Tumgik
#expedition base set
Photo
Tumblr media
121 notes · View notes
lorebird · 5 months
Text
Tumblr media
I sunk 24 hours of rendering into this piece so MAY AS WELL POST IT
I had to design and illustrate an underground city for my concept art class, and decided to go with subterranean aliens building a vertical metropolis! I’m very inexperienced and no real good with xenobiology, so they ended up like walmart brand bug ferrets….. but I’m definitely happy with the style of architecture!!
82 notes · View notes
elidee-art · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
We're playing The Good Society for a bit while we take a break from our Wendesday game, so please have this doodle of my Regency selkie lad
4 notes · View notes
fluffleforce-mysdrym · 9 months
Text
Person: Are you selling any more pokemon cards?
Me: So many. What exactly are you looking for?
Person: Can you just send me pictures of what you have?
Me: I have 4 binders I'm trying to get rid of, thousands of cards. Can you be more specific for what you're looking for? Like a certain set or a specific card you're missing or...?
Person: Anything vintage.
Me: That means nothing to me.
Person: Holos.
Me: So I have over a hundred of those and ebay has been finicky and won't let me load pics with more than 3 cards at a time (well, sometimes 6 if I'm lucky), and I can only put 5 pics at a time per message. It would really help if we could, like, focus on a specific set. Some sets, I have almost the whole thing, some I'm not selling, and some I have a whopping single card for.
Person: Any holos before 2013.
-----
I should not have posted any cards before finishing my inventory of what I have. This is 100% my fault, but god damn would it be nice if someone would work with me and ask about specific sets/cards. I can find those faster than a nebulous, "Haha, whatever you have."
I don't even know what all I have.
2 notes · View notes
pokemonlezbian · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
0 notes
obsessivevoidkitten · 5 months
Text
Love Stings
Yandere Male Aqrabuamelu (scorpion man) x Chubby Female Reader (CW: Violent Noncon, oviposition, paralytic venom, reader gets stung, stalking, stalking, scratching, biting, claiming bites, crying, mild scent kink, blood, mild blood kink, Stockholm syndrome, kidnapping, escape attempt, general yandere behavior) Word Count: 4.7k (This was commissioned at the end of September. It is hard for me to write afab reader. Don't worry though, I do not accept payment until I am done or almost done. The customer wished to remain anon. I hope everyone likes it.)
To most people, the wastelands of Treregar were just that, wastelands. Harsh sunlight, miles of seemingly endless sand, with water sources few and far between. Nothing but the hardiest flora and fauna could survive there for any significant length of time. Let alone thrive indefinitely.
But you were not most people. You were a scientist. And to scientists, the wastes were a gold mine of research potential. Some of the strangest creatures and plants called this place home. And with the country now open to outsiders, researchers wanted to make a breakthrough there. You were in search of biological samples that could have medicinal properties.
But the wilder parts of this country were very dangerous. Especially the desert wastes. There were even reports of explorers and scientists going missing and of large chitinous beasts prowling the sands. But you were not going to be deterred by a few tall tales. The others had probably fallen prey to the harsh environment if anything.
Still... it didn't hurt to have a couple bodyguards. You had arranged an escort of a couple fairly priced and reliable mercenaries, two large men by the names of Mr. Whitley and Mr. Matthews, to accompany you while you procured samples for study.
You also came with fully stocked packs and kept to a region near a small river. You didn't believe in letting stories run your life, but there was no need to take unnecessary risks either.
The first thing you did on your arrival, after setting up a base camp with your escorts, was starting your task by taking samples of the river water and the muck at the bottom. There was a good possibility of finding new microbes that could be of interest.
The water was crystal clear, perhaps the purest you had ever seen, and there were no signs of anything dangerous. The biggest danger was the heat. Despite the water submerging your legs and wetting your arms whenever you collected a sample the heat was still stifling.
But you had known what you were signing up for when you started all this and it would only get harder as you started collecting samples outside of the water.
When you collected plant and insect specimens from the fertile banks of the river you had to keep wiping the sweat from your brow. You kept the samples preserved in a specially cooled container that would allow you to study them at length later when you were back home.
Once you had all that you had gathered that day packed away, you ate alone in your tent, Mr. Whitley and Mr. Matthews were not exactly the best company, but that was okay. It wasn’t their companionship that they were being paid for.
When you had finished your meal, if you could even call one unit of mystery field rations a meal, you decided that it would be a good idea to go to bed early. Tomorrow’s adventure would be deeper into the wastes and you would need all the rest you could manage. It was going to be a bit rough on you. You were used to working in laboratory conditions not out in the field. But you knew what you were getting yourself into.
Whitley and Matthews guarded the camp in shifts, but even under their protection you couldn’t shake the feeling like you were being watched as you settled into an uneasy sleep.
On day two of the expedition, after eating another bland ration for breakfast and refilling your water supplies, you found something before you even set out. Odd tracks outside your camp, a good bit away but they were still close enough to creep you out a bit. Whatever had made them was not small.
But you had protection from any threats and you were handy with the knife you kept in your belt at all times. And whatever had made the tracks was gone now. You put it out of your mind and pushed onward.
As the cooler morning hours passed, you were really suffering as you had to start your trek into the desert proper. The organisms suited to such a brutal environment were what you were really interested in. Far more so than what lived in the relatively cool waters.
The sun beat down upon you with all the heat it could manage but still you trudged on. Miles and miles of sand. Stopping only to diligently take new samples and record field notes any time you encountered something new and promising.
You and your guards were overheated, exhausted, and aching. But it would surely be worth it for the scientific knowledge gained by your collective suffering. You all had finally started the long march back to camp when you could have sworn you felt like you were being watched. Whitley must have noticed something off as well as he stopped your trek home to look around. But the worry was discarded when in the distance a giant wall of sand materialized as if from nowhere, It rushed towards you like a great red tidal wave.
A sudden sandstorm.
It was upon you and your escorts in a thrice, you could see nothing at all in front of you as looking up for even a moment would invite the angry sands to scratch at your delicate eyes. From all your studies on the region in your preparation for this trip you had found sandstorms to be very rare this time of year. Your luck was astoundingly terrible.
All you could do in this situation was stay low to the ground, wait it out, and hope that you and your body guards didn’t get blown away. You also prayed that they both had the good sense to not try to walk in this mess. That would only welcome disaster. Trying to stumble about in this weather was a guaranteed method to find yourself lost and stranded in the desert.
On and on the storm raged, sand scraping and biting into any exposed flesh, until finally the whirling winds gradually declined before subsiding altogether. Leaving no trace of what had just transpired except scratches on your arms and legs and the ebbing adrenaline leaving your system rendering you shaky on your feet.
You were sore and stiff from laying in the same position so long. You took a good look around you only to discover that disaster had indeed been welcomed. Neither Whitley or Matthews were anywhere in your sight. Idiots. They were large men, not easily slipped up by the storm and rolled down a hill as you were. The weather couldn’t have pushed them very far. They clearly decided to keep trying to travel despite the obvious foolishness.
Well… they were not exactly getting paid for their brain power. But they were paid to keep you safe. To guard you. And they couldn’t exactly do that if they were determined to be idiots who wandered away from you!
When you made your report they were certainly getting docked for this.
Assuming that you all met back up. You probably would. Eventually. If they lacked a compass like you did then they could just head east until they hit the river and then travel up until they hit the camp. If they didn’t have one they would have to wait a little while and see what direction the sun headed in.
The direction the sun sets actually changes a bit throughout the year, but the autumn equinox had only just transpired so it would certainly set at the most west that it was possible for it to set.
You hoped those two knew that. Surely they did.
Right then you had to focus on yourself though. Without those two you were far more vulnerable. You were not really worried about the wildlife or anything such as that, but if you became injured or something all alone then you would be screwed. Something as simple as a sprained ankle could mean your death out in this blistering environment if you were left exposed to the elements long enough.
You shouldn’t have ventured so far from camp. Your body was aching with exhaustion. You were a bit on the chubby side and your body was not used to being pushed so hard. You perked up when you saw a large figure of a man standing in the distance walking in the same general direction as you were.
“WHITLEY! HEY, OVER HERE!!”
He evidently heard you as he turned around to face your direction and started walking towards you. As you got closer you could tell that other than a few abrasions from the storm he did not seem to be in bad shape.
“I am glad I found you”
You wanted to tell him he would not have had to worry about finding one another if he had just stayed put but you thought better of it and held your tongue.
“I think something may be watching us, I don’t know. I just have an uneasiness and feel like the air has shifted with a barely noticeable scent. I lost my sword in the storm.”
“Then… we better hurry back to camp… Maybe Matthews will be there…”
“Right.”
You noticed he had undone his dagger from his belt and was holding it close, ready to lash out if something attacked the two of you. He may not have had his longer blade but you knew he was still deadly with that one. He would surely protect yo-
The sand in front of you shifted, and from it sprung a beast of colossal size. Hard black chitinous plating gleamed in the sunlight, covering a monstrous form from top to bottom. It was a hulking beast with a human shaped torso on top of the body of a massive scorpion.
Whitley, to his credit, didn’t hesitate. He dodged the tail that struck at him with terrifying speed. He jumped up high and slammed his combat knife into the chitin covered chest of the beast. His blade was deflected as if by plate armor. The tail struck again at an angle Whitley couldn’t dodge in time and his arm was impaled by a wickedly sharp stinger. He twitched in pain for a moment then went limp before being pushed aside by the clawed arm of the scorpion half of the great beast before you.
Then the thing turned its gaze to you. Unblinking, glossy, entirely black eyes stared you down. If eyes were the windows into one’s soul then those eyes let you look into the soul of a demon.
Hopeless though it may be with the speed of the monstrosity you did the only thing your fear stricken brain could think of. You ran.
You ran and you didn’t look back. Cruel though it may have been, you found yourself thinking that maybe it would let you go since it had already taken down Mr. Whitley. Many predatory beasts did not take down more than what they needed.
But the scorpion hybrid wasn’t after food. Humans were not in his diet. No, he was after something much better than a meal. He was after a mate. A nice wet cunt to stuff full of his eggs.
When Kurnugi first caught your scent in the wind a couple days ago he was instantly intrigued, he had never smelled something quite so enticing before. He had to investigate. Though a few miles away he sniffed out your camp and watched for a while.
He didn’t really like the thought of humans in his territory but he stopped himself from attacking and scaring you all away because of you. Your smell was nice, sure, but now that he had seen you he knew he had to know more. You looked so delightfully fragile and soft. He wanted to watch you a bit longer before deciding what to do with you all.
Kurnugi observed you as you went about your tasks at the river. Delicate hands carefully tending to samples. He did not understand why you were doing it, but he liked the thought of those careful little human hands tending to his dick.
At first the scorpion man thought that perhaps the two large males with you were mates of yours but concluded that wasn’t the case as they never shared your nest, never physically touched you, and hardly verbally communicated with you. They seemed to just guard you and keep a lookout.
But they had been unable to spot Kurnugi given how well he stuck to the shadows, used sand to submerge himself partially, and carefully remained downwind of his quarry.
The longer he watched the more he realized how good a mate you would make. Too weak to ever oppose or escape him and he could tell by the way you collected and analyzed your little samples that you must be very intelligent. And you were just so much softer than anything he had ever encountered in this rugged environment. Surely if you were in a place as brutal as this then you’d need much better and dedicated protection than the ones you seemed to call Whitley and Matthews.
Kurnugi was much larger and stronger than any two humans, of course, no matter how well built they were. But they had long metal blades that may be able to get between his natural armor plates. Better to stalk your group for a while and wait for a moment of weakness.
He discreetly followed your party as you traveled away from your base camp and readied himself to attack when he noticed how tired all of you looked. Then the sandstorm struck.
Even a desert evolved being such as a mighty aqrabuamelu would not travel during a sandstorm.
When it passed he could tell by the scents he detected that your group was split up. This was even better. First he went after Matthews, then incapacitated Whitley before your very eyes. He had made sure not to kill them. No, they would surely be taken and bred by other desert creatures. There were many that loved humans.
And then there was you. It was cute how you thought you could escape from him so easily. He allowed you to try, watching in amusement as your tired chubby legs did their best to carry you away from him.
And then he rushed towards you, he closed the distance in surprisingly few seconds and stabbed your soft rear with the tip of his stinger. He was careful not to stab too deeply, but it was still pretty painful. You thrashed for a few seconds before crumpling to the sand.
The venom had paralyzed you, no matter how hard you tried you couldn’t get your limbs to cooperate at all. You could still feel everything though. The sand on your face, the tears about to burst from your eyes. You were certain death was what awaited you.
Instead the scorpion simply bent over to gently scoop you up in his humanoid arms. He held you close and buried his nose in your neck to revel in the intoxicating smell of his new mate, now finally in his possession.
The amorous aqrabuamelu rushed off to his den, holding you tightly to his hard body as he did so. He was excited to get you acclimated to your new home, and to his cock. He was sure after his displays of strength that he would have you moaning for his eggs in no time. Luckily his home wasn’t too far.
The entire trip he happily talked in a chittery voice to you, though you had absolutely no idea what he was saying. He sounded extremely excited though and rubbed your back soothingly as he spoke.
When he came to the entrance to his abode and scuttled into the cave in such a hurry that he almost tripped over himself. He placed you, all nice and paralyzed for him, on his raised pile of bedding and made short work of your clothing. Every inch of skin from your soft human breasts to your inviting pussy were laid bare under his hungry gaze.
He pulled you to the edge of his nest over to where he was standing. He gripped your thighs with his large hands and slowly spread your legs, as if unwrapping a precious gift. Savoring the moment before it was entirely open.
The venom was still coursing effectively through your veins, offering you no recourse. You could only stare into the terrifying red eyes of this abomination as he looked at you and drooled. His intent with you becoming all the more evident as his engorged cock protruded fully from the genital slit at the meeting of his scorpion and humanoid body segments.
There was no way something like that could enter a human without some degree of pain.
Seeing it you wanted to scream. To kick and fight. But you were a prisoner in your own body. All the struggle you could force out of your body were choked cries and grunts of fear.
The scorpion caressed your sides in a gesture meant to be comforting to his scared little mate, but any touch from him only brought about more terror.
He crouched down at the edge of the bed so that his head was level with your crotch. He inhaled the scent deeply before licking the outer folds of your sex.
"Mmmm~"
You could feel it in your entire body as he hummed loudly in contentment. Your flavor was better than he could have imagined.
Your cunt was wetter than it had ever been before. A fact that made you all the more frustrated and angry at yourself. It was bad enough you couldn't get your body to move.
Kurnugi was making out with your entrance, gripping your hips painfully and drawing blood as he lost himself in thoughts about you carrying his spawn.
He enjoyed every heavenly drop of your juices, mixing in a heavy amount of his saliva into you so that you were as lubricated as possible.
He decided you were as ready as you could be and rose up to press his cock against you.
Kurnugi rubbed the tip of his strange inhuman prick against your pussy, grinding against it. He let out a low moan as he plunged into you all at once, unable to hold himself back from doing so any longer. The paralytic you had been drugged with must have started to wear off by that point because as he shoved himself into you you were finally able to scream a bit and grip the bedding beneath you.
The length was insane but the worst part was the thickness. It was like it was trying to rip you open. He gave you time to adjust before he began his thrusting, but there was just no getting adjusted to that type of size in such a short amount of time without a lot more preparation.
You flinched and gasped in pain as he began slowly moving in and out of you.
The scent and sight of the bit of your blood that mixed with your fluids and smeared on his cock only seemed to excite him and he increased the pace, the outline of his cock plainly visible under the skin of your belly. He used one of his hands to rub at the outline as it moved back and forth inside of you, effectively giving himself a handjob while he bred you.
He lowered his head to your chest and ferally bit and licked at your breasts. Instinct demanding he marked and claimed what was, by all laws of the desert, his property.
After what seemed like an eternity you finally had acclimated to the size of the man taking you and began feeling less pain with flashes of pleasure. Chasing those brief flashes, you weakly grinded into each thrust from the scorpion.
Kurnigi’s roaming mouth had found your neck and was sucking and nipping at your soft skin there as if his life depended on it.
The stimulation was only feeling better as the two of you continued, your cries of fear and pain having long since been replaced by weak lusty moans and shivers of delight. You came a couple times and by the third you were completely fucked out. You had never orgasmed so hard in your life and were barely aware of anything other than that nice feeling between your shaky legs.
Kurnugi finally hit his climax as well and bit your neck hard as he did so, injecting something into your neck to leave a permanent claiming mark on you. You flinched in pain but it receded quickly, you were too out of it to really care what he did to you at that point.
Until you felt him cum into you. Your eyes went wide at the sensation as you felt relatively large round masses being pumped deeply into you.
Eggs.
You were shocked and disgusted, but there was nothing to be done about it then. You let the aqrabuamelu lick your various scratches and bite wounds clean before tucking you in with blankets so you could sleep while he made a meal.
He was so jubilant that his pregnant little mate was cozy in his nest while he took care of you. He had a nice home, a large territory, and now a soft mate to dote on and stuff full of his big prick whenever he needed to. Life was perfect.
THREE MONTHS LATER:
It had been around three months since you had been abducted. And it was hours since you had run away from the monstrosity that had kidnapped you. His name was Kurnugi, you had learned, managing very limited communication with the brute. He had finally let his guard down, finally trusted you since you had never been anything but compliant since you had been with him, and he had finally left you alone to go hunt for a longer period of time.
You did not waste the opportunity, it was clear that your bodyguards had not managed to leave the desert, probably succumbing to exposure. Either that or no one had cared to send a search party to look for you thinking you were a lost cause. So it was up to you to rescue yourself.
Once more your legs burned with a familiar exhaustion. Kurnugi was a skilled hunter that moved fast. Once he returned to his den he would begin tracking you immediately. If you were going to succeed then you had to get as much distance between yourself and that cave as you could possibly manage. It didn’t help that you were pregnant with his many eggs. It surely made travel more difficult.
As you made your way up the river you considered walking in it to hide your scent, but you decided against it. The wind was blowing your scent in the direction that you were fleeing from so it wouldn’t help you at all. The slog through the water would only slow you down. And that was the last thing that you needed right then.
The last thing other than suddenly finding yourself laying with your back against the hot sand and looking up with an absolutely outraged Kurnugi looking down at you with a malicious grin on his face.
How had he snuck up on you so silently?
You had expected to be immediately paralyzed by one of his stings, but the scorpion had other things in mind. He wasn’t just angry. He was hurt. You had tried to leave him the first opportunity you had. Had he not proven himself against lesser males to be a strong mate? Had he not provided food and water and shared his home with you? Had he not given you a nice belly full of eggs as any mate would desire?
The aqrabuamelu clearly had to show you your place. He had been too gentle with you. Not done enough to prove that you were, beyond any whisper of a doubt, his property.
And in that vein of thinking he did not bother with his venom, no, he wanted you to have the full ability of movement and still be just as utterly powerless to do anything to avoid him using you as he saw fit.
He pushed you over onto the ground and flipped you so that you were facing the sand with your ass up. Then, right in the middle of the desert, he ripped off the pants he had made for you out of leather and plant fibers.
Kurnugi crouched so that his cock was level with your cunt, his strong hands gripping your hips so hard that they would undoubtedly be bruised. You cried out and struggled just as pathetically as he had predicted that you would.
“Please! Please NO!!! I’ll behave! I-I’ll never leave again. KURNUGI PLEA-”
Your words became a pained shriek as he interrupted them by ramming his entire dick straight into you. No prep at all. He understood your cries for mercy and carried on anyway.
Each thrust into you was slow, powerful, and deliberate, driving your face into the sand as his nails bit into your flesh.
You were right about one thing. You’d never try to leave him again after this. He was going to fuck it into your brain so you’d have no chance of forgetting.
Tears dripped down your face, wicked away by the thirsty air and ground. Your legs shook and you would have collapsed were it not for the strong hands propping you up. Your abused cunt felt like it was being torn apart.
Kurnugi was once more excited by the scent of your blood and began pulling you back and forth over his prick like you were just a cock sleeve built for his pleasure. All you could do was sob and take it and try not to puke.
With a final slam he came in you hard. No eggs this time, since you were already full of them, just fluid that thankfully soothed your insides, if only a bit.
The anger of the aqrabuamelu was finally quelled and he panted with his throbbing cock still twitching and pumping cum into you. He picked you up and renewed the bite mark he had left on you. He did not have to since it was permanent, but he wanted to so you’d remember you were branded property.
Luckily the pain from the bite had been swallowed up by the disorientation and pain from the rape.
A small comfort.
Kurnugi picked you up effortlessly and cradled you close to him.
You couldn’t quite tell what he had said, but you knew it was meant to be soothing. He rubbed your back and chittered sweetly in that foreign language of his. Evidently happy to have that nasty business out of the way and content in the knowledge that you wouldn’t be trying that again.
7 MONTHS LATER:
You couldn’t wait for the eggs inside you to hatch. Kurnugi had assured you that you would be a great parent and since the eggs absorb the DNA of the parent they are deposited in he was confident that they would be the cutest babies in the entire world.
He was so wonderful to you. He doted on you and helped take you for walks when you were restless. He caught or foraged and then prepared all of your meals. He cuddled you close and kissed your swollen belly and made every effort to cheer you up when you were feeling down.
And you were sweet to him too, you learned how to craft things from the leather and fibers he made so you made him little trinkets that he either wore or decorated the den with. And you always greeted him by kissing him softly whenever he came home.
Things were a lot easier now that you could communicate.
And now that you understood that you could never go anywhere without him and to try to do so would be very hurtful for the both of you.
But why would you ever want to do something like that?
2K notes · View notes
nostalgebraist · 1 year
Text
Honestly I'm pretty tired of supporting nostalgebraist-autoresponder. Going to wind down the project some time before the end of this year.
Posting this mainly to get the idea out there, I guess.
This project has taken an immense amount of effort from me over the years, and still does, even when it's just in maintenance mode.
Today some mysterious system update (or something) made the model no longer fit on the GPU I normally use for it, despite all the same code and settings on my end.
This exact kind of thing happened once before this year, and I eventually figured it out, but I haven't figured this one out yet. This problem consumed several hours of what was meant to be a relaxing Sunday. Based on past experience, getting to the bottom of the issue would take many more hours.
My options in the short term are to
A. spend (even) more money per unit time, by renting a more powerful GPU to do the same damn thing I know the less powerful one can do (it was doing it this morning!), or
B. silently reduce the context window length by a large amount (and thus the "smartness" of the output, to some degree) to allow the model to fit on the old GPU.
Things like this happen all the time, behind the scenes.
I don't want to be doing this for another year, much less several years. I don't want to be doing it at all.
----
In 2019 and 2020, it was fun to make a GPT-2 autoresponder bot.
[EDIT: I've seen several people misread the previous line and infer that nostalgebraist-autoresponder is still using GPT-2. She isn't, and hasn't been for a long time. Her latest model is a finetuned LLaMA-13B.]
Hardly anyone else was doing anything like it. I wasn't the most qualified person in the world to do it, and I didn't do the best possible job, but who cares? I learned a lot, and the really competent tech bros of 2019 were off doing something else.
And it was fun to watch the bot "pretend to be me" while interacting (mostly) with my actual group of tumblr mutuals.
In 2023, everyone and their grandmother is making some kind of "gen AI" app. They are helped along by a dizzying array of tools, cranked out by hyper-competent tech bros with apparently infinite reserves of free time.
There are so many of these tools and demos. Every week it seems like there are a hundred more; it feels like every day I wake up and am expected to be familiar with a hundred more vaguely nostalgebraist-autoresponder-shaped things.
And every one of them is vastly better-engineered than my own hacky efforts. They build on each other, and reap the accelerating returns.
I've tended to do everything first, ahead of the curve, in my own way. This is what I like doing. Going out into unexplored wilderness, not really knowing what I'm doing, without any maps.
Later, hundreds of others with go to the same place. They'll make maps, and share them. They'll go there again and again, learning to make the expeditions systematically. They'll make an optimized industrial process of it. Meanwhile, I'll be locked in to my own cottage-industry mode of production.
Being the first to do something means you end up eventually being the worst.
----
I had a GPT chatbot in 2019, before GPT-3 existed. I don't think Huggingface Transformers existed, either. I used the primitive tools that were available at the time, and built on them in my own way. These days, it is almost trivial to do the things I did, much better, with standardized tools.
I had a denoising diffusion image generator in 2021, before DALLE-2 or Stable Diffusion or Huggingface Diffusers. I used the primitive tools that were available at the time, and built on them in my own way. These days, it is almost trivial to do the things I did, much better, with standardized tools.
Earlier this year, I was (probably) one the first people to finetune LLaMA. I manually strapped LoRA and 8-bit quantization onto the original codebase, figuring out everything the hard way. It was fun.
Just a few months later, and your grandmother is probably running LLaMA on her toaster as we speak. My homegrown methods look hopelessly antiquated. I think everyone's doing 4-bit quantization now?
(Are they? I can't keep track anymore -- the hyper-competent tech bros are too damn fast. A few months from now the thing will be probably be quantized to -1 bits, somehow. It'll be running in your phone's browser. And it'll be using RLHF, except no, it'll be using some successor to RLHF that everyone's hyping up at the time...)
"You have a GPT chatbot?" someone will ask me. "I assume you're using AutoLangGPTLayerPrompt?"
No, no, I'm not. I'm trying to debug obscure CUDA issues on a Sunday so my bot can carry on talking to a thousand strangers, every one of whom is asking it something like "PENIS PENIS PENIS."
Only I am capable of unplugging the blockage and giving the "PENIS PENIS PENIS" askers the responses they crave. ("Which is ... what, exactly?", one might justly wonder.) No one else would fully understand the nature of the bug. It is special to my own bizarre, antiquated, homegrown system.
I must have one of the longest-running GPT chatbots in existence, by now. Possibly the longest-running one?
I like doing new things. I like hacking through uncharted wilderness. The world of GPT chatbots has long since ceased to provide this kind of value to me.
I want to cede this ground to the LLaMA techbros and the prompt engineers. It is not my wilderness anymore.
I miss wilderness. Maybe I will find a new patch of it, in some new place, that no one cares about yet.
----
Even in 2023, there isn't really anything else out there quite like Frank. But there could be.
If you want to develop some sort of Frank-like thing, there has never been a better time than now. Everyone and their grandmother is doing it.
"But -- but how, exactly?"
Don't ask me. I don't know. This isn't my area anymore.
There has never been a better time to make a GPT chatbot -- for everyone except me, that is.
Ask the techbros, the prompt engineers, the grandmas running OpenChatGPT on their ironing boards. They are doing what I did, faster and easier and better, in their sleep. Ask them.
5K notes · View notes
piratesfromspace · 4 months
Text
Just Like Old Times (Price x Reader + poly141)
Pairing: Reader x Price (& Reader x 141) Rated: Mature Word count: 2.9k Summary: A cottage in the snow. A Captain you knew in another life. His rugged and attractive men. Will you let them into your life? Note: This is a fic I wrote for @literatecowboy for the Secret Santa event organized by @bunnyreaper! I tried to make something soft and sweet and it's taking place during the winter, it's not smutty but if you like it, I can make a part 2 with some action 👀
EDIT: we have a PART 2!!
Content: ex-military!fem!reader, mention of food & alcohol, a little bit of angst but it’s mainly fluff, smoking, flirting, praise kink, sharing body heat
MASTERLIST // PART 2
Tumblr media
It had been Laswell’s idea. 
The team needs to be ready for snow conditions, do whatever you think is best. You have 3 weeks. And I’m talking extreme weather, Price, not a little trip to your local ski resort.
Those had been the instructions Kate had delivered to an unphased Price.
He knew it was only a matter of time before this kind of mission would be required from them. Of course, the men of the 141 have already trained in the cold of England, have seen and tested the winter gear. But Laswell is about to send them somewhere at the very East of Europe, and there is a small difference between surviving winter in London and surviving winter in places where the cold could kill you in minutes if you didn't have the proper equipment or knowledge. Over there, more than usual, tiny mistakes could have big consequences. And Price would rather not have his team freeze to death because of a lack of training. 
It’s December and the month is cold already. But it’s nothing compared to the cold Soap feels when he steps out of the helicopter. It’s like Price has picked the coldest place he knows in America. He’s pretty sure they are somewhere in Wyoming or Montana, the only thing he can see are mountains all around them. Spruce and fir trees sprawl in dark patches contrasting with the stark white of the snow covering everything. He crosses the large glade to reach the tree line, as the helicopter takes off, sending the fresh snow flying in every direction. The sky is a light gray, and while the whole scene is stunning - makes his head spin with equal awe and wonder thinking about nature’s force and brutal beauty - it means there is no sun to warm his face. 
“Come on soldiers, let’s move, we still have a two-hour hike to reach our B&B!”
“You mean someone will be there to make us breakfast Captain?” Soap chimes, unbridled joy coming through his voice at the prospect of warm home-made meals instead of MREs.
Price has a hard time hiding a smile as he starts walking on the thin winding path, only recognisable for those who know it’s there. ”There will be someone, but I’m not sure they will cook for you, Sergeant.”
Ghost lets out a dry chuckle and follows the steps of their Captain, leaving Soap and Gaz a bit puzzled.
❄️
The sun is already setting when you hear loud voices outside, and soon after a series of knocks on your door. You’re a little stressed when you rise from the floor in front of your fireplace to go open the door. You have agreed to shelter those 4 soldiers for 3 entire weeks only as a favor to Price. An old acquaintance who saved your life, a decade earlier, before you left the field to heal your wounds - body and mind. The large wood cabin had been your home for a few years already. You keep it open for women like you, in need of time away from the world, although it’s pretty rare they come during winter time when the road is blocked by snow. It’s an old building, but well-kept and you made it as cozy as possible, all warm natural tones, plush carpets on dark wood floors, dark gray stones in the bathrooms. 
You welcome them with a soft smile, delighting in their surprise - seems like John had not told them he planned on using your cottage as a back-up base for this training expedition. John’s team members are not really what you expected: there is one Scott with a mohawk that seems simultaneously annoyed and happy to be there (he has terrific blue eyes), a young and calm brown-haired Brit (he’s really cute, like movie-star cute), and a behemoth with a literal skull mask (his size alone has your head spinning). You can’t complain about them though, as they are polite and friendly, praising your home - and for sure taking in the comfort and warmth one last time before heading off for days of rudimental camping in the icy woods. You don’t envy them, remembering that one mission you did in Siberia when you were still in active duty, that wasn’t really fun. They settle in their rooms easily and you all share a quick dinner you had cooked - except for the masked giant. The banter goes fast between them, especially after you offer them beers. You like being alone, but you have to admit they are fun to be around.
❄️
The living room is silent and dark, the only light coming from the fireplace across your couch. After dinner, you had trouble finding sleep in your room, so you went to read a bit in front of the fire. But you must have dozed off, because you wake up suddenly, gasping, arms flailing, sitting up immediately. Your frantic eyes, wide open, scan the room for the reason of your awakening, survival instinct going overdrive. Someone is standing in your living room, frozen in place on their way to the front door. It’s the behemoth with the skull mask - the scariest of them all, of course.
“Didn’t mean to scare you.” he apologizes. In the darkness of the room, it looks like his jaw is not even moving beneath the dark fabric covering the lower half of his face, like the sound just pours out of him or like he’s speaking directly inside your head. He might actually, you’re not entirely convinced the giant is not some sort of supernatural being John brought back from a cursed battlefield. It’s unnerving to say the least. 
“I’m sorry, it- it happens sometimes, I can’t help it, my instinct thought you were a threat…” you blurt out before realizing you may have offended him in some way by implying he’s not worthy of your trust. But instead of scoffing, he lets out a thoughtful hum, lowering his head to look at his boots, almost sheepish. 
“Don’t. Don’t apologize.” His voice is low, calm, and at the same time you can feel something else, sadness, maybe disappointment, in what or who, you’re not sure.
“Care for a smoke?” he offers after a beat of silence, nodding to the front door. You don’t smoke anymore, cut the nasty habit years ago. That’s why you don’t know what compels you to accept, but you’re not gonna be able to sleep now, so you follow him outside, grabbing your coat on the way. 
You half expect him to smoke through the mask, but he pushes the fabric up enough to reveal a strong jaw covered in light stubble, and plush lips. So he’s human after all. The slick and heavy storm lighter looks ridiculously small in his giant hand when he lights his cigarette. He takes a deep puff before handing it to you.
“Sorry, last one.”
Your fingers graze his, and you bring it to your lips to drag a small puff that immediately makes you cough.
“You ok?” he rasps, humor tilting the corner of his mouth upwards.
“Yeah, it’s been a while, that’s all” you provide. He hums in approval at your explanation. 
When you hand him the cigarette, you take a moment to look at his mouth, the way his throat works when he inhales, the way the silver smoke dances between his open lips and fades into the night sky. Something warms your gut when you realize his lips are set just where yours had been a few seconds ago. 
You don’t know what’s more attractive, this or the fact he doesn’t try to make conversation for the sake of it. He doesn’t bother to explain why he couldn’t sleep and felt the need to smoke at 3 in the morning. He knows you understand. You are just glad to bask in the soft noises of nature at night - wind in the threes, the hooting of an owl. Fuck, you’ve been alone up there for too long to thirst on John’s colleagues just like this, just a few hours after their arrival. You shake your head, driving out the thought, and take the cigarette again from his fingers.
❄️
The next morning, you wake up pretty early after a short night, only to find one of them - the pretty one, Gaz - is already fixing coffee in your kitchen like he belongs there. You honestly could get used to this. The thin long sleeves of his shirt are doing nothing to conceal the muscles underneath, rolling as he’s going about this mundane task of preparing breakfast. His kind eyes and soft voice when he asks for your choice of eggs makes your heart flutter with a yearning for this kind of intimate domesticity you had never really allowed yourself up until then. It’s kinda concerning, at this rate you’re gonna ask one - all? - of them to stay with you in your cottage instead of going back to whatever missions at the other end of the world. 
The rest of the day is not making you change your mind. Price had asked if anything needed their help around the house, and you gave them the tedious task of moving the gigantic pile of wood logs stocked at the other end of your garden closer to the house. It would have taken you days to do it by yourself. But by lunch time, the pile had dwindled to a fifth of what it was thanks to the hard work of the four men. The two younger ones were down to their long-sleeve compression shirts despite the cold, sleeves rolled up their elbows, showing off strong forearms, various scars slashing across the discreet swirls of black ink from old tattoos. Some disappear under the black gloves they are all sporting. Sweat plasters the fabric of their shirts to their shoulders and chests. You can’t deny they look fucking good. 
You had accepted Price’s demand without much after-thought, but now you couldn’t be more happy about it, ogling those four rugged men laboring away for you. Despite being older than his men, Price is far from looking bad. He’s built like a brick house, a healthy layer of fat covering muscles he’s been honing for two decades. Dark hair peaks from the open collar of his jacket, your eyes follow the line of the thin garment which is hugging his tapered waist, down to his thick thighs. Fuck. You remember what it was like to be close to him - literally and figuratively. He was your colleague, an equal, a couple years older than you but you shared the same rank. He was a mentor, a friend, a lover - only briefly, after that fateful mission where he saved your life on the field. You parted ways in good spirit after you announced that you wanted to retire, needed to get your head straight before committing to anything. Today, you ask yourself if maybe you could take this back from where you left it.
❄️
You want to train with us today, love? Just like old times.
Price had asked you the question the next morning and you had not been hard to convince. It was more about being able to look at them than to train your body, but they didn’t need to know that. Even if you keep a pretty healthy lifestyle, you can’t compete with elite soldiers, and by the fourth set of push-ups, your arms are giving out. You’re about to stop and reach for your water bottle, when Price notices. 
“Come on, you can do five more, I’m sure!”
You groan in response, but you go back in position.
“Breathe, love. Back a little more straight. Elbows in. That’s it… Good.” 
Price’s deep voice is calm as he’s encouraging you, gently correcting your posture.
“Don’t look down, chin up. Perfect, you’re doing good.” he goes on, and you cheeks warm under his praise, enough to make you forget the stinging cold. Your whole body is clenched with the effort, you’re letting out little cries with each push-up, your muscles are hurting, but you want nothing more than to make the captain proud.
“Just one more. Done! You did great darling, I’m impressed.” 
He helps you get up on shaking legs and when you almost stumble, he secures you upright against his chest, keeps you there for two seconds more than he should for it to not look intentional. When you raise your head, you’re suddenly so close to his face, blue eyes staring down at you with a glint in them you can’t ignore. You reluctantly part before reaching for your water bottle again, playing coy.
The three others are not oblivious to the little game between you and Price. You notice how they exchange knowing looks and little smiles whenever you both interact. Worst, they also seem to pick up on your love for being praised and soon enough they take every excuse to whisper how good your aim still is during target training, or how smart you are for knowing everything about the local fauna during your afternoon hike. It never sounds like they’re mocking you though, never feels like it’s not genuine. It’s not fair, really. At this rate, you don’t know how you’re gonna survive living under the same roof with four attractive men for three entire weeks. 
The answer to this torture of yours is revealed quickly. After a few days of acclimatization at your cottage, Price and his men are ready for a long expedition higher in the mountains, with just tents and even a short surviving-in-extreme-cold workshop. They will be gone for at least ten days. You watch them pack their gear and leave your place with a pinch in your heart you couldn’t expect when you first opened your door to them.
❄️
Days go by, pretty uneventful, until your heating system breaks down. It’s not the first time since you’re leaving up there, it’s not that scary but you’ll have to wait a few days for the repair team to come by. In the meantime, you resort to live and sleep in your living room, where the fireplace provides enough heat to keep you warm in the heart of the winter.
They come back the day after that, and when you see their silhouettes emerging from the treeline, just before the sun sets down, you can’t prevent your lips to form a smile so big it hurts your cheeks after a couple minutes standing in the biting cold. 
The fondness in Price’s eyes is not dulled by the news your heater is out of order, nor is the relief on Soap’s and Gaz’s faces at the promise of a solid roof and comfy beds after days of rudimentary accommodations.
You all work to prepare some food, and to bring a couple mattresses with all the duvets you can find in front of the fireplace - the only sane solution for you all to sleep without suffering too much from the freezing temperatures. It reminds you of your years of service, when you sometimes had to share a single room with your whole squad - you’re not missing the stress and the harsh living conditions, but you’re definitely missing the camaraderie, the jokes and fits of laughter, the bodies of trusted people around you. 
They leave you the couch - gentlemen that they are - the objectively most comfortable option, but once again you can’t find sleep. The piece of furniture is the farthest away from the fire, and you’re on your own, no one next to you to share body heat with you. 
It’s only because I’m cold. That’s the poor excuse you give yourself - and the one you whisper to Price - when you step down from your couch to seek a place under the cover next to John. He’s sleeping next to Gaz; Soap and Ghost are sharing the other mattress. You slide yourself against him, immediately melting into his chest, the man radiating heat like it’s his only purpose in life. He doesn’t even have to ask you if it’s okay to hold you against him because you plaster yourself to him and nuzzle against his chest, old habits taking over your sleepy brain. A sense of safety and comfort envelopes you at the same time his warmth does. You forgot how good it felt to be in his embrace, to be tucked against his broad chest, surrounded by his smell - manly, ambery wood, and the rich spice of his cigars. 
He chuckles silently as you settle at his side and let out a little content sigh. He missed that too, he won’t say it out loud, but having you like this, soft and pliant in his arms, it makes him wonder how he could be such a fool for not seeking you sooner. He suddenly wants to kiss you, to make you feel good, here and now, no matter the fact his men are sleeping just a few inches from you. Should he care? He’s not blind to the fact you spend a good amount of time leering at them since they’re here, and to the fact they are watching you back. He can not ignore the shameless flirting going on between all of you five actually. John has never really been in a situation like this, doesn’t know where this will lead him - where this could lead them. But he’s ready to follow you. He takes a deep breath before he talks. 
“Just like old times?” He asks, voice low, chest vibrating with it under your palm. 
Just like old times… The words echo in your head, echo in your heart. He gives you the opportunity to lead him - to lead them - wherever you wish.
“Just like old times.” You repeat back to him, before you capture his lips in a gentle kiss.
PART 2
729 notes · View notes
alienpossession · 4 months
Text
Tumblr media
"Now this is what I'm talking about," murmured the alien under its breath using its human puppet's voice
As the field commander of its race's mission on Earth, it's very important for Flicker (its code name) to look representative of its authority. At first, the body Flicker stumbled barely lived up to its high standard as a 4-time new planet expedition lead. But, noting the fact that it has limited time to be exposed directly to Earth's atmospheric condition, Flicker made the decision to lunged directly at the curious human who watched it fell from the night sky and looking quite amused when he first seen Flicker in its "portable" form
Tumblr media
The 8 inches insectoid quickly latched itself to the human's temple and from there, it expanded its form and covered the entirety of the human's face in just under a minute. Then, it dissipated quickly as it ensured that the human wrapped by it already paralyzed as more of its extended form entered into the human through the ear, nose and mouth. Soon, as it resides on the brain, it covered the brain in its black, sludge like form before directly spread across the human body. Flicker's expansive capability caused the human's skull to crack as the nerd's lanky form quickly ballooned with muscles, or what seemed from the naked eyes as muscle
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Working on the base mass, Flicker managed to expand the nerd's form around 30-40%, shooting up the nerd's weight from 125 lbs to close to 175 lbs and increased its height from 5'6" right at 6' tall. Flicker tapped into its human's vessel memory to proportionately distributed the muscle mass based on the nerd's memory of the stronger human it encountered before. The word "frat", "gym", and "jock" repeatedly flashed alongside the bigger guys this vessel witnessed, so Flicker modeled the nerd's body accordingly. His chest puffed up from rib-cagey and flat-looking into sizable pillowy pecs coupled with visible six-pack abs, while its back popped like the set of swimmers the nerd happily supported just a couple weeks ago or the gymgoers he envied as his body simply gained additional masses out of the blue.
But Flicker was not done, he's big, but simply not big enough just yet. In order to grow even bigger, it required another source of masses, so using the nerd's memory and calculating its chances for a more discreet arrival, it controlled the nerd to walk to the campus gym that's going to close in half an hour
Jeff Wrabel realized that everyone already left the gym so he did some final round of cleanup before heading back to his dorm. As a sophomore student athlete on partial scholarship, working in the gym is his way to be in better favor with the administration and also for him to get additional working out time. It's not like the small-town wrestler would directly be on the mat from the get go during his freshman year and with the incredibly packed roster, he probably would be still on the reserve until his junior year. Minding his own business and wearing the headphone given by his rich girlfriend, his back faced the entrance and he didn't realize that the nerd entered the gym. The noise cancelling feature caused him to be pretty much deaf to the external noises and before he even realized, he's thudded to the floor after the grown nerd lunged at him from the back. The headphone rattled to the ground and as he screamed in pain while trying to check his assailant, he's suddenly paralyzed as the nerd grabbed his head while their legs started to merge.
Tumblr media
Jeff left in a catatonic state while the nerd, due to Flicker expansive yet malleable form, started to sank further into Jeff's body. As soon as the two bodies merged, Jeff's body started to expand as Flicker gained additional masses to work on. The wrestler legs solidified into just the right mixture of the tightness achieved from constant running while additionally packed with sizable muscle from twice-a-week leg day. His butt lifted and gained additional curvature as the nerd's lean and mean expanded form merged with Jeff's bubbly ass. The changes spread upwards as their core strengthened followed by upper limbs that simply turned into irresistible sinewy landscape that showcased strength and dedication to improve one's body. Jeff's eyes already rolled to the back of his head while drool escaped his mouth as more and more of Flicker and the nerd merged with his form. Around 10 minutes later, the unholy blend of men and extraterrestrial life form emerged victorious in the middle of the quiet gym flooe. It stood tall at 6'5" and weighed around 220-225 lbs as steam released from his body.
Tumblr media
The merged brain now solely filled with the singular consciousness of Flicker while the two human simply existed as memory to be tapped by the alien. Breathing oxygen from the now expansive set of lungs felt very refreshing and normal for Flicker as it grabbed the dropped headphone that belonged to Jeff. He put it on and a rap song started to play right away as he marveled at the sight in the mirror of his shirtless form, the tattered shirts on the ground right next to him due to his expanding form should be picked too and then thrown away while he tried to check whether glasses is still necessary for his vision or not
Tumblr media Tumblr media
After skimming through the two human memories, Flicker headed to the locker room to grab the gym bag that once belonged to Jeff. He admired his form one more time as he walked pass a mirror
Tumblr media
"Now this is what I'm talking about,"
And he snapped some pictures to document himself. He then focused at the task at hand, he cannot go back to Jeff's dorm, but with around 500 of its field operatives descended like a falling star in the next couple of minutes, all he needed to do is to simply walk out from the gym and let his operatives spot the glow his form radiated to guide his operatives to crash landed on the area it marked. Not like the glow he emitted is visible to the human eyes, only to its kind, and based on Jeff's memory, the male Greek Row seemed like the perfect spot for its operatives to land themselves and started their hunt for their vessel
***
After 2 times rewriting this due to Tumblr weird glitch, I finally write something outside of "Body a Day" prompt for a while. Thanks to the pictures for hitting my head like a wrecking ball of inspiration
503 notes · View notes
Text
Artifact Management and Enhancement Screen Optimizations Are Here~ | Developers Discussion - 12/06
Tumblr media
Hello, Travelers~
In Version 4.3, we will implement a series of system optimizations in the game. We will be introducing some of these in this Developers Discussion. Let's take a look together~
〓Archon Quest "Requiem of the Echoing Depths" Unlinked From World Quest〓
To ensure that Travelers have a smoother experience with the Archon Quest, from Version 4.3 onwards, "The Chasm Delvers" quest series will no longer be prerequisites for this Archon Quest. When you reach the objective "Enter The Chasm: Underground Mines" in the Archon Quest "In the Depths, an Unexpected Reunion," a Teleport Waypoint will be automatically unlocked in The Chasm: Underground Mines so you can continue with the Archon Quest.
The Archon Quest "Requiem of the Echoing Depths" requires Travelers to head to The Chasm: Underground Mines, but this location will be locked until Travelers have completed the corresponding World Quest that allows them to enter and continue pursuing the Archon Quest.
〓One-Click Features〓
▌Dispatching Characters on Expeditions
One-Click Expeditions will become available in Version 4.3. This will allow Travelers to claim Expedition Rewards with a single click, as well as repeat expeditions with a single click.
Tumblr media
(This is under development and is not indicative of the final product.)
▌Ingredient Processing and Forging Screens
Aside from expeditions, you will also be able to claim processed ingredients and forged items that have been completed with a single click in Version 4.3.
▌Mystic Offering
When performing Mystic Offerings at Crafting Benches, you'll now be able to add multiple Artifacts in batches with a single click.
In future versions, you'll also be able to claim created Furnishings from the Creation Screen in the Serenitea Pot with a single click.
〓Optimized Artifact Management〓
As the journey goes on, the number of Artifact Sets you can collect will continue to increase. To help Travelers quickly find and manage Artifacts, a significant optimization has been made to the Artifacts filter function.
Automatic Locking and Quick Unlock functions have been added to the Inventory > Artifacts screen. Travelers can use these to automatically lock and unlock Artifacts according to the requirements they set.
Tumblr media
(This is under development and is not indicative of the final product.)
Tumblr media
(This is under development and is not indicative of the final product.)
Tumblr media
(This is under development and is not indicative of the final product.)
Additionally, as a reference to help Travelers when choosing Artifacts, recommended Artifact set information based on recently active players will now be shown on characters' Artifacts screens.
For more details about Artifact management optimizations, please stay tuned for future official descriptions.
〓Optimized Enhancement Screens〓
In the current version of the game, when Travelers level up characters or enhance Weapons and Artifacts, a pop-up appears showing how the corresponding values changed before and after enhancement. In Version 4.3, enhancement information will be integrated into the original screen instead. This will make the enhancement experience smoother for Travelers by getting rid of the frequent pop-ups.
Apart from integrating enhancement information, there will also be some small targeted optimizations on these screens:
▌Character Level-Up Screen
Tumblr media
(This is under development and is not indicative of the final product.)
The speed of interface special effects related to leveling up characters has been increased, and you can now use Auto Add to add sufficient Character EXP Materials to get the character up to the highest level they can reach before Ascension with a single click.
▌Artifact Enhancement Screen
Tumblr media
(This is under development and is not indicative of the final product.)
Other optimizations:
1. You can now consume up to 15 items per time when enhancing Artifacts.
2. Added the "Enhance to Next Tier" function. Once activated, when there are still open slots to add Enhancement Materials but this action will already cause the Artifact to reach Level 4/8/12/16, no more additional Enhancement Materials will be automatically added.
3. In Settings > Other, you can choose whether or not 5-Star Artifacts can be auto-added as Enhancement Materials.
Combined with the Automatic Locking function mentioned above, we hope that these changes will make managing 5-star Artifacts more convenient for Travelers.
▌Weapon Enhancement Screen
Tumblr media
(This is under development and is not indicative of the final product.)
You can now consume up to 40 items per time when enhancing Weapons on, and select multiple materials when refining Weapons.
We hope that these optimizations make the enhancement experience smoother for Travelers.
〓Character Reload Spot When Challenging Domains Repeatedly〓
In Version 4.3, after entering the Domain or if you continue to challenge the Domain after claiming rewards, characters will reload nearer to the Domain challenge location. This means you won't have to run over from the Domain entrance to this location again.
Tumblr media
(This is under development and is not indicative of the final product.)
〓Other Optimizations〓
To improve your gaming experience, some other optimizations will be implemented in Version 4.3. These include:
1. The way enemy avatars display in Adventurer Handbook: Enemies will be adjusted to help you find them. Also, you can now select "Cancel Navigation" on this screen to stop navigating towards the corresponding enemy on the map.
2. On the various creation screens (Crafting/Cooking/Forging/Create Furnishing), if there are no selected character records on the Traveler's device, the first character that can provide a bonus when creating the selected item will be chosen by default.
3. On the map screen, you'll now be able to check bosses' current remaining respawn times by clicking their avatars.
Tumblr media
(This is under development and is not indicative of the final product.)
And that's all for this Developers Discussion. We'll have more information about new version content and optimizations for you in the future, so please stay tuned for further official announcements. If you have any thoughts or feedback, feel free to send them to us through the various channels within and outside of the game~
556 notes · View notes
Photo
Tumblr media
64 notes · View notes
worldeatergoatfather · 5 months
Text
Cleo and Tango, the field research expedition leaders at the Lifeline Antarctic base. Located just a few kilometers from the geographical south pole, Lifeline has come to support a population of about 30.
Tumblr media
(Okay, here's some of my starting concepts for my Antarctica AU! I'm combining the cast of hermitcraft and the life series. I'm still working out a ton of details, like.. the actual plot, the character designs, the roles each person takes on and the rules of the actual setting. stay tuned!)
477 notes · View notes
comatosebunny09 · 5 days
Text
untitled | leon k.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
summary: he knows what’s up. no mistaking how you’ve been ogling him since you settled into the merchant’s lair, but it’s always fun to watch you beat around the bush. to watch you struggle to ask for what you crave most, the adrenaline of outrunning ornery villagers bubbling beneath your skin and pooling in the apex of your thighs. genre(s): romance, humor warning(s): dry humping, steaminess, female reader in mind, soft boi leon, oocness now playing: august 10 - khruangbin notes: i don't know where this came from. i think i just wanted to torture myself. thank you for reading anyway!
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
The shadows cast by the firelight mar your features. He catches sight of it for a split second and there’s no mistaking it. 
That little gleam in your eye when your gazes interlock briefly, though yours skitters away to study some cracks in the concrete floor. 
Amid The Merchant humming something optimistic in the near distance and the idle pop and fizz of the hearth fire, Leon finds his lips quirking. He can’t help himself. Sets his knife and whetstone aside to study you, chin perched on his palm, elbow settled in the pocket of his quad.
It’s cute, really. Endearing, how you think you’re getting away with looking at Leon like that without consequences. 
You’re well beyond the awkwardness of your relationship. No reason to act so shy, like he wouldn’t give you the stars and the moon if you much as hinted at wanting them.
He watches your lips pinch and your lashes tremble when you make a point to look everywhere but at him. Toy with some frayed threads on your cargo pants, pick at your nails, pretend to stretch. Anything to take the heat off you, but he can practically hear the gears in your pretty little head whirring to life like an overheated machine.
He chuckles something low in his chest, crackling like thunder building on the horizon. Sits up, dusting off his thighs, and the smugness he radiates is palpable. 
He scrutinizes you for a beat longer before throwing the bait. 
“Come here,” he husks, patting his lap. 
It’s like clockwork the way you perk up, all doe-eyed and ramrod stiff. Wordlessly, you uncurl yourself from your crouched position on the ground and meander to him. Into open arms, sliding into his lap, wrists instinctively crossing behind his neck. He feels good here. Burns hot through the thickness of his cargo pants, and there’s no masking the power his body houses. 
His hands burn something molten on your hips. He looks up at you with eyes that smolder like the fire behind, slow blinking like a satisfied feline that’s just licked the bone clean. 
“Something on your mind, sunshine?” 
He knows what’s up. No mistaking how you’ve been ogling him since you settled in The Merchant’s lair. But it’s always fun to watch you beat around the bush. Struggle to ask for what you crave most, the adrenaline of outrunning ornery villagers bubbling beneath your skin and pooling in the apex of your thighs.
You sigh, looking skyward in mock thought, tapping your chin. “Nothin’. Just thinkin’ about the impending doom that comes with babysitting, is all.”
Leon snorts, a hand roaming over the notches of your spine to gently curl around the base of your neck. From here, he draws your gaze back to his. Fingers creep into the hair at the base of your skull to assuage the tension in the clench of your jaw. You blink cutely down at him, your mouth slightly ajar.
“You’re a shitty liar, you know that?” he rasps, eyes trained in the swell of your lips. 
He picks up on the slight hitch of your breath. On your pulse beating overtime in your throat where his thumb makes several expeditions over it. He pulls you closer without thinking until his breath fans over your inflamed cheeks. 
You swallow, your lids gradually drooping, and you angle yourself closer before you know what you’re on about. Perch your hands on Leon’s shoulders, shifting to make yourself more comfortable in his lap despite the press of his zipper against you.
“Don’t know what you’re on about, Kennedy.” It’s automatic, the need to avoid the inevitable. To draw out this game of keep-away like the world isn’t falling apart around you outside. But he won’t have any of that, inching in to graze your lips with his. And it’s like you’ve been shocked by electricity, the way you stiffen and forget how to breathe. 
“Tell me what you want,” he murmurs, all hot and low in the depths of his throat. The sound of it curls around you like smoke. Turns your brain into primordial mush, and he’s devastating. 
He brushes your lips together again, humming something feral into the space between. Studies you with eyes all drunken and hazy, and a wandering hand curls around your ass to keep you melded to him. “Talk to me, sweetheart.”
“Leon,” you finally relent. It’s as evident in your voice as it is in his, and he can’t help the little surge of pride that brews in his ribcage.
Suddenly, the heat radiating between your bodies becomes too much, and it’s heady. You find yourself swaying and sighing incoherencies, but he’s there to catch you. Always is as your arms hang loose around his neck, and you arch your back a little so your chests fuse together. 
“I know, baby,” he dotes, pressing a kiss, sweltering and sloppy, on your chin when you tilt your head slightly back. “I know.”
He’s inebriated with it, too. The soft press of your body, the subtle twitch of your hips. You’re his IV drip, his Kryptonite. And damn The Merchant and the mission and Ashley, he thinks as his mouth latches onto the side of your neck, suckling and sampling the salty tang of your skin, enticing the sweetest little keen from betwixt your lips. He feels it pull at something in his belly. Feels it tug at the stitching of his pants, and he finds his hips sluggishly surging off his chair to acquaint themselves with yours. 
He’s doing terribly distracting things with his tongue on your neck, and his hands are eager as they pull at your shirt in his haste to feel you. And he would have his way, have you wide open and keening on his lap if not for the subtle clearing of a throat nearby.
You snatch away from Leon as if burned by the fire, arms winding around your torso to shield yourself. Leon’s all bleary-eyed and pissed, with a growl burbling in his throat. The pair of you stare at The Merchant—though it’s more of a glower in Leon’s case—and it’s almost comical how uncomfortable the old man seems having witnessed something so raw and unfiltered. 
“Sorry for interruptin’. Gear’s good as new,” said Merchant offers with a meek chuckle. “Even threw in a few extras. Free o’ charge.”
And suddenly, Leon wonders how far he could get on his mission if he recklessly decided to murder The Merchant.
190 notes · View notes
chefkids · 2 months
Text
So what comes next?
Tumblr media Tumblr media
In case you have not heard. Season 3 might be the last. This was the same source that first announced that the bear will have additional episodes and they would begin filming in February so I would say they are pretty reliable. It was also Chris' intention to just do 3 seasons, and based on the major themes I do think it makes sense.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
The timeline to pay back Jimmy was 18 months. We're already 3 months in. I doubt Season 3 will cover an entire year and 3 months. So why end it at Season 3 when there is still so much that could happen and they could explore?
The Bear will shut down.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
It's not unheard of for Michelin star restaurants to shut down. I could see them giving it their all and even getting a star or two, but in the end it still not being enough. Operating costs is extremely high. Gentrification was touched lightly in season 1 with the landscape of the neighborhood changing. Many Michelin restaurants are part of restaurant groups and have large financially backing plus generate income through other products like books or packaged goods.
The show has been setting up everyone to be ready to be on their own if or when the time comes.
Marcus becoming a legit pastry chef.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Tina leveling up in the kitchen as a sous.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Richie becoming a high end host and expediter.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Natalie becoming a manager and also a mom.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
They have all gained skills that could get them a job anywhere else. Carmy and Sydney are the ones still stuck.
Sydney is terrified of having to start over once again, because she's scared of time running out for her. She's not even 30, most people don't get to have their own restaurants until much later in life. She wants what Carmy got and she wants to share it with him.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Carmy doesn't know what he's doing on his own. Mikey was his motivation but now that he's accepted he's gone, the only thing that seems to get him motivated is his fear of disappointing Sydney. He started cooking out of spite and has seemingly ignored all his other interests like fashion and drawing.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
They need want each other. I think it will end with knowing that they will have each other even if it's not about the restaurant anymore, because really this show was never really about the restaurant but the people in it.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Syd will stop stressing about time, Carmy will find his own purpose. And maybe 10 years down the line they'll give it another try and build something completely new and he'll actually be there for her in the process. I think it will be bittersweet, but still hopeful.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Honestly this is the only way that I can see it having a concrete ending, without leaving a ton of questions in the air, while still having a optimistic door open for the future. In the end the restaurant might have not succeeded financially, but it brought everyone together and made them better.
Tumblr media
187 notes · View notes
niqhtlord01 · 3 months
Text
Humans are weird: Too stupid to be real
( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)
There once was a species known as the Ping that held control over several dozen star systems near the outer edges of the known universe.
Under their reign entire worlds were turned into nightmarish hellscapes the likes of which only the mad could dream of and only the dead escape from. The Ping feasted on suffering for nutrients in a process still not fully understood today despite several centuries of research, and so they tortured and mutilated all within their domain.
It took the combined efforts of half a dozen species to finally drive the Ping back to their original homeworld. Countless billions died in the struggle, and twice as many went mad from the horrific images and hallucinations; yet the death like grip of the Ping was broken.
When it came to decide the fate of the Ping there was a heated debate amongst the victors. Half felt that the Ping were too dangerous to be left free and needed to be exterminated, while the other half was hesitant to be swayed by such extreme measures as it would make them no better than those they had fought to overthrow. The debate raged on for several weeks after the final battle until the moderates emerged victorious.
A massive cryogenic vault was constructed on the Ping homeworld and every surviving member of the species was locked within. Inside their cryo tubes the Ping would serve out their sentences until such a time as the rest of the galaxy felt the Ping could be set free into the universe.
To ensure the vault was not breached several different layers of defenses were installed, each created by a different species to ensure that no one member species could enter into the vault unless each agreed. With the security features in place the Ping homeworld was vacated and orbital beacons were placed warning all who came within system that the planet was off limits.
Years turned into decades, decades to centuries, and then millennia passed without a single soul setting foot on the planet. The former victors of the war continued with their lives and managing their new found freedom amongst the stars without the threat of the Ping. Perhaps it was in this new found sense of freedom that they slowly began to forget about the Ping’s existence all together.
Had any of them given the Ping a thought for even a moment one of them could have warned Humanity to stay away; but none did.
When humanity began expanding into the stars they spread out in all directions like lightning in the sky. Their appetite for the new and wondrous universe around them was insatiable. For too long they had known only the confines of their own world and with the coming of space travel they finally saw their chance to explore the stars; which led them to stumbling upon the Ping homeworld.
Where other races would have seen the array of defenses and obstacles blocking the world and turned away, humanity saw a mystery in need of solving.
“A seemingly dead world protected by such wonders?” they thought. “What treasures are hidden here?”
So they dove head first with reckless abandon into the world, ignoring the numerous warning signals that were still being transmitted by the automated systems orbiting the planet in languages they could not understand.
The first expedition hadn’t made it through the first layer of outer atmosphere before colliding into energy barriers. Crengthi shields operated on wave lengths not detectible by human instruments and so the ships were damaged but still capable of space flight.
The second expedition was able to study the shielding and devised a jamming device that would open small holes within the shield to allow ships to pass through. They had just made it into the lower atmosphere when ground based Kentoc automated cannons targeted their vessels and obliterated them.
The third expedition was larger than the previous two by far as the military had seen the results of the ground based weaponry and wanted their scientists to reverse engineer them. A large military contingent was deployed alongside the science vessels and spear headed the landings on the surface.
Once more the Kentoc cannons roared into the heavens but the military ships were able to withstand the barrage. There were still losses and a few of the heavier landing craft were obliterated, but still many more troop carriers landed and dispersed their cargo of soldiers and scientists. It was here that they triggered the Julnu mind madness broadcaster.
Within minutes the humans who had survived to touch the surface of the Ping homeworld were driven mad by visions of such intense horror many gouged out their own eyes to make the nightmares stop. The military leaders still in orbit could only watch in horror as every human on the planet killed each other and then themselves until once more the planet lay silent.
And so it went on for decades on and off again.
Expedition after expedition would be sent to the Ping homeworld building atop the advances made by the previous until succumbing to the world themselves. Sometimes it was the military, other times private corporations, and then eventually even privateers and treasure hunter’s came drawn to the world by the ever growing legend.
The defenses of the world were extensive, but not infinite; and with each expedition they grew thinner and thinner until finally the humans had reached the cryo vault itself. It was here that the other surviving races of the universe who had once imprisoned the Ping received a final warning transmission that the vault was about to be breached.
Historical records were dusted off and it was with great horror that these races knew of what would be unleashed should they fail to keep the humans from the vault. Wars between them all but ceased as their military fleets were rerouted to the Ping homeworld.
When they arrived they were surprised to find there were no longer any humans on the world. In fact, there was not a single living human left in the entire system.
They quickly descended on the world and found that it had been stripped bare of all technology. Energy shields, automated weapons, broadcasting systems; anything of value had been taken by the humans in their relentless pursuit of the mysterious world was claimed as their prize.
Fearing the worst the races rushed deep into the confines of the world for the cryo vault , hoping beyond hope that the humans had not been so foolish as to unleash the most dangerous species the universe had ever known. Scorched and melted, they found the vault doors had been cut through and breached. With weapons drawn and at the ready they advanced into the vault but found something they had not expected.
Every single cryo pod was missing from the vault, but at the entrance of the vault casually tossed off to the side was a massive mound of dead Ping. Each body had a single hole in their forehead from what was most likely a close range human automatic weapon ensuring immediate death. While some of the races breathed a sigh of relief, others were outraged at the casual butchery carried out by the humans and sought answers.
A delegation was sent to the human homeworld to demand answers and answers they were given.
One of the pods had indeed been opened shortly after the vault had been breached and the humans interacted with the Ping for a brief time. It soon became quickly obvious that the Ping were a hostile race as they immediately attempted to kill all of the humans present and free either brethren.
After a two dozen killed soldiers and scientists it was finally brought down when an excavation bot rammed it through the chest and impaled it to the wall of the vault. It bled out screaming in its alien tongue for hours until finally it died.
The leader of the expedition was given instructions to bring back any usable technology, but nothing on what to do if encountering sentient life forms. It had been a general consensus that they had been dealing with the automated defenses of a long dead civilization so it had never been considered.
Taking into account the hostile nature of the Ping, the leader made a judgment call that they could not be safely released back into the universe. Upon the opening of each cryo pod the occupant was summarily executed before they could fully recover and tossed aside while the pod was removed from the chamber.
The gathered alien delegates were dumbfounded by the humans. They had breached one of the most secure locations in the known universe without fully understanding it and had slain the greatest evil of the universe held within, and had moved on to new endeavors as if what they had just done was as interesting as a casual walk in spring.
They worried what would happen the next time the humans became interested in something.
294 notes · View notes
sanctus-ingenium · 10 months
Note
I love the moth guy a lot. Such a cool design! He's a photographer, too? What a funky little guy. Do you have more to tell about him?
Tumblr media
Patches is a large (about 1.6m long) sphinx moth descended from the family Sphingidae. He is based off of a combination of striped hawk moth and tersa sphinx moth and he is distantly related to both :)
Tumblr media Tumblr media
(source) (source)
I have to explain some of the setting - so every few million years, a mountain appears. It appears in the same spot on multiple different parallel dimensions, and it is there for maybe 45 years at a time. During this time is the only time these parallel worlds can touch, intersect, or meet one another. The last time this happened, members of the class Insecta came over, and found a different world with a ludicrously oxygen-rich atmosphere and some extremely energy-dense plants. They were able to develop, in the intervening years between then and the time of the story (think 1910s on earth) into the dominant life forms in this new world, many becoming quite large and developing complex societies and technology of their own.
The mountain reappears. This time, some of our insect characters (Nettle Rove [Staphylinidae] among them, though he is much younger than Patches and arrived at the tail-end of the time window) cross the mountain again, either by accident or on purpose, and find earth there, and human society. There's not enough oxygen there to fly or do much physical activity but they can still survive there and participate in a type of cultural exchange. So we have a First Contact type situation, but that's not what everyone really cares about. See, the humans have climbed the mountain and found at its peak, hidden in the clouds, a city. Completely devoid of life (even microbial), but obviously made by somebody. So the actual premise of the story is the exploration and mystery of this place.
Patches is 18 when the mountain shows up. He has just had a fulfilling caterpillar-hood of territorially murdering everyone he meets (kind of a solitary species! some members of Sphingidae will literally fight to the death if they meet as caterpillars) and, he is naturally extremely curious about the world outside His Tree. he meets his mate/bestie, Rosy Wing and while they do spend a lot of time terrorising everyone they meet, eventually they get interested in what's on the other side of that giant mountain. after meeting up with some humans trying to map the place, a camera-maker has a bright idea to send up Patches, who can hover very still in place, to photograph the strange lifeless city from the air (the humans are in full steampunk swing so obviously they have airships but atmospheric mixing between the different worlds makes it too dangerous to fly them, given that a stray breeze from the insect world might make a combustion engine blow the fuck up). the mixing is also sufficient to allow the insects to fly on the mountain but not for very long, meaning that most exploration of the city is on foot. The development of this aerial photography technique reveals that, from the air, the city appears disproportionately huge, and seems to stretch on for infinity. Because of this, and Patches' part in it all, an entire industry strings up for city exploration, and by Nettle Rove's time twenty years later, it has descended into bitter and violent rivalries between wealthy patrons funding expeditioneer teams. Murder is legal there (it's legal in insect world too. have u met insects? they love murder)
As for Patches himself, he is a barely-socialised semi feral freak with an incredibly upbeat and curious personality who is so so so devoted to Rosy Wing (who is.. similar, but more into people instead of cameras). Until their habit of harassing and thieving from randos goes poorly on a city expedition, and their entire team gets caught in a shootout. There were no recorded survivors. Our guy survived by playing dead but Rosy Wing was not so lucky. With Patches' hindwing in tatters, his only hope of being able to fly again and get of there was to use Rosy Wing's own hindwing as donor material. And that's how he got his name (he didn't have one before) :3
Rosy Wing was similar to an eyed hawk moth in appearance
Tumblr media Tumblr media
(source)
In Nettle Rove's time, there is a persistent rumour of some weird old hermit in the city. These claims are dismissed, but something's out there drinking the blood of random expeditioneers, and that thing might know more about what lies at the heart of the city than anyone else...
okay thank you for reading love u
525 notes · View notes