#are core to her character and coding so it's hard to know if what might be interpreted as queer coding might not be something else...

[mikesbasementbeets]

hi :D i found ur bi max masterpost a while ago (this one: https://www.tumblr.com/mikesbasementbeets/696412509960323072/ive-been-thinking-a-lot-about-elmax-recently-and)

and in the beginning u said that there u were focusing on max, but el has a lot of queer coding too (which i fully agree on btw). i wanted to know if u have made a post about her queer coding or if u are working on one? bc i really enjoy ur posts in general :]

hi! that's very sweet, thank you. no, unfortunately i've not done any analysis on el's queer coding (but i saw that you found someone else's post about it which i think is a good read). i think i wrote that bi max analysis in like september? (yes) so it's been a while since i've revisited those thoughts, but eImax is still so dear to me and i would love to have the brain space i had back then to analyze both of them again... but maybe i will think some more on it actually if there's interest....

[p0orbaby]

Slow Motion Mountain Climber

summary: leah signs up for pilates, what could go wrong?

warnings: none

a/n: based on this request !

word count: 981

-

Leah texts you on a Tuesday morning, right before your alarm, like she does whenever something has gone terribly wrong in her life. Like when she found out gluten was in soy sauce, or when she discovered she might have to use that godforsaken 6 train in New York. This time, it's a message that reads: Just signed up for Pilates. You may never see me again.

You roll your eyes, groaning at the incoming rant that's sure to follow. Leah's the kind of person who only does new things for one of two reasons: someone dared her, or she's trying to prove to herself that she is still young and can get away with eating three chocolate croissants in a single sitting. You suspect it’s a combination of both. She’s mentioned something about trying to build a "strong core," which you assume is code for "I'm slowly being bullied into this by the fact that all my teammates have six-packs and I have a soft spot for bread."

At 7:45 AM, just as you’re pouring coffee, Leah calls. You pick up on the third ring because you’re not a monster.

“I’m going to die,” she says, without so much as a hello

“Bold start to the day,” you reply. “Anything specific, or is it just a general feeling?”

“Pilates,” she says, and it sounds like a curse word. “Do you know what that is?”

You almost spit out your coffee because, yes, you know what Pilates is. You’re not sure what’s more shocking: that Leah doesn’t know or that she actually followed through on signing up.

“Yeah, Leah, I know what Pilates is”

“Well, it’s hell. No one told me it was this hard. And the instructor—she’s, like, smiling at me while she’s killing me. How are you supposed to trust someone who's trying to make you do something called a 'teaser' while she grins like a lunatic?”

You can picture it now. Leah, in the middle of a room full of people who've been doing this since their nannies signed them up for ballet at age three, contorting herself on a reformer like it’s some kind of medieval torture device. Meanwhile, the instructor—probably named something like Tiffani with an 'i'—is telling her to “engage her core,” as if Leah didn’t already have a job that required her to do that for 90 minutes straight, several times a week.

“Did you die, though?”

“Almost. My legs were shaking. My abs—I didn’t even know I had abs. Why does anyone do this willingly? I’ve literally been fouled by Fran Kirby, and that was less painful”

“Maybe you should stick to yoga”

“Yoga!” Leah scoffs. “I can do yoga. That’s just stretching and pretending you’re one with the universe or whatever”

You let her have that one because there’s no use arguing with someone who once mistook a meditation class for an excuse to nap in public.

Leah continues, “This class, though—it's not natural. They make you put your legs in straps. Straps! Like a harness, but for your feet. And then they expect you to lift them while you're suspended in the air like some sort of flying squirrel”

You’ve taken Pilates before, so you know exactly what she’s talking about, but you can’t help but laugh. Leah, in her infinite wisdom, probably signed up for the most advanced class because, as she said once, “Go big or go home.” Now, she’s paying for it.

“Maybe you should ask to start in a beginner class,” you suggest, knowing full well she won’t.

“Yeah, no. I already told them I’m an athlete. Can’t back down now. But I swear, if one more person tells me to ‘breathe through it,’ I’m going to punch them in the face”

You imagine the looks on the faces of her Pilates classmates as she throws a fit in the middle of a serene, candle-lit studio. You’ve seen Leah frustrated before, but this is a new level of agitation, and it’s all directed at something she willingly signed up for.

“Maybe it’s good for you,” you offer, “builds character”

“Yeah, and scars. On my pride”

You laugh again because you can see where this is going. Leah, who tackles challenges like they’re personal vendettas, is going to keep going back to that class until she can hold a plank longer than anyone else, even if it kills her. Or, more likely, until she finds something else to distract her, like knitting or extreme ironing.

"I’m just saying," she adds, after a pause, "if I end up with a six-pack, it’s because I earned it. None of this ‘strong core’ bullshit. I want abs of steel. Like, I want to be able to crack a walnut between my ribs”

You’re crying with laughter now, imagining Leah doing sit-ups in front of a mirror at home, testing her progress with various hard-shelled nuts.

“Don’t worry, babe,” you say, trying to calm yourself down. “If you do get abs of steel, I’ll make sure to bring walnuts everywhere we go”

“Good,” she replies, and you can hear her finally start to laugh along with you. “You’re on walnut duty. And if this all goes horribly wrong and I never make it out of Pilates alive, just know it was the straps that did me in”

You shake your head, still smiling. “You’ll be fine. But maybe next time, start with a class that doesn’t sound like it was designed by someone who secretly hates people”

Leah sighs dramatically. “Noted. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to spend the rest of the day lying flat on the floor and cursing Joseph Pilates”

“You do that, babe,” you say, hanging up as you imagine her sprawled out on the carpet, texting you updates about how her muscles are rebelling against her. And you can’t wait to read every single one.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Home Grown 2

Warnings: non/dubcon, stalking, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Characters: Cole Turner

This AU is called Watcher Anonymous and will include different series for different characters. This is our introduction to Cole and Eartha.

Summary: loneliness can drive one to desperate measures.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

Cole waits. It's all he can do. He's impatient. He's frustrated. He's angry.

He tenses as he feels the pressure in his core. It lodges deep in his pelvis as his hand glides up and down his dick, pumping desperately for release. He grits his teeth and growls. Almost there. Almost--

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

It's not working. It won't... won't happen. He's backed up. Bad. Worse, the damn erection won't stop. When he does finally get himself calm, it pops back up. He thought of calling a doctor but that's embarrassing. He just needs to let it out. He needs her.

He sits up, jostling the bed, and grabs his phone. The feed is still down. He wants to scream. His balls hurt. A lot. He cradles them and whimpers.

He forces himself off the mattress. He doesn't even get dressed before he goes out in the hall. The thought of anything against his dick right now is torture. Besides, his mom won't be up yet and dad can't do anything these days.

He cranks on the shower and steps under the flow. It stays cold even as he waits for it to warm up. What the hell is it now? At least the frigid water made him limp.

He gets out and stomps across the hall to his room. He grabs his robe and slippers and hurries out. He goes down to the basement to check the water heater. He uses his phone to illuminate the meter. It's not working. He touches the side, expecting to get scalded. It's freezing. Goddamn it! One thing after another.

As he slides the flashlight to off, his phone vibes. He nearly drops it. The must smell of cobwebs and dust has him pinching his nose as he swipes through his notifications.

It's working! She finally clicked on that link. He looked over the email Jensen coded. It's pretty convincing. At least, it worked on her.

He can see her through the lens of her phone. Closer than ever. She's gorgeous. He forgot how good she looks. She frowns as she keeps tapping then gives up. He sets her phone down on an angle, in some sort of stand. It faces her room as she moves around.

She just woke up too. She's in a camisole and short shorts. He's almost hypnotised at the sight of her thighs. He loves the little dimples in them. She turns her back and bends. The fabric rides up on her ass. She's so... full. He can imagine his hands on her, jiggling all that cushion. Shit, he's hard again.

He shoves his hand under his robe as he leans on the wall. She picks up the mess in her room. She can be a bit forgetful but she gets to stuff in the end. She moves around as she plucks up all the clothes and shove them in a basket.

She stands and blows a breath out. Her tit hangs over the top of her camisole and she fixes it. He squeezes tighter and his voice drones from him. He's so close. Just a little more.

As she picks the fabric from between her cheeks, he grunts. His whole body spasms as he cums. It leaks down his robe and spatters down his legs. Shit. Shit, it won't stop.

When he's finally done, he's shaking. He might just fold in on himself. Woah. He can't even imagine what it will be like to really be with her. He'll need to work on his stamina. He wouldn't want to disappoint her.

"Cole?" His mother's voice makes him flinch.

He lets go of his slimy dick and clears his throat.

"You down there? The water's not getting hot."

"I know, ma," he yells up, exasperated, "I'm working on it."

He wipes his hand on the inside of his robe. He has cum cooling on his legs and up his stomach. God, he's a mess.

He goes back to the water heater. He checks the connections and the valves. It's ancient. It's outdated. Just like everything else. It's all piling up. New heater, new tractor, new barn door.

He doesn't want to figure all this shit out. He wants to figure her out. He wants to make her a home she can be happy in. A place where she's not alone. Where he's not alone.

He sighs. He needs help. He hates to ask Jensen any more favours, but maybe there's someone else. Where can he even start?

He went on once, right at the beginning of the Discord. Jensen helped. Gave him extensive instructions. Make sure the firewall is in place and the VPN too. Don't connect without it.

He climbs the stairs and hears his mom in the kitchen. She tuts as she turns the faucet on and off, "Cole?"

"Ma, I said I'm on it." He hisses, storming past her, hoping she can't see the wet spot on his robe.

"Honey, I know--"

"Ma, please, I'm not even dressed," he stomps to the stairs and gnashes down on a growl.

He can't do this much longer. He can't take it. His sister needs to come home and his parents need to figure this out. It's time for the egg to come out of the nest.

He wipes himself off with a cold wet cloth before he goes back to his room. He props his phone up so he can watch her. She's just laying in bed, staring back at him. She must be watching something on her phone. She's so pretty.

He shakes the distraction off and goes through the instructions; firewall, VPN, remote-in. He always thought the darkweb was an urban legend or whatever. He didn't stay on it long the first time, he got too nervous. But he's desperate and he can't go through that again. He can't lose her. Ever.

[tubborucho]

Which purgatory team do you think the other realm members would be in? Gimme gimme your thoughts o wise queen :3

First of all, Mika, I love you so much, best person ever, always know when to let me brainrot and I appreciate it.

Okay, before we go into it, let's talk about some rules I put on myself for this mental experiment:

1. All this sorting is ADDITIONAL to actual Purg1 teams and is not meant to change any of the events that actually happened so I did not care about balancing it (just like people who made the original teams didn't either YIPPEE).

2. I did not try to separate them in teams evenly because it would influence my thought process.

3. Division is based both on their realm characters and CCs themselves.

4. There's a lot of criterias that influenced each decision, and they are based on my own perception and understanding of all the things involved, so it is subjective (however I am right).

And a small note of cores of three teams for me because I will refer to it a lot (those descriptions doesn't need to apply in skills or even actions, more of what I see the core strength of the characters on the teams were):

Green: Survivalists, fighters, pack wolves

Blue: Grinders, strategists, mad scientists

Red: Performers, theorists, chaos inducers

Let's start:

Pangi: GGN -> Soulfire

Now, Pangi is the MOST GGN-coded person to ever GGN in my opinion. I think he would fit so nicely into the Etoiles, Roier, Bagi, Fit, etc line up that it is insane. He is also too controversial in his actions a lot of times to be put on Bolas AND based on some other sorting he wouldn't be paired with those people. And he is definitely not original Soulfire (this is so hard to explain, I just KNOW it aaaa).

So yeah, he is GGN. And he would be drafted by Tubbo to Soulfire. Now, there would be a chance Bolas would snatch him, BUT here is why it would not happen:

Tubbo was the first one to pick, and his strategy was to pick people his team were hurting to be separated from. Now, I think he would still go for Fit and then Bagi first, but I also think Phil would still go for Etoiles and Roier, so the Pangi would still be open for the third pick, and I think Tubbo would go for it (and even if we add some other Realm people I think there is always a person Bolas wanted more that would leave Pangi for Soulfire)

Lukey: Soulfire

So, Lukey is a harder one. Where I knew with my whole heart Pangi is GGN, Lukey has vibes to fit either team. HOWEVER, I will argue that Soulfire is more his lane just, once again, based on the line up of actual members (Bad, Tubbo, Pierre – do you see a trend here of people, who love mind games and have a 'mad scientist' vibes?)

I also want to include Lukey being new and sus to people like it happened with the Realm, so in my mental image, he would be on the server for barely a week before Purgatory, and if we translate his and Ros's tr!dynamic, he would be put on Soulfire to further pit those teams against each other (yeah, spoiler for my Ros's prediction lol).

Ros: Bolas

Now, I have no doubts that Ros would be on Bolas. There is like a SMALL part of me that also thinks GGN, but overall I am 100% sure she would be on Red. tr!Ros has this duality in her where she is a sweet person, who gets underestimated, and tries to act right, but at the same time being hypocritical about her righteousness. She is also definitely fits the best in the Foolish, Phil, Baghera etc line up. I mean, there IS a reason why those people on the realm gravitated into the same faction (i include Phil as yellow, because let's be so fucking real).

She would also thrive on that team. I think Ros is at her best when she taps into this madness in her, and I think she would be 'overpowered' on other two teams in a way that she would really fall into a follower role, where on Bolas I think she would be brighter.

ClownPierce: Bolas

You might say: hey, Liss, wouldn't they think that Clown is too op to put on Bolas, he is too good at pvp? And on that I will say – yes, but Clown would be another absent Bolas member. Maybe he will log in once and everyone will be shocked. So it makes sense.

Also I would argue that he is more of a chaos enducer (Bolas thing) than a fighter (GGN thing), which is opposite to...

Sneeg: GGN -> Bolas

Sneeg. Who would absolutely be a GGN at first. I cannot see him and Phil being put on the same team at the start, plus Sneeg does give off more GGN vibes than Bolas. However he would absolutely be drafted in Bolas afterwards, no other way.

(now i know with those picks GGN is getting genuinely overpowered but hey, for the sake of the argument, once again, all the canon events stay the same)

Pili: GGN -> Bolas

Now. Not gonna lie, the main reason I chose GGN to Bolas route for Pili, is because I kinda wanted to mirror Triple Threat never being on the same team together. And to mirror the route of Pangi and Pili being each other's closest teammates to being on enemy sides. I also 100% believe that they would gnaw at each other's throats without a second thought were they confined into Bolas vs Soulfire.

But other than that, I also think both GGN and Bolas suit Pili's character. I can see him thrive in both, meanwhile I do not think Soulfire would be the right way for him.

Water: Soulfire

Do I really need to explain?

(jk jk)

Anyway, for all meta reasons that existed, Water would definitely be put in Soulfire. And I do think it's the team that suits her the most. She is too brush and calculated for Bolas, and she is too mmm detached?is it a good world? for Green (<- now this one is a me personal thing, but despite how things went down for GGN and how much I think Soulfire worked really well as a team, I think at its core Soulfire is 'the lone wolf' team after all).

She would work great on Soulfire. I also would love to hear her participation in after the day strategy calls.

Aimsey: GGN -> Bolas

I think Aimsey would be separated from Ros and Tubbo, which is why I think he would be a GGN member primarily, but I also think that is such an Aimsey story thing to have her team, her family be ripped apart idk.

Now, Bolas later is a completely a me thing of in a lore story Aimsey and Tubbo cannot be on the same side.

PrinceZam: Bolas

There is not much for me to say about that one other than that Zam seems like a person that the admins would consider popular enough for Bolas😭😭😭 But also I, once again, at his core, I think Zam-cubito is a performer. I think he would go so hard into Bolas madness. He would have a lore room, guys.

Soulfire doesn't seem like a match vibe. And GGN is a potential, but based on some other sortings, I think he would be chosen for Bolas. Also it would correlate to the realm with being a yellow kingdom, which, let's be honest, there is a trend of yellow being a better fit for bolas and green - soulfire lol.

Okay, I wanted to write more specifically about more people, but realised that with other characters the descriptions will just be 'yk, the vibe', can't really properly explain them. So here is the list of some of my other picks w/o explanations:

Beky: Soulfire

Derapchu: GGN -> Bolas

Owen: Soulfire

Freddie Badlinu: GGN -> Bolas/Soulfire

Tommy: Bolas

Harry: Bolas

Jonnay: Bolas

Seapeekay: GGN -> Soulfire

Krow: Soulfire

Hannah: GGN -> Bolas

Michaela: Soulfire

KyleEff: Bolas

Martyn: GGN -> Soulfire

And, most importantly:

Purpled: GGN -> Soulfire because he is a loser💛

[unnaturalequilibrium]

Capítulo 12

- Mafin rewatch (Sueños de Libertad)

Here we go. It’s the photographer. I don’t know if I’m ready for this yet, I haven’t even found the seatbelt yet, but we’re already taking off.

Marta wanting something modern, but knowing very well not to try to be too transgressive. A quiet kind of revolution that sneaks up on you is to be preferred. She wants a campaign ad that plays on a woman’s own agency though. I don’t know how to tell her, but that’s still a pretty hot topic no matter how much traditionalism you try to steep it in. I approve though. Sisters doing it for themselves, so to speak.

Hihi, her shocked eyebrows when he notices the perfume she’s wearing.

Oh honey. You clueless little inexperienced puppy. I can’t unsee my own perspective or hindsight, but I wonder to what extent we were supposed to believe that something might happen between her and the photographer. I assume most straights did, but even for them - I mean that opening credit. 

Either way, Marta being a clever business woman and a closeted feminist is nice. Smart and smart. Hits my spot.

Fina mocking Claudia as the lavender triplets are having coffee together is cute. She also catches on to Carmen’s sadness and ask if it’s in relation to Voldemort. Carmen reveals she’s not able to tell if she should do the right thing with Tasio or follow her heart. Fina deadpans and tells her the heart is a treacherous mistress. She is the lesbian friend every straight and bisexual woman needs.

The photographer is a bit creepy though. It’s not cool going around photographing women without their knowledge or consent. Especially not when you have a moustache, that just makes it twelve times as creepy. I’m sorry, but it’s the truth.

Carmen covering Tasio’s gambling ass. You hate to see it.

Marta for the first time on this show getting truly excited about something. Excited about her idea of selling their latest perfume through a more relatable woman than your standard model. The joy she expresses when the photographer comes back with a whole portfolio full of pictures of the shop girls is fucking pure. This isn’t just an ice queen, this is a woman trying really fucking hard to make a difference in her own way. She has a vision and I honestly don’t think it’s only about the cashflow. I do think she wants a different world for herself and for other women too.

This scene also hits with one of those lines that are pretty fundamental to her as a character, even though she likes what he’s done, she tells him she won’t make a decision “hot”. She needs to let the emotions land and turn it all over in peace. This is Marta at her core. Everything about her as an emotional being can be narrowed down into this. She did the exact same thing with Petra. She gathered the data, went away, made a case for herself and then returned with a plan of action. If you want Marta’s cheat code, then it’s this behaviour. Pretty much everything else about her will fall into place when you understand this. And the best way of breaking her is to force a reaction out of her before she’s had a chance to digest in silence.

Yeah, even if we ever were meant to think something was about to happen with the photographer they also made sure to be pretty fucking unsubtle about the real direction they were taking this story in.

[inexplicably-spookified]

deltarune ch.3+4 thoughts

spoilers under the cut. so many!

tenna was SUCH a great antagonist both as a character and art style - he absolutely nailed the balance between 'funny' and 'unsettling'

the SFX of the crackling when a CRT powers down was really accurate, idk why but i fixated on it pretty hard... something something core childhood memory unlocked...???

DESS IS THE KNIGHT???

DARK WORLD UNDYNE???????

the segment where kris is swinging at the SOUL with a hockey stick was really funny, i can't wait to see the fanart of it

also i love that once free of the SOUL, kris almost immediately goes to the kitchen and starts chugging chocolate syrup(?)

i didn't... like carol? i can't tell in what way, though, whether it's 'wow what a shitty but well written person' or 'wow what a poorly written character' - a friend pointed out her sprites seemed unfinished, so maybe it's that? but also the implications that she might be the knight which i hope is a red herring...???

rip asgore fans. unless they're fans of asgore being an absolute loser in which case??? i guess they're eating??? asgore sure was

the church world is my favourite so far in terms of aesthetic

ch4's OST is also my favourite overall, i'm a sucker for choral churchy music

kris playing the organ was animated so well. agh.

good lord ralsei

susie and gerson's relationship was so sweet and it just made that bossfight with gerson't hit even harder

jackington (or whatever their name was) was such a goofy fight. also most homestuck-coded character

susie (and ralsei) in general had such good character development

i know people were looking forward to or strongly predicting that more classmates would be dragged into the dark world but tbh i think stripping back the focus to just be on the main trio was the way to go, ch2 definitely suffered from its larger main cast

it's a shame toriel didn't get to set anything on fire though

GOOD LORD, RALSEI

the titan hatching was SO cool holy shit

the titan fight itself was really cool but. uh. poorly implemented and probably the weakest part of 3+4 - first mandatory boss that you can only defeat by FIGHTing and if you're like me and didn't upgrade your weapons because you assumed it was useless for a non-violent run... and then being prevented from returning to even a save point or shop to rectify that...????? bafflingly terrible game design?????

also the lack of save point meaning you have to sit through all the cutscenes and do the whole approach all over again if you quit is Bad; i had to close the game after getting my ass kicked several times in a row to go to class and was even more frustrated coming back and having to do everything all over again

that being said, GOOD LORD RALSEI

hey. hey. hey what does that prophecy say.

SUSIE BLEEDS????

SANS AND TORIEL DANCING???????????????

poor kris LMFAO

[eta-volantis]

Okay so I finished ZZZ patch 1.7 and I want to talk about it a little

(SPOILERS BELOW)

I actually got a couple of things right omg

Hugo DID use a code word to Lycaon to get him to follow the plan

Hugo did overhear Jack and Lycaon talking, and I think this pushed him to plan to assassinate his father by helping him sink into the part of him that he hated

Hugo was the one that sent the letter to the major. I highly suspected that Hugo has something to do with the Sacrifice Core ended up in the auction as well. It's all very theatrical and smelled of his shenanigans.

That Hugo would end up allying himself with the mayor. This is more half true since it's revealed he'd been in alliance with the mayor this whole time, but my suspicion was that he is more friendly with the mayor than he let on since I suspect this is how the game will have him be more involved in the future through Lycaon.

I talked about it in an earlier post, but I was a little annoyed that they walked back that he killed his father though not unexpected. However! I liked that they didn't walk back that he did plan for it and TRIED. I think it's very in character still for him to chicken out because clearly he does have a conscience but when he was younger, he was extremely conflicted and it took him a long time to deal with it. Also from what we know, I think it's also very belieavable that Hugo's father is so paranoid that the assassination plan would fail as well as Hartman being a vulture that would take advantage of the chaos to finish Hugo's father off. I also think Hugo couldn't let go of his fears for his father so the plan was doomed from the beginning. It still adds a layer that, yes, Hugo DID choose to do something that he ended up regretting that also ended up hurting his ex-boyfriend friend and wasn't just made to be "I didn't do anything wrong actually, I was perfectly good and righteous". So I can live with the walk back. I was more afraid that they'd take this layer of conflict away from him.

Also I didn't think I can love Hugo more but apparently yes I can. Me and Hugo with mother issues:

The fact that he IMMEDIATELY knew it wasn't Lycaon though omg I need these two to kiss already. Lycaon clearly worries about Hugo so much I was losing my mind. Also THE BICKERING. It's so much more friendly now and also the little moments they have together. AGHHH. I love them so much, your honour.

The one real disappointment I have was the boss fight tbh it was very underwhelming compared to 1.6. It doesn't bother me THAT much. 1.6 is pretty peak even though I suspected that Lycaon was in on it and is a touch act to follow. It might be because Dina didn't really compel me? She reminded me too much of Twiggy and her designs is kinda like meh for me. Twiggy stole the show FAR more although I did like Vivian's backstory. Doesn't help that she uses the same animations as Twiggy. Dina comes off as a spoiled brat. I don't sympathise with her the same way I did Twiggy and this is coming from someone who tends to be weak when dads are involved.

This is a weird criticism because it's probably just me but having Robin be a stand in for dark Hugo kinda made me lose my mind a little. I have HUGE cute aggression with Bangboos so the tone shift in my brain was so real I just can't help it. Hugo's VA hard carried that whole segment though OMFG it was CRAZY. That whole scene can be like a whole episode long animation tbh I know why they did it as is, but there is enough material there to do a mindbending full episode of anime it's crazy.

All in all, I enjoyed the patch. Ending was a bit underwhelming, but otherwise I got what I wanted generally especially from a filler patch, too.

[emmartian]

The three perfect things this year to keep me living much much more.

Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon - From Software

I have a soft spot for games where “you” start so low: a corpse, an addict cop fell from grace, a drained bounty hunter sent to a planet alone to get her soul eaten by somehow gentle parasites. 

Armored Core 6 puts you in a body bag and promises to give you a meaning.

The game makes you feel in pain, both physically and mentally, yet you dance the fastest legs exquisitely, while the voices in your brain implants seem to notice you, to worry about you, to tell you you're an artist that can crave for even more.

You choose a how to see if you’re still here. And so, you fly high the miserable sky.

The Boy and the Heron - Studio Ghibli

I’ve read a lot of words about The Boy and the Heron by this point, looking to praise it by finding hidden sources, mysterious meanings and cultural roots behind its attributed “unorthodox” narrative. But I doubt this given depth was THAT intentional.

To me, this film might be the peak of Hayao Miyazaki’s philosophy for process and creation which is well known that doesn’t allow a glimpse of restraint. First and foremost, dealing with a canonical script.

A choice that brings freedom and obsession. A way to live, instead a way to create, to be the stories we tell ourselves. I strongly believe this is what the film exhales. Depth and meaning by making brilliant collaborators invested with the nurtured concepts in his brain. Depth and meaning by making us fall for the intense personality of such a hard work overall.

To grasp a gap in the system you have to be so bold. And I can't wait for what comes next.

A Guest in the House - Emily Carroll

As dear homie Sloane Leong says in her quote, a Guest in the House is a very sophisticated character study coded as a horror tale, with exquisite art, prose and pacing. 100% Emily’s trademark.

Personally, I still can't stop smiling at how it philosophically reads as an essay about evasion. On how skipping reality can be empowering and healing, and more than anything, romantic; even if, you know, it takes you to the grou… Please don't mind me.

Hide from hideous, grasp a glimpse of justice, make the self you want to be, legit. Toxic. The knight or the ghost. In Emily’s safe HUB, the guts spill into refined erotic scenarios that make the average the most dreadful place to be.

Anyway. You don't do a book on this scale alone, to save the day. The accurate craft still feels like a scream. It's the kind of work that saves the medium by making creators unsafe. Please consider reading it and support it. Emily’s writing truly is precious.

She also did a beautiful Bloodborne short out of love this year. For the fans!

[calliopefiction]

I just finished playing the demo, and from the bottom of my heart, it's been a loooong while since I played such a good game, it's definitely in my top 3, if not number 1. I usually don't like games that don't explore the characters gender and sexuality, Misplaced is the first that treats it naturally that I actually feel like it's a common part of life rather than erasure. The characters are written beautifully, it feels like they're their own people, their flaws and beliefs that might go against the main character (because fundamentally it has nothing to do with them) feel like real struggles, you can feel the blind grief in the prince, the mage doesn't care what you think about her and is thoroughly true to herself and still cares for others in a way that doesn't feel artificial or naive. Don't even get me started on Vynn, I went through "their route" and the way I've cried multiple times it's not even funny, their friendship is so deep that I think I was able to understand the whole concept of queer platonic relationship through them, even without the romantic aspect, they love each other so deeply, they're the most important people in each others lives, there's no one else, they reached nirvana, what they have is unspeakable, unthinkable, you can only feel the depth. I decided I was going through their route before even playing cause I love a cute friends to lovers trope, and then I finish playing it getting a new achievement "forever changed by the force of their love" (that one scene that goes something like "is it a love song?""maybe, I haven't finished writing it yet" has changed my brain chemistry forever). I feel like I have a lot else to say about the game, but it's 3am and my brain is not functioning properly. Thank you so much for your hard work <3

This right here is my whole reason for writing - making you feel something, touching your hearts - it just makes me so happy to know that it's working. When it comes to the execution, you know the prose, and the structure, the choices and the coding, I feel like there's still a lot for me to improve and to work on. But I do pride myself a lot on the emotional core of the story, so reading this sort of comment just makes me smile from ear to ear.

I'm also really glad that Vynn and their relationship with the MC struck such a chord with you. Their dynamic is something special indeed, and the fact that they have so much history together that the reader doesn't know about adds to that. Even knowing that they're best friends from the get go, you still get to discover how deep their care for each other goes.

Anyway, that was a wonderful comment and it's making me want to work extra hard today!

[randomnameless]

why don't you want jurgdral remakes? are you afraid they will be localised like fodlan games or modified like shadows of valentia?

Mmh...

Lolcalisation aside, I'd say the biggest thing I'm dreading with those remakes is IS' (if FEH is any indication) willingness to retcon those older games to, I suppose, make them more "trendy" or approchable for a "modern audience".

Sure, FEH might goof here and there, but take the "Miccy founded the DB" take - it's present at least in more than one unit so imo, it's no goof at all, what is it supposed to mean? That a Miccy who is only a person who joins an existing group because she embraces their ideals and thus puts them above her own "need" to hide her existence, as a Branded, is not as... bankable as a Miccy who forms her own ragtag group of randoms to fight against Daein, giving hints at her later role as the leader of the Daein army?

I've ranted enough about IS retconning Lyon and Magvel in general (tfw Eph was caught by Grado lel) but it follows the same pattern, OG!Lyon (and FE8 in general) falls because of his very human and earthly desires - he might have ideals and all, but at the end of the day, he falls because of his love and adoration/obsession for the twins and that is something he cannot fight against - FEH!Lyon sassing Fomortiis is just, no. Fomortiis always has the last laugh in FE8 (at least with Lyon and even, I'd say with the playable cast because, again, his soul isn't erased, he is stuck again in a shiny rock, just like what happened in the lore, and led to Lyon's possession. Who can be sure that in 800 years after Ephraim's adventures, L'Arachel's descendant won't be seduced by Fomortiis' power and free him from his shiny rock, like Lyon did?).

FE15 is its own thing lol - but there is a possibility for Jugdral to be pissed on like Magvel and Tellius were in FEH, and I guess, for any Jugdral fan that's terrible.

Sure, FEH seems to treat Jugdral verse with, uh, careful consideration but hey - if the Ayra wanking is any indication, even Jugdral isn't immune to retcons to make a popular character even more #badass, plot be damned.

Add some eggtivation here'n'there, and I wouldn't be surprised if we had some NPCs or even characters in support dialogues explaining how major holy blooded people aren't always better in the domain corresponding to their holy blood than non HB people because non HB people can bypass their lack of dragon blood with hard work - completely pissing on this core Jugdralian mechanic that was translated in FE4's gameplay by weapon rank.

Is it gatekeeping? idk.

For me, it's just that I fell in Jugdral Hell some years ago (nearly a decade!) and despite its defaults, I still like this verse very much so I'd like a remake that is as faithful as possible to that thing I came to know all those years ago, maybe to exchange with new (and non new lol) fans about that verse!

But if we get, idk, a very #badass Deedee who doesn't, idk, mind killing a kid or two to show how #girlboss she is, well, for me, that wouldn't be Jugdral at all, but some sort of adaptation using those characters but writing them OOC.

Of course I can't say I have a better reading and take on those characters as IS themselves, but after seeing A!Mareeta's FB where she is supposed to be at her best/peak performance, and IS still wrote her to be "below" Ayra in terms of ability when Mareeta's Major Holy Blood means her skills with the blade are naturally superior to her "great aunt" 's skills I still think there's something that's missing.

It's as if we had Reinhardt throw better spells/be stronger at Thunder Magic than Peak!Ishtar, or worse, Azelle on a pony teaching FE5!Saias how to throw fire spells.

It's just, not possible in the Jugdral verse, because Jugdral verse is pretty inequitable and major HB people are cheat codes compared to minor HB people or non HB people. Now with that being said, the story is about what those people with magic blood that are cheat codes do and if they use their powers for good or stupid things. It's not about Midayle finally showing Aidean that his skills with a bow are superior to her sister's so now, he is finally strong enough to protect her from Verdane ruffians.

But after Fodlan's false "yeah but crests aren't the alpha and omega and yet i'm never going to tell you what they do because otherwise my excuse for worldbuildling falls apart", I wouldn't be surprised if Jamke, in a support, would teach Bridget how to use a bow.

:/

So yeah, it's better not to have any remakes.

[drstonetrivia]

Chapter 206 Trivia

Post-timeskip Suika squad! They're all so cute :)

Unlike the new Perseus, the ship going to Corn City is Xeno branded rather than Kingdom of Science: it has the signature zig-zag patterns of the American Colony and Xeno's profile on the side of the boat.

Joel's crushed arm is hidden, however since no one mentions it, it's probably fully healed. Somehow.

Joel's "12" hair strands have also gotten thicker, and the strap on his watchmaker's loupe survived even though his clothes are gone…

…Except everyone is still wearing the same clothes from before anyways. Did Ukyo and the others take off their clothes for depetrification then return them?

I also wonder who's currently in possession of the medusa now.

Finally a Taiju and Yuzuriha reunion! And what's more, progress on their relationship! (Sort of…)

It seems that when they built the new Perseus, a new mobile lab was built to go with it! Judging by the tires, this one is also all-terrain and amphibious.

Has Sai not eaten in days because of his fevered code writing? Or does he deliberately ignore table manners like "don't speaking with your mouth full" as a result of trying to escape his fate in Nanami Corp.?

Holding flags has never held so much personality: Kohaku is extremely focused and lifts her flag completely vertically, very quickly. Suika twirls hers. Gen does his the slowest and is most put-out by the demonstration. Chrome lifts his loosely with one hand, but with confidence.

An XOR (said as "exclusive OR") gate is the job Suika had during the demonstration: lift the flag when Chrome OR Gen put theirs up, /excluding/ the situation where they're both up.

An AND gate was Kohaku's job: both Chrome AND Gen need their flags up for Kohaku to lift hers.

The brief moment of history for the parametron lasted under a decade. Invented by Eiichi Goto, a Japanese computer scientist, they were reliable and cheap, allowing for Japan to push forward with their computers. They didn't last long because transistors simply performed better.

Senku's parametron only requires copper and zinc, but true parametrons use some form of ferrite core. Copper and zinc aren't ferromagnetic, but ferrite is.

The result? Senku's version won't work. At all.

In case you haven't watched the anime and didn't immediately get Gen's Kung Dang Manganese song stuck in your head the instant "800" was mentioned: Gen insisting there'll be 800 of them is a reference to when they made the cellphone, and Gen was tasked with making 800 batteries.

Sai is playing a code block game designed for children. He's probably programming a moveable character on the screen at the top of the container by arranging the blocks in order. This is probably a simplified version of the Gakken EX-150, a device for easily experimenting with electronics.

Doesn't look like he knows the Konami code yet, but I'm sure he will soon enough!

I'm not sure if I'm just getting old or if this is a reference to Senku bringing back smartphones (and not just cellphones), but that isn't what I think of when someone says "calculator" haha

I love Yuzuriha's signature hard-work pose so much :)

==================== MISSING Please help me find my kohai! 🧙 Answers to the name MOZ. Last seen fighting Americans. Might stab you. If found, call Hyoga @ (555) 454 1130. Do not engage. ====================

(Seriously where'd he disappear to again?)

[kingprinceleo]

BET YOU DIDN'T EXPECT ME SO SOON

I did the dessert vampires playlist first since it was the shortest!

Stampede- very good interplay with the characters. Gives the vibe of I respect you but we fundamentally disagree on some big issues. Would be fun to play in the background of like a joint operation scheme? like they've gone undercover at a fancy party and this is them working together during it

Vulture- this is such a Shadow backstory song like- i don't know exactly what happens with GUN and Maria in this au but THIS is the song you play to express his feelings. The first verse at least low-key also sounds like Knuckles during or immediately post transformation to Rouge. He's very angy

Welcome to the Circus- a jaunty little tune. bar/saloon coded, probably plays wherever Amy works i think?

Recommend songs for this playlist: Desperado by Rhianna and maybe the entire Anti album based on vibes alone.

Blood Like Lemonade- strong vibes

Trouble Valerie Broussard- more Rouge centric i think

For other playlists:

Like a Vampire Catrien Maxwell, for vamp au Sonic

A Little Wicked - im thinking of Rouge for it but if it fits a different character i wouldn't be surprised

Little Girl Gone Chinchilla - very vamp au Shadow coded imo

Eve Precious Pepala- Shadow coded

All up in your mind- feels like Shadow thinking about Sonic's effect on him in vamp au

Hope these are good and have a nice timezone 🫶🏽. I go to sleep now

~🩸🎵

welcome back fhbghbjfdfdg !!

This playlist is a little more tough to explain bc i havent shared the major plotpoint that changes the whole title of the au fjgfjghf, but ill get there eventually !! Stampede- idrk know how to explain this one beyond its just Them, their conflicts their compromises, how the two are trying to work together in the situation theyre in, big time agree on the respect with huge disagreements tho, thats one of their major sticking points Vulture- RAHHHHHHH THIS IS IS KNUCKLES @ SHADOW !!!!! the entire time its knuckles rage and defiance !!! and im slamming my head into a wall so fucking hard i prommy it makes so much sense when i share the plot Welcome to the circus- its a rouge @ knuckles song ! like i said the subject itself is kinda weak but it hits on some of their core dynamic pieces --- Desperado- this one i could see being very rouge @ shadow but its a bit too forward and honest ! rouge would defo more take the angle of "im following you bc ur hopeless without me <3" Blood Like Lemonade- strong vibes on its own but doesnt particularly fit with anyone at least right now, i might come back to it after fleshing more people out (also i am sadly biased against songs that are kinda slow sob. i need that constant stimulation music {i almost didnt include vulture in the playlist bc of its speed but it was just too accurate and picks up with some heavy hitting stuff near the end}) Trouble- very correct w the rouge part !! defo eying this one up in consideration

---

Like a Vampire- defo not vampire au sonic , it actually lines up more with desert vampires rouge (i adore the singers voice btw omg) idk if its going in any of the au playlists but it sure is going in mine ! dfhhdfhg A little wicked- shrug tbh ! i see it for rouge but it feels like its missing something, her spunk, her 4kids saxaphone (im assuming if you dont specify an au you just mean for the canon gamers !) Little Girl Gone- THIS IS SO VAMPIRE AU SHADOWCORE LITTLE UNHINGED BASTARD !!! the blood on my teeth line caught my attention....and then the screaming part sold me HDSHDHF hes sooo silly <333

Eve- im so sorry im really biased against love songs so i dont see it personally !! esp not for shadow </3 All up in your mind- eeh there are a few lines there that work, but overall just misses slightly. big fan of the idea that shadows just making up all those lines tho and sonics never said any of it, thats funny fdgjfjdgfg i feel bad for not enjoying all of them wahh, but i am just really picky tbh,,, its gotta bounce the braincell right... but i appreciate the suggestions sm!!!! tyyy!! have a good sleep !!!

[eclipsecrowned]

s.tormlight for the fandom meme 🩷 & stormlight! (for the fandom thing) // @dcviline + @weavinglight

The first character I first fell in love with: Jasnah. It was immediate, and I never recovered. Her poise, her wits, her Ace rep, her capacity for good as well as her ability to be that bitch. Will not lie, my bestie hyped her up and she has not disappointed me once.

The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: He was just one-armed comic relief. Now I muse the little bastard. I thought he might be somewhat cringe comedy and tbh as it was my first Sanderson outing I didn't know what to expect when I heard 'Mexican-coded comic relief' but tbh? He's my one hand arm man, my confidant, my best friend, my silly mink. Love The Lopen, no notes.

The character everyone else loves that I don’t: This is such a cop out but I can't think of any universally beloved characters I don't like? One of the gifts of the series to me is the nuanced and thoughtful characterization of each main player, making them feel more well-rounded than a lot of fantasy without any of them bleeding into each other/relying on authorial tropes. Even stuff I don't like about them, I understand or respect from the sense of 'this character is a tool of the story and is performing that function spectacularly.' The work is put in such that I don't really dislike any of the fandom favs like the Kh0lins, Bridge Crew, Sz*th, etc -- I just side-eye some of their choices.

The character I love that everyone else hates: Moash, and it's downright pathological how much this fandom has it out for him. I get he's a villain and makes some really selfish, awful, narrative-redefining decisions, but there's some takes out there that frankly make me wonder if people read the same book I did. To wit, there is discourse surrounding if this man kicked a literal infant. I, meanwhile, am damn near his public defender at this point. He has layers. He's so Cool Motive Still Murder coded.

The character I used to love but don’t any longer: Dalinar is really one of those characters where your feelings about him get more complicated on a reread. He's still wonderful in narrative and a favorite because no one else in the genre is doing it like him but... Holy shit dude. The way his flashbacks reframe everything. Where is the justice for my girl Evi --

The character I would totally smooch: OK SO FUNNY STORY ax the bestie that got me into the series called my dyke ass would be bewitched by Jasnah. She's so my type it hurts. But they forgot a core aspect of my being: I'd do anything for a MILF. I love Jasnah -- twenty years older and a little more plush, since it's established she's a younger version of her mother. The LOML. My queen. Navani. I get choked up remembering she wasn't getting the good good for 6 years --

The character I’d want to be like: The way I actually want a Dalinar quote tattooed on my body. The way I strive for that level of getting my shit together and turning it around. The way I want to be Evi and Navani's husband. Wait what no delete that footage --

The character I’d slap: Can I lovingly backhand my beloved Moash just to try and convince him he's in a cult and needs to get back on that whole 'destroy the system' wagon? Not even like a hard slap. Just something less taxing than killing one of his buddies to realize how far he's fallen.

A pairing that I love: Have you heard the news of our lord and savior Szopen -- Jokes aside, I am not immune to mad scientist war criminal crab milfs and their captive engineering genius morally complex human milf. Navaniel or bust. It's everything I have ever wanted in my life.

A pairing that I despise: SHALAD1N. Obscuring it so I don't post negativity in the proper ship tag but oh my God my genuine fear is that given the nature of Sandertropes Adolin is gonna be the deadpool for KoW, Shallan will be our grieving widow protag, and 15 years later she and Kaladin hook up. Don't get me wrong! I love their dynamic platonically! I'm not even opposed to Shakalodin! But they NEED that buffer, I can't stand the thought of them 1:1'ing this ship. There's too much between them, too much trauma overlap and high key inflicted on each other, for me to see the endgame appeal. I think it'd self destruct messily and leave them both worse. They need sunshine boy or the romance will tear itself apart.

[rutadales]

ooooh And the World Says looks like such a cool premise!

OHHHH thank uuuuuu!! Admittedly this is the concept I'm most excited for :'D the current summary I have for it is "In which Foolish is almost a god and Dream is the world. They meet somewhere in the middle." which. not to toot my own horn but ohhh I love the phrasing something abt it is very satisfying lol.

but yeah the whole premise came from me wanting to use Minecraft mechanics and game limitations as a core part of the story. This idea that all of the divine characters know that their world is made of code is just ugh, so juicy to me. C!Foolish essentially being a tool made to fix glitches and crashes is just a fun idea to me. fun fact: I was inspired by "How to Save the World" by talkingsoup, which is a really clever undertale fanfiction that uses game mechanics as a core plot device.

anyway anyway here's the little excerpt:

"A solution has shown up on a silver platter, a way to remember. He'd shut it down before, still so sure he could fix this. No crash is inevitable, all deaths are malleable. Things have changed though, and Foolish is running out of time and Hail Mary's. His tongue feels heavy in his mouth, flicking briefly over chapped lips. If they can't save this world, they should do everything they can to remember it. Too much had happened to just sweep it aside and forget. But still, it felt too similar to giving up and— …well. Dream might not go for it anyway, but it was a chance, however thin. One he should run by him.

"Let me talk to Dream, see what he thinks, alright? I can't just make this decision for him."

"Foolish," Death sighed, voice weighter than before, "I told you the offer can't extend to him. Dream's code isn't like a player's, he needs his world."

His world. Something about that phrasing itches in the back of Foolish's head, an omen. His nails scratch at the skin on his arm, his movements quickening, slightly, "Right, I mean, I know he's an operator but-"

"No," Death's voice is hard, immovable, "the world's lifespan and his own, they're connected. Intrinsically tied together. One cannot exist without the other. Dream cannot breathe air without the server running, and the server cannot run without Dream breathing. Do you really think it was just a coincidence that the server ended at the same time Dream's last life did?"

Death shook her head, "To move him to a different save file would do more than kill him, it would erase him completely."

"That's-" He bites back his frustration, irritation blooming inside his chest, "I can't just leave him."

[novaauster]

Three-Dimensional Characters

I did it. I’ve cracked the code.

I figured out what dimensions (or graph axes) people are talking about when they say “three-dimensional characters”. It’s “what they know about themself”, “what they don’t know about themself”, “what they show to others” and “what they don’t show to others”.

Like this!

So, for example, let’s take Katniss Everdeen. Fantastic character, iconic book series. What does she know about herself? That she loves her sister and would do anything for her. That’s the opening knowledge of the book, everything hinges on it. That makes her an active character, because she has this core of belief about herself. 

She shows that she’s angry at the Capitol. It’s imminently important to her that she do so, it makes her feel like she has personhood in a system that’s trying to strip it away. She fights and fights some more, and does not make compromises.

Of course, she doesn’t know that her anger at what is being done to her and her sister, while completely justified and probably her only available coping mechanism, actively harms her chances of survival. Like, a lot. She cannot play along, she cannot make allies (except for Peeta, who puts up with a lot because he knows she can fight better than he can), and thus she is a pretty bad leader. Even so, she makes do and starts a revolution anyway, because most people are just as angry as her.

And, finally, she doesn’t show (to other characters, not to the reader) that she’s terrified. She and her entire home district are in mortal peril, and she’s like sixteen. She doesn’t know how to protect Prim besides fight for her, and she fights so hard and so uncompromisingly that she gets in her own way. It’s an internal conflict and it makes her seem three-dimensional and very human.

These four things are kept in mind in every scene, and get specific based on each circumstance (and they’re a sliding scale too, especially on the “show” axis, she obviously trusts some people more than others). They even change over time somewhat, because she’s a dynamic character. So, yeah.

I’m gonna do the same thing for the characters I’m writing rn under the cut

Keshiro from Empty And Become Wind! He’s so fun and silly and goofy. He knows that nothing can get in the way of his duty as a Raqkesh, and he doesn’t know how to treat his own personhood, outside of his duty, with his charges. He shows that he’s kind of a funny bitch, if someone can’t understand some aspect of his identity (being an airbender, being a Raqkesh, being an agender man, what have you) then he thinks it’s hilarious to lie to them and confuse them further. He shows, to the people he trusts, that being a Raqkesh is a dead-serious thing and violence weighs on a person in the abstract. He doesn’t show, unabstractly, that he’s in pain.

Din from Empty And Become Wind! I love him so much, he’s just a Guy in Situations. He knows that he’s perfectly able to live the life he currently has, and he doesn’t know that he’s gay and the world is a lot bigger than the homophobic little Fire Nation towns he’s been in all his life. He shows that he’d like to meet someone that isn’t absolutely fucking incompetent, and he doesn’t show that, despite the haters, he is capable of whimsy and curiosity.

And those things are all on display during the scene that they meet! Din is guarded because he’s meeting someone who could, to quote popular Disney animated film Aladdin, show him the world and he doesn’t know if he trusts that, Keshiro is being a funny bitch but when someone’s actually in danger he steps up and even risks using airbending to help, and he might tell Din about his charges and the spirits, but he only references his own past (mentions Ther) when it’s imminently relevant that he explains why not having OSHA is bad, actually.

That’s why they’re so fun to write!

[casuallyyoa]

ENDLESS DUNGEON CLOSED BETA IMPRESSIONS

WHAT

After valiantly obtaining a closed beta key via Twitch drops, I could finally try out the latest closed - multiplayer only - beta for Amplitude Studios’ ENDLESS Dungeon. Yet another entry in the overarching ENDLESS universe, it’s a roguelite tactical action game in a similar vein to Dungeon of the ENDLESS. Since I have the latter, there wasn’t any question about being interested in ENDLESS Dungeon. As it’s a closed beta, there’s still time for things to change ahead of its release on 19 October 2023 - provided it’s not further delayed.

SETTINGS

The options menu doesn’t have all that much to play around, with some settings appearing to be unavailable for tweaking. The beta has the option to toggle an ‘Easy Mode’ which simply states to offer ‘several bonuses’ when you explore, but I didn’t try it out. Besides, I don’t even know if turning it on on my end will apply when I join someone else’s session.

Languages offered are:

German

English

Spanish

French

Japanese

Korean

Polish

Brazilian Portuguese

Simplified / Traditional Chinese

You can change subtitle size which is neat. There’s an interaction prompt background opacity slider, presumably not applicable to subtitles or other text boxes. There’s mouse aim assist alongside the laser sight, so that’s always nice.

PRESENTATION

Moving from the pixel top-down style of Dungeon of the ENDLESS, ENDLESS Dungeon uses 3D models in an isometric view. It does look quite nice, though I found it really hard to see certain area of effects. There are player turrets with red AOEs - obviously friendly - but then you have damaging effects from enemies which are also red. When things get hectic, I have missed seeing the warning triangles, or simply ran into terrain and wondered why I wasn’t going anywhere. 

I guess I might need to turn brightness up on my end as well; regardless I hope there’ll be improvements to visual clarity. The markers on the map are at least colour-coded for your convenience with a really long legend you can refer to. Now this kind of begs the question: where’s the colour-blind friendly options? The monster spawners don’t have unique symbols on the map, and the colours are to indicate what they’re weak to. I hope this would be added for accessibility and all.

GAMEPLAY

One thing’s for sure: it’s more, uh, action-packed than Dungeon of the ENDLESS. 

Before I get into the meat of the gameplay, there’s a little big problem with the multiplayer only closed beta. Not everyone has it for one, so games are a touch hard to find. At least, games in my region where I could hope for less than 50 ping. I connected to Europe or either United States servers during my playtime where I pretty much had an even harder time knowing when to dodge or even what was attacking me.

I bring this up early because unlike Dungeon of the ENDLESS, ENDLESS Dungeon feels like a much better time with friends as horrendously laggy as it were for me during this beta. I’m more of a turn-based, low speed kind of guy, and without being able to try the single player during this period, I wonder how the scaling is going to be like.

Anyway.

Up to three players can be in a game session at a time to descend into the Core of the space station they find themselves getting repeatedly resurrected in. With the power of friendship, guns and turrets, you and your buddies need to escort a fragile Crystal Bot through the zones while besieged by any assortment of creatures wanting pieces out of all of you. If you go down, your friend can help you back up. If the Crystal Bot goes down, all of you die. 

As you might expect, the playable characters all have their own roles. I played Shroom, the medic, just so that I wouldn’t embarrass myself dying rushing in to kill enemies (har har). Her active skill has no cooldown but requires Soul stacks to heal. Ultimates require energy to cast, gained by dealing damage to enemies. I would pretty much just hang on to my Soul stacks and spray and pray to get my ult up for the heals.

As alluded to earlier, there’s a rock paper scissors thing going on, where certain elements are more effective against certain enemies. From the beta, it seemed we’d be more likely to get collectibles than anything usable - much less worthwhile - and in one session, 98% of the weapons from either chests or merchants were only for the Zed player wielding a heavy gun which neither the Bunker player nor me could use. At least if there’s any collectible drops, the loot is locked to you when it appears so it won’t get nicked from you if it’s that crucial.

There are fixed monster spawners instead of randomly just appearing from any old dark room with waves coming in as the danger level peaks or from certain actions, like from researching new tech or moving the Crystal Bot. At least the Crystal Bot can be upgraded this time, using shards you find lying around. That does also call the horde, so best be ready. 

Action does feel more emphasized here as turrets have relatively limited range - compared to effectively covering an entire room in Dungeon - so the limited nodes have a greater impact. Likewise, the slots to build resource generators also don't feel as plentiful and monsters will go after these constructs that you can’t rebuild. Once the industry tanks, tough luck trying to make anything.

This game does let anyone be a fixer-upper to restore turret health at least, and they can get upgraded once they see enough action. Should a blackout happen, though, you’re going to have to replace all of them as they can no longer be restored. At least enemies don’t open doors you haven’t, so there’s a bit less crying about them trying to reroute your meticulous funnel. 

Unless…

At certain points of exploration, you will be moved to a separate slice of zone, cutting you off from the previous segment. If you forgot anything there, then too bad, they’re gone. You do also leave the baddies behind, so you don’t have to worry about getting ambushed. Instead, you have to be concerned over bosses! These can have their own mechanics and phases, like how the Bug Momma will become invulnerable until you find the nests to enrage her to expose her fleshy underbelly. These so-called arenas can be quite small to maneuver in, so hope you can be quick on your feet. 

It’s kinda funny that way because there are some rooms that are just so huge but have barely anything in them.

On clearing a zone, you get scored and earn Scrap that can be later used at the Saloon. This Scrap and most progression is only applicable to the host as far as I’ve experienced, which is a little of a bummer really? I wanted to go check them out in my own time in my own instance, but since I’ve only joined games and not hosted any of mine, I’ve got nothing.

Whenever you return to the Saloon, the hub area will gradually open up with a variety of things to check out and manage, or just chat up the people here.

There’s the Booster Chest at the Kiosk where you can buy a chest for some loot for your next run. Only the host can manage this so people don’t get funny ideas to throw a bunch of materials for junk. 

The Library will have all the lore you’ve encountered, as well as ‘quests’ for respective Heroes to check. This is similar to Dungeon, where the characters in between zones in the elevators can have conversations and unlock unique dialogue and / or buffs (or demerits) depending on their relationship with each other. 

From the Workshop you can find a list of equippable Chips for a Hero, but only after clearing the first step of their associated quest. The beta shows there’s at least three slots per hero as well as the Crystal Bot. This too, is currently only for the host to change.

The Hacking Post opens up different zones you can start in, so there’s a certain level of control for at least which bunch of monsters you’d prefer to fight first.

The Cafe is home to my current favourite, Fassie. You can find drink recipes as you explore and have him mix them for you. The ones I’ve gotten access to so far pretty much open up several flavours (pun not intended) of risk reward play, so pick your poison.

Normally I’d have a little section about the story of a game I play, but I haven’t been able to unlock all that much so I won’t comment on what piecemeal they have right now.

CONCLUSION

Even as I got sling-shotted across the map from lag after some rolly boys ran over me, I enjoyed the multiplayer ENDLESS Dungeon closed beta. That said, the issues with visual clarity I had are far more easily fixed than connecting to multiplayer lobbies, so if I do get the game eventually, here’s hoping single player doesn’t feel so bad. I fully acknowledge there’s likely to be a degree of skill issue, but until I can give it my best shot, we’ll leave it there for now.

Good luck on your adventures to the Core!