#Claymores and Hunters is the same

[the-punforgiven]

Man shoutout to me who never even thought to draw parallels between Claymore and Bloodborne until like, just now

[aromanticasterisms]

cool as hell cutscene.

[fantasticarcadefan]

Teyvat and the Ascended

Pt 1: Call of the void

Warning: Likely OOC!, Mentions of death, religious worship, emotional breakdown, bad descriptions.

Gn! Reader

Pt 1: Call of the void

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How long has it been since you entered this nightmare? Weeks? Months? A Year? You didn't know anymore.Ever since you found yourself in Teyvat, you were hunted all across the land for baring the semblance of the "creator" that you never heard of. From the fields of Mondstadt, to the mountains of Liyue, to the islands of Inazuma, from Sumeru's forests to Fontaine's outskirts, you found yourself wanted dead all across Teyvat. But with help from Teyvat, the wildlife, and a select few, you've managed to make it out alive most of the time, but you do eventually find yourself dead, only to wake up in a different nation, with the scars and pain of old wounds still there. Most of your hunters seemed eager to earn the favor of your impersonator, yet, a handful of them seemed reluctant, and showed signs of remorse for their actions, before either ending you, or leaving you for dead. All the while, the imposter sits all high and mighty.

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After your most recent death, you found yourself in the desert of Sumeru, early at night. Needing to find shelter before your pursuers and the blazing sun catch up to you, you begin your journey to a nearby mountain that you see, hoping to take refuge in a cave there before your hunt begins again. The pain from your last death still there, broken legs and a claymore piercing and exiting your stomach. Your clothes are mostly the ones you wore when you arrived here held together by a bunch of stitches from other pieces of clothing. As you walk there, you can't help but wonder 'what did I do to deserve this'?' It didn't make any sense. You tended to help people out by helping newer players with bosses they were stuck on, often helping your parents in cleaning your home, and volunteering at parks or soup kitchens and helped organize events in your community.

But if someone did something to help piss you off like harassing you or your loved ones, god help them.

For those that drew your ire on earth, it was like them awakening a bear and filling it with strife. You would insult every feature of them mercilessly. From the way they looked, all the way to their desires, you'd insult them so damagingly that they'd feel that till the end of their life and all the way to their next one if they reincarnated. That's assuming that they don't make you get physical. Cause one time when one of your siblings was being harassed and stalked by one of their bullies, let's just say that the bullying stopped shortly afterwards with the stalker losing some major functions of their body. And in order to ensure your siblings were safe when you were gone, you taught them some stuff you knew about their bullies and means of self-defense.

As you walked closer to the mountain, trying to find a reason for this and thinking about your old life, you couldn't help but think about your first days in Teyvat, waking up on the same beach that the traveller did at the start of the game, and finding yourself with a different height, around 6'2 feet tall or around 188 centimeters. With you being innocent and hopeful, wanting to explore the land and see your favorite characters in person, you found those dreams wiped when you were intercepted by some members of the knights of favonius, who immediately began to hunt you, calling you an imposter and heretic. Scared and unsure, you decided to avoid the city, out of fear that the reaction would be the same from the patrol. As you ran from Monstadadt, you shortly after found yourself ambushed by another patrol, but was ambushed by a group of Hilichurls led by a Mitachurl, with it gesturing to you to run, before engaging in combat.

Your time in Liyue was just as bad, with you being hunted down by the Milleth and Adepti, only managing to survive through a series of vision malfunctions, staggering your would-be killers as you made your escape, luckily not running into Zhongli. It was during this chase that you learned of your look-alike, who was temporarily residing in the Jade Chamber of Nigguang while their palace was being built. Your stay there would take a turn for the worst, as you attempt to hide from the Milleth in a cargo crate by the docks, you find it being loaded onto a ship, heading for the land of eternity.

Knowing that the Archon would likely seek you out and execute you, you dove into the water as the islands came into sight, realizing that you moved faster and could breath underwater, with gills appearing on your neck and both your hands and feet becoming flippers as you swam to shore. In an attempt to enjoy the land of eternity, you found yourself a cloak that you could wear to conceal your face. Normally, it would've worked with mortals, but not with the nation's Archon, Raiden Ei. As soon as you landed ashore, she went out to pursue you, with Sara alerting her forces to start preparing for an execution and to be on alert for an imposter of their creator. And before you knew it, you found yourself headless in Inazuma City with a crowd cheering at your death, marking the end of your first life in Teyvat. Yet, as you rolled on the floor, you looked up to see thunder storms starting to form in mass, with you thinking 'Seems like one final fuck you to Inazuma' you thought, thinking you were finally free from this suffering.

Oh how wrong you were.

Over time, you'd become used to this, hiding from the zealots, living with the wildlife, and mostly staying alive. You'd discover that a handful of people were willing to help you, like Dainsleif, the abyss order, the traveller when you two were alone, , Nahida, Furina, Razor, Amber, Alice, Childe, and Neuvillete,to name some of the few, but would oddly call you your grace, the true god, or luprical in Razor's case, but you oddly noticed that some of your hunters had an aura of regret around them, like Venti, Kaeya, and Xiao. It was through those that helped you that you learned that the amount of vision holders was rapidly growing, especially among those that had participated in hunting you. Despite this, you've started to get used to your powers, you've been able to try and recreate the abilities of Avatar: the last Airbender and the legend of Korra to help you survive, but you don't bring this topic up with those that help you, out of fear for their safety, should others discover their new technique and how they learned it, and you not being sure others are listening to your conversations.

As you approached the mountain, you begin to talk to yourself, "Why me? Why?? I never wanted to be here! And if I did, I never wanted to overthrow Celestia or whoever is this creator! All I wanted to do was explore the land, make some friends with those here, and help those that needed it! What did I do wrong!!??" You yell as you enter the cave, resting on the wall of it, with tears starting to form and fall out of your eyes. "Is this what happens to the good people? Is this their fate? To suffer at the hands of those that you seek to care for!!??" You cry, with tears pouring out of your eyes as you finally break down due to the you've pain you've felt. The world tries to comfort you, rearranging your position so you're lying on the wall of the cave, with you feeling vibrations on your back as you cry, releasing the emotions you've held on this time. A geo slime comes from the cave entrance, and attempts to climb onto your shoulder, with it getting on your lap, and trying to climb onto you. Feeling the small slime's attempt to climb onto your shoulder and comfort you, you pat the slime like a pet, and rub the wall of the cave, "Th-Thank you both for b-being with me" you tell both the slime and the land in between sobs with the slime attempting to nuzzle into your neck,and the walls of the cave form a hand, with it resting and on your shoulder and rubbing it, trying to reassure you. You smile in comfort at the reassurance you had, making the pain from your last death get weaker. As you drift off into sleep, you can't help but wonder 'how much longer must this go on?'

When you awoke, the first thing you felt was the sensation of falling, before landing face first onto a metal floor. "Owww!" You yell on instinct to the non-existent pain. Wait, what? There should be pain from falling face first onto metal and where did the metal floor come from? Before you can do anything, an unknown female voice is heard, "Your Grace!" The voice says before rushing to your side and picking you up on the floor and to face her. A million thoughts run through your mind. 'Was the hunt in Teyvat a trial? Was it the beginning, have I finally gone insane? Is this th-' "Who did this to you?" The women's question interrupts your line of thought. As you are brought out of your head, you notice that she's wearing a golden chest plate which seems to fit with her shirt on top of it. Yet, you can't help but notice that on her elbow that the guard piece for her shoulder blade seems to be intertwined with her shirt, like it was one. Her hair is dyed a mix of teal and green with it pointing to the left side of her hair, with the right side shaved off, leaving a stubble there as it regrew, showing her natural black hair. Her face shows a mixture of fear, concern, and anger at the scars you've gained. Behind you, you hear multiple feet alongside something slimy moving in your direction, with a human voice yell out "Mary!" 'So that's your name,huh? You think,before moving your head to look at the new noises. As you turn your head to look behind you, you see a group of beings emerge from the door way ahead of you. The group, noticing you, stops their advance, before kneeling in front of you.

You go ahead and take a look at them from the top down, with the first beings you notice are three small floating clam like creatures, well, least without the lower half of with 8 tentacles total in various colors, with a common factor of near black by the front of the it's tentacles, with the first one having a dark blue shell and white lines on it's shell, the second one having a green shell with brown lines on it, and the third having a grey shell with white lines.Near the front of it you see a big black half of a ball on where your looking at, before you realize that the ball is a face, near the top of the doorway, which you think is, about 20 feet high. Under them, you see what appears to be a tall beetle with what appears to be two pincers on its back with its antennas on the top of its head, wearing red robes. In front of it, you see what appears to be a man who looks like some out of Hollywood with combed back hair and a stubbed beard and mustache, wearing a blue suit of sorts with golden dashes where the shoulder blades are. Next to him, you see a tall blue cybernetic elf in a red and white sweater, who's had his right arm replaced with an artificial limb. On the edges of his face and some parts of the top of his head, you notice that there are pieces of metal across his head, fitting in alongside his scales. His eyes are noticeably different, with them both being a bright blue light instead of there being eyes there. The smallest of the group was a bear cub on its hind legs, with it as tall as your knees. There seems to be a black goo surrounding each of them, yet it doesn't seem to be harming it, rather, it seems that the cub is using the parasite as arms. Unsure of their names for now, you decide to settle on making your own names for them until you find out their name. But before you can decide, the one who called your holder Mary talks to you, with him looking like his composure is about to break "Your grace, my name is Alexi Brown of the Ascended Species, those that you personally guided. It is an honor, to meet you."

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Greetings Readers, this is my first story here. If you have any ideas on how to improve, please post it in the comments, so I can improve it.

[dark-manga-stuff]

Galatea - The Eyes of God

Something I love about claymore is how the abilities that the warriors possess, usually have some type of character or thematic significance. Both of those hold true for Galatea, she is the literal and figurative eyes of the organization which granted her the name “God Eyes”.

With her ability to sense yoma energy from so far away, and literally telegraph conversations, she has one of the most valuable skills for the organization. And in the world of Claymore, the organization is the equivalent of a god.

It’s made clear from the moment we meet Galatea, that she will be an anti-hero character. She walks the line between ally and foe, with her ability also comes with the possibility of manipulating the organization, which she does here, she’s playing the middle game.

Right after we meet her, we get the confirmation that she’s a strong claymore and a top 3 claymore at that. And considering Alicia and Beth’s strength, top 3 is ridiculously good. Galatea is made to be a threat which is why she’s classified as a monster by Miria.

We get our first look at Galatea when Clare goes to fight Riful and save Jean. Galatea is still playing the anti-hero role in where she walks the line between helping clare and helping the organization. This character duality shadows her true intentions for the rest of the story.

Galatea has a strong aura of confidence and a bit of arrogance coming into this. She arrives to capture Clare, but she still decided to manipulate the organization and it’s still unclear what she has planned for Clare.

Galatea being “God Eyes” allows here to basically manipulate the battle, her yoma energy reading abilities allow her to harmonize with her opponent, shifting the battle in whatever direction she desires. The fight all comes down to concentration and prediction.

Another detail about Galatea is just how strong is she? With the yoma power she’s number 1. But what holds her back is that she can’t keep this form for long, the higher her power goes, the lower chance of coming back. The only downside to having this immense amount of power.

Galatea eventually reveals her true intentions as she was doing a personal investigation rather than one for the organization. At this point in her character she works for her own benefit and if the organization gets in the way, she makes a way for herself.

This statement is also made before we’re aware that Alicia and Beth can awaken and go back to their normal states. This is an ability far surpassing and shattering the limitations of yoma energy and holds other characters to a greater standard, a complete change of form.

Galatea allows Clare to walk freely, at first she seems very loyal to the organization. But after spending that time with Clare and Jean, I think she just wanted to test their resolve. She seemed hopeful for another meeting, I love how she keeps up the anti-hero thing. The next time Galatea and Clare meet, a lot went down. Galatea left the organization and went into hiding, as a nun. This works thematically & in characteristic fashion cause her title is “God Eye” and she’s doing the thing that would draw her closest to god which is being a nun.

Galatea only grew stronger through the seven years she was in hiding. She completely destroyed her eyes so now she really lives up to the “God Eye” title. Galatea now relies entirely on her energy sensing abilities. She had to adapt or else she’d be dog food for new claymores. Galatea still remains the same after all that time passed, still calm and collected, she doesn’t overestimate her strength but is aware of her capabilities in combat. Galatea still has a master way of turning a situation into a team fight, even if they started as enemies.

The circumstances in her return are also reminiscent of when she was sent to capture Clare. The dynamic shifts when you are the one wanted by the organization. Galatea is now the hunted instead of the hunter. I love the significance of the second meeting between Galatea and Clare, it shows the massive gap that she put between them in terms of power. Clare surpassed her and she did in fact, stay alive. Clare mastered a flurry of techniques and increased her raw skill.

Roles are reversed and Clare is the one that saves Galatea from an awakened being. Clare is also incredibly poised compared to last time which is a perfect way to show her growth, by bringing back a familiar situation. After meeting Galatea back in the Holy City of Rabona, Galatea isn’t too involved in the combat anymore, her abilities simply don’t match up to the 7 ghosts or new warriors but that’s fine since they are the spotlight of the story. I’m satisfied with the shine she did receive.

This is the end of the thread, Galatea is a fantastic character from being a main player to a supportive member, I loved every part of her involvement in the series. This was a very fun thread to make.

Credits: T Water

[poisonf0rest]

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧

The sun has not risen for twenty-six years.

Daysdeath, ragnarök, the eternal eclipse, the final punishment of the Saints, the will of The Great Ones— it matters not what you choose to call it. Its name will not change its nature. Its name will not spare us from the reality that is the world plunged into a never ending night, a never ending Hunt where the only mercy is death.

And even death does not come easy now.

The blood of beast and man run the streets of Yharnam red, and with every passing hour, each one as unchanging as the last, the remnants of humanity dwindle. Perhaps it was the bloodlust that The Hunt inspired that further awakened that beast within man, or perhaps in a final act of desperation man has cast away his own humanity, hoping that would be enough to allow him to survive.

Fools. As if that did not doom them further.

But there are still those that dare fight. These Hunters who call themselves human even as they slay beasts who were once our neighbors and family and lovers. These Hunters hunt humans to save humanity.

Tonight seems to be especially brutal, the ceaseless wails and screams echoing throughout the never-ending darkness. And yet this Hunter does not heed them, his claymore merciless as it severs through flesh and bone, not the cracking of skulls nor the sickening gurgle of blood enough to deter him from his hunt.

Beautiful, horrible, the blood of his prey falling around him as it glows the same unearthly red as his hair.

He does not rest. Wrenching his sword from the ribs of a mutant, the Hunter staggers backward, slipping on the mess of gore and entrails tangled upon the cobblestones, already spotting a pack of Scourge Beasts feasting on what must have been the remains of someone foolish enough to be caught outside tonight.

The Hunter rolls back his shoulders, dragging his claymore to the side as he charges, an arc of blood spraying from the blade as it lodges itself into the thick, furry neck of one of the Scourge Beasts. It screams. The howl shakes the Hunter to the bone, his arms trembling as he fights to free his blade now tangled in the flesh and fur.

The Beast staggers to its hind legs, forcing the Hunter to release the sword's hilt as it thrashes wildly with its enormous paws. Another two are running up behind him. But the Hunter noticed too late. The monster's claws slash into his side, and the force rams him into a nearby wall, smashing through layer after layer of crumbling brick.

The pack is already upon him. Rolling, the Hunter curses as one Scourge Beast snaps its jaws mere inches from his leg, a shot from his pistole blasting through the damned thing's jaw. He shoots twice, thrice, darting between the raging monsters to find his claymore still lodged in the flesh of the first beast, its head hanging off by ripped skin, swinging as it charges once more. The Hunter does the same.

Running straight for it, he fires once more, blasting its left paw to pieces as it skids across the bloodstained ground, the Hunter leaping above it as he lands on his sword, kicking it clean through the beast's spine.

Another annoyed curse leaves the Hunter's scowling lips as he counts the bullets he has left, turning to face the remaining Scourge Beasts.

Three bullets. Four beasts.

The first two charge, tongues drooling out from their rotten mouths as the Hunter darts beneath them, claymore singing as it scythes through the beasts, the pair collapsing upon each other as he finished them off with a single shot. Two bullets.

Turning, the Hunter narrowly dodges another swipe, its claws slicing through empty air as he pulls the trigger. The shot rings true, but not before another set of jaws crunch down onto his shoulder. A snap and blood sprays across his vision, throbbing pain blinding the Hunter as he rams his claymore behind him, throwing both the beast and himself to the ground from the momentum. And with the last burst of strength, he writhes free, shooting the monster through the skull as he kneels in a pool of blood.

"Fuck." The Hunter's left arm hangs, shredded and broken, rendered useless as he pushes himself to his feet using his sword as a brace.

Grimacing, he has no choice but to hobble into the nearest alleyway, clutching his arm as he sheathes his claymore onto his back. Staying out in the open any longer would mean certain death. He needs to find shelter, not to mention a doctor or at least some blood to help him recover. The Hunters were all products of blood transfusions, and yet this Hunter in particular must bear the sin of his lineage, the horrors behind that long-forgotten castle of ice and snow passed down to him. Without blood, his hunger worsens.

The itching at his gums and the prick of fangs against his lip remind him of that. His thirst grows stronger.

Limping further into the alley, a small courtyard emerges, a decaying tree in the center, what looks to be the remains of a forgotten well, and a ladder trailing up to the roof of the houses.

"Well," The Hunter grunts, hauling himself up the first wooden rung with his one functioning arm. "It can hardly be worse than lying out in the open."

Perhaps by luck or perhaps by yet another cruel temptation by the Saints, there waits a balcony door at the far end of the roof. Limping forward, the Hunter rams his foot against the handle, rotten wood splintering at the blow, announcing the Hunter's entrance with a groan. It was dim room, likely an attic or storeroom of the residence— if any humans still occupied it, that is.

Still scanning the area, the Hunter tucks himself into a far corner, leaning against what appeared to be crates of empty beakers and vials. At least, that's all he manages to make out as his sight blurs with each flash of heat and pain. No matter. He wouldn't stay long, only just enough to catch his breath.

Darkness dances across his vision, the left side of his body going completely numb as he only half-registers the trail of blood made from his raw wounds. A laugh, his eyes rolling to the back of his skull. Yes, just a quick breather, a nap, he thinks, losing the battle to consciousness. He shan't be here long.

And with that, his head rolls to the side, and he slips into the cold embrace of death.

· · ─────── ·♰· ─────── · ·

The Hunter awakens to two things: One, he is still frustratingly alive, his entire body burning like fucking hell.

Two, he is strapped down to a table with a rifle pointed at his face.

He doesn't get to so much as think of moving when the figure before him presses the muzzle of the gun closer. "I wouldn't recommend trying anything," the last word is little more than a growl as the figure leans in, your face illuminated by the overhead surgical light, highlighting your sneer of disgust. "Vileblood."

"I believe there has been some confusion. I was simply seeking refuge." Diluc doesn't bother struggling against his restraints, merely flexing his left hand as he realizes he can control his wounded arm again. He's healing. Slowly, but finally.

Seeing you have yet to relax your hold on the rifle, he clears his throat. "I am a Hunter. I understand you must be frightened, so if you would release me I'll leave your residence at once. I was only looking for an empty place to rest, but evidently, I chose wrong."

"A Vampyr who hunts monsters," You laugh. "Saints. What has the world come to?"

"Hell, by all manners of the word. Now if you'd release me I would leave your premise immediately and return—"

One more hysterical laugh forces its way from your lips, cutting the Hunter off as you shove the rifle forward, burying the barrel into his forehead. "Do you take me for a fool?"

His flesh burns. Diluc hisses through clenched teeth, the skin on his forehead bubbling and bleeding rapidly where it touches the rifle, the gruesome mixture dripping down his face. Silver. Just his damned luck.

Relenting, you prop the rifle up against the table he's chained to, pulling up your coat sleeve to reveal a clean row of puncture wounds along your forearm. The smell of blood and burnt flesh stains the air. "You were nearly sent back to the hell you crawled out of, blood-starved and bleeding out in my attic. I take it my blood saved you just in time."

"So why rescue me, Executioner?"

You grimace. "I am no Executioner, that whole damned Church and you Hunters can go up in flames for all I care. I am a doctor. My oath is to none but the sciences."

Diluc blinks, eyes darting from you, to the rifle, and back to you. "Of course," A scoff. "A doctor."

"Oui, believe it or no, it matters not to me. Truthfully, your appearance is something of a blessing, as I have need of something only you, dear mutant Vileblood, can give me."

Diluc is about to say something of particularly flavorful language when you begin shuffling items on an operating tray, pulling out a scalpel and syringe long enough to make the words dry in his throat. The restraints don't budge. Normally, breaking a set of chains- leather, metal, or otherwise- would hardly be considered a challenge, however Diluc is painfully aware that he hasn't fed in weeks prior to the fight, and the throbbing in his arm and across his body confirms that his body failed to heal itself completely.

Without blood, not only will his strength continue to wither, but so will his control. That means the once mighty Hunter really is entirely at the mercy of some psychopathic, self-proclaimed doctor currently unbuttoning his vest and spreading her hands across his chest, positioning the scalpel just above his heart.

You are just about to make the first incision through the Hunter's pale skin when the door creaks open, twin heads popping out. Two pairs of identical grey eyes stare into the clinic, mops of blonde hair bouncing as they peek out from the doorframe.

"Is breakfast ready yet?"

"I'm hungry and Eileen won't quit hitting me!"

"Liar! Liar! Timmy hits me first, it's true, I swear it."

"It's hit not hits, stupid!"

"Is not, Idiot!"

"Is too, dunce!"

"Lubberwort!"

"Smellfungus!"

"Gollumpus!"

A high-pitched scream. "Take that back! Take it back!"

Diluc watches, stunned, as the children bicker, the heavy atmosphere of the room all but dissipates as they continue to screech and squabble. Then, you stand, sucking in a deep breath— "Silence!"

The echo of the command befalls the room.

"Yes, Miss Doctor."

You pinch your brows, careful not to cut yourself with the scalpel, swearing this alone has eaten away at your already regrettably short lifespan. "Where is Alison? She was on cooking duty today. And do believe I already told the both of you not to interrupt while I am with patients." The twins flinch, looking between each other before their gaze falls on Diluc.

"Do you always tie them up before cutting them?"

"This one is dirty, scary looking. Like an ugly dog!"

Diluc feels a punch in the gut at that one. Children. Blunt as a hammer.

"Yes, he is indeed very ugly." Bitch. "But he is my patient and we are in the middle of a very, very important step in making him feel better. So please, mes petits choux, go find Alison or Edwin at tell them to get started on the food, lest they become it."

"Okay!"

Rattling footsteps echo down the hall, and you finally exhale as the twins scamper off, turning to face a still-bewildered Hunter. You slam the door shut, locking the rusted hinge. "Out with it."

Diluc clears his throat. "Not yours, I presume?"

A snort. "Saints, no. I already told you, I run a clinic... alongside an orphanage, research center, and theater depending on if it's Friday or not."

He fights a smile, something tugging at a memory long forgotten. "Ah. I see."

But there is no longer any lingering hostility, Diluc's arms all but slack against the restraints as the realization dawns on him. "I've placed you all in danger just by being here. Untie me and I'll leave at once, I have already exposed you to my blood for far too long. I refuse to endanger you and the children any further."

And, damn it all, your conscience finally catches up with you.

Cursing under your breath, you slam the scalpel and syringe back down onto the tray, unshackling the Hunter. Diluc is still weary as he sits up, immediately redoing the buttons on his shirt to preserve some modesty, about to make a run for his weapons when he feels a light touch against his shoulder. Contrary to your every action thus far, there you are, hand on his arm, asking silently for him to wait.

You clear your throat. "I already told you, you bloody stupid Hunter, I am a doctor. That means by oath no patient of mine is allowed to leave unless they are fully healed, Vileblood or no. We can skip the... extra procedures for now."

You lift up a box, vials clicking as Diluc picks one up. Blood vials. "I wasn't quite sure how a mutant such as yourself would have preferred it administered— through an injection like the rest of you Hunters or as a drink."

"Either." Diluc feels a prickle against his top gums as he pops off the cork, but swallows the desire down. "Either is effective."

"Very well, then drink."

By the Saints, he doesn't need to be told twice. Mouthful after mouthful, he empties the glass before instinctually reaching for another, feeling the strength return to his limbs, skin and muscle stitching back together on their own, blood coagulating and scabbing over, subduing the beast that dwells inside him once again. He's already thrown aside half a dozen vials by the time he bothers to take a breath. Panting, he wipes his bloodied mouth with his equally bloody sleeve, and you frown at the less-than-sanitary repercussions.

But alas, you suppose when you're wearing the dried blood of beasts akin to a second coat, the cleanliness of it all fails to bother you.

You were so lost in thought you failed to realize the Hunter had disappeared from the operating table, now standing behind you, fully donned in his black coat and hat, already having retrieved his claymore and gun before you could even blink. His voice jostles you, and you unconsciously shift back, reminded once again this man is far from human. "You are far kinder than I deserve." A deep bow, "I am in your forever in your debt."

"That you are, my dear Hunter."

Diluc freezes halfway, snapping his head up as he rises to full height.

"Surely you didn't think I'd give up vials of my own blood for free?"

Your blood. Diluc grimaces, suddenly hyperaware of the taste as it coats his tongue and throat. Heavy. Rich. Fucking addictive. "You're a Hunter so you've got no coin on you, that I'm sure. However, you can help me gather materials. As I mentioned prior I am conducting research," You clear your throat. "On what I cannot allow myself to disclose, but I would appreciate specimens only a gifted killer such as yourself can obtain. And, of course, free-range to test the walking specimen that is yourself."

He pretends not to be bothered by the way you eye him up and down as you say that last part. "Research, huh..." An unamused grunt. "Word of advice, little healer. I wouldn't mess with the Church."

"Doctor."

"Makes little difference to me. The warning still stands."

You scoff. "I know full well that the Healing Church is a far cry from holy, Hunter. After all, they created you." And you don't know what compelled you, but you continued. "That besides, my work is not directly dealing with the Church. I wish to find the truth behind, well, all of this: Ashen Blood, the Beastly Scourge, Vilebloods, the truth of—"

"Quiet." Diluc slams his hand over your mouth, muffling your words as you gasp. Surprise turns to anger as you yell, attempting to claw him off, to no avail. "Do not speak of such blasphemy aloud."

Completely ignoring him, you keep fighting his grasp, almost considering biting his palm before you remember how much filth his gloves must be carrying on them. "Just listen to me for a moment, would you? Quiet." The last word is a hissed whisper, but the ferocity in his glare silence you.

Then, you hear it too.

A rhythmic tapping, a movement of someone or something hopping along the weathered shingles of the clinic's roof. Diluc merely puts a finger to his lips, motioning you to stay put as he unsheathes his claymore in a smooth arch. Silently, he makes his way to a window, leaping out as he disappears into the endless night.

And then he's standing before you. But this time, a dead crow is dangling in his grasp.

The startled shriek from you makes Diluc flinch, and he's about to apologize for the gore when you cut in. "Your ridiculous bird is dripping blood all over my clinic!"

Oh.

"Well my apologies, Doctor. I thought blood would be somewhat commonplace here."

A huff and you inch closer. "Well?" You bend, investigating the crow. Or at least, what you thought was a crow, only it was well-past half your height, monstrously contorted and reeking of decaying flesh. "Why did you feel the need to bring this to me?"

"Carrion Crows. Appear to be rotting, unintelligible creatures, but I've seen far too many come in and out of the Church to believe they are simply wasted pairs of eyes." He meets your gaze and flicks the silver band forged onto the creature's foot. "Your roof just happened to be littered with them."

"Saints."

Diluc grunts, throwing the crow out the window, shaking excess blood from his palms. "As a man of my word I intend to honor our deal, despite your less-than-honorable method of trapping me in it."

"Wait just a moment, I'm not the one who broke into someone else's house half-dead and bleeding while—"

"But call for me, and I will bring you the specimens you require." You scowl as he cuts you off- again- stepping back from pure instinct as he walks towards you. Lifting his hand, Diluc hesitates, arm falling back to his side. He steps away.

You're scared. The smell of fear radiates off you despite your determination to look him in the eye, likely denying that visceral reaction to yourself even now. He can't blame you: if it has fangs and claws and a lust for blood, then surely it must be a beast. He accepted that fact long ago.

"I'll say it once more, stay away from the Church. If not for your own sake, then for the children you care for."

The Hunter had already made his way back to the window, clearly not intending to use the door like a civilized person, when you speak up again, quieter this time.

"It is for them I must continue. There is no future, not for the children nor for Yharnam, unless I find the truth."

Diluc doesn't move. He simply stares at you, finding a conviction, a light in your eyes that he swears he hasn't seen in the decades since this world fell into eternal night. And it terrifies him.

Hope.

"Until then, Doctor."

[hananoami]

[ Directional Orbit ] Light - Stage 120 Clear VOD

On Sunday, 05/19, I've finally crossed the finish line and cleared Xavier's Directional Orbit: Light - Stage 120! He’s the first love interest to clear all of the Deepspace Trials currently available with my MC. My goodness, what a wild and crazy adventure this has been. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without Lumiere for all the reasons I will explain in detail below, but for now I'll just briefly go over what you should expect from this particular stage. Stage 120 is the final stage available for Xavier's Directional Orbit: Light. It has a red hue around its planet so you know that it will require two teams, as every x0 stage has done previously. Team 01's Protofield Stellactrum is 6-Amber memories and Team 02's Protofield Stellactrum is 6-Emerland memories. As a reminder, there is no right or wrong way to play the game. My game play will vary from yours, but I still wanted to share my experiences with hopes it'll help you on your own trials. Depending on your play style and what memories/protocores you have available you can choose to either match the stellactrum in order to have a perfect match or you can go off color and try to brute force it. For this stage I opted to have a mix of both. More details under read more.

I guess you can say I took notes from my own playbook to figure out how I wanted to approach this stage, haha. I used the same strategy I used in my clear post for Rafayel's Directional Orbit: Fire - Stage 110. Rather than have a perfect match I opted to brute force the stage while still having some matched stellactrum for the attribute bonus. I swapped the solar memories for each team and kept most, if not all, the lunar memories to have some attribute bonus by matching some stellactrum.

I also opted to use Xavier's Lumiere Companion for both teams for his insane support skill < Lunar Vortex >. This unique ability allows him to draw enemies to the center of the moonlight, dealing DoT damage while reducing their ATK by 30% and speed by 50% for 5 seconds. Combined with using Hunter Wand it is soooo good for crowd control, especially in the first half of this stage. Yeah, it took me two usages of < resonance skill > to break the four wanderers' protocore shields in order to bring them into a weakened state, but having Lumiere group them up for me to drop my own AoE damage really helped take them down.

For the second half of the fight I had all of Lumiere's pair bonuses available since his MN solar pair was equipped for this team. It was fun playing this build using MC's Moonchaser guns. Ranged is my preferred weapon of choice since my skills using melee weapons (ie. Sword, Claymore) aren't the best no matter what game I play. Since I went off colors, only using 3 matching emerald stellactrum for 15% attribute bonus, it took me a while to break the final boss' protocore shields to bring it to a weakened state. The fight is only 2 minutes long and each resonance skill has a 15 sec cooldown. I could only shatter one shield any time I used my < resonance skill >. This is why it is so crucial for you to press your abilities off CD!!

I wasn't able to bring it down to a weakened state for the second time before the timer ran out because I didn't use any Oath Recovery boost beta protocores. Instead I wanted to take advantage of Lumiere's kit and zoom by equipping 2 +9 Expedited Energy Boost at 16.8% so I could spam my < active skill > more for the memes lol...

Fortunately for me I was able to bring its HP down just enough for my Ardent Oath to do a good portion of damage towards the end. It was a very close fight with me clearing the stage with 4 seconds left on the timer, but we did it! My amazing starlight carried me all the way across the finish line without breaking a sweat, hehe.

ADDITIONAL SCREENSHOTS

Companion: Xavier's Lumiere Weapon: Hunter Wand Attribute Bonus For each matched stellactrum, increases DMG Boost 5.0% (currently increased: 20.0%) and DMG Reduction 5.0% (currently increased 20.0%). ♡ Affinity Bonus: 95 (Xavier’s Protective Skill) When you take a fatal blow, Xavier teleports to you, blocks a hit, and counter attacks. Enemies will be knocked back. [ HP 3800 || DEF 95 || ATK 190 ] Pair Bonus [LT] - Starting Effect: Increases team DMG by 8%, and reduces team DMG taken by 8%. When fighting together with Lightseeker, your Active Skill DMG is increased by 25%.

5☆ Lightseeking Obsession (emerald/solar) Lv 80/awakened rank 3 using +12 SSR protocores

5☆ Lightseeking Shadowrend (emerald/solar) Lv 80/awakened using +9 and +12 SSR protocores

5☆ Tender Night (amber/lunar) Lv70 rank 1 using +12 SSR protocores

5☆ Heartstrings Symphony (amber/lunar) Lv70 rank using +9 and +12 SSR protocores

5☆ Faint Sensation (amber/lunar) Lv60 using +9 SSR protocores

5☆ Fragment Of Time (emerald/lunar) Lv60 using +9 SSR protocores

Companion: Xavier's Lumiere Weapon: Moonchaser Attribute Bonus For each matched stellactrum, increases DMG Boost 5.0% (currently increased: 15.0%) and DMG Reduction 5.0% (currently increased 15.0%). ♡ Affinity Bonus: 95 (Xavier’s Protective Skill) When you take a fatal blow, Xavier teleports to you, blocks a hit, and counter attacks. Enemies will be knocked back. [ HP 3800 || DEF 95 || ATK 190 ] Pair Bonus [MN] - Starting Effect: increases team DMG by 8%, and reduces team DMG taken by 8%. The Enemy [Moonstruck] is extended by 3 seconds. - Duo Rank 1: boosts Ardent Oath charge by 20%. [Moonlight] will attach 1 stack of [Phasing Moon] to the enemy, increasing DMG dealt by 25%. - Duo Rank 2: increases Energy Charge cap by 1. When [Moonlight] is activated, the cooldown time of your Active and Resonance Skill is reduced by 0.5 seconds, and a small amount of energy charge is restored. - Duo Rank 3: increases team DMG by 8%. When your Active Skill or Charged Attack hits a target with [Moonstruck], [Moonlight] will be activated, boosting CRIT DMG by 30%.

5☆ Midnight Whispers (amber/solar) Lv 80/awakened rank 3 using +9 SSR protocores

5☆ Midnight Rainfall (amber/solar) Lv 80/awakened rank 3 using +9 SSR protocores

5☆ Romantic Afternoon (emerald/lunar) Lv70 rank 1 using +9 and +12 SSR protocores

5☆ Fluffy Trap (emerald/lunar) Lv70 rank using +9 SSR protocores

5☆ Unique Aftertaste (ruby/lunar) Lv70 rank 3 using +12 SSR protocores

4☆ A Captured Moment (emerald/lunar) Lv70 rank 3 using +9 SSR protocores

[luminafights]

░ 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓: 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝟏𝟎 ⠀   𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟏.𝟎 ⠀   ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴɪᴏɴ: Artist Rafayel ⠀   ᴡᴇᴀᴘᴏɴ: Hunter Claymore

⠀⠀------------------------------------------------------------

⠀⠀⠀☑ Stella Match⠀⠀⠀⠀☐ 3 Star Pass⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀☑ Video

⠀⠀------------------------------------------------------------

I tried purple/yellow core hunt 10 today with Artist Raf, same stats. Wow.

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐬── .✦

𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨── .✦

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬── .✦

2024-03-27 12:31 PM

I feel like I'm struggling less on Artist compared to Siren, it feels very comfy. That damage buff that Artist gives helps a lot. Positioning-wise, Artist gets you close to the boss too so that's important. Here's footage of the clear. Made some woopsies like not using Frangere Slash on a beefy 5x attack buff 💀 but cleared with seconds to spare

2024-09-04 6:25 PM

Artist Rafayel strategy: Bait and use empowered support skill (pulsing icon after a successful perfect dodge) before you use resonance skill so that you raise your chances of activating the 5 stack damage buff. Use your hard hitting attacks during this short buff window.

[idontknowmyownmind]

Late night thought.

OG!Cale's deal with GoD is a one time thing, only happening in one timeline.

So, even if there is another Cale who will make the deal, the deal will be completely different.

(Thinking about the reaction verse between TCF and TBOAH. Which mean TBOAH!Cale will not be able to get the same deal OG!Cale (40 yrs) got.)

And rather than flushing with 18yrs Cale soul, 40yrs Cale takes over the body.

So baby Cale is yeeted somewhere. Just like how KRS's soul was yeeted to earth 1 when White Star snatched his original body. (If you read the novel or spoiler, you know what I mean)

This is the start of my imagination (obsession) about Cale getting transmigrated or reincarnated or teleported to either Genshin, Obey me, or Twisted Wonderland.

In Genshin, I think he will be transmigrated into someone's body or reincarnated. But personally, I prefer he transmigrates into someone who is supposed to die (since he is a soul without body). And I want him to be an adepti or a being that has a long lifespan.

He got there before the archon war. And since I'm weak toward Zhongli and the Fatui, I'm torn between making him become an honorary yaksha or join the harbinger.

Either way, Cale fell into slumber after the war (similar to Venti) and woke up a week before the traveler arrived at Monstadt.

In Obey Me, the player must know that MC got summoned as an exchange student. So, Cale soul is being summoned. Does that mean Cale is in Devildom spiritually? Since he got no body…

Eh, idk. But imagine baby Cale has contracts with seven demon lords is kinda hot.

The same case happens in Twisted Wonderland (I forgot how the MC arrived at Night Raven College because it's been so long since I played the game.).

It's easy to make Cale has the same appearance in OM and TW. But I also want him to not changes appearance much in Genshin.

Hmmm, does that mean the body he transmigrated into might be his alternate self in that world? Maybe.

In Genshin, I'll give him pyro vision. I just can't get the image of baby Cale is a closet arsonist, a pyromaniac. And if he is a harbinger, I'll give him cryo delusion. I just love him having opposite elemental powers.

And I imagine him as either a spear user or a claymore user.

(This is just an excuse for me to give baby Cale a harem with characters from different fandoms 🗿)

(I also imagine him transmigrated into Solo Leveling, ORV, or The S-Classes That I Raised)

(Or reincarnated in a world with hunters or ability users. Which means an apocalyptic world with a modern fantasy genre. I'll give Cale an F-class (lowest) active ability that actually can be very dangerous and some S-class (highest) passive abilities. Yes, I just want others to underestimate baby Cale while in reality he can kill them with a snap of his fingers.)

[squadrah]

I have a question, I don’t know if you play genshin but what element and weapon do you think la squadra would be?

I don't play Genshin Impact at all, so it took me ages to finally sit down and go through the wiki articles. Thank you for your patience and though these will be short, I hope you'll like the answers!

Risotto: Geo / Claymore (Skyward Pride) - This is as close as we get to manipulating iron, and I wanted him to have something hefty to suit his size; quicker attacks don't really feel right here. The vacuum blades sold me on the weapon immediately.

Formaggio: Anemo / Sword (Light of Foliar Incision) - He actually used air propulsion to get away from danger so I like this for him. I didn't end up finding a perfectly fitting weapon, but this is close enough to gaining the upper hand!

Prosciutto: Pyro / Catalyst (Magic Guide) - Not an exact match, but this was the closest to reducing enemies to dust... well, ashes I guess. I was determined to have Catalyst for him, and eventually went with Magic Guide to fit the bill of the mentor!

Pesci: Hydro / Bow (Hunter's Path or Messenger) - Wanted him to attack from afar, and I liked the "Tireless Hunt" ability on the first weapon, while the other feels like a good match for how Beach Boy's hook targets the most critical area inside the body.

Ghiaccio: Cryo / Polearm (Dragonspine Spear) - I liked the idea of fast attacks and decent melee range, and the weapon helps him deal even more elemental damage by dropping extra ice on the opponent's head one way or another.

Melone: Electro / Catalyst (Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers) - Fixed Hitbox sounds like how Baby Face targets someone by sending a Junior to their location so I picked this element and weapon to reflect the dispatch of a Junior as best I could!

Illuso: Anemo / Bow (The Viridescent Hunt) - No element is a true fit, but this way he and Formaggio are the same element, which reflects their Stand potential. Was going to go for a Catalyst but this one bow can create a displacing effect, which is perfect.

Sorbet: Dendro / Claymore (Forest Regalia) - Really wanted to channel the plant enthusiast vibe with this one, and have a fun Elemental Reaction with Gelato. Was going to go for a bow, but liked the idea of this weapon as a measured approach.

Gelato: Pyro / Sword (Skyward Blade) - I want him to set things on fire no matter what and to get in his enemies' faces. This weapon would allow him to get even faster and more annoying with each Elemental Burst, so I had to go with it.

[m00nz-artpad]

A proper Emilie Delisle character sheet!

This is the current design I've settled on for Emilie. Also, her name is now Emilie instead of Emerald. I just didn't like how Emerald sounded for her.

Some fun facts about baby girl here;

Emilie is Gaelic, which means she has a scottish accent and will start screaming in Gaelic when she gets angry.

Emilie's "father" (or master ig since he turned her) moved to Krat with her.

Emilie is very close with Antonia, but has beef with Polendina. No real reason other than they will constantly and consistently bully each other, but it's not out of true malice. More like Em bullies Polendina for having feelings for her surrogate sister and he bullies her for being a menace.

Emilie is physically stuck at 18, but unlike most vampires, she has aged psychologically beyond 18 due to trauma and self-preservation.

Despite being older mentally, she will become extremely distressed if someone calls her "old". Which happens a lot because many of the remaining residents of Krat know that Em is a vampire. (no srsly, she could start SOBBING the moment someone calls her old.)

Emilie is Pinocchio's partner and extremely protective over him. So much so that she learned how to fix any possible damages he might sustain.

+ emilie is in love with him but lies straight through her teeth by claiming she "doesn't know how to love". polendina does tease her the same way she teases him about her feelings.

Emilie's outfit is primarily inspired by steampunk fashion.

Her weapon of choice is a claymore.

(long winded summary of em's background below the cut)

Emilie Delisle (originally Emilie Heiren) is a elf from a distant land that suffered a genocide performed by monster hunters who assumed the elves were dangerous.

Emilie was left fatally injured after the attack and a vampire named Keiran Delisle found her and took pity on the 18 year old. He turned her into a vampire and aided her in learning how to live again after losing everything. Em found herself suffering from survivor's guilt, coming to fully blame herself for what had happened to her home due to her foolishness to trust a supposedly "safe" monster hunter.

Due to this survivor's guilt, Emilie became extremely hardened in order to never risk another's life again and began to train under Keiran to learn how to fight and protect those who couldn't protect themselves.

Emilie eventually traveled to Krat with Keiran after becoming a proper mercenary. It was here that she met a young Antonia Cerasani, whom she eventually became very close to. She began to work as a mercenary in Krat, causing the Stalkers to become very infuriated with the vampire as she was stealing business from them.

Instead of backing down, Emilie beat every mercenary that came her way to stop her until she and the Stalkers came to a mutual agreement that she was to not take any jobs from high paying clients.

When the Puppet Frenzy broke out and the plague became widespread in Krat, Emilie spent more time in Hotel Krat to tend to Antonia, who'd fallen ill. She eventually makes the decision to take work back up again when Geppetto's puppet arrives at the hotel.

[kyogre-blue]

I’ve been considering rolling on the Fredom-Sword and Light of Foliar banner. I have 65 pity on the weapon banner right now, so I’ll get one 5 star within the next five pulls or something, and even getting a guarantee shouldn’t be much more than a hundred pulls. I’m ahead of my requirements for Klee and Eula, so it’s not an issue to do it. 

tbh I’m not exactly thrilled about these weapons, but I really want to get Kaeya a 5 star sword, and there’s no telling when Ayaka, Ayato or the 8 months missing in action Primordial Jade Cutter will be back. Aside from a sword, I only really want Skyward Harp (potentially never rates up again) or Engulfing Lightning anyway. 

One thing I’ve been considering is the 4 stars that would be on the banner. Usually, between one and three of the weapon types are from a limited series associated with the same nation as the 5 star(s) or the ongoing events. For example, the current Thundering-Kagura banner has Akuoumaru rating up as part of the Inazuma limited series. 

Freedom has previously run with the Mondstadt Alley series and LoFI... ran with the Lithic Spear because Xiao’s Jade Spear and Lantern Rite. My guess is they’ll do half of the Mond limited 4 stars on Freedom-Sworn and the other half on Broken Pines (along with whatever Klee will bring). 

I actually have Alley Flash already, on Bennett. Refines are useless. Alley Hunter is also basically useless, since I only care about ER bows. Wine and Song is pretty whatever too, but at least it’s ER and a new catalyst and not Eye of Perception again. There’s also Mitternacht Waltz, the... phys bow, too. 

I guess my ideal banner would be Fav Lance (almost certain, barring Wavebreaker’s Fin with a steel chair), Fav or Sac sword (Fav is better), Fav or Sac bow (Sac is better), Wine and Song catalyst, and... Fav or Rainslasher for the claymore. Actually, I really want Akuoumaru but it just had to be on the current banner instead

Unfortunately, I’m almost certain they’ll rate up one of the two limited bows, since there’s two of them, urgh. Then either Alley Flash or Wine and Song, while the other one ends up with Broken Pines. 

Since I’m so ambivalent on this banner anyway, I guess I could decide based on whether 1) Wine and Song is there (vs Alley Flash fail state), 2) Fav or Rainslasher is there (vs Sac or Bell fail state). 

I’ll have to remember to check back on this in a week. 

[thegoblinjunkyard]

Under the Red Moon - Duet Campaign Thoughts

So i have been running a duet campaign in 5e with my friend for almost 3 months now set in Exandria and she has been playing a blood hunter, the oldest currently living blood hunter. It started as a one-shot but has become one of my favorite campaigns that i have been a part of. I have been testing out some rules to help make her character feel more like the “protagonist” of the fantasy stories you typically seen. Instead of rolling for HP you get max, though i might cap how many levels that works for. She has the equivalent of legendary actions called “Heroic Actions!”. Hero dice which are a pool of d6s equal to her proficiency bonus that can be used on d20 rolls. She also has a sidekick “Sin Eater” who is like a blood cleric that uses the sidekick rules. I thought about using Gestalt rules (where a character levels in multiple classes at the same time.) but she tends to get overwhelmed by having to keep track of too much, though that isnt completely off the table.  I have also created a custom sub-class called Order of the Night Mother, which is a sort of assassin-like class that focuses on getting the jump on the enemy, with the aid of shadows. The main feature, Veil of the Night Mother creates an aura of shadows to give enemies disadvantage on perception, gives temp hp, and a sneak attack-like ability that nullifies regeneration effects and you can use the hide action as a bonus action. It is quite the beefy feature, that may need to be toned down some, but that remains to be seen. Outside of the mechanics the order itself is comprised of all women who are called Night Witches; which I took big inspiration from the anime Claymore and the name from the russian lady pilots. Overall I think it still needs a fair amount of work but she totally loves it and at the end of the day thats what matters.  Which i think gets at the heart of what makes this type of play so fun is specifically building the game around what you and your partner find fun, it can go places that you cant really do when you have split the focus on more people. Also having the player have more direct control over parts of the game, than they normal would though i have found that there is a lot of players that don't like having that much control which can get into a very different topic.  Anyway, if you have never played is style of game before i highly recommend it, specially with someone you really vibe with.

[ben-talks-art]

Thoughts on Chainsaw Man

I talk a lot about this series on my Tumblr so I felt I might as well share how I overall feel about the manga and the anime.

I was planning on doing just a review of the anime at first but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I don't have really much to say.

It's just the manga animated. Sometimes it looks really good like the latest fight with Katana Man or, still in my opinion the best-looking fight, the one with the bat devil, and then sometimes it looks kinda stiff and robotic like against Zombie devil or too muddy and hard to see like Eternity devil. It's a show with some high points and low points but overall I do feel they did a good job bringing the manga to life and am excited for season 2.

So, how do I feel about the manga?

This might come as absolutely no shock but Chainsaw Man (is it Chainsaw Man or Chainsawman? I never know...) is probably one of my all-time favorite mangas.

There are so many things about this thing that I just adore in ways I didn't know I could. It's right up there with "Zatch Bell", "Claymore", "Fullmetal Alchemist" and "Grand Blue" as series that felt like hit me in just the right way because it manages to do a bunch of things that really appeal to me and the amount of things in it I like grossly overshadow the things I don't like.

For those that don't know the story, our main lead, Denji, is a teenage boy that leaves in a world filled with devils, creatures that come from hell that are powered by people's fear and blood. Each devil represents a different type of phobias like sharks, guns, spiders, ghosts, divorce, marriage, school, Mondays, and even the scariest thing of all... The future. The more people are afraid of a thing, the stronger that devil representation is.

Due to some somewhat complicated and overall dark events, Denji ends up becoming the chainsaw devil after making a contract with it, and after that, joins a group of hunters that go after other devils and sending them back to hell until they escape once again.

Most of the story is just following Denji as he beats up some really well-designed creatures alongside the supporting cast of characters who at first all feel like they're either gonna be boring or annoying but the more you get to know them the more you get to like them.

While that is going on we keep getting a few hints that Denji's boss, the leader of the devil hunters, might not be exactly what she seems and part of the fun is slowly finding out just what her deal is and what she wants with him.

Okay, so, what do I like about this series?

The thing that really sold me on this thing is the combination of two elements, its confidence, and its style.

What I mean by confidence is, you can tell that the author is thinking first "What do I find cool? What do I find interesting? What do I want to talk about? What would be fun to explore and show to other people? What kind of series would I want to read?"

Chainsaw Man doesn't feel like a series made to sell, it feels like a passion project. It doesn't try to force your usual tropes and cliches, it doesn't try to copy what's popular, it doesn't try to tell the same old stories we've seen billions of times before, it just feels like it's a combination of a bunch of things someone likes meshed together in one place.

You can tell that this author likes crazy monster designs, wild and fun action scenes, badass female characters, conversations and discussions about what it means to be human or what it means to be happy, and tons and tons of juvenile humor as well as what I can only describe as an attempt to de-glamorize the feel of being a shounen protagonist by presenting lots of misery, lots of disappointment, lots of gross moments, but still trying to show that this life is something that is necessary for the world.

On top of all that, he's confident enough in his writing skills that he knows he can use all these elements in a way that can be appreciated by other people. He knows who he is and what he likes and he knows how to make what he likes look fun.

But confidence only gets you so far. There are some things that even if you write in the best way you can you still won't be able to sell it to most people if it just so happens to not be their thing.

For example, this author has another series called "Fire Punch" which has quite a few similar beats. Weird designs, wild action scenes, silly humor, a depressing but necessary tone, interesting messages to think about... But it just didn't hit the checkmarks in the way I wish it did.

You can still feel the confidence and there are honestly some themes in it I feel are stronger than Chainsaw Man, but the style was one that didn't particularly appealed to me.

It's the same problem I had with this manga called "Blue Lock." I feel the writing in it is phenomenal... But I just can't for the life of me enjoy the idea of a series about football, so while I can say it's good, I can't say I like it.

Meanwhile, in Chainsaw Man, everything just clicks.

I love these designs, I love this idea of weapon-people fighting each other, I love the idea of monsters powered by fear and being defeated by facing that fear. I love how freaking metal Denji looks when he is transformed!

I also adore this cast of characters. Makima and Asa are two of my all-time favorite characters ever, Power I think is one step away from starting her own religion because she's just that popular with people, Kobeni is the ultimate "must be protected" while also being the ultimate "I'm in this picture and I don't like it" character, and of course, I just love Denji and his complete braindead way of thinking in how he approaches his problems. He's the definition of simple but efficient.

I also love how this author approaches writing the female cast, like, my God, I am so freaking sick of women and girl characters whose entire personality starts and ends with "I am the male lead's 'something', and I have basically no purpose in my existence without the male lead." I like how all these women feel real, and on top of that feel cool.

Then there is also the fact that I really like how this series explores misery and struggles.

I love seeing miserable people- ... Wait, that came out wrong... I love seeing different explorations of people's struggles, what is their struggle, why they're struggling with it, how I can relate to that, and how they overcome it, and this manga is just a myriad of different and unique struggles.

Wanting revenge but being powerless to obtain it, wanting to get someone you love out of danger but unable to because that's what they want, being forced to do a job you hate in order to please your family, or even basic stuff like wanting your cat back.

Each character is moved by their motivations and shaped by their struggles, and they all have cool struggles and motivations.

Denji's main struggle is that he wants to feel alive, wants to feel human, because his childhood and innocence were taken from him so now he is trying to discover again how to enjoy life by seeking basic things like food, company, and intimacy.

You just look at him and go "Aww... I hope he finds happiness in life!", and then get upset at how this happiness is constantly kept from him. And the reason it's kept from him is handled in a very interesting way that makes you wonder how much do people often seek what they think they want instead of seeking what they need and how much are they missing or giving up in the process?

It raises questions but it doesn't handle them in some pretentious way. It feels more like it just wants to talk about it while leaving you room to reach your own conclusions.

I don't know what else to say aside from "It just appeals to me!"

The humor appeals to me, the visuals appeal to me, the characters, the story, the themes, this just feels like one of those series I always wished someone would make, and I'm glad someone did made it without trying to be every other series ever and instead just having enough confidence in trying to be its own thing.

[casspurrjoybell-24]

The Alpha's Beta - Chapter 15 - Part 1

BOOK ONE: The Alpha's Trilogy

*Warning Adult Content*

Stars - Part 1

Alpha Silas Claymore

I stood in a clearing not far from the small town I called home.

I was face to face with a large black wolf.

He had to be the same size as myself, with a white tear drop patch of fur on his chest, white front paws and sprinkles of brown on his side, that you wouldn't notice unless the sun hit him.

He snarled at me, going towards my right side for an attack.

I was able to jump back and meet his attack with my own.

I knocked my head with his own before faking a right and grabbing his neck from the left.

He growled at me before trying to pull away.   

Just as we were about to go in for another attack I heard a whistle blow.

I let out a huff of air before changing from my white and brown form to my human.

I grabbed my pair of gym pants from the tree where I left them and looked over to the wolf I had been fighting not a minute before.   

We had been training for three days now.

Right after the pack meeting we held we started, those who didn't want to fight got medical training, anyone under the age of twelve was put on a bunker list and would be taken to safety if and when we were attacked, along with the some medics.

The other medics would be on stand by in random areas.   

I watched as a male Omega and a teenage girl begin to spar.

The girl got the upper hand on the older male but soon she was pinned by the scruff of her neck and the whistle was being blown.

I looked over to Simon who had the whistle in his mouth and a hand on his hip.

He really seemed to enjoy being the boss of everybody.

He blew the whistle again and the Omega and the girl began round two.   

I enjoyed watching everybody spar.

It was nice to see all the pack members on the same page about things.

I also liked the pride in the eyes of everybody, especially the Omega's.

I wasn't the kind of Alpha that believed in everyone having there own place and them having to stick to it.

I whole heartily believed that no Omega should be belittled for their rank.

Once I became Alpha Omega's were free to go hunting and train like everybody else and not just work the jobs that no one wanted.

Hunters could freely cook meals at pack gatherings if they liked.

I've seen Omegas become hunters and hunters/trackers become almost Omega like and not in a bad way.   

Lucca had been to training yesterday and today.

He spared with trackers and none-ranks.

He hadn't been hunting and Ellis hadn't needed him on guard for the last few nights, via my request.   

I couldn't trust him, I wanted to, everything in me wanted to but I couldn't my instincts told me not to.   

My instincts also told me to turn my head to the right and watch Darren gulp down a full water bottle.   

'Sometimes I really enjoyed my instincts.'   

Things between the two of us got no better but they also got no worse.

He didn't make snarky remarks at me anyone but he still gave me the stink eye every so often.  

After the night he spent at my house things seemed to have lightened up and I was excited to think that he finally had some trust in me.

"Stop staring at me. It's weird."  

A smile crept its way onto my face.

"Oh shut up. It's a free country."  

"I will charge you ten dollars in the next ten seconds if you don't stop looking at me."

"You can't do that."   

He shrugged and stretched his arms over his head, letting his stomach muscles clench and I thanked the Moon Goddess that he didn't have a shirt on.

"Probably not but I will and you'll give me ten bucks anyways because you do anything I say."   

"I do not."   

He shrugged his eyes trailing over the grounds watching the other six people on the field train.

"You should get everyone ready for the ten mile run."   

I nodded getting up from where I sat on the ground.

"Yeah, you're right... that doesn't count... I was going to do it anyways."  

"Sure, Alpha," he said with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"What ever you say."   

I rolled my eyes but I smiled none the less, enjoying the fact he was able to freely goof around with me.

I wouldn't call us friends just yet but we were getting closer to friendship and the closer we got to friendship the closer we got to mating.   

I asked Simon too blow the whistle and singled everyone to come with me for a run.

There was only about thirty people training at the moment.

We had three training groups.

First group was at 4am-8am, group two was 12pm-4pm and group three was 4pm-8pm.

I knew and respected that people had work and school so I didn't force everyone to train at the same time.

Plus I don't think I could train all the wolves properly if I had all of them together.

I liked to give everyone there attention and helped them with whatever it was they needed and I couldn't do that with the whole pack in attendance.  

We did a run at the start of training and at the end.

I thought it was a great way to get the blood flowing plus show me who was where in speed.

We ran around half the border then stopped at a near by lake that my father had dubbed Lake Marshall, after a high school friend who had died young.

After we got to the lake in our human forms we all stripped down aside of Simon, who had a backpack waiting for all our clothes and ran back to the clearing.

Despite being in his human form and carrying all our clothes on his back, Simon was relatively fast.

He had a strong human form, seeing he refused to phase into his wolf.

He never told me why though, I could only believe it stemmed from the abuse he had inflicted on him by our father but there was no way I was going to ask him that, seeing I couldn't bring our father up at all without him flinching.   

I shook the thought from my head dismissing the group before me.

They all started to make there way back to the town.

I stayed back and helped Simon clean up discarded water bottles and shirts that were left by shifted wolves.

I would have only taken a half an hour all together but Simon and I goofed around and talked a lot so it took us an hour and by the time we were done the sun and fell and the moon was lifted.

I looked up towards the sky and saw the big and little dipper hanging proudly.

***********

"Those stars there, That's the little dipper," Father said pointing up at the sky.

"And those there."

He shifted his fingers higher pointing above the little cluster of stars.

"That's the big dipper. If you're ever lost. Look up at the sky and find them. Then look north and you'll see that star there."

He pointed towards a bright star brighter then all the rest.

"That star is the North Star and it will take you home."  

I smiled up at my father.

His black hair fell backwards as he looked up at the sky, his blue eyes twinkled with something I couldn't pin point.

I sat beside him in the small clearing not far from the houses.  

"Stars are amazing things, Silas. Always leave a space in your heart for the stars."

He looked down at my seven year old frame a bright smile on his face.

"Come on now. Poor Momma is home alone, with a teething Simon and you know how cranky he can be."

[maximuswolf]

Evangelion vibes (Soulstice)

Evangelion vibes (Soulstice) a lil bit NSFWhttps://i.imgur.com/dMPrrio.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/C2R4JW1.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/K8H172U.jpg ​i got this for free on Epicit was actually fun overall... but my main complaint is that the levels are too huge and doesn't have enough variety to warrant iti heard the devs are making a sequel tho and that they have been listening to feedback and apparently a good amount of people felt the same as i doalso... this game also has Claymore vibes, so that also is very cooltheir bodies have been modified to serve as "monster hunters"https://ift.tt/sJfzK7T Submitted June 01, 2024 at 07:49AM by VermilionX88 https://ift.tt/g4QcuNI via /r/gaming

[hananoami]

[ Directional Orbit: Light ]

F2P alt runs – used up 3/3 of the allotted daily keys today! We went from Stage 48 to clearing stage 50 for the "Stars From Beyond" sole!!

Stage 48 was a frenzy stage. cleared with Lightseeker using Hunter Wand.

1-R protocore: +6

3-SR protocores: +0, +3, +3

8-SSR protocores: +0. +3, +3, +3, +3, +3, +3, +3

Stage 49 had the same protofield stellactrum as Stage 48, so I used the same team and stat attributes as above to clear this stage via auto battle.

We made it to Xavier's Directional Orbit - Stage 50! In addition to the 40 diamonds + 1 Empyrean Wish + 4000 gold, clearing this stage gives you the personal title "Stars From Beyond" sole!!

Stage 50 - Team 01 cleared with Lightseeker Companion using Luminescence Blade.

1-R protocore: +3

4-SR protocores: +0, +0, +3, +6

7-SSR protocores: +0, +0, +3, +3, +3, +3, +3

Stage 50 - Team 02 cleared with Lightseeker Companion using Hunter Claymore.

1-R protocore: +6

4-SR protocores: +0, +3, +3, +3

7-SSR protocores: +0, +0, +3, +3, +3, +3, +3