#''but you can give up your focus button to do charge attacks and then it will autofire'' WTF I NEED THAT BUTTON TOO

[moonsinkfoxgirl]

I can't believe that in the 8 years between Touhou 3 and Touhou 9 nobody complained enough about the damn button mashing to shoot for them to add the simple solution of one additional button

[catboybiologist]

Y'all ready for a certified neurodivergent moment?

I had to sit through a thing I absolutely did not need any info from, and typed up a massive outline of the soulsborne pokemon game I just talked about. Massively cringe, yes, but hey it's not just living in my head anymore.

I've had this idea brewing in my head for a while now, pretty much ever since PLA came out (and I found it kinda disappointing tbh). Even though Hoenn has lots of love, it still feels like the most "grand" region in terms of the scale and themes of its lore, so I liked the idea of using it for a legends game that focused on the initial clash of Kyogre and Groudon. I had so many ideas brew in my head, and I guess now I sloppily typed them out.

Obviously this isn't actual game design. This is just me being cringey and detailing my dream pokemon game. At 26 years old. Anyways.

Pokemon Legends: Jirachi

In the times when Hoenn was young, the earth and seas shook. Titans roam the land- powerful individual pokemon that shape their environment to their liking. Humans and pokemon work together to keep them under control, but the earth and sea themselves shake, and Titans only grow more numerous. One day, a human wishes on a shooting star to become a hero and save their land, and something from up there answered.

In this game, Jirachi would be a kind of invisible "questmaster", giving an in-game reason for path markers, quest markers, and points of interest marked in stardust and sparkles. Once the main plot is completed, Jirachi would be able to join your party.

Core combat

The gameplay would be souls-like or Monster Hunter like, but with direct parallels to mainline pokemon mechanics. The six stats would be the same, and the four moves your pokemon can learn would be equivalent to the attack interface of a soulslike game- four trigger buttons. You would take direct control of one "primary" pokemon at a time, and use it as a souls-like character.

HP, Def, and SpDef would be largely the same, with the added benefit that less damage taken means more resistance to trips and staggers.

Atk and SpAtk are also pretty clear cut, scales your damage output per move.

Speed would be analogous to stamina or endurance. Dodging would work as in soulsborne games, and consume stamina. Most pokemon walking, running, attack speed, and dodging speed would be largely equivalent, but high speed pokemon would be able to sustain rapidfire attacking, frequent dodging, and continuous sprinting for longer.

Accuracy would be reworked into lock-on or charge up time- eg, a low accuracy move requires you to stay in one place for a longer amount of time before releasing, to charge up or lock on (imagine how swag ass this would look with focus blast).

PP would correspond to cooldown time. Each move would be infinite use, but have a cool-down after its used. So a move with high accuracy, but low PP, could be used instantly, but not spammed. High PP, weaker moves would then see an increased niche as a "default" light attack that can be spammed.

Attacks could also be ranged, up close, AoE, and have other features that would need to be tweaked and balanced in implementation. They wouldn't one to one map onto their in game counterparts, but this would at least provide a vague guide for how these moves work that builds on players assumed existing knowledge of pokemon games.

Special attributes, like never-miss moves and priority moves, would have features that play into this- eg, priority moves could be spammed with no cooldown, and never-miss moves would be immune to inhibiting effects.

Stat changes could be temporary effects applied to yourself when using the move, like a buffing spell in soulsborne games.

Nonvolatile status effects (paralysis, burn, sleep, etc) would work similar to monster hunter- invisibly accumulating triggers that occur as a side effect to to moves, or in the case of moves that directly trigger status like Spore or Thunder Wave, they would not do direct damage, but instead add massive amounts to the accumulated status trigger.

Field effects (weather, terrain, and special effects like wind, gravity, etc) could be set by regular pokemon moves in small areas, but would also be frequently encountered in the overworld.

Examples: the vibes of potential starter pokemon.

This is all just for the purpose of giving examples of how I envision some of this stuff working. Assume each pokemon would have regional variants that scaled their stats appropriately. This is just to show how different playstyles from the mainline games would translate to this format.

Lucario: example mixed offensive pokemon

Moves like aura sphere could be used with no lock on time, and little to no cooldown, forming the basis of a normal, light, ranged attack.

Moves like Close Combat would have no lock on, but give a temporary debuff and have a long cooldown time before they could be initiated again, making for a quick to use but infrequent heavy attack.

Swords dance and/or nasty plot could be used to provide a temporary buff for a period of time.

Focus blast would take a long time to charge and lock on, making you a sitting duck.

Reuniclus: example tanky pokemon

Light Screen and Barrier could lay down static areas on the ground. When an ally pokemon is located within them, they provide their corresponding defensive buffs. Cooldown for reusing them starts when these floor areas disappear.

Recover could be used to heal, but would have a long cooldown.

Liepard: example technical pokemon

Yawn would inflict direct sleep "buildup", but over time as opposed to instantly.

Fake out would instantly proc a stagger from the enemy, but could only be used in a certain time range upon being sent out.

Moves like taunt and torment function as usual.

The trainer and overworld traversal

Even though the player has direct control over pokemon, the MC is still a trainer, and pokemon are still capture in balls.

The trainer would be on the sidelines, with idle animations ordering the pokemon to do stuff.

Only one "controllable" pokemon could be outside of a pokeball at a time, or all of them could be stowed in pokeballs to directly control the trainer. The trainer can interact with NPCs, gather items, etc.

The trainer would also order "helper" pokemon. One or two "helpers" could be added independent of the party that would follow the trainer around constantly. Each pokemon has a list of field "helper" abilities they're capable of doing, independent of what moves they know. By targeting something that a helper pokemon can interact with in the world, the trainer would order that pokemon to zip out and interact with it. Think Republic commando. This takes the role of HMs and other field moves. For areas that require things like Surf of dive, the helper pokemon would exert a field of influence that essentially allowed the primary pokemon to act normally- eg, a surf helper would cause an area of surging upwards surface chop that lets the primary pokemon walk on water, or a dive helper would create small air bubbles centered around wherever the primary pokemon breathes from.

The trainer can also provide small support in the form of items, but this would be limited to encourage sensible use of stat boosting moves.

Pokemon would still be captured in pokeballs, but after they are fainted by the primary pokemon. Fainted pokemon could either be captured in a pokeball, or "relieved" of unique held items and resources before releasing them.

Pokemon would not gain experience by defeating opponents. Instead, each one would have material requirements to both level up and "customize" them. Like upgrading a weapon in Monster Hunter, every pokemon would have unique material requirements to level up, change nature, upgrade IVs, allocate EVs, or learn and relearn certain moves. This incentivizes a postgame loop, but could be curved to make the main game give you adequate materials to avoid excessive grinding.

The gameplay and story structure

The gameplay loop is basically monster hunter.

There would be a large number of normal-sized pokemon out in the world, that could be easily defeated and either captured and looted. But, frequently, a "Titan" would appear- a large, boss variant of a particular pokemon. Some pokemon can only be captured from their defeated titan forms, even if they appear in their regular forms.

These titan forms would appear semi-randomly, and requests to "quiet" them by defeating them would take the form of quests posted in the hub regions. These quests would then essentially be a monster hunter hunt- going out and fighting a particular titan.

Titan forms could be unique, or vaguely modeled after existing megas.

The world is divided into 8 main regions, and at least one "bonus" region. There would be 4 ocean regions, and 4 land regions. Each region would be seperate, but open to explore within that region (damn you can really see how much I've played MH:W)

Each region would have a drop table of pokemon that could potentially appear as titans.

Each region would also have one, single titan pokemon that gives the region its character. These 9 titans would be new, unique regional variants.

Each region, and by extension, each boss titan, would be directly associated with a different regional effect. So essentially, the boss titan and the field effect of a region would be reflective of its character.

The plot, like monster hunter, would be a gameplay loop of increasingly powerful titans within a region, building to the boss titans of each region. Once the 8 primary titans are defeated, it triggers the endgame main plotline.

The world

As mentioned previously, the bulk of the gameplay loop and storyline would be defeating increasingly more powerful "titan" pokemon, until you encounter a particular individual pokemon that is actively shaping that region and has ultimately caused the other titans along the way to be empowered.

Each region would have a dominant type, several field effects that come and go within certain parts of the area, and a unique boss titan. Each boss titan is about equivalent difficulty, and the player is encouraged to spread their efforts around to proceed through the "tiers" of titans evenly across the world before making it to the boss.

Hubs: Slateport, Lilycove.

Self explanatory, these would be the hub towns. Like in PLA, no other cities would be founded yet. Mt. Pyre would be integrated as part of Lilycove, and important characters and exposition could happen there. It would be an active cathedral. Kyogre and Groudon wouldn't be "known", but vague, amorphous titans of earth, sea, and sky would be referenced.

Land Regions

Meteor Cliffs and the Tranquil Plain

A gentle, grassy plain south of Mt. Chimney gives way to its southern slope. The slope, pockmarked with craters, has not been extensively explored, but is thought to hold deep caverns.

Regional effect: Pyschic Terrain

Regional Titan boss: Metagross (Steel/Pyschic)

Main game route equivalents: Meteor Falls, Rustboro City, Petalburg Woods, Petalburg City, Oldale Town, Littleroot town, 101, 102, 103, 104, 116, 115

Towering Forest

A deep, lush forest, sometimes so dense that you can't see the sky, fed by the crystal clear river cutting through it. The tangle of the canopy shudders under the weight of unseen pokemon above.

Regional effect: Grassy Terrain

Regional Titan boss: Tropius (Grass/Steel)

Main game route equivalents: Fortree city, Safari Zone, 119, 120, 121, 123

Jagged Stones

Deep, rugged canyons hide a basin-like desert, where a raging sandstorm elicits mirage-like visions.

Regional effect: sandstorm

Regional Titan boss: Tyranitar (Rock/Dragon)

Main game route equivalents: Verdanturf town, 117, 111, 112, all desert subregions

Volcanic Slopes

The peaks, caverns, and North slope of Mt. Chimney know no peace from the continuous onslaught of lava.

Regional effect: harsh sunlight

Regional Titan boss: Camerupt (Fire/Ground)

Main game route equivalents: Mt. Chimney, Jagged Pass, Fiery Path, Lavaridge, Fallarbor, 113, 114

Oceanic regions

Thunder Bay

An unrelenting, static haze hovers over the inlets of of Thunder Bay, impeding exploration of its deep subterranean caverns.

Regional effect: electric terrain

Regional Titan boss: Manectric (Electric/Dark)

Main game route equivalents: Mauville, New Mauville (replaced by a cave entrance), Cycling Road, 118, 110, 134, 133

Shifting Floes

A chill falls over the NorthEast seas of Hoenn, a climatic anomaly. Scattered islands and shifting ice platforms are continually coated with a snowstorm.

Regional effect: snowstorm

Regional Titan boss: Froslass (ice/ghost)

Main game region equivalents: Mossdeep, Shoal cave, 124, 125, parts of 126 and 127

Misted islands

A mysterious area of the ocean in which islands seem to shift locations as they phase in and out of sight.

Primary Area effect: Misty Terrain

Regional Titan Boss: Altaria (Dragon/fairy)

Main game route equivalents: Dewford Town, Granite Cave, Southern Island, Mirage Island (location changed), 105, 106, 107, 108, 109

Deep Blue

The open expanse of the ocean, and the islands within it, hold secrets beyond comprehension in their depths and constant storms. It is said that there is as much below as there is above.

Primary Area effect: rain/underwater (same effects as rain)

Regional Titan Boss: Wailord (water)

Main game route equivalents: Sootopolis city, Cave of Origin, Sky Pillar, Ever Grande City, Pacifidlog, Seafloor cavern, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, parts of 126 and 127

Special Area: the Delta Stream

Ripping across Hoenn's skies is an air current known as the Delta Stream, which powerful pokemon use as a causeway between regions and across the world.

Only accessible in the postgame, and with a "helper" pokemon that can fly. This entire region is above the clouds, and the only points that poke up are the peak of Mt. Chimney, Sky Pillar, and an updraft over Mt. Pyre.

Primary area effect: tailwind

Regional Titan Boss: Salamence (Flying/Dragon)

The Endgame Plot: after the titans are quieted

Once every boss has been defeated, the endgame storyline starts. Despite every titan being quieted, the land still quakes, and the seas still swell. The elders of Mt. Pyre urge you to investigate these at their source: the inner lava chamber of Mt. Chimney (subregion of Volcanic Slopes), and the depths of the seafloor (subregion of Deep Blue).

As you can probably guess, this is the introduction to Kyogre and Groudon.

The first fight with each of them uses your own pokemon, and gives you a "false" win- after you "faint" them in a suspiciously easy battle, they each revive into their primal forms, and head to the mountain island that would become Sootopolis. Hear, they battle on a kaiju-like scale. The MC watches the destruction from Mt. Pyre.

For the second time in the game's story, the MC makes a wish: this is beyond me. I wish a savior would come. Jirachi directly unveils itself for the first time to answer the call, touches the MC, and speeds off into the distance. A cutscene follows Jirachi to Sky Pillar (only a raw, uncarved spike of rock at this point), where Rayquaza is seen coiled around the top. Jirachi leads Rayquaza into the upper atmosphere, where it undergoes a primal/mega evolution. It pivots, shooting down towards earth, building speed.

The player takes control of M-Rayquaza as it slams down to earth, staggering Kyogre and Groudon away from each other, and engages in a special fight where they have to defeat both of them.

After this, Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza may each be found at Seafloor cavern, Mt. Chimney, and sky pillar respectively, and may be defeated and captured. But its highly implied that they only go along with this willingly, and will freely resume their duties as the lords of the land once the MC passes on.

After the plot is completed, steps and murals start being carved into Sky Pillar, allowing access to the Delta Stream.

The post game would allow for infinitely generating Titans, rematches with previously captured Boss Titans as "enrichment" for them, and general gameplay loop grinding for items to train pokemon.

Yay, okay, no ones gonna read this far but uh. Yeah. That's the general idea I had. Hope it made at least some sense LOL

[blueskittlesart]

Hey it's the anon who wants to play BOTW but is egregious bad at video games again. I took your advice and I've shocked myself at how much progress i've made, I got to the goron village, korok forest, and rito village. One current issue is that I am still. SO bad at the combat. Like SO bad. I panic immediately and lose all coordination (which I already had very little of). I managed to get myself killed before I could even get to the point where Sidon GIVES YOU the quest to get to Zora's domain. I completely fumbled through a minor test of strength.

Any tips for improving general combat capabilities. HELP

hi! first of all, i'm gonna go over the basics of combat and how/when you should use them. the game does technically tell you these things, but they come up early game and are pretty easy to miss imo. you might know some of them already tho!

the first thing that's probably going to be really helpful to you if you don't already know about it is enemy targeting. this locks the camera in place on a specific enemy, even within a horde of them, giving you free reign to abandon the right stick and focus on button pressing. to target an enemy, get close and press the left trigger (ZL.) this will also equip your shield if you're using a one-handed weapon, but the targeting is the most important. Once you're locked in on one enemy, so long as you keep the trigger pressed, the camera will auto-lock into a straight line from link's back to the enemy, so there's no need for you to worry about camera controls. if you DO touch the right stick while targeting, the target camera will jump to the next closest enemy to link and auto-lock again. in general, when fighting, your left pointer should be pressing the trigger to target at all times, your left thumb should be on the stick moving link around, and your right thumb should be pressing Y and shouldn't move from that button. that's the basic combat configuration and there aren't a lot of scenarios where you're going to have to do much more than that (except maybe the right trigger for your bow.)

next is weapon classes. there are 3 different melee weapon classes in botw--swords, greatswords, and polearms. each weapon class has a different attack pattern and speed, and each class has its own strengths and weaknesses.

swords are any weapon link swings one-handed. (examples include the master sword, broadswords, tree branches, boomerangs, small boko clubs, etc.) they have a decently fast attack pattern and when they're equipped link can also use a shield in his left hand with ZL. this is my favorite weapon class, as it's pretty middle-of-the road, usually they have mid-range attack points, as previously mentioned their attack speed isn't too slow, and they come with the added bonus of being able to use a shield. if you're fighting something like a guardian where shielding is necessary, you should always aim to be using a sword-class weapon as it's the only weapon class that link can also hold a shield with.

greatswords are heavy two-handed weapons (examples include claymores and bigger boko clubs.) they usually have very large attack stats, often in the 50s or above, which makes them tempting, especially early game. however, they have several noticeable drawbacks that make them my least favorite weapon class. because of their weight, their attack speed is very low, and because they're two-handed link can't shield when he has one equipped. I personally stay away from this weapon class early-game--imo they're only worth it if you have both hearts and stamina to spare. I only ever use them for hard-hitting charged attacks after stunning an enemy, and will almost always switch back to a sword-class weapon for regular combat.

polearms are long, light two-handed weapons that link holds like a spear (examples include spears, halberds, and tridents.) these have the fastest attack speed in the game, but because they're two-handed link still can't shield with one equipped. these weapons also usually have a longer reach than swords and greatswords, so they can be useful if you don't want to get too close to what you're fighting (however you forfeit the more reliable protection of a shield in order to get that benefit.) these are useful in a pinch, and personally i won't actively discard them like i tend to do with greatswords, but they definitely don't have the same versatility and ease of use as a sword-class weapon.

for early-game, i'd try to stick to sword-class weapons as much as possible, and ALWAYS have your shield up with the left trigger/ZL when you're in combat. this alone will make you harder to hit and let you last a lot longer. with the limited weapon slots you have early-game, i'd focus on collecting weapons that are easy for you to use rather than the ones with the highest attack stats, especially since they're going to break anyway. be willing to sacrifice a high-attack greatsword for a lower-attack one-handed sword in a pinch.

as for the actual mechanics of combat, there are plenty of fancy things you CAN do, but very few of them are actually necessary to beat the game. you can get through 90% of all combat in botw by just targeting with ZL and mashing Y, maybe occasionally sprinting with B to avoid enemy attacks. there are shrines and npcs that will teach you fancy things like backflips and perfect-dodges, which are useful if you can reliably perform them, but if you're someone who gets easily confused when you have to perform a lot of button presses in quick succession, it'll probably be more useful for you to just stick to Y attacks.

the one special combo attack you ARE going to need to learn in order to get through the game is a perfect shield parry, which is going to sound scary and difficult when i explain it but i promise it becomes like second nature after a while. this combo is the easiest way to combat anything that has a laser-beam attack, like guardians and certain late-game bosses. you hold your shield up with ZL, (this combo can ONLY be performed if you're holding a one-handed weapon, and make sure you're targeting the enemy attacking you and not just holding your shield up at nothing) wait for the laser to lock onto you, (the target line will blink rapidly and then disappear just before the laser fires) and then, right when the laser hits your shield, hit the A button to redirect the beam back towards the enemy. there is some level of danger here, because if you press A too early the beam may hit you, but most of the time if you fail to perform a perfect parry the beam will still just bounce off your shield and not do any damage to you. there are plenty of stationary guardians on the map you can use to practice this skill until the timing is ingrained into you, and i would highly recommend practicing it as it's super useful late-game.

as a final note, remember that botw is a game designed for versatility. it seems like you're doing everything very by-the-book--fighting whenever the game tells you to fight, regardless of whether you really WANT to fight. and there's nothing wrong with that, but it's also by no means the only way to get through the game. if you find yourself struggling with melee combat, there's nothing stopping you from buying a bunch of bomb arrows and just firing them off at enemies from afar, or even just eating a shit ton of stealth food and sneaking around them. certain combat scenarios are going to be unavoidable, but botw is a game that prioritizes player innovation, meaning that very rarely is there going to only be one way out of a situation. if you're struggling with melee combat, try something else! try your bow, or a rune, or avoiding combat altogether, until you find something that sticks and makes the game fun for you. there's no wrong way to play!

[ask-the-cutiemark-crusaders]

DITZY DOO! (Leeroy Jenkins Parody)

AB:Ok guys, with this we can get the Bewitching bell from these Skeletons that gave us a hard time last time.

SL:yeah but this should be better due to some of the items we got.

AB:Doesn-Doesn’t Ditzy have the Gauntlets of Yak Strength?

SL:Yep, and i have the Brooch of Shielding

AB:Eh…..Alright so here's the plan guys…I’ll charge in first and use Guided bolt and attack the furthest enemy, that will get them to focus on me, ill charge in further and use my bonus action to enter a defensive stance and let the skeletons rush me. While that happens I'm going to need Sweetie belle to then follow me and use Resistance on me. While that's happening Scoots i'm going to need you to Stealth in and get a layout and takes some skeletons out doing so, Button Mash im going to need your steel defender to charge in at the left to draw attention away from the right, making it easier for Scoots, and grab a explosive and use catapult to blast them all down, Ditzy would be needed to charge in as well using her rage, after the skeletons onslaught, i'll use thundering smite and burst through the numbers and after that i'm going to need Sweetie Belle to use channel divinity and destroy as many as she can in 30 feets, Scoots at that time steel the Bewitching Bell and rendezvous to us, Button and Ditzy will help clear a path, after that we form a kill circle and fight our way out!......What do you think ? Can you give me  a number crunch Button?

BM:uh…yeah give me a sec *clicking sounds from mic* uh coming up with 32.33333 well repeating of course percentage of survival.

SB:oh wow

AB:that's a lot better now ok let-

DD: alright times up let's do this, DITZY!!!!!!!! DOO!!!!!!!!!!

Everyone:....

JJ:Did she just run in?

AB:SAVE HER!

SL:AH JEEZ!

BM:Ah Tia!, Ah Luna!

*One surprisingly livable fight later*

AB:Ditzy….what were you thinking!?

DD:Least i have muffins

[ohthehypocrisy]

Primarina for Pokemon Unite!

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Prev: Iron Valiant

The seas are rife with mystery. In the early days of sailing into the unknown, there were rumors abound of a sea maiden with the most hauntingly beautiful voice ever heard that lured men into a watery grave. Now we know that those sea maidens were just manatees and that the singing they heard was scurvy. But man, talk about an enduring legend.

Well, in pokemon, legends are real, and the singing siren of the sea has made landfall on Aeos Island. What lovely tune will they sing for us, I wonder?

-

With massively high Sp. Attack, Primarina seems like a shoo-in for the Attacker archetype, but these stats don't tell the whole story. Yes, it also has high Sp. Defense, but its low Speed, HP, and Defense mean to say that Primarina prefers to stay in one spot singing a sweet tune. It doesn't have the high pitched drive to be an Attacker, but it can help the team in its own way from afar. This places Primarina's role in the spotlight as that of a...

Supporter

-

Basic Attack - Ranged/Sp. Attack

The user launches a bubble of water from its nose. Hold the button to increase the size and damage of the attack. When the bubble pops, any teammates nearby are healed for a little bit of HP.

The basic attack projectile launches a water bubble. The user can move while shooting and charging the attack. It takes 1.5 seconds to fully charge the water bubble, which increases the size of the pop.

If allies are nearby when the bubble pops, a small amount of HP is restored. The healing scales with the user's Sp. Attack stat.

As a Supporter, Primarina places its focus into its singing career, first and foremost. This is the kind of talent that has to be nurtured, regardless of what the team needs. Thankfully, this basic attack pulls double duty for its allies, dealing damage and healing damage.

The bubbles give off a small pop when they hit an enemy, but that pop heals allies if they happen to be within range. It's a small pop, but it can offer some relief to your physically inclined teammates. It's not a lot of healing though, since both the damage and the healing power scales off of your Sp. Attack. The easiest remedy for this is to run Sp. Attack Specs and go for 6 goals as soon as possible.

But Primarina is fluid enough that it can charge the bubble attack while also moving. Its deft surfing ability allows the mermaid to charge up the bubble and provide helpful backup while keeping a safe distance away from the fight. These swimmers are bona fide experts in cruise control, you know.

So graceful, until you remember that these bubbles are being shot from its nose. 'S not so graceful then, is it?

-

Ability: Liquid Voice

When a Quick Chat message is sent, a wave of healing water is cast all around the user. The healing water gains more range and an extra effect if the Quick Chat message sent was either ‘Gather Here!’, ‘Keep the Pressure On!’, or ‘Retreat!’.

When ‘Gather Here!’ is sent, all allies gain a Movement Speed boost. When ‘Keep the Pressure On!’ is sent, all allies gain an attack boost. When ‘Retreat!’ is sent, all allies gain a Shield. This Ability goes on cooldown afterwards.

Each time a Quick Chat message is sent, a wave of healing water shoots out from the user. The range is wide but the healing is mild. The healing scales with your Sp. Attack stat.

Long distance Quick Chat messages do not trigger Liquid Voice. For example, on console, Liquid Voice will not activate if the minimap is opened and a Quick Chat message is sent at an area of the map away from the user.

The range of the healing water expands by 30% and the amount of HP restored doubles if one of the Quick Chat messages sent was either 'Gather Here!', 'Keep the Pressure On!', or 'Retreat!'.

When Liquid Voice affects the 'Gather Here!' Quick Chat message, all allies in range receive a 50% Movement Speed boost for 7 seconds.

When Liquid Voice affects the 'Keep the Pressure On!' Quick Chat message, all allies in range receive a 30% buff to their Attack and Sp. Attack stat for 7 seconds.

When Liquid Voice affects the 'Retreat!' Quick Chat message, all allies in range get a 15% shield.

Liquid Voice will not go on cooldown if regular Quick Chat messages are sent. If any of the three special Quick Chat messages are used, the Ability goes on cooldown for 30 seconds after use. Liquid Voice will continue to affect your other messages, though.

Can you hear me now? Good.

One of the fundamental components of teamwork is communication, and Primarina is a specialist in that regard. Not only is it easily capable of carrying its voice, its dulcet tones are pleasing to hear and confer a sort of healing energy.

That's not a metaphor, sending any Quick Chat message will unleash a healing sound wave out from itself, relieving its allies of a little bit of damage. It's not spammable since there is a mandated cooldown of about 5 seconds or so in between each message sent, but don't expect the healing to be of much help since it heals for so little and scales off of your Sp. Attack. Maybe you need to apply a Rescue Hood on this pokemon or something.

Of course, the most important messages need to be the loudest, so if any of your Quick Chat messages sent were either 'Retreat!', Gather Here!' or 'Keep The Pressure On!', the healing sound waves get bigger, heal more HP, and even impart a focused boost, depending on what was said. If your allies need a bit more oomph for a push, keep the pressure on. If an objective is about to spawn soon, tell them to gather here with great haste. Need to make a safe retreat? Uh, I don't know what to tell you, here take this shield.

If any of these messages were sent, then Liquid Voice will be forced to go on cooldown for a while. You can still send out healing waves with other messages, but the big three Quick Chat messages will lose their pep until the Ability is back on the beat. Think carefully about when to make the call.

Sing, my angel of music.

-

At the start of the game, Primarina will start out as Popplio. You can choose between Disarming Voice and Water Gun as your first move. By Level 3, you'll have learned both.

-

Move 1: Disarming Voice (Area)

The user sends out a small sound wave that Stuns all enemies in range. The disarming sound waves charge Liquid Voice, increasing the amount of HP it restores while also damaging nearby enemies and Stunning them again. 9s cooldown.

Disarming Voice Stuns nearby enemies for 0.5 seconds when used.

If Liquid Voice is off cooldown, the amount of healing the next wave unleashes increases by 2x. The water wave also damages and Stuns nearby enemies for 0.5 seconds.

Baby animals are cute, especially when they've got a mighty shriek to repel potential predators with. It's no superstar, but Popplio's got some pipes.

Disarming Voice is a shrill cry that stuns nearby enemies for a while. It's not the best attack for a ranged Supporter, but the move is meant to repel melee attackers more than anything.

The secret to its effectiveness is the way it supercharges your singing. It increases the amount of healing released by Liquid Voice while also letting loose another stunning sound wave close by. This makes it a powerful boon in a team fight early on, as it both damages the enemy, disrupts them, and restores the HP of nearby allies. Remember, it also works on the important Quick Chat messages as well, which reach further, heal more, and buff allies, so of course it'll further boost the healing.

You can't really abuse it often, though, as the high cooldown makes it difficult to rely on. Not only that, it takes Liquid Voice 30 seconds to come off of cooldown after sending out a priority message, so the extra boosted healing will have to be timed properly. Remember, all of your healing scales off of your Sp. Attack, so unless you boost it up properly, it'll only recover mild amounts of HP. This is for balancing reasons, since the healing is only limited by the cooldown of Quick Chat itself.

The acoustics can really make or break the vibe of the opera, you know.

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Move 2: Water Gun (Ranged)

The user shoots a bullet of water and makes a puddle at the designated area. Teammates standing within the water puddle receive more healing from Liquid Voice. 7s cooldown.

The water puddle lasts for 5 seconds. Allies standing within the puddle of water receive 1.5x more healing and boost power from Liquid Voice when it is used.

To be specific, allies get extra boosts from any of the three 'important' Quick Chat messages sent while standing within the puddle of water. 'Gather Here!' boosts Movement Speed by 65%, 'Keep The Pressure On!' boosts Attack and Sp. Attack by 50%, and 'Retreat!' grants a 17% shield instead.

Because of the way Liquid Voice works, you might be thinking that optimal gameplay for Primarina would mean chatting up a storm, like a teenage girl on the phone with her first girl friend. And yeah, wide ranged, continuous healing is valuable, even if it's not that much, but you can optimize your singing just as well.

Water Gun shoots out an unimpressive bullet of water and makes a puddle where it lands. It doesn't deal much damage, but it's made of the same healing water used by your basic attack, which is very receptive to your healing sound waves. If you use your healing sound waves through Liquid Voice and it reaches an ally who happens to be standing within the puddle, they'll receive even more healing than before.

I mentioned before that Disarming Voice charges Liquid Voice, which causes your sound waves to heal even more HP. This extra bonus recovery stacks with Water Gun, maximizing the healing of your aquatic aria. It heals for even more HP if the sound wave was sent with one of the three important Quick Chat messages.

This is how you can turn mediocre healing sound waves into a miraculous mending melody. It's all conditional though, but it heavily rewards coordination. If reigning in your teammates proves to be a challenge, work to their strengths instead, like give backup to a melee attacker when they're up against other melee attackers, or spray some water on an ally Goal Zone.

Communication is key here, especially since it's so fruitful.

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At Level 4, Popplio will evolve into Brionne.

At Level 7, Brionne evolves into Primarina. At the same time, Disarming Voice becomes either Sparkling Aria or Hyper Voice.

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Move 1a: Sparkling Aria (Recovery)

The user summons a parade of water bubbles all around itself that slowly increase in size for 6 seconds before popping. These bubbles pop when they touch a pokemon, healing allies and damaging and Stunning enemies. When Liquid Voice activates, the water bubbles move outward slowly. The amount of damage dealt and HP healed to teammates increases depending on the size of the bubbles. 10s cooldown.

At Level 11, Sparkling Aria becomes Sparkling Aria+.

Extends the duration of the move to 7.5 seconds and summons more bubbles.

Sparkling Aria makes 4 water bubbles that float around the user. They will grow in size as they float and dance around you. They will double in size after 3 seconds, and then triple in size after 6 seconds before popping.

When the move is upgraded to Sparkling Aria+, 6 water bubbles are made instead, and the bubbles grow to a maximum of 3.5x their size at the end of the move before popping.

The bubbles pop when they touch a pokemon, friend or foe. They deal damage to opposing pokemon and Stuns them for 0.5 seconds and heal allies within range of the explosion. The healing effect scales with your Sp. Attack stat, and the healing multiplies relative to the size of the bubbles when they pop.

When Liquid Voice activates, the water bubbles float away and stop growing. They move slowly through the air and behave as a slow moving projectile. They will float for 3 seconds before popping.

Ok so, I wasn't the only one who thought Sparkling Aria was such a dumb signature move, right? A Water Type attack that damages all pokemon, but heals away any Burns inflicted. It sounds decent, but it will still deal damage to an ally you're trying to cure. How is that helpful? Well, in Pokemon Unite, we can at the very least turn this attack into an actually useful move.

Sparkling Aria surrounds Primarina with healing water bubbles full of song. The thing is, Primarina never stops singing, so the bubbles continue to grow as they're filled with a healing melody. The bigger they are, the easier it is to hit an enemy with them, but they'll also pop if they hit an ally as well. The pop damages and Stuns enemies, but also heals allies if they're nearby, making Primarina a terrific triage that trembles with treble.

Also, the bubbles healing is relative to its size, so if you hit a pokemon late into the bubbles' lifespan, it'll heal for much more HP than normal. It pays to be patient and wait for the song to hit its stride, but sometimes healing is imperative and your allies can't wait for the octaves to reach its high notes. It's not easy to spam the move either, as Sparkling Aria has 10 seconds of cooldown holding it back. If you need to heal a lot of HP, it's better to try and preemptively summon the aria bubbles for the impending team fight.

But also, it might be risky to join the scuffle, so Sparkling Aria has one other effect. If Liquid Voice is activated while Sparkling Aria is in effect, the bubbles will fly outward as a slow moving projectile. They'll stop growing when they're sent flying, but the ranged healing is safer and can also Stun enemies from further away. You're also healing allies with the Liquid Voice boon, so it's already a lot of extra HP being restored even if the bubbles aren't fully grown.

But maybe a slow solemn sonata isn't your speed. Maybe you're into opera. The glass shattering kind.

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Move 1b: Hyper Voice (Area)

The user unleashes a damaging sound wave all around itself that Stuns enemies in range. The powerful sound waves charge Liquid Voice, greatly expanding the range of Liquid Voice's healing effects while also damaging and Stunning enemies further away. 8.5s cooldown.

At Level 11, Hyper Voice becomes Hyper Voice+.

Increases the range of the sound wave.

Hyper Voice unleashes a sound wave slightly larger than Disarming Voice. It also Stuns nearby enemies for 0.25 seconds.

The size and the healing of the next water wave increases by 50%. It also damages enemies and Stuns them for 0.25 seconds.

Hyper Voice+ expands the size of the attack by 20%. The enhancements to Liquid Voice are unaffected.

If you really like using Liquid Voice, you're gonna like using Hyper Voice a lot. Just like Disarming Voice, Hyper Voice emits an earsplitting echo that shakes you to the bone. Why can Primarina use this move? Because it's not a screech or anything like that, it's one of those super high notes that can shatter glass. It's rather impressive that Primarina can hit that high note so quickly.

Anyway, the sound waves Stun nearby enemies for a very short while, enough to daze them but not debilitate them. It's a weak move, but that's not what it's for. The sound waves charge Liquid Voice, just like Disarming Voice does, although it heals for less HP overall. But that's the trade-off for further increasing the size of the sonic waves, while also being able to Stun multiple enemies from further away.

This makes Hyper Voice and Liquid Voice a lot more spammable, as the Quick Chat feature has an innate cooldown of 5 seconds. Combined together, you can use Hyper Voice to charge Liquid Voice, send out a Quick Chat message, and by the time the cooldown for Quick Chat comes off, Hyper Voice will only have about 2 or 3 seconds of cooldown left. You can wait an extra moment to charge Liquid Voice again, but try not to make any panicked calls when you're in the middle of a rough team fight, as you have the potential to heal everyone nearby.

Speaking of which, the boosted range of a charged Liquid Voice also stacks with the empowered boons of the important Quick Chat messages. If you charge and send out a 'Keep The Pressure On!' message, the range will drastically increase and reach allies further out than normal. This can turn the tide in any battle, whether you send an empowering message or a call to retreat.

When the siren sings, expect rough waters ahead.

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At Level 8, Water Gun becomes either Moonblast or Misty Terrain.

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Move 2a: Moonblast (Ranged)

A slow moving ball of fairy energy is charged and launched in the designated direction. When the attack lands, it explodes in a flurry of fairy energy, damaging enemies and leaving behind a large puddle of misty powder that lingers for 7.5 seconds. Teammates standing within the misty puddle receive more healing from Liquid Voice. 9s cooldown.

At Level 12, Moonblast becomes Moonblast+.

Hastens the charge time and increases Liquid Voice’s healing effects. Reduces the cooldown of Liquid Voice when this move hits an opposing pokemon.

It takes Moonblast 1.5 seconds to charge when the move is used before it is launched into the air. The projectile moves slowly and takes 1.5 seconds to land. Moonblast only deals damage when it touches down on the ground.

After exploding, a puddle of misty powder is left behind that lingers for 7.5 seconds. While active, allies receive 2x more healing and boost power from Liquid Voice while standing within the puddle.

The increased boost power are as follows; 'Gather Here!' increases Movement Speed from 50% to 80%. 'Keep The Pressure On!' increases ally Attack and Sp. Attack from 30% to 70%. 'Retreat!' increases the shield granted from 15% to 20%.

Moonblast+ reduces the initial charge time to 0.75 seconds and increases the overall healing potential by 50%. It also reduces the cooldown of Liquid Voice by 3 seconds for each enemy hit by the attack.

What exactly is fairy energy anyway? It has to be quantifiable if Fairy Type pokemon are able to manifest it and shoot it out at each other. I hazard to say it's something like moon dust, since the real life stuff is incredibly abrasive and harmful to touch, but that's most likely what's being used here. It sure is pretty stuff...

Moonblast has Primarina hold one flipper over their chest and gather up moon energy above itself, before slapping it forward like a volleyball with the other flipper. This takes a while, as Primarina likes to be dramatic with its moves, you know, being an opera singer and all. The attack itself is also dramatic, as it's a slow moving projectile that doesn't have any effect until it actually touches down on the ground. The whole song and dance takes 3 whole seconds before Moonblast can even do anything, so it's one of the slower ranged attacks in the game.

But by golly is it effective. When the attack finally lands, it creates a big puddle of misty powder water. It doesn't do anything by itself, but any ally standing within the puddle will receive increased healing and boost power from Liquid Voice, just like Water Gun. It's a direct upgrade in every way, with the most notable improvement being its duration. 7.5 seconds is enough time for Liquid Voice to activate twice, potentially doubling the healing from your refreshing reprise.

It'll also power up the boosts given by the important messages you send. You'll see allies doing way more damage when you press the team to 'Keep The Pressure On!' or move like lightning when you send out the 'Gather Here!' call. However, keep in mind that Liquid Voice goes on cooldown after one of these important messages is sent, so make sure you send the right Quick Chat messages at the right time.

Starting at Level 12, you'll be able to lower the cooldown of Liquid Voice when you upgrade Moonblast to Moonblast+. The move comes out faster, but also the cooldown of the ability is reduced by 3 seconds for each enemy hit by the attack, Wild Pokemon or otherwise. If an important fight is about to start and you need to wet your whistle, you can hit a swarm of wild pokemon to crunch those extra seconds. Alternatively, if a team fight is running on for long enough and you get a lucky hit in, you can use Liquid Voice a second time for the extra push needed to send the enemy team into a grand finale. It's a bit finicky trying to hit enemies with Moonblast+, even with the upgraded speed, but that's the price to pay for good acoustics.

Perhaps you'd prefer to set your own stage instead.

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Move 2b: Misty Terrain (Hindrance/Area)

Summons a large cloud of mist all around you, obscuring the vision of enemies within for a while. The mist also cures and prevents hindrances from affecting allies while in effect. Teammates receiving healing from Liquid Voice within Misty Terrain will gain a small shield. 12s cooldown.

At Level 12, Misty Terrain becomes Misty Terrain+.

Hastens the cooldown of Liquid Voice and Sparkling Aria or Hyper Voice while standing within Misty Terrain+.

Misty Terrain creates a cloud of pink mist around the user that lingers for 6 seconds. While active, it obscures the vision of enemies caught within.

Misty Terrain prevents hindrances from affecting allies standing within the area of effect. It will also cure them of hindrances when they enter the area of effect.

If a teammate is healed by Liquid Voice while standing within Misty Terrain, they get a 15% shield. This shield is refreshed if they are healed again within Misty Terrain. This shield also stacks with the Liquid Voice boosted Quick Chat message 'Retreat!'.

Misty Terrain+ hastens the cooldown of Liquid Voice and Sparkling Aria and Hyper Voice by 50% while the user is standing within the area of effect.

Huh, more of this glittery stuff. You know, like what you like, but would it kill these Fairy Types to incorporate some other themes like black twisted vines or cool swords or something? What? They already did that? OK, never mind then.

Misty Terrain covers the area in a dense mist of fairy energy. What exactly that fairy energy is, I'm not too sure about, but it feels nice to be in. Well, unless you're on the opposing team, in which case it'll blind you a bit and make it hard to see. Because it is made so close to Primarina, Melee attackers can have a bit of trouble fighting and hunting down the singing siren, not just because of the obscured vision, but also because of the team Primarina is supporting.

All allies within Misty Terrain get a slew of boons. For one, they'll get cured of any and all hindrances when they step inside the mist. And they can't be affected again until the mist goes away. It has no affect on debuffs and, while Primarina can use it to cure itself of hindrances, it's a Move in and of itself, meaning it can be stifled by Sleep or Stun, preventing the move from coming out. The Full Heal Battle Item doesn't have this problem, so it's balanced out in that regard.

Additionally, allies get a little shield if they are healed by Liquid Voice. This shield stacks with any extra shields given out by Liquid Voice, making it a solid buffer in preparation for a team fight. The shield is greatly appreciated by allies who have their own ability to self-sustain, like Buzzwole or Goodra, which is also great if Misty Terrain is summoned in the middle of a fistfight.

But it's also handy for Ranged Attackers as well, since you can hunker down in a Goal Zone or Tall Grass and take up a defensive position. Unfortunately, there aren't that many ranged Defenders or All-Rounders at the moment, so an effect like this will get better the more diverse the roster becomes. Until then, it's slightly worse off than Moonblast.

Misty Terrain+ does something more reliable than Moonblast+ though, and that's charging your vocal chords. It'll hasten the cooldown of both your ability and your move by 50%, turning Sparkling Aria's 10 second cooldown down to 7.5 seconds. Since Primarina is always standing within the mist when it is made, it drastically hastens the tempo of battle, meaning you can heal more often.

It's not portable, obviously, but if the flow of battle is too fast, the spot where Misty Terrain is used can quickly become compromised if your team needs to push or make a retreat. The mist lingers for 6 seconds, but you're also demanding your allies to hole up in a spot of your choosing, so be smart about where you spray the mists. Also, blindness doesn't remove an enemy's ability to fight, it just disables their Sure-Hit attacks at the bare minimum, so watch out for wild potshots when the enemy has nothing to lose.

The world is a stage, and it's also your oyster, so be the pearl everyone admires.

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Unite Move: Singing Siren Savior (Recovery)

The user summons a column of water and begins to perform a heartfelt opera from the top. As it sings, powerful song bubbles are launched in the designated direction, dealing damage to enemies and healing allies caught in the blast. 110s cooldown.

Singing Siren Savior sends Primarina airborne via a powerful spout of whirling water. While it deals no damage to nearby enemies, Primarina cannot be targeted by opposing pokemon while the Unite Move is active. Singing Siren Savior lasts for 7 seconds.

It takes Primarina 1 second to elevate fully and start singing. During the Unite Move, Primarina launches large bubbles of healing water in the designated direction, which fall downward as they are launched. The bubbles damage and heal allies caught in the blast of each exploding music bubble.

Turning and aiming is slowed while using Singing Siren Savior.

Rise, diva. Rise like the angel of music you are. Sing for me!

Ahem. Singing Siren Savior has Primarina take the spotlight in glorious, glistening, glamor, rising to the sky on an eruption of seawater to ensure that it's voice can be heard. It's oceanic operetta reaches everywhere, but for balancing reasons it can only affect pokemon hit by its bubbles, which are filled with healing blasts.

It looks dramatic, but the healing and damage aren't all that impressive. The real power comes from the frequency of these blissful bubble bombs. For 7 whole seconds, a torrent of water is launched in the designated area, healing allies and harming opposing pokemon. The parade of bubbles suddenly becomes a lot more intimidating in the middle of a team fight, where the damage your team receives is offset by each healing pop.

And Primarina can't be targeted while it is singing. Due to its heightened elevation, Primarina evades all damage thrown at it from the enemy team, meaning they can only fight your teammates, who are getting their HP topped off. It's almost infuriating that there's nothing the enemy can do about this.

Well, that's not entirely true. See, Singing Siren Savior had a blindspot directly close by to Primarina and it's water spout. The bubbles cannot be launched at such a close range, so Primarina cannot influence any fighting so close to itself. This also means that, if Primarina is by itself, the enemy can simply wait out the Unite Move under the cooling flow of brine, then immediately beat you to death as soon as you come down. This is not a situation you want be caught in. You should always have an audience with you that can appreciate opera music.

Speaking of which, Singing Siren Savior is best used during crowded team fights, preferably when it is activated preemptively. This is because the move can be directed, but turning and aiming is very slow. If there are two fights happening in different directions, I'm sorry to say but you have to pick one crowd to sing to. It's not feasible to heal everyone in range with this Unite Move.

That's what your ability, Liquid Voice, is for.

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Achievements

Heal 50,000 HP through Liquid Voice.

This is an easy enough achievement to explain, just chat it up with your team a lot.

The difficult part is manipulating the healing to hit these high notes. Liquid Voice doesn't heal for a lot of HP by itself, as that's the tradeoff for it's range. It scales to your Sp. Attack, so you can increase it with items and emblems. Even so, your teammates won't always be in range to hear your healing high notes, so you have to be proactive with your moves.

The area effect made by Moonblast and Misty Terrain increase the effectiveness of Liquid Voice, which also stacks with Sparkling Aria and Hyper Voice. Unfortunately, one combination is better at multiplying your healing over the other combos, so it's important to identify which battles you can win versus which ones you'll lose chasing this achievement.

More on that later. For now, let's get you dressed up for the big show.

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Holowear

Starting off with Elegant Style Holowear, it dresses up Primarina in a glossy veil and dress that flows like a sparkling wave. In Sunny Style Holowear, Primarina dresses a bit more modestly with a big sun hat, stylish shades, a cloth with a fancy pattern tied around its neck and waist, and a satchel tied around its body. But in Grim Style Holowear, Primarina is dressed for a funeral, with a black sun hat with a veil, a black dress, and a black parasol folded up and strapped to its back. The flashiest Holowear would be Pop Star Style Holowear, decorating it with music note pins, star pins, a frilly dress, a set of headphones, and a mic stand strapped to its tail (this is allowed because Primarina doesn't use its tail at all in Pokemon Unite, so its free real estate). Lastly, Moon Princess Style Holowear gives it a fancy dress adorned with crescent moon sigils, including a big one sticking out from a headband, I think it's meant to look like a member of an old pantheon of gods or something, but it looks very pretty.

The ironic thing about a pokemon as fanciful as Primarina is that it can rock a lot of clothing styles, but they all start to blend together if you stick to one theme for too long. Don't be afraid to mix it up, now.

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Strategy

Communication has never been more important than when you're playing as Primarina, as the Liquid Voice healing is the most consistent healing effect you can provide to your team throughout the battle. As a tradeoff, it heals for a very small amount of HP, but this can be rectified with Sp. Attack boosting items and emblems, as the healing scales with the stat, just like with other Sp. Attack Supporters.

It's already been mentioned before that the healing can be compounded by combining the effects of your moves, but that it requires coordination with your teammates. The best Move combination for maximizing your healing through Liquid Voice is Hyper Voice and Moonblast, as both effects boost the healing of allies when certain conditions are met. Such conditions include using the correct Quick Chat message, having the ally within range of the follow-up Hyper Voice boosted Liquid Voice message, and having an ally stand within the lingering effect of Moonblast or Moonblast+.

One thing that needs to be made clear is that Liquid Voice is always active and will affect all Quick Chat messages sent, unless they are the ones sent through the minimap. However, Liquid Voice will go on cooldown when one of the 3 important Quick Chat messages are sent. After that, it'll still send out healing waves through other Quick Chat messages, but the 3 important ones will lose their extra effects and behave like regular healing waves, until Liquid Voice comes off of cooldown.

To that end, it becomes very imperative that you send out the right message at the right time, as the boosts provided by the 3 important Quick Chat messages can turn the tide of battle. That's easy enough to manage...unless you're paired up with strangers with no way to convey your meaning. I mean, I get it, not all of us can afford a mic headset, but Liquid Voice is perfectly manageable without clear comms, and the game accounts for the language barrier by automatically translating all Quick Chat messages sent and received. As such, I will be talking about Liquid Voice as if you are not playing with an open mic or with friends.

Half of the Quick Chat message wheel is customizeable, so there's no excuse not to use it. The thing is, if you're shy about spamming messages, you need to adopt a different mindset when playing as Primarina, as it needs to sing just as much as dogs need to bark or cats need to meow. Try to stick to a neutral Quick Chat message like 'Thanks!', as you need to send some kind of message to heal constantly with Liquid Voice. I'm sure it won't be patronizing for your allies to hear over and over again...

Right away, at the start of the match, you can utilize Liquid Voice immediately by using the 'Gather Here!' Quick Chat message to give your allies a Movement Speed boost to get a head start on the farm for EXP. From there, you stick to a lane with your partner, preferably with an EXP Share. Because your basic attack can heal, you offer valuable assistance from the sidelines to Melee Attackers, especially since you can move while shooting and charging your basic attack. But the healing scales with your Sp. Attack, so if you need to stack scores for your Sp. Attack Specs, do so quickly and deftly before the enemy team shows up.

From here on out, it's all a matter of keeping your team topped off in HP, but do keep your wits about you. Liquid Voice covers a wide area but it doesn't heal for a lot, so it's most effective the more allies you have. Even so, the healing becomes less effective the more damage the enemy deals in high concentration. Basically, watch out for burst damage, or try and disengage from fights if your side is outnumbered. You can only heal with Liquid Voice for as often as you can send Quick Chat messages, which have a built-in cooldown of 5 seconds each time. You can repel long, drawn out assaults, but not swift strikes of overwhelming power. Your singing works best with a more drawn out timeslot.

I already mentioned that Hyper Voice and Moonblast are the best Move combinations to max out your Liquid Voice healing, but it's not always going to be the best choice for every single battle (at the very least, that's what SHOULD be the design philosophy in every moveset, but...well, you know...). In actuality, Sparkling Aria can actually heal the most by itself since the bubbles pop on contact with an enemy or ally, and each bubble restores a bit of HP, the amount of which also scales to your Sp. Attack. By touching an ally with all 4 or 6 bubbles at their peak size, you can heal about 50% HP to a single ally, but this amount is contingent. Like it says in the description, the amount of damage dealt and HP restored is scaled to the size of the bubble, which grows slowly. It's not feasible to heal one ally with all the bubbles at their peak size, but it's possible with some crazy Movement Speed boosting.

And besides that, the attack can be shot out for some extra distance by activating Liquid Voice. This gives you some safety, but the bubbles stop growing once they're launched. They also can't be aimed, so you'll need to position yourself properly if you want to send some sweet sounds to a far away ally. But given how slow the bubbles are, they're gonna have to meet you halfway most of the time, so the aiming isn't all that important, actually.

Both Misty Terrain and Moonblast augment the healing of Liquid Voice, but Misty Terrain has the additional effect of hindering melee attackers by obscuring their vision. This makes fighting the enemy a lot easier, especially since the mist also protects the team from hindrances. The downside is how small the cloud is and how long the cooldown lasts for, limiting the potential protection you can provide for your team over the course of the battle. It makes for a cozy little spot for a teammate to retreat into, since it also adds a big shield to allies within when they get healed by Liquid Voice.

Despite how lucrative the boons are that Misty Terrain provides, Moonblast provides the strongest multiplier to your healing efforts from a distance. More healing, increased boons, a ranged attack that can be made anywhere, it's hard to decide which move is better. Moonblast has a longer windup, but since Primarina can heal from afar with Liquid Voice and its basic attack, the extra distance is more than worth it. Of course, this all depends on if your teammates are aware of the extra healing provided by these moves...

Speaking of ranged healing, Primarina's Unite Move, Singing Siren Savior, has the furthest reach of your healing hymns. Since each projectile reaches pretty far, you can keep a fair distance from the team fight and rain down healing bubbles from the safety of your sea geyser. Pair this with the powerful boons of Liquid Voice, and you'll supercharge your team for whatever challenge they face.

There is the issue of longevity for Primarina. See, it has a lot of adoring fans, so it is used to getting swamped in crowds. Unfortunately, that is the last place you want to be caught in during a Unite Battle. And while Primarina is certainly strong enough to defend itself, its Unite attacks have given it greater focus in healing, but not so much in attacking. All of Primarina's methods of dealing damage are slow and limited, which causes problems for when it has to fend for itself. Without an ally to give it backup, its singing career will come to an abrupt stop.

There is no reason for Primarina to fight alone, though. The consistent healing, however small, is enough to keep an ally healthy for the whole game, enough so that they don't ever need to return to base manually. That is if you, the Primarina player, can keep up with the triage of aching audience members.

Never stop singing. Sing, my angel of music.

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And that's Primarina for Pokemon Unite! I'm banking a lot of this post on the fact that the Quick Chat system will go on unchanged for the foreseeable future, because otherwise this whole post won't make any sense to readers in the future if they do in fact change the system. I think an ability that messes around with the chat system could be interesting, I might try and mess around with it again with another, more offensively orientated, pokemon.

Anyway, you know the deal. In 2 weeks, I'll make a new post for the next pokemon. Here's a hint.

Until then, see ya.

[spinningbuster98]

I sometimes see people give Samus Returns and Dread shit for being too action oriented than actual Metroid games, as they’re too linear and rely too heavily on their combat mechanics.

And to be fair, that is a legitimate criticism to make, but that’s not my issue. What bothers me is that I often see said people then turn around and say “unlike past games”, which usually includes Fusion and....

shouldn’t Fusion be the first game to be thrown into the garbage bin in that case?

I love Fusion don’t get me wrong, and it’s entirely possible to like it over Dread or viceversa as they’re certainly not the same, but Dread absolutely takes plenty of design elements from the game, to the point that most of the things people complain about with Dread originated from that game

A more linear structure that aggressively funnels you in a direction, preventing backtracking by blocking the path you used to get into a room? Check

A gimped wall jump? Check

A strict order you have to get items in? Well Dread actually allows for some sequence breaking here and there so that’s actually a point in its favor

A greater emphasis on action elements to supplement the more limited exploration? Surprisingly also check!

Because yes, the greater focus on action over sheer exploration is not something that started when Mercurysteam came on board, it’s not something that started with Other M, it started all the way back in Fusion

Just think about Samus’ movement and how it’s used

In Super Metroid Samus is very floaty, and has a run button allowing you to have greater control over your speed and momentum when jumping. This, alongside stuff like the wall jump, allowed you to traverse the world in unique and inventive ways. On the flipside her rate of fire is very low, even lower than previous games’, her movement isn’t very snappy, you have to cycle through items with a button etc

Fighting enemies in SM is usually a non-event, most of them can be dispatched in a shot or two and don’t require much effort. Bosses can be irritating because Samus’ floatiness, while great for world traversal, is not ideal for dodging attacks, meaning that boss fights usually amount to little more than wars of attrition: you can’t dodge reliably often and so have to tank hits and hope the boss dies before you do. Phantoon is my favorite example

In general Super’s movement is very exploration-centric, but not ideal for combat

Fusion is the opposite

You have one static speed and the floatiness is gone, along with the infinite wall jump and all sequence breaking tools, meaning that, for thye most part, the exploratory aspects of Samus’ movement have been stripped down

On the other hand she is much easier to control, her movement is far snappier, you don’t have to cycle through items, Super Missiles replace normal ones, your Charge Beam is not only more powerful but also charges faster, your rate of fire is far faster etc

And you know how Fusion uses this new movement style?

By placing a greater emphasis on fighting enemies

While in Super enemies were generally a bother, in Fusion enemies are more aggressive, they take more hits, there are more enemies that need to be dispatched with missiles, and they hurt way more. If you approach enemies in Fusion the way you did in Super you will die. But it’s no biggie, because Fusion’s snappier movement allows you to attack enemies and dodge them much more reliably. This is particularily noticable with bosses. You can’t just tank hits here, you gotta memorize attacks and dodge them and know when and how to go on the offensive, you can’t fight Yakuza and BOX round 2 the same way you did Phantoon or Draygon. Bosses hit harder, have more attacks, even more phases often, and there are more of them in general!

Essentially Fusion’s movement sacrifices exploratory elements in favor of making the game’s action flow much better, and the game knows this because it ramps up said action when compared to the previous game

Yeah sure Fusion may not have a counter mechanic or cool cinematics to show you how badass Samus is, but the general gameplay loop of mostly following a linear path the game lays out for you while fighting tough enemies that require you to stay on your toes is fundementally the same, it’s just more explicit in games like Dread (hell even Prime 3 did more or less the same thing)

[magicalgardenofhypnosis]

Superman is a excellent case study indeed a body boastful of a God, super human abilities and a legions of fans Galaxy wide.

Lex Luther watches this special in a state of rage pacing back am forth in bud luxe jail house setting.

Arms cross behind his back he pounds the floor in disgust at what he saw but more importantly he is lost.

“How can they worship him? He is a alien threat to human kind.” Lex yells throwing his tray of food.

He stops when the television screen goes off for a minute turning back on he can see a static.

“Lex, stare in to the screen open your mind to me not even you can resist me that’s it walk to the television.” A voice says with two arms propel forward and yank him in.

It’s precisely eight eight pm upon Lex’s eyes pops open and he awakens in strange room filled with far too many familiar faces for his taste.

“What is this some sort of trailer trash theme park for the bizarre?” Lex says with a hardy laugh.

The elevator pings resoundingly pulling their attention back to the shaft as it opens up to reveal a new comer.

The man say not single word digging into his pockets to retrieve a unimpressive remote control with a single button.

In the light of day it is clearly fully dark gold plated just like Lex expects of someone with a ego equal to his.

A finger presses the button signaling white nose sound emitting through the speakers and four massive window shades to rescind.

“Is that Superman? This cannot be possible in a million years.” Lex demands.

“ A man of your intellect denies what he sees?”

“I demand of know how you managed to do this.”

“So bossy! Simply put he took the bate.”

“Your ego is your downfall.”

“Every plan you make is so elaborate.”

“Super pussy is a Boy Scout”

“He is compulsively running into danger”

“Give him what he wants”

“I certainly did”

Lex marvels at the sheer brilliance and the ingenuity of my invention whirling around the mass that forms that Kryptonian mass.

The Man of Steel riddling with pain as estim lace with Kryptonite burn his skin at touch, a vr head piece adorns his head.

His clothes strip to pieces, a cow milking cup and machine get to work growing him hard and cunning consecutively.

I can hear his voice in rinse cycle of lust, pain, and joy continuously it is almost sickening.

His arms, and legs are held down with steel kryptonite lace to hold him down for the foreseeable future.

Inside the mind of Clark I begin a long lust filled journey taking a video gaming wand of controller in hand and go for it.

Pressing play I place my goggles on taking over the body of Clark Kent to my awe and

shock.

I signal my crew to enter the room locking it down they face my fellow rogues ensuing a attack and chain them down.

They are left to only see the man they once feared as a hero, the one who always came to defeat them fall.

“Well, well Clark let’s take a journey”

“Your subconscious! Lovely”

“Lois, and family.”

“Ugh!”

“Sheesh”

“Fuck this!”

“Time to do some damage”

“After I do some meditation”

“You will see things my way! Mwahahaha “

Lex and crew are in for a treat as the floor is beginning to spin out of control the platform rose upward.

“I am Lex Luther! I do not condone this”

A huge container drops from above closing in on them locking in place they continue to lift up.

“What was your plan all along to kill us?”

“Mwahahahahaha “

“Well done!”

Lex is perplex as a bomb starts to trigger in a ticking fashion blowing up consuming all of us.

“Nnnnnoooooo!”

“You see Clark! You are weak, unworthy, you are unable to save the rest.”

“Lex? Toy Man? Brainiac?”

“Nope! All gone! Mwahahaha”

“You are insane!”

“Maybe or maybe not “

“The point is I am in charge now”

“You are my captive Superman”

“I will make you squeal and beg for freedom”

The door opens to the room culling Clark’s heighten senses to focus on me with ears to turning.

“Your powers are still working”

“I will get loose and then”

“Then what? I thought so! Whatever!”

My hand goes flying smacking him hard as his head swings to the other side in pain not so strong.

Digging my hands in to his head I grab the stringy hair tightly would pulling him up and flick the switch.

“You see Clark, I am here, there and everywhere.”

“You cannot escape me bitch”

“Inside your mind I am remapping you, out side on the exterior we are refocusing you.”

“Shall we begin?”

“Stop fighting the brainwashing and milking “

“You are enjoying it, oh you are hard”

“Admit it!”

“Nnnnoooo! I want to so bad”

“Increase the pressure and the estim”

“Where did I put those scissors?”

“Ah here we go? First though”

“One injection and that should do it”

“Nnnoo! Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh -zonk”

“Knocked out like a light”

“Will just let the four things play a part “

Scissors get to work from his legs up I cut his uniform to smithereens in delight they crumble in the floor.

“I am gonna enjoy fucking you”

“Raw and real”

“Feel the pain with each thrust”

“The pleasure with release”

“Succumb”

“It’s been hours man”

“Give in”

“Aaaaaahhhhhhh uuuuuuhhhhh”

“For fucks sake geez”

“Took you long enough”

“Sweet release Master”

“I know! Mwahahahahaha”

The end

[viceversasramy]

-Benefits Chapter 1 - Pictures! LESS GOOO

It was the year 2710 there was a woman who just graduated from Viro University she is having a problem for paying her sister’s college tuition and having trouble with finding her new job. She is sighs and flop in her bed her pet robot automatically turns on

Rorico: Hello Creator? Any luck on finding a new job 

Girl(mc): you think? And why you were you on you haven’t even been fully charged yet?

Rorico: Why, you ask? You received a mail!

 Girl(mc): Oh, where is it from?

Rorico: From Onix Villin he sends a voice message 

Onix voice message: I heard you are looking for a job? We are short of a technician, and you are the only person I know who can how does $234,000 a month sounds? If you want to join, we can meet at the café nearby your house at 8:30 your free to deny or accept

Girl(mc): what?! That salary is more than my other previous jobs since college ... 

Rorico: are you going to join- 

Girl(mc): Let us get ready tomorrow-   

Tomorow at 8:30 

Girl(mc): you got to get ready I need my comfort friend with me when I am in an interview you know?

Rorico: I am ready I am going to just wait  

They have arrived at the café spotted Onix sitting down and taking a sip of a coffee and take a glance at them both as they spotted each other (how funny tbh)

Onix: oh, you have arrived thought you are going to deny

Girl(mc): Then why are you here?

Onix: It is my favorite café to go every morning well... If I got time

Rorico: Well now she came so when is the interview?

Onix: Oh, we do not do interviews in this business we do tests to see if we can rely on it but being a technician oh and do you do repairs?

Girl(mc): I do? Why would you ask

Onix: oh, and then your fit to that task

 As they walk Rorico and she saw a familiar figure it is her sister why is she tied up?

Girl(mc): Why is it my sister? Here and tied up...

Rorico: Hey what are you doing? That is my creator’s sibling Onix what did you dooooo....

Onix turn the off button of the Rorico 

Onix: We cannot afford distractions, Now let me explain to you see those controllers there are broken. You have up to 5 minutes to fix that because it is connected to the missiles for it to attack the intruder. Now let us play a roleplay, shall we? I am the intruder, and your sister is the object that you must protect. If you finish it up well, you get to have your sister and get hired if not your sister will be.... let us just say you will never see her again, ever.

Girl(mc): Onix! What on earth!? When is this legal?  

Onix: The time will start now    

The time has begun her sister begin to cry for mercy, Onix is getting his weapon ready, the girl was in pressure, but she knows she must focus 3 minutes have past the she was still fixing the controllers carefully and fast. Few minutes have past 10 seconds left? (Dang, I am now getting lazy you're close to the end of the first chapter) 9...8... 7 ... 6 ... 5. ... 4... 3...

Girl(mc): THAT’S IT THIS IS THE LAST STRAW ONIX

She had enough and ran towards Onix and charged a fist and punched Onix right towards the face and then she heard clapping out of nowhere

Person 1: She seemed more of a fighter than a technician should we make her one

Person 2: Do not get your hopes high she is doing this test to be a technician

Person 3: Silence, she did not even finish her task for this test

Person 4: And? She saved her sister without thinking about her dear life! 

Person 2: Onix are you okay?

Onix: Oh, I am alright I am just having a nosebleed no worries

Girl(mc): Should have hit harder

As she went to her sister and asked her if she was alright but now, she knows she is a hologram (this is cruel to write about) She is scared and relieved at the same time now that she is safe all of this for a job.   

Girl(mc): Who even are you people?  

She said while she turns on Rorico

Sicilienne: Oh, I am terribly sorry for giving you this test it must have been traumatizing... My name is Sicilienne the leader, The secretary Axten, Head of Security Sarai, and my partner Harmonite

Sicilienne: And what is your name newcomer?

Girl(mc): My name is... Lyra

-End of Chapter 1- the chapter 2 is gonna come out in uhh we'll see ;)

[redlerred7]

Played the new Touhou game for like two hours as five of the nineteen characters. Initial Thoughts:

Only Reimu was unlocked from the start and a good chunk of my run with her was learning how to play. I've never actually played any of the Touhou Phantasmagoria games so it was pretty scuffed imo. Still, I think I understand the mechanics.

First, it seems like defeating enemies on your screen causes the equivalent enemies on your opponent's screen to start shooting bullets. Your goal seems to be to fill the opponent's screen with enough bullets to overwhelm them. Once you've run your opponent out of lives (or captured an arbitrary number of enemy spell cards, more on that later), you opponent drops an ability card which grants you an option that shoots the bullets used by your opponent's character.

Next, holding down the bomb button, creates a field around your character that slows down bullets. The size and shape of the field depends on the character. Any bullets caught in this slow field increases the maximum charge of the meter the bottom your screen. Holding down the bomb button also causes that meter to fill up, and if you fill it past certain thresholds, you can do a special attack. At the start of every level, you only have the tier 1 special attack available and to get higher tiers you need to increase your meter limit by catching bullets with your field, and every time you use a special attack higher than tier 1, it reduces you meter limit, forcing you to catch more bullets. The third and fourth tier of special attack will straight-up spawn bullets on your opponent's screen, with the fourth tier actually causing your character to appear as a boss with spell cards and everything! Not only that, those higher tier specials get stronger every time you use them.

And remember when I mentioned capturing spell cards earlier? Your opponent seems to periodically attempt tier 4 specials and, if you defeat the boss that spawns a certain number of times, the game seems to just give you the match win without needing to run your opponent out of lives.

Reimu was pretty good during my run, even considering that I didn't know what to do. She has the standard homing amulets she's had since Hidden Star in Four Seasons, which have decent tracking and damage. Her tier 1 special is shooting four large ofuda in a wide spread. Her tier two is a mini-Fantasy Seal which can cancel bullets! Theoretically, that makes her the best character in the game, since no other character seems to be able to cancel bullets, but I'm not nearly good enough to take advantage of it. Her tier 3 and 4 involve her throwing ying-yang orbs at your opponent, but I wasn't able to use them much. This is the case for every other character.

Marisa is probably my favorite of the characters I've played so far. Her illusion lasers have great damage and always shoot in front of her. Her tier 1 and 2 specials are piercing lasers which she drops in place that shoot straight forward. The tier level seems to determine how long the laser lasts. I actually got a 1cc first time I played as her given how strong she is and how easy the bosses I had to fight were.

The same cannot be said about the next three I played.

Sanae had the homing snakes which seemed to do terrible damage. Her tier 1 is shooting homing snakes in a circle around her and her tier 2 is shooting explosive frogs in a circle. I couldn't seem to kill anything with the homing snakes so I had to rely mostly on the explosive frogs, which at least did better damage but left me relatively exposed every time I had to use it. It didn't help that Sanae's slow field doesn't extend very far away from her at first, then when her tier 1 is fully charged it suddenly becomes twice as big as Reimu's.

I played as Ran next and she has two crystals that shot bullets straight forward and remain in place when you hold down the focus button. She's similar to Remilia in Imperishable Night, and like Remilia, I really don't vibe with her shot type. Thankfully, her specials are interesting enough for me to say I don't dislike her. Tier 1 makes her shoot twice as many bullets, while her tier 2 temporarily gives her two more options to shoot bullets from. If you activate a tier 1 special while your tier 2 is still active, you can essentially have 400% your normal damage output for a few seconds. It was a little tricky to pull off during spell cards, but it was definitely worth it. It's a shame I'm so bad with her gameplay style. I think it'd be fun to play if I was good.

Finally, there's Aunn, whose story I didn't actually get to finish. She has a spread shot split into three streams when unfocused, with the shots merging into a single tight spread when focused. I actually quite like this kind of shot type, but the problem is that I couldn't seem to kill anything with it. Her specials weren't much better, here she spawns a bunch of bullets that spin around her, with tier level just increasing how many bullets are spawned. These bullets don't seem to kill anything either. It's not really helped by Aunn's really weird slow field, which is an ellipse that stretches really far vertically for a split second before squashing down into horizontal ellipse that has 0 vertical range. I only got to I think stage 3 before I was too tired of her shit to keep playing.

[arcticgraverobber]

I just Finished: I am Setsuna!

So I started playing this years ago, and have only just finished it. This is in part due to my lack of focus, especially on lengthy games that require some thought like RPGs, though I think in part it's because the game puts me off a little. Not sure why, in general I quite liked it. The music choice, just simple piano throughout (I think?) the whole game, similar to the later release BOTW was something I appreciated, exploring a snowy world (although it does get a bit samey) and following a fairly decent if by the numbers story were all good - but something about the game made me not want to play it.

The game follows the titular Setsuna, all the main character is a knight called Endir who is initially tasked with killing Setsuna. That doesn't happen of course and they almost immediately become best of friends - it's an RPG from Japan what do you expect?

Setsuna's journey is to go to reach a far off land to sacrifice herself, to stop the monsters from spreading and attacking humanity. Not a super original premise, but this game does take a different approach with almost every character completely accepting the necessity of the act.

The combat is a fairly standard ATB system, you have 'spritnite' that you can collect to give party members different magical abilities and attributes. The unique thing is the semi Mario style element - when performing an attack, there will be a moment you can press a button to increase the potency of the move in some way - often adding extra damage. You can only do this when your SP gauge is charged however. This charges after the ATB meter is full, which gives a tactical reason to wait before using a character when ready.

Like many things though, this isn't explained that well in the game. When I started playing this, I wasn't as accustomed to the standards of the genre, so I didn't realise you could save outside of save points anywhere on the overworld. I had to play a different game which explained this better to realise. Again I had to look up how to actually use the SP attack thing, and it was only near the end of the game that I realised I could sell all my items and it would count for both the spiritnite trading and give me money. Before I was reticent to sell anything in case I needed it, meaning I had to struggle through large parts of the game without particularly good gear and a small amount of items. Perhaps this is mostly my failing, but I do feel the game could have done a better job at making certain mechanics clearer. If I didn't have these issues I think the game would have been far more enjoyable to me, but as it stands it ended up being a bit of a slog.

Grade: C

Significance: 1/3 - fairly bog standard RPG

[jeremy-ken-anderson]

Hold! ...HOLD...!

One of the techniques to learn on the road to mastery of a given job in FFXIV is what/how to unload on an enemy and when to hold onto something.

First of all, even if your Abilities do "free damage" and have a cast time of "instant," recognize that they still take something like .8 to 1.2 seconds just to animate. This means if you use all of them back-to-back you're not using your GCD, which is kind of FFXIV's version of "not taking your turn." As a general rule, use a GCD button every time you can, and use 1-2 OGCDs in between them.

A quintessential example of single-weave OGCDs is the Machinist's Heat Blast phase, where they use Overheat to gain access to Heat Blast, which has a decent attack with a VERY short GCD, basically letting you attack 5 times in quick succession. Except it's actually more like 10 because each time you use Heat Blast it also reduces the cooldown on OGCDs Gauss Round and Ricochet by 7 seconds each, and each of them has a 15-second cooldown. So the full plan is: Use up all your Gauss Round and Ricochet charges, then Overheat, Heat Blast (Gauss Round), Heat Blast (Ricochet), Heat Blast (Gauss Round), Heat Blast (Ricochet), Heat Blast (Gauss Round), Split Shot (Ricochet, Reassemble), Drill

Note that because Split Shot has a longer Global CoolDown, you can fit two OGCDs in, where you couldn't do the same without losing time on your Heat Blasts.

But an even better example is Red Mage's new Ability and Spell, Vice of Thorns and Grand Impact. Both of these can be delayed casts, allowing you to reposition, retarget to make sure you're hitting a whole group of enemies (both hit "target and group around them"), or focus on more time-sensitive Abilities. Fleche and Contre Sixte, for instance, only have single casts, so every second you're holding them is potentially leading to one less time you can use them in the fight. And they're a LOT of damage. Fleche is 480 potency on a 25 second cooldown. So every second you hold it is about 19 points of potency lost. That might not sound like much, but a) keep in mind that's per second, every second, and b) that's about the same amount as a melee DPS hitting vs missing his positionals. When you can launch free swords, always launch free swords.

But Vice of Thorns is different. Once you use Embolden, which you can only use once every 2 minutes, you have 30 seconds to use Vice of Thorns. As long as you use it within that window (ideally in 20 seconds, actually, because Embolden lasts 20 seconds and grants a damage buff), you're not losing anything at all by casting it 18 seconds later vs immediately following Embolden.

TL;DR Give priority to the powers you have which have their own cooldown and a single use over ones that have a period where they're usable once, or ones with multiple charges (once you've used at least one charge). For instance if you, a Bard, have 1/2 charges of Bloodletter and you have Sidewinder off cooldown, you should use Sidewinder first to get its cooldown timer ticking toward your next use. Bloodletter is already cooling down another shot anyway.

[sazeracs]

Adding onto this, I personally ran Salamander Dagger head on Acidic Crystal Spear handle for some poking (the City Longspear has a longer reach but is slower in a way that’s unhelpful for this fight), fully upgraded Puppet String, and the Friendship Wishstone.

The Spectre is unfortunately hit or miss in boss fights wrt actually helping, but can be useful to draw aggro and let you get some attacks in, as @venigni said, or even give you a second to breathe, and that’s definitely true here. (There’s a specific Wishstone for it but imo you don’t even need to buy it because it happens naturally lol. Caveat: This works better in some fights than others because of tracking — not recommended for Black Rabbit Brotherhood gank.) If you’re using the Friendship Wishstone, pop ✨the Cube✨ when Giangio Romeo you from the future, stronger and cooler the Spectre has about half of his health left for maximum effect.

Use Puppet String to build up stagger while he’s on all fours. He’s fairly susceptible to it; I think it was about three times I had to use it before that health bar went white. (It’s also just goated.)

For his actual attacks, although his second phase is a spicier version of the Scrapped Watchman, try approaching him like Archbishop Andreus instead. That is, stay in his face and dodge INTO him. This sounds counterintuitive and in most other fights you’ll have a bad time, but for whatever reason he’s similarly less able to hit you at that close range, and he’s more manageable if you don’t give him an opportunity to ever use his ranged attacks. Ideally, roll into him at an angle (left) so you end up on his right side (many bosses are weak here it seems), or end up going right through his legs, because most of his attack AoE is directly right in front of him — and because just like Andreus you wanna target his ass. Just completely go to town on him back there, especially if the Spectre has his attention.

His burrowing attack can be avoided by running around, but if you learn the timing to dodge or even block/parry it it’s super punishable. He telegraphs pretty obviously: hit him with a charged heavy attack when he stands up on two legs, but watch out for whenever he shakes his head in particular.

If you’re trying to hone your parrying skills, my general advice is that it’s more practical to pick one or two specific attacks and focus on mastering perfect guarding those, rather than trying to do so with everything. His Scrapped Watchman punch with the windup is a good one to learn, for instance. Remember, too, that if you’ve played other Souls games before (Sekiro especially), you may actually need to unlearn some muscle memory, because Lies of P is the opposite and the window for a successful parry is based on you, not the enemy. Generally, you want to press the block button as soon as you see an attack start to connect (i.e. a limb moving toward you) and HOLD, not tap it — if you’re early, you still get a block and can regain health by attacking.

ok i tried everything. i just can't beat him. fuck the green monster. Got the scrapped watchmen first try but this thing? even with an specter? idk. king of puppets was somehow fun and even victor was "easy" after i knew his moves. but the monster seems to have no window for a attack? he's constantly moving and I can't land a punch. for the first time i really don't enjoy this game ffs.

[lewdbabies]

~The neighbor ~

part 2

nanami kentox reader smut

warning: MDNI, 18+, Raw sex , praising kink, Language, Rough sex, Breeding, smut

Part 2

Work was slow as usual, after morning hours the cafe tends to slow down lunch and dinner were served but it wasn’t very popular. Judging by the way Nanami was in a rush earlier it seemed he didn’t have time to stop by for his regular Black coffee. You lean against the register catching up on the latest novel you’d been reading. Your boss is in the back doing “Inventory “ which really meant taking a nap in the office. You glance at the clock perched on the wall, 1:30 pm, you sigh time was dragging on today. You turn your attention back onto your book engrossing yourself in the literature.

“Hello may I see the lunch menu please”

You jump.

You’d been so enraptured by your book you hadn’t even heard the door bell ring.

“Y-yes W-welcome let me grab that for you one second” you slam your book shut and quickly squat down grabbing a laminated lunch menu.

You look up and you’re met with brown eyes.

He smiles grabbing the menu, your hands brush lightly. You’re panicking, this is the first time he’s ever came to the cafe for lunch. He nods walking to A booth furthest from the entrance, you watch in awe admiring his physic. You grab a towel and begin to buss tables giving him time to decide what he wanted. Your eyes keep darting over at him blushing every Time your eyes meet. He doesn’t seem to mind he gives you a small smile in response.

After a while you walk to the register to grab your note pad and pen. You reach in your pocket for your lip gloss dabbing some on before making your way over to his table. He’s looking down, his brows scrunched in focus.

“Is anything looking good” you call out cheerfully.

“Yes you are” his tongue slides across his lips.

“Pardon?” You asked unsure of what you heard.

“I said yes it is” he rubs his chin staring directly into your eyes.

You ignore it deciding you’re just hearing things, He points to a item on the menu.

“This will be fine “ he states.

“The eggs Benedict, Alright and for your drink?” You scribble on your note pad.

“Black coffee should suffice” he nods to himself in approval.

“Alrighty I will have that right up” you rip the paper from your pad and start towards the kitchen.

“Order up!” You call back, sticking the ticket up.

You were in charge of making all the coffee related orders, came with being a barista/cashier. You didn’t mind though, you learned to Create lots of different foam patterns. Coffee making was fun if you made it, you even created a couple secrete menu items of your own.

You reach for a mug, pouring the freshly brewed coffee inside, steam swirls from the cup. You set the mug ontop of your silver serving tray and make your way back to his table. He’s looking through a stack of papers, his briefcase sits open on the table top.

“Here’s your coffee” you grab the glass in an attempt to hand it to him unaware of how hot it is. The glass burns your hand causing you to drop it out of reflex. It crashes down spraying all over Nanami’s suit and paper work.

“Oh my god I’m so sorry!” You grab a fist full of paper towels frantically trying to clean off his suit. You pat the spilled coffee from his lap, He shifts in his seat.

“Uhn-“ he makes a soft noise catching you off guard.

You bolt up your face is red hot, you look away in embarrassment.

“I-I can pay to have this dry cleaned! Ugh I’m such a klutz-“

He interjects “no it’s fine you don’t have to do that”

“Please allow me too I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t” you bite your lip in guilt.

His eyes darken at the sight of you standing there looking so remorseful and innocent. He looks away for a second debating his next move.

“If you insist, the jacket only will be enough I assure you” he says slowly, sliding his coat off. His arms bulge through his white button down shirt.

He hands you the jacket hesitantly You’re dying of embarrassment.

“I’ll have this back to you tomorrow I swear it” you blurt quickly walking away.

~

“That coffee was a nightmare to get out kid” The dry cleaner complains.

You give an apologetic look as you sign the ticket finalizing the payment.

“Thanks again For getting it done so quick Danny”

“Yeah yeah yeah next time tell the guy to make the coffee land in his mouth got it” you laugh as you wave goodbye walking out the door. You check your phone , 6:10 pm, Nanami asked you to be there at 5:30 but work held you up today.

Luckily the dry cleaners is around the block from your apartment like most things. Before you know it your apartment entrance is in sight, You push the elevator button. It takes forever as usual, when it finally arrives you walk inside. Nanami lived on the same floor as you just opposite sides. You walk down the hall that connects your building’s searching for unit 12.

Your phone lights up, it’s a text from nanami ‘having trouble finding me?’ You laugh to yourself stopping to type back.

‘Closer than you think’ just as you press send the door in front of you swings open.

You jump with a fright, he sure had a way of scaring you. He’s standing there dressed completely different from how you were use to seeing him. He wore a green long sleeve top, Casual dark jeans , his eyes were covered by strange glasses.

“Come on in” he smirks.

You step over the threshold laying the jacket across his cream couch. His apartment was clean, not regular clean, everything was perfectly in its place. Despite all the lighter themes there wasn’t a spec of dirty anywhere in sight.

“I’m sorry I’m late work-“ you explain

“I understand, would you like a drink “ he disappears into the kitchen, returning with two wine glasses and a bottle of an unknown expensive looking champagne.

“Uh-uh yeah sure”

You sit on the couch crossing one leg over the other nervously. The space beside you dips as he sits next to you. You watch the muscles in his hands twitch as he pours your glass. You squirm in your seat, squeezing your legs tightly together.

‘Is he smirking’ you think to yourself watching him out the corner of your eye.

He hands you the drink before pouring his own. He watches curiously over the rim of his glass as he takes a sip, His stare sends a twitch through your clit.

“You like Austen as well?” He asks, you give a confused look.

He continues “ The book you were reading earlier” you realize he must have caught a glimpse at it earlier.

“Oh, Yes I do she is one of my favorites actually” you admit.

He reaches over tucking a fallen strand of hair behind your ear.

“I’m sorry im kind of a neat freak I hope I didn’t offend you-“ he doesn’t move his hand away.

“N-no it’s okay” your body is warm, the alcohol creeps up on you slowly. Before you can stop yourself you nuzzling closer into his palm, his thumb strokes your cheek. He slides his hand to the nape of your neck gently pulling you closer as he leans in.

“Is this okay?” He breathes parting his lips.

Your breathing becomes erratic as you glance down at his lips inches from your own.

“Y-yes...” he runs his tongue gently over your bottom lip before capturing them in a hungry kiss.

He briefly breaks away removing his glasses setting them on the coffee table. In one swift motion he grips your waist hoisting you onto his lap, you wrap your arms around his neck in surprise. You lean into him pushing him into the couch cushion his hand travels up your back to your neck pulling you to his waiting lips. “Mmm Uhn-“ He moans slipping his tongue between your lips.

You grind against him the clothing between you becoming an unwanted barrier. His skillful hands slide up your back release your bra clasp, he pulls away flustered and messy hair’d. You lift your arms as he slides your shirt and bra above your head tossing it into the far corner.

“Keep your arms above your head” He orders.

You obey holding your arms up, His tongue attacks your strained nipples. He sucks gently, Using his hand to tease the other, it’s too much to take and your arms drop.

“Arms up or I stop, Little one” you whimper raising your hands above your head.

He sucks your hard bud into his mouth giving it a soft nip sending lighting between your thighs.

“Ah Ah Please mmmnh-“ you plead for more. His hands travel up your skirt pushing your panties aside invading your soaking folds.

“Mmmm so wet already” he brings his fingers to his lips tasting your excitement.

“You’ve been dreaming of this haven’t you, watching me stroke my cock through your drapes at night “ he plunges two fingers inside your slippery hole. You gasp holding back a scream as he finger fucks you slowly.

“Take it out” he demands.

You waste no time unzipping his pants and freeing his pulsing member. You stroke his length admiring how big he is.

“Sit on it” he grips your waist positioning your entrance with his tip. He strokes your slit teasing you making you beg for more.

You grind against him pushing down desperate for him to fill you up. He lets out a feral growl slamming you down on his cock mercilessly.

“Fuck yeah take it, Ah you like the way I stretch your little pussy don’t you” he slaps your ass bouncing you up and down.

He rails into you at a feverish pace, your hips colliding relentlessly.

“ Look at me, Look me in my fucking eyes, show me that pretty face while I fuck you” he groans.

You look at him tears of pleasure staining your face as you get closer to your climax.

He grabs your hair crashing his lips to yours entangling your tongues.

“Ah Ah I’m gonna cum” you cry out, he Drills harder into you biting the soft skin of your neck.

“Cum for me princess, yeah just like that, good girl” he moans.

“Look at me, Look at me, show me how you cum baby, Ah fuck” it sent you over the edge your walls clench around him juices washing over his twitching cock. His eyes roll back as he messily pumps into you filling you with cum. You fall forward, he wraps his arms around you holding you together. You’re both sweat drenched and fucked out depending on each other’s bodies for support.

“You should have spilled coffee on me sooner” he states seriously.

You look at each other in silence before breaking into uncontrollable laughter.

“I agree” you say smiling like a idiot.

~the end💗 comment please tell me who you’d like to see next 🥵🥲

[certifiedskywalker]

Breaking Oaths and Following Orders - Din Djarin

thebounty said: Hey!! I was wondering if I could ask for a request for a Mandalorian x Jedi!reader? It’s inspired by this song (Jenny- Studio Killers) which is basically about friends turned into lovers.

AN: Ah, yes, the TikTok song...I hope I did your idea justice! (I cut the rest of your request out on this official post because I didn’t want to totally spoil what happens!)

You were familiar with the carbon stink of blaster bolts and the excited tension of battle. Limited stints in combat during the Clone Wars, when you were barely old enough to be a padawan, had introduced you to the harsh adrenaline and smells of war. A gunfight in some alley on some Outer Rim world was nothing compared to what you had seen. Though, now, you knew all of what was at stake; you loved all that was at stake.

“I don’t think they’re Jedi,” Din observed as he ducked down behind the thick stone wall you were using as cover. You shot the helmeted man an incredulous look.

“Really? What gave you that idea? The fact they’re not using laser swords or that they’re shooting at us?” Din didn’t respond to your sarcasm and instead popped up above the wall to let a few bolts fly. Based on the yelps of pain, they hit their marks.

“We need to get out of here,” he said once he ducked back down. You nodded and glanced at the Child, still tucked away in his cradle. His big eyes were glued to you, as they often were in the heat of battle. Expectant, waiting for you to make your, the, move.

“Yeah, we do,” you agreed, before you pressed the button on the Child’s cradle that closed the little creature within. The last thing you wanted was more pressure. 

“They have us pinned,” Din said and tipped his head back towards the wall behind you. “And there’s at least five,” the Mandalorian popped up from behind the wall again and nearly missed a blaster bolt to the head, “six up front.”

“Can’t you jet us out of here?”

Wordlessly, Din reached around to his back and rapped his gloved knuckles against the fuel tank of his jet pack. An empty, metallic clang echoed the knocking of his hand. No fuel. 

“Karabast,” you cursed as you turned your attention to the enemies firing luring shots at the relative safety of the wall. There were too many. A step beyond the stone would mean certain death. So did staying put. Direness set in, loomed like a storm cloud in your mind. You glanced back at Din and the Child’s cradle only to have a lump form in your throat. 

As if on cue, the cradle covers opened and revealed the watchful eyes of the Child. He was still focused on you. As you took a moment to study him in return, you neither heard a coo of worry nor did you see flinch of fear. He was calm, eerily so; as if he knew what you were thinking, what you knew you had to do. You moved your gaze to Din and watched as he let a few shots go towards your attackers. A stray blaster bolt from the enemy knocked against the beskar plate on his chest, right above his heart. Too close to where his armor ended and his clothing began. Too close for comfort. You couldn't lose him. 

Adrenaline, pure and vile rushed through you. Before you could move against your instincts, your hand reached out and pulled Din back down behind the stone wall. The dark visor of his helmet met your gaze. You could feel the question on his lips, despite having never seen them. You had spent enough time imagining them; how they looked and how they might feel against your own.

“Grab the kid and run on my word,” you said with a tone of seriousness to break yourself from your wonderings. “Got it?”

Din was still for a moment and you realized that your hand lingered on his arm. Warmth spread through your fingers, up your arm, and to your face. Quickly, you let go, and the Mandalorian seemed to have recovered. He nodded wordlessly and reached out towards the cradle. When the pod was tucked under his arm, you moved to face the stone wall you all were hidden behind. 

“What are you planning, Y/N?” 

Din’s tone was cold, laced with concern. After all the cycles you and the man had worked and lived together, you had noticed he only said your name when you were about to do something dangerous. You had wished he said it more, in different contexts, like one of affection. Though, you had reasoned long ago that Din’s concern was his affection. Like the Jedi, it seemed that Mandalorian of Din’s Creed forewent too-personal, entangling attachments. It was the first principle of the Code that you had wished you had broken long ago. In a sense, you had. The care you held, the love, for Din and the Child...you were a Jedi no longer.

But that didn’t mean you couldn’t pretend.

“You can ask me questions later.”

Before Din could attempt to stop you, you reached down to each of your hips and pulled the two metal, somewhat cylindrical pieces of your lightsaber from your belt. In a practiced motion, you latched the two segments together and pressed the ignite switch. As soon as the blade ignited, you focused your mind on the small, stone wall that sheltered you. Once you pictured it clear in your mind, you threw your hands up and pushed forward. When you opened your eyes, the stone wall hurtled towards your attackers and drove some down into the dirt. You glanced at Din.

“Now!”

At your word, Din rushed towards the now dwindling group of criminals that had been shooting at you. Due to the laser sword in your hands, most of their fire was focused on you. With an ease that surprised you, you twirled your saber in the air and deflected the shots. Most landed in the chests of those had taken aim, giving each a swift death. You gave an extra flourish to redirect a blaster bolt towards one of the attackers that was more interested in Din and cradle.

The man fell quickly and a surge of confidence rushed through you. You still had it, even after all this time of hiding! Only a few criminals remained and you drew closer and closer. As you moved, their aim grew more and more precise. One even dared to charge at you. With you busied dispatching him, another shot off his rifle. White-hot and searing hurt ripped through your lower leg, then your shoulder. A yelp of pain escaped your lips. Overcome by heated rage and long ago lessons forgotten, you tilted forward and struck him down.

Then there was silence. Only your haggard breath filled your ears. The pain in your leg and shoulder overwhelmed your senses. It had been a long time since you had taken a hit. An even longer time since you had used the weapon of your dead Master.

You fell to your knees, tried to focus on forcing your breathing steady. When you hit the ground, your thumb instinctively struck the power switch. With a hiss, the blade closed and you found enough strength to lift your gaze. Your eyes locked with Din’s darkened visor.

“Y/N.”

There was that concern again. It was the last thing you heard before you fell back, let your body rest against the dirt of the alleyway and splatters of blood.

You woke with a start. The wild beating of your heart propelled you, so you sat up straight in the sleeping nook. Your head nearly slammed against the ceiling. When you recognized the interior of the Razor Crest, you allowed yourself to catch your breath.

“Hey, hey, hey” Din appeared in the entrance of the sleeping nook with his hands raised towards you. He looked as if he were approaching a wounded animal. “You’re safe. You’re home.”

You nodded but your head did not clear. On your skin still clung the stink of the alley, the carbon of blaster fire, and, against your hand, you felt the cold hilt of the lightsaber. The moment your eyes landed on the weapon, you felt your breath get caught in your throat once more. Memories of the fight rushed back and your heart still thundered in your chest. You focused on Din’s helmet, studied his now straightened posture, and swallowed hard.

“The Child, is he-”

“He’s fine,” Din replied before the question could leave your lips. You shook your head.

“No, did he see...did he see me?”

“It was hard not to see you,” Din said softly.  

Tension filled the silence that trailed after his words. It was heavier than the pressure of battle. Din always had a way of making it difficult for you to breath. But this was like trying to wade through the muck of a full trash compactor. The air between you was thick, weighed down by everything you both wanted to say to the other.

You shifted in the sleeping nook in an effort to find a more comfortable position. As you moved, your shoulder knocked against the wall and you hissed in pain. Din lurched forwards and towards you. You felt heated skin against your arms and, when you looked down, you found that he had not donned his signature gloves.

“Here. I’ll help you step out.”

Din was careful as he eased you out of the sleeping nook while you tired not to be lost in tender touch of his bare hands against your skin. A wave of affection washed over you when you noted the bandages on your lower leg and shoulder. He had taken his gloves off to take care of you. You wished you could have been conscious to remember it.

“Thanks,” you said once you were on your feet.

Though, Din didn’t let go. Instead, he helped you over to the crates you both used as makeshift seats during meal time. Only when you were both sat down did his hands slip from your arms. The silence seemed to have followed you both over as it settles back between you. 

Your mind swirled with worry and doubt, every word you wanted to say. Betrayal was the word that came back most often. You had betrayed the year of trust you had built with Din by not telling him about your past. You had betrayed the Child by not using the Force to forge a deeper connection with him or hear his story. You had betrayed yourself, the oath you swore long ago to never use the teachings of the Jedi. The thought made your stomach twist.

“Is it yours?”

Din’s question broke you from your down spiral. You met the dark gaze of his visor and shook your head. “No. It’s my old Master’s. I lost mine in battle and took his when he…fell.”

“Master? So, you’re a Jedi?”

“No, I never finished the Tri-”

“You can’t do that.” You cocked your head at his interruption. “You can’t keep saying ‘no’ and then give a reason that implies ‘yes’. Are you or are you not a Jedi?”

You swallowed hard, the truth, as Din knew it, balanced on the tip of your tongue. “Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” There was an edge of anger in his voice but as heated as you had expected. “Why didn’t you tell me when we were sent to look for Jedi, for him?”

“Like I was saying, I didn’t finished my training or the Trials. I don’t know the mysteries the Council kept hidden or where any others are.” Din stood up at your reasoning and stared down at you. Even masked behind the helmet, you still felt the intensity of his eyes on you. 

“You should have told me.” He said, the heat a little higher in his voice. “Do you not trust me enough to keep you safe?”

Stoked by the flames of his voice, you stood from your seat. Din’s visor remained trained on you, waiting for your next move. There was only a step’s worth of space between you now and it was either the close proximity or the pain of your wounds that made your face flush. You weren’t entirely sure as to which but you did know your own truth.

“No, I trust you, Din, with my life,” his name left your lips without a thought. Between thoughts, you realized it was the first time you said his name aloud after learning on Nevarro; but you couldn’t stop now. “The Jedi’s way is old, just as old as the Mandalore, and we have our customs. Following orders is one of them and I was given an order to stay quiet, to stay hidden. I will not apologize for following that order, even if I am a Jedi no longer.”

All of the sudden, the fight and anger left you. You thought of your Master, how he would be disappointed in your outburst. Overwhelmed by the feeling, you sat back down on your crate while Din stayed standing. Heavy, you head fell into your hands. In the dark behind your eyelids, you found little solace or comfort.

Just as you were about to admit defeat and retire back to the sleeping nook, hands gripped your wrists. Gently, Din pulled your hands away from your face and, in response, you looked into his visor. For a moment, you swore that you could see his eyes shining beneath his helmet, his own order and oath manifested in beskar. Before you could ask what he was doing, his hands fell from your wrists and tucked up under the bottom of his helmet.

“Din,” you said, the same concern that swaddled your name in his voice now held his own. “Don’t do this, not like this.”

“I trust you, Y/N, with my life.” His words echoed your own only softer and you were too caught off guard by that tenderness to try to stop his hands as they pushed up. 

You saw the first slivers of tanned skin. Then a scruff covered chin and slope of his jawline. Lips were next on the tour of Din’s features; the very lips you had tried to imagine hundreds of times before. They were pinker than you thought, a little chapped too, but you still longed for them. Then the tip and bridge of his curved nose. A pair of dark brown eyes.

You held Din’s eyes with yours as he finished removing the helmet. He set it on the floor of the Razor Crest with a dull thud, his eyes never leaving yours. Strands of brown hair were set against his forehead, tantalizing enough for you to touch. You fought the urge so you could take in his features a little longer. Despite knowing, based on his voice, that Din was handsome, it was another thing to see it confirmed. 

Unable to hold back anymore, you reached a careful hand out. Din recoiled, flinched away from your reach and you pulled back. Just as you were about to apologize, Din recovered and lifted his own hand. Warm, he guided your hand with his until your fingertips brushed against his temple. When he let go of your wrist, you brushed the hair off from his forehead.

At your touch, Din sucked in a shakey, sharp breath. Scared for a moment that he wouldn’t exhale, you traced your hand down from his forehead to the side of his face. Once you had cupped his cheek, Din closed his eyes and let the breath go. His head tilted, leaned into your touch.

“We’re both oath breakers now, huh?”

Din’s eyes opened at your question. Dark and knowing, his eyes met yours before they flickered down to your lips. You trailed your hand along his jaw until you held his chin between two of your fingers. His breath hitched at the suggestive touch.

“Tell me to stop if you don’t want this,” you murmured, the pain of your wounds long forgotten. “Din?”

Wordlessly, from where he kneeled before, Din rushed up and towards you. Messily, his lips found yours and his hands gripped at your waist. Quickly, he pulled you against his chest where the cold kiss of beskar greeted your skin. Not that you minded. You were too caught up in Din’s lips against yours, how you had waited a year for this. You weren’t about to let that go.

Not for any order.

[thatfanficstuff]

Impossible - 17

Pairing: eric northman x reader

Warnings: nope

A/N: you get a gif today because I’m too lazy to make a header. 

***

The next evening, Eric took you and Sookie with him to meet with two of Godric’s underlings: Isabel Beaumont and Stan fucking Baker. Isabel was a sweetheart but Stan was an asshole of the first order and a huge pain in your father’s ass. You’d met him twice before but seriously doubted he even remembered. You were just another human after all. There was no reason for him to pay any mind to you whatsoever.

Sookie had styled her hair and wore a red dress with a bandana pattern on it. It was cute but it also screamed country. Eric had worn a black button up with black pants and his black leather jacket. In contrast, you wore white, the dress clasping around your neck which left the back open. Eric moved around the room, restless, his hand caressing your bare skin whenever he passed by.

He introduced the two of you to the other two vampires by name only. As you expected, Stan showed not even the vaguest recollection of having met you before. “You might have mentioned that Eric hired a couple of fucking humans, Isabel.” He rocked on his feet a bit as he scowled at you.

“Now, wait just a damn minute,” Sookie started and you placed a hand on her arm to stop her.

“You are human, Sookie. Pick something else to get pissed off about. I’m sure Stan here will give you plenty of options,” you told her. She was used to dealing with Eric and Bill. Stan would just as soon rip her head off as listen to her attitude. As for you, you were kind of hoping he’d try it with you. All you needed was an excuse.

Stan stepped forward and curled his lip as he snarled at you. In a blink, Eric had him pinned against the wall with a hand on his chest. “That one’s my mate. Treat her with anything but the utmost respect again and we will have an issue.”

He released Stan and flashed back to your side. The Texan straightened his suitcoat. “You might have introduced her that way, Northman.”

“I might’ve, but I didn’t. Deal with it.”

“Can we get back on topic?” Isabel asked.

“Are you certain it is the Fellowship of the Sun that took Godric?” Eric looked more than a little annoyed at the prospect.

Stan said, “Yes” at the same time Isabel said, “No.”

The male rolled his eyes. “They are the only ones with the organization and manpower to have pulled this off.”

“But they’re amateurs,” Isabel argued. “This is Godric we’re talking about.”

You frowned. “Do you know for sure that he was taken by anyone? It seems like you’re just guessing.”

“He wouldn’t just leave. He has responsibilities here. Besides, we can find no trace of him,” Isabel reasoned.

“Sookie and I can investigate at the church. It should be fairly easy to determine if he’s there or not,” you said. Eric shifted beside you.

“And just how do you propose to do that?” Isabel asked, her accent more pronounced in her irritation.

You laid a hand on Sookie’s arm to keep her quiet. “It’s what we’re here for.” Which really didn’t answer her question at all, but you didn’t care. There was a leak here and you weren’t giving them any more information than necessary.

“It’s not necessary. We just go in and take them out in one mass attack. Show them who’s in charge.”

“Hmm, vampire hating church gets wiped out. I wonder who did it? The Authority would skin your ass,” you told him. “On second thought, that could be entertaining. Go ahead.”

“Alskling,” Eric said, a warning in his tone.

Stan’s gaze narrowed and darted between you and your mate. He really wanted to say something but wisely feared the Viking beside you. As he should. Instead, he settled for, “Have we met before?”

You hummed in amusement but didn’t answer. Let him figure it out.

Stan widened his stance and crossed his arms. “We all know the Great Revelation was the biggest mistake we ever made. It would be a shame to let this opportunity pass.”

Wow. Your dad was going to have a field day with this one.

“Don’t use Godric to make your own little power play,” Isabel snapped at her counterpart.

Eric stiffened beside you. “You are both completely incompetent. What has happened to Godric that he surrounds himself with fools?”

“We invited you here as a courtesy. You have no authority here,” Isabel told him.

“Yeah, why don’t you just run on home to Louisiana and take your puppets with you?” Stan drawled.

Your hand gripped Eric’s to keep him from launching himself at the other vampire for calling you a puppet. “We need a plan,” you said, trying to get everyone back on topic.

“I have a plan.” Of course, fucking Stan.

“It’s not a plan, it’s a movie,” Isabel argued and you wondered how many times they’d had a version of this argument since Godric disappeared. He wouldn’t have stood for it if he were here.

Your gaze shifted back to Stan as he said, “It’s not a movie, it’s a war.” So fucking dramatic. Did he think there were cameras filming him or something? Imbecile.

“Idiots,” Eric growled out echoing your thoughts. He pulled you from the room, Sookie trailing behind.

As soon as the three of you were outside, he released you hand so he could pace. Sookie leaned toward you. “Is he okay?”

You hummed and gave her a nod. “He’s just pissed. Give him a minute.” You pulled out your phone while you waited for him to cool off and sent your dad a text. Stan Baker is going to be a problem.

The response was almost immediate. Dallas, right?

Considering the amount of vampires he’s encountered over the years, you’d always been impressed at his ability to remember names, faces and locations. Yes.

Do I need to send someone?

You smirked, knowing what he was really asking. Not necessary. I’m already here. Just tell me I’m cleared and I’ll take care of it when we’ve finished our business here. Eric might beat me to it. Stan called me a puppet.

You have full authority. Either of you. Your usual fee applies. And y/n?

Yes?

I’m sorry.

I know. Your fight wouldn’t truly be resolved until you talked in person but it was a start. You put your phone away just as Eric returned to the two of you. “Feel better?” you asked before pressing a kiss to his cheek.

He didn’t respond so you took that as a no. He grasped your hand in his and you grabbed Sookie’s. The three of you walked back inside only to hear Isabel and Stan still arguing over whether or not they should just wipe out the church. Eric growled before picking up a vase and launching it at the wall. It shattered catching their attention.

“Godric has protected you and made you rich and you stand here arguing like a couple of children. No wonder he has not been found.”

“Are you aware you have a leak?” you asked, giving them something else to focus on.

“Impossible,” they said in unison.

“We were intercepted at the airport. They were told to take the humans traveling with me,” Eric explained.

“And from what I’ve gathered, Isabel’s the only one that knew we were coming.” You tilted your head as you studied the shock on the female vampire’s face. It seemed genuine.

Before you could question her further, Eric had her hanging in the air by her throat. “You would endanger my mate?”

“I didn’t. I swear,” she choked out as she clawed at his wrist. Stan just stood by with a smirk on his face.

“Put her down, Eric. We need to ask her some questions,” you said softly.

He huffed and released her so she dropped to the floor. “Ask.”

“Who did you tell we were coming?” Your voice was just as quiet as it had been for Eric.

When she shook her head, you held up a hand to stop her.

“Not an enemy. Someone you trusted, Isabel. Who did you tell?”

You saw the moment the name came to her. She was devastated. “He wouldn’t.”

“Who?” Stan snapped.

When she took too long to answer, Eric asked again. “Hugo,” she said softly.

“Your human.” Stan’s lip curled in that sneer he seemed to have perfected.

Eric stopped him before he could go after the man in question. “You will lock him up and await Godric’s judgment. No harm will come to him.”

“You have no authority here, Sherriff.”

The only thing that kept you from killing him now was the fact he may know more than he was letting on about Godric’s disappearance and you’d have to interrogate him later. “Actually, he does. The threat to his mate supersedes Hugo’s act of betrayal against you.”

Stan turned his scowl on you. “Who are you?”

“Who me? I’m just a puppet.”

[allzelemonz]

Challenge: Reisi Munakata X Male Reader

Not gonna lie- had to look up what Tsundere is. Not sure I got it down, but I tried. Not proof read; have fun.

Working for the Blue King was something you wanted to do until you started doing it. You had never been one to be open to friendship or banter, so clans like HOMRA weren’t your style. You didn’t think you have to deal with that sort of annoyance at Scepter 4. Reisi Munakata seemed to prove you wrong.

Being in charge of the special clan war task unit was something you took pride in. But every time you accomplished something the King wouldn’t give you a promotion of something that mattered, he’d just make some dumb quip and send you on your way.

Now here he was interrupting your sword practice in what was supposed to be a private training room.

“Can I help you, Captain?” You asked through gritted teeth, white knuckles gripping your sword hilt tightly.

“Don’t mind me, (Y/l/n), I’m just watching.”

You ignored him and went back to slashing at the practice dummies only for his voice to chime in with a correction of your stance.

“You think you can do better, come on then, Captain!”

You moved to a starting stance and held your blade towards him, begging him to let you beat his ass.

“You’re challenging a King?”

“I don’t really give a shit right now. I’m challenging an asshole.”

“Very well”

Your King drew his sword with a smirk and waited for you to make the first move. You shouldn’t have taken the bait, but you did. You charged at him and made a slash but he blocked you easily and kicked you back. He stood smugly waiting for you to try again. These sort of attacks went on for a few minutes until you were out of breath and the Captain was bored.

You made a final attempt only for Reisi to grab you wrist and make you drop your sword. He spun you around and placed you against the wall with his sword against your throat. You stared into his eyes with a fury that had yet to die down since the fight began.

He lowered his sword and dropped it to the ground. You had only a moment to process the action before his hand wrapped around your throat in place of the blade. He took his time to press lightly on your windpipe before he brought his lips to your ear.

“Do you always act that stupid?”

You struggled against him, trying to break free, but he had you pinned against the wall rather sucurley.

“You were acting like one of those HOMRA thugs.” You felt his other hand find the buttons to your shirt and begin to undo them. “You should know better as a blue clansman.”

“What’re you gonna do about it, Captain?” You spoke lightly as his hand still squeezed lightly at your throat.

The Blue King didn’t reply for a moment. Your rhetorical question was very obviously answered when you felt his hand slip under your shirt as he began to kiss your neck. You took a sharp breath at his cold fingers running over your stomach and up to your chest to play with your nipple. He chuckled at the reaction and tightened his grip on your throat for a moment and he left deep marks on your skin.

“Reisi…” You gasped at the sensation of his hardness pressed against you.

He released your throat and removed your uniform shirt and jacket as quickly as he could. When they were shed he pushed back into the wall and captured your lips in a hungry kiss. He worked to take his layer off as you struggled with the fastening on your pants.

When the King parted from you all clothing was gone. This brought a smirk to his face as he brought you back into the kiss and tugged hard at your hair. Your hands ran over his chest as your mind took its sweet time to process the pleasure ringing through you.

Munakata’s hand worked around your hard member and gave a squeeze. You cried out and were met with that stupid smug look on his face.

“There are other clansmen using the training rooms, you wouldn’t want to disturb them.”

“Just get on with it, asshole.” You pointed out.

He took your order in stride and turned you around. He pushed you flat against the wall and pressed himself up against you, grinding his cock against your ass. He went back to his prior task of leaving dark and lasting marks on your skin. They’d be just high enough to peek out from your uniform’s shirt.

You tried to hurry him along by grinding back into him, but his focus was entirely on your upper half at the moment. You gasped at the feeling of his hand slowly stroking your cock, but bit your lip to keep quiet. That didn’t stop Reisi from reflexively thrusting between your thighs at the sound.

“Egar?” He whispered to you.

“Please…” You replied in just as quiet of a voice.

“Please, what?”

“Captain, please, just come on.” You gritted your teeth at the forced begging.

Munakata focused his attention down to your entrance and lined himself up. He entered you slowly. You bit down on your lip to hold in a cry. He slid himself inside fully and waited a moment, opting to pump his hand along your hardness while he let you adjust. After only a moment he began to match his thrusting with the jerks he gave you. You could barely hold in your cries when he pulled out and turned you around.

He entered again, not waiting this time. He lifted you up and brought your legs around him to get a better angle.

“You didn’t think I’d miss seeing your face in a moment like this?”

You could only reply with a look, if you opened your mouth a very loud and unholy sound would escape. He pushed into further and pulled at your hair to rest your head near his shoulder. When he hit your sweet spot you bit down onto his shoulder, causing him to moan. It was deep and guttural, almost primal. It made your cock twitch in anticipation. Reisi noticed and moved his hand from your hair to your member and resumed his earlier action, pumping you in time with his thrusts.

You felt the feeling build inside and before you could give warning or anything your cum spurted out onto Munakata’s chest. He came just after and he thrusted through his high. He slowed his thrusting as he came back down and held you there for a moment. You had wrapped your arms around his neck and didn’t dare move. It was comforting, having him like this.

“Meet me in my office when you are done with your paperwork.” He ordered sternly, still unmoving.

“Yes, sir.” You complied, wondering what he had in store.