#fingies need to make things

[blightandshiningarmor]

9.36 Dragon, Vigil's Keep

Lady Chancellor Fyre Cousland of Highever, Warden Commander of Ferelden, Arlessa of Amaranthine, Champion of Redcliffe, Veteran of the Fifth Blight, Hero of Ferelden Zevran's wife

This is utterly and unapologetically self-indulgent. No composition, no symbolism. Just them. There's a story behind it, though, as the title implies. Full piece under the cut because I like the cropped one better.

I swear I'll draw something else, eventually, but replaying DAO always affects me deeply.

[majorshatterandhare]

I’m thinking about how the Mechs use energy, because they do things and live and therefore they *must* use energy, that’s how physics (and biology) work.

I had the idea that they are always absolutely frigid to the touch because they suck in heat from the environment like an endothermic chemical reaction.

[wings-of-ink]

Hello, my friends!

Just wanted to pop in with some info and updates.

*The "Cursed Birthday" won the 2k follower celebration poll. Sorry dads! I don't have an ETA for that just yet. I may write it here and there until the end of the year as the motivation strikes. I think the easiest way to tell the tale would be from Oswin's POV or even a shifting POV between him and Da (Kip). I'll decide for sure once I begin to write it. Also playing with the idea of doing this in Twine to make it playable. That way you could put your MC's specifics in for maximum emotional damage.

*I will still write things about the dads though, so all my Papa and Da fans out there won't be left in the dark forever.

*I will be "patching" Chapter 5 in the near future. I redid Zahn's scene (again) which gave me such a headache on release day. I formatted the beginnings in a much more streamlined way and fixed some bugs. When I have more time to sit and go through error reports, and make more corrections to typos, grammar, and code - then I will put the patch through.

*All chapters will be getting a scrub for issues in the text in the coming months. I will do my best to find them, but self-editing is very difficult (there's good reason that professional editors exist). In the future, I may need to ask for testers/editors.

*ASKS will be changing a bit. I do not know the full extent of how because it's a trial by fire. The rules will be updated as I come across things. But, here's why:

Spoiler prevention - as much as it is possible, I want to limit spoiling content for both new and existing readers. Not just for the plot points that are developing, but also for our mystery suitor who will have a lot of unraveling in the coming chapters. I will probably make a specific tag for answers that may contain spoilers, but some of the issue is the information in the Ask itself, which I can't hide. I may opt to compile these in a big post like once a month or so. This way, if anyone does not want to see anything spoilery, it's easier to avoid.

Time management - reaction asks specifically will remain limited and they will honestly have to be a lower priority depending on the condition of my inbox. I am very sorry for this, but these can take an inordinate amount of time. I write this IF in my downtime from work and personal life, and I also use those moments to manage Tumblr. I need to balance those so I can work toward releasing more of the IF.

Patreon - I still plan to give Patreon a go probably starting January. This will help me fund things for the game, such as art, and help me justify spending even more of my time writing chapters and extras. But like everything else, I will need to allot time to work on these things.

Personal Development - I'm taking a coding class! I can work on it at my leisure and it won't take a ton of time during the week, but it will take me out of my Tumblr time a little bit I think. Fingies crossed, I will learn a lot that will help me code a better game for you!

*Inbox - I have several Asks awaiting responses about chapter 5. As noted above, I am holding these due to spoilers to give readers a chance to catch up. (I may opt to compile these in one large post.)

Anyway, that's all for now (it's at least all I currently remember, lol).

Take care, all!

~Lunan ^_^

[cokoweee]

Okay last one I think…lovely stuff as always, I’m just juggling another brainrot right now, but I was itching to make some remarks. First off I’m glad midwesternvibes mentioned the text thing in the most recent update, because I was tickled to see that too! Probably the first time he had color since before their “spat” in the kitchen. As much as I know it’s still a roadblock in his recovery, I’m glad to see the voices coming back for Donnie. I kinda get this feeling they are hanging out with him until they know he’s going to be “okay”. And I have this little idea to myself, that when Donnie is able to start healing and processing his trauma, he stops hiding from them and is no longer afraid to see them. Of course that would be when they would start to slip away. (And that would be so rough for Donnie) Grief is kinda like that too. Sometimes you can be okay for a long time and you’ll have bouts where you still miss that person(s) even when you know you have accepted and moved on.

So I’m curious what is the situation that Donnie is on a watch. Is it just Draxum’s concern? Is it in case Donnie gets catatonic again? Is it in case he gets violent again? Is it to save his liver (those supersoldier genes only thing keeping it from failing)?

Also Draxum fixing Donnie’s sweater like a dad (only for Donnie to have his femme fatale shoulder thing as soon as the door is closed)

I’m a little surprised that this is the first time Kendra has seen Draxum do his mystic vine magic…or… he just hasn’t had too…or…all the mystic stuff happening lately has made Kendra more aware to it…or… but whatever the reason…appropriate reaction, lol

So something I have noticed that has me enticed is Donnie has been wearing his hand prosthesis more often.

Before the trauma induced episode, the only time we ever saw Donnie wearing it was when he was out or in “mission mode”. It makes sense, he needs to be able to save his ninpo for more than just temporary fingers. So why now… I was gonna suggest he is on edge, but I also remembered, as I was writing this, that you mentioned him having a slight disconnect to his ninpo…so yeah fingies is not a luxury he can afford right now. In any case…. Hmm…Donnnie….you know…if you didn’t shut your second dad outside…he mighta told ya that Kendra went out…ya know…? Also not sure if it’s just clueing us into Kendra still being sick or that trope of “if you sneeze three times it means someone is talking behind your back.” ? (I quote this one when I sneeze a lot, I’ll go “okay who’s trash talking me?!”)

Anyway please take care! Also p.s. if you do start to play Minecraft I hope you have fun. (I tried to play it but my laptop is too old and it crashes, so I can’t give much advice on it) also p.p.s I found a WIP of a thing I started writing for this AU in July, and I kinda…forgot I had it. It’s gonna be so out of place if I ever finish it, so just heads up for whatever was the hot topic then… <_<

GAHH I ANSWERED THIS BUT THE APP CRASHED AUGHHH. Let’s see if I remember what I said

I think I showed it a few times that despite Donnie constantly wanting said voices to stop, whenever they actually do, he feels uneasy. It’s quiet and he feels alone. I don’t write every single voice he hears all the time but just ones that feel right to show. There’s a lot he hears. The good the bad and the horrible.

Dancin a bit in that prosthetic part it’s a bit of a ref to sumthin y’all like to tickle a good bit sometimes lol

DRAXUM! A man not meant to be a father but ended up being a guardian. He hasn’t used his mystics cause there’s no need! Also Draxums reasoning for putting pickle boy on watch isn’t just his!

Casey is one that enforced it so harshly. That episode at the farmhouse was technically the first time she’s EVER seen Doobie in that state. Literally witnessed him break down, almost wipe out a farm and try to tear apart his own body. Both want no risk of not being able to get to Dibble so keeping him out of the lab that he can lockdown is a must for them

OOF THIS IS LONG HOPEFULLY I MADE SENSE. Cause I forgot a bit of what I said before

[goodboytown]

under the cut is a collection of rift apart headcanons because... i vomited them all over my twitter, and i need a place to store them properly. thank you especially to the two ✌️ porn bots for liking my tweets

a prelude to one of my unfinished RAC stories came to me in a dream last night, and it made me want to impart all the thoughts i've never shared. so im gonna post some RAC rift apart headcanons in a disorderly manner. please ignore me or praise my big brain, either way

captain quantum was originally a politician, and had previously served as galactic president (like captain qwark did). quantum ran against a robot with the designation NF-9661 who'd later be known as emperor nefarious. NF-9661 won against quantum due to electoral fraud, which quantum unwillingly played a part in. quantum formed the resistance a few years later when nefarious' presidential term morphed into a dictatorship. it was only when he joined the pirates on ardolis that he became "captain" quantum

rivet was born a year or two before the emperor’s come-to-power, and never got to experience (or at least remember) life before the empire. rivet worked with the morts (or moreso helped where she could) at the gelatonium factory from the age of 12, and became a gelatonium delivery driver at 16. rivet had heard of the resistance as a child, and pledged to join when she was old enough. she joined the resistance quite young at the age of 18, and lost her arm early into her integration at 20. i like to think that rivet is around 28 during the events of RA.

RA mentions that nefarious city was constructed ten years prior to the game, but, to me, it doesn’t necessarily mean that corson v’s subjugation was the beginning of the emperor’s reign. i think he gained control of the system many years prior, and lasted a good twenty-something years as emperor all up.

it makes sense that the emperor’s backstory would mirror dr nefarious’ where he was originally an organic lifeform… but i often like to take the road less traveled 

without going into too much detail (to keep things vague and mysterious incase i use this in a story) the emperor was originally born as a service robot. by service i mean he was a robot designed to do a specific (mundane) job. he looked exactly like the other robots in his assembly line. think “mr klink” from the RAC comics. it was only until later when he became emperor that he was able to undergo major modifications to make him appear as he does in RA

emperor nefarious’ assistant (F-44) was originally the assistant to the CEO that owned the company that manufactured the service robots until he mysteriously died...

i don’t have any theories about how rivet came to be, or about her parents, etc. because i feel (or rather hope) that we’ll get that info in the next game haha (fingies crossed) 

i’ll happily sit here and make shit up about the emperor’s past because he’s gone, and i doubt we’ll get to hear about his backstory… and ya know what, if we do, i’m… i’ll print out this tweet and eat it

that was a threat. less to insomniac and more to my delicate gut flora

[rudyking]

Camping:

When JJ, Pope, John B and JJ's little boy, Gabe go camping, Gabe feels his dad, JJ only sees him as a baby instead of the actual five year old he is, causing embarrassment to him in front of Pope and John B, as he tries to show off. Things get worse when the Kooks get involved and it causes JJ's protective instincts to spiral.

The Outer Banks air was thick with the scent of pine and salt as JJ, Pope, and John B wrestled with a tent that seemed determined to remain a tangled heap of canvas and poles. A small figure with shaggy blonde hair mirroring JJ’s own, watched the chaotic scene with a critical eye. Five-year-old Gabe was, in his own estimation, a seasoned adventurer, and this display of incompetence was frankly beneath him.

“Need help?” Gabe piped up, his blue eyes, as strikingly vibrant as JJ’s, fixed on John B wrestling with a rogue guy-line.

John B, perpetually good-natured, chuckled. “Nah, buddy, we got it. Just… uh… complex engineering, you know?” He winked, and Gabe, despite his desire for serious recognition, couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips.

JJ, however, zeroed in on Gabe with an almost comical intensity. “Gabe-y-baby! You wanna help Daddy? You’re so strong!” He scooped Gabe up in a hug so enthusiastic it almost knocked the wind out of the small boy.

Gabe squirmed, a flush creeping up his neck. “Dad! I’m not a baby! I’m five!” He mumbled, though JJ, naturally tuned to his son’s every inflection, caught it instantly.

“Five! My little man is five!” JJ exclaimed, as if announcing a major scientific breakthrough. He swung Gabe around, earning a squeal – a decidedly uncool squeal, Gabe mentally corrected himself – and then plopped him down gently on a fallen log. “Now, you be a brave explorer and keep an eye on things, okay? Make sure no squirrels try to steal our marshmallows.”

Pope, ever the voice of reason, rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “JJ, he’s five, not an infant. He can help with something real.”

JJ, always defensive when it came to criticisms, however gentle, bristled slightly. “He is helping! Emotional support, Pope! Crucial for morale!” He punctuated this with a wink at Gabe, who was now actively trying to disappear into the bark of the log.

Gabe sighed dramatically, a miniature version of JJ when he was particularly aggrieved. He wanted to demonstrate his grown-up capabilities, his ability to handle a stick for roasting marshmallows, his encyclopedic knowledge of dinosaur names (gleaned entirely from cartoons, but impressive nonetheless). He wanted to impress Pope and John B, to show he wasn’t just “JJ’s kid,” but a cool dude in his own right. But his dad, bless his overly-enthusiastic heart, was making it impossible.

Finally, the tent stood, a slightly lopsided monument to Pogue ingenuity. John B started gathering firewood, Pope began unpacking the cooler, and JJ… JJ was still hovering over Gabe.

“You comfy, little man? Need a blankie? Sun’s getting a little strong, maybe a hat? Sunscreen? You want sunscreen? Lemme get the sunscreen. SPF infinity, just for my precious boy.”

Gabe groaned inwardly. SPF infinity? Did that even exist? He just wanted to collect cool sticks like John B was! He plucked up his courage. “Dad, can I help John B with the firewood?”

JJ’s eyes widened in mock horror. “Firewood? For my little… well, not little, five-year-old! But still… firewood is… splintery! And heavy! You’ll hurt your… your… precious fingies!”

Pope snorted, and even John B, usually diplomatic to a fault, cracked a smile.

“JJ, relax,” Pope said, calmly. “He can carry a few small pieces. It’s good for him. Builds character.”

“Builds character? Splinters build character, Pope?” JJ sputtered, but he relented slightly, probably because he was outnumbered. “Fine. But… but you stay close to John B! And if you get a splinter, even a tiny one, you come straight to Daddy! And wear these!” He produced a pair of comically oversized gardening gloves, bright pink and clearly Yn's.

Gabe’s face crumpled. Pink gloves? In front of John B and Pope? This was a catastrophe of epic proportions. He shook his head, refusing the gloves with as much dignity as a five-year-old covered in wood chips could muster.

“No, thanks, Dad. I’m good.” He tried to sound nonchalant, like pink gardening gloves were an everyday accessory he just happened to be declining out of personal style choices.

He trailed after John B, trying to appear nonchalant and capable, while inside, he was a seething volcano of embarrassment. He carefully picked up a small, manageable log, gritting his teeth as he carried it to the fire pit, determined to prove he wasn't some fragile toddler.

Things were starting to look up, slightly, when disaster struck in the form of a golf cart rumbling down the sandy track. Rafe Cameron and Topper Thornton, Kook royalty in their natural habitat, pulled up, their expressions a mixture of boredom and entitled disdain.

“Well, well, well,” Rafe drawled, leaning back in his seat. “Look what the cat dragged in. The Pogues, slumming it in the wilderness.”

Topper chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. “Camping? Seriously? Thought you guys were allergic to anything that didn’t involve stealing or trespassing.”

John B, ever the diplomat, stepped forward. “Just enjoying the Outer Banks, guys. You need something?”

“Just admiring your… resourcefulness,” Rafe said, his eyes flicking over the slightly battered tent and the meager pile of firewood. Then his gaze landed on Gabe, who was huddled behind John B’s legs, suddenly feeling very small and vulnerable.

“And who’s this? Bringing your little brother along for the… survival experience?” Rafe smirked.

Gabe’s carefully constructed facade of maturity crumbled. He wanted to yell that he wasn't a 'little brother', that he was a Pogue just like his dad, tough and resilient. But Rafe’s sneering face and Topper’s condescending laughter had him frozen in place.

Then, JJ stepped forward. And something shifted. The playful, carefree JJ vanished, replaced by a JJ radiating a dangerous, simmering intensity. His dimples vanished, his blue eyes narrowed, and a muscle twitched in his jaw.

“He’s my son,” JJ said, his voice low and dangerous. “And you got a problem with that, Cameron?”

Rafe, despite his usual bravado, seemed to shrink back slightly. JJ, when his protective instincts were triggered, was a force to be reckoned with. He might be sarcastic and smart-alecky most of the time, but beneath the surface was a fierce loyalty and a hair-trigger temper, especially when it came to those he loved. And Gabe was the epicenter of his world.

“Woah, relax, JJ,” Rafe said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Just making conversation. Cute kid, though. Bet he’s, what, three?” He winked, the insinuation clear. Baby.

That was it. The fuse was lit.

JJ lunged forward, his hand snaking out and grabbing the front of Rafe’s expensive polo shirt. “He’s five,” JJ snarled, his face inches from Rafe’s. “And he’s tougher than you’ll ever be, you spoiled little… “ He trailed off, searching for a suitably insulting Kook-appropriate epithet.

Pope, ever practical, grabbed JJ’s arm. “JJ, easy! It’s not worth it.”

“Not worth it?” JJ roared, his eyes blazing. “They’re disrespecting my son! Calling him a baby!”

“JJ, they’re Kooks,” Pope reasoned, pulling him back slightly. “That’s what they do. Don’t give them the satisfaction.”

JJ’s chest heaved, but he slowly released Rafe, who scrambled back, a flicker of genuine fear in his eyes. Topper, wisely, kept his mouth shut.

JJ turned abruptly to Gabe, pulling him close against his side. “You okay, little dude?” he asked, his voice instantly softening, all the rage directed at the Kooks melting away at the sight of Gabe’s slightly trembling lip.

Gabe nodded, burying his face in JJ’s leg. He was still embarrassed, yes, but something else was bubbling up inside him too. Pride. His dad, his dad, had just defended him like a… well, like a Pogue defending his territory.

JJ, oblivious to the nuanced emotions swirling in his son, was now in full-on protective dad mode. He knelt down, examining Gabe from head to toe. “You scared? They didn’t hurt you, did they? You need a juice box? Maybe a cuddle? Daddy’s got you.”

Gabe, despite the lingering sting of embarrassment, couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips again. Juice box and cuddles after facing down the Kooks? That sounded… actually pretty perfect.

“I want a juice box,” Gabe mumbled into JJ’s leg.

“Coming right up!” JJ declared, jumping up like a shot and rummaging through the cooler. “Apple or grape? Grape’s got more antioxidants, good for… for… Kook-repelling!”

Pope and John B exchanged amused glances. JJ, ever the over-the-top character. But underneath the bravado, the sarcasm, the sometimes-obnoxious humor, was a heart as big as the Outer Banks themselves, especially when it came to Gabe.

Later, as the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the campsite, JJ sat with Gabe nestled in his lap, roasting marshmallows. Gabe, fortified by juice and cuddles, was recounting his near-encounter with the Kooks with exaggerated bravado, making himself sound like a seasoned warrior who had single-handedly scared them off.

JJ listened patiently, adding encouraging “oohs” and “aahs” at the appropriate moments. He still ruffled Gabe’s hair and called him “little buddy” and “sweet pea,” much to Gabe’s quiet chagrin. But as Gabe leaned into his dad’s side, feeling the warmth of the fire and the comforting presence of JJ’s arm around him, he realized something.

Maybe being JJ’s “baby” wasn’t so bad after all. Especially when being JJ’s baby meant having a dad who would stand up to anyone, even scary Kooks, for him. And maybe, just maybe, pink gardening gloves weren't the end of the world if they came with that kind of fierce, unwavering love. He still wouldn't wear them in public, though. There were limits, even for a Pogue.

[sol-consort]

I’ve been thinking about hands, and how meny fingers I use

Like I be using all them digits

Y’think the other mass effect aliens would ever look at them five fingies and be like damn, might be helpful? Or do they think human and batarian hands are weird/uncanny?

(I don’t really count asari as five-fingered, because the whole ‘parasite that looks different to each viewer’ hc thing)

That depends, how do you feel about these hands, anon?

What about these? Do they fill you with fascination? Curiosity? Disgust? Intrigue? Can you imagine their texture?

Would you ever fall in love with a sentient person who has any of the above hands? Would you have them as a friend? Would you trust them to watch your back in battle? Would you hand them their change with the receipt?

How would they hold a pen? How would they write your name. Can they play the piano? The lyre? Maybe a lute? Would they be cold or warm in winter?

We can figure out how hypothetical aliens would feel about human hands by figuring out how we, the humans, feel about alien hands. And animals are the closest things to aliens we have currently.

Whatever answers came to your mind, aren't far off from what Mass Effect aliens would feel about human hands. Just like looking at the hands of a orangutan can cross into the uncanny valley territory, aliens with similar biology to humans (non-shapeshifter asari for example) might get an uneasy feeling looking at our non-blue hands. Or maybe drell get queasy at seeing our scale-less limbs, much like you'd feel seeing an animal with transparent skin with all of its organs on display, the fact you can see human veins and skin stiching makes any species with some sort of protective layer extremely anxious at first glance.

The most important part of any given hand is the opposable thumb. At least that's the conclusion humans came to, since it was what allowed us to seamlessly transition from animals into the stone age and weild tools.

But most hands start as feet—not our current feet designed for bipedal movement, but a prototype—so did ours. Evidence suggests that humans evolved thumbs and tool-making front "feet" while we were still quadrupeds!

We learned to create before we learned to walk on two legs! then it lead to our spines being fucked opsies

Human hands are also... kind of weird, don't you think? I mean.

This is some eldritch horror type shit.

The bones of your arm literally cross into an X when you flip your hand 180 degrees, to a lot of aliens who cannot flip their arm, this must seem absolutely horrifying. Imagine an alien being able to turn their head 180 degrees like a freaky owl, wouldn't that phase you at least a bit? Yeah, that's how those aliens view our arms.

Don't get me started on how some people can flip their arm 360 degrees...

Human fingers are special in the way they have more joints than most animals. Our biology meant for dexterous fingers that excel at delicate work. And the fact we can control each finger separately, bend, and curl it. Every single finger might as well be counted as a separate limb.

If you want a comparison, we don't have the same degree of control and awareness over our toes. Besides the big toe and pinky, the middle ones are hard to move separately. Sure, with practice, you can get better at it, but it's still much harder to flip someone off with your toes than with your fingers. It's not impossible, but hard.

To put more emphasis on just how much of an important position our hands hold, each finger, not hand, but finger, has its own area in the cerebral cortex.

While your toes—with the exception of the big one—share the same somatotopic map.

Our wrists are an intricate fragile design. They have a limited number of use. The thin skin above the radial artery easily allows you to find your pulse, while most animals, our size, have their wrists covered in protective layers.

We were made for tool-making and tinkering, which is what I'm getting at. Turians didn't need to make weapons (for a long while at least) when their claws and thick metalic hands could easily tear the meat off of bone whole, while humans had no other choice. Why our teeth aren't as sharp, why our legs aren't as fast, why our punches don't pack much in comparison to that of a bear or else; our natural evolution invested so much into making us resourceful tool-makers.

You know the saying when you're holding a hammer, your brain views it as an extension of your body rather than your hand holding a tool?

We don't need layers of insulation, we can make clothes. We don't need protective shells, we can make armour. We don't need claws, we can make swords.

So can other species, yes! But they arrived at that stonewall stage much later than humanity who hit their physical limits pretty early which forced them to relay on tools, therefore altering our biology to be precise tool-makers (and keep in mind evolution takes THOUSANDS of years to come into effect)

But to make, to create anything, you need high tier hands with opposable thumbs—how the elcor and hanar evaded that requirment, I'll never know. Flexible, precise fingers with total awareness and control are valuable add-ons that allow you to jumpstart civilisation.

A lot of aliens wouldn't be able to play our instruments, but we might be able to play their instruments if we create synthetic attachments to add-on to our hands because it's unlikely that their hands move in a way that we cannot replicate. I could hold my last three fingers together and attempt to write like an angara, but an angara can't separate their last three fingers and attempt to write like me.

We always poke and prode at our bodies, seeing how we can improve it, why surgery is so common nowadays, why CRISPR technology is being reserched earlier than it should relative to how neglected other branches of science are.

Because humans cannot wait to play god with their bodies!

We still want to tinker and make toys, be more efficient with our creations, invent even more complex instruments, add more buttons to a videogame controller.

The asari hands evolved (or were genetically engineered by the protheans) for biotics and mass effect field handling, the turian hands for cutting and slicing, the krogan hands for splitting skulls, the drell hands for insulation against the burning sand, etc etc.

The human hands for creating.

Would other species want our hands? Depends on what the species values. Turians and krogans would think living with our hands must be a nightmare, drell would find them overexposed and too... wiggly.

Salarians might see the benefit of having fingertips smaller than your fingerbase... unless their inflated fingertips allows for a better grip on small tools?

What I think most aliens would be the weirdest about when it comes to humans is our hair, straight legs, and chest if we follow the asari are shapeshifters HC.

Hair as in all hair. Body hair, head hair, eyelashes and eyeybrows, and even pubic hair.

It's all just... so weird to them.

They call it fur. They 100% call it fur. The only reason we even classify hair as hair is because we have it, so we're particular about categorising it and just why it's different from fur.

But, at the end of the day hair and fur are made out of the same thing, tomayto tomahto, to them, it's just fine fur.

On the other hand, our head hair might remind them of trees. In a nice way? Think dangling vines of leaves, like those of a willow tree.

It's made of keratin, just like our nails, and most aliens have nails, yet none of them have even a single strand of hair. Except the other animals on their planet definitely have hair/fur, so why is everyone else so weirdly smooth?

When your only interaction with a certian biological trait is within the animal kingdom and... pets of your civilisation, it builds a certain impression.

Like how we coo at krogans having tails, the other alien species must think our hair is absolutely something to fawn over. I feel like a lot of aliens would unwarrantly touch your hair at the start of the human integration, try to pet it, before they got the memo that humans absolutely abhor the act and turn hostile if done to them.

It's like common courtesy not to touch human hair, they still think about it tho. Maybe if you're close to an alien and hang out a lot, one day they hesitantly ask to touch it because they've always been very curious, and you oblige.

They're probably surprised to find out it's a dead part of your body. We can't feel anything in our hair except at the root. But they get the memo that hair is an important part of self-expression in humans. Be it dyeing it the most vibrant colours and spending hours styling it, or covering it in headwraps and hijabs with a beautiful pin or two at the corner.

I see the asari especially loving the curly hair, more specifically the kinky type and how it holds its shape. The process of braiding it takes an immense amount of focus and effort, the results being breathtaking. It's the height of elegance to them.

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, washing your hair in the sink before applying oil and brushing it, each time one of your alien roommate pass by, they get completely intrigued by the process and just stand watching you work on each knot by the open door.

By the time you're finished styling it, like a handful of aliens are just standing there, completely enamoured, some even taking pictures.

[brandstifter-sys]

Zap Zap

@dukexietyweek 2025 Day 7 - Aliens/Sci-fi + Swap

Word Count: 2633 (Ao3)

Rating: T+

Characters: Remus, Virgil

Warnings/Content: Body swap, ftm!Remus, sex mention, injury

Remus is a mad scientist, and he accidentally switches bodies with his roommate, Virgil. They switch back after learning some interesting things about each other.

---

Waking up with a pounding headache was absolutely normal for Virgil. He had the worst job imaginable and his landlord/roommate was a chaotic disaster. If he wasn't dealing with awful customers, he was putting up with the crazy experiments and the messes they made. Moving out was an option, but he was unfairly fond of his roomie and he didn't have to pay rent for his little room.

Of course, he seriously considered leaving when he opened his eyes. He was staring at the green glowing letters on the clock on the nightstand. He didn't have a nightstand, and his clock was supposed to be across the room. It was 3 in the morning, so maybe he was dreaming or confused.

“Where the fuck—?” he said aloud, only to freeze at the sound of his voice. It was too high pitched.

He sat up abruptly and patted himself down with arms that felt too short. He was nude, had a huge rack, and his bulge was missing.

He let out a shrill scream.

Thud

Virgil went rigid as the thumping continued, growing louder and louder. Someone was coming! He had no idea how to fight in this body, he had no idea where he was, and he had no idea who was coming.

The door swung open, casting a beam of light into the room. Virgil winced at the brightness and the tall, bulky figure looming in the doorway.

“Oh damn, I really am adorable!” the figure giggled. Virgil scowled. That was his voice, but not his usual intonation—and he was not a giggly bitch. There was only one person he knew who would say something like that, even if something didn't add up.

“Remus, what the fuck?” Virgil gawked, “Why am I you? Why do you have tits?”

“Virgil?” Remus asked and turned on the light, “Are you Virgil?”

“Who else would I be?!”

“Blimpo or Scrungy! But they probably can't talk, which means, I'm in your body!” Remus shrugged. And then a dastardly grin crossed his (Virgil’s) face.

“Don't you fucking dare!” Virgil snapped as soon as he saw Remus going for his pants.

“Why delay the inevitable? I'm not backing up your kidneys if this body needs to piss! Besides, you can see me in all of my naked glory too! Just look down!

Virgil had no idea how to fight the blush rising to his (Remus') cheeks. He might have been curious before, but with some new insight, he was mortified at the proposition.

“What happened?” he squeaked, trying to sound threatening as he scrambled to cover up with the sheets. This voice was not helping him.

Remus bobbed from side to side and jogged in place, clearly unused to having long limbs.

“Well, you came home from work and showered, and then you ran upstairs to my lab when I screamed because Blimpo went chomp on my fingie—does it still hurt? I disinfected it but rodent teeth are a bitch!—You ran in when I was testing my new invention, accidentally got zapped with me, and then you went to your room and probably passed out in bed.”

“What kind of invention?” Virgil asked and ran a hand through his (Remus') hair. It was surprisingly soft.

“A body swap ray gun!” Remus beamed, setting off every alarm possible in Virgil's mind. Not only did that invention work, but he was stuck in Remus' body, he had a whole different set of parts that could torture him at some point, and Remus' expressions on his face were extra creepy.

“Swap us back!” Virgil yelped and lurched forward, clinging to the sheet hiding his (Remus') body.

“Can I at least pee first? I've never pissed with a dick!” Remus asked and fluttered his lashes. Virgil would never get used to seeing his own face making those expressions.

“What do you mean you never—? Are you telling me that this isn't some side effect of your invention?”

“Nope! Surprise! I'm trans!” Remus giggled, “And you can have as much fun as you want exploring!”

“We're switching back. Now.”

Virgil threw the sheet aside and got to his feet. As long as he didn't look down at his (Remus') body, he could handle throwing on a shirt and pants. Remus already knew what he looked like, so it wasn't worth worrying over if he saw.

Remus was oddly silent as Virgil stalked to the dresser and bent over at the waist to grab some clothes. Contrary to what some might suggest, Remus could not simply look in a mirror and get turned on by his own appearance. Yet here he was, staring at his own sweet booty, feeling a strange ache below the belt.

Virgil managed to get a pair of basketball shorts on before Remus realized what was happening. He wasn't aroused, but Virgil’s body was! Or maybe he was just getting used to the different hormone levels in this body. There was a way to test it!

“Hey, Virge,” Remus said before he could throw a shirt on, “Before you do that, can you squeeze my boobs?”

“What?”

“I need to check to make sure they still have feeling since I bind all the time!” Remus lied flawlessly. Virgil sighed and set the t-shirt on the dresser. This was just a health check.

He carefully cupped his (Remus') tits, all too aware of how sensitive they were, and gently squeezed the flesh in his hands. He was surprised to let out a weak moan from that, and that his urge to pee got worse. He instantly dropped his hands and thought about deserts.

That was all Remus needed to confirm his suspicion. The sight and sound combined made his (Virgil's) cock jump. This would be useful information later.

Virgil quickly finished dressing and dragged Remus out of the room. He wanted his body back before Remus got the chance to mess with it and before he had to use the toilet. All they had to do was get to the ray gun in Remus' lab.

“Uh, Virge,” Remus said as he stumbled up the stairs behind him, “You can't just break in!”

“Why not?” Virgil asked as he reached the steel door blocking access to the lab.

“The alarm system is active and if you don't have the passcodes, you'll get electrocuted,” Remus explained and wiggled to set his lower half right. How did Virgil manage to move with a python between his legs!?

“And let me guess, one of those is specifically related to your body, like a fingerprint scanner.”

“It's a voice scanner!” Remus giggled and reached past him to pull a sliding door aside, revealing a microphone and speaker.

“What do I have to say?”

“Six slick licks to six stiff pricks swiftly makes the six dicks bricks.”

Virgil paused and clicked his tongue. He should have expected something ridiculous from Remus.

“That's it?”

“That's the first one!” Remus chirped, “The second one is an unfiltered moan, and the third one is, ‘Scare Bear’ if you make it that far. Of course you have to hold down the button when you're saying these things for it to register.”

“What do you mean ‘if I make it that far?’” Virgil bristled.

“Can you moan on command?” Remus asked, “If you can't, do I have permission to help you?”

Virgil hated how red his (Remus') face was. Remus was right, he had a mental block about making unnecessary sounds, but he refused to let Remus help. That would involve touching and Virgil was not okay with that.

“Let's just get this over with,” Virgil huffed and leaned towards the microphone. He took a deep breath and pressed the button.

“Six slick licks to six stiff pricks swiftly makes the six dicks bricks.”

He let go of the button and heard a ding. The first key went through.

“Do you want help? I can help without touching if you're worried about that!” Remus said.

Virgil pushed the button and shot him a death glare. Any bitter retort died in his (Remus') throat as he watched Remus peel his (Virgil's) shirt off.

A needy moan escaped him before he could process what was happening. That was his torso, nothing special to him, just a bulky figure with body hair. He wasn't some body builder or particularly chubby, nothing special, but Remus' body instantly reacted vocally, and he remembered that he had to empty his (Remus') bladder soon.

“Told you I wouldn't have to touch!” Remus jeered and pulled his shirt on again.

“I didn't say that you could do that either,” Virgil huffed, “and so we're clear, I wasn't making that noise.”

“Of course not! That was muscle memory! You could argue it was me!” Remus agreed.

Virgil scowled at him before pressing the button and leaning towards the mic.

“Scare Bear,” he droned flatly. A harsh buzz followed and the door remained locked.

“You have to swoon when you say it,” Remus said before Virgil could get angry.

“Why?”

“Because I always swoon when I say it!” he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. If Virgil were a jealous bitch with no restraint he would have demanded to know who this “Scare Bear” was and how to end them.

He could be upset after he had his own body back. In order to do that, he had to swallow his pride and act like Remus for another minute.

“Scare Bear,” he sighed dreamily into the microphone.

The door beeped and a metallic clank rang out on the other side. Virgil stepped back as the door slid back with a hiss of steam and slid to the side.

Virgil entered first, with Remus stumbling behind him. The poor guy was just not getting used to his height. It was a good thing there was nothing low-hanging to hit his head on.

The lab itself was fairly clean and organized. On one wall there were shelves upon shelves of finished and failed inventions, glistening chromatically under the LED lights. On the opposite wall, there was a workbench and a computer table, complete with a desktop and various tools. And along the back wall there was a curtain hiding a huge rat cage and their supplies.

Remus pushed past Virgil, though unintentionally, and hurried to check on his rats. He flung the curtain open, revealing the large cage full of tubes, ropes, ladders, and hammocks. There was a rat wheel as well and a gray rat was busy running on it.

“I think it worked!” Remus beamed and searched the cage for his other rat, “Scrungy hates the wheel, but look at her go! That has to be Blimpo!”

Virgil let him have fun with his rats and approached the workbench. The ray gun was propped up on a stand and fully charged. The eerie trident-shaped gun was reminiscent of the antimatter laser from the Rocky Horror Picture Show, but the base was thicker. Virgil hesitated to touch it.

“Yeouch!” Remus yelped, getting Virgil’s attention.

He was leaning down with his (Virgil’s) hand in the cage, with two rodents clinging to his fingers with their teeth.

“They know it's you,” Virgil said flatly, “They don't bite me.”

“A little help?” Remus giggled sheepishly. Virgil’s body was strong, stronger than Remus was used to. He didn't want to hurt his little buddies by accident!

Virgil sighed and went over to help. He carefully slid his hand in the cage and waited for one of the rats to get curious.

The white and black rat released her jaw and curiously sniffed Virgil's (Remus') hand. She squeaked softly and scurried off.

“Aw, I wanted to switch them back!” Remus whined while Virgil gently stroked the gray rat's back. She released her jaw and went flat against the ground.

“Do that after we're switched back,” Virgil said and dragged both of their hands out of the cage, “And clean that up. I'm not getting sick because you just had to be obnoxious.”

Remus beamed at him and got up. He went to the workbench and grabbed his antibiotic ointment. Virgil closed the cage and curtains and followed him.

“Whenever you're ready I can turn on the machine and switch us back,” Remus said as he applied a couple bandaids, “Of course, you can always let me pee first, because I really want the experience!”

“Keep wanting,” Virgil huffed and glanced at Remus' (Virgil’s) pants, “You won't be able to pee anyway. How the hell did you manage to get that hard without doing anything?”

“I dunno. It's probably because I'm not used to having so much T naturally coursing through me, and because muscle memory is making your body react to my body's pure animalistic appeal!”

Virgil scowled and shook his head. It was probably the former. Sure, he had moments when Remus turned him on, but it never got to the point where he wasn't able to use the bathroom. And he was sure Remus didn't feel the same way about him—his body was more than ready to piss.

“I’m surprised you're not soaked through those shorts,” Remus commented and turned on the ray gun, “I can't help but smile all the time, and your smile does evil things to me!”

“What—?” Virgil asked before the ray gun sent out a blast of plasma that hit both of them in the chest.

Remus immediately fell to his knees, and then the floor. Virgil stared at him, close to panicking, before he collapsed on top of Remus.

A few moments later, Virgil came to with a grunt, there was a weight on his chest that shouldn't have been there. He glanced down to find Remus on top of him, unconscious, but in his own body.

“Shit,” Virgil sighed. He couldn't exactly push Remus to the floor like this, not to mention he liked having Remus curled up to him.

“Mm—Scare Bear,” Remus muttered. Virgil gently stroked his hair to wake him up.

Remus blinked up at him and grinned.

“It worked,” he said, “You're you again, Scare Bear, and I'm me again!”

“‘Scare Bear?’” Virgil pouted.

“Yeah, you!” Remus giggled, refusing to get up, “And now that I know you have a raging boner for me, I can say that without dying a sexy sexy death!”

“You don't get to call me that if I'm the only one who has feelings,” Virgil huffed.

“Why would you think I don't? You were there when I took your shirt off and my body moaned, and you can't tell me you didn't notice that I have the Marianas trench in my pants! You're hot, you can handle the mad scientist goofball roomie, and you care about me—of course I have feelings for you!” Remus pouted.

“Prove it.”

Remus couldn't resist a challenge, and there was a challenge in that beautiful voice.

He crawled up Virgil's chest and grabbed his face. Before Virgil knew what was happening, Remus was covering his face in smooches.

“Remus—?”

A direct kiss on the lips silenced any questions Virgil had. He immediately pulled Remus closer and licked at his lips.

“Mmm—Not in the lab, Scare Bear!” Remus giggled when he pulled away, “I'm one tongue tango away from ripping your clothes off!”

Virgil scooped him up and stood, holding the imp in his arms. He smirked and carried Remus out of the lab, letting him implode for a bit before speaking.

“I’d rather not do anything like that,” he said, “Not unless you're my boyfriend and we go on at least one date.”

“I'll be your boyfriend!” Remus giggled and wrapped his arms around Virgil's shoulders, “Expect me to get extra cuddly and swoon harder!”

Virgil wouldn't want anything less than that.

[improbable-implosions]

This particular mend turned out to be MUCH more complex, involved, and fussy than I really ever expected it to be at the outset. That said, after all the work where I focused on taking my time to get things just so, I found out that I'm quite capable of handling larger projects like this!

First up, here, before starting, my partner Razz and I sat down, and went through our clothes with a careful eye. More and more of her pants in particular were in need of little fixes here and there, and I figured rather than going about it all piecemeal and in no particular order, not accomplishing the fixing of clothes she needs, we put them together into an order of "most wanted fixes" to "least pressing fixes".

Once I had all that info, I settled in with a measuring tape, and got to identifying all the mends that needed to happen. For every piece that was more than, say, a few inches of rip, or of a shape that standard embroidery wouldn't cut it for a fix, I cut out a piece of patch fabric, with the intention of making use of these patches by doing sashiko mends.

Step 1: pin the hem of the patch down, initially hoping to run it through the sewing machine to have a nice hem! Sure, it was kinda fussy doing the quarter inch hems, since I hadn't really done this before, but it's not _too_ bad in hindsight!

Step 2: Realize that the sewing machine foot you have on hand got mixed up with a family member's in a move, and begrudgingly realize you have to re-pin the hemmed patch directly to the jeans being mended. Grumble, grumble! Oh well, at least this light blue thread is going to be really cute on the jeans, so there's that.

Step 3: stitch down the patch to the fabric, blissfully unaware that this big of a patch which interacts with the main seams four times like this is going to be a huge pain later!

Step 4: with some clever use of tape and bumping the laptop brightness, make a tracing of the segaihana pattern onto the dissolvable backing. (I did realize later, mind you, that I could have just used something small and circular to draw this manually, but the tracing worked out just fine, so we take those!)

Step 5: get stitching, following the pattern on the backing! I get about this far before two things happen: first off, the sewing machine foot returned from family-home purgatory, and secondly, I realize that pushing this needle over and over with my bare hands is REALLY wearing out not only the muscles in my hands, but also thoroughly frustrating my skin, in the process.

So, as a little test of the sewing machine, I made this little palm thimble! the loop of thread on the left there loops around my middle finger, and then the denim takes the brunt of pushing the needle, instead of my poor fingies!

So, over the course of a few days, with a LOT of help from the palm thimble (some pieces even getting done on stream, go check out the vods: https://youtu.be/oeytUetT2Z0 and https://youtu.be/u6k-Yr4Vjn0) we get the first (major) panel done! Might not be super visible in these shots, but there is in fact a second piece to be stitched here!

So, after yet more tracing (which took a good bit more fuss, since I had to align it with the previous panel!) we find ourselves at step 6: do the second batch of stitching! Overall, I actually really enjoyed the way this piece came together, the segaihana pattern is super pretty to look at. Plus, I learned a LOT in doing this one, the big thing being, if you're going to have trouble on both sides of a thigh of a pair of jeans, even if the damage is spread evenly on either side, break the patches up along the main seam. Sewing through the many layers of that denim is particularly taxing, especially when I'm struggling to nail the positioning of the stitches to carry on a nice pattern!

[itsyourstarboy]

Hello frens

I've been crocheting

My fingies are brokens

I have 2 projects that need to get done, and after those I might make some more things

All of this, of course, is for Christmas gifts

I think I have arthritis

[veinsfullofstars]

can I just say your childhood friends au is so cute. I really enjoy looking at the art and reading all the lore, it just has that comfy warm feeling that childhood comfort has.

—Sincerely Honey (a loser who grew up playing Kirby and is super happy to see an au where they’re just kids do silly things)

Oh, my goodness, Honey, thank you! That’s really sweet of you to say! Genuinely made my day a bit better seeing this (though, hey, no need to put yourself down… I say as a fellow loser who’s been trying to reframe their mindset lately).

It warms my heart to know this AU brings comfort to folks like it does for me. The feeling of childhood idyllica was kinda there from the start, I suppose, an idle thought of how the boys might’ve met that morphed into something bigger, now more like a little sandbox I’ve made for their lives and their friendship (and all the complications and challenges to come) to be built from the ground up. It’s definitely more vibe-heavy and slice-of-life-y than Kintsugi (far lighter in tone, too... at least for now). There is a story somewhere in all that, and I’m doing my best to form it into something workable with my slow-writer fingies, but… I dunno, there’s also something fun about the simplicity of it as it is right now, just snippets and snapshots of the boys, their friends, and their families. I like playing with character dynamics, personalities, and interests. I like making OCs and imagining kid versions of canon characters. I like wondering how to foreshadow future events in canon, all the while watching the word count of my notes file creep up towards 90K…

Man, I don’t know what it is about the Kirby series specifically that makes my brain just pop off like this, but I’m certainly not complaining, haha. I guess I’m just glad my silly headcanons and rambles resonate with folks. It’s nice to hear it. Means I can keep going with it for more than just my own investment, haha. But, yeah. Thank you again for the kind words, and here’s to more shenanigans with the kiddos in the near future!

Sketch started 04/29/25, finished 04/30/25. | Childhood Friends AU Masterpost

[crescencestudio]

๋࣭⭑ Devlog 36 | 11.26.23 ๋࣭⭑

:rises from the dead: I'm.... BAAAAACK!!!!!!

Long time, no talk (kinda) everyone! I hope you've been happy, healthy, and well since we last saw each other and that the wind-down for the year is being kind to you all <3

We have a lot to catch up on, so let's do just that ^^ This is.... so long. I'm really sorry in advance tbh---I thought I hadn't done much because break, but there's quite a bit to show.

It's been a while since a formal update on the routes, so I'll start by telling you all where they officially stand. Before I do, it might be helpful to tell you all how I define percentage completion in my head. Basically, when I finish the draft of a route, I consider it 70% complete. This means I could ship it as is. I wouldn't be happy with the product, but it's playable and makes enough sense---just not the best quality.

When Wudgey finishes their edits, a route is 80%-85% complete, meaning I could ship it as is. I think it'd be pretty good actually and players would be happy. Beyond this point, I am just making fine tuning edits to incorporate more player interaction, polishing the flow of things, etc.

After that, there's basically only Elm and Vi's edits left. When Elm finishes, a route is 95% complete. Again, I think at this point, it's good. Like edits from this point onwards are purely for polishing purpose. After Vi, it's 98% complete. Then the last review comes back to Elm and I for it to be 100% complete. Right now, this is where the routes stand:

Kayn: 98% Complete

Fenir: 95% Complete

Druk: 80% Complete

Etza: 60% Complete (Still working on their draft!)

Do Not ask me about Kuna'a or Aisa LFMASOEIDJ

So most of the routes are actually looking pretty good! They're just getting bounced around to different editors at this point, but the changes made for most of them are basically small. Fenir and Kayn especially could be shipped as is in my eyes if I really wanted to.

Art recently has mostly been focused on commissions. Vui actually is almost done with ALL of the BGs for Alaris!! Isn't that crazy?? In about a year, he was able to create almost 25 BGs with daytime variations!!! He's a phenomenal artist, and I couldn't be happier to be working with him. It's also a bit bittersweet (and alarming??) to know that part of development is already close to ending! q.q

The most exciting art update I have is that we got the GUI assets finished and I've started coding them into the game!! AAAA!! These were the final updated assets I needed, and seeing the fully revamped demo come to life has been so.... Emotional HAHA! It's crazy to see how far Alaris has come from when I was first making it with my little fingies and throwing things together like paper mache. I'm incredibly in love with how all the assets look together, and I couldn't be more grateful for the artists who helped me update the assets!

Updated History Log. Please say you like the dividers between entries---I'm most proud of those

I'm still making my way through coding everything, but here's a couple screen previews so you all can see how things now look in the game!!

First off, is the Dialogue/Choice Screen. You can see that we have a brand new dialogue box (She's Stunning) and Choice Screen! I'm hoping to add some sfx for the choices when you hover over them, and sfx for the new UI in general so there's more user feedback when you click and hover on things. But for now, enjoy this preview of the new dialogue box, choice screen, and the new personality indicators!

Updated Dialogue/Choice Screen: You can't see it as well in GIF format, but the BG also has particles floating around, so there's a tiny bit of animation going on in some of the BGs as well!!

Next, we have the Free Time Screen. I actually posted this on Twitter recently but I don't think I posted it on Tumblr! ISN'T SHE STUNNING... ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEW BGS.... I'm especially happy with the text animations that show up at the bottom when you hover over the different choices! I was inspired by a couple other devs (specifically GUI god, @siyo-koy, and renpy animation master @just-a-carrot) to start incorporating animation style elements into my GUI. And I really like how it adds a little ~something~ to the feel of everything ^^

Updated Free Time Screen: begging someone to say they like the text animation so I feel validated for finangling with it

Finally, for our last preview, we have the Save Screen! While it looks new obviously with the new assets, I also did a lot of backend coding revamping for how it actually functions since my coding experience is a bit better now compared to when I was first fighting for my life figuring out save/load screens. The biggest change for you all is that there are now chapter markers so save slots will tell you what chapter that save file is from! And instead of screenshots, it's now a custom icon inside that shows the chapter card. I think it'll make the save screen look more cohesive now and hopefully more intuitive as well!!

Updated Save Screen: With a sprinkle of updated Chapter Card screen preview

That was long. Are any of us surprised, considering I had two months' worth of devlogs piled inside of me, begging to burst from the seams?

Anyways. Only two miscellaneous updates. One is that all soundtracks have been completed for Alaris! Peter finished the last of them recently, and they're all beautiful!!! For ppl who love piano soundtracks... :holds hand in piano lover solidarity:

Other update is that I finally fixed that godforsaken sprite bug that was associated with the energy vision feature from the demo!!! FINALLY!!! AFTER.... SO LONG. Extremely huge thanks to @robobarbie for taking time out of their day to do that; everyone please say thank you!!!!! OGs know how long that bug was bothering me!!!! Robo also gave me a pretty new rain code, so I'm showing you how both look in the new demo so you can appreciate them with me!!

Last miscellaneous update is more on a.... logistical development level?? Basically, now that I have new GUI assets to code, that means I can get a beta build of the routes currently written out. I was feeling really overwhelmed by that idea because most of this year has been focused on writing and making assets, not really coding. Knowing that I can Code and get Playable Builds out to people was stressful because I have to divvy up my time a bit more.

After an extremely insightful talk with beloved and admired Esh of @steamberrystudio I decided I'm probably going to be shifting how development goes from here on out. Instead of focusing head low on getting as many words written for the remaining routes everyday, I'm going to be making smaller but consistent progress and spend the rest of my time coding so that I can have more of a continuous cycle of production going on (e.g., writing a bit, making playable builds, gathering playtester feedback, etc. instead of doing each stage in blocked, sequential order).

I'm mainly telling you all this because it means writing updates will probably seem slower from this point on, but I think production overall will be more efficient because of it! This is also exciting news for playtesters and/or early access backers/patrons because it means you'll have playable content in the near future for content outside of just the demo :')

have u all heard of wudgeous of herotome. of course u have. they r all i talk about at this point

No market research because I've actually been addicted to BG3 LFMAOLSDJF. Actually, I'm taking some inspiration from it for the personality mechanic but eh.

On a more important note, @herotome demo is coming out December 2nd!!!! PLAY IT WITH ME. Wudgey is my editor, so you might think I'm biased but I'M NOT!!! I WAS A FAN OF HEROTOME BEFORE WUDGEY EVEN WORKED W ME!!! They have an exception eye for detail and player experience, and they are actually one of the devs that inspired me to even get into game development.

I just know the demo is going to blow everyone's socks off. OG Herotome prologue build fans know exactly what I'm talking about. Please mark December 2nd on your calendar---you will not regret it.

This was so unbelievably long, but I hope it's appreciated since there was no real devlog update for a hot minute. As always, Thank you all for your patience and continued support. With the year ending soon, I'm getting wrapped up in my feels in usual Crescence fashion. I am a Cancer so no one is surprised.

Next month will probably be more of an end-of-year devlog rather than the usual format. I know the devlogs of late have been all over the place, but once we get into the new year, it will be back to business as usual! Hope you all have a wonderful end to your year; I'll talk to you soon! <3

[solomorne]

very late, but my hear me out: sovereign spaw from bg3

im so sorry anon u sent this right when i drifted off to lala land 9 hours ago forgive me

i am going to say sovereign spaw + all myconids ARE hear me outs

they might. Structurally, resemble the humanoid shape, but it's not close enough to what a human is

all the myconids are similiar, but i think they have enough differences that it's almost.. eerily human, not comfortably human. thus fits into my uncomfortable requirement. plus, they're mushroom people. mushrooms are dangerous, many that look harmless will actually kill you... and these guys do not look like harmless mushrooms, yknow? they look like radioactive mushrooms that are going to kill you. in my opinion, as someone with healthy mushroom wariness!

they don't really have faces, their eyes aren't very human-like, in general i think they are so very inhuman they fit in that perfectly.

dubious morality requirement? got that. we got evil ones. sovereign spaw introduces itself by threatening you in your mind.........

and ofc the "how would that work" factor... these things do not reproduce with sex. and i would say it is likely unwise to let it put its fingies anywhere near you. honestly. we need omeluum and blurg to do some safety check experiments, yeah? yeah we do.......

i absolutely love when a hear me out communciates telepathically. when it has full power to choose gentle or violent telepathic communication too. i love that sovereign spaw could Show you sexy time in your head even if you can't actually do sexy time physically without dying, or getting very sick.

we can pray that it would just give you like. it would make you high? yeah. we're gonna copium and say that myconids digits inside human body would cause a reaction like a really pleasant, good time, hallucinatory trip. yeah? okay cool.

honestly this is a hear me out for me too, i always thought sovereign spaw was absolutely beautiful. especially when my first playthrough as an oath of the ancients paladin who had unique dialogue with sovereign spaw, and basically got down on one knee and said i will protect you above all others, you are the most beautiful thing in this whole universe. like. it was intense. and i was blushing

[toastling]

Fuck it I'm all in on Owlstuck, let's make some STRIFE SPECIBI

Luz: Penkind. Again, this is an obvious one, since her magic comes from her glyphs and her RAW AUTISTIC TALENT. And her ARTISTIC TALENT too I guess. Unlike a typical strife weapon that would be alchemized and upgraded into new permutations over time, I don't see Luz's base weapon changing much. Maybe infinite ink or something she can use on any surface, that's about it. If anything she'll gain a second one for Staffkind so she can use Stringbean for more on-demand magic, presuming Stringbean doesn't get turned into a sprite. But maybe let's not kill *all* the palismen.

Amity: Mittenkind. This is a permutation of the already canon Fistkind and Glovekind strife specibus. We know Fistkind is for bareknuckle fighting and Gloves can encompass a lot of things, including gauntlets, so for Mittenkind I'm going to say the caveat is that the hand coverings must be somehow MAKESHIFT and HOMEMADE. So her Abomination Goo would qualify, as would something she knit for herself. And obviously a secondary Staffkind specibus. This goes for all the witchlets.

Willow: Venusflytrapkind. She took a literal Piranha Plant which is a real thing in the Isles because I said so and made it her weapon. Alongside allowing her typical plant magic, any weapon she makes for herself will be venus fly trap coded in some way, having the teeth and the acid and the whatnot. Secondary Staffkind.

Gus: This one was the toughest of them all honestly. But I'm going to go with Mirrorkind. Mirrors are an illusionist's most fundamental tool of trickery, and its ability to REFLECT will make Gus a particularly DEFENSIVE PLAYER in his Snest party. Alongside his illusions, he'd gain a wide variety of defensive spells via reflection and refraction. Secondary Staffkind.

King: Voicekind. This happens completely on accident while he's fooling around and has no idea what he's doing in the beginning and King initially thinks it's REALLY FUCKING STUPID ACTUALLY before his powers come in, but then he realizes IT'S ACTUALLY VERY THEMATICALLY APPROPRIATE. As a baby source of infinite magic power, he can speak spells into existence at higher levels on top of his base WEH ability. And since everybody else gets a secondary specibus, I'm going to make his secondary Clawkind for his lil bony fingies.

Hunter: Gunkind. J/k. But could you imagine? Hunter with a gun? I shudder at the thought. No, he mains Staffkind, but loses it when Flapjack dies via Stinky Sludge Man. On the one hand, Hunter will get to keep his friend in this session via prototyping Flapjack as his sprite, which he will haphazardly combine with a wolf poster to create WOLFJACK THE LONESOME, the most fearsome sprite this side of a Strider. On the other hand, when it's gone he'll be stuck with Fistkind. Better start pumping iron dude! Maybe watch some Karate Kid!

Vee: Venomkind. She's not POISONOUS, she's VENOMOUS, because she's KIND OF A SNAKEY LOOKING THIGN in her true form. Careful Masha, she bites! She has no secondary strife specibus but she doesn't really need it. As a demon her raw natural base stats are higher than any ordinary humans or witches and she already has the power to swallow magic like Kirby at a buffet. The question becomes... has she always had a kind of venom inside of her, did she steal Eddie Brock's best friend, or did she extract it from some local Earth snakes? One of the many mysteries of Vee Noceda...

Masha: Cardkind. Obviously. What else would she have? Those tarot cards and liberated Hexas Holdem decks won't do her much good in divining futures because she's not actually a Seer, but they will gain unique properties per card based on what's printed on them. Through some alchemiter shenanigans, I could see her ganking some of Luxord and Marluxia's tricks and being able to trap things in cards or imprint memories onto them, too. And you BEST BELIEVE she's going to be the SYLLABUS CARD DEALER of the group with an infinite supply to ensure nobody has to worry about inventory space.

Collector: Lennonkind. Because his power is the power to IMAGINE. It probably isn't actually called Lennonkind. Okay it definitely isn't, as funny as that would be. What he really did was actually much creepier. He created a soulless copy of his body that theoretically has all of his powers but no consciousness and tossed it into his Strife Specibus. His specibus is literally Collectorkind. He can do whatever the hell he wants forever. Collector casts PIZZA BAGEL BONANZA on your stomach. You die of internal bleeding and hydrochloric acid as it explodes within your spidery flesh.

Papa Titan: Voicekind. Same as his son but he's more proficient, obviously. His power is the power of language via spoken glyphs. He will talk no jutsu you into a Level 100 Fireball to the face.

Belos: Staffkind and Daggerkind to start, but he also has Zombiekind, Sludgekind, Liekind, and Unkind as additional Strife Specibi. He probably stole all of them from real witches. Can't have shit in Demon Detroit.

[emchante]

HIII EM I HAVE A DANIEL CONCEPT WE NEED TO DISCUSS AT ONCE

so i know his hands & thighs have been a topic on here, getting the spotlight they deserve, and it made me think..

what about one of those cliche romcom pottery dates with daniel 🫠 sitting on his thigh and feeling his hands on top of yours moving the clay 🫠 it would just be so cute and sexy and intimate? my brain is malfunctioning at the thought. 🥹

HII LIV, I’M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU HERE?! <33

but this idea?? OH MY GOD?? this is the cutest thing, especially with daniel. you’d literally have no choice BUT to sit on his thigh, especially if he wanted you to do it together <3

now let’s be real, daniel’s hands? absolutely fucking massive. have you seen them fingies?? they’d absolutely swallow your hands whole, which is perfect if he wants to guide you through what you’re making. who is he kidding though, it’s not as if he’s any better

his chin would be on your shoulder, peering over at your connected hands as he helped try to sculpt the shape of your desired object you had chosen. his soft breath against your bare shoulder and nape of your neck would send goosebumps throughout you, and your hit your foot against his own when you felt the smirk on his face against you.

but also.. this is daniel ricciardo. this date is the cutest thing ever <3 but he’s going to be daniel ricciardo. you can’t have an easy day with him in your life.

there would be small praises whispered in your ear as you both worked. “so good, sweetheart,” “sure this is your first time?” “someone knows how to use their hands,” — and of course that last one gets a nudge of the foot , especially because of the low, husky tone in his voice.

the.. not-so-subtle shift every now and then would have you giggling, though. he wasn’t exactly subtle, and the voice crack that erupted when he sputtered out a “hey!” only caused more laughter.

[hermitw]

Heyo, did you see chapter 268?

I did! I have some questions, like

Are the fingies still around? I thought the vessel had to die or they'd still be there, like Sukuna coughed one up a bit ago. But Yuuji and Nobara were doing things we hadn't seen before either so idk (but virtual mass couldn't take them out...? That's crazy).

But mostly - - what happened to Tengen?

The merger?

Gege filled like 2 predictions I had this chapter. Tbh I was expecting to see more from the fight with Sukuna (which is crazy bc I still have 30 chapters left to reread and it's frying my brain for the third time. Makes a lot of sense this time around, though.)

And I'm still dying to know what happens to Panda, after losing 2 of the 3 cores needed to become a stable autonomous cursed corpse. Is Panda okay on his own now? Is Gakuganji going to add a couple of souls' information?

Some part of me thinks that they're going to use Yuuji's domain to bring back Gojo. Idk though. At this point I might need to just write my own ending bc I can't let go of these ideas.

And what's up with Uraume? They seem so different now. I thought they didn't know how to live without someone else to serve, to tell them what to do. Maybe through some conversation with Hakari they had a lot of character growth, let go of their codependency, and their monk's robes. (Uraume is more chill about Sukuna's death than me, but I'm also in denial about death in general, you know (including ch 259 and JJK0)? Anything can still happen).

Anyway, Gojo's letters and Megumi's scars and Yuuji trying to hide Nobara in the box was so sweet. I'm glad the three of them are back together.