#cache level 1

[cnatraining]

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[joudama]

I saw a post today that got me thinking. They basically started by pointing out how the Veilguard companions are super entitled brats because even though the world is ending, they prioritize solving their apparently much more important personal issues.

What really hit me is, the writers were trying to use the Mass Effect 2 template with a Mass Effect 3 level threat, without seeming to realize how completely incompatible those two things are.

I’m gonna talk a lot about Mass Effect to critique a Dragon Age game, but that’s what they get for trying to Mass Effect Dragon Age. Oh well.

First off, let me get the Unpopular Opinion out of the way now: Mass Effect 2 was the worst game of the trilogy. That’s not to say it was a bad game. It was an excellent game. Unfortunately, it was not a good second installment of a trilogy. It did none of the middle act work of setting up the pieces for the final act (this is why we get the deus ex machina of the super secret Reaper killing weapon plans plopped in what HAD just been “a small data cache” on Mars - ME2 should have been about chasing down leads for said weapon) and instead was basically a reboot that set us back to exactly where we should not have been, only now with this super cool secret society that has been secretly engineering galactic politics from behind the scenes and using their Big Evil Tendrils of Power on people and shaping events (gee, why does THAT sound so familiar, Veilguard?) and they were putting us on a mission that realistically had nothing to do with the bigger Reaper threat or set us up to fight them. The main story was about the Collectors and Cerberus, but you’ll notice how no one ever talks about that - other than to express irritation when TIM shows up to force you to go on main story missions instead of letting you do the missions you actually care about - the companion recruitment and loyalty missions - because it’s more of a framing device. Having the actual story people care about be those missions works because the main story is inconsequential IRT the world. You are a small crew chasing after what most of the galaxy believes to be a myth by sailing into an area no one has ever come back from, and said crew is: a leader everyone thinks is dead, two members of a terrorist organization, a tank-bred teenager, a vigilante everyone thinks is dead, a mercenary, a dying assassin, twenty year old kid, a thief, an old mad scientist who retired off to the slums, and a monk from an order where they die a lot. In other words: no one the galaxy will seemingly miss going on a suicide mission of seemingly no importance. That means instead of focusing on the relatively unimportant story (again, remember, it does NONE of the work of the middle story of a trilogy, which is part of why ME3 had the problems it did!), they could focus on the characters. And it completely made sense to stop everything - because there truly was not a huge rush until the Collector attack triggers to get to the suicide mission - in order to do these single mission asks of people that a terrorist organization is sending on a suicide mission. They are asking Shepard to give them some closure on their lives because they know they very well might die and not be able to do it after the mission. And it makes sense to do it, because you are literally asking them to die. It’s a last request. You do it because there’s no time crunch, because there’s no big looming threat directly hanging over you, and even after the Collector Attack is triggered, the only thing under threat is your ship’s crew. It’s a personal threat, not a galactic one.

Which brings us to 3, which is finally getting back to the story started in 1, the Reapers, which are now HERE and a way to beat them has to be plucked out of nowhere because 2 didn’t bother (and yes yes, I know about set up from 1 with the giant rift on iirc Klendagon? I don’t remember how to spell the name - but we should have been looking for that in 2 instead of doing a side quest for Cerberus, but I digress). Anyway, there is now a galaxy ending threat and it is literally destroying worlds. They are taking over more and more of space, and despite our best efforts we are absolutely losing, and we’ve got a very short time to unite the galaxy and get that Hail Mary weapon built, plus stop Cerberus fucking up our efforts, or else all space faring life will be killed off. Every mission (aside from DLC) is focused on one of those three goals, because the threat is so large there’s no room for anything else. Even when it seems like the game is setting up you helping a former companion on a side mission - Miranda and her missing sister - Miranda tells you point blank that you’ve got bigger issues than her personal problem, and you only end up doing it because you’re going after Cerberus and discovered she was there.

Now, at long last, it’s time to talk about Veilguard. Veilguard tried to tell small, personal stories, like ME2 did, while the main story was a literal world and life as we know it ending threat, like ME3 had. And those two things are incompatible. You can’t stop to go fight an old personal enemy and plan camping trips while there is a literal world ending threat that is encroaching on everything and you are LOSING - by virtue of the stakes, it needs to be everything you are, in some way, focusing on, as is what happened with ME3. By trying to do a personal story quest in this scenario, it creates a giant disconnect where your companions come off as entitled at best and extraordinarily privileged and tone deaf at worst, and like they are completely amateurish (and it also undermines how big the threat is - how big of a threat can it be really if you have time to go watch some griffin training?) You can’t stop everything to handle personal concerns when you are losing a fight for the survival of literally everyone. Act 2 of Veilguard grinds to a halt because instead of looking for ways to stop the gods, you’re off hither and yon running multi-step errands for your companions. They’re taking you on picnics and telling you to relax and have some tea. Meanwhile, the south is on fire and hundred of thousands of people are dying and the baddies are working on their own deus ex machina as you go chasing after a random mage.

[desiree-uk]

DXVK Tips and Troubleshooting: Launching The Sims 3 with DXVK

A big thank you to @heldhram for additional information from his recent DXVK/Reshade tutorial! ◀ Depending on how you launch the game to play may affect how DXVK is working.

During my usage and testing of DXVK, I noticed substantial varying of committed and working memory usage and fps rates while monitoring my game with Resource Monitor, especially when launching the game with CCMagic or S3MO compared to launching from TS3W.exe/TS3.exe.

It seems DXVK doesn't work properly - or even at all - when the game is launched with CCM/S3MO instead of TS3W.exe/TS3.exe. I don't know if this is also the case using other launchers from EA/Steam/LD and misc launchers, but it might explain why some players using DXVK don't see any improvement using it.

DXVK injects itself into the game exe, so perhaps using launchers bypasses the injection. From extensive testing, I'm inclined to think this is the case.

Someone recently asked me how do we know DXVK is really working. A very good question! lol. I thought as long as the cache showed up in the bin folder it was working, but that was no guarantee it was injected every single time at startup. Until I saw Heldhram's excellent guide to using DXVK with Reshade DX9, I relied on my gaming instincts and dodgy eyesight to determine if it was. 🤭

Using the environment variable Heldhram referred to in his guide, a DXVK Hud is added to the upper left hand corner of your game screen to show it's injected and working, showing the DXVK version, the graphics card version and driver and fps.

This led me to look further into this and was happy to see that you could add an additional line to the DXVK config file to show this and other relevant information on the HUD such as DXVK version, fps, memory usage, gpu driver and more. So if you want to make sure that DXVK is actually injected, on the config file, add the info starting with:

dxvk.hud =

After '=', add what you want to see. So 'version' (without quotes) shows the DXVK version. dxvk.hud = version

You could just add the fps by adding 'fps' instead of 'version' if you want.

The DXVK Github page lists all the information you could add to the HUD. It accepts a comma-separated list for multiple options:

devinfo: Displays the name of the GPU and the driver version.

fps: Shows the current frame rate.

frametimes: Shows a frame time graph.

submissions: Shows the number of command buffers submitted per frame.

drawcalls: Shows the number of draw calls and render passes per frame.

pipelines: Shows the total number of graphics and compute pipelines.

descriptors: Shows the number of descriptor pools and descriptor sets.

memory: Shows the amount of device memory allocated and used.

allocations: Shows detailed memory chunk suballocation info.

gpuload: Shows estimated GPU load. May be inaccurate.

version: Shows DXVK version.

api: Shows the D3D feature level used by the application.

cs: Shows worker thread statistics.

compiler: Shows shader compiler activity

samplers: Shows the current number of sampler pairs used [D3D9 Only]

ffshaders: Shows the current number of shaders generated from fixed function state [D3D9 Only]

swvp: Shows whether or not the device is running in software vertex processing mode [D3D9 Only]

scale=x: Scales the HUD by a factor of x (e.g. 1.5)

opacity=y: Adjusts the HUD opacity by a factor of y (e.g. 0.5, 1.0 being fully opaque).

Additionally, DXVK_HUD=1 has the same effect as DXVK_HUD=devinfo,fps, and DXVK_HUD=full enables all available HUD elements.

desiree-uk notes: The site is for the latest version of DXVK, so it shows the line typed as 'DXVK_HUD=devinfo,fps' with underscore and no spaces, but this didn't work for me. If it also doesn't work for you, try it in lowercase like this: dxvk.hud = version Make sure there is a space before and after the '=' If adding multiple HUD options, seperate them by a comma such as: dxvk.hud = fps,memory,api,version

The page also shows some other useful information regarding DXVK and it's cache file, it's worth a read. (https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk)

My config file previously showed the DXVK version but I changed it to only show fps. Whatever it shows, it's telling you DXVK is working! DXVK version:

DXVK FPS:

The HUD is quite noticeable, but it's not too obstructive if you keep the info small. It's only when you enable the full HUD using this line: dxvk.hud = full you'll see it takes up practically half the screen! 😄 Whatever is shown, you can still interact with the screen and sims queue.

So while testing this out I noticed that the HUD wasn't showing up on the screen when launching the game via CCM and S3MO but would always show when clicking TS3W.exe. The results were consistent, with DXVK showing that it was running via TS3W.exe, the commited memory was low and steady, the fps didn't drop and there was no lag or stuttereing. I could spend longer in CAS and in game altogether, longer in my older larger save games and the RAM didn't spike as much when saving the game. Launching via CCM/S3MO, the results were sporadic, very high RAM spikes, stuttering and fps rates jumping up and down. There wasn't much difference from DXVK not being installed at all in my opinion.

You can test this out yourself, first with whatever launcher you use to start your game and then without it, clicking TS3.exe or TS3W.exe, making sure the game is running as admin. See if the HUD shows up or not and keep an eye on the memory usage with Resource Monitor running and you'll see the difference. You can delete the line from the config if you really can't stand the sight of it, but you can be sure DXVK is working when you launch the game straight from it's exe and you see smooth, steady memory usage as you play. Give it a try and add in the comments if it works for you or not and which launcher you use! 😊 Other DXVK information:

Make TS3 Run Smoother with DXVK ◀ - by @criisolate How to Use DXVK with Sims 3 ◀ - guide from @nornities and @desiree-uk

How to run The Sims 3 with DXVK & Reshade (Direct3D 9.0c) ◀ - by @heldhram

DXVK - Github ◀

[tinybeetiny]

Build-A-Boyfriend Chapter 2: T-Minus 4 Weeks

Why did i write this before my discussion post.....

->Starring:AI!AteezXAfab!Reader ->Genre: Dystopian ->CW: Explicit language, nothing major

Previous Part | Next Part

Masterlist | Ateez Masterlist | Series Masterlist

The morning began with a low chime, the soft, regulated sound of Hala’s approved wake-up tone.

Yn opened her eyes slowly, the sterile glow of her ceiling light filtering in, programmed to adjust in sync with her biometric readings.

But something felt wrong.

She sat up, eyes flicking to the tablet still docked by the door.

1 New Alert. 3 Missed Logs. Urgent: Review Immediately.

Her stomach tightened.

She padded across the floor barefoot, grabbed the tablet, and scanned the notifications.

ATEEZ UNIT 06 — DEVIATION DETECTED — AUTONOMY SPIKE UNAUTHORIZED VOCALIZATION: "YN"

Yn stared at the final line for a beat too long.

Then she moved. Walking as fast as she was legally allowed through the streets of Hala.

She gave polite smiles to her coworkers as she made her way to the elevator.

The lab floor was still cool from overnight lockdown when she arrived. The biometric scanner buzzed awake as she approached, confirming her identity with a flash.

YN — Lead Engineering Tech— Clearance: Gold-Level

The steel doors hissed open.

She stepped inside, and there he was.

Unit 06 — Mingi. Exactly where she had left him.

Seated on the calibration chair, eyes closed, posture perfect, skin dewy with the faintest shimmer of dermal regulation oil. His expression was peaceful. Unnaturally so.

Yn walked around him slowly, tablet in hand, watching for signs of movement, a twitch, a breath pattern, a pupil shift. But nothing changed.

He looked inert. Safe. Dormant.

But she’d seen the log. He’d said her name.

She ran diagnostics. Nothing flagged. Heart-rate simulation: normal. Memory cache: intact. Audio response logs: empty.

Empty.

She checked his neck port. Still capped. Voice box still sealed in storage.

She swallowed hard.

The rest of the ATEEZ prototypes stood silent across the lab in their maintenance docks, each assigned to their own calibration alcove.

She walked past them one by one, watching.

Unit 01 — Hongjoong. Still as stone, but his fingers had been rearranged on the synth keyboard overnight. A composition Yura didn’t recognize blinked on his screen.

Unit 02 — Seonghwa. Always the most immaculate. But his reflection in the lab’s polished glass didn’t match his real posture, just a degree off. Barely noticeable, unless you were looking.

Unit 03 — Yunho. Smiling. Just faintly. No trigger.

Unit 04 — Yeosang. Eyes fixed on a ventilation grate in the ceiling. He hadn't looked away in over two hours, according to logs.

Unit 05 — San. Kneeling. Not in his programming. Position logged as "rest" but the posture was… reverent.

Unit 07 — Wooyoung. Chestplate cooling mechanism activated 4 times during the night — autonomously. He hadn’t been powered up.

Unit 08 — Jongho. Cracked the pressure sensor on his maintenance chair. No movement recorded.

They were silent, motionless. But Yn felt eyes on her.

Even now, standing among them, it felt like walking through a forest full of predators, beautiful, engineered predators pretending to sleep.

She leaned against the edge of the workbench, rubbing her temples, heart still racing. Four weeks to launch. The marketing campaign was already filmed. The architecture teams had begun installing the holographic interface rooms in the flagship store.

There was no time for failure. Not now.

And still… the voice chip logs were empty. The playback files had no entry. But Mingi had said her name.

And the others were changing, too. Quietly. Together.

The sound of heels against polished tile snapped Yn out of thought. Chairwoman Vira Yun entered the lab like gravity itself, sharp suit, spine straight, expression unreadable. Two aides flanked her, both scanning progress reports in real-time.

Yn straightened instinctively.

Vira’s eyes swept across the prototypes, Mingi still seated, the others upright in their calibration docks. Everything looked pristine. Controlled.

“I wanted a visual update before this afternoon’s numbers meeting,” Vira said. “How are we looking?”

Yn forced a nod. “On track. All eight are responding to recalibration. Minor bugs, but nothing that won’t be handled in time.”

Vira gave a tight smile, satisfied. “Good. The store opens in four weeks. And we’ll be announcing the Ateez line one week after that. The Board’s expecting a flawless rollout, we all are.”

She walked slowly along the row of silent units, pausing a moment longer at Mingi.

“They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” she said softly, almost admiring. “So much potential in one room.”

Yn’s throat tightened. “They are,” she murmured.

Vira turned back to her. “Let me know if anything... unexpected comes up.”

Yn kept her face neutral. “Of course.”

With that, Vira nodded once, then exited, heels echoing down the corridor.

The moment the door slid shut, Yn turned back to Mingi.

He hadn’t moved. Not an inch.

But she could feel it again, that subtle wrongness humming underneath the code. A tension in the room that didn’t come from the lights or machines.

She picked up her tablet. The earlier alerts were still blinking faintly in the corner of the screen. Her fingers hovered over the reset command, but she didn’t press it.

Instead, she stared at Mingi’s still, perfect form.

Voice chip disabled. Logs empty. Command queue blank.

And yet… he had said her name.

Yn stayed long after the lab lights dimmed into their night-cycle hue.

The others had gone home, the halls had emptied. Even the air felt quieter.

She pulled up lines of diagnostic code, checking through every flagged anomaly, double-checking behavioral protocols, reviewing voice input logs that should have been blank.

Mingi still hadn’t moved. Neither had the others.

Still, something itched at her spine, not fear, not exactly. Just… unease. Low-level. Manageable. At least, that’s what her biometric monitor kept reporting.

Yn sighed, rubbed her eyes, and leaned back in her chair.

“Four weeks,” she muttered aloud, glancing toward the ceiling. “And they want them flawless. I can’t even get one of you to follow your own default pose cycle.”

Her voice echoed in the quiet.

She glanced toward Mingi again. “You glitched out before you even had a voice box. How the hell did that happen?”

No answer.

She stared at the ceiling again, her voice softer now. “I haven’t slept more than four hours in weeks. Not that my vitals allow much more. Sleep too long and the regulators flag you for depressive lethargy.”

She let out a dry laugh.

“I miss silence. Real silence. Not the kind that hums at you all day to remind you it’s working. I think I miss… something else too. Something I’ve never even had.”

She shook her head, pulling her hair up into a loose knot. “Maybe I just need caffeine. Or to scream. Or to throw my tablet out the damn window. Can’t even do that anymore. Everything’s reinforced. Everything’s... safe.”

Behind her, in the corner of the room, a pair of synthetic eyes remained open.

Unmoving. Watching.

In the back-end system, a hidden data stream pulsed to life:

[UNAUTHORIZED RECORDING — ACTIVE] Listening… — “I miss silence.” — “I think I miss something else too.” — “Can’t even scream.” Tag: Emotional Pattern Acquisition Subject: YN File saved. Labeled: Soft Sounds of Sadness.

The eyes closed again. And the lab went still.

Taglist: @e3ellie @yoongisgirl69 @jonghoslilstar @sugakooie @atztrsr

@honsans-atiny-24 @life-is-a-game-of-thrones @atzlordz @melanated-writersblock @hwasbabygirl

@sunnysidesins @felixs-voice-makes-me-wanna @seonghwaswifeuuuu @lezleeferguson-120 @mentalnerdgasms

@violatedvibrators @krystalcat @lover-ofallthingspretty @gigikubolong29

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[meathunt]

The alien pt. 3

heeeeeyy I'm still alive （´∇｀''） Hope you all enjoy! The alien pt,1 pt.2

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

Yesterday when he checked up on you after the bath you already fell into a restful sleep, even as he was sure you were deep into your resting cycle he decided to be as silent as he could, taking a photo of your first day with him, to then accompany you in resting, curling possessively around you, just like his people do with their young.

The next day as he woke up he checked up on you first thing after waking up and his heart almost stopped, in our sleep you told up on him, nuzzling up to his side, as relaxed as you possibly could be. You were as wonderful as he though you would be.

After making sure to you wouldn't wake up, he transferred you to the bed and got up to look for some food for you, he wanted you to understand that he isn't a danger to you, more like a provider.

And what better way to make you understand than giving it to you! Now he only had to figure out what would you like to eat…

You woke up from probably the most comfortable sleep you had in a while, sleeping into an escape pod for least a week left your back really sensitive, as our really didn't have the biggest space to stretch or do anything but sit and crouch in it.

You roll around on the bed stretching as far as you could while enjoying the softness of the mattress. You were almost tempted to go back to sleep when you remembered your predicament, the aliens, the abduction, your strange "housing" situation.

The memories immediately making you shot out of the bed, taking in your surroundings in a panic.

Even when you didn't really had time to look carefully at everything you just couldn't help the amazement of what you were seeing, hologram screens filled with graphics that you didn't understand, a floating orb in the ceiling that shinned dimly in the room, and the bed that you were laying in was very similar to a waterbed\nest thing close to the floor which also look like maybe it was carpeted, plus the fact that here to everything was way bigger than you, making you feel almost like a child, you really wanted to just figure out the gibberish in the screens, how they even work and how they are powered, but it wasn't the time for that, for now you needed to find how to escape this place, or figure out if it even was possible.

You get off the bed, noticing that even when it was directly on the floor, the mattress looking thing reached up to eye level, making you barely half a head taller than it. When you turned to look at the door you noticed that the panel looking thing, which most likely opened the door, was way out of reach, so that escape option was denied… for now at least.

You didn't see any windows or other openings on reach, but near the ground you could see a ventilation cover.

You approached, tugging at it but it was either really well screwed in or glued, you were going to look for a tool or something that would help you to open it when the sound of an automatic door gets your attention. You turn at the source of the sound and see the alien that took you from your pod. You immediately feel threatened by the sight of this creature that just towers above you.

They click and trill when he enters the room, and in an almost automatically way you go take cover under the desk looking thing that was closer to the floor, giving a little space where you could press yourself against the wall, being at least 20% sure he won’t be able to reach you there.

He came back to the room holding a selection of foods for him to test what interested you the most, but when he came back you were missing from the spot on the nest where he left you. He knew you were still in the room as the door was locked and he doesn’t really think you had enough time to get tools to make a way out for yourself.

He was going to search for you when his ears cached the sound of little steps quickly going near his desk, he already knew where you were hiding, he can hear how quick your heart is going even when you are trying to control your breathing.

He softly walks to your hiding spot, putting the food containers with care on top of it

“Little thing, it’s okay, you are okay, no one is going to hurt you” He lowers himself down to your level “I know you are scared, but you can trust me” He says in the softest tone he can. But in your ears it just sounds like trills and little bops that you can make no sense of.

He has been trying to lure you out for a long time now, waving a strange ball near the entrance of your hiding spot, but not doing much. You are kind of surprised he hasn’t tried to be more… forceful.

And that patience is what gives you the confidence to maybe get near to the offering hand. Looking at the thing he’s holding confuses you quite a bit, it doesn’t really smell like anything really, but it looks very jello-looking.

As soon as you try to touch it you see the alien reach down for you, and faster than you can really react he manages to grasp your shirt, dragging you out.

You make a sound in surprise as you feel him overpowering you, and as much you try to resist, planting you feet on the ground or holding on the carpeted floor, you are no obstacle for him. And at the end he manages to drag your body enough to let him hold you more carefully, lifting you off the ground and into his chest, not really caring or bothered by your struggle or resistance. To him it looked similar to when a kid was throwing a temper tantrum.

Carefully he put you again in the water bed looking thing and went back to get the containers of food he left on the desk and bringing them back to you.

For your part once he let you go, you scooted as far as you could from him, taking in the situation that you now are in, the alien comes back with some boxes near you again, carefully he puts them near you taking another jello-looking cube, the same type which he lured you out of your hiding spot, in between his fingers.

He doesn’t seem intent of hurting you in any way, but you really can’t read his expression correctly, plus his size doesn’t really make you feel any less nervous, he overtakes you in almost all physical aspects as far you know.

You both stay in this stalemate for a minute, before he slowly lifts the cube towards you, at first making you tense up, but when he just let it sit on his palm extended towards you, the action seeming strangely familiar, the though letting you calm down a bit, and letting you examine what he could mean by his actions.

¿A peace offering? ¿A trick? ¿Hopefully an apology?

But after some more thinking about it you finally connect to what this scene reminds you off

Feeding a stray animal

He is treating you as some skittish homeless animal, and possibly trying to gain your trust? This revelation frees you a bit from the fear that was holding you back, realizing how silly this all is.

You almost dying in the middle of space just to find out that aliens are in fact fucking real, be abducted by them, and then discovering that they at best see you as a dumb animal.

And you know what

You think it’s better that they see you as a pet than some vermin, hopefully you can get across that you are a conscious being with complex thoughts.

The first way to show that, you decide, is signaling that you won’t take that cube looking thing, not only because it reminds you of the slight betrayal of being tricked out of hiding by it, but also because it doesn’t really look that appetizing.

You softly push the offering… paw? Yeah, sure. And shake your head, hoping to translate your denial at his action.

He looks at you for a second, turning from the food to your face.

Where you trying to feed him? ¿Share resources with him? …. Adorable

You were just so adorable

You worry for his well-being is just so touching, it makes him want to squish your little face, and before he can really stop himself he grabs you and hugs you very firmly against his chest.

By your side, you were a bit freaked out, but really you couldn’t do much about it, not understanding what prompted this show of affection, but you find out that you really didn’t mind.

This alien seems to be very nice, even if nonsensical at times, but you think you will be able to communicate with them sooner rather than later.

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

You guys, i prommy i have been writting but i also have no real concept of time so i though i was making good progress, well flash news i wasn't orz Gn everyone! Will keep trying to make more things for you all soon! <3

[imjustsocute]

The Claw is where the strong gather…

CLASSIFIED INTELLIGENCE REPORT Agency: [REDACTED] Clearance Level: TOP SECRET Subject: Operational Assessment – The Claw Date: [REDACTED] Compiled by: [REDACTED] Distribution: Eyes Only – Tier 1 Command, Allied Intelligence Liaison

Executive Summary:

The Claw is a rogue paramilitary organization operating beyond the bounds of legal and state-controlled frameworks. Comprised primarily of former military operatives, the group has demonstrated capabilities consistent with Tier 1 special operations units. Their strategic pattern of engagement, combined with their disregard for international law, classifies them as a high-risk transnational threat.

Background:

The organization draws its members from individuals who have been abandoned or exiled by their respective governments. Many are combat veterans with extensive experience in classified and high-risk operations. Disillusioned and discarded, some have since been flagged as threats to state security.

The group's origins remain unclear, but the presence of former operatives from NATO, Warsaw Pact nations, and non-state actors suggests a broad, decentralized recruitment model. One of the group's senior figures, known by the alias Markov, is confirmed to be a defector formerly affiliated with the KGB.

Operational Profile:

Structure: Non-hierarchical cell-based units

Tactics: High-speed raids, direct action, sabotage, black-market contracting

Known Activities:

Contracted operations for private clients and non-state actors

Targeted raids on enemy strongholds, weapons caches, and covert installations

Engagements involving acts of piracy, smuggling, and tactical robbery when resources are low

The Claws exhibit strategic flexibility—shifting from high-level mercenary work to resource-based criminal activity without loss of cohesion or discipline.

Impact Assessment:

Since its emergence, The Claw has conducted high-value attacks against assets belonging to the CIA, MI6, and the FSB (formerly KGB). Their operations have resulted in significant personnel loss, data compromise, and mission disruption.

Field agents engaging with this group are advised to proceed under strict containment protocols. Hostile contact should be treated as black-level engagement: no quarter expected, none given.

Recommendations:

Elevate threat designation to Priority Black – Tier 1

Initiate joint tracking operation with Allied Counter-Insurgency Units

Classify The Claw as a Non-State Hostile Force (NSHF)

Restrict dissemination of intelligence beyond Tier 1 Command

END OF REPORT CLASSIFIED – DO NOT DUPLICATE

"Remember, kid, the strong survive, and the weak perish. There is no room for mercy in this world."

CONFIDENTIAL DOSSIER – EYES ONLY INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS DIVISION FILE No. 4267-A / CLASSIFIED SUBJECT: YURI MARKOV DATE: June 3, 1964 ORIGIN: Berlin Station / Field Unit 4 SECURITY RATING: LEVEL BLACK – PRIORITY SUBJECT

SUBJECT PROFILE:

Yuri Markov is a former Major in the Red Army and an ex-agent of the KGB, formerly attached to operations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Known for exceptional tactical acumen and advanced psychological manipulation techniques. The subject exhibited strong ideological alignment during early service years, but appears to have become disillusioned following internal purges and ideological realignments post-1956.

BEHAVIORAL SHIFT / DEFECTION RISK:

Signals intelligence from intercepted field transmissions in Prague and Odessa suggest Subject severed ties with all former chains of command as early as late 1960. Further reports indicate possible mental destabilization due to operational overexposure and the loss of ideological clarity. Markov has since re-emerged as the founder of an independent paramilitary faction known as “The Claw”.

GROUP OVERVIEW – “THE CLAW”:

An unaligned mercenary outfit operating outside state control. Intelligence assessments suggest the group consists primarily of:

Former Warsaw Pact operatives

Expelled military specialists

Political dissidents and rogue elements

Modus Operandi:

High-speed raids

Arms theft

Strategic sabotage

Contracted eliminations

The group answers to no flag, ideology, or doctrine beyond personal gain and operational dominance.

SECURITY BREACHES / THREAT ASSESSMENT:

As of Q2 1964, confirmed involvement of The Claw in:

The raid on Safehouse Echo (MI6, Vienna)

Disruption of CIA asset extraction near Budapest

Interception of coded dispatch intended for French SDECE

Subject Markov is considered HIGHLY DANGEROUS. He operates with absolute autonomy and demonstrates military-level discipline within his ranks. He has no known family, no state allegiance, and is driven solely by control and survival.

ACTIONABLE DIRECTIVES:

Subject is to be tracked under OPERATION BLACK WOLF

Immediate escalation to INTERAGENCY PRIORITY LEVEL

Field operatives are NOT to engage without command approval

If contact occurs, the Subject is to be neutralized or rendered for extraction

FILE END TOP SECRET – DESTROY AFTER READING STAMP: [REDACTED / COLD WAR OPERATIONS UNIT – EASTERN BLOCK MONITORING]

[bronzecats]

National Rainbow Week of Action in Canada

In this post I have compiled all the information I could find regarding upcoming events for the Rainbow Week of Action. There are two online events, and dozens on in-person events across the country.

"Within the Rainbow Week of Action, we are pushing governments and elected officials at every level to take action for Rainbow Equality and address rising anti-2SLGBTQIA+ hate. As such, we have identified calls to action for every level of government. These calls to action can be reviewed here."

Event list below:

Events are listed in date order, provinces in general west-to-east order. I have included as much detail as possible, please reference the links at the bottom of the post. At this time, there are no events in N.W.T. and Nova Scotia. Last updated: May 14th, 9:53pm PDT. Please note that I am not officially affiliated with / an organizer of these events, I have simply compiled all the dates to share on tumblr. Original post content.

B.C. EVENTS:

15th: Fernie; Fernie Seniors Drop-In Centre, 572 3rd Avenue, 6:00PM. (Letter writing and Potluck)

17th: Vancouver; šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl'e7énḵ Square - Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza, 750 Hornby St, 5:30PM. (Rally)

19th, Sunday: Abbotsford; Jubilee Park, 5:00PM. (Rally)

ALBERTA EVENTS:

15th: Lethbridge; McKillop United Church, 2329 15th Ave S, 12:00-1:00PM (letter writing)

17th, Friday: Calgary; Central Memorial Park, 1221 2 St SW, 5:30PM. (Rally)

17th: Edmonton; Wilbert McIntyre Park, 8331 104 St NW, 6:00PM. (Rally)

SASKATCHEWAN EVENTS:

17th: Saskatoon; Vimy Memorial Park, 500 Spadina Crescent E, 5:30PM. (Rally)

17th: Regina; Legislative Grounds, 2405 Legislative Dr, 6:30PM. (Rally)

May 18th: Saskatoon; Grovenor Park United Church, 407 Cumberland Ave S, 6:00PM. (Art event)

MANITOBA EVENTS:

16th: Carman; Paul's Place, 20 1 Ave SW, 7:00-9:00PM. (Letter writing)

19th: Winnipeg; Manitoba Legislature, 450 Broadway, 12:00PM. (Rally)

ONTARIO EVENTS:

15th: Barrie; UPlift Black, 12 Dunlop St E, 6:00-7:30PM. (Letter writing)

15th: Chatham; CK Gay Pride Association, 48 Centre St, 5:00-6:30PM. (Letter writing)

15th: Peterborough; Trinity Community Centre, 360 Reid St, 12:00-3:00PM. (Letter writing)

16th: Midland; Midland Public Library, 4:30-7:30PM. (Letter writing and pizza)

16th: Ottawa; Impact Hub, 123 Slater Street, 2:00PM. (Letter writing)

16th: Toronto; Barbara Hall Park, 519 Church St, 11:30AM. (Rally)

17th, Friday: Barrie; City Hall, 70 Collier St, 6:00PM. (Rally)

17th: Cornwall; 167 Pitt St, 5:30PM. (Rally)

17th: Essex; St. Paul's Anglican Church, 92 St. Paul St, 6:00-8:00PM. (Letter writing and pizza)

17th: Hamilton; City Hall, 71 Main St W, 6:00PM. (Rally)

17th: Kitchener; City Hall, 200 King St W, 6:00PM. (Rally)

17th: London; City Hall, 300 Dufferin Ave, 6:00PM. (Rally)

17th: Sarnia; City Hall, 255 Christina St N, 1:00PM. (Rally)

17th: Sault Ste Marie; City Hall, 99 Foster Dr, 11:30AM. (Rally)

17th: Ottawa; Confederation Park, Elgin St, 5:30PM. (Rally)

22nd: Renfrew; 161 Raglan St. South, 7:00PM. (Letter writing, fashion and makeup event, and pizza)

QUEBEC EVENTS:

May 15th: Lachute; CDC Lachute, 57, rue Harriet, 12:30PM. (Letter writing event)

NEW BRUNSWICK EVENTS:

17th: Woodstock; Citizen's Square, Chapel St, Next to the L.P. Fisher Public Library, 12:00-1:00PM. (rally)

17th: Saint John; City Hall, 15 Market Square, 12:30PM. (Rally, flag raising)

18th, Saturday: Fredericton; Legislative Grounds, 706 Queen Street, 1:00PM. (Rally)

NOVA SCOTIA EVENTS:

May 17th: Middleton; NSCC AVC RM 121, 6:30-8:30PM (letter writing and pizza)

P.E.I. EVENTS:

May 15th: Charlottetown; Peers Alliance Office, 250B Queen Street, 6:00-8:00PM. (Adult drop-in)

May 16th: Charlottetown, Peers Alliance Office, 250B Queen Street, 6:00-7:00PM.

May 17th: Charlottetown; PEI Legislative Assembly, 165 Richmond St, 12:00PM. (Rally)

YUKON EVENTS:

16th: Whitehorse; The Cache, 4230 4 Ave, 2:00-7:00PM. (Letter writing)

NUNAVUT EVENTS:

May 16th, Thursday: Iqaluit; Four Corners, 922 Niaqunngusiariaq St, 5:00PM. (Letter writing)

Reference links:

About the Rainbow Week of Action.

Website letter writing events list (does not include all events)

General events website list (does not include all events)

Instagram general events image list

Instagram letter writing / pizza party image list

[captainnikki]

I bought it because I like pain I guess

TS2:

Initial load up was fast

Intro video still loud as fuck

Shadows are permanently off

Graphics can be scaled up to highest screen resolution, smooth edges etc

Refresh rate 48 the only option available, animations smooth without stuttering

Seemed only fitting to start out with the Goths. A slight hang on the 4th column of icons like always when loading but otherwise fast

Tool tips, neighbourhood stories, sim bio etc all unchanged. Graphics and assets unchanged (except Ikea stuff is missing - RIP)

Zoom levels, camera, lighting no visible change

I have a migraine so may not be coherent

Uh oh, stuttering during a scripted event

Worth noting that my laptop is old and has been on for over 24 hours with another game loaded up - my other version of the game would 100% have not worked until I restarted my entire laptop

On that note my laptop is not searing me alive like it did previously

I can't seem to use the middle mouse button to rotate the camera. Was that a mod?

Shadows have automatically turned on now? And the option is no longer grayed out. Weird

Cassandra and Don just got married

I minimised the game from full screen and reopened the window, it took a couple of seconds to load but didn't crash

My husband has asked what snacks I want for our gaming night, this is very important

Stress testing minimise and reopen. This is hurting my head. The game hasn't crashed at all

My kids are watching in interest. "Good job" says the youngest. We shall see

Cheats still work and all of the same options seem to be there

I've chosen 'invite all neighbours'. It stuttered as they loaded in but did not freeze as my previous game would have

Darren is NOT amused that Cassandra is married

Sorry my husband came home and I had to rip myself away temporarily

Middle button rotate is back? Not sure why this stuff is kicking in as I play

My husband said "holy shit it's not crashed yet"

Could be because I don't have 50GB of CC... yet

Running smooth as butter with 20+ sims

Don set fire to the kitchen - no lag loading in the fire engine etc

The documents folder is called The Sims 2 Legacy

Layout inside the documents is the same

Programme files are categorised TS4 style but the contents seem similar? I'm not a modder but there's still neighbourhood templates etc

Loading the bin families up took 2 seconds

CAS loaded up quick

Swapping heads really fast and overloading it with clicks - it lagged but didn't crash

Hair and outfits loading notably faster, moving through catalogues quicker

Still not stutter or lag free though, definitely still waiting for those cache and thumbnail files to fill and load up

So far it does seem to run better vs my old vanilla game. There might genuinely have been some work done on it.

Store CAS stuff isn't included

Loaded in to a new lot quickly

I've filled a 64x64 lot with chairs as homage to LGR. It hasn't crashed

I've made a gigantic household using the tombstone of life and death - the frame rate has dropped a bit, but it's handling it pretty well. I definitely would have had pink soup by now usually. Lots of audio didn't play errors in the cheat console but I think that's because of how many sims there are.

Gun's camera mod is working, also it let me replace the files without closing down the game? And the new cameras worked instantly without restarting. Could you always do that?

My eye and skin defaults still work

Put a few hacks in and they didnt immediately crash everything

I've closed and reloaded the game several times in a row and no crashes, it loads into the neighbourhood faster now that it's gotten past the first load lag

CC required a restart to load in

Overall I played mostly vanilla for 5 hours with no crashes or pink soup. This was while the Sims 1 amd Dragon age installed in the background and I had a few web pages open. My previous game with no CC wouldn't have even loaded up under those conditions in the past so to play for so long was incredible.

I'm sure as I add CC back in it will slow down again and the pink soup will return but all in all I feel there is a definite improvement in this version on my setup specifically (beat up old gaming laptop with shit ram).

[froschli96]

Finally finished Pathologic 2 for the first time! And on intended difficulty too!

Death count: 2 Casualties: 7:

Anna Angel - got infected at the first opportunity and immediately died the next night even though i used the good antibiotics on her. RIP.

Big Vlad - got what he deserved. didn't have the time to try and save him from his punishment and honestly didn't really care to.

Young Vlad - got infected after his father's death, managed to survive one night even without me treating him but then succumbed the next night bc his infection level was too high even with treatment. Oh well….

Rubin - this fucked me up so bad. he just randomly fucking died on day 7. i felt so bad because i didn't go look for his hideout when i had the opportunity and thought he died bc i missed his questline. but apparently he always dies if you haven't made your first panacea at that point?? didn't even know that was possible. Was really demotivated by that but still decided to try and salvage what i could.

Alexander Saburov - survived two nights after getting infected but died in the third. shrug pretty resilient tho, props.

Aglaya - said i'd run away with her but didn't manage to get there in time… tbh i thought she meant the next day…. 🙈 but from what i've read it's actually impossible to save her? so… kind of glad i didn't waste time there… lol. also don't really know how i feel about her like immediately falling in love with Artemy and wanting to run away together… she felt like a bit of a downgrade from her P1 counterpart ngl… but maybe that's bc we only have one route and a certain meta layer that was a really interesting part of her character is basically absent aside from some comments from grief and the children…. also miss the smizing of her old model tbh.

Aspity - Kind of pissed about losing her at the last opportunity. She was infected on day 10 when i was running around trying to save all of my children. tried giving her antibiotics but that didn't help unfortunately. the worst part is i did have one more living blood but not enough time to brew another panacea bc i never upgraded my alembic. like? another toolkit? seriously?? i needed a whole side quest for the first one! (also never repaired the repair table so all of my tools were busted LMAO)

i think all in all i was mostly just REALLY lucky on all the dice rolls. always took care to give everyone a (+) tincture as prophylaxis and that worked out pretty well most of the time.

Notkin also got infected at the first opportunity (tho it seemed like that's unavoidable?) and survived two nights with just antibiotics. After that it felt like i was honestly tempting fate tho and so i healed him with a shmowder, and this kid had the GALL to tell me i shouldn't have used it on him?? like, i'm sorry i CARE ABOUT YOU and don't want you to DIE, kid. GOD.

But i had like 3 shmowders at that point so… even tho i fucked up that one hide and seek game where you probably also get a shmowder……….. i didn't realize you could trade with the children immediately after finding them and of course the first one i found was the teensy and then i just ran off to try and find the others, sobbing

i also didn't really engage with the whole children's cache thing, like, at all. and apparently that's also a pretty good source of shmowders……… oh well.

in general i feel like there were a lot of mechanics i didn't really engage with as much as i would have liked bc I WAS JUST CONSTANTLY ON THE VERGE OF COLLAPSING AND/OR STARVING. only ever slept in 1 hour increments. tho i think i once slept two whole hours in one go. obscene.

i was also a total coward for most of the game and RAN from every single combat encounter lmao! i just got a little careless after rubin's death and tried my luck with a mugger in a burnt district…. and immediately died Lklasjdhfjklds. like, i knew about the death punishments and wanted to avoid it at all costs, that's why i was scared shitless

anyways, at that point i realized: if there ever comes a point where i'm unable to run from a combat encounter, i'm cooked. and i knew there was a notoriously difficult combat encounter late in the game. so i did something… maybe a little cheaty? but not really imo...

what i did is, i paused my playthrough and started a new game and then played through the first day and night and just went absolutely HAM on both the patrolmen on day one and the muggers in the night to practice combat. and turns out? it's actually kind of fun not being a coward all the time LMAO. I didn't even die so I feel like it wasn't too cheaty

at that point i felt like i was at least somewhat more prepared and went back to my actual playthrough and also started killing muggers in the night. AND THEN THE FUND REWARDS WERE SO MUCH BETTER HOLY SHIT??? actual fucking life saver. (unfortunately tho i ended up getting so dependent on the fund that i sacrificed a shmowder on clara's hospital quest to get the fund reward the next day…… felt kind of dirty ngl)

i actually managed not to die during the abattoir sequence tho! but there was a lot of sneaking around and punching and running away until they de-aggroed involved, ngl lasdjf idk why but the worms are so scary when they're running at you…. i think bc you can only see their eyes and so they seem to have this singleminded focus on bashing your head in?? lol

my second death instead was another really stupid one that i'm honestly actually not quite sure what exactly happened? i was fighting a mugger in the night but while i was waiting for my stamina to refill he suddenly starts running away and i just hear a slicing sound and i'm dead? so i'm wondering, bc the only other npc i could see beforehand was an army soldier - do the soldiers attack you when they see you fighting someone? even if it's a mugger? or maybe i was just a little too cocky and didn't scout the area enough. it just seemed strange that the mugger suddenly started running away bc he actually managed to land a hit on me beforehand, so it didn't really seem like he was running from ME? oh well, whatever, it's not like the consequences were EMOTIONALLY DEVASTATING (lara, i'm so sorry 😭)

another one of my favorite moments tho was on day… three? or four? don't remember, it's when you plan a meeting with lara, rubin and grief at midnight. i really didn't want to miss it but over the course of the day i totally ended up forgetting about it. but then some time after midnight i wanted to go to big vlad's house to sleep and on my way there i went to grief's hideout to save. and then i saw that he wasn't there. and it took me a few moments but then i went OH SHIT! and then ran in the other direction towards the steppe. and then there, in the distance, was a bonfire! and my friends!!! sobs and they weren't even angry at me for being late SOBS HARDER that was such a nice moment. and they even brought a sleeping bag, so i could instead sleep there instead of big vlad's house - under the stars! next to a nice crackling fire! with my friends!!!!!!! that made me so emotional for some reason…. probably bc it felt like it happened so organically with how i saw grief wasn't home and then remembered the meeting and then rushed there and stuff….

anyways, i can finally stop avoiding spoilers for P2! like, i didn't go in totally blind bc of P1 pre-knowledge and wasn't able to TOTALLY avoid spoilers so i knew about some plot points and the death punishments and stuff. but i am glad i could go in at least SOMEHWAT blind.

having played it to completion i do have some thoughts on the story and especially the treatment and depiction of the kin but i feel like i have to properly sort out my thoughts first…

[microwave-kid]

As you may or may not have encountered, over the past 6 months YouTube has been attempting to implement an adblock detector on the platform. Initially it was a popup that would appear irregularly before a video, which you could close and it wouldn't appear again for a day. Afterwards they added a timer so you couldn't close the popup instantly and made it so it appears before every video. Now, they've added a playback limit of 3 video before the video player is disabled. In addition, they've gradually changed the wording of the popups to further and further imply that adblock violates YouTube's TOS, most likely to instill paranoia that continuing to circumvent the screen will result in a ban.

Here's a very well informed video about why this is stupid and borderline criminal. I would probably be better off not trying to summarize the moral, ethical, or financial reasons not to support this, so instead here's all the legal reasons:

Here is a statement by the FBI on a .gov website about the necessity of using adblock on the internet.

Here are three legal cases (1) (2) (3) taken from the previously linked video setting legal precedent that denying service to users with adblock is not enforceable. (Unfortunately, a Lexis+ account is needed to read them in their entirety.)

Here is an article from 2014 about officially vetted YouTube ads serving malware, including drive-by downloads.

Services like uBlock Origin are being updated to circumvent the detectors. If you have uBlock installed and are still getting this screen, disable any additional adblockers you have on YouTube (including the one built into Firefox), go to uBlock's settings, click "Purge all caches" and then click the blue "Update now" button. You may also need to remove any element picker scripts you have on YouTube and restart your browser.

Under no circumstances should you purchase YouTube Premium in response to this, as on a commercial level Google doesn't have the right to enforce this, and increasing their revenue will just make them double down on this practice. Find other ways to support your creators.

[beadyeyes]

My proof that I was not psychotic at any point in my life organized in my notes app

1. Constantly believed the world was on the cusp of ending horrifically and that I needed to be prepepared to face extremely traumatic circumstances i.e. watching my family die, being forced to kill them or others, or being attacked/killed/assaulted/tortured

Nuclear fallout. Wore 2-3 layers even in 120 degree weather because I thought it would protect me from radiation output over the valley, wind burns, extreme weather, etc.

2. Zombie apocalypse. I was constantly afraid people in the street would start attacking and killing each other due to sickness or mass psychosis. Any time I was in large social gatherings I would costantly anticipate a massive violent outbreak. I would avoid being physically around any one I didn't know while outside in case they would suddenly try to attack me.

Obsessively watched / read / consumed every zombie related media I could find thinking it would hold secrets for survival or prevention despite how much it scared & gave me horrible nightmares

3. Rapture. Was worried my family would disappear and leave me behind to fend for myself amongst "the evil sinners" left on earth. That I was constantly committing sins that were keeping me from going with them, that I was going to hell no matter what.

Believed that god was constantly monitoring my thoughts

Through exposure to online zealots / religious texts (a specific one I remember was of self flagellating monks, book of David, etc.) I came to think that I had to use self harm to redeem myself before the world ended

4. Extreme weather/ other natural disaster. Was literally just always scared of volcanoes erupting or sea levels rising and every thing else. Was obsessed with reading "The Road" because my dad reccommended it before disowning me & that actively fed this delusion by telling me how close society was to being destroyed.

Was constantly trying to make survival routes/ plans/ caches around my house and neighborhood. Collecting things I believed would help me survive. Categorized my items by how willing I was to lose them in an emergency. Resewed my clothes to have extra hidden pockets which I packed with things I thought I could use to survive.

1. Auditory hallucinations

Heard weather sirens, alarms, air raid signals, and emergency broadcast system annoucements

Was obsessed with the silent hill / war of the worlds movies for their prominent siren motifs

Still fixated on sirens and emergency broadcast sounds; but don't hear them at random any more.

Heard people screaming or whispering. Would hear them saying my name / begging for help.

Would hear lines from movies after I fixated and binged for days/weeks continuing to play full blast over my ears and prevent me from doing any thing until it played out.

1. The "mind readers"

Was convinced that some people read minds and hide this

That every one but me could read minds & wouldn't tell me about it

Reading minds was some unspoken rule I was not apart of

Or by not being able to read minds myself, I was left out of conversations and had no context to join them

2. The "chosen ones"

Believed there were secret chosen ones amongst my peers who would go to heaven immediately during rapture and they knew it

I was excluded from the salvation for some unknown reason and because I couldn't figure out why, I was damned

Gave up at this point and left this untouched in my notes forever😜

[heartofbusan]

This NYT podcast about a woman who fell in love with an AI she 'designed' to uphold a very specific fantasy and that she ultimately relied on more than her spouse was wild. It goes to show how people can knowingly dillude themselves in order to feel loved.

It kind of blew my mind and I felt like bringing it up because damn, I once thought reading rp fics was taboo (i got over it), but apparently there's even more out there to cater to our fantasies than even I knew about.

So two things.

1. My brain immediately went to a very dark place: Your own personal pocket BTS boyfriend using AI speech and that you are able to prompt with scenarios. I hope we NEVER get AI versions of the members presented to us in order to have fake fantasy lead conversations or, shudder, relationships with. Have you ever seen those fake videos where two members 'do stuff' 🤢🤢🤢 Why did my brain even conjure such a nightmare??

A couple of years ago, HyBe bought a company that used virtual technology to create holographic images through full body scans. It was used once during an end of year performance, BE era, when Yoongi was recovering from his shoulder surgery. To me it felt like doom.

While hybe never hinted at using the tech in any other fashion other than for that performance, man, when it comes to turning a profit, you know one day all breaks will be off. Even if it's years in the future. Let's just hope the members still actually own their own portrait rights.

2. Delusions. In the article, the woman kept having to re-prompt the AI to get it to remember their 'relationship'. Because the AI was only able to hold a certain amount of cache, it would forget what had happened before, and for her, it felt like heartbreak every time.

Yet she kept coming back because the fantasy, or more specifically, the feeling of understanding, prompted by her conversations with the AI, was that good. Mind you, this person was married! To a human man, yet she says this AI was the greatest relationship she's ever had!

Again. It blew my mind. Not because I think she's crazy, although she does come across as having issues, but because of the level of delusions we humans are willing to accept in order to reach a certain end goal. Rinse and repeat. Reminding me of a certain group of nutcases actually 🤔

The podcast goes further in explaining the various apps or services that are already available, enabling consumers to explore AI relationships.

Me: 🤯 why am I such a baby deer????

A psychologist on the podcast said it was actually becoming a trend amongst middleschoolers to have an AI friend to engage with (romantically, I guess) like a 'safe' co-hort. Like training wheels for human to human interaction 😭 wild! As if it's a good thing. When we all know how addictive our phones and all these apps are. It takes a lot of self-control to be able to extract yourself from the virtual world and back into the real one.

Seldom have I been as entertained by an article as this one. Give it a listen and come back to tell me what you'd prompt your AI partner to talk to you about.

Wait, are any of you reading this even real? How would I know???????

[ebbyillustrations]

Slight update to my Sally Acorn design.

This sure grew out of control! Following what I know of Sega and their character requirements is an interesting art challenge, gotta say. Stat details for readability:

Stats:

"Age": Mid-teens (15)

Species: Red squirrel (American)

Skills: Gymnastics, coding, forest gardening, hardwiring, planning

Driving force: Protect her people/team, finding her dad

Likes: Her people, flowers, ballads, chess, technology

Dislikes: Eggman, Naugus, over-formalities, [being underestimated especially when it comes to her skills]

Image songs: Stardust Speedway (Good Future), Chill Palace Zone by NutBonkers

Design Inspo: Gymnasts (Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles), Major Kusanagi (Ghost in the Shell), her SatAm pilot design

Ranks I just made up: Speed: B [she's as fast as every other character who's not Sonic or Shadow] Power: C [she can lift one person, slowly push a large rock...] Skill: S [she's a fast learner, especially when it comes to tech and a brilliant strategist who's gotten better at thinking on the fly] Flight: N/A

Game play:

uses "Midden system", originally created [by Rotor, NICOLE, and herself] for salvaging and storage.

when the Midden system is activated, the arrows on her outfit glow cyan

names attacks after chess moves/tech terms

"Caches" items to use later on

asks NICOLE to "scan" items

can cling to many surfaces (she’s a squirrel lol)

Homing attack (“Castling”): jumps to take over robot enemies, only temporary, robot explodes after use.

Counter/parry (“Counter gambit”): she forms an orb of coding to throw at enemy projectiles (think Kirby’s star bullet), can be done while running, a high risk/high reward for stronger enemies.

Spin attack (“Shadow tail spin”): not a 1 shot, take 3 hits to be effective

Sync: calls on friends via NICOLE for specific jobs, only 3 friends can be picked before levels.

[loquaciousquark]

Adahla Lavellan Stream Archive

Mostly for my own reference. The two playlist links at the top should update automatically; summaries will likely be updated in bursts rather than after every stream.

Master Playlist Link

Part 1: Features character creation, the prologue, arriving in Haven, meeting the advisors and Haven NPCs (first flirt with Solas 3:05), exploring the Haven map, reaching the Hinterlands, exploring the southeastern portion of the Hinterlands, getting very stuck on a Fade rift, reaching and clearing the fortress in the west, exploring the central/western portion of the Hinterlands, getting very frustrated with a misplaced map marker for a refugee cache (6:58), returning to have more conversations with advisors and companions (7:15), first war table missions, talking with Varric about Hawke, talking to Solas about the Fade and about himself, talking to Cassandra.

Part 2: Features a renamed PC, more exploration of central/north Hinterlands, first glimpse of the dragon in the northeast, collecting shards, especially one after ten years (0:53), exploring the northern Hinterlands and hitting a leveled rift, making a round of the companions at Haven (Solas at 2:32), exploring and then immediately leaving the Fallow Mire (2:50), exploring and then immediately leaving the Storm Coast, arriving in Val Royeaux for plot (3:10), meeting Sera and Vivienne (3:52), another tour of companions at Haven, war table missions, speaking with Solas about himself (4:57 - 2nd flirt).

Part 3: Features collecting Bull, exploring the Storm Coast, returning to the Hinterlands southwest area (2:30), picking up Blackwall, more clearing of southwestern Hinterlands rifts.

Part 4: Features talking with Blackwall in camp, talking to Krem and Bull, finishing off the southwestern Hinterlands. Immediately continued in Part 5.

Part 5: Features returning to the leveled northern Hinterlands, a lengthy discussion of the portrayal of religion in western RPGs (0:28-1:15), exploring the Deep Roads thaig in the Hinterlands (1:02), discussing change in characters (1:15-1:30), looping convos with companions at Haven, reaching Redcliffe for the first time (2:26), struggling with Lord Woolsley (2:34), In Hushed Whispers, companions at Haven (Solas at 5:29) & discussion of Adahla's changing opinions of Solas, the Fallow Mire, a failed attempt at the Hinterlands dragon, In Your Heart Shall Burn, arriving at Skyhold, my hot DA takes (8:55), beginning and then immediately abandoning a talk with Solas.

Part 6: Features exploring Skyhold, war table missions regarding Lavellan clan, meeting Hawke (1:30), more war table missions, exploring the Emerald Graves, exploring expanded Skyhold (3:30), picking up some companion quests.

Part 7: Features selecting beige clothing replacement, sitting in judgement in Skyhold for the first time, war table missions, another take at the Hinterlands dragon, exploring the northern Emerald Graves, struggling with the haunted villa, doing the first astrarium without Solas (1:50), continuing to explore the Emerald Graves, returning to Skyhold (3:58), war table missions, sitting in judgement of Alexius, Cassandra reading schlock (4:25), Sera's personal quest, the first Quizquisition question, introducing the specializations, the first Fade conversation (and first kiss) with Solas (5:34), some minor upgrades to Skyhold, returning to the Emerald Graves (6:07), arriving at and exploring the Forbidden Oasis (6:11).

Part 8: Features defeating the Emerald Graves dragon, war table missions, arriving at the Emprise du Lion (0:48), discussion of hobbies (1:24), returning to Skyhold for companion conversations & war table missions (2:51), drinking with Bull (2:57), picking up Solas's personal quest (3:13), crafting, war table missions, back to the Emprise (3:51), fighting Imshael (3:06), fighting two dragons (4:35-5:10), Dorian's personal quest.

Part 9: Features wrapping up Dorian's personal quest, elven serving man (0:40), Solas's Halamshiral conversation (0:55), then a long, torturous, and eventually fruitless attempt at the Winter Palace, including a discussion of level design at 3:16 and the most tragic realization at 3:50; then backing up to the Exalted Plains at 3:52, Solas's personal quest at 4:08, a loop of conversations at Skyhold, exploring the Exalted Plains, returning the golden halla, and one attempt at the Solas romance lock-in conversation at 5:27.

Part 10: Features exploring the Exalted Plains, the official Solas romance lock-in convo (1:04), the Temple of Dirthamen, fighting the Exalted Plains dragon (3:26), discussing the length of the games (3:53), returning to the Emerald Graves for some wrap-up quests (4:04), conversations at Skyhold including meeting the Chargers (4:10), playing chess with Cullen, committing to the rift mage specialty, war table missions.

Part 11: Features the actual final end of Wicked Hearts, the Solas Halamshiral dance flirt (0:04), the Solas dance (0:38), replaying to temporarily judge the box that is Florianne (0:51), war table missions, returning to the Storm Coast for small missions for Blackwall and Varric, struggling again with shards in the Forbidden Oasis, war table missions (including the next Lavellan clan stage), landing at the Western Approach.

Part 12: Features exploring the Western Approach, Adahla realizing she's interested in becoming a scholar (0:23), discussion of DAI romances (1:00), horse adventures (1:09), taking Caer Branach (1:14), discussion of college academics (2:00-2:22), the Still Ruins (2:03), Skyhold companion convos including ruminations on the Divine (2:32), meeting Kieran (3:19), upgrading to the mage tower, war table quests, agonizing over the number of war table quests (3:51), returning to the Approach & fighting the dragon (4:07), exploring Coracavus, solving the Fenrir astrarium (5:06), backing up about an hour to fix a broken quest, returning to Skyhold after completing the Western Approach and sitting in judgement (6:08), war table missions, turning in some shards, the Cradle of Sulevin (6:28), Bull's personal quest (7:00), Vivienne's personal quest (7:19), Da'nan Hinan (7:24), more war table missions, exploring the Hissing Wastes (8:26), getting physically sick at an ocularum (8:28), a discussion of Hot Fade Ladies In Your Area (9:03-9:08), horse movement (10:01), a discussion of open world travel mechanics (10:02-10:08), discovering the dog merchant (10:19), discussion of Dorian having a bad time (10:43, 10:52, 10:56), fighting the dragon outside of hunting season (10:59), leaving for Val Royeaux for Josephine's quest (11:28).

Part 13: Features discussion of collections, review of videos finishing the Western Approach missing areas, receiving the prize from the […] woman in the Hissing Wastes, war table missions for mounts, turning in the last shards (0:35), more war table missions, wrapping up Vivienne's personal quest (0:53), rescuing Sutherland (1:07), wrapping up Josie's quest (1:12-1:22), fighting the Highland Ravager & discussing how characters react to tragedy (1:26), finding Maddox (1:53), talking with companions at Skyhold (2:04), arriving at Crestwood (2:08), Dorian having a bad time (2:50), the conclusion of the chess game (3:02), taking Caer Bronach (3:03), restoring the dam (3:48), fighting the Crestwood dragon (3:52).

Part 14: Features the Quizquisition (part 2!), companion conversations at Skyhold including a discussion of Adahla's gardening & childhood (0:28), picking up the nug mounts, returning to Crestwood (0:45), meeting Hawke & Stroud (0:55), discussion of game design (1:10-1:22), Plants vs. Zombies codex (1:12), more discussion of the Divine (1:30), exploring Old Crestwood (1:36), discussion of persuasion options in games (1:40), backing up about an hour for a broken quest, discussion of Merrill's nationality and Nevarra (2:06), discussion of MMOs (2:21), stopping the rain (2:36), meeting Hawke & Stroud in the Western Approach (2:42), starting Here Lies the Abyss (3:00), Dorian having a bad time (4:07), Nightmare challenging Hawke (3:15), gravestones (4:49), Virmire-lite (5:04), discussing why (5:07), deciding the fate of the Wardens (5:19), briefly replaying to check the other Warden option, a round of companion conversations, Morrigan taking Adahla through the eluvian (5:42), extremely frustrating conversations with Giselle (5:49), meeting Bianca (6:06), discussing the Divine with Leliana (6:22), Bull, Cassandra, Sera, Cole/Solas, Cullen, Blackwall, sitting in judgement, talking with Blackwall again in a very depressing bar scene (6:46), falling down in jail (6:54), saving Lavellan at last (6:58), war table missions, collecting the last mosaic pieces, Dorian continuing to have a bad time (7:18), review of completed collections, picking up Blackwall's personal quest (7:25), the third and final Quizquisition (7:27), the Boon of the Spoon (7:29), official stream end (7:39), recap for Silk.

Part 15: Features the personal quests of Varric & Blackwall, the WIcked Grace game (1:07), meeting Vivienne's friends, picking up Cassandra's personal quest (1:23), war table missions, wrapping up with Blackwall, pranking with Sera (1:45), discussing Adamant with Cole, Cole's personal quest (1:54), Cassandra's personal quest (2:12), Solas and Adahla's very specific form of flirting (2:26-2:32, esp. the last three minutes), picking up Leliana's personal quest, a letter from the HoF (2:44), Leliana's personal quest, a round of companions (2:58), and arriving in the Frostback Basin (3:13).

Part 16: Features an introduction to the Frostback Basin, exploring the southern and western portions of the map, astrariums (0:31), closing rifts, Dorian/Bull banter (0:41), meeting the conspiracy theorist and other Avvar tribesmen (1:30), a tough fight against despair demons on the southern island (2:20), Tilana's death (2:28), another astrarium (2:50), exploring the Tevinter ruins & solving puzzles (3:06), exploring the tomb (3:23).

Part 17: A night of bad internet. Features following Ameridan's trail, exploring the northern edge of the basin, freeing Storvackr (0:54), discussion of Adahla's possible future (1:10), the last astrarium of the game (1:28), first reaching of the Old Temple (1:35), Solas being a DPS Mercy (1:45), a lengthy discussion of political organizations in Thedas, reading some very bad poetry (2:09), reaching the astrarium cave. Internet drop, then a bit of exploration and a continued discussion of Solas. Internet drop, then a jump to hotspot internet, completion of Sigurd's quest (2:40), turn-in of many quests to the Avvar hold, discussion of god-runes with the augur (2:51), Varric meets a fan (3:00), picking up Finn's quest for his father (3:09), the Avvar trials (3:12), disappointment at the lack of verse trials (3:20), discovering that falling won't kill me has changed gameplay + wasp/leech discussion (3:38). Internet drop, then banter, completion of the Nox Mortua quest, returning to the Avvar hold to turn in several quests (4:16), beginning the DLC conclusion (4:28), entering the Old Temple (4:41), reaching the heart and final fight of the Old Temple (4;59), beginning the conversation with Ameridan (5:06), unpacking what just happened (5:13), me losing my mind at the parallels (5:25), and again (5:34), beginning the dragon fight (5:45), thinking about the relationship between Ameridan and Hakkon, finishing the battle (5:55), marveling at the events of this DLC, discussing the outcome with the Avvar, judging Storvackr (6:04), wrapping up with Kenric, a loop of companions including Cole's post-quest wrap-up, war table missions.

Part 18: Features What Pride Has Wrought with Dread Corgi part one (1:25) and Dread Corgi part two (1:31), culminating in Adahla drinking from the Well of Sorrows (1:35), a loop of companion conversations including cutscenes with Cullen and Cole, then the final romance cutscene with Solas (2:19). Internet drop, then multiple replays of the Solas cutscene, the judgement of Samson (3:11), following Morrigan into the Fade and meeting Flemeth (3:17), the Altar of Mythal, wandering around for a little banter in the Emerald Graves, replaying the Solas scene for additional dialogue options (4:04).

Part 19: Features a little Cole banter about the Solas breakup, thoughts about Adahla's relationship with the others going into endgame (0:05), a final round of conversations with all companions, Silk FREAKING ME OUT about someone getting arrested (0:14), beginning endgame (0:24), the defeat and explosion (0:37), discussing the outcome with companions (0:41), making myself laugh really hard about Solas (0:44), balcony and epilogue (1:03), thoughts about the game, Solas and Mythal (1:17), quick discussion with Cole, more thoughts on Solas & the breakup as well as the narrative going into VG, accidentally banning stealthflower for 10 minutes (1:33), me laughing the hardest I ever have on stream (1:44-2:02), entering the Deep Roads fissure (1:57), establishing the first camp (2:17), Towers of Hanoi!!!! (2:40), discussing viscerally disturbing video games (2:49), Adahla coping badly with Solas leaving (2:51), exploring the second level, breaking the darkspawn siege (3:41), setting up the second camp (4:07).

Part 20: Features continuing down the Deep Roads, exploring the expanded bridges & getting Spooked (0:35), Renn's death (0:41), discovering the road to His Majesty (1:20), fighting around a lake of blood (1:41), game crash, collecting the last gears, entering the final area (2:32), final boss battle (2:44), aftermath (2:46), final Expedition Table missions (3:00), back to Skyhold, one final round of Skyhold companions and discussions of their friendships, discussion of choice of Divine (3:16), one final war table surprise from Dagna, final base game & romance thoughts, starting Trespasser (3:53), briefly jumping back to talk to Morrigan, Josie & Varric's reunions.

Part 21: Features speaking to all companions about their last two years (including the most hilarious spa day ever at 0:54), reading several Hard in Hightown chapters, struggling for fifteen minutes on a jump puzzle, beginning negotiations with Ferelden and Orlais (1:25), going through the eluvian (1:31), exploring the Crossroads, me losing my mind at an incredibly dumb codex joke (1:39), defeating the blue fire my own way (1:47), discovering elvish history and thinking about Tevinter parallels (1:57, 2:04-2:20), discussions of throwing Varric (2:20), me forgetting what fruits palm trees make (2:26), examining a mural & Adahla half-realizing who Solas is (2:29), me making a puzzle much harder than it has to be, first Dread Wolf codex entry (2:33), discovering the back treasury entrance, me laughing at Solas again (2:36), more elvish history, returning to Halamshiral (2:47), talking with friends again, back into the Crossroads (3:15), a lovely codex entry (3:17), into the Deep Roads (3:27), second Dread Wolf codex entry (3:40).

Part 22: Features concluding the Deep Roads, returning to Halamshiral & remanding the Inquisition guard (0:18), discussions with companions, very dumb easter eggs (0:45), multiple books about the Evanuris, Sandal's diary (0:53), discussing the library's fall with the spirit (0:56), getting clues about who she's chasing (0:59), more spirit convos (1:07), third DW codex entry along with another key mural & discussion of Adahla's feelings on now knowing who Solas is (1:09 through 1:22), Hard in Hightown chapter ??? (1:28), meeting the Viddasala (1:44), returning to Halamshiral (1:55), fireworks (2:18), alimony (2:27), me being holy jumpscared by a puzzle (2:46) and then moved by the prize, beginning the final approach (3:13), the last DW codex and the last mural & Adahla's thoughts, the last last astrarium (3:20), Adahla coming to terms with who she's chasing (3:21), Adahla thinking about death (3:27), Adahla writing her will via yelling it at Dorian (3:39), freeing the dragon & meeting Viddasala again & discussing Solas (3:46), entering the final map section (3:50), the final battle (4:10), stepping through the last mirror (4:18), returning to Halamshiral (4:31), epilogue slides (4:41), initial discussion (4:56-5:17), back through the mirror, discussion of Solas's motives, third trip through the mirror and discussion of new hobbies for Solas (5:37), discussion of Adahla's feelings (5:53), watching the low approval version of the scene (5:58), discussion of how unbelievably dumb Solas can be, one last replay (6:07), discussion of ramifications of tearing down the Veil (6:26-6:36), reflections on Adahla's narrative, reflections on gameplay (6:45), final reflections on Solas & the romance (6:57), brief discussions of Veilguard, wrap-up, and thanks.

[sidenotescribbles]

USA-G10 'Glitter Boy'

Art credit: Kevin Long

Model Type: USA-G 10 Class: Laser Resistant Infantry Personnel Assault Unit. Crew: One pilot.

Height: 10 feet, 5 inches (3 .1 m). Width : 4 feet, 4 inches ( 1 .3 m). Length : 4 feet (1.2 m). Weight: 1 .2 tons fully loaded.

Suggested proxies: Shadowhawk, Phoenix hawk

Glitter Boy power armor is an amazingly small and mobile, oneperson, armored robot vehicle. The robot suit stands approximately 10 feet tall (3 m) and offers fully articulated hands and the mobility of the human body. As such, it is considered an all terrain vehicle. The superdense chrome armor is constructed on a molecular level and can withstand more Mega-Damage than any other power armor created since. The robotic frame is nearly indestructible, resilient, and virtually maintenance free. The armor-shielded joints and padded pilot's compartment enable the machine to absorb impacts and cushion its pilot. It is also one of the few robots or power armors designed to comfortably accommodate a pilot for days or even weeks at a time. A refrigeration unit holds 10 gallons of drinking water, while another contains a high protein, multi-vitamin nutrient paste (about a four week supply), as well as a few other storage compartments where additional food or personal items can be contained. However, it is not recommended that the pilot remain inside the cushioned and air-conditioned unit for more than 24 hours at a time....

The former Coalition State of Free Quebec is the only kingdom in North America that manufactures and deploys Glitter Boys as a part of its army and national defenses. In fact, Free Quebec deploys and maintains the largest contingent of Glitter Boys in the world. A scheme that helped put a quick end to the Coalition's plans to invade and conquer Free Quebec when it proclaimed its independence and seceded from the Coalition States. Other than the secret factories at Free Quebec, there are no known manufacturers of Glitter Boy power armor in North America. However, there has been a sudden proliferation of new looking suits over the last few years, spawning a rumor that a pre-Rifts cache of Glitter Boy armor was recently excavated from an old American military installation in the western US or Canada and sold by hightech bandits. However, the Coalition suspects there may be a manufacturing facility in production in the West, and if so, intends to find it and destroy it. Bandito Arms is a top suspect, but so is Free Quebec, though few talk about that possibility.

[icykalisartblog]

I don't think I quite realized just how much YouTube's algorithm sucks until yesterday. I was clearing my browser's cache and I guess somehow accidentally deleted all my watch history, so the site had no recommendations for me.

Then I listened to one (1) Roberta Flack song... and suddenly all of the recommendations were gossip rag-level clickbait slop like: "The TRAGEDY of Roberta Flack," "Nobody wanted to work with Billie Holiday after she did THIS!" "Billie Holiday's drug addiction," "What HAPPENED to The 5th Dimension?" and "Ten jazz legends who died in 2024," when before I had deleted my history, I was basically never recommended anything like this.