#FOR HOSTILE V PASSIVE

[florshedworf]

HEY. WHAT

[beloved-blaiddyd]

LOCKED AND LOADED [Yandere!Wanderer x Reader]

Prompt: The world is about to end. How will you grieve when you're forced to be with a miserable man until the last second? [Dedicated To: @mixed-kester for the Alone Together Event]

Content Tags: yandere!scaramouche "fluff" oneshot (yes, there are no other parts:]), major persona 3 spoilers but you DON’T need to know the game before reading this since everything is explained, improper use of a S.E.E.S evoker /j, Scaramouche is so normal about you, UNRELIABLE NARRATOR, major character death/s–

V. Acceptance.

"Where the hell are you, (Y/n)?"

Standing near what should have been the front doors of his university was a short man with dark purple hair. He leaned precariously against them, his head tilted upward as if the sickly green moon's ominous pull was nothing to be afraid of. Gekkoukan University's nearby dorms– fraternity and sorority houses included– are not usually this silent. Instead of people, coffins were aligned perpendicular to the ground.

The wanderer glanced at his watch with mild interest. He had been waiting for a while now. Your guest hoisted himself up, circling the ground with the tip of his shoe. The baseline of his attitude had always defaulted to irritability and passive-aggressiveness. The vertically aligned hour-and-minute hands do not placate it. The timing itself makes it worse.

It's December 31st, 2009, 12 AM– the Dark Hour.

With a harsh sneer, he pocketed his hands. You usually have the door to the Velvet Room open to him whenever. What's the big deal? Were you seriously THAT mad at him? Really? He didn't do anything to warrant this "pettiness". He had never known silence as much as this moment.

You should've accounted for the hostility that proceeds on the "off-chance" he did arrive early.

His tone darkened, his bloodied hands gripping his S.E.E.S evoker tightly.

"If you don’t show up, I will cleanse the world of human emotion all by myself"

You shook from afar, afraid of how he wouldn't hesitate to make his threat a reality. He had already taken so much– you were beyond mad at him. You were terrified. Wronged. Abused. You didn't want to step into the light. Much worse, step into his shadow.

The worst thing evil can do is to turn you into one of them.

He clutched the bloodied yellow scarf in his hands tightly.

Why did this happen?

How did things END up like this?

IV. Depression.

You took a deep breath and charged forward.

You don't trust [Wanderer] ever since Ryoji told him about the impending apocalypse.

Seldom do you leave the Velvet Room. You weren't hiding in the Velvet room months before the end of the world was imminent. When April had only reached its fourth day, there was nothing you wanted more than to spend time outside. So ignominiously innocent. You did not know who [Wanderer] was and how much effect he would have on your life at the time. You were just tired of the ongoing stream of uneventfulness.

And now here you are, berating the protagonist in full.

"[Wanderer], why is Ryoji missing?! US ATTENDANTS CAN'T FIND TRACK HIM ANYWHERE!!!"

With a fistful of his university uniform, you yanked him by the collar. Your eyes were livid as you reeled your composure. This wasn't what you had in mind when you were "isekai"d into a video game. Out of any game, why did it have to be Persona 3? And out of anyone that could be a protagonist, why did it have to be HIM?!

You thought this would be a grand affair... Whatever they spun in anime back when your reality existed were pure lies. Where are the scenic views? The mountains? The grasslands? This plane of existence you're forced to sit through for eternity was far from the RPG fantasy people would hope for. No closer you could ever be to paradise.

In fact, this man is threatening to ruin said paradise.

[Wanderer] pulled your hands away forcefully. His glare was not that different from yours. "Why do you care about him so much?"

"Oh, I don't know! Maybe it's because his death means forgetting everything?!" You clenched your empty fists. "You know damn well what happens if he dies! You'll lose all the help you can get to stopping the Fall!"

Such a heavy weight on your shoulders but the protagonist doesn't care. This may be a turn-based game– but it wasn't based on you. If it was, you wouldn't be screaming your heart out at him! You wouldn't be an NPC. Hell, you'd probably be a better protagonist than him.

You closed your eyes, took a deep breath, and sighed every stress out of your system.

"Listen—" You rubbed your temple. "You need to start forming bonds. Social links. Support system. Confidants. Whatever you want to call it. You were supposed to have the answer by now as to what life is for."

[Wanderer] remained silent throughout your spiels. His facial expression alone was enough to infer immense disinterest. You were mindlessly doing your job. There will be no tirade or physical aggression that can convince him that you believe in your assertions with full conviction.

"Do you want to see him?"

"Yes! Of course. Knowing you, you're—"

"Tempted to kill him because you think I want the world to end?"

"Obviously."

That's where you're wrong.

A nihilistic man can have other reasons to commit murder.

"But if he's missing, you can forget about him, right?"

"What on earth are you talking about?!"

[Wanderer] turned around. "Meet me later, you know the time."

"I'll show you where Ryoji is."

III. Bargaining.

XX/09/2009

He doesn't recall the time he was brought into this world like you had.

Puppets are malleable. Memories are easy to overwrite when your body is held together by white wood and "khemia". His past evades him.

Maybe it's better this way.

He took you to Chagall Café. Although it was your first time out in a long while, he had no qualms about ignoring your questions. He feigned deafness as you asked about the news, his college life, friends, or anything related to what was happening in 2009. And he even ignored your humble request to buy the cheapest coffee for you. Instead, he bought you a chocolate frappe.

"For Elizabeth's cutest little sibling." He said, sarcastically copying Elizabeth's tone as he sharply handed the drink. "Wouldn't want everyone's darling to get a caffeine addiction."

Thanks, asshat.

Of all his offensive behavior— he really spent more money just to insult you. You shook your head and accepted it. It's the most expensive one on the menu too. What dedication to being a hater. But before you could open your wallet, he shot your payment down.

"Just take it." He smirked. "Look at you, paying me back for treating you poorly. Are you a masochist?"

You immediately shoved your money back in. "You still bought me a free drink, so really, who's the loser here? Prick."

[Wanderer] laughed heartily before he pulled out his battered codal, which had underlined texts for provisions he deemed important. There was a momentary softness in his gaze that disappeared in an instant.

But that's the only conversation he planned on having that evening. He did mention he'll drag you out in his study session so you weren't too shocked by it. Instead, you sat and awkwardly people-watched. The world you came from and this one were identical. You got through your old 2009 just fine— it's just that Tatsumi Port Island was not a real location from your original Japan.

Your memories about the video game Persona aren't very clear since you reincarnated in the game, but the red band [Wanderer] wore on his sleeve affirmed that he is the leader of S.E.E.S. It's nice to know that someone like him has the potential to become a leader.

[Wanderer] appeared wholly immersed in his studies.

…

Maybe he wouldn't notice if you looked around—

…?!

He immediately grabbed your hand. You yelped slightly as you noticed the iron grip he had.

"Where are you going?"

Don't leave him.

He squeezed just a bit more tightly.

"W-What the— I'm just going to the bathroom." You felt a shiver down your spine as you shared his gaze. There's a dull coldness to it you couldn't quite place, as if he had been a witness to injustice, sevenfold.

You quietly sat back down. He still hasn't let go of your hand.

"Good riddance." He muttered.

"If it isn't [Wanderer]!"

You turned around, yanking your hand away.

It's Ryoji.

You stood up, gawking.

"W-Woah, are you okay?" Ryoji asked, hurriedly approaching you. While you were frozen in place, [Wanderer] looked at his empty hand, feeling your warmth escape his fingertips.

G-Good… he's still alive.

You thought [Wanderer] killed him.

[Wanderer] is the wildcard, and that's a terrifying factor to consider. He hasn't shown any interest in humanity. Knowing his past has not increased any hope on your end. Everyone else in his eyes are insignificant insects.

He has the power to end Ryoji.

He has the power to end this world.

Locked and loaded.

Ryoji's eyes softened. "Wait, I think I know a beautiful face like yours from somewhere… You must be [Wanderer]'s attendant, (Y/n), right?"

You blinked.

"Wait, how did you…"

He chuckled, taking and placing a soft kiss on your gloved hands.

"I have my ways." Ryoji winked.

"Don't touch them." [Wanderer] sneered.

Ryoji stood up straight, unfazed by his threatening tone. You took a moment to examine his appearance. He had a lot of white clothing and a big yellow scarf around his neck. Just below his left eye is a mole. On the surface, he appeared quite human, but everyone seated at this table was aware of his true nature.

He is the 13th arcana. The appraiser.

You and [Wanderer] have every right to be wary.

"I'm Ryoji Mochizuki. It's nice to be officially introduced to you, Mx. (Y/n)."

"Ryoji Mochizuki…" You tasted the syllables.

"Oh? Who knew hearing my name from your lips makes it sound so wonderful."

"C-Cut it out, you don't mean that." You said, a little flustered.

[Wanderer]'s gaze fixated on you, stewing in his concoction of envy and misery. His fists were clenched beneath the table, knuckles turning white. With narrowed eyes, he watched as you continued engaging in conversation with Ryoji. His laughter was grating his ears. He couldn't bear the sight of you engaging with another man, especially someone as flirtatious as him.

Ryoji, sensing [Wanderer]'s distress, shot him a casual glance. To top the look, he paired it with a knowing smirk. He made mental notes of the man's clenched jaw and tensed shoulders.

"You seem a little on edge, [Wanderer]. Finals coming up?" He feigned innocence.

"It's December, and I'm not on edge." He scoffed, trying not to make his gritted teeth evident. "Don't you own a calendar? Finals are in March. To think a pea-brain like you managed to transfer to Gekkan…"

"Right, right." Ryoji smiled, closing his eyes. "Then it must be my proposal you're thinking of."

You stiffened; [Wanderer] did not.

"Ryoji—"

"I know, Mx. (Y/n)." He started. "I know you're not too keen on the idea of killing me. My existence is the affirmation of the Fall. None of you— sorry, I forgot (Y/n) is from the Velvet room— I meant none of them will live till Spring… Or perhaps it's more accurate to say they'll forfeit the will to live."

…

"… I-I'm sorry." Ryoji buried his face in his yellow scarf. There's a certain tremble in his voice that truly emphasizes his sorrow. "Just as all living things die, the flow of time cannot be hindered. But there's comfort in killing me. If you do… you won't have to suffer for the coming days."

If [Wanderer] kills Ryoji, Tartarus, the Dark Hour— the burden of everyone's memories will all disappear.

But [Wanderer] can retain his.

He's not originally from this world after all…

However, should he let him live, the rest of S.E.E.S's life will continue until everyone's inevitable demise.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

[Wanderer] rolled his eyes, diverting his eyes back to his notes. "Everyone will die soon, who cares? I've heard your spiel several times already. You need to get more entertaining material."

"[Wanderer]!" You scolded him.

Your eyes widened in disbelief at [Wanderer]'s unwittingly casual jabs at the apocalypse. You wanted to ask him if he was even listening, but the truth will disappoint you. A cold sweat formed on your brow.

Ryoji's smile crooked into a hopeless one.

"You depend on (Y/n) too much."

[Wanderer] froze. "What did you say…?"

"You have a group of people around you, eager to establish a bond— eager to be friends with you. You have met Junpei, Yukari, Mitsuru, Akihiko, Fuuka, and many others– but you don't consider any of them as your friends." Ryoji shook his head. "Instead, you spend your time with just (Y/n). Never anyone else. Just them. To the point that I think it's unhealthy."

"I don't care for humans." He replied immediately.

"You're human too, [Wanderer]." Ryoji shot back. "You're made of blood, bones, and flesh."

[Wanderer] fell silent. What Ryoji said was true, and yet…

"Am I?" He laughed.

The sound was hollow and mechanical. Deprived of genuine mirth. It did not sound forced, yet his eyes were dull.

…

Perhaps he lived as a puppet for so long that the idea of being human has yet to reach him.

Ryoji shifted, uncomfortably glancing between you two. The tension was palpable despite the cafe's peaceful ambiance. Ryoji cleared his throat softly.

"I should leave…" He trailed off, voice slightly wavering. His eyes darted around, scrambling for words to say. "But, um, before I leave, I just want to say again that you need to give it some more thought, [Wanderer]... It's a big deal… Just…"

Ryoji sighed. "Remember to make your choice to spare or kill me by December 31st. I'm glad you're having fun but don't get too distracted with (Y/n). I'll be waiting."

That being said, his footsteps reverberated loudly in the otherwise still room as he turned and headed for the door. He dared to turn back as he grabbed for the doorknob and saw you two sharing a look that he couldn't determine if it was one of contemplation or displeasure. He hurried out and the cafe door shut behind him.

"Happy?" [Wanderer] bitterly asked.

You paused for a moment… then grinned.

"Tsk, what are you laughing at, worm?"

"Nothing, nothing!" You shrugged. "I just thought that for a guy with a stick up his ass, you're cute when you're jealous."

That riled [Wanderer] up in an instant.

You do not know the full extent of his envy's filth.

"I am NOT—" He stopped, realizing how counterproductive it would be. "Whatever. I don't care."

"Uhuh?"

"Shut up and finish your damn chocolate!"

II. Anger.

Before you know it, it's April.

"Seriously, you three, I'm bored as fuck! Can't I just take a stroll outside?" You yelled, waving the heavy persona compendium in the air as your sisters ignored you.

It hasn't been long since you reincarnated, so your right to go outside isn't as liberal. Given the impending threat of an apocalypse, the Velvet Room attendants are especially overprotective.

"(Y/n), dear sibling, watch your mouth! You mustn't let Igor or Nameless hear you speak so vulgarly."

Taking a good look at your new "siblings", you've noticed how almost everyone was present. Margaret sat elegantly on the sofa while Theodore & Elizabeth were doing their best to calm you down. It's almost rare to have all three in one place. The three oldest were busy-bodies who had more eccentric matters they devoted their attention to. Including rapping and dancing, though neither performances are good for your senses.

"If boredom plagues you, then you should try teasing Theodore." Elizabeth yawned. "He's easy pickings."

"Sister!" Theodore pouted. "Shouldn't (Y/n) focus on studying how fusing works? It would be a better use of their time…"

"The day (Y/n)'s new wildcard learns the value of social links might just be the day miserly politicians become generous." Elizabeth shrugged.

You paled, tugging her sleeve. "Oh fuck… Am I screwed?"

She gave you a lopsided smile. "I may be your new sibling but that does not mean I am obliged to resolve your problems, (Y/n). Learn to solve this on your own."

Theodore coughed.

"Please, stop scaring them, sister Elizabeth. It's not their fault this new guest is a cruel arbiter. I fear there will not be a second of groundless joy in store for them…"

"You're not helping me relax either! Motherfucker. Can't you two speak normally?"

"Settle down, all of you."

The four of you stood straight as Igor tilted his chin up. Though you've gotten used to his bloodshot gaze, it had a way of prickling your skin this time around. With his signature smile, he closed his eyes and snapped his fingers.

"Our guest is about to enter."

"W-Wait, RIGHT NOW?!?"

Before you could react, the room transformed into what appeared to be a large elevator. The walls were barred and creaking noises began to subtly make their presence. A floating door materialized, and soon, opened.

Dark purple hair and eyes, short frame, soft face.

"…Hmm?"

You blinked.

"Wait, no way…"

You know him.

Of course, you know him.

"Everyone, meet [Wanderer]."

You decided that you two should reintroduce yourselves and forget that the past ever happened.

For now, you had been gifted with a vital role: being the protagonist's attendant.

According to your Igor, your role is to assist your guest in fusing personas. He had chosen you specifically in advance as you are his "anima/animus figure". Initially, that job was for Elizabeth. However, your beliefs, your intuition, your emotions— they're in perfect tune with [Wanderer]. Igor expects you to facilitate their spiritual and psychological growth and implore them to interact more with others.

Which, based on that alone, sounds like this puppet just hired an unpaid therapist.

"What do you want?"

"Well…"

Since you became [Wanderer]'s attendant, you've started to have thicker skin. He will always make his crankiness known each visit. You're slightly grateful for it, for how else would you know patience otherwise? Though his personality rubs you the wrong way, his strength does have merits you cannot ignore. Even Belladona, the Velvet Room's devout singer, had sung praises for his mettle. There was one line that struck you about her song, something about him being like a puppet with a beating heart unbeknownst to himself…

Which is why you thought you might as well try to see if you could convince him to take you out sometimes.

"What, like a date?" [Wanderer] scoffed then smirked, a light blush on his face. "Are you really that desperate?"

"No, eww—" You rolled your eyes. "I meant it literally. Igor and the others wouldn't let me go outside unless I'm with someone they trust."

He looked away and covered his mouth, his shoulders trembling slightly.

"Like a child?"

"Yeah, yeah, shut the fuck up." You deadpanned, your pride slightly chipped. "Like a child or whatever you want to see it, as long as it gets me out of here. I just want to see the world before it all…"

You paused.

Better not to bring it up. You're not sure if Igor told him yet.

[Wanderer] raised an eyebrow. "What's in it for me?"

You shrugged. "Is money not enough?"

He paused.

…

"You've got to be kidding me— Fine, what else do you want?"

His eyelids lowered, hissing slightly. "Evil expects evil from others, huh? I wasn't trying to think of anything more, but now that I think about it…"

"Oh, great."

"… I can take your request," he pointed at you. "But only if you join me in the library. Anywhere else, especially loud places like clubs, I'll send your ass back."

That's a no-brainer.

"Deal!"

Though you've missed the peculiar sight, [Wanderer] had a small smile on his face as you shook hands. The two of you had become nearly inseparable since then.

Worryingly, he's closer to you than other humans.

The only relationship he needed was with you.

And with what little time this world has left, you hope you could have a last cup of coffee with him…

I. Denial.

Your reality crumbled. What a START.

Your family, friends... all gone. No one was left. You convince yourself you "deserved" this punishment for smoking a life away with dreadful workloads, no matter how untrue it was. When the world burnt down, you were sent into a darkness you had not known before.

The person in charge of your reincarnation process told you that for the next few minutes, you and a selected companion will see your lives flash before your eyes in a void— and it will not necessarily be a comforting sight.

But you woke up relaxed. In an abyss filled with broken mirrors meant to depict your character to pieces, you donned a plain expression. There was not an inch of you that grieved for what was lost. Similarly, you had no care for how you were being transmigrated to another realm. Though you had grown accustomed to this isolation, humanity always struggled with silence. There was ringing on your fingers. When you unclasped your hands, you saw a pointed shard. Curiously, you clenched it. But no matter the tightness of your grip, no blood came out.

Your breath fogged up the glass. You wondered why that Memokeeper told you that you deserve to live on. You thought your life was rather unremarkable.

Makes sense. You thought to yourself. I'd rather pride myself on a boring life with integrity than an ambitious yet fraudulent one.

「Assignments. Commute. Study. Review. Assignments. Commute. Study. Review. Was that all your life was...? Then tell me, little (Y/n), why does the mirror in front of you appear distorted?」

And so, you gazed forward. Your reflection stood tall, larger than your life, and it beckoned you to come closer. This "(Y/n) (L/n)" had the opposite of a Cheshire grin- perhaps a caricature- perhaps an accurate depiction. Wearied of yourself and wearied of the sycophantic students around you. How unhappy are you to see yourself as someone like this? Are these the emotions you wish to be preserved? Is this the memory you want your world to be remembered by?

「These memories must be corrupted. Someone must be tampering with them. I do not think you lived a miserable life.」

I can't answer your questions either. But I think that reflection is who I am, because sometimes...

"I wish I had never been born at all."

Your lips were parted, but no sound came out. You resonated with those words, but they did not come from you. The voice was dark, hopeless, and alone.

When you were being sent off, you thought no one was around to greet you. There was another man. He had short hair and purple eyes- an incredibly rare sight in your world. This man seemed to be gazing at his reflection as well. You needn't know how he saw himself. The emptiness in his eyes did not differ from yours. He, too, was masking isolation as independence with an intense fragility. The dread he inflicted upon you was the closest you've ever gotten to facing your own perceived "weakness".

His memories were a mixbag. Some were filled with domestic bliss, but the anger in his heart triumphed more. He had friends but thought himself betrayed. His heart was constructed through a system of evasions, and he was a specialist in self-deception. This man knew little of emotions but had an abundance of it. It's no wonder he refused to sacrifice the artistry of his vengeance against humanity. You can sympathize with how he could not attach himself to those around him. He was burdened with malicious knowledge. Fakes. Lies. Insincerities. A class of his own.

However, he had a sin you cannot empathize with. A trait you can read that you're certain he had never noticed about himself.

He was a sickeningly beautiful man with a peculiar innocence.

He looked like a man who truly did not live in the real world.

This man did not feel real to you. He felt made-up. Fictional. His aura of flawlessness appalled you. Though you shared the same sentiments, you thought him dimensionless.

Yet this is supposedly your first meeting.

「Is it? Where have you seen him before? Can't you remember, dear (Y/n)?」

No. No, I can't.

「... What a shame. Worry no more, little (Y/n). Close your eyes. When you wake up, you will meet your new reality— new realm— new family.」

You nodded and agreed to a higher existence you did not believe in. Unlike others, you were a little bit more incapable of trusting a living soul. But there's no other choice.

Life is ordinarily far from anyone's control in the first place. Why bother fighting? If following can make her fuck off, it doesn't matter.

Nothing matters.

Wait…

Is that…

Scaramouche?

Before you closed your eyes and accepted your fate, you could've sworn...

He looked at you with a crooked grin.

「Thou art I... And I am thou...

Thou hast established a new bond...

Thou shalt be blessed when creating

Personas of the Universe Arcana..."」

"Hmm. Strange… Is that truly the order of the story?"

A woman stared at you.

Not (Y/n) (L/n).

YOU.

BEHIND.

THE.

SCREEN.

She smiled wryly.

Hate might empower you for a short while, but it comes at the cost of consuming you whole. Should a shard or any surface reflect [Wanderer]'s face, he would understand what he had become. However, it's too late. He had made his choice and stomped away any remorse he could have. When all is said and done, he alone will spread the ashes. He alone will stand. A blank slate.

[Wanderer] spent his life looking for scapegoats and ended up removing his responsibility.

Betrayals?

What a sad, sad puppet.

What a poor excuse to justify an entire apocalypse.

A poor excuse of a man.

"THE ARCANA IS THE MEANS BY WHICH ALL IS REVEALED." She muttered softly. "And you have been reading your story in REVERSE. Perhaps this is the only way this world can attain SALVATION. The chronological order is not a slice of life. You did not have a disagreement and decided to start your relationship over again. Life is far more WICKED."

"Read it again, but from DENIAL to ACCEPTANCE. The proper way to GRIEVE DEATH."

With great reluctance, she took the five cards laid on the table and placed them in an upright position.

"Let's see if you'd rather ACCEPT the truth or live in DENIAL."

Mixed-Kester can now message Wanderer [prior to 12/31/2009]

[lilisouless]

What your favorite Six of Crows ship says about you

inspired by this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns_7ax-i3DE&list=PLZKnRTyUP15ZC04zScew3pmDG8ZaKno_M&index=12 and the other serie s of videos 

Kanej: You crave a romance with the yearning of a period drama but also want to create unstoppable chaos while holding hands

Helnik: Your thing is enemies to lovers as long as it pays off with tons of fluff afterwards (also chapter 40 doesn’t exist)

Wesper: You like ships with the versatility of working in any possible au…And you may have anxiety and/or self steem issues

Hanina: You favorite aesthetic is either royalty core or cottage core

Matthias/Nina/Hanne: you just want Nina to be happy and fuck the fjerdans in all senses

Kuwei/Jesper : you just wanted good things for Kuwei (and really, who wouldn’t?)

Ninej: Your love language is physical touch, sharing sweets and slaying together

Kazper: You have a secret crush on someone in your life or you love buddy cop comedies

Kaz/Nina: You though the books were written by Sarah J Maas

Inej/Jesper: You believe in friends to lovers supremacy , but keep it to yourself to avoid toxic responses that you clearly don’t deserve

Matthias/Kaz : You don’t like enemies to lovers, you like enemies WHILE lovers (or you just wish Wesper went harder with their hostility phase)

Wylan/Kuwei: same as above , but more like a passive aggressive kind of hostility

Nina/Jesper: you have a crush on one or both and since you can’t have them you just make the most bi couple to ever bi

Jesper/Matthias: Probably shipped Bert and Ernie in your childhood before knowing what shipping was

Kaz/Wylan : Your thing is corruption and revenge stories, also hate the Dad!Kaz thing

Inej/ Matthias: You just don’t understand why short people with tall partners will beg to get lifted instead of climbing over them and obliterate them

Wylan/Matthias: You don’t actually ship them, you are just a Kazper shipper who doesn’t want Wylan to be sad

Alinej: Your thing is bodyguard au! (Also totally your choice but you should consider Alina x Tamar)

Zonej: There is a surprising lack of positive desi women representation on YA literature, so you said “alright i’ll do it myself”

Nina/ Nikolai : You are heterosexual 

Nikolai/Kaz: 🎼 two bastards are better than one, is twice the cringe 🎶

Kaz/Anika: You tried to get into Kaz x reader but you didn’t feel y/n had enough personality for your taste

Kaz/Imogen: You want to see more of this girl, you also dig lost love tragedies when the main characters doesn’t end up together

Kaz/Saskia: you don’t exist

Anya x Joost: you wouldn’t survive a single A song of ice and fire book

Aditi x Colm: You are a textbook hopeless romantic

Colm x Marya: you are so lost in the thought of second love chances, that you didn’t thought the implications of wesper becoming step brothers

Marya x Alys: you are so lost on the thought of destroying Jan Van Eck that you didn’t thought the implications that Alys is probably at least twenty years younger

Jan Van Eck x Death:I respect your opinions but i seriously don’t get it,death is clearly too good for him

Inej/Dunyasha: You love enemies to lovers in theory, but in practice you would rather they just stay on the enemies stage

Important: i had the link saved since this was on drafts and didn’t remember it gets you to a hp video themed since is the first one on the reproduction list, i recommend skip the video if you can’t stand anything related to jk rowling

[gold-rhine]

If it's not too much trouble, could you expand on Diluc's "already incoherent characterization" you mentioned in one of your recent posts? I'm just curious cause I also feel that there's something off about him writing-wise but I can't put my finger on it.

sigh. so, at the start of the game hoyo wrote diluc as super aggressive and negative towards kaeya specifically and knights in general, and all of their interactions are very hostile. they are having bitch fights every time they are in the same room.

like, fandom likes to pretend that diluc has guilt, bc of like some anonymous message on a public board that sounds like it's diluc feeling bad, which hoyo back-wrote. but they can't gaslight me, i just recently replayed start of the game content on my new account. like first time diluc appears is in kaeya's domain after traveler and kaeya cleared it, and diluc bitches at kaeya for no fucking reason and kaeya is v passive aggressive back at him. they have bitch fight in venti's quest. diluc's entire quest is about him trying to keep kaeya from discovering he's darknight hero and he specifically makes it known that kaeya is unwelcome every time he shows up in the tavern. and he sounds negative when bringing up kaeya for any reason.

and then hoyo started to back-pedal. idk what happened, maybe the direction of the plot shifted. maybe the writer who was writing them in this conflict vein quit. maybe at the start they only had vague idea of like brothers at war with each other, and once they started to flesh it out and add nuance, they've realized that like, burning your baby brothers' eye out might be understandable in the moment of trauma and shock, but then acting like you're on high horse and treating him like garbage for YEARS after is a bit of a psycho behavior.

quick aside bc i know there are ppl who think that, um, kaeya "deserved" it and like. he was what, not older than 10 when he was left at the winery. and he was about 17 when he confessed. he was a traumatized kid who kept a secret bc his bio father told him that the fate of his entire country depends on it. get a grip. but as i said, with the same logic, diluc was also in shock and trauma, and i do not fault him the fight itself. what doesn't track is how diluc acts years LATER, when he had time to think.

so they started to drastically soften diluc AND back-writing retcons. Hidden Strife letters are all about it. They were like oh, brothers were always in contact! Diluc is not a maniac, he was polite to the knights and he told kaeya to take care :) :) :) this creates new set of problems. not only it gives diluc personality split where he was incredibly aggressive to kaeya in person, but apparently normal in the letters. But also, we have letters from Kaeya that make it obvious he knew immediately that diluc is a darknight hero and they both were chill about it. But like! diluc's entire story quest is about him trying to keep kaeya from learning that! like, come on! why then diluc did all these stupid scooby doo shenanigans with slimes and shit???

now i think they are trying to shift responsibility for reconciliation from diluc to kaeya, which is the only issue that affects kaeya's own characterization. bc they are very hard going into "all servants at winery ADORE kaeya and treat him like family and welcome him!!" and fandom like, extends it to diluc now, like diluc is welcoming kaeya too and kaeya is a silly goose who has his hang ups and refuses to visit. as if getting your eye burned off, trying to reach out first and getting "ugh, its you" treatment when you show up at your brother's tavern is just like. a lil awkward situation that kaeya himself should get over without any effort on diluc's side and he should just ~realize~ that he's still part of the family lol. and ppl justify it like "well we don't know how diluc actually feels, he probably feels guilt (anon message) and wants to reconcile". which like. so we don't know, but kaeya is supposed to figure out and reach out AGAIN, when diluc at any time could've just told him that he's welcomed.

and now in kaeya's hangout we learn more about their childhoods which tbh hurts diluc even more. like how are we gonna be pretending that diluc cares about kaeya when he returned to mond and found his baby brother, who was apparently the sweetest gentlest child in the world, his loyal shadow for entire childhood, couldn't lie, was taking punishments for diluc, and see him now becoming a high functioning alcoholic with brazenly unhealthy persona of liar and manipulator, and like NOT get worried and try to reach out. which i don't think it was hoyo's intention, they just wanted to add the tragic sweetie uwu to kaeya's characterization, but they did not think how it reflect on diluc in global context

so now diluc's characterization flip flopped in several directions, and he doesn't really has an arc or plotline going. he's kinda just there now, more of symbol than character, and hoyo just writes whatever they want for him without any regard for any previous lore

[spacexseven]

V LATE REPLY BECAUSE I HAVE LONGER QUESTIONS AND ANSWER FOR YOU TUNA! bit here i throw these ones.

if only your ability didn't need you to kill...in that case, are you really to blame? such what-ifs only work in your favor, and if it comes to the point for a majority believes that you're needed alive, if only because you can be a wonderful weapon for the special division (much like how despite how his ability is considered the most dangerous, ayatsuji is kept alive and working), and the ada is given the work of keeping you alive and preventing you from harming others...then yes i can make a wonderful little thing w yan dazai (and ada) hehehe

A: delusional yanderes (my beloved). A quick background check helps in the implication that sk reader actions, while drastic, were merely built on survival. in a kinder world sk reader “would be a good person” but they “had to” be cruel to survive. Its half truths and lies that are stretched far too thin fit a false narrative that plants the seeds of a festering obsession within the ADA and Ayatsuji. Tsujimura and Ayatsuji can be placed as SK Reader’s semi-handlers. Watching over period to ensure that SK reader rehabilitation is working as intended. It doesn’t please Ayatsuji to have to part ways, but he doesn’t have much of a choice with giving SK readers to the ADA.

SK reader has a hostile and wary group of people who aren’t exactly pleased with the arrangement but are willing to attempt to give SK the benefit of the doubt. It’s a boring turn of events, but SK Reader can longer collect any abilities, nor hunt down any ability user without a proper reason. The mysterious killer suddenly goes missing, and the cases go unsolved. Of course, the truth is a bitter pill for many involved, but the saying: “how much is a person worth?” comes to mind as SK reader’s quiet fate is chosen, and the outcome shows that SK Reader’s Ability is worth over a dozen guilty and innocent lives.

Life is not fair. SK reader case shows that to many and the results lives a poisonous cocktail of emotions to stew. For, Dazai Osamu, it leaves a mess of anger and attraction to build up. (more thoughts on this man in the second question)

I feel Yosano probably develops this way towards SK reader too but its much more slow burn and with dignity. Given her past with Mori and the whole war, its natural for her to avoid getting too attached to people. She already has a low opinion on a murderer who kills people for merely having an “interesting” ability. She’s one of the more full blown hostile and indifferent yet passive aggressive ada members. At least at the start of it. She’s probably noticing the behavior of others first before she notices her own. Her own obsession and repression blinding her actions with quick, yet childish lies. Her hand linger on SK reader’s body when they get injured. Well, she just needs ro make sure SK readers injuries aren’t severe. She finds herself bantering, not arguing or scoffing at SK reader, but full blown banter. As if they’re friends, and not a guard and a prisoner who barely escaped their own execution. The feeling of want and lust breaks her ideals. She won’t cage or break SK reader. She won’t be like that man. She won't And yet, when she looks at the mirror, the horror that consumes Yosano is horrible because she doesn’t see Yosano Akiko in the mirror, but only Mori Ougai staring back at her.

or you know. dazai is losing himself in the desire to get revenge on the person who killed oda. but while trying to find you, somehow it turns into him learning more about you. somehow your evil existence turns into something addictive and alluring for him. who are you, really? dazai feels like he's the only one who knows. and you're the last connection between him and oda (since ango is gone too), so he's even more fixated on you. if you went after them, then why not him? everyone knows the infamous ability nullifier, right? cherry on top is if you blatantly tell him you have no use for his ability. i think it'd break him to the point where he completely loses himself

I do love hurting Dazai. His ability nullifies SK readers and in a way, nullifies and destroys everything sk reader has worked for. With his ability, there is no point in hunting and going after ability users, he’ll merely cancel it and it devolves to a physical fight rather than an ability fight. His ability is also rather boring and a “cheat” one that sk reader probably dislikes. I feel SK reader values work because they always work in getting the abilities they want and carefully maneuver their way into getting said abilities. While Dazai is heavily interesting and very complex, I feel that SK reader is someone who doesn’t project their own feelings onto others. Dazai’s been projected by Fyodor, Chuuya, Akutagawa, Mori, and even Oda. SK reader doesn’t have that need to understand or be near Dazai. He’s just the person who holds a powerful, but boring, (and the biggest sin for an ability, or at least I think SK reader would feel, it’s for it to be boring) compared to other seemingly dull ones. I genuinely find it ironic in a horrible and tragic way, that dazai would most likely project his own feelings and ideas on SK reader and feel as if only he, Dazai Osamu, truly knows you. Dazai becomes something like Akutagawa, always chasing after someone. He’s like Nikolai but worse in a pathetic and depressing way (so basically in canon anyways). He has journals filled with newspapers and photos of you. Random garbage and items that you dropped or wouldn’t notice being taken (Reader probably has but doesn’t feel threatened yet). He haunts SK reader, nipping at their heels like a starving dog. Unlike Nikolai, Dazai consumes ascoets of SK reader. He buys (or steals, maybe just takes the original) the same shirt Sk reader was wearing a day ago, the shoes they were gazing at or recently bought. records the shows sk reader enjoys or would like to watch. the food that they like to eat. the brands sk reader uses. the same shampoo.He records common words sk reader uses, or phrases they repeat. Whenever dazai wakes up, it's always to sk reader’s voice. But the looks SK reader gives him (indifference, boredom, annoyance) when they tell him that they have no use for such “boring and cheating like ability” gives a despair filled filling that not even Oda’s death gave him. (Honestly, Dazai is pur punching bag in this au and he’s the fyodor with god darling.) - 🦄 (the rest of the ada is still being finished, plus the other question and answers i have. this only the brief thoughts on this idea. Including yosano because she’s so fun to imagine as yandere)

okay quickly before i start!!! for some reason it totally slipped my mind that dazai's ability is. literally nullifying other abilities so😭trying to steal his ability would result in a singularity or something. i don't know how i mentioned his ability and still forgot?!?!

okay yea i just wanted to say that Anyways moving on

i do like having tsujimara and ayatsuji (tsuji2) as sort of sk reader's handlers (esp because both ayatsuji and reader are considered to have dangerous abilities and what not) also reluctant cooperation to ayatsuji becoming obsessed w sk reader is sooo fun heheh

in terms of the ada, much like how dazai's record was wiped and he was sent to the ada, sk reader gets a clean slate (they have to do it themselves since mushitarou is dead like sk reader and their interesting takes about abilities and ability users, especially if they show some form of admiration to ranpo first) is the only one who's explicitly told about what he's dealing with. he's not pleased, but better have you here than on the streets killing more users, or worse yet, in mori's hands

yosano finds out your identity when you use an ability you've stolen, one she recognizes from seeing the corpse of the user on the news. and once she finds out, everything she thought she knew about you feels like a lie. she might start hating you. she's someone who treasures life and people, and knowing you do what you do for your own reasons, with no regard for the users you've slaughtered fills her with anger. still, it's complicated. you were introduced to her as someone who made some mistakes, but has a chance at rehabilitation. wasn't that her, too? after tormenting all the soldiers (though against her will), she was given a chance to live with the ada, despite her past. when she thinks about the conversations you've had with her, the times she's used her ability on you and you've never once shied away from her touch, despite knowing she had to hurt you to heal you...it hurts. she remembers how you busted into an underground hideout once, to save her when she was taken by an enemy organization. now she knows the ability you used to save her then, came at the cost of a life. and she doesn't know how to feel about that.

there must be a reason that fukuzawa and ranpo have kept silent about your past. that everyone has treated you with the same familiarity the others get. and there must be a reason you're here now, that you took the opportunity to come to the ada instead of continuing your crimes. she wants to believe it; that you had changed. that your past didn't matter. after all, when you leaned on her arm after a night of drinking and told her you liked her company, that must have meant something, right? when you listened to her story and squeezed her hand, you felt for her, right? there was some humanity in you, and the little bit of it was enough for her—but only for her. she tells you that the others won't be welcoming if they knew who you are, hoping that, at the very least, you'd distance yourself from them if you believed that. she lies about their feelings towards ability users that abuse their power, claims that even if the special division begged the ada to help you, they'd toss you out at once. she lies and pretends she doesn't remind herself of someone she hates.

most ability users find dazai's ability annoying, but this blatant hatred you have for his is painful. you like figuring out how abilities work, how their users can use it to their advantage and how it shapes a person; but dazai's serves you no use (and you tell him all this to his face, not at all worried about how he may react), it only renders abilities useless, it only negates power. it doesn't contribute, doesn't leave a trace—it's not even permanent. and, when you think of the others in your collection, it's just boring.

"besides," you say, unbothered by dazai's obvious pain, "i have better things to do than entertain your stupid questions. the user of flawless (it rips him apart, how you can't even say oda's name) is dead, and nothing you do now will change that."

since you don't give him the answers he wants, he instead decides he can only find them out by following you. dazai thinks you'd be the kind of person everyone hates, the sort that harboured such hatred for the world that you'd turn to committing brutal crimes out of anger and jealousy. but it's far from the truth. what he sees of you is...an unbelievably normal person. you smile at the barista that makes your morning coffee, you stop to pet the stray cats that rub against your leg, you read books and listen to music and you're so ordinary like this that it makes his head spin. how were you the same ruthless murderer that he met before?

the salt in his wound is nikolai. seeing you talk to him, listen and entertain his questions, letting him walk you to the station after a murder like it was the end of a regular day fills him with an unfamiliar feeling. he watches nikolai ask when you'll go after him, sees you smile sharply and wink back, instead of your usual glowering silence. he realizes how you're warming up to the clown, becoming familiar with him. you even call him by his name—nikolai, you say, amused—and not by his ability. nobody else earned that honor from you. and it feels like you've stabbed him straight in the heart.

this all sets off his all consuming obsession with you. it's pathetic, how he searches desperately for something. it's not the answers he came looking for, but it's even more important. he looks for clues in your empty coffee cup and the cream you use on your hands. he searches for evidence in the books you read and your contacts list. he digs for the meaning behind why you keep the torn glove of nikolai gogol and why his name is on the list of abilities you plan to steal. by the end of it, dazai can't even recognize why he's doing this for.

he doesn't bother to hide his tracks, but it doesn't matter. as always, all you offer him is an uninterested, passive look, even when you find him in your room, looking at your papers.

"if you have to be a creep," you say, your apathetic tone twisting the knife in his heart, "at least have the courtesy to clean up after yourself." and that's all there is to it.

[callmearcturus]

Do you have stats in mind for our main man Benji?

Of course I do. We all know what brand of Freak I am, and it's the freak who will never get over FONV.

STRENGTH: 4. Sorry Benji but it's true.

PERCEPTION: 9. This is Benji's peak Stat, imo, and it's his biggest utility in the team. He's sharp, he spots things happening, and he keeps relevant blips of information on his mental radar even when he's focused on other things. (The airport scene in DR1 displays this well.)

ENDURANCE: 6. I think barring Luther who is The Van Guy, all IMF folks have at least a 6 in END.

CHARISMA: 10. This is secretly Benji's Actual most important stat as the soul of the team and the ballast to Ethan. He gets people to imprint on him remarkably fast and holds their loyalty easily. He and Ethan are both Charisma Kings but Ethan employs it overtly while Benji, it's a passive buff protecting him.

INTELLIGENCE: 7, which is very respectable. It's not higher bc that's Luther’s main stat and Benji is more of an jack of all trades.

AGILITY: 5. Middle of the road. Perfectly fine.

LUCK: oooooh toughie. As someone who always rolls at least 8 Luck, I have v strong opinions on this one... I think Benji has 4 Luck. He just doesn't get those staggering wild successes that are associated with high Luck. There is no fortune god smiling upon him, he has to brute force everything thru actual talent. He can't pull a "we just have to hope they've never met" basically.

His tagged skills are Science, Repair, and Explosives. ("wait, arc, why Explosives?" bc the skill applies to disarming dangerous things as much as arming them)

His perks are:

Confirmed Bachelor (+10% damage to the same sex and unique dialogue options with certain characters.)

Friend of the Night (Your eyes adapt quickly to low-light conditions)

Educated (You gain two more skill points every time you advance in level.) (this is how I explain Benji's batshit competence curve)

Ferocious Loyalty (When you drop below 50% HP, companions gain +50 DR.) (i.e. When Benji is in danger, everyone around him gets a buff.)

Pack Rat (Items with a weight of two pounds or less now weigh half as much.)

Nerd Rage (+15 DT and Strength increased to 10 whenever health is 20% or lower.)

Robotics Expert (+25% damage to robots; can shut down robots by sneaking up on them and deactivating.)

Spotter (Hostile targets are highlighted whenever the player is actively aiming.) (i.e. How Benji functions as Ethan's Perception aid.)

Well-Stacked Carins (Reaching various summits reveals nearby map markers and grants +3 Perception temporarily.)

I think that covers Benji p well.

[littlestardescendants]

Mirjami Fact 20: Mirjami actually had anger issues.

So this has to do with her trauma and upbringing but I imagine as a tween/teen Mirjami had a lot of anger issues that she had to go to therapy for. Remember she had a crazy libido and hypersexuality going on with her losing her parents so that translated into hostility or her being super irritable and it would be small things would set her off into a lashing out crying angry fit.

I imagine with therapy she learnt to cope with it but for a long time she had a nasty temper especially since she was very quiet so if someone tried to talk about her she'd throw a chair at them.

It's why she's so patient and passive with the Demons but unsurprisingly Leviathan got her back into that murderous angry fit since seeing his face on a daily makes her want to beat him with a chair >v>

[the-rogue-that-goes-stab]

HORUS Slaad

The weird fucked up gremlin child of goblin and kobold, the Slaad is a half melting frame referencing the Slaad, the parasitic toad aberrations from DnD. The main theme of the Slaad is being a parasite, as it takes inspiration from Slaad tadpoles.

To begin, the Slaad steals the ignoring engagement aspect of Atlas' Giantkiller but buffs the soft cover when being in the same space as a character to hard cover. Furthermore it also becomes significantly faster and larger sensors while being in the same spot as a character, and whenever it desires, count as adjacent to a character it is sharing a space with.

For its core passive, the Slaad is able to use its endlessly mutating morph-code literally pooling off its hull to harmlessly climb inside a frame, its hull and components moving to the side like a blanket without any detriment to functionality. While jockeyed inside a mech this way it can still be attacked as normal (hard cover due to above) but is able to use full action on subsequent turns to force its host to make a save. Based on v the type of enemy they gain bonuses. Based on the successes and failures, different effects happen as tracked in the ability. After two failed saves, the target becomes controlled by the Slaad until the it scurries away or the host is destroyed. Don't worry,. based on the host they receive different bonus (or detriments) on the saves. For example grunts or remotely piloted vehicles have a harder time resisting the parasite's influence while a ultra can easily shrug off a slaad (and players auto succeed). if a host succeeds 2 times before they fail two times, they kick you out, ready to destroy the poor Fragile tadpole.

For its core power, it dumps its heat into the victim. If the victim overheats or the Slaad is controlling its host, the Slaad can make the host self destruct.

Truly a little fucked up guy.

License:

(LL1) Green-Banded Targeting Array - hey so guess who learned the name of those fucked up eye parasites for snails. Yeah they are called the Green-Banded Broodsack. I hate them. They make my autistic ass squirm with imaging how that would feel;, a thing moving inside your eye, ungulating. Anyway this system takes inspo from that fucked up little guys. It gives a reaction too when an adjacent character loses lock-on to mark them again at the cost of marking yourself. This is meant to embody the fact that the broodsack ungulates to signal birds so its host gets eaten.

(LL1) Morph Mod - wow, using morph code to turn any weapon into a shitty rifle or shitty sword at will. wow. They aren't that bad, just worse versions of non-mushy weapons

(LL2) frame

(LL2) Cable Talon - a grappling hook knife to fill the singular Aux (not aux/aux) mount the slaad has. You can reel it in as a protocol. When thrown, it embeddeds itself into a target, allowing you to pull yourself towards them when you reel it in.

(LL2) Digital Plague - 1/round, when you invade an enemy, you can invade one of your allies near-ish to your target, (ie invade allies synergy, yippee)

(LL3) Beak.ox System - hey so you know Ox Peaker's how some people say they eat bugs off of host animals but other reports say they also dig into the skin to drink blood. Yeah this is based on that. You target an ally as a quick action, they take a whee bit of chip but they clear 2 heat (wow a whole invade's worth).

(LL3) Cuckoo Module - the best system in this license for the Slaad, it allows it to be considered an allied character when adjacent to a hostile character for that characters effects (such as accuracy bonuses, or defense bonuses, or free invisibility, just a great way to be a piece of shit to enemies). You still are hostile to them tho, you just stealing from them

I love Slaad, its a little guy that is like a goblin alt-frame but risky and mall fucked up. Oh also Maximum Threat was a big inspiration from for this frame, the idea of taking an enemy mech is really cool and you should support GeritzDev on their itch page.

Oh also the physical manifestation of code stuff comes from infection in Horus: Thy Hubris Manifest. This was also the inspiration for NIDHOGG's functionality, coating weapons with materialized invade code

[crystalelemental]

Unit Teambuilding - Variety Agatha

Ah, Variety Scouts.  I'm sure everyone's happy about this.

General Overview Agatha and Arbok are a Poison support.  Weak to Psychic.  Uh-oh.  Agatha is two BP units wrapped into a limited unit.  Poison Sting to Poison, Wrap for Trap, Leer to debuff defense, and trainer move is 1MP with +2 Atk/Sp Atk/Crit.  Just +2.  Joy.  She'll heal the team's HP half the time when she hits a foe with status, raises only her own defenses by +1, and ups her odds of Poison.  Grid offers some odd utility like healing and a little bit more boosting of offenses, notably Team Sharp Entry.

Okay let's not mince words: Agatha does not do anything the combination of BP Erika and BP Clemont couldn't.  BP Erika has Toxic (better than Poison) and Trap, while BP Clemont has Screech (better in Gauntlet for debuffing) and Synchro Healing (more consistent).  Agatha may have all the tools for stall, but her poison is weaker, her healing inconsistent, she doesn't buff team defenses just her own, and is generally odd.  She feels like a support you slap on for answering Gauntlet gimmicks.   Like, hyper specialized to that function.  And that's not terrible.   Except it is because Poison is a terrible choice, being bad against Cobalion and irrelevant against Tornadus.  If you wanted to answer Gauntlet, why didn't you just bring Glare?  Oh because Wrap isn't a Poison type thing, and you need an attack to do Poison?  Then drop Hostile Environment for On a Roll 9 on Acid for special defense drops instead of Leer.  It's more valuable in every way.  Moreover, weak to Psychic means that her best utility traits - countering Uxie and Trapping out Cresselia Phase 1 - are hindered by the fact she's weak to like everything they do.

I dunno man!  I get that her defenses are really high, and she’s got some nice healing potential with a +3 crit in one turn function, but I just feel like she’s not doing anything truly unique.  Which is a shame because man is the current Trainer Files event selling me on Agatha.

Move Level and EX? Support, so 3/5 is pretty necessary.  Even more so because her role is surviving long enough to continuously check gimmicks.  She can't afford to drop early.  So you need those healing bits.  EX gives the stats and the double damage, which means better odds of survival.  She's pretty demanding.

Team 1: V!Agatha, Emma, Tech Magneton/Tech Nidoqueen This is, perhaps, a little obvious.  But a guaranteed Poison effect means Emma gets to run wild with her Buddy move.  Tech Magneton is selected for CS, to further drop defenses and hopefully let Emma perform a full denial on Turn 2.  In Gauntlet, Tech Nidoqueen is able to debuff everything for you, which is generally helpful for survival, and specifically helpful for Latias.

Team 2: V!Agatha, Shauntal I'm willing to bet they could do this as a duo.  Agatha applies the status needed to answer Uxie, and with Team Sharp Entry, the literal exact buffs Shauntal needs to cap offenses without investing energy in self-setup.  Shauntal kicks ass as a DPS unit, and Agatha's passive healing easily offsets the burn damage Shauntal inflicts on herself.  If you need a third, you can slot in just about any striker that won't take up extra gauge.  Or Tech Nidoqueen again.

Team 3: V!Agatha, Brycen, Lodge Steven Cresselia's biggest weakness during setup phase is Trap.  Agatha provides needed trap damage, tearing Cresselia apart in its early phases.  Brycen is the usual Haze answer, keeping evasion from factoring in, while Lodge Steven is chosen for a few reasons.  One is, special.  He'll end later phases quickly.  The other is, Stealth Rock.  Bonus passive damage.   Your goal is to take out Cresselia's first phase without seeing Thunder Wave; you'll need some stall on Brycen's part, but it can be done with enough passive damage.  Agatha has Antitoxin, so she blocks Toxic.

Team 4: V!Agatha, Flannery/Electabuzz, Hilda/BP Sophocles Alright, let's address the Gauntlet stages that she doesn't work well against, because Poison is bad.  Flannery provide burn, and between the two, you're able to hit every Cobalion phase without issue.  Flannery is acceptable as a damage dealer, but Hilda combos well with Agatha thanks to Leer.  If using Flannery, use anything that can flinch.  If using Hilda, use Tech Magmar.  For Tornadus, remember that Agatha heals on every hit against a foe with any status, not just poison.  So she can offset the AoE attacks somewhat, especially with heals on Leer.  BP Sophocles is chosen because Agatha perfectly caps off his needed attack.

Final Thoughts I admit to having some serious difficulty with teambuilding around Agatha.  I don't think she's strictly bad, but I do feel like most of her Gauntlet career is spent on being kinda bad at her job.  Poison is just not an effective tool, and being Psychic weak severely hinders her against Uxie, Azelf, and Cresselia, two of which are meant to be fights she answers.  I do think in CS, she has utility as someone with a quick burst of buffs, including capped crit, but she has little else to show for it.  I think her biggest problem is Poison Sting.  Poison Fang with HE1 as a passive would've been amazing for CS stall, but she got basic Poison which sucks.  Glare would've been amazing for Gauntlet, swapping out Leer and putting Acid over Sting, but they didn't do that.  And it's to her detriment.  I just don't respect her kit.  I feel bad because I want to love it.  But it's just got a lot of problems.

[ifievertoldyou]

on tHaW!tntduo and the ruler archetype

the ruler/matriarch

^

passive shadow aggressive shadow child-devouring hag ice queen

the ruler (or matriarchal) archetype, at its purest form, is seen as a healthy mom* who is emotionally available to her kid, but also gives them enough room to grow into their own person, and not just an extension of herself. if the mother doesn't give them enough space, she becomes the shadow archetype of the child-devouring hag. and if she gives them too much space, she falls into the shadow archetype of the ice queen.

*while this archetype is a feminine archetype, and i use feminine terms here, just like with any other archetype, it can be for anyone regardless of their gender.

the matriarchal archetype isn't always a parental figure, but this is a very easily observable example, and both thaw!soot and thaw!quackity do demonstrate this, with thaw!tommy for the former (since soot basically raised him too) and thaw!slime for the latter. though, of course, i will go into more detail on the other avenues that this archetype is seen in too.

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the child-devouring hag - soot

the hag archetype is the pinnacle of smothering and codependency. people with this archetype tend to constantly search for the high of something to help them through life, whether through actual substances or through people. hags are terrified of being alone with themselves. they also tend to exert a scary amount of control over their kid, and drain the kid so that they can get the kid's 'youth.' this can sometimes be the more physical youth, like what we see mother gothel from tangled do, but it can also be that of their mental youth, like the hag preventing their children from learning important things for themselves because of their overprotective and obsessive nature.

hags are the classic example of the helicopter parent trope. the parent constantly hovers around their kid, causing the kid to not experience valuable learning moments for themselves because of the parent's need to protect, also alienating them from their peers and causing the kid to grow resentful of the parent for not treating the kid like their own person. a lot of the time, by the end of the story, the hag is faced with retaliation from the child, either by the child finally telling them how they feel, getting cut off, to straight up being offed by them. though there can be darker endings where the child stays with the hag too.

and we can see all of these traits of the hag in thaw!soot. whether it's the unhealthy attachment he has to tommy and how he basically holds onto him like he's his sole lifeline (which is definitely the most prominent example we see in literally any version of wesker's wilbur), but we can also think of the obsession that he has with quackity and las nevadas, or even the actual substances that he uses. but whatever it is, revy uses things to help himself get through life and escape his thoughts, although this is never that healthy for anybody involved.

and we've already seen how scarily possessive he gets over theseus, how even when thes asks to just go on a little walk, wilbur invites himself along with him, forcing himself into every aspect of his life, and not letting him do anything on his own. soot doesn't treat thes as his own person, but as something of his, and this, i think, best exemplifies how he fits into the hag archetype.

-

the ice queen - quackity

the ice queen is someone who tries so hard to protect themselves from getting hurt that they create an environment of hostility, often inadvertently to some extent. they're numbed by their intense emotions and push people away so as to not risk getting hurt again. ice queens are overly fluent in human nature, and become a blizzard of bitterness because of their distrust of mankind. while the hag is overly smothering with the ones they care about, the ice queen is the exact opposite. ice queens push people away so they don't get the chance to see their vulnerabilities, instead of unhealthily clinging onto those people to help feel better about their vulnerabilities, like what the hag does.

thaw!quackity is literally all of this to a T. he puts on all of these different masks for people, but none of them Ever show him vulnerable. he keeps his true feelings away from others as best as he can, causing him to be both renowned and feared in las nevadas. and the few people who do make it to his heart he would fight the entire world for. because he does care so much, but he's just so scared of showing that to people that he doesn't absolutely trust (and even during the softer moments he has with his trusted people, quackity's currently always the one doing the comforting, he doesn't let his guard down long enough to warrant getting comforted himself. because he's scared of being seen as "weak' by anyone.)

but see, quackity doesn't want everyone to be so scared of him, he still wants to be treated like a person. but he doesn't know the intentions of all these people, so he instead defaults to putting on the mask of someone who people would be far too scared of to even think about crossing. he acts all scary and untouchable, and and pushes people away from seeing the more human parts of him, because humans are weaker than ram hybrids , and he doesn't want to feel weaker ever again.

so he ices his heart from both himself and the world, making him seem emotionally constipated at best, and hostile at worst. (this is an entire other tangent entirely, but note that wendigos are also often depicted as having hearts of ice.) and while his heart does thaw (lol) a bit when he's with his cared ones, he still doesn't open up about himself all that much. his blizzard of bitterness stops for his cared ones, but the coldness doesn't entirely, because that's what he's comfortable with. which, it makes sense why all the people he cares about can see the good in him. this means that they have the capacity to stay warm, even in his instinctual coldness, so they aren't uncomfortable with it and still treat him like an actual person. which, that means a lot to quackity. he hasn't been treated like a person in so long, he's so often just been seen as either a pathetic doll or a ruthless monster. so q, tommy and slime all not seeing him as either of those, but as an actually trustworthy person 1000% contributes to him deciding to not be as harsh with them as he is with others. yes, there are other factors too, but this is a common thread i've noticed with all of them.

-

i think the fact that thaw!tntduo are really just two sides of the same unhealthy coin only adds to how distinctly they build off of each other in their dynamic, and it also explains how easily the conflicts can arise between them. because they're literally the two different extremes of the same exact archetype. they have so much in common. and yet, are so incredibly different at the same time. it's all just so interesting to me.

okok i'm done now, thank you so much for reading ^_^ <3 /p

[catboyroycebracket]

ohhhhh a post ive queued links to clear uncommentated footage of the 2013 e3 demo *v* quick messy writeup of all the fun details:

completely different opening sequence thats the empty set flashback and intro as one

refers to the transistor as “an incredible weapon”

looks like the in-engine lighting effects hadnt been fully implemented yet/werent set up for this

mansistors dialogue seems rougher writing-wise but his tone is really close to final (compare the really old version of the post-separation cutscene found in the files where he sounds incredibly frustrated)

no panicking on being separated from red THOUGH it makes sense for something like that to have been quickly edited out just for this demo

he outright namedrops the transistor for a title drop and seems to know a LOT about it

the “thats not me” sequence is presented at the start rather than the end...

“im safe in here. safer than you” <- AGH

“more than a hundred missing persons cases in twelve months” 👀?? MUCH higher than the cameratas final kill count (that we know of at least) + firmly establishes the fact he had been investigating things himself rather than leaving it up in the air

the “gross” line is a reaction to hostile process being defeated rather than the “flowers” during the flourish button reveal

says “dont let go” rather than “dont let me go” ...

reds older bouncy run animation!!!

the turn gauge and current equipped functions bar look much different !

theres an early icon for jaunt

no passive nor upgrade slots in sight, nor is there a configuration screen (setup utility) ever shown

the white blocks are outright listed as “process” (in final its more like theyre processed parts of town)

opening track is vanishing point, then switches to old friends once red goes up onto the overpass; the final game opens with old friends then switches to vanishing point upon rising up

both tracks feature much earlier, rougher versions of the humming stems(!!!!) these versions are not in the final files at all

the old friends humming follows the instrumentation MUCH closer

the mixing overall both in and out of turn feels a bit different

a foot status effect icons show up above process that have been struck with crash. badcells can inflict it upon red as well. not sure why its a foot as it seems to indicate “slowed/stopped”..?? this icon as well as a few others in the same style are still in the texture files i believe

no xp screen upon leaving a combat area

the break point is called a “barrier” and features an early camerata logo rather than an sd card/thumbdrive shape with a red cloudbank logo atop it

when struck/activated it changes to what looks like an older version of the cloudbank logo..

lots of sound effects are quite different from final. a lot of it sounds more laser-y

pink dress lillian! mr moyle has different clothes!

no ovc terminals

theres a observation spot by the poster right where the fashion week terminal is in final, complete with dialogue incredibly similar to the finals post-terminal dialogue 🤔

the traces seen on the overworld use the same art assets as flood (!!)

lillians trace lists “temperament” rather than “disposition”

junction jans appears WAY earlier on and doesnt have its logo nor unique building asset

the spines vocal stem for the younglady encounter seems to only play in left speaker

red slips into a “process pocket” in the courtyard that introduces the access points in final. here she finds the transistors root access which kicks her out, hurts her, and makes her lose all active functions.. then levels her up

this is the teal “inside the transistor” area seen in the trailers!!!!!!!!!!!!

mansistor calls this “their home” ...

^ this hurt/fall animation doesnt exist in final

dormant and forecast still play in these fights, but their humming stems sound remarkably close to final

different graphics for the first motorcycle cutscene!!!!!

completely different backdrop (or at least, the lighting is dramatically different in the final so that its not immediately apparent the telescope view art is reused here)

early transistor placement and art that looks more like a mockup. its a 3d model pasted on to the bike in a way that honestly looks like hes about to fall off. red isnt holding him at all

early camerata graphics featuring their prototype designs 🥰 but only 4 members! “grant” has a little ponytail

the camerata and the process are being equated as the same force MUCH harder

title fades in after the cutscene, prompting a reboot of the demo:

[pigeonvivian42]

a very long list of tone indicators

/! or /exc - excited

/a - affectionate or alterous

/aff - affectionate

/afph - a few people here

/ao - an order

/ap - apologetic

/apa - apathetic

/av - a vent

/ay - at you

/b - bitter

/br - bragging

/c - copypasta

/calm - calm

/caut - cautionary

/cb - clickbait

/cel - celebratory

/ci - caring intent

/cj - coping joke

/co or /cf - comforting

/con - confused

/curi - curious

/d - dubious (don't know what feeling youre trying to convey but you still want to convey it)

/dir - directed

/drm - dramatic

/e or /ex or /exa - exaggeration

/ebh - everybody here

/f - fake

/fa or /fam or /faml - familial

/fl - flirting

/fm - fake mad

/fs - fake sad

/fu - furious

/fx - flex

/gen or /g - genuine

/genq or /gq - genuine question

/gens or /gs - genuine suggestion

/gentle - gentle

/gs - gaslighting

/hc - headcanon

/hj - half joke

/hp - half platonic

/hsrs - half serious

/hyp - hyperbole

/ic - in character

/ij - inside joke

/imo - in my opinion

/info - information

/irre - irrelevant

/it - intrusive thought

/iw - innerworld

/j - joke

/jk - just kidding

/jov - jokingly overreacting

/jw - just wondering

/l or /ly or /lyr - lyrics

/lg - lying

/lh - light hearted

/li - literal

/lu - a little upset

/lv - lovingly

/m - metaphor

/ma - messing around or manifesting

/md - melodramatic

/mj - mostly joking

/mjnay - mad, just not at you

/mr - mostly romantic

/na - not aimed

/nabr - not a brag

/nafx - not a flex

/nao - not an order

/naq - not a question

/nav - not a vent

/nay or /nau - not at you

/nbh - nobody here

/nbip - nobody in particular

/nbr - not being rude

/ncm - not comparing

/neg or /ng or /nc - negative (connotation)

/neu - neutral

/nf - not forced or not fake

/nfl - not flirting

/nfta - not forced to answer

/nh - not hostile or not here

/nid - not in danger

/nm - not mad or not mean

/nmay - not mad at you

/nmn - not mean

/nmu - not mad or upset

/nof - no offense

/np - no pressure

/npa - not passive aggressive

/nr - no reply or don't reply

/nrt or /nrh - not rhetorical

/nsb - not subtweeting

/nsd - not self deprecating

/nsrs - not serious

/nsx or /nx or /ns - not sexual

/nth - not a threat

/nu - not upset

/ny - not yelling

/nyf - not your fault

/od - overdramatic

/ooc - out of character or out of cosplay

/op - optional

/ot - off topic

/p or /pla or /plat - platonic

/pa - passive aggressive

/par - parental

/para - paraphrased

/pers - personal

/pf - playful

/pj - probably joking

/pnj - probably not joking

/pos or /pc or /poc - positive (connotation)

/q - quote or question

/qp - queerplatonic

/r or /rom - romantic

/ref - reference

/res - respectfully

/rh or /rt or /rht - rhetorical

/rhq - rhetorical question

/rp - roleplay

/s or /sar or /sarc or /sarcasm - sarcastic

/safe - safe

/sat - satire

/sbh - somebody here

/sbtw - subtweeting

/silly - silly

/sj - source joke

/srs - serious

/st - statement or strange thought or silly thought

/state - statement

/stim - something is typed as a written version of a stim

/sx or /x - sexual

/sym - sympathetic

/sys - something happening in their own system

/t - teasing

/tan - tangent

/th - threat

/tic or /tc - typed unintentionally due to a tic

/tq - typing quirk

/ts - to self

/u - upset

/unin - unintentional

/unr or /unre - unrelated

/v - violent

/vu - very upset

/w - warm or warmth

/wp - wrong proxy

[reedreadsgreek]

1 Corinthians 1:22–25

22 ἐπειδὴ καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι σημεῖα αἰτοῦσιν καὶ Ἕλληνες σοφίαν ζητοῦσιν, 23 ἡμεῖς δὲ κηρύσσομεν Χριστὸν ἐσταυρωμένον, Ἰουδαίοις μὲν σκάνδαλον, ἔθνεσιν δὲ μωρίαν, 24 αὐτοῖς δὲ τοῖς κλητοῖς, Ἰουδαίοις τε καὶ Ἕλλησιν, Χριστὸν θεοῦ δύναμιν καὶ θεοῦ σοφίαν· 25 ὅτι τὸ μωρὸν τοῦ θεοῦ σοφώτερον τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐστὶν καὶ τὸ ἀσθενὲς τοῦ θεοῦ ἰσχυρότερον τῶν ἀνθρώπων. 

My translation: 

22 and since Judeans request signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but as for us we proclaim the Anointed having been crucified, on the one hand a snare for Judeans, and on the other hand foolishness for the nations, 24 but for them, the called, both Judean and Greek, the Anointed, the power of God and wisdom of God; 25 for that which is foolish of God is wiser than men and that which is weak of God is stronger than men. 

Notes:

1:22 

ἐπειδὴ (“since”; see note on v. 21) cannot have the same strong causal force as it did in verse 21, as the Jews’ request for a sign is not strictly the cause of Paul’s proclamation of Christ crucified (v. 23). Thus ἐπειδὴ may here have the meaning, “while” (BDAG). In this case, this verse forms the protasis of the contrast, while verse 23 comprises the apodosis. Most translations, however, take ἐπειδὴ as “for”, creating a loose explanatory connection with verse 21. 

The καὶ ... καὶ construction does not here mean “both ... and”, but perhaps “indeed ... and” (so NASB). Most translations leave the first καὶ untranslated.  

The substantival Ἰουδαῖοι is the subject of the present αἰτοῦσιν (from αἰτέω) and σημεῖα is the direct object.

Ἕλληνες (“Greeks”) is the subject of the present ζητοῦσιν (from ζητέω) and σοφίαν is the direct object. ‘By the absence of the article the terms connote characteristic attributes rather than denote the individuals’ (ICC). 

1:23 

δὲ (untranslated) introduces the apodosis of the construction began by ἐπειδὴ in verse 22. But if ἐπειδὴ was left untranslated, then δὲ is translated adversatively (“but”). 

ἡμεῖς is the emphatic subject of the present κηρύσσομεν (from κηρύσσω). Χριστὸν is the direct object of the verb. The perfect passive participle ἐσταυρωμένον (from σταυρόω) could be attributive with Χριστὸν (“we preach a crucified Christ”; sim. NET) or predicate (“we preach Christ, and him crucified”; most translations: “... Christ crucified”). 

The μὲν ...  δὲ construction contrasts the two (wrong) ways that Jews vs. Greeks perceive the message of Christ crucified. Fee notes that these two encompass the main idolatrous impulses of mankind. 

Ἰουδαίοις is an ethical dative (Gardner: dative of reference). 

τό σκάνδαλον (15x) originally referred to a “snare” or “trap” used in hunting. In the NT it refers figuratively to something that ‘causes offense or revulsion and results in opposition, disapproval, or hostility’ (BDAG; cf. σκανδαλίζω “I ensnare, cause to stumble”; English scandal); most translations: “stumbling block”. The translation “offense” is too mild. The accusative σκάνδαλον is appositional, matching the accusative Χριστὸν above: “we preach Christ ... a stumbling block”). Alternatively, σκάνδαλον could be taken as the predicate accusative of an implied participle ὄντα (“Christ ... being a stumbling block”; Leedy). 

For the construction ἔθνεσιν with μωρίαν (“foolishness”; see note on v. 18), see above. ἔθνος is probably here the functional equivalent of Ἕλλην and no distinction is intended by Paul. 

1:24 

δὲ is adversative (“but”). 

The pronoun αὐτοῖς is an ethical dative (Gardner: dative of reference); the articular adjective τοῖς κλητοῖς (“called”; see note on v. 1) is appositional (lit. “to them, the called”); cf. τοῖς σῳζομένοις ἡμῖν in verse 18. Alternatively, CGT takes αὐτοῖς as an intensive pronoun (“to the called themselves”). Most translations: “to those who are called”. 

The τε καὶ construction is, “both ... and” (τε is postpositive). Ἰουδαίοις and Ἕλλησιν are appositional to τοῖς κλητοῖς. 

The grammar in the following clause is awkward but the sense is clear enough. The accusative Χριστὸν is redundant after the Χριστὸν of verse 23; ICC says ‘this implies the repetition of ἐσταυρωμένον’, but this is not made explicit in any major translation. Leedy diagrams Χριστὸν here as a predicate accusative of an implied participle ὄντα modifying the Χριστὸν of verse 23. In apposition to Χριστὸν stand the nouns δύναμιν and σοφίαν, each modified by genitive of source θεοῦ. NASB: “23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (sim. NRSV, NIV). NET wisely supplies the verb “is”: “... Christ is the power of God ...” (sim. HCSB). 

1:25 

ὅτι is causal (“for, because”). Alternatively, ὅτι could be taken to introduce discourse, giving further content of κηρύσσομεν (v. 23). 

μωρός (12x, 4 of which in 1 Corinthians) is “foolish”, from ἡ μωρία (5x) is “foolishness” (cf. v. 18, 21, 23). The articular adjective τὸ μωρὸν is substantival and literally means, “the foolish thing” or “that which is foolish”. NIGTC notes that τὸ μωρὸν could refer specifically to the message of Christ crucified, although most translations simply take it as equivalent to ἡ μωρία and translate, “the foolishness”. τὸ μωρὸν is the subject of the present ἐστὶν (from εἰμί) and the comparative adjective σοφώτερον (from σοφός “wise”; see note on v. 19) is predicate. The genitive τοῦ θεοῦ with τὸ μωρὸν is possessive. τῶν ἀνθρώπων is a genitive of comparison after the comparative adjective (“wiser than men”); generally, “wisdom” is supplied (“wiser than human wisdom”, most translations). NLT: “This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans”. 

For the structure of τὸ ἀσθενὲς τοῦ θεοῦ ἰσχυρότερον τῶν ἀνθρώπων, see above; the only structural difference is that here ἐστὶν is implied. ἀσθενὲς is “weak”. ἰσχυρότερον is the comparative form of ἰσχυρός “strong”. The Message: “Human strength can’t begin to compete with God’s ‘weakness.’”

[resmarted]

I do feel like my empathy levels are at like a bizarrely high level that should probably be utilized in some professional atmosphere and i do miss reading for people but idk if it's my Calling as much as it is something I just happen to be able to do. I worry that the community of professional spiritualists is such a weirdly hostile environment where everyone is always ready to try and take you down instead of just like being a normal person and going home to a bath and a cat and calling it a day. like no one can ever just be normal. about anything. it's like that whether I'm dissecting someone's soul or scooping ice cream but there's a very specific level of school shooter rage readers will passively get toward each other that I do not vibe with. a disgruntled waitress who hates her life is one thing but someone that wants to sacrifice you to their god of choice over getting good feedback is quite another. granted, as the daughter of satan i'm not the one who needs to be worried, but it's the intention of it all. ultimately I feel I help people on some level even if it's just asking about their lives and what their plans are while they're in town. I go back and forth on whether or not I robbed myself of the experience as a reader prematurely due to the animosity but ultimately feel like the owners robbed themselves allowing it to get as bad as it did. oh and there's the whole thing of my evil mother ruining my life and never wanting to talk about it to anyone or acknowledge that part of my life ever again. but then it's like great now she's suddenly robbing me even more as if she hasn't already taken enough as it is. so idk dudes. v conflicting. think I'll stick to pretending to be normal (very badly) for a while longer.

[quirkthieves]

(Starter meme) 5. Annihilate / Malice for Nanao & Mikito <3

Malice (n)- desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another, either because of a hostile impulse or out of deep-seated meanness. (from the Latin malus, bad)

Annihilate (v)- to reduce to utter ruin or nonexistence; destroy utterly. (from the Latin nihil, nothing/zero)

Nanao never went on missions with the third brother. Why would she? Shiro was her master, and on missions so small he deemed her competent to handle them, she would go on her own. She had little interest in all the excess Inumura paraded around, and the fact he was so weirdly attached to her master only deepened the desire to stay away.

But today was different. Today, Shiro had told her to accompany Inumura, and had gone off with Inue instead. Why? Was this some sort of punishment? Her master didn't do passive-aggressive things like that, but it almost seemed too cruel for even his usual level of unabashed callousness.

She lags behind; intentionally, admittedly, because watching the third go about his business was off-putting in every regard. Nanao would compare the glint in his eyes to that of a snake catching sight of a bird's nest-- except she was sure the snake was far less capable of the raw, festering malice that seeped out of Inumura. A hatred for life itself. Whatever his town was didn't seem to be enough; it was like he had to hunt down and snuff out any sign of what had been denied to the eight of them.

He worked too much.

Nanao's eyes roll over the poor lump of flesh he's turned into a puppet, his chattering and the screams all turning into a distant buzz, like the call of insects in the summer. Others had been less fortunate; splattered and shredded and torn asunder by their own comrades. And this wasn't even their final destination.

On an impulse, a green blade pins the squirming body into the ground.

"We need to keep moving. You'll just draw attention to us this way, you know."

[thetoxicgamer]

Superb strategy game Against the Storm on sale as playable Foxes join

There may have never been a better time to play the fantastic Against the Storm than right now. Since it sprang onto Steam Early Access in November of last year, the dark fantasy city-building game has garnered attention for its masterful UI, engaging strategic decision-making, and roguelite features. Against the Storm is currently on sale on Steam for the lowest price ever, just as the fan-favorite playable Fox species is added to the game's roster. The Sentinels of the Forest update for Against the Storm introduces the fifth playable species, the Fox people – who were chosen to be next to join the game as part of a community vote held in February. These fantastic Foxes come with their own set of new buildings, perks, abilities, and much more. They’re expert scouts, as you might expect, but they’re also adept at working with technologies that utilise rainwater. That’s an incredibly useful boon given the rain-soaked lands of Against the Storm, where your attempts at progress are routinely impeded by the arrival of colossal deluges. The different species are core to your settlement management in Against the Storm. Each has its own set of likes and dislikes, and specialises in performing certain tasks. That means striking a good balance among your population, and assigning them in the places they’ll be most effective while keeping them satisfied, is key to success. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf9xqem1n0U The Foxes’ natural affinity with the forest means they’re the perfect choice to explore new glades, which is the main way you explore the map, gather new resources, and expand your base in Against the Storm. Their calming influence on nature will reduce the hostility you face when exploring a new area, making it a much less scary process to undertake. Also included in the Sentinels of the Forest update are passive abilities, which have been assigned across all the species. The Foxes will reveal nearby geysers, for example, while Beavers extend the available trade offers you get from each neighbouring town. There are five new buildings, too – the Fox House, Tea House, Distillery, Beanery, and Tea Doctor (sign me right up for that last one). Against the Storm’s Sentinels of the Forest update goes live on April 13 at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm BST / 6pm CEST. In even better news, publisher Hooded Horse, which is also behind other great indie strategy games such as Manor Lords, Falling Frontier, and Terra Invicta, announces that Against the Storm is on sale on Steam from April 13-27. With 25% off, this is the cheapest price it’s been since launch, making it a great time to pick the game up if you’ve been considering it. If you need more convincing, check out our Against the Storm preview to read why it captured our attention with its approachable interface, rich strategy, and gorgeous art direction. Alternatively, take a look at more of the best RTS games on PC if you’re a big fan of that sort of thing. Read the full article