#module portal

[taigamonster]

They had a little fight about the game

[princepv]

What do you think about OC?

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

I want to show you a module that just recently appeared in my thoughts!! - Сluster. (゜▽゜*) The Combination Module. It is currently not in the best condition due to being located in a long-abandoned laboratory complex in one of the alternate universes of the world. By order of the company, there should have been about a hundred of them - these modules performed work from the simplest to the most complex and dangerous for human intervention. They included 5 different modes or personalities, which manifested themselves depending on the type of work :drag the load, simulate, conduct an experiment, etc.

The Cluster.5 is the main one in the module's system, which in most cases controls all processes, however, the other 4 "personalities" often try to break into the foreground. (Green, White, Red, Yellow, Purple)

Previously, he had two "hands", can store a large amount of information, and previously worked in archives. Here!!

[itsaaudraw]

they are judging you

[gingerbreadmonsters]

[wailing]

[openteqsolutions]

Maximizing Growth with OpenTeQ NetSuite B2C Portals for E-commerce Businesses

Success in the fiercely competitive world of e-commerce depends on effective management of client relations, operations, and data flow. Businesses want reliable solutions to improve client experiences and manage operations as they grow. For e-commerce companies, NetSuite integration provides a complete solution that can optimize everything from customer interaction to inventory management. Leading NetSuite solution provider OpenTeQ is committed to assisting e-commerce businesses in utilizing this effective technology to achieve long-term success.

The Role of NetSuite in E-commerce

NetSuite's comprehensive suite of solutions empowers e-commerce businesses to centralize operations, improve customer service, and gain valuable insights through advanced analytics. With tools that automate and simplify everything from order management to financial tracking, NetSuite is the perfect fit for fast-growing e-commerce companies.

One essential element is the NetSuite Customer Portal, which enables businesses to offer customers real-time access to order history account information, and support services. OpenTeQ specializes in setting up and customizing NetSuite Customer Portals, ensuring that customers enjoy a seamless experience while reducing the burden on support teams.

Expanding Global Reach with NetSuite Offshore Partner

In the globalized e-commerce market, working with the right technology partner is critical. OpenTeQ acts as a trusted NetSuite Offshore Partner, helping e-commerce businesses expand their reach and improve operational efficiency. Through its offshore services, OpenTeQ supports businesses with customized NetSuite implementations, ensuring smooth global operations and continuous optimization.

OpenTeQ’s offshore team also helps businesses scale faster by providing expert NetSuite development and support, all while keeping costs manageable. This collaboration allows businesses to focus on growing their core operations while leaving the technical aspects to a trusted NetSuite Offshore Partner.

Enhancing Customer Experience with NetSuite B2C Portals

One of the biggest challenges e-commerce businesses faces is providing a seamless and personalized shopping experience. NetSuite B2C Portals offer a solution to this by allowing companies to create customized shopping experiences for their customers. With personalized interfaces, businesses can offer product recommendations, streamlined checkout processes, and a cohesive brand experience.

OpenTeQ assists e-commerce companies in implementing and customizing NetSuite B2C Portals to enhance customer engagement and increase conversion rates. By offering real-time product updates, stock availability, and order tracking, these portals give customers the information they need to make purchasing decisions while maintaining a strong connection with the brand.

Streamlining Data Management with NetSuite Data Migration

For any e-commerce business, data is a critical asset. Ensuring that data from multiple platforms is seamlessly transferred and integrated into a central system is key to maintaining operational efficiency. NetSuite Data Migration plays a pivotal role in this process by ensuring smooth transition and consolidation of data from legacy systems to the NetSuite platform.

OpenTeQ's expert team specializes in managing NetSuite Data Migration for e-commerce businesses. Whether a company is migrating product catalogs, customer data, or historical transaction records, OpenTeQ ensures that the data migration process is seamless, accurate, and secure. This migration helps businesses avoid potential disruptions and maintain full control over their data, enabling them to make better-informed decisions and grow their operations effectively.

Conclusion

The integration of NetSuite into e-commerce operations is a game-changer for businesses looking to scale and optimize their processes. With the expertise of OpenTeQ as a NetSuite Offshore Partner, e-commerce businesses can leverage the full power of tools like the NetSuite Customer Portal, NetSuite B2C Portals, and smooth NetSuite Data Migration to streamline operations and enhance customer satisfaction.

Whether your goal is to improve customer engagement, manage global operations, or optimize your data handling, NetSuite integration for e-commerce businesses offers a reliable and scalable solution. OpenTeQ is here to ensure that your e-commerce business achieves long-term success through strategic NetSuite implementations tailored to your needs. Contact Us: info@openteqgroup.com, +1-469 623 5106.

[bgrowmart]

Unveiling the Power of B2B Business Module: Elevating Success with BGrowMart

In the realm of commerce, the B2B (business-to-business) business model stands as a cornerstone of modern trade, facilitating seamless transactions and fostering robust partnerships among enterprises. As businesses seek to optimize their operations and capitalize on emerging opportunities, the B2B business module emerges as a transformative force, driving efficiency, scalability, and innovation. In this article, we delve into the dynamics of the B2B business module and how BGrowMart, our esteemed B2B portal, serves as a catalyst for businesses aiming to thrive in the competitive marketplace.

Understanding the B2B Business Module: At its core, the B2B business module revolves around transactions between businesses, encompassing the exchange of goods, services, or information. Unlike B2C (business-to-consumer) transactions, which involve selling products directly to end consumers, B2B transactions cater to the needs of businesses, institutions, or organizations. This intricate ecosystem spans a myriad of industries and sectors, ranging from manufacturing and distribution to services and technology.

Key Components of the B2B Business Module:

Supplier Relationships: B2B transactions often entail establishing strategic partnerships with suppliers and vendors to procure raw materials, components, or finished goods. These relationships are built on trust, reliability, and mutual benefit, driving operational efficiency and supply chain optimization.

Customer Acquisition and Retention: Central to the B2B business module is the acquisition and retention of customers, which involves identifying potential clients, nurturing leads, and delivering value-added solutions that address their specific needs and challenges.

Sales and Distribution Channels: B2B businesses rely on diverse sales and distribution channels to reach their target audience effectively. This may include direct sales, e-commerce platforms, distributors, wholesalers, or specialized marketplaces like BGrowMart.

Data-driven Decision Making: Leveraging data and analytics is paramount for B2B businesses to make informed decisions, optimize processes, and drive continuous improvement. By analyzing market trends, customer behavior, and operational metrics, businesses can identify opportunities for growth and innovation.

Customer Support and Service: Providing exceptional customer support and service is essential for fostering long-term relationships and ensuring customer satisfaction. B2B businesses must offer timely assistance, address inquiries promptly, and resolve issues efficiently to maintain a competitive edge.

Empowering B2B Success with BGrowMart: As businesses navigate the intricacies of the B2B business module, BGrowMart emerges as a game-changing platform, empowering enterprises with innovative solutions tailored to their specific needs. As a leading B2B portal, BGrowMart facilitates seamless transactions, fosters collaboration, and unlocks new opportunities for growth and expansion.

Key Benefits of BGrowMart for B2B Businesses:

Access to a Diverse Marketplace: Explore a vast array of products, services, and suppliers across multiple industries, all in one centralized platform.

Streamlined Procurement Processes: Simplify procurement processes and reduce administrative overheads with intuitive tools and features designed for efficiency.

Enhanced Visibility and Reach: Expand your reach and attract new customers by showcasing your offerings to a targeted audience of qualified buyers.

Data-driven Insights and Analytics: Leverage actionable insights and analytics to gain valuable market intelligence, track performance metrics, and optimize your strategies.

Dedicated Support and Assistance: Benefit from dedicated customer support and assistance, ensuring a seamless experience and timely resolution of any queries or concerns.

visit us : https://bgrowmart.com/

[taco-rambles]

DC XDP prompt: Danny falls out of a portal literally into Batmans arms in a JL meeting.

Feel free to play with this. I probably will write more, but I'm STUCK and don't know how to write the JL or anyone else for that matter.

XXX

The Justice League meeting had gone very well. For once there were no major crisis from anyone attending, and all of the regular members of the league were in attendance. A few of the second row hero’s had begged off for one reason or another, but nothing that was a threat of any real kind.

Batman was wary, and on edge as the meeting wrapped up. It was never this simple, it just couldn’t be. There was always some kind of threat to keep an eye on, but the worst thing that had come up during the meeting were routine security updates.

No one else seemed to be on edge from the far too calm, routine meeting, and Bruce had just about convinced himself that it was really just one of those meetings where nothing outrageous would happen. It was ideal even…

Then the alarms went off, in the specific modulation that indicated a magical incursion.

Batman wasn’t the only one who’s hands went to weapons when the portal materialized above the meeting room table only a moment after the alarm went off. Swirling lazarus green had him ready for the fight even as the rest of the league went into defensive positions around the incursion.

“What…” Flash started to ask about a minute later when nothing had happened yet, the alarms still blaring.

That’s when something came flying out of the portal, at speed, back first.

Batman had a split second to decide to attack… or not. A split second to try to process the impressions and decide if this was an attack.

The portal closed as he cradled the small body that had crashed into his arms, the alarms silencing a moment later as the rest of the league tried to catch up, all of them wondering if this was some new threat.

Batman looked down at the child in his arms, a boy in his mid teens and small for his age, with white hair framing a frighteningly familiar looking face, gently pointed ears, and fangs in a mouth that gasped for breath against pain. The eyes were closed, twisted tight as the child clutched at his chest and belly, holding together severed flesh that leaked lazarus green blood from a clinical and too regular wound. Fingers tipped with small claws spasmed, tears coming from closed eyes.

“Batman?” Wonder Woman asked, Diana’s voice filled with concern as Bruce wrapped the child in his arms and stood up from where he had been knocked on his ass catching said child.

“Call down to medical. Severely wounded unknown,” he snapped, moving towards the door, only to stop as there was a flash of light in his arms, and the child suddenly gained a solid weight that was closer to human. The blood dripping from passed out hands was now brilliant red, fingertips blunt with chewed nails, the boy’s skin going from pale white to… a healthier tone.

Bruce consciously stopped cataloging his observations then, swiftly making his way to medical. Whatever this boy was, whether he intended to tug at Batman’s heart the way he was or not, was severely wounded and needed medical attention immediately.

He could process it all, and wonder why a child looking exactly like Damian Wayne had been thrown into his arms through a lazarus portal later.

XXXXX

An hour later, after a discreet call to his youngest just to be sure, Bruce watched the now sedated child in the medical cot, working on trying to face match the databases and find out if the child came from earth or not.

The searches primarily turned up Damian Wayne. Bruce knew for certain this child was not his son, but he was also running a DNA analysis because this Might be his son. It made a disheartening amount of sense for this boy to be another version of Damien, perhaps from another dimension, or some manner of clone, or perhaps Talia had simply hidden another child of his away… Bruce needed to narrow down the possibilities, to find the truth.

Of course, it was equally possible that this boy was some manner of mimic, taking on a form that would ensure his safety in unknown environment, a shape shifter intentionally injuring himself in order to infiltrate the Watchtower. Though that last theory didn’t make sense for a number of reasons. Most shape shifters would be secure enough in their abilities to simply try to mimic someone who already had access to the watch tower, to say nothing of the boy’s dramatic entrance.

Batman wasn’t thinking logically. Bruce couldn’t simply leave the boy here though. Not until he knew more, everything relevant by preference. The thought that this might be his son in any way was enough to keep him near, but he could already tell he was compromised.

He had already informed Diana and Clark, and both of them had agreed that he should stay nearby until they had the situation sorted out.

Bruce had been stuck in a circular though pattern for about fifteen minutes when a green form came into the room, J’onn looking at him calmly.

“Can you find anything out?” Batman asked without preamble, unable to bring himself to observe polite pleasantries when he was so unsettled.

“Nothing beyond surface thoughts. The boy’s mind is static and pain of the emotional kind,” J’onn stated after a moment.

Batman nodded, accepting the answer. J’onn’s abilities weren’t always the answer to everything, could indeed often be a crutch that led to the wrong answers. But they could also give the Justice League a starting point often enough.

“You should rest friend. It is unlikely that the boy will awaken soon…” J’onn cut himself off with a quiet look at the boy. “Or not. He’s coming around.”

Batman watched as the child’s eyes blinked open, drowsy expression turning to the two heros without much recognition. Bruce didn’t let himself react, kept himself in a calm pose even as his mind once more went into overdrive.

The boy had blue eyes, not green like Damian's.

[paradox-crows]

Sesbian slugcar.

They so pretty

Silly Lesbian Slugcat

[help-itrappedmyself]

Liminal Jason part 2

And, the plot bunny strikes back.

Red follows easily as Jason leads to the safe house. He spares a moment of thought towards whether Red is chatting with the whole family in the comms right now But then he focuses back on the kid in his arms. The kid is practically falling asleep, even as they grapple across buildings.

The instant faith this kid had in him was startling, and Jason has his concerns about why. But the part of his brain able to focus on concerns is trying to figure out how he trusts the kid so much already. The only information they have about him is that he can make unknown sounds, which is apparently a language Jason can communicate in. And yet Jason already knows that he would not let anything happen to this kid.

 Hopefully, the kid also speaks a language the rest of the group can speak. If not they can always leave it to him and Cass, as the kids’ body language seemed close enough to normal for her unique language skills to be used. 

They arrive quickly, entering through the fire escape into what could pass for a living room, in a very minimalist world. There was a couch though, and Jason went straight there to lay the kid down on it. 

The kid seemed very hesitant to let go though, waking as Jason tried to put him down. A whimper leaving his mouth as he latches on to Jason’s clothes.

Jason glances quickly at Red, and then picks the kid back up and sits down on the couch himself, with the kid in his lap. Red drags one of the two folding chairs by the folding table over in front of the cough and sits down himself.

“What is happening?” Red asks. Jason gives him a withering look through the helmet, then realizes that’s not enough, and he would like to be able to speak to the kid without the voice modulator potentially freaking him out. So, he takes the helmet off and places it on the floor next to the couch. Gives Red a look he can actually see, because really what does he think is happening? Then looks down at the kid.

“Hey, kid?” Jason asks gently. The kid looks up at him. “You got a name?”

“Danny.” The kid does his best to sit up, and scooch over to his own seat on the couch, now aware of his surroundings and situation. But a rumble comes from Jason, and he doesn’t let Danny go, so he settles back down. “I’m sorry about the trouble. I didn’t mean to be so loud.”

Red looks confused at that, but Jason chooses to ignore him for now.

“I’m glad you were, so that I could find you. Are you okay?”

Danny shrugs. He lets out a hum of sad-fine. “I’m fine now. Or I will be, once I get settled.”

“Kid, you were in distress. Can you tell me what happened?”

Danny took a deep breath, and then slid away from Jason. Jason allowed it this time, and the kid curled himself into the corner of the couch, knees up to his chest and hugged them.

“My world was collapsing. Timeline deconstruction, leading to total meltdown. We were trying to get everyone to the portal, but… They thought the portal wasn’t safe. They wouldn’t listen to us, and they wouldn’t stop… One of my mentors got me through the portal. They sent me to this world. But my world is gone now.” 

“Hood, can I talk to you?” Red nods his head towards the hallway. 

“Right now?” Jason looks between Red and Danny, who is crying silently, that high pitched keen of distress grief-alone starting and stopping, hitching with his breath.

Jason growls, deep and strong,not-alone-mine-now.

“Yes.” Red hisses.

Danny sniffles, using his sleeve to wipe his face as he starts to give Jason a small smile.

Jason huffs. “Danny, will you be okay for a second?”

Danny nods, humming an agreement.

Jason chuffs a quick safe-promise and Danny gives him a small smile. Red taps Jason's arm, and he grunts, but gets up to follow him anyway.

“Be right back, Danny.”

Red and Jason go into the bedroom, Red closing the door behind him.

“Hood, something weird is going on.” 

“Obviously, did you not hear what that kid just said?”

“No, well… yes. But that’s not what I meant.” Red starts wringing his hands together. “I don’t know how you found Danny, Hood. You said you heard a noise, and I believed you, but I didn’t hear anything that whole time. And you two keep looking like you’re communicating, but neither of you are talking, and the only things I can think of to cause something like that is telepathy or mind control.”

“Woah, wait.” Jason holds a hand up to stop Red from starting to ramble, and once he’s silent runs his fingers through his hair. “You can’t hear the kid? The noises? I mean I don’t know how I’m making the noises, that came as a surprise. But you can’t even hear them?” 

“No, Hood!” Red seems very frustrated. “And if you don’t think it’s telepathy, then we have to look into other options.”

“Hey, now, wait a second.” Jason puts his whole body in front of the door, which makes Tim tense. Jason wants to tense as well, but he is trying not to escalate the situation. “Danny is not malicious. He’s a kid, and he needs help.” 

Red squared himself, preparing to argue, but Jason heard a cry from the living room and was out of the room immediately, heading towards the living room with his heart pounding frantically in his chest. 

Something ran into him, pushing him back against the wall, and before he could realize what it was, a syringe was in his neck and his head was getting fuzzy.

He tried to focus, keening out for Danny. Hoping Danny was okay, that he ran. He pushed away from the wall, keening again. But he didn’t hear a response before he was collapsing back. He would have fallen to the floor, but someone grabbed him. And then he was asleep.

[breannasfluff]

Danny pulls on his ghost core, summoning a tiny ball of ectoplasm to his palm. It glows green, attracting Jason’s attention.

“What the hell?”

“Ectoplasm.” Danny rolls it across his palm, focusing the energy. “It’s the same energy I used to fight the Joker’s gang. Want to touch?”

The eyes on the helmet don’t change, but Jason’s voice is wary through the modulator. “Isn’t it like, acidic or something?”

“Nah, my friends have touched it and are fine. You’re a revenant, so it’s cool.” Okay, so maybe Danny’s idea of safety is a little skewed. He did climb into a broken portal to take a picture. And sure, it half-killed him, but lab safety was never high on the list in his parent’s house. Subsequently, it’s not very high on Danny’s.

Jason wrestles off a glove, reaching out to give it a tiny poke. The ectoplasm does nothing, just sits in Danny’s palm. Jason doesn’t go up in flames. See? Lab safety is overrated. 

When he reaches out again, Danny grabs his palm and flips it over. Then he tips the ectoplasm onto Jason’s hand. The revenant startles and pulls back, but Danny tightens his grip. 

“Hang on a second.”

Like this, it’s easy to feel the difference in ectoplasm. Jason oozes something dark and nasty, sluggish as it crawls through his body. Danny’s ectoplasm is crisp and clean in comparison; fast flowing water. 

Gently, Danny pushes his palm down on the ectoplasm, focusing it into Jason’s palm. It squishes, then obediently sinks into the skin and vanishes.

Jason yelps and jerks his hand back, shaking it out. “What the fuck? What the fuck!”

He ignores the continued swearing, focusing on Jason’s hand in his senses. For a brief moment, the rotten taint fades beneath the new ectoplasm. Then it vanishes and the sludge is back. 

Danny leans back on his palms, letting Jason yank his glove back on. “Did that hurt?”

“...no.” It’s begrudging. “Felt weird, though.” 

“I still can’t fix whatever you’ve got going on, but the ectoplasm made a difference, at least for a second. I don’t know if a lot more would help but…maybe we could try sometime.” 

That means taking Jason to the Ghost Zone, or Amity Park. Frostbite might have a better idea of how to help. 

Read the rest here

[flying-womrats]

replacements for a few LMS mods

If you think you saw this post yesterday, yes you did- then I made a couple edits and realized I should have done it under a readmore in case people reblogged it... So here we go again! These are the possible replacements I found for the littlemssam mods I was using, in case they help anyone else.

Caveats: - Often not a 1:1 replacement. - I only went looking for replacements for mods I was actually using, so this only covers a fraction of her catalog. - Most of these modders still use Curseforge, they're just not exclusive to it.

Additionally, if anyone knows of a replacement for any of the following: Go For A Walk, Improved Meditation Stool, Improved Practical Spells (the improvements to the spells themselves,) No Random Job Offers (I know BosseladyTV has one, but it's CF exclusive,) Purchased Items Delivered By Mail, Release All The Ghosts, or Tea For Children, please drop me an ask! I only request no Curseforge exclusives and no Zer0.

On to the list:

Allow Stoves in University Housing -> Zerbu, No University Housing Restrictions

Auto Employees -> Kuttoe's "X Everywhere" mods, Zerbu's Spawn Refresh

Auto-Light Fireplaces Only When Cold -> Bienchen, fireplaceautonomytweak

Buy Treats via PC -> Bienchen, buypettreat

Calendar Tweaks -> Kuttoe, Less Frequent Prom (caveat: takes time to start working, especially if you're using a longer season setting)

Cookbooks -> ClaudiaSharon, Cook Experimental/Cultural/Jungle Food Without Tasting It First

Immortality Potion Fix -> Kuttoe, Potions Rework (only a half replacement- removes the VFX, but doesn't lock aging like the Scarlet/LMS mod)

Kids Can Walk Dogs -> ChippedSim, Paws & Claws (A Sim's Best Friend module)

More Away Actions -> Bienchen, awayactions (is actually included in the LMS mod)

No Burning Sun in Forgotten Hollow -> TwistedMexi, Daywalkers + Underworlds (caveat: per TMex's comment on the latter, the eternal night is only cosmetic and still requires Daywalkers for vampires to come out at "daytime". Also, Daywalkers affects all worlds. Still interested in a mod closer to LMS's if one exists!)

No Insects Herbalism -> Simularity, Improved Herbalism Potions & Features

No Shoe Sign Animation -> Lotharihoe, Shoe Sign Animation Tweaks (doesn't remove the animation entirely but does stop it from interrupting walking)

No Sick, Dirty, Sad and Hungry Pets -> Bienchen, catanddogsanity

Pregnancy Overhaul ("sims can do more" part) -> Bienchen, pregnantsimscandomore

Pregnancy Overhaul (belly sizes) -> t0nischwartz, No Bump or sonozakisisterssims4, "The belly in pregnancy depends on the number of babies" (the former is simpler but has no equivalent to the "larger belly" option, the latter has a bit more going on but has direct equivalents to LMS's sizes, so take your pick!)

Sleep All Night and Sleep In -> Midnitetech- Stay Asleep, Mokunoid- Better Sleep Autonomy or Lot 51- Sunrise depending on desired depth/customization

Social Activities -> adeepindigo, Youth, Friends and Family Activities

Small GF Reactions Overhaul -> Bienchen, lesscelebreact

Small Laundry Overhaul -> Bienchen's laundry mods cover some (but not all- anyone have something to make it cost money on community lots?) of it, along with Lotharihoe's No Autonomously Set Laundry Down to replace the "auto put away laundry" part.

Spar With For Everyone -> Bienchen, sparwithfornonmilitary

Toddler Ask For Food No Junk -> Bienchen, healthyhighchair (not quite the same thing but it solves the "why do they always give the kid chips" issue at least)

WEE: Working Elevators Everywhere -> Ravasheen, Uplifting Elevators (space and wall height permitting, it's also possible to make no-CC elevators with the RoM debug portals!)

Wellness Treat Fix -> Bienchen, petanxiousbufffix

Also, while I wasn't using either of them myself, Meet&Mingle can replace SimDa Dating App, and Lovestruck adds a "canon" dating app (though given EA's complete lack of attention to QA etc. I wouldn't recommend paying for it.)

edit 6/26/24: added Sunrise, petanxiousbufffix, pregnantsimscandomore

edit 6/27/24: added No Bump, moved into a new post.

edit 6/29/24: added Daywalkers, No University Housing Restrictions (ty @northernnightsky!) and the sonozakisisters bump mod

edit 7/2/24: added Underworlds (ty anon), Paws & Claws, and a link to the tutorial I followed for no-CC elevators

edit 8/22/24: added Spawn Refresh

[nalyra-dreaming]

I'd love to hear your opinion on Mayfair Witches now that s2 is done

as a show coexisting in the same universe as IWTV

as a standalone story ignoring the rest of the universe

the writing, the acting, maybe even the production of the show

the fanbase it's attracted both good and bad

That's probably a lot, sorry!😅

Okay, so I sat on this for a while...

The show coexisting in the same universe:

The thing is, IWTV stretched the lore and book canon a bit, in a way. Lestat's little poker table scene can be explained (while squinting a bit) with the existing gifts. Lestat's powers, Louis' powers and Armand's are all well within canon limits, especially with the setting and age adaptions. The visualization is fitting.

Mayfair Witches... is not that. Now, it's been ages, since I read the books, but these witches are not the usual spell casters iirc. It started off well enough, imho, but especially in the second season the show not only made the witches different kind of witches, but even worse: they also made the Talamasca a different kind of order.

And that is going to be a problem, imho, sooner or later.

The Talamasca are an order of watchers in the books. Founded by ghosts and vampires they are ruled by those "elders", and their members have some capabilities, at best. A few can see ghosts, a few have mental abilities, a few can direct spirits.

That's it, more or less.

Mayfair Witches gave the Talamasca portals, the ability to remove memories(!), real spells, and healing transfer powers, so abilities that are very much beyond the scope of the order in the books.

As such, this show which does coexist in the same universe of IWTV - and Talamasca - has established show canon now for the other shows as well, and ... it is going to be interesting, to put it mildly, to see this fit with the other two.

I do think that the amount of thought that was put into these changes (not as much as should have been...) will mean trouble sooner or later.

The show as a standalone:

As a standalone MW is... dull. Imho. The witches do not have any real power, they depend on the Taltos, and they all seem often a bit surprised by magic happening. There's weird effects, and phrases like "thrall" used for things that are decidedly not a "thrall" (like, that word exists. Why change the meaning for the show???). The universe is never explained, flashbacks not made recognizable as such. Whole story lines are forgotten through the seasons, Ciprien's sister not heard of again, and so on.

It is a show that you can watch while doing something else.

Which is also, likely, why it's doing so well on streaming.

Writing, acting, production:

*sighs* (Do I have to?)

Jen Richards who plays JoJo is actually my favorite actress. Unfortunately she more or less misses for most of the second season in said "thrall". I also liked Alyssa Jirrels as Moira (they changed Mona to Moira, and she's a whole different character), and Tongayi Chirisa as Ciprien. Jack Huston did a better job as Lasher in season 2 than season 1.

Alexandra Daddario is a very beautiful woman, and I get why they chose her, but her acting is bad in this show. So is her voice modulation. It just... I don't know if it was the directing or if the part just is beyond her, but in any case, she cannot carry Rowan. Most of the time Rowan is superfluous in a show that supposedly revolves around her. (I talked about it here as well, and, well, am not alone in this take.)

The costumes are better in s2, now that Carol is on it, and it shows. While the show is in NOLA the city carries the show a bit, but the parts in Scotland were just... IDK.

The effects they chose for the skills, for the "spells" all look cheap. I'm sorry, but ... like Rowan scanning someone's body, right, and they put a "scanner light" onto the screen, not kidding. Whyyyyyyyy. Some pulsing in veins overlaying the image would have been better, for example, just as an idea off the top of my head. Rowan searching for Lasher?! She's running around holding out her hand, I'm not kidding. She conjures a flame, and it's literally the poor little brother of IWTV, with the flames flickering on Armand's hand and Rowan... has a little candle light fire. Again, not kidding.

And so on.

The writing is abysmal.

Story lines introduced and abandoned, powers or spells never explained. Lore just there, but up for the viewer to guess. Canon lore blown up. Characters changed completely, or forgotten about in the seasons' run. Things done without considering the repercussions.

Some dialogue was so stupid it hurt, especially in Scotland for some reason. Ben Feldman's dialogue comes to mind here though I would need to rewatch to cite it (and I refuse to, sorry).

The fanbase.

IDK - is there one?

I know there are fans of the books - and I KNOW that a lot of people put their hopes into the show at the beginning. I, also, had hoped it would be quite different.

The show ... is just not good. And I do think that reflects on the social media channels. I do think the relatively good streaming numbers come from the basic advertising visuals and the fact that you can just watch it without needing to pay much attention.

But unfortunately it does not even make much sense then... AND, remember the SDCC poster?

They don't even have the flaming dress in the show.

What else is there to say, really.

[tainbocuailnge]

you should use astgenne she's fun and reliable and i like her. GOOD ASTGENNE FEATURES:

as a chain caster she can hit multiple enemies per attack and inflicts hit enemies with a brief slow. just by being a chain caster she can do funny range plays where she chains her attacks off an enemy barely in range to hit enemies way beyond her range, made easier by her s2 extending her range. this also interacts well with some event mechanics like being able to charge multiple hot air vents at once in jessica's event, or being able to drop some kind of targetable item that you can bounce off to reach enemies standing further back like the portal in zwillingstürme or the bottles in so long adele

astgenne's kit builds on chain caster traits through her talent increasing her aspd and her skills targeting multiple enemies, allowing her to apply very consistent slows to large groups of enemies. because of the way chain caster attacks bounce, whenever she attacks 2 enemies at once through her skills, both of those enemies will also get hit by the bounce from the attack that hit the other one first, effectively doubling her damage on each target hit. her skill modifiers look small, but she actually double dips those numbers, and because arts resistance is a % reduction there is no numerical drawback for doing multiple lower damage hits instead of a single high damage one like there is for physical damage

her base module effect also removes the damage reduction on each jump, so her multitarget damage becomes very consistent and a lot higher than you'd think from just looking at her on paper. with a level 1 module and if there's 2 or more enemies, and there should be if you're bringing a chain caster about it, this is actually a 250% damage modifier and an 80% atk buff. very respectable numbers with these sp costs!

on top of that she attacks way faster than her other chain caster colleagues thanks to the stacking aspd buff on her talent. at module level 3, after about a minute of being deployed astgenne has the same attack interval as a core caster and a similar attack stat, except her attacks hit up to 4 enemies and inflict slow. she attacks more, enemies get slowed more, they stay in her range for longer so she can attack them even more, it all adds up to make her a super consistent source of sustained multitarget damage

she's also CUTE!! CUTE!!!!!

[firststrikerr]

OC Kiss Week #1 — Spearmint

“I’m not kissing you for your entertainment,” you snap, slouching against the table with crossed arms to take up more of the gap between you and Marion. Daring them to invade your personal space. And of course, they accept your challenge. “But you want to,” they say, matter-of-fact. They learn forward until your faces are only inches apart. “Do you not?”

2241 words, featuring @localcryptic's Ripley Hawthorn.

(I swore that I'd keep these under 1k words but. Well. As you can see.)

A bit of context for this one, since it's placed in a Sidestepverse AU where hero-villain roles are reversed:

"Abelards" refers to the twin Mortums, retired heroes now collaborating with The Green Sky Institute, a boost research facility led by Supernova (the Void).

"Rat Council" is Rat King, except they're chatty (think Wheatley from Portal), temperamental, and extremely loyal to this AU's Psychopathor.

Ripley Hawthorn. Ruin.

If anyone asks you, letting the Rat Council form full sentences was a huge mistake. In fact, both you and Rhan can attest to that. Those damned critters have been incessantly bothering the two of you about “putting your useless tinkering to good use for once” in that infuriating voice module that the Abelards recently installed to their translator. Seriously, whose bright idea was this? Weren’t the single word death threats enough as is?

With a grunt, you pour the contents of your bag onto the table, letting various mechanical bits and pieces clatter onto the surface. So it turns out that the Rat Council really, really wants someone to build them a flying vessel. Since the Abelards were completely unfazed by their chittering, they’ve been alternating between nagging you and Rhan into doing them the favor. For a brief time, there was a degree of solidarity in your shared suffering. But of course, that fragile truce soon fell apart when the two of you got into a petty argument about the apparent insanity of your perfectly coherent workflow. You grumble under your breath at the memory as you organize the parts into small piles. Your sorting criteria makes total sense to you, but Rhan called you deranged for it. As if they know any better than you.

And that’s what led to your latest project. Whoever makes the drone vessel that the Council likes the best, wins. Sure, there’s no prize to this other than freedom from the rats’ nagging, but your pride is on the line.

You somehow manage to have a few uninterrupted hours to yourself, but something that good doesn’t last very long. Just as you’re about to assemble the body, Marion makes their way into the common area, humming some tune that you don’t recognize. You throw a glance back when you hear dry marker squeak against the communal white board. That thing is already filled to the brim with notes, isn’t it? How are they trying to fit more onto it? Just as you turn your attention back to your project, they take notice of you and do the telepathic equivalent of poking you, signaling their intent to bother you. When you don’t make a move to retreat into the privacy of your own room, they take a seat across from you with a bag of… Are those teddy graham crackers?

"You’re building something,” they say, tossing a headless bear into their mouth.

During the time you’ve spent with Marion, you’ve noticed that instead of asking questions, they have a habit of making observational statements, then expecting you to elaborate on it. You suppose that it’s some sort of conversational tactic, but you don’t care enough to figure out what that’s about. What matters is making them work for the explanation they want.

“Duh,” you toss back, because that somehow never fails to get a twitch out of them. You suspect that it might be out of amusement rather than irritation, though.

“And those,” they point at the propeller blades, “look like propeller blades.”

“Wow, I’m impressed,” you drawl, words dripping with sarcasm. “Now just learn to tell the difference between bolts and screws, and you’ll be well on your way to qualify as my assistant.”

There it is. You sense signature bursts of their mirth at the back of your mind. By now, you’ve figured out that it feels like a sprinkle of popping candy against your tongue.

You continue putting together the smaller components of the drone without looking up, expecting them to keep making obvious remarks until you inevitably cave and let enough information slip for them to piece together the picture. That’s how it usually goes. Instead, they change the subject.

“Huh. That’s a recent development.”

“What is?” you ask, squinting past your reflection on the glass and down at the bustling crowd to try and spot who they’re talking about this time. They like pointing out random pedestrians that they somehow recognize as a recurring passerby. Is there one that got a haircut or something?

It’s only when they snort that you flit your gaze back to them and find that their eyes are trained on you and not anyone else. When you give them a questioning look, they tap an uplifted corner of their mouth. Your hand comes up to mirror their gesture, only to find that you’re… Shit, you’re smiling. That’s weird. You practically scrub the expression off, making room for your familiar frown to take its rightful place.

“I knew I shouldn’t have pointed it out,” they sigh, though their pretense of a pout doesn’t last long as their mouth soon widens into a grin. “And you wore it so well, too.”

Upon their comment, your scowl deepens on instinct. You click your tongue, tightening a screw a bit too hard as you internally swear to one day punch that smirk off their face. Your mistake doesn’t catch up to you until they burst out laughing. Shit, you projected that thought, didn’t you? And now it’s too late, because you’re picturing that one time that you did try to punch the smug out of them. Busted lips and bared teeth. Curved eyes of a cat that got its cream. Because they only press your buttons as much as they want to. Because they’ve somehow figured out the precise length of your fuse and never quite pisses you off enough for fists to fly—unless that’s exactly what they want from you.

There’s just no winning when you’re dealing with this fucker. It feels like you’re playing right into their hands no matter what you do, and it drives you crazy. The worst part? Your frustration is just another reward to them. That’s not how it’s supposed to go. Your anger is supposed to solve your problems, not enable them.

You know better than anyone how easy it is to just… get mad. Take the bait, then tear through it. Once they get a taste of your ire, most people know better than to provoke you twice. Sure, some persistent idiots keep coming back to you for some reason, but at least there’s satisfaction in aiming your anger at people that don’t want you to be mad.

Well, it turns out that some freaks enjoy making a sport out of your anger issues. How the hell are you supposed to deal with that?

The flirting threw you off at first, but at least it didn’t take long to figure out that they’re just fucking with you. There’s no weight behind their passing remarks, and that’s something you can deal with. Even if some of their nonsense lingers longer in your mind than it should. It’s just one more person among many others that’ll get a piece of your mind for messing with you.

… The problem is that neither your bark or nor bite have had any luck fending this one off. That leaves you here, at a standstill. Even your hands lost track of what they were doing while you were lost in thought.

With a groan, you let your tools go and bury a hand in your hair, glaring daggers at the culprit behind your distraction. Marion leaves you at a loss. Makes you think too much. Think about things like crushing the perpetual assurance on their face. Crushing your lips against theirs until their insufferable grin has been ground into gasps.

Fuck. Your eyes widen just as theirs do. In a pathetic attempt to damage control, you scramble to gather as much of your irritation as possible and shove that to their face. Thankfully, they take the hint and avert their gaze from you, pursing their lips in an attempt to hold back the laughter that leaks through telepathically anyways.

“Shut up, Lee.”

“But I didn’t even say anything?”

You throw your head back, dragging a hand across your face. Fine—it’s true that you’ve been getting thoughts about them. Thanks to the likes of Ortega and Chen, you’ve dealt with this side of yourself for long enough to be able to admit that much. So what?

“Well, what if I told you that I like your idea?”

They say it so casually, but their question makes you sit back straight in disbelief. “You what?”

“Your idea. I like it—”

“I heard you the first time,” you interject, desperately trying to reel your thoughts back in. Why? Why the hell would they like the idea when they’re just toying with you?

There it is again. The popping candy. Amused, are they? Satisfied to see you give in? That must be it. There’s no other explanation for what they claim.

“I’m not kissing you for your entertainment,” you snap, slouching against the table with crossed arms to take up more of the gap between you and Marion. Daring them to invade your personal space. And of course, they accept your challenge.

“But you want to,” they say, matter-of-fact. They learn forward until your faces are only inches apart. “Do you not?”

The glint of vibrant green reflected in their eyes almost distracts you, but you manage to catch onto the touch of uncertainty in their last question. It’s enough for you to feel compelled to reflect. Do you? Well, yes, if your gaze drifting down to their lips is any indication. But why?

It’s not a thought you ever gave ground to—the notion that you might have a type is stupid and ridiculous—but it’s true that you can’t help but see glimpses of Ortega in Marion. More specifically, there are echoes in the little details that you were once trained to catch onto. It’s the confidence they exude in the way they carry themself, even when they’re trying to be unassuming. It’s in how they scratch their neck to put on a show of shame when they feel no such thing. It was the intensity of their glare when they raised their voice at the Ricardo of this world that one time, standing between him and you.

As if making a fool out of you isn’t enough, they even see you as something that needs their pity—their protection. Just like he does. It makes your skin crawl and your stomach churn.

Just as that thought crosses your mind, the ever-present smile on Marion’s face collapses right before your eyes.

“Oh. So that’s how it is.”

You frown, tamping down the twinge of disappointment at the sudden distance between the two of you as they plaster their back against their seat.

“What?”

“I didn’t understand why you would want this, but I get it now.” They let out a hollow laugh.

“You’re not making any sense.” The waves of jealousy emanating from them do give you an idea of what they could be on about, but that doesn’t make this any less absurd.

“Look, Hawthorn. You don’t need to kill time with a stand-in. The real deal is practically drooling to get into your pants.”

“That’s—”

“I get that he’s not your Ricardo, but hey, if you want an outlet, it might as well be the guy that actually shares a face with him—”

“Holy shit, cut that out!” you shout, trying to pry the clinging jealousy off of your shields. “You’re making the entire room feel nasty!”

Raising your voice seems to do the trick for once, since the air tunes back to being breathable. You sigh, pressing against your clenched eyes.

“If you find the comparison that unbearable, then fine. You’re nothing like him. You always try too hard, while he makes things look effortless. You make yourself a nuisance just to get a fraction the attention he does by just existing. And if he had even half of your audacity, he’d literally be unstoppable, so don’t make me imagine that. There, happy?”

You open your eyes to find that no, they’re not happy. In fact, this is the closest you’ve ever seen them to looking upset. Crap. This isn’t as gratifying as you thought it’d be.

“Alright, alright, You want me to fuck off, I get it,” they mutter, brushing crumbs off their hands. Before they get the chance to get up from their seat, however, you jump out of your own and march over to their side of the table. They scrunch their nose as they blink up at you like a cat that just got squirted with a water spray.

Yeah. You know what? Fuck it.

Without warning, you grab them by the collar and pull them in closer, shoving your lips onto theirs. There’s no helping the widening smirk when you feel them gasp against you. Your other hand grips onto the back of their head, letting the whiff of mint in their quivering sigh carry the the moment onward and onward because you can’t stop until you’ve made your point.

The moment you separate to catch a breath, Marion tries to fit in a retort.

“Hawthorn, what the fuck—”

“There. Now you get to say you kissed me before Ricardo Ortega.” The insanity of what you’re saying doesn’t quite catch up to the pace you’re setting. Good. “Happy?”

You don’t get a response from them, since they stammer some nonsensical noises before shoving you out of the way and barging out the room. But based on the trail of figurative fireworks they leave behind, you think you can chalk this one up as your victory.