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professional-anti · 5 years

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Chapter Twelve: Dead Man’s Party

Right off the bat, C/lare uses the word “forbidding” when I really think she means “foreboding” but that’s nbd. The Sensor turns out to be, um, an iPad with GPS. I thought this thing was for detecting demons, but Isabelle’s using it to get them to the party. Whatever. At the building where the party is, they find some vampire motorcycles, which are pretty cool. Like I’ve said before, I love monsters-take-Manhattan vibes. The book tries to be subtle, but J/ace super un-subtly messes with one of the motorcycles. This kind of petty crime is exactly the type of bullshit that ruins the S/hadowhunters’ image!

We finally meet M/agnus, and he’s a centuries old scene kid. M/agnus kindly lets them in, and J/ace threatens to attack the guests. Nice one. Simon and Cassandra joke together, and the evil slut Isabelle is like, “What’s the joke?” and wow what a bitch.

Just like in Sarah Janet’s books, the background characters are SO much more interesting than the boring protrags. I want to know more about the “lilac-skinned woman in a metallic bustier” or the “good-looking boy with wet green-black hair” with teeth that are “sharp and serrated, like a shark’s”. You know what? Let’s make one up. The lilac-skinned woman is a potions-master who has been banished from her home dimension after an unsuccessful attempt to poison the her the king and take his place. Now she caters elite magical parties, perfecting her potions-skills until the time when she can try again. The shark boy is the shark version of a selkie. The lilac-skinned girl has stolen his skin for one of her potions, and he’s here to get it back.

Wow, I got really invested in their lives for a moment there. I can’t believe we have to go back to Cassandra and co. We find our heroine judging Isabelle and Simon for dancing without leaving room for Jesus. She literally thinks “if they dance any closer together, they won’t have to go off in a corner to have sex.” I’m sorry, C/lary, who died and made you the nun chaperone?

A vampire is mad bc J/ace poured holy water into his gas tank. No one ever make J/ace a diplomat. Though it is a cool detail that holy water ruins these bikes. What a mixed bag! #lemonysnicket #theersatzelevator #likeifyouknowwhati’mtalkingabout

M/agnus uses magic to shoo away the vampire. This poor man just wanted to enjoy a night with his bike, cracking open a few warm ones with the lads. Press f to pay respects :,(

I AM. I AM. GUYS, I FOUND IT. THE BEST/WORST METAPHOR IN THESE BOOKS. BRACE YOURSELVES. WINTER IS COMING. I CAN’T!!!

M/agnus’s voice was honey poured over shards of glass.

UM. I. OKAY. SURE. YUP. UH HUH. GOT IT.

M/agnus’s room is Extra. He has a ton of makeup, but he isn’t villainised like Isabelle. There are obviously so many prejudices men who wear makeup have to deal with, and I don’t mean to minimize that at all, but in this specific case, I really think that C/lare has a sort of gut instinct to revile girls she thinks of as “sluts”.

Apparently M/agnus is High Warlock of Brooklyn, which raises so many other questions. Why aren’t there other warlocks at his party? Where do the warlocks live? There’s a warlock community? How do they organize themselves? Was M/agnus elected or did he appoint himself?

M/agnus quotes Oscar Wilde. I can see Cassandra sitting there typing like, “I’ve got it! A-ha! M/agnus likes men, so I will have him quote from the great Victorian gay man himself!” Alternatively, she mused, “How do I make sure my readers know I am Smart? I know! I will include a quote from a classical writer!”

Cassandra and co. ask M/agnus what he knows about C/lary’s mind block. M/agnus revealed that he blocked C/lary’s mind AND HE LEFT HIS NAME AS A SIGNATURE. There’s a moment that’s, well, very familiar.

M/agnus raised his hand, tracing the fiery outlines of letters against the air. When he dropped his hand, they hung there, hot and golden, making the painted lines of his eyes and mouth burn with reflected light: M/agnus B/ane.

Moving on...

So when C/lary was a kid, M/agnus spelled her so that whenever she saw a Downworlder or anything else magical, she would forget about it. And then he signed the spell, leaving his name in her mind. Because that makes a ton of sense and is really smart.

The final revelation of the chapter……….C/lary’s mom asked M/agnus to do it. Duh.

#anti cassandra clare #anti the mortal instruments #book snark #CoB: Chapter 12 #CoB snark

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nardaviel · 7 years

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Part 3 / ?, wherein they go camping, much to Kinshirou’s dismay.

This is a long, image-heavy post. I’ve had it ready since like December but I never bothered to post it until now because I stopped playing the game for a while and I’m lazy. If you’re reading this on my blog and it’s done the obnoxious thing where it doesn’t show readmores, just click the date <3

You probably don’t remember where we left off because it’s been ages since the last post. I didn’t remember either. En had just gotten his second promotion in a few days; the game continued to insist on sending him home from work in an awkward outfit on promotion days. Kinshirou had just published his etiquette manual, and I had finally learned how to keep Atsushi from being miserable when he got home from work. However, En and Atsushi’s work schedules still kept them from spending much time together as a group.

En’s latest work of art is a beautiful, subtle masterpiece. I know that because I, an ignorant philistine, see the art of a 6-year-old, but an art gallery was interested enough to pay $50 more than he usually gets for large paintings.

This is kind of sweet, but he and En aren’t even engaged yet. Calm down, Kinshirou. It’s amazing how well the game knows them asd;lfk

Atsushi has been promoted to caterer!! A $10/hour raise so that his hourly wage is no longer a pittance, a $368 bonus, and a coffeepot. His work hours start an hour earlier and end two hours earlier, which still isn’t very good :\ but look, he’s so proud of himself.

To get to the next level of his career, he has to start learning to mix drinks. I’ve dreaded this moment because the last time I bought someone a bar to level mixology, they never wanted to do anything else again except mix drinks. I took it away in the end.

Kinshirou wakes up, sees that En’s gone, and goes to find him in the bathroom just so that he can kiss his cheek.

Since he’s awake now anyway, En paints an Enatsu painting and then a Kinatsuen painting, one after another. I can’t bring myself to sell either of them. The Kinatsuen one is going to stay where it is, but I’m putting the Enatsu one in Atsushi’s room, because it’s kind of bare at the moment.

En’s suave kiss is different than Kinshirou’s was. I assume it’s because he and Atsushi aren’t boyfriends yet? But Atsushi still seems charmed.

And now that they’ve drawn my attention to that oversight, Atsushi asks En to be his boyfriend.

You can imagine your own dialogue here. You’re all so dirty-minded.

En is into it, though.

He immediately kisses Atsushi on the cheek. I’m glad all the Sims think that’s as cute as I do.

Now they can all go on a much-deserved(???) vacation :D En and Atsushi have to take some vacation days to do it, but they want to spend some time together as a triad.

They’re going camping! For four days. It’s cheap, and they’re still a little broke. En and Atsushi are nervous, but willing to give it a try. Kinshirou...

..yeah.

Their home away from home. There are cabins and houses you can rent, but... like I said. They’re broke.

Kinshirou decides to start his vacation by practicing horseshoes. If this is all they have for entertainment, he’s going to master it.

But En doesn’t like that attitude.

En: Come on, cheer up, it’ll be fun. Kinshirou: Hmm... Maybe so, then.

Kinshirou: ...but I’ll still win at this game. Move.

As you can see behind them, Atsushi has been setting up their tents.

He’s also the only one to introduce himself to the park ranger. In other words, he continues to be the only useful Sim.

En is a miracle worker wtf

Once Atsushi’s done the boring stuff, he can join his boyfriends and spend his time being cute and flirty, as was the point of this vacation.

Kinshirou lights the fire for no reason. You’d think after part two, he’d have seen enough fire.

En... get up. What if Atsushi drops that horseshoe?

He does get up, finally. He has important painting to do.

Yes, I did add the easel to the lot before I brought them here. This vacation is costing $3 more per night than it otherwise would have.

So much excitement for a mediocre toss. And Atsushi can’t pretend to be impressed because he’s besieged by bugs.

Maybe En is trying to develop a style reminiscent of a young child’s?

Meanwhile, Kinshirou is still struggling with horseshoes.

So it’s easy, but you’re still bad at it? Got it.

Atsushi reassures him until he’s not embarrassed anymore...

...so now snobbish boredom is his dominant emotion. Look at that face. Why does anyone tolerate him?

If you’re wondering where En went, he’s taking a shower in here.

Atsushi’s first attempt at grilling!

En is drawn back by the promise of Atsushi’s excellent-quality(!!) baked potatoes. They’re sparkling! Atsushi’s so happy :D

Happy boyfriends, although Atsushi is again plagued by bugs.

Help him

Kinshirou wanders off in the middle of a conversation and goes to sleep. En is glad to have an excuse to do to the same.

Atsushi goes to the bathroom, but doesn’t return. When I check on him, I find him like this:

He’s stargazing. <3 But that’s not the spot I would have chosen, myself.

The next morning, Atsushi happily makes breakfast. He seems to be moving past any fire-related trauma from his near-death experience in part two.

Kinshirou also goes to the bathroom and doesn’t return. When I find him, not only is he making unnecessary food, he’s making exactly the same thing as Atsushi, except

wth a lot less skill behind it.

He burns himself. :c Just go eat breakfast with the others, Kinshirou.

Kinshirou: En, isn’t Atchan wonderful? He makes the best food, and he’s always so kind...

En: Yeah, you’re right. Atsushi’s great.

Atsushi looks so embarrassed... Change the subject, guys.

They’ve ventured out to the national park! They’re learning how to fish in case Atsushi ever wants to use fish in a meal.

They keep gaining friendship with each other and with this girl, even though none of them have said a word. Maybe words aren’t necessary when you’re fishing buddies.

Kinshirou catches two fish before either of the others catch anything. So when Atsushi catches one...

...he’s super excited.

Finally, to En’s incredulous annoyance, it becomes clear that he won’t catch anything in that spot.

Poor En-chan.

...poor En-chan.

There, back to normal.

Before they give up altogether on En learning to fish, they’ll try this one other spot. I just really want En to learn how to fish a;lskjf ...but the fish are too crafty for him here, too.

This is the face of a man who no longer cares.

Catching the fish made Atsushi confident, so he decides that En will be real impressed if he shows off his muscles. ...It’s sweet of En to humor him.

I see you back there, bear man. Fuck off.

I said fuck off.

If the last screenshot had you wondering, Kinshirou is telling an unbelievable story.

God damn it they’re all tense now

Kinshirou mocks the bear costume because I’m annoyed he’s annoyed about the situation. Then the three of them leave, so that they aren’t tense anymore.

Atsushi cooks his fish while En entertains them all with an adventure story :D

He follows up with a ghost story. Atsushi hangs on his every word.

Kinshirou chooses to find it amusing.

................ I forgot that ghost stories summon ghosts.

Oops.

He doesn’t stay long, though. The ghost that haunts the picnic table...

What has En done?!

En: Holy shit, my bad. Kinshirou: Well done, En. Good job.

Atsushi, in the background, is preoccupied. He’s exposing himself to the source of his fears in order to lessen the fear. No ghosts will get in the way of his exposure therapy.

They go back to their campsite, where the ghost is not. Kinshirou hopes that if he goes to sleep, he’ll be less freaked out about the ghost in the morning. En has other ideas for how to dispel his tension. Atsushi never even noticed the ghost to begin with, but he’s happy to go along with En.

...at which point I remember that this is the first Enatsu WooHoo! Congrats, guys. They get a happy moodlet from good WooHoo, as well, like En and Kinshirou did that once (except theirs was from “spectacular” WooHoo but ok whatever).

Kinshirou and Atsushi have never had a WooHoo so good they got a happy moodlet. I guess En is just really good at WooHoo.

Morning activities c:

Atsushi made this meal twice and it was poor quality both times. Fish tacos 2.0. At least he’s not so heartbroken about it this time.

This screenshot has no narrative value. I just thought it was cute.

The food was so bad it made them all feel sick... Oh, well. Atsushi is still learning.

En... I know you’re a slob, but there are limits...

“From the moist depths of the trash, En has recovered: 1 baconite.” Congratulations, En. Was it worth it.

It wouldn’t be a Kinatsuen Sims post without a screenshot of Atsushi looking distressed. This is why I put you in your tent to relax, Atsushi!! Just rest for a little while, you’ll feel better soon.

He takes it out on the bugs instead. I guess that works too.

This is the moodlet Kinshirou got after he and Atsushi WooHooed:

But this is Atsushi’s:

Kinshirou, you worry too much. Atsushi liked it, see? It looks like I spoke too soon about no happy moodlets from Kinatsu WooHoo, although it’d have been nice if they’d both gotten it.

But Kinshirou must not be too mortified, because he accepts Atsushi’s offer to be BFFs.

...and only afterwards did I realize that you can’t have multiple BFFs, and there’s no mod to make it possible. I guess it doesn’t matter too much, but poor En.

This is the only couple that hasn’t WooHooed in a tent yet. They should have a turn.

...but really that’s only an excuse to get them doing something else so that Atsushi can wander off and harvest wild things guilt-free. I want him to learn herbalism.

He identifies things by eating them, which makes me nervous. But the WooHoo back there seems to be going well.

lol.

Kinshirou now has two concurrent WooHoo moodlets. I’m proud of him.

Desperate for culture and civilization, he decides to view this big statue. But the bugs have other plans.

Dont look so resigned, En. Maybe it’ll go better this time.

(It did go better! He caught a fish. But I was following Kinshirou around in his herbalism journey and missed it.)

This again... If they can’t learn that every time you poke a fire with a stick, the stick catches fire, maybe they should just stay away from fire.

Because En is a lazy Sim, he doesn't jog when he has to go long distances like the other two do. As a result, it takes him a million years to go places. They all started to head back to the campsite at the same time, but Atsushi has already cooked and eaten dinner, and Kinshirou has burned a stick as well, by the time En deigns to show up.

After dinner, Atsushi asks Kinshirou to go stargazing. <3

There aren’t many screenshots for the next day because they don’t do much of anything interesting. That’s largely because they sleep very late.

Kinshirou, pls

This is not the time to hit on Atsushi. Atsushi is fighting the eternal battle against the bugs.

Or so I would have said, but whatever En does here, he manages to get Atsushi’s attention.

...then he turns and starts talking to Kinshirou asldjkf

Atsushi: Hey... En-chan... I’m still up for... you know... you didn’t forget already, did you?

They all keep rolling whims to get married to each other but hey don’t have enough money or friends for a nice wedding yet asdl;jfk and they would be sad in the end if they had the quick, boring type of Sim wedding. They’ll have to daydream quietly about it for a little while longer.

En ends the trip with another story. Not a ghost story this time, though. He learned his lesson. This is a fairytale. Soon afterwards, when he and Kinshirou are stargazing, Kinshirou gets homesick :C Poor baby, he’s not meant for camping.

The next day, without fanfare or screenshots, they head home. I think their vacation was good for them, but Atsushi has no vacation days left, so lets hope he doesn't set himself on fire again before he earns another one.

Will they ever get to see the community lots built and chosen especially for them? Will they get a cat? Will I, in fact, pick up The Sims again at all? When in the world will En and Atsushi have compatible work schedules so that they don’t have to run away into the wilderness to be together? Only time will tell.

Epilogue:

The lion is En’s idea of a painting that inspires confidence.

#boueibu #kinatsuen #enkinatsu #enatsukin #?!?!?!???!?!?! im sure there are other ship names but does anyone check any other tags #w/e #my post #sims 4 kinatsuen #i rly want to play them some more but i have $110 worth of xpacs and game packs to buy and that intimidates me #but i want to get them a kitty ;-;#anyway i thought id post this since its been sitting on my computer for ages waiting to be posted #will anyone even look at this idk but now ill be able to say i posted it #im not proofreading it rn ill do it later

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tegwin · 7 years

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The Counterfeit - Chapter Five

The stranger seems to be rather handy, when it comes down to drawing. And he seems not so in love with that painting anymore, if you look what´s inside his bag. So he might be a kind of painter after all? Let´s see.

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"You must think me really obsessed." he said over the rim of his cup. "Always in front of the same image, day after day.". He grinned. "Well, as I said, you are just an art lover. Or a student." I objected as a possible explanation for his behavior. Probably also to stop that nagging voice inside of me and to relieve my doubts by his answer. But he said nothing. "So, you are a student?" I asked. After a long silence he said, "Yes. I am.". But his voice was rough as he said it and I couldn´t help but wonder why that had taken him so long. We looked at each other for a while. He had a broad face with a nearly square forehead. Strong eyebrows. His chin graced by a three-day beard. And that boyish grin that lit his green eyes and that was so contagious. Without even noticing it I began to smile back at him. "I'm James by the way." he introduced himself. And again he flickered another smile at me. "James, the Manet man," I said. He tilted his head. While I just gave a wave of my hand. "The Manet man?". "Yes, that is the nickname Hannah, the lady from the Museum staff, has given you." I hastened to explain myself. "James the Manet man.". He laughed. Deep and melodic. "That's good. That's really good. I think I'll write that into my CV. That could be good for my reputation.". Then he was suddenly serious again. "Some day maybe." he said. "And now, who and what are you, when you´re not bound to play the kindergarten teacher?". "Grace. My name is Grace. And I'm museum educator. I'm doing tours for visitors and for special occasions." I explained. He took a sip of coffee. "That sounds like a responsible position." he said. I nodded slightly. "Then you have studied art?". "History of art." I answered. He looked at me admiringly. "History of art. That's ..." "A rather unprofitable study field, yes." I interrupted and laughed. He joined in. "Thats not what I wanted to say." he hastened to say. "That would have been rather impolite, if I would have said so.". "Yes." I meant. "It would have been.". We laughed for a few minutes more.

"What drove you towards the art?" I asked. He choked on his coffee. "I .." he trailed off. "You really have to have a story." I insisted as he made no attempt to answer. "Do I?". Now he seemed reluctant and I regretted it almost to have been asking the question. "Yes, everyone has one. I mean, no one does simply decide out of thin air one day to study such a thing like art. If you decide to study something so philosophical, so non profit, then there is always a story behind that decision." When he still gave no answer I added: "At least in my experience. I think its a bit the same with all of us. Isn´t it? After all one must have a good reason for straying of the path and to give to the rest of the world, that will surely ask why someone would study anything so useless, a good explanation." He nodded and replied: "Yes, that's true.". "So, what's yours?". "You're not curious at all?" he replied, but his eyes flashed now coltish again. I knew he wasn´t mad at for me asking such questions anymore. "Let's make a deal." he offered. "Show me yours and I´ll show you mine.". He waited for my reaction. "Good, o.k." I relented. "I mean, although I have nothing exciting to say, but if you want to hear it.".

"My grandmother was an artist. When I was little. And I loved the smell that always hung in her house. From the colors and solvents. ". He looked dreamily. Then he laughed without forewarning. "Most people would have probably said it stank like the plague. But that's like the smell of petrol.". He paused and then said, and I fell in: ". Either you like it or you hate it." We both laughed. "I love the smell of petrol." I said cheerfully. "No wonder. Otherwise you would have hardly survived your study years." he thought. "Oh, it really has nothing to do with painting. It's more about the how, as for real painting.". He was surprised. "That means you have not painted while studying?". "No." I said. "I always thought that you would have to do that.". Now he was really confused. "How are you able to understand what you see and to cherish what you see, if you know nothing about how it was made and with what kind of problems the artist had to deals? How will you understand, if you do not know what it meant to the master?". I laughed. "Pretty sure you where the professors pet then.". He swallowed. "Yes sure." he said gruffly. Somehow I could not shake the feeling that it was unpleasant to him to talk about his studies. That's why I came back to the story he´d just begun telling me. "And your grandmother was a great artist. She lived alone in a romantic house, that was canary with green shutters. You were with her every summer when the poppies bloomed all around and admired her for her wonderful pictures." I teased him. He twisted his mouth. "No. I hated her for what she painted and how she did it.". He wrinkled his nose. "I found that it wasn´t doing justice to art. Besides painting she had in fact a soft spot for baby animals. And she then painted those in all possible poses and with all sorts of backgrounds. Do you know those terribly sweet kittens? That are set among balls of wool and such stuff? ". I laughed. "You can not be serious!". "Yes. Unfortunately I am." he sighed. He looked at me with big sad eyes. "Oh you poor thing." I gave him a wide smile and made a decision. About him, about me,us and about that portrait and us having a coffee. So I reached out across the table to him. He winced when I fleetingly touched his arm and laid my hand on it. But he did not pull it away.

"So that's how I got my first lessons about art.". He nodded and took a sip of coffee. "But, in hindsight it was not so bad. After all, I already knew something I did not want to do.". "Not bad.". "Oh, and she neither had a house surrounded by poppies." he informed me. "She lived in a social housing. Dirty and run down. Her pension was just enough to pay the rent.". "Oh." was all I could say. "Yes, that's why I have long struggled with whether I should really start studying art and start painting or not. People have always said I had a talent for it and a good eye. And those are known to be the most important, or at least some of the key pre-requisites for it. But my family did not like that I´d take that route. Like you said earlier. Why would anyone in his right mind make a job that´s not making any money?". He shrugged his shoulders and looked at me apologetically. "I know that one too." I reassured him.

"Well, that's why I started with a real profession. In the Insurance business.". Now I was stunned. "Insurance business? Really? And that´s worth it? Do you actually make money with that one?". "Yes, well not in the beginning. But once you have enough experience and are specialized then you can find a job in the higher ranks. With the important people and the important stuff. Which is good paid as well as interesting.". A smirk graced his face as if he had won the lottery. And I felt a sudden heat on the back of my hand. When I looked down, I saw his fingers gently sweep over mine. "I didn´t know that." I said uncertainly. I watched him how he was on fire for something that was such a bleak job to me. "Is it not it rather boring and much paperwork?". "Not if you are dealing with the right people and the right insurance objects." he suggested. Now he´d hooked me. "I'm sorry, but I can not give details of prices. Just this, art is much valubale to a lot of people. And some sleep better if they knows that his stuff is in good hands." he said mysteriously. "You insured paintings?" I blurrted out. "Amongst other things.". "Well, now it is clear to me, why are you raving about your job that way.". I thought about it. "And so you can make that much money with that that you dont have to work anymore?" I remembered when I asked that he spent more time at my working place than rather at his. He laughed. "You have no idea, do you?" he said, and now I felt a little silly. "Of course, you can live well by the commission. So I did what I had to do." He winked at me. "I've worked good, like my family wanted me too. I managed to save a good deal for bad days or for projects. In order to pursue my own plans, my studies.". He laughed again and squeezed my hand. I looked puzzled. "Oh." I said in amazement. "You should see your face right now. What do you think I've done? Do you think I made an insurance first in order to steal and sell them. later on after having gained some insight into the security measures they'd taken? And that I'm rich right now? A millionaire, made by stealing?". He burst out laughing,his green eyes shining like a lake in full sunlight. He loosened his grip on my hand and let go of it. In one fluid motion he bent down, grabbed his sketch block and pencil from his pencil case. And before I could count to three he was busy scribbling. "Stop it." I said a little upset because I had a vague idea what he outlined there. It was enough to me that he thought I was naive. But I thought it unnecessary to put it forever on paper. It was more than I could bare. "Don't worry. You're not the only and first one to make that kind of face when you're told about what I'm doing for a living." he just joked and scribbled on.

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