#ask tag that i have to rename

[galaxy-of-me]

Omg I'm seeing all the total drama reblogs on my tl from you! There's a reboot!?

yes! it’s officially called total drama island 2023 and was first released in italy (for some reason) in summer.

the first season has been in distribution hell since then and has been slowly coming out in other places besides where it was literally supposed to come out first (canada and the us) 💀. u can probably find some clips and episodes floating around online tho. and the second (and last confirmed) season’s first episode was leaked earlier this week.

it’s honestly great and reminds me more of the early td stuff, tho it is def also v different in many ways. (completely new cast of characters, chris’s va was replaced, etc.) i’d say it’s pretty hit or miss for td fans. i love it tho :D

[rosicheeks]

one thing i want to tell you: the tag for your original posts shouldn’t be ‘shut up rosie’. i love every single time i get to hear from you, we all do. be nicer to yourself, okay? for us? 💖

-🌸

[max-nolastname]

my dnd fantasy campaign has an NPC named "Otis Laertides," who is essentially Odysseus in disguise, that's being set up as both a romantic lead and mini boss (sidenote: "otis" is close to the ancient greek word "outis" which means "no-one, nobody;" "laertides" just means "son of laertes")

because of how I pronounce his last name, my super serious prince-type NPC has been dubbed "liar titties" by my players ... it is an extremely accurate epithet

[nexttothelamp]

bruh

[singsweetmelodies]

https://at.tumblr.com/casssian/i-dont-even-know-what-to-say-i-feel-so-single/tzowtwmnqvrm

bf lance content <3

oh my days. okay, anon, first off... let me say, i really appreciate you getting back to me with this. 10/10 for effort. however... i have to also inform you that your efforts have, regrettably, backfired rather spectacularly.

you see, you are talking to a chaos bisexual here. and yes, i saw lance. theoretically. i acknowledge that he is there. but oh my GOD that swimsuit/leotard thingy his gf is wearing sure is rather skimpy. i'm so sorry i really tried to look respectfully. but. SLAYYYYYYY QUEEN OMG GET IT AYAYAAKSHSGSGQFFWGWBSBSBSHS yes. ma'ammmmm

(she's also way too pretty for him i'm sorry)

[anoodleyqueer]

sungchan and shotaro need to release music asap I'm running out of fic titles !!!!!!

[brightmyth-fr]

What are some of your favorite skins you've made?

I thought about the answer to this question for a very long time. I want to tell you a story about a skin that broke the site.

(I think this has been fixed now, which is the only reason I'm posting about it.)

Up until around March of this year, skin names weren't sanitized. I wasn't aware of this and continued to be unaware of this until the day I asked for my Valentine's pearlcatcher skins (named <3 and </3 respectively) to be renamed. Special characters often break when you submit them through the queue, so you have to go and ask the mods in the skroblems thread to fix apostophes for you so they display properly. I went and asked them to fix my pearlcatcher skin's names for me, since they weren't displaying correctly either. This lead, by accident, to the most interesting way I've gotten the site to break in a while.

My friend noticed first when they got a subscribed notification to my skin shop thread. They realized there were two pages that were completely gone.

Then they realized that the front page didn't look right either. My catalogue posts had completely vanished. Only to find... when you hovered over the thumbnail of the </3 skin's icon, my posts had hopped into the item description.

We experimented a little more before realizing this thing was... very, very powerful! You could put the skin into a den tab description, and it would put every single dragon in that tab into the space of the description box. You could break your userpage for ANYBODY on site. Your entire dragon could get swallowed up if you put it into their bio. And because the skin deleted the edit button, you couldn't get it back out.

Little did I know, the </ part of the skin name - when posted using [skin=skinid] or [item=skin: </3] - would act as an HTML tag anywhere it was posted, and completely mess up how the site displayed! I compiled everything I found and sent it into the bug forums and the contact team box for review. The thread got deleted almost immediately, confirming what I suspected: skin names aren't sanitized, and this could very easily be exploited with malicious intentions or SQL injects.

Luckily, they fixed it pretty quickly! I hope the way the site handles skin names has been updated now too. This sort of thing wouldn't have happened even if I had named the skin </3 or, god forbid, dropTable(); in the first place. I do think it was because I had the mods go in and edit the skin name that allowed the unclosed </ to display in the skin's item icon and then break the site.

So that's the story of one of my favorite skins I've made! <3 and </3 are now LOVE and LOVE(LESS) respectively. The designs themselves didn't sell too well, but for a glorious 16 hours, they contained all the power of little nuclear bombs detonating on various HTML-dependent sitepages.

[kakushino]

Would you love me if I were a worm?

Rengoku Kyojuro x GN! Reader

He survived but at what cost?

Tags: fluff, slight angst, Kyojuro survives Mugen train AU

Word count: 0,6k

Masterlist | Rebuilding the ruins of castle Me masterlist

AN: Written as a Christmas gift for dear @glitchtricks94 - Merry Christmas!

I contemplated renaming it Kintsugi (hence the header) but I like this title more.

“Uma- ouch-” Kyojuro forgot, for the nth time, that he was still recovering from having a hole in his abdomen; shouting was a long way away from happening for him yet. Instead of ‘admitting defeat’, he whispered a strained “Umai…” before taking another dango into his mouth, chewing and enjoying the taste as he tried to focus on the sweetness of the treat rather than the bitterness of his wound.

It was a peaceful afternoon, the sun shone brightly, and the boys were training in his backyard while he enjoyed tea and a snack you had made for him.

You, his love…

All throughout your relationship, you had asked him, half joking, if he would love you were you to become a worm. The question greatly confused him every time, even stunned him speechless the first, but he had always answered a resolute yes. 

What he failed to do was ask you the same.

Even so, each day he woke up now, feeling like a worm, a useless bug, and each day you took care of him - you built your home to suit his needs, helped him bathe, cooked for him, entertained him - when he had nothing to give you back. He had become someone you didn’t ask for, someone you didn’t ‘sign up’ to love.

Kyojuro had never asked the question, but your response was an infallible yes - all the more, you showed it, your actions proved it.

He had never fallen so deep for someone in his life, being near you made him happy, though there was always a lingering inner torment fraying him at the edges…

Underneath his carefully crafted facade, you knew he wasn’t fine. Kyojuro survived, at a great cost - an eye, and his career, his youth, his strength. 

He used to smile even in his sleep; the usually peaceful expression had been replaced by a frown or a frighteningly borderline angry expression. He also couldn’t spoon you, not yet, which agonized him more than he could admit. He missed cuddling you, you could see that every time you went to bed.

You were aware he was always in pain, though he said nothing, so you quietly placed painkillers alongside his tea and dango today. Kyojuro couldn’t be more grateful you were in his life.

“The dango is delicious, my love,” he whispered to you as you finally sat down beside him. Tanjiro’s soft laughter echoed in the yard, Zenitsu’s crying and Inosuke’s howling a complementary melody adding to the usual chaos of your home. Something like peace settled in his chest.

“I’m glad. Don’t forget to drink the tea, it’s already cold.” You smiled at him as he reached for his cup. Kyojuro seemed to do so absent-mindedly, it was kind of endearing to see him trust you so much he gave no thought to your instructions.

Wooden clack clack became a distant rhythm while you both soaked in the warmth of the sun - the very same one which signaled the end of his last dance with the devil. 

Become a demon, Kyojuro.

His scars throbbed in dull pain, his teeth clenched, an irrational panic set in, and he could not help but seek out everyone around him with his eye to make sure-

The boys were at it again, a goofy ball of energy rolling all over the training space, sweat making dirt stick to their skin. Tanjiro, alive. Zenitsu, alive. Inosuke, alive.

And you-

You were looking at him calmly; his feelings wild, all over the place but then Kyojuro looked in your eyes. He saw everything he thought he had lost, he felt as if you two were the only ones in your home.

Would you love him if he were a worm?

Yes. Yes, you do.

dividers made by the amazing @benkeibear

network: @enchantedforest-network

Probably will become a 3-parter, 2nd part coming on 24th December

[sparrowsoupp]

so a ‘swiftpaw lives’ au is nothing new here BUT hear me out:

in this au, everything happens as it does in the first arc up to the night where swiftpaw and brightpaw sneak out of camp to fight the dogs. as they are leaving, cloudtail somehow sees/hears/notices and is obviously suspicious so trails them into the forest secretly.

as they get closer to the dogs’ den he realises their plan and confronts the pair, trying to get them to return to camp. swiftpaw is defiant and argues back, escalating into a fight as cloudtail tries to physically knock some sense into swiftpaw. brightpaw looks on in horror trying to break up this fight. this is obviously not a very quiet battle, considering the participants are two bullheaded teenage boys, and so the dogs are woken up anyway.

swiftpaw leaps into action as brightheart freezes in paralysing fear. as a dog lunges at her, cloudtail notices and leaps into the dog’s jaws, pushing brightpaw out of the way in the process. in a burst of fear and strength, brightpaw notices swiftpaw unconcious and unable to move with a missing leg and grabs him to run away, escaping from the dogs and leaving cloudtail to bleed out and die (hence the main catalyst for differences in this au: cloudtail dies in swiftpaw’s place). she doesn’t realise this at the time, hoping cloudtail will understand since he is still up and fighting, and not thinking about the consequences of leaving one cat alone to fight a pack of dogs.

bluestar renames them in the same way lostface was named in the original arc, brightpaw being renamed lostface and swiftpaw being named dogleg, and fireheart is ANGRY with the pair (and himself) for the needless loss of his nephew’s life. no renaming ceremony is held, and they are made to keep their names in rememberance of their foolishness. (sidenote: i think this would also spark a major shift in fireheart’s good nature and personality, leading to MAJOR knockon effects for the rest of the series, but i haven’t thought about it too much yet and also i need to reread the books) and because cloudtail isn’t around to advocate for lostface’s warrior retraining, she is relegated to be a medicine cat and never really emotionally recovers in the same way she could in the books because cloudtail isn’t around to offer her that emotional support. she also very much blames herself for letting him fight a battle that he never signed up to fight and dying in the process, the overwhelming levels of guilt weighing on her constantly to the point where cats are a little creeped out by how empty even her remaining eye looks.

on the other hand (paw?), dogleg is left seething with anger and bitterness towards his clan. (i imagine him after the attack as a somewhat ashfur-like character, except much more extreme) a lot of his toxicity and anger would be taken out on lostface, one of the only cats he talks to anymore, and instead of brightheart and cloudtail entering a very healthy and positive relationship instead lostface ends up in a secret (VERY toxic) relationship with dogleg. she remains attached to him i think because of the trauma they experienced together. i have to think more about that, though. (maybe even kits?)

in the end something something dogleg forces lostface to start poisoning food as the clan’s medicine cat to take revenge on other cats like bluestar or fireheart. i think this culminates in dogleg turning very traitorous somehow.

that’s what i have so far! feel free to sends asks/tag with suggestions or ideas of knockon effects of this change. thanks for reading this big ol paragraph of me rambling about cats lol, appreciate y’all 🦭👍

[vyxated]

[ReShade] Clear UI of Shaders & More

This is a companion tutorial to my No More CAS UI & More post so if you haven't seen that tutorial yet then I highly recommend reading it first as the installation process is practically the same and a lot of information there will sound familiar here.

This time, it will feature the ReshadeEffectShaderToggler add-on, or REST for short, which will be used to prevent shaders from affecting certain parts of the game. And yes, you can use both add-ons at the same time! 

If you find this useful, do share the word around and tag me! All I ask is that you link back here if you want to share outside of tumblr :-)

⚠️ Disclaimer:

There are 2 versions of this add-on: one that is compatible with Reshade 5.2+ and one that only works with Reshade 5.8.0+. I've created a setting for each of them so make sure to read and grab the correct version.

How it works:

REST (currently developed by 4lex4nder) is a fork of the ShaderToggler addon where, instead of toggling in-game shaders like hiding UI from view, it will toggle reshade shaders/effects from affecting certain in-game shaders.

It's an alternative to KeepUI/UIDetect shaders as you can do most of the setup in the reshade panel itself instead of using external programs to create a mask. Another use of REST other than masking the UI is that you can toggle certain shaders from affecting CAS items with transparency. Now you can use Chromakey/Comic/AO shaders properly :)

What you’ll get by the end of this post:

A ReshadeEffectShaderToggler.ini file that comes with settings that will: 1) prevent shaders from affecting UI and making it readable (especially for DoF and bloom shaders), and 2) prevent certain shaders from affecting items with transparency in CAS.

ReShade & Add-on requirement:

REST v 1.2.3: only compatible with ReShade 5.8.0+ w/ full add-on support. Works with 64-bit version of TS4, but should also work w/ the legacy version.

REST v 1.1.0 (testing): compatible with Reshade 5.2+ w/ full add-on support. Works with 64-bit and legacy version.

For GShade users: simply check which Reshade version it's based on and match with the above requirements.

DOWNLOAD .ini file:

For REST v 1.2.3: SimFileShare / Google Drive

For REST v 1.2.1: SimFileShare / Google Drive [⚠️crashing issue]

For REST v 1.1.0 (testing): SimFileShare / Google Drive

Installation:

Have ReShade with full add-on support installed for this to work. If you've done the previous tutorial and have the Add-on menu available to you then you can skip this step. It’s important to have the correct version as without it this won’t work.

Grab the REST add-on from the github release linked in the ReShade & Add-on requirement section. Make sure to get the add-on that works with your Reshade version.

If you're using REST v1.1.0: grab x64_110 add-on file if you're playing on TS4 64-bit version. Grab x86_110 if you have TS4's legacy version.

Extract the ReshadeEffectShaderToggler.addon file into the game's \Bin folder where your TS4.exe/TS4_64.exe is (where you had also installed ReShade). Addon32 is for legacy players, addon64 is for non-legacy players.

Still in the \Bin folder, drop the x.x_ReshadeEffectShaderToggler.ini file you downloaded. Make sure you grab the right file matching with the add-on version it's compatible with.

Rename the file and remove the version number in the prefix. Both .addon and .ini file should share the same name for the add-on to recognize my settings.

If you’re a GShade user: there’s a folder called gshade-addons; this is where you should place the ReshadeEffectShaderToggler.addon file. Just move the add-on from the \Bin folder to the folder mentioned and you’re good.

Open up your game. If you see the same menu as below then you’ve successfully installed the add-on & settings! Restart if needed.

Previews of add-on togglers:

Clear UI

This will prevent all shaders from affecting any sorts of UI. Works in CAS and in build/live mode. Enabled by default.

Alpha Mask for CAS

This will disable a select amount of shaders from affecting CAS items with transparency (alpha hair, transparent clothes). Disabled by default. This does not work for live mode.

Shaders affected by the toggle:

Lineart based shaders: Comic & MatCap_Outlines

BG based shaders: Chromakey & DepthAlpha

Various ambient occlusion/AO shaders

Various DoF shaders

ReflectiveBumpmapping

You can add more shaders to exclude by clicking the Change Effects option and select which shaders you want to add.

Fixed:

White screen issue no longer happens on REST v1.2.3 when you switch between window mode & resolution, either via in-game settings or SRWE. v1.2.1 will still be available to download if v1.2.3 doesn't work.

Known Issues:

\\ REST 1.1.0 gamma issue:

Certain shaders won’t work properly with the toggler on and will mess up the gamma, causing it to darken the screen. (Only happens with the Clear UI toggle. Alpha Mask works fine.)

Shaders affected (list not exhaustive): SMAA (FMAA is not affected), FilmicAnamorphSharpen, ArcaneBloom & NeoBloom, Glamarye_Fast_Effects, MagicHDR, CRT_Lotte.

\\ REST v 1.2.3 keyboard shortcut issues:

Since you can't use keyboard shortcuts for the toggle groups (despite assigning a keybind), you'll have to manually enable them instead. Version 1.1.0 on the other hand works as usual.

\\ REST (both versions) issue with toggling individual reshade effects/shaders:

When you have the add-on toggler enabled, you won't be able to toggle individual reshade effects with keyboard shortcuts. Say you want to disable ADOF for the time being, you can only disable it w/ keyboard shortcut when the add-on toggle is off or by disabling it manually in the reshade panel.

\\ REST v 1.1.0 issue with toggling reshade effects/shaders:

If you try to disable your reshade effects altogether, the togglers (when enabled) will prevent that from happening and you have to disable the toggler first in order to disable all reshade effects. Version 1.2.1 doesn't have this issue and will work as usual.

Workaround to issue:

Change the hotkeys to the add-on to be the same as your hotkey for toggling effects on/off. If you use F2 to toggle all effects, change the add-on/toggle groups hotkeys to that.

[galaxy-of-me]

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! TRICK OR TREAT?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!!!

treat :]

🍬🍬🍬

[frenchgremlim1808]

Hello yttd nation I have an announcement to make, yesterday after harassing @dailykeiji threatening him of death, asking for muppetji x baldji and calling him a grandpa I had a revelation. My third eye opened and my mind was finally cleared.

As the kanna fan I have enough, enough of people disrespecting the bucket, enough of kanna literally losing every poll she's in 😭. Enough is enough. Why is the kanna nation always losing I said to myself. And I realised. Strength is in numbers, a single individual cannot change the world but one can start the wildfire to convince others. A single spark can create the toughest fire.

Which is why I have decided to group and create a union between all the Kanna fans, to all stand besides a single banner....

I'm renaming the Kanna fandom "The Rats", why rats you may say, a single rat is only a nuisance but an army is danger. And also rats are like cute smart and very intelligent. While we are not that strong nor that influencial we are still the ones who can changes the world all together as one group.

How to join the rats you may say there is only one criteria, loving the one and only Kanna Kizuchi. Anybody can be a rats. Also all my subscribers are like already rats I mean, like, if you follow my blog you must like Kanna you know, I'm the biggest kanna fan.

I am inviting you all to become a rats. I am also inviting people in being apart of the rats, you were chosen to be members of our new found mutual strength.

I am inviting to become exclusive rats members @averagecatdoodlesenjoyer (who owns a kanna blog) @gr33ncynth @bouquet-of-blood-and-bones @daily-bucket-girl @five-crows-in-a-trenchcoat @runetallem @thatoneluckybee and everyone from the discord honestly.

So as the new rats lord I will create a tag #rats assembly, this tag will be used to make us do something all together and defend the honor of the bucket.

Also brody I want you to know, I promised an army man, I'm at your door in your walls brody, I have decide to start to attack Brody. Be aware of your ears brody.

[prxnce]

The Love Letter Save by Prxnce (V.1)

after 8 long months, i can finally share the first version of my save file, a true love letter to my childhood.

V.1 Information!

the goal with version 1 was to complete the 3 basegame worlds first! i touched every town and filled the save with familiar faces from previous sims games. there are very complex family trees. sims have skills, relationships, and careers! i wanted to get one version out before growing together was released. so although not every world is perfect, they are certainly playable.

Roadmap

100% complete: willow creek, oasis springs. newcrest, san myshuno, strangerville, tartosa, moonwood mill (doesn’t mean i wont come back to these towns but im not worried about them after this version)

75% complete: windenburg, brindleton bay, evergreen harbor, henford-on-bagley, mt. komorebi, copperdale

50% complete: del sol valley

needs TLC: magnolia promenade, forgotten hollow, sulani, glimmerbrook, brightchester

*im only human! if a household or lot is missing some love or attention let me know in my asks box! i will also take suggestions for townies or lots for future versions of the save*

whats required?

no cc!

every ep sp and gp up to the release of 3/5/23

how to install?

un-zip the zip file

from there, drag the file into your saves folder

if you already have a save under that slot number just rename it!

why?

if you are a long time sims player, you know the sims 4 lacks a lot of depth and personality. i found myself wanting sims 2 and sims 3 sims in my game often, so i met in the middle and combined the storylines of sims 2-4. in this save it is still an alternate timeline (iykyk) but a timeline that is more similar to the ones from previous games. bella goth is missing! the caliente sisters are still up to no good! and the pleasant family should still seek family counseling. i want to give a special thanks to LifeSimmer, who permitted me to use the Fenderson family in this save. i have been playing the sims since i was 9 years old and now 11 years later that family is just as special to my inner sims child as the goth family.

THANK YOU FOR DOWNLOADING AND ENJOY VERSION 1!! 

im gonna go play the game now before i start working towards version 2

You Can Tag Me On → Twitter ← If you find yourself deep in the save

V.2 IS OUT NOW 

DOWNLOAD  *added an update 4/9/23*

[postmodernbeliever]

how to relax - fox mulder x female reader (smut)

a seemingly endless case in the middle of nowhere has you stressed out of your mind, to the point where the only thing that doesn't push you too far is fox mulder. with all that stress and no way to reel yourself in, your partner decides he wants to help show you how to relax.

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

wrote this bc sometimes we (i) just need a (toe curling) self-insert to satisfy our (my) daydreams. i dedicate this to all those who are chubby and in love with fox mulder. if you prefer to read on ao3, you can find me at the same username.

my ao3 | word count; 5,419 (i got excited, okay?)

content tags (i copied from ao3 bc im lazy): dom fox mulder, praise kink, fluff and smut, cunnilingus, vaginal sex, vaginal fingering, hand & finger kink, subspace, size difference, belly bulge, co-workers, mutual pining, idiots in love, pet names, stress relief, cross-posted on ao3, smut, subtle plus size reader, soft fox mulder, mentions of freudian shit bc come on this is the x files, talking you through it, fox is literally so awoooooga the whole time, fox gets cocky as always, fox mulder the munch, bathroom sex, fox just can’t help himself literally so i hope you enjoy

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°

you’d been beyond stressed all day, but that wasn’t out of the ordinary for you. what was frustrating was that you had managed to grow so agitated that it seemed nothing could help you calm down. 

your work with the fbi was your life, in all its stress-inducing, time-consuming, hair-splitting glory. you were as tight-assed as they came (ask literally anybody!) all of that pressure on top of a naturally anxious and irritable demeanor made you difficult to enjoy being around, and you knew it. but today, of all days, it was truly catching up to you physically. the muscles of your jaw were sore from the tension they held, fighting between your teeth for release. your head swelled between your eyes and nose, pulsing softly like a glowing light that wouldn’t dim. your throat was dry, your footsteps heavy, your hands restless; you were wound so tight that everyone you encountered feared you might snap like a rubber band, lashing against them in recoil. 

fox mulder was the only one who had stayed on your good side all day, which is surprising, given your partner was typically the casual aggressor of your everyday life- what with his constant nagging and ridiculous speculations about every crime you investigated. he never once changed his attitude, let alone change the color shirt he wore to work every day. yet it seemed this time he was off the hook, because the case you’d both been assigned was dragging like no other. 

it was your fifth day in the desolate yellow countryside of a rural town you so lovingly renamed as bumblefuck, virginia; all you possessed was an immaterial, mulder-esque lead that couldn’t be pinned down (as your fellow agent was torn between shapeshifter and werewolf). on top of that were ten dead bodies, no evidence, and a motel room with broken air conditioning, complete with a leaky sink. you were sick to death of the heat, and the town, and the local policemen who seemed to have but two executive functions: hit on you or ignore your assertions. for a stagnant fifth day, you’d experienced more frustration than ever- the cops have begun to give up on catching a suspect, fox was investigating muddy footprints all afternoon like the freak he is, and you were stuck to sit in the closet-sized archives room at the local library where teenagers and nagging townspeople came in to ogle the “fbi lady”… jesus, no wonder your head hurts. 

fox came by every so often to check on you that afternoon. once with a cup of coffee, once with half of a sandwich he’d thoughtfully taken a bite out of to piss you off, and again with dirt all over his face and a wild story about how he caught a glimpse of his x file mid-attack. if you weren’t used to his personality by now it might’ve made things worse, but in a way his teasing and subtle acts of service were the only soothing memories you had to reflect on. he was a moment of consistency between the endless chaotic installments of the afternoon. 

at the end of the day, you were mentally exhausted, hungry for the other half of that sandwich fox ate, and in need of the shitty motel bed; at the very least some peace and quiet, just for one night. but it seemed your partner wouldn’t let you have it. 

you’d had about an hour to yourself before fox materialized in your motel room. after a shower that quickly ran cold, you slipped into a sweatshirt, a threadbare set of sleep shorts that were a bit tight for your pudgy legs, and two flimsy socks that didn’t match because you hadn’t packed for a trip this long. you’d tried watching the television, but the antennae were spotty no matter how you arranged them. the air conditioning machine clanked and whistled nonstop, and hiding under your pillows didn’t dull the racket. the best part was when you tried to light the little bedside yankee candle and the lighter ran out of fluid- but not before it sparked and burned your thumb. you’d finally begun to decompress when a familiar knock sounded from outside. summoning a forcibly loud groan- so your tall visitor heard exactly how you felt- you clambered off the creaking bed and towards the door, which revealed his trademark smug smile. 

“good evening, watson!”

“what do you want?” you sighed, closing your eyes. 

you felt his hand push your shoulder to the side, and the man squeezed past you into the room. you scoffed and said, “oh, please, make yourself at home!” 

“i will, thank you,” fox teased. “i came to check on you.”

“because?”

“well, you’ve been a wreck all day! didn’t laugh at one of my jokes. you nearly bit the sheriff's head off tonight when we checked in at the station before leaving… i just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“oh? well, you know what? no, mulder, i’m not okay. we’ve been stranded out in the middle of nowhere for a week with no leads and no progress and the food here sucks and i haven’t had a single good night’s sleep and all my socks are dirty!” you ranted, pacing in front of the half-open door like a lunatic. 

fox grinned as if he knew something you didn’t and turned from you, heading towards the tiny bathroom tucked in the corner of the room. you slammed the front door shut and followed him, snapping, “what, you come in asking how i feel and just walk away? explain to me how that makes any sense, mulder!”

the agent leaned against the bathroom sink, hands laid curiously on the lip of the counter. he dutifully watched the little crystal droplets that fell rhythmically down the ceramic bowl. the air surrounding him felt charged, like if you stepped too close, you’d get shocked; almost as if his thoughts were electrifying the oxygen. 

he frustrated you beyond belief sometimes. the man stood in your bathroom like his day was going perfectly fine. a gray t-shirt clung to his lean arms, hugging the curves of his biceps like it was tailored for him alone; his sweatpants were black and littered with lint from the hairy couch in his apartment, and they hung low on his hips, peeping the waistband of his black boxers like a well-known secret. his hair was pointing every which way in its tawny misdirection, and he had the nerve to inspect your sink, and lick his lips like he had all the time in the world to enjoy the southern sticks and lupine mysteries, all while you had to scour newspapers and sleep in ten minute increments to survive. 

“mulder, what the hell are you doing?” 

“your sink is leaking.” 

“yeah, i know, sherlock.”

“did you ask them to fix it?”

“mulder, i will not hesitate to kick you out.”

“jeez, somebody’s worked up.”

the man pivoted on his feet, facing you with a newfound sense of purpose. you were prepared to object his statement, but were silenced by his hands finding your hips. he was so quick to slide you up onto the counter that you forgot your rebuttal- in fact, in his rush to relocate you, you’d forgotten to think entirely. he had your thighs pinned to the cold, white countertop, and parted so he could press his tummy to the spot where your legs met. his shirt rode up in the moment, and you could feel the warmth of his bare skin against the fabric of your shorts. 

fox’s hands felt rough. you stared at them, at the sheer size, and recollected all the little stolen glances of those fingers sifting through his filing cabinets, or analyzing your field notes, or polishing his gun. countless vivid reminders of the strength of them as they pulled you back from bullets and unexpected staircases flashed before your eyes. how often you longed for them, you couldn’t say, but it was clear to you now as those same hands held you down that you had taken a serious liking to them. 

it took you a while, but you managed to mutter, “what are you doing?”

fox could only smile wider and say, “you need to relax, don’t you?” 

“what does that-”

“why don’t you let me help you?” 

you swallowed thickly, feeling a bubbling heat rise in your belly. his calloused palms rode up your legs, finding room for his thumbs to begin drawing soft, sweeping circles against your hip bones. your brain clouded so fast you forgot to answer. 

“i’ve never seen you so aggravated before… like, by every little thing. i mean, i know you get annoyed, but these past couple days have been so rough for you, haven’t they? just can’t calm down, can you? you look so tired, so tense. i can feel all the tension you’re keeping right… here,” he consoled, letting up on your hips to press a hand to your lower abdomen. when you sucked in a nervous breath, the man pressed a little harder, and you twitched beneath him. “i can fix that for you, if you want. show you how to relax a little.” 

“y-you’re not even supposed to be in here,” you wheezed, “agents… agents aren’t supposed to consort in the same room, mulder, remember?”

“awh, come on, don’t start following the rules on me now! don’t you wanna feel better, honey?” 

fox spoke like every word was a secret, leaning in close to your ear. the scruff of his five o’clock shadow brushed against your fresh face, eliciting a spidery chill down your spine. 

“what’s gotten into you, mulder?”

“i asked you a question, sweetheart.”

you panicked, swallowing air like it was water. these kinds of questions felt new coming from him. anxiously, you let out a shaky breath and nodded, hoping that was enough. you couldn’t handle much else.

“is that a yes?”

“...mhm.”

“can you say yes for me?”

fuck. “yes.”

“good girl. it’ll help, i promise.” 

it seemed he couldn’t be going any slower than he was just then, gingerly removing his hands from your waist and biting his lower lip like the reincarnate of a dream you’d entertained too many times before. you watched with a spinning head as his long, spindly fingers hooked under the waistband of your shorts. his pale eyes twinkled at you, sage steeped in milk, as he asked, “can i?” in that lilting voice he uses only when the room is begging for quiet. when you eagerly nodded, he chuckled, “lift up for me a little, okay?” 

you followed orders and pressed your shaky hands to the tile, raising your hips so he had room to slide your shorts down. his face melted at the sight of you underneath. 

night after night, he’d fantasized about those doe eyes of yours watching him free you up like this, but he never imagined he’d get the chance. until this afternoon, when he resolved to create the chance. through all these years working beside you, he’s only grown to admire you more. you were cunning, you were gentle with kids, you were smarter than he ever could be (even if you disagreed.) but you were also tired. you lived alone, you slept alone, you never asked for help and you declined every offer. fox hated to see you facilitate your own frustration. and this past week has only exacerbated his need to fix it- watching you so angry, so pent up, so in need of attention- he couldn't bear to let you suffer any longer. it seems he’s been lucky, too, because you sat quietly, patiently, all so that he could take care of you. grateful for the opportunity, fox didn’t want to waste any more time. 

with those dreamy fingertips grazing your underwear, fox was the spitting image of boyish charm. he admired the worn black and grey striped fabric covering what was left of you, thinking aloud, “had these for a while, huh?” 

“since i was in college,” you muttered, “everything i wore was dark back then.”

“nothing’s changed. you’re very punk rock,” he winked.

you didn’t know you were capable of laughing in your current state, but it came bubbling up in a nervous overflow. he watched your lips curl, and the way you threw your head back like you couldn’t stop yourself. you felt embarrassed to be so swayed by his stupid humor, but you had no choice. not when he had you wrapped around his finger like this.

“you’re a dork.”

“you like it, though,” he reassured. 

you watched the man hesitate, eyes darting down to your lips; you closed your eyes, hoping it would nudge him in the right direction, and you were right. fox had to crane his neck down a bit- because even with you on the counter, he was still taller- but he made himself level, and he pressed his lips to yours so gently you almost didn’t feel him there. what announced him was the taste of him, actually; stale coffee on his tongue, and what you deduced to be the black-label chapstick, the kind that tasted like medicine. you toppled into him like you were falling off a cliff, clinging to the hem of his shirt in longing. 

fox seemed to like how you hung on him. it made him feel risky. his hands meandered across your tummy, pushing up under your sweatshirt and roaming the soft skin of your back. he caught your bottom lip between his teeth and tugged softly, and when you opened your eyes in surprise, he nudged your nose like a kitten and let it go. he was good at taking control like this, at making your nerves ebb and flow to his pace. you were so entranced in the way his lips meshed with yours that when his dominant hand found its way to your hips again, you mewled in anticipation. 

“you sound a lot prettier when you’re not arguing with me,” fox joked. you met him with a soft sound from the back of your throat, and his eyebrows furrowed in amusement. “can barely speak, can you?”

“mm-mm,” you answered, trying to trap his lips again, but he pulled away. 

his eyes shifted shade, and you were now seeing yourself reflected in much darker irises. your back shivered against the mirror on the wall. he broke eye contact and let it linger on your legs, his palms swiping over the skin with intention. swiftly, he bent over and began pressing kisses to your inner thighs. you let out a strangled whine, which made him shudder.

“you want me to get to it, hm?”

“please, f… mulder,” you whispered, blushing like a fool. 

the man rose again to lock you in a soft kiss, one so much more loving than the others that it let butterflies loose in your chest. interrupting their fluttering, he prodded, “what was that?”

it was out of you before you had a chance to weigh the outcomes. “please, fox.” 

having teased long enough, fox dropped to his knees and pushed your panties aside. his mouth was so slick from all the time it spent on yours that it was dangerously warm as it pressed against your heat. you let out a lewd string of moans as his tongue trailed a long, torturous stripe between your folds, taking his sweet time getting to the top. he felt you throbbing, all the blood in your body pulsing like a heartbeat for him. his lips, just a bit swollen, peppered a few gentle kisses to the skin before surrounding your bud and starting to suck. 

you squeezed your eyes shut so hard it nearly brought your headache back. fox grunted between your hips, the pads of his fingers pressing hard into your bones. you softened for his tongue as it swirled inside your pussy, tracing shapes to drive you insane. your hands burrowed into his cropped cut and tugged in desperation, which he liked so much it practically made him growl; the sound bounced between your walls, sending a sensation into your stomach that made your legs tremble. he felt so good inside you like this, lapping like a puppy at your water; you bucked against his big nose, craving the friction, and he responded with relentless thirst for you.  

“fuck!” you whined, “fox- agh,”

coming up for a gulp of air, you caught a glimpse of his slick chin as it glinted in the yellow light. “feels good?” 

“shit,” you panted, “yes, obviously… more,” 

“more, huh?” fox licked his lips with hungry eyes. “i’m gonna need you to say please, baby.”

“jesus, fox, please! pretty please, baby, please just keep going,” 

“fuck, don’t call me names…” the man swooned at the broken cry in your voice, resolving to give you whatever you needed until the day you die. now wasn’t the time for confession, though, so he filed that away for later. “pretty please. god, you’re good.”

you nearly choked as he pushed two fingers into you, curling them in a rough come-hither motion. he bombarded you with himself, sucking hard on your clit and fucking his fingers into the swelling spot inside you, making you lurch against his touch like an animal. with your head thrown back against the motel mirror and pretty mouth gasping for him, he realized that his dreams could never do this moment justice. the sugary, tangy taste you left on his tongue, your soft skin that smelled like shower suffocating him, the way his name rolled off your tongue- you were the real fucking deal, not some half-assed daydream that got him off at night. you were beautiful, and for not being a praying man, being on his knees before you felt right. who was he to stand eye to eye with you, when down here where you were perched above him like an angel, he had so much more room to worship you? 

“fuck, i- oh, i’m…” you whimpered, grinding against his face with fervor. 

“let it go, honey, come on,” he cooed, “i’ll take care of you.” 

“b-but i- i’ve never- oh my god!”

the agent watched you battle with yourself, all the while writhing on the countertop, so he carefully brought his thumb to your clit and picked up the pace. he rose to you again, using his free arm to slither around the base of your back and pull your body flush against his. you bunched his shirt in your fists helplessly and hid your face in his shoulder. it took all his strength not to collapse right then and there, but he kept moving for you, and you rocked against his palm like you were made for it. when he realized you were going to need a little more help, he gave it to you. 

you were stressed, after all, and sometimes somebody’s just got to talk you through it, right?

“never had it this good before, hm? nobody’s ever made you cum, sweetheart? you poor thing,” fox twitted, clicking his tongue. “you work so hard. my smart girl, so good at her job, so independent… you deserve to be taken care of, to feel good, baby. to let go of all that stress,” 

you struggled to think straight as his gruff voice battled the ringing in your ears. his palm pressed against your back with so much care, like if he moved it you’d shatter into a million pieces. it was all so much, to have your partner with you like this; to hear him breathing beside you, to feel his fingers in a place you’d never thought they’d be. he saw the gears turning in your head still, and he wanted to shut your brain off for good. and god, did he. fox coaxed it right out of you like it was his job. 

“come on, good girl, you can do it,” he whispered. “cum for me, honey, i know you can. show me you can.”

for every moment of danger you found yourself stuck in, fox was there to protect you. when you got reprimanded by a director, he was there to hold your hand behind the safety of the desk. when you were late and needed a cover, he was prepared with a detailed story. you’d forgotten a raincoat a comical number of times, so many in fact that he began keeping a spare in his office for you to borrow. fox was always there, waiting to help you, to guide you, and if it was fucked up (so far as to call it freudian) then so be it- you needed it from him. you needed his safety, his warmth, the strength of his arms around you. his reassurance. 

and to hear him care for you like this, too, to pull on your strings and unravel you like a tired tapestry… god, nothing ever felt so good. 

fox’s eyes rolled back as you twitched on his fingers, moaning his name like a prayer into the stuffy bathroom air. your hands struggled to find a place to stay as they combed through his hair frantically, tugging and trembling; it was like you’d never been touched before in your life. you had, but very few times, and it was just like he said- nobody had done it right. but he had. it felt like his hands were crafted to please you. they knew exactly where to touch, how fast, how gentle, how deep. the man figured you out instantly, which was as exciting as it was terrifying. you’ve never felt so out of it in your entire life. 

you panted wildly, and fox gave soft kisses to your hair while you tried to regain your composure. but you couldn’t. you couldn’t get a grasp on anything. the world was floating in limbo around you, all inconstant; the countertop felt as foreign to you as flying did. but even in your daze, you craved more- the second he stopped, you needed him to start again. you could barely speak, but he heard your mumblings: “m…more, more, f… foxie,”

that nickname gave him goosebumps. slowly, he said, “baby, i don’t have anything with me for that,”

“don’t care. please.” you begged. there was no way he could say no to you, not when your pretty, cloudy eyes looked up at him how they did. 

“okay, baby, okay.” 

fox gave no warning, but nothing would have prepared you anyway- you instinctively opened your hips wider just to make enough room for him. he pushed all the way in, letting himself bottom out; the man let out a moan so guttural that you clenched around him in reflex. you were lucky enough to see him make that pretty ‘o’ face, and that might’ve been enough for you, honestly, but it wasn’t for him. he needed you, and he needed you fast. 

his thrusts were no match for all the grinding you could do. he snapped back and forth like a whip, hips rolling so hard that it felt like he was digging inside you deeper each time. you dragged your nails down his back, trying to find something to hold onto, but his moans in your ear as he hid his face in your neck were so distracting you kept having to start over. 

“jesus, baby, you’re so tight for me,” he grumbled, “feels so good, you’re doing so good… fuck, my good girl.”

his praise made every nerve in your body short-circuit. it didn’t matter how he moved, you couldn’t stop babbling. he tugged your hips forward a little more, making you slump against the mirror, and you clutched the countertop for dear life. 

“can’t use your words, huh, baby? look at you, smartest analyst in the fbi and you can barely speak, all because of me,” he tormented. the man pressed his right hand against your tummy again, just like he had before, and he growled with lust. he seized your hand and pressed it flat beneath his in the same spot, and he fucked you harder, forcing it down until you felt his thrusting beneath your palm. you never thought you’d feel anything like this, not with your soft stomach, but he was making it possible.

“you feel that, pretty? feel me inside you, filling you up? you’re mine now. all mine.”

you had no control. you whined, “foxie,” jerking your hips against his cock in a craze. 

“god, that’s right, that’s my girl.” he smiled.

“s-so… a-agh, please!”

“mm, i know, baby, keep going,” 

you had no more words left, you’d used them all. fox had figured out how to take away all your stress, yet in the process, he took your whole mind with it. now you were just his, a thing to be kissed, a fleshy body for him to praise. for a control freak, you loved being the one under another’s control for once. 

you scratched at fox’s shoulders, a mindless drop of drool dribbling from the corner of your mouth. you felt his cock as it swelled against your slick walls, and how it poked against your insides, and if that weren’t enough, he moved his hand to your clit again and resumed rubbing those blissful circles into it. you could only sit there and grind against his touch, muttering strings of curses and unintelligible sounds.

“agh, baby, you’re so pretty like this,” his moans were growing harsh, turning into whines. “all fucked out, mm, so pretty for me,”

his hips started snapping erratically, and your back arched against the increasing speed. his teeth met your shoulder and he bit softly, grumbling, “i’m so close,”

in what felt like a cry but came out as a strangled whimper, you warned, “m’gonna… agh…” 

fox watched your face screw up in pleasure, and it pushed him right over the edge. your body collapsed as you let go, and he rushed to hold you to him and keep you upright. all the way in your gut, where your hand once rested, you felt him pooling all over, thick and warm. his thumb swirled you slowly, working you through it so you didn’t get too shocked. he was stationary for a while, unable to move from the overstimulation; but when he did, he watched the stuff bubble out of you, though only just a bit. his throat closing up at the sight. he gathered some of it on his fingers and raised them to your lips, and you licked them sweetly. his stomach churned as you gazed down at his hand with foggy eyes, somehow still lustful after all he’d done to tire you out. 

“good job, baby, you were so good for me,” he crooned, leaving sloppy, tired kisses all over your neck. “someone’s gotta take care of you, don’t they?” 

you just murmured little hums, and he loved every second of it. 

“you hear me, pretty girl? nobody takes better care of you than me, you got it? who takes good care of you?” 

“foxie,” you admitted in your mindless bliss. 

“that’s right, baby, foxie does. you’re all mine, honey,” he gushed. “not so stressed anymore, are you?”

“mm-mm.”

“are you okay? take a deep breath for me.”

you tried to speak, but the words weren’t forming. you couldn’t string anything together. all you could do was make quiet noises and mutter his name. “mmph… foxie,”

“here, come here, honey.” 

fox tucked his hands beneath your thighs, and after instructing you to wrap your arms around his neck nice and tight, he carried you from the croaking bathroom sink to the motel bed, where he took extra care in laying you down comfortably. he climbed on top of you and adjusted your shirt, smoothing the fabric over your plush tummy and drawing a dopey smile from you. 

“stuck in your head, hm?” fox asked. 

he’d read up on this type of thing before- subspaces. typically common in BDSM practices, but not exclusively. there was a study conducted that detailed the experience theoretically as a headspace induced by rushes of endorphins, causing the receiver to fall into a trance-like state. he remembered reading how when someone is in a subspace their ability to communicate can be impaired and so can their judgment. it was also suggested that asking grounding questions may help coax people out of them (don’t ask how he found such a study.) so being the guy he is, he took everything very slowly from there, and followed the science. 

“can you hear me, sweetheart?” 

“mm.”

“good. what’s my name?” 

your stomach fluttered at the question, and warmth pooled between your hips at the softness with which he asked, but your brain was two steps behind. it took you a minute to answer, and you could only do it with your eyes closed. “foxie,” you muttered. 

“good girl, good job. that’s right,” he rewarded you with a kiss to the collarbone. beneath his breath he muttered, “fuck, if that isn’t cute.”

he could see you were somewhere else. all of your behavior was so needy. you might’ve thought you were a headcase before, but he’s no stranger to id impulses either; he saw how you pushed into his palms, how you refused to let go of his shirt, and he just wanted to help you through it. he wanted to make sure you felt safe. 

“baby, can you open your eyes for me? can you let me see your pretty eyes?” 

you peeked through one and saw his handsome face staring back at you, that toothy grin blooming flowers in your chest. slowly you opened the other, and even though the world was swirling, you managed to keep them open.

“you’re doing so good, thank you, baby,” he chuckled. “now, i’m gonna put your shorts back on, okay?”

“m’kay.” 

you took a deep breath. he watched your chest rise and fall, and your cheeks burn even redder than he thought possible. your hand held his wrist tightly, tight enough that he prayed your nails would leave little moon-shaped marks behind. you shook your head and tried to wipe away the fuzzy feeling. 

“what’s my name again?” he asked, noticing how hard you were trying to focus. he tapped on your hip so you’d know to lift them, and he wriggled your shorts back on, admiring how they hugged the skin.  

“f-fox.”

“good. what’s my job?” 

“you’re… a profiler,” you volleyed, feeling a little more grounded with each passing second. 

“good girl. and where are we, honey?”

you squinted at him and smiled, “bumblefuck, virginia.” 

when fox laughed, it felt like all the angels rung their bells. something about seeing his face light up and whatever was plaguing him, whatever he was in danger of, just wash away in the moment was nothing short of enlightenment. you wished he’d laugh more, so you could see divine intervention on the regular. 

“coming back to me, hm?” 

“yeah,” you giggled. 

fox leaned down and pressed a kiss to the corner of your mouth. “i’m trying not to let my ego explode right now, you know,” he smirked, “i never thought you wanted me so bad.” 

you blushed, hiding behind your hands. “i… oh, god.”

“no, no, it was cute! really. you… you don’t know how badly i’ve wanted to do that.” he promised. 

“i’ve never felt-” you paused, wondering if it was worth saying. yet, if he could bring you back to earth after fucking you stupid, what secrets could you hide from him? “i’ve never felt like this about anyone before.”

“who, me?” fox laughed.

“mhm. it’s just…  agh. you. it’s only you, fox. embarrassingly so.”

it was his turn to blush then. fox leaned down to catch you in one more kiss, and you felt his hand search the bedsheets for yours so he could tangle your fingers with his own. he didn’t want to break away, so he said it right into your mouth, pausing for air: “god- i have- loved- you for- so long.”

fox couldn’t help but feel proud of himself as he laid down between your legs, resting his head on your warm belly like it was a pillow. you instinctively took to his hair, playing with the chocolatey tufts and wishing he’d never move. he fit so perfectly right there, and now you couldn’t ever let him go. you didn’t want to.

with one last kiss to your hip, fox grinned. “told you i could help.”

[linnaealyn]

Old mod page, abandoned 3/2/24; New mod page @ Godsibb

Finally, after 2 years of work, it is complete. -But still being updated.

There's a Japanese version of the mod now!

今は日本語版のMODがある！

This is a mod for Xenogears using Retroarch's Beetle PSX HW core real-time texture replacement feature. (It requires the Vulkan driver, so make sure your graphics card supports that.) (Duckstation doesn't have a similar option, unfortunately.)

It replaces every single character dialogue portrait, menu portrait, & (almost every) battle portrait (looking at you, Yggdra officer Gear pilots) with high quality, cleaned up artwork, as well as recreated high quality UI while keeping it as close to the original game as possible.

And best thing about it is, if there's anything you don't like about it, like certain aspects of the UI, you can locate and delete that file from the folder. Everything is optional. (if you have any questions as to what's what, drop them into my dms)

Current version: 1.4

現在の日本語版: 1.4

(More screenshots below download info and UI changes.)

Being a real-time texture replacer, it should work with any English version of XG, both base-game and modded/patched. Any fan-translated patch using the US version as a base should display correctly.

There's a separate version for the Japanese version of the game. May need some editing still with other characters' UI ("Ether"/"Spells"/"Arcane"/etc) but for the most part its good to go in terms of battle UI. Let me know if you find any errors.

(I've been using it with the Perfect Works Build mod. Highly recommended!)

(Note!!: If you use PWB mod, don't use its "readjusted portraits" patch when patching your rom, as that patch interferes with this mod's portraits texture replacing.)

(It works on Steam Deck... but don't ask me for details in setting that up in particular, I don't own one 😅)

~~~

Download/ダウンロード

I recommend reading the instructions txt files I included in the DL.

This includes information such as how to set up .cue and .m3u files, swapping discs, renaming the texture folder, Retroarch settings and Beetle PSX HW Core settings to get the mod working, settings suggestions for making a cleaner looking and faster playing XG (YMMV), and settings to fix certain emulation issues Ive come across (freezing on fast-forward, crackling audio during 3D/effects-heavy cutscenes/gameplay, blank screen during Rico flashback, etc).

~~~~~~~~~~

-Changes made to the UI include:

Menu UI:

selection triangle, Walk/Gear icons

menu portraits

▲ ■ ● ✖ button DeathBlow menu icons

ABXY button DeathBlow menu icon- alternate textures

Battle UI and on-foot specific battle UI:

Circular battle palette and tags behind text

Battle palette text, "Combo", "Return", "Enter", "Miss", "EP", & HP/DMG/heal/AP numbers

HP/AP bars

"Time", "fuel", "total damage", AP numbers, "1/2/3 point(s)", "cancel end"

battle portraits

▲ ■ ● ✖ button DeathBlow icons

ABXY button Deathblow icons- alternate textures

Bottom screen mid-DeathBlow ▲ ■ ✖ icons (unfortunately, there's no way to change the other mid-DB quadruple-button icons)

Combo 1-7 and Accept icons

In-Gear specific battle UI:

"fuel" and fuel numbers

"Fuel" (when using boost)

fuel bars (top and left)

All Gear status menus' green text/numbers

Attack level numbers and ∞

Gear menu backgrounds

Gear "power shut down", "camera damaged", "out of fuel", etc, statuses

background UI elements, runes, triple red triangles, Gear lock-on UI (unfortunately, there's no way to change the circular part of this UI)

Misc UI changes:

Red/grey spheres (in the menu and loading screen)

All instances of selection diamonds, both horizontal and vertical

Load/save screen "CARD 1"/"2" text, memory card icon, load/save bar/text

Disc 1 and 2 maps (with alternate color versions; makes the enterable area indicators harder to see though)

NESW compass letters (unfortunately, there's no way to change the circular compass texture)

~~~~~

-Screenshots (before & after and alts):

And Japanese version's (日本語版) UI:

⬇!!Spoilers in images further down!!⬇

--

I won't be showing all portraits here; only the ones worth mentioning.

Portraits created for the mod that have no artwork equivalent:

Portraits to match their sprites vs official unedited artwork:

(default on left, alt on right)

Roni/Medena/Erich edited sprite equivalent vs their official PW art

Citan edited unsmiling (dialogue-only) sprite equivalent vs official smiling art)

Krelian(s) edited sprite equivalent vs official art

Portrait alts created for fun:

Both sides of scar-eyed Bart

Two-eyed Bart

Kim lab coat with glasses

Fei-colored Id

Fei-colored Id with Id's yellow eyes

Fei-colored young & older Emeralda

(might add to this list later. have any suggestions? fun ideas? lmk. It doesn't have to be canon-compliant.)

Screenshots of alt portraits in-use:

I'll continue to update this and subsequently reblog it as new versions are released.

With any new updates, just DL and replace/overwrite the old folder.

In-progress tumblr post of the past as a bit of a time capsule for myself 😄

[ogh-rambles]

Rewriting Fate - Chapter 3

chapter 2 > chapter 3 (you're here!) > chapter 4(in progress...)

word count! 2.5k+

warnings! none a/n: guys i might need to forget tagging anyone on this one, it's saying i have too many words AGHAG, and ALSO renamed the series!! more short and simple

You had closed your eyes a while ago.

The puppet looked over your sound, peaceful face with curious doe eyes. He didn't understand what you were doing, however, you had not seemed like you were in any danger or pain so he had let you be.

Reaching a slim hand out, he hesitated before gently brushing a hand against your cheek. Your mouth twitched, and he reeled back, clutching his hand against his chest with wide eyes watching your every move.

Shuffling around, your head turned slightly more towards him-- allowing him to see you more closely. He relaxed his shoulders.

How bizarre, he thought. Why had he gotten the urge to do such a thing?

Pressing his palm to his chest, he could sense the power that ran through his body pulse rapidly in his chest. It fluttered wildly under his synthetic skin. 

Shuffling closer to you, he placed his thin veil over your form. Laying back as you were, he faced you.

Rummaging around he pulled out the trinket that his m-- his creator had left with him before she had placed him in that unfamiliar-familiar place. It was cold under his similarly frigid fingertips, the gold glinting under the faint moonlight as if it was mocking him.

Unwillingly, the corners of his lips twitched into a frown as he looked into the stars that reflected off of the feather.

You mumbled something incoherent.

He jolted at the sound, looking away from the golden ornament to you. His gaze drifted to your hand, which had moved closer to him, limp in the grass.

Swallowing, he clutched the feather tight as his free hand inched closer toward yours. Your fingertips brushed against his own and he froze. Your hands were much warmer than his. His tense gaze darted from hands to your face, hands, and to your face again.

To his dismay, it was twisted into a slight grimace, your brows knitted together tight. It was an expression that made his chest twist and churn. He didn't like the feeling, he decided.

Unsure of what to do, he slid his palm over your hand-- trying to replicate what you had done in his 'prison'. 

His fingers clumsily wrapped around yours as he hoped that his visible joints wouldn't bring you any discomfort. Looking up from your intertwined hands, he watched as your face relaxed.

It brought a strange fuzzy feeling within him that he couldn't quite understand. His shoulders sagged as a small smile blossomed against his lips. 

It was alright. He would ask you what it was once you were awake.

A soft tickling of what you think is a breeze against your face was the first thing you felt as your eyes fluttered open.

Clear blue sky greeted you as you adjusted to the brightness of everything around you. Groaning at the new-found stiffness that you could feel in your back, you close your eyes, going to rub at them only to realise one of your limbs had already been occupied. Your grogginess dissipated in an instant.

Turning to your side, you're immediately faced with a flash of bright indigo and a curious porcelain face. Your bewildered eyes flicker to your hand that Kuni was grasping onto before looking back up at him.

"Are you alright?" Kuni quietly asks you, examining you intently. "You are looking at me strangely."

"I... sorry, did I accidentally grab your hand while I was sleeping?"

You go to move your hand, however, the distressed expression that he was giving you and the subtle way he gripped down made you think otherwise. You relaxed in his grip and his face eased into one of content. Kuni looked back up at you.

"No, I did." Your brows raised at his bluntness. "Your face was all scrunched up. So, I put my hand around yours, like you did before, to make you all better again and it worked."

"Oh, did I?" You couldn't recall having a nightmare whilst you were asleep, but then again -- dreams came and went too quickly sometimes to remember. "Thank you."

"It's alright." His face lit up at those two words before he paused and looked at you quizzically. "Is sleeping another human thing?"

Your eyes widen. Right, you remembered, Kuni did not need sleep to function. You clear your throat.

"Ah, yeah. We need sleep to work properly." You amusedly watch him listen, hanging on to your every word. "It's another necessity for us. Helps our bodies regain energy."

The puppet did not know why you kept on referring to humans as... 'we' and 'us' and not just 'Humans'.

It was all a bit confusing to him, but he found that he liked it. Liked it when you spoke to him as if he was a human just like you... He wished to be a human just like you. But... maybe in your eyes, he was already one.

'More human than me.' You had said. Something flutters inside his chest at the thought.

A hand waving in front of his face jolted him out of his stupor.

"Helloo... You still with me?" You chuckled at his wide-eyed expression. "You've been staring at me quite a lot recently."

He nervously bit at his lower lip, remembering that he had watched you 'sleep' all night. He diverts his attention away from you to the sandy beach, watching the waves wash in and out.

"Oh... then, should I stop?" He asked. "Is it a bad thing to do?"

"No. Well, not to me at least." 

His head perked up at your peppy response, eyes darting back to a sheepish expression on your face.

"Other people may think it's a bit rude though." You explained, running your fingers through the veil that you had noticed. "Just make sure the person you're staring at is comfortable with you doing so."

He bobbed his head with enthusiasm, at the sight of your smile. "Alright."

Eventually, tired of simply waiting for something to happen, you stood up. The puppet watched as you lifted your arms above your head and reached for the clouds, flinching as your body made that nauseating cracking sound once again. 

He'll never get used to the strange noises your body made, he thought.

You sighed heavily as you looked around the area.

"Well. None of this seems familiar." You finally spoke after a few seconds of blankly observing your surroundings. "Guess we better start walking until we reach someplace... or meet someone, I suppose."

"Meet someone?" He asked you, with wide eyes. "Who?"

You laughed nervously before shaking your head. "Anyone who could help us."

"Why would we need help? We are fine are we not?" He furrowed his brows.

"Well, yes -- but what if it rains...? Or... we get attacked? Sleeping outside is quite dangerous, you know." You pointed out, handing him back his veil. "Plus, it's a bit chilly."

He blinked. "I'll protect you. I don't need sleep."

You spluttered, a sound akin to a horrific mix of both a laugh and a cough coming out of you as Kuni fretted over your hunched form.

"Did I say something wrong?" He asked, and you panicked at the corners of his thin lips that threatened to twitch downwards.

 "No... no. I'm just being a bit silly." You shook your head adamantly, having regained reasonable composure. You continued to explain. "And... you could -- but I don't want to see you get hurt if something goes wrong."

Bright indigo eyes fluttered as he tilted his head to the side.

"Oh. I understand."

Your lips spread into a grin. "Mhm. Now let's try and find some civilization. There should be a town or something near here."

Taking his hand in yours you headed along the shoreline. Kuni staggered a little behind you before swiftly catching up, walking beside you -- curious about where you would lead him now.

Despite your valiant efforts, you could not for the life of you find where the town was. It shouldn't be too difficult to find if you were looking at the in-game layout of Tartarasuna Island, but for some strange reason, everything seemed to be blown multiple times out of proportion.

Perhaps the in-game environments were sized down for the player's comfort. You couldn't imagine how vast Sumeru might be since this island was "big" to you now.

It was getting darker and colder as the sun slowly dipped under the horizon once more, the whole day going by quicker than you had anticipated it to be. 

You shivered as you rubbed at your arm with your free hand. The thin clothes you had on were not doing you any justice against the chilly breeze that drafted across the shore. You envied Kuni right about then, the male looking absolutely unaffected by the drop in temperature.

Kuni looked your way, brows pinching in confusion. "Why are you shaking?" 

"It's a reaction humans have when it gets c--cold. It's supposed to help the body warm up a bit, but as y--you can see? It's n--not very... sufficient when I've got n--nothing else to heat m--me up." You attempted to speak through your chattering teeth.

The puppet frowned at this, before realizing he could help in some way. He lit up, tugging his veil off of him and gingerly pulling it over your shoulders. It wasn't something like a thick blanket, but it helped block out some of the icy wind that the Inazuman sea brought in.

"Is this okay?" He searched your eyes for approval. "I don't feel cold, so you can have it."

Nodding, you gratefully clutched the veil closer around you. "Much better. Thank you."

Immediately, he fawned at your thanks with a closed-eyed smile. "It's okay."

When you glanced over to the horizon, the last sliver of light from the sun was beginning to slip behind the long stretch of sea. You turned to Kuni with a weak smile.

"We should probably start l--looking for somewhere safe to rest tonight. I know you d--don't feel the cold, but I sure do -- so preferably somewhere that'll sh--shield us from the wind." 

Kuni nodded obediently and began to search around. It was not long before he found a secluded little opening in one of the stone cliffsides that were scattered around the island. It's a bit smaller than the cave you had found the domain you found Kuni in, but it fitted both of you.

It's not a tight fit, more of a snug one as you sit with your back pressed up against one of the stone walls and the veil pulled up to your chin. Kuni leans up against the other, gazing over you almost like he was awed. You lift your brow at him.

"Are you alright?"

He blinks at you like he had just snapped out of a daze, before averting his gaze to the ground, seeming a bit sheepish. "Yes. I am... just shocked that I was able to leave that place. I thought that I would have to stay there forever."

"The domain is pretty and all but I think I'd go insane if I had to stay there forever." You retort, grimacing at the reminder of the state you had found the male in.

Deep violet eyes flickered back, catching your eyes again. He looked confounded. "But then, why did you want to go back so badly...?"

You scrunched up your face in thought before coming to a vague confession.

"I was... expecting someone to be there. Someone who could help."

Kuni's shoulders slumped at your response. "I still don't understand why we are in need of help. Who were you expecting?"

You sucked in a sharp breath, thinking of what to say without exposing too much of what you knew.

"That's--"

A strange yet warm glowing light flickered over the opening. It blinds you for only a second before a deep voice calls out, making both you and Kuni freeze.

"Is someone there?"

The voice was familiar.

The veil slides off you as you swiftly shuffled out from the nook you were huddled in, making your way out of the opening. A trembling cold hand suddenly wrapped firmly around your wrist.

Your head whirled around to find Kuni on the other end, desperately staring up at you. Shaking his head quietly, he lightly tugged at your arm. Come back inside, his wide eyes seemed to say. Don't go.

Kuni was scared.

(Scared that you'd get hurt. Scared that you'd leave him.)

Your eyes softened and you tapped the hand that was holding so fervently onto you. 

"Come with me then?" You asked in a hushed tone, watching his reaction carefully. "You can protect me if things go bad."

You were sure things wouldn't go bad, you were sure who the person was. But Kuni didn't. You had to coax him somehow, since leaving him alone for a bit was not an option that he would be willing to take.

Kuni bit his lip nervously, as if in thought before hesitantly pulling himself up and taking the veil with him. He loosened his grip on your wrist, opting to hold your hand instead. 

"... Yes." He whispered back. "I will protect you."

You smiled wryly at how his voice trembled as he spoke. "Of course."

Turning back, you followed the warm glow in the near distance, Kuni trailing your every footstep like a lost puppy. His hand remained tightly gripped around your palm as you both neared the light.

The closer you get to the light, the more visible the man gets and the more sure you are about who he is.

It's a tall, well-built man in a dark navy haori, the faded white fabric around his shoulders and under holding his sleeves up and tight. His dark hair is gathered up into a high bun, a widow's peak prominent on his forehead. The man's face seems kind... worried as you grow closer, Kuni still following behind you. It's Katsuragi. He looks exactly like he does in-game. Thank... the archons, you guess. The strange familiar blue glow of the pavilion is also near. 

You must have gotten to him after he had reached the domain. You hoped that Katsuragi finding Kuni outside of the domain did not hinder the story too much.

"Are you alright...?" The samurai you know is Katsuragi asked, lifting the lantern closer to you. "Oh, you have someone else also!"

As the light from the lantern fell over Kuni, he shuffled a bit more behind you, eyes wary yet curious as he peeked over your shoulder.

"Ah..." You faltered, realising you had not figured out what to say after you had met Katsuragi. You hadn't expected to meet him so soon, and so suddenly nonetheless.

"You're both wearing interesting clothes... and you, the one standing behind them... that fabric seems so expensive... Just who are you two?" Katsuragi mumbled to himself, eyes darting from you to Kuni.

Another gust of wind blew over and the small flame in the lantern wavered. You shivered. Both Katsuragi and Kuni had noticed, their faces growing concerned.

"No matter." The samurai turned to face you, resolute. "Your clothes are most definitely unfit for how cold Tartarasuna's nights can get. Let me escort you both to our village. It's not so far from here."

"T--thank you." 

You just about fell over from relief.