#with background elements of Devil May Cry

[tenaciouskittynightmare]

Thank you so much!! Yeah Ahti is going to be an honorary grandpa to an OC of mine for the Heaven Knows saga (which is the name of the series of this massive crossover) I have been tooling with since 2017. And I’ll give you a spoiler her dad’s adopted dad Cor (yes that Cor from Final Fantasy XV) is very suspicious of Ahti as is her vati (dad in German). In fact her dad wonders if his daughter telling her family about Ahti’s visits was a wise idea. I’m still working on incorporating the Remedyverse into the lore of Heaven Knows so it’ll be a while till the meeting occurs.

I just read your fic It Will Happen Again and I couldn’t help but snicker at your comment of Ahti being the unknowing cool uncle in the comments section. It’s funny because I’m actually writing a big crossover fanfic which will contain elements from the Remedyverse and Ahti will appear in it. I’m a bit nervous of posting the entire saga online because I’m still working on it and I can get anxious about if my work is up to a high quality but I would like to be as well loved as your work is.

First of all, thanks for the wonderful compliment on my fanfic. ‘It Will Happen Again’, and by extension the TZE AU series of Zaneling fics, is something that’s fun for me to write, and I’ve got a doozy of a next entry coming up.

And it’s cool you’re writing your own fanfic and including Ahti. I am ALSO be doing an Ahti shipping fic with him and Director Ash Sr (don’t ask how or why, it’s becoming a rather bittersweet tale). I feel like Ahti is super under-appreciated in fanfics for how universally loved he is by fans, and I intend to fix that slowly but surely.

As for your nervousness, don’t be! My best advice is to not compare yourself to other stories. You just need to make something you feel is good enough, because fanfics are inherently super self indulgent, and if you try and go by metrics you will end up in a vicious loop (or a spiral, if you will XD). That being said, if you’re passionate about this project, people will find it. Passion finds passion on the internet, I find. And when that story comes out, please do let me know! I’d love to see what you’ve come up with

[writing-in-sin]

DMC FIC SERIES: NEVERCRY

As I've stated in the post about my thoughts on Netflix's DMC, I'd like to write my own AU for Devil May Cry. It wont be a fix-it or a canon-divergence to the series but simply my own AU

It's based on the Netflix series but will heavily use elements from the games and ofc, there'll be my own spin on things as to how I'd like to imagine a DMC universe can be and how to worldbuild it

Some important changes to this AU:

- Gonna explore on how Sparda rebelled, the war between worlds and him meeting Eva

- More on Dante's past and how he got into hunting

- There's a very important connection between Vergil and the White Rabbit

- Unlike in the series, Temen-ni-gru exist but has a different background compared to the games

- No excessive cursing (I've got nothing against cursing but I'm not a fan on how it can take the majority of someone's vocabulary in a conversation) so I apologise for those who like it but this Mary won't cuss as much like in the series

- Initially, Mary use firearms as her weapons like in the series but eventually her fighting style will be that of a priestess because I was disappointed that her being the descendant of the priestess was never explored in the games

- Dante x Lady will be endgame...eventually. It'll be a slowburn though 🤣

Anyways, there'll be 9 fics for the Nevercry series:

1. Blessed Tree

2. Reign of Freedom

3. Fallen Light

4. Inside Calm

5. Midnight Mist

6. Crown of Leaves

7. Praise by the Water

8. Black Sky

9. Devil’s Chance

Wish me luck because I really wanna write Nevercry one day but until then, it'll be put under ice 😭🙏

[ponett]

I have a bit of a crackpot conspiracy theory for SLARPG if you haven't gotten tired of talking about it yet. Basically, is Allison or her mom supposed to be a character action game protagonist? Allison has directional attacks that exploit specific enemy weakpoints based on their appearance, and the ability to affect the background music. Both of these mechanics can also be found in Devil May Cry and Sunset Overdrive. Her mom is the only character who can jump across gaps and blow up doors. Is Allison accidentally suppressing her true power by using an RPG combat system when she's supposed to be doing air combos?

allison's whole fighting style is very much influenced by other genres of game, yes. (and, by extension, i suppose amelia's is as well.) character action games are one element, but i would also point to fighting games and old school beat-em-ups. and also just, like, shounen battle anime

allison's directional attacks are actually a leftover from a combo system i wanted to implement early on using a script from yanfly, which would have made that influence even more obvious. you would be able to do a few different directional attacks and/or a sword slash in real time when allison's turn comes up, and if you did specific input sequences it would trigger special moves. (this is also sort of like sabin's blitz moves in ff6, except the individual inputs are all attacks in and of themselves.) i abandoned this almost immediately because it felt overwhelming in a game that otherwise had no active input mechanics during combat, and also because lisa uses the exact same script to some extent and i didn't want to be seen as riding their coattails. but i was able to turn the directional attacks into their own skills to retain some of that flavor

[ben-talks-art]

I think I'm a little mixed on this movie...

I think the movie kinda peaked right here for me.

I went into this thinking the whole movie was going to be basically like this scene, just these three girls killing demons and kicking ass while going back and forth between looking silly to looking super stylish, sorta like some sort of Devil May Cry meets Kpop.

I was pretty hyped for it!

But... The rest of the movie doesn't really go this route exactly. This is more like... Devil May Cry if it was a webtoon.

(spoilers)

You guys know that series "Odd Girl Out?" That webtoon that started out about a group of girls exploring their friendship as they go through personal struggles and they grow closer as we learn more about them... And then they throw the girls away to focus only on the main lead and her bond with some bland and generic boys?

Yeah, something similar happens here.

The movie starts with the girls looking awesome and being awesome, singing cool songs, acting goffy, doing some fun action scenes with some great animation while performing their show at the same time due to some really clever lore that explains why they need to mix Kpop into it...

And then the other two girls slowly get pushed into the background as we go on, and the movie becomes more about the main girl, her problems, and her bonding with the main guy from the evil boy band.

I don't know if I'm alone in this but I feel like the other two girls were a tad wasted.

They later explain why, the main girl has a secret that makes her feel isolated and wanting to not open up to them, so she opens up to the evil guy instead... But I just kept thinking, "Why not do it like Turning Red? Have the girls find out early on about the secret and have them explore how that affects them through the rest of the movie."

But... Instead, we build this sorta-romance between this teenage (I don't know how old they are) girl and this guy who's probably thousands of years old who... I'm sorry, I just found it very unappealing.

I found the main guy soooo boring, and he's in so much of the movie taking screen-time that I wanted to have gone to the girls exploring their friendship.

I also found the demons overall kinda underwhelming. There are two of them, a bird and a tiger, that are sorta charming, but all the other demons are there just to be killed like if they were made of paper.

Even the main bad guy, I was expecting some sort of really epic final boss and a really epic final fight... But they just sing a song (mind you, a really good one, all songs here were great) and they beat him.

I don't know, I assume I'm gonna be in the minority in here but I expected a little more.

I would have been fine with a story about the two girls helping the main girl deal with her struggle by maybe relating to their own struggles and do some sort of Kung Fu Panda 1 thing where by helping the other person deal with their problems they also find a way to help themselves.

But their friendship, to me at least, while charming and engaging, feels unexplored.

The main girl basically does everything. She starts the problems, she chooses how to handle the problems, and she eventually is the one who solves the problems.

The two girls have very little agency, which sucks because I loved them! I loved watching them come up with songs together, and going to the doctor, and fighting demons in a bathhouse. I loved seeing them together and I wanted more. But the movie seemed to care more about the main girl and the main guy.

(Kinda like a lot of webtoons now that I think about it, who have these trends of "The main girl is the only one that matters" and "Let's focus all our attention on the shipping!")

It's still a fun movie. Again, It's basically Devil May Cry if it was an idol webtoon. But I can't help but feel the story chose to focus on elements that really don't appeal to me personally, while giving me a lot of elements I wish it had focused on more.

I can see how many people will love this. I wish I could love this, but it just didn't hit the right buttons for me.

(Maybe if they make a sequel?)

[valdrinors-writing]

Break In To Break Out Profiles; Yusuke Kitagawa, the Fool, aka Ace

In honour of my re-publishing of Break In To Break Out, I decided to take a page out of @symphonic-scream's book and make a profile for all my BITBO Party Members! Much like their post, my post will have little headers to make it more organised

Before The Plot

Much like the protagonist of Persona 5, Yusuke Kitagawa was arrested for assault and shipped off to Tokyo to live with a family friend while on probation. However, I have given him a bit more background lore than that.

When Yusuke was 3 years old, his mother died under mysterious circumstances. His father - who had left the family when he was young - was no where to be found, so he ended up in the foster system. A quiet and somewhat reserved kid, he wasn't really seen as the perfect target for adoption...

Until Yukino Mayazumi decided to adopt him. Yukino loves Yusuke and treats him like her own kid, she inspires him to perform his art and is very overprotective and passionate when it comes to him. (A much better parent than Madarame in canon lol)

When he enters Shujin, its immediate that he's only been brought in for media attention. Shido has an obsession with making the school 'look better', so Yusuke is the perfect target... And when he sees Yusuke as a threat to his perfect school, he orders Futaba to leak his record

Then plot stuff happens and he becomes the Trickster, Chosen One and Wild Card

Yusuke's Persona, Element and Weapon

I kept Goemon as Yusuke's Persona, but I changed his element. His element is Bless, but due to having multiple Personas he can have multiple elemental affinities and weaknesses

For his physical weapon, he keeps his katana. He prefers to wield it two-handed, and uses it more often than his ranged weapon, which is the same assault rifle as canon. Short and sweet lol

Yusuke's Phantom Thief Identity; Ace

Yusuke's codename is Ace! It matches the card-theme that canon Joker has, and refers to him being "The Ace in the Hole". It also links to ace being another term for Master - like master artist

His mask is a dual toned Venetian mask, with black on one side and white on the other. The duality motif fits him quite well, due to being a jack of all trades in combat

His outfit is very different than his canon one - I decided to give him a much more Joker inspired outfit, with my other inspiration being Vergil from the Devil May Cry series. He wears a navy long coat with a silver rope-belt around the middle, dark grey undershirt, tight fitting black leather pants, and the same white motorcycle boots as in canon. He also wears light blue gloves

Yusuke's Outfits

Yusuke's Shujin Uniform is worn pretty much to the letter - he wears the same polo, pants and loafers as everyone else, with no real decoration to be seen

In Summer, he wears the same polo as the rest of the boys, but with the top buttons slightly unbuttoned

His fall/spring attire is inspired by his fall/spring attire in the games - dark grey blazer over a white, long sleeved shirt with red and pink details, black pants and black ankle boots

His summer attire is inspired by his summer attire in Persona 5 Strikers (and also his voice actor's casual attire) - knee length indigo vest over a black t-shirt with a white flower pattern on the left side, light blue jeans and black loafers

For the winter, he wears a ultramarine, military style coat over his summer t-shirt, retaining the black pants and black ankle boots from his fall/spring attire

tbh his attires are less important than the rest of the phantom thieves so i went a bit basic with him lol. I originally wrote him having longer hair but he has hair p much the same length, however, he clips back his bangs with barrettes in order to prevent it from falling into his eyes

Yusuke in Strikers

Much like Joker in Strikers, Yusuke returns to Shibuya in order to catch up with his friends over Summer break

He's returned home and is much happier and more open than he was when he left, but while he has gained friends at his old school, he misses the Phantom Thieves. He actually takes being on the run from the law - again - pretty well, all things considered

His outfit is much more expressive than his outfits in the original game - dark purple, short sleeved button down over a black t-shirt, indigo jeans and black plimsoll shoes. He also has a collection of cuffs on his right hand, both being black and white checkered

[linkahavocz99]

Hey man metroid dread was just GREAT. Still thinking about it—got it for christmas 2021. It’s short but since I got the 100% I dropped like 30 hours into it (I do not know of this ‘speedrun’ of which yall speak). Probably the best fusion sequel you could ask for. Scary as hell. Lots of fluids. Samus is such a badass and dear lord the way this woman MOVES. On a mf mission. The blue? Great color on her. Mwuah cant wait for prime 4.

On a similar note I think the world is in need of some new “t for teen” games. I was one of those lucky kids that was able to play t games from a super young age but m games? Oh boy did I have to fight tooth and nail for that. My parents indulged the metal gear ramblings for most of middle school and I had actually bought a copy of mgs3 without owning a playstation yet since it was only $8 at the time (things sure have changed a lot in….six years I think? Wow I’m old). I think my mom was like *okay* with that one since I bought it with my own money and it has a stellar political thriller element to it so at least I’d maybe learn something? Anyways when I was 15 I got a ps3 for christmas, and it game with a couple of games from the seller (assassin’s creed 2, modern warfare, bioshock, a ghost recon, the first resistance game, force unleashed, I think a cabela’s shooter?, most interestingly—kane and lynch 1, some other cods and stuff). I thought long and hard and really dug into review scores to decide which games I wanted to keep and which ones I probably wouldn’t get much out of (I’m just not a big cod fan…) and I parted ways with kane and lynch. Whether my mom liked it or not there were m-rated games in the house now, but at least her daughter had enough foresight to remove that vile-looking thing from the area. She went on to let me play all no more heroes titles (which I also bought with my own money—I was the biggest free advertisement for nhm3 in town) so let that be a lesson that everything exists on a scale. Sometimes I regret that decision to resell kane and lynch—I like to consider myself someone willing to play or watch or do anything at least once. Art is art, even if I don’t like a particular piece.

My point is—great stories can be told with any sort of rating. I’ve played excellent t-rated games (twilight princess, the metroid franchise, most fighting games) and some life-changing m-rated games (metal gear, devil may cry, bioshock even though the ending sucks, rdr1 HOLY SHIT THAT GAME STOPPED ME FROM KILLING MYSELF, hell even darkness 2 has some of the most innovative fps gameplay I’ve ever seen). My game of the year last year was astro bot (e10). I just got puyo puyo tetris 2 on steam to play with friends on discord. It’s all around you man. Everything—EVERYTHING that is a labor of love is right in front of you. I’m a firm believer in consuming media of all types and shapes and formats and themes, but if you got a mom who doesn’t like swearing, sometimes it’s nice to have a t-rated adventure game you can play in the background of her phone call

[blackrosebookstore]

Aiko Sparda

Name Aiko Sparda Race:: Demon/Deity Hybrid Gender Unlike my other version of Aiko, this version will almost always be in her female form. Yes, she can shapeshift and yes she may be able to change genders or modify her gender but she will mostly be all female.

Background and other Character Stuff 

Aiko is the daughter of Sparda by the ancient Greek goddess Gaea. In gratitude for all Sparda had done not just for the humans but in protecting her realm, Gaea gave herself to Sparda as his Consort. Aiko's conception came about because of this alliance. At her core, Aiko is perhaps a study in contrasts being not just the daughter of a goddess but showing all the signs of her demon blood as well. Her demon aspect is both Fury and Succubus and as such she is prone to great passion as well as great rage. As Gaea's child, she is more of a peaceful healer and guardian of the woods being the most like the nymphs. She has a tendency to bond to any plants that are in her vicinity for large portions of time as well as having a tree within her mother's garden that she is the dryad to. 

Aiko's childhood was longer than those of her brothers due to her divine blood. She was raised in her Mother's garden where time and realities gather together. Each part of the garden reflects a part of history or a reality and the health of the garden is a reflection of the worlds that Gaea is connected to. Aiko is and will always be the youngest child of Sparda because of this fact. She did have some contact with the modern time of course and has been exposed to her brothers regularly throughout her late childhood and her teen years. Aiko has just pretty much come into her own and is finally no longer treated like a baby by her father or her mother whom she loves very much.

Unlike her brothers, Aiko is primarily a mage. Her gifts are highly magickal and she is dedicated to Hecate [goddessgift.com] the Goddess of Magic as well as serving Freya [goddessgift.com]. She has some seer abilities as she is a Dreamer and walks the world of Dreams sometimes while she sleeps. She is then able to while in a trance draw the contents of those dreams out onto paper. As far as her powers go, her element is fire and she has a vast collection of nature magick as well. Her style of magick is more Wicca than anything else although it is also comparable to a sorcerer who shapes the energy of magic with their will alone. Aiko runs two businesses out of the building she occupies just down the street from Devil May Cry. The first is a pagan bookstore called The Devil's Rose which reflects her place in her father's life as well as a tribute to her heritage. The second aspect of her job is as a witch or magickal consultant. She does for a fee (although that can be waived in some cases) everything from protection spells and charms to locating lost magickal artifacts. In fact, her store room under the shop is quite amazing having just about anything she would ever need within it. She has a tendency to collect things that just might come in handy some day. The shop itself sells everything from mythology books and grimoires to herbs and ritual items. She has clients that come from many different realities perhaps knowing that she understands all to well about good quality ingredients for spells and the like. When she had come to this reality, she had been uncertain at first about starting up her bookstore but with her brothers' help and her father's help, she got the store up and going thus being able to continue her life without to many changes. She appreciated the help, she really did and she always pays her debts. The wards around the shop aren't just her doing but hold some of her Father's energy as well as a sort of back up for when she's ill or weak. The wards around The Devil's Rose are set so that when they are at full strength (High Alert) only those who bear Sparda's blood may get in since it assumed that none of her brothers or kin would want to endanger her life.

Aiko is allergic to holy water that was blessed by the Christian Deity because of her divine blood so must use water blessed by deities her mother is allied with. Otherwise, she has no actual allergies although she does have a much lower alcohol tolerance than Dante has unless using her demon blood to burn through it. She only has one tattoo and it usually only shows in her demon form. It is a demon sigil that depicts her lineage and standing in the demon realm. It is usually located on her ass but sometimes decides to move for reasons of its own.

To be at her best, Aiko requires one of two things. These are lots of nature energy around her or regular sex. Both of course would be great but she doesn't always get both. Regular sex is especially useful in keeping her healing ability at top strength since otherwise she will heal almost as slowly as a human. She is also more resistant to damages if she's been fucked recently.

Weapons

As stated before, Aiko is not a warrior but she does as a daughter of Sparda have weapons of her own. Aiko tends toward daggers and swords more than firearms.

From Sparda, she has a sword that was made long ago during the time when Sparda was a true demon. This sword is sentient and hungers for blood as well as for justice although usually a rougher sort of justice than what Sparda's later weapons would thirst for. In fact, the sword's name translates from the demon tongue roughly to 'Dark Justice' and is capable of passing judgement upon someone's soul. Of course this is only because it was re-forged after Sparda's ascension to godhood. Anyway, this sword can change it's form and currently is occupying the form of an old style rapier. Aiko is incapable unless in full demon form of lifting the sword's true form as it is a massive weapon. Aiko came into possession of the sword by touching it when she was little more than a toddler and bonding with the weapon almost instantly although against her Father's wishes. Sparda has done his best to help her learn to use and enforce her will upon the sword since she is much weaker physically than her brothers. In truth though, her sword has grown fond of her and wouldn't be parted from her even if she tried to get rid of it at this point. One of the forms it has been tending to take lately is this [cbswords.com].

Aiko also has an athame called Dragon Claw [kaswords.com] that she had a friend make for her when she was dedicated to Hecate. This weapon is primarily for use in magick and not as useful in actual battle although in an emergency can be wielded to do some damage.

Aiko also has a preference for tantos and short swords proving once again that she is not meant for combat in the same way as her brothers. Aiko is adept with throwing knives.

Powers, Abilities, etc (WIP)

Aiko because of her triple nature has different abilities that are related to each of her three aspects. She can of course use any of them at any time but it can on occasion shift her aspect primarily toward whichever aspect the ability is linked to.

General

Seer --- When Aiko dreams, she sometimes walks the world of dreams and sees things of importance. After she awakens, she draws what she sees out while in a trance.

Witch ---- Aiko is dedicated to Hecate and does act as a witch. Her style of magick is more Wiccan than anything else. She can sense magick in people and items as well as work spells.

Fire --- Aiko's primary element is Fire and she can control it if she wishes. She is not particularly adept at this gift yet as she has had no need to be. It is unlikely she will burn unless the fire is magickal in nature though.

Heightened Senses ---

Fury

As a Fury, Aiko can sense guilt as well as sometimes see what crimes a person has committed within the past 24 hours. She is especially enraged by those who harm women or children and takes special vengeance upon such. Like many Furies, Aiko can drive a guilty person mad although she must be pretty pissed to do so. She puts off a certain energy full of rage when she is acting as a Fury. She can also create and use a flame whip when she is in her Fury aspect.

Succubus

Feeding --- Aiko has to feed regularly either by an exchange of energy via a kiss or sexual activity. Also, feeding will heal wounds and help accelerate her healing abilities for illnesses. The only things that can't be healed through Feeding are soreness and colds. When well fed, Aiko is more resistant to taking damage but this is only a small bonus to her natural toughness. ((I'm still working out how often she needs to feed.))

Sensual Aura --- Aiko can be very distracting and can let off an aura of raw lust and passion when she lowers her barriers.

Sexual Diseases --- Aiko is immune to all 'mortal' STD's. She is not immune to magical STD's or STD's from the Demon realm.

Nymph

Herbal Potency--- Aiko can strengthen the potency of herbs for use in healing or potions. She could also with practice develop the ability to amplify the non healing uses of herbs as well. This works the best with fresh ingredients but she can also strengthen potions with herbs in them that are already made.

Poison Immunity --- Aiko is immune to all plant based poisons. 

[connorsmith47]

Music-Focused Games

How is music used ( background, gameplay element?)

What do you like about it?

How does the music add to the experience?

Guitar Hero-

Beatstar-

Brutal Legend-

Fuser-

Devil May Cry 5-

Doom 2016-

Rhythm Thief-

really simple as its designed for kids!!

[gear-project]

I remember years ago that you speculated that the OutRage were all sentient elemental beings like youkai that Sol sealed into instroments(kinda like how Dante from Devil May Cry turns the souls of the Devils that he defeats into weapons). Do you still think that the theory is still credible with all of the new information since STRIVE came out?

Well, if you've been following my OutRage and GG Weapons tags, then you know there's a lot of pre-existing information and history on the Jinki as well as Youkai and War Relics.

For context though, I've written down the basic definition of an Instroment as a Magic-infused object.

In general, the Conclave (and even the P.W.A.B.) have been fearful of the OutRage ever since they recovered pieces of them, which is why few have ever seen the Jinki in action, since according to Sol many weapons and War Relics were kept in Harden Fortress, and even Asuka R. Kreutz is cautious when mentioning the OutRage or even the Saint Oratorio Lab Cannon.

But in case it wasn't obvious, two of the Jinki in particular have emitted some unique supernatural powers already.

Thundersealed Sword: ---Has been known to regenerate itself as well as emit powerful Time-seal Powers. ---When Ky performs "Rising Force" (his Instant Kill…) a Sylph-like being appears behind him (GGX sprite version)… it is very similar to Elves or Elvish beings with long ears in appearance and long hair. In the latter Xrd version, an Angelic being is superimposed on the background of Ky's attack.

Zessen Void Fans: ---Was used as a Barrier over the Japanese Dimensional Colony and early lore suggested it could only be activated by Japanese Bloodlines for their own protection. Aside from this, the fans have multiple forms and sizes when they shapeshift similar to Gears. ---When Anji performs ZETSU (his Instant Kill), a Wind Dragon appears underneath him which he rides atop until it hits his opponent.

Justice' Body Armor: ---While not entirely 'sentient' it transforms in accordance with her will, almost like a symbiote (in fact Eddie's Shadow Organism Body and Angra's Hair Curse are derived from lost Gear technology that can shapeshift in a similar manner). This property would later be inherited by most Valentines. ---While Dizzy does not bear Armor herself… the OutRage logo has appeared in her "Magic Crest" alongside her Gear Seal crest in early sprites of her design from GGX to GGXX. Dizzy also has uniquely shapeshifting abilities similar to this armor. Dizzy's clothing does transform as well to suit her needs.

Tyr: ---The young mysterious boy who fought alongside Kliff Undersn during the Crusades, while he doesn't have a clear-cut backstory… everything about him suggests he was transformed in to a Gear since fusing with the Dragon Fenrir. ---Aside from his dangerous powers which can transmute matter in to virtually anything, Tyr has been known to RESONATE with the existing OutRage Jinki… which suggests they were semi-aware or cautious of him. ---In his sealed state, he took the appearance of a Dragon Statue-like Deity which the Japanese people revered and respected… that is until Geena broke into the colony and woke him up with her Fire Magic… she lost her hand in the skirmish as a result!

Non-Jinki Weaponry of Note: ---While it is not a "Jinki" like the others, Nagoriyuki's sword appears to be possessed by a Gashadokuro "Hungry Skeleton Ghost" when he performs his Overdrive WASUREYUKI. Also the sword is known to "grow" in length in an almost symbiotic-like way to help Nagoriyuki feed when his Blood Lust increases. ---Ramlethal Valentine's RATTLE blades lift their seals to transform in to long Red Katanas during her ANIMO ESTINGI "Soul Extinguisher" Instant Kill, but aside from the swords… Ramlethal's CLOTHING is something akin to an ORGANIC MOUTH… in previous Xrd appearances, Ramlethal's Mouth-Coat could transform in to a chain-saw like blade during her throw attacks, but it can also shapeshift her entire body in to an energy BOMB. While the Coat had a more organic appearance in Xrd, it was somewhat altered in Strive, and has something similar to cybernetic teeth now, though the technology behind the coat is a bit of a mystery… suffice to say most of Ramlethal's and Elphelt's clothing was "formed" in the Backyard. I wouldn't be surprised if Elphelt's outfits were semi-organic as well. ---Flament Nagel is described as a "Magical Foci Beast" in some descriptions… though it's closer to a Youkai or "Treasured Heirloom" Tsukumogami (Similar to Roger, Bridget's Teddie Bear) that somehow became sentient… obviously he's been around since the Crusades and even fought Slayer… but he was stuck in an Armory for a number of years at Frasco until A.B.A. found him and started calling him Paracelsus after her creator. He prefers to be treated as the Blood Axe that he is… though how he came to be is still a mystery. ---Izuna's TRUE FORM is that of a Kanzashi… while it is NOT a weapon, it is a hair ornament, though even if that's the case, Izuna has his own "ornamental sword" which he can brandish in the name of justice if needed.

This all being said, it is no small feat to say that Sol Badguy's OutRage Mark 2 was responsible for killing a Demigod like I-No. It utilized the Firesealed Sword as its core, but in addition it utilized the Flashing Fang jinki (Senga) which Sol used to create the Junkyard Dog Mk. 3 during Xrd's events. The Firesealed Sword is already famous enough for being the weapon Sol used to defeat Justice (among many other Gears he has killed with it)... but well... a weapon that can surpass Infinity and Crush Zero speaks for itself...

Well, there's still plenty of mystery behind the Jinki...

The Dominator (Ekitoku "Increasing Fervor") suggests it is a weapon that gets stronger with every use... like the ultimate Amplifier (and Jinki are ALREADY known to amplify Magic as part of their basic nature).

The Baikal... code-named after the Deepest Freshwater Lake in the world... should also speak for itself... but it is called "Kojouhaku" (White on the Lake) in Japanese... suggesting it has control over Mist (not just Water)... we've known Johnny's Engetsu sword can generate powerful draws in the form of "Mist Finer", but his master Unchou apparently wields a spear that can strike even FASTER that this... while I cannot say for certain if the Baikal is related to Master Unchou Hirufumi, only time will tell if we learn more history about Johnny's past.

[sxint]

BASIC INFORMATION.

Full name: Saint Matthieu Warden (insp). Nickname: Sainty, Satan Birthdate: 30th of May 1991 Age: 29 Zodiac: Gemini Sun | Gemini Moon | Gemini Rising  Gender: Cis male Pronouns: He/him Romantic orientation: Biromantic Sexual orientation: Bisexual Nationality: British/French Ethnicity: English/French Ranking: Virtue Affiliation: War

BACKGROUND.

Birthplace: Monte Carlo, Monaco Hometown: Worlingham, Suffolk/ London, UK Social Class: Upper Educational achievements: 1st class honours degree in Politics and Economics from Oxford University Father: Warlock Warden Mother: Gabrielle Warden Sibling(s): Remus Warden, Juno Warden

Pets:  Indiana (8 month old doberman) Previous relationships: A handful of fast burning relationships, a year and a half with Kitty Mallick Arrests: 8 official arrests (theft, vandalism, breaking and entering, possession of drugs, affray)   Prison time: Bailed out within hours of each arrest. Apart for the 6th time where Warlock made him stay in a cell over night to think about his actions, it didn’t help.

OCCUPATION & INCOME.

Current occupation: Head of global distribution at Bellum Nova/ Virtue of War Dream occupation: Horseman of War Past job(s): None Spending habits: Sporadic, cautious for the most part but can be easily tempted into spending. Especially when it comes to food In debt?: No

SKILLS & ABILITIES.

Physical strength: above average Speed: average Intelligence: above average Accuracy: average Agility: average Stamina: average Teamwork: He’s gotten better with it over time, although he prefers to work alone should it be an option. He finds it hard to trust others even with simple tasks and has a superiority complex where he thinks he will do said task better himself Talents: Persuasiveness, problem solving, warmongering, impersonations (particularly good at his Remus impersonation that sounds practically identical)  Shortcomings: Emotionally unavailable, competitive, vengeful, relatively fearless and has no impulse control   Languages spoken: French, English and Spanish Drive?: Yes Jump-start a car?: Yes Change a flat tyre?: Yes Ride a bicycle?: Yes   Swim?: Yes Play an instrument?: No Play chess?: No Braid hair?: Yes   Tie a tie?: Yes   Pick a lock?: Yes   Cook?: No

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AND CHARACTERISTICS.

Faceclaim: Max Irons my beloved Eye colour: Green Hair colour: Dark blonde/light brunette Hair type: Slightly curly texture but kept short enough that it appears straight   Glasses/contacts?: Wears glasses to read and also has deuteranomaly colourblindness (has difficulty differentiating red and green) inherited from Warlock. Dominant hand: Right Height: 6″3 Weight: 86kg or 13.6 stone Build: Tall, muscular but carries slight weight around his middle because he loves carbs and knows how to have a good time Exercise habits: Regular jogging in the morning with Indi, gym throughout the week for weight training Skin tone: Type II Tattoos: Stick and poke tattoo of devil horns on the back of his calf given to him by Mitzi Zhang. The word ‘victorieux’ on his ribs in gothic script (insp). Doberman portrait (insp). Piercings: None Marks/scars: Lightly freckled, small birthmark at the back of his bicep on his left arm, dagger scar near his abdomen Clothing style: Monochromatic and sleek but likes wearing knitted jumpers and slogan tee shirts when he’s being more casual. Also lives in grey sweatpants when he’s at home. (Insp, insp, insp, insp). Jewellery: A 1950s manual wind Rolex with leather straps and a 18k yellow gold watch face. Given to him as a child and it belonged to his grandfather (insp). Allergies: Pollen Diet: Carb heavy, lives off bread and cheese, also has a real sweet tooth due to not being allowed to eat a lot of sugar as a kid.

PSYCHOLOGY.

MBTI type: INTJ, the architect (Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Judging) Enneagram type: The Challenger (Resilient, protective, vengeful, insensitive) Moral Alignment: Chaotic evil Temperament: Choleric Element: Air Emotional stability: Changeable and unmanaged. Saint would rather shut down than address his feelings, he gets embarrassed and shy about having them and see’s them as something that gets in the way. Introvert or Extrovert?: Introvert Phobias: Atychiphobia - Fear of failure Drug use: Recreational, favours cocaine and MDMA. Not so much since Remus’s issues with addiction   Alcohol use: Drinks a glass of red wine before bed every night Prone to violence?: Yes Prone to crying?: No Believe in love at first sight?: He used to, but not anymore

MANNERISMS.

Accent: Southern British, occasionally has an air of French when relaxed or tired. Also a slight lisp and deep and softly spoken. (insp). Hobbies: Shooting guns, walking/training his dog, depressively eating bread on the kitchen floor whilst listening to radiohead Habits: Smoking cigarettes, drinking wine Nervous ticks: Jaw clenching, fidgeting with his hands, smoking Drives/motivations: To exceed others expectations of himself Fears: Abandonment Sense of humour?: Dark and dad jokes Do they curse often?: Oui

FAVOURITES.

Animal: Dogs Beverage: Cabernet sauvignon Book: Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk Colour: Blue, being red-green colour blind it’s one of the more vibrant colours that he can see Food: Gratin dauphinois served with crusty bread. Marzipan filled croissants or cherry bakewell for dessert (he loves almonds) Flower: Roses Gem: Sapphire Mode of transportation: Aston Martin Vantage   Scent: Black Opium (kitty’s perfume)  Sport: Rugby   Weather: Thunderstorms Vacation destination: South France  

ATTITUDES.

Greatest dream: Becoming Horseman of War Greatest fear: Being eradicated and forgotten at his siblings’ hands   Most at ease when: Alone at home where he can be himself without the pressure of performing for other’s   Least as ease when: In groups with new people that he doesn’t know Biggest achievement: Being Gabrielle’s favourite child   Biggest regret: Falling in love and getting caught

[americangodstalk]

Cultural background for Czernobog

Here is what I wrote for Czernobog’s cultural background (note that I also added Bielobog in it, for reasons obvious to the novel reader)

Czernobog (or Chernobog, the “black god”) and Bielobog (or Belebog, the “white god”) were Slavic deities worshipped by the Polabian Slavs, and a representation of the fundamental duality of the Slavic mythologies (some even considered them Western Slavic nicknames for the dualistic gods Perun and Veles). While they are some of the most widespread and well-known Slavic gods in popular culture, their existence is heavily debated. Indeed, there is no absolute mythological proof of their existence, only late records by foreign Christian scholars and suggestions of their existence in Western Slavic language and culture. The most common theories are that they are an invention of Christian monks, a misunderstanding of the worship of Perun and Veles, or minor local deities given much more importance by the Christians writings during the Christianization of the Polabian territories.

According to foreign Christian sources, from the 12th to the 16th centuries, Bielobog was a benevolent god of good luck, light and the day, and Czernobog a negative god of misfortune, night and darkness. While Bielobog was honored so that he would bless humans with good things, Czernobog was honored so that he would not bring harm to humans. It was said that Czernobog was worshipped through human sacrifices, only human death and human blood being able to appease him. Christian priests taught that Bielobog was actually the Christian God, while Czernobog was the devil or Satan – to the point that some consider Bielobog and Czernobog to have originally been naturals gods of light and darkness that the Christianization of the Slavs turned into figures of good and evil (the same way the other dual gods of Slavic mythology, Perun and Veles, were compared to God and Satan by the Christians).

Outside of those written records, other elements possibly attest the existence of the two gods. Two mountains were named after them (Czorneboh and Bieleboh) because they presumably hosted their cults, though it is considered that these names are 18th-century inventions. The Arabian medieval historical account “The Meadows of Gold” mentions an idol at the top of the Black Mountain, depicting an old man surrounded by ants, ravens and black-skinned people: it has been considered to be Czernobog. Several towns and places in Russia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic might have been named after the two gods. Several expressions and sayings were also linked to the deities: “May the black god smite you!” (Ukrainian), “To not see a white god” (Serbian), “To cry out a white god” (Bulgarian) or “I have no white god from this man” (Bulgarian, means that someone lacks good will). Finally, the folklore of White Russia mentions a supernatural figure named Bieloun, an old man with white clothes and a white beard, appearing only during the day and helping all the unhappy people he meets, be it guiding lost travelers or sharing the peasants’ labor.

Chernobog’s name was heavily popularized thanks to Disney’s adaptation of “Night on Bald Mountain” in the musical movie “Fantasia”. Depicting the witches’ Sabbath according to old Russian legends, the devil leading the infernal reunion was called “Chernabog”, a reference to Chernobog, though Walt Disney and Deems Taylor both explained that Chernabog was the same as Satan.

[passionate-reply]

This week on Great Albums: how the heck have I gone this long without a deep dive on Ultravox?! I mean, I named “Passionate Reply” after one of their songs, for crying out loud! Find out what makes *Quartet* my very favourite of their albums. Transcript below the break!

Welcome to Passionate Reply, and welcome to Great Albums! Today, I’m finally getting around to talking about one of my all-time favourite bands: it’s Ultravox, and their 1982 album Quartet. Quartet was the sixth album to be released under the Ultravox name, and the third to feature their best-known lineup, fronted by Midge Ure. While the band’s classic lineup would never match the impact of 1980’s “Vienna,” they enjoyed fairly consistent mainstream success through the mid-80s. Their preceding LP, Rage In Eden, produced only two singles, but both were well-received.

Music: “The Thin Wall”

While none of the four classic lineup LPs are what I’d consider skippable, I do think Quartet is the strongest of them overall, as an album. Vienna has great highlights, but feels like a varied patchwork of different ideas. Quartet, though, is probably their most cohesive work, both musically and thematically--in addition to boasting some of the most iconic singles of their career, like “Hymn”:

Music: “Hymn”

The sweeping grandeur of “Hymn,” and the way Ure’s powerhouse vocals propel the insistent urgency of its pleading hook, make it a very easy track to fall in love with, and it’s easy to see why it was a hit. We can read its lyrics as an earnest request for a just reward from God, or the vain wish of a crass and selfish believer who wants what God is too good to give, or perhaps the struggle of someone who wants God to make the world right, but knows there is no God listening...or, more darkly, that the God listening isn’t benevolent enough to fix things. Given that “Hymn”’s music video portrays each member of the band making a deal with the devil and being consigned to Hell for it, at least some level of irony is probably intentional. It could be argued that Quartet is a concept album about music itself, and the choice of the very meta title of “Hymn” for this track makes it fit in nicely alongside tracks like “Serenade” and “The Song.”

Music: “The Song”

A memorable closing track if there ever was one, “The Song” is perhaps the clearest representation of the motif of music as a dangerous, but irresistibly beguiling force, that draws us in against our will and does with us whatever it wants. The emphasis on rhythm really sells that idea here, seeing as rhythm is far and away the element of music we are most likely to react to involuntarily--tapping our feet, swaying in time. Quartet is the Ultravox album where their percussionist, Warren Cann, really gets a chance to shine. While Cann had a background in playing traditional rock drums, he also fully embraced the potential of mechanical percussion, and the allure of hypnotically perfect rhythm. Rather than seeing it in opposition to his practice, Cann would go on to combine elements of both live drumming and electronic percussion on many Ultravox tracks. Cann also delivers some backing vocals, in his deep, Canadian-accented voice, on the track “We Came to Dance”:

Music: “We Came to Dance”

The dark and slinky “We Came to Dance” would prove to be a successful single for Ultravox, though the single version would omit Cann’s spoken part in that bridge. But lest you think every track on Quartet is entirely percussion-propelled, look no further than the single that preceded it, “Visions In Blue”:

Music: “Visions In Blue”

With its tinkling piano, tense moments of silence, and one of Midge Ure’s more dramatic and virtuosic performances on lead vocal, “Visions In Blue” is a slice of baroque pop that bears a strong resemblance to “Vienna,” Ultravox’s original smash hit. Overall, Quartet has a bit less rock and roll to it than much of Ultravox’s other work, and particularly when compared to the heavier guitar solos of their preceding album Rage In Eden. That said, there are still several tracks here that are more guitar-driven, such as “Mine For Life” and “When the Scream Subsides.”

Music: “When the Scream Subsides”

The cover art for Quartet was designed by the famed Peter Saville, who would work with Ultravox for several of their best-known releases. Saville was inspired by renderings of architecture, and the four traditional views or angles from which a building is shown on plans or blueprints. From left to right, the cover of Quartet presents an imaginary building from each of those angles.

Given the more overt riffs on Cubism and Surrealism found on some of the single sleeve designs from the same period, I’m tempted to think the ghostly, empty architecture portrayed in the “metaphysical paintings” of Giorgio de Chirico may have also been an inspiration here.

The title of Quartet also suits the fact that at this point in their career, Ultravox were, indeed, a four-person band. While somewhat prosaic in that sense, I like that it calls attention, once again, to that theme of “music about music” that I mentioned earlier. While a lot of rock bands are comprised of four players, the term “quartet” is more strongly associated with classical and jazz, and I think those connotations enliven the baroque touches of tracks like “Visions In Blue.”

After Quartet, Ultravox would release one last album with their classic lineup, 1984’s Lament. Like Quartet, Lament would stick to a more cohesive theme--as its title implies, it’s a fairly morose and despondent album, with more gothic themes than their prior work. Lament was also a hit for them, with the single “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes” becoming one of their best-known and best-loved tracks.

Music: “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes”

Lament was the last album to feature Warren Cann, who was dismissed over creative tensions during recording sessions for their 1986 follow-up, U-Vox, shattering the classic lineup that had brought them so much success. While Cann’s absence is far from the only thing wrong with U-Vox, I do think it played a significant part in the album’s poor reception, which would eventually lead to the abandonment of the Ultravox name altogether.

My favourite track from Quartet is “Cut & Run.” While I like it mainly for its thin synth blasts in the beginning and those delightfully 80s breath samples, it’s also one of the most sinister compositions anywhere in the Ultravox catalogue. “Cut & Run” basically glorifies suicide, in a pretty straightforward manner, portraying the act as “something spiteful and true.” To contemporary ears, it’s truly almost shockingly taboo, and I can’t imagine any artist getting away with it nowadays--especially not when placed alongside “Hymn,” and the demonic themes of its music video. Ultravox basically did substantially more than Judas Priest ever did to encourage devil worship and suicide, but I suppose their foppish synth band aesthetic let them off the hook? Listen for yourself, and see what you think. That’s all for today--thanks for listening.

Music: “Cut & Run”

[system-threat-detected]

Hello yes this is my gut reaction post to the new Horizon Forbidden West trailer. Ya know, besides the crying and dying. I will not be freaking out about the new machines here, that will be reserved for a different post, probably. Story elements and character stuff ONLY!

Anyways. Here we go.

HELLO miss Utaru woman, for some reason I thought you would be in the east and not the west, but I’m glad you’re here anyways. 

Looks like she is having some problems growing her crops because of this mysterious red plant. Who do we know is in charge of mysterious plants? That’s right! Our good friend DEMETER! I’m a little surprised we’re seeing such aggression from this flora-loving subfunction, especially since (I can only assume) it developed Corruption Glaze Root found ingame specifically to combat corruption poison. 

Speaking of subfunctions, who do we know is in charge of the weather? AETHER! It would seem we will be dealing with at LEAST two of the subfunctions we didn’t cover in Zero Dawn! I for one am excited to see how this is handled, since AETHER has always been a little nebulous to me. Maybe we’ll see some kind of airship base designed to help it monitor the atmosphere, or some tall mountain base. That landmass in the right of this screenshot looks suspiciously like it’s floating, but it could also simply be perched on top of something blocked by the scary red plant tendrils. 

Hello there. And who are YOU? Not enough blue to be Tenakth, too much armor to be Utaru, not enough red handprints to be a bandit, though it could be some kind of bandit superclan. Are those cannons on your arms? Whoever you are I love you. 

Are those palm fronds on your shaman friend in the background? I’m excited to meet you. 

Is that halfdome? Are we in northern California, Yosemite? This could be the new tribe’s territory, or possibly part of the Cut. 

But I think I’m going to have to go with a new tribe. Oseram do not dress like this, and they for SURE don’t know how to override machines. (yet)

The Bastard man Sylens has returned!!! And he’s watching something mysterious fall from the sky! What do we know that exploded on launch? That’s right kids! The spaceship Odyssey! In 2065, Elisabet Sobeck sent a message to the other Zero Dawn Alphas that Odyssey failed, presumably destroying everything on the ship, including the Alpha build of APOLLO *eyes emoji*. Could this be some debris from the ship, falling to earth from orbit?

Another theory is that AETHER has some kind of space station in the upper atmosphere, as that is its job. These could be energy bursts from it trying to cause some cool storms, like we saw earlier in the trailer harassing that poor Utaru woman. 

But back to Sylens. Looks like the Bastard Man himself is teaching this new tribe how to override machines. We saw in the end-credits scene that he recaptured HADES, and the red tendrils tell me that HADES is being forced to cooperate with Sylens’ plans, so now Sylens has an army, I guess. We know he’s only after knowledge, but will do anything to get it. So I’m interested to find out what he wants an army for. 

AND he took his lance back from the HORUS processor that HADES was occupying, and the Master Override with it. This scares me. Like a lot. Things are not looking good for the other subfunctions, or Aloy, who now has no way to purge them. Though I suppose since Sylens doesn’t have Alpha privileges, neither can he. 

Thanks buddy, I’m sure that won’t backfire on you or Aloy. My mans likes causing problems on purpose, apparently. 

Hello what’s this? Architecture like we’ve never seen before, or the arms of a Metal Devil. New dungeons to explore, or capital of the new tribe? 

The lightning and aspen trees suggests this is in Yosemite, so my best guess is this is an entrance to the new clan’s territory/their main city proper. I’m loving the painted(?) designs though. 

And of course, the underwater mechanic makes me think that we may run into POSEIDON, but the quick glance we were shown of swimming Aloy gave no insight as to where or what that subfunction might be doing.

In conclusion. I am very very very excited for this game. Sony take my money. 

[jmsebastian]

Why I Hope The Future of Castlevania (if There is One) Remembers Lords of Shadow

Some time ago I wrote about the two DLC chapters for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and why you probably don’t want to play them. Those chapters are extremely disappointing and not representative of the game as a whole. As such, I always meant to write about the main game, but found it difficult to focus on something specific. Straight out reviews can be fun, but this is a big budget popular game we’re talking about. There are tons of reviews out there for it already. Instead, I want to talk about why the first installment of the series is still monumentally important to the franchise as a whole and why there are more lessons to learn from it for any future installments than there are to be learned from any other game in the series.

For any who don’t know, Lords of Shadow acts as a complete series reset. Several little elements from the original canon, if you can call it that, make their way into the game, though often in very different form. As I don’t get hung up about continuity or canon, this was an obvious good choice. It allowed MercurySteam and the folks at Konami to incorporate the things they liked about Castlevania without having the constraints of finding space within a pre-existing history. And like so many reboots, the story they chose was an origin story, both of the Belmonts and the series constant antagonist, Dracula.

Essentially, Lords of Shadow chronicles the birth of Dracula by way of the game protagonist, Gabriel Belmont. Unable to overcome the grief from the death of his wife, Marie, whom he killed while under the influence of belated antagonist, Zobek, Gabriel acquires incredible power and defeats Satan. Even after declaring to believe in forgiveness and receiving the forgiveness he so desperately seeks from his wife, Gabriel still descends into despair. We learn at the very end of the game that he’s forsaken humanity and become Dracula.

As the Lords of Shadow series broke away from the previous Castlevania timeline, so should a new 3D Castlevania game break away from the Lords of Shadow timeline. The poor reception to Lords of Shadow 2 killed that series and there is no point trying to bring it back. I’m certainly not eager to see a new origin story, but there’s no reason to think a new game would need to start at the beginning. Just as the original NES Castlevania started centuries after the first Belmont took up arms against the vampire lord, so too could a new title start at any point along a new timeline.

As large a departure from the source material as Lords of Shadow’s story was, the way it plays departed even further. Granted, none of the 3D entries truly capture the spirit of the 2D entries simply due to the nature of moving in 3D space. Castlevania and Legacy of Darkness for the Nintendo 64 adhered the closest, while Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness for the PlayStation 2 ventured more into brawler territory.

Lords of Shadow is heavy on the platforming, but rather than trying to time a perfect leap over a pit and Medusa head, you instead shimmy across ledges and use your whip to swing across gaps and repel down walls. It’s much more akin to how platforming works in a game like Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time or the rebooted Tomb Raider series. This allowed the game to showcase its art direction very specifically. Since the game controls the camera at all times, they could position you exactly how they wanted to give you pause at majestic waterfalls in the background, or exaggerate the sense of scale against towering bosses.

While I prefer camera control to rest with the player, there is something to be said for the framing that a game controlled camera allows for.

While I love the more ridiculous and difficult platforming of the Nintendo 64 games, there is a steep learning curve to it. On top of that, the hallmark problems of 3D platforming (issues with camera position and depth of field) have never really been solved. The negative impact of the symptoms may have been lessened over the years, but the core issues remain. That means you have essentially have to choose where to focus your game. Do you put your effort into making your platforming as excellent as challenging as rewarding as possible, or do you focus on the action elements?

Lords of Shadow focused largely on the action. The game is most satisfying when you have small groups of weaker enemies to tear through with your favorite combat techniques, or more difficult single enemies where you have to learn their patterns so you can time your dodges and blocks effectively. The only real complaint about the combat system is that many of the techniques that you can learn feel frivolous. Upgrading a handful of the basic ones is more than enough to get you through and it’s quite difficult to remember the numerous button combinations needed for each new technique you learn. It’s easy enough to use two or three that you know well and ignore everything else.

The more interesting aspect of combat are the various relic powers. These add holy or demonic magic properties to your techniques depending on which type of magic you have activated. I prefer these types of upgrades because they don’t require you to memorize a new set of commands for a marginal benefit. They simply amplify the effectiveness of certain techniques, and push you toward using certain ones. Having more of these that you could select from would have been a nice way to round out the combat without further complicating it. This is something I’d prefer to be lifted from the game rather than the basic combat elements. After all, there are other action games like Devil May Cry or Bayonetta that serve as better combat templates than Lords of Shadow.

The outstanding question you may be asking is “why make a 3D Castlevania game at all?”. It’s a fair question. The games from the series that have really stood the test of time are those in 2D. The legacy of the classic NES titles and the Igavania titles is well-respected and lives on through an abundance of games that took inspiration for a reason. Igarashi himself managed to put together a spiritual successor to both Symphony of the Night and Dracula’s Curse, cementing that legacy for a long time to come. There is no such legacy for the 3D entries.

As much as I adore the quirks and charm of the 3D entries in the series, I’d be lying to myself if I said any of them were truly outstanding. Lords of Shadow may have come close, but its shortcomings are too numerous and the legacy of the series as a whole tarnishes even the brightest elements. Castlevania deserves a truly outstanding 3D game. The opportunity for it is there, so long as whoever makes it learns the lessons of how and why games like Lords of Shadow fall just short.

[solynaceawrites]

Wires [4]: Frustration

Rating: Mature Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death Categories: F/F, F/M Fandom: Devil May Cry Relationships: Dante/Original Female Character(s), Implied Nero/Kyrie, Implied Vergil/Original Female Character(s), Implied Lady/Trish, Dante/Lirael Thorne, Dante/Lir Characters: Dante, Morrison, Nero, Original Female Character(s), Lirael Thorne, Lir Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Violence, Gore, Dark, Horror, Supernatural Elements, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Serial Killers, Angst, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut Summary: In Red Grave City, a serial killer stalks the streets. Lirael Thorne, recently transferred from Fortuna and looking for an escape from her past, winds up on his trail. Hunting him with her veteran partner, Dante Redgrave, they try to piece together the wires that bind the three of them together. In a race to catch him before he leaves more victims in his wake, the things thought buried will come to the surface, tearing lives and comfort apart.

»»————-　⚜　————-««

“Death and life are the same thing- like the two sides of my hand, the palm and the back. And still the palm and back are not the same . . . They can neither be separated, nor mixed.” —Ursula K. Le Guin

»»————-　⚜　————-««

Lir takes Simon Marson’s statement with a grain of salt. It’s not that she doesn’t trust him—she doesn’t trust lawyers as a whole, but nothing so far has given her a reason to believe he’d outright lie—just that she’s learned firsthand how memories get clouded and fuzzy, particularly about routines. Sure, their victim worked for him. And, yes, she probably did the exact same thing every day, going to her paid internship at her father’s office Monday through Saturday, taking Sunday off, and spending Friday night bar-hopping with her friends. Yet there’s simply too much Marson was unaware of. The questions of who her friends are, what she did when she wasn’t working, her hobbies, any potential lovers, hell even where she lived, are all ones he provided no answer to or understanding of. To him, Sophie truly existed only in the hours between 8:00 am and 6:30 pm. Which isn’t exactly unusual, but it makes her job of following those leads harder, and she ends their interview feeling more irritated than she had when she started.

Dante, too, must be frustrated, because he says nothing at all to her when he leaves the observation room to join her at their desks, merely clacking angrily on his keyboard as he types his report. Lir does the same, transcribing the interview with Marson and her notes to send to Morrison later. A stiff drink is what she needs, maybe a call to Joan for a bit of relaxation, but she settles for chewing aspirin and drinking the bitter coffee unique to precincts. By the time she’s done recounting the events of the last thirty-six hours, her fingers are stiff and the throbbing in her temples has turned into a fierce clawing that makes her eyes water, and she’s keenly aware of the fact that they’re fast closing in on the forty-eight hour mark and how much more difficult this investigation is going to be beyond it.

“You eaten?” Dante asks. Lir shakes her head, and he picks up his phone, dialing quickly. “Me neither. ‘Bout to keel over, if I’m honest. You good with pizza?”

“Sure. Whatever toppings are fine.”

He flashes her a grin before speaking into the receiver, and Lir uses the time to read back over Trish’s findings. They aren’t pretty. While there were no ligature marks, showing that Sophie was neither restrained nor strangled, there were heavy levels of Rohypnol in her blood, meaning she would have been unable to do anything at all. In fact, Trish notes that the dose probably would have been fatal, given the fact that Sophie was well over the legal limit for intoxication, clocking a BA of 0.16%, putting her at the threshold for alcohol poisoning. Did she normally drink so much? Lir runs her fingers over the paper, frowning slightly as she thinks. Joan hadn’t said much more about Sophie’s habits other than her cocktail of choice, and they hadn’t asked for a receipt, a stupid oversight that needs to be corrected. Because if that much liquor was’t common for Sophie, it means either she was drinking a lot more, which could lead them to recent stresses.

Or that the killer was feeding her margaritas all night to make sure she was too weak to fight him.

“There was no phone recovered from the alley, right?” she asks. Dante gives a grunt as he hangs up the phone, and she leans back, stretching to relieve the tension in her shoulders. “We’ve got to find her friends, talk to them.”

“What about the mother?”

“Gone. Parents divorced when Sophie was . . .” Lir checks her notes. “Six. The original custody agreement was for the mom to have supervised visitation, but she went no contact when Sophie was twelve. The last Marson heard from her, she was living with her new husband in Portland.”

Dante whistles. “No contact? Think Marson was abusing her?”

“Maybe. But why would Sophie hang around, if that was the case? You watch your dad beat on your mom for six years and wind up working for him?”

He grunts and leans back, crossing his arms over his chest and staring thoughtfully at a spot just over her right shoulder. “Abuse doesn’t always make it to the kids,” he says after a moment. “Sure, maybe pops was an asshole, but he was probably smart enough to keep it behind closed doors. Or maybe there wasn’t anything goin’ on other than two people who didn’t want to be together anymore.” He pauses to take a sip of coffee. “Could have been mom, too.”

“Right.” Lir massages her temples, and the pressure there subsides enough that she no longer feels like her eyes are going to burst. A migraine is the last thing she needs right now, but that’s exactly where she’s headed if she doesn’t get some sort of rest soon. “So, we have a victim whose father knows nothing about her personal life, a killer who was smart enough to make sure we couldn’t trace her beyond the bar, and, after nearly forty hours, no real answers.”

“Sounds about right.” Dante’s grin is bitter.

“Fuck.” She drums her fingers on her desk. “Crime scene still roped off?”

“As far as I know. You plannin’ a visit?”

“Yeah. I need to get some air, and I want to take it in now that it’s quiet.” Lir grabs her coat from the back of her chair as she stands, sliding it on before leaning to open her desk and grab her gun and badge. Fastening them to her belt, she mutters, “Maybe something got missed.”

Dante gets up, stretching with a loud yawn. “Alright. I’ll go with you.”

“I don’t need—”

“I’m not babysittin’ you, Lir.” His eyes are somehow both grave and mocking, and she’s not sure which irritates her more. “There’s a killer. None of us should be goin’ out alone, especially with the statistics about who else might show up there to get their jollies.”

That gives her pause. “Right. Okay. You driving?”

He dangles his keys. Lips twitching, she turns and heads down the stairs and out to the lot, listening to the quiet thumping of Dante’s shoes as he follows her. For someone so big, he doesn’t make a lot of noise when he moves, and she wonders idly if it’s a force of habit or just how he is as she slides into the passenger seat of his car and fastens her seatbelt. Like always, he flicks on the radio and finds a classic rock station before starting the drive, and he ignores her popping two aspirin into her mouth and chewing them dry. 

The ride back to the alley passes in the silence between them. Lir looks out of her window, the rain sliding along the glass turning the world outside to a muted painting of blurred shapes and bright flashes of color on an otherwise dreary background, and thinks. Sophie Marsons had gone to the bar, as was her usual weekend habit, and ordered her preferred drink. Had she gone with friends? Had they danced, and laughed, until a stranger stole into their group, with eyes only for Sophie, eyes full of murder that she might have mistaken for desire? Despite what she had said to Dante about their victim being chosen randomly, Lir has little doubt that she knew her killer. Statistics point to it, the inevitable need for the comfort brought by familiarity that a new killer needs to do his work. Statistics, the voice of her old academy instructor rasps in her mind, are statistically incorrect.

If Sophie wasn’t the first, then there’s another victim out there.

Cold, bitter rain lashes her as soon as she steps out of the car. Huffing, watching her breath condense and twist in the air, Lir pulls her hood up around her face and tucks her hands into her pockets, wishing she had a slicker even if the garish yellow color of it would make her stick out like a sore thumb. Dante joins her, grimacing as he sets a black trilby on his head, water dripping from the brim steadily. “Good thing we already got forensics,” he mutters.

“Mm.” Making a non-committal noise in her throat, she ducks under the crime scene tape and walks into the alley, where she stands and takes it in. Without pedestrian and vehicular traffic on the street, it’s unnervingly quiet; is this how it was at four in the morning? Nothing but silence as the dull oppressiveness of the city while Sophie was carved open like livestock? 

Lir is moving towards the dumpster when something rustles behind it. Pausing, she stares at it, her brow pinched and her hand moving slowly to her gun, waiting. Cat, she thinks, or rat. Something digging for scraps now that humanity has gone away. But the silhouette she can just make out on the other side is too large, and, as she watches, a tanned hand grips the edge before a rain-soaked head pokes cautiously around, the eyes that she sees wide enough that the whites are like spotlights. Behind her, she hears Dante hiss, the faint splash of water as he slowly comes up beside her. Looks like he was right. Someone else had shown up, and now all that’s left to do is figure out whether or not they’re the murderer.

“Police,” Dante barks. “Don’t move!”

The man jumps to his feet and takes off, and Lir lets out a string of curses as she darts after him. They always fucking run, guilty or innocent, because seeing a cop always makes them feel like they’ve done something wrong. Bearers of bad news, thugs with guns, she’s heard it all, and she wonders how this guy thinks of the police even as she chases him down the winding alleys of a city she’s already growing to hate. “Thorne!” Dante shouts, his voice dwindling as the distance between them grows. “Goddamnit, Thorne!”

Up ahead, the black coat swirls as the man rushes through the maze. Sometimes all she has is a glimpse of fabric as he turns a corner, others, on the straight, narrow stretches, she can make out more of him, and her mind catalogues these snapshots. Slender build. Dark jeans. Heavy boots. The glint of a ring. A pair of wild eyes peering over his shoulder. Despite knowing she should draw it, Lir leaves her gun holstered. Don’t you ever, her instructor had said gravely, take that thing out unless you intend to shoot, and she’s got no desire to fire a bullet that would at best embed itself harmlessly into a wall and at worst ricochet and cause more damage.

Her hood falls back, rain plastering her hair to face and neck. In her chest, her heart is a drum, and her blood roars in her ears, equaled only by the low whistle of her breathing as she tries to control it to fight off fatigue. Keep moving, she tells her legs, don’t fucking stop until you know who he is.

At her hip, her radio crackles, only to be ignored. Right now, it is only her and her prey, locked in the chase until one of them is forced to stop. Guilty people run, sure. So do frightened ones. Which is he? Killer or morbid onlooker, dangerous or afraid? 

Lir never gets the chance to find out. They burst into a side-street, the cars around them blaring horns of fear and anger at this sudden intrusion, and a hand clamps onto her shoulder and yanks her back as a truck passes through the space she’d been about to step into. By the time it and its trailer clear out, the man is gone, and a scream bubbles in her throat that she fights to swallow. She knows who grabbed her—the scent of Dante’s cologne, muted by the rain, wafts into her nose, accompanied by the spiced, salty blend of sweat and deodorant—and she allows him to lead her back to the sidewalk, where she doubles over with her hands on her thighs and struggles to slow her breathing from the harsh, jagged pants to something close to normal. At this angle, she can make out the way water has turned the leather of his shoes a dull brown. Never gonna look nice again, she thinks, and closes her eyes against the swell of nausea that comes from exertion on an empty stomach.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” Dante growls, his voice rasping and hoarse from chasing her. “You ever stop to think for a damned second that we’d need backup? Or that chasing that idiot could have gotten you killed?”

The scolding makes her angry all over again. “I’m sorry,” she snaps, straightening to glare at him. “Should I have let our only lead so far go?”

“If it meant surviving? Yeah, you should’ve. Or were you hoping to wind up like Marsons?” His eyes are cold with fury, his cheeks flushed with it. “I told you, I fucking told you—”

Lir’s phone rings, cutting off whatever tirade he’d been heading towards. Scowling, she answers it. “Thorne.”

“You with Redgrave?” Morrison asks, crackling with static. 

“Yeah.” Dante makes an impatient motion with his hand, and she holds up a finger in the standard request for a minute of silence.

“Get your asses over to Tellula Park. He’ll know where it is.”

There’s something so foreboding about Morrison’s tone that Lir knows the answer to her question before she even asks it. “What’s there?”

Morrison sighs. “Another body. Looks like our killer didn’t want to wait for us to catch him.”

“We’ll be there.” She hangs up, then looks at Dante, frustration and defeat welling within her to make her voice curiously flat. “There’s another victim in Tellula Park.”

Dante curses. “Our guy?”

“Morrison said it was,” she replies.

He glances around, studying the street sign at the intersection. “C’mon. Car’s about two blocks away. We’ll have to book it if we don’t want Morrison to rip us new assholes for taking our sweet time.”

Lir nods. Dante turns and starts down the sidewalk, and she follows, craving a drink and a good night’s rest and maybe a bit of company, angry to have wasted time on some idiot onlooker when the killer was busy leaving them another corpse, another family to notify, another twisted web. I didn’t know, she thinks, and that just makes her feel worse. Tunnel vision, that’s what she had fallen into, too focused on what was in front of her nose to take a second to really contemplate if a killer who took such care not to be noticed would have been so stupid as to come back to the scene of his crime in the middle of the day with cops still around. 

They’re sweating and miserably damp by the time they reach the car. Dante pulls towels from the backseat for them to sit on—something her father had done, to keep water from damaging the seats—and turns on the heater to fight some of the chill. It’s only once they’re on their way to the new scene that he says anything at all. “It wasn’t your fault.”

Lir’s head snaps towards him at both the words and the sympathy within them. Not that it’s unusual for cops to know how their partner feels, but usually that takes years of working together, not days, so either he’s particularly good and reading the people around him or he’s projecting. “What?”

“The new victim,” he explains. “Wasn’t anything you could have done. We had and have nothing to go on, and you chasin’ that guy didn’t get this one killed. Or,” his mouth twitches, “do you think you’re better than every other cop on the force?”

“Of course not,” she protests hotly. “I just . . .”

Dante cracks the window and lights a cigarette that he pulls from the pack in his door. “Look,” he says, exhaling smoke, “I get it. You’re new, gotta prove yourself, and this guy is a pain in the ass. But you ain’t got any control over him, or what he does. Only thing you can do is learn, be better, so you can catch him.”

It’s spoken in the same tone he might have used to console a weeping toddler, and she bristles. “You don’t know me.”

“No, but I read your file.” He glances at her as he tosses the cigarette, still half-lit, out of the window. “You know what was top and center on the behavior section? Empathetic. You feel things, Thorne, feel ‘em deep, maybe, and that’s great for gettin’ inside the head of whoever’s doin’ this, but it means he can get inside your head, too, if you let him.”

She sinks into her seat, thinking of her dream, and gooseflesh breaks out across her arms despite the warm air blowing from the vents. “So what’s your drive, then? Fame? Promotions?”

Dante snorts. “Nah. Just don’t like bastards who hurt women, that’s all.” He pauses, then exhales slowly. “Look. I’m not gonna rat you out to Morrison. You made a decision that anyone else would’ve made. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t a fucking stupid decision, but . . . It stays between us. Right?”

There’s a rush of gratitude that she hates feeling. “Yeah. Okay.”

“Okay,” he agrees amicably.

[ironclark]

Keyblade Cards - Devil May Cry Set 1

REDGRAVE SPECIAL

A Keyblade modeled after Sparda from the first Devil May Cry game! The Keyblade is designed to have reach and high damage, but lacks good defense! The majority of the Keyblade is designed after the Devil Arm Sparda, with the teeth being formed from the Axe/Spear transformation of Sparda. The bottom of the hilt is designed after the horns of Legendary Sparda's Devil Trigger. The Keychain and Token are designed after Dante's Amulet.

The World Logo is Mallet Island, where the first game takes place. The design is based on the concept art for the island, with the logo being based on the Mission Start font! The name is a reference to Ebony and Ivory being specially made guns for "Tony Redgrave".

CRYING DEVILS

A Keyblade modeled after Dante and Lucia from Devil May Cry 2! The Keyblade is designed to have several strike abilities! The shaft and teeth of the blade are designed after Dante's unique and more human-like Devil Trigger, with a Red Orb at the center. The center of the hilt has the Amulet accessory that is unique to DMC2. The hilt and handle of the blade is designed after Lucia's angellic Devil Trigger. The Token is designed after the two-sided coin Dante uses.   The World Logo is Dumary Island, where the second game takes place. The design is based on Ouroboros Tower, with the Hellgate generated in the center. The text is based on the Mission Start font as well! The name comes from that "Devils Never Cry" term coined by Lucia. 

JACKPOT

A Keyblade modeled after the Rebellion from Devil May Cry 3! The Keyblade is designed to increase the drops by enemies! The shaft and handle of the blade is designed after the awakened Rebellion wielded by Dante. The teeth of the blade come from Dante's Devil Trigger in the game making a very vague backwards 3. The guard is based on the combo wheel featured in the game. The Keychain is designed to be once again after Dante's Amulet.

The World Logo is Temen-Ni-Gru, the Demon Tower where the third game takes place. The design is the Rebellion and Yamato crossing infront of the Tower with their Amulets. The name is designed after the Mission Start logo. The name is based on Dante's catchphrase! JACKPOT!

HELLION

A Keyblade designed after elements from Devil May Cry 4! This Keyblade is designed to help juggle enemies easily! The shaft of the blade is design after Nero's Red Queen. The Teeth of the blade is formed from the crack of the Nero's Devil Bringer, fusing with the Yamato Devil Trigger claw.  The center of the guard is the skull from the Rebellion. The handle of the blade is based on the Yamato, bringing the Sparda weapons to a circle. The hilt of the blade is designed after the Savior's halo. The Token is the necklace Nero bought for Kyrie. The World Logo is Fortuna, where the 4th game takes place. The design has one of the towers of Fortuna, with the Savior's halo framing it. The font and background is based on the menu screen from DMC4. The name comes from the fact that Nero, and Dante as well, are Hellions. 

FAMILY TIES

A Keyblade mainly designed after the new Devil Arm Dante from Devil May Cry 5! This Keyblade is designed to have increase in all combat capabilities! The shaft and handle of the blade is designed after Dante's new Devil Arm...Dante. The teeth of the blade are based on the Super/New Devil Trigger form of Nero. The hilt of the blade is designed to have the Qliphoth vines and tendrils.  The Keychain is based on the neon lines formed from the Devil Breakers, and the Token is that of the Qliphoth fruit that Urizen is creating. The World Logo is Redgrave City, part of where the 5th game takes place. The design is the Qliphoth tower destroying Redgrave City. The font is inspired by the menu screens from the game! The name comes from the heavy family centered plot. 

NO REDEMPTION

A Keyblade designed after the Nephilim elements of DmC: Devil May Cry! This Keyblade is designed to have increase in both Lightness and Darkness strength! The shaft and handle of the blade is designed after the rebooted version of Rebellion and its shapeshifting properties. The teeth of the blade is based on the Angel form of Ophion. The hilt of the blade is formed from the Arbiter's demonic teeth. The keychain and Token are based on the new Amulet design for Dante. The World Logo is Limbo City, the main setting of the game. The design is based on Mundus' building, with the effects of Limbo creating two wings, and the camera eyes of Mundus on the center. The font is slightly based on the logo itself. The name comes from the Combichrist sound track released for the game. 

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