#clone model D

[queenvsbarton]

why must my beloved legos cost so much goddamn money

[ms-demeanor]

Not to bombard you with job-type questions on Tumblr, but I just had a quick question I was hoping you could shine some amazing expertise on. My laptop (a Dell G5 I got in '19) recently started telling me the SSD is "at the end of its usable life".

How quickly do I need to be worried about looking into replacement drives/computers? Is there somewhere I can look to know how close I might actually be to needing one? I'm just not sure if this is the kind of thing they tell you wayyyy before you actually need one or not to scare you into spending $$ or actually good advice from them. But if it's really likely a risk, I'm willing to start shopping. I just don't want to jump the gun if I've got some time. Thanks in advance for any advice you'd be willing to share! =D

hmmmm okay so the deal is that when an SSD fails it fails in such a way that it's totally unrecoverable so I'd say right now today as soon as possible, take a backup, and once you've gotten your backup go ahead and look into getting a replacement drive.

Cloning a drive is easy, the question is whether you feel capable of getting the cloned drive into your computer. (you can look up the model on ifixit or youtube to see the step by step process of breaking down your computer and replacing parts). If you do feel comfortable replacing the drive, I'd say spend the money on the drive and swap it out yourself (cost: about $60 and maybe a headache). If you don't feel comfortable with that, I'd say to see if you can find a local repair shop and ask them to do it for you (cost: probably around like $200.)

If you DO NOT feel comfortable replacing the drive and the computer initially cost less than double the price of an estimated repair, you may want to consider replacing the computer.

Your computer is five years old, which is about the age that we'd generally consider replacing drives in a desktop or laptop at work because HDDs and SSDs *do* have limited lifespans, but just because it has a limited lifespan doesn't *necessarily* mean the drive is going to fail.

If you're the kind of person who can go a few days without your computer and who makes reliable backups and you don't have any software that's directly tied to the drive on that device that you wouldn't be able to get back, you can probably safely wait and not worry all that much - there's likely some life left in the drive and you don't need to run to the repair shop right away.

If you can't go a few days without your computer, or are at risk of permanently losing expensive software, or think you might forget to make backups and lose some important work, maybe consider replacing sooner than later.

[thebleedingwoodland]

THE SIMS 3 TUTORIAL

HOW TO CREATE DEFAULT REPLACEMENT MOD USING CUSTOM MESH & TEXTURE FOR SIMPLE OBJECT

⚠️ Tumblr has 30 pictures limit, so I cannot include too many pictures. If you want to zoom in the pictures, click the pictures to enlarge, or save the pictures into your PC, zoom the pictures on picture viewer or zoom in the pictures on your mobile phone. ⚠️

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I create this tutorial to make easier to follow because there are older tutorials available before but scattered on internet and usually only say "Export to replace s3asc" without explaining how to export the edited object properly.

My method is using TSR Workshop instead of exporting the object using Sims 3 Object Export/Import plug in because exporting to replace the s3asc using that plug in always giving error notification "ERR: Model has 1 groups; original had 0" and cannot be exported.

For beginners who are very new using s3pe and haven't created default replacement mod before, better start from simple object first.

Simple objects I mean in-game object that has single MODL and single texture with no morphs, no GeoStates, no presets, no CAS colour channels, and easily cloned from OBJD on catalogue. Usually as utensils that Sims holding in their hand, not buy/build objects. For example: Pencil, pan, fork, spoon.

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

Tools to prepare:

s3oc

s3pe

Milkshape 3D for bone assignment (Version I use 1.8.5 beta, discontinued by its developer, therefore feel free to download the full version with its license key provided).

Sims 3 Object Export/Import 1.01 by Wesley Howe (Milkshape plug-in. Download msS3ObjPluginsV101.rar ) 

TSR Workshop (Older version for TS3 only version 2.0.88)

TSR Workshop plug-ins for export.import TSRW Object.

3D Program (Blender/Maya/3dsMax)

Editing images software (Photoshop, make sure you have to install .dds plugin by Nvidia. For free software alternative, you can use GIMP with its .dds plugin)

This tutorial will not teach you how to:

Meshing object ❌

Create alpha texture ❌

Change thumbnails in-game ❌

Install programs and plug-ins ❌

This is how I created Chinese chopsticks replacement mod using custom mesh and texture.

In summary, this tutorial has 10 steps:

Step 1. Clone the Object using s3oc

Step 2. Open S3PE to Copy the Original Resource Code and Export the Files

Step 3. Export the Original Mesh as Base Mesh to .obj format

Step 4. Create Your Custom Mesh

Step 5. Bone Assignment & Create Group

Step 6. Create custom Texture

Step 7. Import the .wso of Edited Mesh on TSR Workshop & Export the package

Step 8. Export MODL file from Package saved from TSR Workshop

Step 9. Finalizing in s3pe & Replacing the Original file with Edited File & Correcting the Code As Same As Default Code

Step 10. Test the CC in your game.

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

✳️ Step 1. Clone the Object using s3oc

Before cloning the object, check the Game Folder for in-game object file location. Settings > Game Folders...

Take a look if the Base Game or Expansion Pack for object file you want to clone is in the right folder. For example, my The Sims 3 game are all bought from Steam, so the location is D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\The Sims 3

If you want to clone object from Expansion Pack, make sure input the folder location. For example, the location for World Adventures EP is D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\The Sims 3\EP1

If you are done, close the pop-up box. You can continue click Cloning then choose Normal Object...

Wait until you get the whole catalogue. Click Search...

For example, I clone object from World Adventures Expansion Pack. You can clone object from Base Game or other Expansion Packs as long it is considered as "utensil" that Sim holding on hand. For example: "Pencil" or "Pan"

Search for text: chopsticks

or if you want to clone object from Base Game, search: utensil

Tick check marks for Resource Name, Object Name, Object Desc then click "Search button"

Search result gives you results with name "chopsticks". Here is the object we are looking for: UtensilChopsticks

We need the OBJD file to clone. OBJD = Object Data.

Click "Clone or Fix" at the right bottom. Then you see the next page to determine if you want to clone with renumber or not. If you want to make default replacement, then do not check the Renumber box. Keep it blank.

Tick check box means the s3oc will generate new resource code for new item. Not tick the check means the s3oc will overwrite the same resource code, it is to replace object you cloned in-game.

I am personally a detailed person, so I usually tick as many as I want: tick "Deep clone" "Missing String Tables" and "Include Thumbnail" to include more details. Then click "Start" to proceed.

It will give you file name [CreatorName]_ObjectName_Number

Then save your package file in "DBPF Package" format in your project folder. Always make folder for any file to make everything organized.

✳️ Step 2. Open S3PE to Copy the Original Resource Code and Export the Files

Open S3pe, locate your package file you cloned from s3oc. Find the MODL of Utensil Chopsticks, Right-Click, "Details..."

On Resource Details, click "Copy TGI" to copy the Resource Code. Type, Group, and Instance will automatically be copied on clipboard. Then open Notepad, Right-Click to "Paste".

Click GRID on bottom of the s3pe (I mark it red on picture), it will give you pop-up box with Data Grid. Click "Resources", it will be highlight blue and there's 3 dots button appeared on the right side. Click the 3 dots button. It will give you TGI Block List Editor.

Inside MODL's TGI Block List Editor only has IMG. You may wondering why, but that's how the game coded. Type, Group, Instance of _IMG inside TGI Block List Editor should be the same as _IMG on the package.

Copy the TGI, Group, Instance to your Notepad.

After you copied code of MODL, do the same for the texture image (_IMG), but only copy the code from Resource Details. You cannot edit TGI Block List Editor for _IMG as the Grid button for _IMG is greyed out.

The main task is the code of your edited mesh and texture should be the same as the code you copied now from original package you cloned with s3oc.

Keep the code on notepad. You will need this code later.

Export the MODL file. Right-Click, "Export to s3asc". The file appears in long string such with name for example: S3_01661233_08000001_B619DB2238C3430B%%+MODL_filebase

Do not rename the file. Save.

Export the texture file. Right-Click "Export > To File..." The file will be saved in .dds format. Do not rename the file. Save.

✳️ Step 3. Export the Original Mesh as Base Mesh to .obj format

Open Milkshape. Import the s3asc file you saved before.

More steps click spoiler tag "Read More / Keep Reading" below

File > Import > Sims 3 Object Import v 1.01 by Wesley Howe

Locate the s3asc file, then the original chopsticks mesh appears.

Click the "Joints" tab. It has 4 codes. Check box "Draw vertices with bone colors" It will show Bone Assignment colors on the original mesh. Yellow on top chopstick and light blue on bottom chopstick. The colours are to make the object has rig and movement following the Sim's interaction.

Take a look at the 4 codes on Joints Tab. You can play around to see which colour of the code will appear, after that copy paste the code to Notepad to make it easier to comprehend.

Click Select from Tools menu, Select Options: Face. On "Right/Left/Top/Bottom 2D View", Left-click make selection of one part of chopsticks. While the part of object being selected (Red), click Joints then Choose "Assign".

0x96239247 --> Yellow 0xFEAE6981 --> Purple 0xCD68F001 --> Light Blue 0xD0DECA8E --> Red

Your edited mesh must have the exact same Bone Assignment colour later. Check again if the code and colour are correct.

You can save object mesh as .obj to other 3D software such as Blender or any other 3D software.

✳️ Step 4. Create Your Custom Mesh

Use the original .obj as base model. While you can create longer mesh or any edited version as you wish.

Make sure the scale and position of the edited mesh is same as base original mesh, because the edited mesh will be used on Sim's hand.

If you are done editing the mesh, export the UVmap.

You can export the uvmap in higher resolution, as long as it is Power of 2. 64x64, 128x128, 256x256, 512x512, 1024x1024, 2048x2048, 4096x4096. I export in 1024x1024 pixels to make the size of texture larger and have more details.

Then export the mesh object in .obj format.

✳️ Step 5. Bone Assignment & Create Group

Open Milkshape. Import the original mesh.

Check the Groups Tab. Original mesh has 1 group, "group 00". Group 00 means it is the main mesh. There is no shadow beneath the object.

Import the edited mesh as .obj file.

My edited mesh has one single name "default" name on the Group Tab. While edited mesh may have a lot of file name scattered on Group Tab. Regroup the file name to simplify your edited mesh into one single name. Select > Regroup.

The main task is replacing the EA's original mesh with your edited mesh.

Before you delete anything, you must do Bone Assignment first to the edited mesh you created.

Your edited mesh does not have Bone Assignment, so it appears white.

Remember the 4 codes you copied earlier in Notepad.

Copy Bone Assignment from original mesh to your edited mesh.

This case, your want to Bone Assign Yellow colour.

Select > Face to select one part of chopsticks of your edited mesh. On Joints Tab, double click the appropriate code 0x96239247 in blue highlight then the code box on the right side of "Rename" will appear 0x96239247. Make sure the code is correct. Then you can click "Assign".

Your edited mesh will appear in Yellow colour. Then do the same for another part of chopsticks.

Select another part of chopsticks of your edited mesh. On Joints Tab, double click the appropriate code 0xCD68F001 in blue highlight then the code box on the right side of "Rename" will appear 0xCD68F001. Click "Assign".

Your edited mesh will appear in Light Blue colour.

Then what's the other code for? With colour purple and red?

Leave them. Let the codes have the same exact codes as appear in original mesh and let the colours only assigned Yellow and Light Blue. The colours are to determine rig for interaction in-game, which only use Yellow as upper part of chopstick and Light Blue as bottom part of chopstick.

You can safely delete the original mesh with name group00 until it remains your only your edited mesh.

Rename your edited mesh to group00. Type group00 on the box then click "Rename" on the left side.

Export to TSRW Object in .wso format. .wso is format with bone assignment on object attached.

Save your .wso in your project folder.

✳️ Step 6. Create custom Texture

Import original texture you exported from s3pe to your editing image software.

Look at the original texture made by EA. 32x64 pixels. It is very low resolution, blurry and stretched, because the texture should be compressed as low as possible by game designer. As player you want it has higher detail to look realistic as possible and your PC of course can handle high resolution content, sure you can make the resolution much higher than EA's.

Import the UVMap you saved from 3D software. For example, UVmap I imported has 1024x1024 resolution. Add your custom texture. Then save it to .dds format in the same name as original texture. Save in separate folder, name it "Edited Texture" to keep it separated from original texture.

✳️ Step 7. Import the .wso of Edited Mesh on TSR Workshop & Export the package

Open your TSR Workshop.

Create New Project > New Import >Next...

Then Browse original mesh by EA in package format in your project folder.

On Open file box, you cannot see .package file because the filter is .wrk (TSR Workshop Project). Choose the .package dropdown.

Then you can see .package file.

Open the .package. After the file is located, then Next. On Project Details I usually skip without giving name of Project Name and Title. Next.

You must have seen green land with white blank sky.

Where's the mesh? It is actually there... just being zoomed in too close. You need to zoom out by scrolling down mouse.

You can see the original chopsticks mesh by EA. You can save the project file in .wrk format. After you save the file, import the .wso of your edited mesh. Mesh tab > High Level detail. Click green arrow folder icon to import. Then your edited mesh will appear replacing the original EA mesh.

As you see, the texture is messed up because the texture is still using original EA's texture. But then you check Textures tab and it has blank dropdown...

I cannot change the texture on this TSR Workshop!

Don't worry, we can replace the texture on s3pe later.

No need to change anything other than importing mesh. Click Edit > Project Contents to save as package.

You will see pop up box with number or files DDS, FTPT, LITE, MODL, OBJD, OBJK, etc. Export > To. package. Give name such as "EditedChopsticks_TSRW"

✳️ Step 8. Export MODL file from Package saved from TSR Workshop

Open S3PE, File > Open package "EditedChopticks_TSRW" that you saved from TSR Workshop.

Export MODL. Right-Click, export. It gives you file name with [StringOfNumber] .model .

Save it on project folder. Keep it organized and separated from original MODL. Name the folder "Edited MODL". Do not rename the file.

✳️ Step 9. Finalizing in s3pe & Replacing the Original file with Edited File & Correcting the Code As Same As Default Code

Open s3pe, File > Open original package that you cloned from s3oc. [CreatorName]_ObjectName_Number

Find the MODL. Right-Click > Replace...

Locate to your edited MODL with filename .model .

Then click Open.

The original MODL of the package should be replaced with your edited mesh.

Do the same for the texture.

Locate to your edited texture with filename .dds

Then click Open.

The original texture of the package should be replaced with your edited texture.

Take a look at MODL's Type, Group, Instance. It has the same code as original MODL in the original package cloned with s3oc (because it has been replaced)

Don't forget to see the code inside TGI Block List Editor.

Repeat step 2 how to check the code. Right-Click on MODL/IMG > Details... and click GRID > Resources > TGI Block List Editor.

The Type, Group, Instance of the _IMG are different compared from IMG from original package clone, which means that is the evidence of edited mesh replaced the original.

Rename the Instance with default/original Instance you copied on notepad from Step 2. Type, Group, Instance should be the same as default/original Type, Group, Instance.

Open notepad with resource code you copied from Step 2. Make sure the Type, Group, and Instance are all the same.

If the codes are the same, then your edited mesh and texture will overwrite the default mesh and texture with the same code in the game. Save, Commit, Save the package.

Check again if the texture is replaced properly. Right-Click on _IMG > ViewDDS.

ALTERNATIVES!

Yes, you can delete unwanted files in your edited package, to keep the package clean. Simply Right-Click>Deleted.

The only files needed in package are: MODL, _IMG, _KEY

They are the only files with your edited mesh/texture including codes to overwrite the default codes.

You can Start new fresh blank s3pe. Right-Click>Import from file...

Locate your edited MODL and _IMG (texture) file.

On Resource Details box, tick mark "Use resource name" > OK.

Make sure all the Type, Group, and Instance of MODL and _IMG including in the TGI Block List Editor are all the same as the code in original package.

Save the package.

✳️ Step 10. Test the CC in your game.

Put the package to your CC folder in your The Sims 3 document folder to see if the CC is working or not.

If the CC is working as your intended, with your custom mesh and texture, then test the animation. Are the chopsticks animation working as the same as original EA's? If the animation are working well too, then congratulations!

Your default replacement are working. Give applause to yourself. 👏

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QUESTIONS!

Q:

Can I use this tutorial for making default replacement for buy/build object?

A: This tutorial covers basic method of using TSR Workshop and replacing the default codes (Type, Group, Instance), so you will understand the basic principle of doing default replacement mod.

Keep in mind that different object has different case. Buy / build object has MLOD (not just MODL) more than one, texture images more than one, has presets, and CAStable colour channels.

The TGI Block List Editor for buy/build object has a lot of codes, so have to spend a lot of time to do trial-and-error to make the default replacement working properly, because a lot of times the texture doesn't work (still using default EA's texture), or when the object appears right with your edited mesh and texture, after you choose the presets, the object reverts back to your edited mesh with default EA's texture.

Q:

Help! The texture is black! / still using same EA's texture when tested in the game!

A: The texture codes must be not the same. Check the Type, Group, Instance of _IMG. Do the codes are the same like codes in original package? Check the TGI Block List Editor for MODL, is the _IMG inside has the same Type, Group, Instance as in original package.

Q:

Help! The object disappears when tested in the game!

A: You must be replacing OBJD in your package. Do not replace OBJD. Just MODL and texture only.

[yyokkki]

Asking to Sketch Them

HEARTSLABYUL

Riddle Rosehearts

Honestly a bit shocked you’d ask him

But he’s had practice from posing for family portraits, so he isn’t too nervous

Until you say you want the backdrop to be Heartslabyul’s garden

It doesn’t break any rules… but that doesn’t mean someone else won’t break any rules

He doesn’t collar people as often as he used to, but he still makes it a point to lecture rulebreakers on the importance of said rule

So imagine the strain on his face when Ace walks by with a vase full of roses and it’s Wednesday.

In the end Ace sits beside you while Riddle gives a long lecture, keeping the rest of his body perfectly still so it doesn’t interfere with your work

You are sweating in fear. 6/10 a good model but it’s hard to draw when your model is half yelling at the dude sitting right next to you

Trey Clover

Might hesitate to say yes because he’s a busy guy,,

I mean they have tea parties like everyday and he’s always in charge of sweets-

You say he can go about his business and that you’re going to capture him in his natural habitat then he agrees

Raises an eyebrow cuz you make it sound like you’re on national geographic but ok

Anyways you’re drawing him while he’s baking and damnnn those biceps pop when he’s whisking

Secretly, however, he’s been holding back for a while now/

When you’re least expecting it he comes closer to you… and bam whipped cream on the side of your face

Devolves into flour tossing and chaos

6/10 you got whipped cream on your sketchbook and it was half finished but it was a fun memory

Cater Diamond

“OMS YAY of course ;DD”

Internally screaming because his makeup isn’t that good today and why him I mean there are better looking people in nrc and maybe he can get his clone to do it instead-

Overthinker fr

He’s a bit stiff at first, trying to only show his good side and checking his camera constantly to see if his smile looks good

If you’re close and you start talking to him about something he’s passionate about while you’re sketching he’ll loosen up a bit and his pose becomes a lot more natural

Eventually forgets you’re even drawing him and now it’s just him showing his true colours

Takes a pic of your finished sketch along with the both of you and posts it on magicam #muse #artistbestie

8/10 the sketch turned out well and you had a nice chat 

Deuce Spade

Has never been asked this question in his life

Boy is so stiff and awkward pls baby

He smiles like Oga from Beelzebub at first

Pls pls pls get this boy to do something else while you’re drawing him to get him to relax

Might be studying across the table from you while having a nice chat

Forgets you’re drawing him eventually pt.2

Tbh moves around a lot especially if a senior enters the room cuz he makes it a point to turn around and greet them while standing up

Is a bit surprised when you say you’re done because shit I forgot and I moved so much im sorry-

Also takes a picture of the sketch

Texts his mom the pic “I made a really good friend who’s great at drawing :D”

Will ask if you can draw a portrait of him and his mom together when you get the chance (will pay for it he just doesn’t know about the concept of commissions TT)

4/10 he’s so precious but not the best model tbh id still ask him again idc

Ace Trappola

Little shit (affectionate)

Not hard to make him agree but boy will he give you shit for it “my face is just that handsome ig” “you want me to get nude?” someone kiss him and make him shut up

At first he’s making a bunch of dumb faces and exaggerated poses and once he determines that you’re sufficiently annoyed he starts actually posing normally

Might get up halfway through and start stretching or laying down cuz he got tired though

Depending on how late he slept the night before and if you’re keeping quiet so he doesn’t get the chance to tease you, he might fall asleep

His sleeping face is cute so it works out for you ehe

When you’re done he acts all non chalant and smug about it but inside he’s sooo happy damn tsundere

Asks if he can draw you next and draws a potato with three dots on it <3

2/10 its only easy when he falls asleep but he’s cute so ill give him 1 extra point

-----

Heartslabyul | Savanaclaw | Octavinelle | Scarabia | Pomefiore | Ignihyde | Diasomnia

Graphic design is not my passion dear lord i really need to read a guide on how to format tumblr posts TT

Also first time writing omg depending on my mood next part will either be out tomorrow or next month see yall

[questforgalas]

Code Red Training

···

GIF by mlmanakin

Summary: Kix has to give a training on the menstrual cycle to the 501st. It goes exactly how you think it would

Characters: 501st legion (Jesse, Fives, Rex, Kix, Echo, Dogma, Appo, and made up clone names), Ahsoka Tano

WC: 2.4K

Notes: This is based off another silly HC I posted the other day I couldn't get out of my head. I think the idea of the engineered clones raised surrounded by men learning about the menstrual cycle is a hilarious concept. Very silly stuff. The boys are in awe of their commander after

Tags: descriptions of the menstrual cycle and what occurs. Swearing

Tay's Masterlist

Read on AO3

Kix was running out of tasks to keep his hands busy. The informational flimsies were on the fourth variation of stacking, and he’d rearranged the educational sculptures in every possible space on the desk. He wasn’t nervous. He just could make a list of 1000 other duties he’d rather be doing than, well, this.

Kix had the 41st Elite Corps to thank for this one. The poor padawan commander of the 41st apparently wasn’t prepared for her cycle, and while she was trying to retreat to her quarters to remedy the situation, she was caught with a noticeable blood stain that, understandably, caused her troopers to go into a panic. Chaos ensued as an entire corps sprang into action to save their commander who, to their knowledge, was bleeding to death for no reason.  

There’s no official report on the matter, but the message from Insi, the medic of the 41st, simply said “The troopers involved won’t be looking Commander Offee in the eye anytime soon”.

So now, all battalions led by a female general or commander had to sit through educational training on the menstrual cycle.

A 3-D model of the uterus taunted him from across the desk.

“Gotta say, don’t exactly envy you with this one, Kix,” Captain Rex’s voice interrupted Kix’s internal battle to cancel the next session and run, but instead, he turned to face his Captain, standing at attention and offering a short salute.

“You envy everything else I get to deal with, sir?” The medic offered a sly smirk as Rex put him at ease.

“You got me there,” Rex chuckled. “Although, last I remember, it wasn’t too long ago you’d be right next to Fives and Jesse when I’d be threatening another ‘fresher duty to ward off any antics.”

Kix brought a hand to his chest, feigning hurt, “Me, sir? Antics? I’d never.”

“Just because you knew how to hide the evidence better doesn’t mean you were more innocent.” A playful shove on his shoulder broke his performance.

“It’s called a medic’s attention to detail, sir.”

Rex offered a hum in response, the fond smile on his lips softening the threat of his eye roll, and he continued to make his way across the room to the chair set up in the back corner. As the commanding officer, Rex had to give his approval on the training which meant Kix already took him through the session – The captain remained professional the entire session, but the increasing crimson of his cheeks didn’t go unnoticed – so his presence here now only meant one thing.

Rex knew who was on the roster, and he was here for a show.

“You think you’re being sly Captain, but I see right through you,” Kix accused.

“I’m not sure what you mean. It’s my duty as captain to perform surprise training inspections. It’s for the good of my men.” Rex’s face remained impassive, but the medic didn’t miss the smirk tugging at his lips or the glint in his eyes.

Before he could answer, he heard voices coming down the hall. Kix went through the same mental routine he did when he boarded a LAATi, and with one last deep breath, he readied himself for battle.

_____________________________________________________________

“Wait, wait, wait! A tube?! They have an actual tube in them?”

“Not just a tube, Hardcase. Two tubes!”

“Can females create metal?!”

“How does a baby even fit in there? Like, the same size as us in the tube? Come out of THAT!”

“FEMALES LAY EGGS?!”

The first ten minutes of the session went about as well as Kix could hope for. Characteristic of this group, they were rowdy when they filed in, most coming in from the mess hall, and many in the middle of glorified battle stories that their audience wasn’t buying. As they took their seats, they settled in, and most conversation had quieted down, but when Kix stood upfront waiting for a second too long, pointed looks by Echo and Dogma had the room quieting down quickly.

Much to Kix’s surprise, the group remained attentive and curious during the first parts of his notes as he walked them through the anatomy. Not to his surprise, all hell broke lose when he started to explain conception and gestation. When the questions erupted, Kix stole a glance to the back of the room. Rex was barely holding his composure, and it looked like Jesse’s outburst broke the professional dam as Rex quickly hid his face behind his hand, shoulders shaking.

“Alright, alright, alright. Calm down! One question at a time,” Kix barked. “First, the fallopian tubes are not metal tubes, Hardcase. It’s just what they’re called because they connect two sections. Second, yes, babies as big as we are when we come out of the tube are born through the vagina. If necessary, they can be cut out, bu-“

“THEY CUT THEM OU-“ Smack “Ow!”

“Cut it, Appo,” Echo scolded.

“As I was saying, they can be cut out, but that’s in emergency situations. And lastly, they don’t lay eggs. Not females with this anatomy. They carry eggs, and once a female hits puberty, their ovaries release one egg once a month for it to be fertilized,” Kix finished.

“Oh I can tell you allll about how they’re ferti-“ Smack. “Ow!”

“Fives, you’ve never even talked to a girl,” Echo was on a roll Kix very much appreciated.

Taking a pause before moving onto the next section, Kix swept his gaze across the room. Dogma furiously scribbled notes while Hardcase and Oddball looked like they were trying to solve the equation of an ion engine. Echo lazed with his arms across his chest, attention trained on the medic, but gave Appo another swat when he noticed his head nodding to the side. Fives still rubbed the back of his head where Echo hit him, looking like a hurt loth pup not getting to make his crude joke.

Crowded in the middle, a hand raised. Kix recognized the trooper as one of the newest 501st.

“Yes, Doma?”

“Thank you, sir. I’m just curious. What, what happens to the egg if it isn’t fertilized? Does it just…fall out?” The trooper looked around on the ground as if expecting to find a scattering of eggs around him. A soft laugh floated from the back corner of the room.

“Well, Doma, that leads us into the final part of this training. If the egg isn’t fertilized, then the female body goes through what is called the ‘menstrual cycle’ in common. It’s possibly called other things in other languages, but it all refers to the same process.”

Kix picked up the 3-D model and moved back to the front and center of the room, pointing to the uterine lining.

“When released, the egg settles in the lining of the uterus. If it’s not fertilized, the lining sheds and discards the old lining and the egg through the vagina. Then the lining builds up again over the next month preparing for the next egg,” Kix explained. Silence settled over the room and not a single trooper moved. Even Echo looked like Kix just explained a 10-page battle strategy to him with one minute to learn it. “Ok, where did I lose you all?”

Eyes glanced around, no one wanting to speak first. Finally, Dogma raised his hand.

“What exactly do you mean by ‘sheds and discards the old lining’?” he grimaced.

“Here goes nothing,” Kix thought.

“Well, exactly what it sounds like. The lining literally tears itself from the uterus, falls through the vagina, and exits.”

Eruption.

“YOU MEAN-“

“THEIR BODY IS LITERALLY TEA-“

“HOW OFTEN DOES-“

“SHEDS? LIKE, THEIR BODY JUST-“

Fives, Hardcase, Jesse, and a trooper Kix didn’t recognize jumped to their feet, yelling questions. Dogma turned pale. Doma was bracing his head in his hands. Echo’s eyes went wide, stare fixed on a spot in front of him, and troopers around the room reacted with a mix of horror and confusion. The quiet laugh in the corner of the room mingled with the ruckus. Acting fast, Kix brought his fingers to his lips and let out a whistle the patrol across camp could probably hear. Immediately, the questions ceased, but the looks of horror remained. His narrowed eyes got the message across, and all the troopers settled back into their seats. Once he was sure they were focused back on him, Kix went on.

“This is where we’ll open up the question portion of the training.”

Every hand shot up.

“Fives, if this is a joke,” Kix warned.

“No, it’s serious I promise!” Fives pleaded. Kix nodded for him to go on. “When they’re going through this men-menstrol? Mens-“

“Menstrual.”

“Thanks, vod. When they’re going through this menstrual cycle, is it painful?”

“Yes. Pain can vary female to female, but common symptoms are severe cramps. Many females experience cramps painful enough to cripple them anywhere from a couple hours to days. Other common symptoms are muscle cramps in their lower backs and legs, interrupted sleep cycle, severe mood swings, bloating, digestive changes, and headaches or migraines.” Kix explained. A room of faces grimaced back at him.

“How long does it last for,” Echo asked.

“Again, it varies female to female, but on average 3 to 7 days.”

“7 days?! They’re just…bleeding! For 7 days!” A trooper exclaimed in the back.

“Maker, I didn’t think of that,” Jesse mused. “They’re just walking around with their bodies tearing itself on the inside, and they’re just…ok?”

“Well…” Kix started. “I wouldn’t say they’re ‘ok’, but they’re expected to go through life with it. So yes, many females you encounter could be in their cycle.”

“And this happens, every month?” Jesse asked, amazement in his voice.

“Yes, once the female becomes of age, and as long as everything is regular, it happens once a month.”

“Whoa,” Awe passed over the troopers.

“Wait,” Appo shot up in his seat. “Commander Tano!”

Kix’s eyes instinctively found Rex’s. The captain’s smirk turned into a wolfish grin, and it took all of Kix’s respect for the decorated captain to not flip him off.

“What about the commander?” Kix returned to the group.

“Well, she’s a female!” Appo blurted.

“Appo, are you asking if Commander Tano experiences a menstrual cycle?” Kix asked. The captain answered with a vigorous nod of his head, blood rushing to his cheeks.

“Well, I can’t disclose patient information, but Commander Tano is of the age that it’s common for females to begin theirs.”

“That..is so…fucking…cool!” Oddball exclaimed.

“You mean our Commander is out there kicking clanker butt while her body is literally tearing itself on the inside? I mean, can she be any greater?” Echo proclaimed, a proud twinkle in his eye.

“Ohhhh is that why she randomly hordes all the chocolate cakes in the mess?” Fives mused.

“I don’t think I need to remind all of you that it is not procedure or polite to bombard the commander with questions about this,” a stern voice interrupted from the back. Amusement still danced in his eyes, but the expression on Rex’s face shut all conversation down immediately.

“Yes, sir,” echoed unanimously.

“Alright, well, if there aren’t any more questions, that concludes the training,” Kix dismissed. While his brothers filed out of the room, Kix allowed himself to relax his shoulders for the first time since Fives entered.

Rex appeared in front of him, hand clasping down on his shoulder, “Not bad trooper. I think you’ll only be getting questions from Hardcase for the next 20 rotations.”

____________________________________________________________

“Hey, Rex. Have you noticed the boys have been…odd lately?” Ahsoka asked while she and Rex made their way through the halls of the Resolute,

“Not sure I know what you mean, Commander,” Rex responded.

Walking through the narrow halls, a few troopers stepped to the side to salute the commander and captain as they passed. Ahsoka noticed two things. First, their eyes went wide when they first took her in. Second, their force signatures spiked instantly with something mixed with astonishment and pride. Once they passed, she could swear she heard one of them murmur, “An absolute legend.”

These types of occurrences had been happening regularly over the last few weeks, and Ahsoka grew more confused with each one.

“I don’t know. All of them have been looking at me like the shinies look at Anakin when they meet him for the first time. It’s, unnerving,” she explained.

Rex did his best to hide the chuckle rumbling in his chest. Of course, he’d noticed his brothers completely obvious demeanor change towards their commander. Ever since Kix’s trainings finished, the whole 501st viewed their vod’ika in a whole new light – one that put her on par, if not higher, than their general.

“Eh, I’m sure it’s nothing. You know how they get, especially in between missions. Restless and bored. Start actin’ weird. Don’t pay attention to it,” Rex tried to deflect.

Making their way around the corner, Fives and Echo were spotted leaving the mess heading in their direction. When the ARCs recognized who was ahead of them, Fives bounded their way.

“Commander! Lucky running into you. Here, I grabbed an extra chocolate cake just for you. Figured you can stash it away, save it for later,” Fives suggested, giving a wink like he and Ahsoka were in on a secret only the two of them know.

“Uh, thanks, Fives. That was, kind?” Ahsoka shot a look to Rex that said “See?��, but he just shrugged her off as if Fives giving her chocolate cakes happened every day.

“Oh, and commander, I stopped by the med bay earlier. I saw they were low on high strength painkillers, so I requested that Kix put in a supply order right away so we’re well stocked. Wouldn’t want to be caught unprepared, right?” Echo added.

Rex groaned internally. For ARCs, these two were the most obvious troopers he’d ever known.

“That’s, good to know, Echo. Thanks, I think?” Ahsoka tried her best to sound polite, but the whole interaction just confused her more.

“You’re welcome! Well, we’re off to the rec center for some sparring. Rex, join us later?” Echo asked.

“Another time, Echo. I have a briefing at 1500,” Rex answered, dismissing the troopers.

Later that day, Ahsoka stashed that cake in her quarters and made a note to stop by the med bay to grab some of the painkillers before next week. She didn’t know what was going on with the boys, but she wasn’t going to not take advantage.

[a-small-tragedy]

Headcanon??? UMM YES??

Hi!!! >:3 I think..... aaaeeehh its my little headcanons  Sorry for my english lol, I hope it will be readable After watching episode 2, I thought Topher's room was too... empty? Like, there's almost nothing there at all. A couple of posters and a guitar that he doesn't need :D 

BUT MAYBE IT WASN'T ALWAYS LIKE THIS

In the hallway you can see a boat in a bottle. It can be assumed that he used to be very fond of the sea and was engaged in modeling. But after a traumatic event, he decided to get rid of all of it. That's why the room is so empty!

In addition to modeling, he loved star maps, Topher liked to peer into the constellations through the windows of his room. That's why he lives in the attic. He could also have many maps and items related to the sea. AND A COOL TELESCOPE!!! I think that after losing his hobby, he stopped understanding himself. Well, you know, when you don't have hobbies, you start to consider yourself boring or unworthy of communication. In the end, he just can't be happy until he accepts himself as a clone of Columbus... OR MAYBE HE'S JUST AN ASSHOLE We'll have to wait for the new episodes :(

[thydungeongal]

so obviously there's rolemaster, but do you have any other ttrpgs you like that are geared toward the sword and sorcery kinda fantasy settings??

I mean, as much as I like to complain about the play culture around modern D&D I think D&D is pretty great, and all editions of it actually support swords & sorcery fantasy pretty well! There is of course a bit of a genre shift going from TSR to WotC, but like I think every edition of D&D is broadly supportive of swords & sorcery fantasy. The Moldvay Basic/Expert set remains my favorite edition of TSR D&D.

But besides D&D and Rolemaster, I am also very fond of RuneQuest which very much is swords & sorcery fantasy in a setting dreamt up by a strange shaman who was really into anthropology. RuneQuest is so unique, so strange, so evocative. I do like the various clones of it that take its principles and turn them into a generic "mythic fantasy" framework (OpenQuest, Mythras, even RuneQuest when it didn't have Glorantha attached to it) but RuneQuest is at its best when tied to Glorantha, one of the coolest RPG settings ever made. The system is crunchy and really interested in modeling the minutiae of characters' lives and their engagements in organizations and like I don't know how to articulate this but it's so cool.

Talislanta is another good one! It's a game that I feel was way ahead of its time when it first came out and I feel modern D&D owes a lot to it, even though the people who have done design for D&D under WotC can't really talk about their outside influences because it could serve to muddy the idea that D&D is the RPG hobby and there are no other games. Anyway, Talislanta is very interesting not only in terms of being a cool and unique science fantasy setting but also the system being simple yet deep! It's basically a precursor to the modern D&D playstyle of "roll d20 sometimes and make something up" but with actual systems built around it! And it's free!!!

Also I know I mentioned older editions of D&D before but I gotta hype up Errant which while having something in common with older editions of D&D is very much its own beast. Errant is such an interesting game, with interesting procedures built for almost every activity that a fantasy adventurer might partake in. Even if you don't see yourself playing Errant itself, I recommend checking it out for procedures to steal! There's a free version of it available, with a separate money-cost-variety version that has art in it!

(sorry for lack of links here but I'm way too tired for that shit. Google [game name] and RPG and you'll find it.)

[kindaasrikal]

Genuinely where the heck is Echo Zane cause he obviously isn’t in the light house anymore, since Jay stayed there for over half a year when Nya died, and I highly doubt that Nya or Jay would ever leave Echo just by himself.

Not to mention, where’s Tai-D in the light house when Jay was staying there?

And Echo could possible be Mr.E, but are Mr.E and Mr.F the same person? Or is Mr.F just a second model of Mr.E? Different coding? And if E and F are their own nindroids and aren’t Echo, then do either of them have souls? We know Mindroid, Cryptor, Zane, Pixal, and presumably Echo do, but many nindroids (such as Cryptor’s army) didn’t. So maybe E and F don’t either? I mean if E does have a soul it would answer the question whether F is actually E or just a replica/clone.

What kinda big plot hole is this i best get my answers in Dragons Rising.

Dude why do they barely focus on the nindroids of this show their lore is so good bro

[goatsludge]

Delta Force - Colt Model 723 (Clone, semi-WIP)

A2 Upper with Field Sights (A1E1/C7)*

Colt Commercial A2 Lower*

Lone Star Ordnance Stowaway 2 Grip

Oldgen Boonie Packer/Johnson Redi-Mag Mk.1

Colt 'N1' Retractable Buttstock w/ John Masen Recoil Pad and Cherokee CAR15 Cheek Riser

M4 Profile Barrel w/ 6-Hole 'Skinny' Handguards

Custom 'Gangster Grip' with Oldgen Surefire Laser Products 660 Light

Aimpoint 5000 w/ Leupold Vertical Split Rings, Modified MGW Carry Handle Scope Base

AIM-1/D Designator (IR Laser) on PAQ-4 M16A1/A2 Mounting Bracket

OD General Purpose Strap, Modified with Paracord Loops

*This upper is from Tony's Customs and is somewhat of a placeholder while I'm waiting to receive a more clone-correct one with Colt proofmarks and no forge marking.

*Technically, my lower is a Colt Match Target lower and not a true Commercial M16A2, but it still has the correct A2 buffer tower profile and the Redi-Mag hides all sins.

Setup accurate for the 1993-1996 period.

[dre1mp1r1site]

Hi folly you're literally so cool

Anyways uhhhhh look at us :D (I modeled my roblox avatar after you bc you're awesome)

Also I doodled you in my script so that every time I go to rehearse lines, I know that even if I mess up or get it right, you'll always be judging me either way ^_^

"Small... clones..."

"How cute."

[brainrotparsecsaway]

UUUGGHHHHG

I've been struggling with this because to me they all look off model but good enough I guess

Anyway more clones wars era content :D because I love clones >:))

[csphire]

Updated Dammon Build Guide!

Sad because you need more Dammon? Here is an updated guide on how to make him into your player character or dream guardian.

First, let's discuss the mods you'll need if you want to get your player character as close as possible to Dammon's long-lost twin or evil clone. Are you on a console or don't want to mod? No worries, alternative suggestions will be provided in this guide too.

Clothing:

This is only needed if you wish for him to wear the same outfit and for it to be the right color. If you want to keep the number of mods on the low side, you can use Basket Full of Equipment instead. It does have a blacksmith outfit, scarf and his boots too. (The boots are called: Black Leather Footwear D, just dye them brown. The scarf dye Swamp Green.)

Just know as of posting this, there is no dye in the game to match Dammon's existing choice of colors on his blacksmithing outfit perfectly. I would recommend when using Basket Full of Equipment to go with the scarf-free version and dye it Faewild Green and Dun Dye. Then you'll find his scarf in the cloak bag and dye that Swamp Green. If you can't get your hands on that rare dye Swamp Green works great too.

Eyes (and a jump start with the dream guardian):

What do I mean by jumpstart? Well... the modder here made a great start of what Dammon looks like. But I suspect the way the mod and/or game functions, some of Dammon's coloring is a little off. His horns are nearly white, and his eyes are brown, that is if you're trying to make the dream guardian look like him. This might be corrected in the future.

What's important about this mod is that it unlocks Dammon's unique eye color for not only the Guardian but also the Player Character. It's the only one I've found so far that does this. If there are other mods that come along that just unlock his eyes, I'll be happy to include them here too.

Don't want to install mods or can't? Try the Blue 3 or Sapphire 4 eyes. Or if you want them to glow more then have central heterochromia Elf Blue 1 and 2 are nice options as well.

Fun fact: Dammon's eyes are blue with central heterochromia.

Oh, and there is also the option to go with his Early-Access eye color Elf-Gold 3 if you're feeling particularly nostalgic.

The Quick and Easy Way:

Want to make the player character and every companion in your party look like Dammon? Well, this is the mod for you. There is however a caveat. He's stuck in that blacksmith outfit. As in not even for love scenes will he get naked. Alas, the real Dammon model doesn't have a nude character model option-at least not yet. Any who...

Onwards to the rest of character creation!

But first, a few quick side-by-side final comparisons to confirm the appearance you should get when following this guide.

Head, Skintone, and Horn Color:

Head 4

Blush Tone 5

Malbolge Spires with Dusty 6 for both base and tip color.

Hair:

Style - Arabel Ribbon Hair Color - Blonde 3 Highlight - Red 6 Intensity 80.

Makeup (optional):

Eye Makeup - Butterscotch (Intensity 40, Metallic Tint 10, and Glossy 10) Limp Tint - Red 1 (Intensity 10, Metallic Tint 10, and Glossy 10) For makeup, I'm unsure if Dammon wears any but in all the images here I did add a subtle amount to try to make his eyes stand out a little. This might be helpful if you're stuck using Blue 3 or Sapphire 4. I thought to also add a tiny bit of gloss to his lips since he's not hanging out by his forge so much. This is just a personal preference.

In fact, Makeup 12 comes in handy for guys or gals in general at a 10 to 50 tint level to make their eyes look a little deeper set, tired even and um... more broody? Play around with this and other make-ups and have fun.

Scar (optional):

Dammon does have a scar over the bridge of his nose, under his right eye, and on his lower left lip. But on him, as seen below, it's faded. Scar 3 comes sorta close but it's rather distracting. Until we can get a scar depth or age slidder from Larian (or a mod) I would skip it entirely for now.

Class, Race, Voice, and Stats (optional):

According to the Wiki Dammon is an Asmodeus Tiefling but you could subrace him into Mephistopheles or Zariel as head 4 is available to all subraces. Changing his subrace might prove advantageous depending upon what class you wish to play.

For voice, nothing can replace Frazer Blaxland's, but... I found Voice 3, out of all of them, is similar in depth and warmth.

If playing as Dammon and you want to get as close to his abilities, and fighting style as possible, it's all an educated guess. This is only mine on one class example: Druid.

To start, I made sure that all his stats were at least 10 in everything just like his original. For the extra points left over, I put them into upping his Dexterity as it helps with dodging damage. After all, you don't need a lot of hp if you can dodge damage. I also put a few extra points into the main stat for his class and a bit in Charisma just to make conversation rolls easier. For background, I went with Guild Artisan to further help him with persuasion, give him some insight, and for roleplaying purposes since he was a blacksmith. For cantrips, I would highly recommend picking Guidance if available to further aid all conversation rolls.

I went with Druid because it lets him wield a scimitar right at the start. On the Nautolid you can usually find two of these weapons. "Who uses wooden tools!" Dammon shouts as he throws that ugly staff overboard into the fires of Avernus. The second reason is perhaps while he was in the grove he learned a thing or two. He did after all pick up a few skills while in Avernus, why not at the Druid Grove too? It's just one level and you could multi-class him into anything later on.

The third reason I went with Druid for class is your doppelganger gets a discount from Arron, the other merchant to be found there.

But of course, you can make him any other class you wish or multi-class him. I did so myself by adding dragon sorcerer and bard to him later on. This is just an idea, but one could use his playthrough to try and get the Jack-of-all-Trades achievement.

If I had to go with an official class for him, my money would be on Artificer with a subclass of a Battle Smith, to be precise. The video down below explains what they are, and as early as Act II Dammon can literally craft us some bombs and free armor if you bring him the right things. He would be the perfect Artificer companion if we in the future get that class in a DLC. (And romance option-yes while keeping most of his mystery too, Frazer. This will explain just one example of how it's possible.)

Sadly, no official Artificer class yet but there are a few mods you can try out by just searching the term Artificer on the Nexus. But this mod looks so far the most polished and fleshed out called:

Hope all this info helps you have some fun. Please feel free to tag and share with me your Dammon creations! Need any help feel free to reach out, I'd be happy to help. Looking for my old guide? It's here.

*Full Disclosure: In the previous versions of my guide, I was mistaken about his skin tone being Blush 4. After a near-unhealthy amount of scrutiny of Dammon's model, I apologize for this mistake. It's Blush 5, and the majority of the screenshots, ones that focus on his appearance, have been corrected accordingly. I apologize for this mistake and any inconvenience it has caused.

[pawseds]

"But sometimes, when I do certain things... there is a big, red wall, and it hurts." "I can't proceed. I have to turn back."

I got the idea for this drawing last year of my friend's PC (also the one who wrote the quote) for their birthday, but I didn't have the time to draw it then. One year later, and here we are again! Eloise Campbell, the android (reskinned D&D4e Shardmind) starts as a clone of her selfish creator, breaks her programming to find her own identity, and ends the campaign as Steora with a new body (the reflection in the window).

In GAWE, the D&D4e westmarches my friend and I were in, my PC Hrodwyn made Steora's little star clip. We also joked about how Steora and Hrodwyn's brother, Merethel, would be a very cute/fitting couple. And then we joked so hard to the point that Steora got thrown into Helvetia, the Delta Green campaign, to make the ship possible because Hrodwyn's family also got thrown into LMAO

Progress shots are under the cut! Bless 3D models for speeding the process up so much (I mean it still took ~8-9h but lol)

(if any programmers are reading this, look i would've chosen C or something instead but i found the Java error message first okay. and i was rushing. The NullPointerException was intentional tho!) (For the non programmers, the null pointer exception is what happens when you try to access something that doesn't exist within a computer's memory. And Steora the automaton here is trying to understand feelings which aren't programmed into her, soooo) (also Java is known to be a more slow-running language so hence isn't usually used for machine programming)

[desultory-novice]

Now I'm wondering if Susie would hypothetically know anything about Dark Matter Blade in relation to Adeleine. I mean, even though Meta Knightmare isn't canon, the fact that it COULD'VE happened (in an alternate universe sense) means that Haltmann Works had to have done some kind of research on the guy to have enough data on him to clone him. Hell, maybe there's even some files on the Dark Matter Clone still around, since Meta Knight never killed him in the main timeline.

What an interesting idea! So interesting, I decided to write something for it! (Sorry for the script-fic. This is obviously WAY too long to draw and I was a bit busy to turn it into a full-blown fanfic.)

["Apologies" follow-up feat. Adeleine & Susie friendship]

!! That's right, you heard me!!

-

:Adeleine and Susie are walking through a messy HWC lab full of boxes and overflowing with paperwork: :Adeleine stops in front of a tray full of vials of thick purple liquid:

Adeleine: (curious) What are these?

Susie: (matter of fact) DNA samples of various life on Popstar. We took HUNDREDS during the initial invasion. 

Adeleine:  What for?

Susie: (dark; matter of fact) ...Cloning. It was...one of the tactics we used to "encourage" compliance.

Adeleine: (somber) Oh...

:A moment of acknowledgement about Susie's unpleasant past passes between them: :Susie shakes her head:

Susie: Not any more though. With Star Dream gone (good riddance) we don't even have the capability for that. I considered just purging them, but now I'm wondering if they can't be put to good use helping everyone instead of just ourselves...?

:She ends on a slightly sheepish, apologetic note:

Adeleine: (honest encouragement) That would be great!

Susie: (thoughtful; indicating the vials) Yes, but there is a problem. See these long strings of numbers? The information on what each sample contained was also managed and maintained by Star Dream. Meaning...

Adeleine: (wry smile) ...You've got hundreds of vials and you don't know what's in any of them...?

Susie: (sighing) Exactly...

:Indicating a device on the table next to them:

Susie: Now, I can run them through the holo-projector (...one by one...) but there's no guarantee I'll even know what I'm looking at.

Adeleine: Can I help? I've been studying life on Popstar since I arrived!

Susie: (hand on chin; completely sincere) Hmm. Unfortunately, we're massively over-budget on data-management this quarter.  Not to mention HR is buried ten planets deep in humans-rights violation lawsuits, so we can't even think about processing new hires at the...

Adeleine: (laughing) I meant for free, Susie! As a friend!

Susie: (sparkles in her eyes) ...Free? Adeleine, you're the sweetest! Of course you can help! Here's everything you need to get started!

--

:Adeleine puts a vial into the projector: :Susie, with glasses, types away at a computer next to her:

Adeleine: (curious) Next up is... #D-0030. Oh! This one is of his majesty!

:Said as a holographic model of Clone Dedede appears:

Susie: (eyes fixed on her computer screen) ...Ah yes. We actually used that data during the invasion.

Adeleine: (surprised) You cloned King Dedede?!

Susie: (turns to Adeleine) We attempted to. It was a costly mess. An imperfect clone. I should have seen it coming. His DNA was contaminated with trace particles of other species.

Adeleine: (lightbulb goes off; holds up another vial) Other...species? Wait, could that be what's in this one? It's got an almost identical code... #D-0030-SM...

Susie: Plug it in and let's find out!

:The holo-projector displays Dark Matter Swordsman: :Adeleine stares at it wide-eyed:

Adeleine: (unable to speak) ...Ah...

Susie: (not realizing; matter of factly) Mmm, as I thought. Dark Matter. We attempted some research on this species but the President... but my father decided they were too hard to control. The "magic" of the Ancients was always of less interest to us than the technological...

:Adeleine falls backwards with a crash: :Susie runs over quickly to help her up:

Susie: (worried) ...Adeleine?! Are you all right?

Adeleine: (shock) That's.... he's... Is...that...what happened to you...?

Susie: (nodding toward the projection) ...Do you know this creature?

Adeleine: (gives DMS one last look, then turns away) That was...my brother...

:Susie hits a button to turn the projector off:

Susie: (hugs Adeleine; sincere)

...I'm very sorry.

---

:Adeleine is sitting outside the lab, hugging her knees, sad: :Susie emerges after a moment, holding something:

Susie: (softly) ...You said you studied life on Popstar. So...I wasn't sure if you'd ever seen one of these before.

:She presses a button and a tiny, palm-sized Holo Doomer appears: :It flits about happily for a few seconds before landing in an outstretched Adeleine's hands:

Adeleine: (in awe) It's...amazing... What is it...?

Susie: (frowning) A Sphere Doomer. Tasteless name, I know. They live in Another Dimension.

:The Holo Doomer continues to play with Adeleine:

Adeleine: They're so friendly...

Susie: (wry) Not to everyone. And not if you have anything they WANT. Oh no no. But the little ones...they don't know greed or hunger or disappointment yet...

:Susie closes her eyes, reflecting on her childhood:

Susie: ...Whenever I felt lonely, I would look up and watch them flit about. Dancing in the sky, without a care in the world. ...I still do that, sometimes...

:Adeleine nods quietly, understanding:

Adeleine: (feeling a little better) ...Thank you for showing me this, Susie.

Susie: (slight malicious smile) You're welcome. Just don't tell that apple merchant about this. I owe him one and I'm saving this surprise for a special occasion. Oho ho ho...

:Elsewhere, Magolor's ears twitch:

-

[Apologies AU]

“Apologies” <You Are Here> “One Sneeze”  “Summer" “A Walk in the Snow"

<Bonus> “Ugly Scarf” <Relevant> “Vestige” <You Are Here>

[inkandpaintleopard]

Sorry for dying (<- stuff I would genuinely say irl) have some old-ish drawings of my minion-rabbit AU that nobody cares about but me

Long rambly explanations for those last five under the cut:

Ok so like there are minions that appear ONLY in old promotional artwork and NEVER anywhere else. They would not, could not even, exist naturally in-universe, at least with the original design constraints. Here I present this fandom page screenshot

And the original images for three of them (Fox appears in both images)

Now, are these images official? Who the hell knows, that second one looks AI generated as hell, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to make characters out of these weirdos

I would also like to note these other two images:

I really want someone to let me into wherever Illumination keeps their minion jpegs ‘cause Jesus Christ my brain can’t comprehend this probably-super-simple thing

So Spooky Month fandom: y’know hiest-4738’s OC Keb? Love that dude, his origin trips me out beyond reason. I’m kinda thinking of these minions the same way I think about Keb; here are some mysterious lost media-lookin dudes, let’s make them characters. I use all minion names that the fandom wiki gives, because regardless of how accurate it is, what else am I gonna do

My current headcannons are that these guys are some of the very earliest clones, when Gru still wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing, resulting in him making strange and unnatural minions. I think Harold is more or less a modified Kevin clone (due to that second image), Fox is a sort of mix of a short and tall minion, and Harley is a modified one-eye minion clone (with his “model” later being reused for Ralph once Gru had full control over minion genetics)

And then there’s that guy from the CONCEPT art:

(Ok but like how interesting is minion concept art like look what we could’ve had in a D-Sides timeline)

And I would like to think that that’s Harold on the end there

So for this dude, I’ve decided that since he literally comes from the concept art, he’s the first clone that Gru ever made (I believe in the clone theory with all my goddamn heart, it’s not theory it’s fact). He wasn’t a clone of any minion in particular, with Gru creating him simply to see if he could. I might retcon all this if I decide to make characters out of even earlier concept art, but that’s my idea for now

This makes no sense to anyone but me, feel free to ask about it

[freesia-writes]

Chapter 17: Undermined

During the Clone Wars, the Bad Batch is tasked with a variety of missions across the galaxy. An unexpected addition to their team throws a wrench in the mix, particularly for Tech, who finds a particular connection with this disillusioned Padawan-turned-mechanic named Vel throughout the events in this action-adventure romance.

COVER ART BY @zaana!! And this was my first fanfic ever, y'all! :D

Master List of Chapters

When Vel returned from the refresher, there was no sign of Jouren Terrik. Stifling an immediate desire to panic, she looked to the bar. All four of her team were gone as well. Had something happened? She started rummaging in her purse for the comlink "for emergencies only", as Hunter had emphasized, when a hand gently touched her elbow.

"Come, follow me," Hunter said politely, gesturing down the hall to another expansive room filled with people and music. Feeling relieved, she nodded and fell into step next to him. She was starting to feel a little tingly in the head and realized her extra little "nip of courage" from her flask while she was in the refresher might not have been the best idea. They entered a high-ceilinged ballroom where some sort of fancy promenade was beginning. She spotted the rest of the boys in a corner, lounging on plush couches and chairs around a table near a fireplace, and she noticed Terrik on the other side, dancing with another woman.

"Noooo, Hunter," she whispered, as he guided her toward the floor, "This is not going to help our cause." She felt the panic rising again, and it took all her strength to keep up her airy persona, as though nothing in the world could impress her.

"Don't worry," Hunter said under his breath, turning her to face him and making a small bow, "It's a simple dance made by rich people who want an excuse to show off to each other. Tech made us learn it in our room earlier after he studied Terrik's usual habits around here."

He held up one hand, which she took promptly, and he carefully placed the other in the center of her back. He held his elbows up, providing a solid frame from which he could guide her in a way that made them both look effortless.

"Step back twice, feet together, right twice, together, turn, and then go back," he said, stepping toward her and using his arms to gently steer her along. She fought to keep her steps smooth, at first trying to count in her head, but she soon found that he led her in a way that made it easy. Resting her hand on his shoulder and her arm on top the one he had tucked around her, Vel started to relax a bit. 

"Nice. Now just try to turn on the charm," Hunter said, giving her a little wink. "Take a page out of Crosshair's book."

Vel laughed, "Now that's a sentence I never thought I'd hear."

She did her best to put forth an image as though she were merely gracing the place with her presence, that nothing and no one could possibly impress her. Hunter assumed a modestly interested demeanor, although his flirting was rather dry and strategic. They had stepped and turned around the room a few times when Wrecker appeared at their side, having ditched his glasses and mustache.

"May I cut in for this fine little lady here?" he asked Hunter, loudly enough to be heard by virtually everyone. Terrik noticed the exchange, quickly bowing to his Twi'lek partner and kissing her hand before reaching out to a woman with a tall red headdress for the next dance.

"I suppose," Hunter replied, trying to model a normal speaking volume for Wrecker. He gave Vel a small bow, then retreated to the sofa where Tech and Crosshair remained.

Wrecker stood before her, having rolled up his sleeves. His shirt looked as if it were hanging on by a thread as he lifted his arms, which she took carefully, and they began their promenade. He trundled about silently, eyebrows furrowed and eyes on his feet. She could hear him muttering under his breath, "back, two three, together, side, two, three..."

As he turned her, it took all Vel had to suppress a full laugh. "Are all your pockets full of grenades?" she whispered, checking that Terrik was on the other side of the room.

"Don't leave home without em," Wrecker replied, giving her an extra spin before lumbering off on the next step. Vel laughed, feeling warm and fuzzy and dizzy and elated, and it definitely had nothing to do with the multiple swigs of alcohol she'd consumed so far... Now this was seeming more like the kind of mission she could get on board with.

The song wrapped up and partners bowed to each other across the room. A formidable-looking Zabrak female approached Wrecker in the pause, holding her arm out as an invitation. His eyes widened, and he looked behind him to see if she was beckoning to someone else. She smiled, took his hand, and led him to an open space, where she placed his arms in the proper positions.

Vel smiled warmly before remembering who she was pretending to be. She lifted her chin and looked around, starting to feel a sense of unease, when the voice she'd been waiting to hear came from behind.

"I believe it is my turn to dance with you," Tech said, and as she turned to face him, her heart leapt into her throat. He had taken off his hat and jacket, and his sleeves were rolled up to the elbows in an uncharacteristically messy fashion, as if he had just pushed them up on his way over. "May I?" he continued, bending smoothly in a small bow, and Vel swallowed hard.

"Yes please," she said quietly, "I mean, yes..." Correcting herself as she saw Terrik drawing near, she lifted her hand to meet his, clasped together out to the side. He reached around her with the other arm, nestling his hand neatly in between her shoulder blades, and she suppressed a shudder at the touch of his palm on her bare skin. She rested her arm atop his, strong and gentle at the same time, and they joined the others in the steps.

"All I'm getting are occasional glances," Vel whispered, revealing her self-consciousness. "I don't think this is going to work."

"Not to worry," Tech responded matter-of-factly, "I believe his curiosity is piqued, based on the subconscious behavior I have observed thus far. But he thrives on attention, so likely he is trying to entice you to make the first move. The fact that you have not done anything to indicate an interest in himis actually working in your favor."

Vel sighed as they rounded a turn, looking around the room. She caught Terrik's eyes on her, met them for a moment with a brief flash of interest, then carelessly drifted them back to Tech, who watched her closely, moving effortlessly as if he had performed this dance all his life, and she felt herself release some of the clenched muscles in her shoulders.

"That is an improvement," Tech said matter-of-factly. "This entire facade consists of nothing more than parading each other around the room to ensure everyone gets a good look. It is almost comical in the astronomical level of self-absorption it requires."

Vel laughed, dropping her head toward his, "What a silly idea," she said, although she had to admit... she felt absolutely gorgeous and would have been happy for this to be the entirety of their mission. She looked Tech in the eye, feeling that liquid courage kick in a bit more, and it fueled her desire to coax him out of his shell. He must feel something toward her...

"And did you get a good look?" she asked.

"There are so many people, it's impossible to fully ascertain the details of each individual," Tech began, looking at the people all around them.

"No," Vel interrupted, letting out another little chuckle, "A good look right here? I was hoping you'd like this dress. I chose it for you..."

Tech was confused, missing a step but quickly recovering. She laughed as she stumbled as well, leaning into him a little more as they found their rhythm again. All this turning was making her feel slightly dizzy. Bubbly. Silly.

"Is that... tsiraki?" Tech asked, catching a whiff of her breath in their misstep. "But you were drinking Rhuvian fizz on the floor..."

"Oh, heh," Vel replied, grinning impishly, "I had a little bit from my... personal stash."

"I understand the importance of blending in, but it is imperative that you maintain a clear mind in order to secure the location of the laboratory," Tech said sternly.

"I'm fine," she said. "Besides, I never have a clear mind anymore. I just keep thinking about kissing you by the waterfall. And I want to do it again." She was shocking herself with her own bluntness, but she felt positively effervescent. Besides, he might as well know, she reasoned with her totally normal and not-at-all impaired brain.

Tech was speechless, spared only by the fact that they were passing Terrik, dancing with a glamorous Mirialan. Tech shook his head minutely at Vel, eyes flitting toward Terrik, and stood up a bit straighter, dancing as carefully as if he were on a tightrope.

"Oh, come on," she continued, clearly on a roll now, "Was it so bad? Maybe you just need a little reminder." She made a kissy face at him, an attempt at playfulness, but was startled when she was promptly jerked off the dance floor to the side. When she realized it was Tech, and he was now holding her by the elbow, she opened her mouth to protest, but he was already speaking.

"You cannot do that right now," he said, revealing a rising frustration that she had not yet seen. "This is not the time nor the place." His fingers gripped her arm tightly, conveying his sense of urgency. She felt a charge of electricity, bewildered by his response and delighted at the same time.

"I am serious," Tech continued, leaning closer. He wasn't that much taller than her normally, but it felt as though he towered over her. "You have no idea what that has done to me, and it is impossible to address in the middle of all this, with you looking like that..."

Vel felt a flutter in her chest, unable to tear her gaze from his rich brown eyes, intense and closer to hers than they'd been in a while. She didn't know what to say, but was spared the need by another smooth voice that broke in.

"Excuse me, I'm so sorry to interrupt," came a low voice with an accent, "but is everything okay here?" Vel looked up to see Jouren Terrik, standing to their side, looking pointedly between them. "Are you alright?" he asked Vel, arching an eyebrow with just a hint of suggestion.

"Erm," she paused, slowly realizing the opportunity but hating what it required, "No, actually..." She looked at Tech, eyes narrowing slightly, "This man won't stop bothering me."

Tech's face registered surprise and he let go of her elbow as if it had burned him. He opened his mouth to reply, but Terrik stepped closer, a bit into his personal space, and tilted his head up a few inches. "Why don't you go enjoy some of the tables for a while?" he said, pulling a handful of player's chips from his pocket and pressing them into Tech's hand.

Tech began to splutter a reply, but Vel nodded emphatically, and Terrik steered him toward the door with a friendly-looking yet firm arm across his shoulders. Vel caught Hunter rising to his feet in the corner, watching the interaction closely but making no move, as Tech walked out, still attempting to form an argument.

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