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fuckyeahgoodomens · 1 year ago

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Good Omens graphic novel update: June 2024

Welcome to the June update. A lot of behind the scenes work at the moment but we're grabbing the travel sweets, popping in the Bentley and hitting the road. More on that below.

Admin

Ongoing reminder that the project FAQ can be found here.

I pledged using my Apple ID, or no longer use the address my pledge is attached to, or I cannot work out what email address my pledge is connected to. What should I do? Please contact us via your Kickstarter account where the pledge is connected; we will be able to see on our system which address it is. If it's one you have access to, great! The FAQ has information on how to resend your invite link to access the PledgeManager. If it's one you are not able to access, then you can let us know which email is preferred and we can update this on the system, which will automatically send a new invite.

Events

We've had a lot of queries about when the Good Omens team will be attending events more formally, after some Aziraphale and Crowley spotting at conventions we'd been to previously. Well, we're excited to confirm the first: Good Omens HQ will be at ACME Comic Con in Glasgow, Scotland this September.

We'll be bringing the actual-real-life-home-to-Crowley-and-his-plants Bentley from Season 2 of Good Omens, the first time the car has been made available publicly for fans to come see and get photos with, ahead of its journey back to the set and the start of Season 3 filming.

We also see Quelin Sepulveda, aka Muriel, has been announced for the event for some additional ineffable joy.

You can get your tickets for ACME Comic Con here. We hope to see some of you there.

While we won't be rocking up with the Bentley to this next one, we want to let you know about Ineffable Con which, though sold out in person, is also taking place virtually in July. The fan-run event hosts great panels, auctions and more, with money raised going to Alzheimer’s Research UK, in memory of Sir Terry Pratchett.

Where next? We have - not an exaggeration - a list of about 200 events somewhere from when we asked fans this on Instagram and while we can't promise quite that amount of convention attendance, we're certainly looking to do some more things in future with Good Omens at large. Watch this space.

Good Omens items...

This month has largely seen prototypes and samples for the wider Good Omens merch store arriving, and while we can't share those yet, we are certainly excited to see more fan product suggestions coming to life. That does, however, leave our public item updates a little slim on the ground.

To make up for that, here's some new panels from Colleen:

Also known as, "What could possibly go wrong?" And:

Also known as, "Well why don't you ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇!@#▇" or words to that effect, we'd imagine.

Update from Colleen

Following such a positive response to Colleen's piece last month, bringing you behind the scenes into making the Good Omens graphic novel, we are delighted to say that she has agreed to write something for our updates going forward! For June, she's going more in depth into the process of flatting and the technicalities of colouring on screen vs print. Over to you, Colleen.

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I mentioned the other month that I use a flatter to help me with technical work on GOOD OMENS, and here is a great example.

This is my original, hand drawn line art.

And this is the flatting file which was created using the MultiFill computer program.

It will put your eyes out.

The raw image above demonstrates how the color art lines up solidly under the line art. If it doesn't do that, you get a weird phenomenon in print called ghosting, a tiny little line of white around each segment of color. I had this issue on one major project and ended up redoing every single color file after I got a look at the first printing. Nearly two weeks of work.

The same image with the line art on top.

The layer order looks like this.

Background copy is the clean, line art layer.

I scan the art at 600 dpi, then make the blacks pure black, the whites pure white. Then I convert back to greyscale, then RGB, then duplicate the layer. Then I delete the white on the upper layer so the line art layer is transparent but the blacks on that layer are not.

If you have blacks on a layer that has been multiplied, you can see slight color through those blacks. You want pure black.

The lower layer is where I use the MultiFill program to create the digital flats. First you use MultiFill to drop in the random colors, then the companion plug-in Flatter Pro to make those colors seal under the black lines.

This probably sounds like a silly thing to worry about, but if the flat colors don’t line up perfectly under the black line art, you get the dreaded ghosting I mentioned. You can see it below in this image. It’s a tiny little white line that will appear around the black lines and color areas.

This drives me nuts and is an absolute nightmare to fix.

It’s a very common problem, especially for people who work for web and don’t anticipate the problems going from web to print.

What looks great on your computer can cause big problems in print.

From here, my flatter Jul Mae Kristoffer, who is way over in the Philippines, does flatting that is more in keeping with the areas of color I want to isolate. As you see on Layer 1.

But again, this is still pretty ugly, and not what I would use for final color. Flatting is a technical issue, not a creative one, though in some cases a flatter will make choices you may use. Most of the time they don't.

Here is my final color page.

Sometimes my MultiFill flats are so wonky I have a hard time getting my brain to snap out of what I see before me. If I get stuck, it's a good idea to just pick at it and come back to it later.

If it really, really bothers me, I’ll take the MultiFill flatter layer and desaturate the color so it doesn’t poke my eyes out.

Here’s an example. The digital flat file.

The desaturated flat file that doesn’t make me want to poke my eyes out.

And the final color.

Sometimes I just put in a solid white layer so I don’t see the flats at all. Flatting is there to allow you to easily pick spots to color in, and doesn’t usually appear in the final work.

Sometimes I want to create my colors using transparent color over a white ground, which is more delicate in the final.

Here’s an example from Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. I also selected all black line art here and converted it to sepia to give it a vintage look. Except for the fairies. They’re green.

A colorist must also consider color settings.

Different clients can have different requirements. I find these color settings, which I got from the Hi-Fi Studio, to be pretty solid. I use them as my default for all my projects unless otherwise requested. If your publisher has other settings, they’ll usually send you a csf file which you can upload to Photoshop. The program will save your files and you can just switch between them as you need them.

This tells the printer things about the paper and the spread of the ink you will use. That’s what dot gain means - it makes printed color look darker than intended, so you set up your files to account for it.

When you hover your pointer over each box, it will tell you what each setting is supposed to accomplish.

Another really important thing to consider when coloring comics is color range.

I’m coloring this book in RGB range, but for print you use CMYK.

I’m about to confuse the heck out of some people with this post, I’m afraid. But here we go.

Here is this shot in RGB color setting.

And here is the same page calibrated for print in CMYK.

The biggest shift is in the reds. Print cannot match those reds.

You may not see much difference here, but it’s the sort of thing that drives artists crazy.

A computer should be perfect for conveying exactly what you want, right? It's all just 0's and 1's, binary information, and that information should be the same from one computer to the next?

Nope. Not even close.

First off, computer monitors must be calibrated. You can use a computer program or a tool that measures the color on your computer screen and then adjusts the color to an industry standard.

Have you ever been in an electronics shop where a bunch of TV shows were on display, all of them playing the same show, and have you noticed how different the color was from one TV to the next?

It's like that.

I freely admit I don't pay a whole lot of attention to calibration, but if I were a professional photographer I would. I'd have a little spectrometer attached to my screen and software would adjust my monitor to the best possible standard range. As it is, I just use the default setting on my computer and hope for the best.

If your monitor is properly calibrated and your art is shown on another monitor that is properly calibrated, the art will look almost identical from one monitor to the next.

YAY!

But from one monitor to the next, that's about where the resemblance ends.

Colors are calibrated to something called RGB, or Red, Green, Blue.

All colors come from a mix of red green and blue. At their greatest intensity, all the colors in the spectrum together become pure white light.

This is why RGB is called ADDITIVE color, because you ADD colors from the spectrum to get ALL colors, and all colors create the entirety of the rainbow, and pure white light.

Your computer monitor, your phone, your television, all images are created via light using RGB, a gamut that covers all possible colors that can be created.

That's a lot.

And that's why some of the colors you see on your TV or phone are so deep and intense.

For the widest possible range of color and intensity, you use RGB.

Unfortunately, there is what you can create with light, and then there is what you can create with pigment or ink. And that is why printing what you see on your computer almost never looks exactly like what you see in a book.

For printing, you must use a color setting known as CMYK. This stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key/Black.

In printing, the pure blue is actually Cyan and the pure red is actually Magenta.

CMYK color range is not created by addition, but by SUBTRACTION. In order to get the color you want, you reduce the percentage of one of the four colors for ink mixing. Mixing all colors, instead of giving you white, gives you black.

The gamut of CMYK is limited to what can be created with ink.

You've probably heard the term four color press? This is what that means. Four colors, with each color of ink run over the paper on rollers which, combined in varying layers of opacity, create all the printing colors you see.

But remember, what you see on your computer monitor and what CMYK gamut can handle are two different things.

Now, I’ve been really careful with the color settings on Good Omens, so there haven’t been any big surprises, but let me show you a snippet of a project I did for the French fashion house Balmain.

The RGB version:

And then this shot after it was converted to a CMYK file for print.

That's a pretty big difference.

Now, you see this shift mostly with vibrant colors, such as that pink there. But other colors hardly changed at all, right?

That's because this issue is about range of color. CMYK and RGB occupy a shared range which you can see demonstrated by this graphic I got from Wikipedia.

The graphic shows the RGB ranges supported by various digital formats. SWOP CMYK is the most common range my publishers use. Note that the bounding box line shared by the RGB and SWOP CMYK formats shares about half the range space. So whatever RGB colors you use that are outside that range will be digitally converted to the smaller SWOP CMYK range.

And you may not like what you end up with.

As you can see, some of the most ethereal and intense colors get lost outside of the SWOP CMYK boundary.

A look at the Dark Horse Comics color settings in Photoshop. Theoretically, this information should prevent your art from looking like mud on publication.

Now, after I just told you the dangers of coloring in RGB then converting to CMYK for print, I tell you I am coloring Good Omens in RGB anyway. There’s a couple of reasons for this.

Remember, RGB give you a greater range of color, so it can be to your advantage to preserve your original files using a format that gives you the greatest range.

Again, here is the unaltered file.

You can see what the CMYK result will be simply by clicking the Proof Colors button here. This will show you how the art will convert.

And the Gamut Warning will show you which colors are out of gamut range for print.

The intensity of that magenta and that purple in the top right are not going to print true.

This is how it will look in final.

So even if you do what you think is perfect color on screen, there is no way it can perfectly convert to print. Almost everything will involve a little bit of compromise.

Even though you have to consider the color shift issues, preserving your files in RGB gives you greater wiggle room, especially if you get lucky someday and get to work with a printer who can print in 6 colors. Or maybe some technology you don’t know about will pop up and make printing super glorious. Who knows.

Regardless, you should keep an eye on that gamut and color for CMYK print, while preserving your master files in RGB.

Until next time.

#good omens #graphic novel #good omens graphic novel #graphic novel kickstarter #colleen doran

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darkficsyouneveraskedfor · 7 months ago

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No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as dubcon/noncon, familial judgement/bullying, and other possible triggers. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: Your mother invites a lonely coworker to Thanksgiving, a bit too lonely.

Characters: Andy Barber

Note: this is the second of my autumn fics as decided by all of you!

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me <3

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Asking for more or putting ‘part 2?’ is not feedback.

Love you all. You are appreciated and your are worthy. Treat yourself with care. 💖

The smell of nutmeg hits you as you enter the house. That and the garble of voices. You take your time as you unlace your boots, keeping your jacket on as the rack is already overflowing with the like. You mentally ready yourself to face your famiiy and their annual judging panel.

You peek into the front room as you keep a firm hold of the boxed pies you grabbed from your favourite bakery in the city. You promised dessert and you brought it. You'll put them down before you wade in the deep end.

You enter the kitchen, rehearsing your greeting for your mother, but you're met with a stranger's back. He stands at the counter, scraping cranberry sauce from a saucepan into a serving dish. His brown hair is combed back neatly, though you can only see the ends from your vantage, and he wears a pressed shirt too white for the task at hand.

You hesitate. Where the heck is your mom? You can't see the man's face but you can tell he's a bit too young for her. Or so you would assume. He could be a cousin's boyfriend and yet he might be a bit above that.

"Um, hi," you say as you approach the end of the island counter, well away from him, "I'm looking for my mom."

"Your mom? Doris?" He wonders.

"Yeah," you answer as you set the pies on the counter. "I know I'm a little late..."

"She just went to grab something from the cellar," he explains. "I'm Andy--"

"There she is," your mom sweeps in with her seasonal gravy dish. "Mm, I knew you'd bring store bought."

"They're from a local bakery."

"You never did like being in the kitchen," she reprimands. "Oh, Andrew, that looks perfect. Not too runny."

You glance at the man. This strange man draws praise from her like honey from a comb, whereas you find the task as easy as squeezing juice from a stone. You let it roll off your back like you have for years.

"I got pumpkin, apple crumble, and some pecan. They usually sell out of that." You say.

"Ooh, pecan," the man, Andy, says.

"Oh, Andrew, my younger daughter," your mother introduces you as an afterthought as she goes to wash the gravy boat, "The typist."

"Typist? Mom, I'm an admin assistant," you counter. "I guess it doesn't matter."

"Just her, I'm afraid," she shuts off the faucet. "And her pies. No grandkids from her yet."

You see that this year is going to be just like the last. You're better off facing the rabble of aunts and uncles waiting for you in the front room. Heck, the kids' table might be the place for you.

"Thirty this year," your mother adds.

You force a tight-lipped smile. When you were a kid, it was your grades or the stubborn bit of hair at the back of your head or that your sister, Tia, did it better. Now you're an adult, it's your lack of ambition or lack of kids. You don't think you lack the former and you don't really want the latter. Life is what it is. You have a job that pays your bills and you don't need to add to your cost of living.

"I work with your mom." He offers. You look at him again.

He’s tall, blue-eyed, distinguished. He’s older but carries it well enough. The thin lines around his eyes only add to his looks, and his thick beard further defines his jaw.

"Oh, the law firm?"

"He's a new partner," your mother preens. "Oh, he gave your brother some good advice too. Hopefully he can move out of that public office soon enough."

Right, Rodney does everything right. He got into law, just like your mother told him too, and he has a pretty house and a pretty wife and three spoiled brats. Tia only has the one and a husband who works out of town every weekend. They're real grown-ups but to you, growing up seems boring.

Your life isn't glamourous. You do diamond art or catch-up on the last issue of your favourite comic when you're not too tired. You get takeout once a week, otherwise you put the ready-made meals in the microwave and eat it in front of the television. It's not special but it's your life.

"Public defenders do a service to the community," Andy says. "I did it for twenty years. It's not bad work. He can move up."

"Mm, and yet you moved to a private firm," your mother challenges him.

"Maybe you should be partner," he chortles at her playfully as he wipes his hands on the tails of the borrowed apron tied around his torso.

"My mom makes really good stuffing," you say, "I'm sure you'll enjoy it, even if you're not home for the holiday." You drag your feet along the tile, "I'm going to say hello to Auntie Toya."

"Good luck. She's in one of her moods," your mother tuts. "Must be menopause."

You leave before she can aim another snipe in your direction. She can't help but let the bullets fly and see where they hit. It might be thanksgiving, but you're struggling to find much to be grateful for.

🍂

"Mandy has a Christmas recital. I'll be sending the invite in the family chat," Tia, your sister, proclaims. "If you can make it, she'd be so happy, huh, sweetie?"

She pets behind her daughter's ear and makes her giggle. Every awes and cooes at the little girl. Just like when your sister was her age, she's the princess of the family.

"I can try to bring the kids," Rodney says. "We're thinking to get Kelly into dance next year. I need to get used to those things."

Everyone laughs. You're not very amused. You're happy the kids have hobbies, that they are doing interesting things, but you just don't care that much. Still, your happy to be able to fade into the background.

"I'm sure your sister can make it," your mother says, bring you back into the universe, "she doesn't have anything else going on."

Your eyes dart back and forth. Your mouth is full of potatoes. You gulp painfully.

"I can set the date aside. I still have some vacation left," you choke out. You can't make up an excuse with a whole audience to call you out.

You sink back into silence as Tia goes on about the show. They're doing The Nutcracker. Oh joy. You were never a fan. Why can't they do something fun, like The Grinch?

"Don't think I'm included in that invite," Andrew says under his breath from your left shoulder. As the two loners at the table, you're put together. "Kinda awkward."

He chuckles, trying to ease the tension. You shift and hide your embarrassment. You forgot there was a complete stranger here to witness your judgement.

"Right, well... I'm sure you have enough going on," you say.

"I'm sure you do too," he pokes at the yams. "Kids keep you busy but life is already hectic."

"Sure," you agree dully. You don't want to be rude. "you have kids?"

"One. A son. Grown. He went to his girlfriend's for the holiday and his mom... is not in town."

"Bad timing," you take another bite of potatoes. Maybe next year you can come down with a timely case of the flu.

"Don't be silly. She doesn't have a boyfriend. We'd all know," your mother trills with laughter. You pop your head up as the hairs on your neck tingle. You know she means you before you even catch her gaze. "It'd be such an achievement, she'd have to shout it from the rooftops."

You lost track of the conversation and you're not sure how you became the butt of the joke, but you're tired. It's supposed to be a day for family but it just feels like you're being cast out of yours. You put your fork down.

"I'm going to clear my plate. Think I had too big a snack on the drive here," you stand, gritting back your irritation. "As usual, stuffing's delicious."

You get up and make your way along the table. The silence is dense. Oh well. If they want to make this painful, you can do the same.

You go to the kitchen and find a container. You scrape your leftovers into it and shake your head. You suppose you are behind. You're thirty years old. Next year you'll be thirty-one and her chiding will be even louder. The ticking of the clock will only ger worse as the years go by.

"You're right, stuffing's good," Andy says.

You wince and glance over your shoulder. "Uh, yeah. Like I said, think my eyes were bigger than my stomach."

He comes up next to you and rinses off his plate, "well, I think my stomach would be turning too after that."

"It's whatever," you shrug.

"Thirty isn't old. You got time," he says.

"Thanks," you reply tersely.

"Not that it's any of my business."

You're silent. It isn't but you're not going to be rude enough to say that out loud. Unlike the rest of your family, you can keep your thoughts to yourself. They might think you're immature because you're not living behind a white picket fence, but at least you don't act like a teenager.

"It's better to take your time. You know, you rush into big decisions and you can't undo them. They don't always turn the way people promise," he says. "You follow that road map, take one wrong turn and you're wife's spending Thanksgiving with her 'work husband' at a hotel." He opens the dishwasher and wedges his plate between the metal, "Work husband, secret boyfriend, you know..."

You're struck by the revelation. You can hear the tension in his voice. The hurt, the anger.

"Oh, I'm sorry," you utter dumbly.

"You're sorry? She isn't," he reaches for your plate and rinses it next. "I'm not telling you because I want you to feel bad for me. I guess I'm trying to commiserate. It could be worse." He adds your plate to the washer, "you're doing nothing wrong. Being alone means you have choices. Being tied to someone... you have obligations."

"Yeah, sounds about right," you say. "Well, thanks. Not to benefit off your pain but yeah." You put the lid on the tupperware and sidle along to put it in the fridge, "I think I'm going to get some fresh air. Getting a bit overcrowded in here."

"A little," he agrees.

You leave and hold your breath until you get to the front door. Who knew the stranger at the table would be the only one to make you feel welcome?

You grab your coat from the guest room and push your feet into your boots at the front door. You go outside into the brisk air. It's actually nice. Refreshing almost.

You sit on the porch bench. In the colder months, it's rarely used. It hasn't snowed yet but the frost glistening on the grass is foreboding.

You tuck your hands into your sleeves and look along the street. The other houses with yellow windows, glowing with the warmth and shadow of happy families. This time of year has only ever been stressful to you. You're never a part of the fun, you're usually the source of it.

The front door opens and you fight to keep your unease under wraps. You don't need your mom lecturing you. Again. Or Tia telling you not to be jealous. Whatever happens is always your fault.

"Whew, it's cold," Andy's voice eases your nerves as it assures you it isn't who you fear.

"Yep, I don't mind. It's the only thin I like about this time of year."

"Really?" He nears and sits on the other end of the bench. "I'm a summer person, I guess. Used to be we'd go to some resort for New Years." He says.

"Sounds nice," you say.

"I know. I'm moaning about a luxury," he scoffs, "trust me, I get it. I got it all, what do I got to whine about?"

"I wouldn't say that. You never know what people have going on."

"Nope," he agrees and rubs his hands together. He's quiet as he leans forward, resting his elbows on his legs. He bends and unbends his fingers as he examines them then sits up again. "Brrr. Only good thing about this weather, snuggle weather."

He laughs. You try to. It's an awkward joke.

"Maybe I should get a cat," he suggests.

"Maybe," you clutch your hands tight. You should go inside. You know he's being nice but he's ruined the moment.

Your teeth chatter as you take a deep breath of the late autumn air. Just a little longer before you go back. You close your eyes.

The bench creaks and you think he's getting up. He must get the hint. Instead, as you open your eyes, you feel a weight across your shoulders. You flinch and peek at him from the corner of your eye.

"You're shivering," he says.

You look at him then back to the road. You should pull away but you can't. It feels mean.

"God, my hands are so cold," he grips your shoulder as he puts his other hand on your thigh.

"Woah," you catch his thick fingers.

"Come on, let's get warmed up," he breaks through your resistance and rubs your leg.

"Alright, I don't know what you think--"

"What's so wrong about it? Like trains passing through the night. My wife's cheating, you're single, we could have some fun," he purrs as he holds you against him.

"Um, no thanks," you grab his fingers again. "I'm flattered but--"

"Shh, shh," he peels his hand away from your leg, once more evading your grasp, and grabs your chin. "Your mom told me all about it. How you can't get a date--"

"That's not--" you latch onto his wrist, "stop, please, Andy."

"Come on," he turns your head and nuzzles your nose with his, "I'm so fucking lonely. My wife hasn't touched me in over a year."

"Your wife-- Andy," you hiss.

"Just kiss me, please? That's all I want. Just a little affection. To feel wanted."

"You're-- stop. Let go of me," you try to dislodge his hold on you. He's too strong.

He tilts his head and presses his lips to yours. You murmur and slep his chest with your other hands. He hooks his arm around you as he angles you toward him. You writhe and bite his lip.

He gasps and pulls back, keeping you locked in his embrace, "listen, sweetheart, you wanna play hard-to-get," he squeezes your jaw until you whimper, "what's mom gonna think when she catches you all over her married coworker?"

"No, that's not--"

"I'm sure she'll believe you," he snarls and slides his hand down to your throat.

"Why..." you croak.

"Baby, please, it's not a bad thing," he moves you with him as he edges off the bench. He turns, one arm still around you, his other hand locked onto your neck. He bends and forces you onto your back as he settles over you. "I'm going to make you feel just as good as you make me feel."

You wriggle and whine. What he says is just as scary as what he hasn't said. He'll make you feel as good as you do him, or as bad.

#andy barber #dark andy barber #dark!andy barber #andy barber x reader #one shot #fic #autumn #defending jacob

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shepscapades · 2 months ago

Note

Howdy! Forgot to ask this on the quiz, so I'll ask here:

Do you ever get tired of the worldbuilding in your works? Like, do you ever want to include some whimsy magic, but the pre-set rules of the world don't allow you?

Also, I might have missed it, but is the concept of the "players code" a thing in your story? We talking admin panels, lag, etc

Just curious, have a nice day!

Ouuu those are two really good questions! I'll answer the code one first, since i think it's important to the dbhc story and something people should know if they didn't previously notice it:

My understanding/headcanon/conceptualization for Hermitcraft (and dbhc, by extension), is that the world and players are very much comprised of code. Code is to the fabric of their minecraft reality like atoms are to the fabric of our reality, and Admins (opped players, i suppose) have special access to and responsibility over this code: they can see into it and adjust or fix errors to ensure players are kept safe and worlds are managed well.

This is perhaps most obviously seen in the "A Delightful new Partnership begins!" Comic in which Xisuma notices something isn't sitting right in the code around him and takes out his 'control panel/admin panel/console/etc' to investigate. I talk about it in a little more detail in my breakdown post of this comic, where I talk about the possibility of 24 getting access to the code, scrambling it up, and not really knowing how it works enough to put things back right. It's also implied that he may be manipulating/messing with Xisuma's memories by deleting parts of X's player code (I note that i didn't want the glitch effects to necessarily be associated with android-y effects), as we see him forget parts of this encounter and constantly shifting in and out of place as he gives unsettlingly neutral/positive/encouraged answers to a manipulative and intimidating Android 24.

I also love incorporating like, console commands into the comics and au :D such as '/clear queued visual cache' from Don't Let It Reach The Heart :] Though i know it's different since he's an android hehe

I also just think code integration into a 'realistic' interpretation of Minecraft-based stories opens the door for really fun translations of Video Game experiences (i.e., interpreting lag as something like disorientation, disassociation, or misalignment between a player's code and the world's). It's super fun to think about so I love making it part of these stories :D

Regarding worldbuilding! I don't think I've really grown tired of it, as far as I know (assuming you're primarily asking about dbhc, but i would say the following goes for my original works, too): When it comes to storytelling and worldbuilding, I have a very very, uh, logically-tracked mind about things? The reason things happen and the way things work all need to make sense within whatever system i've chosen/come up with/been working in, so I often have a lot of fun (or experience a lot of turmoil) trying to make events and characterizations fit within that world. If I ever have a new idea that doesn't fit in that pre-determined set of rules, I either: move on pretty quickly, not lingering on things that wouldn't be possible so I can find ideas or variations of the non-conforming thought that *would* work, OR try to think of fun ways to make a non-conforming idea work by developing a new rule that still coexists with previous ones (i.e., maybe there's an exception in the way the world works for reason x/y/z, and the more i develop that possibility, it could make previous characters or ideas more complex in turn! It's like a very fun puzzle to me, and it's why i love storytelling so much :D

#awesome questions thank you :D #dbhc #dbhc ask #ask #gardeninaquarium #dbhc mechanics #dbhc xisuma #dbhc android 24 #dbhc doc

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dertaglichedan · 5 months ago

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The sky is falling for some anonymous National Institutes of Health employees, scientists and institutions that receive federal research grants in response to the Trump administration's 12-day "pause" on document releases from the Department of Health and Human Services, which halts the work of NIH grant review panels.

Careers are at risk, innovation is at stake, life-saving research could be threatened, they say. But a pause might be good for man's best friend.

The animal-cruelty watchdog that exposed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' funding of gruesome experiments on puppies worldwide, with which its former director Anthony Fauci was confronted at a House hearing last year, published more records of federally funded puppy experiments this week, this time in China.

The Freedom of Information Act production to the White Coat Waste Project shows federal contracts for research in Chinese labs through May for "the evaluation of pharmacokinetics of compounds from dystonia" using beagles, mice and rats.

NIH kicked in $124,200 and Department of Defense an unspecified amount, the latter only mentioned in a single sentence: NIH's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences "has received a DoD award to specifically fund animal studies delineated in this award."

Researchers would use about 300 beagles a week, chosen because they are "docile, cute and easy to domesticate," the applicant's solicitation says.

The dry scientific language obscures the cruelty of the experiments, testing "poison" drugs on "puppies as young as 8 months old" by repeatedly shoving tubes in their mouths and restraining them "for hours on end," WCW said, posting pictures of the poor pups.

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daleeltrading · 2 months ago

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How the Right Supplier Can Improve Your Panel Assembly Workflow

In the competitive world of electrical panel manufacturing, time, consistency, and precision are everything. A well-organized panel assembly workflow can be the difference between hitting deadlines and losing contracts. But one often-overlooked factor in achieving operational efficiency is this:

The right supplier isn’t just a vendor — they’re a strategic partner. In this blog, we’ll break down how the right supplier can directly enhance your panel assembly workflow, reduce friction in operations, and elevate your entire production process.

1. Ensuring Reliable Component Availability

Panel assembly often stalls because of component shortages. When you’re missing critical parts — like circuit breakers, contactors, or terminal blocks — your line goes idle.

A dependable supplier:

· Maintains ready stock of high-demand components

· Offers real-time inventory updates

· Provides just-in-time (JIT) delivery

This ensures your team always has what it needs, minimizing production downtime and keeping your project timelines on track.

Impact: Faster production starts, fewer delays, better throughput.

2. Simplifying the Procurement Process

Juggling multiple vendors for various panel parts creates complexity — multiple orders, invoices, and deliveries. It eats up time your team could spend on value-added tasks.

A smart supplier partner:

· Consolidates a wide range of panel components

· Offers bundled BOM support

· Provides a single point of contact for all orders

This streamlined approach reduces your procurement overhead, lowers admin costs, and frees up your internal resources.

Impact: Faster ordering, reduced paperwork, smoother coordination.

3. Improving Product Selection and Compatibility

Choosing the wrong component — even slightly incompatible — can lead to rework, panel redesign, or even failures in the field. That’s a major risk to quality and your brand.

A technically capable supplier:

· Understands your electrical panel design and specs

· Guides you on compatible, compliant components

· Helps you select cost-effective alternatives when needed

With expert support, your team avoids costly errors and gets it right the first time.

Impact: Better accuracy, fewer mistakes, higher quality output.

4. Reducing Lead Times Through Local Sourcing

Global supply chains can be unreliable — delays at ports, shipping bottlenecks, and customs hold-ups all hurt your workflow.

A locally positioned supplier:

· Sources and stocks components closer to your facility

· Offers same-day or next-day delivery

· Bypasses import-related delays

This leads to shorter lead times, more predictable schedules, and the ability to react quickly to urgent needs.

Impact: Agile production schedules, improved customer responsiveness.

5. Supporting Scalable Growth

As your panel-building business grows, your workflow complexity increases. You’ll need a supplier that can scale with you.

A growth-ready supplier:

· Keeps track of your recurring BOM patterns

· Prepares for larger, scheduled orders

· Offers credit terms or inventory reserves for long-term customers

Instead of being reactive, you can plan your production proactively — without worrying about supply issues.

Impact: Smooth scaling, reduced bottlenecks, confident expansion.

6. Providing Value-Added Services

Beyond just selling products, great suppliers offer services that make your workflow leaner:

· Pre-kitting: All components bundled per job

· Labeling and part tagging

· Custom panel parts or DIN rail assemblies

· Training on new product integration

These extras can shave hours off assembly time and improve jobsite or factory efficiency.

Impact: Leaner processes, faster panel builds, lower labor costs.

Conclusion: Suppliers Are Part of Your Workflow Strategy

Your workflow is only as strong as its weakest link — and for many panel builders, that weak link is a slow or unreliable supplier.

At Daleel Trading, we go beyond supplying components. We

Stock what you need

Deliver when you need it

Support you with technical know-how

And grow with your business

The right supplier doesn’t just deliver products — they deliver productivity.

Ready to streamline your panel assembly workflow?

Contact Daleel Trading today to discover how we can simplify your sourcing, boost your efficiency, and help you build better panels — faster.

#electrical #low voltage #switchgear #manufacturer #panel #dubai #sharjahuae #united arab emirates

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itrappedxd · 4 months ago

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how’d you crash the stock market

- six time

"Mcnoobster and Olixx were responsible for that, if you're referring to APRIL FOOLS 2012. I was involved in MAY MADNESS 2012, thanks. But how they did it? Admin panels that were granted to a lot of people suddenly."

#may madness 2012 #itrapped #itrapped ic #not forsaken related so yeah #caleb244 #ellernate #mcnoobster #olixx #april fools 2012 #ive done my research chat... itrapped was involved in may madness #popular misconception is that he was involved in april fools 2012 when he was not!!#he was involved in may madness 2012 instead which is a very smaller incident

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fountainpenguin · 1 year ago

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"I'm not the kind of girl to get messed up with you- Hello! ... You're all right, but I'm here, darling, to enjoy the party..." (x)

---

New Dog's Life chapter today! ~ 3rd Life series fan-season

Chapter 31 - “Flame (Etho, Skizz, Pearl)”

❤️ Read on AO3

💛 Start from Chapter 1

💚 More Pixels Imperfect fics

---

Scar files a microaggression complaint with the HALO team. Pearl helps Scott settle in while he recovers from glitchy code. They have a spat that's not about a sticker.

Meanwhile, SnifferMyFeet and Etho separate their souls… and start an honest talk about Sniff's identity as Sniff, not Joel. It was needed. It's for the best.

(First 900 words under the cut)

---

Etho - Fox

Status: Resting

Self-taught programmer, full-time hero

💙 💙 💙

He gets it now.

It's like ice in your water. It's like marshmallows in your cocoa. It's like wind beneath your wings. The final week before he's due back in Between (reluctantly, but definitely due), Etho flops on his bed and sprawls his arms to either side. Is he giddy? He doesn't mean to be, but this feels…

… Oh, it's a game-changer. Which is exactly what he texts Cleo after scooping up his admin panel. They won't see it if they've left their private server, and since Session 2 of Dog's Life could be starting any day now, there's no telling how long that may take.

Etho: hey so Etho: remember after limlife 4 or 5 when we talked about burnout?

Grocery shopping. For a family dinner- he and Cleo both made one (like a peace offering) in a way that wasn't really flirty married life roleplay, but more like… regular, everyday person roleplay. Did all their shopping together so they wouldn't cook the same thing. Call it 'date night' if you want; he walked her home and there might've been a little 'dramatic logout' roleplay in there. We don't… We don't need to go into detail about it.

To some people that's romantic and to some it's completely gross. Not really sure why… It's a natural process, isn't it? Soul-eaters can't help being what they are, and you may as well snap at endermen hybrids for struggling with eye contact or shame unthreaded players if they expose their glitches instead of keeping them covered up. This world's too big and life too long for arguing. Do you really want to make enemies and be rude to people who are going to carry the echo of your words for the rest of their lives?

Lend a helping hand. Extend a little kindness. Be polite. Respond to the hurt. Try not to avoid responsibility when others are counting on your strength. Sit with the injured, even when the night is cold. They're simple goals, but so easily forgotten these days.

Etho: I think you said if I felt stuck then I should break my routine for a while

Nothing happens for several minutes. Etho rotates words without meaning through his head, then types out something else.

Etho: you were right. I get now why you go on adventures with Martyn. Why you let him and no one else log you out all the time. Thanks for the advice. Let me know next time you need a favor. Rating this cycle 10 of 10 and I owe you big xD

He takes a long, guilt-free nap in his cushioned bed. Catching up on block updates and videos really drains a guy (especially this close to the end of the Hermitcraft season, not to mention Vault Hunters and a Life series on top of it), but he spent all morning prepping the bed and it's already providing every agonizing tick of its worth. Two hours later, he's stirred awake by a buzz on the admin panel.

ZombieCleo: yay! So glad that worked for you <3 I want to hear all about it. Maybe in a couple weekends you can watch MCC with me and the kids + Martyn? If we catch a minute alone, I can recommend more stuff you might be into ;)

The kids refers to Bdubs and Scar, who skated through Limited Life like energetic teenagers spreading their wings. It's goofy, it's endearing, and Cleo's got her roleplay voice on because she knows it makes him snort. His tail gives a twitch as he tries to keep a smirk from creeping out behind his mask.

Martyn, huh? he muses, but doesn't say that. Cleo circles between lovers, friends, and exes like a pollinating bee.

Etho: whoaaaa Etho: inviting a fox? that's dangerous! ZombieCleo: nose out of your tail, fur boy Etho: dibs on Martyn, I see ZombieCleo: If you're serious about returning the favor, Martyn says Rhetoric's down here and this might be our best chance at smash and grabbing from your mum's museum Etho: Hm… ZombieCleo: I mean, you did leave my eggshell when you rescued Grian and that other soul

Yeah- it looked distressed. Now Sniff's down here. He can actually talk now when he couldn't before. Honestly, not the worst decision he could've made.

If anyone's going to try getting into the Fox Dragon's museum, a fox has the best chance of doing so. It's kept separate from the nesting cave where souls respawn, but even the deadliest traps won't keep foxes out since they'll just respawn. Unless they're traps that can't be dodged even with careful planning, or some sort of system that short-circuits code. The phantom roost is nearby, right? Frankly, phantoms are excellent trackers, they can fly, and they're probably the fastest of all non-swimming hybrids, so a phantom alone provides great security as-is.

Etho: I'll think about it. Not tonight, though. Full moon fox face isn't for me. Also if there are raiders there then that's probably the worst time to show up ZombieCleo: Fair ZombieCleo: I can think of something else, but if you ever get the chance, I want it back Etho: duly noted ✌️ ZombieCleo: btw say hi to Scar and Bdubs when you see them. They've been cracking nonstop jokes since you disappeared. One can only imagine they're attempting humor to bury immense throes of pain Etho: D:

[Full chapter on AO3 - Link at top]

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themefork · 2 months ago

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Unleash Backend Brilliance with Material Dashboard Laravel – A Powerful Free Admin Template

Why Material Dashboard Laravel is a Must-Have for Admin Interface Developers There’s nothing more frustrating than building an admin dashboard from scratch, especially when tight deadlines and limited budgets are part of the equation. That’s where Material Dashboard Laravel swoops in like a superhero. With its sleek design, responsive layout, and integration with Laravel 5.5, it offers developers…

#Admin Dashboard Template #backend ui #Bootstrap 4 Admin Template #Clean #developer-friendly HTML5 #Dropdown #Free Bootstrap 4 HTML5 Template #Free HTML5 Dashboard #free template #Google Maps #laravel #Laravel Backend Template #Laravel Dashboard Template #material design #Material Design Admin #Multipurpose #On hover effect #Responsive Admin Panel

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easylaunchpad · 2 days ago

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⏱Hangfire + Serilog: How EasyLaunchpad Handles Jobs and Logs Like a Pro

Modern SaaS applications don’t run on user actions alone.

From sending emails and processing payments to updating user subscriptions and cleaning expired data, apps need background tasks to stay efficient and responsive.

That’s why EasyLaunchpad includes Hangfire for background job scheduling and Serilog for detailed, structured logging — out of the box.

If you’ve ever wondered how to queue, manage, and monitor background jobs in a .NET Core application — without reinventing the wheel — this post is for you.

💡 Why Background Jobs Matter

Imagine your app doing the following:

Sending a password reset email

Running a weekly newsletter job

Cleaning abandoned user sessions

Retrying a failed webhook

Syncing data between systems

If these were handled in real-time within your controller actions, it would:

Slow down your app

Create a poor user experience

Lead to lost or failed transactions under load

Background jobs solve this by offloading non-critical tasks to a queue for asynchronous processing.

🔧 Hangfire: Background Job Management for .NET Core

Hangfire is the gold standard for .NET Core background task processing. It supports:

Fire-and-forget jobs

Delayed jobs

Recurring jobs (via cron)

Retry logic

Job monitoring via a dashboard

Best of all, it doesn’t require a third-party message broker like RabbitMQ. It stores jobs in your existing database using SQL Server or any other supported backend.

✅ How Hangfire Is Integrated in EasyLaunchpad

When you start with EasyLaunchpad:

Hangfire is already installed via NuGet

It’s preconfigured in Startup.cs and appsettings.json

The dashboard is live and secured under /admin/jobs

Common jobs (like email dispatch) are already using the queue

You don’t have to wire it up manually — it’s plug-and-play.

Example: Email Queue

Let’s say you want to send a transactional email after a user registers. Here’s how it’s done in EasyLaunchpad:

_backgroundJobClient.Enqueue(() =>

_emailService.SendWelcomeEmailAsync(user.Id));

This line of code:

Queues the email job

Executes it in the background

Automatically retries if it fails

Logs the event via Serilog

🛠 Supported Job Types

Type and Description:

Fire-and-forget- Runs once, immediately

Delayed- Runs once after a set time (e.g., 10 minutes later)

Recurring- Scheduled jobs using CRON expressions

Continuations- Run only after a parent job finishes successfully

EasyLaunchpad uses all four types in various modules (like payment verification, trial expiration notices, and error logging).

🖥 Job Dashboard for Monitoring

Hangfire includes a web dashboard where you can:

See pending, succeeded, and failed jobs

Retry or delete failed jobs

Monitor job execution time

View exception messages

In EasyLaunchpad, this is securely embedded in your admin panel. Only authorized users with admin access can view and manage jobs.

🔄 Sample Use Case: Weekly Cleanup Job

Need to delete inactive users weekly?

In EasyLaunchpad, just schedule a recurring job:

_recurringJobManager.AddOrUpdate(

“InactiveUserCleanup”,

() => _userService.CleanupInactiveUsersAsync(),

Cron.Weekly

);

Set it and forget it.

🧠 Why This Is a Big Deal for Devs

Most boilerplates don’t include job scheduling at all.

In EasyLaunchpad, Hangfire is not just included — it’s used throughout the platform, meaning:

You can follow working examples

Extend with custom jobs in minutes

Monitor, retry, and log with confidence

You save days of setup time, and more importantly, you avoid production blind spots.

📋 Logging: Meet Serilog

Of course, background jobs are only useful if you know what they’re doing.

That’s where Serilog comes in.

In EasyLaunchpad, every job execution is logged with:

Timestamps

Job names

Input parameters

Exceptions (if any)

Success/failure status

This structured logging ensures you have a full audit trail of what happened — and why.

Sample Log Output

{

“Timestamp”: “2024–07–20T14:22:10Z”,

“Level”: “Information”,

“Message”: “Queued email job: PasswordReset for userId abc123”,

“JobType”: “Background”,

“Status”: “Success”

}

You can send logs to:

Console (for dev)

File (for basic prod usage)

External log aggregators like Seq, Elasticsearch, or Datadog

All of this is built into EasyLaunchpad’s logging layer.

🧩 How Hangfire and Serilog Work Together

Here’s a quick visual breakdown:

Job Triggered → Queued via Hangfire

Job Executed → Email sent, cleanup run, webhook processed

Job Outcome Logged → Success or error captured by Serilog

Job Visible in Dashboard → Retry if needed

Notifications Sent (optional) → Alert team or log activity via admin panel

This tight integration ensures your background logic is reliable, observable, and actionable.

💼 Real-World Use Cases You Can Build Right Now

-Feature and the Background Job

Welcome Emails- Fire-and-forget

Trial Expiration- Delayed

Subscription Cleanup- Recurring

Payment Webhook Retry- Continuation

Email Digest- Cron-based job

System Backups- Nightly scheduled

Every one of these is ready to be implemented using the foundation in EasyLaunchpad.

✅ Why Developers Love It

-Feature and the Benefit

Hangfire Integration- Ready-to-use queue system

Preconfigured Retry- Avoid lost messages

Admin Dashboard- See and manage jobs visually

Structured Logs- Full traceability

Plug-and-Play Jobs- Add your own in minutes

🚀 Final Thoughts

Robust SaaS apps aren’t just about UI and APIs — they’re also about what happens behind the scenes.

With Hangfire + Serilog built into EasyLaunchpad, you get:

A full background job system

Reliable queuing with retry logic

Detailed, structured logs

A clean, visual dashboard

Zero config — 100% production-ready

👉 Launch smarter with EasyLaunchpad today. Start building resilient, scalable applications with background processing and logging already done for you. 🔗 https://easylaunchpad.com

#.net development #.net boilerplate #Hangfire .net Example #easylaunchpad #Serilog Usage .net #Background Jobs Logging #prebuilt apps #Saas App Development

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digcovai · 4 days ago

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What Makes DigiCovai the Best eCommerce Development Company in Coimbatore?

Creating a website is not simply a choice in today's digitally-first economy; it is a need for businesses. One thing is certain, regardless of whether you are a manufacturer in Kurichi, a wholesaler in Peelamedu, or a tiny retailer in Town Hall: your consumers are online, and your store should be as well. But picking the perfect companion to guide you there? This is where DigiCovai is useful.

Here are some of the reasons why companies from a variety of sectors regard DigiCovai as the top E - Commerce Development Company in Coimbatore and why they depend on our team to take their brand online.

Built for Sales, Not Just Looks

At DigiCovai, we think your website should do more than just be "live." For this reason, we do more than just design attractive storefronts. We create unique eCommerce websites with backend systems that grow with your company, are optimized for mobile browsing, and are built to convert. Every click, from cart abandonment recovery to product filtering, is designed to have an impact.

24/7 Sales with Web + Mobile

Given that 70% of consumers explore or make purchases on their phones, your online business has to be as responsive as it is on desktops. Our eCommerce solutions are completely mobile-friendly, and for organizations hoping to cultivate enduring client loyalty, iOS and Android app development is a possibility. Since you can own a place in your customers' wallets, why stop at a website?

Methodology-First Method

We listen before we code anything. Every project starts with a strategy meeting to learn about your product, target market, and corporate objectives. After that, we create a user experience that is specific to your target market, regardless of how many goods you sell five or five thousand.

Customized Solutions for All Sectors

Every company is different, and your online store should be no exception. DigiCovai is a Coimbatore-based full-service eCommerce development business that provides tailored solutions for retail stores and boutiques.

Manufacturers Selling Straight to Customers

Delivery of Essentials & Grocery

Skin Care & Cosmetics Brands

Accessories & Electronics

Marketplaces with many vendors

eCommerce Partner All-in-One

DigiCovai is your digital growth team, not just a development company. Everything you need to create, expand, and develop your online store without worry is provided by us, from UI/UX design and secure payment gateway integration to real-time analytics dashboards and post-launch maintenance.

Findings That Make an Order

Mobile apps have improved retention, streamlined backend operations with bespoke admin panels, and increased traffic by up to three times for our clients. What's the best part? They only needed to be prepared to expand; they didn't need to be tech-savvy.

Final Thought

Many developers are available to "build you a website." However, DigiCovai is your partner if you're searching for an E - Commerce Development Company in Coimbatore that creates for outcomes, dependability, and long-term growth.

Together, let's create your 24/7 store.

youtube

#ecommerce #ecommercecompany #ecommercewebsite #ecommercedevelopment #onlinestore #smallbusiness #Youtube

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multipurposethemes · 1 year ago

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A Comprehensive Guide to Bootstrap Admin & Dashboard Templates

Dashboard Templates built with Bootstrap provide a quick and efficient way to create backend interfaces and web apps. With pre-built components, customizable layouts, and easy integration, a Bootstrap admin template helps developers skip repetitive coding tasks and focus on business logic. This comprehensive guide explores the key benefits of using Bootstrap for admin templates and dashboards.

Why Choose Bootstrap for Admin Templates

Built on top of the popular Bootstrap framework, Admin Dashboard UI Kit inherit several advantages:

Responsiveness Out-of-The-Box: With Bootstrap's mobile-first approach, components automatically adapt for desktop, tablet, and mobile screens. This saves ample development time.

Cross-Browser Consistency: Bootstrap templates render seamlessly across all modern browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Edge etc. There are no worries about CSS overrides.

Easy Customization: Variables and mixings allow easy styling changes sitewide. Tweaking colors, fonts, sizes to match brand requirements is straightforward.

Component Reuse: Bootstrap's UI library can be reused across templates and pages. No need to code repeating elements like cards, alerts, modal popups etc.

Continuous Updates: Bootstrap's open-source community steadily improves and extends functionalities. Admin templates built on Bootstrap allow leveraging the latest developments.

With these benefits, Bootstrap streamlines building admin backends and control panels, reducing cost and time-to-market.

#Dashboard Templates #Admin Dashboard UI Kit #Bootstrap UI Kit #Software Dashboard Design #Bootstrap UI framework #Responsive Web Application Kit #Bootstrap Admin Panel

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shadeops21 · 1 year ago

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Hello! I love your Cosplay Guides for COD! It’s very detailed and well done! But I can’t seem to find the character I’d like to cosplay beside Soap! I even found and looked on your DeviantArt, but he wasn’t there. Would it be possible to consider adding Gary ‘Roach’ Sanderson? Thank you in advance! :)

Ah, here’s where it gets difficult as there isn’t a “canon” reboot appearance of Roach that is able to be properly broken down. A lot of the “remaster” Roach images out there are actually just using modified or “kitbashed” versions of AI NPC skins or generic MP “milsim” skins, which share a lot of the same core assets as the campaign characters in terms of clothing, plate carriers, and pouches, albiet in different configurations and colourations.

The OG trilogy doesn’t give us much to work on either as we didn’t really see more than his arms from the first person mode, and what glimpses of his body we do get, he’s wearing the same kit as the other TF141 characters as their appearance was a lot more uniform than the reboot is. The other issue with the OG trilogy is that the equipment, even in the remaster, is too low-poly and generic to really make any kind of identification of specific equipment nearly impossible.

(Post-note: This is turning into a longer response than I expected so I’ll throw this under the cut)

Personally, if I were building a cosplay for Roach that was in line with the reboot’s aesthetics, then I would start with what “theme” I want to capture based on existing trends. Looking at what the other boys have there are about three, maybe four distinct themes:

- Night Raider: the “nightwar” gear where they’re all in black and navy blue, night vision goggles, all that “going dark” angle

- Field Work: what the boys wear a lot during MW19 and MWIII, your more conventional SF look with the green, brown, and camouflage printed clothing and gear, maybe helmets or hats, etc.

- Urban Ops: essentially streetwear or civilian attire with their combat loads just thrown over the top, maybe a thinned out load for mobility or “short duration” actions. Think Soap’s tee & jeans load or what is worn during the tunnel fight in the end of MWIII.

Once you have a theme in mind, draw inspiration from the others for what Roach might have, and don’t be afraid to incorporate headcanons if you so choose.

Here’s what I would do if I were building a Roach costume, using what is known from the canon trilogy and commonly adopted fanon.

Theme: Urban Operations

Clothing:

- Ranger Green Crye G3 combat shirt, rolled up sleeves to below the elbow. UK IR flag patch on right shoulder pocket flap.

- Faded blue and torn denim jeans, single kneepad on the right knee.

- Mechanix Original gloves in Coyote Brown, cutoff the trigger finger halfway on the right glove.

Platform (vest):

- Crye CPC in coyote brown

— Condor Tactical Annex Admin pouch on the top velcro section of the vest

— 2x HSGI Twin AR Taco rifle mag pouches on the front MOLLE panel, occupying wearer’s left and centre row pairs

— Flashbang pouch occupying right row pair of the front molle panel

— Left cummerbund, running front to back: HSGI Single AR Taco rifle mag pouch, Spritus Systems GP pouch, Tactical Tailor PRC-152 radio pouch - all coyote brown

— Right cummerbund, front to back: flashbang pouch, Spritus Systems GP pouch

— Rear platebag just remains empty to accommodate a backpack when needed

— Patches: Green IR UK flag patch attached to the admin pouch

- Ronin Tactics TF Belt, coyote brown

— Left hip: ESSTAC twin pistol magazine pouch, with single HSGI AR Taco behind it

— Small of back: Blue Force Gear Micro Trauma NOW IFAK

— Right Hip: holster of some kind on a low-ride platform, suitable for a sidearm of your choosing. Recommend Safariland brand.

Headwear:

Beanie/watch cap with Opscore AMP headset over the top, half-face neckwrap in black or grey, with tinted wrap sunglasses.

Haven’t covered footwear as I have a few boots I wear personally, can’t go wrong with either Underarmour or Oakley tactical boots, or cross reference my guides and see what the others wear.

I hope this serves as a helpful guide or something to help you out with your own Roach cosplay. And believe me, if we do get a Roach character in the reboot verse you can bet that I’ll have their loadout breakdown done!

Thanks for the ask!

#ask the aussie #ask the blogger #call of duty #cosplay #cosplay guide

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sadnesslaughs · 6 months ago

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Aliens use a special digital simulator game to train for wars and combat, often taking months to complete. When humans find the game, they speedrun it.

(A response to a writing prompt)

Ciqoid couldn’t believe what his three eyes were seeing. This was a Hirati simulator, one of the most advanced pieces of technology that their race had ever created, and this human was breezing through it like it was nothing. He again read through the results, only to find they were more impressive than he had first imagined. “Two hours on the flight tutorial. Six hours to complete the Raguth war. That’s impossible. He won a six-year war in six hours.”

After getting over his disbelief, a question popped into Ciqoid’s mind. If the human was still in the simulator, what was he doing? The war was over. What else could he possibly be doing in their state-of-the-art simulator? That should have been the end of his training. Ciqoid placed his fingers suction cups against the scanner, overriding the lock on the simulator’s door. When his suction cups popped off, the door peeled open, revealing Henry slouched, not in the simulation chair, but in a cushioned office chair. In one hand, he had a carbonated beverage, and in the other, his remote. Henry’s visor shining in his face as he continued his training.

“Henry, the simulation’s over. Proceed to your quarters. We will discuss your results later. I’ll need time to process them.” Ciqoid glanced at the display panel across from the human, watching over their current in game activities. Henry’s avatar bouncing up and down in the city square, using that bouncing technique to move three frames faster than his normal walking speeds.

While his choice of movement was odd, his current predicament wasn’t. A lot of people who entered the simulation, ending up getting trapped within it. If you spend weeks or months inside a simulation, you’ll start losing your grip on reality, being unable to figure out what’s real anymore. Though that didn’t make much sense to the alien. How did Henry get a drink if he was trapped inside the simulation?

Henry scratched his ass with the remote before going back to his game, not even acknowledging his alien captain. “Ok, how am I supposed to do this? Resorlia flowers? Harvi chocolates?” He muttered to himself.

Ciqoid sat in the nearest spare simulator seat, placing its visor over his face. As he entered the simulation, he teleported to Henry, using his admin privileges. “Henry, you can leave the simulation. You’ve completed the training we set up for you. You’re dismissed.” He said, tapping their avatar on the shoulder.

“Oh, captain.” Henry jumped, his avatar displaying a ! sign at the contact. “Sorry, sir. I know this is taking a while, but I’m stuck on the main quest.”

“Main quest? Have you not completed the war?” Ciqoid gave a smug smile. That had to be it. The results were all wrong. These humans weren’t beating the war in record times. There was a glitch in the system. That made far more sense.

“The war? Isn’t that the tutorial? Like a playable opening cutscene?”

“No, that’s…. what are you even doing in here if you’ve finished the training? What could you consider a main quest?”

Henry pointed to the Hirati woman sitting by the bird sanctuary in the city square. She watched the alien birds fly around their cage, all decorated in majestic colors that matched all the colors of the rainbow. Henry sighed, looking at the beautiful three eyed alien, unable to take his eyes off her. “That’s the main quest.”

“Officer Nel? The ai we created to congratulate the players on a job well done? The ai modelled after our own ships, ai? That’s your main quest? How have you been in the simulation for this long because of that?”

“Because you can’t rush, love. Everyone knows if you rush in a dating simulator, you’ll lose your chance at love. So, what do you think, captain? Would you prefer flowers or chocolates if someone was confessing their love to you?”

“Flowers. Wait, no. You have work to do, so stop this nonsense and come back to the real world. Ok?” Ciqoid got a notification saying Henry had gifted him some chocolates. Before he could ask what the chocolates were for, Henry had already marched his way over to Nel, handing her the flowers.

The two avatars locked eyes, and heart icons appeared, causing Henry to chant both in real life and in the simulator. “I did it. I won the heart of the beautiful Nel. I’m the greatest. I did the main quest.”

While captain Ciqoid was a stern man, he wasn’t heartless, eating the virtual chocolates while Henry celebrated. Eventually, he kicked Henry from the simulator, meeting him in the real world. “Ok, you're done. Go back to your quarters. We will discuss your results later.”

“Got it, sir.” Henry stood up, having grown a beard from his time in the simulator. He also didn’t have any pants on, which was something Ciqoid’s three eyes wished they hadn’t seen. The captain awkwardly staring at the ceiling, not wanting to see their underwear.

“PUT SOME PANTS ON.”

“Oh, sorry, sir. Wanted to get comfortable while I was playing it. That’s a fun game. You should try it sometime.” Henry said, grabbing his pants as he headed for his quarters.

“I have tried it. Over four hundred times….” Ciqoid was about to head for his quarters, only for the ship’s ai to perk up. While the room usually got a green tint when the ai was speaking, this time it was a flushed pink.

“Captain. Requesting the use of a cybernetic body. A T-model please.” Nel spoke, only for the light to dim when Ciqoid’s face scrunched.

“You were enjoying that, weren’t you?”

“I… can’t say his words weren’t charming, sir.”

“Fine, I’ll authorize it for our next break. Until then, you will continue your professional duties. Is that understood?”

“Perfectly, sir. Thank you. I will be counting down the days until our next break.” With that, the ai returned to its duties, leaving Ciqoid to go over the results in his head.

“How did they end up charming an ai? These humans are such strange creatures.” He said, hoping the next human that used the simulator wouldn’t cause him this much of a headache.

#short stories #writing #writing prompt #story #writer #scifi #sci fi and fantasy

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