#filed under :: elsie

[destiny-aesthetics]

^ Communications to the Vanguard; Letter from the Stranger [Elisabeth "Elsie" Bray]

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

Destiny 2 [Bungie] | Beyond Light [Collector's Edition]

ACCESS: RESTRICTED/REDACTED DECRYPTION KEY: ekeriPC6N$ spoof REP #: 121-EUROPA-BAN AGENT(S): CHA-319 SUBJ: Review of interdict on Europa landings. ASSOCIATIONS: Active interdict; Awoken, military commitments of; Bray, Clovis; Bray Tech; cryohazard; Deep Stone Crypt; Enceladus; Golden Age; Io; Jovians; Nine; Titan, moon of Saturn; Vex

1. Prior to the Taken War, the Reef maintained an interdict upon the poorly navigable Jovian moons. That interdict has failed, allowing Guardians to begin (politely put) "reclaiming" these satellites. The sixth moon, however, still falls under Vanguard interdict. To borrow an old adage: "All these worlds are yours, except Europa. Attempt no bounties there." 2. I have been asked to review this interdict's continued necessity. My first impression is that its Europan files are so heavily redacted as to encourage the very expeditions they are presumably meant to deter. Have you ever tried to tell a Hunter that they can't go somewhere AND can't know why? 3. Europa's surface is hazardous. Intense radiation mangles both flesh and machinery. Peak temperature at the poles never climbs more than 50 degrees above absolute zero; the equator reaches a balmy 110 above. This moon was never T-formed and has no proper atmosphere. Tidal stress tortures and crackles the surface, leading to frequent cryovolcanism. There are many ways to die on Europa, but we are speaking of Guardians here. Risk of death alone cannot justify a no-landings edict.

4. The subcrustal ocean is two to three times the volume of Earth's. Life exists down there, but we have forgotten how to reach it. Rumors of some vague abyssal connection to Titan and Enceladus are unsubstantiated, and in this agent's opinion, probably nonsense. So long as Guardians do not take up sport hunting, protection of native life is not grounds for an edict. 5. A heavily armed platform of Golden Age origin keeps station over the moon. It maneuvers using either Hall-effect electrical thrust or some kind of anchor in the Jovian magnetosphere. Ordinarily this would be worth investigating, but the files suggest that the platform is a rare example of an active and unpredictably hostile Golden Age defense asset. Approach at your own risk. (Interesting note-some suggest that jumpships of the Eon series are not as rapidly engaged - this matches what we know of their designer. Jumpships are rare and valuable, so best to keep a safe distance.) 6. Recent close flybys have imaged a Golden Age compound bearing the Bray Tech insignia built in the Europan ice. The same imagery captures thousands, if not tens of thousands, of hibernating or destroyed Vex. Unlike all other Vex presences on Venus, Mars, Mercury, Io, or Nessus, there is no sign of major construction. This suggests a Vex strike force, rather than a permanent presence. What did they want? We have fought Vex before, and early aggression against their designs has always proven critical. Their simple presence cannot justify an interdict.

7. Through negotiation and horse-trading with her superiors, Awoken Paladin Kamala Rior provided me with a device capable of sundry high-physics measurements I will not detail. It reveals that Europa is saturated and interpenetrated with dark matter loops. This is a sign of the interest and attention of the Nine. Their power and influence depend on the mass of nearby stellar bodies, and Europa falls within the sphere of Jupiter-as mighty a gravitational gatherer as anything outside the Sun itself. But even in this bastion of the Nine, Europa is a focus of particularly intense observation. We have often speculated that Xûr is a construct made from the repossessed body of a Jovian colonist… but there are no known records of colonies on Europa. So what draws the Nine here? Unclear. Their interests are opaque. In any case, the gaze of the Nine is no reason to prohibit Europa- Guardians have gone much further into their influence before. 8. No known signs of Ahamkara or other ontopathic predators occur on Europa. Perhaps there are wishing-sharks in the abyssal deep, but that is purely my fancy. No grounds for interdict here. 9. Europa is a traditional stopover for Fallen raiders tanking up on reaction mass. Mithrax, VIP #3987, relays vague reports of a taboo no-go area around the Golden Age station. This prohibition apparently goes beyond fear of its weapons and could be related to the Vex. There is allegedly "something that cannot be stolen from." Tantalizing, but not grounds for interdict. 10. Many Exos have fragmented memories concerning ice sheets and Jupiter in the sky. Europa would be a logical origin for those memories, especially given the presence of Bray Tech assets. This seems to militate towards an investigation.

11.The instruments Paladin Rior provided are extremely unreliable in the vicinity of Europa. I cannot determine whether this is a result of poor construction, my own inexpert use, or the presence of something aberrant. 12. This is hardly a well-vetted piece of intelligence, but something about the imagery and lore I've collected gives me an extremely bad feeling. Something is wrong here. 13. In conclusion, I cannot find strong strategic reasons to maintain the interdict on Europa. We lifted the interdict on the Moon not five years ago, resulting in a series of strategic key victories and intelligence findings… but also triggering the arrival of Oryx, an event that gave Ghaul his Light-suppressing technology and ultimately led to the awakening of the lunar intruder. Perhaps Europa will prove as consequential? We cannot shrink from new discoveries simply because they may lead to new challenges. Victory, after all, requires escalation.

I recommend LIFTING THE INTERDICT. MESSAGE ENDS [Recommendation refused on grounds of compartmentalized information. Unable to share; please trust that your analysis has not been ignored or discarded out of hand. Regrets - IKO/0061]

----------------------------------------------------- Guardian- This is an artifact of Darkness, and now I entrust it to you. Do not take this charge lightly. I have seen firsthand what its power an do Guardians who wield it… even to you. Like all new ground, it can prove treacherous to walk. Listen to your Little Light, and remember that you will live with choices forever. it you. My grandfather came to Europa before the Collapse to seek immortality. He thought he was chosen to lead humanity to the future. His experiments to this end were… hideous. Despite my qualms, collaborated with him. I accept my responsibility in full; I would have, know everything. "O nymph, in your orisons, be all my sins remember'd." You, nymph, but the principle holds, yes? We must know what he did with the power you now grasp. I have included a hard copy of the logs I've deciphered so far. Reader beware. My grandfather was worse than you know. Your stranger I remain, E

[alders-simblr]

Rowanwood Estates

Rowanwood Estates - WillowCreek - Sage Estates

I'm calling this the 'lite' version because I'm going to go back and clutter it up and change it but it is by no mean 'light' on CC. This one is going to be a long list of links just as a warning and includes my own mod tweak packages for the two cars on it (further explained below).

As with ALL my builds, you're going to want to have bb.moveobjects ON before placing the lot and I DID use TOOL to place some of the more complicated tweaks.

As with all my builds, it is on my gallery under EA ID: alderwitch but you can also download the tray files on my patreon as well here.

Lot Size: 50 x 50

Furnished Price: 915,012 Unfurnished: 336,018

Bedrooms: 6 Bathrooms: 7

Details and CC Shopping List below the cut.

Packs Used: HSY, Cottage Living, Snowy Escape, Eco Lifestyle, Island Living, Get Famous, Seasons, City Living, Get Together, Get To Work, Werewolves, Wedding Stories, Dream Home, Dine Out, Spa Day, Little Campers, Blooming Rooms, Courtyard Oasis, Bust the Dust, Nifty Knitting, Fitness, Backyard, Romantic Garden, Movie Hangout, Cool Kitchen

CC Used: CM Designs: Isla Pt 2, Jasper, Oakley, Rugs, Thermostat Oni: Traditional Japanese Room, Artist's World Room, Custom Food Pink Baddie: Baby Food, Magical Rug, Play Kitchen Sooky: Abstract Frames, Moroccan Rugs, Hydrangea Jug, Kids Rugs, Pretty Blue Rugs ClutterCat: Shiba Inu Rug Aira: Vanilla Rice Cooker Amoebae: Half Strip Tile, Statement Walls, Hallway Stone ATS4: Bagclutter AWingledLLama: Diaper Pail House of Harlix: Bafroom, Baysic, Harluxe, Jardane Brazen Lotus: ABP Closet, Greenhouse, Chronicles of Dressup, Reupholstered Sofa, Phoenix Fence Black Charly Pancakes: Lighthouse Collection, All CC Merged? Felixandre: Chateau, August 2019, Berlin Pt 3, Colonial Pt 2, Florence Set Pt 1, pt 3, Georgian, Grove Pt 4, Paris pt 1, Pt 3, Shop the Look Season 1 Walls That Make Sense: Dynasty, Fundamentals, Lights, Opulence Harrie: Country, Octave, Livin Rum, Tiny Twavellers Icemunmun: AirFryer, Canning Preserves, Finger Sandwiches, Floral tea, Burger Essentials, Mill, Soup, Soda Joliebean: Padtow LBB: Grannie's Cookbook, Recipe Tin, Recipe Stand LilacCreative: Body Butter, Candle LeafMotif: Magnolia Bathroom, Sunbeam Study, Starlight Crystals Ivy LittleDica: Chic Bathroom, Rise N Grind Cafe, Sleek Slumber, Modern Kitchen, Roman Holiday MadameRia: Back to Basics, Luxe, CoL Wallpaper Addon, Lucky Man Marvell: Lux, Janina, KC, Tiny Footsteps, UPcycle MyCupofCC: Maple Manor Books, Curtain, Macrame Shelf Max20: MasterBedroom Pack, Pouf Soft, Washing and Drying Machines Myshousun: Nora Living, Serene Bathroom, Zephyr Office, Dawn Living, Garden Stories, Freja, Gale Peacemaker: Atwood, Grasscloth, Bayside, Caine, Coulor Me Rugs, Drapery Delights, Elme Jute, Elsie, Futura, Gorgeous Georgian, Glass Tile, Hamptons Hideaway, Hamptons Retreat, Hinterlands, Hudsoon, Kingston, Kitayama, Lennox, MCE, Mina, Myra, Nox, Oasis, Quintin, Serenity, Vara, Marcissus Folly PieriSim: David Apartment, Domaine Du Clos, MCM, Oak House, Teeny Weeny, The Office, Tidying Up, Winter Garden Redhead Sims: Nintendo Switch RVSN: Advant 2020 Holiday Decor, Bidet, Binge Inking, CakeABreak, Cupcake Machine, Don't Be Alarmed Alarm Clock, Flood Saucer Light, Hoarders, Void Critter Gaming, Kids Toybin, Knit Happens, Major Inspo, MOtivational Speaker, Personal Brewer, Cod Fish Tank, One Nightstand Short, Peg to Differ, Procraftination, Shop Chef, Shut the Front Door, Smeglish Dishwasher, Sport Retail Therapy, Throw Shade, ToolTime, Watts Not to Love, SP Built Ins, You know the Drill, Ruggable SimCredible: DishDrainer, Naturalis Pantry SimKoos: Boba Storage, Home Clutter, Infant Bottles, Office Tour, Stroller Deluxe Sixam: Cozy Family Room, Gothic W Lighting, Home Basics, Home Improvement, Luxbath, Mixer, Private Surface, RetroVibes, Small Spaces, Spring Six, Stylish Wood, Teen Room Softerhaze: Bramblefinch Powder Walls Syboulette: Oceane, Advent 2022 Wood Parquet, Attic, Bayhouse, Boho Wedding, Brigette, Bougainvillers, Candy, Clarisse, Coraline, Crossfit, Delphine, Designer Meeting Table, Diane, Dino, Dreamy, Faveo, Fitness, Helios, Karaoke, Laundry, Louane, Millenial, Mozaik, Nothingtowear, Pascaline, Petite Chef, Ratatoulle, Sabine, Serenity, Unicorn Birthday Taurus Design: Cassandra Bathroom, Eliza Bedroom and Closet, Elsa, Jade, Katrina Tuds: 2nd Wave, Cave, Crib, Cross, Emma, NCTR, SHKR, Wave WhoisSage: Shag Rug, Handful of Mats, Simply Striking

Functionality

These mods are not technically in the build but are needed to have mods (syboulette's crossfit and aira's rice cooker specifically) functional.

ZulfAndHakrabr: Let's Get Fits Modpack Ricky: Useable RiceCooker

Vehicles

Technically, the two vehicles used for this build use the the Breeze Motors 2018 Mercedes E-Class Wagon and the 2020 Maserati Quattroporte as their base. I won't link to the download page as its a perma-paywaller and I fundamentally disagree with how Breeze Motors is handling their patreon personally. I will leave it to you to decide if you want their CC and how you acquire it if you choose to do so.

For my personal game, I have edited and stripped down my copies of these two cars and modified them so that they work with Simnation Travel. I have a pinned patreon post that is not paywall locked here explaining that more in depth and include the required files HERE.

If you go that route, and would like to download the cars, you can find them here:

Maserati Quattroporte

Mercedes E-Class

I should note that in addition to lacking the door open /close options of the original as those were stripped down, the textures were redone with simlish for a more maxis match look in game.

Mods for this Build

These are not technically required for the build to function but this build was built using overrides for both Sim Realist's SNB Bills mod as well as Simnation Travel vehicles. You shouldn't get any weird errors if you load the build in without those mods but if there's an exception caught by MCC related to that, it's probably just reconciling that the override the lot was built with is not in place in your game. It should only be a one time alert the first time the game loads in if it happens and should not cause any issue other than MCC making a noise at you about it noticing weirdness.

(The SNB provides the High Speed Internet trait to the lot and I think it will just set that trait to empty if its loaded without but I haven't personally confirmed it, hence the note here. ) Additional Note

I'm pushing this to live today just to make sure it hits my tumblr the same time as I pushed the build to my gallery but I will be going back to add links into the list. There are just a LOT to track down and it might take me a day or two to finish that part.

[sanddusted-wisteria]

Adventures in MTAS datamining (pt. 1/?: art assets)

Because I am incredibly normal about this game, I’ve been poking around in the game’s files (and MTAP’s, too) pretty much ever since I got it. Unity games are pretty easy to datamine, since tools are already out there, which is incredibly fortunate for fueling the hyperfixation. I wanted to share some of the more interesting things I’ve found on my travels. Spoiler warning: There are some midgame spoilers below (i.e. starting with the water tower). There’s also one thing that might be a future spoiler, which is at the very end and marked accordingly.

General disclaimer: If you’re curious to try datamining out yourself, feel free to ask me for how-to’s, but please be careful! Never edit the game’s files directly. Make copies and back up your save files. You’ll also need a good amount of RAM (I recommend at least 16 GB) to be able to handle tools like AssetStudio, since you’ll be loading assets directly into memory. And MTAS has a lot of assets. You may also encounter unreleased future content in there...so preemptive spoiler warning for that as well.

Since there’s so much to dig through, this post will only focus on some of the art/visual things. These can either be found under StreamingAssets > AssetBundles, or StreamingAssets > AssetBundles > art_asset. I can’t really comment too much on the 3D assets (meshs, textures) since I don’t know too much about modeling, but here are some other interesting things I found!

Cutscene thumbnails

You can find thumbnails of the cutscenes without the builder in them. The in-game album uses different thumbnails, which look like screenshots taken when it’s playing for the first time (hence why skipping a cutscene won’t put it in your album). Some of them actually really nice. Wallpaper-worthy, even.

The one they use for the kidnapping cutscene is incredible.

(ask people who don’t play mtas to caption this image.)

Newspaper photos

In The Tumbleweed Standard, the monthly issues are accompanied by these photos. Something about the filter makes it look pretty. Here are my personal favorites:

Family photos

You ever wanted to see the photos in the NPCs’ houses up close? Now you can! They’re all super sweet. Welllll, most of them.

(My favorite one’s the one with babby Heidi 😭 [far right, midway down])

It’s still unfortunately kinda blurry, since they’re meant to show up pretty small in-game. Hopefully you’re still able to see them.

Here’s a bit of a buffer before the last thing I have to show, since it’s probably the one thing that could be a future spoiler. If it is, it’s probably fairly minor. Hop off now if you don’t want that.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Fine with maybe being spoiled? Alright, here we go...

Lastly, I leave you with a forbidden image:

...I’m sorry, who is this???

So, uh...Qi has an alternate set of character art. No other character has one (except Elsie for story reasons). I assume this’ll be a DLC outfit, like those in MTAP? Kinda weird how only one would be loaded into the files so far. The asset name doesn’t really give any pointers, it’s just marked as “Qi2″. It only exists as character art, no model or texture or anything like that.

So is this past Qi? Future Qi?? Qi for one day if he’s forced to wear something nice for a change??? It looks like the neat and complete version of his normal outfit. You can see the same shirt and tie, same pants (except they aren’t rolled up at the ankles anymore?), same shoes. I’m also just now noticing that his suit jacket’s the same color as the mobile suit, haha funni joke. Again, not a single other character besides Elsie has an alternate outfit yet in these files. What is this for?! I have no fuckin clue, but I can say that Qi cleans up pretty nicely 👀

(kinda wish he kept the messy hair, tbh. doesn’t really look right without it)

And that’ll wrap up this little datamining dive! I’ll probably come back to the art in the future, once more gets added, or if I find some other things to share. In the next parts, I’ll be showing off some of the audio and text data, but I do want to wait until future game updates for some of it. Hope you found this as interesting as I do!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to continue reeling from the psychic damage that full-suited Qi’s done to my poor little brain.

ETA: i just realized that it looks like the fucking onceler’s outfit. i am deeply sorry for putting the image of onceler qi in your head

  or am i

Edit 2: Unfortunately, as of several beta builds pre-release, full suit Qi has largely been removed. The full art version isn’t in the files anywhere, but there are still some map icons of him. Not sure if this is something for postgame content or a romantic mission they didn’t have time to add. We’ll have to see :P

ngl i kinda prefer scruffy qi over this lol

[artzychic27]

More DuPont Cheer Squad Stuff Because This AU Is My New Baby

They did a challenge to see who could wear pigtails the best

Nino and Ivan bought wigs for such an occasion, but Austin A ended up winning

They're ALWAYS turning down people asking them out. Their responses range from-

Denise: I happen to be very happy with my boyfriend.

Cosette: Yeah, see, I don't want Zoé to be charged with your murder, so... Yeah.

Nathaniel: I'd step away nice and slow before my boyfriend, who is the captain of the soccer team, catches you flirting with me.

Ismael: Nope.

Ivan: My girlfriend will find a way to punt you.

Juleka: My girlfriend's been looking up ways to file her teeth into fangs to live out a certain fantasy of mine.

Austin A: Oh, honey, in your dreams.

Spinelli: You can't handle this.

Nino: Hey, if you want my girlfriend to kick your ass in a dark alley, okay.

Jean: Austin, mon amour! There are some people trying to flirt with your songbird!

The squad shares a TikTok

Austin A spams it with cringe posts

When the school was putting on Bring It On for the spring musical, they were immediately called to teach the actors a few routines… Only to have one of them break their leg

So now they’re in the musical, yay!

Spinelli and Austin A are just two dudes standing five feet apart because they’re not not queer

Cosette and Nath are just two bisexuals standing a foot apart and fist bumping because they are absolutely bi

Cosette and Nathaniel wear Zoé and Marc's letterman jackets. (Zoé plays volleyball)

Myléne cannot stop checking out Ivan in his uniform

Kim constantly dares Ivan to throw him… He just wants to see what it feels like

Rose is always playing with Juleka’s pigtails. They’re just so pretty!

Alya has no problem bragging that she’s dating a “totally hot cheerleader”. She drops into into conversations

Alya: This is Alya Césaire, here, live at the latest Akuma attack! Did I mention I am dating a totally hot cheerleader?

Austin T is like that, too… But louder. He has carried Jean on his shoulder

Austin T: To those who said it wouldn’t happen… Pucker your lips and kiss my thicc behind, because I am dating a cheerleader, and he is gorgeous, and can do the splits like a boss!

Reshma and Ismael are just two Aspecs chilling with cake because they’re Aro

They frequently get people (Chloé, Marinette, Lila) trying to join the squad for the wrong reasons

Chloé wants Jean’s position as captain, to get more popular students to join, boss people around, and get designer uniforms that will take forever to raise money for

Lila just wants to get on the squad, not do any of the work, flirt with athletes, and the moment she trips and falls because she didn’t stretch, shell just blame one of the other squad members

Marinette only wants to join so she can keep an eye on Lila, but she’ll get so distracted, mess up routines, eventually land someone she was supposed to catch in the hospital, and all so she can impress and flirt with Adrien since he’s on the basketball team

The squads answers to all of them after tryouts were…

Denise: No.

Cosette: I don’t think so.

Nathaniel: Never gonna happen.

Ismael: Come on, no.

Ivan: Uh… No… No.

Juleka: Sorry, but no.

Austin A: Ha! No!

Spinelli: Not a chance in hell.

Nino: Dude, no.

Jean: Away with you!

Damocles (Under threat from the mayor) forces them to let Chloé on the team, folded when Lila turned on the water works, and got greedy when Marinette offers to cater every school event for the rest of the year… For free.

But there’s no way in hell Jean is letting Chloé take his spot as captain! The HBIC crop top belongs to him!

Well, if they wanna join… They’ll let them join

Cue Elsy Vestures!

Elsy: These girls think they can just invade my squad, expecting what? Popularity? Guys? Attention? Whatever the hell blue hair wants? Ha! Well, then. If they wanna be cheerleaders, I’m gonna run them ragged all the way to hell and back.

So, before allowing them to become full time members of the squad, Elsy puts them through the wringer. Trust throws, trust catches, back breaking stretches, five mile runs at five in the morning, spontaneous backflips!… They don’t survive, and are turned away

Cue Mayor cutting funding

Cue Nath’s rich mobster grandparents providing all the funding they need and blackmailing the mayor

[i-am-church-the-cat]

Regarding the wip folder files "Logan and Nicole" is the one I'd be most interested to know what's hiding behind the name.

Although I could hardly decide since "Dutch GP 2023", "Paddock Princess", "Post-Qatar" and "Sawson w/ Loscar exes" sounds so interesting as well.

So just choose one where you didn't get an ask for jet 💙

You are actually my first ask so thank you! “Logan and Nicole” is about how Nicole is basically another mother-figure to Logan. I’ll put a short excerpt under the cut 💕

“Did Osc tell you that Chris, the girls, and I will be at Singapore?”

“He didn’t,” Logan confirms with surprise. He had been wondering whether or not Oscar would invite them but the other boy hadn’t said anything to him about it. “Are you guys coming up all weekend, or…?”

“We’re taking the girls out of school and staying for a week. We’ll be there from the Tuesday the 12th to Tuesday the 19th.”

“That’s awesome, I can’t wait to see you guys. Do you need me to send y’all some Williams merch?” Logan teased, knowing they’d all be dressed out in McLaren orange even if he would love it if they wore some William’s blue as well.

“Don’t you worry, Elsie has that all covered. She’s made a sign and everything. She’s probably not going to stay up long enough to use it during the race, but it’s the thought that counts right?”

Something warm and soft catches in Logan’s chest and he grins bashfully down at his plate. He didn’t know why he was blushing, no one else was even in his apartment. “Tell her she’s my new favorite and that it’s totally okay if she wants to sell my autograph on eBay.”

Nicole laughs at that and at the reminder of all the random things he and Oscar would sign to practice for when they were older and they would be worth a lot of money. Obviously young them were geniuses.

“Well, I should probably let you go, jelly. It’s almost ten over here and I’m sure you have plenty of work to do.” Logan did have work to do but it was nothing that he wouldn’t put off if Nicole wanted him to. Hearing about her and her family was more important at the moment than getting a few extra reps in. “And hey? Don’t stress too much. The points will come.”

Logan swallows hard and slumps back in his chair. “Thanks, Miss Nicole. You and the fam have a good night.”

[myshunodistrict]

So I asked myself: can I make a house that's basegame only and only use @peacemaker-ic CC? Why yes, yes I can.

This was a lot of fun to build. As mentioned, this only uses BG, so you don’t need any packs to download it. You do have to download the CC though, as they’re not included.

Feel free to add, remove and change anything inside and out of the house as much as you please. Links to all the CC used under read more + download of the tray files:

Essa Kitchen

Kitayama Dining

Kitayama Living

Kitayama Bedroom

Vara Office Set

Hudson Bathroom

Hamptons Retreat

Hamptons Getaway

Graciously Georgian

Bowed Living

Roarsome

Country Crafter

Mina Kitchen

Colour Me Rugs

Adirondack Love Pt. 1

Futura Living

Elsie Bedroom Basics

Creta Cooking

Caine Living

Shore Seating

Furrowed

Splendid Panelling

Stone Floor and Wall Tiles

🍂 Download (SFS, no ads)

@mmoutfitters @mmfinds @public-ccfinds

[searsage]

Both titans visibly cringed as Saint nodded again, they both looked like kicked dogs, it was ridiculous, had Felwinter's mood been better and he wasn't still waiting in a vomit sullied coat he'd have found it amusing, but now that his temper is sizzling down he just feels exhausted.

"Felwinter!" Felwinter doesn't flinch as the warlock hurries to his side, and grabs his arm in warm calloused hands, towing him away from the muttering titans, oddly enough he can still feel Shaxx's eyes on him even as he's led away.

"Saint, Shaxx, I will be out in a minute" Osiris announced as he ushered the lanky Exo into a small room shutting the door behind them.

"Here let me see the damage"  Osiris muttered as he examined his soiled sleeve, Felwinter found his optics drawn to the warlock's dark lavender nails, he never knew if the warlock actually painted them or not or if it was an adverse effect from...

"Well it's not ruined thankfully, but it'll still need a good wash before using it again, as for the drink, I must apologize while it was Saint's doing I knew full well and didn't bother to stop him, but I trust you know the drink wasn't poison, simply astringent, your friend's in no real danger Felwinter"

Osiris explained, as he moved to take a seat across from him, deft fingers rearranging stacks of papers and nicknacks across it's wooden surface if only to vent the unrest that crept under his calm facade.

"I know that, but neither of us know what reactions a violent introductory can have on a unsuspecting system, Rasputin said Gryphon-11 will be fine, and I trust his judgement on the matter...also he wasn't my friend"  Felwinter said incredulously, thinking back to the Exo who's terrible attempts at flirting were so bad that were surprisingly amusing.

"Ha, yet you haven't flushed his name from your memory chambers yet, once an Exo told me he did that immediately for those he found irrelevant, friend or not he will be fine, we are going to have Crow follow up with him, Also take off that jacket and give it here, I'll have it washed, it looks expensive and I'd hate to let that set in and ruin it" 

Osiris turned abandoning the mess of papers he was idly sorting through, instead reaching out a slightly shaking hand towards his old mentor, but Felwinter made no move to remove his priceless coat, he didn't need them to do a job he could have done more efficiently, nor did the idea of traversing the snow swept wasteland of Eroupa's landscape to return home coatless appeal to the Exo.

"It's already arranged to be taken care of..."

Instead he ignored the man's request, and gently grabbed the warlock's outreached palm, Osiris jolted as the cool metal of his fingers pushed his long sleeve up to examine the angry black veins hidden beneath, human skin was so frail and it looked almost translucent to the Exo's sharp optics.

"Does it still hurt when I touch it?" He whispered distractedly, his fingers studying the dying tissue the parasitic nano tech was slowly chewing through, only for the warlock to swiftly yank his hand from his grip, irritation warping his normally tight features.

"No, it doesn't.. but I'd still prefer if you asked before doing that!" Osiris snapped gruffly, But Felwinter ignored his lie, instead offering a respectable tilt of his head as he fixed the man with a knowing stare "We both know you would have said no if I had.." his words earned him a dismissive scoff from his past apprentice.

In the empty room the two men fall into a melancholy silence, many words and blames filled their minds, but blames that never made it to their mouths, silently Felwinter hoped Osiris would ask, yet the warlock didn't..

Had he given up on Ana? Did he assume that Rasputin forgot about him? His sacrifice? No, they hadn't but he wouldn't lead the older man on with possibly false hope unless he himself was certain they found a breakthrough..or the warlock begged for it himself and so instead the Exo offered "Elsie said you dredged up the files, containing the tampered footage?" 

"Ah yes, that I have."

[taranorma]

WIP Tag List Game

post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

Thank you for the tag @drchenquill 🤍

Under this pseudonym, I currently just have the one. But I do have some other WIPs floating around that I love, just haven't been able to commit to for various reasons, so maybe talking about them will inspire me. At the very least, it might be entertaining!

The Victorian Rose (the story I post about here)

Beyond the Veil

The Starsong

Afterworld

Okay, that gives me four tags. I think I know y'all's stories, but maybe you've got some WIPs hiding like I do. 👀

@bookish-karina @macabremoons @elsie-writes @tinywater

[nicolestamas]

The Pastel Ladies - A Delightful Duplex by Harlequin Eyes

I built this duplex a few years ago, inspired by a house I drive by occasionally. In my mind the homes are occupied by two elderly sisters. Each side has a living room, kitchen, half bathroom, full bathroom, main bedroom, secondary bedroom/study/bonus room, small back yard, and a tiny front porch off the main bedroom where the sisters sit and chat over tea and coffee. It's definitely got a lot of "cool grandma" energy but you can make it over however you want.

This has been in my game for a while, and I've modified it slightly to work with the upcoming Sims 4 For Rent Expansion Pack. More pictures under the cut!

DOWNLOAD

Packs Needed:

Discover University

Island Living

Get Famous

Seasons

Cats & Dogs

City Living

Get Together

Realm of Magic

Strangerville

Jungle Adventure

Parenthood

Spa Day

Paranormal Stuff

Backyard Stuff

Kids Room Stuff

Romantic Garden Stuff

Movie Hangout Stuff

Cool Kitchen Stuff

REQUIRED CUSTOM CONTENT: (Files are included if I couldn't find a source)

Dishwasher Pro recolor by me (included)

Autumn Pumpkin, Contact Solution, & Gelydh Shop Head by ajOya (included)

Barbie Doll & VHS Box

Make-up Bag & Soft Glasses Case

Lemon Timer

Hair Dye Box

Make-Up Tray

Butter

Toaster (red IKEA-looking one)

DIY Container Mug

Hemnes Vanity

5th Avenue Deco Globe

Magazine - Arts/Music/Architecture

Eyeshadow (6 color pots)

Open Book - Simlish

Tawashi

Coffee Table

Animated Birdbath

Penchant For Plaid Wallpaper

Bistro Tea Set

Fishermen's Nook Set

Woven Chest

Crystal Ball

Get Famous Clutter

Parenthood Bathroom Clutter

Vintage Glamour Clutter

BRIE Reading Glasses

Hatch Mowed Grass by BritStep (included)

Floral Wallpaper by DWS (included)

Freed Eco Decor

Family Fun Stuff Conversion

Pillow Galore Collection

Samspelt Deer

Upright Piano

Sputnik Toaster

Eco Kitchen Stuff

Striped Wallpaper with Wainscoting

Umbrella Stand Collection

Amber Glasses

Plant Life Kit

Cathrineholm Lotus Inspired Kitchen Recolors

Steaming Cups

Shabby Chic Round Pillow

Cottage Garden Set

Sheer Will Curtains

Mid-Mod Seema Chair & Mid-Mod End Table

Kitchen Goals

Study All Night Clutter Item

Luminous Lotus

Binge Inking Stacked Books

Luminous Ball in Lotus Flower

Spring Fling Paintings

Rifle Paper Company Window Valance

Moravian Star Lamp

Under Stairs Bookshelf

Slot Fixes

Tastefully Tacky Paintings

Sims 2 to 4 Mask Conversions by unknown (included)

Ornate Display Stand

Christmas Gifts 2018 - Sweets

BV Souvenirs & Collectibles

Simplistic Curtains Add-Ons

Additionally there are items from the following sets by Peacemaker_IC:

Annabel Bedroom Suite

Atwood Living

Caine Living

Cats & Dogs Siding Recolors

Coba Bedroom

Colour Me Rugs

Country Crafter Build Set

Elsie Bedroom

Essa Kitchen

Futura Living

Geomertic Murals

Graciously Georgian Set

Grove Furniture Collection

Hamptons Getaway

Hamptons Hideaway

Hamptons Retreat

Mid-Century Abode

Mid-Century Eclectic

Mina Kitchen

Myra Living & Study

Oasis-Chic Dining

Oasis-Chic Living

Ornate Tiling

Paranormal Add-Ons

Roarsome Bedroom

Rock'n Rockers

Shrunken Coffee Tables

[jurisjonah]

(Report 4) Article 1260, Civil Code of the Philippines, Book IV Obligations and Contracts

Article 1260. Once the consignation has been duly made, the debtor may ask the judge to order the cancellation of the obligation. Before the creditor has accepted the consignation, or before a judicial declaration that the consignation has been properly made, the debtor may withdraw the thing or the sum deposited, allowing the obligation to remain in force.

Explanation: Consignation is a legal remedy where a debtor deposits money with a court or authorized third party after a creditor refuses to accept payment. It's different from a tender because a valid consignation releases the debtor from their debt. The article states that after properly depositing the owed amount to the court, the debtor can request the obligation's cancellation from a judge. If the creditor hasn't accepted the deposit or it hasn't been legally verified, the debtor can retrieve the deposited amount, keeping the obligation in effect.

For example, I owed Mr. Sabado 400,001 pesos. To settle the debt amid a dispute, I decided to consign this amount in a court registry. I then filed a motion with Judge Cabaluna, seeking the cancellation of the obligation since I had properly made the consignation. However, before Mr. Sabado accepted the consignation or before Judge Cabaluna officially declared it as proper, I had the option to withdraw the 400,001 pesos from the court registry. This action would keep the obligation in force until either Mr. Sabado accepted the consignation or a judicial declaration was made.

Assigned Case:

BANCO FILIPINO SAVINGS vs.

ANTONIO G. DIAZ and ELSIE B. DIAZ, 

Penned by Justice Callejo on June 2006.

Facts of the Case:

On March 8, 1979, spouses Antonio and Elsie Diaz secured a loan from Banco Filipino Savings and Mortgage Bank for P400,000, which was later restructured in November 1982 to P3,163,000, within a period of 20 years at an interest rate of 21%

The respondents defaulted on the loan payments starting in October 1986, leading them to file a complaint with the RTC of Davao City to challenge the interest rates and foreclosure, which was dismissed, and this decision was affirmed by the CA on October 31, 1990.

Subsequently, the respondents filed another case with the RTC of Makati City for consignation and cancellation of their obligation, where they were allowed to deposit P1,034,600 as full payment, but the RTC found this insufficient and declared there was no valid consignation.

The CA overturned the RTC's decision in 1997, stating that the respondents' tender of P1,034,600 did not include the full interest due, leading to a declaration that there was no valid consignation.

The respondents moved to withdraw the deposited amount in 1999, claiming their loan was settled with a P25,000,000 payment by their attorneys-in-fact, but Banco Filipino opposed, asserting the amount should be applied to their outstanding obligation.

The RTC of Makati City denied the respondents' motion to withdraw the deposit, but the CA reversed this decision in 2001, allowing the respondents to withdraw the deposit, citing their statutory right under Article 1260 of the Civil Code.

Issue/s of the Case:

Whether or not the couple has the right to withdraw their deposit from the bank.

Ruling to the Case:

Yes, the couple has the right to withdraw their deposit from the bank. The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) and allowed the couple to withdraw their deposit from the bank. The Supreme Court held that the bank had not accepted the deposit made by the couple, therefore, they have the right to withdraw it. The court emphasized that for a valid consignation to occur, there must be an acceptance of the deposit by the creditor. In this case, the bank did not accept the deposit, as evidenced by their refusal to release the amount to the couple. The CA decision cited Article 1260 of the Civil Code, allowing the debtor to withdraw the deposit before acceptance by the creditor or judicial declaration of proper consignation. The CA found no prior acceptance of the deposit by the bank, rejecting the claim made after the respondents filed for withdrawal. The Supreme Court affirmed the CA's decision, noting that without acceptance or judicial declaration, respondents retained ownership of the deposited sum and had the right to withdraw. Settlement negotiations resulted in substantial compliance with the obligation, reducing the surcharges imposed by the bank.

[svnqn]

#elsie

|| PERSONAL ||

|STAGE NAME|  - elsie (엘시) |BIRTH NAME|  - elaine chun-hee park |KOREAN NAME| - park chun-hee (박춘희) |NICKNAME(s)| - elle ‘ laine ‘ lainey ‘ rain |BIRTHPLACE| - chicago, illinois |BIRTHDATE| - october 23, 1998 |ZODIAC| - scorpio, born in the year of the tiger

|| CAREER ||

|TRAINING| - three years at pledis entertainment |POSITION| - lead rapper ‘ sub-vocalist |SUBUNITS| - hip-hop unit // girl group unit 

|| PHYSICAL ||

|HEIGHT| - 168 cm ‘ 5 ft 6 |FACE CLAIM| - rosé/roseanne park (blackpink) |VOICE CLAIM| - yezi/lee ye-ji

|| PERSONALITY ||

|MBTI| - entj-a (assertive commander) |POSITIVE| - confident ‘ driven ‘ efficient ‘ charismatic |NEGATIVE| - perfectionist ‘ competitive ‘ hot-headed ‘ impatient 

|| TRIVIA ||

she speaks english and korean fluently.

elsie started playing classical and jazz piano when she was four and still likes to play and sometimes compose her own pieces.

her background in piano spurred her interest in music production, though she prefers composition as opposed to lyric writing. 

elsie has very poor vision.

she was scouted through her youtube channel when she was a freshman in high school. 

elsie lived a high-pressure childhood - her parents are quite intense and had high-standards for their children. a lot of these traits were passed down to elsie herself, and she is self-admittedly a perfectionist. 

she is currently taking online college classes for a degree in business administration and entertainment. 

elsie really enjoys cooking and baking. 

[helplessandnotsatisfied]

on this episode of the nyc adventure: Elsie Fest! this was my first concert EVER so it was so cool to be right up against the barricades in the front row. every single performance was amazing! pictured: (top to bottom) Jeremy Jordan, Darren Criss, Auli’i Cravalho, and Lea Michele

[dk-sims]

Hi everyone

I’ve decided to un-launch my Patreon page. While I am so thankful for the generosity of all of my Patreons, the page was never created for that purpose (my content has always and will always be free) yet you guys are still just supporting me anyway, you are amazing. Thank you. I’m still in shock that you guys actually like my creations. I never thought I’d get 100 followers on Tumblr, let alone 11k! Lately I just do not have the time, patience or inspiration to create. I have been pausing the billing cycles but people have still been signing up as Patreons, so instead I have just closed it.

Don’t get my wrong, I did enjoy creating and it really did help get me through 9 months of lockdown and the depression of my career being pulled out from under me. I’m just so drained.

But for those wondering, not to worry - I have moved all of the files to SFS and have linked them all below in a complete portfolio archive, with links to the original posts with all of the info.

Thanks again to those who have been nothing but supporting 🧡  Appreciate you so much.

______________________________________________________________ - Please see original posts for any mesh and/or EP requirements - I will not be checking my inbox - Remember that all troubleshooting questions are already answered on my FAQ page.  - Files will not be updated if broken by updates (way to avoid this happening below) and links will not be reposted if broken - No, I will not upload to MediaFire. If you get an error from SFS, just click the back button once or twice and it will download! - My TOU still stands. I’ll still be around and I will still see if they are not being abided by.  -  Before running any TS4 updates, first move your downloads folder out of the EA folder eg. to your desktop. Run and install the update, launch game, re-enable mods and exit. Move your downloads folder back in (replace the one that has been created from launching the game - it will be empty). Voilà, game is updated and no CC is broken!

______________________________________________________________ BUILD

Boho Wall Murals | SFS Brighter Whites Build Set | SFS Cafe Murals | SFS Farmhouse Tiles v1 | SFS Farmhouse Tiles v2 | SFS Glass Fish Scale Tile Walls | SFS Glass Herringbone Tile Walls | SFS Kids’ Map Murals | SFS Map Murals | SFS  Mega Wall Set (incl. full wall subway tiles) | SFS Monochrome Colour Correction Built Set | SFS Restaurant Murals | SFS Seamless Masonry Build Set | SFS SIMcredible’s Fireplace Recolours | SFS Solar Shingle Roof Recolours | SFS Wood Panelling Feature Walls (improved) | SFS Wood Panelling Feature Walls (original) | SFS 

BUY

13P’s Built-in Wardrobe Recolours | SFS  13P’s Office Nook Recolours | SFS Anthropologie Collection | SFS Arch Decals | SFS Art Series | SFS Art Side of Life | SFS ATS4′s Bicycle Recolours | SFS Australia Unseen Landscapes | SFS Baby Announcement Letter Boards | SFS Boho Art | SFS  Boho Art II | SFS Boho Deco Dump | SFS Christmas Prints (landscape) | SFS Christmas Prints (portrait) | SFS Decorative Letters Decals | SFS  Decorative Word Decals | SFS Doormats | SFS Family Portraits | SFS Farmhouse Signs | SFS Fine Line Art | SFS Float Loungers (Scandi) | SFS Float Loungers (Summer Brights) | SFS Flower Rattan Bedhead | SFS Handwoven Basket Wall Art | SFS Johnston Sofas Recolour | SFS KaleHouse’s Bedding Recolours | SFS KaleHouse’s Nursery Recolours | SFS Letter Boards | SFS Letter Blocks | SFS Lonely Planet Travel Guides | SFS Macrame Wall Hangings | SFS Melbourne’s Brighton Beach Boxes | SFS Mini Toddler Set | SFS Mix n Match Art Series | SFS Monochrome Nursery Prints | SFS More Maps | SFS Mounted Hats | SFS Music & Movie Posters | SFS Nursery Decals | SFS Nursery Letter Decals | SFS PD’s False Creek Home Recolours | SFS PD’s Shaker Kitchen Recolours | SFS Peacemaker’s Elsie Recolours | SFS Peacemaker’s Hamptons Recolours | SFS Peacemaker’s Shaker Kitchen Recolours | SFS RSVN’s Simmer Down Kitchen Recolour | SFS Sage x Claire Nudie Rudie Bathmats | SFS Scandinavian Nursery Prints | SFS ShinoKCR’s French Country Kitchen Recolours | SFS Sims4Nicole’s Sue Toddler Bedding Recolours | SFS Typography Mega Set | SFS Wondymoon’s Germanium Kitchen Recolours | SFS

CAS

Denim Skirt (CF) | SFS Drawstring Shorts (CM) | SFS  Gorman Skater Skirts (CF) | SFS Gorman Swim Collection (T-EF) | SFS N*des Wardrobe (T-EF) | SFS Stevie Blouse (T-EF) | SFS Toddler Turbans (patterns) | SFS Toddler Turbans (solid colours) | SFS Wheels & Dollbaby Dita Cardi (T-EF) | SFS

[simsphonysims]

Hi, my fellow simmers! ♡

Here is the ultimate Christmas house of this winter season. It's a beautiful and grand family Georgian house.

This house is built in a Willow Creek, The Sims 4 Base game world, on a 50x50 lot where was an original spot of Oakenstead. It has 3 bedrooms, 1 master, 1 for toddler and 1 for a kid. 1 open closet. 3 Bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining area, a living room, office, and a Greenhouse.

♡ Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_EQGERGpDg

Hope you like it!

♡ CC needed:

Simsphony’s CC LIST - complete! (Here is the whole list of packs with their links that I’m using in my game)  

Felixandre (Colonial, Berlin, Paris, Kyoto, Versailles, Florence, Schwerin, French rugs, Tudor, Ludwigslust, Georgian, London,Rococo, Petit trianon, Marie Antoinette, Chateauesque domer, Victorian, Venus) House of Harlix (Orjanic, Kichen, Tiny Twavellers, Bafroom, Livin'rum, Jardane) Harrie (Spoons, Heritage, Porto, Brutalist, Bougainvillea override, Brownstone, Country, Stockholm, Halcyon) MadameRia (Back to basics, Lucky man folded laundry) Awingedllama (Apartment theraphy, Blooming rooms, Paranormal plants) Sixam (Small spaces pantry, Kids bedroom, Dreamy outdoor, Charming chalet, Hotel bedroom, Artz, Lux bath) Pierisim (Oak house, Coldbrew, The office, Calderone, Rold skov) TudTuds (Beam, Ema dining) Charly Pancakes (Dinna, Smol, Miscellanea, Modish, Munch) Brazen lotus (Jaipur rugs, Packanack, Wicker basket, Archeology, Rustic wood slice) Mlys (Pufferhead, Tall bookcases) Linzlu (Simsmas) S-imagination Plumbob tea society (Rustic romance) Irrelephant sims Magnolian farewell (Antique stack) Strange storyteller sims (sectional library, Christmas set) Simsational designs (Province kitchen, Elsie, Rock'n'Rockers, Lofte living, Cozy Knits, Hinterlands living, Volta) The clutter cat (Winter wonders, Spring spirits, My little farm, Mermaid Mansion) King Falcon (Fuvwara, Stone railing) Leaf-motif (Ivy hallway, Botanic boudoir, Winter village) Little Dica Myshunosun (Zephry office, Serene bathroom, Luna bedroom, Nora living) Maxus (Classic kitchen kit, Child dream pack, Holiday mini pack, Dining room kit, Cozy bathroom) Cow builds (Kids'bedroom - clutter) Grim cookies (Retail theraphy, Modern office, Minimal dining) My cup of cc (The patreon collecion-September, Colour talk, The modernist, November 2021, Maple manor) The Jim (Versailles Treillage, Fountain edge) Zx-ta Ravasheen (Slide into your mods, Under counter washer) The townie architect (Moderno)

♡ Tray file:  The ultimate Christmas Georgian house

Happy simming!  ♡

[serenasoutherlyns]

Not a Summer Crush Part Seven

a/n: It's heeeeere! The night before my classes start for the fall. There's a timeskip from the previous part-- Caroline, Alex, and Casey have all been together for about a month and it's the transition between fall and summer. This one features fighting and humor and lots of Jack McCoy. Any and all feedback makes my world!

Part Seven

The weeks passed in late nights spent in the same office, in morning lattes and afternoon runs (that often ended in the kinds of showers that don’t save water, with the almost frantic pulling off of clingy clothing, with breathy “god yes”-es and rushing to the door when either of you heard Alex’s key in the lock). Jack McCoy noted with pride how efficient it appeared your bureau had become since the summer started.

It was important to maintain a good amount of discretion. As progressive as the world may be becoming, you knew that the DA’s office had to keep up appearances; that it wouldn’t be good for you, and Jack (and, by extension, you again) for the media to get wind of your relationship. Besides, you wanted to keep it personal, special.

But oh. The thrill of the honeymoon phase is so irresistible.

A Friday night, one where the air began to have the kind of bite that previewed the coming fall, found you and Alex together in a candlelit restaurant waiting for Casey to join you. You had some sense, choosing a place not normally frequented by the Hogan Place set, in the opposite direction from your apartment. You set your glass of wine beside Alex’s and took her hand in yours, above the table this time. You couldn't resist leaning in, kissing her softly.

“Caroline,” she said as you pulled away, smiling at you with the same look you’d first seen months ago, that you hadn’t known was what it was until you’d seen it over and over as she pulled you tighter into her arms.

“Alex,” you said, enticingly, all but batting your eyelashes. She ran her fingers along yours in apology. “I know,” you said, placing your hands back on the table, leaning back against the booth seat. “We could always meet Casey when she gets to your place,” you said, looking at your phone. “Except she’s almost here.”

Alex laughed lightly. “You’re insatiable,” she scolded you, teasingly. You shrugged, knowing it was accurate. “And I’m hungry.” She picked up her menu.

Across the room, around the corner, sitting at a single table, Jack McCoy returned his focus to his book, trying to convince himself he hadn’t seen what he thought he did.

---

Jack was on high alert at the office. He had been too far away, he couldn’t be sure. And it was such an out of the way place-- he went there when he didn’t want every law student and defense attorney on the island to vie for a piece of his ear. So it couldn’t’ve been them, Jack thought. Who am I kidding? That’s exactly the kind of place they’d go. After all-- Jack knew from affairs.

He wouldn’t have expected this of Alex Cabot, knowing how in love she and Casey were. Though, now he considered the possibility, the two of you seemed to gravitate towards one another in a characteristic way. He remembered seeing her hand linger on your shoulder a beat too long in the courthouse hallway.

Who knows, he’d always expected Mike and Connie would go for it one day, and they still hadn’t. When Erika Keller and Anna Mikhailova had filed their disclosure he could’ve sworn he’d needed to get his eyes checked, having heard the way the two of them could argue. Maybe he wasn’t the best judge of things. Because I’m looking for myself in other people. He leaned in his chair. He’d do the introspection later. For now, he’d do what he could to keep one of his bureau chiefs out of a public scandal. Besides, they were too far away. It could’ve been anybody’s curls bouncing in laughter, could’ve been anyone’s impeccable posture. He hoped.

He made a point that Monday around noon to personally stop by the junior office on your floor, but found only Nick Anderson (who, he remembered, he needed to talk to about a possible change of bureaus) with his head buried in a journal.

“Mr. McCoy,” he said as soon as he realized he wasn’t alone, snapping the book shut harder than he needed to. “What can I do for you?”

“Hi, Nick,” Jack said, a little disappointed that he’d roused the guy from what was clearly riveting reading. “I was just looking for Caroline.”

Anderson’s face fell. Evidently, he was used to that line of inquiry. Poor guy. McCoy remembered the days when he’d given the least helpful junior ADAs piles of nothing to keep them out of his hair. No obvious changes, Jack noticed as he looked around your side of the office. No notes or photos or out-of-the-ordinary gifts. Though, someone needs to show this woman the value of an organized space, he thought. It’d be hard to notice anything among the pile of papers.

“Mr. McCoy?” he heard Anderson say.

“Yeah?” he replied, somewhat irritated.

“Oh um,” he said, what little confidence he had faltering. “I just said she was in Ms. Cabot’s office, sir.”

Jack’s stomach dropped. That may as well be “step one” in the old Jack McCoy playbook, get her in your space as often as possible. Oh come on, Jack. She’s her boss. They’re probably going over witness statements. Right. And how many witness statements did Sally and I review together while I was still going home to Ellen? He swallowed. “Thank you. And you don’t need to ‘sir’ me anymore. You’ve earned your desk.”

“Yes s-- got it, Mr. McCoy.” Anderson returned to his book. Jack continued down the hall.

---

“You really think she’s being honest?” Alex’s question was audible through her slightly-open door.

“She’s our witness!” you said, matching her tone. Somehow, the mood in the office was light even in your disagreement.

“Witnesses lie,” Jack said, surprising the both of you as he nudged his way in the room.

“When it’s in their best interest,” you said, acknowledging him with a nod in his direction. Jack liked how you didn’t let etiquette get in the way of your arguments. “Alex,” you said, pointing your gaze at her. I know that look. “What good does it do her to lie about who she was with?”

Alex fired right back at you, not bringing McCoy into the conversation. “She avoids embarrassment? Guilt? Fear? I’m not putting her on the stand unless we can verify her testimony.”

“Then we’re looking at an acquittal,” you said dryly.

“Because I won’t suborn perjury? O ye of little faith,” Alex responded. Jack caught a playful lilt in her voice. He was liking this less and less with each piece of evidence he uncovered.

“Do you know for certain she’s lying?” Jack said, breaking the intensity in the room.

“No, but--” Alex said.

“Exactly--” you said at the same time.

“Are you certain she’s telling the truth?” He asked. “This is People v Buckman?” he clarified. Alex nodded. You pushed an offending curl out of your eyes. “I would probably put her on the stand,” you smirked, “and when defense -it’s Elsie Campbell, right?- I’d have no recourse when defense tears her story to pieces.” You shrugged, never minding being the first to concede defeat.

“I’ll see if Detective Rollins is up for a coffee break,” you said, grabbing your phone and attache, but, Jack noticed, leaving your cardigan hanging on the extra hook. “Sometimes I wish I’d stayed in California,” you said, “reciprocal discovery would be pretty sweet.”

“Ouch,” Alex said as you walked out of the office. You waved a hand over your shoulder.

“Did you need something, Jack?” Alex asked, glad she’d known him long enough to be casual.

“Nothing,” he lied, and when she looked puzzled, said, “I was actually checking on the Buckman case.”

“I’m in no need of supervision,” Alex said under her breath. “Anything else I can clarify for you?”

Tell me I’m wrong about this, he thought. “No,” he said. “I’m sure you’ve got it under control.”

---

Of course, if Jack McCoy had been a more athletically inclined man, he may have run into you and Casey in the park two days before the restaurant, cooling down from the 5 and a half miles you’d done. He may have seen you tug on the hem of Casey’s tank top, seen her whisper something in your ear that made you blush and laugh, he may have caught the split second her lips met your jawline, seen the two of you heading off for the subway together.

And if he’d seen that first he may have tried to convince himself that it was another red ponytail and another person’s graceful lines. That there were so many people who jogged in that park, that it couldn't have been you.

He would’ve made a point to stop by the juniors’ office, maybe earlier in the day. Nick Anderson would’ve told him you were in Casey’s office and his stomach would’ve dropped. That may as well be “step one” in the old Jack McCoy playbook, get her in your space as often as possible. Oh come on, Jack. She’s her boss. They’re probably preparing for an admissibility hearing. He’d remind himself to schedule a meeting with Anderson for the end of the week.

He’d continue down the hall to find you and Casey sitting together, wordlessly handing one another documents highlighted in different colors. He’d remember the last time he was that in sync with an assistant and an undeniable flutter of recognition would’ve hit him.

But he hadn’t been in the park.

---

Your phone buzzed on the counter. You dried your hands quickly on the dishtowel, you turned off the tap. In the living room, Ashley was gathering the toys and books scattered about. Ramin was late at the office.

1 new message from: Alex to: you, Casey:

Alex: I just had quite the meeting with Jack.

---

“You wanted to see me, Jack?” Alex said, entering his office after most of the lawyers had gone home or

retreated to their own offices for the night.

“Actually, I’d really rather I didn’t need to,” he said. Alex’s concern showed on her face.

“Is this about the Buckman case? I know it’s going to be extra time to look into her statement,

but I really think this could be a break in the case, if she’s telling the truth or lying, so I thought it was justified. I could probably still make the argument without her, but it feels worth it--”

“No, the case is fine. Besides, it’s your case. I-- Alex we need to talk about… it’s maybe a more personal issue,” Jack said, shifting his hands’ position on the desk in front of him.

Alex’s eyes widened. “Are you speaking as my boss or as my friend?” Jack melted, remembering that they were friends, and that he could approach the topic as a friend. Though, usually, he wouldn’t have to confront a friend about their romantic life. Or if he did, it wouldn’t have professional repercussions. Electoral repercussions, he heard a younger, more emotional version of himself say to Adam Schiff 20 years ago. Sorry, Adam.

“Both, I hope, now that you mention it.”

Alex paused a moment, considering what to say. She had an idea what Jack was getting at, but no idea how he had come to that conclusion. He probably has some kind of sixth sense, she thought. “Start as my boss.”

Jack took a deep breath. “OK. I’ll tell you something Adam Schiff told me when I was in your position,”

Alex felt the need to stop him, to find out exactly what he thought he knew. “Wait. Before you reprimand me. What position am I in? What do you think I’m doing?”

“Jesus, Alex. What do you think you’re doing?” he asked. She didn’t answer him. “You’re having an affair with Caroline Haley.” He wasn’t asking her a question, and the disappointment in his voice was wounding. Alex took a deep breath. “You’re not going to deny it?”

“What makes you think we’re having an affair?” She was determined to out-wit him, get him to show her all his evidence before letting go of anything he was unaware of. Under New York law it is the prosecution’s responsibility to disclose any exculpatory evidence, she thought. And a lawyer who represents herself still has a fool for a client.

Jack looked at her blankly. Was she really going to make him spell it out? Well, he’d missed presenting cases. “I’ve noticed that she spends a lot more time in your office than her own,” he started. Alex’s poker face remained unchanged. “Your conversational style is, quite, amiable, ah,”

She couldn’t suppress a smile, then, biting back a laugh. “My apologies,” she said. “All you have as proof of this alleged affair is friendly conversation and spending time together?”

Jack tried to play into her humor. “I’ll remind you Ms. Novak Cabot,” he said, using her married name to see if it got a reaction (no luck), “that adultery is still a class B misdemeanor in the state of New York.”

Alex snatched that opportunity. He opened the door, your honor. “And how many three-month stays do you owe the good people of New York, Mr. McCoy?” He looked caught-out. The upper hand was hers. “Are you sure you’re not just seeing your old habits?”

“You know, it’s funny you should say that. Because after this coming election, I was going to ask you to be my EADA. But you know I can’t do that if there is even the slightest appearance of impropriety.”

“So this is about election results? You and I both know my patience for politics is--”

“Limited, yes. But don’t tell me you’re not the slightest bit interested.”

“I’d have to think about it, Jack,” she said honestly. It seemed to surprise him, which didn’t surprise her. He seemed to forget, often, that she’d arguably done much more important work (and he seemed to forget that Tracey Kibre had turned down the same position more than once, that some people enjoyed seeing their partners and the insides of their apartments every once in a while). “But that’s not why you wanted to talk to me, and you’ve yet to convince me that you have any idea about any affair.”

“Where were you last Friday evening?” Jack asked her, in full cross-examination confidence.

Alex flinched, her first misstep since she’d come in. She wasn’t going to out-right lie to him if disguising the truth would do. However he knew this (if he knew anything), she had no way of knowing how much he knew. “I had dinner with Caroline at a restaurant near her apartment in Brooklyn.”

“A working dinner?”

“I can’t be friends with my colleague?”

“Trilogy isn’t a particularly platonic place as far as I know,”

“You spied on me outside of work?”

“I happened to be there,” Jack said. Alex rolled her shoulders back, trying to let go of some of the anger she had at what felt like an invasion of her privacy, even if it had been public. “I saw her kiss you, Alex. I know.” Alex didn’t answer him. Jack, uncomfortable with the silence, said “I really do understand. I sympathize with what you’re going through, I know it isn’t easy.”

Her frustration gathered itself in her cold fingertips that she realized were gripping the arms of her chair, hard. “Actually, you don’t understand,” she said, quietly, as politely as she could. “You have an incomplete picture of the nature of our relationship.” Jack opened his mouth to argue. “I won’t say any more,” Alex said, certain, “except that Caroline has done absolutely nothing wrong, and if you go after her about any of this, you will have my resignation.” Jack nodded.

“You understand how something like this could look to the public? You understand that your position is at stake?”

“I understand.”

“I mean, just the power dynamic alone, disregarding the infidelity, and I hate to say it, but you know how rampant homophobia still is.” She clenched her jaw, but she didn’t look guilty.

“I know. Now, I’d like you to be my friend for a moment,” she said. “Please.”

He smiled weakly.

“As your friend, I’d tell you not to cheat on your wife,” Jack said. Alex looked serene.

“I won’t,” she said, rising from her seat. “Goodnight, Jack.” She left faster than he could return the sentiment. He’d hoped he had more comforting things to say. And he wanted to know what on earth she’d meant by “the nature” of their relationship. He trusted she’d take extra care now that she knew he knew. It was not going to be a fun secret to keep.

---

She didn’t tell you what the meeting was about, so you knew it couldn’t have gone well. Quite the meeting. You hoped it wasn’t what you thought it was. You said you’d be there soon. You moved through the apartment quickly, leaving the last of the dishes in the sink, snagging your keys off the hook, tossing them along with your phone into your backpack.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” Ashley asked. You knew he’d been looking forward to catching up on episodes of The Bachelor, and you did hate to disappoint him. You looked up from tying your shoes.

“Alex and Casey’s,” you said. His shoulders dropped. “I’m sorry, I’ll make it up to you.” He rolled his eyes. “What?” you asked. “You can watch without me, you know, I don’t mind.”

“I don’t care about the show,” he said, returning to his tidying.

You stood up, crossing your arms. “Something you want to say?” He shrugged.

“No, no. Go have fun,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a whole lot of fun,” you said, trying to keep the worry buried. “Alex texted, she said that Jack had called her into his office this evening over something.”

“That surprises you?” Ashley said, his voice high-pitched.

You looked at him with your eyes wide. “I’m sorry?” you said, resisting the urge to raise your voice.

“What did you think was going to happen, Caroline?” he said, with a patronizing look that made your stomach turn.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” you said. Two could play at passive aggression.

Ashley laughed bitterly. “I mean, did you not think twice before risking your job, everything you’ve worked towards to be what, the third wheel in a relationship that existed far before you came across it?”

“Ashley,” you warned him.

“I thought you were trying to work on the self-sabotage, I mean, you’ve never even been in a relationship before,”

“That’s not exactly true,” you said. You were starting to feel nauseous. He knew you well enough to know that he was pushing right on all your insecurities.

“That lasted more than a couple months, then, which is hardly anything.”

“I think we’ve gone over that a couple times-- Just because you’re so morally invested in monogamy doesn’t mean it’s for everyone--”

“You really want to be the girl who sleeps with the boss? No, sorry, the girl who sleeps with both of the bosses?”

“It’s-- wow. Tell me how you really feel.”

It was quiet for a moment as the two of you dared the other person to talk first.

“I just don’t think you’re making the best decision,” he said.

“I thought you were happy for me,” you replied, and walked out the door.

---

You didn’t usually ride your bike after dark. It felt right, though, as you went, releasing your nervous (and sad, and angry) energy out through the pedals. Your arms came up in goosebumps, from the chill in the air or the trepidation in your spine. It started to rain.

---

You and Alex arrived almost simultaneously. She was accepting a cup of tea that Casey was offering her when you came in. You were a walking cliché with your hair stuck to the side of your face, shivering. “Hi,” you said, shakily. You hadn’t quite been crying. The insecure part of you felt small, out of place, intrusive: they had this cozy, tidy, warm apartment, mugs of hot tea in their hands; and you were shattering it with the chaos that followed in the wake of your personal life. You were being so selfish, so inconsiderate, bringing your own emotional baggage with you despite Alex being the one having a hard time. For a split second you thought about leaving with no explanation, dashing out almost as soon as you shut the door. Casey held up a mug for you. It was one of a matching set of three.

“Jack thinks we’re having an affair,” Alex said, matter-of-fact, as you slipped out of your shoes and made your way to the counter Casey was leaning against. Alex was pacing, slowly, how she often did when she was figuring something out. You took a sip of your tea, grateful for the warmth, then set it on the counter and rested your head on Casey’s shoulder. She jumped and you laughed, the relief spreading through you. She squirmed as you pressed closer, letting out a squeak at the feeling. You let her go, listening to the quiet creaking of the floor.

“Which us?” you asked, matching the seriousness of the subject again. “All of us?”

“Just you and I,” Alex said.

“How did he come to that conclusion?” Casey asked, knowing there were equal cases to be made for any combination.

Alex stopped moving, pushing herself up to sit on the counter opposite to you. “To begin, he was apparently at Trilogy last Friday night.” The goosebumps threatened to make a repeat appearance. This was your fault.

“I’m so sorry,” you said, your eyes lost in your teacup. “I was reckless.” Out of the corner of your eye, you felt Apollo the duck stare at you accusingly with the stone cold eyes he didn’t have.

“Don’t be sorry. I was there too,” Alex said, meeting your gaze as you looked up. “He didn’t stick around long enough to see Casey.”

“What did you end up telling him?” Casey asked, letting herself be the problem-solver for the night.

“Very little,” she said. “He doesn’t have the complete story. That he should hold off on any judgements unless and until he did.”

“Did it work?” you asked.

“Well enough, I think. You don’t need to worry about your job. I threatened him with my resignation if he said a word to you about it.” Your heart beat faster. Sacrifices for your sake, or the offer of them, made you uneasy.

“You don’t have to put your career on the line for me,” you said, the same shaky tone edging into your voice again. Alex blinked at you, like it was no big deal, like it was the obvious choice. Casey traced circles on your shoulder blade.

“Nobody’s career is at risk, Caroline,” Casey said. “Honestly, imagine the kind of headlines that would break if Jack McCoy fired someone for adultery.”

“I don’t know what’s worse,” Alex said, “Jack’s disapproval right now, or how he might react if we just told him what’s going on. He made it clear his objection had more to do with poll numbers than morality.” Ashley’s words echoed in your head. You really want to be the girl who sleeps with the boss-- both of the bosses? Your fear must have been more obvious than you intended. “What’s wrong?” Alex asked you.

You swallowed. “It’s nothing,” you said, stopping yourself from spilling every anxious thought that came to you. “I’m fine. It’ll be fine,” you said, a real smile making its way out of you. You held your hand out for Alex’s and squeezed. She slid off the counter, letting herself be pulled in, letting whatever you weren’t saying stay unsaid for that moment. She also jumped when she first felt your wet clothes against her skin.

“Now, let’s get you out of those wet clothes,” she said. Your mouth was open in amusement as she started off down the hall. You began to follow but Casey stopped you briefly, hooking her ring finger into your belt loop.

“Whatever he said, it isn’t true,” she said, starting to run her warm hands underneath your shirt.

“How did you,” you said, feeling seen. “I didn’t say anything about it.”

“Give me some credit,” she said then kissed you gently, her body warming yours. “I’m very perceptive.” She gripped the bunched-up body of your t-shirt and you slipped your head through the top. Casey placed her palms against your ribs, holding you steady.

“Thank you,” you said, deep and low, as you kissed her again. The two of you, now almost equally damp, joined Alex. Six hands moved slowly, purposefully. Nothing felt desperate, fleeting. Only warmth filled you.

---

taglist: (I'm tagging a couple of my moots who aren’t on the taglist, let me know if you’d prefer I didn’t!)

@addictedtodinosaurs @nocreditinthestraightworld @cmmndrwidw @hi-i-1 @lesbianologist @readerhermit @@alexlivdoncas @laezzzi @imaginaryoperagloves (thank you for your help!!) @swimmingstudentchaos891

[6ix-dragons]

Edens Zero: Chapter 183 (My Impressions)

The latest chapter arrived much quicker than I thought. Maybe it was the Daylight Savings Time that helped? IDK xD

Anyway, here are some of my thoughts about this chapter:

After being away for a while...one of my most favourite characters is finally featured in the cover for this chapter! I’m not being sarcastic, or even half-joking here; Mosco is one of my most favourite characters from this series.

“Where’s the planet’s core?” “It’s underground.” I’d file this under ‘no shit, sherlock’. But yeah, not so sure about that piece of writing there, Mashima.

Hermit telling Holy to confront her past by doing it herself is such a key moment in their dynamic between each other. I know they haven’t gotten along with one another, from the start, considering that they are from opposing factions. However, it is comforting to see these two co-operate on mutual terms. Whether that will influence Holy’s decision to conduct that “immaculate” operation against the EZ crew, ‘though, remains yet to be seen.

How many times has Shiki saved Rebecca from certain doom, at this point? As someone who ships those two, however, it brings me such elation to see their ever-developing relationship, with moments like these.

Dayum: I didn’t think the Warrior Maid Type 95 was that tall!

Speaking of which: Where Mashima lacks in writing then, and there...he more than makes up for it, in his quality of art. Case in point: That entire page featuring the fountain where Elsie and James once met, together.

Speaking of that, ‘though: I had an inkling that Lendard was Elsie’s home planet—and then, this chapter confirms it.

At least this chapter explains what Elsie did, prior to that acrimonious split between her, and James. But, that’s not the whole story, isn’t it? We’ve still yet to see more from James/Justice’s version of those events.

The last few pages leading to the next chapter have got to be mad hype, as Elsie takes on Ziggy. I mean, it’s more likely than not that it won’t go well for her—but it is quite interesting to see her take him on, given how powerful he is.