#further experiments in glitch art

[gaast]

difference between replacing FA with 20 between Python (left; with Pillow and binascii) and a hex editor (right, HxD).

[hypnoticmoth]

Some ramblings about the version of Vox I draw/write for my AUs, stories (and RP). It's a mixture of headcanons/canon/AU, putting it under a read more so you can skip if that ain't your cup of tea ~

I HC him as transmasc if you couldn't tell yet with some of my art ~ When he arrived in Hell, though, he didn't yet identify as male (lived in life as a woman). He dressed masculine because he thought it would be easier for him to achieve stuff. And he just eventually realized he felt more comfortable with that identity.

His body is an awful amalgamate of artificial and organic fused together. He bleeds both blood and coolant and other mechanical fluids if injured.

His head isn't a part of his body that can regenerate. The TV he uses starts off as a normal one, but once he connects to it, its properties change. Like the rest of his body it gets invaded by organic material. The screen is a solid surface but can disperse when he opens his mouth (which is another can of worms

His vision is tied to the type of TV he uses as a head. Black and white TV means black and white vision, grainy and desaturated colors screen means the same for his vision, ect

Changing his head is not a pleasant experience in the slightest.

His bent antenna is self inflicted after Valentino got his own antenna burnt in an Extermination saving his ass. He felt guilty Val got permanently injured and did this so mothman wouldn't feel alone and bad (he did feel bad)

This injury is what brought his glitches/seizures whenever he gets too emotional.

Vark is a gift from Valentino to Vox (and was trained as a service dog in case Vox glitches out when Val isn't there)

He didn't call himself Vox for his first few years in Hell. His name only came about later.

His very first Extermination happened only two weeks after he arrived in Hell. Man had no idea what the fuck was going on and after his screen got smashed in the chaos, played dead for the remaining how many hours left of it.

Valentino was a prominent name in Pentagram, and Vox saw his chance to ally himself with someone powerful. He was the one to seek out the other.

When he allied with Valentino, he was on good terms with Alastor. The two had disagreements about the place of technology in Hell and how it could be used to further their control over the masses, but they got along. Vox had decided to do his thing on the side to prove Alastor he was right. His idea was that once he'd proven his point, Alastor would come to him to stay allied (it didn't happen shkshksh)

The beginning of Val and Vox's partnership (as in business) was rocky. Vox was very reserved and Val was temperamental, leading the two to often have angry matches. It wasn't helped by the fact Val also made physical advances towards him but Vox "ignored" them because he felt insecure about being a trans man (and thought Val would think lesser of him)

Val and Vox started their relationship because Val caught Vox watching him on camera like the little freak he is.

Vox was the one to recruit Velvette. Valentino didn't like her at first, feeling jealous as the Vees were just him and Vox for the longest time (and he wanted Vox's attention on him and him only)

Velvette isn't in a relationship with the other two. They're friends/have familial like bonds. She's, however, in a relationship with Verosika (i saw art of these two and my heart is forever changed) There's a lot more but i don't feel like boring everyone who wanted to read this already hskjsgkjsg, maybe i'll expand on some points another time. Don't be afraid to trade ideas, i'm always happy to discuss o7

[aquatark]

My previous post made me realize that not a lot of people here are aware of Endless Ocean's bowmouth guitarfish glitch fiasco, which I think is a shame because 1) it's an interesting look into this game's history, and 2) I find it really funny... long-winded explanation incoming!

So! you see this guy?

You can place him in the game's aquarium, right? I bet if you've played the game, you've done it without even thinking twice!

...Well, in the initial Japanese release of Endless Ocean (known over there as Forever Blue), you couldn't. In fact, attempting to place this little scrimbly in the aquarium crashes your game.

Now this isn't too bad, since you can just press the reset button and continue your game normally, right? well... if you happen to leave the aquarium and save the game after having opened the creature placing menu, selecting a bowmouth guitarfish, and then closing the menu without placing anything... then congrats! you can never use the aquarium again, because it autoplaces whatever you left in that menu on your next visit! :D

In case you're wondering what this looks like in action, this video taken around the game's launch showcases it well, while also using the game's MP3 playback feature to put some anime music in the background, which I think adds to the experience:

So... how does this happen? How could something like this make it into the final game?

Turns out, this is due to how Endless Ocean categorizes creatures internally. Each creature in the game falls into a category, depending on the movements and behaviors the developers wanted to give them. For example, "migrate" type creatures follow a set of coordinate points creating a route around a stage, whereas "swim" type creatures simply swim around the area in which they are placed within a certain radius. Think of a whale shark's movements versus that of a butterflyfish - they have very different AI telling them how to behave.

Now, trying to load a creature of one type as a creature of another... does not make the game happy, to put it lightly. It doesn't know how to handle the request, and so crashes to prevent further weirdness from ensuing. There is only one byte (literally the second smallest unit of digital information storage you could use) per creature responsible for telling the game what type to load the creature as, and this includes when placing creatures in the aquarium. A slip of the keyboard caused a dev to type the wrong number in this byte, making it attempt to spawn bowmouth guitarfish placed in the aquarium as "swim" type rather than their correct "migrate" type. Literally one wrong number caused the game to crash, and for ears to bleed across Japan.

Since the aquarium is unlocked so early in the game, people discovered this on day one, in their first play session... and since Endless Ocean was a launch game for the Wii in Japan, that's even worse. It's not exactly a great look for your brand new console to have a game break so bad you can't use a mechanic anymore. And Wii game crashes are not pretty. So, Nintendo put out a statement on the day of release, notifying people of the problem, how to avoid it, and saying that a recall would be put in place. A week later, they released another statement, which stated people could apply to have their games replaced with an updated version, which would be mailed to them free of charge, by either phoning in or filling out an application online. This service continued up until 2020, over ten years after release! They really didn't want any copies of the broken version around... good thing we have archives of it!

The updated version even has different box art, with an added blue bar at the bottom, showcased in this incredibly crunchy image:

I love picturing Nintendo executives freaking out after a humble diving game causes such a mess they have to print the game again, losing them a lot of money and causing the game to get a lot of negative press...

I've seen old forum threads talking about the game as if it's garbage before it even came out internationally, because this situation was pretty much the only major news coming out about it. Can't have helped sales, at least...

Anyway, the game was patched to fix this glitch, along with a few other minor tweaks, and it was this version of the game that got translated worldwide. Japanese fans love joking about the whole ordeal, and I can see why! For example, on the bowmouth guitarfish's Niconico Pedia page (for which the closest equivalent in English would be something like Know Your Meme), this is recounted comedically as "...probably the most notable moment for the bowmouth guitarfish in the history of the internet", which is probably true! There's even image macros about it!

So yeah. The bowmouth guitarfish's reputation was forever tainted, and some Nintendo execs to this day probably wince when they see one.

tl;dr - A developer for Endless Ocean typed one number wrong in the code, making the game explode if you place a bowmouth guitarfish in the aquarium. Nintendo had to recall the game, and that specific fish has lived on in infamy among Japanese fans ever since.

Next time you use the aquarium, try putting a bowmouth guitarfish in there, and be grateful you can at all!

[defining-skyology]

Finding the Light. (Defining Megabird #1)

I've mentioned the term 'loremoth' quite a lot, but haven't really elaborated on my definition of it. Within Sky's in-game social community, being a 'moth', or a new player, is a visually traceable status, showing on their backs and of their clothes, showing by the lack of seasons they've experienced and glitches they've overcome. But the Lore community is a Space held externally from the game, leading to it not being so much of a visual dogma, but rather more of... An Experience.

Hungry new lore theorists are fueled by their own personal preferences of thumbnails, baits, and key words; pulled in by what they find interesting, and after they devour that magical initial subject, they hopefully will look and then find the next thing.

Each of these sudden lore hooks end up being their Drive to have more, to dig for more, and to understand more. They feel it's become special to them; that they're in on 'the secret' now.

And one of the best topics to make loremoths feel like they're in on an absurdly colossal secret... 

Is the topic of the Megabird.

[[[Continue Reading]]]

In the early crazes of Lore, during the first year of Launch, interest in the Megabird skyrocketed, and when curious Sky players asked others who seemed more involved and invested in theorizing about the story, many users of Lorechat in Skycord would casually reply, "Well it's basically the god of Sky". 

Most murals and concept art depict the Megabird as a giant flowing golden angelic thing, with extravagantly long wings or tails. Sometimes it would be made of feathers, sometimes it would seemingly be shown as made of Creatures of Light. 

Early concept art refers to it as "One", some concepts say "Megabird", while others say "The Megabird", and late-stage concepts begin to refrain from calling it Megabird or 'The Megabird' at all, instead detailing a concept of "The Light" that was still unarguably the same 'character' from before. Post-launch content has never described it as The Megabird.

Despite this, Megabird ended up being heavily personified from 2019 to late 2021 by the community, and fans gobbled up anything about Megabird, especially Megabird as a character; as a god who would interact with the Elders and skykids. Megabird's fanbase grew to the point where it'd be given nicknames; it's most famous moniker being "Megan the Megabird". If only for the sake of having a character to use as a foundation for bountiful headcanon and fanfics, people seemed to cling fanatically to the idea of Megan; to the idea of having a deity. Perhaps there are or aren't some further psychological takeaways from the eagerness of the fanbase to have a 'god of Sky', but let's move on to a different notation for a while, and head back into the game.

Picture posted to Tumblr by lowkey-loki245

For the 4 years that players found themselves in the Descendant's era, creatures of Light have always been seen migrating at all times towards the beacon of Ascension in the Eye of Eden, but this isn't an absolute rule. Creatures often will be found frolicking and soaring wherever they want, far from the main path to Eden. Mantas will take elegant laps around wide open areas, and rarer creatures are either hardly or never seen ascending up into Orbit. 

But water doesn't halt its cycle, and Light shouldn't either. Water rushes down mountains, through valleys, flooding plains and reservoirs, yet not all of the water gets to the Ocean like it should. But though it gets stuck in spots, underground rivers and evaporation ensure the water cycle will always occur. It has to be the same for Light.

The lore community has long since determined that all beings in the world of Sky (so far) all are made of Light. {There can be a post explaining that on another day, because not everybody is so willing to believe this.} This includes: creatures of Light, Ancestors, Descendants, and yes, even dark creatures are made from Light; just warped light, to be exact.

If we're to continue with our comparison to the water cycle, then this means all of those living Beings are made out of {metaphorical} water. Water flows from the Source and descends until it reaches the Main Body of the ocean, and all Light cycles throughout the world until it can get to Orbit again. This cycle of the life energy of Light flowing in and out of a main body is exactly what we need to focus on, and lo and behold, quite a few pieces of concept art confirm this.

The meaning and purpose of some of these concepts have been long forgotten, and don't reflect the lore of the game today in post-launch, but there is one big theme going on here that they still intend to this day; all Beings of Light will eventually journey to rejoin the Megabird.

We talked before about how they slowly transitioned towards using a simple base word to describe the megabird instead of giving it an almost characterizing name, and I believe they had to have done this intentionally. (Well, as intentional as TGC ever gets.)

We can and may still call it 'the Megabird', but from now on we understand that we are referring to 'the Light'. So, why did they depersonalize Megan into a character-less thing? As we ascend through orbit and into the Ocean of Light, the Main Body of our life energy; lore theorists all over the interwebs would still be looking for the character Megabird. "Where is Megabird? Surely it's that constellation above us? Maybe it's the giant gate that sends us towards rebirth? Maybe it just hasn't shown itself?" But as the voice of Aurora calls to us and the warmth of the ultimate Light pulls us in, vaporizing darkness as we come, I just have to ask:

"Isn't that the Megabird that we're entering?"

A pure, deep, limitless orb. We are drawn in by its intensity, and as we get closer to being Absorbed we can see creatures swimming in and out of its surface. In the Sea of Light. All things here in unison, all things belonging to One; each moving speck of Light, a drop of water in an endless pond of pure harmony.

Whenever we enter the Light; when we enter the Megabird, we become dissolved into that sea, and we join One in it's neverending song.

You might notice we're not going to end with any solid Defining going on, and that's because you're supposed to take this in and think about what you make of it. It'll be important for part two.

But we'll have to research further into proving THAT on Thursday, because unfortunately, this post has gotten way too long.

{{{Megabird Part #2 is out! Click here to continue Our journey.}}}

Thank you to the two readers who got this far, and I hope you can all think critically, never perspire, and have a wonderful rest of your week.

[rabbitechoes]

wow!!! august was a pretty stacked month for new releases and it seems like september will be pretty busy too. there were quite a few great records this month - one being my current album of the year. also trying out a new format so these posts will be easier to navigate. i've started linking to the full reviews on my rym page instead of just pasting them over here. i figure it's much easier to get through that way!! to check out my thoughts on some of the songs that dropped this month click here!!! also feel free to follow me on rate your music and twitter <3

Imaginal Disk - Magdalena Bay

🥇 BEST ALBUM OF THE MONTH

◇ released: Aug. 23, 2024 ◇ genres: neo-psychedelia, synthpop, chillwave, dance-pop

to call it a triumph would be an understatement, the sophomore album from Magdalena Bay is a delicately detailed experience that doubles as an immensely enjoyable pop record. to put it simply, i'm feeling diskinserted 💿

my review of Imaginal Disk

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Sky Hundred - Parannoul

◇ released: Aug. 3, 2024 ◇ genres: shoegaze, noise pop, emo, indietronica

on his strongest album yet, Parannoul further refines his sound without sacrificing the scrappiness that made his music so endearing in the first place. my review of Sky Hundred

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NO NAME - Jack White

◇ released: July 19, 2024 / Aug. 2, 2024 ◇ genres: garage rock revival, hard rock, garage punk

Jack White has crafted a staggering garage rock record that perfectly soundtracks a world on fire. my review of NO NAME

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Wild God - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

◇ released: Aug. 30, 2024 ◇ genres: singer-songwriter, art rock, gospel, baroque pop

unlike the more meditative approach of 2019's Ghosteen, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds return with a renewed sense of urgency and a striking crop of songs that are sure to make u feel something. my review of Wild God

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cheshire days - ashley ninelives

◇ released: Aug. 10, 2024 ◇ genres: glitch pop, neo-psychedelia, synthpop

the long-awaited new album from ashley ninelives is filled to the brim with exciting ideas and vibrant production that's easy to get lost in.

my review of cheshire days

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I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU - JPEGMAFIA

◇ released: Aug. 1, 2024 ◇ genres: experimental hip hop, hardcore hip hop, rap rock

JPEGMAFIA is here to stay … whether u like it or not. my review of I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU

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Romance - Fontaines D.C.

◇ released: Aug. 23, 2024 ◇ genres: indie rock, alternative rock, post-britpop

Fontaines D.C. shed their gothic veneer in favor of warmer sounds on their new record, while unfortunately stumbling into style over substance territory amidst a few incredible tunes.

my review of Romance

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Flight b741 - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

◇ released: Aug. 9, 2024 ◇ genres: boogie rock, roots rock, blues rock

the refreshing collaborative spirit of this new King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard record is its biggest strength, but not enough to make this an essential project in their vast discography. my review of Flight b741

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Paradise State of Mind - Foster the People

◇ released: Aug. 16, 2024 ◇ genres: synthpop, nu-disco, chillwave

the fourth album from Foster the People, my favorite band when i was in 6th grade, is an existential ode to synth funk and disco of the 70s/80s that sounds great, but doesn't leave much of a lasting impression.

my review of Paradise State of Mind

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Quantum Baby - Tinashe

◇ released: Aug. 16, 2024 ◇ genres: alternative r&b, trap soul, pop rap

the second installment in Tinashe's BB/ANG3L trilogy is a substantial step down from the first primarily due to its reliance on more mainstream pop/r&b sounds.

my review of Quantum Baby

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Cellophane Memories - Chrystabell & David Lynch

◇ released: Aug. 2, 2024 ◇ genres: ambient pop, ethereal wave, ambient, drone

David Lynch always has a strong vision for what he wants to convey in his art, but unfortunately, this new collaboration with Chrystabell isn't one of his most worthwhile endeavors. my review of Cellophane Memories

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Short n' Sweet - Sabrina Carpenter

◇ released: Aug. 23, 2024 ◇ genre: pop

Sabrina Carpenter's new album should be a bold statement priming her to be the next big thing, but instead it just falls into the same exhausted clichés we've all come to expect with big mainstream pop releases.

my review of Short n' Sweet

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Aghori mhori mei - Smashing Pumpkins

◇ released: Aug. 2, 2024 ◇ genre: alternative rock

Smashing Pumpkins' surprise new album isn't as horrible as their garish rock opera ATUM, but it's just as self-indulgent and outright boring as what we’ve come to expect from the band.

my review of Aghori mhori mei

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F-1 Trillion (Long Bed) - Post Malone

◇ released: Aug. 16, 2024 ◇ genres: contemporary country, country pop

Post Malone sticks out like a sore thumb in every genre he inhabits and that continues to be the case with his first full-length country album - his worst record thus far by a considerable margin.

my review of F-1 Trillion (Long Bed)

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Vultures 2 - Ye & Ty Dolla $ign

◇ released: Aug. 3, 2024 ◇ genres: pop rap, trap, alternative r&b

Ye and Ty Dolla Sign return with a disastrous album full of anthems for divorced dads who were most certainly in the wrong.

my review of Vultures 2

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Popular Monster - Falling in Reverse

◇ released: Aug. 16, 2024 ◇ genres: alternative metal, trap, rap metal

no.

my review of Popular Monster

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this section will be used on occasion to briefly discuss projects i didn't write full reviews for, but i still think are worth checking out. beginning with ...

Sophcore - Moses Sumney

A decent EP, but I would be lying if I said I was a little letdown. Still very pleasant on the ears, just lacking in substance. Sumney still has a very striking voice. Here's hoping the next project is a bit more substantial.

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Some Songs I Wish I Wrote Vol. 1 - This Is The Glasshouse

I didn't have high expectations for a covers EP, but this one really floored me. I really loved his album from last year, As Small As Ants, and it seems as though he's only getting better. He has a really good ear for layered instrumentation, it's certainly this EP's strongest aspect. The arrangements for his cover of Xiu Xiu's "Sad Pony Guerilla Girl" and Steve Reich's "Clapping Music" were big highlights in particular. Definitely give this a listen!

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The Vault - Maruja

A few months after their Connla's Well EP, Maruja surprise dropped a compilation full of improv jam sessions. It's a bit of an undertaking, but for those who are fans of the band this is definitely a treat. There are so many cool instrumental passages here and it brilliantly showcases how many brilliant ideas are swarming around when the band is in the studio. Their chemistry is off the charts. Here's hoping we get some weird jam stuff on their full-lenght debut, whenever that comes out.

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[3ofpents]

The Jersey Devil & The Pine Barrens Pin Stripe // Fabric design for @shapeshiftersvt and The Cryptid Collection

Oh it's time for my favorite cryptid, the Jersey Devil.

We've reached the first fabric design that was a direct adaptation from its coordinating travel poster. Here, let me show you, I think it's pretty obvious.

This wasn't the first based-on-the-poster design that I did, but it was the very first poster that I did. I mean obviously. I grew up in New Jersey and, save for a 9 month stretch in Brooklyn after I was born, and a 2 year stint also in Brooklyn in my late 20's, I lived there for about 30 years. The Jersey Devil has always and will always hold a special place in my heart.

So why on earth is there a version of this pattern without it???????

Easy! Remember when I said that some of the fabric designs were created with Eli's runway looks in mind? Well here's the concept sketch for the Jersey Devil design:

The initial concept while we were brainstorming and finalizing the fabric designs was to create a skirt suit with the trees-only design (Pine Barrens), with a binder or sports bra in the Jersey Devil design peeking out from underneath. I can't speak entirely to Eli's thought process, but I believe part of this decision was made with the photobombing idea behind the posters in mind, where the cryptids are sort of semi-hidden, or at least not the focus of the image. And part of it was aesthetic, not wanting to have multiple moons all over the outfit that might even get cut off and such.

I want to say I had a decent time with this one, and I think I did in the end. But I have to admit that it ended up being a little frustrating because it took a lot longer than I expected it to. Or that I thought it should, considering I was just recreating a slightly altered version of an illustration that I'd already done. It took a while to get the trees right, especially because for some reason that I kept getting a single pixel wide line across my horizontal seams that, like. The only way I can explain it is that it was as if the canvas was a single pixel shorter on the bottom than the image, so every time I smoothed out the seams and moved the tile back, that single pixel line would come out of hiding and break up the whole image because it didn't get edited, so the colors were in the wrong places.

This was NOT the case, for the record. I expanded the canvas multiple times in my attempts to fix this thinking that was what was happening. And yet it kept happening. I don't remember if restarting my computer fixed the problem (I often have issues with things on my screen not appearing properly when I need to restart to free up some memory); if I confirmed that it was just a weird visual glitch in Clip and that it wasn't visible anywhere else; or if it just stopped happening because I stopped moving the tile multiple times to double or triple check it and it was happening at the point of moving it. But I got it fixed, obviously.

And I'm pleased with it! I think if I'd put this one further down the list and so had more experience under my belt, I would've done it a little differently. Really mainly the tree repeat. I think I would've done a larger tile to get more trees, for more trunk shape variation; and to have more room to get a more gentle curve back and forth.

But the essence of the thing is still there, and I still think it's a cool concept (one that Eli came up with, I forgot to mention!) with the trees being stripes. And of course I love my flying Jersey Devil. I need draw more Jersey Devil art.

As always, if you'd like to order your own binder or sports bra with either of these fabric designs, you can find them (and the poster print) here, on the Shapeshifters website. If you do, we'll finally be able to get a photo instead of the mockups I made up there.

If you want to purchase the fabric for your own sewing projects, you can do so through our Spoonflower shop. Important to note that the Pine Barrens stripe runs vertically along the length of the yard; and the Jersey Devil stripe runs horizontally, and the pattern repeat is a full yard, so there's only one moon on each yard.

[medievildead]

This is gonna be long and none of you have to read this. I just need to vomit out a happy rant about God of War.

Like I don't know how to describe my joy and I know I keep saying it I know I do but like. Having been a fan of this series since the very first release in the 2000s, loving the story and the depth of Kratos and seeing just how vast and big and huge the fanbase is now. The fanworks people make have made my heart so happy. These games always meant so much to me as a greek mythology kid and its up there with one of the first series me and my dad ever played together (he made me step out of the room during Those Scenes, don't worry)

I remember my dad and I first seeing the demo for the first ever God of War on a ps2 demo disc we got from back when GameStop was still EB Games in Canada. We both thought it was so cool. I watched him play the demo over and over again, until one day he could finally get the full game and we were even more hooked. We beat the game so many times together and watched the bonus content until the disc wouldn't work anymore. We tried our hand at every difficulty just to unlock every costume.

I remember when God of War II came out he was one of the first in line to get it that weekend. He even got the BradyGames player guide, which me and my brother read over and over and over again looking through the pages, all the lore hints and bonus content, all the characters and concept art until the pages ripped out. I still have the poster from that guidebook hanging in my bedroom. I still know where all the secrets are in that game like the back of my hand. When the game was beat and the final cutscene played my gad and I would always day how exited we were for the next installment.

I remember the day my dad got our PSP. He got the God of War bundle, the special red edition with the decal of Kratos on the back, the one that came with Chains of Olympus. I remember waking up early on the weekends to sit with him on the couch and watch him play. And if I ever missed anything because the screen was too small he would describe it to me happily. And when Ghost of Sparta came out I got to experience it all over again.

I remember when we first started seeing trailers for GoW iii and I got so exited. I remember my dad and I playing the demo with the chimera battle and being so, so so happy, saying we couldn't wait for the game to come out. I remember my dad refraining from buying the game on his own, waiting to stop somewhere on the way home from school just to buy it with me. And at this point I was finally old enough to figure out a game controller on my own, without my dad helping me at all, and the thrill of playing as Kratos on my own was a titular moment of me realizing I was growing up. Like not to be emo but playing God of War on my own during my adolescent years hit me more than puberty.

I can go on forever. I remember the day Ascension came out, and booking it to EB Games just to try out all the new features. I remember when I saw the novels for sale at a shop in the city, and not wasting another breath telling my dad I wanted them, and reading them more than I read my books for school reports. I remember almost crying because I didn't own a smartphone and couldn't play God of War: Betrayal and being so relieved to see footage was uploaded online and I was able to experience it that way. The only reason I knew what Soul Calibur even was is because Kratos was playable in Broken Destiny for the PSP. He was my main by the way

TL;DR this series was my childhood. It means so much to me. Every time my dad played he would select easy mode so he could read out the story to me. I hyperfixated on the story. And already being a mythos obsessed kid, GoW encouraged me to research mythos even further. And I was so happy when I would replay the games after learning more and more to understand reference after reference after reference. Teaching myself new glitches and exploits and finding new secrets in hidden areas after every playthrough. Rebuying the games every single time they were ported to a new system or I lost the disc. I own like 3 or 4 copies of each game at this point because I never want to not have them. It was like a new experience every time.

However. The games were always popular yeah. Highly rated. Fun to play. Kratos was a Playstation Icon. but large playerbase meant nothing in the long run for me.

I frequented gaming forums and Facebook in the early days and it was easy to tell most everybody playing these games hardly gave two shits about the story. There was nobody who really wanted to talk about lore. Nobody who really wanted to go in depth about characters. Nobody who really wanted to share ideas beyond the main focus. I remember going on deviantart and seeing people post fanwork on the occasion whenever a new game was released, but then never again. Silence. Interest lost as quickly as it came. Honestly I noticed even when the leaks for the Norse saga were published, the majority of people turned to look, were interested, started talking, but then looked away elsewhere when it wasn't the flavour of the month anymore.

I remember running God of War blogs back in 2012 to 2015 and nothing. Maybe three people interacted. Maybe three people bothered. But there were little to no fans. An audience yes but, fans? Fanartists? Writers? Headcanons? Any kind of fanmade media at all besides a few one off images online? I'd be lucky if I saw a shitpost that mentioned Kratos.

I remember writing fanfiction and posting fanart when I was twelve. I remember having action figures of Kratos decorating my shelf and playing with them till they broke and crying bc I was so upset. I loved enjoying these games. I was having so much fun on my own. I came to terms with an audience of none. Accepting that, despite the popularity of the series, to make fancontent for it, to entertain myself with the deeper lore of it was nothing but a niche.

Even with the release of 2018, as happy as I was for the new hopeful wave of fans, I was always a little upset when I saw people who played that installment as their introduction to God of War, go on to say they had no interest in giving the previous games a whirl because of the difference in gameplay and story.

At the end of it all it was still a niche.

So just... here we are today.

Here we are today and I can go into the God of War tag and be hit with a wave of the most gorgeous shit I've ever seen. Here we are today and I wake up to the most incredible drawings and paintings of the characters I grew up with in the most creative scenarios. The fanfictions that span chapters and rip deep into Kratos and his story. The headcanons that take inspiration from the most obscure lore bits from the series. The OCs that are inspired by this series' specific interpretation of mythology.

I can't put it into words. With the release of the Norse saga it's been... amazing. I just genuinley can't describe my joy. When I was playing the games themselves and the older games, the games I've been hyperfixated on my whole life were mentioned, that was one thing. But seeing other people comment on it. Discuss it. Be invested. Enjoy it enough to be inspired. Its like... So amazing.

I don't know what it is. Maybe its because of how the new games were more story driven than the previous installments. Maybe its because of the protrayal of the characters. Maybe its because of the popularity of norse mythology. I don't know and honestly I do not fucking care what the reason is. All I know is that I'm seeing people fall in love with something that means this much to me. Thank you Santa Monica for not forgetting about the story and games that made Kratos.

Seeing people who finished Ragnarok saying they were finally going to start playing the previous games. Or watching gameplay. Or reading up on the lore. Making fanart of the Greek saga. Fanfiction of it. Talking about it. Talking about the story. The deep, heartbreaking but important story that the games have always been telling and was always there that I have been invested in since childhood. I see fanart of Kratos and Calliope together, of Orkos, of Deimos, AUs and headcanons about them, and I want to cry happy tears.

I know you guys aren't making this content for me specifically. But I still have to say thank you. Thank you for making my heart happy. Thank you for reminding me of my most beloved memories every day with the stuff you make. You make my soul happy. Thank you for making stuff I can love and cherish and share with other fans, OTHER FANS, that I can talk to and listen to and discuss lore and art and ideas with about something so beloved to me and now beloved to others. I see people posting about it in depth and I am so happy to talk to or just hear people talk.

To ALL the fanartists, writers, and just fans in general who actually enjoy my or anyone else's GoW content, all of you on behalf of every long time God of War fan thank you so much for being a part of this community.

The feeling of knowing a series of media that's been so obsessively near and dear to me my entire life is becoming dear to others is indescribable. I know I'm being so emo about this but fr like... having people I can just. Talk to about GoW lore and nodding and agreeing and. Ahhhh.

I'll stop rambling now because I could go on forever but just like. Thank yall for being here. The stuff you guys make and share means more than you think.

Thank ya 💕💕🙏

[doppelneer]

A Wee Bit of Catching Up With This Mess

Soooo originally this was going to be a big post on my main tumblr blog @abyssforphantoms , but I got thinking about it and it just made more sense to make this on it's own blog and repost it over there if I feel like it... instead of spamming my main with this au stuff.

Anyway, Welcome to the mess that is my brain and They Came From The Deep Au. I will not be going too deep into the story in this post, but will do a short summary and explain my prosses behind my decent into madness with the various stuff I have accumulated for it over the year.

Summary:

After the final quest the Abyss Crew was fine. Cannoneer was back, safe with the rest of the crew, and they have gotten what they wanted when they went down to those accursed depths (even though they almost didn't make it back if it weren't for the skykid). So everything should be fine, back to status quo... right?

Well it was for a bit.

Then strange stuff started happening.

Supplies keep disappearing and shifting around the reef. The members of the crew feel like they are being watched from a distance, and the sea almost seems more restless. Every one has a sense of unease...

None more so then Cannoneer,

because of the weird dreams they keep having, and now the crew is saying they did things they didn't do. It was like they were at two places at once.

Then they saw it-them from a distance... they looked almost exactly them! but something was off...

Now it's up to Cannoneer to figure out what is going on, what does this doppelganger (a.k.a Doppelneer or Cannondoppel) want and convince the crew this isn't another one of their "embellished stories".

Meanwhile other things deep down start to stir... and they aren't going to be as "friendly".

And yes Doppelneer will be a big part of this post

Warning: the images below may have some BODY HORROR.

Veiwer Discretion is Advised.

Around August 2022??? - the sticky note

The thing I drew that started it all

Thr original idea for it was just what if cackling cannoneer but dark creature

I forgot that it existed until...

October 2022 - "A Familiar Face That Is or Isn't You"

I found the sticky note again and wanted to explore the design further in a one off piece (and then it wasn't, lmao)

I also got into exploring doppelgangers as an idea which lead to me having the questions

"If someone from the Abyss Crew had a doppelganger who would have the most interesting reaction?" (You can guess who I picked lol)

"What if the doppelganger wasn't nessasarly evil but thought they were the person and the person they are a doppelganger of was a doppelganger that took over their life, thus kinda wanting to sabotage the person's life a little?"

I drew this piece in my sketchbook but then colored digitally

Originally posted to my deviantart 26 October 2022

Finished Art

Drawing Process / Alternative Versions

November 2022 - Old Reference Sheet for Cannondoppel

Very outdated and crusty

I will post the updated ref in another post

DON'T USE THIS ONE I BEG OF U!!!!

December 2022 - "Breath in Deep Water"

Digital painting

Just a story idea

Waking up one day being able to breathe water must be jarring ngl

First appearance of the phantom eyes

Posted 1 January 2023 on my deviantart

January - Inspirational Glitch happened in Sky

Didn't really do to much with the Au for a bit, nor does this really have to deal with the au

But this happened to me one day and thought it was neat yet felt like walking into a sky creepy pasta.

It's the red green visual glitch and the spirit staring glitch with Cannoneer happening at the same time

March - Some Old Doodles

"There is always a bigger fish. "

More experimenting with the story in my mind

May - "Reflections"

"Just a reflection in the void"

Changed some details with Doppelneer, mainly hair and sometimes they have a tail

Reversed

July - artfight cameo

just a small appearance

Nothing too much too note

And that is it for now will return soon with more stuff soon

[niicevibe]

Listen... this is my logic.

If I put the wip concepts I have stashed on my laptop on here, and air them out like dirty laundry, then I can't back out of doing them, right?? because I have so many.

Also, this is my official announcement that until further notice, this account is strictly for Genshin writing-- at least, until I can complete all these projects.

No one is obligated to look at them! This is literally how I'm going to get around my laziness, with expectation.

BUT, I've also fixed up a new taglist!! Right here! I've deleted the old one, but I'll fix those links tomorrow, too. So if anyone wants to fill it out, please do!!

Fool's Experiment pt. 2 (NSFW)

y/n and Albedo deal with the "results" of their experiment.

You Only Tease the Ones You Love pt. 2 (NSFW)

an invitation was extended, but after an entire year spent enduring your teasing and attempts at cajoling him, Diluc refuses to be the one to make the first move.

unnamed Aether fic (so far, SFW)

loneliness and homesickness never go well together— this, Aether has learned quickly. and so, to make Teyvat feel just a little more like home, he brings to you a tradition from his home world, and a proposition (of sorts).

To Love Oneself is the Beginning of a Life-Long Romance (so far, SFW, probably will be NSFW)

feelings thought to be gone unrequited (or at the very least, ignored) opens up a door for romantic comity when you open the door to Kaeya's office.

unnamed Childe/Ajax fic (so far, SFW)

no summary, but is based around Сочельник/Pождество (Christmas Eve/Christmas) -> instead of Russia, of course, it's Snezhnaya. they celebrate on January 7th following the Julian calendar.

I WANT TO WRITE THIS ONE SO BADLY AHH THE STUFF I HAVE WRITTEN FOR IT SO FAR IS FRICKIN ADORABLE.

unnamed SAGAU Cyno fic (so far, SFW)

a superstorm hits your town and a strange glitch occurs while you're playing Genshin... at least, it's strange by the General Mahamatra's standards.

unnamed Kazuha fic (NSFW, dubcon)

there's a reason Beidou doesn't let Kazuha drink on her ship.

unnamed Thoma fic (NSFW)

something tells you Inazuma's grand fixer could use a little fixing, himself...

unnamed yandere Xiao fic (req., so far, SFW...)

no summary-- requested by an irl friend and it's killing me to write bc I love him so much... *sobs* it's so good so far tho.

unnamed Xiao series (so far, SFW...)

i can't spoil too much about this one, especially when i won't be touching it until HEARTSTRINGS is done.

unnamed Alhaitham, undecided Kavetham/reader fic (NSFW)

generally brilliant in your studies but not in your spending, Alhaitham jokingly comes up with an idea that won't compromise the quality of your work...

Though I Knew to Love Her Was to Suffer, I Could Not Stop, Zhongli series (NSFW)

no summary -> y/n is an ex-yaksha who abandoned her duties shortly after the archon war, instead establishing strong trade routes between liyue and the other affected regions.

BASICALLY y/n and Zhongli reunite and not in a good way tbh? i ain't sayin' no MO!

unnamed Dainsleif series (NSFW)

no summary, no spoilers; i've only got the groundwork and backstories done. the only thing i'll say is that y/n is amnesiac.

NO OFFICIAL ART RELEASED ⤵

unnamed Pantalone fic (NSFW)

the Regrator is the one gift horse of whom you shouldn't have looked into the mouth of.

These are the big ones, anyway. Again, here's that taglist. Nighty night!

[sanctamater]

THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A FAIR GAME. ONLY WINNERS AND LOSERS. a cyber.punk au.

in which our lady can never really wash away the blood she's stained her hands with, even fifty years later.

this is also going to be a long one. i will try and divide it up as best i can, but regardless, it will be long.

THE BASICS. NAME: Amelia Comstock; formerly Van Nostrand TITLES AND STYLES: Mrs. [A.] Comstock, Militech's Heart, Militech's Voice of Reason, The Good Lady, Our Lady, Gilded Lady, COO, Boss. OCCUPATION: Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Militech, philanthropist. CLASS: Corpo exec; full Corpo Immunity. Combat Medic. NC ID #: 67-0431-1997 AGE: 80 as of 2077; looks to be in her late 30s thanks to Nanobots and what Amelia will call an excellent night cream. DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: April 31st, 1997, New York City, New York; NUSA (formerly known as the United States of America) MARITAL STATUS: Married to Senator Zachary Hale Comstock; Senator of New York State and leader of the Founder Religion (read: cult) CHILDREN: Elizabeth Comstock (born 2016); whereabouts currently unknown to general public. Her disappearance in 2023 has been the subject of much speculation.

EXTRAS. NOTABLE FEATURES: Notably, a gilded cybernetic neck that has been engraved with art deco lines. It is her largest piece of cyberware that she has installed - having done so after surviving the attempt on her life in 2018, rendering her neck invulnerable to organic damage. It contains an AI replica of her voice; and occasionally will glitch and warp into a robotic voice - think Siri or Alexa. In addition, she has 5 gold tears implanted under her eyes; 2 on her left cheekbone, and 3 on her right. These serve no purpose other than aesthetics; but reference the sorrows of Mary and hold personal meeting as Amelia counts her own sorrows. She has yet to reach 7. Gold cybernetics run up her legs as well - and her left ring finger has been replaced with a golden cybernetic one in place of a wedding band; a 'request' from Zachary. Amelia dresses in severe, black Militech garb - a knee length, long sleeved, high collared black dress that displays a clerical collar. Her uniform usually has gold edging and she wears a ballistic vest outfitted with a glowing, red Militech insignia that doubles as a tracking device, and another insignia next to it of a white cross on a red background, signalling her status as medical personnel.

ON THE CULT. Senator Zachary Hale Comstock (representative of New York state) is the head of an ever growing cult known as ‘The Founder’s Faith’; focusing on colonial America and an attempt to return to ‘true democracy’ and a ‘true America’. The cult decries all forms of cyberware and Media infiltration, and despite the Senator’s ties to Militech that enabled him to become a Senator, the cult is against Militech run government and corp meddling in general. It values a ‘traditional’ lifestyle, and Senator Comstock preaches a return to those values; and promises that should he ever be placed in charge by the grace of God, he will return the NUSA to its glory days no matter the cost. In reality, the cult is a death cult that seeks to destroy the NUSA in its entirety and rebuild anew, with Zachary climbing the ladder higher in a bid to eventually become President - with their daughter Elizabeth following in his footsteps. Zachary embezzles funds and tech from Militech to further this outcome through his wife; and when Amelia realised what she had given entry to after marrying him, she attempted to whistleblow and expose him in front of the board. The Senator attempted to strangle his wife to death, and failed. Now, she lives quietly - and bides her time. 

ON ELIZABETH. Elizabeth would have been, for all intents and purposes, a normal girl had she not been subjected to the experiments of Rosalind and Zachary. As an infant, they attempted to do the impossible: bridge Elizabeth's mind between the here and The Net. Given her age and how malleable she was, the splitting was a success - a first time achievement in history - allowing Elizabeth to exist across two planes at once. Elizabeth can enter the Net without any assistance; ICE poses no issue to her - she can walk through firewalls with ease and encounter rogue AI and daemons without problems; even building and accessing formerly dark and abandoned areas in the Net. This is something that is kept secret - every corpo, gov and gang would attempt to get their hands on on Elizabeth if this were common knowledge - even Amelia does not know; and Elizabeth is guarded by Sentient AI called 'SONGBIRD' from her 'TOWER'; where she has been learning for 50 years, isolated from the world.

ON ROSALIND AND ROBERT. Rosalind Lutece was a premiere scientist and Netrunner in the USA; known for creating excellent AI and advancements in Net infrastructure. She was contracted by Zachary to look in to using and harnessing the Net as a weapon; and what would happen if the Net fell. Assisting her in this was the AI 'ROBERT'; an AI she created based on herself - a brother of sorts. Robert assisted with the experiment upon Elizabeth; but later became sentient, and regretted his involvement. Robert successfully convinced Rosalind to attempt to free Elizabeth in 2035; only to have Rosalind killed by Zachary. Distraught, Robert created a copy of Rosalind as AI - the two are now rogue beings in the net.

TIMELINE: 2013 - 2023

2013

Amelia's father, one of the original board members of Militech, passes suddenly; leaving Amelia both his seat in the board of directors and the family weapons and munitions factory.

Amelia takes to the position with zeal despite her youth; having grown up with Militech executives and been involved in its business since birth - though young, she is well liked and easy to get along with, and quickly becomes a voice of reason. To placate Lundee, who Amelia quickly finds herself in opposition with, she enters Yale early, enrolling into a BA for Political Science, which she aims to complete in 2 years at the age of 18.

2015

Amelia completes her BA. An internal coup is staged and Amelia is taken out of her place in the board by supporters and placed as the COO of Militech; with many hoping to use her as a buffer to Lundee. That's the official memo - but most of the faction know she is young and impressionable, and wish to use Amelia as a puppet COO to advance their own agenda.

Amelia decides to get an MA in Business Studies to complete her education at Yale. She meets Zachary Hale Comstock there; who is preaching his doctrine and dogma around the USA. There, he preached against corpowars and the power of technology; claiming it was a corrupting force, and warned of more and more corpowars in the future. Amelia, wishing for Militech to become more than just a weapons and arms dealer, envisioning them as peacekeeping, non-partisan corporation is enthralled by this, and continues to attend his sermons.

Amelia and Zachary are married in May of 2015; he uses Amelia's influence to jumpstart his political career and increase the range of the cult.

Militech assigns ex-soldier turned bodyguard, Booker DeWitt, to Amelia in the face of unrest. Amelia quickly finds that married life is not what she expected; Zachary is prone to bouts of explosive anger, belittles her, and demands a child from her - claiming that his prophecy to save America involves a child being born of their union. Amelia is under intense pressure to conceive, and confides often in Booker. The two begin an affair.

2016

Elizabeth Comstock is born in early winter, 2016. The labour is a traumatic one for Amelia, who is only 19. There are rumours that Zachary Hale Comstock is not the father; and that Booker DeWitt is.

Zachary Hale Comstock begins to embezzle funds from Militech using Amelia's clearances to fund research with Rosalind Lutece.

The Third Corpo War begins and ends; proving Earth-shattering. Zachary uses this as an opportunity to claim he had prophesied this. The cult continues to grow.

2017

Amelia is moved from New York City to Night City. She takes Elizabeth with her as Zachary has no interest in child-rearing, believing it to be Amelia's sole duty and purpose.

Amelia begins to notice someone is using her credentials and clearance and that her spending accounts do not match up with her own personal records.

2018

Amelia confronts Zachary about his embezzlement after rooting through his office desk on a return trip to New York City. The argument escalates and becomes physical. Zachary attempts to strangle Amelia to death when she threatens to reveal his research to Militech and his embezzlement of their funds. Amelia escapes by gouging out his organic eyes with her nails, and promises to stay quiet. Zachary ensures this by threatening her with Elizabeth being taken from her.

The attack is passed off as an assassination attempt, blaming Lazarus for the hit. Lazarus denies these claims.

Militech releases Booker DeWitt from service after failing to protect Amelia. He becomes a solo in Night City.

2019

Amelia replaces her neck with her now iconic gilded one; and implants two tears on her cheek. One for her attempted murder, and one for her silence.

2020

Elizabeth begins to manifest strange abilities connected to the Net. Rosalind Lutece implies Elizabeth would be an excellent Netrunner should she be allowed to train her. Amelia rebukes this.

2021

Booker and Amelia get back together.

The Fourth Corpo war begins.

2022

Militech and Arasaka become involved in the corpo war after OTEK and CINO come to a standstill; Donald Lundee pushes for more and more covert tactics and strikes against Arasaka in an attempt to push them out from the USA. Amelia and her faction disagree; and the two begin to clash.

Arasaka strikes at Militech's Night City HQ; killing dozens - Amelia escapes, and is later seen providing medical attention to both Militech and Arasaka forces with a dedicated medical team. The image of her doing so endears her to the public.

Zachary Hale Comstock is elected Senator of New York City; there are rumours that Militech interfered with the election to ensure the husband of their COO gained office.

The war continues with cities and countries being reduced to ash. Lundee continues to order strike upon strike; tensions begin to mount as Lundee and Amelia's factions gather strength - only to have both corps nationalised, effectively ending the war.

President Elizabeth Kress reactivates Militech with the goal of ridding Arasaka from the USA's borders. Lundee and Amelia are brought back on board and the war resumes.

Booker and Amelia make plans to leave Night City and flee to a different state, taking Elizabeth with them and starting life anew.

2023

A scream sheet reveals that Booker and Amelia have been having an affair. The fallout is astronomical.

Citing moral failure on Amelia's part, Zachary seizes Elizabeth from Amelia's custody, and places her in 'The Tower' within Night City to be observed by Rosalind Lutece.

Amelia is brought before the Militech board and put on trial for her ties to an anarchist; only saved by her own powerful faction. Lundee gives her one last chance.

Eager to make good on his commission, Lundee devises a plan to end the war once and for all: a bomb to the heart of Arasaka, forever crippling its roots in the USA.

Amelia, eager to regain status in Militech, signs off on the strike against Arasaka with Lundee's blessing. The funds are given to Johnny Silverhand.

On August 23rd, 2023, Johnny Silverhand and Morgan Blackhand lead a strike team into Arasaka tower. The nuclear blast kills 12,000 and killed over 750,000 more. Johnny Silverhand dies in combat.

Amelia, in the aftermath, leads another medical team to provide aid to injured citizens and take the spotlight off of militch.

Amelia gets three tears implanted upon her cheek: one for Elizabeth, one for Night City, and one for Booker. The guilt eats at her - but the corpo war has ended, and Militech and the USA are now one in the same.

2077 INVOLVEMENT

THE JIST: Amelia has been working from Washington, DC since 2023. For the past 50 years, she has stood as a voice of reason within Militech, and has a devoted faction within the corp in addition to the cult. With tensions mounting between Arasaka and Militech again, she has been sent back to Night City to facilitate peace talks.

MISSIONS: In the main narrative of CP77, Amelia is only hinted at returning to the city at first, and does not appear in the narrative until after Alt is contacted in Pacifica.

MY WRATH MAY NOT GO FORTH LIKE FIRE! On a routine cyberpyscho job from Regina, V will have the choice to kill or spare a solo (Booker DeWitt) that has gone off the deep end. Upon sparing him, V will exit to see Militech vans coming to collect the solo from the scene. No agents will answer any questions; but if the player looks, they will see the gleam of a gilded neck from behind one of the tinted windows. 

REPAY NO ONE EVIL FOR EVIL: Amelia will contact V through a Militech fixer offering a small job - stealing back Militech information from an Arasaka counter intel agent. She will pay a bonus for stealth, and deduct pay if caught or if V zeroes any agents, regardless of them being Arasaka or not.

YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS: Amelia's fixer will contact V again, offering them another job rescuing a Militech officer from Arasaka interrogation. She will reward stealth, and will deduct again if the officer or any Arasaka personnel are killed.

BRING ME THE HEAD OF HOLOFERNES! Amelia will then contact V anonymously about 7 in game days after this third mission has passed, offhandedly saying that she has heard of V’s name in Night City and their reputation precedes them; that she has a job for them that pays well, if they’d like to hear it. Amelia will then invite V to her apartment, and introduce herself fully there - away from prying eyes. It is there that Amelia requests a hit on her husband - and NUSA Presidential Candidate; who is in Night City for a debate - Senator Zachary Hale Comstock; saying that this is a job that needs V’s strength, cunning - and, most importantly, V’s kindness.  Note: If V chooses to kill the solo, Amelia will still offer this mission; but she’ll be noticeably distant and instead mention that this hit requires someone who’s a cold blooded killer who doesn’t think, just acts.

There are some catches to this job, however. Security is tight, and stealth is a must: detection would risk the cult martyring Zachary, and it cannot seem anything other than an accident or a suicide - something V will have to choose what to do. On completing this mission successfully, V will be wired 55,000 eddies. Failure to stealth nullifies the job entirely.

HER CHILDREN ARRIVE AND CALL HER BLESSED: Amelia will then contact V and request for V to release Elizabeth to her before Zachary's inner circle gets their hands on Elizabeth; V will have to stealth going through 3 floors of a penthouse in a mega tower in order to get to Elizabeth, and disable the AI Songbird in order to retrieve her and bring her to Amelia. Once Songbird is disabled, Elizabeth will assist V with enemy takedown and quick hacking. Stealth is mandatory - failure to stealth will result in mission failure. Upon driving Elizabeth to Amelia, V is wired 90,000 eddies and is profusely thanked by Amelia.

THE END: At the end of the game, a successful mission will show the cult dissolving without a head; a failure will show the cult instead securing Elizabeth and using them to forge their path. Turning down the mission will show that President Myers has been assassinated, and Zachary Hale Comstock has won the ‘election’. 

If V took Hanako’s deal: Tensions between Arasaka and Militech will continue to rise now that Saburo is effectively immortal.  If V put carried out a strike on Arasaka with Rogue: With Arasaka in tatters, Amelia is able to discuss terms with the rival corp and alleviate the tension somewhat - for now. She becomes the next CEO of Militech and announces a new, brighter future ahead. If V solo'd with Johnny or put a strike with the Aldecaldos: Amelia, Booker, and Elizabeth leave Night City to continue Booker's therapy.

[alexmercer786]

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[jakesealblackhangar]

Jake Seal Black Hangar on Perfect Indie Film Screenings

Independent filmmaking is a thriving industry, offering unique and diverse stories often overlooked by mainstream cinema. However, bringing these stories to audiences requires meticulous planning and execution. Jake Seal, the creative mind behind Black Hangar Studios, shares his insights on organizing the perfect independent film screening to help filmmakers and enthusiasts create impactful cinematic events.

The Importance of Indie Film Screenings

Film screenings are more than just events; they are platforms for storytelling and community engagement. They allow indie filmmakers to showcase their work, receive feedback, and build an audience base. Jake Seal emphasizes that a well-executed screening can leave a lasting impression and open doors for further opportunities.

Choosing the Right Venue

The venue sets the tone for your screening. Whether it’s a small theater, an art gallery, or an outdoor space, the setting should align with the film’s theme and the audience’s expectations. Jake Seal suggests considering the following factors when selecting a venue:

Capacity: Ensure the venue accommodates your expected audience size comfortably.

Equipment: Check for high-quality projection and sound systems.

Location: Opt for a venue that’s accessible and appealing to your target audience.

Jake Seal Black Hangar Studios, known for its versatile facilities, often transforms its spaces into immersive screening venues, proving that the right ambiance can enhance the viewer’s experience.

Promoting Your Film Screening

Promotion is key to attracting an audience. Jake Seal Black Hangar advises leveraging both traditional and digital platforms to create buzz around your event.

Social Media Campaigns: Use platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to share teasers, posters, and behind-the-scenes content.

Email Newsletters: Send invitations with details about the screening to your mailing list.

Collaborations: Partner with local organizations or influencers who can help spread the word.

Consistency in branding across all promotional materials ensures your event appears professional and cohesive.

Crafting an Engaging Program

A successful screening goes beyond simply showing the film. Jake Seal Black Hangar highlights the importance of creating a program that engages the audience from start to finish.

Opening Remarks: Introduce the film and its creators to set the context.

Q&A Sessions: The audience can interact with the filmmakers and discuss the story.

Networking Opportunities: Create spaces for attendees to mingle and share their thoughts about the film.

These elements transform a standard screening into a memorable event, encouraging attendees to connect more deeply with the film and its creators.

Paying Attention to Technical Details

Even a great film can be overshadowed by poor technical execution. Jake Seal Black Hangar emphasizes the need for flawless audio-visual quality during screenings.

Test Equipment: Run multiple tests before the event to ensure smooth playback.

Lighting: Adjust lighting to complement the viewing experience without distractions.

Backup Plans: Have contingency plans for technical glitches.

At Black Hangar Studios, state-of-the-art equipment and professional staff ensure seamless screenings, setting a benchmark for technical excellence.

Creating a Comfortable Audience Experience

The audience’s comfort is paramount for a successful screening. Jake Seal recommends paying attention to details like seating arrangements, temperature control, and accessibility. Refreshments or merchandise can also enhance the overall experience, leaving a positive impression on attendees.

Post-Screening Engagement

The end of the screening isn’t the end of the event. Jake Seal Black Hangar Studios underscores the importance of post-screening engagement to maintain momentum.

Collect Feedback: Use surveys or casual conversations to gather audience opinions.

Share Highlights: Post photos and videos from the event on social media to keep the conversation going.

Follow Up: Send thank-you emails to attendees and encourage them to support your future projects.

Conclusion

Organizing an independent film screening is both an art and a science. Every detail matters from choosing the right venue to engaging with the audience. Jake Seal’s expertise, honed through years of experience at Black Hangar Studios, offers valuable guidance for filmmakers aiming to create impactful screenings. By following these tips, you can ensure your indie film finds its audience and creates a lasting impact in the cinematic world.

[gracecpy]

Is online fandom a friendly space for an Asian fan?

Welcome back readers/bloggers! :3

In this blog, I am going to talk about ✨fandom✨. I've been part of several fandoms, most of them rooted in the gaming community. What keeps me engaged is the shared passion for the game—whether it's the captivating story, stunning graphics, or impressive character designs. These elements are what drew me in. So, without further ado, let's dive into the topic!

As an Asian myself, I find online fandoms to be a friendly space for me personally. This might be because many of the games I play are developed by Chinese companies and later released globally. While it’s true that Asian fans can face challenges such as insensitivity, stereotypes, or even discrimination, there is still a noticeable level of respect and inclusivity within these communities.

Diversity In Games 🎮

Genshin Impact

The Genshin Impact community is among the largest and most active in the gaming world, with millions of players globally. The game’s appeal lies in its distinctive open-world gameplay, vibrant graphics, and captivating characters. Fans in this community are incredibly passionate and dedicated, often spending hours sharing theories, creating fan art, and offering guides and tips to assist fellow players.

The community is also recognized for its generosity and compassion, with players often coming together to fundraise for charitable causes and support one another during tough times. It is widely regarded as one of the most welcoming and inclusive communities in the gaming world, providing a safe and supportive space for players from all walks of life.

Memorable Events & Genshin’s Community Engagement 👥

Genshin Impact has fostered a lively global community, with fans regularly hosting meetups to share their enthusiasm for the game. These events range from casual local gatherings to large-scale conventions, providing chances for fans to connect, exchange experiences, and engage in themed activities.

Image credit: Gamerbraves

Genshin Impact also has an active fanbase in Malaysia, and fans frequently participate in themed events and meetups. Notable examples include events like "HoYo FEST," where fans can enjoy Genshin-themed dining experiences, photo booths, and exclusive merchandise. These gatherings also feature activities such as scratch-card giveaways and social media challenges, fostering a fun and interactive atmosphere.

Another example is the "A Joyful Reunion" event held at Sunway Pyramid in Kuala Lumpur. This event offered fans opportunities to complete in-game-style commissions, engage in boss challenges, and win themed prizes. Such gatherings have become a great way for local players to connect and share their passion for the game​.

These events demonstrate the vibrant community spirit among Malaysian Genshin Impact fans and offer a welcoming environment for those looking to meet like-minded players.

Another game I’m actively playing, which features a diverse cast of characters, is Reverse: 1999.

Reverse: 1999

Image credit: Bluepoch

Reverse: 1999 is a turn-based strategy RPG that debuted in China last year. The game revolves around the intriguing concept of time, focusing specifically on traveling back through different historical periods.

It features an anime-inspired art style, with characters designed in a way that gives the game a moody yet visually captivating atmosphere, enhanced by excellent use of color and lighting. The backgrounds are equally stunning, and the introduction of vaporwave-inspired visuals offers a unique shift in the art direction. This stylistic choice may even reference late 90s glitch art, potentially hinting at the narrative’s ties to the events of 1999 and offering clues to the game's deeper themes.

What drove me to play this game is the artstyle. It is painterly and illustrative. The characters were designed in a way that gives the game a moody yet visually captivating atmosphere, enhanced by excellent use of color and lighting.

The game enhances immersion by using Live2D models of the characters during dialogue scenes, instead of static artwork. This brings the characters to life, making the interactions feel more dynamic and engaging. The smooth movements and subtle gestures give each character extra depth and personality, making the overall experience visually more compelling and enriching.

As new characters were introduced, I noticed the game boasts a wonderfully diverse cast, featuring characters from various backgrounds, including British, French, Indian, Chinese, German, Japanese and more. As a Chinese-Cantonese player, I was thrilled to see myself represented in the game, which made the experience even more meaningful and enjoyable.

Fan Events!🧋

In Singapore, Reverse: 1999 has teamed up with Signature KOI for an exciting collaboration, offering fans a chance to enjoy special themed drinks and exclusive merchandise. This partnership, running from October 26 to November 10, includes beverages like the Signature Pearl Earl Grey Milk Tea and Honey Floral Green Tea. Purchasing these drinks will unlock limited-edition items, including vacation-themed outfits for characters Regulus and Matilda.

Fans visiting the event can also engage with the game’s universe by receiving special anniversary gifts, such as postcards and car sticker sets, as well as enjoy fun activities like cosplay meetups and a film screening of the game’s trailers and music videos.

Image credit: Reverse:1999 Global

Social Media Connecting Fans Together 🌏

Fans have created spaces on social media and platforms like Discord to organize virtual meetups, share fan content like art and cosplays, and talk about the game’s evolving story. The community has been known to rally together in support of the game’s updates and events, participating in discussions around the latest chapters or new character releases.

In conclusion

This generation of online fandoms has embraced diversity, especially with the rise of social media that connects people globally. Whether through live or virtual meetups, events, or collaborations, fans experience a sense of camaraderie, love, and support as they bond over shared interests. These communities offer a sense of belonging and purpose, providing a space where people can come together to enjoy what they are passionate about.

References

US-China Institute. (2023, August 25). Genshin’s Global Impact

https://china.usc.edu/genshins-global-impact

The Magic Rain. (2024. March 28). Genshin Impact Malaysia Celebrates Raya In Sunway Pyramid

https://themagicrain.com/2024/03/genshin-impact-malaysia-celebrates-raya-in-sunway-pyramid/

Gamer Braves. (2024, August 13). HoYo Fest 2024 Malaysia Experience – HoYoverse Fans Celebrate in Style

https://www.gamerbraves.com/hoyo-fest-2024-malaysia-experience-hoyoverse-fans-celebrate-in-style/

Claudia Khaw. (2023, October 27). New gacha RPG Reverse 1999 has been getting lots of hype, here’s our early review

https://vulcanpost.com/843662/reverse-1999-rpg-game-review-gameplay-characters-plot-malaysia/

GamesPress. (2024, October 10). New Characters, New Events, New UTTU Spotlight Edition: ‘Reverse: 1999’ Wraps Up Anniversary Update With Basket of Goodies

https://www.gamespress.com/New-Characters-New-Events-New-UTTU-Spotlight-Edition-Reverse-1999-Wrap

Freemmostation. (2023, December 6). Reverse 1999 Exclusive Interview – Inspirations and Upcoming Versions

https://www.freemmostation.com/features/reverse-1999-exclusive-interview-inspirations-and-upcoming-versions/

[lowpriceshirt91]

Gifts for Ravens Fans - Show Your Baltimore Pride!

Are you looking for the perfect gift for the Ravens fan in your life? Look no further! Whether you're shopping for a die-hard fan or someone just starting to root for the black and purple, there's a gift out there for every Ravens enthusiast.

Apparel:Show Your Team Colors

A Ravens jersey is always a popular choice, but there are so many other ways to show your team pride. Here are some ideas for apparel gifts:

T-shirts and hoodies:From classic designs to trendy styles, there's a wide variety of Ravens apparel to choose from. Check out the official team store or browse online retailers for options that fit your budget and style.

Hats: A Ravens hat is a practical and stylish way to rep your team. Choose from snapbacks, beanies, and more.

Socks: Even if you can't wear a Ravens jersey to work, you can still show your team spirit with Ravens socks.

Collectibles: Treasure Ravens History and Legacy

For the Ravens fan who loves to collect memorabilia, there are countless items to choose from. Here are some ideas for collectible gifts:

Autographed memorabilia:A signed football, jersey, or helmet from a favorite Ravens player is a treasured gift that will be cherished for years to come.

Miniature helmets and footballs: These are great for displaying on a shelf or desk.

Team photos and posters: Commemorate historic moments in Ravens history with framed team photos or posters.

Home Decor: Decorate Your Space With Ravens Pride

Transform your home into a Ravens sanctuary with these home decor ideas:

Flags and banners:Hang a Ravens flag or banner in your yard or on your porch to show your team pride.

Pillows and throws: Add a touch of Ravens flair to your living room or bedroom with Ravens-themed pillows and throws.

Wall art:Find Ravens-inspired wall art to add personality to your space.

Functional Gifts: Combine Utility With Fandom

These practical gifts are sure to be appreciated by any Ravens fan:

Tailgating gear:Help them prepare for game day with a Ravens cooler, grill, or chair.

Ravens-themed kitchenware: From mugs and cutting boards to serving trays and dish towels, there's a variety of Ravens-themed kitchenware to choose from.

Ravens-themed phone cases and accessories: Help them show their team pride while on the go.

Experiences:Create Lasting Memories

For the ultimate Ravens fan experience, consider gifting one of these memorable experiences:

Tickets to a Ravens game: Nothing beats watching the Ravens live at M&T Bank Stadium.Be sure to plan ahead and grab tickets early, especially for popular games!

A trip to the Ravens Hall of Fame:Immerse them in Ravens history and legacy at the Ravens Hall of Fame in Baltimore.

A Ravens-themed weekend getaway:Plan a trip to Baltimore, where fans can explore Ravens-related attractions and enjoy the city's vibrant culture.

Bonus Gift Ideas:Unique and Creative Gifts

If you're looking for something a little out of the ordinary, consider these unique and creative gifts:

Ravens-themed jewelry:Find Ravens-themed necklaces, bracelets, and earrings to show their team pride.

Ravens-themed candles and soaps:Spoil them with Ravens-themed scents and products.

Ravens-themed board games and puzzles:Challenge their Ravens knowledge with fun and engaging games.

Gift Ideas for All Budgets: Find Something for Every Fan

Remember, it's the thought that counts.No matter your budget, you can find the perfect Ravens gift to show your appreciation for their fandom.

Whether you're looking for a practical gift, a collectible treasure, or a memorable experience, there's a perfect gift out there for the Ravens fan in your life. Get ready to show your Baltimore pride and celebrate the purple and black!

Keep reading—there's more great content waiting for you.

What types of Caitlin Clark Merch are available?

[sirmidezz]

Erm hellur fellas

I'm aware its been some time since I have been on here, a lot has happened and I mean A LOT. Lets start off with explanation on what has been going: I used to live in Mexico when I first started posting on here, at first I had an American phone which allowed me to do a variety of things such as draw digital art without my phone glitching, able to make posts without it buffering and then deleting my work. I then got a Mexican phone from an oxxo (basically a gas station :'[) and that phone didn't seem to work like at all and I kept on having complications. so I wasn't able to post for quite a lot of time, even before I got my new phone I had zero internet connection so I wasn't even able to get on the internet or do basically a lot of things. More recently though I moved back here to America, so I was pretty busy with everything and everyone. I wont say I will be able to post more often now with the big move and everything but this time I can and I will try to post at least once a week. Another thing I want to discuss is about the new stuff I will be making content about, I will be dedicating this account to team fortress, yes after all of these years my friends managed to finally drag me into this wacky fandom and game and I can say I love it a lot more then I expected. I still will be writing about all of my other fandoms and stuff but I just want to let yall know I'm gonna be stuck with tf2 for some time as my main. What I also am gonna disclaim is certain topics that really require a TW for S@. recently I underwent a very traumatic experience that really changed my life, I wont get into details, but I'm really hoping to find people to share my story with and heal alongside me as I journey through the the unknown silence that comes after the S@, and for anyone else reading this who has been through stuff like this just know, you are still loved, you are heard, you are seen, and your not fighting this battle alone, my page is a safe space for everyone who has suffered stuff like this and I hope to one day be able to not only see others heal greatly but to also see myself grow from the experience I have had. It's hard thinking that stuff like this would've never happened to you but it suddenly does and now your lost on a road you would have never expected to be on because you always had it in a very convincing vision. I'm glad I'm able to be back on this platform and explore new ideas and see how much my mutuals have grown, even if they moved onto different fandoms I probably wont be apart of anytime soon lol. But any who, a big announcement, I wont be posting art a lot anymore until further notice but, I still will be posting stuff like silly headcannons, short excerpts of storys' I will be working on and random play dialogue with my favorite characters and a few OCs and my self inserts if I'm feeling the mood to be in my own worlds. but anyways to end this little note I would like to say that after all of this waiting I'm finally 16 so as my mother told me to type "clear the streets the beast is running wild." a reference to the fact im old enough to drive legally. :)

[melinda-internetart]

Internet Culture Art Assignment (Final)

Night Out: Rhythm in Motion

In Night Out: Rhythm in Motion, my goal is to capture the essence of an animated city nightlife, inviting viewers in the pulse and rhythm of an evening out on the town I aimed to showcase not just the characters but the entire scene as a celebration of urban vibrancy and energy. Each figure strides with purpose and style, their outfits bold and striking, embodying the confidence and individuality that come alive at night in the city.

To elevate the piece, I incorporated dynamic motion effects, including glitch overlays in the background using the app Glitch FX, to convey a sense of digital rhythm and urban chaos. The glitch adds a slightly surreal, almost electric quality to my piece, echoing the unpredictable excitement of the city. I’ve also layered in ambient sounds like the low buzz of city traffic, the steady beat of footsteps, and other street sounds to deepen the sensory experience using Canva audio templates. I added these sounds to create a hearing backdrop that draws the viewer further into the scene.

For a sense of realism, I refined the background with additional details, like glowing streetlights, skyscrapers light flickering, and passing vehicles in illustrator to help ground the scene and make it feel like a true snapshot of city life. I also introduced subtle reflections of the characters on the wet pavement, adding a sense of depth and realism as well as evoking a slightly rainy or misty night a perfect setting for capturing the interplay of city lights.

To expand on this concept, I would explore adding more nuanced animation to the characters, such as slight variations in movement or expressions, to capture the spontaneous energy of a city crowd. Integrating animated lighting effects, such as shifting shadows, to enhance the environment’s liveliness.

Dreamscape in Pop Colors

Dreamscape in Pop Colors is a whimsical, dreamlike artwork I made where a peaceful wolf sleeps under a vibrant, starlit sky. My goal was to blend the bold, graphic style of pop art with elements of surrealism and tranquility, creating an inviting yet slightly magical scene. By adding depth through gradients and textures, I was able to give the background more dimension, which contrasts with the flat, graphic forms, making the entire landscape feel dynamic. In Illustrator, I designed the central elements, such as the wolf, moon, stars, and flowers. I used clean lines and bold shapes to create a clear, iconic look typical of pop art. Adding gradients and textures to select areas provided depth without losing the flat, cartoonish quality. To give the artwork its signature pop art effect, I used Toonita Video to enhance colors and add graphic textures that mimic the comic book style. This added vibrancy and energy, making the colors feel more intense and eye-catching. To bring a sense of life to the scene, I experimented with animating elements, like adding fireflies that move around the landscape, adding motion and a touch of whimsy to the serene night. The additional steps I would take to further develop my concept is experiment with bolder contrasts or complementary colors that could make my piece even more visually striking, adding that extra pop art flair.

Glitched Realities: The Digital Tug-of-War

In my artwork, "Glitched Realities: The Digital Tug-of-War," I set out to explore the tension between human creativity and the often unpredictable, malfunctioning nature of technology. The robotic hand reaching toward the circuit board symbolizes the drive to experiment, while the flickering colorful light bulb represents the persistence of creative ideas despite setbacks. I enhanced the digital chaos in the background using Glitch FX, which allowed me to overlay multiple layers of glitch effects, intensifying the sense of technological breakdown in contrast to the clear, structured elements in the foreground. I animated the repeated error messages multiplying in illustrator and added a flickering effect to the light bulb, using Toonita Video to give the scene a sense of continual movement, representing creativity's resilience. To amplify the narrative, I added a pop-art styled “Help!” speech bubble that was also created in illustrator, to bring a human touch into the digital struggle, expressing the frustration and vulnerability that often accompany digital experiences.

As further steps to develop this concept, I would have planned to experiment with dynamic color shifts within the glitch effects, potentially creating an interactive version where viewers engage directly with the piece. Incorporating more narrative text, like phrases such as “loading” or “rebooting,” would add layers to the storytelling, while expanding the animation could bring the ongoing conflict between creativity and technological imperfection to life. These steps would've deepened my artwork's commentary on human resilience in a glitch-prone digital world.