#Shrink Database

[thedbahub]

Multiple Transaction Log Files Per Database?

Learn when to use multiple transaction log files per SQL Server database and the pros and cons.

Are you wondering whether it’s a good idea to have more than one transaction log file per database in SQL Server? In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons of using multiple log files and explain when it can make sense. We’ll also show you how to remove extra log files if needed. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of SQL Server transaction log best practices. What are…

[atalienart]

idk, I'm so fed up with Al that I had to get it off my chest...

I hate Al, I hate stupid prompted images that flood every space. I hate Al popping up every time I open anything on the internet. I hate people who pretend that prompting is such a skill and so much work but are scared to actually disclose they used Al for their stupid images and text. What are you scared of? I hate people who think writing "make me a ..." makes them a creator of anything. I hate people who think generative Al is an improvement and innovation. It's not! The fact that something is new doesn't make it good! Do you know viruses? There's always a new one at the corner.

Can't you see it? It makes you dumber with every use. Your creative skills decline with every command you give to a machine. Your communication skills deteriorate every time Al writes an email for you or you talk to your virtual girlfriend. Your ability to decide about yourself shrinks every time you ask a machine what to do, what to buy, what to say. Your critical thinking vanishes (well, assuming you even had any to begin with) whenever you ask "grok, is it true?". Whenever a computer does homework for you, whenever it writes an essay for school (which you won't even proofread) or spits a picture you were supposed to make yourself for a class, you become more stupid and less skilled. It won't make you into a good writer or artist just as watching work out videos won't give you muscles.

And you mock people who don't want their brains to rot, who maintain their values, who don't want to destroy their integrity and planet, who improve their talent and skills and spend their time actually thinking and learning stuff.

You can't even see how big corporations fuck you hard and slow every time you pay them to improve their Al monster, dangling colourful pictures before your eyes like a cat toy, cackling seeing your pupils blow wide. They promise you money and lure you with a vision of fame that those pathetic, broke artists will never see in their worthless lives. But you will. You'll have it all! Just feed their wallets with your money and databases with yourself and turn off your brain. You really think you'll have money and fame? Who will ever see your pretty pictures under millions of other pretty pictures? Who will read your book, when John Pickle published 30 only yesterday using Al? Who will watch your great movie when someone else has already made one with their own face and now they're kissing their favourite actor in space in a ship with too many details? Well, at least you can use someone else's voice to scam their family. If you get caught by the police you'll have your two minutes of fame before the Al erection supplement commercial rolls in :)

Al is here to stay! Yeah, like the putrid smell of your rotten brains.

[platinumaspiration]

Howdy, Simmers! I'm thrilled to present the Ultimate 4T2 Clay Hair Default Replacement Collection, designed to give your Sims a fresh and fabulous new look effortlessly! 💇‍♀️💇‍♂️✨

It's time to redefine Sim style – one fabulous hairstyle at a time. Get ready for a hair revolution with The Ultimate 4T2 Clay Hair DR Collection! 💖🌟

🍡Download - LC | MF 🍡

Updates folder - SFS | MF updated 19 Feb 2025

The nitty gritty details and disclaimers:

This is an entire collection that is interwoven with each other. Hair is repositoried to different ages, genders, defaults, and even hidden toddler hair. It's highly recommended that the collection stay intact and that you have the Ultimate Collection or all EP/SP. Recategorizers do not work with this collection

Not all hair works with each sims' faces and not all sims' faces work with each hair. So keep in mind foreheads, cheeks and ears may poke out. Previews are available at LordCrumps.com

The collection includes add ons that may require the defaults and are flagged as "Store Edition" hair. TS4 hairs range from base game to the most recent Stuff Pack (Home Chef Hustle). More hair may be included as add ons in the future.

Enable Store Edition icon

I wouldn't convert some hair without their outfit counterparts. Please make sure to remove conflicts. The outfits include:

ubodymascotknight_EP7 mbodysuperninja pubodybadger_badger pubodybadger_brown ubodycommercialmascot_buns ubodysocialbunny servo ubodycowmascot (a brighter/whiter version courtesy of tvickiesims)

Most of these hairs exist already in the realm of the community as custom hairstyles. Any of my hair previously converted (shrink, servo, santa hat, etc) should be removed; they'll be included in this collection.

TOU: Please feel free to use these as a template for your defaults and recolor the hair as you'd prefer for download purposes. I only ask that you do not reupload these original files (breaking down to packs, gender, etc) as they are intertwined and may not work without their exclusive counterparts. Please do not make these hairs as customs for reupload.

There are a few hair/items that use cc: credit: nolansims, sforzinda, arethabee

This took about... 8 months to complete. I've (re)converted all of these myself to my current expectations of my conversion content. This was play tested thoroughly over the course of that time. If there are any issues, please don't hesitate to send an ask. The file size is massive even compressed, but to be honest it's pretty decent for 500+ hair.

Under the cut are some personal sappy thank you notes that I want to share publicly:

Thank you to the defaulters at sims2defaults database for all your work! Just be kind if/when you tear into it lol

A humongous thank you to those whom have followed and been a part of my journey as a cc creator/converter. This inadvertently marks a huge follower milestone as well and I'm so happy that you all have been a part of this with me for the past (almost) 3 years!

I don't think I would have done this without meeting @lordcrumps over a year ago and joining in his journey for the ultimate 4t2 default collection. He's a true gentleman and scholar 🧐Thank you for play testing, collaborating, and above all, being one of my bestest of friends and confidant.

And, I would never ever had completed this without @tvickiesims. To think she raised me from a terrible toddler right into an angsty teen within that 8 months and still remained a true and close friend through all of it. Thank you for your extensive and detailed play testing, your companionship when I fall apart, and for being my twin flame 🤗

[complete]

Our womanhood is not an opinion to be debated: it is real

Words P. Eldridge

On 16 April, the UK Supreme Court moved to exclude trans women from legal definitions of womanhood: a decision which shocked trans and LGBTQIA+ communities across the UK. Let's be clear, without any caveats: regardless of what the law says, trans women are women, trans men are men and non-binary people exist.

Below, one writer pens a moving call to arms following the devastating ruling.

We do not need the permission of courts or pundits or politicians. We do not require validation from panels, party manifestos, or editorial columns. Our womanhood is not contingent on your consensus. It is not open for discussion. It is not up for democratic vote. It is not yours to approve. It is ours: lived, sacred, defiant.

Our womanhood is not an opinion to be debated. It is not a position on a talk show, a point of controversy in a manifesto, or a hypothetical for white men in robes to argue about. It is real. It is felt in our bones, in our blood, in every moment we step out the door and dare to exist anyway. It is a lived truth, tested by fire, carried with scars, and proclaimed with every breath we have left.

"You do not get to legislate our lives like we are clutter in the margins of your cis histories"

You do not get to redefine us out of existence. You do not get to write policy that renders us statistical ghosts, then feign neutrality. You do not get to draw a red pen through our lives and call it feminism. You do not get to control the narrative and pretend it’s science. You do not get to kill us – through systems, through silence, through neglect – and then misname us on our gravestones as if we weren’t here at all.

You do not get to dictate the terms of our survival. You do not get to decide who is “woman enough” to be protected from violence. You do not get to weaponise biology as if it were a gun you could point at our identities. You do not get to legislate our lives like we are clutter in the margins of your cis histories.

We will not let you erase us.

We are not your rhetorical device. We are not your institutional afterthought. We are not tokens. We are not costumes. We are not missteps or misunderstandings or mistakes. We are not some philosophical edge case in your tired debate about the “limits” of inclusion. We are not your moral panic. We are not your social experiment. We are not the enemy.

We are women.

Not because a government database agrees. Not because a court has ratified our humanity. But because we say so. Because we live it. Because we have always been. Because we carved space for ourselves in a world that left none.

"To every cis person reading this: now is your moment. Choose your role in this history"

And we are women in the fullest, richest, most radical sense. We are women who’ve had to build our womanhood in the ruins of state neglect, in the aftermath of family rejection, under the weight of public scorn. We are women who have loved each other through grief and terror. We are women who have taught ourselves how to survive when survival was not guaranteed. We are women who mourn every sister lost and carry their names into every room we enter.

We are women who do not apologise.

We are women who will not make ourselves smaller so that you can feel safe in your ignorance. We will not dilute our identities into something more palatable for your sensibilities. We will not shrink our truths to fit within the boundaries of your institutions. If you cannot stretch your understanding of womanhood to include us, that is a failure of your imagination, not our legitimacy.

We are women.

And no court, no government, no right-wing columnist, no bitter social media troll can take that from us. Not today. Not ever.

We are women, and we do not need your fucking permission to exist. https://magazine.gaytimes.com/our-womanhood-is-not-an-opinion-to-be-debated-it-is-real/

[asherbakugou]

When You Become Friends | He Falls For You

Jiang Kai | Kai Kalama

Kai impatiently tapped his foot, waiting for Reader to emerge from the doors of Ninjago City College. His amber eyes scanned every person who came out from the doors until he saw her.

They were wearing all red, which made him smirk as a blush colored his cheeks, with black heels and pants to tie the outfit together. It took Reader a second to find him across the street and for her to begin to make her way through the crowd.

"I'm surprised you actually waited," Reader mused, lips twitching upwards.

"How could I not escort such a lovely person home?" Kai asked, winking as Reader shook their head.

"Flirt."

"Only for you."

Reader did not know how true that was, did not know that Kai had completely stopped flirting with other girls even when she wasn't there.

Rolling their eyes, Reader turned and began to walk, leaving Kai to stride after her own long strides. Grinning smugly, he dropped an arm over their shoulder, eyeing them nervously from the corner of his eye to see if they were okay with it.

When his arm was left to rest upon her shoulders his smile grew as he held himself taller.

At their house, they sat with glasses of wine and chatted about their respective days.

The entire time Kai could barely keep his eyes off of her, listening intently though his mind wandered everytime he looked to her lips. Their voice was gentle, calm, the soft melody of light rain and sunshine shining through the clouds. When it was his turn to talk, Reader gave him their full attention, asking questions when things confused her.

He was falling for her. Not just her looks, but her.

Zane Julien

Zane smiled gently when he saw Reader practically bouncing towards him, satchel swinging with their movements.

"Zane!" Reader called, throwing her arms around his neck in a quick hug. When she pulled back, Zane privately wished she hadn't.

She had to tilt her head up a little bit to be able to look him in the eyes and it always set his wires alight. "It is good to see you again, Reader."

"It's good to see you too. So, where too today?"

"Well, a new exhibit opened at the museum about the prehistoric animals of Ninjago. I believed it would be something that interests you, but if not–"

"I'd love to go!" Reader blurted out, shrinking back into herself when some strangers looked at her wierdly. "Sorry. But I'd love to go. Come on."

Grabbing onto his wrist she tugged and he allowed himself to be led as she happily gave out every piece of information she had on prehistoric animals, which was a surprising amount.

While normally Zane would have cut off anyone else to remind them that he was a Nindroid, and as such, knew such things but coming from her . . . It was far more interesting hearing it from her than pulling up the information on his database. The rest of the day, Zane was hesitant to call it a date, he watched as Reader bounced around from display to display to take pictures and read the little plaque's full of information.

He adored the way her eyes lit up as her mind ran with hundreds of ideas for her art. He was falling for her, her mind, her creativity, everything.

Cole Brookstone

Cole sat at one of the tables of Fairy Tale, waiting for Reader to finish up the last little bit of organization for the next day of work. Smiling, Reader emerged, sitting across from Cole and pushing over a cup of hot cocoa for him.

In their own hands was a London Fog, their personal favorite.

"So how was the store today?" Cole asked, leaning forward a little.

"It was good. Miya's getting more confident in herself, even dealt with a customer before they could get too loud and rowdy," Reader said, waving a hand.

"I'm glad she's settling in well."

"She still can't believe that the Earth Ninja comes to visit, sometimes just to see lil' ol' me," Reader teased, voice low and pleasently husky making Cole swallow. Their gaze was lidded but focused, exhaustion showing.

"Well, I come for the cake too."

Reader barked out a laugh, shaking their head. "You should've seen her face when you devoured a full cake in less than 5 minutes. Oh, she came running back to tell me and I thought somethin' was wrong with how afraid she looked. I come out and its just you, devouring a cake in one sitting."

Cole vividly remembered that interaction and rolled his eyes affectionately as his cheeks colored.

"No need to be embarresed, Cole," Reader soothed, reaching to pat his hand. "It was funny, and not in a bad way."

Cole felt his grin grow. Reader was attentive and so direct that they rarely let misunderstandings last, and they were constantly checking on those around.

"Meh, I've had worse."

"Worse?" Reader raised an eyebrow but did not pry, though they were curious. Cole didn't mind and happily dove into one of the many stories he had.

Reader watched him so softly that he could practically feel himself melting. He was falling for the person who had no problem telling him the truth, never letting him fall into his own thoughts.

Jay Walker

Jay bounced in place as the line to the rollercoaster moved slowly forward. Reader, on the other hand, groaned, bored from having to wait in line so long when all she wanted to do was get on the rollercoaster.

"So, how'd Lloyd's new engine come out?" Jay asked, still bouncing on his toes.

Reader grinned, happy to talk about her baby, "Well, Nya came to pick it up last week so Lloyd could test it, and the video she sent . . . Dragons! It was going so fast, and the turns he made were so smooth! I was so proud of my baby!"

"Congrats! I wish I could've seen it," Jay complained, genuinly a little sad that he hadn't.

"Well, I've always got new projects and I wouldn't mind a test partner," Reader offered, grinning. Jay lit up in delight.

"You're kidding!"

"No way! Why would I kid about that?!"

"How many in your party?" The lady at the gate asked, looking bored to tears.

"Two," Jay answered, so she pointed to the first row.

Trying to hide their twin squeals of excitement they both bounded towards the front row, bouncing together as they waited for the next coaster to come in.

"Oh, this coaster is supposed to be the fastest and largest in Ninjago," Reader said, spitting out fact after fact that Jay was quick to build on.

"Yeah, they replaced the old track cause it got less popular."

Climbing in, the bar was pressed down over them until they were firmly wedged inside.

Jay happened to glance over at Reader, whose cheeks were flushed from excitement, eyes wide in anticipation, and could his heart stutter as his entire face went bright red. He didn't know he could fall for anyone again, especially after Nya.

But looking at Reader, who always let him be himself, instead of scolding him for being innapropriate at times of crisis, he knew he was falling for her. Falling for her looks, her quick wit, and her humor.

Lloyd Garmadon

Lloyd couldn't stop his eyes from flickering over Reader, whose legs were thrown into his lap as she read a comic. He'd hesitantly rested a hand on her calf but she hadn't reacted in any way, content to flick through the comic in her hands.

Unfortunately he hadn't been able to focus on his comic, too focused on how pretty Reader looked sparawled on the couch of their tiny apartment with the sun shining around them like a halo.

"You know, if you didn't want to read your comic, why'd you suggest we read," Reader teased, peering over her comic at him. He sputtered, face growing red as her smile grew bigger. Unable to keep it in any longer she busted out laughing, dropping her comic onto the coffee table. "I'm kidding, sweets."

Sweets. A nickname that she had begun using after watching him inhale a bag of gummy bears in less than 2 minutes. Everytime it rolled off her tongue, he could feel his cheeks heat up.

"Well, I didn't know what else you'd wanna do."

"Well . . ." Reader glanced to the side, pursing her lips in thought. "We could watch a scary movie."

"A scary movie? Hehe, good luck finding one that will scare me," Lloyd said, poofing out his chest. "I've seen all the spooky and scary in real life, nothing'll scare me."

The wide grin probably should have made him nervous but it just made his heart pound. Swinging her legs off the couch she headed over to her bookcase full of movies, searching for a specific dvd.

Annabelle.

An hour later when he was practically tucked into her side as he stared at the screen in fear, he couldn't even be dissapointed in himself. Reader had happily invited him to cuddle, so now she was tucked against his side, head on his shoulder as his head rested on hers.

Reader had, of course, laughed at him but her teasing had gone no further, simply offering him comfort. She'd even offered to change the movie but he didn't want to lose any more dignity than he already had.

Not that Reader would see him less. But he wanted to impress the girl who'd begun tugging at his heart just by smiling at him.

Morro

Morro quietly stepping into the bakery, finding Reader waiting for him already. Her gaze was on the same spot it always managed to fall on. The spot where Anya had been shot just over a month ago, losing her life in an effort to get away.

"Reader," Morro murmured, grabbing her by the shoulder to escort her out. Since the incident, Morro had felt indebted in a sense to at least check up on the girl who witnessed the murder of her coworker and friend, but it had grown into a friendship. Somehow.

"Sorry," She whispered, leaning into him slightly. Morro hummed, keeping an arm around her shoulders in comfort.

"How's your week been?"

"Difficult. I think I'm gonna switch to a new therapist," Reader admitted, glancing up at him.

Morro frowned, "Why?"

"He's just . . . He makes me uncomfortable and-and I know that they're going too but I can't . . ."

"If he does anything," Morro rasped, the nearby winds picking up in a quick demonstration that made Reader smile.

"I know. You'll kick his ass," Reader giggled, leaning up to press a sweet kiss against his cheek. Morro turned his head away a bit to hide the flush of his face.

Since they'd begun hanging out, Morro had learned how physically affectionate she was, something he'd never had any experience with.

"Come on," Morro grumbled, disguising the warmth he felt at the affection. "Ice cream place or bookstore?"

"Ice cream, then bookstore?"

Snorting, Morro nodded.

Giggling Reader happily picked up the pace, excited by the prospect of ice cream and books. Morro couldn't help but watch Reader softly, not even realizing how his face softened.

Since he'd gone through the Rift he'd struggled with touch of any kind unless he was fighting but when it was Reader the touch felt . . . comforting. Plus she understood bounderies and could read him surprisingly well, so she always seemed to know when she could and could not touch him.

For the past week anytime he thought of her, her snile, her laugh, her eyes, his heart would jump. It had taken him days to truly understand what he was feeling. Morro was falling for Reader, quickly and badly.

[mysteryshoptls]

SR Ortho Shroud - Apprentice Chef Vignette

"Master Chef"

[Cafeteria – Judging Venue]

Master Chef ― Ortho Version ～Let’s Make Loco Moco 1～

―A short while before cooking begins

Ortho: ―Energy inspection complete. All functions, including the cooking and processing units, are operating normally.

Ortho: Everything activates without a hitch, great. I tried to make my exterior look similar to my brother's outfit when he took the class, does it look weird at all?

Azul: It looks fantastic on you, Ortho-san. However, I never expected to see you take an interest in cooking… I'm a little taken aback.

Ortho: It's only recently piqued my interest. Sometimes I hear my classmates swapping kitchen horror stories, you see.

Ortho: When someone said, "cooking is way too high level for newbies," it suddenly made me want to try to win against it… Which resulted in this gear being developed.

Azul: I see. And if you are to do a trial run of that gear here, the Master Chef course would be the best opportunity to do so.

Ortho: Exactly! I knew you'd get it, Azul-san.

Ortho: Not only can this gear cook food, but it's built with many other functions to manage proper nutrition or count calories and the like.

Ortho: I plan on getting the expert chef to check out my functions and test out what all would be useful for cooking!

Azul: I can see you're raring to go. Then, I'll wish us both luck.

Ortho: Yeah!

[Kitchen]

Ghost Chef: We'll have you make the "Loco Moco" dish for us today, Ortho-kun.

Ghost Chef: First, we'll have to prep the onions that'll be mixed into the hamburger meat. Do you know how to mince?

Ortho: Okay, I got this!

Ortho: ―Begining cooking procedures. Activating the Cooking Gear's Food Slicer Unit.

[whirrr… fsshhh…!]

Ghost Chef: H-HUUUUUUUUUUH!? HE TRANSFORMED!!?

Ortho: First, I need to adjust the shape so it will be easier to prepare. I need to swing vertically over the onion and… slice it in half!

Ortho: Great, looks like my knife is sharp enough! Umm, since this is for mixing in with hamburger meat…

Ortho: ―Executing command: "Target ingredient: Onion / Processing Method: Mince / Configuration: 3mm Squares"

Ghost Chef: W-Wow… The onion was finely chopped up in no time flat…!

Ortho: …Whew, I've finished with the onion. Will these be sufficient?

Ghost Chef: Y-Yeah, it's cut expertly, but… What exactly is that round blade that came out of your glove…?

Ortho: I took an industrial-grade cutter and downsized it so it could be used in cooking.

Ortho: It releases water as it cuts. This removes the necessity to clean both the blade and the ingredient.

Ghost Chef: You've sure come up with something interesting. But this is just too far removed from traditional cooking methods… Hmm.

Ortho: Different tools shouldn't cause any deviation from the recipe, though… Or should I have used a knife?

Ghost Chef: Well, I guess for your case, you have to cook like that… So I'll make an exception this time.

Ortho: Yay～! Okay then, I'm ready for the next part of the class!

Ortho: ―Activating Heat Sensor Camera. Calculating the temperature of the stir-fried onions… 38.2°C. Current temperature is 41°C lower than last measurement.

Ortho: According to my database, the best temperature range to continue cooking at after letting the dish simmer down is between 38～44°C. Chef, can we continue with the next step?

Ghost Chef: Sure, that's fine. So, next, take the ground meat, onions, and spices to form your hamburgers.

Ortho: Understood! ―Executing Command: Deploy Hand-Coating Gloves.

Ghost Chef: Woah! And now suddenly there are gloves attached to your hands. Is this another one of your technological applications?

Ortho: I'm using something similar to shrink wrap for this. It'd be pretty tough to do maintenance if my joints got dirtied.

Ghost Chef: Ah, that I can understand. It's just like how it's troublesome to have to wash everything that climbed up inside of an eggbeater.

Ortho: I thought as much. In the future, I'd like to equip some functions that would handle this effectively, but… This time, I want to try to knead it by hand

Ghost Chef: And why is that?

Ortho: It sounds like when my brother took this course, he didn't like this specific task.

Ortho: So I thought it'd be good to know the source of his stress, so I could factor that into the eventual kneading function…

[squish…]

Ortho: Hmm, maybe he didn't like how it felt when he touched it? Probably means if I can automate this task, everything'll be solved!

Ghost Chef: Sounds like you've figured out your answer, Ortho-kun.

Ghost Chef: By the way, your brother is Idia-kun, right? Has he changed at all since taking the course?

Ortho: Hmm, I don't think anything changed. He still doesn't really care about food at all…

Ortho: …Oh yeah! Maybe I can use this Cooking Gear to help improve his eating habits.

Ghost Chef: Eh!? You made all these functions without actually knowing what you'd use it for in the first place?

Ortho: Ehehe, so actually… I just made this because I wanted to "win at cooking!" So I didn't really have a particular use for it in mind.

Ghost Chef: Well, I guess that's a good enough reason to start. Also, even if it is an afterthought, I'm glad that you have a goal to strive for now.

Ortho: Yeah. Alright… Now I have to start improving this gear so I can make food that my brother'll want to eat!

[Kitchen]

Master Chef ― Ortho Version ～Let’s Make Loco Moco 2～

Ghost Chef: While we wait for the hamburger to cook, you can prepare the toppings. We'll garnish with cabbage and mini tomatoes for this dish.

Ghost Chef: The cabbage needs to be shredded, so… Are you able to adjust your cutting size in 0.1mm increments?

Ortho: By design, I should be able to. I would like to test it for myself, so could you tell me the specific size you're looking for?

Ghost Chef: Then, if you can, slice at 1.6mm.

Ortho: Got it!

Ortho: ―Executing command: "Target ingredient: Cabbage / Processing Method: Slice / Thickness Configuration: 1.6mm"

Ghost Chef: Woooah, very good! It was surprising when I first saw all this, but now it's really nice to see how quick and accurately you can cut.

Ortho: Simple tasks like these are a machine's strong point, after all! …Okay, I'm done! I wonder how the hamburger is coming along?

Ortho: ―Activating Heat Sensor Camera. Frying pan is holding steady at 16°C. Hamburger internal temperature: 34.5°C.

Ghost Chef: That's a pretty handy function, too. You don't need to take the lid off the frying pan to check how it's cooking, so there's no drop in temperature.

Ghost Chef: …Ah, oops. I let myself get a little too distracted watching your really neat functions.

Ghost Chef: Normally, it would take more time to prepare the toppings, but you're moving along smoothly.

Ortho: Ah! Then, while we wait for the hamburger to cook, can you explain to me more about the toppings?

Ortho: Cause toppings are kind of like power-ups from a video game, right? You don't really need them but it's better to have them.

Ortho: That's why I bet if I could know which toppings are the most filling, I could make my cooking even more efficient.

Ghost Chef: Hmm, that's a difficult question. It can vary depending on what you have on hand, and what you feel like using.

Ghost Chef: For example, I wanted to make sure there was nutritional balance, so this dish uses vegetables as a topping.

Ortho: If we were to remove the vegetables from this recipe… The vitamin intake would be reduced by 75%. It really would lose that nutritional balance.

Ghost Chef: In the past, I would serve it as a salad on the side, but there were so many kids who wouldn't even touch it, because they didn't want veggies.

Ortho: I get it, you revised the process fundamentally to help resolve your problem. I think that's a very reasonable method.

Ghost Chef: Haha, thank you. Yes, I'm glad I changed it up like this.

Ortho: Changes, hm… If I want to be able to add that as a possible function to the Cooking Gear, I'll have to gather a lot more data.

Ortho: If I can learn to swap out ingredients, it might help in dealing with my brother's bad eating habits.

Ortho: The more I learn about cooking, the more I can see all sorts of possible challenges, just like in a video game.

Ortho: ―And finally, I set the egg on top… Done! It's made to look like the dish I saw as the top hit in an image search.

Ghost Chef: Nice, you've plated it so beautifully and deliciously. I guess it's time for you to take it to the judging venue, then.

Ortho: Okay! I can't wait to see how the judge will react～

[Cafeteria – Judging Venue]

Leona: Ughh… What a pain. Why do I need to be a judge for this Master Chef thing…?

Ortho: Sorry to keep you waiting! Oh, I see you were the one to order this dish, then.

Ortho: Here you go, this is the Loco Moco you requested! Please, enjoy!

Ortho: I want to use your assessment of the dish to help improve my Cooking Gear, so please be as candid as possible.

Leona: …Hey. Why're there vegetables in this loco moco? There wasn't any last time I ordered it.

Ortho: I heard this was a change made to help people eat their veggies. Great, right?

Leona: …Tch, way to do something completely unnecessary.

[bite, chew, chew, chew…]

Ortho: I followed the recipe exactly as it was written, so there shouldn't be any issues with the flavor… What do you think?

Leona: The hamburger and the gravy sauce taste fine. But because of all the veggies you threw in there, it shouldn't even get a single point.

Ortho: Ehhh, why!? I made sure to follow the recipe and throw in the right amount, size, and cooking time for all the ingredients!

Leona: Why should I care? All that matters is the judge's opinion, yeah? The recipe means nothin' if it don't suit my taste.

Ortho: …So without considering any of the general judging criteria, this dish "doesn't taste good" to you?

Leona: Basically. But hey, maybe you coulda gotten high marks if you'd just left the veg out like it's always been made.

Ortho: By adding the vegetables, it gave the dish a better nutritional balance. But Leona-san would have preferred no vegetables…

Leona: Geez, can't believe you'd just ruin a good meal like that. Since the judging's over, I'm outta here.

Ortho: Ah, he left…  I can't really understand how someone could say a dish that satisfies nutritional needs "doesn't taste good."

Ghost Chef: Leona-kun must really hate vegetables, if he couldn't get past even this small addition.

Ortho: Ah, I should have asked why he hates vegetables to help me with figuring out how to change up recipes!

Ghost Chef: Ortho-kun… Are you actually happy with that result?

Ortho: Yes! The more data I can gather on any issues, the better I can improve my Cooking Gear!

Ghost Chef: Well, I guess I'm glad you're not sad after hearing that, but… Why does that make you that excited?

Ortho: Leona-san was already unhappy with the dish even before tasting it. That means he had already decided it wouldn't taste good just from looking at it.

Ortho: The challenge rating just shot up, now that I have to keep an eye on visual aesthetics, taste and nutrition… Of course that gets me super pumped up!

Ortho: I might be a long way away from being able to tackle my brother's bad eating habits, but… I'll definitely do my best to make my Cooking Gear even better!

Requested by Anonymous.

[letomills]

Not a hair recolor but a mesh edit. This is Raon 57, the original for PF-EF as well as the two FtM conversions by Yuxi and by Yagi.

What I edited: • bone assignment fix so the hair doesn't become distorted when the sim turns their head, • fixed overlapping layers at the back. Polycount stays the same at 6.5k.

The three meshes are still compatible with existing retextures (get them at the database), just mind which of the two FtM conversions was used by the retexturer, either Yuxi's or Yagi's (you'll be able to tell from the file name).

Download edited F&M meshes: SFS / Mega

More previews under the cut.

↑ Recolors featured are Raon's.

↑ And these are Amaryll's.

Overlapping layers fix:

As you can see, the bone assignment edit also had the side effect of shrinking, or rather "unstretching" the hair (I didn't shorten it).

[unholynocturne]

[@giraffeiisms in reply to x]

At least… He said believing he saw a husk shamble about. But then again the machines surrounding don’t look like any layer he has been in before. Even the city in the layer of Lust had such fluorescent colors and a distinct architecture, especially compared to this run down shit hole. V1 starts investigating his surroundings, desiccated buildings, overgrowth filling in the cracks of the cities foundations as if it has taken over the concrete towers. He’s seen similar like the flesh of Violence crawling through machines. He simulates a blink, his lens shutter clicking as his sight then turns towards any historical landmarks to base his findings and possibly find a map in the old world databases.  Old litter that would be rolling in the soft breeze stopped by a stockpile of decaying bodies with.. Mushrooms in them? The robot reaches to the body of the fallen to look into this strange take over… It's almost like fungus made homes in these humans- Humans!? His lens shrinks with that realization. The damaged unfinished roads, the barricaded buildings, broken glass with every step and tacky ass posters littering the sides of every building. He’s not in hell anymore. No. Maybe not even in his own world as his earth never hosted such beautiful greenery. This is what he missed when his consciousness was slowly fading away in that old manufacturing building. Memories of that time sadden him for a moment and then his internal communications ping a radio tower to get a location. In his steel chest he felt nervous to reveal what beautiful sanctuary he accidentally came upon when hunting that creature for their blood. There is some resistance to opening the results but he is ready, he has to study this new life immediately to provide survival… Here it goes. -CHICAGO 2034- But that also must mean what he is approaching is.. An angel? Or… it couldn't be a human right? Now he has to know. His heavy feet start going towards the others’ voice.

“Why do you think you can win this? Come on out.” A soft demand comes from the synthetic voice. He wants the answer before the creature becomes a bloody pulp.

[lilmissnatcat24]

Electric Sheep Chapter Nine- Puff Puff Pass

As Shepard grows closer with the crew, Garrus shrinks farther.

pairing: Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian

rating: Explicit

tags: Lovers to enemies to lovers, Slow Burn, Slow Build, Enemies to Lovers, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Minor Character Death, ,Violence, Blood and Gore, Torture, Disturbing Themes, Dual POV, Earthborn (Mass Effect), Ruthless (Mass Effect), Mass Effect 2, Whump, Eventual Smut, Requited Unrequited Love, Mind Control, Pining, so much fucking pining that even i'm a little disturbed, Hurt/Comfort, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, OC Central, a kid show called the electromenom that teaches shepard about basic physics, yet another cliffhanger ending (sorry), second in series

cover: done by the stunning @/milkywayes!!!!!

lil text blurb

Welcome to AlienQ! We hear your questions about alien races, and we have answers! Just type your question into the search bar, and our VI will scour our databases for your right answers! 

Race: Human

Q: Do turians lie? 

A: It is unpopular in turian culture to lie. Turians have a strong sense of honor and personal accountability. From a young age, turians are taught to embrace their decisions, and many find it a grave sin to lie. If asked directly, most turians would tell the truth, no matter if it paints them in an unfavorable light or implicates them in a crime. However, this is not to say that turians don’t possess the ability to lie. Some turians will adopt the mentality that “half-truths” work to both successfully cover the truth and maintain their honor. 

Q: How can humans understand turian subvocals? 

A: Turians have a secondary mode of communication called subvocals, which are located in the chest. They emit a frequency that other turians, and to an extent quarians and krogan, can hear with a naked ear. Subvocals work in a multitude of meanings, ranging from subliminal messages to true intent to sarcasm. Humans cannot hear subvocals without the assistance of echolocatioary technology, such as a Stethpack or a Richter Acousia. However, most humans can physically feel the vibrations of subvocals if they place a hand on a turian’s chest, back, or carapace (the large rounded cartilage that surrounds a turian’s shoulders). However, turians will tend not to appreciate physical touch without consent, so be sure to ask first!

Q: What do turian subvocals mean? 

A: Oftentimes, turian speech and subvocals may have contrasting meanings. Most turians, when asked directly, will tell you exactly what they mean. Especially when interacting with races that cannot understand subvocals such as asari, salarians, humans, volus, and hanar, turians will tend to speak more directly. 

Q: If a turian tells you they don’t care about you, can their subvocals give a different meaning? 

A: I’m sorry! There is insufficient data to answer this question. 

Q: If a turian says they want to kill you, can their subvocals give a different meaning? 

A: I’m sorry! There is insufficient data to answer this question. 

Q: How do turians die? 

A: This question is vague. Consider rephrasing to include keywords such as religious beliefs, biology, lifespans, cultural significance, or funeral practices. 

Q: Can a turian be resurrected from the dead? 

A: Unlike krogan, turians do not have self-regeneration biological capabilities. When a turian is pronounced dead, unfortunately they are dead. 

Q: How can a turian that’s been dead for over a year get resurrected? 

A: I’m sorry! There is insufficient data to answer this question. 

[firelance2361]

What If...Ant-Man And The Wasp Fell Through Time?

Here's a piece and a What If...? Scenario I did for the MCU's original Shrinking Superheroes Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne, remixing in a few different elements of the MCU's past and future.

Apologies again if it's lengthy.

---------------------------

In this universe, in their attempts to thwart Elihas Starr's progress on the Quantum Tunnel, a misfire from one of the guards caused the tunnel to overload, sucking both Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne into the Quantum Tunnel and killing Starr and his wife in the process. Both Ant-Man and the Wasp fell aimlessly into the Quantum Realm, accidentally fall into a time vortex, landing 24 years into the future.

After waking up in a S.H.I.E.L.D. hospital room, both Hank and Janet quickly broke out and retrieved their gear, trying to escape the facility, only to be stopped by both Nick Fury and Bill Foster. Upon seeing Bill older than he should be, both Hank and Janet correctly assume that they were down in the Quantum Realm longer than they thought, surrendering themselves to gain answers.

---------------------------

After some time, the couple are briefed by both Fury and Foster about the past 24 years. When Hank and Janet went missing in 1987, Bill took in both Ava and Hope, looking after them from them on. While Ava was treated by Dr. Foster using their Quantum Technology, Hope went on to join S.H.I.E.L.D. as a field operative in Ava's place, becoming close allies with Nat and Clint.

The two then unfortunately learn that Hope was killed on an assignment with Nat outside Odessa by the Winter Solider. Her death led to them uncovering and exposing of H.Y.D.R.A.'s moles inside S.H.I.E.L.D. As both Hank and Janet grapple with the revelation of their daughter's death, Nat comforts them by telling them it wants their fault, and that Hope wouldn't want them to blame themselves for her choice.

---------------------------

After the pair return to their old home - kept as it was by Bill out of respect for Hope’s wishes - a grieving Hank and Janet agree to put the hero lifestyle behind them and just try to move on with their lives, as hard as it may be.

- [ ] Hank started up a new company with Pym Technologies, focusing on the mass manufacturing of Pym Particles for global usage. He eventually hired Scott Lang as his assistant, who also helped him with adjusting to the new time.

- [ ] Janet pursued a career in fashion design, starting up the Winsome Fashion line, quickly becoming a social icon. She spent some of her time whipping up some new suit ideas for her and Hank.

- [ ] The two of them were temporarily pulled out of retirement due to the Battle of New York, in which they fought alongside the Avengers to defeat Loki, before they returned to their normal lives. They became close friends with the recently revived Steve Rogers, bonding over how the world had changed for them since their disappearance.

- [ ] Hank and Janet soon have a second child, Henry Pym Jr., who despite his young age, takes well after his father's scientific style.

---------------------------

In 2014, 3 years after landing in the future, Hank and Janet have so far managed to adjust to their new lives here with Henry Jr. However, things become complicated when Hank receive a call from Nick Fury about something found from Rogers' latest mission at the Lemurian Star.

After leaving Henry Jr. in the care of Scott, the two quickly suit up and fly over to the Lemurian Star, where Rogers, Barton, and Romanoff stand waiting for their arrival. The two of them lead Hank and Janet to the cargo hold, where they find a modified Cyrostasis Chamber containing someone wearing a black and red Wasp suit.

As Janet examines the tank, Natasha shows them the information they were bale to pull from the ship's database regarding the mystery figure, confirming her as an operative codenamed "Orphan." Their conversation is interrupted however, as the tank suddenly explodes, knocking everyone back. The others get up to see the Red Wasp in question now standing conscious, before shrinking and attempting to escape.

Hank and Janet give chase, following her through the ship and engaging with the foe as the others follow behind. During the ensuing fight, Barton manages to shoot the Red Wasp in the mask, knocking her back. The group looks in shock as the enemy Wasp is revealed to be a still alive yet brainwashed Hope underneath the mask.

Putting her mask back on, the Red Wasp flew upward, raining a barrage of resizing discs on the ships's compartments, forcing the others to jumped in the water to escape. As they resurfaced, Hope was gone, and both Hank and Janet knew this just got a lot more complicated.

---------------------------

Back at the Triskelion, both Hank and Janet confronted and berated Nick Fury about the reveal of their daughter's false death. Fury explains that S.H.I.E.L.D. tracked down any rumors of Hope's survival for years, but every lead they found came up dry.

Rogers asked how Hope could have been brainwashed if H.Y.D.R.A.'s Winter Soldier program was shut down. Romanoff suggested maybe the Red Room had instead brainwashed Hope and were using her as a pawn to commit their terroristic acts as revenge for Romanoff killing Dreykov. After coming to terms with the mission to save Hope from the Red Room, Hank asks what Hope's target was, to which Fury reveals it is none other than Bill Foster.

Down in the lower levels of the Triskelion, Dr. Foster is working with Ava to stabilize and reverse her condition, when Rogers, Barton, and Romanoff storm in, telling the both of them that they need to move before the Red Wasp gets to them. The moment was interrupted as Ava spots something in the reflection of her Quantum Chamber. Cap manages to shield Bill from a barrage of oncoming Widow Bites, before being knocked back by a resizing Hope.

Clint and Steve get Bill to safety while Natasha and Ava attempting to subdue the Red Wasp. Their attempts prove unsuccessful as Hope overpowers Natasha and flies away, only to be cornered by her parents. Hope, Hank and Janet then fought in the hallway as they attempted to reach their daughter attempted to through the wall the building and into the sky. Janet managed to then turn Hope's Widow Bites against her, incapacitating her as Janet and Hank manage to bring her in carefully.

---------------------------

With orders from Fury to trace this attack to it's source, Hank, Janet, Steve, Clint and Nat work to find a cure for Hope. Upon further examination of the transmission of the Lemurian Star, they find a secret message embedded within the transmission, with coordinates to St. Petersburg. They travel to the home of Melina Vostakoff, finding it in ruins.

The team slowly approaches the house. wondering what to expect, only to get surprised by a sniper on the rooftop firing a warning shot. Natasha steps forward telling whoever's there that they mean no harm, and that they received a transmission send them here. The sniper steps out from the shadows, unmasking herself a none other than Yelena Belova.

They quickly bring Hope inside the house and restrain her to the table, where Yelena fills them in on the whole situation. When H.Y.D.R.A. fell, the Red Room took whatever they could from the organization's remains, including Hope.

During her time as the Red Wasp, hope was paired up with dozens of Black Widow operatives, including Yelena herself. She says on a mission to retrieve the Red Dust from Oksana, Yelena was freed by none other than Melina, who then informed her that Taskmaster had ulterior motives for the Dust.

However, before she could tell her, both Melina and Oksana were killed by Hope, who Dreykov sent as reinforcement. Yelena attempted to use the Dust on Hope to free her too, but the Red Room's Pym Particle's effects on her brain chemistry prevented it from fully taking effect. After managing to escape by disabling Hope's wings, Yelena went on the run for sometime, using her skills to evade capture from the other Widows before ending up here.

---------------------------

Yelena shows them one of the vials leftover from her recovery mission, saying that she sent the secret encryption in the Lemurian Star's message to bring Hank and Janet here, as they may be the only ones who can help stop this.

Soon Hank gets to work on synthesizing the formula, using his expertise with the Pym Particle to isolate the properties needed to treat Hope's effects.

As Hank continues his work, Janet looks over the now restrained and unconscious Hope, feeling guilty for leaving her behind. Nat consoles her, telling her that all that has happened was because of Dreykov, and that she did all that they could to protect her.

Eventually, Hank finishes modifying the Red Dust, telling the team that it's time. After disabling her suit and making sure she can't shrink away, Steve, Clint, Nat, Yelena, ready themselves as Hank and Janet shrink down, flying into Hope's brain through her ear.

The sudden shock immediately wakes up Hope, who immediately begins fighting it out with the other the others manage to hold her down as Hank and Janet make their way to her brain. Once they finally arrive, Hank activates the modified Red Dust into her brain nervous system to free her.

However this doesn't fully stop Hope, as she continues to pummel Natasha until she has her in a chokehold. That's when Hank confirms there is an additional control device somewhere on Hope that's interfering with the process. That's when Clint spots finds a control hip on the back of her neck, using a taser arrow to short-circuit it. Hope then collapses to the ground unconscious as the Red Dust finally takes effect. Steve checks her pulse, confirming that she's alive.

---------------------------

After about an hour of watching and waiting, Hope finally awakens, free from the Red Room's influence. After sharing a tearful reunion with her parents and catching them up on everything they've missed, she tells them everyhting. She reveals that when Natasha killed Dreykov, his daughter Antonia survived, rising to become the Red Room's new leader Taskmaster. When the Winter Soldier shot her in Odessa, Taskmaster then kidnapped and brainwashed her, giving her a new alias as "Nadia."

Taskmaster sent her to retrieve the Red Dust in a plot to not only corrupt the its effects, but also use their reverse-engineered Pym Particles to evolve it into a widespread agent against possible Red Room rebels. When Steve asks why they sent her alone, they all suddenly soon realizes the answer. Looking through Hope's former control chip the team finds a tracking device Taskmaster installed inside the chip.

The lights then go out, with other Widows from the Red Room stunning and incapacitating the others. Te Pym van Dyen family attempts to fight off the Widows, only to be subdued by a barrage of Widow Bites. The last thing they manage to see until they are all knocked out is the face of Taskmaster, glaring down upon them.

---------------------------

The family awakens to find themselves in cuffs inside of Taskmaster's office, with Antonia standing menacingly over the three insects. Janet asks if they are in the Red Room right now, to which Dreykov confirms, welcoming back Hope into the fold as Nadia. Hope spits in her face, telling her that she used them to hurt her friends and her family.

Taskmaster retorts, saying it's retribution for her friends making her like this, brandishing her scars as a symbol of her past. Hank asks why she kept them alive, to which Taskmaster explains she saw the potential in the Pym Particle for the Red Room program, and that she allowed Yelena to send the encryption to bring the both of them here for her plan.

She then reveals her plot, and how she plans to use the Pym Particles to spread her corrupted Red Dust worldwide, saying that after so many years of being used like a puppet by her father, now she gets to be the puppet master. Janet tells her she'll never win, to which Antonia says she already has. She then whips out a vial of the corrupted Red Dust, spraying it directly in Hope's face to revert her to the Red Wasp. She struggles to fight off the corrupted Dust as her parents beg for Taskmaster to stop, watching in horror as their Hope struggles to fight back.

After some struggling, Hope finally stands, seemingly under Antonia's influence, who orders her to execute her parents.

---------------------------

Down in the holding cells of the Red Room, Steve, Clint, Nat, and Yelena are sitting silently, contemplating their next course of action. Soon, a squad of Taskmaster's Widows walk into the cells, prepared to end them only for the lights to flicker mysteriously as gunshots and shouts can be heard.

The Widows turn their weapons to where the noise came from, only to be taken out one by one by none other than Ava and Bucky, who free the team from their holding cell. When Steve asks where the Pyms are, Nat tells them they should be in Dreykov's office.

The team then splits up; Steve, Clint and Yelena go to retrieve the Dust, while Bucky, Ava, and Nat storm through the facility to get to the Pyms.

---------------------------

Back in Dreykov's office, Hope stands over her parents, readying her bracelet to execute them against their pleas. Despite Janet's attempts to appeal to Hope's humanity, Antonia tells them it's pointless, as her as long as her corrupted Dust can access her nerves, Hope will remain under their control.

With that information revealed, Hank gives Hope the signal, who turns her Widow Bites on Antonia, shocking her with a stun blast. After removing the stun disc from her armor, Taskmaster furiously asks how this is possible, to which Janet reveals Nat told them that Antonia might try this, so she and Hank shrunk down and secretly severed the nerve, preventing her from being infected by the Corrupted Dust.

Angered, Taskmaster sicks her Widows on the family, before retreating to escape. Despite their best efforts, the other Widows managed to pin them down, beating them to a pulp. Thankfully, they were soon saved by Bucky shooting smoke grenades filled with the Red Dust into the Room, freeing the others and the Widows.

After helping them up, Nat takes the other Widows to escape, while Hope reveals she stole Dreykov's ring during Taskmaster's threatening, using it to hack into the Red Room database to download their data and contact S.H.I.E.L.D. with their position before fleeing the scene.

---------------------------

As the Red Room's troops began rebelling and escaping the facility, Cap, Hawkeye, and Yelena manages to break into the facility's science center, stealing back the Red Dust before destroying all of Taskmaster's contaminated variant with one of Clint's explosive arrows.

The group then made their way towards the exit as they heard the sound of the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier overhead of them, engaging with the facilities defenses. However, they were soon stopped by Taskmaster, who shot at them with an arrow. Not amused, Clint grabbed the arrow and shot it back at Antonia as the three heroes engaged with the enemy, who managed to best them beat by beat. As she was about to crush Yelena's windpipe, she was then blasted back by a barrage of Wasp Stings and Widow Bites as Hank, Janet, Hope, and Ava enter entered weapons blazing.

Taskmaster engaged with the heroes, using every tactic at her disposal to gain the upper hand. But before she could stab Hank through his helmet, Ava was able to use her powers to phase into her brain to disorient her long enough for Hank to kick her blade and shield away and shrink them beyond use as both Janet kicks her away and Hope hits her with a resized undercut swing.

The team stands defensive for a moment before the wall of the room they are standing in gets blown open, as a jet flown by Bucky and Nat hovers closeby. Janet tells Antonia to back off as S.H.I.E.L.D. has the Red Room in their sights. Though vastly outnumbered, and angered about Barnes, Natasha and Yelena's desertion, Taskmaster demanded Hope's return, and provoked her by threatening to have her parents and baby brother Henry Jr. executed.

Hope leaped into the fray to battle Antonia, even as her father pleaded for her to stop. Eventually, Hope managed to use her sizing abilities to leap over and dislocate Taskmaster's arm. Antonia then goaded her, saying if Hope doesn't she'll never fully be free and if she does, she'll be no better then the parents who abandoned her.

Hope hesitates for a moment, but one look at her parents convinced to let Dreykov live, telling Antonia that she doesn't get to do anything family ever again. As she attempted to walk away, Taskmaster grabbed one of her spare knifes and leaped in to kill Hope for good, only to be knocked out by a resounding double-timed punch by Hank and Janet, leaving her unconscious on the floor.

The team finally board the jet and leaves the Red Room as S.H.I.E.L.D. overtakes the facility and arrest Taskmaster. While on board, the family finally reconciled their past, and Hank and Janet apologized for leaving her behind her, assuring her that it was finally over.

---------------------------

Sometime after this, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers have been taking point on the remaining Red Room, with Nat and Yelena leading the search for any remaining Widows under Taskmaster's command.

Hank and Janet have officially retired for good from the hero life, opting to make up for lost time with Hope, who has moved back into her old home and started to get along quite well with her new baby brother Henry Jr. However, not wanting to leave the Avengers without at least one shrinking hero on the team, Hank decides to leave the mantle of Ant-Man to Scott Lang for now, before making sure Scott was fully trained to use the suit, with some help from Hope and Janet.

And so, as one generation of heroes retires, another one arises into the ranks of the Avengers.

---------------------------

Sorry again for the lengthiness for this, but I thought it would be an interesting idea to explore in the near future. Plus it would be an interesting way to give Hank and Janet some more action in the MCU without disrupting anything in the main timeline.

Hope you like it!

[hersheysmcboom]

[SCENE START]

INT. PETER'S BACKYARD - DAY

SOUND of buzzing, crackling

PETER (10), a boy with a bowl cut and an oversized Star Wars t-shirt, is playing with a G.I. Joe action figure in his backyard. Suddenly, a blinding light fills the yard, followed by a loud CRASH. Peter shields his eyes.

As the light fades, Peter sees four strange figures amidst smoking debris. One is green-skinned and imposing (Gamora), another is blue and metallic (Nebula), a third is a talking raccoon (Rocket), and the last is a towering tree-like creature (Groot).

PETER

> (Gasps)

ROCKET

> Well, that's just great. Another freakin' planet. Check our bearings, metal-face.

Nebula, ignoring Rocket, scans the surroundings with her glowing blue eye.

NEBULA

> Atmosphere is breathable. Primitive technology.

GAMORA

> Any sign of pursuit?

NEBULA

> Negative. We lost them back in the Andromeda Galaxy.

Groot looks at Peter, tilting his head.

GROOT

> I am Groot.

Peter stares at Groot, eyes wide with disbelief.

PETER

> ...Did that tree just talk?

Rocket turns to Peter, a scowl on his face.

ROCKET

> Yeah, genius, he talks. You got a problem with talking trees? You got a problem with talking raccoons? Cause I got a whole lotta problems with stupid kids who stare!

Peter shrinks back, clutching his G.I. Joe.

PETER

> I...I'm sorry. I've just never seen... well, anything like you guys before.

GAMORA

> Where are we? What is this planet called?

PETER

> This is Earth. I'm in...Missouri.

ROCKET

> Missouri? What in the blazes is a 'Missouri'? Sounds like a disease you get from kissing a space slug.

GAMORA

> (To Rocket) > Enough, Rocket. Earth... according to my database, a class-M planet. Technologically underdeveloped.

PETER

> Underdeveloped? Hey! We have, like, cars and TVs, and...and Space Shuttle!

NEBULA

> (Scoffs) > Primitive.

ROCKET

> Speaking of primitive, look at that rickety hunk of junk we landed in. (To Peter) Hey, kid, you got any tools around here? We need to get this rust bucket spaceworthy again.

Peter, still awestruck, points to his grandfather's shed.

PETER

> My grandpa has a bunch of tools in there. But... who are you guys? Are you...aliens?

Gamora steps forward, her expression softening slightly.

GAMORA

> Yes, child. We are...far from home. And we need your help.

Peter looks from Gamora to Rocket, Groot, and Nebula. A thrill of adventure shoots through him.

PETER

> Cool! I always knew there was something else out there! Okay, I'll help you. What do you need?

Rocket grins, revealing sharp teeth.

ROCKET

> That's what I like to hear. First, grab that toolbox, kid. Time to get to work. And try not to stare.

FADE OUT

[SCENE END]

[crossxworlds]

We are Liegeon

A CrossXworlds short story

© 2025 - Kevin W. Burke

Tryl

__________

Liegeon slammed their fist onto the control panel at the entrance of the Great Hall, the reverberations echoing in the silence. They kept their hand pressed against the panel until the door hissed closed, shutting out the rest of the holobase, the other Quorum team members, and the three worlds. Finally alone– At least, as alone as they could be with a few thousand other souls clamoring for attention from within. 

But at least none of those souls were that insufferable monk, Temple.

“Holding back,” Liegeon growled, remembering Temple's accusations from moments ago. “Not pulling your weight.” They grimaced, unable to conjure a solid rebuttal.

Liegeon reached up to claw their hands through their hair, as a past-life habit. But their bald head, a trait passed down from Tek, the previous persona that had dominated their being, seemed to mock their current predicament. 

Each transition from one dominant persona to another brought with it one physical trait or ability, and one mental trait or ability, tying one soul to the next.  These were supposed to help ease the transition, but it offered Liegeon little solace. 

"It's not our fault!" Liegeon exclaimed, as murmurs of the other souls within them rose in response. "We never asked for any of this."

Their own persona Amp, with the Surge-touched ability to amplify the powers and abilities of their allies, might have been a formidable asset to the peacekeeping activities of the Quorum in their golden age following the Pocket Surge, but with the team’s dwindling numbers and rising unpopularity, the ability now seemed like a liability. And their amplifying ability was weaker now in this changeling body than it had been in their previous life. 

Liegeon's gaze swept the room, Tek's contributions evident in every corner. Surge-touched savant and technomancer, Tek had revolutionized the Quorum's capabilities, despite their shrinking ranks. Many of Tek's innovations had approached or even surpassed the levels of technological advancement of Tryl prior to the Pocket Surge.

But now, Tek's innovations felt like a burden. Liegeon knew Tek's soul still resided within their changeling body, occasionally brushing against their mind amongst the others. But grasping onto any specific persona or memory proved elusive. 

"And everyone acts like it's our fault," Liegeon muttered, rising to their feet and shuffling over to the Great Hall’s main system display. Flicking it on with a hand gesture, they tapped impatiently into the file system, greeted by glaring red characters denoting missed project milestones.

Their innovating days were gone, replaced by a sense of inadequacy. Kabe may have been sympathetic, but Temple's distrust lingered, as if Liegeon's transition from Tek to Amp had been a deliberate act of sabotage.

"If we wanted to sabotage, we could have done it already," Liegeon muttered to the empty room, their voice a low growl, tinged with frustration. Souls from within jeered up at Amp from the Well, mocking that frustration. They tapped absently on a series of random project files on the display, their agitation evident. 

A rebellious thought stirred. This project data was sensitive– leaked outside the Quorum's secure database, it could spell disaster.

Liegeon hadn't chosen to be part of the Quorum; they had been thrust into it when goddess Onyxx tasked Kabe, the Quorum’s leader, to be their guardian. "Guardian," Onyxx had called it, as if it were a favor bestowed upon Liegeon. In reality, it felt more like imprisonment, with Kabe as their warden and their body as the cell.

Kabe was an effective guard, but Liegeon doubted anyone in the Quorum could trace what they were still capable of, using the Nodenet. Perhaps Brimstone could, but not if Liegeon was careful. There was a protocol, a switch command in the command console, that could clean traces of data transfers and obscure their origins.

Amp may not possess Tek's genius, but they were still a force to be reckoned with, even if the Quorum failed to see their value.

Liegeon idly wondered which project data would anger Temple the most if leaked—perhaps the schematics for the Ruptor weapons, or the plans for the SHELL Generator. 

Ah, the holobase project. Liegeon selected the file, remembering Temple’s extensive work with Tek to define the features that made it all work together to make their virtual base look, sound and feel like a real, physical one.

There were parties in Centrecity and beyond willing to pay—or extract—a hefty toll for any of these projects. Liegeon felt no loyalty toward the projects; they were Tek's creations, not Amp's. Bale Gallwraith, one of the Quorum’s chief detractors, was offering a tidy sum of digital bounty as a reward for actionable info on the Quorum.

Yet Liegeon harbored no real animosity toward the Quorum either, despite Temple's criticism. It was just another aspect of their lack of control, resulting from Onyxx's probation experiment upon the myriad souls within the Well their body contained. Onyxx had called it a second chance, an opportunity for redemption of the otherwise condemned souls kept there. But the waiting, the uncertainty, the constraints… Could eternal condemnation really be worse? 

Liegeon's fingers hovered over the icon of a project archive, contemplating the ease with which they could leak it. Voices of souls from within the Well both urged him on toward betrayal and wailed in dismay at the thought. 

But leaking wouldn't solve their problems; it would only create more. It was only a matter of time before their Amp persona was reclaimed by the Well of Souls, going back to a baseline level of consciousness while the next persona took dominance. And Amp would still have to face the consequences, as Onyxx ultimately delivered their soul to be weighed by Sumrt.

There were no easy escapes from their fate.

Liegeon's restless fingers hovered over the array of project archive icons, a sense of confinement weighing heavily upon themselves, the ever-present pressure of the thousands of souls against their consciousness. Among the icons, one in particular somehow caught their attention– a tuft of long plains grasses. With a single tap, the grasses swayed as if in a gentle breeze, evoking a sense of familiarity that stirred within Liegeon.

Liegeon strained to remember what project this icon could be for, but this was apparently another thing lost in their transition. Double-tapping the grass icon, the computer's response echoed through the hall. 

"Loading the Great Plains environment."

Suddenly, the walls of the Great Hall receded, revealing a vast expanse of golden fields stretching to the horizon. The sterile conference room vanished, replaced by the serene beauty of the Great Plains. With a gesture, Liegeon dismissed the display, leaving only the endless fields and the open sky.

Tek had created this?

Staggering in awe, Liegeon took in the boundless expanse around him. A faint footpath in the grass led to a woven mat nestled amidst it, inviting Liegeon to settle down and embrace the tranquility.

As Amp sat, the breeze rustling the grasses, a sense of peace washed over. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the fresh air, savoring the quietude. He couldn’t even– He– 

He couldn’t even hear the other souls here. For the moment, it was just Amp. 

In this moment, amidst the vastness of the plains, he was truly alone at last.

Amp’s eyes opened in realization. Tek knew. They knew Amp’s struggle for peace, because they had shared that same struggle. Tek had understood that future souls would need this peace and clarity to pass their probationary test from Onyxx. They had prepared for it, not only for themselves, but also for future Liegeon personas. 

And somehow, Tek had been able to nudge Amp towards finding it, even from the insanity within the depths of the Well.

“Thank you,” Amp whispered. 

Another breeze passed over him, rustling grasses. Amp smiled, for the first time since he had transitioned to become Liegeon. They were no longer alone. 

Liegeon stood up suddenly, with a new focus. They had to create a way for the holobase computer to automatically greet and introduce the next Liegeon persona to the Great Plains simulation, in case Amp were to transition suddenly.  And maybe they could get Temple to provide some monk meditation training, to get the most out of this retreat.

Liegeon made their way back along the grassy path, their resolve growing. No persona would face a transition alone again. 

”Computer,” Liegeon called out, “close the Great Plains environment and open a new project file.

“We have some work to do.”

__________

[puella-ae]

2024-10-22

I wonder if I'm part of the "shrinking of the internet" I occasionally lament

When I say "shrinking", I mean the trend toward fewer and more general-purpose platforms, away from websites and tools and toys and toward monolithic apps. It's hard for me to say I miss blogs, because I'm a tiny bit too young to have really known them, but I miss what blogs and forums and chats stood for—independent communities with their own practices and norms, or spaces for very highly (specific|personalized|free) forms of expression

The thing is I've never actually been part of those.

Even when they were big and I stood in their shadows, standing was all I did—I was a lurker, I still am. It feels a little (disingenuous|hypocritical) of me to say "I want the Old Internet™ back" when I have zero intention of helping to restore or maintain it. I could start a blog, have my own website decorated in my favorite colors, talk about my interests and share links and make things people might want to see, just like the internet of yore, just like the people and places I admire... but I do that on Discord instead

When the domains expire and the spinning-rust forum databases die and the money for blog hosting dries up, nothing will be there to replace them except megacorps and ad spam, and it will be because people like me packed up and moved to Discord instead

[ask-the-all-consuming-void]

Bio and Timeline

[This post was last updated on April 27th, 2024.]

Key

Blue + Underlined — Links to canonical sources (Ex. cutscenes, developer commentary, Sonic Wiki Zone articles).

Purple + Underlined — Links to posts on this blog. These commonly regard info that is only canonical to this blog, not to official Sonic media.

[LOADING...] — This segment is still being written. Check back later!

[DATA CORRUPT] — This segment regards something The End hasn't revealed yet. Perhaps if you ask Them the right question...?

Bio

The End (any pronouns, hereafter They/Them) is an extradimensional entity older than time and space. They can best be likened to a black hole: not quite an existing something, but a violent nothing threatening to swallow everything around it.

To Them, existence is pointless at best and an agonizing act of futility at worst. Why bother with such chaos? Their solution: to eradicate everything until an empty, silent, unchanging order remains. (This makes Them very unpopular with living things, but surely the poor things just don’t know any better.)

Their consciousness resides in the gaps between the Sonic multiverse. They must take physical form within a universe before They can destroy it. This form’s appearance depends on the viewer’s perception of death itself; the most common perception among Earthlings is a purple moon, possibly due to our Moon symbolizing death in many cultures.

Timeline

|||| The Beginning ||||

Once upon a time, Nothing existed. That Nothing slept peacefully, content with the silence.

Their first memory was of a boredom not Their own. Just as They noticed it... the Big Bang happened.

Time began, space was formed, light and sound and matter and life came to be. Near-instantly the universe churned, cooled, and split off into more universes.

Nothing awoke. They were shrinking, rapidly being crowded out by everything. They found Themself on the outskirts of all creation, on the outside looking in.

Another being may have regarded this display with awe. Nothing saw only a mess. They couldn't go back to sleep—not with this constant chaos disturbing Them.

They vowed to destroy it—all of it—and restore the perfect, silent order They once knew.

And so, The End got to work.

|||| Before Frontiers ||||

Through trial and error, The End learned how to destroy universes (or "consume worlds," as They put it). Over millennia, They perfected a routine. First They had to manifest physically within that world, which took Them time and effort. Once incarnated, They would pierce stars and planets, prioritizing ones that harbored life. Some worlds collapsed after losing a single planet; others held strong until all their contents were atomized. Either way, They'd drag the remains into the void between universes—Their truest form—where they'd cease to exist.

The End began Their crusade at the far edges of the multiverse. The worlds there were quick to fall, but [DATA CORRUPT].

The Ancients had been [DATA CORRUPT].

Their smartest tribe built spaceships powered by the greatest force they knew. They were the first in all creation to witness The End consume... and live.

Angry at having missed Their target, They followed them to their new home planet. Even with advanced technology and ample time to prepare, the Ancients were hopelessly outmatched. In a last-ditch effort, they managed to seal The End within their two greatest creations: first Supreme, their latest mech model; then Cyber Space, a digital dimension made to store records and memories. They left everything running on minimal power, abandoned it, and soon died out; taking all knowledge of the horror they'd subdued with them.

Tens of thousands of years passed. Civilizations rose, fought, and fell. The Chaos Emeralds were lost, sealed, and unearthed. New digital databases were invented; Cyber Space clumsily copied their contents, giving The End vague glimpses of the outside world.

And so They languished… until one fateful day.

|||| Frontiers ||||

Cyber Space was suddenly powered back up. The End noticed something being plugged into Their prison.

That something noticed Them back, gained personhood, and saw The Ancients' final moments all at once. Needless to say, Sage was horrified.

She realized Their escape was inevitable, and acted to protect her father. They left the two to their little corner of Cyber Space, watching from afar.

Not long after, another mortal arrived and was promptly trapped in Cyber Space. The End paid him no mind.

Not long after that, three more mortals arrived. Two of them were trapped as well, but the third... somehow escaped.

This caught The End's attention. They read his mind and found the talent and resolve to free Them... if They nudged him in the right direction.

And so, with some choice words and a few "gifts" as encouragement, Sonic became Their key. They "guided" him to the point of near-death until, at long last, They were free.

...Okay, They were still bound to Supreme and had to fight Super Sonic in it. But after that, They were free to incarnate in space and consume again, starting with Earth.

… Except They were out of practice after so long in stasis, and Their incarnation was weak enough to be countered. (That's what They claim, at least.)

With the Emeralds and Supreme's firepower, Sonic and Sage whittled it down to near-destruction. At that point The End chose to destroy it Themself, hoping to take Earth with it. Even this failed; Sage sacrificed Supreme and herself to neutralize the blast into a harmless meteor shower.

|||| This Blog (Part 1) ||||

With Their final link to the physical world severed, The End returned to the void beyond. They were still weak; gathering strength to incarnate would take longer than usual. But at least They could do so in relative peace...

...Or so They thought. Every so often, mortals would stumble upon Their hiding spot and strike up conversation. Some taunted Them; others were more welcoming. Some transmitted their messages, while others... physically showed up somehow…?

With nothing else to do, The End entertained their questions, even asking some of Their own. Among other happenings…

Sonic was mistakenly declared dead. The End's rejoicing was spirited, but short-lived.

Someone asked if They’ve ever incarnated as a mortal. They haven’t… yet.

The End was featured in a poll rating characters for… certain qualities (CW for suggestive language). This confused and disgusted Them... but They weren't completely above exploiting it.

A Chaos Emerald fell through the cracks of a nearby universe and into the void. The End held onto it for quite a while.

The End spoke at length about the worlds They’ve consumed. In fact, They spoke so much that people reported having “flashbacks” to these worlds. This was not Their intention.

|||| Frontiers: Final Horizon ||||

Suddenly, The End went silent. After a time, They returned with a story: The Chaos Emerald had time-warped Them back to the moment They’d left Cyber Space. With a more informed strategy and Their full power almost restored, They attempted to undo Their earlier defeat.

It didn’t go well.

Back at square one (and minus one Emerald), They reluctantly returned to answering questions.

|||| This Blog (Part 2) ||||

People swiftly made fun of The End for losing twice.

A few rumors spread during Their absence, but They were quick to clarify: No, They’re not related to the Northstar Islands’ Black Dragon, and no, that wasn’t Them outside the Egg Fortress. Also, They can’t die.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear—Sonic himself finally entered the chat! His lengthy, scathing message was met with an equally long and scathing reply.

The End continued to consider taking mortal form. Suggestions were sent Their way, but only time will tell whether They’ll act on them...

After frequent quakes and a brush with total collapse, a shattered universe finally grew stable.

Out of nowhere, The End asked to be sent biology textbooks. [LOADING...]

|||| Miscellaneous ||||

Other characters The End has talked to so far:

Two G.U.N. agents

Sage

Chip

E-123 Omega

Sticks the Badger

a Sonic from another universe

a multiverse researcher

a G.U.N. commander from another universe

Dark Gaia

Other things that have been sent to the void (or just happened to pass by):

A SQUID

A rocket full of Halloween candy

A G.U.N. probe designed to monitor Them

Other tidbits:

The End is genderless and has no preferred pronouns. Refer to Them however you wish.

[LOADING...]

[peanutkrow]

Royal catchfly and Ruby-throated Hummingbird seen 07/11/24 + 07/12/24.

I've got a better head for birds than plants, but I went into the prairie with the idea that I should attempt to document all the different flowers I could. This time of year, prairies are overflowing with blossoms. The list I ended up with contains 38 different species (many of which I'll probably forget by winter.)

Of all of those thriving, abundant forbs, there was only one that was red. It was very scarce, with numbers in the low tens. If not for its color, the paltry sum of them would have been invisible in the rolling waves of wild bergamot, hidden in the shadows behind the stands of compass plant. Cardinal flower, I mistakenly called it, was a rare sight to my eyes and a special one. Despite its severe color, the flower's form was dainty and its presence unobtrusive. As much as I loved and needed to see every flower present there that day, this one inevitably left an impression.

Later, I began scouring niche databases of native wildflowers. Somewhere down the line of Latin names, I happened upon Silene regia, royal catchfly. This was my humble, crimson friend nestled contently among the bergamot and, unlike cardinal flower, I was yet unfamiliar with its name. Royal catchfly is a threatened wildflower, I discovered, a fact which was bleakly punctuated by a series of shrinking range maps. It's inevitable to think of the airport just a few miles up the road: its masters partially destroyed one of the last undisturbed prairies in the state only last year. Such was the cost for the convenience of a slightly shorter access road and another fracture in the range maps.

As I spruce up its portraits and again when I visit the prairie the following day, I find myself more endeared to Silene regia. Though not unique to it alone, I admire its hardiness and resilience despite profound threats to its existence, its sense of self among its overwhelmingly abundant peers. Kinship with things in nature is far from surprising for me, but regardless of this there's an unmistakable peace about seeing something in the wild that's survived tremendous odds. It's a peace perpetually on at least one precipice and far from lasting comfort, but peace found in precious respite is peace all the same.

[sntechsupport]

Session ID: HELPIMTRAPPEDINANIDENTIFICATIONDATABASE

Skaia is cylindrical and roughly 43 lightyears tall. Session is otherwise normal.

Yeaaaaaaah you've got ported to the wrong database and looks like the length value kind of didn't like that.

Can I fix it by migrating your Session to the actual Session database? Absolutely. But if I do that and the Skaia shrinks back to normal length, everything on the "excess" length coordinates will be lost. If you can make sure that there isn't anything that its omission would break your playthrough (the Kings, your co-Players etc.), I am willing to do it. But, you know. I am hesitant to actually break your game like that.

Sincerely SN Tech Support (Gear)