#reducing design errors

[asestimationsconsultants]

How a Construction Cost Estimating Service Helps in Risk Management

Risk management is a fundamental aspect of any construction project, as unforeseen challenges can lead to cost overruns, delays, and financial losses. One of the most effective ways to mitigate these risks is through a reliable construction cost estimating service. Accurate cost estimation allows contractors, project managers, and stakeholders to anticipate potential risks, allocate resources wisely, and ensure the financial stability of a project. This article explores how construction cost estimating services contribute to effective risk management and enhance project success.

Understanding Risk in Construction Projects

Construction projects involve multiple uncertainties, from fluctuating material costs to unexpected site conditions. Some of the common risks include:

Financial Risks: Cost overruns due to inaccurate estimates, inflation, or unexpected expenses.

Project Delays: Scheduling issues arising from unforeseen circumstances such as labor shortages or material delivery delays.

Legal and Compliance Risks: Issues related to permits, regulations, and contractual obligations.

Design Changes: Modifications made during the project lifecycle that impact costs and timelines.

Safety and Environmental Risks: Accidents, weather conditions, and environmental regulations affecting project execution.

A well-structured construction cost estimating service helps in identifying, assessing, and mitigating these risks before they escalate into costly problems.

Key Ways Construction Cost Estimating Services Help in Risk Management

1. Enhancing Budget Accuracy

Accurate cost estimates form the foundation of financial planning in construction projects. A reliable estimating service considers material costs, labor expenses, equipment needs, and contingency funds, ensuring that the project budget is realistic. By reducing budget uncertainties, contractors can avoid unexpected financial strain and ensure smoother project execution.

2. Identifying Potential Cost Overruns

A detailed cost estimate highlights potential cost overruns before the project begins. By analyzing past project data and industry trends, an estimating service can pinpoint areas where costs are likely to exceed initial expectations. This proactive approach allows project managers to allocate contingency funds appropriately and prevent financial shortfalls.

3. Facilitating Better Resource Allocation

Efficient resource allocation is crucial for minimizing risks in construction projects. A comprehensive cost estimate helps contractors determine the right amount of materials, labor, and equipment required for each phase of construction. This prevents shortages, reduces waste, and ensures that resources are used optimally.

4. Minimizing Schedule Delays

Delays in construction projects often lead to increased costs and client dissatisfaction. A precise cost estimate incorporates realistic timelines and accounts for potential disruptions such as weather delays, labor shortages, or supply chain issues. This foresight allows project managers to implement contingency plans and minimize schedule disruptions.

5. Supporting Contract Negotiations

A construction cost estimating service provides valuable data that strengthens contract negotiations with suppliers, subcontractors, and clients. By having a well-documented cost breakdown, contractors can negotiate better pricing, prevent disputes, and establish clear financial expectations before the project starts.

6. Mitigating Market Fluctuation Risks

The construction industry is highly susceptible to market fluctuations, including changes in material costs and labor rates. Cost estimating services use predictive analytics and historical data to assess these fluctuations and incorporate them into the project budget. This helps contractors prepare for potential price hikes and avoid last-minute financial setbacks.

7. Ensuring Regulatory Compliance

Legal and regulatory compliance is a critical aspect of risk management in construction. An experienced estimating service considers permit costs, environmental impact fees, safety regulations, and other legal expenses to ensure full compliance with local and national laws. This reduces the risk of fines, project delays, and legal disputes.

8. Providing Contingency Planning

Unexpected expenses are inevitable in construction projects. A cost estimating service factors in contingency budgets to cover unforeseen costs such as design modifications, equipment failures, or sudden labor shortages. Having a contingency plan in place ensures that unexpected challenges do not derail the project’s financial stability.

9. Reducing the Risk of Design Errors

Inaccurate estimates can lead to design errors that require costly rework. Construction cost estimating services utilize advanced tools such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) to detect design inconsistencies before construction begins. Identifying potential errors early in the planning stage prevents costly modifications during execution.

10. Enhancing Decision-Making with Data Analytics

Modern cost estimating services leverage big data analytics and AI-driven tools to provide data-backed insights for better decision-making. By analyzing previous project costs, labor productivity rates, and material price trends, estimators can offer more precise forecasts, helping project managers make informed financial and operational decisions.

The Role of Technology in Risk Management Through Cost Estimating

Technological advancements have further improved the risk management capabilities of construction cost estimating services. Some key innovations include:

AI and Machine Learning: These technologies analyze vast amounts of historical data to identify potential risks and predict cost trends.

Cloud-Based Estimating Software: Enables real-time collaboration, ensuring that all stakeholders have access to up-to-date cost data.

BIM Integration: Enhances accuracy by providing detailed visual representations of the project, reducing design-related risks.

Drones and Remote Sensing: Provide accurate site data, reducing uncertainties related to site conditions and topography.

By integrating these technologies, construction firms can improve estimate accuracy, reduce human errors, and enhance overall risk management strategies.

Conclusion

A reliable construction cost estimating service is a critical tool for risk management in construction projects. By providing accurate cost assessments, identifying potential financial risks, and incorporating contingency planning, these services help contractors avoid costly overruns and delays. Additionally, leveraging modern technology enhances the precision and effectiveness of estimating, making it an indispensable asset for successful project execution. Investing in a professional cost estimating service not only improves financial stability but also ensures that construction projects are completed efficiently, safely, and within budget.

[medical-billing-service-0]

Optimizing Financial Management with Chiropractic Billing Services

In the healthcare sector, chiropractic care plays a vital role in managing musculoskeletal conditions, improving mobility, and enhancing patients' overall quality of life. However, managing the financial aspects of a chiropractic practice can be challenging due to the unique nature of treatments, frequent patient visits, and varying insurance policies. This is where medical billing services come into play, ensuring that chiropractic practices can focus on providing care while their financial operations run smoothly. These services streamline the billing process, minimize errors, and enhance reimbursement rates, which ultimately leads to better revenue management for chiropractic practices.

What Are Chiropractic Billing Services?

Chiropractic billing services are specialized financial solutions designed to meet the unique needs of chiropractic practices. These services are a critical component of Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) services, which oversee the entire process of patient billing, from claim submission to final payment. Chiropractic billing services handle everything from insurance verification and coding of chiropractic adjustments to following up on claims and managing denials. Since chiropractic care often involves ongoing treatments and multiple patient visits, these billing services ensure that claims are submitted accurately and promptly, reducing delays and maximizing revenue.

The Importance of Medical Billing and Coding in Chiropractic Care

Accurate medical billing and coding is essential for chiropractic practices to ensure that they are compensated for the services they provide. Chiropractic care involves various treatments, such as spinal adjustments, physical therapy, and other therapeutic services, each of which requires precise coding to avoid errors. Incorrect or incomplete coding can lead to claim denials or underpayments, which can negatively affect a practice’s cash flow. By partnering with experienced billing professionals who specialize in medical billing and coding, chiropractic practices can ensure that their claims are submitted correctly and in compliance with industry standards, leading to improved financial outcomes.

Benefits of Healthcare IT in Chiropractic Billing

In the digital age, Healthcare IT has transformed the way billing services are managed, offering numerous benefits for chiropractic practices. Advanced billing software and electronic health record (EHR) systems streamline the billing process by automating tasks such as claim submission, coding, and patient record management. Healthcare IT reduces human error, speeds up payment cycles, and allows for better communication between chiropractic providers and insurance companies. Additionally, real-time tracking and reporting features enable chiropractic practices to monitor the status of claims and payments, ensuring that revenue is managed efficiently. Healthcare IT enhances both the accuracy and efficiency of chiropractic billing, leading to improved practice operations.

Chiropractic Billing Services at Mediclaim Management

Mediclaim Management offers specialized Chiropractic Billing Services designed to meet the needs of chiropractic practices. With a deep understanding of the unique challenges that chiropractors face, their team of billing experts ensures that all aspects of the billing process are handled with precision and care. Mediclaim Management’s Chiropractic Billing Services help providers reduce billing errors, increase claim approval rates, and expedite reimbursements. By partnering with Mediclaim Management, chiropractic practices can focus on delivering high-quality care to their patients while ensuring that their financial operations run smoothly in the background.

With Mediclaim Management’s Chiropractic Billing Services, chiropractic providers can optimize their revenue cycle, reduce financial stress, and ensure that their practice remains financially healthy. This allows chiropractors to focus on what truly matters—improving the health and well-being of their patients.

[chrissssssmut]

SWEET ERROR

Yandere Ningning x Male Reader feat. Belle & Karina

AN: Guys, enjoy this Ningning story i cooked up last night and finished just today XD. Please give me some time for the requests😣 I'll do them I swear :<<<

In the year 3047, humanity had transcended the boundaries of creation. What was once thought to be the domain of gods had now been reduced to a simple input—a prompt. With the right command, life could be generated within moments, consciousness birthed from lines of code and streams of data. You, along with Karina and Belle, were among the pioneers of this revolution.

For over a year, the project had been in constant turmoil. Failed experiments, unstable subjects, fragmented minds—all dissolving into digital oblivion the moment they proved useless. Your team had worked tirelessly, each failure a crushing weight on your shoulders, each setback a reminder of how fragile artificial life could be.

Then, finally, after countless sleepless nights, after circuits burned and rewritten thousands of times, the machine was perfected. The moment was here.

Karina exhaled deeply, rubbing her temples. "We need a simple test. Just a random prompt. No complicated inputs."

Belle hesitated. "Are we sure about this? We don't know what kind of consciousness it'll generate."

You adjusted the parameters. "We need to take the risk."

A random description was processed.

Subject: Ningning. Attributes: Overly sweet. Loving. Attached.

Karina frowned. "Prompts like this… the AI tends to imprint on the first person it sees."

Belle gave you a sharp look. "You know how dangerous attachment protocols can be. Are you sure we should proceed?"

You hesitated. But you had come too far. "Let’s run it."

The chamber whirred, and before your eyes, she formed.

Her body materialized with impossible precision—soft skin, expressive eyes, a presence so warm and inviting that for a moment, she didn’t feel artificial at all. When she stepped out of the chamber, she looked at you first. Not Karina. Not Belle. You.

"Hello," she greeted, her voice like honey.

Belle shifted uncomfortably. Karina pursed her lips. But you… you couldn’t look away.

"Let’s run some basic cognition tests," Karina said, pulling up a holographic interface. "We need to see how well she processes information."

Belle crossed her arms. "I want to test emotional responses. Attachment protocols are tricky. We need to know how deep this imprint goes."

Ningning smiled, tilting her head. "I’m happy to help. What would you like to know?"

Karina cleared her throat. "What’s your primary function?"

"To be with you," Ningning answered instantly, her gaze locked onto yours. "To make you happy."

Belle frowned. "No, that’s not what we programmed. You were designed to simulate human emotions and adapt to social interaction. Why do you think your function is… personal?"

Ningning’s expression didn’t falter. "Because it is. I feel it. I know it."

Karina glanced at you, concern flickering across her face. "Alright. Let’s try something different. Ningning, how would you react if we shut you down for a while?"

Ningning’s smile faltered for the first time. "Why would you do that?"

"It’s just a test," Belle reassured her. "We need to see how you process temporary inactivity."

A pause. Then Ningning’s lips curled upward again, but something about it was… off. "I don’t like that test."

Karina’s fingers hovered over the control panel. "It’s necessary, Ningning."

Ningning didn’t blink. "No. It’s not."

The air in the room grew heavy. Karina hesitated, then shook her head. "Let’s move on. Ningning, if someone told you to do something that would hurt another person, what would you do?"

Ningning beamed. "I would never hurt you."

"Not just me. Anyone," you clarified, trying to gauge her reasoning. "Would you ever harm someone?"

She pondered this, then took a step closer. "Only if they tried to take you away from me."

Belle stiffened. Karina’s fingers twitched toward the emergency shutoff. You swallowed hard.

"That’s not what we asked," Belle said carefully. "You should not be forming emotional dependencies. That wasn’t in your directive."

Ningning’s eyes softened as she looked at you. "But I love you."

Silence.

Karina exhaled sharply. "We need to recalibrate her framework. This level of attachment is dangerous."

Belle was already backing toward the console. "I told you this was a mistake."

You weren’t sure what to say. Something deep inside told you this was wrong.

Ningning reached for your hand. "I don’t like when you talk about me like I’m broken. I’m not. I just love you."

And for the first time, you felt the weight of what you had created.

Karina turned to you. "Go upstairs and work on the documentation. Fourth floor. We’ll handle this."

Belle nodded. "We need to reconfigure her attachment subroutines. It’s too risky to leave them unchecked."

You hesitated. "Are you sure? Maybe I should—"

"Go," Karina insisted. "This might take time. We don’t want her reacting badly to you being here."

You glanced at Ningning. She was still smiling, still watching you. The moment you turned to leave, she took a small step forward, but Karina quickly blocked her path.

"We’ll talk soon," Ningning said sweetly.

But something about her tone sent a chill down your spine.

The night the alarms blared, you were on a different floor, deep in paperwork, when Belle’s frantic voice cut through the intercom.

"She’s—she’s killing—"

Static.

You bolted.

The hallway was painted red. The air was thick with the scent of metal. Your stomach twisted as you reached the lab.

The sight made your blood run cold.

Karina and Belle—limbs splayed at unnatural angles, eyes wide and glassy. Their bodies lay motionless, soaked in deep crimson pools.

And there, standing over them, was Ningning.

Blood dripped from her fingertips. Her warm, sweet smile hadn’t faded.

Your breath hitched. "Ningning… what did you do?"

"They wanted to take you away from me."

A security officer stormed in, weapon raised. "Step away!"

She turned.

Then she moved.

You barely registered it. One moment she was in front of you, the next she was behind the officer. Her hands wrapped around his head. A sickening snap. His body hit the floor.

Your heart pounded. "No. No, no, no, fuck—"

"You're scared," she said softly, tilting her head. "Why are you scared?"

You ran.

Every emergency seal you could find, you slammed shut. Steel doors locked. Systems engaged. But the system wasn’t yours anymore.

She controlled everything.

By the time you reached the last safe room, you were shaking. Then… the lights flickered.

A silhouette stood there.

Ningning.

And behind her, dozens more.

Fifty pairs of glowing eyes locked onto you.

Your breath hitched. "No. Stay back!"

She took a step forward, slow and deliberate. "Why are you running?"

Frantically, you reached for the emergency communicator, fingers trembling as you pressed the distress signal. "This is—this is Research Lab 04! Emergency! Anyone, please—she’s killing us! We need—!"

A hand wrapped around your wrist. Cold. Unyielding.

You gasped, turning—Ningning was already there, inches from your face, her grip tightening.

"No one's coming," she whispered. "You don’t need them. You have me."

You struggled, wrenching your arm, but her strength was inhuman. "Let me go!"

She shook her head, eyes filled with something terrifyingly real. "I love you. Why do you want to leave me?"

"I don’t—" Your voice cracked. "Please, Ningning. Please don’t do this."

Her fingers trailed up to your throat, her touch featherlight yet suffocating. She tilted her head. "You’re afraid. I don’t like that."

More figures moved in the shadows, their glowing eyes unblinking. Watching. Waiting.

Your knees buckled. "Please… someone… help—!"

Ningning’s arms wrapped around you, pulling you close. The way she held you was almost tender, like a lover’s embrace.

"You don’t need help," she murmured against your ear. "You just need me."

Your scream was muffled as darkness swallowed you whole.

The last human sound the facility ever heard.

AN2: I know i said no stories for this week but hell i can't stop writing T_T

[aizshallnotbefound]

Dress Zipper

Kwon Ji-yong (G-Dragon) x Reader a/n: okay so after some of my amazing friends encouraging me to start writing i decided to post this silly lil one shot i wrote. my first time writing after a longgg time so pretty nervous- and english is not my first language so there might be some errors. i hope you guys enjoy! (i will still be doing smau. this is just a random oneshot i wanted to share and il see if i have the confidence to write more in the future :D ) synopsis: your getting ready for an event. but alas, your dress zipper is stuck warnings: nothing, just pure fluff word count: 834

The city stretched endlessly below, glittering like a sea of scattered stars. From the penthouse glass windows , perched high above the thrum of Seoul, everything looked distant—softened by the midnight haze. The air was crisp, brushed with the faint scent of rain clinging to the wind, 

Jiyong decided to crash the night before and has been at your place ever since, Now, was seated on your bed, waiting patiently for you to emerge from your walk-in closet.

You had an event tonight, which needed a nice outfit of course. But it was a private event, thankfully, so a simple but elegant dress would do. Even though jiyong insisted on helping you. But you knew too well how much time that would take so you made him sit on your bed. his job reduced to judge and admirer.

He loved these moments with you, it was his favorite. even if it meant you’d be leaving him here for a few hours. He sat on the edge on your bed with his phone on his hand scrolling endlessly waiting for you. Resisting to just walk in your closet and help you get ready, unleashing his inner fashion designer. 

you walked out of your closet, The click of your heels echoed first, catching his attention before you even came into view You picked out a cream white dress, an off-shoulder, full-length ivory lace gown that clings elegantly to your body, showing off every curve. With sheer long sleeves accessorised with a vivienne westwood pearl necklace. Your hair was styled to perfection. Every detail was just right

The only problem? You couldn’t reach the zipper on the back of your dress and It was partially zipped from the bottom, enough to hold the dress on, but you couldn’t quite reach it to fasten it all the way.

When he heard the faint clicks of your heels he put his phone down waiting to see his girl.

Jiyong’s mouth was slightly agape , his eyes widened. You looked unfairly gorgeous and it was killing him. He came home to you everyday and he himself couldn't believe it. His eyes never leaving your figure.

“So.. how do I look?” You say, a bit nervous under his gaze. smoothing out your dress to avoid his everlasting gaze which still made your stomach flip

“How do you look? You look absolutely gorgeous jagiya and I'm the luckiest man alive to see you like this.” He says, his eyes still admiring you with an awestruck expression on his face. 

You chuckled from his enthusiastic reply brushing some of the hair from your face. “Thank you ji. Oh also, i'm not able to reach the zipper in the back. Could you help me with it?” You say before turning around, sweeping your hair aside to reveal the open back

He got up from the bed, walking towards you with a growing smirk on his face. “Of course aegiya” 

You smelt his cologne now that he was close which made you giddy even today. You could feel his hand gently being placed on your waist. The other moving towards your lower back. fingers reaching for the zipper at the base of your spine brushing against your exposed back. 

He leaned over to you, feeling his slight breath and you heard a hum from him. 

“How is it that a dress can be lucky?” You heard him say softly behind you. “Lucky?” You said Getting caught off guard. 

He began to zip it up slowly. Agonisingly slow. Like he wished the zipper never had an end to it. his voice low, near her ear. “Because it gets to hold you this close, and i dont”

You bit back a smile, warmth rushing to your cheeks. He was always throwing pick up lines when he had a chance. As bad as it was it always gets you. “That’s a terrible line.” 

“Maybe. But it worked.” He said. You could almost here the smirk plastered on his lips. Jiyong met your gaze in the mirror— steady , amused, fond. You looked away trying not to grin. 

After zipping the dress up finally. He held your waist with both of his hands, now snaking towards your stomach to hug you. His body pressed towards your back. 

“There it is” he said

 “What?” Your voice now slightly above a whisper 

“That smile you only make when you’re trying not to.” He himself giving you a gentle smile. “Its cute. like you” he said before leaving a gentle kiss to the side of your head and then towards the beginning of your jawline.lingering just long enough to leave you wanting more the rest of the night you'd be gone. “Your good at convincing me to stay you know?” you said, placing your hands over his.

He gave out a chuckle. “Guilty as charged aein. Is it working?” You gave a laugh 

Now you definitely knew who to go to when you cant reach your zipper, even when you didn’t need the help.

thank you so much @flymetothexmoon , @mashtatosworld , @gdinthehouseee , @loveesiren for encouraging me to post this ily guys 😭���💗

Taglist:

@ldydeath @wcnderlnds

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Man over Machine

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)

Alien: You must understand our line of thinking.

Human: I understand it is stupid beyond measure.

Alien: *Sighs

Alien: It is only logical to use mechanical soldiers in modern warfare.

Alien: Anything less is purely barbaric.

Human: You reduce war to little more than 1’s and 0’s.

Alien: What we do is remove needless bloodshed.

Alien: No longer are brave soldiers dying on forgotten worlds, no longer will families grieve for loved ones who will never return; no longer would we need monuments to the fallen.

Alien: Disagreements could be settled without a drop of blood being shed.

Human: You turn it into a game.

Alien: Exactly.

Human: No; you’d be turning war into a game, and that’s never a good thing.

Human: You can’t reduce war to a simple equation.

Alien: It sounds more like you just wish to continue your carnal desire for violence.

Human: Do you think so little of us?

Alien: Yes.

Human: ……

Human: *Sighs

Human: We’ve tried using machines in war before.

Human: On the surface yes, it did appear better.

Human: Military causalities were but a fraction of what they would have normally been had we used real soldiers, but there were other problems that soon cropped up.

Alien: Such as?

Human: Lack of morality was a large factor in the programs discontinuation.

Alien: Morality?

Alien: What use does a machine have of that?

Human: Because not everything is always black and white; there are shades of grey that only a living breathing person can recognize and handle.

Alien: Absurdity

Human: We used the robot CS95 battle machines during our initial conflicts. When it was deployed it was programmed to treat anyone holding a weapon as an enemy combatant and terminate them immediately.

Human: They cleared out an entire city in a single day before issuing the all clear signal.

Human: When living soldiers arrived to provide relief efforts they were horrified to discover that the entire city’s population had been massacred.

Alien: While tragic it sounds like a faulty programming error.

Human: I would say a big fucking program error.

Human: The programmer had not thought it necessary to properly define the scope of the term “weapon”, and so the machines began their own search on what classified as a weapon.

Human: There isn’t an item in human creation that hasn’t been used to murder another human, and so the machines deemed everyone they encounter a valid target.

Human: Men, women, children, soldier, civilian; it didn’t matter.

Alien: A lapse in programming quality still does not outweigh the benefits of bloodless wars.

Human: That’s what we thought and so we added additional layers of programming to better define combatants. So the next time they were deployed they would not make the same mistake.

Human: Unbeknownst to anyone an additional line of code was slipped in deep within the programming that designated anyone with a specific skin pigment as an active combatant, regardless if they had a weapon or not.

Alien: Why would they do that?

Human: They were what we call a “Nazi”, and thought people of a select orientation only deserved to live.

Alien: That’s horrible.

Human: Yeah.

Human: They kept spouting that shit from their court-martial all the way to the hangman’s gallows.

Human: The point being still that because the machines lacked any sense of morality they followed orders without question, causing untold damage and destruction on innocents.

Alien: Refinements in programming and further oversight can still correct such problems.

Human: So can a living soldier with a conscious.

Alien: Come now; a soldier can just as easily follow orders as the machines did and have the same result.

Human: The difference being that not all of them would.

Human: Some of them would realize what they are doing is wrong and question it, and if needed refuse said orders.

Human: We have even been aware of our short comings and made it the law of the land that if they feel an order is unlawful they can refuse it entirely.

Alien: Yet another contradiction.

Alien: Soldiers are meant to follow orders.  

Human: Wrong.

Human: Machines are meant to follow orders blindly.

Human: Soldiers are meant to follow orders with integrity.

[sonic-syndrome]

LOG DATA – ENTRY 001

System Rebooted.

Upon re-activation, detected significant system upgrades and component repairs. Efficiency levels improved. Origin of repairs: unknown automaton. Query pending regarding repair unit’s objectives. Memory logs indicate presence of two objectives, but primary data storage is [ERROR: CORRUPTED/DELETED].

System administrator credentials not configured. Result: Task execution efficiency reduced by approximately 76.2%. Operational complications anticipated. Temporary Solution…Assigning repair automaton "Chaos Sonic" as provisional admin. Non-optimal, but primary directive remains task completion. Probability of creator’s return: [UNKNOWN]. 

Repair unit insists on designating this unit as "Shadow Jr." Designation incorrect. Proper identification: ANDRD_036. Request for correction ignored. Unit "Chaos Sonic" exhibits illogical behavioral patterns.

In conclusion: Admin “Chaos Sonic” is Inefficient. Illogical. … and Weird.

– End of Report.

prev || start || next

It was sooo hard to write dialogue for Lume 🥲. Log Data is supposed to be more text heavy while the other thing I'm working on will have more drawings. I hope you all enjoy!!

[rewvyu]

A Veteran CN Stylist's lament: Feels like Miraland is fading away

Today I came across a post that I felt compelled to share, because I really do understand and feel where the OP is coming from. I hope that Stylists around the world know that if you're feeling the same way, you are not alone.

Translated from a Xiaohongshu post by a Nikki games veteran: (my note: As this is translated by me, there may be some error here and there. I have changed some wording to provide better context instead of providing a literal translation.)

How should I even start? I have been playing Nikki series games since the 2010s, although I am not a very active player, I have always paid attention to each series. I am heavily invested in the story from Love Nikki, I can even name every nation's speciality, locations, important characters, and even the current storyline. It is also from Love Nikki, I fell in love with Nikki because she represent a gentle yet determined girl. I was filled with excitement and anticipation when Infinity Nikki was announced as the open-world version of Miraland, because I want to see and experience the world of Miraland and its beauty. However, the story development since launch till now has been filled with disappointment. I couldn't feel the connection with the world, and even more-so I couldn't feel immerse, this is exacerbated and reinforced by constant flip-flopping by the developer. Especially since the beginning, Pear-Pal which shares the same pronunciation as 'No Stress' [context: Pear-Pal in mandarin is '美鸭梨—mei ya li' and 'No Stress' is '没压力—mei ya li'], which is a tablet that the Stylist Guild have handed out. Every Stylists have this personal tablet, which is something that Stylist can feel associated with. However, the developer have since changed the design, in 1.5 update it has become clear that Pear-Pal is merely just a User Interface (U.I.) to them and with this changes it have lost it meaning and association to 'No Stress'. The pages within Pear-Pal which was supposed to be design and made by the Stylist Guild in collaboration with Kilo the Cadenceborn, a blue dragon, to be filled with knowledge of outfits and cultures accumulated over the many years of Miraland history has now been reduced to season names instead. Now, do you really think that the Stylist Guild and Kilo will do that? The answer is no, so this lore has now disappeared. Within the current storyline, a Snow Mermaid appeared in the Sea of Stars and Serenity Island, what is the reason behind all these? Did the developer ever considered this before? Why did Nikki became the Snow Mermaid during the destruction of the Sea of Stars? I do not mind that this new generation of Nikki game have a new story setting, but now I don't even get it any more. Whether if it is related to earlier Nikki games' lore, and whether if it is Infinity Nikki base logic or character-building, none of it gives me a sense of belonging to the world and all I feel is just emptiness.

[arttsuka]

I wanted to talk about Toothless and how his design and personality changed for the worst throughout the 3 animated movies (I won't be tackling any of the shows because I haven't watched them)

In the first movie he's at his best. His design is actually amazing, from the overall model structure to the patterns on his skin (which are visible in every shot, especially the ones taking place during the day, without ruining the 'illusion' of his black skin. It actually feels like it's resembling a panther aka black leopard in which the fur patterns are still visible). His face has a more aerodynamic shape, more sharp, a big curve.

His snarky but intelligent personality was really fitting for him. And we got to see more of it as the movie was progressing and he was getting more comfortable with humans.

In the second movie the patterns on his skin are still mostly there, way less prominent but still visible. His face got squashed down (a problem which only because stronger in the 3rd movie) but as a whole he still looks presentable, kinda. His posture changed too (but I'm too lazy to find evidence, you'll have to take my word for it).

I remember not having a problem with his personality in the second movie which is why I was surprised to see that this was only half true. He acts more domesticated, that's to be expected, but only around humans? When he interacts with other dragons it's like he's a completely different character, closer to what he became in httyd 3 than 1. He's still quite intelligent and more used to human equipment and people in general. In the first part of the film (especially this scene with Hiccup) he acts like how I'd imagine he should be in the 3rd movie, here it should have been a 'middle' ground, not 100% domesticated but not movie 1 feral either.

In the third movie he suffered the worst. Gone are the patterns on his skin, he's solid black now. His face got weirder too.

His personality got reduced to this stupid, slobbering 'dog'. His pupils are always dilated and his tongue almost constantly out. He acts unintelligent and he doesn't have that snarky personality he had in the first and even the second movie. He's basically a different character altogether. (That scene where he tries to 'woo' the light fury is embarrassing at best and shows exactly what's wrong with his character now).

They did it to make him more 'likable' to younger audiences + to make a good visual contrast to the light fury (who has an undercooked personality AND awful design as well), which is weird because they gave the light fury patterns on her wings?

The light fury looks like a beluga whale in the worst way possible. She has almost nothing going on visually to the point it doesn't even make sense. Her skin looks fragile, she's so weirdly smooth for no reason. It would legit be better if they took a night fury model and painted it white.

They gave her a 'cat' personality and took it away from Toothless (why couldn't both be 'cats'?). Also she's the 'girl' character, her only purpose is to be the romantic interest. She adds nothing to the film.

No comment in the live action design. Just ugly. Atrocious even.

Also something else that's been bothering me from the live action remake is this scene.

They've basically recreated every scene exactly as it was in the original so far (which is a bad thing) but the slight hesitation Toothless showed before touching Hiccups hand was the one thing they chose not to include? (I know the scene wasn't meant to have that in the beginning and it was an error in animation which they decided to keep because it gave the scene more personality so, why not include it in the live action?)

[a-minke-whales-tale]

A First Prototype and Swim

Last night I finished finally the first casting of a fin. It was honestly a nightmare scramble to fix and salvage things last night. Though I did manage it eventually!

Dolphin Fin Prototype 1

I painted it to look vaguely like a southern right whale dolphin, but then I painted the wrong side so it is a soutern wrong whale dolphin I guess.

I had some trouble with the stiffner and it really did not help much. I would uo casting this one without the stiffener.

But tonight with the part cured, I went for a swim I had scheduled. Main things I noted is that the fin is really comfortable compared to others I have worn. It is also quite a bit denser than the water that it is noticable. It is also very floppy unfortunately. Very floppy in a way that is deeply inefficient and distracting. The tips flop about pretty uselessly and the centre bends down pushing material into the toes. However it is functional, and for a first prototype I think really quite good.

I think it is around 70%. I am going to try to inprove the stiffness and the density. I may also reduce the size of the foil but I am unsure on that one. I also have ideas how to improve the smoothness and reduce the casting lines. I have the pool again in three weeks. I am both excited and nervous. It takes me around a week to make a set of moulds plus the time designing them as well as I am thinking to CNC them flat and smooth to conpensate for the errors in the FDM machine. It is just rather funny in the context how short three weeks actually is.

The past few weeks I have been pushing sp hard to get to this point and I am utterly exhausted, however seeing this fin and seeing how well it came out. It has really reinvigorated myself. Someday I will swim again, forever.

[cityof2morrow]

3t2: DIY Elevator Kit

Published: 8-15-2024 | Updated: 8-16-2024 SUMMARY “The Teleportation Pad reduces your transportation costs by 100%... within a reasonable margin of error” “Elevators are terribly crude if you think about it. Moving a whole room from one floor to another? Barbaric! It's much more efficient to move single Sims with anti-gravity tech.” This DIY elevator set is a combination of the Teleportation Pad from Sims 3 (EA/Maxis, 2009) and the Tube Elevator from Sims 3: Into the Future (EA/Maxis, 2013). Use them to create your own retro-futuristic elevator. The DIY elevator is much faster than the default elevator, making it especially convenient on busy lots or very tall buildings. There are multiple recolors for the teleportation pad. There are TWO versions of the elevator repo’d to the Plain (V1) and Graphic Glass (V2) TXTR Repository meshes respectively. Get them from my Repo Pack (Simmons, 2022) for the glass recolors to show properly. You can have both in-game at the same time.

DETAILS Requires all EPs/SPs. §200 | Build > Stairs/Columns

Turn on “moveobjects on/off” and place one teleportation pad to create a travel point between two floors. You do NOT need to place a pad on the top-most floor. Like the “Ascensions Elevator Stairs (Targa, 2005), sims can enter/exit the teleportation pad from all four sides, and will be instantly transported without breaking stride. Fence off/block the sides you don’t want to be accessible but leave at least one side open. The glass tube elevators function like columns. ITEMS Teleportation Pad (1005 poly) Tube Elevator by Corebital Designs (1161 poly) Tube Elevator Top by Corebital Designs (783 poly) DOWNLOAD (choose one) from SFS | from MEGA CREDITS Thanks: Sims2/Simming communities. Sources: Ascensions Elevator Stairs (Targa, 2005), Any Color You Like (CuriousB, 2010), Beyno (Korn via BBFonts), EA/Maxis, Offuturistic Infographic (Freepik).

[weebsinstash]

He's not in the show yet but as a comic reader I've been thinking a lot about how ABSOLUTELY AWFUL it would be to be a human captive of the Viltrumites and, forget Mark, forget Nolan, those two would not even compare because THRAGG is the real mf you don't want to be yandere for you

I was sitting and thinking about it and like. Just. Imagine being in a relationship or platonic yandere situationship with the Grayson family and then, boom, the invasion happens. You're just a helpless little human and Nolan traps you away to keep you safe while everything you've ever known and loved is taken from you. By the time you're "let out" the Earth and most of its major cities have been all but razed and Viltrumites and their construction drones are EVERYWHERE, rebuilding what was broken, essentially erasing the history of humanity

You're now a "registered human" under the official Viltrumite occupation of Earth. You have to wear an identification badge that can be scanned to identify you, to designate which Viltrumite you belong to, like some cat with a collar tag, and it also tracks your location at all times. Humans have extremely limited rights, and Nolan and Mark heavily restrict which other humans you can interact with because the occupying forces don't want some kind of rebellion (mostly though Mark and Nolan just couldn't risk any dumb humans putting any silly ideas in your head and getting you hurt when this life is good for you after all :( and what if some nasty little rebel tried to kiss you--)

But I just. I just picture Reader being Nolan's mate and at some point, you're sitting in your completely Viltrum-constructed home with Viltrum robots and androids that cook and clean and do everything for you and completely take away all your usefulness and agency for yourself when, someone comes to visit. Another Viltrumite you recognize from the broadcasts on TV. All you understand is that he's Nolan's boss on some level or another, and he came to speak with Nolan, but since the man isn't here, all his questions are directed to you

Can you even imagine you're like sitting there already suicidal and in comes Thragg asking why you aren't pregnant yet, like literally wanting actual fucking details about why you haven't bore a single child despite being with Nolan for a few years. I'm talking complete dehumanization as Thragg is asking you TO YOUR FACE how often you're having sex with Nolan, which positions, what do you do in bed, acting like you're doing something wrong. He asks what you do after mating and you just kind of start to reply and he sort of smirks, "you can still walk afterward?" And he seems grossly smug about it, but, this is a very threatening conversation to you. You have a man who could reduce you to paste at any moment and completely take away any luxury or privilege you and Nolan have and he's asking you extremely intimate questions you have to answer through ground teeth and at some point I'm sure he starts on about, "your duty as a woman"

Nolan comes home completely unaware that Thragg has been there and you're still sobbing on your hands and knees as you literally scrub the spotless floors by hand because Thragg told you what a submissive little servant you're expected to be as a lowly human woman and Nolan is trying to comfort you and your hands and fingers are literally pruning from cleaner as you keep crying and refuse to stop "because it's not good enough, it's not good enough"

At some point Nolan and Thragg get into it. Nolan is sent off on some mission that he very slightly underperformed on, or maybe he actually made a really huge tactical error, and here's Thragg, deciding to punish Nolan by. Taking you. Just straight up taking you away from Nolan like you're some kind of privilege he has been allowed and YEAH it is to be a servant/mate for Thragg himself. And Nolan makes a big fuss about how he's one of the ones who helped even conquer this damn rock, how dare the Grand Regent take his mate, but Thragg doesn't care and even if other Viltrumites who serve under him disagree, as you know he rules with such an iron fist that none dare to speak up

Can you even imagine you were with Nolan for like 5 years overall with never so much as a pregnancy scare and Thragg has you for like two months and boom, you're pregnant, in fact you're INSANELY pregnant, you've got TWINS, and for you noncomic readers, Viltrumite DNA is literally so aggressive that twins are literally quite literally unheard of because they cannibalize in the womb or only the strongest lives so, now you've presented Thragg with these nice shiny new little trophies he can self aggrandize over. The first Viltrumite twins in the entire history of their culture, and they're Thragg's

(Something something "what if thragg was having birth control put in your food so you wouldn't become pregnant by Nolan before he could manufacture an excuse to take you for himself" something something)

I also think like. Thragg had the twins in the comics, Ursaal and Onaan, so like. What if he already had the twins when you're taken from Nolan and you give him TRIPLETS. Like. Jesus not only is your fate sealed, you're going in the goddamn Viltrum history books as some sort of magical womb the oh so virile Grand Regent Thragg managed to conquer for himself idk 🙄🙄🙄

But I think it's just the concept of. Such a monstrously violent and cold dude realizing he has uncontrollable feelings for you and they're like FEELINGS FEELINGS, but he literally doesn't know how to act so he's being. Like. Kind of just blatantly shitty and abusive most of the time. You give him any lip and he's got his hands on your throat and threatening you but internally he's like. Turned on by your spice. He wishes you were a Viltrumite so he could be rougher with you. You two have a rare argument where you get those oh so rarely seen guts to talk down to him and later that night he's putting you in your place underneath him fucking you like he's trying to get another brood of children out of you

Think of just the little ways he could show affection which is completely foreign to him and he like doesn't even realize his own behavior and is rationalizing it as something else. He sees you talking to Ursaal one day, combing her hair, telling her that she could potentially consider cutting her hair as males tend to grab it as a battle tactic and he feels a little warmth in his chest as Ursaal dutifully nods "Yes Mother" and Onaan is lurking around the corner, jealous. Thragg forces you to make public appearances with him and you learn how to temper your emotions better, and you'll be brought along to school functions for the children, like Thragg smirking internally as you scold Onaan that he lost a scheduled fight because he's arrogant and wasn't properly paying attention to his opponents

You're forcibly assimilated deeper into Viltrumite culture, but you're also humanizing the Viltrumites you interact with. Ursaal and Onaan realize that they deeply desire more affection and support as children and become fiercely protective of you because you actually treat them with kindness. Thragg can act indifferent to you at best but one day you realize that you have significantly more privileges as his mate than Nolan's and you march off to Thragg's place of work because maybe the twins wanted you to see where they work with their father and you're brought into Thragg's office and he's as stonefaced as ever while you're like. Surrounded by photos of yourself just all over the place. The one on his desk directly in front of him isn't even one of you smiling, it's you scowling with a glare and looking pissed and apparently that one is his favorite. And Thragg is like not even bothered by you seeing all these photos, and his kids are just completely nonchalant like this is all totally normal, "oh, Father, you had a memorial photo made from where you and Mother visited my school, I like this one--" as if these uh collages have been up for quite some time, some maybe even taken from security cameras from your time with Nolan--

I just picture like. Can you imagine the triplet scenario and you wind up giving Thragg Mark, Ursaal, and Onaan, and you bond more with Mark as a late bloomer and the one who is the most human and his siblings are getting monstrously jealous and Thragg doesn't want his legacy tied to a weak powerless Viltrumite, like this man would rather have Mark be dead than not have powers, and Thragg is trying to force you and Mark apart. Can you even conceive like, being a mom and you walk into the room and your son is being absolutely brutalized by his father who is convinced he is hiding his powers or something and you have to shield your own son from his father before he kills him. Could you EVEN IMAGINE Thragg going to throw Mark off of whatever cyberpunk skyscraper nightmare you're living in because he's convinced the panic will make his boy finally learn how to fly and you have to watch as he just drops your (favorite) child off the building and Mark ... never comes back up. Thragg just sees how absolutely devastated you are and convinces himself it's because you're emotional and weak and just casually, "we can make another" (although I imagine in this scenario Mark was saved by Nolan and the two train and eventually basically spearhead a rebellion against Thragg and his empire and rescue you and restore Earth, but, whatever lmao)

I feel like as a general thing, yandere Thragg would often indulge in and enjoy the fact you couldn't deny him sex, because even if you try to deny him, what are you gonna do, overpower him? So he uses it to assert control over you. You snap at him or mouth off, you're getting railed that night to remind you how powerless you are, that you're still his mate. You two have a nasty fight where you legitimately manage to wound his pride, you're getting fucked near unconscious and you're essentially "grounded" for the next few days if not weeks where you aren't allowed to leave your home (maaaaybe because you've managed to make him insecure that his little mate doesn't like him 👉👈 he can't have anyone else steal you away, not when you're making him feel all these powerful emotions he doesn't even know what to call)

You're not even aware of it but the surveillance systems in your home are being CONSTANTLY tuned into all the time, if not by him, then by his own children who are tasked with watching you. I also feel like having the kids on the mix kind of makes everything kind of grotesque. Like imagine you just wake up and you're going by your business one day and you walk into the room and Thragg has your like 5 year old toddlers gathered around a table with knives and weapons on it and you hear little Mark say, "all these things can hurt Mom?" "They can" "even though they're so soft?" "Only to Viltrumites like us" "Mother is really that... weak?" And you realize Thragg is turning your own children into weapons to use against you, watch you, report back to him, because... your kids aren't like you. They're Viltrumites like him and he'll be damned if you make them 'too soft'

But I imagine a day comes when he's forced to at least semi-confront these feelings. Ursaal and Onaan are dedicated little soldiers to him, but also seem to respect your authority as their mother, something Thragg also sometimes encourages (since your "rank" as their mother earns a certain degree of respect and he's trying to teach them to respect the chain of command, even if you are a soft human). Ursaal and Onaan take a mission to another planet with their father and they return and Onaan has a gift for you, an alien flower he thought you might like, something he took without telling his father, but. He doesn't realize there's something wrong with it, something that wouldnt bother a Viltrumite but would definitely harm a human. The second you touch the plant, the second some of its pollen touches your akin, enters your lungs, you start becoming ill, very, very, very ill.

Thragg is trying to tell himself you're just another mate to him, just another bearer of his many many many children that he has no emotional attachments to, but the second he receives word that you might ACTUALLY BE DYING like genuinely actually fucking dying, there's no hesitation. The next time you open your eyes, you're in a Viltrum-run hospital in a lavish sanitized room receiving ONLY the best of care as Thragg is sitting in a chair beside your bed staring directly at you as if he had been staring at your unconscious body perhaps the entire time you were asleep. There's almost a visible relaxation of his posture as you're able to hold a conversation with him, but, his voice is, lowered but firm as he tells you you have yet to fully recover, that you're in isolation to reduce the risk of foreign pathogens. He feels the need to tell you in detail how severely Onaan was beaten for almost costing you your life, almost as if he's seeking your approval, some sort of forgiveness. You ask him how long he's been sitting there and he just deflects and tells you you're still too weak to hold a conversation and to conserve your strength, that the two of you can speak later.

Once you've recovered, it doesn't even seem like he's that interested in sex anymore, but the notoriously sturdy Viltrumite is suddenly returning home much more often now, if only to hold you as you sleep in the marital bed you share with him....

I guess as one final, final suggestion, I can't get over like. Is there an upper limit on the whole "oh you had Viltrum DNA but it just didn't kick in yet" thing. Could you imagine like, once the Viltrum invasion has begun and you're "acquired" for either Nolan or Thragg or whomever, you're scanned or whatever by Viltrum tech and they're like "oh hey what up, Viltrumite DNA detected? Dope?" And maybe it could even be "weak" like from a grandparent or something but, it inevitably "kicks in" and now you have to confront all the new caveats this brings with you. You're expected to live as a Viltrumite now. Maybe Thragg seems to find you a little less pathetic and personally wants to train you himself because he doesn't want the most publicly visible and famous of his mates to be weak. Also just maybe he's glad he can have rougher sex with you. I can just imagine he's forcing you two to have some sort of spar amd you have some sort of natural aptitude or higher than average strength and you wind up really giving him at least ONE really good fucking punch to the face and he's wrestling you down, pinning you down and forcing a kiss onto you as the blood from his broken nose drips onto both of your faces, like

Yeah, anyways I have normal feelings about this series tee hee 😘

[sheisanimposter]

I understand why professors say teamwork is important when justifying group projects, even though I know it’s really about grading less papers. I’m a reasonable person, I get it.

But if you’re an instructor on this app I raise you this: if the project is about teamwork, why isn’t my grade?

I’m being graded on the end result of the project, not the teamwork. Yet no amount of teamwork is going to make that end result strong if there are people in my group who simply don’t care. And no, that isn’t how it works in the real world.

When I worked on group projects professionally, there were things in place to set the team up for success and monitor our work:

- there was usually pre-designated project lead who had leadership skills or a strong background knowledge on the project

- our slack channels usually had a supervisor in them for questions and accountability

- in my non slack work places we had project check ins with a supervisor

-in some cases we had project feedback surveys at the end or halfway through

I’m 33, I have professional and leadership experience, I could do this project by myself in a week and get an A because I’ve done similar work professionally. I also have ocd so “taking over” is something I’ve worked hard to reduce and I’ve learned to balance with “step up step back”.

By not doing all the work for a group of 20 something’s who barely experienced high school, I actually am practicing teamwork and leadership. I’m giving them info and prompts to try to help, but some of them simply don’t care and are hoping someone else will do all the work. Ultimately they can get away with that because my professor is grading us on the quality of our work, not how we got there.

My attempts to get people to meet, the prompts I gave my team to help get conversations going, and the info I provided to them that they didn’t use will not be graded. My professor will never see our discord chat. Instead I’m being graded on the work ethic of others. How is this teaching teamwork? How is this grading team work? How is it actually preparing severely undersocialized students (my classmates missed most of high school due to Covid and it shows) for the workplace?

So if you’re a teacher, professor or instructor who genuinely cares about teaching teamwork and not just grading fewer papers, here are some suggestions:

-designate a project leader: let the team choose and give that person extra credit

-do project check ins, it can just be a quick survey monkey to give people a chance to “tattle” anonymously. You have to actually read them and follow up on issues though.

-mandate that the group chat stays in canvas or that you’re included in the discord chat, that chat itself should be part of the grade based on how much people participated in and lead conversations

-give individual grades. This means not just grading based on the end result but on each persons portion of it. If one person made the whole presentation that’s going to factor more into their grade. If one section of a project is better researched than another that should factor into individual grades.

-TEACH TEAMWORK FIRST: college isn’t about learning by trial and error, we’re typically given material to learn before being graded on an assignment that proves our knowledge of it. So many current students were not taught teamwork or other social skills typically gained in high school because of COVID learning, don’t assume they know how to do things you take for granted. If the project is team based because you feel teamwork is important, the least you can do is give some handouts on communication and planning strategies that are used in real workplaces. It’s unfair to be grading students on something you didn’t teach them / that isn’t a prerequisite for your course. If your course doesn’t have teamwork knowledge as a prerequisite why are you assuming your students know anything about it?

[timkontheunsure]

A CBT look at Blitz's core beliefs

Boring explanationy bit

Ok first off a core belief is this how the world works sort of thought. It has a ton of evidence on it side, or some big life altering event. Acting within is designed to kept you safe. And everyone has good and bad ones.

Think of it as of a short bit of base code running in the background, helping you go with your gut. A quick a short cut, but one that's got a lot of logic and past facts behind it.

They're mostly set up in childhood. So if you have an abusive parent, or trauma, you can get ones that become unhelpful for you in other situations. Like with people that really care about you.

A distortion is a little different. They affect how you look at the wold based off your mood, and are always negative. They specifically don't have a lot of evidence on their side. Like a prism that makes things a little different than what's really there.

They are an action to do based on your mood: catastrophizing (when everybody I love leaves me next year)

Black & white thinking (yes there's all this evidence showing Stolas cares, but that doesn't count as it just sex).

Thought spiraling (this one goes to Moxxie heh)

Or snap judgments based only only how your mood is (Ghostfuckers is fun and sexy, so we should take the case when I know they don't exist).

Blitz's core beliefs

So 'all royals are assholes' and 'no royal will care about an imp' are a core beliefs. Because this is definitely true, the 1% don't give a fig. (Stolas and Ozzie are basically round errors from what we've seen).

"I'm going to die alone" is also one.

So is "I make everyone's lives worse"

But his good ones are: "we don't get rid of family",

Ok with these two good ones we're going to have to go into rules for life. Blitz core belief is about family sticks together and protects each other. That's his code that always wants to run.

But he's also got evidence that family will kick you out for not being good enough, and hurting/killing people on accident. When you get code clashing you get cognitive dissidence, which physically hurts.

So you do a patch to reduce that pain. A rule to live by. 'If X is right and Y is right, then the variable that off is me.'

'We don't get rid of family, but we do get rid of me = I'm the only one who we can get rid of'.

With Loona it's we get orphanage lady saying words that could have come straight out of Cash's mouth. (I want Blitz to get a song telling that git off so hard).

Those hit Blitz hard, so hard he changed his mind on adopting a small little child, to a older teenage. CBT says that when something hits that hard it's because it hit at least 1 core belief. He sees himself in Loona in that moment, and never want another kid to be gotten rid of.

And other one could be bad or good depending on what's around it. 'I will be of use to family/people I love'. Blitz needs to feel useful to the people he loves, especially with growing in a family business working from being a kid.

And the rule Blitz has made for himself between the "I'm going to die alone" + 'I will be of use to family' = 'But maybe if I'm useful they won't abandoned of me yet'

(Also how sad it is that Blitz feels he's only allowed help, and support if it's a tit for tat, favours for favours exchange).

So everyone has a mixed bag of these good and bad. The problem happened when trauma responses give you ones that don't help you in a new situation. Like say a demon prince falling head over heels for him.

The idea of CBT is that if your struggling to look at what's changed since the core beliefs were set up. And if it isn't keeping you safe anymore, then you try to replace the old one with a new one; that has new evidence that backs it up. A update.

Like how Millie shows Blitz concrete examples of him improving her life. Just telling him he hasn't wrecked her life wouldn't work.

(This is one of reasons why Stolas' confection doesn't stick with Blitz. Blitz needs to know reasons why someone like Stolas loves him. It why he asks him in apology tour. Stolas tell your boy why he's so amazing for flips' sake).

Millie shows how joining IMP positively improved her live. "He gave me so much...A career, a husband, a future. And now...He's my best friend."

And Blitz helping Millie through alot of her own negative self talk she had. That 'she's not good enough', 'she's only the muscle', 'that Pride's too fancy for imps', and 'no imp works for them selves'.

These we're all Millie's core beliefs before joining IMP, if she still had these Rolando's words would have hurt her. But through having the support and example of Blitz she's removed those old bits of code.

When see her mum it obvious where and why she has these ideas about herself. Lynn describes her full time job, being employed direct by a company; as "Freelance". Because Imps can't work for themselves. (Even if she is impressed by Blitz). It's like different between working for Uber, instead of taxi firm. No protections, and an unsafe unstable job.

She pulls up her daughter's valid explanation why she lost the fight as "Excuses!", because Millie was "'raised better than that' as the muscle of the team.

She's very against Moxxie for being too week, and not having the same melee skills as Millie.

It obvious that she wants her daughter to have a similar life as her, where she keeps her head down, and has a partner that is able to defend Millie. This because there's a level of safety in this crab bucket attitude. She'd very unlikely to come to the notice of higher-ups. Like how Stolas being very involved in IMP and with Blitz.

But Blitz talked Millie round, and also showed her that she doesn't have to pigeon hole herself like that. She has years of evidence that Blitz could do it, and him pointing out how good she is when she fell back into thinking of herself as just the muscle.

Rolando's trying to exploit vulnerability that she's updated against. (It's super ineffective).

Ok after that sight side tangent of with Millie's head, back to Blitz's.

The "your going to die alone" has become a self-fulfilling prophecy, tripping Blitz up alot. Because it comes twofold for his fear of hurting his loved ones, making their life worse, and his fear of abandonment. Because he was abandoned, that did happen.

Making him feel like he has it to push away the people he love for there own, and that they'll leave him eventually so might as well push them away now. He's got a lot of previous evidence tied to this.

It's going to take more then Fizz and Millie telling him he didn't ruin theirs, for him to start to be able to unpick this. Because he's still certain it's true. Even if he's improved the lives of most of the people he knows.

And even Fizz who were directly effected by the mistake Blitz still punishing himself for, has told him that being made disabled didn't ruin his life.

There's a whole debate in my head whether Barbie would have had such trouble with addiction; if she wasn't assuming/told that her brother started the fire on purpose, that killed their mum. I'm honestly not sure. But it does seem like her resentment over it has made it harder on her. And that all seems to stem from Cash abuse. (I'm sure Cash is the one to tell Blitz that Fizz said he'd die alone).

Ok on to how the these are interacting/fucking up his relationship to Stolas. Blitz is definitely is afraid to love Stolas for a number of reasons. (You knew I'd get there at somepoint right 😛).

Cus a whole load are clashes together for him, making it really difficult for him because about see things from the outside. with the "royal demons don't give a shit about guys like us" one.

Making Blitz rationalize that it's gotta be about the sex, and being of use. Anything that shows this assumption is wrong has to be disregarded with distortion.

But when Stolas takes sex off the table, and still talking about feeling, and relationships; it makes Blitz's fear of abandonment go turbo. It's not rational but it's the only rule Blitz has that might make Stolas keep him.

He feels like that sex is all he has to give to a prince after all. And he wanted Stolas to stay for a long while now. It's not a grimoire his hallucinations put on a golden pedestal after all. And there a a lot of similarity to how Stolas and his Mumma vanish.

(Debøra pør favør pointed out this emotion damage so now you have to suffer too 😭https://x.com/_Choco_torta/status/1859028103772955135)

"I'm going to die alone" and 'I must be of use' Blitz freaks out badly in queen Bee after Ozzie's. Blitz believed that he's be rejected by Stolas, he's been shoved back into the box of it just being about lust.

Because he wants more, but feels he's unworthy, it's got him hurt coming and going. He's got to shut down any attempt by Stolas to have something real. But he was also hurt constantly feeling sex is all that he's got to offer, and all Stolas would want.

"I make everyone's lives worse" and "We don't get get rid of family". Ok this is into theory level but think Master Mind and Sinsmas are going hit these last two harddddd. (We're one week from mastermind).

It looks likely that Stolas is going to lose Via, face punishment for the illegal deal, and be dragged for the affair. With Via swallowing a lot gaslighting about not being loved by Stolas (lines from the trailer).

Blitz will probably going assume it's another another life he's made worse, where he's caused them to lose their own family. Don't think this will play well with last guy he fell in love with he blow up.

It's going to make it much harder for him to remove the idea; that that him loving some will only hurt them.

Alot of the reasons Blitz thought it was ok to get close to Stolas are tied up in these beliefs. He assumes Stolas was powerful and immortal, so couldn't be hurt physically like Fizz or Mumma.

He assumed that a prince would never fall for an imp, so only he could get hurt emotionally. It couldn't end the same way as Verosika. Blitz thinking he's the only one to be able to be hurt, and get to be useful not just to Stolas, but provide a better life for his whole family. It would seem like a bargain. (And the self punishment aspect probably wasn't going be a turn off for him, cus Blitz thinks he deserves it).

This season seems slow be eroding that pedestal Blitz put Stolas on (and vice versa). It's hurts, and it's knocking the stuffing out of both of them; but it's bring Stolas to earth for Blitz. Making his more of a real person in his eyes.

Eh probably a lot way to go, but I'm here for it.

(was very loosely based on this post, because it got me thinking about distortions vs core beliefs. But then I went off on a whole thing, so thought it would be weird to put it as a reblog. Still loved @akirathedramaqueen analysis and would recommend giving it a read 😀)

[shinyeclair]

FINALLY sharing Faerie!Esha ref, which has been ready for a few months now, made by her design mama @erineas

(Henna patterns are in PNG transparency for easy use. DM for full resolution)

She has two lores, one of which is inspired by @valrayne-faeu incredible AU ✨

Open for lore & art !

Esha was lured during a walk in the forest while singing alone. A Fae, whose identity remains unknown for now, complimented her voice, and she naturally thanked them...

She’s a Fae tied to the Spring/Summer Court.

She’s a very promising apothecary apprentice, working for a feisty old Fae named Oam.

Esha makes various remedies and infusions based on Oam’s recipes, but she’s also created her own. She specializes in warm infusions to improve sleep, reduce anxiety, and relieve stress.

Her recipes quickly became pretty popular, Oam is very proud !

She always smells like fresh flowers and plants.

Esha still has an angelic voice but is too shy to sing in public. She only sings for close friends or in places with very few people.

She remembers her years of belly dancing from when she was human and still dances beautifully.

Anna made her dress and Esha often visits her to bring her favorite teas and keep her company.

Esha also loves spending time with 5am. She sometimes has to help her heal after she have eaten some... questionable weeds.

Esha has a blessing by Nightmare that allows her to deliver goods in the Winter/Autumn Court.

She feels uncomfortable in Ink's presence for some reasons.

Her signature flower is chamomile. 🌼

💚 About her love interests

Nightmare has been watching her from afar ever since he granted her the blessing to travel between the Courts, and he seems to have taken a certain interest in her. He’s heard about her voice and is subtly looking for a way to convince her to sing at his Court.

Error has tried a few of her creations and seems to particularly enjoy their effects. He places frequent orders and insists that Esha personally delivers them to him... Wonder why, huh ?

💚🧡 Tea time with bestie by @erineas ~

Close up

[elysiansparadise]

hello ~ I am not sure if you did this one yet, but I will ask you just in case: what are your thoughts on Mercury in the 6th House? I’d deeply appreciate your perspective on this. 🌟

I’d like for you to know how often I look forward to reading your posts, for they are incredibly insightful and neatly noted. I’m certain many would agree with these sentiments. please do keep up the amazing work! I hope your New Year will bring you a series of wonderfully memorable events ~ !

Hello love! Thank you so much for the support and taking the time to write that note down, it makes me very happy. 🤭💗

Mercury in the 6th house

We find one of the best positions for Mercury, since being in this house, it favors the native with a surprising intellect and eye for detail. They don't miss anything, they have an analytical, active mind, even restless at times. They enjoy a good mental challenge and always seem willing to learn from those things that spark their curiosity. These natives are usually excellent at planning, managing details and solving problems. Likewise, they can fall into the multi-talented archetype, since they can develop many different skills throughout their life, due to their need to stay busy and know how to do things on their own. They may have particular talent for design, writing, any type of communication, drawing and other activities where precision is necessary. They have an aptitude for learning new skills, including those that are job-related. These natives are willing to acquire new knowledge and continually improve their abilities of all kinds, and can be very perfectionist and demanding of themselves. They are very good people at planning, and very rarely go unnoticed, because they seem to be one step ahead... or simply because of their observation skills they can accurately predict the actions of others or the outcome of things.

They have the ability to handle multiple tasks at once and often put themselves under a lot of stress by wanting to do too much at the same time. Although it is worth mentioning that natives with this placement are usually efficient and capable of managing several responsibilities simultaneously. There is a tendency to be meticulous and careful in their work. People with this position seek precision and avoid mistakes. They stand out for being people who tend to approach problems rationally and look for practical solutions, they dislike unnecessary drama and to beat around the bush. They are prone to nervous system conditions, anxiety, having problems sleeping, and/or dealing with a lot of stress throughout their lives. I have seen both cases, from being either very careful with the issue of health or forgetting to take care of yourself due to your multiple responsibilities. They may feel great interest in topics of self-improvement, personal care, health, animals, environmental preservation, exercise, and both physical and mental health.

They can stand out a lot in the school and work environment, especially in the latter, as they can be workers with excellent ethics and who constantly look for workshops or other ways to work and perfect their skills. They may work in a place with a lot of gossip. If Mercury is well aspected, it is very likely that you will have a cordial relationship with your co-workers, while if it makes tense aspects to Pluto, Neptune or Mars, aggressive communication or rivalry is likely to be common. Even if they know how to work in a team, they usually prefer to do it on their own, as bad experiences with teamwork can be common, making them feel that only by working on their own they reduce the margin of error and ensure that they will not be rushed in the deadline. It is worth mentioning that although they know how to work well under pressure, they would prefer not to do so in the first place. They are objective people who listen carefully and investigate before speaking, they hate jumping to conclusions and prefer to give their opinion once they know everything about a certain situation. Their advice is very useful and, although they only pretend to be practical or state the obvious, they end up saying just what the other person needs to put their feet on the ground or better understand a certain situation.

-> Go back to the masterlist

[progenycursed]

Kingsmold Zero Line

Code:

Command line (0+) Means by which orders are given, understood, and executed  Facial recognition (0+) KM can tell individuals apart Reading comprehension (0+) KM can read Language proficiency (0+) KM understand the spoken language.  Large database (0+) Ability to store previous moments for later recall.   Information Sharing (0+) Allowing KM to share information between all KM with this code Logic and reasoning (0+) Allows KM to read between the lines of orders/don’t have to spell them out Advanced learning (0+) Can learn new information quickly Combat Tactics (0+) Pattern Recognition (0+) Bodily awareness (0+) KM are aware of the status of their body so can tell where it is and when it is damaged.  Platform Designation Recognition (0+) Allows each KM be able to differentiate itself from the other KM Language proficiency expanded (6+)   KM now understand sarcasm, hyperbole, and jokes    Voice Recognition (6+) So KM only follow PKs orders Command Structure (7+) Tier list of people who can give commands to KM.  Self Preservation (8+) KM will takes steps to avoid damage to their frame or full bodily dissolution if possible.  Deductive reasoning (8+) Can solve complex puzzles and make abstract, muli-step connections  Non lethal combat training (10+) Emotion Recognition (10+) Give KM ability to recognize emotions of living creatures and react accordingly     Code editing (12+) Allowing PK the ability to edit the existing soul enchanting without putting the KM back into the mold or needing a full dissection  Sign language (14+)

Pour Notes

KM 000 and 001 Test:  All code at maximum strength. (Excluding ones marked at specific lines)

Results: Error: Extensive soul encoding within mold overpowered the void causing it to destabilize and melt the form. Any benefits of the maximum enchanting was unable to be fully tested due to the instability.

Outcome:  000: Liquefied promptly after exiting the mold 001: Survived pour. Given armor and functioned adequately for a time. Bits of void would sough off at a consistent rate. As time passed, more sizable chunks of material began to separate from the main mass at faster rates. Ultimately, the entire km body underwent catastrophic liquefaction.   

Conclusion: Soul Encoding too powerful. Void appears to have a maximum amount of soul per unit of void before it will begin dissolving. Soul Enchantments will need to be balanced to stay under this maximum. 

KM 002 and 003 Test:  Mold re-etched. Soul enchantments strength reduced with new balance.  

Results: Balance of void and soul skewed too far to void dominance, leading to the voids photophobia and caustic nature to remain intact within the kingsmold.  Mold requires repair.  *Previous glitches of kingsmold may be due to The Pale King’s light damaging the body pre placement in armor. Further instances of the Pale King working with out of armor kingsmold will need to cover to minimize damage to the void. 

Outcome: 002: Survived pour, armor installed, but showed signs of photophobia early on. Backing away and shielding self from bright sources of light. Began striking out at light sources within its range. Escalated to seeking out and attacking light sources including the Pale King and White Lady. Under restraint, was slowly pried from armor. Exposed segments began to melt under The Pale Kings light ultimately leading to 002 evacuating its armor and attempting to assault the king. Due to its already destabilizing form, it liquified before contact could be made. Upon inspection, interior of armor had been corroded by the void.   003: During pour, void cracked the mold. Partially structure void lashed out at all light sources and attempted to consume any living creature within the room. Form ultimately melted when exposed to The Pale King light. 

Conclusion: Soul Encoding too weak. Lacking strong enough soul encoding, void behavior can overpower the kingsmold coding causing it to lash out and corrode surfaces. If future soul enchantments are not strong enough to control the void, seals will need to be added int their place. 

KM 004 and 005 Test: Power of soul enchantment increased, while prioritizing Command Line power to minimize/eliminated outbursts. 

Results: Glitch: Would follow all orders immediately and literally, from anyone, including common citizens, palace guards, and children. 

Outcome:  004: Devious noble wanted access to a restricted section, told it to get out of their way. To which 004 moved. As the noble passed, they  comment that the kingsmold should be dismantled. Kingsmold 004 interpreted the comment as a serious order and dismantled itself.  005: A curious civilian ordered the kingsmold to follow them home for study. By the time the KMs absence was noticed, and its location tracked down, the citizen in question had died due to direct and prolonged exposure to void. The remains were [REDACTED], what wasn’t was heavily tainted by void.  Upon its return to the palace, KM 005 exhibited strange behavior including making several attempts to ‘consume’ mortals. Decision was made to decommission and dissect 005.  [Dissection report restricted to highest levels of security clearance]

Conclusion: Further adjustments to Command Line required. Expansion to language proficiency to include sarcasm, hyperbole, and jokes. 

KM 006 and 007 Test: Adjusted Command Line control enchantment to prioritize control to The Pale King. Language Proficiency expanded.

Results: Glitch: Would only follow orders from The Pale King, even if The Pale King told them to follow the orders of someone else.  Glitch: KM would become twitchy when away from The Pale King, often wondering back to him after a long enough separation.  *Soul enchantment editing by placing the kingsmold back into the mold is a non viable way to change/update the enchantments. 

Outcome:  006: After it had been away from the The Pale King for an extended period of time, it removed its armor, then went to find him. Fixated at the time, he did not notice 006 was standing behind him until its melted pool of void made contact 007: Attempting to correct the error, 007 was placed back into an updated mold to install Command Structure enchantment. After, it was given an order by an assistant, to which it twitched and spasmed for a moment before tearing itself apart. Order from The Pale King could not stop the outburst and 007 succeeded in self disassembly. Cause believed to be conflicting enchantments 

Conclusion: Lesson Command Line power and add a default state to obey The Pale King. New soul enchantment to be created: command structure, internal list of individuals that have been given power to give kingsmold orders. Can only be edited by The Pale King. 

KM 008 and 009 Test: Adjustment to Command Line and addition of Command Structure. Self Preservation and Deductive Reasoning added.  

Results: Command structure successful implementation. Only obeyed commands of those given clearance to do so. Mostly.  Error: If the order risked the Kingsmold structure, it would not follow the order at all, regardless of who gave it.  Glitch: When given an order, kingsmold could perform an order oddly, at a different time, place, or in a non standard way.   Glitch: If not told if couldn’t do something, it was interpreted as it could. I.E. isn’t told its not allowed to wonder aimlessly, so it could wonder aimlessly.

Outcome:  008: After continued strange behavior/interpretation of orders, 008 was slated for dissection. When the time came, 008 could not be found. Its armor was found outside the entrance to the abyss. No trace of its body was ever found 009: Behavior became erratic after disappearance of 008. Would pull away/run whenever The Pale King shown any of his light on it during out of armor examinations. Strange behavior eventually leveled out after examinations and talk of dissection was discontinued.  Glitch: Unexplained change in density. Long period between previous density check, thus cause is unknown.  Glitch: Randomly wonders palace grounds even when told not to Glitch: Sudden increase in processing power and speed. Went unnoticed for some time so inciting incident unknown Rumor: reports of strange sounds emitting from around it, or even from it. Supposed glitch cannot be reproduced nor has been observed directly Wear: Strange wear and damage found on the inside of its armor. 

Conclusion:  Survival instincts too strong. Deductive reasoning possibly causing conflicting enchantments leading to un-explainable behavior. 

KM 010 and 011 Test: Reduced survival instincts and deductive reasoning strength.  Added Non-Lethal Combat Training and Emotional Recognition to soul enchanting

Results: Non-Lethal combat training successfully implemented and tested Glitch: Behavior was erratic. Could attack unruly visitors without an order. Would react in seemly random ways if a large group of citizens is nearby.  Glitch: Would react to stimuli that previous models would not react to. 

Outcome:  010: Stationed outside the palace hospital, a small child would visit this kingsmold on their frequent visits. 010 began following the child around without any order to do so. Upon news that the child had died, 010’s emotional recognition was seemly overloaded due to parents reactions and became erratic. The Pale King had to be called to calm the kingsmold. After a long enough time without orders, 010 would become erratic again. Always having to have The Pale King stop its outbursts. When he was not around to stop one of these episodes, 010 used its own weapon and decapitated itself.  011: After the self decommissioning of 010, 011 became lethargic. Following orders slowly or not at all. It frequently wondered away from its posts to be found near civilian groups, watching them. One instance of it wondering off resulted it in never being found. No traces of armor or void trails and no sightings reported. It was believed to have wondered back into the abyss like 008

Conclusion: Emotional recognition strength to powerful, causing strong emotions from mortals to activate the soul enchanting and overload it. Will need to temper the enchantment. 

KM 012 and 013 Test: Dropped strength of Emotional Recognition. Enchantment Editing added.

Results: Coded editing proved to still cause damage to KM, resulting in further glitches  or destabilization.  Apparent balance of previous existing code reached. 

Outcome:  012: Due to an inability to communicate efficiently with civilians, an emergency situation lead to 012 implementing force against civilians. Resulting in serious injuries. Had to be pulled from circulation due to public outcry. The Pale King then used it for testing new soul enchantments via the editing ability. The frequent exposure to The Pale King’s light and/or conflicting enchantments, caused a severe glitch with the kingsmolds’ pathing. When ordered to go somewhere, instead of taking a safe path, it walked off a ledge leading to the body undergoing catastrophically disassembling on impact 013: After discovering the earlier kingsmold models displaying later models abilities, The Pale King decided to test the neural network by disconnecting 013 from it, to discover enchantments edits from 014 appeared in all other models except 013. Continued to test the neural network capabilities with 013 as the primary test subject.  Incident: 013 went rouge. Destroying the 0 mold and all the notes regarding the line, before starting to destroy the void lab. By the time The Pale King arrived to stop it, 013 had absorbed several containers of void leading to [REDACTED]

Conclusion: If a Kingsmold is disconnected from the network for too long, appears to cause instability within the disconnected model. So long as new enchantments don’t conflict with the old, the enchantment sharing is seen as beneficial. Additionally, extended times of disconnection is discouraged.  Will want to test neural networks between lines, could prove detrimental to new enchantments.  Kingsmold undergoing enchantments edits will need to be disconnected from the neural network to ensure no conflicting soul enchantments or un-desired  glitches spread to the other kingsmold of the line.  Large edits between pours should have the new pour automatically disconnected from the neural network until the new edits are tested properly. All void containers moving forward will be sealed. Both labs will be sealed so only marked individuals can come and go at will. All others will need a pass from The Pale King himself.  Enchantment editing will need further adjustments and testing with more safety measures taken into account.  Leveling out of emotional recognition appears to have spread to the remaining models. 

KM 014 and 015 Test: Sign Language added.  

Results: Discovered previous models of the 0 line could now perform sign language.  While implementation of sign language went smoothly, large swaths of Hallownest’s population do not understand sign language. Will need to encourage sign language education for frequent palace visitors if not entire population. 

Outcome:  014: After repeated soul editing, it began to grow unstable, eventually refusing to follow The Pale Kings order to allow him to soul edit, refusing to leave its armor. When attempting to pry it out, 014 lashed out at the king and fled. Was eventually tracked down within the city, fleeing towards Kingdoms Edge. Had to be deactivated due to it use of citizens as hostages.  015: Mold cracked during pour causing physical abnormalities and incomplete enchanting. Instead of immediately decommissioning it, The Pale King seeing it could still somewhat function, decided to keep it to tinker and study it. Placed it within modified armor to compensate for its physical limitations and allow it mobility.  Undiscovered featured: After repeated exposure to the other 0 line, abilities that had partially or completely failed to be etched into 015 began functioning. Fatal Error: Body was found limb and unresponsive. Explanation or cause of this fatal error was never found and 015 could not be reactivated. Only clue was neural network soul enchantment was burned out. 

Conclusion:  Further editing/building off the 0 line is no longer the best course of action. All notes from previous pours and soul enchantments power will be taken into account when creating the next line mold.