plan is that you’re just a bit squeamish... okay a lot

Aspiration: Master Vampire

Traits: Romantic, Family Oriented, Squeamish 

Generation rules / goals: 

Your sim should watch a lot of movies as a child and teen. Of course your sim loves that particular vampire movie that definitely doesn’t rhyme with Highlight, but really they love all movies

As soon as your sim becomes a young adult move them into Forgotten Hollow

Meet and start a relationship with a vampire of your choice; you can put a sim from the gallery in your game or date Caleb Vatore, Lilith Vatore, or even Vlad Straud if you want!

I think this goes without saying but your sim should be turned into a vampire for this generation lol

Complete the Master Vampire Aspiration

You can have any career for this generation, it doesn’t matter!

Master the Vampire Lore skill throughout your sims lifetime

Master the Pipe Organ skill throughout your sims lifetime

Start a ‘Vampire Club’ with only other vampires present, you can use this club to do any kind of vampire activity - however, since you left your old life behind, these sims are your only friends

Your sim is squeamish so they personally choose not to drink other sims blood unless absolutely necessary, this means your sim must grow and sustain a garden full of plasma plants

Once your sim obtains a plasma fruit (and two garlic) they can prepare a Sunlight Reversal Cocktail if they like, that way they can go into the sun during the day; this isn’t required though

Your sim must have at least three kids. One of these children should NOT be a vampire. This will be the heir. If all of your children are born vampires you can use a mods to make them human. I recommend MC Command Center, which you can find here: https://deaderpool-mccc.com/#/releases

I also recommend this mod: https://modthesims.info/d/589300/child-vampire-manifestation-v1-9.html which basically makes it so that child vampires can perform any vampire actions, just like teens, young adults, etc.

Gen 6: The Beach Bum

Your parents are absolutely wonderful, but are weird. In fact, you’re convinced that you’re the only sane one out of your whole family. You love them but who in the right mind would want to live the life of a vampire? You knew early on that the vampire life was not for you, and thank goodness you just so happened to be the only sibling born human! I guess you can thank those recessive genes. You want to live the Beach Life, spending your days out in the sun and working to conserve the beautiful island of Sulani!

Aspiration: Beach Life

Traits: Child of the Ocean, Loves the Outdoors, Free Trait / You can pick your sims third trait!

Generation rules / goals:

Your sim must move to Sulani as a young adult and spend their whole life there

Reach the max level of the Conservationist Career

Complete the Beach Life aspiration

Befriend as least one mermaid - your sim can become a mermaid to if they want but it’s not necessary

Marry someone who already lives on Sulani as well

Have your sim live in a house on the beach at least once during your their life

Complete the sea shell collection

Spend ALOT of time outside; fish, ski-do, tan on the beach - your sim loves the outdoors and the Sulani sun, anything they can do outside they will

Keep a close relationship between your sim and their parents & siblings - even though they don’t love the vampire life they love their family

Gen 7: The Tinkerer

You’ve always been a homebody, hanging out in your house on the computer and tinkering with things in the home. Your parent was always nagging you to go outside and play as a kid. As soon as you were old enough to hold a wrench you were fixing things. You knew when you became a young adult you wanted to go to Foxbury Institute and learn to program and create robots!

Aspiration: Computer Whiz

Traits: Genius, The other two traits can be anything you choose!

Generation rules / goals:

* For this generation I ABSOLUTELY recommend this mod which shortens university. It just makes it sooo much easier to complete a degree: https://modthesims.info/d/646803/shorter-university-degrees.html *

Your sim should spend a lot of time inside as a kid, using the computer, reading books, playing video games

Have your sim complete the Whiz Kid aspiration as a child

Master the Logic skill throughout your sims lifetime

Master the Robotics skill throughout your sims lifetime

Master the Handiness skill throughout your sims lifetime

Once your sim becomes a teenager they should be the one who fixes ANYTHING broken within the household

In order for your sim to attend Foxbury Institute for a Computer Science degree your sim must have certain skills (such as computer programming, robotics, etc.) since it is a distinguished degree. You’ll need to work on these skills as a teen to have a chance to be excepted there. If you don’t feel like having your sim work on those skills as a teen your sim can attend Britechester University but they should still work on the robotics skill!

Complete the Computer Whiz aspiration

Graduate university with a degree in Computer Science

Live in a modern style house in any world

Gen 8: The Believer

Your parent has always been a technological genius, creating artificial intelligence. But you’ve always known that science wasn’t needed for there to be fantastical things in this world. No one else in your family believes your crazy ideas about alien but hey, you once heard that your great grandparents were vampires, so it could be possible! Sure you’re a little erratic but you’re determined to prove the existence of aliens, and befriend them. How will you do this? Well by becoming an iron pumping, rocket building astronaut of course!

Aspiration: Bodybuilder

Traits: Athletic, Self-Assured, You can pick your sims third trait!

Generation rules / goals:

You sim must join and reach the top of the Astronaut career

Your sim must live in Oasis Springs

Have your sim complete the Body Builder aspiration - astronauts have to be strong after all!

Master the Rocket Science skill

Your sim will unlock a rocket when they reach level 10 of their career (the rocket can either be the Apollo Rocket - unlocked though the Space Ranger branch of the astronaut career, or the Retro Rocket - unlocked through the Interstellar Smuggler branch. You can choose which rocket you want)  but honestly who wants to wait for that, so as soon as your sim gets to level 5 of their career use cheats to unlock the rocket and start building!

Once your sim has completed their rocket you must level up their Rocket Science skill to level 10 and then install the Wormhole Generator upgrade. This will allow you to travel to Sixam and meet aliens!

Your sim must befriend and marry an alien they meet on Sixam. If you don’t like that particular alien you can either come back to Sixam or open CAS and edit them, either is fine.

Have your sim have a baby with their new alien spouse. Only have ONE baby.

If your sims baby is born NOT an alien you can use cheats to make them one. MC Command Center can be used for this and is linked above for Generation 5

Gen 9: The Star of Sixam

You’re an alien and you’ve proud of it! You loved listening to your alien parent tell stories of your home world and knew that when you grew up you wanted to make your relatives on Sixam proud. The best way to do this is of course to become the most famous alien musician the Sim world has ever seen!

Aspiration: Musical Genius

Traits: Self-Assured, Perfectionist, Music Lover

Generation rules / goals: 

Your sim must NEVER wear their disguise unless absolutely necessary - they are very proud to be an alien and they don’t see any reason to hide that

As a child your sim should complete the Artistic Prodigy aspiration

Master the Violin skill throughout your sims lifetime

Master the Piano skill throughout your sims lifetime

Your can have your sim master the Singing skill throughout their lifetime if you want, but it isn’t necessary

When your sim becomes a young adult move them to San Myshuno, where their musical dreams can really take off!

Have your sim busk for money in San Myshuno at least 5 times

Have your sim reach the max level in the Musician branch of the Entertainer career

Your sim should marry or be with someone who is also musically interested - you can enter CAS and cheat this or create your sims partner

It doesn't matter how many children your sim has for this generation, but the heir should NOT be an alien - you can use MC Command Center to make them human if you need to

Gen 10: The Apprehensive Actress / Actor  AKA the Final Generation!

You grew up in a VERY artistic household, with parents who were both interested in music and one parent who made a huge career of it. You love acting and knew your parent was ecstatic when you started showing interest in acting as a teen. Unfortunately you don’t really like the idea of being famous...

Aspiration: Master Actress / Actor

Traits: Loner, Good, Creative

Generation rules / goals:

Your sim is an artistic child, however we aren’t gonna worry about completing the Artistic Prodigy aspiration as a child because we did that last generation - you can do it if you want though!

When your sim becomes a teen they should begin working on their acting skills

Your sim should reach the max level of the Acting career

Have your sim master the Acting skill

Your sim should marry someone non-famous in a private ceremony with only those sims (or family and close friends if you like) present

Your sim should maintain as good a reputation as possible - they are still a good sim, they are just a bit anti-social

Once your sim finished the acting career and has achieved the Global Superstar rank they should retire

Your sim, now retired from acting moves to one of two lots in Brindleton Bay that have NO neighbours

They should spend the rest of their life making money off of artistic projects such as knitting, painting, etc.

Have your sim leave the house only when necessary to avoid the paparazzi, and if they do go out they must wear a disguise

Your sims spouse can have any career, but they should NOT be famous in anyway

It is up to you whether you decide to have your sim have children and continue the family :)

Well we’ve come to the end of the challenge!! I just wanted to say if you decide to play this challenge or even have taken the time to read it, THANK YOU SO MUCH! It means the world to me to be apart of this sims community ❤️

If you decide to play this challenge on your tumblr pleaseee use the tags #spicechallenge or #spice of life challenge. That way I can see what you do with this challenge, that would be amazing 😊❤️