#Notes Repository

[pauljonessoftware]

The Quiet Power of JSON: Structuring Legal Intelligence at Scale

By Paul A. Jones, Jr. · July 2025 Most people think of JSON as a simple utility — a way to pass data between frontend and backend, or to store structured values in a flexible way. But in building data infrastructure for a complex, rules-driven domain, I’ve come to view JSON as something far more powerful: a foundational medium for scalable intelligence.It’s the gateway to organizing knowledge,…

[bimbocore]

Still putting sims 2 fanart on this blog bc i want EVERYONE to see my blorbos

[atramenting]

the YYH manga came out in the year I was born, so it's normal that I have a large number of soundtrack CDs and random things like pencil lead holders and shitajiki that I've been hoarding for twenty years. it's like if you asked "oh what's your chinese zodiac?" but instead of something based in real world culture, the weebiest mf you know pops up and offers something entirely unrelated.

YYH IS MY WEEB ZODIAC SERIES

[today-i-am-thinking-about]

forks

[icarus-suraki]

I don't like wading into Ao3 debates, but I want to give my professional opinion on Ao3 with regard to archives vs. libraries.

I am a professional librarian (MSLS) and I have worked in both archives and public libraries and a lot of the confusion and concern I see surrounding Ao3 is a fundamental misunderstanding of How Archives Work.

An archive is a collection related to a subject. That subject is often a person but sometimes a field or concept or project. And the purpose of an archive is to keep everything. And I mean everything. I was going to say "short of biohazards" but since I know there's a sealed R. Crumb Devil Gal chocolate bar in the UNC Chapel Hill archives, we really do mean everything.

When a collection of materials--which are usually unique and original and can be photos, manuscripts, letters, recordings (audio and/or visual), notes and notebooks, objects, published books, whatever--on and/or from the subject arrive at the archive, they are examined, preserved for longevity, accessioned and cataloged (added to the archive's records), and added to the archive. You measure collections in linear feet. As in, once it's all preserved and boxed and secure, you note how many feet of shelf space it takes up. And some of y'all on Ao3 have a lot of linear feet to your name (and I'm proud of you).

This is an archive: it is designed to preserve the original materials related to a subject. That is its purpose. Archives are how we have the original scroll manuscript of On the Road, for example, or the Lomax recordings of American folksongs, or Tijuana Bibles, or James Joyce's loveletters to Nora.

Now you, a member of the public, can access some archives. Some are easier to access than others. The one I worked in was open to the public; good luck getting into the British Archives without a good reason.

So now apply this to Ao3--which is an archive both in name and in purpose. It is intended to preserve fan-created content long term. And this means everything, whether you personally like the materials or not. It is a repository for as much as possible.

And the "whether you personally like the materials or not" is important, hence why I mentioned Jim's loveletters and Tijuana Bibles in particular. (RIP Jim, you would have loved pegging.)

If it's made by fans and it exists, we should keep it to document the history and progression of fandom. That is the point. We have lost enough materials related to the subject of fans of media and we don't need to lose any more.

The fact of the matter is that Ao3 is only one facet of the OTW, which preserves other fan-related materials (convention booklets and zines, for example). Somehow Ao3, an archive on the subject of fanfiction, has been divorced from the rest of the project, mostly by way of "purity culture" and panic over "dangerous" fiction.

The fact that you can go through an archive and find interesting information is the other side of archives. No, they shouldn't be like the banker's box of old letters stuffed in my closet. Yes, they should be organized and as accessible as is appropriate for the state of the materials.

It's really, really cool to find stuff in an archive, I'm not even going to lie. I have done it before and I will do it again. And yet there are other items in an archive that I might not want or need or be interested in at all--but they're still there. That's the cataloging and accessioning: to keep up with what's there, to stay "on topic" with collecting, and to be able to find things in that archive. Bless the tag wranglers who are doing the cataloging at Ao3.

The pearl clutching seems to come from 1. the creation of "dangerous" fanworks and 2. public access to those "dangerous" fanworks. These are issues of "purity culture" and opinions on censorship and should not involve Ao3.

Ao3, under the umbrella of the OTW, is a documentation and preservation project first and foremost.

[fancifulplaguerat]

Uhhh to vindicate my past self. Looking at Georgiy's character concept I do think indeed reinforces this. In his character concept it describes him as “Authoritative and blunt, he doesn’t forgive mistakes and demands implicit submissiveness. He views his sibling as a powerful ally and a brother at the same time. His treatment towards his brother is fatherly, but respectful.” Which confirms my thoughts up here that I had about the whole family dynamics at play here. 

Finally had a spot of time to indulge my brainrot and write a proper character analysis on Victor ‼️ I made a few scattered posts but could NOT sit down and write something proper until tonight <33

My main concern in said scattered posts were all those little morsels scattered about the game text concerning Victor’s supposed desire to leave the town, which opposes an argument by Andrey (and to an extent Yulia) about how he is a capable leader, as he takes the most after Simon. I will start with that conversation with Andrey, where he says that “Victor is a natural born ruler; he could be doing it all by himself. It’s Victor, not Georgiy, who is Simon’s true heir.” And having feverishly compiled all of Victor’s dialogues/letters/mentions of him in a document I can say that his pragmatism and politicking is the most prevalent feature of his personality. A majority of his interactions and actions per se across all three routes are primarily motivated by town politics, which is likely in part merely a matter of game plot, but connected with Andrey and Yulia’s lines, I think it shows this is a broader focus of his personality at large. HOWEVER. And this is what was a thorn in my side. Yulia notes in her portrait quote that, “Alas, Victor is utterly loathsome of anything that has to do with fame, authority, or public adoration,” and Andrey likewise says, “[Victor] wants to leave this place to further his education and get a degree,” which he claims his treachery because “Victor was a good disciple to Simon. He’ll manage to renew his achievement. Georgiy won’t,” again enforcing Victor as Simon’s next-in-line in terms of (in my opinion) his strategy and politics, less so the more. You know. Madness Simon was up to. It’s further interesting to situate this in a line from Peter, where he says “How did he manage to bring [Nina] to heel—and why did he allow her absolute freedom of choice? Basically, Victor is hiding something. I think he's waiting for Georgiy to make an unpopular move to finally show his real face. Just kidding.” Which, I personally don’t think Victor is lying in wait (I don’t consider that consistent with his behavior) BUT it's still noteworthy to me in that it seemingly affirms the latter idea and introduces how Nina plays into this. I mean, it is brought up a few times that Victor never enforced any authority over Nina on ye olde husband-wife grounds, which yes I know we joke and we jest about his subservient malewife behavior but on a more serious note it interests me to look at in the context of his supposed reluctance towards his position as functionally the Kains' ambassador. In that Yulia portrait quote, too, she says, “He has every right to claim the throne, but he will hand it over to his daughter. Just like he did before, when his terrifying wife was still with us.” Yulia’s quote is echoed by Andrey who, if Daniil asks why Victor hasn’t left yet, will say, “His love for Maria is holding him back—he sees Nina’s ghost in her, after all.” And I will return to Nina posthaste but first, I think those lines affirm again that Victor would prefer not to deal with all the politics he conducts, and yet he has an inherent pragmatism and strategic intelligence which lend him a skill for manoeuvring local politics.

Now okay. Again love to heartily jest about Victor being the only comparably normal individual in his evil bastard psychic family but I think this is important. The game files make it fairly explicit that Victor is the pragmatic one (even if he's still a bit of a dreamer) which to me introduces why he embodies this role despite supposedly hating it. The original character concepts for him says, “Victor is quite pragmatic, unlike Georgiy. He is in charge of the affairs of the Household, so he pays a lot of attention to politics and increasing the power of the Kain family.” First of all, the pragmatism:  Victor displays pretty strategic thinking in general—he seems to work in connections and patterns (which is a tasty parallel to Nina in my opinion). An example of this is when he talks to Artemy about Aglaya; just the way he lays out his thoughts show a very pattern and strategy-oriented intelligence. He also likely works within empiricism, as he says to Daniil, “What I deem to be the truth is what I have been able to consistently observe. And if what I observe is so uncanny that it could be considered a result of a mental or spiritual illness, I turn to others to vindicate me.” Returning to that character concept quote and how it frames Victor as the practical one because Georgiy is out of his gourd—I think this gets closer to the actual (in my opinion) heart of Victor’s identity and motivations. That is, loyalty constructed on a sense of duty rooted in Kain family traditions and self-sacrifice rooted in his utopianism.

Firstly duty. I think Victor’s contrast to Georgiy shows that he deals with the politics despite hating it because he is the only one who can—particularly because as the game goes on he gives more power to Maria as she becomes closer to becoming a Mistress, which is explicitly likened to him giving Nina power (as both Yulia and Andrey’s dialogues show) which says to me that Victor is only acting as head of the house until Maria can, and that he is acting on a sense of duty and necessity for his family. The Kain family is written to have strict traditions and, I would say, a pretty clear sense of hierarchy, since Victor tells Daniil “Georgiy is beside himself… However, I don’t have the power to defy his orders. He is the eldest in the family.” That is, I think, corroborated when Andrey said “She used to obey simon and Georgiy as well […] to pay tribute to their family’s strict traditions.” So given that, I think again much of Victor’s actions are motivated by a sense of duty, but it’s only one aspect of a loyalty which is also informed by self-sacrifice. And a quick separate note: perhaps one reason Victor is a more viable successor to Simon is that unlike Victor, Georgiy seems incredibly covetous of Simon (maybe that absent jealousy per se is influenced by Victor's loyalty and seemingly inherent disinterest for personal power?). Anyway. My point is that I think his adherence to being the pragmatic one in the family despite a dislike of it is fully motivated by that sense of loyalty/duty from the Kain family, and he is doing it because no one else will do the necessary work of accruing power for the Kains, because that power accrual is ultimately necessary for the utopians to win out over the other families. 

As for self-sacrifice, this extends to Utopians and Kains more generally. A town man describes the Kains to Daniil: “They’re cruel; without a moment's hesitation they would sacrifice anything in the world to achieve their brilliant goals. To their credit, their sacrificial list always starts with themselves. lt has always been that way.” Self-sacrifice is fairly prominent in the Kain family, and clearly important to Victor; as I think I’ve said before, the only time he seems genuinely angry in the game is when he tells Clara, “You can’t even begin to imagine the immense power of voluntary self-sacrifice. Don't you know there've been examples in history where someone living would give their life so that someone deceased could spend a little more time with their loved ones?” Clearly self-sacrifice is virtue to him, and I think that can be joined to his sense of loyalty with Nina. But before I finally return to the leading lady I want to levy a little more evidence that trust is likely important to him, as his portrait quote for Eva reads, “Eva possesses some virtues that my daughter, unfortunately, does not. She is gentle. She is trustworthy. She wouldn’t ever stoop to betrayal.” Thus he frames trustworthiness and loyalty as virtues, which I think again demonstrates that importance of loyalty to him, and also shows a hint of the compassion to his character. But first: his relationship with Nina, though that was not very posthaste. 

I don’t intend to talk about broader themes but I do think Victor’s unyielding love for Nina has a particular Platonic (as in Plato) flavor, vis-à-vis Diotima’s Ladder and the philosopher in love with the form of Beauty:the utopian in love with the ideal of utopia. Pegging jokes aside, Aglaya says “And Victor—are you talking about Victor Kain? Nina's husband? He has a keen mind. But he still loves his wife way too much... she never deserved a husband like that, and I mean it.” I know it’s only one line, but I often think about that “he still loves his wife way too much” in connection to that frame of him in love with utopia, which… I personally dislike rendering their relationship just Victor being in love with her as an idea, I find it cynical, but I certainly think that can be read into the text, and is well-applicable after her death. Though, I also think Victor’s love for Nina may reinforce the broader idea of Utopians being motivated by love. I think it fits with Victor’s adherence to loyalty/duty/self-sacrifice, which would likely necessarily be influenced by love, familial or romantic. Which, if I may diverge a little, seemingly relates to the fact that Victor is fairly compassionate. I don’t consider him a perfect upstanding fellow, but I find it interesting that mortality (fickle though the definition is) seems valuable to him, evidenced in that Eva quote and how the game files mention that, “He dotes on his daughter Maria, but considers his son Caspar to be too malicious and doesn’t feel much tenderness towards him” which admittedly is hilarious to me in a ???!!!??!? way because what insane father behavior to be like “hmmm my child dictator son has rancid vibes” but A) I think that serves more complex themes I am not going to get into and B) sticks out to me given his reasoning is that Caspar is “too malicious.” But then, like. Nina and Maria are malicious as all hell (affectionate) so what then ??? Well. I think it answers to that inherent dichotomy of the utopians, in particular that Town Man quote I mentioned earlier, where cruelty is necessary to establish utopia, and rationalized because it is rooted in love. 

But as my final point, returning to compassion more general, I think that compassion is informed by an attitude of forgiveness and atonement. To Clara, he says, “My brother is very angry and prejudiced against you. And as for me, I will now think twice before believing any of the things you are accused of. She who you are being mistaken for would indeed never have given us the body.” When Clara asks whether the conversation were a test, he says, “No. It's not like this. Take some money. This is all I can do to reward you for now. Aside from trusting you, of course.” I.e. he is willing to trust her due to new information about her, rather than maintain resentment (and unlike the other Kains). He repeats this behavior towards Artemy, though perhaps not exclusively, writing that “It is our utmost desire now, to atone for the unjustified suspicions we had of you […] we will be the first to rise against anyone who dares to call you the Ripper.” Both of these instances, to me, are him acting on a trait he expresses to Daniil when talking about Aglaya, that “But you know, I’ve always believed that people can and do change for the better. Every time an enemy of mine returned after a prolonged absence, I welcomed them with open arms.” All this to say he seems to be quite willing to forgive people. And in general, he does seem to value human life (as only a Kain can lmao) so yes. I am done. Had to get that out of my system I was going insane. 

[felidae-sims]

Sims 2 Databases Database

(Alright it's an index, I just had to)

Made it for myself, I might as well share. If there's something I've missed please let me know. This list is being updated, Tumblr is being a pain and updates won't show up on re-blogs. Visit the original post to view the most current version. Mirror: Dreamwidth.

CC:

By Type:

Sims 2 - Object Default Database [Discontinued - DW].

Sims 2 - Object Default Database [Active - Spreadsheet].

Sims 2 - [CAS] Default Database.

Sims 2 - Hair Database.

Sims 2 - CC: Afro Hairstyles.

Sims 2 - Shoes Database.

Sims 2 - EA Store Items 2016.

Sims 2 - The Maxis Match Repository Project [CAS] [Pinterest Ver.]

Sims 2 - Repository Finds [CAS&Objects] [sorted into categories].

Sims 2 - Functional Finds [Sorted by function].

Resource list: Clutter and decorative items [massive index at GoS].

Sims 2 - Wall Hanging Decor Recolors Database [New!].

Sims 2 - Lot Database [Maxis ones emptied out].

Sims 2 - Lot Makeover Database [of Maxis Lots] [Note the Uploading Tutorial].

SkyBox/Horizons/Skylines Database.

Maxis Career Conversions TS1+3+4 to TS2 [Sorted by Game&EP - Under Downloads].

Fractured Moonlight's Stone Super Set Database [Creator Unknown, let me know if you know].

By Theme:

List of Maxis Lost & Found Objects Converted into Usable Items.

Stories to Sims 2 Conversion Database. [DW Backup]

TS1 to TS2 Conversion/Recreation Database.

TS1 to TS2 Catalog Conversions [Active, Includes OG Object Descriptions].

TS3 to TS2 Conversion Database [DW Backup].

TS3 to TS2 Traits Project Mod Tracking Sheet [Blog Ver.]

TS4 to TS2 CAS Conversion Archive [EA].

TS4 to TS2 CC Clothing Conversion Database [Custom - ts4 only?].

TS4 to TS2 Build/Buy Conversion Database [EA].

TS4 to TS2 CC Build & Buy Database [Custom].

The Sims spin-off games to the PC TS2 [&3+4].

TSM-to-TS2 Conversion Database [DW Backup].

Sims 2 Historical Finds [CAS&Objects] [Sorted by Era/Period].

Historical Sims 2 Wiki [New!].

Grunge Masterlist Project 2025.

List of Asian Sims 2 Sites With Working Downloads [As of 2017?].

CC Archives:

Sim Archive Project, at The Internet Archive [Introduction Post].

Sims Cave.

Sims Graveyard.

Simblr.cc - Dead-Site Repository.

Liquid Sims - Community Archives.

The Booty, at PSMBD.

Sims 2 Packrat, on Tumblr [Watch out for the recent SFS Hacking problem].

Ekrubynaffit (a.k.a bestbuild4sims) has re-uploaded a lot of archives of defunct creators. Albums with DL on her pinterest. Mainly build and buy mode, thanks a lot!

Resources:

CEP-Extras List, Huge Lunatic at Sims 2 Artists.

The Sims 2 Tutorials Database [Active] (Really needs a backup outside of Tumblr).

Several Lists of Maxis Resources for Modding,Pick'n'Mix Mods, own website, under Notes.

Sims 2 GUID Database Revival (Yes I'm shamelessly promoting it).

Sims 2 Trait GUID Database, by FireFlower.

Sims 2 Painting Sizes Database.

List of all Color Actions, With DL, ZeroDark/Graphic at GoS.

List of all WSO Actions, by Blue Heaven Sims, under Resources.

List of Hacks & Mods That Use Tokens, Bulbizarre at MTS.

Giant List of Simlish Fonts - Collect ‘Em All!, by franzillasims.

Masterlists of Recolouring Templates; MTS [+Cloning] | Hafiseazle | ZreoDark [not a list but a tag].

Index of Effects Names & Definitions [+ Guide], by AmmarAskar at GitHub.

Update notes are under the cut:

Update: Custom Clothing Conversion db [4t2], by @brandinotbroke/ Hair db, by @krabbysims/ Sims 4t2 CAS Conversion Archive [EA], by @mdpthatsme/ CEP-Extras List, by @hugelunatic/ Lists of Maxis Resources for Modding, by @picknmixsims/ Sims 2 Tutorials db [Active], by @sims2tutorials/ Sim Archive Project at The Internet Archive, by various - see @simnostalgia. Update 1: added EA ts2 store items at GoS/ Painting sizes db/ Tutorials db, by @sims2tutorials. Update 2: GUID db Revival. Update 3: believe it or not, there's more - Shoes db/ Sims 2. Functional Finds [sorted by function], by @sims2functionalfinds. Update 4: Resource list: Clutter and decorative items, at @gardenofshadowssims. Update 5: added archives section. Update 6: added @ekrubynaffit's Pinterest Archive. Update 7: Fixed TSM link, added Stories db/ Afro Hairstyles db, by @letomills/ SkyBox/Horizons/Skylines Database, by @simmergetic/ Grunge Masterlist Project 2025, by @pixeldolly/ and DW backup links (Everything that's exclusively on Tumblr/LJ should be backed somewhere else). Update 8: List of Asian Sims 2 Sites With Working Downloads [as of 2017?] by @0201-sims. Update 9: added Sims 2 Repository Finds [sorted into categories], by @sims2repositoryfinds. Update 10: added Sims 2 Object db [Discontinued], because the more the better. Update 11 Yet another (!): The Maxis Match Repository Project [CAS], by @whattheskell [how did i forget?]/ TS3 to TS2 Traits Project Mod Tracking Sheet, by  Rowena Sims & @noodlebelli. Update 11: Maxis Career Conversions TS1+3+4 to TS2 [Sorted by Game&EP - Under Downloads], by @sims2idea-lientebollemeis2i. Update 12: HS I found another one: List of all Color Actions - Names, Creators, and Download Links. Maintained for over a decade by @zerographic at GoS :P Update 13: separated by type & theme. added Sims 2 Historical Finds [CAS&Objects] [Sorted by Era/Period], by @ts2history. Update 14: added to resources Trait GUID db, by @fireflowersims. Update 15: I shit you not, there's more - Sims 2 Lot Makeover db [Maxis Lots], by @ts2lotmakeoverdb/ List of Hacks & Mods That Use Tokens, Bulbizarre at MTS/ TS1 Catalog Conversions [Active], by @kitteninthewindow/ WSO Action Masterlist, by Blue Heaven Sims under Resources. Update 16: List of Maxis Lost & Found Objects Converted into Usable Items, @kirlicues. Update 17: Sims 2 Lot db [Maxis ones emptied out], by @mikexx2 @mrsktrout @ts2lots. Update 18: Historical Sims 2 Wiki [New!], by @theacmecatalogblog. Update 19: under archives; Simblr.cc - Dead-Site Repository by @simblrcc-site. Jackpot! Update 20: added Giant List of Simlish Fonts - Collect ‘Em All!, by @franzillasims. Update 21 [can't believe there's more]: Masterlists of Recolouring Templates; MTS [+Cloning] | @hafiseazale | @zerographic [not a list but a tag]. Update 22(!): Index of Effects Names & Definitions [+ Guide], by AmmarAskar at GitHub. Update 23: added Sims 2 - Wall Hanging Decor Recolors Database [New!], by @sims-for-semi

[literaryvein-reblogs]

some words for worldbuilding (pt. 1)

Air

billow, breath, bubble, draft, effervescence, fumes, puff, vapor

Arena

aquarium, bazaar, coliseum, field, hall, mecca, stage

Building

abbey, architecture, armory, asylum, bakery, bar, booth, cathedral, club, construction, court, department store, dock, edifice, emergency room, factory, food court, fort/fortress, framework, garrison, greasy spoon, hacienda, hangout, headquarters, hotel, inn, institute/institution, jetty, laboratory, mansion, mental hospital, monastery, mosque, museum, nursing home, office, pavilion, penitentiary, plant, prison, rampart, repository, ruins, sanctuary, shrine, skyscraper, stockade, storeroom, structure, temple, theater/theatre, treasury, warehouse, wharf

City

capital, metropolis, town, village

Furniture

altar, banister, bench, booth, bunk, cabinet, chair, couch, crib, davenport, dresser, furnishings, futon, jetty, lectern, partition, perch, platform, pulpit, rail/railing, screen, secretary, stand, wardrobe

Geographic division

area, county, desert, dynasty, kingdom, outskirts, quarter, sector, suburb, territory, tract, zone

Habitat

abode, ecosystem, environmentalist, habitat/habitation, harbor, home, land, nest, paradise, premises, refuge, settlement, tent

Habitat, human: accommodations, apartment, barracks, cabin, castle, condominium, convent, domesticity, dungeon, element, encampment, estate, grange, hacienda, home, house, housing, hut, jail, lodging, madhouse, monastery, neighborhood, old country, palace, prison, reservation, resort, sanctuary, shanty, suite, vacancy, villa

Habitat, rural: barn, burrow, conservatory, desert, farm, forest, grange, jungle, sanctuary, wilderness/wilds, wood/woods

Land

abyss, avalanche, bank, bay, bed, bluff, campus, cape, cavern, cliff, compost, cove, crevice/crevasse, dirt, downgrade, dune, elevation, estuary, expanse, field, fossil, garden, glacier, gorge, green, ground, gulf, harbor, hillock, inlet, knoll, landscape, lawn, lot, marshy, menagerie, mine, moat, mound, mountainous, nature, outlook, park, patio, pit, plateau, plaza, porch, prairie, projection, property, quagmire, ravine, ridge, savanna, shelf, soil, stack, table, trench, tundra, valley, well, wood/woods, yard

Nation

country, home, land, nationality, soil, state

Personal item

adornment, amulet, beads, best-seller, briefcase, cache, cargo, charm, contraceptive, disguise, effects, equipment, favorite, gem, glasses, handbag, jewelry, knickknack, luggage, marionette, memorabilia, necklace, novelty, object d’art, odds-on-favorite, paraphernalia, pledge, possession, pride, puppet, purse, resources, ring, souvenir, stuff, supplies, sustenance, thing/things, trappings, trifle, valuable

Planet

cosmos, Earth, galaxy, moon, planet, sphere, world

Region

capital, commonwealth, quarter, region, settlement, suburb

Room

alcove, attic, bath, bedroom, boutique, cellar, den, enclosure, foyer, gin mill, hall, lavatory, loft, outhouse, parlor, restaurant, saloon, shop, stage, store, tenement, theater/theatre, vestibule

Shape

angular, beaten, billowy, checkered, concave, conical/conic, crescent, curly, deformed, elliptical, flat, gnarled, kinky, misshapen, obtuse, round, shapeless, spiral, straight

Vehicle

camper, conveyance, motorcade, transport

Vehicle, air: aircraft, armada, blimp, dirigible, helicopter, shuttle, UFO

Vehicle, land: ambulance, bicycle, car, cherry-picker, dolly, excavator, model, traffic, truck

Vehicle, water: armada, boat, craft, fleet, sailboat, yacht

Water

abyss, aqueduct, basin, beach, blackball, brook, cape, channel, condensation, creek, deep, estuary, fountain, gulf, heading, inlet, lake, oasis, pond, promontory, reservoir, sea, spray, strait, tide, wash, wave, whirlpool

NOTE

The above are concepts classified according to subject and usage. It not only helps writers and thinkers to organize their ideas but leads them from those very ideas to the words that can best express them.

It was, in part, created to turn an idea into a specific word. By linking together the main entries that share similar concepts, the index makes possible creative semantic connections between words in our language, stimulating thought and broadening vocabulary. Writing Resources PDFs

Source ⚜ Writing Basics & Refreshers ⚜ On Vocabulary

[pearlean]

arcadia - a gshade preset

after much tweaking, i give you another preset! - a blend of mango's feel and gleam's vibrant hues, arcadia brings a dynamic, comic atmosphere, breathing life to both cas and gameplay

more previews here

download + info under cut ↘

download: patreon (free)

disclaimer:

- incompatible with edge smoothing as it conflicts with some effects

- if the preset looks off -> check the repository for missing fx - here is arcadia's fx list & order (order does matter!)

notes:

- untoggled effects = not recommended gameplay

- this preset uses vyxated's clear ui shaders; i highly recommend downloading it for gameplay use

- avoid using bright cas backgrounds, as 'bloom' can overly enhance the glow - adjust/toggle to mitigate

toggle keys:

depth haze: 7

magic bloom: numpad 7

quint bloom: numpad 8

chromatic aberration: numpad 5

relight: numpad 6

adof + cinematic dof: semicolon ;

comic: apostrophe '

halftone + posterize: O

kuwahara: F12

mxaos: L

tracking rays: forward slash /

clear ui: numpad decimal .

tou:

feel free to use it as you please - please do not steal/claim this as yours, place it behind any paywall, or use it as a base.

[kestrelteens]

Whew! I really really loved this set so much that I had to convert, well, almost everything?

The Nostalgia Living by @awingedllama has been my fave ever since it came out and I was just waiting for an ounce of my converting motivation to come back to get down to business. And it finally happened!

Because there are 50+ items in this set and it would take me 2 hours to list all of them, I will link this handy dandy catalog the original creator made so you can see what you're getting: RIGHT HERE. All of the objects are fairly low poly so you don't need to worry about that.

Some important information + previews can be found under the cut!

Enjoy & have fun! ♥

download (sfs) // alt download (mediafire)

grab the collection file here

There is a gaming console override included! Well, the console is buyable in the catalog and the override is for the controller so you need that package. It will conflict with any other overrides you have!

ALSO, 'cause there are some adorable vintage frames included in the set, I thought I could make them into changeable sim portraits! Now your sim family's portraits can match the fireplace (which is functional, also).

A lot of the items are repositoried to eachother! The shelving system, the couch, I did make note of that in the folders so you know what to download. Also, all the shelves have 10+ slots, the 'Dad's library' books function as bookshelves (and have slots on top of them).

The items I haven't converted and why (BUT I will look into them in the upcoming days I was just way too tired now lol sorry): draperies (the mesh appeared broken in the game); drink coaster (I forgot about this little guy); grand mirror (I still have to learn how to convert them lol); triangular shelf (I'm sorry but I really wasn't feeling this shelf, I remember it from my childhood and I always hated it in other ppl's houses lmao);

I also wanted to make the ceiling fan animated so it can spin and function as a light at the same time, but unfortunately right now that is above my converting capabilities! But I will look into that as well.

Right now I'm working on converting the build mode items! Precisely the doors, but the wallpapers + the carpets are included now. I will also convert the Nostalgia kitchen but it might take me a while 'cause I'm learning stuff about animating objects so I can also fix the CHALK kitchen I know it's ass, bear with me pls lmao ♥

AND this set is huge so I just know that I have forgotten about something or I have misplaced something in the folders, my adhd is having a field day SO please let me know if anything is missing or might not be working as intended! ♥

AND I mustn't forget to thank @tvickiesims for helping me out with the shelves and solved the issue of them not being recolorable, thank you Vickie! ♥

[interact-if]

Happy New Year everyone!

I’m delighted to announce that Interact-IF is officially back in business! I (Allie @allieebobo) will be taking the reins as the new mod, and I’m very excited to get this blog up and running again!

First, a heartfelt thank-you to the original mod team for everything they’ve built. Interact-if has become such an invaluable resource and hub for interactive fiction fans and authors alike. It’s a tough act to follow, but I’ll do my best to keep the spirit of this wonderful space alive :)

A little bit more about me: I’m the author of two WIP interactive fiction games, @collegetennisoriginstory and @merrycrisis-if. Interact-if was one of the first blogs/places that I discovered almost three years ago now, and it led me to so many amazing stories, authors, and resources.

When I saw that the blog was going into archive mode, with a call for a new generation of mods, I wanted to do my best to help out. I reached out to the original mod team and worked out a gameplan for the future of Interact-if, which I’d like to share with all of you today.

P.S. If you would like to join me, I’d love to have you on the team! Scroll down to the section on ‘open call for mods’.

Without further ado, here’s the plan!

My goal is to focus on retaining the aspects that made Interact-IF so special: spotlighting diverse authors, and creating a warm, inclusive space to talk about and share wonderful games.

🟢 Active:

Game Updates & Intros: If you’re an author with a new game or demo update, or if you’re organizing a game jam or event you’d like to share with the community, simply tag @interact-if in your posts, and I’ll reblog them. It would also be helpful if you added tags stating the IF's genre (e.g. horror, romance), has a demo/no demo.

Themed Author Features: I’ll continue the tradition of spotlighting authors and games based on monthly themes (e.g. Pride Month, Disability Month). These interviews are such a great way of celebrating diversity and inclusivity in the IF community, and I’d love to keep these going! Stay tuned for a detailed post on this soon!

Community Spotlight: Once every quarter, I’ll also do a call for reader recs around certain categories/themes (e.g. Fave RO, Fave Worldbuilding/setting, Fave plot-twist etc.) and compile these recommendations to share. Think of it as a bulletin of crowdsourced faves and a way of sharing a little note about an IF you love!

🟡 Remain open/active, but not modded:

Game directory: The Interact-IF repository of games (excel) will remain open for authors to update/list their games and/or readers to discover their next read. (Feel free to continue to update/populate the repository, though do note it will remain completely crowd-sourced/author-updated).

Discord: The discord will remain open and active for discussions, resource sharing, and casual chats, though again, this will not be officially modded (though I, and some of the original mods like roast, may be active from time to time)

🔴 Not active:

Asks: I will not be answering asks except for specific submissions (e.g. for author features, reader recommendations etc.). If you would like to ask for specific game recommendations, or have questions/just wanna chat, the discord channel is a great place to do just that! :)

Keeping track of events/game updates: As mentioned, I’ll rely on authors / readers to tag me in updates posts and/or flag any games with questionable content/anything that might need my attention, as I won't be able to search out update posts or do any extensive vetting.

Open call for mods:

Finally, I’d love to have some company! If you’re interested in helping out—whether with reblogs, interviews, or brainstorming new features—please reach out. Having a small team would make this space even more vibrant!

Thank you for your support, your enthusiasm, and for being part of what makes Interact-IF such a special corner of the internet! :)

If you have any suggestions or ideas on how Interact-If can be improved, feel free also to drop the blog a direct message or an ask. I look forward to getting to know all of you better. Here's to an awesome year of interactive fiction (and many more!)

[auntopossum]

Capital 'T', Capital 'M': The Manager

Saja boys x Gender Neutral! Reader

Content warning: Implied Drug Use, Implied Homophobia

Chapter 2: How to Fight Gentrification: Supernatural Edition

Author's note: 'You will write a normal amount.' I said to myself. 'You will write your normal 1k-2k average word chapter and stop letting this new fandom eat at you' I pleaded to myself. 'You will be normal about the Saja Boys.' I demanded to myself. ....Anywayyyyys, here's 6k for chapter two 👍😎

Chapter 1, Chapter 3

Chapter 2: How to Fight Gentrification: Supernatural Edition

“Ughhhhhh.” You groan, lolling your neck to the side and slumping deeper into the battered office chair. You push away from the desk for a moment until the back of your seat meets a hard surface. Looking up, you’re greeted by Romance’s flirtatious smirk. He drapes further over you, the front of his hair tickling your nose. To the left and right of you, Abby and Baby cage you into the small cubicle space. With a roll of his hips against the back of your seat, you’re shoved forward, pinning your soft middle into the firm table with an involuntary Eep!  A bead of sweat rolls down your neck, and you swivel your flushed face back to the task at hand. 

You finished your ‘How to Use a Search Engine for Dummy Demons 101’ course about three hours ago and have since let the boys roam free on the wild west of the internet. Everyone quickly got the hang of it once you explained that it was basically a giant repository of knowledge and ideas. A massive library full of everything. Even the stupid stuff. Especially the stupid stuff. A library with its own archivists (google, bing, duckduckgo). The hardest part was getting them used to a keyboard and mouse. You make a note in your phone to get them personal tablets when you have the funds. 

Mystery and Jinu are in the cubicles next to you. Jinu glowers seriously at a youtube video essay explaining kpop idols, while Mystery peruses online clothing stores like a man on a mission. The screen in front of you blurs before your eyes. The boys’ suffocating proximity is getting to you. Slumping fully onto the desk in a vain effort to restore personal space, you moan out, fanning yourself with the laminated wifi password page. 

“Ughhhhhhhhhhhhh!” The stiff paper does little to relieve you of your plight. Instead, the light breeze spreads the group’s subtle scent of ozone, sulfur, and your reeking sweat deeper into the claustrophobic space. “Why are you guys so hottttt.”

Baby drags your limp arm up and crushes your clammy hand to his feverish face. Tilting with a practiced movement, he batts his eyes in an exaggerated manner. “Awww, thanks Manager!” He coos in a near monotone.

You sneer up at him. “Wasn’t a compliment, pretty boy.” His deathgrip eases for a moment, and you take the opportunity to snake your arm back to your side. “T’was a complaint.”

Gnawing on the plastic of your drink, you suck at the edge in hopes for a single molecule of hydration, glaring back at your monitor. You get three clicks deep before you groan again. Your eyes burn as sweat dribbles past your brow. Swiveling your chair to the side and bashing your knees against Abby, you lift your hips up and dig out your wallet. 

“I can’t do this anymore.” You whine to the group, unfolding the pleather and looking miserably down at your pathetic collection of cash. Jinu’s dainty hen-pecking and Mystery’s keysmashing cease, and you can feel the group hold their nonexistent breath.

You knock your leg up against Abby’s again, reaching for your jacket that’s slung over the back of your chair. As you press your hand against the table to rise, Baby clamps down on your wrist. You twist to raise an eyebrow at him from over your shoulder, and all three lean in closer. Sharing breaths, you scrunch your nose up at the stifling stink of your overheating body.

“Where do you think you're going?” Jinu asks threateningly with a tight, perfect smile, slowly rising from his squeaking seat. The monitors around the room flicker nervously. 

Pushing Romance’s face away from your head, you stare at Jinu incredulously and gesture with your elbows to your overall disheveled and damp appearance.

“Ideally? To go grab something to eat and take a cool shower.” Your arm bends as you struggle against the ram-like determination of Mr. Loverboy. He’s been sniffing your hair this whole time, and you cringe each time he does it, feeling greasier than a french fry.  

“But, you’ll be back, right?” begs Baby in a voice that doesn’t match the sharp pressure of his talons stabbing into your skin. 

You suck in a heavy, humid breath and answer with a long, ambiguous hum, looking around the cafe and eyeing the bored employee at the front. Several large, fat flies hit the radiant neon Open! sign with a tink, tink, tink. One of the bugs finally falls victim to its concussion and drops from the sky, landing directly into the steaming cup of ramen sitting on the check-in desk. You watch, eyes growing wide in disgusted horror, as the employee leans forward and slurps up their meal. Fly and all. 

Your attention is returned by the burning wet feel of something fleshy pressing against your palm. Face still frozen in witnessed extra-protein induced shock, you stare stupidly at Romance licking the hand clasped over his mouth. Your heart flip flops at the sight, and a shiver runs down your spine. Mouth twitching in a wobbly attempt at neutral, you slowly pull your hand away. Wiping the excess spit down the front of his soft shirt, you then tap at your chapped lips in false contemplation.

“Hmmmmmm.” You repeat dramatically, relishing in the suspense, in their attention. Shrugging your jacket into the crook of your arm and putting your wallet away, you poise to strike. “Yes and No.”

Giving them a moment to let your ambiguous words sink in, you seductively pop your pointer finger into your mouth and make a lunge forward. As a reward for disregarding your personal space, Romance is gifted a grand ol’ Wet Willy. The shrieking, AGHH!, flinching effect is exactly what you anticipated, and you take the opportunity to slip out from the suffocating circle, jerking Baby along with you. The needle-like pinpricks of his tightening grip remind you of a kneading cat.

You get three whole steps away before the world tilts drastically, and your ears ring. Crashing skillfully into a free chair, you splay out and pull a pen from your pocket. Using his vice-hold against him, you drag Baby onto your lap, shoving his sweater up to his elbow in his momentary confusion. With a pop! of the cap, you scrawl your apartment address and phone number onto his dry, scorching, porcelain skin. Gesturing the rest closer in hopes for a secret huddle, you whisper conspiratorily, arm wrapping securely around Baby’s waist. 

“This place is a dump, and I feel like I’m going to pass out from heat stroke.” Five gleaming, golden eyes shower you with their full attention and cling to your every word. “I need a break to eat, clean up, and take a nap or something.”

“But, you’ll still help us?” One of them asks quietly. You confidently nod, and the tension in the air eases tremendously.

Swiveling left and right with the extra weight on your legs, you let a full manic grin light up your exhausted face. 

“Can’t get rid of me that easily!” You laugh freely. 

Screeeeeeeeeech! whines the chair as it’s forced to spin with you and your hostage. Agitated by the teeth-aching noise, the swarming flies become frantic, buzzing and bashing against the lights above. Your heart hysterically beats against your chest as your body temperature steadily increases. The cacophony of humming fluorescences, whining machines, and aged speakers drapes over you like a thick, oppressive blanket. Flapping the sandals on your feet, you allow you and your racing thoughts four more full rotations before halting and entering Serious Mode.

“We need to blow this popsicle stand. A good chunk of the stuff I need to do for you guys can’t be done here.” As a treat, you spin once more while the boys puzzle through the first sentence. “I need to go to my apartment. Come over to my place in a few hours.”

“Your home?” Abby asks, pulling Baby’s arm out and reading the inked words.

“Yeah, we can’t use VPNs in cafes like this.” You lament. At their blank expressions, you poorly attempt to clarify. “I’m going to use a VPN, like a type of armor or disguise, so people can’t tell it’s me doing things on the internet. In order to seem legit, Plan A is to obtain social media accounts with followers and age. We would then take a metric fuck-ton of photos, which I will edit to seem like different locations and stuff. With some clever back-dating, we can make the posts seem older than they really are. If you want people to believe you’re a real boy band, you have to pretend you started from humble origins. We need to establish your internet footprint.”

“And this sort of… alibi? Is something you have to do at home?” wonders Jinu, looking a little lost.

“Yeah and depending on what kind of time crunch you’re on, we’ll do Plan D or Plan J afterwards to get our foot in the door.”

“Plan J? Pfft, how many did you come up with?” Abby asks. 

You conk your head against Baby’s and try to spear one of your swimming thoughts. “For getting us to a starting point where you can maximize your charm skills? About to the letter N.”

“What’s Plan N?” Romance says, leaning past the border of your personal bubble. 

“Becoming internet viral by having Abby crush a watermelon with his thighs and then doing something vaguely controversial to get every commentary content creator talking about you.” You gleefully inform, punctuating your sentence with another nerve-grating swivel. 

At Abby’s captured interest, Jinu cuts in. “Ok, so the ‘Game Plan’—” Someone giggles under their breath as Jinu says ‘game plan’ like it’s heavy and foreign on his tongue. He silences them with a piercing glare. “Is to meet you at your house after a few hours, to let you rest and eat, and then we’ll work on creating these…”

“Social media pages.” You finish for him with a nod. Bringing yours and Baby’s clasped hands closer to inspect his nails, you off handedly ask, “I’ve got something we can use as a green screen, but we’re going to need a bunch of outfits for you guys, which I’m assuming, Mystery, you’ve got handled?” 

Your question is answered with a grunt and a pair of sunglasses suddenly appearing on Mystery’s head. With a jerk, they fall from the top to rest on the bridge of his nose. The effect is slightly ruined by the sheer amount of hair already covering his face. You give him an encouraging thumbs up for the theatrical attempt.

“Sickkkkkkkk. Sick. Sick. Sick. Ok. Um…” You spin and spin in tandem with your racing mind. The employee at the check-in desk remains ignorant and unfazed to the shrieking chair and your general buffoonery thanks to their large, over-ear headphones, but the bugs and Saja boys are not if the constant wincing and near-violent buzzing are anything to go by. Baby somehow latches on even tighter, and your craving for water rears its dehydrated head as you thickly swallow. “Hey, sorry to go off topic again, but do you guys get food poisoning?”

“Uhh… No?” Jinu answers nervously, unsure of your direction. “Not really.”

“It’s more of a taste and texture tolerance for us than anything that can actually poison us.” Baby clarifies, wriggling on top of your lap in an effort to increase your spinning velocity.

Much to the relief of the rest of the internet cafe, you stop playing on the chair with a slam of your heels. With a pat, pat, pat, Baby takes your queue to stand, and you follow, digging your wallet back out. With a dramatic flourish, you whip out your credit card and hold it towards Jinu, the most responsible of the party. 

“As a parting gift, I bequeath you the means to a good time.” Sacredly, you tuck the small rectangle into his hand. “Simply tap the indicated machine at the check-out register, and your meal will be paid for, on credit, by my card here.”

Jinu holds the embossed plastic to the light, and the group huddles closer to make out the small numbers. Mystery takes the opportunity to slip his hand in yours, where Baby was seconds ago, not allowing your sweating palms a moment to breathe. You take advantage of the position to check out his cuticles as well. 

Raising your clasped hands, you write another address on the back of Mystery’s. As soon as you’re done, he pulls away, bringing the ink closer for an inspecting sniff. 

With a jerk of your thumb in his direction, you tell your new circus, “If you go there, it’s an all-you-can eat buffet. I’m talking $25 an adult, so about $125, maybe $140 with tax and stuff? You pay as you enter, and as long as you don’t leave, you can eat however much you want until the owners decide to throw you out. Go nuts, and enjoy yourself while you’re up here.” 

At that, you slap a hand on Jinu’s shoulder and walk past them to the exit. Trailing behind you, the Saja Boys look amongst each other wearily. Jinu gives the group an almost imperceptible nod, and excited, fanged grins break out on the rest of their faces. 

The sun’s pounding rays sear into the back of your eyeballs as you step out, and you recoil and hiss loudly. “THE SUN! THE SUN! It burns!” You dramatically cry out and flop an open hand to your forehead, faking a swoon. Abby steadies your shoulders with large, sweltering fingers and gives you a fleeting look of concern. 

Walking through the streets, you step out into the general public and become nearly swarmed by commuters. The boys quietly bicker amongst themselves as they wait with you at the bus stop while you stare into space and come up with plans O through Z. As screeching brakes announce the vehicle’s arrival, you pivot and give the guys a mock salute.

“See you later, alligators!” You shout as you retreat to join the line of people and up the bus’ steps. Packed in like a tin can of sardines thanks to the morning rush, you gaze out the vandalized window and watch your new coworkers/employers disappear in the crowd. Elation and blood boiling joy race through your tired body, and you’re unable to stop bouncing your leg through the entire ride home.

You finally landed a job!

---

Staying awake through the brief journey back to your apartment was a challenge, but somehow, you managed to return to your humble abode alive, in one piece, and freshly employed. As soon as the door slams behind you, you’re peeling off your wet clothes while bee-lining it to your shower. After a not insignificant amount of time, you emerge smelling of your favorite soaps and dressed in your comfiest pair of pajamas. With fuzzy sock adorned feet, you rummage through the kitchen in search of something to celebrate with. 

As you’re elbows deep in your freezer, the handle on your front door begins to rattle violently. Lazily, you slowly turn and eye the chain-latch and lock position. The sound of something furiously whispering eerily creeps in through the thin apartment walls. You raise to your full height with a stretch and groan, rapping your knuckles on the counter surface in a knocking fashion.

“Who is ittt~” You sing out to your unexpected visitor. Immediately, the jangling ceases, and something from behind the wood mimics your knocking pattern once, twice, then thrice.

“It’s Mrs. Lin.” croons the voice of a soft-spoken old woman. “Do you have a moment, sweetie?” 

It’s your neighbor, Mrs. Lin, who has been with this apartment block for decades. She’s a sweet, slightly scary, highly respected member of this residence building. Despite her tendency to appear out of nowhere and at the worst hours of the day, she’s someone whom you always make time for. 

With practiced movements, you open a cabinet and pull out a pile of dish towels. Rolling them into a disorganized wad, you throw the rags onto your dining table as if you were shooting hoops. Several of them tumble off the edge and scatter below on the floor. Turning with a squeak of your heel, you march to the door, trying to school your giddy smile into something more serious and neutral.

“Heyyyyyy, Mrs. Lin. What’s up?” You greet with a flourish. Looking down you see the incredibly petite, old lady. Her hair is in slight disarray, and she’s sporting some sort of murky stain on her mint green winter coat. Just looking at her out of season outfit makes you sweat.

When she doesn’t answer, you peel your unintentionally tight grip from the door and gather her frail fingers in yours. Large bruises bloom over the thin skin of her hand, and something dark red gathers under her jagged, yellowed nails. 

“My gods! Your poor hands are freezing!" You exclaim with real concern. With a lean and shuffle backwards, you draw your neighbor over the threshold and into your apartment. “Come, come in! I’ll brew us some tea, and we can catch up.” 

It’s simple to seat the pliable granny into one of your cheap chairs, tucking her almost non-existent weight into the dining table. She silently bends over, picking up the fallen towels one by one as you start a pot of water. 

Taking a seat across from her wispy form, you get to work peeling fruit. As you place the juicy pieces on a dish in front of her, you ask gently. “So how have things been? How are you?”

With a sharp, whistly inhale and cracking sounds like water freezing, she jerks violently, hunching in on herself. With a sob, she cries into her bony hands, “My husband never came home last night. I’m worried for him! Have you seen him?”

You hum, reaching across the table and starting to fold a few towels. She hesitates, tears evaporating and eyes partially clouding over, before joining in on the chore. The awful, crunching and splintering noises stop, and the kettle resumes its journey to boiling. You glance at a sticky note stuck to the motivational kitten calendar on the side of your fridge. Next to the current month, in big, bold, bleeding sharpie, reads, ‘BUSINESS TRIP TO EUROPE!’. 

“It’s OK , Mrs. Lin. He went on his business trip to Paris two days ago. He should be back sometime later this week.” You soothe, lie rolling off the tongue with ease. Technically, her husband passed away ages ago, but it’s cruel to stress someone out with the reminder that their loved one died before them. You and the other tenants get together each month to ensure the story stays consistent and straight, in case she asks anyone else during her rare moments of lucidity. Standing after a minute to stop the screaming pot, you look away from whatever face she’s making as she absorbs the news.

“O-oh, that’s right.” She stutters with a sickly rasp, raking her dirty fingers through her mangled hair in polite embarrassment. “I’m so sorry to bother you over something so silly. I seem to be getting so forgetful lately.”

“It’s no problem.” You hush, back turned away from your neighbor, pouring the water as slowly as physically possible into a mismatched set of cups. “You can come to me at any time. I’ll do my best to help out.”

For nearly ten minutes, she’s completely silent at the table, and you busy yourself by opening and closing random cabinets and drawers. 

“You’re a good kid.” She finally says, and it’s like a weight is lifted from the room. Standing from your squat under the sink, you look over your shoulder at the empty chair and the neatly folded pile of dish towels. Humming to yourself, you place the rags back where they belong and saunter to your door. Shoving its swollen weight open, you hold it and watch vigilantly as your little neighbor limps, from somewhere in your peripheral, out into the hall. As soon as she vanishes from your sight, the room seems to violently remember that it’s a hot, sweltering summer. Every appliance whirs in overdrive in a desperate effort to remain cool.

You re-lock your door and nearly slip on the humid flooring on your way to your bed. Face planting into your pillow, you let one final thought haunt you before sleep takes over. 

Did you remember to set an alarm?

---

You awake in a cold sweat and with a ringing sound in your ears. Sitting up before you’ve fully returned to the land of the living, you smack your slimy lips together and scratch a bug bite on your ass. 

Checking your phone, your heart jolts in your chest a second time as you check the clock. Shit! The Saja Boys! Diving out of bed, you blindly search for the other half of your sandals, brain still hazy from the poor nap. 

You nearly thump your head against the table you’re checking under when you hear the scream that broke through your dreams again. It continues for a nearly impossible length, echoing throughout the hallways of the complex. The sound is familiar to you, and your body almost relaxes in a honed, pavlovian reaction before you remember. 

SHIT! The Saja Boys!

Mrs. Lin!!!

Barefoot with a singular sandal in hand, you throw yourself out the door with a Bang!  Sprinting down the humid corridor, you head towards the center of the commotion. 

A few meters away from the bottom of the stairway, you see Mrs. Lin’s dark shadow looming over your brightly colored boys. Skipping several steps at a time, you attempt to shout to get everyone’s attention, but you are drowned out by the cacophonous shrieking and hissing. Finally, as your feet hit the bottom damp rug with a smack! and a shudder, you fling yourself past Mrs. Lin and shield the marked form of Abby with your smaller body. 

“Stop!” You try again, to no avail. Your voice goes unheard, but your sudden appearance startles everyone. To make your presence abundantly clear, you throw your sandal at the towering, twisting shape of your neighbor. “Stop it! Stop it! They’re with me, Mrs. Lin!”

With an ugly crack! grind! snap! the ghastly woman shrinks in on herself and reforms into her original appearance. She gives you an incredibly judgemental stare down, peering at you and your group with a single, yellowed eye through the messy mop of her hair. With a shake of her head and a huff, she vanishes in a puff of vapor. 

Awkwardly, you tip-toe over to your fallen footwear and turn to face your invited guests. The boys gawk at you for several long breaths. Nobody moves as the lights flicker back into existence. A door opening and closing somewhere above breaks the spell, and the Saja Boys quickly try to sheath their fangs and claws before anyone else can see.

You wordlessly gesture for them to follow you, traveling together back up to your apartment. Holding the door open, you can’t fight the blush from rising to your face as you realize that you’re still in pajamas. You let them make themselves comfortable while you mumble under your breath, dashing into your bedroom to change. When you emerge, more professionally presentable this time, you find them spread out on the chairs and couch in your living space. Rubbing a hand along the back of your already sweaty neck, you blurt out an apology.  

“Sorry about Mrs. Lin. She’s usually pleasant to deal with, but uh…” You look to the pinks and blues of their outfits on their sprawled forms. “She can be a little… homophobic.” 

Romance holds out a hand before anyone else can speak. Several toothy mouths close with an audible clack!  “I’m sorry, but what?” He asks, bewildered. 

You gesture to their pastel clothes and hair. “Yeah. She’s old fashioned, and like, we’ve had talks with her and all, but she’s really stuck in her ways.”

“She’s a— Why is— What does—?” Romance takes a measured breath, pressing his hands together in prayer and leans forward. Blowing out an unneeded breath, he tries again, wearily asking. “Do you know what she is?”

“She’s my neighbor.” You respond with a serious nod, folding your arms across your chest and frowning. “And I’m really sorry she acted like that. Normally, she’s pretty good with visitors, but like I said…”

“That was a gwishin. A vengeful spirit.” interrupts Jinu. Everyone looks to you with slight concern, not for your safety but your intelligence.

Raising an eyebrow, you shrug. “Yeah? And?” 

“Supernatural beings like that are dangerous to be around.” slowly explains Baby as if you’re a child. He pushes up his sleeves and flexes his talons threateningly. “You should let us—”

You toss a throw pillow at him before he can finish his sentence. “No! No. Absolutely not. Nobody is hurting and doing anything to our dearest Mrs. Lin.” Walking over to your kitchen, but remaining in their line of sight, you huff as you get out 6 cups and start another pot of water. “Ms. Lin is an incredibly important figure to our neighborhood.”

“She’s literally a gwishin!” whines Abby throwing his hands up dramatically, mildly sore from missing out on a good fight. 

The water boils rapidly in the presence of five demons. You ply a plate high with a vast assortment of snacks from around your kitchen.

Clink! Clink! chatters the dishware as you set it before the band. Beep! Beep! chirps the temperature control as you force the central A/C to go full throttle. EEEEEIIII! screams the kettle as you move it from its heating source. 

“Do you know how much I pay in rent for this place?” You nonchalantly ask, pouring everyone a cup of tea and dragging your own chair over. Answering your rhetorical question before any of them can attempt to, you continue. “About 1/6th of what any other place in this area goes for, and I don’t have to pay for utilities or HOA fees. Having Mrs. Lin around lowers the rent by like a LOT, and not only would I personally be upset and disappointed if you harmed her in anyway, but I’m pretty sure everyone else living here would skin me alive and dump my twitching body into the harbor if they found out one of my guests managed to exorcise her.”

“Ok!” Jinu raises his hands and his voice to match your increasingly hysteric tone. “We won’t touch her.”

‘Not unless she picks a fight again.’ You think you hear someone grumble out.

“She’ll also be really useful for us right now.” You quickly add, placing the stack of cups and plates down on the small coffee table. Immediately, everyone lunges for the food as if they didn’t eat a mammoth's worth at the buffet before coming here. You take the time to settle into your own seat.

“Mmmghn?” Abby asks unintelligibly around a mouthful of junk food.

“We’ve got beef with most of the shamans and spirit hunters here.” At their riveted attention, you continue to ramble, waving your cup around as you speak. “Sometimes people come by to bother us and Mrs. Lin. Her presence, hopefully, will mask yours, but either way, those folks should know to piss off if they see me or another tenant coming. You’ll be safe-ish here.”

“You’ve fought off Hunters before?” Romance asks with a deep interest shining in his reflective eyes.

“I’ll have you know I’m an absolute beast with a folding chair. WWE wants me on their roster carnally.” You flex and pose, scalding yourself with a whimper as burning hot tea splashes you amidst your shenanigans.

“Who’s WWE?” Baby whispers to Abby.

“No idea, but now, I really want to see The Manager beat someone with a chair.” He quietly replies. 

A soft guitar rift and series of chimes sounds from your bedroom, and you swear softly to yourself. Clacking the cup back onto the table, you hurry off, without a word, out of the living space. Mystery lunges at the same time as Romance for your abandoned drink, successfully snagging it before anyone else can and chugging the whole boiling beverage down in one go. 

You step out of your room a minute later, earbuds in place and fiddling with your phone. Glancing up, you make a phone hand gesture to your ear then move to shush them. The room falls unnaturally silent as you try and call back your buddy.

“Y’ello! You called me?” You say into your bluetooth microphone, pacing back and forth in front of the guys.

“Yeah~!” A voice slurs out through the tiny speakers, barely imperceptible to the Saja Boy’s supernatural hearing. “You texted lookin’ for a gig?” 

You messaged multiple people recently looking for any and every form of work to keep yourself afloat in these trying times. Out of the corner of your eye, you gauge the band’s reactions to your private conversation, certain they can hear you both. “I did, but let’s hear what it is before I say yes to anything.”

“Oh, you’ll like this one!” They say with a cheer. “My Big Brother got called in on security detail for some rich producer’s house party. It’s tomorrow night, and apparently, the dude who helps set up the sound equipment got arrested. I said I knew someone who’s good with that kind of tech and can keep their head low… and that’s you!”

“Ooooo~ Producer? What kind of producer?” You coo, looking at your phone and rapidly typing out blooming ideas. “Also, how much is the pay?”

“They’re some type of big marketing bigwig. Works with instagram influencers and stuff to sell those really sketchy holistic stuff.” Somewhere in the back of their audio is honking, and you think you hear several engines rev. “Pay’s $600 for the night. You just need to set the crap up and hang out at the place for the duration of the party incase something breaks.”

You freeze in your pacing, and Baby looks up from where he’s picking at a hole in your couch. “$600… is alot…” You say tentatively.

“Yeah, Bro’s gonna be there to help supply the—” They make an exaggerated, long sniffing sound. “Ya’ know? It’s $600 because I trust you to keep your mouth shut about anything you might see.”

“I’ll do it for $500 if you let me bring some friends to enjoy the night with.”

“$450 for the night. You’re to stay sober, and your friends to stay out of our business.”

“Deal.” You declare with a wicked smile, leaning on your kitchen counter with your back turned to your demons.

“Awesome. I’ll text you the address and time. It’s some expensive-ass costume party. Your friends are on their own, but you still have the other half to our Halloween set, right?”

“Yeah.” You snicker, staring at the closet where you shoved the fake, white wings and halo. “I’ve still got the ‘sexy’ angel costume.”

“Perfecttttt. The DJ is going as Jesus because he refuses to cut his hair for this event. This way you guys can sorta theme— Anyways, I’ve got to go, but I’ll talk to you soon!” With a beep! beep! they quickly hang up, and you slowly turn around with a feverish grin.

Raising your phone in the air and plucking the earbuds out of your ears, you sing to your boys. “Guessssss who just got us that chance to use your charm powers~?”

“You?” Baby flatly questions with an eyebrow raised, while Mystery tips an empty chip bag upside down to collect the dust. 

“Meeeee~!” You prance over to them and jump between Abby and Mystery on the couch with a Whump!  The cushions sink under your combined weight, titling the two closer until your thighs and hips touch. Reaching over, you drag a bowl closer and tap at your phone screen furiously. “Rich guy party. It’s costumes, which is perfect because— and I’m being honest here— you guys suck at acting and looking like humans. This is the perfect place to practice and get some influential connections and momentum.”

“And it’s tomorrow night?” Romance asks, confirming that, yes, they can hear conversations that quiet. You make a note in your phone to ensure hearing protection for them when they perform. 

“Yup.” You agree, popping the ‘P’. “Which means we absolutely need to hustle.”

Standing up, you head to where you suddenly spied your missing sandal and rifle around for some scrap paper to write on. The boys perk up and pull themselves to full attention, watching with golden eyes as you fumble around your home.

“Ok, so—” You aggressively scribble out a to-do list for each member. “I’m going to run down to a store and get myself an inhumane amount of caffeine. You guys get set with what you can on each list, and I’ll be back to take the photos. Creativity is rewarded on the internet, so go crazy and have fun with it. If anything, I think we can get about 8 photos each and 10 group pics if I can get us a good set of accounts before I return.”

You hop your other footwear on and shoulder your bag. Fisting your keys in your hand like a weapon, you turn before leaving the boys alone in your home. “I’ll be back as soon as I can! Please don’t set anything on fire, and please, please don’t get in any fights with Mrs. Lin, no matter how rude she is.”

“We won’t.” Jinu promises firmly, placing a hand on Mystery’s and Abby’s shoulders. “We’ll have everything done by the time you come back.”

“Well, do what you’re able to, and don’t push yourself too hard.” You encourage, one foot out the door and hand on the knob. “B.R.B.!” And with that, the door slams, and the demons are left to fumble through your extensive list of tasks alone.

As soon as they hear you walk down the flight of stairs, they all hunch with a sigh and revert back to their hellish forms.

“...I don’t know about you guys, but I can’t get used to today’s slang. Listening to The Manager talk is really making me feel my years.” pouts Romance, who slumps into the plush cushions and glares at the paper in hand.

“That’s what’s making you feel old? Not entirely different way of living, the electricity, or the over abundance of food?” nudges Baby, comparing his list against others.

“Regardless of your guys’ hangups, we need to adapt and learn this stuff fast if we want to do this right.” Jinu affirms, pacing the floor like a mother hen. “Work and practice now. Complaining and gossip later. Let’s go. Chop, chop!”

“Ughhhh, ok. ok.” whines Romance, peeling himself from the softest seat he’s ever been in.

“Always such a taskmaster.” whispers Baby with a roll of his eyes to Abby as they rise together. 

“I think he just wants to impress The Manager.” Abby replies quietly with a muscular shrug. 

“Guys. I can literally hear you.” Jinu growls with his back turned, holding the paper to the light of the window and trying to decipher one of your poorly handwritten words. “Let’s focus here.”

“Do you think I can ask The Manager to spar with me?” Abby buzzes, ignoring Jinu’s long-suffering sigh. “I really, really want to see what they mean about the chair thing.”

“Abby, shut up.” Romance and Baby groan simultaneously. Abby turns to Mystery with a questioning look.

“...I also want to see the ‘chair thing’.” agrees Mystery with a flutter of paper. “But Jinu’s right, let’s get this over with.”

“Thank you.” Jinu sighs.

The room falls silent as each member of the band works on their own assigned project. In the space between their lack of breathing, the city’s bustling noise filters in through the poorly sealed window. After several minutes of intense concentration, Abby speaks up.

“Anyone else dying to know what The Manager’s ‘sexy angel costume’ looks like?”

“Abby, shut up!”

[lackadaisycats]

I'm not trying to bug you with this, and you don't have to answer this if you don't wanna, but I heard a lot of people were against moving to Bluesky because apparently it's rampant with Nazis, but I haven't really found any proof of that.

Just wanted to share. Maybe inquire if you knew anything about that?

I have not personally encountered any Nazis there. Bluesky isn't perfect, but the noise machine of bots, trolls, disinfo accounts, and the aura of extreme negativity just really isn't present in the way it is on Twitter. So being there is just....nice. I'm sure there are some unsavory people there, and many who will try to make inroads as the platform grows, but for now, the people interested in making Bluesky a good place to be seem to vastly outnumber the bad actors. Also, Bluesky's block function is more robust and thorough, and you can block entire curated lists of people you want nothing to do with, if you so choose. (Be warned that who you have blocked is public information, though, if someone should go and check the repository.)

On a more pleasant note, there are also entire lists ("starter packs") of people to follow - indie creators, comic artists, illustrators, activists, journalists, writers of different genres, etc. You can also follow specific feeds of topics that interest you, and you can make your own feeds.

As an added blessing, posts that include outside links are not (currently) throttled like they are on other platforms. It's hard to overstate how meaningful that is for creators trying to get eyes on their portfolios and other work that can't be shared directly within a post.

[elvirable]

Instincts

[ Astarion x f!Reader/Tav ] | ao3 link

rating: explicit | word count: 3.7k | status: complete themes/tags: vaginal sex, vaginal fingering, creampie, feelings realization, denial of feelings, light angst at the end, you know the sex scene after the tiefling party?, yeah so this is it, with astarions pov, already catching feelings smh, smut is halfway through, just skip to after all early dialogue

----------------------------------------------------

Little did he know that evening, that was the beginning of his simple plan crumbling apart.

In other words: Astarion has been struggling to balance century-long instincts with newfound feelings, an undeniable connection. He carries out his simple little plan as intended, but meets complications he didn't quite expect. ----------- A/N: so i hung up my cod medals of honor to write this.. i've been playing for a month now. originally posted without proofreading, but its now edited for grammar and some terms -----

It was hard not to have fun around you.

Something of a child-like giddiness would buzz through his nerves whenever you sauntered over, his marbled red eyes wouldn't dare to miss a beat of the vision you were. Swaying hips and that deceivingly coy face. Of course, you were strikingly beautiful – a wickedly delectable sight – but that wasn’t the only source of his carnal anticipation.

It was just you, the enigmatic little thing you were. 

Admittedly, Astarion believed he had read you like an open book the moment he laid eyes on you. It was an instinct of his: gathering a cerebral repository of notable ticks and body language, facial twitches, and octave changes in those around him. Watchful, constant observations.

He had chalked you up to a sort of stoic character at first. Graceful, to a degree, in your manner of subtly balancing the world around you. A stable composure, quick and quiet without brash or idle chatter.. unlike that Gale. You were a less flagrantly repulsive hero-type crafted in his mind – but he had still expected you to be oh-so predictable with a shallow drive for self-emaciating ‘justice’. Whereas the others wore their baggage like a garment, you held your cards close to your chest – like a chameleon suddenly thrust into the spotlight.

Yet the sun rose and fell two or three times around the wilderness of Elturel, when he found himself pleasantly contradicted. He normally didn’t dedicate much attention towards someone he believed he so easily pegged, but his interest began to pique. Just enough to leave him sitting with an edge and a consuming desire to peer in closer. 

Maybe it was the way your mouth twitched into a quiet smile during his verbal antics on the road or the firm passiveness you held from the blighted village to the drama of Emerald Grove; an intoxicatingly confusing blend of traits you harbored. The closer he watched you, the less blurred you became. You didn’t fear being authentic and enforcing boundaries to those who attempted to use you – but you weren’t cruel; you met the world around you just as it was, without discrimination. No unnecessary harm, no free handouts either. 

Or perhaps it was your sarcastic remarks that stirred what little glee he had in him; an especially delicious and refreshing insight into your humor. While he could care to give a critical note or two on your lack of blatant cruelty, Astarion respected your compelling demeanor; he witnessed how all these companions turned their eyes so frequently to you with decision.

But what he did know for sure was the eye contact.

Gods, the first time your heads swiveled mid-strife and your gazes locked with a rich crackle – the memory alone was enough to stupefy him! Something strange stirred, something that didn’t sit comfortably. He didn’t know  what to make of it.

With all this said, that same sensation boiled inside his stomach as he mulled over his every interaction with you. He recalled that moment of midnight – when all was still and you had caught him prepared to taste your throat. Your wary stare pierced through him, washing away briefly the desperate pangs of blood-thirst and left him feeling.. nervous. 

Ugh, how he despised the feeling. 

He was sickened when all those ledgers of observations caved in on himself, caught in his pale throat. He had taken such an overwhelming liking to you – to the extent, he had realized, that he was drawn to your guidance, your approval; a repulsive frustration at the time enough to coil through his cold veins. Without much to say, however, he was adamantly relieved when you conceded and soon regularly allowed him to drink from your slender neck. 

His trail of thoughts glossed over your stifled grunts onto the following morning: when you came to his defense as everyone felt the need to chime in with their unfettered prejudices. And how his ease, his excitement around you became persistently potent – a fresh energy that filled him as you spurred on his teasings and whims. Astarion noticed your subtle release of your ever-strong walls, just enough so he could relish in your humor and affable side.

There was always a hesitation at doting on the sensation that rose inside him at these thoughts of you. He surmised he was merely back in the practice; where he spun honeyed words and charmingly guile eye contact, to wrap his target around his finger. Any little edge of control he could grasp onto, the familiar taste of influence he used to know so well. These habits of two hundred years were kicking in. He’d play the part and – sooner or later – this eagerness to please would be reversed onto you.

Whether it was his own willful denial or the culmination of fate’s ever-spinning thread, the first crumble began the night of the tiefling party.

.

Cool and clear was the star-freckled night. Everything was too merry for him: the wide-toothed grins of the tieflings, sharp strums of the lute, the chatter. Even the wine was downright awful, pungent and tart like vinegar. 

Astarion would’ve normally indulged in his bitter mood, but it was the sight of your drunken smile that diffused his prior desire to complain.

How interesting, he thought as his eyes lapped up your squinted grin and eased laughter. It was helplessly infectious to see you so earnest, casually prattling on in conversation throughout the camp. 

Red eyes followed while you made your rounds, encouraging the tiefling’s dancing lights spell and conversing with the bard. Astarion even raised a brow at the playful expression that washed over your face as you spoke to the hulking druid by the name of Halsin.  When you strolled over to Shadowheart and he caught that carefully provocative glint in the raven-haired cleric’s eyes – a chord of jealousy grew taut inside his chest.

He had half the mind to feel insulted that you hadn’t wandered in his direction yet, but that was quickly dispersed when he noticed you dismiss yourself and head towards a wooden crate near the riverfront. 

Almost like a shadow, Astarion swept in your direction. Whether it was to merely take in your smile up close or to put his plan in motion, he settled on the latter. You were rifling through the crate that held what could barely pass as wine, muttering a quiet curse about the little tiefling probably pocketing a bottle or two.

“Here’s my little treat with her cheeks all flushed,” the words dripped from his mouth with a sweet cadence. “You will come to my bed tonight, won’t you?”

You swiveled at the sound of his voice, raised brow accompanying your hazy smile. The influence of wine lowered your usual wariness, and he caught the realization flutter across your face; there was no constitution in attempting to act reserved, especially with the rapport you two had grown. Amusement was written all over your face, hardly concealed – you had decided to play along.

“A little treat? You can do better than that.” 

“Oh, I certainly can. It would be my pleasure.”

He leaned closer, half-lidded eyes darkening and breath heavy with a mischievous delight. You watched him expectantly, reveling in what would pour from his lips.

“How about this one,” he loosened his posture, as if you both were stowed away from the entire world instead of dawdling along the outskirts of the shoddy camp. “All these accolades from the tieflings are nothing compared to the sound of my name, cried from your lips.”

Astarion watched the smile further spread across your soft lips, the wickedly sweet crinkle in your eyes while you crossed your arms. An exhilaration rose underneath his suave demeanor, even the bemused snicker invigorating.

“Is that the best you can do?” came your quick quip.

“Hmm, let me give it another go,” his voice was thick with arousal, a hungry glint in his eyes. “Every part of your perfect body whispers temptation – it’s as if the Gods made you just to ruin me.” 

His words clung to the air for a moment. The deliberate onslaught of poetic pleasantries laced with such ardent lust, the hum of the wine – Astarion studied your face swirling in thought. Heat had built up from the lower half of your body up to your cheeks, a quiet neediness wavering in your stance and threatened to boil to the surface of your skin.

Gods, you were thinking, it had been the longest time and you’ve been touch-starved.. more so under the urgency of all the trouble you had been thrust into. You never trusted a pretty boy, but you'd be damned if his flowered prose didn't stir something in you; you had never been the subject of such pursuits, real or not. Desire rushed through you, coiling in your stomach.

There was a beckoning in his eyes as they clutched onto yours, imporing you to draw closer, and his boyish features were even more alluring when caressed by the moon’s glow. However, you couldn’t bring yourself to trust those flowery words. They were tinted with an air of rehearse.

“Did these really work on Cazador’s targets?”

“Well, they’re working on you, aren’t they?”

A mild bashfulness buzzed through the warmth on your cheeks, as you couldn’t really deny it. 

“How about if I said these little words… everyone’s favorite,” Astarion continued, pausing for effect.

“I love you.”

Sly amusement colored his face. He had succeeded in riling up the intrinsic urge, no matter how much you tried to conceal it. How adorable you were when your gaze fluttered briefly.

“Having fun, are you?” you observed, smile holding on your lips.

As he had mused earlier, he was. It was hard not to whenever around you.  

.

Festivities settled down, the entire camp fast asleep once the wine crate had emptied and bellies were full. Only the chittering of crickets could be heard amongst the trees.

The forest, usually dressed in potent darkness, stilled beneath the moonlight. A serene, subtle beauty of the night – one Astarion was very accustomed to knowing, to living . He had done this so many times it had become second nature – the salacious rendezvous, the secrecy and fleeting thrill of them all. 

He had contemplated before, the image of you melting in the throes of pleasure. He wondered whether you preferred his hands gentle or rough, what sounds would dribble from your lips – if they sounded as sweet as you tasted. 

Though nothing could prepare him for the reality, which far surpassed fantasy; the pretty little thing you were, bare figure caressed by the lowlight, slowly making your way towards him.

“There you are. I’ve been waiting.”

You offered him a coy smile, cheeks still warm and rosy. An ache rushed between your legs at the sight of him sauntering forward, his well-formed broad physique. Lean, yet muscular – and the soft details of his appearance; the crease of laughter lines, the curl of his lashes. Just the anticipation of it all served enough to make you wet.

“Waiting since the moment I set eyes on you. Waiting to have you,” he leaned closer, desire coating every syllable.

“You don’t have me yet,” you matched the pulse of his words, emanating a playfulness to goad him on further.

Greedy lips suddenly met yours, and you were pressed against the tree trunk. His palms gripped the back of your thighs, swift dexterity almost catching you off guard. You instantly melted, like a puddle, in his grasp; your soft lips just as eager, skin aching and impatient for his touch. You never realized how sensitive you were, how truly touch-starved until you fought the gasp that escaped your throat.

Astarion didn’t waste a beat, carefully laying you onto the grass below while he drawled slow kisses along the curve of your neck. Fervent yearning permeated from your skin; you wanted more, and he was prepared to give you everything .

He drank in the sight of your arousal, eager to please you yet potently roused from the position he was in: you were such a delectably pretty thing sprawled beneath his weight, completely bare and vulnerable. Wide eyes bashfully beckoning him to just taste you.

“Part those precious legs for me, beautiful.” He directed, his voice less of a growl this time – instead more sweet. Soft. 

You could feel your face heat up further at his words, following his command without hesitation. Tender hands trailed along the soft skin of your thigh, his intense eyes briefly leaving yours to watch his fingers lingered over your folds – you were glistening with slick , fevered arousal.

“Oh my, you’re already so wet for me.”

His voice was almost a whisper now, as a keen excitement rushed through his veins. A twitch pressed against his briefs, his cock already hard and eager especially when his eyes darted towards your rosy. So willing, ready to indulge his every whim. For a moment, he settled in your vulnerability – a sight he didn't expect to see. You were always full of such delicious surprises.

He shook the thought from his mind, allowing a sly smile to return to his lips.

“Who knew you were so needy?”

Your cheeks flushed, timid lips scrambling to form a defensive retort before he slipped two fingers inside. Only a quiet gasp left your mouth as your soaking warmth struggled to adjust, tightening around his digits. You were barely able to comprehend the words he said, instinctively bucking your hips.

“ Astar ..” your breath hitched before you could even finish, when his fingers began a slow pace. Teasingly slow, you would beckon, but there was nothing you could even fathom whispering anymore. Your walls began to clench, eager to receive his unwavering attention.

Hums of pleasure pulsed through your every nerve, rapidly as he fastened the curling pace of his fingers. Every hitched and quiet whimper encouraged him, his palm soaked with your slick. He relished the sight of your round breasts rising and falling feverishly, your heat clenched around him – his cock further hardened, precum no doubt pooling on the fabric of his briefs. 

All you could manage was to focus on the pleasure mounting between your legs, thighs now quivering with anticipation. His thumb slid up to your swollen clit, never breaking pace, to draw teasingly slow circles. He adjusted his weight to lean closer to your face, the sudden attention causing an overwhelming shyness to press your eyes shut. Your thighs trembled more now while his fingers beckoned and lured your pleasure to spur closer and closer.

“Look at me,” he whispered, his voice the gentlest you’ve ever heard. 

He couldn’t place the sensation – of feeling entranced in a sense, when whimpers of pleasure fumbled from your beautiful lips. Astarion almost felt lost, nearly mesmerized, when you kept those pretty eyes trained on his. He could feel his eyes soften at your vulnerable stare, and all at once everything inside him craved to slide into your warmth. To feel you melt into him, to hit every right spot to make you sing, for every sweet prayer cascading from your lips to be for him.

“Mmf..” You were left in a sudden foggy haze, a mix of pleasure and confusion when he abruptly withdrew his fingers. You couldn’t fathom any words to speak, only furrowed your brows in a hazed and disorientated manner.

“I’m sorry, love.” His breathless laugh seemed dazed before the low, heaviness returned to his tone, “You were practically just begging with those lovely eyes of yours.”

He leaned downwards to plant soft, reassuringly delicate pecks across the nape of your neck; each a mantra to affection, leaving a buzz in their wake. Carefully he peeled down his briefs with a wasted moment to rub his eager cock against your slick warmth.

Your moans sounded even sweeter closer to his ear, and a delighted sigh pressed from his lips onto your skin. His throbbing cock was met with some resistance as the length and girth was suffocated by your tightening walls, warm spasms at the sensation being filled. 

A guttural, low moan hummed from his throat. Fuck, you were so perfectly tight.

His cock pulsed at the sudden attention, aching with pleasure and a warm buzz radiating through his skin. He paused for a moment, needing to relish every second it felt to be now pressed so deep inside you. The softness of your skin, delicate cues of pleasure washing over your face, how your warm walls enveloped his cock.

You moaned as he pushed more of his length inside your needy warmth, tears beginning to well up in the corner of your eyes. Pleasure and slight pain blurred, the tip of his cock almost pressed against your soft cervix and a rouse of heat traveling up your spine. 

His hands gripped the globes of your ass to adjust his leverage, slowly but deliberately digging his hips against yours with each thrust. His body was achingly ready, alive with frantic urge. He was incapable of any pretty words to whisper, tangled groans replacing his usual velvet tongue.

As he pounded quicker into your warmth, your pulsating soft walls sucked his cock tighter and deeper with each buckle. He nestled his head into the nape of your neck. Sweat formed on his pale forehead as he wrestled with his restraint, his cock stroking in and out, hitting pleasure points you never knew existed and relishing in your shameless cries – desperate for him.

Soft, warm pleasure unraveled across you in hot waves. If you had the mind, you could only hope that no one could hear you two – the sounds and wet smacks of his skin colliding against yours – but all you could do was turn your pleasured cries and whimpers into soundless gasps.

Your lips parted, hips bucking before your back arched from the ground. Every fiber of your body attempted to get closer to him, and his to you. Of some act of grace, your hand caressed his face, lifting him to face yours.

Oh, how he wanted to melt right there. 

Eager eyes met each other, brows furrowing together into a soft, tender stare. Astarion’s hips began to buck erratically for a moment as he struggled to regain his resolve. Once steadied, he continued to bury deeper into you in every perfect way. You were clenched so tightly, so divinely around him while his name trickled as a whisper from your lips. 

“You – fuck .. “ you couldn’t be bothered to form a proper sentence, every whim of comprehension overwhelmed by new heights of white pleasure. You were lulled into a stupor, and his grip tightened at your garbled pleas.

“Thaaat’s it,” Astarion practically begged, voice ragged, his eyes never leaving your beautiful face as it twisted with sweet expressions. An eagerness gnawed inside him, to push you to the edge of your pleasures. You were so perfect while you cried his name, taking all of him so well. 

“Come for me, sweet girl –” Hushed and delicate was his tone, only causing you to surrender any inhibition.

Heat wound tightly in your abdomen, lashes wet with the tears trailing down your warm face. Every nerve was wound so tight, finally snapping into a rush of white hot pleasure that left your skin flushed and tingling. You tried to whine out his name, but it spilled out into broken gasps as you reached your fingers to grip his silver curls. 

His hips began to stagger, riding out your pleasure until he could no longer postpone the succumb to pleasure. They lost their rhythm, and a low moan rumbled from his throat as he surrendered to the overwhelming sensation of your tightening walls, pressing into you.

You could feel his cock throbbing in you, as your nerves are slow to fizzle from the glowing buzz, and it swelled. Your slick walls were overstimulated nearly by his desperate, choppy thrusts before a cry escapes his lips – his cum flooded into you, thick and hot. He felt waves of warmth, so real and alive. So helplessly right.

The air was silent, as you both collected your breaths in hurried gasps. Astarion peeled his weight off of you only to roll onto his back, by your side. Your body felt light and completely slack, almost boneless as you sunk into the earth underneath you. Aftershocks of pleasure still rippled throughout your nerves. 

Both of you laid sweaty, flushed, exhausted, lacking the energy to care. You broke the silence with a wobble in your voice.

“Fuck, you came inside me..” you stated the obvious, reeling from pulsing nerves and vision hazy. 

“I’m sure the druids have something that’ll take care of that..” Astarion said breathlessly, extending an arm to wipe the sweat glistening off his forehead. 

He waited for a quiet laugh or a retort, but neither came.

Turning his head, he was met with the vision of your exhausted figure fast asleep. Slowly your chest rose and fell, face at ease – a vulnerability he had only seen when you were in deep sleep, if you weren't tossing and turning.

The quiet sat with him while he attempted to gather his thoughts, his experience. He had seen an entirely different side of you – exposed delicate. Part of his conscience pooled with guilt. 

He had a plan. A nice simple plan. It wasn’t foreign to casually bed strangers, seducing and manipulating them into following his every whim. Hells, this had been routine for two hundred years . The count was lost on how many nights he spent using people like ragdolls, only to be lured back into the hands of Cazador.

Astarion returned his gaze to the stars glistening above, attempting his best at reducing it to the odd circumstances or perhaps he was simply out of practice. 

Regardless – even if it was more than a fluke – he had already fucked things up. The thought felt tainted now, uneasy and riddled with remorse. 

Little did he know that evening, that was the beginning of his plan crumbling apart.

[arcanistsanctum]

‎‎​‌‏‏. Reverse:1999 Resource Guide

These are links to some of the archives, lorecrafters and guidemakers that I follow and regard highly for their expertise, dedication, and contributions to the community. Making this list is also for my convenience.

If you know other sources, please share them! I will edit the post and add them here. Maybe one day I will also contribute to transcripts on a separate blog. We don't have enough of such precious records for a heavily lore and story-based game! Feel free to share your lorecrafting website/blog/channel too!

Archives

Websites/Blogsites

Huiji (CN) - CN Fanwiki, written in CN, with consistent updates. Really goated. Gamekee (CN) - Another CN Fanwiki, also written in CN. Some pages may not be updated. Arcanist Sanctum (Global) - That's us! R1999 Logs (Global) - Has some main, event and anecdote story transcripts. Reverse: 1999 Wiki (Global) - EN Fanwiki. They may be behind on working through some profiles, records and transcripts. UTTU Merui (Global and CN) - The website is also WIP. But it is shaping to contain news (including EN translations for CN updates), character profiles, story transcripts, music list, timeline, and I believe recorded CGs too.

Repositories

Myssal's Assets Repository (CN) - In-game assets. It has everything. Myssal just that goated. reverse 1999 png (CN) - PNGs/cutouts telegram. Russian language but you can use character tags by clicking on pinned message. They accept requests, but you probably will have to ask them in Russian. Their cutouts can be accessed and downloaded by going through post comments. Posts with arrows. reverserenders (Global) - official art renders tumblr blog. They accept requests!

Documents

Abyss_Idiot's links (Global) - Transcripts, archives and general lore. Actually lots of records done by several Discord members. May not be updated. As of making this list, I haven't seen anything from 2.0 onwards.

Youtube

八咫烏_Merui (CN & Global) - Event and main story playthroughs without commentary Reverse: 1999 Timekeeper (Global) - They have everything recorded. And I mean everything. Reverse 1999 Archive (Global) - On hiatus (?), they pretty much covered event and main stories up to Notes on Shuori.

Lorecrafting & Story Analysis

Youtube

Apeironite - Pretty chill format. Interesting in-depth analyses. As of now, I don't know any other YT content creator who tackles on game lore as much as he has. FructoseTolerant - While there have yet many Reverse:1999 character analysis content in her channel, once she does post one, it's really good. I recommend watching and listening to her thoughts!

Guidemakers

Websites/Blogsites

Prydwen (CN & Global) - Tierlists, psychube recs and character guides Gnomon (Global) - I am in-love with this website tbh. Has all character information, including sprites! Effect descriptions, material sources and descriptions, resonance build (up to R15), psychube recs, team recs, and very easy to follow guide on how to play each character + rotations! Also has information on series of dusks artefacts and mechanics, reveries in the rain guides, and tips for mane's bulletin! GAAAAAHHH!

Documents

Discord Community Tierlist (CN) - Tierlists, calculators, builds. Likely where most of the global theorycrafting started. bluforest's Scuffed Page for Recommended Resonance Layouts (CN) - Also has resonance codes! Spiritzhl's Unit Build Guide (CN) - Psychubes, resonance, portrays, reveries and euphoria info, critter rehabilitation guide. Arcalive Reverse 1999 (outdated) - Written in KR. Resonance and psychube recommendations, calculators.

Youtube

Jakazin (CN & Global) - Comprehensive character guides Devibul (CN) - Puzzle guides, character showcases Destroth (Global) - Comprehensive character guides, showcases

Useful Tools

Kornblume (CN & Global) - Character planning and summoning history Closure++ (CN) - Planning and calculations, and written in CN. Here's MaTeIriA's guide to using it if you can't understand CN like me. It does have a built-in EN language option but it doesn't work for me. I don't know if it works for you. Depending on your device, you may also have to zoom out to see the entire page. Timekeeper (Global) - Summon tracking