#Elysian Flaw

[justafriendlystranger]

Dark prince and the Loyal piece aesthetics~

(Ace x Salem)

"I know what you want girl, let me be the one to-"

"hold your hands forever. We'd be good together~"

"I'll make you feel special~ help you feel less stressful."

"Fix the holes in your heart, that's what I wanted from the start~"

"I got mental issues, always fucking miss you-"

"Tons of bloody tissues, all over my room. I need to clean them up"

"Baby I'm fucked up."

"Baby will you help me? because I'm gonna help you!"

~~~

I am head over heels for these couple, and this au has me on a chokehold- I JUST LOVE THEM SOOO MUCH!!!! >A< <,3333333 anyway,,,, MORE OF THEM!!!!! QwQ <,333333

~~~

Ace belongs to @aesopsbaby !

Salem Whitlock belongs to @boiling-potato !

[boiling-potato]

Since I can't post this animatic here I'll just post the frames ಠ⁠ᴥ⁠ಠ

This animatic had been marinating on my inbox for a month now. I can't post it since it lags and glitches *inhales* (⁠눈⁠‸⁠눈⁠)

*sighs* you can watch this animatic with the audio on my Pinterest here

Anyway!! Ace! I'm still concerned!

---

Ace (the blushing guy) belongs to @aesopsbaby !

[aesopsbaby]

Hehe I guess it's true when they say love is blind!

Doodle because the idea of having Ace and Star meeting popped in my mind and I just had to draw it before I forget

Star belongs to @startheimpactfangirl !

Salem and Chaoxiang belongs to @boiling-potato !

[crowleys-bentley-and-plants]

The Puppeteer

Would you still hold me, the way that you do

If you knew the desperate, deadly truth?

Would you still make me your perfect demise?

Would you still take me, live in my lies?

Would you still whisper sweet nothings to me,

If you saw the scars that I hide silently?

Would you still cherish the fragments of me,

A mosaic mirror of what used to be?

An Elysian pyre that you built from my bones

All garbled, deformed, a puppet you own

Made to be burned till nothing remains

But a hollow husk covered in chains

A marionette tangled in its own crippled strings

Dancing to tunes of your imaginings

A true masterpiece, the best of your art

Yet missing the beat of its own tender heart

But perhaps you prefer this distorted reflection,

A canvas of flaws, your cherished affection

A tragic illusion, what more do you seek

Than a broken soul that you can keep?

I’m choked by your love, your lethal embrace

A noose tightening around my grace

So am I destined to forever be,

A reflection of what you wish to see?

-

i had to alter this poem a bit to make it about good omens so i could post it but know that there is a version of this poem that is even worse than this one

Reblogs and comments are always appreciated💙

read also on ao3:

bonjourr @crowleys-hips @bearthewhipsandscornsoftime @fearandhatred @ghostsparrow @eybefioro @seven-stars-in-his-palm @ficreader500 @foolishlovers @sabotage-on-mercury @crowleys-curl @crowleybrekkers @notagoodlad @lickthecowhappy @goodoldfashionednightingale @spookyllamatree @wanderer-main @ineffabildaddy @wibbly-wobbly-blog @marika-misc @captainblou @weasleywrinkles @chaoticgayomens @amagnificentobsession @thebookshoparoundthecorner @quintessentiallychemical

let me know if you want to be added or removed

[aequitas-if]

Genres: Superhero Fiction, Action, Mystery, Romance

Rating : 16+ for depictions of violence, drug use, mature themes and language.

[[DEMO]] [[RO Character Profiles]] [[Other Characters Profiles]] [[Timeline]] [[Pinterest]]

Aequitas. There was a time when it was a household name (...or there was six years ago). There was no way the team could have avoided attracting attention. A group of heroes, let alone a group of teenage heroes, was always going to attract the world's attention.

Whether it was stopping crimes, combating villains, or protecting civilians, heroics added a sense of completion that other things could not.

It is inevitable that all good things in life come to an end, including the group that once protected Metanoia.

Although the name has lost its renown, a part of you still feels a slight sense of pride whenever the name of the ragtag group of young heroes is uttered. On some level, you assume that's to be expected.

After all, you used to lead it.

• Play as a former(?) vigilante that is suddenly thrown back into the world of heroics. Once the (superpowerless) leader of an unstoppable group of heroes, you are now job-hopping in order to stay afloat.

• Train a new group of (unskilled) new young (far too young) heroes (not at all against your will)!

• Customize your MC’s current personality (their past personality is a different story…) and appearance!

• Reunite with your former teammates and look back on what exactly led to your team disbanding (and try not to repeat your past mistakes).

• Form bonds with new friends and rebuild bonds with old ones.

• Reminiscence on your past and remind yourself what led you down the path of heroics in the first place.

• Romance your former (friends) teammates

• Defeat the villains and save the world (again). Obviously.

The (Original) Team [ROs]

Alexandria “Alex” Andeno [She/Her]

Alias: Elysian

The former co-leader of Aequitas, Alexandria Andeno is a force to be reckoned with. With her tactical mind as well as her unbeatable strength and stamina, Alex acts as the perfect warrior as well as the perfect protector to both civilians and her fellow heroes.

With her diplomatic and compassionate disposition she easily fell into the role of the team “big sister” and it was a title she wore with pride. She is someone that had always given great advice so it is unsurprising that she went on to become a therapist. However, there seems to be shadows of discontentedness hiding in different aspects of both her personal life and career.

Napoleon Jasper “Jasp” Walker [He/Him]

Alias: Momentum

Your (former?) best friend. Loudmouthed and snarky, Jasper’s mouth runs almost as fast as him (a remarkable feat truly). Due to his (self-given) role as the goofball (moron) and prankster of the team, Jasper was not only a thorn in your side but also everybody elses.

Despite his rashness, Jasper is incredibly skilled and intelligent- a fact that is made abundantly clear from the awards hanging on his childhood bedroom wall as well as his job as a scientist at one of the most technologically advanced labs in the world. However despite his flaws you can always count on him to have your back (or that’s how it used to be).

Zhiuxzoe “Zoe” Smith [She/Her]

Alias: Onism

An alien from another planet, Zoe is truly an interesting being to be around. Despite her overly naive attitude, her bubbly and kind disposition make it truly difficult to be mad at her.

The most (openly) upset about the team disbanding, she is the only one who has went out of their way to keep in contact with all of the former members. Her overly inquistive and curious nature led her to journalism which she does exceptional job in despite it putting her in a position where her out of this world nature being revealed is at risk.

Rowan Parker [He/Him]

Alias: Kalon

Rowan Parker is the human embodiment of a forest fire- intense, pretty from a distance, and will 100% burn you if you get too close.

The former “bad boy” of Aequitas and currently a mechanic, his hot-headed demeanor is what led to him being the first to leave the team and was the main factor in his (initially one-sided) rivalry with you. Rowan is the only other (former) member of Aequitas that still fights crime, of course now and days he’s leaning more towards “anti-hero” then hero…

Vesper ??? [They/Them]

Alias: Lacuna

The kid that (forced) got you back in the game. An individual made up of all knowing smiles and snarky remarks, Vesper is an enigma that nobody can truly solve. They usually put up a hyperactive and occassionally “ditzy” attitude…although sometimes if you look close enough you can see something else lurking in the depths of their eyes.

Leonardo “Leon” Cabello [He/Him]

Alias: Curio

Compassionate yet uncertain, Leon is quite clearly the newest to the heroics business (of course that might be because of the ancient artifact forcing him into it…). With managing both schoolwork and heroics as well as being the only one on the team with any common sense, Leon has his work cut out for him.

Juniper “Juni” Kent [She/Her]

Alias: Apricity

Loud, hyperactive, and a bit obnoxious, Juniper Kent is about everything you would expect a teenage superhero to be. You’re more likely to find her playing on her phone then patrolling the city but behind her somewhat childish and excitable personality lies a truly kind and selfless indvidual that wants to help others.

Lenora “Nora” Croce [She/Her]

Alias: Moira

Painfully timid and incredibly kind, Nora is one of the most selfless people you will ever meet which is saying a lot considering she is in a group of other heroes. She would give you the clothes on her back and more if she needed to. Just make sure not to get on her bad side…

Sebastian Barrere [He/Him]

Alias: Calamity

The human version of the anti-christ, Sebastian Barrere is bratty, uptight, and just a little bit petty. Wanting nothing more than to prove himself both to the world and his mother, Sebastian focuses all his time on getting stronger. However there might be something kinder lurking beneath the surface of his prickly attitude.

[camelspit]

Note! Definition of a sexywoman:

According to the sexywomanpedia, a sexywoman is "a character who shows the 'lanky suitman villain' tropes, is popular with wlw, and/or is highly divisive." Some factors to consider are morality (or lack thereof), overall mysteriousness, and strength (physical or abilitywise.)

Propaganda:

Queen Hylda: None

Lady Song: None

Queen Nubiti: None

Elysian: None

Councillor Oralie: None

Vika Heks: None

Silveny:

"milf. projected horse sex into sophie’s head. probably killed a man. cockblocked sophie. her only flaw is liking keefe." @arson-anarchy-death

Lady Gisela: None

Want to submit propaganda? Do so here and it will be added in the 2nd round!

[cecebookworm07]

To solve the issue of the recent revival of the seemingly never ending Keefe V.S. Fitz discourse, let’s discuss who’s fault both there intentionally written flaws are.

Shannon Messenger The original council and the butterfly affect.

Let’s say Fallon Vacker is never on the original council and is just some old elf; there is no Vacker legacy (good or bad), the Vackers status is likely only above average, and Fitz never has anything beyond basic expectations to live up to.

Similarly, if the original council was never corrupt its (likely) that the Neverseen would never have been formed. Elysian and Stellarlune wouldn’t exist. Heck, there’s reason too believe Keefe himself would never even exist because his mom would probably never have the desire to make The Lodestar Initiative.

Which brings me to my final point. Fitz wouldn’t be the same person, and Keefe wouldn’t even exist. Fitz wouldn’t be a slightly arrogant and anger filled Vacker, and Keefe wouldn’t be an avoidant pushy unwilling “chosen one”.

So maybe the real answer is there flaws just make them human— wait no— elves— WAIT NO— well written book characters that the fandom can’t accept are well written book characters.

[abigailnussbaum]

I put off watching it for a while because I was pretty sure I was going to have this reaction. But now that I've bitten the bullet, I'm sorry: the Strange New Worlds musical episode is bad. It's bad as a Star Trek story, it's bad as part of the Strange New Worlds story, and it's bad as a musical.

To start with, I think it's time to admit that the musical episode concept is pretty depleted. "Once More, With Feeling" was more than twenty years ago, and what was once fresh and shocking now feels almost rote. Very few shows really manage to earn it, because they don't have to - the musical episode of a non-musical show is an established trope, which means the very thing that made it so groundbreaking is now gone.

But it's specifically a bad fit for Star Trek, not because it can't justify the concept - there's honestly no daylight between Buffy's "a demon who makes people sing and dance" and SNW's "subspace anomaly pulls us into a universe where people habitually break into song" - but because that kind of fourth-wall-breaking, genre-aware storytelling doesn't belong in Star Trek (or, at the very least, it belongs in something a lot more heightened like Lower Decks).

Star Trek isn't knowing. It isn't genre-savvy. Star Trek is earnest. And it takes its world seriously and treats it like something coherent in its own right, not something you can poke holes in and peek into our own universe from. When it comes down to it, the core flaw of all NuTrek shows is that they're often less concerned with being Star Trek, the story, and more interested in being about Star Trek, the franchise.

Strange New Worlds is an odd duck in this respect, because there are parts of it that so clearly understand Star Trek, the story, and are so clearly interested in expanding it, that I can't help but fall in love. Episodes like "Spock Amok", "A Quality of Mercy", and "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" do such a great job of slotting into the existing story while making it their own (though I could wish the show was better at telling original stories). I'm especially wowed by how they're handling Kirk, who is such a smart, non-sensational take on the character while still having all the recognizable flaws and quirks of the original.

But it's also a show that thinks breaking the fourth wall is the height of sophistication, that is more than willing to comment on its storyness in a way that runs completely counter to its Star Trek-ness. You see this in episodes like "The Elysian Kingdom", "Those Old Scientists", and now "Subspace Rhapsody". And if the first two of those at least had a Star Trek link - "Elysian Kingdom" is essentially a holodeck episode (even if it isn't as good as any of them), and "Those Old Scientists" is obviously all about Star Trek (even if, like so many media franchises these days, it collapses living in the Star Trek universe into being a Star Trek fan). But "Subspace Rhapsody" is just a gimmick, fundamentally no different from similar episodes on Lucifer or Grey's Anatomy or The Flash.

And worst of all, it's a bad musical. One effect of the fact that this trope has become so familiar is that it has created an sideline for talented songwriters who can knock out an episode like this without putting much personality or style into it, just hitting the required beats. There's got to be a power ballad. There's got to be a comedy song. There's got to be a kicky saloon number and a big finale. "Subspace Rhapsody" feels like the nadir of that cottage industry's output. The songs are all generic. The lyrics are forgettable while you're listening to them. There's no unified theme or style, because the point isn't to be a musical. It's to convey a general sense of musical-ness. Beyond the novelty value of a Star Trek musical - which, as noted, is pretty degraded in 2023 - there's nothing here of artistic merit, much less something that feels uniquely like a Star Trek musical.

(Case in point: the Klingons. Having them do boy band music is a joke that's funny for the audience, probably means nothing to the characters, and most importantly, does not make sense within Star Trek. Of course Klingons would sing - they would sing opera.)

As if to add insult to injury, the biggest character development in the episode - which is also driven by the only memorable song - feels baffling, and ends up shortchanging a relationship that the show has been trying to get us to invest in for more than ten episodes. Spock and Chapel got together at the end of episode 6, had a crisis in episode 8, and are now, in episode 9, breaking up for another, unrelated reason. Seems like a better use of everyone's time might have been to let these characters and their relationship develop organically, rather than informing us, through song, that Chapel has suddenly decided to prioritize her career (by, um, leaving Enterprise for so short a period that most couples wouldn't even consider it a major relationship challenge). Are we meant to understand that something deeper was wrong, and that the internship has brought it to light? If so, why haven't we seen it? It's hard not to feel that the musical was being used as a shorthand for emotional development the show didn't feel equipped to deliver, which is only one more way in which it underserves the show.

[ashikarin]

Ai-hyperion / Ai-Λ

Honestly, she's the biggest red flag in the story - and her colour palette is green. That's saying something.

A rant about Ai-Hyperion, lazy story writing, and an unneeded Deus Ex Machina.

I'm definitely not the first person to say this, but Ai-Hyperion was the worst thing they have ever introduced into the main story. She literally appeared like: "Hey! I'm Ai-chan, no I'm not the same one you know, I'm not gonna tell you where or when I came from, and the only information you're getting is that I come from this weird pseudotime crystal thing!"

And then we never get an explanation as to what this pseudotime crystal actually is beyond 'it allows me to see every possibility that could happen and therefore I am basically god!' The game itself pretty much is self-aware of the fact that Ai-hyperion's power scaling is utterly ridiculous and trivializes the problems the main cast have been facing – the problems that they fought to find an answer to – by simply going "haha fourth wall break haha captainverse haha hello captains of Honkai Impact 3rd!".

(The main cast also just... accepts it? Like with no question? I get Kiana being the Herrscher of Finality and having its authority but does that suddenly mean she's privy to the fourth wall that Ai-Hyperion broke down with a sledgehammer too? But that's a different complaint)

Her introduction was just a lazy (and literal, given the definition) deus ex machina that stemmed from the writers wanting to finish the first part of the story as quickly as possible for some reason (perhaps the release of Star Rail?) and also to connect the current story to the APHO continuity (despite its glaring flaws and plot holes). Maybe part of that was also them wanting to insert the player in as the 'captain'. But we already have Captainverse - which is canon to the Honkai continuum, as it's the captain travelling the sea of Quanta - and it's been established early on that the captain has no bearing on the story.

This view (the 'player' as an observer) is also compounded by the multiple different POVs we have. We view the story in the beginning through Kiana's eyes, then through Mei's in the Elysian Realm, Bronya's in the Sea of Quanta and the Deep, and various other characters throughout the story. Seele, the twins, the other flamechasers, and even Grey Serpent are just some examples of that. We view the story from their point of view, which makes the narrator lines themselves unreliable, as they're in the POV of another character. There was absolutely no need to integrate the player into the story in my opinion - the story has been perfectly enjoyable even without 'us'.

That brings me to the ending of HI3 pt 1. Ai's involvement with the captain breaking Kevin's shield is such a cop-out. Like the writers couldn't be fucked to end the story properly with the characters we had followed until now doing it themselves - despite Bronya saying that she could break the shield. Like maybe they wanted to demonstrate that Kevin was still stronger than the trio even after their powerup (eg. he had the power of finality and they didn't), they could have shown Finality picking Kiana and the power leaving Kevin for her. It'd be a more fitting ending than this. Or the baseball fight could have been a metaphorical battle of wills between the old generation of Kaslanas and the new. Kevin's will versus Kiana's hopes. HI3rd has always been about fighting for what's beautiful, not "hehe power of friendship deus ex machina".

It genuinely seems like they wanted to have their cake and eat it too? Like they wanted Kiana on the moon stuck with Finality radiation but also wanted her to get a happy ending? HI3rd writers, you can't have both at the same time! You were setting Honkai up for a sad ending! The previous arcs all but pointed to Kiana being sealed on the moon without a way to contact earth, but this is less of a seal and more of. a forced vacation. She can be visited in the future and she can video call with them? What did Fu Hua sacrifice herself for then? The Flamechasers? The entire PE? Even Kevin to an extent. All of them sacrificed so much just for a half-assed fourth-wall-breaking ending that invalidated all of their hard work. It's so anticlimactic no matter how you look at it. It's sweet, but it's a complete 180-whiplash difference from the tone of the chapters before.

tl;dr honkai part 1 ending writing was really fucking lazy, ai-chan was nothing more than a literal and figurative deus ex machina, and the writing in general took a nosedive in the ending. thank you for nothing, honkai writing team.

[cloud-ya]

why do you hate elysia so much

oooohh I love when people ask me about that, and it's been a while without such question

*clears throat and unrolls a comically long scroll*

First thing is the way she treats other people's personal space or rather the way she invades it, especially Mei's. My own trauma regarding touching without consent/warning or mocking if I express my displeasure during such is the main factor why I want to throw this pink thing across the room. Yes, this is mainly about that godawful horn touching scene, which I luckily skipped on accident, but wasn't able to skip the dialogue after that with Raven mocking the whole situation. Describe the groans Mei was making during it however you want, but everyone told me Mei was clearly not pleased about having her horns touched. To me it was just her taking any means to get to the Deep End, and since she had only two people to choose from and she mentioned before that scene that there's no way she'd get Kalpas to help her, she had to ask Elysia for help and she happened to be really fucking obsessed about touching her damn horns, so she had to let her do so as a price for getting to the Deep End and Aponia. I consider it learned helplessness, if it can be considered so at all - Mei learnt that there's nothing she can do to be in any control of the situation she's in, so she just waits through shit helplessly in hope that it'll just happen and go away on its own. What got me pissed off even more is Elysia announcing through a fucking megaphone that she finally touched Mei's horns. It felt so humiliating. Imagine you're forced to use means which would not be pleasant for you and maybe even putting you in great discomfort and the person you did it with just publicly announces it happened as if it was something brief and both sides were fully comfortable.

Second, her idealisation. It's rather ironic that she's so perfect and flawless and whatnot while being labeled a herrscher of human:ego - human, that flaws are literally a part of nature of. She talks all the time how beautiful and great she is, and if she's to complain someone else they'll just get told that they're "almost as pretty as her". Nobody will ever convince me that she's not a Mary Sue, because she's clearly written like one and while yes Durandal was accused of being Mary Sue too "but people later just forgot about her" - people are not bothered by her ridiculous powers anymore because they were executed in a rather decent way which saved her character, unlike for Elysia who kept turning out worse and worse and more shallow with each line of text.

Third, her ridiculous large influence on the entire story and plot. She popped up out of fucking nowhere and suddenly changed the whole history of Honkai and retconned anything that could be retconned in plot. Herrschers used to be untamed representatives of Honkai and its destructive nature, Elysia shows up and suddenly it's actually that she gave them a chance to be human via her sacrifice and all herrschers from the very beginning of the current era just, idk, weren't evil and if they were it's because they just chose to and it wasn't actually that it was Honkai controlling them. Ever since Elysian Realm and Elysium Everlasting a bunch of people dead for ~50000 years aka Flamechasers are having a bit too damn much influence on whole main story, with Elysia in the lead. They ruined Mei's character with the whole ER bullshit and I don't even feel like she got any major development while being stuck there. Let alone that absolute butchery which is Herrscher of Origin, Mihoyo clearly have no idea for a show-not-tell way to express that she carries all that knowledge and memory of Flamechasers, so they just make her obsessed about them (like constantly talking about them during the so awaited reunion with Kiana and Bronya after what? few months? if not more). Mei was boiled down to Elysia stan, if not Elysia 2.0. And with the discomfort she experienced back in Elysian Realm, even if it didn't get her any major trauma... it just doesn't make sense.

TL;DR: I hate Elysia because she often invades other characters' personal space which I'm very sensitive to, she's a shallowly written Mary Sue who also has ridiculously large influence on the main story for a side character.

[oathofkaslana]

hi3 things i would change:

wendy arc. she deserves better. the pacing in these chapters is so weird and i feel like she shouldve felt more dangerous? but i also get that they were saving that for HoV. idk she should still bee more difficult though tbhes.

chapter 19. add more owl and ana prior to this to create extra impact to their story.

elysian realm. augrhrghr. I WANNA LOOK IN THEIR DRAFTS SOOOO BAD. i like elysian everlasting but dear god that drained me it made me hate open world hi3 so much oh my god. i hate not having a linear timeline in hi3 why the fuck did they stop doing that. anyways i wanna focus on more flame chasers than just elysia yk. i also think giving elysia very human flaws or emphasizing her experiences with the horrors of humanity wouldve been soooo oughoughghghhgh.... yk. having ely go through grief herself and that being an extension of mei's theme on grief since theyre linked......

moon arc. do i have to say it.

MODERN DAY KASLANAS IM GONNA DIE WHY DID THEY WRITE BIANKAS REVEAL LIKE THAT.

[justafriendlystranger]

Blood in the water (au)

"have any of our staff informed the council about the arrival of the... Anomalies?" The brown haired researcher asked.

"No, because I personally ordered them not to." Said the girl that's walking right beside him.

"And why not?" Asked the guy

"Well it's because this is OUR project. I don't want any pesky higher ups taking away what we discovered after so long of finding one." The black haired girl said.

"Actually..." She smiled as she continued. "Not just one but two."

She walked ahead, stopping at a door and letting it scan her hand in the side in which the door response with the dinging sound. The door then slides open and the girl turned around looking at her companion. "And besides-"

"You wouldn't want to miss an opportunity like this, wouldn't you?" BP then stepped aside allowing her companion, Ace to take a step inside and allowing him to take the view in front of him..

There he stands in awe, amazed at the two species in front of him. Two man inside a giant container filled with water, one with a short spiky pink hair and the other one, also has a pink hair but more kept style.. and with a fishtail on their half lower body... just like in the story books...

~~~~

----

~~~~

So the story goes like this:

Two scientist named BP and Ace had take on a very big project after discovering and capturing a very rare creatures that people have been trying to prove their existence for centuries; mermaids. The two were ecstatic about this new discovery and would love to learn all about their species but of course, it wouldn't be easy for them since the two are very hostile and they keep refusing to talk, well the other one is, the one with the heart mark on his cheek. The other one doesn't seem to be bothered being in containment, he has this mellow almost eerie smile on his face all the time. Still avoids being touched and always hides in places like the rocks, plants and corals inside the tank but not because of timidness or fear.. more like he's lurking and waiting someone for someone to approach. Both of them has this piercing yellow eyes and the same shiny pink scales on their tails and body but two different faces and personality. Will our scientist be able to break open their shell and bond with the two?

~~~~

Infos:

Name: Dr. BP Age: ???

Status: Scientist/researcher (Level 5 personnel)

---

Name: Dr. Ace Age: ???

Status: Scientist/researcher's assistant (Level 4 personnel)

---

Subject: C336

Nickname: Cupid

(given by Ace because of the heart shaped mark on his face and his patterns that resemble a koi fish symbolizing "Love")

---

Subject: S669

Nickname: Salem

(given by BP for familiarization)

~~~~

"You'd keep your hands to yourself if you don't want to lose them."

"Come closer, don't be shy.... I don't bite... much~"

~~~~

I'll write more scenarios of this au!! hope you guys like it!! ^^

~~~~

Bp and Salem belongs to @boiling-potato !

Cupid and Ace belongs to @aesopsbaby !

[wauzmons]

Proposal for Unlocking Parts

Unlocking Parts in Spore was really random. You'd dig up bones and had a chance to get any random part. This was kind of annoying when you were hunting for a specific part. For Elysian Eclipse, I want to create a more in-depth system.

A Currency

Instead of unlocking parts directly, I planned to add some sort of currency called "Microfossils". They would be obtainable from different sources. For example in Cell Stage you could absorb single microfossils, just like you do with nutrients, while completing quests or defeating bosses could give you a larger quantity at once.

Evo Tree Concept

The first idea that I prototyped was some kind of tech tree, where you would invest your microfossils into nodes, which would then unlock the part and all adjacent nodes.

This however had several flaws:

By taking away the randomness completely, players would be less incentivized to try out new parts, since they could always go the exact same path without downsides.

It adds a lot of programming work and needs to be actively maintained, by placing new parts in a balanced way.

EE is going to have over 1,000 parts. A tree this big could scare away players (see Path of Exile, lol) or even cause harm to performance.

Evo "Store" Concept

I started a prototype that combines some aspects of both systems, without too many downsides. The player would have an "Evolution" tab in the sidebar, which would show the current amount of DNA and Microfossils. It would generate a random selection of 3 unlockable parts that you can choose from in exchange for your fossils.

To balance this system, the parts in this "store" could require different amounts of microfossils and if you didn't like the selection that you were given, you could reroll it for a small cost.

So unlocking parts would work kind of like in a gacha game, but of course without any pay to win crap. I have opened a thread in Discord (link in pinned post) where you can provide feedback and ideas for this system.

[aesopsbaby]

Elysian Flaw headcanons 🎭🩸

I'm doing this first because I'm extremely biased,,I love Elysian Flaw sm <,3

Ace is constantly telling everyone about Salem. Be it subtly or just straight-forward, they always find a way to slip Salem into the conversation.

Ace has probably never spoken to Salem before if we're being honest. They probably stay a distance away and just hover over him to see how he's doing,,,Salem always notices them-

Partly because Ace is someone that is afraid of interacting with new people- and would much prefer to admire them from a distance,,

Whatever Ace says about Salem...yeah. Don't believe them. Ace make Salem out to be an absolute angel but truth be told, he is far from that and is actually just a menace to society.

Salem ignores Ace the first few times he spotted them lingering around him as he thought it was nothing.

^ Then he started seeing green from the corner of his eyes and then-- ah there they are, hiding behind the bookshelf with their hair slightly sticking out.

Salem is probably the one who spoke first to Ace and that's what sparked the whole connection between them. ,,,,Ace ran away when Salem said "Hey"--

But afterwards, Ace gets extremely clingy and is always trying to pounce on him and hug him-

^ Salem has tried to sacrifice Ace. The first time he did, he had needed to tie Ace up in case they ran away but what caught him off guard was the fact that Ace volunteered to tie their hands behind their back for him- 😭😭 and look up at him with heart filled eyes. Safe to say he had just turned around and left them there-

Salem might still be trying to sacrifice Ace if I'm being honest. But Ace follows him willingly everytime and allows him.

Ace,,,is not entirely human- they are just an unknown entity that causes no harm and can't die.

^ Salem stabbed Ace once, expecting Ace to fall backwards and cried in agony but what he was met with was the opposite. Ace just stared at him and back at the knife in their chest with a ":>" smile before awkwardly taking the knife out that it now covered with black goo.

"Sorry..should've mentioned that I'm uh..yeah.." ....then the two just stares at each other while Salem tries to wreck his brain over whatever the hell Ace is-- "...Well! This is awkward...I uh..I could wash your weapon for you if you'd like!"

Ace sucks at academics. Like they are HORRIBLE at every subject. They can't focus for the life of them and Salem has to tutor them.

Ace is like a loyal pet following Salem around--

Ace would do just about a n y t h i n g for Salem- I'm not over-exagerrating here. I mean ANYTHING.. he needs to get away with murder? Consider it done. Ace has it handled.

Salem: (A whole red flag)

Ace belongs to me!

Ace: Red is my favourite colour.

Salem belongs to @boiling-potato !

[phoenix-is-the-hottest-thing]

It could just be bias, however I did like Kiana and Mei's interactions in chapter 32 as their time wholesomely bonding when they connected their minds felt really deserved after they both had suffered for 15 chapters. It made me feel genuinely happy to see them holding hands. I feel like while Kiana would accept her immediately even after she committed literal war crimes, as I think Kiana came to understand and respect her decision over time, however I felt it was unrealistic how Bronya accepted Mei despite her joining World Serpent. I think it would have been really personal to Bronya because World Serpent did a lot of the same shit Anti-Entropy did with trying to blow up an entire city in order to awaken a herrscher. I honestly did not like how they did Bronya during and after the moon arc with having her superglued to Kiana and Mei for no other reason than nostalgia baiting. Also with Mei becoming the Herrscher of Origin, it felt like Elysia straight up groomed and brainwashed Mei during Elysium Everlasting with how often she bothered Mei with compliments and how Mei somehow grew from finding Elysia annoying to being head over heels for her just because she 'died' as well as how it showed in chapter 34 that Elysia uploaded herself into Mei's brain which could lead to a Sirin type of situation if the writers could commit to Elysia having even the slightest flaw. What do you think am I reaching?

You're totally entitled to your feelings on the reunion (it WAS meant to make the players feel fuzzy!) and mm personally neutral on Bronya accepting Mei back and sticking with them, I think it's believable because she was very close to Mei. Remember when she blew up her brainchip?

Talking about brainchips, Elysia didn't upload herself in Mei's brain or anything. Mei got the signets voluntarily, and who showed up was dependent on who Mei wanted to see. Could've been Kalpas lmao. If you're gonna blame anyone, blame Kevin for getting Mei into ER.

So yeah, you are reaching on Elysia. I'm honestly not sure how to unpack "groomed and brainwashed Mei during Elysium Everlasting with how often she bothered Mei with compliments and how Mei somehow grew from finding Elysia annoying to being head over heels for her just because she 'died'" but I'll give it a try?

First off, Mei's way too old to be groomed by the time she meets Ely, she's in her 20s. She is not a child? The relevant definition of grooming is:

To attempt to gain the trust of a minor with the intention of luring them into a sexual relationship.

So let's hold our horses a bit. You may be looking for the word "manipulate", which, fine whatever, but it's not grooming. Mobius manipulates Mei too, Elysia's not special (and significantly less murdery) and she isn't doing it to "lure her into a sexual relationship". She is very open about being attracted to Mei('s horns), no luring is happening here. Try to think of why you find an adult woman openly flirting with another adult woman so predatory you'd compare it to pedophilia? Sounds like something to, uh, unpack.

Second off, while Elysia compliments Mei all the time, she never touches her horns without permission. That's why she's asking so much! The horn touching embarrasses Mei, and she's even more embarrassed about people learning she let Elysia touch them, but they are touched with her consent. Elysia asks again afterwards, but Mei says no, and she doesn't touch the horns again when rejected, it just becomes a running gag that she wants to.

TLDR Ely's an insistant flirt to Mei's more bashful ways, which one can find annoying, but not a molester. (Mei agrees to touch her elf ears as well, so the attraction may not be all that one-sided, either.)

Third off, Elysia is gone during most of Elysium Everlasting. Mei's shift in attitude towards Elysia occurs around chapter 3 of Elysian Realm's story, and is especially notable in the Pristine Memory dialogues that were added for it. For example:

Elysia: With that said, I’ll present you with this book! But don’t take my efforts for granted! Elysia: Isn’t it wonderful? I asked a bunch of people to help me out! Mei: The long credits on the blurb definitely shows… Mei: It’s exquisite alright, each page is a recreation of a scene, faithful enough to evoke vivid memories… Wait, Elysia, have you been wanting to… Elysia: Mm-hmm♪ Mei: …Thank you, I’ll cherish it. Elysia: Is this real? Mei has finally opened up to me! Elysia: If so, can I touch your… My, that was a joke, don’t run♪

(Excerpt from Pristine Memory 10) (Read all Flame-chaser texts here)

Originally suspicious and hostile, Mei warms up to Elysia over time, she spends months in the Realm. By the time Elysium Everlasting starts, she still finds Elysia a lot to deal with, but she trusts Elysia doesn't want to hurt her, and they are friends.

Then Elysia dies just before revealing her deepest secret to her, just before giving Mei what she came for, she disappears at the pinnacle of the trust they've built all this time.

Seems very understandable to me that Mei is terribly shocked and upset that her friend died, especially since more people die afterwards (her accusatory voice at Vill-V after Pardo dies haunts me), so much so that she's much softer when she gets Elysia back for a few minutes.

You don't appreciate what you have until it's gone. You don't realize how attached you are to your annoying friend until they're murdered. You don't cherish your time with your loved ones quite as much as when you're about to never see them again.

Mind you, I did NOT like the last couple acts of Elysium Everlasting. I fucking hated them so much I didn't get HoHe! But you know why I didn't like them?

I thought Mei would insist on saving Elysia. She refused to let Kiana sacrifice herself, and Kiana refused to let Hua sacrifice herself, but suddenly it was fine for Elysia to go off and die heroically? Uh?

Not to mention I kind of felt like the way Elysia was written in EE wasn't really her, because Elysia had always been hiding sadness underneath her flirting and positivity, but that's a whole other can of worms.

So yeah you reaching, maybe because it's been such a long time that you've kind of warped the canon through the Elysia-dislike filter? Look inside yourself whether you have a bias and reread the source material.

[elysialm]

anyone who truly believes elysia is flawless did NOT look into her character and COMPLETELY forget the first 3 chapters of elysian realm when writing was actually on point u_u

like lbr, elysia is THE reason why flamechasers all died (well, majority of them). instead of trusting them like she preaches, she got scared af that she'll be rejected and decided to ascend to 'save' future herrschers and 'future humanity' INSTEAD OF BEING THERE W/ HER FRIENDS AND THOSE SHE CARES ABOUT UNTIL THE VERY END. elysia is the reason why kevin was forced to become the leader, elysia is the reason why aponia/eden/mobius just offed themselves at the end, elysia is the reason why shit started to crumble down.

if she only TRUSTED them more and TOLD them all, then they would've avoided THAT type of tragic end. at least, they would've fought together and died together for all it matters, but they would've done so TOGETHER.

elysia's wish was to fight TOGETHER with all flamechasers, but she - herself - has denied herself that true wish, instead willing to ascend and cut away the fate's threads. elysia has countless flaws, and that FATAL FLAW at the end when the last banquet happened only underlined it.

so elysia is a human. yes. because she is flawed. humans are FLAWED creatures. by being 'flawless' she is denied humanity... and elysia's biggest wish was to be HUMAN.

she isn't even a damn herrscher if you think about it. it's just what fits the narrative the best. she's the daughter of the imaginary tree, born from a miracle. that's who she is, nto a herrscher. we dont even know her authority because that's how mysterious she remains.

but elysia is NOT flawless. by god there are so many moments where her flaws come out and I LOVE IT. i love how flawed she is. kevin has ALL THE REASONS to be bitter as fuck at elysia. he - of all people - has 10000% rights.

i just wanted to scream yeah.