#a.i co

[z2z-gaming-and-random-art-ai]

Console Strategy Tactics Games of 1993 - Jantei Monogatari 3 Saver Angels

Developed by Natsume and Studio OX, "Jantei Monogatari 3: Saver Angels" is the fourth and final entry in the Jantei Monogatari series of story-focused Mahjong games that were released on the TurboGrafx CD.

This final entry in the Jantei Monogatari series reverts to the earlier style of gameplay and sees a return to adventure-style gameplay, as opposed to the non-interactive cutscene-based approach of the previous game, "Jantei Monogatari 2: Uchū Tantei Divan - Kanketsu-hen." 

Published by Atlus, "Jantei Monogatari 3: Saver Angels" was released exclusively in Japan for the TurboGrafx CD in April of 1993. 

1. Intro 00:00 

2. Games Intro 00:15 

3. Gameplay 06:56 

4. Outro 15:11 

YouTube (Gaming & AI Art)

https://www.youtube.com/@Zero2Zed

Twitter (Gaming & AI Art) 

https://twitter.com/zero2zedGaming

Instagram (AI Art) 

https://www.instagram.com/random_art_ai/

For more strategy tactics game videos check out the playlists below 

Console Strategy Tactics Games of 1993 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFJOZYl1h1CF8WnopSCYYJuc5yovptH7D

[your-hotdog-husband]

What a.i. spits out as "classical art" after visiting my blog one too many times:

Can we honestly expect opting out to have any real effect?

[wilwheaton]

Talks collapsed on Wednesday night between studios and SAG-AFTRA following the guild’s revenue share proposal that would cost the companies less than 57¢ per subscriber annually. The studios balked exclaiming that SAG-AFTRA’s ask was an “untenable economic burden” which would cost them more than $2.4 billion over the course of a new three-year contract or more than $800 million per year. On Thursday, Sarandos at Bloomberg’s Screentime event called the SAG-AFTRA proposal a “levy on subscribers on top of [other] areas” as well as a “bridge too far”. Following Wednesday talks, SAG-AFTRA said the studios “intentionally misrepresented to the press the cost of the above proposal – overstating it by 60%. They have done the same with A.I., claiming to protect performer consent, but continuing to demand ‘consent’ on the first day of employment for use of a performer’s digital replica for an entire cinematic universe (or any franchise project).”

SAG-AFTRA Chief Negotiator and National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland is very happy with Taylor Swift and not so happy with Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

Just as they did with WGA, AMPTP walked into a negotiation, delivered a lecture, and stormed out like spoiled children. Then they lied about it.

SAG-AFTRA is ready and willing to negotiate and make a deal. It is the billionaires who own the studios and streamers who refuse.

[sheepyt]

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SHOWTIME SWAP FOR CHILL BUT I END UP THIS

AHHHHHHH

Ok in this swap au I made it worse

I think the story be like "Some company, the boss just want to make A.I. for whatever that will make the company look good

But when actually did it, it turned out that the boss didn't want anyone to use it. The co-shareholder(Kinger) doesn't say anything because he's rich. Didn't care about the money invested because of the crazy ideas of the company owner. Many employees have to accept this.

This headset allows everyone to meet the AI ​​Pomni who will be there to play with. This AI is sentient and perfect (Caine said), and this headset makes you feel like you've been transported into a digital world. But you can still come back"

I've been stuck with this AU for 2 days

[rqbossman]

I am curious regarding you saying you hate social media (an utterly valid view). Do you hate the function of it or the purpose? Do you think we'd be better without it? (I am unsure of the answer to that, honestly, I think I'd just like an opinion).

I am painfully aware that my current privileged career would be impossible without Social media but nonetheless, the origins of social media are not benign and it's development has continued in the same vein exacerbated by the silicon bubble. I hate it because market pressures mean the only real way to function is to trigger addictive behaviours for profit and political gain via nudging.

I hate how poorly it has been regulated and how damaging it has allowed to become to children. I hate how constantly it has been used as a tool by the vindictive to erode the independent critical reasoning ability of people. I hate that it has effectively co-opted the concept of digital society/ communication in such a way that children are being lead to believe they need it/ there is no other way.

The brutal truth is that there is a "tragedy of the commons" at play when it comes to mass attention. There is enough to go around but because everyone is afraid they won't get their share they grab for it and then you are left to either do the same or go without due to the competitive disadvantage. And worst of all, history is repeating itself with A.I. It doesn't need to be malevolent but unfortunately I have come to the personal conclusion that it inevitably will be because the cultural mechanics behind technological development are largely unchanged i.e. "We'll figure out how and then figure the rest out later"

Sorry for the downer but you did ask.

[jupitercomplexstory]

JUPITER COMPLEX

A Science-Fiction Tale About a Cat That Isn’t a Cat

JUPITER COMPLEX is a queer-flavored, episodic, graphic novel-type experience with some multimedia elements. It contains suggestive imagery and depictions of trauma. No generative A.I. tools were used in the production of this story.

>START READING IT HERE<

(That's a Tumblr link, by the way. You can read it right here. On Tumblr. Right now. Just click that link above.) (Oh! But before you start reading you want to know more? I feel you. Totally understandable. Reasonable, even! So, then...) THE WHAT: Indeterminate Location. Indeterminate Time. A creature stirs from their slumber. A faraway beacon calls out to them. Will they answer? Or will they carve out their own path? More importantly: What's with the cat thing?? JUPITER COMPLEX is a surrealistic science-fiction story about loneliness, change, identity, liminality, plurality and what it means to be human.

THE WHO: DaisyBunnyVR (me) is the main producer and writer. My partner Cammy is the official co-writer on this!

THE WHEN: Jupiter Complex will get a story update twice a week, on Monday and Friday.

CREDITS: You can find more information on the project, credits and attributions on knockout dot chat, an old-school forum.

| NEXT >

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from the New York Times:

What’s in a name? It’s more than a sound people make to get your attention — it’s a seemingly universal hallmark of human society and language, the specifics of which set us apart from our fellow animals. Now, scientists say they have found evidence with the help of artificial-intelligence-powered tools that elephants call each other by names too.

“They have this ability to individually call specific members of their family with a unique call,” said Mickey Pardo, an acoustic biologist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and an author of a study published Monday in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.

Elephants’ trumpeting calls might be their most recognizable sounds, but these “are basically an emotional outburst,” Dr. Pardo said. Lower-pitched rumbles, he said, are more meaningful, as they make up a majority of elephant vocalizations and are used in a wide variety of social situations. “A lot of interesting stuff is going on in the rumbles,” he said.

To decode these rumbles, Dr. Pardo and George Wittemyer, a professor of conservation biology at Colorado State University and chairman of the scientific board for the nonprofit Save the Elephants, analyzed 469 vocalizations made by family groups of adult elephant females and their offspring recorded at Amboseli National Park and the Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves in Kenya.

Elephant rumbles can be difficult for the human ear to differentiate, so the researchers used machine learning analysis: Essentially, they relied on A.I. to break down different elephant calls.

Individual elephants seemed to respond to certain rumbles from other elephants, and the researchers fed those sounds into their A.I. tool. “If the calls have something like a name, you should be able to figure out who the call is addressed to just from the acoustic structure of that call alone,” Dr. Pardo said.

So far, the scientists are not sure precisely which part of a vocalization might be the elephant’s “name.” But they found that their A.I. tool’s ability to identify the intended recipient of a rumble far exceeded what random chance would dictate.

They supplemented these analyses with fieldwork conducted by Dr. Pardo and David Lolchuragi, a co-author of the study and a research assistant at Save the Elephants. The researchers played recordings of rumbles to elephants and filmed their responses; they found that the individual elephants reacted more strongly to their “names” than to other calls, perking up their ears and rumbling back.

[heartfullofleeches]

Here to once again advocate doll pilot reader this time with a clown performer mix. Quirky scientist reader who has the brains, but not the smarts when it comes to interacting with real people and partners with a tech company for the funds and equipment to make a functioning robot to get around town. The contract comes with the added deal of reader becoming a star on a show they've had in the works for a while about an android learning the ropes of life as a human - which in turn works in favor for reader and their poor social skills

Reader presents far more cheerful than they are in person most of the cast assume their robot to be advanced a.i. Their genuine confusion on basic human educate and them stuffing bagels in their mouth to take to their human self sells their clueless act well. A few might've developed a little obsession crush on the bot but alas it could never be... If only...

"Hey, can you pass me that charger?"

"Sure." Their co-star smiles as the android unstraps the bracelet from its arm and plugs the cord into an outlet on their wrist - hooking the charger up to the phone in their hand. It yawns without a breathe - rubbing at its eyes. So cute♡- Just where did they get the parts to make this bot.... what's that room on their screen?

"This? It's my bedroom. Needed to do some cleaning today but obviously I had work. Might do some while I'm sleep since my link we have is neurological."

It sure is.... wait- huh?

"Nobody ever tell you? Actually, only like... three people know so I don't blame you. I'm human just like you.. well, the me back home is. I have severe anxiety and not as chipper as I am on stage. Nice to meet ya - name's Y/n, but I'm sure you already knew that."

... ah.. that - definitely wasn't in the pamphlets.

In come the - innocent queries about the real you. Your bot is modeled off you - are you as cute as it? What's your full name? Address? Oops- looks like your charger disappeared. Filming took extra long today - might run out of battery before you get home. Maybe your kind, well meaning coworker can bring it to you?

crackpost under cut

Yan: I'm so happy to finally have you home, angel. Anything I can get you?

Human Reader: Just a glass of water, please-

Yan: anything for you dearest~

[Human Reader kicks off their shoe and takes the sleeping pill from their sock as their Yan returns]

Human Reader: Thank you- [swallows the pill and passes out - their robot kicking down the front door, smacking the shit outta their yan, and carring their human body back home. Yan, broke jaw and all, takes a picture of their sleeping angel carried away in their own arms]

Yan: worth it...

-

[Robot Reader picks up groceries after work covered up by a surgical mask and an oversized sweater. One of their fans sneaks up and tags magnet to their backside]

Yan fan: found you, dear~

Robot Reader: oh! Haha, ya got me! Would you like an autograph? Here- [wheels their cart into the fan and sprints off into the parking lot.]

-

Human Reader, watching Yan make out with their robot before their identity is revealed thinking noone is watching:

[dreamsofminnie]

“Ethereal Paintings”

*:･ﾟ✧Scaramouche X Fm!Reader-> Social media au

“Bastards who want to learn art should respect it’s origin”

Main Synopsis-> When you were required to help the new transfer student the history of art from the two weeks he missed. He didn’t know you were the one artist he was inspired by. You grow fond of each other but stay at a flirting stage. But finding out that he’s a dreaded a.i user; your mortal art enemy; everything in your relationship is obliterated. Will he be able to reconcile and steal your he-art♡ once again?

Genre-> College art students, strangers to crushes to enemies to lovers, college setting, crack and slight angst, gremlin scara, soft scara

Warnings-> Swearing, alcohol, obsessive hate, kms/kys jokes, rants, suggestive(will show warning), motivation loss, low will to live, self-expectations, self-hurt, emotional anguish, more to be added. . .

Notes-> This all came to me when I was raging over an A.I. art article then brain went on from there. [REDACTED] = A.I. Art. Scara smau’s are always enemies to lovers💔 but they are still fun to read.

Status-> Trying to speedily update…

The 5 pillars of deprivation{Y/N’s} || Accounts

Death’s door is close {Scara’s} || Accounts

{☂️/☔️=Written}

I SKETCHING. . . {S-trangers}

01~ Copyright is a thing | 02~ Transfer students and a task☂️

03~ Denied | 04~ Caffeine overdose

05~ Extra sausy | 06~ Inconspicuous(not) ☂️

07~ Convenience ☂️

08~ Closet Uno torture method | 08.5~ Gremlin beauty standard

09~ Fire and ice do(n’t) go together | 10~ Drunken haze party ☂️

II PAINTING. . . {P-assion}

11~ Hang(out)over | 12~ Study dater | 13~ Free art exhibit

14~ Be my muse co-artist☂️ | 15~ She’s what?!who?!

16~ Shy scarameow | 17~ Touch grass

18~ Inazuman reunion☂️ | 19~ Let me ask you one thing…

19.5~ Given name | 20~ Corkscrew board of emotions☔️

III RENDERING. . . {R~esentment)

21~ Stage one denial☔️ | 22~ Feels like shit

23~ Suffocating in quicksand | 24~ Pressure me

25~ Do not perceive my impending doom☔️

26~ Sickness in health☔️ | 27~ Beauty in recollection(☂️)

28~ Running away is easy (☂️) | 29~ It’s the leaving that’s hard☔️

{Y/N's POV} ≠ {Scara's POV}

IV PRESENTING. . . {P-artners}

30~ tba. . . | 31~ tba. . .

32~ tba. . . | 33~ tba. . .

34~ tba. . . | 35~ tba. . .

Art show finale*:･ﾟ✧

Taglist-> Ask to be added!! {Open!!} 41/50(? I lost track💀)

@akagism2 @pokidot @feiherp @kyouzki @rmiyuki @infe-risk0 @sakurapeach @bluebelony @kichiyoshi @mikctp @kur44pika @cupids-chamber @crucnhice @neigesprincess @scaramoo @gojoandelsalovechilde @childeslegstrap @sakiimeo @d4y-dr3am3r @m3gitsune @scarletttcroww @sashiette @beriiov @rizakari @xiaossocksniffer @lxry-chxn @bryai003 @eunchaeluvr @goj0h @the-ghost-0f-t0m0 @sketcheeee @ozzierenato @ohmyfinggod @kiyomi-hoku @ynverse @featuredtofu @reinoodle @angeilix @keizuk @sayokeshii @liuaneee @scarasbaby @peaceindreams @samyayaya

[ghostflowerweek2023]

see you in July

Rules!

Fics, video edits, artwork, and other fan media is accepted! Just tag us when you post on tumblr so we can feature you. If you post your fics on ao3, I’ll make a ao3 collection for you to add your fics to

your fics may contain other pairings, but ghost flower must be at the center.

each fic doesn’t have a word count you need to reach.

my inbox is always open for questions

pls tag trigger warnings if your fic contains triggering content.

be respectful. This is for fun and to bring fun content to the fandom.

a.I art won’t be accepted. Pls only submit things you created or helped co-create

[n64retro]

Bomberman Hero A.I Co., Ltd. / Hudson Soft / Nintendo Nintendo 64 1998

[destinygoldenstar]

Human Pomni Was Evil? (TADC Theory)

Keep in mind this is a theory and is absolutely open to be totally wrong.

We know the Digital Circus characters, minus Caine, we’re once human and not from here.

And there might be a good chance the new characters shown in the recent trailer are also A.I. The reason I make this assumption is because some of them are similar in style and theming whereas the tent crew is unique from each other. And Jax asked Caine in the episode if Pomni was one of his NPCs.

Why would he ask that if every NPC looked the same and were all the mannequins? If that was the case he’d instantly recognize Pomni was a new character. But no. He had to ask the question.

Does that mean these new characters are one off? Probably not. I do think they’re gonna be important. But this might be the aspect that separates them from our main six.

But that’s not what I’m here to talk about and suggest an idea of.

What kind of people were these characters before the circus?

They have no memories. For we all know, they could’ve been completely different people in the real world than we see them as in the circus.

The sweet motherly Ragatha could’ve been a wicked stepmother or something.

The bully Jax could’ve been the victim of bullying in the real world.

The erratic and fragile Kinger could’ve been a mindful therapist.

The shy, anxious Pomni who seems all innocent and naive in the circus could’ve been a truly malicious evil being or a full on criminal.

Especially that last one is an interesting idea that came in my mind.

One of my biggest theories so far is that Pomni’s human self worked at C&A. Makes sense right? A lot of people have said this. She pauses at a desk as though she recognizes it and has a mental break as a reaction to it.

Just because you don’t remember anything consciously doesn’t mean your subconscious loses that memory entirely, especially if it sees something triggering.

But did she help make the game? Honestly, idk. She could very well not have.

Either way, what if C&A itself is a very shady company?

The ringmaster of the game, the main AI, is Caine.

C

What if this AI is a self insert by the game developer?

Here’s what I think happened, in my theory mind:

The real Caine, not the AI but the creator that made Caine as a self insert, tried to design the Digital Circus in the 1990s (the tech’s quality in the office) as a revolutionary innovation in gaming. So some employees back then became test subjects for it. One of them being Kinger. Cause he was here the longest according to the show. (So they didn’t all show up at once)

But it went horribly wrong, the test subjects are lost in the game forever, and the creator is wanted and charged for the losses.

But he got away and continued his operation, illegally distributing the game to anyone naive enough to not know what scams are. Thus making him a full on criminal with other criminals as his employees developing the game to perfect it. To make it the perfect escape from reality.

Also explains why their tech would have never been updated.

Fast forward to this keep going on till 2023. Which means we could safely assume human Pomni wasn’t even born yet when the disaster happened.

If she was an employee, she was also one of these shady people who knew exactly the harm they were doing, but did it anyway because selfish money and profit.

Especially if, say, Pomni was raised into this criminal setting her entire life.

Maybe she’s the creator’s daughter who had too much to drink with a co-worker one night. Idk.

That would probably be an interesting explanation for why Caine is often going to her for advertising purposes. (Other than her being the MC) Obviously Caine isn’t Pomni’s dad. But Caine being the AI self insert of the dad of human Pomni. Would make him a more familial figure.

Especially since I don’t think Caine himself is evil. He’s just being an AI and doing his job and trying to ensure the safety of the residents of the circus.

Human Pomni could’ve been born and raised into the shady life and became an employee when she was old enough and had the training. Making her be a helper on the circus.

“Well that doesn’t mean human Pomni was evil. She could’ve been different.”

I Doubt it. When you’re born in a life, you’re heavily influenced by that life. If you were born and raised in an evil nation, you will likely have the mindset of that evil nation because that’s how you were nurtured to see the world. You wouldn’t know anything else.

Plus that mental break Pomni had.

This could very well be the real Pomni slipping through.

She isn’t this shy sweet bean. She’s actually an evil maniac.

But how did she end up in the game if she knew what it did?

There’s multiple ways.

As punishment for doing something wrong in the company.

It was a sudoku-cide to get out of the real world.

She wanted to fix the mistakes the company made for some reason.

But does that mean her digital self has to be evil too? From the story this is based on ‘I have no mouth and I must scream’. Probably not. Maybe she’s actually the savior like Jesus or something. Idk.

I expect this theory to be completely wrong and contradicted when Episode 2 comes out.

[fans4wga]

8 NOVEMBER: SAG REACHES TENTATIVE AGREEMENT TO END STRIKE

"After a grueling118 days on strike, SAG-AFTRA has officially reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract with studios, a move that is heralding the end of the 2023 actors’ strike.

The SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Committee approved the agreement in a unanimous vote on Wednesday, SAG-AFTRA announced. The strike will end at 12:01 am Thursday.

The performers’ union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers announced the provisional agreement on Wedneday, after about two weeks of renewed negotiations. If ratified by the SAG-AFTRA members, the deal could bring an end to the strike that kneecapped Hollywood for much of the summer and early fall in conjunction with the writers’ strike, which ended in late September.

The union and the AMPTP are so far being mum on the details of the agreement, which will emerge in the next few days prior to the union’s ratification vote. If the deal is ratified, the contract could soon go into effect, and if not, members would essentially send their labor negotiators back to the bargaining table with the AMPTP. It was unclear as of press time whether the union would end the strike before or after the ratification vote.

When negotiations restarted on Oct. 2 for the first time since SAG-AFTRA called its work stoppage in July, hopes were high in the industry that Hollywood’s largest union could come to terms with major companies quickly. Just like they had in the final days of the writers’ negotiations, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Disney CEO Bob Iger and NBCUniversal Studio Group chairman and chief content officer Donna Langley attended the talks at the union’s national headquarters in Los Angeles. But the studio ended up walking out on Oct. 11 over SAG-AFTRA’s proposal to charge a fee per every streaming subscriber on major platforms in a move that the union’s chief negotiator called “mystifying” (Sarandos called the ask “a bridge too far“).

The sides reconvened on Oct. 24 after a nearly two-week break. This time, the studios came in with a more generous offer to increase actors’ wage floors and a slightly modified version of a success-based streaming bonus they had previously offered the WGA. The two sides exchanged proposals for much of the week in a tense situation that had the industry on edge. Even as a deal came into sight, progress was slow, especially when it came to putting the contract’s inaugural guardrails on AI: The union considers the rapidly advancing technology an absolutely existential issue for members and sought to close any potential loopholes that could lead to future issues. On Saturday the studios presented what the union characterized as the companies’ “last, best and final,” overarching offer (still, the two sides kept swapping offers after).

When the union’s previous contract expired in mid-July and SAG-AFTRA went out on strike, many outstanding issues were left on the table. Setting terms for the use of A.I. was a major sticking point between union and studio negotiators, as was a proposal to provide casts with additional streaming compensation. Union negotiators sought to institute an unusually large minimum rate increase in the first year of the contract, a host of ground rules for self-taped virtual auditions and major increases to health and pension contributions “caps” that have not been changed since the 1980s. Meanwhile, as the entertainment business continues to experience a period of contraction, major companies looked to preserve some measure of flexibility and cost control.

SAG-AFTRA’s strike, coming as it did amid an ongoing writers’ strike in July, gave the union an unusual amount of leverage early on in its talks with the AMPTP. Almost immediately, most remaining unionized U.S. productions that were operating without writers shut down, including Deadpool 3 and Venom 3. An as the months of the work stoppage stretched on, a strategist at the Milken Institute has estimated that the strikes have cost the California economy alone at least $6 billion.

But pressure started to build as the strike neared and surpassed its 100-day mark. A-lister actors began talking to both their union and the studios in an attempt to improve progress in the negotiations. A number of actors also started drafting a letter expressing concerns about the union’s leadership but held back from publishing it, fearful of the missive’s potential impact on negotiations. Then, on Oct. 26, a separate letter was released signed by apparently thousands of actors, exhorting negotiators, “We have not come all this way to cave now.”

The amount of time that the union spent on strike in 2023 will certainly raise expectations for the deal they reached with studios. In the union’s upcoming ratification vote, the date of which has not yet been announced, members will decide whether the pact is acceptable to them."

[getvalentined]

HI THERE!! A fellow FFVII pleb here 🙌🏼🙌🏼

But I have not played Ever Crisis, and your art is

💥mega💥 from it.

May you infodump at your will where these outfits are from in the game, if you have any reference pics, and what the game covers?

If not, that is fine too 🌷

Thanks!

Thank you for the nice comment about my art! I've been in a slump recently on account of the world being on fire and having chronic pain in my hands, so I'm glad people are still enjoying what I have put out there.

Most of the EC outfits are only really "in-game" as related to non-canon seasonal "Portal" events, referred to as such due to their existence being explained via the existence of a spell of the same name, originally developed by Shinra before being ruled useless and put on a shelf. The materia for the spell was apparently stolen at some point in the early '90s, and it periodically crops up due to fiends, Cetra, or other nonhuman entities creating an excuse for the cast to get into alternate universe hijinks. The lore indicates that the Portal materia may have been stolen by the A.I. that ran the simulator originally used to train P-0 Class SOLDIERs during the course of the First SOLDIER Battle Royale, which eventually developed a form of sentience and literally ran away. This seems to be what caused that training program to shut down in-universe. (IRL the game was shut down because of real world financial fraud perpetrated by one of the co-creators of Sonic the Hedgehog, because we live in the weirdest timeline. Getting some closure on it in-game was super interesting, though.)

The game itself is intended to be a sort of abridged version of the entire Compilation of Final Fantasy VII (not the funny youtube haha kind of "abridged") told in short sections with frequent breaks, allowing it to be played basically anywhere.

There are currently three active titles:

Final Fantasy VII: The OG, but make it bite-sized. The pacing here is pretty poor, but mostly because the devs seem intent on pushing it as the flagship title of Ever Crisis even though it is not the one that they use in advertisement. (Current chapter: recruiting Vincent in Nibelheim.)

Crisis Core: Everyone's favorite gay tragedy. The pacing on this one is about the same as it is in the original, although there are a couple new little bits. The translation is still ass due to "no homo," and recently they seem to be working very hard to retcon Angeal being a self-righteous trashbag for some reason, which is kind of ruining the whole storyline, but we'll see if they fix that. (Current chapter: Genesis' siege on Shinra HQ.)

The First SOLDIER: Not to be confused with the battle royale title of the same name mentioned above, this game starts with three unenhanced P-0 Class SOLDIER randos (they're relevant to Rebirth) and segues into the backstory of Sephiroth starting around age 13-14. This is what they used in advertisement, and then delayed updates on so many times that the ending was spoiled by Tseng during a board meeting in Rebirth. I am not joking. (Current chapter: Act I end.)

The game is intended to eventually also include Dirge of Cerberus and even Before Crisis (which has never been released outside Japan and hasn't been playable even in Japan for over a decade), but not until after the OG and CC's storylines finish. There is roughly one chapter update to a single active title every 4-8 weeks, so it's going to take a while.

All that said, there are currently around 80 alternate outfits spread over 13 playable characters (some are more favored than others, Aerith has about a dozen while Barret has three), and I don't actually even have half of them altogether. I do have a lot, though, so I'll put details under the cut of what I have and if there are any specific ones you'd like to see I can get screenshots for reference purposes.

— Cloud [5/9] Murasame, Bandaged Coat aka Death Gigas cosplay, Festive Garb, Saber Style, and Bahamut Garb. Missing Battlefield Garb, Maritime Sailor, Zidane, and Glavenus Armor.

— Barret [2/3] Fiery Cape and Electroarmor. Missing Scrap Armor.

— Tifa [2/10] Metalfoot and Fairy of the Holy Flame. Missing Lifeguard, Amarant, Guide Uniform, Bunny Bustier, Feather Style, Kirin Suit, Passion Mermaid, and the upcoming Bahamut gear that I will not be pulling for.

— Aerith [2/11] Rosy Battle Suit aka postcanon Genesis cosplay and Chocobo Suit. Missing Sunny Robe, Prism Dress, Garnet, Fairy of Snowfall, Floral Gown, Classic Coney, Kamura Dress, Citric Dress, and Bahamut Robe.

— Nanaki [2/4] Seaside Aloha and Canyon Duds. Missing Rubber Harness and The Hellhound aka the Sonic OC recolor skin.

— Yuffie [1/5] Puckish Lion. Missing Winter Moogle, Sparkling Skater, Shinobi Hawk, Summer Moogle, and Bahamut Mantle.

(No image because I hit the limit and it's a disaster tbh.)

— Cait Sith [2/3] Marching Jacket and Felyne Kamura. Missing Party Jacket.

— Vincent [3/3] Bouncer Suit, Stray Dog, and Formal Attire.

— Zack [4/8] Tropical Beach, Guardian Style, Glacier Armor, and Zinogre Armor. Missing Valiant Suit, Black Hound, Holiday Suit, and Shinra Full Dress Uniform.

— Sephiroth [8/9] Aeroglider, Edged Wings, Dark Harbinger aka the half-Galian Beast cosplay, Kuja, Celebratory Garb, Lethal Style, Shinra Formal Uniform, and Natant Jacket. Missing Dark Attire because it was running the same time as one of Vincent's outfits and I didn't have the crystals for both. (sob)

— Glenn/Matt/Lucia [1/who cares] I only have 1 proper alternate outfit for each of them and only because the game gave them to me, plus Lucia's Vivi, which is just a recolor of the first alternate outfit with a hat on top.

No images because I hit the limit and I don't care for any of these people.

[celepom]

The Infinity Particle

By Wendy Xu

In this gorgeous graphic novel by Wendy Xu, co-creator of the award-winning Mooncakes, a young inventor falls for a lifelike AI and confronts questions of freedom and autonomy. Clementine Chang moves from Earth to Mars for a new start and is lucky enough to land her dream job with Dr. Marcella Lin, an Artificial Intelligence pioneer. On her first day of work, Clem meets Dr. Lin’s assistant, a humanoid AI named Kye. Clem is no stranger to robots—she built herself a cute moth-shaped companion named SENA.

Still, there’s something about Kye that feels almost too human. When Clem and Kye begin to collaborate, their chemistry sets off sparks. The only downside? Dr. Lin is enraged by Kye’s growing independence and won’t allow him more freedom. Plus, their relationship throws into question everything Clem thought she knew about AI. After all, if Kye is sentient enough to have feelings, shouldn’t he be able to control his own actions? Where is the line between AI and human? As her past and Kye’s future weigh down on her, Clem becomes determined to help him break free—even if it means risking everything she came to Mars for.

---

This book meant a lot to me. It's been a long, hard year, in a series of extremely difficult years. So it was nice to read some science fiction where All This ends, not in doom, but in a better future. Reading "The end of late stage capitalism & the age of billionaires" as part of the history/world building of the story felt like a breath of fresh air. As well as seeing actual A.I. instead of the thieving aggregates we're currently subjected to.

I also related to both Clem & Kye with their respective abusive parents, and taking the step to run towards your own future and sense of self. SENA is also adorable, and I'd love to have a little friend like them.

This is my favourite of Wendy Xu's books thus far, and one I'll probably return to whenever I need a pick-me-up.

[lovermine]

everything i’ve ever wanted, a.i

desc: co-parenting with ashton had become easy the past four years since your daughter had come into the world, but one night alone with the man could change your relationship entirely. fem!reader.

"dada! i can't leave without cuddles!" ashton's face lights up as he sees his daughter sprinting into the hallway, her backpack slung over her tiny shoulders, packed with everything she needs for her overnight stay with your parents. it's the first time she'll be spending the night away without one of you, but she seems completely unfazed.

"of course you can't, honey," ashton chuckles, pausing his conversation with your parents to lift his daughter into his arms. you can't help but smile at the sight of her holding his face in her small hands, planting kisses on his cheeks. the resemblance between your daughter and her father is striking—same light brown hair (though his is still dyed black) and hazel eyes. she has inherited most of his features, though ashton insists she has your nose. regardless, they are both beautiful.

almost five years ago, you fell pregnant—a result of what can only be described as a fling between you and the man who's now giggling with your four-year-old. you had met through mutual friends and engaged in a mostly sexual relationship with plenty of playful flirting. when you discovered you were pregnant, you feared you would be going through it alone, since the two of you weren't serious. but ashton stepped up the moment you told him, attending every doctor's appointment, holding your hand throughout the birth process, and even suggesting that you live together so he could be as close and helpful as possible. you could never have asked for more from him.

"be good for grandma and grandpa, and remember, she'll call us if you need anything. just tell her if something's wrong, okay?" ashton explains as he hands off your little girl to your father. your parents want her to stay the night so they can take her to a nearby zoo the next morning. it was hard to say yes, as your maternal instincts kicked in, but ashton convinced you that she would have fun and that the two of you would rush to her side if she needed anything.

"i’ll be fine! i'm a big girl now!" your daughter giggles. although you know she's still young and will need you for a long time, it becomes increasingly bittersweet to see her growing up and becoming more independent. as much as it's a good thing, it's also difficult to let go.

"we know you are, honey, but it's okay to still need us," you explain, brushing her hair out of her face and placing a kiss on her forehead.

"okay, bye mama! bye dada!" the toddler cheerfully waves as they walk out the door, bidding their final goodbyes for the night. as the door closes, a familiar pang of longing settles in your chest.

"why does she have to grow up so fast?"

"she's four, babe. we still have her for a long time," Ashton reassures you. the casual nickname tugs at your heartstrings, as it always does. although your relationship has been platonic since raising your daughter together, the playful flirting between you and ashton, albeit toned down for the sake of little ears, never ceased. it's comforting, knowing that this one thing has remained constant since your lives changed dramatically all those years ago.

"never long enough," you murmur, leaning your head back against his shoulder. you feel him let out a soft chuckle behind you, his thumb gently rubbing your shoulder in a comforting manner. "i can't believe she's already staying away from home for the night."

“i know," ashton sighs, the weight of the situation weighing on his mind as well. although he's accustomed to being away from his daughter for extended periods, he has always found solace in knowing that you're there with her. you are the best woman he's ever met, alongside his own mother. he watches your daughter grow and witness the incredible mother you've become. it's made him realize that he could never entertain the idea of having a child with someone else in the future.

"come on, let's do something to take our minds off it," ashton suggests, leading you towards the living room. you both plop down on the couch, and he reaches for the remote on the coffee table.

"what do parents even do when they're not taking care of a kid? i have no idea," you muse, allowing ashton to take control of the television.

"most parents? probably enjoy some much-needed alone time," ashton replies with a mischievous grin.

"we're not most parents, though," you counter playfully. "so, movies not made by disney it is?"

"i don't know, maybe i want to watch 'moana' for the sixth time this week," ashton teases.

"yn, sweetheart," ashton's voice interrupts your dozing off, and you recognise the feeling of his shoulder as you slowly begin to wake again.

"oh, sorry," you murmur, realizing you fell asleep, but making no effort to move away. it felt good to be this close to him again, to be enraptured in everything that is ashton irwin after all these years. the relationship the two of you had before the pregnancy was casual, but if life hadn’t thrown the cutest little curveball in the way, you’re sure that the two of you would have gotten further.

"you haven't fallen asleep on me since the little monster was a newborn," ashton says softly, his voice filled with affection.

"i’m so glad i agreed to move in with you. i have so much respect for parents who do it alone," you admit, grateful for the support you've had.

"yeah, well, i wanted you and our little girl as close as possible," ashton confesses. "and i guess a part of me also hoped that you'd fall for me someday if you were forced to spend time with me."

"seriously?" you ask, surprise evident in your voice.

"there's no way that surprises you," he snorts, his hand gently brushing the hair out of your face. he gazes at your features, as if committing them to memory yet again. "i asked you if you wanted to be something more when you fell pregnant."

"yeah, but i said no because i thought it was just because you felt like you had to, considering we were having a kid together," you explain, your thoughts racing.

"it definitely wasn't just that," ashton states firmly. "because even four years later, those feelings haven't gone away. pretty sure they would've by now."

"but you've dated other people since then," you point out.

"no one that mattered enough to keep around," he admits. "it's hard to let yourself fall in love with someone when you keep comparing them to the mother of your child."

"why did you never say anything?" you ask, your voice filled with curiosity and longing.

"because i have everything i need," ashton replies, his voice barely above a whisper. "i have a beautiful daughter, and i have the family i’ve always wanted, even if it's not the conventional kind. i didn't want to complicate things by introducing feelings. i'd rather keep my feelings at bay than have her caught in the middle of an awkward situation."

"why would it mess things up?" you question, a glimmer of hope building within you. "don't you think I feel the same way?"

"well, now i do," ashton murmurs. "has it seriously taken us four years to realize what we mean to each other?"

"i like to think we've known it in a way," you reply, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "i think this is the part where you kiss me, ash."

"i don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough," ashton whispers before pressing his lips against yours. It's a sweet, tender kiss that speaks volumes, expressing emotions that words could never fully convey.

"for letting you kiss me?" you giggle softly, feeling a rush of warmth and love.

"for so much more than that," ashton murmurs against your lips, his voice filled with sincerity. his hand cradles your cheek, his thumb gently caressing your skin as he gazes into your eyes. “for giving me everything i’ve ever wanted. for being such an amazing mother, friend, co parent, everything.”ashton's eyes shine with affection, his love for you and your daughter radiating from within. “i know it’s hard sometimes, especially when i’m away for long periods of time, but i always come back to loving arms. that wouldn’t be there without you being as amazing as you are.”

a soft smile plays on your lips as you feel the weight of his words sink in. "you being you makes it all worth it ashton. you’re an amazing father, even when you’re away you make it known that you’re thinking about us, that you’re coming home. it would be easy for you to use it as a break from parenting, but you don’t, and it shows how much you love us.”

ashton's eyes shine with affection, his love for you and your daughter radiating from within. "i do, i really do.”

you lean in, capturing his lips in another tender kiss, savoring the feeling of his warm embrace. in that moment, all the unspoken words, the longing, and the hidden emotions find their voice. the connection between you grows deeper, intertwining your lives in a way that transcends platonic co-parenting.

as you break the kiss, ashton rests his forehead against yours, his breath mingling with yours.

he pulls you into a warm embrace, enveloping you in his comforting presence before a smug grin appears on his face. “so how about that alone time, huh?”

vai's thoughts: i think about dad!sos way too often to be considered normal, esp the dad!luke series i have planned and partly written in my drafts. so enjoy this little dip into domestic dad ashton aka the loml

© vailvr I all rights reserved. please do not repost any of my work as your own or share on other platforms thnx &lt;3