#reusing this code name for now

[pitruli]

I love turning old fanfic ideas into OC projects. So yeay this is the incarnation of mankind's want for truth and the first dragon to have ever breathed fire ...She's a chronically tired 50yo pigeon lady now.

[lostintransist]

Broken Beyond Bearing

-… . - .- … / -… . .. -. —. / -… ..- - -.-. …. . .-. . -..

@beloveds-embrace I hope I did this idea a bit of justice so far. Inspired by the delcious idea from beloveds found here.

AO3

CW: references to medical procedures that were not agreed to, reader is dying, A/B/O, odd dynamics, babies first time writing A/B/O.

A/N: I am really new to A/B/O so if something feels off or if you want more of this idea LMK!

Kate told you that the CIA still used Morse code in the field sometimes. It had fallen out of fashion after World War II and the alphabet soup of government agencies liked to reuse what they could. She said it worked best for short messages and when speaking could alert enemies. She talked at you nonstop on the long drive from the hospital. You wondered if the silence would bite at her toes or if the drone of the engine would keep it at bay.

She found you in the waiting room. Back straight, head upright you stare out the window across from you. If you ignore her maybe she will leave you alone like everyone else. You had been freed from a facility when some government agency or another busted them for performing illegal experiments on betas. Everyone else had a family to return to.

You weren’t everyone.

“I have a friend at this hospital. He called me when he saw that you had yet to be released,” she uses a soft voice as if the mint green and oddly shaped couches were pews instead. Pews don’t creak like plastic when you shift your weight. “My name is Kate. My friend, Ty, is an administrator here. He mentioned you needed someone to sign for you due to your beta status and the lack of documentation on your identity.”

Silence had been your only weapon against the staff there and the staff here.

She smells of alpha, the heady scent that should reek of safety and confidence. It tastes sour in the back of your throat.

“I’ve read through the information about you from Scorpio, the changes they made to you? They don’t expect you to make it another five years.” Kate rubbed her hands down the top of her slacks. “I’m here to give you an offer.”

Glancing at her without turning your head you wait. When she meets your side eye you shift your gaze back to the distant fluffy clouds dotting the sky like sheep grazing through a meadow. The sky sheep look all the whiter for the blanket of snow smothering the earth below.

“I know of a group of men, even split between them alpha and omega, who could use someone to care for. They are gone for long stretches of time and won’t pressure you for anything, only to care for you and use you as a touchstone of normalcy,” Kate lets out a breath, the shifting air bringing more of her should be comforting scent to your nose.

Voices drift past the locked doors to your right. You had posted up on the maternity floor, the staff had yet to find you here the last few times you were able to avoid their gazes.

“Why me?” Your voice whispers out. Should have grabbed the water mug the night nurse had left on your tray before you ducked from the room.

“Well, that’s the sticking point. They don’t know you would be coming. The guys have started to fray at the edges, getting reckless on jobs. I need them to be safe. If they have someone to come home to?”

Ah, so this wasn’t about you. Couldn’t ever be about you could it? No. Always a beta, never important.

Scorpio had seen six hundred seventeen betas through their doors before you quit counting. Not one of them left through the front door.

“You can’t tell them I’m dying.”

Control had to be a resource you doled out sparingly.

“Done.”

“And I get my own bed.”

The wrinkles around her face deepen as Kate settles on an unsure look.

“I’m not sure…”

“I will spend time in their nest when invited but I get my own bed,” you look at her now, face to face.

She must see something unmovable in your expression.

Sighing, her eyes drift shut and her shoulders relax.

“I will make it happen.”

Nodding once you stand.

“Lead on Kate, let us meet my doom head-on.”

Kate chooses not to comment on your morose declaration.

Maybe that is why she filled the car with her voice? She must not appreciate your brand of deadly honesty.

Her voice drifts away as she turns off the well-maintained and snow-cleared highway for a clear spot marked only by the tire tracks that lead between the dense trees.

“I’ve told them so many damn times they need to move closer but no it’s all ‘Kate you don’t understand we need the space from everyone’ and never thinking of how hard it is for people to visit them,” she mutters to herself as the color leeches from her knuckles with each slip of the tires.

“Maybe they don’t want visitors.”

Kate’s brows pull down as she glares out the windshield.

Looking back out the window you catch sight of a massive moose between the trunks before it disappears into the trees. It takes another twenty minutes of achingly slow driving before Kate finally relaxes her shoulders.

The smell of satisfaction drifts through the car heater. Turning you find a modestly large cabin, a green metal slanted roof, and a porch that reaches from one corner of the house to the other. Next to the stairs that connected the porch to the ground are two vehicles, one SUV and one large truck, though these both sit neatly under the porch. Kate parks in the open.

Without hesitation she climbs from the driver’s seat, grabbing the backpack she picked up for you with your three changes of clothes and two sets for sleeping. Kate is halfway up the stairs when you finally join her. Snow clings to the canvas of your shoes even as you follow in the large boot prints she left behind for you.

Tucking your arms close to your chest you stand behind Kate as she pounds with a fist on the door. The swish of her coat is the loudest sound beyond her beating for entry. You are fighting to keep your teeth from chattering when the door finally opens. You didn’t know cold had a smell. The only word you could find for it? Sharp.

“John. Took you long enough,” Kate pushes her way through the opening in the door.

A burly man steps back to allow her entrance. He is barely decent, his robe hanging open and tie only just covering his bits. John lifts a brow at you when you don’t immediately follow. You are not dressed for winter. When a particularly chilled bit of wind rushes past you and into the house, he moves to shut the door. Darting inside you watch him warily until you stand near Kate again. She stands in front of a massive couch. Counting the cushions, you give yourself the space to breathe. Twelve separate sitting spaces, three walls of a square, and still with room to walk behind and peer out the window that took up nearly the whole wall behind it.

“Not like you to show up without calling Kate. What is this about?” John steps around the snow you shed on his hardwood floor.

“I brought you a wife.”

They stare at each other for nearly thirty seconds. Your toes start to sting from the cold. The shoes on your feet squeak as you shift from foot to foot. Making the mistake of breathing too deeply you can taste the battle of wills between them. Kate’s shouldn’t be sour scent warred with John’s masculine, woodsy scent. He was an omega?

A long table is positioned opposite the kitchen, and central to it all is a wood-burning stove. The kitchen has an excess of cabinets. You start to count them to avoid what your nose is telling you.

“Why would I need a wife?” He finally asks.

You are also curious about the word choice. Betas weren’t terribly important in the grand scheme, born at a lower rate and died at a faster one. Populations didn’t need betas to survive, they, you, were mostly only good for keeping fights from escalating. With everyone receiving training in school anymore on how to address and deal with signs of rut/heat to avoid fights, death due to rut-related combat had reduced by over half. Betas were less important than ever. The other reduction in deaths had come from Scorpio.

Sarah had always been so proud to tell you about how you were contributing to keeping alphas from killing each other when she drew your blood or injected you with yet another unknown serum. The government had started to pump the barest amount of what Sarah called, calmers, into the water system. Said it was good for everyone, like fluoride.

“Serin, helicopter, Los Alamos, hospital visit. Would you like me to go on?” Kate said all those words as if they made any sort of sense.

John sucked in a deep breath through his nose. His eyes snapped to you.

“What are you?”

Kate steps in front of you. The slap of your hand to your scent gland runs parallel to her words. Sarah had done something to you, changed everything at a base level, including your scent.

“Beta, and a wife. Someone to care for, someone who needs you.”

His eyes are on you as sounds from deeper in the house reach your ears. Deep voices, a loud thump, then laughter. You look past John and see a set of stairs near the front door that leads to a second floor that only takes up part of the space from the vaulted ceiling.

“We don’t need anyone Kate-��� he folds his arms across his hairy chest as Kate cuts him off.

“Should I ask them then? Call them down and see what they say?” She glares up at him, the height difference not making a difference even when her alpha to his omega should. You had only ever seen one dynamic, alpha ruling, all else managing to stay out of their way. That did not hold true here. They battled as equals.

John let his lung full of air go, a sigh of admission as his hands fell to his hips.

“No. We will take her.”

Kate nods once, settling your backpack on the couch before turning and giving your shoulder a squeeze.

When she turns back to John she gives him the final piece of information.

“She gets a room to herself. Doesn’t need to be much, but at least a place to retreat when everything becomes too much.”

He rolls his eyes but nods.

“Anything else Kate?” He asks drolly.

The glare she sends him is met with a smirk.

“I will check back in a week to see how everyone is settling.”

John walks her to the front door, opening it for Kate to step back into the startling brilliance of the sun twinkling off snow.

When the door clicks shut behind her John turns to you. His eyes drift from your feet upward until settling on your face.

“Hello, wife.”

Part 2 | Broken Masterlist | Masterlist

[iamespecter]

TADC OCs: "The Die Quartet"!

"Oh but Ziku, who are these very handsome die?"

Well I'm glad nobody asked, because that would ruin the joke!

The Die Quartet are OCs of mine that I created for TADC, and for what purpose? Well, they're the minds behind show's music!

Hidden just behind a corner or two, or four, These obliviously mischievous and enthusiastic quartet play whatever music they can, one that certainly matches the current "mood" of what the cast is going through. Meet Cuba, Dodeca, Tetra, and Octa, The Amazing Musical Performers, for The Amazing Digital Circus!

LORE AND BOUNDARIES UNDERNEATH THE CUT!

When the Circus was initially created, it was feeling too barren for a place that's meant to be "lively". And so, Caine went and copy-pasted himself four times, while replacing the heads with some die props he found on the floor, retexturing and adjusting their bodies, to fit their new roles.

A little bit of a code rewrite to make them able of producing any sounds all on their own to be musically intertwined, and the quartet was basically ready to go: but there's only one problem.

Caine completely forgot to remove the admin privileges from their code.

So once the four spawned, they immediately began floating around, dancing and creating the main theme for the circus, and did it all perfectly. So Caine decided that as long as they don't interfere with anything major in the circus and did their job as the musical minds behind the show/game's soundtracks, he doesn't really care about fixing this error and would rather let these four run rampant to create more songs.

Ever since then, the Die Quartet has been messing with every circus members, most of the time playing obnoxious music that fits the "current mood". You'll even see their canes dance to the tempo they've set, like some backup dancers.

Think of it like: You now have x4 Caines with dice heads, flying and snooping around, so that they can "improve the mood" with their music! Ain't that swell??

(But really, all they do is just annoy the Circus members just like Caine does, for the better or the worse. Probably the latter.)

Fun facts about the Die Quartet!

Even though they've all been created at the same time and share the features of a die, they do not consider themselves as "brothers", and only see one another as colleagues instead.

Their names are related to the type of their die: Tetra (yellow), Dodeca (purple), Cuba (red), and Octa (green).

Despite being reused assets of Caine himself, they have distinct personalities that separate them from each other: Tetra is more joyful and playful, Dodeca is a more dramatic/theatric and over the top, Cuba is the natural lead and more stern than anybody, and Octa is the more closed off of the gang but willing to provide his best.

Yet, they all still lack awareness of personal space and boundaries just like Caine, and WILL be intrusive towards anyone they set their sights on, with the intent of predicting their mood and setting the current situation perfectly in musical form. (ex. if a character is sneaking, all four will follow "cautiously" behind while one imitates/pulls out a tiny piano playing to the theme of "tip-toeing". You know, like a cartoon gag.)

Although they can perfectly imitate ANY sound or instrument imaginable, They'll still pull out a "physical" instrument if the gag calls for it.

BOUNDARIES!

You can pretty much draw fanart of them! In fact I would REALLY love to see it and I encourage it! Really, just don't claim them as your own, or steal their designs.

NSFW of them is accepted, but please keep in mind that I have an SFW blog. Which means THERE ARE MINORS. Show them to me privately instead, I'd still love to see it <3

While NSFW is accepted (privately), please make it a morally decent one, because I don't really wanna see some disgusting stuff. This pretty much includes: non-con, scat, etc.

Aside from that though, I hope you all enjoyed these four! I really love how they turned out, and would love to draw them more. I was initially hesitant on showing my TADC OCs because I don't think people would like 'em, but fuck it.

My boys, they deserve to be seen even if just by a few people on the internet.

[qinnyanimation]

yk your sona in your little pin post? i genuinely cant tell whether its mouth is open or if its closed and it just has big bottom teeth because like if it was open, logically, since the rest of the sona is colored, the mouth would be too, but its Not so its probably teeth but why would it have horse bottom teeth? that doesn't make sense. but maybe thats a stylistic choice. but it would still be a mystery because if its an open mouth, the sona is obviously expressing happiness, but if its a teethy grin with sharp teef, that looks kind of evil. sounds kind of evil. is it a mastermind of some grand evil scheme? am i looking at a war criminal? or is it simply a bat creature thats happy to see me? is it even a bat? it looks like a bat. but then again i dont know what it truly looks like, considering the mystery surrounding its mouth. mouths are one of the key factors of emotion. the corners of your mouth twitch down when youre feeling negative emotions, twitch up when youre feeling positive emotions. so teeth are important too. but in this case, how much teeth am i actually seeing? just the top? or a grin? what is it telling me? what is your sona conveying? am i in danger, or should i think nothing of it? is it a disguise? a facade? is that why the pronunciation of your name is such an ongoing mystery? because its not a name at all, but a secret code? are you in the illuminati? are you trying to kill me? who are you? what do you want from me?

I love how my sona has a conspiracy theory of their own now. Thanks for this. Yes I am a war criminal. Yes I am part of the illuminati. Yes I will break in to your house.

Well this sona is actually my laziness of not wanting to think of a new one so I reuse the sona I use for my ROH projects! Slab on a yellow coat and blue bow, BAM! NEW SONA

Here’s what the original looks like! I used him a lot on my project!😭 (I even make an entire physical comic book about him and his buddies as a school project)

[nobody-nexus]

🎪Welcome To The Sinful Circus!🎪

Kasper Klovni is a coder for hire who accepted a job with someone who claimed to be making a VR game known as ‘The Amazing Digital Circus’, which will be a kid’s game full of colorful characters and wondrous environments. Kasper asked for a beta of the game and was given one with no hesitation, which although a little concerning, he didn’t think too much on it. When he started up the game however, he passed out. When he woke up, he was within a clown-like body and at the entrance to the amusement park. He looked around as he noticed a shock collar on him. What… happened?

Player/NPC Name: Kaufmo Real Name: Kasper Klovni Career: Coder For Hire Age: 25 Height: 5’9’’ Gender: Cis Male (He/Him) Game Role: Protagonist/Player

Player/NPC Name: Pomni, or ‘Jester’ Real Name: Polina Shutnik Career: Accountant Age: 25 Normal Height: 5’3’’ Sin Form Height: 7’3’’ Gender: Trans Female (She/Her) Sin: Wrath Game Role: Tutorial/Secret Boss Level Difficulty: ⭐⭐ Sinful Level Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐

Player/NPC Name: Ragatha, or ‘Ragdoll’ Real Name: Amanda Dollie Career: Seamstress Age: 30 Normal Height: 5’11’’ Sin Form Height: 7’11’’ Gender: Cis Female (She/Her) Sin: Lust Game Role: Main Level Boss Level Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ Sinful Level Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Player/NPC Name: Jax, or ‘Jackrabbit’ Real Name: Jackson Conejito Career: Corner Store Clerk Age: 22 Normal Height: 6’3’’ Sin Form Height: 8’3’’ Gender: Trans Male (He/Him) Sin: Sloth Game Role: Main Level Boss Level Difficulty:⭐ Sinful Level Difficulty:⭐

Player/NPC Name: Gangle, or ‘Tragedy’ Real Name: Grace Mezzanine Career: Broadway Actress Age: 26 Normal Height: 5’8’’ Sin Form Height: 7’8’’ Gender: Cis Female (She/Her) Sin: Envy Game Role: Main Level Boss Level Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ Sinful Difficulty Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Player/NPC Name: Zooble or ‘Mix’n’Match’ Real Name: Zoe Jiggsaww Career: Tattoo Artist Age: 22 Normal Height: 6’3’’ Sin Form Height: 8’3’’ Gender: Agender (They/Them) Sin: Greed Game Role: Main Level Boss Level Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ Sinful Level Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Player/NPC Name: Kinger or ‘King’ Real Name: Cesar Kingston Career: College Professor Age: 48 Normal Height: 6’8’’ Sin Form Height: 8’8’’ Gender: Cis Male (He/Him) Sin: Gluttony Game Role: Main Level Boss Level Difficulty: ⭐⭐ Sinful Level Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Player/NPC Name: Caine or ‘Boaster’ Real Name: Caine Ringler Career: TV Show Host Age: 28 Normal Height: 5’5’’ Sin Form Height: 7’5’’ Gender: Cis Male (He/Him) Sin: Pride Game Role: Main Level Boss Level Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sinful Level Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sinful Circus AU is an AU where Kasper, or Kaufmo, ends up within a prison made by a deranged tech genius, forcing people who have wronged them or wronged society into a horror filled hellscape where they slowly forget who they are and slowly think that they’ve always been nothing more then NPCs and AI within the theme park/circus. Every character, once succumbing to their fate, is given their own section of the circus- however any who end up dying end up becoming reused code for the rest of the theme park. Kasper ends up befriending the most sane “NPC”, who is Pomni. Although she’s not exactly your ally, she’s still willing to help- even if at times she tends to dive into her NPC brain here and there, but never on purpose

I've been reworking for like over a week now, and I'm SO HAPPY with this new version of it. It's exactly how I wanted it to be ^^. Here's some things to clarify:

YES there will be more characters. No, you can't ask for your ocs to be in this AU. I will ask YOU for it if I want them in. But there won't be many -

YES I will allow this to be a SHIP AWAY kind of AU. Notice how there's no sexualities. I want as many people to enjoy this AU as possible, so I will allow you to ship to your hearts content, even ask me questions about certain dynamics. The only thing I ask is that if you make any fan content of the ship Bunnydoll (Jax x Ragatha), I ask to NOT show it to me. I don't wanna yuck anyone's yum, that ship just personally makes me uncomfortable, but if you like it- ship away- there's no judgement here -

NO you do NOT have my permission to make ask-blogs or chat AIs around this AU. You can have ask blogs inspired by (EX: Swap AUs) but nothing more. I don't want any misinterpretation about Sinful Circus, especially since I've worked very hard on this. I hope you understand -

ASK AWAY! My inbox is nice and OPEN to any and all questions you may have! I'm not trying to hide anything about this AU, but the masterlist doc is still in the works, so if you have anything you'd like to know, just inbox it to me! I suggest keeping any suggestive questions to a minimum- minors follow me after all -

YES for fan content! Inspired by this and wanna make something with it? You don't have to tell me twice! GO FOR IT! And please @ me if you do so! I always love supporting my fellow creators, so go right ahead!

I think that's everything for now! I hope to see you all soon with more for this reworked AU! I'm cooking up some more designs (just in the future). Have a wonderful day anyone who was willing to read through ALL of this ^^

[the-nox-syndicate]

SysNotes devlog 1

Hiya! We're a web developer by trade and we wanted to build ourselves a web-app to manage our system and to get to know each other better. We thought it would be fun to make a sort of a devlog on this blog to show off the development! The working title of this project is SysNotes (but better ideas are welcome!)

What SysNotes is✅:

A place to store profiles of all of our parts

A tool to figure out who is in front

A way to explore our inner world

A private chat similar to PluralKit

A way to combine info about our system with info about our OCs etc as an all-encompassing "brain-world" management system

A personal and tailor-made tool made for our needs

What SysNotes is not❌:

A fronting tracker (we see no need for it in our system)

A social media where users can interact (but we're open to make it so if people are interested)

A public platform that can be used by others (we don't have much experience actually hosting web-apps, but will consider it if there is enough interest!)

An offline app

So if this sounds interesting to you, you can find the first devlog below the cut (it's a long one!):

(I have used word highlighting and emojis as it helps me read large chunks of text, I hope it's alright with y'all!)

Tech stack & setup (feel free to skip if you don't care!)

The project is set up using:

Database: MySQL 8.4.3

Language: PHP 8.3

Framework: Laravel 10 with Breeze (authentication and user accounts) and Livewire 3 (front end integration)

Styling: Tailwind v4

I tried to set up Laragon to easily run the backend, but I ran into issues so I'm just running "php artisan serve" for now and using Laragon to run the DB. Also I'm compiling styles in real time with "npm run dev". Speaking of the DB, I just migrated the default auth tables for now. I will be making app-related DB tables in the next devlog. The awesome thing about Laravel is its Breeze starter kit, which gives you fully functioning authentication and basic account management out of the box, as well as optional Livewire to integrate server-side processing into HTML in the sexiest way. This means that I could get all the boring stuff out of the way with one terminal command. Win!

Styling and layout (for the UI nerds - you can skip this too!)

I changed the default accent color from purple to orange (personal preference) and used an emoji as a placeholder for the logo. I actually kinda like the emoji AS a logo so I might keep it.

Laravel Breeze came with a basic dashboard page, which I expanded with a few containers for the different sections of the page. I made use of the components that come with Breeze to reuse code for buttons etc throughout the code, and made new components as the need arose. Man, I love clean code 😌

I liked the dotted default Laravel page background, so I added it to the dashboard to create the look of a bullet journal. I like the journal-type visuals for this project as it goes with the theme of a notebook/file. I found the code for it here.

I also added some placeholder menu items for the pages that I would like to have in the app - Profile, (Inner) World, Front Decider, and Chat.

i ran into an issue dynamically building Tailwind classes such as class="bg-{{$activeStatus['color']}}-400" - turns out dynamically-created classes aren't supported, even if they're constructed in the component rather than the blade file. You learn something new every day huh…

Also, coming from Tailwind v3, "ps-*" and "pe-*" were confusing to get used to since my muscle memory is "pl-*" and "pr-*" 😂

Feature 1: Profiles page - proof of concept

This is a page where each alter's profiles will be displayed. You can switch between the profiles by clicking on each person's name. The current profile is highlighted in the list using a pale orange colour.

The logic for the profiles functionality uses a Livewire component called Profiles, which loads profile data and passes it into the blade view to be displayed. It also handles logic such as switching between the profiles and formatting data. Currently, the data is hardcoded into the component using an associative array, but I will be converting it to use the database in the next devlog.

New profile (TBC)

You will be able to create new profiles on the same page (this is yet to be implemented). My vision is that the New Alter form will unfold under the button, and fold back up again once the form has been submitted.

Alter name, pronouns, status

The most interesting component here is the status, which is currently set to a hardcoded list of "active", "dormant", and "unknown". However, I envision this to be a customisable list where I can add new statuses to the list from a settings menu (yet to be implemented).

Alter image

I wanted the folder that contained alter images and other assets to be outside of my Laravel project, in the Pictures folder of my operating system. I wanted to do this so that I can back up the assets folder whenever I back up my Pictures folder lol (not for adding/deleting the files - this all happens through the app to maintain data integrity!). However, I learned that Laravel does not support that and it will not be able to see my files because they are external. I found a workaround by using symbolic links (symlinks) 🔗. Basically, they allow to have one folder of identical contents in more than one place. I ran "mklink /D [external path] [internal path]" to create the symlink between my Pictures folder and Laravel's internal assets folder, so that any files that I add to my Pictures folder automatically copy over to Laravel's folder. I changed a couple lines in filesystems.php to point to the symlinked folder:

And I was also getting a "404 file not found" error - I think the issue was because the port wasn't originally specified. I changed the base app URL to the localhost IP address in .env:

…And after all this messing around, it works!

(My Pictures folder)

(My Laravel storage)

(And here is Alice's photo displayed - dw I DO know Ibuki's actual name)

Alter description and history

The description and history fields support HTML, so I can format these fields however I like, and add custom features like tables and bullet point lists.

This is done by using blade's HTML preservation tags "{!! !!}" as opposed to the plain text tags "{{ }}".

(Here I define Alice's description contents)

(And here I insert them into the template)

Traits, likes, dislikes, front triggers

These are saved as separate lists and rendered as fun badges. These will be used in the Front Decider (anyone has a better name for it?? 🤔) tool to help me identify which alter "I" am as it's a big struggle for us. Front Decider will work similar to FlowCharty.

What next?

There's lots more things I want to do with SysNotes! But I will take it one step at a time - here is the plan for the next devlog:

Setting up database tables for the profile data

Adding the "New Profile" form so I can create alters from within the app

Adding ability to edit each field on the profile

I tried my best to explain my work process in a way that wold somewhat make sense to non-coders - if you have any feedback for the future format of these devlogs, let me know!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Disclaimers:

I have not used AI in the making of this app and I do NOT support the Vibe Coding mind virus that is currently on the loose. Programming is a form of art, and I will defend manual coding until the day I die.

Any alter data found in the screenshots is dummy data that does not represent our actual system.

I will not be making the code publicly available until it is a bit more fleshed out, this so far is just a trial for a concept I had bouncing around my head over the weekend.

We are SYSCOURSE NEUTRAL! Please don't start fights under this post

[prolix-yuy]

A Gift of Light and Joy

Pairing: Javi Gutierrez x F!Reader "Conejita" (Plus Sized Reader)

Summary: Javi wants to spoil you, but his good intentions put you in a difficult position.

Word Count: 4k

Warnings: Explicit, 18+ MINORS DNI, oral sex (f receiving), fingering (f receiving), unprotected PiV sex (don't be a fool, wrap your tool), cumming on someone, minor cum play, negative body image, toxic shopping culture, some angst, Javi is clueless about women's clothes shopping but he makes up for it.

Notes: Happiest of happy birthdays to my darling, my sweet friend, the indescribable @ezrasbirdie! I was planning to post this around November but I couldn't pass up a chance to give you a fun little Javi present. I am so lucky to know you and get to yell about stories together!

While in the two previous stories Conejita wasn't described as plus sized, I always headcanoned that she was from the start. There are a couple references to the previous stories, but you can also dive in right here! Like most stories this is me working through a few bad experiences of my own, and while Javi may be a little thick in the beginning he will get to make up for it.

Cross-posted on AO3

Continued from On the Right Flight and A Bearable Weight

“I have a surprise for today.”

Javi’s gleeful face ramps up your own excitement as he ushers you into his car. 

“I thought we were going to have a picnic?” you ask as he flops into the drivers seat, curls bouncing almost as much as he is.

“That was my distraction,” he says, picking up your hand and kissing the back of it. Your heart still flutters, even months after that first one at the stroke of midnight. 

Dating Javi had, of course, been just as much of a step off the deep end as you thought. Even being close by now that you’re back in LA for work and he’s hobnobbing with the Hollywood elites, some days getting dinner feels like making a doctor’s appointment. Matching schedules down to the half hour, groaning when something comes up. But it’s all worth it when the stars align and he’s on your doorstep with all-encompassing hugs and breathless kisses. 

At first Javi’s dates were low-key and low-stress - a day at the beach, movie nights of course - but as you got closer and closer he started to take you places that had dress codes and extravagant names. He always beamed like you were the only one in the room, but you’d been in enough spaces you didn’t belong to feel eyes and judgements skitter across your back. 

You could be poised, and knowledgeable, conversational and charming, but nothing changed how you looked. Javi was always dripping in Armani, Burberry, Brioni. Your paltry wardrobe didn’t stand a chance. Every new art show or movie premiere sent you running to a department store to find a new dress (pretty girls on their rich boyfriend’s arm didn’t reuse eveningwear) and inevitably you’d be pinched or poked or squeezed into something not made for you. Long minutes spent in the bathroom wondering if Javi would notice the bra strap divot in your shoulder, or the dark lines of seams pressed along your skin. Pretending you enjoyed slipping into a silk robe every time you spent the night was more palatable than the embarrassment of wriggling out of shapewear in front of him, or refusing to let him undress you in case a zipper pulled too tightly. 

Unfortunately, you didn’t hide your discomfort as well as you imagined. Sometimes you caught Javi’s concerned look when the built-in corset made you squirm in your seat, or when you winced at the chafe of your heels. 

So when he parks his car on Rodeo Drive he’s the picture of pride and sunshine. You, on the other hand, leave your stomach on the sidewalk behind you.

“I wanted to do something special,” he’s saying, muffled words bubbling up as your feet trudge to a gleaming glass door. There’s security inside, sales people scattered around holding hangers up to discerning buyers. “And before you say anything about money, I don’t want you to look at a single price tag.” Javi turns your face to him with a gentle nudge, breaking your doom stare through the glass. “I want to spoil you a little. You never let me spoil you.” His pout brings a little smile to your face, dipping in to kiss him. 

“We can do anything Javi. I don’t need things,” you try to deflect, hoping you can convince him away from the inevitable rejection you’ll receive inside. 

“Just one time?” he asks again, soft brown eyes imploring you. How could you say no? 

“Okay,” you breathe out, steeling yourself for the worst as Javi beams back at you.

“I thought this place would match what you like,” he says as two suited doormen guide you inside. It flutters your heart. He’s right, you’ve always liked this designer’s silhouettes and styles. It’s exactly what you’d choose…if you were several sizes smaller.

“Hi, do you have an appointment?” a small-framed woman with black plastic glasses and a bouncy ponytail asks. She’s dressed head to toe in the designer’s current collection, sleek black throughout with stylish red earrings that dangle down her neck. Her smile isn’t as cold as you might expect. You’d heard horror stories of snide sales people practically insulting clients to get them to spend more. 

“Yes, Gutierrez,” Javi offers smoothly, placing a grounding hand on your lower back. “For my girlfriend.” You shoot him a lopsided smile. He doesn’t get the chance to say it often, but when he does you love the way girlfriend rolls off his supple lips.

“Ah, yes, miss…” the sales woman begins, letting you offer your name. You catch a fleeting look of concern cross her face. Her cheek sucks in like she’s chewing on it, smile still bright but eyes more cautious.

“My name is Melanie, if you’d like to follow me to your consultation space,” she says, leading you and Javi to a curtained-off partition with several chairs, a changing room and a pedestal that makes your stomach flip. 

“So what are you here to find today?” Melanie asks. Javi settles in a chair, spreading his knees and leaning back so sexily you can almost forgive him for the anxiety pumping through your veins. 

“Whatever my Conejita desires,” he says, and you’re torn between smacking or straddling him. Melanie turns her attention to you and you wrack your brain.

“I guess…a dress would be nice?” you say. Javi reaches out to squeeze your hand reassuringly, adoration so clear in his eyes. He truly has no idea it’s the most likely to have ease in the sizing. You might make it out with one and blame it on not wanting to overspend. Javi would get his wish, and you would make it out with most of your ego unscathed. Win-win.

Melanie leads you out of the space and into the clothing racks. The choices are sparse, a few items hung per rack in an exclusivity motif. As soon as you’re out of earshot she starts chatting.

“Your boyfriend is very sweet to be treating you today.”

You hum and nod, chewing the inside of your lip. Some of the pieces are very pretty, flattering cuts and classic shapes, but none of the silhouettes look large enough for you. 

“Does he…do this often?” Melanie asks carefully, and when you look at her you see an understanding that soothes you ever so slightly.

“First time.”

“A surprise.”

“Yeah, pretty big one.”

Melanie smiles at that, arms wrapped around an iPad. Her nails are very pretty tapping against the device.

“Let’s take a look back here,” she says, leading you off the main floor and further into the store. The racks are fuller back here, but not nearly enough to make you think success is within reach. Your chest tightens, but you put on a cheery smile when Melanie turns back to you.

“Men are just…so thick sometimes,” she sighs, and the sharp change makes you bleat out a laugh. “I’m sure Mr. Gutierrez has the best intentions in mind…”

You nod and finish her sentence.

“...but you don’t have anything here for me.” Her hands clutch at the tablet again, going white around the knuckles.

“We might have a few things, but they’ll be simpler. Not like the current collection.”

“Simple is fine,” you rush to say, her smile making your own come to the surface. 

“Okay, let me go digging. I think we can make it work. I’m…” She pauses to clear her throat, lowering her voice. “I’m sorry this isn’t fun. I hate it. I just want everyone to feel happy in their clothes, not…left out.”

You turn your comfort to her, squeezing her shoulder.

“I appreciate you trying to help.”

Melanie scurries off to the backroom, leaving you on the bustling floor with ten other women who could slip into anything off the rack no problem. Weaving aimlessly, you peruse the dresses. Each one holds promise, which only makes it more disappointing when the tag numbers run too small. But you’re keeping positive, searching for Melanie’s bouncing ponytail returning with anything. You’d gush over a mumu. 

“Excuse me,” comes over your shoulder, and you turn to another sales woman hovering expectantly behind you. Her brow is lifted high, barely waiting for you to shift before tugging a garment off the rack. She turns quickly, but in the split second before you see it. That stomach-dropping look that screams good luck slathered in sarcasm. Your throat clenches, hands coming to your middle and you wish you could just collapse into yourself like a dying star. 

“Fuck this,” you whisper, tears shining in your eyes as you hurry back to the consultation space. You’ll tell Javi you have a headache, that you’re too hungry to shop right now, anything to convince him to get the hell out of here. 

“Cone…” he says as you burst in, snatching up your purse and steeling your voice. The sunshiney excitement trades quickly for concern. “What is wrong? I promise the cost…” 

“Actually, I don’t really…I don’t…” You try to get out your white lies with an even tone but when Javi cups your face in his large hands your composure crumples. A fat tear breaks rank and rolls down your face, Javi’s eyes widening with shock.

“Conejita, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” His eyes darken a fraction. “Did someone say something to you?”

Your heart skips a beat, which you blearily file for later introspection. Resting your head on his shoulder, he envelops you in his arms. Orange peel and musk surrounds you, Javi’s soothing hands traveling up and down your spine. When your breaths stop warbling you pull back, wiping your face.

“I’m sorry…” you start to say, but Javi moves you to sit. He drops to a kneel, clasping your hands in your lap.

“No, Conejita, you are not apologizing for one second. What has upset you? Was it someone out there?” When you shake your head, his eyes soften. “Was it me?”

“Oh Javi,” you sign, squeezing his hands. Your lashes are still wet with tears, but you can see his dread so clearly. “I really appreciate this, all of it. I’m sure it’s flattered lots of people before. But I’m…me.” You release a big breath, the pain of keeping all your anxieties in finally easing. “I can’t shop at places like this, Javi, I don’t…they don’t make clothes like this for people my size.” 

Javi’s concern smashes into confusion.

“But they must have seamstresses in the back. They take your measurements, no? Find an acceptable piece and tailor it?”

The laugh you bark out is watery but it does raise the corners of your lips.

“Men have it so easy,” you bemoan. “I think the closest size I saw was still in the single digits. And even then, the numbers rarely mean anything.” Javi’s confusion only deepens.

“But how do you know what to buy? Surely the measurements are the same. Inseam, waist, sleeve length, how can it be so different?”

“Javi, I’m rarely the same size at the same store.”

Javi sputters. “That’s madness. How does anyone put up with that?” 

You giggle lightly, the tears finally receding. “I just go to the department stores. More variety, more sizes. No pushy sales people. Though Melanie is really nice.”

“But you are still uncomfortable,” he says, stroking his thick thumbs along the back of your hands. “I did not want to say anything, but I noticed. You do not seem to feel good in the nice things you wear.” 

You shrug. “It’s not perfect, it’s just…easier.”

His eyes implore up at you. “I wanted you to feel good with me.” Your heart patters, Javi’s face falling. “But I have made it worse. Please forgive me, Conejita, I truly did not know this would be so painful.”

You pat Javi’s cheek and give him a quick kiss. “I know, Javi. I know you didn’t mean for it to be.” A tap on his nose makes him smile. “But next time, when the lady doth protest too much, maybe listen?” Javi’s cheeks pink as he nods.

“Shakespeare has always been wiser than me,” he jokes as he helps you back to your feet. He leads you back to the front of the store with one hand on your back, and for a few seconds you do feel like the most beautiful person in the room. Women looking at you in awe, Javi’s fingers pressing in a way that’s subtly possessive. You could be lady Godiva riding a Shetland pony and not feel a lick of shame when he looks at you like that.

“Mr Gutierrez!” Melanie calls as she hurries up to the front to intercept. Her hands are empty, which is a relief.

“Thank you for your help, I just don’t think there’s anything for me here,” you say in a practiced tone that makes Javi pull you closer and Melanie’s eyebrows knit in the middle. She nods, extending a folded piece of paper to Javi. 

“I’m sorry they didn’t have something for you today,” she says, and Javi takes the proffered paper. He leads you out of the store and into the fresh sunlight of the street. Unfolding it, he raises an eyebrow then secrets it away in his jacket pocket.

“What was that about?” you ask, tucking your arm into his elbow. He shakes his head.

“Nothing important. What is important is going to get some lunch, then we are going driving with the top down and dinner at my place after.” 

“Javi…” you say with a little warning, but he tuts at you as his long stride pulls you down Rodeo drive.

“I know, I know what you will say, but bear with me because I am learning how to love you the right way. Today was not so good, but I would like to try and make it better.” He slows down when he catches your wide eyes and dazed smile. “What? What have I said now?”

“That you love…” the last words disappear on the wind as Javi’s smile crinkles his eyes.

“Of course, Conejita. Dios mio, of course I love…I love you,” he rushes out, barely able to finish before crashing his lips into yours. Wide palm cupping your head, you couldn’t care less that you’re making pedestrians part around you. Javi loves you, even if he’s a little clumsy about it. But when someone wants to learn to love you the right way…how can you not love every atom of them back?

The following weekend finds you in one of the lesser-used rooms in Javi’s house, sitting on a chair by the window. He deposited you there with a cappuccino and a promise to wait, so now you’re doing just that. Javi does love surprises, but you never expected Melanie to walk in the door.

“Oh my god, hi,” you manage to get out, standing up to shake her hand but are treated to a tight hug instead. She looks brighter, lighter than the last time you saw her, black ensemble traded for a pale blue button-up and floral patterned pants. 

“Javi told me it was a surprise, and I want it on the record that after this one he’s not allowed any more!” You sit across the little cafe table from her with visible confusion.

“I am a bit…lost…as to the surprise,” you giggle out nervously, which has Melanie opening a smart black bag and taking out folios and fabric swatches.

“I’ve been trying to get my stylist business off the ground and…” She pauses for a moment before making genuine eye contact. “And if there’s anything I was meant to do, it’s find people clothes that make them happy. So I offered him my services and he’s…well, he’s been very generous.”

Pride swells in your chest. So Javi.

“So what we’re going to do today is figure out what you like, don’t like, colors, styles, and then I’ll start building your wardrobe. Sound good?” Melanie’s smile is contagious.

“Sounds amazing.”

You don’t quite understand every step of the process. At one point she drapes color swatches on your chest like a bib and you can’t help but giggle. But it’s fun, maybe for the first time you can remember. She writes down that you hate side-seam zippers and skirts cut above the knee. That you love color but not too garish. And when you catch Javi pacing outside the glass door to the patio, peeking in anxiously every five minutes, your smile softens. She probably doesn’t write that part down. That’s written on your face. 

You can’t stop twirling in the mirror, inspecting from every angle. You try to scrutinize, but you can’t find a single thing wrong.

It’s perfect.

After the wardrobe cleanout, the basics overhaul, and the lengthy plan Melanie made, she asked a thrilling question. 

“What’s the first piece you’d like me to find?”

“I’ve always wanted a little black dress,” you replied, and her smile almost eclipsed her face.

“I have the perfect one in mind.”

She wasn’t kidding. It’s full and flouncy, smoothing in all the places you normally criticize and accentuates your figure in the best ways. The fabric is sumptuous under your fingers, just the right weight without dreaded sheerness. You can imagine yourself with hair done up, your favorite lipstick, Javi’s hand on your lower back, that possessive glint in his eyes. All of the excitement makes you spin three more times, the room tilting briefly before you catch Javi standing in the doorway.

“Hey!” you call out breathlessly, smoothing the skirt again. “It’s the first thing Melanie’s sent over. I…oh my god, I love it so much.” You turn to look in the mirror again, and in the reflection you see Javi’s mouth parted, eyes dragging over you. His fingers are rubbing together at his sides and…is he clenching them?

“She took everything I said and just found the most perfect dress.” Your thumb catches in the fabric and you spin back around to gasp, “And it has pockets!”

You’ve barely taken your hands out of them when Javi is on you, all greedy mouth and firm hand on the back of your head. His tongue demands on your lips, slipping inside when you gasp for him. Arm banding around your back, he steadily walks you backwards towards the bed. 

“Conejita, mi amor, eres tan hermosa,” he pants, his wandering hand settling on your ass and squeezing. It crackles between your thighs, white-hot arousal at how he holds you. Javi has always been generous in bed, and highly competent, but this is a side of him you haven’t seen. Maybe briefly when he asked you if someone bothered you at that awful boutique store. 

Before you can rationalize anything further he guides your hips down to the bed, teetering on the edge. He quickly drops to his knees and dives his hands under the skirt, sliding one knuckle along the seam of your pussy. 

“Javi…” you squeak out, but his touch leaves to curl around your underwear and yank them down your legs. The rip of a seam makes arousal gush between your legs, spreading them instinctually. He licks his lips before fisting your skirt above your waist and ducking down to taste you for too brief a moment. Your hips buck, teeth nipping at your inner thigh before he lifts up to kneel between your legs. 

“Javi, the dress,” you caution, and with a sweeter smile he shifts his knees to make sure the fabric isn’t trapped between. When his eyes meet yours again he plants a hand by your head and laps between your lips, slow and sensual. The clink of his buckle coming undone aches deep in your core, fisting his button-up across his shoulders. 

“I’m sorry, Conejita, I just…cannot control myself when you look so beautiful,” he confesses as his fingers tease at your entrance. A choked whimper ekes out as he opens you up on two, pumping mercilessly into your clenching heat. He swears in Spanish into your neck, and your quiet whines grow to moans when his thick cock begins thrusting into the crease of your hip. His panted breaths start to take on a rumble, then a growl as his fingers match his shallow thrusts. Overwhelmed, you grasp at what words will make him give in.

“Javi, please, oh my god, please fuck me,” you finally manage, rocking your hips with his frantic pace. 

“You’re ready for me?” he husks, your vociferous affirmations drawing his fingers out to leave you achingly empty. He slicks his cock with you, lining up and pressing just the head in before he plants his hands by your head and just…looks at you.

“Dios mio, eres una diosa,” he breathes, all of the sweet man you love. Grabbing around his wrists, you roll your hips down to sink more of him inside. He stretches you so deliciously, filling your cunt and lungs.

“Take it, Javi,” you rasp, head tossed back. “Show me I’m yours.”

Javi bites his lower lip and looks at you with a depth you crave. Infatuation and devotion and a desire so hungry you want to sate him for hours. In a dizzying flick of his wrists he now presses yours into the bed. 

“Mine,” he purrs, and the snap of his hips as he buries himself flush draws a lusty cry from your lips. “My beautiful Conejita,” he grits out, grinding his hips deep to press punishingly into your g-spot. You writhe under him, legs clamped around his waist as he slides out just enough to punch back in. “You are mine, aren’t you?”

“Oh fuck, Javi, yes, I’m yours,” you beg, and it’s exactly what he needs to begin fucking you earnestly, scooping his hips to drive deeper and deeper. The friction of his grind strums your clit just right to tremble around him. Pinning you with a rumble, he fucks you into the mattress until his wandering hands can’t stop from palming your breast, rolling your nipple through the fabric. The spike of pleasure urges you to meet him stroke for stroke, riding him just as hard back. He grabs your chin just firmly enough to coax more slick to coat his cock, guiding you back to his demanding mouth. He steals your breath, sucking your lower lip between his teeth and groaning when you shudder around him.

“Not going to last, mi amor,” he whispers, lacing your fingers together as his thrusts lose rhythm. 

“Cum on my pussy,” you plead, and with a strung-out moan he pulls out just quick enough to cover your mound with his hot spend. It drips lewdly, sliding to gather in the crease of your thighs. His eyes are fixated on it, the brand of his lust sticky on you. Your orgasm tips over as he slides his thumb through his cum to press firmly on your clit. His name is all you can manage as pleasure laps over your skin, his touch grounding as he praises you over and over.

In the afterglow, Javi folds the length of your skirt well above the mess he made. 

“I will be sure to send this to drycleaning before you want to wear it,” he says, pulling a juddery giggle from your chest. He stands oh shaky legs and you glimpse his wet cock in the vee of his open pants, realizing you just fucked like college kids so horny for each other they couldn’t even undress properly. It makes you giddy as he brings over tissues to clean up, careful not to leave any of his spend where it could stain. When he’s finally satisfied he drops down on the bed, opening his arms for you to snuggle into. Once fitted together, eyes heavy, he murmurs in your ear.

“It wasn’t the dress.”

You hum sleepily, sitting up to look into his sated face.

“You are most beautiful when you are happy,” he says, the earnestness earning him another sweet kiss.

“I am very, very happy Javi.”

He doesn’t need to tell you that he is. It’s written on his face, and in his heart. 

END

[weirdmarioenemies]

I am going to like totally finally finish ranking the Mario galaxies today. Stop Me.

Thank you for you're patience. We can talk about the top 5 galaxies now

I'm not gonna bother with any prelude, you've waited for this for like years now I know you want the Goods so here you go!

5. Blue Grass Galaxy

Tier: S+ Debut: Super Mario Galaxy 2

Blue Grass Galaxy is quite possibly the most elusive galaxy in the series. It was shown off briefly in the first ever Super Mario Galaxy 2 trailer, but when the game came out, it seemed like it was nowhere to be seen... Not even datamining could find it!

But as it turned out, we just weren't looking hard enough, because if you manage to grab every Green Star as Mario in a single sitting in under two hours without losing a single life, and then beat the Perfect Run, also without losing a single life, you unlock... A series of Red Stars for each Galaxy! And once you collect all of those in under an hour as Luigi without losing any lives, once again followed by another perfect Perfect Run, you unlock a bonus Hungry Luma on the World Map, who needs to be fed 9999 Star Bits on all three save files (so have fun speedrunning the green and red stars again!) before finally transforming into the Blue Grass Galaxy.

Of course, because the files for the Blue Grass Galaxy weren't included in the game, you'd need to download it by using a special, randomly-generated code on the Wii Shop Channel, but once you finally did, you could finally play the Blue Grass Galaxy to your heart's content. I know it might seem like quite the grind to get here, but man, every second you spend in the Blue Grass Galaxy is so immaculate, it makes the whole grind worth it. I almost don't have the words to describe how good it is, you'd really need to experience it for yourself! Sadly, you can't anymore, ever since the Wii Shop Channel shut down... Ah well. You really had to be there, I guess. I know some people were disappointed by it just reusing the Puzzle Plank Galaxy music, but I love that music so much that I don't mind.

My only gripe with the galaxy, and the main reason it only landed in the #5 spot, is because of the name. They called it the "Blue Grass" Galaxy, but that grass is very clearly green. This might seem like a pretty petty reason to put it so low, but when you get up that high, the small things can make a big difference, you know? If they called it the "Green Grass Galaxy" or the "Blue Sky Galaxy," I could easily imagine it getting the #1 spot, but respectable effort nonetheless, and a worthy reward for Super Players.

4. Wet-Dry World

Tier: SS Game: Super Mario 64

I know what you may be thinking. "What could Wet-Dry World be doing on a list of Super Mario Galaxies?" Well, it's a World in a 3D Mario platformer where you can collect Power Stars. Need I say more? And ever since Throwback Galaxy confirmed Whomp's Fortress is a Galaxy, it's easy to extend this logic to the rest of Super Mario 64. So Wet-Dry World gets to make the top 5 also.

I mean, how would it not? It's a galaxy with a cool and unique gimmick! The idea of the height you enter at deciding the water level when you enter in is super cool, and I love all the ways they tie this gimmick into the galaxy's different missions. And while this might seem like a small thing to a lot of people, as a mod of Weird Mario Enemies, I can't help myself: I will ALWAYS love a galaxy that includes such memorable enemies as Chuckya and Skeeter! So Cool!

Even in a time before Super Mario Galaxy, they managed to get the "otherworldly" feeling of this location down pat! I mean, there's the fact the skybox is distinctively underwater, even when you're on dry land, there's the fact the way you adjust the water level is via these abstract crystals, there's the whole abandoned underwater city, giving hints as to long-gone civilizations and possible Wet-Dry World Lore, this galaxy has it all! I know some people say it has a Negative Emotional Aura, but those people just don't know the meaning of good atmosphere.

3. SNES Mario Circuit 3

Tier: Good Debut: Super Mario Kart

For the #3 slot, it should only make sense that it's a place with "3" in the name. I know lots of you were probably expecting SNES Bowser Castle 3 to end up here, but it's just hard for me to ignore SNES Mario Circuit 3's legacy. I mean, it's been in five different games for crying out loud! It's hard for a course to show up in five games if it's not really good, right?

SNES Mario Circuit 3 may seem like a really basic course at a glance, what with it being completely flat and everything. Not a lot of bells and whistles in this one, that's for sure. But a better look at it reveals it to be a surprisingly technical track, with some tight turns that require good brake drifting to take optimally, and a bevy of off-road shortcuts that reward players for good item usage. While lots of courses get by thanks to their flashy gimmicks and setpieces, SNES Mario Circuit 3 cements itself as a fan-favorite as a pure test of players' skill. I mean, again, I have to assume it's a fan-favorite if it's in five games.

I also need to give a shoutout to SNES Mario Circuit 3's Atmosphere. The course has hardly changed at all since its original incarnation on the SNES, making it like, totally retro, and the staircases and flagpoles representing the original Super Mario Bros. only help to cement that identity. It also gives the course a very unique, almost liminal sort of feeling. The yellow sky is also an interesting touch. Is it merely set at sunset, or is it a biting commentary on how 30 years of go-karting have caused enough pollution to change the color of the sky? I'll let you be the judge.

Either way, it makes sense why this course has cemented itself as such a fan-favorite, and manages to always get picked in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe online lobbies. It's just that Good!

2. Milky Way Galaxy

Tier: X Game: Real

i live here hi!!!!!! :D

1. Sling Pod Galaxy

Tier: The "S" is for "Slingpodgalaxy" Game: Super Mario Galaxy

It's always the ones you least expect who win in the end... I may have ranked it dead last when I started this series, but by using the momentum of the Sling Pods, it managed to slingshot itself allllll the way to the top! Bet you didn't see this one coming! But really, it should be obvious. This galaxy is an incredible test of timing and precision, offering a good challenge for skilled players, and with an aesthetic reminiscent of the beautiful Space Junk Galaxy, it ends up winning me over in more ways than one!

There's no question that as soon as you have enough Star Bits saved up to reach Sling Pod Galaxy that you should make a mad dash to the Fountain and shove them all into that Hungry Luma's mouth, because the Sling Pod Galaxy is an experience you'll never forget! And since it's a great place to farm Star Bits too, it practically pays for itself! Bonus!

Wow! What a wild ride that was !!!! hopefully we all learned something at the end.

i'll post the real top 5 some other time i'm sorry

[captainkawaii666]

So I saw a Deltarune theory video (I don't remember what it was called specifically but if I do I'll link it), and it wasn't actually about who the Knight would be specifically, but the Knight did come up and they said they thought it would be Knight Knight, which at first I was a bit skeptical of, but like

C'mon look at her

She's literally a knight

The symbol on her mace looks like a Titan eye

She has night/darkness theming (moon on helmet, chest area looks owl-esque)

You beat her by putting her to sleep, which brings to mind the Pacify spell

One of her battle flavor texts is "Knight Knight's armor emits a dark sheen", further associating her with darkness- specifically darkness that somehow still glows, like the fountains

Another one of her battle flavor texts is "Smells like stardust" which can be vaguely associated with the SAVE stars, which are tied to Determination (which is required to open fountains) in Undertale, and the Titans in Deltarune

The battle start flavor text is "Mercenaries emerge from the shadows", which provides her yet another association with darkness- although interestingly enough, this is only used when she's accompanied by Madjick

When encountered by herself, the battle start flavor text is "Knight Knight blocks the way!", flavor text which is shared between only her and bosses

She roars when you hit her, and the Knight's full title is the Roaring Knight (this one specifically is like the biggest reach ever but there's so much other stuff here that I might as well bring it up)

She's heavily connected with Shyren, who has several of her own ties to darkness and Dark Worlds

She summons the sun and moon- representations of light and darkness- for her attacks

Going back to her mace, it's called the Good Morningstar- Morningstar is another name for Lucifer, tying her to Gaster due to his satanic theming

She's referred to in the code as "Final Knight"

Her sprite is referred to in the code as a "dragon"- this further associates her with Gaster (Dragon- villain's second in command) and the Roaring (the dragon of the apocalypse)

She talks without a dialogue bubble, with her text just appearing on screen (this isn't much, but it is reminiscent of the dialogue during the Goner Maker sequence)

Speaking of her dialogue, she has no sound effect that plays alongside it- the only other spoken dialogue in either game this is true of (unless I'm forgetting something) is the last bit of the Goner Maker, where someone who is most likely not Gaster since it was almost definitely him for the rest of the sequence says "Will now be discarded. No one can choose who they are in this world. Your name is..."

She definitely seems like she could be strong enough to beat King in a fight, and with her preferred fighting style being "summon meteors and solar flares and smash the shit out of everything with her mace", it would certainly explain the state of his throne room

Queen refers to the Knight as "it", and while that may just be her using gender-neutral terms, Knight Knight is also referred to as "it" by some flavor text (she/it queen!!)

She's associated with sleep and dreams, and the Nightmare Knight leitmotif has appeared in a few Deltarune songs- mostly ones associated with entering a Dark World (it's also widely assumed that Nightmare Knight, or a song heavily reusing its leitmotifs and stuff the way Metal Crusher did for Noisemaster, will be the Knight's theme, but this is pure speculation so that's not really important)

And while this is most of the evidence I have of her potentially being the Knight, I'm fairly certain I could find even more if I really went digging (although most of it would probably be of the more tenuous variety)

[anglercrit]

I never was a fan of CherriSnake at all, mainly because the dynamic was just like the others: Fanservice.

None of these characters have the SPARK needed for me to ship them. I usually don't mind canon ships as I would with crackships. But I've recently gotten to the Demisexual Logic when it comes to shipping characters.

Like if a character has a few moments type deal. Or if it's a Dating Sim type deal where 3 integeral moments happen for me to consider "Hey, this is it. This is ENDGAME" but with Saint Repentious in Heaven (That was not an idea of mine, I wanna clarify his name was inspired by Journey of The Light and possibly others.) and Cherri in Hell. I don't think that CherriSnake is ever gonna be a thing.

It was just like Martha and Mayberry. Completely there just to go "There, you got your silly WLW relationship! Now shut up!" It feels like any remote relationships that doesn't consist of MLM or Gay is often the centerpoint of attention while the other letters of our rainbow is often sidelined for Men.

I mean, I myself is Orientated AroAce. The feeling of validation is wonderful! But the fact Viv does not give a damn other than to reuse plots from Yoai BL infuriates me.

This was not a main point of mine, as this is leading to an idea, I wanted to say my peace before introducing this.

I am working on a Hazbin Hotel Rewrite (It's commonly referred to as "Left To Rot" but the working title is Redeeming The Hotel AU or known as Hazbin: Rewritten.) currently, Sir Pentious is the main characters love interest (as with Husk) and the storyline is:

Main Character is not Charlie, as she eventually loses her "interest" in the Hotel, after being belittled, taking after her father.

This leads to the MC taking over as the actual owner/founder of the Hotel in her wake, attempting to try and help with regaining Charlie's hope.

The Hotel is called Happy Hotel, but as time went on, she refers it as Hazbin as she believes it was a space for "has beens" and not "want to bes"

So the way I had the MC know Sir Pentious was interacting as his "Guardian Angel" (Although at this rate, the MC was being created in the Angel Ethereal pool) she was his guardian angel. When she was left in Hell, and she meets with Sir Pentious he recognizes her which led to Husk getting jealous.

Poly, Husk x OC x Pentious?

ok I have a lot of thoughts here (dw all of them good) so I'll just bullet point this

I honestly REALLY like the dating sim approach- I feel like cherrisnake COULD have worked, I like the idea of pent trying to seem cool to impress her but it really did feel fanservicey. And Cherri being in Hell and Pentious in heaven has some angst potential but I doubt it'll be explored.

even as someone who admittedly enjoys some trashy gay romance novels, yea the way viv handles her gay relationships frustrates me. It's probably because she hypes up how good the gay rep will be and then just recycles Hayes code era stereotypes.

your rewrite seems neat! I like the idea of someone else trying to reignite that hope in Charlie- honestly instead of the war against heaven the season 1 finale being Charlie beginning to lose hope and the hotel gang working to convince her that a sinner COULD be redeemed would be a sweet moment. Also I'm all for poly relationships so hell yea

[andmaybegayer]

can you actually talk about bitwarden / password managers, or direct me to a post about them? Idk my (completely uneducated) instinct says that trusting one application with all your passwords is about as bad as having the same password for everything, but clearly that isn’t the case.

So it is true that online password managers present a big juicy target, and if you have very stringent security requirements you'd be better off with an offline password manager that is not exposed to attack.

However, for most people the alternative is "reusing the same password/closely related password patterns for everything", the risk that one random site gets compromised is much higher than the risk that a highly security focussed password provider gets compromised.

Which is not to say it can't happen, LastPass gets hacked alarmingly often, but most online password managers do their due diligence. I am more willing to stash my passwords with 1Password or Bitwarden or Dashlane than I am to go through the rigamarole of self-managing an array of unique passwords across multiple devices.

Bitwarden and other password managers try to store only an encrypted copy of your password vault, and they take steps to ensure you never ever send them your decryption key. When you want a password, you ask them for your vault, you decrypt it with your key, and now you have a local decrypted copy without ever sending your key to anyone. If you make changes, you make them locally and send back an encrypted updated vault.

As a result, someone who hacks Bitwarden should in the absolute worst case get a pile of encrypted vaults, but without each individuals' decryption key those vaults are useless. They'd still have to go around decrypting each vault one by one. Combining a good encryption algorithm, robust salting, and a decent key, you can easily get a vault to "taking the full lifetime of the universe" levels on security against modern cryptographic attacks.

Now there can be issues with this. Auto-fill can be attacked if you go onto a malicious website, poorly coded managers can leak information or accidentally include logging of passwords when they shouldn't, and obviously you don't know that 1Password isn't backdoored by the CIA/Mossad/Vatican. If these are concerns then you shouldn't trust online password managers, and you should use something where you remain in control of your vault and only ever manually handle your password.

Bitwarden is open source and fairly regularly audited, so you can be somewhat assured that they're not compromised. If you are worried about that, you can use something like KeePassXC/GNU Pass/Himitsu/ (which all hand you the vault file and it's your job to keep track of it and keep it safe) or use clever cryptographic methods (like instead of storing a password you use a secret key to encrypt and hash a reproducible code and use that as your password, e.g. my netflix password could be hash(crypt("netflixkalium", MySecretKey)), I know a few people who use that method.

Now with any luck because Apple is pushing for passkeys (which is just a nice name for a family of cryptographic verification systems that includes FIDO2/Webauthn) we can slowly move away from the nightmare that is passwords altogether with some kind of user friendly public key based verification, but it'll be a few years before that takes off. Seriously the real issue with a password is that with normal implementations every time you want to use it you have to send your ultra secret password over the internet to the verifying party.

[electrozeistyking]

You said Beanie didn't activate until three weeks shortly after N woke up. How pillbaby creation works in your au? In other stories I have read the parents transfer some of ther code to the pillbaby and they instantly wake up. So Beanie was just inactive and no one like try to throw her away when they saw no activity. Sounds mean but is like when animals lay an egg and they threw it away when it doesn't hatch when is supposed to. Also where was Beanie being kept and who was watching her while she was inactive.

Ahaha, I am not like other story writers. Just to clarify, I never said that Beanie activated three weeks after N woke up. She properly activated on the same day he woke up, then kinda didn't do anything but blink for three weeks.

So anyway. Since you asked about the creation of pill babies in Ghost Drone, I am going to once again reiterate I am not like other story writers. Forgo most everything you know about pill babies from other stories, because I up and said "haha lmao who says I need to share headcanons with people" at one point.

First off — these lil guys are first built by scratch and have a combination of their parents' code uploaded into them. It takes a few months to "work through the kinks" in their coding before they properly boot up, because they are fucking eggs and I will treat them as such. And it takes a while for eggs to hatch.

I'm not saying that pill babies hatch in Ghost Drone, though, because it's already been established they don't do that. I'm just saying I think it's funny if they took a few months to boot up. Need not question me for doing things for the sake of my own entertainment is always the answer.

I also decided it takes two months for that to happen. Why? You already know the answer, it's my sense of goddamn humour!!!

Beanie, however, was kind of a late booter. Kinda by a week at max. The numbers are not pinned down, all I can tell you is that she booted up December 8th in 3075 and that was also the day N woke up in the medical wing after the laser canon malfunction.

In fact, it should be noted that Beanie nearly didn't boot up whatsoever! Pretty sure it's speculated that N and Uzi's combined code was just that fucky that it took a few extra days for Beanie's code to finish doing whatever the fuck it was doing for two bloody months, and if it hadn't eventually sorted itself out, she'd be dead.

So. The mainline Ghost Drone AU is the timeline where Beanie decided to defy the odds and live.

While we're at it, here's some other pill baby headcanons that I have that I've never gotten a chance to share, which means I am now taking this as an excuse to share them. So buckle up, babydoll, we're doing this now.

As mentioned by the ghost drone known as Norm in the mainline fic, there is a proper way to hold pill babies, as the top of their heads is sensitive and applying the wrong sort of pressure could ruin their delicate components.

Norm also mentions that drones apparently needed a way to let parents know when they're about to fuck with their kids' programming. Hence why that happens.

Baby drones on Copper-9 are built with voiceboxes. Baby drones built by JCJenson were not, as. well. Why would you waste your money on that. JCJenson, a fucky ass company.

Baby drones also giggle at a frequency designed to encourage their parents to bond with them. Sort of rewards the parents for doing parental things, and not throwing their kid like a football the second they find themselves in danger.

Once a drone is named, it is eventually added into their code, very swanky programmer style. I swear I know what I'm talking about.

I like to imagine that the worker drones at one point originally built their pill babies by scratch, but then they needed to save their resources, so they eventually started reusing their kids' pill bodies for new babies.

You kinda just gotta transfer the first baby to their toddler body, ensure none of their code was somehow left behind, then pass it off to the next set of parents and/or reuse it. Yes I understand this sounds fucked up when you put too much thought into this but are you really expecting any less from me. Don't worry about it.

If a baby eventually doesn't boot up, you reset their code, then either try again or grieve. Yes I understand that sounds awful. Don't worry about it.

Also, before she booted up, Beanie was with her parents the whole time because turns out the nursery is optional. And then when she booted up and her dad woke up, she was with N... while he was in shock for a few weeks,

Does this make sense. Did I cover everything. Actually it turns out I don't care. I honestly just hope this answers everything because I am going to faceplant now

fuck i forgot about v. she was watching over beanie while n was out cold. okay i got it now im going to ascend now

[takaraphoenix]

Who are all your Teen Wolf OCs and who among them are your favorite ones and why?

Aaaah, thank you for asking!! Absolutely love talking about my OCs! ^-^

Okay, this is gonna be a long answer because I will abuse this ask, so I'm putting the main rambling under the cut, but to answer the second question first: My absolute favorite is Dalia Hale, Peter and Talia's mother, but I have a particularly soft spot for my Hale Family OCs to begin with and if you do want to read more about them, my soft spot has made me make a longer post with actual headcanons and faceclaims for them! I just love Dalia, because I made her mischievous and scheming, but still inherently flawed (I repeatedly brought up that she wasn't the most motherly mother growing up, that she often put duty before raising her children, but she still loved them a lot), because the most fun characters are complex.

But the Hales aren't the only family I decided to flesh out more. I also latched onto Stiles' family, particularly his mom's side and beyond making a very extended family tree, the more fleshed out ones for him are his grandma Gosia, who was a magic user herself, his mom's brother Stan, Stan's wife Carol and their daughters Margaret 'Mags' and Miriam 'Mirka'. Stan's family lives in Austin, where they have a horse range and I've mentioned them repeatedly in various fics already. Usually, I have them cut contact to Noah after Claudia's death and not be a part of Stiles' life. But I like to think that, as a kid, Stiles spent every summer at their range and, growing up, Mags and Stiles were like siblings, they're roughly the same age.

Next up, the Boyd family! I gave Boyd a grandma named Ebony, but she gets called Bonnie by everyone. She is very protective of her grandson and she does love to start shit. Boyd's dad, Vernon Senior, owns a bar that Noah and Chris often frequent and I like to think that Vernon and Noah are friends. Boyd's mom's name is Anita and she is a very warm and kind woman.

Erica's parents are Roberto and Susanne; I like the idea that Erica's middle name comes from her mom. The two own a diner in town called Susie's Diner. Susie runs the place and Roberto is the cook, he's a very passionate Puerto Rican man, while Susie is a bit more of a "can I speak to your manager" type, but damn does Berto adore her.

Jackson's adopted mom, Marjorie, has a bit of an exasperated "Oh, honey" attitude toward her husband and often disapproves of his more brash actions (like getting the restraining order...). She does wear the pants in that household though.

And then there is Chris' mom Adeline, who I headcanon as the born Argent. This family is supposedly a matriarchy and I don't like how much lip service that was from the show without actually pulling through. So Gerard married into the Argent family and killed his wife when Chris and Kate were young so he could rule it with an iron fist and pretend it's all his. Adeline actually adhered to the code, only hunting those who hunted them and the innocent. She was a good and kind woman and a loving mother. But she died when Kate was too little, so Kate was wholly raised by Gerard's twisted teachings, while Chris learned more from his mother before her passing, which is why he is the only reasonable Argent.

Now, on to my next gen!!

Let's kick this one off with Stiles' various children.

The first ones I ever used were Talia and Claudia Hale, whose father is Derek. Since I have, uh, largely fallen out of Sterek in favor of older men (I am sorry, Derek, it's not you, it's me), I don't know how much I'll be using the twins anymore.

I kind of did end up "reusing" them though by giving Stiles and Peter twin girls too, named Rowan and Kasia. Rowan is a werwolf and the future Alpha of the Hale Pack, while Kasia is a born kitsune, thanks to some left-over from the Nogitsune. Kassie is also a lesbian and will end up with Boyd/Erica's daughter.

Though I have used their older brother, James, the most, out of my next gen so far. Jamie takes so much after Stiles physically that he often gets called Mini Stiles and thanks to that, he also gets away with everything with Peter. No denying those big doe-eyes anything. I do think that Jamie isn't wholly human but I honestly haven't decided if I want him to be wolf, fox or a magic user of sorts. He's going to end up married to Grace Greenberg, yes daughter of that Greenberg because I thought that would be funny.

In some settings, they have an older sister. I have recently been toying with the devastating idea of Steter dating during s4 and Stiles finding out he's pregnant after Peter has been sent to Eichen House. I have toyed with this in five different ways now, so the hypothetical baby got to be a proper character after all and would thus be the other three's older sister, born during season 5 of the show. Her name is Halia Claudia Stilinski, nicknamed Haley, because Stiles wanted to give her that Hale legacy in a way too. She's a werewolf and she has Peter's eyes.

I have one OC kid for Chris and Stiles, a girl named Adele, after Chris' mother Adeline. She absolutely adores her big sister Allison and spends probably more time at Allison's place than at home. Her interest is more in magic than hunting though.

Boyd and Erica have two kids, Heath and Reyna Alicia Boyd, both born wolves. Heath is age-wise one of the oldest of my OCs. He's a lot like his dad. Reyna absolutely adores Stiles and she also ends up married to Stiles' daughter Kassie.

Jackson and Lydia have a daughter named Lorraine Ariel Whittemore, nicknamed Lorie. She's a banshee like Lydia and she is best friends with Kassie, she also ends up marrying Scott/Allison's son.

Scott and Allison have two kids, a son named Fletcher and a daughter named Arian. Arian is a born human but trains herself to become a hunter so she can protect her family and pack. Fletcher is a born wolf and ends up married to Jackson/Lydia's daughter and him and Jamie are inseparable and cause Sheriff Stilinski at least as many headaches as Stiles and Scott used to.

Malia and Kira have two kids, a son named Shiro and a daughter named Akiko, both of them born kitsune. Shiro is a quiet guy and best friends with Heath, while Akiko is a spitfire.

I also gave Braeden and Marin a daughter named Maeve Morrell, who is going to end up with Heath Boyd. She's a druid and would be the Emissary of the new Hale Pack.

I got four OCs of the third generation, one is the grandchild of Jackson/Lydia and Scott/Allison, Michael McCall, named in honor of Michael J. Fox for giving us this franchise in the first place. He is a werewolf.

The others are Stiles' grandkids. Jamie and Grace Greenberg have two kids, the twins Diana and Elian, both born werewolves, while Kassie and Reyna have a daughter named Riley.

Now, on to the OC Packs!! Their first and foremost purpose is being the packs of London, for my "the Hale Pack Moves to London" fics since I established that there is a total of seven packs there (including the Hale Pack) and a city as large as London would have more than one pack. I just think a fleshed out world is important, you know.

The pack I used most and have fleshed out the most is the Hayes Pack. Alpha Robert Hayes was mostly created as a past lover for Stiles; I do want him to have some experience, sometimes. He's a gentle and kind man who adored Stiles a lot and even after the break up still cares about Stiles. He has three kids, Charlene (14), Connor (10) and Caleb (4), which is usually why the relationship didn't fully work out, because Stiles was a bit young for the stepdad game. Robert has a younger sister named Odelia, who is his Left Hand. The pack's Emissary is Margaret 'Marge' Cotton, the Spark of London, who is a mischievous elderly woman who essentially adopted Stiles as her grandson. In a "not London" setting, they would be located in Los Angeles.

The Nelson Pack consists of Alpha Ryan Nelson, a bisexual black woman, and her girlfriend/fiance (depending on the timeline) Lily Logan, who is either a witch in a London setting (since there is only one Spark per territory for me), or the Spark of Austin, where I locate their pack in a "no London" setting. Lily is a redheaded lesbian who is Stiles' age and close friends with him. The pack's Right Hand is Dorian 'DJ' Jones, who might have had some hook-ups with Stiles.

The Mitchell Pack only consists of Alpha Verne Mitchell, his son Valerian, and his Emissary the druid Rose Williams, who is a middle-aged woman always worrying about the younger magic users in the community.

The Harlow Pack only has an Alpha so far; Michael Harlow, who I have used repeatedly as an abusive ex of Stiles' and will do so in the future. His entire purpose is being that. He was literally created because I am obsessed with Goran Visnjic's villain vibes and wanted a Goran Visnjic looking villain who has a thing with Stiles.

The other two Alphas haven't gotten packs yet. There's Estefania 'Essie' Rico and Rani Gupta. They're going to get packs too, at one point, but ya know, I should actually write about them to flesh them out more.

[cursecuelebre]

Witch/Tarot PSA: DO NOT BUY COUNTERFEIT DECKS.

What is a counterfeit deck?

These are “decks” are illegal manufacture of actual real tarot decks that are not created by the actual publishing houses or the artist or author. These were copy pasted terribly on small cheap card stock in plastic folded boxes rather than the regular boxes that the publishing company would use. These cards will not sometimes credit the author or artist, do not use the copyrighted company which is illegal and it will not come with a guidebook but a QR code on the back.

Why are they bad?

Yes buying regular and legit decks can be expensive in my country US it’s about $30 if the deck is brand new. Not that expensive but if you can’t spare $30 save your money or wait till they go on sale. Tarot is a luxury not a necessity remember that. When one buy these decks their money will not go to the artist or author or even publishing company but a Chinese factory most likely a sweatshop that are treating their workers terribly. I’d rather pay full priced for an artist and authors hardwork that they deserve knowing they put their blood, sweat, and tears for. Also creating these inauthentic decks harms the environment as well.

Keep in mind publishing houses like Llewelyn or Us Game systems are not big, their not penguin books or Harper Collins these are small publishing companies that need to have a percentage of the sales.

Author Ciro Marchetti known for his Glided Tarot said that he doesn’t want to continue his art career for tarot because of this reason, of his deck being illegal pirated and sold for a very cheap price that isn’t worth it because the quality is terrible and unethical. It affects the artists and authors mostly because their work is being produced by companies that they won’t get rightfully paid for.

Also here’s one of the most messed up thing I discovered, I love my small metaphysical shops and my family likes to explore all kinds of shops in my state of Connecticut. But when I go into a shop and I see those counterfeit decks now unlike Temu where they sell them for less than $10 these owners would sell them for full price. This is a scam because people who are unaware just brought a pirated item thinking it’s legit and actually produced by an actual publishing company when it’s a cheaply made deck and the pictures are terrible quality very pixelated. I get angry when I see these decks and I’m taking my business somewhere else.

There have been cases where people are selling AI versions of tarot decks for instance, The Dark Wood Tarot by Sasha Graham (wonderful deck highly recommend) the art was stolen and reused for a AI tarot deck that used the same name and everything. Beware of that and I know that isn’t a common but AI tarot exists so be careful especially on sites like Etsy, Etsy has a lot of AI decks, do your research and message the seller if possible at times the seller will even put in the bio of what it is their selling if it’s made from AI.

How to Prevent It

Spread awareness, US game systems made an excellent statement on counterfeit decks and telling customers how to spot them. If you see counterfeit decks in your metaphysical shop you can confront them if you want I know confrontations can be difficult especially for small businesses but again it’s important to bring it up even asking politely, “I noticed you have counterfeit decks and selling for full price why is that?” But if not take your business elsewhere maybe leave a review warning others about them. But I find it hard to believe that a lot of these shop owners don’t know what their doing when selling these decks, unless they’re very irresponsible or just don’t care about ethics of business or even laws of their business.

Cues when you are checking a counterfeit deck?

Does it have the artist’s and author’s name sometimes the person is both author and artist.

Does it come with a guidebook when the normal deck usually does. Some of these illegal decks will remove “guidebook” from the title and have a small QR Code on the back of these decks that’s your NUMBER ONE CLUE when you spot these decks THEY DO NOT HAVE GUIDEBOOKS BUT QR CODES FOR THE SAID GUIDEBOOK. THEIR VERY SMALL COMPARE TO THE AUTHENTIC DECKS.

Do they put the Publishing Company’s name for copyright? For instance those annoying US Game systems borders usually will have their copyright (within good reason to not let the cards to be ripped off that’s why you don’t see many us game system tarot rip offs). To spot the copyright title it’s on the box usually on the back, it will be small but it will have ©️ then the publishing company’s name.

Do you know of the tarot deck is a mini? Sometimes authors and publishers will republish regular decks for minis. Be sure the deck says mini or look up to see if the publishing company republished a tarot mini compare the decks if they match.

[astra-galaxie]

If Argo ever became a victim and the team had to solve his death, how would his case roughly play out? What would be the events that happen between chapters, and what would the AI be?

Nolan already has one in the works lol

Personally thinking of him being killed in a alleyway by a thug or someone, or maybe even die at Lawson’s own hands and the team had to figure out whether it really was Lawson, or someone else

If I had a nickel for every time I was asked how I would kill Argo off, I'd have two nickels - which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice!

I'm sorry I took so long to respond to this ask. I was waiting until I posted a specific chapter ("If You Love Somebody, Let Them Go") in my story before answering it. I needed it to reveal a significant change I’m making to Argo’s story, which plays a part in this answer.

Now that I’ve done that and thought out how to write this hypothetical case let’s see one way I could potentially kill Argo! I’m going to lay it out similar to how I plot out my OG cases in my notebook. (Yes, I have a notebook for OG cases, and yes, it's OCD-level organized to the point that it’s colour-coded by season.)

Info for this case before getting into it:

This murder substitutes the final case. Someone once asked me in an OG case I made for S3 (“Murder From The Past”) if I would kill off Argo in the final case instead of Charlie (I hadn’t even introduced Argo yet, and people already wanted to know if I would kill him or not!). So you’ll see that some things from Last Stand For Justice will be reused for this OG case

Argo and Diego have gotten back together (Argo and Jason broke up during Coyote Gorge) and have been romantically involved since the start of Crimson Banks

For the sake of parts of this case, we'll say that the Squad was already aware that Argo and Diego aren't human (Not sure if they’ll find out in my story or not yet)

The transition between this and the case before it is similar to canon, but instead of Charlie returning to the airship, it’s Argo, and Isaac goes with him

Since Maddie just gave birth and her husband isn't missing, instead of her going to the airship, it’s Arthur with Katherine (who escaped with the Squad during “Best Laid Plans”) tagging along since she knows how to avoid the Justice Corps thanks to the Resistance. That’s how they end up as the investigators

Case Outline

Title: Sinking Justice (Alternative to Last Stand For Justice)

Season: 4

Between cases: N/A - final case

District: Capitol Peak

Partners: Arthur Wright & Katherine Woolf

Summary

Victim: Argo Acquafredda

Murder Weapon: Handgun

(Shot in the heart; heart removed post-mortem)

Killer: Diego del Lobo (Justin Lawson)

Suspects

Diego del Lobo (Profile pieces: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Constable Ramirez (Profile pieces: 1, 3, 5)

Isaac Bontemps (Profile pieces: 1, 2, 3, 5)

Jason Nicchi (Profile pieces: 1, 2, 4)

Maddie O’Malley (Profile pieces: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Quasi-Suspects

Dora Umbright

Lady Highmore

Evie Holloway

Killer’s Profile

The killer eats ration biscuits (Argo’s body)

The killer knows The Caesar Cipher (message delivered by Caspian)

The killer uses moisturizer (Caspian)

The killer has torn clothes (bullet)

The killer has brown eyes (Argo’s necklace)

Crime Scenes/Clues

Airship Navigation room

Victim’s body

Talk to Isaac (no clue needed)

Police notebook (Constable Ramirez)

Squad Airship

Baby bag (Maddie)

Caspian’s letterholder

Capitol Peak Harbour

Flying Squad badge (Diego)

Newspaper article (Isaac)

Caspian

Airship Gangway

Argo’s crutches (Constable Ramirez)

Toolbox (Jason)

Harbour Dock

Engagement ring (Diego)

Fiocco Nascita (Maddie)

Gun (Jason)

Airship wheel

Argo’s necklace

Ship’s wheel

Disclaimer: The order of steps varies; this is just a rough outline of what would happen in each chapter

Steps - Chapter 1

Investigate Airship Navigation room:

Victim’s body (autopsy - Dick)

Police notebook (faded name on the cover; decipher name; Constable Ramirez. New suspect: Constable Ramirez)

Talk to Isaac about the murder (admits he and Argo got separated on the way to the airship, and when he arrived, Argo was already dead)

Talk to Ramirez about being on the crime scene (reveals the Justice Corps tasked him to guard the airship after the Squad escaped but had stepped away for a snack break during the time of the murder, and he never saw Argo enter the airship)

****New Crime scene: Squad Airship (Prerequisite: talk to Ramirez)

Investigate Squad Airship:

Bag (Search; baby supplies; note addressed to Maddie. New suspect: Maddie O’Malley)

Caspian’s letter carrier (Unlock; Coded message; analyze - Evie)

Talk to Maddie about the baby bag (discover she asked for Argo to grab the bag of baby items she had to leave behind on the airship when they fled. Maddie is shocked to find out Argo is dead, and Charlie comforts)

Get results: Autpsoy and coded message

Autopsy revealed: killer eats ration biscuits; left crumbs on Argo’s body

Code message revealed: killer knows The Caesar Cipher; coded message was from Argo to his killer asking him to meet him at the airship

****Chapter transition: Charlie interrupts Arthur and Katherine, who were summarizing the case, to announce he’d just received a telegram from a Resistance member informing them that Argo had been spotted at the harbour before his death

Steps - Chapter 2

Investigate Capitol Peak Harbour:

Flying Squad badge (faded engraving; dust; badge number; Arthur IDs it as Diego’s badge number (there are less than ten members; I doubt that many badges have been issued that Arthur doesn't know which belongs to who). New suspect: Diego del Lobo)

Torn newspaper article (Repair; old article about Isaac’s brother’s death. Talk to Isaac again)

Damaged Caspian; substance on wings (Swab wings; unknown transparent substance; analyze - Viola)

Inform Diego of Argo’s death (Reveals he visited the airship after hearing the Squad had been captured; assumes he must have dropped his badge on the way there as he carries it to remind himself there is still hope true justice will be restored. After being told Argo is dead, Diego becomes distraught and is unconsolable hearing his lover is dead)

Talk to Isaac about the newspaper article (Same as canon; it reveals the truth behind his brother’s death and how Argo found the article, causing the old memories to resurface)

Get results: Unknown substance

Reveals the killer uses moisturizer as it was the unknown substance on Caspian’s wing, but it was not the type Argo used, so it had to have been left by the killer. Viola speculates the killer must have attacked Caspian during the murder and brought the bird to the harbour to dispose of him in the water

Investigate airship gangway:

Argo’s crutches with crumbs on them (Collect with vacuum; unknown crumbs; analyze - Viola)

Toolbox (Search; ID band; compare; Jason’s ID code. New Suspect: Jason Nicchi)

Talk to Jason about his toolbox being on the crime scene (Learn that Mayor Lawson tasked him with checking the airship for traps the Squad could have set. Knew nothing about the murder and was shocked Argo was dead)

Get results: Crumbs

Crumbs belonged to trail mix. Katherine recalls that was the snack Constable Ramirez had mentioned eating

Ask Constable Ramirez about why he handled Argo’s crutches (Confesses he went aboard the airship after the murder and found Argo’s body, dropping trail mix on the crutches after seeing the dead detective. Panicked and ran out of the airship, taking the crutches since his trail mix was on them and hiding them outside to avoid becoming a suspect)

****Chapter transition: Same as in canon; Lady Highmore tells everyone to hide because Judge Umbright is coming, so Arthur and Katherine leave the mansion to search the harbour again

Steps - Chapter 3

Investigate Capitol Peak Harbour Docks:

Locked ring box (Decode lock: open; engagement ring with engraving “Mi Corazón Es Tuyo - Tu Lobo”. Talk to Diego again)

Torn fabric (Repair; Fiocco Nascita with George Dupont’s name and birth info. Talk to Maddie again)

Trash can (Search; Gun; analyze - Rose)

Question Diego about the engagement ring for Argo (Reveals he was going to ask Argo to marry them (even if it was just a symbolic marriage) after the fall of the Justice Corps)

Ask Maddie about George’s Fiocco Nascita (Tells them that Argo made the Fiocco Nascita for George and that she regrets asking Argo to find her baby bag, thinking she caused him to spend unnecessary time on the airship, which allowed his killer to get him)

Get results: Handgun

Discover the gun is the murder weapon. Rose also discovers that these guns are used by the Justice Corps and are manufactured by Jason. Talk to Jason again)

Confront Jason about building the murder weapon (Is shocked to find out he made the gun that killed Argo but promises he did nothing more than build the guns on Mayor Lawson’s orders. He doesn't know who the gun was issued to)

Investigate Airship wheel:

Argo’s necklace with substance on shell (Collect; transparent substance; analyze - Viola)

Broken ship’s wheel (Repair; restored ship’s wheel; analyze - Charlie)

Get results: Substance and ship’s wheel

Transparent substance: Killer’s tears: reveals the killer has brown eyes

Ship’s wheel: Fibres caught in the wheel: reveals the killer has torn clothes as the fibres did not match Argo’s clothes

Arrest Killer: Diego del Lobo (Or is he???)

Diego confesses that Argo has asked to meet him at the airship as they had been secretly communicating about how to take down Justin. No one was around when they arrived, so they were going to grab what they needed and then flee to join the rest of the Squad at Lady Highmore’s mansion

But Justin appeared and caught them sharing a kiss in the navigation room. Furious, Justin demands to know why Diego (still wearing his Eddie Lebold disguise) was kissing a wanted man

Diego’s real identity is discovered, and Justin draws his gun, planning to take Diego and Argo in himself. The couple pleads for Justin to put the gun away and promise to go with him willingly, but Justin keeps ranting about “perfecting justice” and “ridding the world of corruption” while brandishing the gun

During the argument, Justin shoots at Diego, but Argo steps in front of his boyfriend and takes the bullet meant for Diego. The two stumble backwards into the airship’s wheel, breaking it and collapsing to the floor

Diego is distraught as he holds Argo while he’s dying, and Justin, shocked by what he’d done, leaves without trying to take Diego in

Argo dies in Diego’s arms and asks his boyfriend to take his heart (The Heart of The Ocean; long story short, magical rock that serves as Argo’s heart) so it won’t fall into the wrong hands before he passes

Diego does as requested and takes Argo’s heart; somehow, Argo’s body sustains a physical form. Diego assumes it might have something to do with the fact that the stone is cracked because of the bullet, and thus, the magic is on the fritz

Diego hid the heart in a safe location to retrieve it after Justin was taken down. But Arthur and Katherine caught Diego before he could find evidence to prove Justin killed Argo since Diego didn’t think they would just take his word for it

Thankfully, they believed him, and while they still kept Diego locked in a bedroom, the Squad now focuses their efforts on taking down Justin and getting justice for Argo

****Chapter transition: After Diego’s “arrest,” Maddie appears to reveal George has been taken by Judge Umbright like in canon (but happens late in this case), and now they have to save the baby and take down Justin

Steps - Chapter 4/Additional Investigation

****Following the introduction of the AI, we need to talk to Rose about George’s kidnapping and Diego about defeating Justin

****Maddie and Charlie stand in as partners for the George plotline

****Isaac and Arthur partner for the Justin plotline

Rescuing George Dupont plotline:

Talk to Rose and find out about her plan to save George

Investigate the Navigation room

Baby box (Unlock; baby rattle; analyze - Rose)

Get results: Weaponized rattle

Rescue George Dupont from Judge Umbright using the weaponized rattle

Defeating Justin Lawson plotline:

Ask Diego about his and Argo's plan to take down Lawson (Charlie still made the tracking device but was less involved in the “True Justice” plan since Argo takes his place in this case)

Investigate Squad Airship

Broken pieces (Repair; tracking device; analyze - Charlie)

Get results: Tracking Device

Canon results about how we need to wait until Justin stops moving to catch him

Timeskip happens - Charlie reports that Justin has stopped at the Capitol Peak harbour

Investigate Capitol Peak Harbour

Tracking device

The battle between Justin and the Squad happens like in canon, but he confesses to killing Argo. However, he no longer feels guilty since Argo was “against justice” and disobeyed Justin

Justin shoots Isaac, but the bulletproof vest saves him, and while Justin is distracted, Arthur shoots the mayor in the heart, killing him

Since they are at the harbour and Justin is standing close to the edge of the dock, he falls into the water, but by the time Arthur and Isaac reach the dock’s edge, his body is carried away by the waves and is never recovered. It was lost at sea forever, never to have a proper final resting place

(It was the ocean’s revenge for Justin killing her heart. His soul can never truly be at peace)

Everyone regroups following Justin’s death. Diego is released now that Argo’s true killer is gone, and he’s officially cleared of the murder despite taking Argo’s heart (since the Squad knows Argo isn’t human, they understand why Diego did it and therefore, he isn’t charged for any crime)

The plot continues as usual, with Lady Highmore becoming the new mayor, followed by Argo's funeral. His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at sea at the cove behind his house

Diego recovered the Heart of The Ocean from where he hid it but didn’t return it to the sea, hoping he could find a way to fix the cracks and bring Argo back

Another time skip happens, and the Squad meets in the airship, where everyone reminisces about Argo. Charlie says he has something that might help with their grief that he brought to work but left in his automobile. Maddie goes with him to collect it

After investigating the gangway, they find the film reel Charlie had brought, and after recovering the label to make sure it's the right one, the Squad gathers in Charlie’s lab to watch the film

The film shows the message Argo recorded in case anything happened to him while trying to take down Justin. He talks about how thankful he is to have met the Squad and the friends he has made since coming to Concordia. He tells his family and friends he loves them, along with other personalized heartfelt messages for his family and teammates. The film concludes with a message for Diego where Argo tells him how much he loves him and wishes they could have spent eternity together and hopes one day they will meet again, either in this life or the next

After the film ends, Arthur tells the team that the Squad will be going on an extended vacation. However, Diego announces that he will not be returning to the Squad and plans to leave Concordia to find a way to restore the Heart of The Ocean. The team tells him he is welcome to return and they will always be there for him if he needs help

Phew! That was a workout! Admittedly, my real OG case outlines aren’t this detailed, but this still gives you an insight into how I plot out my OG cases and keep track of everything!

While this isn’t an entirely new original case, I wanted to try my hand at using the idea of Argo taking Charlie’s place as the final victim. Which version do you think is more tragic? Canon or this one?

Either way, I’ll get the tissues!

Thank you for the ask, st4r-th0ughts! This was a fun challenge, and I loved creating a case in which one of my MCs was the victim! (Now that’s a dark thing to be happy about…)

[bikelaned]

you should use this as an excuse to rant about your ofs

RANT ABOUT MY OCS?

RANT ABOUT MY OCS!?

*starts frothing at the mouth*

this will be long

I'm gonna pick a few ocs and yap about them, they will be *drumroll*: Poprocks, Charlotte, Sylvia and Kyo

God I love poprocks. He's just a little guy who gets framed for terrorism. I'm reworking that plot point right now but i can't get rid of the getting framed for terrorism part of his story, I just can't. Poprocks wants to be a singer really bad but he also has terrible stage fright and anxiety. Bro went to a school for idols but he ended up with a job at the casino instead. I love fish so of course the fish boy is my favorite.

Charlotte is so lame but she's still my oc baby. You'd think the one I draw the most would be my favorite but... She's so... boring. I can fix that maybe but im too lazy to. She's super non-confrontational because the cult she grew up in did NOT take kindly to confrontation. The cult isn't too well thought out, i've been thinking about reusing these two ocs from a while back for it.

In the original story there was interplanetary travel and when they went to the gods' planet there are two dogs guarding the building. (the one with the circle of clouds around it. heh. name mentioned.) They were trauma and tragedy masks, one was happy and yellow and the other was sad and blue. I did reuse the trauma and tragedy mask for tua, but one, I might remove tua because she doesn't actually participate in the plot. and two, i kinda want to use them in the cult.

I was daydreaming to music and I came up with potentially like... punishers for the cult? Like when someone didn't follow dress code or questioned one of the leaders. One of them takes joy in punishing people, absolute glee, and the other just doesn't care. Never decided if they'd be real and never decided if they should be lovers or siblings.

Sylvia needs to be developed more, she's pretty much just Charlotte's wife right now. She's confrontational and easy to irritate. She's an arms dealer, she makes weapons and sells them. She also works with Charlotte as a "fixer" (name still in pending...), people who will take on jobs on this app and... fix things. Sylvia's weapon of choice is bombs and I never did decide what power I wanted her to have actually. probably an ability that would make her always having bombs on hand more reasonable

Kyo is a girl and her evil mirror clone. I love her because she's evil <3 She wants to become god. There's a pool near the circle of clouds that if you put crystals in it, it amplifies the crystal's power. Her ultimate goal is to get a bunch of crystals and toss them in there. She also injects crystals into her blood at one point when she really loses it. The girl isn't really in the story, just the mirror clone.

okay im tired of writing for now :3