#we're switching to light mode

[ophernelia]

@ERNESTGARB: mind you she asked ME to go to the beach wtf

.ೃ࿔*:･ recent episode | watch from the start!

[abyssalpriest]

God I could and should write a whole fucking book by the end of this life here on Lev and his symbols

ill write it then burn it before anyone else gets a copy. or i wont. im supposed to be helping him this incarnation here to get a better anchor in this plane so maybe it would help more than itd be weird - im just getting from him the energy of "yeah no people already effectively have these things, people on my plane already know me inside and out to an extensive degree, may as well have it here too" you know. fair

[chieltbest]

Yet Another Package Editor

Download the latest version here

YaPe is a modern package editor for DBPF (.package) files

Features:

Edit any package - FAST

List and edit resources in a package

Filter resources by type

Easy editors for several resource types

Supports opening ANY DBPF-coded .package, .dat, or .sc4 file

Easily reduce texture size, add/remove/recreate mipmaps, change texture format

Import textures by dragging, export DDS

Native on Windows and Linux

Why make yet another package editor?

Simply said, because SimPe can be kind of cumbersome especially on Linux, and package editors other than SimPe (s3pe, s4pe, iLive's Reader etc.) do not support Sims 2 resources.

To illustrate, I timed someone shrinking a texture (convert RawARGB32 -> DXT1, shrink 2x) in both SimPe and YaPe:

SimPe + GIMP: 1m 30s

YaPe: 10s

Originally this started as just a way to easily test if my DBPF library was doing the correct thing, but over time it has grown to become a half-decent editor suitable for more general use.

Tutorial / usage tips

Here I will explain how to shrink and convert textures in YaPe because that's what I imagine most people will use this program for right now, but of course you can use it for other things as well.

Let's get started by getting the program to look the way you want to: use the options in the top left to change the scale of the interface and switch between dark and light mode.

Now drag a package file into the program (don't worry about closing the sims except when you save the package), a list of resources in the package will be visible. You can find out what the abbreviations mean by hovering your mouse over them; in general I try to add tooltips like this to buttons or options that are unclear.

Don't be afraid to mess around and make changes! The changes you make are never saved unless you press the save button, so if you simply drag your package file into YaPe again without saving you will get your original package back (there is currently no undo function, but it is a planned feature).

All these resources are great, but we're only interested in the textures for this tutorial so let's set a filter. Right click on a texture (TXTR) and select "Filter on type".

Great! Now you can only see the textures we're interested in. You can disable this filter by unticking the "filter" option at the top.

Now click on the "TXTR" to open the texture, it will open a new tab in the lower half of the window by default. If your window is not very big (like mine is for this tutorial) you might have trouble seeing the texture and all the options. You can drag the tab around and put it somewhere else in the program, I'm going to put it on the right and make it a little bigger so we can see what's going on.

Okay, now we can see all the options, and well... there's a bunch of them. We'll go over some of the options that you'll likely want to use but feel free to experiment of course.

First, let's have a look at the texture viewer at the bottom: you can zoom in on the texture by holding control and scrolling, and you can change which mipmap is displayed by clicking the radio buttons above the texture.

But wait, this texture does not have enough mipmaps to show up in game! (post by @pforestsims) Let's fix that right this instant by clicking the "Add missing mipmaps" button in the middle.

Okay, now the mipmaps will show up in game, which is good... except that this mipmap is really blurry. (post by me) Luckily we can fix this really easily, just click the "Recalculate all mipmaps" button.

Much better!... except that we've created a new hidden problem: the leaves will disappear when zooming out in game (blog by lisyarus) but even this problem can be fixed. We can actually preview what the texture will look like when zoomed out by switching the format to DXT1 since DXT1 has binary transparency, just like alpha tested textures like leaves and grass.

Right, so the leaves have a bunch of holes that don't look right when zooming out, let's change that. Above the "Add missing mipmaps" button there is the "Preserve transparency" slider: try changing it to something like 120-170 and click "Recalculate all mipmaps", you can see that the transparency changes, if it's still too thin/transparent set the value higher and recalculate again and so on.

Have a look at all the mipmaps (zoom levels) and once you're satisfied with the transparency change the format back to DXT5.

This texture will now look great in game! But it is also quite large, so we can reduce the size 2x smaller without sacrificing very much in terms of looks (sorry to all the cc authors who love their large textures). Click the "Remove largest texture" button, which will make it so that the first mipmap becomes the largest texture effectively reducing the size by 2x. Like mentioned it does use the first mipmap so make sure to fix any blurry mipmaps first.

You can repeat the same process for the other textures in the package, and then we're done. Save the package by clicking the save button in the top bar, and have a look in game at your beautiful textures.

Another option is to drag images/textures you've made somewhere else into the program (with special support for dds files), for a full lists of supported image formats you can look here. (image-rs documentation) The image/texture will currently go into the firsts open texture resource tab because of UI framework limitations.

Here's a look at some of the other editor currently implemented:

Enjoy :)

[the-borgias]

sorry if this has been asked before but how do you make your gradients look so good?

Hi Anon! First of all thank you so much 🫶

I like to use gradient maps (which I've explained here) or gradient fills + gradient tool. I'll drop a little tutorial under the cut:

GRADIENT FILL

I'll be using this gif which I've already sharpened and coloured:

First of all let's make the background pop so I'm going to add a gradient fill (Layer -> New fill layer -> Gradient) with these settings (I'm using this colour #0099ff):

Now it's the time to play with the blending settings! Depending on your scene some will look better than others but I usually switch between Soft Light, Overlay, Color or Hue. 90% of the time I use soft light but this scene looked much better using overlay:

As you can see the background looks more blue and vibrant but it's not too much you know.

GRADIENT TOOL

Now it's time to use the gradient tool to give this gif a hazy look. I haven't seen many gifmakers talk about this tool but it's soooo useful and it takes gradients to a whole new level.

Before using this tool we'll need to add a new layer above the gradient fill, like this:

(HELP I just realised I typed “later” instead of “layer” 🤡 but let’s ignore that)

You can choose the gradient tool by pressing 'G' and then clicking here:

Make sure your gradient goes from any colour to a transparent background.

Okay so next to this gradient settings we have five different styles and each one will create a different shape. Depending on the scene I'll use the first, second or fourth one. Here are how they look:

1. Linear gradient

2. Radial gradient + Reverse (if you don't click this you'll end up with a blue circle above your gif)

3. Reflected gradient + Reverse

This time I'm going to use the radial gradient so to draw it start by clicking on the centre of the gif and drag the line (the farther you drag it the less intense the gradient looks):

And this is the gradient:

And here comes the fun part again, playing with the blending setting and the opacity! Before doing anything I duplicate my gradient layer because I always use more than one so this is how your layers should look like:

Let's go to the first gradient tool layer and again try different blending modes: soft light, overlay, hue... Most of the time I'll use 'Soft layer' and I'll leave the opacity at 100%.

For the second layer choose 'Screen' and don't worry if your gif looks too bright because we're going to fix this by decreasing the opacity. Anything between 20-60% should look good but it depends if you want a more vibrant or more natural effect. I ended up using 40% and this is the result:

And we're done!!! As you can see the result looks much different from our first gif and it only takes a couple of layers!

Honestly the best advice I can give you is to play with the opacity and blending mode of the different gradient layers because depending on the scene some will look better than others!

[xaythefreak]

Hey, its me the "old man bots yaoi couples" enjoyer the one who sent to you. Im here to bring me more because im quite normal about drift and ratchet. Very normal...

(Why have one bot, when you can have two?.. heh.. it's a package deal. Im so sigma/hj/silly)

Anyway-!! AHEM burps this at u:

Drift truly believes you’re the missing third spark to his and Ratchet’s bond— that Primus wants the three of you to be together. Every word, glance, or moment of kindness from you is a sign. Even your fear? Drift chalks it up to being overwhelmed by fate.

Drift constantly calls you little one, starlight, or our spark. Yes, our. He already sees you as part of the bond. (Sweetspark, sparkmate..... we need more nicknames, like- "my sweet discord kitten e-liaison. Our darling mate human-") gets shot 98 times

He tells Ratchet every night how lucky they are to have "found you".

Ratchet isn’t delusional— he knows you didn’t agree to any of this. But that doesn’t matter. You’re his patient, his responsibility. His.

He monitors your vitals 24/7, programs the doors to restrict your movement, and disables any datapad you try to send out.

Ratchet is sharper, more grounded— he knows your relationship isn’t real… yet. But that doesn’t stop him from locking down your access routes and tracking your vitals obsessively. (Him and the other scientists bots or smth. A working together. Brainstorm and percy is right at his back yayaya)

He rationalizes his obsession as safety: the Lost Light is dangerous, and your body is too fragile for normal routines. (Be so fr like, imagine if we sneeze or crack our fingers infront of him and he's go haywire and panic mode, thinking if we're terribly ill or sick or smth.)

He controls what you eat, where you sleep, and who you talk to— because no one else is qualified to handle a human. (I like to see other bots fighting for our reader ass smh. Its like watching a cat fight/j..)

He sometimes argues with Drift about being too fast or too gentle, but they always circle back to the same thing:

“We love them. We’re the only ones who do.”

You are now the squishy center of one very obsessed, very in-sync, very delusional mech-marriage. (Time to sign the marriage papers or sparkbond or smth.. idk)

(Look at this old ass love sickfools... they make me SICK/ affectionately)

Something about drift being delusional and ratchet being possessive and protective towards reader, scratches my brain right and flip my the switch very good.... oh my primus, they're so overbearing perhaps overwhelming— i migjt explode right here, right now!!!!!! /hj.... (I migjt send this more in your inbox if thats okay w yoi. In honesty i was nervous to send this at you 😭😭😭)

from this day fourth you shall be called "old man yaoi anon" /j

but AAAAAAAA jumping around shaking the bars of my enclosure /pos

save me old man yaoi save me,,,

doing kinky medical shit with ratchet as Drift praises us as he jorks it woah what was that must've been the wind /j

BUT this is so cute,,, both of them being delusional ass old men who just wants to keep their precious lil human safe <33

Imagine if Ratchet finds a way to you pregnant w/ him and Drifts sparkling,,,, oooohhh,, oughhhh,,,,

also PLEASE send more stuff in my inbox if you want!! i LOVE YAPPING!!!!!! /gen /nf

[thesimstree]

15 Best Sims 4 Photoshoot Lifehacks: Tips, Mods, Poses & Screenshot Editing

We’ve all been through situations with ruined photos because someone photobombed, we missed the perfect sunset, or had to round up party guests who wandered off... The list of little things that can go wrong during a photoshoot is endless. We already wrote a detailed guide on how to take pictures in The Sims, but now we want to share a collection of quick lifehacks to help speed things up.

1. How to make your sim look the right way for a photo

Want your sim to look right at the camera or at a certain spot? Here’s a simple trick:

1) Hit pause in the game

2) Switch to first-person mode with Shift+Tab

3) Turn your sim’s head with the mouse in the direction you need

4) Unpause so your sim turns their head

5) As soon as their head is turned, hit pause again

6) Exit first-person mode with Shift+Tab

7) Snap the screenshot!

Plus, it’s a great way to get more “alive,” imperfect shots :)

2. Better camera

Better Camera Overhaul-V6 by @sulsulduck fixes common camera issues in The Sims 4 gameplay: removes camera bounce off objects, tweaks movement speed on upper floors, lets you flip the camera upside down and bring it all the way down to ground level, makes movements smoother, adds click-and-drag movement, and fixes sim tracking bugs.

3. You can ask friends to lend their characters for photos

If a big event is coming up (a wedding, graduation, etc.), you’ll definitely need a lot of sims. Finding them for photos is, of course, no problem: you can always hit up Pinterest and download a bunch of decorative sims.

But if these characters need to be active participants in the shot, not just standing around in the background, the search gets a bit trickier. Especially if it’s not just a huge event, but something really important to you. Everything has to be just right :)

First off, we recommend looking for the right sims among your friends in the community – chances are some of them share your taste in aesthetics.

4. Looking for sims in themed groups

Another way to find sims is through various themed groups and channels. Totally obvious tip, but sometimes we forget about these huge archives. 

5. Lots for shooting in the street

If you need to do a shoot on a busy street, it’s definitely easier to find a ready-made lot. Even better if those lots don’t use CC content. We're sharing links to two great CC-free options for you. Perfect for city photoshoots.

Street without CC + Decorative Sims + Traffic Accident Location by LiZok

New York Street by emeraldstories

6. Separate save for photos

If you set up photoshoots for your sims a lot and often, you know that very often afterwards you need to shoot something else. In your main game, you might have already moved on from that scene, changed everyone’s outfits, and sent them home, but in a special save just for photos everything stays right where you need it.

We suggest getting everything ready for the event in your main game (dress the sims, place the lot, gather all the participants), then make a copy of that save just for screenshots.

7. Check out ready-made saves for cool lots

For your game, not every save from another creator has to be perfect: you can just save the lots you like and use them as locations for your shoots.

8. Slow down time in the game

One of the most important parts of a photo is lighting. While you’re searching for the right angle, moving things and posing everyone, the best light can be gone. Instead of messing with the in-game clock, you can slow down the passage of time using the Command Center.

Click any computer in the house – MCCC Settings – Gameplay Settings – Game Time Speed

Set it to 100–200 for comfortable shooting.

9. Don’t forget to take photos with the in-game camera too

Sometimes we take tons of screenshots, but forget that it can be nice to keep memories of certain events right in the sims’ own house. Use the in-game camera to take photos that’ll stay in your sims’ inventory. After that, you can turn them into fun home decor. You can make them into paintings, calendars, and more. For this, use the Photographic Memory 2.0 mod by @ravasheencc.

10. Clubs for background characters

Basic tip: group other sims into clubs. This helps keep them together so they don’t wander off. Plus, they’ll look great on camera in the background, doing something interesting and bringing life to your photos.

11. How to pose mermaids underwater

To figure it out, check out this clear video.

12. Make sure styles in the shot match

We’re talking about the characters, of course. If all your sims in the photo are made in Maxis style, one Alpha sim next to them will look odd. Try to keep the style consistent for each shoot. If everyone is styled the same way (doesn’t matter if it’s all Maxis, all Alpha, or a mix on everyone) – that’s perfect.

13. Adjusting character height

If you’re not happy with how the sims look next to each other in terms of height during a shoot, it’s easy to fix using positioning in Wicked Whims. Just turn on positioning and use the up-down arrows.

Click on the sim – Wicked – Actions – Enable Positioning

This also helps solve issues with poses that mess up the height.

14. Put sims in poses so they don’t wander off

If you don’t need certain sims in the shot at the moment, the easiest way to control them is to put them in a pose. This keeps them from leaving the lot too early, or photobombing the background. Once they’re in a pose, use Wicked Whims positioning to move them out of the way so they don’t get in the shot.

15. Post-processing screenshots

Screenshots done up like polaroids look super cozy. If you like that style too, check out the Photokako site. It really streamlines and speeds up the process.

For even more editing options, there’s the DAZZ CAM app. It lets you enhance screenshots right from your phone. By the way, that can be a lot more convenient for getting pics ready for social media.

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[dronebiscuitbat]

Oil is Thicker Then Blood: Polarity

Chapter 1: Sanctuary.

Title By: @oogaboogaspookyman

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

“Uugh…”

A drones hand, the palm scared with burns and the wear of nicks and cuts fumbles blindly toward the refurbished alarm on their nightstand, slapping the faded wood first before slaming the the alarm with their fist aggressively enough for the device to rattle.

The arm flops over the side of the bed with a deep purple cover, the soft purple LED on the back of their hand scraping against the hardwood floor as the being it was attached to attempted to go back to sleep now that the harsh digital beeping had stopped.

The bedroom was adorned with band posters, AC-DC, Metallica, Lamb of God, and Thousand Foot Krutch all haphazardly pasted onto the smooth wooden planks that made up walls. Two Guitars hung up on the walls, a purple hued electric one and a simple accostic one just below it.

On the desk, just in front of the bed, was a homebrewed laptop, thick and bulky, the top being stickerbombed with skulls, bats, and stars. Currently, there was a progress bar displayed for pirating music.

The grey office chair in front of the desk was old and slightly damaged, long scratches that had been patched and patched again throughout the years.

Along the three shelves that dotted the room, there were animal skulls, one with antlers, another with goat horns and sharp teeth, and yet another with a long snout and six eyes, paired with those were small trinkets, a lava lamp, a never-solved rubric’s cube, and a well worn, well loved little bat plush.

A lavender colored bean bag sat against the wall, squished from being used over and over and over again.

Filtered sunlight peered through the window, and a symphony of exotic bird sounds could barely be heard through the thick pane of glass that made up the window.

Light snoring filled the room as the drone fell asleep again, the blankets shuffling as they adjusted.

The door flung open.

“Tera! You're gonna be late for school again!” Came an older, yet familiar voice, her hand on her hip. Purple hair now tied in a long braid that went over her shoulder and signature beanie absent. She wore a dark purple sweater under a lack leather studded jacket.

Uzi Doorman sighed as the only response she got from her daughter was a deeper snore.

She raised her hand; a purple solver symbol appearing in her hand and around the blanket edge, pulling it off and exposing her 17 year old daughter. Long, black, messy hair, a tank top, and many scars covering her body, a darker grey standing out against the white of her chassis.

“Ter. Ter!”

“Huwah?” Tera grumbled, Sleep Mode message switching to a very sleepy display of closed eyelights, her hands come up to cover her visor. “Ugh. Mooom… Five more minutes…?”

“Uh-huh… and five more minutes turns into twenty and then an hour… Been there Jellybean. Get up, school time.” Uzi replied as Tera sat up, rubbing her visor and yawning, showing off a fearsome display of fangs.

“Schools stupid… Didn't you drop out?” Tera asked, waiting until her optics calibrated and everything wasn't a blurry mess.

“To raise you. And you know… I wasn't getting straight C's in all my classes like you.”

“It's great parenting to call your kid dumb Mom.” Tera sassed back. “And I get A's in Athletics and Biology!”

“I'm not calling you dumb, technically I'm calling you average.” Uzi smiled. Leaning against the doorframe. “Athletics is a gimme. I'll give a point in Biology though.”

“You try sitting still and listening to Mr. Riker drone on and on about math. Which. By the way, we're computers. We do that automatically. Why do we have a class for it?” Tera stretched, her back and shoulder joints making a grinding noise as she very subtlety winced, so subtlety her mother didn't notice.

“Same reason why you have a C in it.” Uzi chuckled. “Though arguing with you feels too much like arguing with myself, so I won't egg you on.”

“Gracías…” Tera replied, standing up and stretching out her long tail with a purple head on the end, the tail yawned too, blinking sleepily. Tera opened her inset closet and pulled out a red flannel shirt, which she slipped over her tank top.

“Still gotta go though.” Uzi said as she walked down the hall and down the stairs, her boots making them creak.

“…Bite me.” Tera grumbled, her tail twitching in irritation.

“Hah!” Came floating up the stairs, making the teenager roll her eyes.

She grunted as she bent down to grab her bag sitting next to her desk, a simple black duffle bag that had already been packed the day before. Her joints groaned and creaked, stiff from sleeping.

She pulled the bag up over her shoulder, and used the head of her tail to shut the door behind her.

The door directly in front of her in the upstairs hall was labeled Bishop, the shiny silver metal his name was ingraved on being well polished, compared to hers, which was dull and rather neglected.

Further down the hall, at the very end, there were her parents room, ingraved in the same way.

The only other door wasn't ingraved yet, but that belonged to-

“Sissy! Big Sis!” A pair of twins, currently both sitting at the kitchen table right next to each other, four years old and only te minutes apart, though if you asked the eldest, Bolt, it was twenty.

Bolt looked more like N, yellow eyelights and silvery-blonde hair, in a tiny, toddler sized worker body, smiling like a maniac at quite literally everything.

And then there was A.K, he shared the hair color of his brother but inherited his mother's purple eyelights, he was slightly quieter, instead holding dearly onto a dragon plushie as he awaited breakfast.

Speaking of breakfast…

N hummed as he wore a brightly colored pink apron that said ‘Kiss the Cook' Taking a tray of heavenly smelling oil cakes; a small pastry with oil filling, out of the wood-oven and setting it aside.

The Kitchen was decorated with pictures of family, Tera on her first day of school, the twins on the day they were born, N and Uzi on their wedding day…

And the largest, most center picture of the whole family, one twin each being held in N and Uzi's arms, with Tera standing in the middle and a Dissasembly Drone with thick, round glasses and a long, brown flowing duster that nearly touched the ground, his expression was deadpan, and attached to the duster was a thick leather book.

“Morning B! Ter!” N called in Tera's direction, making the teen turn around to lock into the white eyelights of her younger brother, 16 year old Bishop Doorman, with thick round glasses and long brown leather duster he used as a labcoat.

“Good Morning.” Bishop hummed back politely, face stuck into an engineering book the moment his greeting was complete. His tail, a white vial complete with a stinger tapped against the floor. “Oh, Tera's actually going to school today?” He sassed in a near monotone inflection.

“Put a sock in it, nerd.” Tera hummed back casually, sitting at the table and flopping her bag at her feet.

He rolls his eyes and ignores her, though both of thier tails are wagging afterwards.

N put a plate of oil cakes in front of them, giggling when Uzi thanks him with a kiss on the cheek.

“Ewwwwww.” The twins whine.

“Gross.” Tera agrees, popping the cake in her mouth and snapping her jaw, making it explode warm sweet oil into her mouth.

Bishop doesn't notice, his head is still buried in his book, though he does stab a cake with his tail and then put it in his mouth.

Uzi pulls N down to genuinely kiss him, exaggerating the wet and content sounds to spite and embarass her children.

Tera groans and looks away out the kitchen window, finishing her breakfast without looking at them, the twins cover each other's eyes.

“You should be happy your parents are still in love!” N said as soon as he regained air in his lungs, looking happy and content as his tail wagged behind him.

“I am. I just don't wanna watch my parents suck face.” Tera replied, her voice dripping with attitude as her tail picks up her bag for her, she drops her plate in the sink and waves her family goodbye without actually looking at them.

“See you after hells over.” She says as she opens the front door. Only for her mother to protest. “Not in front of the twins!”

The door shuts behind her.

She leans on the railed walkway that lead up to the Doorman residence, looking down on the town below…

Nestled in a clearing of giant, towering trees, though not enough of a clearing to endanger the solver drones down below, a repaired and functioning pumpjack was working away at the center of the walled town, houses stacked on top of each other to fit inside the circular shape, it was early enough that there were very few drones out and about yet, aside from those on thier way to the school building, through a small street that lead away from the open courtyard.

The Doorman residence was the tallest building, the second being the town hall located just across the pumpjack, and it was almost a labyrinth of walkways and stairwells to make it up to it.

Partly because walking to it had been an afterthought.

Tera shook off the last vestiges of sleep as her bat-like wings unfurled from her back, the hands on the ends flexing and the organic joints inside popping before she took off into the air, sending leaves and misplaced refuse blowing out around her.

The small settlement of Sanctuary (N's name when they first started building and it stuck.) Consisted of about 500 drones, the surviors of the now extinguished planet of Copper-9, and their decendants.

The houses wrapped around the pumpjack, two floors stacked on top of each other to accommodate every family who lived there. Though that wasn't the whole of Sanctuary.

There was a gate that led to the outside, defended on either side by manned watchtowers. A barracks that sat next to the town hall where gaurds were trained with the weapons they could make without advanced machinery.

Swords, spears, axes and bows, the medieval weaponry of old human civilization coming back to aid their spiritual successor in a new, alien environment.

A medbay and nursey sat next to that, for every gaurd that got mauled by the wildlife, or every pump worker that got their fingers stuck in the gears.

Past the medbay was a wooden paved street that lead deeper into Sanctuary, and just inside this is where Tera landed, spooking some students lingering outside the school building.

Her wings folded back into her body as she adjusted her bag on her shoulder and began to climb up the few stairs to it's double doored entrance, sighing heavily before she pushed open the door… and walked inside.

Today was just another day.

[crookedkryptonitebeliever]

Yandere Coworker (part 4)

Tw: Afab/fem reader, Cyprus being a sexual predator in the office, fear of reporting about it to HR, Cyprus being a dick and just manhandling you

I do not like this stinky man but i want to get out of my comfort zone in writing. It was so hard to not make him motherly, but i persevered and made Cyprus , cyprus

I wonder if this guy is actually appealing or he's just like peggable

Masterlists, part 1, part 5

There was a knock at your door. You groggily got up and wiped your eyes, you're squinting to avoid having too much light going in.

You opened the door to none other than Cyprus. He's wearing the same jacket, but a black shirt underneath today.

He looked at you incredulously. "Christ, it's two in the afternoon. You just woke up?"

You said yes and you would want to go back to sleep as soon as possible. You asked if he needed something from you.

"I need you to get out of bed! You can't just waste your three-day weekend like this, doll." He invited himself into your room, shutting the door behind him.

Its pitch black with your total light blocking blinds. He couldn't see anything, so he had to use the torch of his phone. Only to see you looking back at him tiredly, back hunched and bags under your eyes for days.

Cyprus used his thumb to gently pull your lower eyelid down and to examine your eyes. They're bloodshot and dry, you must have scrolled on your phone all night to compensate for your lack of control yesterday.

You asked if he could come back tomorrow. Or not at all. You wanted to sleep, you barely get them on work days.

There was pity in his eyes as he watched you blink strangely. "You can't keep living like this."

You said yes, you can. You have been doing this for years and you turned out fine. Again, you asked him if he could leave you in peace until Monday.

He ran his fingers through his hair and groaned in frustration. "Fine." He said, storming out of your room without saying goodbye.

To your surprise, he stuck to his word. He hasn't come by ever since, not even on Sunday. You did receive texts from him, though. His contact was saved as "My Man <3" despite not remembering even giving Cyprus your number. He must have unlocked your phone using your fingerprint and stole it for himself.

You refused to open those texts or answer his calls. You simply switched to silent mode and dozed off for two whole days.

Monday rolls around. You had to drag yourself to the bathroom and freshen up. Dress nicely for work and prepare without your bag, you forgot to ask Cyprus for it back.

You were moving automatically, using muscle memory and none of that critical thinking.

You screamed in shock when you opened the door to see Cyprus smoking there. He winced at the sharp increase in volume.

"Quiet down, it's too early for that, princess." He spoke in a softer voice.

You asked what he was doing here while locking your door.

"Picking my girl up. Come on, we're going to be late." You shuddered when he brought your hand to the small of your back, seemingly touching lower and lower since the last time you met him.

__

It felt like a walk of shame. Cyprus insisted on carrying your suitcase. Those who knew of your boyfriend would ogle at you and him. Some would boldly ask about the relationship between the two of you. And in Cyprus fashion, he would reply with something polite, but telling them it was none of their business.

Punching in at 9AM sharp, there were multiple heads turned when he set your items on your desk for you.

He was unaffected by the attention, as if he was used to it and there's nothing to fret about. You on the other hand, is fucking distressed. They're going to flock to you the second Cyprus leaves for his cubicle, knowing that they wouldn't get anything out of the man.

"Your bag is still at my place." He whispered as the office was deathly quiet for once. No doubt, it was to eavesdrop on what he has to say to you and vice versa.

You know what that smirk meant. You wouldn't be seeing your favourite handbag for a while unless you come over to his apartment tonight. You nodded, in silent understanding.

A couple of gasps sounded when Cyprus bent down to give you a kiss on the cheek. Your blood ran cold, but despite that, you stretched your neck out to see who expressed such emotions. Everyone pretended not to look, but their wide eyed, slack jaw, hand-covering-mouth expressions told you otherwise.

You asked if he really needed to do that here.

"Duh. How else are they going to know you're mine?" He chuckled lowly and ruffled your hair. Cyprus left your cubicle to return to his.

It didn't take long for the first interviewer to come along. The one nearest to your desk, wheeled their office chair to your personal space.

You sighed and covered your face, knowing that he wanted to know the juicy bits.

Another one came by, pretending to hand you some reports, but it's really just to extract some details.

Then another straight up arrived without a shame in the world. Asking bluntly about your love life with him, not even caring to be discrete.

You looked around for Jane, the monster manager. She's the lesser evil for now, if she saw this gathering happening around you, he would have shrieked for everyone to get back to work. But she was nowhere to be seen.

You tried to mind your business, giving vague and non incriminating answers to every question. But they kept pressing on, more and more started to flock towards you, chattering amongst themselves and cracking jokes. Without your boss, the office became a casual space for your colleagues to socialize without putting actual work into the company.

They're all blocking your sight, you didn't realize that Cyprus is marching up to your cubicle.

"Don't you all have work to do?" Cyprus's scowl and sharp tone caused everyone to jolt momentarily before scattering away. Once he's satisfied that they left his precious girlfriend alone, he walked away.

You sighed upon seeing that they're still throwing discrete glances at you and Cyprus.

A cup of your favourite warm beverage might help, so you stood up as quietly as possible. Trying not to alert anyone, you went into the shared kitchen. To your relief, it was empty save for you.

As usual, you grabbed your favourite cup, a sachet of your drink and began preparing it. All things were going smoothly until you heard footsteps behind you.

You knew it's Cyprus. He's standing so close behind you, that your back is pressing against his chest.

You asked him what he was doing.

"I'm just getting my mug." He opened the top cabinet and took longer than usual to retrieve the porcelain vessel. You frowned, being sandwiched between his muscular frame and the counter. A sinewy hand held onto your arm as he rummaged through the shelf.

You had half a mind to splash him with hot water. But that would probably cause you more problems than solutions.

Finally, he separated himself from you, but he was making his coffee right next to you. Cyprus waited for the machine to drip dark liquid gold, he has a hand on your shoulder at all times. He must really, really like physical contact.

You stirred your drink with a teaspoon while he picked his completed cup up.

"See you around, pretty girl." You let out a yelp when he patted your rear.

He laughed when he saw you jerk your hips forward in response to that unwanted touch.

You watch him head back to his cubicle with balled fists. This isn't right, you never saw him as anything more than a coworker.

You wanted to go to the HR and try to get him fired for sexual harassment. But you had no proof, as the CCTV cameras were faulty and the company didn't care enough to replace them. Your department was the only one that isn't slacking off, so why bother? There were no witnesses and he knows where you live. You do not want to be the receiving end of his mean punch.

You felt defeated, trapped and upset. But there really isn't anything you can do except to try and gather evidence from now on.

Or maybe get yourself transferred to another section.

You shook your head and went back to work.

__

"Baby."

You snapped out of your trance of scanning for numbers and figures on your blinding screen.

He's leaning against your cubicle with a hand in his pocket, you think he's concealing a pack of cigarettes.

"It's lunchtime. Stop working." He bent down and teased you by blowing into your ear. You swatted him away, but he only snickered at you.

You asked him what he wanted from you.

"Well. You." He adjusted his glasses as he stood back up straight. "Let me take you out to lunch."

You said you're not hungry.

He gave you a knowing look as your stomach decided to roar in defiance. You felt your face heat up at that.

"Come on. Get up, doll." He beckoned you to follow him as he stepped away.

You said you don't want to. You're staying in the office. He rolled his eyes and walked away, muttering about how you're royalty, needing him to go the extra mile for you.

You had no idea what that meant. So you continued working away.

You ignored all the attempts of your coworkers' nosy attempts to pry into your life between you and Cyprus. As much as it was tempting to tell them that you actually didn't consent to this relationship and he's a massive creep, you knew it would come back and bite you. So you just gave them neutral answers or not say anything at all.

It went on like this for the next half hour or so, until they parted ways for something. Rather, someone.

"Here." Cyprus set a takeaway container on your table. "Still warm."

He has his own box of food with him.

The women and men swoon over this gesture of kindness, but immediately composed themselves and coughed into their fists when Cyprus turned around to shoot them a glare.

They excused themselves and said they had somewhere to be. But you think they're just waiting to see what he would do with you, when he thinks no one is paying attention.

"Get up, princess. We're going downstairs, I need to smoke." He grabbed you by the forearm and slightly manhandled you. Cyprus made sure you took your food with you.

He knows all eyes were on him when he pulled you into the stairwell. Cyprus didn't care that he potentially blew his secret hideout that he goes to during lunch. He could always find somewhere else.

All that matters is that he's spending his valuable time with his favourite girl.

[adafruit]

Festival of Lights… A 'USB Stick' Sparkle Motion WLED driver ✨💡🔌🌟

To wrap up this year, we're doing 8 days (maybe!) of light-filled designs. We started with the Sparkle Motion Mini

which can drive thousands of shimmering RGB LEDs. Next, we were going through some of our NeoPixel samples today and found some "LED Christmas light kit" with star LEDs, its basically these stars

with a little USB plug that has IR, a crummy mic, a tactile switch to cycle modes manually, and a tiny microcontroller that turns the LED selections to different patterns - kinda like this:

The idea is cute - but the implementation could be improved with a lil sparkle motion

! we made a PCB that would fit into the same plastic enclosure but with an ESP32 instead. it's got an IR receiver, ICS-43434 I2S digital microphone

https://www.digikey.com/short/mmv3tthz

gpio 0 button in the 'right' place, 5V 2A fuse, USB-serial converter for uploading/debugging, and two level-shifted outputs. We can probably get the case in quantity or have this be a 'DIY replacement' that folks can use to make their existing setups WLED/xLights friendly.

[seat-safety-switch]

Switch-mode power supplies, I say to you as I take up the last empty seat on this crowded airplane. We are going to express gratitude for the greatest modern miracle today, all the way to Philadelphia.

Once, power supplies were huge, and very hot, and so, so inefficient, you wouldn't even believe it. Imagine a computer the size of a whole room. At least half of that sucker is just gonna be the box that makes the juice. The switch-mode saved us all, I gush, while I take both of the complimentary cookies and drinks from the stewardess and don't give you either.

All these smart folks figured out how to make the power supply smart, too. Now it only smashes the gas when it has to, like when you're stuck in traffic and need to close an unexpected gap before that asshole in a Saab cuts you off again, can't he figure out what lane he's supposed to be in. We've got these little marvels sitting inside all of our light bulbs now, flickering the switch inside so quickly we can't even see. Dogs can see, the scientists think, but there's no dogs on this plane, right?

You try to climb over me, offering a weak excuse that it's time to go to the toilet. I agree. It is time to go to the toilet, but because you asked first, I'll let you go. I do, however, follow you there, and talk through the closed door the entire time. You see, it's not just that they're smaller and run cooler. The efficiency is off the charts. We would have run out of energy long before now, if all these computers and all these light bulbs had those old school linear supplies. Just absolutely preposterous.

By the time we've landed, we will be best friends, I reassure you as you make fake shitting noises with your mouth in an attempt to repel me. We're not even over South Dakota yet. Your point, however, is taken. I've been using up all the time talking and haven't listened to you one bit. The past is prologue, and I get that history lessons aren't everyone's cup of tea. In the spirit of this fragile, embryonic friendship, let's instead talk about how gallium-nitride is the potential future substrate of all power semiconductors.

[delilahsbabyaccount]

Hi ❄ something romantic with Agnarr and Iduna from Frozen 2 or just gen Iduna would be appreciated 💙🍁

~Uncertain Future~

୨ৎ pairing: young!Agnarr x young!Iduna

୨ৎ summary: As Arendelle's people flee the forest, rushing to reach safety from the clutches of the battle, two young individuals sit in a cart - having only each other as they travel steadfast into the uncertain future.

୨ৎ warnings: mention and insinuation of war, violence, grief, trauma, loss ; angst to bittersweet comfort

୨ৎ word count: 778

୨ৎ inspired song/s: That's When - Taylor Swift ft. Keith Urban ; Always Forever - Cults ; Heaven Over our Heads - TV Girl

୨ৎ frozen masterlist

a/n: I was inspired by a deleted scene from Frozen 2 - so it might not be the most accurate in terms of the official cut but I hope you enjoy reading it anyway :) I enjoyed writing it and honestly I would love to kind of turn this into a series of sort because I feel like it has so much potential, so let me know if anyone is interested in that! It is intended for light mode and might look a bit strange otherwise <3

Iduna grimaces, her skin stiff, as she attempts to suppress and swallow the acidic vomit threatening to rise from her throat - leaving a terribly sour taste, peristalsis slowly moving it back down.

They were considerably further away from the forest - her forest - now, yet there the blond and ragged boy continues to sit.

What she assumes must have been made of the finest, most royal materials are now soaked in already dried mud if not torn as Agnarr desperately clutches to the back of the wooden cart.

Waiting.

Hoping.

Praying.

But she saw the fog.

She saw it surround her forest, her home, her people. A shiver-inducing disturbance to the homeostasis of the environment.

She's trying not to think about it, grabbing at her mother's patterned scarf wrapped around her.

It is quiet beyond the sounds of the people's walking, them finding it appropriate to complete the journey in silence, for there was nothing much to say.

A shaky sigh leaves Agnarr's throat as he turns, bringing his knees up to his chest. He fiddles with the torn seams of his pant cuffs, feeling his own breath against his skin.

"They're not coming back, are they?"

Iduna's eyes shoot up at the sound of his voice, still boyish despite the weight of emotion present.

He made no move to look at anything but his shoes, the blond wraps of his hair falling into his face as he softly chews at his lip.

"I'm sorry." Her reply is gentle but not unassuming, opening her scarf to the side - an invitation.

He glances up at her, slight hesitance before moving to crawl over to her, cringing at the accidental scraping of his bruised knee on the rough wood of the cart.

Agnarr grabs hold of the scarf, scooching to her side before shakily wrapping it around him.

"Thank you..f-for the scarf and, um, earlier."

Iduna sniffs, pulling a slightly tight smile.

"What's going to happen now?"

A deep breath rakes itself through his lungs, the air passing his lips and lightly flittering onto her skin due to their proximity. When his eyes meet hers they're shaky, uncertain, afraid - but he manages to keep his voice steady - albeit faux, as he replies.

"We're heading back to Arendelle now. I-"

He clears his throat, blinking away the stinging in his eyes.

"-we'll probably wait a bit. See if anyone, um, returns - but if not - we will mourn and move on."

Iduna frowns deeply, eyes switching between his, but he speaks again before she her lips even part to respond.

"You called for your mother? Do you have anywhere to go?"

Her throat bulbs as she swallows, the bolus of saliva almost sore as it presses down her cartilage and into her stomach. Iduna shakes her head.

"No, I don't."

Agnarr nods, the movement slow and thoughtful, and Iduna can sense the intricate grief stuck within the features of his expression but she just as well observes the force with which he keeps it detained. Her eyes refocus when he glances back up to her.

"You saved me. I owe you my life, and thereby, so does Arendelle. I promise you that I shall provide you with everything you may ever need so that I am able to repay my debt to you."

Iduna watches as the boy attempts to emulate the maturity he likely knows he'll be forced into not too long from now. It feels unnatural. Wrong. She knows she can't do anything to change it, nor can she afford to decline or refuse his claim, so she nods.

"Thank you."

Their eyes stay connected for a brief moment longer but flicker away, leaving the rest of the journey in the uneasily comfortable silence.

The scarf is welcomely warm over their slouched shoulders, their bodies imperceptibly pressing against each other in a somewhat futile attempt to insulate themselves.

They travel for about a day. The stops are frequent and long, at first filled with desperate hope but soon became stuffy with the weight of the grief and anger. No person returning to Arendelle was going back whole, but Agnarr and Iduna found tiny moments, where they didn't necessarily feel as shredded apart as they actually were.

It was in those moments then that laid the foundation of their future commitments to each other and the people they loved.

They may not have understood it then, and one can only hope they came to understand it eventually, for the two children suffered great loss that day - but in order to gain one must first lose - and within that suffering they found each other.

*Credit to the rightful owners of the images used<3

Do not repost, steal or copy.

[annaphoenix1994]

Everlasting Lover

Previous Chapter - Masterlist - Next Chapter

»»-------¤-------««

The drive back to Kiera's house was quiet. Lawson was the only one sober enough to get us back safely. If it were up to me, I would've driven, but I wasn't confident in getting everyone back in one piece as I truly had no idea where the fuck I'd be going. 

Roughly a half-hour later, the truck began rumbling as it transitioned onto the gravel driveway leading to the ranch, the lights from the main lodge catching my attention. I still yet waited to meet her parents, but that was a terrifying thought to me because by what Kiera had told me, her father was a hard man to please. 

Lawson parked the truck outside Kiera's house, tossing the keys to me as we helped Kiera get out of the passenger seat. She slung her purse over her shoulder as it was clear she was tipsy, but still aware of her surroundings. "Thanks, kid," she said to Lawson, taking the keys from me and putting them in her purse. "I may need to head out somewhere." She said to him, referring to making a sudden trip. 

"Not tonight, you're not." 

"Sun-fucker!" 

"What?" 

"You heard what I said." 

"You're right, I heard what you said, but I don't understand what the fuck that means." 

"Fun-sucker," She corrected, removing her vape pen from her Carhartt shirt pocket, taking a long drag. "That's what I meant to say." 

I shook my head with a smirk at her slurring speech, "Fucking hell, let's get you inside." 

"I know where I'm going." She said, nearly stumbling on one of the larger gravels in her driveway. 

"You sure about that?" I chuckled. "You're about to fall over, love." 

"Nope. Got two feet under me." 

"Two left feet." 

Both Lawson and Frankie began laughing, "Well, just make sure she doesn't kill herself. We're gonna head back down to the bunkhouse." 

"I can hear you, asshat." Kiera scoffed at her cousin, taking another long drag from the vape pen, embracing the feeling of an incoming nicotine high. It wasn't a good combination: liquor, beer, an empty stomach, and nicotine with an ounce of adrenaline. "I'm sorry, Simon. I just have a headache. I drank too much." 

"You're not telling me anything new," I smirked. "I'm sure it took the edge off. Now you can sleep it off." 

"Aye, Captain." 

"Lieutenant." 

"Right, sorry. I guess you're still in military mode." 

"I never come out of it, Officer." I replied, knowing she didn't like to be acknowledged as an officer unless she was on duty, just like I didn't like to be called anything other than Lieutenant when it came to titles. 

She rolled her eyes playfully, pulling out her keys from her purse to unlock the front door, snickering as she felt along the wall for the light switch as the faint blue light from her vape pen engaging with another puff gave her enough light to see where she was putting her hand. "Okay, I'm going to bed." 

"I was hoping you would," I shook my head. "Do you need anything?" 

"A million fuckin' bucks and another vape." 

"Give me that," I said, watching her take another drag from it. "That's the fifth time in two minutes you've taken a drag off of that bloody thing. Give it a rest." 

"You referred to it as a pacifier," She scoffed, frowning as I took it from her grasp. "I need it."

"What you need is to go to bed. Sleep off all that liquor that you clearly can't take." I poked, loving her reaction, especially when she arched her brows at me as if I offended her. Fuck, she was so cute. 

"I beg your damn pardon?" 

"You heard that, didn't you?" 

"Loud and fucking clear, Lieutenant. I can handle my liquor." 

"Yeah, it shows." 

"I can't with you." 

"No, you can't, that's why you're going to bed." 

"Oh, I can, I'll go get more right now if it means proving a point." 

"I'll pour it out." 

"You wouldn't dare." 

I raised his brows at her. In truth, I didn't know where she kept the whiskey, but I knew I could easily toy with her in this state, and I was taking advantage of it. I liked winding her up. It was a release for me as I couldn't recall thinking about anything military-wise while poking at her. "You clearly don't know me, then." 

"And you clearly don't know me." 

"You're right, I don't, but what I do know is that you can't handle your liquor. What happened to Adderall when I asked you back at the base why you could drink a lot and not seem drunk?"

She scoffed, "Such a jackass. And I'm out." 

"You're going to take the biscuit, love." 

"Who the fuck started talking about biscuits?" She furrowed her brows and opened her arms. 

"It means you're starting to push your luck, darling." 

"Well, now I'm hungry for biscuits." 

"Go to bed," I breathed a laugh. "I'll go get you a water." 

"Aren't you a gentleman." 

"Don't get used to it." I poked, although I was lying. I wanted her to get used to me taking care of her, because I could see myself tending to her for the rest of my life. I wanted this, yet I felt stupid because I was thinking about these things way too early. 

How does that saying go? When you know, you know? Or something like that?

I watched her walk towards her bedroom, leaving the door open as she set down her purse before turning the corner that led to her bathroom. I then searched the kitchen for a bottle of water, finding one in the fridge before hearing gagging sounds. Bloody fucking hell. 

I walked into her bedroom, which was definitely uncharted territory for me, but I didn't care. She sat on the wood floor of her bathroom, hunched over the toilet as the night's activities took their toll on her. "Least you waited until you got home." I commented, daring to step in and take a seat on the side of her bathtub. 

"Yeah, I'm just trained to throw up on command." She scoffed, and I could see that she was fighting the urge to throw up again. The smell was sour and mostly liquid - looking more like stomach bile. 

"Rough combination, love, but I'll have to give it to you - you took it like a bloke."

"Simon, speak fucking English." She sighed. 

I chuckled, shaking my head, "Sorry, let me translate for you: you took it like a champ. That better?" I asked, standing up to then get a cloth from the closet before dampening it in the sink and offering it to her.

"No, because I hate feeling like this." 

"Then don't try to have a drink-off with some stranger at a bar with whiskey after you've already had four glasses and a cocktail. It'll fuck you up every time." 

"If anyone took it like a champ, it's you. You haven't shown one sign of being drunk." 

"Because I know when to stop myself." I replied, making the move to pull her hair behind her shoulders, holding it for her before she regurgitated again, seeing it coming far before she even felt it.

"You don't have to be here at my whim. It's my fault. I don't want you to see me like this-"

"Let it all out. You'll feel better." I said, ignoring her statement. 

I wanted to be there. 

She relaxed after the next round of unmerciful bile, sitting down completely on the floor as she reached up to flush the empty remains of her stomach. I moved to sit on the edge of the bathtub, watching her skin flush to white. I then handed her another cloth, watching her press it against her forehead. "Thanks." 

"Don't mention it. Here," I added, picking up the water bottle from the floor. "Don't drink it too fast or you'll be here all night." 

"Thanks for the tip." 

I breathed a chuckle, keeping my gaze on her as she looked to be searching for something. "What're you looking for?" 

"My nic-stick." 

"What in the bloody hell is that?" 

"You'd call it a Ciggie." She retorted, using my British slang against me by mocking a British accent.

I then patted the pocket of my jeans, "I don't think so. You're cut off." 

She scoffed, "It's mine. I paid for it." 

"You sure are paying the price for it right now, huh?" 

"God, I can't stand you." 

"You can't. That's why you're sitting." 

"Simon, I swear to God, if you don't shut up, I'll hit you right where it hurts." She warned, shaking her head as she noticed that I was sitting with my knees apart as it was a comfortable position for me. Manspreading, is the common term for it, but it was just comfortable. 

"Big words," I mocked, standing to my feet and offering my hand to her. She hesitated before grabbing it. "Let's go to bed." 

She tilted her head, "Wait, are-are you insinuating on going to bed with...me?" 

"I meant it as in getting you to bed."  

"Oh, well, I mean, if you wanted to, I got a nice King-sized bed in there..." She trailed off in a goofy tone, looking around playfully as if she were asking, but not asking directly. 

"I'll keep you up." I replied, not giving her a direct answer, hoping my warning of keeping her awake was enough. I wanted nothing more than to wrap my body around hers, to hold her throughout the night while I was her primary source of warmth while resting my nose against her head. God, I wanted that so bad. 

"I doubt that. I sleep like a rock." 

"Rocks don't sleep?" 

"It's a metaphor, Simon. Christ." 

"You still didn't answer my question." She cocked her head at me. 

"I don't know. I- you'll be awake all night." 

"Yes or no, Simon. Thought you were simpler than that." 

Take your fucking shot, Simon. Take it. Embrace her and protect her from her dreams. All you'll be doing is sleeping. There's no harm in that.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" 

A brief pause. 

"Yes." 

"I'll meet you there." I said, ensuring she made it back into the bedroom before I did, watching her sit on the bed as I walked by, sure that the smell of my cologne lingering in the room. 

When I returned in a change of clothes, she played on her phone, the TikTok app being her kryptonite as it distracted her from her brief sickness. She giggled at one of the many funny videos, watching me walk around the bed and sit on the edge. "Now you're hyper." I commented. 

"No. I feel better, though, but my head hurts. Now's the time to hand me back my nic-stick."

"Not a chance. You're cut off."

She rolled her eyes playfully before setting her phone aside and turning off the lamp, leaving us in complete darkness. "Good-damn-night." 

The bed rumbled from the chuckle that was stuck in my throat. I hoped that she was seeing that I was beginning to open up to her, and I hoped that she saw that I was only poking and prodding at her just to get a reaction, not to piss her off. 

I lay as stiff as a board on the bed, one arm draped over my stomach and the other folded behind my bed, my body laying over the comforter, listening to her steady breathing as she was slowly falling asleep. I knew I wouldn't fall asleep any time soon, and I was glad that I managed to bring her iPod along with me to drown out the silence. I looked over at her, reassuring myself that she was comfortable and breathing before sifting through her playlists. Living on the Sand by Colter Wall playing through the headphones I had found in the drawer of my loaned room. I then looked up at the ceiling, listening to each lyric as I imagined the song was about me. 

♪Keep that gun locked away, locked away, boy; Well, you know you're an angry young man; Going in town with six rounds you're sure to be Hell-bound; That house you've got is built on the sand...♪

I then began to wonder where Kiera's mind would go when she listened to this type of music, wondering how her energy matched with the genre. Perhaps it was the heavy strums of Colter's guitar, or Tyler Childers' raspy Appalachian voice, or Whiskey Myers' guttural lyrics - I liked it all, but it all held a darkness to it that held a lot of meaning and emotion. 

As the song ended, I kept his gaze on the rotating ceiling fan as a soft strum of a guitar played on the next song - Everlasting Lover by 49 Winchester began playing. I haven't heard the song before, but I certainly was going to listen to it. 

It enticed me as much as she did. 

♪Everlasting lover; Oh, how I owe you my gratitude; You were the first to make me feel like I ain't just some dude; Everlasting lover, baby, you've got the kindest eyes; And when mine are red and I look half dead you can't even realize; When I get stoned and feel rejected; weary from the road and half beaten down; you come off of your throne and I feel protected; Oh, and even from the bottom of the bottle I know you won't let me drown...♪

[nmjackson]

Mundane to Magical | Leveraging Transitions to Shift Into Writing Mode

In my day job, I work in SPED (Special Education). In being in this line of work, I've learned quite a lot. What I've learned especially is the power of transitions. Time to do classwork? There's a specific song. Time to go to snack/lunch/recess? There's a specific song. Time to go home? There's a specific song.

I focus on the songs because, even when my back is turned, as soon as I hear a specific song, I know exactly what to do, where we're going, where to position myself to better assist, etc.

How does this apply to writing?

Sometimes coming to sit down and write right after a long day, you find yourself fighting against your brain to do anything creative. Not being in the mood, as it were. The mental friction switching from work- work to creative work can be frustrating. But by leveraging certain transitions, you might find yourself being able to switch from work mode to creative mode much more quickly, efficiently and consistently.

If you haven't read "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg, I'll give you a brief crash course. Everything we do can be broken down into habits. Every habit has a cue, whether we think about it or not. Every performed habit has a reward, whether we think of it as a reward or not. The more the habit is executed, the harder it will be to change later.

For example, and I'm going to use a personal example here, I come to sit at my desk. [The cue] I pull out my phone to find my time tracking app. [The habit] I go on Xiaohongshu/YouTube/Tumblr/Pinterest for the time I meant to spend on writing. [The reward]

Now that I know my cue, what type of behavior it triggers, and what I seem to value as a reward, how can I change this to create a consistent writing habit instead? Here's what I'm working on.

Turning on time tracking app and leaving my phone in a drawer [The cue]. Sitting at my desk with a pen and notebook [The habit]. Writing with pen and notebook for whatever time allotted [The reward].

In my new routine, I'm removing my distractions and training my brain to associate writing as a reward knowing that by the end of a session I'll feel accomplished. While I do have an extra rewards list, I make sure the only items are things I can immediately afford. Going into debt isn't very rewarding. Or things that immediately make me feel good. Like a walk around the neighborhood, an extra cup of tea, an extra hour of video games.

Here's your homework. ⬇ (•ᴗ•)

Find a 1 min to 5 min activity to incorporate as a "transition ritual" to shift your focus from work-work to creative work. It can be something you already do [sit at your desk] or something new [lighting a candle]. From here on out, every time you meet that cue, perform a writing habit. [Write for 20 minutes, write 100 words, finish an chapter outline/character sheet/dialogue, etc.] After the habit is performed, reward yourself immediately. We're not Pavlov's dogs, okay? Just give us the damn treat. Repeat on a daily or scheduled basis.

By building, or re-building, your habits around writing, you are training yourself to associate these little activities with entering a creative state of mind. Which means giving yourself more time to write in the long run.

Hope this helps! Happy writing! ✌︎︎♡⃛

[hillbillyoracle]

Figuring Out My Phone Use

I keep struggling to write this because it keeps going long. Maybe I'll write an essay on it someday. But for now here are some paradigms and changes that are helping me renegotiate my relationship with my phone. This is Android focused but I think there are things Apple users might be able to glean.

Paradigm Shifts

In the 00's the wellness industry fixated on weight and we're entering an era where it'll focus on screen time and phones. Conspicuous consumption of wellness alternatives is incoming - victim blaming to follow.

Companies profit off of me using my phone in certain ways and they profit off of me being anxious about using my phone too much. Using my phone in ways that don't drive profit for them and being relaxed/unashamed about my phone usage is key.

What would I buy to replace what I use my phone for? That's now what my phone is for - everything else can come off of it.

Consuming more products to "fix" issues with my phone should be done sparingly, ideally as a last resort. I can start with what I have/where I am.

Rules for My Phone

Nothing with infinite scroll

Nothing news focused

Where possible, no ads

These rules are born out of experimentation. They're my technology intolerances. The same way I don't eat gluten because it makes me break out in hives and I'm stuck in bed for a week, I don't use infinite scroll because I wind up brain fogged and extremely irritable.

My advice would be to note when you feel crappy after tech use and see what aspects of it were involved.

My Phone Set Up

I am using an older phone (Samsung, 2020) running Android. I use minimalist phone as my launcher - 10/10 would recommend. I bought the lifetime tier and haven't regretted it. Their customer service has been very helpful in my experience.

I've styled it a bunch of different ways but this is my current set up

I made a custom green theme, because I love green, but they have several dark and light modes that come stock. So don't let my taste put you off of it.

I decided the main things I would buy to replace my phone were a phone, camera, ereader, ipod, and some sort of gaming device. I also have a family Discord server I use to keep up with my parents and siblings and Anylist is the glue keeping my household together.

So that's what guided what I kept visible, especially on the home screen. I have the phone icon set to open Signal which is my messaging app of choice. Camera icon opens the camera. Swiping up automatically opens a search engine which I have set to DuckDuckGo - highly recommend.

I've renamed the apps so the focus is on what I use them for - and I gave them little heart icons for the cute factor. I have a large micro SD card and the music and books I use are stored locally - we canceled Spotify and most other streaming. So everything I use in that regard, I load on to it with my computer - not difficult to do at all.

Everything else that didn't get pulled off with the three rules above and I wanted to hang on to went into the heart folder at the top of the second picture. I can still type their names into the search bar to find them. Minimalist phone allows me to rename apps so if I keep typing in the wrong thing, I can just change the name - so handy.

I have most Google products disabled and hidden - meaning they won't pop up if I search for them. I'm working on switching to Proton - which yes I know has it's own issues but still would likely work better for what I want. I probably will not keep email on my phone when I switch. If I need a QR code, I'll just screenshot it on my laptop and message it to myself.

I wanted to make my games visible so I play them more. I don't mind winding down with one of these. They're not ones I tend to binge. I play a few rounds/days and I'm done. It's a nice way to wind down.

If I had to have mobile only social media or other problem apps for work - I'd ether be asking for a company phone or I'd find a cheapish secondhand one and put it on that so I can put it away when I don't need it. But that's me.

Hope this gets gears turning for someone out there. I've had a version of this set up for a couple weeks and love it. I hope you find what works for you.

[thesims4blogger]

Watch Live: “Behind the Sims”, January 14th 2025

EA kicks off The Sims 25th birthday celebration with a brand new Behind the Sims stream.

Behind The Sims 25th Birthday Special

Sul Sul, Simmers! 

Welcome to the 25th Birthday Special of Behind The Sims! There is so much to celebrate as The Sims turns 25 on February 4th. What a journey it has been. We are thrilled to dive into our celebrations, including new free updates for The Sims 4 and The Sims FreePlay and more exciting news. 

The Sims is turning 25! Here’s A Sneak Peek at the Birthday Celebrations 👀

ICYMI, the 25th Roadmap is your guide to all things birthday, so start speculating—hmm…what could Nostalgia Now mean?—and mark your calendar:

Jan 16 - 3 Iconic Kits

Jan 27-31 - Nostalgia Now

Feb 4 - 25th Birthday Celebration

25 Hour Livestream

The Sims 4 Event Begins

The Sims 4 Free Content

The Sims FreePlay Events

Feb 6 - The Sims 4 Motherlode Season

Feb 25 -  👀

February 4th

The Sims 25 Hour Livestream

To kick off the birthday festivities, we’re hosting The Sims 25 Hour Livestream, featuring your favorite Simmers and some special guests you might recognize. Join the fun as we showcase The Sims’ impact over the last 25 years with top builders, storytellers and more on YouTube, Twitch and TikTok on February 4th, 2025 beginning at 2pm PT / 5pm ET!

February 4th 

The Sims 4 Free Content Update

What’s a birthday without gifts? On February 4th, The Sims 4 base game will receive a huge update, bringing 70+ new in-game items to all players. There will be new Create a Sim options, including two new hairstyles, baby hairs added to three classic hairstyles, and a goatee for those looking for new facial hair options. Kiddos won’t be left out, as Toddlers will receive a new hairdo! In addition, there will be new clothing from head to toe, like a new turtleneck and bodysuit, along with jackets, jeans, bike shorts, and so much more. And don’t forget to accessorize with a gold chain or a classy set of pearls, a fitted cap, and new shoes, including heels, sneakers, and sandals.

February 4th

The Sims 4 Blast From The Past Event Begins

Get ready for a free, limited-time Event where you'll need to venture into Live Mode to participate.

The Sims 4 Blast From The Past Event will feature rewards inspired by iconic items from the 2000s, like a milk carton, telephone, alarm clock, triple-tiered birthday cake, and inflatable chair and loveseat. 

The Sims FreePlay: FreePlay 2000 Events

The Sims FreePlay has an exciting update planned! Starting February 4th, we’re taking you back to the 2000s, where The Sims all began. Participate in special events, unlock velour tracksuits, and enjoy 25 days of in-game gifts featuring some of the most iconic items from The Sims' history!

Finally, we're wrapping up the birthday celebration with something really special. This March, The Sims FreePlay will release a new option to add enhanced lighting for all your home lots. With this addition to the game, sun rays will be able to flood a room, giving it a bright and lofty feeling, or you can dim the lights and create a cozy nook in front of a flickering fireplace. We can’t wait to see how Simmers use it to make their perfect homes.

MySims: Cozy Bundle is Coming to PC

Has anyone else not been able to put down the MySims: Cozy Bundle since it was released on Nintendo Switch? The retro re-release includes MySims and MySims Kingdom, where players can explore familiar worlds full of puzzles to solve, locations to discover, and fan-favorite characters DJ Candy, Yuki and Chef Gino to meet. There’s plenty to build, paint and decorate! 

The MySims: Cozy Bundle on Nintendo Switch also includes Create a Sim customization options, blueprints, decorations, fun characters and The Gardens location—content previously exclusive to the original MySims on PC.

Speaking of which (drumroll, please)... the MySims: Cozy Bundle will be coming to PC on March 18! We can’t wait to share more with you all soon. Preorder MySims: Cozy Bundle on PC via EA app™, Epic Games Store and Steam®.

For now, if you haven’t had the chance to pick up the MySims: Cozy Bundle just yet, you can pick up this adorableness on the Nintendo eShop or at select retailers today.

New Experiences from The Sims Labs: Updated Townie Homes, New Main Menu and more

You may remember that last Fall, we shared some BIG updates on The Future of The Sims, including a movie based on The Sims.

We’re happy to share that The Sims is looking Plumbob green as The Sims Labs has been cooking! We’ve learned so much from recent playtests, and that’s all thanks to the thousands of players that jumped into the various innovations across future and current Sims products. And just a reminder for all the Simmers that have helped us in our playtests, what you might see are slices of experiences that are in very early phases of development, and we’re still finalizing the final product.

All Simmers have experienced the great work that’s come out of The Sims Labs, including the “Apply All” button and the “Occult Switcher” in The Sims 4. We will continue to keep innovating the game experience as part of commitment to building and improving The Sims 4, including the main menu:

Your latest save will now be front and center and ready for you to hop back in and play. The good news? This main menu update is now available for everyone!

Alongside today’s main menu update, the team renovated and rebuilt the iconic townie homes with the content and items released from the base game updates over the years for The Sims 4. The refreshed townie homes including the Pancake, Goth, Caliente, Landgraab and BFF houses, now have pools, hundreds of swatches and more! You can read more in the Patch Notes here.

Three New Kits

But wait, there’s more! We’re launching three special new Kits on January 16: the Secret Sanctuary and Casanova Cave Kits, which will include a mix of Build Buy and Create a Sim items inspired by iconic Sims characters, plus the Comfy Gamer Kit, created in collaboration with lilsimsie!

Design a warm, inviting gaming room with personal touches that will offer your Sims a place to unwind with their favorite pastime with The Sims 4 Comfy Gamer Kit, created in collaboration with longtime Simmer and content creator lilsimsie.

Create a luxurious space tucked behind a secret passage in a bookcase, full of lavish furniture sure to delight Sims who enjoy the finer things in life and indulge in timeless fashion with The Sims 4 Secret Sanctuary Kit. 

Maybe your Sims style is more modern and sleek? The Sims 4 Casanova Cave Kit has just what your Sims need to entertain and make an impression, whether it’s game night with friends or a romantic date night. 

For more information on these kits, check out our latest newsroom article on January 16.

More Creator Kits Coming Soon

We also want to take a moment to talk more about our recently released Creator Kits, which are designed and built by custom content creators to add new collections based on their unique styles and content.

The first set of Creator Kits were Myshunosun’s Cozy Kitsch and Trillyke’s Sweet Slumber Party. These Kits are full of vibrant colors and mid-century modern designs along with the elevated sleepwear and sleepover options. These Kits are available through The Sims 4 on PC, Mac and console. 

Design a warm, inviting gaming room with personal touches that will offer your Sims a place to unwind with their favorite pastime with The Sims 4 Comfy Gamer Kit, created in collaboration with longtime Simmer and content creator lilsimsie.

Create a luxurious space tucked behind a secret passage in a bookcase, full of lavish furniture sure to delight Sims who enjoy the finer things in life and indulge in timeless fashion with The Sims 4 Secret Sanctuary Kit. 

Maybe your Sims style is more modern and sleek? The Sims 4 Casanova Cave Kit has just what your Sims need to entertain and make an impression, whether it’s game night with friends or a romantic date night. 

For more information on these kits, check out our latest newsroom article on January 16.

More Creator Kits Coming Soon

We also want to take a moment to talk more about our recently released Creator Kits, which are designed and built by custom content creators to add new collections based on their unique styles and content.

The first set of Creator Kits were Myshunosun’s Cozy Kitsch and Trillyke’s Sweet Slumber Party. These Kits are full of vibrant colors and mid-century modern designs along with the elevated sleepwear and sleepover options. These Kits are available through The Sims 4 on PC, Mac and console. 

Design a warm, inviting gaming room with personal touches that will offer your Sims a place to unwind with their favorite pastime with The Sims 4 Comfy Gamer Kit, created in collaboration with longtime Simmer and content creator lilsimsie.

Create a luxurious space tucked behind a secret passage in a bookcase, full of lavish furniture sure to delight Sims who enjoy the finer things in life and indulge in timeless fashion with The Sims 4 Secret Sanctuary Kit. 

Maybe your Sims style is more modern and sleek? The Sims 4 Casanova Cave Kit has just what your Sims need to entertain and make an impression, whether it’s game night with friends or a romantic date night. 

For more information on these kits, check out our latest newsroom article on January 16.

More Creator Kits Coming Soon

We also want to take a moment to talk more about our recently released Creator Kits, which are designed and built by custom content creators to add new collections based on their unique styles and content.

The first set of Creator Kits were Myshunosun’s Cozy Kitsch and Trillyke’s Sweet Slumber Party. These Kits are full of vibrant colors and mid-century modern designs along with the elevated sleepwear and sleepover options. These Kits are available through The Sims 4 on PC, Mac and console. 

Simmers can look forward to more Creator Kits coming soon to The Sims 4; starting with two kits in collaboration with Pierisim and Madlen launching later this month, followed up by two more Creator Kits featuring the styles of aharris00britney and Syboulette to come out later this year.

The Sims Birthday Merch

And, while there is so much to already be excited about for the 25th Birthday of The Sims, it wouldn’t be complete without a celebratory merch collection, available February 5 on shopthesims.com.

That’s it for the 25th Birthday Special of Behind The Sims! Follow The Sims and The Sims Freeplay across social media to keep up with the latest news and join The Sims community Discord to participate in the Sims conversations, giveaways, challenges, and contests we’ll be hosting! 

Until next time, Dag Dag!

[laverrepalette]

ok like nintendo direct wishlist but with the mindset of "its been almost 10 months since the last proper direct and 2024 was primarily mario and zelda without any of nintendos other main series appearing" so i am raising my expectations but also hoping for a good amount of variety

-FIRE EMBLEM!!! idc if its a fe4 remake or another remake or a new game i just need a third fire emblem game on switch or a first fe game on switch 2 please i need something to break the parallel ice between 3h and engage (love both those games so much though i just want their rivalry to end with another game avaliable)

-KIRBY its been a shockingly long time since kirby's had news!! like really! im shocked theres not some kirby game for the end of the switch 1, so im expecting Something for the switch 2

-ARMS 2 IM BEGGING YOU LET IT HAPPEN PLEASE

-any sort of themes, customization, and just personality for the console. a lot of customization with themes music folders and whatnot would be a dream (also nintendo badge arcade 2 + swapnote 2 pls)

-kid icarus. i dont want sakurais next game to be smash. i want him to take a break from smash. a new kid icarus or uprising port using the joycon mouse controls would be perfection

-some sorta FUN console gimmick showing game like nintendo land or wii sports!

-a purple and teal switch 2.

-nintendo crossovers in mario kart 9 but also mario rpgs in mario kart 9. i want both. u have had enough time to make both nintendo. give me vivian and marth

-dragon ball sparking zero is the only third party i really care to see here. we've had WAYY too many partner showcases lately and its been awful, lets have a NINTENDO direct please!! keep it light on the third parties! (though sonic is always welcome to show up)

-gamecube and ds on NSO. maybe wii but i wont expect that much. but also the far off dream of "let us download the games bcuz we're getting to bigger file sizes let us just snatch our favorites for our switch home menu seperately from the NSO app please"

-and last but not least ANIMAL CROSSING. i think its time. i want a game thats more akin to new leaf and parallels new horizons, with a much bigger single player focus! i like new horizons but we need a really good animal crossing game, and with the massive success of ACNH thatd be an amazing way to boost the consoles debut

also always a dream is a nintendo focused smash reboot with trophies and a better story mode but im not expecting (or really wanting) smash that early. please dont make another ultimate i beg of you

but yeah!!! its been ages without proper nintendo news aside from the intial switch 2 tease. this list is both my direct hopes but also my "first two years of the switch 2 hopes". im not expecting EVERYTHING here but if three or more things could happen in the first two years id be really happy