#retired book playthroughs

[sesame-sim]

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

Recap of completed book playthrough (Part 3)

The memory police visits had become more brutal and without warning. In the middle of the night, Aki's house is suddenly searched by the police.  R hardly dared to breathe inside the hidden room. Aki was extremely frightened. Although the searchers were very thorough, the search ended without discovery of the room. They found a pocket datebook Aki had and one of the men berated Aki for having it when calendars have already been disappeared from the island .The policeman sets it on fire. Perhaps satisfied, they left after that.

Aki goes into R's room with her emotions in a terrible state afterwards. She was crying and shaking. It was like every emotion she'd bottled up since the beginning of hiding R was trying to come out all at once now. He stroked her hair and gently embraced her to comfort her. Perhaps needing a release for their state of anxiety, things suddenly got intimate.

A few weeks later, novels were the next item to disappear. Books were burned. Aki hid her writing in R's room for safekeeping, but she had to get another job since she could no longer be a writer. She began to work as a typist for a spice company. With her new job, she only had time to prepare food for R in the morning, go to work, take Don the dog for a walk in the evening then prepare the household's dinner. She struggled to write now. R tried to reassure her that she is still the person who wrote novels even if books have disappeared. They are in each others arms often now.

The reason I am lacking screenshots for this part is this is where the playthrough veered away from the events of the book pretty greatly.

In the book, an earthquake happens and I did not feel I could recreate the earthquake scenes in sims 4. Or perhaps I could have but it would've taken a great deal of effort so I ended up using some skipping and some altering of the storyline.

BOOK VERSION: While the writer is visiting the old man on his houseboat, an earthquake happens. The old man is trapped under furniture. They escape but the old man has blood coming from an ear. Then they both go to check on R who is alright. Some of the others who were in hiding now wander the streets with their homes broken and the town never fully recovered. When cleaning up the damage to the house, the writer discovers some of her mother's statues cracked. Inside there are items hidden, items that hadn't been seen on the island in years. Lying in bed with R, she tells him memories of her mother and shows him her finds. He tells her what they are: a harmonica, Ramune candy, a ferry ticket. There was also a section when the old man and the writer go to find more of the mom's statues and break them open. These parts were skipped in my playthrough due to issues of recreating them.

MY VERSION: I continued my playthrough from when Aki sees the old man again after a period of calm. He is looking haggard and she gives him some candy. That very night, in my version and the book version, the old man collapses and passes away. In the book it was from a brain hemorrhage due to injury from the earthquake. In my version, I explained it as he had never really recovered from injuries from the time he was taken by the memory police.

In another part of Windenburg, R's wife Rie is continuing life in the house that she and R had chosen together. Their son is a smart and good little boy. She wonders if he will ever get to know his father. The old man had been helpful in delivering messages but that link was gone.

By the time people got used to not having a leg, one of their arms was the next to go missing. Aki learned to type and cook with only one hand. R continued to not be affected by the disappearances himself and fought hard to talk Aki away from disappearing piece by piece.

The conclusion in Recap Part 4

[mossy-rock-in-a-field]

Several weeks ago, my retirement-age mother requested that I play Baldur’s Gate 3 for her because she has trouble with controllers/keyboards and wanted “to see what all the fuss is about with that cute wizard boy.” For context, my mother and I have done this sort of thing in the past with certain RPGs (dragon age, mass effect, etc.), but it’s been a few years since she’s personally requested a game like this. Basically, I control her Tav but let her make all the choices so she can determine how the story plays out without worrying about mechanics. She treats it like a choose-your-own-adventure book.

Anyway, here is a list of some of the things my mother has said and/or chosen to do throughout the course of BG3 in no particular order:

She is (obviously) romancing Gale. She is quite smitten with him and his passion for books and learning; she also thinks he’s polite and qualifies as “relationship material.” She also REALLY likes the things he’s said about his cat so far (my mom is a cat lady), so I know she’s gonna flip shit when we meet Tara in Act III.

She’s playing a normal druid Tav with a generally good alignment. Her favorite spell is Spike Growth because she thinks it’s hilarious whenever enemies walk into the AOE and die. I usually end up having to cast it at least once per battle per her request. Sometimes twice.

Contrary to her alignment, my mother tasks me with robbing every single chest, crate, barrel, and burlap sack we come across; this also includes people and their pockets. The party is always at max carrying capacity. ALWAYS. She doesn’t like selling things because “what if I need them.” The camp stash is in literal shambles. There is no hope of organizing it. She’s got like fifty seven sets of rags and a billion pieces of random silverware.

She MUST talk to every animal and corpse in the game. I think five hours of her total playtime so far (47ish) has been spent speaking to animals as many times as humanly possible. Like, I was thorough in my own playthroughs, but this is on a whole other level.

She did NOT get Volo’s lobotomy, but she did let Auntie Ethel take her eye in hopes of a cure for the tadpole. I did not understand the logic then. I still do not understand it now.

She is far more interested in fashion than equipment stats. Do you have any idea how much gold I’ve had to spend on dyes just to make things match? SO much. Same vibe as that “please someone help me balance my finances my family is starving” tweet but instead of candles it’s thirty thousand fucking bottles of black and furnace red dye.

We broke the prisoners out of Moonrise, but they got on the boat too early and bugged the fight by leaving Astarion and Karlach behind. Wulbren Bongle somehow got stuck in combat mode even after engaging the cutscene on the docks below Last Light; he he kept trying to run ALL THE WAY BACK TO MOONRISE nine fucking meters at a time while I frantically tried to finish the fight with the Warden, otherwise Wulbren would have run straight into the shadow curse. (I would’ve let him go; fuck Wulbren Bongle, all my homies hate Wulbren Bongle. But my mom didn’t know that, and she wanted to keep him safe. So.)

She had me reload a save like eighteen times to save the giant eagles on top of Rosymorn Monastery. Wouldn’t even let me do non-lethal damage just to get past things. I think getting that warhammer for the dawnmaster puzzle took us like an hour and a half alone. (Yes, I know you can use any warhammer, but SHE didn’t.)

She’s started keeping an irl notebook to keep track of her quests between play sessions. She writes down ideas and strategies when she thinks of them during the week, then brings them to her next game session at my house. I think she wrote about three pages on possible approaches to the goblin fortress alone.

She insists that I pet Scratch and the owlbear cub before every single long rest, no exceptions. Sometimes I have to do it multiple times until she is absolutely sure that the animals know exactly how much she loves and cherishes them. She has also commissioned a crocheted owlbear plush from a friend of hers and is very excited.

I’m sure there’s a bunch of stuff I’m forgetting, but those are some fun things I thought of. She’s enjoying the game and is telling all of her retired friends to get it and play it for themselves. She asked me “what is Discord” yesterday and I think my life flashed before my eyes.

anyway shout out to my mom for being neat

Part 2 — Part 3 — Part 4 — Part 5

[anathemafiction]

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who are the Romance Options for the series?

Hadrian — Bisexual

Alessa —  Bisexual

Alain —  Bisexual

Ysabella —  Bisexual

The Pirate King — Straight

Neia — Lesbian

Lance —  Bisexual

Rafael —  Bisexual

Lieutenant Vallen —  Bisexual

2. Need help with an achievement?

Check the amazing Achievement Guide made by Nell!

3. How many books will the series be?

Right now, I have 4 books planned!

4. How do I befriend the street urchin?

To gain Beka’s loyalty you must:

Stop her because you think she might be useful. To convince her to stay, pick the choice according to your stats. If you have at least 25 Wit, persuade her. 25 Influence, bribe her. 25 Combat, intimidate her.

Don’t press her too hard for answers, or she’ll refuse to talk further. In the end, when Beka offers to become your informer, you need to accept the deal, which means paying her. And when the guards come, you have to protect her. 

That makes Beka loyal to you. To keep the guards from running after Beka, you have to play to your strengths once again.

If you have at least 30 combat — Stare the guard down.

30 Wit — Ask them what they think they’re doing.

30 Influence — Tell them she’s a retired thief.

30 Pious — Bring the Lord’s disapproving gaze upon them.

Now, even if you fail, at this point, Beka is already loyal to you. But this is how you make sure she’s safe. At least, safe for the morning.

5. Where can I find the Goliath?

Visit the Harbor and check the fighting pit when you hear all the commotion coming from it. You'll see the Goliath at the center of an ancient amphitheater, waiting for his next opponent.

6. How do I beat the Goliath?

Here and here.

7. Is the scar unavoidable?

It is.

8. What are the ROs' ages?

Rafael — mid-twenties

Alain and Ysabella — mid-twenties

Hadrian — mid to late twenties

Alessa — mid to late twenties

Lance — late twenties

Neia — early thirties

The Pirate King — early thirties

9. Can I visit all five locations in one playthrough?

You can't. You can either visit three or four in one playthrough.

10. How can I listen to Lance's song?

You need to go outside of the inn at the end of Chapter 6.

11. Why can't I save the game?

If you mean save while you're playing, I don't know how to code it. Unfortunately, Choicescript doesn't have a save feature. If you play on Steam, here is a save plugin you can use similar to Dashingdon!

If you mean save your progress at the end of the game, so to carry your choices for the sequel, it isn't yet implemented! Hosted Games will add that feature once I'm 80% done with writing Book 2. So, I will let you know when the save option is added!

12. Will romancing Alessa or Hadrian lock me out of the other ROs routes?

It will not. There’s not romance “locks” in the game. 

13. Why is it called 'The Golden Rose'?

The reason why will be revealed at a later installment.

14. How do I meet the Pirate King?

Go to the Harbor.

15. Can I switch Billy for another horse?

Not in the first book. 

16. Will I see the cat again? What about Beka?

You will see them both again!

17. Will I see Garrett again?

You will! When and where depends on the choices you've made and the paths you've set him on. But as long as you haven't killed the young, failed bandit, you'll get to see Garrett again.

18. Can I still romance Hadrian if I killed Garrett?

You can! Although the romance progresses in a much different way.

But, for Hadrian not to completely shut you off (both romantically and as a friend), you have to show remorse right after killing Garrett. That means you can’t pick the option that uses sarcasm to mask your distress either — because Hadrian believes your lie — you need to show clear remorse. Immediate guilt.

On your first night at the inn, you need to try and talk to him and be as calm as possible. After that, just… well, keep trying. Hadrian will push back, which can make it hard for you not to say “well, I’m done.” And you can totally do so, but if you want a chance at reconciliation, I’m afraid you’ll have to swallow a lot of stones.

19. Can I romance Alessa if I threaten her at the tomb?

You cannot.

20. How do I get Corruption points?

You get Corruption points by:

Killing Garrett.

Killing the Devil’s Guardian.

Killing the man at the Cathedral.

Killing the man who punches you at the Nestled Nook Inn.

If you gain enough Corruption, your mark grows by the end of the book. And yes, it will have future consequences — outwardly, but, most importantly, inwardly too.

21. Can you give me a physical description of all the ROs?

Here.

22. What are the highest and lowest attainable relationship descriptors in Book One?

Here.

23. Who's your favorite character to write?

Romanus!

24. Wait, there's a siren?

Go to the Market and follow the voice of a boisterous showman.

25. What's the Church's stance on homosexual relationships? What about women in general? 

Here. 

26. Is the game set in Spain?

Please check out: One | Two | Three | Four

27. Can you write a scenario or an RO reaction?

I might post a snippet once in a while, when inspiration strikes me but, as a rule, I don't write scenarios or reactions any longer. When I used to do them, I was a student and had much more free time than I have today.

Whatever time I have for writing, I invest it in Patreon content and, most importantly, in writing Book Two! Because, at the end of the day, that's what we're all here for.

All the lovely asks are very appreciated, but I'm afraid you will be disappointed if you send me a scenario request. 

28. Will we be able to...

I'm not a fan of spoilers! I might answer some of these, but, just to warn you, I most likely won't. Some things one must wait to see.

29. Are you Brazilian?

No, I’m Portuguese.

And, lastly, here is the Tag page on my blog. All the important tags are listed there. Feel free to explore it!

[dndhistory]

393. Douglas Niles - Super Endless Quest #3: Escape from Castle Quarras (1985)

Firstly let's deal with the elephant in the room... you don't escape Castle Quarras in this book, in fact what you do is precisely the opposite, you infiltrate Castle Quarras... but I imagine that would be a less appealing title, so we are fed this lie. 

You play Derek Shadowalker, a thief tasked with going into the castle and finding the gem of an evil wizard who is manipulating the ruler of the land to be evil himself. Aimed at a more mature audience than other TSR gamebooks, Shadowalker is a retired thief, an actual adult with a beard and everything and not a snot-nosed kid as in so many of those books. This more mature content is also present in the complexity of the rules, which now have fight and inventory mechanics.

The inventory mechanics are particularly cool, as you have to select two items to take with you at the start of the adventure, which will determine what you can and can't do in each playthrough, greatly enhancing the replayability of the book. The art style is also more violent (and cool!) than Endless Quest books with Mark Nelson's interior art even depicting a decapitation... nasty! 

[tvsoftboi]

Alrighty, time to suck it up and share some headcanons for Cultist Sim and (to a lesser degree) Book of Hours! Warning, this might be kinda on the long side, heh, even if I don't have much to share...

For context, these aren't like, interpretations of the Cultist/Legacies or the Librarian as how they're shown in game. I've seen much better readings on the quality of the character of the, well, player character, heh. I wouldn't really consider this all "AU" stuff either? It's more just, the stories or interpretations I came up with during my own playthroughs! (With that in mind, there are a few Legacies I haven't finished, and I've barely begun scraping the surface of BoH, but I promise to try and get around to things when/where I can!)

Feel free to ask questions either here or through Asks, I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on things, give me a chance to expand on my own stories/whatever!

Base Legacies:

I don't really have too much for the base game's legacies, it's mostly because I haven't played them in so long, I might need a refresher to actually come up with anything more than how I Ascended them and a bare-bones "why?" Sorry they don't have much in the ways of solid stories...

- The Aspirant: I decided he would Ascend through Forge, as one of the only Legacies that doesn't stumble his way into occultism, instead purposefully searching it out, it feels like this little wretch would be perfectly comfortable with a "might makes right" approach, and a justification for any sacrifices that might need to be made.

- Bright Young Thing: For me, the BYT's rich/lavish lifestyle felt right at home for falling prey to Grail. She already indulges her impulses, living life on a whim, so why not take it to an extreme? If life's already practically been handed to her on a silver platter, it felt only right that she'd eventually find comfort engaging in the stranger vices.

- The Physician: This one felt like they'd fit in pursuing a Lantern path. Someone scholarly, (I'd imagine) often involved the endings and beginnings of life, who couldn't help but record the ramblings of one of their final patients. Driven by curiosity's sake, and the tug of the call of "invisible lights," he'd explore and study and learn as much about this invisible new world as they could, taking it as far as they can.

- The Detective: My headcanon for the Detective isn't too exciting, but I think it's a little sweet. Personally, I'd like to believe it and its mundane/minor victory (Ambition's Tide) follow the actions of our (or at least my) boy Douglas (aka the Weary Detective). We're going to absolutely ignore that he is the first/default Hunter, one that you can technically even get as the Detective, if you produce any reputation cards. I like to place this after the first three Legacies and their corresponding Apostle runs. Imagining that the cults probably disbanded with their leader(s) in the Mansus and the Apostle(s) also having gone off and done their things (depending on the actions of the Cultist, the number of followers may have dwindled a bit too, due to sacrifices or "necessary casualties." So, because of all that, Douglas is essentially just finally able to nab a ne'er-do-well, and get the promotion/retirement he deserves. Maybe he finally has a chance to spend time with the spouse and kids (if he has any) ^-^

- The Apostles: I'm grouping these three together, because I haven't actually played them yet, so I don't know their stories, and because of that, I don't have anything to really expand on…

DLC Legacies:

- The Priest: Like the Apostles, I haven't played them either... All I've really got is that scars are associated with certain Aspects (Edge, Knock, and Winter) so... Transmasc Priest with two of his/their Lock-Scars being top surgery scars? Idk, it's really not much...

- The Exile: We'll get back to him once I finish playing the Exile Legacy and Book of Hours as the Executioner. It'll make sense, I promise! ;)

Now, these next two get special attention because I love them so much, for no good reason lmao. Firstly, I've decided these two are siblings (maybe twins? I like it thematically but also I think it'd maybe make more sense for the Dancer to be the older sibling? I'm not sure!) who were separated at a young age.

- The Dancer: She (Lyra, in my game, heh) is absolutely trans, in my mind! The themes of change and shedding your old form really has trans undertones to me, heh. In my mind, the Dancer has been running from her old self and life for years now. A trans youth, rejected by their parents, forced to eke out an existence as best they can, I could see it making sense that she finds her way towards dancing for clubs. Stuck in an unpleasant/unfulfilling life, she'd be intrigued by Sulochana's tempting offer of change. Follow along down the balance ending, falling into service of the Meniscate by being too balanced between change and eternity. (I still need to work on why she specifically goes down balance, rather than pure Moth or Heart...)

- The Medium: The Dancer's sister on the other hand, is Elise, the Painter, the Medium, and the Ghoul. Now, I know that "painter," isn't technically one of her titles, but with how the route ends, and the personal challenge I set for myself, I think it's fitting! (context: I went to the trouble of painting every masterpiece, and only ever summoned spirits by using paintings, since I thought it was cool if she painted these otherworldly beings into the world.) Now, Elise's motivation for falling into occult trappings is two fold: she wants to find her sibling and she's a disaster lesbian. Starting with the queerness first, I think the Medium is an absolutely silly, pathetic, wet cat lesbian. Her interactions with Miss Naenia, especially when sharing a joyful memory, just feels so very gay lol. And I think this does lead into her other reason, whether there's any truth to it when she says it, Miss Naenia promises she can, in a way, help the siblings reunite. The Medium remembers her sibling, but not well. She remembers their parents anger, driving her sibling to run away, but not why. She can barely remember their face, they were so young and the details blur... She wants to remember. To find them. It's an itch at the back of her mind, a want to not be herself alone. Unrelated to her motivation, but I think my Medium specifically was very prone to illness as a child. Sickly, and pale in the way of one who has not or chooses not to see the Sun, she was probably kept confined to her room for most of her childhood, meaning she wouldn't have known exactly what her parents were angry about, or why she can't remember whether she had a brother or sister. For occult stuffs, the Tower of Doves cult felt fitting, being dedicated to "what is lost and may yet return." Maybe the Medium hopes to paint her sibling back to her? I'd also like to imagine she avoids sending her strange and creepy women "who are silent" to murder anybody, (because I had that as another challenge, and) Elise/my Medium didn't feel like a malicious soul. She doesn't want to have to eat the dead unless she absolutely has to, and there are graveyards and ruin scraps for that. (I've got nothing for eating a Decrepitude or King Crucible though, vore I guess lol) By the end of the run she will wander the Mansus, remembering the forgotten Hours, and she will not end before her time. And perhaps, one day, she will find her sibling.

Now, I realize there's maybe some unintentional parallels to the Witch-and-the-Sister and the Sister-and-the-Witch. I didn't intend for the siblings to be one soul as two/two who are one, or anything like that, but I don't hate the idea either? (Also, very sorry if these aren't actually all that interesting, or if this clutters/takes away from actual posts more relevant to the game...)

[chromaji]

the few times i look up “zodiac eo3” on google, i see these posts on other sites in the results that say Zodiac only has a strong earlygame & falls off midgame or lategame in eo3.

& im like damn maybe my copy is personalized bc Ray has strangled enemies like its her job throughout the whole main game (i havent started postgame yet so we’ll see what happens there). I feel like she’s only gotten better as the story went on. She’s a proud member of the heavy hitters club with my Gladiator, Arbalest, & Monk. She doesnt deal as much as Breakfire Yijun or Multi-Shot Front Mortar Rumble, but those two are unfair outliers.

…Though idk, maybe its because of her kit? Each playthrough so far, she’s ended up with Fire Star & Volt Star lv 3 or 4, Ice Star lv 5, 🗣⚡️Bisexual Thunder lv 1, [Element] Up level 1-5 depending on the element, singularity + etheric charge maxed, & ether mastery mid-to-high leveled… And subclass farmer bc no subclass really looked like it helped her that much.

…I also give her every TEC book we find, since she’s the only member of the team who solely uses TEC, & as much TEC boosting equipment as i feel works. I also retire everyone for them bonus stats & skill points at the start of a new playthrough 🧍‍♂️

Sometimes i wonder if i should pull the trigger & go 3 wisdom earrings, but without Heliotrope to bodyguard, that’d be too risky for me.

[bumblebeescribbles]

Writing Patterns Tag Game

I was tagged by @thewritingautisticat!

Rules: list the first line(s) of your last 10 fics and see if there's a pattern

This will be a disorganized collection of both short stories, fan fic, and my current WIP. I don't have over 10 things, because I unfortunately lost most of them (': BUT I'll throw in everything that I have still!

Coaxing out those Painful Truths (family drama short story)

The blinking cursor taunts me. 

2. Unnamed gijinka Lorelocke for Pokemon Y

“I refuse to work with them, this has to be a mistake!”  The Surskit - what was his name again?  Dol?  Marrol?  It definitely had an “oul” sound in it - frowned, the black sclera of his eyes swallowing up the meager torch light.

3. Just You, Me, and this Heracross Between Us (a PMD fanfic)

For all their glamor and confidence, Olive finds working with rescue teams an annoyance. Especially when she’s waiting for them to get to the job briefing.  The mission she posted ages ago on the notice board.

4. stories upon stories upon stories upon memories (short story of an adventurer trying to retire)

There was only so much time I could spend solving an intricate and old puzzle to get into a dusty and cobweb covered library, to then be swarmed by a bunch of flesh eating spiders and be a meat shield once again, before realizing after that whole ordeal that in our battle the books destroyed in the battle were our only lead.

5. Strength and Other Disillusions (nuzlocke of Pokemon Black)

The sliver of moon claws against the dark black night sky.  Pinpricks of stars twinkle down on her.  Off in the distance, Venomoth wings slice through the thick summer air.  For the first time, Tess drowns in the silence.

6. Grave in the Woods (short story focusing on family dynamics)

Although this far into the woods, I was still reticent to consider forgiving Grandpa, even as we headed to visit his grave.

7. Juniper Wall (playthrough of Iron Valley)

After her attempts to be an adventurer, you would think her skills in preparing for weird weather would be better; especially after that one time Doppio malfunctioned and caused an ice storm to whirl out of their gears and cogs.

I seem to consistently start with either a character reflecting on their emotional state, but I'm definitely trying to lean more towards starting out with dialogue. Clearly 1/7 isn't the best rates but y'know

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Gentle tagging @twilabellas @rhyaxxyn @friendlyshaped @marigold-clouds @bard-coded <3 if I didn't tag you and you want play, go right ahead! :3c and absolutely no pressure to

[fallsky-19]

lone wanderer oc vs courier six oc

lore down below, if youre interested:

so im on unoriginal bitch but my lone wanderer and courier six are one person, CourierSix!Fall being 29 years old (i am following the canon timeline of the game as well as the age of the player character, so LW!Fall is 19 when she left the vault)

her lore is based on my first playthrough of the 3d fallout games (my Sole Survivor is related to Fall, being a distant, distant, DISTANT relative 200 years up in the family tree), so here's a rundown.

LW!Fall takes after her father, being studious and looking up to him. she grows up to be smart and was slated to be the next vault doctor under her father's guidance when the events of the start of fallout 3 happen. thrust out into the unforgiving wasteland and forced to learn so much in such a short time, she meets burke in megaton and, after trying so hard to keep her cool with moira and her endless perilous errands, LW!Fall rigs the atomic bomb in the heart of the small town to explode. she blew it up due to burke's offer as well but shh

shes proficient with energy weapons and is surprisingly agile for someone who's led a barely active lifestyle the past 19 years in a vault, sticking to the books and all. she's traipsing between good and evil morals that both the regulators and the talon company constantly jump at bounties put on her head because she can really just flip the switch between being an angel solving all your problems and overall someone you could rely when you need to know something/get something done, to downright apathetic trigger-happy marksman who can clear the entire room in seconds (GRIM REAPER'S SPRINT BABY).

storyline follows the game, as usual, she finds her dad, helps him with the project, everything goes downhill, LW!Fall meets President Eden and fucking short circuits the AI in their first meeting and runs out of the Enclave HQ as its destroying itself as payback for General Autumn killing James after LW!Fall swore she was going to kill the man and made sure he heard it. then she finishes project purity, elects to contain the radiation in the heart of the purifier rather than sentinel lyons, gets radiation poisoning and is saved by the brotherhood, goes to the pitt, kicks ashur's ass and takes the baby for the greater good yada yada.

being an honorary member of the brotherhood and with things looking up for the DC area, LW!Fall really has nothing else to do other than to wait for her to be called on by the Brotherhood for guidance or special missions. there's nothing really left for her there since her dad is already dead and both the organization and the man who killed him are dead. on top of that, she feels EXTREMELY guilty about what she did to megaton, though she never told anyone else she did it other than James who sussed her out from the start.

she left for the Mojave, starting over and working as a courier, where life is quiet and she never had to pick up a gun ever again, though clean water is hard to find, but she gets by.

then the events of new vegas happens and thus starts Fall's emergence to be Courier Six. albeit this time, with experience from her Lone Wanderer days, she's a calmer, more rational, still trigger-happy but at least the energy is now focused on using it for the greater good, loves hacking terminals and snooping around, learning about the old world more and more, being chill with yes man and actually talking it out with people rather than shooting first.

tl;dr: local retired vaultie just wanted to rest only to get bopped in the head. proceeds to let the mojave find out that the person who changed DC has been with them for the past 10 years

[magic-space-games]

My dad just retired recently, and he's restarted his male Brosca playthrough of Dragon Age: Origins, and he gives me regular updates on it. Like I'll just be chilling on the couch or whatever, and he'll come downstairs from his office (which I guess is now his gamer room) to say "In Dragon Age: Origins I just finished the battle at Ostagar!" And he'll give me a little rundown of what happened and then go back upstairs. Earlier today he came downstairs to tell my mum that he'd named his mabari after a fictional dog in a book they'd both read. It's really sweet.

He's also gotten a lot better at camera control than the last time he tried to play.

[sesame-sim]

ENDING - Have now stopped playing The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa. It was the book that entered my bookish sim save before Unmarriageable and I never posted it here because I knew it was about to end anyway. I dragged it out as long as I could since I got attached. But here's a look back.

SYNOPSIS: Things are disappearing from the island where a young female writer lives and the Memory Police make sure people don't remember the disappeared objects. The writer tries to protect her editor from being taken by the Memory Police. With the help of an old man, she creates a hideaway spot inside her house and keeps him there.

Oh and I heard that Charlie Kaufman is writing a screenplay for an Amazon adaptation of this!

RECAP PART 1

*Please keep in mind, things are bound to stray at times from the book since in sims some things happen by chance.

The house is from the gallery. Back then I didn't edit screenshots much. When I started this book playthrough, it was early 2020, predating Snowy Escape, so that's why I didn't place it in Mt. Komorebi. I used the island in Windenburg.

Bedroom of the girl, unnamed in the book but named Aki in my save. She grows up to become the main character.

I love the tiny little bathing pool that house came with.

The mom was an artist/sculptor who worked in their basement. In the basement she kept some things hidden away which are supposed to get disappeared from the island. Because Aki was curious and looked through things in the basement, she also knows some items that are supposed to be forgotten.

In the book the unnamed main character did not have a sister, but in my game the parents had a 2nd child, Momiji, due to their autonomous woohoo.

Then one day while the kids were in school and the dad at work, the memory police came and took away the mom. They never saw her again.

Dad did the best he could raising the girls alone...but...

...eventually he is taken by the memory police the same way the mother was. 13 year old Aki is left to take care of herself and her 8 year old sister. Their former nanny comes to check on them sometimes, even taking them out to eat. Aki starts writing some stories to make money.

And so the years went on. At some point, a married couple named Ryuu and Rie move into Windenburg. The husband is an editor. I think in the book he was just called R. And Aki, now 19 becomes a full-time writer. R is given the task of mentoring her. The two have great discussions over the work and a lot of respect for one another.

Meanwhile, the girls' former nanny died. She had a pregnancy at an older age and due to complications both she and the baby did not make it. Tom, the husband of the former nanny starts helping Aki and Momiji sometimes. I think he was just called The Old Man in the book. Aki gives him gifts such as a home-cooked meals. I think they need his help and he needs them because he is lonely.

One night, a Prof. Ishikawa suddenly comes to the house with his family. He is an old colleague of their parents. He warns them that the intelligentsia is disappearing because of the memory police so they are quietly relocating in the night.

After the prof's warning, Aki tries to prevent R from being taken. She has secretly developed feelings for him during their time working together. She tells him she and the old man have devised a plan to keep him out of harm's way. You can see the slightly crazed desperation on her face lol.

Will make a part 2 to the recap tomorrow since I didn't realize it'd be so long.

[vonlipvig]

and that's another playthrough, baby! we got coup'd by the military, put in prison, then released years in the future and retired with my family to the countryside.

i love that bernard circas' daughter (i assume?) ended up writing a book about me, and then of course:

THEY SAID IT

[azures-grace]

BIG FREAKING TES 4: OBLIVION SPOILERS BELOW

(Hello mutuals, I wrote it out)

Okay so basically

I FREAKING love Oblivion so much. Yes, the character design is a... Bit odd to say the least, but the story is SO good.

Skyrim could never have TWO quests with incredibly complex plots involving lots of murder, and yet, here this 2006 game does. Oblivion literally gave us one plot about a cult that was in a negative light (main quest) and one about a cult in a positive light (dark brotherhood) and I love that. Nuance. I think it really shows how being IN the cult can change your perspective. And I think it's important to remember that everybody in the Mythic Dawn was a person. Also Mankar Camoren was half Altmer and half Bosmer and that is so cool and Skyrim could probably never fathom a mixed character with that much importance (even if he is the villain).

SPEAKING of Mankar Camoren (probably one of my favorite antagonists, up there with like, Dagoth Ur in terms of complexity ((you can fight me on this, I don't care, I think Camoren is neat even if I hate him for being responsible for killing babygrill Martin))) he had such an interesting narrative and like, the fact that he roped his kids into his cult? And how Paradise/the savage garden is actually just hell and all of the Mythic Dawn people were duped? OOH! I love it. I also dig how there's that one guy in the forbidden grotto that clearly had a high enough ranking in the cult to not be tortured by the Daedra and, in fact, be trusted with the torture of his fellow (dead) members, and yet he TURNED BACK and decided to help the Hero of Kvatch??? OOOOOH COMPLEXITY

Also Camoren did Oblivion realms in books before Hermaus Mora made it cool

Changing topics, I really love how the factions ACTUALLY required progression! You aren't just the arch mage without having any magical abilities aside from like, casting one minor spell. I legitimately, during my first playthrough, thought the Arcane University was the end of the Mages' Guild quest line IT'S NOT(????) You can apparently become arch mage and little me's brain would have an aneurysm. Fighter's guild? Starts off as just being paid to fight, gets a plot later (and a sick one at that)??

And the leaders of the guild don't just... Die and then you get promoted. The Fighters' Guild leader "retires" and then comes back to help you. The leader of the Mages' Guild sacrifices himself so you don't get Mannimarco'd. Heck, for the Dark Brotherhood, Lucien, who I'm pretty sure most of us see as the head of the Brotherhood, WASNT EVEN THE HEAD. he was a SPEAKER, the HoK killed Ungolim, man. (Also the fact that you can kill Lucien when you meet him [which younger me did I had to roll back so much] is wacky.)

For all the issues of the random NPCs, a lot of them have distinct personalities. I might struggle telling you the difference between the Companions aside from like... Aela and Vilkas and Farkas, but I can totally tell you the personality of most of the Imperial City merchants?

ALSO THE HAGGLE AND DISPOSITION FEATURES

I don't really like the disposition mini game, but it's really interesting from a straight up rollplay standpoint because good people probably aren't trying to manipulate people into liking them. And it makes leveling up Personality or whatever so much easier.

I also love the way the landscape looks. The different regions have different flora and it's so interesting. Also there's just random minotaurs and land dreughs too (I prolly spelled that wrong)

Also, I am so so so madly in love with Martin and his whole character and I LOVE how he has growth from this timid lil priest guy to he's LEADING THE CHARGE at the Great Gate, but he doesn't ever let his power get to him. He's a very humble guy, but he's in no way penalized for that. He's not a super macho man, but he's not shown as like, weak or effeminate for liking to read and hide away. Heck, he's respected and well loved because he's not full of himself and he's treating all the Blades with respect himself. He has conversations with them where he's actively trying to just level with them and interact. I honestly think if he'd not sacrificed himself at the end to defeat Dagon, he'd have been the Numa equivalent for the Empire (get Roman Empire'd lmao) and would have probably focused on the scholarly and/or religious.

Also all the badass women, guys. That's so cool to see. Milona Umbranox is ruling Anvil ALL by herself, through her incredible grief at the loss of her husband, and even when you bring Count Umbranox back, she's STILL in charge, guys. It's so cool so cool. I'll get back to the Umbranoxes in a sec. This might just be me, but I really really liked Caroline. I'd talk to her every time I was at Cloud Ruler Temple and I still do. And like, Telaendril is so dope, bro. She literally outran her killer long enough to kill her father.

Ok, the Umbranoxes and the Thieves' Guild now. I freaking love the Thieves' Guild. It's such a cool questline. You have to start it by talking to beggars, because the guild really cares about the beggars, bro. The Thieves' Guild is almost certainly the people who help the beggars, change my mind. But like the fact that the Grey Fox is literally stealing an Elder Scroll just because he can is epic. The reunion of Corvus and Milona Umbranox was so sweet.

Additionally, I love how you can't just speed run the quests. Especially the main quest, it's an actual threat because you're constantly bombarded by Oblivion Gates and that makes fast travel really difficult. You have to take at LEAST 10 days to do the main quest. Actual progression, yippee!

And there's so many good side quests, too, like, I love the one where you go into a painting to get this painter out, and if I remember correctly, his dad was a really good painter but then lost his ability to use his hands or something so Dibella made him a paintbrush so he could keep painting. Disability rep?? In a 2006 game?? Hello????

I ain't even got to the Shivering Isles yet, holy crap. The amount of love I have for that DLC.

I don't think there is ever going to be a DLC like the Shivering Isles ever again, as sad as it is to think about that. That DLC was probably the most fleshed out think I've played in a long time that isn't fanmade. There was a whole new area to explore, where you choices actually affected the world. Also, the complexity of all the characters and their different flavors of problems from a hypochondriac to paranoia, to obsessive collecting, to depression... It was really interesting to see all these different characters with their issues.

And Sheogorath himself was super cool too! Wes Johnson had such a dope performance (and looks like the prince too, lmao) and honestly brought so much life to the character and his insanity. The Greymarch was almost like the Shivering Isles' personal Oblivion Crisis, with Beacons of Order poppin up like Oblivion Gates all over the Isles.

And the difference between Haskill and Dyus is so funny to me because they both seem so done with their respective Daedric Princes.

Anyway, I love this game so much and I really hope TES 6 is closer to Oblivion than Skyrim.

[privacykilop]

Tavern tycoon font

#Tavern tycoon font full

They miss the dangers and wish they were young again. They have obligations and duties but most of all, the retired life is boring and redundant. Where? In the very taverns that are bustling with legends and the young at heart.Īfter years of roaming free, slaying evil and merrymaking in halls of drink, everyone takes an arrow to the knee. They listen of course, to the very far fetched stories that are passed down from mouth to mouth. But, what happens after the story? Where does the hero go after slaying the dragon, rescuing the damsel and freeing the people from an untold terror? No one really knows what happens to the old and retired soldiers. Every warrior is remembered, his stories spreading like a magician’s flame. All rights reserved.By word, by book, the tales of the brave and mighty are told in reverie. Grand adventure awaits in the world of Epic Tavern! What if your decision to send a fatigued and injured character on a quest leads to critical failure that results in a Total Party Kill? It’s not just a matter of who you send, but also of what happens to them on their travels. The Path of Transformation: Quests will lead to important changes in your characters. Whether or not a quest ends in victory, expect your adventurers to change! Every triumph and every sorrow weave the fabric of your world's unique destiny. Not All Challenges are Overcome: Expect to meet failures on your path to glory. Sort Out the Results: Use what is earned to boost your Tavern's renown, level-up your victorious Heroes, and prepare for ever more treacherous quests. Each encounter could yield treasure and XP, or tragedy and defeat. Track their Progress: Follow your party on the map and see in detail how the quest is unfolding. Equip them with special weapons and relics, and then send them off to claim victory in their quests. Unlock Quests: Perk up your ears and listen for whispers and rumors to find the opportunities you'd like your Adventurers to pursue.Īssemble your Party: Choose your heroes based on their skills and strengths. Befriend your patrons by loosening them up with frothy pints and hire the Adventurers whose traits you desire. The impact of your choices will inexorably change your adventurers and the World itself!Īttract Adventurers: Build a legendary Tavern that draws the greatest heroes in the world. Epic Tavern pushes the limits of a player-centric narrative and creates a brand new model of the classic RPG experience. These quests unfold into an epic storyline unique to your playthrough. The World: You will send your new friends on quests to explore the land of Beor. Between quests, take their experience, level them up, and influence the nature of their destiny. Mages, warriors, assassins, and more will be at your disposal! Befriend them over drinks and learn their secrets. The Adventurers: A multitude of characters drawn from 20+ classes and walks of life will visit your tavern. In Epic Tavern, you build the destiny of your world, one drink at a time. This is where friendships are made, and where great adventures are started. Your every choice determines the future of your establishment, bringing heroes and stories together in fellowships that will become the stuff of legend.

#Tavern tycoon font full

The Tavernmaster: You and your tavern are at the center of a world full of danger, intrigue and unlimited adventure. The experience grows as you play - your choices will directly steer the fate of your intrepid adventurers! Player Choice: In Epic Tavern, every quest choice made and every adventurer befriended could unlock new quests, new alliances, or access to characters, items, and tavern building opportunities. By bringing together courageous parties and sending them off on dangerous (and oftentimes crazy) adventures, every decision you make will alter the destiny of your Epic Tavern! Recruit heroes, send them on quests, and reap the rewards! Build a legendary Tavern to attract Heroes from every corner of a dangerous and magical world. One of "The Best New Steam Games You Might Have Missed This Week"Įpic Tavern is a fantasy-management-RPG where you rule the land from your Tavern. "A cross between The Sims and a rousing game of Dungeons and Dragons"

[shepherds-of-haven]

Forgive me if this has been asked, Lena, but do the RO's who don't get romanced by an MC go off and fall in love with other people and/or spend the the remainder of their lives without companionship or is it something that you'd prefer to be left up to headcanon?

Hi anon, we've actually had two different polls about this on Patreon because I wasn't sure how people would feel about it! I've wavered back and forth: I could envision endings where, say, best friend!Ayla falls in love and opens an orphanage with a partner if MC romances and marries Shery, and can see how that would be satisfying and realistic for players to experience, especially for characters they consider to be friends and want to see achieve this kind of ending; but I've also been in the camp where I don't always like this as a player, especially when I'm planning on romancing those characters in other playthroughs (like in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, I didn't let Felix marry anybody even though I romanced and married someone completely different, because I was planning on romancing him next and I am jealous and possessive). So I've definitely gone back and forth myself, and have polled opinions on Patreon twice!

So far, both times the winning options have indicated that 1) the majority of voters thought the Shepherds deserve relationships/families with other people if not romanced by the MC, and if that was something they would actively want for themselves (aka Blade or Tallys or Chase likely wouldn't settle down with anyone if not romanced, but Trouble and Ayla do want kids) and 2) a toggle seems to be a good compromise for both sides? Like, if the epilogue of the game is presented like a book summing up the events of the aftermath of the game, it would read like...

As for Ayla...

Not much is known about her personal life, but her achievements and accomplishments after the Shepherds were renowned.

After retiring from active service, Ayla traveled the world, teaching Wind magic to a variety of students to keep the art alive. She eventually settled back in Haven and opened a school. Several statues and temples were built in her honor.

Both her personal life and her professional accomplishments are outlined in detail in the book.

After retiring from active service, Ayla traveled the world, teaching Wind magic to a variety of students to keep the art alive. She eventually settled back in Haven and opened a school. Several statues and temples were built in her honor. She married a Weather-Mage and they had six children together, eventually starting their own orphanage.

Note: the above is complete BS I made up on the spot, so please don't take it as any indication of what the actual epilogue is going to be like! Just kept it as quick and generic as I could make it.

As you can see, choosing the first option omits any details about Ayla's potential relationships and keeps that aspect of her life purposefully vague and ambiguous. Choosing the second option is more explicit and could delve into her potential relationship, marriage, or family, even if it's not one she shared with MC.

The thinking was that this 'toggle' was a good compromise for people who don't want to see the characters in certain relationships (for whatever reason, and perfectly validly), and for people who do and are curious about that aspect of the Shepherds' potential futures/endings. I am still leaning that way currently, but I have received some feedback that the existence of the toggle would still be upsetting for some people, kind of like knowing it exists makes it real regardless if you see it or not, and it could be off-putting for some users' experiences. So I am still ruminating and percolating on the issue! I don't think I have very strong feelings on the matter either way, and the toggle seems like a fair way to compromise, but I suspect I won't truly make the decision until I'm ready to write the epilogue, I think.

I hope that makes sense!

[agentofmischief]

Birthstone Legacy Challenge

Ok, I don’t post a lot on here, but I’m a huge fan of the sims. I’ve been playing it since gen 1 back in 2000. So, I’ve been having fun with challenges, especially the past couple years with 100 Baby, and I’ve found online. And after reading hearing and reading up on Lilsimsie’s Not So Berry Challenge, I had an idea of my own challenge. So, I thought I’d share if anyone else wanted to play along.

Disclaimer: These challenges mean nothing in regards to people born in that month. I simply took symbolism and cultural aspects of each stone to create a challenging and interesting playthroughs you might not think to do.

Lifespan requirements: Normal (not sure if it’s possible on Short, but if you want hard mode, do it).

The idea is to start with your month’s birthstone, then each generation is the next month’s stone for either 10 generations (traditional Legacy), or 12 if you wan to do the full year. You could also start on the month after your birth month with a full year play-through, so your birth month acts as a “finale”. Might be helpful if say your birth month is April, and you know your month’s stone is Diamond and to you it sounds like a finisher, or if your birth month is December, and you’d just prefer to start with January’s stone. It’s up to you.

These will just be listed month by month, so they are easy to find.

Like in the other color challenges, you want to model your sim with the stone’s colors in mind. You should also build their house with their stone’s color in mind.

1. January stone: GARNET

    Color: Dark Red

Garnets have a high refractive index, which causes them to look as if they are emitting light. Due to this phenomenon, travelers during the crusades would carry them to ward off evil. The stone represents Faith, Love and Constance.

Traits: Good, Ambitious, Cheerful

Goals:

 - Complete the Soulmate aspiration

- Complete the Law career as a judge.

- Must maintain career until death (meaning no retirement, quitting, or being fired).

- Must have at least 2 kids after the soulmate aspiration is fulfilled.

- All children must be raised with all green character values and no lower than Bs in school.

2. February stone: AMETHYST

    Color: Purple

The word Amethyst comes from the Greek word, amethystos, meaning “not drunken.” This comes from a myth where Dionysus was so enraged, he vowed his wrath on the next human he saw, which was a young woman, Amethystos. To “save” this woman, Artemis turned her to stone (note to self, don’t ask Artemis to save you ever, because her track record sucks). Dionysus calmed at seeing the stone’s beauty, and poured his wine on it, giving the stone it’s purple color. In more recent centuries, amethysts have been associated with piety and rank in the Catholic Church, as bishops are given amethysts when they are appointed.

Traits: Genius, Bookworm, Snob (If you have Snowy escape, replace one of these with Proper).

Goals:

-Complete the Knowledge - Renaissance Sim aspiration.

-Complete the Education Career as a Professor.

-Can not go to bars or nightclubs

-Max out Logic, Writing, and a musical skill (Violin, Guitar, Piano, or Singing)

-Can never marry or enter into an official dating relationship; HOWEVER must have at least 1 kid at some point to continue the legacy. This can be through adoption, which is more likely if you want to play pure piety or you have an Ace sim in mind, and the adoptee must be a child or teen. The other option is through secret woohoos if you want to play the more historically accurate, seedy way. **If you are playing with Risky Woohoos, you can have max 2 kids living with you. All others children must be removed from the house and into a Townie’s home once they become toddlers.

3. March stone: AQUAMARINE

    Color: Light Blue

Due to aquamarine’s sea-like color, they’ve long been associated with traveling and the sea. Sailors used to put them under their pillows to calm themselves. They are said to inspire peace and ward off poisons.

Traits: Loves Outdoors, Glutton, Loner

Goals:

-Complete Angling Ace aspiration.

-Eat out of the trash 5 times without getting sick.

-Have an aquarium with 10 fish.

-Catch a vampire squid. ** Or if you have Island Living, you must become a mermaid.

-Must eat and learn to make Pufferfish Nigiri.

4. April stone: DIAMOND

   Color: White/Silver

Diamond is the hardest stone on Earth, and is often associated with wealth and treasures. The word diamond comes from the greek word adamas, meaning unconquerable. They are the most popular of the stones, and so recently have been “Lab Grown.”

Traits: Ambitious, Insider, Perfectionist

Goals:

-Complete the Scientist career.

-Complete Leader of the Pack aspiration.

-Find all the crystals.

-Must clone a diamond.

-Become best friends with Judith Ward and have a framed selfie with her in your house.

-Date/marry someone in the Style-influencer career.

5. May stone: EMERALD

    Color: Dark Green

Emeralds are an old stone, first mined in ancient Egypt. Cleopatra was known to wear them frequently. They are said to symbolize fertility, wisdom, and Spring. It’s also said to heal heartbreak.

Traits: Jealous, Romantic, Materialistic

Goals:

-Master Gardening skill.

-Date and 100% romance a politician, then break up with them.

-Have at least 3 kids from multiple partners (each must have reached 100% romance first).

-Breed a frog worth over $100

-Must complete Fabulously Wealthy aspiration

-Does not marry, UNLESS you have Strangerville, and can marry an Officer in the Military Branch. However, when they die, so does your sim.

6. June stone: PEARL

    Color: White/Cream

Pearls are created by oysters and are considered the “perfect” gem, as it needs no man-mad alterations. Pearls are often attributed to wisdom through experience, as well as innocence and fertility.

Traits: Childish, Perfectionist, Family-oriented

Goals:

-Must have 5 kids before becoming an adult.

-Must complete the Curator aspiration.

-Must master 10 skills. ** If you are using Tiny House perks, 15 skills.

7. July stone: RUBY

    Color: Bright Red

Rubies are well known for their blood-red color, earning their association with health and vitality. They are also symbols of love, passion, and prosperity.

Traits: Self-Assured, Romantic, Self-Absorbed

Goals:

-Complete Serial Romantic aspiration.

-Master Cooking, Athletic, and Charisma skills.

-Complete Doctor Career.

-Must Woohoo at least once in each: Closet, Jacuzzi, Observatory, Bush, Spaceship, Lighthouse, Pile of leaves, Shower, Coffin.

8. August stone: PERIDOT

   Color: Light Green

Peridot is the stone of compassion, bringing health and peace to emotions and the mind. It inspires eloquence, creativity, and good cheer.

Traits: Creative, Vegetarian, Goofball

Goals:

-Complete the Painter Career.

-Master Painting, Photography, and Handiness skills.

-Paint 5 Masterpieces.

-Craft a bathtub of excellent quality.

-Complete Painter Extraordinaire aspiration.

9. September stone: SAPPHIRE

    Color: Royal Blue

With the most famous sapphires being Princess Diana’s iconic engagement ring and The Heart of the Ocean in Titanic, it’s now wonder Sapphires hue long been associated with nobility and power. The stone symbolizes strength, loyalty, and focus through self-discipline.

Traits: Materialistic, Genius, Insider ** If you have snowy escape, Proper takes place for Materialistic.

Goals:

-Complete the Law Career as a Private Attorney.

-Complete the Mansion Baron aspiration.

-Must start a club with Wealthy requirement ($30,000+). *If you start a fraternity/sorority in University, it counts if wealthy is listed as a requirement.

-Max out Charisma, Logic, and Writing skills.

-Must marry another club leader.

-Must get Gold in Wedding Social Event, and pay full $1750. Minimum of 10 guests.

-Must have a son. (He does not HAVE to be the continuation of the Legacy, but he can if you want. Also, if you have a born daughter, but decide to transition her, that does not count. Since it’s a click of a button without game mechanic influence, it’s kind of cheating. HOWEVER, if you decide your born son should transition, it still counts. This is mostly to take the steps during pregnancy to make a boy (since we’ve all watched others influence for a girl 1000x), That or to keep going until “the odds are in your favor.”)

10. October stone: PINK TOURMALINE

      Color: Pink

Pink Tourmaline, also known as October rose, represents humanity, sympathy to others, and humanitarian work. It’s believed to carry the virtue of love that is unconditional, offering comfort to children and lasting friendships.

Traits: Unflirty, Gloomy, Outgoing

Goals:

-Complete the Politician career as a Charity Organizer.

-Complete Friend to the World aspiration.

-Adopt 2 kids (Do not have to be legacy continuation).

-Max out friendship/be best friends with 4 sims before becoming an Adult. The friendship must be maintained throughout life.

-Have a rose garden.

-Write 5 Children’s books.

-Volunteer with family 5 times.

*If you get the pop-up asking to donate to charity, you must if you have the money.

11. November stone: CITRINE

     Color: Dark Yellow (almost Gold)

Citrine’s yellow stone radiates happiness, creativity, and wealth. Named for it’s citrus like color, it’s no wonder it’s the stone for a month known for it’s food. Citrine is known also as the Merchant’s stone for it’s golden color.

Traits: Cheerful, Foodie, Creative

Goals:

-Complete Culinary Career.

-Complete Culinary aspiration.

-Master Cooking and baking skills.

-Own a fruit and vegetable garden with every possible fruit and veggie in your game.

-Own a Bakery or Restaurant.

-Cook an Excellent quality Grand Meal.

-Learn 10 Food Stall recipes.

12. December stone: Turquoise

     Color: Blue/Green (Teal)

Turquoise is an odd one. In European cultures, it’s the stone of friendship and attracts money and luck, but is also frequently used in Evil Eye talismans. Historically, Montezuma II gifted these gems to Cortez, the Spanish Conquistador. The Apache used turquoise as well, as a charm on their bows for better aim.

Traits: Evil, Outgoing, Kleptomaniac

Goals:

-Max out Mischief and Charisma skills.

-Complete the Criminal Career.

-Complete Public Enemy aspiration.

-Start a Kleptomaniac club.

-Steal an object worth $10,000

-Marry someone with the Good trait, and cheat on them 5 times.

Happy simming!

[kenkamishiro]

Jack Jeanne Playthrough Part 3 (April 5)

1 month later. April 5th in the VN. Kisa is at Univeil and excited she passed the entrance exam. She runs into her childhood friend Yonaga who's also been accepted. He's shocked that Kisa is attending too, but before she can explain Suzu joins them, introduces one each other.

Quartz's theme is "transparency" where many inexperienced performers who haven't specialized yet tend to go.

Onyx = Jacks whose forte is in dance.

Rhodonite = Jeannes who specialize in song.

Amber is where talented and unique students gather.

Suzu theorizes Kisa would be in Rhodonite because of her appearance, himself in Onyx because his physical abilities make him more suitable for dancing than singing or acting. Yonaga would like to be in Quartz.

Yonaga: Quartz...would be nice.

Suzu: I get what you mean!

Yonaga: Huh?

Suzu: Tbh I enrolled in Univeil cause I really admire Tachibana Tsuki, the legendary Jackace of Quartz!

Kisa: ...!

Suzu: That's why I wanna be in the same class as Tachibana Tsuki...come to think of it, your last names are the same.

Kisa: (If people find out I'm related to Tsuki-nii, it might make it even easier for them to discover my identity...! But it might be better than lying poorly...)

Kisa: It's true. It's the same (nonchalantly)

Yonaga: ......

Suzu: Maybe you guys are distant relatives!

Kisa: *nervous laughter*

Yonaga cuts in and says they should go check which class they're in. Kisa thanks Yonaga for the save. Their year is the 78th class of Univeil. All 3 are in Quartz.

Kisa gets called to the headmaster's office.

Chuuza congratulates her and informs her about her admission. The only ones who know that Kisa is a girl is him, Quartz's homeroom teacher Enishi Rokurou, and now Yonaga, Kisa's childhood friend. Chuuza is surprised that someone who knew about Kisa enrolled in the school.

But if anyone else finds out that she's a girl, expulsion. But since a lot of students are feminine, she won't have to go out of her way to act and dress like a boy. He reminds her to build trust with the rest of the students, and aim to become a lead and aim for the top.

Kisa arrives to Quartz's homeroom late.

??: Yes, yes, come right in.

Kisa: (The teacher...? But he's in a student uniform.)

??: You were called in quite loudly during the school announcements. Did you run into any issues on the first day? Theft, robbery, manslaughter, extortion, coercion, or a bank robbery, perhaps...?

(Please watch the clip of this scene. Can you tell he and Furuta share the same VA? 😄)

Fumi: No one like that would be in our school, Kuro.

??: But wouldn't be great to have such a plucky 1st year around, Fuumin! All the world's a stage!

Fumi: And, if the cops came?

??: I concede! Law is what keeps society together.

Kai: ...you two are bothering the 1st years.

Kisa finds a seat by Suzu and Yonaga.

Neji Kokuto (3rd year, 76th class of Univeil) welcomes the 1st year students to Univeil and Quartz. Class leader-slash-scriptwriter-slash-director-slash...all kinds of other things! He provides an info-dump about Univeil for us.

5 performances in total: Rookie, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Univeil Exhibitions. The Rookie Exhibition is where the 1st years take the lead roles, which is going to be held May 30th. Today is April 5th, so less than 2 months remain. Most viewers will watch over them warmly,  but others will be more strict, like journal reporters, critics and avid Univeil fans. Neji will write a script to allow even novices like them to shine on stage. Casting will be announced mid-April. Upper years are also participating and support the 1st years.

Neji: If you have any questions, all you need is to ask. I'm sure all our seniors here will be more than happy to help you.

??: What, no way.

Neji: With some exceptions of course! Mwahaha. Mikki's a 2nd year now, you can be a little nice to your juniors, hm?

??: ...

Kisa notes he looks cute like a doll. Shirota Mitsuki, noted for his singing. He catches Kisa staring at him, and she apologizes.

Neji asks if anyone has any questions. You're given 3 options: 1) How casting is determined, 2) Type of training to be done, 3) No questions.

Casting is based on Neji's subjective judgment. Everything from how they're doing in lessons, campus life, the way they walk, talk, physique, voice, facial expressions. Essentially based on his intuition, which he uses to find gemstones in the rough.

Training I'll explain later, there's gameplay related to it.

Neji finishes his spiel and passes it on to Quartz's homeroom teacher, Enishi. Pretty low energy. Lessons start tomorrow. Class is dismissed.

Suzu meets Kisa outside the Quartz dorms and asks if she's ready to introduce herself to the other students. He notes it's hard to find people since Univeil is so large. They chat for a bit, Suzu asks Kisa to call him by his first name, so Suzu-kun it is.

Inside Yonaga's dorm. He's finished unpacking, though he's still yet to put away his books (on theatre). He asks how Kisa got into Univeil, and she explains what happened. Yonaga says he'll help Kisa to make sure she stays at Univeil. He's glad that Kisa is here with him.

Yonaga: Kisa-chan, about Tsuki-kun...

Kisa: I can't get in touch with Tsuki-nii, but I'm sure he's doing fine wherever he is. 

Yonaga: I see. Yeah, I'm sure he is.

(Isn't that sketchy? Maybe he turned into that weasel with the moon on its belly lol)

Kisa begins her search for the Quartz students. At the Univeil courtyard, Kisa hears Mitsuki singing.

"Within this chest of mine I dance, the rhythm of possibilities"

Kisa: (I'd heard he was lauded for his singing, but he really has a beautiful voice...the lyrics paint the scene in my head.)

Mitsuki: ...could you not stare at me like that? It's uncomfortable.

Kisa: Oh, I'm sorry!

Mitsuki: Oh, you again. The 1st year who came in late.

Kisa: Yes. My name is Tachibana Kisa. It's a pleasure to meet you.

Mitsuki: Huh...you've got a face like a girl.

Kisa: Eh? Y-yes, I suppose so.

Mitsuki: A high-pitch voice. A delicate figure. And a Jeanne at that. At least be aware of your own features.

Kisa: I-I'm sorry.

He sighs and introduces himself. 2nd year, 77th class of Univeil. A Jeanne and a tresor (songstress/diva) of Quartz. VA is Kajiwara Gakuto (Asta). Kisa compliments him on his singing.

Mitsuki: So you were eavesdropping.

Kisa: I-I'm sorry.

Mitsuki: Well, not like I care either way. Later.

Kisa: He left...I guess he doesn't really like interacting with people. But his voice really was beautiful.

(If I had to describe Mitsuki's tone, it would be similar to Kenma, but a bit more antisocial lol)

Kisa finds Kai in the forest, seemingly concentrating on something. She decides to come back later, but Kai notices her.

Kai: ...? Quartz's 1st year?

Kisa: Yes! I'm Tachibana Kisa.

Kai: I see, you're...

Kisa: Yes!

(awkward silence between the two)

Kai: Mutsumi Kai, 76th class of Univeil. I'm a 3rd year.

Kisa: So I should call you Mutsumi-senpai!

Kai: Kai is fine. You can call me that around other people too.

Kisa: But...

Kai: ...

Kisa: ...(agrees)

Kai: ...

Kisa: T-then, I'll call you Kai-san!

Kai: Okay.

Kisa notes Kai is the Jackace of Quartz. And since Tsuki was also the Jackace, that means he must be talented too.

Kai: I'm a vessel meant to garnish the Aljeanne. Nothing more, nothing less.

Kisa is confused by his statement. Convo ends.

Kisa runs into Neji next in the hallways. He enters a room then promptly comes back out.

Neji: Welcome!

Kisa: Ah!

Neji: What're you doing in a place like this?

Kisa: I'm going around introducing myself to everyone in Quartz.

Neji invites her into his workroom where he writes his scripts and plans his staging. But he also performs on stage, any male or female role, from a shining prince/princess to old grannies/gramps.

He's currently working on the script for Quartz, but he won't reveal it just yet. Kisa asks if the other class leaders write the scripts like he does, but Neji is a special case, who screenwrites, directs and performs.

Neji: Once you get carried away, you can't see what's going on around you. What we do has no end to it. Acting, dancing, singing, they're fields that you can pursue for a lifetime. You could reach the stars, or merely end up as a master of none. No matter how much time,  it will never be enough. It's a terrifying world out there. That's why it's so engrossing. The stage is a colossal device. The Jacks and Jeannes make up the gears, and I am the craftsman who pieces them together. Let's create a fantastic stage together, Tachibana-kun!

Neji must continue writing, and wishes Kisa the best for the Rookie Exhibition. (Neji definitely talks the most out of the main cast lol. And fast too, talks a mile a minute and tone varies hugely)

Kisa finds Fumi standing languidly in the middle of the dance room, taking deep breaths before beginning to dance. A Japanese-style dance where his movements are gentle, beautiful and brilliant. He comments on Kisa staring intently at him, just like during the entrance exam.

Kisa is surprised that Fumi remembered, despite the number of applicants.

Fumi: I remember you and the red-haired guy well cause you two danced so terribly.

Kisa: Oh...

Fumi: I'm just kidding. Though the red-haired guy really did suck.

Kisa introduces herself, and Fumi pauses at hearing the name Tachibana. 3rd year Takashina Sarafumi, 76th class of Univeil, but he prefers being called Fumi, no senpai honorific attached. Kisa ends up calling him Fumi-san.

Fumi: Let's have fun, Kisa. (leaves)

Kisa: It's overwhelming seeing him up close. So that's the power of an Aljeanne.

Kisa goes to her room excited for her new life at Univeil and retires for the night for her 1st day of classes tomorrow.

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