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king-k-ripple · 5 months

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Kirby Games Ranked From Easiest to Hardest

If you haven’t played a Kirby game and don’t know where to start, hopefully this can help you decide based on what you want from Kirby. If you’re looking for a game to simply relax with and have a good time, games ranked 13-9 will suffice. If you’re looking for a challenge, every Kirby game ranked 5-1 will be up your alley despite the popular belief in all Kirby games being cakewalks. Finally, games 6-8 are what I consider to be an average difficulty by Kirby standards. Keep in mind that the difficulty of these games will be based on simply finishing them, not necessarily 100%ing them, though some games require 100% completion to be finished regardless and I will take that into consideration in games where it will be applicable. If you have played these games, I’d love to see where my rankings agree and/or disagree with the rest of the fandom. Without further ado (oh look a Kirby pun), here are my rankings:

13: Kirby’s Epic Yarn

It is literally impossible to die and no collecting is required. Very little to no effort is needed to finish this game. I wish I could say more, but there isn’t anything else to talk about.

12: Kirby Star Allies

The reason why this ranks so low is because a good amount of the game plays itself with the helpers both in puzzle solving and combat. Bosses, often the hardest parts of Kirby games, go down in mere seconds. The reason why it’s not at the very bottom is because it’s at least possible to die in this game, and there are more one-hit kills in this game than any other game in the series. Yes, there are difficult stages like Heroes in Another Dimension and the return of the infamous Shiver Star factory level, but both of these are completely optional and therefore not make the base game any harder.

11: Kirby Super Star Ultra

The combination of being able to take like 10-12 hits and the sheer power+versatility of the copy abilities makes you almost unstoppable (except for auto scrollers). Not even the extra modes like Revenge of the King are all that hard, and Meta Knightmare Ultra is far easier than the main story because you can heal yourself up to 5 times by collecting 10 blue orbs from killing enemies per use, and seeing as enemies are everywhere, your ability to heal recovers and stacks fast.

10: Kirby Nightmare in Dreamland

Not a lot stopping you except for the eratic enemy behavior, but your 6-point health bar makes it only 1/6th as bad as instant death, and seeing as every door is a checkpoint with about 2-5 doors per stage, and the fact that this game showers you with lives, this game isn’t much of a challenge either. Although this game’s Meta Knightmare is an actual hard mode with only three HP and a lack of blue orbs, it has the same issue as Star Allies’ hardest levels in that it’s optional and doesn’t make simply finishing the game any harder.

9: Kirby Squeak Squad

This is the first game on the list with something that can genuinely halt one’s progress, that being the star seals. The player will not be able to progress to World 7 if they missed at least one star seal. With that being said, the required star seals only barely raise the challenge since there are only five of them, three of which are easy to obtain. Mecha Kracko, Dark Daroach, and the Star seals in 4-2 and 5-1 are the only somewhat hard parts of the game. Aside from that, it’s basically Kirby Nightmare in Dreamland 2 but even more forgiving with combat because of the ability scrolls and health upgrades.

8: Kirby’s Dreamland 1

Both the levels and bosses are pushovers. It doesn’t help that this is the shortest Kirby game by a long shot, so there isn’t much challenge the game can throw at you. So why is this in the middle of the list? It’s because of King Dedede, who is easily the hardest Dedede fight in the series. It’s all thanks to the claustrophobic arena you fight him in, making the window for evasion of Dedede’s attacks far smaller than the fights in the rest of the series. I legit “game overed” to this fight many times when I played Dreamland 1 for the fist time. Even to this day, Dedede knocks me out a few times before I get the hang of his move set. Regardless, one very difficult boss fight in an otherwise easy and short game can only get Dreamland 1 so high up on the list.

7: Kirby Return to Dreamland

Now we get to the games that consistently require effort to finish, and not just limited to one or a few instances. Return to Dreamland is basically Kirby Star Allies but with less automation in that you have to perform a lot more tasks yourself, from problem solving to obstacle dodging to combat. Although the number of one-hit kills isn’t quite as high as in Star Allies, it’s up there, especially in Egg Engines.

6: Kirby 64 the Crystal Shards

This entry would be a solid contender for the hardest game in the series if it weren’t for its cheat code, because Kirby 64 has the highest number of mandatory 100% completion tasks, but because the code exists, Kirby 64 is middle of the road when it comes to difficulty, and it plays a lot like Return to Dreamland, being a straightforward action platformer where the meat of the game is overcoming tricky to fight+dodge enemies+obstacles, with a fair amount of obstacles being 1-hit kills. The reason why 64 is above Return to Dreamland is because Kirby is nowhere near as agile in 64. Not only can he run out of flight, but he walks and runs slowly, making avoiding obstacles harder to avoid than Return to Dreamland.

5: Kirby’s Dreamland 2

If you’re like me and prefer easy games over hard ones, this is where the franchise transitions from a lot of fun to kind of frustrating. This game has a 100% completion requirement in the form of rainbow drops, though there are only seven to collect. While that sounds easy, getting the rainbow drops in 4-4, 5-5, and 6-2 are some of the hardest things to do in a Kirby game. 4-4 and 5-5 are fast-moving auto scrollers that can easily one-shot you and take away the power you need for the Rainbow drops. 6-2 has an insane amount to steps to get its rainbow drop, and all must be performed in a row flawlessly. Another thing that puts this game high on the list is the lack of time to react to pretty much anything and everything. Ever played Marble Garden Zone from Sonic 3? The zone where you move far too fast and the hazards move far too fast for you to react? Imagine if every stage was like that, it was on a 10-9 aspect ratio, and the sprites were large relative to the screen. That is basically the level design of Kirby’s Dreamland 2. With no time to react to and prepare for any enemies or hazards, a player is likely to take hits and die quite often, many of which feel more like the game’s fault than a lack of the player’s skill.

4: Kirby Planet Robobot

3: Kirby Triple Deluxe

2: Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Triple Deluxe, Planet Robobot, and Forgotten Land all share the same reasons for their high placements on this list. The first reason is not allowing non-completionists to finish any world if they haven’t obtained enough collectibles, many of which become inaccessible if the player fails to collect them after one attempt. The second reason is because unlike the rest of the series, completing the boss rushes are required to finish the games because the final bosses can’t simply be fought in the main stories and instead are locked behind the tail ends of the boss rushes, and unlike the regular stages, there are no checkpoints or continues in the boss rushes, so the margin for error is insanely small. The reasons why the Kirby games are in this order are because Triple Deluxe on average demands more sun stones than Robobot does for code cubes and the absence of the stone ability in Forgotten Land makes the boss rush at least ten times harder than it was in Triple Deluxe and Planet Robobot.

1: Kirby’s Dreamland 3

Imagine taking the difficulty of Dreamland 2’s 4-4, 5-5, and 6-2’s rainbow drops and putting it in every single stage of the game. That is basically what you get for Dreamland 3. There is not one heart star that isn’t a pain in the butt to get, and the worst part is that they are all mandatory. Because there is absolutely zero margin for error, I have no choice but to put this game above all the others when it comes to difficulty.

This truly was an interesting way to analyze the Kirby series, and if you have a difference in opinion, I’d love to hear what Kirby games gave you the easiest and hardest time.

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msmorningstaarr · 6 months

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Holy and Heathen - Chapter 10 (Legacies.)

Pairing: young!Oberyn MartellxF!Original Hightower Character

Word count: 2.2k

Chapter Warnings: your regular family drama.

ao3 | masterlist

Chapter Summary: Ysilla speaks her truth.

a/n: a very short chapter but with a whole new perspective. Thanks @happilyhertale for your wonderful insight helping me building this chapter <3 just follow her. She is the best Daemon Targaryen writer.

(Except for Melara Hightower, all characters do not belong to me but to George RR Martin, author of the 'A Song of Ice and Fire' book series.)

– Four moons later –

Ysilla

“Where are the letters Elia sent to me?” Oberyn abruptly entered his mother’s room whilst the older princess remained abed. With struggle, Ysilla sat on her bed with the help of a Septa and one of her handmaidens, for she was frail and sick to the point where staying in bed was the easiest option. The unknown disease caused the older princess to feel pain within her bones and headaches; however, it was not capable of taking the fury of the current paramount of Dorne. For Ysilla was only needed a slight raise on one of her eyebrows and a mockery look on her face, despite her current state. The princeling seemed at minimum distraught and upset with the imminent disappearance of the memoirs he had left from Elia and Oberyn knew that his mother was the one to blame and that she had got rid of the compromising letters they exchanged.

“They are gone.” She simply replied to her son. Oberyn was furious, his cheeks burning red and his eyes with pupils about to explode in anger but he contained himself in front of the servants.

“All of you, leave.” He commanded, sternly. The Septa, Maester and handmaiden were quick to leave their highness’ bedchambers as Oberyn told them. The salty prince gazed at his mother again, now sitting at a chair with a strange change of mood, crossing his legs comfortably on the chair and brushing his index over his own lips and staring at his mother, who was now sitting in bed. “Where are my letters?” He asked, seriously. Ysilla looked at him and chuckled, which appeared to light up his internal anger as his mother faintly beamed. “Why do you beam at me? Am I your jester?”

“In fact you are. You pass yourself as a fool. Dull boy.” The frail princess replied and Oberyn raised his eyebrows, searching for the right words to speak. “I threw them all away. I also made sure the ones you tried to send during my absence and your regency were intercepted and quickly destroyed.”

“Were you reading my correspondence?” Oberyn asked.

“I will always read everything that comes in and out of this castle, my son. And I will not allow you to destroy our family. Not while I am still alive.” She replied, with shaky hands trying to reach the milk of the poppy. Oberyn was still an honourable and caring son, even with his present anger. He made sure she would drink it all with no difficulties.

Ysilla fell sick the same day she held a feast in order to celebrate Elia and her pregnancy. At first, she thought it was a regular illness, once her health was not quite strong due to so many pregnancies, miscarriages and stillbirths. Her back gave her a hard time often moments and from time to time she would be abed, however, now was different. The older princess felt weaker and more pain, now spreading through her bones and turning her head heavier, feeling as if the pain only seemed to increase. Oberyn and Melara were in charge now as her regents, although Ysilla worried about Melara and her behaviour towards certain situations regarding life in a dornish court, for the salty princess thought Melara needed to learn more before taking part in this big role that awaited her.

In all honesty, Ysilla felt her life running down her hands like sand going back to the ground and it scared her, isolated her. Life as a ruler can be lonely, especially if the government is a woman, regardless of where the seat is located. Ever since Sunspear and Dorne were declared hers and she became Lady of Sunspear and Lady Paramount of Dorne, Ysilla lost the privilege of being weak and feel fear. She would always endure, be fearless and strong. Yet, the burden was a heavy one to carry on.

“I am not trying to destroy anything. I love my sister and I am fond of her. You did love my uncle before he became a knight. You should understand our fraternal bond.” Oberyn replied, sarcastically dismissive.

Ysilla looked away for a moment before turning her eyes back at her eldest son. “I know you yearn for Elia. I do not loathe you for this. The Targaryens do it for countless years, tracing back to the Valyria of old. But they had their way out, you have not. Although you keep creating shame on your name and my name, I must admit: it was all my mistake.”

Oberyn looked at his mother, confused. “I should have sent Elia to be fostered away and educate you to be my heir appropriately. With time, the passion could give you some ease, you would not take for granted the role life assigned for you. I thought that sending you to Essos after meeting your former betrothed could help your odd obsession over Elia, even conceded you permission to study so you could grow fond of other goals in life, once you were ruining all of Elia’s chances of finding a suitable husband… it was already too late. You two were wrapped around each other’s fingers. I tried to deny myself as your father counselled me so many times to keep you away from each other. I passed myself as a fool, just like you. I trusted you and her, you know? The blame is all on me for letting you behave like this towards your sister. But here I am, you and I, Oberyn. Allow me to ask you: how do you sleep at night knowing you have no respect for the people around you? Do you even tolerate your wife? The woman carrying your child?”

As Ysilla contemplated the news of Melara's pregnancy, her heart weighed heavily with concern. The realisation that her son's wife was carrying his child brought both joy and apprehension. Joy, for the prospect of a new life and the continuation of their family line, but also apprehension, knowing the challenges that lay ahead for Melara.

Ysilla's illness had kept her confined to her chambers for much of the time, unable to offer the support and guidance that Melara surely needed during this crucial time. She felt a pang of guilt knowing that her absence had likely added to Melara's burden, leaving her to navigate the uncertainties of pregnancy without the guidance of an experienced elder. She knew the girl was for sure stuck with her northerner ideas of what an ideal lady should be and she knows that, in her own way, Melara is stubborn like Oberyn, holding tightly onto her ideas. Ysilla felt as if she needed to embrace more of dornish culture and understand that she was no longer in Oldtown. She could be more loose, less scared and more warm towards people, even if they were bastards.

Oberyn sighed and just stared at Ysilla, with undecipherable eyes. “I have grown to be more and more fond of Melara. I will not deny it. But I cannot deny the feelings I have for Elia either. It is a complex situation, Mother,” Oberyn admitted, his voice tinged with resignation.

“As for Melara, she deserves my respect and care, and I strive to give her that every day. I may have made mistakes in the past, but I am determined to make amends and be a better husband to her.”

Ysilla's gaze softened as she listened to her son's words. "I hope you mean what you say, Oberyn," she replied calmly. "Your actions have consequences, not just for yourself but for those around you. You should be afraid of the destiny of your letters. You know too well that King’s Landing is full of snakes… and not the ones we are used to. Think about what could happen to your sister if the King discovers the disgusting nature of your feelings for your sister."

Oberyn nodded reluctantly, a weight settling on his shoulders as he considered his mother's words, refusing to acknowledge reason to his mother’s words. Her mind wandered back to Oberyn's childhood, recalling the spirited boy he had been. From a young age, he had been a handful, full of boundless energy and an insatiable thirst for adventure. Ysilla remembered the countless times she had scolded him for his reckless behaviour, only to see him continue to push the boundaries of what was deemed acceptable.

Despite his stubbornness and defiance, Ysilla couldn't help but feel a deep love for her son. Oberyn had always been fiercely independent, refusing to conform to the expectations placed upon him by society. While this had caused her no shortage of worry and frustration over the years, she couldn't deny that his spirit and determination were part of what made him so special.

But now, as she lay weakened by illness, Ysilla couldn't shake the fear that Oberyn's rebellious nature might ultimately lead to his downfall. She worried that his refusal to adhere to tradition and his tendency to act impulsively could jeopardise the legacy of House Martell, the very legacy that she had worked so hard to preserve.

As she pondered the uncertain future that lay ahead, Ysilla felt a sense of urgency wash over her. She knew that time was running out for her, and she couldn't bear the thought of leaving Oberyn without the guidance and support he so desperately needed. It was time for him to grow up, to set aside his childish ways and embrace the responsibilities that came with being a leader.

With a heavy heart, Ysilla resolved to do whatever it took to make Oberyn understand the gravity of the situation. She would impart to him the wisdom and knowledge that she had accumulated over a lifetime, hoping that he would heed her words and rise to the challenge that lay before him. For she knew that the future of House Martell depended on it, and she refused to let her son squander the legacy that had been entrusted to him.

“As for the new handmaiden Lady Melara acquired and her coincident pregnancy alongside your wife’s… should I expect that only Melara carries your child?” Oberyn hesitated and Ysilla already knew the truth. Her son lowered his eyes for a brief moment and the ruler princess had her answer.

“Oberyn…”

Oberyn was quick to cut her words. “I had no idea they had met at the Sept she served.” He began. “I was frustrated because Melara was not keen on any of my attempts to take her. She was not engaging in conversation nor accepted my way. I was angry at the world for the fact that Melara was the one left for me whereas Elia seemed to be quite happy without my presence… I never intended to take Lya as my paramour.”

Ysilla looked at her son, irritated. “This girl must leave, Oberyn. Melara cannot be aware of it.”

“She might be carrying my child and I will not send our own kin away.” The princeling eagerly replied.

Ysilla tried to understand his inner thoughts and convictions, but her gaze hardened towards her son. “Not only she is her handmaiden but also her old companion. I fear it will finish ruining the unstable relationship you’re constructing. She barely stands Obara and Nymeria.”

“It will not. I will send the handmaiden away once the child is born.” Oberyn assured his mother.

“I do not believe a word coming out of your mouth. And would not surprise me if you took this girl as your paramour.”

A glimpse of annoyance sparkled through Oberyn’s eyes. “You may not notice, but I want Melara to be part of my life and I do not take any joy for my impulsive acts. I will fix it.”

After a long silence, both just stared at each other in the aftermath of that honest conversation. “Leave me be, my son.” Ysilla said, deviating her eyes from the prince. When he stood up to leave, she spoke. “Oberyn,”

Her son looked back at her and raised one of his eyebrows. “Yes, mother.”

“If you hold any love or affection for your mother and House Martell. Kill this kind of love you have for Elia.”

Oberyn pouted his lips, still annoyed and just slammed the door, leaving his mother alone as she requested. As Oberyn stormed out of the room, leaving his mother alone with her thoughts, Ysilla couldn't help but feel a sense of unease settle over her. She knew that her son's stubbornness and impulsive nature were not easily swayed, especially when it came to matters of the heart. And the lingering shadow of Oberyn's forbidden love for Elia only served to deepen her concern.

With a heavy heart, Ysilla knew that she had to tread carefully in order to protect the reputation and stability of House Martell. Her sickness only made things more difficult. She feared that Oberyn's misguided affections towards the women present in his life could lead to further discord within their household, putting their family's legacy at risk and the fact she had to stay chained to a bed only made things more difficult to her. She felt powerless, knowing that an imminent problem was growing and possibly spreading wildfire quickly through Sunspear and who knows King’s Landing. If in the wrong hands, those letters could cause bloodshed at minimum.

With a heavy heart and a mind filled with uncertainty, Ysilla resolved to confront Oberyn once more, to impress upon him the importance of putting aside his forbidden love and embracing his responsibilities as a leader. For only then could they hope to safeguard the legacy of House Martell and ensure its continued prosperity for generations to come.

Taglist: @hiroikegawa @hiraethrhapsody

Please, comments, likes and reblogs are always welcome!

#game of thrones fanfiction #oberyn martell #house hightower #oberyn martell fanfiction #martell #fanfic asoiaf #oberyn martell x ofc #a song of ice and fire #asoiaf fanfiction #ao3 #holy and heathen

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dandylion-virtual-adventurer · 8 months

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My Outer Worlds posts aren’t getting much attention, but I’m still hyper focused on it (and the Vicar) so I thought I’d get my thoughts out about the game! Lots of words under the cut lol

I was interested when it was first revealed, but didn’t play it because I generally do not want to play in first person perspective. Without a toggle for third person, I pretty much checked out and didn't pay attention to anything about the game for a long time. I had tried it (years ago) during a game pass trial but did not make it into Edgewater. If I had, I firmly believe I would have played it so much sooner.

I picked it up for less than $10 a few months ago and finally played it this month. Boom. It’s my new obsession and it’s very, very sad to be so in love with something that no one seems to talk about anymore.

But anyway, here’s my thoughts on the game, admittedly rambly and not well put together:

First of all, I think it’s important to know that I have not played Fallout: New Vegas. In fact, I’ve only played Fallout 4. I became pretty obsessed with that game when I played it as well. But even still, not to the level that I am now with the Outer Worlds. I write all that to say that I wasn’t comparing this game to New Vegas, as so many other players were. I was, however, comparing it very much to Starfield.

This blog of mine sees me post a lot of Starfield photography and a lot of Sam Coe. But to be honest, the game was overall very disappointing to me. And I don't even actually like Sam that much. In fact, there are aspects about him I actively dislike lol. But he seemed to be the only option for me to romance in the game. (Barrett was my beloved gay uncle idk what to tell you lol).

I think The Outer Worlds succeeded in a lot of ways that Starfield failed. The most obvious way being the tightly crafted world. Starfield's randomly generated areas have nothing on the hand crafted environments of smaller titles, and feel so hollow in comparison. TOW was such a delight to explore in that way. It was always so exciting to land on a new planet or explore a new city. The scale is so much smaller, and I do wish it was bigger...more. But what is there, satisfied that itch of what I wanted adventuring into new alien worlds. It also offered up a better attempt at creating a new universe, in my opinion. I appreciate that Bethesda was trying to create something slightly more serious with their title, but I prefer the dark humor of Obsidian's new lore and more whimsical art direction, even if I feel the former wasn't nearly fleshed out enough. I deeply wish we knew more about other colonies and about the Earth our Captain left behind.

Gameplay wise, I never really did get over the first person thing. Since the game is relatively short compared to other open world RPG’s, at least half a dozen times a play session, I found myself attempting to toggle to a third person view. The persistent problem of the forced first person perspective throughout the entire experience was a constant grating annoyance. I simply do not like it. Especially in a world like this. It is so important for me to be able to see my character and it hugely took away from my experience that I could not. It's incredibly baffling that they included a character creator at all. Even more irritating, is that there are multiple quests about clothing, dressing up, and disguises. Sure would be nice to actually see yourself in that context, wouldn't it?? I also found it frustrating that the developers clearly understood people would want to take pictures in the world they created, but did not, and have never included a photo mode. It's written right there on the option to turn off the HUD. But no, no photo mode.

I don't have much to say about combat. I played on the easiest difficulty, again not being overly familiar with fps, and didn't have many issues. I enjoyed the companion commands and found them way more useful in combat scenarios than many other titles with followers. And how refreshing to be able to have more than one at a time! Their banter reminded me more of Dragon Age than Bethesda titles where it can feel somewhat lonely with a single follower. The dialogue between the Unreliable crew was a delight, but it seems to be the only real time you will get to see their personalities playing off one another, as there are very few moments where the whole cast is together. Admittedly, I still sometimes go out with just the Vicar ;)

And oh how that Vicar so quickly became beloved! I've never read fanfiction in my life, but here I am now. I just turned 30 last year and I'm scouring the internet for fics and fanart of this man. Lamenting the complete lack of merch. Is it any wonder? I definitely feel he's the most well explored character in the game. It's a pity I couldn't explore his body. Not only do I find him attractive and fun to have around, but by the end of his quest I felt a deeper connection to him, as I saw my own journey with deconstructing religion reflected in his story. Frankly, I felt most of the other characters' quests felt like afterthoughts in comparison, and I was hoping for a little more.

There are some other rough edges to the game for me as well. I was greatly aggravated by the level cap being sat at 36. I'm playing the og version with DLC installed. I had no idea it was coming and was frustrated I couldn't tweak the characters further. And of course, combat became a waste of time as it was no longer rewarding by mid to late game. I essentially played the entirety of Peril on Gorgon and the last few missions of the main campaign without earning a single shred of xp. I appreciate that I can take certain companions to boost my skills that I'm weak at, but preferred to take companions I liked and let my clothing do the supplemental work for us. Unfortunately this was a very tedious task without a load out system or any way to sort the armor by affect. One wonderful perk I must sing the praises of, however, is the ability to travel while over-encumbered! If only the map itself weren't so darn cumbersome! I never took on any flaws in my first playthrough, and think I'll save that for my low intelligence run, so I can't comment on that system. It did not look appealing to me while playing on easy.

One last thought before I sum up my opinions here. The DLC. Peril on Gorgon was fine. I'm disappointed I didn't get an Archibald Excelsior outfit for Max, but it's fine. I think it was a mistake to play it after Murder on Eridanos though... because I LOVED Murder on Eridanos. It felt bigger, more exciting. Different. It was such a blast to play and I think it stuck out to me more than any other part of the game.

The biggest complaints one can have with The Outer Worlds somewhat slink away when you remember the limited time and budget Obsidian had. I wanted more places to explore. I wanted more fleshed out world building and companions. I wanted a longer third act. A more satisfying conclusion. I admit, I hate that the crew drifted a part. Most of these things could be addressed in the sequel, but the fact that we won't get them for the Halcyon Colony and the Unreliable Crew saddens me to my core. If they add romance in the sequel, that would be wonderful. But if I won't be romancing Vicar Max then what's the point... *sigh*

Hey, maybe we can get a game where the Unreliable crew is reunited to solve another murder mystery?

Eh, it could happen.

#the outer worlds #my gaming thoughts #outer worlds #video games

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snowydreamlight · 9 months

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Guide: Scramblecoin for beginners ♟️*ੈ

Hey fellow dreamers! I've been watching multiple people play scramblecoin on streams etc. and a lot of people seem to find it quite difficult. Therefore, I'm writing this small guide on how to play and give out a few tips.

♟️ How to play

Talk to an opponent and select play scramblecoins.

Take a second to look at the board.

Select the empty squares in the bottom left corner to choose your figures.

Highlight and select the five figures you wish to use (deselecting one if you change your mind before you hit okay.)

Select figures based on their characteristics, choose wisely.

Take your first turn:

⟡ Choose your first figure, based on play conditions and entry point, place them on the board. Figures cannot be placed on a coin, or on an obstacle. ⟡ Move your figure based on their movement ability. ⟡ Extra powers happen automatically. ⟡ Try to collect as many coins as possible.

Take your second turn:

⟡ Choose your second figure, based on play conditions and entry point, place them on the board. ⟡ Move both of your figures based on their movement ability, in any order.

Take your third turn:

⟡ Following the same rules for the second turn.

Take your fourth turn:

⟡ Check for spawn points of your two gold coin piles. ⟡ Choose to place a new figure by replacing one of your current figures (unless you have less than three on the board, in which case you would place a new figure as in step two) or skip this step. ⟡ Move all of your figurines.

Take your fifth turn:

⟡ The same as your fourth turn. This is your last turn. ⟡ Opponent takes their last turn, in which only a single gold coin spawns for them. ⟡ Game ends, coin totals are checked with the highest coin total winning.

♟️ Tips for beginners

Goofy is the easiest to beat:

⟡ Play against Goofy, every day. He is the easiest to beat based on his figurine selection being all Goofys.

Play when asked to play:

⟡ Play opponents who want to play you. Even if you lose, you still get double the points for progress.

Level your hourglass:

⟡ Level up your hourglass staff and collect parts to craft scramblecoin figures in the special section of your timebending table craft station.

Just play for points:

⟡ Keep earning points, you eventually will unlock more powerful figures and have a better chance at winning. Since the update gave difficulty levels to opponents, you should be able to play against any level one opponent and beat them without much difficulty. Level one opponents will make many mistakes and generally collect a below average number of coins per turn. Play as many of them as you can each day to increase your standing on the board.

♟️ Your goal and tips

Collect coins:

⟡ Your goal every turn is to collect as many coins as possible. You can’t control the random spawns of the coins, but you can try to plan as you play.

Watch the movement:

⟡ When playing a piece, try to get maximum coins, but also have an idea of where you want to move them on their next turn. If you can end their movement in a way that leaves them with options to get coins on their next turn, they will be that much more useful to you. Getting three coins on the first turn and none on the second with a piece is less useful than getting two coins two turns in a row. That said, things will change significantly based upon the computer player's turn. But, it does help to practice thinking ahead.

Playing certain figurines:

⟡ You never want to play Goofy before your fourth turn, if you can help it. And then, only play him if you cannot collect both of your gold coins with your other figures. Gold coins are key to winning this game, especially with a basic team like this.

Obstacles:

⟡ Finally, consider obstacles when placing pieces. Fences, rocks, ponds, and even the edge of the board will all hamper your movement. The more options your piece has for future moves, the more likely they will be able to score you more points.

I hope this guide was helpful for you in any way !

And remember, this is a cosy game, no need to stress over it

Happy dreaming 🏰✨

#disney #disney dlv #dlv #dreamlight valley #disney dreamlight #disney dreamlight valley #DLVGuide #scramblecoin

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cyanide-latte · 7 months

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Just curious, what would your ocs think of Finn? 🤔

Aaahhh, I had fun pondering this one!

I think the easiest and quickest answer for any of them would be that Wei Renqiao is probably curious about Finn. He's both clashed with the Octotrio before and also gotten along with them so he tends to be neutral on them as a whole, and I think a lot of that neutrality would extend to Finn at first. If they had more chances to interact one-on-one, WRQ would probably take an interest in learning more about Finn's hobbies or any particular needs he has, if he's willing to share. He probably wouldn't pry, just attempt to let Finn know at some point that if he is ever interested in meeting in the middle and talking, the offer is open. (Plus he would relate on the matter of one's appearance tending to unsettle others. Even if WRQ wasn't 6'5" and built like a tank, amber eyes with black scelrae and pronounced fang-like canine teeth tend to make people shrink away. Sucks when your natural appearance wins you fear, so he'd be pretty sympathetic if he ever learned that Finn experiences a similar struggle.)

Copper's an interesting one. The kid's pretty skittish and guarded initially, especially around the Octotrio when he learns they're curious and trying to figure out more about him. Upon finding out the whole "descended from a legendary pirate" thing, it becomes a little more clear where the innate interest stems from, and Copper's intelligent enough to realize that if he's going to fulfill a destiny as a pirate himself, he'd be wise to foster relationships with merfolk. I think he'd probably be more willing to interact with Finn at first, since he doesn't seem overbearing the way the others can be, though if Finn's tendency to unnerve people holds true, this will probably get weird. Copper has, after years of being an abused hostage most of his life, developed the worst possible response to fear. The more and more terrified he gets, the blanker his expression goes and he has an overpowering impulse to see if he can successfully taunt whatever is frightening him and make the situation infinitely worse. He doesn't always give into that impulse but it's always there, and it would probably lead to a misunderstanding until/unless Finn has enough interactions with Copper that he just gets used to Finn being that way by default.

Gotta admit I'm equally curious to pick your brain in the future about what Finn might make of Chrysanthos, but I can tell you Chrys would find Finn amusing and intriguing. Beneath that, he tends to have more of a soft spot for Octavinelle students than he likes to admit since it was his dorm, and that leads to an inclination to want to seek them out. This would apply to Finn as well, particularly because Chrys has a natural gift for being able to read people and pinpoint the things that are weighing them down. And if he gets a read on any of Finn's particular trauma and difficulties, he would absolutely say something to him about it in an attempt to offer some kind of help or at least an option for Finn to unload on him not that that's likely to win him anything other than distrust or annoyance, and Chrys is well aware of that.

#this was fun! I'll have to do some more thinking on it too!#also i need you to know Finn continues to intrigue me he's a quality skrunkle #TWST OCs #mutual's OCs #Finn Clearcove #my OCs #Wei Renqiao #Copper Benoit #Chrysanthos Shroud #oc interaction #answered asks #thehollowwriter #Cyanide speaks

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arecaceae175 · 4 months

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Serious question ( and I hope it’s not offensive, I certainly don’t intend to be offensive…)

As a person with a native language that doesn’t offer many gender neutral terms or pronouns ( German) would it be okay to just use the first name/pseudonym instead?

For example:

Mel likes flowers, Mel likes roses more than other flowers.

What other options would you prefer?

( again, I don’t intend to be offensive, I just want to know what people that have pronouns that won’t work in my native language would be comfortable with me using instead. And I realize that may be different from person to person.)

Hi. I only fluently speak one language so I am not the expert on this topic. I have done some research and I will include other sources to back up what I’m saying here. If anyone who speaks multiple languages wants to chime in on this I would greatly appreciate your input!

So, first of all, there is no good excuse to not use someone pronouns. If someone exclusively uses my name solely to avoid using my pronouns, I find that offensive. That tells me the person either does not believe or support me and my identity, or they are not willing to put in the small effort to learn a new set of pronouns. It can be as simple as googling pronoun usage if you’re unsure about them.

If you’re speaking or typing in English, you should be using someone’s pronouns.

Now, I don’t want to diminish the difficulty of speaking in a language that is not your first. I understand that it is very difficult and it is especially difficult to use neopronouns in another language if you have not been exposed to them before. But you should still try. The easiest way to be an ally to the queer community is to use the language we use for ourselves.

I don’t know how my specific set of pronouns would translate to German because I don’t speak German. Since German and English use the same alphabet, I would recommend just taking the English pronoun and using it in the place where you would use a German pronoun.

There are neopronouns and gender neutral pronouns in German. Again, I do not speak German so I am not claiming to know more than you or to be an expert in this. But I did some searching online and I found multiple sources talking about alternate pronouns in German. I can’t read German, so I am not 100% sure what they say. Some of the websites have an English counterpart that explains neopronouns, so I assume the site is doing the same thing when I switch to German. I am sure there are more German sources for gender neutral pronouns if you look at German queer sources.

Here are some sources you can read to become more familiar with neopronouns in German:

Non-binary pronouns

Pronouns page

Exploring Genderqueer Identity Within Gendered German

It is always best to ask someone directly if you have questions about their pronouns. Some people might be okay with you using their name instead, but I am not. Also, some people prefer no pronouns, so in that case you would use their name like that.

Here is a guide to neopronouns I made to help you learn about them and learn how to practice them.

As long as you’re genuinely trying, I will not be offended if you mess up my pronouns. I know mine can take some time to learn if you have never seen neopronouns before.

But I deserve your effort, and so other queer people.

#pronouns #neopronouns #trans #transgender #transphobia #queerphobia #long post

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burning-academia-if · 8 months

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Helloo, i know you've answered this before but I can't seem to find it but can you please tell me which path the ROs are easiest to romance in? And can you please tag it? I can't find the post anywhere anymore 😭

Oh that's because path doesn't effect the difficulty of the romance routes! I can't think of which ask you might be referring to (maybe it's the one where I said ??? on Day Path and Rhea on Night Path are tragic romances?). Getting on a certain ROs romance route should be pretty easy since you really just need to follow their side plots + choose the romance options during them lol. You won't even need to pick every romance option or anything.

At the end of Act 1 you'll be locked into a main path and soft locked into a romance route (if you're romancing a character, it's not required lol). It's done this way because each RO has a different story on each path, since each branch is it's own unique story.

#em answers #BA: structure #tbh the polys might be a little tricky to land on but the solo routes shouldn't give anyone any issues #you should be able to follow most of the side plots as well so dw about that either lol you don't have to ignore the others

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fluffypichu876 · 11 months

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DMC bosses ranked by difficulty

Alright, I have finally finished it. My tierlist ranking the bosses from every DMC game based on their difficulty! (except for DMC2 and the reboot. I haven't played the latter, and DMC2 is not worth replaying xD)

The list is mainly based on my personal experience with each game on DMD (and the difficulties below it). Here it is!

You might have noticed that the DMC5 Dante bossfight is not there. That's because it's been a while since I last played as Vergil, and I don't remember the finer details of that fight. If I had to place him somewhere based on my flimsy memory though, he'd probably be next to his DMC4 fight.

Replaying these worderful games and making this list while I did so was lots of fun! If you'd like to make your own tierlist, feel free to ask me for the link on Tiermaker! (I'll add the link on the post if demand is high) But like I said above, it lacks the DMC2 and DmC bosses, so if needed, you'll have to add these yourself.

I also wrote down my thoughts on each boss down below, alongside some advice for the bossfights! It ended up a bit longer than I expected, though xD

(very long text below!)

My thoughts on each boss, from easiest (low tier) to hardest (top tier):

- Tier 1: Too easy

Mundus 3 (DMC1): He can barely even attack you. Just spam Ifrit and activate DT to finish him quickly.

The Savior (DMC4): You don't need much skill to fight this boss. Use Trickster to easily avoid his punches. If you're impatient like me and would like to end this boring boss as quickly as possible, use Distorted Real Impacts on his chest crytal once it's possible.

Phantom 2 (DMC1): This fight is optional and can be skipped by entering any door in the hallways. But even if you decide to fight him, just parry his fireball attack a few times, which isn't too hard to do once you get the timing.

Dante 1 (DMC4): He's a tutorial boss. Naturally, it's not very difficult. On DMD, he feels more like a little taste of Dante 2, but even so it's a pretty chill battle.

Qliphoth Roots (DMC5): This game's tutorial boss (Urizen doesn't count). As expected, it's a pretty chill fight. There's plenty of room to dodge the roots and they're pretty slow when attacking.

Doppelganger (DMC3): This boss is very easy. Doppelganger only attacks you if you're right beside him, which is rare unless you actively try to be near him (he also has a ranged attack but it's very easy to dodge). Use multi-hit attacks like Prop or Revolver to quickly activate the lamps in the room. Time it right to stun Doppelganger for a little while. If the whole room is lit, the boss will be stunned for a pretty long time, so feel free to bully him :)

- Tier 2: Not that bad

Containment Room (DMC4): One of the worst bossfights ever made. Despite that, it's (thankfully) not that difficult. Well-timed Snatches and Busters will quickly destroy the screen and kill a few Gladius. Keep your eyes open and ears sharp for the Gladius's strikes and for the electricity on the ground.

Griffon (DMC5): The first familiar to be fought in Mission 18. Griffon is not that threatening when he's fighting alone. He can be stunned very easily with either Kalina Ann, and Round Robin, his scariest move (for me at least), is only used immediately after he recovers from a Stalemate. His Double Check can get in the way during Nightmare's bossfight, but relocating out of its way (or staying on ground/jump-cancelling depending on its height) should help avoid it.

Shadow (DMC5): The second familiar you'll fight in M18. The big kitty is generally stronger than Griffon, but just as easy to stun with the Kalina Ann(s). Hedgehog is a very scary move, with plenty of range and lots of damage potential. Like Griffon's RR, however, Shadow will only use it once, immediately after it recovers from a Stalemate, so keep an eye for that. During Nightmare's bossfight, Hedgehog should be your main worry, but pay attention on Shadow's position to not be hit by its longer range attacks.

Sanctus (DMC4): This pathetic easy bossfight somehow manages to get on my skin and annoy me to no end as soon as I take a single hit. This cowardly old man protects himself with a magic shield, and once you break it, he will begin to run away like a scared chicken. And worse yet, if you don't damage him enough, HE WILL JUST CONJURE HIS SHIELD AGAIN. Ugh. The fight gets easier once he activates The Savior, since countering his punch with the Buster will skip the shieldless phase and allow you to beat Sanctus up to your heart's content :)

Gilgamesh (DMC5): This big thing made of demonic metal is an absolute slug to take down, but it's not a very challenging battle. Just pray you don't make too many mistakes or you'll have to fight it aaalll over again :D

Lady (DMC3): Originally, I wanted to rank Lady on Tier 1, but although you can easily cheese her fight with Quicksilver, you might (for some reason) want to fight her without it. Still, I recommend you do it. This fight can get a little annoying.

Sanctus Diabolica (DMC4): The same as his first fight, but EVEN MORE ANNOYING. His final attack with the Sparda becomes an actual threat on higher difficulties, so do your best to get the Buster timing right so you don't have to fight him again.

Gigapede (DMC3): This boss will only give you trouble if you're trying to get an SS mission rank. Other than that, just enter DT to help you tank any projectiles you can't dodge.

Hell Vanguard (DMC3): The Vanguard is a normal enemy, and one of the tougher ones, but when it fights alone it's not much of a threat. Dodging and parrying its scythe is very easy, and its teleport attacks can be easily dodged by either jumping, rolling/dashing, or (if you're brave) by blocking through Royal Guard.

Berial (DMC4): The first real boss in DMC4, and considering the record of previous DMC games, he's a very easy one. His sword swipes are quite predictable, and he doesn't deal that much damage, even on DMD. He's sightly harder to fight as Dante because he may counter attacks the same way he would try to counter Nero's Buster, meaning you have to pay a bit more attention.

Bael (DMC4): The big frog is pretty slow and quite vulnerable to attacks, so taking him down shouldn't be much trouble. The Rusalka can get a little more annoying, since they are faster and more agile, but they are pretty predictable. Breaking the ice in his back for a Buster opportunity is the only troublesome thing in this fight, especially on DMD.

Dagon (DMC4): Basically the same as Bael, with a few small differences.

Echidna (DMC4): Echidna's attacks are highly telegraphed and can be easily avoided once you learn their signals. She is a bit tougher when you fight as Dante, since he lacks the huge damage from the Buster opportunities and can't approach her as quickly without Snatch. Overall, a fun but not very challenging fight.

Nevan (DMC3): Just listen to her voice lines and dodging everything she throws at you becomes very easy. Be careful about two things though: 1 - Once her vulnerability phase ends, she'll try to engulf you in darkness for some decent damage. 2 - Her kissing attack. She'll only use it at the very end of the battle, but if she catches you, (I think) the only way to escape is by activating DT on the spot.

Nelo Angelo 1 (DMC1): Nelo Angelo looks intimidating, but on his first fight, he isn't very threatening. He has few sword combos, is not very aggressive, and only has one (easy to dodge) ranged attack. He can block you but Ifrit's charged attacks easily break his guard.

Artemis (DMC5): This boss was a lot easier than I expected. Her laser attacks are easy to dodge and her other projectiles can be shot rather quickly, allowing you more mobility on the arena (when playing as Nero). The only threating thing in this fight is Artemis's scream attack, which she performs whenever you stay too close to her. It can be a bit difficult to predict, but it's nothing that Gerbera can't dodge.

Vergil 1 (DMC3): Like in DMC1, Vergil's first encounter isn't very difficult. He only uses his slower attacks and can't go into DT. Dodge his swipes and immediately punish them, temporarely locking Vergil into a sort of "stunned" state. The Summoned Swords will likely catch you off-guard when you play on DMD for the first time, but you'll get used to them in no time.

Goliath (DMC5): DMC5's true first boss, and a pretty good one at that! But a first boss is a first boss, and unless you're Phantom or Cerberus, your fight is probably gonna be easy. Like Berial, Goliath's attacks are very telegraphed, as they are meant to teach you how to dodge. His long range attacks add a bit more difficulty, and on DMD this boss can hit pretty hard, so you have to pay close attention to his body language.

Nidhogg (DMC5): Nidhogg is more annoying than he is difficult. Playing as V is kind of a mixed bag: not many players adapt to his playstyle, myself included, and that certainly doesn't help in this battle. Nidhogg's fight consists of beating three (sometimes four) targets at the same time. If you defeat all of the three worms in the back, Nidhogg will fall down completely vulnerable. It's the best way to fight him, but doing this can be a little hard, since the worms revive pretty quickly.

Elder Geryon Knight (DMC5): A very lenient boss that could have been much more difficult. This was probably done on purpose, since playing as V takes time to adapt to. Your main worry when fighting this boss is to keep Griffon and Shadow alive. This can be difficult since they tend to stay next to their target to attack, and the Knight is full of strong area attacks. Summoning Nightmare helps a lot, since it can cause plenty of damage alongside reviving V's pets.

Mundus 1 (DMC1): For some reason, this fight changes the game's genre from hack-n'-slash to space shooter. Always found that weird. But anyways, Mundus 1 is not really difficult when you learn that all of his attacks track you. Knowing this, just fly around in circles and you're mostly safe. The one exception is the laser beam attack, but that can be avoided with Vortex's I-frames.

Urizen 1 (DMC5): The first (obligatory) Urizen fight is all about memorizing his patterns. His magic attacks always follow a very predictable pattern, and once you known enough about them, the boss gets pretty easy. Pro tip: Mid-air Gerbera parries the fireball attacks really well. Just be careful with your timing.

Nightmare 1 (DMC1): This boss is extremely predictable and its attacks are pretty easy to dodge. If you observe its behavior, you will learn how to manipulate the core it exposes for you to attack (extremely helpful to avoid red cores). The only annoying thing here is its sludge-jaw attack that forces you to fight a previous boss.

Nightmare 2 (DMC1): Pretty much the same as the first fight.

Jester 1 (DMC3): This is the only mandatory Jester fight in the game, and it's kinda easy. The spheres only follow three possible patterns, and they are pretty easy to dodge. Blocking them with Royal Guard is a bit trickier, but certainly not impossible. If you want a free opportunity to bully Jester, just shoot Kalina Ann at him about three times while he's taunting and invulnerable to damage. If done correctly, he'll get "tired" and do nothing against you. This is also true for all of his other fights.

- Tier 3: Difficult but manageable

Leviathan's Heart (DMC3): If you know how to crowd control, this fight shouldn't be a problem. The way I fight this boss is: Spam A&R's Aerial Cross on the right lung, using well-timed Enemy Steps and Air Hikes to remain in the air. Once the heart opens, stand in the middle of the arena and use Royal Guard to block at least two of the red lasers. After that, use a DT Explosion, a Release, and a few more melee strikes for great damage. Rinse and repeat until the fight ends.

Cavaliere Angelo (DMC5): Although Mr. Cavaliere takes a lot from Nelo Angelo's and Credo Angelo's bossfights, I feel like he has the easiest battle between them. There are so many options to counter him, completely trivializing some aspects of the fight. His sword swipes aren't that difficult to dodge, and they can be parried very easily with multi-hit attacks like Revolver or Light Blow. Royal Guard can take time to get used to, but if you're good with it, the fight becomes even easier. I dunno, maybe I had less trouble with this guy because of my previous experience with all the Angelos, but difficult fight or not, this boss will always be a hell lot of fun to fight.

Malphas (DMC5): I really don't like fighting this chicken, but thankfully the bossfight is not terribly difficult. The key is to Enemy Step and Jump Cancel like crazy to stay in the air, allowing you to automatically dodge the majority of Malphas' attacks. Keep an eye for a few spells, though, like the aerial spikes one. When the chicken goes crazy, don't follow the game's advice (unless you really know what you're doing) and dodge every attack with precision. Punch Line allows you to hit the bird safely during this phase. Once it gets tired resume the fight like normal.

Phantom 1 (DMC1): Ah yes, Phantom 1, only the first boss and already this far into the list. What makes this boss difficult is the armor protecting him. That, and he is quite aggressive, always attacking you at any opportunity. Supposedly, the best way to fight him is by jumping on his back and attacking the weak, unarmored spot. I've never managed to make it work though, so I just learned how to dodge and parry his attacks (probably the worst way to fight him xD). Pro tip: Using Stinger on Phantom's mouth while he charges the fireball attack will immediately stun him.

Urizen 2 (DMC5): The second obligatory Urizen fight, and a significant step up in difficulty. Urizen's tentacle attacks have huge hitboxes, and they remind me of Arkham's fight a little too much for comfort… You can dodge them just fine with the wise usage of Trickster, but Royal Guard is just as good. He'll also occasionally summon his crystal to protect himself and cast his magic attacks. Thankfully, SDT does more than enough damage to break the crystal in a matter of seconds. Basically, to suceed in this fight, learn how to properly dodge/block his physical attacks and preserve your SDT for the crystal (or use Quadruple S if possible). Pro tip: Whenever Urizen uses his shockwave attack ("What an eyesore."), you can use RG to stay in place. But a better technique is to first Royal Block the shockwave and then spam the Block button, performing a chain of Royal Blocks and charging your DT like crazy. This should work on all of Urizen's fights (I've only done it on M17 though).

King Cerberus (DMC5): King Cerberus is one of the most fun bosses in the game, but he can be rather difficult to beat, especially because of his huge healthpool, which causes your mistakes to add up considerably as the boss takes plenty of punishment before going down. Learn how to avoid all of his attacks and you should be fine. They aren't too bad to dodge with the default dodge or Trickster, but I recommend using Royal Guard for Release's damage potential, so that the fight doesn't drag on for too long.

Urizen 3 (DMC5): The hardest Urizen fight for sure. The first phase isn't too bad: be careful with Urizen's melee attacks (he mostly kicks the ground, so stay in the air to automatically avoid most of his blows) and pay attention to the ocassional magic attack he may use. The second phase spices things up: He begins to use more magic attacks (such as the annoying purple swords) and becomes more aggressive. But the third phase is where things get real: Urizen begins to summon lasers everywhere, restricting your movement on land, and starts to use some nasty melee attacks that destroy your healthbar with little effort. That one spike attack in particular… So basically, to defeat M17 Urizen, try to fight him mid-air, and keep a good eye on his magic attacks. Take the advantage whenever he falls down to his knees and deal as much damage as possible (Real Impact is recommended). Also, Trickster is your best friend.

Nightmare (DMC5): One of the toughest bosses in this game. By itself, Nightmare is a big, powerful opponent, but it's not fighting alone. Griffon and Shadow are also after your blood. Defeating these two won't help much, since they just revive at full health anyway, so keep your focus on Nightmare itself. Don't drop your watch on the other two familiars, however, and try to not activate their Stalemate accidentally, since that could mean an unwanted Round Robin/Hedgehog to your face. Nightmare will occasionally retreat to heal Griffon and Shadow back to full health. Use this short opportunity to deal as much damage as possible (again, Real Impact is recommended). Pro tip: Before even fighting this boss, make sure to destroy the three hidden Qliphoth roots in the level. Why? Nightmare can use the purple magic spots in the arena to heal about half of its health back, and that sure isn't fun. Destroying the roots will destroy these spots. It will also bring three breakable pillars inside the arena. Trick Nightmare into breaking these to free plenty of green orbs, restoring a big ammount of your healthbar.

Phantom 3 (DMC1): Very similar to Phantom 1. He now has more health and can use a new meteor attack when he has about 1/4 of his health left. This fight can drag on for a bit, so if you're impatient like me, just lure Phantom into jumping and breaking the glass below him, triggering a cutscene and instantly ending the fight.

Cerberus (DMC3): Oh boy, another tough first boss rip hell vanguard i guess. Cerberus can be problematic because his attacks are fast, have big hitboxes, and have barely any tell (especially when he's half health and below). To beat him, you have to play safe and constantly pay attention to his body language. Royal Guard helps a lot in dealing with his fastest attacks (for example, the stupid lunge attack). Pro tip: break the ice in one of his paws, then release a full-charge DT explosion. Cerberus will then fall for a while, completely vulnerable to damage.

Nelo Angelo 2 (DMC1): Nelo uses some new tricks in this fight, such as his unparriable Ifrit-like combo. He is also more aggressive. I'm not sure of this, but it seems that only Nelo 2 and 3 can try to counter you during his block stance, so watch out for that. Other than that, not much changes. Also, the arena has two green orbs in it, which makes the fight a little easier.

Griffon 2 (DMC1): If you don't have a good strategy, this boss is going to be a pain. The arena is small and Griffon spends most of his time flying out of range while his lightning attacks try to fry you, and when he does come down, you have little opportunity to safely attack him. The best strategy I found was to first destroy the bird-kite thing he creates with a well-timed Rolling Blaze, and then, once he comes down, use fully charged Meteors to drain his health away (be wary of the lightning, though).

Griffon 1 (DMC1): This fight is optional if you're on New Game+, since you don't need to re-obtain Ifrit to open the exit door. Griffon alternates between two phases: one in which he flies and summons plenty of lightning, and one in which he lands on the ground to fight you face-to-face. The best strategy here is to grenade-roll while he flies to both dodge the lightning and charge your DT. Once he lands, keep spamming full-charged Meteors at a good distance. Repeat the process until he's dead.

Griffon 3 (DMC1): Here, the strategy above still applies, which is good because this fight can't be skipped. Griffon 3 fights a lot like Griffon 1, so if you're used to that fight, this shouldn't be too problematic. Once Griffon has lost about a third of his health, he will fly very high and be immune to all your attacks. You'll have to use the teleporters in the arena to climb up to the upper floor, which is a pain to do because Griffon keeps spamming his lightning attacks and you're unable to see them until it's too late. Once you manage to get there, shoot with the Grenade Gun and Griffon should go straight down. From now on, the fight is a lot easier. Repeat the Meteor spamming until it's over.

Agnus Angelo (DMC4): The only bossfight in this game that is actually easier when you are controlling Dante (at least for me). What makes Agnus such an annoying boss is the fact that he constantly spawns enemies such as Gladius, Basilisks, and Cutlasses (the fish don't stay in the battle though). These being Buster-gimmick enemies, you'd expect Nero to have a easy time, right? Well, that surely wasn't the experience for me. Nero's Buster animations are kind of long, which means, for example, that you could get a hold of a Gladius, get locked in placed for a second or two, and take a dumb hit from another Gladius, from a Basilisk, or from Agnus himself before even throwing the stupid living sword. Dante's Coyote-A, on the other hand, does Buster's job just as well and way more quickly, thanks to its speed, little endlag, and great stagger ability. God. Other than that, Agnus himself isn't much of a threat. He just flies around using very slow attacks.

Arkham (DMC3): Here he is, the worst bossfight in the history of DMC games. I could give an entire essay on why, but I will make this quick. The first phase is not so bad. I recommend jumping to dodge his badly telegraphed attacks. To deal with the Legions (the fish he summons), use Kalina Ann's blast alongside a few jumps to avoid unnecessary damage. For the second phase, keep holding R1 + forward and spam Spiral and Kalina Ann. Doing this will cause Vergil to spam Rapid Slash (his best attack in this fight). Stop shooting when Arkham becomes red and time your jumps to safely avoid the eel-projectile thingies. With enough patience, this bastard will finally go down.

Credo Angelo (DMC4): Credo's fight is visibly inspired by Nelo Angelo's, and that alone makes him a formidable opponent. For most of the bossfight, Credo's combo attacks will be rather easy to avoid, since he is quite polite and will give good enough warning of his next movement. You can also Buster his spear for generous damage (this can be a bit hard to time, though). However, once he reaches about 1/4 of his health, Credo will get quite frustrated, and much more aggressive. His combos are now faster, stronger, and much less predictable. He can also now use Summoned Swords (not as threatning as Vergil's, thankfully). In conclusion, fight him like you would fight Nelo Angelo or Vergil and you should come out on top!

Vergil 2 (DMC3): This is where Vergil spices up his battle style by a lot. He has Beowulf equipped and can now use his Devil Trigger, which greatly increases his damage, defense, and speed. It also slowly heals him for as long as it's active. He's still pretty manageable though. Pay attention and dodge his attacks with precision. Use your own Devil Trigger to try and knock Vergil out of his DT, otherwise, he'll just heal a lot of health back.

Vergil (DMC5): Mr. Vergil is back, and as expected, he is quite the tough boss, one of the hardest ones in this game, for sure. During the main story, you actually fight two different Vergils: the M19 Verge and the M20 one. They're mostly the same, but with a few, significant differences. M19 Vergil fights a lot like he did in DMC3, except in a much slower pace. His attacks are generally slower and easier to punish, and he gives you plenty of breathing room between attacks. Just don't take risks and strike at the correct moment to beat him rather easily. That is, during the first phase at least. Once his health reaches 2/3 or below, he will enter SDT and become much more agile and aggressive. Like in DMC3, DT Vergil has superarmor and high defense, as well as health regeneration, and unlike that game, it will not go away through the player's input, so attacking Vergil during this state is not a very good idea. SDT will only go away once Vergil finishes his flying divebomb attack, which can be interrupted earlier through certain means (Royal Release is my personal favorite). Once Vergil reaches 1/3 of health, he will summon Doppelganger to assist him. The spectral demon dies pretty quickly, though, so focus your attacks on it. Overall, if you're already used with Vergil's previous bossfights, this one shouldn't be too much trouble. Focus on dodging/blocking his attacks and find the best ways to punish them. M20 Vergil is a little different in certain aspects: his "stunned" state lasts very little, but he can now enter a "super stunned" state that allows Nero to shred his healthbar with a Buster. His SDT lasts much longer, but it no longer has superarmor, and he will only heal a small ammount of health the instant he activates SDT. Continue to fight him like you would in M19, just don't forget to Buster him when the opportunity arises! Pro tip: Break-age Buster Arm does insane damage, trust me.

Dante 2 (DMC4): As Nero, at least, this bossfight can vary between mildly challenging and very challenging. This, of course, depending on how you tackle the fight. I, for myself, went for the somewhat cowardly strategy of just abusing Snatch and Buster. It's quite simple really, just wait for Dante to enter endlag and go for a nice Snatch, and quickly Buster before he breaks out of it. This should work for good damage for the majority of times. If you try to be more stylish, though, Dante can get problematic, since he perfectly reads your every move, meaning, if you're not careful, you aren't landing a single hit on him.

Jester 2 (DMC3): This fight won't differ from the first one until Jester has half his health left. Once this happens, he'll summon a huge living ball, making it more difficult to damage the clown. But the biggest problem is that, once the ball is summoned, Jester will become more aggressive and add new elements to his basic sphere attacks, making them much harder to avoid. The best advice I can give is to try to damage him as much as possible before he enters this phase.

Nightmare 3 (DMC1): Once again, Nightmare refuses to change its moveset, but don't commemorate yet. If you weren't careful on the last two fights, its cores might be glowing red, which means it will take a lot less damage from your attacks. You can still beat it like this, but it's going to take a while. Once it reaches a third of its health, Trish will show up. Don't worry though, all she does is use a very slow lightning attack. But what pisses me off about this boss is that once you "kill" it, it doesn't actually die and enters a desperation phase. Here, it's pretty much impossible to attack the core up close without taking huge damage. Air Raid is probably the best way to deal with it.

Geryon (DMC3): Geryon is a big test of patience, and dear god I have none of it. Swordmaster is the best style here, since Real Impact + Tornado deals plenty of damage to the horse. If used right, you can kind of get Geryon stuck in a loop by hitting him just after he recovers from falling down.

- Tier 4: Pretty tough

Damned Chessboard (DMC3): This bossfight is a matter of learning Royal Guard. If you taunt and perfectly block the Damned Queen, and use the Gauge to Release on the King, the fight becomes much easier. But without Royal Guard, this is one of the worst fights in the whole game. Pro tip: use the I-Frames from a jump or a dodge-roll to make blocking the Queen easier and safer.

Beowulf (DMC3): Beowulf has plenty of health, so it kinda becomes an endurance match on DMD. The only reason I put him on Tier 4 instead of 3 is his second "phase" (when he's between 1/3 and 2/3 of his health), in which he just runs around spamming Volcano and lowering down cages. There's barely any opportunity to safely strike him during this. If you can manage to Just Release on Beowulf's eye, he'll take a lot of damage, greatly shortening the fight. Pro tip: don't shoot any guns at him on the third "phase". If you do he's very likely to use the dreaded feather attack.

Jester 3 (DMC3): Pretty much the same as Jester 2, except now he takes even longer to die. You're gonna have to endure that second phase for a little longer now. Getting good RNG helps a lot.

Agni & Rudra (DMC3): For some reason I have a lot of trouble with this boss, mostly because I suck at dealing with two bosses at the same time. But anyways, the best way to fight these guys is through Cerberus, more specifically through Revolver. This attack parries their sword strikes with ease. Once a brother has been parried 4 times, he'll lose the body and take more damage from your attacks (great opportunity to release DT explosion and the Royal Gauge) before he gets back up again. Royal Guard is a great complement in this fight, blocking anything that Revolver can't. Try to balance your strikes to kill both brothers at about the same time, because fighting only one body with both swords gets pretty problematic. Overall, I think most players would put Agni & Rudra on a lower tier, but I died a lot before I got the hang of it so…

Mundus 2 (DMC1): The Prince of Darkness lives up to his reputation as one of the hardest final bosses possibly ever made. Even so, I still wouldn't put him on a higher tier. This guy only gives you trouble until you memorize all of his attack patterns. Once you do that, he's not much of a problem. On lower difficulties, jumping on the flying platforms and slashing him with the Sparda while on DT is the fastest way to kill him. But on DMD, you will probably want to take it safe and attack him from long-range with Round Trip and the Sparda's DT shots. Pro tip: Kill the lava dragon that Mundus occasionally summons to restore a generous amount of your health.

- Tier 5: REALLY hard

Nelo Angelo 3 (DMC1): Most DMC fans seem to agree that Nightmare 3 and Mundus 2 are the hardest bosses this game has to offer, but I disagree. Sure, these two are challenging, but they're extremely predictable, and once you get their pattern, it becomes pretty easy. Nelo Angelo 3 is not like that. This man is very aggressive and will not let you boss around him. He will guard your attacks and constantly try to counter them. His summoned swords can be a nightmare if you don't learn how to dodge/destroy them. You can stagger him, but it doesn't last very long. And finally, the camera just sucks. This was the most troublesome boss in all of DMC1 for me, but even so, I think he's the most well-designed one in the entire game. It's a pretty fun fight!

- Tier 6: May God help you

Vergil 3 (DMC3): The best consolation I can give you is that, once you beat this boss, everything else looks much easier in comparison. Vergil 3 is THE hardest boss in this whole franchise. In fact, I created Tier 6 before starting DMC3 DMD already thinking that he would probably be the only one here. There's a lot happening in this fight, but the biggest reason Vergil 3 is so tough is what I call his desperation phase. Once he has 1/3 of his health left, Vergil will go absolutely insane, and begin to frequently use Super Devil Trigger and Judgement Cut End. The first one is a variation of normal DT, in which Vergil either spams Helm Breaker or uses his Yamato-Helm Breaker-Stinger combo. On DMD he is guaranteed to mix in Summoned Swords. Unlike normal DT, Vergil cannot be knocked out of Super DT. You'll have to dodge everything he throws at you until he gets tired. Judgement Cut End is a series of normal Judgement Cuts that follow three possible patterns. The problem is, only one of these patterns can be consistently dodged. The others are almost pure RNG. But the absolute cherry on top is that both Super DT and JCE heal Vergil, meaning that in the final moments of the fight you have to take every single opportunity you can to damage Vergil, otherwise he just heals everything back (especially if you get the unlucky scenario where he just spams JCE to his heart's content). Oh god. So yeah, Vergil 3 is a great boss, but Jesus Christ they didn't have to make it so damn difficult on the last 1/3 of the fight.

If you read all of this, thanks for listening to my rambling xD.

#jesus christ formatting lists on this website sucks #big shoutout to notepad++ for helping me #really helpful text and coding freeware #10/10 reccomended #but anyways i loved making this tierlist #i should do tierlists more often #a funny thing i noticed is that as the bosses become more difficult my advice becomes even longer xD #probably because tougher bosses tend to be more complex #or maybe i just have some hard feelings about them #also really fitting both nelo angelo 3 and vergil 3 are alone on their respective ranks #that guy can get really serious when he wants to #boy this is my biggest post yet #i'm surprised tumblr allows this many words in a post #i mean some people post their fanfics here so i guess it's not that surprising...#devil may cry

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riversofmars · 11 months

Text

The second day of Liv's assignment is shaping up to be no less difficult than the first as she accompanies Helen on the campaign trail. (Chapter rating: General)

Chapter 2

Liv thanked her lucky stars that the Starbucks in St. Pancras was 24h. She wasn’t sure where else she would have gotten a coffee from before 5am. She downed the dregs of it as she walked the final stretch up to Dr. Sinclair’s home.

“Morning, Ma’am,” the night duty officer greeted her as she walked up to the front gate, beyond which the terrace townhouse rose tall and imposing.

“Anything unusual?” Liv asked, looking up at the building. It was three stories and there was light on on the first floor behind a set of heavy curtains. The bedroom, she ventured.

“Nothing out of the ordinary, quiet night,” he reported pleasantly.

“Good…” She nodded, checking the time on her wristwatch. It was 5.28am. “Is she up?” She knew he couldn’t really answer that, but hoped for some indication one way or another.

“Light’s been on a while,” he answered, and that would have to be enough. They had agreed this time, the protection officer didn’t want to be accused of tardiness. As much as she knew she didn’t have anything to prove, the previous day she had taken their exchange about the time as a challenge from the politician. They were still negotiating boundaries, and this was not something with which she would be able to catch her out.

“I’ll try my luck,” she decided, and the uniformed officer tipped his hat at her, returning to his impassive position of guarding the entrance of the property as she walked past and up to the door. Checking the time again, she rang the doorbell at 5.30am sharp.

There was no reaction, not for a long time. Liv chewed the inside of her cheek, mulling over her options. Since the light was on, the MP was clearly awake. Perhaps she hadn’t heard the bell because she was upstairs - an unlikely scenario since she imagined the doorbell would be audible anywhere in the house; perhaps she simply wasn’t ready yet? Or maybe she was ignoring her, making her wait on purpose? She scolded herself for assuming the worst. She hardly knew the woman she was charged with protecting, but their first day together hadn’t exactly been plain sailing. Her finger hovered over the doorbell, but before she could make up her mind and press it again, the door was pulled open.

“You do realise the time, don’t you?” Dr. Sinclair snapped, and Liv’s heart sank. This didn’t bode well for day two, and yet, she tried for a smile of greeting.

“Good morning, Ma’am,” she gave back politely, but the politician didn’t stick around to listen. She turned on her heel and walked back into the dark corridor, leaving the door open in an obvious invitation to follow. “We agreed 5.30am?” the protection officer called after her, and stepped inside. Fighting a wave of annoyance, she closed the door behind herself and flicked the light on so she could see where she was going.

“Yes but I didn’t expect you to-” The MP’s voice sounded from inside the house and Liv followed, scanning her surroundings as she did so. There wasn’t much to the hallway, it was plain and practical with a long row of coats hung up by the door, and a cupboard of shoes further along - much like any normal home, she remarked as she walked down the hall. It opened into a wide, open-plan living space with a dining and seating area to the right and a kitchen to the left. She found Dr. Sinclair at the kitchen island, holding on to steady herself as she struggled into a pair of high heels. Her tailored dress was only done up to her shoulder-blades and several strands of her hair hung loose around her neck. Sometimes the easiest answer was the right one: she was not ready.

“Would you rather I waited outside?” the protection officer asked respectfully, fixing her eyes to the floor as she didn’t want her to feel self-conscious.

“Oh well, you’re here now,” she huffed, and with much difficulty zipped up her dress. It was clearly an awkward angle but Liv didn’t think it a good idea to offer assistance. That was certainly not in her remit.

“Shall I call the car for 6.15am?” she offered, trying to be accommodating. It would give her extra time without having to ask for it.

“Sure…” the MP answered, and her movements around the kitchen slowed noticeably. Instead of continuing to fumble with her hair, she made for the coffee machine. “That’ll give me a chance to get a couple of hours of work in before we set off to Warwick,” she mused as she pushed a coffee pod into the machine. Liv figured she was the sort of person that liked every moment of their day planned out, making to do lists as she went and utilising every minute.

“And then Milton Keynes - Leicester - Coventry?” The protection officer couldn’t imagine the schedule had changed between last night and this morning but she had to be sure. She watched her actions carefully, but didn’t venture any further into the kitchen aware of the fact she still had her shoes on. It was hardly the time to take them off and get comfortable, so she clasped her hands behind her back and waited.

“Yes,” the politician answered, and brushed a strand of hair from her face as she waited for the coffee to pour. “God, I hope they haven’t messed up that speech…” she muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. She looked tense.

“What? You don’t write your own speeches?” The quip had crossed Liv’s lips before she could think better of it. She’d been trying to think of something to say to put her at ease - protecting someone who was tense and jumpy was much harder than someone who was relaxed - but the moment Dr. Sinclair’s head whipped around, she knew it had been the wrong thing to say. “Sorry, that was meant to be a joke. Didn’t land.” She cast her eyes down apologetically under her angry glare.

“I would like to write my own speeches, and I do when I have the time but I can’t write every single one of them - do you have any concept of how many of them I’ll have to give in the next month?” she snapped, and all the brunette could do to rectify the situation was apologise again.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.”

To her great surprise, the MP softened considerably.

“No, I’m sorry… it’s early and I haven’t slept much…” she muttered, running her hands through her hair. Upon closer observation, she looked rather tired.

“We could have started later,” Liv offered. “We still can. I can call the car for seven-” The other woman interrupted her with a sigh.

“No… it’s fine, I’m up now… just need to do my hair…” she mumbled, then looked over to her. “Only have myself to blame… I was being facetious when I said that last night…” she admitted and pulled her mug out of the coffee maker. “I’m sorry,” she apologised to the protection officer’s even greater surprise. “Can we start again?”

“It’s fine,” she nodded quickly. “And yes, I’d like that.” It really hadn’t been the best start, and she was glad the politician had realised as much as well. Hopefully their working relationship could improve from there. It would make things easier in the long run.

“Help yourself to coffee,” Dr. Sinclair gestured at the machine as she crossed the kitchen. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

“Thank you,” Liv gave back, watching her climb the stairs. Even after she had disappeared, she needed a moment to shake herself out of her stunned state. That had been a much better start to the morning than she had anticipated. While she wasn’t as bold as to follow her invitation, she did pull her phone from her pocket to request their car.

---

The drive to the Palace of Westminster passed in silence. Liv noted that the politician had made the effort of letting her open the house and car doors for her without interfering and took it as a good sign. Dr. Sinclair bit back a yawn as she scrolled through her phone, and the protection officer watched the sun come up over the river as they drove up through South Bank to the seat of government. It was surprisingly peaceful.

Things continued in a similar manner as they arrived at the MPs office - they were the first ones there. Whilst there had been a few people walking the halls of Westminster, the early morning was clearly not everyone’s preferred time for starting work.

“I like it like this,” Dr. Sinclair stated, and Liv got the impression that she had noticed the curiosity with which she had looked around. She would have to work on her poker face, the politician was more observant than she’d anticipated.

“Rather more peaceful than yesterday,” she commented as she took the lead past the desks the staffers usually occupied.

“Won’t be like this for long, a lot of early risers in our line of work, particularly now,” the blonde continued, and didn’t interfere with the protection officer flicking on the light and conducting a quick sweep of her office. Dropping her briefcase on the desk, she observed her doing so and added: “Now, you really don’t have to stand looking over my shoulder now. There is no-one here.”

“Do you not think this paperwork can wait when you have a full day of campaigning ahead of you?” Liv asked and scolded herself for the insolent way in which she had posed the question, but it was something she was wondering about. There hardly seemed to be much point when they would have to be on the road to Warwick by 8am at the latest.

“I didn’t get done with these yesterday.” Fortunately, the politician didn’t seem to take offence as she discarded her blazer and hung it on the back of the chair. “I don’t like leaving constituents' letters if I can help it.” She gestured at a considerable pile of yet unopened mail. Liv wondered just how many of those were genuine concerns being raised, and how many simply contained complaints and abuse. She put nothing past the British population.

“I see,” she nodded, as she couldn’t fault her ambition.

“We shouldn’t leave here any later than 7.45am though,” Dr. Sinclair hummed, checking the time on her wrist watch. “And head to party headquarters so we can set off to Warwick in good time.”

A frown drew to the protection officer’s brow as she slowly took up her familiar position by the window.

“Excuse me for saying so, Ma’am, but that sounds rather pointless,” she pointed out. “Why not set off from here so you can maximise your time?” She deemed it a fair question and the MP actually chuckled as she sliced open her first letter.

“Can’t very well have the ‘battle bus’ park up outside Westminster, hardly a good look,” she commented, grimacing at the term describing the monstrosity that had become a fixture in British elections of late.

“Oh no, you’re not going in one of those,” Liv huffed, shaking her head, and the blonde promptly whipped around.

“Excuse me?” she challenged, the good-natured chuckle a thing of the past. The blonde squared her jaw, and Liv sensed that she had spoken too soon where their improved rapport was concerned, and did her best to sound reasonable and firm as she explained.

“That’s like putting a bull’s eye on your back,” she stated. “Assuming that there is someone out there who is planning to make an attempt on your life, you couldn’t be more forthcoming in announcing your whereabouts. I can’t allow that.” She held her piercing gaze steadily.

“This whole thing might appear like a circus to you, but it is the best way of engaging with the journalists and getting favourable coverage so-” Dr. Sinclair began to argue but the protection officer brought a swift end to it.

“My priority is keeping you safe,” she announced firmly. “I’m afraid I have to put my foot down about this… Ma’am.” She added the honorific as an afterthought, but hoped it would go some way towards appeasing her.

“Is that so,” the MP ground out, a flush of anger drawing to her pale cheeks, and Liv did her best to remain calm and reasonable.

“Please don’t make my job harder than it already is.”

“Is it hard?” the politician shot back pointedly, and the protection officer knew there was no right answer to this so she remained silent, fixing her eyes forward. She didn’t want to undo the tender progress they had made first thing in the morning but yes: this job was shaping up to be extremely difficult. “How would you rather we travel?” Dr. Sinclair questioned once it became clear she wasn’t getting an answer.

“Blacked out, armoured cars, as you get around the city,” the brunette answered dutifully but without looking at her. Standing to attention while being shouted at by a superior had been drilled into her in the RAF. The MP's anger was much more subtle than that but no less effective. “Preferably several identical ones to throw off an attacker.” There was a moment of silence that turned on a knife's edge: a tense stand-off.

“Guess I’ll let my PA know plans have changed,” the MP huffed at last and pulled her phone from her briefcase.

“Thank you, Ma’am..” Liv minded her manners and she made up for her shoulders relaxing in relief by standing up a little straighter. She tried her best to fight the sinking feeling that despite her best efforts, the day would turn out to be just like the previous one.

---

They got in the car by 8.00am. The staff had been less than enthusiastic, but Dr. Sinclair had brokered no argument on the matter which Liv was grateful for. It was something. The PA joined them in the car, sitting unobtrusively next to her employer, pouring over some paperwork or other. Several staffers followed in another car, and as they would be on the road for roughly two hours, it gave the MP time to work on the speech that she was set to give. This would likely equate to a long, boring journey for the protection officer, so she settled in for the drive, sitting across from the MP again. She undid her jacket and was greeted by a pointed: “Do you have to wear that?”

Surprised, she looked up to find Dr. Sinclair shooting an apprehensive glance at her gun, much as she had the night before.

“I do, yes,” Liv answered slowly. “For your and everyone else’s safety.” The PA glanced over, but quickly buried herself in her papers when the protection officer shot her a chastising glare to keep out of it.

“Right,” the politician huffed but seemed far from satisfied with the answer.

“I am a licensed firearms officer,” the brunette continued calmly, suddenly feeling a need to justify herself. “I did all the training, all the background checks… some of which you insist upon, if I remember correctly…” Pointing out as much was unnecessary, Dr. Sinclair was surely more than aware of the policies she herself had introduced and passed, but she couldn’t help it.

“Yes, well, they’re necessary!” the MP shot back. She’d gotten her back up all right, and for no good reason either. Liv happened to be on the side of tighter gun control. “You can’t just have everyone who decides to-”

“I’m not arguing with you, makes perfect sense,” she answered appeasingly, taking the wind out of her sails. Dr. Sinclair blinked, it was clearly not the response she had expected.

“Fine then,” she muttered and returned to her work. Liv refrained from a small smirk of triumph, though she felt like it. It wouldn’t be conducive to the situation, but she felt like she had scored a point.

Silence settled in the car, occasionally interrupted by the increasingly aggressive scraping of biro on paper and annoyed muttering as the MP made changes to the speech. The protection officer remarked on how tense she looked. It seemed as though she really would rather have written that speech herself…

---

By the time it got to delivering said speech, Liv wasn’t sure how much of the original work remained, but it certainly seemed to hit the spot. The protection officer stood to the side of the stage in the large auditorium, just out of sight of the students, and watched Dr. Sinclair give an empowering, and surprisingly touching speech.

The brunette forced her eyes away from the MP to observe the crowd, scan the room for any sort of unusual behaviour or suspicious activities, but found nothing like it. Instead, she looked into the inspired faces of the young. Helen Sinclair certainly had a way with words and the delivery of them. Liv tried her best to push the unbidden thoughts from her mind and focus on her job instead.

The speech concluded to a standing ovation, and the staffers congratulated each other on a brilliant start to proceedings. The protection officer, however, felt her heart drop as the politician didn’t return to their ranks as agreed. Instead she made her way to the front of the stage and descended the steps to ground-level where the audience was keen to greet her and shake hands.

“Fuck’s sake-” Liv muttered under her breath and quickly crossed the stage herself, following quickly. The bright spot-lights beat down on her, adding to the discomfort and worry that shot through her body. It was only the second day of her assignment, if something happened now-

“Ma’am, what are you doing?” the brunette hissed as she pushed close to Dr. Sinclair, keeping her voice low enough that hopefully, none of the adoring audience members would hear.

“Shaking hands, engaging with the voters, what does it look like?” the MP muttered in return, keeping a gracious smile fixed to her face as she did so.

“This is not what we agreed,” the protection officer insisted, keeping her expression as neutral as she could manage. She knew how important it was that they were not seen to be having an argument.

“This is what’s happening!” Dr. Sinclair gave back just as quietly, her demeanour never faulting in between words of thanks.

“Ma’am-” Liv brought her hand to her back, resting against her shoulder blades as she scanned the crowd, hyper-aware of every movement, every word.

“Your job is to protect me, then do that,” the MP pressed through a smile. “I will not allow my every move to be dictated by you!” And that was clearly the last word on the matter as she commented on the apprehensive looks some of the students were shooting at the protection officer. “Don’t worry, she doesn’t bite.” She grasped another hand. “Thank you so much for coming. Thank you.”

Liv did her best to remain calm, putting her faith in her instincts and training, and sent a silent prayer to unnamed forces that this wouldn’t end badly for either one of them as she shielded her body to the best of her abilities.

—

“That was a roaring success,” the chief speech writer exclaimed as they headed back to the car in the staff car park of the university.

“That was irresponsible,” Liv interjected, following close behind Dr. Sinclair as she had been for the past half hour. Hopefully now she could voice her misgivings over how things had gone. It needed addressing. The politician, however, was paying her no mind, as her PA carried on enthusiastically while tapping on her tablet.

“You poll really well with the younger population, if they turn out on election day, they could really carry the vote for you.”

“We should make more of an effort with voter turnout, the young, women, minorities, that’s where we poll strongest,” another staffer added. They were all flying high on the success of the event while Liv was on edge and tense, loathing the feeling of being ignored. She knew she was not part of the MPs team as such, but she hadn’t expected to be completely shut out.

“Yes, let’s do that,” Dr. Sinclair smiled, looking a lot less tense than she had done on the way to the event.

“Pride event maybe?” the speech writer suggested as they reached the car, and Liv decided that that was where she would put an end to things.

“I’m sorry, Ma’am, but can you at least acknowledge I said something?” she interrupted, a flash of anger colouring her words. “You put yourself in grave danger!”

The group fell silent, staffers exchanging awkward glances and the candidate herself focused on her bodyguard.

“By shaking hands with university students? Please,” she huffed, shaking her head as though she thought the whole thing ridiculous. It only made Liv more angry.

“I’m being serious!” she snapped, and the politician fixed her with a stony gaze.

“I’m sorry, Sergeant, but not everything can be planned out and controlled to the last detail,” she told her coldly, and it seemed her staff realised that that was the moment to quickly make for the cars. Even the PA feigned ignorance as she pulled her phone out and turned to pretend to deal with something very important.

“You certainly can’t,” Liv bit back, giving into her annoyance. It used to get her in trouble in the military. She had a temper. Most days she was more than able to control it, she had learned to ever since she’d had to deal with politicians regularly that were infuriating as a rule, but the woman in front of her took the biscuit.

“That’s right,” Dr. Sinclair responded venomously. “You’d do well to remember that!”

“You’re still angry about the bus…” the protection officer realised with a disbelieving huff and the MP caught her PA looking up curiously.

“Can you give us a minute?!” she snapped.

“We really must be on our way to Milton Keynes,” the young woman stuttered, checking the time. “Otherwise-”

“Then go in another car!” the politician growled, and she jumped to action, joining the colleagues in the less crowded of the other two cars.

Liv ground her teeth together angrily but opened the door for the blonde regardless, sending one last appraising glance across their surroundings, making sure that they weren’t being watched. Once satisfied she got into the car as well.

“As I have said before, Ma’am, I’m not here to make your life difficult-” She restarted the conversation as she did up her seat belt, and Dr. Sinclair nearly jumped down her throat.

“Well, that’s what you’re doing!” She crossed her arms in front of her chest and scowled at her.

“I’m sorry, but you must realise that everything I do is for your benefit,” the protection officer insisted hotly. “Do you not realise the danger you’re in?”

“Quite frankly, I think it’s ridiculous,” the politician ground out, and that was crossing the line. How could she be so callous where her own life was concerned? Not to mention the hypocrisy of it all.

“Do you have any idea of the effort and resources that are being attributed to this? What all of this costs?” Liv spat. “That’s taxpayer money that pays for me to shadow your every move, that pays for the intelligence officers that are working tirelessly to find out who means you harm. As someone who pretends to be big on not wasting the British public’s money, you could at least do them the courtesy of taking this seriously!”

Stunned silence fell, even the driver appeared to be holding his breath. The protection officer could hear the pounding of her heart in her ears, she hadn’t meant to get as worked up as that, but she could only hope she had made her point clear. She was trained to interpret body language, note even the slightest changes, so it didn’t take much to spot the look of genuine hurt that crossed the other woman’s face. Her shoulders slumped noticeably as she hugged her arms around herself a little tighter.

“Well, that’s me told, isn’t it…” she mumbled, and cast her eyes out of the window where houses shot past as they made for the motorway.

Liv lowered her head and eyes as well as she grasped the edge of her seat. That could have gone better. Her attack had been personal, based on the other woman’s politics and opinions, and therefore utterly unprofessional. That was taking things too far.

“I’m sorry, that was out of line…” she apologised, hoping she hadn’t just ruined everything. There was every chance she would have a call from Protection Command by the end of the day taking her off the assignment awaiting disciplinary action if the politician made enough of a fuss.

“I am taking this seriously…” Dr. Sinclair said at last, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Her sober observation was a hell of a lot better than stopping the car and throwing her out, but Liv didn’t quite dare to hope just yet.

“Are you?” she asked cautiously and looked up to her. The MP wasn’t looking at her, she kept her eyes firmly fixed to the window, but her tense posture and the way worry lines split her otherwise picture-perfect face gave Liv pause. She had clearly gotten to her.

“Of course I am,” she mumbled, clearing her throat as her voice came out thick and emotional. “I just… I try not to think about it, that’s what they tell you early on. Don’t worry about every death threat you get, it’s part of the job, it-” She took a deep breath, and struggled visibly to keep a hold of herself. The brunette started feeling regret over her words, not just on a professional level but on a personal one too. The other woman had done nothing to her and she hadn’t stopped to consider her position in all this.

“This is different,” Liv continued slowly, as she didn’t want to lose the ground she had gained but also had no desire to hurt her further.

“I know that…” Dr. Sinclair admitted softly. “I’m just trying not to let it get to me.” And for the first time the protection officer saw something akin to fear in her eyes as she looked back to her. She did understand the seriousness of the situation, even if she didn’t want to admit it. It was reassuring but also made Liv feel for her in a way she hadn’t before. She rarely stopped to consider how requiring her protection affected those she was assigned to.

“And that’s understandable but please… If you want to talk to people, fine, we can do that but… don’t spring it on me like that, okay?” she requested, hoping to strike some sort of a compromise. She was beginning to get a sense of what it meant to the other woman to be able to carry on as she had been. “Give me heads up, let me prepare… Back there, the only thing between you and a bullet was me…” She gave her a half-smile. She really didn’t fancy putting herself in the way of a bullet but that would also have been part of the job…

“I’m sorry,” Dr. Sinclair said, with a small smile of her own as she seemed to be regaining her composure.

“We did say this morning we’d try again…” Liv pointed out, and the blonde chuckled.

“Yes…” she acknowledged with a sigh. “Didn’t that go well…”

“Another do-over?” the protection officer suggested. They seemed to be taking one step forward and two back at every turn, but she wasn’t someone who gave up easily. Stubbornness was one of her better traits.

“I’m sure you could have easier jobs than this…” Dr. Sinclair observed.

“Yeah but…” Liv tried for another smile. “I’m also the best you could have, so…”

“Is that so?” the blonde scoffed and the atmosphere lightened in a flash.

“Oh yeah,” the protection officer grinned.

“Maybe we can agree that we will likely bump heads again, but we will both try?” the MP decided after a moment of contemplative silence.

“I can work with that,” Liv agreed easily and relaxed as she leaned back. Surely this had to count as progress.

“Now… have you eaten, Sergeant?” Dr. Sinclair asked, reaching down to a cool bag that stood on the ground between their feet.

“No, Ma’am,” the brunette answered and watched as she pulled two sets of sandwiches from the bag. M&S meal-deal - no expenses had been spared.

“Well, you ought to,” the MP said matter-of-factly. “Egg and cress?”

Liv chuckled and nodded, she had no real preference where sandwiches were concerned, but she remarked on how rarely she had been offered provisions in her line of work. People often forgot she was there.

“What’s funny?” the politician frowned, and the protection officer decided it was probably better to deflect than lament how isolating her work could be.

“Just remembered something one of my instructors used to say,” she said as she pulled the packet open.

“And what was that?” the other woman asked, surprising her with what seemed like genuine interest.

“Well… he compared personal protection to looking after an infant. You sleep when they sleep, you eat when they eat-” It was certainly an apt comparison.

“Do you have children, Sergeant?” the MP questioned, launching into an attempt at small-talk. Much like the act of being offered food, this was also something Liv didn’t often experience. While the sentiment behind it was to be commended, it also made her a little uncomfortable.

“No, Ma’am,” she gave back plainly.

“Never wanted them or-” she stalled for a moment, as if she’d only just realised what she’d said. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer that if-”

“Oh not at all, it’s just… I’m unattached.” She forced herself into a mild smile, as if the matter was of no importance. It was no time to fall into melancholy musings about how empty and lonely her life felt, particularly when she was on a busy job like this and had no hope of a social life anyway - not to mention the opportunity of meeting someone. Dr. Sinclair seemed eager to apologise again for putting her in an awkward spot, but she didn’t have opportunity to as Liv found herself continuing: “Who knows, if my partner wanted them … but I don’t see myself doing the carrying. The job isn’t exactly well suited.” In hindsight, she wasn’t exactly sure why she had brought her sexuality into it. It was of no consequence and surely none of the other woman’s business and yet… Liv found she wouldn’t mind her knowing, better to have these things out in the open. If she was surprised she didn’t let on - if anything her reaction was enthusiastic.

“Well, that’s certainly an advantage of having those options open to you.”

---

The rest of the day’s campaign stops turned out to be rather uneventful. Dr. Sinclair appeared to have taken her request seriously. They pre-agreed how to go about every event and Liv kept close to her side for it all, even endured more hand-shaking as a courtesy. The PA was allowed back in the car in Milton Keynes, and they continued in a professional, focused manner.

By the end of the day, Liv was thoroughly exhausted, but felt better than she had the previous day. Dr. Sinclair appeared tired as well. Her make-up was slightly smudged from where she had rubbed her eyes, and she tried to suppress a yawn as they pulled into the road she lived on.

“Have you got far to go?” the politician asked, resting her head against the window.

“A little way-” Liv answered, doing her best to muster her last bit of energy for getting her into the house safe and sound.

“How are you getting there?” the blonde continued, her brow knitting into a frown, and the protection officer noted yet again that she was rather observant. She appeared to have realised her state of exhaustion.

“Probably just going to take a taxi…” she admitted with a tired half-smile as the car came to a halt. There was no way she would put herself through the exercise of the tube and bus now.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Dr. Sinclair scoffed and before Liv could object, she got to her feet and leaned over the seat to the driver. “Kindly wait for Sergeant Chenka and take her home,” she requested and received a curt nod of acknowledgement.

“Yes Ma’am.”

“That’s really not necessary,” the protection officer started to argue, but to no avail.

“I disagree.” The MP shot an expectant glance towards the door, and Liv got up to open it for her, going through the practiced routine of looking up and down the road before allowing her to get out.

“I can make my own way home,” she insisted after a brief greeting towards the night duty officer.

“I know you can but I’d rather you didn’t have to. I put you through enough as it is,” Dr. Sinclair countered, and they walked up the stairs to her front door.

“Thank you, Ma’am.” Liv hoped the twilight would serve to cover the blush that came to her cheeks. As much as she knew it was a gesture of apology at best, and at worst an attempt to ingratiate herself with her, she couldn’t deny that she appreciated it. She couldn’t remember the last time someone bar her sister had shown a care for her getting home safely. She waited patiently as the politician unlocked the door to assure herself of the same for her. “Goodnight, Ma’am.”

“Good night, Sergeant,” the MP replied but hung on for a moment. “6.30am should be fine tomorrow.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

#doctor who #fanfiction #liv chenka #helen sinclair #femslash #big finish #liv x helen #alternate universe #alternate universe politics #thriller #action/adventure #slow burn #female bodyguard

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