#Control system Toolbox

[chadobi]

I promise guys , I’ll get to your requests soon! But for now, I hope you’ll enjoy this one💜

“Under a Blanket of Code”

Bayverse!Donatello x Reader

The power had flickered out about an hour ago.

Mikey screamed something about the pizza oven dying and Raph immediately took it as a sign of the apocalypse. Leo was trying to organize a response plan, but Donnie had already disappeared into the darker parts of the lair—heading toward his lab like a man on a mission.

You didn’t even ask. You just followed him.

It was quiet in his workspace. He had a few emergency lights wired up, casting everything in deep purple and gold. Small LEDs blinked from different shelves, some flickering faintly like fireflies. In the middle of it all, Donnie was crouched beside a stack of servers, furiously typing on a portable rig.

You leaned in the doorway, watching him. He muttered something about “backup fuses” and “secondary distribution lines,” and then paused.

“I know you’re there,” he said without looking. “And I’m not mad. Just… mildly panicked.”

You smiled. “I brought tea.”

That made him glance up. His glasses caught a soft glint of blue from a nearby monitor, and he blinked, surprised. “Oh. Uh. Thank you.” He took the thermos from you awkwardly, hands still faintly buzzing with static.

“Want some company?” you asked gently. “I figured you might need backup.”

Donnie hesitated for a second too long. Then he nodded. “Actually… yeah. That would be nice.”

He gestured to a low platform on the floor surrounded by wires, toolboxes, and glowing screens. You kicked off your shoes and stepped carefully between cables. A fuzzy blanket was already half-draped over the space, clearly something Mikey had tossed aside days ago.

You plopped down, crossing your legs. “So what’s the damage?”

“Main power grid’s fried,” Donnie murmured, sitting beside you. “Generator’s holding up, but I’m going to need to do a manual reroute.” He adjusted his glasses with a tired sigh. “In the meantime, I figured… might as well make the place livable.”

He grabbed a small remote and tapped a button. A string of soft purple lights lit up overhead—cheap LED strips, flickering slightly, but warm in their own way.

“Donnie,” you said, raising an eyebrow. “Did you build yourself a tech blanket fort?”

He looked flustered. “No. I mean—not intentionally. I was optimizing work conditions, and the blanket just… enhances acoustic absorption and comfort for long-term programming sessions.”

“So,” you grinned, “a blanket fort.”

He huffed. “Fine. Yes. A highly advanced blanket fort.”

You giggled and tucked the edge of the blanket around your shoulders. “I love it.”

He blinked. “You do?”

“Of course. It’s kind of perfect.” You leaned back slightly. “It’s warm, quiet, glowy… and it smells like solder and coffee. Very ‘you.’”

Donnie was silent for a beat. Then, he mumbled, “I wasn’t sure you’d like it down here.”

You turned to him. “Why wouldn’t I?”

He shifted awkwardly, fingers fidgeting with a loose wire. “Most people… wouldn’t exactly enjoy sitting in a dark lab full of failing circuits and overheating processors.”

“I’m not most people,” you said softly.

Donnie didn’t respond at first. He looked down at the blanket, at the way it pooled around the two of you, and then carefully set aside the laptop.

“You know,” he started, voice lower now, “sometimes I forget there’s a world outside this lab. Not in a dramatic way, just… I get stuck in my head. The math, the logic, the endless systems I can’t control—sometimes that’s all I focus on.”

You were quiet, letting him talk.

“And then you show up,” he continued. “With tea. And sarcasm. And blankets.” His gaze lifted to meet yours. “And suddenly the world feels… a little quieter. Like the code finally compiled.”

You smiled, heart thudding gently in your chest. “Is that your way of saying you like having me here?”

“Yes,” he said immediately. Then cleared his throat. “I mean—logically speaking, your presence has a statistically significant impact on my overall mood and cognitive focus.”

“Donnie,” you said, nudging his arm with your elbow, “just say you like me.”

He went red. Deep red. The color crept all the way to his bandana. “I—okay—fine. I like you. A lot.”

You laughed and leaned your head against his shoulder. He froze for a second, then slowly, slowly relaxed under the pressure.

“I like you too,” you whispered.

Donnie didn’t say anything, but you felt it—the soft exhale, the way his hand curled just slightly closer to yours under the blanket. He didn’t need grand declarations. Not tonight.

You sat together in the tech-fort, surrounded by quiet buzzes and blinking lights, with the world outside temporarily short-circuited.

And honestly?

You wouldn’t have it any other way.

[starrycross777]

✨️Friendship Among the Stars✨️

These two OC's are my favorites so much so that they are the two units I designed an entire story for now

👾Alien: Luna

⭐️Hybrid: Mika

If there was a song that represented their vibe, I would choose this one

If you like reading I hope you like what I wrote (it was a story when I was 17 so it was my first attempt at that time)

In a small village on the outskirts of the city, where nature and technology intertwined, Mika spent most of her time helping her grandfather in his unusual barn. But this wasn’t an ordinary barn—it was home to robotic animals, creations of her grandfather’s genius. Mika loved working there, finding joy in fixing and improving these mechanical creatures.

One day, her grandfather sent her to fetch some tools from an old storage shed near the hills. Carrying a toolbox, she walked across the fields when a strange buzzing sound filled the air, followed by a sudden flash of blue light. Looking up, she saw what appeared to be a small meteor streaking down before landing—surprisingly gently—in an abandoned field next to the barn.

Curiosity got the best of her. Mika sprinted toward the site, only to find a strange, dust-covered spacecraft emitting smoke. It looked like it had made an emergency landing. She hesitated for a moment, then cautiously stepped closer, reaching out to touch its cool metallic surface. Just then, a faint sound came from inside.

She quickly stepped back as the spacecraft’s hatch slowly opened. From within, a girl emerged—her skin a deep shade of violet, her glowing eyes scanning the surroundings warily. Small antennae adorned her head, along with sleek digital-looking hair accessories.

"Who... are you?" Mika asked, staring in astonishment.

The girl hesitated, as if unsure whether to trust Mika, before finally speaking in a soft voice.

"My name is Luna... and I need help."

Despite the shock, Mika felt no fear. Instead, a strange excitement bubbled within her. She had always felt different from those around her, and now, standing before her, was someone who seemed just as out of place in this world as she was.

With a confident smile, Mika extended her hand and said,

"Well, Luna… welcome to Earth!"

👾⭐️Background: Luna – The Runaway Princess

Far beyond Earth, deep in the cosmic expanse, lay the planet Velmara—a world of towering crystalline cities, floating islands, and an advanced civilization that thrived on technology and strict order. Among its rulers was Queen Xyara, a powerful and unyielding monarch who sought to expand her empire through control and precision.

Born into the royal family, Luna was expected to follow in her mother’s footsteps, inheriting the throne and continuing the Velmarian legacy. However, Luna was different. Unlike her mother and the council, who valued authority above all else, Luna was curious, rebellious, and drawn to the unknown. She spent her days sneaking into the archives, learning about distant planets, and questioning the rigid laws that bound her people.

Her curiosity was seen as a flaw, a sign of weakness. The more she questioned, the more her mother tightened her grip, forcing her into endless training sessions to mold her into the perfect heir. But Luna longed for freedom—to see the universe beyond her mother’s reach.

One fateful night, after overhearing a conversation about an arranged political alliance that would strip her of any remaining autonomy, Luna made her decision. Using her knowledge of Velmarian engineering, she stole a small exploration craft, programming it to take her as far from Velmara as possible. However, something went wrong during her escape—the ship’s navigation system malfunctioned, and she crash-landed on an unfamiliar blue planet: Earth

I designed Luna's little sister once, although I didn't really like her design

Thanks for reading

I hope you enjoyed it🩷

[bodegadulac]

Parahuman OC Submission for rating :)

Chameleon

Civilian names/aliases: Cameron Lyon, aka Catherine Fischer, Tara Deccles, Felicity Ines

Alignment: Rogue/Villain

Classification: Changer/Stranger (Thinker)

Power: Has the power to change her appearance to match people's expectations of her. (e.g. walking in a busy business area at rush hour puts her as a 30 something professional in business casual, walking into a McDonalds staff room puts her into uniform.)

She has little control over what her form looks like, but can focus it slightly to align with certain people's expectations more than others. A lot of her skill with her power comes from social manipulation, she'll give brief descriptions of how she wants to be seen by people over the phone before actually meeting them, to prime them in certain directions, or she'll bring a ladder or a toolbox places and end up looking like the maintenance staff.

The thinker component is because she gets the skills to match whatever people expect, so if her powers make her a lawyer she can have the skills to back that up. She's memorized buzzwords/keywords for several fields so she can try and 'convince' people she should know what's going on, which then gives her the skills.

Minor additional stranger ability that causes people not to notice if she changes shape in front of them, otherwise she'd get constantly flagged as parahuman.

Her power does not make people think she belongs, just lets her act the part.

Trigger: Isolated teen w. Controlling parents, had the Internet as an escape BC they didn't know enough to block it.

Catfishes people online as a incredibly unhealthy way to work through subconscious gender feels.

Various personas end up having more vibrant and interesting lives than her, she screws up and a couple people connect her accounts somehow BC she got details wrong.

Complete collapse of identity as her various personas come under scrutiny.

Trigger.

Triggered at 17, is 19 now

Changeling Consort was supposed to have a lot more guidance from Eden this cycle.

Other info: Ran from home after triggering, used her power to pull "hi I'm the new overnight worker, didn't the manager say?" and then stealing food/from the register until word got around and people got wise to it.

Cycled through her different persona names while trying and failing to establish herself, before finally settling in on Cameron.

All of her persona names are animals if you squint (Chameleon, Catfish, Pterodactyl, Feline).

Slowly worked her way into corporate espionage and then also the official side of that where she gets paid by a company to try and break in to stranger-proof their security systems.

When she can't find corporate jobs she also works as an escort at a high class escort agency that she is the only employee of because she can show up looking exactly how her client wants.

This led to her only actual arrest because they could charge her on suspicion of prostitution, as a way to try and pressure her into joining the PRT. Charges were dropped but the PRT has interfered with a few of her jobs since so moneys been tough for her since. I think she's probably in a city the Elite don't have a super strong presence in, but she'd definitely be on their list as a rogue to prop up if they set up shop.

One particular local hero has her built up as an oversexed like, femme fatale type in his head beyond any other hero/PRT staff and she hates his fucking guts for it.

I was just going to say "uh, thats like an useful oliver" lol.

Honestly she sounds pretty neat. The only thing with doing that kind of espionage is that you can bet your ass every company has one thinker looking over everything so it would interesting to see how she overcomes that.

Also my mind first tought "oh the prt is just raiding her because taxes" and now i can't stop thinking about the PRT's little taxman coming after her.

8.3/10

[pikachu78109]

General Pokémon Villain HC’s PT. 2

((Part 2 of the Pokémon villain headcanon saga. Characters are in no particular order. Also, content warning for a few entries. Also, forgive me for some spelling and grammatical errors.))

Lusamine🪼

Although her actions are abusive and controlling, it all stems from grief. Of course, it’s not an excuse for how Lusamine treated her children. Lillie and Gladion haven’t done anything to deserve this kind of treatment. As deplorable as her actions are, Lusamine convinced herself that she’s trying to do the right thing in order to bring her husband back. However, it became twisted and vile, morphing into obsession rather than a valiant effort. Lusamine has no idea of what she’s doing as her desperation and obsessive behavior cloud her good character. Whatever respectability she has accrued over the years goes out the window as she tries (and fails) to succeed in her personal mission.

Truthfully, Lusamine resents Ultra Beasts (UB for short). They took her husband away and are the sole reason why her obsession took root. Her children ran away because of UB’s and she got possessed by Nihilego, the toxins of which are still somewhat present in her system that couln’t be removed.

Speaking of Nihilego’s toxins, the doctors in Kanto (and some from Alola) were able to remove most of the poison from Lusamine’s body. However, a few areas have latched onto her system strongly, making removal impossible and could cause complications. Such areas include her head and arms, inhibiting mobility and memory. There are moments where the poison does affect her vision, so Lusamine cannot see quite as well whenever it occurs. Fainting spells happen often that doctors recommended Lusamine to be confined in a wheelchair for a few months until they can figure out how to completely remove the poison entirely.

Currently attending therapy. Aside from the possession she endured by the hand of Nihilego, Lusamine attends therapy to work out her own mental and emotional health. Going to therapy was actually Lillie’s suggestion.

Deep down, like really deep down, Lusamine loves her children. She does. However, trying to rebuild that love and connection that she destroyed by her own hand will take a long time. While Lillie is open to the possibility of reconciliation, Gladion is more hesitant.

Doesn’t really operate too much at the Aether Foundation. Most of the responsibility has fallen onto Wicke and Lusamine sort of just shadows here and there. She’s embarrassed about showing herself to her peers and usually does foundation work online inside her home. Her work gets looked after by Wicke, as an added precaution.

Whenever Lillie comes home from Kanto, she tries to spend time with Lusamine. While Lillie is open to having a relationship with her mother once again, it’s difficult as bad memories come flooding back. However, Lusamine encourages Lillie to talk about it and allows her to air out the painful feelings that were brought about during that time. Lusamine doesn’t say a word and just lets her daughter vent, because to her, she needs to be reminded of what she has done. When Lillie finishes, Lusamine reminds Lillie that she has every right to be angry and every right to not forgive her. Lusamine wants to be a good mother to her kids, but understands that it may not be possible given what she has done. All she can do is listen and validate their feelings and promise to be better.

Ghetsis👑

An unstable individual without a doubt. Can barely distinguish reality from his own warped twisted view.

Everyone’s just a pawn to him and it doesn’t matter who. The Seven Sages, his useless Grunts, and, of course, N are all parts in his little toolbox. He could easily convince others to do something or, God forbid, trust his word with a simple heart to heart. He’s a master at words and knows what strings to pluck.

Such a drama queen, emphasis on drama. Ghetsis literally cannot stand being criticized nor ignored. He surrounds himself with yes men, ie. The Seven Sages, and their unwavering approval towards him gives him the push to keep doing what he’s doing. Just like how a cult leader operates.

Ghetsis doesn’t get Pokémon. He understands they are fantastical beings, but he never understood them with a humane approach. He acquired his team from the Seven Sages, each one gifting Ghetsis their partner Pokémon to dedicate their loyalty to him. These Pokémon had no idea of the world of hurt and mistreatment that Ghetsis would soon bestow upon them. Ghetsis’ “training” wasn’t anything like Pokémon battling or sparing. He would force his team to undergo harsh experiments to push beyond their limitations to the point of life threatening. Hydreigon got the worst of it and actually retaliated against Ghetsis by viciously attacking him, causing near fatal injuries.

I want to theorize that Ghetsis’ lineage, the Harmonia name, may be linked to the Abyssal Ruins somehow. It’s a long stretch, but for some reason, I see Ghetsis having some strange connection to the sunken temple with its abundance of wealth and knowledge. The ruins might have been a palace or something akin to the Library of Alexandria, where Unovian rulers amassed a swath of power and influence and knowledge over the region. I feel like Ghetsis’ family tree may have something to do with it considering how the site seems to be full of unsolved mystery. And knowing how other NPCs talk about it and the items that the player can find, it just feels like something that can be traced back to Ghetsis as he’s someone who believes has a divine right.

Ghetsis feels phantom pain on his right eye all the time. It got taken out by Hydreigon and he can’t see quite as well. However, he’ll feel a throbbing sensation. However, he doesn’t feel any pain or discomfort on his right side at all. It’s just his right eye.

Has a dark sense of humor. A morbid sense of humor.

If there’s ANY sense of normalcy with this man, he’s an avid reader. He likes to engage with mythology and science, primarily related to technology and energy, as well as history books about Unova’s past. Anytime where he’s not plotting world domination, he’s got his nose in a book.

Despite being an adoptive father, Ghetsis has never formed a genuine connection with his children. Concordia and Anthea barely spent time with him, but whenever he would, he’d be soft and gentle. Of course, it didn’t stop him from brainwashing them into his cult and putting the responsibility of N’s well-being over their own, especially at a young age. He would always emphasize N’s importance as crucial and simultaneously make the girls believe that their existence is to serve N. As for N himself, well, we all know the story by now.

Lysandre🔥

Gonna be real honest here: this dude gave me a lot to think about, headcanon wise. It’s not so much the fact that he’s kind of intimidating to write about, but more on the fact that he’s kind of mid whenever the topic lands on him specifically. Lysandre happens to be both complicated yet interesting, so it gave me something to munch on.

Lysandre oozes with confidence. He takes pride in his work and public image. He can handle stress pretty well and knows exactly how to deal with issues that crop up in his daily life, which I can only hope to aspire to be one day.

His relationship with Sycamore is near and dear to him. Lysandre shares mutual respect with Sycamore and keeps in touch to get any recent news or highlights on the professor’s research. These two go way back and their interactions are pleasant and low key. However, as they gotten busier, their meet-ups dwindled. Still, Sycamore remains as Lysandre’s closest friend and someone whom Lysandre can turn towards whenever he’s upset about something.

Connecting with the prior point, knowing Lysandre’s villainous goals and the overall destructive effect it would entail, he decided on a selective few who he wanted to spare. Sycamore happened to be person number one.

People perceive Lysandre differently and it all depends on who you talk to. Some say that he’s quite generous as a philanthropist while others say he’s elusive and hard to read. Others make assumptions based on superficial observations such as his wealth and popularity. Honestly, it’s never consistent.

Despite what others think, Lysandre falls into the introvert category. He doesn’t like to be in public for long periods of time, but bears through it because of his job.

Coffee lover. I mean, he has his own café so it’s pretty much canon?

I’ll just say it here: Malva is a simp for this man. She has special connections with Lysandre and as a result she’s able to get the full scoop on his secretive activity behind the public’s eye. Lysandre absolutely knows that Malva’s got a thing for him (I mean, she’s got good taste) and he definitely does use that to his advantage. He can convince her to manipulate the media, as well as divert any attention away from him while he conducts his Team Flare work. Malva doesn’t question his authority and she’s pretty much a ride or die. Nobody expected Kalos’s top reporter to be part of this nefarious group, which I suppose could be Lysandre’s doing as a way of showing thanks by protecting her reputation.

Him wanting to wipe the world clean from all of its impurities brewed inside of him for a long time. Initially, he really wanted to make people’s lives better with his humanitarian efforts but became tired and frustrated each time people complained that he wasn’t doing enough. Like, this man tried endlessly to provide a solution. The results continued to yield nothing and it sprouted the seeds of resentment and hate within Lysandre to pursue the nuclear option. To an extent, I see where Lysandre comes from. It sucks when people keeps pressuring you to do more, to give more of yourself to people, yet get little in return. However, it doesn’t negate the fact that Lysandre was willing to commit mass murder on people because they kept bitching at him for minor reasons. You can’t fault the man for being pissed, but still: Genocide ain’t it.

[sunsetconcert]

this is a fic that i would LIKE to write, but unfortunately, the actual details of writing it drive me up the fucking wall. so i am posting the general framework here, just to get it out of my system. so:

CONCEPT: Sonic Forces Metamy Political Marriage.

four months into the war. the resistance is losing ground, they only control about 10% of the planet. and rather than just crushing them outright, eggman comes up with psychological warfare - he starts to torment them with terms of surrender. in particular, he targets amy by saying stuff like "You can save everyone, Amy! The war will be over, and everyone gets to go back home! You can save everyone, right now, if you just stop caring about your principles and surrender."

the terms of surrender are actually pretty good, but they're also pretty visibly designed to inflict maximum psychic damage on the resistance. the most IMPORTANT part, though, is that the terms of surrender require a binding ceremony between the resistance and the eggman empire. it's framed as a political marriage thing.

however - eggman never intended the terms of surrender to be accepted. it was purely a psych-out tactic. he never actually expected that the terms of surrender would be ACCEPTED. and by amy rose, of all people??? so eggman basically weasels out of it by saying now amy and metal sonic have to get married. amy and metal hate it immensely but begrudgingly accept it.

amy and metal manage to peacefully coexist for all of sixteen hours before they have their first screaming match, followed by a deeply personal conversation regarding their feelings about being engaged to each other. metal basically says "Nobody will ever love me. Nobody will ever love me, so just let me pretend otherwise until this farce is over with." and amy still hates him, but like... she's not going to be a bitch about that sort of statement. eventually they agree to have a big dumb lovey-dovey pretend wedding as a coping mechanism for their respective situations, and go back to hating each other afterwards.

(spoiler: they do not go back to hating each other.)

they then proceed to get WAY too invested in the wedding. like, unhealthily so. the argument over the flower arrangements go into the history books. when the time comes for the actual wedding, amy and metal sonic both decide to go big or go home. it is the biggest, gaudiest, ugliest wedding you have ever seen. everything is either hot pink or goth black and there is NO inbetween. the cake is like sixteen layers tall, the chapel is filled with so many flowers that it makes a few people sick, everything. MAXIMALIST WEDDING. eggman is just along for the ride at this point.

the bride and groom wear the ugliest fucking wedding dresses you've ever seen. amy looks like she's from a 1980s barbie commercial and metal sonic looks like a hot topic got their shipments mixed up with a bridal goods store. they are very pleased with themselves and they are also so fucking insufferable that basically all the guests heckle them most of the way through the ceremony.

halfway through the ceremony, infinite tries to crash because he's obsessed with attention and can't stand not being the most important person in the room. unfortunately for him, in the chaos of the wedding planning, eggman is SO DONE with this loser and promptly cuts all power to the phantom ruby prototype infinite is using. the gathered guests promptly kick his ass and toss him into a dumpster outside.

at some point sonic shows up for the sole purpose of leaving a gag gift at the wedding reception. like a toolbox just in case amy wants to inspect any of metal sonic's parts. sonic does NOT know the tools will be used for foreplay and would be fucking horrified to find out.

at some indeterminate point sonic and his very canonical bestie ian jr both break out of the death egg and tear down the eggman empire's stranglehold on the world while everyone else is obsessed with the wedding. the rest of the cast find this out like three weeks after the wedding goes down.

[espressosimz]

hello hello! this is the list of all my gameplay/utility mods currently in my mods folder. my gameplay truly wouldn't be the same without all of these AMAZING creators, and i hope y'all enjoy these as much as i do!!

these are my essential mods that i literally cannot play without, and probably use the most in any of my saves. they can be downloaded from the creator's respective websites.

1. MC Command Centre + MC Woohoo:

"The MC Command Center is a mod that adds greater control to your Sims 4 game experience and NPC story progression options." Mods created by Deaderpool

2. WickedWhims:

!! this mod and website are NSFW!! "WickedWhims is a mod for The Sims 4 that offers sexual and nudity interactivity, enhanced relationships with extended personalities and attractiveness, playable adult careers, and many more gameplay additions." Mod created by Turbodriver SFW version: WonderfulWhims

3. Basemental Drugs + Basemental Gangs:

"A collection of functional drugs for The Sims 4. The mod features custom drugs, custom animations, altered walkstyles, altered moods, altered needs, come-ups, peaks, comedowns, hangovers, addiction, rehabilitation, and loads more. Basemental is in no way promoting, encouraging or glorifying the use of drugs in real life. The harsh realities and negatives of prolonged drug use is a key feature of the mod." "Adds gangs for The Sims 4. The mod requires Basemental Drugs and the Get To Work expansion pack. Basemental Gangs features rivalries between gangs, micromanaging your own gang members, use gang members as drug runners, run your operations through your own gang headquarters, exclusive new opportunities from your right hand man and much, much more." Mods created by Basemental Mods

these are all of the mods i use from the creator adeepindigo. the mods are split into four sections based on adeepindigo's patreon indexes: utility mods, modular gameplay mods, kids and teen mods, overhauls, and tweaks. these are all linked below.

Utility Mods:

1. General Pie Menus 2. Shared Library These mods are necessary for the majority of the mods in this section to work.

Modular Gameplay Mods:

1. Healthcare Redux "A mod which adds health care, new injuries, illnesses, pregnancy related healthcare, medical emergencies, allergies, and more." 2. Divergent Sims "A mod which adds neurodivergence and mental health conditions." !! this mod contains eating disorders !!

Kids and Teen Mods:

1. Education Overhaul "A mod which overhauls the school system in the Sims 4 adding preschool, weather related holidays and school breaks, in-school activities, detention, and more." 2. Dynamic Teen Life "A mod which adds to and enhances the teen experience, introducing popularity, social groups, more after school activities, as well as additional entertainment, social, and dating opportunities." 3. Preteen Mod "A mod which introduces a new life stage between children and teens and a new school, depending on which version is installed, Middle School or Junior High School."

Overhauls and Tweaks:

1. University Application Overhaul "This is an overhaul of the application for applying to university. It adds additional requirements, the ability to tour campuses, a graduation or Virtual Diploma requirement, as well as the ability to be rejected when applying." 2. HSY Tweaks/Modifications

these are all of the mods i use from the creator lumpinou. they can all be downloaded from their mod index page on patreon, which is linked below. full mod descriptions can also be found on their website!

Mod Index:

1. Lumpinou's Toolbox "A script where I put various things some of my mods need. This way, only 1 script file is used across various mods." Required for the mods in this section. 2. Mood Pack "This mod is a mood bank. It doesn't 'do' things on its own, it is intended to go with other mods. It adds dozens of moods to the game, to be available for other mods to use in their moodlets, for more variety and sharper storytelling." Required for the mods in this section. 3. Relationship and Pregnancy Overhaul 4. LGBTQIA+ Mod 5. First Impressions 6. Milestone Fixes

these are all of the mods i use from the creator ravasheen.

1. Easy Peasy Lumen Squeezy Hidden Lights:

"The ‘Easy Peasy Lumen Squeezy’ is a hidden lighting system! All the brightness with none of the obstruction."

2. ISO Love Photos – Full Control Camera:

"The ‘ISO Love Photo’ camera mod is BGC and gives you full control over in-game camera viewpoint without disturbing your sims! Sims won’t go behind the camera to take the photo which means if you are using something like Andrew’s pose player your active sim will remain in their current pose. This eliminates the need for extra photographer sims!"

3. Photographic Memory 2.0:

"The new and improved Photographic Memory 2.0 comes with over 10 new photo objects and a new photo studio hub that lets you improve existing photos and transfer images! The new transfer feature will let you put your photos on any painting or cross stitch. All items are also compatible with the Ink For Yourself Journal and come with improved descriptions and the ability to add moodlets. Make sure to remove and replace the original version!"

thank you for reading ♡

[funkin-news]

funkin blog update!!: THANK YOU ERIC

lots of good stuff in this one :) i highly recommend reading the original blog post itself, there's so much juice that tumblr won't let me put all the juice in one post

but for the sake of tradition, summary ⬇️

so. been a while yeah

they've been working on a lot of stuff that's secret/under NDA/for a different update so they couldn't share any of that on the blog

while they've had instances of people having little things they could and wanted to talk about, they couldn't just put out a post that's like one paragraph and leave it at that lol

so, eric is now going to show us some stuff! yay!!

remember this?

well, eric's been working on rebuilding the chart editor from the ground up!

he's also been pulled aside occasionally to work on other stuff (redo input system, get cutscenes working, redo scoring, work on thing that was blacked out because NDA but when i clicked it i got this video, fix issues with gamepad)

ok now put this song on while you continue reading ⬇️

and now... the chart editor is COOLER!

now featuring:

chart isn't divided into sections to scroll through anymore, just one long scroll

opponent is always on the left and player is always on the right, no weird flips

waveforms under the character icons! you can see those!

icons can be clicked to change the character

measure ticks on the left (that thing that looks like a ruler!)

note preview on the further left

video-player-like controls at the bottom for the song

oh, and it's now powered by HaxeUI instead of Flixel UI, which allows for these toolbox windows:

and neat tools like this, which lets you set offsets for each of the tracks:

this new chart editor's toolbar has all kinds of neat stuff, like these!

for the third pic: "The Window menu. No the screenshot isn't cutting anything off you're imagining things." 🤨

there's more but at this point you might just wanna go read the original post

FNFC files - new standard for making charts! contains the chart data, including the audio files!

LOTS of new keyboard shortcuts for the editor too!

also a live input mode, where you can place notes at wherever the playhead currently is by pressing WASD/⬆️⬇️⬅️➡️

what that means is you can tap out some notes as the song plays and then proofread them after!

this is the part where i'd put another video because there's another one, but tumblr only lets me put one, so... go read the original post i guess

SONG EVENTS FEATURE! you see that ninth strumline on the right? anything put there doesn't show up as notes for either player, but instead runs a chunk of code at the given time

right now the only built-in events are camera control and getting a character or stage prop to play an animation, but modders are probably gonna have a field day

another video! i already forgot i can't add more than 1. damn you tumblr.

also, it, like, never crashes!

except for when it does!

[maryellencarter]

Will your walkable cities have guaranteed housing for all? Not just "we housed a thousand homeless people but there are 40,000 more waiting for space and nowhere to build", actual available housing.

Will they have safe parking to sleep in our cars without being harassed, and leave our cars at in the daytime to keep our stuff safe while we walk your walkable city?

Will they have plentiful benches, maybe even sheltered from the elements, and will we be allowed to sleep on them?

Will they have plentiful, safe, clean, well-stocked, 24/7 restrooms? Maybe even climate controlled? And will we be allowed to spend as long as we need to in them? Most homeless people have digestive issues because of our limited food access, if for no other reason.

Will they have free foot care clinics and mobility aids? We're already on our feet all day. It hurts. Many of us had mobility issues before becoming homeless.

Will you have free 24/7 transit for all, or will it be means tested, require residency, or have similar arbitrary limitations? How long will we be allowed to ride? Will there be easily accessible restrooms? Will it have posted maps at every stop, or will we have to use cellular data to find our way around? What measures will you take to prevent it becoming a superspreader system for Covid and other diseases?

(Actually, requiring a cellular or cable company to provide free public wifi as a substitute for part of their tax bill would be an interesting experiment. Or you could just make wifi a public utility. Still put up paper maps for transit though, we don't all have wifi capable devices or the ability to use them. Maybe even with Braille overlays on the plastic or something?)

If you're not allowing vehicles other than transit, what allowances are you making for grocery delivery, prepared food delivery (like Doordash type services), laundry service, diaper service, anything that doesn't require mobility-limited residents to use their steps? What's your plan for "I'm moving in or out of the walkable city and I need a moving truck for my furniture"?

How about "I'm buying groceries for two weeks for six hungry people and I can't carry it all home on the bus"? How about "My plumbing broke and the plumber needs his toolbox full of heavy tools and parts that *he* can't carry on the bus"? Will your buses/trains have luggage compartments, and how will the loading and unloading work with keeping a schedule?

[stellanix]

my opinion on the voting discourse is that the fascist running for president can be barred from power if enough people stand in line for a bit and fill in the bubble next to other person's name on a sheet of paper. like cmon it's the easiest thing and maybe we should try it

yes i know that voting won't fundamentally change the system and that the democrats also suck. yes i know the democrats are actively supporting the genocide in gaza. the republicans are too. the election won't change that. but one side openly wants to eradicate queer people on top of that, and as a trans person i would greatly appreciate it if y'all could stand in a fucking line for a bit to maybe prevent fascists from trying to eradicate my entire demographic

it's a purely pragmatic and strategic decision. like idk why people are moralizing so much about this. do y'all think there's some communism fairy hovering over your shoulder who will dock points if you vote for a liberal?

i know voting isn't the end-all-be-all of politics. but i'm not telling you to dedicate everything to campaign for kamala harris or whatever. you can literally do other stuff like organizing and protesting and direct action in addition to voting. i cannot emphasize enough that voting takes up a little bit of one day. you can even get ice cream or something afterwards if you want

our society has A LOT of problems that voting certainly won't solve. but a fascist movement is trying to use electoral politics to gain power. voting is one small tool in the toolbox of political action and it is the simplest and most appropriate strategy for this specific problem

you can talk about revolution and more radical strategies all you want, but if the fascists gain control of the government in this election they will try their hardest to crush every last bit of leftist momentum in this country, cuz that's kinda what fascists do

so for the sake everyone the fascists hate, please find some time on november 5th to stand in line for a bit and fill in the bubble next to the name that's not donald trump. i promise you don't have to keep the "i voted" sticker if it makes you feel cringe

[04k96]

Operating systems as parents

Apple’s UI does feel like soft parenting—protective, smooth, gentle nudges, fewer choices but carefully curated ones, all designed to create a “safe” and aesthetically consistent environment.

Windows would be like a well-meaning but inconsistent parent who gives you freedom… but also leaves sharp tools lying around. It says, “You can do almost anything, but if you break it, you fix it.” There’s structure, but it can feel dated or overly corporate—think PTA dad energy. It wants to be flexible but often sacrifices elegance or simplicity.

Android might be the DIY, slightly chaotic co-parent who hands you a toolbox and says, “Customize your life, kid.” You can build your own routines, mess with the settings, change your identity entirely—but that freedom comes with a learning curve. At its best, it’s empowering. At its worst, it’s overwhelming or poorly optimized.

So maybe:

Apple: Soft, consistent, emotionally intelligent parent

Windows: Traditional, utility-first parent with weekend tech projects

Android: Experimental, libertarian tinkerer parent who’s always flashing ROMs

Apple:

• Cognitive impact: Streamlined choices, smooth transitions, and consistent design reduce decision fatigue. Over time, this can reinforce a preference for clarity, minimalism, and control.

• Emotional tone: You feel taken care of. This can create a sense of calm—or dependence. You may get used to not troubleshooting or customizing much, which can subtly encourage a more passive relationship to tech.

• Behavioral outcome: You focus more on consuming and creating within constraints. It’s a “creative garden”—freedom, but fenced in.

Windows:

• Cognitive impact: You learn to navigate complexity and inconsistency. There’s more friction, which builds tolerance for mess—but also leads to a higher cognitive load.

• Emotional tone: It can be neutral, utilitarian, or frustrating. You’re in charge, but the system assumes you know what you’re doing, which can be empowering or isolating.

• Behavioral outcome: You might develop a problem-solving mindset but also become desensitized to clutter or glitches.

Android:

• Cognitive impact: Encourages exploration, customization, and experimentation. You engage more actively with the system, but that also means a greater mental burden.

• Emotional tone: Feels open and free, but can cause anxiety from too many options or poor optimization (especially on cheaper devices).

• Behavioral outcome: You lean toward self-direction, hacking, or optimizing. There’s pride in personalization, but also the risk of never settling on “enough.”

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 42, 2024

Fear learning induces synaptic potentiation between engram neurons in the rat lateral amygdala. Abatis, M., Perin, R., Niu, R., van den Burg, E., Hegoburu, C., Kim, R., … Stoop, R. (2024). Nature Neuroscience, 27(7), 1309–1317.

Jointly efficient encoding and decoding in neural populations. Blanco Malerba, S., Micheli, A., Woodford, M., & Azeredo da Silveira, R. (2024). PLOS Computational Biology, 20(7), e1012240.

Flexible multitask computation in recurrent networks utilizes shared dynamical motifs. Driscoll, L. N., Shenoy, K., & Sussillo, D. (2024). Nature Neuroscience, 27(7), 1349–1363.

Kinetic features dictate sensorimotor alignment in the superior colliculus. González-Rueda, A., Jensen, K., Noormandipour, M., de Malmazet, D., Wilson, J., Ciabatti, E., … Tripodi, M. (2024). Nature, 631(8020), 378–385.

A recurrent network model of planning explains hippocampal replay and human behavior. Jensen, K. T., Hennequin, G., & Mattar, M. G. (2024). Nature Neuroscience, 27(7), 1340–1348.

Adaptive coding of reward in schizophrenia, its change over time and relationship to apathy. Kaliuzhna, M., Carruzzo, F., Kuenzi, N., Tobler, P. N., Kirschner, M., Geffen, T., … Kaiser, S. (2024). Brain, 147(7), 2459–2470.

Human navigation strategies and their errors result from dynamic interactions of spatial uncertainties. Kessler, F., Frankenstein, J., & Rothkopf, C. A. (2024). Nature Communications, 15, 5677.

Local field potential sharp waves with diversified impact on cortical neuronal encoding of haptic input. Kristensen, S. S., & Jörntell, H. (2024). Scientific Reports, 14, 15243.

Factorized visual representations in the primate visual system and deep neural networks. Lindsey, J. W., & Issa, E. B. (2024). eLife, 13, e91685.3.

A mathematical theory of relational generalization in transitive inference. Lippl, S., Kay, K., Jensen, G., Ferrera, V. P., & Abbott, L. F. (2024). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(28), e2314511121.

Precise tactile localization on the human fingernail. Longo, M. R. (2024). Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 291(2026).

Trying Harder: How Cognitive Effort Sculpts Neural Representations during Working Memory. Master, S. L., Li, S., & Curtis, C. E. (2024). Journal of Neuroscience, 44(28), e0060242024.

Context-invariant beliefs are supported by dynamic reconfiguration of single unit functional connectivity in prefrontal cortex of male macaques. Noel, J.-P., Balzani, E., Savin, C., & Angelaki, D. E. (2024). Nature Communications, 15, 5738.

Reward prediction error neurons implement an efficient code for reward. Schütt, H. H., Kim, D., & Ma, W. J. (2024). Nature Neuroscience, 27(7), 1333–1339.

Joint modeling of choices and reaction times based on Bayesian contextual behavioral control. Schwöbel, S., Marković, D., Smolka, M. N., & Kiebel, S. (2024). PLOS Computational Biology, 20(7), e1012228.

Selective recruitment of the cerebellum evidenced by task-dependent gating of inputs. Shahshahani, L., King, M., Nettekoven, C., Ivry, R. B., & Diedrichsen, J. (2024). eLife, 13, e96386.3.

A simple optical flow model explains why certain object viewpoints are special. Stewart, E. E. M., Fleming, R. W., & Schütz, A. C. (2024). Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 291(2026).

Stimulus type shapes the topology of cellular functional networks in mouse visual cortex. Tang, D., Zylberberg, J., Jia, X., & Choi, H. (2024). Nature Communications, 15, 5753.

Control over self and others’ face: exploitation and exploration. Wen, W., Mei, J., Aktas, H., Chang, A. Y.-C., Suzuishi, Y., & Kasahara, S. (2024). Scientific Reports, 14, 15473.

BCI Toolbox: An open-source python package for the Bayesian causal inference model. Zhu, H., Beierholm, U., & Shams, L. (2024). PLOS Computational Biology, 20(7), e1011791.

[tofutasties]

Desiring-Revolution

There can be no revolutionary actions, Anti-Oedipus concludes, where the the relations between people and groups are relations of exclusion and segregation. Groups must multiply and connect in ever new ways, freeing up territorialities for the construction of new social arrangements. Theory must therefore be conceived as a toolbox, producing tools that work; or as Ivan Illich says, we must learn to construct tools for conviviality through the use of counterfoil research. When Illich speaks of "convivial reconstruction," he is very close to Deleuze and Guattari's notion of a "desiring-revolution." Like Deleuze and Guattari, Illich also calls for a radical reversal of the relationships between individuals and tools or machines: "This reversal would permit the evolution of a life-style and of a political system which give priority to the protection, the maximum use, and the enjoyment of the one resource that is almost equally distributed among all people: personal energy under personal control." All three authors agree that such a reversal must be governed by a collective political process, and not by professionals and experts. The ultimate answer to neurotic dependencies on professionals is mutual self-care. —Mark Seem, Introduction to Anti-Oedipus (1983)

[some-random-fandom-chick]

I'm done. and I have no idea how to tell my fiance.

There's always this undercurrent of "Oh I'm more compassionate than you. I'm more emotionally self aware than you. My will port is stronger because I did the mental health equivalent of taking a knife to myself and digging out the infection and then mentally stitched myself back together all through my teens."

Like. Fuck off. I broke down. Twice. And did the work to build my toolbox. There's still work to do but holy shit I'm so much more me than when I started.

I've gone along with as much as I can, making an effort to learn where everything goes, doing my best to learn other people's systems and schedules, slotting in where I can in the house plan and schedule because I'm being allowed to live here for free. I set the table every day without fail. I take the laundry down every week unless I've been scheduled on a Friday. I've made every effort to schedule regular dates and work with fiancé's need for rigid scheduling. I walk the dog every weekday morning.

I get told to ask for help if I don't know where something goes but MIL continues to bitch about it behind my back to my fiance who then tells me.

I ask fiance repeatedly "I don't want to do heavy conversations at night time. I'm trying to wind down and sleep so might struggle to be the kind of comfort you need." And yet, heavy conversations happen at night.

I lost my engagement ring in the snow a few weeks ago and was utterly torn up about it. Fiance gave me a decorative spare from their jewelry. I haven't worn it in a couple of weeks and I don't think they've noticed.

They speak like a child. "I'm just a lil guy" You're a heavily traumatised 30 year old who still has rose coloured glasses on about just how controlled they are by their mother. You're a lil guy when you accidentally get up a bit or accidentally drop something. Not when you think you've read something in my tone and body language that isn't fucking there and have just wasted 20 minutes of my time with pointless filler while you try to meander to the point and then ask the point three more times because my unchanging answer isn't enough and you still need to explain my own reactions to me.

They're sweet and creative and caring... and so very stagnant. So very controlled. And I can't do this anymore.

I want an equal partner not a child cosplaying as a house husband. I want a wedding... a legal marriage would destroy their disability benefit.

So how does my autistic ass tell my autistic ass fiance who very much struggles with black and white thinking and is very all or nothing when it comes to any kind of relationship that I'm done? And how do I do that in a way that is fair to their emotions and doesn't potemtially threaten my place here when I've still got 12 weeks in the country?

[against-forms-recognizable]

Okay, so, here's the thing, here's where a lot of my anarchism comes from.

Let's go all the way back, back to where humans came from, the ancestral environment. In the ancestral environment, when we're all hunter gatherers, sometimes there's scarcity. And when there's scarcity, it's who you know and the nature of those relationships which determines whether or not you survive. So, being a social animal, the degree to which you manipulate the social environment is a huge factor in that.

A lot of the ways we do this are through social structures, phantasms. We have a lot of them floating around; gender, morality, honor, justice, family. These are all things that don't actually exist materially. They only exist as a linking of concepts, a constellation of ideas that we reify into a system. And we use these to control each other, to create a social environment that is more suitable to getting our needs met. They form the bedrock of our civilization and society.

We enforce these structures most often by methods of social correction; isolation, harassment, bullying, and so on, to make people get with the program. And when that fails sometimes there is violent coercion, in modern times usually by the body that maintains a monopoly on violence and violent coercion, the state.

But because these things don't actually exist materially, they are flexible. We can add or remove stars from these constellations while maintaining mostly the same recognizable shape and other people still recognize it and might not even realize we changed it at all. And we all do this, all the time, generally unconsciously, in ways that favor us. This is where identity politics comes from, right? All of the toxicity within it. Everyone is trying to weaponize these structures to extract material benefit from the social environment by reshaping these relations to be more favorable to them.

But these abstractions are largely the way we make sense of the world. It's the foundation of language and cognition and communication. So anything we do together will always result in people playing these games with each other, defecting in this grand prisoner's dilemma.

This applies to communism, too - I think every communist has started out well-meaning, the marxist-leninists included. The thing is that we are fundamentally unable to participate in society without trying to turn it to our benefit, it is hard-wired into us, we are so good at it that we don't even realize when we are doing it. And it applies to anarcho-communism, as well, even in the absence of a coercive state people can still accrue soft social power and utilize that to create a social hierarchy - even a simple reading of Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed, which posits a flawed anarcho-communist utopia, reveals it as an investigation into how even if you start out with true believers, applying it on a society wide level will result in the vast majority of people talking the talk without walking the walk.

So, at present, because I don't really see a way out of this, my anarchism is mostly formulated as a critical orientation at these structures which create hierarchy and domination, a toolbox of critique that we can use to break them down, a continual process that must be adhered to as everyone will always be trying to build new ones up. Conscious deconstruction, of our unconscious constructions. This doesn't mean I don't think things can be better, that I don't think a positive social project is possible. I just don't know how to get there, right now, with a method I'm sure won't just end up making things worse.

[mellowwhumps]

Whumperless Whump Event Day 31: Accidental Journey | “We can’t just sit here and wait.”

OCs: Itaph, Kyrai, Telios, (Lotti)

masterlist (for them only)

@whumperless-whump-event

——

The familiar weightlessness of takeoff and a commotion outside woke Itaph with a jolt. He hadn’t expected this outcome, had meant to hide and leave after to go back to training or some other task. Not this. How had he slept through the entire departure sequence? 

He exited his hiding spot, walking through the corridors and peeking inside the room the noise originated from. The two people were at odds, certainly, a third silhouette slumped on the floor and blocked from view, unmoving.

The first was a species he had never seen before, unmistakably circular ears and hind legs prominent even with his poor line of sight. The other was much taller, too-large horns perhaps stranger than their other Haryen-typical traits, wings stretched out and flapping almost nervously, like a bird about to take flight. 

“I checked the controls,” the first one said, sounding a little more skittish than their body betrayed, “The ship’s on autopilot to the Yoltian System, if I’m recalling correctly. I can’t turn it off, I…don’t know how. How’s your progress?”

No response, apart from a small shake of the head and the shifting of metal. Now that he thought about it, he only heard one voice from the ship.

He knew what their destination was. The autopilot service of the current ship he was on, as he recalled from hearsay, wasn’t advanced enough to navigate all the way there without issue. There was only one outcome. He supposed the two others knew as well, which was why they were focused on trying to…do whatever it was they were doing now.

The stranger’s ears twitched, and when they spoke up again, all his thoughts abruptly blanked out. “Show yourself. I know you’re there. We’re stuck here together, anyway, don’t be shy.” 

The one working lifted their head and followed suit, turning towards the door. No more point in hiding, then. Itaph took a firm step into the room, eyes glancing about. Cargo room, most likely, given the amount of hastily opened crates stacked around. 

An awkward quietness filled the room. He broke the silence first, a part of him inclined to do so. 

“My name is Itaph’ri…just that. No last name. Quick introductions, first. Before you explain all that happened while I was asleep.” He clenched and unclenched his fists, waiting for an answer.

“Kyrai’is Quai’i. But don’t bother pronouncing that, people call me Kyrai. And this here is…I don’t know. They haven’t spoken a single word to me yet—”

“—T-Telios.”

“You talk? Revelation of the year, T-telios. Truly.” A certain sort of authenticity was present in Kyrai’s tone. The other’s shoulder seemed to slump a little more at the greeting, returning back to their task. Kyrai didn't appear to notice.

“I…think their name is just Telios.” Itaph took a step forward, possibly a little too curious at what they were both looking at. 

Kyrai’s eyes widened, some realisation coming to their mind. “Whoops. It’s a little common where I was from for that kind of name. Anyways. You seen a toolbox anywhere?”

A toolbox? Only now did his mind adjust to what exactly he was looking at. The mess of battered machinery in front of them was undeniably humanoid, the opened panel on its body sparking every now and then. Despite all that damage, their fingers were still moving, albeit slowly; some attempt at consciousness. 

Alive. And though he wasn’t a mechanic, he was a medic. Close enough, he supposed, to warrant such worry for people he met not even ten minutes ago. 

“There was a workshop right beside this room, I saw. Materials should be there. I can go get them.” 

He was gone in the next second, boots clunking on the floor as he ran. Though comparatively barren to the ones within the training centre, what the place did have to offer were tools. With one brush of his hand, all the things lying on the table were hastily shoved into a box as he turned a sharp right out of the room.

Itaph shoved the materials into Telios’s hand, watching as their eyes shone when they opened the box, hands no longer trembling uncontrollably. So it did have what they needed. He managed a small not-quite-smile at them, some semblance of comfort in such a forlorn situation, and for a moment his chest swelled with a strange sort of feeling, like that of figuring out how to treat a patient. Then, it was replaced by that familiar, all-consuming homesickness. 

No.

He couldn’t give up yet. Even if he was a stowaway, there were still ways to help this small crew, things to do. Firstly, there was no use in either him or Kyrai staying here.

“Come on. We can’t just sit here and wait.”

[mariacallous]

The Civil Liberties Union for Europe, also known as Liberties, said in its annual report published on Monday that the rule of law in EU member states continued to deteriorate in 2023, as governments across the region further weakened legal and democratic checks and balances.

Liberties’ “Rule Of Law Report 2024” – a collaboration of 37 human rights organisations covering 19 EU countries, which the European Commission takes into account when it compiles its own annual report on the state of the rule of law in the bloc during the summer – found the pattern of the deterioration in the rule of law fell into several groups.

In older democracies with mainstream parties in government (France, Germany, Belgium), the challenges to the rule of law remained sporadic. In other long-established – so more resilient – democracies where far-right parties are in power or influencing power (Italy, Sweden) the deterioration risks becoming systemic. And in those countries that are less resistant to rule of law backsliding, such as Greece, infringements of European standards add up and constitute a negative trend in certain fields.

In less-resilient emerging EU democracies, the rule of law trajectory “can swing rapidly – either towards recovery or decline”, it said. Case in point is Slovakia, where the recently formed government of Robert Fico, inspired by Hungary’s model, is systematically dismantling democratic structures via changes to the criminal code and actions against the independent media. Meanwhile, in Slovenia, the new pro-democratic administration is actively working to mend the situation, while Poland’s experience “highlights the intricate challenge of restoring the rule of law without inadvertently breaking the very legal foundations one seeks to revive”, the report noted.

The emerging democracies feature highly in the report’s key findings concerning: politicised, under-funded and unfair justice systems (Bulgaria, Slovakia); half-hearted efforts to tackle corruption (Hungary, Czechia, Romania); media freedom and pluralism in peril (Croatia, Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia); insufficient legal and democratic control over the political branches (Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia); authorities stifling civil society and the voice of the people (Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary); and marginalised groups either neglected or actively attacked for political gain (Slovenia, Croatia).

Liberties noted that the EU has had a long time to process the shock caused by the rise of the illiberal regimes in Hungary and Poland, and EU institutions have spent many years developing their rule of law toolbox. “As a result, the EU is better equipped than ever before to successfully tackle rule of law back-sliding,” it said.

However, it also said its analysis showed the need for the EU to act faster against clear rule-of-law backsliding.

“Liberties’ Rule of Law Report 2024 shows that intentional harm or neglect to fix breaches to the rule of law by governments, if left unaddressed, can evolve into systemic issues over time,” said Balazs Denes, executive director of Liberties. “The growing far right, building on these abuses, will very quickly dismantle European democracy if the European Commission does not use the tools at its disposal, including infringement proceedings or conditional freezing of EU funds, much more assertively.”

Hungary underscores the limitations of relying solely on EU pressure and sanctions for reform, where a real shift necessitates ongoing support for democracy at the grassroots level, as institutional capture remains a persistent obstacle to genuine change. “There is no need to wait until a captive state like Hungary’s emerges with an irremovable anti-democratic regime,” he added.