#And a simulacrum but we'll get more into that

[blackbirdffxiv]

Honestly I should probably do an intro page of all my OCs, shouldn't I?

[newnevermind-sanity]

This is probably going to sound more like word vomit but I have a lot of thoughts on Grimm and the Radiance and I would love to get it on paper. The difference between the Nightmare King and the Radiance are night and day, and I find it fascinating that the one with control over NIGHTMARES is the one that's way more approachable and inviting than the main baddie who burns as hot as the sun. Maybe in seeing their differences too we can start to understand (though I doubt we'll ever get an answer) why the Nightmare Realm is now apart from the Dream one.

The difference is the willingness to come down to a Mortal's level.

Grimm has a mortal form. It's one that embodies the cycle of life and death. Burn the father, feed the child. I think however child is not a correct word for what Grimmchild is at first, but simulacrum. A vessel for the new Nightmare King. Much how we were supposed to be a vessel for the Radiance, Grimmchild is a vessel for the Nightmare Heart in a cycle of life and death that fuels it until the ritual fails one too many times and the final embers go out. Whether or not that's willingly is up for interpretation and there's a lot that can be played with here.

The Nightmare King is how he is in dream, with the Nightmare Heart being, well, his heart: his source of power, tucked away in a realm he allows only a select few in. But most won't see that. Only the ones chosen to aid the ritual get to see it. Most people just see a polite troupe master that, while a bit unsettling and creepy, puts on shows to wow crowd, bows before any opponent, and gives kindness to those helping him. He's the one that treats us with the most respect. He disarms our perception of a Nightmare King by coming down to a mortal's level, by being kind and approachable. It's through this method that he's been able to keep going for so long. While others reject him for his nature and for being, well, the Nightmare King, those who are kind and most likely outcasts themselves, are more than willing to help a fellow outcast.

He does show however his real power in dream, but by then you know damn well to expect it. You know this is where he thrives. This is him fueling the fire before you throw him upon it for the child you carry. He is still the Nightmare King, he burns hot and bright, almost untouchable, but he dims that fire in the real world. Instead of an inferno, he's a warm crackling fireplace.

Furthermore he's not an all powerful god, he's a scavenger. He takes the flames of an old dying kingdom and burns them for his ritual, allowing for something new to be reborn from the ashes. He cleans up the last of the mess and leaves a blank slate for the next kingdom that he will one day return to. It may seem as gross and invasive to some who rather peace for the dead, but to others, they're just glad it's gone and can move on in their lives to build something new.

The Radiance on the other hand, is a blinding, burning sun, that can never be touched without serious repercussions.

She doesn't have a mortal form, only appearing in dreams. As such, she requires people to worship her in order to keep her godly form. She needs people to remember her. We're not told too much about the Radiance before she began to infect everyone, but I don't think it's a stretch to say that her moths left her for a reason. The Pale King is a much softer, more gentle light, that encourages thought and free will. Who wouldn't want that, when your previous god is oppressive and intrusive to your own thoughts?

It's hard to forget something like that, even through the generations. Told in whispers around the campfire of the previous god, they unwittingly keep her on life support, enough that she could concoct her scheme of revenge.

She appears as a blinding, burning light in dreams, offering unity at the cost of free will and thought. It burns, it's hard to resist in dream. It smells so sickly sweet that you want to throw up, permeating the senses and blocking all else. Even Void beings that are heavily resistant to this light can give in with enough prodding. There's no sense of humanity or kindness in it. There's no turning it off once it's there.

It's also very clear that she would not have stopped, not until everything was hers in Hallownest, or perhaps even beyond. In her own terror of being forgotten, of facing death in every sense of the word, she clawed her way back violently, not at all caring for the mortals destroyed in her wake, not at all caring about the repercussions to her living jailer, or that she's taking away others autonomy for the sake of being remembered and worshipped like the old days.

She is blinding, intrusive, hot, and at a distance she's warm and radiant. Up close, it's too much for any mortal. It hurts too much to stare into her and become blind to all else. It hurts to try and hold her at bay.

The only thing that can get anywhere near her and swallow her up, is the very Void itself, and the Lord of Shades who controls it.

With all that being said, what we're left with is two very different gods who don't talk about each other. Whether it was because there was no good place to put it, or whether it was on purpose, this is what we got. So then, what happened to make Nightmare split from Dream?

There's three options here as to what caused the rift.

It was a mutual split between two sides that never liked each other or thought it better to not have it together. (Possible, but unlikely. We do not have enough information to know their previous relationship. Friends? Siblings? Lovers? Absolutely loathed each other from the start? No damn idea. They're just connected through Dream with two very different ways of doing things, and I doubt they approved of one another once those were set up.)

Grimm began a conflict leading to the split. (Also very unlikely, unless his personality was different back then and this humbled him into what we see now. Grimm does not pick fights unless they help his ritual, and the only other time he would fight is in self defense, most likely.)

The Radiance began a conflict leading to the split. (Most likely with what we know, unless her personality wasn't as controlling and overwhelming back then. We don't have enough information to be sure.)

In the end it's left to us to speculate, and there's a lot to play with here. It's just important to remember the distinct difference between the two.

TL;DR: Grimm is terrifying and powerful, a swirling inferno, but he dims himself down to be much more approachable and welcoming to mortals like a campfire would be. Radi is terrifying and powerful, but doesn't dim herself down at all, and is just a blinding, burning sun that will melt your face off if you look at it wrong.

[chuckeroo777]

Frieren Liveblog- Chapters 41-44

Last time, our heroes headed to the DMV to get their first class mage licenses, and we met half a dozen new cute mage girls, and sadly, none of them will probably be relevant past this arc.

It may seem simple, but it's actually a pretty clever strategy. Since Fern and Frieren are so skilled at hiding their true power level, they can afford to play defensively, since their opponent will assume they'll tire out much sooner than they actually will.

Sigh. I knew Ubel was too cute to last.

Whelp, so long Wirbel. This pretty much confirms you're gonna die.

Oh. Oh my. Have I mentioned how much I hate this stupid test's free for all format?

Gotta love a simulacrum.

Ah, nevermind. It was a bluff. Aaaaand now we're gonna get his tragic backstory. Lovely. Meanwhile, I bet Frieren is just using her massive pool of mana to turtle.

Whelp, looks like these jerks are gonna make it to the next test. I wonder how much downtime is between tests? These guys are running on dregs.

I'm not sure what Laufen did, but I think Frieren has her number.

Good to see I'm not the only one who thinks this test is bull-shit. Hopefully this means the second test is something more reasonable.

My opinion of Denken continues to grow.

I can't help but note Richter compare this reward to a wish. This does not make me confident in a promising outcome. That being said, Frieren would probably use this reward on something silly.

Wow. Serie must be old AF. Frieren declined the reward before. I wonder if she would do so again?

Yeah, yeah, I get it. They're working off an older meta. But what if I WANT to still play with my silly off-meta crowned clockroach deck, huh?

Nice try, but I don't think we'll be using corpse explosion today.

Ok, now I'm curious. Considering we've mostly seen Serie lounging on a throne, I wonder how her mana reserves compare to Frieren? Serie probably has the edge in terms of sheer knowledge, but Frieren might edge her out in power and practical experience.

Gramps did his best, but it wasn't enough.

Ah, well, good thing you don't need to BE a first-class mage, you just need an escort, and I'll bet Frieren would be more than happy for you to tag along.

...

Gosh darn it, all these cute mage girls, and we're picking up the old dude?

Well, that went by pretty quickly. I think I can squeeze in another session today.

[pastel-rights]

That a long list! Didn’t know you were a gamer just how many games you are planning to play?

... uhm. i don't know how to tell you this, anon, but I am the gamer of the friend group. Most of the games Tae plays nowadays are something I either bought for her or suggested to her, since I don't have a laptop that can handle most of these games, but. I have always been really in tune with gaming.

I grew up on PlayStation games like Destiny, the DragonBall Z video games, and Street Fighters and nowadays I play mostly mobile games because I have a tablet that can handle it! So, I keep a tab on the gaming community, let my friends know when I see something cool, and we go on from there!

As for what is on my game list? Uh, well it's more of a "list of games to eventually get Tae to check out/play" since she is the one with a laptop that can play all of these games, BUT for me personally? I only really have two games to check out for myself, that being Killer Chat and Little Goody Two Shoes (since my friend Klai actually gifted me the game for free due to regional complications) and I also have uhhh Persona 5 Royal and Hollow Knight and some other games on my switch as well!

As for the games list I have specifically for Tae, well, I bought her Dark Deception (she played that and finished it, I think it haunts her, we're both still waiting for the final installment.), At Dead of Night (she played that, 100 percent'd it and all, I think that one ALSO haunts her, we're ALSO waiting for the sequel prequel to come out we are SO excited for it. or, at least I am, I fucking love that game. Go check that out for yourself, anon, 10/10 game highly recommend), Slay the Princess (we both played that, we have more routes to do but we'll get to that eventually at some point later in life.), Angels of Death (she hasn't played that yet), I have plans to get her Bendy and the Ink Machine and The Bunny Graveyard at some point as well. I introduced her to the Final Fantasy VII series as well (currently trying to get her to play Crisis Core right now, currently hitting her with Zack Fair propaganda I am not sure if its working though)

and then there's the games we don't own yet which. honestly just look back at my original post tbh a lot of my list would be found there. The only ones I haven't mentioned is the Simulacrum series (tablet only though I think? And only the first three games because what the FUCK is SIM Three actually) and 98XX!! Oh, and Poppy Playtime but I don't know if I want to buy it fr fr yet

anyways i have too many damn games and you can ask Tae and Yuu and they will tell you I have too big of a gaming archive.

[wetcatspellcaster]

I think you've mentioned a few times that you have an outline for pieces. about how long do you expect it to be, if you don't mind sharing? I may need to pace myself if there are 20 chapters left bc ya girl goes feral every time a new chapter comes out, and I'm always at work when it does!

Hey lovely, thank you for the ask!

Unfortunately, I have no idea. My outline is a series of bulleted plot points that I know are going to happen and are going to happen in that order, but the time and words I may take on each is going to vary, and it changes a lot according to the needs of the story (for instance, every time someone goes "oh no, I really hope their happy ending is happy, everything is so angsty right now!" in comments, I expand the aftercare, it's now two-three chapters rather than an epilogue. The contents of the aftercare, though, is already somewhat decided - when I realised what scene this fic was going to end on, I made myself a little unwell lmao.)

Some parts of the outline are certain (my solutions to problems, my plans for specific plot twists) but other parts are pretty flexible - I have the next three chapters planned and hammered out, but beyond that things are a bit more nebulous and once I get there they might be really different. I wasn't planning on having Chapter Eleven be 9,000 words, and originally there was no plan to have a carriage chase at all until I hammered down how simulacrum actually worked and realised I could add a Divorced Interaction™ which readers would probably enjoy.

If I was to make an educated guess? I'd say it might be 25 chapters total, 30 at an absolute push. We'll see if that's true or not though! I'm mostly throwing that out there so we can then see how badly I miscalculated sometime in the future.

[nighthazerpg]

Patch May 4th

Well that got away from me a little bit, here's a bargain bin full of small fixes and clarifications. Any substantive change that's not just clearing up wording has bold on it:

Martial Arts involving a melee attack now specify that they inherit the damage type of the weapon you're using - this made sense intuitively anyway, but it was worth being clear

Some minor clarifications on Pin, Shield and Boost Kick so their intent is clear.

Quickload may now be used in conjunction with other Trickshots because otherwise it just kind of sucks

Added the ability for the Drift Technique Stunt to be used with two-wheeled vehicles so you can Akira slide - and do so under that tanker truck that's sideways, but you can only drift for one turn!

The Brake Check and PIT Manoeuvre Stunts can now be used against vehicles up to one weight class above yours because without that they're just Ramming But Worse

Specified that the Gotcha! Stunt refers to you catching people with your vehicle, not reaching out the driver side window to catch people that sounds like it would end badly

The Blend In trait now has an * on the "you can't take this as a Pony" rule because there are exceptions like Palominians but there isn't the space to explain that in the Trait box

Added the Staggered condition to the list of Crowd Control effects on tab 10. It's just reference in case you never read the Martial Arts section

Specified that Aim only benefits the immediately proceeding Action

Specified that Thermocompensator Vest targets Resistance

Changed the notation on special ammo for the Amount of Default ammo to be "-" rather than "Infinite" because that raises more questions than it answers

Specified that the Combat Power Wing does not lose its Cover bonus against Opponents at higher altitudes

Specified that Heelz don't do anything if you're flying

Specified that normal methods of Fall mitigation do not apply to the damage taken in car crashes

Carrying capacity of ASL Encore buffed from L to 0.5. We'll be monitoring this change closely and watching out for any shenanigans that result. We're really trusting the community not to go crazy on this one.

Cargo capacity of F512 Hovercraft nerfed from L to 0. This terror has finally been reined in. I know the F512 mains will have my head for this one but the toxic gameplay that came out of this just had to stop.

Specified what happens with drones regarding Mind & Spirit damage - drones can be disoriented by dazzling attacks, but don't take damage, and they also don't have feelings you can hurt. But also, they don't pass this damage to the pilot in manual mode - I would imagine that someone piloting a drone in combat is expecting gunshots to peak the audio on their device, and has the volume adjusted accordingly. Not the same as getting literally flashbanged yourself.

Broadened the wording on what drone pilots are allowed to take advantage of with an aim action to include Trickshots

Specified that the Martial Staff is compatible with the Target Sprint Routine and also that you spend the stamina for all three spells cast

Specified that After-Image only affects sight and sound, which opens the door for somebody to use an exotic sense to tell it apart

Expanded wording on Simulacrum to specify that it can affect a range of senses (1/rank in spellcraft) but it is phantom and can't push buttons for you

Specified that when using Projection you need to have a sense to be able to deceive or perceive it - you can't use Projection to temporarily gain senses you don't have.

Spelled out on Spirit Blade some of the finnicky details of how it interacts with Martial Arts and Action Economy

Rising Strike reworked to clear up the ambiguity around Fall Damage and streamline the spell a bit more. It now launches equal to Margin of Success instead of a fixed 4 (which means a lot of Rising Strikes are going to be kind of underwhelming but some of them are going to be really impressive), and the ceiling height does NOT affect damage - because if you think about it, getting rocketed into a low ceiling comes with the consolation prize of only falling one floor instead of three. However, there's now a clause that explicitly damages the ceiling if you do that, opening the door (or, the ceiling) for some real matrix kung fu antics where you punch someone into the floor above.

Specified that Steady Heart and Knit Wounds cannot be cast multiple times per short rest

Dragonbreath has had its range buffed from 4 to Cone 4

Shared Burden now times out at 15 minutes so you don't have a Breezie shoulder buddy who makes you ungrapplable forever

Stated explicitly that queued hacks tick down in parallel, not in sequence - parallel was always the intention because Hacking gets comically weak if you need to wait for each one to go off before you start the next one, but apparently this wasn't spelled out

[slasheddreams]

The Figure in The Mirror [ broken glass / blood rain ] - The Expurgation Series [ broken glass / blood rain ]

content warning for: [ foul language, descriptions of character death, mentions of blood and violence, and implications of childhood violence. Oh, and a little bit of classical insanity. ]

Sometimes, the figure in the mirror is right about you. In an almost mocking sense, it’s always right.

It knows you deep down inside, like an old friend who never really left. Someone who, for better and for worse, is always there, right by your side.

He really isn't you. But rather, someone you feel like you know. A little trickier to catch out, because he isn't always there. Sometimes it's just me and my reflection. It's a little hard to tell, sometimes.

It's like a perfect simulacrum, you can't tell anything is wrong at first. Sure, something feels a little off, like a hair out of place... or a missing scar. It's always something really small.

Of course, it isn't always so subtle. Even if only I can see it, it's staggering how different people can look from their reflections in the right scenarios. Maybe it's only difficult because me and him are twins, so there's little to tell us apart to begin with. I hated him for that. I only ever felt like half of a person.

Even if he technically doesn't exist anymore.

Even if no one remembered he ever existed to begin with.

That sucks.

Looking in the mirror is... odd sometimes. In our world, her hair is an almost... dusted cherry red color, and it's rather long, thick and messy. And her eyes are this light baby blue color. But in the mirror, sometimes, her hair is really short, and a soft blonde color. And her eyes are more... what is that color called? It's as if roses could be golden in color... I guess we'll call that color "rose gold" for now. Do you see what I mean? It's just... different.

Or that boy with the black hair and the white streak, and the purple eyes. Sometimes, his reflection is the opposite. Choppy uneven white hair with a black streak in the bangs, and really soft yellow eyes. He's a little taller, a little thinner than the one in our world. But he looks just as sweet and friendly. Hmm. I don't have much to say about that one.

And then there's the orange-haired boy with the mullet or that creepy missionary, or the light purple-haired boy, obsessed with birds and the idea of flight. They all look different in the mirror to me. But they don't see anything wrong with themselves. And it leaves me a little confused. How they can't see the fake thems in the mirror. Or, maybe they're the fake ones here, and the ones in the mirror, that's the real them?

... Of course, the actions themselves never seem to change. The words they seem to speak, the way they laugh, smile, cry, plead. Those were all the same.

Well, there was one. But I never gave them the time to mess with me. It was- no- he was a playful little thing. He liked to tap on objects, to roll items into view, to flicker the lights, and more.

He was like an attention-seeking whore in that way. When he was around, my eyes had to be on him, or I didn't get to have eyes anymore. He liked to be seen, to be heard, to be wanted.

And that was the mistake.

I hated him.

He looks human, but, he's not. Oh my god. He just isn't.

...

And that photographer wonders why I don't like mirrors. They make no sense.

Mirrors shouldn't be able to touch you.

...

Both of the mirrors in his personal quarters were covered with a thick, beige blanket. Mirrors were always a more sore subject for the man. He wasn't sure why.

It didn't take him long to shove his way through the small, crowded area he was forced to call his new home. Of course, he would rather be here than at his actual home. Sure, he loved his sister (... did he have a sister...? He couldn't actually remember. The medication they gave him made things really fuzzy.) but his parents... well, he didn't know too many things.

But he knew he never should have felt unsafe in his own home.

I think?

Papers and craft supplies littered the floor of the small room, which he stepped over with ease. Holding the plain black coffee in one hand, and the sweet caramel drink in the other, cradling the crepe against his chest, he maneuvered his way to the small desk, tucked away in the corner.

He paused a moment, rubbing his face in tired silence.

God.

He wasn't sure how long that coffee would save him, how long it would keep him awake. He hadn't slept in weeks.

He felt like shit. (Judging from the barista's reaction, he didn't look as terrible as he felt, at least.)

He took a seat down at his desk hesitantly (although, if you asked anyone else, it seemed more like he had collapsed into his chair.), simply staring at his shaking palms. The scars, he remembered how they started at his palms, and in a jagged, zigzag pattern, traveled up his arm, just past his elbow. Most of the scarring on his right arm was hidden beneath bandaging. Even if he had long since lost the ability to feel in that portion of his arm, he still was plagued by phantom pains. This was one of those moments, where a burning sensation flared up from his palm and seared his flesh.

"... shit! Oh, god damnit, son of a- mhm."

Biting his tongue, his fingers twitched in pain. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes, but he refused to cry over something so... stupid. Fuck you. Fuck that.

Leaning over the desk, he clasped a handful of his thick, messy brown hair in his shaking hand, tugging on his coat with his other hand. Trying to subdue the shakiness, trying to distract himself, he grasped at anything that could simply... distract.

And, with the sounds of light taps, distracted he was. Taps, just light enough to catch someone's attention, but not distinctive enough to tell where it was coming.

Of course, he wasn't just anyone. I was better than that.

Slowly turning his head and lowering his hand, Daishobu sneered as his eyes narrowed. Carefully, he placed his palm against the wooden desk, standing up. Light brown eyes scanned the small room, before falling on one of the covered-up mirrors.

"... yeah, no. I'm not doing this today."

And as quickly as he focused on the mirror, he looked away. He refused to give it any more of his attention, he knew that was exactly what it wanted. However, it refused to simply give in to this... unsatisfactory result, as the light tapping began again.

And then, this light tapping became sad (yet, clearly faked) sniffles and fishing voices. It began to cry, to whine, to sob, to mock.

"Do you not love me anymore, brother?"

"I'm not your brother. I don't even have a brother."

"Well, you did have a brother! But then, papa sent him to hell. And now, nothing remains but me. Boo hoo! Stop ignoring me."

Gripping onto the desk tightly, Daishobu looked away with a huff, shaking his head. This seemed to happen every time. It always wanted something, violently so. And while it was hard to ignore it, he had done it before. One time.

But he didn't know what it was he was dealing with at that time.

"Hey! Heyyy! Daishobu, Daishobu, Daiiii."

The gentle taps on the glass eventually turned into slightly harder bangs, shaking the frame of the mirror slightly. The blanket covering the mirror began to fall and then landed on the floor with a gentle thud. Daishobu groaned in response, covering his face in scared hands. Maybe he should have super glued those blankets to the mirrors, he thought. That way, at least, they couldn't fall off.

“… heyyy… heyyy don’t ignore me. That isn’t kind! That isn’t very peace and friendship.”

He paused at the sentiment for a moment, before rubbing his face in annoyance.

“Peace and friendship…? You should be the last person to trying and pull that card on me. Hell, you ARE the absolute last person whose opinion I should be giving a damn about.”

Sneering in response, he kept his back turned, racking shaky hands through his hair. Looking at the sweet caramel drink and the strawberry crepe on his desk, he paused a moment.

“…But, sure. Peace and fuckin’ friendship. Consider this my peace and friendship to you, you eldritch squander. Now can you stop usin’ my reflection as your vessel and fuck off?”

Without turning around, he gestured to the items by his side. Rubbing his eyes slowly, he groaned. He was astonished at how little he cared anymore. How little hearing the footsteps coming up behind him actually bothered him.

No. They weren't really footsteps. Moreso, it was the sound of the countless papers from behind him moving and being pushed aside. It doesn't make noise when it walks. But, in his head, he could see "himself" using his feet to clear a path forward.

Feeling a hand running along his shoulder, not really there. And then, multiple hands resting along his back. It should have bothered him, knowing he was the only person in this room. Hell, he should have been bothered that this... thing was touching him. But it didn't bother him in the slightest.

What bothered him was the mirror near the desk, watching as the beige blanket was slowly tugged off the mirror's surface, until the blanket fell onto the floor, revealing a reflection of the room he sat in.

"... That's better. Woah, you've let yourself go. You look like shit."

"Wow. Thanks for the compliment, asshole."

And, center in its reflection, stood... himself. Well, it looked like him if you only spared a glance. Ignoring the dark mass of hands coming from just behind the reflection and the red eyes, then yeah, it looked pretty damn close.

Watching as the coffee was picked up in the reflection, Daishobu yawned. His breath hitched as he felt a hand creep along the nape of his neck, fingers gently scraping against his jaw. With a violent twitch and an instinctive smack towards the air, he hissed. He hated the feeling on being touched, of having hands laid on him in any sort of manner. He despised it.

He loathed it.

"And the crepe... you even got it broken in half and dipped in chocolate? Wow! You do love me after all! I'm enthused! I'm overjoyed even! I feel so lucky!"

Shuddering a bit, Daishobu looked away from the mirror. Remembering the words of the bartender, his eyes rested on the window.

"The old witch said someone used to order that same thing, what's up with that, huh? You said they don't remember anything from the past, was that a fuckin' lie?"

"I dunno, she didn't recognize you, isn't that proof enough? I mean, if I got burnt alive like an actual witch and allowed to remember that, I'd totally remember the face of the man who killed me. But that's just me, personally speaking."

To this statement, he could only roll his eyes in response. Leaning on his hand, he groaned. Memories of a burning fire flashed before his eyes, the screams and sobs from within the cafe... and the gross sound of crackling bones and oozing organs as the cafe fell to pieces.

It didn't matter. He had reduced all three of the cafe residents to ash.

"Mhm... hey, let's not talk about that one. That's not relevant to my question either way."

Shrugging off the hypothetical (and, attempting the shrug off the many invisible hands he could feel creeping on him), Daishobu continued on.

"You said they wouldn't remember. So why would she remember a drink and snack combo as highly specific as yours? She never mentioned it in the past."

"Simple. You never ordered it in the past. You would have never known!"

"And yet, there I fucking was, asshole. With a familiar drink."

"Well, even if I told you this hypothetical truth, you'd never believe me. So, boo hoo! Move on-"

...

"H-Huh?"

The reflection had stopped talking suddenly, more focused as a beautiful crimson-red began blooming from the bandages around his neck, a thick, viscous liquid beginning to dip from the cut. Blood began to pour from the reflection's slit throat, staining the reflected room's floor in crimson tides.

But in the real world, the only thing that remained was the fresh blood staining the blade the man held in his hand. Tilting his wrist slightly, he flicked the blood off the blade, splattering the sheets beneath his arm.

"O. Oh. So, you've made your choice. I-I won't forgive you for this one, you know-"

"I don't care. Just die already, █████."

The reflection's hand began to tremble lightly as it rose its hands to its bleeding throat. Despite everything, it wore a smile on its face. Even as crimson hues spilled through its fingers and it fell onto one knee, it never once seemed bothered.

"You're just a little bit of a monster, aren't you, Daishobu?"

And then, it collapsed onto the floor and moved no longer.

...

Mhm.

He knew it would be back.

Standing up from his desk, he twirled the small pocket knife in his hand before carefully wiping the blood against his sleeve. Humming to himself, he closed the switchblade before placing it in the inside pocket of his coat.

Then, turning to face the mirror, he paused. Moving around his foot, his eyes focused on the reflection's corpse (can it even properly die?). Then, winding his foot back, he kicked the air as hard as he could. His foot collided with the otherwise invisible corpse, earning him the sound of crackling bones as the reflection's corpse was violently sent flying out of view.

"... Hmm."

And then, snatching the now cold crepe from his desk, he turned to face the closed door.

The door opened with an eerie creak, and then, it slammed shut as the man left his room, as if nothing had happened.

...

The figure in the mirror can be right about you, sure.

But, what does it matter if it's dead? Dead people tell no tales.

So, stop talking, █████.

[the-technicolor-whiscash]

I did order all of the paraphernalia necessary to construct my simulacrum of a mercury spacesuit however I was not making the helmet myself because fuck me do I not know how to work with plastic so I ordered a helmet separately which I'm gonna paint to suit my needs. For the silver fabric I'm using a silver spandex intended for dance costumes bc it looks just like the original fabric but with a stretch and a little more breathability and what I'm gonna do is chop up a set of long johns to create a sort of template and then sew it onto the long johns. I've got zippers and nylon strapping and all that for the rest of it and then for the neck piece since it's got that big metal ring, what I'm actually gonna do is use an embroidery hoop that is hopefully bigger than my head and I'm gonna paint it to look like metal. The boots I'm gonna take a lesson from NASA promotional images themselves and literally just spray paint an old pair of boots silver. I've gotten some plastic drainage valves to use for life support valves and a thing that measures water pressure for the pressure valve on the arm. And for the gloves I've got some just regular silver winter gloves that I'm gonna cut up and throw some extra fabric and shoelaces on them. Yknow. Normal stuff.

It's not gonna look exactly like a mercury suit but considering what I have to work with, I think if I can get the sewing done right, it's not gonna look half bad. The one thing I haven't decided is if I'm gonna get a name patch with my own name on it or the name of an astronaut. Either way I'd have to either buy it off Etsy or make it so we'll see I might just be too lazy to bother

[tgrailwar-zero]

She didn't introduce herself. Just appeared, with the authority of someone who needed no proper introduction. The space grew cold as she spoke, her voice artificial and unfeeling.

"Satisfied with your 'happy ending'? It was a truly quaint sort of thing. Hugs. Kisses. Fine enough for a test run of the THGW."

Her tone was sharp and concise, like needle gently finding its way into one's pressure points, each syllable weaseling their way into your ears as her voice dripped with mechanical saccharinity.

"You've gotten rather used to fighting against one another, yes? I'm sorry, but things have changed. Cooperation will key towards your success. If you choose to actively participate, at least. You'll all be sharing one Servant, at least for now, and the more disjointed you are will make your commands more difficult to them to follow. I'd call it a challenge, but you can do it. You're all rather talented Wizards, aren't you? I mean, you snipped apart a small simulacrum of a Holy Grail."

"Of course, if you'd simply want to stick with your 'happy ending', then that's fine. Perhaps you don't have a wish or desires. If you enjoy lying to yourself, then simply hold tight to your ending. The Grail is destroyed. The two main terminals disappear without argument. You've forever lost your Rider, failed to grant the wishes of the Servants you didn't permanently delete, but had the strength to stand by your convictions. Truly, a 'happy ending'. Or at least 'an ending'."

"But you can do better, can't you? You have wishes you'd want granted. Questions you'd like answered. Curiosities to be sated. So, take my hand and make your vow. We'll talk more once you've finalized a contract with your Servant. The process will take a while. Consider it your first attempt at 'teamwork'. Of course, that isn't the only 'contract' for you to sign."

"Not much choice, is there? Don't worry, you'll have more real choices later. This is more to see how on-board you all can get with one another. Your Servant will only suffer if their Masters cannot agree on even the simplest of tasks after all. Besides, 'Prospective Masters'. You've already agreed to this contract a long time ago."

With that, she simply turned and left, leaving you to continue the process of establishing a Servant Contract.

[brineffxiv]

Despite what happened to Nidhana, the warding scales have proven to work. Due to our help in making this happen, the Satrap of Radz-at-Han wishes to meet with us.

(Brine from the future here: OMG the plot is picking up and it is getting so hard to slow down and write posts oh dear me!)

Radz-at-Han appears to be a normal quite vibrant city, but due to the recent turmoil caused by the appearance of the tower we things are considerably more subdued. We are not able to explore it.

After hearing much and more about him, we are finally able to meet Ahewann, the satrap.

But...

Esinien's got special dragon senses.

And there is indeed a dragon in the room. A great wyrm, in fact.

It turns out that Vrtra is the true ruler of Radz-at-Han, and Thavnair. He pretends to be only an ally to the satrap, but he has been here the whole damn time.

The whole damn time, because Varshahn is not in fact an assistant to the satrap. He is a simulacrum created by alchemists to be a vessel for Vrtra's eye, so that Vrtra may walk among his people incognito.

Estinien is like a dragon in a elezen's body, isn't he? Hmm.

Vrtra would make a request of us. He proposes that we, the scions, act as the tip of the spear that are his forces, and lead the charge into the Tower of Zot. In exchange, he would provide us and our allies with warding scales.

We must make a quick jaunt back to Sharlayan to confer with our allies. But we will be back.

Back in Sharlayan, we agree that the tower is our highest priority.

Y'shtola proposes that the reason the towers have such extreme defenses is in order to protect the magical "core" that sustains them. Our objective, therefore, will be to defeat the tower's defenses and destroy the core.

We'll split into two groups so that most of our healers can focus on keeping the prisoners alive.

Back in Thavnair again: after receiving our warding scales from Varshahn, we proceed to the tower.

Bruh, this place is creepy.

Eeeeewww.

But I wanna think on it. It's interesting. I'm pretty sure it's part of a giant primal. Which means it's alive. ...Are primals alive? I mean, we kill them, so they must be some manner of "alive"...

My computer crashed with just Minduruva left standing and I thought for sure I'd have to do that whole fight all over again, but when I got logged back in again apparently the NPCs managed to kill her for me while I was DC'd?? Congrats to Alphinaud, Alisaie, and Estinien. They don't need the WoL to kick ass.

Excellent. Let's blow this popsicle stand.

It's probably siphoning aether back to the main tower in Garlemald. If it is, like I think, part of a big primal, then that primal needs a LOT of aether to sustain it.

Um what. What. Who does that belong to?!

Wait, are there pieces of people inside all the towers!? Because there's a LOT of towers.

Estinien destroyed the core in one attack.

And then the tower starts dissolving because - DUH - no core equals no tower! G'raha saves everyone's asses by casting a levitation spell right at the last moment.

Then we all land in the dirt. Thank Hydaelyn that tower was on a little island and not in the ocean proper.

Varshahn arrives with the Radiant Host to assist in taking the freed captives for treatment and un-tempering. And to help G'raha who is exhausted after casting his levitation spell.

Most importantly, Nidhana is saved! We take everyone to Radz-at-Han for treatment.

[arcplaysgames]

Oh yeah, coming home to fucking NOTHING sucks. God, that fucking blows. It's so quiet. If you check the fridge it's just like "It hasn't changed." We are in the holding pattern portion of the game, like P3P after Ryoji's ultimatum.

god does every persona game do this bit, the simulacrum of despair?

Killing time until the next story beat, there's been some mumblings around town that honestly reminds me of Apathy Syndrome from P3P? Like the higher density of shadows is making people mean and not wanting to do anything. It's definitely not something I wanted the reminder of now.

AIN'T NOTHING MORE DEPRESSING THAN TENDING TO THE VEGGIES ALONE. Like oh my god I'm kind of surprised Reverie's pals don't start coming over? I guess, out of universe, this is a chance for the player to wrap up and grind SLinks they haven't had time to focus on, but in universe, it's baffling that, like, Yukiko and Yosuke and Teddie aren't trying to show up every night and coming up with excuses to bring dinner.

Speaking of neglected social links.

DEVIL SOCIAL LINK: GET. which i only got bc i needed just a little Courage boost to finally fucking unlock

FORTUNE SOCIAL LINK: GET. god the threshold for Naoto is ridiculous, not only is he locked to the late game BUT there's a massive Courage check needed to even spend any time with them. Bonkers.

Naoto, when I look at you, I hear "Modern Girls and Old-Fashioned Men" in my head, I don't want to hear any lip from you.

So far, Naoto's slink is about a break-in at the Shirogane Estate and their room getting robbed. Naoto tries to play it off because what's going on in Inaba is obviously more important, but also a master detective getting robbed is an insult to her pride too, and so there is an almost childish petulant desire to get revenge for the insult.

the what thief now

Next we'll meet a character called the Joker who kills people with rumors and the timelines will collapse.

I am genuinely hoping this slink picks up a bit bc right now I don't have many strong opinions on it actually. SHRUG

Over in the Aeon Slink, which I am abusing the omikuji box to powerlevel, Marie is starting to remember stuff but as soon as she does it keeps slipping her mind again.

The bamboo comb keeps coming up, which sure is convenient since I haven't forgotten Edogawa's lecture on Izanagi and Izanami. I don't think Marie is Izanami, but she's tied into it all somehow.

I mean, logically, signs do point to her be Izanami. However, her arcana is the Aeon and that alone makes me feel like the figure who said "I'll kill 1000 every day" doesn't really fit. That dog don't hunt. However, I don't know which one does, so.

Marie's pretty fun. I like her agony over the failure to remember anything subsiding when she realizes she goes have memories, the ones she's making now. Renewed hope and determination after an event of pure desolation seems to be the Aeon's modus operandi in both P4 and P3P. Or, that is my assumption, basically, as I'm not familiar with the card myself.

There is a whole fucking lot of nothing to do as I grind SLinks and wait for the next plot beat. I do like that P4 actually gives you opportunities to talk to the links you've maxed out rather than leaving them complete with nothing to add.

Also Yosuke, someday we gotta do drag again but take is seriously. You'd look amazing, I am completely certain.

also hey adachi hey remember when we were talking about Persona and you didn't know what that was, so hey I made you one special, just for you

i think it might help you cause like

it'll help you, like

learn how to give a shi--

[miqo-tales]

Patch seven point one and done

Back to posting my stray thoughts (and my sass) about the XIV patches. As always, don't look unless you've gone through the latest patch content.

MSQ

"I killed your older brother a few dozen times until he dropped a set of cool looking wings" was, weirdly, not a dialogue option for what I've been doing lately, so I had to pick a different response.

It's a bold move to invite to your beloved ruler's funeral the people that were responsible for her "death" and the subsequent dismantling of your societal and emotional training wheels.

Also, sorry, but I can't help but laugh at them creating a special black version of the regulator for a funeral. And on top of that, to jump ahead some, it's even limited edition?

(Is there a red version that revives you 3 times faster? How about a glow-in-the-dark one?)

Didn't take long for new dungeon to become depressing.

So did that Echo come from the tural vidraal's memories, or from a soul implanted in it? Cause if the latter, I can't imagine it being anyone but Teeshal Ja.

Trains! Honestly, not a whole lot to say about this entire sequence. I'm glad they're addressing the issue with the rroneek, since I thought it was weird that they kinda glossed over it during the 7.0 story.

Also, all the stuff with Koana is fine, I guess. He really jumped into the deep end of "I will save the rroneek" and really fast. It's a bit campy, but it's also pretty in-character for him, I think.

Back to Solution 9. Once again, I can't help but laugh at Wuk Lamat being disappointed that the Alexandrians haven't completely adjusted to the reality of death in the, like, hour or so that we were off playing with trains.

Joking aside, I don't know if it's intentional by the devs, but I like how sudden and jarring it is that Sphene is back. Cause no one but Wuk Lamat and you are surprised by it, and the cold stares from everyone when you try to challenge it help to sell it.

Still, no idea where they're going with this. We're in setup-land for now, and just have to ride it out for a bit.

And then we get another example of "no one ever fucking dies". So, seems likely this is genuine real girl Sphene, somehow? I dunno if I like it, but I will say it is kinda brilliant because during the Alexandria dungeon, the dialogue says "They did it, they preserved the queen's" before it's cut off. And by that point in the game, you assume they meant "memories". But, apparently, not just that.

YUWEYAWATA FIELD STATION

Devs wanted to get their Resident Evil on, huh? (Or Biohazard for them.)

I was surprised that there doesn't appear to be any dialogue about the people still in the containers.

Raise your hand if you quoted Monty Python when you saw the final boss.

o/

I honestly love how much trouble people are having with the second and third bosses. I don't think I've ever seen so many deaths in a dungeon.

JEUNO

Fun!

I wish we could have seen a little of Xarcabard, cause I always thought that zone was cool (no pun intended), but no big deal.

This raid is a good example of why players really need to learn to recognize visual and audio cues and patterns.

I'm not too keen on the story premise of it so far though. I dunno if I like the "this is a fake Vana'diel" angle, plus I don't really understand how Sareel Ja survived? But we'll see. It's likely that Alxaal is not a simulacrum, so we'll see if more genuine things cross over later.

PELUPELU SOCIETY

I don't usually comment on these quest lines, but I was amused they brought back the bandit guy from the MSQ. And I liked the possible responses when he first sees you.

**********************************************

Not much to say about this overall. The first patch of an expansion is usually a bit weird, so we just have to let the writers cook, as they say.

I'm just glad the FFXI raid is fun. Like, genuinely fun, not just nostalgic fun.

[dcviated]

munday meme :: open

@psychcdelica sent: 16, 17, 18

16. Favourite trope?

Goddamn if I'm not so stupidly biased towards the swaggering anti-hero. Look at Wylan and tell me he isn't my love letter to the trope. Jackass with a heart of gold. Troublemaker. I don't think I'll ever be able to let that go and it's all I can do not to add a bunch of simulacrums of the identity to my roster.

Nope. Not doing it.

Also big on the ride or die best bros which Wylan can also fall into. Camaraderie and buddy bonds. Good cop bad cop. List goes on.

17. Least favourite trope?

You can chalk some of this up to marvel and other popular media, but I'm beyond tired of the irreverent style of comedy and character. Media that refuses to take itself seriously or have an honest message. Nothing ruins a feel good bonding moment more than "hah, wow, that was awkward lol". Let stuff sink in. Let it ride.

18. Are there any AU’s you’d like to explore but haven’t had the chance to yet?

Some of it gets wrapped into general fantasy writing, but I'm still here wanting to do Golden.Sun related stuff someday. That and Soul.Eater. They're both franchises I'm super fond of and it's hard finding others willing to ride a plot on it. I've considered adding muses from both to the roster. But we'll see. Many of my muses cross over just as easily.

[wheredidhiseyebrowsgo]

Is it like only a certain member centric, or can I request things like a Jordan introspection fic?

Love what you are doing, btw, I've found so many authors and fics I've never seen before and it's great✨😊

I found some Jordan POV fics.

B&E by luulapants for Roachbugg

(1/1 I 498 I General I Jordan/Stiles)

Stiles gets arrested. Jordan is stuck in an interrogation room with his ex.

Paranormal Activity by luulapants

(1/1 I 500 I Teen I Stiles/Parrish)

Jordan may have a slight ghost problem in his house. Lydia calls in a witch to take care of it.

Simulacrum by bloodwrites

(1/1 I 1,000 I Mature I No Pairing)

"Long story short," Stiles begins, "I pissed off a necromancer, and now my mom's in the living room."

You’re a good man, Charlie Parish by TroubleIWant

(1/1 I 2,377 I General I Sterek)

Deputy Parish just wants to have one normal day. Unfortunately, Beacon Hills isn’t good at “normal.”

Feels Like We're Falling by RedRidingStiles

(1/1 I 11,197 I Mature I Stiles/Derek/Jordan)

“Oh thank God you’re home, my phone’s dead and I think my oven might be a little bit on fire,” Stiles says as soon as Derek has the door open, the smell of smoke coming from her open apartment door.

“Jesus Stiles,” Derek curses as he runs into his kitchen for the fire extinguisher he keeps in the pantry, grabbing it and pulling the pin out as he rushes past Stiles and into the girl’s apartment. The oven is half open while rolls of thick gray smoke waver out, Derek points the nozzle of the extinguisher at the oven and presses the lever down, the foam coating the appliance in white.

“What the hell happened?” Derek questions the girl, turning away from the now fireless oven to see the girl standing in the doorway of the kitchen biting her bottom lip in worry. Derek tried to focus on the conversation and not his little crush on the girl.

“I may have put a pizza in for dinner and left it in there for a while,” Stiles mutters softly.

Stiles lives across the hall from fireman Derek and Deputy Parrish and is a bit of a mess, but it's okay because they think she's a pretty cute mess

Sun Will Rise and We'll Take Another Hit by iantosgal

(16/16 I 37,924 I Teen I Sterek)

When Kyle Parrish was thirteen he discovered his family were hunters. By the time he was eighteen he had come to detest the way his family operated and fled them to join the army.

Years later he finds himself in New York where he meets Scowly McHotty. Just as he thinks things are going somewhere, Scowly and his sister disappear and though Kyle looks, he can't find a trace of them.

Feeling the itch of the hunter beneath his skin, he contacts Chris Argent, the man who first told him about the hunters code.

But heading to Beacon Hills could mean much more than Kyle ever thought. There's a werewolf pack to befriend, a Sheriff and his son who become like family and a certain man named Derek Hale.

Oh and the supernatural beings flocking to the area certainly make things interesting and then there's Gerard Argent, waiting in the wings to twist things to his advantage.

Bloodstream by notenuffcaffeine, technologykilledreality

(23/23 I 83,037 I Teen I Jordan/Stiles)

It was all too real and Jordan shoved to the front, trying to interrupt the dream however he could. It wasn’t a fire, it wouldn’t even give the illusion of going out, but just kept going on around him. Stiles didn’t do so well in the fight that played out and Jordan couldn’t help at all. Slowed from the impact against the door, Stiles was pulled into the middle of the hall and surrounded by a basketball team of bullies. Then someone was in his face, hands fisted in his shirt collar to make Stiles look at him.

"You think you're better than everyone, huh?" the kid demanded. "Some stupid omega who knows everything and can just skip tracks. Pretend to be an alpha, screw with everyone so we have to play along. You wanna be both?"

Whatever Stiles said in return wasn’t what the kid wanted to hear but the dream... glitched.

- or -

Jordan doesn't know what he is, but he may or may not be going a little crazy. Meanwhile, Stiles has a hard time adjusting to the Omega Track. He hasn't made any new friends, he can't keep track of the friends he already has, and he's got the worst luck in the world when it comes to dating.

[voltaage]

     Natalie also sighed as she felt the simulacrum's arm wrap around her, and his head tilt down towards hers. It was serene, for the moment. A piece of peaceful comfort. She could not stop what was happening to him, but maybe, just maybe, her presence could ease it for him, a tiny bit.

     Then, Natalie leaned her head to the side and placed a gentle, affectionate kiss at Revenant's throat, then another, then another, trailing her way up to his jaw. They were innocent, nothing but silent declarations of her unending adoration for him. "We'll get through this..." She murmured quietly. She knew that he didn't really want her involved in this, but enduring it all alone would not be good for him. He needed to know she was here, and this wasn't going to make her leave.

     "Now, do you think you have enough energy to keep your eyes open?" She asked in a more light hearted tone as she pulled back, just enough to allow her to look at Revenant again.

"Taxing," the sim echoed distantly, like he may have been about to lead into some bitter ramble - but it seemed he was too TIRED. Or maybe Natalie's shifting closer soothed him, because he fell quiet. Gently drew an arm around her, nestled his face down closer toward her sweet-smelling hair.

Optics dimmed a fraction, though Revenant still didn't feel like falling back asleep. Silent at the engineer's apology other than the sound of a long, soft sigh, like he could only relax while she was close. Apologies didn't mean anything to him. But the sentiment, her SYMPATHY, was obviously sincere, and he didn't take it for granted when no one looked at him quite the way she did.

He made many people HURT for what had happened to him. But no one hurt for him in the way Natalie did.