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writeforfandoms · 8 months

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Born for Greatness bonus 4

Find the series masterlist

FINALLY putting out the last bonus chapter for this series! This can be canon or can be discarded as you like, as it doesn't effect the main storyline at all.

Warnings: Pregnancy, unplanned pregnancy, probably rose-colored tbh, established relationship, established pack, shifter behavior, swearing, Logan has to learn a whole new interrogation method.

Word count: 1.8k

Soap and Gaz both murmured sleepily when you tried to nudge them off, nestling closer in retaliation. You looked to John for help, but he just shrugged.

“Fucking burrs, I warned you,” he murmured, leaning over where you were trapped on the LoveSac to kiss your forehead. He nosed gently at your temple, breathing in the scent of you. “They’ll need to get up soon anyway.”

You sighed but gave in, a little reluctantly. “Five minutes, then I’m kicking them off.”

“Good luck.” John smirked at you, pressing one more kiss to your forehead before he left to go do his own preparations. Which is really what you should be pushing these two to do, but they clearly didn’t want to.

John hadn’t been sure how long they’d be gone this time. More than a week, he’d said with an apologetic little grimace, but he didn’t know more than that.

Which was fine. You’d fly out to Logan, take care of some stuff there, maybe pick up a few etiquette classes or do some community work. It wasn’t like you were some wilting wife staring mournfully out to sea waiting on her husband.

You snorted softly at the mental image. Yeah, no thanks. Not for you.

You left shortly after they did, humming to yourself as you went through security and then waited for the plane. The trip was long, but worth it.

And this time, you were giving Logan a taste of his own medicine and showing up unannounced. So you got a cab out to his property.

Which was, of course, cold. Because the weirdo liked Canada.

You fished out your house key and opened the door. “Logan?”

There was a thump and a swear from further in the house. You grinned and headed that way.

“You know, when I said your stuff wouldn’t be any trouble, I might have misjudged.” Logan glowered at you from where he stood in the middle of a storage room, which was currently stuffed with your stuff from your apartment.

“I did tell you I didn’t need the furniture,” you pointed out, leaning in the doorframe.

“The bookcases are nice, don’t wanna get rid of those.” Logan narrowed his eyes at you, head tipping as he approached. You paused, watching him, because this was not normal. He sniffed you, leaning in closer, until he made a face and took a step back. “Really, kid?”

“What?” You resisted the urge to sniff your own arm, because you knew it wouldn’t work.

He blinked. Twice. “Oh fuck.” He rubbed one hand down his face, gaze flitting around the room, before he deflated a little and sighed. “Okay. Kitchen. Go.”

Confused, you went, because this? You needed to know what this was about.

Logan made coffee (he didn’t do tea) and growled at you every time you so much as tried to get up from your chair. So you just sat, utterly perplexed, and watched.

Finally, he set a coffee in front of you, took a deep breath, and blurted out, “You’re pregnant, kid.”

You blinked, suddenly quite aware of why he’d had you sit down. You grabbed the table to make sure you weren’t swaying. “I’m… what?”

“I can tell.” He tapped his nose meaningfully. “I’ll drive into town and get some things for you.”

“I’ll go, might as well,” you said, more out of habit than actual desire.

And three tests later (you still had another pack to take in a few days), you were once again sitting at the kitchen table, more or less in shock.

“I take it this wasn’t planned.” Logan nudged your foot with his, frowning a little.

“Nope. Hadn’t even talked about it.” You breathed in slowly, trying not to freak out.

“It’ll be fine.” Logan reached over to take one of your hands. “And if it’s not you’ll come here.”

You huffed. “You have a way of making things seem much more simple than they actually are,” you mumbled, though you couldn’t help but smile.

“All depends how you look at it.” Logan shrugged. “You’ll be fine, one way or the other. You’ve got time and space here to think about what you wanna do. If you wanna keep the cub or not.”

You put your head down on the table and whimpered.

True to his word, though, Logan gave you all the time and space you wanted, letting you figure shit out. He offered opinions (sometimes wanted, sometimes not). And when you got too caught up in your own head, he bullied you onto the couch, turned on a movie, and shifted and laid across your lap.

It was oddly effective.

You had an entire month to sort yourself out.

And then John texted, saying they were on their way back to base.

Logan didn’t quite sit on you but he threatened to, glowering at you until you cooperated and then booking tickets for the two of you back to England.

(“You can’t travel alone.”

“I’m pregnant, not dying!”

“Don’t care, you’re not traveling alone.”

“I hate you.”

“I know.”)

Logan stayed with you the entire time, calm as always. His calm seemed to directly increase in relation to your anxiety. Which was… something to think about later.

For now you were just grateful he wasn’t biting your head off.

John had volunteered to pick you up, so of course he was waiting for you, car idling, leaning back against the hood as he patiently scanned the crowds for you.

You didn’t actually track the steps you took to get to John. You were in front of Logan one minute, and in John’s arms the next. He rumbled a soft laugh as he squeezed you gently.

“Missed me, hm?” he teased, kissing the top of your head.

“I’m pregnant.” You didn’t think. Just blurted the words out.

“...come again?”

You pulled back, looking up at him. “I’m pregnant.”

John was very, very still for the longest half-dozen heartbeats of your life. He blinked. His mouth opened. Then closed. You swallowed hard, sudden nerves clenching around your heart.

And then he was hugging you even tighter, face hidden against the top of your head, murmuring too quietly for you to understand.

When he pulled back, his eyes were damp, and he was grinning wider than you’d ever seen. “That must be why…” He trailed off, pressing his forehead to yours and breathing deep again.

“Alright, you two,” Logan said loudly, blatantly interrupting you. “Figure it out later.”

You huffed and shot him a nasty look before giving John a quick kiss. “We should head back,” you agreed, a little reluctantly.

Of course then John took your luggage and fussed over your seatbelt and wouldn’t stop glancing at you the entire drive back. Logan, the absolute bastard, was laughing to himself in the back seat.

“You go say hi to the boys,” you told Logan sternly once John had parked. “You and I need to actually discuss this, I guess.” You looked at John.

“Alright.” He didn’t even sound freaked out, much more under control again.

But he didn’t take you back to his office. He took you to his room.

There was very little talking involved in the next couple hours.

You did insist on a shower before going to see the rest of the pack.

You did not tell the rest of the pack about the baby just yet. You wanted to do something a little more nice for them than just blurting it out. (You’d feel bad about telling John that way but he was too smug already.)

So you enlisted Logan’s help, getting him to go take your entire pack on a run. You took the time to decorate the pack room with some balloons you’d run off base for, a cake, and a little banner you hung off the table. You had enough time to question all your life choices before they came back.

Logan looked in first, grinned, and moved to a prime spot to get pictures. John was next, huffing softly but his gaze soft as he looked at you.

The other three started to come in, and stopped. Well, to be more accurate, Gaz stopped short, Ghost stopped just shy of hitting him, and Soap walked right into Ghost’s back and swore before peeking between the two.

Silence. Complete silence. It lasted just long enough for you to wonder if you’d made a mistake, if they weren’t okay with this, if this was a bad thing after all–

Gaz whooped and grabbed you, picking you up off your feet in a spinning hug. You squeaked, more surprised than anything.

He didn’t even set you down. Just handed you straight to Soap, who also spun you around while holding you tight. Then he deposited you in front of Ghost.

Ghost blinked down at you before slowly, carefully initiating a hug. You melted. He never initiated.

“So, I take it you guys are fine with this?” you asked, only a little choked up, still leaning into Ghost.

“To put it mildly,” Gaz agreed, grin clear in his voice. He plastered himself to your back, joining in the hug shamelessly and ignoring Ghost's little annoyed growl. And then Soap jumped in too and you were laughing as the pile of you tipped precariously.

"Alright, you muppets," John grumbled, fond amusement clear in his voice. "That's enough." It didn't take long before he was gently tugging you away from the boys.

It wasn’t all sunshine and daisies, and you were no saint. But the pack made it work.

Until the day you were finally cradling a little girl against you. So far Logan was keeping the rest of the pack at bay, so you and John had half a chance to meet your baby in peace. You’d never thought you’d see John cry, but he’d surprised you.

Now, though, you three had a little peace. Your little girl slept against your chest, John hovering over the both of you.

“She’s perfect, love,” John murmured, tipping his head to rest his cheek against your temple.

“She is.” You smiled, exhausted, leaning further back into the bed. “Think she’ll be a bear like you?”

“Probably.” John huffed softly. “Too soon to tell. We’ll find out soon enough.” He touched the back of one tiny hand with one finger, impossibly gentle.

“Ready for all the extra mischief?” You couldn’t help but smile, already thinking of all the trouble she’d get into with Gaz and Soap.

“Be good practice for them,” John rumbled, amused. “It’ll be fine, love.”

“I know.” You yawned, struggling to keep your eyes open now. “Trust you.”

“Go to sleep, love. I’ll keep watch.”

You managed to open one eye to shoot him an amused look. “The pack is literally outside ready to take on anything,” you pointed out. “You don’t need to keep watch.”

“Won’t stop me from doing it anyway.” John rumbled soothingly, pressing closer to you both.

“Ridiculous man.” But you smiled as you closed your eyes again, heart full to overflowing. The security of having the pack outside and your mate next to you made it easy to drift to sleep.

#born for greatness #shifter au #john price x reader #john price x you #f!reader

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bonefall · 1 year

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Warrior Bites: Dried Minnows

Requested by @troutfur!

A series for those who would like their Warriors to have some more advanced culinary abilities.

The art here was provided by my partner!! (thank you for engaging in my research journeys boo <;3)

Dried Minnows

Clan of Origin: RiverClan Occasion: Travel ration, food storage

"StarClan forbid a RiverClan cat go 2 hours without eating," says the other, very jealous Clans.

One of the most common meals prepared by RiverClan warriors, dried minnows are easy to prepare, can be stored for weeks, and are easily kept in bunches with a small string of peeled willowbark.

One minnow on its own won't feed more than a small kit; but they’re easily captured in whole schools and processed in bulk to make lots of food. Marinated in rosemary for taste and valerian for a boost of energy, these are usually carried around as travel rations.

[Image ID: Three common minnows strung together through the gills with willowbark twine. They are lightly dusted with spice.]

There's two ways RiverClan cats would dry fish; a Greenleaf method, and a Leafbare method.

In Greenleaf, when it's hot and humid, the fish will be sun-dried. Starting on a clear morning, the fish will be laid out on a rock and left sitting in direct sunlight. This method requires a watchcat, else foxes may steal the food.

[Image ID: Grasswhisker, a brown tabby RiverClan warrior cat, crouches in a ‘loaf’ position on a large rock. She is watching minnows dry.]

In Leafbare, the fish will be strung together and threaded through the gills with willowbark strips, the same as they were being carried. They’re brought to a high branch and left there, the wind drying them out naturally over a few hours.

[Image ID: Two batches of minnows are hanging up in a tree that has a single leaf in the middle of winter. The landscape is snowy and the lake in the distance appears frozen. The meeting island is visible in the corner.]

Because of the easy nature of dried minnows, they’re faaar from considered a delicacy. Apprentices going through their first leafbare are tempted to complain about eating these night after night, only for their elders to launch off into long-winded lectures about the nutritional value of minnows, appreciation of the food StarClan gives them, and how there’s starving kits in ShadowClan who would kill for a good meal right now.

Is there any truth to that last part? Well, the valerian spices ARE quite tempting, to be fair. It has a similar effect to dried catnip.

#Clan Culture #RiverClan #Clan Food #Up next: An overview post and smoked carp!#Feel free to make suggestions! I'm keeping them in a large list and I'll get to them over time.#Warrior Cats #Minnows #dried minnows #Grasswhisker #Warrior Bites

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theblackdahliaemporium · 1 year

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Drying Herbs

How to Dry Herbs

Drying is the easiest method of preserving herbs. Simply expose the leaves, flowers or seeds to warm, dry air. Leave the herbs in a well ventilated area until the moisture evaporates. Sun drying is not recommended because the herbs can lose flavor and color.

The best time to harvest most herbs for drying is just before the flowers first open when they are in the bursting bud stage. Gather the herbs in the early morning after the dew has evaporated to minimize wilting. Avoid bruising the leaves. They should not lie in the sun or unattended after harvesting. Rinse herbs in cool water and gently shake to remove excess moisture. Discard all bruised, soiled or imperfect leaves and stems.

Dehydrator drying is a fast and easy way to dry high quality herbs because temperature and air circulation can be controlled. Pre-heat dehydrator with the thermostat set to 95°F to 115°F. In areas with higher humidity, temperatures as high as 125°F may be needed. After rinsing under cool, running water and shaking to remove excess moisture, place the herbs in a single layer on dehydrator trays. Drying times may vary from 1 to 4 hours. Check periodically. Herbs are dry when they crumble, and stems break when bent. Check your dehydrator instruction booklet for specific details.

Less Tender Herbs — The more sturdy herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme, summer savory and parsley are the easiest to dry without a dehydrator. Tie them into small bundles and hang them to air dry. Air drying outdoors is often possible; however, better color and flavor retention usually results from drying indoors.

Tender-Leaf Herbs — Basil, oregano, tarragon, lemon balm and the mints have a high moisture content and will mold if not dried quickly. Try hanging the tender-leaf herbs or those with seeds inside paper bags to dry. Tear or punch holes in the sides of the bag. Suspend a small bunch (large amounts will mold) of herbs in a bag and close the top with a rubber band. Place where air currents will circulate through the bag. Any leaves and seeds that fall off will be caught in the bottom of the bag.

Another method, especially nice for mint, sage or bay leaf, is to dry the leaves separately. In areas of high humidity, it will work better than air drying whole stems. Remove the best leaves from the stems. Lay the leaves on a paper towel, without allowing leaves to touch. Cover with another towel and layer of leaves. Five layers may be dried at one time using this method. Dry in a very cool oven. The oven light of an electric range or the pilot light of a gas range furnishes enough heat for overnight drying. Leaves dry flat and retain a good color.

Microwave ovens are a fast way to dry herbs when only small quantities are to be prepared. Follow the directions that come with your microwave oven.

When the leaves are crispy dry and crumple easily between the fingers, they are ready to be packaged and stored. Dried leaves may be left whole and crumpled as used, or coarsely crumpled before storage. Husks can be removed from seeds by rubbing the seeds between the hands and blowing away the chaff. Place herbs in airtight containers and store in a cool, dry, dark area to protect color and fragrance. Dried herbs are usually 3 to 4 times stronger than the fresh herbs. To substitute dried herbs in a recipe that calls for fresh herbs, use 1/4 to 1/3 of the amount listed in the recipe.

Copyright: This document was extracted from "So Easy to Preserve", 6th ed. 2014. Bulletin 989, Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia, Athens. Revised by Elizabeth L. Andress. Ph.D. and Judy A. Harrison, Ph.D., Extension Foods Specialists.

Picture Credit: Linda Palmer- Pinterest.

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tg-headcanons · 2 months

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Do you think there's regional ghoul cuisine? Obviously they have very limited ingredients but I think the (very morbid) thought of different ways of preparing humans in different ghoul cultures is kind of interesting lol.

YES YES YES GHOUL REGIONAL FOODS

Despite the common image of ghouls as feral animals hunched over corpses, there’s a lot of thought and work put into preparing and utilizing the bodies. While there’s absolutely times when they just rip in, there’s others where there’s careful consideration of taste, texture, and keeping themselves fed through shortages

Vietnamese ghouls made a human version of tiết canh, one using the same method of mixing blood with saltwater to keep it from coagulating to make a soup, but then added ground down bone. This helped them stretch a meal further by making the bones more digestible and easier for children to chew, as well as masking the truth of what they’re eating from any humans who find it. This method was especially good for ghouls who had small growing children they needed to find a way to get calcium into and quickly spread into surrounding cultures of ghouls

Speaking of blood, human blood sausages are common in Europe. Similar to the Vietnamese ghouls, they mimic their local human food with it to make something they can eat in the company of others without suspicion

Middle eastern ghouls started the practice of meat preservation, drying out cuts of human in heat and salt so it can be stored, which was especially useful for long travel through areas with few humans. This quickly spread through most of Africa and some of Europe and Asia, though the production was pretty limited to areas with access to salt and a lot of sunlight. It’s created somewhat of a culture among African ghouls who have different methods of salting and drying from different regions to trade and try them when they travel

In the Americas, ghouls had adapted to supplement their human meat diet with other animals, and while they couldn’t live on it entirely it gave them more options for cooking. Every group had some sort of recipe, those on the coasts would fry up organs with fish, those in mountains and dense forest would make stews with small game, and plains ghouls adapted for hunting megafauna would utilize Buffalo, deer, and sometimes other predators if their culture allowed it. These stews vary wildly, but the practice of mixing meats among ghouls who can digest it to stretch meals was commonplace

In Alaska and parts of Canada, indigenous ghouls used a method of natural freezing to preserve and prepare meats. Adapted for extreme cold temperatures, these ghouls would drag bodies through water, then place them in large baskets in trees or on stacked rocks if there were not trees available for them to freeze, often taking shifts guarding the spot from other predators. It was common for entire communities of ghouls to freeze bodies in one place, then come back throughout the days and weeks to eat frozen pieces at a time from the shared storage, ensuring as many people as possible could survive through shortages and the bodies wouldn’t go bad

#tokyo ghoul #tokyo ghoul headcanon

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mugenloopdalove · 1 month

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The Devil you Know (and Desperately Wish You Didn't)

Word count: 1405

Summary: The Corner Curios shop was known just as much for its high quality goods and supreme customer service as it was for its rumors. And one rumor-the tales told of a seeing a devil lurking in the shop at night-is far too true, much to the owner's frustratiom.

Notes: This is set in my au where Reya, the woman that Theil used to work for before she turned them away after they confessed their love, is tadpoled, while Theil becomes a more powerful sorcerer and eventually opens a shop in Baldur's Gate. Raphael really wants this bitch's soul bc of their power, so he lurks in their shop and bothers them regularly lol

There was never truly a “quiet” moment in the Corner Curios shop. Brimming with raw unfiltered magic, the legends that the shop itself was alive were more believable every night. Even into the latest hours, when the city was silent and still, it seemed like the shop was still as lively as it was during the day, if not moreso. Rumors had spread all across Baldur’s Gate of seeing a book fly across to another shelf, or a broom moving on its own. Those more skilled in magic claimed you could see how the weave enveloped every inch of the shop. And with the strange, unspeakably powerful sorcerer behind the shop, any one of these rumors could be true.

Even dealings with devils.

There were days where the shop lights stayed on into the strangest hours, but the doors remained magically locked...

“...And it seems that the words creeping in the city’s deepest shadows, the daggers that shoot through the tongues of the snakes and urchins of the alleyways... is that our little legend has made some dealings with the devil on nights just like tonight, when their innocent establishment is shrouded in the secrets of midnight. I’m sure any devil worthy of their soul is rather dashing, wouldn’t you, Theil?”

Leaning against the doorframe of the storage closet, staring down the loiterer with an irritated grin, was the fabled shopkeep seemingly on everyone’s tongue. The tiefling’s face and general mannerisms were as well known as their outstanding customer service and endless selection, but few saw the true face behind Corner Curios.

“Well then, Raphael, my most loyal loiterer,” they replied with a sneer. “Surely you know one.” They stepped towards the table set in the corner of the shop and sat across from the devil, the tension between the two all but visible in their surroundings. The two held a firm gaze, the unspoken challenge handed out. The game had begun.

The silence is broken with the tiniest thunk as a rather large book was sent hurtling right at the back of Raphael’s head, making Theil break out into a fit of childish laughter that seemed to shake the entire store.

“I see your sense of humor is as refined as ever, dear old shopkeep,” Raphael said dryly, picking up the book to examine it. “Ah, The Beginner’s Guide to the Arts. Don’t you think this is a rather childish simplification of things for someone as studied as The Sorcerer Who Would Become A Bard?” There was a heaviness to the title, one that led the tiefling to flick a small flame in his face as he laughed mockingly.

“That was a working title after a month of no sleep.” Theil hissed, cringing over the dumb joke they made after too much wine and not enough rest. “And it’s still better than any of your little ‘contracts,’ dear devil on my shoulder.” They got up to reach for a bottle of wine left on the counter with two golden glasses, as if prepared for the occasion. Too prepared.

The devil’s in the details.

“The daring shopkeep tried all to make the devil they knew all too well into but a distant memory, a speck on their otherwise undoubtedly flawless reputation free of any crime or harm, but their methods, as sad and as simple as the person behind them, are-”

“So are you going to drink the wine? Because if you’re going to keep going like this I might need both glasses.” Theil’s face remained stone cold, in no way humoring the theatrics that had already far outstayed their welcome.

“Do you truly think you can trick me into-”

“Do you think I’d waste vintage wine gifted to me by the friend of my enemy on trying to kill a fly that found his way through the window?” Theil bit back, huffing and taking a purposefully dramatic sip from their glass.

“Ah yes, that wizard you’ve cozied up to. Quite the choice.” Raphael paused before taking a drink of the wine, then stopped to look at it. “Right, it would be beneath you to sully this with poison. Your tastes are finer than that.” He leaned over the table a bit, grinning at Theil with a spark in his eye. “Still... quite the sordid tragedy you’re setting up for a love lost, isn’t it? I knew you weren’t beneath petty underhandedness, but you’ve set up a whole show for me to enjoy, haven’t you dear?”

“It would have been nice to know sooner that you knew the players, Raphael,” Theil looked out at the shop absentmindedly, reflecting on the “heroes” that had found themself tied up with the greatest villain they had known. Everyone wrapped around Reya as if she weren’t the most miserable, selfish, cretin of a person anyone could know. Theil knew full well she was using them all just as she had used Theil in the past. But they were going to get their revenge, one way or another.

As they gazed away, the bothersome devil laughed, as if amused by their frustration. “Now now, I’m not just another pawn you can set, my meddlesome friend. You know as well as I do that even information comes with a price.” A grin spread across Raphael’s face, his more devilish features starting to show as he leaned in even closer to the unamused sorcerer. “So what do you say? Be a good pawn and-”

Theil erupted into a fit of laughter, one so strong that the shop shook hard enough to knock a few books on the other end of the room. They laughed for only a second before their expression returned to the scowl that was ready to chase the devil himself out with a broom. “Your sales pitch is still as appealing as hag water, devil,” they cut back, rising from their seat and sauntering toward the man in front of them. As they moved, the books on the ground magically found their way back in perfect order on the shelf. “I don’t need your help to set the stage, and I’m still making pretty good use of my soul.” They leaned in close to him, smirking as their faces were just about touching, focusing a bit of energy just to remind him of just how much their soul was worth. Of just how much raw magic they held that made it worth so much. The game couldn’t end now, afterall. The winner wouldn’t be crowned today, or tomorrow, or ever. That was the fun of it.

Raphael, for once, was silent, until Theil pulled away with a victorious smirk. “Checkmate, old friend.” Theil said, secure in their victory for this round. “NIce try though, you almost won there. Maybe next time?” They hummed as they walked away, looking through some scrolls to seem busy. “Now, I’ll have to see you off. The show is about to start, and I doubt you can afford the front row seats.”

“I’m almost hurt. If you start having visitors, you won’t need me to warm your lonely nights anymore.” Raphael tried to wrap an arm around Theil, but found himself instantly shoved back by a gust of wind.

“That’s enough, don't you think? Or does the great devil Raphael not have other appointments?” Theil taunted, their temper finally reaching its limit. They tried to hide from it, but in a way they knew it was true- The Devil they knew all too well was the closest thing they had to genuine company, and likely the closest they would ever have.

“I do have far better things to do than humor your childish games any longer. Good luck with the show though, break a leg out there.” The friendly, familiar tone made Theil ready to attack again, but something stopped them. They almost felt empty, and a strange pain was building in their chest, making them almost feel sick.

“You’re wasting time now, devil,’ they said, voice ice cold. “Just get a move on before someone sees you,”

“Very well, I’ll leave you to your miserable farce.” Raphael took a step with a superior grin. “And, Theil darling? Checkmate.”

Before the tiefling could fight back, Raphael was gone, and Corner Curios was silent again.

The shop was still.

The stage was set.

Theil took a breath, letting the negative feelings melt away, and smirk at the knock on their door.

“Let the show begin.”

#gerard's diary #my writing #self ship writing #self insert writing #self insert #self ship

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pokemonfangame · 2 months

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Pokémon Pure & Corrupt

Set two weeks after a virus infected the Kyrn Region's Pokemon Storage System, the region grapples with their new reality as they prepare to host the year's Pokemon World Tournament. The "MissingNo. Virus", as it has come to be called, was successful in corrupting the data of all Pokemon stored in the PC at the time causing them to "fuse" with MissingNo. You are set to begin your Pokemon journey on your 14th birthday during this time of mass panic and confusion throughout your region. Shortly after leaving your house, you are presented a choice. Will you take the route of a standard Pokemon Trainer, or will you be tempted by the alluring power of Glitched Pokemon to reach your ultimate goal? Which path will you choose, I wonder...

The Pure Path is more of your standard Pokemon journey. Defeat Gyms, take down the evil team, etc. The Corrupt Path, however, is intended to deviate from the standard Pokemon format. Not drastically, but it will be more difficult (both literally and lore-wise.)

Your ultimate goal is still to defeat Gyms and become the Champion, but the methods in which you get to that point are different. Due to the MissingNo. Virus the region has closed off many of its doors to anyone who uses Glitched Pokemon. Pokemon Centers cannot heal you, Gyms will reject your challenges, and more. Who will you turn to in order to achieve your goal as the best Trainer in the Kyrn Region?!

Features:

Mechanics up to Gen 8 (currently) but with all Gen 9 Pokemon, moves, abilities, etc. before any DLC.

Two paths each with a storyline that connects with the other. You must play both paths to learn all the information.

A huge region to explore, essentially split in half for each main story but free-roam will be allowed in the post-game!

Over 450 Pokemon to find throughout the large Kyrn Region.

A brand new form of Pokemon: Glitched Pokemon. They come with stat changes, moveset changes, sometimes even new typings and abilities.

A new, fitting typing for all Glitched forms: Bird! But that's not all... each of the 18 types in the game has its own Bird variant!

The Bird-typing introduces the type-effectiveness chart from Inverse Battles when battling Pokemon of the opposite form as you (i.e. Glitched vs non-Glitched Pokemon.) The type chart is vanilla otherwise.

16 unique Gyms to battle across the region.

A very long ways away but a Battle Frontier and the Pokemon World Tournament are both planned for the post-game!

Level Caps on the Corrupt Path, adding to the difficulty.

Speedup plugin.

Multiple save files plugin; you don't have to lose your progress on one path to play the other!

Overworld Encounters in some areas, sometimes aggressive like in Legends: Arceus!

#Pokemon #Pokemon fan art #Pokemon fangame #Pokemon Pure and Corrupt #just download to play #new regional forms

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the-garbanzo-annex-jr · 4 months

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by Yaakov Lappin

On the eve of the war, Hamas possessed an estimated 30,000 armed terrorists, divided into five territorial brigades and 24 battalions across the Gaza Strip. It had a sprawling weapons production industry, much of it underground, and distributed the weapons through hundreds of miles of tunnels. It had an estimated rocket arsenal of some 15,000 projectiles, and death squads on the border preparing to conduct the worst mass murder of Jews since the Second World War.

More than 100 days into the fighting, the Hamas war machine has sustained severe damage and is being further degraded by the day. Its ability to function as an organized military force in northern and central Gaza has been eliminated, though Hamas prepared cells with the ability to function independently. These lone cells continue to attack Israeli forces as the opportunity arises, with whatever means they have to hand.

While the latest Israel Defense Forces assessment is that Hamas has thus far lost more than 9,000 fighters—a third of its fighting force—this is far from a complete picture of the true scope of damage it has sustained, not least because that figure pertains to fatalities, not overall battle casualties, which are likely far higher.

Furthermore, according to an IDF source, the Israeli military has been engaged in a gradual, ordered process of dismantling Hamas’s capabilities from the top down, starting with its command structure.

According to the source, the IDF and its divisions within Gaza focus their firepower and maneuvers first on eliminating enemy commanders, as well as their command and control capabilities—meaning the places from which they command field cells.

In the next stage, the terror group’s infrastructure is targeted, such as bases and military posts. Weapons production and storage sites comprised the next layer of targets.

It is only after these target banks are exhausted that the IDF prioritizes targeting Hamas fighters.

Furthermore, the estimate of Hamas fatalities is constantly rising; the IDF estimates that over 100 terrorists were killed in western Khan Yunis on Tuesday alone.

Of higher priority for the IDF is Hamas’s tunnel networks, which are being systematically mapped and destroyed.

Hamas’s ability to switch from organized command structures to decentralized guerilla warfare means that the IDF must be prepared for a prolonged fight against a determined asymmetric jihadist force—but one that is losing operatives, commanders and capabilities by the day.

The IDF has completed the encirclement of Hamas’s final major stronghold of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, with intense fighting being reported particularly in the city’s southern and western areas.

IDF special forces and intelligence units have been operating in the tunnels under the city for weeks, building a detailed intelligence picture and stepping up the pressure on Hamas’s leadership, which, together with the hostages, is likely located in this area.

In addition, the IDF is preparing a buffer zone in eastern Gaza, in which it is removing areas used by Hamas to launch its murderous attack on Oct. 7. The 21 reservists who died on Tuesday were conducting a controlled demolition as part of this effort when their location was hit by an RPG.

“Our forces continue a broad operation in western Khan Yunis, one of Hamas’s significant centers of gravity,” IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari stated on Tuesday during a press conference.

“It is very complex terrain, densely populated with many Hamas terrorists concealed in the area, including in sensitive facilities, trying to surprise our forces. The forces are fighting courageously using a variety of methods, skillfully and with close support of aerial fire and intelligence. Our forces are striking military posts and terror infrastructure, and in recent days destroyed a tunnel network spanning a kilometer and a half as well as a rocket production facility,” he said.

“We continue to fight throughout the Gaza Strip, in the north, center, and the south. We are deepening our achievements and are continuing to operate around the clock to create conditions for the return of the hostages.”

#israel #idf #hamas #gaza #khan yunis

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brassharrier · 5 months

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Hey everybody! Since I've recently crawled out of my cave of not doing minis stuff for too long, I've realized that a few skills have gotten rusty. Even some of the basic stuff has fallen out of my head at some point. To make the best of a slightly poo situation I've decided to get some of my journey to rediscovery logged online to share with people who may be new to the hobby or just looking for a new perspective on an established process. That's enough rambling for now. Behold! My first FSteaktorial: Basing with Coffee!

Paying for hobby sand can feel kinda silly, but sometimes that super fine gravel can look a bit off. This is extra true if you're working with smaller scale minis like Battletech. One common solution is used coffee grounds. Right of the gate, how coarse or fine the grind is will change the look. Fine grinds will look more like sand or dirt while coarse grinds will look rockier. I'm particular to a fine grind for most applications and I'd suggest it as a good starting point to work from.

Preparing the ground(s):

Prepare and pour your coffee as normal. Once you're done simply dump your coffee grounds into a hard container or surface in as thin of a layer as possible. Usually large food containers or a baking sheet will do. Let it dry for a day or two before putting it in a container for storage or application. I'm partial to empty spice shakers for most fine basing/flocking materials. You can put the coffee grounds away once they're dried without extra treatment. The process of making coffee will pull most of the oils out and the hot water will clean it up for you.

Preparing your adhesive:

Gluing the ground down is super easy. Grab an old brush that's flat and appropriately scaled to your intended model and base. The glue itself is just a watered down PVA. PVA is just your generic craft glue. You've most likely used it as a kid during whatever arts and crafts you've done. You'll want to add a drop or two of water at a time and mix thoroughly until it's a bit thinner than most minis paints out of the bottle.

Applying your adhesive:

Simply take your brush, scoop on some of the thinned glue, and apply it to the base. One thing to note is that glue isn't paint. For our purposes, you'll want a healthy layer. Don't worry, after a day it will dry solid. You don't need to apply perfectly either. The glue will take some time to dry and can be wiped off easily to clean up the edges of the base and model. Be sure to immediately rinse your brush thoroughly in water unless you want one giant bristle.

Applying the coffee/basing:

This is the satisfying part. Grab your shaker, handful of coffee, or application method of choice and give the base a nice healthy layer. Once you can't see the glue, tap off the excess and set it aside to reclaim or put it back in your applicator for use. Don't wipe off the excess just yet. Make sure the model is over a different surface and wipe the excess glue/coffee and wipe your cleaning tool (probably your finger) on a paper towel. This is important to avoid getting glue in your supply of basing material.

Letting the glue dry:

No, really. Let it REALLY dry. It's tempting to want to start putting paint to model, but the glue needs to be completely dry. You don't want to risk both brushing your fresh basing off the model and getting coffee lodged in your bristles.

Enjoy!

You're done with basing for now! Remember to blow off the excess coffee dust. You can add extra detail with rocks and bits, prime, whatever you want at this point. Even with just a quick prime, single base color, and a quick dry brush you'll get great results. Congratulations on your new awesome looking base, saved money, and even a teeny tiny effort of reclaiming waste! It's surprisingly durable as well due to the glue hardening.

#miniature painting #table top games #battletech #painting warhammer #warhammer 40000 #paintingwarhammer

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ansbobcar · 2 months

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EP 8. Business as usual

WORD COUNT. 1371

Link to overview

_ _ _ _ _

“Welcome back, Ms. Ontarin!”

She waved at some of the employees with gratitude, she was allowed to continue working within the Bureau until their blood supply recovered. “It doesn’t help that we usually rely on you to make them,” her nurse muttered under her breath with apologetic look. “It’s bad management on our part.”

It can’t be helped. To put to waste the efforts of all the personnel, as she was thrown back and forth between the shores in her dreams, was not worth it. She can’t overthink it. ‘Quite the idiotic curse compared to my mother.’

008 handed over the general outline of what had been covered by Orter which was quite a fair amount. Including a stack of notes about the content covered and outcomes. Comprehensively succinct. The schedule also significantly changed in preparation for the next few months. “Actually, what is Orter doing right now, 008?”

“There was a missing report about this one potion business a few days ago.” Flipping through the notes, written boldly was ‘DO NOT FOLLOW ME TO INVESTIGATE.’

“That’s why he asked if he wanted me to lead him out,” she mumbled remembering their footsteps outside. He was doing it alone by the lack of any staff loitering at the typical rendezvous. “There’s no point in keeping them from performing their duties elsewhere,” readjusting his glasses before he looked back at her. Her robe’s colour was still something he couldn’t get used to, as its bright yet heavy hue encompassed her. She smiles “Do well then, Orter Madl.”

“I will.”

It’ll run smoothly.

_ _ _

It’s unassuming. A shop located on the outskirts of a town outside the capital, as he entered with the bell chiming like any other shop. Although the owner’s face seems delighted by his visit it shifts with a simple paper. A search permit. There’s no fight as a result and the two go behind the shop to check on the working conditions... that is, if there wasn’t a sudden break into a sprint from the man.

“The audacity to do so is incredible,” holding onto his wand with a calm expression. Not even a double-liner magic user would have the guts to mess with him as he tugged onto his shoe. Tumbling down the spiralling stairs, the owner’s feet were bound with compressed sand to prevent the inner workings of his business from being covered up. Unlocking the door revealed another race, dwarves, haggard yet snappy in their craftsmanship. “Didn’t we illegalise dwarf slavery?” Eyes scrutinised the owner who scrambled down to his knees in tears was the seemingly clear-skinned fellow with slightly wrinkled eyes. “Please! I beg of you! It was against my will!” Pathetically claiming their innocence in such a situation. He wanted to scoff. The rule wasn’t even new.

“Even if it was against your will, housing and enabling such a practice violates both their rights and our laws.” But more importantly: “Who convinced you to do this? Clearly you aren’t capable of this feat.” In spite of his burning questions, it was more important to shut down the business and escort both suspects and the dwarves. Utilising teleportation magic at a distance with multiple targets isn’t his specialty but he was still rather adept at it, slight hysteria erupted from the overworked mass at their sudden change in position.

After handing over part of the matter to the Magical Creatures Administration, they began to conduct questionings on everyone involved. To summarise: only the owner knew of their existence, the staff who worked and maintained the shop had never managed to even step foot beyond the initial storage room, and the dwarves had been held there for the length of the business forging weaponry. The causation was a different answer. Even amidst possible interrogation methods and torture, he, now identified as Osfor Slagturn, was reluctant in providing any. “Surely you can at least tell us who it is.”

Slagturn muttered in a clammy manner, “then he’ll kill me if I say it…”

“If you ‘say’,” he repeated to himself. “How about this, let’s play hangman,” taking out a notepad and a feather. “If I fail to name the culprit, you’ll receive the hefty fine instead of the lifetime prison sentence.” That’s not how these deals work?! “I didn’t make this law for your information.” With no other choice, Slagturn folded and picked up the writing instrument.

‘_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _’

Two words. Vowels came first then. There was no ‘a’, an ‘i’, two ‘e’s, and two ‘o’s.

‘I _ _ o _ e _ _ _ e _ o’

No ‘u’ was present. The rest were consonants. There was an ‘n’ in this wasn’t there? Deducing the culprit or rather mastermind behind the whole ordeal with more ease.

“It’s Innocent Zero, isn’t it?”

His eyes seemed to only confirm them.

“Thank you for your cooperation, we’ll be holding you in the mean time,” leaving the room.

Why is Innocent Zero investing in weapons? Are they planning on a war soon? This is of great concern. An audience will be needed with the director and Wahlberg soon.

When he walked back, he was greeted by 008 again. No sign of the blonde vice-head. “Where’s Rinka?”

“Mr. Gehenna asked for her when the break started.”

_ _ _

The tea was still warm as the man before her uttered those words. His expression and posture were inviting, if she were still 17 they would’ve betrayed her expectations in a heartbeat. A constant in the mundanely fickle life she had. If she were indebt to him, she still wouldn’t do such a thing though as it was right now.

“You’re being irrational.”

“The same applies to you, Rinka,” he countered. “That’s the third time you’ve… nearly killed yourself,” unable to talk about it freely even with a light tone.

“What does that have to do with me being in love with Orter?” Clearly fed up of his tactics. After all, why stick to it if it isn’t working? She has no reason to agree to his whims, of all people, even if it’s a ruse they made up. The thought of inconveniencing the Desert Cane more than she already had, made her snuff out any doubts and reasons to state it. None of the other Divine Visionaries were good candidates for keeping such a secret without divine intervention after all.

“Whether you both made a deal, which I hope you haven’t, or your relationship is truly genuine,” he began, sullying his gloves hand with dripping honey. “You will be in a precarious position. You know what Orter is like. I doubt he’d favour his heart over his duty when the time comes.” Her eyes averted away from his implicating gaze and back towards her teacup.

“Or maybe they’re the same?”

What a way to ruin her appetite.

“What do you have against Orter to begin with?” She watched as he picked up some slice of bread with his messed glove. “It’s not like he needs my position to get more power like the others who tried.” The two were already on odd terms when they met. She presumed it might have to do with the fact he wasted 2 years in his new programme as a promising candidate to enter the Magic Police and became a Divine Visionary instead. But Kaldo doesn’t care about wasting resources like the others. So it was perplexing.

‘She didn’t remember it. That’s good,’ unable to disassociate her from being drenched in scalding tea amidst laughs. Her hands curled into fists, restraining themselves from a violent outlash with her magic. Whether it came from estranged faces or unknowns, she kept quiet and with sincerity, did a tight lipped smile.

“You can’t…”

The door opened unexpectedly, revealing Orter. “It took longer than expected to find your office,” refraining from scratching his head. The oldest closed his mouth without another word uttered. “Were you guys still talking?”

“You killed the pace.”

“Apologies for disrupting you then, feel free to schedule another time,” he added, dragging out the blonde who seemed just as confused as he was. She waved before shutting the door though.

_ _ _ _ _

Uhm. What do you think Kaldo was actually tryna say? You'll never get this answered for a while.

#mashle oc #orter madl #mashle fanfic idea #mashle x oc #orter madl x oc #divine visionaries #mashle #orter mádl #mashle x reader

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rosethornewrites · 1 year

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When I was a kid, my mom was dealing with mental illness and fibromyalgia when people didn’t believe it existed, and my dad was something of a workaholic.

She quickly realized that summers would be hell unless she packed them with activities she had to do little to nothing to prepare for.

Sure, we did the summer camps and sports and 4H that most kids do, but I think my favorite thing she found for us was archaeology. She managed to find it advertised in our small town newspaper, and I’m so glad she did.

A professor of archaeology at a state university was concerned about planned development along a local river that was known to have held native villages. There really wasn’t enough manpower or money to do “official” digs.

So he found a fun solution: he organized an archaeological summer day camp for kids above like age 6 or so.

Each day we were dropped off at a school about 40 minutes from home with anything we could need in the field (literally) in those 1980s fanny packs and bagged lunches. He and his crew of summer interns had already sectioned off the spaces and started the process, preparing the site with official labeling methods and such. And we were split into teams, usually by age, with younger teams more closely supervised by interns. (Thankfully I was on a team without my siblings and with a close friend.)

Every day, one team stayed at the school with 1-2 interns to learn to catalog the artifacts already uncovered by different teams, carefully sorted by team and space. (If it was raining we all stayed and worked.)

Everyone else would bus to the field, hike through some undergrowth, and learn to gently trowel the layers of earth away, letting him take photos of each layer as we went, and sifted the dirt through screens for anything that was so small it may have been missed. We excavated fire pits and also found the remnants of wood poles that had once been the skeletons of structures. The sediment of the former was always bagged for further analysis by experts.

During every stage we were very carefully monitored and sometimes the professor would call for a halt and show us something cool another team had uncovered.

After being cataloged, the pieces were ultimately sent to the state museum for display or storage, always with the names of the team that found them.

My team found a tiny artifact through sifting that proved that the local native village had to have trade contacts in another state due to the material it was made of, and I remember this professor being super excited about it. We were even in the local paper over it—I have the article, which had my picture accompanying it.

At the end of each of the camp the 2 years I went, we were allowed to walk through a freshly planted farmer’s field and see if we spotted arrowheads or other artifacts that we were permitted to take home with us. (Since the ground was already disturbed and the cataloging would be difficult to impossible, I’d guess.)

I’ve never been to the museum to see if that tiny piece of history I helped uncover is on display, but I will always remember how much I learned from this camp.

In some other universe, one that branched off somewhere from this one, a version of me surely pursued archaeology as a career.

#archaeology

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beeb-oob · 1 year

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A Chirpers Diet and methods of preparing food

Chirpers were originally herbivores leaning into fructivory, evolution pushing them to loose the grinding ridges they used to have on the inner side of their Mouth Petals, and to instead increase the dexterity of them to pick the often hard to reach berries and Nectar Clusters.

But after the the discovery of basic tool use, Chirpers now have far more opportunities to exploit other sources of food, like invertebrates, bone, or plant matter too hard to digest without some form of pre-digestion, and thus living a more omnivorous lifestyle.

A roster of exemplary food items, in reality there would be far more

Dew Drops, slightly dulled after being picked, in texture and flavor akin to a grape, apple sized; a corner stone of a Chirper's diet

Generic plant pickings; flavors span from sour to slightly spicy/umami

Nectar-Clusters, a very messy snack either given to youngsters as a sweet treat or placed in storage; has a long shelf life

Invertebrates in all shapes and sizes, a good source of minerals; often a part of bread roll fillings

Meat and bones of other animals, bones are occasionally scavenged for, meat and fat are not actively hunted for, they're only aquired in cases of defense against predators or finding of a fresh body. Overall rarely eaten

Tubers and 'mushrooms'; used to give soups a creamy consistency; also used to prepare foods for long term storage

A starchy seed, cultivated to make flatbread; the seeds shoot out of the holding body after drying sufficiently, kids make a game of it to smack the holding body against the ground in turns, the winner being the last one to flinch

Part two will look into the way Chirpers use these ingredients to prepare meals and dishes!

____________________________________________________________________________

=> part two

@charseraph

Aaand another one finished! I actually didn't intend to split this into a two parter, but i think this text length is more digestable (hehehe) and fun to read than the whole thing. Also don't forget to click on the image for better viewing, quality was crunched up by tumblr

Don't know what the heck a Chirper is ? This is what they look like!

Wishing everyone a great morning, midnight and everything inbetween!

#original art #alien species #xenobiology #spec evo #spec bio #speculative evolution #the chirpers #speculative biology #worldbuilding #food

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sinuswar · 1 month

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CLASSPECTING 101: INTRO TO RPG CLASSES

Back in the beginnings of the RPG genre, before game cartridges had the storage space for "dialogue" or "characters" or "personality," games were written entirely in shorthand. Characters were unnamed units whose entire identity revolved around their particular moveset.

This was referred to as their job or their class.

(Early Final Fantasy leaned into this especially hard, as playable characters had no names or unique designs. Their only differentiating factor was their Class.)

For a while, this worked.

RPGs on the (S)NES didn't have the storage space to write actual personalities for each of the party members, so when introducing a character, they simply say: "You are a hero. You must save the world from giant evil shadow skull. This is your class. Have fun!" Classes were designed to abstract/imply the illusion of character.

This is because writing characters (even when you aren't confined to a 1MB cartridge) usually comes down to what a character can/would do, and what a character can't/won't do. Characters are actions.

We call characters that fight monsters and save the day "good guys," and characters who burn down villages and slaughter innocents "bad guys." Characters are choices. Choices are actions.

A character that fights monsters using their giant sword feels different from a character that fights monsters by shooting fireballs. Characters are methods. Methods are actions.

Classes abstract all of these above character components by saying "every character of this type can do these things."

All Warriors are very buff, but lack magic. All Mages have magic, but are pretty scrawny. A White Mage uses magic to heal, whereas a Black Mage uses magic to harm!

The above list isn't what we'd currently consider "personalities," it's just a list of actions that characters can choose from, but it tricks the player into imagining personalities instead. They hand you a list of actions, and ask you to create a character that would do them.

If characters are actions, then Classes are "pre-built characters."

youtube

(The player characters never speak. They quite literally have no personality. Their only method of communication/individuality is their specific list of spells/skills.)

So, why does this matter?

Homestuck, at its core, is an RPG pastiche. A deconstruction of themes inherent to the genre. Analyzing RPGs can help us analyze Homestuck.

Classpecting is one of the more obvious examples of deconstruction, as Sburb Classes are very clearly derived from genre classics (Dungeons & Dragons, Final Fantasy, etc.), all recontextualized to ask the hard hitting questions:

"Isn't it kinda fucked up to be assigned a generic label that describes all the actions you've ever done/will ever do?"

Yeah, kinda! It speaks to a larger "dehumanizing" effect that Sburb tends to have on players, abstracting them into units with certain roles, functions, and responsibilities.

Wouldn't it suck to be a character in one of these RPGs, with a whole backstory, personality, and rich inner world, all to have a "higher power" reduce you down into what you can do (moveset), how good you are at it (stats), and what they'll use you for (player strategy)?

This is one of the main pillars of Homestuck: Being a video game character is an inherently degrading experience.

"Does 'what you're good at' decide your Class, or does your Class decide what you're good at?"

Homestuck is a mess of bootstrap paradoxes, so you can argue this either way and probably be right. The answer is probably a constantly looping "both."

But, now that I'm thinking about it, I personally lean toward "Class decides what you're good at."

If Skaia decides what your Class is at "inception," then it could be argued that you excel at certain things to help prepare you for the role you were (literally) designed for. Your hobbies and interests are off-screen coaching for your on-screen role.

To bring it back to RPGs, think of the (oftentimes generic) backstory you pick for a TTRPG character to justify them having the skills Talk To Animals and Explode Undead. You create what they did before the game as justification for actions they can do during the game.

Except Sburb does this on a cosmic scale, crafting your entire life up until the game to prepare you for playing it. Sucks! More on this in a future post.

"Are all characters of the same Class the same guy? Or at least the same type of guy?"

In early RPGs? Yes!

In a quite literal sense, all characters of the same class were essentially the same exact "person." Same design, same role, same methods. With no dialogue or personality to differentiate them, if you made a party of four White Mages, they'd essentially all be clones!

(This isn't entirely true, though. More on that at the bottom.)

In Homestuck? No!

This is partially because Classes are only half of Classpects, a more complex idea where your RPG Class is paired up with a "metaphysical element" known as an Aspect. With 12 Aspects, that means there's 12 versions of every Class.

Basically, you can have two Knights in the same party, but they can still be incredibly different (albeit similar!) units under this system.

(Dave and Karkat, on top of being a Certified Premium Yaoi Stock™, are a great case study for the similarities/differences between same Classes of differing Aspects.)

Yet, even if we ask this question again with Classpects instead of Class, the answer remains the same: you can have two characters with the same exact Classpect, and they'll still be noticeably different people.

How the hell does that work? Well, for starters, Homestuck is a story that does actually have character writing.

You can have two characters that perform similar actions (ex: Dirk and Equius are designed to have very similar traits, interests, and habits, even down to exact actions) and their Classpects will still be completely different (Prince of Heart vs. Heir of Void).

Likewise, you can have characters of the same exact Classpect (and identity!) perform incredibly different actions.

(Calliope and Alternate Calliope (CAL and AL, for short) are one of the best examples of completely different characters with the same Classpect. And they're even the same character, technically!)

This is where the crux of Classpecting as an artform is. Mechanically, if heavily differing characters can be the same "thing," and very similar characters can be different "things," then what is it that Classes and Aspects decide?

We're going way overtime, so I'll answer a question by rewording an earlier question:

"You have a Pokémon team made up of, let's say, six Dunsparce. Are all these Dunsparce the same exact thing? What could be different between them? What would always be the same?"

If you read this far: Sorry! Didn't mean to get this carried away! Thanks, though. Marrying two topics I care a lot about (game design and Homestuck) is a pretty good way to pass the time, it turns out.

If you think you know the answer to the above question, feel free to chime in. I'll give my two cents whenever I follow up on this topic.

#homestuck #homestuck meta #homestuck analysis #classpecting #game design #hsbc #homestuck beyond canon

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thesims4blogger · 8 months

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The Sims 4: New Game Patch (September 26th, 2023)

There’s a new game update for The Sims 4! This one comes in preparation for The Sims 4 Home Chef Hustle Stuff Pack release on Thursday (September 28th).

As it’s been previously announced, the patch brings a new design for the “cook” menu, for easier navigation. It also allows sims to bake cupcakes in any oven (#FreeTheCupcakes).Advertisement

The update also brings a few bug fixes, as promised on the latest Laundry List.

If you have auto updates enabled in Origin’s “Application Settings”, the game will auto-update once you open Origin. If you have auto-updates disabled, you will need to manually update by clicking the game in your library.

To ensure your game is up to date, check the game version found in Documents > EA > The Sims 4 > GameVersion.txt. Your game should now read: PC: 1.101.290.1030 / Mac: 1.101.290.1230 / Console: Version 1.81.2

Let them eat (cup)cakes! Speaking of sweets… this update includes freeing the sweetest treat, cupcakes! Your Sims can now prepare delicious cupcakes by using an oven, in addition to the traditional method of using the Whipped Dream Cupcake Factory. Plus, Toddlers can now experience the joy of eating a delicious cupcake.

We’ve delved deep into cooking, recipes, and ingredients. Expect to see the quality of food that’s prepared better reflect your Sim’s skill level, current mood, and appliance quality. Additionally, recipes across the Cooking, Gourmet Cooking, and Baking skills have been updated to better utilize more of the expected ingredients of the food that’s being prepared. One example of these updates: Players who own both Cottage Living and Get To Work can use the sugar, flour, and egg ingredients from the former with the baking recipes from the latter. The updates don’t stop there. We gave the Cool Kitchen Stuff Pack some love too! I scream, you scream, now Child Sims can scream for Ice Cream! Child Sims can now use the Sweet Tooth Ice Cream Machine.

One last update we’d like to tell you about relates to the Small Appliances in game. We’ve added the ability for many different small appliances to be dragged around within the game world while in Live Mode, as well as being able to place small appliances into your Sim’s inventory to take them with you on your travels. Find the full list of compatible appliances below:

The Wavescatter

The Food Annihilator

The Omniwaver

The Schmapple Micro

Luxe Drink Tray

Sugar Kane Popcorn Popper

Summer Drink Tray

Sweet Tooth Ice Cream Machine

Fountain of Mirth

The Gravy Fountain Mark IV Stand

Vintage Glamour Beverage Fountain

Blazin’ Ladles’ Over The Counter Oven

“No Space” Electric Oven Space Saver

Bug Fixes The Sims 4

Garden plants now should remain as plants instead of sometimes crumbling into piles of dirt. Be strong and live your best life, garden buds!

Visual effects for Sim Traits in Create a Sim have returned from an unplanned summer holiday.

Some text was updated to properly gush about Newborns.

Take a big whiff, we’re growing trash! Trash Fruit will now properly grow from any pile of trash outside, no matter its source.

It was getting a little lonely out there! Sims will once again receive calls and invitations from other Sims and NPCs.

City Living

We all were very hungry working on this update. But not so hungry that vegetarians would eat meat! Your Vegetarian Sims should no longer grab meals that upset their stomachs when using the “Get Leftovers” interaction.

Gelatin Rainbow Cake isn’t Vegetarian?! We’ve updated a lot of recipes that weren’t properly flagged as Vegetarian-Safe – and some that shouldn’t have been flagged in the first place.

Seasons

Bees will no longer become Enraged or Irritated after applying Mite Treatment. They will BEE a little more grateful to their caretaker Sim!

Eco Lifestyle

Photographs taken following today’s patch will no longer turn black when stored in the Storage Box.

Cottage Living

Some vegetables weren’t being recognized as vegetables for recipe ingredients! We’ve fixed this; make as many vegetable based dishes as your heart desires!

Now your Sims can make more informed choices on if they want to suffer the consequences of eating dairy when they are Lactose Intolerant. We’ve done a large update to food for a more accurate Lactose Free experience.

High School Years

Set your boundaries! There should be fewer invitations to become BFF with other Sims.

Growing Together

Photographs taken following today’s patch will no longer turn black when stored in the Basic Keepsake Box and the Truly Ornate Keepsake Box.

Horse Ranch

Ranch Hands now stay hired until you dismiss them.

Riders going from using Horse Barrels or Horse Jumps to doing something on foot no longer sometimes linger on horseback.

Movie Hangout

When using the Sugar Kane Popcorn Popper, Sims will now have visibility into what Cooking skill level they must reach to be able to prepare the various popcorn recipes.

#news #the sims 4 #ts4 #sims 4 #game updates

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ishallbeyourmuse · 2 years

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001/Henry being obsessed with Russian experiment!reader to the point here reader doesn’t like it

Here it is, I hope this will do, it was fun to write actually. I'll put this on ao3 too ‹3

You came as a leverage to unsure the peace between the Russians and the Americans. The treatment there was far harsher than here. You were honestly surprised when you’ve taken a notice of it. Before you came there told you stories about how worse your life will be from now on, they said they were hoping they prepared for you of any outcome. And they did. They used a method germans used in the II.world war. In your teeth there was a hidden cyanide capsule hidden. Just in case you could spill any secrets. Not that they included you in anything. You were just training most of the time, or getting punished for doing something wrong, with the most cruelest methods one could ever imagine. In here the kids didn’t fight with each other ’til death. With the Soviets you were trained to kill your weaker counterparts, trained to not get attached to anyone, incase you’d eventually had to kill them, in order to become their best weapon.

This was nothing like that. Some kids even sticked together and formed groups. You could still get punished in here, but it was like a kiss on the cheek compared to the Soviet punishments. You felt bored here, like you already knew everything. These kids here were slow-learners. Not as natural at it as you were. To the younger ones you tried to help, and they gladly accepted you. You couldn’t find anyone around your age here.

But you noticed something was off with one of the orderlies. He was tall, with broad shoulders, sparkling blue eyes, dirty blond hair, sharp cheekbones. He payed a lot of attention to you, trying to help you out even when you knew exactly what you were doing. He always asked about you, tried to have a few moments, just the two of them. You knew exactly well, how people like to manipulate others with their charm. So you are more and more frustrated with him everyday. His name was Peter. Peter Ballard. Had a nice ring to it actually. But you weren’t like the little, American kids here. You couldn’t be softened with sweet, encouraging words, with flattery. You knew he was different from the rest of the Orderly the moment he started to get closer to you. So you played exactly into his game, to figure out what was different about him. He gave you soft, gentle touches on the hallways, or where no-one would notice. You two started meeting up in storages, discussing your deepest desires, thoughts.

One of these times you were leaning against his chest, counting the minutes ’til this meeting was over.

-Can I show you something - he asked, his tone gentle, full of trust - you can’t tell anyone though.

-Anything.

He pulled his shirt’s sleeve up. There was three digits there. 001.

-No - you started to pull away- how is this even possible?

-Hush please- he answered calmly.- Papa deemed me too dangerous to keep my powers. But I’m one of the originals, born with their powers. Like you are.

-Why are they keeping this a secret?

-Do you think anyone would like to be in my presence if they knew? - silence fell upon them for a minute.

-Well, they don’t treat me like shit, despite being like you. Plus I’m from the Soviet side, a plus reason to hate me, but they don’t.

-But they don’t exactly accept you either, do they?- he asked.- Maybe the younger ones, ‘cause they don’t know what this means, but the other? I have been protecting you from them this entire time.

-I don’t need your protection - you huffed, getting up.- You know what I had to do back there to survive. I do not need anyone’s help.

-Well you can’t be on your own all the time either, believe me I tried.But I want this to change, it started to change with you here - he pulled your hand in his, but you were quick to get it out of his grasp.

-That’s on you buddy, but I’m leaving now - you lost all self-control you had left.- I’m tired of your fake gentleness, manipulations and… and everything we do!

He seemed shocked.

-What are you talking about?

-I’m not dumb Peter, or One or whatever your name is now - you whisper-yelled.- I know when pretty boys like you act like this with women. You want something from me, and you surely won’t get it - you stormed out of the storage, feeling content with yourself, freer now that you could let your suspicions out.

You weren’t raised to be the kind of women to be messed with. And you won’t allow him to seduce your secrets out of you. Your heart was beating fast , like it did when you were around him. It was probably a small crush, but they preached you to not pay attention to such things. Love, gentleness would only slow you down in your path. And that’s what he did to you, slowed you down, you weren’t any closer to any of your goals now. Expect for one thing. You learned that he was the imprint here. The one they tried to replicate so badly. But he needed to be controlled. Will this become your faith too? Will Dr. Brenner try to control you too? You’ll surely not let him do that, you needed an escape plan real quick.

After some days Peter asked you to play chess with him, you felt frustrated, but you couldn’t refuse, otherwise it would’ve raised suspicions

-Was this enough time to help you calm down?- he asked while taking a step on the board.

-Calm me down? Oh I don’t think months worth of anger can quiet down in five days, Peter.

-What is it with you? Everything seemed like it was alright between us.

-You don’t understand, you aren’t cap-

-Help me understand - he cut you off.-Please , you are the only truly important person in my life. This isn’t a scheme, ploy or whatever you’d like to call it. I just found you, and we were so much alike. I felt a connection, like a string was pulling me towards you. I swear, my feeling are real. - he lightly touched her hand under the table, softly caressed it.- I know what they taught you. But I’m not them. It’s different in here. Do you think I ever would’ve imagined myself being in love with someone else? - he gave a bitter laugh.- I never even knew I was capable of such feelings. But I am. I found you, and I am

You couldn’t find words for a moment. Then you cleared your throat.

-I think we should take this somewhere more private , wouldn’t you agree? - and you gave an honest smile to him.

#peter ballard #peter ballard is hot #henry creel #001 #001 stranger things #stranger things #stranger things 4 #vecna #vecna x reader #peter ballard x reader

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checkxmaster · 7 months

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"The hell is your problem, dude? Did you seriously forget about me? Or what, you think I'm a clone? Be for real."

It was getting dark, so Chad pulled his armored vehicle over to the side of the road and set about preparing to settling in for the night. Over the years, he'd accumulated a lot of tech to help him survive, from computers and GPS, to motion sensors, timers, and alarms. Generators and power storage units were essential, as were solar panels and other methods of harnessing power as electrical grids began to fail seemingly everywhere.

Some of the tech he built himself, having raided hardware stores for parts, and others he'd acquired from abandoned police stations and homes. It passed the time, to sit and occupy himself with building computers, or to set up surveillance systems, or to create spreadsheets to catalogue all of his supplies, and he liked to keep his skills sharp. Why? He didn't really know anymore. Maybe it just kept him sane. He had about a million flashlights, flares, weapons, and a multitude of ammunition types, complete with all the batteries, solar chargers, hardware enhancements, additional parts, and optional adjustments he could store.

Metal boxes, backpacks, and duffel bags were stacked in an almost hedge-maze-like fashion inside the armored vehicle he'd taken over after it had been abandoned by the military. His bed was little more than a shelf nestled into all this organized chaos, but he found it strangely comforting to be boxed in while he slept... especially since he was alone most of the time.

Occasionally he joined up with some survivors, but he found it difficult to remain with them. Their goals were vastly different, with civilians wanting to find somewhere safe to hunker down and barricade, and Chad wanting to keep on the move to see what he could do to screw Umbrella over or help other people.

He'd gotten his motion sensor perimeter up around his mobile home, as it were, and had just taken his nightly dose of painkillers so he'd have half a chance of sleeping. The deep scars from where the licker had grabbed him as well as the pain of a few broken bones that hadn't quite healed properly from being thrown off the train on the way out of the Hive had him pretty much in near-constant pain. He'd learned to live with it, and as long as he was busy and moving, he could ignore it. At night, though, he needed some extra help from good ol' pharmaceuticals. Just over-the-counter, though, nothing too heavy. He couldn't risk not being able to wake up if something significant went down. And absolutely nothing with an Umbrella logo on the bottle.

That was when one of his alarms went off, indicating that something was moving in the near vicinity of the vehicle. "Really?" he groaned, his head falling to the right as he lay in his bed to look at the screen across the way. Sure enough, it was blinking. Sighing, he sat up and typed away, looking at the camera feed indicating movement. To his severe disappointment, it wasn't one of the undead. It looked like a soldier of some kind. "Just perfect," he said cynically. Grabbing a couple guns, he went out to investigate. What he found was... startling, to say the least.

It... it was Rain. His heart began to pound. No, Rain's dead. Don't get fooled again by those stupid clones. Man, they were creepy... Clones of his now-deceased friends and comrades that often times acted nothing like the originals. The Rain ones... were always particularly nasty. He lifted his rifle, leveling it at her. "That's far enough," he said coldly, assuming this was a clone. How can it not be?

But then she spoke, and almost simultaneously he began to notice that she looked a bit older. The clones always looked young, pristine. Swallowing hard, Chad found it difficult to breathe with how vigorously his heart was now pounding, rattling his ribcage. Faltering a little in his resolve, the tip of his rifle slowly dipped a bit and he stared incredulously at her.

"N-no, I-... Of course I didn't forget about you, but..." But you're dead. You've gotta be. Forgetting Rain - or anyone else he'd lost in the Hive due to his incompetence, poor planning, and cracking under the pressure - was never an option. He saw their faces almost nightly in the twisted horrors of his guilt-fueled nightmares.

Chad blinked, not knowing what to do. The rifle lowered just a bit more at the mention of clones. "Yeah, actually, that's exactly what I'm thinking. Wait, you're-... Are you telling me you're not a clone?" Oh, how he wanted to believe that, but he'd been fooled before, almost fatally. "Come on, don't fuck with me..." he said, more with a crestfallen type of exhaustion than with any sort of real intimidation attempt. "If you're not a clone... then prove it."

If this really was Rain, the real Rain, then he was about to feel like a huge jerk momentarily. But if it wasn't... he couldn't afford to let his guard down...

#wanderingaroundwithmysoul #kaplan rp #{ on to the next mission } ʷᵃⁿᵈᵉʳⁱⁿᵍ ᵛᵉʳˢᵉ #{yassss let's get these two back in the saddle again haha}

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