#project: tempest

[fried-trash]

two toontown art posts in one day? wow! say hi to the override buddies!

[pudding-parade]

I'm thinking that I might try out @simspaghetti's TS3 Globetrotter Challenge, and when/if I do, I'm going to use @nilxis's Saaqartoq for the first stage of it. So, I wanted an as-authentic-as-possible Greenlandic Tempest preset to go with it. So here we are.

This preset is based on Ilulissat, Greenland, shown above, which is one of the largest towns in Greenland, though, being Greenland, "large" is very, very relative. I chose Ilulissat because it is known for its icebergs, and Saaqartoq has permanent icebergs in its water. The real place sits on the western coast of Greenland, above the Arctic Circle, so this climate is a true polar tundra climate. This means lots of cold, but less precipitation than you might imagine, because the poles are deserts.

This is a preset for use with the NRaas Tempest mod. General info about this project as well as installation/use instructions are here, and here is a link to the tag page for all the presets I’ve posted so far.

The download contains two files. One is a "default" version of the preset, which you can use regardless of the season lengths you have set. The other is a version which requires 12-day seasons to work properly. In that version, each season is divided into three 4-day "months," just because this gives more granular control over what kind of weather can happen when within a season. I made both versions because, if/when I do the challenge, I'll be using 12-day seasons for all the worlds, but I didn't want to lock everyone who might want to use this preset into that. So, you have choices.

For extra immersion when using this preset, I would recommend using NRaas Retuner to offset the seasonal sunrise/sunset times so that you have (sort of) 24 hours of daylight/darkness in the summer/winter. I'll put offsets for all four seasons behind the cut.

Download the preset here.

There's more detailed info about the preset behind the cut, if anyone cares.

Highest Temperature: 50F/10C Lowest Temperature: -5F/-20C

Overall Climate: Cold, but generally sunny and dry more often than not. It will only stay above freezing for entire 24-hour periods in the summer. During the spring and autumn, it can get above freezing for a time -- and it can rain or snow during those times -- but will always dip below freezing in the evening/overnight/early morning. It will stay pretty far below freezing for the entirety of winter, and any precipitation during that time will be snow. Summer is still cold -- So make sure you like your Sims' outerwear outfits, since they'll be wearing them year-round! -- but at least it stays above freezing. This certainly isn't a climate preset you want to use for growing things outdoors.

Snow: In the "default" version of the preset, it will only not snow in summer. For the rest of the year, there will be snow, and since the temperature will be below freezing during that time, that snow will be sticking around until the next summer. In the 12-day-seasons version of the preset, it can still snow in the first third of summer, even. Needless to say, if your game lags when there's snow on the ground, this isn't a preset you want to use. Fog: Fog is a common occurrence in the summer in the real Ilulissat, so fog is possible during the summer in the preset, too, and it's weighted about equal with rain, so it should happen fairly often.

Hail: Nope! Historically, Greenland (and the arctic/antarctic tundra in general) hasn't had thunderstorms and, generally speaking, hail requires strong thunderstorms. So, there's no hail in this preset. (But now? Due to climate change, the tundra occasionally gets thunderstorms, and they're very occasionally strong enough to produce hail. Yay. :/ )

Precipitation Intensity: Both the arctic and the antarctic are deserts, so while it does rain/snow in the preset, the duration of storms is set to be on the short side, with a maximum of 1.5 to 3 hours per occurrence, depending on the season. Rain intensity is set to be of only light or medium intensity, to avoid thunderstorms. Snowfalls can be of light, medium, or heavy intensity, with the highest chance of heavy snowfalls in the winter.

Additional settings:

Fireplaces that are upgraded to auto-light will do so on active lots when the temperature is 45F/7C or less.

Fallen leaves will be removed at the start of winter.

Insect spawners will not spawn in winter.

Annnnd, for those who might want to adjust their sunrise/sunset times for a more realistic arctic environment, here are offset values based on data from this site. These are the values you can plug into the Seasons Manager in NRaas Retuner, using the instructions linked to above.

Spring: Sunrise - +0.5 Sunset - +4.5 (These values are based on sunrise/sunset times on April 15 in Ilulissat.) Summer: Sunrise - -3 Sunset - +8.75 (These values are based on sunrise/sunset times from the day before the beginning of 24-hour daylight in Ilulissat.) Autumn: Sunrise - +3.5 Sunset - +0.75 (These values are based on sunrise/sunset times on October 15 in Ilulissat.)

Winter: Sunrise - +7.75 Sunset - -4 (These values are based on sunrise/sunset times from the day before the beginning of 24-hour nights in Ilulissat.)

NOTE #1: The above offsets are based on using either no lighting mod OR using a lighting mod that uses standard 6AM/6PM sunrise/sunset times. If you use a lighting mod with non-standard sunrise/sunset times, you'll need to do the math to adjust these offsets yourself.

NOTE #2: The game can't really give you an entire 24-hour period of daylight or nighttime. It's just not designed for that. The above offset values for summer and winter will result in sunrise and sunset happening 15 in-game minutes apart. However, the sky will likely be light or dark, depending on the season, for longer than that, because the game's lighting has built-in incremental lightening/darkening for a few hours around sunrise/sunset. There's not much to be done about this, but at least the sky will be mostly light/dark during summer/winter.

[astranauticus]

soliloquy

(edit once again i drew something with my ipad screen brightness too high and now that i've posted it nothing is visible. sad!)

[pricknim]

I knew from the first time, I'd stay for a long time cause I like me better when I'm with you

[just-horrible-things]

'Verse: Annihilation

Project Tempest Archives Footage : ██/██/███

A young girl sits at a plain metal table. Opposite her sits a man in a uniform shirt. On the table to his left, an opaque plastic box.

The man reaches into the box, and withdraws a round, red ball a little smaller than an adult’s fist. He places it on the table between them.

“Okay,” he says, “go ahead.”

Both observe the ball in silence for several seconds.

“Can I touch it?” the girl asks. “It doesn’t count if you pull it apart with your hands.” “I’m not going to.” “Alright.”

The girl picks up the ball. She squeezes it, compressing the foam in her hand, then runs her fingers over the surface. She briefly brings it to her face and appears to sniff it. Then she places it back in the centre of the table.

“Okay,” she says.

Several more seconds pass. Both watch the ball with unbroken focus.

The surface of the ball begins to change. The surface texture roughens. Pieces of foam the size of grains of sand begin to pull free of the surface to fall to the table. Soon the ball is shedding pieces like red snow. A halo of red dust is forming on the surface of the table. The ball begins to noticeably lose volume.

“Alright,” the man says. “Good.” The transformation of the ball ceases. The girl wipes her nose on the back of her hand, and watches impassively as the man picks up the diminished ball. He drops it back into the box, and sweeps the dust to one side.

The girl’s eyes track the particles, watching as they shift in the air current caused by his withdrawing hand. Some scatter back along the path of his hand. The girl’s attention returns to the centre as the man places another ball on the table.

The second ball is green, and made of glossy plastic. It rolls a little when set down, and the man has to reach out and stop it with his hand. When he releases it, it remains in place.

The girl watches his face until he says “Go ahead,” then turns her attention to the ball.

Within seconds, the ball begins to crumple. Strings of plastic begin to peel erratically from the surface, spooling out in every direction. When enough of the hollow shell has succumbed, the entire form of the ball abruptly everts itself, turning inside out as it continues to peel apart. The space that was the inside is already full of shifting threads of peeling plastic.

The man watches with evident fascination until the original form is completely unrecognisable.

“I think I’m done,” the girl says, as the plastic finally stops moving. “Yes,” the man agrees.

He picks up the mass of entangled threads that the ball has become a little gingerly, using only the tips of his fingers, and places it carefully into the box.

The third object is a wooden block. The girl frowns, but says nothing.

“Go ahead.”

It takes almost a minute before anything perceptibly changes. The man’s gaze moves occasionally from the block to the girl’s face. Her concentration remains unbroken, although her frown deepens as she continues to stare at the block.

Finally, a single splinter detaches itself from the surface of the wood.

A few more seconds pass.

“Is that it?” the man asks. “No,” the girl answers with audible irritation.

Over the next minute and a half, several more splinters become evident. Some detach themselves enough to fall to the surface of the table.

“Alright,” the man says, “I think that’s enough.” He reaches for the block, but the girl grabs it before he can. “It is broken,” she insists.

She lifts the block and throws it at the surface of the table. The man flinches, half-lifting an arm to shield himself, as the block splits into three pieces with a loud crack. The smallest of the pieces crumbles further before coming to rest. The exposed surfaces are all splintered, not cleanly broken.

“See,” the girl insists. “I was doing it. It just happens inside, first.” “I see,” the man agrees. He sounds uncomfortable. “Please sit back down.” The girl sits, still looking sullen. The man picks up the pieces of the wooden block, and places them into the box.

“My brain is tired,” the girl complains. “How many more?” “A few more. You have to practice until you’re tired if you’re going to get stronger. It’s like building muscles.” The girl wriggles in her chair briefly, then wipes her nose on the back of her hand again.

The man withdraws a folded tissue from a pocket, and passes it across the table. “Sorry,” the girl says, sniffing, and blows her nose loudly. She places the snot-filled tissue on the table beside her. The man looks at it for a second, then moves on without saying anything.

The next item he withdraws from the box is an orange. The girl’s frown deepens as he sets it on the table between them.

“I can’t do that,” she says. “Why not?” She squirms, obviously uncomfortable. “I don’t want to,” she says. “Why not?” the man repeats, patiently insistent. More squirming. The girl picks up the snotty tissue, and blows her nose again. When she puts it down, the man is still watching her expectantly. She kicks her feet under the table.

“Why don’t you want to break the orange?” the man asks. “It’s only a piece of fruit.” “I can’t,” the girl insists. “How do you know unless you try?” “No,” she insists, irritated. “I can’t because…” Her mouth twists one way, then the other. The man waits. “Because it’s the same as you. If I broke the orange I might break you.”

There is a long silence.

“Okay,” the man says. “We won’t do that then. Can you explain more?”

The girl sniffs again, and starts to wipe her nose with her hand, then reaches for the tissue. “It doesn’t look a lot like me to me. It’s an orange, and I’m a human being.” “It’s not exactly the same,” the girl says in a tone of exasperation. “It’s just too much the same. Both are… wet, and squishy.”

Another pause.

“How far away would I have to be, for it to be safe?” “I don’t know.” “Can you guess?” “I don’t know,” the girl repeats. “Far away. Really far away.” She eyes the man with distrust. “Really, really far away. And I don’t wanna do it anyway.”

“Okay,” the man agrees, putting the orange back into the box. “We don’t have to. Let’s try something else.” The girl sighs dramatically. “I’m tired,” she protests. “Just a few more.”

[tisbis]

[lionblaze03-2]

you know. Ever since first experiencing be more chill, I’ve wondered if anyone has actually tried to rewrite a midsummer nights dream with zombies. Or any Shakespeare play for that matter. It seems incredibly doable, someone get on making Mr reyes vision

[tsunagite]

I don’t know how to caption this. MEGALOVANIA insanity or whatever

[ct-hardcase]

also the way lourna, keeve, and avar are all bi legends. to me.

[fried-trash]

the girls finally getting their 5 minute break in a 15 hour work day

[pudding-parade]

Since I'm doing the Globetrotter Challenge, I wanted to make a new climate for the second, tropical stage of the challenge, even though I already have a "general Caribbean" one. I wanted something less rainy than that one. (I need to redo it one of these days; I think I went a bit overboard with the rain. LOL ) I do already have a climate based on Aruba, but it's a very non-standard one that I made for a specific save, and I wanted something less specific and more widely useable, so here we are.

Aruba, unlike most islands in the Caribbean, is semi-arid, featuring cacti rather than lush, flowering foliage. So, this preset is more arid as well, with rainfall being very seasonal. However, like the real Aruba, it is sunny more often than not, and since the real island is close to the equator and heavily influenced by the trade winds, the temperature hovers around 80F/27C year-round, day and night, so that's what happens in the preset, too.

This is a preset for use with the NRaas Tempest mod. General info about this project as well as installation/use instructions are here, and here is a link to the tag page for all the presets I’ve posted so far.

There are FOUR different versions of this preset in the download folder for this one, because I just couldn't make up my mind what I wanted for my own use. I've written up a "ReadMe" text file that's included in the download and that explains the differences between the four versions, instead of turning this post into a novel. If you read through it, you can make a more informed decision about which version(s) of this preset you'd like to use. You are, of course, free to keep all four if you think you'll have a use for all of them.

That said, in all four versions, some things are the same:

Fireplaces (if you have any in a tropical world) will not autolight.

Any fallen autumn leaves (if autumn is enabled) will be removed during winter (if winter is enabled).

Insect spawners will spawn year-round.

The possible temperature range is the same year-round in all versions, with no difference between possible day and night temperatures. The minimum is 75F/24C and the maximum is 85F/29C.

There is no snow (obviously), fog, or hail, so the only weather patterns you'll see in all versions are rain or clear/no rain. How those two patterns behave and the relative chances of them happening depend on which version of the preset you're using and what time of the year it is in the game, which is detailed more in the included ReadMe.

DOWNLOAD THE PRESET HERE.

[ikuudo]

now that its almost 2025, heres my art summary for 2024

22nd January 2024 ——> 10 December 2024:

this year was one hell of a ride

how bout yall? feel free to ping or something cus i wanna see as well

[just-horrible-things]

‘Verse: Annihilation

Project Tempest Archives Footage : ██/██/███ – autopsy of P█████ A██████

A body lies naked on a steel table. Female, middle-aged, and a little overweight. The skin is blotched with inflammation and bruising, and dotted with innumerable tiny scabs. The abdomen is distended. Several surgical incisions mark the torso – recent and unhealed, but neatly closed with rows of sutures.

Masked and gloved surgeons step into the camera’s field of view, and take up tools. A similarly masked cameraperson joins them, holding a handheld camera.

They begin by opening an abdominal surgical site. Sutures are cut away from the surface of the skin, then from the layer below, and finally from the fascia. As the flesh parts, thick, clotted blood wells up from beneath, oozing like custard through the opening. The doctors wipe away the gobbets, and continue.

Scalpels lengthen the incision while retractors pull the sides of the wound back to expose the organs beneath. Close-up views alternate with the top down footage as the cameraperson moves between the surgeons with practiced ease. 

The abdominal cavity is full of clotted blood. The doctors wipe it out by the gelatinous handful, discarding it as they proceed. The close up shots offer little to the untrained eye but meat, even as the surgeons use forceps to indicate certain bruised tissues and sutured vessels. 

Once done with the first surgical site, the team moves onto the next, and the next. After each has been inspected in turn, the surgeons open the abdominal cavity from sternum to pelvis and begin removing organs. More congealed blood is scooped away.

The close up camera focuses on each organ in turn. An abraded surface here, a dark bruise there. The stomach is emptied of its contents – more dark blood.

They saw open the ribcage to access heart and lungs. Clots spill from the thoracic cavity. The lungs themselves are blotched with the deep red of blood. The heart is intact, coated with streaks of yellow fat.

Finally, they open the cranium and extract the brain, dissecting it beneath the unflinching eye of the camera to point out the sites of multiple bleeds.

The footage ends abruptly, without outro or closing remark.

---

Attached is the full autopsy. The primary cause of death is determined to be pulmonary haemorrhage. A long list follows of the other sites of haemorrhage.

Systemic diffuse tissue damage is noted, as are high levels of systemic inflammation. Early signs of infection were found in the blood-filled peritoneal cavity. Acute kidney failure was noted shortly before death.

Multiple surgeries were performed before the subject’s death, targeting the sites of the most severe bleeding. Full notes are attached after the autopsy.

[applepies-and-starlight]

A couple of Ishmael centric fic bits before i pass out because it's 3am rn

[sonofcoulson]

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 3

Episode 3

"Banshee":

Freedom Force have tracked Sean Cassidy to Camp Lehigh. They arrive at the gates and demand entry as they are harbouring a wanted mutant. Peggy does not recognise their authority leading to a standoff between the two sets of agents. Peggy orders her agents not to fire first. She keeps all those with superpowers inside so as not to stoke tension.

Unbeknownst to her, a shrunken Hank Pym has snuck out and is investigating the enemy convoy parked outside the gates. He disables the weapons of the combatants in the first van causing much confusion, especially as he has also disabled their radios.

A S.H.I.E.L.D. tower guard by the gate sees agents pouring out of two vans with a third following swiftly after. Peggy knows exactly what is happening…

Peggy: Pym! What the hell do you think you're doing! Get back here right now! We do not want to give them the excuse to-

Hank (having entered the 5th van): Peggy, I know what I'm doing.

P: Do you? If you get captured they can bloody well keep you!

H: Uh, the agents in this van are unarmed and they're all wearing power dampeners.

P: …Hank, get out of there.

Forge switches one power dampener off and radios that Dukes is ready and the other ‘hounds’ are on standby.

Hank retreats, but his Pym Tech fails as he runs towards the gate. The Freedom Force agents open fire. He is able to shrink before he gets hurt but the damage is done. Gunfire is exchanged between the two agencies and the agents with disabled weapons and radios are re-equipping. Peggy is livid.

Fred Dukes, the first ‘hound’, emerges from the fifth van and is sent to the gate as he has superhuman durability and can repel the bullets. This is a young, fit Dukes, before he becomes ‘Blob’. He uses his super strength to wrench the gates off and Freedom Force swarm the base.

As Freedom Force technically fired first she orders Jacqui and Brian to slow down the advancing horde. Angel Salvadore and Sean Cassidy offer to go with them…Peggy agrees but gives them an alternate route to the hangar and the mk II Quinjet. Says they'll retreat to Muir Island, if Dr. MacTaggert will have them. Sean assures them she will.

Pym returns and tries to apologise. Peggy tells him to save it, she'll deal with him later. Pym is ordered to supervise the concealment of ‘sensitive’ tech, including his own.

Peggy calls the President to see if she can get a reprieve.

James Braddock goes to prep the Quinjet for escape.

Howard begins to barricade with some volunteers. The non-combat staff are told to evacuate through the warren of tunnels running under the base, including Howard's heavily pregnant wife, Maria.

Cassidy, Salvadore and the Falsworth twins enter the fray and are making fairly short work of the Freedom Force agents. But they grind to a halt against Dukes as he swats away their normal attacks. They realise they need to work together. Jacqui flames on to obscure his vision and Brian sucker punches him in soft tissue (eyeball). Dazed, he is unable to brush Angel Salvadore away and she spits hardening goo on his face so he can't breathe. Cassidy sonic screams him hard, direct in the face, and Dukes is down. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents begin to retake the upper level.

Peggy gets off the phone and informs them that Nixon told her that his hands are tied. She then asks Pym how many others there were in the 5th van…

Simultaneously, Henry Peter Gyrich confirms that the other ‘hounds’ should be released. Forge deactivates more collars in the 5th van.

The hounds are all dressed in black combat gear with slight variations.

One of them (Avalanche) touches the ground by the van, causing the ground by our heroes to rumble and crack. This breaks the hard goo on Dukes’ face. The hounds approach the team as Dukes remains prone on the ground recovering his breath.

Our team group together. Jacqui lays down a wall of fire to keep them out.

Another hound (Stonewall) walks straight through as he has turned himself to stone. Angel goos him before he can grab Jacqui but he starts to crack it with his stone hands. One hound (Toad) leaps over the fire and dropkicks Spitfire to the ground.

Brian starts toward her but is caught by a blow from another hound (Crimson Commando) who also has super strength.

The hounds battle the S.H.I.E.L.D. squad, who just about manage to hold their own, even when Dukes recovers, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. troopers are managing to keep Freedom Force out of the underground part of the base.

Gyrich calls for the last hound.

Out of the 5th van he steps and begins to charge his chest plate. Cassidy and Salvadore recognise him, even under his helmet and armour, as Alex Summers (aka Havok). They scream for everybody to fall back.

When the blast comes the three flying heroes manage to get out of the way, and some of the hounds too. But Brian, Fred Dukes and several troops from both sides are caught in it.

Peggy, hearing all this, calls on everyone to retreat. Troopers are to get to their nearest safe house and the supers to the hanger where the Quinjet is prepped and waiting. Jaqcui drags her brother to his feet. But they are obstructed by another hound (Super Sabre) who has super speed.

Cassidy warns everyone to cover their ears and lets out the loudest, widest ranging scream he's ever produced. With the enemy stunned and Brian up and they make haste to safety.

Havok is charging up another shot for the Quinjet but deliberately misses after Forge instructs him to let them go. This was at Gyrich's request. He knows where they're going and wants an excuse to follow them there.

When Gyrich leaves the channel, Forge is livid that they had Havok fire on their own men. Val understands Forge's anger but says the must achieve their objective no matter the cost.

Forge says the cost is rising and wonders where Gyrich will draw the line.

We see a shot of the team landing and disembarking on Muir Island while Moira McTaggart looks on.

We also see that Pym stayed, as he didn't want anyone to find his stuff and has enough Pym Particles to keep himself hidden.

We cut to Mystique, collared, in a cell. A guard lets Evangaline Whedon in. She sits. Pointedly she does not turn on the tape recorder. She puts a small medical kit on the table, unzips it and puts a syringe next to it.

Evangaline: Miss Darkhölme. How are they treating you?

Mystique: 

E: They've sent me here to administer your medication.

M: 

E: I believe this was your job.

M: You know what it does?

E: They explained it. It is deeply unethical. 

M: And yet here you are…

E: I didn't have a choice, just like you didn't have a choice.

M: There's always a choice.

E (momentarily thrown by Mystique's assertion): …They seem to have given up any pretense that we have rights in this place.

M: Isn't that why they brought you here? Mutant rights?

E: They brought me in to avoid a prisoner revolt. To give these mutants the illusion of due process, of a proper government department.

M: The truth! I wasn't expecting that from you.

E: What were you expecting Miss Darkhölme?

M: You have singularly failed to stand up to Gyrich or even Cooper. What about the rights of those prisoners? What about a fair trial?

E: You helped to capture all of those prisoners. Some of whom were former colleagues of yours. So don't try and lecture me about mutant rights.

M: So Cooper finally told the team about my past…you need a mutant to catch a mutant, right?

Has she told them about Irene Adler?

E: Yes. That made sense. Her predictions were a little too good.

M: Did she tell them about Forge?

E: Forge is a…

M: Yes. He just doesn't know it yet.

Did she tell them about you?

E (momentarily thrown again): …Me? What about me?

M: That you're one of us.

E: Is this…Did Cooper put you up to this?

M: I think that was my response.

E: To whom?

M: …Can I really trust you, Evangeline? 

E: You noticed that I didn't turn the tape recorder on? Gyrich's going to string me up for that.

M: Maybe you want to trick me into giving you my co-conspirators and escape plans to feed back to Cooper.

E: …I just want to go home, Raven…You want an affidavit? 

M: …Okay…If I'm vague on the details…then there's nothing to report back…

First, you need to decide what you're going to do with that medication.

E: …

M: I told you, there's always a choice. It has to be your decision. 

E: Some choice…

M: And then, when the time comes, you will need to use your power to help everyone escape.

E: …I can’t…

M: You can, Evangeline.

E: I killed someone the last time it happened.

M: I heard they had it coming.

E: …

M: It was you or them, right?

E: …I did a lot of damage too.

M: We're kind of counting on that.

E: Raven, I completely lost control.

M: You may have more control than you think. You just need practice.

E: …No…I…

M: Just a fingernail, a hand…an arm…start small.

E: Does everyone escape?

M: Unclear. But you give us the best chance of success.

E: That sounds like Irene talking.

M: No. No names. Not yet.

E: How will I know when the time comes?

M: Oh, you'll know.

M (Looking at the syringe, then at Evangeline): So…what's it going to be?

Aaand scene

[ct-hardcase]

I'm suddenly taken with the premise of Reath having one miraculous day where Bell, Burryaga, and Vernestra are all in the temple on the same day, and (taking it upon himself to add Amadeo to the group) insists on them taking One (1) evening to hang out like carefree Knights.

(he's getting fomo from not getting to attend lula and zeen's wedding leave him alone alskdgj)

Possessing an iota of tact Reath volunteers that the invitees can bring anyone they want to along. They do not have anyone they bring along. Reath wonders what everyone else's social outlets are. Bell clarifies that his and Burry's has pretty much been Elzar and the RDC. Vernestra nearly chimes in that Reath's has been Azlin.

(amadeo knows good clubs. everyone is a little concerned and embarrassed that amedeo knows the good clubs).