Cherry doors and dead coral with the Magic Texture Pack in Minecraft
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I hate the design of minecraft villagers
they're huge-nosed, money hungry, ugly, primitive, golem-making explicitely-non-human humanoids. unless of course they're the evil dark-magic practicing main villains of the universe (who are also huge-nosed ugly non-human humanoids).
And people still deny how antisemetic the designs are, despite the fact that Villagers were designed by Notch, also known as Markus "Q is legit. Don't trust the media" Persson.
So! I decided to fixit.
I could just make them humans, but I'd prefer keeping to canon and having players be the only humans. So, let's make them anthro animals like Piglins!
I think sheep is the best animal, as they can be docile symbols of peace like Villagers, or aggressive headbutting gremlins like Illagers. The lore of villagers and illagers shown in MC Legends is basically that they both blindly worship humans, right? Might as well make them literal sheeple!
(Yeah, turns out it's ridiculously easy to make a resource pack that replaces models.)
Introducing: Lamblets & Ramlets!
The two species differentiated by the Ramlets having horns, while the Lamblets do not. However, that might not always be enough to differentiate them at a glance. Not as easily as you can with the vanilla beige vs gray skin.
Therefore, there's four versions of the pack, to suit your preference of what type of balance you want between gameplay and variety.
Simplicity
The most similar to vanilla - Lamblets have beige skin and white wool, while Ramlets have gray skin and dark gray wool.
Variety
Lamblets have beige skin and Ramlets have gray skin. Both have one of 6 random wool colors - white, gray, dark gray, black, brown, and rarely, pink.
Diversity
Lamblets have random wool and one of 4 random skin tones - beige, white, gray, and black. Ramlets have random wool, but always gray skin.
Canonicity
Both Lamblets and Ramlets have both random skin and random wool.
You can find Lamblets & Ramlets on Modrinth!
REQUIRES EITHER OPTIFINE OR ENTITY MODEL FEATURES AND ENTITY TEXTURE FEATURES !!!
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omg i love your work!! if posisble, can you do a part 2 to touching their wings and stuff with the dateables or maybe other characters? thank you and take care :D
touching their tails/horns/etc. pt 2
includes: diavolo, barbatos, simeon, mephisto, raphael x/& gn!reader (no pronouns mentioned)
wc: .5k | rated t | m.list | pt 1
a/n: i took a lot of creative liberties with this one, either because their forms haven't been revealed or just because i wanted to so just assume most of this is not canon at all lol
please reblog and like <33
➳ diavolo laughs as you poke at the gilded ends of his wings, taking in the intricate design. “it’s real gold,” he says before you can ask, gesturing to the tips of his horns, “as are these. it’s a birth present to children of our family, laced with magic that let’s it grow and change along with is. it’s a symbol of our wealth, our status.” you reach up to touch his horns, and he leans into your touch, happy to let you explore as you wish. “sometimes i think they’re a bit much, and then i remember who i am,” he continues, and you chuckle, making him laugh again too.
➳ barbatos’ tail twitches as you run your hand along it, obviously surprised by the texture. “that feels good,” he says mildly, and you give him a grin, twisting the end of each forked part between your fingers gently. if it keeps you occupied he’s happy to let you play with his tail for as long as you want. only because of that, obviously. not because he can’t remember the last time, if ever, someone’s touched him like this. or because your touch is soothing something inside of him he hadn’t known needed soothed.
➳ mephisto bows his head for you, letting you feel over the nubs where his horns should have been. “they never grew in quite properly,” he explains, sighing as you scratch gently at his scalp around them, “which is why i don’t often reveal my demon form. it’s a bit embarrassing, isn’t it? of course, my parents offered to have false horns inset, and lord diavolo knows we had the money for it, but, well, that just sounded like a bother.” you press your fingers to hs head, eyes steady, and he’s glad to see you’re not thinking of him any differently.
➳ raphael unfurls his wings, and you catch your breath. he’s often been told that his wings are beautiful, richly colored like a peacock’s, and your reaction goes on to support that opinion. “you can touch, if you’d like,” he offers, and you don’t hesitate, burying your fingers in the downy feathers near where they connect to his back. his head falls back, and a quiet peace goes over the two of you as you stroke your way from base to wing tip, then back, soothing actions putting him on the verge of sleep.
➳ simeon wakes up to the feel of your touch on his wing, soft and hesitant. sometime during the night, he’d transformed into his angel form, wings splayed out and over the bed, almost covering the whole thing in their enormity. they certainly cover you, like a warm, live, down blanket. he twitches instinctively, and you pull your hands back. “no, no,” he says sleepily, “you can keep going. it feels good when you touch me.” he sees you smile and smiles too, even though he’s already being lured back into sleep by your soft strokes across the top of his wing, where the feathers are smooth and packed together.
leviathans-watching's work - please do not copy, repost, or claim as your own
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clumsy | astarion a.
genre(s): romance, erotica (kinda sorta)
warnings: blood drinking, dry humping, steaminess, terms of endearment (petal, sweetling), language
summary: you get hurt. astarion helps the best way he knows how. spoiler: it's with his mouth.
now playing: shirt - sza
notes: based off the results for this poll. hope you all enjoy! thank you so much for reading! ❤️❤️❤️
It’s an accident.
Happens when your attention is siphoned by Shadowheart bidding you a “goodnight” over the firelight as she moves to retire to her tent.
You look up from your sword, the whetstone warm and textured in your hand, grinding across your blade in your lap as you offer her a smile.
You’re usually so attentive. So careful. Yet, tonight, you grossly misjudged your ability to multitask.
Shclink!
The cut is inevitable. Tears a hiss from betwixt your lips, and the whetstone plops to the ground along with the weighted thump of your weapon. You’re on your feet, nursing the angry, red line marring your palm. It buds with crimson, a pretty contrast to your skin.
“Hells!” cries Shadowheart, scrambling to your aid. She gently peels your hand away from your chest. Winces at the blood lazily spurring from your cut. A clean slice. Her voice holds concern when she looks up at you. “You’ll live. Would you like me to take care of it?”
Your lips quirk despite the pained knit of your brows. You draw your hand back, cradling it in your other. “Nah. Wouldn’t want you to waste your magic on something so small.”
“You’re sure?”
The tearing of your shirt fills the stilled space between you. Shadowheart blinks as you haphazardly wrap the scrap around your wound, mustering a reassuring smile. “I got it. I’ve had worse. You get some rest.”
Shadowheart smiles something unconvinced. Squeezes your shoulder. “You’ll come find me if you can’t staunch the bleeding?”
You nod, wary of the exhaustion hanging below her eyes. She examines you a moment longer before stepping around you and away from the warmth of the fire.
You watch Shadowheart retreat behind the flap of her tent. Left with the idle crackle of the campfire. Your hand throbs, your blood coloring the fabric you dressed it with.
You suck your teeth. Bend to retrieve your sword, cautiously setting it on the log you once occupied. You feel the hot trickle of your blood coasting down your fingertips. Hear it drip against the soil, the sound amplified in the stillness swallowing you.
You’ll need more than a bit of cloth to manage this.
Your gaze flits to your pack. You worry your bottom lip between your teeth, contemplating downing a potion to mend your hand. Then, you spot Gale’s tent. You could trouble him for some help. But, again, you see no need to waste your companion’s magic on something so contrite. You won't die, after all. It’s just blood.
Just…
Blood.
Your mind suddenly sparkles with an idea. A mischievous one, but an idea, nonetheless.
You wipe your hands on your breeches, starting towards a familiar setup. And somehow, devilry sets your face alight along with the coppery glow of the moon.
You find him silhouetted by the moonlight. Curls of white mulling over the deckled pages of a book, seated on a stool at the mouth of his tent.
You’re not trying to be discreet. Feet crunch soundly through the dry grass, alerting the vampire to your presence. Though, you’re sure he could hear you from eons away.
Astarion doesn’t look up as he acknowledges you, concentration nestled amongst his features whilst he turns a page. “Well, hello, sweetling. Fancy a cud—dle?”
The book, once cradled in his palm, clatters to the ground.
His expression is bemused as you slide onto his lap, your legs dangling on either side of his waist. Your arms sluggishly encircle his neck, and your chests brush together, coaxing an undignified sound from his throat.
Astarion intuitively wraps your hips in the circle of his arms to keep you both from toppling over. Angles his neck to stare up at you. His mouth hangs open with an unasked question.
Your voice is light. Twinged with something seductive. Manipulative. “Astarion,” you sing-song.
“Petal?”
“I need you,” you state plainly.
His brows quirk. Quads tense beneath you. “You—what?”
You bite back a laugh. It isn’t often you catch Astarion so off guard. Typically, he’s the one dismantling your resolve with his forwardness.
“As much as I enjoy beating around the bush with you,” Astarion’s nose twitches as he samples the air with it. Vermilion eyes land on you, shining with the slightest bit of apprehension. “You’re bleeding.”
“Keen observation.” You shift upon his lap, thrusting your bloody hand into his face until he goes cross-eyed. “Mind cleaning it up?” It’s more of a demand than it is a request. Damn your innocent face.
Astarion’s mouth twitches. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. Hunger wades below the depths of his irises whilst he glances between you and the blood seeping so enticingly through your impromptu bandage.
“Not going to tell me what’s happened?”
You shake your head, that devilish smile still twisting up your lips. “No time. I’m dying, Astarion. Save me. Saaave meee.” You drape your hand over your forehead and lean back to turn up the drama.
He scoffs at your theatrics, feigning aloofness despite his muscles twitching beneath you. “Fine.” Mumbles about being the cleanup crew as he unravels the cloth from your palm. Attentive and meticulous.
You flinch at the sticky pull of the dressing. The sting is immediately replaced by curiosity surfing along the shoreline of desire as Astarion appraises your wound.
He holds your hand between his. Looks at you with parted lips, saliva puddling in his cheeks. He licks his canines. His gaze holds a question. Offers an out as it chases the viscous fluid dribbling down your wrist.
Is this truly alright?
You nod, your breath held in your sternum.
Astarion studies you a moment longer before he delicately shackles your wrist in his hand, and his mouth pans in. His lashes shutter, and he groans something hoarse and feral as he presses his lips to the veins of your wrist. You flinch as if scorched by burning coal. How something as simple as a kiss could feel so sinful is beyond you.
You haven’t much time to linger on it because his tongue is sweltering and moving. Languid and obscene as it laps at the trail of crimson marring your skin. Astarion exhales appreciatively, his gaze sifting through his hunger to capture yours. He peppers your wrist with kisses, lips glistening a pretty red amid the moonlight.
You throb. Through hooded eyes, you watch your lover, your mouth parting with shallow breaths. A shudder filters through your bones, his lustful stare purposeful and unyielding.
He licks a torrid stripe up to your palm with a flattened tongue. Your fingers twitch with the need to touch. Thighs quiver. His wet mouth closes around your laceration with a raspy sound. Fangs graze the worn lines of your hand, and he sucks, drawing a bitten-off groan from your throat.
He feasts like he kisses. Stripping down your barriers, leaving you lightheaded and wanton. Swaying, and Astarion snakes an arm around your waist to keep you tethered to him. And a devious hand finds the globe of your ass and squeezes.
Your unoccupied hand curls around the base of his skull. Fingers comb through soft curls, and you press yourself impossibly closer to the rigid pane of his body. Your stomach spumes with heat. Somehow, your lover gorging himself on you turns your innards to mush.
Astarion moans. He fucking moans amid his sticky suckling, and you feel the sound stir something between your legs. He feels it, too, and he springs to life beneath the thick layers of his clothing, twitching against you.
Mindlessly, you bear your pelvis down on his. Sluggish like the drag of a tide, and Astarion hums his praise. He feels good. So wonderful, and you can’t help how your body instinctively writhes against his.
A few more languid rolls of your hips, and Astarion breaks away from your hand all too soon, heaving a breath as if resurfacing from water, his lips crooked with a smirk.
His mouth shines with your blood. Your ichor. And he greedily licks it up, not leaving a single morsel behind. The notion siphons your breath, and you feel like the most exalted thing. Hardly notice your skin gradually mending itself thanks to your lover’s attentiveness.
Once the lustful haze somewhat abates, Astarion’s chest rumbles with a chuckle as he draws you ever closer, sealing your body to his. “Tell me, petal. Surely, you didn’t come all this way just to provide me a midnight snack.“
His mouth drags along the slope of your neck, sending little warning shocks throughout your lower extremities. His throat crackles with a groan at the quickening of your pulse, teeth pinpricking your flesh.
“Don’t know what you’re on about,” you husk, craning your head back to allow him more access. Still playing innocent as if you didn’t charm him into this wicked dance of bodies and tongues. “But whatever it is, I like where it’s going.”
Astarion chuckles, lips sealing around your throat and sucking.
Your responding gasp is wet and wanton.
And you find yourself thanking the Gods for your carelessness.
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It’s my last day at the library and I’m resting this weekend, so I’m dropping these into the world early!
Five new mid-month brushes. Two thank-you-for-keeping-me-afloat brushes. These are Clip Studio brushes. Use them with the ellipse ruler or free-draw em. See you again at the end of the month. Links to past brushes are below:
Textured Ink Brushes (Photoshop) | Easy Stylized Hair Brush | Miscellaneous Mix Set | Spilled Ink Brush Set | Super 90s Carpet Brushes | Even More Decoration Brushes | Some More Repeating Patterns | Ornate Decoration Brush Drop | Netting and Lines | Lip & Hair Gloss | Glitter & Sparkles | Destiny Brush Pack | Valentine’s Frame Set | Candy Coated Brush Drop | Bloody Throne Pack | Magic & Daggers Set | Tarot Pack Brushes (October Update) | Elfy Card Set | Big Ol’ Card Asset Drop | All Those Brushes
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Wow-Wow Sauce
For @redwineand12gaugeshells... :->
In fact that bottled sauce (and nervousnigels) no longer exists, and in any case its principal ingredients of (squints) horseradish and mustard are way off base.
Wow Wow sauce was meant to go with boiled beef, and since a major ingredient was the meat's broth *, it was more like a pan gravy made at the end of cooking, than something intended to go into / come out of a jar in the preserves cupboard.
* 1817 was well before stock / bouillon cubes, however "portable soup" was a Known Thing and could be a possible alternative. The recipe is specific about using fresh broth, but here's how to make portable soup, because You Never Know.
Real Wow Wow sauce had no hyphen, no sulphur, no saltpetre and definitely no grated wahoonie, though some "real" ingredients of the Discworld version - mangoes, figs, asafoetida, anchovy - suggest Terry was taking inspiration from labels in his own kitchen, such as those on HP Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce and Yorkshire Relish.
*****
Dr Kitchiner's "The Cook's Oracle" is available online from Gutenberg (the 1833 American adaptation) as well as a PDF of the 1822 UK Third edition from Internet Archive.
Here's his recipe - whose title, for extra interest, includes the original name for what became "Bully Beef":
The good doctor's "pickled cucumbers" would have been vinegared like cornichons or gherkins, not brined like dill pickles. In addition, pickled walnuts are easier to find than they used to be; even the Tesco supermarket chain carries them...
...as well as mushroom ketchup.
You'd probably still need to make the other herb vinegars and the shallot wine (based on dry sherry), but those are easy, just a matter of steeping the herbs in the liquid for a week or so then straining off and bottling the flavoured fluid.
Another useful ingredient for period cooking is anchovy sauce, which is less, er, emphatic than full-on anchovy essence. You could always scale up if you like the taste.
This also has the advantage of being a pleasant - if you like fishiness - sauce in its own right; try a teaspoonful in a tablespoonful of EV olive oil then tossed with hot pasta. Yum...!
This one's from the same company as the mushroom ketchup and the packing clearly emphasises their "period-ness" (is that a word?) The anchovy sauce is a bit harder to find, but well worth tracking down.
*****
Finally, here's a Youtube short of Wow Wow sauce being made and sampled. It looks entirely acceptable, like a cross between a thin chutney and a thick sauce, and would be, to use Dr Kitchiner's own word, "piquante".
As a side-note, that by-play with tinned corned beef was a bit pointless, since its texture and flavour are both utterly unlike beef that's been slowly, gently boiled (simmered, TBH) with halved onions, carrots, root veggies etc.
Use shin or silverside; the magic tenderiser for those cheap cuts is Time (or a pressure cooker) - though you can also add a sprig or two of Thyme if you want...
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If its not too invasive, can I ask for brushes or other resources you may recommend? I'm plenty aware they don't make an artist good, but I'm always on the hunt for the perfect ones!
Oh, I am always on what feels like a never-ending hunt for brushes, I only use Procreate these days so these are Procreate brushes, at the minute I am really really enjoying these brushes called Frappe Pencil I love The Frappe Pencil Neo and Double Frappe smooth, you can see me using them in the last sketches I posted I think I solely used them in the drawings of Dhalia! I also really like the water-coloured brushes from Fatima Mandouh.
There are some brushes that I also use a lot that are from paid brush packs like the TGTS - Scratchy squeegee and GvW InkAmigo Waterson Dry (that's the one I use to draw Horizon Walkers) the Jingsketch brushes are also really nice.
I also like a few of the base brushes from Procreate, I love Nikko Rull, but I did edit mine a bit to be a wee bit more textured, I also like Eaglehawk, Tinderbox and Oberon.
Resouces wise I use Magic Poser if I am having trouble getting a pose down, as well as taking reference photos of myself. I also use an app called Freeform that is kind like an inspo board where you can see everything at once, I use that for like background character outfit references and city references.
I hope that's helpful! I tend to jump pencils quite a lot, so if there is ever an illustration i do that you want the breakdown of what pencils I used if I can remember which one it was I am happy to share!
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hello! your requests are open, so here i am! could i request the dateables noticing that mc hates demon food? like complete refusal to eat it, even starving themselves if there is no option for human food. if you dont want to do the group it can just be barbatos :3
.。*♡ A/N: Honestly Devildom food really can be something else ತ_ತ, though I can understand Mc since I would also hesitate to eat anything that seemed strange. How would I even know that the dishes weren't poisonous to humans? Regardless I hope you enjoy!
.。*♡ Characters: Simeon, Barbatos, Solomon, Thirteen & Diavolo
.。*♡ Warnings: Yandere content, forced feeding, that's all.
Simeon understands your struggle with eating Devildom's food since everything is so different from what you are used to, but the angel understands that you need to adapt since you will be spending a long time down here. Simeon is not at Barbatos' level but he prepares varied snacks and meals hoping you'll find something you like; the result however is always the same. You hate it and he doesn't have the heart to force you to eat it, even for him the demons' food is extremely strange and has a peculiar taste.
.。*♡ Lying is wrong, but if you don't eat anything you will get sick. So Simeon lies about the ingredients that Diavolo supposedly sent to you and uses his angelic magic to disguise the taste, the texture, the smell and to change the appearance of the dish. If you discover his little lie, he will feel guilty and apologize, and he will be sincere about his intentions. He doesn't like lying to you after all but he's not gonna let you starve yourself, he will hold you in his lap and spoonfed you if necessary.
.。*♡ Barbatos imagined that something like this could happen, after all demonic cuisine is completely different and he can understand why you would be uncomfortable trying something so strange. There are dishes that genuinely don't look good but taste good but you vehemently refuse to try any dish that isn't human. But his knowledge about food is extensive, drinks, foods and fruits, he is sure he can create the perfect dish that suits your taste buds.
.。*♡ However, starving yourself is not possible in front of him. If necessary, he will shove food into your mouth and hold your limbs while you struggle, and you will eat everything until there is no grain left. He can be an attentive butler when he needs to be, but if you continue to act like a child and refuse to eat he will think of more extreme measures to get you to eat.
.。*♡ Well... You are insistent on eating human food, but I think that after you taste Solomon's dishes you will be able to eat Devildom's dishes without any problems. Or, you can persist through the horrors and continue eating the food of your fellow human, whose appearance always looks like the food is going to jump off the plate and choke you to death. But well, it's human food like you wanted.
.。*♡ Solomon understands your reluctance to try Devildom's food since it looks strange, but he convinces you little by little to eat it so you don't get sick. And as a human, you trust him (bad idea, really, you shouldn't trust someone who doesn't know how to cook). While he gets you used to Devildom food, Solomon still happily cooks for you, even packing lunches for you and inviting you on kitchen dates to spend time together - the brothers and the dateables reaction is like this btw: (╬☉д⊙)⊰
.。*♡ At least there are instant noodles, apples and pancakes in Devildom, so you can possibly survive on that.
.。*♡ Thirteen is a reaper, but reapers and demons share similarities in many things, especially food. It might be a little weird at first, but Thirteen likes it and she shares her food with you, piling food on your plate until it looks like a mountain and she watches you push and turn the vegetables and meat around. Humans are funny, why don't you just ignore the taste and texture and eat? You know that if you don't eat you can get sick and die, would this be your way of telling her that you want her to harvest your soul early? Oh my, are you courting her?
.。*♡ Thirteen goes to the human world often to collect souls so while she is there she can bring you snacks and food that you like, however this all comes at a price. Sometimes it's easy things like spending time with her or helping her build her traps, but she tends to escalate her requirements with each trip made to the human world.
.。*♡ Diavolo, bless his heart, was too excited about the exchange program stuff and ended up forgetting about that little aspect. He's never tasted human food and you've never tasted demon food, so it's only fair that he invites you to a little feast where you can taste each other's worldly food. He's having the time of his life, listening to you talk about the human world and the place you live, but you're not having as much fun. Who the hell eats Quetzalcoatl Brain? What even is Quetzalcoatl brain?
.。*♡ It's important for you to note that although he has the power to bring human food here and he wants to do that, Diavolo won't. You will get used to this new cuisine whether you want to or not, isn't it customary to eat different foods when visiting different countries? You're just being silly in his opinion. Do you want to go hungry? May you go hungry then, it's his exchange program and he chose you to be part of it, your little aversion won't be a problem. In the end of the day, Diavolo could very well just use his magic to make you eat.
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Thrifted Snapback
James loved perusing the thrift stores in his college town in the Midwest. There was something so magnificent about being able to style an entire outfit and personality around one specific second-hand item. Being so skinny, the pants he would buy needed to be styled with a belt, but it was part of the magic of being able to make something new out of someone else’s clothes.
In one of the smaller stores at the edge of town, James stumbled upon a section filled with miscellaneous accessories. Always a sucker for pieces that added a little flair to the fabric, James began to sort through them: a waterproof watch, a seashell necklace, some knee pads, stud earrings, and… a black snapback.
James paused. He had always avoided getting headwear at thrift stores because of the risk of lice, but there was something intriguing about this hat. Lifting it up to his face, he took a sniff: it smelled clean, with only a hint of sunscreen. It was perfectly plain enough to add to any outfit of his. He wanted it. Trotting up to the cash register, he made his purchase and headed out of the store, hopping onto the first bus back to campus.
As soon as he got back into his dorm room, James immediately pulled out the snapback and put it on his head with the rim facing forward. Looking in the mirror, he smirked at how he stupid he looked. No one cool wore a hat with the rim forward. He pulled the snapback off of his head and turned it around, slowly placing it back on his head.
Suddenly, he felt a strange jolt of electricity surge through his body, starting from the top of his head and flowing down through his entire being. At first, he thought he had been electrocuted, but then he felt a sense of warmth spreading throughout his body, and his hair began to change.
His hair began to grow at an incredible rate, inching down his back and around his shoulders like golden waves. It felt soft and bouncy to the touch, with a texture that reminded him of cotton candy. The color of his hair changed too, shifting from its original dark brown to a bright, sunny blond. His eyebrows grew thick and manly, transforming from his manicured arches into bushy caterpillars. As he blinked, dumbfounded at his transformation, his eyes lightened to a bright blue color.
His biceps bulged like melons, with veins that looked like they were about to burst. His chest expanded into a broad, chiseled wall of muscle, complete with a deep, rippled cleavage that seemed to have a life of its own. Even his abs were impossibly defined, with six-pack muscles that looked like they had been chiseled out of stone. But it wasn't just his upper body that was changing. His legs grew thicker and more powerful, with quads that bulged out like balloons and calves that looked like they could crush coconuts. His butt, which had once been flat and unremarkable, now jutted out like a shelf, perfectly sculpted and round. His feet slowly stretched out on the floor, pushing against the hard, cold surface. His toes stretched and lengthened, growing thick blond hair on the tops, spreading to the tops of his feet and snaking up his legs. The thick blond hair found its way to his torso, swirling up into his armpits, which grew dense forests of hair. The hair began encircling his crotch, which pulsated with energy. With each electric burst coming from the cap, the bulge in his pants swelled further and further, causing waves of immense pleasure to emanate throughout his entire body.
James’ newly blue eyes began to water up, forcing him to bring his massive hands to his face and wipe them dry. When he took his hands away, he found himself no longer in his dingy dorm in the Midwest. Instead, James found himself in the sun on the beach in some tropical paradise. The electricity began to concentrate on his head again. He grabbed his skull, unable to focus on anything besides the waves of electric pleasure shooting through his body. He couldn’t think straight. The hat was doing something strange to him and it needed to stop.
This was wrong. He couldn't be on the beach! He needed to get back to his dorm because he had classes tomorrow. He paused. Classes? He had dropped out of college years ago to travel the world. His head hurt. What was happening? He had never been this muscular before, how would he explain this to his friends and family? They would never believe it. James gripped the snapback with his hands, trying desperately to pry it from his head. As he struggled with it, the muscles in his arms tensed trying to rip it off, flexing his massive biceps and working up a sweat in his hairy armpits. His head felt foggy, but he needed to get this damn hat off.
Finally, with one big yank, James pulled the snapback from his head and tossed it into the sand, along with all the memories of his former life as a scrawny Midwest nerd. Turning around in the sand, James began to stroll back to the condo he was renting in Hawaii, leaving his massive footprints in the sand. Entering the house, he reached for his muscular abdomen with his enormous hand and turned back towards the beach. All the ladies at the beach were cooing at him and his massive body; they all wanted a piece of him. This was going to be a fun night.
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Bamboo gates in Minecraft with the Magic Texture Pack
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french navy (alt: it's a sims 3 conversion. and i love camera obscura!)
@madebycoffee made a request for some sims 3 conversions so i'm here to fill it. this one is from the 70s, 80s, 90s pack and it's so cute! we don't wear little scarves anymore. what's up with that? anyways, i'm sure someone else converted this (and did a better job) but again, this one is mine. now on to the script!
what you get
1 cute outfit in 20 colours
1 recolour psd template in case you don't like any of my colours
4918K poly bc it's from a game from 2009
proper LODs, spec, and normal
CAS icon
snazzy in game gif (remember these?!)
notes
bless @sforzcc for their magical colour palettes.
i tried upscaling the texture with ai (woooo scary) but i can only do so much with 14 year old textures. i play on ultra and it'll look good in a regular game and for those who use hq mod.
clogs are by @dallasgirl79 , hair is by @feralpoodles, glasses and bracelets are bgc, watch is from the glamour pack.
download under the cut (it's free 99, baby!)
download - sfs | DB
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*Deep Breath*
Okay, so I started work on this download back when it was 100, but life got busy and when I was able to resume working on it, there were 150. Life got busy again before I was finished, and now there are 250 of you amazing people... but I’m actually getting this thing out there, so yay for that.
There are 61 meshes in this download, and hundreds of recolors. A quick rundown of what’s included:
Some of @aroundthesims 4t2 tattoo parlor set. The chair is cloned from pikkon’s tattoo chair, so it’s a double for the makeover chair. The single rolling drawer is an end table that is slaved to the double sideboard, so you need the double for the single to show up.
High School Years’ Starry Eyed prom/dance set, which contains the balloon arch (sculpture), backdrop (sculpture), dining table, dining chair, and banquet table, cloned from a very similar table by @veranka-downloads
And finally, I converted at least one thing from every expansion pack and game pack from Sims 4 currently released that hadn’t been converted before, plus a few deco things from Sandy @ ATS that I really wanted in my game.
From top left to bottom right...
Girl Scout cookies (ATS, sculpture) • Pepperidge Farm cookies (ATS, sculpture) • Royal Dansk cookie tin (ATS, sculpture) • Teddy Grams (ATS, sculpture) • Arrrmed Dining Chair (Base Game) • Captain Rodrigo Dining Chair (Base Game) • Salyut Aeronaut Chair (Base Game) • Booping Shnoops (Cats & Dogs, sculpture) • Crate End Table (Cats & Dogs) • Town Statue 4 (Cats & Dogs Debug) • Town Statue 5 (Cats & Dogs Debug) • Fuzzread Article (City Living) • M.A.P. Most Amazing Player (City Living) • Chicken Competition Prize Ribbon (Cottage Living Debug, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and participation ribbon recolors included) • Food Platter (Dine Out Debug) • Party’s Over Chair (Discover University) • Polymer Chameleon Barstool (Discover University) • Very Impressive Lawyery Desk Chair (Discovery University) • Very Impressive Lawyery Desk (Discover University) • Fabric Sampe Book (Dream Home Decorator Debug) • Bougie Burlap Sofa (Eco Lifestyle) • Biochemical Medical (sculpture, Get Famous) • The Queen’s Gossip Chair (Get Famous) • Seat of the House barstool (Get Together) • Doctor of Medicine Diploma & My First Simolean (Get to Work) • Ever-So-Versatile Chillbox End Table (Get to Work) • Modern Metallic Illuminated Display Case (not illuminated, but functional table, Get to Work) • Stainless Steel Fab Slab (Get to Work) • Bubbly Barstool (High School Years) • Cheer Megaphone (sculpture, High School Years) • Clear as Crystal Coffee Table (High School Years) • High School Event Banner (High School Years) • Modest Marcel Dining Chair (High School Years) • Call Me Ottoman (functional living chair, Island Living) • Bug Bite Cure (Journey to Batuu) • Supply Crate (functional end table, Journey to Batuu) • Stool de Selvadorada (Jungle Adventures) • Fenwick the V Banquet Table (3-tiled table, My Wedding Stories) • Not Your Average Firewood Loveseat (Outdoor Retreat) • Timber Log Chair (Outdoor Retreat) • Brohill Barstool (Parenthood) • Magical Crystal Cluster 2, 3, and 4 (Realm of Magic Debug) • Violets are Blue Flower Arranging Station (functional table, Seasons) • Spirit Doll (Snowy Escape) • Pillow for Deep Thoughts (was a throw pillow, but I turned it into a functional bean bag chair, Spa Day) • The Sign Saw You (Strangerville Debug) • You Saw the Sign (Strangerville Debug) • Dead Hawthorn Tree (sculpture, Vampires) • Fenry Chompsalot Jr. (sculpture, Werewolves)
When it comes to the downloads, there are two options for you to choose from. One offers each of the meshes in a separate folder with its recolors and the textures for each so you can pick and choose what you want to keep. The second zip is all the recolors merged with their respective meshes, so there are 61 total files. You only need to download one.
I hope everyone finds at least a few things they can use. Enjoy! And thank you for following!
Download Individual Files
Download Merged Files
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Behind the mask - Part eight.
Pairing: Simon Riley x Fem!Reader
Summary: Because Simon wasn’t born as Ghost.
Wordcount: 3454 | Rating: E! (18+ only!)
Warnings: Fluff and Angst.
A/N: Simon would be around 22/23 in this fic, so it would be set around 2015 ish?
Sorry for uploading so late, I had a massive writersblock and my life is a mess right now lol
There, he said it, and Simon could feel his heart thumping out of his chest. What if you didn’t feel the same way? What if you just mumbled those words the other night? What if he just ruined whatever it was that the two of you had going on. What if. What if. What if.
“I love you too.”
Your words are like music to his ears and he can’t supress the smile that formed on his face. His arms wrap around your waist again, and your face gets peppered with little kisses. “I can’t get enough of you.” He whispers into your ear, and he finally feels happy, he finally feels as if the universe isn’t out to fuck him over, no, Simon feels as if the universe is smiling at him.
He finally lets go off you, to turn on the shower and he watches in awe when he sees you put up your arm. “Not a hairwash day.” He chuckled, remembering your earlier words from the day before. Just watching you do the most basic things feels like a treat to him. Simon still doesn’t fully know how the two of you shifted from being friends to being.. this so easily, but he is not the one complaining.
He pulls you closer to him in the shower, being careful enough to not wet your hair, and he can’t help but smile. Your naked body looks absolutely gorgeous and he would devour you whole if he could.
But something stings him. Even though you’ve been inseparable the moment you woke up in his arms, there was never been an official title for the two of you, and he can’t help the slight worry that someone will come and take you away from him, and he can’t have that. You’re his girl, and he wants the rest of the world to know that too.
He watches while you wash yourself, what if another man would ever lay hands on you? The same way he had done? No, he can’t have that. He doesn’t want to share you, he doesn’t want to risk losing you because he never had the balls to put an official name on it.
“Was wondering what we are.” He mutters, his voice barely audible over the constant stream from the showerhead. You turn around to face him, and you can see the whirlwind of emotions on his face, the worry, the jealousy, the tenderness. “What was that?”
Simon straightens his back, trying to silence his insecurities. “Just wondering what we are.” He repeats, a bit louder than before. Your head gets tilted to the side, while there might never have been a verbal agreement that the two of you were exclusive, it certainly felt that way for you. “Let me ask you a question.” You respond. “How would you like to be introduced as the next time I skype my parents again?”
“As your boyfriend.” He is quick to answer, worried you’ll slip through his fingers if he doesn’t answer you quick enough. “That is if you would have me.” Simon added with a sheepish smile.
In response you can only laugh, wrapping your arms around his neck to press a kiss on his lips. “Of course I would have you as my boyfriend. And I think my grandmother would love it when I introduce you as my boyfriend too.” Your hands move down to give his ass a playful slap, before you step out of the shower. “Go get your ass washed.” You command him. “I want to get the stuff we need for the paper mâché.”
Simon salutes you with a grin before he starts his shower routine.
~~
Who would’ve thought going craft shopping with two soldiers would be so chaotic? You knew what you needed, balloons, glue, water, paint and a bunch of old newspapers. Simon however, had never really had the opportunity to explore that side of him, so the man needed to touch every single texture he could get his hands on, from the googly eyes, to a magic twisty worm.
“Are you sure I don’t need this?” He asks, holding up a pack of glitter glue. “I like the dark blue.” He muttered to himself.
And it pains you, no matter how much you try to see the good side of this, the fact that he can finally discover all the things you deemed normal during your childhood. It hurts knowing that he never got the chance to when he was growing up.
“Well.” You start your answer. “You can always buy it and maybe we can use it for something else?” You can’t think of a single thing it might be useful for, but at the same time, it’s impossible to say no to him. If a little bit of glitter glue will help his inner child, who are you to ruin it.
“Do we have everything?” He asks, placing the glue into the shopping cart. You shake your head. “Before I forget it, we need a mixing bowl, and some paintbrushes too. Or do you want to paint with your fingers?”
In return he shoots you a grin. “I can do a lot of things with my fingers.”
You just roll your eyes at his comment, before you go and study the different paintbrushes, eventually settling for a large pack with different kind of sizes. You drag him and the cart along through the store in order to get a mixing bowl, and Simon holds it up triumphantly when you walk past it and he spots it.
“After this, we just need to go to the library.” You say, as you guide him and the cart towards the checkout. “For what?” He asks, carefully following your movement.
“The newspapers. Apparently they have a huge amount of newspapers that become worthless after a few days.”
Simon nods, it did make sense what you were saying, it was just something he would’ve never thought about. Another little thing about you that he adored so much. “Anything else we need to do while we’re out and about?” He asks, placing the equipment on the conveyor belt so the cashier can scan them.
“Oh yeah, I ordered my Katniss costume a while back, it should be delivered at my PO box, so maybe we can check that out?”
Again Simon just nods, he is more than happy to just spend time with you, even if it meant running some errands. It was funny to him, he never thought he would be the person to emotionally open up to another human being ever again, but there was just something in you that made him want to live again. Not that he was suicidal, not in the slightest, but before you, his days were gray, coated in a layer of thick dust, the same over and over again. And then you came in, blowing that dust away, painting his days with your colours, and it was as if he could see the beauty of the world for the first time.
He doesn’t even pay attention to the price when he goes to swipe his card. Although he is always a little nervous that his card would be declined, a breathe of relief passes his lips when its not the case, and he stuff the receipt into the plastic bag. He offers you his arm as the two of you walk out of the store. “Where do you want to go first?”
You think for a little while. “I think it would be best to first go to the library, then go to my PO box, and maybe we can grab a bite to eat afterwards?”
Good, that meant more time with you, and Simon is ready to rip the world apart if that meant being with you. “Sounds like a plan, lovie.” He murmurs, feeling content, before he presses a kiss against your temple again.
He puts the bag into the trunk of the car before he takes place in the drivers seat. He frowns when you don’t put on your seatbelt, and he crosses his arms in front of his chest, refusing to even start the car. Right now, you’re the most important thing in his life, and he would be damned if he put you in to danger. His eyes shift from the seatbelt to you and you finally catch his hint.
“Sorry, sorry.” You mutter as you put on you seat belt, his shoulders lose their tension and he starts the car, the moment he’s comfortable enough, his hand rests on your knee, creeping a little towards your inner thigh, before he settles on a comfortable spot, his thumb mindlessly running circles over your skin.
The drive to the library feels way too short, and Simon waits in the car while you run inside to get those newspapers. A sigh escapes his lips as he leans back into his car seat. For so long he has thought that being happy, being content wasn’t written in his stars, but now that you were his, he allowed himself to feel that happiness again, to look towards the future as something that he wants to experience.
And when he spots you again, a big bundle of newspapers in your arms, he can’t help but feel relieved, everything would be okay, everything would work out in his favour. Your parents liked him, your grandma liked him, you liked him, that was all he needed.
He wants to help you take care of those newspapers, but he knows you, he knows your pride, the constant urge to do everything yourself, to not give any of your work out of your hands, it’s something he doesn’t like, but he understands, so Simon patiently waits until you’re done, in the meantime he is just silently admiring you.
“Do you know where the post office is?” You ask, before you can even take a seat inside the car. You make sure to make eye contact with him when you put on your seat belt, and Simon let out a dry chuckle. “I do, I do, don’t worry your pretty head over it.” His hand moves to your thigh again, the moment the car starts rolling, he enjoys feeling the warmth of your skin beneath his fingertips.
The traffic is quiet and again, the drive doesn’t take long enough for him, as he parks the car close to the post office. A quick kiss gets pressed on his cheek before you disappear out of the car again. He drums his fingers on the steering wheel, and his mind wanders over to you again, how grateful he is that you felt the same way that he did, that he had not misread the situation. Yet he couldn’t seem the shake this eerie feeling, the feeling that nice things like this don’t last for a man like him. But he pushes away those thoughts when he sees you approaching the car again, a box in your hands, a huge smile on your face. You seemed so excited for your costume. The box gets tossed on to the backseat, and he has to hold himself back from pulling you into the car, onto his lap and pepper you with kisses.
But he doesn’t, not yet anyway. “Still want to grab that bite to eat?” He asks and you nod, it is nice to have a day away from the base, to not be a soldier all the time. “There is this little sandwich shop, that is like a five minute drive.” You propose and if it was up to Simon he would take you to the end of the world to get you whatever it was that you wanted.
Simon starts the car once more, following your instructions to the brim, and he parks the car in front of the sandwich shop, it’s small, it seems cozy, it seems perfect to spend time with you.
As you unbuckle your seatbelt, you press your lips against his, your tongue teasing his bottom lip, and in response Simon let out a soft groan, before his hand cupped your cheek.
There is a grin on your face as you pull back. “Ready to go?” Simons shifts uncomfortably in his seat as he shakes his head. “I can’t, not yet.” For a second you’re worried he is hurt, but your eyes shift to his lap and he tries to straighten the fabric of his jeans. The bulge in his pants reveals the reason why and you can’t help but grin at it. “You poor, poor boy.” You tease him, as your fingers run up his thigh.
“Can you stop it?” He groans. “You’re not making this any easier for me.”
“Tut, tut.” You counter, “do you not want to be a good boy?”
Good boy.
Good fucking boy.
Shit, that is making him feel things he has never experienced before. Before he knows it, he can feel himself get all flustered at your words. “Stop it.” He grumbled, trying to hide how he really felt. He was a soldier for crying out loud, he wasn’t supposed to swoon this hard when someone, even if it was you, called him a good boy.
With a final shake of his head, Simon gets out of the car, his arm around your shoulder while he pressed a kiss against your temple. “You’re an awful tease.” He murmured, his lips still pressed against your temple.
His around falls off you when you enter the sandwich shop, though Simon has the need to keep on touching you, to at least have a hand on you, no matter when you two are, he keeps his hand to himself. After all, you two are still in public.
“Any idea what you would like to get?” He asks, as he stares at the menu board. “Don’t know yet.” You answer. “Either the sandwich with roasted chicken and arugula. Or the goat cheese with honey and walnuts.”
“Oh.” All of the sudden Simon feels like a fool, He had been focussing on a simple egg salad sandwich, or a grilled cheese. But goat cheese with honey and walnuts? It wouldn’t have even crossed his mind to try it. It makes him feel a little bit like a simpleton.
“How about we order both and share? Half of each.” He proposed, trying to hide his feelings regarding the whole subject, but you seem to miss the clue, just nodding slowly as you take in the offer. Simon gives your temple another quick kiss. “Go take a seat, lovie. I’ll order.”
You do as you’re told, taking a seat in a little booth while you watch the large soldier order for the both of you. You rest your head in your hand, intrigued by him. Sure you had a little crush on him when you first met him, those dark blonde locks, that cheeky smile. But once you got to know him, to see past the façade that was being a rough soldier, that was when that stupid little crush turned into something more and you couldn’t be more grateful that he felt the same way about you too.
You look up as he sits down next to you, arm wrapped around your shoulder as he pulls you close. He never had imagined that the hardest part about being in a relationship would be the amount of touch he felt he needed in order to survive. “What were you smiling about?” He murmured, his lips pressed against your hair.
“You.” You answer, and Simon looks up with a smile. “Me?”
“Yeah, you.”
“And what is it about me?”
“Everything.” You say with a sigh and you wonder how much love he has ever received in his life, you know some men don’t like it, but you want him to experience what you had gotten before. “You’re amazing Si, you’re sweet, you make me feel wanted, you make me feel at home.” You add.
After your words you lean towards him. “And on top that, you’re handsome, I keep getting lost in your eyes, there is no place where I would rather wake up in than your arms.”
Simon feels flushed after your words. How should he respond to such kindness? Is it even possible to respond to something like this? Part of him wants to tell you, you’re talking out of your ass, that you’re talking bullshit, that he isn’t all that special.
But the other part, holy shit, that other part is over the moon. He is so, so happy that you feel that way about him, that you love him the way he hasn’t been loved before. The way he isn’t able to love himself.
He wants to say so much, he wants to thank you, to hold you, to kiss you and to keep you close to him until the end of times, because being with you, feel like he could concur the end of the world. “Thank you.” He mumbled softly, Simon wants to say more, but he is interrupted by the sandwiches being brought over to the table.
~~
It had never occurred to Simon that goat cheese would be delicious, or that arugula belonged on a sandwich, but you made it him favourite flavours. The day seems to end way too quickly when you and him arrive back to base, days like these make the army more tolerable.
But no matter how nice it has been to be with him, no matter how much you enjoyed having him around you, you crave some time for yourself, some silence, no more stimulation for your brain.
“My room or yours?” Simon’s voice snaps you out of it.
“Well.” You begin. “I was kind of hoping we could both stay in our own rooms tonight.” It wasn’t something you could say easily, you were worried he would understand it wrong, you were worried he would be upset.
And damn right Simon was upset, he could feel a tug on his heartstrings the moment the say those words. Did you not want to be with him? Did he do something wrong? “What? Why?” He’s confused, not understanding why you need the space, while you felt as if you had to walk on your toes.
“I just need some peace and quiet around me, Simon.” You answer. “It is nothing personal.”
“Nothing personal?” He shoots back. “You just told me, I don’t provide you with some peace and quiet.”
Well, yes, you did say that, but you didn’t mean it like that, you didn’t meant to tell him he didn’t provide you with some peace and quiet, you just needed some time alone, some time so your brain doesn’t get overstimulated and fried to mush. Why was that so hard for him to understand?
“It’s not like that.” You mumble, unable to process what is really happening, but Simon sees it as indifference, he just told you how much this hurts him and you’re acting like this? Hours ago you told him the sweetest things known to man, and now you’re telling him you need the peace and quiet that he can’t provide you?
“Then how is it?” His tone is sharp, a defence mechanism to stop himself from getting too hurt, too attached. And you’re getting tired, you don’t want to explain yourself, you don’t want to talk, you don’t want to think, all you want to do, is to be alone for the night, to unwind.
“I just need some time alone, okay?” You snap back. “It’s not the end of the fucking world, Simon.”
But it felt like the end of the world for Simon. It felt as if he was attached to someone who didn’t want to be attached to him. And Simon only knew violence, Simon only knew how to solve things with harsh words, shouting and screaming. “Not the end of the fucking world, huh?” He hisses. “You pretend to love me, only to rip my heart out hours later?”
You roll your eyes at him. “You’re being dramatic.” You huff.
I’ll show you dramatic.
This would be the perfect time to break the cycle, but it is hard, it is difficult to change what he had learned to do all his life. His jaw clenches and his fist clench too, but he takes a deep breath. He is not his father and he never will be, he will do better.
“Maybe we need some time apart.”
His voice is calm, too calm even for the situation, you want to say something, anything at all, but the moment you open your mouth to speak, he turns around on his heels to walk away.
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here are my favorite things i did this year :) thank you for tagging me @madeofcc <3
i was just gonna make a simple post and for some reason i decided to make this whole thing i guess, even features my stupid handwriting lol. everything written above + some more thoughts down below so you don't have to decipher whatever i wrote, also links to everything. thanks for following my messy blog and allowing me to rant about splatoon every other day lmao love u friends
harmony my beloved
i love splatoon ok! i've tried to recreate a few different splatoon characters before but they don't really translate well to sims. however i love how my harmony turned out! she's my fav character in the game and i'm quite proud of this funky little edit :)
leaf carrying a plant she stole
as soon as i saw that pose i knew i had to use it with my girl leaf! simple edit, but very cute <3 i wanna post more about my nymph!!!!!
what is this? a crossover episode????????
bojack horseman is my fav show ever. when i saw the horse pack trailer i KNEW i had to make this silly joke :p i didn't expect it to get so much attention but i'm glad it did! fun facts: 1) i painted bojack's face in game but basically redid the whole thing in photoshop bc sims textures are uh bad. 2) i recolored pc's dress and god i wish i could've made something better lmao. 3) i converted mr. pb's glasses and i SUFFERED. they actually look terrible ingame but ✨photoshop magic✨
this edit of an alien oc that i need to name still
i don't really use alpha hairs but ain't this one cute?! and i love this edit! if you read this give me a name suggestion for this sim please
YES THAT'S HAPPENING
I LOVE JUNO BIRCH!!! i literally need to stop myself from making another juno post every time she posts anything online lol. but that hot dog costume is iconic, what can i say.
sims in the city, baby + everything i made about them
i've been wanting to recreate these guys ever since i joined simblr back in 2019 (jesus christ) and i finally did! i'm very proud of them and happy so many people like them :) i loved this game growing up but none of my friends played it, so it's really cool to see more people who played it too!
also, that roxanna moxie lookbook i did? peak fashion
GRAP3FRUIT!
these guys!!!!!!!!! i really wanted to make a silly little band since forever and kari's edgewave fest finally pushed me to make them and I LOVE THEM! i can't wait to keep making more stuff with them babyyyyyyyyaskldjalskhdfklasj
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Happy almost-not-quite new year!
Here’s the last Clip Studio brushes of the year.
Enjoy one final look at this long ass list of brushes I made for 2022 before I start a clean slate in 2023:
Auto Action Pack (Clip Studio) | Thanks Given Brush Set (Support Only) | Simple & Intricate Decoration Brushes | Retro Shape Stamps [Photoshop] | +Extra Decorative Halo Brushes (Support Only) | Decorative Halo Brushes | Textured Ink Brushes (Photoshop) | Easy Stylized Hair Brush (Support Only) | Miscellaneous Mix Set | Spilled Ink Brush Set | Super 90s Carpet Brushes | Even More Decoration Brushes | Some More Repeating Patterns | Ornate Decoration Brush Drop | Netting and Lines | Lip & Hair Gloss | Glitter & Sparkles | Destiny Brush Pack | Valentine’s Frame Set | Candy Coated Brush Drop | Bloody Throne Pack | Magic & Daggers Set | Tarot Pack Brushes (October Update) | Elfy Card Set | Big Ol’ Card Asset Drop | All Those Brushes
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The Rise of Dimension 20: The Changing Face of Roleplay
I remember when I first heard about Dimension 20 in 2019. I had subscribed to Dropout to watch Um, Actually and I saw D20 being pushed on the platform. I sat down and watched the first episode, then the second. In two days I had finished the first season.
I had never seen anything like it. I had tried NADDPOD and CR and bounced off both (I'd eventually fall head over heels for the former, and gain a solid respect for the latter), but I fell in love with the Bad Kids, the Intrepid Heroes, the world of Elmville, and the style of Brennan Lee Mulligan.
Later, I would learn that the first season of Fantasy High was seen by most in the community as a sort of novelty, the last death-rattle of a dying company. It was cool and new, sure, but it was also a flash in the pan.
Escape From the Bloodkeep proved the naysayers wrong. It proved that Brennan was as much the source of the fun as the Intrepid Heroes, and it showed us something that set him apart from the pack - Brennan was constantly pushing himself to be better. Out of the starting gate, he proved a technical proficiency on par with Matt Mercer, the reigning king, but for Brennan, that wasn't enough. He wasn't facing off with Matt, he was facing off with himself, and he needed to be better.
The Unsleeping City continued this trend. It was another setting the DND actual play community wasn't used to - the real world. The characters were fresh, new, more nuanced than the children they played in Fantasy High. They were up to the challenge, with the same drive as Brennan. Brennan and Ally redefined how the Wild Magic Sorcerer was played, Lou Wilson brought an abandoned Unearthed Arcana to the forefront, and the pair played, perhaps, their best roles to date.
Tiny Heist showed that Brennan could bend 5e to be something it wasn't meant to be - a heist simulator.
Then came A Crown of Candy. Some hold this season to be Brennan's magnum opus and the best performances the Intrepid Heroes have ever given. The combat was quick, dirty, tactical, the characters textured and nuanced. Our heroes had to get out of impossible situations, both in roleplay and combat. Death was a very real possibility. And this season was what sealed Brennan as a real rival for Matt, and was when "I only have Dropout for D20" stopped being a joke and started being a reality. Brennan had hit his stride.
The sidequests and seasons two from this point don't really prove my point, but they're good. Brennan didn't do a couple of them, though.
Then we get to Starstruck. Set in a world his mother had created, it obviously meant a lot to Brennan, and so he strived to outdo everything he'd done up to this point. It was funnier, more moving, the combat more tactical than anything he'd done before. He included space combat, and the cast once again rose to the occasion, portraying those cast out and cast aside by the corporatocracy that was the Starstruck universe, forming a touching bond. It was as if he had peaked.
And then came Neverafter, and with that, Brennan became king. It was horrific, scary, brutal. Combat wasn't fun or interesting, it was intense and nail-biting. The party dropped in their first combat encounter. Children were brutally murdered. They were up against eldritch horrors in perverse retellings of fairy tales. The humor was there, sure, but it was twisted, dark, more about relieving stress than being funny. And again, the cast excelled.
And all because Brennan wasn't trying to outdo Matt or Griffin or Brian, but himself. Each season, he wanted to be better than he had ever been before, pushing his technical abilities, his storytelling abilities, to the max. And the world of actual play shows improved as well. Matt stepped up his game, as did the other big dogs. Brennan redefined the game.
Or I could just be a massive fanboy who's reading way too far into things. Either/or.
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