#without the option to spawn any lights in

[elvenbeard]

I need an honest opinion XD which of these do you think is the coolest? XD

Like, I feel the first one is the "coolest" in terms of angle and the dof turned out really cool, as well as the gunshot XD but I also rarely use any of the stickers in Photomode and it was a lot of fun to play around with some and then the max amount plus a frame xD

Also... it took over an hour to just set this shot up cause the Bhargest are so bad at chasing Vince on his bike apparently XDD or at least in that part of Dogtown.

[flying-womrats]

replacements for a few LMS mods

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

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

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

On to the list:

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

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

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

Buy Treats via PC -> Bienchen, buypettreat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Small GF Reactions Overhaul -> Bienchen, lesscelebreact

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

Spar With For Everyone -> Bienchen, sparwithfornonmilitary

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

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

Wellness Treat Fix -> Bienchen, petanxiousbufffix

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

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

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

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

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

edit 8/22/24: added Spawn Refresh

[weepingtalecowboy]

Hylia be putting all her eggs into one basket (then hits demise with it)

Fanfic prompt:

A thing I find interesting is the fact that the mortal with the blood of the goddess can be sacrificed to bring back demise at some strength

Like not even needing death just their blood

As in skyward sword Zelda was not successfully sacrificed so demise's revival was half assed but functional when ghirahim failed to do it fully

The curse specifically is a free respawn for demise as long as both a mortal with the blood of the goddess and the hero's spirit exist

In addition in adventure of link ganon needs the hero's demise to return so it probably can be possible that any hero would suffice as it would fit in with the curse specifically mentioning the hero spirit

The sheer terror Hyrule would feel when he realizes that everyone in the chain is a decent sacrifice

His hyrule is DOOMED no way nobody be dying in it

Both revivals hinge at a different bearer of the triforce

So imagine how personal it would be to choose the hero of legends

Because if we go with the legend and fable being siblings headcanon

That out of all heroes legend is probably the best option for a revival

Because he gotta be more annoying than hylia

Like demise said her name with such disdain but she hasn’t ruined his life

OVER 4 TIMES IN A ROW

In link to the past he collected the LED light maidens , triforce and then beat up ganon

In the oracle games he hindered the lightening of the flame of despair and destruction (who were essentially just a revival ritual but less effective because the oracles were not sacrificed)

And the final adventure for the oracle games (if you sync them up you get a free extra game ) link prevents the sacrifice of Zelda so ganon's moms sacrifice themselves to light the flame of sorrow but because the ritual was hindered three times in a row ganon came back as a feral beast

But ganon kinda seizes the full triforce in the process and link straight up fights ganon without the triforce and kills him somehow despite that

Like that isn’t even the worst part

Later in link between worlds ganon gets revived again and fused with Yuga this time around

Still feral though but a bit more civilized this time through yuga

And after an intense battle of tennis you literally just throw a literal painting of an arrow at him and that poor pig dies AGAIN

Like twice is a coincidence

But three times in a row is a pattern lol

Even worse this nightmare continues on for ganon when in cadence of Hyrule cadence spawns in after Octavio knocked everyone to sleep and then she and link start dancing to defeat Octavio

Ganon betrays his loyal henchman who brought him back to life again

Then gets jammed to death by the same dude via some rhythmic moves (the dance moves give you extra special abilities ) AGAIN and that cockroach attained immortality during the time

Like that has to be utterly embarrassing

Four times in a row is called a sign from the goddess to not engage

I would be surprised if he still hates hylia more than legend for the stuff he pulled on the poor man

But that got me thinking legend essentially is her reincarnation with the hero spirit add on

Putting all her expenses into one dude to make him a nightmare initially would be risky but it definitely paid off

But if legend gets sacrificed then ganon would be the least of Hyrule’s problems (because out of everyone ganon in that timeline must have a GRUDGE like no other ganon before , it’s fucking personal)

Fucking demise would be back with full power because legend is a fancy way of saying linda successfully fused into existence

so both the hero spirit and the reincarnation of the goddess get sacrificed at once

So demise definitely can still curse out hylia for that one (now with actual fingers to hold up at sky and legend)

Sky was terrified that day

Only for legend to crawl back from death and start being a problem again (the fates be being nice and respawning him)

Let's just hope he learned his lesson and won’t engage with the hero who dunked on him four times in a row and hindered him 7 times

[datapacks]

So here's the idea for how to utilize the portals in the Ancient City without making them just lead to another dimension. I've had this idea for a while, but only just started to seriously think about how it would work, but make it so that when the player crosses the portal, they gain a new ability of sorts- they can see the secret machinations of the world, a spirit world.

When a mob attempts to spawn, it will first check to see if there are any spirits nearby. To the average player, these spirits will be intangible and invisible; placing a block over one will simply prompt it to move to a different location. For players who have been through the ancient city portal, though, they could intentionally move (or remove) these spirits, making a way to reasonably stop mob spawns in total darkness, or even intentionally boost mob spawns in certain locations. This would apply to hostile, neutral, and even passive mobs.

When a block attempts to age (oxidization, crops growing, trees sprouting, grass spreading, etc), as it stands right now, this uses the RandomTick system. RandomTick could be set locally though, again using these spirits. To the average player, this would rarely have any impact on the game, aside from certain areas seeming to grow crops slightly faster- to players who have been through the portal, they would have the option to move these spirits around to increase their farm yields, or even to stop crop growth altogether.

These spirit entities, for the most part, would effectively be particle spawner entities, rather than individual entities; while the individual spirits move freely from the source, that would make the source entity itself much easier to pin down and move. Otherwise, there could even be entire new hostile mobs that only appear to (and only attack) players who have been through the portal.

There could reasonably be entire structures that the player cannot see nor interact with unless they've been through the portal, but players who have can break these blocks, placing them wherever they would like. To players who haven't been through the portal, it could seem like players who have are simply walking across air. There could be entire swathes of decorative blocks & plants that could be crafted with echo shards to make them visible to the naked eye, or to otherwise make it so that an unassuming location becomes beautiful to those able to see it.

One final addition I would want to add is Solar Eclipses; during a solar eclipse, some of these spirits would be visible (though still not necessarily tangible) to the naked eye. This would be a way to ensure that players at least know about their existence, if they haven't been through the portal.

Removing the effect could be as simple as dying, like any other status effect in the game. To regain it, players would simply have to go through the portal once again.

We already have multiple instances of blocks specifically that only certain players can see under certain circumstances (barriers, light blocks), as well as the particle system allowing particles to be per-player, so if this tech was expanded to support block collision and entities, it would work out pretty well I think. This would add an insane amount of customization to the mechanics of minecraft, & I think any one of these features would be a really fun addition to play with. Imagine going through the gateway and seeing an entire city's worth of spectral villagers that have been in the ancient city this whole time.

[alexissara]

Recruiting Minthara Without Doing A War Crime - BG3

Opening Disclaimer: I do not know every variable, I am sharing what I did to recruit Minthara in BG3 since basically every guide in the internet is wrong and says you must do a war crime to recruit MInthara. You will lose out on the Minthara post battle sex scene and she remains mutually exclusive with Halsin you either have her or him but she can be obtained as a party member and even has exclusive voiced dialogue for Karlache and Wyll whom many say you are also locked out of to recruit her. Also this is totally intentional and accounted for but in my personal run I am getting some bugs, idk if it's an everyone issue or a me issue the game is still very new.

To Attack The Grove or to Kill Everyone In The Goblin Camp, that is the question, one that needs not an answer. You can do quests in both places, talk to Minthara, and more and still walk away from this fight.

All you need to do is simply progress the plot ignoring these two binary options. You'll need to ensure Minthara does not know the location of The Druid Grove so for me the way I did it was I rescued Sazza then killed her in the goblin camp before she could rat out the location and turn on me right before she would have walked me over to MInthara. It triggered a small fight but I destroyed the drums they played to trigger an alarm and have everyone fight me meaning I only had to kill four Goblins or so. I went to talk to Minthara and told her I had no clue where the druid grove or her item were but i'd totally look into it. I grabbed everything I wanted from the Goblin camp and before that did all of the Tiefling kid side quests except stealing the artifact in The Druid grove, upgraded Karlache's infernal engines, looked around everywhere I could. I did not at any point meet or talk to Halsin.

Then from there I simply went to the Underdark, you may be be able to take the Gith path instead, idk I didn't do it but I personally went to The Underdark by way of Feather Falling in the Phase Spider Monarch's layer down into it. From there I found some slavers, killed them and stole their boat. I sailed away to a forge where more slavers were living, I helped them save a true soul, helped the true soul kill them and then killed The True Soul. With that I was on my marry way and entered act 2. This I believe triggers time to have progressed in the game and everything will have gone into motion. I wanted to be sure though that I had done everything correctly so I headed to Moon Rise towers as fast as I can. I did some fights, got to the tower and found Minathara getting yelled at by her boss and thrown into a prison. In the prison two women are trying to wipe her mind. I killed all the guards before trying to help her out in the prisons area and freed some other prisoners. Stole a bunch of stuff then went to the girl herself. I then killed the people trying to brainwash her after talking to them for a little, walked out with Minthara, the guards at multiple times were like "why the fuck do you have Minthara" I smooth talk my way out of each situation, we leave moonrise and I tell her she can stay in our camp. From there she is a party member.

The game suggests you don't bring Minthara back into Moonrise Towers with you, I have got some light glitches on my own run when going to areas that are before you can normally recruit minthara and going to camp sometimes she spawns over at The Goblin camp where you first meet her. The Goblins seem to be basically fine so what happened with the tiefling and druids. Well the tieflings were forced to leave the druid grove but they were gonna do that anyway and the same quests are triggered as if you didn't do that as far as I undertand. I have met one of the tieflings already in act two and they were not mad at me for not helping the grove. The grove however did do the ritual and is no longer accessible. I will update this when I enter Baulder's Gate if I find out I like idk caused the death of a bunch of characters for not siding with either but I don't think I cased any deaths at all, I think I spared the most lives, the most peaceful bitch.

I want to end of the note that there is more to Minthara than Girlboss, Gaslight, Gatekeep. She for narrative reasons is a fun character to have. She is cold for sure but I think the game does a pretty good job justifying it and you can see right away glimmers of her warming up. In terms of a party member her kit is interesting, she starts with tadepoles already in her head so if you were totally avoiding them like me you'll be able to see a few of the powers in action given you have no option to remove them from her.

[frankenwolf1564]

Comic Edition Emirate Xaaron and Autobot Flame: A Marvelous match

Coming at us in a blast from the past, we have two massive nobodies from UK Marvel G1, Generations Comic Edition Emirate Xaaron and (Autobot) Flame!

Starting with the real highlight of this set, Xaaron takes center stage, cast primarily in a light gold with some painted darker gold highlights and a bit of black shading, to make it look as though he came right off the comic page. His joints are cast in an off white, and his thighs are painted silver, which helps bridge the gap between the metallic and matte finishes. His head pops out in that same pale tone, with some small touches of black to highlight his facial features. Xaaron’s overall look is based roughly on G1 Megatron, though he omits the gun mode kibble that would become the classic bucket head to show off that crown crest. It’s paired with a weird iron man mouth that spawned from the confinements of the drawn page, creating a unique head design and a very nice-looking robot, simply. I’m utterly enamored with Xaaron and how he looks. I’m also a fan of the comic shading, a rather divisive aspect of the Comic Edition subline. I think it adds a nice dynamic element to the figures and just looks nice.

Now, while Xaaron was based off Megatron, do not be mistaken, this is no retool of the Decepticon despot. Any modern Megatron would have been both too big and too imposing to sufficiently serve as Xaaron, but Siege Refraktor lets him keep the same form factor in a suitably smaller stature. It’s also boxy and generic enough to make for a smooth transition to other characters. This is evidenced by the only new parts on the main figure being the chest piece and the head, everything else merely getting color swapped. That’s not the whole package however! Xaaron comes equipped with a small slew of additional, purely optional parts to give him a slightly more “traditional” Transformers look, giving you some hint towards what his alt mode might be. He gets a pair of tank treads, intended for his legs, and a cannon alongside the accompanying turret mount to peg wherever you please. They shake up his profile, pulling your eyes down a bit more and making him that touch less blocky.

A fun little tidbit, plus some context for why Xaaron is designed the way he is, he never transformed in the comics. It was briefly teased in his showdown with Flame, on which this set is based, but since it’s been so long since he’d last done it, he was worried the act might kill him. Now that’s all fine and dandy for a character in a comic book! It adds an interesting layer to the conflicts presented, and it’s not like characters from comic books have never gotten toys before. Problem though, this is the Transformers toyline. So, (according to the wonderful Sixo, who revealed this set and this info) the designers went with a simple mold that they could easily add a partsforming element to, letting you have both a comic accurate robot mode and an alternate mode. The extra pieces are even explained as, effectively, combat armor, so he doesn’t kill himself getting ready for battle. And idk I think it’s neat I like when things have explanations.

The actual transformation sure is Siege Refraktor. Too bad that wasn’t the most groundbreaking toy. The hands tuck away, the arms fold back, the waist swivels and the legs turn outwards. Waow. The new tank pieces do a lot for the look, though that’s turning an indiscriminate “space vehicle” into a slightly less indiscriminate space vehicle. I’m not sure if it’s just my copy but I struggle to get the cockpit piece that folds out from the chest to tab securely into the legs. It is also a new piece, which might have an impact, but it’s also only very slightly different. It doesn’t really matter, but still.

Of course, what would a hero be without a villain? That’s where Flame comes in, looking delightfully menacing and twisting what should be a normally nominal Autobot color scheme into something far more sinister. One upping Xaaron by being this sets Megatron retool, specifically the SSGE WFC mold, Flame wears the bulky, brutish shapes of the Decepticon leader in much the same manner, but the new parts help set him apart. That said, his arms stick out a bit, the completely bare plastic and slightly higher amount of mechanical detail compared to the likes of his shins clashing with the rest of the figure.

He poses quite nicely, looking suitable malicious the way only a deranged scientist can, though some of his joints are just. Weird. His elbows don’t bend smoothly, both sets having an unfortunate tendency to jump between positions, though this has lessened a bit with time. His legs are even worse in this regard. The knees have tabs in the front and back of the leg that effectively act as a single big ratchet, giving you a whopping two options of bent and straight. What’s weirder is that if you go past them, the knee does rotate smoothly and tightly, but you’ll only have room for that when you’re transforming him thanks to the big tab in the back. It’s an absolutely bizarre design choice that is no more welcome here than it was on Megatron. Thankfully you can snip them off with zero concern, something I’ve done on my copy. Even if you do keep him stock, he’s still quite expressive, and naturally looks intimidating. My only other major gripe is that his ankle tilt is a bit limited. Like yeah a wrist swivel would be nice but you don’t need it-

The transformation is rather fun! Nothing changes from Megatron, but the way his arms go over his back and under his chest is clever, and it feels great to close his legs over everything like one big clamshell. I have no other notes it’s just a good toy.

This is a great set, and Xaaron is actually my favorite part of it? He’s unbelievably charming. His natural stature gives off a big energy of “I am not built for this” and a constant vibe of “oh god damn it not again”. I love him. Flame’s still plenty fun! I’m just not as enamored with him. The best part of this set though is what it represents. Transformers is a massive franchise, with a lot of characters and some deep, deep cuts that have formed over 40 years. There are plenty of obscure nobodies. Now while Xaaron did feature fairly prominently in the UK Marvel comic, and even showed up in the later stages of the American run, he’s not exactly the face of the franchise. I’d say it’s a safe bet most people have absolutely no idea who he is. Yet despite that, despite not even having an alt mode, he was still able to get a toy! Flame as well. So many enormous dorks have showed up in figure form this year alone, and I hope it’s a trend the current team continues throughout the next ten years, whatever those may look like!

[zombiecicada]

Ultimately, unless you choose a planet that has an insanely slow rotation or is tidally locked, sooner or later the day will end and night will fall.

Night time is when the monsters get more active. When it’s hard to see. When sunlight can’t be used to kill them. When he’s supposed to be asleep, but if he does sleep he won’t make it to see the sun rise again.

He hates this planet.

But this planet is where the problem lies.

The GSA will have to come here eventually, they have to.

He’s been discharged from the army. He dug somewhere he wasn’t supposed to dig, got too close to exposing some ugly truth. And now, he’s on his own.

But that doesn’t mean he’ll lay down and stop helping. His comrades are still his comrades, even if he isn’t part of the GSA anymore. He can still protect them, leave them information to find, and help them. Besides, lying down isn’t an option even if he ever decided to turn his back on the army entirely. He’s still a star warrior. Demonbeasts designed to hunt and kill star warriors do not care if he’s a part of the army or not.

And they know he’s here.

He starts preparing for the night well before dusk approaches. The first night is always the roughest after the initial night of running for his life, when he has to quickly establish his lines of defence, make a base camp that will protect him.

When he doesn’t know entirely what works yet and what doesn’t.

Sunlight kills these monsters. Great! But what about when it’s dark? What happens then? Can any light kill them or is it specifically just ultraviolet radiation that they cannot stand? They can phase through walls and take a crossbow arrow without so much as flinching. If you stare at them, they stop moving. All great stuff but that doesn’t teach him how to kill these horrid creatures.

He takes a moment to stop and consult his journal, staring at the sketch he did, the ink finally having dried. A round creature covered in bandages, only one eye slipping through the folds. Teeth. There were a lot of teeth hidden in there, and his bandaged up arm proved it. He shivered a bit remembering how the red light from its eye bathed over him when he had his back turned.

Right. Deep breath. In, out, freaking out now is how you don’t survive the night. He’s not freaking out.

He pulls out his warpstar, checks it over. No more cracked than yesterday….Still a little spent from relying on it to run all last night. He remembers well when that crack formed, he had heard it in his head, like some inner part of him was splitting apart. He had felt it in his chest, a pain that wasn’t sharp nor stabbing, but somehow worse and so, so incredibly cold as if a void that sucked up all light and heat had spawned in his body.

He reminds himself that the feeling passed weeks ago.

But it’s all too easy to remember, and he knows well that it’s going to happen again.

Alright, enough messing around contemplating his stability. He’ll be doing it lots he’s sure, but he’ll have to learn to do it when there’s actually moments to spare.

He finishes up with his shelter, it’s about as sturdy as it’s going to get, he estimates he has about two hours of daylight left. Time to make some kind of weapon.

His main weapon is his crossbow, his arrows can be modified to deal with various demonbeasts. The first arrows didn’t work. So, he followed the typical star warrior motto: if your weapon isn’t whacking hard enough, you find out what makes your enemy weak, get yourself a stronger weapon and teach yourself to whack harder.

Supernatural ‘nonsense’ helps too. He remembers a time where he thought all of that was just fairytales and hysteria.

Nope. Ghosts are real. Zombies too (though zombies are actually a lot more social and intelligent than you might think!) Werewolves exist and he’s pretty sure there’s not one but multiple gods. Ironically, demonbeasts aren’t actual demons which is why salt doesn’t work on them, but actual demons are also very much a thing. And maybe this isn’t an actual vampire, it’s definitely a lot like one.

It’s grounds for start on.

He makes it to the following day to update his journal.

So wooden stakes are actual bullshit when it comes to these creatures. Maybe he’s not using the right kind of wood, but it’s about as effective as actual crossbow bolts and getting that close and personal almost ended up with his wing being ripped clean off his body. More tests will have to be conducted, not that he’s particularly interested in getting that close again.

Charms and crosses work about as well as salt, but interestingly enough smudging seems to have… some effect? Possibly repels a creature with evil intentions. Or maybe the demonbeasts just don’t like the smell, he knows that after a while the smell goes from comforting to headache inducing. A reminder that he’s doing this because something is actively trying to kill him.

He tried setting it on fire, following the logic that if sunlight burned it maybe fire would too. No, no by some backwards logic that isn’t how it works, it just makes this absolutely horrendous burning decay smell that he can’t get out of his feathers. Only sunlight kills these things, if only he could somehow trap them and keep them in the sunlight to-

Can he capture them? How did one capture a creature that can phase through walls? He thought about it as he set out into the surrounding area to explore and find rations, the sun burning overhead. His travels took him to an old abandoned settlement, one he recalled running past on his first night to this planet. It looks much less decrepit during the day, interestingly enough if you ignored the dust and the overgrown vegetation, and the complete and utter lack of people and the overhanging sense of stillness, you might not even know it was abandoned. It’s as if, in a trance, all the people got up and left silently, or were all simultaneously vaporized in an instant.

They must’ve left, when it was clear Nightmare had his eyes set on this planet. Evacuated. Here’s hoping, because all the alternatives are simply sad.

When the army comes, they’ll probably find this place and use it as a base camp. For a moment he closes his eyes and pictures tents set up around, the sounds of soldiers doing tasks and drills until the sun goes down and they sit together around fires sharing stories of their battles and home worlds.

They won’t be able to do that with these demonbeasts. If they arrive here unaware of the dangers their first night is going to be sleepless restless carnage. He needs to prevent that.

The star warrior finds himself next to one of the buildings, where a large pot is filled to the brim with rain water. Tiredly, he scoops some of the water and lifts it to his mouth to drink, brown gaze shifting to the symbols lining the vessel. It’s not a language he recognizes off the top of his head, but the symbols are pretty universal. The circle with lines surrounding it is clearly meant to be the sun, another is of energy and another protection.

He sits there for a moment, recalling the word he used to describe the urn like pot.

Vessel.

Cage.

Idea. He had an idea.

[andisupreme]

One funny thing about my little lady, Tidbit, is that she looks so sweet in photos. So angelic.

And yet the two facts you need to know about her are

The moment a piece of trash appears, she's stealing it. The moment I'm done with something and it becomes "trash", she has teleported onto the desk or my lap and it belongs to her now. She's stolen flosser picks out of my goddamn mouth. I can't have open garbage cans because that's just a new spawn point for Tidbit Treasures. I keep finding hoards of wrappers and pens and trinkets she's stolen. She stole a mini pride flag. I woke up to a scuffing noise once and turned on my phone light to see her dragging my sneaker away like the NYC subway pizza rat. Goblin behavior. Prize-motivated. Is just intelligent enough to have a sense of right and wrong and deliberately make the choice to do crime when the option presents itself.

It's difficult to know when she's actually seriously mad because she only has one urgency level when it comes to complaining. Which is an 11 on a 10 point scale. Any wrong against Tidbit receives the exact same level of screaming. She'll reach the same decibel level when I drag her into the shower for a flea bath as when I gently nudge her closer to pet for a few seconds. (And it's only the initial relocation she loathes, of course. After a moment when the relocation is over she's purring over getting pet but how DARE I move her somewhere without her say so.) From the gravest injustice to a minor momentary inconvenience, all is met with a righteous AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

And yet because of my living circumstances, I haven't had anyone around to socialize her with so the moment a stranger walks in the door, this noisy, annoying (<3) opinionated little Creechur completely disappears. Goes ghost. My dad swears he wouldn't know I have a second cat if he didn't see her in my window from time to time. It feels like she's purposefully acting like a shy little baby around others just to undermine me and my stories about her. She's doing this on PURPOSE. IT'S ALL YET MORE CRIMES.

[whataboutsimple]

The Defender AU

Ah, well, since you @murkystarlight @abugshapedeldritchbeing @sillysnaildraws asked so nicely, I'm gonna ramble about it a bit<3

The storyline stars a little bit before Romeo went power hungry, leaving some place fore characters to develop themselves.

At the very beginning Fred was planing to create some kind of a "weapon" in case something will happen, which Admins won't be able to handle on their own. So, what would be more efficient to create, than a human who holds absolute of admin powers?

Around this time he started to play with different mechanics of creating mobs, trying to find the closest to a human being. Deciding to stop on a Wither Skeleton, he have chosen to base the powers of Wither itself.

So, like that, he created a human form with a Nether Star as a heart and source of powers. Giving a piece of his own code, he manage to create something as close as possible to Admin's powers, making the star unnaturally bright blue.

Due to Binta being the closest human to him, he made the prototype looking a bit like her, with the very same appearance factors.

That's how "Protocol: defend" was brought in the world.

Since it was his first ever human like creation, he didn't manage to create him as a full adult, instead spawning someone between a child and a teen.

When Binta discovered this, she quickly almost adopted poor thing, playing the role of older sister and naming him Gabriel.

"But why Gabriel?"

"I don't know, it's suits him."

So, like that, our Warroir had two parts of his life: learning to be a weapon and learning to be a human.

The first one was handled by Fred, who taught him how to code things, spawn features, use effects and ect., but he noticed one small strange detail: meanwhile Gabriel could spawn block in a small amount without a problems, he managed to create.. let's say, bright blue figures with different shapes: circles, triangles, cubes. It looked almost like ice, but without e texture, completely blue, leaving a small amount of light around it and discarding every physical law that existed. It was unnaturally durable, almost like bedrock, even Fred couldn't destroy it with Admin's powers from the first try. And it also did lots of damage, even Gabriel wanted it too. He could've pierce mob with a spike and not deal any damage, or kill it altogether.

The second option was handled be Binta: she taught him how to speak properly, read, count. Though she quickly discovered, that unlike other kids, he was an incredible fast learner and it didn't took him too long to become smarter than she is in some disciplines. That's when she decided instead teach him some human emotions, like kindness, compassion, mercy. They spent a lot of time together gathering supplies, playing with animals, talking to people. Waffles, the chicken, was adopted by Gabriel.

But no matter how hard she tried, he couldn't feel a full spectrum of human emotions. He was Always emotionless, giving a smile only after analyzing everyone else is smiling, becoming sad only after analyzing that she is sad, not having any hunger, not complaining about any pain even though he could feel it, he could bleed.

So, few years before the fight between Admins, Fred learnt how to switch mods. The main problem of Gabriel's behavior was the fact that he was created to protect, to defend. He was supposed to be fearless, emotionless, go till the very end. Like that, Fred created a "Protocol: defend" mode, that was activating by these very words. When the mode was turned was, his brains were losing connection to his power, basically deleting the constant idea of defend, leaving it empty to fill with actual emotions.

That's how Gabriel, we all know, was created.

The day when Romeo killed Fred, during another calibration settings, Romeo actually interrupted him, which lead to incidental memory deletion. Right before Romeo got his hands on Gabriel, Fred managed to teleport him away.

That's how Old Order found him. Clueless young man with amnesia, but excellent fighting skills and knowledge.

Gabriel was always abnormally string and tough, dealing with damage most people would've already die from, being too elastic, fast, with incredible reaction speed. But it only helped them, didn't it?

—

Bonus facts:

Xara didn't know about Gabriel either, because Fred didn't know who to trust.

He still left message for her in the last few days before death.

To activate Gabriel's both powers and memory back, you need to say "Protocol: defend."

It'll actually be harder for the gang to stop Romeo, since they will need to find Gabriel first.

Romeo doesn't know, that Gabriel actually is a weapon. He thought he's one of Fred's people.

C. Block was very negative towards Gabriel, sending electroshocks each time he tried to touch it.

His blood in activated mode is blue, while it's blue-red when he's badly injured.

He sees Binta as his older sister, meanwhile Fred is more of a mentor, than a father.

I think that's all for now, a other silly AU for y'all:P

[underspacegame]

Patch 1.37.0 for Underspace is now live!

Hello starchasers! Did you have a good The Game Awards? Did you see that trailer without any gameplay? Yeah that sure was a trailer. Did your favorite game lose? My cat's favorite game lost and now he's overcome with despair.

I'm sorry to the both of you, but maybe you should play better games, like Underspace.

Anyway, this is possibly our last patch for the year, and it's a good one. All our patches are good, mind you.

Update Highlights

There's a lot of new little QoL things here, most of these requested features. Whose procrastinating on doing the big milestone update? Not this guy, no sir. Anyway we've made rare skill reset items that can be used now. These aren't replacing the NPCs that can also reset your skills, it's just another option on top of that.

I've also added a way to define a controller override for controller presets. Again, not sure how crazy this'll get. There's a reason the game screams MOUSE AND KEYBOARD RECOMMENDED every chance it gets.

There's new UI stuff now too, such as star system descriptions displaying known stations and any active bounties.

Finally, on the subject of new models, Shadowspear now has better models for his weakpoints and the Loco Star finally has a proper cab fit for an engineer. Not a conductor. Conductors don't drive the train. You should know this by now.

And lots of other things. This is honestly a pretty featurefilled little patch, so check out the full notes.

Changelog is as follows:

NEW FEATURES

Added door sounds to animated opening doors.

Added lots of intermediary quests between campaign missions that tell you to go get stronger or wait a bit, to help teach players about the concept of delayed gratification.

Added attacks to big kill and structure demolition… structures. You know what I mean.

Added new skill reset items, single use objects that let you reset your skills anywhere. They’re rare drops from wrecks, quests, or able to be crafted at endgame levels for a high cost.

Added a controller preset override, which allows you to specify a pre-existing layout for any controller plugged in. Not sure how crazy this’ll get, I don’t use controllers.

The Loco Star now has its own cockpit model.

Star system descriptions now display known stations and current bounties.

Amaron will now appear as a potential starchaser ally after finishing Off Track.

Creon will now appear as a potential starchaser ally.

CHANGES AND REBALANCES

You can now individually clear or reset specific keys.

Increased the number of missions that can be offered at any given time.

Keypad animations are much faster now.

Redid the lighting on many Washer stations to better fit the atmosphere of the faction in question.

Redid details in Oldjarri Church.

Changed the weakspots for Shadowspear to be more visible rings and adjusted the hitbox for them.

Player achievement text now tracks the number of storm hazards you’ve seen and is slightly more readable.

Campaign missions now count the same as completed random missions in code.

Increased the speed and mining rate of all mining drones, and removed their energy degeneration.

Changed some scenery in smuggling stations.

Reduced the spawn distance of some storm hazards.

Assassination missions will no longer be offered if the player is not at least neutral with the shake down faction in question and if the faction in question is able to spawn in the star system.

Rampage missions no longer require enemies to be killed in the same system where the mission was taken.

Changed certain faction mission offerings.

FIXES

Fixed issue where the cycle weapon group button wouldn’t work.

Fixed issue where Brute Innovation would spawn the item too close to the player.

Fixed issue where quest finales could be interrupted by things like pirates, gods, car warranty scams, etc.

Fixed issue where keypad sounds were too quiet and mixed up.

Fixed issue where email login UIs couldn’t be tabbed through.

Fixed flickering lights in customization hangars.

Fixed various flickering lights in places.

Fixed bartender NPCs that weren’t tending bars.

Fixed issue where Rust Drones had bad hitboxes.

Fixed issue where Rust Beams could hit your detection sphere.

Fixed issue where mission 15 dialogue could close prematurely

Fixed text culling issues in the Ijuni fighter cockpit.

Fixed issue where some menus could be accessed even when the game was paused.

Fixed issue where Ancient Secrets would pop up too early.

[spacemonkeysalsa]

Appetites

(Angst and fluff and smut)

It's been five years since the Vampire Ascendant Astarion helped save Baldur's Gate. He has everything he ever wanted, and he's miserable.

Isolde is nobody, and has nothing. When given the option to become a vampire spawn, her response gives Astarion a moment of pause; “No. Thank you. I think I’ll just die.”

Read Chapter One on Ao3

Read Chapter Two on Ao3

Read Chapter Three on Ao3

Read Chapter Four on Ao3

Read Chapter Five on Ao3

Read Chapter Six on Ao3

Read Chapter Seven on Ao3

Read Chapter Eight on Ao3

Read Chapter Nine on Ao3

Read Chapter Ten on Ao3

Read Chapter Eleven on Ao3

Read Chapter Twelve on Ao3

Read Chapter Thirteen on Ao3

Read Chapter Fourteen on Ao3

Read Chapter Fifteen on Ao3

Read Chapter Sixteen on Ao3

Read Chapter Seventeen on Ao3

or read Chapter Seventeen below the cut

Alice was correct in that Aurelia was awake, and had even ventured out of her chambers. It was initially Astarion’s hope that maybe she’d gone hunting and finally done something to slake the hunger that must be an unmanageable beast in her stomach by now. But he knew she wouldn’t, and he quickly traced the scent of burning that tieflings sometimes left in the air to the ballroom, then to the passageway that led into the attic.

He found her kneeling, with her back to him just out of a shaft of moonlight, and he wondered if she’d been there when it was still sunlight, and if she had watched it change from something dangerous to her, to something harmless, and still hadn’t moved.

The clothing she wore was similar to the simple garb that Alice had found for Isolde, and the same size, though it fit Aurelia better. His tiefling sister looked bizarre to him like this, wearing a casual tunic and leggings, her hair in a loose braid at the back of her neck. He realized he’d never seen her wear anything that hadn’t been picked out for her… their old master took pleasure in dressing her up, a little doll, so she looked like a cowering imitation of him with devil’s horns.

The fabric was thin and her bright red skin and raised scars were not entirely obscured through her clothing. Her scars were angry when he’d seen them before. Like they were healing all over again. He felt the pain in his own and knew they must be the same. Awakened again, red, and swollen. Ugly. But, healing, hopefully.The marks were nearly identical, save a few Infernal phrases, if Isolde’s comments were accurate, which he strongly suspected they were.

She flicked her tail around to touch the moonlight coming through the ruined ceiling. “So many of the gods hate us,” Aurelia’s voice dripped, “a victim once told me that the moon doesn’t have its own light, it just reflects a little bit of the sun onto the night. Do you think it’s Selûne who shields us from Lathander wrath? Do you think she could forgive us?”

No. Astarion didn’t think any of that, but to say so right now wouldn’t cheer her up, or himself. “Tomorrow morning, if you like, you could try partaking in just a little of my blood. See if I can extend my protection to you and allow you to stand in the sun. It works for my spawn. No idea if that’s a requirement. We can find out together, if you’re willing to experiment.”

If she was cheered by this thought, she didn’t show it with anything more than a slight twitch of her tail. Slowly, she scooted around without standing up, so that she could tilt her horned head back and look up at him.

“I don’t blame you,” Aurelia’s eyes still blazed, not unlike a spawns’, but she wasn’t enthralled any longer, so he imagined it was all the fire of the hells. “I can’t say that I would have done the same thing in your place, because I wouldn’t have. Not if you gave me a thousand years. But, only because I’d be too afraid.”

He waited a moment to see if she wanted to say anything else about it, but when she remained silent, he took that to mean it was his turn. This was as good a place as any to start, and he almost felt comfortable as he admitted, “I think that’s why I brought you back. I think. I’m still working it out. I have a habit of… acting without thinking.”

“Really?” Aurelia asked flatly.

“Without thinking enough,” he amended. “Certainly, without taking note of what I was thinking, to examine later with…. objectivity.”

“We haven’t had to do a lot of thinking,” Aurelia noted, “or—it was better when we didn’t bother. Easier.”

“So much easier,” Astarion agreed with a heavy sigh, one of the most painful things he’d had to admit to himself over the last five years was that some part of him did miss how uncomplicated it was to never have to make decisions. Small part. “But, when I brought you back—well, first of all, you are not my favorite. But, I do like you. And you’re the least likely to immediately attack me.”

“That’s definitely true.” Aurelia reached a hand across her chest and massaged her opposite shoulder, as far down her back as she could, face twinged with discomfort. “But why bother with any of us? You were rid of us. Don’t pretend like that wasn’t a relief.”

“Oh, it was a huge relief,” Astarion didn’t even consider trying to deny it, because he thought Aurelia would understand. “I didn’t relish it, but once you were all gone… I would never have to think about any of you again. I’d had so much experience just moving on after guilt and loss, and I thought for once it could be for my own good. Really. Murdering my past was magnificent. And it was what I wanted. At the time. What I still want—well,” that was where he hit a chasm, the part he couldn’t quite work out yet. As much as he wanted to let the past die, Shadowheart’s little visit had forced him to reconcile that there was a difference between not allowing the past to dictate the future, and obliterating it completely. Maybe, somewhere deep down, a part of him had already been working that out. “I can’t change what I became. What two hundred years of torment made and unmade me. And, I don’t even want to,” was that true? Did he like what he’d become? He accepted it. “But, as my glorious, profane ascension rolls forward and eternity faces me, I find that…” there was no dignified way to put this, and so he didn’t want to say it. Couldn’t say it. Found his mouth physically shut for him by some unseen and unknowable force. He suspected Shar wasn’t helping the situation. 

At least he was here. At least he was talking. At least it hurt. Pain was better than nothing. Than what Shar wanted.

Aurelia’s red pinpoint eyes were stuck in the middle distance, her mouth fixed into a frown. It was the expression of someone who was thinking of themselves, and barely listening. Probably for the best. In spite of his mental rehearsals, Astarion wasn’t sure he was really saying what he meant, and certainly wasn’t doing so to any desired effect beyond wounding himself to let Shar’s influence bleed out. 

He could only hope Aurelia would be satisfied enough with what he offered that they could both move on.

The tiefling sighed in a way that conveyed the purest fear and uncertainty. “You gave me one of the nice rooms,” she gestured down through the rotted attic and back towards the well maintained part of the palace proper.

“Our old quarters have been converted to storage,” Astarion shrugged, “you can’t burn down a single room in a home without damaging the structure as a whole.”

“This place feels very empty. Do you not have spawn of your own now?”

He should have anticipated that question, but he hadn’t. “Just one.”

Aurelia frowned at that, “you said it’s been five years? Will you make more?”

“I don’t know,” he didn’t know so many things, and that was why he didn’t really want to have this conversation. But, it needed to happen. He’d brought her here, for a purpose, even if he was still working out what that was. A vampire spawn who didn’t have to obey him. Why was that such an appealing idea? It shouldn’t have been. “Probably not.”

“It felt like five years,” Aurelia admitted. “I thought I’d lose track of time in the hells, but I never did.”

“You were in the hells, then?” he tried to sound surprised, but his tone wasn’t convincing. Of course. He’d known that.

“You sent us all to the nine hells, yes,” Aurelia wasn’t going to let him get away with passivity.

“I think perhaps you might just blame me a little, dear sister.”

“A touch,” Aurelia sighed. “It wasn’t worse than before, at least. There was pain, and fear and tedium. But, the hunger was gone.” It would be back now, “no more need to go out and gather victims, or play false. I never saw the master. You would never bring him back, would you?”

Gods above, what a question. It sent Astarion’s mind reeling. Why would she ever even think of such a thing? “To kill him a second time? That would be satisfying.” He sometimes boiled at the knowledge that he hadn’t been able to kill his master up close, with his own hands—it felt like he’d cheated himself out of something he desperately needed. He let the anger caress his heart.

Aurelia gave him a look, and then he realized his slight to her. To all of them. “His death was the only satisfying one that day,” he didn’t have to try to sound sincere. “As much as I did want to… get rid of all of it. I’m not—” but he was a monster, so he couldn’t bring himself to say something just because he wanted it to be true. “If there had been another way, I would have taken it.”

Her fiery eyes undulated like embers, and he watched her breathe out a little emotion. “Did you mean it, when you said I could use that scroll on anyone I like?”

“Why ever not?” Astarion had no idea what else to do with it. Practicality dictated that he should just keep it somewhere safe until it was needed, but the practical answer was also the boring one.

“I need to think about it,” she stood up. “Perhaps I’ll sleep on it, before I make my choice. I’m a bit run down.”

Astarion walked her back to her rooms, considering the amount of sleep that she’d gotten, versus the amount of sleep she probably needed to even begin to recover from several years in hell—maybe more than either of them realized, as time didn’t quite work the same way between the planes. Aurelia may not have had a close brush with Shar’s mantle, but she probably needed to purge a little emotion all the same. The weight of the hells couldn’t possibly be preferable. She didn’t look like she’d gotten much out of their conversation though. She just looked tired.

“Goodnight,” he bid her.

“I’ll be up a while yet,” she said, in spite of her exhaustion. “We aren’t done,” Aurelia warned him.

“No, we aren’t.” Astarion agreed.

That had been a shot of pain and shame that he didn’t enjoy, but at least they had gotten through it. It was a conversation they needed to start, after all. 

And, it had given him the reprieve from Shar’s influence that he would need in order to talk to someone else who was weighed down by the Lady of Loss.

Astarion decided that the plan wasn’t to stop Isolde from leaving, necessarily, though he hoped he could convince her to stay longer. Something about utter emptiness put her ignorance of their shared history between them into perspective. Yes, indeed, it was horrible that he had probably murdered and gorged himself on the blood of several of her loved ones. But, gods, was he ever just perfectly equipped to move past it for both of their sakes? She could stay. It wouldn’t even be that much longer, probably.

But, if she did go, that was still fine. The more important goal was to simply ensure that she wasn’t in despair, and ready to throw herself to Shadowheart’s acolytes.

Under no circumstances could he let anything slip about how he might've massacred her family. Surely, that would play right into Shar’s hands. Yes. What a very practical reason not to tell her the one thing that would shame him the most. So convenient.

He found her crying, which seemed a bad start.

“Oh,” she started, turning away.

He hadn’t knocked. He should have knocked. She only needed a few seconds to fully compose herself. He could have given her that before barging in on her.

Isolde sat at the little vanity in the corner of the room, a few items spread out as though she was trying to decide what to take and what to leave there. He was pleased to see that some of them were small valuables she’d clearly found around the palace. He’d hoped she would steal from him, and she seemed to have rather good taste without being too greedy. Charming combination.

When she didn’t protest his intrusion, he shut the door, and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

Sure enough, Shar’s miasma clung to her, thick and heady. He still had it too, but it was subtle after his frank talk with Aurelia. 

They were lucky. Astarion had heard of other Chosen of Shar for whom the influence of the Lady of Loss was not so easily shaken. Their very presence oppressed so completely with that sense of endless nothing, that it was difficult to speak, and impossible to carry on a coherent conversation. 

Still, Astarion did feel a lingering sense of numbness. In contrast, Isolde was mired in absence. Even as she tried to look at him, she kept slipping, sending her mind away to a void rather than endure him.

He had to bring her back, and he knew just how to start. Astarion tried very hard to only apologize when he was actually sorry, and so it didn’t happen all that often. “Isolde, I’m sorry.”

Though she had managed to wipe her tears away and school her face into a placid smile upon his intrusion, and though she seemed very calm at first, these words cracked through her instantly. Her breath hitched, and for a moment she looked fearful and hurt, but mostly there was a dawning confusion, something she clearly had to force a little as she added in a shaking voice, “you’ve done me no wrong, my lord.”

“I’ve upset you.”

“I’m not upset,” Isolde smiled broadly, it was convincing. That emptiness probably did have her convinced that she was alright, until he looked at her eyes. It would have been so easy to let her get away with it—or, to let her let him get away with it.

“I meant to upset you,” he pressed and she opened her mouth to protest, but then closed it a moment later, regarding him like she didn’t entirely understand what she was seeing. “I gladly allowed myself to be distracted by other—admittedly important—matters, so that I could avoid you, in hopes that you would simply leave and I would never have to explain myself.”

Isolde’s expression hardened just a touch, it suited her better than he would have imagined; a ruddy glimmer of anger. “I’m taking too long,” she concluded, tone choked. “You want me to hurry—”

“That is not what I’m doing,” Astarion could see how she got there, but had to fight to keep the gravel out of his voice. “I don’t—I know it’s what you should do, but it isn’t what I want.”

Her shoulders fell and she contemplated her hands, suddenly guarded and he thought he knew why. “I won’t turn you. I may not create any other spawn, ever again.”

Isolde interrupted her own shocked reaction by asking quickly, “Alice? Is she—”

“Oh, Alice is fine,” Astarion rolled his eyes. “She manages the hunger better than a vampire twenty times her age and seems excited to spend eternity reading every book ever written. But—I’m done. You made me realize something the other day, when you asked about those scars, and I… I can’t go on pretending it’s a gift, any longer. My predecessor—I tried to romanticize it. It’s just a way to fucking cope.”

At the sudden rush of pity in her eyes, he had to look away. 

“I shouldn’t have pried,” Isolde murmured.

“But you did, and I thought about things I have tried to avoid thinking about for some time. None of that—none of this is your fault. You deserve better.”

She did seem moved by this, but not in the way he’d expected. She had one full lip pinched between her teeth, and took a long moment to skewer him with an examining look. Fearful.

“What?”

Quietly she said, “You sound angry.”

“That’s just because I’m furious. But, it’s nothing to do with anyone who still has a beating heart. Just old wounds. Scar tissue.” This was the explaining himself part that he had been so eager to avoid. It wasn’t so bad, actually. He didn’t like her feeling sorry for him, but as long as he was measured about the moments he actually looked into her sensuous black eyes, he could weather it. And it was certainly better than letting her be lured to the House of Grief in a futile search for comfort.

“There were seven of us. I was the second. And bound to each of us, a thousand souls. All of us were meant to be consumed in the ritual, but I fought, and I traded places with him.” His chest felt split open as it was, he couldn't say his name. He held out his hands, “so, this is what I purchased for seven thousand seven doomed souls.” Seven thousand and eight, perhaps. “Sunlight, a reflection, the appetites and arousals of mortal flesh intact… I don’t hunger like I used to. All the advantages of a true vampire without having to become one.”

“Purchased from who?” Isolde did have a knack for asking the question right at the heart of the matter.

“Archdevil Mephistopheles,” Astarion waited for her reaction, not entirely sure why, but he didn't expect her to be horrified, though that would have been a rational response.

She did look grave, but not surprised. “Gods, Astarion,” she shook her head.

“I am not arrogant enough to believe that immortality can ever be truly indefinite. Someone like me has one of two logical conclusions. I either find a way to light a divine spark and ascend further, to true godhood, or I die. Eventually. Probably ignominiously, probably violently—I’m sure I will make the whole thing very dramatic, as I know what awaits me.” He shrugged, “I have never been ambitious. Mephistopheles’ maw is all I have to look forward to, once I am done enjoying this plane to its fullest extent.”

Isolde was still shaking her head, but her brow was twisted in concern, not lowered in skepticism. “I’m so sorry.”

“Those scars aren't just a reminder of two centuries of torment. Of what I have lost. They are also a reminder that my soul, imbued with the power and the suffering of seven thousand and seven others, is almost certainly something Mephistopheles was always intent on consuming himself.”

Isolde’s eyes were wet again, but he couldn't tear himself away this time. He watched her as her breathing grew shallow and she processed what he was saying.

“Well. Perhaps, seven thousand and six,” he grimaced. “That's the other thing I should mention, in case you do decide to stay a while longer. And I hope you will.” He cleared his throat, “so—as I recently came into possession of scrolls of true resurrection, you might recall—I brought one of my spawn siblings back from the dead. One of seven.”

Whatever she had been expecting him to say, it was apparent from her baffled, wide-eyed expression that this was far from it. “Naturally.” She blinked.

Astarion fought off a twinge of a smile at the corner of his mouth. A sure sign that Shar’s oppression was lifting. “I don't know what it means. I can’t predict how it might change things. I think I am only just beginning to understand why I did it.”

Isolde’s already raised eyebrows lifted even closer to her hairline. “And?”

“Also, maybe something to do with you. Tangentially.” Astarion frowned, “the night we met, I said that one appeal of spawn is that they have to do as I say. The other appeal, that I didn't want to speak about, is company.” Simple, sad, and still a little difficult to admit. “Immortal life is a long time, if you're lucky. And, although the sense of superiority can get you through a lot—I rather wonder if it wouldn't…” he mulled his choice of words over for a few moments, “help, to not be the only one having to get through it.” 

“Your sibling understands, better than anyone,” Isolde’s tone was still grave, “but… aren't they horribly angry with you?”

“Probably,” Astarion shrugged. “I believe she’s as filled with rage as she can possibly be. But, dearest sister has a very high tolerance for abuse. That rage doesn't manifest itself in the kind of spectacular violence that say…. I would visit on her, if she gave me away to the devil.”

“But you brought her back. She came back.”

“Think that counts for something?” Astarion wondered quietly, more to himself. He knew Aurelia too well to suspect she would return purely for revenge, but he would never make the mistake of thinking she would be grateful.

“The other scroll?”

“A welcome back present for Aurelia,” He'd done that on reflex, but it felt more right than ever.

“Does she go straight back to Mephistopheles when she dies?”

“I imagine so, yes.” But it wasn't certain. How could it be? Even having gone through with the ritual, Astarion still didn't entirely understand all the nuances.

Isolde seemed to run out of questions. Her gaze was fixed on him, and for a moment he wondered if she finally saw him for a monster. But, no, she wasn't recoiling. She wasn't even judging him. 

She did look quite at a loss for words though.

Fair enough.

“Please, stay. You are welcome here.” Astarion knew there wouldn’t be much more he could offer her. He didn’t know if these earnest feelings would be enough to overcome the emptiness that Shar force fed them both. But, he didn’t have anything more. “If you do decide to leave, promise me that you will stay far away from the House of Grief. They are veritable carrion.”

Isolde’s overwhelmed expression softened as he spoke. She took a moment before she responded. “Well. I am rather curious to meet your sister.”

[lucaszie]

Mod List

S4 Mod Masterlist 

Hi! I decided to make a list of my all time favourite Sims 4 mods, that I really just can not play without.   

  Click on the names of the mods to be taken directly to the mod page. 

Please let me know if there is any outdated/not working link! 

Essential:

Simulation Unclogger 

Simulation lag fix 

Better exceptions 

XML Injector (used to make XML mods work) 

The MC Command Center 

Aesthetic/Graphics:

Refreshed Main Menu or the Dynamic version 

Map Replacements Overhaul 

HQ Mod Switch 

Aesthetic Font Default Replacement 

Cars - Animated Loading Screen 

NoBlu v2 

NoGlo V2 

Fluffy clouds Default Replacement 

More Vehicle Variations 

CAS: 

More Columns in CAS 

More Traits in CAS  

Stand Still in CAS 

CAS CONTROLLED POSITION MOD  

Enhanced Butt Slider 

Pouty Lip-Slider 

Tidy CAS category organizers 

CAS BG & Lighting   Hip Shape Slider   

B&B: 

Better BuildBuy  T.O.O.L. 

Gameplay:

Bed Cuddle 

UI Cheats Extension 

TV no auto turn off / Switching channels will not turn off TV 

Eat and Drink Faster AND Optional Version: Prefer to eat at Tables Included 

No Constant Phone 

Shoe Removal Animation Override 

No Auto Food Grab after Cooking 

Sim Spawn Overhaul 

Auto Shorter Teens 

Basic Burns 

Autonomous Pay Bills at Computers 

Auto Brush Teeth 

Weather Realism Overhaul 

Less Intrusive Sims 

No Tune After Loading 

Playable pets (old, but still works as of 171024). Optionally, you can download: Selectable Pets Always 

Interactions Queue Extender 

FullEditMode Always On 

Smarter Pie Menu 

Realistic Cooking Mod 

Basemental Drugs 

Healthy Living 

Cuddle And Bath Together 

UI Moods overhaul

NSFW: 

WickedWhims 

BTTB 6 + add-ons: Pubic Hair 3D + Penis Tip Color + Penis Vein  BTTB 7 

Gay Animations WW (requires LoversLab account) 

GShade presets: 

New Gemini 

Simemi's Preset

[atsoraasayoma]

Is Homeostasis the True Villain? Or is she a grand architect in the battle for balance versus chaos?

Don’t let adventure influenced/partially possessed Hikari’s kind demeanor fool you. She is a powerhouse giving Digimon the intense power to surpass limits and digivolve such as wargreymon slicing up Machinedramon like an onion.

She is strangely absent in Zero Two but Gennai and the Digimon Sovereign act as agents in her stead. It seems the goal is, at the time for evil to be eradicated by the wishes of children and their power/energy for their Digimon to digivolve.

Sounds innocent enough, right?

Fast forward to Digimon Tri where she body snatches Himekawa messing her up in the process as she gives the order to sacrifice her partner.

Then to Hikari being possessed and controlled as well. (This is why you don’t answer unknown calls people).

When this happens all kind benevolent pretext is over. If you fail your part she will intervene. Whether reboot of the Digital World or the real one. Any threats to the Digital World must be contained.

She even taunts the Digidestined telling them that their teamwork has failed them this time. Perhaps she treats them coldly because they are no longer little kids with infinite potential but teenagers whose powers are there but limited. How limited?

Fast Forward to Kizuna. We learn from Gennai a Digidestined has an expiration date as a chosen child unless they can unlock new potential. Menoa is the personification of that Despair but Homeostasis does NOT intervene.

Why? Strange as it is I think she was going to use the data of the brainwashed kids to recreate Digimon and human partners without an expiration date. She recognized Menoa’s despair and allowed her the light of Digivolution from this newly synthetic Digimon with data based off her partner to take authority and fulfill her desire. And IF she succeeded Homeistasis would reap the results.

But, this failed. She lost the Digidestined that had done the most for her and those Digidestined were no longer necessary having expired.

So now where does she go from here? How can SHE protect the Digital World when all of her efforts only are leading to more work?

It’s simple and brilliant if not disturbing. Like many have said she used the suffering of Rui as a blueprint for Digidestined partners. This relationship would be a litmus test on just how far the power of wishing could save the Digital World.

We’ve seen it in 02 the final battle with MaloMyotismon and the epilogue. Everyone gets a Digimon (or at least a Digidestined’s powers to have a partner are hereditary even going as far as the TYPE of partner a Digidestined will have).

But I believe much like the reboot option this Ukkomon partnership is a failsafe. She studies and manipulates Rui’s situation of utter despair and loneliness. And this is before she uses the Original Digidestined. It’s a nuclear option for her in case she needs to use it.

The friends Ukkomon creates as justification for the Digidestined line are self fulfilling prophecies, creating problems, fixing them, and then the influence of those involved directly or indirectly with the conflict of those problems spawning new Chosen Children but not Digidestined.

These new Chosen Children are basic as we have never seen them go beyond the champion level. They are not of the particular kind of what qualifies as a Digidestined for they were not guided to solve conflicts directly. Merely indirectly chosen children would be used for their power of wishing and sheer numbers to defend the Digital World against threats.

But, years went by with little to no conflict. Aside from Menoa in Kizuna there was no ‘new’ threat although Chosen Children were increasing every year. Through their efforts Homeostasis indirectly through Ukkomon’s power of granting Rui’s wish activated that fail safe.

Everyone was supposed to get a partner. If everyone has a partner this would ensure there would be no running out of tools/chosen children to defend the Digital World. When they would die of old age the next Chosen Child would replace them.

That was the plan. That was Homeostasis’s goal. It was the harmony and the balance needed to stave off the continual threats to the Digital World.

But, that plan, that fail safe did NOT go through. The 02 Digidestined stopped her machinations. They foiled her grand design for perpetual protection.

And so, between now and the epilogue I believe she is in desperation mode. Why? Lurking in the background between Digital World narratives and the Digidestined I believe there is a threat unlike any other that DEMANDS every single human being to have a partner to stave off the viral Digital Threat.

If it’s so powerful Homeostasis actively manipulates generations JUST to get to this point I believe it is so severe sheer numbers will be needed or the power of their wishes.

Much like we saw with the birth of Omegamon the combined power of not just humans, but Chosen Children is necessary to defeat a foe so mighty it is the most powerful viral Digimon to ever exist. I would go so far to say it may be the SOURCE of all the viral Digimon much like how Apocalymon was the source of the original adventure antagonists.

In other words, with the Digidestined having completely shut down her last effort to save the Digital World she is going to have to no choice but rely on the 02 Digidestined.

The OGs are out except in a support role. The 02 Digidestined, specifically Takeru and Hikari will be greatly needed in order to unlock a savior Digimon to stop the ultimate threat.

Remember. all of the Digidestined except for Takeru and Hikari don’t have the full power of a crest. ONLY they do. Ken is questionable ? He never used it to Digivolve. The others have/had Digi eggs that used the passed on influences of the crests but not the crests directly themselves. Homeostasis will convince them somehow to unlock an ultimate power to eliminate the viral threat once and for all so both worlds will be in peace so the utopia Hikari imagined and Homeostasis strives for will be achieved.

I don’t know what this threat is but it will be life threatening on a genocidal scale.

It will involve the whole world and there are only a few Digidestined left (and thousands of foot soldiers) that can stand up to it.

It will be a grand climax felt through generations. It will somehow restore the OG Digidestined partnerships and lead us to an epilogue that may take on a more defined conclusion.

All of these events in the anime and the movies are pivot points linking to this one final threat where the fate of humanity and Digimon will be decided.

Let’s hope the 02 Digidestined are up for the challenge.

Because, after all their teamwork has never failed them. Their bond with their Digimon is as strong as ever. They are the unwritten exception to the rule and have more to give, and bonds that regardless of life’s circumstances will NEVER expire.

They are the 02 Crew. THEY are the Digidestined Homeostasis will have to go all in on. And THEY and their Digimon will be the catalysts to decide the fate of both worlds.

[hellcatalex1]

Part 3- Together (Unbinding the Curse)

Astarion x Female Elf Durge

Post game, One year after the fall of the nether-brain, Spawn Astarion.

Triggers: blood, adult language, adult themes, nightmare, trauma.

Gale nods and steps aside, allowing you and Astarion to approach the pedestal. The box seems to pulse with a quiet energy, as if it were alive and aware of your presence. Astarion’s hand hovers above it, his fingers trembling slightly, betraying the emotions he’s trying to keep in check.

You place your hand on his, grounding him. “Whatever happens, we face it together, remember?”

He looks at you, his eyes searching yours for reassurance. Finally, he nods, and together, you lift the lid of the box. Inside, nestled in a bed of velvet, is a small, crystalline vial. The liquid within shimmers with an ethereal light, shifting between shades of silver and violet. It’s beautiful, but there’s something about it that makes your skin prickle with unease.

Gale leans in, his eyes wide with awe. “This is it. A phylactery of ancient Netherese origin. It’s said to contain the essence of a long-dead archmage, one who sought to transcend mortality itself.”

Astarion’s breath hitches. “And you think… it could do the opposite for me?”

Gale hesitates, choosing his words carefully. “The Netherese were obsessed with bending immortality and mortality. Their magic was unparalleled. If this phylactery holds even a fraction of that power… then yes, it could cure your vampirism, or at the very least, alter it.”

You feel a surge of hope, but it’s tempered by caution. “What are the risks?” You ask.

Gale’s expression darkens. “The magic within is volatile. The phylactery was designed to bind a soul to it, preserving the owner’s essence. If Astarion uses it, it could merge with him in unpredictable ways. There’s no guarantee of what he’ll become… or if he’ll survive the process.”

Astarion’s gaze locks onto the vial, the conflict evident in his eyes. The chance for a life free from the curse of vampirism that has haunted him for centuries, but at what cost? He could be free… or he could lose everything, including himself.

You tighten your grip on his hand. “Astarion, you don’t have to do this. We can find another way.”

He shakes his head, a sad smile on his lips. “How long have I waited for this moment? The chance to be free, to walk in the sun again, to live without the constant hunger gnawing at my soul? I can’t just walk away from it now. But…” He pauses, his voice softening. “I promise I won’t rush into this decision."

The room is thick with tension as Astarion weighs his options. Finally, he looks to you, his expression resolute. “What do you think? Should we take this chance?”

Your heart pounds in your chest as you consider his question. You think back to everything you’ve been through together, the battles, the close calls, the quiet moments of tenderness..... and then Cazador. You’ve always been stronger together, but this… this is different. This is a risk that could change everything.

“I think…” you begin, choosing your words carefully. “I think this is a decision that can’t be rushed. We need to understand exactly what we’re dealing with. If there’s even a chance this could help you without destroying who you are, then we should explore it. But we do it cautiously, step by step, with all the knowledge we can gather.”

Astarion nods, relief washing over his features. “You’re right. We’ve faced too much to throw it all away on a whim.”

Gale looks between the two of you, then gestures toward the phylactery. “There may be a way to learn more before we decide. The phylactery is linked to the spirit within. I could attempt to communicate with it, to see if it’s willing to share any knowledge. It’s a delicate process, though, and there’s no telling how the spirit will react.”

“Then let’s do it,” Astarion says, his voice firm. “We’ll gather every piece of information we can before making a decision.”

Gale nods and begins to prepare for the ritual, drawing intricate runes around the pedestal and muttering incantations under his breath. As he works, you and Astarion step back, watching him with a mix of anticipation and anxiety.

Shadowheart, who has been silent until now, finally speaks up. “This is dangerous, but I understand why you’re doing it. Just know that whatever happens, you have my support.”

Astarion glances at her, surprised by her words. “Thank you, Shadowheart. That means… more than you know.”

She gives him a small, genuine smile before returning to her usual stoic expression. “Just don’t do anything reckless, alright?”

“No promises,” Astarion replies with a wink, though there’s a seriousness in his tone that you don’t miss.

Gale finishes his preparations and takes a deep breath, turning to face the three of you. “I’m ready. This will take all of my concentration, so I’ll need complete silence. If anything goes wrong… well, let’s just hope it doesn’t.”

You and Astarion exchange a glance, then step back to give Gale space. The air in the room grows thick with tension as Gale begins the ritual, his voice rising and falling in a strange, melodic chant. The runes around the pedestal glow with a soft, golden light, and the phylactery begins to pulse in time with Gale’s words.

As the ritual continues, the light from the phylactery intensifies, filling the room with an otherworldly glow. You can feel the magic crackling in the air, and a sense of dread creeps into your chest. This is no ordinary magic, this is power beyond comprehension, and it’s dangerous.

Suddenly, the light from the phylactery flares, and a ghostly figure begins to materialize above it. The figure is translucent, its features shifting and indistinct, but you can make out the shape of a humanoid man, tall and regal, with eyes that burn like twin stars.

Gale’s voice falters for a moment, but he quickly regains his composure. “Great spirit,” he intones, his voice steady. “We seek your knowledge. Tell us, what is the purpose of this phylactery? What power does it hold?”

The spirit’s eyes flicker, and when it speaks, its voice is like the whisper of a thousand souls. “This vessel holds the essence of my life, the culmination of all my power. It was crafted to preserve my soul, to grant me eternity beyond death. But in the hands of another… it can do more. It can transform, it can enhance, it can elevate… or it can destroy.”

Astarion steps forward, his gaze locked on the spirit. “And if I were to use it? What would happen to me?”

The spirit’s eyes narrow, its form shifting ominously. “You seek to escape your curse, to walk in the light once more. The phylactery can grant you that, but it comes at a cost. The power within is too great for any mortal to wield without consequence. You would be changed… perhaps beyond recognition. Or you may be consumed entirely.”

The room falls silent as the weight of the spirit’s words sinks in. The choice before you and Astarion is clearer now, but no less daunting. The power to be free from the curse is within reach, but it could come at the ultimate price.

Gale finally breaks the silence, his voice subdued. “We have our answer. The risk is great, but so is the potential reward. Astarion… the decision is yours.”

Astarion looks down at the phylactery, his expression unreadable. Finally, he turns to you, his eyes searching yours for guidance. “What do you think, love? Do we take the chance, or do we walk away?”

Your heart aches with the enormity of the decision. You think of the life you’ve built together, the love you share, and the future that could be waiting for you. But you also think of the risk, the possibility of losing Astarion, of him losing himself.

After a long, agonizing moment, you take a deep breath and speak the words that have been weighing on your heart. “I can’t make this choice for you, Astarion. But whatever you decide, know that I’m with you. Always.”

Astarion’s eyes soften, and he pulls you into a tight embrace. “Thank you,” he whispers, his voice thick with emotion. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m grateful every day that you’re by my side.”

Astarion holds you for a long moment, his breath warm against your ear, before finally stepping back. He gazes at the phylactery with a mixture of longing and trepidation, as if the weight of centuries is pressing down on him all at once.

“This could be the end of everything,” he murmurs, almost to himself. “Or the beginning of something new.”

You reach out, gently touching his arm. “Whatever happens, you won’t face it alone.”

Astarion nods, his resolve hardening. He turns back to Gale, who is watching with a mixture of curiosity and concern. “I’ve made my decision,” Astarion says, his voice steady. “But I need to know more. How do we use the phylactery safely? How do we ensure it doesn’t destroy me?”

Gale frowns, clearly thinking through the possibilities. “The ritual would be complex. We’d need to draw on the phylactery’s power carefully, channeling it into you in a controlled manner. If we’re not careful, the energy could overwhelm you, or even shatter your soul.”

“Then we need to be careful,” Astarion replies, his eyes glinting with determination. “We’ve faced worse, haven’t we?”

Shadowheart steps forward, her gaze serious. “If you’re going to do this, we’ll need to make preparations. We can’t just rush into it without knowing the risks. We should seek out more knowledge, find someone who understands the Netherese magic better than we do.”

Gale nods in agreement. “There is a sage in Waterdeep who specialize in ancient magic. We could consult them, gather all the information we can before we attempt anything. It’s not a decision to take lightly.”

You look at Astarion, feeling a pang of relief that he’s willing to approach this with caution. The thought of losing him to this ancient magic is too much to bear.

“What do you think?” you ask, searching his eyes. “Should we find these sages and learn more?”

Astarion considers this for a moment before nodding. “Yes, it’s the wise thing to do. We’ve come this far, we can afford to wait a little longer. If there’s any chance of doing this safely, we need to take it.”

Gale claps his hands together, clearly relieved. “Excellent! I’ll make inquiries right away. We should have some answers within a day or two. In the meantime, we can rest and prepare ourselves for what’s to come, you are all welcome to stay here in my tower."

Shadowheart crosses her arms, her gaze lingering on the phylactery. “This is a dangerous path we’re walking. But if it means giving Astarion a chance at a better life, it’s worth the risk.”

The four of you agree to set out the next day to seek the counsel of the sage. For now, there’s nothing more to be done but wait. You retreat to your shared quarters in Gale’s tower, the weight of the decision still heavy on your mind.

Inside the room, the atmosphere is different, more charged with the unknown. Astarion seems restless, pacing the length of the small space. You watch him for a moment before standing and placing a hand on his shoulder.

“We’ll find the answers we need,” you say softly.

Astarion stops pacing and looks at you, his eyes reflecting a thousand unspoken thoughts. “You’re right,” he says finally, his voice tinged with both hope and fear. “I just, this is the closest I’ve ever been to truly being free. And yet, it’s terrifying. What if we can’t control it? What if I become something monstrous?”

You step closer, cupping his face in your hands. “You won’t,” you say firmly. “You’re stronger than you know, Astarion. We’ll take every precaution. We’ll make sure you come out of this whole.”

He leans into your touch, closing his eyes as if drawing strength from your presence. “I trust you,” he whispers, his voice almost breaking. “I trust you more than anyone.”

You pull him into a tender kiss, letting the connection between you speak the words that neither of you can fully express. When you finally pull back, Astarion seems calmer, more grounded.

“Let’s get some rest,” you suggest, guiding him toward the bed. “Tomorrow will be a long day.”

He nods, allowing you to lead him. As you lie down together, he wraps his arms around you, spooning you from behind. The chill of his body against yours is comforting, a coldness you have gotten used to, something that was unique to him.

But sleep doesn’t come easily. The weight of the decision hangs over you like a storm cloud, the potential for both great reward and terrible loss swirling in your mind. Every time you close your eyes, you see the phylactery, glowing with that strange, ethereal light, and Astarion, standing on the precipice of a future that could be either wondrous or disastrous.

Eventually, exhaustion takes over, and you drift into a fitful sleep, your dreams filled with visions of ancient magic, swirling shadows, and Astarion’s face, torn between hope and fear.

Click here for part 4

[greatwyrmgold]

Noah Caldwell-Gervais's new Dragon Age video reignited the flames of long-dormant discourse in my heart. Vitriol for DLC, which I personally think is ridiculous. I do not think there is a valid argument against video game DLC that does not apply equally well to paying money for video games in general.

(A position I'm much more open to now than I was when DLC was a more relevant discourse topic, but that's not an argument DLC haters make so it's not one I'll address.)

I'll start by clarifying that I'm talking specifically about classic-style DLC, where you made a purchase and could download and use that content for as long as relevant servers worked and the game worked on your PC. Pay $20 for a new area with side quests, pay $7.99 for weapons and other options, pay $2.50 for horse armor. There are a lot of ways DLC shades into other forms of monetization (gacha games and battle passes and so forth), and I don't want to defend all of it. Just the classic DLC model.

Back in the day (and sometimes today), people talked about DLC as if it's taking bits out of a finished game to sell them separately. They say it's unfair or immoral to sell those separately, with a separate price tag, when it's part of the complete experience!

And I just do not think that is materially true. Let me start by questioning the concept of a "complete game" by pointing to Knights of the Old Republic 2, a 2004 game which quite famously had a ton of cut content—content that we only know about because (for technical reasons) it was left on the disks. Would KOTOR 2 be more complete if we didn't know about the cut content?

Games have always had stuff that got cut late in development. A random game from 1990 is likely not "more complete" than a random game from 2020, but 1990 didn't have any way for devs to distribute the unfinished content even if they did finish it later. Never mind how the manager could justify paying all eight developers for the couple of months it would take to finish that stuff! Either it got spun off into a new game or it lingered in hard drives, never to see the light of day.

From an audience standpoint, I have not seen anyone name a narrative DLC which is actually essential for the game. Excluding the DLC narrative content does not make the game's narrative incomplete, any more than excluding Han Solo from the original Star Wars movie would make it incomplete. The story works perfectly fine without Mos Eisley cantina, without Han helping rescue Leia, without the unexpected return of Han Solo at the end.

Don't get me wrong, Star Wars without Han Solo would be a worse movie. But bad movies are not automatically incomplete; they can be both complete and bad. Star Wars without Han Solo would just be a worse movie, no more incomplete than any other 1977 sci-fi film that didn't spawn a billion-dollar franchise.

And it's also not true from a production standpoint. I'm gonna link an Ask a Game Dev post on the subject and share a lightly edited image from his FAQ.

There might be exceptions, but broadly speaking, every game dev I've seen speak on the issue says that DLC is not stuff deliberately cut out of the game after development. Sometimes it's stuff that may have been prototyped during development and then scrapped, or stuff that was developed somewhat but cut because it wasn't working properly by the cutoff date, but it's essentially never complete material cut out for marketing reasons alone.

DLC is, from an internal perspective, a project that is connected to the original game, but with a separate budget and separate revenue. Less revenue, to be sure, but also less budget, because the underlying engine works and you might reuse some of those old buggy prototypes in the product.

This is true of Day 1 DLC, by the way. For business reasons, video games need to be basically done long before they are actually available for sale. The certification process is the big culprit here; it's a back-and-forth between devs and various platforms where basically the entire team needs to be available (in case something they made breaks), but most of the team won't have stuff to do. Adding anything new could cause a whole slew of new issues to arise somewhere or another, so you can't do that in the certification slog.

Clever game companies find some other project for idle employees to pitch in on. Maybe another game being developed for later release. Maybe a live-service content pack. Maybe DLC. And certification for DLC (or patches) of an already-certified game is a lot faster than getting the base game certified!

You might argue that this is no different than if the developers were allowed to keep working on the game until much closer to launch. I would say yes, it is like if the devs were working on a video game, that's why paying for day-one DLC is equivalent to paying for a video game.

You might argue that they could just include that DLC content as a free patch. I would say yeah, they could. They could also release the entire game as a free product. It's not like each electronic copy of the new CoD game costs $60 to manufacture!

You might argue that the game publisher needs to make money somehow to justify paying the devs that make the game. I would point out that DLC is often treated as a separate project with a separate budget, or at least a certain amount of the "central budget" allocated for DLC purposes.

Every reasonable, informed argument about DLC must either conclude with "It's fine for DLC to have a price tag" or "Video games should be free".`

Thanks for reading my rant. Or at least existing in a state where you could have read my rant, giving me a space where I can type stuff like this to get it off my chest. Man, I wish I had that ten years ago.

[meepinmeat]

Progeny Of A Venus

[Dropping the Celestial origin lore for Celestino (WOOOOAAAHH GO FIGURE IT WAS IN HIS NAME THE ENTIRE TIME I'M INNOVATIVE ASF-) and playing around with the color options for the skin, my brain had its light bulb lit. WHAT IF- NO, DIONEL IS HIS BIRTH PARENT LIKE LITERALLY HIS DADDY. THE DADDY OF THE GREAT MAGISTER MERLIN. CLAIMING THIS HEADCANON LORE FOR MY MERLIN, CELESTINO!]

[So here's a sort of epilogue? Starter fic explaining Cel's origins as Dionel's offspring. Hope you likey, I'm no top-notch writer]

It was a choice unlike what they know of Dionel. Him? The one who drinks nearly all his free time, who would much rather use that time to kick back.. relax.. be carefree without having to put much thought and responsibility into anything else except of course, wiping the wretched Hypogeans from the face of existence. But it was still an unexpected decision on his end, for him to suddenly want to be a parent.

"Things have been dying down as of late. Most of my fellow Celestials do not see any further reason to be around for much longer. The war is over, the numbers of those foul creatures have decreased dramatically so to the point where it is manageable and sufficient that only a handful of us are needed to see to it that those remaining have their lives be dealt with." After clenching his fist for a moment, he takes a sip of his malt nectar brew from his golden goblet.

"Natheless, it does not change the fact that I am not particularly close with the current fellow Celestials I have with me right now. Not that they're bad company, no, don't get me wrong. But they're only.. good enough to be my acquaintances. United with the sole purpose of our duty bestowed upon us by Dura herself. However, I do not have a rather substantial emotional connection with my fellows. The mortals are good on their own as well, they revere and find comfort in me as I like myself be approachable to the mortals. I am much laid-back with them and I do not actually deem myself too good for them to not so much as to spare a glance, share my drink and conversation." He admits this is loneliness on an intrapersonal level. Something he doesn't expect to feel as a divine being who's lived many a millennia.

It's as if only now did it come to his attention that in his personal life that he doesn't have anyone to connect with on a more deeper and meaningful level. He doesn't need a crowd by any means, no. He only needs.. just one to worth his while, and what better way than to grab a bowl and find the most cream-of-the-crop golden wheat, milk and taken the finest silk taken from his cloth to mix together with his own hands and to finalise the process, he blows the breath of life into the mixture.

For what purpose?

To create another Celestial being. To... birth one into this world in hopes of filling the void in Dionel's heart that he just now knew of.

Then he heard it, the softest cry he's ever heard of an infant. So soft and mellow, just nearly above a whisper that it could lull another infant to sleep. His creation coming to fruition. His spawn.. his son. Gently, he grabbed the infant from the bowl and held him with the utmost care. Smiling warmly down upon the little one as it wriggled and quietly called out for comfort and nurture. "Do not fret, my boy. Father is here.." His voice soothed the tiny Celestial boy with milky fair skin and golden wheat blonde hair. His eyes just barely able to open but Dionel could catch a glimpse of those stoney-cold black orbs.

To him, the boy is just perfect. Marvellous, and atop of all, gorgeous. Truly the creation and handiwork of another Celestial, surely it must be made known and instilled upon permanence, "Celestino.. oh my boy.. yes, you will grow with mighty glory and grace." As if hearing those words, Celestino ceased his crying. Reduced to mere whimpers and cooing with tiny balled fists that Dionel couldn't resist lending a finger out and wriggling it into the boy's hand. With immediancy, he latches onto his father's finger. Hugging it even as the pale-blonde Archon walks off with his child in his arms, squished to his chest where little Celestino's ear was propped to hear his father's beating heart.

Already feeling that.. connection, love and warmth flowing through his entire being for the boy. That alone, elates their hearts to this very day.

[Celestino with his original coloration before he became a Graveborn. Before the Undead Archon came to be.]

(Dionel after giving birth to the greatest mage in all of Esperia with a basic ass cake recipe:)