#i forgot to change her default name in the cc and you know what. it's not like anyone cares about the kader origin

[spratwurst]

I missed Awakening so here’s Warden-Commander Nika “If you don’t put proper armor on, I swear I’ll turn this Order around right now” Kader. She’s a sword and shield warrior specializing as berserker / champion. 

Nika Kader is actually an alias she took on after joining the Wardens. Before that, she was Ida Aeducan: Commander of Orzammar’s army, Endrin’s consort and Bhelen’s mother. Bhelen was still a baby when she was exiled after an attempted coup against King Endrin (like mother like son amirite) and her name was all but struck from the record. The people of Orzammar still remember her, but her legacy-- all the soldiers she’d personally trained, the successful incursions on darkspawn she’d led, the sections of the Deep Roads she’d secured-- has been reduced to vague mentions of a treacherous wife and mother and a cautionary tale for the nobles to better scrutinize their consorts.

She survived in the Deep Roads on her own long enough to reach a Legion of the Dead outpost, and then fought by their side for a couple of years before joining a contingent of Orlesian Grey Wardens and leaving for the surface.

Oghren just about loses his McFreaking mind when he figures out who she is, both from the facial tattoos specific to House Aeducan and her distinguishable combat style, but she denies everything. At least at first. 

[samkat10423]

Moving in Sims

For the past few days, I’ve been moving in Sims and setting up relationships. Among them was that Riddle Sim, from Twinbrook. Because I wanted to move in her niece – along with the niece’s yappy dog – I needed to make a sibling for Anna-Liza. Since I’d already saved that Racket Sim to my bin, I decided to just make him into her brother – after changing his name.  Then I gave him a daughter. This was a win-win for me, since this world comes with a generic graveyard. And I hate no-name graves. Not only did he help establish a relationship, but I got to kill him and add his tombstone to my cemetery! Go me!

Anyway, Anna-Liza is one of the town’s Censorious Triad and the editor of the town newspaper. One of the other two, card-carrying members is Madame Blanche Robichaux (shown here with her son, Marshal and his “no-good, floozy-of-a-wife,” Trixie. And Trixie’s “nasty, little flea-bitten cat.”). Trixie and Marshal were created by Webbymom of the 3 Musketeers, as part of the Sims Daily’s population thread. (She even made political pictures of him, when I whined, so he’s the mayor in this town. His “sainted” mum is CEO of the local business, while his” tart of a wife,” is a renown painter. As you can tell, by her comments, Madame Blanche is NOT a fan of her daughter-in-law or her cat, who are both actually, nice little Sims). The old lady is a Sim I found about 11 years ago, over on TSR. I liked her, because she was so ugly. I also created 2 more Sims for this family – the patriarch and a younger son. But they’re dead and fighting over in my graveyard. Prior to their deaths, the son got himself engaged to an “unacceptable” young lady, and was immediately booted out of the family. But they did bury him in the family plot – have to keep up appearances, don’t you know! - so he and his dad get to continue their feud for all eternity. (BTW, the 2 Sims suspected in their deaths are buried nearby, and all 4 of them HATE each other. So the cemetery is pretty lively at night!)

Then I moved in these Sims – Frederic D’Aimelefric and Fannie Bellefleur. These 2 were created by nengi65 for that hot pink apartment I showed you a while back. I have always liked them, because they’re not your typical “pretty” Sims. Anyway, she had them in the acting career track, but since I replaced the studio with my festival lot, I put them into Showtime careers. He’s a magician now, while she’s an acrobat. And to help them with their careers, I made him clumsy and forgetful, and her clumsy and a couch potato. I would have opted for chronic stage fright, but EA “forgot” to offer that as a trait. Stupid EA. Nengi described him as having rather grandiose visions of his own, non-existent talent, while Fannie was the stereotypical, dumb blonde. I liked that, so I kept it.

Then, replacing Amy Bull as the town fashionista, I made Felicity Plum. Cameranutz II had made a generic Sim by this name for this world, but I wanted someone with a tad more character. So here she is. She has absolutely no artistic ability at all, which will definitely help her career – or not. But since I’m not stupid enough to let her give me a make-over, it’s not my problem.

These Sims all originally came from Bridgeport – they were that Cook family. They are now known as the Thibodeaux family. The creators of this world did make a family for this world with that name, but again, they were typical do-gooder, pudding Sims. Unlike me, those ladies were not into conflict amongst their Sims. So I didn’t bother saving them. Anyway, believe it or not, other than giving these Sims some CC skins (Buckley-Ephemera Fresh skins) and those default replacement hairs that @maryjanesims3 has been so graciously sharing, and nicer make-up, these are EA Sims. (Well, I did give them some decent clothes). The first time I saw the two ladies, with just the new hair, I was shocked at how pretty they really are. So, there is hope for game Sims. The old fart is now known as Judge Roy. He’s still I the political track, and on the take. And his wife – now named Lacey – is still hoping for his early death.

This is a tiny house between the bistro lot and that Chocolate Restaurant. It was made by susieb, but I don’t think she made a family for it. Not that I would have downloaded them. Anyway, I did change out the exterior siding and the porch railing for CC that I have. And inside, I got rid of all the basegame crap and gave them some nicer stuff.

It now belongs to the 3rd member of the Censorious Triad – Muriel P. Finster. She was created by my friend, Alex – aka: Hellfrozeover – back when she was still playing TS3. While I was doing the other 2, I knew they needed a pal, and this Sim came to mind. I left her pretty much the way Alex created her, although I did change some of her traits. Since I made her the principle of my school, I decided to help her with her career, by giving her the “I despise you little rugrats!” trait.

Then, because the house has lots of room despite being on an itsy-bitsy lot, I decided she should have an adult son who’s moved back home. With his cat. To whom Muriel is allergic. Anyway, he’s a genetic resequencer working on a top-secret project. His mother has been frantically snooping through his notes, trying to figure out what he’s working on, but he’s up to her ways and has been leaving a bunch of nonsense laying around for her to find.

Next family I do, will be those Bagley’s from Riverview. I already made Ma Bagley’s husband and oldest son – who now reside in the graveyard. They’re the Sims suspected of killing the 2 Robichaux Sims. Anyway, the living ones will live out in my swamp and be moonshiners. Their houses are done, and I even gave them a still – aka: nectar-making thingie. But that will be another post.

[fableish]

So awhile back there was this tag going around where you showed your sim with and without cc. Then there’s the one where you re-do your alpha/mm/nocc/whatever in alpha/mm/whatever style you don’t normally do.

This is kind of a combination of that, plus I’m currently sort of redoing my DL folder (nothing traumatic, I just wanted a clean slate, I still have my old stuff!) and wanting to play around with different styles.

So. This is the same sim (made without sliders because I forgot to add them. I didn’t spend ages making her, if I’m being honest, but I did fiddle with all her features) in different CC styles. Aside from occasionally lowering her brows when I changed her eyebrows I haven’t changed anything.

I feel like this should be obvious (but this is also the internet) but this is obviously not here to make the case of any one thing being better than the other. It’s not. It’s your game, your fun, do it your way.

The No CC version isn’t technically cc free because it does use a skin default+a hair color default+eye defaults but the actual content on the sim aside from that is no cc.

Maxis Match comes in two versions because one uses skin details, the other does not.

There are two different Maxis Mix version because... I couldn’t make up my mind.

The Maxis “Clayified” is dubbed as such because I suspect it’s not technically Clayified, but it’s not exactly alpha so... Yeah. I had too call it something.

Alpha and Realistic were thus dubbed because I thought they were different enough in style and I feel like alpha can be both realistic (bordering on uncanny valley) or just... alpha. So yeah.

The last two are just the same pictures again, but edited like I’d normally do. The first ones are unedited save for reshade + a little bit of vibrance and levels added.

Also, I chose the style names based on what I’d call them. I know there are people out there who can make very realistic sims without adding quotes to the word. I’m not one of them and I didn’t want to do that, so, quotes it is.

Is this useful in any way? Uh. Probably not. Did I have fun? Yes.

It also helped me get an idea of what sort of CC I want this game to have and that’s the real reason I did it, so. Mission accomplished!

Personally I think Maxis Mix v1 is my general style, though I quite like v2 as well. V3 I like, but not enough to actually do again I think. Alpha is cool, but doesn’t really fit my aesthetic (which boils down to “whatever looks kind of okay next to Maxis stuff so it doesn’t annoy me”, specific, I know). Realistic is one of those things I love seeing from other people, but don’t want for myself.

Essentially I just don’t want to have to make over every single sim in a save with skin details and stuff so that my sim doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb. Especially when I’m playing. If I’m just taking pictures... Eh. Doesn’t technically matter but I like being able to use in game content and Maxis Match and Maxis Mix works best (for me) for that so...

Aaand, end babble. 

[presumenothing]

death of the author

or, 600 words of the other (not-really-)writer!au cc: @mintchocolateleaves​ who knows why bcc: geronimo by aura dione aka default crackfic soundtrack

“Somehow I never realised how much bloody paperwork’s involved in police procedure? Especially for junior officers.” Hattori’s face is already buried in his hands, but somehow he still manages to facepalm harder. Fortunately his laptop mic is still sensitive enough to pick up ‘muffled Osakan grumble’. “If I have ta fill in another warrant request I swear I might just murder somethin’.”

Shinichi is not quite commiserating. “Yeah? Well you try having four clients in as many weeks express their disappointment that I didn’t follow my father’s footsteps. Like they’d actually rather I be writing crimes rather than solving theirs!”

“At least you don’t have ta write ’em up afterwards, d’ya? Still’s the better end of the deal.”

“No, I just have to dodge the paparazzi,” Shinichi retorts, dry as (dry) ice. “Besides, I hardly think you could write any worse than me.”

Pause.

“Actually I’m pretty sure I could,” Hattori says, in that thoughtful way that mostly means his mouth is functioning on autopilot from his brain. “Y’know what, I’ll even bet a week-long trip to Osaka on it!”

“Are you out of your mind,” Shinichi retorts reflexively, except he’s kinda also mirroring Hattori’s grin and dammit. “Anyway what d’you mean, you’re betting a trip – ”

some (much) time later:

Megure decides to make the call one afternoon during his break from filling in staff appraisal forms – which are mostly bureaucratic formality anyway: his team is good and he wouldn’t really change anything about them (except maybe for Sato-kun and Takagi-kun to be less… obvious about things).

Anyway. He’d meant to bring it up at their previous case but forgot, so he picks up his handphone now and presses the speed dial thing that Chiba-kun had helped him set up.

Kudo-kun picks up on the seventh ring, sounding a little distracted.

(Way back before he disappeared – officially speaking – he’d always picked up at the first ring unless he was in school, but Megure doesn’t mind the development. Even when Ran-kun was around the detective never failed to focus when it came to crime scenes; if he’d been in the force instead of his own agency HR would probably have made him the poster child for work-life balance.)

“Megure-keibu! What is it, a case?”

At those words Megure automatically checks his landline from Dispatch – which thankfully remains as quiet as it’d been a minute ago – and hopes that Kudo doesn’t somehow deduce his silent sigh of relief at that.

“No, we’re just done finishing up on that Takazawa case, thanks to your help. I just wanted to run something by you, actually.” He continues at Kudo’s questioning hm. “I got a call from one of my old school friends the other day – she’s the editor at this publishing house in Yokohama, and wanted to check if I might know whether you’re writing anything? You know, short stories, mystery, stuff like that.”

Kudo sounds oddly amused at that. “Why, did they receive something with my name on it?”

“More than one, sounds like,” he confirms. “Which is why she was concerned if someone was trying to publish under your name, and she’d heard that I work with you, so…”

“Sounds like the fraud must really be terrible, then,” Kudo-kun answers, and he definitely sounds entertained now. “Well, you can tell her that it can’t have been me if they’re really that atrocious – that’s what you were going to say, right?”

“Yes,” Megure admits, “but…”

“Oh, it’s alright, I’m not worried about fraud or whatever, it’s not like whoever this is tried to impersonate my father anyway,” Kudo finishes cheerily, and boy is he really in a good mood today. “If there’s nothing else, keibu?”

.

.

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urs sincerely, local dead author