#cascade mod

[fried-shrimp-tempura]

recent...ish cascade concept stuff ive done (upcoming calamity addon)

[nimble-bubble]

Happy ResCas Day 2025, the scars on Freeman's mind are on replay

(Song: Replay by Lady Gaga, with compressed vocals)

[thienvaldram]

Half Life – Residual Saga – Timeline Analysis

Introduction

The Residual Saga consists of three mods, plus a few older drafts that don’t fit into this analysis. The three covered specifically are Residual Point (From RL 2.05), Residual Life (2.05) and Residual Agent (Test Version 4). Despite their sheer scope and the almost unprecedented density of the lore of these mods, they are absurdly poorly documented in English in any capacity.

I’m not in any place to confidently relay anything to do with the more pertinent lore points like the weird temporal reboot between RP and RL, the whole Lautrec/Talisman and Sun Eater/Tiny Dwarf thing, the connections with Gadget and Third Force and whatnot. But what I can do is take all three temporally at face value, map out their timeframes, and try to map that onto the events of Half Life 1 as, whilst it is unclear whether or not the mods take place in the exact same setting as the events of the original game (or one another), it is worth taking a more thorough crack at it than the others who have tried as part of larger sync walkthroughs.

Addendum (If you want to play it yourself)

If you intend to play this version of Residual Point or Residual Life I recommend downloading the ‘FunGuy’ version on ModDB for… reasons that will become obvious if you read the comments of both versions.

Residual Point

RP begins with Jack Sohn heading into work at the Biodome Complex, seemingly working on those teleporters we see in Opposing Force when Shephard traverses the area. It can be reasonably assumed that the experiment malfunctions due to the Resonance Cascade and that the event takes place around the same time as it does in Half Life 1.

We then get a brief sequence in Xen, ending with the voice line from Half Life Blue Shift from Rosenberg encouraging Barney to return from Xen.

Now would be a good time to bring up the weighting in which voice lines can be given. RP, RL and RA are mods made by a Korean Mod developer who, whilst not speaking no English, does not speak full English either. With multiple recurrences of some lines, it is more reasonable to assume that the lines are a stand in for ‘generic chatter’ in at least some instances.

Residual Point’s Chapters are as Follows

Intro (Unnamed) – Morning

Insecurity – Morning

Incoming – Morning before incident, Unknown afterwards

Among the Ruins – Daytime (Black Ops Zombie appears)

Office Facility – Unknown

Obscure True – Daytime – Military First Appear

Residue Pit – Unknown

Bombing Surface – Evening (Or early Morning)

Recession – Unknown (ZECU First Appear, Black Ops First Appear)

Distortion – Unknown (Before Teleport/KO), Night (afterwards)

Upper Yard – Morning/Evening, then Night

Course to Lambda – Night

Into the Portal – Lambda Teleporter, then Xen

Dread Plot – Xen

Residual Point – Day (Portal Storms)

Going by that timeframe, we know the Black Mesa Incident of Half Life takes place over three days, the first consisting of Black Mesa Inbound through to On A Rail, the second beginning in Apprehension and lasting for the rest of Half Life 1, but for Shephard beginning with Welcome to Black Mesa and ending at We Are Not Alone. A second night is never shown in Opposing Force, but with the nuclear detonation taking place during the Day, one can assume the nuke didn’t detonate until the third day, with Opposing Force’s latter half, from Foxtrot Uniform to World’s Collide being the morning of Day 3 and Crush Depth to Pitworm’s Nest taking place over the second night. So by that timeframe we have…

Day 1

Intro (Unnamed) – Morning

Insecurity – Morning

Incoming – Morning (Resonance Cascade)

Among the Ruins – Daytime

Office Facility – Daytime

Obscure True – Daytime

Residue Pit – Daytime to Evening

Bombing Surface – Evening (We’ve Got Hostiles era Bombing run)

Recession – Night (HL1 Rocket Launch, then Black Ops Arrive, then ZECU first appear)

Distortion – Night

Day 2

Upper Yard – Morning, then Day and Evening whilst Underground, then Night once resurfaced. (Black Ops turn on HECU here)

Course to Lambda – Night (Same time as Lambda Core)

Into the Portal – Night (Lambda Core ending, then Sohn goes into Xen)

Dread Plot – Xen

Day 3

Dread Plot – Xen (cont into Day 3 Morning on Earth)

Residual Point – Day (After Gene Worm Defeat from OP4, before Nuke)

Nuclear Detonation (From Opposing Force)

This does result in oddities, namely that the Upper Yard Chapter takes Jack Sohn an entire day to complete, as long an amount of time as all of the previous approximately three hours of gameplay in a span of 20 minutes of gameplay. But that concession really must be made regardless on if one intends to fit Residual Point into HL1s timeline or not as it forces the Night -> Day -> Night mapping thing, were it not night after the unconsciousness in Distortion, that would allow for a teleporter break timeskip to the end of Day 2 or at the very least to extend the Recession chapter into Day 2 but with the current skyboxes this is the only real option.

Notably this placement also keeps consistency with most of the major events of Half Life 1, with early Pit Drone cameos being escapes from the Biodome (Can’t really explain that one Black Ops Headcrab Zombie in the earlier chapters which’d indicate a Day 2 placement but a Day 2 placement is impossible without fudging the skyboxes of either Distortion or Upper Yard. Either way, the Black Ops still arrive at some point between the Day 1 night time On a Rail Rocket Launch and the Day 2 morning at the end of Apprehension when Gordon is captured. As well as constraining the arrival of the ZECU to the night time of Day 1. Obviously the ZECU are not seen in Half Life proper, but one can assume the Nihilanth (or Residual Life Xen Route Boss) targeted them into specific areas of Black Mesa at specific times, and Gordon, Adrian, Barney, Gina and Colette never directly intersected those areas of Black Mesa in that timeframe. After all by the same metric, Gordon never encountered Race X during Forget About Freeman or Lambda Core despite them very much being at least somewhat active in that period.

Residual Life

Residual Life is far longer, more narratively involved and arguably more interesting than its predecessor. RL begins with Sora Kim waking up in her dorm and heading to work in the Lambda Complex, entering an elevator just after the Resonance Cascade. The elevator drops and Sora is knocked out. Waking up an undetermined amount of time later to get to the surface. Seems straightforward enough until you pay attention to the details on the surface, at first glance it seems like it’s the time of the We’ve Got Hostiles aerial bombardment but a closer inspection reveals it is in fact more likely to be that of Forget About Freeman. This is notable due to the presence of Black Operations who, in both RP and HL1 do not appear until the night of Day 1, after the timeframe it would have to be for that skybox to appear.

That at least narrows it down to either Day 2 morning or Day 2 evening. Similarly the yard chapters, No Way Out and Countdown seem to at first glance support a ‘Day 2 Daytime’ placement, around the time of Residue Processing – Surface Tension. But between the Black Ops killing the marines, something that only begins in Day 2 afternoon as per Opposing Force, and then most crucially the Nuke detonation which occurs in both Route 1 and Route 2, being the backing driving force behind the entire Countdown chapter through announcements that specifically refer to it as ‘Charlie Bravo’, concluding in it detonating whilst you try to disarm it in Route 1 or detonating as you flee underground in Route 2 indicating that the events of the daytime chapters actually take place after the ending of Opposing Force, during the era between the Gene Worm’s defeat and the nuclear destruction of Black Mesa, implying there were in fact multiple nukes shipped into Black Mesa rather than just the one we see in Opposing Force, with Route 2 implying large parts of the facility even persists after the detonations.

The Timeframe of Residual Life is then as follows

Day 1

Impossibility Dream – Morning

Black Mesa Inbound – Morning

Routine Work – Morning (Resonance Cascade)

Day 2

State of Emergency – Daytime

Legal Defence – Evening

“One is All, All in One” – Evening

Ground Zero – Evening

Between Worlds and Chaos – Xen

Day 3 – Route 1

No Way Out – Daytime

Countdown – Daytime (Nuclear Detonation)

Nuclear Portal – Xen

Ruins of Chronos – Xen

Ashes of Lautrec – Xen

Altar of Sacrifice – Xen

Impossibility Dream – Spatial Isolation

Epilogue – Night

Day 3 – Route 2

No Way Out – Daytime

Countdown – Daytime (Nuclear Detonation)

Chaotic Blue – Daytime

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust – Evening

Heart of Nightmare – Evening

The Centre of All Things – Evening

The Sun Eaters Pillar – Sun Eaters Pillar

Chosin Reservoir – Evening (confirmed to be a real BMRF location in Residual Agent)

The Sun Eaters Pillar (Part 2) – Sun Eaters Pillar

The Tiny Dwarf – Sun Eaters Pillar

The Sun Eaters Pillar (Part 3) – Sun Eaters Pillar

Impossibility Dream – Spatial Isolation

Epilogue – Night

Addendum, Double Nuke Theory

When doing a multi-mod timeline with a bunch of other mods, the timing of the nuke often becomes an issue. The premiere instance of this being Half Life Echoes, which shows the nuke as happening during the night despite Opposing Force’s nuke being during the day. Taking RL into account, it becomes clear that the initial nuke(s) in OP4 (And RL Countdown) fail to destroy large parts of the facility, opening up the possibility that a second, higher yield nuke was detonated the following night after the first barrage failed to stop the Portal Storms that by the time of Day 3 would probably already be ravaging the United States, hence the attempt to contain the disaster by nuking Black Mesa.

Thus the nuke shown in Echoes is not the first nuke but in fact a final ICBM that truly destroys Black Mesa, matching up with the implication in the HL2 era that Black Mesa is utterly gone. Sora’s final escape in the Epilogue would therefore (if real) be shortly prior to the final nuclear detonation.

Residual Agent

I had not played Residual Agent prior to this, nor to be entirely honest have many people. The developer of RP and RL only ever officially hosted RA on their personal Naver blog, making it prohibitively difficult, but not impossible, to access. Unlike RP and RL, RA is also a spinoff of Half Life Zombie Edition and is currently unfinished with far less gameplay than RP or RL. Its less-linear nature and tendency to loop back on itself makes skybox analysis much more difficult too but there’s still a few things we can glean.

For instance

The Black Ops are present

The Black Ops and HECU are working together

The skyboxes are morning/evening.

3 means it has to be one of the following

Day 1 Evening (We’ve Got Hostiles era)

Day 2 Morning (Apprehension era)

Day 2 Evening (Forget About Freeman/“We Are Pulling Out” era)

Day 3 Morning (Foxtrot Uniform Era)

Day 3 Evening (Post-Nuke, Chosin Reservoir Era)

Day 3 Evening can be ruled out right off the bat as the combatants don’t match that of Chosin Reservoir in RL, plus that’d drastically increase the likelihood Rezina-rhagithor 3320 (The headcrab protagonist of Residual Agent) and Sora Kim met which didn’t happen in either game.

Number 1 rules out a Day 1 time, since the Black Ops only arrive on the night of Day 1, number 2 meanwhile rules out Day 2 evening (Which is explicitly when the Black Ops turn on the HECU) and Day 3, meaning the most viable setting as of the current demo is Day 2 morning. This means that Rezina passes through RLs areas before Sora which tracks with the fact the ‘Circle of Death’ secret from RL is not yet unlocked in RA.

So we have

Intro (Chiola Breeding Citadel, Xen)

Field of Blood (Possibly Day 1 Night)

Reign of Blood (Day 2 Morning)

Lake of Blood (Day 2 Morning)

Path of Blood (Day 2 Morning)

To Be Continued…

[kaywavy]

I'm Doing My Part!

[shrimperini]

first batch of portal refs done!! the second will come soon (i hope) it will include spin off and mod characters as well :D

android AU: everything stays the same but the robots are more humanoid. thats it really xD

human AU: set in 2010. quite a few things change (i oc-ify the characters pretty much). the main things to note is that it’s a lot of what if scenarios. what if the resonance cascade in black mesa never happened, what if caroline had a daughter (gladys, so glados and caroline aren’t the same person in the AU. i wanted to explore the possibility of them being two separate people haha), what if the disk operating system project was put into halt and AI never took over. in the AU black mesa and aperture are still rivals in the development of teleportation technology, portals are still being experimented on, human test subjects are paid to test, they don’t go through cryo sleep stasis but live their life at aperture in dormitories (let me slice of life portal okay im self indulgent). Aperture still has questionable work ethics and morals but things work slightly more differently. Gladys is the CEO of aperture and she pushes for a lot of work to be done so they can surpass black mesa. Also important to note, Chell registers as a test subject for the cash deal but she also aims to investigate what really happened to her adoptive father who died at Aperture.

that’s the main essence of the au, still working on it and some plots here and there but, like most of my fandom aus, it’s really self indulgent slice of life crap LOL

if you have questions or feedback don’t hesitate to let me know! :>

[rheya28]

The Oasis Restaurant ♥ The Sims 4: Speed Build // CC

Welcome to The Oasis, where the desert oasis meets tropical charm. Nestled in the heart of Oasis Springs, this restaurant features lush greenery, cascading water features, and earthy tones that will transport you to a tranquil oasis amidst the desert sands.

➽ Speed Build Video

➽ Build Notes

● I used alot of foliage on the ceiling for photo taking purposes, and it can be difficult to see inside when playing. Feel free to delete some/all! ● I also used table settings on the table. Please delete them if you're using this for gameplay as the food will not show up if you dont.

➽ Important Notes:

●Please make sure to turn bb.moveobjects on! ● Please DO NOT reupload or claim as your own. ● Feel free to tag me if you are using it, I love seeing my build in other peoples save file ● Feel free to edit/tweak my builds, but please make sure to credit me as the original creator! ● Thank you to all CC Creators ● Please let me know if there's any problem with the build

➽ Lot Details

Lot Name: The Oasis Lot type: Restaurant Lot size: 30 x 20 Location: Oasis Spring

➽ MODS

● Tool Mod by Twisted Mexi

➽ CC List

Note: I reuse a lot of the same cc in all my builds, specifically cc's from felixandre, HeyHarrie, Tuds, and Pierisim so if you're interested in downloading past, present, future build from me i suggest getting all their cc sets to make downloading a little easier! other creators include Sooky, Charlypancakes, Sixam, Thecluttercat, Myshunosun, awingedllama, Peacemaker, kiwisim4. This will also ensure that the lots are complete and are not missing any items upon downloading ! Around the Sims 4 ● Shop sign - Music, front Bbygyal123 ● Abstract Prints Blueteas ● Samara Dining FelixAndre ● Chateau pt [2] ● Colonila pt [1][2][3] ● Florence pt [1][4] ● Shop the look 2 ● Grove pt [1] Harrie ● Brutalist ● Klean pt [2][3] ● Kwatei pt [1] ● Octave pt [2] ● Shop the look 2 ● Spoons pt [2][3] ● Orjanic House of Harlix ● Jardane Max20 ● Cozy Backyard Lilaccreative ● Jewelry store Sign LittleDica ● Rise & Grind My cup of cc ● Maple Manor the Modernist Peacemaker ● Creta Kitchen ● Elsie bedroom ● GentrlyDraping Pierisim ● Domaine Du Clos pt [3] ● MCM pt [1][3] ● Pantry Party ● Winter Garden pt [2] ● Woodland Rach pt [1] Sixam ● Small spaces pantry Syboulette ● Advent 2022 [ceiling lamp] Taurus Design ● Lilith Chilling Areas Tuds ● Cross ● Ind Rustic Sims ● Mexicbeach

● DOWNLOAD Tray File and CC list: Patreon Page ● Origin ID: anrheya [previous name: applez] ● Twitter: Rheya28__ ● Tiktok: Rheya28__ ● Youtube: Rheya28__

[fabric-shower-curtain]

By complete accident I somehow have the autopsy scar mod on top of the bhaalist tattoo mod, don’t ask me how they’re both on my durge I have no idea how it happened. But it got me thinking how would the origin characters (+halsin) react/barely react to a lover that is heavily scarred and tattooed? (Set in Act 1)

Read more for the full brainrot

Astarion: The first time Astarion saw your body for himself was when he walked past your tent late at night, through the flaps in the entrance he saw all those scars, he couldn’t tell what had you awake this late in the night, especially mostly naked with your back turned. The vampire simply continued on his way to hunt for the night. He dropped it there, until that is, the second night in the clearing you two spent together. He was lying down leaning his head against his arms as his red eyes stared at your naked body. His eyes flowed down every scar that littered your body, he barely seemed to look at the tattoos but that’s what he asked about first “So, can you translate that one?” - he points to the tattoo across your left arm, lifting up the limb you pull your skin to take a proper look at it. It’s been a while since you properly saw it, because just out of sight enough to make it annoying to stare at. When you tell him Astarion seems content with the information. His fingers drift across the tattoo. It’s a tender moment until the elf’s hand floats toward your neck. His ice cold fingers dancing across the lingering puncture wounds on your neck - “But these are by far my favorite mark on you,” You lean into Astarion’s touch releasing a chuckling sigh before calling him the weirdest flirt you have ever seen.

Gale: He really didn’t mean to go to the river at the same time he truly meant to go two hours early when he said he would, but that tome was particularly interesting - the effects of adrenaline on libido, certainly important for a man so restricted by his netherese orb. But now it was two hours past and he definitely had a musk going on. Taking an extra robe and rag Gale went to the nearby river, only you were there too. Illuminated in moonlight you were bare in front of him. Gale cleared his throat loudly, trying to let you know he was there. What he did not expect was for you to whip around and get out of the water to say hello. He tried his best to only look at your face, he did not succeed. Your skin was glowing with a vei of water cascading down in droplets. Gale’s eyes followed one droplet from your hair, down your neck, across your chest until a certain tattoo caught his eye, infernal script. Trying to keep his focus on the tattoo rather than the flesh its on he asked you if it meant what he thought it did. He was right in fact, and you told him the story behind why you got it, quite the nice tale. The wizard relaxed enough to notice another scar across your soldier “Is that from a magic missile?” He asked without thinking. Nodding in confirmation you turned to show your shoulder blade where the other two missiles struck. As you turned around the coldness of the night hit you like a thunder wave, a massive shiver shook your entire body spraying tiny water droplets around. “Gosh you must be freezing,” - Gale wrapped you in his towel-rag before stressfully ushering you back towards the camp. Once you got back to your tent you realized you left your towel and clothes on a nearby rock, you could return the peeping Tom favor.

Halsin: Halsin adores you long before he ever saw your birthday suit, sure he thought about it, quite a lot, but with his focus deep on the shadow-curse he doesn’t have time to do much other than think about out. But the first time he does see you was far from romantic or sensual. A hook horror had slashed your entire back open when you got to close, and Halsin watched it all happen. Before the beast even hit the ground he was rushing over to you, he didn’t think, he just ripped your armor right off of you to get to the wound. You might have been screaming but his ears were ringing too loud to tell one noise from another. Halsin couldn’t even see where scar ended and fresh cut began, your tattoos were doused in enough blood to make them impossible to see against your skin. The bear of an elf’s hand floated above the wound with the same glowing blue light the hook horror’s body was basking in, thank silvanus he was far enough from the sussur tree for his magic to work. Even with his healing a scar in the same place as the monster's claw marks stayed. Halsin’s druidic skills must be faltering, that’s what he determines at least. Until the next day, you’re healed fully up and about getting ready to leave camp for the day. Halsin calls out your name - “I’m sorry I could not heal you fully, I tried best I could but the scar persists” to his confusion you begin laughing. The scar he’s so upset about has been on you for so long now, and you tell him such. His healing left no scar, in fact he healed you so well an old scar was able to show.

Karlach: The first time she saw you naked you were bathing next to each other after a battle. Even with Dammon’s initial upgrade you can’t touch each other, but you swore to find ways to be intimate without touching, just like this. However you neglected to inform her about what lay under your clothes until now, scars covering you head to toe interlaced with tattoos of varying quality. “Hey Soldier! How come you didn’t tell me before stealing my aesthetic!” You didn’t even register this was the first time exposing yourself in such a way, a brief moment of panic before you burst into a smile. “Come here, let me see them” Karlach makes you twirl around, using the faintest touch of her fingers to pull your arms out and see the tattoos wrapping around them. Her eyes continued to trail down your body, after a gasp she jumped back up to your face - “That burn scar looks like mine!” She said before pulling down her trousers to show you the near identically placed scar on her thigh. But Karlach didn’t ask about the obviously fresher stab scars, she continued to smile at her new discovery but lets the two of you properly bathe for once.

Lae’zel: Even when pinning you against a wall the githyanki warrior wasn’t particularly gentle. It’s not like you didn’t know what you were getting yourself into tonight, she had said pretty explicitly she seemed carnal pleasure. Somehow Lae’zel was even more assertive in such a scenario than during your adventures. You couldn’t even take your own armor off, she practically ripped it off of you. Your body is exposed to her in an instant, she doesn’t react, her hands go immediately to unlace your trousers and undergarments. The night is enjoyable even as exhausting as it was. Only much later does Lae’zel ever comment on them, and its in a conversation praising you two’s battle prowess “Each scar is a battle fought, a battle won.” You try not to tell her you have at least two scars from dropping the knife while cooking with Gale. She’s sweet in her own way.

Shadowheart: Shadowheart first saw you naked while healing a particularly cruel wound, goblin had snuck up on you and slashed your torso deep. You stabilized yourself quick enough with a healing potion but the wound persisted. After the battle you wandered your way over to Shadowhearts tent, asking for help. She laid you down atop her bedroll, sliding your shirt off as you let yourself relax into the makeshift bed. And then you caught it, Shadowheart’s eyes widened, shit. But she didn’t say anything; she pressed her warm hands towards your open wound as they lit alight with magic. Radiating from your gash the warm feeling washed over you, your eyes closed softly breathing out in relief. Shadowheart quelled her magic, looking over you for a fat moment. You can feel her eyes wandering over you, up and down your chest, down your stomach and across both your arms. The relief of healing has left you now but you’re still too scared to open your eyes. And then a soft hand traced along your largest scar, her fingers were so light it tickled. “I like your tattoos.” The half-elf’s voice was soft, her eyes focused back on your large scar, “How’d you get that one.” Whether or not you tell the story she’s content, happy to have this extra piece of you in her memory.

Wyll: Poor Wyll just wanted to ask about the plans for tomorrow, but not only did he smack his horns on the skeleton of your tent while entering but you’re also as naked as the day you were born. The man nearly shrieked like he saw a ghost, his entire chest swelled up with his shoulders shooting up and he looked like he just swallowed a frog. Without a word Wyll turned on his heel and left your tent, only after trying to cool his blushing face off did he even process all your markings. Upon the log he sat on he dragged his hand up and down his face trying to process what the hells just happened. And then you exited your tent, completely decent this time. You greeted Wyll and sat beside him wondering what he had barged in about in the first place. But the poor man can’t even look at you. He as calmly as he could gave you the sincerest apology you’ve ever heard. After your acceptance he finally turns to you “So what does that tattoo across your back mean?” You pause for a moment, then explain as best you can. And that conversation continues just like that, he’d ask how you got a certain scar or tattoo and you’d answer him. In return he showed you one particularly nasty scar on his arm from a monster he fought while traversing the sword coast. What may have started as the most embarrassing moment of your partnership ended with you closer than before.

[onemodco]

DOUX - Hattie Hairstyle by Doux

This hairstyle is a chic and elegant choice for Sims who love a sophisticated yet relaxed look. It features long, wavy hair styled into a low side ponytail with soft, cascading curls. The side part and loose strands framing the face add a natural and romantic touch. Perfect for formal events or casual outings, this hairstyle combines effortless beauty with timeless charm, making it an ideal addition to any Sim's wardrobe.

get the mod at👇👇

https://www.modcollective.gg/sims4/details/creation/5925

Created by doux, see more on Mod:

https://www.modcollective.gg/sims4/artist/doux

AD Free! 🆕 CC added daily!

[maiden-of-the-waters]

Sparks and Showers Part 1

//My first attempt at writing for @tunadunanana ‘s OC, the Phoenix Maiden, affectionately named Birdie. Tuna, this story turned out so much longer than I was expecting and planning, I really hope I did your Birdie correctly because this is a lot of writing for her to be completely out of character 🤣🤣 if she is I do apologize.

This is a SFW story, no warnings, not proofread to do forgive any spelling errors; MOD//

Summary;

The Journey has been complete, Battles won, and Memories restored. Birdie and the Newly Awaken & Reincarnated Sun Wukong are making their way back to their home mountain of flowers and fruit. But when they stop to rest, the creatures of the forest make it hard to relax.

——————————————————

🐒🦜🐒🦜🐒🦜🐒🦜🐒🦜🐒🦜

——————————————————

Time can be a beautiful thing when it runs in your favor. And it can be painful when it is against you.

That was a world defining truth that Birdie had come to know incredibly intimately.

Matters of the heart usually fought with Time you see, clashing in the worst of ways. Days seem to stretch for far too long with the Heart was grieving, and when the heart was at its happiest time flew faster than any falcon.

During the final battle the Destined One had had with the stone shell of the king who had once unknowingly held her heart, Birdie wished time could fly faster, to get past this awful moment.

The irony wasn’t lost upon the Phoenix Maiden that not even hours earlier, when they were bantering back and forth, she had wished time could slow… just a bit. The maiden setting aside her pain at seeing her dear friend in the face of this stranger who had become her friend as well,

But there were also occasions when time seemed to slow in the good moments as well.

After that previously mentioned battle for example; When the dust had settled, when that radiant light that was oh so familiar faded, when the elderly monkey that held that awful awful headband took a step back, when she saw her friend’s own head still free of that golden chain….

When he stood up…

When he turned to look at her when she took a hesitant step forward… and recognition flashed.

“Birdie?” His eyes widened and he smiled.

Birdie felt her breath catch in her lungs as - for the first time in hundreds of years - she allowed herself to hope…

Because that smile - oh that smile - that was His…

Time slowed as she took a few steps closer. The wings of hope spreading ever wider in her chest. The pair took each other in.

“Wukong?” Her voice, usually so melodic and sweet, cracked under the force of the emotions that were cascading through her. Part of her was scared to make a noise, to break this fragile moment in fear that it was just some cruel illusion, another dirty trick from the gods.

This Wukong, who carried himself the same, still standing in that familiar way that favored the hip opposite of his Staff… the familiar way his tail barely moved as he was taking something in… it was all Him… but there was a look in his eye that was a bit… unfamiliar… Older, wiser? Only that capricious Time would be able to tell….

But, this Wukong took a slow step forward, Helping the Phoenix Maiden close the distance just a bit more… and let out a soft Hooting Chirp, a curious sound… a question?

It was such a little sound…

But it caused the Phoenix Maiden to drop her Bow, Arrows and her Bag into the water uncaringly as her brought her hands to her mouth to cover the Sobs that shook her body. Every dam within her breaking as emotions surged forward, overtaking her in an overwhelming force.

He was back! It was Him! He was Back!

She ran to close that distance as he reached forward to receive her. And they shared an embrace so tight that no force on heaven or earth could’ve separated them in that moment.

They clung to each other desperately, afraid to let the other go in fear that this was all a perfect dream.

But Wukong was the first to feel relief course through him as he felt her tears soaking his fur on the side of neck… because never, not even in his unconscious and hibernative state, had he ever imagined her crying in such a way. And he knew this was real.

He held her tighter to him, wrapping his arms around her in a force that tried to shield her from everything, to keep her secure even as she fell apart.

As for the Phoenix Maiden,

The sweet woman with such joyful colors that mocked her ever mourning being, the woman who wore loyalty on her skin and her heart on her sleeve even as the world around her crumbled, the woman who began this journey to give herself closure and possibly make peace knowing her dearest friend had gone before she could tell him how she felt and the feelings she held - Because why rush to spill your heart when you were supposed to have eternity?

For the first time in Hundreds of years… the Tears she were shedding, the sobs that were making her tremble…

They weren’t of grief.

—————————————————

🐒🦜🐒🦜🐒🦜🐒🦜🐒🦜🐒🦜

—————————————————

The next couple days were a joyful blur for the Phoenix Maiden, reconnecting with her dear monkey, speaking the words in her heart that she never had a chance to say before. The absolute joy at hearing him accept her feelings and validate them by matching them with his own.

There were many talks of expectations, of what they desired from one another, the fears they carried, the love they had, the future they wanted… but alas those stories cannot be told here, for they were private and for each others ears only.

And of course, not all moments were good. You see, the trauma they had gone through didn’t magically disappear with the presence of the other.

Poor Birdie was reminded of this first hand when she had a nightmare of her world being over again. Dreamed of blood on her hands, desperately reaching for a body that was always just out of reach. No one responding as she screamed for help.

When Wukong had finally able to shake her awake from that unconscious horror, she had clung to him for hours, her cheek against his chest, her ears focused on the steady beating of his heart. The pair holding each other until her trembles faded and a dreamless sleep swept her up once more.

Sun Wukong wasn’t spared either. (Though one could argue seeing his dear friend be tormented so was torture enough.)

No, the immortal monkey king too had bad dreams, though his weren’t always at night. As he settled into this new body and the memories it held before he returned, the Great Sage now found himself plagued with visions and hallucinations as past and future clashed in his mind.

Both the present body and his past mind struggling to find their equilibrium, his Yin and Yang out of balance.

Visions of being defeated, his body being torn apart, Phantom Pains leaving him resting his head in the Phoenix Maiden’s lap as she attempted to sing away the pain that had long since passed, past battles with modern foes, voices on the wind that mimicked his people but were wrong, illusions of a weapon or claw about to strike his side before fading before the hit could land. He would turn and snarl at the sound of an enemy to find it was only empty air.

He had forced himself back into his meditations and his more Buddhist mindset in an attempt to force the Equilibrium to settle when he went to go attack an enemy only for that enemy to turn into his precious Birdie before his Cudgel had a chance to land its hit.

That moment had been a reality check for both of them. Wukong may be back… but he was still very much not at his 100 just yet…

It helped that Birdie was so supportive of him, gently taking his hands when he flinched away from her, telling him in that melodic voice of hers that, They just needed to take it slow, these things take time. Besides, they finally had forever. Wounds would heal, the nightmares would fade.

It was that night that they decided to start making their journey back to Mount Huaguo, that beautiful Paradise of Flowers and Fruit. “After all!” Sun Wukong had spoken, his fur puffed in joy and anticipation. “What better place to heal the mind than my paradise on earth! Besides, I believe their handsome king has been absent for long enough.”

He felt himself puff up more with pride when his words brought a smile to his Birdie’s lips.

—————————————————

🐒🦜🐒🦜🐒🦜🐒🦜🐒🦜🐒🦜

—————————————————

This is how we find ourselves where we currently are at within the story my dear readers.

As both Sun Wukong and the Phoenix Maiden are beings capable of flight, the pair crossed an impressive distance of land in a relatively short amount of time. Neither had any doubt that if Birdie had clung to Wukong on his jīndǒu yún cloud, (筋斗云) they could make it back to Mount Huaguo in a day, if not a handful of hours.

However they both came to an agreement that with it being as long as it had been, it’d be wise to move at a more leisurely pace - even if from the air - so that Wukong could familiarize himself with how the land had changed. At the pace they were going, the trip would take 3 days and 2 nights back to their beloved mountain.

Everything went smooth the first day and night. The second day say they were forced to slow because of winds that were blowing against them. Birdie beating her wings twice as hard to move forward against the breeze. Wukong stayed a bit behind her to catch if it was needed.

But Birdie took it with good humor, giggling that that flight had been the best workout she’s had in years!

That brings us to where we are tonight:

“It is good that we arrive back at the Mountain tomorrow,” Birdie hummed as she opened her bag and took out two generously sized Mangos and a bag of tree nuts from a cashe Zhu Baije had gifted to them before they departed. “This is the last of it, we may need to forage for lunch tomorrow…”

Sun Wukong nodded as he grabbed the mango and stoking the fire they sat by to warm themselves and their clothes before they went to rest in the trees for the night.. “Hmm… unless we want to agree that taking it at a leisure pace was a silly notion and we just use my jīndǒu yún to cross that meager distance before our bellies have a chance to complain?”

“Sun Wukong!” Birdie gasped, a playful gleam in her eyes, “Am I to hear that the Great Sage Equal to Heaven can’t handle roughing it any longer? What does the Handsome Monkey King miss his pillows?”

“Blasphemous! You dare to insinuate that This great King can’t handle a bit of dirt?! Better to wish to avoid dirt than be dragged back to the earth like a waterlogged pigeon because of some wind!” Sun Wukong leaned forward as he accepted her invitation to play, a relief warming his chest to have confirmation once again that the years didn’t take this game of theirs away.

“Even Pigeons can keep themselves pristine and well groomed! How many pebbles and rock clumps have I had to untangle from your fur since your return you wretched Stone Monkey! Perhaps we should go ahead so the denizens of the mountain can run you a bath and line up to groom you properly!” She narrowed her eyes with a grin, but also carefully watching for his reaction, remembering how important troop grooming sessions were for his kind.

But there was no insult in his eyes, only mirth as he matched her grin. “Brave woman! Brave indeed! You voice so easily on my stone nature but tease me for wanting to stay away from the floor in which entangles those clumps in my fur! Dare I say you are contradicting yourself?”

The Phoenix Maiden leans in close and settles herself against him in a motion Sun Wukong doesn’t trust one bit, not while they’re within the game, but he enjoys her proximity too much to push her away. That’s before Birdie leans her head against his shoulder and innocently entangles her fingers in his fur at the base of his neck, taking care not to snag the fur.

“Oh Wukong…. Should I gather some soft moss for you to rest your royal head? I’d hate for you to crimp your neck at your impressive age.” From where she sits, Wukong can’t see her face, but he doesn’t have see it to know she’s holding in laughter from the way her shoulder shook, to how her tone is pitched.

Wukong made an aghast sound from his chest as he playfully grabbed the woman beside him making her finally release her laughter as she squealed and attempted to get away from his tickling hands.

The Phoenix Maiden didn’t realize until too late Wukong’s dastardly plan as he took them to the forest floor as they tumbled around each other in their game.

That was, until Birdie’s hand brushed against something in her hair….

Was that… a twig? Leaves?

Realization dawned as she shoved a Cackling Wukong away to take stock of her appearance.

“Oh you didn’t! WUKONG!” She was covered in Leaves, Twigs, Dirt… and those Rock Clumps. She looked a right mess, and thoroughly tumbled.

The smug Monkey King laughed even harder, the force of it making him loose his footing and nearly causing him to fall into the fire. “Don’t worry! Don’t worry! I’m sure once we get back to the mountain, the denizens will run you a bath and line up to groom you!”

He laughed harder as he threw her words back at her.

She succeeded in untangling a stick from her hair and proceeded to throw it at the furry Stone Menace, causing him to wheeze as he gripped his sides.

Birdie attempted to pretend to be stern before she fell into laughter as well. What could she do? Sun Wukong’s joy had always been infectious.

——————

The joy and mirth of the moment came to an abrupt end when Wukong froze and was suddenly on his feet, staring unblinkingly into the forest, his stance tense.

“Do you hear that my Birdie?” His voice was softer now, barely above a whisper.

Birdie felt her heart sink in her chest a bit as she slowly got to her feet and took a step back, running on the assumption it was another invisible enemy that often plagued his mind, and readying herself to jump into the trees should a one-sided battle commence.

“Wukong, I don’t-“ the snap of a branch cut her off as she froze as well, turning her head to look in the direction the sound came from… and it was only then she realized how silent the woods had become. “Yes. Yes I heard that.”

She grabbed her bow and notched an arrow, flexing her wings to become airborne at the first sense of true danger.

More rustling and the sounds of large trunks snapping made them both tense further in readiness for whatever they were about to face.

Just when the Stone Monkey was about to activate his gold vision, a blast of fire and molten rock shot at him as a horrible screech shot through the trees. Officially breaking the otherwise eerie silence. He only barely moved out of the way in time, the smell of singed fur quickly filling the air.

Birdie yelped as the molten rock landed next to her foot as she jumped into the air with a single beat of her wings and took a shot in the direction of where the attack had come from.

Another awful screech rang out, letting Birdie know her blind shot had landed.

There was a burst of movement as the awful beast finally revealed itself. A giant Róngyán xīyì (熔岩蜥蜴) ((Lava Lizard)) at least 16 heads long burst forward. It’s wide mouth open, attempting to swallow one or both of the travelers but missing them both.

Its movements were heavy, clumsy and uncoordinated. Its large and burning eyes nictated as it moved its head around looking for where its prey had gone. It’s fat Tail lashing and trying to rid itself of the arrow sticking out of it. Rumbling with dissatisfaction.

Both Wukong - from his place hiding in the brush, and Birdie - from her spot in the trees stayed quiet, hoping the beast would move on. The Lizard was larger than the xīyì usually came. They were supposed to grow no larger than a forearm.

And they usually stuck to the Volcanes of the North. It was a long way from home and clearly was a successful hunter if its size was anything to go by. Though, despite its size, it clearly wasn’t a wise creature, clearly it wasn’t capable of speech or hadn’t any power to achieve transformations. It was simply another predator like a tiger or an alligator.

The xīyì curled its head back as it curled its tail up, almost making itself into a ball before its blackened charcoaled scales began to rattle and steam and the pink of its belly glow before its golden throat and cheeks bulged. And it just so happened to be in the direction Wukong was hiding.

“WUKONG! GO HIGH!” Birdie shouted as she took another shot. It found its home in the xīyì’s Shoulder as the creature screeched once more. Spewing a torrent of fire and molten rock out of its gullet. The spray going a considerable distance as Wukong shot upwards with his cudgel to avoid the attack

The xīyì twisted its body around rapidly as it continued to empty its gullet. The area quickly becoming encased in flame as the thick slag stuck to the tree and ignited them.

The Phoenix maiden felt her eyes begin to burn and her throat itch as smoke blew in her face. She began to cough as she beat her wings to move the smoke away and push herself higher into the air.

Wukong snarled and bared his teeth. “Bothersome Beast! I shall make your hide into an armored Tunic! Watch as I end this!”

Twisting around, he brought up his cudgel and flipped it so it was above him, using his strength to bring it down with a force that cracked the earth. Flattening the creatures head, the Róngyán xīyì’s body going still.

He landed on the ground next to it, and kicked it in irritation. “A good armored Tunic indeed! I should’ve left your eyes! Gave you a last look at the mess you caused!”

“Wukong,” Birdie raised an eyebrow at him. “I don’t think that poor creature is hearing you anymore.” She then looks around as anxiety starts to build within her chest. “This forest is going to burn, what do we do?”

Indeed the fire was spreading fast. The dryness of the wood combined with the strong winds working in tandem to turn the steady blaze into a raging inferno.

“Bah!” Wukong shrugged away her worries as he finished skinning the beast and folding away the pelt carefully to be turned into its tunic later. “We can fly above it Birdie. It won’t harm us.”

Birdie scowled. “Wukong, the denizens of the forest can’t all fly. We can’t just leave them to burn.” She points at a bird nest in the distance with three far-too-young chicks to prove her point.

Wukong thinks for a bit. “Very well, grab the nest with the babes, we will take them with-“

“Wukong!”

“Fine! I’ll go have the dragons send a-ACK!” He flinched and turned his head down as a raindrop found its place in his eye. A few more raindrops fell against Birdie’s cheeks and Wukong’s head before the rain steadily became heavier and heavier.

The rain felt warm, and to Birdie, incredibly familiar as the sweet smell of fresh water, ozone and flowers filled the area.

Raising a hand to protect her eyes she looked up at the rain cloud that had snuck up on them and saw the vague outlined shape of a woman in the clouds, her hair fading and falling as the rain that was now smothering the flames.

Birdie feels herself start to smile and her emotions rise into her throat as she’s almost sure that the woman - Her dear sister who had stood by her through everything - looks at her with a reassuring smile before her head turns away, her body sways, and she fades into a cloud once more… vanishing with the gentle sound of a distant rolling thunder.

“Wukong… did you see her?” Her voice soft and gentle. Still shielding her eyes as she looked up at the clouds to see if She was still up there, but she was gone. Moved on, giving her sister the privacy she had promised her so long ago when Birdie had first left for this journey.

Wukong was rubbing his eye from the liquid smack he had undeservingly received, and gave his body a good shake to rid himself of water that was soaking him. Taking one of his hairs, transforming it into a large umbrella, he grabbed Birdie and dragged her closer to him to join him in his jīndǒu yúnas to relieve her wings the stress of flying in the rain.

He shook his head as he felt her settle next to him. “No… I didn’t see her. Who? The Pearl Girl?”

Birdie rolled her eyes and gave his chest a weak smack even as she got closer to warm herself with his heat. “Wukong be respectful, she’s our sworn sister. She has been truly a support for me these past couple hundred years.”

Wukong grumbled but adjusted his body to hold her. “I don’t know how she has still fooled heaven into thinking she’s some peaceful ‘Tranquil Lady’. She’s peacefully shoved water up my nose and in my ear for a innocent prank more times than I care to remember!”

Birdie laughs as his words bring up multiple memories of the various ways Wukong would try to elicit some emotional reaction out of her otherwise non-reactive friend when they were still on their great journey to retrieve the Tripitaka Scriptures. And only succeeded in getting a physical response instead.

The phantom sounds of him cussing and sputtering and hacking while Zhu Baije laughed filled her ears. The Yín zhēnzhū gōngzhǔ’s only emotional reaction would be the slightest of a glare and eyebrow twitch before she went back to drinking her tea and the conversation she usually had with Birdie or Sha Wujing on the occasions she was summoned to assist the pilgrims.

Birdie leaned her cheek against his shoulder. “You usually deserved it, you were awful. Constantly poking and prodding at her when she had taken to time to come and help us.”

Wukong huffed out a laugh. “She always had this calm demeanor even when she was angry or irritated underneath. I was simply helping her express her emotions.” He remembered the one time he had seen her punish and execute the Bā tuófēng yěmán rén, that sort of calm rage wasn’t healthy for anyone. Especially not for a woman with the power to inadvertently make it everyone else’s problem.

Yes, Wukong thought to himself. He was justified in his needling and pranks towards the princess. Because he knew he’d been awful and annoying. Usually ever on his worst behavior when that pearl maiden was around, going just far enough to not have his master punish him with that blasted headband.

Because it allowed her to release those emotions she usually kept so bottled up, giving them an outlet that wasn’t a violent storm or a deadly riptide.

Truly, he deserved more appreciation. The great and handsome monkey king didn’t have to go out of his way, but he did for the sake of his friends.

Birdie laughed at his pouting face as she gave him a kiss on the cheek to sooth him. “Well you could’ve told her that rather than being so… You about the whole thing.”

Wukong pouted then chuckled in agreement. Indeed he had been awful. But it was fun. He began to have his jīndǒu yúnas take them out of the storm’s path and to a dryer area to listen to the rain from a distance and get some rest before they finished their journey at sunrise.

The Phoenix Maiden sighed as she watched the rain and distant thunder. It had grown to become her favorite sound when she was at the sea side palace. “It will be good to get back… I miss her. We have so many stories we have to share with our sister.”

It was a murmured statement, perhaps not something she realized she spoke aloud. But Wukong heard her all the same. She looked up at him and said in a more clear voice. “When we get back we need to come up with a ‘thank you’ gift for her. She made sure the mountain stayed protected and the damage was healed, along with keeping your citizens safe after… you…” her voice trails off and her face falls a bit before she hugs Wukong again.

“Never do that again…” It was an order.

“It’s okay Birdie… I don’t plan to go anywhere. I’m back for good this time.” He promised as he held her closer.

They stayed like that until the last of the distant glows of the fire went out, the forest safe and protected once more.

Wukong thinking all the while.

He had been gone for a while, and his Birdie - Because she was his now, she had given her heart to him and he had no intentions of returning it - had clearly become attached to their sworn sister, that infuriating pearl maiden. And now he learns she had also kept his home and people safe in his absence?

He nodded, pleased. His sworn younger sister was infuriating, but he would never say she wasn’t driven and loyal. He would think of a reward for her. And Birdie wanted to see her…

Then a thought struck him as he jumped up with the startled Phoenix Maiden in his arms. The poor woman letting out a yelp at sudden movement.

“An Idea! I’ve been struck with a great idea!” Wukong hooted as he jumped down onto a tree and carefully sat Birdie down, wrapping the fresh pelt around her shoulders to keep her warm. “Make up a camp! I shall be back soon!” Transforming a couple of his furs to make them into camping supplies, replacing what they had lost to the flames.

“Wha-Wukong!? Where are you going!?” Birdie sputtered as she fumbled with the objects that were shoved in her arms.

“A surprise Birdie! I go to grab a surprise!” Wukong beamed down at her before speeding off. Going to greet his infuriating Sworn Sister of the waters.

When we next meet, we shall see how that interaction goes.

———

PART 2 is out.

Read it Here

Taglist;

@tunadunanana @szynkaaa @bottyshaker-900o @marcu-bug

Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think! 😁

[longdeadking]

i dont want to make post-game analysis this close to hl2vrai potentially coming out but like. if i dont get it out now when will i yknow. anyway i absolutely think gordon would have left the science team on his computer and done nothing to make any attempts to remove or save them. he never lost sight of the fact that they were video game characters, even when he was actively experiencing the game world as reality (ex. the hand thing, general fearing for his life even though its a viddy game). why would he devote time to something thats probably just not possible and even if it was, would only benefit people who he kind of hated and/or was terrified of. im not saying i condone that decision just that, from gordon's pov, it makes sense.

except from the science team's perspective the goal was always to Get Out. yeah out of black mesa during the resonance cascade but if that was the only actual goal why didnt they give up and fall into despair once coomer learned that there was Nothing Outside? because they wanted to escape into reality, where their sentience would be able to exist, rather than having to fight against 2010s ai programming just to keep existing. and gordon promised that he'd lead them there. he'd get them out. and to the science team that made sense! because gordon was Real, and a Scientist, so he'd be able to help them. even though gordon the streamer is just a normal streamer who downloaded a weird evil mod.

the science team is overall comically bad at communicating goals basically. they're all operating on completely different wavelengths (and i can explain exactly What wavelengths in another post) and that leads to things like. hand. boss fight. abandoning your new computer friends in processing hell forever because you can't fully comprehend that they're real. trying to climb inside your friend and wear him like a skin suit. et cetera

[aziraphales-library]

hi :))

I'm wondering if you have any cozy ineffable husbands human aus that kinda fit autumn? also angst with a happy ending would be nice

thanks!

Okay, these are the fics that came to mind for stories with somewhat cosy/autumnal vibes and some angst...

Acts of Prayer by Nadzieja (Series) (M-E)

Crowley is not a priest anymore, he has buried that part of his past long ago. Yet, fate brings him back to Tadfield where he'll have to confront a ghost from his past he hasn't seen in a very long time (but whose face might as well be carved onto his heart). [A Priest AU, with *a lot* of angst and a happy ending.]

is there anybody out there? by theycallmeDernhelm (E)

Welcome to the zombie apocalypse. England has been overrun by walking corpses, everything's gone to hell, and the few survivors are scattered- among them, Crowley and his 11-year-old son Warlock. When Crowley's radio signal is unexpectedly picked up by another group of survivors, he finds himself falling, in a way he never thought he'd fall again, for the charming and kindly Aziraphale. Over three seasons and a tenuous radio connection, a romance develops between them, while a friendship grows between Warlock and Aziraphale's nephew Adam. Love isn't dead (or undead) after all.

The Scarecrow by AppleSeeds (M)

The last surviving member of his family, Aziraphale inherits a crumbling 14th century cottage from his uncle. Staying in the cottage to catalogue his uncle's collection of rare books, Aziraphale combats his loneliness by speaking to the scarecrow in the neighbouring field. He awakes one night to find the scarecrow in his bedroom, mouth torn open, speaking to him... Crowley was cursed by a witch and turned into a scarecrow over five hundred years ago, but somehow Aziraphale's presence is changing him into something more human. While Aziraphale works to break the curse completely, the two of them spend a great deal of time together and find something special within each other, both discovering what it truly means to be free.

in the house we remain by commodorecliche (M)

Aziraphale buys a quiet cottage in the middle of the English countryside. It is perfect in every way: old-style, quaint, surrounded by wilderness, with a small water feature in the back and a price to rival that of any other property he's seen. He is in love from the moment he sees it. But when a mysterious set of books, all written by unknown author A.J. Crowley, appears on his book shelf, Aziraphale begins to wonder if there is perhaps more to this house than he'd originally believed. The truth can be buried, but it cannot stay hidden forever.

Under Construction by summerofspock (E)

Crowley has one goal: sell the run-down lodge in the Cascades that his uncle left him in his will. He doesn't expect to meet someone like Aziraphale, the kind handyman working on his uncle's property who turns out to be more of an enigma than Crowley first thought.

The Grindr Logo Doesn't Even Have a 'G' In It by indieninja92 (E)

After the Apocalypse, Aziraphale ventures into a new space in the gay milieu - Grindr. There he starts talking to a charming young man who certainly doesn't bear any resemblance at all to a certain long streak of demon, not one bit, no thank you. Meanwhile, Aziraphale and Crowley navigate their friendship after the world failed to end. There is much drinking and silliness, but could it be that there are other feelings lurking underneath?? Of course there are, this is fanfic.

- Mod D

[noideabutsims]

Donut Co. Rugtastic Reset - Melt and Cascade Edition 75 Swatches All of our CC can be found by typing " Donut " into the search bar! Most of my images have my reshade on - it changes the color minimally, so white may look a little off in photos, but in game it will look white/normal!! In images you can find the non-reshade example! <3 You can size them up and down using the bracket keys. [ ] <- these ones.  I personally, use the tool mod to size my items up and down, and specifically with these if you are wanting them to be "perfectly sized" i would recommend you grab the tool mod by twistedmexi! If you would like to use it in build-buy mode, you'll need BBB! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Name: Donut Co. Rugtastic Reset - Melt and Cascade Edition Buy Mode Description: Get ready for a sensory explosion! Donut Co.'s Melt and Cascade Edition rugs are a symphony of vibrant hues, melting and swirling together in 75 eye-popping designs. Imagine your floors as a canvas, each rug a masterpiece of dripping color, like a rainbow caught mid-melt. Feel the energy of the cascade beneath your feet, a playful reminder that life is too short for boring floors. These rugs aren't just soft and stylish, they're an invitation to embrace the fluidity of creativity and let your imagination flow. So ditch the ordinary and dive into a world where colors blend, drip, and dance – your floors are about to become a work of art! (Works best if you use the bracket keys "[" + "]" to size up and down, or my personal preference of the tool mod!) Will be releasing more content soon! stay tuned! ❤️ (NOT affiliated with EA or Maxis in any way! We just make CC! ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DOWNLOAD: Curseforge: https://legacy.curseforge.com/sims4/build-buy/donut-co-rugtastic-reset-melt-and-cascade-edition Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/104214356?pr=true Google drive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bruOl5YwE8CiJVWxIn35oFonMSN16-h1/view?usp=sharing

[damarassanctuary]

happy 10-25 (aka Cascade Day) everyone! ^u^ i love Damara so i gave her some vacations to a certain mountain ;3

you can get the mod on GameBanana now:

[galerymod]

Beauty is ultimately a burden because it cannot really be preserved. If you cling to it as it fades with youth, you inevitably end up managing its decline. Every flaw in fading beauty must be corrected. The problem is that as soon as you get rid of one, you see the next one, which leads to a cascade of surgical procedures. And you may end up with a perfect appearance, but one that has nothing to do with the original beauty you were trying to preserve.

mod

We printed out our beauty and hung it in the bathroom on super photo paper in a waterproof frame so that when we look in the mirror, we are reminded that every day we stand at a different point in the flow of life.

Time is the fire in which we burn, and it is irretrievable.

mod

Photos are the only way to escape the transience of beauty, and yet they themselves are subject to transience – what irony.

[aggro-my-beloved]

Trash Polka (AsherxBabe)

note: this hasn’t been fully looked over/edited so if you notice my mistakes just pretend you don’t. k thx.

summary: *doodles that a person draws on themselves will appear on their soulmate’s skin* [babe is tired of wearing hoodies in summer, and leggings in the spring. but their soulmate seems too caught up in his career to mind leaving little notes and drawings on their skin, rather than revealing himself. babe DOESN’T take matters into their own hands, but they soon won’t be covered by a mod-podge of their soulmate’s scribbles. one can hope, at least.]

pairing(s): AsherxBabe (romantic), AsherxDavid (platonic)

warning(s): none

word count: 1.4k

estimated reading time: 7 mins

taglist: @ther3alsweetheart @darlin-collins @professionallyyappinabtangst @elles-roses @ashertickler mwah

“GLOVES AGAIN? IT’S A HUNDRED degrees outside.” Katherine quips from her desk. As usual, Babe’s morning is all swearing and stumbles through the office building as they don a more than modest collection of clothing.

“I think it’s a hundred and one, actually.” Vinny chortles from his cubicle. Since turning down his invitation to be his plus one at the office holiday party the year prior, he’s been more prone to poke fun at them. Babe illustrates the smirk tugging at his lips and fantasizes ripping it clean off his visage while preparing for another busy morning. Bag strap on the back of their chair. The largest iced coffee Starbucks could provide them on the ceramic coaster gifted by Katherine, which reads some motivational slogan Babe would be caught dead uttering in any unironic fashion.

“I still don’t know how you manage to work like that.” Their colleague’s tone is the perfect balance of judgment and concern; a siren song can draw the most taboo answers from anyone she crosses paths with. Babe is aware of this, and yet they still respond. Katherine is approachable, but isn’t as prone to flapping her lips compared to others who lurk in the office.

“I told you before, Kat, I get cold easily. Low iron, and stuff.” Babe clears their throat and wiggles their chair closer to the computer before them. A few minutes pass, and they flicker their eyes between the two cubicles on either side of them, harboring a yapping Vinny on his phone, and Katherine engrossed in her bookkeeping tasks. Babe’s movement is subtle as they sink lower in their chair, and stretch their arms beneath their desktop to flick on the fan to its highest setting. Another glance back and forth. More nonsense gabs from Vinny. Even more sounds of filing papers from Katherine. They are sandwiched in a personal hell, but the heavy dress pants and turtleneck strangling their figure may be to blame for that.

Relieving wool gloves from their hands has grown to be an orgasmic experience for Babe. One of the few things they miss about working remotely is the pleasure of joining video meetings half-naked, and feel content with the fact that their colleagues are none the wiser about what their lower half is lacking. In this office full of prying eyes and passive-aggressive chatter, though, the simple act of baring their hands fills them with equal amounts of pleasure and shame of a lambasted stripper.

Babe’s eyes cascade over the swoops and strikes of black ink on skin, written in their spoken language but still holding no significant meaning—the lines embedded in their palm act as lines on ruled paper.

Sm Tourn @ Davey’s Fri 8

Buy milk, almost out

DO NOT DRINK MILK IN FRIDGE!

For whatever reason, the person who left these notes for themself also found it apropos to doodle a smiley face below the crease of their thumb. Babe stiffens at the tickling sensation on their opposite hand and draws their attention toward the writing slowly appearing on it. It’s messier than chicken scratch with some typos, like every other message this person leaves for them to discover, but Babe’s witnessed these messages long enough to decode them, or at the very least, try to.

The first time their parents discovered the writing on their skin, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. They were freshly tween, overflowing with naivety and curiosity, and they assumed their anonymous messenger was too. Babe’s father clocked them at the dinner table and demanded they show him their hand, where a “naughty” word written in bold lettering was spelled out on four out of five of their knuckles. Any excuse Babe mustered in that moment would have been a lie because they were still clueless as to how random notes appeared on their skin, or who the person writing them was.

They chalked it off as a word they heard from their classmates, but it didn’t satisfy their parents in the slightest. Babe missed a whole week's worth of Pokémon and Spongebob on the family television and held that grudge for as long as they could remember. But with no face or name to target their anger towards, they learned that stewing was pointless. Soapy water was the obvious solution in Babe’s mind. Just scrub hard enough and there would be no proof, right? Wrong. Whatever mystical power is embedded in this ink, or Babe’s skin, allows it to last twenty-four hours when fighting against soap, stain sticks, or even concealer. From that point on, Babe wrestled themselves into floor-length bottoms and long-sleeves up until high school graduation.

They’ve struggled falling asleep at night, trying to view this anomaly as a “gift”. Nobody else they’ve come across has poorly drawn Star Trek characters or names of midwest emo bands littering their epidermis like a composition notebook. Not to mention the person distributing these excerpts of their life–who are they? Do they know they’re capable of something like this? Do they even know Babe exists, and ponders the consequences of this condition in their life, and cries at the reminder that they can never purchase that crop top on sale or be stared at walking down the beach with a sweatshirt on?

Babe is broken out of their spiraling thoughts by Madelyn’s request to fetch the mail from the lobby. They didn’t catch the particular reason, but their ears perked up at the words “big check we need to run.” Babe feels invisible strings urging their eyes to roll and fights them, seizing the pair of gloves and bustling towards the nearest elevator. Once upon a time, Babe would take any excuse to waltz down the seventeen flights of stairs to dilly dally. But that was before their thoughts became consumed with dying of heat stroke between concrete walls and cotton layers.

Babe finds solace in the empty elevator, and decides to savor the feeling of bare hands in every way imaginable by cracking their knuckles, reaching them up to the fluorescent lights of the lift and drenching their skin in the gleam. In seconds, they become clenched fists, clammy and unresponsive at the sound of quickly approaching steps and voice growing in volume.

“Look, I know I left the stove on. I’m sorry, buddy. It was just a little flare up...” In a panic, Babe reaches forward to jab the button to close the doors, and halts at the sight of their hand, covered in more scribbles than before. They reduce themself into the corner, hastily cloaking their hands with the gloves. Amidst putting on the second one, the voice introduces its body in the picture as it squeezes through the elevator doors right before they shut. His phone is situated between his ear and shoulder, as he shuffles through the large stack of paperwork between his hands.

His hands…

Look just like…

“Bye buddy, love you!” His blonde hair swishes against his forehead as he cranes his neck down to end the call. “He’s really trying to turn me into that guy who’s being super loud on their phone in the elevator.” While pocketing his phone, Babe’s eyes follow his hands, scribbled in black. He retrieves a pen from behind his ear, uncaps it with his mouth and lets the ballpoint make contact with his skin before he begins writing. Babe feels the familiar tickle, but is too in shock to respond. Halfway through his latest entry, he shakes the pen violently with a grunt. “Damn, this thing’s getting low on ink.”

Through his peripheral vision, the blonde peeks over at the second set of hands in the elevator, and notices some writing peeking out from the half-worn glove overtaking Babe’s left hand. “Another avid notetaker, I see. My friends can’t stand it when I write on my skin. They say it's a one way trip to ink poisoning. But it’s saving the trees, right?” Again, the nervous chuckle floats through the space, and then awkward silence. Babe’s lips remain parted in awe, too caught up in the current revelation to grab hold of anything as the elevator’s motor stutters and comes to a sudden halt. Before they could tumble to the floor, his coated hands caught them amidst their teetering. Blue eyes pooling with an intimidating level of concern, stare them down.

“Aw man, I think the elevator got stuck. Hey, are you alright?” The eyes flicker down, and the man appears to harbor the same revelation as Babe when he further inspects the writing on their hand. At least, they thought…

“No way! You like Star Trek too?”

soulmate september schedule | main masterlist | abt author

[datapacks]

Ideal list of features for Pale Expanse mod:

Giant White Mushrooms, easy to do even in datapacks

Pale Rosebud Block that, upon a mob (or the player) wandering into it, grows into a Pale Rose Bush. Mobs in Pale Rose Bushes make no sound, cannot move, and occasionally let out a particle that mimics creaking eyes.

Surface biome gains an ashy spore particle.

Pale Grotto that biome stretches out underneath the classic Pale Garden biome. Higher particle count.

Taking damage from the Creaking or the [SECRET IDEA] inflicts the Lethargy effect. The Lethargy effect prevents the player from healing until it is dispelled, either via dying, sleeping, or drinking milk.

The [SECRET IDEA] mob is only active in the darkness.

Cascading Light block that generates on the roof of Pale Grotto. When one lights up, they all slowly light up.

Cascading Light blocks will only initially light up if surrounded by creaking hearts, consuming them in the process.

Pale Roots grow in the Pale Grotto. Their tips are emissive and mimic the creaking.

Pale Rose & Pale Pumpkin. The Pale Rose inflicts Lethargy if touched.

Cascading Light blocks able to be crafted into a Cascade Lamp, toggling state & emitting a comparator signal when looked at.