Can't rain all the time

Two things today:

Thing one--Merlin.
( spoilers for The Witch's Quickening )

Thing two--Sims 3.

Since Sims 2, my first and most-important cheat mod is the same-sex pregnancy patch.  Easy enough to find.  One of the earliest patches to come into existence.  However, there is, no shock, a group of modders/players who don't like that mod, or think it worthy of attention.

One of the new sets of mods this time around is facial sliders and body sliders to make for more extreme modding of the way the sims look.  Which is great.  Right?  Except that the first patch hasn't been updated since the game has been patched to 1.3.  Their reason?  There's a "great mod" out there that does it instead.  Except this mod?  (The Awesomemod, in case you're wondering)  Mods a *TON* of things.  Sure, you can configure *some* of the mod.  But it's a global mod.  Which means if you have any other mods that affect overall gameplay?  It makes them not work.  Like a same-sex patch.  And the one request I saw to have them add a same-sex pregnancy component was met with an extremely rude reaction.  So no help there.

So....my choice has basically become either live without kids for same sex couples, which I refuse to do, or live without the sliders, which at this point annoys me *almost* as much.

*Is a VERY unhappy elf*

So...I have been writing my little heart out. Finished off my Bottom!Draco Fairy Tale fest fic and sent it off with plenty of time to spare. Then I started on my Ownfic, and discovered I had a massive fic on my hands. Managed 10k, then got clobbered with the worst flu I've had since I was a kid. Managed to recover, but my fic got sent in about a week late because of it.

Now I just have to focus on getting ahead on things before the end of October so I can do NaNoWriMo. I don't think I'll manage. I have at least 4 fics to do in the next three weeks. Wish me luck!

( Sims blather with slash and MPreg involved )

So, I originally thought that I wouldn't be able to play Sims 3 on my computer, because it's slow and generally crotchety these days, but it works shockingly well.  I've been having a great time with it, learning the ins and outs of the new system.

So far I've created three families (all slash, of course). Arthur/Merlin, Harry/Draco, and a pairI rp with wolfish_cat, Draco and a MOC.

( Babble about Merlin and Arthur Sims )

They've eliminated the alien abduction male pregnancy option that was available in the last version, but apparently random male pregnancies do happen, so it sounds as though someone will be able to make a patch eventually.  I hope.

Also, I went through my favorite sims sites to see which, if any, had started uploading Sims 3 stuff, and I thought I'd offer the (small) list I found for those who are interested.

( list of links )

So far, there are a few hacks (mostly at Mod the Sims, of course), but it sounds like it shouldn't be too long before we get quite a bit more.

All in all?  I'm loving the game. :D

The Story of Arthur and Merlin, Sims-style, a slideshow

So, I've finally managed to send my third generation off to college, and I have shots to select the next heir from. 

( The cousins )

( Which should be heir? (with poll) )

( Bonus picture )

Thought I'd give everyone a glimpse of what I've been doing this weekend, now that I'm not writing a million fics. :)

I wrote about these sims earlier here, asking for opinions on who should be the heir.  Brynn won.

I thought I'd post pictures of each household so people could see what's been going on.

( The Gabriel family )

Also, the last name I used for the family is Gabriel, but I wasn't thinking about it when I named Lark's son.  Didn't even notice until I went back into the game.  So I think he'll be going into music. :D  Because I can.

Poll #2577 Vote for the heir! (since people like polls)
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

Which one?

See previous post for details about each.

So, I created a sim called Michael, and I'm trying something new.  No moving.  All they can do is upgrade their house to a certain degree.  And with each generation, they get a bigger lot, and can add more to the house they start out with after college.  So I'm trying to decide which of Michael's children get to be the next heir.

Michael's husband was a red head, and Michael was a blond, just for anyone who wants to keep track here.

( Kids, names, and ambitions (*warning* picture-heavy) )

So, my question to you is, which do you think should be Michael's heir?

Pictures for you to look at.

Click on this one for more. :D

( Picture behind the cut )

Finally finished reading the first of the Anita Blake books.  You know how it is when you know too much about something before you read or see it?  I think that's the case with these books.  I know too much. 

( Slightly spoilery behind the cut )

I intend to keep reading, though.  I enjoyed it enough, and I'm curious to see what happens next.  We'll see when she tips the scales.

----

Dr Who this week--great episode.

----

And now for pictures - Harry/Draco and Blaise/Theo.

( Picture-heavy behind the cut )

Been playing sims more.  Boys are in their second year at College, now.  And everyone's happily in love and doing well. :)  Just started snowing today, so I've taken a lot of pictures of the boys at play.  Beware.  This post is picture-heavy.

First up:
( Blaise & Theo )

( Harry and Draco )

( Draco in the snow (no slash) )

( Harry's Snowman )

( The great pillow fight )

( Harry and Draco's snowball fight )


And that's all I have for now. :D

So, I started from scratch, because Pets was driving me bonkers, so I got rid of it, so the boys are starting in college. :)

( Pictures behind the cut )

Still need to get Harry and Draco on the smooch-track, and then I'll get all four married and start them on their families. :D

Need to do this again.  New journal, things have shifted a bit, so time to re-list my fandoms:

( Fandom rambling behind the cut because Elf doesn't know when to shut up )

Have I gone on long enough? :P

1 - Didn't like hp_fridayfive or fannish5 today, so no entry there...

2 - Huge hugs to littlecup, who had her baby yesterday.

3 - Job news--went to an interview for a temp job today.  I'll be working in the tallest building in Seattle (formerly known as the Columbia Center) on the 34rd floor.  I'm working for a real estate insurance company.  A bit nervous about it, because it could be stressful, but we'll see...  Means I'll be more available during the weekends now.

Mods for hpficlist, I'll still be available in the evenings if there are problems.  But I'll likely take Saturdays or Sundays for my day until this is over.

RP people, particularly those of you outside the states, I'm afraid this means most of my gaming will be in the evening as well, or weekends.  If there's a particular plot you would like to do, just let me know, and we can talk it out in emails at the very least.  I will try to stay active as much as possible.

4 - Speaking of hpficlist, it's been kind of quiet the last few days, but there are lots of links to follow, and I'm about to go add a few more ships I saw that could be added...  Please come check us out?  It won't be much of a resource without links to follow, right?

5 -*whines* I want season 4 of QAF, already!  And Sims: Seasons, too!  Oh, well, at least I'll have job money I can use for it... :D

6 - Still planning on doing a book review, just not sure what and when.  But it is coming.

Part the first: Anyone else want me to pick my favorite of your icons here?

Part the second: More opinions about my own icons would be appreciated.

Part the third: have been doing a lot more Simming since I got my new computer.  Pictures can be found here.  Yes, they are generally slashy.

Harry, Draco and their two children (ETA: Yes, kabale, there are new pictures there of the kids... :D), a bit of Blaise and Hestia, The Hobgoblins as created by littlecup, and a group of male sims at University from the Marauders days.

Enjoy!

Pictures for kabale

( Harry's hair... (picture-heavy) )

So, new computer.  And with that new computer, new Sims.  Hubby got me OFB (which always makes me think of OBHWF...) and Pets.

Tried to do a new Harry/Draco, but they ended up having all girls, and I wasn't too happy with that. (nor was Draco...)  So I started again. 

So I present...The Hogwarts Elite (okay, so it's only three of them, but more and I start losing track.)

( The Hogwarts Elite: Blaise, Draco and Harry (warning - picture-heavy) )

A meme, gacked from fiona_fawkes who stole it from furiosity who stole it from kerrikins:

What fandoms do we have in common?

My main fandom is Harry Potter, of course.  Books, movies, fandom...  I love it all (though GOF the movie less so...)  Just too much there I adore.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and a bit less so, Angel.  Joss whedon is my god.  I adore him, his one-liners, his characters, and the way he makes his worlds so real.

Sims - and yes, it is a fandom.  I could spend hours or even days creating houses, characters...  I love them.  I love playing them.

Star Trek.  Not active currently, but the only other fandom I really published stories in.  I can't imagine a world where there wasn't Star Trek in my life.  Even with the mistakes TPTB made, there's still so much good there.

Elfquest.  The only other fandom I got involved in on a personal level, though I wasn't in any holts.  I have always loved elves, so really, this was right up my alley.

Firefly.  See Buffy/Angel above.  And may I add, he makes the best female characters ever.

Star Wars.  Really the first trilogy, cause the prequels were bad.  Lucas had a great group of actors, the story had heart, and the entire thing advanced movie effects tenfold.

Stargate.  Love the idea, love the characters, love the stories.  Just a great team all around.  And anything that includes this much myth is right up my alley.

Forever Knight.  Best-ever vampire show on TV before Buffy.  It sucks that it only made it through three seasons.

Fruits Basket.  People who turn into animals?  And boys who can't touch girls?  How can I not love it?

Other minor fandoms: LOTR, B5 (Ivanova, Talia and Marcus...  God, yes.), XMen, V (the mini series), Batman. Teen Titans, Star Blasers/Space Battleship Yamato, Oran High School Host Club (omg, twins!), Battlestar Galactica, Quantum Leap, Law & Order, Labyrinth, Beauty and the Beast, Lost, Shakespeare

Yeah.  Just a few.  :P  And likely there's more I've forgotten.

So, who do you like?

( Tonks )

( Sirius )

( Miles )

( The Weasley Brothers )

( Harry )

( Remus )

Icons that might be of interest to the werewolves of the moonlight crew...

And Moonlight!Sims pictures:

Only three so far.  they're kind of small.  I'll try to make bigger ones if I can.

( Blaise and Cordelia )

( Severus )

( The Malfoys )

Note on the final picture--I did *not* choose that pose, that's just how the program does the first photo of "married" people.  And Draco's outfit will be changed as soon as I grow him up.

Sorry they're so blurry.  Hopefully I'll be able to do better resolution in future.