#hehe i feel powerful

[clockworkreapers]

the power of style mimicry- I watched TOH and went hey I could draw my characters in that universe and style- so I did

[14dayswithyou]

💖 Day 3.5 is now available! 💖

For the last couple of months, only Server Boosters had access to the 3.5 update... Buuuuut now it's available for everyone to play in the 14DWY Discord — and soon itch.io once I'm happy with the QA and state of the game — so please don't feel pressured to join unless you want to!!

The full devlog + even more screenshots are under the cut ^^

What's been added to the 3.5 version?

📺 Streamer Mode!

I've been told that it's difficult to stream and monetise age-restricted videos on YouTube and Twitch, so I added an option to remove the sexual content and strong language used in the demo.

Now y'all can invite Ren into your bed for cuddles without putting your streamer career on the line /silly /lh

This won't affect the 18+ rating or dark themes/elements of the game, however! Although Streamer Mode will prevent you from seeing any "gruesome" CGs in the future, most of the core elements of the game will still be tied to the choices and decisions you make. So you won't miss out on the overall experience by using streamer mode!!

⚙️ Custom Pronouns!

It only took me one entire year to get around to it, but you can finally choose your own preferred pronouns (or use a set of pronouns instead)... At the cost of being able to change them mid-game ^^;

Since the original pronoun screen wouldn't update until a new scene was displayed, I temporarily disabled the feature. But once I find a workaround, I'll bring it back!

💗 Choose how others perceive you!

You can now choose how the cast and narration perceive you! Originally, the narration was kept strictly gender-neutral (outside of pronouns and genitalia picked by the player), but this will soon change in future updates.

For more clarity: you don't get to choose the words specifically, but you can choose between masculine, feminine, and androgynous terms!

📋 Separate top and bottom genitalia!

You can now choose your tatas and pps separately! >:3

Alongside that, you can also choose your preferred body type!

I removed the "both" genitalia option because a few players still assumed it was an obscure version of "intersex". That wasn't my intention and I don't want to mislead anyone, so I took it out for now ^^;

I also didn't want to include a screenshot of the new genitalia choices in action (because it's NSFW), so y'all get the same character menu screen for the nth time instead lmao

📱 Relationship Screen Overhaul!

You can now change your own status for more immersion, and long-term Server Boosters will eventually be able to submit and use their own icon within the game as well!

Stalking finding your friends has now become easier by using "Buddy Maps"; a new app that allows you to see the location of all the cast members!

I want to offer players more incentive to check the relationship screen since they tend to miss the status updates, so hopefully this might help ;v;

It also says it "updates every few hours" so folks don't go overboard and check every 5 seconds to see where Ren is gdsghf (also keep in mind that he's a hacker lol)

🖤 Additional Scenes Update!

Day 2 received a brand new CG!!!!! Originally, I planned on only adding a few CGs sporadically throughout the game, but it didn't feel right to leave Day 2 so... empty... so I added a brand new CG to (hopefully) make things feel more balanced and natural!

If you decline Teo's offer on Day 3, Leon will now call and try to convince you to reconsider. However, players are still allowed to decline, and if they do, they'll reach a dead end.

After listening to feedback on itch, I changed some of the dialogue during Days 1-3 to make it seem more consistent! They're only small changes though, so it's honestly not worth looking for sdgjssga

🎶 Updated BGM and SFX!

I wanted to try out a different style of music to see if it fits the vibe of 14DWY more! The BGM features more acoustics to suit the "beachy" theme of Corland Bay, though I made a conscious effort to include piano elements as well to stay true to the original!!

I figured it'd be better to give players a live example before I make a poll (to see if they prefer the change or not) and publish it to Itch.

Some new SFX have also been added, though it's very minimal and honestly not that noticeable.

How to download and play the update?

(warning: clicking on the following links will open Discord!!) To download the Day 3.5 update, simply join the 14DWY Discord server, verify your age, and visit the "14dwy-updates" channel!

Alternatively, you can also wait until the update is publicly released on Itch to play it as well!! (It normally gets released shortly after a round of QA testing/getting feedback from the server, though I may release it earlier if I feel like it hehe ^^)

Enjoy!!

[wolf-of-hearts-den]

Something about super from and types of metal.

[sysig]

You're still standing off to the side. Somehow, center stage has shifted from under your feet without you realizing, and you're standing in the wings, performing to no one.

Starring Role (Patreon)

[wikitpowers]

THIS IS SO KIT AND DRU CODED IM DYING

like tell me this ain’t their whole relationship i'll wait

[luckyyyduckyyy]

MUWHAHAHAHA, @idswolf I am your Secrettttttt Skeleton and I humbly whisk you away to my neck of the woods; hosting a lovely party with your one and only White Rabbit, Sun! No worries, I've brought some extra guests around to ensure the party stays lively and goes off without a hitch!

Some extra yapping below for you Idswolf! <3

I honestly had so much fun making this! The moment I found out your Rabbit Sun was from an Alice in Wonderland AU, I knew I wanted to go for it. I loveeee Alice in Wonderland! That and while it's been a while since I've drawn anything anthropomorphic, your design was so interesting that I saw it as a very welcome challenge in my books!

I'm not too good at backgrounds, but I do hope it fits decently enough into your world. I wasn't sure what Sun's area would look like, so to not spoil the surprise through an ask about it, I made my own little corner and plopped everyone in. See it as a little clear pocket dimension of sorts for my disembodied voice. ^^

I really enjoyed reading all the extra tidbits about your other goobers too (I loved seeing all the art and backstory!) and it was sooo tempting to make a Hallow drawing because of how well they fit the spoooooky month. :3

It was fun time, and even though our interactions haven't been many, talking to ya was lovely! You have so many wonderful AUs, I hope to see you create more of them! ^^

GASP, I can finally follow you now Halloween hath arrived!!!

[r-aindr0p]

I have a bunch of songs mentioning fire or burning stuff in my playlists so I decided to do a little something with Rollo for each song even if they don't mach the vibe 100% ! Flamm and Flames series 2/? : Universe on fire - Gloryhammer

[flame-shadow]

Bloodsport Puppet Mantis God (and Charon) for @mantisgodsart [Attack #80]

(I did some work to this piece post-art fight, because the attack version felt unfinished but I hadn't had the time to poke at it and get it where I wanted. Below the cut are some of the iterations:

submission on art fight -> after some additions but still felt like it was missing a few things -> final

[svnnnne]

🤍

[whosectype]

Silly silly doodles

[dumbbunnii]

⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ 23!

[jils-things]

♡ jaide, it's me! ♡

finally did that meme that was going around awhile back <3 i had to draw all of his cool costumes at some point and this was the perfect theme to do this hehehehe <3

source of their outfits + original image under the cut c:

credits to @/cafekitsune for dividers

[greenleaf4stuff]

Of Convenience 10.2

Of Convenience 10.2

(all previous parts of "Of Convenience")

Adar x Celebrimbor (silverscars) political marriage AU, 10th snippet, part 2. The elves’ and Adar’s protective antics towards their friend and husband are less than welcome, but Celebrimbor wouldn't be Celebrimbor if he just let others decide his fate for him.

Warnings for the mention/very rudimentary description of dead bodies and character injuries on a minor character.

This elf has escaped from Sauron himself, what did the elves and Adar think was going to happen?! Of course our favorite elven smith is not going to let the others have all the fun (danger) of fighting the fallen maia by themselves! Also, Gurlak for the win, because I love her.

To say that Celebrimbor was incensed would have been an understatement. Granted, he already had a plan, and he was fairly certain Gurlak and her troop wouldn’t attempt to talk him out of it, but the fact that his friends had decided that he was better kept behind the frontlines without giving him a say in the matter still stung.

Gurlak was throwing him sidelong glances as they marched back towards the encampment. Though, ‘towards’ was a very lose way to describe it. Celebrimbor had begun to drift off of the path that would lead them back directly some time ago, and neither Gurlak nor her companions had commented on it yet, though they had to be aware.

Cursing under his breath, the elf finally turned to the uruk woman. Finding out that she was both a smith and a fighter had been not exactly been a surprise, and Celebrimbor felt lighter knowing he had a friend by his side. Especially with what he would attempt.

"I cannot believe they expect me to just sit back and watch them walk into danger," he grumbled at her.

Gurlak’s face pulled into a grimace in response. It was clear she was feeling discontented with the way things had gone as well, even if she hadn’t openly protested her leader in that moment. Celebrimbor didn’t fault her for it – the uruk practically revered Adar. The Lord Father likely would have just scolded her and sent her right along the elf.

"It’s a shortsighted idea," she hissed through her teeth, and the elf quickly turned his head fully towards her and raised his eyebrows at her words. "Careless. They’ll need everyone there to defeat him. Adar’s protectiveness towards you blinds him. As it did the elves, but I had less faith in those than I had in him – no offense."

She quirked her lips up at the last part, and the elf snorted and shook his head fondly before he looked at her again. "None taken."

After a brief moment, he spoke up again. His tone was cautious. "What if there was another way for me to get into the city, without Adar knowing or having a say in it?"

Gurlak stopped abruptly as he said this, as did the rest of her group. There were about a dozen uruk she had been allowed to take with her to ensure Celebrimbor’s safety. All of them were looking at the uruk smith as she stared wide-eyed at the elf in their midst.

"I’d ask you why only you know of that option – and why you haven’t told the others," the uruk crossed her arms as she narrowed her eyes at him.

But Celebrimbor had seen the hesitation that came before the suspicion, and let his hope guide him into answering her.

"It’s just a pathway, little more than a sewer. Far too small to lead an army through. And so secret only a few know of its existance – the elven leaders do, but even they wouldn’t have used it. The plan was to openly reclaim the city to avoid any confusion or chance for manipulation in the aftermath," he explained.

A pause. "So that is the idea you were talking about," the uruk finally replied. She still looked as if she was fighting herself, and the orders Adar had given her, but the smirk on her face was back already. "I had feared you would attempt a mutiny."

Celebrimbor pretended to gasp in offense and placed a hand on his chest. "I would never do that," then he briefly thought on it. "Except, one might perhaps consider this sort of a mutiny as well? Though on a much smaller scale."

He stepped closer to Gurlak, and faced her directly. "That is, depending on your reaction to my plan, of course."

She was looking at him with an unreadable expression for a moment. "If I let you go – promise me, like with that sword you forged, you will use this chance to help Adar." She voiced it like a demand, but the look in her eyes was almost pleading.

Celebrimbor smiled warmly at her, and grabbed her hand to squeeze it. He had picked up on the fact that most of the uruk were less prone to touch than elves were, but she grasped his hand in turn and did not flinch from him. "I am doing this to help my friends and him," he held up his free hand when she made to speak again. "But I have to admit that ever since I have gotten to know Adar, I have grown quite fond of him."

He implored her to understand with his eyes. "I care about him. I tried to tell him as much, yesterday, but my words deserted me before I could. I cannot bear thought that he might…I just cannot lose him. Not now. Not to Sauron."

"So yes, I promise you Gurlak – I will use this chance to help and protect him. Not just for the good of middle earth, but because I want, no, need him to live."

Gurlak’s face turned from confusion, to awe, and then finally, to a sort of fond, almost motherly understanding that Celebrimbor hadn’t seen directed towards himself in a long time. Unexpectedly, she cupped his face.

"Hmpf. If he isn’t aware at this point that you care about him, he is a fool."

The elf blinked. "Wha-?" But she did not let him finish.

"Go and save him," she simply said. "Time is scarce. We’ll talk when you return. With him."

She turned towards her companions, and pointed in the opposite direction than the one Celebrimbor had tried to lead them to. With a completely flat tone, she exclaimed. "I think I saw something suspicious in those bushes over there. We should investigate."

Celebrimbor was gaping at her, and then felt his eyes widen as, one by one, the other uruk nodded or smirked at Celebrimbor before they also turned in the direction that Gurlak had pointed to, deliberately casual. "Oh yes, I think I saw it too," another said, equally deadpan. "We should take a look at that."

The uruk woman turned towards the smith once more. "I trust that you will find your way back to camp on your own as we take care of this...danger," she said, and then winked at Celebrimbor before she and the others started walking away from the elf. "Good luck."

"Thank you, Gurlak," the elf breathed. "And good luck to you as well."

With a wave of her hand, she went, and took the other uruk with her. Celebrimbor barely watched them for a moment before he turned around and began to sprint in the direction he knew the secret passageway to be.

Gurlak was right – time was of the essence, and he would not waste it, now that he could still make a difference.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long for him to find the entrance, and he quickly proceeded to make his way through the narrow passage. As he hurried forward while still trying not to make too much noise, lest Sauron had found this secret path and asked the city guard to patrol it, the elf couldn’t help but think back on the conversation he’d just had with Gurlak.

She’s seemed so awfully unsurprised at his confession. Was it truly so obvious, what he felt for Adar? Even if he still hadn’t dared to put a name the emotion he felt?

Affection, he’d called it. Fondness. But did that really serve to describe his own feelings to their fullest extent? His worry of losing Adar? Of perhaps not seeing him alive again?

This was more than the feelings he held for his own friends. Despite the fact that the uruk and him had only gotten to know each other a few weeks ago. But it had been intense weeks and unusual circumstances that had pushed them together, and subsequently brought them much closer than they ever would have been otherwise.

Could he truly be faulted, for falling in love so quickly; so easily?

For that had to be what he was feeling, Celebrimbor was sure of that now. The way his heart had ached after the previous evening, after he had failed to say what he should have. The way he grew warm at Adar’s touch and when the other smiled at him. How safe he’d felt when Adar protected or reassured him.

The elf briefly stopped to hold onto the wall next to him at the realization. He loved the other. And he’d let it remain unsaid as he let the other walk into a deadly fight with Sauron.

Determined, Celebrimbor quickened his step. The passage seemed near endless, with little light to guide him and no way to gauge how far along he was. The darkness and the turmoil of his own thoughts pressed down on him until, finally, he took another turn and almost ran against a door. Opening it made him stumble into a small, nondescript alley.

He’d made it. He was finally back in Eregion.

The smith let himself enjoy a brief moment of elation, both that his trek had been successful, but also that the city seemed to mostly be the same as he had left it. It had not been turned into a warzone, there were no countless dead elves lining the streets and no screams of terror to be heard from nearby places.

The elf continued to walk at a fast pace as he kept to the side streets and quiet alleyways, unsure whether or not his guards would recognize and try to seize him despite the presence of their king in the city.

He managed to avoid any and all other people, thankfully, and followed what cues he could find to where his friends and husband had chosen to confront Sauron.

Or, more likely, where Sauron had lain in wait; waited for them to come to him.

The smith was not the least bit surprised that Morgoth’s shadow had chosen Celebrimbor’s forge, and the tall tower that housed it, as the place where he would confront the alliance of elves and uruk. It seemed strangely apt, the elf thought sardonically while he hurried over.

An entourage of elves and uruk had followed Gil-Galad, Galadriel, Elrond and Adar to the tower. Where Celebrimbor had feared that he’d had to stage a distraction and sneak past, he now found the area around the tower deserted, and countless bodies strewn about the stairs and on the square at the tower’s base, uruk and elf alike.

He gasped in horror at the sight. Those were his own guards, but also elves from the Lindon army and Adar’s children. It looked as if some great power had thrown them about, while some others had clearly been felled by a sword or another sharp weapon.

Celebrimbor briefly squeezed his eyes shut and clutched the sword he carried, before he took a steadying breath and forced himself onward.

The interior of the tower did not look much better; he found even more bodies, but thankfully, some of the people he found were still alive.

"Glûg," the elf whispered, too cautious to raise his voice. The uruk in question was propped against the wall and holding onto his side from which black blood had seeped into his tunic. An elven woman with long, blonde hair kneeled next to him. Both whipped around at Celebrimbor’s words. The smith felt his breath catch in his throat.

"Elf," Glûg exclaimed, obviously too hurt to say much more as he coughed and held onto his wound to stem the bloodflow.

The elven woman stared at him with round eyes full of surprise. "Master Celebrimbor-"

"Mirdania." The smith felt relieved, both to see that Glûg and Mirdania were alive, but also that his apprentice appeared to be mostly unharmed. Sure, she had some scratches on her and her dress had seen better days, but nothing worse had happened to her it seemed.

She jumped up from where she sat and hurried over to him, and the smith caught her as she collapsed into his arms with a desperate sob.

He pulled her close for a moment, let the relief and hope he felt wash through him and strengthen his resolve, before he grabbed her shoulders and held her back.

"I am so very glad to see you," he said. They both had moisture in their eyes as they smiled at each other. "I thought he might have hurt you, or worse. I am so sorry I left you behind-"

"You were right to run," she replied, quickly, caught his hands and held them between her own. "Annatar, he- When he found out you were gone, he changed. He- he got so angry," her voice shook. Even if she was unharmed, it was clear the last weeks had taken their toll on her.

He cupped her cheek. "We were all deceived by him. It’s not your fault," the smith tried to reassure her. Celebrimbor wished he had more time, but he could hear fighting from up in the tower, felt the building shake even as he spoke, and knew he could not hesitate now.

"Mirdania, Adar and his uruk have formed an alliance with us. I must hurry and try to help them – take Glûg, bring him out of the city and to his people, I am sure they will be able to help him. Tell them you are with me, they won’t hurt you or turn you away."

His apprentice looked ready to argue, even as she looked at the uruk with worry. Glûg and Celebrimbor exchanged a brief nod – Adar’s lieutenant looked far from surprised to see him. "Come on, elf- you heard him. Don’t you want your city back?" And then he coughed, once again, and Mirdania seemed to make up her mind.

Her nod was jerky, but when she looked at Celebrimbor again, her expression was resolute. "Be careful. He’s stronger than any ordinary elf. Even Galadriel-"

Celebrimbor nodded, and then gently pushed her towards Glûg. "I know. That is why I have to try. I can’t let him kill them," as he made for the stairs, he took off his helmet, throwing it aside as he unsheathed the sword he carried. "Go, Mirdania."

He did not look back to see whether or not she would head his request. Love and desperation was pushing him ever onwards, and he would not falter now.

[kissingarthurclaus]

Infodumping about ur f/o or s/i lore to someone

[lim4lim0n]

I find myself searching for old selves

U can have a baby Nishiki too

Byes

[fluffydeoxys]

okayyyy hehe people were very nice and i shall write my thoughts.

one of my weirdly specific favourite things about madcom is specifically 4:56 through to 5:59 in expurgation, both in the song itself and in the animation (though the duration is a bit longer in the animation specifically). putting my yammering under the cut

You have such foreboding magnificence building in tandem with Sanford fighting alone through the horde of Tricky skeletons, outside and fully exposed with the backdrop in red. The music pairs so well with the scene, conveying this sense of "I'm fucking fighting against a power so much larger than me", it's so intimidating and grand in this menacing, otherworldly way.

5:00 through to 5:15 the sound design of the bullets pinging off the shields, Sanford struggling and throwing down his weapons is so fucking fantastic, it masterfully sells the visceral struggle that San is clawing through. Prying the shield off to protect against the Mossberg 500 and claiming it for himself...

and arghhh my fucking favourite bit 5:17. Put 5:17 Expurgation on my damn forehead because I will never ever stop thinking about it. The music swells with the tap of Tricky's hand against Sanford's shoulder, then sending him careening away with a mere swing of an axe.

You have this AMAZING choir-like sound ebbing and flowing through the background, punctuated by the immense weight and sound of rocks moving and chains clanking through 6:25-6:40, forming this huge tower that stands over Sanford.

then 6:40 is like I am fucking ascending man, the choir ascending as Sanford turns and grips his wound, directly facing Tricky who prepares the M60 far away, the terror of seeing it. The music and scene building up to that point. I really wonder what it was like watching it for the first time in 2019.

Like uurughhhhh have you seen anything so cool??? Music that's so fantastically orchestrated in tandem with the animation that fits its tone perfectly? That sensation of doom, of staring down a power that could and might actually kill you? That you're all alone, back against the wall but still holding it together by a hair fighting something you barely even understand?

Sort of related but a pretty minor but surprisingly significant detail after rewatching through madcom a few times is how important sound design is to conveying the visceral brutality and tension of these scenes. Every force of every bullet, every meaty impact of every punch, it matters a lot. The scraping of metal, and the crunch of stone, it really sells this power that is integral to what makes Madness Combat special. Though you do kinda miss the silly grunt noises the guys used to make when they were hit