#but what gets my goat is like. tech

[dullahandyke]

accidentally unfollowed u trying to send an ask i'm soso sorry T-T but also people who rely on chatgpt for uni are so incomprehensible to me partially because i took a quick college course last year to get into my job, social care, and like can you imagine having a carer or smth who didn't know what they were doing because they cheated the entire time they were learning??? but also like you're in an academic setting they're gonna have shit in place to notice plagiarism and they take that so seriously lmao. AI bros are annoying as fuck

Dw bro but SO REALLLL LIKE. I watched the main person I was bitching about for a while and they're a business student who was using chatgpt to pass a sociology test or something 😰😰 NOT a good sign for the businesses of tomorrow

[mockiatoh]

My biggest frustration with the left has always been the inability/unwillingness to work on making progress inside of the system while advocating for greater change.

I remember the first time I came to this realization.

I was nineteen, pregnant. We couldn’t afford to heat the house because we couldn’t afford the deposit to turn the gas on. It was miserably cold. The duplex we were renting was old and rickety and drafty. The window frames were messed up and there were cracks you could stick your finger through that were open to the elements.

Just, like, to give you an idea where we were financially. And this was better than we’d been doing before!

Anyway, I had recently started going to DSA meetings. And that month, they were talking about how a moderate democrat had successfully gotten a small increase in WIC benefits monthly. It came out to, like, $10 a month.

The members talking—mostly male, almost all doing decent—were scornful. The democrat should have pushed harder and gotten more, refused to accept anything until everyone else caved to their demands. I remember sitting there, quietly drinking the latte in the smallest size they had that I had bought with scrounged quarters, listening. Wishing it wasn’t held in an indie coffee shop because it was a luxury I really couldn’t afford, but it would be rude not to. Enjoying the coffee anyway.

I was one of the lucky ones who was getting that additional $10 a month through WIC. Even more exciting, we were now getting a voucher for the farmers’ market. I casually mentioned that WIC recipients would now be getting farmers’ market vouchers, too.

The guy who organized the meetings was a hard worker, passionate guy. Did something in tech.

He was like, “That’s the thing! These people don’t want farmers market vouchers. They want—” and he went on to describe a bunch of pie in the sky desires. That, yeah, sounded good.

But one. I was one of those people! A lot if the tamiles were super excited about it, myself included.

I had never been to a farmers’ market before. I tried arugula for the first time, a piece pulled from a bunch by the grower as he explained the flavor difference. I hadn’t known before then that different lettuce greens had different flavors, that it was more than just the texture and shape. I tried pesto, which delighted me. Goat cheese. I got three full pounds of strawberries for two dollars, since they were closing soon and the old man selling the berries got a kick out of me.

Anyway. It was like, you have a decent life. Not great but decent! The things that are life changing for me, for us… you already have.

The ten dollars at the grocery store made the difference between a meal of broken-noodles-with-some-half-horrible-pantry-scraps and a meal. It kept me full and healthy! And the additional farmers’ market voucher was world changing for me.

The democrat who worked for those things barely got them through. And it was means tested to hell and back. They weren’t able to get everything they wanted. But what they got made such a huge difference for me, for people like me.

[goatmilksoda]

This week I finished my Theater production hours which were taking up roughly 4 hours every Thursday, so now I can use that time for my other classes! So yesterday I came up with a little plan that I can put all my work into Monday-Thursday and then use Friday as a self day and focus in on my hobbies!

My new Friday guidelines:

1-2 activities from "The Great Pile" <- Making doctors appointments, checking dates, etc. for things that may not have a "real" due date.

No TV, internet (except writing/drawing inspiration from Google Images), or phone until 4pm (when parents get home.)

Phone on silent on top of the fridge.

Self care stuff like a bath once a month and sunshine time is integrated.

No going anywhere except the backyard

Small cleaning tasks are necessary during breaks/activity switches

Writing (Physical or computer based is fine but only on docs. AO3 and Tumblr MUST be closed)

Drawing (Physical or computer based is fine. Google Images can be open. Canva can be open. Phone is permitted for transferring physical -> digital)

Sewing/clothing mends/crochet time (Mini-DVD player movies permitted here!)

Reading (Physical Only. I get enough audiobooks during the regular week.)

^ All mandatory parts of The Friday Experience in bold

Music via CD only, Movies via mini-DVD player only. (Big screen tv is too distracting)

This is all flexible (I obviously don't expect most people to have a mini-DVD player with them), but I encourage anyone, if they have an awkward day once a week or so where they're alone, to just try some variation out. Write down a bunch of plans and do this because it's really nice actually.

[tfp-is-my-lifeblood-lol]

Can we talk about this Rescue Bots episode (Spellbound) because I need to appreciate how TERRIFYING it is??? Especially considering it's cannon in the Aligned Universe. This is some A+ horror.

Like damn, some of Griffin Rock's technology is more powerful than even the Decepticon's tech.

Can you IMAGINE if those creepy mind-control cell phones were used in TFP?

Legit mind control that effects humans AND Cybertronians?

And it's SO UNSETTLINGLY subtle, too. The victim's voices sound like their normal selves but just SLIGHTLY off. *shutter* The voice actors did such a good job.

Just IMAGINE that in Prime.

I feel like Optimus would probably be immune (because the Matrix of Leadership is goated) but can you imagine the Jasper Trio getting mind-controlled, and all their guardians + Ratchet know SOMETHING is off, but not what? Then, slowly, the mind control spreads to the Bots? Or vice versa, the Bots go first, and the humans are like: "Something's up with my guardian."

Kinda wild that Invasion of the Body Snatchers shit 100% exists in TFP's world. Felt like I needed to acknowledge that.

Is this gonna be my next TFP headcanons post? Feeling inspired.🤔

[hauntingrabbits]

Batman my little pony AU. Part 2 here, Part 3 here

More info on these under the cut!

1. Sundown Mane/Batpony (Bruce Wayne)

His backstory & general situation is pretty much identical to every other batman out there so I wont get into it.

Other notes:

-His cutie mark is a masquerade mask that I tried to make vaguely bat-shaped. The general public sees his Cutie Mark through the lense of his reputation, and he leans into it heavily to obscure the truth. In interviews, he presents it as being tied to hosting galas (it’s the reason he started hosting those huge masquerade balls in the first place) and/or his fashionable looks, but in truth it’s far more representative of his stealth and disguise capabilities, as well as his masked night time hobbies as a whole.

-He’s not an actual bat-pony in any way, the bat wing appearance is just the costume (intentionally designed that way for intimidation, battle, and obscuring his identity further). Though most citizens assume he’s a true bat-pony, other rumors range from him being a vampire, to an Earth pony with false tech-based wings, to a magically disguised alicorn, to a spirit of the night.

-If Batman were actually to be a pony I think he’d 100% be an earth pony, because his big thing is relying on skill and tech rather than power and he has the whole “normal guy amongst gods” thing going on. HOWEVER. There are actual bat ponies in this show. How am I not supposed to utilize that somehow for the guy whose name is BATMAN? Also with Sundown I think being a Pegasus just fits the playboy personality front he puts up. I don’t know why, its just vibes.

-I think he just doesn’t fly much while patrolling as batpony, instead using his wings for extra jump or for intimidation and cover like with his cape. They’re probably steel-tipped or something too. He doesn’t rely on flight for advantage and trains entirely grounded because he doesn’t want to be dependent on flight and find himself lost if his wings are ever incapacitated.

2. Apollo Honeyscales/Two-Face (Harvey Dent)

Fascinated by the Equestrian legal system and craving a more organized society than what was offered by his generally disorderly and solitary fellow Chimeras, Apollo moved to Gotham to pursue higher education. Unfortunately, ponies are often intimidated by, if not downright terrified of Chimeras, so though Chimera cultures usually give each head equal social weight and three individual names, Apollo quickly adapted to instead try to present himself as pony-like as possible. He used a singular name and pronoun for his whole body, presented the less intimidating, herbivorous-looking goat as his “main” head, and eventually even took to having a faux Cutie Mark applied for media and court appearances. Prior to the attack, the lion and the snake head were never seen talking in public, and even in private the only ponies to have heard them speak were his close friends Sundown Mane and Glider Gold.

After being attacked with acid in court, Scales succumbed to injury and had to be amputated, while Honeybite was left alive but severely scarred. With this event, Apollo’s and Honeybite’s already fragile mental states from years of pony society othering them, the weight of their job, and personal repression finally snapped in their grief and anger, leading Honeybite to fully take the reins and create the criminal persona of Two-Face. Attempts from both Sundown and Glider and to reach out since have been unsuccessful.

Other Notes:

-According to the wiki only one chimera shows up in the whole show so. I made stuff up. -Chimeras typically being solitary is based on the fact we only ever see one in the show. This solitary nature would make it hard for them to have a widespread legal system at all, let alone to enforce it; thus Apollo’s original fascination with the foreign pony legal system. The Chimera in the show also has individual names for each head, each with a slightly different style (the goat following pony name conventions with the name Pumpkin Cake, the tiger following a slightly more violent version of pony name conventions with the name Sweetkill, and the Snake bluntly just being named Snakey). I tried to follow similar conventions for Apollo. I was most happy with the name Scales, because it followed the blunt snake naming convention while also sort of doubling as a scales of justice reference. Apollo is just a reference to Harvey’s nickname in some of the comics, and Honeybite is just for fun.

-His perfectly split coat is unique even among other chimeras, and as Apollo he was generally considered attractive and “exotic” by Equestrian media outlets.

-The temporary Cutie Mark application was done professionally. (Surely ponies have perfected this art, right? Like this has to be something pony society does and has services for, right? Ponies covering up embarrassing Cutie Marks, blank flanks covering up an embarrassing lack of a Curie Mark, Ponies getting Cutie Marks done for costumes, theater, movies, etc… you get it.) Apollo’s choice of a faux Cutie Mark is meant to serve as both a way of further integrating himself into pony society and a proclamation of his legal skills.

-Apollo was a genuinely great lawyer. Ponies on defense were often so preoccupied at the terror of having a lion and a snake silently stare them down that they wouldn’t realize it was actually the goat they should’ve really been afraid of until their entire case had already been ruthlessly torn to shreds.

3. Glider Gold (Gilda Gold)

Even prior to their relationship and subsequent engagement, Glider had long been Apollo’s closest friend and confidant. She saw the way his job and keeping up his image was tearing him apart long before the acid attack, and she deeply regrets not trying harder to get him the help he needed before it was too late. Multiple news outlets have been trying to get an interview with her and their efforts only increase every time Two-Face shows up in the news (despite Sundown’s efforts to dissuade them). She hasn’t been the same since the attack and Apollo’s disappearance, losing interest in her work and finding her friendship with Sundown heavily strained as they both feel the weight of Apollo’s absence.

Other notes:

-I wasn’t even going to draw Gilda originally because she’s such a minor character in Batman stuff but as I was writing out Apollo’s background she nudged her way back in. I like her too much.

-This version is based on her very first iteration where she was a sculptor. Her green coat is a reference to that version’s accompanying Two-Face (also his first iteration), who had green scarring.

- The choice for her to be a pegasus was mainly just to go with her silly name, but I do think being a pegasus would be beneficial to a sculptor. No ladder required to work on high details just fly up there.

-I am not immune to the bruce/harvey/gilda agenda

[wangxianficfinder]

Fic Finder

Feb 15th

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1. Hi! This is for fic finder. Its similar to "wide enough and wild" by impossibletruths. The difference is, in the fic that i want to find again is WWX is a sect leader of wen remnant. There are a fight between the wen remnant because of land and WWX has to resolbe it as sect leader. WWX and LWJ adopt Wen Yuan formally like they ask granny wen for permission to adopt Wen Yuan and there are some ceremony to solidify the adoption. LWJ get drunk and stole a goat (?). It involve a goat but i dont remember if it was LWJ or JWY who stole a goat. WQ has a student. Close to the end of story, WQ goes to Yunmeng with JWY and the title of sect healer goes to WQ's student. I think thats all i can remember. Thank you! @idontknowwhattowriteforusername

NOT FOUND stay, fury, your wrist wrapped in silk by spookykingdomstarlight (E, 228k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, YLLZ LWJ, LWJi loses his golden core, yiling wei sect, Hurt/Comfort, Heavy Angst, Major Character Injury, Injury Recovery, Temporary Character Death, War Crimes, Wen Remnant, Wangxian Get a Happy Ending, Revenge, LWJ goes dark for a while, WWX has a hard time with the bad shit going on around him, JGS is a bastard, Protracted Sunshot Campaign, War is war and hell is hell and of the two war is a lot worse, temporary impotence, growing intimacy, LWJ and WWX and the Wen Remnant live in the Burial Mounds together, WWX travels with LWJ and stays at his side post-Sunshot, Spanish Translation)

FOUND! sounds like the epilogue chapter of A Narrow Bridge by FrameofMind, Jo Lasalle (Jo_Lasalle) (E, 700k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, slow burn, getting together, first time, pining, pining while fucking, burial mounds settlement days, angst w happy ending)… but that's a really short piece of that particular fic to remember so I have doubts ^^; the goat part sounds like way earlier tho, when they get a goat, if I remember well.

~*~

2. hello! I’m looking for a modern wangxian fic where wwx and lwj are high school (?) lovers but then lan qiren (who is also the director of the school I think) finds out about their relationship and sends lwj to the Lan school London. And then there’s a time skip and lwj ends up working at the school and the school system gets hacked so they engage the tech company that wwx started to fix the problem. And then they get back together - please help me!

FOUND? Tempo Rubato by Spodumene (E, 107k, WangXian, Modern AU, Angst with a Happy Ending, Romance, Persuasion au, Separations, Mutual Pining, Depression, Miscommunication, Emotional Roller Coaster, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Reconciliation, Eventual Smut, Jane Austen Fusion, Underage Kissing) / Hello! I'm fairly certain that #2 on the most recent fic finder is in fact Tempo Rubato. I just finished doing a reread of that one and the details provided all line up :)

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3. hello! i hope u guys can help me find this fic. wwx and lwj are camboys then one day, wwx watched lwj for the first time just before his stream. (i think lwj is the no. 1 in that site) lwj watched his stream, wwx gave him his address and lwj went to his house. i know that its in my bookmark but i cant really find it. thank you in advamce!

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4. hi there are some fics that are continuously bouncing around in my head so some help in finding them would be very much appreciated and if my memory serves me correct all these stories were one shots

A) all I remember is that WY was a phoenix captured by the wens and LZ meets him during his capture and falls in love around this time, also not very sure if WY had healing powers or his tears turned to peals because he heals LZ and that LZ tells him to cry just because WY feels like crying

B) the story starts of with WY and LZ on a date arranged by all of their friends and other memories of it include NHS telling WY that LZ had made a separate group without him to warn them from ever repeating what they did WY also went out with LQY in (idk) high school and with WQ but they broke up because WQ had to focus on med school and didn't want to do Long distance and that WY seems to know that LZ is in love with him and LZ cries after telling WY that he's happy being his friend along with ending on the note where WY and LZ confirm that they are officially friends to every one else

C) this one revolves around WY being a sacrifice and LZ is guardian till his death but they fall in love I think WY was to be sacrificed on his 20 some birthday also the way the sacrifice was interpreted wrongly by the sects and in it WY and LZ also sleep together before WY is ultimately sacrificed but it was a happy ending that's all I remember I apologize if the descriptions are too vague but I read them a good while back and thank you so much for your help

4A)

FOUND! a thousand hills, no birds in flight | 千山鳥飛絕 by defractum (nyargles) (E, 26k, WangXian, Mythology, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon adjacent setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort)

NOT FOUND! Breathing Firestorm by ladyshadowdrake (M, 110k, wangxian, angst, fluff, captivity, creepy WRH, no non-con, dreamsharing, politics, people making the best decisions they can, epic length, mythical creature WWX, canon-typical violence, dark, happy ending)

4B)

FOUND! yeah theyre just bros thanks for asking by victortor (T, 10k, WangXian, Intimacy, Modern AU, Aromantic Character, Established Relationship, Communication)

4C)

FOUND! The Sacrifice's Last Guard by 0_Heta_0 (E, 24k, WangXian, Falling In Love, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending)

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5. hi there! for the next fic finder — im pretty... sure... this is a jiang yanli-centric fic? but a lot of the POV was also madame yu. i remember that cangse sanren survived (this is not time charm). cssr, madame yu, and,, another woman who i forgot (possibly lwj's mother?) get into a relationship, and they raise the children together. im pretty sure jfm also dies alongside wcz (unless im mixing up two fics). either way, theres a scene where someone sneaks in the wives rm n mdme yu kicks their ass // (i'm the yzy/cssr/madame lan anon) i know for *sure* now that im mixing up two fics, but same ot3. it's not sami's sail away sweet sister. the character pov was yzy annd she was a lot more unsure about the whole thing bc she was painfully aware what she's like.

For the most recent fic finder #5 is absolutely Sail Away Sweet Sister. It's in Chapter 3, 2/3 of the way through. It may be conflated with another one, though, as that particular section is in Madame Lan POV (her name is Tang Lijuan). Sami tells stories in multi-POV though, so there are other sections from Yu Ziyuan's POV relating the incident.

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6. Okay so, looking for a fic where lwj or wwx accidentally summon incubus/succubus wwx or lwj. (I can't remember who was the sex demon or who was the human but it is a wangxian fic)

So, the succubus needs food and it is, unsurprisingly, cum. As in they have to literally eat cum to survive. So the human lets the demon feed from him. The human is followed by this succubus/incubus everywhere he goes to including his university.

The human loves feeding the sex demon and even lets him feed in the uni bathroom during breaks.

Does a fic like this exist? Does it ring any bell?

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7. Hi I'm looking for a fic in which Lan wangji and Lan Zichen got yin poisoning. And because Lan wangji in on the verge of death. Lan zichen decided to ask for Wei wuxian help on extracting yin energy but Lan Qiren prevented LAN zichen from fetching Wei wuxian because of his injury and decided the LAN Qiren himself will go and get Wei wuxian. And in this story Lan zichen and Jin gungyao will end up together jin gungyao was poisoned by his father. And wen Qing helps treat him thank you for the help @routel

FOUND? The Untamed: For the Love of Two Boys by YenGirl (Not rated, 181k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, JC/WQ, 3zun, Yin Metal poisoning, wangxian wedding, XiYao wedding, 3Zun wedding, Single minded LWJ, Caring WWX, Supportive lxc, Supportive LQR, Prickly JC, Sweet JYL, Good JZX, Badass WQ, Cinnamon roll WN, adorable a-yuan, Supportive NMJ, Redeemed JGY, Evil JGS, Supportive Madam Jin, Annoying JZN, Evil XY, Rescued SS, Jealous SS, Useless Sect Leader Yao, Supportive Lan Healer OC, Accupuncture, Golden Core Reveal, Yunmeng sibs reconciliation, Implied mpreg jokes, stygian tiger seal, Burial Grounds fight, Meng Shi's grave, Jiang Sect Ancestral Hall, Lan Sect Ancestral Hall, wedding nights, minor OCs,nMingshi & Calming Bell)

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8. Hello I am looking for a fanfic where Wei Ying finds out that he still has family that’s alive on his fathers side. He travels with Lan Zhan and ayuan to meet them and finds out his father was from a rich merchant family but his father left them to become a cultivator. He meets his grandmother who has dementia and his family business ends up boycotting the Jins when they find out what they did to Weiying. I know I bookmarked this fanfic but I can’t seem to find it.

FOUND? Keep Holding On by abCEE (M, 316k, JC & WWX & JYL, wangxian, canon divergence, role reversal, YLLZ JYL, yunmeng sibling dynamics, good uncle LQR, sunshot campaign, PTSD, established relationship, angst w/ happy ending)

~*~

9. Hi I really loved the fic A Myriad of Blossoms!! It's one of my favs now! Thank you so much for suggesting that fic.

Next I was looking for two fics :

A) Where Wei Wuxian after being expelled from CR is also "expelled" from YMJ and he works as a spy for Madam Yu and later when she dies the spy organisation is taken up by Nie Huaisang.

B) Where Lan Wangji asks Wei Wuxian to give up the Yin Tiger Tally and as a result WWX loses his new Yin core all over again and is severely hurt and LWJ regrets.

Thank you again!! @yilinglaobunny

9A)

FOUND! 🔒 Pendulum by ShippersList (M, 69k, wangxian, graphic depicitions of violence, rape/non-con, underage, A/B/O, Canon Divergence, Non-Traditional A/B/O Dynamics, Alpha LWJ, Omega WWX, Misunderstandings, Canon-Typical Violence, Spies & Secret Agents, Fake Character Death, Slow Burn, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, BAMF WWX, Attempted Sexual Assault, Canonical Character Death, Mutual Pining, Good JGY, Introspection, Self-Sacrificing WWX, Love Confessions, Protective LWJ, past child sexual abuse)

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10. Hi! I was hoping to have some help finding a specific fic? It was really long, a zombie apocalypse au? Where WWX gives birth to A-Yuan and LWJ is the father and then they get separated? And there's a big cruise ship? I remember the title was something like Nowhere Man? And it was finished! But I can't find it anywhere! Appreciate any help in finding this fic, thank you!!! @ariel-nolikeshakespeare

FOUND? For #10 could it be that its this fic? nowhere man - Red (zuwujun) At least if you search on google "nowhere man zombie ao3" thats the first result and it is a wangxian fic from the summary snippet visible from google. Sadly its currently hidden for a challenge

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11. Hi! I really appreciate the work you do. I'm looking for two fics: A) a deity!wwx au fic (not many tags beyond pairing, incomplete, hasnt been updated in a few years). Lwj meets night deity!wwx as a teen, befriends him, and during sunshot everyone thinks hes blessed by the sun god bc he has a branding iron he uses as a weapon. wwx turns himself mortal. B) The second is a cql post-canon fic: wwx sends lwj note hes in trouble from a night hunt. Family brings food to cave. Sex curse? Defeat Yao in lake. @classygreydove

11B)

FOUND? Fire in the Blood by Jo Lasalle (Jo_Lasalle) (M, 20k, wangxian, First Time, Post-Canon, Angst with a Happy Ending, hurt/comfort themes)

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12. Hi! I'm looking for these two fics:

A) WWX is the boss at some company and wants to keep LWJ from leaving because he's such a good employee so he offers him to double his salary or whatever he wants, LWJ says he won't leave if WWX offers himself. It's a modern AU.

B) During his stay in cloud recesses, WWX overhears two guys planning on cursing a woman with a toy connected to her, WWX stops them and changes the curse towards himself. The issue is that LWY confiscates the toy. That's what I remember.

Thanks!

12A)

FOUND? What's Wrong With Secretary Lan? by silverclaw (T, 5k, wangxian, LXC/NMJ, Modern, Inspired By What's Wrong With Secretary Kim? (TV), JZX and WWX are best friends, LWJ is "going through a rebellious phase")

12B)

FOUND? 🔒 The Golden Cutsleeve by syrus_jones (E, 77k, WangXian, Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff and Crack, Humor, Aged-Up Character(s), WWX POV, WWX is a gremlin, Internally Screaming LWJ, No Sunshot Campaign, First Times, Accidental Sex, Masturbation, PWP, Porn with Feelings, WWX experimenting with things he shouldn’t like always, Happy Ending, Porn With Plot)

~*~

13. Hello— looking for a fic (au).

A) The Twin Jades go to Lotus Pier. Madam Yu makes WY stay out of the way (maybe even sleep outside?). LXC sees WY using talismans & is impressed. The next day he brings his brother & LWJ falls for WY:)

B) The twin jades are at Lotus Pier & MY makes WY sleep outside? But LWJ runs into him (and sees him using talisman:)

Thanks!!! @snowrose24

For number thirteen in the last item finder, I know that fic is an omega Wei Wuxian, but I can’t recall the title. Hope that helps? Definitely an alpha Lan Wangji.

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14. Hello, I am not sure how this works 😅. I think I am supposed to write my request here. I am trying to find a WangXian fic. It is a modern au. Lan enterprises is hacked and Nei Mingjue send Wei Ying to help them and by the end of day Lan Wangji and Wei Ying are set for a date. In this fic Wei Ying is a CEO of a big security company I think. Also they decided that Wei Ying will be an intern to catch the hacker. @veeru19

FOUND? Wangji's Beautiful Stranger by xxxMiaHikarixxx (G, 47k, wangxian, WIP, Modern, Soulmates, older LWJ, younger WWX, LWJ is So Whipped, Not Jiang Family Friendly, A-Yuan and Jingyi are best boys)

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15. Hi there! I'm looking for a fic that I sadly don't remember much about. The few things that stick in my mind are (1) Lan Wangji's father is alive, but they do not get along since his father left them, (2) Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian have a baby (can't remember if it's A-Yuan or an OC), and (3) there's some family event where Lan Qiren brings Lan Wangji's father and Lan Wangji (somewhat reluctantly) allows his father to feed the baby as a sign he's willing to try to start mending their relationship. Thanks for all the good work you do! @lucky-cat-13

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16. Hi! This is for fic finder. I dont remember much, unfortunately. What i remember is WWX send a letter to other clan. Like, there should be someone who married in to wen remnants right? So he send letter to those family to ask if they want to take their wen family back or not. I think LWJ help him too. That is all i can remember. Thank you! @idontknowwhattowriteforusername

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17. Hello! I'm looking for a fic where Lan Wangji is an emperor. Lan Xichen dies in the war against the Wen and none of the other clans provided support to the Lan. Wei Wuxian helps in the background, including saving the Dafan Wen. Lan Wangji demands Wei Wuxian as part of the treaty/alliance with with other clans post winning the war. Wei wuxian thinks he is a war prize/prisoner, but he is treated really well by the Gusu Lan for his efforts in the war.

It was WIP and I thought I had this bookmarked, but I lost it 😔

Thank you!!

FOUND! golden when the day met the night by glitteringmoonlight (Not rated, 95k, slow burn, sugar daddy LWJ, light, angst, fluff, developing relationship, eventual smut, WIP)

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18. Hello again! Thanks as always for your help. Do you happen to remember that one fic where wwx has wildly overworked himself by taking in too many foster kids, and LWJ, his boyfriend, buys him a Fitbit to gently dom him into eating and sleeping enough? @balleyboley

I know number 18😭 I'll try to look for it. Wei ying wouldn't sleep or eat and didnt realize it, I hope someone finds it!

FOUND? underweight by sixstepsaway (E, 7k, WangXian, sex used as bribery lmao, Eating Disorders, Anxiety, full time dom!lwj, consensual control, Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs)

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19. Hi, So i'm looking for two fics a) pretty sure his one is a one shot but it's basically during the sunshot campain and wwx is putting souls to rest when one of them wants something for him. The soul is all flirty and so on and after some time they find out it's nhs and nmj's father. b) also during the sunshot campain, nmj sees wwx being sickly and is like I'll take you under my wing, he feeds him just takes care of him @thatperson0-0

19A)

FOUND! Win Some, Lose Some by nirejseki (G, 3k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Ghosts, Talkative Ghosts, Marriage Arrangements, NHS & LWJ friends agenda)

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20. hii. this is for ficfinder

I haven't read this but the summary of the fic was smth like wei wuxian disappears and I think sometime later lan wangji finds a man named mo xuanyu, I think it's a modern au, but I might be wrong!

thank you!!!

NOT FOUND! 🔒 Where You Fell by Sweet_William (E, 303k, wangxian, 3zun, JC/NHS, JYL/JZX, Modern, Angst, Mutual Pining, Homeless AU, Getting Together, Slow Burn, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, accidental sugar daddy LWJ, Suicidal Thoughts, Self-Esteem Issues, Coffee Shops & Cafés, Autistic Character, WWX Has ADHD, Panic Attacks, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Sex Work, Implied/Referenced Substance Abuse, Eventual Happy Ending)

NOT FOUND! vintage youth by sami (E, 13k, WangXian, Modern AU, references to past LWJ/others, references to past WWX/WQ, Family, Sexual Tension, set in the early 90s, Background Xicheng)

FOUND! don't leave me waiting, don't leave me here by sassybluee (M, 13k, WangXian, WangYu, Modern: No Powers, Missing Persons, Sex Work, Lawyer LWJ, Ambiguous Relationships, Hopeful Ending, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, POV LWJ)

~*~

[mythicalmisery]

Pyrophilia AU: GhostxSoap

The bar was a warm refuge from the damp chill of the night, a place where the team could forget the aftermath of the mission for a few hours. Ghost stood beside Soap at the bar, nursing his drink while they waited on the rest of their order. The low light washed over the balaclava he had pulled up over his nose so he could take an occasional sip. Soap was next to him, the upbeat chatter of the bar mixing with the soft clink of glasses and the hum of conversation. 

The mission had gone well- no casualties and the base they’d targeted was nothing but smoldering rubble now. 

But Goat’s mind lingered on something. Soap had gone dark during the extraction, his comms dead until they’d regrouped at the exfil point. He let the silence stretch between them for a moment longer, watching the sergeant from the corner of his eye before speaking. 

“What happened on the mission?”

Soap, already a couple of drinks in, gave him a puzzled look. “What do ye mean?”

“Ya went dark after ya set the charges. Comms were off ’til ya got to exfil.” Ghost’s tone was calm, but there was a weight behind it that had Soap on edge now.

Soap blinked, clearly caught off guard. He opened his mouth before closing it once again as his scotch-soaked brain tried to find the words. Running his hand through his mohawk, he turned back to him with a shrug. “Must’ve been an equipment malfunction. I’ll take my radio to tech in the mornin’, get it checked out.”

Ghost narrowed his eyes, though his expression remained hidden. He didn’t believe him, not fully at least. Soap’s tone was too casual, too rehearsed, but Ghost knew better than to push. If Soap was lying, he’d figure it out eventually. Backing the man in a corner was just gonna have him lashing out and turning on the defensive. 

“Right,” was all he said, letting the matter drop for now. But his mind wouldn’t stop running over it. Soap didn’t lie to him. Not his sergeant. 

Their drinks finally came, and both men headed back to the corner booth where Price and Gaz were already seated. The minutes passed, the men taking turns to take the piss out of each other and finally relax after a grueling two weeks of recon. Ghost stayed mostly quiet, content to observe. But his focus kept drifting back to Soap, to that nagging feeling something wasn’t right. 

As the laughter filled the booth, Ghost absently reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his old zippo lighter. The cool metal had become a comfort of late, something to ground him when his thoughts spiraled. He flipped it open, the quiet click soothing, his thumb flicking the wheel to produce a small, steady flame. He didn’t smoke as much as he used to, one every now and then after a particularly stressful mission, but the ritual had become second nature, a habit more than anything else. 

He wasn’t the only one watching the flame. 

Across the table, Soap’s gaze had zeroed in on his lighter, eyes fixated in a way Ghost hadn’t seen before. At least now that he was actively looking for something. It was like the man’s breath hitched every time the flame flickered to life, his focus unnaturally sharp on the glowing ember. Gaz said something to Soap, drawing him away, but Ghost noticed the slight shift in his body language, the way his fingers twitched around his glass as if resisting the urge to reach out. 

Ghost’s brow furrowed beneath his mask, and a slow realization crept up on him. He flicked the zippo shut, a quiet clink, and slid it back into his pocket, mind already working overtime. Soap hadn’t taken his eyes off that lighter the entire time. The sudden bang of the alley door slamming open as the bartender returned from his break had his thoughts returning to reality. The action sending a gust of cool Autumn air through the bar, snuffing out the hollowed candle on the table. 

Call it divine intervention, but it gave Ghost the perfect chance to test his theory. With a quiet metallic clink, he flicked his zippo open again, and Soap’s attention snapped back to him like a well-trained dog. Ghost lit the candle in silence, his eyes sharp as he observed every twitch in Soap’s expression.

The man didn’t even blink, his gaze locked on the small flame as if mesmerized, a faint tremor running through him. When Ghost leaned back in his seat, still watching him, he noticed the subtle shift in Soap’s posture— the tension in his frame, the way he readjusted himself.

It hit Ghost like a freight train.

Fucking pyrophiliac. 

He wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it, but then his thoughts snapped back to the mission and everything he knew about the man. The pieces clicked into place, and his blood ran hot with anger. Soap had turned off his comms not because of an equipment malfunction or to take a piss or any other sorry excuse, but because he’d detonated the charges, and…

The fucker got off on it. 

Ghost’s grip tightened around the lighter, his jaw clenching beneath the mask. How the fuck had he not figured it out sooner? He remembered desperately shouting Soap’s name over the comms, only to be met with silence— his mind spiraling into the worst possibilities. The fear had consumed him until he spotted that familiar mop of hair leaning against the wall at exfil, and finally, he could breathe again. And all of that because the so-called demolitions expert was getting his rocks off?

Soap flinched when Ghost snapped the zippo shut a little too harshly, the sound sharp and deliberate. Ghost pocketed the lighter and slid out of the booth, the leather cushion creaking under his weight. His movements were calm and measured as his eyes remained locked on Soap. He pinned the man where he sat like a helpless insect, watching every nervous shift, every flicker of unease that crossed his face. He knew Ghost was angry, but not what for. 

“I’m goin’ for a smoke,” Ghost said flatly, the words heavy with something unsaid, a warning hidden beneath the surface laid there for only Soap to pick up on. 

Price looked up from his drink, grumbling about the mountain of paperwork still waiting for him back at base. “Aye, best be heading back soon before it starts raining,” he muttered, gathering his things. Gaz downed the last of his pint, shaking his head as he mentioned early morning drills.

Soap slid out of the booth after them, clearly rattled but keeping quiet as Price and Gaz said their goodbyes. He lingered, letting the others leave as if waiting for some kind of cue. Ghost didn’t give him one—he just stood there, silent and still, his presence as oppressive as the storm rolling in outside.

When the others were finally out of earshot, Ghost turned to Soap, his voice cutting through the space between them like a knife. “Ya care to join me, Johnny?”

Soap hesitated only for a second, knowing full well it wasn’t a question. He swallowed hard, his gaze dropping to the floor before giving a reluctant nod. “Aye,” he muttered, his voice stripped of its usual cocky edge, though he made one last desperate attempt to play it cool. His posture had gone rigid like he was walking into something he wasn’t prepared for, but without a word of protest, he followed Ghost out the back door.

The alleyway was damp and shadowed, the smell of rain lingering in the air. Ghost lit his cigarette, the flicker of his zippo casting long shadows on the brick walls where it illuminated his mask. Still silent, he exhaled a plume of smoke into the air, his eyes trained on his sergeant. 

Soap shifted uncomfortably, glancing around like he was trying to find something, anything, to break the silence. But Ghost could feel the weight of his nerves, the way he kept stealing glances at the lighter still in Ghost’s hand.

After a moment, Ghost finally spoke, his voice low and edged with cold amusement. “So… ya wanna tell me what really happened back there?”

Soap froze, caught like a deer in the headlights, and for the first time in a long while, Ghost saw him stripped of his bravado. 

Soap leaned against the cold brick wall, his hands stuffed in his pockets, trying to appear casual as he spoke. “I already told ye, I dunno what happened to my comms,” he muttered, keeping his tone as neutral as possible. 

Ghost took a slow drag from his cigarette, as he looked up at the sky. He nodded slightly, but there was something cold, calculating in his gaze when he turned back toward his sergeant. In the blink of an eye, the space between them vanished. Ghost had Soap pinned against the brick wall, his forearm pressed hard against Soap’s throat. 

“Fuck—” Soap barely had time to react, the force of the shove knocking the breath out of him. Anger flared instantly, his voice rising in protest. “What the fuck are ye doin’?” His hands instinctively gripped Ghost’s arm, trying to push him off, his fiery temper returning in full force. This wasn’t the hesitant, unsure man from earlier. This was his sergeant— his Johnny — coming back with a bite. 

But Ghost wasn’t fazed. He stared down at Soap, his eyes dark, the harsh grip tightening. With his free hand, he pulled out the zippo and flicked it open, the flame crackling to life mere inches from Soap’s face. The heat licked at his skin, the flames dancing dangerously close. Ghost cocked his head to the side, a cruel smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

“No?” Ghost’s voice was low, taunting. “It didn’t have anything to do with your little secret?” His tone dripped with amusement, each word pressing heavier than the arm keeping Soap pinned in place.

Soap’s eyes were drawn to the flame, his breath quickening despite himself. It took every ounce of willpower to tear his gaze away from the fire threatening to singe his eyelashes. He locked eyes with Ghost, his expression hardening as anger flashed beneath the surface. “I don’t know what the fuck yer talkin’ about,” he bit out, his voice sharp with defiance.

Ghost chuckled darkly, the sound a sharp contrast to the tension in the air. It wasn’t just a laugh—it was a taunt, a challenge. “Don’t play dumb with me, Johnny.” Boldened by Soap’s stubbornness and his own growing irritation, Ghost decided to escalate the situation. He took a long drag from his cigarette, then leaned closer, blowing the smoke directly into Soap’s face, his breath hot against the sergeant’s skin.

As the smoke swirled between them, Ghost’s voice dropped to a whisper that sent a chill down Soap’s spine. “I think ya know exactly what I’m talkin’ about, Johnny.” His free hand drifted down, brushing over the front of Soap’s jeans. 

Soap cursed under his breath at the sudden touch, his body betraying him with a shudder of heat and adrenaline. His fists clenched tightly at his sides, fury warring with the embarrassment that was already flooding his face. His voice was tight, the words forced through gritted teeth. “Ghost, what the fuck—“

But there was no denying what Ghost felt beneath his hand, and Soap’s body betrayed his mind. The tension in the air crackled as Ghost leaned in closer, his lips brushing Soap’s ear, his words mocking and satisfied. 

“Always knew ya were a firebug, MacTavish.”

[ganondoodle]

I was at first in love with totk, and I still think mechanical wise, its quite impressive

And when I collected all the tears and saw the "story" I genuinely got upset in a good way (at first), because man! Did they really got the balls to go that far? Is there nothing I can do for her? Now I MUST do all the temples, see how it plays out and --oh, I've got this cutscene already. Why are all the people so dumb about Zelda, I KNOW where she is, Link say something-- Link??

After finishing all the temples and almost falling asleep, I stopped playing the game, looked up the last boss and remaining cutscenes and went "Thats it?"

Watching other people (including you) being critically about so many things, both character and mechanical wise, I've almost startled myself with a realization what the gnawing feeling I constantly had, actually was.

Totk feels like a fanfic.

And don't get me wrong, I love fanfiction, I think its great and important, I adore fanfic writers, I love finding gems, I love reading self indulgent stories, see new spins and interpretation of characters. I love the casual, the passion, the creativity!

But totk gives me the same feeling everytime I am reminded that Fifty Shades is a Twillight fanfic.

The world is there. The faces I know and grew to love are there. But everything is ever so slightly different, uncannily so. Just how some characters talk, how they act, how they were placed in the story. The Zonai appearing out of nowhere, but no, they always had been there you see, they were these super magical advanced people but they all died, the king is so tragic. And you see, the king is super cool and powerful and-- oh I dont get to interact with him outside of the tutorial. Did they try to do another King Rhoam-- but wait, that only worked because we didn't knew he was a ghost-- totk wait stop why do you take him out of the story, why couldn't he be a companion, he IS ABLE TO TALK THROUGH THE ARM LET THE OLD GOAT COMMENT ON STUFF?? If you bring up all this ancient stuff and you still got a ghost lingering, let him talk?? (I never ended up getting Mineru but I smell wasted potential as well)

Im not even mad, I am disappointed. It feels like the devs saw what all the lore hunters got attached to and talked about and then just... took the "cool". All the Zonai stuff could've easily been Sheikah tech, but got just reskinned to look more exciting instead of being its own thing.

Like... at this point I prefer what fans are doing over what Totk gave us. The characterization of Rauru (and everything Zonai), projects like you do of what totk couldve been, the little nuggets of actual highlights and details of love fans find in the game. I found much more enjoyment in these concepts than I got from a 70bucks game. And thats depressing.

I love fanfiction. I dont love it when my corporate 70 dollar, six year development, console exclusive game feels like a story that passionate fan couldve written miles better in a week (and I've already seen much cooler and interesting rewrites and ideas).

Zelda has been a huge part of my childhood and its depressing seeing it treated like that. It always was about the story, the epic, its The Legend of Zelda for crying out loud. To be courageous to enter a dungeon, to be wise and solve all the riddles. To become powerful over the journey you embarked on. Zelda to me is the campfire story you tell to others and go into the woods or the beach and imagine what monsters you would slay. Zelda is not the sandcastle you build in the sandbox and then add dinosaurs and star wars ships because you didn't had any other toys, and just stumble into and over some story to entertain yourself until lunch is ready.

I'd have an oracle of seasons over another totk any day at this point. They should've just make the mechanics of totk its own thing, but I guess they were scared it wouldn't sell if it doesn't have a Mario or Zelda skin straped over it.

Anyways, sorry for the mini rant - love your art, love your thoughts and insights, and I am looking forward to see more of it - Zelda related or not (your original characters look amazing, I adore your style sm)

Hope you have a great rest of the day!

*nods along through this entire rant*

idk how many of my rants you have read but yeah ... yeah ... and the further you think about it the further it all falls apart, the wasted potential of it all and the goddamn audacity of them to do those interviews in which they make it EVEN WORSE is just

i know the expectation for a direct sequel to botw was huge and understandbly so but i really REALLY think it would not have been that hard to make it a good follow up even taking into account that totk was originally a DLC, pretty much all of botws aspects could have been developed further, i dont know what could have happened to make totk have turned out like this .. literally it feels like something had to have gone wrong, its like someone who doesnt know zelda nor botw at all was given a few prompts and then just made some generic fantasy story while the rest worked on ultrahand for 5 years

the technical impressive things ARE technical impressive, but i dont think it was necessary nor served the game well in any way (and i LOVE building games- however totk is neither a building game nor a story game nor a zelda game nor an exploration game nor a sequel imo) but zelda, this zelda, is not made for that and i cant help but think it was mainly to encourage people to make some ridiculous mechs so it can go viral on tiktok (not trying to discredit them, it IS cool what they are doing but i .... have my doubts if zelda is the right place for that)

ill stop there bc i have ranted so much about everything i dont wanna repeat it here again; it just doesnt feel like a real game (derogatory), it feels extra bad bc i was not really into zelda when botw came out and while i did get it as soon as i could (months after release since i just started a minijob and didnt have the money) i only over time grew to love zelda this much again, devouring any theories and anything about it bc i loved it so much- i was never into it like this when a new title was announced and dont own any special editions so i bought the totk collectors bc i was just so damn excited for it after the 2019 trailer dropped (god i want that time back ... it looked so much more like it was going to be an actual sequel) even if i was already worried it wouldnt be good at that point given how much i started to sense stuff i dont like about the newer trailers

i recently sold it at our local gameshop bc it was like a thorn in my side given how expensive it was and how dissapointed i was in the game, i genuinely think that, technical impressiveness aside, totk is the onyl zelda i truly cannot stand (for alot of reasons) and im genuinely worried for the future of the franchise

i bought an Oki (Okami) figurine for what i got back and i feel much happier with that :3

(also on a note, i did finish the game two weeks after release but stopped playing it right then and hadnt touched it since, i also streamed all of what i played and its still up if you want to see my slow descend into madness fjkdhkdhjk though its been a long while since then and i by far did not talk about everything back then, just what my most immediate frustrations were while still playing)

(also the gameplay isnt as good as people make it out to be, so much is so frustrating and punishing to use i am kinda baffled it got through like that and most people call that its best aspect ..... though i guess if the rest is so much worse even mid gameplay can seem good ooooooooh how dare i)

also thank you for liking what i do!!! <3 it means alot to know it is appreciated by someone :D

[marvelmaniac715]

I made Webby and the Lords in Black on Sims 4 a while ago:

Here’s Wiggly:

I was really proud of his hair. I also gave every Lord and Webby their own special room/building, so here’s Wiggly’s:

Decorating isn’t my strong suit but his room was the most fun to design, I was thinking mostly of a grand palace, mostly in green, with a fireplace and a table with thrones for him and his siblings to meet at - notice the white throne for Webby?

Here’s Pokey:

I couldn’t find a beret so I went for a Phantom of the Opera style fedora, but the eyes I found were PERFECT (side note - they are all spell casters because that made the most sense considering their godly powers). Here’s Pokey’s room:

I’ll be honest, I accidentally mostly forgot to give him instruments, my idea for this room was to explore his different interests because he spends most of TGWDLM trying to figure out what people want, and that’s reflected in the different activities in his room. I also gave him cool wallpaper that reminded me of a beehive as a cute nod to that - I think I gave him a violin in the end that you can only really see from a different angle.

Here’s Tinky:

My inspiration for Tinky’s look here was anime characters, much like in NPMD, but I found the perfect goat eyes for him that totally add to his look. Here’s Tinky’s room:

I gave Tinky every clock I could find, but the vibes of the room were definitely meant to replicate the cube with insane patterns meant to drive someone mad; there’s a rock climbing wall in the corner that I think alludes to Tinky’s feral energy.

Here’s Blinky:

I’ll be honest; this hairstyle for Blinky was what inspired me to recreate the eldritch siblings on the Sims, it just seemed perfect, and of course I made his eyes massive so he can have a good look at everyone. The sunglasses also seemed pretty accurate to me. Here’s Blinky’s room:

My idea for this room was to give Blinky things to watch - so there’s loads of tvs, a camera, comfy chairs and even spy tech in a corner in case shoes get too unrealistic for him. A small detail that I wanted to point out is that in every room for a Lord, I have placed lava lamps on their bedside tables that match their colours, funnily enough I just found them in the game anyway and they were a perfect fit.

Here’s Nibbly:

A fluffy jacket, pigtails and a big mouth, what else do you need for an accurate Nibbly? I love that jacket, I wish I owned it in real life. Here‘s Nibbly’s room:

Okay, this is essentially a fancy kitchen with a cupcake machine, a wardrobe, a vanity and a bed - I ran out of ideas here. Still, I think it’s cute and I think Nibbly would like it if he ever got midnight food cravings. This room could save lives.

Finally, here’s Webby:

I honestly think that Webby is the most accurate, I was looking at reference images for all of them but that dress seems like it’s been ripped right from the screen, not to mention her hair. I’m proud of this Webby, I can sleep well at night knowing I’ve at least done her justice. Here’s Webby’s room:

I was definitely going for ‘ethereal’ when I designed this room, with a chill, relaxing vibe - what could be more relaxing than loads of fairy lights? I also made it a priority to give Webby plants to show that she is encouraging new life instead of crushing it like her brothers - the larger amount of windows and lights also are meant to suggest that she’s a kinder, more moral/good person.

If you like my recreations, they are all together on the Sims gallery, just search for the Lords in Black and Webby or type in my EA ID, sparklefishkatie (shameless self-promotion) because I’ve put a lot of stuff on there over the years. Now; these guys are quite old, you might have to scroll back to find them, and I can’t actually remember if I put their rooms on the gallery, if I didn’t please let me know if you want them because I’ll absolutely put them up. If you’ve read to the bottom of this post, you’re the best, thanks a lot and please download these characters if you play Sims 4! 💕

[pixeldistractions]

I said I wanted an adventure:

And oh boy, life delivered. Sadly, it won’t be the airplane adventure we were planning. That’s going to be postponed for a little while.

Warning: walls of text and real-life shit. (Serious wall of text, I’m not even joking.)

Long story short, hubby was laid off from the job that has kept us in a cushy living for the past fifteen years, the job that has given me the luxury of being 85% a stay-at-home mom to both of my kids in their younger years. We kind of saw it coming, and we’re not totally scared. He got a severance package and health insurance for six months. On my end, my books don’t make much money, but I’m telling you, I am a squirrel when it comes to money, mine and his, and I’m not bad at investing. We’ll be okay for a bit.

So, I’m not scared. Yet. But wow, how things can change in the blink of an eye.

For one, we’ll probably move. I don’t know where. The timing is kind of miraculous, with one child graduated and one not yet in kindergarten, we’re free to go wherever we please right now. It was never my dream to move to northern Virginia in the first place. It’s hot and muggy here, and the people are transient, snobby, and kind of boring. My vote is to move back home to Michigan, but when it comes to the bottom line, we gotta pay the bills, so we’ll go wherever he finds work next. He is talented and I know he’ll find work again, but where and what and for how much is up in the air. All I know is northern Virginia is expensive af and we can’t stay here for long if he’s not earning what he did before.

And I don’t really want him to take another corporate job? Not now, in our forties, having spent ALL of our fucks. I’m not sorry he did that kind of work before, because it was a good financial decision for our family, but it wasn’t always fun. He found it stressful and soulless. Unlimited vacation time, haha, as long as you keep your nose to the grindstone and keep your lips ready for the ass-kissing. Anyway.

So we could be elsewhere, and that would be totally okay by me. I don’t want to stay here. I want to move back home to Michigan. My heart sings for it. My whole family is there. The lakes, the forests, the arts, the farms. I’d cash out our investments to buy some land and a modest house in as much cash as we can. And I’ll have some chickens and goats and tomato plants (because it’s the only thing I could ever get to grow). It’s not out of the question. On the other hand, sometimes families in our situation try and try and are still out of work after a couple years, and that nest egg chips away and dwindles to nothing, especially now and especially in the tech field like he is with layoffs everywhere, especially after 6 months when health insurance premiums come due. Yay, America!

So, I don’t know anything about my future right now. Is that scary, or exciting? Both maybe? For now, for the next few months/year, I don’t think very much will change on my end except the timing. I was talking a couple weeks ago about feeling the call to get back to publication writing. I was planning to get serious about it soon, and very serious about it next school year when my youngest is in full-day kindergarten. (He has one more year of preschool first.) But, hey, I guess maybe now would be a better time to hustle some fiction for cash? Granted, I’m still mostly a full-time caregiver to a four-year-old with needs, and those short preschool days fly by. Also considering sick days and snow days, little kids aren’t actually in school very much at all. But I am itching to get back to work, I’m feeling that call, and now it’s also more of a necessity that I work smart (for money) with my little 10-15 hours a week of free time.

As for the state of my blogs and sims stories… Well, it was a pure luxury to be able to sit on my butt and work on Sims stories when my kid went to preschool for three hours a day, 3-5 days a week. It was a privilege—one that I have now lost. Life happens, and things change. It is what it is. And now it’s not really responsible for me to spend all of my free time writing stories of this scope for freebies.

Boxes and Squares is only halfway finished, and the second half is just as large as the first. It took me over a year to complete what I have so far. And where we’re at now, it’s such a special part of the story, an important turning point and the culmination of a lot of things. I was very much looking forward to it. But it’s also LONG. Simming the whole thing would take a lot of time that I don’t have to spend anymore. But I think I’ve come up with a way to not totally quit.

I don’t know if I mentioned it, but I always hoped to bring this story to books someday. I always wondered if it might be better suited to the general book fiction/literary market. It’s floundering here on Simblr. Five, dear, beloved people were reading it. I love you guys. But why did it never catch on in all this time? I could never really figure out why it was so invisible here. Maybe the pictures were ugly. Maybe the conflict was too tame. Not enough vampires? Not enough guns or murder? Never learned to use ReShade properly? Does my breath stink? Maybe I don’t really want to know the answer in the end.

It’s meant for other things, if anything at all. Maybe nothing at all, but who knows. Maybe it’ll find its niche someday elsewhere. I love this story (why, oh why do I love it so?), and I can’t quit it. I couldn’t quit if I tried. The story of these wandering misfits is so personal and interesting to me, and I need to see it through to the end.

I have to say, with certainty now, I’ll finish it out in books. I’ve already started tinkering with the first few chapters of a newly imagined beginning. And oh, it’s sparkling! It begins with a reimagined work field trip scene, with Jordan and Maria on a soggy farm in the cold rain. I don’t know if it’ll do well in the general book market, but I can say I have had fun drafting it here and I will have fun finishing it out in books. I always wanted to try a series format story in books. It’s looking like it’ll be about 8-9 novella/short-novel sized chunks. Anyone who was reading here will get free ebook copies, of course. Hell, if I ever meet you in person, I’d hand you a signed paperback, too. Shipping fees are a bitch, though, or else I’d mail them.

As I’ve been picking at these book drafts the past couple weeks, I’m quickly remembering how freeing it is to write in full text. Not having to compromise my vision according to what I might be able to do in game or with poses, not having to fight with game glitches and crashes and broken mods before I can even begin the work. The words do as I tell them to, and nothing is off limits if I have the words to describe it! Returning to that feels quite magical. I might be a little rusty at this after so many years away, but I remember how it goes. Muscle memory, decades of practice, so much trial and error under my belt already. I know what I’m doing here. It’s comfortable and it’s good.

But I was so excited to share book 5. I really, truly was. It contains some of my favorite scenes in the whole story! I’m sad to leave the story hanging where it is, even though, perhaps, if you look at it just right, chapter 4.5 did offer some resolution for the story to land on.

So, to the five of you who were reading my story and do care, thank you for reading this thing! Your likes and comments meant the world to me as I poured my heart and soul into this quiet little story. And I hope this compromise will work for everyone. And if it doesn’t, I’m sorry.

Which is not to say I’m going to abandon the sims entirely. I’ve been playing sims since 2003 and writing sims stories since 2008. I love seeing my characters and their world visually. In a way, it’s been an outlet for the sad reality that I’ll never be able to draw a graphic novel, lol!

So you’ll still see my sims from time to time. Updates won’t come as frequently as I was able to do before. It will look different, but I’d love to keep my timeline puttering along, if I can. You’ll see gameplay shenanigans and maybe some mini stories. Even B&S characters, you’ll still see them on here, going about their lives. I couldn’t stop it if I tried. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll still be playing my sims just as I have since I discovered Sims 1. And maybe in a couple years, when my youngest is in school full time and our financial situation will have hopefully settled, I might be able to do another hefty sims story again. But for now, things will be different. Life happens, and things change.

I’m still going to finish “Miserable Ghost Story,” too, which is a traditional stand-alone novel. And I have many more WIPs than that to finish. I have another old dear novel that I’ve been picking at for 20 years that I’d like to see the light of day sometime. I have a couple more spin-offs from the EWTF and F&B set, too. It’s in my best interest to buckle down and finish all the WIPs I can. I have so many of them, after all. Earn three bucks a copy, invest it and turn it into ten. That’s my game. I was a finance major in college for a hot minute before I became an English major. I can be artsy-fartsy and business-minded all at once.

All this to say, regretfully, stories will not return in mid-August as I had planned. But they will return eventually, in some shape or form, as soon as I can settle my brain from the spinning. And, I guess, update my game and mods for the new pack.

And if there’s any luck in the world, maybe next year I’ll be living on Lake Michigan, writing my stories, taking care of my kids and acres of property and maybe some goats. Goat cheese and romance novels, isn’t that the dream? Graciously accepting any prayers or well wishes, please and thank you!

[jspenft]

Gojo drabble ☆ FATHER'S DAY EDITION

Fluff fluff fluff, suggestive if you squint (at the veeery end), maybe a bit cheesy, since it's Father's Day here in France here's a little something (we're the next day when I post this but anyway). It's just what comes up in my mind and one of the few times I'm really writing so be indulgent pls, english isn't my first language, 1,2k.

Satoru wakes up in a very good mood. Today is HIS day! (well every day is his day but here more than usual okay?)

He woke up so early but didn't get up. He'd rather wait for the kids to wake him up, like they did with you on your day.

Yeah back then, he prepared countless surprises for your Mother's Day with your children of 4 and 2 yo, respectively a girl and a boy.

So it's normal that he can't wait to see what you've all prepared for him today.

But your children never came to your room. *No breakfast in bed then? Well whatever, doesn't matter*

He won't stop repeating your kids things like:

"What a beautiful day to be a dad!"

"The weather is nice today, don't you think kikufuku"😀

"Honey what day is it?~" :))

"Huh? It's Sunday Papa", answered your daughter

And then, at noon, the kids still didn't say to him: "Happy Father's Day".

So honestly, he thinks they forgot, you all forgot.

How to say he went from his best day of the year, to his worst in less than a few hours.

Of course you notice that he sulks, and you're like,

"Can you help me with this step of the recipe please?", you ask him

"No. Don't want to"

"What's the matter Toru you usually love cooking with me?"

"I said don't want to", and he's pouting again

In the evening he expects only one thing: for it to be midnight to complain that you all forgot his Father's Day.

Around 6.p.m, he already wanna go to bed.

"'Night i'm going to sleep"

"NO!", the three of you scream in unison with shocked eyes as you watch him slowly walk towards the bedroom

"Huh?" he looks at you puzzled

"Um, I mean.. you can't go to bed just yet. We have- we have to go to the store to buy something to eat for tonight", you giggle nervously, scratching your neck

"Well you can go alone, I'll watch the ki-"

"No Papa! Let's all go together! Cmon, wear your coat!", your daughter cuts him off

"Yeah wear you goat Papa", your son, trying to imitate his big sister

He's bregudingly follows you. Anyway he has no choice, his children are busy trying to grab his coat and push him out of the house.

He continues to pout on the way, hands in his pockets.

"But the store isn't usually this way, why're we goin' to Jujutsu tech"

"Don't worry Toru it's a short way off", you say as you all enter the forest belonging to the Jujutsu tech

*Damn he's gonna suspect something, shit, we gotta hurry before he wants to go home* you think

A few minutes later, the children and you trotted to enter the park before him. You whisper things to each other before you all look up at him and shout:

"HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!"

His ears tilt when he hears what he wanted since this morning, and his eyes widen as he walks into the park.

Fairy lights and balloons surround a magnificent picnic table. His favorite dish, strawberry cake, pastries, and lots of decorations that your children prepared themselves.

*beautiful* He stopped walking a while ago and can't stop admiring everything.

"That's..."

He can't finish his sentence that he puts a hand in front of his eyes and... he's crying..?

"Papa ?"

"Papa why you crying? You don't like it?"

You're children think they didn't do well.

"No, no that's not it. It's just, thank you. No.. sorry. Sorry I thought you forgot", he confess

They giggle, "We prepared everything with mommy. We refrained from saying happy Father's Day to you before tonight! We did a good job didn't we?", your daughter smiles happily while holding her father's pants

Your son follow his sister saying,

"You like the surprise Papa?"

Satoru squats to hug them "Yes, I really appreciate that, thank you my loves"

He kisses them on their cheeks and stand up before telling them "Come on, go play with the balloons before you sit down to eat"

"Yayyy", they exclaim with joy as they start running around the table

He watches them play with a smile before hearing someone started talking.

"Soo...", you're approaching him "You really think we forgot?", you quipped

He rolls his eyes "Not at all"

"Toru you're pouting again", you looking at him with amusment

He raises his head and confesses "Okay maybe a little"

"You finally raise your head huh, your head were down the whole way.. such a drama queen", you tease him "but don't worry..", you say cupping his cheeks "I'd think the same if I were you. But that was a surprise.. I'm sorry", you avow before pulling him into a kiss

"You still love it?"

"Of course", he smile brightly "Anyway how did you prepare all this?"

"Megumi helped", you smile "He helped me get you away from home while we were preparing all the food and all. He was the one who set the table and lit the light garlands before we arrived"

He remembers something before answering "So, that's why I saw you on your phone all day"

"Yeah I had to check if the preparations were going well"

"You sneaky girl"

You laugh together when your little monsters kids call you.

"Mama! Papa! Come eat!"

Satoru couldn't help laughing when he saw them already starting touching the food.

"Hey don't you dare eat without me you rascals", he races to catch them, then they giggle so hard when he starts tickling them.

"What a beautiful sight", you smile at the view

After the cake, your little ones gives him his gifts.

He loves any gift his children give him, really, any.

Pasta necklace? He wears it with pride

Drawing? He'll post it on the fridge, in the entrance wall, in his wallet, whatever as long as everyone can admire his precious children's masterpieces.

Cakes made with love with the help of their mother? He... honestly he would hesitate to eat them all at once or savor them.

The rest of the evening is spent in laughter and cheerfulness.

You come home late that day.

Your kids were gone at uncle Nanamin's house for that pajama party which was planned a long ago.

You in the bathroom, Satoru in your shared bed as he shout,

"Sweetheart come to bed alreadyyy", he wines

"Did you really think your day was over?"

"Hmm?", he thinks hearing wrong

When you come out of the bathroom adjoining your room, Satoru can't take his eyes off you.

You were absolutely stunning in that new underwear set, as you continue with a cocky smile,

"Happy Father's Day Daddy"

*God this is going to be a long night*

The rest is up to the future lmao

-------- bonus --------

The next day, Satoru complains to Megumi, "Why didn't you wish your handsome dad an happy father's day you unworthy sonnn", he cry out shaking him, pretending to cry

"You're not my dad i don't owe you a present or something" he exclaim

"Yet you helped Y/n yesterday, that counts as a gift, thanks Gumiii"

He's caught off guard

"Oww you're blushing! My little boy is blushinggg~"

Legend has it that Satoru left with a bump on his head after this interaction.

© jspenft 2023 : do not plagiarize, steal, contort, copy, or translate my content to other platforms.

[booigi-boi]

I am asking about your Tinky-Ted fusion. Do you have a design or just an idea?

Absolutely! Here's what the design is, I've drawn it a couple times. A redraw has been on my to do list for a while, lol 👍🐐 (including Blinky Bill cause I love the arms)

There's two ways I've made a Tinky Ted fusion work, might be a long read

CCRP has Tinky's DNA and they wanna do something with it. They reopen an old lab in the building that was used for more inhumane experiments. They go to the tech support floor and request Ted stay after work to fix something for them. Ted is then force to stay there and kept as kind of a lab animal. The process of inserting Tinky's DNA is painful and takes months to show any results, but the experiment is a success and Ted is involuntarily and painfully being able to transform into a yellow goat like creature. How will CCRP use this to their advantage? Who knows

Sam is tired of seeing his wife sleep with Ted of all people so he's finally going to do something about it. After stalking him for a while and catching him leave work, he takes Ted to the Nantucket bridge, beats him up, and throws him into the frozen water. Ted should be dead but he isn't. He finds himself in the Black and White, face to face with a nightmare creature who is eerily excited to see him. The creature tells Ted he's waited for this for years and laughs. A brighter than bright yellow flash then suddenly blinds Ted as he then finds himself laying on a beach in Hatchetfield, wet and bruised, as if no time had passed. With some effort he limps back into town and runs into Paul, who is horrified and surprised to see him. Time did pass, about 3 weeks, and everyone assumed Ted had died. Ted however has no recollection of what happened to him and as far as he was concerned, he didn't care to know. Fast forward to few weeks and Ted starts to get flashes of pain and nausea. He sees his veins turn yellow for a moment every time these pains occur. With every passing week the pains get more violent and he can barely get out of bed. Sometimes he dreams he's walking around his neighborhood and thrashing whatever he sees. But it is just a dream, right? He looks like a yellow weregoat creature in these dreams and he doesn't have control of his body, as if someone else inside his brain is making him do things against his will. When he wakes up from these dreams he can no longer feel pain. He is however sometimes covered with blood and his clothes are torn. The worst thing however is that he seems to have tiny holes in his head where there were once horns.

That's kinda it, lol. I'm in a hurry as I'm writing this so feel free to ask follow up questions about anything. I do have a third one, but it's pretty much the same as the CCRP one but instead of CCRP it's Hidgens

[hazbinhazbinhazbinreblog]

Charlie never bringing up the fact that Vinyl is her brother.

Remember those fics of Dadstaticradio where Alastor and Vox shows up that the hotel and Vaggie is confused and Charlie goes, “Oh these are my dads.” Well since Domestic AU is a mixture of that and secretly married, there’s a chance that this happens in Domestic AU as well. And it happens to Vinyl too.

Now, Charlie isn’t hiding the fact she has a brother, she talks about him all the time. (“My brother loves to garden.” “My brother is great with tech.” “My brother can be a bit of a troublemaker at times.” Etc). It’s just that Charlie never says WHO he is or ever uses his name. And no one ever seen him before because they’re both with their own thing, Charlie with her hotel and Vinyl with his popstar career.

So everyone (just Angel Dust, Vaggie, and Sir Pentious) thinks Lucifer and Lilith had a son and he was just hidden from the public for some reason.

It wasn’t until Vinyl showed up out of the blue and started to chat it up with Charlie, that they started to question what was going on. Why was Vinyl, THE Vinyl, a famous popstar at this ratty hotel? It’s not like he could be redeemed, he was a hellborn! And why was he so close to Charlie?

It wasn’t until something was said, that caused Vinyl to put on a shit eating girn, that makes everyone realize it.

Angel Dust: Holy shit, you look like Alastor!

Vinyl: Yeah. People often tell tell me I look like Pops.

Vaggie: Pops?

Vinyl: Yeah. You know, Pops? Papa? One of my dads?

Vaggie: Wait. If Alastor is one of your dads, that would make your other dad…*takes a better look at him*

Vaggie: No fucking way…

Angel Dust: Oh shit, you have bits of Vox in ya! Wait. YOU GUYS ARE THE KIDS VAL WAS TALKING ABOUT!

Charlie: What are talking about?

Angel Dust: Awhile back Val was bitching and moaning about Vox becoming a ‘dilf’. I had no idea what he was going on about, until I heard people talking about Vox having kids. I knew the princess was one of them, but I didn’t think he would be the other. *points at Vinyl* Huh, small world.

Vaggie: Wait. Let me get this straight. You heard about a powerful Overlord having kids, and you didn’t look into that!? You work for the guy’s business partner, how hard would it be for you to check up on that!

Angel Dust: Ah, fuck you! I told you before, I’m not big on politics! And what about you? How come you didn’t know who your girlfriend’s parents and brother were?

Vaggie: That’s-

Vinyl: Probably for your own safety.

Vaggie: What do you-

Sir Pentious: Uh, excuse the interruption. But there’s something I wish to ask.

Vinyl: Shoot snake man!

Sir Pentious: So um, how do you existed? I remember the commotion when your parents had you, but I always wondered how it happened. It is common knowledge that sinners can’t have children, must less between two male.

Vaggie: That, is a good question. How did they have you?

Angel Dust: Yeah! What, did smiles use his freaky shadow magic to bring ya to life?

Charlie: No actually. It was kinda my doing.

Vaggie: What?

Angel Dust: Huh?

Sir Pentious: I beg your pardon?

Vinyl: Uh, Charlie? Maybe you should give them some more details on what happened?

Charlie: Huh? Oh! Right! Um, how do I explain this? While raising me, some of my powers kinda rubbed off on them. One day they were arguing over how they got me, papa saying I came from their static electricity while dad saying Vark brought me to them, when poof! Vinyl came out of nowhere.

Vinyl: I’mma happy little accident! :D

Charlie: Since then, he’s been part of the family!

Vaggie:

Sir Pentious:

Angel Dust:

Angel Dust: Vinyl how did you say that last bit?

Vinyl: *shrugs*

Charlie: Hey! How about I show you around? Dad’s working and papa’s on one of his walks, so we have loads of time!

Vinyl: Sounds fun! Lead the way, goat legs!

Charlie: Will you ever stop calling me that?

Vinyl: No ;)

Angel Dust: Seriously, how the fuck is he doing that!

This is so fucking funny I love this, I remember those mini fics vividly they're some of my favorites

Vinyl pronouncing emoticons out loud, Val calling Vox a dilf, this is amazing, also when Vinyl arrives this gave me the same energy as in Loona's reaction to Verosika in Helluva Boss ("YOU KNOW VINYL??")

[jbbartram-illu]

Uh… hi! It’s uh… me again.

Sorry for popping into your inbox so much. It’s just that I’m a beginner ceramicist and I’m fascinated and awed by your work. (It also doesn’t help that my irl teacher doesn’t know what she’s doing). I’ve got some questions about the way that you bring your adorable creechurs to life.

What is the method of layering clay and then carving out designs in the different coloured clay? I find it really interesting, tbh

Where does the process start? Do you like, start with a sketch? Or with like an “I want to make a cute creature.” Sorta vibe?

And uh, what kinds of glaze do you use? Any tips?

Sorryagainforaskingsomanyquestionsitsjustthatiloveyourworksomuch!

Have a nice day!

Hey, @drgalacticcandy! This ask (which please, never apologize for sending an ask! I love them!! Also thank you for your kind words about my work!) came at a perfect time because your first Q is answered by another ask I just responded to in great depth!

The technique where I carve out designs is called sgraffito & I just wrote a small novella about the technique here!

In terms of the creative process, it depends on the creature! Almost all of them need some sort of photo-reference at some point, especially the ones I want to look more like an actual creature that exists (eg. my bird ladies, the pod guys).

For things like the sphinxes and the ungulates, I did peek at some photo reference at the very start (looked at some cats for sphinx anatomy & lots of musk oxen & goats for the ungulates), but am now just going off of what's goopin' around in my brain. I do sometimes still do sketches for the designs I make a lot, especially when I want to do a new body shape, eg. this flying guy.

I did quite a few sketches for the Puffin BirdLady because I'd hardly even drawn puffins before, let alone sculpted one, but other birds I'm more familiar with (loons, ravens/crows) I just keep some photo ref up on my laptop in case I need to check a detail & go straight to sculpting.

Some of the simpler beasts I just go ahead and sculpt without any drawings, eg. the snats/slats (snailcats/slugcats) & the owlbears (tho I did look at a bunch of owl-face photo ref to inspire their patterns!):

I do find sketching especially useful for creatures that require some new engineering, eg. the sphinx dishes or fishbutts in new positions, as doing the drawings helps me work out how the various bits will attach together or what issues I might come up against while trying to sculpt a new pose.

And glazes...whew! I'm still SUCH a glaze newbie & really don't know anything about them yet. My usual tendency when encountering a new art adventure is to just dive in headfirst with minimal research and GO, which is mayyyyybe not the best with glazes??

And yet I still just see a pretty glaze and go OH HI I AM BUYING U NOW (with one caveat -- I always read the description and if it's described as a runny/difficult to use glaze I drop it and run because my sculptures are wee and I don't want any glaze floods in the kiln!).

I'm also lucky to have a really great kiln tech in my friend who fires my stuff who does actually know more about the chemistry of glazes, so sometimes I pass my flights of fancy by her to make sure I'm not doing anything silly. In terms of glaze brands, I love Amaco & Coyote, both of whom make plenty of beautiful glazes that are also easy to use.

For my sgraffito work, when I'm not glazing with clear glaze I put a variety of colours of celadon glaze overtop (most of mine are Coytoe brand). Celadons are translucent, so patterns will show through them - you can also do designs in underglaze and put a celadon glaze overtop & get some neat effects - below are some examples of celadons over sgraffito...

...and celadons over underglaze designs...

I know the glaze portion of this answer wasn't the most helpful, but there are definitely lots of forums & websites that contain loads of great info about all the alchemical intricacies of glazes! If you can befriend some potters IRL, that can also be an amazing resource for learning.

Phew. Why do my answers always end up so long?? I hope this was helpful & please don't hesitate to ask if you have more Qs!

[luthsthings]

A Sims 4 Horse Ranch* review, by a Simmer who's not all that into horses

* Software not final. Sponsored by EA.

First, many thanks to EA/Maxis for the early access! This was a treat for me, to get access to an early build to try out for a while, as I'm not exactly a high-profile streamer. Or a streamer at all. Or even a creator (though I'll upload a household I came to love to the Gallery when I get a chance!). But I do love this game! And I love that I can help more of you play it the way you want to. Anyway, the review…

What I liked!

The great range of build/buy! I'll get LOTS of use out of this. It complements some other packs well too.

There are lots of helpful rooms in build mode for fast stables and nectar-related spaces! As a non-builder who sometimes tries to build, I was really happy to have a premade horse stall for my lot.

[image: a pre-built stable room in Build mode]

There's lots of Teen–Elder clothing and hair, and I love the dirty clothes swatches. I'll get LOTS of use out of this pack's CAS! And it will go well with styles from some other packs, too.

The new Afro-textured hairs are a welcome recognition that the cowboy culture of the Old West was not a White culture — there were lots of Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous cowboys and entrepreneurial women in the Old West!

I deeply appreciate the Indigenous content in build/buy, recipes, and CAS — I could see lots there in CAS, for example, that the Navajo people I saw and met in Utah and northern New Mexico (which is a part of the world I really want to go back to) wore IRL.

Lots range from fairly small (15 x 20) to quite large. I appreciate the range as someone who isn't a fan of building on large lots when I do build. There are horse practice areas in the land around some small lots, so you can still keep a horse there.

For Strangerville owners who love that landscape (which I do!), there's now somewhere for that valley, with its smaller population, to be "near". I can imagine that you'd drive up into a range from the new world and drop down into hidden Strangerville. Driving the other direction might take you to Oasis Springs.

The horse-riding and other horse animations are really detailed and fluid. They interact a lot with each other, too. I felt like parent and child horses recognized their relationship even.

[image: a mare lovingly nuzzling her foal]

The sheep and goats are endlessly adorable. Plus profitable! :D And they can sleep in your house!

The rabbithole adventure location out in the countryside has a very different gameplay than previous ones! And it has great sound effects -- play it with the volume up! It's hard to find, though. But it was nice to not need other tricks to get access. (I still have not done the secret places in Oasis Springs or the Outdoor Retreat pack!)

What I didn't like:

No new fridge, stove, bathtub, or toilet (I do like getting more of those!)

Very little boys' children's clothes. And no chaps for Children, even though they can ride and even though Toddlers got some

I would have liked a higher-tech/automated version of a nectar maker. However, this isn't a feature I care about much anyway.

You can't breed the mini goats and sheep, and there aren't even smaller baby ones. I'd have liked to have a full-on sheep farm. I like sheep. (I can practically see my husband glaring about how much I like sheep, even though he's waaaaay far away at the office right now.)

[image: a smiling, leaping mini-sheep, with a spotted goat behind it]

I definitely would never have found the countryside rabbithole without help, but maybe you will? If I could figure out how to do spoilers here, I would...

The horse-toy balls are a little… glowy? for my taste. They also weren't where I looked for them in the catalog, so you'll want to use search for them.

Cross-pack things?

I'd have liked to check out these before now, but with the pre-patch builds, that's not an option, and I'm always kind of busy when patches come out! For example ...

How do cats and dogs interact with horses, sheep, and goats?

Can horses be familiars for spellcasters?

Are there new Milestones?

Are there new Lifestyles?

Are there new Club rules, and are there enough of those?

This Simmer needs to know! (And eventually will.)

Neat things to know!

There's a rabbithole building in town where you can change or plan outfits like a dresser! And just off the main road in town there's a rabbithole building where you can buy goats, sheep, and groceries and other useful things, like horse age-up treats. I liked having an alternative way to buy these things and a whole new way to plan outfits. I'd be happy for more of that. If I can't go into a building, I might as well at least be able to pretend I can. As long as they don't end up being worlds stuffed with rabbitholes in place of gameplay (actually watching horse competition would have been nice!).

You can use a Community Board in town (or from B/B if you want one on your lot) to take local one-off jobs for money. Most need you to own a Horse or some sheep or goats. There are lots of ways to make money as a rancher without needing someone in the household to have a job. My relatives who are farmers will be seriously jealous.

Get to know that Crinkletop guy! He's very useful.

Bugs? Bugs!

Things to watch out for that were issues for me in the early-access build, which is NOT the release build, so hopefully it's a bit better:

Ranch dancing is EXTREMELY popular. You might want to not keep a radio at home until the new dancing has a mod to … moderate it. Or is tuned down by the devs. But I do like it when I'm in control!

[image: five Sims ranch dancing (line dancing) as a group, including two Don Lothario and Eliza Pancakes]

The beautiful stone fireplace was also very, very popular, and of course potentially deadly. Watch out for that.

Ranch hands are NOT reliable. They might stay really, really late. They might stop showing up after a couple days. They might forget the things you instructed them NOT to do the day before. They might be super into kicking the garbage bin over. Keep an eye on your ranch hand. At least until the day, someday, when they get fixed. I'm hoping this is also moddable for those of us on PC.

At one point I had a weird bug where my Sim decided she would NOT eat. The rest of the household could eat. Guests could eat. They could eat HER food. It was fixed by going to the world map and back into the household, so I didn't find out if she was going to just starve to death.

I couldn't find some of the new CAS at first because some men's outfits were under "jumpsuit" for no apparent reason. So, if you're looking for some cool outerwear, try "jumpsuits." Hopefully it was recategorized for the release build!

And that's it! I'm happy to answer questions!

[allthefoolmine]

The 2024 Women’s Olympic Marathon: GOAT

Your fool is BACK for some enthusiastic screaming about marathons!

Under the cut for folks in other time zones who haven’t woke up yet and want to be surprised and for anyone who wants to scroll on by!

So, listen. Listen. I said to the long-suffering @parrishsrubberplant that if the men’s marathon race was THAT good (and seriously, it was among the greats) the women’s races was going to be—I quote myself—“off the motherfucking chain.”

Holly cats was I right about that one. I could end this post right here with a string of head exploding and fire emojis, but instead I’m gonna write a bit about what I followed.*

(*still too cheap to pay for streaming, so this comes entirely from being glued to newspaper live text updates and the Olympics own race tracker, which gives the 5k splits. I WISH I HAD PAID. I wish I had *been there* in Paris.)

Things about this race that made my brain hurt, a numbered list:

1. Sifan Hassan (Netherlands): You have to be a pretty big nerd about running to remember the last person to medal in the 5k / 10k / marathon triple in the Olympics, so storytime.

Emil Zapotec, won gold in all three events at the 1952 Olympics. His marathon time was 2:23:03, and before you dismiss that, remember that training and shoe tech were different then, and also it was his first marathon. Hassan, as far as I know, is the second to try this triple, and her marathon time was 2:22:55, which is an Olympic record.

*and* she won bronze in the 5k and 10k earlier THIS WEEK. And we talked yesterday about the hilly Paris course, right?

Hassan, I need to add, made history in her last Olympics, Tokyo 2021, for getting Gold in the 5k and 10k, and bronze in the 1500m; she’s the first Olympic athlete to do that, ever, so it’s not like it was impossible to imagine she could medal in her triple this time (for Paris, she was initially also entered in the 1500, and decided not to.) Just, really hard to get your head around.

I’ve been listening to Kara Goucher and Des Linden do an amazing recaps podcast on Olympic track and field this week (go listen to Nobody Asked Us, they’re hilarious), and one of the things they stressed is that, from their own Olympic—both are double Olympians for the USA—and championship racing experience—the training you do for a hilly marathon vs for a track 5k is super, super different. Just to put in perspective the absolutely BATSHIT INSANITY of what Hassan just did by winning the Olympics. And setting an Olympic record. After the all the racing she did this week.

2. The race at 40k Sprint, do not run, to find a video of the finish. Here’s the one from Eurosports. Up until 2k to go, FIVE ATHLETES were in it: Sharon Lokedi (Kenya), Hellen Obiri (Kenya), Amane Beriso Shankule (Ethiopia), Tigst Assefa (Ethiopia), and Hassan.

Again, a comparison to Zapotec: a sportswriter once described his running style as “a man wrestling an octopus on a conveyor belt” and I couldn’t help but think of that when the commentators were desperately assuring us that Obiri is not struggling, she just Runs Like That. Obiri has one of the greatest CVs in women’s distance running history, and honestly, she looks like a woman wrestling an octopus on a conveyor belt. Often the octopus is winning. It’s so fun to watch.

Also, seeing Hassan, lurking at the back of the pack like a goddam shark, as Beriso and Lokedi got dropped. I was there and SEATED. You could almost see her scent blood in the water. It was EPIC.

3. The finish: Hassan and Assefa finished 3 seconds apart (and we had some good track style elbow throwing! The drama! Love to see track and field the contact sport!) Obiri was 15 seconds back from gold. I actually cried a little, like you do when you see something overwhelming beautiful and can’t help it. Lokedi, who is an athlete I love following, was fourth, 19 seconds back.

5. Yuka Suzuki (Japan): can we just scream together for a moment about how impressive Team Japan’s young marathoners were in this Olympics? Suzuki is 24 years old. She had, according to the information I could find about her, never raced in world championship race (not sure what a world university games is but I don’t think that counts). She went from being 13th at 25k to 8th at 30k, to 5th at 35k, to 6th at 40k…and finished 6th. Most of her running, for the last 10k of the race, was alone, with the lead pack in sight but not in actual distance to catch. Can you imagine how hard that it is, mentally? To be so close and yet so far at the end of a hilly marathon that just happens to be the motherfucking Olympics? I can barely get my head around it. Just. Holy cats people. Holy cats. So excited to see where she goes next.

6. Checked and Wrecked, the Honor Roll: It was super frustrating to follow this race because the Olympic tracker wasn’t working properly for past splits: it automatically updates them to show the state of the current race. Which made it very hard to follow changes in the race and spectulate strategy, and this didn’t happen with the men’s tracker, UGH, but anyway. Flowers to Jessica Stentson (Australia), Dakotah Lindwurm (USA) and Melody Julien (France), and also Lornah Chemutai Salpeter (Israel), who all, at various points in the first half, seem to have Went For It. I’m sure there’s plenty of other people who belong on this roll of honour, but that’s just who I noticed. I would rather see an athlete wreck themselves than check themselves, because sports are entertainment.

7. Lastly, because repeat Olympians Are Cool: Fionnula McCormick (Ireland)! Her fifth Olympics! Ridiculously cool.

Guys (gender neutral), women’s distance running is so fucking lit right now. There’s so many great athletes in the sport and that was such an epic, epic marathon.

Once again, a link to the end of the race for everybody in Europe / with vpns, because that was racing that makes me glad to be alive. Off the chain, indeed.