#and if we're not as hardcore to match We Will Die

[itsbenedict]

gonna have to miss another update- between back-to-back work meetings until 7pm, an art telephone entry i had to finish, and a planning session for the World of Darkness game i'm in, today was a day with zero room to maneuver

incidentally look at how bonkers the planning my WoD GM does is:

i have never seen any GM prepare an interactive PDF of the map before. this isn't even the entire base we're infiltrating! this is just the first two floors we have blueprints for! part of our mission is finding blueprints for the lower floors so we can make a second plan for getting through there so we can heist our pet pig back from the government! and this isn't even the only handout- there's like, documents on the magic system, documents on Valkyrie's classification hierarchy, documents on all the third-party contractors the base deals with- every fucking document we might lift from anywhere is an actual handout he prepared and formatted because his sessions are more real than reality.

some of the planning we did from several days ago:

Phase 1: Entry -> Paragon Access

Relm poses as an Eagle tech and heads to the Intelligence sector to try to sabotage Brunn data and frame Capricornus.

I pose as a Clarksdale janitor, find a bathroom, and teleport the rest of the team inside via Levi's chalk circle.

We either find a good pre-mealtime window or make a distraction to clear the kitchen by setting off the kitchen sprinklers via the electrical closet, and Levi and I make a hole in the left wall.

I head inside, wait until I don't hear anyone in the server room, and then leave the closet and install the covert USB connection on the server.

I return to the closet and upload our Bifrost data, and begin trying to acquire a cybersecurity account.

In the meantime, Levi, Raya, and Fed explore the accessible areas in search of Pierce, Davidson, or Stern. If they find one, they get within 10 yards and activate one of my magic card cloners to copy their keycard.

If possible, they swipe Davidson's laptop and get the keycodes in case I fail the hacking.

They also search for an unattended computer terminal, in case I succeed and get the cybersecurity account. If I do, someone uses the account creds to acquire the sector keycodes.

Phase 2: Paragon Access -> C-level

Someone with Personnel access (probably just about anyone, there's no specific uniform for being in the Personnel sector) heads to the Laundry room in H232 to obtain five uniforms matching our Bifrost access, and applies patches.

If we don't yet have override keycards, someone with a Command-access Bifrost and an appropriate uniform enters the Command sector and attempts to clone Pierce's keycard.

While there, they enter C102 Mission Control and take pictures of the C-level floorplans on the monitors.

Optionally, search for more Brunn records to sabotage somehow, if they can get away with it cleanly.

Someone else with Security access can try the same thing with the Security sector, in case Pierce is elsewhere. C-level floor plans available in D102.

Meanwhile, if we got the keycodes through a successful hack and have cybersecurity admin access, someone injects Towerfall's trojan into the system to disable the Redeye status indicator. (I believe this is with the Rubber Ducky?)

Otherwise, someone's going to need to look into rewiring the Redeye system to report an all-clear despite the alarms going off. Probably difficult so let's hope the other plan worked.

If we're missing any uniforms from Laundry, someone should head to the locker rooms in search of a suitable replacement.

Once we've obtained an appropriate keycard, someone with Systems access goes to K203 and disables the Redeye system with the override.

tonight was a voice call where we found all those holes and desperately tried to patch them. we patched... some of them. we are extremely going to get caught and possibly killed by the MIB. jesus fuck.

[omaskit]

Octopath Hardcore mode log 1

So I'm doing pre-session and first session in one post bc first session was on a plane. These are just going to be somethings I was thinking about before trying the challenge.

If you don't know the rules/challenge I posted them here.

Pathing. I started out as Alfyn, not for any strategic advantage but because I like Alfion and want those two to be my main pair. I'll be parring of the party so I can Lv and manage easily. My goal is to do Tressa's and Cyrus in one go and then follow Cyrus's trail to noblecourt. This should knock out Cyrus's, H'anaat's, Primrose, and Therion's chapter 3s. Tressa leads to Olberic and Olberic matches with Therion. The only thing I'm worrried about is Ophilia and Alfyn circling eachother. it's probably something poetic with the healers but to me its annoying. This means we'll have to backtrack to Golden Shore or the river place (Can't remember name right now. Alfyn chap 3).

Provisions. Because Therion is my second main I chose the steal option, meaning I can't buy things from the shops. We're stealing everything that's not nailed down. Items are more scarce and chest will be our best friend.

Boss fights. Primrose's boss fight is supposed to be the hardest first chaps to do alone. Because of my desire to keep Alfyn and Therion together Primrose is the last character I'm grabbing, all of the chapter ones will be filled with dread.

That's all for pre-game. My first session was on a plane so unfortunantly these aren't live reactions but here are some thoughts I had.

Man is Octopath 2's writing is so much better than octo 1. Don't get me wrong I like octo 1 but the exposition doesn't flow as easily.

Alfyn's dungon is hard alone. These stupid snails are draining all my Sp.

items items items. I need items. Any piece of armor I can scrap

Didn't Alfyn's boss have adds? I was sure he had adds. Where did they go?

Side quest. Side quest are going to be hell. No guide, no mini map, no fast travel. I need to get them done asap. Meryl, we need to talk.

Nice! most borderland things die to axe!

Is the player character so insistant on helping Therion that he literally can't say no? Amazing, go Alfyn, go.

*Opens writing notes* Therion is a little bitch... Got it.

JOBS! Jobs are going to be hard. I can't teleport back so I have to be level for them. I'll probably get them all going into everyone's chapter 2s. No idea how octo 2 will work though. We'll cross that bridge when we get there.

forgot to mention 1st chap dungeons in the first post, Gonna say Alfyn can't do anything in here.

Did Therion's fight always have adds?

DO THEY GET HARDER???

OH NOOO

Please be based off of people in party and not level or members collected.

I've robbed everyone in this town blind except this one STUPID CHILD that made me have to restore my reputetation! XP

I've spent 5 hours looking for this egg only to remember her fucking egg is in the riverlands. I'll get it when I circle back.

DON'T DIE DON'T DIE DON'T-

we made it.

[shoujocentral]

Symphogear S1- Now this is MY kind of anime!

Every once and awhile when I'd log onto Twitter, I'd see people saying "watch Symphogear" accompanied by images from the show. From looking at the pictures, I assumed it was just another magical girl show like Precure but with less magic and more... techno. Oh, and apparently they sing while they fight? Sounds kinda dumb...

Buuuut... I have heard that there's some yuri content? Maybe I'll give it a try. I mean, I'm always open to watching new stuff, even if it's just a silly little kid's show 😅

😳

Well........ color me hooked.

I have to say, this show is not at all what I was expecting in the best possible way. It feels a lot more like a Shounen action show along the lines of Fullmetal Alchemist or Neon Genesis Evangelion than a Magical Girl show (if that's even what it's supposed to be). Today, I'm going to be giving my first impressions of Senki Zesshou Symphogear season 1, which will be spoiler free for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

Plot:

So what is Senki Zesshou Symphogear about?

In the not too distant future (next Sunday A.D.), Japan is under attack by monsters known as Noises, the likes of which cannot be killed by military weapons. The only thing that can kill them are girls clad in weaponized armor known as Gears, which is activated and powered by singing catchy techno-pop music.

One day, a girl named Hibiki Tachibana is caught in the middle of a battle, and one of the Gear users, Kanade Amou, sacrifices herself to save her. Two years later, Hibiki discovers that a piece of Kanade's Gear was embedded in her chest during the fight, giving her access to the Gear's powers. Hibiki is recruited by the Disaster Relief Squadron, the organization that created the Gears, to help defend Japan from the Noises.

However, Kanade's former girlfriend partner, Tsubasa Kazanari, sees Hibiki as nothing more than an obnoxious, naive girl trying to be Kanade's replacement. Will the two learn to work together, defeat the Noises, and possibly uncover a deeper plot to all the attacks?

Symphogear's plot might not be the most original thing ever; evil monsters attack, teenage girls transform into superpowered warriors to fight them, evil mastermind tries to take over the world, etc. But what makes this story stand out is it's unique approach to the fights. Having the Gears be powered by music, resulting in every fight being accompanied by a song, is either a genius way to amplify the fights, or a genius way for the producers to sell a techno soundtrack.

I was worried that the constant use of insert songs would become repetitive and annoying, but on the contrary, they heightened my enjoyment! The fights in Symphogear are easily my favorite part of the show: fast-paced, badass powers, lots of screaming, and downright brutal at times! Hibiki has officially joined the ranks of my all-time favorite battle cries, right up there with Goku from DBZ and Souma from Kannazuki no Miko.

If there was one thing I had to nitpick, it would be that most of the fights take away the credibility of the Noises. They're supposed to be this terrifying threat to Japan that can't be harmed by the military, but as soon as the Gear wielders show up, they're reduced to nothing more than cannon fodder as Hibiki and her comrades seem to waltz through them without breaking a sweat.

Thankfully, the versus matches between Gear wielders are much more balanced. My favorite has to be Hibiki vs Chris (see above), but then again, any fight with Chris is an absolute win!

Characters:

Hibiki Tachibana

Hibiki is your typical genki girl protagonist: optimistic, hyperactive, naive, and pure. What makes her a more compelling hero, however, is her slow growth into becoming a strong Gear wielder. Unlike most magical girl protagonists, who seem to master their powers after one line of "EH?! What just happened to me?!", Hibiki takes time to learn how to fight. She starts out with the mindset that she has to be Kanade's replacement and thus tries to fight just like her. However, she eventually comes to invent her own battle tactics that work much more in her favor. Mainly, punching the everloving shit out of everything in sight.

Hibiki is, in my opinion, a flat character done right. She doesn't go through any personal growth or development throughout the show (learning to fight doesn't count), but her belief that all humans can get along if they communicate and desire to protect people just because she wants to is the cause for most of the change in the people around her. The world is in a dark place, and Hibiki is the light. She doesn't need to change, because she's exactly what the world needs.

Tsubasa Kazanari

From what I've learned, Tsubasa is a favorite amongst Symphogear fans. Me personally, though, I have a few issues with her character. Now, I have nothing against brooding, damaged characters. In fact, Tsubasa's recovery from Kanade's death and learning to cherish her own life was incredibly engaging... for the most part. Sorry, but I can only take so much edge. Her constant repitition of "I am a sword, I exist only to fight" grew old after the first 10 or so times.

Also, while I love her overall development, I feel that her acceptance of Hibiki was a little rushed. For the first four episodes, she hates Hibiki for carrying Kanade's Gear to the point where she tries to fight her to the death. Then, after another fight sends her into a coma, she has a (extremely gay) hallucination of Kanade telling her to get over herself. Next episode, she's treating Hibiki as if they've been friends the whole time. Did I miss something? Did Hibiki even apologize for saying she wanted to replace Kanade? Did Tsubasa apologize for trying to shishkabob her?!

Development aside, her fighting style is awesome and unique, and leads to the best choreography in the show. Hopefully as I watch more seasons, my opinion of her will improve.

Chris Yukine

Best Girl. No questions. Anyone who disagrees is wrong. Deal with it.

Jokes aside, Chris is my favorite character of the show bar none. Maybe I just have a weakness for evil-turned-good characters, but I adored her "don't take no shit from nobody" attitude and her soft side emerging as the show progressed. And let me tell you, Tsubasa would have no right to brood if she knew what Chris went through as a child. I won't give anything away, but just a few brief images and harsh words were enough get the picture across and tug at my heartstrings.

She also had my favorite Gear and fighting style in the show. If there's one thing that always gets my blood pumping, it's gatling guns and an endless supply of missiles. Seriously, I could watch this girl fight for hours.

Kanade Amou

A moment of silence, ladies and gentlemen.

......

Kanade would be my favorite character if we had gotten more of her. But alas, she has to die in the very first episode. DAMN YOU, PLOT!!!

Even though we get very little of Kanade, she makes it her mission to leave a lasting impression. Her sacrifice at the beginning sets the tone for the rest of the show, and her flashback is the best of the bunch. I got hard chills when she transformed for the first time. Let's just say she's psychotic in all the right ways.

Kanade died for our sins. Remember that... 🙏

Finé

Our main villain of the show. That's it. There's really nothing much else to her. She's cruel, manipulative, and powerful beyond belief, as most big bosses of these kinds of shows are. She was honestly my least favorite part of the show.

Fine's motivation is incredibly confusing on first watch. I had to go back to pause and read the subtitles multiple times to understand her backstory, but maybe that's my fault for being a slow reader. On the other hand, the explanation as to who she is and why she's so powerful comes right out of nowhere and doesn't seem to connect to anything the story had been building up to that point. Also, by the time I understood her motivation and actually found it a little intriguing, she dropped the dreaded "I'm going to take over the world" line. Aaaaand.... all my interest just went out the window.

There is a twist involving her connection to a certain other character in the show that I genuinely didn't see coming, but in the end, it wasn't nearly enough to make up for her shortcomings.

Miku Kohinata

God bless this little angel. Miku is a precious cinnamon roll who must be protected at all costs. Thankfully, Hibiki's got it covered 👍

Words cannot express how much I love this girl. She may be only a supporting role for the time being, but good lord, does she support! It always broke my heart whenever she tried to spend time with Hibiki or talk to her, but the Disaster Relief Squad kept pulling them apart. I know DRS is classified, but Miku deserves better than to have secrets kept from her! Life sucks when your girlfriend best friend is a superhero...

Well, that was a mouthful. There's a lot more characters in this show, but I don't really have much to say about them. However, while we're on the subject of Miku, let's move on to the reason I checked this show out in the first place, and the reason I'm sure most of you read my stuff.

Yuri:

No sooner did I finish this show did I start looking up HibiMiku fanart 😍

I was expecting a fair dosage of yuribait going into Symphogear, but mother of all that is gay, did I get an overdose!

First and foremost, the main ship: HibiMiku. These two are dating. Nothing anyone says will change my mind. They compliment each other perfectly, with Hibiki's energy and Miku's sweetness... HHNNNGGH! IT'S TOO PRECIOUS! I sincerely hope these two get more time together in the next few seasons. Now if only they'd stop with the damn F word...... 😡

Next up, TsubaKana. This one seems more like it was one-sided feelings on Tsubasa's part, judging by how dedicated Kanade was to fighting the Noise. Regardless, you don't just lose all sense of your humanity and self-worth after your "partner" dies. And all that hardcore blushing in the flashbacks and naked cuddling dream sequences... nah, Tsubasa was hella hot for Kanade. Sadly, our lord and savior was taken from Ms. Brooding too soon.

Finally, there's Ryoko Sakurai, the DRS's head scientist. She was initially hinted to be gay, what with her being all too eager to have Hibiki undress and wanting to "pop her cherry" (yes, an adult said that to a 15 year-old). However, after a certain conversation occurred, it seemed more like she was straight or at least bisexual, if all that dirty talk wasn't just teasing.

I've heard future seasons introduce more potential couples, so I'm keeping my eyes open and my yuri goggles on tight 😋

Conclusion:

I enjoyed the first season of Senki Zesshou Symphogear through and through. As someone who enjoyed Akanesasu Shoujo and Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka, I have a soft spot for shows about badass girls kicking monster ass and unleashing their inner yuri. Overall though, I think Symphogear might be my favorite of the bunch so far. It has its fair share of flaws, sure, but I think its positives outweigh the negatives by a long shot. If I got this much enjoyment out of the first season, I cannot wait to see what the following seasons have to offer!

Symphogear delivers a fun, action-packed story with colorful characters, kickass fight scenes, head-banging music and plenty of yuri content. Anyone who loves Magical Girls or Shounen battle shows needs to check it out!

Rating: 8/10

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go binge Symphogear G. See you next time, my fellow yuri lovers!