#how to install thrive game

[phoebejaysims]

Boutique Mod - DOWNLOAD

Inspired by the sims 2 shopping for clothes system, I present a sims 3 take on buying clothes, accessories and running a thriving boutique! Set up shifts, keep the racks stocked, and you might find yourself in profit!

Required:

Ambitions

NRAAS Master Controller + Integration Module

Optional:

ITF if you want to use the clothes mannequin and some visual effects.

Late Night if you want the animations for the security guard.

Seasons for extra interactions on the mannequin.

Savvy Seller Set for some visual and audio effects.

Full Documentation is included in the download. I spent a while writing it out, so please read thoroughly!

How Stores Work:

Set up a shift

Hire Employees (bosses count as employees so stores are fully functional with only one sim!)

Link at least one rack to the register

Open for business!

Employees:

Store employees can be given three types of roles: register attendant, sales attendant and security guard.

Employees will do their jobs automatically but you can always manually tell them to do things too like: restocking, dressing up mannequins, helping customers, among other things.

Customers:

Inactive and active sims can browse through the racks and have the ability to purchase items. They'll interact differently depending on if they are shopping at a clothes rack, accessory rack, or at a mannequin.

Inactives won't purchase outfits from mannequins unless you direct them to (or you enable auto-purchasing in the XML). However, they may "fake" buy clothes.

Once finished shopping, customers hold their bags and wait to be rung up! Take too long and they may abandon their purchase.

Shopping:

Adjust prices and restrict customers by age and gender to customise your store!

Clothes Racks:

Buy Clothes for your own sim, sims in your household, or (if you're an employee) suggest clothes for customers.

Employees that suggest clothes for customers can fulfil Ambition Stylist jobs this way.

Accessories Racks:

Choose accessories to be sold by adding them to the XML in the package file. The XML comes loaded with a few base game items already plus a couple modded items (Arsil's Sunglasses and lipstick - that won't be loaded unless you have them installed).

Sell buy-mode items as well as CAS items!

Make your CAS items wearable from your sim's inventory using your own meshes or my dummy accessory (see Documentation and XML for details).

Blacklist certain categories from being shown. If you want a dedicated shoe shop or an opticians, you can have it!

Try on products before buying them to see if they suit your sim. If there's a mirror in the room, they'll check themselves out in it.

Clothing Mannequin:

Try on the mannequin outfits to see if they suit your sim.

Plan different outfits to display and even set them to be rotated through seasonally.

Let your employees be creative and choose a random outfit for the mannequin to wear.

Buy clothes for your own sim, household members, or customers.

Allow or disallow inactives from automatically purchasing display outfits.

Security Gates:

Give your security guards something to stand and look threatening by.

You can try your luck at stealing from the shop. If you're caught, you'll have to pay up. If you get past the gates (or if there are no gates), enjoy your bounty!

Boutique Door:

Cloned from the Savvy Seller doors without the annoying 'kick-every-last-person-out-the-building-come-closing-time' feature.

Link this to a register and let the open and close sign automatically flip itself. Also, close the store or rename it, straight from the door.

Phone Interactions:

Ask for time off work (paid or unpaid).

Call in sick.

Cancel vacation days.

Credits and Thanks:

@dhalsims for adding geostates to the ITF rack for me. Modders, I really recommend her if you need any 3D models made also!

DouglasVeiga for the BG rack with the geostates.

@aroundthesims for allowing me to use her objects in my mod as always!

Sims 4 for all the animations that I converted.

Simstate & merchant mods for the idea to go into a mode to link racks to the register.

The OG shop for clothes mod and pedestal by @anitmb.

Arsil and @zoeoe-sims for wearable CAS items idea that I adapted.

Ani's Candle mod & Amb. Makeover XML which I looked at for inspo on how to do accessory rack xml.

Compatibility:

All new objects so shouldn't conflict with anything really.

Removes the 'plan outfit' interaction from dressers.

Made on version 1.67.

If you would like to donate as thanks, please feel free to do so at: my kofi! I don't take your generosity for granted!

Download: - Simblr.cc - 2t3 Boutique Mod Suggested Extra CC: - Lyralei's TS2 Conversions (incl. clothes changing booth) - More ATS3 Security Gates - ATS3 Friperie Set

Known issues, prop information and the full feature breakdown are all in the documentation.

Please be patient with me if there are bugs to fix. Also, anyone who DMs me "I don't know how to create a new shift" will be immediately fined £150.

With that said, please enjoy the mod and tag me in your beautiful boutiques,

Phoebe :)

[badkitty3000]

Do you have any head cannons of five as a dad? Like just any head cannons how he would behave but also like how that would change him being in the bedroom (like stamina, pace, etc…)!

Yeah, I might have a few *proceeds to furiously write 1.7k words*

I love writing Five as a dad! He's such a strong character that loves his family, so I can see him being a very hands-on, engaged father. I like to think that throughout most of his life he never would have thought having a family of his own would ever be possible, so that if he did become a dad, it would be the best feeling for him. He would want to give his kid everything he never had, which is a solid family life, and unconditional love. 😭❤️

Warnings: A little mention of sex under "pregnancy" and then the very end section labeled "sex" is smut and sappiness

Five Dad Headcanons

Pregnancy: Five is going to be over the moon excited when he learns you are pregnant with his child. Then, he’s going to become the most annoying person on the planet. He will remind you daily to take your vitamins and make sure you eat healthy and remain active. He will be the one reading all of the pregnancy and parenting books, glancing up every so often to tell you some fact he’s just learned and then making a little note in the margin to refer back to at a later time. He will go out of his way to make sure you’re comfortable and safe, to the point of going overboard and insisting he go with you everywhere. What if you go into premature labor at the grocery store and he’s not there? He better go along. Same goes with all doctor’s appointments. He needs a chance to ask the doctor about a few of his concerns that he read about in the most recent 'OBGYN Journal' article. Your car will be equipped with the safest damn car seat money can buy, and will be installed during your first trimester. Just in case. And if you think this is getting you off the hook when it comes to his insatiable sexual appetite, think again. You are even sexier while pregnant, so be prepared to learn some fun new positions. It’s actually very good for the baby! Trust him, he read all about it.

Newborns: Five actually loves the newborn stage. He can’t resist a good stress-project and thrives on no sleep and caffeine. He’s more than happy to let you sleep in while he gets up to take care of the baby and you’ll often find him passed out on the couch with the baby asleep on his chest. Babies are easy. They’re small, have basic needs, and can’t talk back or walk yet. He’ll adapt to fatherhood right away, and he’s not sure why people make such a big deal out of it; it’s not that hard.

Toddlers: Ok, maybe kids aren’t so easy after all. Why are they so loud? And irritating? And sticky all of the time? He loves his child more than anything in the world, but damn…he is old and tired; can he get five minutes of quiet, please? And what is with these absolutely idiotic kids' shows he is forced to watch? This is why the human population is getting dumber! Make no mistake, he will still be the doting father and take them to the park, read them books at bedtime, and play their little make believe games like tea party or dragon hunters. He loves hearing them laugh and his heart will melt when he feels their little hand in his or he gets a sloppy kiss on the mouth. When they fall asleep in the car, he’ll carry them to bed and stare lovingly down at their little sleeping face while he thinks how lucky he is to be their dad. Until he finds wet Play-doh smashed into the pocket of his favorite suit coat and he starts to reconsider a few things.

Hardship stories: Five’s kid will never be able to complain about anything in life without immediately getting an “I had it worse” story. Parents love to tell their kids how bad they had it growing up, so just imagine the jackpot of childhood trauma stories Five would bestow upon his child. He does not want them to suffer in any way, or get seriously hurt, but if they come home with a scraped knee after falling off their bike, he’s going to have a real hard time being sympathetic. “You know, when I was ten, I broke my tibia in two places and suffered a concussion after defeating an armed man twice my size, and I still had to show up on time for training the next day.” When your teenager is complaining about having to do chores around the house, there will be no end to the list of apocalyptic hardship stories. “Oh, you think mowing the lawn is hard? Do you know what I was doing at your age? Dragging all my shitty things in a rusted-out wagon across a barren landscape under the blazing hot sun looking for water after eating nothing but a can of rotten pears and one very scrawny cockroach. But please…go on.”

Powers: If it turns out that his kid has powers like his, Five would be so happy! He has a little mini-me that he can teach to blink and nerd out with about the physics required to do so! Then he’s going to get scared. What if they accidentally blink themselves into oncoming traffic? Or they try to time travel like he did and get stuck somewhere? His fear is going to bring out some of the worst in him; coming up with strict rules and insisting on constant practicing to make sure no accidents occur. This leads to some major butting of heads between the two of them. That’s where you come in to remind Five that he is not Reginald and he needs to stop acting like it before he destroys his relationship with his own child. Once you make him see that he needs to back off a little, things get a lot better and the two end up forming a strong bond over their powers

School: Five, overall, has no real use for school. Not that he doesn’t want his child to do well academically, because he does. Especially in high school, if their grades started slipping, he would definitely be up their ass about it. But school as an institution in general? Not interested. You won’t be seeing Five at a PTO meeting or volunteering to bring in snacks for a class holiday party. If his child gets in trouble for something minor and the school calls him about it, that’s probably the last time they are going to do that. “Let me get this straight…you called me in the middle of my day to tell me my kid said the f-word in class? Well, here’s a thought. How about you just do your fucking job and don’t fucking call me again unless someone is fucking bleeding or dead? We good here? Great.”

Proud Dad: Five would be so proud of everything his child did and he would tell them so all the time. But he would try and tone it down so he didn’t look so eager to brag about them to everyone he sees. When they are little, he’ll casually point out the picture of a house that is hanging on the refrigerator to anyone that comes over. “See that? Pretty good for six, don’t you think? I mean, I’m not saying it’s a DaVinci or anything, but it’s good right?” If they play sports, he’ll be at every game, but he’s not going to be the screaming, cheering parent in the stands. He’ll be watching everything very carefully, studying all of the players on the opposing team and learning their weaknesses to coach your child on it later. If the ref makes a bad call, though, he’ll be the first one to jump up screaming “Are you kidding me? What are you, blind? That was clearly a foul!” and then mumbling “Fucking idiot” as he sits back down again. At their high school and college graduations, he’ll let his siblings be the loud, whistling, embarrassing people in the crowd as his kid crosses the stage to get their diploma. Five will be standing silently, beaming with pride and trying not to cry (unsuccessfully). 

Sex: Sex after parenthood is different, there’s just no getting around it. In the beginning, you’re both so exhausted that it’s not exactly the hours-long fuck-fests you used to be able to pull off in the past. It’s still good, but it’s straight and to the point so you can get on with your lives or get some much needed sleep. After a while, though, you figure it out again. Five prefers to bang you hard and loudly, but now that’s not an option with little ears in the house. So, he settles on teasing you, instead. “Good girl, staying quiet for me” he’ll whisper with that arrogant smirk while he slams his cock into you with as much force as possible without letting the headboard hit the wall. He’ll get off on the fact that you want to cry out so badly that you’re biting at your lip and digging your nails into his skin. He wants to hear you gasping for air while you bury your face in his shoulder to muffle your moans. Maybe his stamina won’t always be as good as it once was, but that’s usually because he’s frequently getting cock-blocked by his own kid. When he can finally get some, it’s been a while and he’s not exactly performing at the peak of perfection. You better watch out when you have an evening alone, though. Five will happily ship your child off to one of his siblings for the night to get some one-on-one time with you. Now you can be as loud and dirty as you want, and he is going to take full advantage of that. Be prepared to get zero sleep, because Five is going to make up for some lost time. He won’t even wait a full minute after you’re alone before he’s slamming you up against a wall, flattening your body with his and kissing you roughly, or pulling you on top of his lap; his hard-on already straining against his pants while he desperately tries to strip your clothes off. He’s going to fuck you as hard and as long as possible, doing everything he can to make you lose your mind and come all over his cock while moaning his name. Calling him Daddy in the sack might be a little weird at first, but you’ll get past it eventually because he’s never going to get tired of hearing that, and Five is undoubtedly the hottest Daddy in and out of the bedroom. After he’s completely ruined you, he’s going to fuck you softly and sweetly, telling you how much he loves you, because sometimes he misses having you all to himself. Before you fall asleep in his arms, he’ll tell you how happy he is and thank you for making him a father and giving him the life he never dreamed possible  

If you feel like reading more about Five becoming a sexy family man with an eventual wife and son, check out my Halo series on AO3. 🥰

[felixdragonheartofficial]

TFA TEAM PRIME HUMAN REDESIGNS FINALLY

FUCK

+headcannons

Optimus: gotta stay focused

looks too old compared to his bot form.

I find it impossible for Optimus to be more than a million years old in this canon. In the least, he's older than 1000 years and since we have mfs that are canonically over 70 million years old(fagatron iykyk) compared to that, he feels like a dude in his early-to-mid-30's being the group parent.

---

-I made him more youthful, gave him curly hair, and tailored his clothing to actually look like his bot form.

-workaholic

-on the cusp of barley being able to hold his liquor

-doesn't own a pair of pajamas until Sari gets some for him

-usually forgets to put them on, but appreciates the gesture

-stays active for like, 3 days until he can't fight off sleep with work brain anymore, and unceremoniously passes out on the couch to sleep for a full 24 hours

-ratchet sighs and puts a blanket over him as per routine

-frequently checks security feed

-elf on the shelf despiser

-early morning talks with jazz and ratchet over coffee (they all wake up at 6 am)

-half thrives on caffeine and a vigorous training protocol

-is a dog person, loves German shepherds to death

David sama, pls forgive me ily very much

Ratchet: to old for this nonsense

doesn't match his body type in the slightest.

Ratchet is really old, he's got a sallow face and a gramp gut, how dare they square him. He's wayyy too angular and peachy looking.

-I gave him his luscious curves back, adding all the equipment id expect a field medic to have because he is a field medic, not a regular doctor. I changed his facial proportions, and also made his face gaunt, for that dead inside PTSD look.

---

-drinks his coffee black with brown sugar, literally drinks it piping hot

-is one of those old people who complains about noise

-confiscates bumblebee and Sari's toy cars, and puts them in a high up cabinet

-neither of them know how to bypass the child safety lock lmao

-casual clothes includes a lot- a l o t of plaid shirts, and 10 pairs of the same blue jeans

-tunes out bulkhead and prowls convos about birdwatching

-big fan of political satire dramas

-Sentinel doesn't approve

-Ratchet doesn't give a rats ass about what he thinks of course

Bumblebee: professional smart-ass

doesn't match his body type/age.

Bumblebees holoform is presented as a 10-12 year old child specifically for the fact that he's short, and the comedic relief. Total ass

I set his human age as 19-20 years old, making him more of a big brother to sari because that og model is disappointingly lackluster

---

-Bumblebee is a scrappy wisecracking punk, like an adhd kid who just got roller skates for Christmas.

-since he doesn't have wheels, I feel like he'd wear skates instead to emulate the feeling

-terrible at watching where he's going cuz he's too busy trying to show off, so ratchet makes him wear all that padding + training wheels

-legit despises the padding and training wheels

-Jealous of Blurr for mastering roller blades lmao.

-his favorite games are choose your fighter and fps

-saw ONE ancient ass assassins creed playthrough and begged ratchet to install hidden tasers in his arm bands (was denied)

-Sari used her key to do it instead

-self appointed "rizzler"

-Optimus has zero idea of what that means and thinks it's code for something dubious

-Ratchet knows what it means and thinks it's silly

-"I' was something of a rizzler myself back in my day, kid"

-bumblebee cringes

-loves summer and swimming

-wants to be the fastest thing in the sea because y'know, it's bumblebee

-is spooked from the beach for awhile cuz he saw sharks in Prowls nature documentary

-there are infact, no sharks in lake Erie

Bulkhead: big guy, bigger heart

doesn't match his body type/aspirations.

Jesus fuck he's so wide?? And his belly migrated to his shoulders?? I'm gonna be honest, I really hate this design. I feel like it contributed to the "brute strength = stupid" take that most in the fandom associates with him.

---

-Bulkhead is a SWEET. CARING. NERD YOU FOOLS. He's like the male version of a tall goth gf-

-a tall-nerdy-farm hand-physics bf, You got me fucked up.

-Its already shown that bulkhead really likes art in Addition to creating it. He hates being only seen as the "muscle" so it wouldn't make sense for him to lean into that.

-bunny slippers that him and sari made together(she provided the buttons)

-the slippers go missing sometimes (basically considered community property unless he's wearing them)

(ratchet and prowl are the main offenders)

-frequent art museum goer

-really likes watching cooking shows, but is too shy to make food himself

-Owns a ton of star maps

-Really wants a treehouse that he, bumblebee and sari can hang out in

-pillowfort enjoyer

-casually reads quantum physics at the beach

Prowl: draft dodger

Doesn't look like him at all.

Prowls holoform being a mustachioed,white, police officer was an actual jumpscare for 7 y/o me, I kid you not

---

- I know this bitch would not wear a helmet (you can't force him to) que windswept hair

-Not as much as starscreams, for obvious reasons but yk

-prowl is like one of those "shoes are a prison for your feet"

-emo hipster

-has a pet cactus named "planty"

-bumblebee heckles him for it

-can and has brought his cactus with him on early evening motorcycle rides

-the helmet is reserved for his cactus, bring your own >:(

-salad consumer

-him and jazz share custody of the cactus

-repeat victim of the cat distribution system

-ratchet has probably spent hours telling him they can't keep any animals at base

-frequent midnight picnics with jazz

-and beachcombing

-and roaming around antique stores cuz jazz wants to know what vinyl records are

-got a mug with an attempted pink chibi cat with big round shiny eyes painted onto it, courtesy of bulkhead trying to find an artsyle

-cherishes this mug to death

-has a shrine dedicated to it

[starrstruck-xx]

why kairi might be the one who manipulated sora's memory

yes you read that right, and no i did not mis-type this (if you're thinking hey that should be namine!)

i was going back a few times to kh3 and i found many patterns and cutscenes in 3 that can be compared to previous installments of the game, even side by side, this one particularly caught my eye:

crazy am i right

so remember that scene in 3 where sora falsely exclaimed "the light in the darkness" to be kairi? (it's actually riku) where sora and kairi goes enters the light to made it back to the real world

previous clip in link because tumblr isn't working with me ("riku, answer me!!" comparison with "okay! i have to protect them (aitsu)! Namine can you hear me?")

as you've seen in the comparison i realized it probably a direct paralell to namine's fake meteor shower scene back in COM Sora's side. And these lines of dialogue in particular interest me

it got me thinking, and i think that kairi purposely did something to sora's memory at some point in their lives. The exact when i'm not too sure, but she had inserted herself into some of riku's part in sora's life as sora's taisetsu na hito (special someone)

i know this sounds crazy, but i think there's a valid reason to this theory

Why??

the motive is clear: that kairi is lonely. i personally relate to her character struggle, loneliness can be suffocating, just like how namine portrayed hers that resulted to the events in COM

kairi's main theme has always been about 'seperation' and being left behind by sora and riku. so it would make sense for her to crave attention

kairi might feel sad that sora and riku doesn't pay attention to her unlike how they pay attention to each-other, so i don't see it as off character for her to insert herself into a fake picture if she had the chance, especially as the love interest of her crush

she even said this back in KH1 which sora responded with "Huh!? What's gotten into you?"

or is it done out of malicious intentions? there might be a possibility for that, but i don't think it is as it goes against kingdom hearts thematic story that stays consistent over the years, that portrays every character struggle in a sympathetic way that honestly you can relate too

(xehanort is even a subject to this in dark road)

i think that kairi felt really guilty about it and didn't realized the impact that she had done to sora and riku's relationship. or maybe she thrived for it, because even if the affection is not real, kairi is still loved and remembered by someone as their precious person, and it feels nice especially with someone like sora

snippet from kh3 novel

in the novels, there's a strong hint that kairi cut her hair because riku cut his, which contributes a lot to the theory of kairi wanting to be sora's precious person (riku) where she somewhat mimics his behavior (she probably realized deep down sora cares more about riku than her)

Passing Memories

i think this also made sense lore wise, because why else would sora suddenly lost his memory of riku? and i don't think sora's sort-of infatuation with kairi is caused by comphet alone

forgotten promises is a recurring theme in sora and riku's relationship, everything up to this point has always leads to hidden thoughts and burried memories, you have to dig deeper if you want to find a connection between sora and riku, the examples currently are:

whatever is happening between soriku

passing memories jp name of oblivion keyblade that is owned by roxas

riku is the TRUE light

necklace theory: the fact that THE necklace is everywhere in the game but is never brought up like ever

aitsu (check full discussion on the internet)

COM the game (just everything related to COM, the only game with riku and sora beside DDD? it's sus if you ask me)

compared to sora and kairi who's relationship always seems shallow and on the surface. i think it made more sense with the 'why' factor answered, because every time sora is thinking of riku, kairi would replace herself in his position, just like the light-tunnel scene in kh3

the 'oathkeeper' (promise charm) and 'oblivion' (passing memories) also reflected sora keeping his promise to kairi, but forgetting about his to riku, riku might not be affected in the same way that sora does, so this happens:

+ the multiple and many instances, riku is straight up covered by kairi

some of those instances:

kairi is true darkness (ex: sea is metaphor for darkness)

xion (is said to be kairi but proven also to also be riku)

the final world

Power?

honestly, i think kairi is more than she lets on (like LUXU), let's talk about her nobody:

i think it's already suspicious that namine has the power to mess with sora's memories (because she's from kairi's body and sora's heart?) when existing nobodies like roxas and xion for example has powers directly tied to their somebodies (kingdom key), xehanort doing xehanort things, marluxia possessing the same rose petals as his somebody counterpart, (and a lot more...)

so, with a game like kingdom hearts, does namine's powers really came out of no where? we know that sora doesn't have the ability to manipulate people's memories, so who else could it be?? kairi's powers might even be more powerful

this would also aligns with the theory 'riku is light-kairi is darkness' because even at front value the game is telling you 'hey kairi is LIGHT and riku is DARKNESS' time and time again its always the reverse in certain situations, but you never got to wonder what it actually mean

yes riku is the light, but why is kairi the darkness?? yes she sort-of brings demise as xehanort's pawn, but is it really just that?

lastly, kairi is a princess of heart, and might even came from the lost masters era as it is decorated and spammed with stars (every symbol is replaced by stars i'm not joking)

it's very on-theme with the 'traitor' plot point that has been consistent in every khux game, so... (i have a theory that kairi is master ava, or master ava is her grandma, OR kairi is mom... or skuld)

in addition to all of this, i also think that kairi can also be a creature, maybe she's actually a chirithy:

however i do think as opposed to riku as a dreameater (spirit), kairi is a nightmare chirithy, as seen in their color pallet (might be a coincidence but who knows)

[the-bleeding-weave]

Heres some miscellaneous tulpar crew headcanons :D

Anya

Shes 32 but gets mistaken for being older because she has dark circles under her eyes

She smokes regularly and its caused her voice to become deep and a little raspy, but still melodic and relaxing

Her favorite musicians are ethel cain, alex g, panchiko and neutral milk hotel. She loves atmospheric spooky music as well as melodramatic songs that have a story behind them.

Her favorite animals are bovines of any kind but she has a special love for bison

She grew up on a small farm in west virginia and has a soft spot in her heart for animals

She believes in some cryptids and swears up and down that shes seen a Not Deer in person. Growing up in Appalachia will do that to you

Daisuke loves listening to cryptid stories she knows

Shes seen some Freaky Shit while she was growing up, especially weird things with wildlife. She spent tons of her free time playing in the woods as a kid and has tons of creepy stories which caused her to become pretty superstitious

Shes half cherokee and japanese and likes engaging in her cultures a lot

One of her superstitions is that you cant whistle at night (she has 100% yelled at daisuke for doing it before)

She knows some navajo and a little bit of japanese

Her favorite movies are The Last Unicorn, Everything Everywhere all at Once, and Miss Peregrines home for Peculiar Children (she has a crush on miss peregrine)

She has a champagne colored 1999 toyota carolla that she loves dearly. His name is Frank and she regularly talks to him (mostly to keep herself from going insane from road rage but also just for fun)

Curly

His faceclaim is jensen ackles

Hes 35 years old and scouse/scottish

Hes a social drinker but only likes IPAs and indie craft beers, hes a tad pretentious about it but hes aware of it

He listens to a lot of dad rock and pop rock, like imagine dragons and aerosmith, but he also appreciates classic punk bands like rage against the machine. He has a guilty pleasure for Adele and his favorite song is "love in the dark" (he knows every single word to it by heart and sings it in the car)

He loves dramatic sappy love songs but hell never admit it

He had an emo phase in his teens that hes kinda embarrassed about. He got the classic swooped emo haircut and he repeatedly destroyed his curls with straighteners for YEARS. It took ages for his hair to recover

His favorite movies are The Green Mile and Interstellar

Hes intersex and hes very open about it, his pronouns are he/they but hell allow you to call him she/her if what youre gonna say is funny

He thrives on physical affection and LOVES giving hugs and patting people on the back. Hes very good at giving hugs too

He has a dark blue 2019 honda civic that he put a spoiler on just because it looks cool. He also got a sick sound system installed and loves just sitting in his car listening to music.

Jimmy (IF HE WAS A NORMAL PERSON AU)

Hes 34 and his face claim is Skeet Ulrich

He had an incel phase when he was an older teen/ in his 20s but grew out of it, now feels pretty embarassed about it but tries to teach other people how to avoid it

He has a modestly popular twitch channel where he plays games with guests (mostly curly and daisuke) and talks about life and mens issues, such as mental health awareness and self improvement (he hates the manosphere tho dont worry)

He likes debating right wing pundits and trolling the shit out of them

Him and anya are good friends even though he was an asshole to her in the past. He was super apologetic to her and since she saw he had changed a lot she accepted him back as a friend. (He did NOT assault her in this au he was just a misogynistic asshole)

He likes playing guitar and singing when hes alone

His favorite movies are the matrix and fight club and he will talk to you about breaking bad for HOURS

He has narcissistic personality disorder and tries to spread awareness about how its not just "The Disorder that Makes you Evil". Yes hes in therapy for it and tries to give tips to other people with npd about managing their disorder and being aware of how they treat other people

Hes able to do an eerily accurate impression of Dagoth Ur from Morrowind and loves saying out of pocket things with it

He has a red 2012 subaru forester that he pays no mind to. He has crashed 3 cars in the past tho, hes a terrible driver but refuses to admit it.

He never changes his oil, the check engine light has been on for months, and the rotors scream for mercy every time he so much as graces the brake pedal. Cars tremble in fear of this man.

Daisuke

Hes 22 years old, filipino, japanese, lao and mexican and takes a lot of pride in it

He was born in California but was raised with all of his cultures alongside american culture

Hes fluent in spanish and japanese but only partially fluent in vietnamese

He LOVES music and knows how to play guitar and the khaen

He listens to a lot of folk punk and takes inspiration from Harley Poe and Days n Daze. He makes his own songs but hes a little shy about playing them for people

He listens to tons of music genres but especially hyper pop, breakcore, jumpstyle, phonk, and parody stuff like lemon demon or weird al. He also has a special love for will wood (probably a small crush too)

He loves singing in groups and did it a ton on the tulpar, memorizing his favorite songs and playing them until the rest of the crew knew them too

It became a ritual that whenever daisuke was on his break hed get out his guitar and start up a song and anyone could join him in singing if they wanted. Anya and curly loved singing with him but jimmy only duetted the songs he really loved. Sometimes he would break out his own guitar to play with daisuke too

The favorite song to play for the whole crew was Psycho by harley poe and it even got swansea to join in as a backup baritone sometimes

They ended up really bonding over those duets and daisuke is really proud of that fact

Daisuke has a drivers license that he only recently got but he has no car

He loves getting stoned with anya and watching nature documentaries while they giggle at the stupidest things.

He cries pretty easily when he feels comfortable and safe with the people around him and hes trying to learn to be less afraid to show his emotions. Turns out, hes a VERY emotional person.

He cries easily if a song is especially beautiful and the one that never fails to jerk his tears is king park by la dispute, mainly the ending. He just adores the sheer power behind he vocals

His parents are really supportive but really want him to get out of the house and start his own life.

Swansea

Hes 60 years old and a proud italian new yorker/new jersey man

He sounds like a raspier tony soprano

He gambles causally but has a strict budget for himself

His favorite music is classic dad rock, some metal, jazz and blues but he especially likes frank Sinatra. Weirdly enough punk just isnt his thing

He has a wife named Andrea who he would literally kill for. Theyve been married for 30 years and they have 3 daughters

He drinks a lot of root beer. So much root beer.

He got arrested when he was 18 for punching a cop at a protest and beating the shit out of a nazi. He has his mugshot framed in his living room proudly.

He was a punk teen and he attended a lot of protests for queer rights and anti-police brutality. Now he doesnt really have the time for it but hes more than happy to give advice to young protesters and activists (wear a gas mask, conceal your identity, dont tell people youre going unless theyre going with you, and how to identity under cover cops)

His alcoholism started in his 20s and he got his shit together around his 30s but struggled on and off with addiction until finally going clean for 13 years straight

He loves white chocolate

He was actually like super model handsome when he was younger and is insecure about how alcoholism caused him to physically deteriorate (hes still handsome but he refuses to believe it)

Sopranos is his favorite show and he quotes it regularly

He has an old beat up 1997 ford f150 that he treats like a second wife and uses her to carry around his tools. He calls her bethany and gives her hood a pat before he gets in the driver seat every time.

[utilitycaster]

Wizard Breakdown Tracker 2x09

Surprise, bitch. I bet you thought you saw the last of me. Except not because I said I might do this. And now I am.

As you may or may not know or care, the Wizard Breakdown Tracker began almost exactly four years ago (March 26 2021) and ran through the end of Campaign 2, including the Uk'otoa two-shot, echoes of the solstice, and occasional other appearances, covering the mental state of wizard NPCs. Because by the end of Campaign 2, we sure had amassed a cast of Wizard NPCs.

And it was pretty late in the game, is the thing, and the wizard NPCs begin quite early, and also when I was binge-watching The Pitt over the past few days I remembered the breakdown tracker, for obvious reasons* (spoilers for The Pitt under the cut lol) because really, what I love most in life and The Enjoyment Of Fiction is watching people who are really good at what they do have a little nervous breakdown so that I can experience catharsis. I'm very normal and being a high-achieving eldest daughter did not shape my psyche.

ANYWAY it is time for our wizard tracker, which is brief because we're at one (1) wizard NPC reveal so far, and while I know what they have coming for them, they don't.

Pumat Sol: Unbothered. Hydrated. Moisturized. Happy. In His Lane(s). Flourishing. Fitter. Happier. More Productive. Harder. Better. Faster. Stronger. He is doing great and I cannot wait until he meets Yasha but that's in like 6 or 7 episodes. He's vibing and he's thriving. 0/10.

Until we Nein Again, this has been: The Wizard Breakdown Tracker.

Ok actually just to be transparent here, I believe we won't run into any more wizards or see Pumat for a couple more episodes so I may have to vamp a bunch or skip it until we've got a slightly larger cast or idk, include Caleb or otherwise get silly with it; this may not be a weekly installment. but it will be semi-regular.

bonus Main Cast Doctor/Med Student breakdown tracker for cool people because the wizard breakdown tracker is kinda thin and it's funny as hell to do this. to me anyway. in reverse order of seniority:

Victoria Jiavadi: she has already snapped and told her mother to read the fucking room however she is actually finding out that passing out aside (to be fair I did NOT look close at the degloving and I'm not squeamish and also not physically present and I know it's not real) she actually might have what it takes for emergency medicine! 7/10, I don't think she knows how to relax but honestly this is a downgrade for her

Dennis Whittaker: apologies to my mutuals who have been hearing me talk about the most sopping wet cat in the state of Pennsylvania all weekend but while Santos might give him a heart attack with her REBOA antics, he's also starting to realize that he might be cut out for this after all. 6/10 and it's gonna go down if Carmen gets an OR quick; he got his breakdowns out of the way early so honestly it's been an upswing for him.

Dr. Santos: her vibe is that she's got it all under control but I know how this works and things have gone too smoothly for her I feel her time is coming this coming episode or the finale. Or maybe not. She might not crack until season 2. But I'm going with an 8/10.

Dr. King: perhaps this is revealing things about myself but my gut check is that she's going to handle the remainder of the shift like an absolute champ, pick up her sister, go home, and once her sister is asleep, fall apart for precisely 23 minutes and then listen to some calming sounds and go to bed herself. 5/10 for the next episode at least.

Dr. McKay: She did just drill through an ankle monitor and her kid is here. Like emotionally she's tough as nails but nerves are fraying. also I did watch the previews and I think chances are we're at like 9/10.

Dr. Mohan: I'm going to admit I think she's great but also unsurprisingly I bounce off of her a bit because she's so good and like, kind of emotionally healthy, honestly. I'm here, as discussed, to see extremely competent people experience mental breakdowns and in doing so have some cathartic release. Anyway she's also crushing it during the MCI so I'm saying 4/10.

Dr. Langdon: oh boy, this could go like. 2-3 different ways, and since this show was renewed and he's got good chemistry with the rest of the cast I'm going to say 9/10, there's going to be TEARS and NARC-ANON MENTIONS and MANLY YELLING but he'll get his job back on probation I think. I don't actually know how this works but also as someone with family on both the provider side and admin side AND someone who has watched all of House MD AND Scrubs I think they're more likely to bend some realism re: letting a doctor who was skimming opioids come back.

Dr. Collins: I hope she listened and has her phone off and is taking a hot bath and having a glass of wine but if she is she is probably at least having a much-deserved cry while doing so, and if she's not, well, she's trying to get to the hospital during an MCI, so also 9/10.

Dr. Robinavitch: bestie did you see the episode. it's showtime. I do want to call out verisimilitude specifically for the Peds room on the Pitt, although in my personal experience they are more likely to be "under the sea" themed than "forest/jungle" themed. but yeah you'll be in like a pediatric x-ray room and there will be elaborate murals of fish, and I think the choice to set this breakdown and all the flashbacks in a pediatric room specifically is a great detail. This isn't about reviews of The Pitt from the perspective of "person who does things in hospitals" though; it's about Dr. Robby, the most divorced man of all time without actually being divorced, absolutely losing it in the corner of a makeshift morgue mid-MCI on The Second Worst Day On This Calendar Date he's ever had, Maybe The First Which Is Saying Something, 10/10.

[elysptical]

-

Mingyu shows contempt for your new boyfriend. He usually is at least trying to hide his feelings but lately he’s been off his fucking rocker.

The way he was pulling apart “Nathaniel”s every idea and showing everyone just how much power he has.

“You’re being childish”, is the only thing you say over the phone and he seethes through the receiver. You were right, but the sounds of, what he could only assume is, your lover in your kitchen cooking with cookware he bought for you…he was gonna be sick.

“Look I gotta go is that all?”, he huffs over the phone. If you wanted to play stupid he could be stupid too.

“Wanna see what I bought for my first holiday with Nathaniel?”, the name just tasted sour in his throat.

“-too late I’ve sent them..have a great night.”

You were never solely his, this he understands. She treats you like a dog, following her around salivating for any signs of affection. And she thrived on that, using it to get off, literally and figuratively.

“Fuck.”

He loved this game today though, cause you brought it all to the table with the tightest orange bikini in your way to big bathroom mirror he helped install. (Mingyu has always been a reoccurring figure in your life.)

He hearted the picture and threw his phone against the bed. Maybe he should just take a nap and this will all go away. Even though it’s his fault you’re here to begin with.

He finally gets a real chance and he blows it like a bad romcom and then with busy schedules weeks go by…then a month or two. And now Nathaniel is giving you okay sex in a house five blocks from his penthouse. Why was the universe so cruel?

He could cancel his meeting with Forbes tomorrow and really get you out of work. Maybe see the South of France? Nice? Damn the way your ass would look in a tiny french dress.

He sends a rushed email to his assistant’s assistant and gets on his softest slippers. The power-house engine in his european sports car roars to your place in minutes and hushes when he parks and books it to your front door.

You own a condo in a gentrified building and the doorman has seen his face more than his own. His foot taps on the way to the sixth floor before the ding signifies his arrival.

Your door is covered in the cutest pink wallpaper and trimmed with decorations left over from Valentine’s day. He bangs on the door and the voices behind the door get closer then die down. There is some yelling and the door flies open out trotting an angry little Nathaniel to what he can only assume is his shitty honda across the street.

“Stupid bitch-“ he mumbles away and Mingyu is left to face you in the doorway. Body covered in a plush lilac robe.

“You wanna go handle that?”, his eyebrow cocks down while he leans his arm above you both.

“Shut up”, you turn around and sigh into your home, “You coming in or what?”

[create4sims]

I’m so excited to share this custom save file with you! This new NEW CREST world is packed with new townies, exciting community lots, and fresh gameplay opportunities to make your Sims’ lives more immersive than ever. 🌿

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/WVZzWGEjFAg

You’ve never seen Newcrest like this before… I completely transformed the empty world into a fully fleshed-out, living neighborhood! I built brand new homes, community lots, and local businesses from scratch. I also added custom families—each with their own skills, careers, relationships, and aspirations. AND I went the extra mile by creating holidays in the calendar to bring the world to life all year round!

Whether you're a builder, storyteller, or gameplay lover—this save file has everything. Ready to explore a Sims 4 world that finally feels REAL? 🌿

I hope you love exploring this world as much as I loved creating it! Enjoy and happy simming!

About :

♡ This is a fully packed save file — I’ve used lots of expansion, game, and stuff packs to bring each world to life, so be sure to have a wide range of packs installed for the best experience!

♡ You'll meet brand new townies and families I’ve created from scratch — each with their own stories, skills, careers, and relationships to explore.

♡ I’ve also added custom holidays for your Sims to enjoy! Celebrate new traditions, make lasting memories, and bring some extra magic to your gameplay.

♡ The world is filled with interactive community lots, including:        • A cozy café and stylish loft apartment (small business residential)        • A Master Chef-style cooking class venue + restaurant (small business residential)        • A lively games pub + nightclub combo        • A relaxing community pool        • A scenic neighborhood park

There’s so much to explore — I hope you enjoy every detail! 🏡✨

🛠️ Fully Functional & Complete – Every lot is finished and ready to play! No empty or incomplete spaces. Keep an eye out for future updates, as I may add renovations or tweak townies and other worlds.

⚠️ Found an Issue? – If you notice anything not working as intended, let me know! I’ll do my best to fix it and update the save.

📸 Share Your Gameplay! – I’d love to see your Sims thriving in this world! Tag me in your screenshots—I’d be so happy to see how you play. ���

DOWNLOAD LINK

How to Download and Install Save Files in The Sims 4

Download the Save File:

Click the download link provided in the post to download the file.

Once the download is complete, find the .zip file in your Downloads folder or wherever your files are saved.

Extract the File:

Right-click on the downloaded .zip file and choose "Extract All".

Place the Save File in Your Sims 4 Saves Folder:

Copy the file you downloaded into your Sims 4 saves folder. The typical location for this folder is:

Windows: Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > Saves

Mac: Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > Saves

Check for Existing Save Files:

Before pasting, make sure not to overwrite any saves you want to keep. You can rename the downloaded save file by changing the slot number (e.g., Slot_00000001.save) to avoid conflicts.

Launch The Sims 4:

Open The Sims 4 and go to the main menu. Click "Load Game," and you should see the new save file in your list.

Enjoy Your New Save File!

Click on the save and start playing to explore all the new builds and features!

❗ This save file includes content from most packs but you can still download and enjoy the save without having all the packs, but keep in mind that some sims and builds may be missing certain items.❗

[roocomehome]

Being real about this dx11 update and dx9 discontinued support for a sec but this is one of the worst decisions EA has made, and I hate to say it but I don't think they realize the monetary impact this will have on them, I mean, when most of your audience has always been laptop players who are willing to buy a pack for some 20-40 dollars, you'd think they'd want to keep that audience and coddle them. A lot of laptop and non-laptop simmers have put a lot of money into this game and those players who have spent money but don't have the system to run dx11 are gonna be shit out of fucking luck, 100+ dollars down the drain, 100 DOLLARS!!! that doesn't even count for the people who HAVE spent all their money on EVERY DLC. 1000 DOLLARS. A THOUSAND DOLLARS. nows not the time to shame people for spending money on sims 4 because while it's ridiculous and there are safe ways to sail the seven seas, I completely understand people who are too scared to sail the seven seas. Again, People have spent REAL MONEY that they CANNOT GET BACK on this game, and now they just have to. stop playing, because their device cannot support dx11, and wallow in their own financial loss. I feel like I cannot do any justice of the grief that people will experience with my words, but this IS going to be a problem.

We're definitely gonna some lose simmers in this community, beloved simmers, underrated simmers, simmers who may have just started out and can no longer continue, simmers who work their ass off to create beautiful work even with a low-end device, simmers who may have been a long time simmer in the community. So many people who were hoping to find a community and gain an audience in simblr, now unable to do this because their device cannot handle dx11.

That being said please remember you don't have to make sims stuff to be a part of the community, if you are a simmer, have been a simmer or want to be a simmer, then you are a simmer, don't let this discontinued support make you think it effects your position in this community.

Additionally, I know this is not a solution to the issue at hand, but there are plenty of guides out there to play the previous/retro sims games, if you want to play Sims 2, OSAB (on here) has the entire game and packs for FREE and easy to install, there's guides on how to install Sims 3 (I cannot reccomend any as I have the disc's so I don't need to sail the seven seas), and the Sims 1 is just a one click easy download on Oldgamesdownload (Yes I took the risk, not knowing if it was real or a virus, and my Laptop is perfectly fine). So even if you feel like you cannot be a simmer because you can't play Sims 4, there's a beautiful and thriving community around the retro games, and like I said, you don't HAVE to play Sims games to be a simmer, you are always gonna be a simmer through and through and will be accepted and loved in this community all the same.

[writefightandflightclub]

Ride or Die (Santiago “Pope” Garcia x fem!reader): Chapter Two (of 11 - COMPLETED SERIES)

Series summary: Together, you and Santiago have been “soldiers” then “friends” then “lovers”; but can you ever figure out what comes next, especially when Santiago can’t (or won’t) stop running? 

Series genre: a LOT of tasty angst, tasty smut, best friends to… lovers?

Warnings: see series warnings, here. Please note this series is 18+ / NSFW / MDNI. Minors or ageless blocks interacting will be blocked.

Series info: this is a COMPLETED SERIES. Posting schedule and series masterlist are here. 

Author’s note: Thank you SO much for the response to Chapter One! And if you're still with it, I hope you enjoy chapter 2! It has been a LOOONNNNGGG time coming! 😆 This one is slightly shorter, with a bit of exposition to bridge between the OG instalment and the meat of our newly embarked upon continuation! The next chapters are where things really kick-off, but I do hope you enjoy this stoking of some tension, and, of course, finally seeing Santiago again - for the first time since the jarring conclusion to chapter one!!!!!! 

Word count: 4.8k for this part 

“It’s okay,” Frankie rumbles, looking at you levelly. “You can ask me about him.” 

You sigh, squirming in place - on the rear porch steps of your sister’s home - as your game is finally unmasked. Your pretense dashed. 

The hubbub of the lazy, Sunday BBQ is nothing but background to you now as Frankie zones in on your true wants, rendering you as an observer - rather than a participant - in the annual gathering you usually draw an abundance of joy from. 

Not so today, despite your best efforts at going through the motions. At pretending like everything is fine. 

Up to now, chatting idly with your bud in this safe little bubble, you’ve cycled through a gazillion conversation starters; each to emphasise just how interested you are in Frankie, and Whatever He Has Going On. Clearly though, you have failed to convince. Your friend simply knows you too well. Knows your weaknesses. 

Your one true weakness. Santiago “Pope” Garcia. 

You look at kind-eyed Frankie apologetically from beneath your lashes, sorry that your flimsy chat has failed to mask your disinterest in... um, whatever it was he was saying. 

“Shit, I’m sorry, Cat.” Then, so help you, you ask the question you’ve actually been burning to ask all day. “How’s he doing, Frankie? Really?” 

Confirming the shift in tone, Frankie sets his plate of food aside and nestles his bottle of beer on the corner of the lowest porch step. Now you’re having a conversation. The pilot tents his fingers together in his lap, giving your question the full merit it deserves. “Pope?” 

Who else? 

“He’s… fine,” Frankie nods, studying your face as he says the words. Noticing -no doubt- the way you chew on your lip as your gaze wanders, fixing on the man in question. As you watch him mingle comfortably, effortlessly, amongst the throng of people on the lawn. Making connections, as per usual. 

Your stomach drops. An unease jostles in the pit of you. The niggle of regret. 

You shouldn’t have invited the guys here today. Shouldn’t have agreed to have them be present at your family gathering. Shouldn’t have agreed to follow-up it up with a squad weekend at the beach house - no matter that it’s tradition. But, then again, who were you to disrupt the usual way of things? And, more so, who were you to pretend that you didn’t want to see him again? After all this time? 

In truth, you had wanted nothing else but to see him again. That is, until you had laid eyes on him, and then, very quickly, you had pivoted. Wanted nothing more than to keep your distance. 

Why? 

Because by all accounts it’s true. 

Santiago is fine. 

Santiago certainly looks fine. He looks fine in all senses of the fucking word. He looks as though he’s thriving, in fact. 

Your face falls at the implication: that he’s thriving without you. 

With effort, you hum, schooling your expression into something neutral; however, Frankie’s already on to you. “Is that what you wanted to hear, chiquita?”

You turn your head towards your friend and exhale a small, pitiful laugh. Pondering Frankie’s question, you set your own plate and beer down too – a signal that shit’s getting real. 

Is it? 

Is that what you wanted to hear? 

“I don’t know. I don’t know what I wanted to hear, Cat.” With a dejected sigh, you lean your head on Frankie’s shoulder, hooking your arm into the crook of his elbow. “Does that make me cruel? If I don’t wanna hear that he’s happy?” 

Your buddy doesn’t answer rightaway, but he does rest a reassuring hand on your thigh in response, his plush bottom-lip protruding as he pouts – apparently mulling over whether or not to throw you a bone. “Okay. Look,” he begins  - always a soft-touch for you - and you instantly perk-up just a little. “He had a rough spell when you left and-” Frankie huffs out air, shaking his head as though he might have gone too far in divulging already “-fuck, actually, you don’t wanna know.” 

You head snaps up from Frankie’s shoulder as it begins to shake with mirth, your curiosity piqued. 

“What?” you probe, as Frankie turns his head to look at you, a smile cracking his sharp features. Apparently, Frankie has a small part of him which is cruel too. “We stumbled upon his heartbreak playlist. And it was not pretty.” 

“Come on now,” you protest, a little too defensively, your mouth suddenly dry.  “I hardly broke the fucker’s heart.” 

Frankie pumps his eyebrows. Shrugs his shoulders. Then, his bark-brown eyes mist over, just a little. “More likely than you think, chiquita.” 

With that, your eyes flick right back to Santiago’s figure on the other side of the yard, as if trying to reconcile Frankie’s assertion with the reality you see before you. After all, Santiago “Pope” Garcia looks fine. In all senses of the word. 

Right this second, for example, he’s engaged in a highly tactical water fight with your kid nephews. About to enter the killbox any moment, you wager, given that 5 and 7-year-olds don’t seem bound by those pesky rules of engagement. His cargo shorts are – naturally - far too tight, and he’s wearing his crisp blue shirt as though he forgot what buttons did half-way through getting dressed, the fabric split in a deep, plunging “V” across his tan chest. 

Despite all that, however, the thing which captures your attention most, is the beaming, wide-open grin he has painted on his face. 

He looks... 

...Happy.  

Genuinely happy. The bastard. 

This is the first time he’s seen you since he stormed out of your apartment all those months ago. The first chance he’s had to make things right - and he hasn’t spoken a word to you all day. Despite being in your family’s yard. Eating your sister’s food. Playing with your goddamn nephews. You broke his heart, apparently. So Frankie tells you. And yet this fucker dares to looks happy. 

So… Is that what you wanted? 

For him to be happy? 

Without you? 

Or… is a small part of you cruel? 

You’re not sure about the answer to that question, but you do know that your eyes turn mildly devilish as they flick back towards your buddy, your voice hushed and downright conspiratorial. All of a sudden, you’re not concerned with being the bigger person. 

You decide you’ll willingly catch that bone Frankie is throwing. “Tell me more about this playlist, Francisco.” 

You need this, you justify internally. You need something. Some sign that Santiago is hurting too. 

You’ve needed this for months, in fact; but, goddamn - you especially need this before you and the squad spends a whole weekend together up at the beach house. 

You need it badly.

Why? 

Because you’re not fine. 

Not fine at all. 

Not fine without him. 

This is your family's yard, and it’s your family’s  party, and it’s the first time you’ve seen him since he stormed out of your apartment all those months ago… and you’re emphatically not happy about it. Have found that, despite what you had hoped for, your reunion hasn’t solved a damn thing. Hasn’t eased the knot in your chest. Hasn’t allowed you to feel any sense of resolution.

“Fuck.” Your eyes brim over with the realisation, wet and glassy, and a tight lump balls in your throat. 

“Come on,” Frankie mutters - softly but urgently - as your eyes begin to swim with emotion. He nods up towards the interior of the house, and you are endlessly grateful when, with minimal spectacle, your buddy bundles you inside, his arm slung casually around your shoulder for comfort. 

You’re not the retreating type. At all. You have always been comfortable running headlong into things that scare you. Even so, it is a marked relief when you do slink inside. A relief that you were able to save face. Keep your pain hidden. But, most of all, it is a relief that you no longer need to suffer Santiago’s abject joy. 

It is a relief in the same way it is to retreat from the blazing sun, and you immediately find sanctuary in the cool, shaded interior of the house. 

Still, given the tumult of emotions inspired by his general proximity today, you are less and less sure that you can handle this trip. 

The only thing pushing you to go through with it, in fact, is the knowledge that there’s one thing harder than being close to Santiago… and that’s being apart from him. 

Perhaps Frankie’s wrong. Perhaps you didn’t break Santiago’s heart when you left. But, one thing’s for sure. Leaving him had certainly broken yours.

Truth be told, even after all this time, you’ve barely begun to put yourself back together. 

You’re in pieces; which - to be fair - is always how Santiago liked to see you, isn’t it? 

A friend. A soldier. A lover.  

That’s the only way you can stand to view him now. In mere fragments. In the shrapnel of stolen glances; because trying to see him all at once? That’s like trying to stare directly at the sun. 

He is too bright for you and it burns. Even with all this distance. 

***

You’re surrounded by laughter and chatter, yet you feel an unease. An unrest in the pit of you. 

Will’s ballcap is tugged down over your eyes under the guise of staying warm - a flimsy excuse, considering the raging fire pit in the centre of you all, acting as the warm sun to your orbits of beer, passed amiably around from hand to hand via the cooler at Will’s side. 

Naturally, the conversation has veered sharply towards the crude - it reliably does when you are and the boys are all together. 

“For real, Pope. Since we’re, uh, sharing,” Tom interjects, already looking far too pleased with himself. “Do you ever play up the knee thing to… encourage women to go on top?” Tom’s question earns shocked titters from Will and Frankie and, despite yourself, a softly exhaled laugh from you. 

“Why are you so obsessed with me?” Santiago asks Tom with an assured grin, and, upon being subject to the group’s attention, he leans forward in his camp chair. He drains the dregs of his beer and tosses the emptied bottle into the gathering pile in the sand, the label already peeled off by his nimble fingers.

Tom presses him for an answer, and you see Santiago’s pearly flash of teeth glinting in the firelight. “Play it up, buddy?” Santiago emits a deep, throaty chuckle which bobs in his corded neck. The sound is echoed by the other boys too, the threshold for laughter pleasantly lowered by the alcohol. 

Their movements are growing increasingly pack-like - a little less measured and a little more instinctual. Less individual and more unified. Moving as a team even as they sit still, with their spread legs and dropped shoulders and dipped chins. Alert eyes glinting in the dark with each lick of flame. Their energy would intimidate you, you think, if you didn’t know them. If you didn’t feel safer here than anywhere else in the world.

Still wearing that grin, Santiago scoops his hand over his stubble, his finger and thumb tracing around his mouth. “It’s practically a pick-up strategy.” His voice is warm sand and it scrapes you. Leaves a mark. 

Frankie titters off to Santiago’s side - a chaotic, beer-addled laugh. To his other side, Will grins too, his laughter striking a robust and deep note, even whilst shaking his head as though he’s somehow above it all. Together, their sounds form a cacophony you can feel deep in your chest - like the rumble of bass from a speaker, or the subdued roar of the ocean. 

If they are a pack, you - for once - are at odds. You feel it now more than ever, and it jars you. You are hyper-conscious that no display of mirth falls from you; and, in fact, the corners of your mouth turn down. 

Instead, you dwell on this roar - this rumble and hum under your skin. If you feel like the tide, like you are being swept up, Santiago is your shore. Everything about him draws you in, and you feel you could wash him away with the force of your need for him. 

Regardless of that, you continue to do precisely what you’ve been doing all night. You try to bury everything. To subdue your feelings. To calm this frenzy deep in the pit of you. In this moment, thinking about Santiago pursuing people other than you - listening to the damn stories - you take that urge quite literally, digging your bare toes deeply and intently into the sand as though you could disappear wholly into it. 

But; even that reminds you. 

Everything reminds you. 

Santiago. 

You’ve thought of nothing else all night. 

How could you? 

And, you feel the lack of him. 

The roughness of the sand against your smooth skin is a poor substitute for the rasp of his stubble. For the grit of his voice against your throat. The warmth of the curling, licking flame is a poor substitute for his body heat. His curling tongue. His fingers. The way you bury your feelings has nothing on how he buried himself in you. 

You fall into memories, tacky and hot, tumbling, and yet Will’s voice rips you abruptly back to the present. 

“How in the hell do you spin that one, man?” he asks Santiago with a genuine curiosity, his ice blue eyes dancing with amusement.  

Santiago risks a sheepish glance at you then, as though sensitive that his prowess with women might offend you in some way; but your eyes simply glance off of his like a flung spark from the fire pit, desperate to turn towards the dark and rid yourself of any heat which he may ignite. Desperate not to linger on the way the shadows and the light pool across the harsh planes of his face. The way his dark eyes are flickering and alive, and entirely capable of burning. 

And so, Santiago continues, relishing his moment. “Come on. It’s easy,” he breezes. He clears his throat, fully readying to inhabit his role. He shuffles in his chair and changes his demeanour, his body language, his voice. Shifting and contorting himself until he is layered with seduction. His frame even grows bigger, bolder, his legs spread. Chin raised and eyes hooded with a slow, sultry blink of those long lashes. 

Even this performance of heat hurts you; burns. Burns brightly enough that you have to look away from him before your skin is singed by it. “Hermosa,” he rasps, voice pleasantly scuffed by beer and smoke, the sound so rough and gritty you swear you can feel it scrape your skin. Your core clenches around the full, deep, dark tones of him, as though they alone could fill you.

The fire throws out careless sparks like cracked whips, and, like them, you cling to a dying heat. This vestige of the way he spoke to you in the dead, dark night at one time, your bodies all salt-slick skin. “You’re right,” he purrs, and you see that his body has shifted - angled towards Tom. 

You feel embarrassed. You feel alight, as though somehow, they could all find you out in this moment. Could sense the wet slick pooling between your legs. Smell it somehow. Like all of a sudden their eyes will converge on you and they will know - hear the flutter of your pulse in your throat. Sense the throb building in your core. Feel you barrelling from dull ache to desperation. 

“About what?” Tom asks, playing along as Santiago sneaks a hand up his thigh. 

Santiago’s smile is lopsided. Charming, but full of challenge. “Thinking that I’m a bad idea.” He’s hamming it up, for sure, but the syrup and grit in his voice is taking you right back there all the same. Right back to between those sheets, and a disobedient heat snakes down your back. 

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” 

“Well,” Santiago offers with faux regret, voice husky, and you can’t help but lift your eyes back to him. Can’t possibly look anywhere else now. Can’t help but observe the smirk twitching his appealing mouth and the way his thick brow arcs up. “‘Cause my knees are shot from years in the military, so I’m afraid you’ll have to get on top and ride me senseless.” 

God in heaven.  

Looking at him was a mistake, even like this. Even as he feigns seducing Tom, of all people. There’s just something about the rough edge layered into his voice right now. Something about the firelight painting his sharply-angled face with shadow. The flickers causing his smouldering eyes to glint with an echo of that formidable, latent heat. 

You feel this vestige of warmth in you ignite. Feel it begin to blaze and catch. You feel memories of him, his skin, his touch, amassing grain by grain. Ever so suddenly you are the shore now. Parched. A hot, baking expanse seeking its relieving tide. 

God, you want him. 

You feel your core shiver around the memory of him slipped into you, deep and dirty, teeth on your throat, and it’s almost too much to take. 

You need him, even though you’re still so damn angry with him. 

Or… no. No, that’s not it. Yes - you want him because of it. 

You need to fuck the residual anger from beneath your skin, for it has festered there for months now. Months, and you need it to move. Need it to give. Need it slaked and sated and gone. 

It’s not a healthy desire, you think, and you feel a little shame at that. You are grateful then - as Santiago effortlessly drags you back into the inescapable pit of him - that the boys’ laughter tears you abruptly from this impossible yearning. Gives you a lifeline. Reminds you where you are. How far you’ve come. 

You got out. And that meant leaving him behind too, didn’t it? 

“You’re such a fucking dog, man,” Will snickers. 

The chair over, Frankie’s shoulders are shaking with laughter too, his head tipped up to the sky and his eyes disappeared with it. You wish that you could laugh like that. That you could feel light, but instead you feel heavy and sick. 

“That works?” Tom asks incredulously, and you take another hasty swig of your beer, the froth hissing against your lips and a hoppy taste flooding your tongue. You briefly wish it was something stronger.

“Don’t go getting ideas, Tom,” Santiago says smugly, slapping his buddy emphatically on the thigh. “Works when I do it.” 

Oh, you bet it does. You bet it works. 

Tom throws Santiago a stink-eye then, before sitting slightly taller in his chair, his face contorting in a clear attempt to smoulder. “My knees are shot from years in the military...” Tom echoes, trying to inject a similar level of grit into his voice... and, the contrast? The failure? It is… an instant relief. 

Tom’s attempt is laughable, in fact. And so, when your favourite pilot’s dense, throaty chuckle sounds out to your side once more – this time, you can’t help but crack a smile too. Indeed, the laughter which spills out of you is a welcome vent, and so you reach for it wholeheartedly. 

There is an eruption of good-natured, teasing banter from the boys now - and Tom looks miffed that his attempt to tease Santiago has almost entirely backfired. Then, grasping for this welcome escape route a tad too eagerly, perhaps, you submit your own dig. “You might wanna run that script again. Give us a little less of that insurance infomercial vibe next time, buddy.” 

Frankie can barely breathe from laughing now, his hand coming to clutch his belly, and it’s pleasantly infectious. The atmosphere is safe and cocooning and familiar, and for the first time tonight you almost forget. You almost forget the thing that you haven’t been able to forget for months. That Santi isn’t touching you, and that, God; you need him to. 

But then, your relief is snatched from you all too suddenly. “Well sure,” Tom aims, his shot primed to land. “You would know how it goes, right? First hand? Did Pope use that line on you too, right before he and that guy from the bar practically double-dipped you?” 

The group fucking brace. 

You can feel it. 

It’s the exact same energy as when you’ve all grabbed for purchase in the helo or the humvee, right before a collision. The world seeming to flow in slow motion, your stomach being tossed up in the air and rolling as you lurch and sink.  

Most of the time, sure. You pride yourself for being able to take the boys’ banter on the chin. For having a thick skin. For being able to muster a scathing comeback, rolling off your tongue without a thought. 

But this? This has you beat for a second. This has a sinkhole opening up in your middle.

You meet Will’s eyes for a split second in desperation, but he looks at you helplessly, and you know. You know you need to say something. You know you need to, before they witness -before he witnesses- you falling apart. Before you let your silence reveal that you’re not over Santiago. That this hang isn’t ‘just like old times’. Not like ‘before’. That maybe, it can never be how it was again. 

Finally, something comes to you, and you grab for it; once again, a little too eagerly. “At least I got some, Tom. I doubt you could even seal the deal these days.” You push the words out and hope they sound light, even as you feel a tremor in your body. In your throat. Even as you feel Santiago’s eyes on you without looking. Can imagine them, dark and knowing, and worst of all… apologetic. Maybe even pitying. “Oh hey! Just like your ‘career’ in real estate!”

“Ohhhhh shiiittt,” is the prevailing sentiment from the group, hands flung up into the air as Tom realises he’s just been owned by your spectacular throwdown. 

Good, you think. Good. You’re glad the asshole’s getting his comeuppance but, even so, your petty victory does little to fill the hole in your chest, your heart still hammering and your fingers still trembling subtly against the cool, wet neck of your beer. 

To your surprise though, Tom doesn’t even bite back. Not this time, and that makes you feel even more annoyed, somehow. It makes you feel as though your anger is misdirected. As though Tom’s not the asshole here. As though he’s not the dude you’re fuming at after all. 

Still, your comment served its purpose well enough, you think, as steady, safe banter erupts again. You are pleased that you avoided the full impact of this collision, brakes slammed on as you still teeter on the cliff edge; but your heart feels bruised and rattled in the roll cage of your chest all the same. 

Mainly though, you are pleased that you are no longer the focus of everyone’s attention. However, your skin warms when you notice one man’s eyes remain on you, his gaze fixated and hooded and intense, and a shiver of heat dips down each notch of your spine. 

You look away. You tug Will’s cap a little further down over your eyes and you wait. You wait for the topic to shift so that you can excuse yourself without the cause being quite so obvious. You wait, until you can’t take the heat from this fire a second longer. Then, and only then, you make your excuses and dip out, retreating into the empty, quiet shell of the house. 

You pad into the kitchen, the cool interior immediately relieving against your hot skin, gooseflesh snaking down your arms and making your hairs stand on end. The dim light is certainly a respite from the searing brightness of the fire and the sting of the smoke in your eyes. But most of all, of course, it is relief from him. 

Santiago. 

It’s rough. Rougher than you expected. You simply can’t take this distance from him. You’d thought, before, that the miles between you - between here and Colombia - had been hard to reckon with. But this distance? The vanishingly small distance where he’s right here yet has never felt further out of your reach? That’s a thousand times harder. This petty distance – this rupture, this wound – hurts far more, because it feels far harder to heal. Far more festering than a clean break, and seeing him has already torn out every self-applied suture. 

You don’t like that things seem to have been irrevocably changed. You don’t like that your two bodies - which used to be so in sync - are now so awkward around one another. Purposefully aloof, rather than tactile. Remaining so separate, rather than together. 

It has been slowly amassing all day, the weight of this pain. Of this lack. And now, after feeling the absence of his touch so intensely - of that blessed togetherness- ironically, you finally need a moment alone. 

You cross the room and fold yourself over the kitchen counter, hinging at the hips. You rest your head in your hands, laying your forearms flat along the cool, marbled surface. 

For a brief moment, it is even a relief. You breathe deeply. Put him out of your head. But, after only one moment more you find yourself missing the pain. You’ve become fond of it, in a way. You haven’t been able to let go because, in truth, you’ve wanted to feel the continued burn of this loss - like a scar.

It is the only proof you have left that he touched you at all. 

That you came close to having something with him. Within touching distance of it. 

But now… 

You sigh deeply. You hate this torment. You hate not knowing how to be around him. The way the familiar is recast as unfamiliar. Your certainty now uncertainty. Your home now a hotel. 

You’ve spent the whole day so far keeping your distance. Talking only to the group, always some buffer of Tom or Will or Frankie in between you. Always leaving one seat between your bodies. Avoiding prolonged eye contact. Going out of your way to make sure the two of you were never left alone.

Being left alone with him is the last thing you want; and the first, of course. 

And, as if on cue, a low whistle sounds from behind you. You know the sound without looking, and your body stiffens. “An ocean view and now this?” Santiago jokes cautiously as he approaches behind you, clearly faced with a perfect view of your ass as you fold over the counter. “Pretty sweet deal. You should get Tom in on this real estate action. He might actually sell something.” 

Despite everything, all of it, you can’t help but laugh at that. You appreciate the dig at Tom a hell of a lot more than you should, actually. 

“Listen. Are you… alright?” Santiago asks next, much more softly. You hate the way his voice prickles the hairs on the back of your neck; but also, you don’t hate it at all, of course. 

You inhale and stand, pushing your torso up from the counter. You look up to the top of the cabinets, not blinking until the would-be tears have dried, and only then do you turn towards him. 

Santiago. 

Only then do you face your sun, praying that you will not be singed.  

All day, you have had a buffer in between the two of you. Clouds, to dim his brightness. But now, it is just you and him, alone in the kitchen of the beach house. 

This bland domesticity sure is a far cry from the field, yes. From your original shared domain. But, it also serves as an all too painful reminder of the last time you saw him. Of the last time his lips moved against yours. Of the last time, in that kitchen, that he’d had you. Taken you, bunched up naked against the fridge as he filled your slick heat with his fingers. As he kissed you and tongued you and claimed you back, as if he ever intended to keep you. 

It is a reminder of the time he had told you he loved you, and with finality, you had both realised that it still might not be enough.

You turn towards him, finally, and you brace. 

Brace like you’re about to collide. 

Like there will be an impact when your eyes meet.

Your brace like you’re expecting hot tempers, hot feelings, hot words. Wounds splitting and salt being rubbed in. 

Still, that’s not at all what you get. 

Instead, Santiago’s eyes are as wet as your own. All of his boldness and bluster is gone, and he’s standing on the very perimeter of the room as though he is the one who dares to venture no further. As though you might burn him if he gets too close. 

“I missed you,” he rasps, and despite the softness and the sincerity of the words, they feel like a rough struck match against your skin. 

You try desperately. Try desperately to fling this offered spark away before it catches, but it is futile. 

He missed you, and his admission already has you blazing for him. 

He’s standing mere feet from you.

And, despite everything, all you can think about is closing this oh so petty distance. 

[thesims4blogger]

The Sims 4 Shares Burglars FAQ

EA has just shared a blogpost containing details regarding the burglars free update for The Sims 4. They also posted an F.A.Q. and a funny video introducing the long requested feature.

The Burglar is Back: Stolen Shake-ups in The Sims 4

Sul Sul, Simmers :wave:

It’s Xènia here – Designer and longtime Simmer – to talk about why today is a big day for The Sims 4! If you’ve ever missed those suspenseful moments when your Sim’s peaceful night was interrupted by tense music and a sneaky presence, we’ve got great news: the Burglar is back! And the best part? It’s in the base game, so it’s free for everyone with today’s update.Advertisement

The Burglar is an iconic Sim featured in The Sims, The Sims 2, and The Sims 3 who sneaks into houses, usually at night when Sims are asleep, to steal household items. As a longtime Sims player, I have wanted to bring the Burglar to The Sims 4. You could say I’ve been stealing moments to pitch this idea from the very start! ** Even during my job interview, I asked “What would it take to bring the Burglar back?” Now, The Sims team can proudly say the Burglar is back just in time for our 25th Birthday, shipping alongside The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies Expansion Pack. —and trust me, it’s worth the wait.

Everything you need to know about the Burglar

So, how does the Burglar operate in The Sims 4? Here’s what you need to know. The infamous Robin Banks (yep, that’s her name—we couldn’t resist) only strikes at night, sneaking into your Sim’s home while everyone is fast asleep (or even if they are awake!). Before you know it, she’ll be grabbing whatever’s valuable and making her escape.

How to foil that midnight mischief

The Burglar can be arrested by the police if one of your Sims calls promptly. For those who want to play it safe, the Burglar Alarm is back too! Place one in your Sim’s home for extra protection because the only way to guarantee the police get to the crime scene in time is by installing a Burglar Alarm. Handy Sims can upgrade the alarm to do all sorts of useful things: automatically call the police, reduce the chance of it breaking, or even zap the Burglar, forcing her to drop the stolen goods.

Prefer to handle the situation yourself? No problem—your Sims can take action whether it’s waking up to call the cops (who may or may not catch the thief) or getting into a one-on-one fight, your Sims have options. Pro tip: Sims who’ve been hitting the gym have a better chance of winning those fights!

Special Sims can unleash new defenses

Stopping the Burglar will feel unique depending on who’s in the household. Special Sims bring even more exciting possibilities.

Have a dog? They’ll chase the Burglar right out.  (Requires: The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs Expansion Pack)

Werewolves can intimidate the Burglar into leaving. (Requires: The Sims 4 Werewolves Game Pack )

Spellcasters? They’ve got everything from confusion spells to full-on transformations. (Requires: The Sims 4 Realm of Magic Game Pack)

Servos can zap the Burglar into place with their defense matrix. (Requires: The Sims 4 Discover University Expansion Pack)

Scientists can use the Freeze Ray to immobilize them. (Requires: The Sims 4 Get to Work Expansion Pack)

Vampires, of course, might take advantage of the situation for a quick warm-blooded snack before commanding the Burglar to leave. (Requires: The Sims 4 Vampires Game Pack)

Even Sims without superpowers have fun reactions. Teenagers might stop to take a selfie with the Burglar before bolting to safety. Talk about stealing the spotlight!

Iconic characters like Agnes Crumplebottom and Bonehilda won’t run—they’re ready to fight! In total, we’ve included over 50 unique reactions across the base game and 17 different packs, along with 37 player-directed interactions. Who knew a bit of thievery could add so much character to your game?

Burglar visits are rare because we want those moments to stand out. But for those of you who thrive on chaos, we’ve got you covered with the new Lot Challenge, Heist Havoc. Turn this on, and not only will the Burglar visit more often, but even trusty Alarms might start acting up. You’ve been warned!

We are so thrilled to finally bring the Burglar back into The Sims universe. Sending a special shout out to our full team for making this a reality. Robin Banks isn’t just ready to rob your Sims’ houses—she’s here to steal your hearts too! What better way to celebrate The Sims 25th Birthday than with this nostalgic yet fresh addition? We hope you’re as excited as we are to see what kind of chaos Robin Banks will bring to your households.

Dag Dag,

Xènia

FAQ

Do I need to own Business & Hobbies to get the Burglar in-game?

No, the Burglar update will be available to all Simmers as part of today’s base game update!

Is there anything new with how the Burglar works in The Sims 4?

There are quite a few new updates with how the Burglar works in The Sims 4! First, there will be updated music accompanying the Burglar when they spawn on your lot. In addition, there is the new Heist Havoc Lot Challenge that will spawn the Burglar on your lot at a higher rate.

Similar to before, Burglar Alarms can be installed on Sims’ lots to help keep their belongings safe, but now you can upgrade the alarm to reduce the chance of it breaking, automatically call the police, or even zap the Burglar! In addition, you’ll be able to upgrade your Burglar Alarms so they break less often.

In addition, Sims can now take justice into their own hands, and special Sims can unleash their own defenses, as we’ve outlined in our dev diary!

Are any new items or functionality coming to the base game to support the Burglar? (e.g. Burglar Alarms, Smart Cameras, etc.)

Police Officers will be returning to the game to help tackle those pesky Burglars! You will also be able to install Burglar Alarms on tour Sims’ Residential or Small Business Venue (in the Businesses & Hobbies Expansion Pack) lots to keep their belongings safe.

Is there anything that the Burglar can’t steal?

Most build objects cannot be stolen – such as outdoor plants that are planted directly in the ground, windows, lights, elevators, etc.

Can you befriend Robin Banks?

Yes, you will be able to interact with and befriend Robin Banks! You can even add Robin Banks to your household. If you do this, another Burglar will generate to take Robin’s place, or a Sim that already exists in the world with the right traits who is unplayed can fulfill the role. New burglars will spawn with the same traits but a random appearance and name.Advertisement

Can Robin Banks die? If so, will she regenerate?

Yes, Robin Banks can die, and yes, she will regenerate. Similar to Father Winter there will be a new Burglar with similar traits that will be randomly generated if this happens.

[gh0stofstarman]

HELP WANTED: LITTLEBIGPLANET FAN MOVEMENT

For the past year or so I’ve been working on a fan movement to revitalize interest in LittleBigPlanet on Sony’s terms. Think it comparable to Operation Moonfall, a fan movement for revitalizing interest in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, which eventually led to its 3D Remake.

While I can’t promise the plan I’ve set out is guaranteed to result in a new LBP game, I do believe that it is also the best opportunity for one to be made. However, as I’ve worked behind the scenes I’ve found it impossible to maintain on my own. Therefore I must ask for help.

Operation Mushroom Tree, as it is tentatively titled, involves the creation of a professional pitch for a new LittleBigPlanet entry for modern consoles. This pitch would provide a basic outline of what a new entry would entail, and prove why the franchise would still be popular.

The goal is not to make a wishlist nor a whole new installment on our own, but a feasible design concept for a new game that the community can rally behind. While this exact pitch may not be directly used by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Operation Mushroom Tree would be a template to guide development of a new game. The design document at the forefront would show the best way to make a new installment in a way that would be enticing to shareholders and employees of Sony Interactive Entertainment, the current rights holders.

The document has been mainly continuously written by me. However, I am just beginning my journey into game development, and this project would be unsustainable on my own. I need concept artists and render artists to create mockups of believable illustrations of the game Operation Mushroom Tree provides. As well, I’d sincerely love the second opinions of other game designers who are passionate about the LBP franchise. Finally, I have only a very rudimentary idea of how LBP works on a programming and hardware level, and thus this project would benefit from an expert on such.

To be precise, I am looking for:

- 3D Modeling or Photoshop Artists to create renders and mock-ups of gameplay mechanics.

- Individuals with history in Game Design and have a fondness for the LittleBigPlanet Franchise, mainly to help write and guide the main design document.

- Individuals who have intimate knowledge of the LittleBigPlanet franchise on a hardware and software level, and can evaluate the feasibility of certain features on modern hardware.

If you or anyone you know falls into these categories, please contact me through Tumblr. If you are not in these categories, but are interested and believe you are able to help with this campaign, please contact me as well, and hopefully we can find a way to work together still. Do please provide some evidence of your past work and knowledge with your message.

I know that many out there currently are disappointed with the treatment of the LBP franchise after 2024, as am I. However, I do believe that LittleBigPlanet could thrive in today’s landscape, and would be beneficial to the games industry as a whole. Therefore, I am willing to embark on this journey, not only to entertain fans, but to help support up-and-coming developers get their first steps, as LBP did for me.

[cao-the-dreamer]

Inquisitor as Companion Tag Game

Rules: For the categories below, describe or list the greetings your Inquisitor (as a companion) would say when approached by the PC

Tagged by @greypetrel thank you! I'm slowly but surely going through the notifications of my inbox. Decided to go with Lavellan -- and an extra character at the end ;)

Tzipporah Lavellan

Cold/Hostile (-75 to -5):

Tzipporah is located on the training grounds, leaning against a tree with her arms crossed. Sometimes, a faint, distant howl can be heard when the played starts a conversation with her. There will be an extra arrow in the dialogue wheel to ask her about the strange noise; no matter how many times the player asks, she will always neutrally respond "what noise?". Any question about her story or her clan with be answered with clipped and cold replies.

Greetings:

*grunts*

Yes?

Need something?

[Elf Inquisitor] Andaran atish'an.

[If Inquisitor drank from the Well of Sorrows] *sarcastically* Yes, hahren?

Farewells:

Alright then.

Sure.

*grunts*

[Elf Inquisitor] Dareth shiral.

Neutral/Warm (-5 to 74):

Tzipporah is standing on the battlements, watching the horizon. A dog's skeleton, revived through necromancy, sits next to her; its bones are held together with what seems to be black tar/ooze. There will be an extra arrow in the dialogue wheel to ask her about the dog; she will simply say he's friendly and called Goop. Any further question will be deflected by redirecting the Inquisitor toward Dorian for the specifics.

Greetings:

*politely* Ser/Serah.

*gentle, inquisitive hum*

Nothing on the horizon so far.

[If Inquisitor drank from the Well of Sorrows] What do I have to call you now...?

Farewells:

You know where to find me.

I'll keep standing watch.

*hums*

Friendly (75 to 125):

Tzipporah is found in the gardens, sitting on a bench. Goop is laying at her feet and always raises his head when the PC starts a dialogue. Once the friendly status is achieved, she will accept questions about her undead dog; she reveals it was a gift from a necromancer when the clan passed through Nevarra. (There is an extra choice to pet the dog). She also regularly asks news about her children back in Lavellan clan; inquiries about her charges will always make her smile and her voice softer. The PC can choose to personally brings her letters from the clan, which will gain a small approval from Tzipporah. She can be found discussing with Kieran from time to time. If the Inquisitor drank from the Well of Sorrows, she will asks the player if she is supposed to call them "hahren" and confesses it feels strange and that she will need time to address them as such.

Greetings:

It's good to see you, hon.

[Elf Inquisitor] Aneth ara, lethallin.

There you are! Goop missed you. *happy bark from Goop*

[If the Chantry Garden upgrade was chosen] That statue is creepy. Full offence. Decorative judgement aside, do you need something, hon?

[If the Herb Garden upgrade was chosen] I'm no gardener, but your plants look healthy and thriving, hon.

You and [romanced character] seem to go along well. I'm happy for you, hon.

Farewells:

Take care, hon.

Say bye, Goop! *happy bark from Goop*

Thank you again for the letters, hon. It means a lot to me.

Say hello to [romanced character] from me! *giggles*

[Elf Inquisitor] Dareth shiral, lethallin.

If flirted with:

Tzipporah cannot be romanced and will not react to the Inquisitor's flirting asides from an amused "heh". At the third flirt, she will gently turn the PC down and tell them she's not interested in a relationship at the moment.

BONUS!

Fluffy the harpy

Fluffy doesn't have a high/low approval mechanic, but she will react differently if you choose her wild route or tamed route (just like you choose human or spirit for Cole).

She hatches once you arrive in Skyhold, and is installed in the Inquisitor's rooms. The PC can interact with her to teach her a few words. After completing one of the main quests (Winter Palace or Grey Wardens), she will start talking in actual sentences.

At least once in the game, the PC will find her with each companion and advisor. If the Inquisitor accepts these interactions, Fluffy will hang out around this character. Otherwise, she will be brought back to her room. The "tamed" status is achieved if she gets to hang out with seven characters. The only one who keeps watching over/interacting with her, no matter the route, is Solas.

Wild route

Greetings:

*Happy peep*

Hi! Hi!

Look! I caught a rat!

You take me hunting today?

I ate a frog!

New feather! Tada!

I played in the trees!

Farewells:

Flying is soon?

I go learn with Solas!

*peeps*

Ah shit!

Tamed route

Greetings:

*squeals*

Baba! Up, up!!

I played with [insert character] today!

I missed you, baba!

Meanie! You left for so very long!

I found something shiny!

I can has cheeseburger cake?

Farewells:

*disappointed whine*

Goodbye kiss!

We fly later please?

I go play with [insert character]!

Ah shit!

[sussex-newswire]

"Predictably, the blind hatred has really ramped up a gear this week thanks to the release of Meghan’s Netflix series With Love, Meghan; an aesthetically beautiful lifestyle show where Meghan shares incredibly attainable tips and tricks for everything to do with hosting. In one episode, she puts together a child-friendly party bag for a pretty garden dinner with her friend Mindy Kaling. In another, she makes natural beeswax candles and a three-tier honey and lemon cake with another pal, makeup artist Daniel Martin.

"Friends are a common theme throughout the eight-episode series, with different guests joining Meghan in the kitchen in each installment, and every time, Meghan is visibly glowing with happiness.

"Despite what the haters may say, Meghan’s authenticity and passion shines through, with the entire show a love letter to her lifestyle roots, which she was already expertly showcasing on The Tig before she was forced to shut it down when she joined the royal family.

"The whole series gives viewers an insight into just how much Meghan is thriving five years after her and Harry’s move to California. In addition to Archie, they have welcomed a daughter together, Princess Lilibet, and live a wholesome life with their beloved pets, growing their own produce in their huge garden full of flowers, fruit trees, and vegetable patches, alongside a chicken coop with chickens they rescued from factory farms, and even their own bee yard where they source fresh honey.

"In addition, Meghan is surrounded by close friends who have had her back through the good times and the bad. With them, she hosts game nights, brunches, and enjoys hikes through stunning Montecito, which she calls home.

"Harry also makes a brief appearance in the final episode of With Love, Meghan, where he is every part the doting husband and clearly bursting with pride as he supports his wife’s new venture.

"And this is just the beginning, with Meghan’s As Ever lifestyle range set to drop in the coming weeks, and her brand new podcast also being teased for release at some point in the near future."

[wof-inbox]

Winter! that weird monkey thing that asker called a "scavenger" is an image from a video game called "Rainworld" . Infact it also seems that person is a fan of that video game. Now Winter! (throws PC with rainworld installed) go play it, it's an amazing ecosystem simulator where you learn how to live and thrive in it despite it's hostility.

... Just be patent dying is a natural part of the experence

”AH!” [The nephew of Queen Glacier quickly dodges the computer thrown at him] “Well when you do stuff like this I don’t know if I will! .. It does sound interesting..” -Winter

[plain text: AH! // Well when you do stuff like this I don’t know if I will! .. It does sound interesting..]

[marinsawakening]

I don't know how to say this without coming across like I'm bragging about being morally superior (I'm not) but whever a Direct or an E3 thing or whatever happens and I see people discuss what they will and what they won't buy I'm just like. We're never getting out of this hole huh.

The idea of a Switch 2 disgusts me. The neverending train of slight technological upgrades for playthings at direct cost of the lives of the people who mine for it and work to build it is disgusting. The idea of people even considering paying for it is insane to me. Before you ask yes I was also disgusted by the 3DS and Wii U the Switch is not special. IF I buy the Switch 2 it'll be years from now secondhand, likely after they've already stopped producing it, as I did with my 3DS. I'll def miss new Zelda games and other games that I'd find fun and will play them years later if at all, but like. Who cares. There's such a massive backlog of great video games on the Switch alone, why the hell would I shill out for a new system so I can buy new games as they come out? Nintendo is not getting a dime from me.

And all these overpriced €60+ games and endless mediocre spin-offs and 'HD' re-releases or subscription services to play games that are decades old, like. It's fucking criminal to me. I'm not paying Nintendo for that and it's insane to me that ppl are. I did not pay Nintendo for a single Zelda game I played. I pirated them, bought them secondhand, or in the case of Age of Calamity, played it on my friend's account for free. I watched people rush to buy Echoes of Wisdom at the full €60 price as soon as it released much the same way you'd watch lemmings dive off a cliff. I waited a few months and got it secondhand for half the retail price. It's a game that's like maybe a sixth the scale of BOTW and it's retailing only about €10 cheaper, and we KNOW it's not worth that, we all know and complain about it, and then people pre-order it anyway??? It's just insane to me.

All this while there's a thriving indie game scene where you can get brilliant games for a fraction of the price or entirely for free. Ppl are paying €60 for a game when Undertale is on Steam for €10. Literally why the fuck would you do that.

Like I'm truly not trying to be all morally superior here, I run a damn LOZ blog, I am not immune to large unethical media franchises (or poor financial decisions, for that matter), but the sheer ubiquity of it. The fact that no matter how much anyone complains about broken game releases or unethical business practices every single goddamn cash grab will still make millions if not billions of dollars. That ppl can't even simply wait a few months to buy a game secondhand, that the idea of not playing the latest installment in a popular game franchise they like is so unbearable they'll play it regardless of quality, buy it overpriced, buy a whole damn useless new game console just to keep up with future releases... It's so disheartening to me. We're never fucking getting out of this hole are we.

In conclusion: consider putting the money you would've spent on the Switch 2 or The Legend of Zelda: Link's Asscrack or whatever on indie games on itch.io instead.