#i aspire to have that type of influence on the world

[pomefioredove]

okay after reading all the goth hc, I gotta ask. how do you think the guys would react (any of them but preferred Floyd and Idia ) to playing them goth music/show them a trad goth outfit/makeup look (suprise them maybe? For example: I hc Leona to just have the least slay music taste to mankind (beastmankind?) so you play him- idk let’s say Lebanon Hanover, and he’s like “wtf is this herbivore?” But then he kinda gets into it. no pressure to write for it btw!

-✨♥️✨

ANON I was literally thinking about making a post like this a few days before this ask... you have my heart. I'm doing a full post

summary: nrc boys and goth type of post: headcanons characters: nrc students additional info: platonic or romantic, reader is gender neutral, reader is not specified to be yuu, half-headcanons half-x reader author's note: I'm assuming that goth as a subculture and a music scene already exists in this world. this post is also mostly about the music scene

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Riddle is essentially a baby bat

he's like, two bad life choices away from going full victorian goth at any given moment

he flat out refuses to listen to anything "vulgar" but secretly adores the dark, poetic side to goth

he's also morbidly obsessed with death, being a sad victorian boy and the child of two doctors. it works

as much as I hate to say it, Ace starts out as the kind of guy to say he wants a "goth gf" on multiple occasions

he proudly announces it to everyone at an unbirthday party once and Riddle almost kills him for being annoying for interrupting

thinks the music is too sad

...but he mellows out eventually (your influence)

both Deuce and Trey are not particularly interested

(Deuce leaned into punk music as a preteen but has since "given it up" because it's too unruly for an aspiring honors student, in his opinion)

Cater inexplicably already knows a lot about goth

won't talk about it unless you bring it up first but if you play him something semi-popular

he'll be like "oh yeah I know that one"

he has a few songs on his playlist he listens to when he's alone

is a goth magnet himself. pulls many hot goths. no one knows how

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Jack is also not really into it. not his thing

however I can see him secretly being into emo

make of that what you will

and Ruggie will never pass you the aux again. he calls it "halloween music"

Leona acts thoroughly uninterested for a long time

like, he'll listen to the music you give him, but doesn't really say whether he likes it or not

says he doesn't care about the scene (thinks it's too pretentious)

and pretends to be annoyed when you give him more song recs

but he gets into it. he starts listening on his own

he has a definite preference for gothic rock

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Jade is already goth (to me at least)

and very eager to talk about his favorite bands

loves giving recommendations

apparently the coral sea has its own goth subgenres and bands, which sound... much different from land ones

Floyd will listen (has listened, thanks to his brother) but he doesn't particularly care

he much prefers the aesthetic, it reminds him of home

...being that he's from the deep sea, where it's dark and cold

the flowy, dark, elegant looks are just enchanting to him. he can't keep his eyes off it

Azul couldn't be bothered

he's willing to learn, but isn't a huge fan of the general... strangeness

(he doesn't really understand why anyone would want to be perceived as strange in the first place)

and the music is so unmelodic to him

"that was just a man moaning and a gate creaking for seven minutes" and then he bans you from his office

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Kalim literally listens to goth already

I don't know how to explain it but I know he does

it's so funny because he never ever dresses goth or acts stereotypically goth but every once in a while he'll be like "who wants to hear my new favorite song? :D" and it's like, alien sex fiend. and no one can say anything about it

Jamil is an appreciator

depending on what you show him, he could really get into the lyricism and general mood

...if only because he finds goth dancing absolutely mesmerizing

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Rook is goth

he only dresses the part sometimes, but he's always been very passionate about the poetic elements of the music

...really into french coldwave

in terms of fashion he leans romantic goth

it just makes sense to me. he could find beauty in absolutely anything, and the dark and macabre are no exception

will talk your ear off about his favorite bands if you give him the chance

Vil is really more into the style than the music

he's dabbled in a little bit of everything; trad goth, romantic goth, medieval goth. he pulls all of it off

honestly, if anything, the gothic style compliments his features and tastes more than anything

he has such a respect for the subculture and the dedication that goes into the visual elements

Epel doesn't get it. sorry 😔

he will listen to the music you recommend because he cares about you, but he just doesn't like it

he's in the same boat as Azul. "was that a slide whistle?"

absolutely baffled, but he likes you and it's a small price to pay for your happiness

(and he thinks the fashion is too androgynous for his tastes)

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

I feel like Idia also used to think he wanted a goth until he saw the e-girl vs goth discourse, freaked out, then spent two weeks reading about different subcultures

...still wants a goth partner

but now he actually knows what that means

will listen to any music you give him out of respect (fear) and won't say anything about whatever weird taxidermy-related hobby you have

he's surrounded by death all the time anyway who cares

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

you could get Silver to listen to the cure's entire discography and he'd come out of it really enjoying just like heaven and nothing else

it's just... not for him

(plus the slower songs put him to sleep)

Malleus somehow hasn't even heard of goth as a genre when you approach him

he is. a little disappointed it's not music about the architecture style

but he still warms up to it, especially as someone who enjoys finding the beauty in the dark and misunderstood

you can fix him. you can goth him.

Sebek joins only after everyone in Diasomnia gets in on it with you (he doesn't like being left out)

he loves it because silver doesn't and malleus does

peepaw Lilia is an old goth

he was around when the music scene started, and he also remembers the literature movement it was named after, and the popular architecture style that was named after, and...

...you get it

still, he's always pleased to learn about new bands and subgenres and styles and the like

could and will talk about it for hours and hours with you

he dresses the part, too

we love him

[capybaratrait]

But Daddy I Love Him!: A Disney Princess Legacy Challenge

I didn't really like any version of the Disney Princess Legacy so I decided to do one myself! I tried not to repeat traits, skills... But sometimes I couldn't figure out, sorry! I also included a color scheme based on the princess. You have to complete the aspiration, career and max the skills, unless stated otherwise. I also included some extra goals!

It's not playtested, so I might make changes as I play. I have an edited lifespan that makes Young Adulthood and Adulthood a little bit longer, but Teenagehood and Childhood shorter. My guess is that you could finish the challenge in normal lifespan, but you also can do it in long or with a custom lifespan, or even turn aging off if you want to! Whatever you want to do!

Also, I had to be quite... Creative in some of the princess descriptions, because their personalities are very similar.

Also, there's not really any general rules. Your heir can be any gender you want (Everyone can be a princess!), if you want to cheat, cheat, if you wanna change something, change it!

Generation 1. Snow White 🍎

Packs: Cottage Living, Parenthood

Running away from a terrible family, you find yourself in a tiny cottage in the middle of nowhere. You dedicate yourself to keep it clean and make it a home. A hopeless romantic, you dream of finding your true love and form a beautiful family.

Traits: Cheerful, Romantic, Childish

Aspiration: Soulmate

Career: Stay-at-Home Parent

Skills: Cooking, Parenting, Cross-Stitching

Colors: Red, Blue and Yellow

Make seven friends

Marry your first love and stay with them all your life. Don’t woohoo before marriage

Befriend wild animals (bunnies, birds, foxes)

Have three children

Grow an apple tree of magnificent quality in your backyard

Generation 2. Cinderella 👠

Packs: High School Years, Cats and Dogs, My First Pet Stuff

Your parent instill in you the importance of being a hard-worker, but you can’t help but wish for a better life! With your two siblings making your life impossible, you spent your teenage years working a part-time job and saving as much money as you could to get away from them. As a young adult, you move to your own place and start working in the world of fashion.

Traits: Ambitious, Overachiever, Perfectionist

Aspiration: Fabulously Wealthy

Career: Style Influencer

Skills: Writing, Painting, Charisma, Photography

Colors: Silver

Have a bad relationship with your two siblings

As a teen, reach max level of a part-time job of your choice

Always have a rat and a cat as your pets

You need no one to achieve success! But, eventually, you find someone as rich as talented as you have become (aka, don’t marry/move with before you have completed at least 3 tiers of your aspiration)

Generation 3. Aurora 🛏️

Packs: Nifty Knitting, Get Famous, Parenthood, Island Living

Unlike your parent, you don't even have to move a finger to get what you want. Born and raised in a wealthy family, you might be getting a little spoiled. That’s why your parents send you to live in your uncle/aunt’s house. There, you learn some good lessons, like the importance of generosity and hard work. Although some things never change… And naps are still your favorite pastime!

Traits: Lazy, Creative, Generous

Aspiration: Lord/Lady of the Knits

Career: Career Hop

Skills: Comedy, Knitting

Colors: Blue, Pink

Move out to your uncle/aunt’s house as a teen. There, they teach you discipline. Make sure you get at least two good character value traits!

Meet your future spouse at your uncle/aunt’s, but don’t start dating him until you are a young adult. They have to be a mermaid!

As a young adult, you don’t really know what to do. Career hop everytime you receive a call!

You love to knit! It is something you can do while sitting. Unlock all types of clothing and buy objects available with the Knitting skill

Generation 4. Ariel 🧜🏻‍♀️

Packs: Island Living, Snowy Escape, Parenthood

As a teen, you discover that you are not a normal sim: you are a merfolk. Your curious nature makes you move out from your family house to the place where your parent was born and raised, and reconnect with your roots. But when you fall in love with a normal sim, you decide to renounce your other form and become a boring, normal human.

Traits: Geek, Adventurous, Child of the Ocean

Aspiration: Beach Life

Career: Conservationist

Skills: Logic, Fitness

Colors: Red, Green, Purple

Get the Irresponsible character value trait

As soon as you become a young adult, move out to Sulani

Complete the Seashells collection and another collection of your choice

Befriend a dolphin

Stop being a mermaid when you fall in love with a human sim!

Generation 5. Belle 📚

Packs: High School Years, City Living/For Rent, Growing Together, Cats and Dogs

Ever since you were a kid you loved to hide under the covers with a good book and immerse yourself in a world full of magic where everything is possible. You love to read, it is your favorite thing in the whole world, and to think you also could create those beautiful stories? That's your dream. You also love your family, but you want to have your own life, so after graduating high school you move to a shared apartment looking for a little more independence. Turns out your roommate is a monster, but for some reason you can’t stop thinking that there is goodness deep inside them…

Traits: Bookworm, Creative, Good

Aspiration: Best-Selling Author

Career: Writer

Skills: Writing, Charisma

Colors: Yellow

Try to become a valedictorian or at least graduate with honors in High School!

Share an apartment with a sim with the evil trait. Fall in love with them, and try to change its trait for another one with the self-discovery system!

Keep a rose in your house

Always have a dog in your household

Generation 6. Jasmine 🧞‍♂️

Packs: Get Famous, High School Years, Get Together, For Rent, Romantic Garden Stuff

Stubborn and impulsive, you are not interested in love at all, especially with your parents pressuring you to give them grandkids and introducing you to suitors all the time. You want to triumph, be something for yourself! You might come across as a little self-absorbed, but you have a good heart and will help everyone in need. You move to Del Sol Valley looking for fame, and there you find someone that sparks your interest… But if you do commit to someone, it will be your decision. Your parents will have nothing to say in the matter.

Traits: Self-Absorbed, Hot-Headed, Party Animal

Aspiration: World Famous Celebrity

Career: Actor/Actress

Skills: Acting, Dancing

Colors: Blue

Have a bad relationship with all the sims your parents introduce you, especially with one of them

Fall in love with a sim in the criminal career. Your parents do not approve of them, so they have a bad relationship

Go on a vacation to Tomarang and adopt a tiger!

Make three different wishes with the wishing well over the course of your life

Generation 7. Pocahontas 🌳

Packs: Seasons, Outdoor Retreat, Discover University, Spa Day, For Rent

You grew up in the buzzling city of Del Sol Valley, a place that never sleeps, full of luxury and fake appearances, but you never felt comfortable there. You always had a connection with nature, and as soon as you reach young adulthood, you leave your parents mansion, looking to find inner peace. A natural leader, you decide to devote your life to guide and teach young generations.

Traits: Loves Outdoors, Self-Assured, Vegetarian

Aspiration: Outdoor Enthusiast

Career: Education

Skills: Research & Debate, Herbalism, Wellness

Colors: Brown, Blue

As a child and a teen, be in scouts and collect all the badges!

Have a failed relationship before finding the one you form a family with

You are a deeply spiritual person. Max the friendship bar with one of your dead grandparents

Get the Wise trait as an elder

Generation 8. Mulan 🐉

Packs: StrangerVille, Paranormal

You have a huge sense of responsibility, so you join the military thinking that that is the best way to help people. But then, you are transferred to the town of StrangerVille, and start suspecting the military wants to cover something related to the Secret Lab in the outskirts of town… And you are gonna figure out what it is.

Traits: Clumsy, Active, Family-Oriented

Aspiration: StrangerVille Mystery

Career: Military

Skills: Fitness, Logic

Colors: Green, Blue, Yellow

Fall in love with someone also in the military career. You have to have a bad relationship with them first

Befriend three other co-workers

Matchmake your friends!

Get the Brave reward trait

Generation 9. Tiana 🐸

Packs: Dine Out, Cottage Living, Growing Together

You have a passion for good food, are a very hard-working sim and will do anything possible to achieve your goals! You start working at a restaurant hoping one day you will open your very own, where you will make people happy with your dishes. Oh, you also are obsessed with frogs, but you don’t know where that comes from…

Traits: Foodie, Animal Enthusiast, Self-Assured

Aspiration: Master Chef

Career: Chef/Restaurant Owner

Skills: Cooking, Gourmet Cooking

Colors: Green, Blue

Open your own restaurant after completing the aspiration. Reach the 5 stars!

Complete the frogs collection

Have a best friend

Adopt at least 1 child; They will be the heir. Have a strict family dynamic with them

Generation 10. Rapunzel 🌞

Packs: Get to Work, Horse Ranch, City Living

Your parents were always very protective of you, and you never understood why, until they confessed to you that you were adopted. Because of their strict parenting, you couldn’t do crazy things and learn from your mistakes; you crave adventures and want to discover who you really are. You really are a creative force! You love painting, you love singing, and you also seem to have a gift to make other people feel better, so you decide to become a doctor and spend all your free time looking for your biological parents.

Traits: Art Lover, Music Lover, Genius

Aspiration: Painter Extraordinaire

Career: Doctor

Skills: Painting, Logic, Singing

Colors: Pink, Purple

Find your biological parents as a young adult or an adult

Have a very long hair

Have a horse in your household

Have 4 kids in total. 3 of them have to be triplets!

Note: If I finish the legacy, which I don't think I will because I never finish them 😂 I will make extra generations for Merida, Moana and Raya.

[succulentsiren]

Practical Tips to Live A More Seductive Life: SucculentSiren x FemmeFataleVibe

It's my pleasure to provide this collab between FemmeFataleVibe and I. Seduction is a complex practice, so here we discussed new perspectives and ways to utilize it in your daily life. Thank you @femmefatalevibe for your enlightening knowledge. It definitely expanded my view on how to live more seductively.

What does seduction mean to you?

SucculentSiren: Seduction is using enchantment to attract a desired outcome. You can seduce yourself, by applying certain self-beliefs or you can seduce others by developing a captivating influence.

FemmeFataleVibe: Being seductive cannot be reduced to a behavior, way of dressing, or speech. It is a palpable yet intangible shift in how you see yourself and how you show up for yourself alone or out in the world.

✦•······················•

Topics

-Mindset

FFV: Embrace an abundance mindset. Perceive new connections and opportunities as complimentary rather than a source of validation or self-actualization. Living as a seductress is only possible when you know you create a complete life without others' permission. You've already filled up your cup, so you have additional energy to give and receive to those individuals and projects that are deserving

SS: It is crucial to have a ‘Winners Mindset.” Shift your mindset from expecting to fail, to expecting to win. Envision yourself receiving your desires. Having this mindset eliminates anxiety and doubt around your capability in attaining what you want. You must also know that you are deserving of the things you are attracting. Be patient regardless of external circumstances. Keep your eyes in the prize and remain firm in your self beliefs.

Surrounding self with things that elevate you (people, hobbies, environment, décor)

FFV: Release any shame surrounding your pleasure-seeking fantasies. For a seductive individual, there is no guilt in living in a state of joy, fulfillment, and regular indulgence. Remind yourself that you're entitled to enjoy nice things –from your outfits and beauty routine to your meals, workouts, and our home environment. You should (generally) derive pleasure academic pursuits or professional identity, goals, relationships (of all types), and leisure activities. 

FFV: Allow yourself to feel deserving. Show up as the person you strive to be. Hold yourself, dress, speak, act, and move through the world in a way you aspire to be. Stop people-pleasing and allow yourself to minimize yourself or your goals for the comfort of others. Your peace of mind is the most sacred element of your being.

SS: Whether you know it or not, your surroundings have an immense influence on you. Who you spend time with, what you talk about with your company, who you follow on social media, what decorations you have in your home, etc. Everything around you influences you. So choose to be surrounded by people and things that make you better. Know your strengths and weaknesses but appreciate and learn from others as well. Remove the people that see with lack, stress and fear. Befriend people who uplift, motivate and inspire you to see abundance and opportunity in all areas.

✦•······················•

Q&A

Q: Do you believe that being a seductive person has more to do with physical appearance or personality? How do you believe someone can show up as a more seductive person through how they present themselves – physically, emotionally, or socially? 

SS: I believe seduction is a combination of inner confidence, mental agility and an appealing appearance. Using seduction towards yourself can help with building self confidence and create a positive outlook on how you view yourself and therefore influence other people to treat you with respect.

FFV: I believe that being a seductive person stems from genuine self acceptance of your most authentic desires, unshakable inner confidence, and non-negotiable level of self respect. To embody these qualities, I believe that a seductive person's energy will radiate naturally through their personality into their physical presence through traits, including good posture eye contact, and mannerisms. Similarly, I believe that unwavering self-respect is a care aspect of being a seductive person. So, naturally, I think that a seductive person will embody their character traits through both personality traits like setting strong (healthy) boundaries and taking care of their appearance (excellent hygiene, prioritizing their health, remaining thoughtful when putting themselves together - clean, well-styled outfits, makeup, hairstyles, nails, perfume, etc.).

Q: How do you think you can be a more seductive person in areas of our life outside of your romantic or intimate endeavors? Do you believe that seduction is more of a libidinal or creative energy?

FFV: I believe cultivating your inner seductress/seducer will make you a better conversationalist, writer, speaker, dancer, athlete, chef, project manager, learner, etc. In my eyes, libidinal and creative energy are one and the same. So, I see creative energy, by definition, as the art of transmuting libidinal energy into areas of your life outside of the bedroom and romantic pursuits (think Napoleon Hill's concept of Sex Transmutation as an exercise of will-power in his book, Think and Grow Rich). I think you can be a more seductive person in any area of life that requires confidence, high energy, stream-of-consciousness-level focus (flow state), and, of course, creativity. Anecdotally, I've found that understanding that good writing is akin to good sex & sexual chemistry has been one of the best ways to up-level my professional skillset.

SS: Seduction is a creative practice of attracting your desires, sometimes through material and emotional lures. It isn’t always sexual, but since seduction stimulates emotions it can create pleasure. I believe a person can use seduction in various ways. When most people think of seduction, they think of manipulation or sneakiness but seduction is just a simple art of attracting what you desire at all costs. Having this mindset can help with becoming open minded and relentless when pursuing goals. Instead of settling and accepting what you don’t want, seduction shows you alternative ways to attain your desires and live a life that you truly enjoy. Using seduction in platonic relationships, can help you better understand the needs of others. Such as, putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. When you do this you make that person feel appreciated and heard. This quality alone enriches relationships, friendships and partnerships. Another example is disagreements. Seducers don’t have to argue, they listen and then strategize solutions that everyone can benefit from because no one wants to compromise if there's not anything that they too can benefit from.

[writing-with-sophia]

How to write an elderly main character?

I'm back! Because school is quite busy and I'm about to take exams, I don't have time to post new articles. I wonder if anyone remembers me. (probably not, lol)

There are many novels that feature elderly as main characters, for example, "The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared" by Jonas Jonasson or "Our Souls at Night" by Kent Haruf. Today, I'll show you a few tips for writing this type of character.

When writing an elderly main character, it's important to approach the portrayal with sensitivity, authenticity, and a nuanced understanding of the aging process. Here are some tips to consider when developing an elderly main character:

Characterization: Create a well-rounded character with depth and complexity. Consider their personality traits, background, life experiences, and values. Remember that elderly individuals, like people of any age, can have diverse personalities and interests. Give your character hobbies, interests, and passions that reflect their individuality and bring richness to their life. Older adults can have a wide range of hobbies, such as gardening, art, music, or storytelling, which can add depth to their character.

Realism: Research and understand the aging process. Gain insights into the physical, cognitive, and emotional changes that commonly occur in older adults. This will help you create a realistic portrayal of your elderly character and avoid stereotypes or misconceptions.

Language and Dialogue: Reflect the character's age and life experience in their language and dialogue. Consider the vocabulary, speech patterns, and cultural references that may align with their generation. However, be cautious not to overuse stereotypes or make assumptions about their language abilities.

Challenges and Strengths: Portray the challenges and strengths that come with aging. Depict the character's struggles with age-related issues such as health concerns, memory loss, or changes in mobility. These changes can impact how your character interacts with the world and inform their daily routines and challenges. Also, highlight their resilience, wisdom, and life experience as sources of strength.

Relationships and Interactions: Explore the character's relationships with people of different ages, including family members, friends, and younger individuals. Show how their interactions and perspectives may differ from those of younger characters, while also highlighting the potential for intergenerational connections. This can involve exploring intergenerational conflicts, mentorship, or the passing down of wisdom and traditions.

Avoid Ageism: Be mindful of ageist stereotypes or biases and avoid perpetuating them in your portrayal. Treat the character with respect and dignity, highlighting their agency, autonomy, and ongoing personal growth.

Emotional Depth: Explore the character's emotional landscape, including their joys, fears, regrets, and aspirations. Show their emotional growth and the ways in which they navigate and adapt to life's challenges.

Seek Input: Consider seeking input or feedback from older adults or conducting research to gain firsthand insights into their experiences. This can help ensure an authentic portrayal and avoid generalizations or assumptions.

Life History: Develop a backstory for your character that encompasses their life experiences, significant events, and milestones. Consider how their past has shaped them and influenced their perspectives, values, and motivations.

Cultural Context: Take into account the cultural and historical context in which your character grew up and lived their life. Different generations may have distinct cultural references, societal expectations, or historical events that have influenced their worldview.

Social Roles: Explore the roles your character has played throughout their life, such as parent, grandparent, spouse, or professional. Consider how these roles may have evolved over time and how they perceive their identity in relation to these roles.

Please remember that every character is unique, and individual differences should be considered when writing an elderly main character. Approach the portrayal with empathy, respect, and a commitment to representing the complexity and richness of older individuals' lives.

If you want to read more posts about writing, please click here and give me a follow!

[3liza]

I'm baffled at the way Normal men 99% of the time insist in their online profiles, not just dating profiles but everywhere, that they spend all of their time outdoors like, riding ATVs and fishing and hiking and playing tennis.

and then every photo is a really terrible picture of them doing one of those things, obviously on a vacation or tourism or something. first of all everyone knows you're lying, actual outdoor people don't talk about it constantly because it's just normal for them and they dont look like tourists in the photos they post. and secondly that is not attractive to women. it's not unattractive to women either, except to the ones who really think about it and realize hey wait a minute this guy's fake lifestyle sounds exhausting, I don't want to spend every weekend on a speed boat. it's just unremarkable, even if true. why are you telling me this. specifically why are you taking the trouble to lie to me about this.

I think it's because Normal guys are excessively neurotic about their lack of personality, whether real or imagined, and think Sport is the correct filler foam to plaster over the void. some women do this too but it's only the ones who are bad at online personality presentation and have also concluded that Outside is an interesting personality trait (again, it's not, and I say this as a passionate outside-liker). millions of Americans lying about going hiking thirty hours a week. but where did they get this idea. it's not on TV, TV characters don't hike or ATV or tennis a lot. it's not from other real people, i haven't overheard or been involved in IRL conversations where people expressed any genuine interest in Outside as personality trait. I've seen people and TV refer to the trope of the Healthy Person who supposedly exercises and is outside all the time, but they are generally presented as either uptight or annoying to be around.

it's like we've all gotten the idea that the Outside Person is desirable to be, without actually desiring an Outside Person ourselves. The outside person is an archetype we have agreed is correct for presentation to strangers but only after several layers of abstraction.

I think actually it is just wealth signaling. influencers lie about being Outside all the time because it's a lifestyle we imagine for wealthy people who can choose their location and activities because we imagine ourselves to be Virtuous people who would choose wholesome healthy athletic pursuits if we had all the money in the world. and rich people/influencers lie about being outside all the time to complete the mental circuit of aspirational bullshit. I'm typing this on the toilet btw

[misssoully]

~Eternal Embrace: A Legacy Of Forbidden Love By @misssoully

This Sims 4 legacy challenge focuses on the enduring power of love that transcends boundaries and defies societal norms. Amidst rival families, cultural differences, and societal pressures, follow the journey of a family bound by forbidden romances, determined to preserve their love across generations.

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Basic Premise:

The legacy begins with two teen Sims from rival families or backgrounds who defy their families' expectations and societal norms to pursue a forbidden romance.

As the legacy progresses through ten generations, each heir navigates the challenges of maintaining their family's love and unity while facing external pressures and internal conflicts. Additionally, they strive to end the ongoing feud at some point during the generations."

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Rules:

1. Forbidden Romance: Each generation must feature at least one forbidden romance that defies societal norms or familial expectations. These romances are predetermined for each generation.

2. Ongoing Conflicts: Maintain ongoing conflicts or tensions between the founding families throughout the legacy. These conflicts will influence their aspirations, traits, and relationships. Some heirs will attempt to stop the family's ongoing feud in certain generations.

3. Complete Rules: Each generation must complete its rules to advance to the next heir.

4. Mods and Custom Content: Mods and Custom Content are allowed and can add more spice and drama to the challenge, but they are optional.

5. Cheats: Cheats are only allowed when the first generation is living with their family and when they are moving into another lot to start the legacy challenge. Once they have moved out, no more cheats are permitted.

6. Money Tree: Each generation must have at least one money tree to represent their family wealth and crest.

7. Funds for Heirs: When each heir moves out of the house, they will have no funds to start with unless they have a part-time job. They can transfer the money they earned from their part-time job. Alternatively, use a spin wheel or a random number generator to determine how much money they should get from their parents, using a range of $0-$1,500.

8. Life Span: The life span must be set to the normal life span, with an additional 50 days for the elder life stage so they can live long enough to see their grandkids.

9. Occults: Occults are allowed if you want to have an occult love story while doing this challenge.

10. Lot Traits/Types: Each lot that the heir lives on must have the Simple Living lot trait. If you can't afford to buy a house, you must make the lot a rental until you have enough money to buy it, or you can live in the rental lot as long as you please.

11. Family Pet: Each heir must have an animal as a family pet.

12. Family Keepsake Box: Have a family keepsake box or any box that can store items.

13. Family Graveyard: Make a family graveyard for this legacy. If you are playing with vampires, this is optional.

14. More Traits Slot Mod: If you have the More Traits Slot mod, there will be an extra trait beside the rest of the traits with this symbol (+). You can choose any three traits out of the five traits that each heir must have.

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If you are interested in playing this legacy challenge use @misssoully and #eternalembracealegacyofforbiddenlove so I can see how you would play this legacy challenge.

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Generation One: Star-Crossed Lovers

You and your lover are the scions of two feuding families in (the world you chose to live in). Despite the animosity between your guys' families, you guys both meet by chance at high school and fall deeply in love.

Traits: Romantic, Erratic, Family-Oriented + (Cheerful and Loyal)

Partner Traits: Romantic, Loyal, Hot-Headed + (Bro and Genius)

Aspirations: Soulmate (for both partners)

Career: Your choice

 Rules:

Must be a teen.

Achieve maximum friendship and romance with each other despite family disapproval.

Have a best friend in high school to help you with your secret relationship.

Complete the soulmate aspiration.

Reach the maximum level of Charisma and three other skills.

Reach level 10 in the career you choose ( if you want to run your own business make it have a 3 stars rating).

Marry in secret without the knowledge of both families.

Run away together where both your families can't find you.

Add the private dwelling trait on the lot you move to.

Have 1 child together.

OPTIONAL

Complete the message in a bottle collection.

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2. Generation Two: Secret Romance 

 You are the only child of both your parents, raised in secrecy to shield you from the ongoing feud. Despite knowing the truth, You struggle with your family's legacy and the pressure to maintain their forbidden love.

Traits: Loner, Socially awkward, Art lover + (Perfectionist and Maker)

Aspiration: Painter Extraordinaire

Career: Painter

Rules:

Maintain a low profile to avoid detection by rival families.

Maintain the family's hidden love letters/photos and memorabilia.

Have no good or close friend.

Complete the Sugar Skulls and Decorative Eggs Vollection.

Live in a small/tiny/micro home.

Add the Quiet lot trait or the private dwelling. (You can add both)

Make part of your house have an art studio.

Complete the painter career.

Complete the painter extraordinaire aspiration.

Reach the maximum level of Painting, and two other skills.

Date a sim that is married.

Must have a child/children with that married sim.

Have a painting of your parents, lover, children/child, and pet.

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3.   Generation Three: Forbidden Union 

You face the pressure to honor your family's legacy while yearning for freedom and independence. You rebel against your family's expectations and fall in love with someone from a background deemed unacceptable by your relatives.

Traits: Hot-head, Self-absorbed, Foodie + (Childish and Kleptomaniac)

Aspiration: City Native

Career: Criminal (Oracle Branch)

Rules:

Get dislike by 12 Sims.

Drop out of high school.

Move out of the family home to assert independence.

Must live in one of the apartments in the city.

Max out the Mischief, Programming, Singing and one other skills.

Engage in a romance with a Sim from a background opposed by the family. 

Buy a voodoo doll and bind your lover with it.

Complete the city native aspiration.

Complete the criminal (Oracle Branch) career.

Learn all the food recipes in the city living food stalls.

Complete the Snow Globes and Posters collection.

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4. Generation Four: Sacrifices

You struggle with the burden of family expectations and your own desires. You grapple with sacrificing your own happiness for the sake of your family's reputation.

Traits: Proper, Good, Gloomy + (Neat and Overachiever)

Aspiration: Successful Lineage

Career: Doctor

Rules:

Have a family dinner with your parents and siblings if you have one every Saturday when moving out of their house.

Marry a Sim that is approved by your family, even if it goes against your own desires.

Complete the successful lineage aspiration.

Reach level 10 of the Doctor career.

Reach a maximum level of Cooking, Parenting, and two other skills.

Adopt a stray kitten/puppy.

Have 4 children.

Create a club for Sims who have kids.

Have a toddler play date for each child.

Each child must have atleast two milestones for each categories at their infant stage.

Each child must maximize all their skills at the toddler stage.

Each child must complete at least one child's aspirations.

Each child must be an A+ student in high school.

Each child must have at least one good character value before aging into a young adult.

Each child must graduate from high school and go to university to get a degree.

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5.   Generation Five: Reconciliation 

You seek to mend the rifts between the both  families of the first generation/heir. You strive to reconcile their past conflicts and foster unity through diplomacy and understanding.

Traits: Outgoing , Ambitious , Snob + (Vegetarian and Geek)

Aspiration: Friend of the World

Career: Law (Judge Branch)

Rules:

Complete the Law (Judge Branch) career.

Complete the friend of the world aspiration.

Reach the maximum level of Wellness, Video Gaming, Research and Debate, and two other skills.

Befriend with 5 sims from the first heir family side and 5 sims from the first heir spouse family side.

Organize 5 events or gatherings(parties) to bring both families together to resolve the dispute between both families.

Marry a police officer and have a secret affair with a criminal.

Complete the void critter card, Holiday Cracker Plushies, Simmies , colourful marbles and my Sim trophies collection.

Have a baby with the sim that your sim is having a affair with and go on a vacation with them for 3 days.

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6. Generation Six: New Beginnings 

You have a fresh start and new beginnings. You seek to break free from the constraints of the past and forge your own path, unbound by family history.

Traits: Genius, Self-assured, Non-Committal + (Adventurous and Party Animal)

Aspiration: Renaissance Sim

Part-time job:Manual laborer,Life guard

Career: Freelancer (Any branch)

Rules:

Complete the manual laborer and life guard career as a teen.

Move out as a teen to start your own legacy and separate yourself from both families.

Live in 4 worlds. (If you move out of your parent's house and live in the same world but a different lot it counts)

Complete the postcard and seashell collection.

 Go on a vacation in 2 different worlds to explore new opportunities and experiences.

Host 5 parties and live stream them with a drone.

Reach maximum level in Media production, Entrepreneur and three other skills.

Have  3 failed relationships with 3 older Sims from 3 different worlds you move to.

Marry an older sim that is a global superstar.

Complete the Renaissance sim aspiration.

Complete the Freelancer career.

Start a lifestyle brand.

Have 2 kids with 2 different older sims.

Become a proper celebrity and start a lifestyle brand.

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7.   Generation Seven: Struggle for Acceptance 

You face discrimination and prejudice due to your family's history. You fight for acceptance and equality, challenging societal norms and advocating for change.

Traits: Green Fiend, Active, Insider + (Freegan and Recycle Discipline) 

Aspiration: Leader of the Pack

Career: Civil Designer (Green Technician)

Rules:

Live on a lot that has eco and reduce and recycle lot traits.

Make a club.

Complete the leader of the pack aspiration.

Complete the Civil designer (Green Technician) career.

Marry a rival coworker.

Adopt at least two kids and give birth to 1 child.

Only use the furniture that you made with the fabricator machine.

Purchase the brave trait in the reward store.

Reach maximum level in Fabrication, Charisma, Logic, Handiness, Gardening and one other skills.

On the neighbourhood action plan board convinced people to vote for Clean Energy Production, Eco-Friendly Appliances,Green Gardening, Power Conservation, Self-Sufficiency,Tech Support, Up cycling Initiative and Water Conversation.

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8.   Generation Eight: Legacy of Love

 You embody the values of love, compassion, and empathy instilled by your ancestors. You endeavors to honor their legacy by spreading kindness and positivity to those around you.

Traits: Generous, Animal Enthusiast, Clumsy + (Goofball and  High Maintenance)

Aspiration: Friend of the Animals

Career: Conservationist (Environmental Manager)

Rules:

Become good friends with 7 sims.

Have 5 enemies.

Adopt a cat and a dog.

Complete the feather,frog,insect, fish collection.

Marry to a sim that is your friend or best friend ex.

Must have triples.

Max out the Pet training, Logic, Charisma and two other skills.

Do 10 odd jobs.

Complete the Conservationist (Environmental Manager).

Complete the friend of animals aspiration.

Rescue a horse, max out all four horse skills and win at least 1 competition.

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9.  Generation Nine: Redemption 

You seek redemption for the mistakes and conflicts of previous generations.  You work to reconcile past grievances and heal old wounds, paving the way for a brighter future.

Traits: Squeamish, Jealous, Materialistic + (loves outdoors and Nosy)

Aspiration: Neighbour Confidante 

Career: Politician (Charity Organiser)

Rules:

Be friends with 8 sims at your first heir's side and 8 sims of the first heir's spouse.

Talk up about each sim to them from the opposite family to be with.

Have a family barbecue with them.

Go on a vacation with them (if it restricts you to the amount of Sims it allows you to take or invite, make it not all the Sims from one family side you invited.)

Donate money to charity every Sunday and Friday.

Organize 3 events to contribute money to charity or fundraiser.

Complete the Neighbour Confidante aspirations.

Complete the Politician (Charity Organiser) career.

Max out the Debating , Charisma, Gardening and three other skills.

Have a romantic relationship with one of your sibling spouse or partner.

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10. Generation Ten: Unity and Harmony 

You're the final descendant of your legacy, embodying the culmination of love, unity, and harmony. You strive to unite both families once and for all, ensuring a legacy of peace and acceptance for future generations.

Traits: Music Lover , Bookworm, Creative + (Wise (you have to get this when you are an elder but as for now you can pick any trait) and Paranoid

Aspiration: Best Selling Author and Big Happy Family

Career: Writer (Author Branch)

Rules:

Write stories about each generation from 1-10 make a copy of them and publish it.

Meet 12 Sims from both the first heir's family and spouse's side.

Introduce them to each other so they can become friends.

Marry to a sim that is a friend of your family.

Reach level 10 in writing, a musical instrument skill, and two other skills.

Complete the the Best Selling Author and Big Happy Family aspirations.

Complete the writer career (Author Branch).

Have a formal party.

Invite both families to your wedding, engagement party, and birthday party.

Invite both families to your all children’s baby showers and birthdays.

Go on a family camping trip with them. (You can invite how much U want but must not go below 5 and another tip u can go in their household and make them go on a camping trip as well.)

Visit the family graveyard.

Move back to the world where it all started. 

[bravecrab]

SPOILERS FOR GLASS ONION

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I want to talk about how Glass Onion is such an excellent critique of the rich, specifically the kind who live by the mantra, Move Fast and Break Things.

In Glass Onion they call themselves Disruptors, a specific belief that they are an intelligencia who can see beyond rules and morals, and are willing to break those rules and morals to provide advancements the world needs but can't be provided by anyone without their smarts and bravery.

Except for they don't disrupt The System, they perpetuate it by being rich, selfish individuals who get rich off of exploitation. The Elon Musk equivalent, Miles, is a spoiled idiot who forces his staff to pursue his ridiculous ideas and dismisses their many concerns regarding safety or feasibility.

Duke, who represents the grifters of the manosphere, particularly Joe Rogan and Alex Jones, hawks misogyny and dietary supplements to gamers.

Birdie Jay, the influencer type (perhaps a cross between a Kardashian and Goopy Paltrow) is selling lifestyle products made with sweatshop labour (although her character's reason for using it is that she's a massive idiot).

I don't think Claire (the politician) or Lionel (the scientist) are reflections of anyone specific in the political or scientific fields, but are general examples of those who would enable the likes of Elon or Bezos, to be in proximity to their wealth and power for their own gain. Same with Whiskey and Peg, although they suck up to Duke and Birdie to benefit from their wealth and power.

Lastly we have Andi, and she is the one I am least sure of. She's an ideas person, she's got the smarts to stand up against Miles when he pursues an incredibly dangerous and unethical project. She's definitely an aspiring capitalist, but I feel like she's someone who would like to be The Ethical Billionaire but when the reality of the exploitation that being a billionaire requires becomes apparent, the dream falls apart.

These Disruptors perpetuate harmful exploitative systems by sticking together and enabling each other. We all hope that Musk will be destroyed by being a mask-off idiot by mishandling Twitter, but it isn't getting the Mona Lisa destroyed that ends Miles. It's the abandonment by his sycophants.

We will have to suffer fools like Musk and Trump as they break laws and exploit their wealth because of systems of sycophancy, like an ineffectual justice systems and bottom-feeding politicians. The dismantling of those systems is pivotal in being free from the corruption of the 1%.

What a good movie.

[commsroom]

i think there's something to be said about what exactly it means to be "non-human" in a story that is as much about humanity as wolf 359 is, where even the dear listeners are defined less by their own perspective and more by what they fail to understand and therefore reflect about the human perspective - to the point that they don't even have their own voices or faces or identities that aren't either given to them or taken from humans. they speak to humanity as a mirror.

even pryce and cutter are "very much humans" - pryce defined by her resentment of and desire to transcend its limitations, and cutter by his aspirations to redefine and create a "better" type of human - and find the idea that they might not be human laughable. it's interesting that they have distinctly transhumanist aspirations when their goal is the narrative opposite of common science fiction fears: that we will expand the definition of humanity so much that we'll lose whatever it is that makes us human. pryce and cutter's transhumanism narrows the definition of humanity to the worthy and the useful, as defined by them; "there will still be a humanity; it'll just be our humanity."

in direct opposition to that, i think it's meaningful that the show instead expands the definition of humanity in ways that include lovelace and hera, who in another show with different themes might be considered (in the descriptive, non-moralistic sense) non-human. i will always make a point of saying that personhood and humanity are two often-related but meaningfully distinct concepts, especially when talking about sci-fi and fantasy. i am talking about humanity.

the question of how hera identifies, and what social pressures influence that, is a complicated one. i've talked about it before and i will talk about again. what's important for the purposes of this post is that i think the show considers her fundamentally human. think about her role in shut up and listen - consider jacobi's lion example and the concept of different paradigms - that even things that are close to humans, comparatively speaking, understand the world in different ways. whatever differences hera may have from the others, it's primarily in experience, not fundamental understanding. she shares their emotions, their concerns, their values, their thought patterns. she has an appreciation for music, which the show considers a hallmark of humanity. she fits within the framework of humanity as the show defines and is, in her own words, left feeling "uneasy" about how difficult it might be to communicate with beings who don't. and it's significant that this takes place in shut up and listen, of all episodes, specifically because the way she is clearly and unambiguously included in the show's understanding of what it means to be human highlights the ways she and lovelace are othered by eiffel's careless comments that suggest otherwise.

(i don't want to get too into these details for this particular post, but it's worth noting that hera will refer to 'humans' as a category, often when she is upset and feeling isolated, but has never said that she 'isn't human' - she has never been upset that people are treating her 'too' human. i've seen it said about the line "you need to get it through your heads that what goes for you doesn't always go for me", but that's a frustration related to ability and safety, not identity. far more often, she will refer to herself in 'human' terms - referring idiomatically to experiences or body parts etc. that she doesn't literally have - and is upset primarily with comments referring to her status as an AI. it does not diminish how being an AI influences her perspective and experience, but again, so much of that is in terms of ability that it feels almost inseparable from a discussion about disability.)

lovelace's humanity and hera's humanity are so interlinked and directly paralleled in the text that i think it's impossible to really argue one of them is "not" human without making implications about the other. in desperate measures, lovelace tells kepler he's "not human" and he responds "you're hilarious. on a multitude of levels." later, defending lovelace against kepler's repeated dehumanization, hera very pointedly uses the phrase "that woman." in out of the loop, hera says she's never met anyone who "worked so hard at being inhuman" as jacobi, who says "what do you know about being human?" hera very emphatically responds, "i know plenty." later, defending hera against jacobi's repeated dehumanization, minkowski pointedly uses the phrase "that woman." with the care taken towards language and the way scenes and turns of phrase will parallel each other, that's not a coincidence. it might seem strange to have the "non-human" characters be the ones to express criticisms based on perceived "humanity" (something hera will do in other contexts as well - "we don't have funerals for animals" etc.) but in the broader context of the show, i think it's the point.

so, whether hera would ever call herself human, or be comfortable with that, is a complicated question for another time and depends on a lot of other factors. but wolf 359 is a show about humanity, it includes her within its definition of what it means to be human, and i wouldn't be comfortable definitively saying she's not human because of that. it can't be a neutral statement within the particular context of this show.

[willtheweaver]

A writer’s guide to forests: From the poles to the tropics, part 1

Writers, aspiring writers, and all others who happen upon this, I give you all a big thank you. For those of you that have been following this guide, or have done independent research, I’m sure that you now have a grasp of what makes up a forest, and how one can weave into your story. Now I’d like to get into specific forest types. We’ll be going into detail, learning about each specific region, from the extreme limits, to the equator. So, let’s get into it, shall we?

Boreal forest (the Taiga)

The northernmost forest, it forms a circle around the pole.

Location- at or just below the Arctic Circle in North America and Eurasia, extending as far south as the Amur river basin and the Great Lakes region.

Climate- Polar and Subpolar, with conditions tending towards being wet year round. A day can be as long as 16-20 hours in summer and a short as 3 hours in winter. Winter temperatures fall well below freezing, and fallen snow can linger well into the summer months.

Plant life- Mostly conifers, with spruce, pine, and fir dominating. Aspen and birch mixed in, with oaks, larch, and maples in the southernmost regions. Lichens and moss cling to trees. Shrubs and dwarf willow can be found even beyond the tree line. Trees tend to be small as the growing season can be as short as 3 months.

Animal life- Sparse. Conifer needles are unpalatable to many species of herbivores. Deer such as moose and woodland caribou are among the few that live here year round. Bears and wolves can also found,but generally the animals that live here are small. Voles, lemmings, and hare are preyed upon by foxes, lynx, and various weasels, the largest of which is the wolverine. Many birds live here for part or all of the year, with owls being the main predators. Winter can be especially quiet as many animals either migrate or hibernate.

How the forest affects the story- Any society will have to endure winters that are 7-9 months long. Do people stay in one place, or are they nomadic? Is there some form of limited agricultural or are they hunter-gatherers? Are there any domestic species that aid them, or do your characters do all the labor? How do the seasons affect movement? Areas frozen in the winter can turn to marshland or even rivers in the summer. What kind of structures do your characters live in? They may be temporary or permanent, able to keep one warm in the winter, and can be built out of turf, wood, fur, or snow. Are the beliefs of your characters in any way ,shape, or form influenced by the world around them? How would you best describe all this to anyone not familiar with the environment and its people(s)?

[fwckriley]

QUICK CHAT ABOUT COD CHARACTERS AND THEIR MBTI TYPES PT 1.

Hi!!! So, I was just scrolling through Tumblr late at night and I saw some headcanons, where the creator mentioned Ghost's MBTI. It reminded me that I had a word file saved, discussing about the characters and their MBTI. But, I haven't finished it, so I'll just ramble some of my thoughts here instead.

I want to begin with Ghost. Seriously, I genuinely want to understand why people type him as an INTJ, the guy is not a Ni dom at all. And also, let’s just exclude here any chance of him being an INTP. But, I do see Ti and Ni in his functions. In my opinion, he is an ISTP 5w6. For those unfamiliar, ISTPs have Ti (dominant), Se (auxiliary), Ni (tertiary), and Fe (inferior) in their functions.

I'll be honest, this inferior Fe makes me doubt a bit because Ghost seems much more like a Fi user. However, considering that Fe is inferior and theoretically his weakest function, it makes sense. And, to me, what makes ISTP the most obvious choice is that this man really isn't a Ni dom or a Ne aux type. But like I said, I do see some Ni in him, but very weak, which excludes the possibility of him being a Ni dom, and adds the possibility of him being a Ti dom. But, he has zero Ne, so he can’t be an INTP. Just to clear things up, I don't think analysts can't be impulsive or that sensors are dumb, not at all. But they do have some tendencies, and you can see differences in how they deal/view the world.

So, let me give an example of a character who's an analyst: Laswell. She's the embodiment of an INTJ. Price and Ghost deviate so much from her. Both of them should have both Ni auxiliary and Ni dominant, respectively. The way both of them deals with Shepherd and Graves betrayal makes it very clear how they aren't intuitive types for me. They’re incapable of seeing the other side of the situation. And I know it might sound like a crappy argument, but speaking as a Ne aux, I always open myself to possibilities even if I DISAGREE, especially if I can benefit from it. You know who else does that? Laswell. A Ni dom. It's very clear her Ni/Te, and that's why compared to Ghost, I don't understand why people type him as an INTJ. Personally, I think Ti and Ni can be easily mistaken. And for me, Ghost's Ti is pretty obvious, the way he is practical, and how he analyzes things, and his Se aux helps him to be very aware of his surroundings (of course, there are more than that in Se aux). But to me? there's nothing more Ti/Se than that. I'll just drop here two brief descriptions of Ti/Ni dom that make me pretty sure Ghost isn’t a Ni dom.

"Introverted Intuition seeks underlying patterns that can predict how events will unfold in the long term. The primary goal is to understand cause and effect accurately, enabling confidence in problem-solving and avoiding causing issues. Individuals with this dominant function tend to be 'perceptive,' often capable of 'seeing through' situations by finding the 'real importance' or 'essence' or 'root' or 'meaning' of things and understanding the fundamental factors that will influence how situations unfold, connecting past, present, and future considerations in non-linear ways. They unconsciously seek vaguely familiar patterns of contextual variables and tend to gather multiple perspectives to synthesize and visualize 'the true truth' or a better version of life. In this way, they tend to be quite certain about how they want their lives to unfold, usually aspirational in pursuing meaningful goals with focus and determination as they seek to realize their personal potential."

"Introverted Thinking seeks to discover rules or direct formulas based on facts to guide thinking and behavior towards greater consistency and coherence. People with this dominant function tend to be highly analytical, preferring to adopt positions/judgments that are as free from biases or undue influences as possible. They often enjoy building skills and accumulating technical knowledge by systematically analyzing and deconstructing ideas/situations, preventing and solving problems, and manipulating systems to fix or enhance them. In this way, they can be dispassionate and self-sufficient in approaching situations with their refined knowledge, often admired for their calm and competent approach to solve problems. However, they may also become emotionally detached from situations due to the excision of the human perspective, incorrectly assuming it is irrelevant to their analyses. When people don't know how to use Ti properly, they tend to be overly reductionist, seeing only a simple cause for a complex situation and unable to recognize the gaps/flaws in their own reasoning process, especially when trying to understand issues in relationships and social contexts."

“The reason the two get confused so often is because, one: they are both introverted functions which makes them hard to see and distinguish, and two: they are both abstract. Ni collects and stores abstract information, while Ti makes abstract connections and conclusions.”

“Ni is a 'perceiving' funtion, which is different from Ti because it does not do the 'judging' which is Ti's role. Ni in simple words is seeing and thinking about things very deeply to find connections and therefore form certain hunches or predictions. Many Ni dominants may have a conclusion which they got to, but they don't know how to explain the way they got to it. Ni uses more subconscious thinking than Ti does. Ti on the other hand analyses even more than Ni does, and sorts certain ideas, sort of like Pros and Cons, it is usually what can be the deciding factor.”

*Quick reminder: Ghost never anticipated Graves' betrayal, and didn't give any reasons that he suspected of Graves before that. He seems unfazed when the betrayal occurs, but that's because it's not something new to him.

So, while I can argue that his lack of Fe may simply be because it is an inferior function, hence less dominant and developed function (though I think he showed a lot of Fe during the whole Mexico situation) it’s hard to argue his lack of Ni because it's a DOMINANT function. And when we talk about dominant function, when is undeveloped, it doesn't indicate a lack of, but rather an unhealthy mode of acting/thinking/coping.

So, about Price... I think he's an ESTP. Stereotypically, he's not the typical ESTP. Unlike Ghost, who has a weak/undeveloped inferior Fe, I think Price has his inferior Ni very well developed, and that's why I think the fact that he is an ESTP is not so noticeable. Just as I compared Ghost to a character who shared the same MBTI type that was attributed to him, I will now compare Price to Makarov. In my opinion, Makarov in this game is a good example of an ENTJ. If you compare the characters and the way they behave, you’ll see that Price has a liiittle more difficulty seeing beyond the obvious, and for me, if he had Ni aux as many point out, he would have anticipated many of Makarov's actions. And I go further, I also believe he would never have let Makarov live back in 2019, recognizing the threat that Makarov was, if he were and ENTJ. Because ENTJs tend to thinking ahead, if they have a problem they’ll think in a way to solve pragmatically, effectively and definitively for once and all. Also, Price is highly reluctant to work with Shepherd, showing a lack of Te/Ni, working with his enemies to achieve his goals is not his first thought (but it’s Laswell “first” thought, a Ni dom). It's not about trust, but personal/team/world gain. Again, he’s incapable of seeing the big picture. And, of course, he has a significant amount of Fe, the way he is a great leader, communicates effectively with people around him, and bond with his team proves that.

I think all the quotes I put up above really show how neither Price nor Ghost use Ni in their first two stacks. But both of them use Ti. There's this stereotype that sensors aren't that smart, so when you've got two characters who should be the best of the soldiers, really smart and skilled, people tend link them with the “best MBTI types” and type them as Ni users (completely bullshit, they just do this because they don’t know how functions work). And again, when you compared them with two Ni users (Laswell and Makarov) you can see how different they are.

I'm gonna do a part two and post it later because I wanna talk about Gaz and Soap too (and some other characters, but the two of them are my main goal now), but I think this one ended up slightly longer than I planned.

[mbti-notes]

Anon wrote: Helloo, I'm a 24 year old INTP woman. I've been reading your blog for 6 years now. Back then I knew about type but not typology and cognitive functions. Your blog made everything very clear, as well as fascinating, so thank you very much for that.

I was interested in psychology, because I felt inadequate then and had a hard time relating to people. I wanted to achieve a lot so I knew I had to work on my weaknesses first, to balance everything. MBTI theory showed me exactly what those were. The stress was big too at the time, I was alone, abroad for my studies and I'm from a third world country, the adaptation was hard and I struggled a lot with that as well as other hardships due to material conditions.

Anyway, for years I've read some of your recommendations and digged deeper into the human's psyche. Into psychology and social sciences as a whole, even though I'm in a STEM field. I tried my best to work on my emotional intelligence and really choose a career path taking into consideration my type and aspirations, even going against my parents will to do so.

Since I've been working on this for so long and with awareness, I'd like to test my maturity, what can I do to know if I'm well-developed ? If I have a good grasp of my functions ? If I worked through my traumas ? Them, being beaten for the slightest thing as a kid. I'd love to tell myself that I do, but I don't think I have enough perspective to test it objectively, so what do you think?

Thanks a lot in advance, you're really doing an amazing work, stumbling upon your blog felt like finding a hidden treasure in some lost island in the vast ocean. One must be lucky and aware of its value to recognise the remarkable craftsmanship you put into it. You have my admiration for that. Wishing you the best in life 🙌

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I appreciate your kind compliments. Funnily enough, I also treat my blog as a hidden treasure chest of sorts. It's a place I stash gems and pearls (of wisdom) that I've picked up. I make them rediscoverable rather than just leaving them in the junk drawer of my mind, lol.

The way you frame the question is rather narrow given that "maturity" is quite a big and complex concept. If your question was sparked by reading the ego development section, there are reliable ways to assess it, but doing so isn't likely to provide you with useful information. There are a wide variety of factors that influence maturity, so it's not something that can be changed through sheer force of will. The process of maturation must be respected and allowed to progress at its own pace, rather than forced toward some imagined result.

Because maturity is such a huge topic, I'll limit the discussion to what I believe is relevant to INTPs. One thing I've noticed is that INTPs tend to confuse "development" and "growth". To be fair, these two words are often used interchangeably and their definitions can be quite vague in psychology. I'll explain how I distinguish them:

Development is about improvement of your ability to make good use of the inner resources you already possess. These resources include things like your talents, skills, and constructive traits that help you reach important goals or milestones in life.

Growth is about transformation, which usually involves a dramatic change to your attitude, perspective, worldview, or self-concept. When you "grow as a person", there is a significant shift in how you conduct yourself or live your life.

If you're science oriented, you can think of development as doing things to increase mechanical efficiency and quantifying the progress, whereas growth is like an unpredictable chemical reaction that creates a qualitatively new state of being. To distinguish development and growth in this way is not to say that they are separate. Purposeful self-development is one important factor that contributes to growth, but it is not enough in itself to cause growth. When INTPs believe that development is the same as growth, they hit an invisible wall as soon as they possess enough self-confidence to handle most of life's problems. What are they missing? Making good use of intellectual abilities, materializing talents, and improving skills will certainly help you be a more capable or competent person, but it doesn't necessarily help you grow into a more mature person.

Maturity (as defined by the stages of ego development) isn't a skill you can work on systematically like math or violin, and it isn't even an end goal in itself. Maturity is a side-effect of sustained psychological growth. If you want to know how to become more mature, then a focus on self-development isn't enough, it is also necessary to understand what spurs psychological growth.

If growth is like a chemical reaction that creates a qualitatively new state of being, then an important aspect of growth is actively exposing yourself to new experiences that have the potential to alter your psychology. Such experiences could be as simple as changing up a stale daily routine or as complex as moving to a completely foreign country. The key point is you are continuously learning new and important life lessons. This is why greater maturity also implies greater wisdom. Wisdom isn't just about what you know or how much you know; it's about being able to apply what you know with enough nuance, sophistication, and adaptability to create objectively good or beneficial results in everything you do.

Another difference between development and growth is there could be one method of development that works for many people for self-improvement, but there is no simple formula for growth. A new experience that significantly alters your psychology might have no effect whatsoever on mine. Why? Each person has their own unique lessons to learn based on what's happening deep in their unique psychology.

If you must learn from life experience in order to become mature and wise, then is it worthwhile to control what kinds of life experiences you have? Yes and no. Oftentimes, the experiences that provide the most opportunities for learning are the ones you find most challenging. Challenges usually bring some pain, so people tend to avoid them rather than use them as opportunities for growth. You shouldn't just randomly take on each and every challenge you see, but you also shouldn't exert such extreme control over your life that you miss out on unexpected or fortuitous challenges that would spur growth. The challenges you get to control are things like: pursuing higher education; stepping out of your comfort zones; confronting painful memories; talking to people you disagree with; etc. The challenges you don't get to control are things like being born into a dysfunctional family or suffering a tragic loss. Unexpected challenges are just as, if not more, important because they strongly compel you to build strength and resilience.

The advantage of knowing type theory is you get to know yourself better, especially when it comes to being aware of the challenges that you inflict upon yourself because of flawed perception and judgment. Being able to spot the weaknesses of your personality opens up many opportunities for learning and growth.

Are you able to identify all your patterns of function misuse? What do those patterns tell you about your challenges?

Are you successfully minimizing/mitigating instances of function misuse in your everyday life, i.e., meeting your challenges?

Are you able to use your functions optimally, i.e., to apply them appropriately and wisely to form a healthy relationship between yourself and the world?

Have you built up a healthy sense of self and practice proper self-care through introverted function development?

Have you learned how to adapt well to your environment(s) through extraverted function development?

Are you striking a good balance between the introverted and extraverted sides of your personality (i.e. neither is extreme)?

If you are on the right track in type development, life doesn't necessarily get easier, but you become much more adaptable to life's challenges. The results you get should speak for themselves.

If you are a mentally healthy individual, the desire for progress and growth never really ends, so it's natural to wonder about what more there is for you, especially in times when life is going relatively well. However, asking how to "test" yourself is kind of a suspicious question to me because it makes me wonder what the underlying motivation is. Sometimes, it's an indication that there's something wrong with the approach. A "test" implies there's a formula, but maturity doesn't work that way. You say you don't have the perspective to test yourself objectively? That is precisely how you know you have more maturing to do. When your perspective seems too small, then there's something you need to learn in order to broaden it. But I can't tell you exactly what that something is. You'll know it the next time you experience true growth. To paraphrase Kierkegaard: Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. This is the difficulty of being human.

What I can say is, at 24, you haven't lived much. You've still got much more ahead of you than behind you. You have a lot of lessons yet to learn. Personality type only tells you that some of those lessons have to do with your functions. But the rest is unpredictable. Some lessons come with the mistakes you'll inevitably make throughout life. Yet more lessons will come with the ups and downs of fate. And even more lessons will come as you get much older and gradually lose all the things you hold most dear.

If you want, I can give you some questions to reflect on for building self-awareness. Maybe some of them can lead you toward growth.

What sorts of thoughts frequently run through your head?

What feelings do you frequently experience?

What is your overall mood most of the time?

Are you aware of your needs and do you attend to them well? Are you aware that you have physical, emotional, cognitive, social, esteem, aesthetic, spiritual, and transcendent needs?

Are you aware of your passions and joys and give yourself enough space to experience them regularly?

Are you aware of your wants and desires? Are you able to explain where they come from or what motivates them?

Are you aware of your identity? Are you able to describe the things that define you as an individual? Are you able to explain how those things came to define you?

Are you aware of your worth? Are you able to describe your method of appraising/evaluating yourself, explain why you use that method (and not some other method), and justify that it is a good method?

Are you aware of how you are perceived by others? Are you able to express yourself authentically? Are you able to recognize and respect the authentic expressions of others?

Are you aware of the roles/positions you occupy in society? Are you aware of how those roles/positions affect your relationships with the people around you? Are you aware of all the duties, obligations, and responsibilities you have to yourself and others?

Are you aware of your moral values and how well you abide by them? Are you able to explain how you came to adopt them?

Are you aware of your core beliefs about how the world works? Are you able to explain how they came into being and how they influence your behavior?

Are you aware of the criteria/standards you use to define "success"? Are you able to explain their origin and justify them as being the most appropriate criteria/standards to use?

Are you aware of your aspirations? Are you able to explain why you've set the life goals you have previously pursued, are pursuing now, or will pursue in the future?

Are you aware of your potential? Do you have an ideal self that you wish to become? If so, are you able to explain how you came to construct that image of yourself? Are you able to envision more than one possibility for expressing who you are (other than what you are at present)?

Are you aware of your guiding principle/philosophy of life? Are you able to explain where it came from or why you chose it?

Mature people understand themselves more deeply than the average person. Depth of self-knowledge is necessary for making wise decisions in life. When you have meta-awareness of yourself, such as your needs, desires, preferences, strengths, weaknesses, motivations, biases, etc, you'll eventually be able to transcend your subjectivity as needed in order to operate more objectively. When your perspective seems too small (i.e. subjective) as an INTP, then you ought to use Ne to actively expose yourself to new knowledge/experiences that expand your horizons. By doing this, you should eventually encounter challenges that spark growth reactions.

[kittenintheden]

Writer Interview Game

hee fun, thank you for the tag, @eraserspiral!

When did you start writing?

blah blah blah been writing stories since I was a kid blah but honestly I'd say I legitimately developed an interest in writing fiction when I was around 13. you'll never guess this but I was on the jr high literary magazine and I wrote a sweet lil 13yo romance story where a marine biologist verbally abuses a dude who hits a dolphin with his boat and then he gets them both to the emergency vet and then it turns into a meet-cute. I used the word "dumbass" in the story and my teaching advisor let it slide and it was published with the swear intact. it was a whole thing.

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

I read all kinds of things I don't especially want to write. a lot of nonfiction and investigative journalism, memoirs, literary classics a la Virginia Woolf. no interest whatsoever in writing it but it's good reading.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

there isn't like a specific writer I aspire to write like, but I have historically been compared to Neil Gaiman, which is very flattering. mostly I admire the writing chops of Laini Taylor for her beautiful lyrical imagery and dreamlike framing, Carmen Maria Machado for the way she blends horror elements with life, queerness and emotion, Christopher Moore for his incredible humor writing, and (surprise) Neil Gaiman for his approach to speculative fiction that feels so accessible and tied to the real world. like you could turn over a rock and find an entire magical world you never knew was there.

I don't necessarily want to EMULATE them but I have been influenced by them, for sure.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

I write on a laptop curled up in the corner of my couch with noise-cancelling headphones on and am frequently interrupted by pets, a spouse, or children. which is why I tend to write late at night.

What’s your most effective way to muster up a muse?

sit my ass down and start typing. like I know that is not romantic or fun but part of writing is that I have to get into my flow state, and I can't do that by dicking around doing stuff that isn't writing. it can be really, really hard. sometimes it'll feel like shit. but I do it anyway.

something that helps me a lot is putting on the headphones and listening to mood music or a dialogue video to kind of kickstart my brain into the creative space.

I also do a weed. doing a weed relaxes my inner critic. sometimes.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

sibling relationships tend to feature prominently. I have several siblings and sibling dynamics are fascinating to me. there also tend to be themes of self-sacrifice, choosing love (romantic or platonic), and messy but ride-or-die style friendships.

What is your reason for writing?

I feel compelled to put the movies playing in my head to the page. it brings me joy to transcribe my weird ideas and give them form.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

when people tell me they've come back to reread something I wrote because it stuck with them. that's like. wow. what a feeling. what a motivator.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

I try not to think about how other people think about me if I can help it, which I often can't, lol. but mostly I hope readers (and people in general) think of me as someone who tells emotionally resonant stories that make them smile or laugh.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

dialogue. expressing an emotion succinctly on the page.

How do you feel about your own writing?

I'm in a pretty good place about it these days. I write both professionally and for fun, and what I do in this space is my fun time. I can let go, be experimental and weird, not overanalyze every single word, and make something for/with a community that I really enjoy.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

a mix of both, I guess? mostly for myself, honestly. I write the things I would enjoy reading. I write the smut I would find hot. I write the jokes that make me laugh. but I also love giving little winks to readers and letting them know that they're part of the experience, too.

no pressure tags: @shewhowas39 @spacebarbarianweird @ghostfire @brain-rot-central @brabblesblog

[caw4brandon]

How AI Kills Creatives

Human beings love to express themselves in many unique ways. From dance, to singing, to creative writing and of course, by art. Artists wrestle everyday to stay relevant to the masses while doing their favorite hobbies to earn a living.

This however may become null and void as the art community is facing another difficult challenge that could put them into jeopardy. The answer as to what can pose a danger to our beloved creative types is the hot topic for this Wednesday's piece. Let's discuss the complex situation of AI Art.

- Being a Creative Online -

For as long as I can remember, Creative work is either something industrial for advertisements or for entertainment, like comic books or animated shows. Often times, it involves expressive and also very dead people of influence like [Van Gogh], [Picasso] and [Da Vinci]

This however changed when the world was introduced to the internet. Allowing creative work to be presented to the masses, pass the borders and beyond. A timeless time capsule of creativity that can reach places traditional methods failed to do at rapid speeds.

Places like [Artstation], [DeviantArt], [Behance] and [Pixvi] are some of the most popular websites where aspiring artists can produce and express their craft to be shared and may potentially, give them the confidence to do commissions. These sites laid out a platform that can attract beginners and professionals alike for a chance to find an audience and develop themselves. This however, doesn’t mean an easy climb.

Creators need to combat against the algorithm and the occasional critics of these respective sites to be recognized. Creators need to claw their way out of the crowds to be graced by algorithm which means, they probably need to churn out backlogs of content to be seen and favored.

- Rise of The AIs -

A few years ago, I stumbled across a program called [Artbreeder]

Its a free to use program that allows you to create close to realistic portraits or stylized artworks by using a base picture and some photo manipulation for the desired effect. 

I myself have also used Artbreeder to create a version of my character; Sadie mac Lir based on the game version of her in HPHM.

Around that time, there was also the discovery of the mix and match dress up site by the name of [Picrew] which I too have used on more than one occasion. As time went on, better and smarter programs start appearing. Thus, allowing the masses to create scuffed or impressive images of whatever they so wish. From OCs to potential future babies to fiction turned real characters. 

At frightening speeds, AI programs created by intelligent software and application builders have grown to observe and steal from artists in various parts of the world to produce excellent works of art within seconds. Thus, threatening the very livelihoods of those who produce art as a job.

Enter the most controversial AI Art program [Lensa AI by Prisma Labs] Who is accused by multiple professional artists for committing art theft. Using the styles, compositions and signatures of said artists to reproduce works under the program's watermark.

- This is Art Theft! -

First, let's make a few things clear. I am not an expert to the subject of AI Art Theft but I highly recommend reading these few posts by better experts who can explain things better than me.

You can read [Megrae's Post] and [Jonlamart's Post] to gain a better understanding of the situation. From here on out however, I will be using my own words to breakdown how this can potentially kill the Creative community at large in the long run. Including us little guys.

To loosely summarize, the application takes a massive data collection of posts created by professional artists to be learned and recreated. Infamously, the application uses works of art by the late [Kim Jung Gi US] and others without the respective artist's permission to gain traffic and profit.

The disturbing factor in question, is that the developers of Lensa AI created this application with data that is NOT CONSENTED for such use. The program blatantly steals the artistic skills and styles of the Creative, allowing instant results via prompts which puts Creatives into obscurity. And, this is just the beginning.

Heaven knows, if the big guys in this industry are not safe from this AI. The time will come, where even small time artists will suffer such a fate.

Worst still, it places the general world view that the art community is an irrelevant industry. It takes away the trouble and cost of doing commissions and requests be a lot more to the AI's favor.

Looking into it further, a video essay by [Ana Isabel] (Which I highly recommend you watch as well) showed several other AI programs that has gotten better into writing articles via processing a database of samples and a few keywords. Thus, removing the need for a creative writer. (Like I am right now) 

What we are looking at right now is, for the first time in history. We are at odds of replacing Creatives from job opportunities. With these programs available, the phrase "Any Tom, Dick and Harry can do it" has gotten too close for comfort.

- Arguments Against AI Art -

Of course, the application can't work without us Creatives feeding the program samples and data. In some way, it still requires some form of human creativity to feed it data and develop and it also requires a little bit of luck to trigger the right prompt.

As stated in Ana Isabel’s video, some artists welcome the AI as an additional tool to help lay some groundwork for the artist to improve and build upon. Which creates a new label; [CyberArtist] or Cyborg Artist. 

Their argument is that the AI can be a helpful tool to conceptualize ideas as a first draft in productions or help with small time gigs such as promotional art or E-flyers. These Cyborg Artists also pointed out that AI Art will set a unique benchmark for what “good art” actually is, focusing more on the concept/ prompt than the process of creation.

Tempting as it may to say the world cares more about the idea than the craft. This is still detrimental to small timers or freelancers who want to pursue art as a profession with their own new ideas. It can discourage new and rising artists from chasing their ventures as they will be aware of the competition upon them.  

The comment; “it won't happen because, MY art is not that great" is not the point. If I were to guess. The AI will absorb any artwork that emits a large following and activity as food for the AI to feed and replicate which might even include doodles if left unchecked.

Although, not all hope is lost. As with these new improvements arise new problems. For that, new laws and new policies are being made to combat this troubling issue. Though not effective, it does raise the awareness. What is very important is that the general public must be made aware of such an issue. The world still looks down on Creatives, and sees their work as still "just a hobby" which is why this awareness needs to be raised and why we need to prove we are better.

On a hopeful note, AI is but an imitation of what is considered as great art but the one thing it can't ever do is produce Personal Art. It can't emote the hard hours spent, the process of improvement, the personalized charm, and the very heart that the artist cares about the audience.

That is something the AI CAN’T ever do. Its easy to feel fear knowing that the days as a Creative is numbered now that everyone can have access to such a program and to some, it may even be disheartening. But be aware that the True Value of an artist is the heart they have to share their craft. To show the imperfections and to do so anyway because they believe it inspires people. That is perhaps, what AI Art can’t ever kill.

To give because they enjoy the fun of it.

Thanks for reading

- Caw4B -

[ddarker-dreams]

yooo lock from one gamer to another, any recs for the steam summer sale? i've got most horror jrpgs down like misao, ib, and witch's house

ANON FORGIVE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE i was thinking about this ask for a few days and. ahem. in that time, the steam summer sale ended. 😦 just keep this in mind for the next sale perhaps?? alas. here are some of my favorite games on steam .

disco elysium

one of my favorite games of all time. i replayed it recently and have a newfound appreciation for every element of it. the extensive worldbuilding can be overwhelming at first, but i personally enjoyed how fleshed out the world is. the writing is sublime and i've never experienced anything like it across any medium. also it's the only game to have kim kitsuragi so that automatically makes it a 10/10

divinity original sin 2

this game is another favorite of mine. there were multiple times when i was playing it where i went 'huh, i wonder if i can do so and so' and i could. i killed a giant ogre with like 10k HP by sneaking an invisible character into its vicinity and teleporting it into lava. before leaving an area i killed a character who i bought tons of equipment from and got all my money back. it's just a really entertaining game. you can also play it with friends so that's fun. the game can be as dynamic as you want it to be. i like spending hours researching the most optimal builds but you don't have to be a nerd to make it through the content. or you can be like me and spend thirty minutes setting up explosives and perfectly placing each party member before every combat encounter because i've never felt the touch of a woman

hades

fast paced, fluid combat, greek mythology, killer soundtrack, pretty graphics, and bisexuality. what more can i say. i got such an adrenaline rush after beating the final boss that i almost collapsed onto the ground and rolled around like a pill bug. very very fun and addicting

hyper light drifter

HNGNNGN PRTTY and the soundtrack also slaps here too. the color palette is so gorgeous. once you get into the rhythm of the combat you feel like a god among men. zooming all over the place. nyooooooom.

omori

this game took my heart, ripped it out of my chest, stomped on it, slapped it back into place, then closed my open ribcage with a hello kitty bandaid. i cannot praise it enough. it's charming, the psychological horror is one of a kind; it's a game that seeps under your skin and stays there. if you haven't played it yet and you're comfortable with the dark themes it explores i'd recommend it 100%. go on without any spoilers.

pillars of eternity

i uh. i like CRPGs. pillars of eternity has a special place in my heart because it went onto influence how i do worldbuilding. the game has one of my favorite stories from a CRPG, it's overflowing with creativity that's explored to the fullest. it's also made by the folks who created fallout new vegas so that's a bonus. the combat isn't my absolute favorite when compared to something like divinity original sin 2, but i still found it enjoyable overall. interacting with the characters and the fleshed out world was what i had the most fun with.

planescape torment

this game's combat is scuffed but the story is one of the best across any medium. play on easy i'm not joking the combat does not matter. but the world, the characters, the factions, how it dabbles into philosophy, the story that leaves you with more questions than answers as you progress,, it's just so good. when it's on sale it's ridiculously cheap and so worth the price of admission. there's lots of reading but if you're into the type of stuff you'll love this game. also there's a floating talking skull

va-11 hall-a: cyberpunk bartender action

ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVS THE VIBES ARE IMMACULATE THE WRITING IS IMMACULATE THE ART IS IMMACULATE THE SOUNDTRACK WOULD MAKE BEEHTOVEN JEALOUS and there's also bisexuality here too. this game is an example of the writing i wanted to aspire towards after i played it for the first time. it influenced me heavily.

[cosmogyros]

Billy Come Home

Songwriting is so wild. I woke up this morning thinking about the Animals’ cover of “House of the Rising Sun” and how they did such a damn good job of turning a traditional folk song into a nice heavy rock ballad. And then I thought, hey, it could be fun to write my own “old folk tune with the potential to be covered as a rock song”. What a delightful challenge!

While I was making breakfast, the chorus spontaneously came to me: “Billy, come home / Don’t you stay away so long / Billy, come home / Don’t you leave me no more.” I quickly sat down and recorded that bit so I wouldn’t forget it.

My musical concept for this song was clear right away: I wanted to write something in the tradition of the Scottish folk ballads, a genre that greatly influenced me in my youth. That meant it should have a solid sing-along chorus and be comparatively “plain”, lyrically speaking.

Now it was time to write the verses… but that required some thought.

I decided that, despite the lyrics of the chorus, the song overall would be from the point of view of a man going away, and the chorus is the part that’s sung from the point of view of his girlfriend back at home. What do men go away for? Traditionally, war. So I decided this would be a song sung by a soldier missing his lady at home.

Next question: where is he going away from? I have a soft spot for Canada, so this would be a song about a Canadian soldier. I wrote the classic line with which to start this type of song – “I had a girl back in [blank]” – and then sat there wondering what “blank” should be. I looked up various historically significant Canadian port cities, but none of their names felt quite right.

I wanted it to sound kind of generic. I wanted it to be a song that Canadians would instantly recognize as being about Canada, but people of other nationalities might easily mistake for a song about their own country instead. One of those conveniently vague lyrics that all different kinds of people can relate to.

From researching Canadian cities of historical import, I somehow shifted to reading about Canadian participation in the World Wars. Since I wanted this to be an old song, obviously World War I was the way to go. I read about some famous Canadians who’d fought in the Great War. Scrolling through black-and-white photos of young men in their military attire and mustaches, I was stopped in my tracks by this dashing fellow and the caption: “Billy Bishop is one of Canada’s most famous aviators, claiming 72 victories across the First World War.”

Boom. Serendipity. There was my Billy. I’d never known before this moment that he even existed, but now it was clear what my song was about.

From that point, it was easy. I opened up Billy Bishop’s Wikipedia article and eagerly read about his entire life. He was quite a dandy in his youth: well-dressed, spoke with a lisp, attended dancing classes with the girls, and didn’t care for team sports, preferring solitary activities such as riding and shooting. Naturally this made him a target of teasing by the other boys, but Billy was quite a scrapper and had no qualms about getting into fights to defend himself. He was also very good-looking and popular with the ladies, but unfortunately both a slacker and a cheater in his schoolwork. And aspired to fly from a young age…

From Wikipedia: “In 1910, at the age of 16, after reading a newspaper article, Bishop built a glider out of cardboard, wooden crates, bedsheets, and twine, and made an attempt to fly off the roof of his three-story house. He was dug, unharmed, out of the wreckage by his sister Louise. After she helped him hide the wreckage, she insisted he owed her a favor, and insisted he date her girlfriend Margaret Burden.”

It was love at first sight for Billy and Margaret, but he had to leave her behind when he enlisted on his 17th birthday. He was then transferred from Kingston to London, Ontario for cavalry training before boarding the ship Caledonia and starting off across the ocean (but not without first slipping away to propose to Margaret and give her his military academy ring, to hold her over until he could charm her parents enough to be allowed to offer her a real one).

The Canada-to-England journey was hellish – everyone was terrifically seasick, man and beast alike. Many of the horses on board died during the crossing and their corpses had to be thrown overboard. Additionally, the ship was attacked by a German submarine near the end of its voyage, resulting in 300 Canadian casualties.

Billy Bishop survived, however, and was rewarded with more horrific conditions: undergoing further training in an absolute swamp of mud and horse manure in England. Eventually he got so sick and tired of being on the disgusting, dirty ground that he applied to the Royal Flying Corps instead – after having observed to a friend one day, while watching an airplane land: "You don't get any mud or horseshit on you up there. If you died, it would be a clean death."

It may have been cleaner, but it wasn’t necessarily more enjoyable. He crashed, was shot down, and suffered various injuries (including, on one long flight, frostbite so severe that it split his cheek open). But during all this time, he started familiarizing himself with the concept of planes that could shoot at the enemy from the air – brand new technology back then.

On medical leave, he finally convinced Margaret Burden’s parents that he was a suitable match for their daughter, and gave her a proper engagement ring at last. Then it was back to Europe a few months later, where, stationed in France, he began shooting down German planes with so much success that the Germans nicknamed him “Hell’s Handmaiden”. In his blue-nosed plane, Bishop was a fearless flyer – after one flight he landed with 210 bullet holes in his fuselage. Some say he exaggerated his successes, but whether it was all based in truth or not, he was considered the top flying ace for the Allies.

And eventually, in 1917, he got another opportunity to return home to Canada, welcomed as a hero – and finally married his beloved Margaret, after a years-long engagement.

I learned all of this and completed the majority of the song in about 45 minutes. Most of the verses practically wrote themselves. One minute, I’d been idly singing the words “Billy, come home” to myself, with no context or connotation and no idea who “Billy” might be; an hour later, I knew all this history and had all-but-finished a song about his life.

One line was still missing, so I texted some friends about it, asking for creative assistance. One informed me that fighter planes were sometimes referred to as “kites” back then, and that gave me the inspiration I needed to finish up the song.

(I intentionally took a few mild creative liberties with the historical facts, but hey, that’s something else that old folk songs traditionally do. Despite that, most of the lyric is still true!)

Anyway, if you want to hear the tune, I made a rough demo of it:

[throne-for-queens]

i believe, if I can chime in to share my guess, If they were to FINALLY break up, he would keep dating in the industry, not necessarily only red carpet habitués but also people who work and live in adjacent industries and entertainment cities. So maybe going back to the models and even the adult stars while keeping it on the low, especially now he has a growing child he'd want to shield from the bs. But also, I don't see him going out of his way to hide them and doing the most to protect their peace. I don't think he would be totally freaking out if people knew about him and potential future promiscous partners of the moment, once it was over with his current girlfriend, ofc.

Unless these women were "Alt", if workers from the erotica world and fitness influencing were ever to be associated with him again, I don't see them struggling, they'd probably be more than fine since they appeal to the male gaze more than a 2008 Megan Fox could ever do. They'd even get some clout of it, especially if the Andrew Tates type of men (Dub & co🤣🤣) were to argue with Jennifer's Body worshippers Waif type of girls. These two groups of people always fight over anything, anyways. But hold on, isn't it crazy to see based grown men and young girls being natural keyboard enemies?

Anyways. Back to the main topic. He's a very honest dude who hates to lead girls on so, if he were to have a crazy baby fever, it's 2024, there are many other options than forcing himself to settle down! He just don't strike me as the type who would rush life for a white picket fence despite the lyrics "Even if I got a wife, she just somebody I fuck: Hollywood whore". I can only see him possibly settling down with Megan to finish what he started and that being SHORT term. Don't see them lasting, not even making it down the altar to be completely honest.

ALL OF THAT, unless he meets the one... or should I say... UNTIL he goes back with -same- one (in my best Nessa voice). It's his life and he owes me NO fan service. Having said so, from the bottom of my heart I wish him the best, and that relationship MIGHT be the best, ALLEGEDLY *wink wink* ."Why you try to run when it feel like you're the one sometimes?: Waste Love".

These are my opinions, I don't claim to be right and I don't want to be😅. So far, he still is with his Twin Flame/ Twin soul, Twin this/ Twin that, so there is that.

You are most likely right about dating someone Hollywood adjacent, even though I wish he wouldn't. But I guess there would be some downsides to someone not used to the industry. I'll settle on a dancer or touring manager 😂( I'd love to work on a tour one day, feel like it's the easiest way to see other states and countries.)

I feel like even though there are options like surrogacy, adoption, etc, I feel like he'd aspire to be romantically involved with the next mother of his child. Just because he'd want to give them the family dynamic he missed growing up. Glad his mom and him have made up now, but it really hurt him when she was away, I don't think he'd purposely sign up for that for his kid. But I do think this is a good take overall.