#Which makes sense if they only went off SPRITES

[princescar]

It's so jarring just how big she is

This is her next to a standard funko pop (say hi paimon)

[sagegreenprose]

Here are some OFF headcanons centered on elsens that nobody really requested but my friend and I wanted me to write teehee ^_^

Elsens in Zone 2 are really nosy and gossip-prone. However, it isn't malicious-- it's more oriented towards keeping the community safe and alert. In fact, almost all of Bismark is aware of who has damaged what books, besides the Librarian of course-- the culprits are already at risk of getting themself papercuts, it would be so cruel to also get them in trouble too.

Elsens in Zone 3 have a very competitive and toxic work environment. When one elsen succeeds, another elsen is punished. Rations certainly aren't coming out of Enoch-- no, Enoch has it arranged that for every percent increase in rations that one elsen earns, there's a percent decrease for a less productive elsen.

Elsens in Zone 1 have a very cooperative and supportive work environment. The success of one elsen in a district is treated as an inspiration and something to model for the rest of them-- especially if that success gets noticed by Dedan. Dedan might be a loud asshole, but he knows how to make a productive work culture at least-- if only there were clones of Dedan like there are of elsens, he'd be a lot less stressed and pissed off. And unlike in Zone 3, Zone 1's elsens have some days off.

Elsens under the effects of sugar are referred to as "glazed," as opposed to "high" or "stoned." Additionally, that one elsen in Area 1 of Vesper whom we see looking out over the plastic sea was definitely glazed.

I see a lot of people think that wearing the necktie made The Batter be visually perceived as another elsen, but I disagree. The Batter didn't trick the elsens of East Bismark into thinking he's an elsen by wearing a necktie per se; what wearing the necktie really did was give them a sense of security in thinking that somebody there knew the Batter personally and let him borrow their necktie as a way of vouching for him to travel through. That vouching went right out the proverbial window the moment that the Batter began making the elsens there feel ill at ease though.

As a follow-up to the previous headcanon, I also like to think that-- although the valzong-burnt sprite and the overworld elsen sprite stay generic-- there wasn't actually a real prize to winning the Balloon Game in Zone 2's Theme Park, but the elsen in charge of the game knew that prizes were typically rewarded upon completion of those sorts of games, so he'd take off his necktie everytime he had to work the booth just to fix it onto the balloon in the middle. He never imagined that somebody would actually win that prize though, which is another part of why he was so freaked out (and the sound of the balloons popping certainly didn't help his nerves either, even he did know the source.)

Liquid plastic is occasionally referred to as water by the elsens-- primarily the ones of Zone 2 who've read about water in certain books, and then related the concept of water to the liquid plastic that they've got instead. Liquid plastic is not something you want to get on your skin though, and even less, ingest. But you'd find it in the same places you'd find water, so it works out. Reading about touching or ingesting water in books freaks elsens the fuck out though-- combined with the fear of ripping pages, the library might as well be considered full of horror novels.

Elsen clothing is all made of polyester. Thankfully, elsens don't really emit body odor (even when they sweat), though they can accumulate a general funk from where they've been, which they do wash off with a nice metal dust bath. The exception to this is that elsens under immense stress and on the verge of going burnt do have a very slight smell of caramel about them. Burnts themselves have a very strong smell of charred caramel. On that note, the air in Zone 3 can be like a horrible punch to the nostrils to anybody not from there-- especially the farther North in Vesper you get. Sugar consumption can make the sugar smog more tolerable though.

Most elsens do their laundry communally, but some (mostly in Zone 2) prefer to do their laundry themselves and at their own pace. Honestly, everything happens at its own pace in Zone 2, besides trade with the other zones.

Most residents of the Zones, including elsens, make up for a general lack of water by getting all their hydration needs met through consuming meat... Somebody ask me my thoughts on Zone 1 cows please.

Zone 1 elsens tend to stay in their assigned districts for long periods of time, with various promotions scattered throughout. However, if an elsen is starting to become disillusioned or even burnt out with their current stations, there is a process for them to start anew in a different district (though it is lengthy)... Unless they're in Alma, but who would want to leave such a good job?.. Under normal circumstances, your average Shachihata worker can take years to become truly worn thin by their job, but in Alma, it usually only takes a month for the disillusionment and anguish to set in. This is why everybody but those who actually work in Alma sing Alma's praises so high: dead men tell no tales. And a month is not long enough for an elsen to completely deconstruct their preconceived views on Alma (and warn others of the pipedream)-- they'd much sooner just straight-up burn from the sudden influx in disappointment and doubt.

Also, this is not my own headcanon, not at all, but I am 110% a believer in that all the elsens originate from the giant elsen in the Room, forming on that guy like fungus on a log and then falling off... Onto something a bit more original to that though: the other elsens we see in the Room are in direct contact with the big elsen and-- along with having very streamlined, simple routines-- that's why they're so steady and confident. Meanwhile, the vast majority of elsens elsewhere had been taken from their progenitor so quick they can't even remember him, and they remember the Room just barely. So they couldn't even develop that essential part of identity that comes with having a connection to any sort of nurturing figure, though many in Zone 1 have imprinted on Dedan. A few in Zone 3 exalt the Director like that too, though much less directly, and it's almost always from those who have never met the Director. But then you've got the elsens in Zone 2 who've got no guardian that they know of-- no protection nor leadership... Japhet, unlike Dedan and unlike Enoch (who views the elsens more like peons), returned the feeling of kinship though-- which is not so much headcanon as it is canon actually haha.

[candysweetposts]

MCL NG Ep 9 edit (pt 1)

For a second I forgot what happened in this episode :)).

HC time (long af):

Well, Elizabeth doesn't have siblings but she sure has cousins. One of them is Théa, who basically acts as Ysaline's little sister. She's a bit of a girl with an attitude (maybe I'll make a sprite of her if I remember). She and Elizabeth have a bit of a feud for some reason, constantly making comments about each other. Théa asked for help with her internship and Elizabeth obviously refused.

At work, things mostly went like in the actual episode. Elizabeth meets Devon's little brothers and she thinks they're nice kids and tries to guide them as best as she can. She also acted a bit awkward around her co-workers since she hasn't forgotten the Roy incident. She's still very mad but tries to keep her emotions down and yes the others also feel awkward around her since she gives them side-eyes whenever she can.

She chose to take care of the new interns alone and only talked about work.

After work, Elizabeth receives a call from her cousin who informs her about where she went and that she has to come and sign some papers because her parents are busy and she's closer to the location (she did that to piss her off mostly). Of course she denied it at first but was slowly convinced since she wanted to see Jason.

At Jason's office, he is surprised to see her since he didn't know she was Théa's cousin. So Elizabeth asks how Théa did and Jason sensing the tension between them says that she did very good with a smik. Théa also sensed the tension between Elizabeth and Jason wanted to stir some drama and asked "Are you sleeping with this guy?" to which Elizabeth trying to save face made a joke and said "Yes, so what?.... joking. Why do YOU care?" and then Théa didn't say much and left feeling a bit awkward.

Jason also felt... something but brushed it off and talked more about Théa and how good she did and from here they had the same conversation as in the episode leading to Jason talking about his father and Elizabeth proposing to steal a boat. They talked some more on the way and it seemed like they were actually having a normal conversation. Elizabeth felt bad for Jason and tried to comfort him as best as she could and even talked about her own father who lost his father figure when he was very young (17 to be precise) and was left by himself mostly.

They seem to bond over this and they had a sweet moment on the boat where Elizabeth was talking way too much and Jason listened but he enjoyed it nevertheless. He almost felt comforted by Elizabeth's words and how she seemed to be able to talk about it so freely and understandably. She even patted his shoulder and told him that it's ok and that he seemed so strong for going though this and not breaking down.

After that Jason took Elizabeth home and they said goodbye to each other. She immediately entered the house feeling all warm and fuzzy.

Here's the outfit:

I really like this outfit. It's very fitting Elizabeth's style.

[redheadspark]

Ascend

A/N - I got an idea for this one shot from a TikTok I saw that showed, drones flying through beauty oceans and scenery. I hope you like it!

I was inspired to write this to the song Runaway by AURORA. I highly advise you listen to the song as your read this!

Summary - Druig's curiosity leads him to something that would change his life forever.

Warnings - A small hint of Angst but mostly fluff!

If there is one thing Druig loves, it's a good mystery.  

The mystery of the human race, for example.  He was always curious about the fragile and yet ever-evolving species, from the moment his eyes opened in the Domo so long ago.  The humans were always intriguing, infuriating when it came to conflict, filled with joy and soul that would stretch out and be boundless like the sea, and yet there was always more to learn from them.  It seemed to be like he was peeling back layer, after later, and finding more and more things about the humans that entranced him.

But it wasn't just the humans that were a mystery to him: his fellow Eternals were also.

No matter the years they spent together, Druig would find things to question about each of his Eternal Family.  From their Leader Ajak and her blinding allegiance to Arishem to Ikaris and his cockiness in needing to be second in command constantly.  Even Sprite and her moods and the sarcasm that was laced in her rants, Druig kept learning new things from each of them.  Some of them are shocking, like learning of Kingo's favorite snack. Or memorable, like how Gilgamesh was light on his feet and knew how to dance well.

But with you, you were a genuine mystery to the Mind Controller. 

You were someone who could fly, just like Ikaris, thanks to the use of the element of wind on your side.  Being able to bend the wind to your will to have you fly amongst the clouds and cut through the sky above you.  You were just as fast as Ikaris, if not faster, and with the Eternal's strength on your side, you were a fierce fighter against the Deviants.   

Off the battlefield, you were more secluded than anything.  Not that you were a loner, but you weren't a social butterfly either. Druig would see you sneak off on your own from time to time after a meeting or during a feast that the humans would hold for the Eternals, slipping out the door without anyone else noticing your absence.  Perhaps you were no fan of feasts, much to Druig's amusement since most of the others were fans.  Or maybe you didn't like a massive social gathering, which could make sense to Druig since they were mostly rowdy to begin with.  

Druig was kind to you, he made sure to be kind to you.  He could tell you had a good heart for the humans and cared for the planet.  You reciprocated that kindness back to him, you two would chat every once in a while and were courteous to one another. There was always mutual respect, and Druig's curiosity and intrigue with would only grow over time. 

"She likes to be alone," Then explained to Druig once when he asked casually, seeing you once again make your way out of the Domo right after another meeting that Ajak conducted.  Druig has been puzzled where you were going off on your own, it was festering in his mind for the past month or two.  Ajak never reprimanded you when you exited, which made his curiosity spike even more.  So Druig went to the only other Eternal that you would talk to: Thena.  

"Some of us strive to be in the spotlight," Then explained, gesturing to Kingo across the way in the Meeting Room who was conducting a story with some of the others who were listening on batted breath, "And there are others who need a moment of peace,"

"I take it you're the latter these days?" Druig asked with a smirk, Thena quietly laughing as she shoved her shoulder against his own.

"As of late, yes.  But with her," She explained, mentioning you to Druig, "She prefers to have some peace and wait sometimes.  Especially with us all together," 

Makkari was in the same boat as Thena when Druig asked her the same thing about you.  Druig and Makkari were close, very close, but Druig also knew you were close to Makkari as well.  Makkari was close to everyone on the ship.  There wasn't a being on The Domo that would rub Makkari the wrong way, including you.  So Druig had to ask the Speedster about you. Who gave him an amused look and huffed at him as she popped some fruit in her mouth while sitting Indian Style on top of Phastos's lab table.

"Leave her alone," She warned him with her fingers as Druig cocked a row at her, "The last thing anyone needs is a moody Mind Controller spying on them,"

"I'm not going to spy!" Druig rebuked and signed, Makkari raising a brow at him unconvinced as Druig kept going, "Haven't you ever wondered where she would wander off to?"

Makkari paused, her face seemed unchanged as she held up three fingers to sign the word "No". Before she could sign anything else, Phastos walked into his lab and saw the speedster sitting on top of his chest.

"Off of my desk, NOW!" He yelled, Makkari spewing off within a mili-second with a laugh on her lips as the papers flew in different directions.  

You were still on his mind, the possibilities of locations you would sneak off to would flood Druig's mind, even late in the night when he would try to sleep.  It was itching at his brain, the need to know a pinch more about the mysterious Eternal was gnawing at the back of his mind and it was growing by the day.  He knew enough about it, up until this point.

He wanted to know more about you.  Plain and simple.

He finally went with his gut one summer afternoon, the Eternals were sharing a meal at the Domo. The day was already busy, taking on at least 2 Deviants that were out in the North.  You went to fight beasts with Ikaris and Thena, leaving the others behind in the city in case the Deviants would come near the humans. But you all were sitting together for dinner, chatting together about the events of the day.

Drug was seeing you sitting across from him, talking to Sersi and Thena at the same time about the Deviant fights.  Although he couldn't hear the entire conversation arm his spot near Gilgamesh and Kingo, he could tell from the look on your face you were showing in how you were re-telling the story.  He had no idea if it was the glimmer of light that shined over your head to highlight your hair, how the fluid motions of your fingers almost made it look like a dance as you were recounting every moment with your friends who wrestle listening on bated breath. 

But something shifted inside of Druig that scared the shit out of him.

No one has ever made him feel like this, not even Makkari.  You were the very first being to make Druig second guess his feelings.  He was always sure in all his choices, never needing to pause and rethink something concrete in his mind.  Whether it was his own beliefs and Arishem and the outlandish philosophy the Celestial had, or the ever-evolving human race that seemed to be more important to Druig than ever before.  His foundation was never moved or never once shifted, until now.

Until you.

Druig saw you walk out of the Meeting Room a month later, making that his opportunity to follow you since there would never be a better time.  He moved before anyone else in the room noticed, though Druig was not fast enough to be avoided by Makkari, who grinned at the sight of the Mind Controller chasing after you.  Although she warned him about giving you space and not chase after you, she still thought of it as cute.  

Something she could use against her best friend down the road whenever he would get cheeky on her. 

Druig kept his ongoing distance behind you as he was watching you walk along the dirt path, your eyes were dead head with no signs or indications that you knew you were being followed.  You had a pep in your step while you strolled along the path, something that was new for Druig to see.  Not that you were. A killjoy, you did smile and you enjoyed yourself from time to time.  But this,  seeing you almost glide as you went through the forest, your hair swaying in the wind and your limbs loose, Druig was taken aback by the view.  The last thing he wished to do was break that spell as he kept his distance and remained on your tail.  

The walk itself was a good 15 minutes, cutting right through the thick trees and amongst the pristine foliage.  Druig caught on that you were heading to the cliffs that overlooked the sea, a gorgeous view that was far enough away from the city but still close enough by walk. He's gone to the cliffs only a few times, not being able to go constantly since he was busy helping the humans.  But seeing the bright blue ocean in front of you, past the tall pine trees and the sweet smell of the ocean mist coming through the branches. 

Finally, you broke through the last line of trees into the opening that was in front of the cliffs, massive cliffs that were towering over the beach below and casting a shadow over some of the rock formations that were in the ocean waves.  It was such a view to see, Druig losing his breath himself as you were walking along the grassy ground before standing a few feet away from the edge of the cliff.  You were still then, though your hair was dancing in the wind as your backside was to Druig. He stayed along the tree line, his eyes on you to see what you were going to do next. 

He saw your shoulders droop and relax within seconds, no longer hunched up or stiff like they would be most of the time.  Your entire body was loose and calm, nothing making you stiff or rigid.  The way you stood even was calm and relaxed, and Druig could see you take a few deep breaths to perhaps breathe in the ocean air.  He watched on bated breath as you took another step towards the edge. 

Druig started to feel a hint of concern then, knowing full well you were an Eternal who could take care of herself.  But then again, being that close to the edge, it was sending off warning alarms in his mind.  Why was he panicking over you?  You knew how to fly and the last thing you would ever do was fall from a slip.

But your toes were on the edge, and you simply leaned forward and you fell.

Druig bolted out from the forest, his mind going on overdrive and his heart falling to the stomach.  There was no way he was imagining what he just saw, it could not be a trick of the mind.  You simply fell over the edge, almost like you were in a trance of sorts and you were no longer in sight.  What drove you to do that?  Why would you do something as insane as this?

But as soon as he slid to a halt in front of the very spot where you descended, he was shocked at the sight in front of him.

You were actually flying, but in a way he's never seen before.  Your arms were along your sides, out barely like they were a small pair of wings as you were weaving in and out of the massive rock formations, making it look so smooth like a dance or even water.  Like the very water that you were flying over, almost like you re morphed into a bird.  Druig was speechless, watching in fascination and awe as you were flying all around the coast.  Zipping through the holes in the rock formations, hovering over the top of the ocean with the water barely touching your armor, and with a massive smile on your face.

He saw you fly in combat, you were swift and smooth in how you would soar and dip and gain speed.  But you had to be quick.  Here, amongst the water and rocks, you were slower and almost at ease.  A rolling sensation as you were ascending and descending, like the waves themselves.  Druig could only watch with wide eyes how you were both embracing the wind around you to guide you and carry you, and drink in the very notion of nature to shut everything else out around you.  

The sun danced in your hair, along with some of the spray of the ocean along your skin to make it glisten, your armor shined from the light and the reflection of the water as you were making your flight patterns with your eyes closed.  You must have flown out here so many times you knew when to turn or where to shoot up or down with no need to look.  

Druig realized what it was: you were free.  Utterly free.

He was never free with his mind-controlling, he never felt like he was.  He would always use his powers on the humans to help him or make them safe, also sensing and reading the minds of others.  But he had to use them for others, not for himself.  Not that he would complain about it, he would do it in a heartbeat for the fragile species that they swore to protect.  But there was never a moment that he could simply turn his mind off, let it be at rest.  He wanted it, so badly he wanted to rest his mind and rest what was crawling in the part of his brain.

Seeing you free, beyond free, he was envious.  

Minutes came and went, you clearly had no idea Druig was watching you, nor was Druig caring he was out in the open and watched you in adoration and utter amazement.  It seemed like time stood still for the both of you, nothing else mattered and nothing else needed your attention.  Druig finally sat down on the edge of the cliff, his feet dangling and his hair flicking in the ocean air as his eyes were trained on you intensely and with love laced there as well. 

Druig suddenly realized that he could watch you fly for hours on end and not lose focus or have any boredom. His heart flickered against his chest and his pulse quickened, a sensation he never had before on Earth.  Nothing else excited him or made him smile, he would turn away any kind of earth possession or substance that could substitute.  What he was feeling, and experiencing, seemed more organic and pure.  All from watching you be free in your skin, being free and sensationally beautiful in his eyes.

It hit him sideways, he was in love with you.

You flew up along the cliffs, up in his direction and you finally saw him. Gasping, you flew past him, the force enough to make him fall on his back onto the grassy floor and look up in the pink and purple sky with a gasp on his lips and his eyes wide.  You landed instantly, standing right above his head and perching over him with your head tilted at him and your hands handed at your side.  Druig saw the look on your face, shocked mixed in embarrassment.  Your hair surrounded your head like a halo, hiding you from the world as Druig blinked at you.

"What are you doing?" You asked out of breath, some anger in your tone as Druig found his voice.

"I was—" he was about to say when you huffed.

"Watching me?  When I wanted to be alone?!" You asked, interrupting him as you clenched a fist at your side.  Druig could see how hurt you must have been, needing this time alone and it was taken because of him.  Seeing that anger with a mix of pain in your eyes as you spoke again, "I wanted to be alone, Druig,"

"I...I know," he replied, sitting up and turning to face you thought you were on your feet and he was still sitting on the ground, "I was curious as to where you were going every night,"

"You were looking to pry," You countered, Druig hearing the bite in your tone as he flinched as you glared, "I don't want anyone to pry with me and follow me here!"

You turned on your heel and walked away from him to head back on the worn that would go back into the forest.  Druig's heart dropped, the spell you were once under that was free and open was long gone and was filled with bitterness.  He knew it was his doing, and he wished to fix it as he scrambled to his feet to go after you.

"I didn't mean to pry, you know!" He called out to you as you were still walking, "I was merely curious is all since you go off on your own every night,"

"It's for a good reason," You replied over your shoulder, "Not that you need to know the reason,"

"You're right, I don't," he agreed, "I don't need to know the reason at all.  But you should know that what I saw just now was beautiful.  Beyond beautiful….and you looked like—"

You whirled around, eyes wide at him with some anger flickered in your eyes as you stared into his blue eyes, "Like what?!"

"An Angel,"

You stood still, looking at him with softer eyes now as you both were standing in front of each other mere feet away from one another at the very edge of the forest.  Never once in your time on Earth did you hear something like that about your Eternal Ability.  It touched deep, in the darkest corner inside of you that you never shared or rarely showed.  It made you release all of your breath as Druig kept his eyes on you.  His bright blue eyes you always admired and wished you had.  The same eyes that saw through the flaws and pain of others and never once judged them.  

"I know Angels are a thing amongst humans and their religions," Druig explained, taking another step towards you since he saw you were not walking away from him anymore, "Angels are pure beings, filled with happiness, and are rare beauties.  I…I think that's you when you fly,"

Your heart swelled from what he proclaimed, your ear burning red at the tips.  Druig was always truthful in what he would say, maybe sarcastic or aloof, but he would never lie.  You hearing that from him, in such a truthful manner and with softness laced there too, it made you look at new in a new way as well.  

"I…I fly like Ikaris," You tried to reason with him since it felt like your flying was nothing really special to be praised for.  Druig shook his head at the mention of Ikaris, almost disgusted by the comparison as you were still gazing at him in disbelief.

"He flies like a machine," Druig explained, taking another step to him as he searched your eyes.  He was finally close enough for you to see the blue specks in his eyes and for him to see the freckles on your nose, his fingers reaching down to lace yours with his with gentleness like you were made of glass, "You fly like an Angel,"

You both watched each other for a few seconds, not letting each other go.  You drank in what he said, never once hearing something like this or any of the others, or anyone in that general.  It moved you, truly moved you, since you felt like you had to hide how you wished to fly all this time. But for Druig to see it, and admire you in how you wished to soar and glide with no sign of negativity, you finally smiled.  Druig smiled in return, then cleared his throat and looked down for a moment at his boots.

"I won't tell anyone else where you go, I won't do that to ya," he explained, you watched as he shifted on his feet and still looked at the ground, "And…I won't come back out here if you don't want me to—"

"Druig," You hummed, Druig's eyes going to yours instantly and you saw the smile still etched on your lips.  This close, he saw so much warmth on your face, heard it in your tone, and felt it in your hand that was still holding this.  You looked like an Angel then, the sun setting though still radiating off your face and armor as he felt like his heart skipped another beat.  

"I…I don't mind you watching me," You reasoned, Druig's eyes widened as you kept going, "You're beyond kind to say such things about me—"

"Truthful things," he interrupted as you nodded.

"You wouldn't lie, and I know you won't say anything, to anyone," You went on, Druig nodding in agreement as you spoke again, "And….I don't mind sharing this place with you if you wish to come out here.  As long as it's between us, just us.  Deal?"

For you to offer him your sacred place, a place no one knew or wouldn't never dare to find, it moved Druig in more ways than he could ever imagine.  He knew what it was like to have a place to be at peace, to not be guarded in, and he felt honored that you were willing to share that small piece of yourself with him. 

"Just us," he repeated, your smiled growing, and he felt his heart burst all over again from your smile.

That cliff would be sacred to both yourself and Druig from then on out for the next 2 years you were there.  

You both would escape there almost every night, walking side by side and talking about the day and all that happened.  It was nice to have another person to talk to, at least for you, and Druig would sit on the cliff's edge as you flew.  Knowing that he as kept an eye on you as you were soaring and gliding, weaving in and out and dancing amongst the wind, your little world was a pint bigger now.  Druig loved watching you fly, fly in such a way that seemed so open and bare.  

It moved him the most that you were flying that just for him, no other audience present.  He would watch you for hours and hours on end, some days were joyous and you were speeding with ease.  Other days were hard, you were still with grief or stress.  You would escape to that place and simply fly to be out of your mind so to speak.  

Druig would feel the same, needing to be out of his head or cry from not being able to help the humans.  One night, months later, you stopped flying to see him weeping on the cliff with his head in his hands.  It scared you, wounded you even since you never saw him cry in such a way before.  This was not the Druig you knew, who would make you laugh or smile from his jokes or make you think about the humans so highly.  

So you flew to hover in front of him, gathering him in your arms as he cried in your embrace.  

You both fell in love with time, centuries coming and going but your love was never fleeting.  You found new places to fly when you would move to another part of the planet to hunt Deviants, Druig right behind you to watch you be free.  Having that time with Druig, away from others, was what you craved every day.  Even sharing your first kiss with you hovering in the air and Druig on his tiptoes to try and kiss you a bit bolder and for a pinch longer.  The first kiss, his hand on your jawline and a smile against yours was just as thrilling as flying in itself.  You pulled away as he tried to chase your lips, you laughing as you flew up in the sky in bliss and Druig watching with adoration and affection in his eyes.  

You both grew to accept one another and never let the other go, even when he fled from the family in the Amazon after witnessing a Genocide.  You went with him, realizing he was the other half of your soul and you couldn't survive without him.  Those first few years were hard for the pair of you, being away from the family you've been with for centuries and attempting to protect a village of humans.  Wars and famines, life and death, it was all wrapped in one for you two to navigate.  Especially Druig, who would fight tooth and nail to keep those humans alive.  But he did, and you loved him all the more for it.  

Just like before, he would watch you fly and dance amongst the tops of the jungle trees, considering himself lucky to have someone like you love someone like him.  

And now, years and years later in South Dakota, right after the near Emergence and with the world safe you were sitting on the rooftop of Ajak's farmhouse, watching the scattered stars on the black sky in silence.  You were thinking of Ajak and Gilgamesh and how you missed them, you were thinking of Ikaris and his betrayal against the family, and you were thinking about your husband and how he was almost taken away from you.  

Druig found you there on the rooftop, after discussing with Phastos and Thena with what would come next.  He knew you needed time away from all that happened, that time alone.  Everything within the last several hours seemed so fragile and frazzled, all over the place, and for you to have your alone time was essential.   He crawled out of the open window and sat next to you, wrapping you in his arms You tucked your head against his own as he rubbed your arms.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," you muttered to him as he kissed your hair, "I can't be in this world without you,"

"I would never dare," He vowed into your locks, "We are meant to be together in this life. You're my Angel, remember?"

His pet name for you ever since he used that term on you centuries ago.  He would use it casually during his day to say actives or chores just to make you smile, or privately when you would be in bed and he would bring you to the brink of pleasure. To him, it was more just a pet name.  It was who you were to him: pure, filled with happiness, and a rare beauty.

"I'll always be your Angel," You vowed in return.  And as he let you go flying amongst the stars high above him, Druig was inwardly glad that he followed you that day.  His curiosity led him to years of blissful happiness and joy.  His intrigue led him into the arms of someone who saw him as more than a Mind Controller.

He watched his Angel fly with ease, a big smile on his face.

The End.

Tagged - @a-lumos-in-the-nox @hottpinkpenguin @virtueassassin @heartofwritiing @valeridarkness @ethereal-athalia

[sandyca5tle]

Slime HRT - 18 Months

Another few months, another update, this one’s been interesting.

First, the general progress update: I’m down to just bones in my body, no more muscles or organs, the latter of those hurting a lot as they were each dissolved and absorbed. My stomach was the first notable one to go, and that hurt like all hells. It initially felt like a horrible stomach ache, and when I looked (‘cause enough of my musculature had dissolved that I could see my internal organs) I saw that a hole had been punctured in the side of it and acid was leaking into my body, which was why it was hurting. I did call the doctor, and apparently it’s normal, and in fact is how my slime will be able to dissolve things in itself. So that went on for about a week, which sucked, but once the acid had all leaked out, true to what the doctor had said, I found that things I put in myself would dissolve.

I’d be lying if I said that reaching this stage wasn’t euphoric, or that I may have put a few random pieces of crap I had laying around into me to watch and feel it dissolve. At first, I could really only dissolve cardboard and similar things like that, but recently I’ve been able to eat some plastics - which is really useful for reducing waste. It is a little weird to be able to kinda feel things dissolving within me, but at the same time it’s kind of cool. It typically feels kinda bubbly if I had to describe it, like Sprite or something, but wherever I’ve put it. Which is another thing worth noting, the acidity kinda spread - from my stomach to the rest of my body.

The only drawback with this is that a) I can’t store stuff inside myself any more, and b) I do have to be a little careful hugging people - while my outer membrane keeps my insides safe from the outside, and vice versa, apparently it can be a bit of an irritant to sensitive skin. Fortunately, apparently, I can learn to control it, both the location and strength of the acid - so hopefully hugs will be back on the table soon! I’ve just got to work out how…😅

Another benefit of the acid is that I don’t have to clean lint out of myself any more, I can just let it dissolve in my acid and add to my mass, it’s really convenient, although I do miss the satisfaction of pulling it out of myself. 

The other thing I’ve begun to notice, more so now that my acidity is up, is that I’m occasionally getting some strange cravings, for things like metal and stuff, and I couldn’t help but notice it’s for denser things. Unfortunately most of those things are used in stuff, so I’ve had to find similar, disposable objects to quell the cravings… really hoping they go away eventually, as fun as it is eating all this new stuff.

An extra note worth adding is that I can’t really taste what I eat unless I ingest it through my mouth, which makes sense, given that’s where my tongue is. Certain things I think get passed up through my body - metal is definitely one of them, can usually taste that at least a little when I absorb it.

The other organ I noticed changing was my lungs (surprisingly most of the others went without any issue - not sure what to make of that). Initially it started as a pain across my lower chest, which I naturally investigated, seeing that my lungs were kind of peeling apart. The pain continued to get worse over the weeks, more and more of my lungs peeling as the acidity of my body ate away at them. It was excruciating towards the end, until one day, I suddenly felt what could only be described as a stabbing pain in my lungs. Naturally I tried to inhale from the pain, only for it to not work. As I struggled to breath I looked at my lungs and found that they now had holes in them - which explained the troubles I was having with breathing. It didn’t take long after that for me to pass out.

When I came too - which at the time I was a little surprised about - I naturally tried to breathe trying to recover after what had happened… except it felt off. I kept breathing, going from short, panicked breaths to deeper, more controlled ones. It didn’t take me long to work out what felt off - my chest didn’t move when I breathed; it didn’t rise and fall with my breath. I looked down , inside my chest, only to see that my lungs had mostly dissolved - just a small part of the top remained, and I could still feel a tingle where my acid was eating away at it.

In some respects I had been prepared for this - when my lungs first started hurting, I knew this was coming - I just hadn’t expected it to hurt so much, nor leave me unconscious. I did wonder how long I had been out, and upon checking, it had been around 2-3 hours (I hadn’t exactly checked the time before I lost one of my vital organs) which only added to my curiosity as to how I survived. 

I tested my primary theory, holding my breath and waiting, quickly noticing something else off - I didn’t feel the kind of build up of pressure that humans got when they held their breath. The longer I held my breath the more it became evident as I never felt any kind of push from my body to start breathing again. I did find a small instinct that told me that I should breathe soon, but with no alerts from the body signalling the same, I continued regardless. After a little while I was getting antsy, mostly at staying still so long, so I stopped holding my breath, and despite my mind waiting and expecting it, I didn’t take a deep breath in after, I just kinda kept breathing as if I had never tried to stop myself.

All this to say: I no longer need to breathe! And it really is breathing  - I tested putting my head in water to much the same effect, I could keep my head under there for as long as I liked, although trying to open my mouth did lead to issues with my remaining human biology. So I’m pretty sure I now absorb air through my slime, passively as I walk around. I think was only breathing at the start because of 20 of years of muscle memory and instinct, but it wasn’t long before I did that thing where you forget to breathe for a little, but instead of suddenly taking a large gulp of air, I just… genuinely didn’t notice for a while, and when I did, I wasn’t entirely sure when I stopped. Since it’s happened, some people have noticed something ‘off’ about me, which I quickly learnt was the lack of breathing - apparently humans find it a little unnerving when animate creatures don’t visibly breathe. While I’m not super worried about that, I have worked out how to imitate breathing, chest movements and all, to help quell that unease (of course some people just find my general existence uneasy, but I’m not spending time worrying about that…). It is really neat not having to breathe anymore, and it’s another very affirming change - breathing feels like something very human, even if it’s something many organisms do, so to no longer need it gives me that distance from humanity, and greater closeness to slime…ity? slimeness? Whatever it’s called. Basically not having to breathe makes me feel less like a human, and more like a slime, which just makes me really happy. 

Between my lungs and stomach, I have noticed that the process seems to need to absorb certain organs before the slime can begin to mimic their function e.g. I definitely still had to breathe before my lungs went, and the change is even more pronounced with my stomach and new digestive abilities. It does make me wonder how that’ll work with the remaining organs in my head.

One thing that has me a little concerned now is how exposed my spine - and thus a core part of my central nervous system - is. With all my musculature and organs gone now, I just have the bones in my torso floating around in there (pelvis is pretty much gone), so my spine is kind of very exposed. My slime does provide a general cushion, but my back is still very sensitive now, and I’m just worried about some lasting damage happening while I wait for it to dissolve.

The other thing about the torso bones is that they seem to move less than the rest of my bones did - with my arms and legs I could push the bones around and rearrange them, but I can at most wiggle my ribcage a little, but nothing much beyond that. Nothing really to note about that, just an observation I made.

While all this was happening in my torso, my slime also made some progress on my head, having gotten as far as the skin, so the muscle is visible now beneath the thin layer of slime. A little bit of my nose has gone, as well as my ears, although neither sense has been affected just yet. Surprisingly my eyes have been untouched, although there is a slight pain in them - which I’m guessing is from the acid now in my slime. It could be worse, and I don’t notice it if I'm distracted, but it is a little painful when I do. 

The other funky thing around the eyes is my eyelids - while they’re still there, they’re now translucent, which, uh, means that I can’t really close my eyes in the same way anymore - I’m still able to see through them when I close them. It’s made sleeping a little harder, more just ‘cause it’s unnerving to be kinda able to see while I’m falling asleep, despite having my eyes closed… really hoping that something happens or that I can do something about it ‘cause it really is a pain.

Interestingly, while the inside of my mouth has changed to slime (not sure quite how far/much, but lips have and the mouth I can see in the mirror) my tongue hasn’t, which is another weird experience - meat tongue in slime mouth. My teeth also haven’t changed, which mostly looks weird rather than feeling weird like my tongue, but they’re still there.

I will add though that now that my skin is slime, my hair isn’t as cold against my face, and there’s no real difference in ‘wetness’ now, so that’s a pro.

Lastly, and more lightly since this has been a kinda heavy entry, even if the end results on the whole have been super euphoric for me, I’ve continued to mess around with shaping my slimy body. I can now firmly say I have a tail! Interestingly, it seems easier to hold that than it did to reshape my legs and arms - I’m guessing ‘cause they already had existing forms, while the tail is completely new. I imagine the phantom tail I’ve been able to feel for a while helped too - gave me a mental template to build too. I decided to go with a long, medium-width tail shape, with a horizontal fin on the end - I always liked how aquatic designs looked - mermaids and dragons - so I decided to try it out myself. Combined with the claws and talons, and you know, the general sliminess, I definitely can’t be mistaken for human any more. Only con of the tail is it’s a lot harder to hide how I feel - when I get happy, my tail wags, and sad, it droops - it’s honestly a little embarrassing, but I do still like it, and it’s not like I particularly want to be hiding my feelings anyways. Although in the early days of having a tail, wagging would occasionally send blobs of slime launched off the end of the new limb - or the end of the tail itself, which was very embarrassing, but I think I’ve got it under control now.

Anyways, I think that’s everything I’ve got to write about this time, was a painful few months, but the payoff has still been worth it, so I ain’t stopping anytime soon! See ya in the next one, goobye!

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Might be a little while til the next update, but working on another thing in the meantime

First - Prev - Bonus - Next

[kimberlyeab]

Undertale Yellow - Thoughts

Do you ever touch a piece of media and it hits you so hard that you just decide to drop all your artistic responsibilities for a day and write something to get your thoughts down into a single coherent place.

Well, uh… let’s talk about Undertale Yellow.

Please avoid if you intend to play and do not want spoilers as this delves heavily into topics laid down in the pacifist route. Also please note this contains content warnings for child death, so don’t touch if that ain’t your cup of tea. Like all Youtubers would say, please play the game before you read this, because this experience is best enjoyed in its original form.

The first issue i am struck with before getting too deep into this topic is that this is a fan project. While i, as a fan creator, enjoy feedback on my work; even if it is a little biting at times, i don’t know the pulse of the team in this regard. After all, this had no price tag and was purely a labour of love with seven hard years of development behind it.

i also don’t know how the development of this project was handled and if it was a collaborative effort from start to finish or different teams worked on different sections with an overarching goal. All i have is my own experience of modding for Hearts of Iron IV where my efforts were focused on singular nations and not overarching plots. If different sections were handled by different teams, please don’t take a critique or praise of any singular section as a slight against your work, it was all fantastic just some areas were more fantastic than others.

i enjoyed the mod, immensely, it stuck with me to the point that i had to come here and discuss it for what seems to be close to 2000 words. This project is something truly special, not only in terms of a fan game, but as a piece of media in general. It managed to make me feel that sense of magic I felt two years ago when i first played Undertale. And i can’t think of a higher praise than saying that.

The sprite work was amazing. The battles were fun and just the right amount of challenging… except Axis… fuck Axis. The music was a genuine banger to the point where i even liked some of the songs better than some of Toby’s work (i’m looking at you, the person who composed A Mother’s Love, that Hopes and Dreams drop ruined me emotionally for the rest of the run and i hold you and the writing team responsible for that).

And the story, gosh the story was just a real treat.

The mod in general is a bit slow to start, i’ll be honest, i did enjoy the tease at the beginning with Toriel and i think it was genius to cut us off from her entirely at that point. To me, a Undertale mod doing the ruins is like a Batman movie watching Bruce’s parents get gunned down. So, getting something refreshing here was a great foot forward.  Actually, I think that the fact that this mod does not use the OG cast as a crutch is an all-around strong point that i really appreciate and helps set it aside as its own independent thing, different from Undertale. Even though I did find myself craving at least a cameo at times.

On my first day of playing, i witnessed everything that the ruins and Snowdin had to offer. i enjoyed Dalv and Martlet immensely. As I went into the start of the Wild East, I was having a lot of fun. Yet, something felt off, something wasn’t quite sparking the magic i felt with Undertale. So, I left off my first session in the Oasis, having beaten the third boss. All in all, an enjoyable time but not quite clicking.

i couldn’t describe why the game felt off up to this point. Until i watched a friend stream xeyre own first run of the game.

Xey said something during it which made me realize what the issue with these first three areas was. They felt safe, they felt fangamey. These were fun experiences with great atmosphere and enemies but Dlav and Martlet (up to that point) were not characters who grabbed me and made me feel as invested in them as say Toriel, Sans, Papyrus, and Undyne (all characters we would’ve met at a similar point in OG Undertale). Sure, they were nice, and were immensely fun, but i didn’t feel that drive to get to know them better and care about their greater story. These were not the characters of ask blogs and video essays.

At this point, i went to bed, content to get back to it tomorrow but still very much feeling like “this is a fangame.”

Then i woke up…

And let me telling you about Starlo and the town on the edge of the Wild East.

This is where Undertale Yellow grabbed me, this is where the story became something special. This wonderful cast of six unique characters who left me wanting to consume every piece of dialog they had available. These six characters managed to crackle to life that little fanfiction voice in the back of my brain. It was these characters that planted the seed of this sprawling text i am currently writing.

Starlo, himself, is a wonderful character, very fun, very well written, just a treat to experience and spend time with. His missions were comedic gold to a degree where I was cackling in VC because of how good they were. And the fights, oh jeez, the two fights in that area are where the mod really showed off what it could do when it came to combining fun gameplay, great music, and just top tier sprite work that helped give these characters so much substance and life.

And it was also in this section where i started to get invested in the characters. This is where the fangame vibes withered away and gave birth to that same experience i had playing Undertale for that very first time.

It was hinted at with Starlo, a monster putting on a façade to hide from the cold reality of being a member of a broken species living in an equally broken land. His reasoning is so tragic, yet through the tragedy, he is just trying to distract people and bring them whatever joy he can manage. His methods are faulty but his goal is good.

And Ceroba is just amazing, as well, hinting at something darker in the narrative, weaving her story into OG Undertale by experiencing loss to the same experiments that would haunt Alphys. She is something familiar, a mother in pain like Toriel, but also someone who didn’t let that pain keep her in hiding. She uses that pain to try and help this world. And it plays on me so well, making me genuinely ache as my mind idly wonders which amalgamation in the lab was once this monster’s little girl. I wanted to know her story and experience it.

Then the game was all high points from here.

The adventure in the Steamworks where we see the remains of a shattered legacy and the pain that Ceroba goes through when she realizes that her husband was never respected in life. It resonates as we learn how much he just wanted to help Monsterkind and his legacy was just thrown away and left to rot. It made me hate Asgore.

And then comes the plot twist, the moment the shoe drop, as we approach Hotlands and Starlo confronts us. He knows Ceroba’s secret and is there to keep us safe. I had never been so invested in finding out what any of this meant, craving to know what could possibly bring these two into conflict with one another after being so close just two sections prior.

And that’s when we go to Ceroba’s home. That’s where we experience the empty abode that used to house a family. It’s where we learn how this tormented world of captivity that broke them, one by one, killing father, daughter, and yes, even the mother. It’s where we learn about Chujin, a figure of mythos, this mod’s Asgore in a way. A man who knew that escaping the Underground wasn’t the end goal unless Monsterkind could assert itself and prove that it had a right to exist upon the surface. This moment was so compelling, asking questions that fans have had for years and answering them in a way that felt downright satisfying.

And it put a fire in my breast going forward. i feel bad for the individuals who wrote dialog for optional areas after this reveal because i was a woman on a mission at this point. There was no endearing encounter, no fun moment that would distract me from finally finishing this with Ceroba.

And as we reach New Home and face the enemy, a mother who has lost everything, with our friends by our side, that’s when we play the best boss fight, I’ve had the privilege of enjoying in a very long time. It was the right amount of difficult with perfect music, amazing phases and forms, and a wonderful use of the yellow soul to its full capacity. It was long and slogged out, fought tooth and fucking nail, all while the music perfectly weaves together Ceroba’s struggle with the adventure we’ve been on and also a little nostalgia just to remind you what’s at stake. i have slept and i still remember her piano bits combined with those little western twangs, bringing together two childhood friends before dropping Hopes and Dreams just to show you how epic it is. It is… HOLY SHIT… it is something.

And with every phase we see a little more of what this monster lost. We watch her husband wither away, we see her risk her daughter and fail, and we see every last thing this obsession has cost her. And we know that this is a family broken by a collective scar left upon a whole species. We know that humanity is at fault, subjecting a whole race to torment for something that’s generations old. This family is just one of many who our species has wronged, just one trauma on a whole ledger.

And as we finally dispatch her and feel victorious, the reality of the situation slowly settles in.

This is a prologue… we know how this ends.

Asgore has five souls right now. Yet, by the events of Undertale, he has six.

i knew on a logical level that this would happen but the mod still managed to destroy me with the reality. As our friends try and figure out a way to keep us safe, we, the Spirit of Justice, a child with a pure heart, know that we can’t let this slide. We saw what humanities punishment has done to this species and we know that we can help them.

So, Clover sacrifices their Soul. And its at this moment that i started bawling like a child, watching their friends bargain with them, then plead, then seeing them slowly come to terms with it. And the game slowly ends from there, watching our hero make this sacrifice and then send away their friends so they don’t have to see them die. It’s just us, alone, knowing that we did the right thing and it cost us everything. It’s beautiful and tragic, the perfect ending that still chokes me up thinking about it.

And it pays off as the credits role and we get an epilogue that shows all the monsters we’ve touched and made their lives better.

It was special.

This was the special that i felt after Undertale.

And like Undertale, i will never touch it again (unless i speedrun it). The story was completed and the sacrifice was beautiful. It would be wrong of me to erase the deeds that i’ve done to better these lives. i don’t want to erase their happy ending just to tinker around and extract every ounce of life from this game.

So uh, yeah, sorry to the people who worked on geno-run. i’m sure you did a great job but i can’t bring myself to hurt these characters.

All-in-all, sitting there in a VC, bawling at 3:30 in the morning, i knew this was unique and I knew that i wanted to share my thoughts with the fandom and maybe even the developers if they get around to reading this.

Dear devs, if you read this, you created something out of this world, thank you.

Sincerely, thank you.

Would I recommend this mod?

Let me tell you what I said after the credits rolled.

“Fuck this mod.”

Err… text kind of loses the translation of those words being spoken through the warble of a tear-stricken voice that was fresh from sobbing for ten minutes straight.

So, uh…

Yeah, it was alright!

Hey, y'all should join my Discord! It's multifandom and queer as fuck (Please be 18+ though).

Visit my website to see where else you can find my work, follow my socials, or support me!

[jayaury]

Autumn’s Harvest

Another short story from my Patreon archive. I hope you enjoy it!

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Michael Colter walked by the pumpkin patch every year, and every year he wondered how Old Man Wittig managed to make those pumpkins grow so big.

There were those that said Wittig sold his soul to a spirit of the Wire Woods. And true, there was always some poor sod that seemed to vanish along that road as the years grew long. But Michael put little stock in such tales. There’d not been a witch in the region for eighty years, and the cursed lands had been pushed back far beyond the borders of their village. The wards on the distant posts that separated the fields from the forest glowed hot with power, strung along the distance like a ribbon of stars, and not a devil, sprite, or any other fey thing could cross that boundary.

But when he walked by the patch and saw those orange gourds growing ripe and heavy, and when the wind whistled through trees growing thin of leaves and a sky overcast with a steely grey, he recalled the rumors of the missing, and shivered in the cold.

He was on his way back to his family’s farm that late night, later than he should have been. He’d spent overlong in the town’s library and hadn’t realized the time until the librarian had told him they were closing. The air was growing dark, the moon yet to rise, and even as he walked the night closed in more and more. A time the old folks knew as the Whispering Hours. Back when the forest grew closer, it was said the spirits of the Wire Woods would tempt men and girls of marriageable age to cross beyond the borders of the wards, and find their destiny in the arms of giggly sprites and hungry alraunes.

Michael shrugged off such talk. Superstitions were not for him. He was a man of education. His family did well enough. His brother would inherit the farm. His sisters went off to marry some of the tradesmen in town, and he was to go to the Academy in Morrinton come spring’s breaking. He had the mind of a scholar and no small skill in magic, and life on the farm had given him the build of a workhorse, which stretched his coat comfortably over his chest. He was meant for greater things than to be a farmer. Greater things indeed.

Come to me.

Michael stopped dead and looked out over Wittig’s fields. He noted with some interest that the pumpkins hadn’t been coming in as well as other years. The rinds were still pale and nestled in their vines like eggs waiting for a broody hen. Michael rubbed his chin, wondering, then shrugged and started off again.

Here.

He turned to the patch again, his eyes roaming across the field. He hadn’t imagined that one. He was sure of it. A plaintive whisper hanging in the wind. A woman’s voice that tickled his ear and made pins and needles dance up and down his arms.

“Hello?” he called.

No answer came but the soft sigh of the wind and the rustle of leaves blown across the acres. But as he stood there, he saw something glowing through the gloom. A flicker of a lamp swaying out among the fields. Michael leaned over the fence, trying to see who carried it, but the green flame merely hung in the air, swaying softly.

A new sensation came over Michael as he watched that distant glow. He felt again that tingle in his arms. A strange sense of vertigo gripped him, making him lean against the fence. He shook his head, banishing the momentary befuddlement, and tried to spot who it was that carried the lamp, but the gloom had only grown deeper, and the lamp seemed to recede further.

Michael drummed his fingers on the fence, then climbed over and began to make his way across the patch.

He was careful not to tread on the vines or pumpkins. He knew the labours involved in growing such crop, and it would shame him greatly to damage anything of another man’s harvest. “Hello?” he called again. “Who’s there?”

The flame retreated as he approached. Or perhaps it was further away than he expected. In no time, he found himself moving beyond the pumpkin patches, and towards one of the small shelters of willows that grew in tangles on every farm. The glow of the lamp danced between the trunks, flickering as if through the bars of the cage. As he approached, he spied a trail that wound into the trees.

Come here.

He paused then, uncertain. Uneasiness rose in him. Something was wrong here. Though he was still some distance from the ward posts, something made him wary of what lay before him.

Help me.

The words held such a pleading tone that it made Michael nervous. There were many rumors about Wittig. A man secretive, churlish. Quick to anger and jealous of his lands. Could he have harmed a woman who’d been walking by? Dumped her body among the trees thinking she were dead? Or had she escaped here, and was waiting for a rescuer?

His stomach clenching, but his mind made up, Michael moved down the narrow path through the trees.

Now, at last, the light of the lantern grew closer. The glow grew brighter. Brighter. Its flames fluttered, and Michael swore he could make out a figure among its embers. A feminine form that swayed and danced and spun in dizzying patterns of ragged green. A heat that burned bright and hands that swung and beckoned and-

Michael’s foot hit something, sending him crashing to the ground. He hit it hard, bruising his palms and knees, his brain seeming to rattle in his skull. The shock cleared his head and he shook it, looking back to see what it was he’d tripped on.

His mouth dropped open as he saw the prone figure laying on the ground. Though wearing a heavy brown coat with a high collar, it was near three sizes too big for the body it garbed. Wrists thin as twigs and twisted fingers clawed for the heavens. A face as wizened and wrinkled as the bark of an oak tree stared up, mouth and eye sockets gaping at the world with the dumb idiocy of death. But Michael could still make out, just barely, the familiar features of Old Man Wittig.

It was only then that Michael realized he could see easily despite the dark. He turned back towards the source of the light, and his shock was only compounded by what he saw.

Before him, nestled in the middle of the willows and atop a vast, sprawling tangle of green vines, sat the biggest pumpkin Michael had ever seen. It swelled in a huge orange orb, and several vines grew high around it, their tips curving outward like birdcages, and within them danced the fluttering green light of witchfire.

A creaking groan came from the pumpkin, and from its top leaves rustled and stretched apart. Michael stared, stunned as a figure rose out of the pumpkin. Skin a pale orange. Hair a bright green. A face radiantly beautiful, and breasts as large as the pumpkins in the field yet so much softer. Her hips plugged the pumpkin’s top as she stretched from the peak, her eyes opening, glowing the poisonous green of the witchfire as she looked down on him with a smile.

“Hello,” she crooned.

Michael slammed his jaw shut and scrambled to his feet. An alraune. A dryad! A creature of the forest. Winsome and cunning, he had heard countless tales of the fates that awaited those they tempted into their groves. He reeled back from the figure, only to trip again on the corpse of Old Man Wittig, this time finding himself on his rump.

“Oh dear!” the pumpkin alraune giggled. “You are a clumsy one. Here, let me help.”

“I ah!” Michael gasped as vines pushed against his back, twisting under his arms and hoisting him to his feet.

“There we are. Much better,” she said, then put a coquettish finger to her lip. “Hmm, although we aren’t quite on the same level, are we? Why, you’re just tall enough to talk to my big melons, aren’t you?”

Michael stared as she hefted her impressive bust, giving those plush, orange orbs a bounce in her hands, the shadows of the lanterns fluttering across them in a way that made his head spin. He shook it off, trying to take a step back. “I… who… you can’t be here,” he said.

“Can’t I?” the pumpkin woman said. “But I’ve been here for such a very long time. I am Cucuria. A pleasure to meet you.”

“But… the barrier…”

She giggled again. “Ohhh, I’ve been in place much longer than your silly barrier. But I’m a… seasonal spirit. I only get big… and strong… and jiggly now,” she cooed, giving her breasts another teasing wobble.

Michael swallowed, trying not to look at those impressive tits. “I uh… I don’t…”

“Ohhhh, but let’s not talk about me,” Cucuria said sweetly. “Let’s talk about you. And what we can do together.”

“S-sorry?”

“Oh,” she said, cocking her head. “Didn’t you come here for me?”

“N-no! I thought I heard a woman in… in distress.”

“How fortunate!” Cucuria giggled, sending her melons bouncing with mirth and the lanterns bobbing around her. “Why, that’s exactly what I am. A pretty damsel in distress.”

“You… are?” Michael said dubiously.

“But of course, silly! I’m in ever so much need of a handsome, strong young man. One who loves big… soft… breasts…”

She gave her bust another jiggle, but Michael managed to avoid staring at them this time, focusing instead on her face. Lit by the green lamps, there was something menacing in the light of her eyes and turn of her lip. Something that made his stomach flip and his pants feel tight.

“You…” He cleared his throat. “You needed help?”

“Oh yes! It’s been such a terrible season this year. I fear poor Walter simply didn’t have it in him to help me.”

“Walter? You mean…” Michael looked back at the shriveled corpse and felt another shudder.

“Poor soul,” Cucuria sighed. “He tried to give me his all, truly, but I’m afraid he was just too old now.”

“Y-you mean, you…”

“It was a mutual arrangement,” Cucuria said, touching her impressive chest. “I give him the biggest pumpkins around, and he gives me just a little taste of his lifeforce. Just a quick nibble. And I make the meal… mmm… so very good…”

So that was the secret. Michael knew that alraunes could feed on the essence of their prey, though some preferred to keep their thralls in a permanent state of love-drunk, perfumed submission. But he had never heard of one like Cucuria.

“You killed him,” Michael breathed.

“Oh dear, but I didn’t. He killed himself. Poor thing,” Cucuria sighed, once more fondling the plump orbs of her breasts. “He was just obsessed with pumping into me. Just pumping and pumping his needy cock into my flower. All so he could make these girls even… mmm… bigger.”

“B-bigger?” Michael said, again caught by the bobbing of her breasts.

“Oh yes,” Cucuria murmured. “So much bigger. Do you really think this is as big as I can make them? My breasts can grow so much… mmm… bigger. So heavy. So soft. So big you could bury your head between them and just… mmm… rest…”

Michael blinked. The lanterns were swaying around her again, their glow framing her, illuminating her as her hips began to slowly sway from side to side. He felt a pull towards the alraune. As if the world were bending around her. Twisting and shaping itself to draw him in deeper and deeper towards her.

“I… I sh-should go,” he gasped, turning.

“Are you sure?” Cucuria said, one of her lanterns suddenly dangling before him, the flame within swaying, captivating his eyes. “But I haven’t even made my offer.”

“I uh… I don’t think…” Michael said distantly as he watched the lantern bob, the green flame flickering and dancing. Fluttering and swirling…

“But you haven’t even heard what it is,” Cucuria said, her lantern moving around him, pulling him as if his eyes were tethered to the flame, compelling him to again face the pumpkin girl, her pouty lips filled with a smile, her lidded eyes gleaming with glowing promise. “Shouldn’t you hear my offer first?”

“I don’t… I don’t think…”

“Would it really be so bad?” Cucuria said.

Michael hesitated, his eyes following the lantern as it swayed, the witchfire again vaguely resembling a woman. A woman with big… soft breasts…

Would it be so bad? Just hearing her out surely wouldn’t… wouldn’t be a problem. “I… I suppose I could listen…”

“What a good boy,” Cucuria cooed, her words sending shivers up Michael’s spine. “I knew you would. Such a clever man knows a good deal when he hears one. And it is suuuuch a good deal. I’m sure you’ll absolutely love. It.”

“Uh huh,” he said, watching the flickering green flame sway, her tones rising, falling, like the ticking of a clock with every pendulous sway.

“It’s very simple, my handsome human. You give me some… mmm… of that wonderful lifeforce of yours, and make my breasts… mmm… all big… and soft… and you can do just… anything with them.”

“A-anything?” Michael said breathlessly.

“Anything,” Cucuria crooned.

Michael… Michael knew something was wrong here. And yet… and yet he couldn’t look away from her. From her chest. From her big, soft breasts. And to make them bigger… it stunned him to imagine. Those ripe melons growing heavier. Softer. Big as his head. Bigger than his head. Big enough to bury his head between them.

And yet… and yet…

He forced himself to remember Wittig’s body, because he couldn’t quite seem to move his head and look at it. Not while that lantern flame was swaying above her big orange breasts. Not when the shadows danced and chased each other over those curves with the swing of the lantern. He licked his lips. “I… I can’t… Wittig…”

“Was so veeeeery old,” Cucuria said, her voice like the whisper of an autumn breeze. Dripping with honeyed condescension. “So old and… used up… And it took him ever so many years to get so… drained… And you’re so very young. So very strong. So very…” Her tongue flicked across her lips. “Virile. Not to mention your magic. Why, I bet I won’t even need to touch your lifeforce. I bet I can just drink that sweet magic of yours. Just a quick sip, and you can do anything with my breasts. Why not sample them? Why not see if it’s worth it? Would one try really be so bad?”

Michael knew it would be. Instinctively he realized this. Yet he couldn’t seem to look away. He felt the warmth in his veins. The tingling arousal and heaviness of his balls. Gods he was warm. Gods he was horny. And what was a taste? A sample? Would it be so bad? Wittig had lived for decades. What was one quick try?

“I… I suppose… suppose a taste…” he said softly.

“Attaboy,” Cucuria said, her eyes shining in the glow of the lamps. “Now, take off those silly pants. You don’t need them.”

“Don’t need them…?”

“That’s right.”

Michael’s hands moved slowly, as if still not quite believing he was doing this. But he was. And it was fine. Everything was fine. He’d just get a taste. See what happened. Then he could head home. He could go home and… and forget all this happened.

But only after.

Only after…

He shucked his pants off, his cock tingling in the cool autumn breeze, his balls aching in the fondling of the wind. Cucuria’s eyes lit with anticipation.

“Good boy. My my! That’s a lovely cock. So big and thick. Mmmm. I can’t wait to give it a taste.”

Michael flushed with embarrassment and pleasure. His eyes were caught as a vine twisted up from the base of Cucuria’s pumpkin, the tip ending in a large bulb. As he watched the bulb opened, revealing a slick hole, drooling with sap.

“Come closer,” Cucuria said, her voice a whisper tickling in his ears. “Come closer, and let me show you… some fun…”

Michael nodded, drawn forward by the bobbing lamp. He found himself right before the alraune, her impressive breasts before his eyes, wobbling tantalizingly in the fluttering shadows of the witchfire lamps.

“Good boy,” Cucuria crooned.

“Ah!” Michael gasped as the bulb engulfed his cock, swallowing it in the warm tightness of its embrace. He groaned, his legs wobbling as the bulb gave a hungry suck, rippling around his manhood, sucking him like the most wonderful pair of lips he had ever known.

“Mmmmm. That’s it,” Cucuria breathed. “Goooood boy. Oh, I can feel how virile that big, thick cock of yours is. And those balls!” She giggled as vines slithered around his groin, cupping his balls in their twining grasp. “Mmm. So very full. I can’t wait to get a taste of that cum.”

Michael panted, barely able to process her words. His cock throbbed, needy, desperate. The flutter of the lamps sending shadows spinning around his eyes, their glow washing over his rapturous face as he thrust shamelessly into the hungry bulb, the slick sap making his cock so sensitive. So slick. “Ah!” he gasped. “Ah… ah… nnnnn! G-good. So gooood!”

“I know, stud,” Cucuria said, her hands gently cupping his cheeks, tilting his head back so he was looking into her glowing eyes. “It’s so good. So good for you. I’ll be so very good for you. And all you gotta do is pump. Pump that thick, manly cum for me. Pump for my tits. Pump it, stud. Pump. Pump!”

Michael obeyed. He couldn’t stop. Couldn’t dream of stopping. The feel of her bulb sucking his cock was beyond anything he’d known. The sap oozed down his shaft, warm on his balls. His body ached. He could feel his cum churn. His pleasure grow. His orgasm growing nearer. Nearer. His balls fit to burst! Just a little more. A little more…

“O-oooooooh!” Michael groaned, his body shuddering, his orgasm surging up from his heavy balls, pounding through his veins, rushing into his cock and exploding into the waiting flower. He shuddered as he pumped, as the bulb swallowed, thick bulges working down the vine and feeding into Cucuria’s base. He sagged, eyes fairly rolling back, body shuddering in unspeakable pleasure as her bulb drank down his cum, only remaining standing by the vines supporting his back and her hands on his head.

“Oh yesssss!” Cucuria moaned, her eyelids fluttering, lashes beating like leaves caught on an autumn breeze. “Oh baby yesss! So mmm… so goood! So much better than Wittig’s watery seed. Mmm. And look… ah… look at that.”

She tilted his head down, and Michael gaped as he watched her breasts bulge, swelling with every swallow of her stem, her orange tits growing so big and heavy he could fairly hear them slosh with her sap.

“Oh… Oh g-gods,” he breathed.

“All thanks to you, handsome,” Cucuria cooed. “Quite the taste, hm? And you’re still so hard! So vigorous. Do you want another taste?”

“A-another?” Michael gasped. “B-but…”

“Pleeeease?” Cucuria cooed, easing him forward, burying his face between those swelling orbs. “For meeeee?”

Michael’s eyes rolled back as those massive breasts engulfed his head. Perfect. Flawless. Soft. Firm. A farm boy like him knew the quality of good produce, and the melons engulfing his head were blue ribbon winners for sure. He shivered in the cool autumn night, but not from the cold. Another teasing suck engulfed his cock, and Michael groaned in delight.

“Y-yesssss,” he gasped.

“Good boy,” Cucuria giggled. “We’ll make a wonderful farmer of you yet.”

Michael could only moan as he found himself bending his knees, kneeling against the pumpkin of her lower body, his hips working, pumping him into the milking bulb. His hands cupped her massive breasts, squeezing them around his head, bouncing them, nuzzling them, his lips kissing those orange tits. Adoring them. Entranced by him.

By the witchlight of the pumpkin girl, Michael rutted into her, every spurt of his cum swelling the breasts around his head, yet never blocking out Cucuria’s words. Words that slithered into his helpless mind, wrapping up his thoughts in their dulcet tones and gentle instructions.

After all, there would be no question as to him taking over Wittig’s farm. His family would be delighted he was staying in town. Wittig had no heirs, so there would be no question of his ownership. Most would simply chuckle and shake their heads, saying that to farm was in the blood.

And his pumpkins would be even bigger than Wittig’s ever were. Even heavier. Even plumper.

And with his help, the growing season would last long in the coming years…

[slimeboiss]

I'm bored and with more Hundred Line news slowly dripping out I figured that I'd give my impressions on all the characters we've seen so far.

TAKUMI SUMINO

The protagonist himself, and probably the one guy we know the most about, even if most of that is just standard protagonist stuff. Kodaka's protagonists pretty must just follow the same archetype - relatively normal character among a cast of far more talented and impressive psychopaths, which usually leads to him developing a complex about it. And from what we've seen so far... Takumi seems to pretty much fit the bill to a T. Will he probably subvert expectations? Most likely - we've seen it with Hajime and Yuma from Rain Code before. There's definitely more to him than meets the eye, but I highly doubt that he's gonna be anything more than an average guy at the beginning, the straight man for the more unhinged characters around him.

He *does* seem to have an edgier look than every other protag we've seen so far. The rest of his look is pretty background character coded, which fits, but his hair makes him a dead ringer for Yomi from Rain Code. Which if you still remember that game, is a pretty far cry from "just an average guy". 50 percent chance that this is some sort of stylistic choice or if it actually means something about his personality - maybe he's a lot more rebellious than he seems from a first glance? Hard to say.

From the earlier promo art from before we knew what this game was supposed to be, the two "protagonist" characters had the same red hair and black color scheme, plus the katana that Takumi uses in battle. It looks like these traits were carried over to the final design at least - an interesting tidbit, even if it meant that we lost another potential female protagonist. This time with glasses, even!

DARUMI AMEMIYA

The second character we know the most about so far, and she's gotta be one that sticks out the most. When the trailer first dropped in June I swear like half of all discussion was just talking about her - more specifically, her design.

On first appearances, she very much reminds me of like a Kokichi-esque character, you know the one character in every game that just exists to make trouble and make the game more interesting when Monokuma's not around. She's a murder game fanatic, she has a bunch of crazy sprites, and also fights with floating knives. She's like if you asked an AI image generator to create THE danganronpa character.

She's not the first female character to be like *this* in Kodaka's works - Junko, Genocider Syo, Shinigami, etc, etc. - but exactly WHAT her role is is hard to pin down. She's been a lot more prominently advertised than other characters, so part of me believes that she has to have a significant participant in the game. Whether or not she's THE designated problems clown that every Danganronpa game, 90 percent chance she's going to be like top five most popular characters to come out of this game. hundred percent guarantee.

As a bonus note, I wonder if she was based on this character from the old promo art before the game was retooled entirely? I have nothing else to go off besides similar vibes - but it was a thought I had nonetheless. Probably the only other character from these early images that I can see carrying over to the final game besides Takumi, so this is the last time I'll bring it up, promise.

EITO AOTSUKI

TV Tropes says that he's supposed to be an apprentice astronaut - I have no idea where they got this from, but it would make him design make more sense. Plus his last name also means "blue moon", for what it's worth.

On the surface this guy seems like a coolheaded nerd. That was my first impression anyway. Someone said early on that he had Nagito vibes, and well... yeah I can definitely see that. Pretty boys in Danganronpa are hardly ever sane, and aside from his massive forehead he is definitively a pretty boy. Of course, this was before Tokyo Game Show came and went and...

Well, you've all seen that screenshot by now lmao

So yeah he's definitely gay. And gay for Takumi, no less. And if we know anything about characters that gay homoerotic tension for each other in Kodaka games (and Uchikoshi games to some extent), is that they're NEVER unproblematic. Just look at his face in that CG - he's definitely a freak.

As a side note, when the trailer first dropped I was under the impression that his weapon was a huge ass wizard staff, which fit with his whole nerdy vibe. I then realized it's actually supposed to be a big ass scythe - so make of that what you will.

HIRUKO SHIZUHARA

I fucking love tall women with long hair and glasses. Anyway, she's the cold, serious type with a penchant for bloodlust. She has a giant axe and admits to getting excited cutting down monsters. She's a freak yeah, but at least she does that while looking hot.

A lot of people have compared her to Peko for obvious reasons, but honestly, she's like a pretty direct copy of Martina Electro from Rain Code to a T. A statuesque woman with glasses with a lust for blood? Yeah that sounds familiar. For how much of a clone she is, the one thing that differentiates the two is that, for all her presence, Martina was ultimately submissive towards the far more problematic Yomi (the guy I said is identical to Takumi, ironically) - while Hiruko hasn't really given off those vibes so far. Wouldn't be surprised if Kodaka doesn't somehow work that in though. Disappointed, but not surprised.

TAKEMARU YAKUSHIJI

I don't have good quality shots of him on hand so enjoy this crusty cropped screenshot of grumpy Takemaru.

Not much to say about this guy so far. From what I've gathered from his intro, he's a rough and tumble type of guy, a delinquent who still believes in justice. And he used a motorcycle in battle. Sound familiar?

I can see him being a standard "jerk with a heart of gold" - he doesn't seem to be quite as violent as a certain other motorcycle riding delinquent, but who knows. He's one of your starting party members, so I'm guessing he has some early prominence in the game.

KAKO TSUKUMO AND HER BROTHER

Putting these two together since they seem to be a package deal - and to be honest we're reaching the point where I don't have a lot to say about most of them.

Kodaka has NOT had a great track record with brother sister relationships - yes, not every brother sister relationship he's written has devolved into incest, but when Kako is saying "dearest brother" and seems to practically joined at the hip... can you really blame me for being a bit hesitant? There are of course ways that this doesn't end up being gross, and I sure as hope this doesn't turn out to be another Junko/Mukuro in DR3/Kiyo Chapter 3 situation.

OKAY, my fear from first impressions aside, Kako seems to be the meeker, quieter of the two, while her brother acts as her assertive protector. I don't think there's a scene where they've been apart so far... take that as you will.

Kako mentions that the two of them havent graduated junior high yet (im assuming that means theyre ninth graders, around 15 years old) - so they're presumably in the same grade. Maybe they're twins? It's hard to tell with same-face syndrome and all, but hair style aside they do have similar faces. Which does lead me to wonder... what if they're identical twins, but Kako's brother is transmasculine. This is just my pipe dream honestly - Kodaka hasn't been great with LGBT rep before, buuuuut he's improved... somewhat? Uchikoshi, on the other, is pretty good on LGBT issues - famously good even, especially in Somnium Files. It's hard to tell what influence Uchikoshi has had on the game aside from the branching paths approach to storytelling, but I have a little bit more confidence in the LGBT rep in this game if Uchikoshi is on the team.

Don't have much else to say about them, other than I'm CROSSING my fingers that they don't turn out to be weird. On my knees even.

ANGIE YONAGA TALENT SWAP

I know it's kinda cheap to do the whole "this character looks like this character" shtick because Komatsuzaki's style has had sameface syndrome since the very beginning, but coome ooooon, if you're going to give her the same skin tone-hair color combo then it's going to be impossible not to notice.

Anyway that aside, I can't really say much else about her. We hit the point where these character's dont have names yet so I'm going in blinder than blind. Out of all the characters, she seems like she could be a Danganronpa character the most - her outfit very clearly communicates a "talent", I'm guessing mechanics.

She gives me tomboy vibes. Like, she's also one of the only girls in the entirety of Kodaka's games to wear full-length pants as far as I'm aware.

THE TOKEN THING

Im still not sure whether or not this is a boy or girl. I'm leaning towards boy, but I'm only like 80 percent sure that's right.

He's the token character with the cartoony design that's inevitably going to rank at the bottom of every popularity poll regardless of whether they're actually a good character or not. Character-wise, they come off as a shy fifth grader - Chihiro level shy, not whatever Mikan had going on.

not much else to contribute to my opinion other than that their design is definitely just a retooled beta ryoma

THIS GUY

Exaggerated screaming sprite? Cartoon character on shirt? Fuckass hair cut? Yeah this guy's a fucking nerd. He's going to be Takumi's annoying "best male friend" character who you either love despite his eccentricities or want to shove off a building. Or both depending on which day you're on.

Flip of a coin that he's also the token pervert character.

-

Aaaaand those are the first ten characters. There are still five more characters to go through (plus the mascots), but I wanted to ask why the characters were split up this way. Why don't the other five guys show up at the beginning? My current working theory is that they're part of a separate class, perhaps one that gets the rest of their students massacred, leaving these five as their sole survivors. There is ONE character that could be an exception to this, but we'll get to her when we get to her.

GUY WHO LOOKS LIKE HE SELLS KNIVES

Yeah you can probably find better higher quality images somewhere else.

This dude... he's edgy. He's like someone's Tokyo Ghoul OC. He gives me Korekiyo vibes, but like, in the first impressions kind of way. He seems like a laidback kinda guy that would still stab you in the throat when you look away. And it looks like he's threatening the bowl cut nerd with a knife in at least one route, so that's not far off the mark.

His design also feels kinda traditional japanese mixed with modern gothic elements - the blue hair and eyepatch. The eyepatch also has an eye symbol on it, so symbolism yay.

SAMURAI GIRL

A real prim and proper girl. Highly traditional. Nothing much else to say, she has a cool design. That's not always an indicator of a "good" character in these types of games, but one can hope.

GREEN TOMATO GIRL

Hard to imagine this character isn't going to be a chuunibyou. Or at least, very difficult to take seriously. The creepy smile reminds me of a jack-o-lantern... wait is that the intent?

Not a lot to go off on rn, but she's definitely one of the characters I'm more interested in finding out about, if only to learn why she wears a mask with a smile for hours at a time. What's the mask for? What is the point of the mask?

ABSOLUTE UNIT

When I first saw this character from behind on the cover art, I thought she was chubby. Turns out she's actually just jacked. She's cute! She looks like a jolly character, just a ray of sunshine. It's nice to get female characters that don't just fall into the same body type.

As a side note - this isn't as blatant as Ryoma's design, but she does remind me a bit of one Sakura's beta designs, which gave her a more traditionally cute face to contrast with the rest of her body.

Her more cartoony face also reminds me of Ibuki's beta design too, although hers doesn't look *quite* as stylized based on the few brief glimpses we've gotten of her.

KARUA KASHIWA

One of the more mysterious characters so far - Takumi's childhood friends that Takumi tried to protect from the monster invasion. We don't actually know what happened to her after that - she;s not with Takumi when he wakes up, but she appears alongside the rest of the cast with a different outfit.

I know danganronpa same face syndrome is insane, but its hard to imagine that we're not at least meant to assume that these two are the same character

Theres zero chance that there isnt a huge twist regarding her, but what exactly she is or what role she plays is anyones guess because there hasnt even been an english trailer since what? June? Oh, speaking of June-

Both Kodaka and Uchikoshi have a habit of introducing female characters to be pseudo-love interests/close confidants. Think Kyoko, Chiaki, Kaede in Kodaka's case, and June, Phi, Iris, Mizuki in Uchikoshi's case. As far as characters we've seen so far, she fits the bill the most so far. She's the childhood best friend with a ton of mysterious circumstances surrounding her! She has white hair and purple eyes!

However because she's so obviously suspicious and close to the main protagonist, that also means that the likelihood of her actually being the "mastermind" is close to zero. So congrats Karua fans!

SIREI

Serves the same basic role as Monokuma but instead of Monokuma's gimmick of having the voice of a children's mascot, he instead has a deep sexy voice. I don't know whether or not he's supposed to be the antagonist or moreso a morally unhinged mascot character ala Shinigami, but idk both seem just as likely.

I would have a plushie of him.

NIGOU

ninety percent chance this thing is literally just comic relief who cares

IN CONCLUSION

I spent an hour typing this out and embarassed myself in front of my mutuals by revealing that im invested in how danganronpa 4 turns out.

[ninjagirlstar5]

It's about time I did Akane, huh?

Okay, first things first: I wasn't the only one who didn't realize that her OG design had a ponytail, right? Right? Like, sure, her overworld sprite makes it pretty clear that she has a ponytail but if you're only paying attention to the character sprites themselves, the shape of her hair makes it look like she has a bob-cut of sorts, not a ponytail. I didn't even realize her hair is a ponytail until I saw the CG cutscene of Kiyoka's death and went, "Wait a minute. That's a ponytail." So the first thing I did was make her ponytail a bit more obvious. Her hair ribbons also just, blends in with her hair due to having the same tone. If you look hard enough or once you notice them, you'll see them in her design, but that's still a poor choice in shade if you can't see that piece of accessory at first glance. So I brightened up the red color of the bows to make them stand out more. Especially in her hair/headdress. Aside from that, the rest of her OG design was pretty good. Akane takes her job as a maid very seriously, to the point that she doesn't like it when she's compared to those fake maids from maid cafes. So it'd make sense that she'd wear a formal maid outfit. All I did was make my own interpretation of her design. I covered up her chest as she's the kind of person to put emphasis on her professionality on being an actual maid and not one of those "wannabe maid cafes" that she so detests. So she'd cover her skin a lot more, even when she does have a, uh, more sultry side to her that she keeps under wraps. (Which she chose not to filter as a Despair.) I made her dress a little longer, her sleeves reaches her elbows now but they're rolled up a bit for convenience, changed the designs of her apron and heels, and replaced her collar necklace with a bow cause I couldn't make the necklace look good with the type of collar I gave for her top. And with her Despair form, I just removed what she already took off in that OG sprite: the bow, the apron, and let her hair down, which I made her fringe slightly more messy. I always found the...middle part?? Of her dress looked weird, so I had it stop around her waist instead. I kept her color palette the same as black, white, and red are a great color combo and ties into her connection to Monokuma as the mastermind. Not only that, white is most prevalent in her color palette in her Pre-Despair form, to emphasize "purity" and "good", but once the apron is removed in her Despair form, black overtakes the white, which can symbolize evil, misfortune, and even bad luck. Bad luck in the context of how screwed everyone was upon realizing who the mastermind is, anyways!

I love Akane. I can fix her, I swear- (I'm joking, I'm joking-)

[tearfallpixie]

Make Mama Happy - Chapter 3

Tags: @nerdraging4point0 @thesazzb @synthetic-wasp-570 @circle-with-me @beaker1636 @itsjustemily @witchyweeb34 @agravemisstake @cookiesupplier @cncohshit @faceless-mirror @nonamessblog @yournecessaryevil @black-damask1999

@lyschko666 @vinyardmauro @skulliecadaver-blog @some-daniela @latenightmusiclover

I pouted in the back seat while simultaneously glaring at the driver of the vehicle. Heather had convinced me with her stupid puppy dog eyes to tag along to Vinny's place with her and Rick to watch a movie. I didn't know how I would survive tonight, but at least it was just the four of us instead of a party.

"Oh, come on. It won't be so bad. I promise, Chole," Heather tried to appease me. Ricky had apologized for what he said, and I could tell he was sincere, so I forgave him, but it didn't make us buddies.

"One night. And then never again," I declared, crossing my arms and resigning myself to the impending social gathering. I didn't share with Heather the information about seeing Vinny at the winery, so as far as she was aware, the last time I had seen him was at the party.

We all walked up to Vinny's door, which he opened before we stepped onto the porch. The atmosphere felt tense, and I couldn't shake the feeling that this movie night might not be as uneventful as Heather hoped.

"Hey guys, come on in," Vinny greeted us, his gaze lingering on me before turning his attention to the group. We walked in, and I couldn't help but feel the weight of his scrutiny as we settled on the couch. Ricky and Heather claimed one side, leaving only two spots available, forcing me to sit next to the drummer.

Vinny had chosen an action movie that Heather and Rick had shown interest in, and I found it mildly intriguing. I decided to tag along because it had only recently been released, and I hadn't had a chance to watch it yet. As we settled in, I tried to focus on the movie, but the tension in the room was palpable. I could tell that we were all tense, expecting someone to pop off at any moment.

"Do any of you want popcorn?" Vinny asked, pausing the movie. We were only about 20 minutes into it and had forgotten to consider the snacks beforehand.

"Oh, that sounds delicious! Please?" Heather cheered. Vinny stood and padded to the kitchen quietly.

"Oh, I need something to drink. Anyone else?" I asked, taking the opportunity to escape the tense atmosphere on the couch. Once I took their orders, I followed the drummer into the kitchen. "Just need to get some drinks," I mumbled.

I reached into the fridge and pulled out two water bottles and a Sprite before turning to Vinny. "Do you want me to grab one for you since you'll have your hands full with the popcorn?"

"Sure," he said after a moment of silence. "A Sprite is fine. Thank you." I nodded, sensing the awkwardness but choosing to maintain a level of courtesy. There was the sound of the door opening, prompting us to perk up. Vinny grabbed the bowl and stepped back into the living room to see an older woman standing there holding a comically large box. "Mama? What are you doing here?"

"Well, I forgot to bring over that statue you asked for last week. So I thought I would stop by on my way home today. Hello, Richard and Heather. It's always good to see you," she greeted warmly.

I exchanged a surprised glance with Heather and Rick, Vinny’s mum’s arrival seemed to catch everyone off guard, and I couldn't help but glance over at Vinny. He had a guarded expression on his face so I couldn't tell what he was feeling.

"Hello, Mama Mauro. Looking beautiful as always," Rick flirted, earning an eye roll from me as I went over to set the drinks on the table. Vinny followed me, setting the popcorn down too.

"I don't believe we have had the pleasure of meeting yet," Mrs. Mauro said, holding out her hand. I shook it, introducing myself. 

"I'm Nichole."

"Kyle said my Vincenzo had a girlfriend. I didn't know you would be so pretty," she remarked, casting a discerning eye over me. I glanced at Vinny in alarm, a sentiment mirrored in his expression, but there was an underlying look of pleading in his eyes.

"I wasn't aware that Kyle had said anything," Vinny spoke up, wavering a bit.

"You flatter me, Mrs. Mauro," I mumbled, attempting to maintain a bashful tone. I felt Vinny move into my space, a hand touching the small of my back. Glancing at Ricky and Heather, who looked confused, I silently pleaded for them to keep their mouths shut.

"I'm sorry I didn't introduce her sooner, Mama. We just wanted to make sure it would work before we told anyone," Vinny explained, a hint of unease in his voice.

"How did you two meet?" Mrs. Mauro pressed, her curiosity evident.

"He came by my winery a few weeks ago for a tasting with Kyle. We started talking then and just never stopped," I smoothly replied, sticking to the fabricated story.

"How sweet. You know, Vincenzo used to be such a play—"

"Mum, let me take that from you," Vinny cut her off, stepping forward and taking the box from her. "I will see you at family dinner this weekend." His interruption distracted her from her thoughts and I couldn't be more grateful.

"Of course, baby. Nichole, you must come. I insist. I won't take no for an answer," Mrs. Mauro demanded, her determination clear.

"Mum, I'm sure she has her own plans," Vinny tried to interject.

"Nonsense. She's family now. I'm sure she can arrange her schedule," she insisted. Vinny looked at me for help, but I couldn't come up with a convincing excuse.

"I don't mind," I conceded, realizing that it might be the path of least resistance.

"Wonderful! I will see you both Saturday," Mrs. Mauro declared, bustling out of the house and leaving all of us in stunned silence.

"What the fuck just happened?" Ricky asked, his confusion mirroring my own.

"Well, it seems as if Nichole and Vinny started dating, and we weren't aware," Heather giggled, seemingly entertained by the unexpected turn of events.

"No. I still hate her. But my brother fucked me over, and if I don't do this, my mum will start setting me up on blind dates," Vinny muttered, stepping away from me quickly, making it clear that this was nothing more than a charade to appease his mother. I couldn't help but feel a mixture of surprise, confusion, and a hint of amusement at the absurdity of the events.

"Well, you're in for it now, so you better start playing nice," Ricky teased, adding a touch of humor to the situation. Vinny and I took our places on the couch again, both of us lost in thought about the impending friday dinner.

"Do my eyes deceive me, or is Ricky Olson being nice to my best friend?" Heather snickered, noticing the change in Ricky's demeanor.

"I'm just here to watch her fail," the guitarist shrugged, maintaining a facade of indifference. His girlfriend swatted his chest and scowled, signaling a playful reprimand.

"I only just forgave you. Don't be stupid," Heather scolded Ricky before turning back to us. "You two need to practice before you go on Saturday. You will need to actually look like a couple." Both Vinny and I exchanged glances, our reluctance evident. Neither of us wanted to pretend, but we also didn't have a choice now.

"I'm sure we can fake it well enough," Vinny protested. "Only need to stay together for a little while. Then we can break up and forget about each other."

"You can't do that to Mama Mauro. You'll have to be together for a few months at least. Now cuddle. I want to see how you two look together," Heather insisted, determined to make her point. I knew she was right, but I didn't want to get closer to the drummer than necessary. Glancing at him, he shrugged, equally annoyed. I scooted closer to him, and he reached around me to drop his arm across my shoulders.

"God, you two are so stiff," Richard spoke up, expressing his discomfort with the situation. "I don't like this, but I'm going to help you two out. Look at each other and try to relax." As I sat there, curled awkwardly in the drummer's arms, I glanced up at him to see his hazel eyes staring back down at me. Initially filled with curiosity at the request of the guitarist, his gaze softened to something almost kind as we held eye contact. I felt his arm grow heavy on my shoulder, and surprisingly, I found myself relaxing into his side.

"That's a little better. Now kiss," Richard suggested, adding a touch of mockery to the situation. Our eyes snapped over to him, anger filling my bones as he made light of the entire predicament. 

"Like hell!" I snapped in response to Ricky's suggestion.

"You'll have to eventually. Might as well get the first awkward one out of the way so you are used to it later," Ricky shrugged, seemingly unperturbed by my resistance. I looked back up at the drummer, and although he looked unhappy, both of us knew that he was right. He sighed, leaning down to peck my lips.

"No, stupid. Kiss her properly," Ricky insisted, pushing for a more convincing display. The tension in the room increased as I hesitated, grappling with the discomfort of the situation.

"Make it deep, sweet, soul-stealing," Heather ordered.

"Oh, come on! We will never have to kiss in front of his parents. It's not that big of a deal," I protested, trying to reason with them. However, neither of the others would have it. I glared at them hard until a hand took my chin and turned me to face Vinny.

His lips met mine again in a longer kiss this time, one that truly took my breath away. His lips were soft, and they tasted of movie theater butter from the popcorn we had in front of us. He must have snuck some before we left the kitchen. As his lips moved against mine, we both relaxed further into each other, and his arms found their way around my waist. He pulled me into him for a moment before letting go and pulling away.

"Now that's more like it," Heather declared, seemingly satisfied with the performance. I snapped away from his gaze and looked at my best friend. 

"Are we good?" I asked, breaking the silence that hung in the room.

"I think that's passable," Richard shrugged, offering a smirk. I scoffed and stood up.

"Cool. Enjoy the rest of your movie. Vinny, I guess I'll see you Saturday," I announced, ready to make my exit. I grabbed my jacket and headed toward the door when a hand grabbed my arm, turning me back around. Vinny was standing there, staring down at me, appearing like he wanted to say something.

"Yes?" I prompted.

"I- just- thank you. I'm sorry I dragged you into this," he mumbled, a hint of sincerity in his voice.

"It's whatever. I'll keep up appearances as long as you need me. I should go," I replied, deciding to keep my response casual. I exited the house, dropping into a squatting position on the porch for a few minutes to take a deep breath. I could handle this. It was going to be fine.

[hoenn-betadex]

Introduction

In October 2024, a massive data breach of Game Freak occurred, leaking tons of internal data for Pokemon, in what has been coined the "Teraleak".

As a big fan of beta/unused content in video games and Pokemon, I've always been extremely fascinated by the design work that goes behind each Pokemon, and how each generation seems to pick up its pieces a little differently.

In this blog, I'll be discussing each Pokemon in the Hoenn Pokedex, ordering and grouping them by their development history. We'll take a deep dive into each one, and hopefully we can learn more about the development of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire together!

This blog is heavily inspired by the amazing Asmorano's blog about Pokemon Gold/Silver's beta dex, which you can find here.

I'd like to give a special shoutout to TCRF and /vp/ for sorting through this data.

Timeline

Since we'll be going over each Pokemon, it only makes sense to order them Chronologically. This will give us a good sense of which Pokemon were designed first, what types of changes they went through, and more.

January 26, 2001 (Trademark Era)

A short list of Pokemon names that were trademarked on January 26, 2001, predating all leaked development files. These Pokemon are especially interesting, as they were designed and finished very quickly to begin advertising the games.

There are also two Pokemon who are exceptions to this, Duskull and Wynaut, who went through a similar process later in development (September 25, 2001).

August 28, 2001 (Monster Era)

The earliest pieces of concept art for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. This collection of monstrous designs are mostly dated for July 29, 2002, but one of the images predates the rest by an entire year! This is almost certainly evidence that this entire batch are actually from August 28th, 2001, which would make sense considering the extreme art style difference.

November 1st, 2001 (Voting Area)

The first set of actual sprites for Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire. This is a "first draft" point in development, with many designs being unfinished. During this time in development, internal polls were conducted to see the opinions on designs, and some even include short notes about the Pokemon.

March 25-31, 2002 (Festa Demo)

The next batch of Pokemon is significantly smaller, with many Pokemon, both beta and final, being removed. While it's possible this is just an incomplete data set, it's more likely that this was an attempt to finalize a small roster to showcase at the Pokemon 2002 Festa Demo, which would go on to show off the games. Since this demo was shown off starting on June 10, 2002, it would make sense for them to be finishing off a set of Pokemon to prepare for the event.

It should be noted that this is still a work in progress roster, since Volbeat is missing, despite appearing in the Festa Demo.

July 2002 Scratchpads

This is a set of scratchpad files the developers used to draw up drafts of different sprites. By this point, the final Pokedex had been settled on (besides 5 cut Pokemon who only existed in the data briefly.)

Unfortunately, these files are missing dates, but we can assume they come from July-October 2002, considering these are later revisions than the Festa Demo, but still predating the final designs from November 2002.

The reason I suspect July is due to Pokedex files dated July 17, 2002 that has a nearly completed Pokedex, with only a few missing/changed Pokemon.

Since these are scratchpads meant for testing, there are usually multiple drafts, unfinished sprites, or even completely different Pokemon making appearances!

I'll be going through each era of the game's development, looking at each Pokemon from their initial draft up until their final designs.

I will be using the following format (shamelessly ripped from Asmorano) for each Pokemon. For Kecleon, we have the earliest version of the official artwork uploaded online, as well as every rendition of its sprite. The unused "Other" row will be used in case there's anything extra to put.

Hope you're all as excited as I am to go on this journey!

[zombeebunnie]

💜Trembling Essence:Happy spooky month + It's cabin time🧡

Helloo guys and welcome new followers, it's been a while! I'm still fairly busy so future game development posts will be every 1-4 weeks depending on how things go. :[]

Happy spooky month! >:]

We're finally back in the cabin!! You know what that means.. >;]

It is time to explain what will happen next!

Starting off with quality of life changes:

1. One of the main things I'm going to fix up is the different situations you can get depending on your interactions with Noah before he goes to bed.

As time went on it became difficult to keep track of everything since there's different ways to approach the cabin and interact afterwards. To remedy this I'm making a layout where your amount of closeness with Noah can place you into different categories instead of it all being under one scenario. I don't know how else to explain this without adding spoilers but hopefully this makes sense!

2. Another thing that needs fixing is what choices effects Noah's closeness with the player(Y/N).

I didn't mess with them in the [Extended Demo] to avoid breaking the game but there's some choices that will updated. Noah's reactions to some of the player(Y/N)'s decisions didn't line up well which caused him to lose closeness when he'd really be neutral instead.

3. The cabin is getting a update!? -Gasp- :[]

I can't say much due to spoilers but this originally wasn't going to happen until I started adding more depth to the story. It won't be anything drastic but for right now, only the living room is getting this.

4. But what about The Swamplands?! >:?

It's somewhat done outside of a few CG's but I need a break from cleaning it up. I'll fix it up again later. :,,D

5. Optimizations images! :[]

I found away to lower file sizes when making CG's / sprites / animations etc. There's certain parts of the game that will be animated and this is one of a few I really want to add without making the game file size too big. :,]

If you like what I create, please consider supporting what I do on kofi! All donations and tips help tremendously while I continue to work on the game. Thank you to those that optionally bought the [Extended Demo] and the March 2023 demo on itch.io. :,]

Q&A / Ask box is open:

To know and understand Noah through Asks and random posts about lore, they'll be under #Get to know: Noah ! :]

**Some asks won't be answered if it contains spoilers but I do appreciate what I receive. :,,]

If you have any questions about Trembling Essence/Noah feel free to ask here or on itch.io please. This makes it easier for me to see and answer accordingly! I enjoy hearing from you guys!

This update is getting a little too long so I'll stop here. Thank you to everyone for your continued encouragement and support and have a happy spooky month! >:]

[wirewitchviolet]

Hell is terms like ASIC, FPGA, and PPU

I haven't been doing any public updates on this for a bit, but I am still working on this bizarre rabbit hole quest of designing my own (probably) 16-bit game console. The controller is maybe done now, on a design level. Like I have parts for everything sourced and a layout for the internal PCB. I don't have a fully tested working prototype yet because I am in the middle of a huge financial crisis and don't have the cash laying around to send out to have boards printed and start rapidly iterating design on the 3D printed bits (housing the scroll wheel is going to be a little tricky). I should really spend my creative energy focusing on software development for a nice little demo ROM (or like, short term projects to earn money I desperately need) but my brain's kinda stuck in circuitry gear so I'm thinking more about what's going into the actual console itself. This may get techie.

So... in the broadest sense, and I think I've mentioned this before, I want to make this a 16-bit system (which is a term with a pretty murky definition), maybe 32-bit? And since I'm going to all this trouble I want to give my project here a little something extra the consoles from that era didn't have. And at the same time, I'd like to be able to act as a bridge for the sort of weirdos who are currently actively making new games for those systems to start working on this, on a level of "if you would do this on this console with this code, here's how you would do it on mine." This makes for a hell of a lot of research on my end, but trust me, it gets worse!

So let's talk about the main strengths of the 2D game consoles everyone knows and loves. Oh and just now while looking for some visual aids maybe I stumbled across this site, which is actually great as a sort of mid-level overview of all this stuff. Short version though-

The SNES (or Super Famicom) does what it does by way of a combination of really going all in on direct memory access, and particularly having a dedicated setup for doing so between scanlines, coupled with a bunch of dedicated graphical modes specialized for different use cases, and you know, that you can switch between partway through drawing a screen. And of course the feature everyone knows and loves where you can have one polygon and do all sorts of fun things with it.

The Genesis (or Megadrive) has an actual proper 16-bit processor instead of this weird upgraded 6502 like the SNES had for a scrapped backwards compatibility plan. It also had this frankly wacky design where they just kinda took the guts out of a Sega Master System and had them off to the side as a segregated system whose only real job is managing the sound chip, one of those good good Yamaha synths with that real distinct sound... oh and they also actually did have a backwards compatibility deal that just kinda used the audio side to emulate an SMS, basically.

The TurboGrafix-16 (or PC Engine) really just kinda went all-in on making its own custom CPU from scratch which...we'll get to that, and otherwise uh... it had some interesting stuff going on sound wise? I feel like the main thing it had going was getting in on CDs early but I'm not messing with optical drives and they're no longer a really great storage option anyway.

Then there's the Neo Geo... where what's going on under the good is just kind of A LOT. I don't have the same handy analysis ready to go on this one, but my understanding is it didn't really go in for a lot of nice streamlining tricks and just kinda powered through. Like it has no separation of background layers and sprites. It's just all sprites. Shove those raw numbers.

So what's the best of all worlds option here? I'd like to go with one of them nice speedy Motorolla processors. The 68000 the Genesis used is no longer manufactured though. The closest still-in-production equivalent would be the 68SEC000 family. Seems like they go for about $15 a pop, have a full 32-bit bus, low voltage, some support clock speeds like... three times what the Genesis did. It's overkill, but should remove any concerns I have about having a way higher resolution than the systems I'm jumping off from. I can also easily throw in some beefy RAM chips where I need.

I was also planning to just directly replicate the Genesis sound setup, weird as it is, but hit the slight hiccup that the Z80 was JUST discontinued, like a month or two ago. Pretty sure someone already has a clone of it, might use that.

Here's where everything comes to a screeching halt though. While the makers of all these systems were making contracts for custom processors to add a couple extra features in that I should be able to work around by just using newer descendant chips that have that built in, there really just is no off the shelf PPU that I'm aware of. EVERYONE back in the day had some custom ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) chip made to assemble every frame of video before throwing it at the TV. Especially the SNES, with all its modes changing the logic there and the HDMA getting all up in those mode 7 effects. Which are again, something I definitely want to replicate here.

So one option here is... I design and order my own ASIC chips. I can probably just fit the entire system in one even? This however comes with two big problems. It's pricy. Real pricy. Don't think it's really practical if I'm not ordering in bulk and this is a project I assume has a really niche audience. Also, I mean, if I'm custom ordering a chip, I can't really rationalize having stuff I could cram in there for free sitting outside as separate costly chips, and hell, if it's all gonna be in one package I'm no longer making this an educational electronics kit/console, so I may as well just emulate the whole thing on like a raspberry pi for a tenth of the cost or something.

The other option is... I commit to even more work, and find a way to reverse engineer all the functionality I want out with some big array of custom ROMs and placeholder RAM and just kinda have my own multi-chip homebrew co-processors? Still PROBABLY cheaper than the ASIC solution and I guess not really making more research work for myself. It's just going to make for a bigger/more crowded motherboard or something.

Oh and I'm now looking at a 5V processor and making controllers compatible with a 10V system so I need to double check that all the components in those don't really care that much and maybe adjust things.

And then there's also FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays). Even more expensive than an ASIC, but the advantage is it's sort of a chip emulator and you can reflash it with something else. So if you're specifically in the MiSTer scene, I just host a file somewhere and you make the one you already have pretend to be this system. So... good news for those people but I still need to actually build something here.

So... yeah that's where all this stands right now. I admit I'm in way way over my head, but I should get somewhere eventually?

[unjustgalaxy]

OH YEAH ALSO CAN YOU TELL ME EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR UNDERTALE WONDERLUST AU :0???

ARGH I MEAN I DONT HAVE MUCH?? I HAVENT HAD TIME TO THINK ABT IT😭😭

but um ill write something down under a read more sure👍👍

its definitely tougher now since they went to the SURFACE already, but i bet i could work with it.

i know Troy functions as sort of the protagonist which jesus christ. unlucky. mans definitely NOT getting a pacifist ending now!! (points over at him, covered in blood and gore)

the thing abt ut au is that Troy and Frisk go through a pretty similar thing at the beginning if u think abt it!!

He fell down a big pit (flowers didnt break his fall, but trash is good enough), he then met SOME sort of villain of the story because he got kidnapped (also in pitch darkness, like Flowey was + u can equal being tied to a chair to being trapped in a small box surrounded by bullets) AND he met someone who functions as a tutorial for this new world hes entered (although Blink is way more unwilling than Toriel is😭😭)

i feel like if this was in game form, Blink would start off more like.. you know undertale yellow? Dalv is there, the vampire guy, and he spends like all the ruins Running Away from you before you meet him at the very end. I imagine it would be more like that, but he'd actually teach you stuff the few times you meet him. I'll figure out the logistics!!

Aeon is definitely like the Undyne equivalent. Because she's definitely after them, very scary and angry, but she's actually chill as hell (atleast i'm HOPING Aeon pls be my friend please)

Idk how exactly Ripley and The Inventor will work in this sort of?? situation? OR the Overseer

Like the Overseer was definitely built up as this huge threat - an Asgore level threat - but i'm unsure if he is?? I just have to wait for more wonderlust to come out😭😭

Oh!! And like, regions wise

For sure Reclaim is the beginning area, maybe with like a turn u can take, or you can fall further down into the Trench maybe? And Oasis Flora could be chill like Waterfall is

I certainly don't need to plan all of this so logistically, and should think about it more lore wise, but this helps with making art for it i think

OH and Troy, Runt and Blink definitely team up. Which is more Deltarune like, especially since Troy KEEPS wanting to kill people and they keep having to stop him

BUT ANYWAY THESE ARE VERY SCATTERED AS YOU CAN TELL. I wanna have more info before I actually start like, piecing it together into a whole thing in my head. Because I don't know how many more times they'll go to the surface and if i can somehow change that or implement it so it makes sense lore wise

Last minute thought: The Inventor is Gaster. imagine

and in an ideal world Cogsworth is Mettaton

But i know i wanna make more like pixel art for it bc its fun!! i only made one battle sprite but i wanna make one for like Blink too...

THANKS FOR GETTING ME TO THINK ABT IT I NEED TO LOCK IN AGAIN

oh and also ur tma au rlly intrigues me and i WISH i could read more abt it if only i wasnt fucking terrified of tma OR knew anything abt pd😭😭 the only things i know r through my brother and i did like. bare minimum research into "which fears fit which of the riptide guys" like years ago BUT JUST SO U KNOW I THINK ITS COOL IM CHEERING BUT LIKE THROUGH A WINDOW

i keep making too many aus. undertale? tma fear entities years ago? homestuck au thats entirely unfinished? can i chill?

[chibishortdeath]

This Bloodlines timeline document has some names of characters that are never actually ever seen in a game, so I decided to give some designs and ideas to them :3. I know that it’s mostly defunct material (even for Bloodlines itself considering it still has Bolt Ericsson, who was scrapped from the final release on it), but I’m just gonna take bits of it that I like anyway lol.

So this is my take on Cyncia, Christopher’s wife. Maybe when Christopher is off fighting Dracula, she’s at home beating the hell out of bats and skeletons trying to get into the house hmmm. Or idk maybe she should get to come with the second time hmmmm >:). Anyway, the embroidery details on her clothes are all scribbley cause I couldn’t decide on patterns, but just imagine that it’s actually nice embroidery oof (TwT ). The first image is kinda like a talking sprite pose now that I’m looking at it. Sadly there’s not too much to say about her because she uh kinda only exists in development limbo so uh yeah :’(.

There’s also the other two kids! It’s such a cool concept of a Belmont having siblings, I wish they address that concept more often :O. In my interpretation I have Gerhart as the oldest, Soleil in the middle, and Amanda as the youngest. The text says that Gerhart “strangely died” so I was thinking about the concept that he died at 15 not long after the Vampire Killer was passed down to him, making Soleil the next in line. I think that’d add a lot to how Soleil was possessed, he would be feeling awful about taking his brother’s place and possessions in other games tend to have the character have some kind of emotional weakness that was an opening for something to get to them, if that makes sense. But yeah, again, sadly not too much to say about the two themselves since they don’t appear anywhere.

If ever we get some really nice Christoper games remake (1. I am aware Rebirth exists 2. Konami will never cause they’re cowards), I really really wanna see these three end up in it. Cause as of now it’s just sad seeing them be names in an unused developer document when they have really good potential. It’d be cool to see that part of the series get fleshed out more in general because, as much as I LOVE the Christopher games, they are barely written ｡ﾟ(ﾟ´ω`ﾟ)ﾟ｡. Which is a shame because Christopher seemed to be planned to be something a lot bigger than that, ya know? There was a weird time he and Trevor were almost the same person in development, but the name Christopher is used as the name of the ancestor Simon looked up to and I feel like he and his story should’ve been way more important, ya know??? Like it does get used as foreshadowing for Richter and Maxim and other characters that get possessed later but mannnnnnnn. Justice for Christopher, and also justice for Cyncia too.

Asdfghjkll maybe make her playable in a Belmont’s Revenge remake that’d be so cool I wanna have my Murder Dad and Murder Mom tag team. Also that fits the themes of “he went at it alone and things went wrong but it went right the second time cause he wasn’t alone” and aaaaaaaaaaa do you see my vision

[northern-passage]

Hello! I have a few questions as someone who takes great inspiration from brilliant works of interaction fiction and similar methods of storytelling. I hope you don’t mind me asking!

1. If there something that draws you to the current format of interactive fiction storytelling rather than something such as a visual novel? Do you enjoy it more, is it less costly, easier for you, etc…?

2. What are some of the most prevalent difficulties in writing within the medium?

3. What do you wish you knew before you began writing interactive fiction?

Keep up the incredible work, I always love seeing what you post and create <3

ohhh these are fun questions :-) thank you!

question 1: i actually tried to do a visual novel first! but it is a LOT of work. i managed to do some sprites and a few backgrounds before i gave up. if i was to try and do it again i'd have to pay another artist to join me which just isn't feasible for me right now. i suppose the things i like about IF could be applied to VNs too, but i like what interactive fiction adds to whatever narrative you're trying to tell. the medium itself is a part of the story, if that makes sense. it can't exist without the main character who can't exist without a player to guide them. i like giving the player choices & i like taking them away. i like how vast the genre is, and i like seeing how other people use the mechanics and code to pull off some really interesting & unique stories.

question 2: hmmm i think what gets hard for me is just fatigue... when you write big branching narratives, you have to write a lot of tedious shit, hahaha. like currently with blood choke i've been working on the same conversation for about 3 weeks. there are dozens of variations of it, depending on who the mc is, what choices they've made, and how the other character feels about them, and whether or not the mc went with her or went with someone else means the conversation has to be shuffled around elsewhere in the chapter, and it's all extremely extremely tedious. it feels like you're writing so much, but it's literally just one conversation, one scene in the entire chapter. but you have to write it about 20 times. so it's easy in IF to run out of steam very quickly. i definitely think that's what happened with me with tnp, i hit a huge block after writing all of the combat variations in ch2, i was just so exhausted & knowing that i would have to write even more complex scenes at the end of the chapter accounting for all of it was very demoralizing. BUT i feel like my long break has helped quite a bit and i am excited to get back into tnp next month 😈

question 3: this one is tough... i'm not really sure, to be honest. i've been here for a while now and i feel pretty comfortable for the most part. i was a reader & a lurker before i started writing so i got to see a lot of the way other readers treat writers before i became one, which was helpful for me. i think if i could go back i'd tell myself that this was going to be a way bigger project than i anticipated. and also tell myself that this is my hobby and i should be having fun, not stressing or worrying about making money or pleasing other people. of course i want people to like my work and i appreciate their support, but that shouldn’t be the only reason why i'm writing… i’m writing because i want to.