#clifftop games

[linuxgamenews]

Unveiling Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer - The Next Chapter of the Mystery Series

Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer is the new sequel point and click urban thriller game in the series for Linux, Mac, and Windows PC. Clifftop Games' creativity shines brighter than ever in this masterpiece. And its all due to find its way onto Steam. At The MIX’s Fall Showcase, indie publisher Raw Fury and developer Clifftop Games released a big reveal — Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer. The highly-anticipated sequel in the point and click mystery series. If you thought Kathy’s last case was intense, get ready. This time, our down and out private eye is chasing a terrifying serial killer known as the Soothsayer. So, things are about to get dark. The story picks up three years after Kathy’s investigation in Conwell Springs. Now, she’s tackling a string of brutal murders that have rocked the bustling city of Kassidy to its core. It’s up to you to help Kathy unravel the mystery, track down the killer, and stop the chaos before it’s too late. But here’s the kicker—this isn’t just about solving another case. Kathy’s very life is on the line. Will she crack the case, or end up as the Soothsayer’s next victim?

Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer | Announcement Trailer

What to Expect

This saga is full of upgrades and surprises that’ll keep you glued to your screen. Here’s a taste of what’s coming:

A gripping urban thriller: Dive into Kathy’s world with a brand-new case that’s loaded with suspense, drama, and emotional twists. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the series, Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer is for you.

Next-level graphics: Say goodbye to the old-school look—Kathy’s world has leveled up with high-res pixel art, dynamic lighting, and shiny surface reflections. It’s a gritty, modern vibe that fits the story perfectly.

Cinematic storytelling: Get ready for jaw-dropping, hand-drawn cutscenes and detailed character portraits that bring the story to life. It’s like watching an urban thriller movie you can play.

A bigger, bolder thrill ride: Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer is the longest Clifftop title yet. Doing so with a story that spans diverse locations, tons of characters, and plenty of plot twists. You’re in for a ride.

Familiar voices: Fans will be thrilled to know that Arielle Siegel is back as the voice of Kathy Rain, along with some other familiar voices from the first release.

Investigative tools: Kathy’s trusty notebook is back! Use it to jot down clues, connect story threads, and uncover the killer’s identity. Pro tip: pay attention to everything—it all matters.

And if you can’t wait to jump in, there’s a Linux demo available now. Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer is a dark point and click sequel is coming soon to Linux, Mac, and Windows PC. Wishlist on Steam. Keep an eye out for more updates, and get ready to step into Kathy’s shoes for her most dangerous adventure yet.

[idkmybffjaden]

This episode of GX is about the teen son of a warlord who brings guerilla warfare tactics into use while playing children's card games.

Putting tracking devices on school kids is about as above-board as the rest of the plot devices in this show.

Crowler and Bonapart suddenly look like the most responsible adults. (Don't think about that too hard.)

I keep expecting Viper to announce, "My HAIR is extracting bio energy!" etc. dat fro do

Here we see even Jesse struggling to witness Jaden's half a brain cell "at work" (maybe they can share?)

Once again Cyrus is the only one who can read the meta and see the GX world for the fucked up nightmare land it really is, being the most sane of them all while still namedropping Jaden and Zane like woah.

Chazz Princeton redefining the term "sass." "Know what's wrong [Cyrus]? YOU IN THAT COAT." Burn.

Every time I watch this show Jaden's dialogue gets more ridiculous. I still can't believe this isn't an Abridged.

[magicmalcolm]

Clifftop Lookout

[beekeeperspicnic]

The Beekeeper's Picnic, a currently in development cosy point and click mystery game featuring a retired Sherlock Holmes.

It is the 1920s, and in the sleepy Sussex village of Fulworth, an elderly beekeeper (who is definitely NOT the world’s greatest detective… any more) is trying to arrange a pleasant clifftop picnic for his lifelong companion Dr Watson. The only problem is that a series of pesky mysteries keep getting in the way.

I've put a lot of work in the past month into the artwork for the game, so I thought I'd take some fresh screenshots and bask in how nice things are looking!

You can now wishlist the game on Steam! Download and play the proof of concept demo!

[ireallyliketalldarksultrymen]

HIII!! Can i get a fic of Creakblings? (Wild life Bigb and scott creakings!)

I LOVE RHEM SM!!! (this fic can be found here on ao3, and go vote mumskizzscott at @trafficblrpolyamshipbracket !!!)

—

BigB was a person who enjoyed to keep to himself. 

Now, don’t get him wrong. He liked people. Loved them, even! Cleo, Lizzie, Ren—those were his friends he was content with throughout last life (minus a couple of instances), and he wouldn’t have it any other way. But, if you had to ask BigB if he’d rather spend an afternoon with them at a bonfire, or eat dinner alone in his house on a clifftop, let it be known he’s running for the hills.

It’s mainly the silence that he enjoys, being able to pause and take a breather in a server full of constant hurry. Hurry to obtain materials, hurry to thieve, to slaughter. With each and every explosion, after explosion, after explosion, BigB’s longing for peace swells.

It wasn’t as if solitude was foreign to him, either; he’s spent games without allies, living right beside the border in shacks of wood. There, he found comfort in the flowers and fireflies, the frogs and fish that ran through his lakes. Those were enough for him.

And again, ages after secret life, his journey has aligned with seventeen others, hurtled into a biome and given one goal: barter, kill, win. Alliances shift like the wind, and the air thick with desperation. At this point, he’s lost all energy to complain; BigB’s fought long and hard enough to know the inevitable.

As sunlight wanes and the day’s star dips, players scattered across the map begin to settle for the night. The air once full with laughter and retorts starts to quiet, but not without a few disturbances. There’s the cows of Gem’s barn lowing at their calves, and Billy yipping at Pearl whenever she leaves for bed, offering those wide, glossy eyes in exchange for more scratches behind his ear. 

The Pale Garden whistles, a soft churr that flies by your ears. It’s both eerie and comforting, like a canary held in a cage that’s grasped by coal miner navigating dark tunnels of the underground. Silver bushels of leaves gleam like glitter, dangling from gnarled, cadet branches. It groans when wind dances between them, straining at the lightest pressure.

The chill in the forest wraps arounds you and clings like a second skin, seeping into the fabric of your clothes and causing gooseflesh to arise. It isn’t exactly the worst—he’s managed it for long enough to practically resist it—though BigB hated enduring the constant feeling of his fingers and toes numb.

He would think the eerie stillness of the forest would be enough from him. I mean, it did had everything he could want—a marsh, good scenery, and amazing view. The moment BigB stumbled upon, he figured he’d spend his days in forest alone.

Ultimately, he proved himself wrong.

BigB was a person who enjoyed to keep to himself…or so he thought.

Originally they weren’t the closest; Scott lived along the river way, residing among the flowers in the valley with his husband. BigB, on the other hand, settled far west in a forest of birch. He was on his own, days filled with mining for resources and building his castle. 

Their paths rarely crossed in the early days. BigB’s world was self-contained, and Scott had a want for more with every day that went by. While he thrived with the bustling alliances at his fingertips, BigB rarely had anyone knocking on his front door.

Soon enough came the Battle of the Red Desert. BigB had been adopted into fighting for Dogwarts alongside Ren’s knights. He remembers spotting Scott on the other end of the battlefield, aligned with Scar and Grian’s faction. He donned armor and a sword similar to BigB’s own that glinted in the dust bowel’s Sun.

He isn’t sure what had him drawn to Scott in the first place. Maybe it was his laugh, sticky-sweet, light, and able to fill the air in the harshest of circumstances. Something about it stood out among others, the noise feeling far from forced and carrying a warmth that settled in your chest. BigB found it to be harmonic, a melody sung by a songbird. 

Or, maybe it was his kindness. It always caught him off guard, being in a death game and all. He remembers the day after Cleo abandoned the Fairy Fort, bitterness radiating off of her. Scott had visited later in the day and offered a place to stay in his cottage if things ever got rough. When BigB couldn’t thank him enough, he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

On opposite sides of war, they were never meant to meet.

Looking back on it, BigB chuckles.

Tonight, he sits atop his enormous head that he dubs his house, perched high above acres of monochromatic trees. From this vantage point, BigB could see almost everything—from the Tuff Guys’ mineral structures towering in the distance,  to Joel’s car, sitting idle in the plains. Even the high stalks of bamboo surrounding Lizzie’s parrots come into view, their careful eyes watching over the server.

Sat next to him is Scott, dangled legs swinging carefully against the staccato-y breeze. His locs tickle Bigb’s where his head his rested against his shoulder, eyes closed as he hums a tune with no particular rhythm. BigB smiles.

Scott’s the only person who understands him, BigB thinks. He doesn’t mind his preference for listening to someone over speaking, nor disinterest for conversation. He doesn’t mind the silence.

When Scott first saw him—the real him, vines curling around his forearm and an unsettling amount of golden eyes scattered across his form, he didn’t find him unnerving, nor appalling. Instead, Scott gasped, face lighting up. “You’re gorgeous, B!”

So the next time when he saw Scott, BigB wasn’t entirely surprised to see his sweater embroidered with amber orbs, or the honey curl that bounced against his forehead.

“You two!” Pearl laughed, eyes darting between them, stood side-by-side as their bodies shook from laughter. “Attached at the hip, eh? At this point, you’re practically brothers!”

Brothers. The word rolled off his tongue with no problem.

BigB thought he would’ve been a person that kept to himself his entire life, that wasn’t until he met Scott.

That wasn’t until he met his brother.

[mild-crusader]

Somewhere in the North Atlantic...

Once upon a windy early morning on the cavernous clifftop of some abandoned island a heretic crew of slavers has unearthed 5 stone idols inscribed in the glyphs of some lost alphabet of Europe's heathen antiquity, two anointed emissaries from hell oversee malnourished wretched slaves erecting the engraved stones in arrangement with forgotten constellations, while a heretic priest burns sage over a padlocked coffin stained with blood slowly sinking into the center of an old muddy battlefield...

Satisfied with their preparation the congregation of hell marches back to shore. They hope to be a safe at sea by midnight when the stars would hang in alignment above the odious carvings and Crom Cruach awakens. Reborn, full of hate and hunger...

how unhappy must they be to see that a cruiser typical of the Eire Rangers, Faithful soldiers of the Church, have laid anchor. And worse yet! Boot tracks headed straight to the site of their ritual!!!

Will the devoted Rangers cleanse the Island of idolatry before it's too late??? Can the servants of Evil thwart the pesky interpose of the pious??? Stay tuned dear reader, you're about to FIND OUT!

BATTLE REPORT

This was a game played at 700 ducats and 0 glory using the 1.5 playtest rules for Trench Crusade. Using the Scenario "Sabotage" on a 4 foot by 4 foot board. The Attackers were the Eire Rangers sub faction of New Antioch and the Defenders were the Heretic Legion without any sub faction. Lists are posted below.

EIRE RANGERS:

Trench Cleric with Standard Armour, Grenades and Pistol

Berserker Lieutenant with Trench Shield, Sword, Grenades and Shotgun

Shocktrooper Bard Fianna with Carnyx, Sword and Standard Armour

Shocktrooper Fianna with Submachine Gun, Two Swords and Standard Armour

Shocktrooper Fianna with Submachine Gun, Two Swords and Standard Armour

Shocktrooper Fianna with Semi Automatic Rifle, Two Swords and Standard Armour

Shocktrooper Fianna with Semi Automatic Rifle, Two Swords and Standard Armour

[ EXPLORATION MODIFIERS ] Reroll

HERETIC LEGION:

Heretic Priest with Silenced Pistol

Heretic Death Commando with Tartarus Claws

Anointed Heavy Infantry with Great Sword

Anointed Heavy Infantry with Great Sword and musical instrument

Heretic Legionnaire with Gas Mask Shovel Semi-Automatic Rifle and Unholy Trinket

Heretic Trooper with Gas Mask Shovel Semi-Automatic Rifle

Heretic Trooper with Gas Mask Shovel Semi-Automatic Rifle

Wretched with Sword

Wretched with knife

Wretched with knife

Turn 0 setting up the board,

After the Trench and ruins were on the table we took turns placing the point scoring relics the attackers are meant to destroy, represented by 5 upright Stones scattered around the board and a coffin in the middle. Now time to deploy the troops.

All but one of the Ranger team were skirmishers, while my Heretic's only skirmisher was Death Commando so I placed all my wretched, my Legionnaire, and my Musical Anointed Heavy Infantry on the front edge of their Deployment Zone, clear of any obstacles ready to climb the trench and rush into no-man's land,

Death Commando would sulk inside a ruined building near the middle edge of the board. According to the rules for this mission I had to leave 4 guys in reserve so Heretic Priest, Troopers, and the un-musical Anointed Heavy Infantry, sit on the bench for the time being.

The Rangers set up more spread out, one fireteam of 2 Shocktrooper Fiannas hiding in a separate room of the metal ruined building ready to charge the commando, one Shock Trooper at the top of the cliff One at the Base of the Cliff behind some scaffolding, and the rest behind their own trench.

Now, time to let the blood flow!

Turn 1 Crusading this Trench!

First unit to activate was the humble Wretched with knife dashing up into no man's land hoping to shank the Shocktrooper at the base of the cliff.

However, he was not able to reach the Enemy before the end of his turn so it's on to the Rangers.

The Ranger fireteam get to act as one unit so it's both of their turns and it's Open Season on Death Commando,

After the first hit left him with a blood token the second killed him completely, and that marks the first casualty of our trench crusade careers! The second member of the fire team ends the turn by moving out of the ruined building into no mans land eager to get a head start on idol smashing in the next turn.

Now Wretched with Sword is dispatched against the Fireteam to get revenge! Because of his proximity to the Music of the Anointed Heavy Infantry his movement gets a boost

he scrambles up into no man's land and lunges his sword at the Fianna.

Complete miss.

Back to the Rangers it's the Trench Cleric and he moves right up the support beam of the trench and shouts something about snakes

resulting in my wretched feeling a sudden compulsion to lie down in the dirt, snake-like.

Then he turns to face a nearby stone idol and lifts his holy crozier off the ground...

Before drawing his pistol and shooting it to bits and pieces!

+1 point to the Rangers

Heretic Legionaire activates and climbs on top of a pile of cargo to get a line of sight on the Rangers

He fires one shot and misses, Then hides under the trench convincing himself to charge over into closer range next turn.

Continuing our story, the Ranger under the scaffolding at the base of the cliff counter charges the humble wretched with knife

Sliding right up behind him and in front of another stone idol, he bloodies the wretched...

and transforms the heretical stone into a patch of gravel.

the last reluctant wretched prepares his journey over the trench walls

Luckily for him, I've reached the image limit on this site so he'll have until Part 2 to steady his nerves.

End of Part 1...

[hobbitwrangler]

I'd love to know more about "Ivriniel screams internally" !! 🖤

Thank you Hara! <3

This fic is about Ivriniel's experience on the day of Finduilas' funeral. I see Finduilas' family as having a very complicated relationship with Denethor, particularly after Finduilas' death, due to Ivriniel not being very pro Finduilas leaving Dol Amroth. As such, the funeral not only has Ivriniel going through a lot of grief and other associated emotions, it also serves to highlight a lot of the more fraught family dynamics, which are always interesting to write about. I'm finding the funeral really interesting as a way of seeing what each of the characters (Ivriniel, Imrahil, Denethor, etc) look like when grieving.

All that talk, all her mother’s pointless twittering about what a good match Finduilas had made. “A man of such standing, and one who so loves her too!” And what good did that love ever do her? It killed her, took her away from the sea, planted her in foreign, unfriendly soil. “Is it not wonderful how in love she is?” her mother had said brightly, watching the happy couple in their first dance. As if she did not love things before him. Before Denethor, the sea and the winds and the beaches of Dol Amroth had Finduilas’ love. And they served her better in return than Denethor ever did. She had worried, when Denethor first began courting her sister. Finduilas was not made for Minas Tirith. She was made for the wind-whipped clifftops and dark rock pools of Dol Amroth. She was half convinced that in another life Finduilas had been a spirit of the sea, one of UInen’s servants who danced in the waves. She had said as much to her mother, who had ignored it. She had thought Ivriniel’s concerns came from an older sister’s possessiveness (and there had been an element of that) and resentment from her own failed marriage. I married for lust and Finduilas married for love, yet look at us now? What good did love ever do her, your daughter you so treasured? Was it worth it, sending her off to die in this doomed city, this temple to dead kings, this great tomb? But they had not listened to her. Not her mother, not her father, not even Finduilas, blinded by love. Her parents she was used to. They never had listened to her; that anger was a familiar one. But Finduilas … it was a terrible thing, to realise that her companion since her youth no longer listened to her opinion. And now I am right, and I can gain no satisfaction from it.

WIP game

[celestialholz]

An apple a Kitakam-day keeps the doctor away (or 'they have fields of them now oh my god')

Guys. Guys. I am at my upper limit and Brassius hasn't even graced my clubhouse yet. I'm going to yeet myself off clifftops without a dragon. (No Rotom buddy, don't save me. It's not worth it.)

Warning: this post contains no story spoilers for Kitakami, but it does contain a certain Pokemon, and a DLC-specific location, and the occasional mention of a sidequest or two. If you want to go in totally spoiler-free, just be wary. :)

Now, we all know Applin as the gay mascot Pokemon, so what did they feel like doing for our first DLC?

What is this. What IS THIS. Note the unamused expression on mini Holz - mood, honey. Biggest mood.

This is Kitakami's Apple Fields, which are so painfully obviously a Hassius honeymoon destination that they're even winking at me.

THE AUDACITY.

... I'm glad you do, because personally, I've become allergic to them. Whatever the apple version of homophobia is, I have a terminal case.

But anyway, if you happen to scale these lovely cliffs off to the side:

You will be able to count how many fields there are here. It's difficult at ground level because the fences are stupid, but there's sixteen of them. TM16 in this game is Acrobatics, which is - and you can choose, I'm easy - either a reference to Brassius jumping off windmills because he has the confidence now through love, or me jumping off this ledge without a dragon and no Rotom Phone. (Yes, I will do a flip.)

Wasn't enough for you to give me a core-wyrm and a fore-wyrm, a marital signpost of a Pokemon, was it Game Freak, or stick a heart around Harvest C, or give Hassel a Flapple? Nope. FIELDS OF APPLIN. Yeah no, I'm fine...

Look at this little bastard. Look at her. She knows what she is.

You also find the simp Glitterati here by the way, twice, so... mmm, simps, enjoying apples, on two separate occasions. Can't mean anything guys, don't worry about it...

And as though all this wasn't bullshit enough, this is what happens when you show a Dipplin to the guys in Mossui Town who wish they had a romance half as compelling as Hassius:

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME I WILL FIGHT YOU BOTH NEXT TO THE CRYSTAL POOL YOU F -

[materassassino]

Word Finder Game

You are given five words. You must find those words in one or more WIPs and post the excerpt containing each word!

I was tagged by the lovely @veradragonjedi!

I'm going to cycle through my five major WIPs of the moment until we find something, lol.

Prayer (very easy considering my latest obsession) - from the "Nicky meets an ex" fic I haven't spoken about at all:

It is Yusuf who spots it, the building perched on the clifftop, gleaming, whitewashed, in the gloom. Whatever it might be, it is better than the storm. They rush towards it, and Nicoló pounds his fist against the door. It is not yet night, someone must hear, even over the storm, if it is not abandoned. Nicoló utters a silent prayer. It is answered.

Betray - from the Anniversary of the Battle of Yavin fic I've been ignoring.

The next day in Hanna City dawns smooth, damp still clinging to it from rain during the night. Leia looks more relaxed as she sips her caf, though bags under her puffy eyes betray a restless night. Lando is annoyed at having to spend the night in Luke’s apartment, which is literally a ten second walk down the hall and thus an utterly ridiculous thing to complain about. Han orders breakfast in from Pozle’s Diner.

Unique - Unavailable.

Responsible - Also Unavailable

Not much I can do about the last two! (Also I was only given four? Hm)

I tag: @dangerouscommiesubversive, @non-un-topo, @maered613, @ctrldao3 and @raedear

Your words are: spike, drift, contemplate, absurd and piecemeal.

[jasminewalkerauthor]

Tag game thursday: Tudum

Rules: your wip has been made into an on screen adaptation by netflix. Pick 8 episode titles that would make up the series, get five screen grabs from movies and tv shows (best place to look is pinterest) that best describe scenes in your wip and add dialogue tags.

wip: Memoriam Episodes: 1. Tick Tick 2. Pomegrante milkshakes 3. These violent delights 4. What we owe to the world 5. Eurydice 6. The longing 7. A simple drop of water 8. The life and death of Eleanora Greene

"So there they were, a boy and a girl, sat on a clifftop by the sea. Born nineteen years ago but just started living"

"No place for him, no room, no way out. All he had, was her"

"I didn't ask your name, Eleanora Greene, I asked who you are"

"They are both coping just in different ways, he regrets, she forgets"

"It was quiet, it was somber, and that was just what she needed"

Tagging (gently): @writingamongther0ses @seastarblue @words-n-chaos @blurred-honey

[reader010]

New hyperfixation means new tumblr post to inspire me to write something! @nordictwin's I was a Teenage Exocolonist Stratos Kid Time Loop AU got me thinking: why do the kids in the AU suddenly have the power to remember? And when I start thinking I start scheming... what if it wasn't an accident that they remember? What if our lovable little scamp Sol tried a few new things across the loops and may have *accidentally* transcended a bunch of their friends with our favorite Faceless + Wormhole wombo combo?

So anyway: here is a short writing dump about Sol and Anemone borrowing from one of the original loyalty scenes in the game. (Nemmie is my favorite so that's who you all get) - enjoy!

---

"The adults say we're not supposed t’ go outside the colony unless it's on expedition…" Anemone didn’t take her eyes off the teenage-shaped speck receding over the distant cliffside; wordlessly, she extended an open hand to the other and waited expectantly. The heft of her holoculars being returned to her is all the answer she needs before instinctively looping the device back around her neck. "And Dys just goes whenever he wants! What if he gets hurt? What if he dies?"

Or worse… Anemone wrinkled her nose, her mind filling in the pieces of just what worse could possibly entail. "What if he picks up a weird alien disease and comes back with three heads?"

Beside her, her lookout partner chuckled cheerfully – as if three-head-making alien diseases was a laughing matter –and Anemone’s cheeks flushed with the knee-jerk reaction that it’s her whose being laughed at. Maybe… maybe she’d didn’t know as much about what’s out there as the explorers – but hey, it hadn’t been proved there weren’t three-head-making alien viruses on Vertumna.

Anemone idly scratched her cheek, itching at the dry spot caused from her acne turned scales. “Ow,” she muttered instinctually; the jolt of pain snapped her back into the moment, where her eyes leapt up to the clifftop. No sign of Dys anymore. "I just… dunno what to do about it," Anemone admitted, "what do you think?"

They’re quiet for a moment: there’s a pause that’s full of uncertainty and hesitation, but when her friend spoke, the words are filled with something that Anemone couldn’t quite place.

"We should go after him."

It’s finally enough to take Anemone’s attention off the valley; she whipped her head towards Sol and couldn’t stop herself from staring at the other girl as if she had three heads.

"What?! Outside the colony? By ourselves?”

There was a glow in Sol’s eyes. Again, that sensation that Anemone just couldn’t place. Sol’s words were insanity – clearly meant to be a joke – but something in them looked… strangely… hopeful?

Anemone hadn’t really… Anemone didn’t leave the colony. Sure, she was 13 years old, and that meant she was old enough to join the expeditions team… but that’s not where she was meant to be. She liked watch duty. She was training to be like Kom and Rhett.

Exploring this weird alien planet – going out of her way to deal with its weird crazy animals and environment that wanted to kill them – she’d leave that stuff to those more suited for the task. Like Utopia and Uncle Tonin. Like Dys (as much as she hated to admit it). And… well, Sol.

Not her. Not Anemone.

“No way!” She shook her head profusely. And Sol laughed, but that little light twinkling in her eye had disappeared, so quickly dashed by Anemone’s words that she wondered whether it had ever been there at all. “Nuh uh!" Anemone repeated.

Sol teased her Nemmie some more, but somewhere deep inside, Anemone couldn’t help but wonder that her best friend seemed… disappointed?

---

“Nemmie… do you trust me?”

At the time, it had seemed like a silly question. Anemone’s response, “Of course I trust you,” had been immediate. Automatic. Trust was implicit between the two at this point in their lives.

By their late teens, Sol had done more for Anemone then… anyone. She was at her side defending against every attack; she helped the colony’s scientists cure the Shimmer, and its farmers stave off famine. Sol had even convinced her to break off her toxic relationship with Vace.

“I need you to do something for me.”

So yeah, Anemone figured she could trust Sol, her best friend since diapers, to not do or suggest anything that would betray that trust.

“Nemmie… I need you to sneak out with me during Glow season.”

[the-feral-one]

(Based on what I'm doing in-game)

--

"Where are ya? Yer 'round 'ere somewhere! I jus' saw ya! I swear it..!"

Chester sped across the landscape between Mesagoza and Grasswither muttering to himself. He was following two very wealthy humans who had left a breadcrumb trail for him. The Gholdengo stopped to catch his breath and check the map again on his own Rotom Phone. After marking a location, he dashed away again.

At Grasswither, Wo-Chien had began to tend to his allotment again. He looked over the newest patches of flowers that had began to grow, and checked on the pumpkins.

"Hm. I'm very glad that no-one has tried their hand at snacking on these. I wouldn't have liked trying to grow them again, now that it's close to Halloween." The snail looked in the direction of Mesagoza Academy, rubbing where his chin would be if he had one. "I...did say that I would share them with the home economics students too."

His train of thought was interrupted by two pompous-sounding voices coming from the other side of his allotment hedges. Wo looked over the closest one to him and his eye narrowed upon seeing two figures looking at his shrine.

They continued to talk to each other as the snail went in for a closer look.

"Not a thing worth seeing!" the wealthy woman stated, looking at her partner. "Not even this featureless hole! I can't imagine anyone living here, not even if it was given away for free!"

The man spoke a few seconds later. "What do you have in mind to improve this, my dearest O'Nare?"

O'Nare had a thought, then answered the question with a lot of enthusiasm. "Perhaps I could buy up this part of land and build a business here!"

"Striking!" The man reacted to her suggestion, clapping his hands. "Your words are as pickaxe to rock, loosing nuggets of wisdom from common stone!"

"Excuse me?"

O'Nare and her partner were suddenly made to look around and upwards.

"What do you think you are doing?" Wo-Chien had emerged from behind the nearby hedge and was giving them an unimpressed look. "I'm sorry, but you really shouldn't be talking about my shrine like that."

The wealthy woman brought out a pokeball as she continued to look up at the snail. Before she could get a word out, Wo held his fighting stick in both vines and pointed it at said pokeball.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." His voice was quiet and serious. "Your Pokemon would just end up suffering from both exhaustion and defeat...and it would be wise to not put them through such events."

O'Nare scoffed and put the pokeball away. Wo-Chien lifted the fighting stick and held it upright beside him in one vine. "Thank you." he said, feeling relieved that he didn't have to be involved in another battle that wasn't asked for first. "Now, if you have nothing more to say, I suggest that you leave and take your business plans elsewhere--"

The snail was interrupted by a distant shout.

"There y' are!" Chester descended from the clifftop on his golden surfboard, skidding to a halt before the two humans. "Been lookin' for you two for quite a while!"

Wo was confused, but continued to let Chester talk to the two humans.

"Oh. It's that Gholdengo." The man said, looking down at Chester. The woman took her turn to speak not long after. "You really like chasing us, don't you? At first it was at the furious waterfall, now it is at...this place..." She rubbed her chin as she looked at the shrine again. "...this...hole that could really use something else in it's pla--"

O'Nare was quickly cut off by Wo-Chien snarling under his breath.

Chester motioned to the irritated snail as he spoke to them. "Are you two gonna get movin' to 'nother place 'round 'ere, or are ya gonna 'ang 'round where yer quickly outlivin' yer welcomes?"

The two wealthy humans huffed, shoved some assorted treasures into the Gholdengo's arms, then walked away, their walk ending up turning into a sprint when they saw Wo-Chien's icy glare.

The snail calmed down when he saw the two humans get out of sight.

"Who were they?" Wo asked, scratching his head.

Chester answered as he carried the assorted sparkling items into the shrine.

"They're two wealfy 'umans 'oo call themselves the 'Glit'erati'. They've been goin' 'round 'ere and there callin' ev'ryone they come across 'commonahs', an' jus' bein' all snooty, so I decided to go 'around trackin' them down an' makin' them run off. I 'ad to fight them th' first time too." The Gholdengo showed Wo that he was holding an Amulet Coin. "Drainin' their bank account in the process."

Wo-Chien helped to put the treasures into a safe place within his shrine as they continued to talk. "Where did they come from? I...haven't seen anyone like that living here... Not even in Mesgoza, and there are some wealthy humans living there..."

"Kitakami." Chester was quick to answer. "Aftah th' first time I fought them, they were in the apple fields. After losin' most of their wealf, they ran off, an' I almost forgot 'bout them bein' 'ere, but then I got word from the 'umans and went to find 'em."

Wo perked up upon hearing where the wealthy humans were from as Chester continued to talk.

"They probably ran off back there after bein' told that they 'ad outlived their welcomes 'ere. Mos' likely dashed off t' Kitakami aftah talkin' 'bout 'ow much they missed the apples..."

"May I ask something of you?" The snail turned to face Chester. "B-before you go to Kitakami to continue chasing them..? It's...quite important..."

Chester looked up at him. "What's on yer mind, big guy?"

Wo hesitated before holding a tablet to him. "When you go to Kitakami...would you mind giving this to Ogerpon and Okidogi...if you see them? I did say that I would write to them, but I ended up being caught up in my duties in Mesagoza... ...I really hope that they forgive me..."

Chester held the tablet and nodded. "I'll do that. I 'aven't spent as much time wiff them as you 'ave, but I know 'ow much they mean to ya. You can count on me, big guy!"

Wo-Chien nodded, anxiously rubbing his vines together. "Thank you..." He nodded, showing a nervous look. "...I really do hope that they forgive me..."

Chester stepped forward and patted Wo's leaves. "Don't worry yer big leafy 'ead, big guy. I'll make sure this gets t' yer family! I'll be back soon, 'opefully wiff more assorted shiny fings to put in 'nother one of yer big crates! Sit tight, 'kay?"

He dashed away, playfully saluting at Wo-Chien. The snail, still anxious, waved back at him before calming himself as much as he could and returning to what he was doing in his allotment.

--

A day or so later...

Chester arrived in Kitakami. He took some time to visit the shop in Mossui Town to pick up some snacks before going towards the apple fields.

"Where are ya?" The Gholdengo asked himself, keeping quiet so they wouldn't notice him. Soon, he saw them standing amongst the apples trees. Chester went in for a closer look, as he also wanted to surprise them.

"What a wonderful little garden!" The wealthy woman began to say, her hands held together. The man spoke up not long after, looking at her as he did so.

"This may look like a small garden to you, but this is an entire orchard!"

"An orchard?" O'Nare asked, looking around at the trees. "Surely you must be joking! I've never seen one look so...humble!"

Chester could see that both humans and Pokemon surrounding them were looking quite unimpressed at what they were hearing. After overhearing them for a few minutes more, he decided to step in.

"I fought I told you to quit insultin' fings that mean lots to those under ya!" The Gholdengo stepped towards them, causing the wealthy duo to turn to face him. "Y' don't like learnin' from yer mistakes, do ya?"

O'Nare gave Chester a displeased look. "What do we have to do to keep you off our backs?" She asked, her voice sounding irritated and desperate.

"...quit talkin' trash 'bout so called 'commonahs' an' their stuff, per'aps?" Chester answered after pretending to think about what to say first.

"That's enough!" O'Nare snarled, bringing out a pokeball. "Let's battle, then! I, O'Nare, president of Paldea Realty, will crush you, pesky Gholdengo!"

Chester stood back and got into his battle position, coins held between his fingers. "Let's do this fing, then!"

O'Nare wasn't slow in letting out her Persian. It snarled upon landing on the grass in front of her. Chester looked at the furious cat, then at the human behind it. O'Nare issued the first command, sending the cat running and pouncing at him.

Chester managed to dodge the hissing Persian by dashing to the side on his surfboard. The cat turned to see him, back arching and fur standing on end. It lunged at him again, only to come short. Eventually, Chester decided to bring the battle to a quick end by waiting for the right time before unleashing his Make It Rain attack, making coins fly everywhere.

The Persian flopped onto the ground in front of O'Nare, swirls in its eyes as coins fell down all around. Chester collected the coins as the wealthy woman recalled her cat back into its pokeball. The Gholdengo saw that humans and Pokemon behind him were also picking up fallen coins.

"Oh, y' can keep those. I've got coins for days!" Chester reassured the crowd that had collected them, showing a pleased look as he watched them run off with their arms full of coins. He then turned to look at O'Nare.

"Now that that's ovah wiff..." He showed her the Amulet Coin he was wearing. "You 'ave some prize dosh t' dish out."

O'Nare sighed and handed Chester another armful of assorted treasures. Chester counted each one, almost looking like he was guessing the value of each. "Fanks." He said, looking at O'Nare again. "Now y' can skedaddle. Go on."

O'Nare held her partner's hand as they made their way out of the apple fields. Once they were out of sight, Chester turned to go the opposite way...and ended up seeing someone very familiar.

Ogerpon was starry-eyed as she looked at him, 'hands' squishing her cheeks. "U-uncle Chester!! You came here, and you got to fight the rich guys! That was awesome too!"

Chester looked at her, smiling. "Heh! 's nice t' see ya again, Ogie! Jus' let me put these away first, then I'll--"

"Come to the den, Uncle Chester! Papa Oki's gonna be happy to see you too!" Ogerpon jumped forward to grab Chester's arm, pulling him behind her as she begin to go towards Oni Mountain. "He got out of the doctor's a few days ago too! He's gonna be all better soon! We also really wanna see Papa Wo again too!"

Chester stopped her, getting her to let go of his arm after he tripped and dropped the treasures.

"'s nice to know that 'e's doin' well! Oh, 'ere, Ogie - yer Papa Wo-Chien told me t' give ya this!" Chester showed Ogerpon the tablet that Wo had given him before. "'e eventually got 'round to writin' to ya and Oki! 'e also 'opes that you an' 'im forgive 'im for not doin' that too... ...'e did get caught up in all 'is duties..."

Ogerpon read what was on the tablet at a quick pace, then ran forward and hugged the Gholdengo..

"Thank you, Uncle Chester! A-and tell Papa Wo that me and Papa Oki aren't mad at him, a-and that we reeeally miss him too!"

Chester nodded, returning the hug and waiting for her to let go. "I'll do that, and 'e'll be relieved to 'ear that too! Y' do know how anxious the big guy can get, so 'e'll appreciate it!"

Ogerpon waved at Chester as she began to run up the side of Oni Mountain after helping him to pick up the fallen treasures. "Okaaay! Seeyaaa!"

Chester watched Ogerpon until she disappeared from his sight before turning to head for the Kitakami border.

--

Soon, Chester returned to Paldea. He was quick to make his way to Grasswither.

"I'm back, big guy!" He shouted into the shrine upon reaching it.

Wo-Chien looked out from the doorway and down at the golden Pokemon standing outside it.

"Did you deliver the tablet?" He asked, still sounding a little nervous. "...a-and what did they say?"

Chester went into the shrine to put the treasures away as he answered.

"I found the rich 'umans again, fought them, again, and took ev'ryfing they 'ad, again. They ran off, an' I'll get back to findin' them later." He closed the treasure crate and turned to face the snail. "About the tablet - yes - I did! Ogie was there, watchin' the bat'le I 'ad wiff the rich lady. She was 'appy to see me, an' she said that Oki was doin' well too."

"Do...do they forgive me...for not writing to them when I should have...?" Wo-Chien rubbed his vines together in an anxious way.

"Oh yeah." Chester reassured him. "Ogie was quick to say that she and Oki weren't gonna be mad at ya. They also reeeally miss ya too."

Wo-Chien calmed himself down again. "I know they do, and I miss them too." He then raised a vine. "I do have an idea that would let me see them again, though. I...just have to hope that they can get here before it happens."

"Oh?" Chester began to ask. "What may that be, big guy?"

"You'll find out soon. Now, haven't you got some rich humans to continue chasing?"

Chester made his surfboard appear and dashed out of the shrine. "Oh yeah! Seeya 'round, Wo!"

The Gholdengo showed the snail another playful salute as he sped away.

[liodain]

WIP Game

[Rules: In a new post, post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it!]

Thanks @joz-yyh for the tag! 😊 My WIPS are predominantly F&F to nobody's surprise, but there are a few original works in there too that basically sit there not being written lmao. I am pretty normal with my titling though sorry (things would be lost to the gdocs void forever otherwise).

F&F:

shipwreck exploration [pirate days] 

engagement [post fate]

cup sharing [post fate]

scar worship/massage [post fate]

clifftop [pirate days]

desk graffiti [post fate]

muzzling & haircut [hugo/izod]

bastinado - pirate days [notes]

the crew go inland [notes]

Original:

how to destroy the world [wellspring]

sea of swords [wellspring]

untitled farm restoration

nothing fatal

apocalypse thieves [nano 2021]

Art:

holywater

inthebrine

jihane

izod_shouldtheyhaveatache

them

honouredguest

hugo_charactersheet

If you want to play consider yourself tagged 🥰

[dawnbreak-daily]

Chapter 37! Unexpected conversations and some clifftop scenery.

We are back to Noon's pov after a lengthy 3-chapter break, just in time to see the results of Hollow's intense study. They are... varied? I spend a long time figuring out how to handle this chapter. I was planning for a more light-hearted tone, but I found I couldn't move on to fluff without addressing what Hollow is actually trying to do. And what they've been trying to do is get a new purpose, a new set of rules to follow, something that would keep them from dealing with the uncertainty and fears of personhood... They needed someone to remind them just how miserable being forced into their original purpose made them. Noon of course is no stranger to this, either. He just has a slightly more measured approach to his own self-imposed duty. This means his reality check would take longer to arrive. But it will.

Also glad to have found a place to show Noon playing the sitar, even if it took a bunch of research to get (hopefully?) right.

[beekeeperspicnic]

Beta 0.2

A second version of the beta of the game is now available for beta testers!

Big Changes:

The game no longer crashes if you ask Tilda a particular question.

Holmes no longer vanishes except for his shoes if you stand in a particular part of a marquee

Toby III is now forced to teleport onto the ground whenever Toby III enters a room, so there is a 0% chance that Toby III decides to appear in the sky, floating and tiny. Because apparently Toby III was doing that sometimes.

Some players felt unsure when they'd completed the game, so Mycroft now advises you when you have created the environment for a perfect picnic.

Now if things change on the beach, those changes are visible when you are looking down on the beach from the clifftop.

You can no longer pick up an infinite number of beakers of fizzy water. Apologies to everyone who was enjoying that, but it had the potential to affect other parts of the game so I had to fix it.

Lots of fixed typos!

New potential issues:

I've overhauled the way that the game decides which character is speaking/which portrait to show. I've done my absolute best to be thorough, but if I've messed up anywhere there may be instances where a character's dialogue appears without a portrait.

[metapoetix]

Thalassa

There should be gulls. I gingerly sat myself on a weary, greying bench, attempting to avoid the mass of ancient bird fæces and grit, and it sagged beneath me. Screaming children, the sound of waves on the shore, talking, footsteps, wind— anything but silence.

The coastal town shouldn't have seemed this derelict, but today not a single soul wandered among the peeling cottages and the brackish old boathouses, and a forlorn inflatable dinghy was the only boat in sight. The sea was blocked from view by the buildings along the harbour, but I could taste the salt in the air.

Dumping my wilting ice cream into the nearest bin, I made my way uphill and out of the town. Here, among the nettles and the brambles, the silence was even more pronounced. The only sounds were the crackle of the sand beneath my feet, my heavy breathing and, in the distance, the sea's inevitable sway.

Finally I emerged from the bracken, finding myself on the naked clifftop. The bench that greeted me here was marginally cleaner than the last, and I collapsed onto it, staring out across the open ocean.

The view took my breath away. The rock plunged downwards to crash into the water, its jagged edges whipping the waves into a suicidal frenzy, but, beyond the shore, the sea was a silent watcher, powerful in its stillness, merciless in its beauty. In the patches where the feeble light seeped into the waves, the waters rippled sallow and jaundiced. The ocean swelled wordlessly to meet the horizon, and the iron sky seemed nailed shut. There was no life for miles.

The little swirling patterns the waves made on the ocean surface, with the delicate lace of sea foam, caught my gaze and held it, and I found I suddenly couldn't look away.

This, I thought, was a thing that could kill, and shivered, a stark and frightening image entering my mind. A ship, a storm, and below, the sea, reaching up its great hand and smashing it through the wood with a giggle.

It occurred to me, in a sudden spasm of awareness, that the sea was huge. The waters were endless and fathomless and completely ruthless. I could feel its sheer scale like an ache: the nausea of a selfish lie and the chill of a knife between the ribs. The sea held the world in the palm of its hand, and something told me it would crush us on a whim.

I stared out across the sea with wide eyes, and all of a sudden I felt it stare straight back. The wind began to rise; it took my hair in its clammy fingers and twisted and tossed it wildly and somewhere, carried on the air, I thought I caught a delighted laugh, the mirth of a cruel child with a new toy. The ocean surged up and took my face in its hands, and I saw that its eyes were crazed.

Child, it said, what could you know? 

I wanted to step back, I wanted to get away, I wanted to run, I wanted to run! 

You are but a crumb. 

Let me go!

No. It smiled. I don't think I will.

I closed my eyes.

What I saw after that, I cannot say for sure. Here is what I remember: pulsing water and whirling colours and a delirious soup of light and sound and pure, primordial terror, all shifting and spinning around me with the gleeful, fervent madness of a long-dead pagan ritual; words that were not words at all and voices that could not be called voices and limbs struggling to stay afloat and rasping, gulping lungs— and something vast and commanding and unimaginably powerful, lurking behind it all.

I wrenched my eyes open and, through the sting of the salt and the dazzling white light, I saw the sea throw its head back to laugh. Life is a game, it said, and now, now I understood.

The sea was a wild thing, tossing and thrashing and dancing and singing – and it delighted in its existence, twisting round the Earth in constant euphoria. When it crushed ships between finger and thumb, it was smiling.

Andromeda, said the sea, caressing my face. I shuddered.

Please, let me go!

The sea curved its lips at me. Of course.

With the kind of gasp a drowning man makes as his head breaches the surface, I felt the sea’s hold on me fall away. I scrambled back in a daze, and as my frantic hands finally found purchase on a leaf of fern behind me a sob of relief burst from my lips. 

At last, something solid! 

I turned my back to flee, but as I tore through the undergrowth I once again felt the ocean’s chilling touch. I didn't want to look back, I didn't want to see— but I couldn't resist taking one last glance over my shoulder at the wide, unending sea. It smiled at me and I shivered.

I took something of it with me that day.