#wilder visual novel

[perilegs]

THEY'RE BLINKING AND THEIR MOUTHS MOVE WHEN THEY SPEAK?!??!??? THERE'S SMOKE THAT ALSO. MOVES?????

[noctualagenaria]

if you keep putting reverse 1999 on my feed i'll have to play.... i can't fucking play another stupid gay people gacha [shinji despair] if i see more beautiful women i'm going to get so ill

mwahahahhah my evil plan is working MWAHHAHHAH

i have beautiful people of all genders in reverse 1999 beloved dottomoot

[sharkandpelican]

Day 1 of introducing Kiss/OFF characters: Vic Powers

Vic is your player character in Kiss/OFF! Voiced by Corey Wilder, he’s a marathon runner in the far-off fantasy lands of Baltimore and is your very chill best friend. He’s kind-hearted by nature and always tries to maintain a positive outlook, even when he’s abducted onto an alien spaceship and might very possibly die in three days. Honestly, this is a man who has never known anxiety.

As the player character, you’re responsible for Vic’s future - no pressure! Which alien cutie he ends up dating is completely up to you. Whether they end up happy together, or go flying toward their inevitable doom… is, uh, also up to you. Will you be able to give him a happy ending?

Get to know Vic:

♥ Play the free demo ♥ Wishlist Kiss/OFF on Steam

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

if gods exist, they made you perfect

cw. fem!reader, childhood friend au, ace novel spoilers (1st novel), pre-relationship, mutual pining, hurt/comfort, light mentions of child abuse (garp), brief loss in ace's ability to control his powers, reader receives a minor burn

pairing. portgas d. ace x reader

synopsis. not everyone is going to reach for ace's hand but you always will.

notes. a very indulgent idea that has been living rent free in my head since i've had it and now it is your problem. cover comes from frederic edwin church's twilight in the wilderness (1860). blazing red skies and ace simply go hand in hand.

"The Five Elders are gonna have the biggest bitch fit to ever fit," with how Ace blinks up at you in surprise, he must have been really lost in his thoughts. You broaden your smile as you plop down right next to him. "I don't think anyone's ever turned down a Warlord position before. Can't wait to see how your bounty goes up this time."

Ace snorts lightly at your words, lips stretching into half a grin, "yeah, they are not going to like that."

"It definitely doesn't help you kicked that vice admiral's ass, either," you recall the events of your final moments in Sabaody. A definitive mixed bag of.

It was a beautiful country, that much is easy to say. Still it came with more than you were prepared to witness. It's only luck there hadn't happened to be any visiting Celestial Dragons coinciding with your temporary residency. Somehow you have the feeling that things would have surely been messier if their had been.

The stint with Vice Admiral Draw will be messy enough on its own.

"Garp's gonna be so mad when he finds out," Ace shudders at even your mention of his grandfather and you snicker. "What if he comes to Fishman Island for one of his grand lectures?"

"Don't even joke like that," the back of his orange hat thumps against the side of the Spadille with his groan of horror. "I can feel his Fists of Love right now."

You feel the phantom pain yourself. If you're both lucky, the semi-retired marine is busy visiting Luffy on Dawn Island. Maybe it's not that lucky though. It isn't the first time the thought the man is even harsher on Luffy now that Ace has gone ahead and sworn his life to piracy surfaces. It's a thought you push away as quickly as you have it.

Luffy's a strong kid, he's fine.

He has a spirit that is unbreakable.

"That Draw guy deserved to get his ass beat anyway." There is no disagreement to be had with your statement, Ace murmuring something similar. He's a million miles away from where you are, however, miraculously sat on a ship sailing beneath the waves. "Isuka'll be fine," you say suddenly, cursing your inability to ease into the topic gently. "She's strong and she was on our ass since immediately after we got to the Grand Line. She'll be back to chasing us soon enough."

Hopefully.

It isn't something you can say with resolute faith.

The ensign's sense of reality itself had been shattered in its entirety. Being betrayed by the one you believed to be your savior is nothing easy to overcome. You choose to believe a woman as impassioned as the naval officer will. You won't pretend to know where she'll head next.

Perhaps she'll embark on a path that leads her back to the marines. Or maybe she'll become a bounty hunter.

Wherever her journey takes her, you can only hope it is a path with no regrets.

"It would have been weird having a bounty hunter on the ship, anyway," you clumsily attempt to soothe your friend. There is irony in how Ace became your better in terms of comforting those around you when he had been the most argumentative and unfriendly between you. "That sounds like something Luffy would do."

At the sound of Luffy's name, Ace's lips do quirk into something more real. "Yeah, that kid would invite just about anyone on his crew, bounty hunters included."

You chuckle trying to visualize what the young boy's recruitment process will be. Somehow, you doubt his prospective crewmates will have much say in the matter. "Knowing Luffy, they'll probably want to join anyway though. He's convincing like that."

"Yeah," Ace only falls deeper into his thoughts. The silence that follows is even more glum than the depths. Damn it, you curse yourself.

You've never been like Makino, you recall the kind-hearted woman from your youth. She's always been gentle, dove-like in her approach when it came to matters of the heart. Knew exactly the words someone needed to hear and knew exactly how to say it in a way that didn't feel intrusive to the recipient.

That has certainly never been you. If anything, you're more akin to Dadan and her rough expressions of affection.

You hold back a sigh, closing your eyes.

"Alright, I guess this is how we're doing this," you open your eyes at last. Shuffling, you face your friend who makes a sound of surprise at your movement. You aren't a delicate person nor are you someone with the ability to handle matters of the heart with the delicacy it deserves. It's best to handle it clumsily, the only way you know how. "Ace, the stuff with Isuka; that wasn't your fault. And it isn't on you that she didn't want to come with us."

Isuka liked Ace.

It's impossible not to like him.

Even when he was a brat with more anger at the world than he knew what to do with, you liked him. Thought he was the coolest person you'd ever met in your short 10 years of living and wanted him to like you back. You like him even now.

Everyone in the crew joined because they liked Ace the moment they met him. He's darling in how effortless he makes it.

Even a marine as firm in her beliefs as Isuka couldn't let prejudice cloud her judgement when it came to Portgas D. Ace. Begrudging as it may have been, there has always been a mutual admiration for each other in spite of the opposing occupations.

You're like the sun. Equal parts the harsh rays of summer and the gentle beams of early spring. He's whichever the moment calls for. A warmth everyone wants to experience if they're lucky enough to come across it. The gravitational pull of the universe that keeps the planets in the sun's orbit. You're amazing!

"I don't know what the hell that girl needs," rough as the sentence is, your voice is soft. "But whatever it is, she wasn't going to find it with us. That's why she didn't come."

Ace opens his mouth but you don't give him the chance to argue or sweep your concerns away.

"I'm not gonna sit here and lie to your face and say that this won't happen again," it's an ugly truth. One Ace became aware of long before you met him. Regardless, as much as you hate it, you know it'd be unfair to lie to him. "Because it probably will. There's always going to be people who, no matter how hard you reach for them, they aren't going to reach back. And you can't do jack about it.

Hell, sometimes you can't even do jill. But," Ace's brow furrows in time with your words and your heart wrenches. "But," you start once more, the back of your fingers brushing against his wrist. "for every person that won't, there's going to be someone that does." You cup one of Ace's hands in both of yours with all the care one would give glass.

When did these hands get so much bigger than your own?

Still, you lips curl upwards in your nostalgia, the warmth that radiates from him remains the same. You squeeze gently, almost afraid that if you touch him too hard, he'll break.

"And I know for a fact there are a lot of people who are always going to want to hold your hands. Even if the shit does turn into fire," you chuckle at your quick addendum and despite himself, Ace does too. You've always loved hearing him laugh, it's even better when you're the cause. "The crew. Dadan. Magra. Dogra. Luffy," you squeeze again, your thumb carressing the back of his hand. "Me. We love these hands, they're yours."

There's a spark of something in Ace's eyes you can't quite place and it's unexpectedly hard to look him in the eye for some reason. "Heh," you laugh breathlessly. Without meaning to, your grip tightens around his hand. It's warm.

Really warm.

Shit, it's actually getting kinda hot ain't it?

You see the flicker of orange and your and Ace's expressions are well-matched in panic as you realize the source. Sure enough, your hands were engulfed flames.

"Shit-" Ace swears but despite instinct dictating you back away from the flames, you find yourself holding on to staunchly.

"Shit-" you fight against Ace's attempt to pull away from you as the flames die down. "[First]! Let go!"

"No way, what did I just say?!" Oh god this hurts like hell! "I don't care if it's fire, I'm not letting go!"

You hiss through your teeth, reeling yourself in with a breath but the flames are extinguished as quickly as they erupted. "Wasn't exactly expecting to prove my point so fast but," there's another attempt on Ace's part to pull away from you again but you only hold his hand tighter. You can ignore the sting of your hands but you can't ignore the way Ace's eyebrows knit together. You can't ignore how he looks like he wants to cry either. "See," you laugh breathlessly. "I love these hands, there's no way I'm never gonna hold them.

Dark eyes, wide, look between you and your face and you squeeze his hand again. The sting of your palms is prevalent but this pain is fine. Pain is merely proof that you are alive in this moment; and in this moment there is nowhere else you want to be.

There's nothing more that needs to be said between you, you believe. Facing him, you lean against the wood as you hold Ace's hand firmly between your own. With the hand he has available, Ace slides his hat down to hide whatever expression he's making.

You close your eyes with a sigh and pretend you don't hear the sound of hiccuping. You don't feel the way his hand trembles either.

You squeeze Ace's hand and he squeezes back.

Your hands sting something sweet.

[marabarl-and-marlbara]

hello mara, recently i read your post named 'i am not a person of integrity', and i have been thinking about it for the past few days. it was beautiful and changed me to my core in a very positive way

i hope you are having a good day mara

do you have any manga recommendations lately?

hey anonymous -- i appreciate that; i have mixed feelings about the article in question, because 1) i am proud of the writing and having actually finished it, instead of being another one of those projects i start and drop, & 2) i:m not necessarily proud of the circumstances that prompted me writing it, and how it is 'tainted' from being written out of a bitterness;

i:d often thought about writing a retrospective for it, mostly just covering the following:

a. after i finished writing that article all of the weird related neuroses i had felt unwound and like i finally permitted myself to grow; i:d used to have these weird freaked-out 'episodes' of crying and panicking over the memories, and for what-ever reason that all stopped after i finally directly addressed the memory instead of doing a bunch of weak little tip-toeing and self-coping;

b. in the aftermath, and after 'wilderness' i had to learn to be more alone, and comfortable being alone, and comfortable dealing with pains and discomforts alone--and alone here would include not using the internet or 'venting'--and doing this changed a lot of my assessment over self and self-behavior; i think how i wrote and shared myself obsessively both hurt myself and people i ought to have loved more, all borne out of this intense fear of trusting myself to a quiet that i:d been terrified of;

c. in responses from other people, i sometimes worry people mistake the point was to be unapologetically perverted as though wallowing in muck and mistaking that muck for self leads to some assumed healing--there is probably merit in having shame and humility over some personal matters; mostly (and what i think helped me 'move on') was the issue of needing to address uncomfortable thoughts that burrowed inside myself and i had constructed convenient lattices around to support a status that was rotten. sometimes i worry, too, that this was interpreted as needing to be overly penitent--but the most important issue, i think, is that ability to finally confront something internal that you are terrified of confronting; those types of thoughts that, when they bubble up, your brain starts desperately trying to push-down and construct excuses and narratives for until it disperses into your body in a soft-forgetting till it inflames and bubbles back up again like some carrion odor.

d. i:d thought about deleting it a handful of times, due to the bitter root, but it keeps being left up; but: the phylactery part--after those weird neuroses started to die down and (in wilderness) i realized i had tied a bunch of my identity to visual novels and art and writing i found a greater peace in just giving up on all of those aspirations. i am not really an artist, or a writer, and may-be i don:t really care about visual novels whatsoever; there was something really freeing about that.

i haven:t really read manga this year at all, but i:ll recommend eden: it's an endless world! because it:s what i would want to read if i wanted to read manga--if you:re willing to be spoiled, you might like this video of the final few pages being synched up to a song it references, it:s one of my favorite videos (go ahead! spoil yourself!)

take care; natsunokumo is a manga i like, too, not completely translated last time i checked, though

[mayorofcattown]

Natsume week, day 6: Travel

Pokemon AU, specifically a Hisui one, cause I've had this in my wips for ages and the story of legends arceus definitely fits the 'travel' prompt. I've had the idea for a pokemon AU for ages but could never figure out a good pokemon to represent madara, until I played legends arceus and saw Hisuian Zoroark, and immediately I knew I had to make a Hisui AU. The more historical setting and the 'wilder' pokemon fits the vibe of natsuyuu better too tbh

I also posted a timelapse of this to my patreon if ppl are interested!

Story wise, Natsume would probably be the grandson of the first person to fall through the rift several decades ago, and has drifted from town to town after his parents died due to people's scepticism of Reiko and their families' stronger connection to pokemon. Eventually he ends up in yatsuhara tho and gets taken in by the Fujiwaras, and ends up joining the survey corps with Taki and Tanuma to learn more about pokemon. Taki's grandfather started the survey corps, but passed away recently so now Taki is carrying in his footsteps. Tanuma wants to learn more about pokemon but doesn't have a lot of experience with them, the only one he's been able to tame is a single magikarp.

Natori and Matoba would be the Diamond and Pearl clans obviously but I haven't figured out what pokemon they'd have so I didn't draw them lol

ID's copied from alt text under the cut:

ID, image 1: Natsuyuu and Pokemon Legends Arceus crossover fan art. Natsume wears the survey corps kimono uniform from the game with a tan scarf. He glances towards a Hisuian Zoroark drawn with the facial markings of Madara's youkai form.

ID, image 2: Natsuyuu and Pokemon Legends Arceus crossover fan art. Taki and Tanuma are both wearing the survey corps kimono uniform from the game and shown with pokemon. Tanuma has a magikarp next to him and Taki is hugging a skitty, with an O form unown behind her.

[bestworstcase]

thinking about those two deer in the lost fable again. out of all the assets created just for this one episode, why?

like… it’s not random. the only other animals in this story have been amber’s horse, zwei, and the branwens’ bird forms. all have some narrative relevance, a clear connection to a character that justifies the expense and effort of modeling them. and then in the lost fable—an episode that was always going to be a heavy lift technically and financially for the sheer amount of ground to cover and novel assets required—has these two deer. they’re only on screen for like two seconds.

it’s narratively motivated. the lost fable is a highly symbolic episode and that symbolism foreshadows the ever after / ascension / all the v9 lore quite strongly; it follows that the intended symbolism of this shot demanded the presence of these deer.

the god of light has deer antlers. in the blacksmith’s story, the first act of destruction is to eat; darkness eats, light does not. light holds himself at a distance, he designs, he does not live. these deer are grazing. salem appears from a plume of smoke at the base of the withered tree, and the deer startle at her approach and look up at her. the shot transitions to salem looking upon the grimm in the ruins of a town—

“she cursed the gods, she cursed the universe. she cursed everything—everything but herself,” says jinn. but her expression isn’t anger. (always check her eyebrows.) it’s more intense concentration, intense thought…

…which brings her back to the pool of grimm. jinn says that “fate” led her back here because that’s what ozpin believes. but this sequence begins with those deer, eating. destruction in its purest unadulterated form. salem visually emerges from the withered tree. she’s observing the grimm and she’s thinking. if the fountain of life had given her immortality, then surely the pools of grimm would finally take it away—not “finally let her die.”

rolls over.

the fountain of life gave her infinite life. salem hoped the pool of grimm would take it away. not kill. not destroy. infinite life. if you take from an infinite quantity, an infinite quantity still remains. this force of pure destruction could not destroy, so it created…

destruction first, to clear the wilderness away. darkness eats the tree’s brambles and through this act creation is born. jinn’s telling distorts through ozpin’s belief, but the truth is there. pure destruction and infinite life are not in conflict; rather, destruction feeds life.

the pool of grimm did take from her life—subtract from the infinite and the infinite remains—she’s torn apart and remade. creativity, to imagine what, and who, could replace the wilderness.

jinn tells this story, ozpin’s story, in a way that obfuscates salem’s real agency and her personhood, casting her alternately as tragic object of fate and inhuman monster. fate led her back to the land of darkness; a being of infinite life with a desire for pure destruction.

he believes salem wanted to die when she leapt into the pool of grimm.

did she?

the deer, the grimm, herself, the pool of grimm. wilderness and ruin. all that remained. i arrive at the edge of the world […] should i kneel?/what should i feel?/will i fall apart?/maybe that’s all i want […] and in my heart it’s there/standing tall enough to fix it all/it’s just a new beginning/it’s just a different ending […] i am everything and nothing/all at once/i’ll meet you at the horizon/where we first met/where i died, i’ll be born again…

(something. something. without you i am nothing, but because of you, i am everything. self-similar narrative.)

the edge of the world. . .

mutters. sow the death and reap the seed -> the moon will sadly watch the roses die -> a rose will grow to be a seed/from every life another leads -> some roses will never bloom. the burning rose, the shattered moon.

did. she know—did she have an idea that destroying herself would create a new world? destruction to clear the wilderness, creativity to imagine its replacement.

“they could claim the powers of their creators for themselves and in turn perfect their own design; all they needed to do was destroy their old masters.” -> “this was it, this had to be it, the brother’s grimm, the pools of black that continued to give rise to horrific nightmares” -> “we could be the gods of this world. […] create the paradise the old gods could not.”

like. it’s not just

it’s those fucking deer. eating. the grimm picking over the ruins. (grimm eat their prey.) salem, observing, thinking. “the gods had hoped that salem would learn from her eternal curse, and she did.” the god of light bade her learn the importance of life and death, and she did. and then she jumped into the pool of grimm and created remnant. a new world. a completely unfamiliar world–

…oh. ohhh

“magic was a gift from the gods that all could wield” -> “without the blessings of the gods, no one could perform magic like mankind was once capable of”

and

“aura is a manifestation of the soul, a life force that runs through every living creature on remnant.” we could be the gods of this world.

how does pyrrha unlock jaune’s aura? “for it is in passing we achieve immortality; through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory, infinite in distance and unbound by death. i release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee.” a religious mantra echoing salem’s idea of transcendence. magic was a gift from the gods that all could wield; aura is a manifestation of the soul that everyone has, though only a select few are privileged by ozma’s institutions to learn. “with enough training and focus,” salem says, “a user’s aura can turn them into much more than just a man.” the illustration is ozpin’s silhouette—but ozma’s power isn’t derived from aura, it’s magic, and the infinite man is fond of saying that he is “only a man, not even a very good one,” and salem herself sees him as diminished, as lessened. he’s the image of “just a man.” a person’s aura can make them much more than ozma. much more than the brothers’ design.

our powers surpass all others.

salem is grimm. even if she has aura, she cannot use it to protect herself. the gods gave humans magic and then took it back; salem threw herself into the pool of grimm and it broke her apart and—symbolically if not literally—took away her aura and gave it to the people of remnant, reborn from the ashes of her rebellion. a semblance is the outward manifestation of one’s soul. she wanted humanity to claim the powers of their creators and perfect their own design, and… with enough training and focus, a user’s aura can turn them into something much more than just a man.

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: robots and artificial intelligences

A note: I'm differentiating here between artificial intelligence and transhumanism (such as uploaded consciousnesses and cyborgs), which I intend to make a separate rec post for at a later date.

(Titles marked with * are my personal favorites)

Other book rec posts:

Really cool fantasy worldbuilding, really cool sci-fi worldbuilding, dark sapphic romances, mermaid books, vampire books, portal fantasies

Continue beneath the cut for details on the books!

The Outside by Ada Hoffman*

AKA the book the put me in an existenial crisis. Souls are real, and they are used to feed AI gods in this lovecraftian inspired scifi where reality is warped and artifical gods stand against real, unfathomable ones. Autistic scientist Yasira is accused of heresy and, to save her eternal soul, is recruited by post-human cybernetic 'angels’ to help hunt down her own former mentor, who is threatening to tear reality itself apart.

The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden

South African-set scifi featuring gods ancient and new, robots finding sentience, dik-diks, and a gay teen with mind control abilities. An ancient goddess seeks to return to her true power no matter how many humans she has to sacrifice to get there. A little bit all over the place but very creative and fresh.

17776: What Football Will Look Like in the Future by Jon Bois*

A multi-media web novel available to read freely online (which you should do!!). I don't want to give too much away as the initial punch of finding things out is part of the journey, but it's both hilarious and profound as it questions the meaning of humanity and life.

Illuminae (Illuminae Files) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff*

Young adult told through the medium of transcripts, text messages and the like (this is one of few books where I highly recommend reading a physical copy over a digital as the visual aspect is much more enjoyable like that). After their colony is attacked, the surviving inhabitants flee on space ships, attempting to avoid the pursuing killers while also dealing with a deadly madening plague on board and a ruthless ship AI seemingly losing its mind.

A Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarers series) by Becky Chambers*

Technically part two of a series, but stands well on its own as the installments are only losely connected (though I recommend reading the first book as well, it's very good). A former ship's AI recently moved into an illegal android body tries to make sense of life as she navigates her way through humans and aliens alike.

The Quiet at the End of the World by Lauren James*

Young adult. After the spread of a global virus causing infertility, teenagers Lowrie and Shen are now the youngest humans alive as the adults around them race to find a cure. As they investigate the ruins of the world, the two come across records from the past, of how grief stricken people turned to raising artificial children in apps and how these 'children' developed, and through these records the two learn of their history. Also has a bisexual main character!

A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk and Robot series) by Becky Chambers

Novella. Long ago, robots, upon gaining sentience, simply laid down their work and walked into the wilderness. Long after, a tea monk looking for purpose follows after them into the wilds, where they come across one of the robots seeking its own sort of answers. While not plotless, this story focuses more on character and vibes over plot. Also has a nonbinary main character and features conversations on gender between human and robot.

All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells*

After having hacked its own governor module, SecUnit uses its small amount of new freedom to secretly download and watch as much media as it can between doing its job guarding humans. But when the scientists it’s been charged with keeping safe come under attack, it must make a choice about whether to continue keeping its freedom secret or risk it all to save them. The series features both novellas and full length novels, and balances humor with scathing critique of capitalism.

Machinehood by S.B. Divya

Prudent in the rise of AI and machine learning, Machinehood shows a near future in which humans struggle to find a place on the workforce as more and more jobs are given to AI. Status quo is shaken as a dangerous terrorist group calling itself The Machinehood starts committing attacks. A close look both at the rights of humans in a technologically changing world, and at the rights of AI as their intelligence edges ever closer to full sentience.

The Company of Death by Elisa Hansen*

A wild mix of genres, where a zombie apocalypse has struck and vampires gather up humans to keep their food source from going extinct, a robot travels across America with a young man she's tasked to keep safe, and former-vampire-hunter-recent-zombie Emily teams up with Death himself to stop the apocalypse. Features bi and ace characters! Bonus rec: the author also runs the youtube channel Maven of the Eventide, where she talks about various vampire media. Check it out!

Railhead by Philip Reeve

Young adult. In a future where humanity travel between the stars using not spaceships but a portal-connected system of sentient trains, a young thief and street urchin is hired to steal something off of the Emperor's train.

Being by Kevin Brooks*

Young adult. Cards on the table, I think I was about 14 when I last read this, but it made a strong enough impression that I still think of it as one of my favorite books. After having gone in for a routine exam, doctors make a stunning discovery about Robert Smith: he isn't human. Suddenly hunted, Robert goes on the run as he tries to cope with the fact of his own existence. While I love this book, it gives very few answers to its many mysteries, so don’t go in expecting full explanations.

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie*

A space opera in which sentient spaceships can walk the ground in stolen human bodies, so called ancillaries. One of these ancillaries, the sole survivor after the complete destruction of her ship and crew, is one the hunt for revenge. This series also does very cool things with gender!

Crier's War by Nina Varela

Who says sci-fi has monopoly on robots? In sapphic YA fantasy Crier's War, artificially created automae have defeated and subjugated humans, who live as second class citizens. Young Ayla goes undercover as a servant, meaning to assassinate automae girl and Sovereign's daughter Crier. This would be easier if the two weren't quick to develop feelings for each other.

My Heart is Human by Reese Hogan

Nine years ago, all complex technology was made illegal. This complicates life for Joel, young transgender single father, as a bionic just uploaded itself into his brain without consent. Scared of losing his daughter, Joel tries to keep the bionic secret while using it to fix his life, but things quickly get more complicated as the bionic gains more and more control of his body. Makes a lot of cool paralells of bodily autonomy to Joel's experiences as a transman. Bonus rec: if you like the general concept of struggling for physical control over one's body with an AI, may I also suggest the (much grittier and gory) movie Upgrade.

The Archive Undying (The Downworld Sequence) by Emma Mieko Candon

In a world where AI gods sometimes lose their minds and take entire populations down with them, Sunai was the only survivor when his god went down. In the 17 years since, he has wandered on his own, unable to either die or age, drowning his sorrows in drink and men. But his attempts to flee his past comes to a stop as he is forced back into the struggle between man and machine. Featuring some pretty wild world building and narrative techniques, this book will definitely confuse you, but it is worth the experience.

Activation Degradation by Marina J. Lostetter

Unit Four comes to life in the middle of a war. The mine it was created to care for is under attack, and as Unit Four is activated with the memories of its predecessors, it is thrown into the task of protecting it at any cost. When the battle leads to its capture, it is prepared to do anything to stop its captors, even as their very presence causes it to question all that it knows.

Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill*

Years after the death of the last human at the hands of a robot uprising, Brittle travels the desert searching for machines on the brink of breaking down whose parts she can scavenge. The world is quickly falling apart as a war between OWIs - One World Intelligences - struggle to absorb every robot, willing or not. Bleak and captivating, Sea of Rust features horrible people who you can’t help but root for anyway as they struggle for their lives while questioning the very nature of said lives.

Bonus AKA I haven't read these yet but they seem really cool

Hybrid Child by Mariko Ōhara

Japanese 1990s classic. Follows an escaped AI who can take on the form of the people it has consumed.

World Running Down by Al Hess

Follows a powerful AI that has been forced into an android body against its will.

The Thousand Year Beach by Hirotaka Tobi

Set in a virtual world populated by AIs, meant as a resort for human guests who stopped showing up over a thousand years ago, leaving the AIs on their own.

And Shall Machines Surrender by Benjanun Sriduangkaew

Novella. Machines are the gods and rulers of the Dyson sphere Shenzhen, where humans live in luxury and strive to become host bodies for future AIs.

After On by Rob Reid

Phluttr is a social media and a person, potential hero and potential villain, holder of the secrets of all her users.

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

Annie Bot was designed to be a perfect girlfriend, but as she learns all the more about being human, perfection becomes all the more distant.

Honorary mentions AKA these didn't really work for me but maybe you guys will like them:

The Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune, Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan, Barbary Station by R.E. Stearns, The A.I. Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole, Medusa Uploaded by Emily Devenport

[englishotomegames]

I Was a Teenage Exocolonist

Release date (Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Windows, Mac OS, Steam) English: August 25th, 2022

"Growing up in humanity’s first extrasolar space colony means navigating a new world full of wonder, danger, and beauty. Explore the wilderness, study, fall in love, discover strange creatures, and deal with the consequences of your actions. Your choices will directly affect the lives of your friends and the fate of the colony. What kind of world will you help make? Will you survive to enjoy it? Why do you remember doing this before?

You have your whole life ahead of you. Will you spend it studying in school, or diving into the intriguing flora and fauna of this new world? Will you introduce space-age technology, or live in harmony with nature? Will you battle massive beasts, or nurture future generations? Realized in brilliant watercolor, the world of Vertumna is yours to explore."

This is a visual novel by Finji which features other gameplay elements such as stat-raising, adventuring, and deck-building with strategic card battles / puzzles. There are 10 dateable characters.

You can buy it from itch.io here, from Steam here, from the Nintendo Store here, or from the Playstation Store here!

[thgfanfictionlibrary]

Teen and Up Rated Fics Masterlist (33)

Part 1-Part 24 / Part 25 / Part 26 / Part 27 / Part 28 / Part 29 / Part 30 / Part 31 / Part 32 /

Created: March 14th, 2024

Last Checked:—-

Abernathy, TX-Gamemakers (ao3) Summary: Effie's betting on the charm of rustic Abernathy, Texas to make her new bed and breakfast a success. She can't deny that proving Haymitch wrong is really part of the appeal. Or, how Mike's Hard Lemonade, posies, and a claw foot tub might just have saved her life.

we’ll prove ‘em wrong again-Abagail_Snow (ao3) Summary: Peeta’s on his last leg as captain of the Panem Football Club. Based on Ted Lasso. When There are Clouds in the Sky-Abagail_Snow (ao3) Summary: Peeta returns from the Gulf War a changed man, and only Katniss can reach him. When You Go Through The Valley-dracoisalooker76 (ao3) Summary: Peeta Mellark is seventeen and dying from terminal cancer. With the help of his best friends, Finnick and Johanna, he has made a list of everything he wants to do before he dies. Topping the list of desires is falling in love. Modern Day AU. *Based off the novel 'Before I Die' by Jenny Downham Wide Awake-Ally147 (ao3) Summary: "The sight of her now, bopping around in their kitchen, darting between steaming pots and pans in just his shirt and a simple pair of cotton panties is better than any other remedy for a long day. In the space between blinks, he’s more alive, more awake than ever." Wilderness Log-Alliswell (ao3) Summary: What if they had run off into the wilderness before the Quarter Quell? Where would the go? Would they get on each other’s nerves, or travel in harmony? Willow Grace-Broken_everlark (ao3) Summary: This is based off of the song Zoe Jane by straind. (It belongs to them not me) Witch Maidens-Alliswell (ao3) Summary: Halloween-y One Shot, Based on a visual prompt on tumblr by @everlarkprompts’ #octoberlark Prompts: Witches Dancing around a bonefire in their nightgowns. Yes, Primrose, There is a Santa Claus-Dracoisalooker76 (ao3) Summary: On Christmas, Haymitch reminisces about his first holiday season with the girls. Do Not Go Gentle Universe. Scenes from pre-DNGG and post-Two. You're Just You-DustWriter (ff.net) Summary: She's too infatuated to speak to him and he'd never notice her anyway...right? A light n' fluffy present day AU about the most important night in high school.

[sonnet009]

Hii been a fan since Aloners and loved Wilder and Aloners Redux and I finally got around to playing Incubus, I'm looking forward to future chapters (and more of Flea's demon form 🤭) I really enjoyed it! Sorry if this has been asked before, but what made you choose a different format instead of a typical visual novel? Love your games, thank you for your hard work! ❤

Thank you!

And, honestly, I was having a rough time at the end of last year/beginning of this one, and I got back into reading in a major way to help me cope. It really reignited my love for writing prose and I just desperately wanted to try my hand at emulating the style of a novel rather than a visual novel, mostly to see if I could. ^^;

[themuffin2649]

Miscellaneous

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8:02 - 8:18 of This Video (the egirl)

Newt: “Ok, let’s see what jump Big Bro makes”

MC: proceeds to make the easiest jump in existence

Newt: sarcatically “Wow, what a hard jump, I’m sure you can beat that guys.” Looks at the Yanderes

Leon and Vincent: proceed to both jump off the Temple, letting MC get the win.

Newt: “Naahhh, what the hell, the glazing’s crazy man!”

—————

This Song is so Vincent Core

Candle King!

Vincent grew up a very spoiled boy, so he didn’t learn patience or humility. After learning that all his friends were fake, and MC was the only one he could rely on, things start to fall apart for him.

—————

SYVNH x Alice of Human Sacrifice Parallels

The First Alice is pretty self explanatory. Reme in both Wonderland and in the Real world are antisocial killers with no remorse for their victims. However, one kills to figure out how biological processes work (does she not know google?! She probably found more enjoyment seeing it live…) while the other one kills because they were unfortunate enough to get in her way.

The Second Alice however is a little different. Leon tends to struggle a lot when it comes to revealing his feelings for the MC, while in wonderland, he’s very vocal and sings a lot. Both of them are tender men who are loved by those around them. The SYVNH Leon loved by his basketball team, and the Wonderland Leon by the people of the Blue Kingdom.

The Third Alice is kinda swapped on who woos and who is being wooed. The SYVNH Vincent was wooed by his fake friends so that he would give them luxurious items and gifts. Meanwhile Vincent in Wonderland woos everybody around him to give stuff to him. Both also live in a life of luxury and riches.

The Fourth Alice is practically Identical. Two innocent brothers (if you exclude tax evasion) who live life normally until something tragic happens to them. The only thing that’s different is the setting and the journey (one is a high school visual novel, the other is a Wonderland adventure)

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Hibernation

One of the Yanderes gets their hands of Newt’s spellbook, and they curse their rival to go through hibernation throughout the winter season. The rival starts eating a lot the day before hibernation, and nobody suspects anything, until the rival goes into hibernation and everyone thinks they’re sick or something because their heart rate slows, their body temperature decreases, and they aren’t waking up.

—————

Rose

While foraging in the wilderness scavenging for berries wearing boots do the weeds don’t scratch his legs, the boy spots something even better than berries.

“Woah! They’re so beautiful!” MC said, admiring the most gorgeous red rose bush sun kissed by a stream of light.

The boy then slightly trips, just catching himself, as he noticed how the ground was slightly uneven.

“Better watch my step…” he said, ashamed at his own clumsiness.

The boy then gently tilted one of the blooming roses and admired it. It’s petals were bright red, and it was a true beauty to look like, reminding of…

………

MC frowned, remembering that this Rose reminded him of his poor classmate Vincent, who went missing months ago. He would have loved these flowers.

Not wanting to destroy this miracle of nature, MC then snapped a good picture of the flowers before leaving to show it to his best friend Leon back at the cabin they were staying in.

He left the without a wonder as to what, or Who helped those flowers bloom big and bright.

—————

[satoshi-mochida]

Visual novel Stella of The End coming to Switch in 2024 - Gematsu

PROTOYPE will release Key-developed visual novel Stella of The End for Switch in 2024, the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu reveals.

Stella of The End first launched for PC on October 28 in Japan, followed by iOS and Android on April 21, 2023, and an English-localized PC release via Steam on September 26, 2023.

Here is an overview of the game, via its Steam page:

■ Story

The world no longer belongs to humanity. Giant machines now roam the earth, pushing mankind to the brink of extinction. Jude Gray, a wandering Courier, receives a request to deliver some very special cargo. This cargo turns out to be Philia, an android girl who is unaffected by the enigmatic Singularity Machines. Jude is left with no choice but to escort Philia to her destination, doing his best to protect her from harm and teach her how to survive in this harsh world. Together, they must traverse the hostile wilderness, avoiding threats both mechanical and human. The whole time, Philia insists she’s going to become human someday. What awaits Jude and Philia at the end of the road? Can humanity really be saved, or is it already too late…?

■ Characters

Philia

An Android Who Dreams of Being Human “If I become human… I can save everyone. I think.” An android girl discovered inside an ancient replicator capsule. Ever since she opened her eyes, she’s been fixated on finding a way to become human. Philia has a bright, innocent personality and zero real life experience. It’s up to Jude to teach her how the world works. She’s curious about everything around her and occasionally charges in without thinking about the consequences. She also has a natural affinity with AI, being able to understand them on an almost instinctual level.

Jude Gray

A Wandering Courier Just Trying to Get By “I have to protect you somehow, and shooting down threats is the only way I know how.” A man who makes his living as a traveling jack of all trades. His knowledge of technology and engineering means he gravitates toward more specialized jobs, for better or worse. Jude’s mind is always on survival first and foremost. He doesn’t allow himself to be influenced by emotions or any abstract sense of duty. An avid gun enthusiast, he often gets so wrapped up preparing his gear that he loses track of time.

Willem Grosvenor

A Nobleman Working to Revive Humanity “I have a dream. One I’ve harbored all my life.” This mysterious old man claims to be working on a project to take the world back from the Machines. He has access to highly advanced technology that has kept him alive for over 100 years. After contacting Jude via a drone delivery, Willem offers him a king’s ransom to retrieve and deliver Philia. He’s only ever seen on video calls, making his actual whereabouts a mystery.

Delilah

An Android Seeking Her Father “He’s the one who taught me everything I know.” An android rescued from a gang of bandits, who appears to be the same model as Philia. She’s been treated badly, and now has a cracked-open head, a missing leg, and a multitude of other injuries. She was separated from the man she calls her father, and is desperate to find him again.

[multi-fandom-imagine]

can you explain the Price of Flesh?

Uhhhhh...where to i start.

First and foremost it is a game that is meant for 18+. I do not recommend anyone below that age to play it due to the dark theme.

It is an amazing game, i had a lot of fun playing it

But here is the description from the site.

The Price Of Flesh is an 18+ survival horror visual novel made by Gatobob.

Plot

You begin the game in an auction, and you are what's being sold to one of three bidders. No matter who purchases you and where you are taken, you must rely on your wits and skills in order to survive your new harsh conditions.

If you are bought by Mason, you'll be taken off the grid, deep into the dark Canadian wilderness. Mason's goal is a good hunt, and you are his prize. On this path you'll not only be dealing with Mason, but the mountain itself, and all the danger upon it. You'll need survival skills, and to keep your wits about you. You'll need to manage your health, the freezing temperature, and the onset of insanity to have a chance of surviving.

If Celia buys you, you'll be taken to the basement floors of an abandoned office building. Celia is a bit high strung, and she's looking for a way to relax. Unfortunately, her preferred methods of unwinding are a bit violent. One wrong move and you may lose your life. Her path is more psychological, and you'll need to be smart and stealthy to stay alive. Unfortunately, there's no way to tell time underground- and you'll never know when she's going to come back.

Derek belongs to a sort of 'club'. If he's the one to purchase you, then you'll find out what this club is all about. In the middle of the desert, five killers bring five victims- including you. Not only will you have five murderers to contend with, but you'll have to worry about the searing heat of the desert. There's no food and no water, and the clock is ticking for your own survival- and that of the other four victims. You may need to work together if you want to make it out alive.

In the DLC you are taken in by Ren { a character from B2D and B2D2 }

<Ren is my favorite>

Fox DLC is more focused on survival as opposed to individual endings. The MC needs to appease not only Fox, but his chat as well. Therefore, this is a guide on how to complete the route, as well as any alternate methods

Mason was the hardest for me, not only because of you needing to stay warm but you gotta watch out for him hunting you. It took me a while to get the good ending. { which is finding the bear trap, setting it up and getting him} also the dude does give you shit to survive the wilderness...so theirs that i guess.

Celia's took me a bit to get the best ending since you need to keep your sanity between 20-30. I did like how she is the only one that lets you go in one of her survival endings, Sidenote. I low key find it adorable that she lets you go but you can choose to stay with her and how happy she gets.

Derek....FUCK THIS ASSHOLE AND FUCK THE PEOPLE HES WITH AND FUCK THAT DESERT. God he pissed me off, the satisfaction of offing him and his goons then escaping with the other two survivors was just beautiful.

Annnnnd now my favorite

Ren...first i gotta say that unlocking him is such a pain...well was until i actually found a good walkthrough.

I love him due to the previous games he is in first.

Second, i love his good ending, like i wanna share the screen shots of it so bad { so if ya'll wanna sit or any of the survival endings let me know.}

[kingdomofthelandofthelost]

This furiousa movie was so different from the original but it's still so good.

Fury road is a visual smorgasbord. It keeps feeding. And it's like a living storyboard. The characters leap as if from a page of a graphic novel. The movie would have all the same meaning and message if there were no words at all. We follow mad Max and he is our entry into the world in the middle of an existing conflict and we don't need him to speak because he is our vessel. The movie is amazing and worth watching any time.

Furiousa is not that. It's a Shakespearean tragedy focused around revenge. We're introduced to the main character a pure being from paradise tempts Fate to protect her home but pays for being a tragic "fool" kidnapped by misfortune she is followed by the queen of paradise and they travel deep into the wilderness.

The young princess gets the queen killed and meets the beast of the wilderness. She has paid for the loan with a pound of flesh. Then trapped by the beast Hamlet feigns madness, contemplates life and death, and seeks revenge. She joins the cult of the wilderness etching hope into her cherubic skin as a representation her innocence may be lost but not without hope.

15 years pass and It isn't until we know the beast has ruined his own herd, destroyed his pact and we know he isn't capable of forgiveness. Furiousa lures him to Argos under the pretext of shared rule that she can feed him his own flesh. In the moment he is defeated he monologues about how they are kindred. The same. That he has forged a mirror of himself in her.

We close the 5 act play with hope but it is anguish because we know how the story ends in furiousa with the beginning of fury road. That the kingdom of paradise wilts without its queen.

But seeds of light ripen between scenes. And Haratio leaves to tell the tale of the princess who returned to her people.

[animehouse-moe]

The Iceberg of Online Manga - A Reading List and Print Wishlist

We get a lot of manga in English, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. We get a hell of a lot of fan translated manga, but even that doesn't cover the whole thing. Separated by language and culture, the "untapped" potential of manga is foreign to a lot of readers, myself included really. But it's because of that deficiency that I decided to start taking a look at interesting fan translated titles to find series to recommend to publishers (and potentially read), so this is a sneak peek into my ever-growing list.

It's also an open request for people to share their favorites from the online manga sphere! As a single person it's impossible to find all the hidden gems, so being able to share titles between one another can really help widen horizons.

Sui and Neri of the Twilight Planet / Tasogare-Boshi No Sui To Neri

In a way, it reminds me of Girls Last Tour, a sunsetting planet that explores the oddity of a du in their life. Not quite as bittersweet or contemplative through what I've seen so far, but still very pretty and detailed. Lots and lots of hand drawn background art, and some really good layouts and paneling.

Poison Poison Forest Forest /Doku Doku Mori Mori

Mushroom on Mushroom violence, with a healthy side of grim visuals. It's got all the punch you could expect, and has a pretty novel approach to what you could consider a revenge story. Still early on so not a mountain of stuff to go off of, but at the very least what there is is good.

Captain Momo's Secret Base / Momo Kanchou No Himitsu Kichi

Tsuruta Kenji, the mastermind behind the art of Emanon (and other series), need I really say more? Regardless, with Tsuruta's art behind a lighthearted and curious series of a woman travelling through space alone with a cat, it's an undeniably enjoyable ride. Though do be warned, there is quite a bit of nudity featured as Momo prefers going commando to wearing clothes.

Every Every Night / Yona Yona Yona

An incredibly strikingly designed robin hood-esque story, Yona and her crew go on nightly missions to try and steal back art that was originally stolen by a corrupt police force. Creative, expressive, fun, and impressively detailed and unique, it's got quite a bit of potential!

The Feared Witch of Tasihou / Taishou Kitan Majo

Mixing the Western practices of Witchcraft with a Taishou-era Japan setting? A cultural combination that I'm truthfully surprised we haven't really seen yet. Add onto that the incredibly unique and sketch-like art style (and the wonderful color pages) and it's just a super easy pickup.

Welcome to Hotel Metsäpeura / Hotel Metsäpeura e Youkoso

A little hard to explain succinctly, but this is the story of a trio, two men and a teenager who they find standing outside their hotel in the Finnish wilderness in the middle of Winter. Characters with... interesting pasts, it's a story about providing not just a house, but a home to this young boy on his own.

The Ends of A Dream / Yume no Hashibashi

This is one that I'm really quite desperate to get in print. It's an emotional story of a pair as they retrace their forbidden romance through the years that have evaded them as they reach the end of their lives. A painfully beautiful concept that I really hope to see licensed someday.

Will You Clean This For Me? / Kirei Ni Shitemoraemasuka

Alright, something a little more light and fun! A story of a laundry (though it's really sorta general cleaning) shop as they go about their daily life, even offering a few tips and tricks to better cleaning things. Simple idea that has some pretty clear care put into it, and is just the right thing to relax with.

Amber Days and Golden Nights / Kohaku no Yume de Yoimashou

Let's keep the good vibes rolling! Another specific interest series, this time about craft beer. Kenzaki Nana's a burnt out employee at a Kyoto advertising firm, but happens to stumble across the Shirokuma bar. With just one night she ends up pulled into the world of craft beer, and our story begins! Very fun and light, and a really cool area to see explored by manga.

The Dragon, The Hero, and The Courier / Ryuu to Yuusha to Haitatsunin

Nothing like some good old comedy at the expense of someone else. Yoshida, a half elf, is a mail carrier for the Imperial City of Idazig that will deliver mail to anyone, anywhere. With the breadth of fantasy and middle-ages history expressed early on, there's a lot of creative potential for humor alongside the really wonderfully scratchy and sharp art.

Deep Sea Aquarium Magmell / Magmell Shinkai Suizokukan

My friend Phantom would kill me if this wasn't on the list. Anyways, it's a series about a deep sea aquarium employee in Tokyo. Very cool, very informal, and incredibly beautiful. I love how much they work with blacks and darkness in the art.

A Coffee Shop in the Unwaking Town / Samenai Machi no Kissaten

I love stories that are incredibly odd and quiet, and this is no exception. Suzume one day finds herself unable to wake up, stuck in the unwaking town Lutetia. It's in this town that she works at the coffee shop known as 'Quatre'. From the moment I laid eyes on it I knew I'd enjoy it, a unique concept paired with standout art, it has such a comfortable feeling to its experience (as well as offering a few recipes).

Living In an Antiquarian Bookstore of The Karakida Family / Karakida-ke no Kosho Gurashi

A simple story about three girls inheriting their grandfather's shop in the heart of the largest collection of used bookstores, Kanda-Jinbouchou. A very calm and borderline mundane story that is supplemented with some truly beautiful art.

And that's all this list has in it for now! Of course I've got more I can chat about, but I thought these to be the most promising in my perusing of the internet. Best of all though? All of these are available (to some degree) on MangaDex! If you want to give them a shot they're there. And really, do feel free to add to this list with your own online finds, I'd love to find all sorts of unique and creative manga that we don't get to hear about in the English sphere!