#Lockne DS

[silenthome]

Lockne and Målingen: A Sisterhood of Binary Stars

Lucille Clifton, The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton: “sisters” // Death Stranding (dir. Hideo Kojima) // Death Stranding (dir. Hideo Kojima) // Marie Lu, The Midnight Star // Death Stranding (dir. Hideo Kojima) // Death Stranding (dir. Hideo Kojima) // My Sister’s Keeper, Jodi Picoult // Death Stranding (dir. Hideo Kojima) // The Other Boleyn Girl (dir. Justin Chadwick)

[higgs-the-god]

could Not get it out of my mind so. fuck it. deadstrandy warrior cats au

idk how much of the ds universe is gonna b in this so names/designs/etc arent solid

higgs. basically sol (as far as i know) as in everyone thinks he's a lot cooler than he really is. he also rolls in soot and dirt and then glitter so he can say he's some shitty starclan cat or some shit

sam. loner who was roped into clan biz bc his pelt is ~starclan blessed~. still a repatriate and no one knows why. idk how to design lou yet but shes in this au ofc

deadman -> deadpelt. considering having him like. been a cat that was studied on by scientists or whatever And also he's never been visited by starclan despite like everyone else in the au having the exact opposite luck

heartman -> moorheart. not entirely sure how to work in his dying every 20 or whatever minutes but he's a medcat who knows way too much abt twolegs and whatever they get up to. would be the kinda guy to dissect prey and such

mama ->sandstream. ran from Bridgeclan and keeps sam company before/during being "recruited" by bridgeclan

lockne ->shadepool. maybe the deputy? usually building dens or fortifying the camp

[gladepola]

Målingen

[bidonica]

DISCLAIMER that I should have put in since the beginning: this series of posts is me documenting my second (but first in the Director's Cut) consecutive Death Stranding playthrough in an unserious way. I try to keep the actual story spoilers on the light side, but the point of these posts is also to allow myself to think out loud about things I didn't catch the first time around, seeing foreshadowing in light of the payoff et cetera, so it's not entirely spoiler free. 

Guess who's back on the road after spending four days with a migraine that locked me out of any screen based entertainment and allocating some of my precious free time to a portrait of New Higgs... One of my biggest "hear me out"s maybe... Gut window sexy..... Kojima retweeted....

It's insane how much I memory holed this part of the map (the swamp with Homo demens), which according to my calculations I probably played between Christmas and New Years? I wonder if changing the difficulty setting has anything to do with it.

Anyway we're off to what is unironically my favorite part of the map: the snowy mountains! Carrying a bomb that is very fragile on my back! 

I think ultimately DS is a pretty forgiving game, it's not easy to "die" (think of how avoiding combat by being stealthy or taking a detour is often an option) and even if its physics are more realistic than other games, Sam's bones are pretty much made of steel. Creating a voidout is bad but you can still go forward in the game. However I fell over like an idiot at the beginning of this mission and the catastrophe you set off if you don't carry that bomb like a precious and fragile crystal egg is of such magnitude that, after the scene freezes and crumples and whites out, you just get a load screen that puts a hand on your shoulder saying "now we're going back to the latest save" like a slightly disappointed but still encouraging father figure.

Anyway. I hate the "Death Stranding is a walking simulator lol" meme with a passion, but it *is* true that it recreates the experience of hiking in a very satisfying and realistic way... This is literally me huffing and puffing in the Dolomites this past October, like, this visual gave me a real life flashback.

Unsure whether we were supposed to see this grass coming out of the snow at this altitude or if it's a glitch (some people on reddit have found trees spawning in unexpected areas and nobody knows whether it's by design or not).

NOT THIS PLACE!!!

Okay, false alarm, the first time you pass by the "graveyard" nothing happens. Totally quiet location, zero danger, absolutely not infested with BTs, absolutely not a spot you'll be forced to go through over and over in the upcoming missions

I kind of like how antagonistic Lockne is... Never beating the allegations that mountain people are kind of grumpy and insular...

In some mysterious way the bomb I delivered will fix this black tar and floating boulders situation, how? Fuck me if I know, I love Sam Porter Bridges but I wish he asked some more questions sometimes.

Speaking of someone more loquacious I've been wondering how my friend Peter Englert is doing

Aaaand there he is. Why does he write like this.

Joking aside, the "it marks another year since the joining of myself and my beloved wife" hints at Higgs meeting Amelie two years ago, right? The timeline is always a bit fuzzy to me.

Anyway as the previous pizza missions were actually pretty doable I took this on today after work to decompress. Reader, I didn't decompress, but that's for another post

[imadhatt3r]

I'm thinking waaay too much about what pokemon would be the partner of which DS character so screw it, I'm writing it down

Sam- Dewott: A grumpy otter? Like that's just perfect for him, come on.

Lou- Victini: Okay hear me out- I usually don't like assigning legendaries to characters who are just normal people, but DS2 is definitely implying that there's more going on with Lou than we think. Victini is cute, playful and somewhat childlike, just like Lou, not to mention more powerful than it looks like. I also like that victini is the "lucky charm" and victory pokemon just like Lou is to Sam, due to protecting him in BT zones, and I like that it's associated with a lucky star, shining bright, just like Lou does in Sam's life 🥺 and it has these silly little wings like Lou's shirt in DS2 🥺

Bridget- Mismagius: I can see Bridget having a ghost type in general, and mismagius fits design-wise the most. Mismagius can control people's minds and give them hallucinations, which would fit the way chiralium works on people and her role as the leader of the UCA. They can also put people to sleep and lock them in a dream world, which kinda reminds me of DOOMs, and we know she's partially responsible for it existing in the first place.

Die-Hardman- Arcanine: Loyal and devoted, just like he was to Bridget and her dream of uniting America. It's also very powerful and respected, like Die-Hardman is as the president and even before as Bridget's right hand. Plus it's a dog pokemon, one that's commonly associated with warfare and law enforcement in-universe, so it fits his past as a soldier and his political career.

Deadman- Togepi: I think that him having the literal "baby pokemon that's still in its eggshell" would be a cute nod to his association with BBs, since togepi is literally the most baby of all baby pokemon. Maybe once he forms a bond with Lou it can evolve into a togetic, to show his own personal growth. Alternatively I can see him having a blissey since again, it's like THE doctor/nurse pokemon, so he'd have a fully-evolved form to show his status.

Amelie- Jirachi: I think that she is one of the examples where having a legendary is justified, plus jirachi isn't even a legendary, it's an even rarer mythical pokemon, so it fits her being a being that's even larger than life on Earth. Jirachi is associated with space and stars, so once again, something larger than Earth, and it's a nice parellel with Lou's victini. Jirachi is also known for granting wishes, and Amelie's choice leans on either fulfilling the universe's wish to cause the extinction, or Sam's wish to keep the world going. It's also dormant for long periods of time, just as the extinction events are separated by thousands or milions of years. There's also it's signature move, doom desire- Explains itself, really.

Heartman- Amaura: Any fossil pokemon would fit, but amaura nicely reflects the snowy mountains Heartman lives in. It's said that amauras aren't expected to live long in the modern, warm environment, but the cool mountains seem like just the right place for one to thrive. Sadly, amauras in general are physically fragile and have a lot of weaknesses in battles, so it fits Heartman's ill heart and his own health issues. Sidenote, but I can see him having a huge, fancy aquarium with luvdiscs as his pets, just because he enjoys his own heart motif so much 😭

Mama and Lockne- Umbreon and Espeon respectively: Look, I know that eeveelutions are kinda basic, but hear me out- They both start out as eevees, so I believe it's a nice way of potraying them as twins. Lockne is painted as the more sociable one, a leader of her community who has a husband and wanted to have a baby, so I think that she'd have a day-based espeon. Mama is more focused on her work as an engineer and is content with being single and not having children, so the nocturnal umbreon fits better- I can see her working up to the dead of night. Both umbreon and espeon have a cosmic theme (moon and sun), and the sisters were named after two lakes that were created when a meteorite fell to Earth and split in two. Umbreon and espeon are also, imo, associated with intelligence and grace, which I think both sisters have.

Fragile- Zebstrika: In general I feel like Fragile would have an electric type pokemon- I thought about a ghost type, but electric pokemon have that playfulness and energy that ghost types often lack. They're often speedsters that hit hard and have weak defenses (aka they're fragile) but they also only have one weakness (they don't break that easily). Zebstrika is fast and powerful, plus it's a zebra, which brings to mind horseback mail carriers to reference Fragile Express. It's black and white with blue eyes, so it fits Fragile's black clothes with blue accents and her fair skin and hair. I can also see her having a more carefree and happy blitzle in DS1 that then evolves into a zebstrika in DS2, to show off her growth and her new more involved leadership role, since zebstrikas are often leaders of packs of blitzles.

Higgs- Cofagrigus: Yeah, yeah, not very creative I know, but if it fits so well then why change it? Cofagrigus, of course, is based on a sarcophagus, aka ancient Egypt, aka Higgs' interest. Cofagrigus is said to be a human that has forgotten all of its memories, kinda like how Higgs transitioned from a normal human to Amelie's servant. They also enjoy eating gold nuggets, which can nicely tie in with all the gold Higgs wears and his association with chiral crystals. They swallow humans that get to close and turn them into mummies, so it's kinda like Higgs killing people and turning them into BTs for Amelie to control. And, well, he literally comes out of a sarcophagus in the DS2 trailer.

Cliff- Houndoom: Like Die-Hardman, a dog-like pokemon shows off his loyalty and devotion, but the addition of dark type ro houndoom shows the price he paid for it. Houndooms are, like I've said, dark types, to show off his associations with the Beach, but they're also fire types like arcanines, Die-Hardman's pokemon. They have a skeleton motif to tie back to Cliff's skeleton soldiers and his own death, plus they are usually seen leading packs of houndours, their pre-evolutions, showing Cliff's leadership over his squad. Houndoom's howl is said to come from the grim reaper and the burns from their fire are said to never burn, so it fits with Cliff's anger and how dangerous he is since he came back from the dead.

[lewalrus]

KOJIMA JUST POSTED A PHOTO WITH MARGARET QUALLEY, I THINK HE HAS OFFICIALLY MET UP WITH EVERY CAST MEMBER FROM DS 1, LET'S GOOOOOOOOOO!!!! 😭😭😭 /🐈‍⬛

Yeah! I saw that on twitter, it's been a long time since we haven't seen them together if I'm not mistaken. Maybe it's for the unannounced Overdose game, but it still gives me some hope that we are going to get Mama/Lockne on DS2 :')

Also, did you see that Kojima went to a GDT's Pinocchio exhibition? I'm always soft whenever Kojima shows how much he admires Guillermo's works <3

[revenantcliffstranding]

INKTOBER DAY 17

“Wondering.”

Målingen, where are you?

Not enough art of Lockne! (Also, I really like her vest and I want it).

[astrandofgold]

Målingen / Lockne

[savage-rhi]

omgomg could we have “Who invited the sadist?” with sam x higgs if you write for them??

You got it! :D

There was an air of tension in the presidents office as Fragile, Sam, Lockne, Heartman and President Die-Hardman sat across from one another. Having not seen each other in years, a mix of emotions stirred within the room. Old passions and troubles were brewing in the subconscious as Sam sighed, breaking the silence in the room as he glared.

"Lou better be safe,"

"I promise you, Sam. No harm will come to her. She's in good hands with Deadman." Die-Hardman said honestly. He knew Sam had every right not to trust him, given that Sam left the UCA behind for good years ago. By law, Sam was a criminal for abandoning his country and taking a Bridge Baby with him, government property.

"If one hair on that kid is damaged, you'll be wishing you were still dealing with an Extinction Entity." Sam said.

Despite the calm in Sam's voice, his words made the hair's on everyone's neck stand at attention.

"Sam, we wouldn't have brought you back here unless we had a good reason. Yes, the ambush was unnecessary but it's for a good cause if you'll hear me out." Heartman interjected before anything else could be spoken.

"All of us were living out our lives, doing our own thing, when a strange anomaly occurred. This anomaly is bigger than we anticipated. Everyone needs to come together, be it friend or foe."

Before Heartman could finish the rest of his thoughts, the doors to the room opened up. There were two guards alongside a familiar face in handcuffs.

Higgs smirked as his eyes quickly locked with Sam's. Hostility, bewilderment, fear-- the emotions traveled through each of the men's features as they regarded one another up until Sam shook his head, gesturing at Higgs as the guards forced him to take a seat at the end of the table. Far away from the rest of the group.

"Who invited the sadist?" Sam asked firmly.

"Nice to see you too, Sammy." Higgs scoffed.

"I thought you were dead, on the beach. At least stuck there."

"Trust me, if he didn't have to be here I'd make sure of it." Die-Hardman said, glaring at Higgs while the former terrorist gave a playful wave and salute to the president. The cuffs on his arms rattling with an irritable noise.

"Nice to see you too, pipsqueak killer." Higgs smirked.

Die-Hardman looked away, balling his fist up before eyeing Fragile. She too averted her gaze. The body language was enough for Sam to get the picture: Fragile had a hand in bringing Higgs back. Why she did such a stupid thing, Sam had no clue.

"Anyone want to start explaining themselves or are we all going to be giving each other the silent treatment?" Lockne asked.

"If I may," Higgs started.

"No, you may not." Fragile interjected fiercely as Higgs grumbled, crossing his arms as Fragile sighed, rubbing her forehead as she took over the conversation.

"While Higgs was stuck in purgatory, he discovered something ominous on the beach. It has to do with the Bridge Baby's--let's just say it's bad, Sam. And if we don't figure out how to put a stop to it, Lou could be in danger. The sadist over there might be useful to stopping it."

Sam furrowed his brows, wondering what the hell else was in store for him and Lou. He swallowed, looking at Higgs as his former rival stared at him. Whatever the circumstances, Sam was scared.

[evilwvergil]

“Lockne” : ↳D E A T H  S T R A N D I N G

[raccoonclty]

i dont take criticism

[heartshapedstrand]

I feel the need to take a second on a passing action I noticed for the 100th time that suddenly gives me thoughts.

I’ve always toyed with the idea that part of the reason Heartman is so deeply embedded in his search for his family, and his isolation, was because no one really tried to draw him out of that isolation.

They just let him do his thing as long at he produced research on his finding during his Beach visits.

He has routines, motions he goes through everyday. He’s got it down to a science, even. Showers, eating, figuring out sleep, entertainment. Tapping the hourglass when he goes to and returns from the Beach.

Tapping the hourglass when he goes to and from the Beach. Okay? It’s a ritual he goes through everyday. 

But here, the chiral ‘sand’ has run out, and he hasn’t reset it.

And then, makes a point to turn it on its side. He’s broke the routine, purposefully. 

Now, don’t sit there and say “Oh he forgets sometimes” because of course he does. It happens, that’s why his lab has crazy inflatable padded floors.

But here, the point I am making is: Heartman didn’t care about producing research for Bridges or the UCA or about reuniting America. He wanted to rediscover the past, which included finding his family, his past.

Until Sam came along. Sam broke the isolation, brought him things to focus on and do that genuinely interested him for the first time in nearly 10 years. And then, so captivated with his new-found project, he’s broken his routine and set it aside to focus on the present.

It feels like it is also the first step in pulling Heartman back from the abyss. He was on the edge, waiting, searching for the moment he’s find his family again, and die to be with them. And here’s Sam, who’s brought him back and given him something to latch on to. 

And canonically, we learn post-game that Heartman was finally moving on.

Countless trips to the Beach, every single day, each spent searching in vain for my wife and daughter. Such has been my existence. My fate, if you will.

After all, if each person's Beach is their own, then the worlds each of us inhabit posthumously are also unique. If that is the case, then even death shall not reunite me with my family. That is why I must search Beach after Beach after Beach for any trace, any clue—anything that might lead me back to them.

Death is not the end, after all, and the past is never dead. Indeed, it's not even past...

I have decided to give up my quest, for I have come to realize it will change nothing. I must move on with my life. And as a matter of fact, I already have.

I've met someone. Her name is Samantha Spade—I call her Sam. A spirited Hispanic woman. You can imagine how frustrating it is to live life in twenty-one minute intervals. Speaking of which...

If not for that first meeting, and the sense of purpose that instilled in Heartman, I think he would have never given up, and driven himself until... Well. 

And that simple motion, Heartman laying that hourglass on its side, was the first step, the moment he consciously stepped back from the edge of the abyss and began to live again.

[higgs-the-god]

[kundool]

Målingen & Lockne - The Lovers

[eurydia]

I’m proud to announce that chapters of my fanfic, “Heartlines” are now up on my Ao3! Here’s a cover for the first part. Under the cut is more info such as warnings, tags, pairings, etc.

Heartlines

[AO3]

Heartman, Mama, and Lockne were once united under a common goal: to bring people together through Bridges and the chiral network. But grief and loss drove them apart.

They find their isolated lives slowly entangling when news of Sam's arrival reaches west.

Heartlines - (Part 1: Twins)

[AO3]

Fandom: Death Stranding (Video Games) Rating: Mature Warnings: Major Character Death Relationships: Heartman/Mama, Lockne/Aaron Hill, Lockne & Mama (Death Stranding) Current Word Count: 10,245 / Chapters: 10/? Additional Tags: Suicide, Suicide Attempt, Canon Temporary Character Death, Depression, Postpartum Depression, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Loneliness, Spoilers, Slow Burn, Terminal Illnesses Series: Part 1 of Heartlines  

Title Track: Heartlines (Acoustic) - Broods

[lewalrus]

I know that I'm just getting too invested in something I have no control over, but I get a little anxious whenever Kojima posts new DS2 behind the scenes photos... I know that DS2 will be good on an artistic scale (I have trust in Kojima, he is yet to disappoint me), but I'm always worried if the crew from DS1 will come back... I know that NR, TB and EF are probably the most well-known actors so they're the one who get the behind the scenes photos to drum up the hype, so it doesn't mean that old crew won't be back, but I can't help it, I have an anxious personality... Like, after so much development of their relationship in DS1 Deadman has to return, there's so many ways his character can be expanded upon... I just feel like he and Heartman, Mama/Lockne and Die-Hardman have to come back, especially since we knkw that Kojima met with all of them since DS2's announcement... Sorry to get so anxious in the message box, but I feel like you'll get what I'm feeling ':D /🐈‍⬛

I completely understand, friend, I'm also very much anxious about DS 2, I think things would be very much easier if Kojima confirms already which characters are going to be in the game, I could feel more excited for it than terrified of it, but I like to think that he wants to surprise and reveal as little about it as he can, I mean, we don't even know how the gameplay is going to be, we literally know nothing other than 4 or 5 scenes. It helps putting my mind at ease.