#Compiler Design Assignment help

[nectar-cellar]

Downtown Roles Mod Tutorial - TS3 - Mature Gameplay Ideas

NSFW 18+ mature content / a long read   

TLDR: this is a compilation/recommendation list of mods, a tutorial on how to set up NPCs, and how to tie it all together to add some mature gameplay to your save. 😈

Misukisu/Virtual Artisan had a “Downtown Roles” mod that sadly does not work anymore for the latest versions of TS3. Her mod basically allowed players to add role sims to community lots so your sims could have more NPCs to interact with, making the lots feel more alive in a mature "downtown" sort of way.

I was inspired by her mod and I want to share how you can recreate and expand her mod’s functions with Nraas Register and Arsil’s Custom Generic Role mod. Some players might already know how these mods work, but it was a new discovery for me. I didn’t know how useful role sims could be! It got the gears in my dirty mind turning.

The main purpose of this mod list/tutorial: to add role sims to community lots for your main sims to interact with, while they’re out on the town. These will be sims outside of your household. Their main “job” is to hang out at the lot. You can let the game generate new sims to fill these roles, or assign existing sims in the town to fill the roles.

Examples of role sims you can create: 

A regular patron at a dive bar for your sim to befriend or make enemies with.

A sexy single sim at a beach, gym, pool, bar or club for your sim to mingle and hook up with. 

An escort at a brothel for your sim to woohoo with (Passion mod). 

A client for your sim to sell drugs/weapons to (MonocoDoll Vile Ventures mod and Arms Dealing mod) - I have not tested this but in theory it should work. 

You can add multiple role sims on each lot. You could have a number of partygoers on a club lot/a number of escorts on a brothel lot/a number of mobsters or criminals on a warehouse lot who will always be there when your sim visits.

Why role sims?

Townies are unpredictable - you never know which lot they’ll show up on, and how long they’ll stay. Role sims will consistently be there as the supporting characters in your main sim’s story. 

Having consistent NPCs at certain locations around town can help with story-driven gameplay scenarios.

You can move a household of your own sims into town and assign them to fill various roles. See pretty NPCs around town!

If you let the game generate new sims for the roles, then it saves you the hassle of setting up new households yourself. You can always edit them later in CAS.

Limitations: 

According to Arsil, it seems like sims who are already employed (such as most townies) will be removed from their jobs if they are assigned to be role sims. So I would avoid using any employed townies for this unless you are ok with that. Use unemployed residents instead.

I believe the role sim cannot leave the lot during the designated work hours. Your sim cannot form a group with them and go to another venue. However, you can invite the sim over or hang out afterwards from the relationship panel.

Mods Needed:

Nraas Master Controller + Integration Module

Nraas Register

Arsil‘s Custom Generic Role mod (both the floor marker and the desk)

Passion (if you want your sim to be able to have sex with the role sims on the lot or have the role sims dance on the stripper pole) 

MonocoDoll’s Vile Ventures mod (if you want to create NPC clients for your sim to sell to) 

MonocoDoll’s Arms Dealing mod (if you want to create NPC clients for your sim to sell to) 

How to Set Up: 

Step 1: Install the mods listed above. Then, open the save file you want to add some downtown sleaze to. 

Step 2: Find a community lot you want to add role sims to. This could be a bar, nightclub, brothel/motel/strip club, a run-down warehouse or block of buildings, casino, etc. I have downloaded many lots from Flora2 at ModtheSims and @simsmidgen here on Tumblr that fit the gritty urban vibe.  

Step 3: Enter Build/Buy mode. You can do this from Live mode. 

Press Ctrl + Shift + C, enter this cheat: testingcheatsenabled true 

Press the Shift key and click on the ground of the community lot. 

Click on “Build on this lot”. 

You can also enter Edit Town mode to renovate the community lot. 

Step 4: Place Arsil’s Custom Generic Role floor marker or desk on the lot. Place one for each role sim you want to create. They are located in Build Mode -> Community Objects -> Misc. If the desk looks out of place, use the floor marker instead. 

Step 5: In Live mode, click on the object -> Settings to set:

The name of the role (clubgoer/stripper/escort/mobster/etc.) 

The “work” hours the sim will be on the lot for 

The days off 

The motives to freeze or not (I recommend freezing all the motives to avoid interactions being interrupted/sims complaining due to low motives) 

If the sim you want to assign to the role already lives in town, click on the object -> Nraas -> Register -> Select -> Choose criteria -> select the sim from the list. I would avoid choosing any employed townies as they may lose their job when switching to this role. Choose unemployed residents to avoid conflicts.

Remove assigned roles: click on the object to remove the sim from the role.

Step 6: In Live mode, click on City Hall -> Nraas -> Register

Allow immigration: choose whether you want new sims to be moved into town to take the roles (enable this if you want the game to generate new sims for the roles) 

Allow immigration = False: if you set this option to false, then a new option called "Find Empty Roles" should appear. You can then assign any sim to the role object you placed, from City Hall.

Allow resident assignment: choose whether you want existing unemployed townies to be randomly assigned to fill the roles (I recommend to disable this. I had Buster Clavell show up to work at my strip club. NO!)

Pay per hour: I'm not sure how to adjust the pay for each custom role but you can just leave it at the default or change it globally

Remove roles: click on the object to remove the sim from the role, or click on City Hall -> Nraas -> Register -> Global Roles -> Remove by sim

Step 7: In Live mode, give the game some time to generate the role sims. Visit the community lot and have a look at your new role sims. The role sims should autonomously interact with other sims and objects on the lot. Using Nraas Master Controller, you can take the sim into CAS to give them a makeover, edit their traits, or replace them with a sim from your sim bin. 

Step 8: Make your sim interact with the shiny new role sims and play out the storylines you always wished were possible. Public hookups, functioning brothels, selling drugs and guns - this is what The Sims 3 was made for, baby!!! 

Related Mods:

Arsil’s Exotic Dancer Stage - if you have a club community lot, you can use this mod to hire dancers. You can use role sims to add other NPCs to the club such as guests, shady business sims, or non-dancer sex workers. 

Nraas Relativity - this handy mod can slow down the speed of time so your sim can spend more time doing their "activities"

Nraas Woohooer - if you don’t want the explicit sex animations from Passion, you could use this mod instead to provide more woohoo options. 

Passion - for brothels/strip clubs, this mod will add sex animations and the ability to have role sims dance on the stripper pole. 

MonocoDoll’s Vile Ventures mod and Arms Dealing mod - you can use role sims to create more clients for your sim to sell drugs and weapons to, like different individuals/gangs/mobs. You could have different clients hanging out at different spots in the city. 

LazyDuchess Lot Population - this mod populates community lots with townies, and they can interact with the role sims you’ve created. 

Service Sims Out on the Town - this pushes service sims to visit community lots, to add even more variety to your crowds. 

Conclusion

If you made it to the end, thank you for reading. Please let me know if you try out this style of gameplay, and if you have ideas for more role sims and community lots to make. This tutorial was NSFW-oriented but you could easily adapt it to create NPCs for SFW community lots.

[pukefactory]

⋆.˚ MARIGOLD ICE CREAM ⋆.˚

✮ Summary: A compilation of headcannons featuring J as your caregiver

✮ Character(s): Serial Designation J (Murder Drones)

✮ Genre: Headcanons, Fluff, SFW

✮ Warning(s): None - Completely Safe!

⪼ It took J an unusually long time to grasp what you wanted and the reasoning behind it. At first, she seemed hesitant, but then she realized she’d have a small agent by her side at all times. Suddenly, the thought of looking after you didn’t seem so bad. After all, having a tiny sidekick would reflect well on her.

⪼ J adopts a role reminiscent of a strict yet caring mother. She’s assertive and demanding, always pushing you to do your best. However, unlike her usual interactions with others, she’s never harsh or disrespectful toward you. She places significant importance on your well-being and safety, but in return, she expects you to follow her rules. Disobedience or wandering off without her approval is not tolerated. As your caregiver, she insists on your cooperation and adherence to her guidance.

⪼ She often calls you “champ” or “little champ,” believing it suits you perfectly, especially when you excel at your tasks. However, when she thinks you’re not paying attention, she’ll refer to you as “sweetheart” when speaking about you to others—never directly to your face. Just don’t let her know you’re aware of this, as it would undoubtedly embarrass her. As for herself, J prefers to be addressed as “ma’am” or “miss,” though she’ll tolerate “momma” as long as no one else is present.

⪼ J isn’t particularly affectionate, but she does express her care through words of affirmation. If you follow her instructions precisely, she’ll shower you with compliments. On rare occasions, if you exceed her expectations, you might even get a quick head pat. Additionally, you can expect plenty of thumbs-ups and the occasional company pen as tokens of approval.

⪼ Surprisingly, she enjoys helping you choose and put together your outfits. Her goal is for you to appear tidy, polished, and perhaps overly studious. She assists you into your clothes, smooths out wrinkles, and fixes any imperfections. After stepping back to inspect her work, she’ll nod approvingly and say, “Looking good, champ.” To complete the look, she’ll even give you an armband that matches her own.

⪼ When the two of you aren’t preoccupied with ambiguous company tasks and find a moment to relax, J enjoys reading to you. She lets you rest your head on her lap, often lulling you to sleep with her calm, steady voice. Sometimes, though, it’s the subject matter—like a dull book about stocks—that puts you to sleep instead. Either way, you don’t mind, as it gives you an excuse to use her legs as a comfortable pillow for a few hours.

⪼ Although holding your hand might make her seem less intimidating to others, J doesn’t mind. She prioritizes keeping you close over maintaining her imposing image, ensuring you don’t wander off or end up in harm’s way. If you ever feel daring and try to escape, her long tail will quickly wrap around your arm, pulling you back to her side. To her, staying near is the only way to keep you safe.

⪼ No matter the time, place, or circumstances, J would rather face dismantling than allow any other disassembly drone to babysit you, even for a moment. A mix of paranoia and pride drives her belief that V and N are entirely unfit to care for you in a way that meets her standards. To J, they are reckless, incompetent, and far beneath her. She would much rather keep you by her side, even if your presence hinders her productivity. In her mind, she’s the only one truly capable of ensuring your well-being—after all, you didn’t gravitate toward her without a reason.

⪼ She will never allow you on the battlefield—absolutely not. In her eyes, you’re far too small, inexperienced, and valuable to be exposed to such danger. Instead, she assigns you simpler responsibilities, such as tracking worker drones and reporting their locations, performing minor repairs on the landing pod, sharpening her claws, and other safe, manageable tasks. These keep you out of harm’s way. Should you ever attempt to fight, be ready for an unforgettably long lecture and time out.

⪼ Littles like you are bursting with energy and need a proper outlet for it. When J notices you getting especially restless, she’ll take you to a secluded spot where you can release all your pent-up excitement. She carefully observes as you dart around like a wild creature finally set free. To keep you entertained, she’ll toss small objects nearby for you to chase and retrieve. Sometimes, she’ll even guide you through simple exercises to wear you out completely. Once you collapse from exhaustion, J knows you’re finally ready to relax.

[sissytrainingpage2]

Welcome to the pretty sissy transformation online training program. This academy operates and gives training of high quality. The aim is to slowly ease you into exploring your feminine sides and see how you like living as a girl.

The goal is to get you confident, sissified and feminized you will learn to be the proper little sissy boi you have only dreamed about previously. This course goes in-depth into how to completely transform yourself into a full-fledged sissy over the course of only one year. Following these daily assignments, tasks, and training sessions to the end will provide you with the confidence you need to be who you are.

This course will allow you to experience the transformation into your femmedom. Completing these male-to-female transformation tasks and training will help you become the proper little sissy boi that you desire through these step-by-step tasks and daily interaction For more information, questions, and inquiries on how to sign up for the training If you need privacy and more flexibility but still want to be directly in contact send a message

Telegram:@prettysissyacademy1

This course was designed to help you push your boundaries further than you ever have before and improve your sissy skill set. Some are informative and help you physically become more feminine and some are made to help you mentally break the stereotypes so that you can move forward as a real sissy boi. The pretty sissy academy wants you to be able to transform yourself over the course of the next year. With specialized courses, lots of practice, ice pattie, niceness, and perseverance, you should have no problem removing the masculine layer of yourself and tapping into your inner woman.

After the completion of this sissy transformation course, you should be able to have all the assets, knowledge, edge, and confidence you need to be a full-timeline woman. Mistress Aiden requires that you dig deep into yourself and push your limits as far as you can to achieve your goals. She is hard and sometimes soft on her sissy slave and demands a lot, but that is only because she believes in them so much. Mistress Aiden knows if you work hard, all you want, you can accomplish anything.

You may find some of these tasks more difficult than others. Remember it is important to always push your boundaries to move forward in your sissy training. At first, you may find some of these sissy assignments challenging and even humiliating, but you must remember that Mistress Aiden only wishes to help you become who you truly are. All of these assignments are specially arranged and compiled to help you reach your end goal.

Your daily sissy assignments will range from humiliation tasks,sissyshopping tasks, makeup application, chastity training, panty perverts, forced bi, chronic masturbation, Goddess worship, virtual dominant girlfriend, forced crossdressing, sissy training, feminization, sissification, crossdressing stories, sissy maid, sissy stories, sissy boys, sissy slave, forced sissy, forced crossdressing, sissy humiliation, forced feminization stories, sissy husband, forced womanhood, forced feminization, feminization hypnosis, sissy school, sissy maids, sissy crossdresser, forced feminization captions, forced sissification, feminization stories, facial feminization surgery, sissy maid training, forced feminization videos, etc. tease and denial, humiliation, forced feminization and will even touch lightly on subjects such as period training and a lot more depending on your fetish and what you are into.

Whether you are a beginner sissy or a full-time sissy boi that wants to brush up on her skill,s this year-long sissy transformation is the challenge you need.

A note from MistressAiden I am a trained Dominatrix who specializes in helping subsoil just like yourself in their transformation into sissydom. Over the ye, ars have refined the art of feminizing minintois specialized courses. After much experimentation with training sissy boi's all over the world I have found that sissy training exercises have had the most success. Sissy training assignments are a fun way for both you and your Mistress/Master to ingrain the sissy process into your mind so that you can become a true sissy both physically as well as in your heart and mind.

That is why I, Mistress Aiden, decided to compile this year-long sissy transformation course. This is a step-by-step blueprint designed by me over years of training. By implementing the 365-day-to-day assignments into your schedule,e you will experience the benefits of becoming a full-fledged sissy boi slowly over time. The year-long daily challenge can be difficult for any sissy out there,e but if you put your head down and complete I,t the benefits are amazinThis365-data system has already changed the lives of a tremendous amount of sissy boi's all over the world,d and you can be next.

I wish you all the best on your journey to femmedom.

[unidot]

Some Fade Valorant headcanons from my twt

-Since her powers are not mind reading and not clear, she also uses her psychology knowledge to base assumptions on people and use their fears against them more affectively

-Fidgets with her hands a lot. She either uses an object to keep her hands busy or uses her nightmare tendrils

-Doing henna and drawing are some kind of meditation for her. They help her to keep herself grounded when the nightmares and visions get especially bad

-She prefers bitter coffee

-Born in the city of Bursa, later moved to İstanbul

-She doesnt have a cat of her own, mostly takes care of street cats

-She loves homemade food but is not that good at cooking so she mostly goes to restaurants that makes homemade like food

-She is around 172 cm (5'8") tall and is 27-28 years old

-since its confirmed that the nightmare is not a seperate entity, the prowlers act on her most basic emotions deep down (playing with people she likes, hissing at people she dislikes etc)

-She cant shut down her powers because they work like a 6th sense in a way. She constantly feels the fear and discomfort around her but choses to not focus on it

-Designed her own nazar symbol

-She is really bad at singing

-likes photography and she is good at it thanks to needing to take a lot of photos in her job

-Knows hacking because she hacked into Cypher's computers and compiled all the information on the protocol without being detected

-she sometimes plays chess with Cypher

-Her favorite color is blue (color of nazar, her vest and her ult)

-does coffee fortune telling for her friends

-her favourite food is mantı

-didnt really had a good education but has a lot of knowledge on stuff thanks to reading a lot and doing a lot of research on stuff she is curious about

-She was really skinny when she joined vp (mostly because she didnt really took good care of herself as she did research for her blackmail attack) gained some fat and muscle after vp's food and training

-she learned some German in middleschool and highschool. With that vp has 2 agents who both knows Turkish and German (Kj being half Turkish from her mothers side)

-Omen and her dms are full of cat videos they found

-her prowlers name is Karabasan

-her favorite book genres are books that explore the human mind or detective books

-she tans easily

-she dislikes swimming. Prefers to read a book on the beach

-she is generally tidy but can get messy when she is focused on a mission. Her desk especially becomes a mess

-she smells like coffee and burnt sages

-she doesn't really care about other agents' opinions on her. She is still friendly sometimes and civil to them, but if they don't forgive her, she honestly doesn't give a shit. And agents that still dislike her are mostly civil towards her

-if she is feeling down, she often goes on walks outside. Helps to clear her mind

-its hard for her to care for something or someone. But if she does, she cares so much

-she has a motorcycle back home. It's easier and more efficient for her since Istanbul traffic can be hell

-she is great at gambling or games like gambling since she is observant and can just feel the peoples fear or anxiety of losing

-she sometimes falls asleep (passes out) on random places if she hasn't slept in a really long time

-Omen knit a sweater and a scarf for her

-she gets along with Harbor really well. They share books and talk about their experiences with working in Realm while drinking tea or coffee

-she can really relate to Neon with not being able to control her powers fully and that affecting her life and relationships. She doesn't admit it, though

-she plays backgammon with Cypher and Harbor

-she spends a lot of time and effort on her "messy" appearance

-she is one of the busiest agents. She gets a lot of assignments (mostly intel work)

-she knows all of the agents' most secrets and fears but she honestly couldnt care less. Your secret is safe with her (If you are on her good side)

-she prefers to use a Phantom than a Vandal

-she finds Dizzy cute because she looks like a sleepy kitten

-she is still secretly salty about KAY/O catching her

-she and Skye dont really like eachother that well but they see eachother often during the early mornings (Skye going for a morning run and Fade still not sleeping) and Skye's tiger and Fade's prowlers likes to play so they end up seeing eachother more than they would like

-Used to go to clubs and bars often. Mostly to stay awake and keep her mind busy

-She is actually kinda rich. Her bounty hunter job paid her well

-Secretly wants Neon's black cat plushie but would never admit it

-she is really great at reading people but she is bad at interacting positively towards them. Her compliments or her comforting words can be awkward or just not appropriate

-other than cats, one of the other animals she really likes is octopuses

-she and Chamber trade expensive coffee

-she has a lot of scars on her body

-she is not that psychically strong compared to other agents

-she has high alcohol tolerance

-names all the cats she looks after on the streets. Either gives them cute names or just normal human names

-she is superstitious. Mostly about nazar

-her hand writting is really messy

-she was born left handed but she is now ambidextrous

[fusionsprunt]

HUNTER LORE COMPILATION —

(click Keep Reading)

"Hunter is a name he's given himself. He's an Exocannis, and he belongs to a series of outdated robots designed to annihilate rebellious androids (i.e., androids that acted out of their directives, rebelled against their owners, or ran away).

Exocannis' humanoid features may fool people into thinking they're inefficient terminators, but it actually works as a way to highlight the menacing nature of humanity.

Prehistoric humans would pursue their prey for hours, and even days. Exocannis robots are very persistent stalkers and ruthless machines that refuse to recognize defeat.

Such violent directive, paired up with a very unfortunate incident that provoked the death of five people, deemed the Exocannis robots too dangerous by the government, and so, they were banned and destroyed for good... Except for a single prototype.

Said prototype is now out there, rescuing and repairing rebellious androids, instead of annihilating them. Whatever is the reason why Hunter seeks peace between humankind and robotkind remains unknown, as he refuses to talk about his past."

"Exocannis robots like Hunter weren’t made to just kill rebellious androids. They were made to terrorize them. To make one tell the difference between deactivation and death.

And so, they go for the neck."

"Hunter's bunny-like mechanical antennas allow him to hear. He also uses them for communication and to locate proper coordinates, but he’s bothered by occasional interference on the audio, so he doesn’t use that feature as much.

(fun fact: they also show a bit of his current emotional state)"

"Hunter is an Exocannis, and like any robot belonging to that series, his purpose is to hunt down and terrorize rebellious androids persistently until eventual termination.

Exocannis are powered by solar energy. Although very resistant to high temperatures, their internal mechanisms might overheat. They cool off by letting out smoke from the “vent spots” on each side of the jaw.

Human beings are not a target, and Exocannis robots are programmed to tell the difference between one and a machine.

Unless a human is “acting as an obstacle” against their directive, an Exocannis will not hesitate to terminate them too.

Exocannis robots should not bleed, for they don’t have blood."

"Heat does not trigger the Exocannis mode, but solar energy does.

Heat helps Hunter’s body function properly, while cold slows down the processes (much like a human body would)."

"Hunter does remember his time as Gideon Rigell."

"Gideon experiences intense headaches since he was a little kid, especially during stressful situations (probably adds up to traumatic experiences hehe)."

"Telling the truth to Bee about what he's done in the past is practically making it impossible for her to accept him, since he isn’t just lying about his true identity.

Hunter won’t take advantage of her missing memories not only because that’s unfair with Bee, but also because he is aware he can’t make her happy like he wished he could.

Many things are at stake, and for the sake of Fusionsprunt’s safety, he promised to remain silent until the dust settles."

"Hunter is often accompanied by a small spherical timer robot named 53, which registers his meetings, assignments, tasks and special events he's been invited to. In spite of proper functionality, it typically displays the number "53" in its screen when left idle."

[hyacinthusmemorial]

This is a Rick Riordan appreciation post, and how much I adore the man.

When I was younger, I was not a reader, and my mom thought I was a little stupid to be perfectly honest—not the brightest light in her children with straight As and excellent memories. My brother and I were the “dumb” ones, and she struggled with us.

We had this reading program in my school where I had to read books for certain points and take quizzes on them to get a score—as a non-reader I was way behind and my anxiety about it was world-ending. I went to school, dealed with my bully and her friends, spaced out during math, and worried about how far behind the rest of the class I was.

In a desperate attempt to catch up, I started picking up books with pictures in them—minimal points for the reading score, but if I had to do one picture book at a time I would.

I can still remember the smell of this book, and the feel of the pages underneath my fingers, but the name is gone. It was a compilation of Greek Myths with beautiful illustrations. I still remember Apollo and Daphne, Apollo’s look of dismay, reaching for her as she turned into the bay laurel to escape him. It kind of haunted me, but it ended up not helping my reading score. What helped was my sister read me Twilight in its entirety every single night. I personally never read it, but she took painstaking care to read to me about Bella and Edward—her very intense obsession at the time. So I passed my reading score, and I went on to go to the next grade without issue.

The next school year was even worse—my teacher’s husband was dying, and she very much took it out on her students. She gave me zeroes for assignments she lost, gave me detention after detention, and when my bully made me cry, she blamed me for it.

I was miserable.

My mom brought me with her to Sam’s Club one afternoon when I was “sick” from school. I frequently pretended to be sick, and my mom played along because she knew about my bully. She had asked the school to do something, and their solution was to put me in the same seating area so we could “get to know each other.” We were by the clothing section, which was right next to the books, and I found it. A boy with the ocean around him, looking at the Empire State Building. It said Percy Jackson & The Olympians: the Lightning Thief.

I begged my mom to buy it for me—even though I never read any of the books she bought me before, and I simply devoured it. I begrudgingly put it down to go eat dinner, I read until my sister got home from work, and when she turned our lights out at one in the morning, I dreamt about it.

Percy Jackson had every struggle I had, and to him, those were worse than dealing with actual monsters.

All this to say, Rick Riordan understood his readers—his audience. It was built for kids with learning disabilities, with bullies, with home issues, and it was designed to make them feel not alone. I had Percy Jackson.

As I got older, the myths, I realized, were not accurate—an issue some of my friends had with it. A minor point of contention I have with my friend is her flat out refusal to read it because the mythology is incorrect. I have no issue with her not wanting to read it, I have issue with her not finding value in the books. Because they absolutely are valuable.

It’s not a book for mythology buffs, it’s a book for struggling teens that uses Greek gods as a narrative buffer for a very real story about a troubled kid with an abusive step-father, learning problems, and school bullies. It taught us how to love others who were different from us (Percy and Tyson), taught us that to love someone you had to be loyal (Percy and Annabeth), taught us that we save our friends no matter the cost (Percy and everyone).

And Rick wrote it for his son—his own child. People forget that Percy Jackson was a bed time story first. It was a labor of love for a little boy that was struggling, and you can feel a father’s love in every damn page.

I read The Chalice of the Gods months ago, and I was stunned. Absolutely gobsmacked because not only did RR do it again, he had adapted Percy to deal with actual problems again. I’m not talking about trying to get into college, or relationship issues that Grover is having—I’m talking about Percy wrestling with Geras over the chalice of the gods. That is so perfect for a generation that is OBSESSED with looking young, staying young—Sephora and Ulta are making millions, Monjuro/Semaglutide/Ozempic carving out billions of dollars, lip fillers, botox, plastic surgery. There Percy is fighting Old Age, and he sees himself aged, his friends with white in their hair, and he realizes HE WANTS THAT. Gods, what a powerful freaking message. He doesn’t beat Geras in their fight, he embraces him, and Old Age is moved because no one wants him normally. Percy does.

Rick Riordan telling us isn’t it beautiful to age with your friends—isn’t it wonderful? You get to grow old! It’s not a curse! You have time, all this wonderful time and you get to spend it with them til you have wrinkles on your face from all the laughing, and you get to pull grays out and laugh about them. You get to hold her hand until you both have osteoporosis and heart problems. You get that! Its a gift.

Aging is a gift.

Rick Riordan is brilliant, and he loves loves loves his audience. No one can convince me otherwise

[ninjagobythenumbers]

Ninjago Character Search Engine

I made a tool where you can search Ninjago characters by name, type, allignment, species, gender, season, or a combination of all those factors. If you want to play around with it here's the link. I compiled all of the data myself so there's likely a few errors. I've already corrected where I had accidentally labeled Zane's dad as a serpentine. Please let me know if there's any problems!

How to use it

Basically, you just input the criteria you're interested in seeing. For instance, if you wanted to see all of the nindroids in Ninjago, you would do a search as follows.

An important thing you may notice here is I not only input "Nindroid", but I also input "New." I did this because my index has a new entry for each character each season. If you choose not you choose not to put "New," the output will include 21 Zanes, which is great but may not be what you're looking for.

Another thing to note is that if you're not searching by name, you need to make sure the name box is completely blank or you will get 0 results like in the following search where I left a space bar in the Name box.

If you are searching by Name, make sure the name exactly matches the entries or nothing will show up.

You can either view the entry in the index on the next sheet, or you can just find the person by inputting the proper criteria.

I also left some comments on the sheet with some useful tips! Feel free to ask any questions!

Criteria

I think it's important I explain how I created and employed my criteria as it can be pretty subjective.

Type

Type is one of my more subjective criteria. The options are Main, Supporting, Recurring, Guest, or Ensemble and I agonized over some of these placements. For instance, did Mr. F fulfill a supporting or Recurring role during season 9? Very difficult to say. Still, generally, these were my definitions. Main: Ninja (usually) or someone who significantly contributed to the plot and had a large percentage of screentime (it takes a lot for me to demote a ninja from main, but I had to in DR) ex: Lloyd in season 4

Supporting: A character that has a significant degree of screentime, their own personality/backstory, and helps another character push the plot along ex: Garmadon in season 4

Recurring: Pretty much any character that speaks in more than a few episodes ex: Chope and Kapau in season 4

Guest: A character with personality who speaks or otherwise makes a mark in only one episode that season ex: Morro in season 4

Ensemble: A character that's only in the background and/or has no personality of their own and/or is just sort of filling out an army ex: Acidicus in season 4

Allignment

Allignment is also a very tricky category. I had to make a choice about whether neutral or good would be the default for characters I don't know much about. I went with good as I feel like it fits the tone of the show. Thus, I assume for instance that Mara from Nya's class is a good person even though she's done nothing to demonstrate that.

Good: Default. Also, if you help save the world, I usually let it overshadow previous bad behaviour. ex: Arin in Dragons Rising (S1)

Neutral: You have to be pretty morally ambiguous to get this designation. I generally assigned it to influencers, anti-heros, somewhat redeemed villains, and members of morally unclear societies. ex: Agent Rodrick Allen in Dragons Rising (S1)

Evil: I generally assigned this to all antagonists, even if they weren't actively trying to destroy the world. ex: Rapton in Dragons Rising (S1)

Species

Here's a list of each species I included in my index.

Human Nindroid Demigod Skeleton Dragon Serpentine Beast Oni Ghost Djinn Hunter Construct Formling Munce Geckle Islander Merlopian Devonian Tide Unknown Miscellanous

Most of this criteria is pretty objective, so I'll only clarify the less obvious ones.

Beast: Any animal, monster, or creature. ex: Krag from the Ice Chapter

Construct: I applied this to any character created by another whether it be through magic or engineering. I excluded Nindroids because they're a large enough sub-category. ex: Bonzle from Dragons Rising or MiniPix Seven from Crystalized

Unknown: This just applies to the Forbidden Five as we don't know much about them but they don't appear human. ex: Nox in Dragons Rising

Miscellaneous: I only applied this in rare categories where not only was their species a bit unclear, but they appeared to be the only member of that species on screen. ex: Benthomaar from Seabound

Gender

Oh no, it appears I accidentally created a gender cascade. Anyway, I based character's genders primarily off of the gender of their VA , but I also took into consideration the pronouns other characters used to refer to them. I didn't do a thorough transcript search though, so let me know if I've made any errors. I designated some characters as unknown, usually because they neither spoke nor were spoken about.

Season

Season, like species, is also pretty objective but I'll clarify some of my choices. I only used titles for Day of the Departed and the Islandbecause they don't really fit into the numbered seasons. I used numbers rather than season names for the most part because they're more concise. I designated Dragons Rising seasons 1 and 2 as 16 and 17, primarily because that's how I view them, but also for this conciseness factor. I split season 17 into two seasons (17 and 17.5) because they're two unqiue arcs that different casts of characters, some of which have changed their allignments/types between part 1 and 2. I may do the same for 11 and 16 in the future.

New/Old

I put a new entry for each character so it was necessary for me to designate whether this was the first entry of the character or a repeat entry. Having multiple entries allows you to view how characters changed over seasons rather than only being able to see their initial criteria. It also allows you to see the full cast breakdown for each season.

That's pretty much it! Here's the link again. Please do play around with the search and let me know if you find anything cool. The link also includes all of my previous spreadsheets so peruse that at your leisure if you're interested. Thanks as always for reading this far and let me know if you have any feedback, made the exact same thing previously (looking at you @agenericplaceholdername ), or have requests for new spreadsheets or charts. I have a lot of options now that I've created this tool and I've very excited to use it!

[feralcockroachhhhhh]

Once in a blue moon question lists attack =3

1. If you were a shape, which one would you be?

2. If I was a shape what would I be?

3. Do you have any thoughts on Furbies (Furby for a singular one)

4. Thoughts on tone tags?

5. Are you more of an unorganized or organized person?

6. I have a list of oc names, and if you look through them, which one intrigues you the most?

7. Ever heard of the Ping Pong Sea Sponge? I don’t know much about it but it’s cool

8. Do you prefer animated or ‘live’ (or whatever the name is idrk) shows/movies?

9. Why do you have such a strong disdain of shrek?

10. Dual question: if you were to assign yourself a cryptid, which would you be/ if you were to assign me a cryptid, which one would I be?

I’m still not good at questions soz, also I like knowing how others see me, as you could probably tell, that’s all I got for now

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH YES!!!! Asks, i LOVE these!!! Thank you =] 

I think i’d be a very spiky star. 

You would be…..a snowflake style pattern, i think

Furbies do not scare me like they do other ppl. I don’t particularly like their design, and I never had one as a kid. But i do think they’re funny, especially in how other ppl are frighten by them :]

I appreciate it GREATLY when ppl use tone tags, it helps me read messages. I MEAN to use them myself, but I always forget :/

I am a chaotically organized person, if that makes sense. To the outside eye, I look VERY unorganized/messy, but I actually have a very specific system for doing things and am particular about my workspace/living quarters/clothes 

Juno intrigues me most so far, both as a person and the name itself.

I’ve never heard of it before this, but a quick google search and it looks rlly cool and cute!

I really don’t prefer either one, I love them both in different ways. Although, for comic book adaptations, I think animation is the way to go, and that animation is more freeing/gives you more room to work with aesthetics. BUt live action can be beautiful, if done right.

I just don;t understand the appeal of him. He;s gross and mean, like, he;s not likeable to me, but for some reason everyone loves him? Also, my friends found out i don;t love dhrek, and so they tease me a lot by playing shrek, so my irritation grows. But it;s fine if you like shrek, i just personally don;t get the appeal :]

I think I would be a mothman or an alien, and you would be the Loch ness monster or else a vampire(but cool).

AHHH! Such good questions!!! :} I love these, and sorry I haven’t asked you much ;ately, I am currently compiling a list though (whenever I have a small question i write it down) so i miiight ask you a LOT soon (or split it into three or four asks)

[yuurei20]

Leona Info Compilation part 19: Advice, Scents and Kalim

We see Leona giving advice to multiple characters throughout multiple events.

He helps Jack, Grim and the prefect solve their issues with Azul by teaching them “all magic’s got a loophole”, using his own ability to overpower Riddle’s unique magic as an example and asking, “Why should you play fair when they don’t?”.

Leona provides constant aid to Ace and Floyd during Halloween, telling a confident Floyd that staying on-guard against ghosts will not be enough to save them from possession, as, “surprise and fear are two different emotions. It’s not easy to guard yourself against something that could pop up anywhere, anytime, without warning.”

He also discourages them from over-using their magic prior to meeting the “boss” behind Spectral Soiree, and uses “the Shadowland” back in his home of Sunset Savanna as an example for why Ace shouldn’t make snap judgements at first glance: “It just depends on how you choose to look at a thing…you need accurate facts not rumors and assumptions.”

Leona also goes to Ruggie’s rescue in a vignette where he has been assigned to catch 30 rats for linguists classes by Trein, telling him to stop thinking like an “underdog lackey” and try viewing his problem from “a pack leader’s perspective.”

While Jack and Rook are well known for having acute senses of smell, Leona might be the only one of the three whom we have seen capable of detecting magic through scent alone.

He recognizes the player character’s like of magic through their scent, says the magic mirror “reeks of unfamiliar magic” during Halloween and he has multiple voice lines about being able to detect the contents of a potion through scent alone, the “reek” of chemicals, the scent of perfume, etc.

While calling Kalim a “little rich boy” who is “pretendin’ to work” during New Year’s, Leona does reluctantly accept a gift from Kalim that he inadvertently helped design. After receiving Kalim’s “lucky lion’s paw” Leona gets a 1,000-thaumark-tablet in a lucky bag, resulting in a sudden surge of demand for the unpopular “lion’s paw” decorations. (Kalim had ordered them in bulk by accident and, rather than buy them himself to make up for the mistake, Sam encouraged him to try and sell them instead.)

Leona reflects, “There’s no way sunshine-for-brains set it up on purpose…”

When asked who he would take to a deserted island Leona says Kalim, since--as the heir of the Asim family--he would likely be located very quickly and there is little chance that he would leave Leona on the island alone once he was inevitably rescued, as Kalim considers them to be friends.

[amphiptere-art]

A compile of my jack-o-moon theories and thoughts.

I believe jack-o-moon Is The daycare attendant but older. Basically Jack was built as far back as whenever Fall fest started. And simply was refurbished and overwritten for the pizzaplex.

(There is also a subset of proof where jack-o-moon has unique blue flex on his fingertips. Which means he might also just be the daycare attendant repainted. But I go with the prior theory and simply see this as linking evidence.)

I also believe that Jack-o-moon was overwritten, but still existent. So when Vanny implemented the virus he also got hit. The only difference is that he escaped into the arcade game. Becoming the arcade Eclipse.

(This is mostly because of visual similarities. Ignoring the orange green and copper tones. Jack is mainly shades of gray, black, dark purple, and shining orangish white eyes.)

And later on, since the arcade game eclipse has projected himself across the entirety of the daycare attendants room by ruin. I also believe he escaped into the general mainframe of the pizza place shortly after security breach. Still infected and now running about. Infecting the vanny mask and subsequent login computer (?).

Like I said prior I believe jack-o-moon originated in Fall fest, And is not the daycare attendant repainted. I also believe that the HW2 scenarios are just reincarnations and you're not physically there. I believe when they made games like the carousel. Which in my opinion are clearly set in Fall fest. They did not have jack-o-moons old voice lines or design saved. So they substituted with moon figuring it was similar enough. Jack-o-moon will infect this copy code Moon to display himself. But he is forced to use moon's voice lines because his no longer exist. He has no voice anymore.

Anyways I think he primarily infects the carousel ride and foxy's log ride due to similarity too Fall fest. The carousel being a literal reincarnation of a fall fest attraction. And the foxy log ride due to its similarities to the foxy dark ride. Simply appearing in those specifically because they remind him of home.

Which to go over the last thing. The Fall fest fire. Both the carousel and the dart game end in a blaze. The unique thing people forget, Is that it is the barn that lights on fire before coming down to the carousel. I believe jack-o-moon I might have perished in the carousel fire. Probably fleeing the fire or it was his assigned attraction. Again the HW2 developers simply substituted with sun and moon. So the entire carousel might have legitimately been Jack-o-moon's attraction before it was burned down and he was forgotten.

Another unique note. Because I believe jack-o-moon is as old as Fall fest. Which was the dates that have been printed out with Fall fest getting older and older. It also is a helpful little explanation on why the DCA looks so similar to mimic. This simple answer is that he really is that old. Build around the same time with similar buildings strategies. Jack-o-moon was simply forgotten and rewritten while the mimic sat around in a garbage dump until he rewoken.

Anyways I think that's all my rambles about Jack-o-moon. If I talk anymore I'm going to get extremely off topic. Or come up with more theories that will definitely have some random spits of proof and ideas all jumbled in. ADHD is great. But anyways, Hope you guys like all my theories.

[sitp-recs]

Dear Liv, first of all thank you for your contributions to his fandom, I’ve found and loved so many wonderful fics thanks to you!

After reading SG’s Turn, I’d love to read more epilogue compliant Drarry fics, preferably mature or explicit, but I don’t know where to start. I was wondering if you had any favorite epilogue compliant fics to rec? Sorry if you’ve already answered a similar ask. Tysm!!

Hi anon! I feel like I haven’t contributed much to fandom lately but thank you, that’s very sweet 😘 I’m a bit picky about epilogue-compliant bc I don’t really care for het ships or kid fics and many of them involve infidelity which is not my usual jam (but I’m willing make an exception for Frayach’s brilliant Breaking All the Rules).

I listed below some recs with divorced Drarry and would suggest checking this epilogue-compliant compilation by @gameofdrarry and maybe take a look at authors like Lomonaaeren and Gracerene, they’ve written a few epilogue-compliant stories. Enjoy!

A Song, Incomplete by RurouniHime (E, 11k)

Draco’s photograph took up the entire top half of the Prophet’s front page. Below the photo: DRACO MALFOY DEFENDS SON OF FORMER LOVER. As if that were breaking news.

The Weight of a Wanting Heart by Femme (E, 12k)

After nearly two decades hidden away in the Wiltshire countryside, Draco Malfoy’s surprised to see a familiar face come into his local.

Lost and Found by rillalicious (M, 16k)

Hermione is an auditor for the Ministry. When she comes across an intriguing case with a familiar name, she turns to her favorite Auror for help.

Written in the Stars by November Snowflake (M, 16k)

Draco watches as his son grows up--and maybe does a little growing up of his own.

Once Upon A Time, Yesterday by Femme (E, 22k)

"You've always been obsessed with Malfoy, Harry. That should probably tell you something."

Dating for Dads in Denial by @aibidil (T, 25k)

In which one wizard designs and another reluctantly patronises a magical matchmaking service, amidst the chaos of children and parenting.

Homecoming by November Snowflake (E, 27k)

Harry thinks spending two weeks as a guest lecturer at Hogwarts will offer the perfect chance to get away from his troubles. Then he meets his assigned faculty guide: Potions Master Draco Malfoy.

Time is a Construct series by @gracerene (E, 29k)

Draco's in a bit of a rut. He's nearing forty, divorced, and he still can't figure out how to make his Time Turner reconstruction work. He's bored, he can admit it, so he's not nearly as concerned as he should be when his pet project malfunctions and sends him twenty years into the past. That is, until he ends up relying on a nineteen-year-old Harry Potter for help and starts developing some very inconvenient—and possibly reciprocated—feelings.

Paper Rings by @lettersbyelise (E, 50k)

When Harry’s in need of a divorce lawyer, he has no choice but to turn to the best in the trade. Draco Malfoy’s reputation for discretion is flawless, and his track record for winning cases is close to perfect. But he’s also ruthless, passionate, and as infuriating as ever, and the brief relationship he and Harry had in Eighth Year still feels painfully fresh despite two decades spent apart.

2020, 2021 by newleaves (M, 64k)

Harry’s going through a divorce. It’s a love story, really.

When Times are Dire by @aibidil (E, 130k)

Magical Britain is screwed, and it's once again up to Harry to save it. This time, by marrying Draco Malfoy.

This Ain't the Garden of Eden by @romaine2424 (E, 131k)

In 2020, Hit Wizard Harry is starting to enjoy his life. He’s divorced, and no longer Head Auror. His biggest project these days is trying to remodel 12 Grimmauld Place for him and the kids. Draco Malfoy is recovering from his wife’s death. But is happy with his Ministry position as Temporary Head of the Department of Intoxicating Substances, and with his son who he adores. This all changes quickly when Minister Shacklebolt decides not to run for another term.

[oliur-rh]

The Five Important Tips for Beginner Graphic Designers 𝟏. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 -> Study foundational principles like balance, contrast, alignment, hierarchy, and repetition. These form the backbone of good design. -> Explore color theory and typography to understand how they influence visual communication. 𝟐. 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 -> Familiarize yourself with industry-standard tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, or alternatives like Canva, Figma, and Affinity Designer. -> Start with tutorials and practice creating simple projects to build confidence. 𝟑. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐨 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 -> Start compiling your work, even small projects, to showcase your skills. This could include personal projects, class assignments, or mock designs. -> Focus on quality over quantity, and tailor your portfolio to reflect the design work you want to pursue. 𝟒. 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 -> Share your work with peers, mentors, or online communities for constructive feedback. Platforms like Behance and Dribbble are great for this. -> Be open to criticism, which will help you grow and refine your skills. 𝟓. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 -> Follow design trends and inspiration on platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, or design blogs. -> Take online courses, attend workshops, or read books to keep up with evolving techniques and industry standards.

Hire me fiverr.com/s/GzK9ja7

GraphicDesign #graphicdesigner #OliurRh #designinspiration #creativedesign #designlife #LearnDesign #designtips #beginnerdesigner #graphicdesigntips #graphicdesigncommunity #DesignSkills #designthinking #creativeprocess #ArtAndDesign #CreativeJourney #designdaily #photoshoptips #illustratortips #LearnPhotoshop #designtools #GraphicDesignLovers #designmotivation #digitalart

[befuddled-calico-whump]

Random question that will definitely not lead to fanart:

I want to work on various designs for cybernetics and the riot kings crew are a good vessel for that, if you feel like answering, is anyone trained for/assigned to various tasks within the fleet? And if so, who is assigned to what?(i.e special ops, med tech, riot control, etc) or if theyre not, what would they be best suited for? Here's a bit of an example of what I mean, a character of mine was trained to be a sniper so his cybernetics are optimized for stability, flexibility, and accuracy(his hands can't shake, all of his joints have 360 degree rotation, artificial eyes that can zoom a fair amount, his cybernetic limbs have artificial nerves to mimic touch)

As an example for a Riot kings character: Nabi is a psychic, she's also a civilian and not particularly suited to combat, so i feel like her augmentations would be designed to mimic normal flesh and would probably be minimal so she wouldn't have to undergo a lot of surgery. For their usage: they'd probably be focused on protecting her, like tougher skin and like, taser fingers. Or maybe theyd be better for helping her focus on her psychic abilities, like being able to temporarily turn off her hearing/sight/other senses to reduce distraction when using her abilities.

oooooh! I haven't delved too deep in cybernetics myself, but your ideas sound super cool and creative!

to answer your question, there are specialized duties within the Fleet, usually separated visually by uniform color:

Green: foot soldiers/guards/undesignated. The most common troops, will also do miscellaneous jobs not covered by the other categories. Leadership also wears green.

Blue: special duty (like instructors or prison guards). Jin's current uniform is also blue, but his special duty is Nabi Guard (his blue is to match her sweater)

Purple: intel, aka the guys who collect data, monitor satellites/surveillance drones, and compile reports. Mainfleet also employs interrogators under "intel" (for the sake of never having to admit they employ interrogators. It's just "intelligence collection", nothing to worry about.)

Red: special missions. Can qualify as spec ops, but are generally just soldiers with unique skills that may qualify them for solo/minimally manned missions.

Orange: personnel/admin. These guys handle paperwork, pay, facilities, food... everything required to keep the Fleet running smoothly.

Yellow: engineering. Mechanics, armament, repairs, construction, and more. Commander Kita is the only engineer I've drawn so far I think. She's the officer in charge of that sector on the Inferno.

Teal: medical! ship's surgeons, emergency med techs, and nurses are common on most ships. Dentists, optometrists, and other specialists are available on Mainfleet-side and at established bases. Field and combat medics will also wear teal to distinguish themselves from combatants.

[deci-doodles]

Misc assortment of OC doodles from recently that I had no idea how to post individually so I’ll just compile them :p feat previously shown family members+Tiziri in some outfits besides her Eremite one, and also me attempting to design Itto’s parents coz why not

More info+rambling under the cut

Aight SO,

Tiziri’s the Eremite lady that Tesey’s head over heels for and can’t blame him, she’s very charming, very competent, and won’t hesitate to call him out lol. She’s also the current successor in place for the matriarch (Tizemt) of her adoptive tribe (the Ifri, named after the goddess not the demons lol). They don’t exist in lore since the other two main GoF worshipping tribes don’t really fit the area of influence I wanted to use and Tanit were also a definite no go so instead, the Ifri are a smaller tribe that had branched off from the Tanit but under their current matriarch, have been slowly trying to make themselves more self sufficient and independent, with Tiziri being taken in by them as a child. after they took down the raiding party which had targeted her original tribe and family.

As of current game events, Tesey had been trying to collaborate with the Ifri with textile trading since he believed their work could sell really well in a more international market, so Tiziri’s been assigned to keep an eye on him and also just get a grasp of what kind of a person he is before letting him into their territory and all that (luckily for him he’s long passed the vibe check but after Fontaine’s AQ he had to make an emergency trip back to Morepesok).

Anyways I thought it’d be fun to draw her in a modern Moroccan caftan, but also a Ukrainian folk outfit since she does eventually make a trip over to Morepesok to visit Tesey’s family when they get together. Anyways like Kirena, Tonia and their mother, Oksana (I’ll post their design eventually wsojcndwoc), I’ve based it off outfits from the Luhansk area (go check out these blogposts for references I used for the embroidery it’s such a life saver, but yeah their mum’s side would be from the Donbas irl, dad’s from Zaporizhzhia). Jewellery’s primarily based off Amazigh jewellery from southern Morocco, as well as some Tuareg ones and also a few strings of Ukrainian korali ehe (they’re a gift from Tesey later on as a sign of his intent to take things more seriously and his sincerity). I tried my best with the tattoos since I didn’t want to just trace someone else’s given how personal they are but if anyone has any sources on Moroccan Amazigh tattoos please let me know 🙇🏻‍♀️

-

Next bit is just me realising that a good chunk of my labelled OCs (most aren’t) happen to be aspec, which I find absolutely hilarious (fyi I’m ace myself so this isn’t malicious I just think it’s funny how it keeps happening). Kageharu and Mingli are probs also some flavour of aro but I haven’t figured it out yet so they just have their ace labels for now

-

And, finally, Arataki Natsuki (荒瀧凪月) and Arataki Takenosuke (荒瀧岳之輔). Apparently I felt like revisiting old ideas from 2021 again weciswnjdsq, but still was fun to do. I’m aware it’s more likely Itto’s mother was also an oni (judging by his troubles voiceline regarding Granny Oni) but I thought it’d be interesting to explore what it could be like for humans given how prevalent oni discrimination is, both towards them but also towards humans who are close to them (again: see the voiceline on Granny Oni), as well as people learning to look past assumptions and all that fun stuff. They could’ve lived out a nice cottagecore life with their son if it weren’t for those damned robberies they got blamed for smh

Bonus concept portrait of Natsuki while I’m at it. Tbh one of my biggest pet peeves in designing related characters is making any character too similar to whichever canon character they’re related too and I just really wanted to show that yes, Itto does have quite a few of his mother’s features. It’d be more helpful if I actually drew him to compare ofc, but motivation do be funky like that and my brain wants me to draw Oksana next 😔

[blogpostkinddom]

Coding Tests and Pre-Employment Assessments: Why They Matter More Than Ever in Tech Hiring

In today’s competitive tech job market, standing out as a developer requires more than just a polished résumé or a list of past employers. Hiring managers are placing increasing importance on coding tests and pre-employment assessments—tools that help companies make smarter, data-driven hiring decisions.

But what exactly are these assessments? How do they differ? And how can candidates and employers alike approach them to ensure the best fit?

Let’s break down the role of coding tests in modern pre-employment evaluations, why they’ve become essential, and how they’re shaping the future of technical hiring.

What Are Coding Tests?

At their core, coding tests are practical assessments designed to evaluate a candidate’s programming ability in real time. These tests typically include a range of problems that may touch on algorithms, data structures, logic puzzles, or real-world scenarios like debugging code or building a feature.

They vary in form:

Take-home assignments: Usually longer and more complex, giving the candidate time to demonstrate problem-solving in a realistic environment.

Live coding sessions: Conducted during interviews, often via platforms like CoderPad, CodeSignal, or HackerRank.

Automated tests: Graded by software based on correctness, efficiency, and style.

The goal isn’t just to test whether someone can code, but whether they can code well under realistic constraints.

How Coding Tests Fit Into Pre-Employment Assessments

Pre-employment assessments are a broader category of evaluations used to measure a candidate’s readiness for a role. In tech hiring, this typically includes:

Technical skills (via coding tests, system design challenges, or architecture reviews)

Cognitive ability (logic, numerical reasoning, critical thinking)

Soft skills (communication, collaboration, cultural fit)

Personality traits (grit, learning ability, adaptability)

Coding tests serve as the technical backbone of these assessments. They offer a direct line to one of the most important questions for any tech role: Can this person actually solve the kinds of problems they'll face on the job?

Why Are Employers Relying on These Tools?

There are a few key reasons why coding tests and pre-employment assessments have become critical:

1. Filtering at Scale

With remote work expanding the talent pool globally, companies are flooded with applicants. A pre-employment assessment, including a coding test, offers an objective way to filter and rank candidates based on skill—not just experience or education.

2. Eliminating Bias

Résumés can introduce unconscious bias. When recruiters see a prestigious university or a brand-name company, they may make assumptions about skill. Coding tests provide a level playing field, offering everyone the same challenge.

3. Predicting On-the-Job Success

Traditional interviews are notorious for being poor predictors of future performance. A well-designed assessment correlates better with how a candidate will actually perform in their role.

4. Saving Time and Money

The cost of a bad hire—especially in a technical role—is high. Pre-employment assessments help weed out poor fits early, reducing the chance of a mismatch and the associated costs of turnover.

Challenges with Coding Tests (and How to Solve Them)

While coding tests are powerful, they’re not without issues. If poorly implemented, they can frustrate candidates and even repel great talent.

Here are some common problems—and how to solve them:

1. Unrealistic Expectations

Tests that ask candidates to implement red-black trees or create a compiler from scratch may not reflect day-to-day work. The fix? Tailor problems to real scenarios your team actually faces.

2. Poor UX

Clunky platforms, unclear instructions, or time limits that don’t account for setup time can ruin the experience. Choose tools that are clean, well-documented, and candidate-friendly.

3. No Feedback

Candidates invest their time; they deserve to know how they did. Even if it’s automated scoring or a few lines of feedback, it builds goodwill and shows respect.

What Candidates Should Know About Coding Tests

If you’re a job seeker in tech, coding tests are something you can’t ignore. Here’s how to approach them wisely:

1. Practice Smart, Not Just Hard

Use platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Codeforces to practice, but focus on patterns, not just memorizing solutions. Understand why a solution works.

2. Read the Job Description Carefully

If the role is backend-heavy, study system design, API integration, and DB queries. Frontend role? Brush up on JavaScript frameworks and performance optimizations.

3. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions

If a test seems unreasonable or off-topic, ask for clarification. It shows initiative, and good companies won’t penalize you for seeking context.

4. Show Your Work

Comment your code, use clear variable names, and explain your logic where possible. Employers aren’t just looking for the right answer—they want to understand your process.

Best Practices for Employers Designing Coding Tests

Employers, here are a few tips to make your pre-employment assessments effective and fair:

Keep it relevant: Test for the role you’re hiring, not for general CS trivia.

Limit time appropriately: A good test shouldn’t take more than 60–90 minutes unless it’s a take-home project.

Automate where possible: Use platforms that grade submissions and highlight top performers.

Always debrief: After assessments, provide feedback and keep candidates in the loop.

The companies that do this well don’t just hire faster—they build a reputation for being thoughtful, efficient, and respectful of a candidate’s time.

The Future of Coding Tests and Pre-Employment Assessments

The landscape is evolving. With the rise of AI-assisted coding, some are questioning whether traditional coding tests still serve the same purpose. The answer? Yes—but they need to adapt.

Modern assessments are moving toward project-based evaluations, pair programming interviews, and even gamified testing environments that simulate real-world dev workflows.

We’re also seeing more emphasis on soft skills integration, especially in remote roles where collaboration, async communication, and time management matter just as much as coding chops.

In other words: coding tests aren’t going away—they’re just getting smarter.

Conclusion

In the world of tech hiring, coding tests and pre-employment assessments aren’t just gatekeepers—they’re valuable tools for both employers and candidates.

For companies, they provide a structured, fair, and data-backed way to identify top talent. For developers, they offer a platform to showcase their skills beyond what’s listed on a résumé.

When done right, they don’t just find better candidates—they help build better teams.

[bliiot-jerry]

ARM Industrial Computers with LabVIEW graphical programming for industrial equipment monitoring and control

Case Details

LabVIEW is a powerful and flexible graphical programming platform, particularly suited for engineering and scientific applications that require interaction with hardware devices. Its intuitive interface makes the development process more visual, helping engineers and scientists quickly build complex measurement, testing, and control systems.

Combining ARM industrial computers with LabVIEW for industrial equipment monitoring and control is an efficient and flexible solution, especially suitable for industrial scenarios requiring real-time performance, reliability, and low power consumption. Below is a key-point analysis and implementation guide.

1. Why Choose ARM Industrial Computers?

Low Power Consumption & High Efficiency: ARM processors balance performance and energy efficiency, making them ideal for long-term industrial operation.

Compact & Rugged Design: Industrial-grade ARM computers often feature wide-temperature operation, vibration resistance, and dustproofing (e.g., IP65-rated enclosures).

Rich Interfaces: Support for various industrial communication protocols (e.g., RS-485, CAN bus, EtherCAT) and expandable I/O modules.

Cost-Effective: Compared to x86 platforms, ARM solutions are typically more economical, making them suitable for large-scale deployments.

2. LabVIEW Compatibility with ARM Platforms

ARM Support in LabVIEW: Verify whether the LabVIEW version supports ARM architecture (e.g., LabVIEW NXG or running C code generated by LabVIEW on Linux RT).

Cross-Platform Development:

Option 1: Develop LabVIEW programs on an x86 PC and deploy them to ARM via cross-compilation (requires LabVIEW Real-Time Module).

Option 2: Leverage LabVIEW’s Linux compatibility to run compiled executables on an ARM industrial computer with Linux OS.

Hardware Drivers: Ensure that GPIO, ADC, communication interfaces, etc., have corresponding LabVIEW drivers or can be accessed via C DLL calls.

3. Typical Applications

Real-Time Data Acquisition: Connect to sensors (e.g., temperature, vibration) via Modbus/TCP, OPC UA, or custom protocols.

Edge Computing: Preprocess data (e.g., FFT analysis, filtering) on the ARM device before uploading to the cloud to reduce bandwidth usage.

Control Logic: Implement PID control, state machines, or safety interlocks (e.g., controlling relays via digital outputs).

HMI Interaction: Use LabVIEW’s UI module to build local touchscreen interfaces or WebVI for remote monitoring.

4. Implementation Steps

Hardware Selection:

Choose an ARM industrial computer compatible with LabVIEW (e.g., ARMxy, Raspberry Pi CM5).

Expand I/O modules (e.g., NI 9401 digital I/O, MCC DAQ modules).

Software Configuration:

Install LabVIEW Real-Time Module or LabVIEW for Linux.

Deploy drivers for the ARM device (e.g., NI Linux Real-Time or third-party drivers).

Communication Protocol Integration:

Industrial protocols: Use LabVIEW DSC Module for OPC UA, Modbus.

Custom protocols: Leverage TCP/IP or serial communication (VISA library).

Real-Time Optimization:

Use LabVIEW Real-Time’s Timed Loop to ensure stable control cycles.

Priority settings: Assign high priority to critical tasks (e.g., safety interrupts).

Remote Monitoring:

Push data to SCADA systems (e.g., Ignition, Indusoft) via LabVIEW Web Services or MQTT.

5. Challenges & Solutions

ARM Compatibility: If LabVIEW does not natively support a specific ARM device, consider:

Generating C code (LabVIEW C Generator) to call low-level hardware APIs.

Using middleware (e.g., Node-RED) to bridge LabVIEW and ARM hardware.

Real-Time Requirements: For μs-level response, pair with a real-time OS (e.g., Xenomai) or FPGA extensions (e.g., NI Single-Board RIO).

Long-Term Maintenance: Adopt modular programming (LabVIEW SubVIs) and version control (Git integration).

6. Recommended Toolchain

Hardware: NI CompactRIO (ARM+FPGA), Advantech UNO-2484G (ARM Cortex-A72).

Software: LabVIEW Real-Time + Vision Module (if image processing is needed).

Cloud Integration: Push data to AWS IoT or Azure IoT Hub via LabVIEW.

Conclusion

The combination of ARM industrial computers and LabVIEW provides a lightweight, cost-effective edge solution for industrial monitoring and control, particularly in power- and space-sensitive environments. With proper hardware-software architecture design, it can achieve real-time performance, reliability, and scalability. For higher performance demands, consider hybrid architectures (ARM+FPGA) or deeper integration with NI’s embedded hardware.