#Path of Fire Demo

[apollohears]

DEMO. ( TBD ) ✸ ROMANCES. ✸ PLAYLISTS.

last updated: coming soon !

Step into the shadows of Day of Dusk, a mesmerizing blend of dark fantasy, horror, and romance. Drawing inspiration from the chilling folklore of the Brothers Grimm and the adrenaline-fueled film "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters," this interactive novel beckons you into a world where mysteries lurk in every corner and romance dances with danger.

In Day of Dusk, the line between magic and malevolence blurs, and you, the main protagonist, hold the key to unraveling its secrets. Will you dare to navigate the twisted paths where witches, witch hunters, and supernatural entities collide?

The choice is yours, but be warned: in the shadows of dusk, nothing is as it seems.

In the heart of a medieval fantasy realm lies "Day of Dusk," a tale woven with threads of mystery and the macabre. Journey alongside a band of young mercenaries, masters of the dark art of witch hunting, as they navigate a world teeming with secrets and shadows.

Their journey begins in the tainted township of Ruel-Mizu, where whispers of many vanished children echo through the fog-choked streets. Tasked with unraveling this enigma, your group treads a path fraught with peril and the weight of history's darkest deeds.

As you delve deeper into the town's grim past, you'll confront not only witches of formidable power but also otherworldly entities lurking in the shadows. Along the way, unexpected allies may emerge, and the bonds of friendship may blossom into something more.

Yet every choice carries weight in this twisted tale of power and love. Betrayal lurks around every corner, and the line between ally and enemy blurs in the gloom. Will you sacrifice everything for the truth, side with who you least expect it, save the town for good or succumb to the allure of forbidden romance?

In "Day of Dusk," the fate of worlds hangs in the balance, and only you hold the key to unlocking its secrets.

How far will you go to uncover the truth?

This game is a work of fiction; content warnings include, but are not limited to, graphic death, depictions of blood and gore, medieval violence, body horror, explicit language, depression, suicide, references to assault, grooming, mental and physical abuse, sexually suggestive themes, and drug and alcohol use. This story is intended for mature +17 audiences; reader discretion is advised.

STORY FEATURES :

Step into the shoes of a diverse protagonist, embracing your identity as male, female, non-binary, or anywhere along the gender spectrum. Explore the rich tapestry of human sexuality, navigating relationships and attractions as a gay, straight, bisexual, asexual, or aromantic individual. Your journey is uniquely yours, shaped by your experiences and choices as you carve out your place in the world.

Embark on a journey of discovery and connection as you navigate the complex web of relationships in a world filled with intrigue and danger. In the end, it is through these connections—friendships forged in fire, love born from adversity—that you might find the true meaning of your existence and the strength to face whatever challenges lie ahead.

Have your name written in history tales to come, become a hero beacon of hope, or become a feared figure among the community.

Confide in the unrevealed troubles that settle the mysterious past of your royal company's path to break tradition—or steal the heir's power to the throne for your own.

Learn the dark truth about the horrors that lie concealing just how far some would go to great lengths in order to create life.

Forge the future of a community and companions lives with the supporting changes and challenges schemed upon you and all of those who you know or love.

THE RO CHARACTERS :

Each love interest will have their own route which you will get to choose from at the end of the common route. The four romance options in this game depend purely on the readers preference which include: a man, a woman, one you can choose between their presenting gender and a ç̸̤̞̟̏̀̄̔̚r̷̛̟͕͙̼͚̼̓̒̑͝͠ͅy̷̛͉̭͙̿̒̆̈́́͊͗̅̈̀p̶̟͎̩̩͕̭̀̍̅́͛̚ţ̵̺̬̭̪͂̊̑̋̽̚͝͝ì̴̠̪͊͐̿͊̽̍͘͜͝͠c̴̗͉̭̖͕͕̐̔̾̂͘͝ͅ ̴͓͉͚͔̬͓̩̜͒̂͋́b̶̘̽̔̃̀͂̒̕͝e̷̡̡̫̮̹̻̰̺̖͋̿͂̀͑̈́̌̕̚͝ì̵͚̤͗ͅn̸̫̎̋́ǧ̶̡̳̥̾̚ͅ.̵̧̛̩̯̹̦̊̎̈́̕͝

Silas/Sophia Amon — the needling best friend and a member of your witch hunting team. Forge a deeper friendship and uncover the true meaning of loyalty with your brash yet devoted childhood best friend, whose charming demeanor hides on top of another layer of emotion.

"I'll be the bad guy if it means keeping us alive. Someone has to make the tough calls around here."

Pavlos Norlenbourne  — the neglected forsaken naive royal with a roaring secret. Draw close to a haunted prince, haunted by the shadows of his tragic upbringing, and unravel the mysteries that surround him as you delve into the depths of his troubled soul. 

"In a world where power is everything, I'm just a pretty pawn in their game. But I'll make my own moves, carve my own path."

Annette Meadowcroft — the obsessive poet with a firing spirit who refuses to be tamed. Uncover the hidden depths of a secret poet, whose words hold the key to unlocking the secrets of the heart. Join her on a journey of self-discovery as she seeks to break free from the constraints of society and embrace the beauty of the world around her.

"The ink flows from my pen like a river of defiance, writing my own narrative in a world that seeks to silence women like me."

Rune — the callow knight who isn't very fond of small talk with a foreboding origin. Dare to tread the path of a cryptic made being, grappling with questions of identity and purpose as they navigate a world that sees them as little more than a weapon. 

"If you have the audacity to think that I am some sorrowful god, then the pain of my fraud in human appearance will be all the more agonizing."

Depending on your play style, you have the ability to create, shape and destroy numerous familial, romantic, platonic, professional and community relationships with a full cast of characters whose genders and personalities vary. 

✸ Dedicated to all the hopeless romance and fantasy fans who are too engrossed in their books to talk and too shy to write, to my momanager Kass, who always likes to keep things real.

[jovial-thunder]

Downtimes, module editor, water temple

Happy summer! There's smoke in Portland but it's not too bad. Bless firefighters. Work on Lancer Tactics continues apace.

This month has been mostly focused on the largest heretofore-untouched section of the game: downtimes and the module editor for designing the sequences between combats. We're not planning on doing anything particularly innovative or new in its design — if you've played Banner Saga, Fire Emblem (gameboy versions), or Rogue Squadron you'll recognize what's going on here.

Repair, level up, have visual-novel-style conversations with companions, do some light choose-your-own-adventuring, and pick & launch the next combat. All pretty standard downtime fare — games have pretty thoroughly explored these patterns as vehicles for narrative at this point.

The unique thing that Lancer Tactics is offering on this front is an editor to make your own entire campaigns. Classic games like Warcraft or Age of Empires had incredible scenario editors, but making anything more than a one-mission map was solely the domain of modders. Over the last few weeks, we've gotten a full basically-visual-novel-editor working ingame where you can orchestrate NPC story arcs, clocks ticking, branching paths, and triggered events for all the stuff that happens between combats.

All of the campaigns we ship with the game are going to be made with these same editors, which'll force us to really make sure that they're solid tools. I think it'd be very funny to someday see someone like completely ignore all the mech stuff and just make a visual novel in this engine.

There's no new preview game build this month because adding this big section of the game means too many things are under construction. I'm happy with how fast we've been able to get this going, but making ingame editors is a lot of unglamorous UI piping and data refactoring work. Fingers crossed that it'll come together enough that we'll be able to get the first version of this editor in your hands in time for the next update

Other Changelogs

Carpenter has started re-making the tutorial level from the demo in this new engine, which is pushing us to add a bunch of stuff to the combat editor. I added triggers for playing arbitrary effects on the map, moving the camera, storing arbitrary data to the battle/module states, enabling/disabling/triggering other triggers, AND/OR conditions, and putting execution limits on triggers.

Triggers can highlight UI or actions (so it can be like "use the boost to get through!" and the boost button becomes all shiny)

New "camera start" zone type

Added a "hotspot" zone type that has a little floating title, and plastered the names of other zones on the map (visual style stolen from some Foundry VTT modules)

Added water, whose level can be set via the editor or triggers.

Added unmounted pilots who can mount up into Shut Down mechs. We continue to plan to not have pilot combat be a part of the core game, but it'll be useful for scenario or scripted sequences.

Added activation pips and template icons to the mini healthbar on units.

A bunch more portrait editor assets from Martina, including facial hair. Here's a check Carpenter did where he tried to recreate some official Lancer art ingame. ✨

Schedule update

Taking a look at our original date for the "bones" of the game ("finishing the battle engine, basic character creation, 2 mechs per manufacturer, and an a 'instant action' mode"), we estimated being able to get it done by the end of November. The emotional milestone for me on this front is getting the game to a complete enough state that I feel OK about swapping it in on the itch.io page.

I've been saying that the 3D cataclysm has pushed us back back about 3 months, and I think that's still holding true. Carpenter and I haven't officially made the call yet, but I think it's likely we'll need that time to port more mech content; here's a graph they made that shows about where we're sitting on the PC and NPC mechs for the "bones" target in terms of mechanics and action icon/sprite. 

(This data is pulled from a big table they made that includes ALL talents/gear/traits where we've been marking things off as we've implemented them. Very handy for tracking where we are.)

That's all for now. Tata!

[undertale-yellow]

Experimental Patch 1.1.0

First, we would like to thank everyone for the incredible reception we've got for UTY 💛 it's been surreal in the best way

We do hear your feedback though, and have worked to address what we can in a new patch for Undertale Yellow. Please be warned, we haven't been able to test everything with this patch, but we're confident it should work in a normal playthrough

Thank you once again for playing and giving feedback! We realize these are not all the issues that have been brought up, but we will continue to work toward improving the game!

You can download Undertale Yellow version 1.1.0 on Gamejolt!

**This new build will recognize any ongoing save, so just make a new folder for the zip contents or replace the old ones and you're good to go

Changelog under the cut ↓

Major Changes

Added two new accessibility options: - Easy mode: When enabled, the Hats now provide DEF values for an easier experience (can be changed mid playthrough) - Auto Rhythm: When enabled, automatically hits the notes in the rhythm fight without having to press a button, if you are in the correct lane

Reworked the final pacifist boss fight attacks to be less chaotic and unpredictable

During a chase sequence, a character was supposed to slow down every time they catch you in the chase, it now works as intended

Added an Act heal to the final No Mercy route boss (Also fixed a crash caused by this Act option being partially implemented but not working)

Crashes and Softlocks

Fixed a crash caused by using the “shoo” command twice during the dunebud duo fight

Fixed a crash caused by interacting with an object while completing the minecart puzzle

Fixed being able to backtrack on the second steam puzzle, which could lead to a crash and your save being ruined

Fixed a crash caused by pressing Z on frame 1 of the attack targetting cursor

Fixed a crash caused by a demo saved game being present on your system

Fixed a softlock caused by blocking Mo’s path as he’s leaving

Fixed a softlock caused by interacting with the crystal tree in Snowdin from the left

Fixed a softlock in the final pacifist boss fight where the selection soul would disappear from the menu

Fixed a softlock caused by sending one of the mine carts off track

Fixed an issue that caused one of Cactony’s attacks to never end

Fixed a softlock caused by mashing through the text fast in the raft room in Snowdin

Fixed a softlock caused by turning around immediately upon entering one of the rooms in the lategame

Fixed a very specific bug that caused you to get stuck on a bridge upon retrying a fight under it

Fixed a crash during the Guardener fight that could happen on her last line of dialogue

Fixed an unrelated softlock in the Guardener fight

Fixed a crash on the final No Mercy boss caused by getting hit on the same frame as you defeat the boss

Other

Fixed the tutorial buttons being swapped in the arcade minigame, also added additional information to the tutorial screen

Changed the Delta Rune Patch gold requirement from 150 to 100

Increased the item stock in the final shop of the No Mercy route (Applies on save reset)

Fixed mistakes in the credits

Fixed several line breaks, typos and mistakes in the text

Altered one of Sir Slither’s act dialogues to make the sparing condition more apparent

Added an autosave post the final pacifist boss as a temporary help with reported performance issues in this cutscene

Added the Auto-Fire toggles to the death screen of relevant fights so you don’t need to restart the game and fights in order to change it

Fixed a mood ruining issue in the final act caused by an unintended random event

Other minor fixes

[morbethgames]

February 14th, 2024 Update!

Hey all, I'm gonna be trying to do this weekly now. So, quick update on things, first and foremost the book as that's what most of you come here for! I am 11k words in and about a little halfway done with the path that lets you participate in the next part with Lance and Alvarez. There is going to be quite a bit of variation in how a PC can choose to approach this scene; those Combat Stats exist for a reason!

As for things going on with Patreon, I have decided on a schedule!

Patreon content will release on Tuesdays and Thursdays!

I am going to attempt to stick to that schedule as consistently as possible, and I'm off to a good start on that! Part 1 of The Bureau Audiobook went up today and part 2 is going up on Thursday. Not to mention the small short story introducing the character Buck Marcellis went up last Thursday! The story is around 2.5k words long, if I remember correctly. An extra little thing going up today as well is the Poll to see what Interactive Fiction I will be reading as an audiobook next. That's right:

You will get to pick the next audiobook reading!

I've gotten a bunch of different author's consent to make audiobooks of their work, so anyone who is a subscriber to the Patreon, you will have a direct say in what Audiobook goes up alongside the one for The Bureau! Options include things like:

Kingdoms and Empires

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - An affair of the heart

When Life Gives You Lemons

Honor Amongst Thieves

The Operative: Fires of Revolution

Defiled Hearts: The Barbarian

Along with a couple of others that are on the list for possibilities!

Over the next few months, I will be more active for sure, and you can expect the update for The Bureau to come out before the end of March (I hope). Thank you all so much for sticking with me, and I hope to see you over on the Patreon, which, thanks to hyperlinks, you can conveniently find

RIGHT HERE! <-

The Forum Page for "The Bureau"

The demo for the game itself!

Thank you all so much for reading this update and for sticking with me and continuing to do so for the future! You are all awesome! Also big shoutouts to @when-life-gives-you-lemonssss, @kingdoms-and-empires, @theoperativeif, @leoneliterary, @doriana-gray-games, @defiledheartsblog for giving me permission to read their work on my silly little attempt at Patreon content; you guys are awesome!

Stay Brilliant,

-Vi

[aequitas-if]

Genres: Superhero Fiction, Action, Mystery, Romance

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

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

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

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

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

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

After all, you used to lead it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Romance your former (friends) teammates

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

The (Original) Team [ROs]

Alexandria “Alex” Andeno [She/Her]

Alias: Elysian

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

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

Napoleon Jasper “Jasp” Walker [He/Him]

Alias: Momentum

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

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

Zhiuxzoe “Zoe” Smith [She/Her]

Alias: Onism

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

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

Rowan Parker [He/Him]

Alias: Kalon

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

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

Vesper ??? [They/Them]

Alias: Lacuna

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

Leonardo “Leon” Cabello [He/Him]

Alias: Curio

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

Juniper “Juni” Kent [She/Her]

Alias: Apricity

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

Lenora “Nora” Croce [She/Her]

Alias: Moira

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

Sebastian Barrere [He/Him]

Alias: Calamity

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

[gingerylangylang1979]

Male identity: Carmy and Richie

I’m finding that a certain demographic of fans have a much harder time relating to Carmy but very much relate to Richie. Granted, a lot of this has to do with what fandom platform you observe. I actually kind of hate The Bear subreddit but continue to browse it periodically because it’s super interesting to hear what “the others” are talking about. I rarely engage anymore because it’s mostly nonsense and a totally different vibe than Tumblr. The contingent is definitely very anti-Carmy x Sydney and seems to hate Sydney. I’ve also noticed that while there is a lot of love for Carmy there is even more love for Richie. I’m very intrigued by this perspective. 

This season Richie was definitely a standout. I think Ebon is an amazing actor and am glad he is finally getting nominated for his role. I thought he got robbed with the non-Emmy nominations. But even before S2 I noticed that Richie was the most favored character among the Reddit demo and perhaps a big part of the general audience. That’s fine, people can favor who they like. I know that doesn’t represent everyone but I do think that speaks for what I consider general audience and makes sense considering how society still views manhood despite social progress. This season even a lot of the reviews were kind of meh about Carmy. I get it, I initially was writing him off too, was pissed, and thought he had the worst arc. Then once thoughts settled he went back to being my hero. Deeply flawed, but I just relate to him so much and he’s fascinating to watch. I’m a woman, so maybe that helps my empathy. I also don’t think The Bear would work with Richie as the lead as some have suggested. 

The thing is Carmy is a more difficult character because he has multiple layers of trauma, his work is so specialized and niche, he is a sensitive soul, he’s artistic, and he doesn’t fit the mold of the working class male models he was surrounded by. Your typical man can’t relate to him. And most likely your typical conservative leaning woman can’t either. At the Christmas party he was appalled at how the other guys were talking about Claire. And this is a woman he had a crush on and is present day attracted to. He could have easily been superficial and macho and laughed at the jokes as expected. He didn’t let Richie get away with calling Syd sweetheart. Richie says he’s “woke”. He employs a woman in a leadership role. He’s built different. 

He is struggling in many ways that are hidden and he also lashes out. The hidden ways and the lashing out are interpreted as whiny and annoying by people that can’t relate. He’s been cited as not growing but people can’t acknowledge that his healing won’t be linear. But how can it be when his trauma was collected in overlapping seasons for most of his life? The pain didn’t develop in a linear path. He had a stutter when he was young. There are hints that there is a learning issue of some sort (I’m not going to try and diagnose). He was always the “different” one in the family. The other guys call him “weird”. His father was absent. His mom has mental health issues and is an alcoholic. He witnessed the traumatic incident at Christmas and I’m sure it wasn’t the only such incident. His brother was an addict that pushed him away, then killed himself. He went into a chaotic, highly demanding field that required him to isolate to excel. He is shy and has trouble forming close bonds. He had a mentally abusive boss. He was always super competitive. He comes back to own The Beef and it’s problem after problem. How are people expecting him to be “fun” and have an easy comeback like Richie? 

Richie has issues, too. Stagnant in mid-life, spent years devoted to an addict, failed marriage, feeling disillusioned and displaced, also an absent father. But when we meet Richie he’s not as wounded as Carmy. Carmy is literally sleep cooking, almost starting fires, dissociating, having panic attacks. Richie is sad but it mostly manifests as him being kind of nasty and grumpy. He’s like a sour old man with dated and offensive jokes. His behavior is dismissed because he’s grieving. Which yes, he deserves a pass. But why does he deserve a bigger pass than Carmy who is dealing with so much more or Sydney who seemed to bear the biggest brunt of his outrage and was also struggling? Carmy is literally on the verge of a breakdown and has the weight of trying to keep the staff, the business, and himself afloat. Despite all this Richie gets a lot of indulgences for his bad behavior that Carmy isn’t. 

Richie is easier for a lot of people to digest because he’s funny, he’s the working class representative, he’s tall (yes people have height bias, especially with men). Carmy is viewed as the pompous prodigal son that’s trying to ruin Richie’s delicate ecosystem by gentrifying and kicking out “the working man”. There are people posting in disgust that he dare change The Beef despite it being a hell hole money pit. 

It’s just so interesting that in reality we are dealing with an unprecedented numbers of men who report extreme loneliness, depression, hopelessness. Richie and Carmy both fit that profile. Yet, a man like Richie is broadly understood and accepted and a man like Carmy isn’t. It goes back IMO to the continual coding of masculine/good vs feminine/bad. Richie is the stereotypical red blooded American male. He wants the stripper’s panties. He has a gun. He needs to be alpha. He views anything outside the norm as a threat. He wants to preserve tradition at all costs. Carmy is his foil. Carmy is viewed as feminine. 

I see it even on Tumblr with the persistent identification of Carmy as somehow feminine. Like he can’t be soft and traumatized and just be a man. So what does that say when even people who would probably consider themselves progressive still classify a man in feminine terms if he isn’t a MAN? We accept all types of gender identities but still struggle with a man not fitting the correct paradigm. Society still has issues accepting that men can be vulnerable and struggling without being feminized. People also make assumptions about Carmy’s gender identity and sexuality based on his trauma. Like, of course he has to be XYZ because well, look at him, he’s sad an pathetic. What does that say about men’s sexuality and identity? Are only queer men accepted as sad? Carmy could be a queer character, cool, representation matters. But I just find the semi-automatic equation of queerness with an atypical male to be odd and a bit regressive. 

Edited to add on above: I hope what I’m saying doesn’t get interpreted as dismissing queer people who identify with Carmy. I get it, I support it. What I’m speaking to is the insistence that canon Carmy is queer because of his interests, aesthetic, and mental health as if that is the only identity option. Granted, he could be bi. I also think some people are insistent on this, just as they are on Syd not being into men, as a way to negate the possibility of them being romantic. Again, I’m saying some people. Also, proximity and shared struggle doesn’t equal identity. This makes me think of once when a white gay male bestie claimed we are the same because I’m a black women. I had to kindly correct. We share the same haters, we are both marginalized, but he will never know my experience just like I will never know his. We can bond on the commonalities but we aren’t exactly the same. IMO, it would be a disservice to both of us to claim different.

I’m really rambling, but just thought I would share my thoughts and open a conversation about this. 

[bcdrawsandwrites]

[ID: A Team Fortress 2 fic banner showing Pyro standing in front of a fireplace with its back to it, tossing a book backward into the fire. Pyro is in shades of gray, the book is in yellow-white, and only the fire is colored orange, mimicking the style of the Cooking the Books achievement icon. The title is on the left, in yellow-white text on a darker background reading, "CHAPTER THREE: COOKING THE BOOKS" /end ID]

Flickering

Fandom: Team Fortress 2 Rating: K+ Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship Characters: Spy, Pyro, Scout (plus the rest of the mercs, but the others have minor roles in this chapter) Warnings: General references to trauma, TF2-typical violence Fic Description: After the events of the comics, the mercs try to go back to how things were, but it’s never that easy.

Spy can see his teammates going through their own struggles… but something seems to be very, very wrong with Pyro in particular.

And since no one else seems to be doing anything about this, Spy makes it his mission to get to the bottom of what is troubling Pyro. For no particular reason. Beta Readers: @mechmolar, @gonturan0, @junuve

---~~~---

Chapter 3: Cooking the Books Summary: In which Pyro takes notice of Spy.

---~~~---

The bustling atmosphere of the pre-match preparation was tinged with tension, at least for Spy. Sniper kept to himself; Soldier went on a rallying, confusing speech that no one other than Demo listened to; Heavy checked over his guns; Medic prepared his ubercharge; Scout... Engineer talked quietly to Pyro about setting up his buildings.

And Pyro stared directly at Spy.

Spy pretended to check through his disguises, but watched Pyro out of the corner of his eye. The Pyro never looked away, though it did give a tiny nod when the Engineer asked if it heard everything.

"Good to hear," Engineer said, and patted Pyro on the back with his good hand.

That made Pyro finally tear its gaze away from Spy to whirl on the Engineer. But the Administrator’s voice had already called for the match to start, and Engineer was hauling his toolbox out into the fray. When Pyro looked back, however, it gave a start; Spy had taken the opportunity to cloak so he could escape that creature's gaze.

Spy barely suppressed a shudder as he put as much distance between himself and the Pyro as possible. Once he was sure he was far enough away, he de-cloaked and let himself breathe.

Well. This was, indeed, going to make things difficult. If the Engineer hadn't startled Pyro, he wasn't sure what it might have done. But even though he'd gotten away, he couldn't imagine this would be the end of it.

Still, for the time being, he focused on the match. Pyro would likely be spending most of its time in their intelligence room, so he wouldn't get the chance to see it. Probably for the best, this time.

The match went on as it typically did, and Spy managed to sneak in to nab the BLU team's intelligence. As he was bringing the briefcase back, the Administrator's voice cried out that their intelligence had been taken as well.

Interesting—the Pyro had slipped up, it seemed.

Sure enough, Spy entered the intelligence room just in time to see the Engineer's precious gadgets be destroyed by enemy sappers. Sighing, he dropped off the stolen intelligence before charging back out to chase down the thief.

Spy followed the path the enemy had likely taken—through the sewers. Not something he enjoyed doing, but work was work, and the respawn would clean his outfit, provided he actually died. As he was mulling this over, he nearly ran smack into the RED merc standing at the edge of the water. "What are you doing?!" he cried. "They are going to—"

He faltered upon realizing whom he was talking to. Pyro did not acknowledge him, still staring at the water. The last time he recalled Pyro avoiding water was when it was “protecting” something it had set aflame, but it wasn’t holding anything other than its axe at the moment.

Before he could think any further on this, an explosion rang out just outside the sewers, followed by an announcement that the enemy had dropped the intelligence.

"Oh, got some of 'em on me shirt that time!" the Demo shouted with a laugh.

Spy snorted, whipping out his butterfly knife and preparing to leave to defend the intelligence when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye—Pyro had turned around to stare at him. Spy stared back, just for a moment, before cloaking and retreating.

He did not see the Pyro for the rest of the match, much to his relief. It must have gone back to defend the intelligence room again, and Spy avoided the room thereafter, instead opting to aid his own teammates in obtaining the enemy intelligence by taking out the enemy sentries and sniper. The remainder of the match went smoothly, with the RED team scoring yet another pointless victory. Spy rolled his shoulders as he headed back to spawn, only to freeze in his tracks.

Scout sat against the wall, breathing heavily.

Spy's mind plunged into a blank, staticy whirl, his heart threatening to break free of his ribcage. He could smell the smoke from the destroyed robots, the metallic tang of blood, and Scout was so hideously pale. There weren't any respawn machines here, and the Medic—

"What're you lookin' at, chucklenuts?" Scout snapped, tipping back the brim of his baseball cap as he fixed Spy with a look. His face was flushed red and glistening with sweat; he wiped his brow.

Rolling his eyes, Spy forcibly shoved the imagery from his mind. "Only wondering why you are wasting time when we need to return to spawn."

"What, I can't take a breather? I ran straight from the BLU intelligence room to here without stopping, or getting hit." Wincing, he held a hand against the side of his chest. "Mostly, anyway."

So he hadn't been imagining the smell of blood. Though it wasn't as strong as it had been back when... "You can rest after you've seen the Medic. Move."

Scout muttered a few unsavory words before pushing himself up to his feet, trudging back toward spawn, and Spy followed, closely inspecting the walls around them so he could look everywhere but at Scout.

When they arrived, Spy busied himself with tidying up his locker. He could hear Scout chatting with Medic, but tuned it out with the rustle of paper and fabric. His hand found a lint brush, and he used it to gently clean off his jacket and pants. Yes, they had another round in a short while, but it never hurt to look one's best.

As he bent down to clean off the bottoms of his pant legs, the hair stood on the back of his neck. Bristling, he whipped around to see Pyro once again staring at him from the other side of the room. This time, he stared right back, maintaining eye contact (or whatever approximated it with that creature's mask) before slamming his locker door shut and striding off to the bathroom to finish tidying himself up.

When he opened the door to step back out, he almost immediately leaped backwards to find the Pyro staring at him from just outside. He half-expected to see an axe or flamethrower being held at the ready, but Pyro's hands were empty.

...Oh. Perhaps it just needed to use the washroom itself. With a grunt, Spy weaved around it and back into the spawn room. But to his consternation, Pyro followed him.

Finally Spy whirled around to face him. "What?" he snapped.

Pyro said nothing, and turned its head slightly to the side.

Frustration mounting, Spy opened his mouth—

"Mission begins in ten seconds!"

Sniper hurried to the Pyro's side. "Mate, can we have a word? An enemy spy caught me last round, and if you could..."

Spy turned away from the conversation, instead checking over his equipment in preparation for the round.

He wasn't sure what he would've gotten out of talking to that thing, anyway.

—-

The match had gone on as normal, other than Spy doing all he could to avoid Pyro. They'd won another swift victory and returned to their base to cool off.

After hanging behind the others to make sure he wasn't tailed by anyone again, Spy quickly found himself in his smoking room, sitting on his chair and facing the fireplace. He had a fire going—entirely unnecessarily for all but atmosphere—and a book open on his lap, a glass of wine at his side. A few drags from his cigarette and a few sips of wine were quickly taking the edge off of the events of the day's match.

A victory, yes. But with more than a few things that bothered him.

Pyro had, of course, realized that Spy had been... well, spying on it. But what it planned to do with that information, Spy had no clue. It had yet to attack him, and he didn't much enjoy being watched by that creature every second it was around him.

It didn't help that he had no way to actually ask the Pyro anything. It couldn't talk intelligibly to begin with, and now it was refusing to vocalize at all. What was he supposed to do? Give it a pen and paper? He didn't even know if it could read or write, let alone hold a pen in its creepy claws.

Sighing, he tried to turn his focus to the book he'd pulled off his shelf. He could figure this out another time—for now, he only wished to unwind.

Of course, no one else in this stupid base seemed to agree.

THUD. THUD.

Spy's lips pulled back in a grimace. "Who is it? What do you want?" he called out, letting the annoyance edge into his voice. Hopefully whoever it was would pick up on it and decide to leave him alone for once.

He gave a bitter laugh at the thought, and sure enough, the bothersome person was once again knocking.

THUD. THUD.

"You have got to be kidding me," Spy muttered, setting his book aside and rising from his chair. He strode over to the door. "Who is it?" he demanded.

No response.

Frowning, he opened the door a crack and peered through. Upon seeing nothing, he opened the door wider, and to his consternation, found absolutely no one outside.

Ah. Probably another one of Scout's stupid pranks. Rolling his eyes, he turned around.

The Pyro stood beside the fireplace, staring directly at him.

Spy gave a start, his heart jumping into his throat before his fear turned to anger. "You—?!" he sputtered, then stormed closer. "How did you get in here?!"

Pyro lifted its left hand, pointing at the door.

Spy glanced back at the door. "Yes, hilarious. But how—" He stopped himself, realizing that Pyro had probably sneaked into here before he'd arrived. But then why go through the trouble of distracting...

Tap, tap.

Turning back to Pyro, he realized abruptly that it was holding something, which it had tapped against the side of the fireplace. It took him a moment to realize it was the book he'd just been reading. "...Wait."

Pyro's head jerked toward the fireplace, and it held the book out.

Spy gave a start. "Don't you dare."

And Pyro tossed the book into the fire, setting it ablaze, and pointed at the burning book.

"Sacré bleu!" he cried, bolting over to the fireplace. "What have you done?!"

The Pyro's head snapped back in his direction, and it pointed at the fire with more emphasis.

Spy stumbled to a halt beside the Pyro and returned its gaze, staring at the reflection of flames in the creature's dark goggles. For a moment he could see himself in Pyro's room the night prior, the creature staring at him through—or with—those same dark lenses. The memory of it sharply brought him back to reality, and he followed where the Pyro was pointing, staring at the pages of the book as they curled and blackened in the flames. After watching this for a second, he looked back.

Pyro gave a brief nod, and reached for him.

"Mon dieu!" Spy stumbled back. "What are you—?!"

Pyro exhaled a sharp breath through its filter, and took a step toward him. Its suit and mask gleamed in the light of the fire, and it made a grab for him.

With a yelp, Spy stumbled back again, looking from the fire to Pyro and quickly realizing what the thing intended to do. Without another word, he bolted for the door.

Yet Pyro had somehow anticipated his move, and swerved to block him. It held one hand out, palm forward, and its breathing was heavy through its filter.

Spy's heart pounded, but he glared. "Out of my way, you mush-mouthed freak!"

To his fury, the Pyro shook its head, and reached for him again.

Later, Spy would tell himself that it was purely on instinct. Maybe it was. Maybe it was something else. Whatever it was, the next thing he knew he had flipped open his butterfly knife and was swinging his arm in a stab. At the last moment he realized what was happening, and adjusted the stab into an awkward slash, tearing across the Pyro's arm.

Maybe because he was expecting it, he thought he heard a strained noise after the slash. But he was more concerned with rushing to the other side of the room, hoping to find another way to get around that deadly creature. But to his surprise, it was already hurrying out of the room, one hand grasping its injured arm. He watched it leave, and, once he was sure it was gone, hurriedly shut and latched the door behind it.

The room now secured, he stumbled back to his chair, numbly retrieving a cloth from his pocket and cleaning the blade of his knife. As he picked up his wine glass to down it, he happened to glance at the cloth, staring at the mix of blood and soot that was smeared across it.

Why had he ever gotten involved?

[askagamedev]

Game Dev Glossary: Prototype, Vertical Slice, First Playable, MVP, Demo

Someone on our discord brought up a good bit of nuance in response to the Vertical Slice talk - there's a bunch of different terms for things that seem really similar. Each of the terms are the same basic concept - a demonstration of gameplay - but they each have small but important distinctions. Let's go over them here.

[Vertical Slice] - We just went over this. It's a functioning version of all planned game systems in the game working together for a representative final game experience.

First Playable - Basically the same as a Vertical Slice. Some people have some bigger distinctions between the two, the First Playable is the milestone that marks the end of preproduction and the beginning of production.

Prototype - A playable example of a single gameplay system to prove out the concept. Examples might be character movement, a combat combo system, or a specific game mechanic. The above screenshot is from the Breath of the Wild systems prototype - wind, fire, etc. was modeled in this prototype before being translated to the 3D game world.

MVP - Minimum Viable Product. The absolute bare-bones critical path minimum of whatever deliverable we're working on that meets acceptance criteria. This can refer to the whole game or a specific chunk of work we're doing (e.g. a specific system, a feature, etc.).

Demo - A stripped-down build of the game for exhibition, either for executives, tradeshows, or public-facing. Split into pre-release demo and post-release demo, with the post-release demo being easier to deal with.

[Join us on Discord] and/or [Support us on Patreon]

Got a burning question you want answered?

Short questions: Ask a Game Dev on Twitter

Long questions: Ask a Game Dev on Tumblr

Frequent Questions: The FAQ

[quitealotofsodapop]

What if ( monkey king 2023)red girl meets red son

How would she react to spicynoodles and their children and what would red girl and red son think about each other?

Red Son teleports to Flower Fruit Mountain, only to see Red Girl trying to fight the other SWKs for their staffs. Small fires are following the little imp's path, and Red Son quickly steps in to quell the flames - grabbing his alternate counterpart by the scruff of her clothes like she were a kitten.

Red Girl: "ARRGH! You will rue the day you crossed paths with Red Girl peasant! Eat fire!" *shoots flames onto Red Son* Red Son, not even fazed: "Cute." Red Girl: "Huh? Why aren't you burning to death and stuff?" Red Son: "Because I'm a fire demon too? Also your method is appalling, my daughters have more control than you and they can't even walk yet." Red Girl: "You take that back!" *tackles him*

After another quick scuffle (+the offended SWK getting his stick back), Red Son quickly realises that this is an alternate version of them. Red Girl is not amused in the slightest.

Red Girl: "No! I won't be friends with *any* version of the Monkey King!!" Red Son: "I understand that it's a bit of a shock-" Red Girl: "He defeated me, and my baba. And now my mama is all alone!" Red Son: "He did what?!" *hair fires up* Netflix!SWK: *chuckling nervously* "Well it's a funny story. See I was on my mission to defeat 100 demons-" *Netflix!SWK narrowly misses two different fire balls* Red Son: "How many other families did you destroy!?" Netflix!SWK: *astral projecting* "MK please get your mate, I'm scared."

Later it's cleared up that Red Girl's father is currently trapped in the Underworld like she had been - according to the 2D sequence in the netflix film; DBK likely wasn't killed like some of the other demons. And you know Red Son would violate many inter-dimensional laws to help his younger self, and drag Netflix!SWK straight to his world's Diyu for pickup.

Meanwhile as Red Son and Netflix!SWK are on their Underworld heist; Red Girl is left in the care of some familiar faces.

LMK! PIF & DBK: *silently sitting around the living room with Red Girl* Red Girl: "...you both look like my mama and baba. But it's not the same." PIF: "I understand, firelily." Red Girl: *silently scoots closer for a hug* PIF & DBK: *PIF silently wraps her arms around the little demoness, while DBK rests his chin on his wife's shoulders* Red Girl: "You got left alone too, didn't you?" DBK: *small sigh of sadness* PIF, tears pricking her eyes: "Yes... Not the exact way your mother was but... I was alone for a very long time." Red Girl: "Why didn't you kill you Monkey King though? If he hurt you so bad?" PIF, light chuckle: "Well our grandchildren certainly wouldn't approve." Red Girl: "Huh???" DBK: "The Monkey King is not only my sworn brother, but also my brother-in-law. His son is married to our Red." Red Girl, takes a moment to compute: "......EEEWWWW!!! Gross! A monkey!?" PIF & DBK: *both laughing fondly*

Later when Red Girl and her family are fully reunited, she demands answers from LMK!Red. Red Son decides that the easiest way to explain is to show Red Girl a certain someones.

Red Son: *holding Red Girl's hand as they approach the nursery* "Are you sure you still want to see them?" Red Girl: "Y-yes! I wanna know what vile monkey spawn has you under this spell!" Red Son: "M'kay. Don't say I didn't warn you." *Opens nursery door. MK is standing inside singing to their eldest twins* MK, joy written all over his face: "Sunflower! You're back!" *MK and Red Son meet half-way for smooches* MK, is aware of their little adventure: "And who's you little friend?" Red Girl: (,,◕　⋏　◕,,) Red Son: "My alternate dimension counterpart. I had to help the younger Sun Wukong make things right with them." MK: "Such a gentleman." *turns attention back to Red Girl* "I hear that you wanted to see the babies, Little Red?" Red Girl: *slowly nods head* MK: "Ok, they're asleep in their crib right now. Try and not make much sound. They're little firecrackers at the best of times." Red Girl: *approaches crib, peering over the side* Xuancao & Yingsu [#1 & 2]: *sound asleep and breathing softly. are curled into eachother like kittens* Red Girl: "......" Red Son: "Well little sister. What do you think of them?" Red Girl: *starts sniffling* MK & Red Son: *rush to comfort her* MK: "Hey, hey. It's ok firelily. Tell me what's wrong?" Red Girl, ugly sobbing: "Where's my MK!?" MK & Red Son: "Eh??" Red Girl: "I wanna beautiful and kind husband too!!" MK & Red Son: "Ah." "I told mother the same thing when I was that age."

Ultimately Red Son sees the Netflix counterpart as the little sister he never had. Red Girl in turn adores her honorary big sibling - but is every envious of Red Son's beautiful mate.

Netflix!SWK laughs when he hears the story from LMK!SWK - as if he'll have any kids to make his own MK! XD Netflix's LEM blushes, their six ears fluttering with the prophetic sounds of baby monkey chirping.

[rachelfoleyisntdead]

Tiny Bireena one-shot ish thing inspired by (1) that idea I had that Bi-Han promised to take Sareena with him before Kuai Liang and Tomas dragged him back and (2) the idea left on my Ashrah/Syzoth fic about Bi-Han sneaking into the Wu Shi academy to see Sareena.

This was supposed to be full angsty but yeah, didn't turn out that way. Sareena is a hopeful person, especially when it comes to Bi-Han. Enjoy some pouty Bi-Han and flirty Sareena~

--

"Intruders!"

"It's the Lin Kuei!"

Sareena's heart skipped a beat as Harumi and Hanzo down the hall of the Shirai Ryu's main building. Harumi's eyes widened as she saw the demoness and she came to a gasping stop.

"Sareena! Thank the fire god--I have to help Kuai Liang and Tomas, they're outnumbered--"

"No, take Hanzo and go find my sister," Sareena replied. Harumi was capable, she knew, but Kuai would kill someone if she or Hanzo were harmed. "I'll help Kuai Liang and Tomas."

Harumi took another desperate look back at the training hall, then nodded. She yanked the protesting Hanzo alongside her; he was the future of the Shirai Ryu but this was not his fight.

By the time Sareena made it into the training hall, two Lin Kuei in yellow and red were struggling to push themselves up. Kuai Liang was on his knees, gasping as Tomas went blow for blow with Bi-Han.

Sareena tried not to get distracted, hurrying to Kuai Liang. "Can you stand?" she asked, her eyes still darting towards the fight. Towards him.

Kuai Liang swallowed and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine… it's a good thing you always visit on Tuesdays," he said, forcing a weak smile.

Tomas let out a cry of pain, and Sareena shot to her feet to see him stumbling back, blood dripping from his arm. Bi-Han was advancing, a great hammer of ice in his hands. She shot forward, putting herself in his path. In a swirl of light, twin daggers appeared in her hands.

Bi-Han stopped, his brows furrowing together. "Sareena." Her heart did a little flip, and she readjusted her grip on her daggers. "What are you doing here?" he growled, and she couldn't tell if he was disappointed or just confused.

"I'd be happy to tell you if you stop trying to kill your brothers," she replied.

"They chose to get in my way."

"I am in your way. Will you kill me?" she asked.

He didn't answer, but the hammer dissolved and reformed into a spear. Then, he lunged. She turned, dodging it and pushing him back with a kick to his chest.

"New plan," Bi-Han looked at the ninja in yellow--a woman--then at Sareena again. The woman nodded.

What…? There was a flash of green, and then a weighted net wrapped around her. Something pulled and she was swept off her feet, dragged across the floor.

"Sareena!" Before Tomas could take a step, he was frozen up to the knees, rooted in place.

Bi-Han turned walking towards her and summoned a shard of ice sharp enough to cut through the net, then hauled her over his shoulder.

"Grandmaster, this is not what we came for--" the ninja in red began.

Bi-Han glanced at him. "It seems my brother has taken more than one thing that belongs to me."

"Brother, stop!" As Kuai Liang stood, the ninja in red fired something at him. Sareena struggled as Bi-Han walked away, watching helplessly as it exploded in a ball of fire.

"Cyrax." The ninja in yellow--Cyrax--dropped a device on the ground, and a portal opened. The smoke began to clear, and the last thing Sareena saw before Bi-Han stepped through was Kuai Liang's determined stare and the spark of fire.

"Leave us," Bi-Han ordered as they stepped out into a softly lit chamber. Sareena recognized it; it looked exactly like the antechamber to the grandmaster's room in the Shirai Ryu compound.

The two ninjas looked at each other, then left. Sareena shifted as he opened the sliding door to the grandmaster's chamber, trying to avoid the doorframe.

"Stop your squirming, demoness. You begged me to take you to the Lin Kuei and I have," the grandmaster said, one hand gripping her backside before letting her slide from his shoulder.

She shoved him away, scowling as her anger bubbled over. This was not what she meant, and he knew it. "You left me with Quan Chi! You promised you would take me with you, and when I returned, you were gone!"

She'd thought he was a kindred spirit, that he understood what it was like to want more than the role she had been assigned. But he was just gone, and she would've been bound to Quan Chi forever if Ashrah hadn't returned for her.

"You can thank your new friends for that!" Bi-Han spat. The indignation was sapped out of her instantly.

It changed everything, and nothing. She could not betray her sister, who had bravely fought Quan Chi to save her, who vouched for her for all of Earthrealm's warriors. "I have to go back to the Wu Shi," she sighed, her voice heavy with longing.

"No, you don't."

She smiled sadly, reaching up to cup his cheeks. "Why? Are you planning an armistice with the Wu Shi and Shirai Ryu?" she asked. She knew the answer even before he turned his face into her touch, kissing her palm through the mask.

"I don't understand," he admitted. "You wanted freedom, but you bind yourself to them?"

"I wanted to be able to choose," she replied. "And I have." Coldness spread across her palm and he took her wrists, pulling her hands away. She could see him scowling even beneath the mask. She realized what she he thought, her chest tightening, "Bi-Han--"

"Go. As you said, you made your choice." He let go of her, folding his arms over his chest.

She waved her hand over the floor. Bright sigils began to inscribe themselves. She didn't want to go, not like this, but she couldn't stand against her sister. "Will I see you again?" she asked hopefully.

"Will you get in my way again?" he snarked.

That wasn't a no, she noticed. She could work with that. "Oh, I only visit Kuai Liang and Tomas on Tuesday for training," she said with a little grin.

His shoulders relaxed ever so slightly, and the temperature around them raised a few degrees. "And if I infiltrated on a Wednesday…"

"I could only get in your way if you broke into the Wu Shi academy," she supplied helpfully.

"I suppose I'll have to avoid the Wu Shi academy on Wednesdays," he murmured as she stepped into the completed circle.

"Mm. Yes, especially the east wing. Definitely do not go to the east wing, or I'll have to get in your way." A bright light eclipsed her and she was teleported to the courtyard of the Wu Shi Academy, just as Ashrah was marching out with kriss in hand.

Maybe someday, she and Bi-Han would make the right choices that allowed the arcs of their destinies to cross peacefully. But, until then… Wednesday would have to do.

[basementdoll]

Wait And Bleed

Murderdolls were on a high with their 2002 debut album. Before Joey Jordison knew it, Wednesday 13 had 30 new songs written…but was going it alone.

Words: Dom Lawson

On July 12, 2003, the band that Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison had formed with his friend, vocalist Wednesday 13, as a bit of light relief from the relentless touring and ferocious intensity of his day job, performed to a sold-out Brixton Academy in London. Within a year of releasing their debut album, 2002’s brilliantly snotty Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls, this goofy, sleazy horror-punk side-project had evolved beyond all expectations, like some kind of many-headed Frankenstein, and won the hearts of thousands of fans. In the UK in particular, Murderdolls rocketed from nowhere to the brink of hugeness, accruing a hysterical army of red’n’black-clad admirers who had fallen wholesale for the band’s party-all-night-and-fuck-the-consequences philosophy. What started as a liberating side-project had mutated into something with the potential to conquer the world…all of which makes the fact that Murderdolls left Brixton, buggered off back across the Atlantic and then vanished for seven years somewhat confusing.

But now it’s the summer of 2010 and Murderdolls are back at last. And so, as Joey Jordison and Wednesday 13 settle down on a small leather sofa in the air-conditioned downstairs bar of a swanky Soho hotel to speak with Metal Hammer about their reunion, imminent comeback and brand new studio album, Women and Children Last, it’s finally time to ask the question: Gentleman, where the fuck have you been?

“We don’t bullshit and there’s no reason to lie.” says Joey, shades on and as serious as hell. “After we got done with the tour for Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls, we ended on a high note at Brixton Academy, but then of course I had to go back and start up Slipknot again. Me and Wednesday were still in contact and he had demoed like 30 songs and sent me a CD, but the next thing I know, he’s doing a solo record and he didn’t tell me! I didn’t understand it. I was like, ‘Don’t you wanna do another Murderdolls record?’, but I can’t tell him not to go and do what he wants to do, you know? So I had to go and do my stuff with [Slipknot album] Volume 3 (The Subliminal Verses) and we did the whole tour, and we met up again during that tour. We hadn’t talked in a while, so it was kinda weird, but once we talked and crossed paths…”

“We met in a trailer at Rock Im Park in Germany.” recalls Wednesday. “It was 100° and all the crew people were like, ‘Get in there and work it out!’ and they threw us in there and shut the door! That’s when we sorted everything out.”

Having patched things up after what sounds like a fairly minor falling out, Joey and Wednesday still didn’t exactly rush into a Murderdolls reunion. In fact, another five years have passed since the initial exchange of apologies and explanations. In terms of squandering momentum, this hiatus will take some beating, and yet Women and Children Last oozes a level of intensity that was never even hinted at by Murderdolls first time round. Apparently absence makes the fire blaze harder…

“To other people, eight years [between albums] must seem like a long time.” says Wednesday. “But if you think about fuckin’ everything that Joey’s done and everything that I’ve done in that period, that’s a lot of shit! Combined, we’ve done more than bands do in a 20-year period. Joey did two Slipknot records, a Ministry tour, played with Korn, did Roadrunner United, produced 3 Inches Of Blood and played with Satyricon and I did three solo records, an EP, two country records and started a whole new band…”

“We were never enemies at all.” adds Joey. “We just got confused. After we met up again, we were on speaking terms and having conversations by texting and we were thinking that maybe we’d just let Murderdolls be the band with the cult following that it was and let sleeping dogs lie. But then the moment of clarity came to me about two years ago. I was at home on a break and I was sleeping on my couch and Headbanger’s Ball was on and there was this spark that jolted me awake. The metal scene in America and also in Europe, it’s all the fucking same now. There are some great bands, trust me, but everyone’s the same now. Labels are trying to survive because they’re going down the tubes. It’s all about who can play double bass the fastest. There’s no rock stars anymore. I called Wednesday at that point and I’m still in a sleep haze and I said, ‘Wednesday, I want to make another Murderdolls record!’”

A world apart from the comic book kitsch and pun-filled sloppiness of their debut, the second Murderdolls album might as well be the work of an entirely different band. Although still imbued with the hook-packed sleaze metal sensibilities that made old songs like Dead In Hollywood and Grave Robbing USA so irresistible, the new songs seem to have been beamed in from somewhere much darker and more real than their predecessors. There is no shortage of macabre humour lurking amid the pounding riffs and roar-along rage of Chapel of Blood and My Dark Place Alone but while Beyond The Valley…was all about taking the listener into a grim but ludicrous fantasy world, this record sounds very much like the work of men on a sincere and heartfelt mission. Murderdolls 2.0 mean every last fucking word, and as a result they have become a hundred times more believable. 

“I said, ‘If we’re gonna do this, it has to be full bore and we have to make a real record.’” says Joey. “The first record is great for what it was and I love it, but I consider this to be the first Murderdolls record. This is the first time we actually sat down with a vision and wrote songs together, and it’s been one of the most gratifying records I’ve ever made.”

“We wrote all these songs from scratch, a few feet away from each other in the studio.” grins Wednesday. “The first song we did was Homicide Drive, and the drum take you hear on the record is the first take we did. It all happened that naturally. It was really easy and it was fun. We had a fuckin’ blast making this record.”

Just like their favourite band, Murderdolls fans may well be a little bit older and wiser eight years on from that first flush of anti-hero worship, but the goofy, light-hearted side of the band was always a major part of their appeal. As a result, there may be some who find the idea of a more serious Murderdolls a little alarming, but despite injecting their sound with a little more substance, Joey and Wednesday are still firmly committed to delivering the rock ‘n’ roll goods. It’s just that this time round the fire in their bellies is for real and not just cheap whiskey afterburn.

“It’s still fun but it’s more fun for me because I get to sing about personal stuff now.” explains Wednesday. “I’m not the same guy you saw before. This band has changed - this is a whole new Murderdolls, in terms of what we’re bringing to the table. When I sing My Dark Place Alone, that’s very personal to me. I’m going deep into the lyrics, and that’s something I’ve never been able to do before.”

“The first record, you could say we were a dumb horror punk band or something like that.” adds Joey. “The new one, this is like my other Slipknot, even though they’re like apples and oranges. On this record you go from a song like Chapel Of Blood to Drug Me To Hell, and then songs like Nowhere and Summertime Suicide and it starts getting poppier. It’s kinda like Slipknot, with all that diversity, even though we’re a rock ‘n’ roll band. That’s what’s gratifying to me, having a band that has its own style but is able to inject its own identity into each song. When I used to play in death metal and speed metal bands, it was easy to sit there and write a million riffs. The biggest challenge is to write an actual song, and only then do you know you’re a real songwriter.” 

If everything goes to plan, the new Murderdolls album should swiftly restore the band to the levels of popularity they were enjoying when they took their extended hiatus. But if anyone needs convincing that Women And Children Last is the real deal, they need only acknowledge the presence of no less a figure than Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars, who lends some hair-raising solos to Drug Me To Hell and Blood Stained Valentine, two of the album’s grittiest anthems. Mick doesn’t put on his top hat for any old rubbish, and Joey and Wednesday are visibly thrilled when they talk about his involvement in their new record.

“Mick’s one of the great underdogs and never got the respect he deserved.” says Wednesday. “We see him as one of the great rock ‘n’ roll villains, so what better guy to come out and play for us? It was so natural. He loved it!”

“We didn’t want any guests on this record whatsoever, but this was a little bit different.” smiles Joey. “It was definitely an honour to watch him play on our dumbass songs! I was just sitting there, almost blacking out, thinking about when I had Shout At The Devil on vinyl in my parent’s basement and I was thinking, ‘Man, this is fucked up!’”

Mick Mars aside, Murderdolls remain very much a two-man operation in the studio, but live performance is plainly a major part of what the band stands for and so, with that in mind, Joey and Wednesday have recruited a brand new lineup to assist them in their new crusade. Original members Acey Slade, Eric Griffin and Ben Graves have been usurped by new lead guitarist Roman Surman, bassist Jack Tankersley and drummer Racci Shay, who previously played in Wednesday 13’s solo band. Again, as with the songs themselves, fresh blood seems to have invigorated the whole Murderdolls enterprise. 

“The first lineup and the first everything that we did, it was really thrown together.” admits Wednesday. “We did our first video without ever having played together in a room before. Me and Joey did the record by ourselves and then we found these guys through friends of friends and, of course, it was complete chaos. So this time, we purposefully picked people we knew and that we were friends with, and it’s been great. When we finally got on stage, it was like ‘Holy shit!’”

“What we’ve done now and the people we have now, they’re great players and they’re there for the job.” continues Joey. “They’re not there to fuckin’ party. They believe in the songs and they believe in the project and this is a big chance for all of ‘em. They’re all amazing players. I wouldn’t do this if my heart wasn’t completely in it.”

With a new warcry of “We live, we breathe, we bleed rock ‘n’ roll!” the all-new Murderdolls can hardly be said to have altered the main thrust of their philosophy, but everything about the new lineup, the new album and the intense demeanor of the two men steering the ship suggests that they are in this for the long haul this time, ready to do whatever it takes to bully the world into joining in the fun. Serious men on a serious mission, perhaps, but surely there is still plenty of room for a little chaos, mayhem and debauchery? 

“Before, when we walked off stage, everything else was complete madness too.” Wednesday laughs. “It was a fuckin’ circus, but it was great. But we’ve moved on. We want to take the chaos from backstage and put it on the stage!”

“Now it’s just the most violent, fuckin’ sleazy, hideous, heaviest fuckin’ rock ‘n’ roll you can possibly imagine.” concludes Joey, with a snarl. “It’s a real band now.” 

Women and Children Last is out August 30 via Roadrunner Records. Murderdolls will play Ozzfest in September.

-

Six Stringer Joey Jordison’s Weapons Of Mass Destruction

Which albums inspired you to play the guitar?

“The first record that turned me on was the Stones’ Tattoo You. I remember my dad coming home with the album.”

What was the first guitar you owned?

“A harmony, which was like a Fender Stratocaster. I played it in my first metal band in fifth grade. I started playing drums aged seven and soon ditched the guitar.

How do you achieve your sound?

“I don’t normally tell people how I do it! Ha ha! I used a modified JCM 900 amplifier and a MXR distortion on top of that. I’m always involved with mixing and production and everything, so that has a lot to do with the sound on the record. My amp’s been modified.”

Who’s the most underrated guitarist?

“Probably Johnny Thunders (New York Dolls). He had something about him. Guitar is all about passion and playing with soul and style.”

How often do you practise?

“Right now, three hours a day! I’m going on tour with the Murderdolls so everything has to be up to par. It’s odd talking about guitar instead of drums. Drums always came natural to me. I still practise but I’m pretty much in the groove, but for the guitar I have to work real hard.”

What guitar do you play?

“I recorded with my custom BC Rich Bich. I’ve been using Gibson SGs and a BC Rich Warlock, plus I have my signature guitar coming out.”

[ghostofcinders]

The Ashcan for At the Gates is out!

Just like it, I'll be brief and punchy here, so you may consider giving it a chance.

What's At the Gates? It's an upcoming brand new fantasy game by Onyx Path Publishing and @impernious ' baby. It takes a lot of inspiration from JRPGs, detailing a rich setting where nations at war in a world filled with magic confront with the appearance of creatures from beyond. It has plenty of character classes, diverse people and culture, cool creatures, and strong yet smooth mechanics. Think it as a love letter to stuff like Final Fantasy, Fire Emblem, Zelda, Tales Of, Legend of the Dragoon, and the JRPG genre as a whole, because that's what it is! It will go on crowdfunding soon, and you'll be able to see it in its whole glory.

For now, though, there's the ashcan! What's an ashcan? It's a thing RPG used to do a lot back in the day, a little condensed taste of rules, characters, and setting. Cheap, quick, and ready to use. Basically a demo! The one for At the Gates just got released, so you can use the link below to check it out. Cool stuff such as the badass art the book will have and all the options aren't there, but the purpose of an ashcan is to give a fast & cheap chance to have an early look at some of the game, so you can see if it might interest you.

Alongside so many other great authors, I worked on At the Gates myself! And a character I made is in the ashcan. It would mean a lot if you could check this one out - and perhaps the game too once crowdfunding happens in the upcoming months.

If you love fantasy and videogames, I'm certain you'll sense the game is a labour of love from this ashcan already.

[heavenstarship]

tell me about johnny please please please 🙏🙏 you have given me brainworms about him i need to know everything about him 💝💝💝

johnathan "johnny" louise hearst... that little SHIT... you are the third person to get brainworms about him and the second person besides me who has them. thank you for giving me the opportunity to yap about him.

preface: johnny is largely based off of oingo boingo's debut album only a lad, as well as some of their other work (mainly demos from that era and the song cool city by danny elfman). when i say he's based off of only a lad, i mean it. i've wrung every drop of characterization i can out of those 10 tracks. "even THAT one?" ESPECIALLY that one. buckle in.

lore: from the onset, johnny was pretty much out of luck. born into a family with an already plentiful share of problems (older sister who could never really stick to the right path, emotionally unstable mom, military dad), his parents divorced pretty soon after he was born. his mom wound up with primary custody, and he and his sister only saw their dad every so often. johnny starts showing signs of trouble pretty early on, and rather than doing anything about it, his mom opts to leave him to his own devices. he discovers matches, developing his fascination bordering obsession with fire. he was already a trouble in class- couldn't sit still, couldn't pay attention, was a terror on the playground- so lighting something on fire during school hours was the tipping point that got him kicked out of 3rd or 4th grade. since he had no discipline or support, he lacks any real sense of right and wrong... leading him to believe that taking one of his parents' guns, stealing his neighbor's radio, and shooting her in the leg was a completely fine thing to do. she obviously recognizes that the incident isn't entirely his fault and his circumstances are more to blame, but unfortunately his neighbors preferred to cry out about his situation instead of trying to get him help. his mother, reaching the end of her already short rope, seeks to have her child whipped into shape. a close family friend, mr. one-way, notices her plight and offers to take johnny in under his wing to have him reformed into an upstanding member of society.

he starts receiving lessons- on how to act properly, obedience, servitude, all things a budding young lass should know for a good future under the american dream- is enrolled back in school, and seems to be getting better. lessons in matters primarily aiming to get the kid to shut up and put his head down give way to easy coercion, and mr. one-way, who should have been helping johnny, uses the opportunity to irreparably damage him. a drastic change in johnny is immediately apparent; sure, he's not acting out anymore, but he's a husk of the bright and bubbly kid everyone knew. eventually, everything that's going on gets too much for johnny, and he tells a trusted adult. word about it spreads fast, and before anyone can get a handle on the situation, the man who committed this horrible deed goes on the run. johnny is left shattered and believing this is all his fault. that coupled with the fact that his mother both blames him for mr. one-way's dissappearance and doesn't believe johnny about what happened pushes johnny over the edge, and he decides to make some very drastic changes. he seeks to destroy who he once was, to obliterate what mr. one-way or anyone else may have seen in him, to reinvent himself in an image that will truly make him happy and break free from the way everyone has always perceived him. with the help of his sister, he lobs his ponytails off, ditches the dresses and joins his local boy scout troop. his mother pitches a fit, but ultimately isnunable to stop him from making his own decisions. he discovers a home away from home in his scout troop; sure, his behavior may not be improving, but at least he's cared for and loved.

things at home and school get worse. his mother hates him now more than ever, and bullying at school increases tenfold. though his sister and his friends try to protect him, they can only do so much. johnny turns to acting out, desperately trying to make someone see him for once, as well as probably trying to scare off those harming him. punishments at home get more and more severe. his older sister eventually runs off with the SLA. harassment at school is driving him closer and closer to making some horrible decisions. during this time, his mental health takes a drastic dip; sure, maybe he was a little overcautious of things before, but now it was getting to the point where he was obsessed and paranoid about practically everything; his mother, god, people outside... something had to change. he finally snaps and decides that if he doesn't get the hell out of where he is now, he'll get out of it in death later. his friends help him hotwire a car and he tries to use it as his ticket out, but due to inexperience, he ends up hitting and killing a man. he's brought to court but, like always, nobody gives a shit. once the case is over, he steps back and looks at himself. he's becoming something horrible, both literally and metaphorically, and if he doesn't do something about it soon, what else could happen to him?

he picks himself up, gets a job, moves out, buys a sweet car, and eventually meets a girl, cali, who he falls in love with and starts to date. things are great for a while... but the two decide it could be even better. after much saving, johnny and cali buy an apartment in and move to cool city! soon they become interested in the nightlife and start going to local shows, discovering a small artist down on his luck and quickly becoming his biggest fans. this artist was none other than so-lo, and the three wound up hitting it off fairly quickly. johnny winds up forming a large part of his social circle through meeting people at so-lo's (and others') shows, though unfortunately for him he winds up associated with the wrong crowd. these new "friends" he makes really see him as nothing more than a tool to use... he eventually drops them, though not before making some very questionable decisions, such as getting a lobotomy to fix his very messed up brain (it did not work). he gradually meets the rest of the boingoverse and they end up becoming his new social circle, so yes, he eventually finds happiness. and a sugar daddy. he gets with the elevator man.

info:

despite his messy and monstrous past, johnny's a surprisingly sweet guy- he always has been. he's kind to everyone and tries to be helpful. kind of a doormat and tends to try and brush off things that bother him

has a bit of a staring problem, as well as difficulty in navigating most social situations. he's always been a very awkward and socially stunted guy

part french on his mom's side. speaks the language a bit, though he hasn’t used it in a while

his teenage monsterism, at one point, had spread over half of his body; it now only affects his right hand and lower forearm. scarring remains where in the affected areas. his teeth and ears were also permanently changed as side effects

his orange glow is “natural”- it’s a tan, though really almost a burn. he spends way too much time outside. of average build, though surprisingly toned; his outdoor activities, like hiking and such, keep him fit

prone to emotional outbursts and fits of sorts. they were more common in his younger years, but still happen from time to time

in his past he’d describe himself as mean, rude, paranoid, an outcast, having extremely shameful and downright self-destructive habits, and a pyromaniac... he’s still a lot of those things, but he’s gotten better

speaks politely but swears like a sailor. has loud and brash humor, with some of his jokes performed in an over-the-top manner. highly critical of the world around him, sometimes to a detrimental and very cynical degree

uses a cane, as he didn't walk away from that car crash unscathed. walks with a limp

special interests include boy scouts and bdsm, of all things... keeps quiet about the bdsm interest but often resorts to yammering on about boy scouts when he's nervous. though he's aged out of the program, he keeps/wears his old uniform for sentimental purposes and still engages in the hobbies he gained from it (knot tying, wood carving, documenting nature, hiking, camping, etc.)

played trumpet in high school concert band. picked up playing fiddle on a whim

relationships with the rest of the boingoverse:

danny (elfman): his dad. no, literally. danny is his dad. this is an alternate universe where instead of just being a military brat he was actually in the military. likes him a lot but wishes he was more present when it mattered

louise (from the song): his mom. suffice to say he doesn't like her

patty (you got your baby back/ballad of the caveman): his older sister! looks up to her a lot though in private he mourns the loss of who she was pre-SLA

california (more of an oc based off of california girls and a mystic knights poster): girlfriend who he loves to death

the hurcules and henderson families (forbidden zone): his neighbors growing up. was friends with the kids and even in the same scout troop as flash

satan (forbidden zone): beat him in a fiddle contest once and satan hasn't spoken yo him since

louis (oingo boingo): pet cat who he absolutely ADORES. i mean, johnny literally keeps a picture of him on him at all times... he has to like him somewhat...

yo-cat (nothing to fear): heavy dislike but who DOESN'T hate this guy

fred (good for your soul): admires him a lot for his confidence and muscles. hopes to be like him someday

so-lo (so-lo): HEAVY admiration, also kind of has a crush on him? sees him like a father figure as well. mixed but good feelings on him

b. dead (dead man's party): they don't talk much but johnny thinks he's pretty chill

the elevator man (boi-ngo): his sugar daddy. a little scared of him but, like, in a consensual power dynamic way where they're both super into it so whatever

b.e. alive (boingo alive): they definitely yap about guns and cars and the wild west together

peter (dark at the end of the tunnel): kind of like his little brother but he's a little weirded out by him because he's seven yet acts YEARS more mature than he does. plays toys with him sometimes

mary (boingo): like a mom to him, though he has some trouble opening up to her

farewell (farewell): he makes johnny sad to he tends to avoid him

[asgodsfall-if]

As Gods Fall - Now on Tumblr!

In a dying world of magic and steel a god has been murdered. And it’s your job to find the murderer.

You are a Peacekeeper: an officer of the law upholding order in the last city of a dying world. Along with a new partner it is your job to find the one responsible for murdering a being once considered eternal. Become part of a unique modern fantasy world shaped by over a thousand years of history and uncover parts of it never before seen by mortal eyes.

Gameplay and features:

Play as one of 5 distinct races, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Pick between smart and resourceful humans, physically unstoppable werewolves, graceful and kind fairies, elementally potent demons or shapeshifting formis.

Customize and build your character. From their looks through their skills and attributes to their personality.

Approach problems with brute force, swift hand, sharp mind or quick tongue using an attribute based stat system.

Take advantage of a unique active ability system to overcome challenges.

Investigate crime scenes, interrogate witnesses, discover the city’s secrets and sins of its creators.

Experience a city on the brink of collapse and help control the panic, or add fuel to the fire.

Find rivalries, friendships and romance as you embark on 4 unique character journeys.

Find a way to stop the ongoing apocalypse or let the decay finish its job.

The world:

The world of Etr was always driven forth by conflict. Be it the wars of its first era, the technological race of the second, or the fight for survival in its current era. Once a land full of life and wonders, it is now plagued by an unstoppable force that is the decay as it ravages all in its path. The only place safe from it: Citadel City is a boiling pot of those that remain. Full of life and dangers as the last representatives of surviving races try to live together despite centuries of bad blood between some of them. A city where magic of old coexists alongside the cold steel and concrete of modern technology.

Companions:

Coren Ashver: Coren’s life was always an uphill battle. As a demi born of human and demon parents he was always an outcast. Wishing to follow in his dead father’s footsteps he joined the force and eventually signed up for an experimental enhancement program before becoming your new partner.

Erinwehulda Drakebraid (Eri): Erinwehulda’s the smartest forensic your precinct has. Seen as eccentric by most of your colleagues she prefers to stick to herself and her inventions. Now it’s your turn to get past the aloofness and work with her as you tackle the big case.

Mesar Nemo: Mesar’s the definition of a free spirit. A werewolf born into royalty and set to take over the clan in a few years. There’s a lot resting on his shoulders which he learned to push aside by chasing the rush of adrenaline. Now that his patron deity is gone will he step up to fill the hole?

Paoni Crowelo: To Paoni information is power and a tool used to maintain balance in a world gone mad. She sees herself as a caretaker of the city and its people and as the city’s biggest information broker there is nothing that goes by her. What secrets will her intel uncover as she aids you in your case?

You can play the publicly available demo consisting of the prologue and 3 chapters (~88.5k words) here: https://cogdemos.ink/play/cavusrex/as-gods-fall/mygame/

For a more direct line of contact you can join the official discord server where it's easier for me to organize feedback and bug reports: https://discord.gg/Dv6HtKVYSd

Also if you want to support the project and receive perks like access to patron only chats, early access to new chapters and exclusive filler stories (none available right now) you can join the Patreon, or support me through Ko-fi: https://www.patreon.com/cavusrex https://ko-fi.com/cavusrex

[catastrophic-crisis]

It's the February Steam Next Fest, so here's some potential game demos to check out this weekend!

Hollowbody | Press Kit

It's a Shipper's biggest fear. You're grounded in the exclusion zone, twenty miles of death and decay sealed off by the towering, suffocating walls erected after the collapse.

Hollowbody offers early 2000s-style survival horror, citing titles like Silent Hill 2 and 3, Rule of Rose, and Kuon as inspiration. As you ascend the apartment building to try and make contact with outside of the exclusion zone, the demo makes use of a blend of dynamic and fixed camera angles. This approach extends to combat, which strikes a nice balance between a more classic style in which you must work with the camera angles, striking fear in you when you can't quite see what is in the room with you, just offscreen, and making movement and fighting feel natural.

If you were craving horror of a particular period, Hollowbody strives to capture that with its visual presentation, and with a particular update to the demo, Hollowbody now has the option for tank controls.

Rusty's Retirement | Press Kit

For a more casual player, Rusty's Retirement is an idle-farming simulator that lives at the bottom of your screen while you work, watch, chat, or play. Automate your farm with the help of robots, and produce biofuel for them with the plants you grow.

The game includes a cameo from Haiku the Robot, as the two games share a creator. Haiku can be found helping your automated farm :)

Crow Country | Website

The year is 1990. It’s been two years since the mysterious disappearance of Edward Crow and the abrupt closure of his theme park, Crow Country. But your arrival has broken the silence, Mara Forest. If you want answers, you’ll have to venture deep into the darkness of Crow Country to find them…

Another throwback third person survival horror game with an armed female protagonist, Crow Country establishes an atmosphere switching between "tension and tranquillity", trying to steady your aim at the head of a shivering, approaching enemy and the warm glow of the fire in a save room. The game places an increased emphasis on puzzles and riddles, and as you try and manage your resources and slip past enemies (the game emphasizes that you don't have to defeat every enemy you come across, which could bring trouble later) you'll be able to absorb the whimsy and detail of every region and room.

If the creatures around every corner frighten you, or you'd just like to be able to absorb every detail of the theme park uninterrupted, the game offers an "Exploration Mode" difficulty for you to enjoy.

Trash of the Titans | itch.io

What if your turn-based fantasy tactics had an urban mammal element and was very, very purple?

Enter this roguelite to fight a rat gang over dumpsters, upgrade your skills, and play trash-eating Tetris to get stronger. Learn your abilities and how to utilize the antics you can pull against the waves of rats (large rats, small rats, caster rats summoning demon rats).

Your party is a Badger Barbarian with a charge attack that increases damage the further away she is, a Raccoon Rogue that uses stealth to rack up kills and move across the map, a Skunk Wizard that casts more than just poison spells, and a Possum Ranger with a ricochet that will stack up the RAT CRUE kills.

Find surprises like the fact that your Possum Ranger's "turrets" in fact refer to possum babies, and their ability to retreat along a path back to her upon defeat can be used to your advantage.

Magical Delicacy | Press Kit

A wholesome pixel art platformer. Cook magical delicacies from a vast collection of ingredients in your own shop. Explore an unfamiliar town and deliver tasty treats to the townsfolk. Learn new ways to traverse, discover secrets, and experience a unique witchy world.

If you like cute titles where you cook and manage a shop but craved a little more verticality, Magical Delicacy offers you a platformer with witches and a dash of intrigue. The game offers cooking, gardening, shop management, and double jumping your way across a surprisingly formatted town.

Hey, you're a witch with a red bow going out for deliveries. Sounds familiar.

[bcdrawsandwrites]

[ID: A Team Fortress 2 fanfic chapter banner in the style of the achievement icons. Pyro stands against a dark background in front of a very large, stylized bonfire. Its body is turned to the side, facing more toward the fire with its back more to the viewer, while it looks back toward the viewer. Pyro's form gray and backlit by the fire. Its lenses are the same orange as the fire. The logs at the base of the fire are yellow-white. The entire image is flipped 90 degrees on its side. On the left is the chapter title in yellow-white text on a transparent gray rectangle. The text reads "CHAPTER FIVE: CAMP FIRE" /end ID]

Flickering

Fandom: Team Fortress 2 Rating: K+ Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship Characters: Spy, Pyro, Sniper, Demo, Soldier, Scout, plus others in smaller roles Warnings: General references to trauma, TF2-typical violence Fic Description: After the events of the comics, the mercs try to go back to how things were, but it’s never that easy.

Spy can see his teammates going through their own struggles… but something seems to be very, very wrong with Pyro in particular.

And since no one else seems to be doing anything about this, Spy makes it his mission to get to the bottom of what is troubling Pyro. For no particular reason. Beta Readers: @mechmolar, @gonturan0, @junuve

---~~~---

Chapter 5: Camp Fire Summary: In which Pyro starts a fire.

---~~~---

"The cart is supposed to move forward!"

"Oh, really? Yeah? Woulda' never guessed! Not like we've been tryin' to do that for the past six hours now!"

Growling, Spy flipped open his disguise kit, grabbed air, and sighed heavily at the reminder that he'd run out of cigarettes. While the earlier break he'd taken, resting cloaked in spawn, had eased the stress of the situation slightly, his body still craved nicotine. And food. And aspirin.

When was this hellish match going to end?

Of course, he knew the answer, and hurried up to the cart, pushing against it to stop it from wheeling backward. But as they were on a slope, gravity was not on his side, and the bomb pushed back against him. "Scout—" he began, only to realize Scout had already run off in pursuit of the enemy.

"'M not Scout, buh I c'n give ya a hand," came Demo's slurred voice, followed by a belch, and the shattering of glass. He appeared at Spy's left side, throwing his own weight against the cart.

Spy glanced back at the shattered bottle of scrumpy behind them and suspected the Demo might be using the cart to keep his own balance, but bit back the urge to comment on it. So long as they finished this stupid match, he did not care.

Slowly they coaxed the cart up the hill, and tension left his shoulders both from physical and mental relief as the track finally leveled out, and they no longer had to fight gravity. They were growing tantalizingly closer to the final lift. Maybe this time would be it, they would reach the final terminus and end this awful—

A shot rang through the already noisy battlefield, and Demo screamed, his legs buckling.

"Mon dieu!" Spy shouted, seeing the blood cascade from Demo's left thigh, and looked up to see the enemy sniper on the tower across from them. He was reloading his rifle, but even from here Spy could see the man's hands shaking—that would've been a headshot, had it not been for the attacker's exhaustion. Said exhaustion was also making him fumble with his own bullets. A very small advantage to the race going on for as long as it had—the enemy was just as exhausted as they.

Grimacing, Spy tapped Demo on the shoulder. "Try to keep going," he whispered. "I'll take care of the sniper." Releasing the cart, he hurried around it, only to stop dead at the sight of the BLU heavy standing directly in his path. "Merde."

Stars exploded in his vision, and he found himself on the ground with what was sure to become a brilliant bruise on his left eye. Before he could say another word, he was yanked to his feet.

"Push that cart, men! That's an order!" Soldier growled, shoving Spy next to the sobbing, limping Demo and joining them at the cart. The enemy heavy had been knocked off his feet—probably from a hit from the rocket launcher Soldier was slinging back over his shoulder—and was off the track.

"Oui," Spy mumbled, blinking wearily. The cart was swimming in front of him, but he threw himself into pushing it forward, willing this agony to come to an end. A glance at Soldier told him that the merc wasn't looking much better himself, but Soldier was always the last to let his injuries get to him. The cart was at least moving somewhat faster, and—

"BONK!"

Soldier's helmet clanged against the bomb as he stumbled into the cart with an animal-like growl, nearly drowned out by the enemy scout's taunting laughter. "Keep... pushing...!"

Demo's bad leg buckled again, and he gripped hard onto the cart, letting out a wail: "MEDIC!"

Squinting, Spy looked back, barely managing to spot their Medic stumbling toward them from the far edge of the field. Meanwhile, the BLU scout joined the heavy, as well as an enemy soldier, and the sniper had surely reloaded his rifle by this point. There was no way they were going to make it.

Spy shut his eyes, hoping their death and respawn would at least be a quick one.

It was not.

In fact, it didn't come at all.

There was a noisy sloshing followed by a hollow metal bounce, and a few cries of confusion from the enemy mercs. This was then followed by a soft click, and Spy opened his eyes just in time to witness the BLU mercs erupt into a fiery blaze. They ran screaming off the building to their agonizing deaths, revealing Pyro standing behind them, tilting its head.

Spy laughed, nearly collapsing against the cart as Pyro joined them, silently pushing it onto the lift.

"Excellent work, Pyro!" Medic gasped as he scrambled onto the lift, turning his medi gun onto the others, much to their relief.

The Pyro nodded.

"Did we... make it...?" Demo mumbled, looking down below the lift. He would have fallen had Soldier not grabbed his arm.

"Just about." Spy watched as the respawned BLU scout scurried up one of the towers and leaped toward them, but the Pyro merely lifted its flamethrower, letting out a powerful air blast that sent the scout sailing backward and crashing into the tower. Looking back at the lift, Spy grimaced upon noting that they were nearing the top. "Well, gentlemen. See you on the other side."

Finally the elevator stopped, and the mercs exchanged pained, yet relieved, glances. It was the last thing they saw before their vision was replaced with a blinding light, and a deafening explosion roared in their ears.

—

The deafening roar after the match was from the mercs themselves.

In spite of their exhaustion, everyone cheered and whooped and howled as they returned to their vehicles. They were traveling in the dark, after how long the match had lasted, but none of them complained. Pyro took the lead, keeping the pilot light on its flamethrower lit and occasionally emphasizing it with a burst of flame to light their way. Normally the behavior would turn the rest of the mercs away, but not tonight.

"Excellent work, private!" Soldier exclaimed, giving the Pyro's shoulder a hearty punch. While before Pyro had been startled at any contact, it did not flinch.

Demo slurred something completely unintelligible, but evidently in agreement. He slung his arm around Pyro, leaning against it.

"Can't believe I'm sayin' this, but you saved the day, there," Scout said, stretching his arms as he walked.

Even Spy couldn't keep quiet, and shrugged. "I'm not easily impressed, but... that was a fine show." He stiffened when Pyro looked back at him, its blank lenses unreadable, but it only turned forward again.

Others shared their agreement with various hoots and hollers, which did not stop when they finally arrived back at their hidden vehicles, and later, at their base. If anything, they kept up for several hours as Scout called for a pizza delivery and Sniper—who had stopped briefly in town—arrived with beer. No one turned down the opportunity to celebrate a hard-won victory.

Not even Pyro.

Spy had fully expected it to sulk off to its room again, but this time it remained during the festivities, sitting quietly off to one side of the mess hall. Occasionally it was approached by other teammates, who thanked it for helping them end that hellish match, and Spy, at one point, glanced over to find that it had been given a can of beer and a few slices of pizza on a greasy plate. Later, the food and drink were gone; if it had consumed the items, Spy hadn't witnessed it.

The party could only last for so long, and soon Heavy was nodding off at the table, Demo had passed out (more from exhaustion than alcohol consumption), Sniper had slunk off to his van, and one by one the others retreated to their quarters. Spy would hit the shower first, but as he left, he spotted Pyro calmly heading back to its own room, and he hummed in interest.

He still didn't know what had happened to it, back when they were in the hands of the enemy mercs at Gray Mann's base, but maybe that didn't matter now. As the Engineer had proposed, it indeed seemed to be coming around.

Spy shook his head.

Maybe it was time to abandon this silly mission.

—

The battle was deafening.

Screaming, gunfire, clashes of metal, explosions, and over everything else rang distorted music that he could not make out. An enemy disorientation tactic, perhaps?

If so, it was working. He kept rushing through the field, and yet he could not find his teammates or the enemies. Acrid smoke filled the air and his lungs, making navigation near-impossible. Even when it cleared slightly, he kept finding himself in impossibly different places—a cave, outdoors, a base, a courtroom. The battle always sounded as though it were around the corner, yet he could not find it.

At the same time, he wasn't ready. He needed to be cloaked or disguised, but every time he looked down, he was himself, exposed, out in the open. So he would cloak or disguise himself again, only for it to wear off faster than he could comprehend.

The battle was deafening. It was close. He was not ready.

He turned and ran in a different direction, trudging through knee-deep water he didn't remember encountering.

Red stood out within the gray water, and he gave a start at seeing Tavish lying against a wall, his face pale, the red coming from more than just his uniform.

Abruptly he remembered there was no respawn here.

Without a second thought he reached down, helping Tavish up to limp alongside him. He was mumbling dazed nonsense, but he caught something intelligible among the gibberish:

"You're carryin' somethin'... heavy..."

"No kidding," he growled, only for Tavish to fall limp against him. His own body seized up and he quickly adjusted his grip so as to not drop him. "No. Stay awake, Tavish." He turned him to get a better look at him, but the man's skin was pale, impossibly so for his complexion. How could it be so—

Tavish's head tipped back, and it suddenly was not Tavish.

It was Jer—

Spy awoke with a jolt, scrambling in his bed for a moment before realizing he was holding one of his own pillows.

A headache pounded behind his eyes as he sat up, squinting at the room around him. In the dim light, his eyes could barely make out a shelf with a few books on one wall, a full-length mirror, and a desk with a nice leather chair—his room in the barracks, not his house. No light came through the window, and a glance at a nearby clock told him it was four in the morning. This wasn’t exactly where he'd prefer to be when recovering from a hangover, but he wasn't about to head back home in the middle of the night. Even so, he wasn't about to go back to sleep with a headache like this, and his tongue was clinging irritably to the roof of his mouth.

With a groan, he slid out of bed, slipping into his usual balaclava and gloves, as well as a comfortable robe and slippers before creeping out of his room and into the barracks hallway. The doors muffled snores from a few of the sleeping mercs, and occasionally a nonsensical mumble made its way out of one of the rooms, but nothing indicating that anyone else was awake. Good.

As Spy made his way down the stairs and into the mess hall, his foggy, headache-addled mind still echoed with the cacophony of battle—memories of the day prior, or perhaps echoes of his nightmare. He shuddered, and nearly tripped over a chair that hadn't been shoved back under the table—the whole room was in disarray, it seemed. Shaking his head, he passed through the mess hall and into the moonlit kitchen, where he threw open a cabinet in search of painkillers. No need to focus on those nightmares. He just needed some water and aspirin. And a cigarette.

He soon found the bottle, and washed a few pills down with a bottle of water from the fridge. (He was tired, but not so tired as to accidentally give himself lead poisoning.) But even as the water and aspirin worked to clear his mind, he could not rid it of the roar of the battle, or the vision of Scout's pale face—

Gunshots rang out through the night, and Spy abruptly realized the roaring was not in his head.

Heart pounding, he scrambled for the door—which he found already open—and reached for a pistol concealed in an inner pocket of his robes. Upon stepping outside, he immediately identified part of the source of the noise: a large bonfire piled up a short distance from the base. He was confident he knew what had started that, but as for the gunshot...

Scanning the desert landscape, he spotted Sniper in front of his van, holding his SMG limply off to one side. Spy crossed the distance as quickly as his slippers would allow, cursing the fact that he hadn't changed into his usual outfit before leaving the room. Upon reaching the van, however, he immediately noticed the autopsy scars that riddled Sniper's bare chest, which yanked his mind back to territory he was very, very much past at this point. At least Sniper was wearing boxers this time. The Sniper did not look up at Spy's approach, however; his gaze was fixed on the ground.

Spy cleared his throat, returning his pistol to his robes. "Mun-dee?" he asked, and Sniper raised his head. His eyes were wide, his face pale. "What happened?"

"Woke up to somethin' tryin' to steal my tires," Sniper said, gesturing vaguely to his truck before looking back at the ground. "Wasn't expectin' it to be..."

Spy followed his gaze to a spot on the ground where a small pool of blood was still soaking into the dirt. There was no corpse. "...Respawn?" he guessed. Hoped.

Sniper nodded slowly. "Headshot. I feel bad for the poor bugger, but I..." He grit his teeth and shook his head. "I didn't recognize the bloody thing! Usually I'll hear it hummin' or mumbling something, but it's been—"

"Silent," Spy finished, sighing. "I've yet to figure out its behavior myself."

Raising his head, Sniper frowned. "Well, here's your chance."

Spy looked back toward the base to find Pyro, in its usual outfit, marching toward the bonfire, a wooden chair in its arms—one of the ones from the mess hall, in fact. Upon reaching the fire, it slammed the chair into the ground, shattering it, and with sharp, agitated movements tossed the broken pieces into the fire. It stared at its work, wringing its hands, then began to pace before the flames, back and forth, looking repeatedly from the fire to the ground.

"It must've been at this all night," Sniper remarked. "Guess that party wasn't enough for it."

"I'm not so sure that's what's happening," Spy said, brow furrowing. He watched as the Pyro finally stopped, holding its head in its hands, almost seeming to claw at itself. Though he couldn't tell from this distance, he was willing to bet it was also trembling. "It doesn't seem to be celebrating."

Just as he took a step toward the fire, the Pyro threw its hands down and charged back into the base.

By this point, some of the other mercs had woken up as well: Demo was leaning out his window from the second floor, scratching his head at the blaze outside, and Soldier was shouting somewhere in the building, no doubt waking even more of them. He chased out Pyro, who was now carrying a cushion from a lounge chair. "Turn that blazing beacon off, maggot! No one wakes up the rest of the team before I play reveille!"

Pyro ignored him, running up to the bonfire and chucking the cushion onto it.

Spy approached Pyro as calmly as possible, keeping his distance from the flames. "As much as I shudder to agree with him, he's at least partially right." When the Pyro's head snapped toward him, he gestured toward the fire. "This signal fire you've created is making it hard for everyone to sleep. Not to mention, you're destroying half the base to create it."

For a few seconds Pyro stared at him, and then pointed at the fire, its finger inches from the flames. Its whole form was backlit in a hellish orange glow.

"Yes, that fire." Spy bit back the urge to spit insults or sarcasm. "You can play with fire somewhere else, and burn things other than other people's—er—" And he broke off as the Pyro took several quick strides toward him. While normally quite agile, he found his foot catching on the back of his expensive robes when he tried to back away.

Pyro lunged at him, grabbing him by the wrists and yanking him closer to the fire.

"Let go of me!" Spy cried, struggling against the creature's grip. "Unhand me, you mute freak!"

But Pyro did not oblige, only pulling him closer. Its breathing was heavy and ragged.

The smoke burned his eyes, and a few embers were getting dangerously close to his robes. Desperately he kicked at his attacker, to no avail, and his thoughts were suddenly consumed with how long it would take for him to burn to death atop that bonfire. "L-let me go—help—help!"

A large hand clapped against his shoulder, and another grabbed the Pyro's wrist.

"Pyro lets Spy go. Now."

Relief coursed through Spy's veins as he looked up at the Heavy. His ridiculous red pajamas did not lessen the effect of his hardened stare, which was focused on Pyro.

Pyro shook its head.

Heavy's hand tightened against its wrist. "Now."

Though Pyro relented, releasing Spy, it immediately turned its attention on Heavy, grabbing at him in quick, furious motions. In response, Heavy lifted Pyro off the ground, holding it up at an arm's length while it writhed and clawed at the air with its free hand.

"Merci," Spy breathed, holding up the hem of his robes and taking several steps back from the fire. He rubbed at his wrists.

Heavy merely grunted, still watching Pyro's squirming. It took what felt like far too long for Pyro to finally give in, hanging limp in Heavy's grasp. When it did so, Heavy tilted his head. "Pyro will behave?"

It nodded lamely.

Finally Heavy set the Pyro down and took a step back. It stood still, arms limp at its sides, head hanging.

Spy took a few more steps back, glancing toward the base and trying to judge how long it would take him to sprint back toward it in his slippers.

Slowly, slowly Pyro lifted its head, facing Spy once again, and began to walk toward him.

Spy looked up at the Heavy in alarm, but Heavy stayed put, crossing his arms.

Pyro's movements were sluggish as it approached, and its hands trembled as it reached for him. Though Spy cried out and tried to back away, it did not grab his wrists again, or try to pull him toward the flames. Instead, it grabbed his shoulders firmly, and lowered its head, burying it into Spy's chest.

It was shaking.

"Um..." Spy stared down at the Pyro. "What?"

"If Heavy were to guess," Heavy said, cocking his head, "Pyro is asking Spy for help."

He looked up at Heavy desperately. "Why me?"

Heavy shrugged. "You were first to notice, da?"

Spy blinked, and looked back down at Pyro. It had not moved, but its trembling had intensified, and once again he could hear its breath, which was hitching and shuddering.

Awkwardly he reached a hand around, and placed it on the Pyro's back.